With Kanan and Hera on one speeder and Zeb and Sabine on the other, they hurried as fast as the girls could drive towards the tower. On the way their though, Kanan sensed fear within the force that send chills all over him, a fear he clearly recognized from last night; Ezra was in trouble.
"Hera speed up," Kanan told her from the back seat, soon using the comlink to tell Sabine to speed up as well.
As they got closer to their location they saw several speeders, and one of them dropping something, or should it be said someone, as they began racing towards the tower; It had to be Ezra, and it had to be an imperial agent pointing a blaster at him.
"Ezra!" Kanan shouted as he grabbed his blaster to aim at the would be shooter. But Zeb beat him to it and shot the imperials blaster out of the man's hand. Before the agent could grab the weapon strapped onto his back, Sabine speed up closer to him only to have Zeb jump of and begin a full out bo-rifle fight with what had to be Kallus.
Hera and Kanan noticed Ezra turned away to see what had happened, only for a second though before he began his race to the tower. Hera, finding Zeb to be handling the Kallus issue fine, sped up towards Ezra's direction; as she saw several troopers beginning to speed towards the tower he was running to.
Sabine was able to shoot the three Imperials aiding Kallus, while the other Imperials went towards Ezra. Sabine wanted to help Kanan and Hera with the oncoming troopers, but Zeb needed help too.
"Go Specter 5!" Zeb hollered to Sabine as he and Kallus rifles were locked into each other, "I can handle muttonchops here."
Sabine nodded as she raced towards the others, soon remembering the obvious; Zeb was the muscle of the group for a reason.
"You should have ran when you had the chance." Kallus told Zeb as he tried to make a strike at Zeb's head only for him to dodge,
"Shouldn't you be focusing on bigger things then chasing a child." Zeb said in what was supposed to be a demeaning manner.
"No, I have a personal policy; prisoners I put in prison are my responsibility!" Kallus revealed to the Lasat.
Zeb lost it; he may not be able to teach Tseboo a lesson, but he was more than happy to take out his anger at Ezra's struggle out on Kallus.
Ezra had barely made it to one side of the tower when the advancing troopers began firing at him, most were deflected off the tower.
Kanan and Hera raced towards the kid, shooting at least one of them down before they finally reached their little guy, curled up into himself as a way to shield himself from the ongoing blaster fight.
"Ezra!" both Kanan and Hera shouted as they jumped off their speeder to check on the young human, only for Ezra to try run off again after hearing their voices. Luckily Kanan was faster than Ezra and was able to catch him quickly; good thing for that too since if Ezra had stepped out from behind the tower he would have been shot by the trooper's blaster shots.
Ezra began to attempt to squirm out of Kanan's hold,
"Ezra it's okay, it's us." Hera tried to assure the terrified boy.
Ezra though didn't respond and continued to try to get as far away from them as he could.
Kanan turned him around so the boy was facing him, gently gripping his shoulders, "Ezra would you-,"
That was when Kanan's heart completely shattered; Ezra face was stained with tears, his eye's red and buffy from the constant crying. His face showing both complete fear and utter betrayal. Ezra was also shaking in fear, like he thought Kanan was even considering the idea of hurting him. It was as if Ezra had forgotten the past day with the Crew, like he was back in that prison.
Kanan was going to try to understand what had happened when he heard more blaster's going off. He grabbed his own blaster and began to shoot from behind the tower. Kanan managed to take down a few when he heard an explosion going off and covered Ezra and Hera with himself in order to protect him from the fragments falling from the rusted tower. Luckily nothing hit them
Kanan examined the two, "Are you guys okay?"
"We're fine love," Hera assured Kanan. Ezra though, just looked just like he did back at the base when he first met Kanan; he looked up at the man in complete confusion at Kanan's concern for him.
Before Kanan could try to talk to the child again, Sabine came onto the scene,
"Are you guys ok? That 'present' was supposed to be sent closer to the troopers than here. I'm so sorry" Sabine said worried about the two humans and twi'lek
"Were fine," Kanan assured Sabine, "Did you take down any of the troopers? And where in this galaxy is Zeb?
"I was able to take down three of them, and Zeb is over there," Sabine said pointing to the engaging battle between Kallus and Zeb. The two were evenly matched in their fighting style and stubbornness, easily able to keep up their duel as it came closer to the tower.
Kanan rolled his head in frustration.
"Great," Kanan said sarcastically before continuing, "we need to get rid of these troopers, get Zeb, and get out of here. Sabine do have any more 'surprises'?"
Sabine went through her pockets, "Only one left, but…" Sabine got an idea and smiled cunningly under her helmet, "If I put this on one of the speeders, the explosion would definitely be enough to take out the advancing troopers. But we'd have to sacrifice one of the speeders"
Kanan's mind was made up by the advancing sound of blaster shots being shot on the other side of the tower. "Sounds like the best plan we've got."
As Kanan and Sabine readied the speeder for its 'finale ride', Hera stayed close to Ezra, who just sat curled by back to the tower. Hera tried to assure him, gently putting her hand on his cheek in an attempt to wipe some of his tears away.
"Ezra, everything is going to be okay. I promise we're going to get Zeb and we'll be going back home soon." Hera told him in her smooth motherly voice.
Ezra just looked up at her in total shock and puzzlement. It almost seemed like Ezra didn't hear her, or believe her. He was going to ask her what she meant but before he could, Sabine turned the Speeders auto pilot on high speed with her handiwork on it. Kanan and she aimed it at the shooting troopers,
"Brace yourself!" Kanan shouted as he and Sabine returned behind the tower. Hitting the ground to avoid falling over again from the aftershock.
Just then the speeder speed right towards the troopers and the explosives went up in a large green colored fire ball that shook the earth under them. The shock of the explosion caused Hera to fall on her back and Ezra onto his knees
At the moment the explosion went off, Zeb in his duel with Kallus lost his footing. This gave Kallus the advantage he needed, as Zeb was about to collapse on the agent, Kallus stunned Zeb with the end of the bo-rifle, sending the Lasat down to the ground.
Ezra, the first to be up after the explosion sent everyone else to the ground, was the first to notice what was about to happen to Zeb.
Ezra panicked, Zeb was going to die!
"ZEB!" Ezra cried out to his friend, hand stretch out towards the situation as a last ditch attempt that 'something' would happen to stop Zeb from getting killed. Soon that 'something' came through, as Kallus was thrown over two klicks away from the scene.
Kanan, having witnessed what Ezra had done from where he had fallen onto the ground, just starred at Ezra in complete shock; Ezra had used The Force to save Zeb. Ezra though just looked at his hands in complete horror, like he had done the worst thing possible; the boy looked over at the fallen Lasat before racing to the ladder of the tower.
Kanan was going to race after Ezra, but he knew where Ezra was, Zeb need to be checked on. He raced towards the big guy soon followed by Hera and Sabine as they too regained their poise.
"Zeb, are you still with us bud?" Kanan asked in panic, as it looked like Zeb wasn't breathing. Just then though Kanan noticed the Lasat moaning, Kanan was able to let out a sigh of relief.
"Uh, what happened?" Zeb asked, grabbing at his side
"You were almost a shish kabob," Kanan told the Lasat as Hera came up to check on Zeb's injuries. "Kallus almost wasted you, but then he was flown over yonder.
"Yeah I saw that before I went out, thanks mate," Zeb indicated towards the Jedi.
Kanan though just shook his head, "Wasn't me, thank the kid."
Zeb looked shocked before shouting in pain.
"Ow," Zeb let out as Hera touched a sore spot on his ribcage.
"Sorry Zeb," Hera apologized, "But it looks like you have few broken ribs from that strike."
"So where is the little hero?" Zeb asked through gritted teeth, noticing the absent of the kid.
Hera began looking around, almost panicking again before Kanan pointed up at the tower.
"I'm going to go get him. You three take the other speeder back to the Ghost, and I'll be right behind with the kid.
"Kanan-," Hera began but was interrupted by Hera.
"I won't come back without him Hera," Kanan assured Hera, "and Zeb needs to be checked for any internal injuries. I'll be fine." Kanan assured Hera.
Hera though just smiled and reached into the satchel and gave Kanan the little vest they found at the house.
Kanan just smiled at her, "What? It's getting cold. Now get going." Hera told Kanan.
As Hera and Sabine supported a weakened Zeb to the remaining speeder, Kanan made his way to up the ladder.
"What just happened!?" Ezra kept asking himself as he climbed up the ladder. Nothing made sense to Ezra anymore. First Kanan was talking about getting rid of him, then Kanan and Hera came and were talking about 'home', and just a few seconds ago, somehow Ezra blew Kallus as far as he could without touching him and got Zeb hurt.
Ezra recognized what he had done; he had done what the Inquisitor would do to him during training. When he would use that 'magic' to throw things at Ezra to dodge, when he would use it to hold Ezra up by the neck if he didn't follow an order right. It made Ezra want to throw up thinking that he was like the Inquisitor.
Ezra's head was pounding by the time he made it to the top of the tower. His vibe was almost forcing him to go back down to the ground, but he pushed that urge aside and went onto the tower balcony.
Ezra found the rusty door and pried it open. A cold breeze escaped the room as Ezra went inside. Nothing had changed in the two months he had been captured. His backpack and energy slingshot was by the door, his little collection of trooper helmets were up by the shelf, and the bench he called his bed was in the corner.
Ezra went to the hard bed and laid on his side, in an attempt to fall asleep and forget the last two months, the last day ever happened. As he laid down though, he only got back up when he recalled the bulgy item in his pocket. Ezra sat up again and took the holocron out from his pocket.
As Ezra gazed at it, he remembered the comfort Kanan offered last night, telling him the holocron will remind him he is safe. Ezra though knew now though that had to be a lie, it all was; Zeb's concern for his scars, Sabine's words of the crew being a family, and Hera's mention of home.
"Uhhh!" Ezra growled as he chucked the holocron across the room in his anger and hurt. Ezra's thoughts were stuck in his fear and anger of never having neither a home or family again. Ezra reached into his other pocket and got Dev out, only to put him to the side. After all Dev was just a toy. Ezra then looked at the now discarded holocron on the ground.
Ezra remembered how Kanan had mentioned using his 'vibe' to open it. He didn't know why he was thinking of the man who wanted nothing to do with him; but at the same time, that 'vibe' Ezra trusted to help him survive, was the same thing he used when he pushed muttonchops away. Ezra didn't really know what to think of the vibe now, but began to focus on that 'vibe', the only real constant Ezra had at the moment. It took a bit for Ezra's mind to be cleared and his breathing to be normal. His though tears still threatened to drip down at any second.
That was when he heard it, a voice, and when Ezra looked up he was completely stunned. The holocron was in tiny pieces, floating! A holoimage of a man who introduced himself as Obi-wan began talking. Ezra heard the message but what stuck in his head was when the man said, 'trust the Force', it just did for some reason. The rest of the message had a calming effect on Ezra, but this only lasted for a few seconds; as the holocron began to piece itself together, behind the item that gently went back down to the ground, stood Kanan in the doorway, starring at Ezra.
Kanan stepped over the holocron and went towards Ezra. Ezra curled up as a defense of whatever Kanan was going to do to him, only for Kanan to put a gentle hand on Ezra's shoulder. This action only confused Ezra more until a thought came to him and he pointed to the holocron as he scotched away from Kanan and closer to the wall.
"I'm sorry!" Ezra told Kanan, "I didn't mean to take it. I-,"
Ezra though was interrupted by Kanan stating, "I didn't come for the holocron, I came for you kid. Are you alright?" Kanan asked, worried about Ezra's shivering.
"You don't care." Ezra said bluntly, taking Kanan by surprise.
"Kid, we just took down those imperials, just to make sure you were okay, how could you think we don't care?" Kanan asked, feeling hurt that Ezra thought they didn't.
Ezra just looked away, on the verge of tear, but trying to hold them back.
Ezra finally replied bitterly, "Because no one wants me."
Kanan was shocked, "Ezra what makes you think-,"
"YOU SAID IT!" Ezra cried out, the tears streaming down his face, he couldn't hold them back, he couldn't hold anything back anymore, it hurt too much to. Ezra began his rant of hurt through his sobs,
"'No one wants him', you said it talking to the others! You're right about it too. Mom and dad are gone, and Tseboo doesn't want me either right? That's why I hadn't found him sooner! If Tseboo doesn't want me then no one else will. No one wants to deal with a lothrat!" Ezra then continued to cry into his knees.
Kanan couldn't take it, he quickly took Ezra into his hold and hugged him, as if he thought the harder he hugged Ezra, he could somehow make all the kids pain go away. All the pain from losing his family, being alone on the streets and being under that Pau'uns horrific and tortuous training.
Ezra just froze in the embrace, yes he was used to giving hugs, but not getting them. Even though Ezra was supposed to be mad at him, he couldn't help but lean into Kanan's warm embrace.
"Kid, I never said no one wanted you," Kanan began his clarification, Chopper turned off the comlink before you heard me finish what I was saying. "I said, 'no one but us wants to take care of him.' We want you Ezra, we want you to stay with us because we care about you."
Ezra looked up at Kanan in complete shock at Kanan's words, but then he looked disheartened again.
"Even though I'm like the Inquisitor?" Ezra asked painfully, fearing Kanan's reject.
Kanan though put both his hands on Ezra's shoulder and looked right at him and told Kanan confidently, "Kid you are nothing like that sith monster."
"But I hurt Zeb!" Ezra said as he began to cry again.
Kanan smiled at the boy's confusion this time, knowing how to fix this crying spell.
"Kid, Zeb got hurt because Kallus was the one who hurt him. You used The Force to save him." During this time Kanan began wiping Ezra's tears away.
Ezra's eyes perked up again in curiosity, "That thing the man was talking about on the holocron?" Ezra asked between his little sniffles.
Kanan smiled and explained what he should have explained to Ezra last night, "Yes. Remember how I was talking about that vibe you and I both have?" Ezra nodded before Kanan continued, "Well it's more commonly called The Force, and it's what keeps everything together in the galaxy. Only those strong in The Force can open the holocron," Kanan then held out his hands, suing the force to retrieve the discarded item on the floor, "or retrieve it like I just did."
Ezra again was staring at him in amazement, "You just; but I-,"
"Ezra," Kanan interrupted Ezra knowing what he was going to say, "Tell me when you saw what was about to happen to Zeb, what were you thinking?"
Ezra thought for a moment before answering, "That I didn't want Zeb to get hurt."
Exactly!" Kanan told Ezra proudly, "When you used the force back there, it was to save Zeb, not hurt that agent. That way of thinking is the way of the Jedi."
"Like you." Ezra said, shocking Kanan that the boy knew, but Ezra clarified, "I saw your lightsaber last night."
Kanan smiled and said with pride, "Yes Ezra, just like me."
Kanan then gave Ezra the offer he now knew he was meant to give the boy, "If you want kid, I can teach you the ways of the Force and teach to be a Jedi."
Ezra smiled, "Really? Like with a lightsaber and everything?" Ezra asked Kanan who nodded with a smile at the boy's excitement on Kanan training him.
"And you guys really do want me?" Ezra had to ask for confirmation on this, he had to be assured by Kanan's word.
Kanan only smiled and told him, "I told Hera I wouldn't come back home without you, and that is exactly where were going. Everyone on the Ghost want you Ezra."
Ezra smiled as his heart swelled with happiness and hugged Kanan again before crying, this time tears of joy, "You really mean it, don't you?"
"I promise kid, you won't be alone anymore." Kanan told him, only for the boy to hug him harder.
After Kanan and Ezra stopped hugging, Kanan helped Ezra fill his backpack with the few things he owned in the tower. Kanan and Ezra were about to leave when Kanan noticed how cold it was again,
"Woah, hold on," Kanan said to Ezra as he got out the vest and put it on Ezra, "Hera will kill me if I bring you back home shivering."
Ezra just smiled at Kanan as he mentioned home again. But then he thought of something,
"Wait a second," Ezra said to Kanan as he raced back to the bench to grab Dev. Ezra then quickly hugged him before putting him into the backpack before returning to the ladder.
"I'm sorry I thought you didn't want me and ran off" Ezra blurted out as the two began to climb down the ladder, Kanan getting down first. Ezra needed Kanan to know he didn't mean to cause the crew so much trouble.
"Kid, don't worry about it," Kanan assured Ezra, "I know why you thought what you did. You were scared you were getting hurt like you're used to and ran off before it could happen again."
Ezra was shocked, that was exactly what Ezra was thinking when he ran, "How do you know that?" Ezra asked Kanan as Kanan reached the ground.
"Because once upon a time I was in your shoes kid," Kanan told Ezra as he lifted Ezra off the ladder and began their trek back to the Ghost, carrying Ezra in his arms.
Ezra looked up at Kanan, but Kanan pushed the topic aside, "Lets save that tale for another time, ok?"
Ezra just nodded, his eye's becoming droopy and he let out a yawn. The past few hours had been both mentally and physically exhausting on the boy, he needed to sleep.
Kanan just smiled at the kid, "Get some sleep kid, we'll be back on the Ghost in a little bit."
With that Ezra was out like a light, resting his head on Kanan's shoulder. Ezra now knew that the Crew really did want him. Hera said earlier that they were going home, and Kanan was bringing him home. Ezra's trust in his vibe to trust Kanan was right. Now he knew it as The Force, and The Force knew what it was doing lead Kanan and the Crew to him; it was leading him to a family, his family now. With that peaceful thought, he easily went to sleep.
After Hera and Sabine took care of the injured Zeb, they waited in the common room for Kanan and Ezra to come back. As the seconds passed though they began to worry.
"I'm going to get them," Zeb said as he got up to go to the speeders, only to be stopped by his broken rib forcing him to sit back down.
"Take it easy big guy," Sabine told Zeb smiling at the Lasat before assuring him, "They will be back soon."
Chopper then began beeping, as his sensors began sensing someone approaching the Ghost.
Hera smiled at the droid and told Zeb and Sabine, "Soon just turned to now."
Hera, Chopper and Sabine raced to the loading dock, followed by a poor slow and injured Zeb. As they lowered the ramp, they saw Kanan holding a sleeping Ezra.
"Is he o-," Hera began, but was shushed by Kanan.
"He is asleep after a long and stressful day, and you are not waking him up." Kanan told Hera in a loving mocking way, as she had said almost those exact words to him last night.
While Hera should have been mad at Kanan cutting her off, she just smiled at Kanan's fatherly concern for the boy. Hera just saluted his orders with a smile on her face.
Kanan then gave one last order for the night, "Why don't you all go to bed, It's been a long day." With that Kanan headed to the med bay to lay Ezra onto the bed from last night. The others, on their way to their respective cabins, couldn't help but smile at their fearless leader tucking their newest member into bed.
They all knew that having a kid on board was going to take some getting used to. They would have to all help in raising Ezra to be the kind of person his parents wanted him to be; a good person who would stand up against the injustice of the Empire. The crew knew this responsibility would take some time and energy; but for Ezra it would all be worth it to give him a chance to reach his full potential, and a family he needed. Ezra was now not only specter six, but he was their young space son and brother now, and the Ghost crew's young padawan.
A/N: An that concludes this story, Well... Not really. Okay I got a lot of reviews on This being the last Chapter and how upsetting it was. I should rephrase, this is the last chapter of the Origin of the story. I mentioned one of the reason why I wrote this story was because I felt with the other young Ezra AU was that they took him in way too quickly, yes in truth they decided to take him in after one day, but they did in the canon and that's why I wanted to do it in this AU as well.
So here is where this story is going to go. I will be posting more chapters, on Ezra adjusting to being with the crew and the crew bonding with him and going on crazy missions with him. So No this AU is not over, not by a long shot, I already have a few idea's for chapters I'm going to post. But I do hope all are satisfied with how I wrapped up Ezra joining the crew and stay tuned for more chapters.
