different stories of ezra and thrawn.

part 1

Chapter 1

"Whatever happens next, happens to both of us."

For the first time in his military service, Thrawn had never felt this worried. He even surprised himself with his last statement. He sounded desperate, though his calm and sterile voice showed no sign of wariness. Then again, in all his years, he has never faced a herd of Purrgil either. A herd that had managed to destroy an Imperial blockade. A herd that was destroying his ship as he spoke.

Suddenly, the entire bridge became darker as the light from the sun was becoming blocked. He slowly turned around to gaze upon the eye of a Purrgil looking directly at him. It seemed almost intelligent somehow. As its marble blue eye moves past the bridge panels, he turned back to face Ezra Bridger. Like Thrawn, the Jedi too seemed calm, confident even.

"That's the idea." Replied Ezra with a cool tone. Foolish boy, thought Thrawn whilst giving a curious look. How could he be so confident even in this time? Thrawn tightens his grip on his blaster. Just one shot he thought. Just one shot and he could end this once and for all. He felt his fingers squeezing the trigger, aiming directly for Bridger's head.

Before he could fire, glass was shattered all around him as tentacles enter the bridge. He immediately turned his blaster out of reflex towards the tentacles and begin firing at the Purrgil appendages. Blaster bolts seem to have no effect on its thick skin as it began to take out troopers one by one. It lunged one across the room before pulling another out the window. He turned to his left to see the same thing happening. He caught a glimpse of the Jedi and noted that none of the tentacles were harming him whatsoever.

Seeing how even bolts from the E-11s had not managed to penetrate through its armour, he began to run towards Bridger to perhaps find safety from the Purrgil by being close to the Jedi. He aimed his blaster towards Bridger as he retreated further down the bridge. Before he continued firing his blaster, the Jedi managed to push Thrawn back using the Force. He collided with the Purrgil's tentacles straight on with a grunt as he was being entangled by the creature. He took a few shots at the skin to try to ward it off but to no effect.

"Ezra, Ezra can you hear me?" asked Sabine over the com link. Hearing Sabine's familiar voice immediately put Ezra to more ease. "The Purrgils, is it you?" she asked.

Ezra pressed his com, blaster still held tightly in his hands. "Yeah, pretty good huh?" he said back. His cocky, casual speech surprised even himself. He waited a moment before hearing Sabine again.

"Well, could've told the rest of us." said Sabine, annoyed by his answer.

"I wanted it to be a surprise." Suddenly, blast doors opened loudly behind him. Hearing this, he turned to face a squad of Stormtroopers headed his way. He counted them all to see where he should take his first shot but there was too many. He opted to push the first few troopers off their feet, before blasting two more to his right and left.

Remembering the ineffectiveness of his blaster, Thrawn instead began to twist and turn his body to get lose. This, had a much more effective effect. He continued to do so until he was free from the Purrgil's grasp.

As soon as he got out, he levelled his blaster and took advantage of Bridger's back facing toward him. He squeezed his trigger tightly. Aiming for key body parts, the bolt had managed to find its way to Bridger's shoulders instead. The Jedi cried in pain, before turning around to face Thrawn. Before Thrawn take another shot, Bridger utilised the Force to disarm Thrawn and push him back toward the reach of the Purrgil. This time however, the tentacle had a tighter grip on Thrawn. He tried his best to conduct the same wiggling motion he did before but to no real effect.

"Ezra, Ezra get out of there right now, that's an order." Voiced Hera over the com. Again, a familiar voice managed to put Ezra to ease even though he'd been shot. They've finally figured out the plan, thought Ezra to himself.

"Hera, I have to see this through to the end." He managed to blurt out. He knew what he was sacrificing. Lothal, the Rebellion, his family. He could not escape even if he wanted to. Dozens of troopers are beyond the blast doors right now. Without hesitation, he reached into the Force to tell the Purrgils to leave.

"Ezra, please, get out of there!" shouted Sabine over the com, distracting Ezra for a moment. Ezra took a few seconds to think of an answer.

"I can't do that." He answered simply "It's up to all of you now." He turned off his com with the Force, and continued his Force communication with the Purrgils, with his hands reached out and gritting his teeth.

The Purrgil raised Thrawn up from the ground, still squeezing him within its grasp. Thrawn was grunting in pain as well as in his attempts to get free. He had a clear view of the Jedi still at the exact place he had been in. He quickly turned to the sound of boots and closed the blast doors shut again before any of them could enter.

He heard him mumble something to his com before he made the same pushing motion with his hands. Thrawn was ready for another push although none came. Instead, he noticed the tentacles beginning to glow in a rhythmic pattern.

He saw an intense view of Bridger's face as he stared out the window panels behind Thrawn. Seeing the unlikelihood of breaking free, he focused some of his energy to turn his head around to the viewport. He noticed that all of the Purrgil's were glowing the same way as well. There were as many attached to his Star Destroyer as there was ahead of it.

He viewed the scene for a few moments before noticing the herd beginning to enter hyperspace. He watched in horror as one by one, the creatures disappeared out of real space. It did not take him long to deduce what was about to happen. However, he did not try to escape, neither did he try to shoot the Jedi. Instead, he gazed in awe at the herd and the clouds of Lothal. This is his end. His entire career led to this moment. He was going die, the least he could do was die honourably. So he stared out the view port excepting his fate. He gazed out silently, as the warm colours of the Lothal sky transitioned into a blinding flash of white light. They had entered hyperspace.