Chapter Text
Ezra felt the ground disappear from beneath his foot and quickly shifted position, glancing over his shoulder. He was backed up to the very edge of the chasm, one wrong step away from a steep drop into empty darkness. His breath caught in his throat as he looked up to see the Inquisitor advancing on him, both his and Kanan’s lightsabers in his hands.
“The darkness is too strong for you, orphan,” the Inquisitor said with a smug, satisfied grin, like he knew something Ezra didn’t. “It is swallowing you up, even now.”
“No,” Ezra growled.
“Your master will die,” the Inquisitor said, continuing as if Ezra hadn’t spoken at all.
“No!” Ezra said again. He wasn’t going to let this monster hurt Kanan. He wasn’t going to let him hurt anyone.
“Your friends will die.” The Inquisitor continued advancing on Ezra, dragging the blade of Kanan’s lightsaber along the ground, sending sparks shooting into the air around him. “And everything you’ve hoped for will be lost. This is the way the story ends.”
“No!” Ezra screamed.
Somewhere far below him, he felt something move. Something fierce, something predatory, something that shared his instinct to protect, to drive away the threat in front of him. The creature scaled the rocky walls of the crevasse, following Ezra’s rage like a beacon, compelled to come to his aid. As he felt it climb out behind him, Ezra pointed one shaking hand at the Inquisitor.
Hurt him destroy him kill him kill him kill him.
“Ezra, no!”
He barely heard Kanan’s voice over the ringing in his ears as the creature leapt past him, charging at the Inquisitor. The Pau’an took a step back, raising his lightsaber, the twin blades spinning in the air beside him. Ezra watched, fighting to stay on his feet as he began shaking, the edges of his vision going dim. He wanted to see this. He wanted to see the Inquisitor torn apart, his bones crushed between the creature’s teeth.
As the Inquisitor slashed at one of the creature’s legs, he turned his head, locking eyes with Ezra. That smile returned to his face for just a moment, making Ezra’s blood run cold.
Ezra barely felt the push through the Force, but weak as he was, it was more than enough to knock him off balance. He lost his footing, stumbling back, crying out as the ground disappeared from beneath him.
“Ez—” Kanan’s voice was cut off by a cry of pain as Ezra plummeted into the darkness.
Ezra reached out blindly, his hand catching on a ledge. He clung to it, his feet kicking wildly at the rock wall beneath it as he hauled himself up. He crawled onto the ledge, panting as he curled up on his side. He hugged his arms around himself. It was so cold down here. He just needed a minute to catch his breath, to regroup. He’d find away out of here. He would. He…
His vision was beginning to blur when he heard a rustle of movement above him. A moment later, someone landed beside him, their heavy black boots the only thing in his field of vision.
Ezra blinked slowly, turning his head so he could see his rescuer. His breath caught in his throat when he saw that pale face and that sinister, fanged grin.
“No,” he said, unable to manage more than a whisper.
The Inquisitor reached out a hand and Ezra’s throat tightened. He was dragged up until the Inquisitor’s hand closed around his neck, shoving him back against the rock wall.
“You are coming with me, boy,” the Inquisitor said.
Ezra grabbed the Inquisitor’s hand, weakly clawing at it, trying to pry his fingers away. Spots began dancing across his vision as his eyelids drooped. The Inquisitor simply waited, his bright yellow eyes never leaving Ezra’s face as Ezra grew weaker by the second.
Darkness fell over him as his eyes closed, his hand dropping back to his side.
The last thing he knew was the Inquisitor’s terrifying, sinister laugh.