The Past and Future.
Chapter Ten
Valerie.
Ezra's POV
"Damn." I mutter under my breath as I slowly open my eyes to the sound of the fighter signalling that I'm about to leave hyperspace. I start to roll my head and am about to rub my eyes until I come to a painful realization.
"Aaagghh! My arm!" Eyes quickly darting to said appendage I notice my injury and remember the self stitching I gave myself. The pain having woken me wide awake everything from earlier comes flooding back into my mind. A quick glance at the fighter's structural integrity readouts causes me to release a small sigh at just how lucky I really am.
Well at least I'm almost home. That's a plus.
I look back at the various consoles and read outs. Speaking of which, I refocus my attention on all the other various consoles and readouts, or at least the ones that are still working right, to try and get my bearings.
"Hmm, three minutes until I exit hyperspace. I guess this must be the console that explo- ouch! Right, the very arm that got wounded from said console. Shouldn't move that too much." I continued examining the exploded console and realize that it used to be the radar display.
That's gonna take a little work to fix.
Just as I thought that another console goes dark and I briefly hear sparks of electricity.
I mean, at least not 'everything' on here is critically important to flying.
Further investigation of the cockpit clearly tells me that there's more damage, but thankfully most of it is either minor or non-critical. As for the wrecked console, besides what's resting on the floor there are also shards scattered around the rest of the cockpit.
The fighter eventually pulls out of hyperspace above Felucia. I take the controls and begin to navigate the fighter down towards where the base is situated. I flip on the, thankfully still functioning, radio and transmit the landing codes to tower control. After receiving confirmation to land I slowly set my fighter down into one of the base's hangers. I shut down the fighter and look around to see Hera, Ahsoka, Kanan, and Sabine coming towards me. I flip the switch to open my fighter's cockpit, but it doesn't even budge. Furrowing my brows I toggle the switch and watch as the canopy starts to move but stop almost immediately.
"Hey guys, my fighter's canopy is stuck!" I yell at them from the still very much closed cockpit. I can see Zeb as he starts to snicker while Kanan just smirks, amused by my situation. Hera and Sabine meanwhile move to the back of the fighter.
"Haha. How did you manage that?" Zeb yells back loud enough for me to hear while smirking.
"Got shot. Is that how you got your face to look like that?" I ask watching Zeb's expression change from a smirk, to a frown, and then an angry glare.
"Just you wait kid you'll have to get out of their eventually." Zeb threatens, but I'm quite pleased with myself regardless.
"How bad did you get hit?" Kanan asks glancing at the damage.
"Remember how I was joking about the right stabilizer was damaged?"
Kanan nods.
"Well if it wasn't before I bet it is now." I frown. "TIE came out of nowhere."
"I told you to always be aware of your surroundings." Kanan says shaking his head.
"Well sorry I was in the middle of a swarm of TIEs and with an Acclamator cruiser firing with zero concern for their own fighters." I say deadpan.
"Wait, you stayed in that!?" Sabine yells at me from behind the fighter almost louder than Zeb or Kanan have been.
"Hey, I didn't exactly have much of a chance to enter hyperspace with all the things shooting at me!" I yell back. Wincing at the obvious anger, and potentially marginal amount of concern, in her tone.
Not good.
"How did you even get this thing to go into hyperspace?" Hera asks appearing by the damaged stabilizer.
"I hit hyperspace just as it was damaged. Blew out a console too." I reply while gesturing with my good arm at the offending console.
"No wonder you took so long to get here. You showed up almost two hours later then Sabine. We were getting seriously worried. A few of the other pilots were even offering to go out and look for you." Hera says matter-of-factly while inspecting all the exterior damage.
"There got it." Sabine says appearing beside Hera. "Try it now Ezra."
I try to switch one last time and canopy slowly slides back.
"Haha, I'm free!" I exclaim. Jumping out and begin to raise my arms in victory
"Argh, again? Really!?" I cringe in pain as a familiar burning sensation courses through my left arm.
"Ezra!" Sabine says worriedly moving to my side.
"I'm fine, just forgot about a small cut to the arm." I say rolling up my sleeves and seeing the fresh blood on the bandages. "Great, and I reopened it too. I just don't learn, do I?" I muttered that last part under my breath.
"C'mon, let's get you to the infirmary." Hera says seeing the dried blood on my sleeve.
"I already stitched it up, Hera. I just tore the scab open. That's all, really." The eye rolling didn't really help in convincing her either.
"Tell you what, take Sabine and go to the medbay. Valerie and Coric wanted to talk to you about everything you got." Kanan says with a clearly amused tone. Has he even stopped smirking at all this whole time?
"Sounds good to me. Ezra?" Sabine says while staring at me seriously. Please let there be concern somewhere in there.
"Well I'm not going to get out of this easily so I guess so." I tried putting on a reassuring smile to ease the tension, but I think that only made Sabine even more serious.
"You'd better." Sabine says threateningly.
"Haha. Not bad kid, not bad at all. You got the supplies, found an old friend of ours, and managed to get yourself beat up in the process." Rex adds in after appearing beside Zeb.
"Hey I saved your butt, remember?" I say smirking.
"Well that was definitely an impressive force push kid. Haven't seen anything like that in a long time." Rex says while giving me a look like he was studying something.
"What is it?" I ask staring back.
"Nothing, don't worry about it kid." Rex says before turning to talk with Kanan.
"C'mon, you're not getting out of medbay that easily, Bridger." Sabine said deliberately grabbing me by my good arm.
As I was being led to the hanger's exit I noticed a few mechanics hauling some parts and equipment over to my damaged fighter. I even noticed a couple pilots nearby who were doing a bad job at hiding their laughter. Before I could shout anything back one of them winked at me and I quickly snapped my head forwards fighting off the color in my face. It was also when I realized Sabine was still guiding me by my arm. Which made my attempts a little bit harder.
After we leaved the hanger I just decided to follow Sabine to the medbay without complaint and we both waited outside the door.
Shortly after we arrived the door opened and two medics exited while talking with a slightly wounded soldier. I didn't notice the fourth until I turned back around.
"So what seems to be the issue this time?" An annoyingly familiar voice says. I look at their face and see an equally annoying smirk.
"You again." I say smiling at him.
"You again." I say smiling up at the medic. "Well, I managed to get some shrapnel stuck in my arm for a bit. Stitched it up myself but then I forgot about it and opened up the scab, again." I explain while rolling up my sleeve to show him.
After I finish rolling up my sleeve he leads me inside the medbay and examines my wound more closely.
"You clearly did it yourself, that's for sure. Not too bad though, don't do anything terrible to it and it should only leave a small scar. Did you take anything for the pain while stitching it up?" He asks looking at me.
I shake my head. "Never needed to before so why start now?"
Sabine looks at me unhappily.
"What? If I needed it I would have taken it." I say shrugging.
"Here, I'm giving you a small Bacta patch. It'll help the wound heal up a lot faster, and hopefully limit the scaring too. With all the medical supplies you four got we finally have the supplies we need to properly treat all our people." The medic says smiling.
I feel a small tremor in the force that causes me to glance at one of the many doors inside the medbay. Shrugging it off I turn back to the patch and focus on it.
"What happened to our regular supplies anyway? I know we aren't rolling in money, but we haven't struggled too often for medical supplies." Sabine asks watching me apply the patch one handed.
"We normally don't, but the source of our regular supply drops got caught. Unfortunately the escorts for both sides weren't enough to protect the supply ships that delivered the supplies, or one of our very own supply ships that got caught too. The base never got those supplies if it wasn't already obvious." Coric says stepping up behind us.
"Hey Coric! How's it going?" I asks smiling.
"Good. And it's good you got the supplies when you did. All but one should make a full recovery." Coric says frowning.
"What happened to the last one?" I ask frowning.
"Sadly his injuries were just too severe even by the time he got here. Third degree burns over sixty percent of his body and a bad concussion. Another one's got a bunch of bad shrapnel wounds from an exploding pipe. Then there's the compound fracture on a woman's left leg with a fractured right arm. One guy got a fractured wrist and a sprained ankle. The other two are fine with just a few bruises." Coric explains while watching the entrance to the trauma care unit. "They'll be back on their feet here soon. One less member, but back on their feet nonetheless."
"We weren't fast enough." Sabine says frowning.
"The only thing that could have saved that man was being put into a Bacta tank right after he got injured. The time it took them to get back here is what costed them. If we had any proper medical ships then it could've been different, but we don't and it isn't." Coric says looking at us seriously.
"I trust you Coric. If you say there's nothing we could do then there's nothing we could do." I say placing a hand on Sabine's shoulder.
She looks at me and smiles faintly.
"C'mon, we need to talk to Hera and Kanan about a few things." Sabine says, changing the subject and putting on a brighter smile.
"So when did you two tie the knot?" Coric asks smiling.
"What are you talking about?" I ask genuinely confused.
"When did you two get married?" Coric asks pointing to my hand.
I bring it up and look at it.
Oh karabast! I knew I was forgetting something.
"And she's got the matching one." Coric says as Sabine brings up her hand.
"I completely forgot about those." I say smiling.
"Sorry, here." Sabine says taking hers off. I reach into my suit and grab the box. I open it up and Sabine puts the ring inside. I take off my own and place it in the box alongside the other and close the box.
"Care to explain?" Coric asks confused, but still giving both of us an amused look. The medic was also trying a little 'too' hard to be paying attention anywhere that allowed him to have his face hidden from view. I still heard a few chuckles off to the side though.
"Oh! We had to play newlyweds to get into the hospital that we got the supplies from." Sabine says smiling.
"And I had my parents rings so we used them to pull off the disguise." I say smiling and placing the case back into a hidden pocket.
"Your parents rings. Wonder how long that will take to make that permanent." Coric asks smirking as I shake my head nervously behind Sabine.
"Well that's up to me now isn't it?" Sabine says looking at Coric amused.
Coric looks around nervously.
Thankfully I was the only one who was able to pick up the medic give another chuckle and say, "Yep, she's a Mandalorian alright." under his breath.
"Uh, well, yes it is." Coric says before waving good bye and walking through one of the medbay's doors on the opposite end of the room.
"Well I say we go talk to Hera and Kanan." I say smiling.
The door to the medbay opens up revealing Ahsoka and Kanan.
"Speak of the loth wolf and he'll appear." I say smirking.
"Ha. Ha. What did you do?" Kanan asks absolutely devoid of humor and very obviously frowning.
"What are you talking about?" I ask confused.
"We felt a tremor in the force. That only happens when you do something stupid." Kanan says looking at me expectantly.
"Well other then getting my mom's ring back from Sabine and getting my arm a bacta bandage. Nothing else. But I did feel a tremor too." I say shrugging my shoulders.
"So it wasn't you. Then who was it?" Kanan asks looking around.
"Reach out with the force, and see who sticks out among everyone else." Ahsoka says closing her eyes.
I shut mine and focus in the force feeling out. I "see" Kanan, Ahsoka, and Sabine the three brightest lights around me. I search out examining each light. They're all dull until I come across one near us that's slightly lighter than the rest. I spin around opening my eyes and stare at the door to the ICU. Ahsoka and Kanan are already staring at it.
"So I'm guessing whoever just sent that tremor out, is in there?" I ask smiling.
Sabine and I in some spare time started to study the bases plans. We are planning on memorizing the bases plans incase we need to know where everything is without having the opportunity to check a map.
"There's no way out of here but the entrance."
"How do you know that?" Kanan asks not taking his eyes off of the door.
"Ezra and I have been studying the plans for the base incase we come under attack and need to fight without looking at plans." Sabine explains hands on her weapons.
"Smart. But how did you two get detailed plans for the base? Those are supposed to be restricted to security personnel only." Ahsoka says looking at us.
"What do we look like? Cooks?" I ask sarcastically.
"He's got a point Ahsoka. But you two still should have asked first." Kanan says smiling slightly.
"So are we going to do anything or what?" Sabine asks smiling at the door, hands on her weapons.
"We're waiting for them to come out." Kanan says watching the door again.
The door opens revealing Valerie.
"Valerie?" I say surprised.
"Ezra. How are you feeling?" She asks tiredly.
"Oh you know, good. Small shrapnel wound to the arm is all, I'm fine." I say gesturing to my left arm while feeling out with the force again. "You?!" confirming Valerie is the source of the Force presence surprised me more than I was able to contain.
I at least took solace in seeing Kanan's and Ahsoka's surprised expressions.
"What?" She asks frowning.
"There's an urgent matter we have to discuss. Please us so that we can discuss this more privately." Ahsoka says politely. Valerie narrows her eyes at us but after a moment she nods. We walk to the training room in silence. Entering, Sabine walks off to the side while watching closely. Valerie simply stands stoically and waiting patiently for us to speak.
"So since when can you use the force?" I ask bluntly earning glares from Kanan and Ahsoka.
"What that's what we wanted to ask her right?" I say.
"I-Kid, be quiet." Kanan says shaking his head. "But yes, that is what we wanted to talk about."
"I see." Valerie says sadly.
"Well we might as well sit down. This is a long story." We all sit down and Sabine moves to sit beside me. "It was over twenty years ago." Valerie starts.
(Flash back)
"I was born on Naboo. The city my parents lived in was fairly small by many standards but it was peaceful, and it's where my parents called home."
"Thiomie Sheratan, the Jedi Master who brought me back to the Jedi Temple, told me about my home and parents when she felt I was old enough to understand. I think she felt bad being the one to take me from my parents. Master Sheratan usually helped to teach and raise the younglings. I was the first, and last, time she took a baby from their parents. She just never had the heart for it."
"Misses Grey, we know this is hard for you, but your daughter is force-sensitive. She has a wonderful gift that can help a lot of people. Which is why I'm asking your permission to take her back with me." Jedi Master Thiomie Sheratan says gently. Her voice and expression becoming more sad towards the end.
"Master Sheratan told me about how my mother looked so beautiful when she cradled me in her arms back then. Even when she was asking a dozen different questions about how Master Sheratan knew that I was force-sensitive."
"My mother and father already knew the basics of the why and how, but for my mom it was an effort at protecting her child from the unknown."
"But why should we do this?" Misses Grey says holding her child close.
"Misses Grey, while your daughter does have a very special gift it's still a heavy responsibility. It would even become burdensome depending on what sort of attention she ends up attracting, and you won't be able to protect her forever."
"Then what can you do so much better that we couldn't?" Mister Grey asks chiming into the conversation.
"By the time most Jedi become adults they can not only defend themselves but others as well. Before then, I'd be one of the people responsible for protecting and raising your daughter to be the best person she could be. May I?" Sheratan slowly stretches out her arms, silently asking permission to hold the child. The two parents look at one another until finally Mister Grey nods his head sadly. Misses Grey hands over her daughter hesitantly, but once Master Sheratan has the child properly cradled she gently rocks her arms and smiles.
"I promise you that she will be well taken care of."
"For my daughter's sake you better be right." Mister Grey says quietly but forcefully. Now hugging his wife closer to him by the shoulder.
Nine years later.
"Valerie you are not going to become jedi but you can become a healer here. If you wish." Master Sheratan says with a sad smile.
"I can't become a Jedi?" Valerie asks frowning.
"I'm afraid not but you can still help people by healing them."
Valerie sits quiet for a few minutes.
"I want to help people anyway I can. I accept your offer."
"Very good. I will take you to the temple healers tomorrow myself. Get your things ready and get some rest child." Master Sheratan says smiling.
"Thank you Master Sheratan." Valerie says with a small smile.
Master Sheratan smiles and nods.
"I still remember how regretful Master Sheratan was when she told me that, while I was still force-sensitive, I'd never become a true Jedi because I just wasn't strong enough in the Force itself. She didn't give up on me though, and even went so far as to put me in the care of some other minor force-sensitives working in the Temple Security Force. Although there were other places I could've gone in the Temple had I wanted to I stlll chose the Temple Security Force knowing that the training could be used to help others directly."
"There was even a surprising amount of Temple Security Force member who were also force-sensitive like myself. Most however chose to use their abilities to become very adept healers thanks to training from the Jedi Consulars, doctors, and medics of the Jedi Temple. Master Sheratan even had a friend among them who she trusted could help train me far better than most."
The next morning.
"I will be your teacher from now on, youngling. While you aren't powerful enough in the Force to be a Jedi I can still teach you to use the power that you do posses to better strengthen your mind, body, and eventually become a capable healer." My new teacher, Dalia Alanbra said to me surprisingly gently considering how stern and formal she otherwise was.
"So you're also a force-sensitive?" I asked curiously.
"Indeed, I had hoped to become a Knight, but upon realizing my limitations I came here instead. A quiet life in the Temple just wasn't for me. Enough about me for now. I shall show you where you will be staying while you're in my care." Dalia said plainly as she began walking, but paused patiently when I stopped to wave goodbye to Master Sheratan. She waved back and managed a warm smile for both Dalia and I.
"This will be your room. Get settled and when you are ready we will begin your lessons." The healer says smiling before leaving Valerie to get adjusted to her new room.
"I think I'm going to like it here." Valerie says to herself smiling.
A few years later.
"The was impressive, Valerie." Dalia said as I healed a cut on a youngling of the Jedi Temple. We were helping out in the Temple's infirmary so that I could get some much needed practice and experience. At least that's what Dalia told me.
"Thank you Dalia. But how come I'm always so tired after?" Valerie asks frowning tiredly after healing a wound on a youngling.
"It should go without saying, but because I wasn't too strong in the force, and still fairly young at the time, healing even minor injuries became physically tiring after not very long. Dalia told me that while I wasn't as strong in the Force compared to other Jedi if I mastered the strength I did have then I'd still be far more capable than most. She emphasized this by levitating a couple of smaller objects around herself before setting them down on a nearby table with some noticeable effort and focus. Some other minor force-sensitives, by contrast, struggled with just the bare minimum of Force manipulation."
"You may return to your lesson young one, but don't fool around again." Dalia said sternly.
"Yes ma'am." The youngling says smiling before dashing off down the hall.
"I think I'll be fine in just a few minutes." I said taking measured breaths while giving Dalia a smile.
"I know then we can go over how to treat wounds in a battlefield situation again." Dalia says before heading out a door to a small study. A few minutes later Valerie follows smiling.
End of Flashback.
"It was a year later that I was sent alongside several other Temple Security Force healers and medics to work with the 501st. Their constant involvement in numerous important events and Jedi meant that we were attached to provide greater medical support. After some time with the clones myself and some of the others really bonded with the clones. We might not have been clones but we all knew family was about more than blood." Valerie says fondly..
"I will have to inform my superiors about this, but I can understand if you want to hide this from everyone else. Just be sure that you don't keep anymore secrets like this from us." Ahsoka says happily with a playful smirk plastered on her face.
"I promise I won't." Valerie says firmly.
"Well now that that's settled; Ezra, how did you miss something like this?" Kanan asked turning to face me.
"Hey, I wasn't exactly focused on looking for Force users in Val's shop." I replied indignantly.
"That's not what was distracting you and we both know that." Valerie says smirking.
Kanan turns to her with an amused look on his face. "And what was it that had him so distracted?"
"He must have never seen her in a dress before cause the way he was looking at her he might have had to take a long cold shower after." Valerie says with a growing grin.
Ahsoka joins in on the teasing with her own smirk directed at me and Sabine. I manage a glare at Valerie, and I think Sabine's cheeks looked marginally redder than they were earlier.
"Well I'm surprised you got her in a dress, wish I could have seen that." Kanan says glancing at us.
I can tell we are going to have a conversation about this later.
"Oh you can I grabbed a picture." Valerie says pulling a small data pad out of her pocket.
"Wait, what!?" Sabine and I both manage. Her reaction was a lot more controlled however.
"Ah, here it is." Valerie displays a picture of me placing my Mom's ring on Sabine's finger while she's in her dress.
"A ring and everything. Is there something that I should know about?" Kanan asks looking at Sabine and I.
"Ezra? Sabine?" Ahsoka asks still holding an amused smile.
"Well we did have a hotel room." I say with my own smirk.
Kanan's face was shocked for an instant before it turned into a slight frown before quickly glancing to my right.
A moment later I realized what he was looking at as Sabine punched me in my right shoulder. Very, very, hard.
Gah, damnit Sabine! I know I sort of deserved that one, but that's my only good arm!
"I suggest you not make those sort of insinuations unless you want to know what an angry Mandalorian can really do, Bridger." Sabine said coldly and very seriously.
"Noted." I say rubbing my right shoulder while making sure I don't irritate my wound. I suppose my consolation was the slightly darker red to Sabine's face. Though I can't tell if that's from embarrassment or anger. Really hoping it's the first one. For my sake at least.
"Hahahaha!" Valerie laughs before managing, "So, you finally found a girl who could hold her own with you, eh Ezra?"
I frown, but I try to keep my harsher reactions in-check. "That's not funny, Valerie."
I stand up from the floor and say, "Never bring them up again, and definitely not her." before I angrily leave the room before letting my emotions completely take over.
The atmosphere in the room changes dramatically as I left.
"I won't." Valerie says quietly.
I walk out trying to control my emotions.
Why did she have to mention her again?
I walk purposefully towards my room.
Trying my best to ignore the rebels who ask questions, and silently thanking the ones who leave me alone.
Just when I thought Kanan was finally going to leave it alone.
I don't think I can handle Val bringing her up too.
A/N So I will say it again cause I got a few questions as to whether or not I was dead. I will not be abandoning this story. I just have a lot on my plate out side of writing thanks to us being understaffed at work. Not to mention I currently have two large stories going right now. So all ask is for you to have patience I will update when I can. Also on a happier note there is a new editor for this story. GuardianOfAll. Who is an amazing editor and is taking this story to the next level in terms of writing. So a huge thanks to them for editing this chapter. Seriously I can not over state how well they have done. Either way I hope you enjoyed this chapter and want more.