The New Recruit
"You weren't the first, you know..." Aubé sighed, leaning back into Luke's embrace. "I mean, it was a long time ago, but I wonder what happened to him, sometimes."
Startled, the hand that had been slowly creeping up and under her shirt stopped at her belly, his budding passion suddenly ashes. His eyes flew open. "What? Who? I mean..."
Aubé didn't open her eyes, but a wry smile touched her lips, knowing she had rankled him. "The first Jedi I met, silly! I mean, other than my family..." she sighed and turned to snuggle closer. "It was a long time ago, though. I don't even know if he's alive."
Resigned but curious, Luke began to stroke her upper arm. He knew she'd been having trouble sleeping lately, ever since they'd seen the contingent of Imperial pilots that had surrendered on Lothal. Maybe she would talk about it. As if on cue, ever so softly, she began to speak again.
"I never told you how I actually joined the Rebellion, did I? I mean, you know I was a cadet at the Academy..."
"Yes."
"And it wasn't exactly easy to just… 'walk away' if you know what I mean."
Luke murmured his ascent. She would either continue the tale, or she wouldn't, As in all things between them, he would let her act in her own time.
For this she was always thankful.
Eyes still closed, she swallowed hard. "I was maybe sixteen, I think. I knew I wanted out from the start, but it was like being swallowed in the belly of a sarlac. You may have thought you'd see the light, but it was almost always a trap. Friends who'd spoken of leaving often just disappeared – or worse! If they came back, they were.. different. Fiercely loyal to the Empire, and looking out for traitors. If I had been there much longer, I would have taken a blaster to my own head! I guess in the end, I didn't have too..."
The assignment from Fulcrum had been fairly straightforward. A simple extraction and removal of a cadet from the Imperial Academy on Lothal. A particular cadet only known as 0098-876-877 at the time. The crew of the Ghost would be well compensated, as well as supplied with vital information for the broader Rebellion once the cadet had been delivered safely to a secondary transport.
It should have been easy.
"I don't get it, Sabine!" Ezra gasped as the Mandelorian daubed the rising bruise above his eye with bacta. "I thought she's be grateful to be rescued from the academy! Not fight us like a bag of wet loth-cats! OW! Watch it!"
Sabine grimaced, and daubed his would perhaps a bit harder than she should. "People change once they've been indoctrinated, Ezra. Whoever wanted her pulled had good reason. Maybe she's got a rich family or something..."
"And what gives with Fulcrum?" Ezra pressed. "Didn't he sound, well, different to you? Maybe it's a set up? Or..."
"Or maybe it's because 'Fulcrum' is an idea, not just one person, Ezra," Hera's voice cut him off from the cockpit of the Ghost, her irritation evident. "Once Sabine has you patched up, why don't you see how Kanan is getting along with our guest?"
"Only if I can take my blaster..." Erza muttered, sliding off the chair.
"I heard that, Ezra Bridger!"
Ignoring her, he turned to Zeb. who hadn't moved from the Dejarik table, only shook his hairy head.
"I saw that little scrap of a kid throw you n' Kanan around like rag dolls before you took 'er down. Nah, I'll be avoidin' the cargo hold until that particular package is delivered, thanks very much!"
"What about you, Chop?"
A burble that sounded suspiciously like an invitation to place his blaster in an anatomically impossible place was the only reply from the astro-mech, and Ezra resigned himself to facing the hell cat alone, presuming she had killed Kanan as she had promised.
It was going to be a long few days.
She lay in the bad, feigning sleep, unsure if her captor was still in the room. She tried to recall – sort through- the events of the last few hours (days?) were hazy. Whether it was from the pain in her shoulder (Blaster hit? What ever it was, it had been field dressed in any case) or even perhaps drugs that had been used to subdue her (she doubted it had been out of any real concern for her well being).
Tentatively, she tried to expand her consciousness. To reach out through the Force. It wasn't something she tried lightly, keeping this latent talent hidden as much as she could, but considering she had blasted her would be captors on the Lothal plains, there was little doubt they knew she had at least some abilities, and hopefully she could use them to her advantage.
Carefully, she reached out, keeping her breath slow and even.
Don't notice… she thought. It's nothing…
Then something, or someone bumped back.
"Hello there," a soft voice called over from across the darkened room. "Don't worry, you're among friends. You're safe..."
She closed her eyes tightly, and gritted her teeth. "398-0098-876-877!"
"What did you say?"
"398-0098-876-877! I'm a cadet in the Imperial Academy! 398-0098-876-877!"
"Do you have a name, cadet?" the voice asked gently. There was no threat in that voice, nor any fear. Only curiosity.
She clenched her fist. Surely this was a trap! Despite what Leonis had told her, there was no escape from the Empire. No one would help them. "398-0098-876-877!" Defiance was her only weapon now.
A sigh from across the room. No rancor, only resigned. "All right, have it your way, cadet… I only hope whomever wanted you out can help you..."
Bounty hunters, maybe! Trouble, but not as problematic as Imperial Officers – or worse – testing her wits and loyalty. Perhaps, just perhaps…
She sensed that her captor was leaving, but emboldened, she shouted out a message to tell his cohort 'Jabba' where he could put his blaster. Sideways.
She could feel the temperature drop in an instant, but somehow, she knew that the anger wasn't directed at her.
What?
"Jabba!" she repeated, unable to keep the glee out of her voice. "That's the worse phony name for a bounty hunter I've heard in my life! If he's 'Jabba', then my name is is Obi-Wan Kenobi!"
Now the space between them became ice cold, and she knew she'd crossed a line, somehow.
"Now you've done it, Aubé," she thought to herself, and she braced herself for an assault that never came. Only a reply wrenched with… sadness?
"I'll tell him," the voice echoed softly. "Get some rest. I'll bring you something to eat later..."
And with that he left, leaving her in the low light, with only her own confused thoughts.
He met Kanan halfway down to the cargo bay, the thunderous look on his master's face didn't detour his curiosity in the slightest. "So how I'd go?"
Kanan rounded on him. "Jabba? Really , Ezra?" he snapped, blue eyes sparkling with a rare anger and frustration. "From now on you follow protocol! It's either the specter codes or nothing at all! Got it?"
Surprised, but undaunted, Ezra pressed on. "Ummm sure, Master…" he ducked his head. "Anything I can do?"
A deep sigh, and a pause. "Her dressing probably needs changing. Bring her a tray from the galley, and leave her be for now. She doesn't trust us..."
"Well, we did have to hit her with a stun shot," Ezra agreed readily. "That would put anyone in a bad mood."
"She's an Imperial soldier, Ezra." Kanan said at last, and a pause before adding, "Force sensitive or not..."
"Yeah, I noticed! So why can't we -"
"Don even think about, Ezra!" Kanan replied tersly. "We have a job to do!" and with that, he turned on his heel and left Ezra to this thoughts.
"Kanan?" Hera asked, gently touching his shoulder as he stalked past her through the common area. "What's wrong?"
"Not now, Hera!" he snapped, not slowing his pace.
Sabine and Zeb exchanged glances, while Chopper burbled happily. However, Hera's only outward sign of annoyance was a flick of her lekku, as she matched him footstep for footstep, and into his cabin.
"I don't want to talk about it, Hera..." Kanan began, sitting heavily on his bunk. Hera placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Kanan took it, squeezed it chastely once and let it drop into his lap.
"You never do, love. Jedi business?"
"Yeah."
She reached up and stroked his cheek once with one finger. "I'll leave you to it then," she said, rising. "I've got to reach out to our contact, and make arrangements for delivery. Are you going to be OK?"
A wan smile touched his lips as he pulled her down to touch his fore-head to hers. He closed his eyes. No words need to be said.
"I'll be in the cockpit if you need me," she whispered, pulling away, and the smile became a grin.
"Promise? I mean, even with the kids around?"
She punched him playfully on the arm. "Get some rest, " she admonished him gently. "We'll talk later."
With that, she left him to his own esoteric thoughts.
"Err, hello?" Ezra called down into the cargo hold, precariously balancing a plate of food and supplies form the med kit. "I… I um, brought you something to eat. You're not going to hit me again, are you?"
"Jabba..." came a sarcastic growl from across the room. "Just keep your distance, and maybe I won't blast you!"
"Uhhh, you don't have a gun,"
Abrupt laughter greeted his ears, surprisingly melodious. "I guess you know I don't need one… 'Jabba'"
Ezra paused on the gangway to look at her fully now, and he was surprised at how small she actually was. Dressed now, from head to toe in a black jump suit, her pale skin was set off by a pair of startlingly brown eyes, and curly dark hair that framed her face. Those same eyes regarded him cautiously. Silently.
"Look, it's just food! And a med kit!" He cried out, not moving from his position, "And it's not Jabba, OK? It's… It's something else!"
"Something else," she echoed, now squatting down in the corner. "Captor? Ransomer? Imperial cadet? What is it?"
Kanan will have my head if…
"Kanan?" she muttered softly. "No… that's not you… that's him..."
Karabast!
"Karabast?" She looked up now, eyes sparkling with amusement. "Sounds about right to me!"
"Zare Leonis!" Ezra shouted out, suddenly exasperated. "He's a cadet! An inside guy for the rebellion! He must be the one who informed… informed our contact that you wanted out! Maybe he even told you about me! I'm -"
"Ezra Bridger," she finished for him. "The boy who followed the Jedi..."
He climbed down and glared at her from across the cargo bay. "I'm not - I mean, I AM a Jedi! Or at least training to be one! And I'm not a 'boy!' - I'm sixteen!"
"I can tell," she said dryly. "Your tongue is hung in the middle and runs at both ends!"
"Look, do you want to eat or what?"
Her eyes narrowed, but Erzra could tell the plate had piqued her interest. "It's not poisoned, if that's what you think!" He took a bite of one of the large fruits. "And it's not rations either! It's fresh from the market. We picked it up before -"
"You shot me -"
"We didn't shoot you! That blaster wound came from their side!"
"Fair enough," she acknowledged, and winced.
"Let me help you with that," Ezra said, putting down the tray and picking up the medi-kit. "I'll only take a -"
"Stay back!" she snarled, pushing herself back into the corner. "Just scoot it over to me. I got this!"
"Jeese, some big brave Imperial cadet, aren't you?" Ezra grumbled, rolling his eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you, we're the good guys!"
"You lied to me!" she hissed, leaning forward! "Ezra Bridger! How do I know you're just not some kid they hired, or brain blasted to test my loyalty?"
"I can prove it!"
"How? Are you going to show me your name, sewn into your underwear?"
"You said I was 'following the Jedi', huh? Well, can someone who was just following a Jedi do this?" Ezra closed his eyes, held out his hands, and as Aubé found herself being lifted off the floor, she began to scream.
Embarrassed and a little ashamed, Ezra dropped her with unseemly haste, and without thinking, he raced to her side, only to find himself in a very uncomfortable headlock, painfully twisted.
"I could break your neck, and in less than five clicks be making my way through the air-vents," she whispered coolly. "Take over the ship and make my escape..." Just as quickly, she released him and shoved him away. "Useless kid..." she muttered, rubbing her shoulder.
A new voice interrupted them. "You wouldn't make it three clicks before said vents were flooded with Nefron gas – you'd wake up a few hours later in binders and with a hell of a headache…"
"Kanan! I -"
"Specter Six, go topside and check in with Specter Two. See if we've made contact yet. NOW!"
With barely a backward glance, Ezra slipped passed his Master, and made his way forward, leaving the two of them together, alone.
The moments ticked by, and Aubé was shaking, whether it was out of fear or pain, she didn't know. She didn't know what to expect, Anything – anything but what he said.
"You have the heart of a Rebel, Aubé Canaille, and the soul of a Jedi. You wouldn't have killed him"
"How… how did you know?"
His blue eyes blazed into hers, and a small smile touched his lips as he held out his hands in a supplicating gesture. He touched the side of his nose, as if to say 'secrets'.
"You're hurt. Can I help you with that?"
She nodded, the fight and fire washed away as he approached her, bacta patch in hand. "First stop for you will be a medic center," he murmured. "But this will do for now."
She sat quietly, trying not to flinch as he gently cleaned and dressed the wound. "You'll have some impressive battle scars to show someone, someday," he told her with a smile in his low voice. "Very impressive..."
She wrinkled her nose. "My heart belongs to the Rebellion!" she said with all the conviction and certainty of the 16 year old that she was. "Got no time for anything else!"
A low rumble echoed from his throat, and she turned to see him try to mask a smile. "You have someone, don't you?" she exclaimed. "it's the pilot, isn't it?"
He cocked an eyebrow at her, but didn't answer. He waited to see if she would elaborate.
"Ezra didn't tell me," she said hesitantly. "But I can tell!"
"Go on."
"First, you're obviously high ranking – that's a given. Just under the captain, I think," she started, looking for signs of denial or rejection in his face. Finding only bemusement, she continued. "But you're not the captain – that's obvious. She owns this ship. It's been her home for a long time. "
A momentary look of curiosity, and perhaps humor crossed his face, and he spoke again. "And you're sure the captain's a woman?"
"Oh yes!" Aubé replied, a little excitement in her voice, barely noticing as Kanan finished taping over the gauze. "I can feel her… her echos all over the place. Her imprint..." She bit her lower lip. "It's my gift… You won't tell anyone, will you?"
The smile that had been tugging at his face became a grin. He gently touched the side of her nose. "Secrets," he said. "I'll keep yours if you keep mine."
For the first time since she came aboard the Ghost, a genuine smile spread across her face. Wordlessly, she touched the side of his nose, too.
Suddenly, her face hardened again. "Why?" she asked, pulling away and reverting back to her cadet 'am I a prisoner?' posture.
Kanan only studied her thoughtfully. Silent.
"Why me?" she pressed.
Kanan shrugged, hands out in supplication. "We were asked," he said at last. "Someone heard you wanted out, and they wanted you out – pretty simple."
"Not so simple," she countered. "You know what I can do – or at least some of it! You know what I am..."
"Not my first bantha rodeo, dear," That low rumble in his throat which she now recognized as amusement. "Force willing, not my last."
She grew quiet. Reflective. "I don't have any money," she said at last. "And my family..." her voice trailed off, thinking. "Pappa didn't want me to go. He doesn't like to fight. He said once was enough." She found his eyes, so blue… and sad?
"Sometimes we have no choice," he conceded. "I didn't, for along time."
"But you do now."
"Yes."
She reached out and touched his face gently, curiously. "I feel like I should know you," she said. "Why?"
Kanan shook his head. He had told Hera (during a stolen moment in her bunk the night before) that there was a familiarity about her, beyond her Corillian surname. She had teased him about the fact that the girl was a bit younger than his usual type, and too old to be his daughter. This had lead to a teasing fight that had let to more… interesting, if all too breif pursuits, but that hadn't solved the issue.
He knew this girl.
"Specter one, this is Specter two, everything all right down there" Hera's voice cracked over the internal com. "Slight change of plan. We're dropping of our cargo and moving on sooner than we expected. It's a little hotter than we thought!"
Wide eyed, Aubé mouthed the word sorry, even as Kanan waved her off. He was used to sudden changes in Hera's tactics. "Copy that!" he said before disengaging the com. Turning to Aubé, he said "You might want to hang on to something."
She gripped the side of the ladder, even as the ship made a sudden lurch, still she was actually laughing.
"What do you find so funny?" Kanan snapped as another roll nearly knocked him off his feet.
"Nothing – not really!" her laughter subsiding into giggles. "But if I didn't know before, I sure would now!"
"Know what?"
The ship began to roll and shudder, eliciting screams of delight from Aubé, and groans from Kanan. "Hera!" he called into the com, forgetting his own established protocol. "A little warning next time?"
"If I had my gunner!"
"I'm on it!" came Ezra's voice over the com. They felt rather that saw the explosion, and at last their rough and tumble ride came to an end.
Kanan righted himself only to find Aubé still giggling. "Oh, to fly like that..." she sighed. "But I was right!"
"About?"
"You and that pilot! The way your face lights up when you talk to her..." she sighed happily.
Once again, Kanan touched the side of his nose. "Secrets, remember?"
She imitated the gesture. "Secrets," she agreed. "I have enough I think to pay someone for my rescue, I think, but..."
"It's not necessary," Kanan interrupted her, but she persisted.
"I have one for you," she said, her voice low and quiet. "There are more of you out there..."
"More Rebels? Not much of a secret, kiddo!"
"No, Jedi..."
His face was a mask, guarded. "And you know this how?"
A whisper. "Mother… she hides them."
Kanan began to shake, he turned away so she wouldn't see. No, it can't be. They were all dead. All of them…
"No!" she exclaimed unhappily. "I don't know where – or how – but she did! When I was a child!"
No, it was too much...
She fell back against the wall, apologizing over and over, weeping.
"Kanan!" Hera's voice once again came over the com. "We're docking in ten minutes! Is our passenger ready?"
"Roger that, Hera!"
Concern. "Kanan, are you all right?"
"Fine!" he spat. "I'll explain later – OUT!"
Slowly, he made his way to the weeping girl. No longer a hardened cadet, but a child in need of comfort he didn't know if he could give. He enfolded her into his arms. "It's all right," he murmured. "It's all right..."
"She didn't think we knew!" Aubé gasped. "Papa would get angry – said it was dangerous! But he never tried to stop her!"
He held her close, unconsciously, he began to hum seemly tunelessly as her sobs subsided. Suddenly, very quietly she began to sing along.
The stars shine bright, so far away, but forever and ever, in my heart you will stay…
Somehow, he was not surprised that she would know the tune, A Jedi creche cradle song.
Bound by the Force, together we are, with life and breath we are of the stars…
He held her for a few more moments, then kissed her head as they docked.
"It's time" he murmered, helping her to her feet. "Your ride's here. You gonna be OK?"
"Yeah," she replied, wiping her eyes and the last traces of fear from them.
A slam and a bang. "Ready for transfer!"
She grabbed her bag, and started twords the door, but paused as she reached it.
"Kampher Canaille," she called back to Kanan, even as he ascended the ladder. "She often works at the refugee camps on the outer rim..." she touched the side of her nose once more.
Grinning, He did the same, then once again continued his climb until he was out of sight.
"And you never saw of heard from him again?" Luke asked after a few minutes silence, taking it all in. "Aubé ?"
"No..." she mumbled sleepily. "None of them. I never knew the captain's name, of even if they ended up together – if they even survived..."
Luke opened his mouth to tell her that the Rebellion might have records, and surely with a little digging they could find out the fate of the little ship and it's crew, but before he could say anything. Aubé spoke up once more.
"No,"she said almost breathlessly. "I don't want to know, Luke… I think it's better that way." Slowly, she reached up and touched the side of his nose, and whispered, "secrets...".
He nodded, and pulled her closer, knowing she was almost if not already asleep. He himself knew first hand that some things were better off unknown.
Secrets, indeed.
The stars shine bright, so far away, but forever and ever, in my heart you will stay…
Bound by the Force, together we are, with life and breath we are of the stars…