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Ezra Bridger was excited.
Today was the day he'd been waiting for for months. It was his seventh birthday, and his parents had promised him a day full of fun, where the boy had full control of where they went and what they did. At first light, he was out of bed, racing from his room over to his parents'. He knew they'd be awake, as they often got up early to go into their secret room and broadcast messages against the Empire. They thought Ezra didn't know as much as he did, but he'd found the room almost as soon as they'd started making the broadcasts, having been born with some uncanny ability to always know exactly where his parents were and what they were up to. Almost as if he could sense them. He was a master at hide and seek as a result, and they'd learned early on to choose places that challenged the boy to think, else he'd grow bored and simply walk away from the game without telling them, leaving them stuck for hours thinking he was still searching.
As Ezra entered their room on this morning, however, his parents were no where to be seen. The boy grinned, knowing they were trying to play some kind of trick on him. Silly parents, they should know by now he'd always find them. "Mom? Dad? Where are you?" he called, as though he'd fallen for their little ruse. He walked around the room for a moment, pretending to be confused, before turning to head out the door. He knew just how to trick it into thinking he'd walked out, and did so before quickly finding his own hiding spot. As much as Ezra loved the games his parents played with him, he loved winning them even more, and winning this particular one meant tricking his parents into leaving their hiding spot so he could sneak up on them.
He waited patiently, not making a sound. A few moments later, and his plan worked perfectly. He watched as his parents peeked their heads from their hiding spot, looking around the room for the boy, both seeming confused. "Oh dear, do you think we hid too well this time?" Mira Bridger asked her husband as they stepped fully into the room.
"I don't know. The boy is usually so good at finding us, I was sure he'd be able to this time." Ephraim responded, scratching his beard in confusion.
Ezra barely held back a giggle as he watched his parents look at each other with both worry and confusion. I love it when I win! he thought giddily. Ever so slowly, he creeped from his hiding spot, like a wild loth cat approaching its prey, he stalked towards the two of them. Just as it looked like they were about to go looking for the boy, he pounced, letting out a loud roar as he tackled his parents to the ground. Mira and Ephraim both cried out in surprise, staring at their boy who began to giggle uncontrollably as they landed on the floor. "I got you, I got you!" Ezra sing-songed, giggling the whole time. His parents couldn't help but laugh as well, the boy's cheerful giggles being too contagious to ignore.
"Why you wild little loth cat! You knew exactly where we were hiding, didn't you?" Mira said, her heart full of nothing but love as she watched Ezra grin proudly.
"Mmm-hmm." Ezra replied, nodding his head. "You tried to trick me, but I tricked you instead!"
"You know, you don't have to win every game we play Ezra." Ephraim said, crossing his arms and shaking his head at his boy, though there was no anger, only love.
"But that's no fun! I like winning!" Ezra declared, pouting a little.
Ezra's mother let out a soft laugh, smiling at her son's pouting. "I know how much you love winning my little loth kit, but don't you think if winning is so fun for you, it might be fun for others too?" she said, watching as Ezra pondered her question.
"I guess so." the boy said, crossing an arm over his chest and putting his chin in his hand, as he'd seen his father do many times when he was deep in thought.
"So, do you think maybe next time you could let mom and dad win?" Mira asked.
"Okay. Next time I'll let you guys win. I won't use my super senses." Ezra replied. The boy jumped up then, suddenly remembering why he'd come in in the first place. "Okay! It's time to get ready! It's my birthday, and you promised we'd do whatever I wanted!"
Mira and Ephraim both laughed, entertained by their son's habit of getting straight to the point. Once the boy solved one problem, he'd either move onto the next, or find something new to do. Their hyperactive little guy couldn't sit still, he was always on the move. "That's right Ezra. We did say that." Ephraim said as he stood, ruffling his son's hair. "So, what do you want to do? I know how excited you've been, so I'm sure you've got plenty of plans."
Ezra nodded earnestly. "I've got the whole day planned out! First, we eat space waffles! Then I wanna go to the park! And get some ice cream! And tonight, we just have to go to the tower and look at the stars!" the boy replied, bouncing up and down as he explained his plans for the day. As soon as he'd finished, he raced out of the room. His parents looked at each other, both having looks that said "What are we going to do with this boy?". Of course, that moment was one moment too long for little Ezra, for not long after he ran out of the room they heard his voice call out. "Come on you guys! We got stuff to do!"
The day was full of nothing but fun and joy. The Bridgers basked in the time they got to spend as a family. Ezra loved going to the park with his parents, because they let him run as much as he wanted to. They knew he wouldn't wander off like the other kids, unless he saw someone being bullied, or an animal in need of rescuing. Ezra loved his parents too much to go too far anyways. He didn't like it when his super senses couldn't tell where they were at all, and if he went too far it was like they were gone, and it made him feel so lonely. He'd always been an emotional child, having these random feelings of loneliness, like something in the universe was missing but he couldn't quite tell what it was. That feeling always went away when his parents held him, and he knew as long as they were around, he wouldn't have to feel it.
They had just finished up dinner and were on their way out of the house to go to their stargazing tower when Ezra got one of his "icky feelings". The boy paused, causing his parents to stop and turn towards him.
"Ezra?" his mother asked, looking at him with concern. "Honey, what's wrong?"
Ezra shook his head, unable to explain what it was that was bothering him. "I don't know. I just....I don't feel good mama. I don't know what's wrong." Tears were filling the boy's blue eyes now, and his parents looked at each other in concern. They were about to ask if he wanted to stay home when the sound of several ships came from overhead, distracting them. They looked at each other once more, and Ezra's icky feeling got worse. He didn't like when his parents had that look on their face, it meant something really bad was happening and they didn't want him to know.
"Ezra, get inside, now." Ephraim ordered. Ezra didn't like that. His dad never talked like that, not unless he was in trouble. Or there was danger.
Ezra found himself unable to move, the tears beginning to fall as his body shook. He shook his head at his father, his hands clenching into fists at his side. Somethings bad. Somethings wrong. Wrong wrong wrong wrong WRONG. his thoughts screamed. Ezra's father didn't give him another option, suddenly rushing forward and picking the boy up as sounds of their neighbors calling out in fear began to fill the air. Ezra clung to his father, trembling as he was carried inside, followed by his mother who had a serious look on her face, one she rarely ever wore.
"Ephraim." his mother said, her tone as serious as her face.
"I know." his father replied, and Ezra hated it. He didn't know what was going on, but everything was wrong. It was his birthday. It wasn't supposed to be like this. It wasn't supposed to be scary. It was supposed to be fun.
His father carried him down to their secret room, placing the boy down and putting his hands on his shoulders. "Ezra, I need you to listen to me very closely. Remember when we were playing hide and seek the other day and you came down here? I couldn't find you?" he asked the boy. Ezra nodded. "Good. I need you to go hide there again, alright? You hide, and don't make a sound. Don't move, don't come out, no matter what you hear or see, you understand me?" he told him.
Suddenly there was a pounding sound from above, and Ezra's mother called out. "Ephraim! They're here!" she cried, running over and climbing down their hideout.
"Ezra, be a good boy. You hide now, alright? Mom and I will come get you when it's safe." Ezra's father said.
"No! I don't wanna hide! I'm scared! I wanna stay with you!" Ezra cried, shaking his head.
Mira walked over then, wrapping her arms around her boy in a quick hug. "I know you're scared sweetie, but I promise, everything is going to be okay. Mom and dad have to deal with something, and we need you to be safe. Just treat it like a game. You like winning, remember?" she told him.
"I said you could win next time." Ezra cried.
"I know you did baby, and we will win. As long as you're safe, we win, okay? So can you be a brave boy and hide for mama?"
Ezra finally nodded, gasping as the pounding sound got louder, followed by a voice calling out. "Open up! We know you're in there!"
"Good boy. You go to your hiding place now." Mira said, kissing Ezra on the forehead. Ephraim quickly wrapped his arms around the two of them, squeezing them tight.
"Remember Ezra, we love you. So very much." he whispered.
"I love you too." Ezra breathed back. His parents let go, and Ezra rushed over to his spot, climbing into the vent that was just large enough for him to fit. His parents covered up the vent before leaving the room, and Ezra was suddenly on his own.
I don't like this. I don't like it. I want my mama. I want my daddy. I'm scared. he thought, his loneliness racing back full force. He almost left his hiding spot, but he remembered he'd promised his parents to stay hidden, so he didn't move. Even when he heard his parents shouting. Even when the sound of the secret entrance opening sounded. He flinched as stormtroopers stomped into the place, tearing it apart. His hand scraped against the metal of the vent, causing him to bleed, but still he didn't make a sound. Even as tears poured out of his eyes. Even as his parents shouted that there was nothing down there. Even as he watched as an Imperial officer dragged his father down into the room, just to punish him for lying with a punch to the gut. Even as he heard his mother cry out in fear. Ezra couldn't have moved if he wanted to, so paralyzed by fear. He watched as the stormtroopers dragged his father away, as they finally left the room. Listened as the stomping of boots slowly left the house. Even when he was sure they were gone, he didn't dare move from his spot, tears spilling silently from his eyes. He curled in on himself, his body trembling as quiet sobs began escaping him. "Mom. Dad. I'm scared." he whimpered, crying harder.
Unknown to him, his cries were being heard. But not by the stormtroopers. Because Ezra knew he was special, but never knew why, nor did he know there were others like him out there, and one of them happened to be on the planet at this very moment, doing his best to drown out the feeling he'd had since the moment he and his Twi'lek companion had arrived.
Kanan was frustrated.
The Force had been nagging at him all day, despite how many years now he'd spent trying to push it away, not wanting to feel it every time another Force-sensitive child was found and taken, or hear the ghostly cries of Jedi as they were hunted down and killed. He'd managed to drown it out with alcohol for a while, but then he'd met Hera, the beautiful green twi'lek who was captain of a ship called the Ghost, and her droid companion. He'd been drawn to her immediately, and for some unknown reason, she'd accepted him. That acceptance came with one condition. If he wanted to form a crew, he had to stop with his drinking habits. That had been a real pain.
Speaking of pains, their ship had just so happened to get damaged by a stray asteroid while they were above this stupid planet, and now they were stuck waiting for repairs to be done. Hera had insisted, not wanting to risk getting stranded out in space, even though the ship had still been functioning just fine. Now, not only did he have no alcohol, but the Force was screaming at him. Oh, and of course, the Empire just had to show up while they were stuck. Another planet, lost to the 'great empire'. he thought with a sigh, shaking his head as he watched people panic as stormtroopers landed on the ground and began making demands. The Force once again let out a buzz, and Kanan growled. Shut. Up. he thought, trying to shove the feelings down.
"Well, looks like we may have to leave before those repairs are fully done. Imperical presence on a planet is never a good thing. Wait too long and we won't be able to leave." Hera whispered from beside him, sipping on the caf she'd ordered.
"Yeah, I coulda told you that." Kanan griped. He knew it was unfair to take his frustrations out on Hera, but he hadn't wanted to come here in the first place. He'd had a feeling it was exactly where the Force was pushing him to go, and he wanted nothing to do with whatever plans it had for him.
As the standard Empire propaganda began playing on the screens in the bar they were in, Kanan found his mind wandering, desperate to get away from there in any way possible. Without realizing it, he'd left himself open to the Force, and that nagging feeling suddenly turned into very clear cries. I'm scared. Someone help me. I'm all alone. I'm so scared. a voice cried out in his mind. Kanan suddenly sat up straight. The voice was that of a child. That was new. Hera looked at him questioningly, but he didn't notice, as the voice had faded, turning into nothing but vague feelings. No, vague wasn't the right word. These were strong, and oh so very clear, but weak at the same time, telling him whoever they were coming from was close. Pain. Fear. Sadness. Loneliness. The feelings were overwhelming. Kanan stood up.
"Kanan? What is it?" Hera asked.
"I have to do something. Get to the Ghost. We need to get out of here before they block the airspace." Kanan replied, calmly walking out of the bar without another word.
Out in the streets, he strolled past stormtroopers, ignoring the cries of fear as people were dragged out of their homes, some in handcuffs. He couldn't help them, not now. There was something calling him, and he couldn't stay away. I don't know where you're taking me, but I'm listenin'. This better be worth it. he thought. He didn't know why the Force was suddenly pulling him so strongly, but he couldn't ignore it anymore, and he hated that more than anything. He'd survived for years by relying on instincts and looking out for nobody but himself. Now the Force had him out here risking getting caught, and he had the feeling if he tried to ignore it the Force would've found a way to get him there anyways.
He wandered for a while, the feeling growing stronger as he reached a neighborhood that was eerily quiet, as though her residents had all vanished. More likely hiding from the troopers, or else they've already been dragged away. he thought. As he came upon a house with a freshly painted Imperial warning, the feelings hit him full blast. Once again, the Force was screaming at him, and he knew he was in the right place. Glancing around to make sure there weren't any troopers left, Kanan used his powers to force open the doors, quietly slipping inside. The inside of the house was a mess, a clear sign the troopers had ransacked the place. Why here? Whoever lived here was obviously taken away. There's no one left. He thought. He was about to leave, when an overturned piece of furniture caught his attention. Walking over, he discovered a secret opening, leading somewhere underneath the home.
Feeling compelled to continue, he dropped down into the hole, to see more destruction. He felt bad for whoever had lived here, because he knew they must've been speaking out to receive this kind of treatment. He sighed, shaking his head. The feelings had disappeared, and he assumed that he was too late. He was about to leave when the pull suddenly returned, taking him over to a vent that had been covered by a table. Moving the table, he stared at the vent. Okay. So there's a vent. What about this vent is so special? he wondered, confused. He knelt down, staring straight into it, and suddenly the reason he'd been called was revealed as dark blue eyes stared back at him from the darkness, the fear and pain in them evident. Oh kriff, there's a kid in there! he thought, and the wave of pain, fear, and loneliness hit him once more. Carefully, he removed the vent cover, watching as the boy cringed farther away from him.
"Hey kid, it's okay." He whispered, raising his hands to try and show he wasn't a threat. "I'm not gonna hurt you, I promise."
The boy's eyes showed so much fear and distrust, and Kanan could tell he'd been crying for a while based on the red rims. Kanan felt a sudden urge to protect the boy fill him, a desire so strong he couldn't help but reach out. That was the wrong move however, for the boy gasped and scurried back further. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanna help." he told the kid as he pulled his hand back, once again putting them up to show the kid he meant no harm. He could sense there was something different about this kid, and he wondered if it was the reason the Force had sent him here. Taking a breath, Kanan attempted to reach out to the boy with the Force, the need to connect with this child in order to protect him leaving him with no hesitation in this move.
The kid's eyes widened as Kanan's presence reached him, and Kanan could sense the boy just as strongly. You're like me, aren't you? A voice Kanan recognized as the one he'd heard before asked. Kanan nodded. "That's right kid. I got superpowers too." he whispered. He's not quite sure why he referred to his Force abilities like that, but it seemed like the right thing to say to the kid. It was doing the trick, as the boy relaxed a little, uncurling himself slightly as he stared at Kanan with more curiosity than fear now.
"My parents told me to hide. They said don't come out until it's safe." the boy whispered, and Kanan's heart broke. The kid's parents had let the troopers into their home, knowing they'd be taken, but they'd made sure their boy was safe first. It was just like when his master had told him to run. The boy spoke again, and Kanan could hear more tears in his voice. "Is it safe now?" he asked.
"Yeah kid, it's safe now. You can come out. I promise, I won't let the troopers get you." Kanan whispered.
He watched as tears began to fall again, but the boy slowly climbed out of the vent. Once the boy was out, Kanan instinctively pulled him close, waiting as the boy tensed up for a moment before reaching out to wrap his arms around him in return. Kanan felt his body began to tremble, and soft sobs came out. "I want my parents. They promised me it would be okay, but they're gone now. I'm scared. I'm all alone." the child sobbed.
"Shhh, it's okay kid." Kanan soothed, reaching a hand up to cup the back of the boy's head. He didn't know where these paternal instincts were coming from, but something deep inside him told him the boy was his, and he needed to protect him. "I know you're scared, but I promise I'm gonna help you. I won't let anyone hurt you." he whispered. The boy clung to him, and Kanan let him, content to sit with this child for however long it would take to calm him down. At last the tears subsided, and the kid's body began to relax. Kanan waited a moment before pulling back to look at the kid. "Feel better?" he asked. The boy nodded. "Good." Kanan took a deep breath, already forming a plan to get this kid to the Ghost where he could keep him safe from the Empire. "I know you probably don't want to leave, but I don't think it's safe for you here anymore." he told the kid. "It's not safe for me either. So, you think you could do me a favor and come back to my ship with me?" he asked him.
The boy hesitated, biting his lip. "I'm not s'posed to go with strangers." he whispered.
Kanan couldn't help the fond smile that came on his face, that parental feeling returning. Kid just watched his parents get taken away, but he's still worried about stranger danger. He's got good instincts. he thought. "That's true. How bout I tell you my name, and you tell me yours. Then we won't be strangers anymore?" he suggested. The boy nodded, and Kanan could tell that while the kid didn't want to be left behind again, knowing each other's names would ease his mind about leaving. "I'm Kanan. Kanan Jarrus." The boy stood still for a moment after Kanan gave his name, and he worried for a moment the kid was second guessing himself, but then he spoke up.
"My name's Ezra. Ezra Bridger."
Seven years later, Ezra was giving Kanan grey hairs with his antics, their crew had grown from a band of four lost souls, to a band of six. They called themselves the Spectres. And they were a group of rebels, fighting for freedom against the Empire in whatever little way they could. From the day Kanan brought Ezra to the Ghost, Hera and Chopper had fallen in love with the boy, and the four of them had quickly become a family of their own. Then they'd picked up Zeb, a veteran lasat from the planet of Lasan, and one of the last of his kind. He and Ezra had fought a bit at the beginning, but the kid had quickly grown on the gruff man, and Ezra came to view him as an older brother. Then Sabine had joined, and Kanan had a new problem on his hands. Ezra was now fourteen, and almost immediately he'd formed a crush on the Mandalorian warrior, trying to show off when he and Kanan were meant to be training. That had been extra frustrating, as the boy had nearly lost a limb more than once due to his antics, and so had Kanan. Eventually though, the kid had calmed down a bit, and began treating her a bit more like a sister. Even Sabine had grown fond of the boy, once he'd stopped trying to flirt with her every second of the day.
They were returning from another successful job when the question of their codenames came up. Kanan was complimenting Ezra for his part in the plan, though it bothered him that in their time together the kid had picked up pickpocketing as a hobby, it could come in handy when they needed to get into places without being caught. Ezra could easily swipe whatever key they needed and return it without ever being noticed.
"Good job out there today Spectre-6. I'm proud of you kid." Kanan said.
"Thanks dad." Ezra replied. In the seven years since his parents had been gone, he hadn't forgotten them. But after a while, he'd started calling Hera and Kanan "mom and dad", and the titles had just felt right.
"Yeah, not bad kid. Even though you did almost get caught when you tripped over that gonk droid." Zeb teased.
"Hey, the important thing is I didn't get caught. You on the other hand, would've been made in two seconds, shoulders." Ezra shot back, sticking his tongue out at the lasat.
"Fighting again you two?" Hera called as she climbed down into the living space.
"Mom, Zeb's teasing me again!" Ezra whined.
"I was only jokin'!" Zeb defended.
"Alright you two, that's enough. Spectre-5, how about you and Spectre-6 double check our haul, make sure Vizago doesn't have a reason to skimp on the credits again." Kanan ordered.
"Knowing him he'll find some reason to pay us less anyways. But sure." Sabine replied, turning to head out. Ezra was about to follow here to the cargo bay when she suddenly paused. "Before we do though, I've got something I've been dying to know." Kanan raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms as he waited for her to continue. "Okay, you and Hera were the first two in the crew, right? Chopper was the third. So we have Spectres 1, 2, and 3." she started. Hera and Kanan shared a look as they realized where this was going, Kanan reaching out to stop Ezra as the boy tried to inch his way out of the conversation. "You guys found Ezra seven years ago, long before Zeb or I joined. So...how come he's Spectre-6? Shouldn't he be Spectre-4?" she asked.
Zeb laughed, having heard this story before, and Ezra's face flushed red. "Shut up Zeb!" the boy cried, ducking his head down. Sabine stared at the two of them, confused.
Hera let out a soft chuckle, placing a hand on Ezra's shoulder and causing the boy to relax a little. "Don't be embarrassed. I think it's cute." she told him.
"Now I'm really curious." Sabine said.
"Ezra asked to be Spectre-6." Hera replied.
"Why?"
Hera was about to explain when Ezra huffed and spoke up. "I was seven, okay? When Hera and Kanan came up with the idea of using codenames when we had to stop for supplies, I asked to be spectre-6 because it was my favorite number. And when Kanan insisted I be Spectre-4 I threw a fit until Hera told him it was fine. I lost my home and my parents, I wanted some kind of control over my life. That's all." Ezra had hidden his face again, his arms crossed defensively over his chest as he did when he was frustrated or embarrassed. Zeb had started laughing all over again, and even Kanan was smirking.
"Aww. I don't know why you're so embarrassed Ez. I agree with Hera, I think it's cute." Sabine said, walking over and nudging Ezra with her elbow. "How about we go check on our cargo now?"
Ezra glanced up at her, checking to see if she was going to make fun of him too. He nodded when he realized she wasn't and headed down the hall.
Kanan and Zeb were still chuckling, until Hera shot them both her mom-glare, shutting them up.
What the Force was thinking creating this dysfunctional family, nobody on that ship could tell you. But one thing they all agreed on, no matter how they teased each other, or got on each other's nerves, they wouldn't have it any other way.