Everyone sat in the Ghost's common room, huddled on the couch or around the table in front, all eating and conversing, celebrating, smiling. All except Ezra, he stood alone leaning against the grey durasteel wall of the ghost, right on a painting of the Ghost crew, a mural of them everything was perfect in that one moment. But Ezra found himself wishing more than anything to have been able to go back to that moment. Kristina laughed as she gently punched Zeb in the shoulder, Zeb gently nudging her into Rex who slapped the Lasat over the head. Kanan was speaking with Hera who had a large gash on her forehead, caused by Ezra's lightsaber hilt crashing into her head by accident when he deflected the thrown inquisitor blade. The green Twi'lek turned her head to Ezra, her Lekku flicking to the side she watched curiously as the boy winced lifting one leg slightly higher almost till it was off the ground to relieve pressure from it, gently sliding his fingers across a wound on his right upper arm again wincing and flinching in pain. She felt her heart swell watching the boy like this, watching her adopted son like this. Stumbling over as Kanan's eyes tracking her, she simply cupped his face with her hand before pulling the boy into a hug that he graciously returned.
"Ezra let's treat those wounds" The boy with a broken smile nodded resting his head on her shoulder as he held her a moment longer.
Ezra winced in pain. His shirt missing as the Twi-lek stabbed a needle into his right arm, Hera pulled the last stitch through before bandaging the freshly stitched wound, Ezra laughed slightly, as he used his left hand to feel a few cuts on his lips, blood no longer dripping from them, all thanks to Hera. Ezra watched quietly as the Twi-lek in her Pilot outfit sorted a large array of medical items on trays before placing them into containers. She looked back at the boy sitting on a metal chair, his body had several small scars and burns all over it, as well as one massive prominent scar from the left side of his abdomen to the centre of his chest, Hera's heart filled with emotions her crew did this, the rebellion. She did this. She used her hands to cover her mouth as she sighed with sympathy, a tear running down her face, she stepped forward to the boy who was also examining his own body. Looking him in the eye she noticed his hair, the right side was charred and cut to be just shorter than reaching the bottom of his ear, Ezra noticing the tears quickly hugged the woman. "they said there were scars… but I never imagined this. I am so sorry"
Kristina and Kanan sat quietly once more, Kanan was holding Hera's goggles, Kristina looked at the man inquisitively.
"I remember this one time, back in the days of the republic… See my home world was under attack, lasers flying through the air, missiles destroying everything, My parents went to find a way for us to escape… They never returned; it was the Jedi who saved me. They found me, four long days of hiding in a broken burnt house, droids came by, one of those big grey ones even found me and was about to get me. But then this green and blue light fills the night and the droid is cut in half… I never thought the Jedi did what the empire accused, but after all that I was alone again, the Jedi gone. I never saw her again. She was a Twi-lek, two lightsabers, a blue and green… But I was always hoping I'd wake up and figure out it was all a dream… When I saw Ezra, I saved him because he reminded me of myself, if it had been any other day I might not have done anything about it, just another day under the empire… It would have been better for him if he had never met me. He might have been okay"
Ezra sighed as he slipped back into his orange shirt, the beige shoulder armour fitting snugly over it. Hera gave him a Mirror, the boy admired himself for a moment, pausing to look at the two scars on his left cheek before looking back at his blue hair, cut extremely short, the buzz cut looked nice, his hair no longer reaching his ears. It felt nice, like a fresh start.
"It suits you" Hera remarked staring at her handywork
"Yeah, remind me to thank the inquisitor for that next time we see him" Hera smiled shaking her head, placing a hand on Ezra's shoulder The boy looking at her both losing their smiles.
"I'm sorry, for everything" Hera looked the boy in the eyes, yet she couldn't read any anger or discontent within him, a smile on his face the boy hugged his adoptive mother before the two stepped back out the room heading towards the common room from Hera's room.
Ezra broke off a moment before the common room, entering Sabine's as he held his breath. the Mandalorian lying on her bed unconscious. Slowly he stepped towards the tall bed she was on, checking her pulse he no longer held his breath, a strong pulse could be felt, Ezra sighed, walking out of the room and down the grey hallway, he looked around, a holochess table with a leather couch surrounding it one side of the room, a kitchen next to it, Ezra sighed Zeb was nowhere in sight, (Probably sleeping in his room) Ezra walked forwards towards Kanan and Hera who were sitting at the table, Kanan had his arm around Hera's shoulders, the woman in question wrapping her arms around him. Ezra turned to walk towards the cockpit, although not before shooting Kanan a glare that could shatter even the strongest of hearts. The blue and white blur slowing to a black void, the white light of stars flickering in the distance. Kristina sat in one of the four seats of the cockpit, Rex and Ahsoka in the front two seats. Ezra stared in wonder and awe, a massive fleet, a plethora of blockade runners, Nebulon-B frigates and one massive starfighter carrier, it was at least the size of a small victory class, most of the cruiser made up of one massive Hanger, a few smaller cruisers around also. The Ghost slowly landing in the massive hanger ship. Ezra felt unease as the ship touched down, Ezra sat in the cockpit a moment longer as everyone readied at the Cargo Bay, Ezra quickly caught up, the ramp lowering, Zeb now awake carried Sabine towards a group of rebels standing near a very small medical freighter. Kanan stepped out Hera by his side, followed by Kristina, Rex and Ahsoka. Sato and a few rebel commanders all wearing an almost identical sweater with beige armour plating, the sweater itself was a dark beige with blue shoulders and highlights on the sides of the torso. Grey pants worn too, Ezra sighed stepping out behind the rest of them, his hands shaking, a few rebels stopping in their tracks to stare at the boy, shocked looks on their faces. The boy with a buzz cut hairstyle couldn't escape the judging he was afraid of, but he was back with his family, back where he belonged, right?
Ezra had the same question running through his head as he followed everyone but Zeb and Sabine through the grey walled black shining floored ship, until they reached an elevator, Sato spoke but Ezra was so caught up in his own head he didn't notice the world around him. If it wasn't for Kristina placing a hand on his shoulder forcibly spinning the boy towards the elevator, he might have walked past it. But did he belong? The thought spun through his head as everyone entered a small elevator almost being too cramped for them all.
Once they were securely cut off from the rest of the rebel soldiers down below, they began their reports. Ezra left out spots and specks from his report, and for moment Sato seemed to be questioning his report, before simply telling the boy to continue. After they had stated their reports of the situation Sato quickly ordered them onto another mission
"I am sorry General Syndulla… but your team has had the most efficient mission outcomes of the last few months, before we meet up with the new head of command, we must first complete two more missions, each must be executed to near perfection" Sato looked to the Imperial officer
"Let me guess, you need two teams, one to be planted in the ship. One for evac and to run interference?" the ex-imperial piped up
"Indeed. two planted, one to blend in and prep evac and collect sensitive information from an office on the ship, and the second to steal a confidential weapon. And spectre 6 you shall be relieved of duty on this. It is best you leave, the rest is on a need to know, Rex you are part of Team B and will not be required to know this" With a nod both left Ezra and Rex standing in a hallway with an elevator one end and the command bridge on the other. Ezra laughed
"I want to make it right with this mission" Sato stepped out looking at the pair.
"Mission briefing for the two teams" Ezra smiled taking a step forward "Not you Bridger I have… something else for you to attend to" getting a forced chuckle out of the boy
"I'll fetch the others then I guess?" Sato stared at the boy before speaking almost emotionless
"I have already sent one of my lieutenants to retrieve them, you wait here, I have details on your mission in a moment"
Left alone in the dull grey hallway Ezra let out a groan, pausing when he heard the elevator, turning his head towards the elevator Zeb and a lieutenant walking out and past, the Lasat patting the boy on the shoulder. And when the door slid shut after them and he was truly alone, Ezra screamed in rage grabbing his head as he stumbled back against the wall.
'They don't trust you, no one but me will ever support you' Once more the evil variant of Ezra was standing in front of the boy having a breakdown
Ezra continued to scream slamming his fist into the durasteel wall repeatedly before taking a deep breath and exhaling. Looking up he saw that the duplicate of him was gone and in his place was a small dent in the metal wall
A while later everyone walked by leaving him alone with Sato. In the empty corridor
"Spectre 6, I have a mission of close relation to you. Lothal, if I had anyone else to choose from I would but I hope you're up to it, out of the roster you seem the most capable for this situation. We can't win this fight by taking the high road, and we both understand that, codes shall help us but won't get us to the finish line!"