THE SWORDPLAY
[YAVIN - KAIJU YEAR 15]
Ezra retrieves a bamboo stick and steps onto the mat. He tightens his bun and tucks in his lightweight clothing.
He faces Luke and nods in assent.
Luke advances with his bamboo stick. Ezra quickly blocks him. Luke attempts an uppercut towards Ezra’s throat, but Ezra counters.
Luke pauses, steely blue eyes examining Ezra. They are an inch apart, and Ezra’s cheeks flush.
“I thought you said you haven’t trained in years,” Luke points out.
“I haven’t,” Ezra mumbles, “I’m as surprised as you that I remember.”
Luke steps back, twirling the bamboo stick between his fingers fluidly. “Do you still want me to go easy on you?”
Ezra smiles, soaring with confidence. “No.”
This time, when Luke strikes, Ezra stumbles at the attack. He backpedals and realigns his balance, sending Luke on the mat. Luke manages to spring up in a single heartbeat, blowing on his bangs to usher them to the side.
Ezra surrenders to a blur of offensive and defensive movements. Luke is an absolute warrior, Ezra struggling to keep up.
He doesn’t know how long their sparring session lasts, but soon, it is apparent they aren’t the only ones in the training room anymore.
And as the chatter reaches its peak, a whistle silences everyone.
Luke stops his assault, taking a military stance in the middle of the mat. His eyes are wary, but not tired. Ezra’s legs are jelly as he catches his breath.
Luke arches a brow and regards the wall of the training room. He flips his bamboo stick once before using it as a cane.
Ezra looks over at the pack of people watching their sparring session and nearly faints.
Undeterred, Luke stares. His voice is harsh and clipped, directed towards a group of chortling recruits. “Do we amuse you, cadets?”
Leia laughs into Han’s side as the recruits freeze and fall silent.
Oh, right. Leia mentioned that Luke is a trainer.
Eyes bore into Ezra. Zeb and Kallus are impressed, Sabine whispers something to an unfamiliar woman, and Hera is neutral.
Ezra squirms at the woman in white by the door. His arm jerks up in an awkward hello wave.
He immediately wants to throw himself off the Yavin base grounds and drown in the ocean. That would be less humiliating.
Mon stands on the threshold of the mat. She raises her voice:
“Clear out!”
The door whooshes open as recruits and veterans alike file out of the training room in about fifteen seconds.
When the door shuts, Ezra worries his lip. He remembers being scolded daily by Kanan, but Mon would prove to be a different beast to confront.
Though Mon does not seem to care about Ezra. Her attention is entirely on Luke, who is nonplussed by the flagrant display.
“Do you feel it?” Mon asks Luke.
Luke’s eyes dart to Ezra nervously. A corner of his mouth upturns.
“I’ve never felt anything like it before,” Luke says, refusing to look away from Ezra, “did you feel something?”
Ezra offers a tentative smile. “I thought it was impossible for a Force compatible to have more than one connection.”
Luke hums, narrowing her eyes critically at Mon. “You must be proud. Doctor Aphra’s hypothesis regarding Force compatibles is indeed a web, not a chain link.”
Mon huffs, “I’m not happy about her being right. This wasn’t supposed to happen to you.”
“What,” Ezra furrows his brows, hand pressed against his chest in offense, “what’s so wrong with me, huh? What’s so wrong about this?”
Luke smiles genuinely at him. “Nothing, Ezra. Absolutely nothing at all.”
Mon sighs, “I’m meant to keep you safe, Luke. I promised your mother.”
Luke rolls his eyes. “You didn’t care about keeping me safe when I was in a Jaeger, so why do you suddenly care now?”
“WHAT?!” Ezra squawks.
Mon and Luke wear matching perplexed expressions.
“You,” Ezra’s eyes widen as he sputters at Luke, “you never said you were a Jaeger pilot!”
Luke smirks in amusement. “I suppose it did slip my mind.”
“Pshhh,” Ezra’s chest collapses with the force of his exhale, “what Jaeger could you have possibly piloted that I don’t know about?”
“Have you met Han?” Luke prompts.
“Yeah…”
“Before Han and Chewie were recruited,” Luke says, “my sister and I were the Dazzling Fury.”
“Really?” Ezra asks breathlessly.
“The Jaeger was named after us,” Luke says with a shrug, “she brought the fury, I brought the dazzle. I don’t know. A ridiculous name, in my opinion.”
“And when was this?” Ezra asks, his mind cycling through old holo news reports of Kaiju battles.
Luke shuts down, eyes cast towards the mat.
Mon says, “his last mission was on the Scarif Coast.”
Ezra knows how that ended. The islands were reduced to nothing when a Kaiju plunged the area underwater. Only a handful of survivors were carried out in the metal gloves of the Dazzling Fury as the dead Kaiju sunk back into the Breach.
Ezra also recalls an instance where the Jaeger patrolled the streets of Garel City after an attack tore through their business district. Amongst the chaos, the Dazzling Fury knelt before displaced citizens and guided them someplace safe. The holo image of the Dazzling Fury ushering a crowd of dazed survivors to the hospital remained a popular search on the holo net. The Loth-cat perched on the Jaeger’s shoulder helped gain funding for the program.
The Dazzling Fury hasn’t aided civilians like that in a very long time. And the change was because of Mon hiding away Luke.
Men like Luke don’t come around often. The world was already suffering without him.
Ezra empathizes, “I understand how terrifying a disaster is, alright?”
Luke’s hesitant eyes lift up to Ezra’s.
“But,” Ezra says, “I think you should get back out there,” he grins, “with me.”
“Bridger,” Mon hisses, “I’m not letting Luke get hurt again.”
But Luke doesn’t hear her. Something rises up within him, the fire he was told to beat down, to stifle and stomp into ash.
Luke’s delirious smile is directed towards Mon. “Have you told him that the Rising Phoenix is restored?”
Ezra’s breath catches. “What?”
The prospect of entering that metal contraption again should scare Ezra, would have earlier, but Luke changes everything. These sparks should be consuming him from the inside out, but they give him the bravery to face his fears.
Luke understands exactly what Ezra is thinking. He says gently, “Mon was hoping to find another set of pilots for the Rising Phoenix. She thought-”
“That if I’m not compatible with someone,” Ezra continues, “I can find the next pair.”
Luke’s eyes brighten. In a single zap, Ezra knows his thought to be something like ‘we just met this morning and now we can finish each other’s sentences.’
Mon can’t help but comment, “I’ve never seen any connection happen this fast.”
Luke takes advantage of her consideration by saying, “I’m ready to go back in for a test run if Ezra is, Mon.”
Mon purses her lips, but her eyes are kinder, not as sour.
She says, “the test will be ready in a few hours.”
Luke and Ezra contain their emotions as they express their gratitude. Mon leaves the two of them alone in the training room.
Luke drops his bamboo stick on the mat, feet squashing the foam as he retreats. “We should both rest.”
Ezra bites his cheek. “Hey.”
Luke turns as he reaches the door.
“What were you doing in here so early anyway?” Ezra asks concernedly.
In the back of his mind, Ezra wonders: why was he suddenly invested in Luke’s well-being?
The holo image of the Loth-cat perched on Luke’s side of the Jaeger replays. Ezra refrains from sighing.
Dammit.
Luke chimes, “respectfully, we’re not ready for that conversation.”
The door slides open, and Luke walks through it. The loud closure resounds in the training room. Ezra stands in the middle of the mat.
And mutters to himself, “shit.”
~
A dark-skinned woman secures the latches on Ezra’s Jaeger control suit. Her mauve eyes study the weather-proof fabric, ensuring that the suit had no snags or loose cuffs.
Ezra prompts the woman, “I saw you with Sabine earlier.”
The bald woman regards him critically. Her ‘Onyo’ tag is a stark red against her uniform.
“And?” She asks.
“We haven’t met. I’m Ezra Bri-”
“Everyone knows who you are,” she rolls her eyes, “I don’t see the appeal.”
“Uh,” Ezra blinks, “sorry, did I do something?”
“You left them,” she says harshly, “why would you do that?”
“Because I’m a walking disaster,” he replies, not missing a beat.
She studies his face for a long moment, gauging if he was joking or serious.
Trick answer: he was doing both at the same time.
“Sorry,” she mumbles, “I just...met Sabine and Hera when they were still messed up over you leaving.” She steps back to survey her work on the armored suit. “I’m Ketsu, Sabine’s...well…”
Ezra notes her shyness and finishes, “girlfriend?”
Ketsu mutters, “right.”
Ezra beams. “Well hi! Good to know Sabine’s not icing out everybody she meets anymore.”
Ketsu half-smiles at the observation. “Are you ready?” She asks curiously.
“Oh,” Ezra shrugs, “you never are, really.”
Ketsu descends the platform stairs. Ezra regards Mon’s westward position at the helm of the monitor.
Ezra takes stock of the extreme upgrades on the old Jaeger. The Rising Phoenix armor is chrome blue instead of silver. The metal is reinforced with an extra layer of thickness. The nuclear reactor at the heart is fortified with steel casing and security measures before the reactor fires outwards. The helmet showing the inner control hub is yellowed out by unbreakable screens. Chinks in the armor are made of titanium bolts that are impossible to melt through; since Jaegers spit venom, it is important that flaws aren’t fatal weaknesses.
Ezra feels much better about stepping inside this Jaeger than he did five years ago. With Luke by his side, he could do this again.
Heavy boots clang up the platform stairs. Ezra arches a brow at a young woman’s arrival. She wears a cap and goggles over raven hair, her caramel skin making her flashing blue eyes stick out in a crowd. Her maroon leather jacket, dark tee, and gray jeans give her the demeanor of a criminal.
“How’s it going, boss?” She quips, her side grin bright and alarming.
Mon asks, “have you come for your research?”
“Course,” she chirps, “I have a vested interest in my side projects.”
Mon turns to Ezra. “This is Doctor Aphra. I believe she was mentioned earlier?”
The woman lights up as she approaches Ezra. “Ooh!” She stands in front of him and examines him like a science experiment. “You’re the veteran war dog, huh? I thought you’d be older.”
“I prefer cats, actually,” Ezra says breezily.
Aphra’s laugh is its own self-contained explosion. “I like you, dude.” Her leather glove pats his armored shoulder once. “Have fun in there!”
She walks to the opposite side of the platform. Hera’s mechanic droid, Chopper, is alongside a white-blue model yapping in code.
As Mon is about to speak, a blonde head appears on the platform steps. Ezra’s throat is caught as Luke ascends in his own armor. He moves with a gracefulness and ease that Ezra will never achieve. Whereas the metallic fabric of the suit clashes against Ezra’s features, Luke is made to wear it. The suit fits perfectly to his slender form, the shiny quality highlighting his features.
Luke hums at Ezra before addressing Mon. “How are the systems?”
“Fully functional,” Mon says as Luke reads the statistics, “and right on time.”
“Yes,” Luke looks over his shoulder at Ezra, “can I help you?”
“Hm?” Ezra blinks rapidly.
“You’ve been...staring,” Luke frowns, “are you alright? Having second thoughts?”
Ezra is mortified inside.
“No,” Ezra says in a reassuring tone, “it’s just...a lot has changed.”
He’s not wrong. He pats himself on the back for the decent save.
“Right,” Luke faces Ezra, “it must be weird for you! Do you need a second before we go?”
Ezra shakes his head. “No. I’m ready.”
“Okay,” Luke chimes brightly, “I’ll see you up there!”
Ezra catches Mon’s uneasy glance as Luke takes the lift up to the Jaeger’s control hub. Ezra has no idea how Luke can do all of this in stride.
“Inspiring, isn’t he?” Mon muses.
Luke chats amiably with the lift operator.
Ezra hums. He doesn’t trust himself to comment anything else.
“He’s like his mother,” Mon says. “Padmé was always too good for this world.”
The operator laughs at something Luke says, and the lift reaches the control hub. He disappears from view.
“Connecting with him,” Mon says, “will be dangerous.”
Ezra swivels his head.
Mon murmurs, “he’s a damaged young man, same as you. He may put on a convincing front, but he’s suffered a lot in his life.”
As the lift reaches Ezra, he mutters, “sounds like you’re giving me the talk.”
He steps onto the metal lift.
“I am,” Mon says curtly.
The operator moves the lift, and Ezra looks away from a retreating Mon. He clears his mind in a single breath.
The operator examines him before ducking his head and focusing on the controls.
Ezra worries his lip. “Uh, can I help you?”
The man hides beneath his mustache. “No, sir.”
“I’m not a ‘sir,’” Ezra snorts, “if I ever become a ‘sir,’ I want to be promptly slapped in the face.”
The man’s dark eyes glitter in amusement. “It’s good to meet you after all.”
“After all?” Ezra grins. “Who told you unflattering shit about me? Was it Sabine or Kallus?”
“They didn’t. It’s just, um,” he rushes out, “please be careful with Luke. He’s one of the best guys ever.”
So they knew each other. That’s why they were laughing on the way up to the control hub.
Ezra musters a smile that he hopes isn’t too revealing. “I can tell that about him.”
The man smiles beneath his mustache. “The name’s Biggs.”
“Good to meet you,” Ezra says.
The lift reaches the Jaeger control hub. Mechanics were evaluating final system checks on the exterior, sparks flying by the metal bridge.
Ezra clears his throat. “Well, I’ll see you.”
Biggs hums as Ezra steps off the lift. Biggs quickly maneuvers the lift down as Ezra enters the Jaeger interior.
“-and don’t you forget about-”
“I know,” Luke placates a passionate Leia standing near his post, “I think about them every time.”
Leia nods once before hugging Luke fiercely. He spins her around clockwise before the shorter woman lets go. She punches his arm.
“Do good, hotshot,” Leia teases.
She whirls around and catches sight of Ezra. He pretends he is just entering as she shoots Ezra a look. Without a word, she stomps past him in the empty control hub and exits the connected bridge.
Ezra flushes in the shadows. “Did I-”
“No,” Luke says, “that’s Leia being Leia.”
“Uh,” Ezra flounders, “okay.”
“I’ll explain eventually.” Luke reaches his section of the controls, the right side of the Rising Phoenix. He uses his flexible gloves to touch the communication channel. “Almost ready?”
A soothing droid’s voice filters through the interior. “Systems are calibrated and prepared for neural testing, sir.”
“Threepio,” Luke sighs, “I said not to call me ‘sir.’”
“Yes, Master Luke.”
“No,” Luke facepalms, “just Luke.”
“Yes, Luke.”
“Great.”
Ezra refrains from snickering as he enters the left side of the Jaeger controls. Refusing to let his mind wander on being in this position again, he strapped on his helmet. The latches bolt to his form-fitting suit. The cables attach to the suit on their own, fused to his spinal cord, legs, and arms.
He faces the holographic control hub, reading the advanced data and weapons available to them. The technology is far beyond Ezra’s expectations. The warning systems are top notch. Heartbeats and Force connections can be monitored on a whim. The Rising Phoenix is packed with energy.
“Does it feel different?” Luke murmurs from his side of the Jaeger.
Ezra hums at Luke, who was also strapped into the control hub with his helmet secured. “The controls are...impressive.”
“Well thanks,” Luke chuckles awkwardly.
Ezra gasps. “Wait a minute,” he glances at the controls and back to Luke, “you did this?!”
“Some of it,” Luke mumbles, the helmet obscuring his facial expression.
“Impressive,” Ezra says, glad that the helmet screen covers his maniacal grin. “Much better than before.”
“If you two could stop talking,” Han’s voice filters into the Jaeger hub, “I’d love to see some action.”
“Dammit, Han,” the communication muffles as Leia says, “sorry about him. Proceed.”
Ezra looks out of the viewport. The base contents hang in the wings to watch them test the Rising Phoenix. The weight of their eyes psyches him out a little bit, but he pointedly examines the controls.
The Jaeger head lowers and secures itself to the armored body. They register orders from Mon to begin their Force link.
Ezra and Luke share a look, then their helmets hone in on the fireworks. Their minds align and they are plunged in a wavelength of memories.
Ezra sees Lothal City before the first Kaiju attack, eating dinner with his parents at their house, the destruction afterwards, his years living on the streets, his training at Yavin, leaving the Jaeger program, working the Anti-Kaiju Wall, and returning to base.
On Luke’s end, Ezra sees his unconventional family life, his father fading in and out as a pilot, his sudden death, his mother attending events with her children...sobs from Leia, bitterness at Mon, intense loneliness on base, fighting Kaiju, and becoming a fatigued trainer.
Confused as the Force link connects them, Ezra and Luke move in tandem. The Jaeger arms cross into a defensive position.
Why can’t Ezra see all of Luke’s memories?
“Go through the forms,” Mon instructs through their helmet.
Ezra clears his throat. The wavelength of Luke’s mind is shaky.
Luke guides them through the five forms of basic maneuvers. Ezra lets him, though the flow of their movements isn’t very refined.
It is when they are competing the fifth form that Ezra makes the mistake of looking away from the controls.
It lasts only three seconds, but the distraction is enough. A hole opens in Ezra’s mind, a vortex sucking away the right side of the Rising Phoenix.
Ezra is there again, flecks of snow swimming in his vision. Clad in white armor, Kanan looks at him, a fluorescent Kaiju eye behind him.
Kanan is snatched away in triple speed, and Ezra squeezes his eyes shut. Control is regained.
But the damage is already done. Luke feels it too. And he freezes.
A Kaiju roar transfers from Luke’s mind to Ezra’s. The snow flecks from Ezra’s memory remain, hanging in the air between them, triggering Luke.
Ezra is transported inside Luke’s mind. His heart stops when he views marble statues and skyscrapers crushed around the city streets.
Alderaan City.
Luke is a teenager in this memory, his bright blue overcoat covering his dirty clothing like a shock blanket. He wanders the abandoned streets aimlessly despite a Kaiju stomping a couple blocks away, quaking the road in timed hits.
“LEIA!” He yells hoarsely.
His hands stay in his overcoat pockets as he walks briskly around the crumbled sidewalks. Dried tear tracks are on his ashen face, dirt matting his golden head. His eyes are wet and frantic as his voice echoes.
“LEIA! MOM!” He calls out.
A Kaiju roar pierces through the atmosphere. Luke’s heart skips a beat and he leans against the side of a concrete building.
“LUKE!”
Luke gasps, eyes flying open. Leia passes by Ezra and throws herself into Luke’s arms.
“Luke,” Leia is in hysterics as she burrows into Luke’s overcoat, “Luke, Mom was in the building. She,” Leia hiccups, her dirty face wracking with sobs as she looks at her brother, “she pushed me out of the way right before,” she shakes her head, overcome with grief as Luke hugs her.
Meanwhile, Luke is dazed. He holds his sister and breathes slowly, the news absorbing that he lost his mother.
The Kaiju gets closer to them, so Luke murmurs into Leia’s hair, “we have to hide.”
Leia sniffles and nods. Luke guides her into the nearest alleyway as the Kaiju enters the street. Beside a dumpster, the twins curl up in each other’s arms and close their eyes.
“Luke,” Ezra says to the teenagers, “wake up. It’s only a memory. You’re safe. You’re okay.”
Luke must hear him through the noise, because Ezra is plunged back into the Jaeger interior. There is a clunk, Ezra’s head whipping to the side as Luke faints.
He forces the suit to detach from its cables. Ezra rushes to Luke’s side and catches him before he hits the floor. They sag against the wall, Luke leaning into Ezra’s chest.
Heart thumping, Ezra manages to unlatch Luke’s helmet from his suit. He tosses the helmet on the metal floor just as fast footsteps enter the interior.
Ezra is lost in the noise as Luke is lifted onto a stretcher.