CF Chapter 7
Disclaimer: I don't own Star wars rebels. I would like to thank the reviews, readers, favorites, and follows I have gotten. I'm glad people are liking my story.
Work has been very busy and I had some personal things that have kept me from writing but I hope you like the update.
So with out further adu.
Chapter 7
The first meeting of Ezra and Zaria.
She crept past the two imperial officers. Letting the force guide her. Trust in the force her parents had always said. Zaria clenched her fist.
'What good had the force done for her parents? They were both dead now. She was now on her own. No one to care for her, no one to train her or guide her. It was the Empire's fault.'
The darkness crooned out her.
'Snap, twist, bend, break those silly men in their plastoid armor. Those pathetic fools are nothing to the power we hold.'
She felt her hand rise from her side. Her golden eyes glared hatefully at the troopers. She could just end their lives with a flick of her hand. She wanted to watch them struggle against her and fail. Watch the light leave their eyes.
A whisper from the force brought Zaria out of her dark thoughts.
She felt a ping through the force.
The air left her lungs.
That force signature.
It felt . . . . . . . like her baby brother's force signature.
That was impossible. She felt her family die in the force. The unborn Tayaz had been the first to die. Then her mother, last was her father. No, it wasn't quite the same.
This presence in the force was slightly different. Zaria turned her back on the Storm troopers. She could always kill troopers later. She had to find the source of the tremble she felt in the force.
She slunk away. She was on the hunt, nothing would stand in her way of finding the force signature.
This is a line break.
Zaria scoured high and low for the force sentient. But the signature had slipped from her fingertips like a plume of smoke. She cursed. The warrior retreated back to her abode. She brooded as she fixed herself supper.
"Master, is everything alright you seem agitated?" TZ -34 inquired.
Zaria didn't answer. She fell into her makeshift bed and closed her eyes.
This is a line break.
The dark forms of the two sith lords cut into her father.
"I will not be your slave." Carior snarled using the force to break open the ship. He was sucked out into space. His lifeless body floated above Zaria. Her mother clutching her stab wound on her stomach, the blood dripped onto Zaria. Her entire form shook with emotions.
Zaria woke with a scream on her lips.
The warrior roared her rage and began to tear everything apart in her room. The very temple was shaken from the force of her hate and anger. Then she sunk to the ground and wallowed in her despair.
'Done with your tantrum are you?' the voice croaked inside her head. The ancient jedi relic reaching out to her.
She snarled at him.
'DO NOT DISMISS MY PAIN, JEDI!'
She didn't know why the annoying thing kept bothering her. This Yoda her mother had spoken about in hushed fond tones. He was little more than an old stubborn fool. She hated him. In Zaria's darker moments she often wondered why the jedi hadn't killed her when she had entered the temple. At her lowest, she wished he had. At least she could have joined her family.
'Young one, not do any good to linger on such pain, it does. On such hatred. The dark side I sense in you! Only making yourself suffer, you are.' Yoda sounded like he was oddly pained himself.
Zaria rolled her eyes.
'The dark serves it's purpose. As does the light. But I see no purpose in the light right now.' the dark side was so much easier.
It crooned to her that she was justified. She would be vindicated if she gave in to her emotions. Set her chains free of pesky morals.
'Not what your mother would have wanted, this is. To me that you are je'daii, you claimed. Hmmmm! Letting yourself be consumed by the dark, you are.' Yoda scolded.
'Attachment is dangerous, I always said. Let them go, you must.'
The Sith pureblood growled.
"I do not want your advice! I don't understand you. You have lost everything and get you don't care. You feel nothing! It is your fault the Jedi fell. You made them weak. Don't lecture me about about attachments. Be gone!" she shouted.
The presence of Yoda left.
She couldn't believe the thing's nerve. She pulled on her headdress and left the temple. Zaria quickly found a troop of Troopers.
She silently treaded behind them. Brutally killing them one by one. Enjoying the terror rolling off the humans when they realized they were being picked off.
She fed her hate and anger into the darkside. Giddy at the power it gave her. So addictive that power. The sharp focus of the force signature cut her high short.
There it was again, stronger this time.
She looked between the remaining troopers and then back to the direction the force was pulling her towards.
Zaria left the trembling troopers after force persuaded the troopers to forget what happened. She was back on the hunt.
She sprinted fast trying to keep up with her prey. She rounded a corner and found . . . nothing. She kicked a wall in frustration.
Why was this eluding her? She was a decent tracker. How did the force signature keep slipping by her?
'Why do we need to find that signature? It will only burden us. Stop searching for it.' her darkness purred at her.
Zaria scowled. It was right. This was a waste of her time.
She left.
This is a line break.
Zaria tossed and turned in her bed. Visions rippled through her dreams. Then one settled in her dreams.
Zaria was standing tall. She was older dressed in armor. She looked like one of the murals back in the tombs on Korriban of the sith pureblood warlords. But her eyes. They were a molten ugly orange gold, rings of a bloody red in circled her pupils.
She strode down a long hallway.
The older Zaria was cold and aloof. The young and older warriors reached the door.
"Enter." the voice croaked.
Zaria entered the dark room and bowed to the cloaked figure sitting on a throne inside.
The young Zaria looked between the figure and her older self.
"Rise Inquisitor Sajtoir." the cloaked man ordered.
Inquisitor Sajtoir did so.
"What is thy bidding my master?" she asked, her head bowed submissively.
The old decrepit man cackled.
"Grand Inquisitor, I want you to hunt down a batch of rebels in the outer rim. Destroy them."
Inquisitor Sajtoir bared her sharp teeth. Her blood lust rising to feed the dark side.
"I live to serve."
Zaria was appalled to see how her older self was enslaved to the darkside. It bound her to . . . Zaria now saw the cloaked figure was the emperor. She reeled back in shock.
Was this a warning? Her future?
she watched in horror as Inquisitor Sajtoir. Tortured, maimed, slaughtered and killed the rebels as Zaria had done earlier to the troopers.
The dark crooning to her all the while.
'Look at our power, see what we can do?'
Zaria watched herself cut down many foes.
'See how they kneel before us? We could show the galaxy a true sith empire. Let them coward in fear once more. Be crushed beneath our might.'
Zaria could admit this felt better then feeling the all consuming agony of her broken bonds. The grief of her murdered family.
Her surroundings changed.
She saw her three year old self pretend to be asleep while listening in on her parents debate about the dark side.
"Ymira, the dark side is not evil. It is anger, pain, rage, death, decay, fear. I know your Jedi taught themselves to cut themselves off from all of their emotions. But what would the galaxy be like without the darker side?" Carior asked his wife.
Ymira frowned.
"I do not see how any of those things are good."
Carior shook his head.
"Ymira, without the dark the light holds no power. What need is there for it? All living beings feel the whole spectrum of emotions. Without fear think of how dangerous our galaxy becomes. Some beings are kept from their darker natures for fear of punishment. It can also save lives by warning people of danger." Carior was speaking passionately.
"Hate can help topple corruption, or it can ruin you. The dark is only evil when you allow yourself to be. It helps you see the light. Which is why I can use the dark and not lose myself to it. It is why I also do not lose myself to the light. Look what happened to your order and the very first Je'Daii order. They both fell."
Ymira cut in.
"How is serving and helping others bad?"
Carior sighed.
"Look at how different your order became during the war. They change, they went too far to protect the innocents. Made sacrifices to their selves to win the war at any cost. The Jedi of thousands years ago would have never approved of a clone slave army. They would have never stepped in. They did not even when Mandalorians were running amuck in the galaxy did they step in. The Sith and the jedi are two sides of the same coin."
They both became silent.
"I will try to be more understanding, Carior. Perhaps there is still much to learn." Ymira put a hand to Carior's cheek.
They kissed.
Little Zaria giggled.
Carior grinned at his daughter. He raised his fingers and forced tickled his tiny daughter. She fell off the bed laughing.
"Naughty girl. You should be sleeping." her father swung her up into his arms.
Her mother kissed her forehead.
"Sorry we kept you up my dear."
Zaria smiled.
"I'm glad you aren't fighting now."
Her parents both hugged her.
"We are too." her father laughed.
"Tomorrow you may continue your lessons with your father." Ymira stroked her daughter's hair.
Carior put a hand on his wife's shoulder.
"You mean that?"
She nodded.
"I no longer fear that I will lose Zaria to the dark side."
The family laid down and slept in each other's arms peaceful.
Zaria woke with tears streaming down her face.
This is a line break.
Zaria meditated bringing herself back into balance. TZ -34 hovered over her.
"You seem much better master."
Zaria nodded.
"I do feel better."
She stood and stretched.
"I have to go organize Vizago's files. He'll be mad I have been skipping out on work."
"Have a nice day master." TZ -34 waved goodbye.
She hopped onto her speeder bike.
She enter the base of the broken horn crime signet. Vizago glared at her when she walked in.
"Where have you been?!"
Zaria sat down across from Vizago.
"I'm here to work."
He sneered and crossed his arms.
"I have no need for little girls who don't show up for work."
Zaria inclined her head.
"True, and I am sorry. But I am still a good worker we both know that."
The crime lord looked thoughtful.
"My files are a mess go sort through them. And you are on sentry duty for the next two weeks. And docked pay."
Zaria nodded that sounded fair.
She got up.
"I'm glad you are done working through your child angst. But if it happens again. Favorite worker or not. You will regret it." Vizago promises.
"I will not." Zaria walks towards the files.
This is a line break.
Zaria sat atop a building watching the market in the street below her. The beings bartered and made deals. She bit into her Meiloorun fruit, it's juice ran down her face.
Her headdress was lowered so she could eat the fruit. A human boy wearing rags was quick as he pickpocketed the tourists.
Zaria's gold eyes reflected her mirth at the clever little thief.
He was very good.
He slipped away like a ghost before the people even knew they had been robbed.
He had been a young human. Eight standard years if Zaria had to guess.
He was thin and had a survivor's look about him. Zaria finished fruit and followed after him. It wasn't hard to catch up with him while jumping across rooftops.
The boy hid in an alley as troopers marched by. As if a switch had been flipped on in the boy. He was drowning in the dark side, hate and pain as he looked at the troopers. His pain felt familiar to her.
She narrowed her eyes as the boy lifted a stolen blaster. Aiming it at the troopers.
Zaria leaped down and pulled the boy into a headlock.
"Don't." she hissed in his ear. He struggled in her hold.
"It's one thing to steal in broad daylight. It's another to kill in broad daylight. You will only succeed in getting yourself killed."
The boy became feral in trying to break her hold. She dragged him away. Cursing silently in pain as the boy bit her.
She put a hand to his head used the force.
The boy went limp. Zaria was impressed by his fighting spirit. She draped the boy on the back of her speeder.
She drove to a grass plain.
She swiftly dodged the bolt the boy shot her way with his stolen blaster. He was shaking in fear.
Zaria laughed.
"I'm not going to kill you." the boy tensed as Zaria put a hand into her bag.
She held out the fruit to him.
"Eat, my name is Zaria Saijtoir."
The kid narrowed his eyes at her.
"You work for Vizago."
she shrugged.
"Yes, and you work for Ferpil Wallaway that irksome Xexto."
The boy hunched into himself. Feelings of disappear were blasted into the force.
"Not anymore."
Zaria knew what must have happened.
"The Empire has killed him. I'm sorry." she sat down next her speeder bike.
The boy clenched his fists.
"The empire is going to pay for what they've done. Ferpil, my parents." He growled the dark side creeping back in.
"My family was murdered by the empire as well. I understand your pain, your lost. We are both alone now." Zaria looked at the golden fields.
"Why'd you step in?" He regarded her with suspicion.
Zaria laughed.
"I understand your hate and anger at the empire. You heard about all of the troopers who gave gone missing?"
The boy nodded.
"That was you?"
Zaria lost her smile.
"Yes it was. I can kill as many Imperials as I want. But I have recently realized it won't bring back my family."
The boy scoffed.
"Don't lecture me. I don't need it."
He folded her arms across his chest.
The fruit still uneaten in his hand.
"What's your name?" Zaria asked.
"Ezra Bridger." He kicked a rock as he glared at her.
"How old are you?" He shot back.
"Ten." Zaria answered.
He blinked.
"Ten? That's only two years older than me. I thought you were older. You act like such a stuffy adult."
Zaria stuck out a leg and tripped him.
He wiped the dirt off his face and scowled at her. Ezra brushed the dirt off himself. His stomach growled.
"Eat the fruit." Zaria grabbed the fruit and stuffed it into his mouth.
She took the blaster from him.
"Your aim is horrible only relying on luck." she dragged him up.
"Come on I'm going to teach you how to shoot this blaster properly."
Ezra half heartedly protested.
"Fine." He muttered finishing off his fruit.
Zaria held the blaster out to him. He took it and held it clumsily.
Zaria corrected him.
"Hold it like this. Brace it against your shoulder. Helps with the recoil."
By sunset, Ezra's aim had improved.
Zaria closed her eyes. This boy was the force signature she felt.
He was strong, it was emerging from him.
He wouldn't last long if anyone unsavory found him. Like an Imperial Inquisitor.
Zaria jumped up.
She faced the human.
"You are all alone, just like me. We can help each other. Come with me." she held out her hand.
Ezra hesitated.
"How do I know I can trust you?"
Zaria took off her headdress.
"Search your instincts, Ezra Bridger. What do they tell you." Ezra blinked at her appearance. He closed his eyes. Zaria closed her own eyes. There it was a connection, a bond in the force.
Ezra opened his eyes.
"I . . . I feel we should work together. I can't explain it but it feels right."
Zaria beamed at him.
"I feel the same way. Come on let's go." she waved him over to her speeder bike.
He climbed on behind her wrapping his arms around her.
Zaria kicked off and they zoomed away.
This is a line break.
'Not staying in the temple, are you?' Yoda questioned her as she packed up most of her things.
'I have found someone, he needs me. He anchors me. It is nice to have a family again.' Zaria tells him softly.
Yoda made a thoughtful sound.
'The darkness sense not anymore with you. Different are you.'
Zaria smirked.
'Don't miss me too much old troll. I will be back to train soon.'
'Speak to you, nice it has been.' Yoda admits.
'Not afraid anymore my evil sith ways will infect you?' Zaria teased.
'Ymira's child you are.' Yoda tells her.
'See your light can I. Goodbye it is then.'
Zaria felt his presence fading away.
"Goodbye."
"Shall we go master?" TZ34 called.
"Yes." Zaria left the temple.
End of chapter 7
So that was the story of how Ezra and Zaria met. Zaria was in a dark place for a while there. And so was Ezra.
But they bring out the best in each other.
