Some one slap me! I'm so sorry this chapter is so late. I've been super busy with school and getting my welding sculpture ready for a competition.

Hope you enjoy this chapter. It's the longest one yet.

Hera met Commander Sato, Ezra, Ahsoka and the rest of her crew, on the bridge of the command vessel. She felt bad leaving Kanan but this was to urgent to ignore and obviously needed her full attention. She surveyed her surroundings. everyone wore grave expressions on their faces

"What has happened?" She nearly demanded. Sato gave her a troubled look.

"We believe that your last mission may have been a trap." Hera cocked an eyebrow at Sato's words. "I'm afraid the Acada was destroyed only several hours after it split up from your fleet. There were no survivors and the Base on Dantooine has been completely decimated." Hera's eyes widened in shock. Her copilot stepped forward and pulled up a holo image on the briefing table.

"They found this on the ship just ten minutes prior to the attack." The image was of the same type of tracker that the Inquisitor used to track the Ghost, When they had Zebo on board. "There was nothing left, by the time the support ships got there." Lieutenant Wheeler's voice was intense and his eyes harbored a deep anger that Ezra had never seen in any one before. He wondered how many friends he had on board the Acada when it was destroyed. Ezra looked over at Hera. She had a hand over her mouth and shock registered on her features. Ezra shook his head. He moved next to the Twi'lek and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"We need to scan any and all ships that were on that mission. We had better hope that no one else was tagged." Ahsoka's voice seemed to fall an entire octave. "Or Haven may not be here tomorrow." Her words sent a wave of nervous chatter threw the room.

Hera heard the door to the command deck swish open and turned to see who it was. Doctor Caesar walked into the room without hesitation.

"Too late." She held something up in a pair of bloody tweezers. "It was Embedded in the back of Kanan's neck. I only found it because it was messing with the medical scanners." It took Commander Sato a moment to realize that the small device was exactly what they were about to search for. A tracker. "It was online and transmitting. They must know we are here by now." Hera shook her head.

"We need to evacuate Haven!" Sato ordered, "Now! Or we may loose everything we have worked so hard to build."

After that things went in fast forward, Ships left in groups. Every ship was scanned for locators, Including the Ghost. Ezra stood at the base of the Ghost's ramp staring at all the outgoing fighters and ships. He couldn't believe it. He had called Haven his home for three years. Now he was being forced to leave another one behind, just as he had done when he left Lothal.

At least he still had his family. Hera had pulled some strings to get her entire crew back together. She had not wanted to split them up again. For Kanan's sake as much as for the rest of the crew. Of Course there were a couple newbies as well. Kanan's Doctor was going to bunk up with Sabine and the new copilot with Zeb. Boy did Ezra not envy him at all. Dealing with Zeb's smell was bad enough but the Lasat's temper was the worst part.

"Come on Ezra. It's time to leave." Hera was beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. The Padawan just hoped that they could find another place to set down soon.

###

one standard month later.

The Ghost crew had been forced to set down on a small planet to make emergency repairs. They had gotten caught in an meteor shower and the shields failed. There was extensive damage to the hull of the ship and to make matters worse, the air on the planet was unbreathable. They had to wear Oxygen masks when they went outside. Ezra, Hera and Sabine, were on the top of the ship. The shield generator had taken a direct hit and one of the ship's main twin Ion engines was fried. They had the means to repair the damaged engine but the shield generator would have to wait and the work was slow thanks to the atmosphere and hot climate that wracked the place. The repairs would take at least three more days and the crew was starting to get restless.

After they had left Haven, the fleet had been ambushed. They had been forced to split off and draw the enemy into smaller groups to escape. They had been flying solo ever since. With only the Ghost and the B-Wing. The crew was tired and run down. Ezra lept off the ship and on to the dusty ground, along with the others. They had done all they could for the day and it was getting dark. They had to pull the power converters from the B-Wing to replace the damaged ones in the Ghosts throttle assembly. The Blade Wing was officially out of operation. Ezra just hoped that they wouldn't need the fighter any time soon.

The trio entered the hatch on the front end of the ship and the door sealed. The proper atmosphere was restored in a few seconds and they pulled off the oxygen masks. Hera released the inner door and sighed. She was relieved to be back in a safe environment. She looked down on the oxygen regulator she had hooked to her belt.

"I still had another five minutes of air left. I should have just stayed and finished with the assembly." She grumbled and looked over at Sabine, who didn't seem to be in any better of a mood, neither did Ezra. They climbed the ladder into the common area of the Ghost. Zeb and Lieutenant Wheeler, or Raven, as she had come to know him, sat at the holo table working on one of the damaged plasma circuits for the top cannon. Not only was Raven a talented pilot but he was also a rather proficient engineer. He was handy to have around. Ezra sat down beside Zeb and scooped up the wrench laying on the table and worked in tandem with the other two and Sabine went straight for the kitchen. Where she grabbed her water bottle and nearly chugged the entire thing. Hera wiped the sweat from her forehead and pulled the welding goggles off her head. She couldn't help being exhausted. It had been a long day for the entire crew. She exited the commons room and back into the hall, where she knocked on the door of the bunk room Kanan and Ezra now shared. It hadn't taken long for Kanan to start complaining about having to stay in the med bay and Ezra hadn't minded a bit.

"Come in." Hera activated the panel to her left and the door slid open. Kanan was sitting on the lower bunk, trying to pull his hair back into it's usual ponytail but was failing, thanks to his right arm being immobilized in a sling. His collarbone still hadn't fully healed and she could tell that he wasn't very proficient at using his maimed left hand. She sat down next to him on the bunk.

"Do you need a hand?" It almost didn't need to be a question but she didn't want to make him feel worse about his condition. Didn't want him feeling helpless or weak with simple things such as personal grooming. He nodded and she combed his hair back with her fingers, pulling it flat against his head. She gathered it at the base of his skull and grabbed the hair tie from his hand. When she was done she reseated herself so she could see his face. He looked utterly exhausted, Even worse than the rest of her crew. There were prominent bags under his eyes and his posture was slouched. His eyes were dull with sleeplessness. she knew he had a terrible time sleeping and sometimes even avoided it. She was sure his nightmares were enough to drive anyone mad. Ezra had told her, that he would talk in his sleep and even scream himself awake. His doctor, Mara had been giving him sleep medication but it never seemed to work. He was miserable and even conflicted at times. It nearly brought tears to Hera's eyes knowing that her best friend was being tormented so harshly by his own mind.

"How are the repairs going?" At Least his voice was back to normal. She sighed and looked into his aquamarine eyes.

"We are probably stuck here another two or three days. We almost have the power converters installed but we still need to rewire the electrical regulator for the engine ignition system and that is at least another eight hours of work. If we would have been able to land on a more friendly planet, we could get it done tomorrow, but the limitations with both the heat and the lack of oxygen have made it so we can only work about three hours a day." He nodded and looked down. Hera bit her lip. "How are you feeling, Darling?" He shook his head and looked at her. He seemed to be going back and forth between ok and terrible. Some days he would be almost happy, but most of the time he was gloomy and depressed.

"Useless." She sighed and didn't know what to say. She couldn't seem to come upwith a job he could do one handed. "Mara said that the sling can come off in a few days, but I'll still have to be pretty careful about what I do. Nothing too strenuous." Hera placed a hand on his good shoulder.

"That's good news. You know I miss having a copilot that actually knows how to talk. Raven isn't much for conversation." That drew a smile from Kanan's lips. It was small but atleast it was there. "I missed you, So much." She said taking up his hand. Even though she wasn't looking at his face she could feel his eyes on her. "I missed our mornings together. Before the kids were up." He chuckled slightly at her referring to Zeb and Sabine as kids, but it was just fine for Ezra at the time. Truth was they were like kids. Kanan wondered if that made Hera and himself the parents. "You're probably bored?" He nodded.

"You know me. I can't stand sitting around for long periods of time." He shifted positions to look at the Twi'lek directly. He thought for a moment. "What about you?"

"Well, I'm better off than my ship, that much is certain." Her answer was plain and disappointed sounding. "I haven't gotten any rest since we landed on this forsaken planet. If we don't get the Ghost fixed soon, I might go nuts from being cooped up with seven other people." Kanan nodded.

"I know what you mean. I haven't been off this ship in this whole month. It's get'n a bit stuffy onboard." Hera smiled and a tired yawn separated her lips. "You should go get some sleep. You will need it tomorrow." She nodded and stood, making for the door but stopped at the threshold.

"Kanan, If you need someone to talk to or a shoulder to lean on. My door is always open. Night or day." He smiled and nodded.

"Thanks Hera. I'll keep that in mind."

"Good night. I would say sweet dreams too, but-." She bit her lip

"Ya. That's not going to happen." he chuckled slightly. "Thanks anyway." she nodded and left the room, the door slid shut behind her and Kanan sighed. He knew he wouldn't get any sleep for a long time. He was almost afraid of falling asleep, afraid of falling it to the endless nightmares that he had wrestled with for the last few years. When this whole thing started, sleep was a blissful release from the pain and endless hours of torture that the empire had inflicted upon him. Now it haunted him with memories that his mind tried desperately to suppress but his unconsciousness kept bringing them back over and over again. He wanted to meditate, to clear his frazzled mind, but his connection to the force was still so weak from the constant use of the force inhibitors his torturers pressed on him with little remorse. Tearing away all his abilities to protect himself and his mind.

The Jedi did not even know, if he would ever regain his full connection to the force. Being who he was, he never imagined what it would be like without the energy field that perforated his form and augmented his body with impossible strength. He couldn't believe that all those years ago right after his master died, he had wished it could just disappear. He hadn't realized just how much he relied on the force until it had been ripped away from him. like cutting a tree from its roots. He wanted-, No. desperately needed it back. He felt empty and alone, even with the others so near.

Kanan sighed and shook his head hard, trying to rid his mind of those painful thoughts. He was home. He was safe and his powers could yet remanifest themselves. Maybe he just needed some self confidence or a reason to really use them. He wished Master Balaba was there with him, to help guide him. Help him move on. Kanan pushed himself in to the bunk and laid on his left side. He closed his eyes and focused as best he could on the happy memories of him and the team before the pain had begun. Eventually he fell into a restless sleep.

###

"No one has ever escaped the Citadel, Jedi." The Mandalorian, taunted as Kanan tried to regain whatever composure he had left. It had been weeks since he had seen another living being and this certainly wasn't one of the ones he wanted to see. "And you won't be the first." He glared and pressed the button again, sending arcs of electricity crawling across the Jedi's body. Kanan couldn't help it, agonistic cries ripped from his sore throat as the volts tore across his flesh. It seemed like hours before the pain finally started to dissipate, leaving him to slouch against the restraints that held his wrists to the walls. "Your rebel friends have been captured and you can prevent any harm from coming to them by giving me the location to this, Haven."

Kanan lifted his head. The Mandalorian was getting irritated and was making mistakes, even in his frazzled mind Kanan could hear that. "If that were true, You wouldn't be here right now." Kanan almost flinched at the sound of his own voice. It was hollow and weak with disuse, a lack of water and almost constant screaming. "You would be trying to beat the coordinates out of one of them. Why would you be wasting your time with trying to break the Jedi when One of the others could be broken a lot easier than I." He hoped he was right and that the torturer was bluffing.

The man growled and stepped forward. with something else in his hand. At first the Jedi wasn't sure what it was. But the shape soon became more distinct as he brought it up to Kanan's line of sight. It was an electro whip. Like the kind that the Zygerrians used on their helpless slaves. The Mandalorian Yanked on the chains that restrained the Jedi. Kanan held in a hiss of pain as his body was bodily yanked into the air and his wrists took the brunt of his body weight. It only took several seconds for the metal cuffs to slice through the skin. The man tore off the remainder of the Jedi's tattered green and yellow, high collared shirt exposing the skin of his torso to the teeth of the whip. He struck Kanan over and over again until the skin on his back was either red raw or torn.

When the Mandalorian finally left, the cuffs holding Kanan aloft released and he fell to the floor in a bleeding heap. His breathing was shallow and he hoped that this would be the end, that they would just let him bleed to death. That he would finally be allowed to die. He began to fade into unconsciousness when a voice rang in his head.

"Kanan!" he felt a distinct recognition but wasn't entirely sure who the voice belonged to. "Kanan! Wake up!"

The older Jedi's eyes snapped open. At first he was confused as he looked around. But as soon as his eyes fell on Ezra's upside down form that was hanging over the top bunk. did he know that he was on the Ghost. He rubbed his eyes with the leftover fingers on his left hand and looked at his Padawan. Ezra looked worried. Kanan felt terrible. Not a night went by when he didn't wake Ezra with his unconscious Yelling and thrashing. The Young Jedi probably didn't get any sleep when Kanan was in the room with him.

"Sorry Ezra." Kanan rubbed his forehead and looked at the younger man, who shook his head.

"It's alright. I'm not really as tired as I thought I was. I can't sleep either." Kanan pulled himself off the bunk and stood. He walked to the door. "Where are you going?" Ezra caught him with his voice just before he opened the door.

"I'm going to see Hera. You try to get some rest, You will need it tomorrow." The Padawan raised an eyebrow at him but went back to his bunk anyway. The door slid open and Kanan made his way across the hall to Hera's door. He gave it a gentle knock. He could hear movement inside the door. The Twi'lek appeared moments later. She gave him a tired smile and motioned for him to come in. "Sorry Hera, I know I shouldn't disturb you at this time a night."

"I said day or night, love. If you need me I will always be here." She sat down on the bottom bunk and patted the area next to her. He sat next to her. It was rare to see Hera in anything other than her pilot gear. She was wearing a pair of shorts and a short sleeved shirt, but Kanan thought she would look good in anything. "nightmare?" The question pulls him from his thoughts and he nodded.

"They make it impossible for not only me to sleep, but I've woke up Ezra more times than I can count. Maybe I should sleep in the Infirmary until this stops, or at least dies down." Hera shook her head.

"Ezra doesn't mind. I think he's more worried about your wellbeing than his own. Besides if you're screaming in your sleep, you need someone there." Hera looked at him with concern and placed a hand on his cheek. "Here. Sleep with me tonight. It might help."

"I-I can't do that to you, Hera." He shook his head and cast his sight downward. She pulled his head up with a single hand on his chin. Her big green eyes were full of concern.

"It's not you doing it, I am asking you to stay. It won't bother me if you wake me up. All that means is I can wake you when you need me to. For once, put your independence aside. Stop worrying about the others and let someone take care of you for once." He sighed and gave in to Hera's "demands".

She pulled herself back into the bunk, after he nodded. He joined her and laid flat on his back. She cuddled up to his left side and cast a protective arm over his chest, careful not to bump his right shoulder. He sighed and leaned his head on her shoulder.

Hera smiled. It was- odd having him back. She had felt so alone for those five years and having his warmth next to her was comforting. She felt him relax, if only a smidgen, But at least it was a start. Over the last month she had wondered if he would ever again have the ability to relax. He was always so tense, His muscles taunt and he constantly looked like he was going to jump out of his skin. Hera couldn't say that she blamed him. The pilot didn't know how anyone survived in an Imperial prison cell for five years, let alone a Jedi with such a high bounty on his head. Executions were one thing but causing some one, even your greatest enemy, constant pain was just plain heinous, even for the Empire. Kanan kept everything that happened to him so knotted up inside that Hera feared that it could make him go a bit- well mad. It had been an entire month since they pulled him out of that cell and so far, he had just acted like nothing ever happened. The denial was getting worse, he shook off his nightmares and had begun to push the others away. Just getting him to sit down with her was near impossible. Hera knew that the only reason he was lying next to her was because he was exhausted and needed the sleep. If he wasn't tired then he would be sitting in the commons, alone or meditating in the cargo bay, seeing as it was no longer quiet in the cabin with Ezra around. On days when they were set down on a planet, that had a breathable atmosphere, she would often spot him sitting on the top of the ghost, just staring off into the distance. He was beginning to remind her of the old Kanan Jarrus, the one she met all those years ago on Goras. The drunken miner who could seem to care less about the company of anyone except his bottle of liquor. At least there was no booze on the Ghost for him to get in to. He was again as cut off from his companions as he had been back then.

Hera sighed and scooted a little closer to her Jedi friend, who gave her a slight sideways glance and closed his eyes. She did the same. It took only a few minutes for her to fall asleep.

Alright. got a little of Hera/Kanan going on here. Oh and about the Mando saying that no one has ever escaped the Citadel . I did see the SWCW episode where they have to go and rescue Master Piel and Tarken but I figured the torturer wouldn't want his victim to know about that one incident. And I want to know about how you like Kanan's whole. "I think I'm going to be ok." Thing in the last chapter vs how he is falling apart in this chapter and if you guys would like to see some more nightmares. Had to much fun writing that.

I just saw the newest episode of Rebels. Soooooooooo gooooood. I love the fact that they redesigned the old republic ships from KOTOR. Always loved those. Going to have to go back though and play though games.

Thanks for reading Guys as always please, please review. I need the Comments they are my life blood!