Welcome Everyone!

New Year, New Resolution!

I have so many ideas I wish to write since so long for 'To Mend The Apprentice's Bond', and I really need to give more time to it, but I can't seem to get my mind around it. So I decided to revise my first chapters, hoping to get my motivation back again :3

So, this is a Revised version of 'The Apprentice's Bond'. Same story, same plot, but less grammar mistakes or typos and more and/or better descriptions! :D

If this story is new for you, I hope you'll enjoy it. If you already read it, I hope you'll enjoy it again :3

Don't hesitate to review or pm me to give your thought/appreciation/comment on this story! I always strive to get better and every word from you makes my day :3

Have a nice reading time :3

P.s. I decided to write my disclaimer on my profile. So, Disclaimer's On My Profile!

Chapter 1 - When it all began

Zeb stretched his arms before leaning them behind his head, smiling with contentment. -"It'was another great day."

Today, they had done one more successful mission and everyone was cheering in the Ghost's cockpit... Everyone, except Ezra...

He was staring at the lightspeed moving stars, absent minded, and when, still smiling, Zeb turned to look at him, the big guy seemed to be the first to realize it. Or, at least, he was the first to try waking him up...

-"Hey", he said while heavily dropping one of his big hands on the boy's shoulder. "What's wrong with you, Kid? Light up!"

But Ezra only shrug him off, frowning. -"Not now, Zeb."

The boy's sulking tone irrited Zeb and he grabbed both shoulders, so tiny compared to himself, and tried to make the young man look at him.

-"Now, this isn't you. Is it because you couldn't lift that big rock with your mind trick?"

Choking on his drink, Kanan turned his head toward them, looking rather concerned. Ezra, who was trying really hard not to look at his friend until now, moved his head to stare directly in the Lasat's big green eyes, darting them with anger.

-"Maybe I could concentrate more on my tricks if I wasn't exhausted by your constant night snoring!"

-"What the..." Zeb released his grasp as if he had been hit. Looking at the young man with disbelief, he then replied angrily. "Hey, I was just trying to help you, kid!"

-"I didn't ask for it..." Looking away again, Ezra realized everyone was now silently staring at them, anxious...

Except Chopper. He was just laughing at Zeb, getting him more pissed off.

-"Okay, you know what?" retorted Zeb "It's not that rock that needed to be lifted, it's your humor!" While poking the boy's chest with his big finger.

-"Whoa whoa!" exclaimed Sabine, hands raised. "Stop it, boys!"

-"It wouldn't have happened if he just minded his own business." Immediately defended Ezra.

-"What!" Yelled Zeb. "Okay then. Next time you run into an Inquisitor, I'll mind my own business and won't help you!"

-"That's it! ENOUGH YOU TWO!" Snapped Hera, all hells burning behind her.

-"But, Hera..." they said simultaneously before turning to look at each other, growling.

-"He ought to apologized!" quickly continued Zeb, looking at the Twi'lek with pleading eyes.

-"Enough, I said! Zeb, you need to calm down. You're the older one, you shouldn't get so worked up with his attitude. And you, Ezra..." the beginning of a smile disappeared from his lips. "You need a long talk with Kanan."

-"But, Hera..." Started the Jedi.

-"Now!"

The man gently dragged Ezra by the arm, whispering beside his ear. -"Let's not make her any more angry."

He stopped when he entered the lounge, releasing the boy only then, and leaned himself on the wall, arms crossed.

-"I wish you would come talk to me sooner. At least, before something like this happen." he said, sadly pointing the door they'd just passed through with his thumb.

-"You knew?" Answered the boy, surprised.

-"I always know when something is wrong between you and the Force." Sighed Kanan, but he continued with a gentle grin. "Call it, Master's instinct."

Ezra sat beside his mentor, back against the wall.

-"I..." he searched for the right word, but opted for simplicity. "Lately, I feel strange whenever I use the Force. Can't find how to name it, but it's like a shivering on my spine and a humming in the back of my head. Nothing painful, but it always come back, distracting..." He would have add 'my concentration', but he had the feeling Kanan would tease him about his well known lack of focus... So he just continued. "Since I didn't knew how to talk about it, I think I just decided to figure why this was happening by myself..."

-"So, that's why you were evading practices more often those last couple of days." Kanan ran a hand through his brown hair. He seemed... anxious. "There's so many things you still don't know about the Force."

His expression changed to pleading, like he had something to be forgiven for, "But, normally, Padawan starts their training at a much younger age. There's just not enough time beside the missions to go over everything."

Then, he smiled. "And fewer when you miss training."

Ezra had a faint smile, and his Master let himself slide to sit too, ruffling his blue-black hair. -"So, that's why, whenever you have worries, come to me." Kanan tone was warm. "I may not be the perfect teacher, but I'll always be by your side, trying my best."

-"I thought you weren't gonna try anymore." retorted Ezra while defending himself against the gentle hand, smiling mischievously.

-"Hey! You know what I meant!" He pushed the boy a little with his elbow and they both laughed, easing the atmosphere.

But Ezra was still feeling a little guilty. When they settled down, he answered slowly. -"I know... Sorry to have worried you."

-"Hey, don't grow grey hair for that." Was the man's answer, his gentle smile still plastered on the corner of his lips. He dropped his forearms on his bent knees, leaning back his head on the wall, reminescing. "You'd probably never believe how many times I made my Master worried."

The thought made Ezra grin. He tried to imagine a young Kanan running around with an angered Master chasing after him before getting lectured. This made him rethink about his own situation and he lowered his head, nodding his understanding.

But, there was still one question left.

-"Sooo..." Ezra moved a little, fidgeting, as if trying to find a more comfortable position. "Can you explain what's happening to me?"

-"I'm not exactly sure." The man answered, pondering. "But, when we'll be back at our current secret base, we'll practice together and, if you still feel what is disturbing you, you'll have to describe this feeling the best you can."

-"That's your answer? More practice?" Ezra replied, amused anew.

-"Hey!" Kanan brushed the boy's hair again. "Practice makes perfect! Now, go rest until we arrive. I want you in shape."

-"You know, I'm not really tired. I was just messing with Zeb." Replied the Kid with an apologetic smile.

-"Ezra, I think everyone except him realized it." Pointed Kanan. "Even chopper! So, don't forget to apologize the next time you see him."

-"Yes, Master!" Answered enthusiastically the boy, back on his feet and in a way better mood.

Seeing his Padawan running to his room, Kanan's smile deepened. If only things could stay like this, forever...

...

They arrived shortly after. The Phantom landed near an old abandoned factory on a little forestry planet.

The crew was transporting the spoils of their last mission inside an old building looking like an abandoned hangar. While disembarking, Ezra tried to get near Zeb. He wanted to talk, but the stubborn Lasat was still sulking. Only near arrived to the giant metalic door, the big guy would stop and turned to the boy.

-"Zeb, listen to me. I just wanted to say..." Ezra abruptly stopped.

-"To say what?" growled Zeb.

-"Wait. I'm sensing..." He turned to his master. "Something is not right. Kanan..."

-"I feel it too, Kid." The jedi swiftly assembled his lightsaber. "Get ready."

The Lasat took his weapon in hand too, looking around, when he was suddenly Force pushed! Turning toward the old building, Kanan and Ezra were horrified to confirm the presence of... none other than Darth Vader! Standing inside the factory, his imposing presence made the effect of a cold shower to the crew...

-"Run to the ship!" Shouted Kanan. But Tie Fighters cut their escape by firing heavily in their direction while Stormtroopers got out of the forest cover, marching toward them with their weapons aimed at the little group.

The crew had no other choice than to go get cover themself.

-"Change of plan. Ezra, with me!"

Kanan raised his hand, followed by his padawan. Together they pushed the Sith Lord far inside the old hangar!

This was the cue for all the Rebels. Running like crazy, everyone entered the building under the rain of blaster shots, looking around to find the closest place to hide.

-"Where's Chopper?" Suddenly ask Sabine.

-"Still inside the Phantom." Replied Hera while shooting back.

-"I sure hope he won't do anything stupid with the ship." Growled Kanan.

The sound of a lightsaber igniting caught their attention, quickly followed by another one. From each side of the big door, the Inquisitors rushed to attack them! Kanan and Ezra blocked their crimsons blades, protecting their friends who were concentrating their fire on the Bucketheads.

-"We can't take that many at the same time!" Growled Zeb. "We need a better plan."

-"Still working on one." Replied Kanan, pushing back some probe droids.

The Dark Lord, standing with his imposing stature, raised his hand. Crisping his fingers, he strongly Force pulled the boy, making him land hard one the ground near him... and pretty far from his friends.

-"Ezra!" Roared Kanan.

-"Uhn uhn." Moving her forefinger left to right, the Seventh Sister instantly got his attention back, attacking him again.

-"You should worry for yourself." Added the Fifth Brother, aiming at the Jedi's back...

...

At the other side of the building, Ezra was shaking his head to get his thoughts together, getting up hardly.

-"Welcome, young lad." The deep voice startled the kid. "I wanted to have a little chat with you."

Afraid at first, the proud Padawan ignited his blue lightsaber. -"Too bad, I didn't intend to."

He rushed at the Sith Lord, clashing their weapons in a desperate attempt to destabilize his enemy, and, despite the ineffectiveness of his attacks, he kept launching them, hit after hit, trying to at least graze this imposing opponent.

After a short sparring moment, the Dark Lord spoke again with his disembodied voice, the sole sound of it making shivers run across the kid's spine.

-"You fight well, for a Padawan..."

Mixed between surprise and incredulity, Ezra jumped back, trying to regain his breath. Why would he say something like this? He wasn't even trying to hit the Kid! All he was doing was to fend untiringly the air with his blade, making the boy take a defensive stance while backing off, step by step.

But it took more to stop the street kid from running his mouth. -"I can teach you, if you got some spare time." He retorted, sarcastically.

The Sith Lord then lunged at him, forcing him to parr the violent strike! Crossing their blades, he made one more step, getting really near the young man's face.

-"What bravery. But it will not save you, nor your friends."

Suddenly conserned, worried, Ezra looked briefly at them, but Darth Vader wasn't intending to let him rest and continued pushing his lightsaber forward, getting even nearer.

-"Ah, yes, you care deeply for them. Then, maybe I could share a little secret with you." He got his point. Ezra's attention was all his. "The Force is strong within you. So strong, in fact, that we just had to follow it to find you and, therefore, this secret base..."

-"No!" Ezra's blue eyes widened. It must have been a lie. It couldn't be true!

-"Your master didn't properly teach you how to conceal all that strength." Continued the Sith Lord, amused by the Kid's inner struggle. "How could he, he can't even imagine possessing such power. But, thanks to that, you were like a bright beacon we could sense from galaxies away. More effective than any tracer."

-"No, no, no." Ezra shook his head. This should have been wrong. It had to be wrong!

-"And now, if your friends have to suffer, if they have to die, it will all be your fault."

-"You're Lying!" Roared Ezra, tears accumulating in his eyes.

-"I don't need to. Search inside your heart and you'll know it's true."

The boy closed his eyelids for a second, and remembered the uneasiness he felt while using the Force...

When he opened them again, the disbelief had been replaced by sheer hatred. They had used him to get to the Rebels, to the only family he had left! The atmosphere suddenly felt heavy around him, his hair rising in the air, and the metal surrounding him started to bend with a rasping sound.

Vader took slowly two steps back. Lowering his blade, he seemed... satisfied.

-"Ah, yes. The anger, the hatred... the fear. I see that the Grand inquisitor's report wasn't exaggerated." He explained, calm despite the impressive display occuring before him. "It immediately intrigued me, and I decided to witness it by myself..."

-"You want fear, you'll be served!"

Ezra advanced on step ahead, grappling his lightsaber with two hands. The ground cracked beneath him.

-"No!"

He stopped, like stunned. At the other side of the factory, sensing the change in the Force, the Jedi and the two Inquisitors had briefly paused their fight.

-"Don't do it, Ezra!" Shouted Kanan again. "You'd be playing his game!"

The Inquisitors interrupted his speech, assaulting him both once more, but the intervention paid off. Ezra calmed down, panting. He wasn't as exhausted as the first time his anger took the best of him, although he felt drained.

And this cold. So cold that he thought he had frozen standing...

-"As I see, the Master have a strong influence on his disciple."

Ezra snapped out, returning to his current reality, facing the Sith Lord.

-"It's a good thing I came to separate the two of you." Continued Darth Vader. He charged again, making the young man step back more.

-"What? Why would you..." Stuttered Ezra.

-"Don't worry. Everything will be explained." The Dark Lord swiftly turned around, forcing his opponent to follow his movement. "Some time, to understand, you only need a little..." he raised his hand toward the boy "...push."

Ezra was Force pushed back, landing on some strange metallic devise that closed on him, restrained him tightly by his mid-torso to his knees! Struggling, he soon realized he would not escape with the strength of his muscles. As Vader was closing in, the boy closed his eyes and opted to pull open the device with his mind. Putting all his might in this desperate attempt, a low growl left his mouth...

To the surprise of the Sith Lord, the shaking trap started to open, little by little!

He stopped for a second, as if he was enjoying looking at the prowess. -"Impressive. It seems the mechanism that was designed to be able to hold back a Rancor is no match for you."

But, as the Kid had almost opened the trap enough to escape, Vader raised is hand and closed the device with his own Force. Ezra gasped, suddenly grasped again, and his uneven breathing was resumed as a difficult panting after the tremendous effort he had just made.

-"It would be such a shame to waste your talent for those rebels..."

-"It's my choice... if I want to... waste my time with them!" Retorted weakly Ezra.

-"Not anymore." The Sith Lord was now just beside the boy. He grabbed an electric wire hanging on the wall beside them with his gloved hand and cut it with his blade. "Change of plan. I need to be sure you won't escape on me."

-"No, don't!" Ezra's eyes widen as he frenziedly struggled again.

Without an ounce of remorse or hesitation, Vader dropped the shocking cable on the young man. It lasted only a few seconds until he removed it, but Ezra's scream filled the air all this time and, thankfully, the voltage wasn't high enough to kill him, although it did knock him out of consciousness for a while...

-"My Master will be quite pleased."

He made his prisoner levitate and took the direction of his spaceship.

...

Meanwhile, on the other side of the old factory, the rebels were hopelessly trying to overcome their enemies. The Stormtroopers wouldn't stop shooting at them and Kanan, albeit really good with his sword skill, had a hard time keeping up against the two Inquisitors.

Suddenly, a piercing cry reverberated inside the building.

-"Ezra?!" Kanan was distracted for only a split-second, but he got hit by the Fifth Brother who sent him waltzing beside Hera. Dizzy, but conscious, he looked at her with a stern face.

-"Did you..."

-"I heard it." Said the Twi'lek, still firing. "Don't worry, I called the fleet for back up. They should be here any minute now."

-"We don't have a minute here." Growled the Jedi while rising on his elbows.

-"What do you propose, then?"

-"I think I've got a plan, but it will need Chopper to do something stupid with the ship."

-"Oh boy." She replied, unsure if she really wanted to hear it.

-"Kanan, he's getting away with Ezra!" Yelled Sabine, pointing at Vader who was now very near the big door.

The Inquisitors were closing up on them, ready to continue the fight. The Jedi rose up to intercept them, clashing his lightsaber with theirs.

-"We won't have time to catch up with him before he leaves." Stated Zeb, covering behind a crate after being nearly hit by a shot.

-"Kanan, send me!"

-"What! No Sabine! You won't stand a chance against him!"

-"I'll buy time! I've got miracles."

-"Ah, Blast it!." Swore the Jedi. "Run!" He took an opening between two strokes to push the running girl with a Force Pulse.

She landed, rolling on the floor, and threw two grenades toward the Sith Lord. He deflected them easily with his mind, sending them to explode farther away. Taking her blaster, she started shooting at him when she heard Kanan shout.

-"Now Hera!"

Behind Vader, the Phantom could be seen flying near the entrance through the big door. Chopper sent a series of happy beeping sound, shooting the wall and closing the opening! While looking at the damages from above his shoulder, the Dark Lord kept deflecting the blaster's shot and hit the Mandalorian girl on her shoulder, sending her to the floor.

Turning away, the Sith Lord dropped his prisoner to concentrate on the wreckage. He projected the enormous stack of rock away, clearing the path.

In his back, Sabine crawled near Ezra. She stuck some light explosives on the device and detonated them. They weakened the metal and she tried to extract her friend from the trap.

-"Hands off him. He is not yours anymore."

The disembodied voice made her stop to look at the Sith Lord.

Frowning, she ignored her own fear. -"Yours? You can't own him. He's not a thing, he's a human being!"

-"Everything can be owned." He raised his hand again, Force chocking Sabine off the ground. "Humans, droids, planets... I even have your own life within my grasp right now."

Searching for air to breath, the girl's eyes rolled as she was suffocating. She smiled, catching a glimpse of the Rebel fleet appearing in the sky, coming to save them.

This detail didn't slip the Dark Lord.

-"Seventh Sister. Take the boy inside my ship." Ordered Vader, throwing Sabine through a wall.

-"Right away, my Lord!" She got out of Kanan's reach, propelled by her fellow Inquisitor, and made the still unconscious Ezra levitate beside her as she ran toward the spaceship.

-"Fifth Brother. Take care of the rest here."

-"Always doing the heavy lifting?" sneered Zeb.

Angry, Fifth made the Lasat's face met the floor with his mind before blocking Kanan's way with his red blade. This was far from an ungratful mission, and he would enjoy hurting them longer.

Using the Inquisitor and the Trooper's assault as a distraction, Vader took his comm and ordered a Tie Fighter to get near him. He used the Force to jump high and landed on the ship like it was a walk in the park! Opening the hatch, he removed the pilot from his seat, not even bothering to look behind while the poor man yelled from the fall, and the Sith Lord took his place to drive while his own spaceship was leaving the ground. Strictly following it, he blasted every ship that tried to get in their way until they could reach and hide in the Destroyer stationned above the little planet.

As soon as the hatch closed on them, the imposing vessel jumped into hyperspace, disappearing from the crew's sight...