(Alrich Wren POV)
The soft purr of a car engine causes Ezra to pop to his feet beside me before the valet parks his Lexus hybrid and the driver's side door opens.
"Thank you." Ezra says as he and the driver cross paths for only an instant before Ezra goes to shake the man's hand.
"Thank you, sir. Have a great night!" The driver returns the formality a little too heartily as he circles the hood of the car and I move to duck into the passenger's seat.
Ahh. Ezra tipped him. Judging by his reaction, probably well.
Closing the door behind me, Ezra slides into his seat beside me before he gives the mirrors a quick adjustment.
"Did he move them?" I can't help but ask.
"Driver's side yeah…and I haven't fixed the passenger's side since I went into the bacta…" He muses while his eyes flicker back and forth from mirror to mirror to mirror. "Did you enjoy dinner, sir?"
"I did. I would ask you the same, but I suspect I have the answer." I reply before I get a genuine smile and laugh from the boy.
Good. That's good.
He loosened up a little bit over the course of dinner. He and the Duchess spent most of the pre-meal time conversing.
"Yeah, it was quite good. Thank you for the invitation." He replies as he follows the flow of traffic up to a red light.
He modestly ordered a salad and the house special fish, some kind of cod, and a vegetable medley. Then promptly ate it so quickly that the table came to the unanimous conclusion that he must still be hungry.
Due in no small part to Satine, Hera, and my urgings.
It took some convincing but then he ordered what I suspect he wanted all along, a braised leg of lamb with a drizzled sauce and potato.
Then ate all of that too. As well as another salad.
"Not to give the impression that I'm eager for you to leave, but your flight is leaving at 11:00 correct?"
"Yes it is." I confirm with a nod.
"If you want to save on the drive out there, I'll be in the neighborhood tomorrow morning. So I wouldn't mind taking you to the airport." Ezra volunteers.
"That's very kind of you, Ezra." I turn to him as traffic begins flowing once more. "That would be great if you can make it work. Why would you be in the neighborhood though? It's a Friday and you should be trying to enjoy at least some of your summer."
Ezra smiles while keeping his focus on the road. "Tomorrow morning the Jedi Council will release a select few Masters' analysis of my fight with Maul. Some of the best duelists and teachers we have, so I want to see what they have to say."
"You haven't seen what they said yet?"
That's surprising.
Ezra shakes his head. "No, the Order is particular about anything related to me, and they've sent out the footage worldwide to get a vast swath of opinions. This is only the first round."
I think he really wants to know what they have to say.
"For what it's worth son, I think they'll tell you what Miss Syndulla and Master Tano's apprentice said over dinner: You're being too hard on yourself."
The boy's eyes flash into the mirror to my right before he indicates his desire to move over. "Thank you, sir. But whether anybody wants to admit it or not, failure like that isn't an option for me."
"Ezra, you didn't fail. If anything, you were baited. Tricked."
Tano and his Master, Kanan gave us the details of the attack.
35 men came in. 2 got lost in the Temple's maze-like halls and were captured. 31 were directly defeated and captured due to Ezra defeating them.
Only Maul and a lieutenant got away. That's it.
Tano said that she was with Master Windu, who is in charge of Temple Security. Apparently, he immediately reported the break-in and moved to put an end to it.
Windu responded to Ezra's action by locking down the Temple, believing that the boy could handle any and all of what the intruders could throw at him. And I daresay that they were right.
"I'm sorry sir, that's not how I look at how it went."
"Have you ever considered that you're leaning on what your father taught you here, rather than the Jedi?"
Uh oh.
The foam, rubber composite of the steering wheel protests as his grip tightens significantly. "The Duchess made a statement similar and I believed it had some merit." I quickly add context. "I don't mean to upset you Ezra."
"You're not upsetting me…" He sighs. "I just don't have the luxury of such benefit of the doubt. I'm sure you heard, I'm the Loser Sith Lord."
Oh no.
That was trending online for well over a day after Palpatine made that faux pas.
"And I'm sure you saw his statement shortly afterward. A full and complete apology to you and the Order."
In response, Ezra rolls his eyes. "Palpatine and Organa are in such a position that they have to say and do whatever is necessary to win this election. I am merely the biggest rope in their game of tug of war. What they say doesn't bother me."
Saying that implies that it almost assuredly does.
"And besides, Palpatine had a fourteen-point lead that is now a one-point Organa lead. Solely because of me." He correctly points out.
He did flip the state of the race.
He may have singlehandedly flipped the course of this country and the world.
"Not entirely because of you. Palpatine had to fire his Chief of Staff and reassign his Press Secretary due to that leak. The leak did as much damage as the revelation about you."
"But Organa only just took the lead this week. After Maul's attack." Ezra counterargues.
That…is true.
I concede the point. "I cannot argue with facts."
Ezra laughs as traffic comes to another stop. "The Four Seasons again sir, correct?"
"Right as always Ezra."
I wish he wouldn't always call me sir, but I think it lets him think more about what he's saying and less about what he should call me.
He's very…disciplined. Methodical.
Every meal I've shared with him he's ordered the same thing. Orange juice at breakfast and iced tea at dinner. Manners impeccable, prefers to listen rather than speak.
And he's always left some sort of tip. Whether it's directly or into the Employee Appreciation Fund many places have set up near the hostess stands.
And he tipped the valet.
"I do want to bring up something that Sabine told me. Well, messaged me." He amends himself on the fly.
"Alright. But before that, I'll say that I'm sorry she's being so harsh and mean to you Ezra. She does not know the full context of what happened. I'll bring it up and get her to apologize. The theft of the beskar isn't your fault."
Ezra doesn't immediately reply before the steering wheel gives off another squeak of tension. "I…hate to disagree with you again sir. But you're wrong. If I defeat Maul, none of this happens. None of it. If I even trap him, contain him, none of this happens. That's not what happened. I lost, I failed."
There it is.
"And now she's in danger, as well as your beskar is gone and your wife is upset with you. No doubt because of me. It's my fault. I failed." Ezra's tone leaves no room for debate. "You said it yourself, you cannot argue with facts."
…
"Anyway, I've already tipped my hand." He leans back in his seat as traffic is at a standstill and exhales. "Sabine said you and your wife got into a massive argument. Something about me. Whatever it is, I'm not worth marital strife. I'm not really worth any of this. So, I apologize for that. I hope that you aren't too angry with me, although I understand completely if you are."
Sabine.
"She told you that?"
Ezra nods once. "Over text. She said you got into a shouting match and you were forced to sleep outside in a guest house. And that apparently it was about me."
Unable to help myself, I glance over at Ezra only for him to be looking utterly miserable.
He is relentless, even in beating himself up.
"She wasn't solely mad at you. I won't lie, she's far from pleased with you. To the point that Satine placed Bo-Katan on this trip over her—hang on, stay with me Ezra." I direct him. Ezra's eyes close for an instant before they open again.
"Will you tell me what the argument was about at least? And if it'd be worth sending an apology?"
"An apology would be a good step, I admit. But the argument Sabine texted you about began when she cornered me about your story. And when I say cornered, I literally mean cornered. You probably know enough about that to know she got an answer."
Ezra groans before his head drops onto the steering wheel. "I…it was the Council's decision but I'm ultimately responsible. It's my fault."
"You are too hard on yourself. I'm the one who lied for you, at their request. But I did have to tell her, at the risk of my marriage breaking apart."
…
…
"I'm very sorry sir." He apologizes, voice dropping down to a whisper.
"It's alright son." I reach over and place my hand on his shoulder. "Like I said, I did tell her. And what Sabine heard was the reaction."
…
"So your wife knows who I am. That I'm Vader."
"I walked her thru everything," I tell him. "How the Jedi Council asked that I keep the secret for you, that you may tell Sabine on your own timeline, in your own way. I still believe that is the correct move."
"I'm not sure I'll ever be able to tell her sir." He replies before traffic begins moving again.
I shake my head. "I do. Sabine will come around. My daughter may have the temper of a Reek, and it's driven a few people away from her. But nobody cares as deeply or as much as she does when she's all in. I'm sure you know that."
I'm not stupid Ezra.
Ezra lets out a breath thru his nose. "Is there anything from that conversation that you're willing to share with me, sir?"
"Not if you'll just beat yourself up about it." I counter, which induces him into turning to look at me. "I said what I said."
You can glare at me all you want. I think what you need is, ironically, a foot up your ass in the positive. Somebody on your side.
"I can only interpret the information given to me sir. Not the information itself."
I laugh in response to the comment. "If you ever get captured you should do this routine. It'll drive them mad."
"If I ever get captured it probably won't matter. But thanks for the advice. What'd your wife say, sir?"
Always staying on topic and target.
He really is relentless.
"Well as you can imagine she was rather upset. Initially she demanded that we pull Sabine out of school for her safety, then wanted to get you pulled out of school. I successfully deterred her from both tracks, pointing out that if anything, she's been a larger issue than you have been."
You cannot argue with that.
A moment passes in silence before I continue. "After that she had me walk through how the Jedi justified your freedom, your capture, everything. She was very thorough. Which, now that I mention it, I need to amend. I didn't know that you weren't captured, Ezra. You surrendered."
"Semantics don't really matter sir." He counters. "I ended up in Jedi custody nonetheless."
"I think they matter a great deal in this instance. The entire world thinks you were captured against your will."
Ezra's fingers tense on the steering wheel. "There's a lot of things the world thinks that aren't true. One more thing won't kill them. Nor will I. Anyway, please go on."
…
"Your father must really be a piece of work."
Instantly Ezra chuckles. "You have no idea. And I hope you never do."
Fair.
"After a few hours of heated debate, I finally got her to the point of calm conversation. She asked how such a monster that Vader's known as could possibly be you. I told her that even I don't understand. But if it's enough for the Jedi, it's enough for me."
…
…
"Thank you, sir."
"You're welcome. You've earned it." I remind him.
Six years is a long time. One day he'll have spent more time out of his father's clutches than in them.
"I believe that I've got her to the point of accepting it, at least enough that I could leave the house and not worry about the locks being changed while I'm gone. I'm still due for many work trips over the next month-plus until Sabine returns to USC though."
"Due to me?" he assumes.
"No." I shake my head. "The majority of them were preplanned. But my wife did suggest, and I followed her up on the suggestion that I find myself something to do. I know when I'm not welcome around the house. And it's wise to heed that feeling."
"I'm very sorry sir."
"I decided to help you Ezra." I remind him. "I could have defied your Council but I didn't. This is as much on me as it is you."
My statement is immediately followed by an eye roll. "I…don't want to continue arguing the point sir. Besides, we're close." He points out.
He's right. I can see the sign.
"My plan, for right now is to talk to my wife and let her know what I learned here. I promised to be completely open and honest with her from now on about the matter. And I will be. I believe that all this should help."
Ezra nods in understanding. "Like I said earlier, I promise that I'll continue doing everything in my power to track down Maul and the beskar."
"He may have sold it son. As I'm sure you're aware, that beskar is worth a lot of money."
Ezra instantly shakes his head. "He wouldn't sell it. He's keeping it to lord it over my head. And he's got other moves to make. My job is to snuff out those moves before he can make a move on Sabine."
My job.
"You really think he'll come after her?" I ask him.
The entire idea seems so far-fetched.
Ezra nods solemnly. "I made the mistake of having her as my phone's home screen. Maul unlocked my phone and saw her. I put her in danger, he won't be able to resist such a tempting target."
That sounds like what Ursa said.
"And for the record sir, I don't know the entire story regarding your wife but I know Maul was embroiled in the Mandalorian conflict involving Satine in the '90s. My father told me about it, from his point of view."
"He did?" I blurt out.
He was involved?
Ezra falls silent while pulling into the parking lot of my hotel. Once he's completed all of that he turns to me. "Mr. Wren sir…my father dictated the course of world events for decades. Very few things happened without him having a hand in them. Reagan's assassination? Him. The Berlin Wall coming down when it did?"
No way.
"His reach and power were unparalleled. Which is why it's so important that I flipped on him. Maul was his pawn, one of his favored assassins. He wanted Mandalore as his own, its people as a proxy for his power. He failed due to the Jedi's and Satine's efforts. And I'm very thankful that they did."
"You're very well informed," I tell him. "That's close to what Mand'alor's personal investigation has found in the years since."
Ezra lets out another heavy breath. "My father, like it or not saw me as a potential heir to his power. So he told me these things so that I could improve upon his few missteps and succeed where he could not."
His father.
"It's scary how easily you talk about a Sith Lord." I enlighten him. "My wife's terrified of them. They killed many of her friends during that conflict."
Ezra nods solemnly. "I can only imagine. And I completely understand her fear, it's justified."
From all the stories she's told me, he's right.
He's absolutely right.
"I hate to leave you on such a sour note sir, but we're here and I don't want to keep you. What time do you want me to pick you up?"
I reply "Would 9:30 work for you? I know traffic around the airport starts early and I don't like running late at any airport."
Ezra quickly nods. "I completely agree with you there. I'll be here at 9:30. Have a good night sir."
(Alrich Wren POV) – 6:07 PM Central Standard Time
The wheels of my suitcase drag on the wooden boards of the front porch, alerting the dogs to my arrival. An instant later, they start barking and carrying on.
"Hush!" I hear my wife call out to them before I grab the door and their barking reaches me at full volume.
"Shh shhh…it's me!" I remind Oakley and Sarabi as my voice seems to silence both dogs before their tails begin wagging furiously and they rush me. "Yes! Hi! Hi!"
I'm home. It's good to be home.
"Oh. It's you." Ursa deadpans as I'm bent down petting the dogs.
Still firmly in the doghouse.
"Hello, honey. How are you?" I take my attention off the dogs and smile at my wife.
My wife, who is mixing a pink concoction in a plastic container hardly glances up from her stirring. "Oh, just gardening. Sabine just got home, she's in her room if you need her."
Oka—
The metal spoon she was using to stir loudly finds the stone countertop as Ursa drops it then moves back towards the door I just stepped thru. "I'll be outside gardening if you need me."
"Alright—." I begin before I'm cut off by Ursa.
"Oakley! Sarabi! With me!"
Both dogs rush to Ursa's side as she opens the door. Seizing upon their freedom, they bolt outside and disappear from view which is shortly followed by the back door closing with a touch more force than necessary.
…
The silence envelops me and the rest of the house as I remain in the moment for an instant before walking back to the back door and setting my suitcase aside.
I'm leaving again tomorrow morning for London, Berlin, and Zurich.
…
Better go talk to Sabine.
My footsteps forewarn my approach as I cross the house and start up the three flights of stairs, past my wife and I's bedroom and my personal office before arriving at the foot of the stairs for Sabine's room.
She just took a shower. You can feel the water in the air.
"Sabine?" I call out in an effort not to startle her. "Sab'ika?"
Hurried footsteps sound out before I hear. "Dad! You're back."
"I am, do you have a moment dear?" I poke my head a little further out into the hall just off the stairwell.
"Yeah, I was just about to start painting so this is as good a time as ever. Mom said you were called to LA?"
Taking a full step out into the hall, I see my daughter in shorts and an oversized 'Benet Women's Soccer' shirt peering in my direction. "Yes, it was all very sudden. I'm sure she told you who invited me as well?"
"Yeah." Sabine's tone turns grim. "I should have been invited, he's my idiot."
I don't think that would have been a good idea.
"I would actually like to talk with you about that. Can I sit?" I approach the frame to Sabine's bedroom door and motion to her bed.
Sabine shakes her head. "No, I was about to switch rooms." She explains before scooping up two or three bottles of pain and brushing past me.
Understandable. Two on one. Easier to win a double team than taking somebody one on one.
"So…what'd he have to say for himself?" Sabine asks bluntly before setting the bottles down on the floor as I am moving to follow her into Tristan's old room.
Now that he and Kayla have an apartment to themselves downtown.
"Well—" I begin before my sentence is swallowed up by Sabine unfurling some plastic sheeting to protect the carpet from her paint.
That used to be a daily battle. She didn't want to do it, wanted to get right to it. Now she weaponizes it against me.
Wear it Alrich. Just wear it.
…
…
"Well, for starters they informed me of the severity of the attack. Ez—"
"Of course they did." Sabine scoffs. "Let me guess, what they told the public and what actually happened are two separate things."
…
"Yes." I confirm.
Immediately Sabine explodes. "Of course they are! The story's never straight with those guys! Ever! Can't they just tell the truth?"
"It's not that simple Sabine," I reply patiently. "The Jedi—"
"The Jedi don't allow anybody to know what's going on, making it very hard to believe what it is they're saying! They play these shadow games against enemies most people don't know about. Well, what about us? What should we believe?"
"I thought you liked the Jedi you met in person. Tano and Kanan and the rest of them." I reply.
Sabine turns and frowns at me. "I did! I still do. But they're very different from the group as a whole. They keep lying. And making Ezra lie to me. Or maybe he lies to me on purpose, I don't know."
She's mad about Ezra.
"They're doing it to try and protect you."
"Yeah yeah, I've heard that before. They told me that." Sabine shakes her head before squeezing a bottle of red paint. The paint oozes out before making a disgusting noise.
"They're using him Dad. I know they are. They're using him and manipulating him and putting me in these situations that I don't know what to believe!" Sabine turns and rants to me. "I told you, he went dark on me for multiple days after that Vader story broke out."
"I asked about that, ad'ika." I smile at her. "Everyone in their Order was recalled to their Temples of origin and told to stay silent. That leak clearly wasn't supposed to happen."
"Obviously." Sabine rolls her eyes before we both fall into silence.
I thought she was going to continue.
"Sabine, I think you need to accept that there are things that they won't be able to tell you. To keep you safe. I'm sure Ezra told—"
"Yeah, he told me this!" Sabine whips back around to me. "Then answer me this! Why, WHY?! Is there a Mandalorian Protector stationed outside of our house every night after dark? Huh?!"
"I will…if you'll let me." I ask patiently, then wait for her to respond.
Sabine takes her time pouring out yellow, blue, and green paint in their own plastic cups before turning to me. "Go ahead."
Still with that attitude.
Concealing how hurt she is by all of this.
She really likes him.
"Ezra was caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. And I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear he tried to help stop the attack."
"Idiot." Sabine spits out. "Why couldn't he have stepped aside? Wait for help instead of going to try and be the hero? Just…"
Sabine makes a frustrated noise before breathing heavily. "Go on."
"His friend—"
"Don't talk to me about that di'kut." (A/N: Di'kut = Idiot, jerk, moron)
"I thought you were going to let me explain. Sabine."
"Sorry." Her tone drops. "Go ahead."
"Like I said, the boy, Ezra, got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. He successfully fended off one intruder but was seized from behind by two others."
"Hut'uuns. They knew they couldn't take Ezra on their own so they cheated. Honorless bastards." (A/N: Hut'uun = Cowards)
I'm gonna let that go.
"Ezra's friend explained his phone call, Sabine." I begin before Sabine turns to me and I stick up my hand to ask her to wait. "Sabine, he was hurt far more than you thought. He was sliced, stabbed, and ditched off to the side in a corridor. I saw the footage, the boy was immobilized and injured. He didn't lose the beskar, it was stripped off him, as was his wallet, keys, and phone. Answering your question, that's why we have the Protector outside the house every night."
Sabine's expression continues to darken as I keep explaining. "They took his keys, wallet, took his phone. You were the boy's lock screen. They saw your face next to his. You're in danger."
"No, I'm not." Sabine turns back around. "They don't care about me, I'm just his friend."
"They don't know that. Most people have those most important to them on their phone screens." I point out. "I do."
My lock screen is of Ursa, Sabine, Tristan, and I out to dinner from Christmas.
It's hard to get all of us together for a picture, and that is a really good one of us.
"So this wasn't all his fault." Sabine puts the pieces together. "Just partially. Why didn't stupid Cayle tell me that?!"
"He tried, that was part of what we spoke about. He admitted that he did a poor job getting across what happened."
Sabine shakes her head while moving to grab another plastic cup, presumably to mix a new color. "Surprise surprise. He does a poor job at a lot of things. I don't understand why those two are so close."
"Maybe you should try asking him about it." I lob out the suggestion.
Sabine instantly scoffs at the idea. "He's an idiot."
No, he can just come off as one.
"Sab'ika, a lot of this stems from that phone call. From how I understand of what happened, Cayle was the one to find Ezra, who like I said was hurt far more than either of us knew. He was extremely worried about him, he had to have surgery and get some blood."
A lot of blood. I just can't say that.
That'll cause her to panic more.
"He said that Ezra was still in surgery. Then he told me Ezra lost the beskar." Sabine points out. "So Ezra got looted. Did he get anything else back?"
I shake my head, only for Sabine to then turn around and face me. "Not from what he said. He had to get new keys, phone—"
"Matt said that he just saw Ezra and that he had his phone. I've been able to text him this whole time. Ezra can't just go get a new phone I don't think Dad. The Jedi do trust him, for gods know what reasons."
Meaning they have to install a lot of protections on his phone.
"I think they did, I didn't ask." I admit, inducing an eye roll from Sabine. "Sorry dear."
"Well is he okay? It sounds like you talked to him."
I can't help but smile at the sincerity of her question before nodding. "He's alright. Only just got cleared to work out and start regaining his strength. He didn't tell me directly, but I could tell that he lost some weight."
I don't think it'll be gone for long with how he eats.
"It's been what, a couple of weeks since that attack now?" Sabine asks herself as much as me. "If he was hurt that bad he'd still be laid up."
"Sabine—"
"You said he was more immobilized. He couldn't move. Or didn't, as they stole everything from him."
She's still not giving him this.
"Sabine I don't think you're understanding. It wasn't a lack of trying. He got hurt. Ba—"
Sabine turns back around, clearly running hot. "Was he conscious? Did he get knocked out? Did he try to fight back and try to get the beskar back?"
"He couldn't Sabine. Like I said, he was powerless—"
"I know he's powerless! He's not a Jedi! He shouldn't have been there in the first place, he should have waited!" She starts working herself up. "He went and tried being a friggin hero again, not thinking that he had a priceless Mandalorian artifact and heirloom on his person. So that when he lost, he lost far more than just his pride and dignity and honor. He lost that too."
Calm. Be calm.
"He was doing his job, Sabine." I say patiently. "He was caught off guard, they all were."
"Then the Jedi should be working to get my beskar back. Our, beskar back." Sabine says definitively. "Are they?"
"Yes, they are. But they have a lot going on Sabine, as you might imagine. Ezra's—"
"Ezra's not a Jedi Dad. He's…I don't know, he's like their pawn. And he's not an analyst or an expert on anything. He can't go get the beskar back. It's probably gone, forever."
I…
I can't tell her.
I know she has an extreme dislike for Vader. She thinks of him like most of the public does. That he's a mass-murdering maniac.
And saying that he is a Jedi brings up a thousand more questions I, nor he can answer.
Sabine's phone chimes in her pocket, initiating her pulling her phone out of her pocket.
Ryan – 1 New Message
Ezra's still—
Sabine's phone chimes again as Sabine's background of she and Ezra making a smiling face at the camera faces back at me.
Ryan – 2 New Messages
Pointedly, Sabine turns away from me. "I gotta answer these. I think Mom's outside gardening still. I think she wants to talk to you before dinner. Are you still leaving tomorrow for Europe?"
"I am." I nod.
"I'll be up here whenever you guys figure out dinner, or if I'm on my own for that." Sabine comments before drifting back off towards her traced on canvas, clearly primed for her to begin her work.
Ryan….who is Ryan?
As Sabine's typing I remember— "Oh, Sabine!"
She has to talk to him.
"I'd call Ezra. Not text, call. I know you're still mad at him, but he's very upset with how everything's gone down. He's being very hard on himself, due in no small part to how you've reacted. He deserves that at least."
He really deserves more, but I can't make you give him that.
"I will…here in a minute." Sabine glances up and smiles at me. "Thanks Dad."
"Love you." I reply and return the smile.
"Love you too."
Capitalizing on the conversation concluding on a good note, I start down the stairs—
Ursa's sitting at the foot of the stairs.
She was listening the whole time.
Halfway down the stairs I catch her attention, causing her to stand up before I arrive and smile at my wife.
Hi honey.
Wordlessly, she tilts her head, indicating that we should go outside.
"After you dear." I grab the front door and allow her to lead me towards her plants and her garden.
…
…
…
"So? What'd he have to say for himself?"
(Ezra Bridger POV) – 3:25 PM Pacific Standard Time
"—furthermore, Senator Organa pivoted from his attacks on Darth Vader to another sore spot for President Palpatine." The calm, even female voice informs me.
The audio on the podcast in my ears switches as I continue my resistance band workout.
Right, left. Cross. Jab. Jab. Right. Left. Cross. Duck. Right, Left. Cross. Jab. Jab.
"The President's policies here at home have left our people tired, depleted and hungry for change." Organa's voice reaches my ears before the crowd at his rally cheers. "Jobs have left for overseas and our military, while important, is not enough to redirect funding from our nation's student loan fund in order to continue fighting endless wars!"
The crowd cheers again as the bands around my waist pull at me, demanding that I call it quits.
61, 62, 63… Jab. Jab. Right. Left. Cross. Duck. Right, left—
"Even now, I hear he's planning to continue his fearmongering and campaign of concern on the Trade Federation!" Organa silences his crowd for the moment. "Well I say that he should stop worrying about our foreign neighbors so much and let them decide what they want to do for themselves, and put his focus where it belongs at home!"
The crowd cheers again before the audio switches back to the narrator of this podcast.
"As expected, the President highlighted his concerns about foreign adversaries at a campaign stop at Fort Morgukai today."
86, 87, 88…
"Yesterday, I authorized two more drone strikes in southeast Asia to combat the growing threat of economic terrorism in the region by the Trade Federation and the Neimoidians!" Palpatine informs his crowd, which cheers on his words.
Sounds like with less gusto than Organa's crowd.
But Organa's crowd is younger, more diverse and more excited.
"I said at the start of my term, and I will keep my word, no people on this planet will be placed under the thumb of authoritarians or despots!"
95, 96, 97, 98, 99—100!
Finally, I allow the bands' tension to draw me back to the pillar down here in the Jedi Temple gym.
Third set of 100 Cable Push-Pull punches: Done.
Palpatine's words end and the narrator begins again while I pull my phone off the ground a few feet from me and press pause.
"The latest poll results have—"
Shut up…I already know the latest poll results.
45-45. 6 percent undecided, the rest going to small candidates. Margin of these polls is +/- 2 percent.
Breathing heavily, I navigate my way to my workout checklist and cross off the cable punches.
5 sets of 45 on Medicine Ball: Check
150 box jumps of 50': Check
2 sets of 400 lbs. leg press; 15 reps per set: Check
Agility Ladder: 20 sets under 10 seconds:
Barbell Power Clean: 10 sets of 1 rep: Check
Battle Ropes: 275 reps in under 2:00: Check
30 rotation sets of 75 using 45 oz. baseball bat: Check
7 Mile Run: Check
40 minutes of suicides, broken up into 2 sets: Check
200 Pushups: Check
200 Sit-ups:
300 Squats: Check
3 Sets of 100 Resistance Cable punches, full strength: Check
…
…
I should not be this tired. Soft. So, so soft.
I lost way too much muscle mass after my ordeal with Maul. An unacceptable amount.
I'll get it back though.
I borrowed from Matt and football's weight table regimen. Lots of protein, shakes, workout twice a day.
Water, no BS energy drinks with more sugar than anything.
I'll get it back. Just a matter of how fast.
Needs to be fast. No time to waste.
"The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up one today, the NASDAQ up two while the S&P was down half a point. When we come—"
Back we'll…huh?
My eyes drop to my phone as the audio in my ears goes silent before a familiar screen stares up at me and a chime begins ringing in my ears.
Sabine Wren
Cell
Accept Decline
Against my will, my heart starts pounding as Sabine and I's silly faces stare up at me from the incoming call screen.
What could this be about? It's almost four my time, so her Dad might have just gotten back in.
Maybe he talked to her and she wants to apologize.
…
…
Yeah right.
Probably wants to yell at me for not dying for her beskar or something like that again.
Pass.
I let the call continue ringing in my ears while I try to think back to the remainder of my workout.
Gotta do another set on the agility ladder. And I know I need to do more sit-ups.
Agility ladder first.
The reports were okay. Master Pirot in France criticized my footwork in one of the hallways, saying I got sloppy when I had hands and knees and bodies all around me.
Pardon me for having to account for the chaotic, mad surroundings all…
Easy Ezra…he's a Jedi Master and you are not. You need to take his teachings in stride and try to learn from them.
My feet need to be faster. Cleaner.
Better.
Sabine's call finally goes to voicemail, and my podcast continues. "—back we'll discuss the latest from entertainment including a funny story from the latest movie involving The Rock! Back after these words."
Probably—yup! An ad for a job board.
Wiping my hair away from my face, I take in the now deserted gym all around me.
It was full when I came down here.
They hate it when I start working out.
Oh well. Nothing I can do about that. I'm Darth Vader.
…
…
…
Time to get back to work.