Erstwhile

Duty

When Doc finished the last stitch on my leg, I was more than relieved. I was exhausted from the blood loss, and hungry beyond reason, but when Ashoka suddenly left the tent, I became more than both of those things. I became concerned.

"Do you think she's okay?"

"I wouldn't worry about her," Doc chuckled as he wrapped my leg with some fresh bandages.

"Why do you say that?"

At my question, he avoided my eyes. "She's a Jedi, and from my experience, your kind know how to handle themselves."

As he finished binding my leg, he helped me sit up. Once I was upright, Doc turned his back to me and began to prepare me a glass of water.

"So, how did you guys end up here?" I questioned, "As our ship crashed, I thought I saw a Star Destroyer. Was that yours?"

"Yes," Doc replied, "It was during a great battle that our ship crashed on this cursed rock."

"Could you not contact anyone to come and rescue you?"

"Oh, we did," Doc answered, "But when the Empire asked us to fulfill our duty--" he hesitated, "We did that too."

"So...they abandoned you?" I asked, and Doc visibly stiffened.

"No, a rescue just never came," he stammered and handed me the glass of water.

"You have weird ways of saying things," I muttered and drank the water, relishing in the way it smoothed over my parched throat.

"I was trained to be loyal to the Empire until death, and loyal till death I will be."

"No, that's fine, I just--" Interrupting my sentence, I heard a loud crash from outside, followed by the sound of gunfire.

"What's going on out there?" I asked and pushed myself off the bed. Moving to the side, Doc blocked the door, his face visibly pale.

"Whatever is going on, I'm sure Stance and Gear can handle it."

"Ashoka is out there!" I growled, "Now get out of the way."

"As a doctor, I can't allow you to--"

Rolling my eyes, I ducked under his arm and darted outside. What I saw made me stop in my tracks. Around the campfire, Gear and Stance were firing at Ashoka, who was armed with her light sabers.

"What are you doing?"

Pausing in his firing, Stance's eyes landed on me. "Kid, stay back!"

"No!" I yelled, "Stop!" Running forward, I reached for the weapon at my waist, only to remember that I didn't have it. Shaking my head, I continued to run.

"Ashoka!" I screamed, and at my voice, the Commander switched her attention from the Storm Troopers to look at me. I stopped in my tracks when I saw the unnatural color of her eyes and the tears that stained her cheeks. Both were a bright blue.

Before I could say a word, Ashoka raised her hand towards me, and suddenly I was sent flying backwards. As I landed, the air was knocked out of me, but I had just enough strength to witness the Commander as she bolted into the jungle.

Blocking my line of sight, Doc stepped in front of me and helped me to my feet. Once I was standing, I took a moment to catch my breath, and as I did, Stance and Gear ran towards me.

"What were you thinking?" Stance demanded once he was near, "I told you to stay back, and--"

"Get away from me," I snapped and yanked myself from Doc's grip.

"Kid, where do you think you're going?"

"I have to find Ashoka."

"You can't," Doc said, "Did you not see her eyes?"

"Yeah, I don't really understand what's going on with that, but it's a padawan's job to protect his master, and seeing as no one is explaining to me what is going on, I think I'm just going to stick with it," I snarled and plodded back towards the tent.

Taking the hint, Doc began to explain. "It's the mushrooms," he said, "Every night they release spores, and when you breathe them, they cause intense hallucinations. The infection is easily recognizable by blue eyes and tears, as you saw."

"Why did she run away?"

"We don't know what she's seeing," Doc replied, "Her darkest memories could be replaying themselves, and we could be featured as some of the main characters."

At my confused facial expression, Stance stepped forward. "Kid, you know how I told you that it was because of the spores that the three of us were the only survivors?"

I nodded silently.

"Sometimes, the hallucinations cause you to do dangerous things, each task being more dangerous than the last. The hallucinations only stopped when the person died."

"How are you guys still around?" I asked and shifted on my feet. It was odd, all of the sudden, I was exhausted. I'd been tired before, but this took it to a whole new level.

"Doc figured out an antidote, but by the time it was ready, he was only able to save to the two of us," Gear piped up.

"We tried to slip Tano some of the stuff in her soup, but I don't know, she figured it out," Stance said, "I'm sorry."

"Why didn't you just explain to us what was going on in the first place?"

"Would you really have drunk something given to you by a Storm Trooper?"

I wouldn't have.

"We thought this would be easier," Doc mumbled, "Instead everything has become a lot more complicated."

"We have to find her," I said and continued my trek towards the tent, my steps getting gradually slower.

"Sorry, kid, but you're not going anywhere," Stance muttered, coming up behind me.

"Why not?" I said, "I know how to survive on my own."

"It's not that," Stance explained, "Although Doc fixed you up, there's still the danger of infection, and moving around won't help it. Plus, you've been drugged."

"What?"

"We only had one dose of the vaccine left, and so we figured that giving it to the bigger threat would be smartest," Gear murmured, "Unfortunately, all that remains is smoldering in the campfire."

"So what did you give me?" I asked, my voice becoming slurred.

"A sedative," Doc replied.

"But don't worry," Stance murmured as he helped me lie down on the ground. "We'll only keep you under until Doc has prepared another batch of the vaccinations."

"Stance," I gurgled, "Don't leave."

"Sure thing, kid," he whispered and leaned forward to catch what I said next.

"You will help me find her, won't you?" I sighed as my eyelids drifted closed, "She's my Master. It's my duty--"

"Of course, kid," he replied, "I don't leave anyone behind, remember?"

"Good," I breathed as darkness descended, "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Ezra," he whispered, and relieved, I loosened my hold on consciousness, slipping into the void.

Hey!!
Here's a couple more chapters! I hope you liked them! The next chapter will most-likely feature Kanan, so that's exciting.
Until then,
Julie