This is the first chapter to what I hope will be many. I've fallen in love with SWR and this plot bunny happened to crop up and decide not to leave. It's long and following chapters may not be quiet as long.
Warnings: References to torture, blood, possible rating increase at a later date. Major changes to HP universe in order to fit how I wanted with SWR. Slight change in Jedi Code to fit with how I want things to go. Genderbent Harry Potter as Serah Potter.
Full Summary: Now that she was free, Serah Potter finds herself pulled to Ezra Bridger through what these people call the Force and what she once called Magic. She knows she can't return to where she was, and even is she could the only person that gave a damn about her was probably killed after sending her away through a ritual. With her experience with war in one hand, a teacher with her best interests at heart to guide her and a strange bond with Ezra in the other hand she's going to fight for the Rebellion. Likewise Ezra has every intention of helping the young woman he's found himself caring for. And Kanan Jarrus learns truths about the Jedi Code that change what he had believed for years and now has another apprentice to care for. And that maybe the family he had once dreamed about isn't that far out of his reach after all.
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars: Rebels or Harry Potter.
Please enjoy and review, ideas are welcome. Constructive criticism is welcome as well although flames will be ignored.
Ezra rocked to his other foot uncomfortably as he watched Hera bandage the girl up.
"Will she be okay, Master?"
Kanan glanced at his Padawan and his lips settled into a grim line even as he put a hand on Ezra's shoulder in comfort. Ezra only ever called him master when he was upset or scared. "I don't know, Padawan. We don't know how long she was in that cell, why she was there or everything that they did to her. Hera will do her best, Ezra." He soothed. Scouting out that ship had quickly gone bad. First their cover had been blown and then the Force had practically dragged Ezra towards this girl's cell. They'd found her slowly bleeding out on the floor with multiple wounds and scars nearly naked with her clothes shredded to hell.
And the Force was still tugging at his Padawan though much less forceful. It was more like a dull urge to stay around her and Kanan wasn't sure about that. It rang a bell but he couldn't pin point where he had heard of something like that. Perhaps he should send Ahsoka a message, she might know what it was.
Ezra knew it wasn't the best idea but he had hardly gotten a lot of sleep. The constant tug was hard to sleep around but had eased the closer he was to the unknown girl. So he had grabbed a blanket and camped outside the med-bay. Kanan had given him that stern but understanding look before they'd both decided to check on her.
The minute Kanan put a hand on her to use the Force to check on her she moved. One second she was on the bed and the next she was in the corner in a move that Ezra knew would have hurt him if he'd tried it. She crouched with her teeth bared. Her eyes were an emerald green that stood out from her pale skin and black hair but there were shots of gold through her iris' that made both of them pause. She glared at them though the low growl in her throat stopped as her eyes lingered on Ezra.
"My name is Kanan." He said after a minute, moving just a little in front of Ezra. The gold in her eyes worried him. It was obvious the girl was Force sensitive from that alone but gold was the sign of a Sith, those on the Dark Side. "This is my Padawan, Ezra."
She eyed them a second longer before she spoke. "Your…eyes are not gold."
"We're Jedi, not Sith." He replied, keeping his voice steady and soothing.
"I am…" She flinched and he watched her debate with herself. "I…am neither? Both? I don't know."
"Can you tell me how you ended up on that ship?"
She blinked rapidly, looking between them but staying tense. "There was…a ship? They said they would…kill my friend. The man- the Inquisitor? He wanted me to…join him…" Her eyes started to glaze over and Kanan tensed in alarm as she started shaking.
He blanched and attempted to hold Ezra back when his Padawan stepped forward but the kid ducked his arm and inched towards her until he was right in front of her shaking frame. Kanan was certain she was flashing back and expected her to lash out any second and hurt his pupil.
Ezra reached out, following the tug of the Force and grasped her shoulder. When she didn't react he sat down in front of her and slowly pulled her into a hug.
Human contact always helped him whenever the memories of his time on the streets reared their heads; he usually turned to Kanan or Hera and they were always there for him. Kanan would let him stay in his room while Hera would distract him by teaching him more about the Ghost.
He rubbed her back and while her shaking started to slow down she still wasn't responding. He vaguely remembered when he was little how his mother would talk to him after a nightmare. So he did. He told her she was safe, that she'd be fine, she was with him and not the Inquisitor. He could feel the agony rolling off of her in waves from whatever memory she was reliving.
Kanan watched with a hawk's eye. He was a little concerned at how quick Ezra was taken to the girl- it had taken weeks for him to be comfortable enough around them to show the gentler side of himself he had hidden away during his time fending for himself. But he would admit his pupil was doing a good job calming the girl down. And then Ezra uttered a sentence that made him go stock still because if there was one thing he knew it was that Ezra always kept his promises.
"I promise I'll keep you safe."
Well, Kanan knew the girl was going to be a new edition to their crew/family. After a bit he realized she wasn't going to lose it so he left them alone and went to find Hera. He needed to tell her what had happened…and figure out how the rooming was going to work because it was obvious from the Force pulling Ezra towards her and the fact he was helping calm her that they'd need to be bunking together.
"What's your name?" Ezra asked gently, pulling away to look at her.
"S-Serah. Serah Potter." She brushed the hair from her face after a second and Ezra caught sight of a lightning bolt scar on her forehead, looking very much like it had been carved into her skin. Compared to her other injuries it didn't amount to much though.
"Are you hungry?" He smiled at her a bit, glancing down at her shiver and realizing she didn't have anything but bandages on. Panicking for two seconds he unzipped his jumpsuit and took it off, thankful for the shorts and t-shirt he had on under it. "You can wear that for now. I bet we can get you some clothes when we get back to Lothal."
"Ok…" He averted his eyes as she slipped it on. "Could you…It hurts."
Turning back he understood immediately and flushed slightly. She couldn't pull the jumpsuit up as it pulled at her stitches to bend down. He carefully pulled it up her legs and helped her get her arms through the sleeves before she zipped it up. It was baggy and too big but it would do the trick. He still rolled the sleeves and pants legs up for her. He figured he might be able to find one of his old ones that might fit her better. He'd had to buy more a little while ago when his training made him build muscle and the steady supply of decent food made him shoot up like a weed.
"Come on, you probably need some food and I bet Hera will want to look you over after that." He said, holding out a hand to help her up, having made her sit down while he rolled up the pants legs.
She took his hand and let him tug her along, ending up in the kitchen were the rest of the crew were working on lunch.
"Kanan told me our guest was awake!" The Twi'lek in the group exclaimed, standing up with a smile. "I'm Hera. This is Zeb, Sabine and Chopper."
"Serah." She greeted in return. Gold streaked emerald eyes regarded them with caution. She didn't look away until Hera handed her a plate; her eyes instead stared at the food like she was debating what to do with it.
Ezra, however, had seen that look before reflected in the mirror thousands of times as a child. He reached to his left, grabbing a fork and holding it out to her while pulling her to the available chair. "No one's going to take it." He promised.
She gave it another minute, her eyes cautious as she looked at everyone in the room before she slowly began working on the plate. While one hand held her fork the other maintained a tight grip on the edge of the dish.
"Serah?" Kanan finally said, breaking the half tense silence of the kitchen once she'd gotten half done with her plate. She looked at him with eyes still guarded- he wished they weren't, he firmly believed no Padawan should ever look at a Jedi like that, look at those meant to teach and guide them as if the Jedi would suddenly strike out and hurt them- as she swallowed her mouthful and cocked her head to the side. Kanan was firmly aware that he had to be careful, he didn't want to send her into another flashback now that she was more lucid than she'd been when she'd first woke. Part of him kept note that Ezra had remained near her, leaning on her chair from behind. She seemed well aware of it but didn't seem to mind. "Don't push yourself and if you think you can't talk about it then that's alright but if you can we need to know what happened."
Her shoulders tensed and she slowly lowered her fork, her eyes dropping to her plate as she set the utensil down next to it. The silence was more tense than it had been, filling the room thickly. Keenly aware of it, Zeb and Sabine dismissed themselves and Hera crept from the room after them with Chopper at her heels. She gave a small smile to the girl and told her they'd set up a room for her before the door closed.
Kanan took one of the abandoned seats once he refilled his cup of caf, watching Ezra scoot a chair so he was seated next to her but not too close.
"…I…" She took a deep breathe. "Where I'm from we have the…Force, too. There's more of us, from what I've learned, than there are here, quite a few more or there is now since the Empire came to be. We didn't call it that though, we called it Magic. My planet was called Earth and we had two types of humans. Those with Magic and those without." Her voice had turned mechanical, an autopilot verses what they'd heard from her earlier but her eyes were dark in remembrance. "Those with it hid ourselves away because we were outnumbered by those who didn't and they didn't understand us. They feared us and a long time ago before we hid ourselves they burnt our kind alive. I was born in the middle of a war between two types of Magic users. We called it Dark and Light, I think it could be referred to as Sith and Jedi… My parents were strong. My father was on the front lines while my mother was a healer.
"Albus Dumbledore was the headmaster at the school that taught us how to use the Force. He told my parents there was a prophecy just spoken saying that the child that would defeat Voldemort, the Dark side's leader and most powerful, would be born on the seventh month to parents that had thrice defied him. They went into hiding but were betrayed. They died a year after I was born. I ended up with fame I didn't want, didn't even know I had until I started my schooling at eleven. I thought I had several friends I could count on when we realized Voldemort was still after me. It turned out I only had one. Ron Weasley figured out Dumbledore had made the prophecy up after overhearing a conversation with him and one of our teachers. He didn't tell me a thing because he knew I'd act differently. He ended up telling me a while later once he had a plan figured out. He knew I wouldn't get any rest on Earth so he found a way for me to leave.
The non-sensitive humans had discovered that in our galaxy Earth was the only one to have any form of life. Ron created a spell and rune set with the help of his older brother Bill. I was only told everything a few minutes before they used it on me. It sent me to the closest planet with sentient life. That was a desert planet on the outter rim of this Galaxy. I hid my power and worked in one of the small shops, lived with the owner and I was friends with his daughter Maya…"
"The Inquisitor took you from there." Kanan stated with an understanding nod.
"…Yes. There was an accident, an avalanche on one of the mountains so I used the Force to keep it from falling on a few of the kids that had run off."
Kanan let the silence return for a few minutes when he noticed the way her knuckles had whitened, folded on the table in front of her. It was obvious the Inquisitor had found her after that, likely having been close to the planet and sensed the Force being used. She was strong, just as strong as Ezra and Kanan was beginning to wonder if the children sensitive with the Force were going to be stronger now with the lack of Jedi in numbers. A way to balance it out, maybe.
"…I was taken to a large cell for the first week. I was given two meals a day, plenty of water and treated…okay. No one bothered me except him. Every day he would come in, we would sit in silence for a while and then he would try and persuade me into joining him. I always told him no. The seventh day I snapped. I told him I would never join someone who enjoyed hurting other people, that I'd rather die." Her voice shook, losing the mechanical tone. "He just…laughed. I was escorted to a small cell. It was dark, pitch black and I had to sit at an angle to fit in. No food, no water, no light for four days. I was hallucinating from dehydration then. They'd drugged my food with Mag- Force suppressants so I couldn't get out. I was taken to the cell you found me in after that. Sometimes it was the stormtroopers beating me. Sometimes it was him. There were only three rules. No one was allowed to touch me in a sexual manner. No one was allowed to kill me. If I fell unconscious during a session I had to be revived immediately so they could continue."
Kanan tensed and he saw Ezra shifting closer towards her. She wasn't with them anymore. Her body was with them but her mind was back in that cell.
"There favorite thing to use were knives, sometimes it was a whip. There were four of them that used weapons, three that didn't. The four that did, they were sadistic. They said it was fun watching a pretty girl bleed. They laughed at me the first time when I tried to fight back. They started tying me up after I bit one of them and took a chunk of flesh off. The Inquisitor…he'd talk. He'd use the Force to suffocate me, he'd use his lightsaber like a knife too. His favorite was making my blood feel like it was on fire, like I was burning from the inside."
Both of them were alarmed as things started to rattle, lifting from their places around the room. Before it could go any further she stood abruptly, objects falling back down while her chair toppled backwards. She crossed the room and leaned on the counter with her back to them, shoulders heaving as she took ragged deep breathes.
"…Sorry."
"It's fine." Kanan said gently.
"The Inquisitor said they wanted several Padawan for each Sith to teach." She finally said, turning to face them.
"You don't have to say anything else." Ezra gave her a soft look. "I bet Hera has a room set up and I bet you're tired." He took her hand at her nod, waving to Kanan as he led her back out into the hall.
Kanan himself stared at his cold half cup of caf. He needed to message Ahsoka about more than just the odd pull Ezra, and obviously Serah if she was so comfortable with his Padawan, were feeling. He also needed to tell her what Serah knew about the Inquisitor and ask if it was possible for him to teach her as well as Ezra at the same time without hurting any of them with a second master/Padawan bond. He needed advice desperately. He himself still woke up remembering his short time in his own cell at the mercy of Kallus and the Inquisitor. She would have a harder time than he would with how long she was likely to have been kept and the more damage she had received.
While Kanan went to find Chopper to contact the other Jedi, he silently wished his own master was still alive. She would have been able to help both of the teenagers.'
"I hope this is okay. I can always try and convince Hera to put things back how they were and you could room with her or Sabine." Ezra offered, unpacking the last of his clothes into the closet they'd be sharing. When Hera had informed him of the new sleeping arrangements he'd been more than a little surprised. But he understood. He had hardly slept a wink until he'd camped out in front of the med-bay and if he really was the only person that could help the young woman then it was better that he was close by.
That didn't mean he wanted her to be uncomfortable rooming with a guy though. Girls, he had noticed, seemed a lot more private about those things than guys were
"I don't mind." She shrugged, fidgeting near the desk while she looked at him.
She looked adorable drowned in his jumpsuit with her unsure eyes and posture. Not that he'd admit that to anyone. He'd never live it down. Sabine was probably already planning on teasing him- not to mention what Zeb was probably thinking about saying.
"Why don't you get some sleep? I can come wake you up for dinner, Hera did say you need to rest so you can heal faster."
"I…don't have anything to sleep in…"
Ezra felt his mouth twitch and turned back to their closet- his for now until they could buy some clothes for her- to hunt a shirt and maybe some shorts for her. The shorts were a lost cause, they were all too big and fell off of her but one of his shirts did the trick. It was still too big, falling off her shoulder and ending just above her knees. He helped her get into the bed, the angle she needed to bend to get under the top bunk pulling at her wounds.
"Ezra?"
"Yeah?" He was halfway through pulling on another jumpsuit, leaving the top around his waist as he turned back towards her.
"I don't…Could you stay? I…don't know if I can sleep…and you are…I feel safe." Her eyes were averted to the bottom of his bunk, a light tint of red to her cheeks.
His lips quirked again but instead of amusement it was more of an understanding sort of look. He had found Kanan checking on him before in the middle of the night after his rescue- the Inquisitor had made his master believe Ezra was dead, had made him feel it and Kanan still needed reassurance after a bad night. "Yeah, I'll stay." He took off his jumpsuit and went ahead and removed his boots and socks while he was at it.
She scooted over towards the wall and he decided not to comment on the open invitation; climbing in next to her and getting comfortable. He didn't pull away when she hesitantly drew close until she was pressed into his side, nor did he comment when she put her head on his shoulder. He just…understood. The pull through the Force was nonexistent but instead of making him restless if he wasn't close- maybe it still would, he hadn't left her side since she'd woken- it…nudged him, told him what to do. He didn't like seeing her upset. Especially when he could see the spitfire she had been in her eyes. So he listened to the Force like Kanan taught him. It told him she needed human contact, needed someone she could count on to not only help her escape from what plagued her mind but also remind her that touch wasn't bad.
And, he decided as she shivered and he gently pulled her a little closer and put an arm around her as her breathing leveled out into sleep, that if he was the one to do that, he really didn't mind.
Kanan rubbed his eyes and cracked his neck, waving Hera off as he headed to his padawan's new room so he could get him and the girl for dinner.
Ahsoka had certainly been informative. She'd quickly reassured him that taking on a second Padawan would be fine, though he would need to be mindful of the slight increase of protective instincts. She'd also had an answer for the rest of his questions.
The pull Ezra had described to him was something Ahsoka had seen before though she didn't mention where. While the Jedi code had stated that relationships were forbidden there was a reason why, one that was not spoken of unless necessary and not many knew. Some Jedi, while not all, had someone they were supposed to be with and she likened it to the soulmates females read about in romance novels- his master had been fond of those, he remembered - so many Jedi had been taught that relationships were unwise. The lesson was maintained until they became full-fledged Jedi Masters when they were told the truth.
And as for what to do in order to help Serah she'd just told him to trust the Force. It would guide him just as it was likely to guide Ezra. She'd told them she would visit soon but needed to go, though she did recommend Ezra get back on the airways at some point as it just might rally even more people to the rebels.
"Ezr-" He paused as the door open and blinked a few times to make sure of what he was seeing. His Padawan was in bed with their newest crewmate, an arm around her and her head tucked under his chin while the rest of his body curled around her protectively. She didn't look entirely peaceful in her sleep but she looked the most relaxed he'd seen since they'd found her. It was actually a sweet sight now that he knew his Padawan wasn't in danger from some odd Force occurrence and he knew exactly why the bluenette had taken to the stranger so swiftly.
He just might sneak Chopper in here to record this if he spotted it again.
He gently bent down and shook Ezra's shoulder. "Ezra."
Bleary blue eyes blinked open, "Mas'er?"
Kanan chuckled in amusement. "Why don't you wake up your bedmate. Dinner's ready."
"I think she needs to stay in bed." Ezra answered a second later, using his free hand to wipe sleep from his eyes. "She was hurting a lot before we went to sleep and she's woken up twice since then. She's only been really asleep for an hour." He added after a quick glance at the alarm clock.
Kanan winced with a very clear understanding how that could be. Taking another look at the pair he smirked at the tight grip thin fingers had in his padawan's shirt as well as the fact his possible second Padawan was wearing her roommate's clothes. "I'll bring you both a plate once I get done eating then. Ezra we need to talk tomorrow, Serah included. For now don't let any of the others in here except Chopper. She didn't react that well this morning and I think that's because she isn't a hundred percent sure this is real. I'd rather that sink in with her before she's really around anyone but us for now."
Once Ezra nodded in understanding Kanan retreated to the door, pausing to look back inside. His Padawan had moved onto his side with his arm cradling her head and fingers curling in a few strands of black hair, other arm around her waist again. Oh yes, Chopper would certainly be getting a few records of this to be copied onto a disk for him to keep.
For the third day in a row Serah woke up warm and comfortable. There was a strong arm around her and another under her head while she could feel his chin in her hair and their legs were intertwined.
Despite being awake she didn't make the effort to move, choosing to just lay there. How often had she wished for something like this when she was a child? To have someone to look after her without caring about her fame or her money? Even Ron had been drawn to her for her fame at first. And then back during the war she was expected to become a leader and take care of everyone else. She had been thirteen for Merlin's sake, why should she be on the front lines? But she'd known there was no escape from that so she'd grit her teeth and thrown herself into the training she'd been provided. If nothing else she had been determined to survive the war and vanish from the Magical Community's sights to live her own life however she wanted free of anyone else.
It had happened in a completely different manner than she had thought but her wish had been answered. For three days now Ezra had been the gentlest person she'd ever met. He didn't coddle her, no, but he did make sure she didn't overdo it. She'd been more than a little excited when she'd woken the day before to realize it was all real, that she had been rescued from her cell. She'd accepted Kanan's proposal to be her Jedi Master and immediately from there asked if there was anything she could do to repay them.
Hera had stepped in at that time to bring in lunch and had chided at her kindly that they didn't want anything in return at all.
Furthermore Serah could say she was honestly content in the Ghost. It was…more like a home than she'd ever really had before. And the dynamics were entertaining.
It was obvious that Hera was something of the 'mother' of the crew despite Zeb being apparently older than any of them what with different life expectancies. Kanan was sort of the stern 'father' though half the time she realized he got into just as much trouble with Hera as the others did. Sabine was an interesting one too. The Mandalorian had a knack for bombs and art that went together fairly well with teasing streak- and the tinge of sadistic pleasure Serah heard in her voice when she told her of using her little 'miracles' on the bucket-heads. Zeb was a whole other story though. He was big and intimidating with a gruff attitude and a brash temper but watching him and Ezra made her quick to see that he cared for his just as much as they did him.
He was still big and intimidating though and the face he towered over her still made her curl into herself a little and attempt not to back away from him when he got loud. He must be observant on some level, she had noted he tended to get quiet and stay in a seat when she was in the room. A silent gesture she appreciated.
Of course that didn't stop him or Sabine from teasing Ezra ruthlessly. She didn't always catch what was said but a lot of times she caught them teasing him about sleeping in the same bed as her and her wearing his clothes. Hera usually chewed them out when she caught them.
Her wounds were getting better as well and she could walk without any pain and get into the bed on her own as well as get dressed by herself. She'd always been a fast healer but being around two other Force users that she had positive bonds with seemed to help it go faster.
The Padawan bond with Kanan was…different, not in a bad way but it wasn't something she was used to. She was very aware of where he was in a separate manner than how she'd become acutely aware of Ezra. His presence soothed her and he oozed the feeling of, well as she'd thought earlier, a father figure she supposed. A trusted person that would do their best by her. She was happy with that, she knew she could trust him because the Force never lied to her.
Ezra…he was something else. He was smart, quick on his feet, strong, kind and brave. He didn't mind her nightmares, he didn't mind if she woke up screaming or crying; he held her afterwards even after she'd calmed down. The bond with him had faded though it was still there but it wasn't the constant pull it had been that first day. It was like an ember waiting patiently to ignite. Ezra was a calmly presence at her side but his touch left fire in its wake, the kind that made her want to blush and stutter.
Think of Ezra reminded her that they would have to get up soon. After breakfast she would be following Ezra around while he worked on whatever needed to be checked over, fixed or cleaned on the ship. He would be teaching her how to do it though she still wasn't allowed to do anything too strenuous.
"I really don't want to get up today."
She almost jumped at his voice, feeling his breath in her hair as he pulled her a little closer and wove his fingers into her hair. "How long have you been awake?"
"A few minutes." He sighed, "I bet the ship is cold like always in the morning and the bed's warm. I hate mornings."
She felt her lips tug up into a small grin and she attempted not to giggle at him but it slipped out anyway. "I don't know why. Hera said they're a start to another day."
"I've gotten spoiled." Was the answer, "I used to have to get up early to scavenge for food. Now that I don't have too, plus I have a beautiful girl in my bed, I don't want to."
They both froze as his mind caught up to his mouth. Kanan had explained exactly why the Force had pulled them together but they hadn't broached the subject yet. They both knew they shouldn't yet. Serah wanted too but she knew she was too fragile right now. Her mind was still more on the chaotic side and there were short spells where she'd black out for minutes at a time only to wake back up with things strewn around whatever room she'd been in. Unconscious purging of the leftover traces of the Inquisitors Force imprint, Kanan had said.
"Sorry." He started to pull away but she used her legs to keep his locked with hers and pulled him back towards her.
"I…I don't mind." She flushed and bit her lip, keeping her face tilted towards their feet so he could see it. "But I'm not…"
Fingers tilted her chin up and she saw the understanding look on his face. "I know." He told her gently. Her face burnt hotter as he kissed the top of her head but they relapsed into comfortable silence until the alarm went off and they both knew they had to get up.
Hera glanced down into the Phantom with a small amused smile, arms crossed as she cocked her head and listened to the sound of Ezra's voice while he explained the wiring he was working on to their newest crewmate.
Hera had lost her parents a long time ago to natural causes- the only one aboard the ship who had at that- but her younger siblings had been taken by the Empire long before the death of her mother and father. Hica and Mika had been a rarity among Twi'leks what with them being twins and fraternal at that. Hica had been the utmost of a curious little female while Mika had been the dare devil of the two, a true male combatant in the making. They'd only ten winter cycles before they'd been killed by stormtroopers that hadn't cared at all that the place that they suspected had rebel activity had been filled with younglings as a small school house. They'd blown up the building without a second thought.
That's when Hera had decided to at least give the Empire trouble by hampering shipments and the like, and how she'd eventually found herself among the ranks of the rebels shortly before she'd met Kanan. She was glad she'd had Fulcrum, the Jedi Ahsoka Tahno, to turn to for advice sobering the man up. Chopper had been just as helpful with perfectly timed shocks whenever Kanan even seemed to think about picking up more than one or two strong drinks.
And then they'd found Zeb loosing himself to despair and rage with the loss of nearly all of his people on Lassan. It had taken days upon days to convince the surly Lassat to join them and Hera had been more than happy to watch him slowly open up to them. Their family of three had gained a fourth.
Sabine had been next. The Mandalorian had been half dead on an outer rim frozen planet, unconscious and nearly a block of ice when Zeb had carried her onto the Ghost. She had cared only for herself in the beginning, bitter and anger; only sticking around to pay off her supposed debt to them for saving her life. But just like Zeb she had slowly opened up to reveal a surprisingly sweet and spunky young female that adored explosives and paints with a strong will to boot. And so they'd become five.
Then came Ezra. The youngling that had made the ripples that had finished the transformation of thieves and half-rebels to full-fledged rebels ready to join the fight and ignite flames of rebellion across the galaxy. The boy had been so skittish and unwilling to trust that it had put an ache in her heart. He had obviously wanted only to care for himself and protect himself from more hurt but she had saw the unseen and unspoken hand held out for love, attention and help; she had wasted nothing in taking it. His flinches, over time, stopped happening at raised voices and hands. He was still sarcastic, still teasing but the false over-confidence and bravado had vanished when with them to reveal the kind and brave young man he was growing into. His intellect was sharp and she hadn't minded in the least teaching him the finer points in reading, mathematics and navigation. He soaked it up like a sponge despite hiding the fact he had issues reading, until her lessons, from the others. Their sixth had joined and that was perfectly fine.
Now they had a seventh. Serah was certainly a little on the different side though hardly in a bad way. She was analytical and resourceful from the conversations- as few as they were- she had overheard between the young female and Ezra. Polite and well-mannered as well. Kanan had, once he had gotten permission from the youngling, explained to them everything she had revealed about her past. It certainly made sense of the watchfulness in her eyes, her wound up posture and her nearly caged animal appearance at times. But Hera was observant and she didn't miss the fire beginning to appear, or perhaps return, to green eyes that were slowly losing the streaks of gold. Hera had a feeling Ezra and Kanan would have their hands full once Serah was completely comfortable around them; she was almost positive that the youngling would probably have Ezra wrapped around her finger- though she already did it seemed- and Kanan doing everything he could to keep other males off of her and Ezra from hurting said young males. The girl certainly appeared to have a figure under the too big jumpsuit of Ezra's that swallowed her and made her look a little like a cute doll.
Yes their crew had gained a seventh. Hera retreated and decided to get a supply list ready and credits set out. Once they landed on Lothal they'd need to restock on medical supplies, hygiene products too as Serah was certainly old enough to need some plus they were low on the soaps needed to wash Zeb's fur and the other's hair, as well as by the youngling proper clothes.
For once Hera decided to get supplies herself and maybe see if Sabine wanted to tag along with them. Serah didn't seem nearly as tense with them now and perhaps it would help her understand they wanted her around. Shopping trips did seem to make the crew bond quickly. Ezra and Zeb, Zeb and Sabine, Chopper and Kanan; all three pairs shining examples. She'd have to talk to Kanan first and make sure that being away from Ezra wouldn't affect the two however, both of the younglings hadn't been apart for anything more than using the bathroom since Serah had woken three days ago.
Serah was an odd mixture of uncomfortable, wary and excited. Currently Sabine and Miss Hera- "Please just call me Hera." She couldn't yet because she didn't know the woman well yet but she had quite a bit of respect for the pilot from what she had seen of the woman. Sabine was different, she was closer in age and acted more like a teenage female than a fully grown woman.- were waiting for her to change into her new clothes so they could then get the supplies they needed from the market. It had been an odd occurrence to have them encourage her to get what she liked from the clothing store and practically order her to make sure she had enough clothes for an entire week that could handle the missions they tended to do plus clothes she could relax in.
She'd grabbed comfy looking sweats, a few pairs actually, plus a few loose tank tops and some sports bras so she'd be more comfortable in training and doing work around the Ghost and the Phantom. Sabine had been more than happy to help her pick out what she thought would work for mission clothes and Serah would admit being a little amused at the situation despite her discomfort.
In the end Sabine had managed to get her an outfit that worked well to both protect her and give her the full mobility of her flexible fighting style she had developed during her training back on Earth. Sabine had thrown a pair of over the ankle high brown boots at her with a pair of dark green stalkings that were uneven, one going over her knee and the other just above her boot to her mid-shin. A pair of knee length black cargo shorts with a white utility belt a pouch on the left side. A tight, black and sleeveless shirt with a high neck that was meant to be able to stretch up over her jaw, cheeks and nose when needed though she'd probably only do that when they had an opp. Lastly she'd been given a dark green half jacket with long sleeves and her hair she'd allowed Miss Hera to chop off around her ears save the length needed for the padawan braid in front of her left ear.
Once she was done they folded away Ezra's jumpsuit and put it in with her new clothes.
Sabine grinned, her eyes lit with pride. "I so have an eye for this stuff. I've got some spare armor that can probably fit you. I bet I can attach it to your jacket on the sleeves and I'm certain I've got a pair for your legs. I'll paint them up tonight too! How about a mix up of blues, Serah? Or do you want another color?"
Serah gave her a shrug, her muscles loosening a little even though she bit the inside of her cheek and her fingers twitched. The more time she spent around the two the less worrisome they seemed. Her time in her cell had made her wary of everyone and knowing they could become a threat in seconds, she knew that very well. But, she reminded herself, these were the people that had rescued and healed her, offering nothing but kindness and expecting nothing in return. If she never trusted anyone else, she should trust them. She already trusted Ezra and Master Kanan, there was no reason not to give that to the others as well.
"Blue is fine." She offered quietly, flinching only a little when Sabine put an arm around her shoulder.
"Great! You have no idea how awesome it is to have another girl on the crew- it's like a testosterone storm on the ship half the time."
Miss Hera shot the Mandalorian a look. "Oh, is that so? What am I then?"
"No offence Hera but you're…motherly. Having someone closer to my age is going to be so cool. Especially since she seems to enjoy a good 'boom.'"
Serah let her lips pull up into a smile. "Who doesn't? Miss Hera what are we going after next?"
Hera rolled her eyes. "Just Hera, sweetie. And as for you, Sabine, maybe I should tell you all the things I did before I became captain of the Ghost, it might change your opinion." She winked with a grin. "We don't have much to get, actually. We need to restock medical supplies and build up a little on both our regular soaps plus the female hygiene products. I certainly couldn't send Kanan and Ezra for them on the last supply run."
Sabine laughed and smirked. "Why do men freak out over a female's cycle, or the sight of a tampon? It's natural, every race does it and it's just a little blood."
"I think it's more along the lines of 'that's when they're the bitchiest so we should avoid the subject at all costs.'"
Pause. Two blinks.
Serah turned bright red as her brain caught up to her mouth and she ducked her head. The other two woman stared at her for three more seconds before bursting into a fit of laughter that had a few heads turning in their direction.
"Now that was good. I think this is a start of a beautiful friendship!"
Hera wondered absently if the Imperials would know what hit them as Sabine delved into a detailed explanation on one of her more 'fun miracles' and the excited look that overtook Serah's expression.
Ezra was more than a little worried. After five days of his fellow Padawan's presence he found it strange that she wasn't at his side, and on top of that the Force bond- why wasn't there a name for it, it sounded so odd calling it 'the Force bond,' tinmad- while no longer tugging yet still gently nudging and whispering them in the right direction had also escalated over the last two days so that while they couldn't completely feel each other's emotions they were aware of their general disposition. And Serah felt distinctly uncomfortable and that set him a little on edge.
He'd been fidgeting since they'd left a few hours ago; he'd noted Kanan seemed a bit worried about the endeavor too. It was irksome that he couldn't focus on what he was doing to clear his mind. He was cleaning and checking over his lightsaber, which was something he had long since been able to do in his sleep but attempting to focus on it would distract him. It wasn't working very well.
Zeb was too his left playing some sort of game Ezra didn't recognize against Chopper- the Lassat seemed to be losing if his grumbling and curses said anything accompanied by Chopper's rough robotic laughter. Kanan was to his right with a cup of caf and a datapad reading something or other, attempting and failing at least. He hadn't scrolled up, down or touched the screen at all for a while.
At least he wasn't the only one concerned. He was put a little more at ease when, at some point, Serah's unease had ebbed into a far more comfortable emotion.
The sound of Sabine's laughter alerted everyone to the return of the three absent females.
The group abandoned what they were doing in the interest of remaining pain free knowing Hera would be irritated if they didn't have assistance putting things away- being handy with a frying pan seemed like it was a female thing considering both Hera and Sabine would use it to threaten if it was around- and headed to meet them.
Ezra was more than thankful that Zeb was blocking him from view as he caught sight of his fellow Padawan. While she had looked absolutely adorable in his old jumpsuit she looked…appealing…in her new clothes and it'd had taken him minute to control his appreciative eyes.
He knew she had caught it through their bond though as her head ducked with a barely there flush as he accepted some of the bags of clothes to carry to their room while Zeb took over the food, Sabine keeping hold of the soap bags and Kanan joining Hera with the medical supplies. He set them down and leaned against the desk he used for whatever project struck his fancy, watching her put the clothes away. He didn't bat an eye at the undergarments- though the couple of plain black bras and underwear did catch his attention for a moment- as they'd been changing in the same place for nearly a week and he'd gotten used to it rather quickly.
"You look good." He finally complimented, "I think I'll miss the jumpsuit on you a little. It was cute."
She flushed again, a deeper shade now that they were alone, but offered a cheeky smile. "I'm still going to sleep in your shirts. They're really comfortable."
He gave her a grin and a wink, both amused and happy with that. "Fine with me. That doesn't offer a lot of protection though. I bet I can scrounge up some armor or something somewhere."
"Sabine offered, she said she had some spares that would fit me and she wanted to paint them…"
Ezra only gave her a pleased smile, not disappointed in the least and actually more along the lines of relieved that Sabine had offered. It meant the bomber liked her and wanted to protect her- he could starkly remember how long it had taken Sabine to warm up to him, a long time considering he had a crush on her back then. "That's good."
"Ezra. Serah." Both glanced up to see Kanan at the door, leaning on the frame with one of his usual easy smiles and laid back looks.
"Master Kanan." Serah greeted warmly, nodding her head in respect.
"What's up?"
Kanan smirked at the opposite greetings. Serah's respect was a breath of fresh air compared to Ezra's lack of speaking manners though he had a suspicion would be able to break her of constantly calling him Master Kanan- it certainly seemed strange to Kanan when she referred to the others as Miss Hera and Mister Zeb. He still tried not to laugh at the surprised look the Lassat had gotten the first time she'd said it, he had reminded him of a gaping fish. "I thought we could do some training now that we have solid ground and open air. I'd like to see what you can do, Serah, if you're up for it. Once I know we can go from there."
She nodded eagerly. "Very much so, Master. I would, if you believe I am ready to learn, like some help building a lightsaber as well." She dug around in one of her pockets and pulled out a glowing purple crystal. "I found this in an alley today. A lotch-cat caught my attention rummaging through a trash bin and I saw it in it's mouth. I was curious so I got it to come to me and low and behold it was one of these. I don't know the name for it here but back home we called them 'soul gems' and had them placed into the pommel of a sword, dagger or the handle of a bow or staff."
Kanan walked forward in surprise, holding out a hand to inspect it. It was certainly a Kaiburr crystal and it had already fell into sync with his newest Padawan. It was a double the size of his own and Ezra's, meaning it was likely she'd be splitting it between two or a staff. The color was something that he had both expected and not expected.
While he and Ezra both held the color of blue as 'protectors/guardians' he had expected white, yellow or purple for Serah. White simply because she had a very optimistic attitude despite everything and yellow as a sentinel for much the same reason. Purple had been a suspicion but the less of the three. It meant that despite her body purging the dark side from herself that at some point, even if she had continued to deny the Inquisitor, that she had given in. Purple crystals were used by Sith who had changed their ways and become Jedi. The unnatural red or orange would slowly turn to a shade of purple as the Force user in question slowly changed from a dark to a light Force user. The very light shade of purple had him guessing that her color, had it not been for her capture, would have been one of his first two guesses.
"Then you had one before?" He questioned, looking down at her as he handed her back the little gem.
Her head bobbed, "Yes. Like my previous guide-" Kanan did not miss the slight twist to her lips nor the bare tinge of venom to the word, nor did Ezra. Neither blamed her as both had no doubts the betrayal still ached. "-it was white. Back home that signified the strongest of light users and were usually held by those in leadership positions and best of warriors. Voldemort had a black gem, or he did shortly before I ended up leaving. He managed to shatter mine mid-fight, I was in recovery when Ron decided to send me off."
Kanan winced in understanding. Losing the crystal once it had resonated with her had likely done plenty of damage and a good distraction; lightsabers became just as much a part of a Jedi as their own arm. Deciding to change the subject a bit and lighten the mood he glanced between the two and took in the identical braids save the color- he remembered his Master gentle fingers as she had woven his hair into it. Serah's was much messier than Ezra's likely because she had only glimpsed the pattern used and not been taught. He felt a hint of pride that Ezra had refrained from showing her considering it was a Master's duty to do so.
"Ezra could you round up Zeb and Sabine for our session then meet Serah and I outside in around thirty minutes?"
Ezra nodded, sending off one of his overtly cheesy winks to his roommate that dissolved her into giggles and leaving. Kanan reached out and carefully tugged on her braid, amused as she turned a little sheepish.
"I know I did it wrong, but I wanted to try…" She trailed off uncertainly.
Kanan gave her a smile and had her sit down on the bed while he sat next to her and slowly undid it, making certain not to pull on her hair. "It's perfectly fine. It is tradition for a Master to teach their Padawan the pattern. My own Master did the same for me. The trick is for you to understand how I do it using the Force. It's no rush, you can practice it as long as you need. It took Ezra a week to do it, but it did teach him patience and he was still new to everything. I have a feeling you'll get it down much faster considering you already have some form of training."
He knew he'd said the right words when their strengthening bond hummed with happiness. He watched her close her eyes and nodded in approval as he felt the gentle tingle of the Force slide over his fingers just before he began to braid. It only took her a few tries to get it down, a testament in and of itself that the training she'd received when she was younger was well done. He ended up telling her the same tale he had told Ezra of his own attempts to learn and the tangled mess his hair had become.
Their bond, though still fragile and weaker than the one between himself and Ezra, grew a little stronger and remained at a pleasant hum as they trooped outside to see everyone there minus Chopper who was taking his turn running diagnostics on the ship. Hera had her datapad in hand while Ezra, Sabine and Zeb were bickering and playing an odd game of swipe/duck mainly between the two males.
"Alright." Kanan said, bringing their attention to him, "Serah before we do anything about what you know regarding the Force I want to see what you can do without it. I'm going to have Zeb and Sabine attack you and you are going to fight back. The only rule is make sure no one is seriously injured. If you fight dirty then fight dirty."
She took a deep breath and nodded as her Master and friend both moved back to stand near Miss Hera, while the others gave her a little room.
She took her stance and waited. Both feet were planted far enough apart for her to absorb the impact of a hit and keep her balance but close enough together that she could move them where she needed in seconds. She kept her muscles loose, knowing it lessened damage and gave her a quicker chance to fight than the spare second it took for them to switch up if the incoming attack wasn't what she anticipated.
The next thirty minutes she spent twisting, spinning and leaping over nearly every attack. She hadn't lost her touch, it seemed. She could still use her flexibility and speed to dodge and use her opponent's strength against them seen by the numerous times she'd made Mister Zeb go sailing over her own head or flipping him onto his rear. Sabine was harder but her quick reflexes made it easier to react and divert the older female's quick jabs and kicks.
Eventually she tested to see if the Mandalorian's anatomy was similar enough to use her normal means and found they were. It precise movements from years of practice and did quick but strong jabs using her knuckles or fingertips to pressure points. First an arm became limp, then the other followed by both her legs-she'd had to use her foot for the last two when Sabine had tried to backtrack or she wouldn't have managed it at all.
She bent backwards and used her hands to support her weight, kicking Mister Zeb under the chin to knock him off balance and tagging his arm to discover that her method would work on him as well. A minute or so later he was down to.
Hera was impressed. "That was good, but what exactly did you do?"
"It's the fighting style I was taught. While my teacher taught me stretches and kata to increase my flexibility she also had me using weights for speed and strength. I also had to learn every single aspect of human anatomy in order to hit pressure points that could cause the loss of ability to a limb when hit with the right amount of strength in conjunction to the few other points. It's more devastating to another Force user. It'll wear off Sabine and Mister Zeb in about ten minutes. The points used in a Force user cause a disruption in the high flow in the body and leave the limb immovable for up to thirty minutes at a time. But I can reverse it by hitting the points again." She tapped the points on her two sparring partners in a much more gentle fashion and the two moved their legs and arms to regain feeling. "I wasn't sure it would work on Mister Zeb but he has a similar structure to a species we had on Earth that we called Werewolves, which were people that turned into humanoid wolves during a full moon or if it was an alpha at any time they want."
"Interesting." Kanan murmured, nodding his head slowly. At least he knew she was capable of taking care of herself if she was given Force suppressants again.
"Ron…You can't be serious! Why would anyone go through that much trouble? Paying people off to be nice? Paying my relatives to be like they are? This is a horrible prank!"
Ron gave her a look, his honey eyes dead serious and Serah closed her eyes. Her denial had been half-hearted at best. Ron didn't lie, not to her.
"I didn't want to believe it anyway. Serah without your gem you're more vulnerable than ever. I won't risk Dumbledore doing something crazy and I'm not going to sit here and let you risk your life for people who don't deserve it either."
"What? Ron what are you talking about?" Worry and confusion bubbled in her stomach and she jerked her head to the door he'd sealed with more than a few runes as pounding and shouting sounded from the other side. "…Ron…?"
The red head gave her a grim smile tugging her forward into a tight hug and kissing her forehead right on top of the scar she hated so much. "I'm sorry, Ser. But it's the job of a big brother to protect his siblings and I won't stand for this to keep going. I love you, never forget that and try to live a happy life. Big brother's orders, okay?"
"Ron, what are you-" He shoved her backwards into the circle of runes on the floor, his voice flowing into ancient Latin. The runes began glowing and a wall of see-through white light kept her from leaving the circle. "Ron!"
She saw another grim smile, his eyes reflecting the light with love as the door was torn apart and people surged into the room with weapons raised glaring daggers at her brother- Hermione, Ginny, Dumbledore, Molly, Arthur and other members of the order, how could she have been so stupid- but he didn't take his eyes off of her's as he finished speaking.
The light grew brighter and she screamed as a flash of silver steel began descending on him, feeling a tug on her very being. "RON!"
Clash of silver, clang of steel and the smell of blood, screams ringing in her ears along with battle cries and cackled insane laughter. She kept her emerald eyes locked on the crimson eyes of the snake faced being in front of her. They both stood still for all of a second before they were a flurry of death strokes again.
Sadistic gold, shivering in the cold as the unforgiving floor pressed against her. A red beam heating her face as it hovered barely away from her flesh. A sick laugh as fiery pain laced and coiled in her veins. Her throat ripping and bleeding as her scream bounced off the walls again and echoed in her own skin. A boot holding her down unforgivingly as she writhed and the beam moving before more pain lanced through the flesh of her back-
Serah jolted, eyes wide as she immediately curled into a ball with her head against her knees and hands grasping too tightly on her hair and ears, nails digging into her skin as she fought to keep the laughter and scream away. Glowing gold eyes filled her vision and she closed her own to try and block them out, choking on a sob when they remained and her throat throbbing painfully as tears pooled in her eyes.
Just as soon as they began falling two presences made themselves known. Her scrambled mind frantically tried to push them away but they pressed down on her and she finally let them, recognizing them in the barest sense as father and friend. Both sensations wrapped around her and emanated with a mixture of comfort, love and protectiveness. Slowly she became more aware, recognizing them as Kanan and Ezra; there were two different sets of arms around her and Ezra's voice gently whispering in her ear for her to calm down, that he was there, for her to come back to them.
Safe. Protected. Loved. No pain. No fear. No hate. No sick laughter or agonized screams. There was no smell of her own blood, no blank stares of trooper masks nor any searing, burning gold eyes.
Her shoulders began shaking.
Kanan was careful as he gathered Serah to his chest as her shoulders heaved and rough, painful sounding sobs tore out of her throat as she cried. He rocked side to side slowly as her fingers curled into his shirt and her face pressed into his chest. Ezra moved to wrap his arms around her middle from behind, pressing his forehead to the back of her neck and continued to whisper to her. Neither of them let up, using the Force to ensure she was completely cocooned in their presence.
They'd all been in the lounge relaxing after a hard day's work and a good round of training. He had been watching Sabine take Zeb's credits in amusement with Hera while Ezra had been reading something from a datapad. Serah had been reading it with him before she'd dozed off on his shoulder while Chopper was taking every opportunity to poke fun at Zeb.
The dark presence had first pressed down on Kanan and Ezra, their wakefulness drawing its attention first. They'd had seconds to stiffen and recognize it as the Inquisitor before it had sensed Serah and immediately pressed down on her violently.
Kanan had ordered everyone out of the room the minute she had begun thrashing and screaming, her small fingers ripping the cloth of the couch as they tore into it.
Minutes had felt like hours while they held her down to keep her from doing any more damage after her hands had begun clawing at the scars on her back like she was going to dig them out, slipping near the end as they finally woke her up.
Pain and anger boiled in Kanan. He would not forget those screams, the screams of his youngest Padawan, the one he had begun teaching nearly a month ago. Just as he would never forget the image of Ezra's too still form all those days ago when he had gained the scars on his cheek nor the images created by the Inquisitor to make him believe Ezra was dead.
Terrified agony filled screams were echoing in his ears. Revenge was not the path of the Jedi but Kanan would see to it soon that that Pu'an Sith would lose the ability to hurt his family any longer. He would see to it that his son in Ezra would never gain anymore scars from the male and that his daughter in Serah would no longer be tormented by him. Personally, if he must.
"You could get lost out here…" Serah whispered, looking out over rocky terrain that stretched as far as they could see.
"Maybe that's the point." Zeb rumbled. He had a warm furry hand on her shoulder as he leaned over her.
In the last two months they'd done several jobs alongside Phoenix Squadron which included a failed attempt to rescue Minister Tua from Lothal.
Serah had found herself incredibly thankful that she had dealt with the equivalent of a Sith Lord before. Seeing Ezra with his own lightsaber at his own neck had been more than a little hard to swallow- the Darkness had been creeping across her vision, trying to crawl and bubble in her skin and it'd been so hard to fight it back but she had, just barely. For Ezra. For Kanan. For Hera, Zeb, Sabine and Chopper- but she'd managed. In the end her experience had allowed her to keep his attention on her long enough for Kanan and Ezra to find a way out and for them all to escape.
Hours and hours after that, safe on the Ghost, Ezra had held her closer and tighter than he ever had unless she'd woken from a nightmare. He shivered against her skin and she knew he was fighting off the coldness. Those hours were spent wrapping him in her presence as he had once done for her even as she silently remained relieved that the being- Darth Vader was it?- had killed the Inquisitor for his failings. She wasn't sure when Kanan had joined them in the room but eventually he reclined against the wall at their feet with his arms crossed and eyes closed.
Asohka admitted to having felt that presence during the Clone Wars and they saw her ever now and then during her breaks in investigating it.
Right now they were on a desert planet searching for an old friend of the Jedi Master's in hopes they could help them find a place to use as a base. It was increasingly expensive to constantly keep the ships running even if it was safer from the Empire. Quicker access to hyperspace would keep them from getting caught but fuel had certainly started to become their downfall if they weren't careful.
"There!"
"Ouch!"
The Lassat pulled back sheepishly, "Sorry, Serah."
"It's okay." She gave him a small smile. It had taken a month and a half for her to fully get comfortable with him; a time spent truthfully getting over her relatives, the lingering fear of Greyback and coping with her torture at the hands of the Empire. She couldn't help the giggle when Ezra still shot the older male a dirty look as he pulled her closer.
"Someone's getting possessive." Zeb muttered.
Ezra just flashed him a smirk as they went to land.
"No fighting kids." Kanan grumbled. "I did give Serah full reign to smack you both. She's like a toy to you two." 'More like the big brother trying to get his little sister's attention when she's with the boyfriend. Wasn't that what Hera said they acted like?' He rolled his eyes.
"What is that thing?" Ezra glanced at Kanan curiously.
"Looks like an old walker from the... Clone Wars." Kanan murmured, his mint eyes narrowing.
Serah and Ezra met each others eyes. Unease and suspicion rolled off of their master like ripples across water. Ezra tried to think of what could make that happen, thinking back to the lessons Kanan had given him over the history of the Jedi. Clones had been created from the DNA of a Mandalorian Bounty Hunter, one of the best to ever exist and had fought along side the Jedi and Republic against the Sepratists during the Clone Wars. But shortly after that the Jedi...
'Serah, Kanan said that Ahsoka served in the Clone Wars and she said she was sending us to an old friend she hadn't seen since then.'
'It would make more sense.' She sent back, their fingers locked as they spoke silently. It was the easiest way but it was getting easier and easier to share thoughts while apart; for now it was a little tiring. 'It would explain why Master Kanan feels like he does. But I'm certain they can't be bad people if Master Ahsoka is sending us after them. She said herself a few days ago that padawan are rare now.'
'It wouldn't be anymore dangerous than any other mission though.'
'I guess so. But I have a feeling that it's okay. I heard her tell Master to keep an open mind.'
'I hope so. Stay close, okay?'
He couldn't help the smirk he gave her when she rolled her eyes at him. 'Don't get cocky, Ezra. When you get cocky you make mistakes. Big mistakes.'
Ezra squeezed her fingers at the darker tinge to her thoughts, using his emotions to keep her from traveling down a dark lane of memory. 'That won't happen. I'm confident in my abilities is all.'