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.]

Comments

[convor]

You don't get it, do you? He has something to fight for now.

[Willpower is one thing, hope is another.]

[blindrun]

[ no, he doesn't. he had plenty to fight for before too. he doesn't respond, deciding it'll be a waste of time, but instead- ]

And what about you, Wren? What do you fight for?

[convor]

[She can't gesture much in this situation, so she tilts her head towards the starbird painted on her armor.]

Kind of obvious, isn't it?

[blindrun]

But why?

[ he turns in his chair, facing her with a blank expression. ]

You won't get your family back. Not going to convince them to leave the Empire. Chances are they'll kill you, or you'll have to kill them. To what end? You'll be left with nothing.

[convor]

Nothing? [she scoffs. Wow, Imperials really are that stupid.] My family isn't on Mandalore. It's back on Atollon. Ezra, the other rebels, and everyone across the galaxy who won't stand for the Empire's crimes. That's my real family.

[blindrun]

Then your family will die. As will you.

[ what chance does a weak and small rebellion have against the might of the empire? what makes her, or any of them, think they can succeed where the jedi failed? it's illogical, lacks any tactical thinking, and without any gain. he checks on the hyperspace countdown. there's still another hour or so left and he glares at her. ]

I bet none of your new family knows what you did to your original one. You buried it so deep inside that you live in shame and hide behind your rebellion. Easier to fight the Empire and blame them, isn't it? Nobody made you build that weapon though.

[convor]

That's not-!

[Okay, it is true, but it's none of his business. Moving on.]

We all know what Ezra did before he joined us, who he was before. And we've still accepted him as one of our own.

[... for the most part. At least, she has.]

[blindrun]

[ he chuckles low at her indignant response, knowing he hit the nail on the head. children, all of them. they don't understand what it means to work within the system for their gain. they rather go against it because it's easier to thrash about than actually buckle in for the ride. ]

You don't know half the things he's done. Not even that. He's not an inquisitor like I am, but he's no hero. Only reason he cares about the rebellion is because his parents were thrown in prison for aiding it.

He thought they were dead for years. ...Now he thinks they're still alive.

[convor]

What...?

[Her voice is quiet, still processing what he just said. They're not her parents and at times she even envied the kid. Not for the prison part, but the having rebels for parents part. Parents who'd be proud of him.

But even so... she thinks of the photo she'd scrounged up for him after going through some old files. How happy that had made him. How hopefully he talked about the day he'd rescue them, once Ahsoka let him.]

What did you do?

[blindrun]

What he should have expected.

[ he turns around to the dashboard and grabs the datapad, the one that holds her records in its system, and taps away while speaking. ]

You should know this already, but the Empire is smart about how they keep people in line. They left Ezra alone because it was simpler to tie his life to his parents; to make sure they would never rebel again. I told him becoming an Inquisitor would let him free them. They could have lived normal lives again, able to reintegrate into society.

It was the most logical path, but Ezra... he doesn't think, or listen.

[ he turns the datapad over so that she can see the files on his parents. at the bottom of the file a clear marker of their status: EXECUTED ]

He thinks he's above consequences, but he forgets the people around him aren't. I took a lot of beatings for him, but after his defection the Grand Inquisitor made an example of them. Of me as well -- as their executioner.

[convor]

No...

[But he's right. She knows how the Empire is, how they'll punish anyone for even the slightest transgression. She had had hope, for Ezra's sake, that there was some chance, small as it may be. Her hope for him turns to anger, thinking of her own family who fell in line just to keep the Empire happy.]

You said you cared for him! If that were even close to being the truth, you would have released them! You wouldn't have murdered them just because of some order!

[blindrun]

Then I would have been killed for disobedience, and they would still be executed.

[ cold and detached, logical in his delivery. telling ezra they were alive is what made him defect. third brother thought he could use them to strengthen his decision to become an inquisitor, but like with all things ezra it has the opposite effect. truthfully he almost feels bad because if he didn't say anything it could have turned out differently. mostly he feels bad ezra left him in favor of two people that may as well be perfect strangers. ]

His parents were dead the moment he joined the Jedi and her rebellion. Ironically, it's the whole reason he defected. You might be fighting for a cause, but him? It's all about them. The Grand Inquisitor knew that.

[convor]

You're wrong about him.

[Ezra's... Ezra, but he's not completely stupid. He must have factored in his parents' lives when he considered defecting. She knows she did, even if the circumstances were different. And if all he wanted was to free them, he wouldn't bother helping out on missions.]

Did you ever think maybe the reason Ezra left was because he didn't want to become like you?

[blindrun]

I know.

[ ezra defected almost a day after he told him that he would be initiated as an inquisitor. after they had another childish argument and after... third brother pushes back the memory, a haze of darkness clouding what transpired while the feeling still remains. a blistering wound he doesn't even remember the origin of. ]

It doesn't matter now. He used up his chances, limited as they were. I've been ordered to execute him... or I'll be next.

[convor]

What, you want me to feel bad for you?

[Not happening! Especially considering well, everything.]

I feel bad for Ezra. It's honestly a miracle he turned out the way he is with someone like you as his teacher.

[blindrun]

You don't need to feel anything for me. [ he puts the datapad back down on the dashboard. ] Likewise, I feel nothing for you.

You and him will both be dead soon. I'll give you the courtesy of sending your body home to your mother intact.

[convor]

Thanks, now I have something to look forward to.

[If she could cross her arms she would, but hopefully her voice gets that across well enough.]