Hey all! I recently did a re-watch of the Star Wars: Rebels series, and during S03E11 - Visions and Voices, I wondered what would have happened if Ezra was the one possessed instead of Sabine? Well, this fic (hopefully) answers that question and provides an alternative take on that episode. As always, read, comment, rate, but overall, enjoy!
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Star Wars: Rebels and all characters portrayed are the rightful property of Dave Filoni, Simon Kinberg, Carrie Beck LucasFilm Animation, and Disney. I make no money from this submission
"What do you think they're doing in there?" Sabine asked, peering around the rock to look into the maw of the cave. She hadn't seen the two enter, but she knew that Ezra and Maul were in there. The tracker she had planted led straight into its dark depths.
"Whatever it is," Kanan said. "I doubt that it's any good, for Ezra or for us." The Jedi stood with his arms crossed, and with the mask covering, Sabine couldn't tell what he was thinking. Still, she thought there was a note of unease in his voice. Even just standing there, he seemed more tense than usual.
"We aren't just going to let him do . . . whatever this is, right?" Sabine shifted unconsciously from foot to foot. When they'd first got here, she had wanted to rush in and put a stop to Maul and his plans; Kanan had convinced her that not knowing what those plans were put them at a disadvantage. Still, the urge to go and help Ezra was strong in Sabine. "There's no way we can trust Maul," she finished.
"We don't trust Maul," Kanan said. "But Ezra seems like the one person he doesn't wanna hurt. He'll be fine." But he shifted where he stood as well, his head swinging towards the cave entrance, and Sabine got the feeling that he was looking at more than she could see, blind or not.
"I still think we should just go in and stop him!" Sabine growled. She realized she was gripping her blasters hard enough that her knuckles ached, and forced herself to let go.
Kanan shook his head. "That's a good way to get Ezra hurt, or worse. This is the best place for us. That way, whatever Maul's planning, we're going to make sure that we're right here to . . . " Kanan suddenly trailed off, standing up rigidly and dropping his arms to his sides.
"What is it?" Sabine was instantly alert; she may not have much of a connection to the Force, but she'd learned a long time ago to trust in Kanan.
"Trouble."
Even before the word was out of his mouth, the Jedi was taking off at a dead sprint, and Sabine was hardly any slower. Together, they barreled into the cave, and were soon swallowed by darkness. Wait, why is it dark? Sabine wondered. She could have sworn that she'd seen lights flickering in the cave's depths a moment ago. She shook off the thought, concentrating on keeping pace with Kanan in the dark. She couldn't concern herself with any of that. All that mattered was getting to Ezra and making sure he was safe. She suddenly spotted a soft, sickly green glow up ahead, and voices reached her ears.
"The price is our flesh and blood." That was clearly Maul. Sabine could never forget that soft, low voice. "Don't let them touch you!"
"Now you tell me?"
They rounded a corner, and her eyes immediately locked onto Ezra, standing in the middle of an open space before some kind of altar with Maul beside him. Panic raced through Sabine hearing the borderline panic in his voice, and she tried to race ahead; she was stopped when Kanan pulled up short, the man physically barring her from moving on, and she silently raged against him, willing him to move out of her way.
"Ezra!" Kanan called.
"Pay our due!"
Sabine's skin prickled at the eerie, whispering howl, and turning her head, she saw the glowing green forms hanging suspended over empty air for the first time. They moved unnaturally, writhing in midair as if they weren't used to having forms, even ethereal ones, but that wasn't what made her eyes open wide and her blood run cold. Even without having a connection to the Force, she could feel these entities beyond her physical senses; what she felt was cold, unyielding wrath, and a hunger that would never be sated. 'Evil' was a word Sabine had always reserved for the worst of the worst, like the Empire, but standing here, looking into those glowing eyes, she couldn't think of a better word for these apparitions.
"Kanan! Sabine! Stay back!"
Hearing Ezra call her name instantly snapped Sabine back to reality, and before she knew it, her blasters were in hand. Trying to quash her fear and revulsion, she charged forward, barely aware than Kanan was doing the same. She sent bolt after bolt toward the glowing green forms, ignoring the part of her brain that told her it was useless. Indeed, her bolts passed right through it, not even slowing the thing down as it swooped to the ground. Dry, ghostly laughter seemed to echo in Sabine's ears as it stretched a clawed hand toward her, reaching, grabbing for her. Panic surged through the Mandalorian, the fear of something visceral that she could not comprehend or fathom. She felt the crushing weight of terror pressing down on her as it stumbled toward her, and she squeezed her eyes shut in a vain attempt to block it out. Sabine convulsively squeezed the triggers of her useless blasters, the only thing that came to her mind, and she heard a new sound that she distantly recognized as her own screaming.
Am I about to die? Sabine thought frantically. Her thoughts slid through her mind faster than she could fully comprehend. I can't die here, today. I don't want to die. Sabine felt icy, incorporeal fingers brush against her face. She was still screaming, still working her blasters in a futile gesture. Ezra . . . I never told him that I . . .
"Sabine!"
Something slammed into her, and she tumbled to the side. Sabine landed hard on the cave floor, the impact driving the air out of her lungs and knocking her blasters from her hands. Spots danced in her eyes, and she blinked desperately to try and clear her vision. When it did, Sabine looked up, and a new scream ripped from her throat.
"No!"
The ghostly hands that had been reaching for her were now latched onto Ezra's face, the young man standing in her place. He convulsed at the touch, arms flung out wide in obvious pain, and then the ghost was sinking into him, crawling inside like some horrific insect. Sabine threw out her hand, helpless to stop it. She was distantly aware of the second ghost placing hands on Kanan, disappearing into him in the same manner, but she only had eyes for Ezra. Eyes closed, he slumped for an instant, before straightening and moving toward the altar, followed closely by the older man. Both moved with the same unnatural, fluid movements of long disuse, before turning and kneeling before the stone slab.
"Ezra?" Sabine said cautiously. Standing, she scooped up her blasters from where they lay on the ground and stepped forward. Neither of her friends moved except to sway lightly. Sabine's heart thundered in her chest and she breathed raggedly, the only sounds in the cave. She couldn't shake the eerie sense of dread she felt, or the feeling that something was terribly wrong. She took a step toward the two of them, raising her hand to - .
"Do not touch them!"
Sabine jumped at the sound of Maul's voice. She had completely forgotten that the other man was there. Despite the hatred she felt for him personally, a part of Sabine was relieved that he was there; Maul was something familiar that grounded an unfamiliar situation. All the same, rage filled her and she raised her blasters to point at the Dathomirian.
"What happened to them? What did you do to them, Maul?"
Maul opened his mouth, maybe to answer, maybe to deliver more of his dry sarcasm; his eyes suddenly flitted to look past her, and Sabine felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Looking back, she saw Kanan and Ezra standing once again. Kanan raised a hand and removed the mask from his face, and Sabine gasped as he opened glowing green eyes. The Jedi suddenly rushed past Sabine to engage with Maul, both of their lightsabers igniting at almost the same instant. Sabine spared a glance at the two men fighting, taking note that, at least to her, Kanan didn't seem to fight with the elegance and skill that he normally did, but she immediately turned back to face Ezra. She was just in time to see him open his eyes as well, eyes filled with the same green energy as Kanan's, and her heart filled with dread.
"Ezra, what - "
Sabine was barely able to duck underneath the lightsaber that was suddenly in his hand and swinging in a tight arc for her neck. For a brief instant, she felt the humming energy as it passed centimeters from her face. Stumbling, Sabine backed up, instinctively raising her weapons and firing before she could stop herself. A wordless cry escaped her lips, but Ezra effortlessly blocked the bolts before advancing toward her.
Gritting her teeth, Sabine began to work her blasters as she backed away. She carefully checked her aim; she didn't actually want to hit him, but blocking her shots slowed him down and kept him at a distance while her mind raced. She knew enough to recognize that Ezra was possessed, somehow, even if she didn't quite understand how, and she had no idea how to reverse it. Fighting Ezra in earnest was out of the question; even if she could get in close with his lightsaber, just the thought of intentionally hurting him twisted Sabine's gut and wrenched her heart. The only thing that came to mind was - .
Maul!
Risking a glance over her shoulder, Sabine saw the former Sith still fighting with Kanan, the two of them exchanging strikes. She was surprised to see that Maul didn't seem interested in fighting in earnest either, merely blocking the Jedi's awkward attempts at reaching him. Suddenly, Maul extended his hand, using the Force to shove Kanan stumbling backwards, before turning and running back toward the cave entrance. Sabine growled, turning just in time to dodge away from a strike that surely would have sliced off one of her arms, before she herself turned and chased after him. She thought even less of Maul than she did the empire, but she did trust him to know a way to save himself from this mess. Her heart wrenched leaving Ezra behind, but . . . No, I'm not leaving him behind, she thought fiercely. I'm going to come back for you!
She both heard and felt Ezra and Kanan - the things inside of Ezra and Kanan - chasing close behind her. Their rasping breaths and distorted laughter pounded in her ears alongside her thundering heartbeat, but it was the evil, unnatural auras, full of malice and hatred and hunger that assured her they were in hot pursuit. She imagined she could feel invisible fingers brushing against her neck, making her hair stand on end and sending shivers throughout her entire body. She tried not to think about what those things would do if they caught her, if she wasn't fast enough to outrun them; even worse than the images that rose unbidden in her mind was the thought that it would be Ezra's body doing those things. Sabine choked back a ragged sob, and forced herself to focus on the here and now.
Maul will know what to do. The thought left a sour taste in her mouth, but she blocked it out. Maul did this, and he can undo it.
Sabine made herself run faster, harder, pushed by the mad cackling of those things. The cave features sped by in a blur, and Sabine realized it was partly due to tears streaming from her eyes; it was the first time she was aware that she was crying. She felt a lightsaber vwoom behind her, passing close enough for her to feel its heat, and she half-turned, firing blindly, wildly, in an attempt to force some space between them. Rasping, mocking laughter answered her. Sabine stumbled suddenly, arms flinging wide and legs working uselessly to stop her fall. She heard her weapons clatter to the ground before she herself hit, breath leaving her in a rush of wind. Fighting to draw in air, she twisted, raising a hand to shield herself, a futile attempt she knew, but it was the only - .
The blow never came, and through her tears, Sabine saw Ezra and Kanan just - standing there. They were both well within striking distance, a clear space between them and her, but they made no move to close. They simply stood there in the shadows, their lightsabers and their eyes glowing in the darkness. Confused, she started to get to her feet, her arms and legs trembling after running so hard. Why aren't they - .
"So, you survived?"
Sabine jumped at the voice, whirling around to face Maul. Despite focusing on following his lead, she'd been so shaken that she'd almost forgotten about him, again. She was doubly surprised to find him standing only a few feet behind her; she had been sure he would've been long gone trying to save his own hide.
"Why . . . " Sabine had to stop to swallow; her throat felt raw as she sucked in air. "Wait, why aren't they coming after us?"
"The altar is the source of their power," Maul sighed. He sounded exacerbated, as if he was annoyed at having to explain anything to her. "They cannot venture beyond the cave." Indeed, as he spoke, both Kanan and Ezra began walking backwards into the cave, melting back into the shadows. For a time, only their eyes remained visible, tiny pinpricks of otherworldly energy; soon, those too vanished into the darkness.
"It is unfortunate about your friends, Sabine," Maul continued, and an angry note broke into his voice. "Especially unfortunate is the loss of my apprentice."
"He was not your apprentice, Maul!" Sabine screamed. "He was my . . . my friend!"
"And now, he belongs to the Nightsisters," Maul replied placidly. He gazed into the cave depths unconcernedly. "As does his so-called 'master.'"
Angrily, Sabine snatched up one of her blasters and leveled it at him. Her whole body trembled, but her aim never wavered.
"Tell me how to save him!" She said. After a moment, she blinked, and said, "Them! How do I save them?"
Maul showed no fear or concern at having a blaster pointed centimeters away from his face. Calmly, the Dathomirian raised a hand and gently pushed the weapon aside before addressing her again.
"The Nightsisters will not part with them easily. But you're welcome to try, for all the good it will do." In that same placid, stately manner, he turned and began walking back to his ship.
"Hey! Aren't you going to help?" Sabine was once again aiming at Maul, and this time, the blaster did shake. She told herself it was out of anger, not fear.
"I have no interest in your fool's errand, girl," he called over his shoulder, giving her a dismissive wave. "I have the answer I seek: my future lies on a planet with two suns." As he walked, he began to laugh, the sound tinged with edges of mania.
Sabine considered shooting him in the back, just on principle, but after a moment of internal struggle, she let her weapon fall to her side. As much as it galled her to admit, even to herself, she wouldn't be able to defeat Maul by herself, and she didn't have time to waste on him. Turning back to face the cave, Sabine considered her options: if she returned to Chopper Base, she could regroup and gather intel, make a plan, then return in force to save Ezra. But, there was no telling what could've happened to him by then. She had no idea what being possessed would do to Ezra, and he could be dead by the time she returned with reinforcements. So that would leave . . .
Sabine couldn't help but swallow as she looked into the looming cave mouth. It seemed somehow deeper and darker, sinking into an infinite void, and she imagined that she could see the twin pairs of glowing eyes staring hungrily at her from its depths. Taking a deep breath, she stooped to pick up her second blaster, and strode purposefully into the cave. She tried not to imagine the entrance was an open mouth, jaws open wide to swallow her whole. She had to do whatever she could to save Ezra. And Kanan! She thought after a moment.
In the darkness, Sabine turned constantly this way and that, blasters raised, trying to scan all around her at once. At the same time, her mind raced as she tried to to come up with a plan. Maul said that their power came from that altar, she thought. And they didn't follow me outside of the cave, so they have to stay close to it. So, maybe if I can get them outside, then - .
"You're unwise to re-enter our sanctum!"
Instinct more than conscious thought made Sabine throw herself forward, tucking her shoulder and rolling. She heard and felt a lightsaber vroom behind her, roughly where her head would have been, before coming back to her feet, spinning with blasters raised to find . . .
Ezra!
For a moment, Sabine thought he was back to his regular self; the young man stood before her, smiling, the glow of his ignited lightsaber revealing his high-collared orange and yellow tunic and brown pants, his copper skin and black hair. The only thing that shattered the illusion was his eyes, pulsing sickly green instead of deep, clear blue, with whispy smoke seeming to trail out of the corners. Those eyes twisted his smile into a sadistic snarl.
"Ezra!" Sabine began. "Ezra, please - ."
"Your friend belongs to us, girl!" The thing inside of Ezra hissed at her. It slashed Ezra's lightsaber in front of him, making Sabine stagger backward out of the way. "You'll all belong to us now!"
Ezra's lightsaber swung for Sabine's neck, and she was forced to dodge backwards once again. She fired her blasters, ignoring the part of her mind screaming that she was shooting at her friend, but the bolts bounced harmlessly off of the blade as it swung effortlessly. There was nothing for Sabine to do except keep firing, keep the thing inside of Ezra occupied with blocking her shots instead of attacking her while she tried to come up with a plan. If she had any hope of getting it outside of the cave to free Ezra, first she needed to take away its lightsaber; she was confident that she could handle Ezra and the thing inside of him without his Jedi weapon. She just hoped that she was right about getting it away from the altar.
The thing inside of Ezra lunged suddenly, reaching for her with a clawed hand as much as the lightsaber, and Sabine was forced to leap to the side to avoid being tackled. She rolled hard, hitting a stone and stumbling awkwardly to her feet. Hastily, she turned and fired again, catching the thing inside of Ezra just before it had a chance to jump at her again. Maybe if I try to stun him . . .
Sabine turned and ran hard toward a wall, feeling the thing inside of Ezra chase after her. At the last second, she jumped, planted a foot on the wall, and vaulted straight back in a tight back-flip. She had a brief glimpse as the thing inside of Ezra snarled, trying to reach for her as she fell. She landed, pivoted smoothly, and was rewarded with a view of Ezra's unprotected back. With a sense of victory, she fired two stun bolts.
Victory died as the thing inside of Ezra turned with inhuman, almost liquid speed and slashed them out of the air. Cackling wildly, it sped toward her, and Sabine fumbled to reset her blasters. She backed away, resuming her fire to keep it at bay.
This isn't working! Sabine thought angrily. As long as it had Ezra's lightsaber, she was forced to play defense and couldn't get in close. She would never be able to get Ezra outside at this rate without something to even her odds. What I wouldn't give for a pair of vambraces . . . Sabine took a step backward and - .
- and suddenly, she knew her luck had run out; a loose stone rolled out from under her, sending her foot skidding sideways and her arms pinwheeling. Crowing with triumph, the thing inside of Ezra seized her by the breastplate and hurled her with unnatural strength. Sabine sailed across the room, taking at once mere seconds and an eternity, and struck a wall with tremendous force. Her whole body rang with pain, vision flashing and sparking, and she distantly felt her blasters clatter out of her outstretched hands. As she desperately tried to regain her breath, she heard the dry, rasping laughter that seemed to claw at her ears.
"You're ours now, girl!"
Through blurred, teary eyes, Sabine saw the glow of Ezra's lightsaber advance toward her, swing for her, and she scrambled sideways along the wall on all fours. Sparks flew as the green blade connected with the ground millimeters from her feet, accompanied by that awful laughter. The thing inside of Ezra was clearly toying with her, taking its time to have whatever it considered as fun. Sabine's hands searched behind her, clawing for something - anything - she could use to fend it off. In the meantime, her thoughts raced furiously, distantly.
This is it, she thought. I'm going to die here, in this cave. I'm going to die at Ezra's hand while that thing uses his body. Still her hands searched behind her frantically; some part of her, the warrior part, still fought for her to live, even as her thoughts turned to her death. Why didn't I ever tell Ezra how I - .
Sabine's hand closed around something, a long metallic shape that fit comfortably and oddly familiar in her hand. She didn't think, didn't consider how suited it was to defend against a lightsaber. With a feral yell, she swung it in front of her at the same time that Ezra's lightsaber swung overhead at her chest. She was still going to die, but at least she would - .
Somehow, the thing came alive in her hand with an almost musical chime. Something completely black, save for a sharp, white profile sprang from the end, just in time to block the oncoming lightsaber with a static hiss! Sabine saw the bright, crashing light as the two blades connected, stopping Ezra's lightsaber just before it ended her life. Even through her blurred vision, she could tell that the thing inside of him was just as shocked as she was, but Sabine recovered quickly; grabbing Ezra's wrist, she kicked hard into his middle, simultaneously shoving him backwards and propelling her back to her feet. She scrubbed furiously to clear her vision, and saw the thing inside of Ezra clutching its middle, a murderous look on its face.
"That doesn't belong to you!" The thing snarled.
"Then take if from me, witch," Sabine retorted fiercely. She twirled the Darksaber, planting her feet with the blade upright before her. The thing inside of Ezra shrieked and rushed forward, swinging wildly like a feral animal, and Sabine met it with a confidence that surprised her.
The thing inside of Ezra hacked and slashed at her with none of the young Jedi's normal skill, for which she was immensely grateful. Still, it was all she could do to keep the green blade from reaching her. Their blades connected with the same electrical sizzle, the same flash of pulsing light, as she blocked desperately. She tried a parry, striking towards the thing inside of Ezra as it teetered off balance, and was sent stumbling back as it shoved her roughly with a clawed hand. Sabine barely got her own blade up in time to stop it from sweeping off her head.
Sabine gritted her teeth, trying to keep herself from being pushed back any further. The Darksaber felt heavy in her hands, dragging her down and making her reactions sluggish. She staggered into a stone wall, threw herself to the side to avoid a vicious slash. Wobbling to her feet, Sabine looked behind the thing inside of Ezra, seeing the light from the mouth of the cave, so tantalizingly close, and yet so far away. At the rate this fight was going, she would never . . .
No!
Sabine felt something spark within her, and her grip tightened on the Darksaber's hilt. She didn't even notice that the blade was suddenly lighter than before. She dashed forward, straight towards the thing inside of Ezra as it swung its lightsaber for her. She blocked its strike with one hand, balled her other into a tight fist and struck with all her strength. She felt a pang in her chest as she connected with Ezra's face, but . . .
It isn't Ezra, she told herself furiously. It's not him!
The thing inside of Ezra reeled from her blow, screaming in pain and anger, and in that moment, Sabine struck again, aiming a slash that sent its lightsaber clattering out of its hand. Before it had a chance to recover, she threw herself at it, deactivating the Darksaber and throwing her shoulder into its middle. Off balance, its feet left the ground, and Sabine carried it easily as she raced toward the entrance as fast as she could. Sabine felt the thing inside of Ezra beating and clawing at her back, squirming and twisting in an attempt to break free. She wrapped her arms around it tighter, fighting to hold on until . . .
Sabine was suddenly stumbling into the open and she pitched forward, dumping the thing inside of Ezra onto the ground just outside of the cave.
"No! You cannot destroy us!" It raged, thrashing wildly on the ground. As it stood up, something erupted from Ezra's chest, something the pulsed with the same sickly green energy she'd seen in his eyes as they fought. It flew out of Ezra's body entirely, trailing smoke behind it as it disappeared into the depths of the cave. Sabine heard its laughter echo behind it, as well as its final words. "You will never save your friends!"
Sabine stared after the departing apparition, even after it disappeared completely out of her sight. A fit of coughing caught her attention and she turned to see Ezra sitting there.
"Sabine?" He croaked. His blue eyes looked up at her, and it was the most beautiful sight she'd ever seen. "Wh-what happened?"
"Ezra!" She barely restrained herself from pulling him into a tight embrace. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah, I'm good," he groaned, climbing to his feet. "But they still got Kanan. How do we get him back?"
"Maul told me that they were tied to that altar. I thought that getting you away from it - "
"Or maybe if we destroyed it entirely," he mused. He frowned suddenly, fumbling at his belt. "Wait, where's my lightsaber?"
"Still in the cave," Sabine answered. "I kinda disarmed you during out fight."
Ezra looked at her appraisingly, and Sabine felt herself blush. She coughed and turned her face away, brushing her hair behind her ear.
"Can I borrow that?"
Sabine blinked, following Ezra's pointing finger to the Darksaber in her hands. She barely hesitated before handing the weapon over to him.
"I'll be right back," he said, turning towards the cave again. "Do not go back in there!" And then, he was gone, racing back into the dark depths.
For long minutes, Sabine waited at the cave entrance, fidgeting and wrestling with indecision. Part of her knew that, against Kanan, there wasn't much she could do without her weapons, even if the thing inside of him couldn't access his full power. Still, she wanted to do something - anything - to help Ezra. And he'd told her to stay here, which meant that he had some sort of plan. Still, the thought of him facing those things along, fighting against Kanan alone, made her feel sick. She found herself pacing, and forced herself to stop. But that uneasiness wouldn't go away, and unconsciously, she started pacing again. She wanted more than anything to rush back in, weapons or no, and help any way that she could. I just want to be with Ezra.
The thought jolted her, and she stopped dead, the thought echoing in her mind. She shook her head. She wanted both of them, her friends, to be safe, she was worried about both of them, of course. And yet . . .
I want Ezra to be here with me.
Why was it only Ezra's face that kept leaping into her thoughts, flooding her mind? And why did those images fill her with so much warmth? She remembered how panicked she'd been rushing into the cave, seeing him in danger; rational thought had fled, and in its place, there had only been one thing in her head, one single, forlorn thought that she'd never told him. What? She thought to herself. What was it I wanted to . . .
There was a sudden realization within Sabine, and it shocked her to her core. It was something that had been lurking in the back of her mind this whole time, something so simple and yet so obvious. She didn't even want to deny it, it made so much sense. I - .
Sabine jumped at a sudden shrieking inside the cave, distant, and yet clear to her. In spite of his words to her, Sabine was suddenly running, charging back into the darkness. Images flashed through her mind, terrible images of Ezra in pain, in danger, of Ezra needing her. It only made her run harder, pushing through the physical strain that running brought so soon after her recent fight. She just desperately wanted to - .
"Kanan! I'm here!" Ezra's voice pulled her up short, skidding to a halt.
"This is the last time we're working with Maul," she heard the Jedi say, panting slightly.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Sabine stepped forward into the relative light of the cavern. "I sure hope so," she said, trying to force casualness into her voice.
"Sabine," Ezra sounded frustrated. "I told you to stay outside."
"Hey, I've never listened to you before." Could they hear how loudly her heart was beating? "Why start now?"
"Well? Was it worth it?" Kanan asked as Ezra helped him to his feet. "Did you find out what you wanted to know?"
The two men kept talking, but their voices faded to a droning buzz to Sabine. Everything faded to her, except for Ezra, her friend. It was all so simple, how had she never seen it before?
Ezra Bridger, she thought, feeling contentment spread through her body. I love you.
To Be Concluded