Chapter Text
Rebellious
Part V (c): The Merchant
There should be people in here. It looked abandoned and creepy, but there was little to no dust on the floor of the ship hidden under the trash pile and the air was perfectly breathable too; he could even hear the soft buzz of life support system working.
It was still creepy, but it was intentionally made to make people feel uneasy, Ezra decided.
The Merchant wanted the intruders scared out of their wits, wanted them to have trouble with moving around freely, wanted to hear them walk…
Ezra closed his eyes and concentrated. If the place was set for people to be heard, the other side also should be noticeable. He just needed to catch something, to find them in the Force.
The ship appeared to be just an empty husk, a shell left behind a long time ago. Ezra slowly reached up further. There were some animals outside, scavengers who spend life digging through trash, some other small life forms.
Inside the ship, however…
Ezra furrowed his brow.
There! There was someone, just one person, the signature similarly dim to the ones that belonged to not Force sensitive people. He concerned on it, trying to pinpoint just where it was…
Ezra wasn't sure what came first, the sudden, burning flash of light or the deafening noise, erupting from the speakers and the droids. Instinctively, he curled up and closed his eyes shut, trying to become as small target as it was possible, shielding his head with both hands.
Having his eyes closed wasn't helping much, the light was so bright it felt like burning. The air temperature spiked up to the point of unpleasant hotness, but it was nothing compared to the sound. The noise seemed to not only attack his ears, but to resonate through his teeth and deep in the bones, making him feel as if he was about to break like a piece of glass.
Ezra sucked the air in - his lungs were feeling painfully empty, did he scream? He couldn't tell, he couldn't hear and breathing in was even worse. Something was spilled in the air, something that viciously bit into his air track and lungs. Before he could stop himself, Ezra started coughing, his body trying to get rid of the irritant and ended up taking in even more.
It hurt and Ezra had no idea what was going on besides the fact that he was scared and what if that gas was poisonous, they've should know better than just walk in a place like that, what was Maul even thinking leading them here…!
His head felt like it was splitting even after the noise disappeared; there was that awful ringing in his ears that seemed to be coming from the inside of his skull. The pangs of intense pain, because sudden flash blinded him and then that vile, vile substance sprayed in the air that made everything itch and burn.
Maul had warned them. Somewhat. A little bit. He told them that whoever the Merchant was, it wasn't a fan of Force sensitive people. There was a suggestion in these words and in the fact that Maul didn't want them all to go there and definitely not Ezra because of him being Force user. There was a way for people to fight against Jedi and Sith and all that was in between and the Merchant definitely perfected it.
Ezra wiped the tears of his face and blinked rapidly, trying to regain at least some of his sense of sight.
The first thing he noticed was Sabine, or rather a vague shape colorful enough to be the Mandalorian female. He knees were bend, her back straight, she was pointing her guns at something. Ready to move, ready to protect them from whatever was coming.
Now he knew why Maul wanted Sabine on the team. Was he expecting something like this to happen? Did he know it will happen? What was he thinking, what was he planning, what if it was all some completely crazy trap and they just stepped right into it? He was suddenly becoming suspicious of Maul and he hated it, because everyone deserved a chance and the Zabrak did nothing but helped them, but this mess was just too much and Ezra was petrified, because he literally couldn't tell what was going on and Kanan was even more defenseless...
A warm hand was placed on his shoulder, instantly calming him down.
Breathe, Ezra told himself.
The air was not filled with whatever nasty gas was in it few moments before and there was a cold, fresh feeling of wind on this face; the ventilation was on and it was working at full power.
It... was a good thing. Because they could be easily killed, but they were still breathing and someone was making sure they continue to do so, which was also a very good thing.
He finally could see well enough to tell what Sabine was pointing her guns at.
There was someone standing in front of them, in an armor that covered most of the body and made it impossible to tell what race it was, besides the fact it was humanoid.
The face was also covered with a slick, round face-plate that was perfectly hiding the face and even the shape of the head.
Whoever it was, the person in armor was armed with a long, dark weapon that looked awfully like whatever they wanted to sell to Vizago so long ago and what freaked out Zeb so much.
The noose was pointed straight at Maul.
Ezra felt his heart dropping, because Maul was on one knee with his hands raised up, while the other person had a finger on the trigger and oh, Force, what if they pull it?
"That was quite the warm welcome," Maul said with a chuckle in his voice that was completely not suited for the situation they were currently in. With the inner side of his wrist, Maul wiped the corner of his eye - so the Sith were not impervious to tear gas - making the motion almost mockingly slow.
"Long time no see," he continued, not bothered by the weapon so brutal it was forbidden even by the Empire pointed right at his face.
"That's one shitty leg you have," the armored person commented in heavily modified voice. It sounded more like a droid with a busted speakers than a human being.
"It is," Maul agreed.
"You brought Jedi with you."
"The Galaxy is currently in the most peculiar situation and we are all looking for allies where we can," Maul answered. "Don't you agree?"
"So... are we killing each other or not?" Sabine asked. "I don't mind either, but my arms are starting to cramp, so make up your mind?"
"You and your pet Mandos..." the person - Merchant? - finally lowered their gun. "I don't know how did you find me, but you were always the one to pull something out of your ass. Since you're already here, come, let's talk, my friend is going to take care of yours. Zombie."
The doors on the far side of the room opened almost instantly at the quiet command and another person entered the room.
It was a Twi'lek woman, wearing what Twi'lek women usually did in a shady bars - more of a skimpy lingerie than actual clothes - in an act of mockery.
The nickname was fitting her to a T - The left side appeared to look just fine, but then the surface of pretty, bluish skin was disrupted with wide, ragged scars crawling from the right side. One of her legs a prosthetic, metal surface reaching all way to her hip, the scarred line where the metal and flesh were fused clearly visible next to the skimpy side of her shorts.
The scarring continued up her torso, all the way to her face. A bit of her lekku was missing, same as her eye and a bit of cheek and the right corner of her mouths, obscuring the teeth.
She wasn't carrying around a molecular disruptor, but her blaster, despite the much smaller size still looked menacing. And like it was destined more to spray whoever she was shooting at with a rain of fire instead of single shots.
Maul stood up and followed the Merchant with his hands behind his back, acting like nothing was wrong at all.
"I like this less and less," Kanan commented.
"I'm with you on that one," Sabine muttered, walking towards them.
Her blasters were safely put away, but she still looked tense and the Twi'lek woman wasn't making her feel better.
Ezra shared the sentiment, no matter how wrong it was; she just looked more like a part of this creepy painted droids collection than a real being.
"You seem to be well prepared for our visit," Kanan put a charming smile on his face and turned in the general direction of where the footsteps were coming from.
It wasn't that difficult, Zombie was not trying to hide her presence at all and the metal leg was making a clanking noise each time the woman made a step.
"Do you often have visitors like us?"
"No," Zombie said, her voice nothing like sweet and soothing Hera, the only one Twi'lek Ezra ever met. It was as roughed up as the rest of her appearance. "But we knew you were coming here."
"Someone warned you?" Sabine's eyes instantly narrowed.
Ezra had no idea what to think about this situation either; he had not seen Maul making any attempts at communicating with anyone and he wouldn't be able to do so onboard the Phantom unnoticed anyway.
Was this some sort of a tactic to make them stressed and distrustful? But why? They already agreed to talk instead of murdering each other and after not killing them while they were coughing their lungs out it would be just overdoing it anyway.
Ezra closed his eyes.
If the answers were not visible or to be heard, there was a whole other way to find them.
Maul was impossible to find in the Force if he didn't want to be found - and he had no reason to want that anyway - so Ezra wasn't surprised when he didn't managed to notice his presence nearby.
Kanan however was very easy to notice. He felt warm and safe, but there were also complicated twists and turns, shadows of many, many emotions in his Force signature. It was very complicated and definitely alive.
Sabine, while not Force sensitive was also easy to find, at least for Ezra - it was because he knew her well enough to make bonds, which worked a little bit like making an invisible net of connection with other people and all he had to do was to follow a string to find the person he was looking for, at least when they dumbed the whole process down to the point it was actually understandable. She was very strong, almost forceful.
The Twi'lek woman was the only unfamiliar being Ezra was able to find. He couldn't put a finger how exactly she felt like, it was somehow slippery and oily, escaping his grasp each time he was reaching out. That wasn't what confused him.
What was truly odd, was the fact he couldn't tell where the Merchant was at all. He just saw that person leaving the room, definitely not going anywhere far because there was nowhere to go on foot, and yet, Ezra couldn't feel a thing. It should be impossible, because every living thing was supposed to be connected and all. And yet.
It was just like with Maul. The Zabrak could poke him in the ribs and still be perfectly invisible in the Force.
Ezra blinked because maybe, just maybe there was an answer in all that. Maybe he knew why the Merchant let them live once they recognized Maul, maybe he knew what exactly the Merchant wanted when they first contacted Maul too.
A second person approached them, walking through the ground so silently, Ezra noticed them only after the armored figure was standing but a few steps from him.
He jumped back in surprise, staring at the stranger. The armor was the exact copy of what the Merchant was wearing, through whoever was hiding inside it was about two or three inches higher.
Zombie tilted her head to the side, her whole lekku following the movement, observing the newcomer with attention. She was barely blinking and clearly waiting for something to happen. Something that could be - will be - very important.
Merchants doppelganger walked slowly towards them, completely ignoring Sabine who was about to pull out her guns again. Ezra was also ignored, despite his obvious staring.
Something was up in the air, something tense, something long awaited. The Force was whirling in anticipation.
The armored copy-cat stopped in front of Kanan, chin raised up to look the blind Jedi right in the face.
"Your visit here was foretold," the eerie, synthesized voice sounded surreal, like something out of badly recorder holo, or part of a dream. "Caleb Dume."
Kanan jerked away with a surprised gasp.
"How did you know that name?" he demanded more than asked.
Ezra blinked in confusion. Who was Caleb Dume?
"Nobody was using it in years!" Kanan continued, his voice still shaky and nervous and filled with so many other emotions. "I wasn't using this name in years!"
"You can wear a different name, you can put on as many masks as you like," the masked person said. "Yet in the Force, you're still the same."
Ezra stole a glance at Sabine, but the girl looked as confused as he was. Kanan wasn't really Kanan... except he was.
Using a pseudonym while he was hiding from the Empire was a smart thing to do and using a name for a long, long period of time would make the name be much more familiar that whatever people calling him before. Ezra was Dev Morgan for a short period of time and from time to time he also was Jabba.
All he understood was the fact that outing someone like that was not nice.
"I am not the same," Kanan shook his head, looking painfully defeated.
"That is just your perception of things," the person hidden under the armor said. "I am merely telling you how I see it."
Kanan furrowed his brow.
"Are you... were you a Jedi?"
"Does that matter anymore? A Sith is helping you."
"You can use the Force," Kanan stated. "That's how you know. "
Oh, Ezra thought.
That made at least some sense. Even before he actually started his training, he had these flashes. A sudden certainty that something was going to happen, or that there was a danger awaiting and he should pick another path.
However, Kanan suggested that this person was able to push this Force thing so much further, to notice so much more... it was crazy. It should be impossible.
"We are going to meet again, Caleb Dume," the armored person continued. "Once you were standing on the crossroad, but now, the path was already picked. You have no way to turn back now."
"Is this a threat?"
"Merely a statement," Zombie said. "For Seer, the future had already happened."
"...the future?" Sabine asked, suspicious easily noticeable in the tone of her voice and in the distrustful grimace on her face.
"How... how much of it?" Kanan asked, his voice still shaking a bit.
Zombie shrugged. "Hours. Days. Months. Sometimes more."
"This is..." Kanan gasped. "This is unbelievable!"
"This is why your bodies didn't hit the floor," she stated coldly. "Your Zabrak friend, he was clever enough to make sure some things are passed on if he dies here."
Ezra wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel about it. Blackmail theoretically speaking was bad but at the same time it was the thing that kept them alive during this meeting. Besides, Malachor seemed like more than enough, so it wasn't like these guys were getting ripped off. Quite the opposite. Despite the situation, the offer was just too tempting to refuse or to even demand more.
As he expected, Maul returned to them not at a gunpoint, but with a small box in his hands.