Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The sun and the moon floated up in the endless void, one shining bright, but burning everything in its wake, the other dark, but welcoming, taking just enough of the sun to make its presence known, but just as important. They circled each other, but never met, as one came up as the other sank down, delicately dancing around each other.

They might not have belonged together, but a force bound them. Their paths never crossed, but one couldn't exist without the other.

Now, what would happen if the paths of the two that were never supposed to cross? Would the sun engulf the moon, or the moon drift too close, circling each other until they become too powerful, destroying everything in their wake? Or would they coexist in a mutually beneficial cycle, growing more powerful by the second as they became one, the most powerful duo to ever exist?

What would happen, if the sun and the moon happened to be two boys with enough power to rattle the galaxy?

The sky was clear for the first time in days, the brutal sand storms finally having eased down, the red light of dawn blinding Luke’s eyes. His turn to the grocery shop always excited him as that was his only opportunity to connect with the outside world besides the occasional clients of his Uncle, who usually happened to be middle aged farmers, and Luke absolutely did not care about stories of misplaced parts and malfunctioning droids. As he left his house, he walked past the small shed his Uncle kept his dewback, Ben, who hissed at him from his shed.

Alright. The speeder, then.

“Do you have the list?” called his Aunt from the door, to which he gave an affirmative hum.

“Don’t forget the bantha soups,” Uncle Owen yelled.

“As if I could ever forget.” Luke sneaked his bag of spare parts that he collected from the desert and boarded the landspeeder, starting the engine. The dry morning air hit his face, yellow sand stretching as far as the eye can see in front of him. Dust rose up as the speeder ran, landing on his freshly washed hair, creeping into his nose and mouth.

He was restless, body tingling every time he sat still for too long listening to Uncle Owen explain how to operate the vaparators; every time he heard stories about ruthless bounty hunters, sly spice smugglers, or even the noble jedi knights of the Republic; every time a passerby docked into town, and he discreetly followed them for so much as a glance at something larger. Something worth living for.

He yearned leave this cage, to experience the worlds first hand. The ones so cold one step into the snow can numb your whole body, where the sky shone bright blue instead of stale yellow. The ones covered with damp earth, plants and flowers blooming from every corner, providing a shade on a articularly hot day, instead of the barren hills of Tatooine. The ones where the twinkling buildings rose so high, the cities stretched so wide that they were visible from space, instead of poor villages with nothing but dusty houses.

He hated this place, where he spent his days farming barely enough moisture out of thin air to bring two meals a day to the table, repeating the same cycle for months, years. Wasting away.

He had a purpose greater than farming, he knew it, just not what it was yet.

One push on the steer brought the motor alive, speeding up the speeder. The sooner he was in town, the sooner he could find Biggs-

A shiny dot in the distance moved towards him, beeping and squeaking, from the little cluster of rocks up ahead. Luke squinted, the sun making it impossible to open his eyes fully.

It was an orange astromech droid. In the middle of the desert.

Now, he wasn't stupid, knew this could be some kind of trap for slavers and whatnot to kidnap thieves, or a way to lure people into their death. The stories, especially the ones his Uncle told when he was a boy, painted enough of a picture for Luke to make sure he stood away from all strangers, and sometimes not even strangers but people Uncle Owen thought to be odd, like old Ben, who he had not so ironically named his bantha after.

But the pull was too strong, especially when the strange droid made a noise that sounded undeniably like a curse. The speeder slowed down, finally coming to a stop in front of the droid, and Luke poked his head out to take a better look at the strange bundle of metal before him.

“Hello, little guy,” he said, taking in the freshly painted orange and yellow stripes, then the worn out metal planks under. Its appearance didn't give anything away other than it had a current owner, one that cared enough to repaint it, but probably didn't have enough money for new parts. Or this was all a deception to make him think that way. There was no way to know.

The droid’s hands moved, head spinning while making urgent noises, pointing north, towards a cluster of few rocks and dry grass.

That's when the curled up figure caught his eye, obviously a man, but Luke couldn't make out anything else from afar. On the other hand, moving closer meant possibly putting himself in danger in a deserted– ha ha funny– area.

Luke checked off his options: He could just leave, act like this never happened; it wasn't like this had anything to do with him. Besides, it could be a ploy. His Aunt and Uncle would kill him if he got himself captured by Jawas or Tuskens.

But his conscience would never let him. The man could be sick or injured. Luke couldn't just leave him to die. And if he had an astromech droid, and he owed Luke his life, maybe…

He stopped himself from that line of thought. He was getting ahead of himself.

The droid gave a frustrated grumble, followed by a noise that Luke felt like scolded him. Then it abruptly turned around and gilded back towards where the man laid, complaining. At least Luke was pretty sure it was complaining. He had never met a droid, let alone an astromech, this expressive.

Maybe it was why Luke finally gave in and hopped out of the speeder, or maybe it was his curiosity that would definitely kill him one day, he would never know.

The droid led the way as Luke followed, one careful sweep of the surroundings suggesting they were alone, which was only slightly comforting. When they reached the figure by the rocks, the droid gave Luke a small bottle filled with water and pointed at the man, who actually looked more like a boy barely older than Luke, if not the same age. His golden brown skin was scorched at the places where his bright orange jumpsuit didn't cover him by the twin suns, buzzed navy hair filled with fine sand as he curled upon himself, his canine-like teeth poking out from his lips. The boy was definitely not from here.

Carefully, Luke knelt next to him, and let some water drops fall into the boy’s mouth. Is it wise to wake him up? he thought. Maybe he should've gotten his Uncle. Will he know better, though, or tell Luke that it’s not their problem that a foolish boy found his way to the wrong side of the desert?

The latter, probably.

The boy stirred and Luke flinched back from the sudden movement. What if the boy was dangerous? A wanted criminal maybe, or a smuggler with the Hutts at his tail? He had to make sure the boy did not pose any danger to his family before bringing him back home.

Impatient noises from the droid followed Luke as he picked up a thin cloth from the trunk of the speeder and covered the boy with it to prevent more sunburns. If he was still here by the time Luke returned from the market, then he would take the boy. But for now, the water and the cloth should've been enough until he was back. He had some shopping to do if he didn't want to be grounded for both his inability to do as he’s told– which happened a lot more frequently than one would think– and bringing a stranger home.

When Luke came rushing back to the same spot, this time the trunk of the speeder filled with food and bantha soup, the boy, and unfortunately the droid, still stood where he left them. As soon as the droid spotted Luke it dragged him by his arm to the figure, yelling, until he was right in front of the unmoving boy.

Dread filled him, then. What if he was dead? What if Luke was too late? Blood rushed out of his limbs, leaving the tips of his fingers cold. He couldn’t be the reason someone died, not when he could’ve prevented it. Tentatively, he brought the tips of his fingers to the boy’s wrist, feeling for a pulse, and sighed in relief upon feeling the soft flutter of the vein, pulsing softly but surely. What he would do if the boy was dead, he couldn't imagine, only that the guilt would have eaten him alive.

But as his fingertips brushed the soft spot where the boy's hand met his wrist, he felt something else other than a pulse. As if something other than his heart fluttered within him, slower than heartbeat, but stronger, like the flowing of water, or the swish of the wind, the grumble of the earth-

The droid, that damned droid, ran over his feet, then, startling Luke out of his thoughts as he jumped and pushed the droid away.

“Fine, fine we’re leaving. By the stars!” He hissed in pain.

The journey back was uneventful, with the droid in the back and the boy in front of him, leaning back at Luke’s chest. He weighed more than he looked, not that Luke minded, but it was odd to see someone like this, so up close. But he couldn't study him, not right now when the sky shined so bright, but he could feel the other boy, somehow. In the small patch where their skin touched– his forehead leaning against Luke’s neck– a surge passed between them, like electricity, buzzing dangerously, but softer, calmer in a way. This was a first.

It wasn't every day that Luke met new people, especially not kids his age. Uncle Owen had always been a little overprotective, limiting where he went and where, then starting to homeschool him, but these past couple of years, he outdid himself by isolating Luke almost completely. He didn't lock Luke up, of course, but found excuses for him to stay at the farm. You have to learn the family trade, he would say one day, there is no time for lazing around, when Luke announced he was going into town. Your Aunt needs help, don't expect her to do everything alone, he would say the next day, when Luke was leaving for the inn with Biggs and Tank, whom he barely saw nowadays. Luke suspected his Uncle expected him to stay the little boy he was, but didn't realize it isolated him.

His Aunt Beru was hanging laundry in front of the house when Luke arrived, but did a double take when she noticed the additional cargo, her expression turning from confused to accusing. She opened her mouth to speak, probably to scold him, but before she could say anything, Luke stepped up.

“I know what you’re thinking. I know,” he said when his Aunt opened her mouth again to interfere, and Luke knew exactly what she was going to say: that this was reckless, and that the boy could be dangerous. All the things he considered before bringing him here, “But he was unconscious and burning up. He would’ve died if I left him.”

Aunt Beru looked between Luke, the boy, lingering on the visible burn marks on his face, and the droid that started to make impatient beeps again, and sighed, “Fine, bring him in. I'll take a look at him,” The boy must’ve looked harmless enough, or she would have never agreed.

She turned back to look him in the eye sternly, “But I’m telling your Uncle this is all on you.”

Uncle Owen had left just after Luke this morning to meet some old colleague like he always did every few months, and wouldn't be back until the afternoon, giving Luke enough time to craft his defense. It wasn't like he had to lie, just tweak the story enough to present his completely pure innocence. His Uncle never bought them, just pretended he did depending on how good the tale was, so he didn't have to worry about making it believable. He had to make it entertaining.

But that was a problem he had to solve in a couple of hours after his guest, who now curled on his bed like a cat after Aunt Beru smoothed out some sticky salve on his cheeks and placed wet cloths over his forehead and arms, woke up. Luke sat on the floor near the bed, studying the boy from closer, seeing his features better now that they are not under the blinding sun. Even when unconscious, he had an edge, maybe because of the slightly frown buzz cut, his long, bridged nose, or the twin scars that run along his cheekbone. Or maybe it was the bright orange clothes he wore, silver buttons twinkling, so unlike the paled, tattered clothes of Tatooine.

A feeling pulled Luke towards this boy, one that happened so frequently that he had named it the Tug. It sometimes warned him, or nudged him towards a direction that he would normally never go, like how he did today. It was familiar, but not really. It resembled the unease he felt when Old Ben used to visit him to give him toy ships made out of metal scraps, but stronger. It scorched his curiosity; What was his name? Where did he come from? What was his favorite food? What about his job? He was young enough to still be a student, if he was privileged enough, but old enough to be a laborer if he wasn't so fortunate.

But there was something else, too. A whisper that told him to be wary of the other boy, warning him, as if this was an intersection, a crossroads that will either lead him to two completely distinct paths.

But that was stupid. There was no way the appearance of a single stranger could change his life so significantly.

The boy groaned, his nose wrinkling in pain as he shifted, thin lips pulling back again to reveal long canines. Luke's heart skipped a beat, mouth dry in anticipation as he leaned forward further. The soft pressure of the boy's breath grazed his forehead, tickling the skin and Luke brought his hand up to rub the tingling sensation left there, confused, as warmth rushed to his cheeks.

Deep blue eyes fluttered open centimeters from his own, and Luke lost himself in the navy specks that shine within, traveling his nose to the thin cupid’s bow, to-

The boy jumped back, a strangled cry tearing out from his throat, his right hand instinctively reaching for his belt before finding it empty, “What the-!?”

“I- I was checking your bandages,” Luke managed to blurt out, still flustered, though he had no idea why. It wasn't like he did anything wrong, except creepily watching a stranger. Oops. “I found you passed out in the desert. With your droid.”

Luke nervously pointed to the astromech waiting patiently by the foot of the bed. It responded in unintelligible beeps and squeaks, but the boy seemed to understand because his shoulders relaxed, his hand dropping from where it rested on his belt.

“I’m Luke Lars,” he offered, realizing he didn’t introduce himself, “sorry I startled you.”

The boy’s eyes traveled the room, taking in the sandstone walls, the small desk cluttered with parts that he built toy ships with, and then his collection sitting on the shelves. The door of his cabinet stood open, and small knick knacks scattered around the room speckled the floor, but other than that, it was neat enough. His eyes finally found Luke’s, studying him as they jumped between his blond hair to his old, but well cared for tunic to pause at his face.

“The name’s Dev.” He smiled nervously. Luke didn't blame him; What the hell was he thinking getting into the boy’s face?

“You must've passed out from the sun,” Luke said, passing Dev a glass of water. He gulped it down eagerly, “How are you feeling?”

He was even more odd when awake. His blue eyes narrowed as they moved around, the restless energy Luke knew so well radiating off of him. But there was something else behind them. Something Luke couldn't pinpoint.

Dev brought his hand to the patches on his face, expression souring, “Fine. The sun stings, though.”

Luke chuckled, “Not from here, are you?”

Dev stumbled at this, the question catching him off guard, but composed himself. His hand went to rub the back of his neck, “Not really. No.”

Luke waited a few beats for Dev to offer more about himself, but instead, an awkward silence stretched between them.

After a few minutes, he said, “Thanks. For saving me, I mean. And Chop.”

“Chop…?”

The droid, whose name was apparently Chop, beeped happily.

“Short for Chopper.”

“Ah…” He was not one bit interested in that blasted droid, and it must've shown on his face because Dev grinned knowingly.

“Did he give you a hard time?” he asked, studying Luke intensely now, “He can get grumpy.”

“Except pinching me and running over my toes, not really,” Luke made a face that drew a chuckle out of Dev which, surprisingly, extremely pleased Luke.

“Chopper?” Dev called, a warning tone in his voice, and Luke had the distinct sense that he was imitating someone, “What did we talk about hurting others?”

Chopper protested loudly, spinning and making enough noise to bring Aunt Beru to the room.

“Ah, you’re awake. Did you drink water?” Dev noded, glancing at Luke once, so she continued, “Good. Drink more. I tried to cool you down but it may not be enough if you have a heat stroke. It's best to rest a bit.” She turned to Luke, raising her eyebrows pointedly, “Owen will be here in about two hours,” and left.

“What's that about?” Dev asked.

Luke groaned, “My Uncle hates strangers. I have to make up a story before he's here to explain… this.”

“I can leave if it's trouble for you.”

“You sit back down, young man,” Aunt Beru called from the doorway as she passed by, “I started patching you, I'm not letting you go until you’re as healthy as a dewback.”

Dev’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, but he sat down. Turning to Luke, he said, “Hey, leave that to me, then. You saved me, I'll save you.” He grinned. “Just tell me the whole story.”

Luke told Dev the events of the morning, but was ushered out by Aunt Beru saying he should let their guest rest.

“I know you don’t get to meet a lot of people your age,” said Aunt Beru squeezing his shoulder lightly, “but trust me, it's all for your own good. You’ll understand one day,” before walking away.

He doubted that, but decided staying quiet would cut the conversation short.

Dev left his room after an hour, saying that he couldn’t sleep, so Luke took him outside to get some fresh air. He showed the other boy his room, the kitchen, and the operation room for moisture farming, to which he nodded along. They passed Ben the dewback’s shed next, and Dev stopped in front of it, looking at the scaly creature inside with awe, for some reason.

“What is that?” he asked, eyes wide.

“It’s a dewback. Don’t go near him, though, he hates everyone but my uncle-”

But it was too late, Dev had already gone near the fences, and was reaching forward. Ben came near him, surprisingly slowly, and bumped his nose to Dev’s palm, sorting pleased huffs as he did so.

“Aww. He’s cute,” Dev said as he scratched the animal.

Dumbfounded, Luke tried to take in the scene in front of him. He wasn’t sure if he should be offended. He had been living with the animal for the past ten years, and had never let Luke come near him, let alone pet him, but of course, a complete stranger was so much better than him. And ‘cute’? Really? There was nothing about that animal that was even pleasant. What was wrong with this guy?

His Uncle arrived shortly after, and they sat along the dining table under the setting suns, Luke having taken care to sit opposite Dev to keep an eye on him. The urge to trust the boy was strong, but the Tug was stronger.

“So, Luke,” Uncle Owen started with a warning undertone, “who is our guest today. I don't remember seeing him around.”

Dev stepped in smugly, “Dev Morgan, sir, and I can answer that question if you'll allow me. Sir”

Uncle Owen looked, thankfully, more amused than angry at Dev’s cockyness, “Go on.”

“I am an imperial cadet, but I’m on temporary leave right now to take care of my family. They dropped me here yesterday to talk to a family friend and buy some parts that are apparently pretty common here.

“While I was in the market– searching for the parts– I found some delicious, mouth watering, stomach grumbling bantha soups that-”

“Go on, boy,” said Uncle Owen, exasperated.

Luke couldn't help but chuckle.

“Smelled amazing, by the way,” Dev smirked, catching Luke’s eye, “Then, I heard someone yelling for help. Of course, I went to investigate. It was already dark, so I couldn’t see that well, but I must’ve wandered too far because I couldn't see the lights from town anymore.

“It was an old man. His speeder had malfunctioned, I think, and he had barely stopped himself from crashing into some rock a few meters ahead. He said his house was up the hill but couldn’t carry all the groceries by himself, so I offered to help him.

“Then, when me and my droid were going back, we got lost. I thought maybe I could climb up to one of the caves to spend the night, try my luck in the morning, but the moment I entered the valley, weird small people jumped on me and almost messed up my droid.

“I woke up a few hours later but I was in the middle of the desert. I tried to walk a bit, but got caught up in a sandstorm. The last thing I remember is passing out.”

Dev’s eyes shone as he finished the tale, a wide smile dancing on his lips that Luke couldn't keep himself from staring. It's almost like life itself swirled around each word, softening the air, builded the scene from scratch with his words that come alive in front of them. But still, the strange feeling at the back of Luke’s mind remained.

“Did you try contacting your ship, dear?” asked Aunt Beru.

Dev shook his head, his lips pursed, “My droid’s long range transmission unit is damaged.”

His Uncle didn't seem as impressed, but he must've found Dev harmless enough to let him stay, because he kept mostly to himself through the dinner as usual, making small comments on Aunt Beru’s day, nodding along politely as she went into detail about today’s news, refusing to answer any questions regarding his own day, and not protesting at all when Luke excused himself and Dev, dragging him along up the stairs and to the clearing in front of the house.

The night sky was free of dust or clouds today, allowing the sheen to reach the surface. The thick atmosphere bent the light from the stars at night, creating a circus of colors as the stars blinked, solar systems danced, galaxies swirled. Even at night, the sky shone over them as they sat on the soft sand, still warm from earlier.

“Wow…” The look of awe on Dev’s face made Luke giggly, made him want to hold onto that feeling and never let go, reach out and touch it because it was right by the tips of his fingers, but it slipped by like it always did. “Never seen this before.”

Others didn't seem to feel the things the way Luke did. He had always felt… so much, overwhelming emotions constantly attacking him at all sides. He had been bullied because of it, had been called too emotional, a girl, and, as he got older, other things that he really didn't want to think about. He would even call himself empathetic, couldn't care less about someone's dead pet rat, but the fact that the person in front of him was upset was enough to press a dead weight on his chest that he couldn't lift at least until the next day.

His Uncle said it would pass, while his Aunt was more worried, but it didn't matter, he was a freak either way, with only two kids crazy enough to hang out with him. Not that he was complaining, he liked Biggs and Tank, but he sometimes hoped he just fitted in.

“This is good, but I'd like to see them from up there, you know?” he sighed, going there right now wasn't a good idea, “Anyways. It’s not very likely.”

“You’ve never left Tatooine?”

“No, my parents– Aunt and Uncle, I mean– they’re control freaks. They barely let me even leave the farm.”

“That sounds… lonely,” Dev said, frowning.

Luke chuckled bitterly, “It is.”

Dev rubbed the back of his neck, “I don’t want to overstep, but-”

“Never met my parents,” Luke answered before Dev finished his sentence. Really, people were so predictable. “They died soon after I was born.”

“Oh…” said Dev, but did not apologize like most people did when presented with this situation. He didn't look at him with pity nor did he look uncomfortable. He just listened, and oh how refreshing that was.

Luke asked with a boost of confidence, “The story you told my Uncle. Was it true?”

Dev turned to him, eyes gleaming as he looked into Luke’s, “Do you think it was?”

Did he? It was a perfectly viable story. Being an imperial cadet was common amongst the younger populations, and the wilderness of Tatooine was dangerous enough that everything the other boy had said were very believable. Then why did the Tug disagree? “No.”

Dev smiled, a little guiltily.

“Oh…” he didn't mean to sound disappointed, he really didn't. He expected it. A stranger giving away their whole story would raise more questions than one that lied, but one part of him still hoped for the truth.

Dev shifted, fidgeting a little with the buttons on his jacket. “I really need to send a message to my crew. Do you know where I can go for that sort of thing?”

“I can take you into town tomorrow,” Luke suggested.

Dev nodded, but his eyes were unfocused as if his body was present, his mind completely elsewhere. They sat there for a while, their presence enough of a comfort for the other, until out of a sudden, quietly as if the smallest touch could burst the bubble they were in, Dev said, “I’m an orphan too. Barely knew them,” then, after a short pause he whispered, “the Empire took them.”

It was Luke’s turn to listen now. The roles had been reversed, and it was odd to be on the receiving end of this conversation, after years of brushing off people’s wishes and condolences. He didn’t want them. Why would he mourn those he had never known? It was just a waste of time.

This was different, though, because Dev had known his parents, remembered them, and if the air filled with the smell of nostalgia and bitter grief were an indication, very fondly.

It was even odder, because, for the first time in the whole day, Dev had offered something about himself, a piece from his past, a clearing in the midst of his walls of lies.

Luke wondered once more who exactly this strange boy was, why he felt like he was being electrocuted every time their skins touched, and most importantly, by the stars, what was up with his guts clenching uncomfortably every time he looked at the other boy too long.

One thing was sure, though: Dev would bring trouble.

Little did Luke know how much.

Chapter Text

A whack followed by a sting at the back of his head woke Ezra up from sleep. He opened his eyes, ready to tell Zeb off for waking him like this again, but the crumbling sandstone wall centimeters from his face stopped him. Rising slowly from the soft but barely comfortable bundle of blankets under him, he took in his surroundings as the events of yesterday came back.

No idea where he was. Check. Mildly injured. Check. Stranded with the galaxy’s most useless droid who also happened to be a sadist. Check. An incredibly powerful force presence from an average outer rim farmer that was so intense it made Ezra faint on the spot. Check.

Ah, the perfect vacation.

He had absolutely no idea who this boy was, except that his name was apparently Luke Lars and that he was a moisture farmer. How it was possible for someone like him to be so in tune with the force, and most importantly, how he was still undiscovered by the inquisitors, was beyond him.

Could he be the reason Master Kenobi lived here all these years? It had to be. In a galaxy with only a handful of Jedi left, a former war hero and an undiscovered force prodigy residing in the same system, let alone planet, could not be mere fate. But Luke gave absolutely no indication of using the force, even unintentionally, like Ezra did when he was younger, and he was not trained to use the force, Ezra could feel the wild energy in him. Though he supposed he would notice some soon, given the other boy’s powerful nature.

This meant that Luke didn’t know Master Kenobi, or even if he did, didn’t know who he was. But what about his guardians? Didn’t he say something about his uncle not liking strangers? Yes, the old man seemed very displeased by Ezra’s presence. Could this be the reason? To keep Luke safe?

If so, what exactly were they hiding?

Questions, questions, questions. He couldn't even remember the last time he got a proper answer.

He would have to ask the Master when he found him.

He finally turned to Chopper, still chuckling at what he described as, ‘the ugliest expression he has ever seen,’ on Ezra’s face.

“You better have my saber, or I promise I’ll sell your spare parts once we’re back on the Ghost.” Ezra had been scared sitless when he woke up and found the hilt of his belt empty yesterday. With no opportunities to be alone with the droid, he hadn’t been able to confirm if he really had it.

Chopper spinned around the room, running away from Ezra while beeping loudly, the lightsaber inside him clanking against the metal planks.

“It isn't my fault we’re stranded, you trash can!” Ezra yelled as he chased the droid around the room, finally jumping on him as he tried to open the compartment near his head while the droid swung him around to toss him off, “It was your decision to come! If you could’ve just done your job, both of us would be- ACHHH!”

Ezra’s face collided with the floor just as the door slid open and Luke stepped in, stopping just above him. He crouched as he looked at Ezra with worried eyes, “Are you alright?”

He gave an affirmative hum, and let Luke pull him up to his feet while groaning inwardly at his ineptness. First faint because of the other boy like some maiden in distress, then plunge to the ground in front of him first thing in the morning. Way to make a first impression.

The moment their hands touched, though, a surge of energy passed through them. The force hummed where their fingers met, the urge to deepen the bond overwhelming, but Ezra pulled back before he did something reckless, and the flow stopped once the contact ended. Ezra studied Luke for a couple of seconds, but the other boy refused to meet his eye. if he felt it, he didn't show it.

“Fine,” Ezra cast a pointed glance at Chop, “He's just giving me a hard time.”

Luke nodded, “Why do you keep him around, then? I'm sure you can sell him for a decent credit.”

Chopper, of course, protested loudly as Ezra snorted, “He's not mine, or I’d consider it.” He would do no such thing, but Chop didn't need to know that.

They attempted to leave the farm after breakfast, as Luke had suggested yesterday, but the unending tasks given to Luke kept them planted there. Ezra offered to help, but regretted it as soon as Luke started explaining how the generator was powered and the switches that activated each function of the machine in what felt like gibberish. He mostly looked for parts in need of repairs and did routine check ups, while demonstrating each step, but Ezra, having no such inclination nor experience except building lightsabers, was only able to stare and nod along dumbly, having faint flashbacks to when Sabine had tried to teach him some basic repairs but had given up when he almost blew up the ship. Fun times.

He did not mind it, though. Luke’s voice was soft, calming, free from the stress of having to grow up in the streets, or the weariness fighting a war. For all he knew, he lived under an empire that tried its best.

The rhythmic chatter allowed Ezra to zone out for a while, in which he focused back on the force, trying to find Master Kenobi or Maul. The boy being here complicated things. Ezra couldn't let Maul know about Luke; with no training, he would be too inclined to fall into the dark side if corrupted, just like Ezra had been. The Master would surely know what to do.

He hadn’t seen any visions of Maul since he woke up yesterday, which was probably a good thing but did nothing but put Ezra on edge even more. It could mean he was planning something, or trying to make Ezra think he was gone to attack at the worst possible time.

Either way, that was one more thing Ezra had to worry about.

“-anyway, the academy here requires you to be at least eighteen, so i have one more year until I can apply, but my friends-” Luke was saying, which jolted Ezra right up.

“Wait, what? What academy?” He cut Luke off, the only academy he knew were the imperial kind, and nothing good came out of them, but his words came out a little sharp, according to Luke’s confused expression, so he attempted to soften it, “Sorry, I zoned out for a second.”

“S’okay,” Luke turned back to his tinkering, not bothered, “The Imperial Academy in the capital. It has good programs. I can even be selected for pilot training if I finish my first two years with an average of eighty percent!”

“Oh…,” What could he say to that? ‘Nice! I blow up bucket heads in my free time, by the way?’ Luke likely believed in all the Imperial propaganda. Ezra didn’t blame him; It was really easy to do so, especially if you lived on an outer rim planet where all you saw was the bright side of the Imperial mission, and none of the abuse, oppression, nor genocide. Unless you did something to provoke them, of course. In that case, they took you and left your kid to survive alone on the streets, “I see. So, um… You like piloting?”

“YES!” the sudden enthusiasm startled Ezra, but the joy in Luke’s eyes made up for it, “I love it! I made my own race when I was younger because my Aunt wouldn’t let me join the local tournament. Me and the other kids would set up a racetrack that stretched through the desert and we would use our parents’ speeders. It started with a couple of kids but by the time I was fifteen we had at least fifty,” Luke glanced back, checking if he rambled too much, but Ezra gave him an encouraging nod. His smile was definitely worth it, “I even designed my own speeder a few years ago but never had the parts to build it. Anyways, I had to stop when I was sixteen, so last year, because my Uncle said it was childish and I had to focus on the family business more.”

His excitement was… endearing. Ezra couldn't find any other words to describe it. Despite the power lurking beneath the other boy’s skin, he appeared so innocent, which either meant he was working extra hard to hide his intentions, or he was unaware. Given the fact that Master Kenobi hid here all these years, the second was more likely. And if he spent the last seventeen years looking after some farmer boy, he had to be important indeed.

“-was supposed to be red but the paints had expired...”

Maybe the former jedi was not the key to destroying the sith as the witches showed him and Maul, but who the Master protected was.

Which meant Ezra had to thread very carefully around Luke.

“-so fast that you could barely see it…”

Ezra could tell him about the Jedi, of course, and that he had the potential to be one, but that course of action had so many ways it could go wrong Ezra didn't even want to start listing them. He could also subtly mention the Jedi, gather what the other boy already knew, and maybe even teach him some tricks-

No. Nope. Kanan would never let him hear the end of it.

The day started and ended like that, calm and uneventful. it seemed to drive Luke crazy– the boy was too fidgety for his own good– but Ezra didn’t mind it, even welcomed it. After many years on the streets, then on the run from the Empire, the slow life was refreshing, so he didn’t rush Luke at all about leaving. After all, he wasn’t sitting around. He might've been… lacking at technical work, but he was strong, especially with the force to help him, paying back to his hosts by helping carry parts around or organize inventory while keeping an eye around for Maul.

The following two days also passed in a similar fashion. They didn’t talk much; they didn’t need to, sitting and working side by side with Luke was comforting enough that neither of them felt the need to fill the silence with words.

But he could tell it started to bother Luke after a while; the recurrent glances to his direction gave him away, along with his inability to close off his emotions from the force. It screamed with curiosity and doubt. Ezra knew he had been very closed off so far, both in the force, and avoiding talking about himself, if he really had to, leaving things vague. He had done it on purpose of course– you couldn't just trust anyone that helped you in this galaxy– but Luke just felt so right, not only his presence in the force, but also when they were together, his company a constant anchor that prevented Ezra from drifting too far away.

It was a miracle the other boy had not said anything so far, but if he kept on like this, the fragile trust they had built would crumble. For some reason, that thought sent chills down Ezra’s spine.

So, as they worked together silently that evening, Ezra decided to contribute to the conversation this time.

“I hate the sand. It’s so pale and boring. Hey, don’t laugh!” Luke was saying as Ezra snorted, not so much at what the other boy said, but more so at how he said it, with a slight pout that indicated that he had been pondering on the subject for a while now.

“Oh?” Ezra asked, trying to keep his tone light, “I don’t mind it, honestly. I grew up on a desert planet too, but it was more barren land than sand, so maybe that made up for it.”

Ezra could feel Luke’s eyes digging holes onto his back, but he continued to focus down on his work at organising screws by size. Not because he wanted to ignore the other boy, more so that he didn’t want Luke to think he was being purposefully careful.

“Really? But your skin got burnt so easily,” Luke said with a slight tilt of his head that Ezra dared to think was kind of cute.

“Not all of us have the privilege of two suns.”

“Oh, right,” he faltered, like he genuinely forgot that sometimes.

The only other remarkable event was the appearance of one of Luke’s friends, Biggs, as he called himself, at the farm’s doorstep, and the strange exchange between them.

“We were supposed to meet two days ago,” Ezra overheard Biggs demand, “Why didn’t you come?”

“I was… sidetracked,” Luke glanced back at where Ezra shorted small parts next to the house and under the shade. Biggs followed the other boy’s line of vision, catching Ezra’s eyes, a suspicious expression on his face, to which Ezra gave a smile that he hoped was unassuming but probably came out incredibly awkward.

“Well, you could’ve comlinked us! You have any idea how worried we were?!”

Ezra flinched at that. With no signal out in the desert, he hadn't been able to send a message to his crew. Even if he could, he doubted he would have. It had too much of a risk to be traced back to the base. He could only imagine how worried everyone was, especially since he had been acting odd before he literally stole one of the rebellion’s ships and went after Maul.

Oh he was so dead. Hera was going to gut him then feed him to the crawlers.

Biggs left shortly after that with a promise– for real this time– from Luke to meet two days later, and a short but nasty glance at Ezra.

By the third day, Ezra’s burns had faded slightly, and he discarded the patches according to Mrs. Lars’ instructions to allow the scabs to heal fully. But his injuries were the least of his worries.

He woke up that night, panting as sweat covered him in a cool blanket, Luke's soft breathing on the bed above a reminder of where he was. He searched his mind to remember bits of the dream, but all he could muster were flashes of red, colliding, dripping, moving against the dark background that only sped his breathing as he fought for oxygen. This had to be Mauls doing, catching him at a time where he was most relaxed with violent visions.

“Dev?” Luke glanced down from his bed to where Ezra was leaning on his elbows on the floor, the thin blanket a bundle by his feet. His hair shone almost white in the moonlight, and Ezra couldn't help but think it suited him. “Nightmare?”

“Something like that.” Ezra tried to smile, to ease Lukes's mind, but his shaky voice betrayed him.

Luke considered him for a moment, then scooted to the side of his bed. “There's space here,” he offered with such sympathy that Ezra wondered if Luke had his share of nightmares, “If you want some company, that is.”

No one had offered that to him before. Well, his parents had, probably, but he didn’t remember, so this would be completely unfamiliar. Unfamiliar and dangerous. The feeling Ezra had every time Luke touched him had not subsided, and he had been avoiding coming in contact with him like a plague to prevent the other boy from realizing something was off.

But his mind did not stop spinning, and his heart kept on pumping like he just came out of a three hour training session with Kanan. He wanted comfort, reassurance, and it coming from Luke did something to his stomach that he couldn’t describe but definitely wasn’t unpleasant.

He pushed himself up from the floor and reluctantly sat on the corner of the bed, “Do you get them too? Nightmares?”

“Yeah,” Luke said as he laid back down on his back, speaking to the ceiling, but did not elaborate. Ezra decided it was neither the place nor the time to pry.

He laid next to Luke, their arms almost touching, a comforting presence, but the unintelligible images kept occupying his mind, his breath hitching every time images appeared. Of blood pooling by his feet, red and blue colliding, faces starting to sharpen the more he thought about it, until a cold hand moved over his, bringing him back to the present with the pull of the force, draining the images out of him as, instead of the violent zap, a warm tingle moved up his arm to the rest of his body. Luke squeezed lightly, still looking above in the darkness and it was enough. It spoke I understand better than any words could.

They fell asleep like that, hand in hand in the moonlight.

When Ezra woke up the next morning, he felt unusually refreshed as he stretched, finding the soft bed under him instead of blankets to make sleeping on the floor more bearable, and the port next to him empty. The thought bothered him for some reason. He would have preferred to see Luke sleeping during the day insead of the dark.

Wait, that was a strange thing to think.

When he finally allowed himself to rise and go to the kitchen, he found the whole family having a heated discussion.

“Couldn’t they ask for someone else?” he protested, “Anyone would be better than me.”

“You need to learn not to be scared of harmless animals,” Luke’s Uncle chimed in from his spot on the couch, reading the news from his tablet as he sipped his tea.

“I'm not scared!”

Mr. Lars glanced up with a raised eyebrow, looking directly at Luke, who flushed promptly.

Ah. So he was scared.

“What’s this about?” Ezra asked as he took the chair next to Luke on the dining table.

“My Aunt wants me to tend to our neighbors’ cattles. Apparently, they went to the capital for the day.”

“I can try to help?” Ezra offered, “I'm not half bad with animals.”

He honestly didn't think much of it. He liked animals, and animals liked him. Well, most of the time. Even the spiders back at the base had come around.

Luke nibbled the buttered bread on his plate, “You don’t have to. You already work harder than you should. Besides, Aunt Beru would never let you leave. She’s still not convinced you’re better.”

“I’m fine,” Ezra assured him, “and you saved me from turning into a human kebab back there. This is the least I can do.”

Luke looked at him, really looked at him, and smiled, eyes– which were a light shade of blue that matched the bright sky, now that Ezra realized– locking into his. It was so sincere, so open that Ezra’s brain went blank.

“Well, you’d make a terrible kebab anyways. Imagine the smell,” Luke wrinkled his nose, “my appetite would be ruined forever!”

“Oi, I smell fine!” The teasing snapped him out. He was used to it, mostly from Zeb and Sabine, but for some reason, between the staring, the mocking and Luke’s giggles, he felt his cheeks heat up. What the kriff?

Luke and Dev arrived at the neighbors' farm a little after noon, Chopper at their tail after Dev insisted the droid joined them. The house wasn’t too different from his own, with the exception of having less vapor collectors and more hay. Oh, and the animals, of course.

Ugh.

It wasn't that Luke hated animals, no, the issue was that they hated him.

Since he could remember, animals terrorized him; most of them weren’t even big. Cats chased him, dogs peed on him, dewbacks tossed him, womp rats bit him, birds went out of their way to nip him. He was just tired of it all.

“What are those?” Dev asked, pointing at the barn.

“Eopies. They’re nasty, though. Kept trying to bite my arse off last time I was here.”

Dev snorted, but went over to the fences as Luke gathered the buckets and gloves for milking. Leaning on his elbows, the other boy started studying the animals, their skinny legs and long snouts. His thick eyebrows furrowed as he focused hard on them, then closed his eyes. His stillness was eery, as if he paused himself along with the air around him, creating a personal bubble.

“Please don't put a curse on my neighbors’ cattle,” Luke joked when he came to stand next to the other boy.

Dev’s brows shot up in surprise, but he smirked. “Nah, these ones aren't worth it.”

“Oh? So you've cursed animals before?”

“I prefer people. Their faces when they shit themselves are priceless.”

Luke laughed.

Why did he laugh that hard?

“Shall we start, then, Mr. Wizard?”

When they entered inside the fences, Luke bent down to set the supplies to one of the wooden boxes, as he turned back, though, the view in front of him was unbelievable. Dev sat on the sand, eopies swarming around him as he scratched them, some of them laying down, cuddling, others on line to be the next one to be pet.

“How the kriff did you do that!?”

Dev looked up to him, a slow smirk forming on his lips, “Just my usual charm.”

Now, Luke might not have met a lot of people, and his life experiences were extremely lacking, but even he knew that animals wouldn't like someone just because they had some ‘charm.’ Which meant Dev was definitely hiding something. Maybe some kind of herb that eopies liked? But how could he know what they liked if he didnt even know what they were?

No, it had to be something else. Something related to the weird feeling he felt every time he locked eyes with Dev, or every time their hands touched. Could he really be a wizard?

“Is something wrong?” Dev asked, pulling Luke out of his thoughts.

“Nope,” Luke walked up to Dev, heart on his throat as he took care to avoid bumping into the animals. He had almost reached the other boy when he felt a tug at his ankle that hauled him down on his side as a wet ball flew above his head and landed right behind him on a small patch of dried grass. It started bubbling, then dissolving, and left behind a small hole on the ground. Luke glanced down at Dev, still clutching his ankle, face covered in sand, and the eopie that faced him, the spit left on his mouth dripping to its jaw.

“Come on! Again!?”

“Let’s try to deal with them one at a time,” Dev suggested, “They may be more agreeable that way.”

So Dev brought one of the animals– not the one that spit on him, for which Luke was grateful for– into the separate compartment under a shade where they could work. Luke picked up one of the sponges, dipping it in soapy water, and closing in on the animal. The eopie backed away, screeching, and Dev brought a hand down on its back to soothe it.

“You are frustrated,” Dev said, running his hand up and down the animal's back.

“Of course I am! These blasted animals hate me.” He realized how childish he sounded right after the words left his mouth, cringing inwardly.

“It’s because they can feel you're uneasy. It makes them uneasy too.”

“Oh? Is that your secret to being an animal whisperer?”

“It is, actually,” Dev said, surprisingly calm after Luke's little temper tantrum, and he realized for the first time that Dev was like this since he first came here. For someone who was stuck in a foreign planet with no resources, a way to contact his crew, and money– even if he didn’t explicitly say so, it was obvious– he was too relaxed, listening to Luke ramble about his life, while offering absolutely no information about himself, helping around the farm without being asked to, and not complaining at all. He always wore an easy smile that may or may not be described as dorky, but could switch to his mysterious persona that creeped Luke out within a matter of seconds.

Dev was a puzzle, and Luke was sure to solve it.

“Look, I’m sor-”

“Come over here,” Dev called from his spot in front of the animal, which Luke thought was a daring move given what happened just minutes ago. Nevertheless, Luke complied, taking his spot behind Dev as he stroked the eopie’s snout. “Give me your hand?”

Dev moved Luke in front of himself, lightly holding his wrist through his clothes while Dev’s other hand rested on his shoulder as a comforting weight, but not enough to distract him from the sheer stupidity of what they were doing.

“Clear your mind,” Ezra said from behind him, and suddenly Luke didn’t have to try hard at all to clear his mind, it went blank in an instant, “Good. Now close your eyes, and focus only on exactly what you are feeling.”

Luke reached within himself. Trying to make sense of others’ feelings was easy, but not only was he absolutely atrocious at figuring out his emotions, he despised it. He still did it though; the tug at his brain told him that listening to Dev was a good idea.

He found excitement; having Dev here had stirred the urge to explore that he had suppressed for so long, making him fidgety, impatient. He found frustration; after all these years, he was still stuck at the same place he promised to leave at eight while being held back by his parents because he was ‘special’ and thus having the social skills of a twelve year old. He found hope; he had his friends, his family– even if it was not typical– and a decent life that he could be grateful of, despite wanting more. And lastly, he found fear; so integrated within himself that it was barely recognizable as such. Fear of the future, of failure, of never finding his place in the universe. Oh, and the blasted animals.

“Focus,” he heard Dev say from somewhere, everywhere at once. did he even know Luke had started drifting?

Fine, he thought, I am afraid of them. I don’t even know why nor do I have a reason to. They just– They are everywhere. They make my brain fuzzy and I want to get away from them, but they somehow find me every time.

“Deep breaths,” Ezra whispered, even closer now that his exhale brushed Luke’s ear, “remember, they can feel what you feel.”

A shiver ran down Luke’s spine that he hoped, begged, was from the sudden breeze that picked up, and not from-

Nope. Not going there.

He willed his fear away, burying it at the back of his mind, but that caused the animal in front of him to give an angry huff. He tried a different approach, remembering that Dev had told him to focus on his feelings, not dismiss them. So he let his fear back, let it move into and through his body like an electric current, acting as a conductor as it flowed in and out. Instead of holding it hostage in his chest, he allowed it to be everywhere, and less intense.

With a rough pressure under Luke’s fingers, he opened his eyes, finding himself eye to eye with the eopie’s yellow ones.

“There you go,” Dev was smiling, content with himself, but also looked surprised.

“You didn’t believe I could do it?” Luke panted, strangely out of breath.

“I had my doubts,” Dev teased, but Luke was sure there was some truth behind them. Because what he had just done was unreal; he had spent years running-

His breath was knocked out of him with the force to his stomach, and he stumbled backward, into Dev. He caught Luke, sliding him out of the way of the eopie and grabbed the animal by its long neck, positioning himself behind it. He stood still as the eopie thrashed, attempting to break free, but the fight bled out of it shortly, and Dev was left to firmly hold the animal while petting its head comfortably.

it was like magic.

“Are you okay?” Luke willed his limbs to move towards Dev, even when he still held the animal.

“Couldn’t be better,” Dev said grinning, and a flash of anger rumbled through Luke. How could he say that now, when he put both of them in danger?

“What were you thinking?” Luke demanded, “We could have gotten hurt!”

“But it worked, didn't it? For a while at least.” His smile subsided, giving way to a more serious expression, “What you just did,” Dev explained, slowly, choosing his words very carefully, “was something people train for years to do. You should be proud of yourself.”

What he just did? He didn't even know what he did, let alone how. Somehow, he had gone into a trance… and did what? He was definitely going crazy.

“How did I do it?” Luke said quietly, “It doesn’t make sense.”

“You’d be surprised how much understanding yourself allows you to understand others.”

That face again; Dev was making the ‘oh I'm so mysterious’ face. And now he had started talking in riddles. Great.

His thought must've shown on his face, because the expression was gone in a matter of seconds, and replaced with a silly smile, the abrupt change so quick it was disorienting, “Well, the eopies won't milk themselves.”

Luke gave an exasperated but fond sigh that startled him with its similarity to his Uncle's, but he couldn't care right now.

At the end, Dev tied the eopies to the fences from their reigns, and Luke sat on a spare bucket outside the fences to milk it, which proved to be very helpful as the gaps were big enough for Luke’s arms to fit, but didn’t leave enough room for that animal to attack him for the third time that day. Dev did the same, but inside the fences, occasionally shooting Luke a concerned glance but otherwise focused.

They found their rhythm after that, but what started as a boring chore soon turned into a competition on who could milk the most eopies. After about five hours, just before sundown, they had finished with all the animals, and a quick count revealed Luke had won, despite the event earlier leaving Luke tired, and slightly dizzy.

“Aha!” he shouted, jumping up from his seat, “Take that, sucker!”

But the moment he stood up, he swayed on his feet. The last thing he saw before the dark took hold of him was Dev running towards him, hands outstretched as Luke floated. Down and down.

Chapter Text

Ezra had fucked up.

He hadn't meant to say anything, do anything, or even think about anything related to the force next to Luke. The danger was too great and he knew it. He certainly didn’t need another reason for the Empire to go look for him, let alone another inquisitor.

But he had gone and let the boy meditate, had shown him how to connect with the force. If Luke was anything like him, he wouldn’t be worried, but the strength he felt from the boy was greater than any Jedi he had ever met. Which, to be honest, wasn’t many, but Ahsoka and Kanan were strong jedi, and their presence was like a soft breeze compared to the tornado that was Luke. If that brief connection had sparked his ability to communicate with the force, Ezra was done for. There was absolutely no way he could help Luke navigate the light side when he still struggled with it.

Despite the self loathing, Ezra would be lying if he said he wasn’t rather proud of what he did. He would never consider himself a good teacher; he was far too impatient and easily distractible even if he had gotten better at it these past couple of months. But seeing Luke show the tiniest bit of progress had filled his chest with pride and another feeling that he couldn't really put into words.

He felt his face heat up, a funny feeling forming in his belly. Probably another force thing.

Hadn’t Ahsoka said something about midichlorians when he first started helping him train? They were some kind of Force strength units or something like that, if Ezra remembered correctly. Had she said they were in blood or cells? He had no idea.

Could that be what Ezra was sensing? If so, maybe he could use them to also find Master Kenobi. He would surely know the answers to his questions.

Or he could ask someone else that was far more convenient.

Or they would ask him– ask being an understatement here–

“Who are you, boy, and what do you want from my family?” Mr. Lars had come outside of the house with a rifle pointed at his chest as soon as Ezra pulled up with a passed out Luke.

It took a while to convince him Ezra wasn't responsible, and longer to allow him back inside, where Mrs. Lars was currently tending to Luke’s nonexistent injuries. He had prevented any head injuries by cushioning the fall, but any other injuries related to exertion could not be helped. Lots of shouting was involved, mostly at Mr. Lars’ side, but a furious Mrs. Lars telling them to shut up and stop distracting her, and in the process convincing Mr. Lars out of exploding Ezra’s brains out.

“I worry about one boy, and the other passes out!” She grumbled as she continued examining Luke. Ezra waited at the corner, waiting for the unavoidable moment where all eyes rounded up on him. Lucky for him, he didn't have to wait long.

He told the events honestly, from the spitting eopie to the solution they found, only leaving out the obvious detail, but Mr. Lars was not fazed.

“Who are you, really?” He said, fuming “Are you with the empire? Did they send you?”

“No,” he said defensively, putting up his hands in defence. Oh, they were definitely hiding something if they were afraid the empire would come for them. Why else would they immediately assume he was with them?

“Are you a bounty hunter?”

“No.”

“A Jedi?”

He faltered at that, eyes widening for a fraction of a second before he recomposed himself, “No!”

But the pause was enough for both Mr. and Mrs. Lars to stop and stare at him, but while Mr. Lars raised his gun higher, clutching it even more firmly than before, Mrs. Lars stood frozen for a beat before laying a hand on her husband's arm.

“Kenobi sent you, didn't he?” he snarled, nostrils flaring, “That bastard doesn't know how to mind his own business.”

“Owen, he's just a kid,” Mrs. Lars tried to calm him down.

But the moment Ezra heard the name, he jumped at the opportunity. “You know Obi Wan Kenobi?” Ezra asked hopefully. If they already suspected him, there was no need to hide it, “Do you know where he is?”

“No, and I do not care one bit.”

“Please, it's important,” he said, then had an idea, “it might concern Luke.”

Mr. Lars glowered at that, “How?”

“There is someone here. Someone dangerous. He wants to kill Master Kenobi, so I came to warn him, but if he finds Luke first-”

“Is Kenobi responsible of this?”

“He doesn't know.”

“And this man didn't actually come for Luke?”

“Correct.”

Mr Lars all but threw his rifle to the table, before slumping on a chair. He said nothing for what felt like hours, then raised his head, speaking to his wife instead of Ezra. “Fine, he can stay. But only until he finds Kenobi. Then he’s out of my hands.”

“That's all I need,” Ezra prompted.

“Not a word of this to Luke, am I clear?”

“Yes, sir!”

When Luke woke up, it was in the middle of the night. His head hurt a little, throbbing in sync with his slow pulse. He groaned against his pillow, turning to his other side, but neither tossing nor turning did any good. His limbs numbed after a while out of exhaustion, the ache just a distant reminder of consciousness, while his mind clouded with unanswered questions of ‘why’s and ‘how’s.

He finally rose, deciding some fresh air could do him good. Outside, the sand walls circled the yard, framing the colorful sky above. Sitting on one of the garden chairs, he closed his eyes, focusing back inside himself once more.

He had loved the feeling earlier today, almost feeling as if he was leaving his body, but also diving deep within. He wondered if that could help him now. After all, it had calmed him a few hours ago, and Dev had said people practiced this. Improving this would surely benefit him.

Slowly, his senses amplified, then exploded as a star would, aware in a way that he never had been as he felt everything, just like this afternoon. But this time, he shifted his attention around him. to the wind, grass, little bugs and to all the things in between as they pulsed beneath his skin. It freed him and constricted him at the same time. He wanted to take in more, while being at the brink of bursting from it all.

Skywalker, a feminine voice whispered, soft as the wind, barely there, but as comfortable as the embrace of a long lost friend.

Luke’s eyes shot open as he looked behind himself. That name… he hadn’t heard it in a long time, not since he was about nine and his Aunt and Uncle explained that they weren't his biological parents.

It hadn't changed anything, of course. His Aunt and Uncle were the only family he knew, and he loved them very much. Their overprotectiveness was only a result of his parents being killed by a pirate cell when they were coming back from a trip off-world. They had never made him feel like an orphan, so when they asked if he would prefer to use Skywalker or Lars as his last name from now on, he chose Lars without blinking an eye.

So there was no one who knew of his real name except them, and making that connection was impossible. Who was this person, then? How did she know his birth name?

Luke Skywalker, a more masculine voice, this time, and more distinctive, but pointy like the thrones on a rose, hiding danger under the coat of beauty.

He sprung to his feet, searching furiously for the speakers, but there wasn't a soul around.

“Who's there?” Luke called into the darkness quietly but firmly, not wanting to wake anyone up, but his shaky voice betrayed him.

He was met with complete silence, not even the birds daring to chirp, the sand to swish, or the bugs to buzz.

“I'm serious,” he said, turning around, “show yourself!”

We can't, said a voice that belonged to someone old, so old with time and wear that every word carried the weight of a thousand years, but we can guide.

“Who are you?” Luke tried again, trying not to think about the absurdity of talking to himself in the middle of the night.

The Daughter, the woman cooed.

The Son, the man roared.

The Father, the old one stated.

A flash of hope ignited inside Luke before subsiding. No, whoever these people were, they weren't his family, they were dead, he was sure. But their presence was still oddly familiar, comforting and soothing as if he had always known them.

Like a tug in his brain.

It all made sense now. The Tug was never Luke himself, but them guiding him. Maye Luke should have found it concerning how relieved he was to realize this, or how quickly he believed three random voices in his head, but in his defense, they had been helping him since he was a toddler.

“Guide me to what?” he asked after a while.

To inner peace.

To absolute power.

To your destiny.

Hah! He knew it! He knew he was destined to do something significant. “What is my destiny?” he asked, controlling the excitement in his voice only barely.

The one that has been altered, the woman started.

The one that cannot be fixed, the man finished.

The one that will mark the end of one era and start of another, the old one added.

Luke groaned. The riddles were giving him a headache, though he supposed Dev would've appreciated them with his tendency to talk in puzzles. “Wait, so I messed up my destiny before I even started?”

Your path has changed.

We cannot help you anymore.

You met the one you were never meant to.

Were they talking about Dev? They had to. So his gut feeling about him wasn't completely wrong. He was weird. He was someone important, and he had messed up with Luke's destiny, whatever that was. He wasn't sure whether it was a good thing or a bad thing

“What should I do, then?”

Trust the boy.

Don't trust the boy.

Trust yourself.

A sense of emptiness filled the air, and Luke knew the voices, whatever they were, had left. His logic told him he shouldn't trust anything they said. He had obviously hallucinated them, probably a result of his fainting, but in the meantime, his senses told him otherwise. The Tug was going crazy, creaking like an ancient door that opened after finding its key, inviting him to come inside, explore. He felt like his aimless wondering about his place in the galaxy finally had a direction, even if he didn't exactly know what it was yet. But one thing, he knew. Dev was the key to it all.

He sat back on the chair, exhaustion taking over him once more, and his last thought before sleep engulfed him was lost into the void of his mind.

“Got to be honest, your dramatic fainting rivaled mine,” Ezra came up to Luke sitting on one of the chairs in the yard, trailed by Chopper. He was a little nervous to talk to him after the conversation with Luke's parents, but decided acting cold would draw more suspicion.

It didn't seem like it was only him either. The air around them was somehow tenser as Luke studied him, his face an unreadable mask until he smiled, breaking the spell.

“Nope. You still hold the first place for the damselest princess in distress,” Luke said from his spot as Ezra sat next to him on the other chair. He froze for a moment, then flushed. Really, what was up with that? “Anyways,” Luke changed the subject, “your face looks so much better, but don't forget to put on sunscreen.”

Luke tossed him a small bottle that had been sitting on the small side table next to him, and Ezra caught it in the air easily, pouring a generous amount on his hand before clumsily rubbing it on his face.

“That looks like shit. Have you never put on sunscreen before?” Luke tutted.

Ezra scoffed and rubbed his face harder. “Better now?”

“You’re no good, are you?” Luke mumbled fondly to himself as he walked over to Ezra, crouching right in front of him. Ezra’s breath hitched as Luke raised his hand, subbing soft circles in his cheekbones, tracing over his scars to the tip of his nose, then back down, leaving a pleasant tingling trail behind it along with the electrifying pull that he had felt every time they touched. What he couldn't pinpoint was the funny feeling in his stomach, fluttering every time Luke’s fingers travelled too close to his ear, or trailed along his jaw towards his neck.

When Luke was satisfied, he got up and did a once over. “Now you look less like a clown,” he said, smirking.

But Ezra was far too gone to grasp what Luke was saying. His whole body was on fire, but in a pleasant way. In a warm flames hugging his body, stroking, tingling his skin kind of way. Did that make sense?

“Dev?” Luke asked, closing up again, standing in front of him, looking down as he placed a hand on his forehead. The blue of his eyes shone almost gray where the sun hit them, fanned by his long golden eyelashes and Ezra had to will every fiber of his body to not look down to those slightly parted lips- oh no.

The air warmed even more, and suddenly Luke was even closer, watching him curiously as his skin glowed. A faint, earthy scent filled his nose when Luke's other hand came up to rest on his shoulder and Ezra drew in a long breath. He regretted it immediately, and held his breath which only helped to make him even more light headed. That was definitely a weird thing to do. You weren't supposed to smell your friends, were you?

He tried to remember the last time he had felt like this. Not when he was captured by imperials for the first time. That had been all weird stomach feeling bordering nausea, not this fluttery thing. Not when Kanan called him his son by accident for the first time. No, he had turned into a tomato but there were no other weird feelings.

Wait.

Feelings.

He was feeling.

He was having feelings.

About Luke.

For Luke.

It dawned on him then, and he cursed himself inwardly. This would end terribly. But it felt right too, for some reason, and the way Luke started to look at him didn't help. It had become so intense that Ezra could feel it touching him softly, raising the hairs on his arms and neck, grazing his cheeks as he closed in-

“Luke!”

They jumped apart as Mrs. Lars’ voice rang out from inside the house, probably finding Luke's bed empty. Without missing a beat, Luke grabbed Ezra by the wrist and hauled him up, dragging him along all the way to his speeder, and took off as soon as Ezra’s feet left the ground, wrapping his hands around Luke's torso. Which shook? It took a moment for Ezra to realize the other boy was laughing, head thrown back, blond hair dipping around his face as the musical sound was swallowed by the wind.

Ezra joined him, then, laughing more freely and carefree than he remembered to in ages, overcome by the sudden mix of emotions and the stupidity of what just happened. The close proximity and intense gazing immediately followed an abrupt escape.

Had they been about to kiss? Was that what it was?

The thought flooded another wave of warmth into him, and he clinged even closer to Luke, who glanced back, all white teeth and the most charming smile Ezra had ever seen.

But beyond that smile, standing ahead on the bright sand, stood a black hooded figure, staying completely still, holding a cane to his side. As he raised his head, his hood covered most of his face, except black tattoos around his chin, and the red glowing eyes that looked straight at him. One blink, and he was gone.

That was when Ezra realized he was doomed.

As soon as they saw the rocks that provided some shade, Dev made them stop, pacing back and forth, “What were you thinking? You need to rest!”

“I'm sorry, alright?” Luke said. And he was, really. Somehow, the events of yesterday had left him refreshed. The excitement from the night had subsided, and he was even more sure he had made up everything. There was no need to waste time thinking about things like that. He had a single goal, and that was leaving this planet. Whatever laid ahead, he would deal with it later.

Him having a destiny was even more absurd. That happened to the children of kings and queens, or long lost children in stories. He was just an orphan trying to find his way in the galaxy, he wasn’t part of a grand scheme. He couldn't be.

And Dev… He was just a boy like him who couldn’t even put on sunscreen properly. One person certainly could not change his life that drastically.

The Tug disagreed, and Luke felt his stomach drop. That was never a good sign.

“What was it that you said the other day? Ah, ‘I’m fine,’” Luke reminded Dev cheekily.

“Touche,” said Dev, but looked a little sick, probably nervous that Luke would die on him or something. Then he paled, looking around frantically, “We left Chop!”

“He’ll be fine alone for a couple of hours. My parents may be workaholics, but I don’t think even they force that droid into doing something.”

Dev didn’t look any better. “I suppose so…”

“Besides, my parents wouldn’t be letting us leave that farm even if we waited years, and you need to find that man of yours. I did you a favor.”

Dev paled even more, if such a thing was possible, “What man?”

“For parts? Oh wait, you said that wasn’t true.”

“No, I still need to find him,” he agreed reluctantly, “but aren't you supposed to meet your friends?”

Luke waved his hand dismissively, “That's in the afternoon. We have more than enough time to find your mystery man.”

“Fine,” he huffed, “Do you happen to know anyone called Kenobi?”

Luke stiffened at the name, frowning at himself. It wasn’t that he hated the man. No. But his Uncle had continuously warned Luke about him since he was young. First starting with saying things about how he was dangerous, then, as he got older, admitting that the man was highly mentally unstable. He had seemed fine to Luke– Kenobi had even given him some toy ships for him to add to his collection when he was young– but as he grew older, odd things started to stick out. How he mumbled to himself as he walked around town, how he barely talked to anyone except his Uncle and that one odd shop owner who sold exotic groceries from other planets, and how he always seemed to be running away, as if he was afraid of someone finding him. So, for this once, Luke had known there had to be some truth behind the warnings of his parents.

“Sooo…” Dev cleared his throat and pursed his lips, “I assume you know him?”

“Yeah,” Luke huffed, “He's… an odd bloke.” The understatement of the century. How Dev knew about Kenobi was beyond him. The man had never had visitors before, and he had been here as long as Luke remembered, so he had to be known some other way. Could he be some kind of crime boss? He remembered what the Tug people had told him last night, to trust himself. He had no idea why he believed them, it was even more absurd than believing Dev, but the tug approved of them both, and the tug was always right. “How does your family know about him anyways? He’s basically the mad one around here.”

“I uhhh- I don’t really know, but my dad told me stories about how he was like a teacher to him.”

Luke desperately wanted to know those stories, but because he was curious about Old Ben, of course, and not because he craved to know every detail of Dev’s life. “Alright then. Hop on.”

Then the speeder was alive again, with Dev’s hands wrapped around his middle. The sensation brought back the moment from the morning despite his fruitless efforts to bury it at the deepest part of his mind. Dev’s soft skin beneath his fingers that pulsed along with the beat of his heart, almost as if his blood was magnetized towards Dev. The scars that ran along his cheekbone much deeper and rough than they appeared from afar, making him wonder how he got them, and who gave them to him. His breath hugging Luke's cheeks as he somehow got incredibly close, and for one long second he had thought that Dev would pull him even closer, touch his arm firmer, put his lips-

But that wasn't supposed to happen. It was just not done.

Easy to say when you didn't have a gorgeous boy hugging you from behind, making your stomach feel like it's bursting with butterflies every time his hands move slightly, his chin softly resting on your shoulder.

The small moments they had shared over the few couple of days were one of the best he ever experienced. The way he listened to Luke ramble, the way he had made working around the farm fun with his presence, the way they teased each other. Which said a lot since he could never tell if he got too far when he joked, a result of a mix of his sheltered upbringing and the bullying, but Dev seemed to not mind the mindless teasing. For some reason, that urged Luke even more to make them, be the reason for those pink blotches on his cheeks, or the lopsided smile.

Wait, that sounded too sappy. Damn it.

With Ben Kenobi's house in view, Luke was freed of his embarrassing thoughts, and instead had to deal with talking with Dev, who seemed to have moved even closer.

“So that’s where he lives?” Dev asked to his ear, sounding almost doubtful while sending goosebumps down Luke's spine.

Luke couldn’t believe it either. He had never actually been here before, so he had imagined it to be a bit more… mysterious with a heavily guarded entrance and odd tools laying around. Instead, the house upon the hill was small but cozy with common sandstone walls and only two small windows covered tightly with curtains from the inside. A small garden at the front grew some vegetables on a patch of soil, probably brought from somewhere in the south where the land was richer, on one side. The few but well cared for plants stopped halfway, giving way to the other side where a small table and a chair stood in front of an outdoor cabinet. Overall, the house was one of the most unassuming looking places he had ever seen.

When they came up to the door, Dev glanced at him once, looking nervous all of a sudden, but knocked firmly three times and waited.

And waited.

Two minutes passed, then five. They knocked again, but after ten minutes, they gave up. “I have no idea where he might’ve gone, but we can come back later,” Luke offered.

Dev nodded, but he fiddled with his buttons in nervous fidgeting, shoulders tense. He was obviously unhappy with how things turned out.

Luke wanted to comfort him, pull him in his arms and tell him everything would be alright, but he reasoned that would be too much. So instead, he put his hand on Dev’s shoulder, squeezing just a tiny bit, and hoping that the gravity of what he was actually feeling was hidden. “We’ll find him.”

The sky blue flecks in Dev’s eyes glistened as he smiled, leaning slightly towards the touch, sending a new wave of butterflies down his belly. Luke could have died happy there. “Thanks.”

The suns were right above them now, so both in an attempt to avoid another heat stroke and to not be late at the meetings with his friends, they went into town. Luke left his speeder in front of the inn where he usually met his friends, and led Dev inside as the other boy's eyes bounced from corner to corner, an obvious and curious stranger. A quick sweep of the half empty interior showed that his friends hadn’t arrived yet.

“We’re early,” he explained as he led Dev into one of the free booths. “So,” he said, remembering that they hadn't really talked about what happened yesterday, “how exactly did I faint? Not that I am complaining, mind you. Did it have anything to do with the meditation thing you showed me?”

Dev laughed nervously, “the thing is-”

“Mister Lars!”

To his luck, two men dressed in white armour appeared around the corner, walking towards them. Stormtroopers.

Chapter Text

“Mister Lars!”

Ezra froze, his heart beating at his throat as he cursed himself inwardly at his stupidity. They had come for him. He was an idiot for trusting Luke’s parents, believing that they would keep quiet to not endanger their own son.

He should have known it was everyone for their own here, this close to the edge of the galaxy.

Now, the stormtroopers strolled towards them, with no urgency whatsoever as they talked to each other, almost easing Ezra’s nerves. Almost. They took their helmets off at one point, their features contrasting each other. One of them stood significantly taller than the other, and with wider shoulders that the other seemed tiny in comparison, even though he was about the same height as Ezra and Luke. Speaking of Luke, he had stood up, staring at the troopers. Ezra resisted the urge to pull him down; that would bring up unnecessary questions instead of doing them any good.

“I told you to not call me that. Makes me feel old,” called Luke, and Ezra wanted to die.

“Then don’t act like an old man and live a little,” said the taller one of the troopers when he reached them, hugging Luke by his side clumsily with the hard chestplate between them, “I feel like we haven't seen you in ages.”

Ezra blinked. They were Luke's friends?

“You know how my parents get.” Luke laughed guiltily, then turned to Ezra. “Guys, this is Dev. You’ve already seen each other, right Biggs?” Biggs, the short one and the one Ezra now recognized as the one that visited Luke at the farm a couple days back, gave a curt nod. Luke turned to the huge guy. “Dev, this is Tank.”

Unlike Biggs, Tank enveloped his hand in a crushing grip and shook it, leaving Ezra clutching it to his chest afterwards. Ezra decided that his name was rather fitting.

Luke’s friends– Ezra now struggled to call them stormtroopers, given his history of blowing them up– actually proved to be decent enough. Despite his tough appearance, Tank was rather talkative, and the kind of friend who encouraged others, especially Biggs who eyed Ezra varyly every few minutes, to speak up.

Ezra felt like an imposter amongst them.

“I’m glad you decided to give this sand dump of a planet a chance,” Tank said at one point, laughing, “but I wouldn't have high expectations if I were you. There isn’t much here other than, well, sand.”

Act normal, Ezra thought as sweat dripped down his temple, Please act like you haven’t assisted in the second hand murder of hundreds of stormtroopers.

“So Dev,” Biggs joined in for the first time, tone weary with suspicion, “What do you do?”

Luke answered before him. “Dev here is also a Cadet.”

Oh shit. He had forgotten about that part.

Tank turned to him, a pleasantly surprised smile on his face, while Biggs stared at him with narrow eyes.

“Really?” Biggs asked skeptically, crossing his arms.

Ezra laughed nervously, “Yeah…”

“Why aren’t you in uniform?” asked Biggs.

Say something, Say something. “I'm not on duty.”

“Why?”

“Because I had to take a leave to take care of my dad. He is blind.” A sob story. Great. He really had to learn to lie better.

Tank shot Biggs a look that said, ‘look what you've done,’ who didn’t seem bothered in the slightest, then turned to him with a sympathetic expression, “I’m so sorry about your father. And him.” He pointed at Biggs. “He is not very fond of strangers.”

Ezra was starting to think everyone on this planet had that particular trait.

“Hey!”

“So which academy did you go to?” continued Tanks timidly, leaning on his impressively toned arms, and ignoring Biggs’ protests. “It can’t be the one on Tatooine. we would have seen you there.”

“I stayed in the Lothal System Academy for some time before transfering.”

Lying outright wouldn't work here. They probably still had records to his name that said he left the academy. He could only hope the records that indicated what happened after he left the academy were lost.

“Oh? Where did you transfer?”

“That's classified.”

Tank's eyebrows shot up but he didn't press while Luke glanced at him with an odd expression. Ezra expected him to say something, even comment on how weird Ezra acted, but none came. He didn't know which was more worrisome.

“So what about you,” Ezra started in an attempt to shift the spotlight off of himself, “what do you do when you’re not stormtrooping?”

“Ha ha, very funny,” Tank grinned, and Ezra was taken aback at how someone who looked as rough as he did could have the sweetest personality– especially a stormtrooper– or considerably sweeter than a certain boy sitting next to him who still eyed Ezra pointedly. “I sometimes help my parents. They run a farm like Luke’s folks. But other times the three of us work on our pod racers. Though ours can’t come near the beast of a racer Luke made two years ago…”

Ezra nodded along to a story similar to the one Luke had told him about the races, but with a lot more praise to Luke and his mechanical genius, tainting his cheekbones pink. Sabine and he would make great friends if they met.

Just when he had withdrawn from the conversation to listen, and steal quick glances at Luke every time Tank praised something to see him flush in embarrassment, the pub’s door opened, banging loudly to the wall as three boys strolled in. Their clothes resembled everyone else’s, with cream or brown colored robes and pants, but they carried themselves with an air of superiority, their chests blown out, chins raised high in a way that Ezra had seen in the pampered rich kids of Lothal.

One of them stood even less carefree than the others, a mop of wavy black hair on his head and a golden brown skin similar to Ezra, though his wasn’t marked with years on the streets and fighting an impossible war. His eyes found their table, and a nasty smirk that made Ezra want to puke pulled his lips apart, like a grimace.

“The nancy boy finally woke up from his beauty sleep, eh?” he snickered when he and his friends came up to their table.

Luke visibly tensed next to Ezra.

“Fuck off and bother someone else, Wolm” Biggs said flatly, but his set jaw gave his anger away. Ezra didn't know what he meant, but he couldn't blame him. Whatever that boy had said, it certainly wasn't a compliment.

“How sweet,” the boy to his right said, “Tell me, what does he do that you protect him like that?”

The boy was implying something, but the meaning flew over Ezra’s head. He glanced at the others. Biggs had jumped to his feet, fists clenched, but Tank pulled him down. Luke still stood frozen with a grip so tight that his fingers whitened at the side of the table.

“Whoa, easy there,” he held up his hands, moving back one step as if surrendering, “I don’t want to catch whatever you have.”

All three boys snickered, and a wave of understanding mixed with anger washed over Ezra. His eyes found Luke’s, who glanced away immediately, frowning, ears flushed red in anger. They had reduced Luke, the boy who was all warm smiles and bubbly conversations, to a ball of frustration. Ezra couldn’t have it.

Without thinking, he reached into the force, tugging on the strings of power, feeling them cut his hands as he pulled hard.

The third boy, who hadn’t said a word since he came in, drew back his hand and punched Wolm square in the face, sending him tumbling down on their table. Everyone's eyes turned to him while he stared at his fist in disbelief and confusion which gave Wolm enough time to get back onto his feet and slam his head into his nose.

When Ezra realized what he had done, it was too late. All three boys were onto each other, the workers of the place trying to break them apart while the customers watched in disbelief. He couldn’t believe he made the same mistake again, acting impulsively, even worse, acting out of anger. When was it ever a good idea?

Never. But he did it anyways over and over again despite Kanan's warnings, despite the heavy sense of wrongness that settled on his chest like a dead weight.

He watched numbly as the boys were hauled apart, bloody and bruised, then thrown out. He knew he should feel a sense of justice– what they said to Luke was unacceptable, but he couldn't shake off the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach.

“Alright there, Luke?” asked Tank, burrows furrowed in worry.

“Terrific.” He snorted sarcastically, but Ezra could feel the nervous energy that radiated off of him. “What was up with Lan? I've never seen him act like that?

“No idea,” Tank said, “but it serves them right.”

Ezra took a relieved breath. They did not think it was that unusual. “Who were they?” He dared to ask.

“Spoiled brats we used to go to school with,” answered Biggs, speaking more than he had ever seen him so far, which said a lot about how much they hated these guys, “They love to appear out of nowhere to push our buttons.”

“Oh!” Luke gasped, a little too hard, turning to Ezra, “I completely forgot. There are some subspace stations about three shops down. Do you want me to take you there?”

Ezra didn’t miss Luke’s attempt to end the conversation, but he let him.

“I should be fine. I’ll meet you here after?”

“Yep!”

Ezra left with a warm wave, which everyone reciprocated except Biggs who gave him another nod. Once outside, locating the building, or booking a private room in exchange of a credit, was fairly easy.

His hands tingled, freezing fingers pushing the buttons to connect to Ghost’s subspace system, and hesitating to press the green button that would connect him to his crew. What could he say to them? He had acted extremely selfish, stealing a ship from the base to indulge himself and disobeying direct orders, let alone worrying his family. They were probably dying out of fear that something happened to him.

Before he could stop himself, he pressed the green button, sending short and low beeps through the room as he waited for the other side to accept the call.

Ezra had never been good at confrontations, but there was no way out this time.

The beeps stopped abruptly and a purple face that covered all of the hologram appeared before him. Emotions swiped one after another, first surprise then confusion, relief, and finally anger, “Karabast!” Zeb said more to himself than Ezra, then turned to him, “You better have a good explanation, kid,” before yelling, “Hera, your runaway son’s on the line!”

A series of crashes rumbled in the background, followed by an out of breath, and considerably furious, Hera. Kanan followed shortly, face blank except the strain on his jaw, but pacing a comforting hand on Hera’s shoulder. Zeb looked between the three of them, and decided to leave the crime scene before it happened. Very smart of him.

“Hi Hera. How was your day?” Ezra said grinning with hopes to soften the mood, but apparently it had the opposite effect.

Hera fumed even more, on the verge of exploding, but instead took a deep breath and in a barely contained voice, said, “You have two minutes to give me a viable explanation young man.”

“I ran off to warn Master Kenobi?” Ezra offered.

“We’ve gathered that much,” Kanan chimed in from the corner.

Hera looked at him more closely, eyes narrowing in concern, “What happened to your face?”

Ezra sighed, “They’re just some sunburns. I'm alright. Chopper is fine too.”

“Do you have any idea how worried we were?” Hera snapped, “We couldn’t even send search parties because all ships are on repair for the siege on Lothal! It has been five days for kriffing- You could’ve sent us a message, at least!”

“Choper’s transmitter broke, and it took me a while to get into town. I'm calling from a subspace station right now.”

Hera sighed, but didn’t seem convinced, “That is not an excuse for what you did.”

“I know.”

“Did you find Master Kenobi?”

Ezra rubbed his neck, “I found his house but he wasn’t home. We’ll probably try again tomorrow.”

“We?” Kanan asked.

“Yes. A moisture farmer. He helped me a lot,” warmth washed over him, his cheeks heating up. This was not the time. “I actually wanted to talk to you about him.”

“Go on.”

“When my ship blew up-”

“Excuse me!!?” Hera bristled.

Ezra laughed nervously, “Yeah. Did I forget to mention that part?”

Hera, to say the least, did not look impressed, but motioned him to continue.

“So, I reached into the force to find Master Kenobi or at least find my way back to town, but when I did, it was… It was nothing like I’ve ever felt, Kanan,” Ezra breathed, “It was too much. The source was so powerful that I passed out from the intensity of it.”

“A powerful force source. Are you certain It was not Master Kenobi?” Kanan asked.

“I’m sure.”

“What was it, then?”

“It’s the farmer boy. He found me passed out in the desert. That’s how I got the burn marks. His family let me stay with them, and from what I understand, they somehow know his connection with the force, and try to shelter him from it completely.”

“You think he’s the reason Master Kenobi hid on Tatooine.”

“Exactly.”

Kanan stroked his beard slowly, deep in thought, “You have an unusually strong connection to other living beings, I’d like to think that was the reason for your extreme reaction, but of course, we cannot be sure. As for the boy, It’s better to leave him be, especially if Master Kenobi is aware of him.”

“But Kanan. he is really powerful. I accidentally helped him meditate and he did it right away.”

“You what!?”

“He could help our cause. If he’s willing, of course.”

“Ezra, do not, for the love of the force, do not attempt to teach him anything. I’m sure there is a reason Master Kenobi protects him. And If his family is aware too, let them do what is right for their son. We shouldn't stick our nose into others’ business.”

“He’s not their son.”

“Excuse me?”

“They are his aunt and uncle. He’s an orphan.” Ezra couldn't help the bitterness that drifted into his tone. He knew too well what it was like to lose parents, to grow up alone even with people to support you. I just wasn’t the same.

“Ezra… Is that what this is about?”

“No,” Ezra said defensively, at least it wasn’t all of it. He would be lying if he said he didn’t feel connected to the boy for many reasons, one of them being the fact that they were both orphans. “He wants to join the imperial academy. He probably will in a year. Would you prefer if the inquisitors found him?”

“Of course not-”

“Look, let me stay for one more week. I will not tell him anything about the rebellion or the Jedi. just test the waters. It should also give me enough time to find Master Kenobi. I can also ask him about Luke. He would know better than any of us.”

Kanan looked very conflicted, mouth thinning into a line as he turned to Hera. “What do you think?”

“I don’t like him being in the same system as Maul, let alone the same planet,” she said, and Ezra’s heart sank, “But this boy you mention could be in danger too. We should at least make sure he’s in good hands.”

“So, one week?”

“Two days, Ezra,” Hera said sternly, but those could be the best words Ezra had heard in a long while, “Well come to pick you up in two days.”

“That is perfect. Thank you so, so, so-”

Hera shook her head fondly, “Don’t thank me. And Ezra. Stay out of trouble. Please.”

The last words Ezra heard before disconnecting were Kanan’s. “I wish we had Ahsoka to talk about this…”

After they all lost sight of Dev through the inn’s door, Biggs turned to Luke sitting in front of him, sipping his shake, “You’ve got to be kidding.”

Luke glanced up, “What?”

“I don't trust him.”

“Oh, come on!”

“Luke, his face literally screams ‘I'm sketchy.’”

“He seemed fine to me,” Tank prompted, “maybe a little shy.”

“That's what he wants us to think,” Biggs said disbelievingly, “can't you see?”

Luke sighed. Biggs had never liked strangers, that was no secret, but this was starting to be a little too much. “And what exactly makes you think that?”

“He avoids answering all our questions. I bet half the things he said are lies anyways.”

“If he doesn't want to say something, I'm sure he has his reasons. He doesn't owe us his entire life story, does he? Why is it bothering you so much?”

“Why is it not bothering you enough?”

“Guys, please don’t-” Tank started but was cut off by a disbelieving laugh that tore its way out of Luke.

“You cannot be serious.”

“I'm only looking out for you!” Biggs shouted now, jumping to his feet, “as your friend of fourteen years, but it seems you're too busy defending some boy you've just met.” And with that he stormed out of the inn.

Luke could only stare after him, baffled, but immediately felt terrible. “Should we go after him?”

“Nah,” Tank said as he bit into his sandwich, “give him some time to sulk.”

“What's his problem anyway?”

Tank looked at him for a moment as if trying to measure how daft he could be as Luke tried not to be offended. “He's jealous.”

“What!?”

“He already felt like he was losing you, and now there's this new dude that you started to hang out with. He feels left out.”

Luke had never considered that. Shit. He should have learned to think before speaking by now. “I’ll go and find him.”

“Sure,” Tank said as he took another huge bite out of his sandwich, “Don’t listen to me.”

Luke pushed through the bodies swarming through the pub and pulled the door open, letting the relatively cooler afternoon air hit his face. The rushing figures steamed left and right as most left their work, ready to go for a drink to relax, or return home for a nap. He scanned the area around the pub but Biggs was nowhere to be seen. Searching for him would be impossible right now, he was great at disappearing when he needed to, so, at last, he reluctantly returned inside.

“I’ll look for him,” Tank said as he swiped the bread crumbs off his hand and lap, “Take dev to the ruins. I’ll convince our grumpy guy to come too.” He rose to leave, then at the last minute, glanced back and winked. “Should give you two love birds enough time.”

Tank left without waiting for a response, and all Luke could do was open and close his mouth like a fish, trying and failing to come up with something to say.

He didn’t have to wait long. Dev came back a little more than ten minutes later from the Subspace Station sporting a bright smile that rivaled the suns of Tatooine, radiating with satisfaction and joy. Luke couldn’t help but match his energy, despite the sinking feeling lingering in his stomach as an aftereffect of his argument with Biggs.

“You okay?” Dev asked as he slid back into the seat next to him. Luke wondered whether or not Dev could sense his mood, just like Luke did his.

“That question is starting to get old, no?”

“Maybe. It’s fine if you don’t want to answer. I promise I’ll take no offense.”

Luke sighed. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to talk, but complaining about his little row with Biggs would only work to upset Dev, especially because he would come into the impression that he was the reason. “We had a small disagreement with Biggs. Nothing major.”

“I see,” Dev said.

“Sorry about him, by the way. He isn’t usually like this.” He still felt the need for an explanation.

“No. I get it. I'm a complete stranger. I appeared out of nowhere, and honestly, I'm a little surprised you're not reacting the same way.”

“I’d say I’m an exceptionally good judge of character.” Luke said, smirking a little, and realized what he had done a moment too late. Was he actually flirting? No. What Tank had said was getting into his head. His cheeks burned with embarrassment. There was absolutely no way he had just-

Ugh!

He risked a glance back at Dev, and found him… blushing furiously? His bright navy eyes had crinkled with an upside down smile, as his hand rubbed the back of his neck like he did every time he was nervous or embarrassed. An urge to fill the silence overwhelmed him, so he blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. “Wanna go out?”

He realized how that came out and spluttered in an attempt to fix this mess. “Not with me! I meant outside, like, outdoor. Biggs and Tank will meet us there. By the ancient ruins.”

There was no way he would retain his dignity past this point. The ground could swallow him right up and he would let it after thanking it.

“Sure, we can go,” Dev said, without a trace of mockery, he was just smiling in a way that Luke would describe as fond if he didn’t know any better.

He didn’t know any better.

Chapter Text

“Oh wow,” Ezra said as he took in the ruins around him. The stones, placed upon one another so delicately, balanced so carefully, reached above their heads in thin columns under the afternoon sky, painted red in a reminder of the impending darkness of the night. Crumbling pieces of walls covered left and right, usually framed by a single layer of sand bricks that hinted at the border of the building that was long swept up by the wind. Strange patterns dotted the walls, mostly worn down with age and the wind, but the bits and pieces told a story. Sabine would give everything to study this.

When Luke had said they would go to the ruins, the last thing Ezra had expected was to be taken far out the city, near a body of water so small it could barely be called a pond, but feeding life around it as grass and small green and yellow plants sprouted scarcely but surely. The planet lacked a plant biome, which was what made planets feel alive since they usually covered all of it. In a planet this dry, even the tiniest evidence of an ecosystem drew Ezra in, calmed and reassured him.

“Yeah,” Luke agreed, “This place always felt… so alive.”

Ezra couldn’t agree more. The presence of the pond was amplified by the ruins. Whatever they were, they had been through a lot. “What is this place?”

“Not really sure. There isn’t really a written history behind it. Countless legends though. Do you want to hear the most famous one?”

Ezra nodded as Luke gestured for him to sit down on a patch of soft grass. Luke laid on his back as soon as he sat, stretching. Ezra copied his movements.

“Some say this place goes back to the beginning of the Old Republic. Some say it even goes beyond. Apparently, it was some kind of temple where people worshipped three gods. One represented all good and fair, one the bad and corrupt, and the third was the bridge between them that maintained the balance.

“They used to travel though the galaxy, to look for followers and people to share their power with. It wasn’t all bad until the difference between the good and bad became too much. They fought. Their power destroyed planets in the blink of an eye and caused terror amongst their subjects. That was when the third god decided to lock them, to hide them for the greater good. He erased most evidence about their existence so that some poor guy wouldn’t look for them and accidentally free them. They say that they are still out there, watching over people who decide to believe. But they cannot really do anything.”

Could they have been force users? thought Ezra. It made sense for people to mistake Jedi for gods, especially when the nature of the force was not as well known even if many cultures embraced it. It was believable that three exceptionally skilled force wielders decided to have some fun with it. He certainly would have done so, if using the force publicly at any corner of the galaxy didn’t mean either joining the Empire or instant death.

“How do you do that?” asked Luke, pulling Ezra away from his mind.

“Do what?”

“Go away. Sometimes you disappear, even when you are right next to me.”

Ezra gave a private smile. Luke was good at reading people. Reading him and the thought warmed him. “I meditate sometimes. Helps me get grounded. But I guess I do it accidentally when I am lost in thought, too. Anyways, the story is pretty neat. I’m surprised it didn’t end in all of the gods killing each other.”

Luke stared at him, blinked once, then burst out laughing.

Ezra joined him, chuckling self consciously, “What!?”

“You go from being all mysterious and wise to a dork in a matter of seconds.”

“I’m a dork now? I thought I was a clown.”

“You’re a dorky clown.”

He had a nickname. Luke gave him a nickname and it was adorable.

Calm down Ezra.

Calm down-

Footsteps vibrated from the ground beneath. Luke and Ezra raised their heads in unison, finding a satisfied Tank with his arm around Biggs’s shoulders, who still looked wary but, thankfully, not as mad anymore. They had changed out of their stormtrooper suits, which Ezra was grateful for. He had chills every time he looked at them.

When they came in front of them, Biggs broke away and disappeared behind one of the walls. Luke started behind him until Tank cleared his throat, pointing his head towards Biggs’s direction. It took about thirty seconds and a bunch of glares back and forth for Luke to figure out he was meant to go after Biggs.

Tank turned to Ezra, and as he sighed, he fondly said, “They’re so thick sometimes.”

To Luke’s left, Biggs leaned against one of the walls looking out to the pond, smoke crowding around his head, swirling in a slow dance until he exhaled through his nose, letting out more grey smoke like a fire breathing dragon and disturbing the cloud.

“I thought you didn’t smoke anymore,” Luke offered as he leaned next to him, toying with the side of his fingernail.

“Only when I’m feeling especially joyful.” He took another long drag.

The nail broke, and Luke let out a long breath. “I’m sorry.”

Biggs turned to him, breathing out through his nose so that the smoke swirled towards the other boy, making him cough, then turned away again. “It’s fine. I’ve always known you’d get bored of us eventually.”

“I’m not-” Luke spluttered, “How could you say that?”

“You were never content with what we had here. You wanna be up there.” Biggs pointed to the sky. “which is fair enough. I just don’t want you to jump at the first person who can give that to you. Without proper thought.”

“Biggs… It’s not about leaving you. Or leaving this place.”

“Then what is it about?” He bit out sharply.

Be honest, a feminine voice whispered in his ear. Luke jumped before realizing it was the woman from yesterday, the Daughter, as she had called herself, or the Tug, as Luke had called them since he was young. It was weird hearing her like this instead of feeling, sensing. At least now, they could speak clearly. Or as clearly as someone who spoke in riddles.

Tell the truth, she urged on again, and Luke was torn between making up something believable enough or following her.

In the end, she won.

“I like him,” Luke admitted softly, staring at a distant spot on the ground, and surprising himself. He had not meant to say that. It sounded strange to his ears, foreign, like someone else had spoken through his mouth, but it did not make it any less true.

Biggs turned to him, eyes wide as his mouth opened and closed a couple of times with no sound. “Luke-”

He refused to look Biggs in the eye. There was no turning back now. “Seems Wolm and his lot’s accusations weren’t for nothing.”

“No. Hey, no. It doesn’t matter why they say what they say. They’re dicks either way.” He pinched his nose.”Damn it. Everything makes sense now. I’m sorry. I was a bit of a dick too, I guess.”

“You’re not… I don't know- weirded out?”

“Nah. Had to have a queer between the three of us. I'm just glad it’s not Tank. Imagine the guy’s poor boyfriend.”

Luke chuckled despite himself. Trust Biggs to have the most extreme mood swings. “So, we’re good?”

Biggs placed his vape to his mouth before using his free arm to hook it though Luke’s neck, pulling him down and ruffling his hair. “We’re good.”

Luke could’ve sworn his smile reached his ears. He’d be damned if he didn’t listen to the Tug next time.

“How is it up there?” Luke asked as he leaned back on his elbows, gazing into the sky starting to darken. There was no doubt that he was referring to space, the planets and galaxies far away.

It was dark now, the suns long gone, giving way to the shining moon. After Luke and Biggs’s conversation, Biggs had all but dragged Tank away, saying that they had work to do, which was not an easy task as the boy could as well be made out of metal for how huge and sturdy he was. Lucky for Biggs, Tank had not resisted at all, and just as they were about to leave, Biggs had turned back and winked at him, a smirk playing on his lips.

That was when he realized the idiots were playing matchmaker.

“The first time, unreal. But you get used to it,” Ezra said a little dreamily.

“I could never,” Luke whispered, and it was the first time he had gone quiet on his own accord, a profound contrast to his bubbly and excitable nature. “Can you tell me about them? The places you traveled?”

Ezra paused to think. He could tell about the places he travelled to, all the beautiful landscapes he had seen, and wonderful creatures he had met. Or he could show Luke the reality of the empire; the destruction and the oppression, the dead and the barely alive. But what ultimately came out of his mouth was, “You really want to leave this place, don’t you?”

Luke snorted, “I just feel… so alone sometimes. I can't really explain it. It's stupid.”

“No, please. I want to hear it,” Ezra leaned back on his hands to see Luke’s face more clearly.

Luke sighed, trying to organize his words, “It's almost like there’s this thing in the back of my head constantly telling me what to do. It is always pushing me in one direction but I don't even know which direction that is.” he stopped, checking if he talked too much, but all was Ezra’s full attention, nodding at Luke to continue. “I have to do something, but I don't know what, but when I don’t do anything, then I'm restless. I try to keep myself busy, work during the day, build stuff with scraps in my free time, but nothing is enough. I just need to leave.

“It’s all I've ever wanted. You know, my name is Skywalker. I’ve never met my parents, but that name has to mean something. I don’t belong to some backwater planet.”

Ezra frowned. That name sounded so familiar, but where had he heard it before? He searched through his mind, going over his conversations with Hera, and Sabine, and Kanan-

Kanan, that was it. He must’ve mentioned someone named Sykwalker. When they first met? Not likely. During one of their training sessions…

Ezra gasped as the name came back to him.

Anakin Skywalker. The Jedi who Kanan admired if the awe in his eyes when he talked about him was an indication, and Ahsoka’s master. His fighting techniques had been the base of his training when he had first started. Could Luke be related to him?

That would certainly explain why he was force sensitive, and why his family was so scared of the empire. And Ezra.

Luke frowned, “Did I say something…?”

Ezra snapped out in a beat, smiling to soften the mood, “No, no. That’s just a very unique name, that’s all.”

Luke frowned. He had known Dev was not being completely honest with him from the start, known Biggs had a point earlier today, but he was able to overlook it. No one was entitled to explain why they did certain things.

He knew that the best. Having secrets, always holding himself back from his full potential because he knew if he followed the Tug all the time, it would look very suspicious.

But this time, Dev knew something about his name, maybe even Luke himself, and hiding that was the last straw.

“You know someone named Skywalker.” It wasn’t a question.

Dev looked at him, opened his mouth. Closed if. Obviously torn between what he should say and what he didn’t want to, which irritated Luke. Instead of lashing out, he took a deep breath to calm himself.

“Look, I know you have been lying. And it’s fine, really. I promise I won’t take it personally. But if you know something about me, I need to know.”

Dev worried his lip a little bit before slowly saying, “It’s more like I know of him. My father told me. His name was Anakin Skywalker.”

“That’s my father’s name…” he whispered more to himself, then turned to Dev “But you already knew that, didn’t you.” He couldn’t help the accusatory tone that swept in.

Dev opened and closed his mouth. “I-”

“I honestly think I’m not pushy and try to be as good natured as possible, but there is a limit to that. I won’t let you push me around.” He stopped to breathe, to calm himself down. He might be overreacting, but did not care. “What do you know about him?”

“Luke, please believe me when I say I cannot tell you more, I want to. I really do. But I can’t.”

“Why!?” Luke had sat up now, voice carrying an angry edge that he rarely let slip.

“Because dear Ezra cares about you,” a gravelly voice chanted from behind him, raising the hairs on Luke’s arms and neck. It somehow reminded him of the Son’s voice, but this one was more solid, its presence radiating anger, resentment and pure darkness. He had never felt something like that before.

He turned around as Dev sprung to his feet, placing himself between Luke and the hooded figure a few meters ahead of them.

Dev reached for his belt, just like he had when Luke had first found him, but found it empty once again. “Karabast!”

“I would've thought you better prepared after Malachor, but I guess old habits die hard.” The man sighed, as if he was actually troubled, and lowered his hood, revealing small horns that adorned his hairless head, blood red skin covered with tattoos of angular geometric designs. If the Tug was not yelling at him to just drop everything and run, he would’ve thought him cool. “No matter. There is still time to learn.”

“I have nothing to learn from you,” Dev spat, which only worked to pull a smile out of the man.

“Oh, my boy,” he said fondly, “I know you have been using the sith holocron. It feels good, doesn’t it? It feels right. There is no turning back now, Ezra. I know you want this, to end the Empire, to end the suffering. I will ask you one last time. Join me. We can be powerful together. Powerful enough to bring Palpatine to his knees. To save everyone you love. to give them a better chance at life. You’ve seen how it is here. There are hundreds, thousands of other planets just like this one. wasting away in poverty. You can help them. We can help them.”

Luke glanced between the man and Dev, or Ezra, as the man had called him. Had he been lying about his name too?

“No thanks, I’ll do it my way.”

The man sighed like his morning coffee had cooled off, with irritation and reluctant acceptance. “Fine. But, why don’t you tell me where Kenobi is, and no one gets hurt, hmm? I would hate to have to harm your little friend over there.”

For the first time, the man looked at Luke, yellow eyes shining under the now dark sky, with something like… recognition? It sent a stronger chill over him as the air cooled down, goosebumps along his skin begging for him to leave, to save himself. But he wouldn’t, he couldn’t leave Dev like this. He was fuming. That much was obvious even if his face was out of view. The tense set of his shoulders, his fast and sharp breathing as he started the man down. Luke allowed himself to think– for barely a second, mind you– that It was actually quite attractive.

“I don’t know where he is. Let me know when you find him, won't you?”

The man reached for the side of his robe and produced a long and thin tube. Luke didn’t have to wonder what it was for long, because a press on the device produced two red blades to shoot out of the opposite sides, glowing red.

“Oh I don’t need to find him. He’ll come to me.”

The red illuminated Dev’s face, giving it a dangerous glow as he turned back, and yelled at the most serious tone Luke had ever heard him speak, “Run!”

It all happened too fast. One moment Luke was standing behind Dev, the second he was in the air, unable to move any of his limbs as he was pulled towards the man by an invisible power. His blood pumped in his veins like a fast ticking clock, his brain clouded as if he was drunk. He couldn’t think straight, couldn’t think anything but, that’s it, that’s how I die.

He looked down to barely register the man’s hand raised towards him and the words, “It all makes sense now. Oh, the irony! The chosen one made another chosen one,” followed by a dry laugh.

All of his breath was knocked out of him with another force to his chest, this time coming from the opposite direction, slowing his movement towards the man.

“Let. Him. Go!” screamed Dev in such a frantic way that Luke fought against his restraints to see the other boy. He stood in a similar stance to the man, his eyes narrowed, mouth thinned, a sharp canine peeking out as both hands raised like he was pulling something. Pulling him.

“Oh? Seems like there is still hope for you, dear apprentice.” The man jerked his hand, drawing a choked yelp out of Luke. He could have sworn his skin was being torn apart, chest crushed from the pressure, throat ripped from his screams.

It was too much, the pain. He wanted to sleep, for everything to just end. He wanted death to welcome him.

“This is quite enough.” Luke barely registered the new voice before he was released from air and dropped onto the sand like a puppet that had its strings cut. Two warm hands were on him in an instant, cradling his shoulders and face, spreading warmth against his freezing skin. Luke wanted to reach out, to clutch those hands in an attempt to ground himself, but his arms would not move as if they weighed a ton, and his eyelids remained glued shut save for the small slit of blurry light that peeked in, Dev's distinct navy hair being the only way to identify him as the other boy leaned over him.

“Kenobi,” the man said from a farther distance, “At last.”

Ben! So they had found him! But how could an old man like Ben protect himself from-

“Luke! Luke, can you hear me?” Dev’s voice guided him to the present, a lifeboat in the sea that he was slowly sinking in, the colors muting, sounds blurring. “Stay with me Luke!”

Old Ben and the man were talking, but all of the words were drowned before they reached his ears, making him nauseous as a vibrating buzz overcame his body. The vibrations increased, prompting Luke to raise his head to catch two spots of light transforming into a light freighter, slowing down as it approached towards them. The door opened when it hovered above them, and a Mandalorian with an armour covered in colorful blotches and doodles held on to the bars on the side. Dev also turned to look, smiling broadly at the sight of the ship. So they were friends. Good. Luke had been knocked out twice in two days so far. He didn’t think he could handle one more.

The humm of the ship hovering above them mixed with the clashes of blades a few meters ahead. Red on blue, flashing in and out of focus. Dev grabbed his elbow with a sweaty hand, hauling him up, and his knees almost gave out under him, clutching at Dev’s shoulders with the last bit of his strength. Dev’s arm hooked itself through his waist while the other kept balancing him by his elbow.

“Hang on for a little more, okay?” he cooed softly, comforting Luke even in the midst of chaos, “We will be fine. Just a couple of more steps and you can rest as much as you like.”

The ship had not landed, and Luke was starting to wonder how they were supposed to get up there when Dev stopped right under the door that was about four meters up. “I need you to jump as high as you can at the count of three.”

“What?” Luke slurred. The absurdity of the situation sobering him a little bit, “I can’t reach there.”

“Luke,” Dev said desperately as he glanced back at the fight behind them, at Kenobi, starting to slip, his blocks becoming slower, attacks sloppier with exhaustion, “Just do as I say. Please.”

Nodding, Luke slipped out of Dev’s hold, missing the heat of his touch ever so slightly.

“One…”

Luke bent his knees.

“Two…”

He drew his arms in.

“Three!”

He jumped, or flew, up at the platform. He was tempted to be shocked, or at least surprised, but nothing could out-crazy this day, so he stuck his chest out and looked down and almost collided with Dev as he jumped up four meters.

“What’s up?” the Mandalorian asked as she steadied a swaying Luke, guiding him to one of the bars at the door of the platform before slapping Dev's back, then continued to shoot at the man below. Luke clung to it like his life depended on it. It likely did, but he wasn’t about to test it.

“How…?” Luke gaped.

“Later!” Dev said, and looked down with his hands around his mouth in a shout, “Master Kenobi! Over here!”

The old man spotted them, his perfectly masked face flush with fatigue as he clutched his blade. How he was able to hold his ground for so long at that age was beyond Luke, but he should’ve been thankful. He had saved them, after all.

With a swish of his hand, Kenobi threw the man back a couple of paces, and took off to join them at the platform, jumping just like Dev had, but somehow landed a lot more gracefully, but doubled over. He clutched his side as his hand shook, the Mandalorian rushing to his side. Only when he moved his hand as the Mandalorian guided him inside was Luke glimpsed the dripping crimson blood on his hand.

He took a deep breath and turned to Dev, who was panting as he smiled weakly to him even after everything they had been through today. The smile that had charmed his parents when they first met him. The smile that never left his face as Luke rambled on about himself as they worked. The smile that he had fallen for at one point between now and that first night when they had stargazed under the night sky just like this one.

Until, right in front of him, the smile was replaced by a frown, eyes bulging as victory gave way to panic. He frantically reached out, grabbing the same bar Luke clutched with both of his hands as his feet slid out from under him, being pulled to the opposite direction. The evil man below was crouching on the sand, hands raised above.

Luke’s heart leaped a beat as he reached out to grab Dev, to hold him close. This would not be the end, it could not be. He hooked his arm through the bar and held him in his arms before Dev’s wet hands slid on metal, and instead clung to him with shaky hands, arms bound tightly around Luke.

At that moment, it was only them, racing hearts beating against each other, limbs tangled, their faces centimeters apart. It wouldn’t be difficult to imagine another scenario just like this one, where, instead of clinging to hard and cold metal, they would cling to sheets, instead of the roar of engine, their pants would echo in their room.

He replayed every moment he had an opportunity to do something about his feelings; that day at the barn, when they had spent hours, alone, trying to best each other; the morning after he had fainted, putting sunscreen on Dev and guiltily letting his hands wander farther than he should have; right before the man had showed up, and before he messed everything up by accusing Dev. He could have said something, anything, that would deem their time together more than a mere friendly meeting.

Dev started to slip as the man below pulled harder. Panic bled out of Dev’s face as his eyes hardened in what Luke supposed was resignation.

“Let go,” Dev pleaded, voice weighted down by defeat, “Please… before it's too late.”

A million emotions passed through Dev, and Luke could have named them all if he had the time. He didn't.

“Dev…” he started, words failing him, his throat constricting as a huge lump formed. He couldn’t let go; couldn’t lose the boy who he had connected like an astromech to its ship, like fire to water, like the sun to the moon. opposites, but one couldn’t exist without the other.

He had tried to solve Dev like a puzzle, but in the process found that Dev was the missing piece of his.

“Ezra,” Dev whispered, momentarily tightening his hold on Luke’s shoulders enough to leave bruises. Luke hoped they would. Then he would have something to remember the other boy by. “Call me Ezra, Luke.”

The way he said his name, caramel sweet but burning its way through Luke’s chest like a scorching brand. How could someone feel so right, so good, but hurt so much at the same time? How could every second they stood on the brink of life and death feel like a blessing from the gods but also a curse at the same time? Why give him hope for a better future, only to take it away from him?

The force of the pull strengthened,

“I'll be back, Ezra,” Luke said with more certainty than he ever felt himself speak before. And he believed it with all his heart, he knew they would see each other again. “I promise I'll be back for you.”

Dev, Ezra, smiled, then, a terrible smile that drew down his beautiful eyebrow, the kind that you gave people along with crushing news. Before leaving them.

With what Luke supposed was the last bit of his strength, Ezra drew himself forward so that they were face to face, eye to eye, for a brief second, the stars in his navy eyes blinking even under the night sky. If he could, he would pause this moment, cherish it for years, decades, until the sky itself came down so that he could bridge the gap between them.

He didn’t have to, because Ezra reached forward, brushing his lips softly against Luke’s, grazing the side of his mouth so lightly that he barely felt it, but lit his whole body on fire as sparks flew where they touched. He couldn't think, couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t react fast enough when Ezra shakily whispered, “I know,” and reached around him to push a button, letting go of Luke right before the platform door closed. He left Luke to pant as the engines rumbled louder, unable to move as the ship started to take off.

Alone as they left Ezra behind.