merging | happy father's day

happy father's day - blindrun

[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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[ the meeting is unpleasant and there are more than a number of times third brother envies ezra's position. he gets to be outside and spared of this dressing down the grand inquisitor slams everyone in the room with. the thing about their family is when one person fails, they all fail. there is no personal failure, there is the collective failure. individual failures, after all, end with death. group failures end with the question of who gets tortured for screwing up.

this time it's him, seventh sister and fifth brother. he of course blames their egos, and they of course blame his plan. grand inquisitor decides they get to share the blame.

at one point the doors open and the siblings file out. most of them storm out, frustrated and annoyed. ninth sister makes some choice comments about how they got dragged into a stupid meeting, second sister sees ezra and chuckles before moving on, and second brother stops to regard him with a more sympathetic look that can be felt even past his helmet. the doors shut and only third brother, fifth brother and seventh sister remain inside. ]

[Well, that's not good. He scowls at all of them, even Second Brother since he still interprets that sympathy as pity. He's about to peek inside, and then-

The doors close in front of him. He shouldn't do anything. He knows that much, but that makes him want to do something even more. While he can't hear what's happening inside, Ezra tries to reach out with the Force, get a sense of the emotions in the room.]

[ the grand inquisitor, inside, explains to them the cost their failure has brought to their operation. there is a powerful jedi, one with the power to rival even vader, and she is growing an operation. they don't know her name or where she is, but they know she is out there. a survivor of the purge, and she operates as such - with intense secrecy and stealth unmatched. how do they expect to bring an end to the jedi if she is around rallying a resistance. a rebellion!

their failure will not be forgotten. ezra can feel it - the gravity of the grand inquisitor's anger, the weight of his promise that they will pay for their incompetence, and the steel cold each sibling grips themselves with understanding full well what the punishment is.

the grand inquisitor, however, feels ezra too. suddenly his eyes bulge in fury and with a growl he reaches his hand out toward the door. curls up his hand as though he were choking ezra's throat in his grip, sharp, tight, unforgiving.

Your experiment is trying my patience, Third Brother. ]

[Definitely not good.

Ezra's hands go to his throat, grasping in an attempt to keep the invisible force from taking his last breath. His concentration shaken, he stops probing the room.]

[ even as the probing ends the grand inquisitor continues. seventh sister and fifth brother sit without care, not really invested in whether or not the boy behind the door lives or dies. third brother tries his best not to engage. tries desperately not to let fear grip him.

it doesn't work.

he rises from his chair and calls out for the grand inquisitor to stop, voice desperate. his siblings turn head to him, shocked, and the grand inquisitor doesn't even look at him. however, just as ezra feels lightheaded, on the verge of passing out, the grand inquisitor abruptly lets him go. his eyes do not leave the door as he instructs seventh sister and fifth brother to leave.

the doors open and the siblings depart. fifth brother storms out, annoyed more than anything. seven sister steps out, sees ezra, and smirks. ]

What's the saying on your planet, baby brother? Curiosity killed the loth-cat?

[ she laughs to herself and then walks off again. the doors do not immediately close as before, as grand inquisitor wants ezra to see him in his muted rage. he also wants him to see third brother, who still stands by his seat, and only when he is certain the boy has a chance to see them both does he shut the doors again. ]

[Gasping for air, he falls to the ground, just barely catching himself. He's too out of breath to respond to Seventh Sister, though the look in his eyes says enough.

When he sees his master still in there, he wants to yell out. He's sorry. Not for his own sake, but for Third Brother's. But having been shown his place so thoroughly, he shuts his mouth and waits.]

[ behind the closed door, the grand inquisitor turns to third brother with cold fury piercing in his eyes. he steps away from the table, puts in a message on his communication dashboard, and then turns to third brother. neither of them have to say anything - they both know what's about to happen next.

the doors do not open and ezra will be left alone for a few minutes longer. however the familiar click of light heels on the floor fill the hallway. second sister approaches, but not for pleasure. ]

Come now, dear baby brother. [ she calls out to him, voice full of contempt as always. ] You are to return to your quarters.

[He stands his ground, having taken the time alone to collect himself.]

I'm not leaving without Third Brother.

[It's not the smart thing to say, but when has that ever stopped him?]

[ she doesn't respond, not right away, and when she speaks again her voice has dropped down. her tone, at least for her, is weighed down by duty. ]

This is no request. The Grand Inquisitor orders it.

[ her head tilts up, looking past ezra and to the door. she clicks her tongue. ]

Consider it a mercy - even a gift - you won't see what happens to him. Third Brother will now be punished for his failures... and yours.

[ she doesn't know what her foolish baby brother did, but it can't be good if the grand inquisitor has the elder one there alone. if it were up to her he would be strapped into that room and made to watch what happens when you disobey. a year later and he is still a wild child. absurd, how third brother has not reeled him in yet. much too soft hearted still. ]

[He doesn't move to go, waiting a moment longer.]

What's going to happen to him?

[Ordinarily, punishment is to be expected. They all know that. He's even faced his own fair share at this point. But you get used to it and move on. If that's all it is, then he has no reason to worry. Third Brother isn't weak, he can handle it.

At the same time... Lord Vader's killed Inquisitors for far less.]

What, indeed.

[ second sister has no clue. plenty could happen when one must suffer for two. however, for all her thoughts on third brother, she cannot call him a fool. he knew well bringing in this boy would tie their fates together. why he would ever take the risk she cannot fathom... and to a degree she is envious. her heart burns with it because no one has ever cared for her that way. certainly not her old master.

she steps forward, standing by his side, and tunes in. not probe, but simply opens herself up. it seems nothing is happening just yet... but she can feel the grand inquisitor's rage. far stronger than she has felt in a long while. if third brother makes it out of this then may he consider himself a lucky man. but in the end they are all disposable and their time runs out the moment they fail to be useful. will today be third brother's day? ]

Staying here will only make it worse for him. [ she decides on a new approach as she speaks, appealing to the boy's obvious attachment. ] Go to your chambers and wait.

[ if he doesn't listen this time around she'll have no quarrels about using force to get her way, but she figures she can take a page from third brother on this one. there might not even be a third brother after tonight. ]

[It's not the response he expected from Second Sister. He thought she'd tease him more, call him weak, really living up to his "title". This is almost... kind? Considering it's her.]

Fine.

[Ezra turns to go, before thinking of something else. It's something stupid, like always.]

If you see him first... can you tell him I'm sorry?

[Not waiting for a response, he takes his leave and walks back to his room, where he sits on his bed, hugging his knees to his face and wondering just what's going to happen to him.]

[ normally yes, she would torment him. tell him it's all his fault. but he already knows that much and she isn't in the mood to test the grand inquisitor's patience at the moment. once he turns to leave she does the same, not bothering to wait for the doors and deciding not to honor ezra's request. she did her job here and that's all she can afford to care about in the moment. dare not hope for anything, for it will be taken away with swift judgment. injustice is no real crime, only a way of life. ]

[ night, or what counts for night on base, comes. most of the halls and decks empty out, a skeleton crew replacing the usual operations, as the many staff members rest in their barracks for the night. even most of the inquisitors by now are asleep, or at least the ones who were not ordered off world as soon as the meeting was over. never a dull moment in the galactic empire.

however deep into night the elevator hums loud and the doors open on the inquisitor's dorm hall. out step two men, one lugging the other one with an arm wrapped around his back, grunting as he leads and the other man barely walks straight. ]

You know - I feel like you should be doing more work here? You're taller than me.

[ the voice, quiet but above a whisper and modulated by a helmet, is that of second brother. he has to be careful as he leads them. not so much because he has to be sneaky, but causing a commotion at this time of night could lead to arguments and pointless saber waving grandstanding. he's tired and doing his favorite sibling a favor here by dragging him back to an empty room. probably a good thing the helmet is on third brother because oof, he can't be a sight for sore eyes under these circumstances. ]

[Sleep doesn't come easily that night. Every hour or so, he finds himself waken up by visions or nightmares, and he has no idea which is which. They could all be one or the other and he'd be none the wiser. He sees the Third Brother dying at the hands of the Grand Inquisitor, his lightsaber going cleanly through his stomach. His master falls to the ground in front of him, and then the Grand Inquisitor turns to face him.

He dies, he presumes, after that. Visions, dreams, whatever they are, they're weird and hard to make sense of. Another time he sees his parents, cowering but alive. At least he knows that one's a dream.

Eventually, pure exhaustion wins and he knocks out, fast asleep in his room and finally free from his thoughts.]

Ok, keep it up. Almost there -- oh!

[ and just before they get to the first open room, third brother's sluggish legs buckle and he slips to the ground on his knees. second brother goes down with him and he grumbles quietly. this is annoying. third brother totally owes him for this... well, as soon as he's not near death! he's really pulling for him to not die overnight because then he just dragged his body from the torture chambers all the way up here for nothing.

he breathes in, tries to get them up --- no dice. he breathes out and groans, annoyed. ok! not happening. not alone.

he just... carefully props third brother up against the wall and stands up and takes note of who is around through the force. ninth sister is huge and could do all the heavy lifting, but is he going to wake her up? absolutely not. seventh sister, no. second sister? ...nah, she'll want a favor and he isn't willing to trade for this.

which is how he settles on ezra's door. well, it is his fault this is even happening at all. G.I. was going to rough everyone up for that bungled mission but the kid decided to stamp a target on third brother's back with that stunt seventh sister gloated to them about. he feels bad for the kid, but not too bad. he's more annoyed third brother is potentially going to die because this brat couldn't mind his business.

which is why he forces the door open with a wave of his hand and walks forward, putting his hands on the boy and shaking him. ]

Hey, get up. Kid, wake up!

Wha- huh?!

[He sits straight up, pushing back against the hands shaking him. Then he opens his eyes a little more and realizes what's going on. He glares down Second Brother. Teenager who just woke up.

But then he realizes something else!]

Where's Third Brother?

Outside, half-dead. [ a beat, then- ] Might be full dead soon, who knows.

[ humor is his weapon, always has been. he steps back so ezra can get out and shrugs. ]

Need help getting back in a room. Figure he's your problem more than mine. C'mon.

[As soon as Second Brother steps back, he rushes out of his bed, falling over and then getting back up and running outside to his master.]

Third Brother!

[Ezra's not good at being quiet. He goes to prop Third Brother up, though it's kinda hard given he's 16 and still tiny. But as he does place his arms around him in order to lift him, Third Brother will feel his strength returning to him, oddly enough. In the Force, there's a sense of warmth and calm emanating from Ezra, who doesn't seem to notice it at all.]

Whoa, hey!

[ ugh, dumb kid. he better not wake anyone up with that. second brother follows him out and looks over them both. he's going to step in and help because the kid is too scrawny to lift a big guy like third brother alone, but that isn't what he notices. it's the warm hum of something peaceful in the air. it's the force.

second brother's hands tighten into fists, instinct telling him to clock this kid in the head, but he lets it go. he'll have to let third brother know about this later - ezra is his problem after all. second brother steps forward and wraps his arm around third brother, and with ezra's support they both manage to get him back on his feet together. ]

Ngh... Ezra...

[ third brother's voice weakly gravels past his helmet, making second brother cant his in surprise. not so dead after all. ]

Ok kid, help me walk him a couple doors down to the next free room. We'll drop him in bed.

[He feels a chill run down his spine when he hears his name, but... in a good way. It's hard to explain.]

I've got you. Don't worry.

[That warm, bright presence in the Force continues to grow as they carry him to the empty room and drop him. Once he's in the bed, Ezra looks to Second Brother.]

I can take it from here. Thanks.

[ second brother stretches once third brother is in the bed, sore from the carrying but thankful it's over. however... ]

I don't know what you just did... but I recommend not doing it again. Got it?

[ he doesn't bother waiting for an answer. he turns and heads out, shutting the door behind them. in bed third brother groans, body in shambles and exhaustion flooded through him. he doesn't remember entirely how he got here, or most of the day at all. but he is strangely starting to feel better, stronger. the energy he feels is warm and inviting and he feels his body calm with it. ]

Ezra...

[ his voice is weak and faint and the modulator helps give it volume. is this his doing? ]

["Do what?" he's about to respond, but Second Brother's already gone. He doesn't get it, though. He didn't do anything this time, other than follow orders.

Third Brother stirs and he sighs, reminded of all the trouble he caused earlier.]

I'm sorry.

[Ezra goes to remove his helmet, looking to treat any wounds he might have there.]

[ when the helmet is removed the most noticeable injury are the stark veins around his eyes, which fray off down the sides of his face. his eyes open slowly to a blur and the normally sclera is turned a murky black. it serves to highlight the copper yellow of his eyes further than normal, the corruption of the dark side strong.

third brother breathes weakly, still not recovered, but at least he can find the willpower to speak through his pain. ]

It's... not your... fault. It's mine.

[ he wheezes quietly and careful, chest injured and respiratory system bruised up. physical punishment is not uncommon for failures, but this goes deeper than that. it was punishment meant for two. ]

No. [he says firmly, almost angry. The warmth recedes for a moment.] It's not. It's mine.

[Ezra gets up, grabbing a washcloth to start because this is a lot and he kinda doesn't know what to do. Even so, he's so unbelievably relieved that he's alive. As he cleans Third Brother's face, the light returns, brighter than before.Third Brother will notice aside from his strength returning, certain injuries are almost... disappearing.]

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