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Anxiety and guilt choked Ezra as he dashed through the door to the medbay. He should’ve been here sooner but his last mission had complications- he still had a blaster wound to prove it, but it was just a graze on his upper arm.
This was much more important.
As soon as he burst into the small waiting area he froze.
Kallus and Rex sat in two uncomfortable looking chairs, and Ahsoka stood near them, the discussion they were having died out as all three of them looked over at him.
“Ezra,” Ahsoka said, sensing his nervousness, “She’s waiting for you.”
For some reason that made him hesitate, he could easily sense which door his friends were behind, but he couldn’t get his feet to move.
“Hey,” Rex spoke up, “Better get going kid.”
Ezra took a small step forward, his mouth felt dry suddenly and he was suddenly sure that he couldn’t do this.
His breathing was still fast and irregular thanks to his wild sprint from the hangar. He was still dressed in his bright orange flight suit. His hands had been cleaned thanks to an insistent medical droid. But he felt out of place.
For a second he seriously considered turning around and running back to the hangar, or to his quarters on the Ghost.
But something held him in place, the invisible glue that kept him from advancing also stopped him from retreating.
The door he couldn’t take his eyes off of opened suddenly and Sabine poked her head out, her fiery eyes instantly locked on him.
“Ezra.” She called, voice quiet but thick with emotion, “Come on.”
That finally shook him out of his daze, and he took short quick steps to the door. Sabine opened it a bit wider and he slipped into the room.
A medical droid stood in the corner, its job done and just letting them have this moment. Zeb stood on the other side of the bed, Chopper was right beside him, and for once the two weren’t fighting.
On the bed lay Hera, her fatigue was clear on her face, but there was also an inexpressible joy there. She lay somewhat propped up on some pillows and in her arms she cradled a small bundle swathed in a white blanket.
Ezra’s feet kept moving, this time slower, almost hesitantly. Hera looked up at him and she smiled, silently inviting him closer.
It felt like a dream as he finally stepped up beside the bed. He had never seen the expression in Hera’s eyes before, but it was beautiful and wonderful.
She moved her hand slightly, pulling the soft white blanket away a bit and Ezra’s breath caught in his throat.
The newborn baby was so tiny.
It was a boy, they had known that for several months, but what no one could seem to ask was what Hera was going to name him. Ezra especially avoided even speaking of the baby, afraid of bringing up painful memories.
“Wha…” His voice broke but he forced himself to try again, “What’s his name?”
Hera smiled softly, looking back down at her tiny son. “Jacen.” She said softly, “We talked about possible children before…”
She trailed off but they all knew what she meant.
“And that was the name he liked best.” She finished, brushing her thumb across the baby’s cheek.
“Jacen.” Ezra whispered, testing the name.
His lips curved up into a soft smile and he could feel a tear tracing its way down his face. His eyes didn’t leave the baby’s face, enraptured by the wonder that was his new brother.
“He’s beautiful.” His voice was barely audible, and he could barely choke down the emotions that welled up.
It was true, little Jacen’s face was still a little red and pinched, but Ezra could see traces of both his parents there, the thin fuzz of hair that covered the baby’s head was a deep green, and the tips of his delicate little ears were a lighter green, similar to Hera’s skin tone.
Hera reached over slowly and took Ezra’s hand, gently resting it on the blanket where Jacen’s chest was. His eyes widened in wonder as he felt the subtle rise and fall of the newborn’s breathing.
The force practically sang around him, as if it too was rejoicing the birth of Kanan Jarrus’ son. Ezra opened himself up to it and he thought for a fleeting second that he felt Kanan’s presence.
But then it was gone, and there was a new light in the force.
Jacen.
Ezra stared down at the baby in surprise, through the force he could sense the brilliant young force presence unfurling, like a flower in bloom.
Unable to help himself, he reached out through the force, brushing up against the newborn star. It was too new and young to respond much to his presence but the force itself seemed to brighten.
In that moment a bond formed between them, a thin silvery light that connected the two brothers.
Ezra remembered Kanan telling him about force bonds, how there were different kinds, for master and padawans, for family members. But he had never mentioned anything about unrelated siblings.
This was the bond of brothers, the force decreed it.
Blood was unimportant.
Ezra breathed in awe, looking down at Jacen’s face.
Surprisingly the baby was peeking his eyes open, and Ezra caught a glimpse of light blue eyes that were all Kanan’s.
And Ezra could see it. The future that had seemed impossible when Kanan died. He could feel it breaking over the horizon like the dawn of a new day.
Tears spilled freely from Ezra’s eyes now, and he looked around the room, Zeb, Chopper, Sabine, Hera, and now precious little Jacen.
Kanan was gone now. But he had left a legacy, a dream for all of their lives. They would build a new future, and together they could keep his memory alive.
For the first time since his master had left them Ezra felt hope returning to him.
He stood in the middle of his family. He could feel everything finally coming together again.
And it felt like home.