Hello all of you out there in Fanfiction land! So, I received a review from someone who asked that I possibly do an Ezra and Hera oneshot, and I decided it sounded like fun! Thanks reviewer! (Sorry that I can't remember your name, I'm awful with names x.x)
So, as you all probably know by now, this can be viewed as a standalone, or as a continuation of all my other Star Wars Rebels oneshots! Also, my disclaimer is on my profile! I want to say, right now, that if there are any spelling errors, I'm sorry! Spellcheck doesn't like me much at all x.x
If anyone seems OOC, please tell me how I can improve them! Also, if any of you awesome readers have any ideas for future oneshots, or just want to tell me if you like my stories, I'd be happy to know! So please review if you can!
I hope you all enjoy reading!
The Rebel ship known as the Ghost drifted through space, a small shadow against the vast expanse.
Hera was lost in her thoughts as she guided the ship along. Chopper was in the corner of the bridge, powered down for now to restore his battery, so Hera was enjoying the quiet, as well as the new high backed seats they had recently managed to install (they were so comfortable compared to the former seats they'd had).
The door slid open with a hiss, and the Twi'lek woman turned slightly in her seat to see who it was. She then smiled.
Ezra entered the bridge room, balanced on the wooden staff Zeb had given to him a while back. His right leg was wrapped up, still healing after being broken in a mishap on world, and the bone had only just mended, and was still tender, rendering him unable to put weight upon the weakened bone (the reason for his make-shift crutch). The young human smiled at Hera, and limped forward.
"Hey." He greeted, dropping into the co-pilot seat. Hera turned back forward in her own seat, and with the press of a few buttons and flip of a switch, turned on autopilot. She then faced Ezra.
"I thought Kanan told you to rest?" She stated, raising a brow and grinning slightly. The teen beside her huffed, pouting childishly.
"No, that was just a friendly suggestion!"
Hera laughed, the sound nice and warm, and Ezra couldn't help but smile.
"I see." She replied, watching the teen set the staff down on the floor. "So why did you decide to come up here? Are you hiding from Kanan, or just here to talk?"
Ezra shrugged, looking over the ships controls.
"To chat, if you don't mind?"
"Not at all." Hera replied, looking over the charted path on the nearby console. "Anything specific you wanted to 'chat' about?"
The teen didn't reply, right away, seeming to mull over his words. Hera didn't mind though, and allowed him to take his time. Finally, bright blue eyes turned to the Twi'lek, determination in their depths.
"Teach me to fly the ship."
Hera's hands, which had been fiddling with the holomap on the screen, halted. For a moment all was silent, with Hera staring at the console with wide eyes, and Ezra watching her nervously. Finally, the pilot turned, looking at him, a serious look on her face.
"Ezra, that isn't funny." She said. "You know that the Ghost is important to me-"
"I'm not joking." Ezra insisted. "I want to learn, Hera."
The woman inspected him for a moment, taking in the teen's expression, the emotion in his eyes, and realized...He was telling the truth. And blast it, he was giving her that innocent, childish look that none could resist, especially not her. Sighing Hera turned fully to face him, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.
"Alright then. Why do you want to learn how to fly the ship?"
Ezra's face lit with hope, and he was quick to explain.
"Because you look like you have so much fun when you do it! And it just seems...you make it seem so cool, and, well..." Ezra then blushed slightly, glancing away embarrassedly. "I figured...Then we'd get to hang out more if I know what I can do to help you around here in the bridge."
Hera blinked, surprised, then smiled, leaning over and brushing a lock of raven hair from Ezra's face.
She'd be lying if she said she hadn't noticed how Ezra would look at the ship's controls with nothing less than awe and curiosity. And it had always been that way, ever since he'd come aboard the ship. And he had managed to pilot the battle shuttle, the Phantom, a few times. True, a shuttle was different from a real ship, but the concept was the same.
Hopeful blue eyes watched Hera as she thought. The woman's smile then widened, and she stood, offering a hand to Ezra.
"Here, get in the pilot seat."
Ezra whooped joyfully, taking the offered hand and moving to the seat that Hera once occupied. Once sure that the teen was situated comfortably, Hera leaned against the back of the seat.
"Alright, so you already know some of this, the general things at least. Steering control, landing gear, the frontal turrets, you've been around long enough to see me use those multiple times." At Ezra's nod, she continued. "Now, that lever there? That's to the main thrusters. Now push it up a couple inches."
Ezra once more nodded as he wrapped his long, thin fingers around the rubber-handled lever. He pushed it forward a few inches.
The Ghost gave a lurch as it sped up, and Ezra yelped as he was thrown back slightly in his seat, yet Hera simply held onto the back of the seat, seemingly unaffected.
"Slowly." She added, giggling at Ezra's shocked face.
There was a beep from Hera's comlink, and then Kanan's voice filtered through.
"Hera? What's going on up there?"
The Twi'lek woman up latched the device from her belt, lifting it to her lips.
"Nothing, Kanan. Just bumped the accelerator by accident." She replied, smiling at Ezra's relieved expression. He obviously didn't want Kanan to know he'd snuck away. Replacing the comlink on her belt, Hera rested her hands on the back of the seat once more.
"Alright, so since you know what the ship does when you push the lever up, I'm pretty sure you know what happens in you pull it down. Get us back to the speed we were at, and remember, pull the lever slowly."
Ezra heeded her warning, this time carefully inching the switch down. The ship slowed just as carefully, and returned to a steady pace that didn't burn up their fuel resources.
"Good." Hera said, smiling down at Ezra. The young human looked up at her, beaming happily, proud of himself. He then looked back at the controls, and Hera pointed to the holomap that was inlaid in the console.
"See that yellow line? That's our flight course. The blue blip on there is us. Right now, autopilot is engaged, so it's keeping the ship on track while we can only change our velocity, use the gun turrets, things like that. Do you know anything about steering a ship?"
The teen bit the inside of his cheek, thinking, then slowly nodded.
"I think I know how it works. Turning the steering control left makes the ship go left, and the same goes for turning right. Push the control in to turn the ship up, and pull it towards you to make the ship turn down."
Hera looked at him, pride in her bright green eyes.
"That's right. Where'd you learn that?"
Ezra shrugged, looking glad to have answered correctly.
"The sme way I learned everything else I know. By watching."
The Twi'lek woman hummed.
"Well then," She leaned forward, pressing a couple of buttons. "Then let's put that knowledge to use."
She then flipped a switch, and a soft, digitalized voice sounded through the bridge.
"Autopilot disengaged."
Ezra yelped, lurched forward and grabbing onto the steering controls.
"Keep your eye on the holomap." Hera instructed, voice low as to not startle the teen. "If we're going off course, you know how to get us back on. But do it carefully, or you'll jostle everyone around."
Hera couldn't help but grin at the determination on the teen's face, and pride swelled in her chest. And that felling only intensified as Ezra kept them on course, and kept the Ghost steady, his electric blue eyes flickering between the window and the holomap.
"Good, very good." Hera encouraged, hands moving from the back of the seat to Ezra's thin shoulders, her fingers squeezing them encouragingly. This seemed to give the youth confidence, and he straightened slightly in his seat.
And so they stayed there for a long couple of hours, Hera instructing young Ezra.
Kanan, Zeb and Sabine filed into the bridge room, preparing for landing. A planet, large and bright, could be seen through the window, and two pairs of boots showed under the pilot and co-pilot seats.
Kanan frowned as he also took note of the wooden staff that he knew belonged to Ezra. He moved to the co-pilot seat, turning it about, ready to give Ezra an earful...But came face-to-face with Hera instead. The Twi'lek woman looked just as surprised as Kanan, but then laughed.
"Hey, Kanan. What's up?"
The man just stared, blinking. If Hera was in the co-pilot seat, then who..?
Hera's emerald eyes turned to the pilot seat, a smile of pride and joy on her face.
"He's been doing a great job flying the ship, hasn't he?"
Kanan followed her gaze, and found Ezra, his fourteen-year-old Padawan, piloting the Ghost.
"What the-?!"
Ezra glanced at him, though only for a moment before looking back forward.
"Hey Master! Hera's teaching me how to fly the ship! Great, right?"
For a long moment, everything was silent, with Kanan, Zeb and Sabine gaping at their young friend, and Hera grinning mischievously, enjoying their expressions of shock and disbelief. Ezra sent the other's a look of confusion.
"Is...Something wrong?"
Hera laughed, standing and moving over.
"I bet they're just so proud, like I am. Let Zeb help you over to the co-pilot seat, I don't think your ready to try and land just yet."
The woman sent Zeb a look, one that clearly said 'help him or else'.
The Lasat grunted, moving forward. He looped an arm around Ezra's middle, and the teen yelped as he was hefted up. Zeb dropped the teen into the co-pilot seat, ruffling the youth's raven hair. Ezra looked up at him, confused by the gesture, and found the Lasat sending him a slight smile. A proud smile.
Ezra returned the smile, eyes lighting happily. Sabine moved over, punching his shoulder playfully. Ezra smiled at her, then looked at Kanan, unsure whether the man would be angry with him or not.
For a moment, his mentor's face was emotionless...Then a smile pulled at his lips, and he inclined his head. A silent message.
'Good job.'
Ezra beamed, straightening a little in his seat.
Hera smiled to herself as she prepared the Ghost for landing. She'd never felt so proud of her little Ezra.
She paused, blinking, surprised at her thoughts. When had she started thinking of the teen as 'her little Ezra'? She then shrugged to herself. Either way, the crew meant the world to her, especially their youngest member.