On the Loom of Chariclo 12
Kam lead Kanan into a fairly smallish room, at the far back of the house, and although he still couldn't see, Kanan found that his other senses told him everything he needed to know.
He stood there, with Kam at his side taking it all in for the moment.
The room was full of greenery, he could smell it, fresh and damp, but not cloyingly so. Warmth on his face, artificial to be sure, but pleasant never the less. He told her as much, and could sense her nodding in agreement.
"Go on..."
He took a deep breath, and more aromas touched his senses, some familiar, some not. Now sounds that gave the illusion of space and distance.
"What is this place?" he asked, his words coming out slow and thick. He wanted to sit down, and found himself in soft grass where there had been only floor before.
"A sacred place..." Kampher's voice came from far away. "Because we make it so. Now, touch the stone next to you..."
Instinctively, he turned his head and found that he could really see the stone on the ground, sparkling in the sunlight. Cautiously, he reached out and touched it.
In an instant, everything vanished. He was in a simple room again, and very, very blind.
"Kam? What… What just happened?"
"A very physical symbol of this world," she explained gently. "Things will get very… intense for you. If you need to… come back, touch the fogstone and it will return your clarity."
"Will you be with me?"
"For a while, but Kanan, this is your journey."
He sighed, "What do I have to do?"
He could hear the smile in her voice. "We never start a trip without refreshments! Let us start with some tea..."
They drank the tea in a companionable silence at first which gave way to light, easy conversation. Actually, Kanan spoke while Kam presumably listened. He felt light, tingly. The pleasant buzz before hard drink took hold, but his mind was clear. Once again, he could feel the warmth from the sun, and smell the grasses. Now the sent of ion engines and grease, and cooking fires wafted through. Good food. Voices, mechanical and human echoed in the distance.
"Now, take my arm and open your eyes..."
He did so, and gasped. "I can see!"
Where are we?
Atollon...
It wasn't quite right. His vision seemed to becoming from beside him, not his own, and it started him into dropping Kampher's arm. Darkness fell again.
"This is how it will be, at first..." she said. "It's really shared sight – you would become accustomed to it. At first, you'll need to physically touch someone, and see the world through their eyes. Eventually, it will become second nature, and you'll be able to sight share with a person at will..."
She let this sink in, and let him take her arm again.
She took his arm again, and now they were in the thick of Chopper Base. Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder, and they reeled around.
HERA!
He hadn't even heard her.
He swept her up in an embrace, and suddenly, his vision changed. Instead of seeing Hera, he saw Kampher through a haze of his hair that was brushing Hera's lips, her expression sad, but understanding. He heard - FELT - Hera's scream, and before things went momentarily dark again, he caught a glimpse of his own horrified face in Hera's eyes. THIS was the future, if he continued this path. He would never be able to touch her again. Pilot the ship, watch her sleep… acts of love…
Now it was Kanan himself screaming, "Let me go! Please, take me back! Kampher! Kampher!"
He reached out blindly for her, for anyone! "Help me! Please!"
A hand on his shoulder, a familiar voice. Not Kam's, not Hera's… Ezra's…
"Kanan! Master! KANAN! Wake UP!"
"Kanan!" Ezra was shaking him now. "Kanan, please wake UP!"
Kanan's eyes snapped open to only darkness, but things had… changed.
He was sitting in the cockpit of the shuttle. He could feel Ezra's arm on his shoulder, his rough hand on his cheek. He could hear, feel the thrum of the engines, Chopper's concerned blatting.
He could smell grease, and ions, and sweat and old caf… he could sense again.
"Master?" Gently now, Ezra's concern washed over him like a balm.
"Yeah, I'm… I'm here." He said, and he knew it to be true.
Relief now, and a nervous laugh. "Wow! Fen said this might happen, and told me to wake you up and give you one of these," he pressed a smallish tablet into Kanan's hand.
"What..."
Ezra's voice grew firm. "She also told menot to talk to you, or tell you anything until you took it! We have another day and a half in hyperspace – I can wait."
Chopper chirped in agreement, then offered a series of beeps and blurts that sounded suspiciously insulting.
Ignoring the droid, Kanan grumbled,"Who's the Master here?" but took the proffered glass of water and the tablet. A few moments later, he opened his mouth wide and stuck out his tongue at Ezra. "Happy?"
He didn't need his sight to know Ezra approved, and despite the fact he didn't like being babied, he appreciated Ezra's obvious love and concern.
"Talk," fast – he didn't add. Knowing healers, what ever she had given him would work fast, and he wanted to know everything.
"Do you want the real version? Or the one we're telling Hera?"
"Real. The short version." Sleepiness was starting to come in waves already.
Ezra took a deep breath."We're safe, for now – you and I. I don't know how they did it, but we made the holonet! They said two Jedi fugitives had been killed escaping from some un-named planet on the outer rim! All hail the glory of the Empire, and all that!"
Kanan nodded. And nodded again. His head came up with a jerk, and he cursed.
More concern from Ezra. "Come on, I'll take you back to a bunk and tell you the rest later."
"Talk. Now."
"Only if you come with me!" Ezra's voice was firm. "No much more to it really."
Reluctant, Kanan rose, his legs felt like duracrete. "Talk..."
"You got sick – Fen fixed you up. She gave us a load of intel and credits..."
"Kam?" Kanan wheezed. "What.., what about Kam?"
Despite his clouding senses, Kanan could feel Ezra's confusion. "Who's 'Kam'?"
"Not important..." Kanan mumbled, practically falling into the bunk. To you anyway... "Anything else?"
"Nah, I got it covered. Get some sleep, dad," Ezra told him, the gentle dig said with affection. "Hera said she'd be waiting for us at home."
"Home..." Kanan echoed, just as Ezra pulled a blanket over him, but by then, Kanan had already fallen into a dreamless sleep.