#look ezra never outgrows using outrageous fake names

[ferretrade]

Skybridger Week Day 2: Mistaken Identity (this one is... not as well executed as I wanted it but I don’t have the energy for something long sooo)

Luke points his blaster at the intruder. The man looks only slightly inconvenienced; his fingers twitch like he wants to reach for a weapon before he reconsiders. 

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Luke asks. 

The night is dark and the alley they’re in, three houses down from the one Luke is waiting to approach, is even darker. The man, who slipped into the alley in a hurry, nearly bumping into Luke as he did, is close enough that Luke can make out his face in the dark.

"Jabba the Hutt," he answers with an unsettling grin.

Luke huffs, trying not to look amused. "Wow, Jabba, you look good considering you’re dead." 

The man blinks, almost brightening at the comment. "Well, sometimes death doesn't really stick," he supplies cheekily. 

"Who are you really?" 

"Fine." His demeanor turns serious, but his eyes don't. They glint dangerously. "My name is Luke Skywalker, I'm here on very serious Jedi business. Top secret. Super dangerous. Can't tell anyone."

If Luke had more sense, he thinks he would stun this liar now. But this is… a unique opportunity. And there's something charming about him (Luke can practically feel Leia smacking his head, lecturing him about not playing along with criminals because they're charming or attractive). Still. 

"That's impressive," Luke says, lips curling towards a smile. "But how can I trust you?" 

"Well, I have one of these, don't I?" He pulls a lightsaber hilt from his belt and, oh, that makes things a lot more interesting. Was it his or did he steal it like Luke's identity?

Unwisely, Luke lowers his blaster. "I suppose you do." 

Something in Luke wants to play this out. Besides, the Force would warn him if he was in danger, right? He doesn’t feel any ill intent from this stranger. 

And, after a moment, they have bigger things to worry about. There's a clatter of noise from down the street that attracts both their attention. 

"Karabast," he swears under his breath. "They're here." 

"Who's here?" Luke asks, wide-eyed. There are two dark figures approaching the house Luke was guarding and now he feels ill intent. Whoever they are, they're the threat he was waiting for. 

"Inquisitors," He says, moving already. "Stay out of the way." 

Luke watches, frozen for a moment, as the man pulls out his lightsaber and twirls it around. So that answers the question of whether he stole it or not. Definitely not. 

“Following me, again? I don’t know why you’re so obsessed with me.”

The Inquisitors pull out their lightsabers and start in on him. 

“You know what we’re here for,” one growls. “Leave now or die.” 

“Heard that before,” he scoffs back. “And yet, I’m still here. Not as powerful without the Emperor behind you, huh?” 

Lightsabers clash, and Luke watches for a moment as the man fights off two foes at the same time. And then Luke charges. 

“What are you—” the man cuts off when Luke wields his own lightsaber, eyes wide for a moment. (Luke can’t help enjoying surprising him.) 

“Helping.” Luke supplies with a grin, parrying a blow. It only takes a moment for them to start fighting in sync, ending up back to back as they hold off the Inquisitors. 

Just as quickly as it starts, the fight ends and the Inquisitors are down. 

The door to the house whooshes open, Leia runs out, baby in arms. “What the kriff, Luke?” she whisper-yells. Truly her most terrifying form of anger. “You said we’d be safe here.”

But Luke can’t really focus on her, his eyes caught on the stranger who seems to be here to protect his nephew just as he is. A Force user. An interesting one—a handsome one. And one who is going through a series of shocked emotions.

“Luke? As in—”

“Yeah,” Luke grins, before Leia snaps at him again. “You are safe, aren’t you? Threat neutralized.” He smiles his best smile as Leia glares. “Go back inside, Lei. I don’t think anyone else is coming, but I'll keep guard. We’ll talk in the morning.”

Luke leans in to give her a half hug, making sure not to crush his nephew. He feels Leia’s tension melt away, just a little. “Ben’s safe,” he says softly. “No one’s going to take him.” 

Leia finally agrees with a nod before she disappears back inside. 

“So. Luke Skywalker,” the man hums, his gaze appraising. From the grin on his face, he approves. 

“And you are?” Luke matches his grin. “Don’t tell me—it really is Jabba?” 

His smile turns a little sheepish and he lifts his hand in a wave. “Ezra,” he finally says, and Luke can tell he’s being honest. “Ezra Bridger.” 

“Oh.” Luke blinks. “I’ve… I’ve heard of you.” Everyone talked about Ezra back in the Rebel Alliance, and he’d worked with General Syndulla before. He didn’t know much, but he knew enough.

Ezra nods, a little impatiently. “Yeah, yeah. Not dead, disappeared for a while, now I’m back.” 

Luke raises an eyebrow at all that. Something to unpack another day, maybe. “Well, I hope you plan to stay.” 

That seems to surprise him again and Ezra grins sharply. “Is that an invitation?”

“It could be,” Luke decides, voice playful. He doesn’t know what he’s doing. It feels a bit like he’s about to jump off the edge of a cliff, but he likes it. “It does seem like we’re on the same side. I wouldn’t mind a partner.” 

“How about, when all this is over,” Ezra waves around vaguely, meaning something between the bodies they need to deal with, the night they have in front of them, and the explanations they owe each other. “We start with a drink?”

His smile and response are easy. “I’d like that.”

#skybridger #skybridger week #ezra bridger #luke skywalker #look ezra never outgrows using outrageous fake names #he's absolutely going around the galaxy telling people he's luke skywalker #abp fic