RUHLSAR000 Here! And this has been a long time coming. Writer's blocks a pain, but I finally got this fluff piece. It actually was rather interest working with and I got to choose surprisingly a lot of different ways this could go. Anyway, Disney owns it. I apologize for errors. I am working on the next chapter of I Don't Blame You. It should be up soon.
It's cold. I am hungry. Tap, tap, tap. Mean people coming. The door opens. Weird humans enter. I curl into the corner. He isn't in grey or white shells. His coat is orange and the top fur is so black it glints blue in the light. "What is the Empire doing with loth-cats?" He enters the room, without taking the steps. Anger and frustration radiate off him. "They're dead." I cower into the corner.
A man in a green soft shell with a hard shell over his eyes comes in and places a hand on his shoulder. "They were completely innocent and defenseless." The boy growls.
The green one vocals sound sad. "Not all are gone." The orange one looks around before looking in my direction. My cage is buried under others. The corpses of the others sink. The boy rushes down removing cages off and away from my cage. No. Please don't. He opens the door. Don't hurt me. He gently removes my cage mate. She died yesterday and stank of festering death before it happened.
"He's just a kit. An older one but…" I hiss as his hand reaches into the cage, again. "Hey, I'm not going to hurt." His sense changes. All the anger and hate is gone. He feels… safe. Like Momma before the white shells rip me away from her. I don't even know what she looked like. My eyes hadn't even opened yet…
His hand pets my head. I don't shake it off or nuzzle into it. I am too tired to move. "It's going to be okay." He gently lifts me into his arms. "He's an albino like Ryder's…. No wait, there are faint greyish marking. Judging by some of the others, it looks like the empire was experimenting with pigmentation among other things. They made him albino. And then they just abandoned these guys to starve when they were done." I sneeze and begin to shiver. It's cold. I huddle closer to the boy. The boy looks at me. His eyes are so blue. I wonder if that's what the ocean looks like. Ole Yellow used to describe it like that. The boy shifts me to one arm. And then undoes his upper soft shell, placing me in before closing it again. I curl into him. He's nice. He carries me out and a warmth spreads into my chest for the first time.
The big purple thing is scary. "The thing isn't going survive." He kneels down next to the orange boy, who has some ground brown stuff in his hand. Before I can feel afraid, orange boy sends "safe" waves. Orange boy is nice. I trust him. So, I relax.
The orange boy looks at him. "People said the same thing about me, but here I am."
Purple thing looks uncomfortable. "Alright, alright, point made. No need to exaggerate."
The orange boy turns back to me. He holds out a little piece of the brown stuff to my mouth. It smells really good. "I'm not exaggerating, Zeb. The first few months were rough. Especially the period when I ran out of food in the house and hadn't yet gotten over the 'stealing is wrong' mentality." I open my mouth. The boy puts it in. It tastes… Yum… I swallow. "Good Girl." The boy smiles. He sends good feelings and scratches me behind the ear. Feels good. I want more, but he pulls back. I look up at him. His hand returns with more of the brown stuff. I open my mouth and he puts it in. I swallow. He scratches my head.
The purple thing still looks uncomfortable. "So, what you see your self in it, kid? That's pretty cheesy."
"I don't… Not really, I just… We help those that are hurt by the Empire, those who can't help themselves. So, if I can help her, then don't I have a duty to?" He holds out more food. I eat. I like this boy. I like my boy.
"Get down for there." My boy looks at me amused. I hop down from the high shelf, into my boy's arms.
Green-shell walks in, followed by light-green-skin."Well, our little patient is energetic today."
My boy scratches the base of my ears, but his mood deflates, even if he tries to hide it. I curl into him. What's wrong? "Yeah," My boy forces out that human sound of amusement but it doesn't sound right. "I guess it's time to find her a forever home."
Light-green-skin shoots a look at Green-shell, with a smile. "Ezra, we've actually been talking about it." My boy tense a little more but lets out a breath and seems to accept something.
Green-shell steps forward. "And, well, you're already doing such a good job of taking care of her, and it wouldn't be fair to uproot her so soon after her getting better."
My boy's eyebrow shoots up. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"
The green-shell looks at my boy even with his fogged up eyes. "You'd have to take care of her. That means making sure she is happy, healthy and trained her out of the way during battle."
My boy's mood completely changes and a pure smile spreads across his face. "You're saying what I think you're saying!" He holds me up to his face. "Look's like you're stuck with me, bud."
Green-shell smiles at us. My boy has him wrapped around his finger even if neither realizes it. Not surprising just about everyone else does too, but my boy especially. "Well, if she's staying, she'll need a name."
My boy starts to ponder "A name… Don't worry I'll come up with a good name."
My boy enters the room. "Aiday! What did you get into?!" I hop down, tilting my head. What? "Karabast! You're covered in paint!" My eyebrows shoot up. "Let's get you cleaned up before Sabine see you." He scoops me up, rushing into the small room down the hall, with the loud device that sometimes shoots water. I hiss. No. My boy leans down. "I know. I know. But you need to get cleaned up." No. He leans down. NO. I jump onto the counter then jump high enough for the door to trigger. And run smack into it when it doesn't. "Glad I locked it. Since when can you open doors?"
I groan and rush away from my boy's arms, sliding between his legs. "Get back here." He sense changes. No. He is trying to calm me. Not happening. I hiss. "Huh? You have a stronger will than most stormtroopers when you want to be. Not sure if that's insulting to you or the stormtroopers."
He leans down. No. He moves. I dodge. He moves. And I am trapped in a corner. Well played. I hiss. "Come on, Aiday. You need to get clean." Big hands come at me. Why am I back in a cage? What is a white shell doing here? I swat.
I hear my boy hiss in pain. The cage is gone, as is the white shell. My boy is staring at his hand. Red liquid, blood, starts beading out. They look like claw marks… Did I do that? I look at him. I don't feel good. He tries to calm me. I let him. The safe feeling fills me but I don't deserve it. I hurt my boy. Gentle hands lift me up gently and place me on his lap. "Sorry, I shouldn't have cornered you." He scratches my ears. I don't fight him as he sits in the stall and turns on the water. Gently, he rubs my fur getting rid of the gunk on me. I hurt my boy…
A surge of love fills me. He stares down at me, soaked and smiling.
A loud bang comes from the hall. "EZRA! YOUR STUPID TOOKA RUINED MY PAINTING!"
My boy hugs me. "How long do you think we can stay in here?"
The ground falls out from under me, dropping me onto the mattress and waking me up. What is it?! We are on the ground at Safe-Haven! Those blasty flying things shouldn't be attacking. What- My boy turns again, mutter. I breathe in relief. My boy turns again, frowning. Something is wrong… "Hera! Kanan!" My boy's afraid. Why?
My boy! I jump on him. "No!" He starts thrashing. I get thrown off. My claws embed into the bed preventing me from falling off. I climb back up. I have to wake him. Without hurting him. I dodge an arm, making my way to his face. I lick, nussle and headbutt him. Finally, his eyes spring open as he starts breathing heavily. Green-shell, now in a loose grey shell, enters. Way to arrive when I've done all the work. Ezra pets me. I crawl into his lap. Continue. "Hey, Kid, you okay?"
Right there. I maneuver my head into the perfect scratch spot. "Yeah… no…"
Green now grey shell walks over to him. "Want to talk about it?"
I curl into my boy. He picks me up and hugs me close. "I think… I… Yes..." He holds me firmly, jumping down. My boy and Green-shell-in-grey-shells walk into the table public room.
My boy sits down. Green-shell sits next to him. "What's up?"
My boy mindlessly pets me, "It's stupid. I just… My nightmare… It was the day my parents were arrested."
Gree-shell wraps an arm around him. "Kid…"
My boy pauses. I reach up and lick his face. "Only, it wasn't my parents being taken away. It was you and Hera. I… I know a Jedi shouldn't let it affect them, but I can't go through that again."
My boy is crying. Next thing I know I'm being squeezed between the two of them. "You know what, Ezra? They're wrong. Being attached to life and love isn't wrong. It healthy. And it is healthy to struggle to let go when the time comes. But life changes and that's healthy too. But I know, if it comes down to that, you'll eventually recover. But we're not planning on that happening anytime soon."
My boy's chest rumbles. "You started out good but the end sucked."
Green-shells sighs. "I know. But I'm trying and you know what I am saying."
"Yeah…"
This guy is weird. He feels like green-shell, and my boy and the white-shelled-female that my boy once considers a possible mate. In fact, the white-shelled-female is talking to him. He is in a white soft shell as well with sand hair. What is this feeling that all of them share? "No, Leia, I haven't seen Han all morning." He shakes his head looking over one of the smaller flying things. "R2, can you check the carbonator?" The blue hard dome thing beeps in response.
I must investigate further. "Well, if you see him let him know-" Hey! I brush against white-shell-female's leg. She looks down, eyebrows raised in the human surprised look. She bends down and picks me up. "Aiday, what are you doing here?" She scratches me behind the ears. Yes… Right… No, need to focus. I try to wriggle out of her grasp and to white-shell-boy.
He seems to take the hint and picks me up. "Hey, there." He pats me on the head. No, focus! I maneuver myself to look into his eyes. "Wow, easy there. Leia, who's this?" Definitely, littermates with the white shell female.
White-shell-female looks at us, before scratching my head. "This is Aiday. She's the pet of Commodore Ezra Bridger. You wouldn't have met him yet, he is one of the leading members of the Lothalian division. She doesn't normally run off." She looks up and around.
White-shell-boy looks down at me. "What is she?" What are you?
White-shell-girl looks back at him. "She's a Tooka, specifically of the Loth-cat variety."
I hear my boy's voice. "Leia, have you seen-" I jump down and run to him crawling into his arms. "There you are."
The white-shell-male clears his throat. "Hello, I don't believe we met…"
My boy chuckles. "Ezra, Ezra Bridger."
White-shell-male looks surprised. "Oh, you're her owner I thought… Well… Uh…"
My boy smiles, good humor radiates from him, "I'm too young to be a Commodore? No worries, I'm about a decade younger than any other Commodore. But, I join the Ghost when I was fourteen, before the cells even came together, so I probably started working in the Rebellion long before most of the higher-ups."
The white-shell-male jaw drops, but his sister jumps and makes a loud sound. "Han!" She turned to her brother. "I'll see you to later." She storms off.
White-shell-male stares after her. "Uh… I'm Luke Skywalker, by the way."
"I know, trust me. everyone knows." My boy is smiling.
White-shell looks abashed. "Right the Death Star and all that."
My boy chuckles, "Nah, only about half because of that. Another forth is literally going 'Great another Jedi.' And I honestly can't tell if they're being serious. The remainder is going 'Oh, great another Skywalker'."
White-shell looks confused. "Why?"
"Apparently, things tend to go insane when a Jedi is around. Skywalkers especially." These two are good for each other. Their feelings resonate. "Though in my experience. It's because they tend to stick around and see what else they can get because they can get themselves out of trouble."
The white-shell's eyebrows shoot up. "You've met other Jedi. Ben- I mean Obi-wan was going to train me. But…" White shell gets really sad.
My boy shifts, troubled, but he sounds chipper. That's the voice he uses to reassure someone who is hurting. "Leia really didn't say much about me huh? Well, I happen to know that a Jedi and a padawan, a Jedi apprentice, tend to practice at the edge of the base around marker A-3 every day at oh about 1700 when on base. And they're on base for the next few nights. While I don't think the Jedi will train you, because of the one master one padawan thing. I'm sure they'll let you practice with them."
The white-shell smiles. "Really? That would be great. Thank you."
My boy laughs. I am keeping you, white shell. I've not heard my boy laugh like this in a long time. You are mine now! "Well, then, Hera wants me to train some new recruits before the Empire rips them a new one." Ezra sets me down. He wants me to go back to the den-flying thing.
He points to where it is parked and I feel his mind brush mine. "Back to the Ghost, Aiday." Yep. I scamper off, after sighing. I better get some fresh meat tonight and vermin don't count. I look over my shoulder and see my boy bidding white-shell goodbye. I will make sure they hang out again. Even if I have to crawl into White shell's flying thing myself.
My boy crawls out of his tiny flying thing and onto the forest ground. That battle was terrifying then moon-not-a-moon blew up and I don't know what is going on. But judging by my boy's excitement it was a good thing. "Rex!"
The old grandpa guy, who had the sound "Rex" so often tied to him I can only think it is his name, comes over. "Well, look who got off Lothal for more than command being a pain." He clamps his arm over my boy's shoulder.
My boy hugs him back. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."
Rex pulls back, "Well, it looks like you're just in time for the party."
My boy sighs, "Maybe later, I want to make sure my squadron is alright. And get in contact with Hera and the others."
Rex pats his back. "Alright just don't let the time get away from you. There is plenty to do tomorrow. But for now, it's good to celebrate."
My boy laughs. "I will, Rex, don't worry." I follow my boy around as he talks to other people. I glance up as he talks to one of them. I see a group of familiar faces. "Hold up…" My boy looks down at me. "What is it Aiday?" I spin before pointing my head the group. He turns back to the man he is talking too. "See if you can contact Med about getting someone to look over that cut, then join the party."
The man nods. "Yes, Commodore."
I run up and launch myself at the one called Hera. After she shakes away the surprise, her mate Kanan smirks, "Ezra's here."
"Guys!" My boy calls out.
"I was wondering when you'd get around to actually saying hi." Kanan smiles, ruffling his hair.
"Sorry. I wanted to make sure everything was covered before I took a break." My boy laughs.
Sabine says, without emotion in her voice. "You've brainwashed, Hera."
"Yeah, there's nothing of that little Lothrat we picked up left. I hope you're happy." Zeb sounds way too amused.
My boy sounds indigent. "Hey!"
"More Kanan than me." Hera laughs good-naturedly.
"Nah, he gets it from you." Kanan takes her hand.
My boy huffs, "You're all terrible." The others laugh.
Someone is coming. I turn to face them. He looks familiar… It's white soft shell boy, only he's in black shells now. My boy calls out. "Hey, Skywalker. Heard you had a crazy night."
Black shell boy smiles. "That's one word for it. I actually wanted to talk to you and Jarrus."
Kanan raises an eyebrow. "About?"
Black shell boy smiles. "Restarting the Jedi Order."
I crawl out of my den, with a stretch. My boy is sitting on the couch, piles of those screen things around him and he is currently staring at one. He should be petting me. I walk over hop on the couch and proceed to sit on his lap. I reach up to the screen thing and pull it down under me. Pets, now. "Aiday," my boy chuckles. "I need to have these graded by tomorrow." He gently tries for the pad. Nope. Not happening. Pet me, now.
He sighs, but there is a smile on his face. He scratches me behind the ears and chin. Ah, yeah, right there. Right- I fall off his lap. He makes an amused sound, before picking up the screen thing but one hand finds its way to me. Oh, come on.
The door swishes open and Luke walks in dropping his bag by the door. I get up and rush to him. My boy's been reading those things too long. Make him stop. He bends down and pets my head. "What's up, girl?" Make him stop. I look between him and my boy willing him to understand. Luke looks up at my boy, "How long have you been working on those papers?"
My boy smiles at him. "I have to get them done by tomorrow. I still have ten to go."
Luke doesn't look satisfied. He walks over to my boy and takes the screen thing he is working on. "How about I take the remaining and you watch a holo-drama? You can't grade well when you're fried."
My boy now doesn't look satisfied. Nope. "But-" I land in his lap and start purring at him with big eyes.
My boy sighs, "Fine. I can't believe you can tag team me with my cat." My boy turns on a floaty-there-but-not-there thing. "Where's Ben, by the way?"
Luke pauses, looking up at my boy. "Fine, he's going out with some friends tonight."
I curl into my boy, my Ezra.
For those of you going that, that was surprisingly fluffy for one called Fluffkiller, know that the first two drafts had Aiday dying in the end. First, she died young due to the experiments performed on her. Second, she pulled a Marley and Me and die of old age. My friend, who I often bounce ideas off of, proceeded to chase me up and down the block for that. And given I like my arms and Aiday, I changed it.
