The Jedi From Earth: A Star Wars Story #Wattys2023

Part 182

Gettysburg bunker, June 25th 2016
     It was late at night in rural Virginia and Johnsons mind was too fixated to sleep, on her laptop she watched with a heavy heart the footage of the millions of civilians fleeing the fighting. There were no real defined frontlines where the Empire was landing or advancing, it was either merciless bombing a city such as Tulsa then landing there and spreading out into the countryside. Next came footage of National Guardsmen from behind a wall firing their automatic weapons down a street only for a laser bolt to hit their NCO in the leg, which left a searing burn mark.

    The battle footage was what Johnson could handle, it reminded her of when her convoy was ambushed in the Kandahar province of Afghanistan in 2002. The many long months she spent there always came back to haunt her, especially when she thought of Eric having to balance out his career while taking care of Sophia while Johnson was away. The footage of innocent people, watching the people she swore to protect in her oath of office and oath to the Corps was what tormented her. But when she watched the footage it was like she could feel in a way the fear and horror the people were experiencing.

    There was a knock at the door and Sophia walked in. "Mom", she said with a tired look and put her ponytail back over her shoulder. "Yes honey?", Johnson asked her daughter with a sweet tone. "I had a bad dream, and saw you were still up", Sophia said groggily, "just go back to bed sweetie, its nothing to be worried about", Johnson reassured. "I saw dad in it", Sophia said and that surprised Johnson as Eric had passed away when Sophia was only two and nearly three, "You wanna talk about it?", Johnson asked and checked off a box on a paper which approved the Navy supplying relief to Vanuatu and Fiji. "I saw stormtroopers taking away dad, and some tall thing in a suit cornering me", Sophia said and started to tear up, "it was so scary...its breathing".

    "Oh sweetie", Johnson said sweetly and stood up and pulled Sophia into a hug and held her tightly. "No ones taking dad away, he wasn't taken from us by a person, no ones taking you from me ever, you're all I really have left of him and I will always protect you", "If anyone and I mean anyone tried taking you from me, I'd kick the crap out of them if I didn't shoot em first". Johnson said which made Sophia chuckle a little, although Johnson felt something else deep down, it was like she could feel Sophia's weariness fade away in a way that she couldn't explain. Sophia looked up at her, "thanks mom" she said with a smile before Johnson let her go and Sophia walked back to her room.

*************Yavin 4, Great Temple Of Massassai

      After landing Hera simply turned to Clara, "I'll break the news to Kanan" she said with a sigh before getting out of her seat. Clara followed her, Sabine and Zeb outside where Kanan waited with Kota and Ahsoka. "Did you get the intel?-where's Ezra?" Kanan asked abruptly, even in his glossy eyes Clara still saw major concern. "I'm sorry Kanan, we were ambushed by some Imperial agent, and Vader, they took Ezra with them", Hera explained. "Back to Coruscant no doubt", Kota said contently while rubbing his chin, "or somewhere on Lothal", Ahsoka suggested. "If anything is correct about that boy is that he can always get himself out of trouble", "the question is what should we do?" Kota asked.

     "We should start tracking him down, who knows where he is now", Sabine said. Clara was conflicted on mentioning Shawn, she didn't want to go looking for Ezra if that meant asking Shawn somehow, which would put him in more danger, and she had already deduced that he couldn't have gotten that bandage on his cheek from a fight as he was always quick enough to avoid injury. But she wanted to find Ezra too, she chose the second option. "Shawn was there too, he was with Vader", she said, "I think he may know where Ezra is". "That's a long shot Clara", Ahsoka said to her, "even if we could contact Shawn someway there's no guarantee it wouldn't be traced back to us or him". "It's not, I ran into him on Coruscant when I met with that Fulcrum guy, maybe-", Clara started again but Kota cut her off. "That was pure luck and coincidence, even if you did find him only a miracle of the Force would bring him to you", he said with a reprimanding tone, "it's unlikely if not impossible". Clara didn't like the sound of his pessimism whatsoever, "it may be impossible for you, but not for me, I am finding him", she said then walked away to contemplate her thoughts.

     She sat a little bit in the woods and formulated her plan while looking over the lightsaber a little, she never realized how heavy it actually was, it had to have been a pound half and a half at least. Yet still the weapon was fascinating in a way to her, ever since she swung Shawn's saber a few times in that cave she hadn't forgotten the exhilaration from that. She turned the saber in front of her and clicked the ignition button, a blue blade suddenly shot out which made her jump a little, the lightsaber hummed and cast a blue hue in the trees around her as she smiled before waving it a little and standing up. Clara swung it then spun the blade which echoed in the trees all around her. "Where'd you get that?" Ahsoka asked out of nowhere which made Clara jolt and she looked back.

Ahsoka stood there with a curious look on her face, "I was uh given it" Clara said and deactivated the saber which returned the surrounding area back to a dim look. "Who gave it to you?", Ahsoka asked and stepped closer, "the Maz Kanata Lady, I told her about Shawn and she said I should give it to him one day" Clara replied and held the hilt in both hands now. "Did she say if she knew what Jedi it belonged to before her?", Ahsoka asked and crossed her arms. "Yea, she said it belonged to some guy named Obi Wan Kenobi", Clara replied and Ahsoka looked taken aback, "I-I knew Obi Wan Kenobi" she replied.

"Really?, Who was he?", Clara asked. "He was my masters master", Ahsoka said, "he and my master Anakin Skywalker were great friends before I was around, we had so many crazy adventures during the Clone Wars you wouldn't believe, the last time I saw either of them was on Mandalore before Order 66, I never saw either of them again", Ahsoka said then rested her hand on Clara's shoulder, "trust in the Force, Clara it'll bring Shawn to you one way or another" then she walked away. Clara looked down at the saber then up at the gas giant Yavin above them before following Ahsoka.

************, Imperial Palace, Coruscant
          Shawn was traversing one of the lower levels hallways when he turned a corner to see four Shadow Guards escorting someone out of what appeared to be a cell, it was Ezra and he was cuffed. Soon he heard a familiar respirator and Vader emerged from the cell where Ezra had been held, "most unfortunate the Jedi refused to tell us anything we needed", the clipped voice of Tarkin sounded as he too emerged from the cell. "Do not worry Governor, I shall bring him to Mustafar for the time being before he is brought to Lothal when necessary ", Vader replied, "I shall make sure to lure out his master". Then he turned around and faced Shawn who nearly flinched a little, "Come here Mendes", Vader ordered and Shawn reluctantly obliged.

             "Yes sir?", Shawn asked him. "You and Stele shall come with me to Mustafar to watch over Bridger, is that clear?" Vader said sternly, "it is clear sir", Shawn replied. "Good, do not fail me", Vader said then followed the guards while Shawn followed him too. It wasn't until they'd reached the hanger that Shawn spotted Maarek dashing over toward them then slowed before the ramp, "Im here sir", he said while catching his breath. "If you are late again Stele the consequence won't be pleasant", Vader sternly said to Maarek as they boarded. The Shadow Guards still stood in a half circle around a very determined looking Ezra, despite the dried blood on his brow. Soon the ship shook and lifted off, "course set for Mustafar, Lord Vader", the pilot announced. At the back of his mind Shawn only hoped that no one would be foolish enough to try and rescue Ezra, he'd figured out where they were taking him too, and it was a familiar abode for certain.