Written to satisfy a muse I had after watching Spark of Rebellion. Future episodes will probably counter-dict what's written, but what the heck.
Don't own anything, no money made, yada, yada, yada.
P.S. This is a quick write up. Please forgive any grammatical errors.
The Pact
Ezra watched with uncertainty at the controlled chaos in the galley. He had been on the Ghost nearly a week and so far had settled in pretty well.
But today, well today he was learning yet another of the crews little rituals. While Chopper, with the help of Hera, did most of the cooking for the Ghost,
apparently once a week each crew member was expected to make dinner for everyone else. A way of showing off pride in cultural or family recipes as it
were. The only rule was that it be safe for the physiological make up of everyone on the ship.
That was the only rule.
And, in fact, Ezra might not have minded the change from some pretty standard issue ration fare if it wasn't for the fact that apparently this week was
Zeb's turn to cook.
Ezra was terrified.
"You're in for a treat, kid," Zeb boasted stirring a pot of... something.
"Define treat," he countered, eying the cooking and the cook uncertainly.
Sabine chuckled. "Rules of the ship, you've got to try it. And who knows, you might like it." She was sitting at the table with Hera. Chopper was off who
knew where and Kanan was in the pilots seat. Ezra suspected their leader had made sure to not be in the kitchen on this of all nights.
Smart man.
"Have you liked his cooking yet?" Ezra asked.
That got a smile out of the Mandalorian.
"Not yet, but I'm hopeful."
"Hey!"
Ezra couldn't help but smirk at Zeb's indignant look but then; felt something. But it was more then the little dart of something that drew his focus away,
it was what followed. A sensation of despair, tangible despair that flared bright then was quickly smothered. He'd sense the first thing before in his life.
A sort sense of something gone missing but the second feeling most definitely came from Kanan and that was a disquieting first.
"Hey kid, you look like you've eaten something sour and you haven't even tried Zeb's cooking yet," Hera said, looking at him with a hint of worry.
"I... sensed something," he admitted slowly, startled at how everyone gave him their full attention. It was uncomfortable how seriously they seemed to take
him. It was something he definitely wasn't used to. Growing up he'd learned quickly not to mention how he kinda felt things. All it had done was to get
him weird looks at best, tormented at worst when he had.
"What did you sense?" Sabine pressed.
"Well... the first thing was, kind of like something was lost. I've sensed it before, but have never been able to figure out what it meant," he said in a
hurry, not liking the attention he was getting. "No big deal."
Hera looked to Sabine then back to him.
"And what else?" she asked.
Now he really felt uncomfortable. "What do you mean?"
"You said, the first thing felt like lost, so what is the second thing?" Hera pointed out.
Oh crap, he had phrased it that way. He really felt embarrassed now. While we he was aware of the crew as he was with anyone he met through the
force with Kanan it was... different. He noticed that with the Jedi he had a more defined sense of the man somehow.
"Spill it, kid," Zeb growled, wielding the spoon he had been stirring dinner with as a weapon.
Oh man... Ezra heaved a sigh. "I... I sensed a burst of despair from Kanan, but it disappeared quickly."
He expected the confession to draw strange looks but instead the three friends looked to each other with understanding. How the hell did they
understand what he was talking about if he didn't have a clue!?
"I wonder who it was?" Sabine sighed.
"Wait. What?" Ezra looked at them. "What are you talking about?"
"That sense of lost was probably the death of a Jedi. Probably one Kanan knew since you felt his despair through your training bond," Hera explained.
"Too many deaths."
Training bond. What the hell was a training bond?! And why hadn't he been told about it? But the others weren't looking at him, but each other. He
opened his mouth to demand an answer, but sensed now wasn't the time and shut it. Then he processed what Hera had said.
"I've... felt that lost feeling before. Do you mean every time has been when a Jedi died?" he asked hesitantly. If that was true, then... he'd had that
strange sense come over him before, not often, but enough to remember the feeling of it.
"Yes," Hera looked at him with haunted eyes. "Yes. Whenever a Jedi dies anyone with a strong connection with the force will register it in at least a
small way. It's even harder for Jedi that know each other and have a connection,"
"Oh," he said, processing. He'd been sensing the deaths of the Jedi. The fact was, disturbing.
"And being Kanan's Padawan, you sensed his reaction as well," Sabine finished.
"Padawan. What's a Padawan?"
"You are, you moron," Zeb huffed, stirring his concoction without much enthusiasm.
"That's the Jedi name for an apprentice," Hera supplied. Oh. He didn't know that. He'd been meaning to do some reading up on the Jedi, but just
never seemed to find the time. Not that he felt like much of an apprentice. So far, all Kanan had been teaching him was meditation. He sure as hell
wasn't letting him near that light saber of his.
"Should we tell him?" Zeb asked the others, immediately regaining Ezra's attention.
"Tell me what?"
The three shared a looked, then seemed to nod as one.
"We have a sort of pact," Sabine started.
"You can't tell Kanan," Zeb said firmly. Not tell Kanan? For some reason Ezra doubted he had a snowballs chance in hell of keeping the truth from
the Jedi if he was asked, but he nodded all the same, wanting in on the secret.
"We have a pact to protect Kanan," Hera said gravely.
Ezra blinked at them for several seconds.
"Protect Kanan?" he blurted. "He's a Jedi. Isn't he the one that does the protecting?"
"He is a Jedi. But Jedi's are mortal. Think of all the deaths you've felt. What few Jedi that escaped the purge are being hunted down and slaughtered.
Quietly, secretly and effectively. If the empire succeeds in wiping them out, there will never be any hope in restoring the order and bringing peace to
the Galaxy again. It can take decades for a Jedi to truly learn the force. Kanan has the knowledge and the experience to teach others. We have to do
our best to keep him alive, for the future of all."
Kanan; dead. The thought made him go cold and feel slightly ill. Even though he'd only know his 'Master' for a week the thought of his lost was just...
unfathomable.
"But... the Imps saw him on Kessel," he said in panic.
"Yes. I guess his days of hiding are over. It's the first time I've ever seen him use that saber of his," Hera said, echoing the awe they had all felt when
Kanan had walked up to face the Imperials, moving to dodge the myriad of shots with surreal confidence and speed before drawing his weapon and
changing the rules of the game.
"Which means, we've got to up our vigilance. The Imps are going to be looking for us, hardcore," Sabine hissed. "So, kid, you in on the pact?"
He nodded without hesitation. He didn't understand everything they were talking about but he understood the seriousness of the situation. Protect
Kanan. Whether he could or not, he didn't know, but he would try. With his life he would try.
And not just for the good of the galaxy.
...