Disclaimer: Starlight does not own SWR. She only owns Myra, Lyra, Leo, and Ronin.
Lyra's POV
Pitch Black.
That's all I saw. And that's all I could see. Everything round me was just…black. I can't remember what happened before..this happened.
Oh, why can't I remember? All I remember is arriving at Malachor to get Ezra.
Did something happen on the mission? Was I knocked out and captured? Did we even get to Ezra? Are the others okay? Oh, no. What if they were captured, too? Or worse, killed.
No. That can't be it. I was probably just knocked unconscious and we're heading back to the Rebellion right now. With Ezra, that is. Yea, that could be it. It has to be.
But, what if I'm wrong? What if I'm in a cell and so are the others? Is the Empire going to torture me like last time? Are they going to torture the others? What…What if they killed Ezra now that they have more people to get information from? What's going to happen then? To me. To Myra. To Sabine. To everyone.
It was then that I heard something…more like someone.
"Lyra. Calm down. It's fine."
Hera?!
I immediately calm down, knowing that Hera was alright. I could hear everything around me but could not see. As if my body was shut down, but my brain was awake.
For the next hour, I listened to Hera talking and helping the others. I wanted to respond back o her so badly, but I can't.
I can't move. I could think and hear, but not move. It's as if I'm paralyzed. I could hear Hera mumbling and crying here and there.
Did something happen? Did someone get hurt? If so, who did? Are they going to be okay? Will…Will they make it?
Oh! Why can't I remember?! I'm trying so hard, but I can't. Maybe I just need to be reminded about something that happened after we arrived at Malachor. Yep, that's got to be it.
So, I spent the next twenty minutes or so, listening to Hera and trying to hear for something that will help me remember.
Someone walked in and the two started to talk, but I wasn't able to hear most of it.
And a few minutes later….
…the light was coming back…
Hera's POV
Two hours.
That's how long I've been in here. Waiting for one of them to wake up. Or at least make a sound.
I tried talking to them, even though they probably can't hear me, but stopped a little while ago. The only one who showed a sign of being close to awakening was Lyra. Her heart rate suddenly went higher and faster. I was able to calm her down, but..she didn't awaken.
I just want to know that they'll be okay. That's they'll wake up…and everything will be back to the way it was.
But, that's never going to happen. Nothing will be the same anymore.
…What if one of the kids doesn't wakes up? What if none of them wake up?! No…calm down, Hera. That won't happen. You'll make sure of that.
The door opens, but I kept my head down.
"Still not awake?" Came the voice of Ronin.
I meekly shake my head. "N-No."
I hear Ronin take a seat beside me, not saying anything. The silence just made everything seem…worse to me. I can't explain it, but it just..does.
"W-Why do you care about them so much?" I ask after a few minutes of silence. "Y-You only know about Ezra and Myra because of the Empire. You barely even know anything about Lyra and Leo. The kids don't even know anything about you. Your full name, family, reasons. Nothing…So, why? Why do you care?"
Okay, I admit it. That was a bit harsh, but Ronin…he's a man that cares about some kids who he barely even knows. Why would he care? He doesn't know them or anything. Doesn't he?
Ronin sighs. "Alright, I'll tell you. Kanan already knows. I just wanted to tell you all at once. You probably already know about Leo. How he was working with the Empire to save his sister?"
I nod.
"Well, the kid's had a hard life even before they…killed..his family. They barely had enough money for their needs. His parents had to work day and night. So did his older siblings. Just to keep the whole family from suffering. When the Empire killed his family and forced him to do..you know what..I felt bad for the kid. And I can't stand to see a child suffer like this."
"As for Lyra..Well, as I said a moment ago, I can't stand to see a child suffer. She's still a kid. Only 15. She lost her parents at a young age. I can't say the rest unless she says so. Its…personal."
He takes a moment to himself before speaking again. "Ezra and Myra…there are many reasons of why I care about them. They lost their parents at a young age. Especially Myra. She was taken from them when she was only ten months old. Ezra spent eight years on the streets while Myra spent nine years with the Empire. Torturing, brainwashing, training her the Empire way. The list is endless. Thankfully, she always seemed to receive her memory back. There are more reasons than that, but…the real reason why I care about them…I didn't get everything from the Empire's data banks…Hera, my full name is…is Ronin Bridger."
…I couldn't move. Everything around me was blocked out. Shock and surprise was clearly written on my face.
Bridger?! Does that mean…no he can't be. Ezra told us that Myra was the only family he had left! He didn't mention another family member!
"Are you really…."
"Yes." He confirms. "I'm a Bridger….and Ezra and Myra…are my niece and nephew."
My expression soften. "Do they know?"
He shakes their head. "No. Last time I saw Myra was when she was in her cell. I was able to care for her for a few months before I had to guard someone else. I wasn't even able to take off my helmet. She's never seen me before….Unless you count the time she was born.
"As for Ezra….I haven't exactly been with him since he was seven. The only other time was when he first met you guys, but only for a minute. I realized it was him after I noticed the resemblance between him and his parents…and remembering him calling himself Jabba the Hut to strangers in the past .
He sighs. "The two haven't seen me since then. Ezra probably doesn't even remember me. And Myra doesn't even knows that I'm right her uncle."
I look at him, understanding. "Well, you can always tell them after they're better."
He nods. "I'll do that. I just hope they don't hate me afterwards."
I open my mouth to speak only for a groan to be heard.
"Ugh…..what…what happened?"
I look to my right and see Lyra trying to sit up. I immediately rush over, pushing her back down.
"Careful." I say. "You're not in the best condition to do anything right now."
She groans again. "W-What happened? Why am I wrapped in bandages? And-Oh God! It hurts so much!"
I gently hold her still. "You broke a few ribs and your leg on the mission." Confusion is seen in her eyes. "D-Do you remember anything?"
She shakes her head. "I can't remember anything after arriving to Malachor."
I let out a sigh, relieved that she doesn't have amnesia. Well, besides the fact that she can't remember the mission.
"Hera?"
I look up. "Hmm."
She looks at me with worry. "What happened? During the mission I mean."
"I'll tell you in a moment."
I look back to Ronin, who shakes his head. "Go on. I'll be with the others."
He walks out of the medbay, leaving the two of. us. I turn back to Lyra.
"Okay. So, during the mission….."
Kanan's POV
Myra is force-sensitive?!
I couldn't believe it. I can't believe it! Myra was force-sensitive all along?! Zeb told me about what happened half an hour ago and I still can't believe him!
She did the same thing that Ezra did. Unintentionally using the force to save someone or some people she cared about. Except Ezra didn't grab a lightsaber and started to fight a Sith Lord.
But the question is….did she know? Zeb told me that she seem to do it stronger than Ezra. And that she was able to fight a sith without getting severely hurt.
If Myra did know, has she been practicing on using it? And how come Zeb says she seemed stronger than Ezra? And how was she able to fight Vader for a short amount of time?
Was she able to control it? Can she remember anything about the fight or the whole using the force thing? If she wasn't able to do either…. well, she has a lot more in common with her more than I realized.
Mira wasn't able to control the force at first either. And when she first used the force real strong, she couldn't remember much.
But, even if Myra did know, why didn't she tell us? I'm sure we could've helped her. Is that why she always wanted watch Ezra while he's training? To learn how to use it?
No…she probably didn't know. She couldn't have known without doing it before. Besides, all that matters is that she's safe. Along with Ezra and the other kids.
I'll ask her when the time is right. I just hope she's okay telling me.
Lyra's POV
Wow. Just wow.
Hera had finished telling me what happened. And after she did, I regained my memory. About how we all got separated, found Ezra, got held back by Vader, and losing my consciousness.
But, what happened afterwards really got my attention.
"So….Myra..is..force-sensitive." I say slowly. "…Did not see that coming."
Hera nods in agreement. "It's hard thinking that she has the force when we didn't know at all. Kanan and Ezra didn't even know."
I look down. "Yea, that's weird." I look at back at her. "You don't think she was able to block it from them…without knowing herself?"
"Is that possible?"
"I don't know. We should ask Kanan."
Hera nods and looks at the clock. She stands from the chair. "I'll be right back. You're probably hungry."
She walks over to the door and opens it. She looks at me once more. "Do you want me to bring the others?"
I shake my head. "No. I don't think I could handle everything that they're probably going to say. You can tell them that I'm awake though."
Hera nods and walks out, leaving me in the quiet, lifeless room. I sigh and look at the three kids next to me
Leo seemed be okay, just unconscious. He must've taken a big blow to the head. I think I see a small bump on the back of his head.
Myra seemed to be okay as well. Just a few cuts and bruises. Along with being really pale. Though, I wouldn't blame her. She used the force and fought a Sith Lord. She had the courage to fight him when I couldn't…
And Ezra….he was the worst out of all of us. There were cuts, bruises, stabs, and burns all over his body. No matter where you looked, it was there. Most of the blood was cleaned off thanks to Hera, but you can still see the faint red on his skin. His hair was still matted with the sticky substance. Ezra's clothes were tattered and torn. His skin was deathly pale. The scars on his face were reopened. A thin tube was slowly pumping blood into his body. There was a cast on his arm and leg. Bandages were wrapped around his stomach, now stained from the red substance.
He looks so….lifeless. As if he were dead… But..he's alive. As long as I could sense his life signature, he's okay.
It was at that moment, I heard groaning. I look to my right to see Myra getting up.
"Ugh…..w-what happened?" She looks around until her eyes land on me. "L-L-Lyra?"
I give her a small smile. "Hey."
She looks away. "You know now, huh?"
"That you're force-sensitive? Yea, we know."
She looks at me, her eyes widen. "I'm what?!"
Now it was my turn to be shocked. "Wait? You didn't know?"
She shakes her head. "No. Sure, I've tried to see if I was, but it never worked. So, I gave up and proclaim that I didn't have the force."
An eyebrow is raised. "So…you don't remember fighting Vader?"
She looks at the wall as she remembers."Parts of it. I only remember screaming no, blocking his moves and slicing through the beams." She looks at me. "Should I know something?"
"Weeell…" I take a deep breath. "You may have yelled something more than no, used the force to push Vader away from the three of us, had a huge, dangerous battle against him with Kanan's lightsaber, and may have buried him under a pile of stone. Which he might be out of now."
Myra blinks. "….Okay. I guess I don't remember everything…"
Her eyes wander off, her mind somewhere else. A minute later, she blinks back to reality.
"Sorry…what did I yell at Vader?" She asks.
"Well, besides the no…you yelled 'I will never allow you to hurt anyone else again.' Or something along those lines." I look at her. "By the way, what did you mean by that?"
Myra looks away. "Something I'm not ready to tell yet…"
I nod. "I get it..just tell us when you are ready. It helps telling others about your troubles." I look towards Ezra. "I should know…"
Myra looks at me in curiosity. "How did you meet Ezzy?"
I guess he never told her.
"Weeell…" I start off, remembering the day. "We may not have been the best of friends when we first met."
"That's…actually not hard to believe."
I feel a small smile plaster onto my face. "Ezra sure did have a way communicating with new people."
"He sure did."
"Anyway…" I continue. "It all began six years ago…"
Nobody's POV
Flashback
A nine year old girl sat on the roof, looking for her next target.
She needed food, money, anything so she can survive. The girl was an orphan. Her parents were taken away two years ago for acting against the Empire and help an old couple speak out against the Empire.
She had been forced to live on the streets. Digging out trash for food and committed to stealing.
As she looks, she spots a young boy walking up to two seller. She sees him reach out his hands, head down, and begs for something.
One seller immediately refuses and shouts at him to go away. The boy walks away, but not before the girl can spot him take something.
A moment later, one seller walks away as the other tends to a buyer. As the buyer leaves, the seller pulls out his communicator.
"What is it?" She heard him say.
A voice came through the communicator, but the girl wasn't able to hear it.
The man sighs. "I'll be right there."
He gets up from the chair and walks away. Once he was out of sight, the young boy popped up from an alley.
He goes to the stall, putting the communicator that he stole into his pocket. He grabs a bunch of fruit and other supplies.
When the man was coming back, he made a run for it. The girl smiles.
'Looks like I found my target.'
The girl jumps off the roof and onto the ground, getting a small aching in her foot. She follows the boy into an alley and watches him.
The boy runs out of the village and into the field. The girl runs after him, stopping from time to time to not be seen.
She sees the boy sit down onto the field and pulls out a yogan, eating it.
The girl had a better view of him now. He has midnight black hair, electric blue eyes, and tan skin. He wore a worn out jumpsuit with an energy slingshot on his left wrist.
She smiles as starts to come out from behind the rock, only to be stopped in her tracks.
"There she is!"
She turns around to see a villager that she 'borrowed' from yesterday. Even though it was only a few (okay, a lot) of yogans, the man still seemed to want her arrested.
The stormtroopers raise their blaster and shoot. The girl dodges the stun shots and runs away.
"Don't let her get away!"
The boy watches from a distance as the troopers run after the girl.
"Should I help her?" The boy wonders out loud. "Nah. I'm sure she can handle it herself."
At that moment, the boy sees the troopers get closer to the girl as she trips. "Or she can't. I should help her."
As the boy was running to them, the girl was cursing at herself for tripping.
She immediately gets back up and starts running again. The troopers were catching up and when she tripped, it allowed them to get even closer.
'Ugh, why can't that stupid devaronian forget the whole thing happened and let me be me?'
The girl looks behind her and see the troopers getting closer. Unfortunately, one of them shot at her and stunned her left leg.
She toppled over and fell onto the ground. Her leg had no feeling in it. She couldn't run if it was like that, but she had to try.
The girl got back up again and started to run, only to fall back down.
The troopers caught her and confiscates her pack. As they look through hey pack, the girl spots the boy hiding behind a rock, aiming his slingshot.
She looks at her leg and felt the feeling coming back. She smirks and looks at the trooper holding her.
"You really are dumb, you know that?"
Before he could respond, she kicks in the gut and the boy shoots at him. She grabs her pack, runs over to the boy and pulls him with her.
"Wh–?"
"Just run!"
As they run, the troopers shoot at them. "Don't not let them get away!" The leader of the group yells.
They ran and ran, not stopping until the troopers were out of sight. The boy and girl collapse onto the grass, gasping for breathe.
The girl sits up. "Why did you come after me? Even after…." She stops.
The boy smirks. "You were going to steal from me? Yea, I know. You aren't that quiet when you're out in the open." He sits up, too. "Besides, it was the right thing to do. My…parents always told me to help someone who can't help themselves."
The girl looks at the boy with sympathy. "I know how you feel. You aren't the only one. I…lost my parents two years ago. They were acting out against the Empire and helping an old couple speak out."
The boy looks at her blankly. "How come I've never seen you before?"
"What do you mean?"
"Your parents…were helping mine. My parents were the ones speaking out against the Empire. I've seen them a couple of times, but only to talk with my parents. How come I've never seen you?"
The girl shrugs. "They never wanted me to leave the house without them. And I don't think they wanted me to get into the whole thing."
The boy ponders about this for a moment before nodding. Silence overgrew and left a silent, yet peaceful sound. Loth-rits chirped and the loth-cats meowed.
"So…" The boy starts. "What's your name?"
"Lyra. Lyra Keyon. And you?"
"…Ezra. Ezra Bridger."
…
Lyra gets up. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Ezra. But, I have to go."
Ezra gets up, too. "Yea. Me, too." Lyra starts to walk away. "See you soon?"
She stops and turns around. "Don't get too excited, Bridger. Life has its own way of turning things around. But, if fate allows us, then yes. I'll see ya around."
Lyra then runs off, leaving the young Bridger in the fields. When she was soon out of his sights, Ezra turns around and runs to his tower.
…
(One Month Later)
In her now run-down house, Lyra looks at her belongings.
Food, water, clothes….and the remaining items from home.
Lyra at them before picking a holodisk up. She turns it on and an image of a family shows up.
A woman was next to her husband, laughing. She has brown hair, green eyes and peach skin. Her husband had black hair, chocolate brown eyes, and tan skin. He's smiling as he looks above.
On top of the man, is a little girl laughing as she is in the air. She has brown hair, sparkling, chocolate eyes, and peach skin.
Lyra looks at the image, tears slowly rolling down. She closes the holodisk and puts it away. She picks up one of her mother's most valuable items. A lightsaber.
Lyra could still remember the sight. A bright, beautiful sky blue glow illuminating the walls. Watching her mother demonstrate and handling it in her tiny hands.
Lyra rubs a finger over the activation stud, afraid of turning it on and hurting herself. Her mother had shown her how it could cut through many things. Including different species. Although her mother had never done it, she had told her that it could.
Lyra puts it back in her pack and takes out a holocron. Her mother had told her that it can only be opened by a force-user on the path of good.
The ten year old had tried many times to open it. But, she soon gave up, thinking that she wasn't force-sensitive.
Lyra throws the holocron into her pack and walks over to her bed. She laid down on her bed and began thinking of the old times. She sighs, wishing that everything would be how it used to.
She noticed a slight sound that seemed like ringing. She pushed it aside, thinking that it was just her.
What she didn't notice was a faint glow getting brighter and brighter.
"This is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi."
Lyra turns around in shock. She gasps at the sudden sight of the Jedi.
"I regret to report that both our Jedi Order and the Republic, have fallen with a dark shadow of the Empire rising to take their place. This message is a warning and a reminder for any surviving Jedi. Trust in the Force."
Lyra leans in and listens even more closely.
"Do not return to the Temple…that time has past. And our future is uncertain. We will each be challenged. Our trust. Our faith. Our friendships. But we must persevere. And in time, a new hope will emerge. May the Force be with you, always."
The holocron closes and drops to the floor. The sound had stopped, leaving her in utter silence.
Lyra stared at it in bewilderment and shock. She looks at it before looking at herself.
Never had she been able to open the holocron and now it just…opened.
Did she do it? Did she open it without knowing herself? How it that even possible?! Is it possible?
'Well, there's only one way to find out.'
Lyra stretches her hand out as she has seen her mother do many, many times. She concentrates on bringing the holocron to her, trying as hard as she can.
Soon enough, the cube started to float towards her. It lands in Lyra's hand as she opens her eyes. She stares at it, eyes widen.
'That means…I really am force-sensitive…'
But…why didn't it happen until now? Did she had to be at a certain age for her to consciously use it? Or did she had to be strong enough to do it?
Whatever the reason was, Lyra wasn't going to find out. Sure, she was curious…but, she has to keep it a secret. If anyone saw her using it or trying to figure it out or even knew about it…well, lets just say the consequences won't be good.
She'll figure it out when the time is right. She'll have to push it aside for now and focus on what's important right now. And that's surviving.
Lyra walks over to her pack and gently places the holocron inside it. She walks back over to her bed and lies down.
'I'll find out. Soon.'
(One Year Later)
"Get back here, thief!"
Lyra races across the rooftops, going as fast as she can. Stun shots missing her each and every time.
"Stop!"
She turns and jumps into a dark alley. She hides in the corner as the troopers run past her. Their voices and footsteps get softer and were soon out of hearing reach.
Lyra cautiously checks the streets and sighs in relief, seeing that the troopers weren't there. She takes a step back, only to bump into something…more like someone.
"Fancy seeing you here."
Lyra spins around and attacks the intruder to the ground. She gasps when she sees who it was.
"Ezra?" He nods. "What are you doing here?"
"W-Well, I-I would…l-love to t-tell you bu-ut…."
Ezra points to her hands, which were wrapped around his neck. Lyra gets off him and smiles sheepishly.
"So, what are you doing here?"
Ezra takes a couple of deep breathes before responding. "I…..I saw you running from…those troopers and…decided to drop you a visit…"
Lyra raises a brow. "When I'm trying to get away? You could've given my location away! Besides, it's not like we weren't going to see each other after this."
"We haven't seen each other for a year. Who knows how long it would've been before we talked to each other again?"
Lyra shrugs. She checks the streets once more before seeing the troopers walking in their direction.
"Oh for the love of…." She turns to Ezra. "Do you know anywhere I can hide?"
He nods. "Follow me."
The two jump back up to the roofs and run to the field. They run and run, not slowing down until they were a good distance from the village.
'Where are we going?'
The two eleven year olds soon reach an old, abandoned comm tower. They reached the top and walked inside.
Lyra looks at all the stormtrooper helmets and other empiral belongings, amazed.
"Wow." She walks up to a helmet and picks it up. "You collect these?"
Ezra nods. "Yep."
"How do you even get away with them? Don't the troopers shoot at you or something?"
Ezra shrugs. "You just need to wait for the right moment…and a little street smart."
Lyra puts the helmet down and turns to face him. "Do you live here?"
"Well, I wouldn't say that. You could say it's a temporary home. Just a place to stay until I find a real home once again."
Lyra nods. "I get it. You can't think of a place to call home without your parents. It doesn't feels right without them."
"Yea….How did you know?"
Lyra looks at the helmets. "Like I said before, you aren't the only one who lost their parents. It was hard for me. Still is."
She sighs. "I still remember the day. We were playing happily in our home when we a heard a knock on our door. My father went to open it when the troopers burst through the door. They accused my parents of helping yours."
'And of my mother being a Jedi.'
"My parents told me to run. I tried to refuse, but my mother grabbed me. She took me to their room while my father fought them. She gave me certain items and some of her belongings. She told me to jump from my window and run. I did as she told and ran. Until I heard screams. I ran back and saw them being dragged away, unconscious…and blood running down their sides. That was the last I ever saw them. I've been hiding away in my now rundown house. Stealing. Lying. Doing whatever I can to survive."
Silence.
Neither of the two said a word. Ezra shocked by her story and Lyra not wanting to talk any more.
Ezra walked over to her and stood in front of her. He stood like that for a moment before hugging her. Lyra, taken back by this, stands there in shock.
He lets go and takes a step back. "You didn't have to tell me you know. And don't feel bad. It wasn't your fault."
Lyra stays silent.
"Everyday, I think it was my fault for losing my parents, too. And since you told me your past, I'm going to tell you mine."
As Ezra told his story, Lyra stood there, listening in shock. His was even more shocking than hers. Ezra didn't tell her about his sister though. But, it was still shocking.
Once Ezra finished, Lyra stood in shock.
"….I…you didn't have to.."
Ezra shakes his head. "But I wanted to. Besides it was only fair."
'And it's only half of the story.'
Ezra places his pack on a shelf. "You can stay here as long as you want."
Lyra blinks. "Are you sure? You don't mind?"
"I'm sure."
Lyra smiles. "Okay then. Thanks!"
Lyra takes her pack off and walks around a bit.
"Hey, Ezra?"
"Hmm?"
Lyra turns around and faces him. "We should stay close together from now on. What if we need each other when we're in trouble?"
Ezra smiles. "Of course. That's what friends are for."
"F-F-Friends?" She stutters in shock.
"What?...You don't want to be friends?"
Lyra shakes her head violently. "N-No! It's just…no one ever wanted me as their friend before.."
"Well, then they're too dumb. I would definitely want us to be friends."
"Thanks, Ezra."
Ezra smiles. "No problem." He holds his hand out. "Friends forever?"
Lyra smiles back and shakes his hand. "Friends forever!"
With that, the now two friends began to hang out with each other almost each and everyday.
End of Flashback
Lyra's POV
"…and that how we became friends." Lyra ends. "The thing is he never told me about you. He probably didn't want to talk about losing you. Or he didn't want me to know. Could be something else though."
"Could be." Myra looks at me. "Why did you tell me how you found out about being force-sensitive?"
"If figure you'd ask me." I smile at her. "And I was right, wasn't I?"
Myra sheepishly smiles back. "Yea, you were. But, there's still one thing I don't understand."
"What's that?"
"This might be a bit sensitive though."
I shakes my head. "No. It's fine. I've been through way worse. A simple question won't hurt."
"Are you sure?" I nod. Myra takes a deep breath. "Okay…well, don't they kill force-sensitives or turn them to the dark side? Why…Why didn't that happen to you?"
Myra looks away in fear that'll I'll lash out at her. Sure, the question was a bit sensitive. It was about my time in the cell, but… if Myra wants to know, I'll tell her. I mean who wouldn't want to know if they're going to be killed or turned to the dark side. And all because they're a force-user.
"Well…"I start off slowly. "They didn't want to kill me, but they were trying to make me turn. They gave me dark visions and tortured me." I feel myself getting angry as I slowly relive during that time. "At first they only gave me the visions. But…as I grew, it became harsh. Everyday, I was tortured. Physically and mentally."
My expression softens. "Even through all that, I still never gave in. I thought of my parents and Ezra, knowing that'll it'll hurt them and they wouldn't want it. So, I dealt with it. Even if it was for three years, I still never gave in. It was until you and the crew came to get me that the pain stopped."
Silence overgrew between us.
Myra looks at her lap, guilt in her eyes. "….I'm sorry…"
I look at her, eyebrow raised. "Sorry for what?"
"…That I asked you."
Sympathy flew into me. "Hey, it fine."
"But you had trouble talking about it…"
"Sure, I did have trouble talking about it, but…I needed to get that off my chest anyway. I don't even think I could've held it in any longer."
I waited for a bit before asking something that also was personal. "Do you think…you can tell me what happened when…you were with them?
Myra looks at me and back at her lap.
I shake my hands as best as I could. "You don't have to if you don't want to. I just thought it could help us help you."
Myra doesn't says anything. She continues to stare at her lap, as if she had a war going on in her head.
I sigh and lean back as best as I could. The silence came back and we stay quiet, not saying a word to each other…that was until Hera came back.
She had two trays in return hands when she walked in. Hera looks at me before looking towards Myra, gleaming with a twinkle in her eye.
"Myra. You're awake."
Myra gives a small smile in return.
Hera hands her a tray. "Eat up. You're probably hungry after what happened."
Myra nods and watches as Hera hands me the other.
"I'll leave you two alone."
She opens the door and leaves. I watch Myra as she picks at her food. I do the same, but eat every minute or two.
I look at Myra to see she hasn't eaten any. I put down my fork and turn towards her. "Aren't you hungry? You should eat."
Myra shakes her head. "I don't feel like eating." She says, her voice barely above a whisper.
I nod. "Okay, then, eat when you feel like it."
Myra places the tray on a table beside her. She brings her legs up and rests her chin in her knees.
Silence overgrew between us one more. I quietly ate my food while Myra stared at the metal wall, deep concentration showing in her eyes.
"…You know what?" She says, almost causing me to drop the tray. "…I'll tell you…I need to tell someone soon anyone."
I set my tray down next Myra's. "…You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"But, I want to tell you." She lowers her voice just above a whisper. "I don't think I can keep it in any longer…"
I hesitantly nod, signaling her to go on.
Myra takes a deep breath and starts.
Myra's POV
This is it. I'm going tell her about my past. I'm going to tell Lyra.
No one knows about my past. Not even Ezra. He never pressured me into telling him. He never asked since I said I wasn't ready. And now, I'm going to tell to my brother's best friend.
"…I was three; around four; when it all began." I take another breath before continuing. "They started off with wiping my memory and trying to train me into one of their troopers."
"But..it never worked. I always recovered my memories. Whether they were my first memories or my last. They always just seemed to come back. After trying that for a year, they decided to change the process."
"They…They begun to torture me. Give me frighting visions and forcing me to do what they want. I'd always refused. I don't know why, but it just felt…right. They became harsher. They make the pain harsher and unbearable. Soon, they gave up trying to make me serve the Empire. They kept me in prison and used me for…" I could feel myself shaking and slowly losing me voice. "..for….experiments ."
It was said barely above a whisper, but you can still here it.
Lyra looks at me with horror. "…Experiments…" I slowly nod. "That must be why you're so strong…right?"
I nod once more. "They wanted to make their troopers stronger. Unfortunately, they made me a bit too strong. They tried to turn me back to normal, but wasn't able to find the antidote. It was the last experiment they tried on me for awhile. After that they locked me up. Leaving me in a cell. I got stuck with a guard that beat me nonstop…until he was replaced."
"The guard took care of me. Gave me food and healed my wounds. He talked me to me from time to time, making sure I wasn't lonely. He never told me the reason why though. So, I never pressured him into telling me. I also never saw him face. He wasn't allowed to take off his helmet. None of the troopers are."
"Did he ever tell you anything about him?" Lyra asks.
I shake my head. "Nothing. Not even the slightest of info. And even if he was going to, he was transferred to guard another cell. I've never seen him since. After that, I was left alone. Barely given food and they started to test on me again. Small experiments at first, but they were soon testing ones that were enough to kill me."
"So, when Ezzy and the rest of the crew came… I was terrified. I thought they were going to bring me back to the lab. Thankfully, they were there to get me out. I began to have nightmares when I was alone. Ezzy had to sleep in the same room with me to calm me down. Even to this day I still get them."
Neither of us said a word. We all stayed silent. Lyra continues to look at me with horror and pity in her eyes.
"Myra…I-"
"BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!"
We look towards the source of the sound. Towards my brother. There in his bed, he was twitching. The heart monitor was beeping so fast that Ezzy could die if it continues.
"HERA!"
Hera immediately rushes in. "Myra! What's w-"
She looks at Ezzy and gasps. "Myra, go get Kanan and Ronin."
I get off the bed. Lyra tries to do the same.
Hera looks at her. "Lyra's , no. You can't get up yet. You'll only cause more damage to your body."
"Bu-"
"No buts! I don't want to be losing another."
Lyra looks ready to argue again, but crawls back into bed.
I rush out and look for Kanan. I turn a corner and spot Zeb.
"Zeb!"
He turns around and his face brightens. "Myra! You're okay! Don't ever do 'at a'ain!"
I glare at him. "Zeb! Not now! Ezra's in trouble! Where's Kanan and Ronin?!"
Zeb looked shocked at first, then nods, knowing that I rarely call Ezzy Ezra unless something terrible happened.
"''Eir in Kanan's cabin."
I mutter a quick thanks and rush over there. I open the cabin door and run in.
"Kanan!"
The two adults looks over to me. Ronin, for some odd reason, gets up and hugs me.
I push him away, seeing a bit of hurt in his eyes as I do.
Kanan steps forward. "Myra?"
I look at him. "Not now. Ezra….He's…He's in trouble."
The two of them nod and we all run to the med-bay. We rush inside to see Hera trying everything to get Ezzy's heartbeat at it's normal pace.
Kanan walks over to her. "Hera! What happened?"
"Myra called for me. So, when I rushed in, I saw Ezra like this. But, it's getting worse." She explains without looking up.
Soon, she gives up and looks at him. "Can you do it?"
He nods. "I'll try."
Kanan sits on a chair next to Ezzy and closes his eyes.
I see Lyra raise an eyebrow. "Hera? What's he doing?"
"He's trying to get Ezra awake…and not die."
"But, how….Oh, he's going to do that."
I walk up to Hera, holding her arm. "Is Ezzy going to be okay? Will he…"
Hera goes down to her knees and hugs me. "Of course, he'll be okay. He's Ezra. He'll make it through."
I nod, but didn't stop hugging her. Hera didn't let go either. Instead, she picked me up and we both watched as Kanan did…whatever he was doing.
What I didn't notice until the last minute was that Lyra was doing the same thing. How does she know what to do?
But, whatever they're doing, I just hope they get it done. And fast.
Hold on, Ezzy. Please…
Ezra's POV
How could they do that to her?!
I had been able to hear everything from the point where Lyra ended her story and to where Myra ended with her's.
After Myra stop, I lost it. Well, lost as much as you can when your unconscious. I don't even know what's happening around me.
But….how? How can they do that? To a kid for everyone's sake! And most of all my sister!
They used her as a lab loth-rat! I will do the same to those who did that to her. And nothing will stop me. (Okay just go with everything starting here)
(Bold/Italics - Lyra, Italics - Ezra, Italics/Underline - Kanan)
"Ezra!"
Kanan?
"Ezra!"
Lyra?!
Okay, now I've officially gone mad. Did I just hear Lyra and Kanan? In my head?! While I'm unconscious?!
No, that's not possible….Is it?
"Ezra!"
"Ezra!"
Yep, it's them alright.
"Guys?"
"Oh, thank the force." I hear Lyra say. "You're okay!"
"I'm okay? Guys, what's going on?"
"Ezra…" Came Kanan's voice. "I don't know any other way to say this but…you're dying."
"…"
"Ezra?"
"…"
"Ezra, please."
"I'm dying?…"
"You're not really dying. Well, you are, but we can stop it. Just calm down and try not to panic again. You'll be fine if everything goes as planned. Just unconscious for a little while afterwards."
"Please, Ezra. I can't lose another. You're my best friend. More than that actually…Please just stay alive."
"…I'll try my best.."
"We'll be in touch soon."
With that said, Kanan left, leaving me with Lyra.
"So you think of me….more than just a friend?"
"…..Yes, but we'll talk about that later. Right now, let's focus on keeping you alive."
"Yea, you better go help Kanan with…whatever you're going to do."
"…Goodbye, Ezra."
And with that, she left. I just hope this won't be the last time I hear or see from them.
I can't believe I never noticed her feelings towards me. Sure, I had them towards her, too, but I thought she just wanted to be friends. So, I tried to think of her as only a friend.
And now, I find out that she does when I'm slowly dying. That's my life for you. Something always happens at the worst timings. Whether it was good or bad, it always ends up happening at the worst of times.
Okay, I'm getting a bit off topic. I just hope Kanan and Lyra will quickly do what they're doing.
But, what if something goes wrong? What will be the consequences? What are they doing? What if I go into a panic mode or something like that? Will I die?
Oh no you don't, Ezra. Don't think like that or else you will start to panic.
All I could hope for right now is that Kanan and Lyra know what they're doing.
Kanan's POV
You got this, Kanan. You got this.
At least I hope I do. I can't mess up. Not now. Not when Ezra is dying. If he dies, I'll never forgive myself.
Ezra's like a son to me. He's family to all of us. And without him, nothing will be the same. He's the heart of our crew. He changed us. Living without him will be impossible.
Hera would lose someone who was a son to her. Zeb and Chopper wouldn't have anyone to fight or laugh with. Sabine wouldn't have any inspirations or someone to call her little brother. Lyra would lose her only childhood friend and the person she loves(Hera told me all about it). Ronin would lose his nephew who he hadn't seen for years and probably doesn't even remember he has an uncle.
And Myra? She's probably going to be the most affected one here. She'll lose her only brother. The brother she didn't know she had until a few months ago. The brother that she looked up to. The brother that cared and protected her no matter what. The brother who was only one she had left.
Sure, she had Ronin and the rest of us, but Ronin doesn't count that much. She never knew him besides the time when he guarded her cell. And the rest of us…well, she wasn't that close with. Out of all of us, excluding Ezra, Hera was probably the closest she's with.
Ezra's always with her. She's rarely seen without him. The two can never be separated. It's has if they were glued together. I don't know what she'll do if we lose Ezra.
And that's why we can't. This has to work. I did it before and I can do it now. I just hope Lyra knows what she's doing, too. I didn't even know she knew about it. But, I'll ask her later.
Right now, Ezra matters most. And I can't mess up. Or else he'll die for sure.
Sabine's POV
Silence.
That's all that was heard and all that could be heard.
We silently watch Kanan and Lyra, their eyes closed and in complete concentration, hoping that it would be done already. That Ezra would be fine and alive.
I can't lose him. He's like a brother to me. He's always there when someone needs a laugh. He's been there when someone needs to be comforted. He's there when I need an inspiration. He was there when I needed him the most.
Ezra is the kindest person anyone would meet. He was always the first one to comfort someone. He took care of them and barely left their side. He did that to Myra. He did that to Kanan. He did that to me…
"Sabine?"
"Hmm?" I look up and see Zeb looking me, worry in his eyes.
"Are you okay? You seem a bit out of 'ere."
"Yea…I'm fine."
It isn't like Zeb to show much concern for anybody. But, when something happens, like a crew mate close to dying, he shows it. Even if he doesn't knows it.
Zeb nods. "Alright, just…know you can tell me any'in'. I may seem grumpy and every'in', but I care 'bout you guys. So…just tell me if you need any'in'."
"…I will."
I look towards Hera, Myra still in her arms. I look at Ronin, Ahsoka, and Leo. Ahsoka was trying to calm Ronin down while Leo just watched. (When did he wake up?)
I turn back to Lyra, Kanan, and Ezra. Lyra and Kanan are still doing whatever they're doing. Ezra was still unconscious, but…his heartbeat seems to be slowing down. Going back to its average pace.
Whatever Kanan and Lyra is doing, it's working.
Soon enough, Ezra's heartbeat was beating at its average pace. They did it. Ezra's fine...for now that is. As long as he doesn't have another of those attacks or something related to it, he'll be fine.
And hopefully, he won't need the tube anymore. He should have enough blood in his body in a couple of hours.
"Ghuahh!"
We all look towards Kanan to see him gasping, eyes open. Lyra was still out though. I wonder what they did.
"Kanan!" Myra jumps out of Hera's arms and runs to him, the rest of us following her.
"Hey there, force user." He weakly rubs Myra's head without her pushing it away.
Which was not like her. She always pushes it away. She thinks it annoying and treats her like she's a little kid, which she is.
Myra looks down. "You know, huh?"
Kanan gives her a small smile. "Yeah, I know."
"…What are you going to do with me now? Keep me locked up?"
Kanan blinks. "…What? No! I would never do that….What I'm going to do is train you. Or better yet, Ezra can when he's ready."
Myra looks up at him. "Really?"
Kanan gives her a nod. She jumps onto him and hugs him. Well as gently as she can that is.
"Thank you! Most people would just throw me into a cell now that I'm even more powerful than before."
"….I'm sorry….What?"
"Umm….I'll tell you all soon enough."
Kanan nods, although still looking confused.
"Ugh….My head."
We look toward the source of the sound and see Lyra getting up from her bed.
I run to Lyra and gently push her down. "Easy there. You just stopped Ezra from dying. And you still have a few broken ribs and a broken leg. I would relax if I were you."
Lyra seems ready to argue when she clutches her head once more and sits back. I look behind me and see the others helping Kanan over to a bed next to Lyra. What did they do?
"What did you guys do to cause all this?" I ask once he was on the bed.
He rests his head against the wall. "…We…we gave him some of our life source. Though it drained us. Don't worry, we'll be back at full strength soon. Hopefully, Ezra will wake up by tomorrow."
I nod. So, that's what they did? Give up some of their life source for Ezra? I think that just proves how much we care about Ezra. We'd give up our life for him if he gets to live.
Hera takes Myra's hand and pulls her away. "We'll leave you two alone. I'll bring something for you to eat. I'll check on you soon." She walks to the door and opens it. "…And try not to get yourself killed while you're in here."
Hera motions everyone to come out. Everyone, excluding me, obliged.
"I'll be there in a sec."
Hera nods and walks away, the door closing behind her. I stand there, not saying anything as Kanan and Lyra rest.
"Sabine?"
"Hmm?"
I look towards Lyra.
"Don't think it's your fault." She says. "'Cause it isn't."
I sigh and looks away. "But I could've done something."
She shakes her head. "No, you couldn't have. It's no one's fault. No one knew this was going to happen."
"Still, I wish I could've done something."
"We all do."
"Lyra's right, Sabine." Kanan speaks. "We all wish we could've done something to change this. But, look at what came out of this. We made a new friend, found Ezra and Myra's uncle, and we've become closer than ever."
I blink. "I'm sorry….Did you say uncle?!"
"Yea, what do you mean by uncle?" Lyra demanded.
Kanan sits up and sheepishly rubs his neck. "Ronin wanted to tell you all before he tells Ezra and Myra. I guess he won't have to anymore."
"Ezra never told me he had an uncle. Why didn't he tell us?" Lyra questions.
Kanan shrugs. "He probably didn't remember. Or he thought he was dead, too. I don't know. Ezra has his own reasons. I'm sure we'll find out soon enough."
Silence once more.
"….I should go. You guys need your rest." I walk towards the door. I stop and look over my shoulder. "Tell me if you need anything okay."
Both nod in response and I walk out of the med-bay. I stand there for a moment before walking back my cabin.
Who knows how long it'll take for Ezra to wake up? I know Kanan said by tomorrow, but that's just hoping. He could wake up a week later. Or a month later. Maybe a year. We don't know. All we can hope for now is that he will wake up.
Besides that, Ezra and Myra have an uncle. And that uncle is Ronin. Who would've guessed?
I walk into my cabin and lie down onto my bed.
After what's happened the past week, nothing ever will be the same. Everyone here would be going through something in future. In fact, we are now.
We're hoping, wishing, for this nightmare to be over. For it all to be a dream and everything was just the way it was. Being on the Ghost, laughing as Ezra and Zeb fought. Spray-painting my room. Watching Myra and Ezra have their moments. Going on small missions here and there. But most of all, being a family.
We're all torn apart right now. We barely talk to one another. We stay in our cabins unless it's something important or something that has to do with Ezra.
This whole thing has changed our lives. Changed how we think. How we talk. How we act. And who we are…
No one here can say that they're the same person. No one can look at what's happened the past week and say that everything will be back to normal.
Cause it won't. Nothing will be the way it was.
Never again.
Me: Ok, everyone. Then next chapter is the last one.
Ezra: (pops in) I still hate you for ending our story.
Big Bro: (strides in) Hey, Star. We need to pick up some groceries.
Me: Be there in a sec.
Big Bro: And Ezra, Sabine's looking for you. (walks out)
Ezra: This isn't over. (Strides out)
Me: Anywho, I hope you all liked it. See ya in the final chapter. Ret, everyone! (hears the car engine and runs out) Wait for me! (Hologram closes)