Thanks to Guest, DarthEzra, V, ComparedDread12, dovah117 and Eznf98 for the feedback!
Guest: Thanks for you concern; I appreciate it. The COVID threat got very real for a while, and this arc is quite honesty the hardest writing I've done yet. You'll see why in about ten chapters, hopefully.
DarthEzra: Yes, we're all glad Revan is gone. Very glad indeed.
V: Glad I can respond. I hadn't seen the Dark Knight Rises at the time of posting, so the reference slipped right past me. I have an arc planned that flips the training bits on their head, and I'm excited for it. And, again, I can't stress this enough, how sure are we that Ezra remembers Luke's message with perfect clarity?
Dovah117: Oh yeah. Cliffhanger for life. I'm not a doctor either, I just research for hours on the Internet. Which, now that I say it aloud, seems like an oxymoron. Well, I'm a regular moron, so it fits.
I am so sorry for taking months to upload another chapter, but what's happening next in this story is so very hard to write. I have a plan, it's just making that plan make sense that gets me. But, we're here now (well, I am. hopefully you guys are still here.)
Enjoy!
. . . . . . . . . .
Sabine's first thought was of Gar Saxon as she scissored her darksaber and Anakin's lightsaber around his throat. This was precisely the same situation as back on Krownest.
Back then, she had been adamant that killing her opponent, while it may be the Mandalorian Way, was no longer hers. She had let Saxon live. How could she then kill Anakin, who was trying to do the right thing?
As she thought about that, the doors to the training arena opened, and Sabine turned, dropping both sabers as Ezra stumbled through the doors, falling to his knees.
"Ezra?" Sabine took a step towards him, one that turned into a sprint as he collapsed to the floor. "Ezra!"
Anakin was standing directly behind her, but for once, Sabine didn't care as she shifted Ezra into her lap. "Call for Merrin!"
As Anakin grabbed his comm, Sabine looked up as Hera and Rex entered the room. "We heard shouting."
She nodded. "Ezra collapsed."
"Move him to the Medical Bay!" Cal entered with Merrin in tow. "We'll work on him there."
. . . . . . . . . .
Nothing.
That was all there was.
Ezra struggled in the weightlessness of his mind, desperate to find his footing. "Help!"
This is a new day for you, Ezra Bridger. A new beginning.
He tried to shift, but failed. "Ahsoka!"
You want a ride?
"Kanan?"
We have hope. Hope that things can get better.
Ezra closed his eyes, trying to imagine himself on the fields of Lothal, meditating.
And they will.
Concentration shattered, Ezra looked, so he thought, up. "What do you want from me?"
Nothing and everything.
Find your centre, Ezra. Feel the Force around you. Let it surround you, bind you and the universe together.
Nodding frantically, Ezra closed his eyes once more, looking for his centre. "Yes, Master."
. . . . . . . . . .
Sabine entered the room to find Ezra sitting up, blinking heavily. Upon seeing her, he tried to get out of the makeshift bed they had made, and Sabine ran to him. "Take it easy!"
Ezra stilled, eyes closed as though concentrating. "Where am I?"
Sabine gave a sigh of relief. "Kamino." She smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder. "You gave us all a scare."
He was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry."
Before Sabine could respond, her comm beeped. "Spectre Five, we have a situation. I need you back on the Ghost now!"
She shot an apologetic look at Ezra, who waved her off with a small smile. Shaking her head, Sabine hesitantly left the Medical Bay, grabbing her comm. "What is it?"
. . . . . . . . . .
Ezra gave a sad smile as Sabine headed to the other side of the room, then turned to look at something she had left on the table.
It was Kanan's mask.
Ezra sighed as he stared at it. "I miss you." He murmured. A tear slipped unbidden down his cheek. "I would do anything to get you back."
"I once thought the same."
He turned to face Anakin, who was leaning on the doorpost. "Thanks for not killing Sabine."
Anakin nodded and used the Force to grab the mask. "This was your Master's."
Ezra folded his arms and looked at the floor. "It used to be his shoulder armour, but Sabine repurposed it after Malachor."
"Thrawn reported that Kanan Jarrus had worn a mask in all of their encounters." Anakin returned it to the shelf. "And I know you wore this after Hoth."
Ezra lightly touched his right eye. "Easier that way."
A somewhat awkward silence filled the air, before Anakin knelt next to him. "What did you see?" He asked softly.
Ezra looked to the far wall. "I saw my family, everyone I care for, dead. I saw myself, unable to protect them."
Anakin rested a hand on his shoulder. "During the War, I was able to block out those fears. I focused on what would happen to my men, and never fell." He sighed. "It was once I returned from fighting, and was able to be with those I love, that the temptation grew too great." He looked at Ezra. "You have to train yourself to let go of everything you're afraid to lose."
Ezra scowled. "Let it go?" He questioned. Digging a elbow into the mattress, he dragged his upper body to rest against the wall. "Just abandon Sabine? Abandon my son?"
Anakin shook his head. "No. I didn't understand it either. It means that, if you do lose them, you won't fall."
Ezra glanced at Anakin. "How?"
He sighed. "I don't know."
. . . . . . . . . .
Cal narrowed his eyes as he watched Ezra struggle to sit up. "You shouldn't be doing that."
Ezra paused for a moment. "Have to." Calling on the Force, he managed to rest against the wall. But no more than a few seconds passed before he tried to swing his feet onto the floor.
Using the Force, Cal held him still. "Stop. You're too weak."
He scoffed. "The Force is my ally."
"Right now, stubbornness isn't." Cal gently pushed Ezra back down. "You need to rest."
Ezra shook his head. "Resting isn't going to help. I need to work."
Cal sighed and released his hold. "Fine." He shook his head. "Let's see what you can do."
. . . . . . . . . .
Gingerly testing his feet on the floor, Ezra glanced at Anakin, who nodded encouragingly. "Reach out." He instructed. "Find your limits."
Bracing himself with one hand on the wall, Ezra stood, wobbling on his feet for a few seconds before collapsing onto the bed, panting. "That's my limit."
Anakin nodded and sat beside him. "I've encountered this type of thing before." He was staring at the ground. "For a week, I was out of commission, struggling to regain my strength." He looked back at Ezra. "This is your starting point. Don't push yourself too fast."
Ezra nodded, then glanced up as both Hera and Sabine entered the room, the former with a furious look on her face. Wincing, Ezra rested his back against the wall. "Hera?"
The General stopped a few meters away, anger softening somewhat as she regarded him. "I just heard from my father from Ryloth." The anger seeped back into her face. "He asked me how Jacen was enjoying Krownest." She turned to Sabine. "You told me Jacen hadn't arrived before the Empire destroyed it."
Before Sabine could speak, Ezra called upon the Force and stood, hand splayed against the wall. "It was my decision." He stared at Sabine, willing her to be quiet and accept the lie. "It wasn't the right one, but we were fighting for our lives on Mandalore." He winced as a flash of pain entered Sabine's face. Taking a breath, he continued. "Jacen is being held by the Empire." Trembling from exhaustion, he collapsed back onto the bed. "And we're going to get him back."
"How?"
. . . . . . . . . .
Sabine watched as Ezra slowly shuffled around the room. "You're going to get yourself hurt worse if you don't take a break."
Stubbornly, Ezra shook his head. "No. I can feel myself getting stronger. I can rest when I'm dead."
Beside her, Cal frowned. "You don't seem to realize how close you came to that."
Ezra glanced at him for a second. "I told you, the Force is my ally."
Shaking his head, Cal turned from Commander Stubborn and looked at Sabine. "What did Hera want?"
She sighed, sitting down in a vacant chair. "She found out about Jacen, about how we lied."
Cal glared at the wall. "I knew it was the wrong move."
"It was the only move." Sabine stared at the floor. "Ezra and I were already compromised emotionally, we couldn't afford to lose Hera too. But, we have a plan to rescue Jacen."
Cal frowned as he stared at her. "And...Cale too?"
Raw pain flashed across Sabine's face, before she stuffed it away. "I talked to Ezra." She admitted. "He told me he couldn't feel Caleb, where he could before. Something's changed."
Blinking heavily, she continued. "ISB Agent Gideon told me that the Emperor himself has plans for Cale to become the next Vader. If he isn't dead," her voice hitched, "then Ezra not being able to feel him means something far worse."
"So you're not even going to look for him?" Cal shook his head. "A few years ago, Maul captured Merrin. I couldn't feel her either, but I didn't stop looking. Every day for three months, we scoured the Galaxy." He stared at Ezra, who was still moving along the wall. "I know this is affecting you, just like it's affecting him. But you have to push past that."
Sabine nodded, quickly wiping a tear away. "We'll try."
. . . . . . . . . .
Ezra grunted in frustration as his second step sent him to the floor. Shaking his head in exasperation, he rested against the wall, recovering as Sabine walked in. "What are you doing?"
He gave a small smile, one filled with anger. "Falling." He admitted. Accepting the hand Sabine offered, he moved back to the bed. "I guess I'm not ready to be walking yet."
"You've been awake two hours." Sabine sat beside him. "Anakin said to take it slow."
Ezra raised his eyebrows. "Anakin?"
She nodded, silent for a moment. "While you were-" She looked at the floor. "I tested him."
"And?"
She looked up. "He passed. I trust him."
Ezra's eyes widened. "Wow. I-"
Sabine amended her previous statement. "Not as much as I trust you or Rex, but I can learn to trust Anakin too."
"Good." There was a note of pride in Ezra's voice as Sabine leaned into him. "We're going to need him if we're going to get them back."
. . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Notes!
I). Fanfiction is being buggy again, and everything I had italicizes in my notes gets changed to normal text. Rather annoying, since I use italics somewhat frequently. If a line of dialogue doesn't make sense at first, assume it was supposed to be emphasized.
II). So, Ezra's back. Not fully, but we're working on it. Meanwhile, Hera has found out about Jacen, which...might cause some issues in the future. I imagine that I alone am looking forward to it.
III). The reason this arc is so difficult to write is buried somewhat, but I am curious to see if anyone can find it.
Thanks for reading!
Judge