The sun was beginning to set over the planet Attollon when an old Gauntlet starfighter appeared in the red-tinted sky.
As the members of Chopper base began finishing their work for the day, the Ghost crew rushed out in a flurry to meet the fighter.
The fighter touched down and as the cockpit opened, a worn and dusty young Jedi named Ezra Bridger slumped out, followed by his grouchy companion, the old C1-10P astromech droid known as Chopper.
Captain of the Ghost, the lovely green skinned Hera Syndulla was the first to speak.
"Ezra Bridger, do you have any idea how worried we were!?" Hera half shouted as she pulled the dust-covered young lad into a tight, motherly embrace.
The muscle of the team, the green-eyed and purple furred Lasat, Garazeb Orrelios, good-naturedly punched the kid in the arm. "Yea, kid, don't go sneaking off like that!" Ezra gave a small, sheepish smile.
Next up for the relieved greeting and reprimand was the Ghost's resident weapons expert and second youngest member of the team, the Mandalorian, Sabine Wren. "Karabast, Ezra! I'm happy you're safe but that was foolish, to say the least" stated Sabine as she followed both Hera and Zeb's lead by both punching Ezra in the arm and tugging him into a hug.
One member of the team had remained quiet while the others spoke their feelings. Kanan Jarrus, blind Jedi Knight and Ezra's teacher in the ways of the Force, simply smiled as he placed a reassuring hand on Ezra's shoulder. "Kid, I'm happy you're back and I won't ask what happened on Tatooine because I get. I understand needing to do something even without approval". Ezra, instead of looking relieved, simply hung his head.
Hera looked at Ezra with concern filling her big green eyes. "Ezra, are you all right? Did something happen?" She asked as she moved Ezra to stand in front of her. Ezra began to shake.
"I...I'm sorry Hera..." Ezra whispered.
"Sorry for what?" replied an increasingly concerned Hera.
"Not just for today but for everything," Ezra said as tears began to roll down his face. "Ever since you allowed me into your crew, your family, I've made mistake after mistake! The mess I made at Reklam station, Kanan being blinded, Ashoka's death, Kanan being captured by Tarkin and even my parent's death is my fault!" Ezra cried.
Sabine put her hand on Ezra's back in a comforting gesture and forced him to look at her. "Ezra, yes Reklam station as a disaster of a success, but Ahsoka's death and Kanan being blinded were not your fault and sure as hell, your parent's deaths were not your fault." The young girl stated as she looked Ezra in his sapphire blue eyes.
"You don't understand" Ezra retorted. "In prison, my parents heard our message of hope. When we highjacked that Imperial communications tower. Ryder told me he and my parents heard it in prison. He said they knew it was my voice and that's why they tried to escape. It's my fault. Everyone would have been better off had you not found me on Lothal!"
Hera couldn't take anymore. She quickly pulled Ezra into a hug tighter than the first. "It's not your fault, honey. It's the Empire's fault. Is there anything you need? Anything we can do for you?"
Ezra raised his head from the Twi'lek's shoulder, looked her in the eyes and spoke the words that shattered the hearts of the Ghost crew into thousands of pieces. "I want my mom and dad" The boy whispered.
As each of the crew joined the embrace, Zeb sniffing and Sabine's eyes wet with tears, Hera realized that despite all the battles and all the heists, that underneath all his cocky bravado, Ezra was still lost and lonely. That scared seven-year-old boy, crying for his missing parents still existed underneath the surface and Hera was determined to be there for him no matter what.
End.