AN: Part Three is finished! Part Four will be the last part of course, because after all this was meant to be a short fic. I had only intended for three parts, but it extended a little bit further. Oh well, I enjoy writing it. I hope you all enjoy reading it, and let me know what you think with a review!

Part Three

"Orphans"

"Ezra?"

Kanan's voice was quiet. Far away. Nowhere near close to him. Ezra reached for it, trying to find his master in the darkness. There was nothing before him, just an empty space of cold air and heartbreaking silence.

Echoes bounced around him and Ezra blinked, but he wasn't sure if he was blinking really. Ezra called out timidly, "Kanan?"

Nothing returned and Ezra called again, "Kanan? Are you out there?"

"Ezra, you have to wake up."

Ezra was confused. Was he not awake? Why was Kanan telling him to wake up if he was speaking to him right now? Ezra shook his head, "What do you mean? Where are you?"

"Ezra, breathe. Wake up."

"Kanan…I don't understand."

"Wake up, Ezra."

"I…I…"

"Wake up! Breathe!"

Ezra gasped, body convulsing as he sat up and coughed madly. His chest seized and he felt sand rising in his throat with each cough that escaped his lips. His ribs burned and his throat stung harshly. Ezra dug his fingers into the sand below him, and his sternum felt like someone had just slammed their fist into it. His eyes burned and his head ached, but other than that, he was alive and he was somewhat awake.

The storm.

It was gone.

Ezra continued to choke, feeling someone's hands on his shoulders and turning him to the side as if they thought he was about to choke on vomit. Ezra glanced back; half expecting to see Kanan, but instead it was Cassius there, looking at him with a worried expression.

"Breathe, kid," Cassius ordered as Ezra struggled to inhale. "Come on, you're alright."

Ezra eyes burned with sand and immediately he reached up and rubbed them, groaning quietly as he gasped. He croaked, "My eyes…Damn…"

Ezra opened them enough to see Cassius digging around through the blankets and the remnants of their tent, pulling out a large jug of water that had survived the destruction. Cassius poured it on a small portion of his shirt before using it to wipe away the dirt from Ezra's eyes and around his mouth and nose.

"Can you see?" Cassius asked when he finished and Ezra nodded. Cassius held out the jug and ordered, "Drink some."

Ezra didn't have to be told twice, immediately beginning to chug the water. Cassius sat down on his bottom and he appeared to be out of breath, watching Ezra as if he was watching a ghost. Ezra stopped drinking, putting down the water to ask, "What's wrong?"

Cassius ran a hand through his hair and gestured to Ezra, "Kid…You weren't breathing."

"I…" Ezra paused, shaking his head. He looked terribly confused. Ezra cleared his throat, "I wasn't?"

Cassius grimaced, "No, not for a few minutes at least. Took me a while to get you back up and running again."

Ezra's mouth pulled into a frown and he rubbed his chest tenderly. So that's why his chest hurt so much…Cassius had to resuscitate him. Though, it was hard to believe because here he was sitting in front of him. His eyes were wide open and his mind awake and alive. He was alert. How could someone who had stopped breathing be alright in just a few moments? Ezra looked over, wishing his master were here now, like he had been in the dream.

The boy's eyes scanned around them, taking in the devastation. The tents around them had all been destroyed and people were already brushing themselves off and beginning to gather their dispersed items. Cassius slipped the jug from Ezra's hands and capped it, before saying, "Don't look so concerned. We have storms all the time; this isn't anything new for these people."

Ezra felt the sand in his mouth, "It's…terrible…"

"It sucks yeah," Cassius said. "I'm not saying it doesn't. But, it always gets put back together."

Cassius was standing in an instant, brushing the sand off of himself. Reaching down, he grabbed Ezra by the arm and pulled him to his feet as well, taking several large sips of water from the jug. He then replaced the lid, setting it down and beginning to pick up what was left of his things.

Ezra asked quietly, "Was that all the stuff you had?"

Cassius laughed at that and Ezra felt his hands clench. He was concerned and Cassius was just laughing, exactly like a pirate, "I'm not stupid, Kiddo. I keep the important things in this coat, including my money. And don't worry, I've got more of your suppressors, so don't get too excited."

Ezra glared and Cassius smirked at him, throwing a makeshift sack over his shoulder and beginning to walk away, pulling Ezra by his collar once again.

"Where are we going now?" Ezra groaned, his entire body aching and his head pounding heavily. He wanted to lie down and sleep for eternity, his chest hurting him and the rest of him wanting to bleed out onto the sand. It seemed the suns were actually going down now, and nightfall would be upon them in enough time.

Cassius tilted his head like he always did, "Well, we can't let a little storm distract us from the reason you're here, right? You want to go back to your people and I want to get my item back. Which leads to the actual issue here."

"And that issue here is?"

Cassius was silent a moment and Ezra was growing impatient. If the guy needed help with something, Ezra didn't understand why he couldn't just tell him what it was so he could get it over with and stop being given these suppressors. He just wanted to get back to the others.

"I'll tell you soon," Cassius muttered, suddenly sounding serious and even a bit melancholy. "First, we need to get to my ship."

Ezra raised an eyebrow, "You have a ship."

"Yes I have a ship," Cassius snapped, smacking Ezra on the back of the head and looking rather offended. "I'm not broke, Little Jedi. I actually am good at my occupation and I make well enough money. I keep the ship out of the way so people like the ones I deal with can't get to it, thank you very much. Which I'm guessing is why your little crew was docked so far from the market, hm?"

It was true, the Ghost crew had shared the same thought of docking farther away in order to avoid thieves.

Cassius went on, "I'm usually stopped here for several weeks before I finally go on another 'hunt'. You know, trading and treasure gathering. Then, I come back and sell what I got. It's lucrative."

"And are slaves involved in that?" Ezra hissed.

Cassius paused, tilting his head, "Sometimes. Don't look at me like that; I don't make them slaves like those asshats who kidnapped you did. I don't take free people and turn them into captives. If you're free, you're free until some trader makes you a slave. I only purchase pre-slaves, and usually it's to let them go. Though, for the right price."

"The right price?" Ezra whispered.

"Yes," Cassius said. "I don't like slavery, but I know what it is. It's a money maker. And money making and trading is the only way to survive. So, I participate for lack of a better option. However, if a slave comes along and offers to pay me to purchase and free them, then I will."

He thought a second, "Melevance had been saving money since she was thirteen to get herself out. Hiding the credits, objects, anything she could get her hands on. I bought her, she paid me, and I freed her."

"So you're not just a nice person," Ezra glared. "You get something out of freeing these people; you're just like the people who took me."

Ezra jumped when Cassius stopped walking suddenly. The boy gasped in pain when Cassius grabbed him by the ear like an angry mother, pulling hard and getting inches from his face. Ezra cringed heavily, trying to ease some of the tug on his ear as Cassius growled, "Listen, I have a lot of patience because I know you're a kid and you're innocent in all of this. You're ignorant and it's not your fault. But, I do what I have to in order to survive. I've been on my own since I was a kid, ok? Don't you dare compare me to those asshats."

Ezra's eyes narrowed, the pain in his ear subsiding into a throb as he spoke, "I managed to survive on my own since I was seven until I met my crew. I was hungry, cold, and alone the entire time. And I never resorted to taking people's freedom away."

The grip on his ear disappeared and Cassius stood to full height, face diminishing into one of annoyance rather than anger. The man rubbed Ezra ear in an apologetic manner, rolling his eyes slightly. The elder mumbled, "Come on. We've got to hurry before the temperature starts to drop. Trust me, this wasteland gets really cold, really fast."

Ezra swallowed thickly before moving behind Cassius. He was right, the sun was sinking lower and lower in the sky and the direction they were walking seemed to be never ending. They clearly had a bit of traveling time, though it was to Ezra's despair. His chest was hurting so badly, he wouldn't be surprised if Cassius had accidentally broken a couple of his ribs in his "lifesaving" process.

Ezra knew he should be grateful, but he wasn't. He just felt pissed off.

They moved in silence for the next several minutes. Minutes turned into an hour, and the sun had long set when Ezra began to shiver slightly. It felt like ice was moving into his blood and he couldn't comprehend how a planet so freaking hot during the day could suddenly drop to such cold temperatures in just a matter of moments.

Out of boredom, Ezra began walking in step with Cassius, playing a bit of a game with himself. Where ever Cassius' footprint found a place, Ezra was quick to hop to it. Sometimes he didn't have to, but Cassius' strides were much longer than his own. It was entertainment enough really, and it kept him happy in his aches and pains and the never ending turmoil he felt because he was here and not with his crew.

It was only when he stumbled over his own foot trying to jump to another one of Cassius' footprints that the pirate noticed what was going on.

Ezra landed on his stomach, a small huff escaping him upon impact. Cassius turned around quickly, face confused until Ezra looked up sheepishly, scrambling to his feet once more. Cassius sighed, shoulders slumping as he shook his head, "I don't know how your teacher keeps you alive."

"Hey-" Ezra was about to argue, but he peered around Cassius, noticing for the first time they had approached the ship. He had been so busy with the game that he hadn't even noticed. It was small, something that was capable of being piloted by one person. Probably only a fraction bigger than the Phantom.

"Oh," Ezra said, moving around Cassius towards it before asking, "This is the ship?"

"Unimpressed?" Cassius snarked and Ezra rolled his eyes as Cassius opened the ramp that led inside. Ezra was quick to enter, wanting to escape the cold as soon as possible. Closing the ramp behind them, Cassius threw down his bag, opening one of the hatches above the chairs lining the walls.

He dug through, speaking, "We'll sleep in here tonight, then we'll get to work tomorrow. But, today has been long as hell and I'm tired."

Cassius pulled out two sleeping bags, tossing one at Ezra who barely caught it in time. Cassius laid his down on the floor, Ezra hesitantly following in suit. There wasn't much room, but it was enough he guessed. He was tired, but maybe if he could wait for Cassius to fall asleep…

"Don't get any ideas," Cassius sighed, settling into the bag. "If I catch you, I'll beat you and start sedating you. And trust me, I'll catch you."

Ezra huffed, settling into his own bag. Though he didn't find the threat very scary, it was annoying to be talked down to. Once inside, his mind began to wander to thoughts of what exactly they had to work on tomorrow. He had been in this man's custody for the better part of forty-eight hours and he had yet to learn exactly what it was he was doing here. Ezra hadn't pushed the issue too hard, just trying to escape, but from the looks of things, he may have to resort to doing what he was told in order to get free.

"Cassius?" Ezra questioned, staring at the ceiling in the dark.

"Hm?" Was a slight response and Ezra knew Cassius must have been dozing.

Ezra shifted, trying to word his question well enough so that Cassius couldn't beat around it with sarcasm, "What are we getting back? What was taken from you?"

The silence was broken by a deep sigh from the man and Ezra heard shifting, meaning he was sitting up. Ezra looked over at him in the dim lighting, only able to see his outline from the moon pouring in the window. Cassius was quiet, causing Ezra to sit up also, waiting for an answer.

"The Jedi of the old…" Cassius whispered quietly, sounding the most serious Ezra had heard him. Even more serious than when anger would overcome him. "How much do you know about them?"

Ezra opened his mouth and closed it again several times, pondering on this…Not much actually…Just what Kanan had told him…

"They were warriors," Ezra began slowly. "They kept the peace…Until Order 66 and then their allies…The Clones. They turned against them and killed them because the Empire ordered them to."

Cassius nodded his head and Ezra could feel solemnness radiating in the room. Cassius ran a hand through his hair, pushing his dark bangs out of his face as he confirmed, "That's true. Did your teacher ever tell you what life was like for them in their temples? What rules they had to follow?"

Ezra chewed his lip, "Attachments were…Frowned upon, I know that."

"Not just frowned upon," Cassius snapped, making Ezra jump. "Forbidden. Any Jedi who fell in love or had families was immediately cut out of the order. It made them too vulnerable to damnation I guess…Though…It didn't stop some people."

The cold was making Ezra shake, and the anticipation of what Cassius had to say wasn't helping either. Ezra cupped his hands over his mouth to warm them. Cassius turned his entire body to look at Ezra, though his face was a dark shadow, so his expression was lost.

Cassius said fiercely, "My father was brave. Very, very brave, and he met my mother when he was young. He loved her…But, he knew that if the order found out, he would be removed."

Ezra's eyes widened the sizes of saucers and his hands slammed down at his sides in shock. He exclaimed, "Your dad was a Jedi!?"

"Shhh!" Cassius snapped, putting a finger over his mouth. "I have a skull splitting headache, kiddo, so you'll have to keep your shock at a minimum. But, yes…He was a Jedi. A good one, even with the love he had for my mother, he was a good Jedi. But, he knew that the Jedi would never accept it, so he kept their relationship a secret. They never married…Just had occasional contact when he could slip away."

"That sounds…Terrible…" Ezra muttered. It didn't seem fair, the rules of the old Jedi. They seemed cruel and a bit unrealistic. How could one not have attachments? Not have love? The love he felt for the crew was indescribable, he would die for them. He would die for Kanan in a heartbeat, because Kanan was his only father figure now. Kanan was his teacher, his friend, and his parent.

"I'm sure it was," Cassius hummed, nodding in agreement. "Then, I came along and…Well, childbirth is hard and Mom didn't make it. Dad of course couldn't take care of me all the time, so I was mostly raised by my mom's sister. He would come visit once every moon cycle and he would stay a whole week every time. I remember I would wait on the front steps of my aunt's little house, waiting for him to get there. Sometimes he was late, but he would always show up. But, then…"

He trailed off and Ezra gulped, "Then what?"

"My aunt got news of some kind of Jedi betrayal," Cassius huffed, leaning forward and looking away. "I don't know what it was, but they said the Jedi had betrayed the Republic. I was about nine at the time, so I didn't understand all of the details. Just that the Jedi were being executed."

Ezra could feel the pain and sadness growing stronger in the small space as the story continued, "My dad showed up a few days after, beaten and bruised. He had escaped, but he said he couldn't stay long, that he was putting my aunt and me in too much danger. He gave me this…box thing. Called it a holocron and he said that it had hope filled within it. I couldn't open the thing of course; I didn't inherit my dad's witchcraft. But, I kept that thing close and I kept it hidden."

"That is…Until a few months ago I was on a trade, smuggling some stolen items. The Empire busted our deal and they searched my ship. They took it…They seemed to know exactly what it was and that scared me shitless, so I got out of there as fast as I could. Let them have the cargo and the holocron."

Ezra blinked, "My master…He has one. A holocron I mean. It's how he made sure I was a force sensitive, because I could open it."

"Well, I can't open it," Cassius snapped, sounding angry about it. "So, I've never gotten to see the hope that supposedly lives inside of it. And I can't get the thing back, even though I know exactly where it is. Which is where you come in. You and your little powers are going to help me get back what my father gave to me, and then I'll free you."

Ezra opened his mouth to argue, but he heard Cassius lying back down onto his sleeping bag before he could. His heart sank slightly, his thoughts moving towards Cassius' story. A part of him told him not to believe it, that maybe Cassius was just playing another one of his games…But, then again, he had sounded much too sincere in his words and it seemed so…Silly to make up. Not the sorrow of the story itself, but the reason why he would make up something so irreparably tragic.

Cassius had been a forbidden child, born out of the Jedi's law.

And then he was orphaned.

Ezra sighed a bit deeply, also lying down on his own sleeping bag before shutting his eyes. The Force was still drifting away, but he continued to try and reach for Kanan. He missed him. He truly missed his master and he missed the crew. The ache in his chest was nearly as bad as the day his parents had been dragged away from their home.

He just hoped…He could hurry and do what Cassius asked of him.

And he hoped Cassius' plan was somewhat set out in front of them.


Ezra flinched awake, body going stiff and his eyes snapping open. He wasn't sure what had woken him, but his heart was pounding for some reason. Maybe he had a nightmare, and just couldn't remember what it was. Or maybe it was because for a moment he forgot where he was completely and the ship he was on was actually flying and not in a still position.

"Oh good, you're awake," Cassius' voice said, making Ezra look up in surprise. The man was sitting in the pilot's seat, staring straight ahead, though Ezra didn't know how exactly he knew he was awake. "We're almost where we need to be, kiddo. So, rise and shine and get ready to kick some buckethead ass."

Ezra pushed himself into a sitting position with a snap, eyes wide in shock. He exclaimed, "Already!? You haven't even gone over a plan with me yet!"

"Then here it is," Cassius grinned. "We're about five minutes away from Imperial Star Destroyer, Feroce. This is where they're keeping my holocron and where you're going to go in and get it back. I know your little witchcraft will be capable of seeking it out."

"Well, that's all fine and dandy, but you've forgotten one simple thing," Ezra began calmly before his face turned pink with frustration. "YOU DRUGGED ME AND BLOCKED ME OFF FROM THE FORCE!"

Cassius put a hand over his ear, glaring back at the teen with an annoyed expression, "If my calculations are correct, which they are, your witch-…Force should be returning any minute now. I'll even give you back your laser sword to make it easier on you."

Ezra was still a moment in the small ship, heart racing. The Force was coming back soon? He felt slightly relieved, but then again, Cassius was sending him into an Imperial destroyer alone. The chances of him actually getting out alive were slim to none, so even if the Force returned and he did manage to feel Kanan out and give him the location of where they were, it may be too late to be saved.

Then again, if Cassius gave him back his lightsaber, he wouldn't have to go in at all. He could take down Cassius and leave…

Ezra's mind mixed and mingled with ideas, but that one seemed…Cruel. Truly, it had been cruel of Cassius to buy him, to get him branded, and drug him. It was cruel of him to want to force Ezra into assisting him in getting back his holocron.

And yet…Ezra felt bad for Cassius.

The man was gripping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles were white and Ezra had a feeling that this wasn't just a case of stolen property and wanting it back. This was desperation. This was Cassius' hope in that holocron, even if he had never seen what was within in. Because it was something from his father. It was a piece of the man he had lost.

And Ezra knew that if he had something so dear from his parents, he would do anything to get it back.

But, Cassius obviously knew he wasn't capable of taking on an entire starship alone. Within Cassius, there was hero worship that Ezra could see. Hero worship for people wielding the same blades his father had, because he had seen his father as powerful. He probably thought his father could overrun such a ship. So, if Ezra had the same abilities and the same sword, he should be capable of it as well.

Cassius wasn't thinking logically…he was thinking how a child would when looking at their father as the most amazing superhero in the galaxy.

That made Ezra's heart ache…Because it was the same way he had seen his parents when they would broadcast their messages about hope and standing up.

And it was the way he saw Kanan now.

Cassius cleared his throat, taking Ezra's thoughts away as he said, "We're about to jump out of hyperspace. We're going to be really up close and personal with the son-of-a-hutt, so prepare yourself for immediate landing."

"What!?" Ezra's jaw dropped. "What are you talking about? Why can't we just trick them into letting us dock willingly?"

Cassius shrugged his shoulders, "Didn't think of that. Too late now."

"Cassius!" Ezra snapped. "I can't feel the Force yet, we can't do this."

Cassius looked back at him and gave a small grin, "Of course we can. Use the Force."

Ezra hit the back on the pilot chair hard enough to make his hand sting, "I'm trying!"

"Try harder," Cassius ordered, turning back around facing the blue streams of light. "Because we have fifty seconds before I dive in."

Ezra's arms began to shake and he stepped back, mouth agape and he felt himself become somewhat overwhelmed. Not just somewhat…Completely. His blood was pounding in his ears and his throat was suddenly dry. He wished Kanan were here, he wished he were here to tell him what to do, how to get the Force back completely. How to find it…

Find it.

Ezra swallowed, shutting his eyes. He padded gently at where the border between himself and the Force was. He touched it, slid his hand over it, feeling the cracks edging out and threatening to shatter. It was there, past the block and all he needed to do was push…He just had to push….

He pressed against it, hard…Then harder when it barely budged. He strained, tightening his eyes shut and squeezing his fists as he tried again. And again.

And again…

"Kid," Cassius' voice sounded warning. "Ten seconds."

Ezra mind blurred with pain and he tried to break through the drugs to reach the Force on the other side, the Force he knew was there. The thing that tied life and the galaxy together as one and made his chest swell with comfort when things got hard.

The thing that made him feel alive.

"Now!"

The ship jerked out of hyperspace as the glass shattered and the Force flowed in, latching onto Ezra desperately as if it had missed him and thought they would never meet again. Ezra breathed out, grabbing back at it and pushing out to his master.

"Kanan, I'm here," Ezra thought, feeling his master's Force signature and knowing the anxiety behind it was because of Ezra. "I'm here and I'm ok. But, I don't know for how long…"

Then, blue eyes opened and Ezra saw the ship they were plummeting towards.

Ezra's eyes widened and he shouted, "What are you doing?!"

"Quick landing before they have time to register someone exited hyperspace," Cassius was straining and holding tight to the wheel. "I would hold on if I were you."

Ezra nodded, kneeling beside one of the chairs and holding onto the seat tightly from his place on the floor. He couldn't see what was happening outside of the ship, but he knew by the bright light that they were coming into the hangar and they were coming in fast. Ezra shut his eyes, putting his head down as he felt the ship jolt and then tremble.

The boy flew forward, hands yanked from where he was gripping the seat and he found himself nearly sliding under the control panel in front of him. He body screamed when back slammed into the legs of the captain's chair and he groaned, feeling the ship to continue to slide and hearing terrible sounds of the metal grinding against each other.

Before Ezra had time to register what was going on, Cassius was grabbing him and pulling him into a sitting position. Cassius pushed Ezra's hand from the back of his head where a dull ache was forming, replacing it with his own hand, checking for injuries under Ezra's hair.

"You alright?" Cassius breathed, looking like he must have hurt himself also, a pained expression on his face. "Can you see? Anything blurry?"

Ezra shook his head and groaned, looking up to say, "I'm ok…Are you?"

"Yeah," Cassius sighed. "The seat belt caught me wrong is all. My shoulder is going to hurt like a beast."

Ezra nodded his head, appearing to be in a sort of daze. He watched Cassius pull the lightsaber from his belt and shove it into Ezra's hand. Ezra sighed contently, happy to have the weapon back on his person.

Cassius cupped Ezra's face, surprising the child a bit as Cassius whispered, "Listen to me…You're the only hope I have, ok kid? That holocron…"

He trailed off, gulping down and Ezra felt his body tense. He knew troopers would probably be coming soon to see what happened in the hangar, but if Cassius had any sense he would probably have crashed them in the lower levels, the least busiest and typically only used to board supplies.

Cassius rolled his shoulders, squeezing Ezra's face too tightly before continuing, "I wouldn't be putting a kid in danger unless it was really important, alright? I want you to believe that."

"I believe you," Ezra replied. "If I…If I had something like that from my mom and dad, I would want it back too."

Cassius opened his mouth as if to say more, but the sound of a siren stopped him. He cursed under his breath, standing and pulling Ezra with him before opening the ramp and pulling the teen out too. The hangar was empty, but obviously reinforcements or some kind of investigative team was on its way to see what had happened.

"Alright," Cassius sighed, grabbing Ezra by the shoulder and shaking it a bit. "Here's the plan. Are you listening?"

Ezra nodded, rubbing the portion of his back where he had hit the chair. Cassius began to talk hurriedly, "I'm going to find us a ship we can use to get out of here." He stopped a moment pulling a com from his pocket before sticking it into Ezra's ear, "Don't contact me until you find the holocron and I'll let you know what hangar I'm in. There's not a good encryption on this thing, so it'll be easy for them to cut into our convo. So, wait until you've found it and only then will I tell you."

He side glanced before looking back into Ezra's eyes, "Just seek it out…Feel it out. I'm know I'm not your teacher and the only thing I know about this stuff is what my father had to say, but it's all I have to offer right now. Do you understand what we're doing?"

Ezra nodded and Cassius patted his shoulder encouragingly. Ezra was then turned and pushed towards one of the corridors and was further swatted away by the adult. Ezra's feet went into motion on their own, beginning to sprint down towards the hall of the ship.

He embraced the Force even more, letting it melt into him as he immediately dove for one of the vents. The sirens in his ears made it difficult to enjoy the rediscovered friend, but he busied himself with getting the grate off and squeezing his body into the vent.

Hopefully he wouldn't outgrow this.

On second thought…Hopefully he did. Just a little.

He army crawled, pulling the grate back up and continuing down the stretch of vent. Taking in a deep breath, he shut his eyes and began to dig through the ship, searching for any trace of the holocron…

"Please…I ask you…Show me the way."

He had never really asked such as that to the Force, but he felt the tug as soon as he did. His heart pulled further down the ventilation shaft and he began to crawl towards it, like a dog that had caught a scent.

Cassius' hope was here, and Ezra was going to get it back for him.

Because they were orphans, and the undesirables had to stick together sometimes, no matter the circumstances.