2
SHAI'S MASTER was often a quirky fellow, but Shai loved him all the same. She followed him through the ship to the entry ramp, which was wide open, allowing the cool outside air to pool into the ship. Her master was already sitting at the bottom of the ramp, gazing up at the beautiful night sky.
Shai quietly walked over and sat at his side. "Why did you take me here, Master?" she asked softly, her light brown eyes lifting to the starry inkspill above. The moonlight edged her lovely features with silver.
Her master glanced at her, chuckling. "You're so formal, Shai. It's not like Kanan's awake to boss us around about properness, and besides, we're just relaxing right now. Call me Ezra."
Shai blinked. "If you want," she murmured. She sounded almost disappointed.
Ezra lifted his thick black eyebrows slightly. "What's wrong?"
"N-Nothing! It's just, well..." Shai looked away. The long grass swayed gently in the pleasant breeze. "I'm sorry if I seem straightlaced. For a long time, all I really wanted was an official master. I wanted to be a real Padawan... not just a girl who had talked to a Jedi for a little while."
Ezra dipped his head in understanding. "You're not straightlaced, Shai. I get it. I'm only saying - sometimes it can be a little annoying to call somebody 'Master' all the time." He bowed to her dramatically. "But if it doesn't annoy you, it's cool."
Shai stifled a giggle and looked back at him, smirking. "It doesn't - Ezra."
Ezra chuckled again and nudged her, sombering a bit. "So, anyway... those nightmares." He gazed at her with concerned sapphire eyes. "Do you want to talk about them?"
Shai sighed softly, drawing her knees up and resting her chin on them. "I guess I should, shouldn't I?"
"You don't have to if you don't want to," Ezra said patiently, "but it would probably help if you did."
Shai was quiet for a long moment. Then she admitted, "Did Senator Organa or someone tell you anything about how I became involved with this rebel cell?"
"Somewhat," Ezra murmured, "but not that much."
"Because I was so strong with the Force... the Empire kept sending an Inquisitor after me."
Ezra broke in, alarmed. "Wait, you mean the Inquisitor?! That creepy Pau'an guy?!"
Shai couldn't help smiling in amusement. "Yeah... that one. He kept me and my parents constantly on the run. We fled from planet to planet. No matter where we went, the Inquisitor came." Her smile had faded, and she seemed to be gazing upon a different landscape entirely. "One day, I guess my parents knew that we couldn't escape the Empire even one more time. They called an old friend of theirs, a starfighter pilot for the rebel cell, and he took me onto his ship and flew me away. As we were leaving the atmosphere of that planet... I saw that the Empire had invaded." Shai closed her eyes tightly. "I don't know for sure what they did to them, but... I never saw my parents again."
"I'm sorry," Ezra whispered, his voice hollow with shock. She felt his gentle hand on her back.
"It's okay, Ezra." She looked up at him, mustering up a tiny grin. "I have you guys now, don't I?"
"Definitely." Ezra folded his arms around her.
Shai hugged him back. "The Inquisitor is in all my nightmares. He always infiltrates one of my happier memories of my parents a-and... murders them, then attacks me and the nightmare ends." She shuddered.
Ezra released her, watching her worriedly. "That's horrible."
Shai nodded faintly, looking up at him. "I have them almost every night, Ezra. I don't know what to do about them."
Ezra was silent. His thinking face was on, she noticed with a tinge of amusement.
"I think we'd better talk to Kanan about this," he said at last, glancing back at her grimly. "I don't have the expertise he does when it comes to these things."
Shai pursed her lips anxiously as they stood up. "I'm not so sure he's up yet..."
"Don't you worry about that." Ezra placed his hands on his hips and grinned mischievously. "He will be in a few more minutes." He threw his head back and gave a cruel laugh.
Shai sighed into her palms. Poor, poor Kanan.