Get some meat on your bones

"if this is going to work, you need to trust us"

The mission had gone bad, really bad. At least Ezra hoped this was bad for the ghost crew, he might have to rethink his decision of joining them if this was normal.
To be fair it wasn't really the crews fault, the plan at the briefing had seemed pretty solid, even chopper had agreed, but their info had turned out to be wrong or at the very least outdated. The security system the empire had in place was much more advanced than they had been expecting and chopper had been unable to hack through, leaving Kannan and Zeb stranded outside the cargo bay doors. At that point the only entrances left available to them were a small back door that led to a hallway littered with security cameras, and the vents. So, with Hera waiting for them in the thick cloud cover, Ezra and Sabine set about the task of infiltrating the base to retrieve their target, a data chip. containing what? Ezra didn't know and if he were honest, he didn't care. The lothali boy was just determined to play his part and earn his keep,
besides, who was he to complain about being partnered up with Sabine.
As the young boy squeezed through the narrow passage way Sabine mirrored his position underneath in the hall. Wherever there was a security camera Ezra could patch into it directly through the wires and loop the video feed so to the imperials it looked like all was well, and Sabine could move forward undetected.
They had been so near the end of the hallway when things went wrong for them as well.
As he slotted the metal panel back into place, once again covering the wires, Ezra heard the older girl in the hall below him click her teeth in frustration as she cursed in mando'a over the coms.
"haar'chak!" she hissed, keeping her voice quiet "be careful kid, troopers on the way"
Ezra watched her silently slip around the corner through the slitted view of the vent cover but then he shimmied back out of sight when he had heard the familiar thuds of trooper's boots echoing in the hallway bellow. The force resonated with danger as they came to a halt just under the padawans position.
Ezra stopped, staying completely still, only moving very slowly to press his ear against the cold metal floor of the vent, listening for even the tiniest shift of movement bellow. It sounded like they were moving something around. supplies? A crate maybe? he heard the nosy clacking of armour as the troopers shifted around and he barely dared to breathe, feeling as if even the tiniest movement would alert them to his presence. He told his stupid heart to stop beating so loud, he was sure they could hear it bellow. His panic increased with every second they stayed under his position. He told himself he was being stupid, that there was no way they could know he was there. The thoughts calmed his mind and slowed his racing heart.
Ezra wondered if he would ever get used to this, being so close to the enemy, a hairs breadth away from capture. Would Sabine or Kanan be this panicked? or did the adrenalin become mundane after a while? Would this ever become the norm?
His thoughts were abruptly interrupted when the vent cover a little way in front of him bust off its fixing and a white helmet forced its way up
The sudden intrusion sent his heart racing once again, he was glad Zeb hadn't been there to hear his squeak of surprise as he rapidly twisted and pushed to turn himself around in the narrow vent. Ezra started moving forward trying to wriggle away from his pursuers when the force trilled in distress.
A white covered hand grabbed his ankle.
His captor pulled hard and he was wrenched kicking and shouting from the dark vents into the light. As he fell from his perch he hit his back against the crate the troopers had used to stand on to reach the hatch in the ceiling, knocking the breath from his lungs.
Ezra groaned as he hit the floor, his back stung and the bright light of the white hallway was a big contrast to the hardly lit vents. The sudden change was blinding, but as his eyes adjusted and the recognisable shadow of 3 Stormtroopers came into view along with the bland colourless uniform of a lieutenant. The man's rank stated in a small blue and red badge on his breast.
Ezra snapped out of his daze and scrambled to his feet but was stopped by a hand gripping hard onto his shoulder. The rough grip spun him around and he was met with the sneer of the grey clad imperial.
The man was fairly short and skinny but that didn't stop him from trying to loom above Ezra. Compared to the taller, broader and all around more imposing troopers that flanked him, the lieutenant looked rather like a child standing on his tippy toes.
"the motion sensors in those vents are a must in places like this, planets riddled with pests and vermin" he spat the words with disgust, and with a prominent glare at Ezra he added; "it seems they've done their job" his voice trilled in a thick corisontian accent and his words dripped with dark amusement as his grip tightened on Ezra's shoulder and he glared at him with a predatory smirk. "what's your name, boy?" Ezra kept his expression neutral and his lips shut. He felt a small spark of satisfaction as the accomplished sneer on the man's pale face faltered, his hollow eyes narrowing at the padawan. The lieutenant raised his voice and lent closer "what are you doing trespassing on imperial property?"
"admiring the architecture" Ezra quipped with an innocent roll of his eyes, trying to wriggle out of the man's tight grasp, but the grip held firm. Ezra reached up to claw at the man's wrist to try to pry him off when the three troopers trained their blasters on him.
Ezra allowed his neutral expression to slip for a moment as his eyes widened, he waited to see if they would shoot. The lieutenant's pale lips slid over dazzling white teeth, his mouth widening in a grimace Ezra was sure was supposed to be some sort of smile, the mans surprisingly strong grip tightening even more, the young padawan winced slightly, he was sure to have a bruise. The grey clad man leaned his thin face closer to Ezra's. Ezra wrinkled his nose at the smell of bad caf that wafted from the his breath
"I wouldn't be so cocky in your position, child" he spat, straightening up and pulling Ezra to his feet, his bruised back ached in protest "you are at the mercy of the empire". Seeming rather proud of himself, the man turned to the troopers and began barking orders. As Ezra watched the spittle fly from his thin lips he wondered how anyone could choose to be a Stormtrooper.
"you!" the lieutenant yelled, unnecessarily loud "take this back to storage" he ordered gesturing to the crate "you and you!" once again pointing his thin gloved finger "help me escort the prisoner to the detention cells" with a quick salute the white clad soldiers set about their tasks, one of them taking the crate back the way they had come and the other two coming to stand at either end of Ezra, the one behind him digging the muzzle of his blaster into Ezra's back. The lieutenant took the lead, turning the corner that Sabine had run down to hide. Sabine! He hadn't stopped to think, had they caught her as well? She must have seen what had happened, or at least heard. Did she go get the others?
Did they... leave him behind?
Just as he began to fret he spotted a small splatter of orange paint on the door frame they were approaching.
He knew Sabine was trying to tell him something but what?
The lieutenant paused at the doors, taking a moment to scowl at the splodge of paint, but began to move on, thinking nothing more of it. Imperials had never been the brightest stars in the sky.
As soon as he and the first trooper had stepped through the door frame the durasteel door whisked closed with a hiss.
There was the sound of fists colliding and blaster fire as Sabine took out the unsuspecting imperials with deadly efficiency and Ezra let himself find satisfaction in the sounds of connecting punches he could make out through the door.
Before he could hear anymore though, a bolt of plasma zipped past and narrowly missed his shoulder and he whipped round to face his attacker.
He still had the second trooper to deal with. Trying not to panic, he pulled back a shot from the sling on his forearm he fired twice, the first yellow bolt hitting the soldier on his chest plate, doing nothing more than making him stumble back a few paces, but the second shot was lucky and slipped right in the unarmoured junction between the trooper's neck and shoulders. The imp stood for a second, twitching, and then collapsed to the ground.
Ezra let out a breath he had been holding
His com crackled
"spectre 5 to spectre 6" he had always enjoyed hearing Sabine's voice before, but at this moment it was angelic "come in spectre 6"
Ezra raised the com to his mouth
"I read you spectre 5" Ezra answered, "thanks for the save" he murmured, and for once he wasn't flirting
Ezra could almost hear Sabine roll her eyes as she replied
"don't read too much into it, kid" she warned wryly. He supposed he deserved that. "Hera's ordered us to retreat, are there anymore bucket heads?" she asked, keeping a hushed voice.
"uh, I don't think so" he replied, unsure. The sudden thought that there could be a whole squadron of troopers about to turn the corner set his heart pounding once again but he calmed his breathing. He had learnt long ago that in these situations he didn't have time to panic. He creeped down the hallway, keeping close to the wall. As he reached the corner he slowly looked round. To his relief, the corridor was clear, the security cameras hanging limply from their struts, he smiled a little at his handy work. Ezra brought the com to his lips again "no, not that I can see"
"good, that's good" she muttered, before speaking up "now listen up, the door I just sealed closed off your path to the quick way out, your gonna have to take the long way around, luckily I think this is the only hall with cameras, all the other corridors are regularly patrolled by troopers" she stated
"oh, great" he cut in wryly but Sabine ignored him
"if you want to get out of here you're going to have to memorise these directions and then its com silence unless it's an emergency, I'm not getting caught cause I was busy blabbing away to you"
"fine with me" he agreed, a little exasperated
And with that they got to work, trying at least to save themselves from the train wreck of a mission. Sabine gave Ezra the directions and then reluctantly repeated them again. After they were sure he could get there without further help, Sabine signed off and the channel went quiet.
A strange feeling of loneliness washed over Ezra as silence once again settled into the hallway. he shook his head, pushing away the emotion like he always did. Ezra checked around the corner for imperials one last time and set into the unknown halls, repeating Sabine's words in his head. At least following directions would be simple.
******
He was so screwed.
Even if he did make it out Sabine was going to kill him for getting lost, which as unfair because it wasn't his fault the empire built everything to look the same, even at that he was sure he had followed the older girl's directions to a tee, but all that had got him was a dead end. Ezra wasn't sure whether to stay put or start looking for a way out himself.
After standing still for approximately two minutes, he quickly determined the second option would be more productive.
The white halls were insufferably dull, Ezra decided after a while of wandering, at that moment he could understand Sabine's desire to splatter her designs across them.
He never really understood graffiti, despite multiple explanations from the mandelorian whenever he brought it up. She had told him she needed to make a mark on the galaxy, to show that she was there. He supposed that's what he had trouble understanding, "leaving a mark" wasn't really his style, he preferred to fit into the background and slip into the shadows unnoticed. It was why his first few weeks on the ghost had been rough. He stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the motley band of rebels, he felt like a wrench jarred in the well-oiled machine they had once been.
Dark thoughts whispered in his head as he mused, what if she had sent him down the wrong path on purpose? What if Sabine and the others were already on the ghost, half way into hyperspace? He was surprised by the way his stomach clenched at the thought. Despite the troubles, being on the ghost was not something he'd easily give up, sure Zeb was grouchy, he irritated Sabine to no end, Kanan could be short tempered, chopper had some murderous tendencies and even Hera could be downright terrifying, but they were most certainly growing on him, he could at least admit that.
But still Ezra told himself it was the regular meals and a bed to sleep on talking when he realised the ghost was fast becoming a home for him, not the roughhousing with Zeb, or the chats with Sabine, when he wasn't irritating her too much, it wasn't because of Kannan's proud looks or Heras gentle embraces it wasn't because of any of those things that he couldn't bare the thought of leaving.
The one thing he did admit to himself however was that for all the benefits being part of the crew brought him, he was willing to put up with this strange family of rebels.
But that statement left a cold whisper in his head
Were they willing to put up with him?
******
As soon as Sabine had commed them and explained the situation Hera had called off the mission and ordered the two youngest spectres to retreat. Sabine had been out in less than ten minutes but Kanans padawan was yet to show.
"shouldn't he be out by now?" Kannan's voice was fringed with annoyance and masked worry as he stared at the door from his hiding spot in a thick clump of bushes. The colourful Mandelorian shrugged beside him, keeping low to the ground so that her bright armour didn't catch the eye of any troopers that happened to pass
"yeh, I wonder what's taking him" she muttered, more irritated than concerned. The hulking lasat on his other side blended in surprisingly well in the green foliage. Zeb gave an amused huff and rolled his eyes
"probably just got lost" he muttered wryly "maybe he saw something shiny and wandered off" the lasat crowed and Sabine sniggered
Despite their amusement Kanan felt unsure, he knew Ezra could take care of himself perfectly well, but something just felt.... off. he was so lost in his thoughts that he almost jumped out of his skin when the com buzzed
"Spe-specter 6 t-to spectre 1" Ezra's voice sounded panicked and short of breath and the sound of frantic footsteps accompanied his words "come in spectre 1!"
He grabbed his com so quickly he almost dropped it but after a little fumbling he managed to bring it to his mouth
"this is spectre 1, what in seven hells is going on spectre 6?"
******
His mud splattered boots thudded on the polished white floor as he desperately ran from the squad of Stormtroopers that thundered behind him.
He had let his concentration slip, his attention focused on dark thoughts and ungrounded suspicion, and he had walked smack into the chest plate of a trooper who was rounding the corner.
After that all there was to do was flash them an uneasy smile and a nervous laugh before he was off sprinting in the opposite direction fast as the winds of his home land.
Ezra fumbled with his com as he skid around the corner. The boy thumbed the switch and breathlessly gasped a call to Kanan. As his master answered he felt relief flood through him but it was all but washed away when he heard the older man's tone.
Kriff, was he in trouble.
"I... I've got about six troopers on my tail and- "he managed to gasp before Kanan cut him off
"WHAT? What did you do? Why are you not out here right now?"
A stun bolt hit the ground behind him
"well I was about to say" Ezra rebuked, unable to hold back a snarky reply, he heard Kanan huff in annoyance on the other end of the com. "Sabine's directions were wrong, they led me to a dead end" there was silence before Zeb voice rang through, a little fainter than Kanans
"you sure you didn't just get lost?" the lasat chided and Ezra growled in frustration
"No!, I swear! I definatly went the right way" he retorted, it was Sabine who replied this time
"well that means.... Kriff" the girl cursed and Ezra heard Kanan sigh. He hoped they didn't hear his yelp as a blaster bolt almost clipped his shoulder.
"what! What does it mean!" the com was silent for a few seconds before Kanans voice buzzed through
"it means the layout we have of the building of outdated"
Ezra groaned into the com, darting around another corner. This mission could not get worse
"it also means we have no idea where you are or how to get you out" Sabine chimed in, proving him wrong.
"WHAT!?"
"don't worry kid well think of something, just try not to panic"
the gentle tone of Kanan's voice sparked anger in his chest
"I'm not panicking! And could you think of something soon, I'm starting to get a stitch in my side"
he wasn't some little kid who needed comforting.
what he needed right now was a way out.
******
Hera was planning the many colourful words she would be using in her next talk with the informant that gave them the information for this mission as she eased the ghost slightly lower, keeping just above the dense clouds that sat low in the sky. She could see the phantom on the scanners, parked in a clump of trees a little way off from where she could see the three glowing heat signatures that were spectres 1, 4 and 5. She couldn't see through the walls of the building to pinpoint Ezra but she could make out the basic shape of the base. She scanned the drab architecture for any clues on how their newest spectre could escape.
The base itself was situated in a large forest in the north hemisphere of the planet Ansek, the stronghold looked like a callous on the vast green landscape. The trees had been abruptly cut away around its edges in a perfect clearing. The building was about five stories tall as far as she could tell just by going on the rows of perfect, characterless windows that lined the outside walls. It was a depressing view to say the least, made only more disheartening by its complete lack of a viable escape route.
No, she couldn't think like that, Ezra needed her help down there. She couldn't abandon him.
Oh, Hera had no doubts the slippery street rat wouldn't have any trouble wriggling his way out of the complex given enough time, but she could never dump him back on the streets. Not after she'd seen all his gashes and bruises, and his ribs visible enough to count. Not after they'd promised him a place on the ghost.
The thought dragged Heras mind to the memories of Ezra's first few days on the ghost, all the while her eyes scanned the stronghold. At first the small lothali boy had been unexpectedly quiet, she would hardly ever see him apart from when he had chores or the occasional glimpse of orange rounding a corner, but after a week he suddenly burst into existence.
It was like an explosion of personality and talent that finally wanted to be seen, like a river bursting its banks. Suddenly instead of keeping to the corners he was wrestling with Zeb or chasing after Sabine. Hera had seen it before. She had seen how the starved and outcast, like Ezra, would become shadows in order to survive.
She supposed his sudden outburst of personality was due to him finally being amongst friends, people who understood. Hera herself knew how scary it could be being a malnourished teen, thrown into a war you didn't start.
She let her thoughts continue to wander as she examined the screen but then jolted back to the present. She let out a small victorious laugh as she spotted the door leading out onto the roof.
"hold on Ezra, we're coming for you"
******
Ezra had managed to shake the troopers off his tail but now the whole complex was on alert, he could hear the muffled alarms through the walls.
He crouched behind some crates in the dusty storage closet, the mixed fumes of cleaning products were giving him a head-ache and the stitch in his side wasn't fading anytime soon but at least he could rest and recover his strength a little, but this also meant he was alone with his thoughts.
Kanan hadn't contacted him since, and Ezra had been arguing with himself on whether or not he had a right to be angry at them if they left him, if they decided he wasn't worth the effort. On one hand Kanan had promised him a place on the ship, promised him shelter and food, and if there was one thing he truly hated besides the empire it was people who went back on their promises, people who used him for their own means just because he was desperate enough to accept their help in the first place.
Ezra shuddered remembering the time a man had offered food in exchange for.... Well long story short Ezra had been dumped in an alleyway with not even a half-eaten ration bar for his troubles
But on the other hand, he wouldn't blame them at all. He wasn't as strong or experienced in the field as Zeb or Sabine and he couldn't even begin to fly let alone pilot a ship or even a speeder with the skill and prowess Hera could. Sure, he was force sensitive like Kanan but he wasn't a Jedi and his lessons with the older man were.... Awkward at best, at worst they would end in shouting. It's just, Ezra had so many questions that Kanan couldn't or wouldn't answer and that meant half of the time Ezra could understand the task but not the point in it. It was an endless cycle of him asking why and then Kanan would get annoyed and they'd move on, after that it was rinse and repeat, the same questions and cryptic explanations over and over until they both gave up. It wasn't that he wasn't trying his best it was just-
His thoughts were interrupted by a short burst of semi-quiet static from the coms followed by another then a long one. Hera was signalling him, using the static as a code to tell him to pick up his com link if he was free to speak. It was a way of avoiding getting your teammates caught by speaking to them abruptly.
"spectre 6 to ghost, what is it ghost?" he half whispered, aware there could be troopers just outside the thin Durasteel door
"this is ghost to spectre six, we're getting you out, get to the roof" at her order Ezra's eyes widened in confusion and surprise
"the roof? But- "he tried to protest before Hera cut him off
"spectre 6 just get there" Hera ordered
"b...but how, where do I- "he stammered before he was once again interrupted
"just head up! You'll find a door over on the right side of the complex that leads outside and then I can do a pick up, sorry kid it's the only plan we've got!"
"alright! Ok! I'll get there, somehow" Ezra replied standing with an exasperated sigh
At least his time on the streets had made him used to last resorts.
Ezra clipped the com back on his belt and stood slowly, so as not to nock anything and alert the troopers to his presence. As he rose to his feet he felt his muscles groan in protest but he simply stretched a little and ignored his aching limbs. Pressing his ear against the door he stilled, no shuffling of armour, no tread of boots. The way was clear so he palmed open the door and stepped out.
Pressing himself against the wall he made slow progress, his heart pounded in his ears and each corner forced him to hold his breath. He didn't even have a clue where to go but something in his gut led him round corners and down corridors.
It seemed like an endless routine of sidling along walls and holding his breath just to peek around corners, but the repeated routine had lured him into a false sense of security and he almost didn't register the sight of the patrol of troopers as he peeked around the corner again.
Almost instantaneously he was sprinting back down the corridor, letting the force guide his feet. He could only hope they hadn't seen hi-
"Hey you!" an unfamiliar voice called
-drat.
"Halt in the name of the empire!"
Ezra glanced round to see the troopers rounding the first corner just and he slid around the second.
For the first time in a while Ezra found himself missing Lothal. As he ran he wished for the soft earth that gave a spring to his lope and the faithful wind that always ran at his back. He was lifted out of his strange bout of homesickness when he saw the lift. To Ezra's pounding heart and aching muscles, that lift was a sight to behold.
He almost crashed into the back wall in his hurry to get in, slamming his palm on the buttons. The door closed just as the troopers rounded the corner and Ezra was so out of breath he didn't even have the energy to gloat his victory and wave at them, instead he settled for a tired but still hopefully cocky smile. Ezra was tempted to sit down right there and then but he knew that as soon as the doors opened he had to sprint. With all the running he was doing today he was sure he would need new shoes.
The doors slid open with a soft hiss and Ezra darted forward. The only coherent thought he could form was that he had to get to the roof, a soft presence in his mind stirred and nudged him in the right direction.
Soon he was at a door, but it wasn't the one to the roof. The plaque next to the entrance read "data storage" and Ezra blinked in surprise. This is where he and Sabine had been headed, it was on a completely different floor but there was no mistaking it.
It only took a moment for Ezra to make up his mind on whether to go in or continue running, it might have been seen as a stupid decision but after all the mistakes he made he needed to show the ghost crew he could be useful, or at the very least he could sell it for credits if they left him.
Palming open the door he slipped inside just as he heard more troopers round the corner. The medium sized room was filled to the brim with data chips, big and small, pilled in tall shelves that reached the ceiling. Scanning the vast sea of chips, he homed in on the identification number of their target. Just as he was sliding the small round chip out of its place on the shelve, he heard the foreboding clack of armour and blasters, signalling troopers at the door. Ezra quickly tucked the disk into his shoe and looked around frantically, the only hiding spot in the drab room was a small vent situated in the corner. He could only hope the sensors the lieutenant ha talked about were further back in the vent as he fixed the cover back into place and settled down on his back with his feet facing outwards towards the room. In this position, he couldn't see what was going on but there was more chance he could escape if they were to find him. Ezra was thankful he could at least hear whatever went on in the room.
He listened intently to the footsteps that entered through the door way, trying to judge the number of the squadron. There were about three from what he could tell. The trooper, who he guessed was the commander, shuffled around the room, seeming to look in every corner before stopping. He heard the click of a button and a com activated in a small burst of static.
"nothing to report in the data storage sir, they're not here" reported one of the troopers. Ezra's heart tightened at the news they were here searching for him and maybe even Sabine but he also felt relief settle in his chest, it sounded like they were going to leave.
"not so fast trooper, lieutenant Ker tells me the scanners are picking something up at the vent entrance in that room" Ezra froze and held his breath "check it out, if it's nothing report back to me, understood?"
A muddled chorus of 'yes sirs' filled the room before all was silent save the constant buzzing of the fluorescing lights. The sound of his own heart was loud in his ears as he listened to footsteps approach the vent. Slowly he heard the rustle of armour as the trooper bent down. He listened to the vent cover being pried off its bolts. Everything was silent for a heart beat
"hey! Theirs someone-Arg!" the troopers sentence was cut off as Ezra flung his boot into his chin. He caught the trooper at such an angle that his helmet came clean off and he sprawled back into his two companions. Ezra took the opportunity and wriggled out of the vent. He sprinted past the dazed men, stumbling a little as he turned the corner. Ezra ran as fast as he could for about the fifth time today, his muscles burned and he could taste copper but the force urged him on, giving him strength and telling him the way. Ezra was beginning to realise just how much he had actually learned from Kanan's lessons.
Silently thanking the man Ezra burst through a door and out into the open. His starved lungs drank in the fresh air gratefully and he sorely wanted to stop and rest but forced his protesting legs to keep going.
Ezra skid to a halt at the edge of the roof and looked around franticly, the troopers would be here soon. Pulling his com to his lips he activated it
"spectre 6 to ghost? Come in ghost!" he spluttered frantically, but the channel was silent.
Where was the ghost? Had he taken too long? Had they left already? Ezra gave a worried glance to the door just as the troopers opened it. His heart lurched in his chest, but just as Ezra was giving up hope, the ghost broke from the thick clouds and sped towards the troopers like a falcon towards its prey.
*****
"spectre 6 to ghost? Come in ghost!" Ezra's call threw Hera into action, she had been sitting in her seat, nerves coiled like a spring as she waited to hear from Ezra. Her fingers had tapped on the yoke impatiently as her toes curled in her boots, she had needed to do something so she had commed Kanan
His voce rang out in the cock pit now
"was that him? Is he on the roof?" Hera could have laughed at how uptight he sounded if it weren't hypocritical
"I'm getting him now" she answered briefly to Kanan before urging the ghost forward, not even sparing a moment to think about replying to Ezra.
As she broke cloud cover she spotted three stormtroopers looking rather bedraggled as they stumbled out a door way, but more importantly she spotted Ezra. Her mind set on her task she lowered the ghost down, racing into the fray, but then she noticed Ezra waving his arms, as if to ward her off. The boy then seemed to remember he had a com and snatched it off his belt. Static burst into the cock pit before she heard Ezra's voice
"Hera! Watch out!" he called and she noticed the large black barrel of an anti-air craft gun trained on her just in time to doge the smoking bolt of green plasma that streamed towards her. Yanking the yoke upwards she disappeared back into the thick clouds. Kanan's worried voice crackled over the coms
"Hera?! Are you alright" he called
"I'm fine, love" she assured with a bit of annoyance tinging her words "but what about Ezra"
The channel was unnervingly silent for a moment before Kanan spoke again
"I have a plan"
******
Ezra watched in relief and dismay as the ghost disappeared back into the clouds. He turned to the troopers who were now advancing towards him, blasters pointed forward, and froze
"put your hands up! And surrender in the name of the empire!"
Ezra stood as he was, com to his lips and the troopers stopped their advancement
"I said hands up!"
neither side made a move
"spectre 1 to spectre 6" Kanan's voice was quiet enough so only Ezra could hear
"spectre 6 to spectre 1" Ezra replied hastily, rushing through the protocol "you better have a plan or I'm bantha fodder" he hissed, trying to keep the troopers from hearing their conversation
"I do, but you're not gonna like it" he whispered back
"yeah! yeah! Whatever, I don't exactly have options!" Ezra retorted, trying to get to the point
Despite the urgency Kanan still paused
"you're going to have to jump"
Ezra was silent for a moment, trying to keep himself from shouting his reply
"WHAT!?"
"trust me, kid, I'll catch you"
"but that's crazy, I-"
"you're the one who just said you don't have a lot of options!" Kanan interjected
"ok...ok" he said with a calming breath, Ezra slowly dragged his com away from his lips and down back to his belt
"are you deaf!?" the trooper yelled, his helmet visibly scuffed from where Ezra kicked him "I said hands up!"
And at that Ezra pivoted and dashed toward the edge, but a slight hesitation made him skid to a halt, scattering a few rocks over the edge.
Ezra watched them fall and hit the ground.
What if Kanan didn't catch him? Ezra had no doubt he would try but what if he couldn't? If he stayed here he could escape, but if he hurled himself of a five-story building....
Was he willing to risk his life for his place on the ghost?
Did he have a place on the ghost?
A blaster bolt hurtled past, grazing his shoulder.
it wasn't bad at all. In fact, it could be described as a mild burn but it spurred him into action. Ezra stepped back, ran, and jumped.
Suddenly there was no ground, he saw his reflection in the polished windows as he hurtled down towards the ground.
His blue hair blew back and his eyes watered.
His heart pounded in his chest, in his throat, in his ears.
And suddenly everything was slowing, his rapid decent gentled, and he felt his feet meet the ground.
******
Ezra sat panting in the cargo bay. After sprinting to the phantom and following the others to the cargo bay, he had slid down the wall and sat down first chance he got.
He rested a hand on his clammy forehead and sucked in lung-full's of air, trying to get rid of the ache in his chest
"you alright?" a soft voice called and he looked up to see Kanan.
Ezra tried to form a sentence but all he could do was gasp so he simply nodded and gestured with his hands that he needed a moment. Kanan's gaze lingered on him a little before he moved off to talk with Sabine and Zeb. The others stayed close to Ezra, glancing at him now then then but giving him his space. Ezra appreciated it.
When Hera slid down the ladder he was still panting. The twi'lek came to stand near him, in-between him and the rest of the crew, chopper beeping at her heels
"well that was a disaster-" she stated and the others agreed with murmurs and bitter laughs "-and having a stern word with the informant is defiantly on my to-do list, but we all lived" she assessed wryly. "it's a shame we couldn't get that data chip though, we could use the credits" she mumbled, trailing off in thought. At that Ezra tapped her knee lightly, still panting, and reached into his shoe, bringing out the data chip.
She blinked at him for a moment, they all did.
"oh, Ezra you're a star!" she exclaimed pulling him into a half hug with one arm against her leg as she took the chip with the other. It took all he had not to be overwhelmed at the contact and Hera seemed not to notice, but thankfully it was only brief
"your welcome" he said with a wheeze and a small smile which she returned before heading back to the cock pit. The rest of the crew approached him as he began to stand
"well what'd ya' know! Your good for something kid!" Zeb teased, accentuating the point with a light punch to his un-burnt shoulder, Ezra retaliated with one of his own
"more than you are, fur-brain!"
Before the fight could escalate Sabine stepped in
"so where did you find it" she asked
"I just kind of passed the storage room on my way out and figured I'd pick it up" he explained "even if you guys had ended up leaving it'd be worth some credits"
Kanan's eyes widened a little
"leave you?" Kanan paused before he went to say something else but Zeb cut in
"heh, what made you think we'd leave you? We came back for you the first time you got grabbed, and that was before we used our credits on clothes for you" the lasat chided, leaning down a little to sneer in his roommate's face. Ezra shoved him away
"yeah? And whose fault was that?" The boy retorted
Ezra was so busy bickering with Zeb he didn't notice when Kanan turned to Sabine who was watching with empathetic eyes
"can I talk to you a moment, Sabine?" the girl continued to watch and Kanan was starting to wonder whether she had heard him or not when she finally gave a hum of acknowledgement
"yeah, sure" and with that she started to move to the other end of the cargo bay, Kanan following behind.
By this point the bickering had moved on to other things.
"please" Zeb droned disbelievingly "you? Knock over a storm trooper? How? You've got such little muscle you're practically a jelly fish!" he teased
"I did!" Ezra bit back "I kicked him and it knocked his helmet clean off!" he recounted, puffing out his chest a little "and anyway I have muscles! See!" Ezra flexed his arms and Zeb leaned in with squinted eyes
"oh yeah, I think I see it.... What no, never mind" Zeb roared in laughter after Ezra glared at him "face it kid, you're a twig"
"I'll start growing at some point, just watch!" he retorted and frowned even more when zebu laughed again
"What's a growth spurt gonna do? Make you into a slightly taller twig?" the lasat chided in-between laughs. Ezra whipped his head sharply to glare at him
"say that again fur-ball!" he hissed
"like you could take me, loth rat" the larger threatened, but just before things got out of hand Sabine stepped in, Kanan watching closely.
"hey Ezra" she called and almost immediately the padawan stopped glaring at Zeb and turned to face her
"um, yeah?" he answered, a little puzzled
"I saw you get grazed, you gonna let me take a look?" she asked gesturing to his shoulder. It sounded more like an order than a question
"um, its fine, really, it's more a mild burn than anything, I don't think it will even blister" he protested but the mandelorian was already walking away. Ezra sighed, shrugged to Zeb who gave him a puzzled look in return, and followed, grumbling about how all he really needed to do was change his shirt.
Kanan watched as they left
******
Sabine dabbed a cold cloth around the burn as Ezra sat, looking annoyed on a chair in the med bay. There wasn't really much she could do now, but she needed an excuse to talk to him.
"so- "she started and Ezra turned his head to face her "why did you think we'd leave you?" she asked, glancing up at him. Ezra let out a slightly irritated sigh
"I don't know, it was just a thought" he answered, frowning "doesn't matter anyway" he concluded with a huff
"actually, Ezra, it does" she told him, punctuating her meaning with a sharp glare, but then her eyes softened "if this is going to work, you need to trust us"
"yeah? Well maybe I don't want to put my trust in you guys just yet" he snapped "sorry if that hurts your feelings!" he hissed mockingly, flinging himself back in his chair with a huff, trying to make his point, but as his back make contact with the back of the seat he hissed in pain and winced. At once Sabine was lifting the back of his shirt to see what had caused him pain. A dark purple bruise spread out in a straight line like ink on paper diagonally across his spine, in the middle of it was a small but deep graze that looked like it had been bleeding earlier going by the small amount dry blood crusted around it and the few drops of red on his shirt
"oh yeah, I forgot about that" he said, a little sheepishly, and he winced again a Sabine started to clean the small graze, there wasn't much she could do for the bruising at this point though.
"is this from when they yanked you out the vents" she asked and he looked round at her
"you saw that?" he asked, looking a little embarrassed, she smirked
"yup" her smile widened even more "I heard your little yelp too" she chided and laughed when Ezra groaned a little, but then her smile faded
"you still need to trust us Ezra, at least out on the field" all good humour had faded from his voice when he spoke next
"yeah? And whys that?" he sounded bitter
Sabine stopped what she was doing to look at him properly
"because this isn't just about you thinking we were going to leave" she argued "I saw you hesitate on the roof, we all did- "
"oh, well sorry for hesitating to jump off a five-story building!" he snapped and Sabine glared
"but you know Kanan could catch you! You were doubting whether he would catch you, and its why you almost got shot, Ezra- "
"it's only a graze" he protested
"but it could have been worse!" she countered. "you got lucky!" Sabine took a breath then looked back at Ezra, a little calmer now "Ezra, take it from me of all people, I know trusting them is hard, but I can tell you form experience- "she looked straight into his eyes "-it'll be one of the best decisions you ever make"
The room was silent for a moment and Ezra's blue eyes studied her carefully, she held his gaze. He looked down at his own feet and she relaxed
"I'll think about it"
"you better" she warned, before standing up and giving him an assessing look "you might want to change your shirt, that one's seen better days" she mused, that made him look up, an unnerving glimmer in his eyes
"if you wanted to see me with my shirt off, you could have just asked"
"oh, for the love of-, I give up, you handle yourself" she hissed and with that she turned and started to walk down the hallway until his voice called to her, softer this time
"hey... Sabine..."
"yeah?" she answered carefully not looking back
"thanks"
******
when Kanan walked into the room he almost stumbled at the waves of anger flowing off Hera in the force.
Now a less informed man may have interrupted and asked what was wrong but Kanan knew to stay out of it, so he took the two cups of spiran caf he was holding and settled down in the co-pilots chair.
Hera was in her own seat, having a very heated discussion with the projection of a rodian Kanan didn't recognise, but guessed was the informant for their last mission.
"no, you listen to me, Mr Bosu, don't think I don't know what's going on here!" she warned
"Mrs Syndulla, please I have no idea what you're talking about" Hera gave a short laugh
"oh, I think you do, you knew those plans were out of date but you thought you could pawn them off on us anyway! You put my crew in danger, Mr Bosu, I can't have that" the man blanched
"I...I did not mean to- "he didn't get to finish
"if I hear about you pulling this little stunt again, I will track you down, don't doubt it" Hera hissed. Despite his yellow skin Kanan was sure he saw the man pale.
"I... I will not, Mrs Syndulla" the rodian seemed frightened, Kanan didn't blame him, he would be the same faced with Heras wrath
"good, It would be a pleasure never to do business with you again, Mr Bosu"
"I...I...o... of course Mrs Syndulla" and with that the projection faded and the cockpit silenced, but Kanan could still feel her unrest in the force
"you get a refund" he asked casually as he handed her the caf. She accepted it with a grateful smile.
"no, I let him keep the credits, he looked hungry" she explained with a slight sigh "it wasn't that much anyway, I just couldn't have him thinking that he could pull a fast one on us" she grumbled and Kanan hummed in agreement and turned to look out the window and into the streaming stars of hyper space.
"Sabine told me what happened with Ezra" she informed him and he gave another hum in response as he sipped his caf "you handled it well" he glanced at her
"it was Sabine who talked with him, not me"
"but she out of all of us would understand best, you picked up on that" she praised "asking her to was a good idea"
"I get them sometimes" he chuckled and she huffed in amusement into her caf
"yeah, sometimes" she teased and he pretended to be hurt
"you wound me"
"oh! that reminds me" she stated suddenly serious "how's his back? Sabine said he had a pretty impressive bruise"
Kanan nodded
"it's a stoater but he'll live I'm sure" Hera nodded and took another sip of her caf before looking into the stars
"he did well today, at least he seems to be getting used to being out on the field, and he's gained a little weight" she smiled "every little thing brings us closer I guess, we just need to take it in baby steps"
Kanan nodded and leaned back and closed his eyes, taking a small sip of caf and just enjoying being in Hera's presence
"yeah" he smiled slightly "baby steps"