So after much thought I decided to write a continuation for An Alternative Fate. The concept of Kanan and tiny Ezra running around the galaxy like a regular dynamic duo was too strong for me to resist. I absolutely love this idea. I love the idea of Semi Mute Ezra and Hearing Impaired Kanan working off of each other and just being the best. Like last time, I wrote too much and had to split this into three chapters, so I waited until I was completely done writing before posting. I really hope you all enjoy this as much as I had in writing it!

His master had always told him that everything happened for a reason, that the Force bestowed upon it's power —however little it may have been— to a chosen few that in turn made the galaxy a better place. The Jedi, had brought peace to all living creatures, to planets that were raged in war, and his various Masters always told him to trust in himself and to have faith. Because the Jedi were good and wise, the Jedi were unbeatable— that is until they weren't anymore. That is until, the fall of the Republic, until the fall of of his Master where the life he had once held so near and dear to him was abruptly ripped away from him. Then everything after that was chaos, complete and utter chaos and destruction. As Caleb Dume fled for his life, and fought to survive. After that— well, he didn't have much faith in anything. His faith was shattered, his knowledge that there was a reason for everything was destroyed throughout his miserable life.

Until he met a small boy, a boy with dark hair and these blue eyes that held such innocence, such fear and brokenness. He looked at this boy, this child who was Force sensitive just as he was and saw himself. Their shared trauma mirrored one another. Their hearts connecting in an instant, a link between them forged within seconds. Binding them together, as they both taught comfort in the other with no shame or regret. He realized that yes, his Master had been right, everything did happen for reason because now he had Ezra, now he had a purpose. To protect this child with his entire being, to give Ezra the love and affection he deserved.

Sure, they never stayed in one place for a long period of time, and they were always on alert for the Empire or any other dangers out in the galaxy. But it was their life to live, a life where they had each other.

As Kanan walked along busy street, a pack strapped around his shoulders. He found himself looking cautiously around, surveying the area for anyone or anything that looked suspicious as he kept a firm but gentle grip on his shoulder, guiding him along, keeping him close to his side as they made their way towards yet another cheap building on yet another planet with cheap living spaces for them to temporarily call home. Brushing up against the boy's mind he felt that Ezra was calmer then he had been the other previous times they had done this these last two months. Though Kanan could still feel the slight twitch in the kid's body whenever some passing bystander brushed up against his side. "Relax." He sent out calmly, pulling the boy closer to his side. "Everything is okay, I'm here, remember?" He soothed, as he too tried to calm the little bundle of nerves within the pit of his stomach, something that always occurred in this kind of situation, only receding once they were safely within closed doors.

Ezra nodded once, taking a gulping breathe as be latching on to their bond as he always did. As they finally squeezed passed the last remaining citizens and moved towards the motel, did Kanan exhale a slow breathe, his grasp on Ezra's shoulder lessoning just a fraction as he walked over to the front desk. "Got any rooms?" He asked as he casually placed the last of their credits that they had earned from their previous job on the counter.

The owner, a Bothan, looked at Kanan and then at the credits, then reached over behind him and grabbed the very last key hanging on a hook. "This is the last room available. Though, it only has one bed."

"We'll take it." He confirmed, reaching out and taking the keycard that displayed the number 43 on it, nodding his thanks as he did so. Placing his arm back around Ezra's shoulders again and moved away, keeping the boy at his side. "Almost there, kiddo." He told the boy in a low and calm voice. Walking up the steps, they made it inside their room in a matter of seconds, practically sprinting the rest of the way. Shutting the door behind him, Kanan let out the breathe he was holding, out of the corner of his eye he saw the ten year old flop onto the bed with a slight thud, indicating that the bed wasn't all that comfortable, looking absolutely exhausted. He couldn't help but feel guilty, being on the run, constantly moving from planet to planet wasn't easy on anyone, but especially for a child as young as Ezra. It wasn't easy, and Kanan wished that things could be different but as tired as the kid looked he never complained, never once showed any regret about being by his side.

Which made the guilt in the pit of his stomach morph into fondness as he shuffled his tired feet over the the counter, taking his pack off and began emptying the contents from it; Food supplements, medical supplies like bacta patches and ointment. Lastly, he took out the silver box that contained his lightsaber. Thoughtfully, he ran the tips of his fingers over the container, remembering that he hadn't use it since that night on Lothal. Back then, when they had to flee Ezra's home planet in the late hours of the night, Kanan had use it in an act of desperation. As Faoladh, Ezra's previous guardian threatened to turn him into the Empire for being a survivor of Order 66, threatening to turn in Ezra for being force sensitive. He had no choice, Ezra's life was in danger, so Kanan called out to his saber, ignited it and killed Faoladh.

And ever since then it's been locked in this box, something that Ezra actually made him while he had been away on a job, with some spare parts just laying around and even encrypted it with a code only they would know, as a means of not only keeping others from opening it but in case either of them were in trouble, they could use it as self defense. Or at least that's how Ezra explained it, his hands moving so fast he almost had a hard time figuring out what the kid was signing. Back then, the older man just smiled and thanked the boy. But Kanan's mind was set in stone, he maybe teaching Ezra how to control powers over the Force and the things around him, -hell he maybe also teaching him self defense, but that didn't mean he would ever teach him how to be a Jedi. No matter how much the kid wanting to learn and have his own lightsaber, no matter how much Ezra wanted to be a Jedi, he refused to. Being a Jedi was dangerous, and Kanan wasn't going to take the chance of something happening to his boy.

His heart wouldn't be able to handle it.

Force, he was so damn tired

Blinking several times, Kanan gently placed the box back inside his pack and walked to the bed and sat down, he glanced downward towards Ezra, whom had his eyes shut and looked to already be asleep if not for the sigh he let out every few minutes. Kanan smiled, reaching over he brushed the kid's hair away from his eyes, ruffling his hair for good measure, which in turn made Ezra smiled and open his eyes. Opening his mouth he made a noise, wanting his attention, oblivious to the fact that he already had it. "Kanan?" Ezra asked, his voice as raspy and hoarse as ever as he looked at him. It had only been two months since Ezra said his first word, in Force knows how long given the fact that the kid has been mute for as long as he could remember. Back then Kanan had said that if Ezra could say his name that eventually he would maybe be able to say others too. And slowly, as the days, weeks and finally two months went by, Ezra started learning more words. Small words, simple words. They weren't full on sentences, and honestly they probably never would be but Kanan thanked the Force regardless.

"Kanan?"

Naturally, the one word Ezra mastered to it's fullest was Kanan's name.

"Yeah?" He said casually, as he kept his hand on top of the boy's head.

"Safe?" Ezra's voice sound smaller now, nervous as he often did when it came to staying in these cheap motels. Kanan's heart twisted in his chest at the weak voice, his eyes narrowed towards the floor, no longer looking at the boy, as the guilt once again set in. But he shook his head, and blinked a few times, forcing that feeling away as he laid down and brought Ezra to his side, giving him a comforting squeeze.

"Yeah, kiddo." He nodded once and swallowed down the dryness in his throat. "We're safe." For now he thought silently, because no matter where they ended up they ended up they always had to leave.

Ezra curled up to his side like a little Loth cat, and pressed his face into Kanan's jacket. Within seconds he felt that boy's emotions, the guilt and sadness. Then lifting his hands up he signed, "I'm sorry."

Kanan closed his eyes and sighed, adjusting himself so that he could pull the kid closer. Because he knew exactly what that meant. 'Sorry for being a burden', that's what it always meant. "Hey, none of that." He gently whispered, "It's okay, we'll be okay."

"T-Together?"

Heart filling with warmth, Kanan smiled. "That's right. Always."

The next morning, Kanan and Ezra set out with their daily routine, Kanan looking for work and Ezra staying safe at their motel. He hated leaving the kid by himself for hours on end just so he could make a few credits from a job or the occasional local cantina, but once again the ten year old never complained, in fact he was the one who often pushed him out the door whenever he as reluctant to go. His hands moving in motion as he reassured Kanan that he didn't mind being alone, that he needed to stay here for his own safety. In a lot of ways, Ezra was more mature and understanding then most of the children his age, maybe growing up on the streets plus going into and out of the orphanage, also having to live with Faoladh had something to do with that.

Or maybe that was just how Ezra was, regardless Kanan admired that. Turning around, he found himself chuckling lightly, as he placed his hands on the kid's shoulders. "You'll be alright?"

Ezra nodded, his hands falling to his sides. "Yes." He confirmed.

Kanan breathed in through his nose, "I'm sorry, kiddo. Maybe one of these days you can come with me but... right now." There are too many dangers, too many things that could go wrong. I can't lose you. Those words were left unsaid, were left hanging in the open air but Ezra merely smiled, wrapping his arms around his waist for a quick hug that Kanan barely had time to recuperate before letting go. "Alright, I know you've done this before but lock the door and if anything feels suspicious you run and come find me. Got it?"

"Yes," The kid said once again, giving Kanan a thumbs up for good measure.

"Okay, I'll be back in a few hours."

And reluctantly, Kanan walked out the door.

Three minutes later he found himself walking around the busy streets of Arsolore, a planet populated by various species but most none of them were human. Which isn't as uncommon as one would believe. But being the only human in a planet filled with various others, he and Ezra definitely stuck out. It was no wonder that Kanan felt eyes on him and Ezra when they had first arrived, it which for malicious intent but more so that they probably aren't to humans landing here. This wasn't his first choice but this had been the only planet, that closest in range and where it didn't have a high concentrated amount of Troopers, meaning that the Empire hadn't fully gotten to this place just yet.

Wondering aimlessly for a few more minutes, Kanan finally found a local cantina he had been searching for. Cantina's were his go-to place for easy, fast credits. Because not only was he a damn good bartender, but he had a talent for stopping fights between males who were too intoxicated to even stand. And considering he had Era to take care of Kanan needed fast credits on the fly, so that he could take care of the ten year old. Now most cantina's had a curfew, some opening early and closing late at night, others didn't open until night and stayed that way until dawn. But for Kanan and his line of work he tended to go to the ones that open early and closed at night because then he had time for the jobs after hours, the ones that were dangerous, and illegal the ones where he will never let Ezra go on until he was much, much older.

A thief, a smuggler. Something that, if he thought about it, would be disapproved of by the Jedi Council.

Thanks to Kasmir, along with his own instincts, he had gotten really good at this profession. This job paid more in credits then cantina's. The clients would pay him to either steal something or smuggle something either off or onto the planet and if all went well, he'd get paid and no one would get shot at. And now more so then ever Kanan was always on alert more, always more cautious the he had in the previous years of doing this, because if anything were to happen to him, if he was reckless in anyway that cost him his own life, then Ezra would be all alone again, this time on an unfamiliar planet.

For Ezra's sake, he had to be careful.

Kanan stood near the front entrance of the cantina, eyeing his surroundings. Then his eyes fell on the help wanted sigh on the open window outside. Perfect, He stated to himself as he walked inside and was greeted to the familiar sounds of men laughing and smell of liquor in the air. Sitting down at one of the chairs closest to the bartender he signaled him over. "Whatcha need?" The bartender turned around, revealing a middle aged, female Amaran who's fur was tinted light violet and gray, which was odd for as much as Kanan knew most Amaran's fur were either red or a deep orange, but never outside that spectrum. Perhaps she was different then the rest of her people? "Here to pick your poison?"

He shook his head, no he wasn't here to drink, he had a two months streak of not having a single sip of alcohol, and he wasn't about to break it no matter how much he missed the taste. "No, I saw the sign outside. Thought I could offer my services."

The Amaran filled up a large glass full of liquor and slid it over a Drall over towards his left, then she eyes him up and down with her black eyes. "Got a criminal record?"

"Would you even believe if I told you no?" He said without missing a beat. Because honestly, there was no one out in the galaxy who didn't, in some shape or form, have a criminal record. It was almost a guarantee nowadays.

She snorted, her whiskers pointing upward into a smirk. "Course not, but it helps that you were honest, not many are like that these days. Cause you don't know who's lyin' and who isn't." The Amaran's eyes were still looking directly at him. "How long has it been since you had a drink?"

"Two months."

"Any particular reason why?"

Kanan paused for a few seconds, thinking it over. "Can't very well come home drunk when I got a kid."

Those black eyes widened at his statement and then softened. "That record of yours gonna effect my bar?"

"If it does, then I'll promptly apologize and leave."

"Any physical injuries that would keep you from working for a period of time if you over exerted yourself?"

"Just my hearing aids." He promptly, casually took them out and showed them to her before placing them back in his ears.

"The name's Thül Klêêv." Thül announced reaching out her paw for him to take. "You're hired."

"Kanan Jarrus, thank you." He tried to hide the utter relief in his voice with those two words as he shook her hand. "When do I start?"

A crash sounded out behind him, the loud shouts of two drunken customers echoed throughout the cantina, along with various others shouting and cheering for more action. "How's right now sound?" Thül said with a sly smile on her face. "I run this place from 9 am to 9 at night. I pay 4 credits an 5 hours. I know that's not much but that's how everything is nowadays. Your job is to serve the liquor when I'm not around and stop fights and stop fights between these drunk moof-milkers. You start any fights you're fired. You bring a girl here and any of these guys fight over her and you're fired. Understand?"

Kanan nodded, "Yes ma'am." He had to admit, not many cantina's were owned by females. At least not the ones he's been too. And she seemed to be firm, fair, and unwilling to not take attitude from anyone, all at once.

Thül laughed and motioned him over towards the cheering crowd of drunk customers. "Welcome to The Solar Vortex Cantina."

So I don't normally create OCs, because I'm just not good at giving them life and a compelling story, hell its the reason why I can't write my own stories with an original plot and characters. But I decided to make an exception with this, because of the overall concept, of Kanan and Ezra being on a planet they didn't know. So with that, Thül Klêêv was born. Now right off the bat, she isn't a love interest for Kanan. No, in fact, she was influence more so like Depa Billaba was.

Anyway, I know this isn't the best one I've written but, a penny for your thoughts? Feedback is always welcomed and appreciated. And I'll see you all soon.