5 Homecoming

Hyperspace - The Ghost

Floating, as if weightless, as the sounds of the Ghost swirled around him.

Laughter, a droid chortling, Hera's voice, stern and reproving, all trying to break through the curtain of unconsciousness.

"Sabine, he'll be alright. He's in good hands with One-bee." Ahsoka said.

The voices again.

He moaned softly as he slipped back into unconsciousness.

I'm dreaming again. Damn, these dreams of being back on the Ghost are going to drive me insane.

He burrowed down into the blanket. It's just a dream, he thought. It's not real. None of it is. He swore softly, curling into a ball, and slipped back into sleep. He drifted in and out of consciousness, rocking as if on an endless sea.

He was on the Ghost.

He wandered the corridors, searching the empty rooms. A melody sang to him, urging him onward. His fingers trailed along the wall as he followed the lilting song through the ship, through the common area, and into the dormitories.

Where was it coming from? Why was it so familiar to him? He felt as if he knew the song by heart. Like he had heard it a million times and used to sing along with it. It repeated as if stuck - like Zeb's old music player he used to have on Atollon.

He paused in the middle of the corridor, surrounded by the sleeping compartments, and listened.

Beautiful. Soft. Powerful...no, not powerful, but empowering.

He breathed in a deep breath and swore for a moment he could feel Kanan standing behind him.

"You're where you are supposed to be now, Ezra."

Ezra nodded. "Am I here? Have I finally come home?"

The music pulsed louder growing in intensity.

Ezra shifted his weight towards it. Kanan's room. Of course, the Holocron.

He took a hesitant step forward...then another and another until suddenly the box was in his hands.

It floated in mid-air before him, turning as it opened - the corners rising up and away as it began to glow.

"This is where you are meant to be… Where you are needed… here with…"

A high-pitched giggle broke through the heavy fog surrounding him. With a groan, he opened his blurry eyes and started into a set of bright-teal-colored eyes that blinked at him from over the top of the mattress.

"He's awake!"

Ezra flinched at the piercing noise.

Urgh, I'm still dreaming. Who is this kid? Wait, is this my kid? What?!

The thought shook him awake as he sat straight up in the medbay bed and blinked at the excited green-haired boy who hopped from one foot to the other.

"Wh-who are you? What's going on? Where am I?"

The boy cringed. "Oh, sorry, Uncle Ezra! But, man, am I glad to finally meet you! I've heard everything about you! How you...went up against Inquisitors! Against Darth Vader! Darth Vader! Did you fight the Emperor too?!"

Ezra stared open-mouthed as the boy made soft vrooming noises in the back of his throat and drew an imaginary sword.

"Bzzzzzgggghh," Jacen hummed as he swung the imaginary blade, making wide slashing motions then settled in a deep lunge. He popped up swiftly and raced back to Ezra's beside. "You've gotta tell me all about it!"

The door opened quietly as Hera entered the small medbay with a soft ahem.

"Jacen," Hera said in a tone that indicated the boy was about to get into trouble. A tone that Ezra remembered all too well. He winced despite himself remembering all the times he had been on the other side of that voice. "I thought we told you to stay out of here."

"Aw, Mom, c'mon!" Jacen whined. "I just wanted to see him."

"Well, now you have - so get going." Hera motioned for the boy to leave the room.

Jacen cast Ezra a long sad look as he slowly trudged out of the med bay.

"Sorry about that, Ezra," Hera said softly. "He's been talking about nothing else since you were brought on board."

"Am I dreaming?" Ezra asked. "Am I back on the Ghost? This is real? Hera?"

"You're not dreaming." Hera took a tentative step forward, her lekku bounding behind her. She reached out and gently touched his shoulder. Compassion and love shone in her bright green eyes. "I'm here. You're home now, Ezra."

He sighed as she pulled him into a motherly embrace and smoothed down the thick locks of coal-black hair away from his face while making soothing noises of comfort.

"I'm so sorry," he muttered as they pulled apart. "I...there was no other way. I…"

"Shhh," she said softly. "I know, I know… We are so proud of you, Ezra. But, most of all, we're just happy to have you back."

"I wish I could say I'm glad to be back but honestly, right now - none of this feels real. I feel as if I'm still locked in that stasis chamber and this is just another one of my dreams."

Hera nodded. "Give it time, Ezra."

He stood shakily and reached out to steady himself. He swallowed hard. "Is everyone here?"

"Yes. They've been waiting for you to awaken."

"Who's the kid?" he asked.

She looked downcast for a moment as they paused in the corridor. "Jacen. He's my son," she said softly, "Kanan's son."

Ezra nodded. Of course, the life force I felt before…

They hobbled slowly toward the common room. Chopper rolled up alongside him and beeped happily while whirling and waving his multi-tool arms.

Ezra chuckled softly before reaching down to pat the excited droid. "Yeah, I'm happy to see you too, buddy."

#

He leaned against the sink, his knuckles turning white under the strain. So much time...just gone.

Lost.

It's time I'll never get back, he thought as he lifted his head and forced himself to study the stranger who stared back at him. His reflection that he hadn't seen in almost ten years. Gone were the boyish features he remembered, in their place was the face of a man he barely recognized.

He pulled his hair back. Gone was the softness of youth. Now, his face was long and lean. Sharp, even. His brows were dark and heavy, his cheekbones pronounced. The scars leftover from his encounter with the Grand Inquisitor were still visible after all these years.

For a brief moment, he could hear the Grand Inquisitor taunting him, just like it was yesterday, and feel the heat from his lightsaber as they fought.

He sighed deeply.

I guess some scars never fade.

And the beard.

He frowned at the thick coal-black beard that covered the bottom half of his face. He smoothed down the thick mass, tucking it under his chin.

Who are you? Do I even know you anymore?

A sigh escaped him as he studied the unknown man before him in the mirror. With a jolt, he realized just how much he looked like his father.

He finished drying off and wrapped the towel around his narrow hips as he stared down at the grooming kit that was hastily shoved into his hands as he entered the refresher, along with a stack of clothes.

Kanan's old shaving kit.

A memory of Kanan teaching him how to shave bubbled up to the surface, tugging at the corners of his lips. It's too bad that my father wasn't able to teach me those things… see me when I became a Jedi. But, thankfully I had Kanan.

He pushed the thoughts aside as he opened the kit and set to work.

Hair combed back into a low ponytail and his beard clipped down and neatly trimmed, he thought he at least looked a bit more presentable. He steeled himself as he went through the stack of clothes and held up a grey pair of pants.

Kanan's. These were his former master's clothing that Hera had saved all these years.

Eyes closed, he reached out with the Force but didn't sense his master any longer. He remembered the dream he had before awakening. He'll be there - if I need him. I know that.

He shook himself back to the present as he finished dressing.

The pauldron trembled in his fingers. No, he thought, as he ran his fingers over the painted white emblem, he could wear his clothes for the time being, but not this… Not the pauldron that screamed Kanan. He set it aside with the grooming kit to return to Hera.

He fastened the belt around his waist and readied himself to leave the sanctuary of the refresher. The only thing that he felt was missing was his lightsaber. He remembered tossing the hilt to Sabine before he left, thinking she would keep it safe for him until he returned. Perhaps she still has it, he thought.

Silence fell as he strode slowly into the common room and all eyes were suddenly upon him. He looked around a room that thought he'd never see again. But, here he was - surrounded by his friends. His family.

He had come home.

If only Kanan were still here, he thought as he glanced over at the small boy who was bouncing up and down in excitement. He swallowed hard as he prepared himself for the questions that were sure to come.

Ahsoka broke the awkward silence. "Ezra, I know you may not want to talk about it just yet...but, can you tell us what happened? With you and Thrawn?"

He steeled himself as he struggled to remain calm as memories from the past ten years rose within him. Well, what he could recall, at any rate. There were large gaps in his memory thanks to his treatment at the hands of the Chiss. "There's not much I can tell you, unfortunately. We crash-landed on some unknown planet. Well, that's not entirely true. I believe Thrawn knew where we were but he kept me in the dark. Literally."

He watched the looks of confusion that were exchanged and waited as Hera sent Jacen out of the room to play with Chopper, much to the younger child's dismay.

"What do you mean?" Sabine asked with a frown.

His legs feeling unsteady, he sank heavily into the nearest chair and drew in a calming breath. "He used some sort of device called a neural disruptor to cut off my ability to draw on the Force."

"So, that's why I wasn't able to sense you in the Force," Ahsoka said softly.

He nodded. A distant look was in his eyes as he remembered the tall silver cell. "Yeah, then there was the vault."

Sabine shivered visibly. "The vault? What kind of vault?"

Rex shared a knowing look with Ahsoka, one that did not go unnoticed by Ezra as he recounted the events of the crash-landing and his confinement during the trip to Csilla. "After I refused to go along with his plan, I was kept under confinement either in the vault or the neural disruptor. Until the stasis chamber. I'm not sure how long I was kept there."

"What was his plan?" Ahsoka asked the question that was on everyone's minds.

Ezra was silent as the cold and calculating look in Thrawn's eyes flashed before him. "To fill the void that would be left once the Empire was defeated. He said he always knew the Rebellion would eventually win...it was just a matter of time. Once they did, Thrawn said there would be chaos as the Rebellion shifted gears to build themselves into a new form of leadership. He wants to take control when that happens."

Silence fell.

A murmur spread through the room breaking the spell.

"Someone needs to contact the New Republic right away," Hera said.

Kallus rose and headed towards the communication room. "I'll send word to High Command. Chancellor Mothma will want to know of this."

Ezra blinked. "Chancellor Mothma? Just how long have I been gone? What's happened?"

Sabine walked slowly to him and placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "You might want to sit down, Ezra."

Slowly, they filled in the gaps.

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Ten years? Ten years had passed? The Rebellion had won. The war was over. The Empire was gone and the Emperor was dead. Vader, too.

The New Republic was now in control of what used to be the Empire, led by none other than Mon Mothma herself.

"Wait…" he rubbed his face feeling suddenly exhausted. "So, we won?"

Sabine nodded. "You showed them it could be done, Ezra. With your victory at Lothal, you sparked the fire under the Rebellion. You gave them hope."

#

It was a lot to take in.

Sitting in his old favorite spot, his gun turret seat with the holo-pic of his family flickering beside him, for a moment it was almost overwhelming.

Ten years of his life - gone.

Was it worth it?

He thought of Lothal, and the price he paid for their liberation. That fact that his friends and new family were able to live in peace.

He thought of Jacen.

Without his sacrifice, would Jacen have had such a peaceful galaxy in which to grow up?

Suddenly, Kanan came to mind.

For so long, he thought Kanan had sacrificed himself so that he, Hera, and Sabine could make it out alive. The fact that Hera was pregnant with Kanan's son made the reason all the more clear. Kanan saved them all, Jacen included.

"Uncle Ezra?"

He craned his neck around to see Jacen hovering in the doorway. He gave the boy a half-smile and nodded for him to enter. He closed his eyes and reached out into the Force. A soft lilting melody swirled around him. The tune harmonized within him, filling the emptiness that he had felt since leaving. He knew this was exactly where he was meant to be.

Where he was supposed to be.

He opened his eyes to see the boy smiling at him. "What's up, kid?"

Jacen's smile drooped. "I was...well, I was wondering…"

Ezra knew that look. It was one he used to wear all the time. A yearning. Yearning to know what happened. Yearning to know more.

The yearning of family.

"You wanna know about your dad?" Ezra offered.

Jacen nodded slowly.

"Your dad was one of the greatest Jedi that there ever was," Ezra said slowly. "I was lucky to have him as my master."

Words tumbled forth, coming from a place deep inside of him. Of how he met Kanan. How Kanan recognized the Force within him and offered to become his teacher. And, how Kanan became more than that to him.

Judging by the look on Jacen's face - it was exactly what the boy needed to hear.

Ezra felt the stirring of the Force surrounding the two of them. And underneath it was an unmistakable bond, one that wasn't forged every day.

The bond of a master to a padawan.

His padawan.

This was where he was needed the most.

A soft sigh of happiness escaped him.

It was good to be home.

A/N:

Apologies for the delay with this chapter my friends. Life has been crazy the past few weeks with getting my kids ready to go back to school and unfortunately there were many nights were I simply did not have time to write or work on edits. Hopefully, future updates will happen in a more timely fashion. May the Force be with you all. Cheers!