Star Wars Rebels: A Slightly Different Path
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters that I am about to mangle around, all Star Wars Rebels characters remain the property of Disney and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am merely borrowing them and make no profit from their use. So please keep the lawyers firmly on a leash.
Chapter Two
The Ghost
A Few Moments Earlier
Kanan blinked when the cargo door opened and he saw the kid that he'd been chasing wielding a yellow bladed lightsabre. As he watched the kid, moving with a speed that to anyone other than another Force user would have seemed to have been not much more than a blur, used the lightsabre to parry the bolts of laser fire being fired at him by the attacking TIE fighter – sending the deadly shafts of energy flying off in multiple directions.
Good but his movements are somewhat amateurish, he thought watching the effective but at the same time somewhat poorly executed deflection – had it been him he would have sent all the laser blasts back towards the TIE, even if he failed to hit it, instead of batting them all over the place. It was obvious that while he could use the lightsabre he was holding the kid wasn't that experienced doing it, nor had he really been formally trained in any of the lightsabre combat forms to even a basic level. The mystery this youngling presented him with was only growing the more he watched him, as while the kid had some skill, and seemed to have a hell of a lot of raw power, he was very inexperienced. Thinking about it Kanan realised that it was almost like the kid knew the theory far more than the practice.
He was beginning to wonder if the kid even had a master. Had he instead found the lightsabre and a holocron – possibly, going on the colour of his blade, originally having belonged to a Jedi Sentinel who'd been killed either during the Clone Wars or Order 66 – and been just one of those one in a million people who figured out how to use the Force to open it on his own? It would definitely explain a few things if that was indeed the case.
He made a mental note to meditate on it a bit later, after he had a chance to talk to the kid. And it looked like he was about to get his chance to talk to him for it was at that moment that Hera remotely opened fire with the forward cannons. The attacking TIE was hit immediately and blown into a thousand burning pieces that crashed to earth and burned quietly amid the generally mostly fireproof grasses of Lothal's prairies. The action catching the kid's attention as he spun around and, still clutching the active lightsabre, saw him.
"You want a ride," Kanan called out to the kid hoping he would take the offer, which would give them time talk, especially as he could hear more TIE's coming. He reached out with the Force enough to tell that the kid was torn. "Kid you got a better option," he asked knowing fighting so many fighters at once was too much even for a trained Jedi let alone a pseudo-Jedi like the kid seemed to be.
For another moment it looked like the kid was going to ignore him and try to engage the TIE's anyway. But then he deactivated the lightsabre and returned it to the backpack he was wearing before looking back at the discarded cargo crate near the remains of his speeder – which had now stopped burning. Kanan didn't have to be a Jedi to know he was intending to retrieve it. "Leave the crate you'll never make it," he cautioned as the youngling ran up to it and reactivated the repulsor units.
Somewhat predictably the kid ignored him and started running towards the Ghost pushing the crate in front of him. Even from here Kanan could sense the kid gathering the Force around him. Oh Force tell me he's not going to do what I think he's going to do, he thought a moment before the kid rocketed off the ground, pushing the crate ahead of him.
Okay now that's impressive, he thought as the kid landing on the ramp next to him still holding the crate. After giving the kid an impressed look Kanan helped him push the crate inside the ship. The ramp folding up and the door closing with a whirr of powerful hydraulics behind them. A faint shiver of acceleration ran through the deck, and a brief whir of power filled the air, as the Ghost's own ion fission engines came to life and they began ascending towards space.
Kanan ignored it with the ease of someone who was long used to such things. Constantly moving around on starships had been what had saved his life after everything he'd ever known was destroyed when the clone army turned on the Jedi during Order 66. Though from the way he stopped near the door the sudden motion of the ship caught the kid by surprise as he looked around warily. Probably his first time ever on a ship, Kanan thought as he brought the crate to a halt and deactivated its repulsors before turning in place to really examine the kid.
He was immediately surprised by how young he was, from the looks of things the kid had to be no older than fourteen, and how roughly he was dressed. The kid was wearing mismatched boots, one was white the other black, a tatty orange jumpsuit that had clearly seen better days and a light brown half jacket. Such a clothing mismatch, coupled with the wariness in his expression at being the company of what were to him strangers, easily marked the kid down as a street rat. Which was just more confirmation to Kanan that the kid didn't have a master and now that he thought about it might not even have any parents.
He didn't have any more time to think about it as at that moment Zeb opened the crate that he and the kid had just brought aboard. To reveal the cargo of EM-11 blaster rifles contained within. The moment he saw them the kid's eyes lit up and he stepped forward.
"Whoa," Ezra said stepping forward and picking up one of the rifles. Military grade rifles like this one sold for a lot on the black market, if could sell even one crate of the things then not only would he get enough money to buy the power cell he needed to finish his lightsabre but he'd be able to get enough food to last right up till when the monsoon rains started in three months' time. Force willing he'd even get enough to buy a new jumpsuit as his current one was on its last legs and he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep patching the thing up. "Do you have any idea how much these are worth on the black market?" he asked looking at the other three people in the bay didn't realise how valuable these things were. If they didn't then he might be able to convince them to let him leave with them.
"I do actually," Kanan replied a slight frown as he sensed an underlying reason why the kid was interested in the blaster rifles and how much they were worth on the black market. It was clear that he wanted something, that the rifles were the key to something for him. Not that he had any intention of letting the kid take them as he'd told him they already had plans for those rifles.
"Don't get any ideas," Zeb warned glaring at the kid who'd caused them so much trouble back in the city. If he hadn't dropped in on them and brazenly stolen that speeder bike and its attached cargo, forcing them to chase him through the streets and have the occasional running gunfight with the bucket heads, they would have gotten clean away by now. As it was, thanks to his intervention, things were very precarious for them now…
…a fact that was proven a moment later as a violent evasive manoeuvre pulled them all slightly sideways in a momentary loss of stability in the ships artificial gravity field.
"They're mine," Ezra objected.
"If you hadn't interfered with us…" Zeb growled back as he put the lid back on the crate and started forward to get in the interfering menaces face, intent on intimidating him into backing down. Only that's not what he got for as soon as he started to step forward the kid just looked at him. And suddenly Zeb found himself stumbling as something invisible grabbed abruptly his legs and stopped him moving. He immediately had to pinwheel his arms to prevent himself overbalancing.
Guessing Kanan was intervening he turned his head to glare at the Jedi. Only to see his features were completely impassive, like when he was restraining a reaction, though the amusement showing in his aquamarine eyes made it clear that what he was holding back was a laugh or at very least a chuckle.
"Kid let him go," Kanan said after a few moments of letting Zeb stew, the Lasat needed to learn that not all problems could be solved with intimidation, startling said Lasat who turned his head to look back at their unexpected guest in shock. The kid was Force sensitive? And more than that actually had some idea how to use it? "Zeb's not going to hurt you let him go," Kanan continued drawing the kid's attention for a moment.
"Alright," Ezra said after a moment releasing his telekinetic hold on the Lasat's legs making the tall purple furred alien stumble as he could suddenly move again. Zeb glared at him momentarily and he couldn't resist giving a cheeky salute with two fingers – just like he'd done back in the market place – drawing a laugh out of the female Mandalorian.
"I said you had guts kid," Sabine said amused though she was as surprised as Zeb to learn that the kid was not only a Force sensitive but had some idea how to use it. This is certainly going to make things interesting around here as Kanan's probably not going to let him leave the ship now, she thought, not if he can help it anyway.
She couldn't help but wonder if they were about to gain another crew member, they definitely would if Kanan ended up taking the kid as an apprentice. Assuming the kid wasn't someone else's padawan already. After all Kanan had survived Order 66 so what was to say that other Jedi hadn't as well, as not all the Jedi had travelled in the company of squads of clone troopers. Could this kid be the padawan of one of those surviving Jedi?
"My name's not kid," Ezra replied. "It's Ezra. Ezra Bridger."
Bridger where have I heard that name before, Kanan thought as the kids surname struck a chord of familiarity in him. He'd definitely heard the name Bridger before, but where and when escaped him at the moment. Plus he currently had more important things to worry about, like getting away from pursuing Imperials who, going on the increasingly violent evasive manoeuvres of the Ghost, seemed to be in a doggedly persistent mood today.
"I need to get up to the bridge keep an eye on Ezra," he instructed them as he started climbing the ladder that connected to the main deck. "Oh and Ezra as I told you back on the surface we have plans for that crate so today isn't going to be your lucky day."
He felt rather than saw the kids scowl back before he climbed the ladder which opened straight onto the bridge. Where both Chopper and Hera were waiting for him. "You said this was a routine mission," Hera told him as she banked to avoid a burst of laser fire from the pursuing Imperial TIE fighters. "What happened down there?"
Chopper echoed the question in sharp binary while blocking the Jedi's path, bitterly complaining about the fact that they had four hostile fighters attacking them. "Chopper not now it's been a difficult, and interesting, morning," Kanan replied letting some annoyance into his voice as he stepped around the cantankerous astromech.
"He does have a point love," Hera pointed out. "We've got four TIE's closing in."
"Hera how about a little less attitude and a little more altitude," Kanan said to the Twi'lek who responded by violently banking the ship sending him stumbling into the co-pilots seat. "If I didn't know better I'd say you did that one on purpose."
"If you knew better we wouldn't be in this situation. Seriously Kanan what happened down there?"
Kanan sighed and looked back at the security monitor turned to the main cargo bay. To see that Ezra had moved and was now sitting meditation style on top of the crate. "He did," he admitted knowing he would have to throw the Twi'lek pilot a bone or should keep on about it. Hera glanced back and blinked in surprise.
"A kid tripped you up," she said incredulous. "Must be some kid. Spill."
"Aren't you kind of busy at the moment," Kanan complained as the first volley of laser fire from the pursuing TIE's thudding into the shields rattled the ship.
"Spill."
With a sigh, and wondering why he ever bothered to argue with Hera as he never won, Kanan began explaining everything that had happened.
"Look I was only doing what you were, stealing to survive," Ezra said as he sat on top of the crate that contained the blaster rifles. He'd instinctively assumed the classic Jedi meditative seating posture, without actually meditating, as it was the most comfortable way he had to sit down back in his tower especially as he didn't really have any chairs.
"You have no idea what we were doing," Zeb snapped back. "You don't know us."
"And normally I wouldn't want to. But the Force has been driving me crazy all day to meet you guys for some reason," Ezra replied causing both Lasat and Mandalorian to blink – though naturally only Zeb's reaction could be seen – in surprise.
"What do you mean," Sabine asked curious.
"I've felt an odd tremor in the Force all day. The kind that lets someone like me know that something is coming," Ezra admitted while rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. He generally didn't speak openly about the Force, and his connection to it, to anyone as it was just far too dangerous in this day and age. But somehow he knew he could trust these people with his secret, especially given they had another like him here already. "The feeling ultimately led me into town and right to you guys, think it wanted me to encounter you for some reason that's best known only to itself."
Sabine frowned thoughtfully as she mulled that over. While she didn't know much about the Force, and understood even less about its more quasi-mystical elements, she knew it wouldn't do something like that without a good reason. And she had a good idea what that reason was, especially if the kid lacked a master. The Force was trying to force him and Kanan together, to become master and padawan. I wonder if Kanan realises that this is the Forces intention, she mused a moment before a very violent evasive manoeuvre threw her and everyone else to the floor of the cargo bay with Ezra landing on top of Zeb.
"Get off," Zeb grunted as the surprisingly heavy kid landed on him, but then in his experience humans tended to be heavier than they generally looked. Plus he felt something fall out of the kids backpack and land on his foot something metallic that made him yelp slightly as it hit the sensitive pressure pads on the underside of his feet. "Karabast what was that," he growled as the kid got off him.
Looking for what had hit his foot he was startle to see a lightsabre rolling along the floor and stopping when it hit Sabine's boots, and from the look of the kids backpack it had obviously fallen out of there. This kids got a lightsabre, he thought incredulously. It was one thing to find out that Ezra was Force sensitive and actually knew something of how to use it, but quite another to find out the kid had a lightsabre as well. He had to wonder where he'd gotten it as he was far too young to be a Jedi survivor of Order 66 like Kanan was. Had he merely found it and started working out how to use the thing? Or was there something else going on.
He was still thinking that over when Sabine bent down and picked up the lightsabre. "Here," she said holding out the weapon for the kid to take if from her while simultaneously looking at it curiously noting the differences between this lightsabre and Kanan's. The lightsabre she was holding had a more solid construction and unlike Kanan's obviously couldn't come apart into two pieces that could be hidden on his belt and look like any of the innocuous tools any career spacer would usually have on them. It was also well used going on the scuff marks in the metal casing as well as the wear pattern she could see around the handgrip.
Ezra accepted the weapon off her. "Thanks," he said as he slipped off his backpack and slipped the lightsabre back into its secret compartment, making sure to close it properly this time.
"That lightsabre looked well used," Sabine commented. "Where did you get it?"
"I guess you can say it's an heirloom. It belonged to my dad," Ezra admitted truthfully as he slipped the backpack back on. He didn't know why he felt like he could trust these people with that particular truth that he was the son of a Jedi, but somehow it just felt right. "I'm not very good with it, doesn't fit me properly and there is only so much you can learn from holodisk recordings. They're all I've had to learn from since the Empire took my parents away when I was seven."
Poor kid, Sabine thought guessing exactly what had happened to Ezra. His parents must have spoken out against the Empire, protested in some way as such things happened from time to time all over the galaxy. Only to be taken by the Empire on a charge of treason or sedition that was no doubt heavily trumped up as such was the Imperial way of doing things. They certainly wouldn't care about breaking up a family and leaving a kid to struggle to survive on his own, knowing that in most cases the child would succumb to hunger or the merciless elements. In fact, in the Imperials eyes it would be a perfect example of the price of standing up to the rule of the Empire.
The only good thing for the kid was that the Empire were apparently unaware of his Force sensitivity. She knew what happened to Force sensitives if the Empire found out about them, back at the Imperial Academy on Mandalore more than one cadet she'd known had suddenly disappeared after showing signs of having some Force ability. She'd later found out that said cadets were often killed and said to have perished in training accidents, only a handful would be taken off world usually by black armour wearing individuals that even to a non-Force sensitive like herself literally reeked of evil. She often shuddered to think what the fate of those particular individuals had been.
It was one of the reasons why she'd turned against the Empire.
Abruptly the deck beneath them shook as heavy volleys of laser fire from the pursuing TIE's slammed into the shields. "Karabast they're persistent today," Zeb growled before heading to the ladder to go up to the main level.
"I take it this happens to you often," Ezra commented as another volley of Imperial laser fire raked the ship, in the distance he faintly heard a pew, pew, pew sound as Kanan or whoever else was on the ship fired back.
"On a regular basis," Sabine answered as a faint shiver of concussion went through the deck, the kind that only happened when a TIE blew up close to the hull. "Though the Imperials are not normally this persistent."
We've probably stolen off them one too many times, she thought guessing that was the reason for the TIE fighters unusual persistence in trying to halt their escape. The commander of the Imperial garrison on Lothal was thus probably under pressure from both his superiors like Governor Price and the Imperial Security Bureau to catch them. After all the Imperials hated it when someone embarrassed them so often though, given how the storm troopers assigned to Lothal couldn't seem to hit the broadside of a barn half the time, it was kind of hard not to.
As the Mandalorian in front of him spoke Ezra inwardly grimaced feeling more than a twinge of guilt and self-doubt. Were the Imperials being so persistent because of him? Had the first TIE pilot reported seeing him use his father's lightsabre to deflect his laser fire to his superiors in the handful of seconds between breaking off his initial firing pass and the crew of this ship shooting him down? He honestly didn't know and the Force was not being at all helpful in that regard either, which wasn't too surprising as in his experience the Force could at times be a somewhat capricious thing.
Another volley of laser fire jolting the ship brought him out of those thoughts a moment before a whirring sound came from somewhere in the back of the ship. It grew in intensity until dying down suddenly into a background humming that hadn't been there before the Imperials began firing lasers at them. "What was that," Ezra asked looking around.
"The hyperdrive," Sabine replied.
"You mean we're in hyperspace now?" Ezra asked not sure how he felt about that, he'd never even been into Lothal orbit before let alone travelled through the higher dimensional space used for FTL propulsion.
"Yes," Sabine confirmed taking off her helmet. Ezra blinked when he saw a female face only a few years older than his own, a face framed by the most unusual blue and blond hair combination that he'd ever seen. "I'm Sabine by the way, Sabine Wren."
"Nice to meet you, Sabine," Ezra replied a moment before the comm system came to life.
"Sabine please bring our guest up to the common room," Kanan said over the comm, his voice echoing slightly off the bulkheads.
"On it, Kanan," Sabine said into the comm unit on her wrist as opposed to the one in her helmet before looking at Ezra. "Come on."
Ezra nodded in acceptance, knowing he was hardly in a position to refuse especially if they really were in hyperspace now and he had no reason to believe that they weren't, before gesturing for the Mandalorian to lead the way. Sabine smiled back and led the way to and up the ladder with Ezra following close behind her pushing down his nerves at facing what was sure to be a lot of questions from this ship's crew but especially the Force sensitive man, who he'd already twigged was a Jedi as though it had been eight years since he'd last seen his father he knew what Jedi mental shields felt like.
Stepping off the ladder he followed Sabine through the ship, noting how despite it being a small ship that the interior was surprisingly spacious and appeared to be in perfect working order. Clearly this group took great pride in keeping their ship in great shape and given they seemed to like pissing off the Empire – something he could easily get behind for any number of reasons beyond the obvious ones – that was a good thing.
After a few more moments they came into what was clearly the ships common area as it had all the features of one like a circular couch and a holo-chess board. The rest of the crew were already waiting for them, including two he'd never met before. One being a green skinned female Twi'lek dressed in practical non-nonsense pilot clothing, she had an air of toughness but also a strange matronly aura of care and compassion – something that was sadly in very short supply in the galaxy these days. The other was a beat up old astromech droid that looked like it had been repaired using second hand mismatched parts.
After a second he sighed. "Okay where do you want to start," he asked knowing that they might as well get the interrogation over with. Maybe then he could find out just why the Force had manoeuvred him into this position.
"First off introductions," Kanan replied.
"I've already met Sabine and Zeb," Ezra answered, "but I don't know who you are well beyond the fact that you're a Jedi."
Kanan raised an eyebrow. "How did you know," he asked surprised and once more impressed by this kid. He must have been able to tell from my shields, he thought.
"Your shields they feel like my dad's did," Ezra answered confirming his hypothesis. "He used to touch my mind all the time, and I'd touch his so I know what Jedi mind shields feel like. Until the Empire took him and mom away."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Kanan replied, "was he a Jedi? Your father?"
"He used to be," Ezra confirmed. "He left before the Clone Wars ended, after he met and fell in love with my mother."
Kanan's eyes widened as he abruptly realised just where he'd heard the name Bridger before. Only two Jedi had voluntarily left the Order before the end of the Clone Wars. And only one of them had been a human. "Ephraim Bridger was your father," he asked.
"You knew him?"
"I know of him," Kanan answered, "Jedi Knight Ephraim Bridger, a very high ranking Sentinel and the deputy head of Temple Security. His leaving the order caused quite a stir." And isn't that putting it mildly, he thought knowing it had been the talk of the Jedi Temple for weeks afterwards, especially among the padawans and knights as it wasn't every day that such a high ranking Sentinel chose to leave the order for reasons that had been unknown to them at the time. Hell even the Masters had talked about it, he clearly recalled his own Master Depa Billaba talking with Master Shaak Ti about it before they'd made that journey to Kellar and the Togruta master returned to Kamino.
In many ways it had been an even bigger stir than the departure of Master Skywalker's padawan Ahsoka Tano several months earlier following the temple bombings. I wonder if she's still alive somewhere out there, he thought idly thinking about Ahsoka Tano for a few moments. Even after becoming Skywalker's padawan she'd been nice, always made time to help the younglings and her fellow padawan learners with their studies – well when she hadn't been on the front line with her master kicking Separatist butt.
"We're getting off track though," he said "introductions. Since you've already met Sabine and Zeb, let me introduced you to Hera Syndulla, the owner and captain of this ship," he gestured to the Twi'lek. "Hera this is Ezra."
"Hello," Hera said smiling warmly at the kid who smiled shyly and nodded back. She was surprised to learn that the kid was the son of a very high ranked Jedi Knight who'd left the order before the Clone Wars ended. Though it certainly explained how he had at least some knowledge of the Force, his father had to have taught him a bit about it, trained him somewhat before the Empire took him and his wife away for some reason. It also explained where the lightsabre he apparently had come from – it had probably been his fathers.
"This is Chopper," Kanan said gesturing the cantankerous astromech who bleeped a hello. "And my name is Kanan Jarrus."
"Okay now that the formalities are out of the way can we address the rancor in the room," Zeb said looking at Ezra. "Why'd you interfere with us in the city?"
"As I told you down in the cargo bay, the Force wanted me to meet you for some reason. Why I have no idea."
Kanan frowned. "The Force never does anything without a reason," he mused aloud, "have you tried meditating on it?"
"All morning," Ezra admitted, "but it remained a vague feeling until that star destroyer arrived over the city. Then I went into the city and ended up following the feeling to that rooftop, though on my way there I did have to make a slight detour to help a merchant being falsely accused of treason by your standard issue Imperial officer. It's only when I saw you Kanan that I knew that the Force wanted me to meet you for some reason."
"Strange," Kanan mused a suspicion starting to grow in his mind as to what the Force was playing at with forcing the meeting between himself and Ezra. It was obvious from his demonstrations on the planet that Ezra was strong with the Force, very strong in fact, but was very inexperienced with only the most basic of skills that were probably barely at initiate level given how old he would have been when his father and Jedi master was taken from him. Did the Force want him to step up and act as the kids teacher?
But that's crazy, he thought, I can't be a master as I was never even a knight thanks to that Sith-spawned Order 66. So how can I take on an apprentice of my own. He decided he would meditate on that a bit later, maybe talk it over in private with Hera as well.
"As you said the Force never does anything without a reason," Ezra reminded him, "even if we don't know the reason."
"Yes it can be maddening when it does that," Kanan agreed. "I'll meditate on it later, maybe see if I can figure out what the Force wants." Even if I've already got a good idea what I'm going to find, he thought.
"Mind if I join you?" Ezra asked, desperate to get an answer to why the Force had been bugging him so much today.
"Not at all. But it will have to wait a bit."
"Why?" Ezra asked a moment before a bleeping alarm went off. "What's that?"
"The navi-computer," Hera answered, "it's time to drop out of hyperspace and reverse course back to Lothal. We've got a few deliveries to make."
"The blaster rifles," Ezra questioned.
"Among other things," Hera confirmed as she stood up. "Excuse me," she added as she left the room to return to the cockpit to reverse their course for Lothal. They had another few hours before they were due to meet with Vizago about the rifles, but thankfully they had another delivery to make first as not all the crates contained weapons destined for the galactic black market.
It didn't take her long to reach the cockpit and slide into her familiar seat. A quick adjustment of the throttles brought the Ghost out of hyperspace, before she made a 180 degree about turn, before pushing the throttles forward again re-engaging the hyperdrive. As the space outside turned into star lines once again before blurring into the blue tunnel of hyperspace travel she leaned back in the pilots chair as her thoughts turned to Ezra.
While she wasn't a Jedi she had a very good idea why the Force had arranged for him and Kanan to meet in the way that they had. It was trying to push them together, to become master and padawan. She wouldn't be surprised if Kanan knew that, or at very least suspected, was the Force's intention. Though she knew Kanan could also be the king of procrastination, as well as the king of stubbornness on things like this.
The sound of the cockpit doors opening caught her attention, followed by familiar footsteps. "You know why the Force has done this don't you," she said as the object of her thoughts slid into the co-pilot's seat next to her.
"Yeah I know," Kanan said with a sigh.
"So are you going to ask him?"
"Not yet. As I said I want to meditate on it first," Kanan answered, "becoming a master is a big step, Hera. It's also a huge responsibility. I don't know if I'm ready for it. Plus, I want to get to know the kid a little bit more first."
"Fair enough," Hera replied, she'd give him the benefit of the doubt for now on the issue of taking Ezra as a padawan. "So where is Ezra now?"
"Still in the common room," Kanan replied, "Sabine's keeping an eye on him, make sure he doesn't wander off anywhere. Zeb's going to go back down to the cargo bay to organise the crates we need to drop off at Tarkintown."
"I see."
Capital City
Lothal, That Same Time
Agent Lucius Kallus frowned as he gazed down upon the alleyway where the insurgents had ambushed and hijacked the cargo of supplies that had been meant to be taken up to the Lawgiver ready for when she left tomorrow. The pattern of the attack, and the speed and precision with which it had been executed was all too familiar with a crew who'd been working the cities of Lothal on and off for months now. Disrupting Imperial shipments, occasionally blowing up TIE fighters and generally making a very big nuisance of themselves.
He had to admit the insurgents were good, functioning as a well-oiled team that honestly reminded him of some of the special operations groups he'd worked with during the last year of the Clone Wars. He would enjoy taking them down and hauling them off to face Imperial justice, it would be quite a challenge. And he so enjoyed such things.
"They knew our protocols and were waiting in position," the nasally voice of Commandant Aresko said from behind him, obviously attempting to explain how his men had failed to stop the heist.
"I have no doubt that they did," Kallus replied. "You're not the first on Lothal to be hit by this crew, commandant. They've been making quite a nuisance of themselves the last few months."
"I assume that's why you're here, Agent Kallus."
"Indeed. The Imperial Security Bureau pays attention to patterns," Kallus said turning to face the other officer. "When the Empire's operations are targeted on such an ongoing basis it signifies the potential for far more than just the theft of crates and occasional sabotage. It can signify the start of rebellion."
Aresko frowned at that. He was well aware that dissatisfaction with the Empire had been growing in some parts of the Lothal citizenry, people who objected to the sometimes admittedly harsh actions that had to be taken to ensure planetary security. But was it really getting to the point where a rebellion was likely to begin? Surely the people knew what they were doing was ultimately for their own good, especially after the chaos of the Clone Wars.
"Is it that serious," he asked.
"Not at present," Kallus confirmed. "It is but a spark of rebellion at the moment. A spark that we will snuff out before it can start a fire. Mark my words commandant the next time the insurgents make a move to disrupt our operations I'll be ready for them."
"I understand. Is there anything you wish me to do in the meantime?"
"Only review the security arrangements on all our shipments. I don't want a repeat of this heist."
"As you wish."
Authors Notes: Well here's chapter two of this AU done. I know I'm probably not quite capturing Ezra as he is in the series but that's on purpose as this version of Ezra is a bit different to the one we know and love due to his prior knowledge of the Force.
I hope people don't mind that I've given Kallus an actual first name as looking around I couldn't find a first name for him anywhere so I gave him one. And I think Lucius actually quite fits him.
Finally, I want to reassure all my readers that I haven't forgotten any of my other fanfics, in fact I am currently in the middle of writing new chapters for Pioneers Dawn, Second Chances, This Isn't Kansas and Wolf's Dawn. So no need to worry about me abandoning any of them in favour of this one.