Visions

Thirty-Four: A Missing Pilot

The shuttle had landed twenty minutes ago, but Arene hadn't been able to even see Ezra yet because of the crush of people. It seemed everyone wanted to meet Fulcrum.
Finally, she was able to see him, and began working her way through the crowd. She called out to him with her mind.
Ezra! Over here!
Shock covered Ezra's face for a moment before he started looking around, trying to find her. When he looked in her direction, she waved, catching his attention. He started to force his way through the crowd.
He finally reached her, a disgruntled frown on his face. "You gotta stop doing that."
Arene laughed, and then noticed he was wearing the uniform of an Imperial Officer. She frowned. "Why in the galaxies are you dressed like that? I thought you were disguised as a bounty hunter."
Ezra grinned for a second before executing a swift bow. "Had to change my uniform. Lieutenant List, at your service," he said in a cultured voice, and she grinned. "I see. A pleasure, Lieutenant." The smile slid off her face, replaced with a frown. "But why didn't Kallus come?"
Ezra sighed. "He said he could do more good there."
Arene smiled. "I understand."
Ezra nodded. "I do, too, it's just..." He trailed off, a troubled look in his eyes.
"You feel as if something is going to go wrong?" Arene finished, and he gave a wry grin, nodding reluctantly. "That's just it, I guess."
Arene smiled. "I know what you mean." She laid a reassuring hand on his arm, and he glanced down at it. "But he has made his choice, and we must abide by his wishes."
Ezra nodded, albeit reluctantly. "I guess you're right." He chuckled. "You're too young to be this smart and...mature."
Arene laughed. "Ezra Bridger, get off your high bantha! I will have you know I am older than you!"
Ezra's eyebrows rose. "You are?"
Arene nodded, smirking. "By several months, actually."
"How do you know?" Ezra challenged.
"When I first arrived I asked..." She hesitated, and Ezra immediately knew why. He looked down. She continued anyway. "I asked someone, and she told me. I was born three months before you."
Ezra gave a chuckle, but Arene could tell it was forced. "I never woulda guessed. I mean, your size..."
She swatted him, and he laughed.
She huffed and started to walk away. "All boys are the same. Belligerent, arrogant, and they think they are hilarious."
Ezra quickly caught up. "But I am hilarious."
Arene snorted. "Oh, you wish."
She started walking faster, pretending to be put out with him, but he reached out a hand, catching her arm.
Immediately, he pulled it back with a sharp intake of breath, and Arene held back a wince. The burn.
She turned to him, concern on her face. "Are you okay? What happened?"
Ezra gave a pained smile, and shrugged. "I wish Plagueis would tell me. I didn't know he could block me out like that. It looks like a lightsaber burn, to be honest."
Arene bit her lip, feigning innocence. "Does it? That is very odd." Then she frowned, crossing her arms. "This is what happens when you let a Sith Lord live in your body!"
She turned and started walking again.
Ezra hurried to catch up. "Are you still mad about that?"
Arene didn't answer, and he went on. "I had to do it, to help you!"
She turned back to him, making a cutting motion with her hand. "There was no reason to do that! What if Plagueis did not keep his word? What if you got hurt in the process?" She pointed at his hand, and he sighed. "Look, it's only temporary--"
"Temporary? How long is 'temporary'?"
"I--I don't know! Until he can find a new body he doesn't have to share!"
Arene opened her mouth to retort, but they were cut off by the sound of an alarm. Ezra looked up just as a voice over the comm called him, Hera, Zeb, and Kanan to the Command Centre. He blew out an exasperated sigh, scratching the back of his neck in irritation. "We'll finish this later, all right?"
He walked away before she could answer, and she watched him leave with a heavy heart. "Ezra," she murmured quietly. "You do not understand."
~//~
Ezra was the last one to reach CC and Sato was already speaking when he arrived. He bent down, hands on his knees, catching his breath. "What'd I miss?"
Sato cast him a slightly disapproving glance as Hera answered. "We've lost contact with a pilot we sent out a few days ago to grab some supplies. We didn't check in after we thought he'd left the planet, but he should've been back hours ago. By looking at the time he left and when the comm went dead, we calculated that whatever happened, happened here." She was quiet for a moment, before adding gravely, "He never even left the atmosphere". She shook her head as if to refocus herself, and pointed to a spot on the holomap of Attolon. Ezra moved closer to get a better look. Zeb grunted. "So you want us to go check it out, Commander?"
Sato nodded, looking around at each of them. "You are my best team. I would trust no one else with the task."
Twenty minutes later, everyone was prepared and headed towards the Phantom. Beside Ezra, Zeb grumbled. "It's been too long since I got to bust some buckets."
Ezra laughed. "At least we don't have Imperials chasing us much."
Zeb frowned and pushed Ezra roughly, causing him to stumble and almost fall over. "I know that." Then he added, in an undertone, "Almost makes me wanna start a fight, though."
Ezra, righted himself and patted Zeb on the shoulder. "I know."
Zeb smiled slightly, and Ezra walked past, boarding the Phantom. Hera came in behind him and headed for the cockpit. He couldn't help but notice the sadness that surrounded her like an aura. He tried to catch her attention, to offer her some sort of reassurance, but she didn't even glance his way as she walked past. He looked down, worried, and immediately felt Kanan place a hand on his shoulder. "I know what you're doing, Ezra." He sighed. "But you can't help everyone."
Ezra shook his head, turning to look at his master. "I can try."
"Ezra." Kanan's voice sounded tired, weary. "It's not your fault."
Ezra looked back after Hera as the ship lifted into the air. "I know that."
"Do you?"
~//~
Hera sighed as the ship flew across Attolon's surface. Behind her, Chopper whirred questioningly. She gave him a weak smile. "I'm fine, Chop. Just a bit tired. Would you start scanning? We're almost to the last known position of the pilot."
Chopper beeped a reply, and Hera rolled her eyes. "Plug into the ship if your scanners aren't long-range." She huffed. "Sometimes I wonder if you have a faulty reasoning circuit."
Chopper whirred indignantly.
"I know there's no such thing as a-- never mind. Just please start looking."
Hera knew she was being too hard on him, but she couldn't think about that then. She had to focus on the mission. And after that, the next mission.
Chopper settled himself in place and plugged in, beeping something about not being able to look for anything from inside the ship,l. Hera ignored him. He was Chopper. That's all there was to it.
About ten minutes later, Copper started beeping excitedly. Hera frowned. "Put the ship down? But we're still about ten minutes from where we lost contact!"
He whirred angry threats, waving his robotic arms, and Hera put her hands in the air. "Okay, okay. If you're sure..."
She pulled back the lever, causing the ship to slow down, and held down the activator for the internal comm. "Chopper says he's found something, so I'm putting the ship down."
Hera cast a warning glance to the excited astromech. "You better be right."
After landing, Hera made her way out of the ship, followed closely behind by Chopper, and met the others outside. Ezra cast her a questioning glance, and she gestured to Chopper. "Don't look at me. He's the one with the information."
She turned to the droid. "Lead the way, Chop."
Chopper was happy to do just that.
~//~
Kanan couldn't see the ground, the plants, his friends, but he could feel them all. He could feel the spiders moving beneath them in their caves and caverns, the slight breeze nudging a large leaf slightly, Ezra's thirst to always find the truth, Hera's pain over Sabine's absence, and Zeb's mind narrowed in on every smell on the wind and where Chopper was leading them. The Lasat was smarter than everyone gave him credit for.
Hera understood why Sabine had left. Kanan knew she'd been prepared to leave if the rest of them had decided not to join the fight. She would do what she felt was right. That was one of the things he loved about her.
Chopper suddenly whirred happily, tearing Kanan from his musings. Beside him, Ezra quickened his steps. "Come on! He's found something!"
Chopper beeped loudly, saying he'd located the pilot'a communicator, and then flew forward into the bush.
Immediately the whole group broke into a run, and Kanan had a little trouble keeping up. Blindness had it's cons.
Finally, they reached where Chopper presumably was, and everyone stopped. "Chop? What's wrong?"
But Kanan already knew, the sick feeling in his gut told him. A second later, Ezra knew too.
"He's dead."
~//~
Ezra pushed the branch aside and stepped forward. The dead Rebel pilot was leaned up against a tree, and Ezra knelt down by his side, grabbing his wrist. He needed to be sure.
Ezra felt no pulse, and turned the arm over. "His communicator is smashed, but..." He looked up at Hera, Kanan, and Zeb. "There's no wounds at all."
Hera shook her head. "That may be weird, but that's not the biggest thing." she spread out her hands. "Where's the ship?"
Chopper whirred in reply, and Ezra frowned. "He says nothing's showing up on his scans."
Zeb scratched the top of his head. "Well it didn't just disappear, did it?" He hit Chopper. "You're scanner's malfunctioned, I'd bet. It's gotta still be here."
"Unless it was stolen," Kanan said quietly, and everyone looked in his direction.
"But by who?" Hera asked, and Ezra nodded. "Other than us, there's no intelligent life here, unless the spiders learned to fly ships."
Hera huffed. "There's no time for this. We need to get back to base, and bring him too. Sato mentioned that he'd need us back as soon as possible."
They all quickly made their way back to the ship, taking the dead pilot with them, and left the area.
Once back at Chopper base, they met Sato at the CC. "Commander," Hera started, but Sato held up his hand.
"Thank you for what you all have done, but I will assign a different team to locating the ship. I have another mission for you. From Senator Organa himself."

The strong survive, the noble overcome.
~Jedi Proverb