Kanan was walking towards his room on The Ghost. "Blast!" Kanan groaned as he tripped and fell face first. Hera heard him and rushed over. He was still adjusting to losing his sight. It was just yesterday when he and Ezra had returned from Malachor. They returned with a sith holocron, and had defeated 3 inquisitors. But they lost Ahsoka. Kanan was now blind. And they had a new enemy in the sinister sith outcast, Maul.
Kanan's other senses had enhanced to make up for his loss of sight. And he had noticed that it seemed like the force was trying to reach out to him and show him another way to see, but he couldn't fully let the force into him. There was too much imbalance with all of emotions he was dealing with. Grief for Ahsoka's death. Fear for what all of this meant for the future of the Rebellion. Regret that he allowed Maul to blind him. And guilt that Ezra had to experience all of it. Sure he was a tough kid. But he was still just a kid. And Kanan forgot that sometimes, because Ezra always stayed brave. But now he had to deal with all of this darkness.
As Kanan slowly got up from tripping and falling, he began to feel embarrassed that he couldn't even walk anywhere without looking like a helpless infant. He was humiliated. Hera knelled beside him and placed her hands gently on his arm and helped him up.
"I don't need help." He mumbled quietly.
"I'm sorry." She replied just as quietly.
Kanan let out a deep sigh. "No I'm sorry. I don't mean to sound upset with you. It's just so frustrating having to adjust to everything now."
"We just want to help you. Let us make the adjustment easier. We still need you." She pleaded.
He placed his hand on the wall to help guide himself back to his room. "What good am i to the cause now?" He asked as he felt around the wall for the button to open the door. He pressed it and the door opened. "What good am i to anyone?" The door closed behind him as he walked in.
Hera felt her heart break. It was painful to see the most important man in her life like this. He was so precious to her, and to see him broken like this was unbearable. She wanted the old Kanan back. The man who made her smile just be being near her. The man that always had a smart or witty comment to playfully push her buttons. He was the man she was secretly in love with. But this new Kanan was a broken shell of that Kanan.
Ezra walked over to Hera. "Hey, have you seen Kanan around?"
"He's in his room?" She answered. "He doesn't seem to be in a talking mood."
"It's all my fault." Ezra sighed.
"Ezra don't." Hera pleaded.
"I was the one who said we should go to Malachor. And because of me Kanan lost his sight. Not only that but we also lost..." Ezra paused struggling to say the next thing that was lost on Malachor. "We also lost Ahsoka."
"It wasn't you fault. It was a mission you all had to go on. There was nothing that happened on Malachor that you did that could've changed what was destined to happen. As Kanan always say's: All is as the force wills it." Hera tried her best to keep Ezra's spirits up. But a great darkness seemed to be shrouding over the two Jedi aboard the Ghost. Ezra just shook his head as he headed to his room.
Both of them were lost. Kanan was not sure what his purpose was now that he was blind, while his young apprentice wasn't sure how he could live with the quilt of this tragic event.
Zeb and Sabine came back to the ship after gathering some supplies for their next mission.
"Hey Hera, we got what you requested." Zeb announced as he carelessly dropped the once the crates on the ground.
"If those are my highly sensitive explosives, you should probably handle with care from now on." Hera warned.
"Fair enough." Zeb mumbled.
"How's Kanan holding up?" Sabine asked.
"He's in a bad place right now. He's not sure how he continue on with us." Hera answered.
"And Ezra?" Sabine asked again.
"He blames himself for everything." Hera answered again.
"Oh come on. It ain't the kids fault." Zeb said. "What was he supposed to do with three Inquisitors, and two Siths all showing up? He can't really blame himself for that, can he?"
"He won't stop beating himself up about it." Hera said.
"He's only making it worse on himself." Sabine added.
"Maybe you could talk to him. He might listen to you." Hera suggested.
"Me? why?" She asked.
"Sabine, you know as well as us that Ezra cares a lot about you. You're words carry the most weight for him." Zeb said.
Sabine let out a deep sigh and nodded. "I know." She admitted. She knew the kid was smiting for her. And to be honest, she also had a soft spot for him in her heart. For now Sabine would give Ezra his space and let him deal with his demons personally.
Some time Later:
"Oh really? A whole Droid Army? Just like the Clone Wars?" Hera asked rolling her eyes acting amused.
"You should have seen it. It was just like when i was young fighting along side the Jedi and the clones." Kanan claimed.
"Look Kanan, you got us a new ship. We can use it as a new Phantom." She said while flashing a scowl at Ezra for destroying the last Phantom. "You don't need to impress me with this epic battle that you and the boys had. She said as she headed to the cockpit. Kanan followed her.
He sat down in the co-pilots chair as she checked some of the systems. "I wish you could've seen it Hera. I mean I'm finally the Jedi my master always knew i could become. I feel like I'm finally a proper teacher for Ezra." He said with excitement in his voice.
"Ever since you came back to us he's been growing as a fighter and as a man. You are defiantly the positive male role model the young boy needs." Hera replied.
"He's not a boy anymore. He truly is a man. A man with much to learn, but a man none the less. No boy can face these type of situations as fearlessly as he has. I can't even begin to tell you how proud i am of him." Kanan said.
This was so refreshing for Hera. The old Kanan was back. The man she couldn't enough of. Now he was more positive than ever. He had come to terms with his loss of sight. In fact now he claimed to see more now than ever.
"I wish you could see things the way i do. Ever since i met the Bindu I've seen a whole new side of life and the force." He said.
"Kanan you've already shown me so many things." She said reaching a switch near him. She pressed her chest near his face. It had been a long time since her breast touched his face. In fact, the last time her breast touched his face, there wasn't a lair of clothing in the way. The last time her breast touched his face was the one and only time they maid love.
This happened about 6 years ago. They were still young back then. Young and drunk after celebrating a major heist on an Imperial weapons depot. Kanan full of liquid courage decided to tell Hera how he felt about her.
"Hera, you are the most incredible woman i've ever met. You're fearless, strong and yet still the most beautiful thing i've seen in this galaxy."
She was also very drunk at the time. But she loved hearing every word that came out of his mouth. "Kanan." was all she could say before she felt the need to make a move. She took his hand and guided him away from the other's. They got to a private room and kissed passionately.
They maid love that whole night. It the first time for both of them, and it was the best time for both of them. When they woke up, it was awkward to say the least, knowing full well they wouldn't have done that if they were thinking clearly. They decided to bury it behind them and move on. It what has best for them and the other rebels.
Now here they were today, both feeling great. Things were looking up for them. Hera looked at Kanan, he removed his mask and looked at her. His eye's now cold and dead, but with the power of the force they weren't completely blinded. They stared deep into each other's eyes. She remembered his eyes the way they used to be. Blue and full of life. Even though the color was gone, the life was far from gone. He was still the same man she loved deep down. And she was still the woman that he wanted to be with.
"Kanan. I miss you." She confessed.
He paused for a second no sure what to say. "What are you talking? We see each other everyday." He said pretending to be stupid.
"Don't play dumb with me. You know exactly what i mean." She said gently placing her hand on his cheek.
"Hera. I can't. It's not the Jedi code." He said.
"And look how well that code worked out for them." She replied.
"That's a little cruel, but a fair point."
Hera then straddled his lap with both of her hands on his face. Her lips were within kissing distance from his. "Kanan, i'm tired of hiding this. I love you. I love you Kanan Jarris." She said softly.
"I love you Hera Syndulla." He said back.
"Then take me." She said pressing her lips against his. She caught him off guard with a fiery passion fueled kiss. He was stunned at first, but he quickly kissed her back with the same emotion as her. He picked her up and held her in his arms as he carried her to his room. Their lips never separated. Blinded by their heated moment, they failed to realize Sabine saw them as they kissed their way to his room.
"It's about damn time." She chuckled. She then gathered Ezra, Chopper and Zeb together.
"What's happening?" They asked.
She led them on some wild bantha chase so that Kanan and Hera could have their privacy. Plus she didn't want to hear their moans. She made sure that kanan and Hera could enjoy some sex that was long overdue.