1 | Star Wars Rebels: Fallen Hope: My Only Jedi

Part 15

Utharis, 1732, 3275 LY

     Two people, a Twi'lek and a human male, ran through the halls of the Imperial base. It was a small, barely-guarded base near Ach-To; it provided supplies needed to get back to Atollon and a little further. But as they were close to the Ghost, a cloaked figure in gray and black headed over to them, holding something in his hand. 

     Two amethyst blades ignited across from each other, and four scarlet blades activated, making a six-sided lightsaber. ''What in the blazes is that?'' breathed Ezra, shock and confusion in his aura and on his face. Kanera looked like she was going to pass out. ''Kana,'' he whispered, ''take the supplies to the Ghost. Don't come back.''

     As Ezra watched Kanera leave, he ignited his lightsaber, the green blade springing to life with its familiar snap-hiss. One against six. His odds of surviving were slim to none. Whatever happened, Kanera would live. He had to make sure she lived. Even if it meant he had to put himself under a lightsaber blade for her. He couldn't let her die; it would devastate Kanan. 

     Knowing this would end badly, Ezra engaged the new Sith Inquisitor. As he slid away from the human male, a blue Twi'lek girl came running up, her simple yet elegant lightsaber hilt in her hand. Sighing, he knew he should have expected this. Kanera was headstrong and wouldn't give up. She was a lot like him, actually. That was the bad part. 

     Kanera pressed the activation button, a brilliant orange blade igniting to life. Ezra gasped because he didn't know that color existed. He hadn't seen her lightsaber yet. ''Master and Padawan,'' the Corellian male growled, eyes twinkling. ''Rare. My Master will be pleased.''

     ''Tell your Master to kiss it,'' Kanera hissed, engaging him without Ezra. Cursing, the other Padawan brought his lightsaber to meet one of the purple blades. He pushed Kanera away from him as he used the Force to jump back. Kanera hit the floor, her head turned away. Ezra flung his arm out, using the Force to create a bright light, temporarily blinding the Inquisitor. 

     ''Come on!'' he shouted, grabbing Kanera. Extinguishing his lightsaber, Ezra made a run for the Ghost. Kanera put her lightsaber away, and jumped on the ship. Ezra jumped, turning around to find the Inquisitor recovering and ticked. He hoped to never see that guy again. 

     Looking back at Ezzy, Kanera felt confused. What had he just done? How did he blind that guy? Who was that guy in the first place? How did he have so many lightsabers? The questions raced through her mind, but she didn't say a word as the two apprentices stood there, still dazed. 

     After a little while, Ezzy turned to Kanera, electric blue eyes boring into her. ''Say something, Kana.'' he growled. Kana looked at him, taken aback. What did he mean? What was he talking about? ''I know you want to say something about what I did, so say it. Please.''

     ''Kanan wouldn't approve,'' Kanera growled, causing Ezra to look taken aback. ''What you did back there. Kanan wouldn't approve.''

     Ezra growled, ''Maybe not of what I did. But he would approve of why.'' His voice began to raise a little bit. ''You don't get it, do you? Everything I do is to protect everyone I care about. You wouldn't understand because you've never had to lead before.'' 

     Kanera frowned, glaring at him. ''You think I don't understand what it feels like to want to protect those I care about? You're wrong, Ezzy. I have felt that way, and I also know what it feels like to not be able to protect anyone. To feel helpless. But there were other methods, other ways to protect people.''

     ''No, there wasn't, Kana,'' he argued. ''I did what I had to do before one of us died.'' Ezra smacked a hand against the wall, then turned back to Kanera, eyes blazing. ''I'm not the person you see in me. I'm not the person Kanan wants me to be. I want to be the Jedi everyone thinks I can be, but I'm not. I have a darkness inside of me that sometimes overpowers me.''

     Staring into his eyes, she whispered, ''We can get through this together, Ezzy. I'm not giving up on you.''

     ''I already have. And you should, too,'' growled Ezra, turning away. 

     ''No,'' she breathed.

     ''Yes!'' he snarled, shoving her roughly into the wall. Surprised, Kanera stumbled, her back fetching against something. She only had a millisecond to react. She barely found a handhold in the doorway before the airlock opened, a fierce wind tugging roughly at her legs.

     Terrified yet horrified at the same time, Kanera looked to Ezra who managed to grab the bulkhead before the door had opened. Fear and regret filled his expression, the regret aimed towards himself. She was scared for her life. Why did he do this? Was it the darkness he had spoke of? It must have been. This wasn't normal, none of it. 

     Kanera's fingers were slipping. Terrified, she shouted, ''Ezzy!'' 

     ''Kana, I've got you!''

     Her pinkie slipped. ''Ezra!'' she screamed, knowing she was dead as she tumbled out into the vacuum of space. ''Help!'' As she was tumbling, she felt an invisible grip grab her, pulling her towards the bulkhead. Relieved, she knew it was Ezra. She gripped the bulkhead tightly, not letting go. Ezra readjusted his grip. ''Let's close it. Together.''

     ''No,'' Ezra murmured. His tone was sorrowful, regretful. ''Everything I do is to protect everyone I care about. Especially you.'' He paused, taking a shuddering breath. ''Tell Kanan I'm sorry about Malachor. Tell him I couldn't live with myself if I let his daughter die.'' Before Kanera could stop him, he deliberately let go of the bulkhead, tumbling into space.

     She screamed, ''NO!'' Kanera watched a a tear glisten a path down Ezra's fair-skinned skin that was paling quickly. The tear quickly froze over as Ezra used a stiffening hand to shut the door. The last view Kanera had of Ezra was one she'd never forget. The blue-skinned Twi'lek watched as Ezra smiled sadly, his skin crystallizing over in what she realized was the ''cold, dark, and lonely'' from her poem. The one she must have wrote using the Force. She screamed with rage and grief as the door shut for a final time to her older brother's hand. Ezra Bridger was gone.

     ''Kanera?'' Kanan muttered, running to her. She collapsed to the ground, banging her fist against it. She yelled obscenities that a drunken sailor would be envious of. She didn't notice Hera had disappeared or the prick in her neck as her lekku swung. A doctor would have deemed her dangerous to herself and anyone near her. ''Calm down!'' 

     ''It's my fault! If I hadn't had argued with him, he wouldn't have gotten mad!'' Kanera noticed she was feeling really tired all of a sudden. ''If he wouldn't have gotten mad, he wouldn't have...pushed...me...'' She trailed off, rocking unsteady on her feet.

     Hera murmured, ''It's okay. Just a sedative. I didn't want you to get hurt or hurt anyone else.'' Kanera fell deeply asleep to her mother's soothing words. 

Dang, Kanera. And Ezzy! D,: *fangirls* Okay. Ezra and Sabine or Ezra and Kanera? Just curious.