AN: I apologize so much that this chapter is about a week late! I'm very busy with midterms and also, Tuesday I'm leaving for Disney. Which will be fun, don't get me wrong, but I won't be able to update as usual. I will update as soon as I can though and do not get concerned about late updates, especially this time of year. Thank you for all the wonderful review and I hope you all have a great holiday!
Chapter Ten
"Gold"
Ezra ran.
He ran as fast as his feet could carry him through the mud of Naboo's swamps but it was terribly difficult. He felt his boots sink into the ground with every step and his chest burned with each breath. It was either the smell of the swamp that defiled his lungs or the fact he was in terrible shape. He preferred to say the before.
Ezra fell face forward when the mud sank immediately to his knees. He grunted loudly, swearing under his breath as he began to push himself from the mud. Once freed, he glanced down seeing the soiled clothes that clung to his body. He breathed in a humid breath of annoyance. His shirt was already sticking from the sweat, let alone mud.
Quickly, the boy stood and rushed towards a large tree, falling to the ground and pressing his back against the trunk, taking a few deep breaths. He just needed a rest. He had been running for hours. Everything was aching at this point.
Ezra froze.
The Force slammed into him like a pile of rocks and immediately Ezra slid back up the tree and stood to full height. He took a step forward with all intentions to continue running, but he gasped loudly when someone grabbed the back of his sweat soaked shirt and threw him to the ground.
Ezra landed hard on his back, feeling everything in his lungs abandon him at the first sign of trouble. He immediately kicked out, only for his foot to be grabbed and his body turned over onto his stomach. Ezra attempted to crawl away, his fingernails dinging desperately into the mud below him…
He didn't have to be told it was pointless.
A shout of pain escaped him when he heard the sound of a vibroblade slice into the tender skin of his lower back. The pain jolted him enough to roll back over and kick out once more, finally able to get the attacker off of him.
Immediately he was back on his feet, stumbling through the muck and pain radiating from his lower spine. He glanced back, seeing no one following him, but as soon as he turned around a tree he was met with a vibroblade to the throat.
Ezra gasped, jumping back in surprised, but only glared when he saw Isaac smirking at him. Ezra backed away slowly, shutting his eyes to take deep breaths and calm his racing heart.
Isaac laughed, "You're terrible at this game."
"I feel like an animal being hunted," Ezra rasped out, sinking to the ground in a sitting position. He could feel warm blood oozing onto his back, but he ignored the pain. Showing weakness in front of Isaac while he was holding a vibroblade wasn't wise.
Isaac shook his head, "That's the point. You said you were tired of mental training. Here you go."
Ezra's vision was whirling as he pulled his knees to his chest, nausea overthrowing his mind. He wondered if it was from all the running or the slice to his skin, but either way he felt terribly ill. Shaking his head, he replied, "This isn't a better alternative."
"Well, if it's not fun, then what would you like to do?" Isaac hummed sarcastically, but paused before Ezra could reply and held up a hand. His eyes traveled to the left, back towards the direction of the manor. Ezra watched as Isaac's throat bobbed up and down and something white fell across his cheeks.
"Isaac?" Ezra asked quietly.
Isaac approached the boy quickly, pulling him to his feet. Ezra grunted in discomfort as his vision moved back and forth, but he didn't pull away. Instead his heart rate sped back up to the rate it was when he was running out of anxiety. Isaac looked troubled.
"Come on," Isaac ordered, beginning to run towards the direction of the manor through the swamp. He pulled Ezra along behind him and Ezra opened his mouth to ask another question, but the words died on his tongue. He had no intention of prying further. The silence was killing him, but to know what was troubling Isaac might too.
They ran and waded through several feet of swamp water, causing Ezra's eyes to water as the pain from his wound seared. He wondered if Isaac had intended to slice him open like a stuck pig or if it had just been meant to scare him and got too close. He wondered a lot of things about Isaac. Whether he wanted him dead or not. Why Ezra couldn't remember him. Why he had been taken from their family in the first place…
Where had he gone?
Ezra shook his head and followed the elder as they returned to dry land and made a break through the tree line. They continued to run, rushing across the field of towering grass until Ezra stopped, seeing an Imperial ship landing in front of the manor.
Darkness filled his heart…
Vader.
Ezra could feel the world shifting below his feet and he wanted to puke. Maybe it was Vader. Maybe it was the wound. Maybe it was the physical exertion. He didn't know.
He knew he missed Kanan in this very moment. Because in this very moment he was terrified and he wanted the security.
Isaac turned around quickly to face the younger and he said, "Master does not take kindly to being idle."
Ezra shook his head and he heard Isaac curse under his breath.
He plummeted towards the grass.
The air vent didn't provide much room for someone Kanan's size.
He was suddenly aware of why they always sent Ezra in for things such as this. Kanan had never been comfortable with it himself, feeling as if putting Ezra in the line of fire was one of the most grueling tasks he had ever done. But, he could see now. He and the others didn't stand a chance navigating these things.
Kanan stopped above a grate, light illuminating his face as he spoke into his com, "Alright, I'm ready to move in."
"Ok, Spectre One, move in," Ahsoka ordered. Kanan opened the grate, jumping down.
Just as his feet hit the metal floor he heard Zeb speak into his own com, "Since when did you lose position as the order giver?"
Kanan went into a jog, ordering, "Shut it." He stopped, peering around a corner and staring down the long corridors of the Imperial Transport Ship. Several troopers were patrolling and he sighed deeply into the com.
Ahsoka asked quickly, "Do you need backup?"
Kanan fought down a chuckle. He couldn't blame her for being on edge lately. He had been on edge too and so had the entire crew really. Ever since Ezra and the fleet's abandonment in his rescue…Things had gotten nerve-racking.
"No," Kanan responded. "I know what I'm doing. This is a one man mission, trust me. Just give me a sec."
Hera's voice then quipped into the conversation for the first time, "It would be nice if you would tell us what you're doing."
Kanan pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes a moment before explaining in an annoyed tone, "Remember when I was taken into custody by the Inquisitor and Ezra asked Vizago how to know where I had been taken? A Courier Droid. They're crawling all over transport ships carrying information from across the galaxy. I just need one."
Ahsoka didn't sound convinced, "They did that temporarily as means of transporting data after the tower was wiped out. They rarely put sensitive data on there."
"Which is why they would," Kanan said. "They'd do what they least expect us to. Especially when it comes to Ezra."
Kanan stared at the troopers as they continued to patrol the halls and waited patiently for them to turn their own corner. When they did, he jumped into a sprint, making his way to the elevator on the opposite end of the corridor. He spoke as he ran, "Usually they keep them in lower hangars. They try to keep them together for easier transport, so I'll go there first. Did you guys get Chopper in and tell him to wait for me there?"
"Sir, yes, sir," Sabine affirmed.
Just as he skidded to a stop in front of the elevators, the sliding doors opened to show two troopers. Kanan and the troopers paused a moment assessing the situation. The troopers didn't have time to react before Kanan let out a nervous chuckle and jumped into an attack, slamming their heads together violently, taking a page from Zeb's book.
Quickly, his eyes landed on a door to his left and he pressed the green button activating the sliding doors. He slid the bodies in easily…
He wasn't quite ready for an alarm to be triggered.
Kanan stepped into the elevator, riding it all the way down to the lower hangars. As soon as the doors opened, he rushed and dove behind a pile of crates. His heart was beating rigorously in his chest as he repeated over and over in his head that this was for Ezra. He was going to get Ezra back, not matter the cost.
The man jumped suddenly when he heard a squeal from behind him and he turned, seeing Chopper. He was painted in Imperial colors, courtesy of Sabine to make it easier for him to get on the ship. Beside him was…
A Courier Droid.
"You found one already, Chop?" Kanan asked, surprised.
Chopper whirled with excitement and Kanan understood…He wanted Ezra back too and as quickly as possible.
Kanan gestured to the Courier Droid and ordered, "Alright then, get the information."
The Courier Droid made a whirling sound of surprise, but with one shock from Chopper he fell silent immediately. Chopper wasted no time scanning the information imbedded into the droid and suddenly began to speak in his own special language that only the crew seemed to understand…
Kanan cursed under his breath, speaking into the com, "Nothing…There's nothing on Ezra."
He wanted to curl up in that moment. All hope had seeped from his chest and now it was a dark hole, sucking him up and all the people around him. Nothing…Nothing on Ezra. There's was no guarantee he was still alive. The patience it takes to educate Ezra is daunting…Siths don't have that kind of patience.
As if seeing the agony on the man's face, Chopper whirled again quickly and Kanan's eyes lit up as he felt his chest lighten again. He pressed the button on the com once more and exclaimed, "Wait! Chopper says that Imperials were recently ordered to create a blockade around Naboo's orbit…"
He paused then continued, "That must be where they're keeping Ezra!"
Ahsoka cut in quickly, "Slow down, Kanan. Even if Ezra is on Naboo we still need the help of the fleet to get past the blockade. Which means convincing them to risk it. We can't get through with just the Ghost."
Kanan swallowed thickly, "You're right…"
"We'll just have to make them help us."
Ezra hissed loudly in pain as the maid poured disinfectant on his wound.
He had woken to find himself in his temporary room in the manor. The young maid he had seen in the hall his first day was tending to the slice in his flesh that Isaac had assaulted his back with. She had looked afraid the first time he saw her and it had made him want to scream at the top of his lungs to get off of this damned planet.
The feeling was still there. Especially in her deafening silence.
Ezra made a sound of discomfort again, mumbling in some attempt to break said silence, "I'm never going to hear the end of this."
"Because you fainted?" She asked, speaking to him for the first time. Ezra glanced back at her from where he was hunched on the bed. Her voice was soft and kind. "You are only a youngling; he should not be training you so rigorously."
Her words contradicted the fear in her caramel eyes that day.
Ezra looked forward in front of him, staring at the wall as he replied, "I agree."
For once he didn't mind the idea of being a youngling…If it meant this damned training could stop…
She cleared her throat, "Naboo's swamps are infected with many types of diseases. I fear this one will become infected, even with me having cleaned it."
Ezra growled in pain when she poured more liquid on the burning slash. She apologized quickly, "I'm sorry. I just don't wish for you to take a fever."
She paused and then continued, "Reminds me of my own boy…When he'd fall and get a scrape he always complained about me cleaning it."
"This is a little more than a scrape," Ezra scoffed. "Where's your son? I thought the maids lived in the manor."
He heard her take a deep breath and he thought…Maybe not the best question. A little too personal. However, she answered, " I was taken from my home on Coruscant a year ago. The Empire was taking prisoners to use as serfs and I was unfortunate enough to be chosen. I was taken from my family. My son would be four now."
Ezra was silent, anger welling in him. The Empire…Why did they…
He turned slightly to try and meet her despair as he whispered, "I know how it feels…To have the Empire take away your family I mean…But, I'm going to stop them. When my new family comes to save me they'll help me."
She smiled gently, pinching his cheek, "I certainly hope so."
"What's your name?" Ezra asked.
Her smile only grew, "Aylo."
Ezra said the name back then turned so she could place a large bandage over the wound. Ezra was about to open his mouth and speak again when the door flew back on its hinges suddenly. Ezra jumped, looking wide eyed as Vader entered the room, stilling his heart immediately. His palms began to sweat and some part of him hoped Vader would end his suffering while the other prayed he would go and let him rot waiting for his family.
Aylo didn't need to be told that she needed to leave. She packed up her first aid supplies before exiting the bedroom, shutting the door behind herself. Ezra stared into the black orbs, unable to look away as they seared into his core.
Vader approached the bed slowly where Ezra sat, speaking, "Your brother informed me of your injury that you sustained during training."
"He's not my brother," Ezra said, his voice holding no emotion.
Vader made a sound that was less than amused as he droned on, "Your denial will not last much longer. From what I feel in the Force, you are on the brink of breaking."
"Well, I don't know what channel you're tuning into, but it isn't mine," Ezra hissed. "Kanan will come for me. They all will. And you'll be sorry."
He had to feel his doubt though. It had to be taken into account.
"Enough," Vader snapped. "I will observe your progress tomorrow. Pray you do not disappoint."
"I never do," Ezra growled.
He jumped shockingly when Vader grabbed his face forcefully, squeezing it to the point of pain and bruising. Ezra grunted in discomfort as Vader breathed into his artificial machine, "You are stepping into dangerous territory, Young One."
"Kind of like you?" Ezra murmured. "Defying the Emperor. I wonder what it is that makes him so wary of you taking under apprentices. I know you plan to use us to kill him, but I don't plan to help you fight your battles."
Vader stood to full height, releasing Ezra's face, "Defeating the Emperor is everyone's battle."
Ezra was surprised when Vader simply turned and began to exit the room. However, something was gnawing heavily in the pit of Ezra's stomach, causing him to ask, "You feel things. Isaac said Naboo is important to you. Why?"
No response…Just Vader's back exiting the room.
Ezra slumped on the bed…
Maybe if he could find what made this place important to…a machine…He could use it to his advantage.
Agent Kallus had never before kneeled before the Emperor himself.
It was an overwhelming experience, and with the man standing above him he couldn't help but feel pressured into staring at the man's shoes. It felt like lava was creeping into his throat and windpipes, smothering him under smoldering rocks and sand.
He heard the Emperor's voice hum, "Agent Kallus…I've been informed that you have found treachery in your ranks?"
Kallus swallowed thickly, considering turning back now. Turning in Lord Vader could be deadly consequences…But, the rewards could be just as important. So…He had to do this. He had to risk it all or get nothing in return. He was going nowhere tracking the damned Rebels of Lothal.
Kallus nodded, finally looking up into the Emperor's shrouded eyes, saying, "Yes, sir. I most certainly have. Your own apprentice, Lord Vader, has been keeping many secrets from you."
The Emperor didn't look startled but instead gave a simple order…
"Proceed."