Ezra Bridger (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ezra_of_lothal) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
deernet2022-05-30 03:12 pm
ezra_of_lothal) wrote in deernet2022-05-30 03:12 pm
[Accidental Video] UN:Lothrat
[CW: None for first memory]
[A small freighter ship sets down in the middle of grassland and extends its gangplank. Ezra, 14 years old and in worn spacer clothing, comes out to sit on it, arms crossed over his knees and looking dejected. When the footsteps behind him ring out, Ezra glances over his shoulder and says, voice, low, "Look, don't bother saying it. I'm letting you off the hook."
The man - mid twenties, also in spacer wear with bits of armor - looks baffled. "What're you talking about?"
Ezra waves a hand, his tone and posture screaming defensiveness. "I know you wanted to dump me on Luminara. Just because she's gone, doesn't mean you're stuck with me."
The man looks, startled, then enlightened, then thoughtful. "I don't want to dump you," he protests, then sighs heavily, facepalming, before coming to sit beside Ezra."Look, I just wanted you to have the best teacher."
"Well, I don't want the best teacher," Ezra bursts out. "I want you!"
The man looks stunned.
Ezra cringes. "Not that you're not the best! I-"
"Ezra. From now on, I'm not going to try to teach you."
Ezra's face falls, and he shifts away again.
"If all I do is try, that means I don't truly believe I can succeed. So from now on, I will teach you. I may fail. You may fail. But there is no try."
"...I understand," Ezra says slowly, then tension goes out of him as adds, firmly, "Master."
His master gets out his lightsaber to hand over. "Let's see if you do."
They get up, for practice - Ezra's master picking up bits of rock to toss, for Ezra to deflect. They look...happy.
[CW: Mentions of war, war trauma, fire, parental figure death, grief]
This time, Ezra looks closer to his current age, and in a suit of white armor, that stands out against pure black and geometric shapes in white.
He talks to a female figure, who is humanoid, but clearly not human. Ahsoka Tano, all grown up.
"I thought I was sent here to stop the Empire. But then I found you," Ezra explains. "Don't you see?"
"You think that Kanan sent you here to help me," Ahsoka replies.
"Not just you!" Ezra says, excitedly. Then he looks around as Kanan's - Ezra's master's - voice rings out, through the black, massive space they are in."I can do it," Ezra insists, increasingly frantic. "I can save Kanan. Just like I saved you!"
Ezra chases after his master's voice, while Ahsoka pleads with him to wait, and Ezra continues to protest that he can change things. He changed her fate. He can stop his master from dying.
Eventually they come to a portal, and fire blooms into view. Kanan dashes up to the flames, and holds his hands out, using the Force to push back a massive explosion.
"I can reach him," Ezra says, grim and determined.
"Ezra," Ahsoka says, oh so gently. "Kanan gave his life, so you could live. If he's taken out of this moment, you all die. "
"You don't understand what you're asking me to do," Ezra snarls.
"Yes, I do," she replies, not angry, but just as intense. "You can't save your master." Her expression drops to grief. "And I can't save mine. I'm asking you to let go."
Ezra stretches out a hand, looking devastated, as the fire surges, and Kanan whirls to Force toss (Ezra knows) Hera and then the shuttle where Ezra and Sabine are, away from the blast. Fire overtakes the entire view and Hera screams out Kanan's name. The scene fades. Ezra drops his head, closes his eyes, and turns away.
"I'm sorry, Ezra," Ahsoka says. "But you must see. Kanan found the moment when he was needed most. And he did what he had to do. For everyone."
"That's the lesson," Ezra murmurs. Ahsoka comes over to drop a hand on his shoulder.
"I didn't see it." Ezra chokes back a sob. "Sometimes I wish my life were different. I wish I could see my mom and dad. Why can't things be like they were?"]
[The Omni's screen jumps to Ezra, here in Trench. Ezra sucks in a shuddering breath, on the edge of tears.]
The name he chose was Kanan Jarrus. He was a Jedi Knight. He gave me a family again. We had four years together. It- [It wasn't enough, he wants to say. But that's not quite right. Kanan had given him everything.]
I wish we'd had more time. [He cuts the feed.]
[A small freighter ship sets down in the middle of grassland and extends its gangplank. Ezra, 14 years old and in worn spacer clothing, comes out to sit on it, arms crossed over his knees and looking dejected. When the footsteps behind him ring out, Ezra glances over his shoulder and says, voice, low, "Look, don't bother saying it. I'm letting you off the hook."
The man - mid twenties, also in spacer wear with bits of armor - looks baffled. "What're you talking about?"
Ezra waves a hand, his tone and posture screaming defensiveness. "I know you wanted to dump me on Luminara. Just because she's gone, doesn't mean you're stuck with me."
The man looks, startled, then enlightened, then thoughtful. "I don't want to dump you," he protests, then sighs heavily, facepalming, before coming to sit beside Ezra."Look, I just wanted you to have the best teacher."
"Well, I don't want the best teacher," Ezra bursts out. "I want you!"
The man looks stunned.
Ezra cringes. "Not that you're not the best! I-"
"Ezra. From now on, I'm not going to try to teach you."
Ezra's face falls, and he shifts away again.
"If all I do is try, that means I don't truly believe I can succeed. So from now on, I will teach you. I may fail. You may fail. But there is no try."
"...I understand," Ezra says slowly, then tension goes out of him as adds, firmly, "Master."
His master gets out his lightsaber to hand over. "Let's see if you do."
They get up, for practice - Ezra's master picking up bits of rock to toss, for Ezra to deflect. They look...happy.
[CW: Mentions of war, war trauma, fire, parental figure death, grief]
This time, Ezra looks closer to his current age, and in a suit of white armor, that stands out against pure black and geometric shapes in white.
He talks to a female figure, who is humanoid, but clearly not human. Ahsoka Tano, all grown up.
"I thought I was sent here to stop the Empire. But then I found you," Ezra explains. "Don't you see?"
"You think that Kanan sent you here to help me," Ahsoka replies.
"Not just you!" Ezra says, excitedly. Then he looks around as Kanan's - Ezra's master's - voice rings out, through the black, massive space they are in."I can do it," Ezra insists, increasingly frantic. "I can save Kanan. Just like I saved you!"
Ezra chases after his master's voice, while Ahsoka pleads with him to wait, and Ezra continues to protest that he can change things. He changed her fate. He can stop his master from dying.
Eventually they come to a portal, and fire blooms into view. Kanan dashes up to the flames, and holds his hands out, using the Force to push back a massive explosion.
"I can reach him," Ezra says, grim and determined.
"Ezra," Ahsoka says, oh so gently. "Kanan gave his life, so you could live. If he's taken out of this moment, you all die. "
"You don't understand what you're asking me to do," Ezra snarls.
"Yes, I do," she replies, not angry, but just as intense. "You can't save your master." Her expression drops to grief. "And I can't save mine. I'm asking you to let go."
Ezra stretches out a hand, looking devastated, as the fire surges, and Kanan whirls to Force toss (Ezra knows) Hera and then the shuttle where Ezra and Sabine are, away from the blast. Fire overtakes the entire view and Hera screams out Kanan's name. The scene fades. Ezra drops his head, closes his eyes, and turns away.
"I'm sorry, Ezra," Ahsoka says. "But you must see. Kanan found the moment when he was needed most. And he did what he had to do. For everyone."
"That's the lesson," Ezra murmurs. Ahsoka comes over to drop a hand on his shoulder.
"I didn't see it." Ezra chokes back a sob. "Sometimes I wish my life were different. I wish I could see my mom and dad. Why can't things be like they were?"]
[The Omni's screen jumps to Ezra, here in Trench. Ezra sucks in a shuddering breath, on the edge of tears.]
The name he chose was Kanan Jarrus. He was a Jedi Knight. He gave me a family again. We had four years together. It- [It wasn't enough, he wants to say. But that's not quite right. Kanan had given him everything.]
I wish we'd had more time. [He cuts the feed.]
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