Archive of Our Own

Ezra had first joined the rebels for the one mission. They would pay him good credits, and he would be on his merry own way. He just had to get into the Imperial building (via the air ducts), put in the data spike so whatever the rebels wanted they would get, he would retrieve it, and then he would get out and deliver it, and get his credits. And be on his merry way and feel a little bit better about himself.

And that's what happened.

And then they contacted him again. Asking for another infiltration mission. Saying that he was good at it, and that he was doing good things.

And usually Ezra would have dismissed it, dismissed their claims.

But he saw it.

He saw the changes. People in the town square were a little brighter, their eyes a little less worn. They had a lighter sense to them, and there were quiet smirks that everyone hid from the 'troopers.

So Ezra took the job again.

It was for the greater good, he reasoned to himself. And it was for the remembrance of his parents, the broadcasts that they used to do. This was bringing people hope, while also bringing him some credits. It was a win in everyone's books.

He wasn't terribly attached to anyone in the group either.

There was a strict Kiffarian, Milal, who always made sure no one was watching Ezra as he came to their little hideout on the plains. He seemed to be the leader, and Ezra was fascinated by his tribal tattoos. They arched over his eyes and down his nose, only adding to his serious demeanor. But he was fair, and he always gave Ezra the promised credits, and just a few more because of the danger.

Next was the Togruta, Tanaath, who was more lax on security but way more strict on the intelligence side, always making sure that Ezra didn't have anything on him that could send out any signals. He had purple skin with red markings that splashed across his face like ocean waves, and he answered Ezra's questions about them, explaining that his tribe was one of the few near Shili's scary oceans. His montrals and lekku were yellow and white, and his ornamental headdress had actual teeth! So cool.

There was the human named Kayla, who had fiery red hair and a wild grin, but who was an incredible shot with her gun. She had a scar on her neck, and calculating grey eyes that always seemed to see right through Ezra when he asked for more missions, when he said that it was for getting the Imperials to back off. It was as if she knew he was doing it for his parents memories, and maybe she did. He once caught her looking at a holo of a happy family, but he had dipped away before she could catch him. Kayla had a nasty left hook and was an incredible brawler.

And the last of the group was a blue Nautolan named Mikhail who seemed to have a perpetual grin on his face, and had purple tattoos of tentacles wrapping up his arms, from what Ezra could see when he wasn't wearing the elbow-length gloves. He welcomed Ezra's questions about mechanical workings, and was always game to help Ezra better his hacking skills, finding junky droids and locks and making them better and better and having Ezra test how long it would take to splice through them. Mikhail was the pilot, although Ezra had never seen the rebel's ship.

Ezra had never been to space.

That was fine with him anyways. He preferred staying on Lothal.

Lothal, his planet, was alive again. There was something budding under the ground, in the hearts of people. He could feel it in the air, the mountains and the plains were singing with it. Every plant, every rock, every drop of water on his planet was humming with whatever was making it alive again, and Ezra wanted to keep whatever spark it was going. He wanted to be part of the fuel for the flame.

So he took another job.

And another.

They were easy. Really, it was honestly laughable how the bucket heads didn't seem to understand that it was the ventilation system that he was using, but it was to his benefit, so he didn't really question it. He just got the data spikes, he got the information, and he passed it along.

He got food. Actual, real food. He hadn't known that was what he was helping steal, but Mikhail showed him what, who, it was going to.

Tarkintown.

Anger boiled in Ezra's gut at the thought of his people being ousted from their homes, their lands. A storm brewed over Lothal, and soon the acidic rain would pour down. He needed to help distribute the food before then, so he took a breath and passed the rations around, and dodged the hands reaching for him, only to realize that they were going to clap him on the shoulder.

The storm was staved off for the standard hour that Ezra was handing food out, and then he ducked into a tent. The tents were durable, made of Lothalian weave that was designed to repel the acidic rain. In the past, before the Empire had gotten so bad here, the weaves had colors and could tell tales.

Now, color was a rare and precious commodity.

And he had unexpectedly ducked into a meeting. Not just a meeting of the town elders or anything, no couldn't be something simple like that. Why would Ezra's life ever be so simple?

No, it was a rebel meeting. With holos and everything that were flickering out and Mikhail and Tanaath were looking wary and Milal and Kayla looking determined.

"That sort of information is deeper in the imperial complex. Deeper than we've ever sent him." Mikhail said, arms crossed and the tattoos looking like two muddled tentacles. "I don't think we should do that."

"Mikha is right." Tanaath nodded, his lekku bobbing with his nod. "The Imperials know that we have a way in, and they know it's not a leak by now, who knows what they'll do to keep that sort of information from escaping? It's far too risky."

"I understand your trepidation." Milal said, his arms also crossed, and looking more stern than ever. "But this is the only way. It is the only path we have forward. It's all we have left, and if we can strike back, then we should."

Kayla thumbed at her gun in her holster.

"Why don't we just ask the boy himself? He's got a brain and can think for himself."

Ezra had a feeling in his gut that he knew where this was going.

"Ask me what?"

Everyone but Tanaath startled at his question. The Togruta had mentioned that he could sense movement through his montrals, so that made sense.

Mikhail's face grew quite somber.

Kayla tilted her head, studying Ezra with a new intensity that he wasn't sure he liked. And Milal–

Milal stepped forward, his face finally not stern. It was grave.

Something deep in Ezra's gut stirred. There was a choice coming up. One that wouldn't just affect him, but others too.

Ezra didn't like these choices.

"Ezra, there is a mission that needs completing." Milal started with, and very briefly hesitated. "The information we need you to get is, important. Far more important than usual. Which means it's not the typical Imperial complex. It's the Imperial Complex."

Oh. Oh kark.

The Imperial Complex. They wanted Ezra to infiltrate The Imperial Complex for some information that could–

That could help his people.

Lightning and thunder cracked and snapped overhead, the storm raging outside matching the conflicting feelings in Ezra's stomach.

On one hand, he could help his people. His people, Lothal as a whole, could be helped. This could possibly help so many people if he infiltrated The Imperial Complex.

On the other hand, Ezra's life was at risk here. The Imperial Complex was crawling with, well, Imperials. Not just Stormtroopers who had access to blasters and weren't afraid to use them, but also other Imperials as well. The Stormtroopers superiors. Other agents of the Empire. There was no way that only a few, measly credits could get Ezra to think about going into that place.

Unbidden, unwanted, the gratefulness of the people here in Tarkintown as he helped hand out food rose to the forefront of his mind.

People of Lothal.

His people.

The storm quieted as he came to his conclusion.

"What am I looking for?"

~~~~~~~~~~

The Force has been preparing Kanan for something.

Typically, he ignored the Force when it wasn't giving him warnings. He blocked himself away from it, trying to let all but the most serious warnings come through. It would do no one any good after all, if someone managed to leak that Kanan somehow dodged a blasterbolt that should have hit him, or he jumped higher than should be humanly possible, even with adrenaline.

However, lately, the Force has been humming in Kanan's ears, his gut. It's been curling around him, not pushing or pulling, but instead holding him like an old friend. No matter how Kanan tried to block himself from it, it would pierce through those barricades and make itself at home in his guts and his muscles.

He's been forcing himself to meditate, to try and see what exactly it was trying to do.

Frustratingly, whenever he did so, the Force was placid, and didn't reveal its secrets.

What a pain.

For now though, he was headed to the cockpit. Hera had mentioned offhandedly something about changing sectors, and Kanan was curious as to the reason why. It wasn't that he hated the section that they were in, it was purely in the Middle Rim, but now from what he had gleaned they were heading to the Outer Rim.

"So where are we heading?" Kanan greeted Hera as he plopped into his seat with a sigh, shifting it to look out at the stars. Hera barely spared him a glance, focusing on the Ghost's control panel.

"Lothal. We're swapping out with another cell, apparently they got too much attention and–" Hera was saying.

Kanan had stopped listening after the first word. He didn't mean to be rude, but the Force sang in a way it hadn't for years, possibly decades.

Lothal. For some reason, the Force wanted him on Lothal.

"Love? What is it?" Hera asked.

"I, I don't know." Kanan muttered, still staring at the stars. Why in the all the planets did the Force want him on Lothal? Was there someone there that could help him? Someone there that could help them with the Rebellion? But if that was the case, why was the Force so, so insistent?

Hera lifted one of her tattooed eyebrows at him, turning away from the control panel to cross her arms at Kanan. Yeah, he wasn't going to be leaving the cockpit for a while, not until he explained. But what was there to explain? Kanan didn't know what the hell the Force was trying to tell him, why it was singing at the mere mention of a planet.

Hera didn't ask any questions, she just sat there and stared at him. He appreciated that, he was trying to gather his thoughts as he leaned forward and balanced his arms on his thighs. Slowly, carefully, he opened himself up to the Force to see where Zeb and Sabine were.

Zeb was in his room, most likely napping. Sabine was in the common room, hopefully not working on any bombs. Maybe she was working on some artwork.

Anyway, they weren't anywhere near the cockpit. He couldn't sense Chopper, since the damn droid didn't have a life force, but he knew the droid wouldn't record this. It was, way too much. Too much was at risk to be leaked if Chopper recorded this.

"The Force has been really," Kanan searched for a word that was less, alive, for describing how the Force had been acting lately. But there weren't that many descriptions in the languages that they both knew to describe how the Force had been preparing him. Forcing him to meditate. Ridiculous. "The Force has been breaking through all my barriers that I set up for it. And when you mentioned Lothal, it started to sing. Almost like something I need is there. Something I'm destined to find is there."

Hera let out a thoughtful hum as she turned back to the stars. Kanan stared out at the stars as well, not really sure how to fully explain it himself. That was just to the best of his abilities, because the Force was keeping its secrets and wouldn't be giving them up, not until Kanan was in the thick of what it was leading him to.

"So we're going to Lothal, no matter what." Hera said. More like declared. Honestly she was more of a force of nature that could rival the Force itself. "If the Force is being so insistent, then you probably need to be on Lothal for something. Which means we all need to be on Lothal. No one gets left behind."

"Understood, Captain." Kanan chuckled. "Now, please fill me in on why we need to go to Lothal? The Force was sort of distracting me earlier."

"Right." Hera rolled her eyes, but she had a fond smile on her face, so he knew she wasn't too upset at him for being distracted. "The rebel cell on Lothal caught some heat the last few missions, and so Fulcrum wants them out of the sector and in another one. We'll meet up with them in a few standard days time, whenever we do land on Lothal."

Kanan nodded, and decided to return to his room for the moment. While he wouldn't want to meditate right now, the Force was trying to communicate with him about something. Something important was going to happen on Lothal, and so Kanan should at least do his due diligence and try to strengthen his own connection with the Force in preparation. Lowering his shields while they were in hyperspace was his only safe bet, the only place that he was safe to do so. No one could track him while he was in hyperspace at least.

And a few days later, they were on Lothal and meeting up with the Warrior and the rebel cell that was associated with her. Landing the Ghost, Hera nodded to Kanan, and as both Spectre One and Spectre Two, went to meet with the rebel cell and let them know where they were going to go next.

A Kiffarian met them on the ramp into the SC3000 freighter that was named the Warrior.

"Are you here to spark the fire, or fan the flame?" He asked. The greeting code from one rebel cell to another, and one that Fulcrum had just given them today. So there was no way that it was actually Imperial's in disguise.

"Fanning the flame is the outcome, but we will spark the fire if needed." Hera returned.

The man nodded sharply at them, and led them up the ramp and further into the ship. While it was bigger than the Ghost, Kanan knew that it was no where near as fast, and definitely the pilot wasn't the best. The best in the galaxy was Hera after all.

Three others were in the cockpit, which was more spacious than the Ghost's and had a table even, which a human woman sat behind. She was staring down at it with a pinched expression, only looking up when the Kiffarian led them in, and she dropped back down when no one else followed them.

Who was she looking for?

"These are the leaders of the cell that will be replacing us." The Kiffarian said. "I am Milal, that is Tanaath," the Togruta male who was fiddling with a piece of tech nodded at them, but went back to fiddling with the tech with a sharp intensity that Kanan couldn't hope to match.

"The woman is Kayla, and the last one is Mikhail." The Nautolan nodded from his seat in the pilot's chair.

"I'm Hera, and this is Kanan. We'll do our best to help Lothal in what ways we can." Hera said, and Kayla looked up, gray eyes flickering with hope.

"If it doesn't hurt too much, maybe you could—"

"Kayla, no. They can't." Milal sighed, breaking through her question as he went and sat down on the copilot's seat.

"You don't know that! They could at least look! We owe him that much." Mikhail argued, his lekku twitching harshly with his emotions.

"Look for who? Did you lose a crewmate?" Hera asked.

The mood in the cockpit somehow grew more somber.

"No." Milal muttered. "No, he wasn't a crew member. He was, someone we recruited from Capital City to help. But we asked too much, and he infiltrated the Imperial Complex. The largest one on Lothal. And for some reason, after that mission, everytime the Stormtroopers saw him, they went after him. He had helped us before, but there was no reason for them to go after him."

"He was good." Mikhail whispered, staring out at the Lothalian plains. "When he realized what they were up to, he wouldn't come to us. We offered so many times to help him get off of Lothal, to leave. We tried to contact him so many times for that reason, to get him offworld. But he was so stubborn. Lothal is, was, his home. And he wanted to help how he could. So he refused our help, and the Stormtroopers eventually caught him. That was about half a standard week ago."

"There was nothing you could do then." Hera said softly.

"He was just a kid!" Kayla snapped, hands slamming on the table. "He was a kid, and it's all our fault."

"No, it was mine." Milal sighed. "I was the one who agreed to give him more jobs. I shouldn't have. I shouldn't have involved a child. I should have known the Empire wouldn't have qualms with harming one."

"To be fair," Mikhail muttered, staring at the plains, and Kanan took this as his cue to leave, already in the doorway. Hera was following him. "Who could deny those tooka-eyes? Especially when he said his planet felt alive again after helping us."

Kanan paused.

Alive wasn't a descriptor most people used when talking about their planets.

Most people. The select few though. . . Coupled with the Force singing and preparing him–

He stepped back into the cockpit.

"Did he ever say why exactly the Imperals were after him? Or what he did to accidentally catch their attention?"

He felt Hera's eyes staring vibro-daggers into his back, but he needed to know. He didn't know why, but he needed to know. He just had to.

Milal pursed his lips, his stern expression looking thoughtful. Kayla tilted her head, clearly wracking her brain. Mikhail turned his chair to look at them, tilting his head back to look at the roof of the cockpit.

It was Tanaath that spoke up, despite having been the quietest of the group.

"He had jumped the gap."

Everyone looked at him. He was still fiddling with the tech, and Kanan realized that he must be trying to find some sort of radio waves to find information on the kid.

"There is a sizeable gap, between roofs that he always ran on to escape the Stormtroopers. And yet he always managed to jump it. No human, no near-human, should be able to jump that gap. I've seen it, the gap, and no one should be able to jump it. And yet, Ezra did."

So Kanan had a name at least.

Ezra.

And maybe a reason why the Force was leading him to Lothal.

Kayla looked sharply at Tanaath.

"What are you saying?" She asked, her tone harsh.

Mikhail sighed. "He did seem, a little star-touched."

Milal clenched his jaw.

"There's nothing that can be done about it now." He said somewhat solemnly. "I appreciate you coming and taking over the liberation of Lothal. Thank you, Spectres. You have the loyalty of the Fighters."

Hera nodded, and they took their leave from the other ship. Getting back onto the Ghost, Kanan retreated into his room and sat on his bed, thinking. Trying to piece together what exactly was going on. He felt the vibrations of the SC3000 leaving the planet while he thought over the crumbs of clues that had been fed to him.

The Force had been preparing him for something. It had sang when he heard of Lothal, and he couldn't have stopped himself from asking about the kid when he had mentioned that his planet felt alive again. And even one of the rebels they had met thought that he was "star-touched," which was the more common phrase nowadays to say someone was Force sensitive, especially since no wanted to out another person like that to the Empire.

So, there was a Force sensitive on Lothal, or there had been. And the Force wanted the two of them to meet.

The Force sensitive had been young enough for them to call him "kid."

Was the Force seriously trying to force a Padawan on him? No, couldn't be. Maybe the Force just wanted him to impart some wisdom and then they would hide the kid and—

Kanan couldn't take a Padawan.

He couldn't.

They could find the kid, and then hide him away someplace safe in the galaxy. That's all that would happen.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ezra didn't know what exactly happened.

He had infiltrated The Imperial Complex. He had gotten the rebels their information and that's really where everything went to bantha-poodoo. The alarms were so loud as he crawled through the vents and escaped to the outside. And then the Stormtroopers started pouring out after him.

So all he could do is run. He ran across the tops of the roofs and hoped and prayed that maybe he could escape. And if he couldn't escape, then maybe he could at least get the rebels their information and then he could get captured. He was sure that the Imperials weren't going to treat him kindly, not after this stunt. But if he could get this information out, then maybe, maybe his planet, his people, could feel alive again.

Thankfully he came across the familiar gap that he always came across. His steps increased in their pace, and he jumped like he usually did. He was suspended in midair for a few seconds, giving himself the ability to prepare for the landing, so he was quick to tuck and roll when he landed. Turning his head, he caught eyes with someone that he's never seen before.

A dark blue uniform, and his helmet was open-faced. An odd design, and Ezra kinda wanted it. He wanted that helmet, but he couldn't get it. No time to get it, he couldn't snatch it right now. Maybe next time Ezra's paths crossed with this guy's, he could snatch the helmet. But for now, he needed to keep running.

It was terribly difficult, and he didn't want to spend another night on Capital City's streets. Not while they were swarmed with Stormtroopers, looking for Ezra. The TIE Fighters were overhead, searching for him on the rooftops.

What a ridiculous commotion for some information. Ezra was just glad that he knew the sewers of Capital City like the back of his hand. He managed to slice through the top of the sewer cover off on the outskirts of the city while fighting against the overwhelming feeling that something had changed, that the world as Ezra knew it was going to be changing for the worst.

Surfacing from the sewers, he pushed his body up and started running across the fields. Their meeting point was his tower. Just far enough away that he could run to it after a good standard hour of running, far enough away that the Imperials wouldn't think to look there. Far enough away that the rebels would be safe sending at least one person to meet and grab the data from him and hand him his credits.

And there was someone there. It was Milal, which honestly surprised Ezra, although he hid it by allowing himself to fall forward enough and rest his hands on his knees, panting. It was always a hard run, especially since he didn't have his speeder. He would have been a bigger target with it, so he had left the old junker here at the tower.

"Are you alright? Those are a lot of lights." Milal asked, his head pointed towards the city.

"No injuries." Ezra reported, since for some reason, the rebels were always insistent that he always tell them if he got injured on the job. "But they saw me. So I'm going to have to lay low for a bit. Sorry." He tacked on quickly. He knew that he was the rebel's best bet for getting information quickly, but now there wasn't any chance for that happening.

"That's fine, we expected that at least." Milal waved his hand slightly. It was the most emotion Ezra had seen from the man. He held out a pouch, and Ezra felt himself lighting up. He was going to eat easy for at least three standard weeks on this payment! Maybe a standard month and two weeks if he stretched it.

"Please take care of yourself Ezra. And thank you." Milal bowed his head slightly, and Ezra nodded. And then the man was gone, off on his speeder and disappearing into the dark Lothalian night.

Climbing the stairs to his tower afterwards was so hard, and he barely avoided his own traps before falling onto his bed and crawling under the blanket and curling up.

He awoke to a ship, a Star Destroyer, breaking Lothal's atmosphere and heading towards Capital City. His planet, Lothal, the people– he could feel the quiet dread that built so quickly in their hearts, in the fields. How the triumph from last night was so quickly crushed under the heel of the Empire.

Ezra's heart burned with righteous anger for his people, his planet. It also burned with curiosity.

How did the Star Destroyer get here so quickly? What did Ezra steal last night? Who was important enough to warrant a Star Destroyer?

He needed food.

He couldn't avoid Capital City.

He only had his orange jumpsuit. The one that the Imperials saw him in last night.

It would be fine, Ezra reasoned with himself as he carefully ducked corners and avoided patrols with an intensity that he had only ever used for the first few years after his parents had been taken. He knew these streets. He would be fine.

He was not fine. The Stormtroopers found him as he was actually haggling for some fruit, and he had to run.

And by the stars above and below, they were so persistent! There was no reason for them to be so persistent! Sure he was seen last night fleeing The Imperial Complex, but surely they weren't that upset about it? Surely not? What exactly had Ezra stolen?

The attention would die down in a standard week. Until then, he would just avoid the patrols.

The attention didn't die down.

In fact, they just were even more persistent. They were actively chasing Ezra, when before, even when they had spotted him doing illegal things, they had just shrugged after he had broken line of sight. Sure they had cursed and gone on their not-so-merry way, but they hadn't kept trying to find him after he had hidden. Ezra's knowledge of the streets and his instincts were his saving grace and the only way that he was staying free.

He didn't understand. He didn't want to understand.

So instead he just kept his head down and avoided the patrols the best he could and managed just fine.

Until the rebels had a new job for him.

Another infiltration job.

But this time, the damn Imperials tried to smoke him out of the vents. He nearly dropped down onto a patrol that was in the halls, but he managed to hold his breath just fine and got into an empty room. Breathing heavily, he tried to keep quiet as he spliced through the Empire's radio signals and tried to figure out why they were so, so determined to catch one Lothrat.

["-ind him before the Inquisitor comes to Lothal."] A voice with authority was saying. ["It's imperative to the furtherance of the Empire that we capture that child."]

["But sir, it's just one kid—"]

["I will not listen to your whining, Trooper. Either find that child, or you will answer to the Inquisitor himself."]

Something deep in Ezra's stomach sank as he nabbed a helmet from the shelf and crawled back into the vents, the air purifier of the helmet ensuring that he would stay safe as he escaped the complex with the information the rebels needed. He barely remembered escaping, he barely remembered getting back to where the rebels were and handing them their data spike. His mind was in a daze over the newfound information that he had just found out.

"Ezra? What's the matter?" Mikhail asked as he disinfected the cut on Ezra's shoulder that he had gotten in his escape from Capital City. "You aren't harmed further and hid it from us, are you?"

"No, nothing like that." Ezra muttered. "I just, I can't help you guys now."

It was something that had been gnawing at him, like hunger gnawed at the space under his ribs. It was something that he knew was right. He couldn't lead the Imperials back to the rebels. Him being here right this very second was making things worse for the rebels actually, since the Empire was actively was searching for him.

Tanaath's facial markings furrowed as he walked in from the door, clearly not understanding why.

"Is there a particular reason why? If it's credits, we can talk to Milal—"

"No, not credits. The credits are nice." Ezra was quick to cut him off. He stood, pulling his shirt sleeve back down and hiding the cut once more. It was nice of the rebels to take care of him one last time. "It's just, the last job, the Empire got a good look at my face apparently. So they've been after me, and it's been getting bad."

"Then we can get you off of Lothal." Kayla said, cleaning her gun. "You can't stay here if they're looking for you, kid."

"I'm not leaving Lothal." Ezra said firmly. There was no way in the galaxy and all its stars he would ever leave his planet and his people. Not willingly. "Thank you, for looking out for me like you have. But I'm going to take care of myself now. Make sure to avoid the Empire guys."

"Ezra wait, let's talk about this—" Mikhail tried to grab at him.

Ezra was faster.

It wouldn't be good, if the rebels were found thanks to him. They were the spark of hope that his planet needed. He couldn't be the reason that they were caught. He wouldn't be the reason that they were caught. He wouldn't allow himself to be the reason that they were caught.

He spent as long as he could hiding out in his tower. Eating as little as he could. Keeping himself alive in what little ways he could.

Ezra couldn't stay there forever though, and had to go back to Capital City.

He could avoid for a good while.

But he was just one kid. One kid, running away from patrols upon patrols of Stormtroopers and TIE Fighters. There was really only one end for him.

In a cell, on the same Star Destroyer that he saw breaking his planet's orbit.

And then he wasn't even in his planet's orbit anymore. His planet was left behind as he was stuck in that cold cell.

All he could do was wait.

~~~~~~~~~~

Little odd jobs around Lothal kept the Ghost crew busy. Kept Kanan busy and his mind off of the thought of trying to find a kid that should be free and marginally more safe than he was currently. Kept Kanan's mind off of the way that his holocron and his lightsaber were singing like they haven't in years.

He ignored the tug to the both those things, the tug to his past.

Zeb and Sabine knew something was up, they sent him glances that told him he should talk to them. Hera was sending him glances that said he should tell all of them.

He ignored all that too.

The Force would surely go away with enough time, wouldn't it? It had in the past, when he was in hiding after the extermination of the Jedi. It has laid dormant in his mind, only giving the warnings it did when his life was in the most danger and only when he had been on Gorse.

But now the Force hummed around him, happy and content with how things were progressing. Even if things were, frustratingly, slow. Hera, having found out that there was child that had been taken by the Empire, had started covertly searching for the kid.

Sabine, having found out through Hera leaving her datapad out, was also searching. Her face was often pinched in concentration as she dived through information that she spliced through and combed through piles and piles of data. When Kanan had asked about it, she had muttered something along the lines of "he deserves to be known. He's already shown he's a rebel, so he deserves to be known on our side as his name."

Kanan understood then. Being taken prisoner by the Empire, people were just given a letter and numbers. Same as the cadets and the Stormtroopers. Sabine wanted to know the kid's name to honor him and his sacrifice. She empathized with the kid. He left her to it.

Zeb had found out about the kid being taken by the Empire too. Through different means though, because he found out through Tarkintown. They had delivered food, and a human man had looked around, before frowning and asking where "Ezra" was, before explaining when he saw Zeb's confused face.

It didn't take long for the pieces to fall into place for Zeb, he was dangerously smart. A kid that had been recruited by rebels and now that kid was missing after an Imperial uproar. If Zeb was a lot more rough with the Stormtroopers on the next mission, well. Kanan couldn't blame him. Ezra had been just a kid. And now he was in Imperial hands.

Zeb had also gone out of his way and began studying Lothalian culture. Apparently Capital City wasn't originally named "Capital City." The Imperials just named it that after they had conquered Lothal. And Lothalians had their own language, one that the Empire had tried to stamp out, but Zeb was quickly becoming a favorite in the market for requesting food in broken Lothali.

Chopper was, surprisingly, very gung-ho for intercepting Imperial frequencies and trying to find something that pertained to "underage organics." He reported everything back to Hera and Kanan, and while they managed to save so many people, so many kids, from an underground slave ring that the Empire was funneling them into, there was no child from Lothal.

Slowly, Kanan started to acknowledge that everyone and everything around him was trying to help the kid, this kid, Ezra, in their own ways.

But for now, he couldn't focus on that. He couldn't focus on the kid. He couldn't focus on how the Force was trying to tie them together, how his heart tugged sharper at every mention of a child he had never met.

They had a mission. One bigger than before.

Wookies had been taken by the Empire, and they were going to get them out.

Getting onto the Star Destroyer was easy, ridiculously easy. That really should have been the first indication that something was wrong, but Kanan was focused on the Force. It was singing-humming-ringing in his ears, in his stomach, in his ribs. Zeb, Sabine, and Kanan crept through the halls of the Star Destroyer.

They got to the designated cell, and Sabine started to splice through the wires.

She was nearly done with it when the humming-ringing-singing of the Force finally reached its crescendo and the alarms blared.

Behind you! The Force yelled cheerfully, and Kanan whipped around, hand on his blaster.

His eyes met blue ones that were around his chest height, and the Force finally settled down at last. At peace at last.

This is right. It Hummed. He is yours. It Sang.

Padawan-Mine. His mind whispered.

The panic on the kid's face got wiped away for a second, replaced with confusion and awe and a slight hint of fear, before determination took precedent.

"It's a trap RUN!" The kid yelled, and a split second after the words left his lips, the door behind Sabine opened.

She hadn't finished splicing.

Kanan moved as the Force guided, hand finding the chinks in the Stormtrooper's armor and knocking him down and Sabine, quick on her feet as ever, was quick to hack the system and rewire it to close on the 'troopers.

"This way!" The kid, Ezra, because it just simply had to be Ezra, yelled. And Kanan followed without a thought. He motioned over his shoulder at Zeb and Sabine, who were quick to follow as well, standard months of operations not going the way that they should making them light on their feet and paws.

They ran through the halls, Zeb and Kanan and Sabine shooting out the panels for the doors and letting them get some ground. Finally, the kid opened a panel under a door, ripping some wires and twisting them together and replacing the panel before pressing some buttons on the door panel in a sequence. The door opened and they all piled in, quick as they could.

Just in time, because patrol units ran past the door, thankfully not realizing that their quarry was right behind the door that they had ignored.

The room that the kid had opened turned out to be an armor storage room, helmets lining the walls and other armor and guns on the opposite side. Logical place to hide, since the Stormtroopers that were currently on-board of the Star Destroyer had everything they needed. Smart kid. Speaking of–

Turning back to the kid, Kanan noticed that he had backed himself into a corner, eyes flitting from Kanan, to Zeb, to Sabine, and then back to Kanan. His shoulders were tense, and he was probably regretting his decision locking himself in with people he didn't know.

Zeb made the first move towards him, making the kid tense up. Zeb froze, before loosening his own shoulders and reaching one of his paws up and curled it into a fist, and then tapped it over his chest three times.

The kid froze at the motion. Before reciprocating it and Lothali left his lips. Zeb spoke it back, a little hesitant, but it relaxed the kid more. It seemed like he could finally breathe instead of taking short gasps and holding them.

"Hey," Kanan called lowly, taking a step forward. The kid's eyes flicked to him, and he tensed up again, but it wasn't as bad. Not as tense as before, and Kanan would take it. "You're Ezra, aren't you? From Lothal?"

Hesitation, before a nod.

"How do you know who I am?" Ezra asked in Basic, leaning against the wall. His arms were crossed tight in front of him, trying to block himself away and keep some sort of personal space. Poor kid probably hasn't much, thanks to being in the Empire's oh so loving care.

"The rebels from Lothal before us." Kanan crouched slightly to get on Ezra's level. "They were really worried about you."

Something broke in Ezra's eyes, maybe the icy façade. He blinked it away quickly though, and shook his head lightly.

"They're off of Lothal though?"

"Yeah. Too much heat looking for you." Kanan shrugged.

Ezra rolled his eyes, but there was a wave of gratefulness burning in those eyes.

"They always did care so much. Way too much."

Kanan decided to be kind enough to not point out the fact that Ezra was in this situation because he was the one who helped the rebels. Sabine shuffled forward, her pistols in their holsters, but she didn't pull her helmet off yet. They were still in enemy territory after all, and there was no way she was taking it off until they were on the Ghost and in hyperspace.

"So what do we do now? They don't know where we are now, but they're going to search eventually and find the others soon." She pointed out, and that was a problem. They needed to get out and get back to the Ghost before the Imperials found where the Ghost was connected to this Star Destroyer.

Ezra moved in Kanan's peripheral, first grabbing a ratty backpack and shifting it onto his back, then grabbing a helmet from the wall and putting it on his head and messing with it a bit. He tilted it back and forth, before looking back at them. Or, Kanan thinks the kid is looking at them. Hard to tell with the helmet.

"They're searching hanger bay twenty-seven, and are going to move onto hanger bay twenty-nine soon." The kid reported.

Clever.

"Hanger thirty-three is where our ride is." Zeb muttered. "Think you can keep up, kid?"

There was a slight pause, and opening himself up to the Force, Kanan could feel surprise and hesitant hope from Ezra.

"You're gonna take me with you?"

"We didn't come all this way to not save someone." Kanan said easily. "Besides, I think Spectre Four here would knock me out if we tried. And Spectre Two would be mad at me if we did."

"Damn right on both accounts." Zeb snorted. "C'mon kid, let's get going. I got buckets to crush."

The running and ducking to their hanger went smoothly, up until the last dash. An ISB agent appeared, and for some reason, got incredibly frantic when he noticed that Ezra was with them.

"Stop them!" He ordered, drawing his own gun and shooting at Ezra of all people. His gun was even set to stun, and Kanan had about two seconds to be confused about that as Ezra dodged the stun bolts before the ISB agent spoke again. "Don't let them take the Recruit!"

Oh hells no.

"Get on the ship!" He ordered the kid, and somehow, despite wearing a helmet, Ezra looked hesitant to do so.

There was no time to be hesitant. Especially not in the middle of a firefight in a hanger.

"Spectre Four!"

Zeb understood, and as the strongest of their team, hefted Ezra up and nearly threw him into the Ghost. Probably wasn't endearing them to Ezra, but they needed to get out of here before they all got caught. They could worry about endearing themselves to the kid later. Before they dropped him off on another planet that would keep him safe.

(Kanan resolutely ignored the part of his mind that had been chanting "Padawan-Mine" since he had laid eyes on Ezra.)

The rest of the Spectres were quick to retreat once they were sure that Ezra was safely aboard the Ghost and Kanan was quick to close the door.

"Spectre Two, get us out of here!" Kanan yelled into the comm as they boarded the Ghost, boarded safety, boarded home.

["On it Spectre One, no hitchhikers, right?"] Hera joked, and Kanan winced slightly. Because well, they didn't have any Imperial hitchhikers, no. But–

["Well we do have a hitchhiker, but I think it's one you'll like!"] Sabine tattled over the comms as she raced to the guns just in case. Because they were fleeing from a Star Destroyer. And the gunners were definitely trying to hit them, and some were actually getting close. Kanan trusted Hera though. She would get them to safety.

["What!?"]

"Trust me, he's not a danger." Kanan assured Hera as he grabbed Ezra by the shoulder, ignoring the flinch, and started dragging him through the ship. "I really think you'll understand."

["I highly doubt that!"] Hera snapped on the comms, before yelling ["Hold onto something."]

Kanan reached out and grabbed one of the many handles that were lining the walls, made purely for this occasion, and held tighter on Ezra's shoulder as Hera pulled a maneuver that would normally have someone losing their lunch. Kanan hadn't eaten for a few standard hours, and if he was a betting man, he would place credits on the Imperials not feeding their prisoners so they wouldn't have the power to fight back.

Ezra's shoulder was skinny and small, smaller than what the Imperials could do in such a short amount of time and Kanan was reminded that the kid was a street kid in those heartbreaking seconds, even through the Imperial-designated prison clothes. But he didn't pull away from the touch on his shoulder, in fact he reached out and grabbed onto Kanan's belt to keep his feet under him.

["Everyone hang on!"] Hera called, and the tell-tale jolt backwards before jump forwards and then smoothness of hyperspace let Kanan know it was safe to release his hold on the wall. He didn't let go of the kid through, and instead tapped the top of the helmet that he had snatched from the Imperial Star Destroyer.

"You can take that off now. No one is going to hurt you."

Ezra reached up, somewhat hesitantly again, and pulled the bucket off of his head.

Kanan's eyes were met with something along the lines of defiance and curiosity. Questions were swimming around in those eyes, likely the kid had about a thousand in his head that he wanted to ask Kanan right now. The most prevalent being "Who are you?" and "Why is the ringing in my head calm around you?"

He cut those questions off at the pass, because he wouldn't be keeping the kid around, they wouldn't be keeping the kid around, and nudged the kid forward with the hand that was still on his shoulder.

"C'mon. The pilot is gonna want to meet you."

Fear flickered in his eyes and in the Force again, and before Kanan thought about it, he was sending out a wave of comfort in the Force to Ezra's life signature. The kid's shields around his mind were pretty fierce, and honestly if Kanan wasn't being proverbially shoved in the kid's direction by the Force, he would have never know Ezra was Force Sensitive.

The wave of comfort seemed to work though, because the kid's shoulders dropped slightly before they started walking towards the common area. Zeb and Sabine were already there, Sabine having taken her helmet off and was messing with her pistols. She was likely about to start cleaning them. Zeb's ears perked up when he saw the kid beside Kanan, broken Lothali leaving his lips again. Ezra was quick to respond in kind, and Zeb grinned.

Kanan wanted to know what they were talking about, and he wanted to break in so that they wouldn't get too attached to each other. It would be dangerous if they did, if Zeb got too attached. It was clear he already saw too much of himself in the kid, his culture and language gone, crushed under the heel of the almighty Empire.

Kanan didn't have to be the bad guy, because Hera swept into the room with all the force of a storm. Her mouth was open, more than likely about to start snapping orders to get some answers about their mysterious "hitchhiker."

And then her eyes fell on Ezra.

Her mouth closed, and an array of emotions rippled across her face, like a stone thrown into a lake. Surprise, shock, awe, concern, delight– all of them chased after each other before Hera bullied her face into a smooth mask of a Captain's authority as she walked towards Ezra.

"Ezra." She said, no need to ask. She had, with the help of Chopper, managed to hack the Imperials in the last standard week and got the face to go with the name.

"That's me." The kid shrugged. "Who're you guys?"

"Hera Syndulla, of the Ghost crew." Hera replied instantly. "Milal of the Warrior crew, all of them really, were quite worried about you."

Ezra shuffled slightly, clearly trying not to squirm under the scrutiny.

"Nice to meet you guys." He muttered. "From your reactions, you weren't really searching for me, were you?"

"No." Kanan shook his head, making the kid look up at him. "The plan was to rescue some Wookies, but since they weren't there, getting you was also a good alternative."

"They were there."

Everyone froze at Ezra's declaration.

"What do you mean?" Zeb asked, leaning forward.

"The Wookies were on that ship. I learned that in my second escape attempt. They got transferred though, going somewhere else." Ezra shrugged his shoulders, and Kanan narrowed his eyes.

"And which escape attempt did we meet you on?"

Ezra let out a little smirk and didn't reply. Kanan would place credits on it somewhere being in the thirties if he was being honest. The kid seemed so terribly stubborn.

(Padawan-Mine a part of his mind tried to insist, growing louder and louder by the second. Kanan batted it away. He had no right to claim Ezra like that.)

(He ignored the part of his mind that gleefully pointed out that Ezra could claim him back and make his entire pushing away a moot point. He also ignored the part of his mind that pointed out that he hadn't let go of the kid's shoulder yet too.)

"Do you know where they're taking the Wookies?" Hera asked, immediately falling back into her Captain and Rebel role, eyes narrowed with calculation.

"The spice mines on Kessel." Ezra relayed, and the entire mood in the common room plummeted. Kanan didn't need to reach into the Force to feel the devastion that was rippling across everyone at that information. The Spice Mines were the most terrible place to send the Wookies. So of course, of course, the Empire had sent them there. They should have seen that coming.

"What's wrong?" Ezra's eyes flit from one person to the next, before settling on Sabine. "Why would they send them there?"

"It's a slave labor camp, one of the worst." Sabine divulged, her hands clamping down tightly on her blasters as she put them back together. "Devoid of all wildlife and resources except for spice. It's a desert wasteland, nearly as bad as Tatooine."

"And for Wookies, who grow up on a forest planet, being thrust into that sort of biome is a death sentence." Hera's jaw was tight.

Zeb didn't say anything, his ears laying flat against his head as he stared down at the tabletop. Likely thinking about how they had just left the Wookies on that ship, and sure they had gotten Ezra out, but they had left the Wookies and they were practically sentencing them to deat–

"Then we better go save them."

Ezra startled them all again with his words, and he stood taller under their scrutiny when they looked at him with varying shock.

"What?"

"You want to help us save them?" Zeb asked slowly, likely probably just wanting to get the kid to safety. Zeb had been an older brother after all, and he had lost all of that thanks to the Empire. He more than likely just wanted to spirit Ezra away to a hiding place and keep him away from the claws of the Empire while also keeping in contact.

"I've come this far." Ezra lifted his chin. "You dropping me off on Lothal only to turn around and go to Kessel would waste way too much gas anyways."

They all forgot this kid had the heart of a rebel. He had sought out the rebels after his first two missions for the sake of his planet. He did everything he had done for Tarkintown because he wanted to. He kept taking jobs and then distanced himself from the Warrior crew to keep them safe. There was no way he would be left behind for this.

Padawan-Mine his mind hummed as they started talking strategy on the way to the cockpit, Hera setting course for Kessel.

Kanan wasn't sure how much longer he could deny it.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ezra shifted on his feet, waiting.

They had broken Kessel's atmosphere a few minutes ago, and Sabine, Spectre Five, had hacked the Empire's database on Kessel to find out which base was receiving the Wookies. It had apparently been one of the worst ones, based on the set of the girl's shoulders after finding out.

Sabine was really pretty, but she was also really very clearly a warrior. A fighter. Interested as Ezra might be in getting to know her, he did remember when Kayla had sat him down and explained that some girls could and would kill him if they wanted to. Sabine was probably one of those girls.

Right now, they: Kanan, Zeb, Sabine (Spectres One, Four, and Five respectively) and Ezra himself were waiting in the hanger of the Ghost. Waiting for Spectre Two, Hera, the Captain, to open the ramp so they could swarm the Stormtroopers and get the Wookies free. The plan was laughably simple. Spectres One, Four, and Five would distract, while Ezra would weave around and use his lockpicking skills and free the Wookies. Then the Wookies would join them in the fight and execute a pincher attack and the Stormtroopers would never see it coming.

"Doin' alright kid?" Zeb, Spectre Four asked. For some reason, frustratingly, everyone on this damn ship, even the droid, was determined to call him "kid." He wasn't a kid, he was fourteen!

"I'm fine. Will be fine. This won't be the first time I've stuck it to the Empire." Ezra rolled his shoulders.

Zeb snorted at that, his paws playing along the edges of his rifle, probably making sure it was in working order for the firefight that was going to happen. "Yeah, Matthew from Tarkintown mentioned that you weren't someone who took the Empire's changes lying down. The erasure of the past does not mean it is not there."

Ezra leaned against the wall as he nodded, Lothali returning to mind, something he hasn't spoken since he was seven, but kept in his mind for his heritage and culture. Before the Empire tried to destroy it all.

"That was one of my parents favorite sayings." He whispered.

"They sound like they were smart." Zeb knocked his knuckles lightly on Ezra's shoulder in a salute.

"They were." Ezra sighed.

["T-minus two standard minutes to the drop."] Spectre Two's voice broke over the intercommunication systems, and Kanan, Spectre One, pushed himself forward, giving Ezra a long look. One that Ezra couldn't really decipher.

There was a lot about the guy that Ezra couldn't understand.

He's trusted his instincts his entire life. They've guided him through everything he's done before his parents left, and after his parents left. His instincts protected him from untrustworthy people on the streets and kept him safe from the winter and the storms.

Ezra has survived on the streets thanks to his instincts and his wit. He's lived as long as he had thanks to his instincts and his wit.

But when he had been running through the Star Destroyer as alarms blared overhead, and turning the corner and seeing rebels?

His eyes locking with the Kanan's?

He's pretty sure instincts don't scream "I've found you!" and "you're here at last!"

(He would deny how nice it felt though.)

Ezra didn't understand why instincts sang when he was around Kanan, a low and soft song that comforted him and let him know that he was safe. A song of protection that he barely could remember from his parents. A song he hadn't heard for years.

It wasn't something he had the time to focus on. They had Wookies to save.

The hanger door opened.

["Good luck!"] Spectre Two wished, and they were all running. Blasterbolts were flying, but Ezra always felt the tingling warning on his body when he knew they were about to hit, so he dodged behind a stack of crates and waited for the signal from Spectre One. Spectres One, Four, and Five shot their blasters, the Stormtroopers were returning fire, and then Spectre One glanced in his direction.

A nod. Short and decisive. It was all Ezra needed.

Slipping around the fire fight was one of the easiest things Ezra has done in the last few standard weeks. Everyone was so focused on the fire fight that they totally, somehow missed the black blur shifting around and getting to the Wookies. Ones that didn't seem very happy to see him, but that was fine. He just needed to prove himself worthy of their trust.

"Easy, easy!" Ezra muttered, reaching out and with his lockpick in hand, set one of them free. "Trust me, I'm not wearing these colors because I want to."

The Wookies somehow looked even more murderous at that, and Ezra was quick to set all the Wookies free that were in sight.

Something niggled at the back of his head though. Something was missing. Something wasn't right.

But the Wookies were freed soon enough, and they were quick to attack the Stormtroopers from behind. Yells and growls were let out, harsh smacks to the 'troopers armor that didn't seem to faze the Wookies in the slightest. Ezra let out a sigh of relief when the squadron was taken care of, Spectre One's eyes searching him out and the singing was back in his head. Soothing-calm-singing.

And then it was ringing-warning-yelling as another squadron descended from a transport.

Kallus was at the back of the squadron. Because of course he was. Why wouldn't he follow Ezra? For some reason, he had it in his head that Ezra was some sort of recruit for the Empire, willing or unwilling, and he was going to take Ezra somewhere and introduce him to someone and that would get him a promotion.

Ezra couldn't help but let out a few Lothali curses as he ducked behind a crate, thinking of the options they had. Kallus at the front, stuck behind some crates and no way out that they could see right now. He could grab a blaster and try firing at the Stormtroopers but he's never fired a blaster in his life. He would just be a hindrance in this situation.

His heart plummeted.

This was all his fault. If the rebels hadn't helped him, even way back on Lothal–

Spectre One glanced at him. He glanced at the transport crate in front of them. He seemed to come to a decision.

The humming-ringing-singing was back.

"Spectre Two," he called into his handheld communications device. "We're pulling a Twenty-two Pickup."

"What!?" Both Spectres Four and Five yelled, while Spectre Two confirmed over the comm.

And then Spectre One holstered his gun.

What in the skies and stars are you doing? Ezra thought as he watched the man jumped the crates they were hiding behind and strode forward, feet hitting the ground with purpose. He smoothly dodged out of the way of blasterbolts that flew towards him, and Ezra gripped the edge of the crate he was hiding behind at a few close calls, but no hits. Spectre One reached on both sides of his form, grabbing two cylinders that Ezra had noticed also sang with the ringing-song, and connected them with a twist.

A smooth flick, and the sword of pure light was ignited.

"Whoa." Ezra exhaled, enchanted by the blue blade.

This is right. His instincts whispered, pleased. You are his, he is yours. They trilled, utterly happy. No denying it now, no escaping it ever. They curled around Ezra, making him want to go forward and stand by Spectre One's, Kanan's, side.

Everyone seemed to hold their breath at the sight. Spectre One standing firm between the Stormtroopers and the Wookies and his team and Ezra behind him. A mountain would be easier to move.

Until Kallus opened his mouth.

"Everyone! Open fire on the–" he faltered, seemingly unable to cope with the fact of Spectre One in front of him, "–the Jedi."

The name sent a thrill through Ezra.

So did the many blaster bolts now being sent his way, thanks to Kana– Spectre One standing in between them and the Stormtroopers. Ezra was quick to duck behind the crate he had been gripping.

"Everyone!" Spectre Four called. "Into the shipping container! Now! While they're distracted."

The Wookies were quick to follow the order, and Ezra started to coordinate as well, helping lift some of them up when they stumbled from a blaster bolt to the shoulder.

One roared something. It sounded like any other sound of the Wookies language, but Ezra could just tell, the Wookie was distressed. Something was wrong, in the way that Ezra had felt before, the way that his instincts told him something was wrong before.

Look. His instincts cooed, and he peered around the chaos that Spectre One was causing. He looked through the cacophony of the Stormtroopers.

There was a kid Wookie. A kid Wookie running away from a Stormtrooper.

His gut was heavy. Another decision. One that would carry consequences. He had a choice here.

Leave it. One side of him hissed. You were left behind too. Why spare the energy to rescue one person?

I wasn't though. The other part of him said calmly. They searched for me. They came for me. They rescued me. Why can't I help rescue others?

Ezra's body was moving before he came to his own conclusion, his mind singing and ringing, like this was what he was always meant to be doing all along. Like his entire life has led to this moment.

"Kid stop!" He heard Spectre Four call.

He couldn't. His body was moving on its own, he couldn't stop even if he wanted too. There was a child in danger, there was kid that needed saving. There was someone that needed help, and Ezra was capable of helping them. Ezra couldn't stop his body from moving more than he could stop himself from breathing.

He followed them out to a walkway over the mines, and the pit in his stomach grew. If the kid had no where else to go, then who knew what the Stormtrooper would do to them–

Ezra cut the thought off at the pass.

"Hey!" Ezra called, and reached for his energy slingshot. He had just barely remembered to put it on back on the Ghost, and during the firefight before Spectre One revealed himself Ezra hadn't used it because it would mostly be a hindrance. He would need to use it though, because it was his only weapon. He didn't have a blaster after all.

The Stormtrooper ignored him, or didn't hear him.

"Hey!" Ezra called, louder. He planted his feet louder, trying to make himself more heard.

Crouch. His instincts whispered. He followed the order. The Stormtrooper turned, and readied his blaster. Ezra squinted, trying to time this just right. His energy slingshot wasn't dangerous like a blaster was, but it could definitely hold a nasty kick if the enemy was unprepared. He could do this. He could save this kid.

Jump! His instincts ordered. Ezra jumped. He flipped through the air, keeping his body tight and making sure that he would land on his feet. Just like jumping the gap those standard months ago.

The blaster was fired. But too little, too late. Ezra wasn't there anymore, behind the Stormtrooper and in between him and the kid Wookie.

It felt like Ezra was looking at everything through a slow motion lense on a holo. He was landing and firing his slingshot off in quick succession, aiming for the hand that held the blaster first, and then the legs to send the Stormtrooper over the side of the walkway. The Stormtrooper was still turning, and then falling over the side with a yell.

"Whew." Ezra muttered, before turning to the kid. "Glad that's settled. Let's get these off you now."

The Wookie kid let out a soft growl, and held out his arms. A little tinkering around, and he was free of the cuffs that restricted his hands. Ezra let out a grin as he held the cuffs.

"Wanna do the honors?"

The kid snatched the cuffs and threw them over the side, and Ezra let out a low whistle.

"Nice throw."

Behind you! His instincts warned lowly, and Ezra snapped around, arm reaching back and hiding the kid behind him.

Kallus. Because of course it was Kallus. He was still a little away aways, but he was approaching, and he wouldn't be taken down so easily by Ezra's slingshot. Stupid ISB armor.

"I should have known." Kallus said. "A master, and an apprentice. The Inquisitor will be pleased."

"I don't know where you get your delusions, bucket head." Ezra snapped. "But we're not going anywhere with you."

Ezra would rather die. His instincts were refusing to let him go anywhere with Kallus. It was feeling as if part of his soul would die if he went anywhere with Kallus.

"No, you're not." Spectre One's voice rang out.

Ezra's instincts mellowed.

Kanan was here. The Ghost was here.

And Kallus was trying to fire at Kanan, but firing blaster bolts at the man with a laser sword which could deflect those bolts was a stupid idea, because they were just deflected back. Kallus fell over the side, and the Ghost was lowering down.

"Jump, Kid!"

Ezra boosted the kid Wookie first, and then leaped over the side of the walkway with glee, his instincts singing-ringing-humming.

He knew Kanan would catch him.

~~~~~~~~~~

Kanan found Ezra after they had parted from the Wookies in one of the gunners.

He was staring out at the stars, seemingly enchanted at the sight. The kid had probably never seen anything like it, hidden away in the Star Destroyer and not allowed the ability to see the stars in a cell. Hera would probably enjoy teaching the kid about flying.

Skies and stars, he couldn't believe he was doing this.

"Why did Kallus call me your apprentice?" Ezra asked. He didn't even need to turn to look and see who was there. Then again, Ezra was terribly powerful in the Force.

"Do you know what the Force is?" Kanan asked instead, leaning against the wall and staring at the stars as well. It was easier, to not look at the blue eyes that turned to stare at him with that question.

"No. What is it?"

"It's an energy field that connects everything, and is in everything. It binds living and non-living beings together. It binds the galaxy itself together." Kanan paused, debating with himself one final time, but was there any real fight now? Any real choice? That ISB agent had known for standard months now. With or without Kanan, Ezra would be taught, he would know. And for some reason, the Force wanted Kanan to teach Ezra.

He looked down at Ezra, who still had his bright blue eyes focused on him.

"And it's strong in you. It's why the Imperials were so focused on you, are so focused on you. Being strong in the Force is one of the requirements for being a Jedi."

Ezra tilted his head.

"I thought the Empire wiped out the Jedi." Ezra said softly, obviously trying to be kind. He had also lost his culture, but not in the way Kanan had.

"Not all of us." Kanan shook his head.

Ezra nodded, mulling over his words, before looking back at him.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I can't hide now. And the Empire knows about your Force Sensitivity, you being Star Touched." Kanan hesitated. "And the Force has been drawing me to Lothal for a while now. I think it wants me to teach you. I think it's wanted that for a long while now."

Ezra looked unsure.

"But the choice is yours."

Ezra's eyes blew wide.

"What?"

"The choice is yours." Kanan repeated. "We can drop you off on another planet, and find you another teacher. Or I could teach you, and you join our crew. The choice is yours."

Kanan left him to think over the choice and went to his room, sitting heavily on his bed.

Truthfully, he didn't think the rest of the crew would let the kid go. Sabine was terribly attached already, seeing the heart of the rebel that Ezra had and connecting to that. Zeb also connected with the kid, sharing a bond over a loss of culture under the Empire's heel. Chopper actually seemed to like the underage organic, or maybe he just wanted another person to bully.

Hera would definitely keep in contact. The kid was hers now, whether Ezra knew that or not. There was no escaping Hera Syndulla once she's decided you're hers, and Hera Syndulla has definitely decided that Ezra Bridger was hers.

But it all rested on the kid now, and he was a street kid. They were flighty, scared. Easily frightened and quick to run at the sight of danger. It could go either way, and while Kanan wanted, hells, the Force wanted Ezra as his Padawan, it was up to Ezra now. He deserved to make his own choice.

To calm his nerves, Kanan pulled out one of the only remnants of the Jedi that he had left. The Force hummed through him as he levitated the holocron, letting a message of hope and peace play from Jedi Master Kenobi fill the room as he waited.

As it reached the end, his room door opened.

Kanan opened his eyes, but he didn't need to.

He knew his Padawan's Force Signature already.

Their bond was settled between them already, as thick and strong as duracrete. It would only grow stronger as they grew together.

Ezra let out a little breath, his arms crossed tight in front of himself, fear and hesitancy rippling off of him into the Force, but he walked forward into the unknown regardless. Kanan couldn't help but feel pride at that action. Kanan knew he definitely wasn't sure he could have done that as Ezra's age. But he also knew that they were also both unsure of this.

So he stood and met the kid, his Padawan, in the middle, and reached his hand out and squeezed him on the shoulder.

It wasn't going to be an easy road. Not for anyone. Not for people like them.

But they could do this.

The Force had willed this.

And the Force has never led Kanan astray. In fact, it has led him straight to his crew, his family. And now it had led him straight to his Padawan.

They could step forward together.