Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars Rebels or its characters (except Bellamy).


Chapter II

Planet of Hoth

"What's wrong, kid? I thought you said you liked snow?" Zeb inquired amusingly, watching the small human shiver from head to boots. They hadn't been away from the Ghost for five minutes and the boy was already shaking so hard that his teeth could be heard chattering.

Ezra scowled up at his friend, attempting to give him the harshest glare he could muster in his half frozen state. He would've snapped something smart right back but he didn't trust his voice on not quivering when he spoke. It would only add to his crewmates amusement.

Zeb barely hid a snort and slung his arm over his shivering companion. "What's that you say? Does two chatters mean yes or is that a no?" he teasingly leaned his head down to the side of boys as if to listen. "Oh, I hear a lot of 'em. That must mean yes." he laughed harder when Ezra shoved him away.

"Oh, leave him alone, Zeb. It's his first time in such cold conditions and he doesn't have a big furry coat like yourself to keep warm." Sabine asserted and gave Ezra a supportive smile.

"You know I'm just teasin' him." he shrugged and returned back to walk alongside Ezra at his slow, shuffling pace. "Don't ya pal? You know I'd never pick," he poked the boys covered cheek. "on ya." he grinned and poked him again, muffling his amusement under his breath.

"St-st-st-op that!" Ezra grunted out through his violent chattering.

Zeb froze and was quiet for a long moment before he burst into a booming laughter and threw his head back. "This trip is going to be better than I thought!"

He slung his arm back around his small human friend who wiggled his shoulders in attempt to break free.

"Don't worry, kid, I won't do anythin' that could possibly make this any worse for ya."

A few moments later there was a muffled yell followed by a soft thump and both Kanan and Sabine stopped their walking and turned around to face the trailing pair. Behind them they saw Ezra face first in the snow and Zeb rolling in uncontrollable laughter on the ground, snow sticking to his purple fur.

Kanan frowned disapprovingly at the two while Sabine grinned with her arms crossing over her thick dark maroon jacket.

"I can see why Zeb was so insistent on coming with us now. Only question is, why'd you let him?" Sabine remarked and looked over to Kanan who had his hand lifted slightly. She was about to question what he was up to until she noted the gathering pile of snow that was hovering over an oblivious Lasat.

She covered her smile behind her glove while Zeb continued to laugh; unaware of what was just about to be unleashed over his head.

"I let him come along for an opportunity such as this," Kanan simply stated then grinned when Zeb paused in his laughter and looked up in uncertainty. He opened his mouth to speak but Kanan never gave him the chance and let the pile of snow plummet down upon its victim.

Sabine laughed along with Ezra who had gotten up just in time to watch. "Ah, now I understand."

~.SWR.~

Ezra was both surprised and relived when they arrived to the city and found that it was a whole lot warmer compared to the frozen march they'd just been forced to go through. What really made the walk somewhat more bearable was when Zeb got what he deserved. Afterwards he'd been quiet for the rest of the walk because he'd been too busy shivering and plucking snow from his fur.

He swore to never forget the image of Zeb's furry head popping out of the pile of snow in complete bewilderment. If only he'd had a holo camera on hand.

"You paying attention, Ezra?" he felt someone softly punch his shoulder and found Sabine standing at his side with her decorated storm trooper helmet on. She inclined her head to the side while she waited for his response.

"Huh, um yeah!" he smiled with a nod when truthfully he missed the last couple of words exchanged between his comrades.

Sabine was silent and continued to stare at him through her helmet until he gave up with a groan.

She was always able to recognize when he was telling the truth or not. She could've had some nifty lie detector device in that helmet of hers for all he knew.

"Fine, I wasn't listening." he confessed and she hummed knowingly. "I was just picturing Zeb's face after Kanan dropped that pile of snow on him. It's kinda hard to forget, not that I would ever want to forget it in the first place."

"I heard that." Zeb grumbled and shot a glare at the kid who smirked back at him.

"You were supposed to."

Sabine sighed and stepped in between the two guys who she often swore acted like younglings. "If you boys are finished then we should really start doing what we came here for." she turned her head side to side to face them both as she spoke. They responded by scuffing and looking elsewhere. "If Kanan hears you two going at it again he's going to punish you both."

"Who says I'm not already planning it?"

As if on queue Kanan strode up to the three and removed his green hood that was shielding his face. "For this mission I'm splitting you two up." he pointed a gloved finger at Ezra who was sneaking a glare at Zeb who was scowling back.

"Ezra, you're with Sabine on this one. And Zeb," the purple Lasat stopped scowling at the boy and directed his attention back on Kanan. "you're with me."

"Fine by me." Zeb shrugged his shoulders.

"Even finer by me." Ezra remarked and grinned when the Lasat raised an inquiring eyebrow at him.

Kanan shook his head and decided to just ignore the two for now. He was going to save all his energy to put up with the two on the long walk back to the ship.

"Remember what to keep your eyes out and try to stay low. We don't want to attract any attention to ourselves because we can't depend on a quick get away on the ship like usual." He paused when he spotted two storm troopers walk past them on patrol. "There's going to be more Imperial soldiers here than any of the other locations we've recently come across. I want you both to be careful and keep a strict eye on Ezra."

Sabine grinned delightedly under her mask and gave a sault to the Jedi. "I'll keep the kid out of any serious trouble no problem."

Kanan gave her a grim look. "Serious trouble?"

She shrugged. "Well let's just face it, the kid's otta get himself in some sort of trouble while we're here. He's like a walking magnet to nuisance wherever he goes."

"Am not!" Ezra argued back and Zeb scuffed.

Sabine tilted her head at him. "Sure you aren't." she mocked in low tone.

"You have a point." Kanan muttered in agreement and Ezra looked to him in disbelief before his master smiled down at him.

Ezra glared at all three of his comrades that were smiling knowingly at him.

"I'll prove to you all that you're wrong when we all meet up again and I'll be on time and unscratched. I won't have a single trooper even spare me a glance!" he yelped in surprise when a gloved hand smacked over his mouth.

"Talk any louder and you'll prove our point right here!" Sabine hissed from under her helmet. Kanan and Zeb were both shaking their heads at his loud outburst.

When she removed her hand, Ezra let out a sheepish laugh. "Soo starting now?"

"Keep him close, Sabine." Kanan sighed then pulled his hood back over his head and turned to leave in the opposite direction. Zeb gave the pair one last look before moving away and following after Kanan.

They watched until they blended in with the crowd of street shoppers and were completely out of sight. Ezra couldn't see his master anymore but he could still feel his presence because of their special connection. It was thanks to that master and padawan bond that Kanan was always able to read his moods and know just where to find him even when Ezra didn't want to be found.

"So, what are we supposed to be doing?" Ezra asked when Sabine started to walk away and he had to catch up to her to walk by her side.

"You do know what planet we're on, right?" by the taken back look on the boy's face she knew that he didn't, which didn't really surprise her.

"Uh, a snow covered one?"

Her laugh was muffled from under her helmet as she lightly shook her head. "This is the planet of Hoth, Ezra. It's known for being one of the coldest and most desolate systems in all of the Anoat sector. This sector is one of the least favored and traveled sectors in the entire Outer Rim Territories." she informed him in low tone as she surveyed the town and the people, keeping her eyes out for anything out of the ordinary.

"Well that explains why it took so long just to get here." Ezra recalled back to the long trip in the Ghost and how nobody would even bother telling him where their next mission was. Even Chopper knew before him!

He looked around and studied the grey and dark blue buildings. There weren't many windows on the structures but that must've been the design to keep the cold out and heat in. The people who walked past them were all wearing thick, dark-colored coats with fur trims on the sleeve cuffs and hoods.

"If this planet is supposed to be as empty and unfavorable as you say, then why is there such a large city with so many people? It doesn't make sense that people would willingly chose to live here." he watched as several children in thick coats rolled marbles on the ground in some sort of arena that they built out of snow.

"That's because they were forced to live here." Sabine said regrettably and slowed down when she noticed Ezra pause.

"What!? These people were forced to live here? What do you mean by that!?" and just like before, Sabine clamped her hand over his loud mouth. The people around them glanced briefly but continued walking.

"Will you please learn to control that loud yapper of yours for once!?" she hissed and he nodded in agreement, though his eyes still expressed the tenderness he had when he found out the city's ill-fated dark past.

Sabine backed away and sighed. She was seriously considering having to seal his mouth shut with some sort of sticky adhesive tape if he didn't learn to keep his lips sealed.

"Kanan can probably do a better job explaining than me but," she rubbed at her covered neck. "At one point this planet was nothing but a frozen waste land, but its location was ideal for the Empire. Having a permanent base here would allow their navy fleets to deploy Imperial ships a whole lot quicker into the outer territories and set up blockades whenever they wanted more control over the Anoat sector. Governor Adelhard's idea of security. " Sabine stopped when she spotted troops standing guard near a building entrance that they passed before continuing.

"This planet was once void of other intelligent life, so there was no real posing threat against the Empire here. And since they're the only ones here with power, besides the gang lords, so that pretty much comes down to them having not just control of this sector, but also this part of the Ison Corridor."

Ezra nodded, taking in all the information that his friend was filling him in on. It was hard to believe that the Empire would go through all the trouble of setting up a civilization on a once vacant planet just to gain more control of this planetary sector…or maybe that did seem very rule-over-the-galaxy Empire like attitude after all.

They turned a corner and he watched Sabine's helmeted gaze trail the sidewalls and store fronts as she continued to search for whatever she was supposed to be looking for.

"So how did all the people get here?" he had a bad feeling he wouldn't like the answer but he had to know.

"As much as I despise this part about the Empire expanding its reach, it's this part of the story I hate the most." she regarded her friend through her shaded lens and he turned too once he noticed her stare.

"All these people are the refuges from the clone wars," she replied in a soft tone and Ezra could practically hear the frown on her lips as she spoke. "The kids you see walking around are the next generation from the ones that were sent here in the beginning as colonies. It's been long enough that they got used to life here before having families and…well, started living again. But that doesn't make any of this right. This people didn't have a say on where they were sent."

Ezra listened to her and did his best not to voice his anger. He could feel his fingers coiling into a fist at his sides. How could the Empire just rip people from their families and home planets then force them into a new land and life style light years away from their true homes?

His heart clenched painfully when he thought about the families that were torn apart… He knows exactly how they must've felt. It happened years ago but there was never a day when Ezra didn't think about his parents. There were probably kids just like him out there.

"Hey."

He felt a hand being gently placed on his shoulder and Ezra stilled and followed the arm up to Sabine's shielded face.

"If I said anything that brought back any unwanted memories…" but Ezra stopped her before she could finish and continue to blame herself.

"No, you didn't and I'm fine." he tried to give her a smile but found it hard.

"We should concentrate back on the mission, okay?" she insisted and Ezra knew she was just trying to change the depressing atmosphere that came from their discussion and take his mind off of his parents.

"Yeah, I really don't want to meet back up with Kanan and be empty handed." he thought aloud before a frown crossing his features. "Or worse, Zeb finds something and I don't."

"Well then lets just make sure that doesn't happen." Sabine spoke more encouragingly and Ezra grinned back at her.

"So, what are we looking for exactly?"

"It's a symbol that one of Hera's connections said was the marking of those apart of a rebellion here on Hoth. Once or if we find the symbol, we will know that there are fellow resistance fighters here within the city. "

"Sweet! So, uh, what happens after we find the symbol?" he asked while scanning crates, walls, and signs for anything looking out of the ordinary.

"To tell you the truth, I have no idea. We will just have to call Kanan and alert him that we found it I suppose. I don't think it'd be wise to investigate any further without him."

"Ok…and um, what exactly does this special symbol look like?" it would seriously help if he knew what he was searching for.

"It's a triangle shape-I think-with two ice hammers that are crossed in the middle. I also believe it's supposed to be painted in dark paint so that it wouldn't stick out on these boring buildings."

Ezra thought about it and decided that even if it were painted in a dark color, the resistance group wouldn't be so foolish to leave the mark somewhere where ordinary people walked daily. If the resistance fighters were sneaking around then they'd be in back alleyways that were out of the public's eye. They've been here long enough so he was positive that they knew the streets like the back of their hands like Ezra did on Lothal.

"We're not going to find it if we keep to where we are," he stopped and Sabine turned to look at him. "They're smart enough to know that leaving it in plan site would draw too much attention and have the symbol be investigated. If we want to find the resistance group, then we should look where they would be and not where the guards take their patrols." he said this so confidently that Sabine was speechless for a moment.

"Wow, kid. What kind of backstreet rebel were you back on Lothal?" she asked somewhat awestricken and he just grinned.

"The cool kind."

"Sure you were." She laughed then followed him down one of the alleyways that was in-between two cement buildings. She crept all the way down until they were on the back hidden streets and away from the busy towns people.

They scanned the area and spotted a few not so nice looking people leaning against building walls in clusters. Small fires were littered in areas where the people huddled together and spoke lowly amongst themselves.

"I'll go down this passage and you scan the walls straight ahead." she commanded and started walking away before turning and pointing at him. "And don't go too far where I can't see you. I'm not about to let Kanan down on my end of the bargain."

Ezra nodded his head and started trailing his eyes on every piece of non-frozen object that paint could last on. He was only a few steps down the alleyway when he felt the sudden spike in the Force.

Ezra paused in his steps and concentrated on opening himself up to the Force and felt the surrounding area around him pulsate rapidly like his increasing heart beat. The first thing that came to mind was that Kanan was somewhere near but he knew that wasn't true since he could locate his master somewhere further across the city.

Then what was causing this disturbance?

Suddenly all the noises around him dulled and all he could hear was the soft, slow breaths of his own breathing. It was as if time had slowed around him. The throbbing in his chest pounded harder, as if something large was stomping on the ground and was causing his body to vibrate.

Confused to what was happening, Ezra turned around to check on Sabine and that was when he saw it.

A figure coated in dark colors glided past him in what seemed like slow motion. They moved so swiftly and elegantly that it almost looked like they were floating through the air or gliding on a sheet of frozen ice. When the disguised figure was a step away from him, Ezra heard a ringing sound so loud that is was almost became uncomfortable. He hadn't heard anything like it since he first saw Kanan.

And then as quickly as it had came it all but disbursed.

The hooded figure had swiftly, and rather quickly, disappeared down the alleyway and was gone.

If Ezra wasn't left with the hammering in his chest and a shortness of breath, then he would've thought it was just his imagination caused by the intense new environment.

Either way he had to find out who that mysterious person was and what exactly they did to cause the Force around him to react like that.

Ezra didn't think twice and sprinted down the alleyway he saw the person disappear down. He was even more assured that he was making the right decision when he felt the Force practically pulling him as he ran.

He was too far away by then to hear Sabine calling out after him.