Hey guys I hope that you guys are liking the story so far. I would really like some reviews though just so I know what you guys like or dislike in terms of the story. Although I will point out that I won't write lemons, or change up the Kanan isn't blind yet but that will be integrated into the story in a bit. But other than that I hope that you guys enjoy the next chapter of Brothers. I will say that there will be some flashbacks/mention of PTSD. If you are uncomfortable with that I understand if you choose not to read this chapter. Also if you do have PTSD and do read the chapter please review, and let me know if I accurately portrayed the symptoms. I am not trying to cause flashbacks, but I don't want to misrepresent the illness in any way, shape, or form.
Imperial Star Destroyer Eternal 09:45
The three force sensitives stepped off of their transport and walked down the lines of imperial troops that amassed for their arrival. In the lead was a short, stocky looking person with a mask that covered his/her face and obscured any telling features, at their hip was a traditional saberstaff. Behind them followed two other inquisitors one was a human male with no hair and stood at roughly six feet tall. He had a single lightsaber strapped to his waist, along with a long flowing cape and what looked like a form of body armour reminiscent of the days of the great Sith empire that once had the republic and Jedi at their knees. Keeping pace beside him was an orange Twi'lek female her, lekku had the traditional sith tattoos and she had two sabers attached to her hips, she also wore a skintight leotard that went to her ankles, and to the cuffs of her wrists. All three of them exuded an air of authority that told others that they were not ones to be trifled with.
They came to a halt before the head of the of the star destroyers command. A simple Admiral whom looked like he was fresh out of the academy. But no, this was a seasoned veteran of the clone wars. His name was Alexander and he had scored a number of prolific victories against the rebel alliance and even managed to do something that not even the acclaimed Grand Admiral Thrawn had failed to do. And that is capture the elusive Ghost crew of the famous, or infamous depending on your view, Phoenix squadron.
"Ah, Grand Inquisitor, so pleased to finally meet you." Admiral Alexander stated. As he looked down at the short force user. He had dealt with the likes of the inquisition before, and while he thought them to be apart of a dying breed, he at least respected that they garnered positive results.
"Admiral Alexander, so pleased to meet you. I hope our presence here doesn't make you uncomfortable." The Grand Inquisitor stated, the mechanized voice making him come across more cold and unfeeling.
"I assume that you are here to inspect and transport the prisoners?" The admiral queried as they walked into the bowels of the star destroyer.
"Yes, but we are also here to set up a trap. For the rebellion will send help to this crew." The Grand Inquisitor responded. " I wish to interrogate the prisoners. Bring the Jedi to the interrogation cell."
"Right away Grand Inquisitor." Alexander replied.
Aboard the Ghost 24 hours earlier.
Sabine sat in one of the front seats with an unobstructed view out of the cockpit window a which she stared out at the lights of hyperspace. She didn't have to be force sensitive to know that this mission was near suicide. They were on a mission to try and capture Grand Moff Tarkin. The alliance hoped that by capturing him it would put the imperials on the defensive. They had received a warning from Senator Organa that the empire would not attempt a rescue mission despite Tarkin's status as one of the few people in the Emperor's inner circle who wasn't force sensitive.
They dropped out of hyperspace as they prepared to calculate the next jump when Sabine heard Kanan and Hera, freshly married as of three days ago arguing over the plan.
"Look Hera, I don't doubt your skills as a pilot. Nor do I doubt the skills of our family. But I can't help but feel that we are a little over our heads here. Maybe we should have arrived with a strike force and have them cause a diversion for us." Kanan said with just a hint of worry in his voice. This in turn worried Sabine as she knew that the Jedi Knight was a bit of a rogue but nevertheless when he said that something smelled like bantha shit. It usually turned out to be that way.
"I know love, but if we can take Tarkin we can eventually then start coordinating larger attacks and assaults in the outer rim." Hera argued back, it was plain as day to anyone that this wasn't the first time that they had had a discussion like this about the mission.
"I want it to go on record that I think this is a bad idea. Tarkin is bound to be escorted by at least three star destroyer's and probably a few dozen light cruisers." Kanan said back.
"That is why we are using this imperial shuttle instead of the ghost. We can hopefully get aboard and take him and be gone before they attack." Hera reasoned, but even she knew that there was little chance the Empire would fall for the rouse, for once the ship's ramp lowered it would be obvious to all that they were not in fact an imperial supply vessel but actually a trojan horse to try and capture the Grand Moff.
She felt the sudden acceleration of the ship as it jumped into hyperspace.
"They still going at it?" Zeb asked, he was being followed by chopper. Just three days earlier they had all taken part in the beautiful ceremony that was the wedding of the pilot and the Jedi. Zeb had been the best man and Sabine had been her maid of honor. While Chopper was the ring bearer. Outside of the crew only Commander Sato knew of the marriage, due to him officiating the wedding. And then roughly two days later he approached them with the assignment. Only Kanan objected to the mission stating that it was to dangerous. But he was overruled.
"Yeah, you would think that the only thing that they have done is fuck, and argue since they have become officially married." Sabine said with a look of exasperation on her features.
"Oh trust me kid, they were playing this game long before you came along." Zeb responded with a laugh. "Trust me, in a few hours they will be all lovey dovey again and you won't be able to tell that they were arguing."
"I know. Out of all the people I know, they are the only ones whom I have ever seen exhibit true love for one another." Sabine said with stars in her eyes, she then saw the odd look that Chopper and Zeb were giving to her, "What? I know I am Mandalorian but that doesn't make me any less a being. I still hold hope that there is someone out there for me that meshes with me just as Kanan and Hera do. I have never seen people so in love or so happy with one another before." She finished off.
"What? Your parents not get along very well?" Zeb probed, he hoped that she would at least open up to him a little about her past and not shut down on him like other times he asked questions about her past.
"No, I guess you could say they didn't, but I was too young to really know back then. My father was killed when I was twelve right before I joined the academy." Sabine said with a hint of sorrow.
"Do you know what happened?" Zeb asked, hoping he wasn't pressing too hard on the Mandalorian.
"I don't, according to official reports, he was killed when a gas line in the village that he was staying at exploded. But rumor has it that he was assassinated by the empire because he was starting up a rebellion against the empire." Sabine said in an almost trance like state. But suddenly she shook herself out of it. "I like to think that he would be proud of what I am doing. Even if it puts me in danger."
"Well. If Kanan, Hera, or I mean anything, we are all extremely proud of who you are and wouldn't want you to change." Zeb said trying to draw on some wisdom that his years as a fugitive and a captain of the Lasan Honor Guard.
"It means more to me than you know Zeb." Sabine said as they got ready to drop out of hyperspace. The family gathered their gear, and turned toward the ramp as they started the dreaded wait before the ramp would lower and all plans would go to shit.
Aboard the Rogue Shadow somewhere in hyperspace
Ezra had been training with Proxy for thre hours now and the sweat was soaking through his clothes. He had Proxy go and use a randomized matrix that used all of the various fighting styles he was programmed with to make it seem more realistic. As he dodged a swipe of Proxy's blade he threw a force push that knocked the droid off balance and then he jumped on top of him to then plant his saber in the chestplate of Proxy, effectively shutting down the program.
"Very good master." Proxy stated. "I thought that I had you with that old Kit Fisto training module. But you seem to have bested me again. Galen would be proud, that is my most difficult setting to fight against, yet you handled it with ease."
"Thanks Proxy, I am glad you think so," Ezra said, "I think that I am going to go shower and then change, and probably meditate for a while. Tell Galen he can find me in my room if he needs me."
"Of course master." Proxy said as he walked off from the training room.
Ezra shut off the lights and made his way to his sleeping quarters. As he started up the shower and stripped out of his sweat soaked clothes he could have sworn he saw a blue arm dash out of sight back into the hall. Shaking it off he got in and let the heat of the water consume him and relax his aching muscles. Grabbing a towel off the rack Ezra went across the hall and into his bedroom. Feeling paranoid he took a glance around and examined his room. It was the same spartan place he had known. A single bed pushed to the back wall five feet away. A laundry hamper to his right and a single clothes chest that housed everything he owned. Cautiously making his way to the to the chest he opened it up. There were his sabers, just where he left them. Nothing else of value, besides some extra power cells. Suddenly he whipped around at the sound of running feet. Grabbing his sabers he glanced around, but in the dark he could not determine if there was anything there. Sighing he set his sabers in front of him and began to dress himself.
Once he was wearing a fresh set of clothes he got down into his meditation position and began to feel the force. Trying to reconnect with the light side of the force he meditated as hard as he could. But yet he couldn't seem to connect getting frustrated Ezra tried to force himself to connect to the force. He then felt as if he was falling. As he fell sounds and smells started to make sense. And pretty soon he found himself on the ground, not the hard durasteel of the Rogue Shadow. This had more give to it. As he opened his eyes he realized that he was in a different place. He looked up and saw himself, only younger, his twin scarlet blades ignited at his sides. He followed his younger self as he walked into a village. Then it struck him. His younger self lunged forward and decapitated a Pantoran woman whom was on the street. She probably had been just returning home from the fields, or from shopping and happened to be in the wrong place. But this wasn't the type of thing where you bump into someone and they shove you back hard. No Ezra remembered he was on a mission. To send a message to the people of the world of Pantora. You will listen to what the Empire said or you will face severe consequences. He watched himself go methodically and destroy the transports first with a wave of force lightning. Then he launched force blasts at houses and buildings alike. Nearly leveling them. He watched in horror at what he had done. Then he heard it. The worst part of this memory. After twenty minutes of slaughter he heard a little girl, no older than six, crying by the decapitated woman he struck down first. She was bent over hugging the headless corpse trying to get it to wake up.
"Wake up mommy. There is someone bad here. They hurt you and daddy." She said through sobs.
Then he saw it. His younger self. Striding up to the young girl. She looked toward Ezra and started to plead. "Please! Stop him! Help my mommy. She is-." But it was cut off as she was pulled toward Ezra's younger self and bisected across the chest by his sabers. She fell in two pieces only having enough time to yelp in surprise before she was killed.
Then everything fell away. And all that remained was the little girl. In two pieces five yards away. Ezra fell to his knees. He is a monster. Then the little girl started to move. She was bound together with a scar across her chest. She pointed a bony arm at him and as he looked up he choked out through tears, "I'm sorry. You were innocent. I murdered you. I am a monster." Then he noticed the villagers. And among them were all the innocents that he had slain. They started to chant, "GUILTY!" all in unison. He said nothing. For he knew. They were right.
Ezra was drawn out of the vision by Galen's pounding on the door. When he received no answer he called out. "Ezra? Brother? Are you in there? It is almost 18:30." When again he received no answer he punched in the access code to the door and strode in. There before him was Ezra curled up on the ground in the corner, slowly rocking. Galen came up and knelt down so he was eye level with Ezra, and he saw the tears.
"I saw the girl again. It was the most vivid out of all the times I have seen her. I could smell the smoke. I could smell the burning flesh." Ezra whispered.
Galen did the only thing that he knew and sat down in front of Ezra. Sometimes there were no words to give comfort. He sent calming vibes through the force to his brother. After a half an hour Ezra had mostly calmed down. He stopped shaking and looked his brother dead in the eyes and asked. "Are we monsters?"
"We were. We did terrible things. We will have to live with it for the rest of our lives." Galen said, he knew that telling Ezra the truth would be hard. "But we must learn to not be what we once were. We can become better." Galen finished.
"Are you sure." Ezra asked, when Galen looked at him. He didn't see a warrior, or a former sith apprentice. He saw the eight year old boy from Lothal who had spent the last year on the streets and was scared of loud noises.
"I am sure. Now come on. Juno made some dinner. I am sure that she is waiting for us." Galen reassured as they both stood up and started to walk out of the room. Ezra turned slightly and saw the little girl again. But he decided to let it go. It was hard at first, and he knew it wouldn't be the last time he saw her, but he knew that he was strong enough to overcome who he was, and hope to be a better person, a Je'daii in the future.
Alright what did you guys think? I hope you liked it. I plan to update roughly one to two times a week. I also should say this so as to cover my ass, but all aforementioned star wars content is property of their respective owners. Please let me know what you think by leaving a review. Have a good rest of your day!