Ezra had been in the Rebellion long enough that going on missions to pick up intelligence from a new source was old hat to him. The fact that the meeting place for rendezvousing with this particular source was in a cantina on some backwater world didn't even raise his interest anymore. With all the ne'er do wells who mixed and mingled in those places, the low lighting and raucous noise made for an excellent cover for two people who were trying to avoid attention. And dressed in some old old robes that Kanan had procured from only Force knew where, Ezra looked no different than any of the others straggling in through the open doors of the bar.

The only thing that could have made the young jedi feel completely comfortable with this mission would have been actually knowing what his informant looked like. Still, it wasn't a complete surprise that his source had preferred to not pass along a physical description of himself-often their sources preferred to remain as anonymous as possible for safety reasons, and Ezra could respect that. He of all people knew how dangerous it could be when the Empire knew what you looked like and plastered your face on wanted posters all across the known galaxy. So if this informant wanted to prevent that from happening, he understood completely

It did make getting the intel and getting out quickly a bit tricky, but the source promised that he would be able to find Ezra, even in disguise, and he had given the Rebellion dispatchers a code phrase that would identify him: "Are you looking for me, sailor?" It was an odd choice of words, but it was all that Ezra had to go on and he would just have to rely on his wits and the Force to help him through this.

Once inside the cantina, Ezra takes a seat at a table near the edge of the room. Even though he was in disguise, he didn't want to take any chances of being spotted, especially considering there were quite a few uniformed Imperials at the bar. It curdled his stomach that the Empire had sunk it's claws even into this mostly abandoned world and was probably exploiting the poor local populace. Still, this wasn't a mission to bring freedom to this place, so he forces himself to just focus on the task at hand.

It was a bit uncomfortable just sitting alone at this table, waiting for some unknown stranger to come up to him, and he finds himself scanning the crowds for any sign of the informant in spite of the fact that he had no idea what they looked like. Usually he would have brought one of his crew as backup, but this particular source had been insistent that he came alone to avoid drawing unwanted attention. The crew was stationed not too far from here on the planet's surface, meaning that he could easily call for backup should something go wrong. Still, for the first time in longer than he could remember, he was actually completely alone on this one.

A small part of him wanted to take advantage of this freedom-would anyone really notice if he just had one drink while he was here? It might actually help him blend in-the owner of this place (a gigantic man named Yama, if he'd heard the name correctly), didn't seem quite pleased with the fact that he was hanging around inside of his establishment without purchasing anything. He kept glaring at him from over the bar, making the skin on the back of the young jedi's neck crawl with uneasiness. Ezra didn't want to start anything and blow his cover, and he was seriously considering using a few of the credits that he'd stored up over the years in order to actually purchase something and appease the mob boss. But before he could, a spotlight flashes to life, diverting his attention.

For one terrifying moment Ezra is convinced that he's been sold out and the light was there to expose him to the Imperials. But then he hears cheering and, with great relief, he realizes that the light was illuminating a patch of bare floor in the middle of the bar. Curiosity getting the better of him, he gets up from his table to investigate what the source of all the ruckus was. He knew that he should be focusing on trying to find his source, but it couldn't hurt to just take a peek, right?

It was a bit of a challenge to get to a spot where he could actually see what was happening, and at some point during his struggles he hears music beginning to play, soft and rhythmic but with a strong beat to it. Eventually he manages to make his way past enough people to be able to get a look at what was happening. He didn't expect it to be anything particularly special, probably just some kind of entertainment that cantinas put on to draw in more customers. What he also didn't expect was to have his breath completely taken away by what he saw.

He'd never been a big fan of dancing or music, and even at festivals he'd managed to stumble across over the years, he'd never really cared for the presentations that dancers put on. Not that he had anything against them, but he'd just never really had any interest in them. And after meeting Hera and hearing about how her people were often sold into slavery to perform entertainment for sick, twisted masters who thought it was perfectly acceptable to own another living being, he'd had even less interest in anything of this sort. And yet, somehow, in spite of all of that, this particular dancer who was performing managed to catch and hold his attention.

Shoulder length raven hair, lithe body swathed in a shimmering rainbow of gauzes, and liquid brown eyes framed by thick lashes, the girl (or was it a boy?) was breathtaking. They weren't just dancing with the music-it was as if they were actually one with the music, swaying and spinning in an almost hypnotic fashion. And watching the dancer was making Ezra feel things that he hadn't felt-hadn't allowed himself to feel-in a very long time.

It wasn't that Ezra had never thought about other people in that way before. Hell, when he'd joined the Ghost crew, he'd (rather embarrassingly, in hindsight) attempted to flirt with Sabine. But the Rebellion had pushed everything else out of importance in the past few years, and any thoughts of romance were quickly squashed in favor of focusing on his mission. Romance could wait until after the Empire had been taken down. And yet, somehow, in this moment, this dancer who he didn't even know was not just chipping away at the walls he'd put up, but had seemingly found the key to a door that Ezra hadn't even realized was there and waltzed right in to make themselves at home.

Unfortunately, after a moment of getting completely lost in the moment, reality quickly sets back in when Ezra sees the dancer making their way up to the Imperial soldiers, dancing in a way that made the young jedi almost blush to watch. He quickly turns away, silently cursing himself for getting distracted. What had he even been thinking? Maybe he really should avoid having any alcohol tonight, something about this place was affecting his judgment.

And yet, just as he was about to make his way back to his table, he feels a familiar tug-almost a premonition. He finds himself turning around, just in time to meet eyes with the dancer. A spark of what seems to be familiarity shows in the performer's eyes, and Ezra finds himself tensing. If this person was as friendly with the Imperials as they appeared, had they recognized him from his wanted posters and was planning to blow his cover? In spite of his fears, though, something holds in place, keeping him from running, and the dancer slowly makes their way over to him, a coy and almost calculating look on their face.

Before Ezra even knew what was happening, the dancer wraps one of their scarves around his waist, pulling him so close that he was sure the other could hear how loudly his heart was pounding. And then the performer leans in to whisper in his ear, making Ezra's heart leap up into his throat.

"Are you looking for me, sailor?" The voice was soft and playful with just a hint of gravel to it.

Ezra's chest felt so tight and he was so distracted by how incredibly close the dancer was that he almost didn't recognize the words for what they were. But a nagging voice in the back of his head finally pierces through the mental fog and a flash of recognition brings him back to the present.

"O-Oh! Y-Yes!" Ezra managers to stammer out before adding a bit more steadily, "I am definitely looking for you."

"I thought so." The dancer grins, their eyes flashing with something that Ezra didn't quite recognize, before whispering, "Meet me after the show-back there by that door. It's where the boss has me put on private shows for customers. We can talk there."

And then, just like that, they were gone, dancing away from Ezra and leaving the poor young man with his head spinning. Had that actually just happened? It had all occurred so quickly that it almost felt like he'd imagined it. And maybe he had. But he didn't have anything else to go on, and so, dazedly, he started making his way towards the door that the dancer had indicated, hoping to the Force that he was doing the right thing and not being lured into a trap.

It took what felt like both an eternity and no time at all for the show to finish and for the performer, as promised, to make their way through the crowds and back to Ezra. Their hips were swaying rather alluringly as they make their way over, and the rebel was given quite a run for his money trying to keep his eyes stoically on appropriate parts of the other teen's body.

"This way," the dancer purrs when they reach him, brushing past him a little closer than was entirely necessary as they produce a key tied to a length of silk ribbon around their neck. The stranger's sweet yet musky scent suddenly wafts pass Ezra's nose and almost makes the jedi follow them blindly into the tiny dark room. But just as the two were about to enter, the owner of the cantina steps into their path, a dangerous scowl on his face.

"Hiro," the gigantic man thunders. "This had better be a paying customer."

Hiro. So that was the dancer's name, Ezra distantly thinks. He was thinking about stepping in, not liking the way that the older man was towering over the performer in a rather threatening manner. But Hiro shows himself to be entirely capable of taking care of matters on his own, his coy demeanor dropping for a moment as he glares up at his boss, stating in mincing words, "You know I never take any other kind. I don't do this because I enjoy it."

Something about that seems to satisfy Yama, and he just nods before returning to his other patrons. Hiro sticks his tongue out at his retreating form, the almost childish act surprising Ezra. But before he can think too much about it, Hiro was grabbing his wrist and pulling him into the dark room, closing the door behind them.

For a moment they were in total darkness, and Ezra finds himself tensing, prepared for this to all turn out to be a ruse-it wouldn't be his first time being betrayed by a supposed informant, and he had to be prepared to fight his way out of here if things turned south, no matter how attractive his potential opponent happened to be. (Wait, had he actually just called the dancer attractive?)

But only seconds later a light flickers on and Hiro turns to him, all traces of the cocksure, sultry dancer from the show gone. In it's place was a boy, not much younger than Ezra, who looked like he'd seen entirely too much of the wrong side of life for someone who'd lived so short a period of time. He looked exhausted, and his eyes held a distinctly haunted quality. But there was also fierce determination in them as he says tersely, "Sorry you had to see all that out there. I know, it's disgusting. But I have to make a living somehow, and, besides, sometimes when you get cosy with the Imperials they tend to get a little loose lipped, especially if you add some alcohol into the mix, so it serves my purposes."

"I-I… Uh… It's fine?" Eza manages to get out, not really sure how to take this complete one-eighty in the other boy's demeanor.

Hiro offers him a rather miserable looking smile before suddenly startling and beginning to scrabble at his outfit, quietly cursing until he apparently finds what he's looking for. A relieved, even proud, expression on his face, he holds a data stick out to Ezra. "Here! This is everything that I've gotten since my last drop. Hopefully it can help you guys."

"Thank you!" Ezra offers him a grateful smile, reaching out for the stick. Good, this was something that he knew how to handle. But just as his hand is about to close around the silver device, suddenly Hiro yanks it away.

"Not so fast." A suspicious scowl crosses the dancer's face. "Quid pro quo."

"Quid pro what?" Ezra repeats, frowning at the unfamiliar phrase.

"Quid pro quo," Hiro spits still holding the stick out of reach. "I got intelligence for you guys-and not easily, I might add. I was told that, in exchange for this, you guys would give me news about Tadashi."

"Tadashi?" Ezra raises a confused eyebrow. "What or who is Tadashi?"

"My brother!" Hiro answers, a slightly desperate look replacing the distrtust. "He was taken by the Imperials a year ago because he was helping your stupid Rebellion! One of our parents' friends, Robert Callaghan, sold him out, and he was taken away from me. I only agreed to help you guys because you promised to have news on where they're keeping him. Now cough it up, or you're never getting your hands on this!"

"I… I'm so sorry, no one ever mentioned a brother to me…" Ezra stammers, horror at the story he'd just heard filling his chest. Hiro's brother had been taken? It was all too familiar a tale to the young jedi. But why had the Rebellion promised information about Tadashi to Hiro and yet never mentioned anything of the sort to him?

"No…" Hiro whispers, eyes going wide, shaking his head as he starts backing away from Ezra. "No! Y-You have to have information about where they're keeping him! You have to!"

"I-I don't…" Ezra answers, almost wishing that he could sink into the floor as he sees the other boy visibly crumbling in front of him.

"No… T-Tadashi…" Hiro drops to the ground, thin shoulders quivering under his gauzy dancer's outfit. "I-I was to save him…" His head snaps up and angry fire burns in his eyes as he shouts, "I WAS FINALLY GOING TO GET OUT OF HERE AND SAVE HIM! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME? I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN I COULDN'T TRUST YOU!"

"I wasn't told anything about your brother!" Ezra just barely manages to catch Hiro's wrists in his hands before the younger man can land a blow on him with his fists. "But I think I can help you!"

"Why should I trust you?" Hiro demands, glaring up at him. "All you stupid rebels care about is your idiotic movement! You just wanted to use me and then leave me here in this hell!"

"I don't know what the others promised you, but I'm not like that!" Ezra fires back. "Look, I know what it's like losing someone you love to the Empire! They took my parents, and I never got to see them again! But my crew helped me find out what happened to them, and I know they can help you too if you'll just give us a chance to help you! Please, let us help you!"

"...How do I know you're not lying to me?" Hiro asks, still looking suspicious but at least finally lowering his fists. "How do I know you're not just going to betray me like everyone else in this god forsaken galaxy?"

"I don't know," Ezra sighs. "All I have to give you is my word. And I know that's probably not near enough for you, but I'm asking you to give me a chance. I've seen the Empire tear apart too many families, and if there's even a chance I can get you back together with yours, I want to do everything that I can to make sure that happens."

Hiro stares up at him in trepidation for another minute, but then finally his tiny shoulders sink. "I guess wherever you take me, it's got to be better than this place," he sighs.

"How exactly did you end up in a place like this?" Ezra asks softly, knowing that he should be focusing on getting the two of them out of here but wanting to learn this boy's story.

"Not much to tell, really." Hiro offers him a weak smile. "My brother worked as an engineer to support the two of us, and I worked back alley droid fights. I was actually pretty good at them, but they got me into trouble sometimes. Tadashi was always there to save me when I got onto rocky ground with Yama, who pretty much runs this whole town. After the Imperials took him, though, I didn't have that protection anymore, and I found myself in debt to a very dangerous man who decided that I could 'repay' him by earning money with my body in this hell hole. Like I said, it's not all bad-I found a way to use it to my advantage, trying to find out anything I could from the Imperials who come into this place about my brother. And when the Rebellion approached me, saying they could help me if I was willing to help them, I took them up on it, thinking they'd actually keep their word. But apparently I'm just a naive idiot, just like my stupid brother…"

Ezra was completely disgusted by the idea that someone would take advantage of a poor kid like that, but he forces himself to keep his anger in check, at least for the moment. It wouldn't do any good to go off half cocked on a one man mission of justice-it would actually probably only make things worse, not better. And there were much better ways that he could put his energies to use in helping Hiro.

"Hey," he says gently, putting a hand on the dancer's shoulder. "You weren't wrong for trying to do whatever you could to try to find your brother. But now you've got me, and I'm going to help get you back to him, no matter what it takes. Will you trust me enough to come with me so that I can do that?"

Hiro still seems a bit doubtful, but finally he nods, agreeing softly, "Okay. I guess it's not like I have any other choice but to trust you, right? Wherever you take me, whatever you might do to me, it's not like it can be any worse than here."

"Yeah." It broke Ezra's heart to see Hiro so damaged by his current life that even torture or death by strangers seemed like a better alternative to what he was currently experiencing. And it only strengthened the jedi's resolve to do whatever he could to help him.

"Is there a back way out of here?" Ezra asks, glancing around at their surroundings.

"Not one that we could easily get to," Hiro answers with a wry smile. "Yama doesn't want his prize 'employee' running out on him, now does he?"

"Hm…" Ezra turns to the back wall of the closet, feeling it with his hands. Whatever material it was made of, it didn't seem too terribly thick. Maybe, just maybe…

"Where does this lead to?" he asks, turning back to Hiro.

"Uh, nowhere? It's a wall, genius," Hiro answers, quirking an eyebrow.

"No, I mean are there any rooms behind here, or is this a wall to the outside?" Ezra responds.

"I think just the outside?" Hiro starts to answer with a small frown. "But what does that matter?"

"Stand back and you'll see," Ezra tells him with a smirk, reaching under his robes and pulling out his lightsaber, hoping to the Force that this would work.

"What is- HOLY SHIT." Hiro's eyes go wide as the green blade suddenly appears from the base. "I-Is that…?"

"A lightsaber? Yeah," Ezra chuckles, momentarily allowing himself to enjoy the expression on the other's face.

"Wow… I thought these things were only legends…" Hiro whispers, a small spark of excitement showing in his eyes. "C-Can I look at it? I've always wanted to know how they work!"

"After I get us out of her, you can look it all you want," Ezra promises, surprising even himself. Usually he was very careful with his saber and who he let touch it, but this was the first time he'd actually seen Hiro looking genuinely happy and somewhere deep down he wanted to protect that precious smile, no matter what it took.

"Get us out of here?" Hiro repeats, seeming confused, and then understanding dawns on his face. "Oh. Oh!" A small chuckle escapes his lips and a playful smile crosses his face as he gestures to the wall. "Well, by all means, lead the way, hero."

Ezra finds himself beaming in spite of himself at that, and he quickly turns his attention to his work to keep the other man from seeing the blush that he was pretty sure was glowing on his cheeks.

It took less than a minute to cut a hole large enough for both of them, and together they climb through it to freedom.

"Do you need to get anything before we leave here?" Ezra asks as he helps Hiro out.

"No. Everything I care about is in here," Hiro answers, patting a small bag under his robes, an almost eager gleam showing in his eyes as he looks back at the cantina. A laugh burbling up out of his chest, he cheerfully flips off the building that had been his prison for so long and all of its inhabitants before turning back to Ezra.

"C'mon." He reaches out and takes the other man's hand in his own. "Get me as far away from here as possible."

"That can be arranged." Ezra beams down at him before taking off running towards the ship, Hiro laughing with delight as he chases after him.

"Don't let go, okay?" Ezra tells him as they run through the tall, dry grass that covered this planet's surface, the distant glowing figure of the Ghost that was drawing ever nearer.

"I won't," Hiro promises, his hold on the other man's hand tightening.

It was enough to send butterflies through Ezra's chest, and he finds his grin growing even wider. No matter how long it took, he would help Hiro find his brother and make that smile on his face permanent. And if maybe along the way he was lucky enough to maybe become someone who could also bring that beautiful smile to Hiro's face? Well, he certainly wouldn't mind that. He wouldn't mind that at all.