Demons
It had been three years since the Sith tried to come and take Mira and Anna from their parents on Lothal. Since then, the kids have both been showing growth in their force abilities. Ezra had overseen the construction of the temple Luke had commissioned. Today marked Celeste's fourth birthday and the whole family was celebrating. Hera had gone to get Zeb and Kallus from Lira San, and Ursa and Alrich had come from Krownest. Everybody was excited, except Celeste.
"Daddy, I don't want a party." The small now four year old whined.
"Why not? It's an important day. Do you remember what your sisters did on their fourth birthday?" Ezra smiled as he knelt down to her level.
"You and Mommy took them to see the gardens in the city." Celeste's eyes lit up, remembering the pretty flowers.
"Yes, we did. Now you get to lead the group around, we can do whatever you want in the city until it gets time to come back here." He smiled as she jumped for joy.
"Yay! I get to go to the gardens. I get to go to the gardens." She continued her rant all the way into the living room where Sabine was getting the twins ready to go out.
"Well, someone is excited." Sabine laughed as she picked up Cel. "Did Daddy promise that you get to lead the pack today?"
"Yeah!" she smiled brightly.
"Ya know, it was my idea." Sabine whispered.
"No. Daddy told me." Celeste seemed confused.
"Well who do you think told Daddy?" That got Celeste to giggle harder.
"Mommy what time will Aunt Hera and Uncle Zebby be here?" Anna asked as she stood up.
"They should be here by the time we get back." Ezra picked up Anna with the force and dropped her on the couch. She giggled feeling the tingling sensation around her.
"Me next Daddy. Me next." Mira giggled as she too began to float up.
"And to think, someday you two will be able to do that too." Ezra chuckled as they ran to him and hugged his legs.
"Me too?" Cel asked, she was still being held by Sabine.
Ezra took a deep breath. He hadn't had the conversation with all of them about who was force sensitive and who wasn't. Sabine caught his glace and answered for him.
"Someday, maybe you will do even greater things sweetheart." Sabine tickled the little girl and set her down on the couch next to her sisters.
"Alright, Celeste. Today is your special day, so you get to decide what we do first." Sabine stood in front of her children, Ezra behind her. "So, birthday girl, what do you wanna do first?"
"Gardens!" Celeste giggled.
"Should have expected tha- Ahh!" Ezra groaned, holding his head.
"Ezra? Ezra!" Sabine tried to grab him but missed as he hit the floor.
"Mommy what's wrong with Daddy?" Mira asked jumping down and running over.
"Daddy!" Celeste followed.
"Mommy is he okay?" Anna questioned.
"I-I" Sabine stuttered not sure how to answer them. "Stay here girls. I'm gonna take him to our room. I will be back in a minute." Sabine picked him up and dragged him to their bed. She laid him down and looked down on him. "Ezra? Ezra can you hear me?"
"Yea, yea I'm here." Ezra groaned, trying to sit up.
"Woah, take it easy love." She helped him lay back and sat next to him. "Anything I can do?"
"No, it was just a horrible vision. Don't worry about it. Please, take the girls out. Let Cel enjoy her day out. I need to meditate." Ezra held his head again.
"No, we can stay in…" She was cut off when Ezra raised his hand.
"It will be okay, my love. Take them out. I promised Celeste she would get to lead you all around. Don't make me a liar." Ezra grinned weakly as Sabine stood.
"Alright, but if you are lying to me. I'm gonna kill you." Sabine gave him a stern look.
"My dear Sabine. I wouldn't have it any other way." Ezra grinned as he laid back down.
Sabine walked back out into the main room to find the girls playing on the floor. She wanted to be there for Ezra, but she also wanted Cel to have a great day. So, she decided to take the girls to the city and let Ezra meditate in peace.
With Ezra
Ezra sat up and kneeled at the end of his bed. He needed to find out the source or meaning behind this horrible vision. When he closed his eyes, the vision came back. This time, in it's entirety.
He saw two teenage girls, his daughters. Both lay in front of him, lifeless and still. Their blades on the floor, deactivated. He saw Sabine off to his right guarding Celeste. They were both terrified. Celeste was crying.
"Ezra help us!" He heard Sabine's voice say. By this time, he was so immersed in the vision he lost touch of what was real.
"Oh, he can't save you. He's too weak." A familiar voice said as he boomed over the room. The Sith lord he faced after the twins were abducted. "He couldn't save your other children, what makes you think he can save you now?"
"AAAAGGGHHHH!" Ezra groaned, trying to stand. Finding his leg was broken, he fell back down. He watched in horror as the man reached out and choked Celeste. The poor girl flailing and crying as the breath was pulled out of her. "NO!" he cried "Stop, I will do what you ask." The Sith did not stop. He dropped the now pale Celeste to the ground. Sabine charged him. Her lightsaber drawn. However, she was no match for the Sith lord. Ezra watched as she tried to block attack after attack. Eventually, her defense failed her, and the crimson blade was trusted through her stomach. He watched as her lightsaber fell and she went down to her knees and held her bleeding stomach.
"Ezra. Please help me." Her voice was faint, and her life was fading.
"I'm here, my love. Hold on." Ezra crawled his way over to her. When he reached her, she was barely holding on to life.
"How could you Ezra. I thought you could save us. Why didn't…" She coughed up blood as she groaned. "Why weren't you strong enough." With a final breath, she died.
Ezra was overcome with grief, hatred, anger, and his eyes were dark. He pulled her blade to him and activated it. "You will die for this." Ezra growled as his eyes went from their normal blue to a bright yellow.
The vision ended. Ezra fell on his back and cried. He had no idea how this could happen, but what if it did? Was he not strong enough to save them? Was he holding himself back by not using all of the force? Was the dark side really more powerful? That last question shocked him. With his time using the Sith holocron, he learned nothing but pain. But if in the end, it gained him the ability to save his family, was it not worth it?
Ezra sighed, he hated what he was planning. This would destroy Sabine and his daughters, but he believed it would save them in the end. He packed his back and walked out to the Gauntlet. Sitting in the pilot's chair, he took one last look at the city. He turned on the engines and shut down his force connection to Sabine and the twins.
"I'm sorry, Sabine. But I have to do this." He said aloud to no one.
He pulled back on the throttle and the ship blasted away to space. Leaving Lothal, his family, his wife behind.
Wow ok, that took a dark turn. Writing this was heart breaking so I hope it didn't get to you as much as it did me. This is the beginning of something very dark, if you don't like this kind of arc, I advise you hold off on reading it and everything should be back in a few days. Till then Tb out.
