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prepare4trouble · 7 years ago

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Star Wars Rebels fanfic - Warmth

Happy May the 4th to @herasyndlla!

Thank you to @pomrania for the beta

“Um… Hera?”

Hera finished the line of text she was reading before she looked up from her datapad to find Ezra hovering in the doorway, part-way between the lounge and the hall beyond. His arms were folded, his hands both tucked in underneath as though he was trying to keep them warm. Which, now she thought about it, he probably was; it had gotten a little chilly in the room as she had sat there reading.

“What is it?” she asked. She reached for the cup of caf steaming on the table in front of her, gripped it in both hands, allowing the heat of it to flow into her fingers, and took a sip, savoring the warmth as it traveled down to her stomach.

“I was just wondering if you knew what was going on with the temperature,” he said.

It wasn’t just that room that was cold, then. Hera frowned, puzzled. The last scheduled systems diagnostic had been run on time, just under a week ago, and nothing unusual had shown up. Anyway, the heating was a part of the ship’s life support system, and any breakdown of something as important as that should have triggered an alert, whether they were testing it or not.

She shivered slightly, took another sip of her drink, and began a quick mental run-through of anything that could have caused the problem. She started with the most obvious; crew error. “This is probably a stupid question,” she said, but it had to be asked, “but you’ve tried turning the heating up, right?”

He stepped a little further into the room, allowing the door to close behind him. “Yeah,” he said. “We’ve all tried it; by the time I got there, the readout already said it should be pretty much tropical in here. Every time we turn it up, it seems to get colder.”

Hera nodded. She had suspected as much. Most likely the heating system — and hopefully only the heating system and not all of life support — had gone offline. It had probably happened some time ago, and the air temperature had been gradually dropping ever since. That meant there was another fault too, causing the system to report as normal. Great.

Like any ship designed for space travel, the Ghost was well insulated against the extreme cold of space beyond the bulkheads. Insulation would only do so much, though; with the heating systems offline, the temperature would eventually begin to drop, and it would continue to do so until the problem was fixed, or until they entered the atmosphere of a planet and opened a door.

“This is probably another stupid question,” she began, “but…”

“Yeah,” Ezra interrupted before she could finish. “I’ve tried turning it down as well in case we’ve passed into opposite-land. Not surprisingly, that also made it colder.”

“Opposite-land?” Hera raised an eyebrow. Sometimes she forgot how young Ezra still was. “Actually I was going to ask if you’d run a diagnostic on life support.”

Ezra pushed his hair out of his eyes and grinned a little sheepishly. “Oh, yeah, that makes more sense. Yeah, we did that too. The ship thinks everything’s fine.”

Hera sighed. The last thing she wanted to do right now was dismantle the air conditioning, but it looked like she was going to have to. She downed the last of her caf and set the cup on the table. Oh well, at least the physical activity would keep her warm.

Chopper was conspicuously absent. It was probably nothing to worry about, but Kanan still got a little nervous when the droid disappeared for long periods of time. It was a throwback, he supposed, to the days when Kanan first joined the crew of the Ghost. For a long time before that, it had just been Hera and Chopper, and he had gotten the distinct impression that Chopper didn’t trust him, and didn’t want him there. He still wasn’t sure exactly what he had done to eventually won Chopper over, or whether the droid had just gotten used to him, but for a long time, he had been wary about turning his back on the droid. Apparently, that had never really gone away.

Of course, it was possible Chopper was just helping Hera, which, now that he thought about it, he should probably be doing too. The rest of the crew had congregated in the lounge waiting for news, and although it really did only take one person to run the diagnostics and complete any necessary repairs, there had to be something he could do to help.

He glanced around the room. Ezra had acquired a blanket from somewhere and wore it wrapped it tightly around himself; he was sitting sideways on the bench that surrounded the holotable, leaning his side against the backrest. Zeb stood not far away, glowering at him with arms folded.

Sabine sat at the other side of the table to Ezra, a cup of hot caf clutched between both hands for warmth. Kanan’s own drink sat cooling a short distance away.

“How cold does it get in space?” Ezra asked. “I mean, most of the stars are suns, right? So…”

Sabine gave him a look. “It gets pretty cold,” she said.

“Right.” He tightened his blanket a little. “That’s what I thought.”

Every eye turned when the door opened and Hera walked through. She glanced around the room. “So this is where you’re all hiding,” she said.

“Did you fix it?” Ezra asked.

Hera didn’t reply at first. She made her way wearily across the room and sank into a chair before she shook her head. She was tired, Kanan could tell that at a glance.

“The sensor that monitors the onboard temperature was malfunctioning. I managed to fix that, but all that means is the temperature readout’s going to be accurate again.

Kanan picked up the cup of caf he had made for himself and offered it to her. “I made you this a while ago,” he said. “It might not be too warm any more, but it should still be drinkable.”

She accepted it gratefully, took a long, appreciative sip and smiled her thanks. “I can fix it,” she added, “just, not now.”

“Are you sure fixing the sensor won’t have just sorted the problem out?” Sabine asked. “Maybe the heat wasn’t coming on because the ship already thought it was warm? Maybe now it can read it again…” she stopped when Hera began shaking her head. “Yeah, I guess you thought of that.”

Hera nodded. “It was my first thought,” she said. “That’s why I took the time to repair it. It wasn’t until I’d done that and went to look at the rest of the system that I noticed some of the components are worn out.”

The sensor should probably have reported on that long before it became a problem, Kanan thought. But it could have been out of action for a lot longer than the heating, reporting back a false ‘okay’ every time they checked.

“I might be able to fix it tonight,” Hera added, “but it would only be a temporary patch. The best thing to do is set a course for the nearest world with a reliable vendor and get replacement parts in the morning.”

There was a pause as everyone looked around, gauging reactions. Zeb was the first to speak. “Great, and the kid’s already helped himself to all the blankets. Isn’t Chopper supposed to be in charge of making sure things work around here?” He glanced around, “Where is Chopper, anyway?”

Kanan frowned. Maybe the droid hadn’t been helping Hera after all; he hadn’t come back with her, anyway.

“We’re all in charge of making sure things are in working order,” Hera said, on the defensive immediately.

“And I’ve got one blanket, not all of them,” Ezra added. He raised his arms a little, waving the blanket around as though to demonstrate. “I’m pretty sure there’s more. Anyway, you can hardly complain about the temperature. You’ve got fur.”

Zeb glared at him. “We only had one blanket, so you did take them all. And since it was my room first, it’s my blanket. And I don’t have that much fur, I still feel the cold. Anyway, it wasn’t the temperature I was complaining about, it was you.”

The last thing they needed was for an argument to break out now. Kanan moved to place himself in-between the two of them like a barrier. “Why don’t you…” he began

“Hey!” Ezra interrupted, still focussed on Zeb and completely ignoring or not noticing Kanan’s attempt to stop him. He leaned exaggeratedly to his left to look around Kanan and glare right back at Zeb. “Don’t blame me because you were too slow.”

“You cheated,” Zeb countered. “I wasn’t too slow!” He looked at Kanan now. “He used the Force to grab the blanket before I could get it,” he explained.

“But I could only do that because you weren’t fast enough,” Ezra insisted.

The two of them both glanced quickly around the room, looking for backup, two sets of eyes bypassed both Kanan and Hera, and settled on Sabine, who had until now been minding her own business drinking her caf.

“You agree with me, right?” they both said almost simultaneously.

Sabine’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly, and she looked from one to the other, then shrugged and took a sip from her drink. “Oh, I am not getting involved in that,” she said.

Good. The last thing they needed was for the whole crew to get involved in an argument. The last time it had happened, it had gone on for days, dragging everybody in on one side or another before it had finally petered out. Kanan hadn’t been surprised to find out a couple of weeks later that the whole thing had been engineered by Chopper.

Chopper, who still wasn’t around…

Zeb folded his arms defensively and turned as though he was addressing the whole room. “It was cheating, anyone would move slower than usual in this cold, Ezra included.”

Great, so they were still on this.

Ezra shook his head. “Yeah… this isn’t really cold. Try sleeping outside on Lothal in the middle of the winter. Better yet, try running from the Empire in it, you’d soon learn how to move quickly.”

“Lothal?” Zeb’s eyes widened in mock confusion and then realization. Oh, you mean that planet where the temperature never drops below freezing? Maybe talk to me about the cold after you try camping out on an ice moon with an Imperial Agent for company.”

Hera sighed pointedly. She fixed both Ezra and Zeb in turn with a glare. “That’s enough, both of you.” Kanan turned to look at her in surprise. Somehow, her voice was even colder than the air in the room. “Yes, it’s cold. No, it’s not below freezing, and it’s not going to be, the ship is better insulated than that. We’ll be fine overnight until I can get it fixed, but if anybody wants to do the temporary repairs themselves, I left the tools by the entrance to the access tube.”

Silence filled the room for a moment before Ezra broke it. He grinned. “Yeah, get on with it, Zeb. In the meantime I’ll get to have a nice quiet start to the night without you snoring in the bunk below me.”

Zeb held out his hands defensively. “I can’t fit in there,” he said. “You all know that. Best person to do it is the kid.”

“The best person to do the repairs is me,” Hera said firmly. “And I will, when I have the right parts. If anybody does want to spend a couple of hours tonight doing a temporary patch for me to undo in the morning, feel free. It’ll keep you warm at least.”

Kanan could think of better ways to keep warm. One in particular, but if that failed… he raised an eyebrow in Hera’s direction, hoping to convey his thoughts by body language alone. Two people, one tiny bunk. A blanket, shared body heat. They could keep each other warm until the morning.

Hera either didn’t pick up on it, or chose to ignore. “I’m going to set a course back to Lothal,” she said. “And then I’m going to bed. I suggest you all do the same. And there are more blankets in the emergency supplies closet; nobody’s going to freeze, Zeb.”

“Wait, Lothal?” Zeb said. “That’s seven hours in hyperspace. There’s got to be someplace closer than that.”

Hera nodded. “There is, but there’s a vendor I trust on Lothal,” she explained. “The last thing we want is to buy faulty parts, or something from a stolen ship that might have someone looking for it.”

She had a point.

Kanan watched her get to her feet, leaving the now-empty mug of caf behind on the table, and head out the door.

“There’d better be another blanket there,” Zeb said in a low tone the moment the door had closed.

Kanan sighed deeply to himself, thankful he didn’t have to spend any longer with the two of them tonight.

Hera didn’t miss Zeb’s attempt to resume the argument the moment he thought she was out of earshot. She ignored it. She didn’t have the energy to deal with it now. Anyway, Ezra probably really had taken the only blanket, and if so, Zeb was entitled to be annoyed. If the argument continued into the morning when the heating was fixed, she would step in to avoid it becoming a repeat of the last big argument, but the chances were, it was just frayed tempers tonight.

Behind her, she heard the door open. She turned, expecting Kanan. Instead, Zeb and Ezra both attempted to run through the door at the same time. They got stuck for a moment before Ezra managed to wriggle free and took off at a sprint, closely followed by Zeb. Sabine walked out next. She watched Ezra and Zeb for a moment, shook her head dismissively, then headed back to her quarters.

Kanan did appear eventually. He jogged a couple of steps to catch up with her. “You might want to rethink the whole ‘plot a course first’ plan,” he said. “Unless you don’t mind the cold, you’ll probably want to get a blanket now, before they all end up in Ezra and Zeb’s quarters.”

He was probably right. She couldn’t remember exactly how many spare blankets she had left there, but there weren’t many, and most of them were the thin foil survival blanket kind, designed to keep in the heat but with minimal thought for comfort. “It’s fine, I have a few spares in my quarters,” she told him.

Kanan nodded. “Right,” he said. He walked beside her for a few strides in silence, then, “You know, I didn’t have that much forethought.”

Hera smiled to herself. He was angling for an invite. In fact, he was probably counting on an invite. She decided to let him squirm a little.

“So, it’ll be pretty chilly in my quarters tonight,” he said.

“It will,” Hera agreed. “The temperature’s only going to drop from now. You should probably go and grab a blanket before they’re all gone.”

Kanan didn’t look worried; she wasn’t fooling him. That was okay, she hadn’t really expected to.

“It’ll already be too late,” Kanan said ruefully. “I’ll be okay though. Don’t worry about me.”

She sighed and shook her head, still not losing the smile. “You know,” she said, “it is a pretty big blanket; there’s probably enough room for two.”

Kanan raised an eyebrow. “Is there?”

They had stopped walking now, she noticed. Standing in the doorway to the cockpit, facing each other, each waiting for the other to say something. Apparently, he was going to make her ask him.

“Well,” Kanan said, and shrugged. “I hope you enjoy it.”

He turned to walk away. She waited a second, until he took a step, and then another. Then, “Kanan?”

He turned back to look at her again.

“I don’t suppose you want to share?”

He grinned, and he almost looked relieved, like he had genuinely thought for a moment that she was going to leave him to freeze. Well, it would have been his own fault if she had.

“I thought you’d never ask,” he said. He paused. “Not your quarters though.”

Hera considered it, then shrugged. “That’s fine, two in a bed is easier in your quarters anyway.”

“Maybe not there either. I have an idea.”

She frowned, eyes narrowing. “Okay…” she said, “What are you thinking?”

Kanan smiled to himself as he watched Hera’s reaction. He could actually see her muscles relax as the door to the Phantom closed behind her and the working heating system immediately began to warm the air to a comfortable level. “Good, right?” he said with a grin.

Hera nodded. “Pretty good,” she agreed, then hesitated. "Why didn’t I think of this?”

“Too busy trying to fix everything as usual,” Kanan told her. He took the blanket from her hands and spread it on the floor. “That should make things a little more comfortable,” he said. “But honestly, I’m surprised you didn’t think of it too. It was my first thought when you said the heating couldn’t be fixed.”

“It can be fixed,” Hera corrected. “It just can’t be done tonight. No, it could be done tonight, but it just didn’t seem worth spending three hours working, just to do it all again tomorrow.”

Kanan nodded. “That’s what I meant,” he assured her. Hera got defensive about her ship, in the same way she got defensive about Chopper. Which reminded him. “Where’s Chopper, anyway? You don’t think there’s any chance he’s responsible for…”

“No,” Hera said quickly. “Like I said to Zeb, it’s everyone’s responsibility to make sure the ship’s running properly. Or if you’re wondering whether it’s sabotage, no. For one thing, wear and tear like that would be too difficult to fake, and for another, Chopper knows I’d take him apart if he even thought about doing something like that.

Kanan walked across the blanket on the floor and sat in the co-pilot’s seat. “You know,” he said. “We still have that bottle of Toniray wine I won playing Sabacc a year or so back. It’s supposed to be pretty great, I’ve been saving it for a special occasion.”

“And you think the heating going off is a special occasion?” Hera asked. She smiled, placed a hand on a hip and tilted her head to one side to look at him. “What exactly are you hoping is going to happen tonight?”

“Nothing!” Kanan assured her. He realized a second after that it sounded like a lie. It wasn’t, but it had sounded like one. “Okay, not nothing,” he admitted, “I was just thinking it’d be nice to spend some time alone. You know, talk over a glass of wine — I didn’t refrigerate it, but I don’t think we need to worry about it being warm — relax, wait out the journey. Maybe curl up on the floor together, fall asleep in each other’s arms…” He smiled. “Of course, if you want me to be thinking about other things, that could be arranged.”

Hera shook her head in a faux-disapproving way, then frowned. “I wonder if… no, it would take too long.”

“What?”

“The components in the Ghost and the Phantom are compatible,” she explained. “I was thinking I could have taken parts from here and installed them in the Ghost, then put the replacement parts in the Phantom tomorrow.”

Kanan thought about it. “Sounds like it’d work,” he said.

“It would, but it’d take too long, we’d be almost there by they time I’d finished, and then I’d still have to start fitting new parts.” She sat down in the pilot’s seat next to him. “It seems a little unfair that we’re warm in here while everyone else freezes out there, though.”

She was right, of course, it was horribly unfair. But there was nothing wrong with being selfish once in a while. Well, as long as the others didn’t find out. “It’s not going to get that cold out there,” he said. “And they do have blankets.” He paused, and smiled. “Well, Ezra does, at least.”

Hera shook her head. “We should tell them,” she said.

Kanan sighed. She was right, of course. He pulled out his comms device. “Do me a favor,” he said. “When you’re falling asleep to the sound of Zeb and Ezra arguing, remember this was your idea.”

Hera grimaced, but didn’t try to stop him. Disappointing, but not unexpected. He raised the communicator to his mouth, but stopped when the door opened, and Ezra stepped inside.

The cold air rushed in after him, filling the Phantom almost instantly. The blanket was still wrapped around his shoulders looked like some kind of improvised cape, and the surprise on his face told Kanan that he hadn’t expected to find anybody else here.

“Uh… hey,” he said. He stepped into the cabin and the door closed behind him. The heating system began to work to reheat the area, and Ezra looked down at the blanket on the floor. “So, I guess I was right about this place being warm. I wasn’t sure the heating would be switched on when it’s docked on the Ghost.”

This was really not the evening he had planned. Kanan looked around the Phantom. Hera was still seated in the pilot’s seat, hands resting behind her head as she stared at the blank view screen. In the hold, Ezra had made himself comfortable on the blanket that Kanan had spread out earlier. His own blanket still hung loosely over his shoulders, almost as though he had forgotten it was there. At the other side of the floor, Sabine was unrolling a sleeping bag, while Zeb perched uncomfortably on two of the seats at the edge of the shuttle. Chopper moved around them, weaving his way up and down the area as though he was pacing, occasionally ‘accidentally’ bumping into Ezra’s arm, or Zeb’s foot.

Kanan sighed and glanced sideways at Hera, and she gave him a small, sympathetic grimace. He shrugged in response. Honestly, he should have predicted this. Not only did nothing ever work out for him, but Ezra had years of experience in finding a warm place to sleep on a cold night; Zeb and Sabine too, on a lesser scale. Plus, none of them were stupid. He had thought he was so clever thinking of taking shelter in the Phantom. As it was, he could at least still say he thought of it first.

The only crew member whose presence there didn’t make sense was Chopper, who, as far as Kanan was aware, didn’t feel the cold. But his being there could be explained easily enough. Whether he had followed someone there, or worked out for himself where they were, he was there to annoy them, and clearly taking great pleasure from it.

“Hey!” Ezra yelled as the droid ran into him for at least the third time.

Kanan closed his eyes briefly and offered up a plea to the Force that the night would at least pass quickly.

Zeb sighed. “I can’t believe you were all going to leave me to shiver in my quarters while you sat here in the warm,” he complained.

“Sabine was going to go and get you,” Ezra assured him. He grinned, and shrugged his shoulders. The disputed blanket fell to the floor behind him, unnoticed by Ezra. “I told her not to bother,” he added. “You know, since you took six blankets I figured you’d be warm enough.”

“I’m bigger than you, if you haven’t noticed,” Zeb said. “One of those tiny things doesn’t cover me.”

“I was going to tell you anyway,” Sabine argued. She glared at Ezra, who shrugged. “But before I could, you showed up anyway. Why took you so long, by the way?”

“Yeah, what took you so long?” Ezra echoed. “I found this place ages ago.”

“Ages? How long exactly?” Sabine asked. She looked at him suspiciously.

Ezra swallowed. “Well… not ages ages. Not that long at all, really. And when I thought of it, if it was warm here, I was going to tell you all, but then Kanan and Hera were here already, and…” He turned to look at them. “Hey, you guys were here first, how come you never told us we could get warm in here?”

Hera looked at him too, not expecting an answer the way the other three were, but as though she was interested in the excuse he was going to come up with. He resisted the urge to put his head in his hands, barely. “We were about to tell you,” he said. “What? You think the two of us were going to camp out in here while you all slept out there in the cold?”

“Yeah,” Zeb said. “Actually, that’s exactly what we’re thinking.”

Kanan sighed. He didn’t really have a defense, other than he would have decided to call them eventually, even without Hera’s insistence. Probably.

“We were about to tell you,” Hera said. “In fact, we were about to tell you and then leave you here to keep warm.”

Confused glances echoed around the Phantom. One of them belonged to Kanan.

“Unless you’ve changed your mind, that is?” Hera said, turning to face him with an expression on her face that told him to play along. She turned back to the others. “We had an idea that means we might be able to repair the heating tonight. But in case it doesn’t work, you might as well stay here and keep warm.”

Kanan didn't get it. The only possible repair plan Hera had mentioned was taking parts from the Phantom, and she had dismissed the idea. If she had changed her mind, the heating would go out on the Phantom too, meaning that the moment the door opened, anyone inside would be just as cold as outside.

“Coming?” Hera asked. She got to her feet and began to pick her way around Ezra, Sabine and Chopper. Kanan watched her for a moment, confused. Surely she wasn’t really going to go out there into the cold and start doing repairs now? And surely she didn’t expect him to do the same thing?

Apparently she did.

With a deep sigh, he got up and followed her across the Phantom, bracing himself for the blast of cold air when the door opened.

Outside of the Phantom, it was cold. That shouldn’t have been a shock, but Kanan still found himself surprised by it. The temperature seemed to have dropped a couple of degrees over the past hour or so, and he found himself wrapping his arms around his body against the chill, muscles tensing against the cold even as he tried to force them to relax.

He looked at Hera. Her pose mirrored his own; arms folded tightly, hands rubbing up and down her arms.

Kanan waited for the door of the Phantom to close behind them before he spoke. “You know, it’s pretty cold out here.”

“I noticed,” Hera told him. “Like you said, it’s not that bad though.”

Kanan stamped his feet a couple of times; it didn’t really help. She was right, it was comparable to a chilly day on Lothal, a few extra layers and it would be fine. It wouldn’t be too cold to work on… whatever Hera was thinking. “So, what’s the plan?” he asked. “I thought it’d be a waste of time to do any repairs tonight.”

Hera smiled and shook her head. “It would,” she said.

“So…?”

“So I’m not going to do any repairs,” she said. “I just needed a reason to get us out of there.”

“Out of the one warm place on the ship?” Kanan asked. “Well, you did it, I guess. Well done.”

Hera sighed exasperatedly. “Did you want to spend the night camping out in close quarters with everyone?”

“Um…” Kanan said. He didn’t particularly, but if the alternative was freezing in his bunk, he might take the Phantom. “No?” he tried.

“Good,” Hera said. “Because it’s a little colder than I’d prefer out here, but it’s been a while since we had the ship to ourselves, and you know, it’s amazing what a couple of insulated blankets and some shared body heat will do.”

That… was not what he had been expecting her to say.

“Kanan?” Hera asked.

He blinked. “Yeah?”

“I said, it’s up to you. We can go back in if you prefer.”

Kanan took her hand in his and turned toward crew quarters. “You know,” he said, “now we’re out here again, it really doesn’t feel that cold after all.”

It did. But she was right, it should be possible to warm things up very quickly, if they put their minds to it.

“So,” Hera said. “Where did you say you were keeping that Toniray wine?”

#rebelsfourthexchange #herasyndlla #star wars rebels #swr fanfic #rebelsgiftexchange #hera syndulla #kanan jarrus #ezra bridger #sabine wren #zeb orrelios

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mythmica · 7 years ago

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Ezra’s Day

Surprise! So this is my @rebelsgiftexchange submission for @redrikki! (Sorry it took a bit, irl stuff got in the way and I wanted to make sure it was perfect (especially since this is the first fic I’ve done lol) before posting. Hope you like it!

A/N: So for this fic I thought it’d be interesting to see how another “Empire Day” later down the storyline would have turned out. This is set around season 3.

Word Count: 1746

"Ezra."

The boy looked up at his father, who knelt down and placed a hand on his shoulder.

The man lowered his voice. "We have to stand up for people in need. Especially those in trouble with the Empire." he gestured towards the stormtroopers in the distance, and then at the frightened faces of the crowd. "Remember, if we don't stand up, who will?"

Ezra tightened his grip on his father's hand before looking away. He blinked. Suddenly, the sky was overcast, and the plaza was empty.

"I'm proud of you, son." he turned back to his father and gasped. His face, previously youthful, had suddenly aged, and streaks of grey marked his hair.

Ezra tugged his hand away and stepped back, trembling. "Dad?"

He smiled sadly. "Remember, son. No matter what, stay strong…” Ezra's vision began to darken.

"And have hope.”

Ezra woke up with a start, sitting up to check his surroundings.

He was still on his bunk. It was dark and the room was quiet, save for Zeb's light snores below him. He exhaled and lay back down.

It had been a while since he had a dream about his parents. Not since he found out that they were gone for good. He rubbed at the tears in his eyes before closing them.

Figures, considering what today is, he thought bitterly.

Empire day. His birthday. No matter how old he got, no matter how much he tried to forgot the so called "holiday", each year the day was a painful reminder to what he'd lost. And a couple of years ago, he'd probably still be on the streets, hungry, alone, and afraid, under the empire's tight fist in capitol city.

But things had changed. He'd found a new family, and new hope as they inspired and taught him to fight back against the Empire's tyranny.

He wasn't a loth rat who only looked out for himself anymore. He was a rebel. And thanks to Kanan, he was a jedi.

Ezra smiled for a moment before frowning. His recent birthdays hadn't gone too well. He had just turned fifteen on the day the crew got mixed up in a mission to get Tseebo off Lothal. On his sixteenth the crew had split up for separate missions.

Today he turned seventeen, and he couldn't help but hope for today to be mission-free, or for Hera to at least have a simple one planned.

After trying (and failing) to go back to sleep, he slowly made his way off his bunk and trudged to the kitchen, where he poured himself some water and sat at the table. Hopefully Chopper wasn't lurking around- he wasn't in the mood to deal with the grumpy droid, and he didn't want to risk having him alert the rest of the crew that he was up this early.

Yawning, he propped his head up the table and debated brewing some caf. Might as well, since he didn’t want to risk another dream like that. He finished the water and began rummaging in the cabinets.

“Bit early to be making breakfast, isn’t it?”

Ezra jumped, and then grinned sheepishly as Kanan walked in. "I was just planning on making some caf. Sorry if I woke you."

"You didn't." he answered. "At least, not because you were making noise."

Guilt tugged at him. Kanan could always tell when something was up, and Ezra had been so distracted by the dream that'd he had forgotten to shield himself through the force- which means his fear and stress was what alerted him to his padawan's status.

"The caf can wait. It's not a good idea this early anyway." he strode past him to take a seat at the table. “So, what’s bothering you?”

Ezra sighed and poured two glasses of water before walking over to the table. He offered the glass to Kanan, who accepted it, before sitting across from him.

“Bad dream.”

“Because of today?”

“Yeah. Long live the Empire, huh?” Ezra picked at the table. “With how long it’s been it’s sure starting to feel like it will live forever.”

Kanan frowned. “Kid. I know today’s hard for you.” He sighed. “It is for all of us. But you know what helps me?” He set the glass down. “Looking at how much things have changed. Sure, the Empire’s still around. But so is the Rebellion. And we’re part of something much bigger now than it was a couple of years ago.” He grinned. “So things will change, ok? Just gotta have hope.”

Ezra smiled. “You’re right. But...it’s still just-“

“-Hard. I know. And it’s ok to feel down about it. Especially since it’s your birthday, and I know you’re probably thinking about your parents right?” he said softly. “Is that what the dream was about?”

Kanan felt a spike of sadness from his padawan and continued. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, alright? Just know that I’m here for you. We all are.”

There was a pause. “Even Chopper?”

The man laughed. “Even Chopper. Well, most of the time.”

Ezra chuckled before swallowing the lump in his throat. “Thanks, Kanan. For everything. It means a lot.”

“Anytime. And thank you too, ok?”

His brows furrowed. “What for?’

Kanan downed the glass of water before continuing. “For how you’ve changed and helped me as well, along with the rest of the crew. No matter what feelings today brings, just remember that we’re glad to have met you. Ok?”

Ezra reached up to rub at his eyes. “Ok.”

Kanan stood up and put both empty glasses away before returning and patting the boy’s shoulder. “Now try get some rest. It’ll help.”

Ezra nodded and stood up, turning to leave before stopping. “Kanan?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you know if Hera has anything major planned for today? Not that that would be a problem!” he stammered, “I just want to know how busy today will be.

Kanan paused to think. “I don’t think so. I mean, no missions that I know of. I’ll check with her later.”

Ezra exhaled. “Ok. Good night- er, Good morning.”

He chuckled. “Good night, Ezra.”

Kanan waited until he left before speaking up again. “You can come out now.”

Shuffling was heard before Hera appeared in the doorway, yawning. “Everything ok?”

He nodded. “Yeah. He’ll be fine. Today’s always a bit hard for him. How much did you hear?”

“Only a bit at the end. Thought it’d better to let you handle it. And to answer his question, we’ve got a free day, shockingly enough. No missions and all the errands and chores are done. So we’ve got all day to carry out Sabine’s plan.” she smiled.

Kanan smiled back. While the crew couldn’t change the bad memories today brought for Ezra, they could at least help him make some good ones.

Later that day the Ghost crew began preparing for Sabine’s plan in the common area.

Zeb groaned loudly. “Argh, when’s that kid gonna wake up? The day’ll probably be over by the time we get done waiting.”

“Keep it down, will you?” Sabine shushed him. “It’s not that late yet anyways.”

Kanan tapped the table. “He didn’t get that much sleep last night, Zeb. Give him a break.”

Chopper grumbled loudly.

“No Chopper, you’re not going to wake him up.” Hera rolled her eyes. “Knowing you you’d probably shock him.”

“You’re definitely right about that.” Ezra called out from the hall before walking in the room. “Although the chatter woke me-“ he stopped as he took in the room.

“Surprise!” the group shouted.

Ezra blinked as he looked around. There was a banner decorated in blue paint that spelled out “Happy Birthday Ezra!”, surrounded in little drawings. Probably Sabine’s handiwork. The table was covered in food, including some treats and fruits Ezra recognized from Lothal. There were also some boxes stacked up in the seat across from Kanan.

Ezra took a bit to absorb everything before speaking. “Guys… what-”

Hera walked up and put an arm around his shoulders. “We thought we’d surprise you with a little party today. I know your birthdays haven’t always been very happy, but we wanted to at least help cheer you up,” she nodded at Sabine. “It was Sabine’s idea.”

Ezra turned to look at her and she grinned.

“Sabine, I-“ he swallowed the lump in his throat and smiled. “Thank you. All of you.”

“Don’t thank us yet, kid, wait till we finish all this grub!” Zeb yelled reaching for the table.

The rest of the day was spent eating, laughing, talking. There were even stories, Hera recalling how she met Kanan, Zeb boasting about his achievements from when he was in the Honor Guard.

Then came the gifts. Ezra couldn’t remember the last time he’d celebrated a birthday, much least received a birthday gift.

A new helmet from Zeb.

A necklace with a stone pendent from Hera.

A couple of credits from Chopper. (He suspected they were probably from Hera.)

A painting of the entire Ghost crew from Sabine.

And a journal from Kanan. It was half empty, the first half being full of messages written by each of the team along with drawings, jokes, and other things. “For when you’re feeling down or we’re all separated on missions and whatnot.” he explained. “Figured it might help.”

Ezra set the journal down next to the other gifts and brushed his eyes before looking up. “I- I don’t know what to say.” he laughed.

Sabine put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s ok. We just wanted to help make today a bit brighter. Did it work?”

Ezra grinned. “Yeah. It really did. Thank you.”

Soon enough they all left to get ready for bed, each wishing Ezra happy birthday again before they left. Now it was just him and Kanan once again.

But before Ezra turned to head back to his cabin after saying goodnight, Kanan spoke up again. “Ezra.”

He turned back. “Yeah?”

“I’m proud of you. We all are. You’ve grown so much as a rebel, as a jedi , and as a good person. Your parents would be proud.

Ezra was unable to stop from letting his tears spill this time, and hugged his master after stammering out his thanks.

He wouldn’t remember today as a painful reminder of what he had lost. Instead he would remember what he had now. A new family, a new sense of strength, and a new hope.

#rebelsfourthexchange #rebelsgiftexchange #star wars rebels #swr #star wars rebels fanfiction #long post

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redrikki · 7 years ago

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Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars - All Media Types Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Ezra Bridger & Kanan Jarrus, Ezra Bridger & Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios, Ezra Bridger & Hera Syndulla, Ezra Bridger & Sabine Wren Characters: Ezra Bridger, Kanan Jarrus, Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios, Hera Syndulla, C1-10P | Chopper, Sabine Wren Additional Tags: Ghost Family Feels Summary:

Ezra puts his lightsaber together. It's not his life, except in all the ways it is.

Written for @blueberrybridger as part of the @rebelsgiftexchange

#reblesgiftexchange #rebelsfourthexchange #blueberrybridger #star wars: rebels #my fic #ezra bridger #ghost crew

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kianraidelcam · 7 years ago

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Written for @earthboundjedi from the prompt: “We’ll see each other again. I promise,” featuring Space Mom and Space Dad, AKA Hera and Kanan!

Oh the sweet agony that is Kanera. Thank you for the wonderful prompt! The rest of the fic is below the cut for those who don’t want to go on AO3 for any reason.

“We’ll see each other again. I promise.”

It was ironic, Hera thought, his diction at the time. The pastel sunset of Atollon glimmered behind them, pulsing with Kanan’s words, as he drew her into his embrace. She fought against a rising desire to respond with some form of snark, her anxiety over his impending departure outweighing the need for levity, and simply leaned into his arms. Ignoring the sense of doom at his promise, Hera smiled and allowed the small wave of comfort to wash over her. The young Twi’lek woman responded with a thought, “I know.”

A promise was a promise, and she knew Kanan never broke his.

So, when her Jedi returned, leaning on their boy with the painfully white bandage around his eyes, it was more than the injury that shocked Hera. He promised, she thought to herself over and over again, night after night, as he drifted out of her orbit and away from their mismatched family. And then came the (rather expensive) medical droid loaned to them by Senator Organa when he heard what had occured on Malachor. No expense was spared, and only the best was sent from Alderaan. After all, Kanan was quite possibly the last rebel-sympathetic Force user after Ahsoka’s death, and Bail Organa was almost as determined to restore the Knight’s sight as the Ghost crew was. It was the most hopeful they had been all week.

Their hope, it seemed, was misplaced.

Kanan was not a candidate for prosthetics nor would his vision return, was the droid’s final word. “That can’t be right, run the tests again,” she had nearly shouted in that small, bleached room aboard the Alderaanian frigate. She got up from her seat in a rare flash of anger and frustration, normally reserved for certain “servants” of the Empire (and a certain smuggler by the name of Lando), but a gentle hand on her arm stopped her in her mid-rise. “I promised, didn’t I?” His cocksure voice had returned, as did that Force forsaken grin of his, if only momentarily. For a moment, he seemed completely himself, with a hint of that fabled Jedi calm, and all felt right in the universe again. Kanan was her rock; he was always steadfast and always knew what to do, even when things seemed bleak. The least Hera could do was be strong for him. Hera took a breath to compose herself, and then smiled for more her own benefit than Kanan’s. “I know.”

Kanan grinned and then donned a more serious expression, turning his body to face the droid while listening intently to its directions for wound care. Hera drowned out the droid’s ramblings, and instead studied the injury itself. The burn itself was still in the early stages of healing and the angry red stood out in stark contrast to his tanned skin. His once vibrant turquoise eyes were pale with hardly a hint of color while the whites of his eyes seemed bloodshot from both the burn and exhaustion. Hera knew that the exhaustion was more mental than it was physical, and as the droid went on, she saw the frustration return. Oh, he hid it well enough, to the point where Hera doubted the rest of the crew would see it, but she saw right through Kanan.

Kanan Jarrus was afraid.

Time passed on the harsh world that housed Chopper Base, but he slowly came back to her. Small treasured moments at first, until he returned from outside the base, his sensor protecting him from the spiders gone. She had been worried, of course, but it instantly left when she saw how he walked. His gait lacked the hesitant steps it had been after his blinding, and when he smiled, it was with a confidence he previously lacked. His hand held slightly in front of him, as if feeling the environment around him, she was suddenly reminded of what he truly was. A Jedi Knight whose trust and power was in the Force. It was Specter One that held the crew together, and with his return to them, their family fell back in place. It was funny, he later told her before she fell asleep in his arms while he traced the patterns on her lekku from memory, how his blindness made it possible for him to truly see.

Of course, that meant he could return to missions again.

“I need you to come back,” she had said.

The moment he smiled, Hera had to stop from groaning. While it was good (more than good, it was fantastic) that he was back out in the galaxy (had been for some time, actually), she still worried deeply for him. It didn’t help that he was so kriffing arrogant. “Oh, having trouble overthrowing the Empire without me?”

Hera might not have groaned, but she did roll her eyes. Luckily, he couldn’t see it, though she was sure he could sense it in some way. “Our team is an important asset to the Rebellion?” Hera’s tone implied a question, which he of course refused to answer.

“An asset? Is that what we are?” Kanan’s own tone implied he wasn’t talking about the Ghost crew.

“You know what I mean.”

“You know how I feel.”

Hera doesn’t skip a beat, unsure this should be discussed at this exact moment. “Are we still talking about the mission?”

Kanan leans forward, his hands on his hips, “That depends…”

Unconsciously leaning forward to the hologram as well, Hera replies. “On what?”

“You know.”

Chopper’s response sounds suspiciously like an obscene suggestion rather than actual advice. Hera glances down at her droid’s hologram with a sigh, and then back at Kanan, her arms crossed nervously across her chest, “Be careful…. See you soon.”

As she shuts off the comlink, she feels a sweet, tender brush against her mind. There are no words exchanged, although there was no need for them here. This reassurance needed no words, no playful, snide comments. The meaning rang clear, in both their minds, from both the Jedi and his Force.

“I promised.”

It is only when they return to Lothal that Kanan seemed unsure of his promise. He had been up late the night before their return to the planet, meditating on some dream or nightmare he refused to tell her about. He dreamed in color, she knew as much, but what he saw eluded her. When she asked him about it, after waking him from his fitful sleep, he simply waved her off, saying something about a vision and the Force working in mysterious ways. Force be damned, after all of this, she was going to “force” some answers from him. She is tempted to do it in that dark alleyway, hiding from stormtroopers, until he lightens the mood with a soft quip. “Heh, I just realized. It’s been awhile since we've spent some time alone.”

Hera’s tone is almost resigned, “And when we do, it’s in situations like this.” Such is the plight of a rebel, she thinks. It was tragic almost, that their “moments” where few and far in between.

Kanan doesn’t instantly respond, which rings alarms in Hera’s mind. His face crestfallen, he admits with a sigh, “I wish..I could see you.”

Gently, emanating soft reassurances of her own, Hera reaches up to grab his dark visors, revealing watery, sorrowful eyes, maimed by a vengeful menace. Hera’s eyes are different. If Kanan could see them, he would be lost in their viridescent depths, as they conveyed the pride and admiration she felt for the Jedi less than half a foot away.

“You could always see me.”

It was true, Hera knew. From their meeting on Gorse to their current predicament, Kanan could always see her in a way no one else could. It was him who knew how to calm her in her angriest moments. It was him who knew how to quiet the nightmares. It was him who had always been able to read her every emotion. It was him, who knew her better than her own father did. It had always been him. Even now, it was still him who could see her. Both mentally, and physically. It was not the horrible, if beautiful, oranges, purples, and reds the exploding fuel produced that drew her horrified eyes, nor was it the golden cracks appearing in the metal beneath his feet that called her attention. She hardly even recognized she was a foot of the pod, reaching and straining against some invisible force at his command, and she barely noticed when she was thrown back into the ship, into Ezra’s shaking arms.

It was his turquoise eyes, shining against the dark scar across his face, full of determination and peace, that she saw.

They enveloped her, though they did not give her the peace that floated in their depths. The fire came closer to him, and yet, it seemed time had frozen over. She knew what the return of his eyesight meant, beyond the shadow of a doubt, even as they closed one final time while his hands pushed their ship out of the blast range.

“We’ll see each other again.”

‘I promise”

And Kanan never broke his promises

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rebelsgiftexchange · 7 years ago

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Spectre One to all spirits!

To celebrate Star Wars Rebels ending as well as May the Fourth, this blog was created and will be hosting a Star Wars Rebels themed Gift Exchange!

What is the Rebels Gift Exchange?

The Rebels Gift Exchange is an event created to celebrate Star Wars Rebels via a secret gift exchange (like Secret Santa). You will get a prompt and create a gift work for a fellow fan, and you will receive a gift based on your own prompt in return! This is your chance to show your fellow Spectres some love and join in on the awesome Rebels community!

This is open to ALL creators: fic writers, fan artists, edit makers, etc.

We’ll be using the tag #rebelsfourthexchange for the “May the Fourth Be With You” Gift Exchange. All news, postings, etc. will go here!

Details for the Entry Form, prompt rules, dates, etc. will be up soon so people have time to submit and receive their prompts and get working!

Until then feel free to follow this blog and the #rebelsfourthexchange tag to stay updated, and reblog this post to get more people in on the exchange!

#Star Wars Rebels #swr #rebels #rebelsfourthexchange #Star Wars: Rebels

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lessattitudemorealtitude · 7 years ago

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Your Rebels Gifter again! I saw a post you made answering a prompt and tackling The Forbidden S4 Hug and based on that I think you're really gonna LOVE your gift. I'm close to finishing it while also avoiding writing the ending bc maybe if I don't write it, Kanan won't be dead :))) ANYWAY -- since Hera is the Space Mom to Kanan's Space Dad, do you have a favorite Kanera moment from the series (and/or A New Dawn, if you've read it)?

Yay! I’m so excited XD

Hmm, it’s hard to pick a specific moment. One of the reasons I love their relationship is that it was built on all of the little subtle moments throughout the series. They way they look at each other…

… comfort one another…

Like, you want me to chose one moment?!?!

Okay, well this still is probably my favorite single image, so I guess this can be my favorite moment, as bittersweet as it is. Kanan will see Hera again… But only once.

#rebelsfourthexchange #kanan jarrus #hera syndulla #kanera #feels

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earthboundjedi · 7 years ago

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Written for @superherotiger for the Rebels May the Fourth exchange! I absolutely loved working on this and might have gotten a little carried away. Spacedad and spaceson (Kanan and Jacen) feels ahead.

Jacen leaned on the railing of the communication tower as he watched the twin moons of Lothal rise on the horizon. The capital city glowed in the distance, a glimmering, bustling symbol of hope and perseverance nestled in the heart of the planet’s expansive plains and mountains. It was a pleasant enough place to visit; he remembered coming here many, many times with his mom when he was younger. Back then, Lothal and the rest of the Galaxy had just wrested its freedom back from the Galactic Empire; as such, General Syndulla and her son were always welcome visitors.

This visit, Jacen wasn’t here with his mother. He found it was much easier to move about the city, slipping down side streets and lurking in all manners of pubs and hole-in-the-wall diners, without his extremely recognizable mom at his side. It was weird, actually, not having her here - for as long as he could remember, the two of them (and their grumpy C1 droid) had practically been inseparable. But during their last trip here, something had started nagging at the back of his mind while they wandered up and down the city’s streets; once they left the planet’s surface, it was as if something was immediately trying to call him back.

After many rotations, when the soft whispering at the corners of his awareness didn’t fade away, he broached the topic with his mom. He asked her what it was and what it could mean, and he had watched while she regarded him with a thoughtful, misty-eyed look. He’d never forget her response: “You have questions, Jacen. I can’t answer them, but the Force can.” She let him take the Phantom II (how the ancient Clone Wars-era shuttle was still in flying condition, he had no clue), making him promise to bring both the shuttle and himself back in one piece.

That had been maybe four rotations ago. Since then, he’d been relentlessly searching the town, eavesdropping on all manners of conversations, hoping to find the shred of a sliver of a hope of what the kriff he was even supposed to be looking for. He was tired, frustrated, and alone.

Maybe I should leave and meet up with Mom on Ryloth.

But as soon as he had the thought, the whispering started a new chorus of nagging at the back of his mind. It spoke no words to him, only gifting him with a confusing, nebulous feeling that he couldn’t put any sort of name to.

Jacen tugged the hood of his cloak over his head, hiding his wolf tail of dark green hair and the smattering of green freckles that dotted his cheekbones. His mom had mentioned the Force, that somehow it was the thing that could help with the whispers in his head. But as far as the Force was concerned, he was skeptical at best. Sure, he’d met the great Luke Skywalker, the last of the Jedi who had ‘brought balance to the Force’, whatever that meant. But upon meeting one of the people who’d fought alongside his mom in the Rebellion, Jacen’s impression of the man hadn’t been very… impressive. Luke was a cool guy and all, but the whole ‘mystical Force-wielding warrior’ thing? Jacen didn’t buy it. In his opinion, the man was just an extremely lucky farmboy-turned-rebellion-hero, who now had some sort of school to teach others his lucky Force-wielding ways.

His mom insisted that his dad had been a Jedi, too. She’d told Jacen many stories of how the two of them went around the Galaxy and helped people, formed their rag-tag found family, and fought with the Rebellion since its infancy. Of course he believed her - she was his mom, after all. And he’d talked with Uncle Zeb and Aunt Sabine frequently enough to know the stories were true, all of them.

Which meant the story of how his dad had sacrificed himself to save the others during one of their last missions as a group was, tragically, true as well. His father, Kanan Jarrus - the Jedi, the hero, and the martyr who never lived to see the birth of his son. By all accounts, a legend. A man with a legacy so storied and noble that Jacen could never hope to hold a candle to that blazing bright flame. And he definitely couldn’t ever dream of relating to that half of his parentage, other than the predominantly human features he saw every time he looked in a mirror.

Pilot or mechanic? Relatable. War hero? An occupation he would never aspire to, but a tangible thing nonetheless. But… Jedi Knight ?

Jacen groaned and covered his face with one of his hands, trying to ignore the sound of his insecurities and uncertainties mingling with the incessant whispering.

I need a drink.

Quickly descending the tower and making his way to his rented speeder, he started zipping down the main highway into town. He couldn’t outrace the whispers and doubts, but the sensation of the wind whipping in his face as he skimmed over the surface helped ground him. He still wanted that drink, though.

The grungy, welcoming sign of Old Jho’s was barely in sight when, out of nowhere, a white blur streaked across Jacen’s field of view.

“Whoah!”

He slammed on the brakes, causing the speeder to swing at an angle as it ground to a halt. As he caught his breath, Jacen spotted the source of the blur perched on top of some crates next to the road. It was one of the planet’s many Lothcats, sitting cool, collected, and completely oblivious to the danger it had narrowly avoided. But it wasn't like any of the Lothcats he'd seen before; this one had fur as white as a blizzard on Hoth and piercing blue eyes. Eyes that were staring directly at Jacen.

“Well, aren't you a strange little guy?” he mused.

The white Lothcat meowed and licked its front paw.

“I've got someplace to be, but you should be more careful when you're crossing the street.” Why am I talking to a tooka? It's not like it understands me.

Jacen repositioned his foot onto the gas pedal, intending to traverse the last couple of blocks between him and Old Jho’s. But at his movement, the Lothcat immediately raised its hackles and hissed at him.

“What? Why are you mad at me? I didn't hit you! Now scram!”

It lowered its hackles and resumed staring at him, watching him expectantly.

Jacen sighed and dismounted the speeder. “Fine. What do you want?”

The Lothcat looked him directly in the eyes, then turned to look at the horizon. Some of the whispers in Jacen’s head coalesced to form a thought of intuition.

“Do… do you want to show me something?”

The Lothcat chirped as it brought its gaze back to Jacen. As if it were trying to say: Obviously, Meiloorun-head.

“Okay then,” he sighed, “lead the way.”

The white Lothcat leapt from the stack of crates, landing nimbly on the other side of the fence Jacen had just passed that separated the concrete of the city from the expansive, grassy fields. It poked its head through a patch of grass, giving Jacen an impatient stare.

“Hold on, let me get turned around!” Jacen carefully maneuvered the speeder so he could execute a three-point turn in the empty passageway, bringing himself about to face the direction of the Lothcat. His speeder properly oriented, the small creature dove further into the grass and reappeared in a small opening a few feet ahead. Again it looked back at Jacen expectantly, twitching its tail as if to wave him forward. Jacen's gaze flicked between the Lothcat and the plains stretching out before him, the swaying grass tickling the twin moons where they hung low in the sky.

Speeding off into the unknown, following a white Lothcat? Sounds weird and reckless.

Let's get started.

Lightly revving the engine, the speeder moved forward off the road. The Lothcat immediately started racing ahead of Jacen, bounding through the sea of yellows and light browns. He strained to keep his sights on the bobbing blur of white as he chased after it, quickly losing sight of the city through the tall grass surrounding him. The flashes of white in the growing darkness were now the only thing guiding his way.

Well, that, and the chorus of whispers from the grass as it brushed by him, holding a cryptic conversation with the murmurs in the back of his mind. He couldn’t make any intelligible sense of it, but somehow Jacen knew he was heading in the right direction. He could feel it.

Heading towards what , though, he had no idea.

Eventually their chase through the seemingly endless plains led to a wide open clearing, where large circles of fine dirt and gravel prevented the tall grass from growing. The largest of the circles gently sloped inwards towards its center, like a crater or excavation site. The Lothcat stopped at the edge of this circle, causing Jacen to once again slam on the brakes to avoid hitting his animal guide. It meowed at him and hissed at the speeder, clearly trying to communicate that the machine should be left at the edge of the clearing. He dismounted, and instantly the Lothcat began trotting forward, down into the mysterious pit.

“What is this place?” Jacen mused as he walked behind the white Lothcat. As they moved further into the clearing, wisps of fog started accumulating at the edges of the grass, obscuring the rest of Lothal’s landscape so that only the empty clearing was visible.

Scratch that - not empty. In the very center of the pit, still a long ways away from where he stood, sat some sort of grey rock.

Maybe it’s a magic Force rock? Or maybe… didn’t Mom mention that Lothal once had a Jedi temple? Maybe this is the last remaining piece of it?

Trying to keep his hopes from soaring too high, he continued towards what was possibly the last object on Lothal that might actually help him answer the questions stirring inside him. When the pair got close enough to the center, the Lothcat scampered up to the top of the rock, its white coat contrasting with the soft grey surrounding it. Turning in a little circle, it contently nestled itself into the long, furry moss covering the stone.

Hold up.

… Long, furry moss?

That’s no stone.

Jacen stumbled backwards, falling onto his backside in the dirt, when the not-stone started shifting. The large, grey mass rose onto four large, grey legs; a bushy tail unfurled and swept past Jacen’s feet as the not-rock started turning. Soon, he was face-to-snout with by far the most beautifully terrifying creature he had ever seen.

Holy kriff, I’m about to get eaten by a Lothwolf. Mom’s gonna kill me.

The wolf towered over him, its warm breath beating against Jacen’s wind-stung cheeks. A low growl escaped through its teeth, though somehow the sound didn’t bring the impending sense of doom Jacen thought it would. Possibly because the white Lothcat, still cutely perched atop the Lothwolf’s head, flanked by the beast’s pointed ears where the Lothcat had nestled into the mass of grey fur.

When the Lothcat mewled from its perch, Jacen's gaze briefly drifted upwards. A dark grey pattern marked the wolf’s forehead, the shape of which was achingly familiar. He didn't examine it for long, though, feeling the urgent need to make eye contact with the Lothwolf.

“Uh,” he stammered, “What… what do you want from me?”

Despite asking the question aloud, the last thing Jacen expected was a verbal response.

“You. Must. Learn,” the wolf slowly articulated. The words were like a cross between a growl and a howl, and it was entirely possible Jacen was simply imagining the whole exchange. Then again, if the Force was somehow involved in whatever this unusual encounter was, anything was possible.

“Learn what?”

The wolf narrowed its eyes, irritated at the interruption. “Who. You. Are.”

Jacen barely restrained himself from letting a series of questions and comments burst from his mouth.

But I know who I am! I'm Jacen Syndulla. Son and copilot of the best pilot in the Galaxy. Why would I be anything else?

The wordless whispers in the back of his mind hadn’t ceased yet; rather, they seemed to be getting louder, escalating to an annoying buzzing sensation that simultaneously made him agitated and empty.

Somehow, through all the noise, he heard the Lothwolf speak again:

“Your… Legacy.”

Before Jacen could wonder what the newest addition to the cryptic message could mean, the Lothwolf lowered its snout so that its nose was touching the center of his forehead.

There was a flash of white light.

And then… nothing.

Jacen looked around at his surroundings, worry rising in his chest when he couldn’t see the grey Lothwolf or the white Lothcat. The worry morphed into a full-on panic when he realized he couldn’t even see the dirt or the grass or the moons of Lothal anymore. He was surrounded by darkness as far as the eye could see. Though not total darkness - the black sky he saw stretching in every direction was dotted with tiny white pinpricks of light. It was as if he was floating in some sort of Galactic void and standing among the stars.

The incessant whispers in his head ceased, magnifying the silence of the strange place.

“Hello?” he called out, his voice echoing in his ears despite the clear lack of any walls or other smooth surfaces for the sound to bounce off of. “Is anybody there? Somebody? ...Anybody?”

But nothing returned his call.

Slumping to his knees, Jacen buried his face in his hands.

What am I doing here?

Why did I come here in the first place?

I’m not cut out for all this weird stuff. I’m practically useless on my own. I should never have left Mom.

“I just want to go home…” he sobbed aloud.

“Already? But you just got here!”

“I know, but - eeAAAGGHH!” Jacen shrieked, his heart pounding as he searched, wide-eyed, for the source of the new voice. But he still couldn’t see anything. “Who are you? Where am I? What do you want?”

“I guess you wouldn’t recognize my voice, huh? Hold on, give me a second…” slowly, about five feet in front of Jacen, some of the balls of light started coalescing to form the outline of a figure. “It takes a surprisingly long time to form a body after floating around in the living Force for… what, twenty years?”

“Who… who are you?” Jacen repeated. “ What are you?” He watched as the figure of light gradually took the shape of a human, complete with a lightweight set of green armor and striking blue eyes. On the shoulder of the figure’s - well, man’s - armor was that odd symbol again, the same one he’d seen on the forehead of the Lothwolf. The familiarity of it tickled a thought in the back of Jacen's mind.

I know I've seen that symbol somewhere before...

“Jacen,” the fully-materialized man said calmly, settling on his knees in a meditative position, his eyes brimming with pride and love, “I am your -”

The puzzle finally clicked into place. “ Dad?” Jacen’s voice shook, staring incredulously at the vision before him.

“Well, I was going to say 'father’ - seemed a little more dramatic, you know? But -”

“But how?” Jacen interrupted again, “Mom said you were dead! That you died before I was even born!”

I'm dreaming. I had one too many drinks at Old Jho's again, and now I'm hallucinating. That's the only way any of this makes sense.

“Hera…” the man claiming to be his father muttered, staring wistfully off into the distance before turning his attention back to Jacen. “You know, you have your mother's eyes.”

“Funny, she always said I had your eyes. But you still haven't answered the question,” he pouted, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“Which was…?”

“How is it I can see you? Talk to you? After all this time…”

“You don't need me to answer that question,” Kanan smiled softly, raising one of his eyebrows. “I think you already know.”

“I don't! I don't know anything! I came here because I have questions, not answers!” Tears started collecting at the corner of Jacen's eyes as he became overwhelmed by frustration and a sea of other nameless emotions.

“And what was it that led you here?”

“A white Lothcat. And a wolf. I think.”

Kanan chuckled, “Go figure. But that's not what I meant. Why bother coming here to Lothal in the first place?”

“I told you, because I have questions!”

“Breathe, Jacen. Focus your thoughts. Why is it you are here, talking with me, instead of asking Hera these burning questions of yours?”

“I tried asking Mom! But I couldn't really explain it, and… and then she…” At last, the lightbulb turned on. “She told me the Force would answer me,” he sighed.

“Well, there you have it.”

“So, what, you mean to tell me you're the Force?”

“Part of it, yes. Just as you are, and your mother, and every other living thing in our Galaxy. It's… a lot to take in, I know.” Kanan gestured for Jacen to come closer.

“Wait, so…” Jacen started as he settled on his knees in front of his father, mimicking his meditative pose, “Does that mean you're not dead? Why didn't you come back sooner?”

Kanan’s shoulders shook with laughter. “Oh, I'm afraid I'm very much dead. But just because someone dies, that doesn't mean they're gone.”

Jacen pondered his words for a few moments before speaking again. “Alright. So the Force is helping me speak to you, so I'm assuming this is some sort of Force-void thing we're in?”

“It doesn't really have a name, but sure, let's go with that.”

“So… why now? I've come to Lothal a bunch with Mom, why didn't I ever stumble on this place before?”

“Because now you're finally ready.”

“Ready for what?”

“To continue the family tradition.”

Jacen narrowed his eyes. “You're going to have to be more specific.”

The corners of Kanan's mouth twitched in amusement. “Think about it for a second. Would the Force really call you here for flying lessons?”

Jacen tried to keep his thoughts from running in a million different directions.

He can't possibly mean… becoming a Jedi? Me?

“But I've never really felt… Force-y,” Jacen commented.

“The Force is strong with you, Jacen,” Kanan smiled warmly. “It has been since the day you were born. You just haven't been attuned to it until now.”

“But why now ?”

“Because the balance of the Force is at risk of collapsing. You have already learned a great deal from your mom - now that you have grown into a young man, it is time for you to learn a new path.”

“... Jedi training?” Jacen asked softly.

Kanan nodded.

“But… how will you teach me if you're dead? Or… a Force ghost, or whatever. Do I have to stay here?”

“As much as I would love to share in that part of your life, I cannot teach you. I'm…” Kanan gave him a mischievous look, “dead serious.”

Jacen groaned.

“But in all seriousness,” Kanan continued, “someone else will guide you in the ways of the Force. Someone still living.”

“... Like Luke Skywalker? Do you want me to join his Jedi academy?”

“Oh, hell no. He's got enough on his hands - er, hand - with that lot he's got now. No... there's someone else I want you to seek out.”

“There's someone else besides Luke? Who?” Jacen could feel his excitement rising. Everyone always said that Luke was the last of the Jedi, but if there was someone else…

“He'll be difficult to find.”

“Who?”

“My former padawan.”

“ Who?! ”

“Ezra Bridger.”

Jacen gasped. “Really? He's out there? Aunt Sabine and Ahsoka went searching for him ages ago, but they still haven't come back!”

“Then I guess you’ll have to find them, too.” The edges of his father's form started glowing a soft white; the reunion of father and son was almost at its end.

“Wait, but how will I find them?” Desperation was creeping into the undertones of Jacen's voice.

“You’ll find your way. I have faith in you.” Kanan reached out and placed a hand on Jacen's shoulder. Though his body was rapidly dematerializing, the touch was surprisingly solid.

“But I don't even know where to start! Please, don't go !” Jacen cried out as he felt the void around him shift, causing his stomach to flip and the shape of Kanan Jarrus to further dematerialize.

“Do not be afraid. Trust in yourself. Trust in the Force. For I will always be with you…”

Vertigo overtook Jacen and he found himself lying flat on his back, staring up at the twin moons of Lothal.

“... my son ,” the words hung on the wind, whispering before it left to dance in the tall grass.

Jacen slowly sat up, wiping dirt from his tear-stained face. He was alone in the clearing, his speeder still parked at the edge of the field right where he'd left it. Getting up and brushing off his pants, he made his way over to the bike. Jacen's hand trembled when he held on to one of the handlebars.

What… what just happened?

Am I seriously going to become a Jedi? Just like my father?

He heard a rustling off to the side. Whirling around, he laid eyes on the white Lothcat, sitting innocently in front of the tall grass and watching him expectantly.

Jacen nervously chuckled as he tried to calm his racing heart. “Hey there, little guy. You wouldn't happen to know where I can find Ezra, do you?”

The white Lothcat simply gave him a knowing look and meowed.

#rebelsfourthexchange #superherotiger #jacen syndulla #kanan jarrus #rebelsgiftexchange #star wars rebels #swr fanfic #the jedi writes

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