Chapter 13: Deception

Ezra's P.O.V

Kanan, Von and I were going at it as we swung our sabers, going blow for blow. I parried him and attempted to go for an open area but he deflected and he locked blades with the both of us. "You still don't believe that the future is at stake, do you now?" Von questioned us.

"Why are you talking about the future?" Kanan asked. "What game are you playing?"

"I am not playing any game of any kind. All you need to do is open your eyes and see for yourselves." He swung at us a couple of times, both of us locking blades again.

"I am not going to fall for your deceptions." I said. "I know you're trying to deceive us, it's not working." I broke the lock and Kanan and I came back at him. Von was skilled though as he blocked each and every one of our attacks swiftly.

"Because your mind thinks that." Von said as he blocked our attacks. "Your perception of things is what is going to lead to both of your downfalls if you do not open your eyes."

"We are not falling for your tricks." Kanan said as we both blocked his attacks.

"I see that you both have learned to be aware of deception. That is good, I will admit. But it is just such a shame that you two still believe that I am deceiving you when it could lead to things for the better."

"We're not falling for your tricks, Von!" I retorted. Kanan and I made a comeback at him and force pushed him at the same time. He went flying into a wall. He got up and retreated. "Why is he running?"

"Ezra, something tells me that he's trying to deceive us." Kanan replied.

"And why does he keep on talking about the future?"

"I do not know. But all we'd better focus on is taking him down and that's that." We walked back to where Sabine, Alex and Zeb were. "We're moving on." Kanan said. We headed out the door, where we ended up in the rain once again. When we got out, Von was waiting for us.

"Von, this all ends now!" I yelled. "I don't know what you want with me, but it all ends right now!" Von laughed in response, manically.

"If you take me down right now, this will all end, yes. But if you do that, then the future is lost unfortunately."

"Enough games! We know you're trying to deceive us! This all ends!" Sabine yelled at him, raising her pistols. She jolted when Von pulled her to him with the force, forcefully removing her helmet and holding her by the throat.

"There are two options for all of you right now." Von said. "Either you all open your eyes and see what I really mean, or your Mandalorian friend is done for. What's it going to be? You or her?"

"You take her out, you're dealing with all of us." Alex said. "Let her go."

"And I can see that you're back up despite what I did to you earlier."

"You're even lucky that I didn't get killed for that matter, by you!"

"Von, last warning. Let Sabine go now." Kanan warned him.

"It seems as though that you all are simply unwilling to see the truth for yourselves." Von drew his lightsaber. My eyes widen as we all see Sabine about to be killed by him. In those moments she looked at me, tears in her eyes.

"Goodbye, Ezra." I heard her say. I felt the rage building up, and then that was when we heard the slash. We all thought that Sabine has died, but he just slashed her right shoulder plate. He then drops her and pushed her to the side with the force.

"Did you really think that I would kill your friend?" Von asked us. "I don't want to kill either of you for the sake of the future."

"Von, enough with your future talk!" Zeb yelled. He fired flew blaster rounds at him, which Von deflected then force pushed Zeb back.

"Besides, Ezra, did you really believe that I looked like you to begin with?"

"I'm not falling for your deceptions, Von!" I retorted.

"Good. Because you know what, I knew that you would not fall for my deceptions to begin with. Because you have all been already deceived but neither of you knew it." Von pulled down his hood, then what happened next made all of us gasp in shock.

Von's face just went from looking a bit like my own face to...an alien! There was no way that just happened, and this entire time we were being hunted by the real Von. Not Von the mysterious warrior who we encountered on Felucia, not Von the dark sider whose face looks a bit like mine, and not Von the guy who talks about the future constantly. He was a changeling! The changeling then threw off his robes, and this was just as shocking when we saw his armor that he wore underneath.

He was an inquisitor.

"What? But how?" I asked. The changeling laughed as he made eye contact with me, his yellow eyes looking into mine.

"Deception." the changeling answered. "It is a method commonly used to deceive your enemies. And I have just brought you into my trap."

"But the clones? The clones of Ezra and Sabine! How?" Kanan asked.

"I've had quite an interest in your padawan while he was a 'cadet,' so to speak. And as for your Mandalorian friend, her DNA was saved in the imperial records back when she was actually loyal to our empire, before she became a traitor. As for you, Ezra Bridger, your DNA was also saved in the imperial records back when you had your name... what was it? Ah, yes, Dev Morgan. Even the DNA of Galen Marek was saved for future use, but we all know what happened. I've had an interest in catching you since the Grand Inquisitor's, the Fifth Brother's and Seventh Sister's hunts for you went rather awry. And now that I've been given the task after waiting for so long, this is my chance to prove myself to my superiors. And if you are wondering, Kanan Jarrus, how I know your real name, the records back at the Jedi Temple gave me everything I needed on you. And Von never existed to begin with. This was all meant to deceive you, and I have been successful in that." He pulled out an inquisitor lightsaber and activated it, the red blades spinning up.

"I am the Second Brother. Welcome to the end of the road, for me."