Droids in Distress: New tricks, Old Memories
"Hands up!" the leading trooper ordered.
'Che!' Ezra crossed his arms. 'A five minute distraction. Is that so much to ask from a droid? Really what – What is that idiot doing?!'
"What are you doing?" Ezra hissed.
"There a problem here?" Zeb asked, approaching the troopers.
"Amda Wabo says those crates contain his disruptors." The clipped, mechanical voice carried all the way to Ezra, who grimaced at the sight of the droid with the silver leg.
"Uh, must be a mistake," Zeb said, still walking toward the line of troopers. "Can't possibly be disruptors in there 'cause they're illegal, right?"
"That's irrelevant," the Imperial woman said shortly. "We're going to search your crates."
"Be my guest." Zeb stepped to the side, a clear invitation to the waiting stormtroopers. A signal from their leader and a few approached slowly, blasters still raised.
Kanan signaled Sabine to move out with her crates and dashed over to Ezra, pulling out his blaster.
"On second thought–" Zeb whipped around, grabbing the troopers and throwing them across the hall where they smashed into their companions. Blaster fire erupted and Ezra ducked behind the crates of T-7s. His head snapped around as Kanan slid to a stop next to him.
"Get those crates aboard ship, now!" Kanan shouted over the noise.
"Right," Ezra muttered, holstering his sling. As he neared the ship he waved Sabine over to help him push them up the ramp. Behind him came the unmistakable sound of the two droids he wanted absolutely nothing to do with.
"Oh, look," Sabine said, amused irritation lacing her voice. "Chopper made friends."
Ezra turned around, arms crossed as Chopper groaned.
"I am C-3PO, and this is my counterpart, R2-D2." C-3PO began and Ezra stiffened as the world faded out.
"An extremely well-put-together little droid, Your Highness." The Naboo security chief stated, gesturing to a dirty R2-D2.
"It is to be commended," a young girl replied, her rich clothing and painted face marking her the current queen of Naboo. "What is its number?"
"R2-D2, Your Highness."
*o*
"Isn't he great?" a small sandy haired boy asked excitedly, pulling a cloth off a mass of wires and parts. "He's not finished yet."
"He's wonderful," a pretty, preteen girl with long, braided hair assured him. Smiling, the boy turned on the machine. It sat up and looked at them.
"I am C-3PO, human-cyborg relations." The partially built robot informed them. "How might I serve you?"
*o*
"Captain Antilles." A dark skinned man dressed in Senatorial robes called.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"I'm placing these droids in your care. Treat them well. Clean them up." He paused and looked back at the droids. "Have the protocol droid's mind wiped."
C-3PO started.
"What?" he squeaked and R2-D2 let a series of amused beeps. "Oh, no."
*o*
A loud explosion shook the ship, sending C-3PO stumbling.
"Did you hear that? They shut down the main reactor. We'll be destroyed for sure. This is madness," he stated matter of factly and gave a wheezy sigh. "There'll be no escape for the princess this time."
A young woman, dark brown hair done up in twin buns, bent over R2-D2. "Take this to Obi Wan Kenobi on Tatooine and give him the message."
R2 beeped, a red light appearing signaling he was read to record.
"General Kenobi, years ago you served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that–"
The image of the woman flickered, her words fading to an incoherent mumble as she shrank and became cloaked in a fluttering blue light. Now a hologram standing before two men she finished her message.
"–must see this droid safely delivered to him on Alderaan. This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope."
With a sigh the white haired and bearded man leaned back and cast a long look as his companion. A bright-eyed, sandy haired young man looked back at him, worry written across his face.
"I was translating for Minister Tua when we were attacked by thieves like, uh, you."
C-3PO started as Zeb and Kanan walked past. Ezra used the distraction to recover from the sudden and unexpected onslaught of visions. He crossed his arms and gripped himself tightly in an effort to stop shaking. His stomach rolled and he pressed his lips together, inhaling slowly. He was used to the after-effects of visions, but they never did get any easier to handle.
Kanan looked the droids up and down and felt the beginnings of a headache.
"We have company. Imperial droids." 'As if we need another complication,' he thought, turning to Sabine. "Spectr-5, let's get a couple restraining bolts on these two."
"Yup. On it."
"Spectre-6, Spectre-3, keep an eye on 'em."
"Right. That'll happen." 'Knowing these two,' Ezra continued silently, 'doing anything but will only lead to disaster.'
"Excuse me, sir," C-3PO turned to Ezra who twitched. "But this is a terrible mistake. My partner and I are in service of Minister Tua of Lothal–"
Ezra tuned him out.
"Kanan. A word?"
Kanan glanced at Zeb, pausing on his way to the cockpit. "Can it wait? If I don't confirm our rendezvous with Vizago, we'll have done all this for nothing."
"Yeah, about that–" Zeb rubbed the back of his head. "Maybe this time we don't sell to Vizago, eh? Maybe we get those disruptors out of circulation instead."
"Least we got 'em out of Imperial circulation." Sabine said, climbing back down the ladder with the restraining bolts. "When I was translating, I found out they were shipping those T-7s as prototypes so the Empire could mass-produce them on Lothal."
Zeb's hand tightened on the rail. The idea of more of those caused the old pain and anger inside stirring inside him to spike. Below them, Ezra winced.
"See, Zeb? Perfect crime." Kanan put an arm around Zeb's shoulders and tried to reassure his troubled friend. "We steal the weapons meant for the Empire and sell them for credits we desperately need to keep this bird flying."
"Oh, hey." Sabine called up to them. "If we need credits, maybe Vizago will buy those two droids."
"Yeah. Good idea." Kanan gave Zeb a clap on the shoulder and climbed the ladder to the upper deck.
Zeb sighed unhappily, an action unknowingly echoed by Ezra as he watched Sabine attach the restraints. As soon as she was done she left, leaving him alone with three droids and a massive headache.
'This isn't good. I can't hold it back much longer.' He rubbed his temple and swallowed down the rising taste of bile. A wave of calm tinged with worry swept through him and he smiled. That person was always looking out for him. 'Thank you.'
Headache mostly gone, he could focus on other things – like what to do with those two. He stared at C-3PO and R2-D2 and the beginnings of a wild, crazy, insane idea began to form.
"I'll be right back," he told Chopper. "I need to get something."
Chopper shook an arm at him as he vanished up the ladder and grumbled something that, given C-3PO's reaction, was highly inappropriate.
Ezra groaned as he reached his cabin, realizing Zeb was in there.
'Oh, of all the days to not have may pack with me!' He sighed. 'Maybe, if I'm quick?'
He'd barely gotten half a step into the room when Zeb stopped him and pushed him back out.
"And stay out!" Zeb shouted, locking the door. A tick formed above Ezra's eye and the last of his patience snapped.
"You can't do that!" He yelled, banging on the door. "It's my cabin too."
"Ezra?" Hera called. "Come in here."
Growling, Ezra gave the door one last smack and marched over to the cockpit.
"Zeb's booted me from my own–"
"I know," Hera said, cutting off his complaint with a placating gesture. "But maybe you could cut Zeb a little slack today."
"Oh, the way he cuts me slack?" Ezra knew he sounded childish, but he was frustrated, stressed, anxious, and even with that person's help his headache was quickly becoming a migraine.
"Do you know what a T-7 disruptor is?" Hera asked gently. "What it does to an organic being?"
"Uh – no," he answered distractedly as a horrific scream echoed through his head.
'But I have a feeling I'm gonna find out,' he added silently, sitting down across from her.
"Well, Zeb knows. Because it's what the Empire used on his people when they cleared his home world. Very few Lasats survived. And none remain on Lasan."
Ezra closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat. That certainly explained the intensity of Zeb's emotions. He lifted his hat just long enough to run a hand through his hair.
"I – I guess I could cut him a little slack." He mumbled, slowly spinning himself around in the chair.
"Good man," Hera smiled. "So, how's Jedi training going with Kanan?"
"Jedi training?" Ezra snorted. "Never heard of it.
Hera sighed. "We'll see about that."
The vortex of hyperspace vanished, replaced with a dayside view of Lothal.
"Home, sweet home," Ezra said softly, smiling as he felt that person quiver happily.
The ship landed with a light bump and Kanan stood up, stretching out the muscles that had begun to cramp during the short meditation session. He picked up his blaster and lightsaber, holstering and hanging them accordingly as he made his way out of his room. The door opened and he stopped short.
There, leaning against the wall opposite him, was a not so very happy Twi'lek.
'Crap. What did I do this time?' He though, tensing slightly as Hera's eyes narrowed and she pushed herself off the wall. 'And why did I sense her annoyance sooner?'
She stopped just in front of him, hands on her hips. "Ezra. Training."
Two words. Two words and she'd managed to give him a headache.
Ezra was once again eyeing the droids, lips pressed together and arms crossed as he thought. His little talk with Hera had distracted him from his insane idea but now that he was staring at them again it came back.
He frowned wishing he'd had more time to think, to plan, but–
"Can we talk about this later?" Kanan's voice followed Hera as she climbed down the ladder.
"That's fine, love," she answered, stepping back as Kanan hopped off the ladder after her. "But we will discuss it."
Ezra raised a brow, eyes flicking from Kanan who stood stiffly, arms crossed and almost scowling, to Hera whose lips were pursed and hands formed loose fists on her hips. They didn't look happy and it almost looked like. . .
'Like Kanan got scolded.'
A series of beeps and whistles from the R2 unit kept Ezra from laughing at the thought of the Twi'lek woman scolding the much larger man like a young child.
"Oh, right." Sabine straightened at R2's reminder and turned to the others. "This R2 says its real mission was to make sure the T-7s never reached the Empire, and that its master will pay handsomely for their return."
Kanan rubbed his chin as he looked the droids over. "I'll think about it."
Zeb glared at the floor. He knew Kanan had already made up his mind.
"So we're not selling the droids, but we're selling the T-7s?" He gestured at the crates and shook his head. "We don't even know who Vizago's buyer is."
"We know it's not the Empire," Kanan answered. "And I already made a deal with Vizago. So let's get these crates off the boat."
Following his own orders he grabbed the handle of the nearest lifter trolley and started pushing it down the ramp. Ezra glanced around as he followed Kanan, ignoring the still seething Lasat next him. The area they were headed to was encircled by several of the large stone spires common to Lothal and did a good job of keeping the clearing inside hidden from passing eyes.
Once everything had been offloaded Ezra leaned against a land speeder, head cocked as he watched a Devaronian lift one of the T-7s from a crate.
"Oh, I can make some beautiful music with these," the man purred, examining the weapon.
"They're not that kind of instrument!" Zeb shouted from his spot as far from T-7s as he could get while still being part of the group. Vizago scoffed.
"You just have to know how to play them. And how to play those who want to buy them." He smiled, though it was more of a leer, as he gestured between himself and Kanan.
"You have to buy them from us first," Ezra cut in, crossing his arms. Ezra knew the man's type. Seen it, dealt with, been cheated by it. Everything about the man, from his scars to the piercings to the armor accented clothing, said the Devaronian was black market and black hearted through and through. Even if he had never opened his mouth Ezra knew this 'Vizago' cared about one thing and one thing only: money.
Kanan gave him a look, warning him to stay silent, but Vizago just let out a laugh as he stared Ezra up and down. The kid was rough and from the way he was glaring at him, Vizago knew he'd had dealings with the black market before. His smile widened.
"Finally," the arms dealer exclaimed. "Someone on your crew who understands business."
He poked Kanan in the chest and Ezra tensed.
"Let's just get this over with," Kanan sighed, shoving the hand away.
Vizago smirked and back away, waving at his droids to hurry up. The kid's reaction told him all he needed to know: the brat had experience with people like him, how interesting.
His ears twitched and he turned, scanning the sky.
"What is this?" he murmured, looking through the T-7's scope. He inhaled sharply and spun to face the group. "You were followed!"
"That's not possible," Hera objected.
"Tell it to the Empire!" He snarled and turned to his droids. "Leave the rest. We're gone!"
He made to climb aboard his speeder but Kanan grabbed his arm.
"You haven't paid us."
"Cikatro Vizago doesn't pay for half a shipment." The Devaronian pulled his arm free and hopped onto the back of his land speeder. "And he doesn't pay for trouble with the Empire. My friends, I hope you live to bargain another day, and if you don't – Eh."
He shrugged and gave a lazy wave as his bots piloted him and a few crates of T-7s away from the exchange site and the approaching Imperials.
"Shouldn't we be going too," Sabine asked as Vizago disappeared. Kanan shook his head.
"We can't let these disruptors fall into Imperial hands," he answered, eyes narrowing as he sized up their latest problem. An Imperial ship and, as if that wasn't bad enough, hanging from it were two walkers. "Sabine, destroy the guns."
"Ha! Now you're speaking my language. I'll go get my gear." She dashed towards the Ghost. The rest of the crew followed, Kanan still shouting instructions.
"Hera, help Sabine open the crates. Zeb, Ezra, line 'em up. Meanwhile," he picked up a disruptor. "I'll deal with the walkers."
The ground shook as the walkers disconnected and opened fire. Kanan didn't waste any time in firing at the closest walker. The second was quick to retaliate firing a shot that exploded the ground in front of him and throwing him back. Kanan hit the ground hard and lay there, dazed.
"Karabast!" Zeb swore and ran over to help Kanan. Ezra followed but stopped short at a flash of green and orange.
Hera had circled part way around the 2nd walker and was firing at it with her blaster pistol, succeeding in diverting its attention away from Kanan, but making herself a target.
"Chopper, ready the ship for takeoff!" Hera yelled, running and ducking to avoid the walker's canon fire. Chopper warbled an unheard reply and zipped off for the ship passing a flabbergasted Ezra.
"Is this whole crew made of suicidal idiots?" Ezra cried, looking around for something he could use to help her. His eyes fell on the T-7 Kanan had dropped and he snatched it up, training it on the walker that was still attempting to shoot Hera.
"Yup, idiots," he growled, and pulled the trigger. He fired, the recoil from the weapon knocking him backwards. Panting, he scrambled to his feet and looked around.
Hera was dashing for the ship, talking into her wrist communicator and ordering Chopper to start calculating a jump to hyper speed. Behind her the second walker had joined the first on the ground, but so had the Imperial ship, off loading a number of troopers and one very familiar I.S.B. agent.
"You! Lasat!" Kallus bellowed, removing the weapon strapped to his back and activating it. "Face me!"
Zeb's eyes widened at the familiar sight and sound of an extended bo-rifle. The weapon of his people in the hands of an Imperial? Anger shot through him and charged forward with a snarl, extending his own bo-rifle and swinging it at the agent. They traded blows, electricity crackling at the ends of their staffs. A low sweep by Zeb brought Kallus crashing to the ground.
"Only the Honor Guard of Lasan may carry a bo-rifle!"
"I know," Kallus laughed. "I removed it from a guardsman myself."
He swiped at Zeb, who jerked back, and the fight began again.
"I was there when Lasan fell," Kallus said, backing away as Zeb stalked after him. The Lasat unaware he was being lead away from the others. "I know why you fear those disruptors. I gave the order to use them"
Zeb snarled and shot forward, anger blinding him to everything but the smirking human in front of him. Kallus ducked and dodged, biding his time. His plan had worked, the Lasat was enraged and it was only a matter of time before his form began to slip.
There it was. Kallus blocked an overhead blow and kicked out, foot driving the air out of Zeb's lungs and sending him stumbling back. Taking advantage of the Lasats' lack of balance he stabbed at him. The smell of burned hair filled the air as electricity covered the Lasat's body.
Ezra cursed as Zeb yelled in shock, eyes flicking between the fighting duo and the cluster of stormtroopers as he made his way over to Kanan. His shoulder throbbed painfully where the butt of the disruptor had pounded against him and he could feel a bruise forming, but he held onto the T-7. He wasn't about to let it go and risk a trooper picking it up.
"That fool Lasat's gonna get himself killed." Kanan grumbled, glancing at Ezra as he slid up next to him. His eyebrows shot up at the disruptor Ezra was leaning on. "Where did you get that?"
"I picked it up."
Kanan's eye twitched.
"Ok. We're ready." Sabine called, and Kanan snatched the T-7 from Ezra and dashed over, throwing it in the crate. He and Ezra pulled the lifter trolley around and shoved it at the advancing troopers. Behind them Sabine and the two droids pushed the other towards the fallen walkers.
Two explosions shook the ground, and Ezra threw himself to the ground, curling up in a ball as debris rained down. The still fighting duo was knocked off balance. Kallus regained his first and shoved the end of the bo-rifle straight into Zeb's chest.
Ezra jerked upright at a cry of pain, eyes widening at the sight of Kallus, weapon raised and ready to end Zeb's life.
"No!" Ezra screamed, throwing his hands forward as if to push the agent away.
In the back of his mind he knew it was a pointless gesture, he was too far away, but instinct had taken over and the unbelievable happened.
Ezra gapped as Agent Kallus was blown back, flying through the air and hitting the ground where he rolled until he crashed into one of the stone spires. Breathing heavily he dropped his gaze to his hands. He'd felt them connect with Kallus, felt his hands push him back with more strength then he possessed.
"Spectre-5, get the kid aboard." Kanan's voice seemed to come from far away, and his feet moved automatically as someone pulled him forward. His eyes never left his hands. They were shaking, or maybe that was him. It was hard to tell with that strange feeling still swirling inside him.
And what a feeling. He'd felt it so many times before, but never this strongly, never like this. Everything was more. He heard more, saw more, felt more. It was overwhelming, heady, and it was making him dizzy. He couldn't take it. It was too much too soon.
"Mi Cielo? Mi Cielo, calm down. It's ok, I'm right here."
That voice, that presence next to him, it was so warm and comforting. Like being held - hugged. Just like when – when that person had been alive.
His feet hit metal and he stumbled, eyes snapping open as he was dragged into the ship. The hand pulling him along let go and he staggered, leaning against the wall. He heard the door close and felt the ship takeoff as Kanan, dragging Zeb, brushed past him.
"Will he be ok?" Sabine asked and Zeb groaned weakly.
"Yeah. Thanks mate," he said as Kanan pulled him to his feet. "Appreciate the save."
"Wasn't me." At Zeb's questioning look, Kanan continued. "It was Ezra."
Zeb looked at the boy, unsure if he'd heard right. Ezra gave him a tired smile. The feeling, whatever it was, had faded and the world felt dimmer, distant. Ezra felt, not empty exactly, but cut off. That person fluttered next to him, grounding him.
"And, Ezra." Said boy tilted his head to show he was listening. "Your formal Jedi training starts tomorrow."
Ezra's smile became a little more sincere, though it slipped again at the R2 unit's whistle of surprise.
'That's right, still gotta do something with those two.' Ezra thought as Kanan helped Zeb to his cabin and Sabine and Chopper disappeared after Hera. He rubbed his temple and stared at the two droids.
"All right you two, er, follow me." The two droids gave him a questioning look but followed anyway as he lead them to the smaller loading bay.
"You wait here and you come with me." He directed C-3PO to a corner and lead R2-D2 to the other side of the room, speaking as he went. "You got a dent when you fell over from those blaster explosions. Gonna fix you up a bit, so we can get as much as possible from your owner."
Ezra picked up the needed tools and got to work, positioning himself so he could see C-3PO as he worked. He didn't trust the protocol droid, he was almost sure it was the reason the I.S.B. agent had showed up. He couldn't say for certain why, just that the special feeling he got sometimes was telling him so. He dropped his eyes to the droid in front of him, thinking.
"Listen and listen well, R2-D2," he whispered. "I know who you work for and what they're trying to do, and I think I can help."
The droid which had started to pull away, paused and the sensor that worked as its eye blinked at him. It gave a quiet chirp which Ezra took to mean, "I'm listening."
A small stack of gold credits landed in Kanan's hand and his brows rose slightly in surprise.
"That's very generous, sir."
"Well, I'm very fond of these droids," the bearded man in front of him replied, smiling at the droids.
"Then I'm glad we could return them." Kanan answered, patting the R2 unit.
"The simplest gesture of kindness can fill a galaxy with hope."
Kanan eyed the man warily. "Isn't that. . .a Jedi saying?"
"Safe travels my friend," the man answered, giving Kanan a pat on the arm.
Kanan glanced between the hand and the man it belonged to unsure what to think, but the Force wasn't warning him, just the opposite in fact. He smiled and inclined his head.
"Safe travels." He repeated and left.
The man watched him go with an amused smile.
"You didn't tell them my name."
"Of course I didn't, Senator Organa." C-3PO said, sounding both polite and insulted. "But this entire ordeal has rather stressed every one of my circuits. Permission to shut down?"
"Granted." Senator Organa said immediately, glad not to have to come up with an excuse to send him away. As useful as C-3PO was, the droid couldn't know what he was doing. He knelt next to R2-D2 "You recorded everything, old friend?"
The smaller droid beeped an affirmative.
"Good. We'll focus on the Imperials later. For now, show me what you have on your. . .rebels."
R2 whistled nervously as he downloaded his information onto the Senator's device. Hours later the Senator watched as the rebels operated, planned, and fought.
"And, Ezra, your formal Jedi training begins tomorrow." The man, Kanan he'd learned, was a Jedi – just as R2 had said. And the boy in the yellow hat apparently his new apprentice.
His hand hovered over the controls, ready to turn off the holoscreen, when a hologram flickered to life. It was the boy.
"Hello, Senator Organa. I have a proposition for you."
He was running, feet pounding a desperate pace in an attempt to keep up with his racing heart. The ground shook and he fell, crashing down only to jump right back up as screams filled the air.
Breathing hard he continued on, pushing his way past others as he ran against the crowd and toward the source of the panic. He skidded to a stop at the edge of a smoking crater and felt his blood run cold.
Beams of red light were raining down from the sky, blowing everything apart as the hit and leaving massive craters. Fire was everywhere consuming whatever hadn't been destroyed by the laser cannons. Bodies and bloody lumps lay scattered across the ground. The absolute worst though, were the screams. The screams of pain beyond anything any creature should experience.
He yelled and charged forward. His bo-rifle crackling as it swung through the air and more cries filled the air as it smashed into the cause of his people's pain.
A fresh scream joined the others and his eyes started to burn.*
Ezra shot up, heart hammering and screams ringing in his ears. He raised a shaking hand to his mouth and doubled over, stomach heaving. The images from the dream-No, Zeb's memories, faded slowly but the screams continued to echo in his ears.
"Yes, Hera," he whispered hoarsely. "I know wha-what a T-7 does to organic beings."
Author's Notes:
Update notice: It's on my profile but I'm not sure anybody actually reads those so I'm putting here. I update at least one chapter once a week, more if I have time.
Random Updates: Fall into one of two categories, 1. I managed to finish a chapter early and, 2. I decided to change/take out/add something to one of my previous chapters (this one is much more likely but won't count as my weekly update).
*I'm not a scientist but I did do some research and the way I understood the theory behind ion disruption is that it short circuits or overloads the ions. Since I'm not sure what would happen if a person's ions were disrupted, I kept it as vague as possible. If someone understands the theory better than I do, please feel free to message me and I'll do what I can to rewrite it more accurately.
The scene I wrote about during Ezra's 'vision' for the droids came from (in order) The Phantom Menace (the first 2), Revenge of the Sith, and A New Hope.