Three Weeks into Ezra's mission

Ezra sat alone in a dark corner of a bar. With a deep sigh he looked at the bench he was sat at. Staring blankly as his mind wandered elsewhere, focusing on the scratched green paint of the bench the bland beige walls fading into obscurity as he delved into his thoughts. His faint smile slowly dissipated replaced by a frown. He looked around seeing other patrons, looking to one spot a bartender was serving a couple, Ezra smiled for a second with a dry chuckle he started tapping his finger against the table. Looking around he saw a small group all enjoying some drinks cheering. A group of stormtroopers stepped in taking off their helmets and antagonising patrons as they got their drinks. One officer heard Ezra scoff looking over to the boy.

Ezra started getting hassled by the imperial outfit who were demanding some identification. Ezra tried to talk himself out of it earning himself an express trip to the ground. The officer laughed as he kicked the boy's face, spurting blood over the place prompting the Bartender to demand they take it outside. Which they did, the beige stone walls weren't exclusively inside either, Ezra groaned his eyes shut as they dragged his body across the ground into an alley beating on him.

Ezra groaned spitting blood onto the boots of a trooper who in return stomped down on his head. Ezra groaned struggling to get up.

"Come on… Let the trash rot here" Ezra chuckled weakly rolling onto his back, he sighed with relief as the stormtroopers all walked off probably to get back to drinking.

"God, you look awful! Are you okay?" A soft voice questioned as footsteps echoed down the alleyway. A woman kneeled next to the boy; Ezra admired the woman next to him.

She had blond hair, and green eyes, the fairest skin Ezra had ever seen on Lothal. She wore a fancy looking silk shirt and Black dress pants. Her hair was tied behind her head. She stared back at the boy who was simply gazing at her. Before coughing and nearly choking on his own blood

She worriedly tried to help him as Ezra tried to stand up, stumbling to the cream stone wall of the alleyway, leaning there he groaned grumbling before slamming his fist into the wall letting out a small sob.

"Hey… it's alright, I'm sure it'll be fine" She spoke, Ezra grumbling as he leant back against the wall looking at her.

She checked him up and down, his rugged and now dirty orange shirt and brown pants, bloodied also, his face bruised and of course bloodied he smiled before groaning in pain hold his hands to his mouth.

"Let's get you cleaned up. I'm getting tired of meeting you like this Jake…"

"T-Thank you. Maybe if you'd ever accept my offers to hang out, we'd meet under better circumstances"

"Seems all you do to 'hang out' is get in fights"

With that she helped the boy towards the main street, sitting him down next to a market stall the bright sun beaming down on him, the woman kneeling, she looked as young as Ezra yet she reminded him of Hera.

"Hey Jake. You uh… You busy tonight?" the long blond-haired woman asked, Ezra wanted to speak but got lost in her green eyes, her pale skin reflected the dull sunlight of Lothal.

"W-What?" Ezra snapping back into reality tried to understand what was said.

"I said do you, Jake Lawston want to have dinner at my place tonight?" Ezra smiled and admired the fair-skinned woman, noticing the pink lipstick she was wearing.

"Oh. Yeah, yeah sure. Be nice to actually eat without having to look over my shoulder" Ezra winced in pain as she cleaned up some cuts and scrapes on his face.

"Just maybe clean yourself up before you come" She joked with him as she finished and Ezra stood up.

"Yeah… I'll do that" Ezra's voice trailed off as he looked around, people and imperials walking through the main street, cream stone buildings on the streets, metal doors, and metal ventilation reminded the boy where he was. Home.

Grimy alleyways between the buildings made good hiding spots when he got caught by the imperials. Ezra knew his mission yet it felt like nothing had been achieved in the three weeks he'd been there. Limping away into the crowd he saw the imperial plaza, a massive dome shaped grey steel building, Ezra stepped through the crowds bumping into a few people. Blood stained his orange shirt, the yellow stripe down the middle dirtied by grime and of course blood.

Ezra smiled to himself, the evening came by, his clothes clean and his short blue hair free of blood, his face slightly less so, but still as clean as could be expected for Ezra. He was standing in the market once again. He thought about everything, his mind raced and eventually reached Sabine, and the Ghost crew. Kristina.

"God I can't…" Ezra scoffed at his own cowardice. He groaned before wandering off towards the outskirts of town, in the crowd someone followed him, watching his movements. Ezra never noticing as he eventually wandered out of town the sun setting the golden blades of grass slowly swaying in the slight breeze, the endless fields like an ocean of gold.

With a sigh of content Ezra slowly stepped through the grass letting one of his hands gently brush over the swaying grass. Walking for what felt like hours he made it a short distance from the city, still able to see it close by he smiled sitting down in the grass watching the bright sun slowly setting in the distance. Muttering something he grabbed a small pebble next to him throwing it into the grass ahead of him, causing a Loth-cat to freak out and hiss before running off.

"I can't do that, for the first time in like forever everything seems right, and it's the one time things can't be right!" Ezra grumbled to himself

'I always thought what I was doing was the right thing, Morally I mean. But hell, I think I was just fooling myself man. But you, you got a chance here, a choice to make. If you don't want to end up like me or worse… Go live your life, leave the rebellion, the empire, Jedi, sith everything. Leave it all behind and go live your life! I never got that chance but you do. You for once have friends. People who aren't just interested in you because of what you can do for them' The alternate Ezra for once spoke reasonably, as if something had snapped inside the twisted variation of Ezra and had actually fixed what was wrong. And with that the alternate version stood up walking behind Ezra's view and vanishing.

"I-I can't… I learnt long before people aren't interested. I thought I had a family once before, they never cared. Then with Kristina, I don't know what to do, I-I want to leave it all behind but it feels wrong, yet I don't want to return to them!"

"Return to who?" Ezra freaked out hearing a concerned and soft-spoken voice behind him. Looking he saw his new 'friend' Meeyla standing there wearing a brown coat atop a grey shirt and black dress pants.

"Look I can't… dinner, everything. I tried this before. It hasn't worked. Every time I get a chance at finally being happy, someone destroys it! I lived on the streets for almost half my life. But the worst thing is, my family died, I was alone and then I found them, a crew I hoped would fill the empty void I had gnawing at me nearly my whole life…" She sat down next to him a slight frown on her lips, she softly placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I-I know the feeling, I-… My… My parents they were killed, bombing raid by Rebels, but when I thought that I wouldn't live to ten someone found me on the street… this fucking imperial officer he came up to me I still remember that day. H-He tried to uh… well it doesn't matter but before he could another shot him dead, took me in, he's been looking after me ever since, sorta like he's my dad, and I get it, I didn't trust him. But we all have something we need to go through."

"You don't get it… I lived rough for 7 years on the streets, craving a real family, I found it sure… But they were fucking rats! T-They…" Ezra scoffed thinking back "They left me for dead the first time we met; I mean they came back but I think I knew deep down they didn't want me there. Maybe some of them, but as time passed that's when I knew this crew I was running with, my family didn't care about me just my skills!"

"It doesn't have to be that way, you alone… I mean. Me and you. Jake we both lived on the streets, I got lucky and only had 3 years, but I know what you had to go through. And you had almost a decade you spent on the street, but we all need friends, we many die alone Jake but we live amongst other people" the two locked eyes, Ezra's electric blue and her dark green. Ezra's eyes were glassy almost tearing up

"I-I want to… more than anything. But I've opened myself up too much and I have lost so much! So, fucking… much! I-I can't take much more" Ezra felt a tears stream down his face, Meeyla grabbed the boy embracing him in a hug

"Meeyla I-I Think… I fear if. I-If I open up, someone will take you to hurt me… I made a-a lot of enemies, and even my friends have always turned-out to be enemies." Ezra broke the hug off standing up as Meeyla did the same, he grabbed his forehead as he turned around.

"Look, whatever happens we can face together, I can handle myself. But if you live your life alone, you'll always have only enemies! So fucking man up! Like me" She laughed faintly looking at the boy who turned back to her.

"I think you're right. But I don't know, I've been back on the streets I think it just got to me. again… I'm… I am sorry, you're a good friend. I just was so confronted by this dinner, it reminded me of all that I had done wrong, but you didn't do that, if anything you've done right and only right by me. You helped me when others would have left me to rot in that pile of rubbish… and others have" Meeyla once again hugged the boy

"Next time don't run off, and you can stay with me, after all my dad is pretty well off, he's some bigshot imperial here on Lothal. No point living your life completely alone, we may die alone but we live amongst others here" She smiled as Ezra returned her embrace.

"We should probably get back it's getting late"

Six weeks into Ezra's mission

The boy with a faint scar across his right eye to eyebrow, buzzcut blue hair, an orange shirt with a yellow stripe down the middle and around the waist, brown pants, and brown scuffed metal boots up to just past his shins, he sat alone atop a tall building looking down to the city bellow, the metal rooftop had several vents and a large brim around the edges of it, he sat on said brim his legs over the edges. Loud whirring from the vents masked other sounds. From his pocket he pulled out a holodisk activating it, the picture of his parents that Sabine fixed. His lips rose faintly as he stared at the picture. He gently shook his head a tear building up in his eye as he used his free hand to cover his mouth before dragging it down until it fell from his face.

"I-I don't know what to do… I just, is it all coming to an end? I mean, the whole thing, they abandoned my why should I stick around as they burn up! What do you want from me! I want to honour you but is it best to do it by destroying the empire! I've been loyal, everything! EVERYTHING! LOYALTY IS WHAT MATTERED MOST TO ME! I HAVE A CHANCE AT A NEW LIFE HOW DON'T YOU SEE THAT?! I… I just didn't expect to be this happy again… I can't go through with this. I think I'm done with the rebellion. And I'm ready to move on… From you guys, I miss you, but I want to be happy again. I'm sorry…" Again, he dragged his hand against his mouth till it reached the end of his cheek "I know you think I'm screwing up. But I can't live just to avenge you anymore… I-I…" bringing his hands and the holodisk to his forehead he screamed for a moment before using all his strength to throw the disk far into the distance. stepping back onto the roof he headed for the door back into the building.

Ezra stepped back into the apartment to see Meeyla waiting for him on the couch. She jumped up tying back her blond hair into a ponytail, once again Electric blue met emerald green as the two young adults stood in silence staring at each other.

"So… I've got something I want to show you, c'mon" and with that Ezra excitedly hurried off with her out the apartment into the hallways, the two rushed down the stairs

Gasping for air at the bottom of a set of stairs the duo leant against a wall "God Meeyla we shouldn't've… tried… to run… down the… stairs" Gasping for air the two nodded and laughed as an elevator arrived and the pair stepped in still panting. Ezra felt his heart racing.

"It was fun though… We still made it like… halfway"

"No… Meeyla that was like less than a quarter of the building…" Ezra smiled regaining his breath.

"Hey why do you carry that around?" The blond woman stared at his belt which had a strange looking blaster device, one side was a round handle while the other was blocky with a small hole for the shot to be fired from.

"Just an uh… old blaster I made a long time ago"

"Well why do you still carry it around? I mean like you with a highly important imperial member it's not like anything will happen to you. Unless you're planning on running back to those pirates you were with or whatever!"

"No… Look I told you I'm done, you guys, you, and Jonn. You're all I need, why would I want to go back to living on a ship with liars and snakes!"

"Then why still carry the weapon I mean it can't be that good, it's big and bulky, probably unreliable knowing your mechanical skills"

"HEY! Rude… but not untrue"

"Well, I guess I just wonder what you are doing with it anymore, you could get a better blaster for defence if you're so worried"

"I don't know it just, holds sentimental value I think… it reminds me of good times, this was before the dark times, small relief missions we did, gave to the poor from the rich… at the time I thought I was doing the right thing" Ezra sighed holding the weapon in his hands as the two walked through the dirt street surrounded by many cream stone buildings and a few metal buildings, many grimy alleyways and side streets to take.

"I get it, good memories, pillaging and killing huh?"

"I-It wasn't like that. Mostly, we killed the people who needed killing, helped those in need of help. We even fed those in need of feeding. But never did we pillage and kill unnecessarily." Ezra sighed as he finished the sentence placing the weapon back on his belt and they continued walking through the crowds until Meeyla and Ezra were at a red land speeder.

"Hop in Ezra… don't tell me you're scared of me driving?"

"No just, worried you're going to drive us to the middle of nowhere, leave the speeder for a moment as a mobster shoots me"

"Very particular in your worries huh?" she gestured to the seat in the land speeder and the boy leapt in.

"Just messing with you, where we off to?"

"Wherever… Does it matter?"

"Not really, I mean I'd head to the ends of the galaxy with you, after all you've been nothing but straight with me…" Ezra laughed slyly as he looked out the side of the speeder, watching the city speed by and the golden grass too, the speeder going off road to seemingly the middle of nowhere

"It's going to be worth the wait, trust me" the sun started to set when they eventually reached a hill in the middle of nowhere, just a massive field of empty grass, a few hills and a small cliff edge. Ezra turned to the woman admiring her.

The black cloth fabric jacket she wore, her blue shirt, to her grey jeans and jewelled earrings. Her tied back blond hair looked beautiful. Ezra's lips slowly raised as he looked at her, the fair skin, beautifully distracting green eyes, her lips a dull pink. Ezra tried to form words as she stared at him, the sun setting behind them yet no words came out his mouth. She was much the same as the two locked eyes.

"I-… You're beautiful…" Ezra smiled as the duo etched closer to one another, their faces slowly creeping towards the other, the bright orange sun setting behind them shining down onto the golden grass around the speeder.

Kristina sat almost opposite Kanan as they played Dejarik in the grey coloured common room, the walls having edges coloured yellow along with the leather of the couch. As they played Hera stepped into the room alongside Zeb

"Have faith, Ezra wouldn't let us down for anything. As stubborn as he likes to appear we are still his family" the green Twi-lek reminded the Lasat

"For all we know kid joined the empire. He sure was all friendly with that Inquisitor" Zeb's lips dropped and his brow scrunched up. And Hera did the same raising a hand with a finger outstretched at Zeb. And in that moment Zeb slowly shrunk down hunching over stepping back from the woman.

"Ezra… would never! WHY WOULD YOU EVER THINK THAT!? AFTER EVERYTHING THEY DID, HE'D FORGIVE THEM KILLING HIS PARENTS, FORGIVE THEM KILLING ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO SAVED HIM! FORGIVE THEM FOR KILLING A MEMBER OF OUR CREW! YOU EVER SO MUCH AS THINK THAT AGAIN I WILL THROW YOU OUT THE AIRLOCK!" Hera repeatedly smacked on the Lasat's arm as he backed down from the woman. Kristina and Kanan watching.

Ezra laughed as the speeder started up again. the moon was rising behind them as the land speeder rushed back to the city. With a sigh Ezra covered his mouth with his hand looking out the speeder at the few mountains in sight.

"There's a small town like right nearby. That spot is perfect" Meeyla chuckled looking at the boy for a second.

"I get that. It's just, what about everything, Jonn, the Empire?"

"Well truth be told. I want to leave, I want to farm, this life it's worrying, I mean at any moment rebels could burst down your door and kill you!"

"B-But like not all rebels are bad. Some, some are just trying to help people"

"Some are. But most now are only concerned with stopping the empire."

"Yeah. But the empire is no better, right?" the speeder increased in speed as the moon rose higher and the planet darkened, the lights of the city like a beacon.

"Well, they… I… I guess not. But they've looked after me. Taken me in. I want to leave but I can't just go off and start a new life, just ditch Jonn like that. I-I don't know what I'd do without him" As she spoke Ezra turned

his head away looking out the side of the speeder covering his mouth as he muttered something ineligible.

"W-What happened back there. It… It was fun" the blue haired boy chuckled wryly

"I mean if Ezra had any sense he'd run and never look back. This rebellion here. It's falling apart. Every time we get a good base, or start doing some real good everything comes crashing down! EVERY TIME!" Kristina slammed the table as she screamed "NO MATTER HOW HARD WE TRY! EVERYONE WE LOSE MAKES NO GOD DAMN DENT!"

"What's your point?" Kanan relaxed as ever watched her meltdown.

"I-I FUCKING JUST!... I-I… I just don't want to lose any more people Kanan. I've lost enough, I want to see Ezra again, but we all know it isn't what's best. For anyone." Hera covered her mouth as she stared at the grey floor, a muffled sob able to be heard. "Let's look at the facts, everyone seems to hate him, he seems to hate everyone, after Red died, he was even more closed off than ever. And let's not forget that even commander Sato didn't trust him, now he's on some mystery mission, if he was smart, he'd leave"

"We need to stay loyal! If we give up… the empire wins! WE NEED TO STAY TOGETHER! NOT RUN OFF WHEN IT GETS DIFFICULT!" Kanan jumped up from his seat grabbing his face and groaning before wandering off.

"Ezra… It was fun but it was a mistake we can agree. Just let's leave it there and not bring it up again." the speeder slowed as it drove through the city stopping in an alleyway.

"Well then, I guess let's head in. Jonn is going to kill me" Meeyla laughed and the two quietly entered the building taking the elevator, and as quiet as a ghost they snuck through the front door retreating to their respective rooms.

Ezra shut his door placing a small disk on the bedside cabinet in his room. A blue holographic projection of commander Sato appeared above the disk

"Spectre 6… I take it the mission is complete?"

"W-Well… not quite. I just, why this imperial?" Ezra stood staring at the small holoprojection of Sato

"Spectre 6. All I can say is they all had a deal to uphold with what they were working on, but they backed out of it to work with the Empire. Well at least you got the other two targets. But I suppose it could be hard to track down the third if you've delt with the last two, he'd be in hiding" Ezra stifled a laugh turning around flinging an arm into the air before dragging his hands down his face.

"Of course, you can't fucking tell. I'll get it done" Ezra spoke with venom before picking up the holodisk in his hand.

"If you are unable to complete the mission, just say so. Do not worry, I shall send… someone, to help you"

"No. I-I can handle it sir"

"Two days. Then I send someone" the hologram disappeared and in a fit of rage Ezra threw it at the wall shattering the disk with a loud crash causing Ezra to flinch.

"W-What do I do. The one time I need someone to talk to and you've pissed off!"

And with a groan he fell back onto the bed.

The Next Day

A man exited a rectangular cream stone building he lived in, looking around he saw the sun rise over the golden fields past his wooden fences. Looking around he saw his animals and crops, smiling he went to tend to the Banthas and other non-native creatures he kept, a loth-cat peacefully slept on his porch purring in its sleep. The faint sounds of an engine humming could be heard, looking over the distance he saw a lone speeder painted dark green rushing towards the farm.

It stopped just outside his farm, a young boy with extremely short blue hair, an orange shirt with a large yellow stripe down the middle and across the waist, brown pants alongside brown metal boots and cream shoulder armour. He had a holstered blaster and a strange looking metal device hooked to his belt. Stepping onto the property the man rushed over.

"This is private property Mister! Get off it now unless you're looking to buy, but I doubt you could transport animals on that thing"

"That's correct… You know something Sir?" the man who was wearing a grey shirt and brown pants brushed some brown hair out the way of his face. Ezra looked him in the eyes, noticing the wrinkles around his eyes and red rings. He looked slightly pale also.

"I know if you don't either buy or get off this here farm, I will shoot you" grabbing a blaster rifle leaning against the fence he pointed it at Ezra. Who stepped forward placing a hand on his shoulder. "I-I…" the man broke down coughing for a moment but never removing his aim from Ezra,

"Look at this farm… it's wonderful" the two looked around at the many fenced off areas with crops and animals; cows, and a few Banthas. the house with the loth-cat on its porch was slightly run down, he looked at the fence they were right next to, behind it some plants that Ezra had no idea about, grew.

"I swear sir… I will shoot you" again he continued coughing, this time he spat up some blood onto the ground, it had strange colouring, it was darker than normal, and Ezra had seen enough blood to know that.

"Look sir. You made a promise to my friend a while back… He feels you haven't lived up to your end… is it true?" the man's face went pale, well paler.

"You!" a shot was fired but it missed the boy who stepped out the way punching the man in the throat causing him to fall onto the fence dropping the gun which Ezra kicked away.

"Bad choice sir. You should have kept up your end of the goddamn deal!" Ezra grabbed the man by the collar beating on him bruising and bloodying his face before throwing him to the ground.

"P-Please…" Ezra grabbed the man picking him up off the ground and throwing him into the fence which broke as he fell through the man crawled to the broken fence trying to stand up, Ezra walked over

"You had your chance sir… I don't like doing this, but I got people to look after" and with that he grabbed the man by the collar about to punch him when the man laughed weakly causing Ezra to stop. "You bastard. Imperial scum!" The man spat blood into his face as Ezra punched him again and again the two on the ground Ezra atop the man beating on his face only stopping when a set of hands grabbed his arm pulling him back slightly. Ezra stood up looking back at the person.

A woman dressed in simple pants and a slightly fancy looking blouse, behind her a small child only 5 at most.

"PLEASE STOP SIR! J-JUST STOP HE AIN'T WELL!" She sobbed at him and Ezra stepped aside spitting into the mud some blood that dripped into his mouth, wiping the rest that the man spat off and flicking it onto the ground he simply walked off as the woman knelt next to the imperial crying.

"Next time, when we make a deal stick to it…" Ezra felt his heart drop as he hopped on the speeder looking back at the kid before rushing off. Using a spare holodisk, he contacted Sato about the target he just took out.

"Good job, two more to go Bridger" and with that Sato ended the transmission.