happy father's day - blindrun

[merging]

 [Honestly? He's been here wayyy longer than he planned to be. He knew it'd be hard to escape, but it had to be possible. That's what he kept telling himself. Days turned into weeks turned into months and now? It's been over a year.

The other Inquisitors still don't completely treat him like one of them. Or maybe teasing is their way of doing so? He rolls his eyes whenever they call him "baby brother", thinking they could at least have some sense of professionalism. But everything's been going okay for the most part. As okay as it can be when you're an Inquisitor-in-training.

Except today was... well, it was something else. They were assigned to ambush a small rebel cell that was said to be working with a Jedi. It should've been easy, except for the part where it wasn't. The rebels got away and the Inquisitors had failed. Now Ezra's standing outside the Grand Inquisitor's office while the adults debrief. It's frustrating, being left out like this, but he also knows there isn't much he can do about it.]

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[blindrun]

[ things have turned since the day he showed ezra his parents were alive. what he feared would be a shift in his loyalties turned out better than he could hope, as his apprentice began to double his efforts to being initiated as an inquisitor. it pleased third brother and the paranoia he had that ezra was simply pretending and pulling away from him have been washed away for some months now.

the informant, who secretly contacted their base a few days ago, is a little more than pleased with his works but third brother ignores it. after all the base has been taken over, many of its occupants captured or killed, and they can repurpose this area for the empire.

so third brother has questions when ezra begins choking him. ]

What are you talking about?

[ he isn't especially inclined to stop him yet, but his interest is piqued. ]

[merging]

One got away. I can sense them.

[On the landing pad, about to be far away from this base and this planet. Too far now for Third Brother and him to catch them.

Ezra tightens his grip on the informant's throat.]

Or what, did you have a sudden change of heart?

[blindrun]

[ third brother's head turns and he reaches out, trying to see... yes. there is one who got away. he's too far away to do anything but lifts up his wrist to tap the communicator attached to it. ]

We have a runaway on the landing pad. Pursue them, don't let them get into hyperspace.

[ there's a jedi helping the rebellion but doesn't sense that person is the one who escaped. they might not have been here is all, a shame but nothing to worry about. now then- ]

One escapee is not proof of anything. Let the informant go.

[merging]

[... he should've waited longer to reveal that, whoops. Oh well, not gonna let it show now.]

I know he did it.

[But Ezra releases him and he falls to the floor, gasping for air.]

You let them go.

[The informant, barely able to speak, repeats after him. I let them go..]

[blindrun]

[ third brother's eyes bulge for a moment behind the helmet when the informant says that. he looks at ezra, wary, then back at him. he walks forward in front of the man and with a raised hand lifts them of the ground no different than raising a puppet. ]

Explain yourself.

[merging]

[The informant doesn't look able to say anything else, what with the lack of oxygen to his brain and the whole mind control thing.]

I already told you. He must have thought we wouldn't notice if one rebel went missing. Or maybe he thought the Empire would be forgiving.

We don't need him anymore. Let me finish him.

[blindrun]

Silence.

[ he turns his head to his apprentice, annoyed, then turns back to the informant. ]

You will talk. Why did the rebel get away?

[merging]

[I let them go... I let them go, he keeps repeating.

Ezra rolls his eyes, rather annoyed himself.]

Third Brother, we shouldn't be wasting time on scum like him.

[blindrun]

[ he frowns deep behind his helmet, because it doesn't add up. why let only one rebel go? maybe he thought it would look less suspicious. but why betray them at all? to what end?

he doesn't let go of his hold but turns head back to ezra, impatient and petulant as ever. ]

What do you surmise as his reasons for turning on us, apprentice?

[ he asks not to question, but for an opinion. a second mind as he racks his own. ]

[merging]

[Ezra reaches out with his hand, not with the Force because he's not actually reading his mind.]

I was wrong... he didn't warn them. There was someone close to him, someone he cared about. He told them of his plan, but they refused to defect. He thought- he thought he could be strong. If it was for the Empire, he'd do anything. But when it came down to it, when it was just the two of them, he was weak.

[He says it with disdain, since of course, the idea of following your heart instead of the Empire is disgusting.]

[blindrun]

...

[ third brother lets the informant go, harmlessly dropping him to his feet and then shoves him against the wall and walks out of the way. ]

You know what to do.

[ he can sense ezra's anger, his hate, toward this man. he wants to tear him apart. third brother won't get in the way. ]

[merging]

[Ezra grins and ignites his saber, plunging it into the man's body. It's quick, less painful than he would've liked, but it's the safest option.

Replacing his hilt at his side, he looks to Third Brother.]

Did they manage to catch the rebel?

[blindrun]

Let me see. [ he taps his communicator, speaking into it- ] Status report? Do you have the rebel?

[ there's a silence and the communicator hisses- ]

Negative, sir. They made the jump before the TIEs arrived.

Understood.

[ incompetents. third brother sighs and looks over to the informant. he'll have to explain to the grand inquisitor why the defector is dead, though he thinks losing the rebel will be a greater sore spot for him. ]

Ok, one more sweep of the area and then we go. I'll look through the front area of the base, you go further in. Rendez-vous in twenty.

[merging]

[Despite feeling relieved to hear that, he puts all his focus on the man he just killed, keeping his connection to the dark side strong and ever present.]

Got it.

[The sweep will give him plenty of time to recenter, make sure there isn't anything that could tie him to the rebel's escape. Ezra heads further in as ordered, not expecting to find anything since well, he already let one rebel get away.]

[blindrun]

Move out.

[ and third brother leaves the room, off on his sweep and forgetting the informant on the floor. he trusts ezra to handle checking the rest of the base without issue.

once third brother is gone, walking toward the front of the base, a faint hum of energy will ring out in the area. one only ezra can hear, feel, that clashes with the darkness he has chosen to envelop himself in. ]

[merging]

[That's... different. The smart, loyal thing to do would be to get out his comm and tell Third Brother. Obviously he's not doing that.

Obviously he's seeking out the hum, responding in the Force in turn with his best attempt to be open and welcome.]

[prover]

[ as ezra opens himself up to the force, to the light, the hum grows louder. it sings to him, tells him to follow, further into the base. it leads to a room full of boxes, maintenance equipment, some old droids. pretty much just a closet. yet the hum is still loud... and it penetrates through the "wall" of the cramped space.

should he choose to push against the wall, it slides open and reveals a hidden stairwell. the hum grows even louder down the descend and leads to a basement not on the schematics. inside sits a woman, hands on her lap, meditating. ]

[merging]

[It's Ezra, of course he's gonna push against it and follow these weird stairs.]

Hello?

[he calls out, and then he sees her. The Jedi they've been looking for. Well duh, who else is going to have a light side presence in the Force? His hand hovers above his hilt, but he doesn't draw his saber.]

Why are you here?

[prover]

Why wouldn't I be here? This is my base.

[ well, was her base. when the inquisitors came suddenly those furthest into the base were the first to mobilize. she wanted to go out and fight them, but she was convinced by the base leader to hide below here until the coast was clear. she feels terrible for leaving them to be captured, but she reasons she wouldn't have been able to stop the inquisitors.

if anything, her presence detected here would escalate the situation to a breaking point. people would die, rather than be captured. ]

The better question is why are you here?

[ and, better yet, why shouldn't she take him down right here and now? ]

[merging]

We're doing a final sweep of the base.

[His answer is sheepish, like a child responding to a parent. If this is her base, then she's right. He's the one who shouldn't be here.

Ezra lets his hand rest, hopefully making it clear he's not going to draw his saber.]

I killed the man who defected.

[prover]

Did you?

[ her eyes open, looking through him with a soft yet firm gaze. she isn't especially impressed with the news. ]

Are you here to kill me too?

[merging]

No.

[He laughs slightly.]

I don't think I could if I wanted to, anyways.

[prover]

[ she smiles at that, amused. ]

You're not an Inquisitor. [ he may dress like one, but he doesn't act like any of them. they wouldn't so much as blink at her before launching into an attack. she does however see the hilt of the saber. ] Not a Jedi either. Who are you?

[merging]

[Coming from anyone else, he might be offended at the not an Inquisitor bit. From her, it's a compliment.]

Ezra. Ezra Bridger. I was told the Jedi were gone... except for you.

[prover]

Oh? Well you heard wrong. I'm not a Jedi.

[ her hands plant to the ground and she rises, sensing no danger for the moment. ]

I am Ahsoka.