Ezra heard Angel's howl, and ran as fast as he could. The leaves slapped his face, but he did not falter. He skidded to a halt, swiftly equipping his pistol, and slowly walked forwards. "Get away from me, you monster!" he heard Nicki's voice screech. He picked up his pace, reaching the area Nicki was at. Then he saw him. A man in all black armor silently approaches Nicki, who had drawn her blade out, her face twisted in fear. The man had a double red blade, and be pointed one of them at her, "I am tasked with eliminating you. No rebel spared.". At this, Ezra pulled the trigger of his pistol, sending a bolt at him. The man simply turned around, and deflected the shot with his weapon. The bolt hit a nearby tree harmlessly. "Shit." Ezra muttered under his breath. The man seemed to be seething with rage. "How stupid are you? Now you'll both be eliminated!" he roared as he leaped at Ezra. The blade came down, and Ezra closed his eyes, but there was a clashing sound. He opened them to see Kanan had ignited his Lightsaber and blocked the blade from harming him. Nicki had taken the moment to run over and lift Angel over her shoulders, "Come on! We need to get out of here!". Ezra and Nicki rushed back to the clearing. Sabine jumped up immediately, "What's going on?". Nicki hissed, "We're getting outta here.". The three, with Kanan in tow, ran through the forest, not stopping until they knew they were safe. "What... was that!?" Ezra panted, catching his breath. Kanan breathed in deeply, "An Inquisitor. One of many.". Nicki sat next to Angel, tending to his wound. "It's going to be okay, Angel," she cooed. The dog whimpered and whined, Nicki occasionally stroking his back gently. The arrival of the Inquisitor had made survival harsh.
Sabine woke up in the middle of the night. She tried to go back to sleep but found that she couldn't. She got up slowly, not waking Kanan up. The fire was put out, the ashes lying ever so still. Once her vision adjusted to the dark, she noticed Ezra sitting at the base of a large tree. She walked over to him, "What are you doing up so early?". Ezra jumped slightly, but then relaxed. "I couldn't sleep," he replied. "What about you?". Sabine shrugged, "Same thing. Mind if I sit with you?". Ezra shook his head, "Not at all.". She sat down next to Ezra, a question swimming in her mind. "What was Earth like before the Empire came?" she asked. Ezra looked at her, "It was peaceful. Nicki and I would ride horses around the barn, sometimes get in trouble for making messes when we'd play with toys or when we painted. I would look at the sky at night so I could watch the stars. All that time, I thought mom and dads were my real parents.". That made Sabine ask another question, "Who were your real parents?". He took a deep breath, "Mira and Ephraim Bridger. They were from Lothal, but they sent me away because they didn't want me to live a miserable life under the Empire.". Sabine scooted closer, "Do you know where they are now?". He shook his head, "But I'm still looking for them.". She grasped Ezra's hands with hers. "I'm willing to help look for them," she offered. Ezra hesitates for a moment, thinking. "Thank you." he answered. The two hugged each other, then spent the rest of their time counting stars until they fell asleep.
"Rise and shine! We have a full day of planning to do!" Nicki raised her voice, waking up the others. Kanan appeared from his and Sabine's tent, stretching. Ezra and Sabine came from behind a tree. Nicki had gotten out a small portion of their rations, "So, when will Zeb get her?". Kanan yawned, "About 10:00 AM.". Nicki could tell he was getting used to their way of saying time. Nicki glanced at the sky, searching for the sun. "Depending on the sun's position, we have about two hours and fifty minutes until ten," she reported. She had learned to tell time by simply observing the sun's position. As they were eating their breakfast, she noticed Ezra and Sabine were sitting close together. She felt a spike of jealousy, but she fought it down. If she makes him happy, I cannot judge.
