Chapter 13: Reunion (Fire Across the Galaxy)

Ezra hoped this would work. He reached out with the force. He could feel every living being on the Star Destroyer, but he was searching for one in particular. Then he felt it, the Force signature of our missing crew member, his Jedi master, his father. He felt something in my mind pull. He realized that we had a bond in the Force. He pulled at it, trying to pinpoint him. He felt Kanan's shock as he realized he had arrived.

"He's there!" Ezra exclaimed to Hera. "I feel him."

"Alright then." Hera said, sending in there painted TIE that had EMPs. Once it would activate all systems in the Star Destroyer would shut down.

After sneaking aboard Ezra had to separate from the others on their way to Kanan. The young teen traveled through the vents until he found Kanan's holding cell. He wanted to smash the control panel to open the door but he controlled himself. The door slid open revealing Kanan strapped down to a torture table.

"Looks like you taught me well." Ezra smiled.

Kanan tried his best to smile, he was still in a lot of pain for days of torture. "Looks like I did. I knew you could do it."

Ezra approached the older Jedi and released the restraints holding him down. He nearly lost his balance catching Kanan as he fell forward the instant the restraints holding him to the upright table released.

Ezra managed to steady Kanan. Kanan dug down and gathered the strength to help move himself. Kanan leaned heavily on his small Padawan as he was lead out of his holding cell, presumably to Ezra's escape plan.

"I'm so glad to have you back." Ezra said.

"Let's save the reunion until after we get back." Kanan suggested.

The two entered a room that had many catwalks, on several different levels, but most lead to a center pillar that had several control panels, and there waiting on the catwalk right in front of the pair was the Inquisitor.

Kanan gathered up all the strength he could through the Force and motioned to Ezra's lightsaber that hung on the teen's hip. "Let me borrow that."

"Sure thing." Ezra agreed handing his Master the lightsaber.

Kanan was pretty much fighting on pure adrenaline and strength from the Force. He blocked every swing that the Inquisitor swung at him. They eventually switched positions so the Inquisitor stood in between the Master and Padawan.

Ezra noticed Kanan's lightsaber on the Inquisitor's belt. He reached out through the Force and grabbed it, calling it towards him. The lightsaber felt much different in his hands than his own, but it would have to do. He activated it and the Inquisitor turned and smirked.

"Now this might be a fight worth my time." the Inquisitor smirked.

All Ezra could really do is swipe at the Inquisitor every so often and make sure to dodge out of the way of his attacks, as he was not that well trained in lightsaber battles yet.

The Inquisitor gave a particullay hard blow that caused Ezra to stumble a few feet back, Luckily Kanan distracted the Pau'an to keep him from possibly hurting Ezra while the Padawan regained his footing.

Ezra grew nervous as the Inquisitor Force pushed Kanan back several feet. He prepared the lightsaber for the Inquisitor's attack, but wasn't expecting him to throw his lightsaber at him. Ezra felt searing pain across his face, causing him to stumble. He dropped the lightsaber on the catwalk as he fell, unfortunately off the platform he had been standing on. He wasn't even conscious when he landed.

"No!" Kanan screamed as he saw Ezra, his Padawan, his son fall. He bit his lip as he tried to gather himself. He wanted cry, breakdown, from all the built up physical pain from the torture then this. No, Ezra would want him to continue, to fight, to mess with the Empire. "That was a mistake."

"Why, because you have no one left to die for you?" the Inquisitor taunted.

"No," Kanan replied, using the Force to call his lightsaber back to him, activating not only his, but Ezra's. "Because I have nothing left to fear."

Kanan had never really practiced duel wielding, but you would be amazed at what a parent can do to save, or avenge their child.

"Oh, I see." the Inquisitor smirked. "You saw your Padawan as a daughter."

"Wrong," Kanan corrected. "I see him as a son." He backed the dark Force user to the edge. "I don't need fear or pain like you, because I have something much stronger. Love and the Force." He used the Force to guide him. He pushed his lightsabers through the gaps in the Inquisitor's own and flicked them out, breaking the lightsaber into pieces. The Inquisitor lost his balance and teetered off the edge, catching himself at the last moment.

Kanan stood over the hanging Inquisitor, tempted to slash at him with his lightsaber. No, he couldn't give into his pain, even if that man, no that monster, killed his son. He deactivated the weapons in his hands.

"You have no idea what you have unleashed here." the Inquisitor spoke ominously. "There are some things far more frightening then death." Before he dropped into the exploding core.

"Ezra," Kanan muttered. He ran over to where his Padawan had fallen and saw him lying on a lower platform. He used the Force to safely jump and land down next to him. He knelt down next to Ezra, carefully lifting him up to his chest. On the side of his face were two fresh scars that the Inquisitor gave him. "Oh Ezra." He brushed some of his hair away. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Ezra stirred slightly, opening his eyes. "Dad?"

Tears of joy sprang to Kanan's eyes. "Ezra," he hugged the teen close. "You're okay. You're okay son, you're going to be okay."

Ezra became more aware, and seemed to notice before Kanan exactly how much danger they were in. "We won't be okay if we don't get out of here." He carefully got up, groaning, he was pretty sore. He wouldn't be surprised if he found out he had some bruised ribs and a concussion, especially after falling that far.

"Ezra are you there? Answer me." Hera called over the comms.

"I'm here Hera," Ezra answered.

"Do you have Kanan with you? Is he alright?" Hera asked.

"I'm right here Hera." Kanan replied.

They could both hear the sigh of relief that Hera gave. "Well you better get out of there soon. The Star Destroyer is going to explode soon."

"We can see that." Kanan joked.

Ezra disconnected the comm. and they started to head towards the hanger. Both Master and Padawan were helping supporting the other due to how much pain they were both in. They finally reached the hanger bay. All around them troopers were climbing into their TIE fighters; none of them paid them any mind, due to the fact that they were too busy escaping as well.

"Come on, the Inquisitor's TIE is the only one left." Kanan pointed out.

"Well he won't be needing it, will he." Ezra smirked, assuming that Kanan had taken care of him while he was passed out.

"You worry me sometimes kid." Kanan replied, before the pair headed over to their escape.

The entire crew made a narrow escape that they definitely wouldn't have survived if it wasn't for the Rebel fleet that nobody, except for Hera, even knew existed.

"The protocol was to make sure everyone knew as little as possible." Hera explained after Fulcrum, also known as Ahsoka, walked up to them safely on the Ghost in hyperspace. "That way if someone did get captured, no secrets could be revealed."

"Well, the protocol has changed." Ahsoka smiled.

Ezra smirked, before his injuries and exhaustion finally caught up to him and fell over.

"Whoa, easy there kit." Zeb said catching the teen.

Kanan leaned against the wall.

"Okay, to the medbay with you two." Hera ordered, helping Kanan that direction. Zeb picked Ezra up and started to carry him as he followed Hera.

"Did I ever thank you for coming back for me?" Kanan asked as Hera helped him towards the medbay.

"Not yet," Hera smirked.

"Well I owe you a great debt of gratitude. Even if what you did was rash and foolish." Kanan thanked.

"You're welcome dear." Hera replied, turning and giving him a brief kiss on the cheek.

Ezra smirked at this. "I knew it."

"They don't exactly hide it well." Zeb said.

Once they reached the med-bay, Hera helped Kanan into one bed, and Zeb placed Ezra in the other.

"Thanks Zeb," Hera said. "Ezra, do you think you can hold up until I get Kanan settled?"

"Sure," Ezra replied.

Hera used a scanner to check over Kanan. "Hm, it seems like only some burns from the electricity and maybe some nerve damage, but it should be okay. As well as some dehydration and some minor malnutrition. I'm guessing they didn't give you any food and barely any water." She put an IV in his arm and set up a drip bag with some pain relievers, some saline for his dehydration and malnutrition and some sort of medicine that should help him recover from the electric shocks.

"Now Ezra," Hera spoke coming over, before beginning to check him over. "Hm, it looks like you have a minor concussion, try not to fall asleep for a few hours. How did you get it?"

"I fell off a catwalk." Ezra answered.

"I should probably check your ribs then, to make sure you didn't break them." Hera replied. "Let me take off your shirt."

"What? No!" Ezra protested. He protectively covered his chest.

Hera's eye's held sympathy. "Ezra, I know you don't like thinking about your chest, but I need to make sure your ribs are okay."

Ezra looked down, before glancing at Kanan. "Will Kanan at least not look?"

Kanan reached for the blanket at the foot of his bed and put it over his head, so he couldn't see a think.

Ezra sighed, but complied with Hera's wish.

"The bra too I'm afraid." Hera added.

Ezra sighed, but took it off, knowing fighting would be pointless.

She gently ran her hands over the teen's ribs. They seemed to only be bruised. She also noticed how much weight he had put on since he had joined, granted he might have lost a little over the past week but he was getting closer to a normal weight.

"Some minor bruising, but you should be fine." Hera told him. "But I don't want any sort of pressure on these."

Ezra sighed, "So no bra to help keep these things down." He said 'things' with an air of disgust.

"Only for a few days." Hera promised, helping put his shirt back on. "I'll put you on some pain relief and nutrition."

"Nutrition?" Kanan asked, taking the blanket off.

Hera gave Ezra an expectant look as she hooked the IV up.

"I didn't really eat much while you were gone. I just couldn't bring myself to eat." Ezra explained.

Kanan sighed. "You really need to be taking care of yourself."

"I know," Ezra muttered.

Hera then spread some bacta gel on his burns on his face. "These should heal soon, but will probably leave scars."

"Do they make me look manly?" Ezra smirked.

Hera smiled placing a bandage over them. "We'll see. I'm going to get you guys some soup. You two need to keep it simple for a bit," she added before leaving.

"Kanan," Ezra started.

"Yeah?" Kanan asked.

"When I first woke up on the Star Destroyer, after I feel, did, did I call you dad?" Ezra asked.

"You did." Kanan confirmed.

A blush spread across the teen's face.

"Hey, there's nothing to be embarrassed about." Kanan reassured. "If you see me as a father figure that's just fine. I will never try to replace your dad, and it's okay to see someone else as one."

Ezra smiled. "I think you called me 'son' when I was waking up."

"I did," Kanan admitted, "I do see you as one."

"Kanan," Ezra said. "Thanks, for everything."