Ghost of a Smile

Epilogue / Chapter Twenty-Three

Over Nur

Everything was silent in Vader's Lambda-Class shuttle, except the rumble of the engines, until the pilot screamed, "We're being boarded!" and the other yelled, "They came out of nowhere!"

One of the stormtroopers, whose intellect was bigger than his human decency, grabbed Ezra by the neck and hauled him in front of the trooper as a living shield. Ezra knew who was boarding the ship, he could feel Kanan's and Sevrina's presence right outside the shuttle. His lips curled upward. His body shook. Ezra took two steps behind him. Into the trooper, or rather, through the trooper.

Ezra wished the trooper wasn't wearing his bucket so Ezra could see his shock as he whipped around, but that childish want was expunged quickly as Ezra threw up his fist into the trooper's chin. The man collapsed. The other troopers stopped aiming at the door and aimed at him. With a thought, their blasters were ripped from their hands and thrown to the floor. And with a wave of his own hand, Ezra made the troopers fall asleep.

The pilots looked back at him with fear, they were frozen.

"You're going to want to turn on the auto pilot, guys." Ezra smirked at them. They nodded and turned it on before falling asleep themselves. The docking door flew open and a familiar mandalorian somersaulted into the room blasters at the ready.

"I surrender." He put his hands up and grinned for the first time in a month. When she saw he was the only one left standing, Sabine put the blasters away and threw her arms around her friend.

"I take it you missed me." Ezra laughed.

Sabine rapidly removed her arms from Ezra and pushed him in the chest, "Uh, no. I just owed you for saving me. Clearly." But her words meant nothing, they were unbearably sarcastic. "Come on, everyone else is on the ship waiting to see you again." They walked onto the Ghost together.

Hera, Kanan, Zeb, and even Kallus and Chopper were right on the other side of the airlock, waiting to see him. They all took turns hugging and laughing, relieved the family was together again... plus Kallus.

"How did you find the shuttle?" Ezra finally asked.

"We can't take all the credit, Ezra," Kanan said, "your friend somehow knew exactly where you were."

"Friend?" Ezra didn't know who he was talking about, then he remembered feeling Sevrina close by and looked up, there she was. Waiting patiently for the Phoenix Squad to get all their reunions out of the way, the pale, dark haired girl had only gotten paler after her month in prison, but since the last time Ezra saw her, she had cleaned up and, to Ezra, she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

He walked up to her, "Thanks for saving me, Sevrina."

She understood right away. She beamed at him and shrugged, "How could I not?"

They embraced with Ezra facing his family. All they saw was a boy with his eyes closed in contentment and a ghost of a smile dancing on his lips.

******

Vader walked the darkened halls of his castle with purpose in his stride. After the explosion that leveled the Fortress Inquisitorius, he had called his castle and demanded a shuttle to come and pick him up. That was when he was informed the shuttle he had Bridger in had been ambushed, boarded, and the boy had escaped.

It was a bad day for Vader. That usually meant it was a bad day for everyone around Vader. But this time, Vader had no time to work his anger out on his own people, he had an Emperor to call. He reached his room and activated the hologram. Kneeling before it as he awaited his master.

The blue form of Emperor Palpatine sparked to life in front of him. "Get up, Vader."

Vader's stomach churned. He didn't even think his stomach could churn. But he rose and faced the Emperor. "My Master, Fortress Inquisitorius has fallen."

"I know." The Emperor's voice cut Vader worse than a lightsaber. "What... happened, Lord Vader?"

"One of the inquisitors turned, the one who could negate the ability to manipulate the Force."

The Emperor was silent, then, "We had students there at the time, didn't we?"

"Yes, my Master. Five acolytes and a captured padawan, Ezra Bridger."

"What has become of them?"

"The padawan escaped with four of the acolytes. I never saw the fifth so I assume he died in the explosion." Vader answered.

"And the traitorous inquisitor?"

"Wanted to die with his fellow inquisitors and the Fortress, he is no more."

Palpatine measured his options carefully. "Then you have a new mission, Vader."

"What must I do, Master?"

"This is not the first time the inquisitors have turned back to the light: Second Sister, Twenty-Third Brother, this incident, and apparently the very spirit of the Grand Inquisitor. The list goes on, Vader. I have determined they are not worth the effort. Find the remaining inquisitors, hunt them down, and eradicate them. And once you have destroyed the inquisitors still under our control, find the four who escaped and deal with them as well."

"And the padawan?"

"It is not your concern. Grand Admiral Thrawn will take care of young Bridger."

Vader's hatred burned at the Chiss's name. "It will be done, my Master."

Wow, that's it, huh? Make sure to comment if you want a sequel!