The Jedi From Earth: A Star Wars Story #Wattys2023

Part 189

     Shawn followed Vader and the Inquisitors down to the area of the brig where Ezra was being held. Two of the Shadow Guards stood watch outside the cell. Vader came before the two guards and who parted as the door slid open. They all walked into the cell, and that was when Shawn saw that  Ezra was shackled to the wall. "Come Bridger, you are no longer needed here" Vader said while waving his hand and undoing the shackles with the Force. Ezra stood up and Vader pushed him along as the Inquisitors parted to make room. "Wherever you're taking me, it wont make talk either way" Ezra said without a hint of fear in his tone. "Then you shall be most interested in where we've taken you" Vader replied.

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After reaching the hanger a single shuttle took them all down toward the surface. "Lord Vader we have a lock on the homing beacon, it's outside the city" the pilot said and the ship tilted slightly to the right before leveling out. Shawn then noticed Jerec examining Ezra's lightsaber hilt with what appeared to be an intrigued look on his face, "what a fine weapon you've crafted Jedi, it'd be a shame if I take it after killing you" Jerec said sinisterly. "Oh really? Maybe that'd happen if you could actually see" Ezra sarcastically replied. Suddenly the ship took a downward angle and Shawn felt the same presences again, he knew they were close. Then they landed.

     The door dropped and revealed a very dimly lit grassy area from the sun setting just beyond the horizon. Vader walked past Shawn and grabbed Ezra's arm before pulling him up and throwing him out of the ship. "Come" He said to everyone else. Shawn was the first to walk off the ship and took a look around. On one side he looked and saw the four destroyers over the city, one of which fired two times into the city below, followed by a faint orange flash of an explosion and the slight concussive boom that followed. On the other side he saw a large tower of some sort a few hundred yards away . Then he looked and saw Vader wave his hands and undo the cuffs on Ezra's wrists before Jerec tossed over Ezra's lightsaber, which Ezra then caught. "Why'd you bring me to Lothal? Why're the destroyers over the city?" Ezra questioned with a slightly frantic tone.

       "Your friends are over the hill Bridger, go to them and I will order the destroyers to stop firing" Vader said, but Shawn knew that Vader always had an ulterior motive in mind. Ezra maintained a suspicious expression before he suddenly began sprinting in the direction that Vader pointed out. Vader then clicked a button on his belt which activated his com, "Admiral, order your ships to cease fire, we are springing the trap now" he said before he too headed in the direction Ezra went. Shawn hesitantly followed him too as the Inquisitors and Maarek did too. Oh you fool, don't be too sure you will find them alone, the voice of Maul said in Shawn's mind once more.

*********, the Ghost
After the ship landed everyone disembarked. Clara took a look around to see the long flowing plains as the moonlight shined a little across the horizon. The view reminded her of the times her family had driven across the Midwest over the years, and how she always liked the oceans of grass that covered the Kansas landscape just as they did here on Lothal. Then Kanan spoke, "someone's coming" then Clara saw a figure in the distance running toward them, likewise she rested her hand on her blaster with caution in case whoever it were was an Imperial. "Wait! Guys it's me!" The figure yelled and Clara instantly recognized it was Ezra's voice, then she could make out the orange color of his jacket as he got closer.

"Ezra you're ok!" Sabine said with joy as she ran up to hug Ezra as he made just before them. "I'm fine Sabine but we gotta leave, Vader's right over there!" Ezra replied frantically while catching his breath and pointing in the direction he had just ran from. "Just Vader?" Starkiller asked while stepping forward. "No he brought the Inquisitors with him, and Shawn too" Ezra said then there was the sound of a speeder approaching from the opposite direction. Everyone walked over the side of the ship to see a lone speeder and a cloaked figure on it getting closer and closer. The speeder stopped suddenly about twenty feet away. Clara kept her hand on her blaster still, especially since she could see what looked like glowing yellow eyes under the hood.