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Ezra got captured, again.
He really should have seen it coming, things had been going well for him for a while. Kanan and Rex were getting along, Ahsoka was helping train him when she wasn't on missions, Chopper hadn't pranked or zapped him in over a week, Zeb hadn't called him annoying, and Sabine had actually let him hang out while she was painting something. All in all, he was due some bad luck he supposed. Still, the imperial officer sneaking up behind him and managing to snatch him before he could call for help hadn't been in his expectations for the mission. As he was dragged away, he'd managed to fight just enough to get on comms and call out to his team that they'd been caught and to get out before it was too late. Man, he really needed to stop agreeing to take missions without the rest of his crew.
He'd assumed he would be thrown into a holding cell like usual and would easily be able to escape, but apparently this Imp was smarter than most. That or he simply wanted the bragging rights that would come with capturing not only one of the rebels, but one of the more well-known rebels at that. He was taken into a room and strapped to an interrogation table, and he grunts as he's roughly shoved before being strapped down, having earned himself a few bruises while fighting against the troopers who were dragging him to the room. "Comfortable, boy?" the Imperial officer who'd grabbed him sneered. Ezra just rolled his eyes. These guys were less intimidating than a puffle pig.
"Very comfortable, actually. Think I might stick around for a bit." Ezra joked. The officer was furious, the fool obviously having expected the young boy to be intimidated by the threat of torture.
"Oh, really? Well, you're right about one thing. You will be here for a very long time." The officer said, walking over and getting right in his face.
"Ugh, your breath smells worse than a lasat." Ezra groaned. That earned him a punch to the gut as the officer growled in fury. Ezra grunted in pain, then looked up, his signature smirk on his face. "Wow, that wasn't bad." he said, pausing for a moment and letting the officer think he'd done something for a moment before continuing. "For a fluffy little loth-kit. Seriously, I've been hit harder by a flying loth bat than you." The imperial officer growled as a few troopers began to laugh at that, clearly having little respect for the man.
"Enough games! I think it's time you learned your place." the Imp hissed, snapping his fingers and summoning an interrogation droid. Ezra grew slightly nervous as the droid approached, but he'd trained for this. He knew he could resist. What he hadn't expected, was for the officer to then approach him with a needle, causing the boy to try and flinch away from him. It was no use, but still he couldn't help his reaction as the needle was pushed into his skin, the drug quickly flowing through his veins. He grunted as his head began to feel a little bit fuzzy, fighting to keep his mind from giving in. "We'll see how bold you are now." Ezra laughed, shaking his head.
"Really? You think this scares me?" the boy sniggered. "Ohhh no, the big scary officer called a droid. I'm so terrified. Please, don't interrogate me! I'm just a scared little boy!" he called mockingly.
Again the officer hit Ezra, this time however, he used some weird stick thing Ezra couldn't identify. He could, however, identify the fact that it had cracked some of his ribs. "I've had enough of your mouth, child! Now, tell me, where is your rebel base?" the officer growled out. Ezra coughed, groaning as he tried to shake off the drugs once more.
"That was rude." he mumbled, shaking his head again. "Seriously, why would you hit somebody before asking them a question? Counterproductive if you ask me. No wonder you can't get answers." The drugs had in fact, loosened the boy's tongue quite a bit. What the idiot hadn't counted on, was just how sassy Ezra Bridger could be. Nor how much the boy liked to talk. "Also, what's the point of the droid if you're just gonna beat me up? And who beats up a child? Seriously guys, if you want people to like you, maybe you should quit punching people. Especially kids." The officer's face turned red.
"You insolent little-" he growled out, his hands shaking. He snapped his fingers once more and pointed to Ezra. The droid approached. Oh, this might actually hurt.
Ezra cried out as the droid began attempting to force its way into his mind, finding himself struggling to hold back with the drugs racing through his system. As it dug through his brain, it sent shocks into him, causing him to cry out even louder. Ow, ow, ow, OW. Okay, this actually hurts! Not cool, not cool, not cool, NOT COOL! He thought, struggling against his restraints. He saw the officer smirking off to the side.
"Ready to talk yet?" the officer sneered.
Suddenly he didn't care about the pain. No way was that sleemo getting to think that he'd won. He forced himself to grin, grunting in effort as he attempted to force the droid out of his thoughts. "Is....is...that all....you got?" he grunted out.
"No. In fact, we can do much more. Droid, increase to level 2." the officer ordered, his voice cold. Ezra couldn't stop the cry that was ripped out of him. This time the officer simply watched as Ezra struggled against the droid, not bothering to ask questions, simply punishing the boy for daring to undermine his authority. He isn't sure how long the pain lasted, only that by the end he really hoped rescue was on the way. He was starting to feel tired, and he wasn't sure how much longer he would last before he passed out or was killed. He'd never talk, no matter what they did to him. His mind might be fuzzy, but his loyalty to his friends and the rebellion they fought for was stronger.
Finally, just as Ezra felt he couldn't take anymore, the officer ordered the droid to stop. He sat there, panting and groaning, his head hanging down, feeling heavier by the minute. "Well, boy, feeling chatty now?" The officer asked. Ezra looked up. He grinned.
"Oh yeah. Sure. I love talking." he said.
The officer must've believed the boy was finally giving into the drugs, for he smiled. "Then, tell me, where is your rebel base? Where are your friends hiding?"
"Oh, you'll be surprised. It's on a very special planet. One you'd never expect." Ezra let out a giggle.
"Stop fooling around boy!" Officer Kriffhead snapped. Kriffhead. That fit. Officer Kriffhead. Wait, did he just ask a question? Ezra shook his head. Officer Kriffhead's face was red again. "Where. Is. Your. Rebel. Base?" he hissed. Ohhhh. Right. That.
"Okay, I'll tell ya! The planet you're looking for....is called.....Nunya." Ezra said with a grin. Kriffhead stared at him. "You know, Nunya. Nunya business." Oh, look at that, Kriffhead is even redder.
The officer in question stormed up to Ezra, his hand reaching for the boy's throat. "Perhaps I didn't make myself clear. You will tell me where you rebel base is. Even if I have to wring it out of you myself."
"Oooh. That's a bad idea." Ezra warned.
Officer Kriffhead doesn't have time to respond as he is suddenly ripped backwards, away from Ezra. He cried out, struggling as a hand grabs onto the back of his jacket. "What on -" he cried, freezing as he comes face to face with a very angry-looking jedi.
"Don't. Touch. My. Kid." Kanan Jarrus growled.
Well, Ezra did try to warn him.
Kanan Jarrus was stressed.
Not only had Ezra accepted yet another mission that didn't involve the rest of the crew, but he'd been captured. Now, the Ghost and her crew were racing through space on a rescue mission for their youngest member.
They'd made the decision to go for Ezra faster than you could say "womp rat". Nobody dared to tell them no, not that they would have. Ezra had proven himself time and time again, and even when he'd warned them, the team with the boy had hesitated to leave him behind. They hadn't had much choice, the stormtroopers quickly starting to close in on them. Ezra's warning would have been in vain, and they weren't willing to let that happen.
As Kanan made his way through the ship that had Ezra, he reached out in the Force, his worry and frustration growing as he noticed his connection to Ezra was slippery and thin. What did they do to you? Oh, Force, please be okay. He thought as he ran. Any stormtrooper he came across didn't have a chance to respond to the threat. His kid's life was on the line, nobody was going to be able to stop him. He should have been more concerned with the lack of troopers he came across, but he couldn't think of anything other than Ezra was in danger and he needed to save him. For once he wished he had Rex around to help keep his head cool, but the old clone had been needed for a different mission, one almost as important as this.
As he approached the room they'd discovered held Ezra, he could hear the boy screaming. He gripped tight to his lightsaber, his whole body shaking. There were only two guards and - oh, look at that. No more guards. Kanan should really watch his temper.
That thought didn't help him as he entered the room, his rage multiplying as Ezra panted and groaned in pain. Yeah, Officer Kriffhead was screwed. He made eye contact with Ezra, who grinned as he saw his master was in the room now. Oh no, kid, what are you thinking? He wondered, worried. Ezra's tone was far too happy for a kid who was strapped to an interrogation table as he began to distract the imp who'd tortured him while Kanan silently took out the other guards in the room.
He'd just gotten rid of the final guard when he heard Ezra say something about the planet "Nunya". Oh no, Ezra. Please. he thought, his eyes going wide as the kid said exactly what he'd thought he was about to say. Ezra. He groaned internally. The exasperation he felt quickly turned to rage again as the imperial dared to put his hands on the boy. Reaching out in the Force, he ripped the man away from Ezra, gripping tightly to the jacket, he turned the man to face him as he shook with rage. "Don't. Touch. My. Kid." He growled. The officer had no chance to respond, as Kanan swiftly knocked him out with several punches to the gut before throwing him to the ground.
"Hi dad!" Ezra called cheerily as Kanan took the guy out. "Oh wait, why did I call you dad? You're not my dad." he continued with a laugh.
Kanan looked up at the kid, worry now replacing the anger. "Ezra, you okay?" he called, rushing over to get Ezra out of the restraints.
"I'm great!" Ezra laughed, his voice slurring like a drunk person.
"Yeah, I bet you are." Kanan said, sighing and shaking his head. They definitely gave you something. That explains why I can't seem to connect with him through the Force. he thought. As he released the restraints, Ezra fell forward, Kanan just barely managing to catch him before he hit the ground.
"Whoa, that's not fun. Everything's spinny." Ezra complained.
"It's okay buddy, I gotchu." Kanan replied, helping Ezra stand with one arm and reaching for his comms with the other. "Spectre-4, Spectre-5! I have Spectre-6! Be ready!" he called out.
"Roger that Spectre-1!" Sabine's voice replied. "We'll get this party started, then meet you at the rendezvous." The sound of several alarms going off as the ship suddenly began to shake from the force of one of Sabine's "art projects" told Kanan they'd indeed started their distraction, and now the clock was ticking on being able to make a clean escape.
"Come on kid, let's go." Kanan said, pulling Ezra towards the exit, being a little more forceful than he meant to, his desire to have Ezra out of this place and safely back on the Ghost driving him. As he pulls the boy, Ezra trips, nearly falling to the ground. "Whoa, Ez!" he cries in alarm, just barely managing to keep the kid on his feet. Come on kid, I need you to pull yourself together. We have to get out of here. he thought, beginning to feel frustrated. It wasn't Ezra's fault, but Kanan had been on edge since he found out the kid was captured. His nerves were completely fried at this point and hearing Ezra taunt his tormenters hadn't done his anxiety any good.
"Ugh, my head hurts. My stomach too." Ezra whined.
"Yeah, well maybe you shouldn't keep mouthing off to the guys who are interrogating you!" Kanan snapped, his worry overriding his need to be gentle. Not helpful Kanan. Ezra's on drugs. Lecture him later.
"But I knew you were coming. You guys always have my back." Ezra explained, blinking up at him with wide eyes. "Besides, I was gonna escape!" he declared with a proud grin and a giggle, back to the awkward drunkenness caused by the drugs he'd been given.
Kanan shook his head. "Ezra." he groaned, letting out a sigh. "We gotta go." he whispered, once again pulling Ezra along and continuing their journey. Ezra was mostly silent after that, the effects of the interrogation catching up to him. As they neared the rendezvous with Sabine and Zeb however, the kid suddenly spoke up again.
"You know, sometimes I wish you were my dad." he whispered, causing Kanan to freeze in surprise. "I wish Hera was my mom too." he added, paying no mind to Kanan's stunned silence. "Not that I don't miss them. I loved my parents. But I...I think I love you and Hera too, and I wish....mmh." Ezra groaned and shook his head, trying to speak again, and then growled in frustration as he struggled. "Ah, my thoughts are all fuzzy! I can't talk right!" he complained.
"Then we can finish this talk later. We need to go." Kanan said, finally out of his stupor and pulling the kid forward once more.
"No! No, I need to tell you this!" Ezra protested, pulling back, barely managing to stay standing as he wrenched himself out of Kanan's grasp.
"Ezra!" Kanan growled. Zeb and Sabine were keeping the troopers distracted, but he didn't know how much longer that would last. "We don't have time for this!" Ezra looked at him, his eyes pleading, looking much like a lost little loth-kit.
“I just….you guys….you're important to me. I need you to know. I need you to know.” the boy whispered.
Kanan could see the kid was near tears, and he sighed, unable to fight the desire to comfort him. “We know. Ezra, it's okay. We know.” He said, gently placing a hand on the kid's shoulder.
"I know, but I needed you to know." Ezra repeated, his voice soft. He looked up, and Kanan can see a moment of clarity in his eyes as he says the next words. "I didn't get to say goodbye. Didn't get to tell them I loved them. I needed to tell you." he whispered.
Kanan's heart hurt for the kid as he said this, recalling his own feelings of loss and guilt when his master had been killed. Ezra had only recently found out about his parents, and he knew the kid was still reeling from the loss. "Hey." he whispered, kneeling so he was face to face with the boy. "They knew. They knew you loved them. You still do." Ezra was still staring at him with a sad look. "Hera and I, we know it too. You don't have to worry. It's okay." he said, and Ezra sniffled, some tears starting to fall. Oh kid, those drugs are really hitting you hard, huh? he thought, wishing he had more time to help Ezra through this.
"I really love you guys." Ezra whispered.
"I know buddy. We love you too." Kanan said, feeling guilty as Ezra looks suprised.
"You do?" he whispered, eyes full of wonder, as if the thought of them loving him back was a miracle. Kanan is once again reminded of Ezra's traumatic childhood, and he wished he could erase all those doubts the boy still held after being abandoned time and time again for seven years.
"We do. Always." Kanan promised. Ezra finally relaxes again, a little too much, falling into Kanan's arms. "Whoa, hey buddy!" he cried, reaching out to catch the kid. "You still gotta stand, okay?" he told him. Ezra grunted in response, lazily slapping his arms around Kanan in a hug. Kanan sighed, shaking his head as he hugged the boy back. "Okay kiddo, okay." he whispered. He sat there for a moment, giving Ezra the support he knew he needed, but the sound of footsteps and blasters growing nearer told him their time was up. "We gotta go kid. Come on." he says, pulling back and leading Ezra forward again.
"Spectre-1, what's taking so long? We're almost at the rendezvous and I don't see ya! We're gonna be in some pretty deep trouble if you don't hurry it up!" Zeb's voice called through the comms.
"Sorry Spectre-4, I'm on my way! Had a little trouble getting the kid moving." Kanan replied.
"Is he okay?" Sabine's worried voice responded.
"He'll be fine, it just slowed us down a bit. We're almost there." Kanan promised. As the comms go silent, Ezra speaks up again.
"Was that Sabine? I love her. Zeb too. Do you think they know?" Kanan laughed, knowing the drugs have taken over again.
"I'm sure they do." he told him.
"I'm gonna tell them. Just to be sure." Ezra declared, and Kanan couldn't help the affectionate smile that formed on his face.
"You do that kid." he replied, picturing the looks on their faces as a drug happy Ezra declares how much he loves them.
"There you are! Come on, Hera's waiting for us!" Sabine cried as they approached. The girl looked at Ezra as he gave a goofy grin.
"Heyyyy Sabine!" he called a little too happily. Sabine glances at Kanan, the question clear.
"He's a little out of it right now. There was an interrogation droid in the room with him." he explained.
"Ah, poor kid." Zeb said, his ears flickering with worry.
"Zeb!" Ezra cried happily, his grin growing wider. "Hey, have I ever told you, I love you guys? I really do!" he slurred out.
Zeb and Sabine both looked at each other in shock before looking back at Ezra, who was still grinning at them. "We love you too." Sabine replied, walking over and placing a hand on Ezra's shoulder. "Why don't we go home now? Hera and Chopper are waiting for us." she suggested. Ezra's eyes suddenly went wide.
"I forgot about Chopper! You think he knows I love him too?" he asked, looking up at Kanan.
Zeb laughed then, grinning. "Oh wow, they really got him, huh?" he said with a laugh.
"Yeah, they did. Which means you don't get to hold this over him, got it?" Kanan replied protectively, knowing Zeb had a habit of teasing the kid. Sorry Zeb, but drug happy Ezra is off limits for teasing. Dad mode does not approve.
Ezra had zoned out again, but at Kanan's tone he looked up. "Don't be mad at him. It's okay. I'm always annoying him." he said. Zeb stopped smiling then, his ears drooping with guilt.
"That's not - you don't...." he stammered, then sighed. "Let's go." he whispered, his mood sobered by the reminder that Ezra had just been tortured and the reveal that Ezra still thought he was simply annoying to the lasat. Sure the kid gets on his nerves occasionally, but he'd long since stopped thinking of him as an annoying little kid. That was his brother, and he'd been so sure Ezra knew that. Oops. The author added in some angst and you were the target this time. Sorry Zeb. Let's get back to fun drunk Ezra.
Their path back to the Ghost was almost too easy, but considering how overconfident Officer Kriffhead had been, it wasn't a surprise they'd leave entire hallways unguarded. Sabine also had some handiwork in that, having left several "art projects" for the troopers to appreciate.
As soon as they were on board, Hera ordered Chopper to take off. Ezra threw himself at Hera immediately upon seeing her. "Mom!" he cried as he threw himself forward, nearly taking Kanan down with how forcefully he'd done so. Hera's eyebrows raised in shock as she caught the boy, looking over at Kanan for answers as Ezra leaned heavily against her. "Oh, wait. You're Hera. Not mom." the boy mumbled, shaking his head. "Doesn't matter. I still love you." he whispered, slapping his arms around her in a lazy hug the same way he'd done to Kanan on the ship.
"Interrogation droid. He's flying high right now." Kanan explained, unable to hide the smirk as Hera now had to deal with the extra clingy and affectionate teenager.
"Oh, that explains it." Hera said with a sigh. Ezra whined softly as Hera hadn't hugged him back yet, wrapping his arms a little bit tighter around her. "Sorry hon, I hear you." she said softly, wrapping her arms around the boy and finally hugging him back. Ezra hummed happily, squishing his face against her as much as he could.
"Did I tell you that I love you?" the boy asked, his voice slightly muffled from squishing his face into Hera's shoulder. Hera was smiling now, fully giving into the hug and wrapping her arms tighter around him, her eyes squeezing shut as she lost herself in the moment.
"Yes darling, you did." She whispered. "I love you too." She held onto him for a moment longer before pulling back. "Come on, let's go somewhere you can sit down. Chopper's still flying the ship, and I need to let Commander Sato know we got you back." she said. Ezra's eyes went wide again and he grinned.
"Oh yeah! Chopper! Hera, I love him too." he declared. Hera raised her eyebrows again, a small smile on her face.
"You should tell him. I bet he'd love to hear it." She said, internally laughing at the thought of how her zappy little murder-bot would react. Chopper may be a droid, but he had quite a personality, and as much as he liked to mess with Ezra, she knew the boy was one of his favorite people. He'd been absolutely furious when the group had come back without Ezra, screaming and spinning his arms. Hera had had to put a restraining bolt on the protective little droid, just so the group could get their story out.
Sure enough, as soon as Hera went to relieve Chopper, the droid rolled out to their lounge space, where Ezra was sitting leaning up against Sabine as she drew. "Wurb burb!" the droid called excitedly.
"Chopper!" Ezra cried, jumping out of his seat and nearly falling right back down again. Sabine caught him though, sighing and shaking her head. Chopper warbled in confusion, rolling closer to the boy as if to inspect him. Ezra dropped down so he could give the droid a hug. Yeah, not only was the boy chatty, but his need for physical affection was multiplied by about a million. "Chopper, I'm so happy to see you buddy. You're the best droid in the whole entire universe, you know that?" Ezra blabbered out, causing the droid to shriek in confusion.
"Warb burb bar wurb burb!" Chopper declared, shoving the boy off him and pulling out his zapper. Translated: "This isn't Ezra!"
"Chop, be nice!" Sabine scolded, helping Ezra off the ground, who had a sad look on his face. "Those Imps gave him something. It's Ezra, he's just a little extra Ezra right now." she explained. Chopper warbled again, rolling over and patting Ezra on the leg as Sabine helped him sit down again.
"It's okay. I still love you." Ezra whispered to the droid, reaching out and gently patting him back. Chopper left after that, rolling off to go help Hera in the cockpit. With Chopper gone, Ezra leaned against Sabine again, sighing dreamily as she continued working on the sketch she'd been doing. "Hey, 'Bine. Did I ever tell you how pretty you are?" he asked, and the girl froze. "Seriously. You're so beautiful. Especially when you're working on your art. I like the way you look. It makes you happy." he continued, dropping his head onto her shoulder. Sabine was blushing harder than she'd ever blushed in her life, slightly embarrassed now that she was the center of drunk Ezra's attention.
"Thanks Ez." she whispered, unable to stop the soft smile that appeared on her face. Apparently, drunk Ezra has the rizz. Who knew.
When they reconnected with the fleet, Kanan immediately took Ezra to the medical wing. A newer officer made the mistake of commenting about how the kid should probably be questioned first so they could figure out what he'd given away, but Zeb and Sabine made sure he quickly regretted his words.
After the doctor had checked him over, he confirmed what Kanan had thought. Ezra was definitely given some form of truth serum, which is why he'd been so out of it. The kid also had several cracked ribs which were quickly taped up so they wouldn't get worse. Ezra started whining about being tired and wanting to go home almost immediately afterwards. Kanan sighed, looking to the doctor for permission. Ezra really didn't have any other physical injuries, and the medbay could fill up quickly sometimes. He knew Ezra would have protested staying if he was more in his right mind anyways, the kid hated taking up space when he felt someone else might need it more than him. "Just keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't have any reactions to the drugs. He'll need plenty of rest, and he'll likely be pretty sore once they've finally worn off, but you'll need to wait at least 24 hours just to be sure they've left his system before you give him anything for it." the doctor instructed, giving his permission to take Ezra back to the Ghost.
"Thank you." Kanan replied, helping Ezra down off the examination bed and leading the boy out of the room. The kid had finally reached the point where he was less happy and more exhausted, causing him to lean heavily against Kanan and drag his feet. Zeb was waiting outside the medbay, having wanted to be absolutely sure the kid was alright. Kanan could sense the lasat still felt guilty about the comment Ezra had made earlier. "Hey Zeb."
"Hey. How's he doin'?" Zeb asked, nodding to the tired teen who was practically falling asleep standing.
"Medic gave us the go ahead to bring him back to the Ghost. Couple of cracked ribs, but otherwise nothing physically wrong with him." Kanan replied. He hated that Ezra was hurt at all, but considering what he'd been through, he was just glad the kid hadn't been more mentally aware of things. Ezra whined as they stood there, letting out a big yawn.
"'m tired." he complained.
"Bet you are kid. Been a long day." Zeb replied, drawing Ezra's attention.
"Zeb, will you carry me? Please." the kid whispered, letting out another yawn. Zeb sighed, and Kanan expected him to say no, but found himself surprised as the lasat walked over and lifted the kid onto his back, Ezra throwing his arms around Zeb's neck as he was picked up. "Thanks Zeb. You're a good big brother." Ezra mumbled as they began to head towards the Ghost. Zeb's ears twitched, and Kanan could feel his embarrassment. Ezra was silent for a bit after that, and they both assumed he'd finally fallen asleep, his eyes having closed when they started walking, but then he spoke again. "Hey, Zeb? I don't really think you're smelly. I like sharing a room with you."
Zeb paused as Ezra said this, a guilty look filling his face. "I feel the same about you kid." Zeb whispered. "You don't annoy me. Not at all. I mean, sure, you can get on my nerves, but that's what little brothers do, right?" Ezra's eyes opened as Zeb said this, filled with surprise at his words.
"You mean it?" he asked.
"Yeah, I do." Zeb replied.
"Thanks Zeb. Love ya." Ezra said, his eyes dropping shut once more as he laid his head back against the lasat's back.
"Love you too kid." Zeb said softly, an affectionate smile on his face as they continued to the Ghost.
Kanan had Zeb bring Ezra to his room, wanting to keep a close eye on the boy as he slept. As he sat there with the kid, he couldn't help reaching out a hand and brushing it through the boy's hair. "I love you buddy. I hope you know that." he whispered, watching as Ezra's face scrunched up slightly before he relaxed again, his body shifting instinctively into Kanan's touch as the man continued brushing his hair back. Kanan sighed, thinking about everything that had happened. He wondered if Ezra would remember their conversation from the cruiser or not. It doesn't matter, he decided. "I'll always have your back, kid. You were right about that. And even if you don't remember our conversation, I'll make sure you always know that much. I promise." he said, leaning back and watching over Ezra as he slept.
Yes, Ezra was very much loved, even if they didn't say it all the time.
And he loved them right back.