For fourteen years, Vex continued to watch over Ezra, hiding within plain sight. To the locals, he was just a kind man who would offer help to those in need. To the Bridgers, he was as close as family. Night after night, they would work together, speaking out against the Empire. It was working, until the Empire found them out. Vex was forced to watch as the Imperials took Mira and Ephraim from their home, a silent, fearful Ezra hiding from view. For a few years, Ezra kept his distance from Vex, blaming him for not intervening that night, his naïve mind unable to comprehend his actions. From that point, Vex disappeared, staying out of his physical form on Lothal, while around the Galaxy, people, Jedi and civilian, were assisted by masses of particles.
He felt it when Ezra was in trouble. He felt his fear, his determination. Finding his location was easy, so was getting aboard. He reforms himself in the cell-block, sending the two guard unconscious with a mere thought. He opens the cell with a wave of his hand, revealing Ezra, sitting with the Holocron active before him, as he opens his eyes, shock and anger buried in his gaze.
"You." He states.
"Me." Vex retorts. "You seem to be in need of assistance."
"I don't need your help." Ezra snarls, turning away.
"Whether you need me or not, I'm here." Vex sighs, moving to the ventilation duct, prying it open. "And i would like to meet those new friends of yours." He turns to gaze at the young boy.
"Are you stalking me?" Ezra asks in exasperation.
"If what I've been doing is stalking, then you wouldn't be the only one. A few million would be in your shoes." Vex retorts. "I've simply kept my promise to your parents. I ensured you survived. Now, I recommend you make your escape. It won't take long for your friends to arrive." Vex walks out the cell, leaving a confused, and frustrated Ezra behind, as he closes the door. The two guards outside still lay unconscious. Vex takes a particle and wills it into the helmet, listening in on the comm chatter as he roams the halls.
Alarms begin to blare across the ship, Vex smiling slightly in response as he makes his way to the hanger, watching as a Lasat tries to punch Ezra, who dropped from the vents. Dispersing and reforming, he blocks the punch with ease, his prosthetic giving him an edge against such inhuman strength.
"It might be best to think before you punch, my friend. Even with Imperials." Vex smiles.
"First you ditch me, then you try and hit me?" Ezra asks incredulously, while glaring at both Vex and Zeb.
"How was I supposed to know it was you? You were wearing a bucket!" Zeb argues, glancing at Ezra, before returning to Vex. "And who the hell are you?"
"A friend. For now, that's all you need to know. I do suggest we get back to your ship. While Ezra was able to split their forces, there is still a large amount heading this way." Vex answers, taking his hand away from Zeb's fist, walking calmly to the ship, inspecting it with approval. "Not bad, not bad at all." He mutters. He feels the gentle probe that a now older Caleb sends his way, answering with his own gentle nudge, much to the internal surprise of him.
The others are still tense, as they move up the ramp, when blaster fire erupts behind them, the halved Imperial force arriving in an attempt to stop their escape. Vex draws two DC-17 Pistols out, opening fire on the Imperials as the others fall back into the ship, entering last as the ramp closes before him. He holsters his blasters, and feeling the ship jump to hyperspace, he walks into the cockpit, finding the others already within.
"I know where they're really taking the Wookiees." Ezra begins, catching their attention. "Have you heard of the Spice Mines of Kessel?"
"Slaves sent there last a few months, maybe a year." The Mandalorian notes solemnly.
"And for Wookiees, born in the forest, it's a death sentence." The Twi'lek pilot adds.
"Then I guess we better go save em." Ezra declares
"'We'?" The Mando questions.
"Come this far. Might as well finish the job." Ezra explains with a smile.
"Setting course for Kessel." The pilot assures, her features glinting in pride.
"Great, now that's out of the way, can we get to introducing ourselves?" Vex asks. "I'm sick of thinking everyone, bar him." Vex gestures to Caleb. "As 'Pilot', 'Mando', and 'Lasat'." The Mandalorian grips the blasters holstered on her hips, while the Pilot quirks an eyebrow, along side Caleb. Ezra simply scowls. "Don't look at me like that, Ezra. You'll understand my actions one day." Vex becomes serious.
"What do you mean?" Caleb asks. Ezra and Vex glance to each other.
"That's between me and Ezra, for now. One day, he might be willing to share it." Vex answers. "Now, considering no one is starting with themselves, I'll throw the first stone. I'm Vex." Silence still reigns within the cockpit, as no one adds their own name, still suspicious of the passenger. "Okay, fine. I'll keep referring you as i was. Now, do you want me to stay in sight, or can i go stay in the cargo bay?" The trio look to each other, before Caleb sighs.
"You're fine. Just, don't do something stupid." He warns.
"Believe me. Of all times for me to play around, this is not one of them." Vex assures, leaving the cockpit and finding his way to the cargo bay. Once alone, he takes a seat, calming his racing mind, listening to the hum of the ship. It's a few minutes before Caleb enters and joins him. "Do you remember me, Caleb?" Vex asks.
"No. You're familiar, but i can't remember from where. And it's Kanan, now." He answers gruffly.
"I suppose a lot of things changed far too quickly for any of us." Vex sighs. "I remember how you would ask question after question, often frustrating many of the teachers at the Temple. It was a good form of entertainment while i recuperated from my injury." At this, he rubs the scale covered prosthetic, hidden beneath the glove. "But we should stop talking about the past. It's still raw, even after all these years."
"Why are you here?" Kanan asks, opening his eyes. Vex opens his own with a sigh.
"I worked beside Ezra's parents during the beginning years of the Empire. I promised them that i would ensure Ezra survived. So far, I've only had to intervene the night they were taken, and today. I might be sticking with you for a while after this too, if he decides to stay." Vex answers, feeling the shudder as the ship returned to realspace, standing from his spot, as Kanan followed suit.
"And why would he stay?" Kanan questions, a small smirk on his lips.
"You know why, Kanan." Vex chuckles. "He's all yours. I can't train him, anyway." Kanan looks to him, uncertainty on his face, before he leaves with a shake of his head.
As the ramp opens, the remaining troopers focus their fire on the five of them, forcing them to take immediate cover. Vex has his DC-17's out, laying down cover fire alongside the Mando, having the fastest fire rate of the group, as Kanan and the Lasat move to the right, forcing the troopers to look away from where Ezra was sneaking towards the Wookiees. Once they are freed, they immediately flank the troopers, tossing them around like rag dolls, their plastoid armour giving no protection against blunt force.
Three TIE's emerge from the pit behind the ship, opening fire. One is gunned down by the aft gun, but the other two strafe around, as a Gozanti Freighter lifts up, firing its own weapons upon the freed Wookiees and crew, forcing them to separate. The Twi'lek pilot leads the TIE's away, as the Gozanti lands, revealing the ISB Agent from the Star Destroyer, and a contingent of Storm Troopers. As the crew fall back, the Chief Wookiee takes a hit to the shoulder. The Lasat and Ezra help him up, taking him behind cover.
"I can't maintain position!" The pilot calls through the comlink in Kanan's hand.
"Go! Lead the TIE's away and give yourself maneuvering room!" Kanan orders.
"I am not leaving you behind!" She defies. Kanan looks over at a group of crates, an idea forming within his mind.
"No, you're not. We're running a 22-Pickup." He corrects.
"Seriously?" The Mando asks incredulously.
"You have a better option?" He asks.
"Jump into the pit and get it over with?" The Lasat offers sarcastically.
"All right. I'll be back. Make sure you're ready." The Pilot relents, cutting the link.
"22-Pickup? Am I the only one out of the loop?" Vex asks, though he has an idea, having followed Kanan's line of sight.
"Care to let us in on the secret?" Ezra adds.
"Kid, I'm about to let everyone in on the secret." Kanan admits, standing up and walking over the meagre cover the crew were behind.
"Ooh, is he gonna reveal a secret? I want in!" Vex cheers in false glee, dispersing into particles, reforming behind enemy lines, watching Kanan, giving him a nod of assurance. With ease, Kanan dodges blaster fire, using minimal movement, until the ISB Agent orders his troopers to hold their fire. Kanan takes the two pieces of his saber hilt, locking them into place and igniting the blade, sweeping the blade into a Form III Position.
"All troopers, focus your fire on… on the Jedi!" The agent orders, shock and surprise evident in his entire being. As the troopers follow his order, and Kanan begins deflecting bolts, though sloppy and unrefined, clearly from lack of practice. Vex taps one of the troopers on the shoulder.
"Hi there." He greets with a wave as the trooper turns and looks at him, before he disintegrates. Vex then unholsters one of his pistols and begins to fire upon the troopers further in the back, while Kanan reflects fire back at those in front. Amidst the chaos, the Agent manages to slip away, chasing after something, or rather, someone, as Vex and Kanan finish off the troopers, while the Pilot collects the rest of the crew, along with the Wookiees within a maglock container. Once the mag-seal locked, Kanan and Vex jump onto the ship. "Ezra's gone to do some heroics." Vex states.
"Well, I'm glad I snuck a tracker on him." Kanan retorts. "Hera, find Ezra." He orders.
"Already locking on." She retorts.
"Hera? Syndulla?" Vex questions.
"The one and only." She replies, bringing them to Ezra, and the young Wookiee, as the Agent points his blaster at them.
"I don't know where you get your delusions, Bucket Head, but I work alone."
"Not this time." Kanan retorts. Stupidly, the Agent opens fire on the lightsaber wielding Force user, rather than the one with a stun-slingshot. Both bolts are reflected into his armour, sending him off the ledge, as both Ezra and the Wookiee step onboard. Once clear of Kessel's Gravity Well, the ship lurches into Hyperspace.
Once back on Lothal, Vex temporarily parts ways with the crew, making his way to the old hideout he and the Bridgers put into use. Collecting up the large crate of his belongings, he begins to guide it back to the freighter. Kanan had properly introduced him to both Sabine and Zeb during the journey through Hyperspace, and from what he has been told, it sounded like he might need to commission Sabine to repaint his armour. He returns to see Ezra hand Kanan back his saber, accepting the offer to join them.
"Could you give us a moment?" Vex asks, to which Kanan nods, leaving Ezra and Vex alone. "You have questions." He states.
"Why didn't you help my parents?" Ezra asks in resignation.
"Had I intervened, your parents would have been executed, rather than taken prisoner. I may not have the Force, but my powers put me under classification as a Jedi." Vex begins. "And not only that. You would have been discovered, turned into an Imperial, and possibly forced to kill your parents yourself, if they weren't immediately executed. What you believed to be a fair choice that i chose wrong, was never a choice at all. Not when it came to your well being."
"If you're not a Jedi... what are you?" Ezra questions.
"Something far more sinister in nature. You may see this group refrain from killing unless necessary, but I won't hold back if I don't have to. If I'm given a reason, emotional ties, a request, then I won't kill, but it's natural to me. I have to think and force myself to not kill. At least, in this situation anyway. Back during the Clone Wars, I didn't really have to kill, because it was mostly droids." Vex explains. "I can answer more questions later, but for now, let that knowledge sink in. And prepare yourself for what happens from now."
A/N - Well, this one was a pain to rewrite. Oh well, it's done for now. I gotta do some more later. Take care and stay safe.
