AN: This chapter was a bit late but things have been super busy with school and work. Don't get concerned when chapters are late, I will always update. Two chapters are left in this installment anyhow. Here we go. Enjoy!

Chapter Sixteen

"Tether"

When Kanan and the crew made it back to the Imperial Blockade, he was surprised to see most of it had been taken out and incapacitated.

The Rebel fleet had worked furiously to clear the way, and Kanan was eternally grateful, even after the difficulties to convince them to get involved. They had performed to the best of their abilities and there was nothing else he could ask of them. They had risked their lives to save a boy they barely knew.

Kanan sat in the common room of the Ghost, holding Ezra close to his chest. The boy was shivering, the temperature dropping dramatically in space and only making his fever all the worse. Kanan pulled the blanket tighter around the small child, who was smaller than he remembered, and tried to give as much of his own body heat as he could.

Small sweat droplets pooled from Ezra's forehead and the man felt urgency making a home in his chest. They needed to get Ezra to the fleet's med-bay fast. The Ghost didn't have the supplies or the droids to do Ezra any good.

"Ezra?" Kanan whispered quietly. The boy didn't make any signs of registering that his name had been said and that his shoulder had been shaken slightly. He just continued to spasm and clenched his fists like a newborn would do.

Kanan felt fear strike him to his core and he placed a hand on the back of Ezra's head and pulled him to his collar bone, sitting forward in the seat as if cocooning around him and protecting him from everything. The blockade, Vader, the apprentice. None of it would reach him as long as Kanan had a say.

The man jerked suddenly when he felt the ship lurch and he realized they were docking. Ahsoka rushed in, words on her lips being spoken, but Kanan didn't hear any of it. He just stood, carrying Ezra as quickly as he could to the larger rebel ship, the woman and his other crew members following closely behind.

Kanan ran. He ran as quickly as he could to the ship's med-bay. He shoved past rebels, past droids, and anything else that stood in his path. The agenda now was to save Ezra. That was all that mattered. Get his fever down and find out exactly what the psychos did to him before any damage could be permanent.

Once he had made it to the med-bay, he rushed in, ignoring what the medical droids that were waiting for them were trying to say. He moved to the center of the room where the table was and laid Ezra on it, removing the blanket from around him. One of the droids came over and he heard the machine inquire, "Do you know the source of the ailment?"

"His back," Kanan breathed, out of breath. He turned Ezra over quickly, hearing as the others entered the large room. He glanced back at Hera, making grave eye contact. Zeb looked shaken, Sabine looked pale, and Ahsoka…She looked completely unnerved.

They had worked so hard to get him back and now he was on his death bed.

When Kanan returned his attention to Ezra, he saw the droid was already cutting away the black shirt to reveal a large gash stretching across Ezra's lower back. It was red and fierce…Evil in a way as it clearly was deeply infected and hadn't been bandaged in quite some time since it slide right off at the hands of the droid.

Kanan felt his breath skip when the droid said to another, "Blood poisoning."

The droid who had peeled away Ezra's clothes began to give orders to the other and he was handed a glass bottle of yellow liquid. Kanan stared in confusion, unable to register what the liquid was.

The droid began to unscrew the lid, pouring the yellow substance over the wound…

Suddenly, a scream ripped through the air and Ezra was pushing himself off of his stomach, trying to get into a sitting position. Kanan cringed when several lights in the room shattered, the Force waving off of Ezra like fire. Kanan attempted to contact the flailing child, gripping his arms and keeping him from pushing himself from the table. He turned him so his legs were hanging off the side and he was facing, able to allow the droid to continue his work on the wound.

Ezra was sobbing, his blue eyes glazed over with delirium. It looked like he was awake, but not really there and his face was pink with fever and pain. Kanan tried to stop Ezra from tugging his hair out as he screamed, "He's in there! He's in my head!"

"No, no," Kanan spoke softly, prying at the pale fingers. So much heat was radiating from Ezra Kanan didn't know how he was mustering enough strength to cry. Tears streaked his face and Kanan felt his heart ache with sympathy. He continued speaking gently, "Ezra, look at me. You're safe, he's gone. He's not going to hurt you again."

Kanan hurriedly tried to push Ezra's hair out of his face so he could get a better look at him. Pain was etched into his features and Kanan shushed him gently, the child's chest quaking as powerful sobs tore through him.

"Kanan…" Ahsoka's voice said quietly, causing Kanan to look back at the woman, still holding Ezra's flailing limbs. "I feel something…Something in his mind."

"What?" Kanan snapped as Ezra gave a particularly hard tug at his arm.

Ahsoka was trembling and Kanan realized this was something not to be taken lightly. She said in a low tone, but loud enough to be heard over Ezra's wails, "The Apprentice created a Binding. I think that's the source of the infection…Ezra is rejecting it."

"What's a Binding?" Hera asked, concern filling the air as she looked wide eyed back and forth between the Jedi. She hated not understanding, and Ezra's ear piercing screams were making it difficult to think. Her eyes watered, but she pushed down the feelings. Ezra was hurt. Zeb and Sabine were at a loss. She couldn't do this now.

Ahsoka gripped her fists, "It's a powerful tie between minds. It's stronger than a Bond needed for a Reading and it's very painful for someone if they reject it. It can even be fatal."

Ahsoka's eyes found Kanan's and she ordered in a hard tone, "You have to break it. You have to replace it with your own. That's the only way to destroy it. The only other way is if Ezra can muster the strength to break it himself and in this state of mind I can't instruct him on how to do so."

"I don't think I can without it hurting him," Kanan swallowed thickly, his eyes finding Ezra who was sobbing in exhaustion.

Ahsoka shouted, "You must!"

Kanan knew he had to. It was the only way he would be able to save Ezra and it was the only way to disconnect him from the apprentice that would surely follow them once Ezra was well again…If he ever did get well again.

The man put both of his hands on either side of Ezra's head and whispered softly…

"I'm sorry."

Just as he closed his eyes, Ezra let out an agonizing scream, causing more lights to shatter. The medical droids shook with force, crinkling slightly and whirling as their systems malfunctioned under the pressure in the room. The other occupants leaned on the walls for support, the ship feeling the full effects of Ezra's pain.

Ezra's voice was strained…

"Please, Kanan…Please stop."

Then…There was a snap.

Not one the others could hear, but it sounded through Ezra's head like a thousand pound rope tearing at the seams in one fluid motion. Ezra went limp suddenly, feeling a warmth fill him. The chill of Isaac's presence was suddenly flooded with Kanan's and Ezra fell forward in a heap, his eyes shut and his face almost peaceful…

Kanan held onto the table to keep himself upright, gripping onto Ezra so he wouldn't fall. The man breathed deeply, his eyes still closed.

"Am I safe?"

"Yes…I'm here."

Isaac felt the Binding snap the instant it happened.

He was on the ground in a second, the world spinning before his eyes. His hands wound into his ebony hair and he gripped on as if it were the only thing holding him down and tying him to the universe around him. He found himself in the grasses of Naboo, groaning loudly as the pain radiated up and down his spine.

That meddling son of a…

Isaac didn't have time to think before he vomited in the grass, his throat burning with each heave. Embarrassment crept into his bones, though he knew no one was there. He was alone, the wind wiping around and threatening to knock him over. Thunder rolled in the distance and he gripped his hands into fists.

He was enraged.

They had broken the Binding…

Maybe it had to happen though. Maybe Ezra hadn't chosen to accept it to save his life and those two wanna-be-jedi had forced Isaac's presence out and left him with an ache in his stomach and head. Annoying…Tedious…

Failure.

The thought was sudden and dark and Isaac's eyes lifted when he felt a presence over him. His amber eyes found two black orbs and he realized his master had probably seen the entire episode. Isaac's shoulders trembled and he whispered, "I'm sorry, Master. It was the only way."

"Quiet," Vader ordered, reaching down and yanking Isaac to his feet.

Isaac expected a reprimand, but it never came.

Instead Vader led him back towards the manor waiting for them in the distance, causing Isaac to shake more with anticipation.

There had to be another shoe to drop.

Kanan watched Ezra's chest rise and fall slowly.

It was all too often he felt that he saw Ezra in this state, a drug induced sleep. His face was pale and dark circles were under his slumbering eyes. He wore a white hospital gown and was covered by a thick blanket, his arms protruding with wires that kept him hydrated and monitored his vitals.

Kanan shut his eyes…

He was here. He was real and he was right in front of him. He was skinnier and he looked so exhausted, but he was alive and Kanan couldn't be more thankful at this point. He couldn't be happier to have Ezra here with him.

He reached out, gripping Ezra's hand. The Binding was…weird to say the least. Ezra had welcomed it and it felt like having almost two brains in his head, though the other had no control. It was just a comfort, but a burden with Ezra's current turmoil raging in his head.

"You're ok," Kanan whispered, gently rubbing his thumb over Ezra's scratched knuckles. "You're safe."

He blinked away tears…

Kanan turned his head quickly when Hera entered, saying, "The medical droids say he will be safe to board the Ghost soon. However, he may not wake up for a few days and will be pretty delirious.

Kanan nodded in acknowledgment and responded in a weak tone, "I can feel everything now, Hera. Everything he feels and I just…I think that's why the Sith apprentice gave him back. He could feel Ezra's despair."

"It's a connection you two will have to use wisely," Hera hummed. "Where do you think we should go?"

"I don't know," Kanan muttered. "The apprentice said as soon as he's returned to health they'll come looking for him. That could be months, but we'll still need to find somewhere for later on."

He reached out, pushing the boy's bangs from his forehead…

"I forgot what it felt like to have him so close. In arm's reach."

"It has been many weeks, Kanan," Hera whispered. "Separation does that."

Kanan opened his mouth, but paused before asking, "Should we go to Klatooine? Imperials don't tend to enjoy desert planets."

"I think that's a good idea."

Kanan looked back at Ezra, his face softening. He hated the idea of taking the boy into hiding, but at this point…It was the only choice they had.

He couldn't repeat this.