After ✔️

Awakening

L o t h a l

Jacen had been to Lothal before, but he was too young to remember. He had been born there, actually, but he didn't even know much about the planet.

He knew that his father had died there. He knew that his Aunt Sabine had lived here until a few months ago. He knew that this place was important to his family but he didn't really know why.

As Uncle Zeb landed the ship on the surface, Jacen's knee was bouncing in excitement. He was in the co-pilot's seat, forcing Alexsandr to stand. (Actually, his almost uncle had voluntarily stood. What an icon.)

"Alright," Alexsandr began. "Ground rules."

"Yeah, hurry up with it!" Jacen forced his knee to stop bouncing.

"Stay with us," Alexsandr began. "Don't talk to strangers. Don't wander off. And listen to everything we say."

"Alright alright!" Jacen sprang out of his chair, running past his almost uncle. "Come on already!"

"Syndulla!" Alexsandr raced after him as Zeb lowered the ramp. Jacen laughed and raced out of the ship, but as his bare feet left the ramp and landed on the surface of Lothal, he stopped and looked out over it.

A city was in the distance, and all around it was tall, yellow grass. There was nothing special about the planet, but when Jacen's feet connected with the ground it almost felt like a piece of him had been restored.

"I'm supposed to be here," he whispered, staring out at the city.

"What?" Alexsandr had caught up to him, standing on the ramp.

"Uh, thanks for bringing me here!" Jacen beamed at him. Alexsandr shook his head, walking off the ramp, Zeb following as he closed the ship behind them.

"Well, kid, where to? There's Capital City over there," Zeb pointed to the city Jacen had noted.

"Sounds good!" Jacen instantly bounded off again, his uncles hurrying after him and shouting for him to slow down. Jacen didn't, instead he raced across Lothal, his bare feet sinking into the dirt hidden by the grass, feeling more alive than he had felt before.

He finally slowed down upon reaching Capital City's gates as his uncles caught up.

"You seem to be having fun," Alexsandr wiped his forehead.

"I feel great!" Jacen grinned. "Come on, lets go!"

Before he raced off again he heard Zeb say to Alexsandr, "Ezra had a deep connection to this place too. You think the kid...?"

Jacen wandered through Capital City, looking at the people and the marketplace and the houses. Lothal seemed magical compared to Lira San. All the different people were refreshing from the constant Lasat who all looked alike to him.

His feet and the feeling in his gut finally took him towards a part of the town where he came to a halt in front of what looked like used to be a house.

It seemed to have been burned down, but there was a statue on the charred grounds of a boy. There was an inscription on the front: the Bridger memorial.

"The Bridger's place?" Uncle Zeb had caught up to him. Jacen turned to look at the Lasat and was surprised to find him staring wistfully at the statue.

"Who're the Bridgers?" he asked. "What'd they do for Lothal?"

"Ezra Bridger liberated this planet," Alexsandr had joined them. "This used to be his parent's house, but the Empire burned it down."

"What? But I thought that you guys liberated Lothal," Jacen folded his arms. "And you keep mentioning this Ezra guy. Did you..."

"We liberated this planet under Ezra," Zeb put in. "He disappeared that day. You never knew him."

"Why'd nobody tell me about him?" Jacen scowled. "He seems important."

"He was," Zeb cut him off. "Hera didn't want... well..."

"Mom didn't what?" Jacen challenged. "What did mom feel was so important to hide from me?" he waved his hands. "And what does it have to do with dad?"

Zeb winced and glanced at Alexsandr, but Jacen was getting pretty tired of all their dodging. "Come on!" he flung his hands out, frustrated.

He heard a thud from behind him and his eyes widened as he slowly turned around to see the statue had fallen over. Ezra's head was separated from his body now.

Jacen held up a finger sheepishly. "That wasn't me. Nose goes!"

Alexsandr frantically put his hand to his nose but Zeb didn't move.

"I guess we were right then," he mumbled.

"What?" Jacen's voice was muffled from his hand over his face.

"Hey!" someone nearby yelled. "Vandals!"

"Time to go," Zeb scooped Jacen up. "Run for it!"

A/N: sorry but I love Uncle Zeb and Alexsandr which makes me so frustrated because Kallus could have been such a great character and- okay sorry that's a discussion for the Kallus book oops

thank you for getting this to like 600 reads already!! <3