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2023-10-18
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2023-10-22
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Star Wars Rebels AU - Kallus' Revenge

Summary:

In an AU where Kallus is fired for losing the Jedi one too many times, Agent Kallus is out for revenge. Kanan and Ezra get into an argument that has both sides saying things they don't mean and leaving each other hurt. Kanan refuses to apologize and Ezra is too afraid to, but when Ezra is kidnapped by an annoyingly familiar enemy, Kanan is worried he'll never get the chance. Can Kanan save Ezra before it's too late? Or will they both be left regretting their final words to each other?

Notes:

Got this idea in my head a while back. After re-watching a couple season 1 episodes I've come to realize this actually kinda fits that version of Kallus, particularly since he actually boasted about the raid on Lasan and just in general seemed to be a terrible person. So I've decided that after season 1, Kallus gets no redemption arc. Read on, my dear friends. It's about to get angsty!

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: Kanan and Ezra Are Fighting Again

Chapter Text

   Kanan and Ezra were fighting, again.

   The other four spectres could hear spectres 1 and 6 as they left the Phantom, each insisting they were the ones in the right. 

   "I told you to get back to the ship! You could've gotten yourself killed!" Kanan shouted.

   "I told you, I tried getting back, but there were a bunch of bucketheads in my way and Zeb needed help!" Ezra shouted back. 

   Ezra was telling the truth, and Kanan knew this, but the man had been terrified when he'd heard Ezra dodging blaster bolts while Zeb shouted at the kid in concern, the boy having taken the attention of several of the troopers by running into battle with his saber drawn. Zeb had needed the backup, but Kanan had given Ezra a direct order to get back to the Phantom when the mission had started going haywire. They were lucky for once, and no one had been hurt, but Kanan was furious that Ezra had once again disobeyed a direct order and put himself in the line of fire.

   "I don't care! You could have easily used the skills I taught you to get past them, instead of going directly into a line of heavy fire and almost getting yourself killed!" Kanan growled. 

   "Oh, so it's fine if I take on a bunch of bucketheads, alone and without backup, while following your orders, but if I take on troopers trying to help one of our crewmates out, I'm in trouble? You realize how ridiculous that sounds, right? I even called over the comms that I was heading his way because there was too many troopers blocking my path!" Ezra argued back.

   "You just don't get it, do you kid?" Kanan hissed, throwing his hands in the air. By this time, they were in the common room with the other four spectres now witnesses to the argument. Neither one of them cared. 

   "Maybe I don't. Why don't you explain it to me, oh great and wise master?" Ezra snarked, spitting out the title as though it was something disgusting instead of out of respect as he normally did. That pissed Kanan off.

   The Jedi growled, forgetting his teachings and letting his anger get the best of him. "You know what? I don't know why I bother trying with you!" he snapped, shaking his head. "Sometimes i regret not just leaving you on Lothal. It would've been easier than dealing with an ungrateful brat who can't listen to a word I say without fighting about it. You never would have made it as a padawan in the old days." he growled out. He felt a pang of hurt through the Force at his words, and the surprised noises of his fellow spectres who were all staring at him in shock. He didn't care, he was too lost in his emotions.

   Ezra's hands were clenched into fists by his side, his whole body shaking as he clearly fought back against the emotions swirling inside him, his sapphire eyes filling with tears. "Maybe you should have just left me! I didn't ask you to bring me along!" he snapped back, turning away from the man as tears began to fall. "Sometimes I wish I'd never met you!" he shouted before storming off down the hall, heading towards his favorite spot to be alone. Ezra knew the exact combination he needed to jam the door so nobody could enter, and Kanan felt it as the boy shut down his side of the bond, angrily closing himself off from the kid as well. 

   As he growled in frustration, he turned to face his crew, all of whom were staring at him with disapproving looks. Zeb was giving him the worst glare, and Kanan couldn't handle the strong emotions rolling off the Lasat while his own feelings were heightened like this. "What? You got something to say, Zeb?" he spat, flinching slightly as the hulking man slammed his fist on the table as he stood up, walking right up to Kanan with fury in his eyes. 

   "If that kid tries to walk away again, I'm walkin' with him, and I ain't lookin' back." Zeb growled, shoving Kanan before stalking off to his room. 

   It took every ounce of self control Kanan had not to snap back at the Lasat, choosing instead to turn his fury back to the only remaining spectres. "Anyone else have something they'd like to say?" he hissed. 

   "Wub burb!" Chopper warbled, zapping Kanan before rolling out of the room, warbling out more curse words directed at the Jedi master.

   "You bucket of bolts!" Kanan shouted after him, slamming his fist on the table. Sabine jumped up then, and Kanan glared at her, challenging her to say something to him. Sabine surprised him by simply shaking her head, her eyes showing she shared Zeb's promise of walking out and sending her own disapproval at Kanan's actions without a word. The Mandalorian simply stood up and walked away, heading for her own room and leaving only Kanan and Hera in the common room. 

   By this time, Kanan had begun to calm down just a little, and he knew he was being unfair to the rest of the crew. He sighed and sat down, not daring to make eye contact with his captain, who also happened to be the love of his life. "You got something to say to me too?" he asked, his voice snarky and showing he fully expected Hera to scold him. 

   "Kanan, I can hardly look at you right now. Anything I say wouldn't help matters. I've already got half my crew threatening to walk out on me. I don't need to lose you too." Hera said, and Kanan looked up in shock, freezing at the look of hurt in Hera's eyes. "This crew is my family. I'm not going to pick sides. You both said things you shouldn't have. I just hope you and Ezra can sort this out before one of you does something you'll both regret." she tells him before she too stands and walks away, leaving Kanan alone to stew in his thoughts. 

   It's not my fault the kid gets me so riled up. He should have obeyed orders. I'm not taking the blame for this. If Ezra wants to act like a child, I'll treat him like one. No more coming with us on missions. He can have recon duty. He thought stubbornly, ignoring the small voice telling him that he was being unfair and that Ezra didn't deserve this treatment. He'll learn to listen. One way or another.


   Ezra was pissed. Ezra was hurt. Ezra was too many feelings at once, and he hated it.

   When he'd made the choice to disobey Kanan, he knew the man would be upset with him, but he hadn't expected him to start yelling at him, and he certainly hadn't expected the man to admit he regretted taking the boy in at all. That had hurt even more than when the Inquisitor's blade had sliced into his cheek, throwing him off the platform and given him one hell of a concussion as well. 

   "Sometimes I regret not leaving you on Lothal." Kanan's words echoed in his head, even as he covered his ears and closed his eyes, curling up in the gunner seat as tightly as he could. Tears streamed from his eyes as he fought against the darkness in his mind, part of him angry at the man, telling himself he didn't deserve this, the other part hissing that Kanan was right, that he didn't deserve to be there and that everything Kanan had said was true. 

   "Shut up, shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" he whimpered, his body trembling. 

   Ezra stayed there for several hours, fighting against the emotions storming within him, trying to push everything down, wanting to go back to the numbness he'd learned to have growing up on the streets of Lothal. Eventually, Hera sent Sabine to offer Ezra some food, trying to coax him out of his hiding spot. "Kanan's not out here right now, please, come eat something." Sabine said, getting straight to the point. 

   "I'm not hungry Sabine. Just go away." Ezra called, his voice hoarse from all the crying he'd done. 

   "Ez, please. I promise, if Kanan comes out at any point, I'll make sure you're as far away from him as possible. I don't really wanna see him right now either." Sabine admitted, and Ezra finally relented. He knew when she said something, she meant it. 

   Several days went by like this. Ezra avoiding Kanan, Kanan refusing to be the adult and try talking to his student. He didn't even bother trying to train Ezra, and Ezra was just fine with that. He practiced with Zeb in the cargo bay instead, working on blocking and evading, as well as his aim with a blaster. 

   Finally, the day came that Ezra could no longer avoid Kanan, as the whole crew had been called in to discuss the latest mission they'd been assigned by the Rebellion. Zeb was the one who'd gone to fetch Ezra, and he stood by his side while Kanan and Hera went over the plans, making sure he was between the boy and his master. "There's been reports of activity at what was thought to be an old Imperial base that was abandoned by the Empire ten years ago. Our mission is to assess the danger, and if need be, go in and stop whatever it is they're up to." Hera explained. 

   "Sounds easy enough. What's the plan?" Sabine asked. 

   "Ezra's on recon duty. He'll stakeout the front entrance and see if there's any truth to these rumors. Every hour I expect him to check in to report his findings, and if there's no activity, move to another entrance marked on the map. He'll do this until he sees something or all exits and entrances have been covered." Kanan said, and Zeb and Sabine both stared at him. 

   "What about the rest of us?" Sabine asked, her voice showing she had a sneaking suspicion she knew what Kanan was about to say.

   "The rest of us will stay on board the Ghost waiting for Ezra to report in. If the threat is real, then we don't want to risk getting caught." Kanan said, acting as though that justified sending only one person out to do a job that clearly called for at least two or three.

   "You've gotta be kiddin' me mate. That'll take hours. You're crazy if you think I'm just gonna sit here and do nothin' while the kid's out there risking capture for a threat we don't even know is real." Zeb growled, standing directly in front of Ezra as if to shield him from view. 

   "Ezra will be fine, provided he can follow orders." Kanan said, glaring straight through Zeb towards the kid behind him. 

   Zeb growled protectively, slamming a fist down on the table and glaring straight back at Kanan. "If you think -" he started but Ezra spoke up.

   "It's fine Zeb. I'll do it." Ezra said, his voice hard. 

   Zeb stared at him in shock, and even Chopper warbled out in surprise and confusion. "Kid, you don't have to take this. Kanan's being unreasonable." Zeb said, ignoring the fact that Kanan was standing right there and could hear every word he was saying. 

   "It's fine. Might as well be good for something, right?" Ezra snapped, his comment clearly directed at Kanan. 

   "Glad you can finally agree on something kid. Keep this up you might actually learn how to work as part of a team." Kanan snarked back, earning another growl from Zeb and a warning warble from Chopper, his arm out and ready to zap the older Jedi for his comment. 

    Ezra was hurt but hid it, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest. "We done here? I got a mission to prepare for." he grumbled out. 

   "You're dismissed." Kanan said, and Ezra walked away before anyone else could speak. 


   Ezra sighed as he stared at the entrance of the old Imperial base, having gotten bored after the first ten minutes with no activity. He'd been sitting there for twenty minutes now, and still nothing had happened. He refused to move however, wanting to prove Kanan wrong. This is pointless, but I'm not gonna give Kanan a reason to yell at me. He wants to play this game? Fine, I'll play. We'll see who's laughing when I'm done. He thought, though part of this was driven from a desire to please his master. 

   He'd been sitting there for a half hour when suddenly an uneasy feeling hit him, causing him to sit up and look around, wondering if he'd missed something. Something isn't right here. I don't know what it is, but I've got a bad feeling. He thought. After five more minutes of this, Ezra decided he should probably tell Kanan. The Force is trying to tell me something, and even if Kanan's mad at me, he'd want to know about this, right? He thought, suddenly hesitating, his hand gripping his comm, his thumb hovering over the call button. Finally, Ezra decided he should call it in, just in case. 

   Just as he was about to hit the button however, the Force suddenly blared in warning. He didn't have time to react before something struck him across the back of the head, causing him to drop his comm and fall to the ground. Karabast! Gotta get help! He thought, desperately trying to reach for his comm despite the edges of his vision beginning to fade to black. He didn't stand a chance as he heard the sound of a stun blaster being fired, his body going limp and mind giving into the darkness. 


   When Ezra awoke, there was a pain in his head and his hands were bound together, causing him to sigh softly. Great, I got captured. Kanan already thought I was useless, and now he and the crew are gonna have to come save me from what's probably a small group of bucketheads or some kinda gang that moved into this stupid abandoned base. He thought in irritation. 

   He groaned as his head pounded, freezing as a familiar voice spoke.

   "Ah, you're finally awake. So nice to see you again, Ezra. Or, should I call you Jabba? You were quite fond of using that name as a cover afterall." the voice hissed. 

   Oh bantha dung, not him. Kanan's really gonna be pissed now. I got captured by this guy? I'm so kriffed. Ezra thought as he looked up, glaring at his captor. 

   A blond haired, blue eyed, annoying Imperial stared back at him, his smirk only furthering Ezra's frustrations.

   "Agent Kallus." he spat, growling as the man grinned. 

   "Ezra Bridger. How wonderful it is to see you again. How is that little family of yours?" Kallus responded, laughing as the boy glared at him. 

   "Laugh while you can, sleemo. My crew is gonna notice I'm missing and when they do, you're dead." Ezra growled out. 

   "Oh, I'm counting on it." Kallus said, and suddenly the bad feeling Ezra had felt before returned.

   Karabast. This is not good. 

Chapter 2: Somebody's Kriffed

Notes:

Strap in folks! This chapter's an angsty one! It's also probably going to be the longest chapter. Sorry!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

   Kanan was growing frustrated. As soon as Ezra had been sent off, by Zeb and Sabine because he was too 'busy' looking over the plans (which is code for 'I know I'm wrong and I don't want to own up to it'), Kanan had gone to meditate, but found it was too difficult to fall into a trance. He knew it was because his balance in the Force was off due to the fallout he had with his padawan, but he still refused to admit that he had done anything wrong, even though there was a voice that sounded very similar to his old master's in his head reminding him that he wasn't supposed to let his emotions get the best of him. 

   After an hour came and passed with no luck, Kanan finally managed to get himself in what you could barely call a light trance, his mind no longer screaming at him, but not quite at peace either. The little amount of peace he had gleaned from this was quickly broken with a knock on his door. He growled in frustration, jumping up and opening the door, fully prepared to yell at whoever had come to bother him, only to pause as he saw that it was his captain who had knocked, a look of concern fixed on her face, her arms crossed and hands squeezing tightly as she did anytime she was nervous. "Hera? What's wrong?" he asked, confused and worried about what could have possibly made his beautiful Twi'lek look so concerned. 

   "It's been over an hour, and Ezra hasn't checked in." Hera whispered, biting her lip. 

   Kanan felt his frustration rise once more, closing his eyes and reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose as he breathed out a frustrated sigh, crossing his other arm across his chest. Of course. Ezra's probably goofing off again or ignoring my orders out of spite. He thought. "Of course he hasn't. Can't even follow one simple order to check in hourly. Kid probably goofed off and lost track of time." he grumbled. 

   "No, Kanan, you don't get it. It isn't just that he hasn't checked in. Zeb's been trying to call him for the last fifteen minutes. He's not responding." Hera told him, a slight desperation to her tone, begging him to listen to her. That got him even more riled, though now there was a concern adding to the frustration. 

   "Alright. I'm coming." Kanan said, his voice a mixture of held back anger and concern. 

   As he walked into the room where the other three spectres were gathered, he heard Zeb trying again to get Ezra to respond with no luck. Kanan frowned as the comm crackled, the silence furthering his frustration and fear. If this kid is ignoring our calls I'm gonna kriffing kill him. He thought. 

   "Any luck?" Hera asked. 

   "Nothin'. Comms aren't down far as I can tell, but the kid ain't respondin'." Zeb grumbled out, the Lasat's ears twitching with worry. 

   "I'm gonna kill this kid." Kanan grumbled, grabbing the comm and calling Ezra himself now. "Spectre 6, this is Spectre 1, come in." he called, frowning as the silence continued. Ezra, you better be dead or dyin'. He thought, and immediately felt his fear spike at the thought of that. "Spectre 6, respond! You missed your check-in." he called again, his voice more firm this time. Once again there was silence, and Kanan growled. "Ezra! Answer me right now or I swear -" he growled out, forgoing the codenames in his fear and frustration. A voice finally answered, but not the one he expected. 

   "I'm afraid Spectre 6 can't come to the comms right now, he's a bit...tied up at the moment." a familiar voice answered. 

   The temperature in the room seemed to drop, and Kanan felt his body freeze as he recognized who it was. Zeb let out a growl, his fist slamming on the table, while Chopper warbled out curses in droid. Even Hera tensed up, her fangs bared as a frown marred her face, and Sabine was glaring at the comm as though she could murder the one speaking just by looking. "Agent Kallus." Zeb spat, growling as the man laughed. 

   "Captain Orrelios." Kallus responded, his voice smug. 

   "What have you done with the kid? I swear, if he's hurt, I'm gonna rip your ugly mug right off your face and feed it to the Nexu." Zeb growled out. 

   "Is that supposed to be a threat? I've killed hundreds of your kind, one more will be no trouble. Even with what you deem as 'backup'." Kallus hissed, and Zeb growled once more.

   "Enough games, Kallus! Where's Ezra?" Kanan demanded, finally having recovered from the shock enough to respond. If he's hurt that kid...

   "Safe, for now. Whether or not he stays that way is entirely up to you, however." Kallus responded, and this time Kanan let out a growl. 

   "What do you want?" he said.

   "Simple really. I want you. Alone." Kallus said. 

   "That's it? You've got to be kidding." Sabine cried out, clearly angry that Ezra had been taken simply to get Kanan alone. 

   Kanan held up his hand to silence the girl, telling her he was going to handle things. "So far all we've heard is talk from you Kallus. How do I even know you have Ezra and the kid didn't just drop his comm somewhere?" he said, holding onto some small hope that this was nothing more than a bluff. 

   That hope was quickly dashed as Kallus began to laugh once more. "Speak boy." Kallus growled out. Silence followed, and Kanan was beginning to hope again, until Kallus made a noise of frustration. "Trying to be brave are we? That won't do. I gave you an order, now, speak." Kallus hissed. The sound that followed left chills running down the spine of everyone in the room. Everyone organic that is, though Chopper warbled out a noise that could almost be perceived as one of fear. Ezra's voice came through the comms, screaming in agony. The screams went on for what seemed like an eternity before they stopped. Nobody in the room moved, they didn't even dare let out a breath. 

   Kallus' voice once again came through the comms, and Kanan could practically see the satisfied smirk on the man's face. "Is that proof enough for you?" he asked. 

   "Just forget me! Get the crew outta here Spectre 1! It's just Kallus here, there are no other Imperials! It's a trap Kanan!" Ezra's voice cried. 

   "Oh, found our voice have we?" Kallus hissed, and the screaming started again. 

   Kanan couldn't breathe, he could hardly stand, couldn't even think as he listened to Ezra's screams. His heart was pounding in his chest and he desperately wished he could just rewind time and stop this from ever happening. One hand gripped tightly to the comm unit, the other clenched the table in front of him. Ezra's hurt. Ezra's been captured. Ezra's being tortured, and it's all your fault! His mind screamed, still he didn't dare make a sound. Nobody did, not even Chopper.

   Zeb finally broke the silence in the room when the screaming stopped, growling and slamming his hands down again. "You rat! I'll kill ya where you stand! You lousy piece of bantha dung!" he growled into the comm. 

   "Careful what you say, Lasat. Remember, it's not your life you're playing with here. I can easily end the boy and be gone before you have a chance to even blink." Kallus threatened. The room went quiet once more, and Ezra could be heard panting hard through the comm channel. "I've made my demands. You have one hour to comply, jedi, or I'll kill the boy and leave him here to rot." The crew thought that would be the end of it, the comms going silent for a moment before Kallus spoke once more. "Oh, and just to remind you what's at stake..." Ezra started screaming again, though this time they could tell the boy was trying to hold them back, his voice coming through as a groan.

   "L-leave...me! J-just...go...S-spectre 1! I-" Ezra grunted out, but it ended in a scream of agony that lasted for a minute before the comms suddenly went completely silent. 

   The five spectres just sat there, staring at the comm unit, no one daring to move. Kanan's mind was racing, replaying everything Ezra had said in his head, followed by a replay of their argument, how one of the last things he'd said to the boy was that he wished he'd left him on Lothal. Just leave me! Ezra's voice repeated. Something inside Kanan suddenly seemed to shatter, and he turned and walked out of the room.

   "Kanan? Where are you going?" Hera called. 

   "I'm going to get him back. Kallus wants me, he's gonna get me." Kanan growled, heading to his room and grabbing his blaster before heading for the cargo bay of the ship. 

   "Kanan, you can't be serious! It's crazy to go in there without any backup. Just...just give us some time to come up with a plan." Hera begged him. 

   "There's no time! You heard him Hera. He's serious. If I don't show up within an hour, Ezra's dead. I won't let that happen." Kanan told her, stopping as she grabbed his arm, feeling her fear and desperation through the Force. 

   "Kanan, please." Hera begged. 

   "Hera, it's my fault he got captured in the first place. I left him without backup. The last thing I said to him before the mission was that I wished I left him on Lothal. I can't let him die." Kanan whispered, his voice catching in his throat as he thought about how stupid the argument had been. He hadn't even bothered to actually check Ezra over to make sure he wasn't injured. He'd just started yelling. "Hera, I have to do this." he said, his voice pleading with her to understand.

   Hera's grip loosened, and Kanan gently pulled his arm out of her grip, continuing down the ramp and pausing at the bottom. "I'll bring him back, I promise." he called, having sensed the other spectres coming up to join Hera.

   As he ran towards the old base, he reached out into the Force, opening up his side of the bond with Ezra. He could feel how muddled it was, leaving him unable to tell how hurt Ezra was, but with a general idea of where the boy would be. Ezra, I'm sorry. I'm gonna get you out of this, I promise. Kallus is gonna regret the day he ever met the Ghost crew. He thought, his anger only growing with each moment that passed. He didn't know how things were gonna go down, but there was one thing he knew for sure. 

   Kallus wasn't gonna live to see another day, because even if they'd been fighting, nobody touched his kid and got away with it.


   Ezra was really beginning to regret not calling for backup when he'd first felt something was off.

   His bad feeling had turned out to be right, as not only had he been captured by a former Imperial officer, but this former officer happened to hold a grudge against both him and his master. He'd realized it was a trap long before Kallus had responded to Kanan's call, but every escape attempt ended in failure. Even after Kallus began shocking him, he refused to let his crew be put in danger just because he'd been foolish enough to get captured (even if it wasn't really his fault), telling Kanan to leave because he knew Kallus would just capture them both if he came. When Kallus ended the call, Ezra was gasping for breath, panting hard after being shocked so many times, his heart pounding in his chest, pain radiating from every part of his body after being tensed for so long. 

   "Now, we play the waiting game. I suspect it won't be long before your master comes to reclaim his little...pet." Kallus sneered, clearly thinking he'd won. 

   Ezra glared at him, growling at him before letting out a laugh, giving his signature smirk. "You're crazy if you think Kanan's stupid enough to fall for your little plan." he said, shaking his head. "They're probably already off planet. Kanan won't come for me. I'm not worth losing one of the leaders of the Rebellion." he added. It hurt him to say, but a part of him felt like he was speaking the truth. Kanan had said himself that he wished he'd left him on Lothal. 

   Once again Agent Kallus laughed, clicking his tongue and tutting at the boy. "Aww, having a fight with daddy dearest are we? Not to worry boy, all children fight with their parents at some point. Every father that falls out with their son still comes running when they're in danger." he said. 

   "Kanan's not my dad! The Empire killed my parents when I was 7!" Ezra growled, the sting of his own words hitting him the moment he uttered them. True, he'd begun thinking of Kanan as a father figure a long time ago, but he knew Kanan didn't feel the same way. That was just fine with him, all that mattered was that Kanan stayed by his side as his mentor and friend. Not that that would matter now, Ezra's pretty sure he's about to die or be handed over to the Empire, neither of which were good. It doesn't matter if he doesn't come for me. As long as he and the rest of the crew are safe. They can continue fighting with the Rebellion, and they can free Lothal. He thought. 

   "Ah, yes, that would be what you think." Kallus said, chuckling. 

   "What are you talking about?" Ezra demanded, growling as Kallus laughed again. 

   "There's so much you don't know about things, boy. About the Empire and her secrets." Kallus hissed. He smirked as Ezra glared at him before glancing at the time. "Five minutes have already passed. I wonder how long it will take."

   "You're gonna have a long wait, because he's not coming." Ezra growled once more. 

   "Hmm. You know, the Empire destroyed most records of the Jedi, but I heard once that they used to be able to sense each other's pain." Kallus whispered, coming up behind Ezra and whispering the next part in his ears. "Why don't we see if that's true, eh?"

   That was all the warning Ezra got before Kallus once again activated the shock function of the cuffs on Ezra's wrists, and Ezra was consumed by pain. He screamed, falling to the ground and writhing around, desperate for some kind of relief but refusing to beg for it to stop. Kanan's not coming. He's not. What you're doing is pointless. You're wasting your time. He's not coming for me, and I'm not giving you the satisfaction of me begging for mercy. Ezra thought. Just as he felt himself about to pass out, the pain stopped. 

   "It'll do me no good if you pass out. Can't sense pain someone can't feel after all." Kallus said.

   Ezra wanted to scream, but for a different reason.


    Kallus continues to zap Ezra every five minutes while giving him a brief rest between each time. Finally, there's the sound of a lightsaber piercing the doors. 

   "It would seem it's showtime." Kallus says, smirking at Ezra who is still panting after the last time he'd been zapped. 

   The doors suddenly go flying, and Kallus points his blaster to Ezra's head, smirking as he stares at the entrance. Kanan walks into the room, fury radiating from his entire being. It's so strong, Ezra can feel it, even with their bond being muddled from their fallout. "Kallus!" Kanan growled as he stormed in, his eyes flickering over to Ezra and the gun pointed directly at his head.

   "Ah, Kanan Jarrus. How nice of you to finally join us." Kallus said, his voice condescending.

   "Let. Him. Go ." Kanan growled, his voice getting lower and more angry as he spoke, his lightsaber curled tightly in his hands. His eyes flicked to Ezra once more as Kallus began to chuckle.

   Ezra looked away, feeling shame and guilt as he'd been captured, not realizing that all of that fury was directed towards Kallus, not sensing the worry that was directed towards him. He looked up after a moment, his eyes pleading with Kanan just to leave, not wanting to see the man hurt even though they'd fought and Kanan had said that he regretted taking him on. Just go. You shouldn't have come. Why are you here? Please go Kanan. Ezra silently begged as Kallus spoke up.

   "Bold words, Jedi. I believe you're forgetting who holds all the cards here." Kallus hissed. Kanan growled, taking a step forward, but Ezra saw Kallus smirk a moment before the searing, unbearable, relentless pain that had filled him before hit him again so unexpectedly he couldnt stop the scream that ripped out of his throat, his body seizing up as the electricity raced through him, tears beginning to leak from his eyes. He'd been shocked so many times, the Force no longer warned him, or if it did he couldn't tell.

   "No, stop!" Kanan shouted, Ezra missing the fear in his voice as he was consumed by the pain. "Ezra!"

   It hurts. It hurts. It hurts! Someone, please, just make it stop! Ezra thought.

   "Okay, okay! That's enough! Stop!" He heard Kanan yell, but Kallus kept the electricity going. " Enough ! You're gonna kill him! I give up, I surrender! Please, just stop! Stop it!" The man begged, and finally, the pain ended, leaving Ezra panting and gasping, his body tense and twitching from the pain he'd just suffered.  

   "So, it seems you can be reasonable. Drop your weapon, and kick it towards me. Now." Kallus said, shoving his blaster directly against Ezra's head when Kanan hesitated, his thumb threateningly placed over the button to shock the boy. "Do I need to remind you what will happen if you don't comply?" he asked, and Kanan lifted his hands in surrender. 

   "Alright, just take it easy. I'm doin' it." Kanan said, his eyes trained on the blaster pointed at his padawan's head. 

   Ezra looked at him pleadingly, begging him silently to ignore Kallus. Kanan's eyes flickered to his, and Ezra was shocked to see they were filled with nothing but concern for him. He thought felt something nudging at his mind for a moment, but he couldn't figure out what to do about it before the feeling was suddenly gone, Kanan's attention turning back to Kallus after he'd dropped the saber. 

   "Alright, you have me. I've done as you asked, now let Ezra go." Kanan said.

   No! Kanan, don't do this! Just go! I don't care if you don't want me, I don't care if we fought! You have to get out of here! You have to be safe! Ezra thought, staring at Kanan in fear and desperation. 

   "How very noble of you." Kallus said, smirking. "Unfortunately, the boy is more useful to the Empire than you are." 

   Ezra's bad feeling suddenly returned full force, but he was a moment too late as Kallus turned his blaster to Kanan and fired. "NOOOOOO!" Ezra screamed as Kanan cried out before falling backwards off the platform in the room they were in. It had been some sort of command center at one point, and they were sitting right where the person in charge would have stood and watched as everyone else worked. 

   Ezra stared at the spot Kanan had once stood, his heart shattering. He turned to Kallus as the man laughed, growling as tears began to spill from his eyes. "You monster! You lousy Imp! What was the point of calling him here if you were just gonna kill him? If you're not gonna hand us over, why'd you bother capturing me at all? Coward!" he screamed. He froze as Kallus began laughing once more, the man turning an evil grin on the boy. 

   "The Empire? Now, why on Earth would I hand you over to those lousy traitors?" Kallus said. 

   Ezra's eyes went wide and Kallus laughed again. "You see? You assume too much. It was never about the Empire, never about getting my place back. No, boy. This is about revenge." he hissed. "The Empire threw me away after your little breakout. You and your master cost me everything. My home, my job, my entire life, ruined because of two good-for-nothing rebels."

   Ezra realized at this point that Kallus had no intention of releasing him. I'm gonna die. Oh, kriff, I'm gonna die! He thought. He glanced over to where Kanan had stood, and suddenly, he felt his fear melt away. No. If I'm gonna die, I'm not going down without a fight! Kanan's death won't be in vain! He thought, and jumped up, charging at Kallus in a last-ditch effort to save himself. His attempt was foiled when Kallus pressed down on the button in his hand once more, sending another shock through Ezra's body, causing the boy to cry out and fall to his knees. 

   "This is the end for you, boy." Kallus growled, pointing the blaster at Ezra's head once more.

   Ezra was still panting, his body trembling after the pain he'd been in. Tears sprang to his eyes again, realizing all hope was lost. I'm sorry Kanan. I failed you. I failed everyone. This is all my fault. He thought. He closed his eyes as Kallus began to laugh, not wanting to give the man the satisfaction of seeing the light leave them. I'm sorry. He thought.

   He hears a shot.

Notes:

Cliffhanger time!!! Let me know what you think! This chapter fought me quite a bit!

Chapter 3: Master and Padawan, Father and Son

Notes:

This chapter ended up a little bit longer than intended but I think I like the way it went. Creative brain went rogue and changed up a bunch of stuff. Still, I hope you enjoy this!!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

   It was dark, and he was tired. 

   This was the first thing Kanan knew. The first thought that crossed his head after being shot by Kallus. 

   Caleb! Caleb, get up! A familiar voice cried. 

   Master? Kanan thought, confused. 

   You must get up Caleb! The voice cried, and Kanan was certain this time that it was his former master, Master Dilaba who was speaking.

   Why? Kanan asked. Master, I'm so tired. I don't have the strength to go on. 

   Yes, you do. You need to. For Ezra. Master Dilaba's voice responded. 

    He doesn't need me. Master, I failed him. I let my emotions get the best of me. I let him get captured. I'm not meant to be his teacher. Kanan replied. 

   The Force brought you two together for a reason Caleb. Dilaba's voice replied. 

   The Force made a mistake. Kanan said. 

   You know that's not true, my former padawan. You are not the first master to doubt if they made the right choice with taking on a student. Kanan was surprised at this, and listened as the voice continued. Even I doubted myself at times. Each time you were injured, I wondered if I had made a mistake, taking you on. And every time, you proved to me that I was wrong. I know you think you've failed your student, but the truth is you haven't. Only in the moment you give up, will you truly fail him. 

   Master... Kanan whispered. 

   There's no time Caleb. You must get up. Get up, or your padawan will be lost! Depa cried, and Kanan felt fear and desperation flash through the Force, followed by determination, and then pain. 

   EZRA! he cried. 

   Kanan's eyes flashed open, the world suddenly returning to him as he sat up. He groaned softly at the pain in his arm from where he'd been shot, but his pain was quickly forgotten as a scream from Ezra pierced his ears. 

   "Ezra!" He whispered, rushing over and jumping up to climb the platform. 

   "This is the end for you, boy." He heard Kallus hiss, looking up to see a gun pointed directly at Ezra's head. Ezra had his eyes closed, accepting his fate. 

   There was not an ounce of hesitation as Kanan pulled his own blaster out and fired, watching as Ezra and Kallus both fell at the same time. No! Kanan thought, eyes going wide in fear. He quickly picked up his lightsaber before rushing over to Ezra's side, glaring at Kallus' body to make sure he was truly dead before turning his attention to Ezra. 

   Ezra's eyes were closed, tears streaming down his cheeks. For a moment, Kanan worried he was dead, then realized the boy was still breathing, and though the bond was weak it was there. He quickly used his lightsaber to cut the cuffs off the boy's wrists before lifting the boy up. "Ezra. Ezra!" he cried, gently shaking the boy, his mind flashing back to the first time he'd seen Ezra pass out when the boy had accidentally drawn from the dark side and been overwhelmed. Please kid, please open your eyes. I need you to be okay. I need to know you're not hurt. Kanan silently begged. 

   Ezra's eyes shot open, and Kanan saw a look of confusion, followed by relief. "Kanan!" The boy cried, launching himself at the man. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Ezra sobbed, his body trembling. "I didn't mean it! I didn't mean what I said! I'm sorry I got captured, I'm sorry we fought, I -" he continued. 

   "Ezra, hey, Ez!" Kanan cried, trying to get the boy to calm down so he could check him for injuries. "Are you hit? Hey, Ezra, calm down!" He called. Ezra stopped for a moment, and Kanan could see tears were still streaming down his face. Kanan placed a hand on Ezra's cheek, cupping his face and checking him over. "Did you get hit? I shot him and you fell and I...are you hurt?" He whispered. 

   "No. No, I'm okay." Ezra replied, and Kanan breathed a sigh of relief, moving his hand to cup the back of the boy's head and pulling him close until their foreheads touched. "I thought I lost you." Ezra whispered, and Kanan pulled back to look at him, giving the boy a small smile. 

   "I know the feeling." he replied, remembering when Ezra had said those same words to him. 

   "Kanan, I -" Ezra started, but the sound of footsteps rushing down the hall interrupted him. Kanan quickly pulled out his lightsaber and activated it, his face a protective scowl as he placed himself in front of Ezra. He only calmed down when he recognized the signatures of Zeb and Sabine watching as they rushed in the door - or rather where the door would have been if Kanan hadn't destroyed them in his attempt to get to Ezra.

   "Thought I told you guys to stay on the ship." Kanan said. 

   "Actually, all you said was 'I'll bring him back' and before that you told Hera you were gonna give yourself up to Kallus sooo...we followed you." Sabine said. Kanan could practically see her worried glance towards Ezra as she spoke, knowing the Mandalorian had grown closer to the boy than even Zeb. Whether that was just because they were closest in age or something more he wasn't sure yet. 

   "She's right ya know. 'Course it was a very loose follow. We had to use a scanner to find you two." Zeb added in, the Lasat looking relieved to see both Jedi unharmed. Well, mostly unharmed. Kanan did have a graze on his arm from where Kallus shot him, and his head hurt now that he wasn't focused on saving Ezra, but other than that he was fine. Ezra he wasn't sure about. 

   "Thanks for coming." Kanan said, turning his attention on Ezra who seemed to be in some kind of daze and hadn't responded to Zeb and Sabine at all. "Ez? Hey buddy, can you stand?" Kanan said softly, keeping his voice calm though he still felt a little bit on edge after everything that just happened. 

   "Huh? Uh, yeah, I...I think so." Ezra replied, grunting softly as he tried to stand up. 

   Kanan reached out to help him, steadying the boy when he almost fell to the ground again. "Whoa, easy kid. Let me help you." He said. He's trembling again. He's definitely in some kind of shock. He thought as he wrapped an arm around Ezra and carefully helped the boy limp his way toward the door. 

   "M-my saber. Lightsaber." Ezra grunted out, stopping and trying to pull himself out of Kanan's grip. It was obvious the boy still couldn't stand on his own, and his pulling was fairly weak but enough to nearly make him fall again. 

   "Hey. Hey! It's okay Ezra. We'll get it." Kanan said. Kallus must have taken it off the kid when he took him. He thought. "Sabine? You see it anywhere?" he asked.

   Sabine walked into the room, heading over to Kallus' body and picking up the saber where the man had had it clipped to his own belt. She kicked the body in disgust before turning back to Kanan. "Right here. I've got it Ezra." The girl said, walking over to the Jedi. Her helmet turned to Kanan, as if to ask what she should do. Kanan glanced at Ezra who was still out of it before shaking his head, indicating the Mandalorian should hold onto it for now. 

   They limped their way back to the ship slowly, Zeb taking up the rear while Sabine stayed close to Ezra's other side, all focused on protecting their Jedi. 

   When they made it back to the Ghost, Hera was waiting for them, her and Chopper both rushing out to meet the group. 

   "Kanan, Ezra!" She cried in relief, Chopper echoing her cries with warbles of his own. 

   "Told you I'd bring him back." Kanan said, though he worried about how unresponsive Ezra still was. The boy was breathing hard, and Kanan wondered how many times Kallus had shocked him before he'd managed to find them. Ezra's side of the bond was still blocked, which meant Kanan couldn't use the Force to assess his injuries. He looked up at Hera who was also eyeing the boy in concern. 

   "Ezra, honey?" Hera whispered, reaching out a hand to gently cup his cheek. 

   Kanan watched Ezra closely, and he could sense Sabine and Zeb watching as well, their concern strong. Ezra's eyes shifted and the boy blinked before a small smile graced his face. "H-hi Hera. I'm...I'm back." The boy whispered. 

   Hera smiled, and the group let out a collective sigh of relief. Ezra was back, and he'd be okay. 

   "Welcome back hon. Let's get you inside and taken care of." Hera said. 

   Ezra nodded, and they all headed in as a group, a family together again after a stressful mission. 


   "This is the end for you, boy!" 

   *BANG* 

   Ezra jolts awake, a scream trapped in his throat, his heart pounding, breaths rapid and uneven. He lets out a sigh, burying his head in his hands and taking a deep breath, trying to stop the shaking of his body and pounding of his heart. 

   It was the third time that night that nightmares had woken him, and he was done trying to sleep. He glanced down at Zeb, making sure the Lasat was truly asleep and snoring, before climbing out of his bunk. For a while Zeb had been hyper vigilant, staying up to make sure he was okay. It hadn't bothered Ezra too much, but he knew Zeb would worry if he got up, so he wanted to make sure he wouldn't get caught. 

   He headed out of the Ghost, finding a big rock and climbing up on it before sitting down, sighing softly as he pulled his knees to his chest before looking up at the stars.

   It's pretty, but not as much as Lothal's night sky. Ezra thought, sighing. He missed his home, even though there was nothing there for him. Not much here for me on the Ghost either. He thought, recalling his master's words. He knew Kanan probably had just been angry, but there was a part of him that couldn't get past the idea that he meant it. 

   His nightmares certainly hadn't helped either. Sometimes ending with his death, sometimes with Kanan dying and everyone else leaving him, telling him Kanan had been right. Tears sprang to his eyes again and he wiped them away on frustration, wishing it would all just stop. 

   "The stars look good tonight, don't they?" A voice asked. 

   Ezra froze, sighing softly before responding to the voice, which he knew belonged to Kanan. "They're nice. Lothal's are better." He whispered. 

   "Do you miss it? Lothal?" Kanan asked. 

   "Sometimes." Ezra admitted. 

   There was a moment of silence, nothing but the breeze and the sounds of the planet's native wildlife. "Why are you up kid?" Kanan finally asked. 

   "Why are you?" Ezra shot back. 

   "Chopper told me you left the ship. I was worried about you." Kanan replied. 

   "You don't have to be. I'm fine. I just couldn't sleep and wanted to come look at the stars." Ezra told him. Please just go Kanan. I don't have the will to keep pretending. I just want some peace. He thought. 

   "Is that really all it was?" Kanan asked, clearly not planning on leaving. 

   Ezra sighed in frustration, getting up and jumping down from his spot, beginning to pace in front of Kanan. "Why do you even care? Why can't you just let me get over it?" He demanded, but didn't give Kanan a chance to answer. "I'm having nightmares! Okay? Is that what you wanted to hear? I can't sleep, and I keep waking up crying, like a stupid child, so I came out here to look at the stars because at least when I do that my kriffing head doesn't try to torment me!" He screamed. He stopped pacing and flopped against the backside of the rock he'd been sitting on, pulling his knees to his chest and crossing his arms over them, his head low so he wouldn't have to look at Kanan. 

   Kanan was silent for a moment, and Ezra thought he'd left. "What were the nightmares about?" he asked. 

   Ezra was silent, not wanting to talk about it, but when Kanan started to walk away he couldn't stop himself. "The shot. I heard it, and I thought I was dead. I just kept waiting for things to end." He whispered. He heard Kanan's footsteps stop, so he continued. "The nightmares, that's what happens, but it's not just that. Sometimes, I die, sometimes it's just you. Kallus leaves you there and the crew all blame me. But the worst part of it is, every time I die, you're there, in the Force, blaming me. Telling me you never should have taken me on, that it's all my fault you're dead." He was crying again and he hated himself for it. 

   He expected Kanan to just leave him, or to tell him to stop being such a baby. Just go. Or tell me off. Please. I can't do this. He thought. He was shocked when the man sat down next to him, wrapping an arm around him and pulling him to his chest.  

   "I'm sorry Ezra." The man said, and Ezra looked up. "It's my fault Kallus captured you. I was angry, and I made a bad call and I put you on a mission that you shouldn't have been on alone." Ezra sniffled softly, trying to get himself back under control. 

   Of course that's what he's apologizing for. He thought, pushing away from the man and curling in on himself again. "Don't apologize. Kallus is an idiot. I'm fine." he said. 

   "Ez, he tortured you. You don't just walk away from that. Why are you pushing me away suddenly? I thought we agreed to be more honest with each other. You didn't act like this before - " Kanan started then paused. Ezra took a glance at the man, seeing it in his face as he came to a realization. "Oh. Oh, Force, kid." Kanan whispered, and Ezra looked away. "Ezra, I didn't mean what I said. Not one bit." Kanan told him, still Ezra refused to look up, afraid it was nothing more than a lie. "Kid, when you fell...I thought you were dead. I thought I'd been too late and Kallus had killed you. The pain I felt in that moment, it was worse than when I lost my own master. I thought I'd failed you, again, and the worst part was knowing I didn't have a chance to apologize. Knowing that you died thinking that I wanted you gone, when that couldn't be further from the truth." 

   Ezra was trembling again, his fingers digging into his arms as he tried to control himself. Kanan reached out again, and Ezra felt the nudge in his mind once more. "Let me in kid. Please. I'm so sorry I closed myself off from you. I'm sorry I ever made you think that I don't want you here. You're my padawan. Nothing matters more to me than you." Kanan told him. 

   "I can't. I don't know how. I...I'm scared. I can't do this. You'll just hurt me again." Ezra whispered, tears spilling from his eyes once more. 

   "Ezra, please. Let me help you." Kanan begged. Ezra looked up at him, seeing the same concern he'd noticed when Kallus held him at gunpoint. 

   "Make it stop Kanan. I can't stop hearing those words. I can't stop seeing Kallus shoot you over and over. How do I make it stop?" Ezra begged. 

   "Close your eyes. Imagine the walls in your mind, imagine them falling. Like we used to practice putting them up." Kanan told him. 

   Ezra did as he was asked, and suddenly he felt Kanan's presence surrounding him. He felt everything, Kanan's worry, his regret, but mostly it was his love and care for Ezra. He felt it as Kanan surrounded the dark thoughts in his head, replacing them with those feelings. Truly letting Ezra know just how much he wanted him around. Ezra was sobbing again, but this time for a different reason. It was relief that brought the tears now. 

   "I'm so sorry Ezra. I never should have said those things to you. There's no excuse for what I did, but I'm here kid. I'm here telling you I want you to stay. I want you around. Teaching you, it's the best thing that ever happened to me." Kanan told him, pulling the boy in again.

   Ezra wrapped his arms around Kanan, sending the man his own feelings through the Force. How grateful he was that Kanan had found him, how much he loved learning everything the man had to teach him, how much Kanan means to him. 

   "We're gonna be okay kid. We're gonna be okay." Kanan promised. 

   "Thank you, master." Ezra whispered. 

   "Of course, my padawan." Kanan whispered back. 

   They ended up watching the stars together, neither one of them willing to go back to sleep just yet. 


   The next morning, Hera and the crew woke up to find their Jedi were both missing. Worried they headed out of the Ghost, intending to look for them. It didn't take long, as they saw Kanan and Ezra curled up together, both leaned against a nearby rock. 

   "Aww, look at 'em." Zeb said with a smirk. 

   "Wub warbbub wub wub." Chopper said. 

   "Don't you dare." Hera warned. 

   Chopper began laughing, but made a noise of discontent as he was suddenly pushed backwards. Hera looked up to see Kanan's hand drop back to his side, and she couldn't help but smile. 

   "Come on you three, I think someone wants time with his kid." She said, turning and heading back to the Ghost, Chopper, Sabine, and Zeb all following their captain.  

   Behind them, Kanan's grip tightened on Ezra, who curled into the man's side even further. At last, balance was restored between master and padawan. Father and son, together again. 

Notes:

Thank you so much for reading!! This one was a bit longer than I originally thought it would be, but I had fun writing it!! Please let me know what you thought of it! I'm open to all feedback! May the Force be with you, and also the cheese! (This one comes with extra cheese.)

Notes:

Sooooo....this was gonna be a single chapter fic. Really, it was. But creative brain has decided on a different path. The story will now take place over three chapters. Partly because I wanna make you guys sweat a little. Lol Enjoy, and leave a comment! May the Force be with you, and also the cheese! (Cause you know this about to have a cheesy ending)