The small voice was much louder now.
As they waited for the arrival of the Jedi, Ezra paced across the cold rocky ground of Don'tuval's surface. His mind was racing. There was a battle going on between his conscience and his current physical state.
Fortunately, the Inquisitor didn't seem to notice as he leant against a rock and studied his blades. He did, however, seem quite annoyed from Ezra's determined thinking.
"Stop pacing," he said calmly.
"Why?"
The Pau'an sighed and glanced back at his swords.
"This is how I think," Ezra replied.
"And what are you thinking about?"
The kid didn't reply for a time.
"Just… stuff," he said at last, attempting to take a seat on an uncomfortable rock. He just couldn't sit still and this only worsened his mood.
Fight the darkness, said the voice. Take control of it.
I'm trying, but I can't with you talking to me all the time.
He was prepared to fight off his conscience, but before he could it went quiet.
The kid's mind was disturbingly quiet, and it took him a while to notice the Inquisitor was staring at him. The expression on his face was unreadable.
The boy was about to ask what he was doing, but then he realized that the Pau'an had somehow silenced their minds. The Force was now a single tone, like a calm note strummed from an instrument echoing against the rocks of their surroundings for the longest time imaginable.
Then he sensed it.
Ezra looked up into the stars.
The Jedi, Kanan Jarrus, was here.
He watched as a big light freighter slowly swooped down towards the surface before landing behind a large rock formation.
He instantly recognized the space craft, but a dark cloud swathed the memory away before the kid could entirely respond to it.
The Inquisitor had risen to his feet and now stood only a few inches from Ezra, as if posed in a protective stance. Lord Vader hadn't mentioned anything about protection, but perhaps he and the Pau'an had had a silent discussion behind closed doors about… other matters.
Maybe Vader wants to keep my alive so I can be his apprentice, thought Ezra. At least eighty percent of him shook with disgust, but the remaining twenty percent was powerful enough to overcome that fear and force him to gladly accept what will be.
The darkness was shattering, bit by bit.
Ezra was breaking through.
He was remembering faces and memories of another planet.
They continued to cloud over but he tried to hold onto them, as hard as it was.
"Stay close," said the Inquisitor.
I don't need you to babysit me, Ezra wanted to say, but he kept his mouth shut.
A tall man appeared from behind the rock formation.
The Jedi.
Kanan, Ezra thought.
Your master, came the voice. It spoke calmly now. Your friend. He is not your enemy.
Kanan looked at the Inquisitor, expressionless, then a wave of fear washed him as he stared at Ezra.
My enemy.
Your friend, the voice reminded him. You must not kill him.
Ezra scowled, but mostly at himself. The darkness was trying to tell him he was the bad guy, but…
Maybe I'm the bad guy.
The kid couldn't think anymore. He was just too confused.
Instead, he ignored his thoughts and watched as Kanan came a few inches closer before stopping some meters in front of them, his hand hovering just over his lightsaber.
The Inquisitor had his sabers already in his hand.
Ezra watched the two, a tension lingering between them as they stared at each other for what seemed like years. The man kept glancing at him, worry in his eyes.
He is your friend, you master. He worries about you, what you have become.
What have I become?
"I've come for the kid," said Kanan, eyeing his opponent. Just as he said this, a Lasat, a Mandalorian and a Twi'lek peered around the rock, watching with nervous and shocked faces when they glanced at Ezra.
Why are they staring?
The teen felt somewhat uncomfortable.
They worry about you, the voice replied, soft, melodious, like the Force in hyperspace. They are all your friends.
"We have orders from our master that does not involve handing the boy over to you," the Pau'an replied, gripping the hilt of his red blades.
Another tense silence passed.
The opponents stood face to face for the longest time.
The small breeze Ezra hadn't quite taken notice of before was still.
"Ezra," said Kanan quietly, as if he was trying to whisper to him. His green eyes didn't move away from the Inquisitor's. "Come with me."
"He will do no such thing," said the Pau'an, igniting his swords and bringing them up in front of him.
"Come with me," the man said again, ignoring his challenger. His lightsaber was in his hand now, a finger hovering just above the trigger. "You'll be safer with us."
'Safe' was a word the boy hadn't heard in a long time. He had been in danger his whole life; danger of getting caught, danger of getting killed. His version of 'safe' was high up in the communications tower on Lothal, away from the danger. But even there, he felt threatened by the intimidation of the Empire.
How did I remember that?
A black cloud had shifted.
Ezra was nearly through.
But he could feel the darkness forcing him to obey, forcing him to think that Kanan was the enemy. He tried hard to fight off the feeling, but it was still too strong.
He hadn't been thinking when his hand grasped the hilt of the double bladed red saber he was given by Lord Vader, and he was slightly startled when the fingers of that same hand ignited the blazing swords.
What are you doing? The small voice was back, louder, agitated. The voice was his own, he realised, a voice that had belonged to the teen the entire time, trying to wake him up. You can't fight him! He's your master, your friend! Fight the darkness, your real enemy!
Ezra's face was blank as he raised the swords up in front of him, positioning himself into a battle stance beside the Inquisitor. The gold in his iris's glowed with emotion and power, uncontrollable.
And it was he who charged forward to strike Kanan first.
The Jedi ignited his bright blue laser sword just in time to block the oncoming red blade. The powerful lightsabers sizzled as each opponent struggled to push against one another.
Snap out of it! The voice was shouting now, or was it Kanan talking?
I'm trying!
The Pau'an had charged up behind his assailant, and just as the man parried Ezra's blade away he leapt over the Inquisitor and attempted to strike him from behind. The dark swordsman was quick on his feet and managed to weave and duck out of the way before he turned to strike Kanan himself.
Every time the Inquisitor was shoved away, Ezra struck from the other side.
This went on for several minutes as the others watched in horror.
Kanan was tiring quickly, but not enough to blindly Force push Ezra into a rocky wall before bringing his blade up to defend himself from the opposing red blades of the Inquisitor.
The teen's head hit the rock hard, knocking him out for a few long moments.
Everything went black as pain shot through his skull.
He lay there, feeling the ache of his old wound, the coolness of the harsh landscape below him, and listening to the panicked grunts of the Jedi and the determined sounds of the Pau'an.
But during that time, something happened.
Everything seemed clearer.
The darkness was gone, mostly, but enough that he could remember.
Hera, Sabine, Zeb, Chopper, Kanan…
Their faces came flooding back to him; how they met, what he did to save them, what happened in the abandoned station, the Empire, his parents…
I remember now, the voice, his voice, said. I remember everything.
He pushed himself up enough to glance at Kanan and the Inquisitor.
The Pau'an had the Jedi pinned to the wall behind him, his blade inches from Kanan's throat.
The others couldn't move, perhaps stiff with shock, too frightened to move in case the man lost his concentration and was killed right then and there.
Think…
Think…
The Inquisitor…
Ezra grunted as he rose to his feet, taking his lightsabers as he slowly moved forward.
The Inquisitor… he's my enemy.
The gold iris and the black sclera had seeped away from his right eye.
Everything was so evident.
Kanan was right, he thought as he neared the two opponents who struggled against one another. I am a Sidii Bendu.
He was only a few meters away now.
The darkness, the light... it's so... balanced.
The red power of the swords in his hand ignited.
The Inquisitor could sense his sudden change through the Force, and he spun around just in time to parry against Ezra's saber.
"What are you doing?" the Pau'an gasped, stunned. "We are meant to fight together."
"You never really knew what was going on," said Ezra as he threw the Inquisitor sideways, giving Kanan room to breath at last.
"What are you talking about?" his new challenger exclaimed, defending himself every time the kid struck.
The Ghost crew had taken the opportunity to hurry over to Kanan. As they comforted him, they watched and listened in a new awe at the two who were only moments ago working together.
"You never had me, not completely," Ezra explained everything now. All those things he had to bottle up he now spoke freely. "The whole time I was there with you and Lord Vader" – he spat out his name like it was poisoned – "I was fighting the darkness he forced me into. Neither of you knew it wasn't working, that I would never be the apprentice of a Sith Lord."
He struck again with newfound strength.
The Inquisitor could only defend himself as he listened in disbelief and anger.
"You were both fools keeping me there," Ezra continued, "but I'm glad you did in a way."
He stopped, raising his head so his rival could have a good look at his face. "I know who I am," he said, smirking.
Everything went still as he said, "I'm a Sidii Bendu."
Without warning he launched at the Inquisitor who only barely raised his sword to block the other's. The red blades cracked and sizzled as Ezra pounded again and again, scarcely giving the enemy time to react.
It was only a few minutes later that the Pau'an was on his knees, a blazing red laser sword up against his throat.
Kill him, Ezra thought.
It's not who you are.
Then what do I do? Let him live?
You know what to do.
Without a word, the teen extinguished his lightsaber and let it drop to the ground. He then waved a hand in front of his opponent's face and whispered, "Forget."
As if on command, the Inquisitor's eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he slumped to the ground.
A silent sigh rolled across the surface of Don'tuval.
The tension vanished as Ezra watched the Pau'an sleep.
It was that moment of relief that the boy fell to his knees.
Everything ached.
He felt the gold of his left eye return to blue as he shivered with a wave of emotion.
He was scared, but hopeful, tired, but happy. Happy he was here, here with his new family.
A gentle hand touched his shoulder, and he looked up to stare into Hera's gentle eyes. They were all there, and Ezra slowly looked into each of their eyes before looking down at the ground and whispering, "I'm sorry."
"It's okay Ezra," said Kanan who was knelt-down on the other side of him. "We're here now, and you're safe."
That word, 'safe', had a whole new meaning.
And there you have it guys! My first completed story that I have enjoyed sharing with you all! Thank you so much for the continuous reviews, favourites and follows over the past five years. You have all been so patient and I greatly appreciate it!
Please feel free to give me some ideas for a new story. I am totally open to suggestions! I have a few ideas of my own but I'd love to hear from all of you who have come this far.
Thanks again! I hope you enjoyed my story. ^.^