Chapter 21

Kanan's son

Kanan's pov

I placed Ezra back in his bed back on the ghost, he had fainted and I wasn't surprised, with what he has just told me and the emotions of loosing Hera and Sabine, his mind needed to shut down for a while so that he could process this. Not that I was doing much better, nothing my mind could work out right now, I knew we needed to do something about that monster now, but what...

I looked down at Ezra's sleeping body, even in rest the poor kid wasn't at peace, his trembling body and tense muscles could tell anyone that something bad had happened to him. Once this was done we would work on that, but right now I was glad he was asleep because while I planned how to rescue Hera and Sabine. One thing I knew was that I wouldn't let Ezra be part of this, Ezra had recovered well enough in body, but not in mind. Oh I knew he would protest that he was strong enough, but he wasn't completely back to normal in his mind and that could lead to his downfall and that was something I wouldn't risk again.

"Well Kanan what do we do? I mean, it is just the two of us against who knows how many men that Loth-rat of a snake Dale has"Zeb said once I got back to the common room and with his words Chopper gave an angry beep "sorry Chopper but you are no good for this one... Kanan we need the kid" Zeb finished.

My hands trembled under the table we were sitting at, but I hoped that Zeb didn't notice... I suppose he was right but I really did not want to put him in that position where Ezra might be captured again, not that I would ever allow it to happen. No I would give myself up again first and let Ezra live free before that monster ever touched him again, not that he ever would.

"And I trust you not to let either of those things happen Kanan, but you know you are not going to stop me from coming on this mission to save Hera and Sabine" Ezra said as he came into the room, trying not to show how weak or frightened his was.

Karabast I thought he was going to be out of it for a little longer. I could see he was wide awake now and ready for this. Force was telling me that I was not going to talk him out of it but I was going to try. Having him there, I just didn't know if something happened and I had to choose between him and Hera whether I could make that choice, whether I would make that choice or whether either of them would let me sacifice myself or the other. Ezra and Hera are my life and I knew I could not live without either one of them in it.

I saw Ezra's eyes flick to tug in the corner of the room. The child Tug was too young to help us out but it didn't stop him from being here and I had a feeling that he would be there too, if I let him. Then I had a flash of an idea, I wondered if the boy's father might help us or at least know some people in the area that might help. That would let Tug help, but keep him out of the fighting too, that also gave my a slight idea on what to do with Ezra as well.

"Tug thank you for telling us about Hera and Sabine. I can tell you want to help more, but at the moment you are too young to help us in this fight, and before you throw a fit at me for saying this, there is a way you can help" I told him watching the boy's head pop up.

"What would you have me do?" Tug said curiously.

"Well it is not what you can do, it is what your father can do. Tug I am hoping that your father or his friends can help us free Hera and Sabine" I replied.

"What does that have to do with me? I mean I know Dad will help and I think many of his friends will help too because they have lost people to him too, but still what do you want me to do?" Tug asked.

"Well for starters, someone has to go out there and talk to him and his friends into helping us and I know you can do that without too much trouble"I replied, looking at the child in the eyes and seeing that he understood what I was saying.

"I can do that Kanan. I had better get going on this so you know how many people you have to add to your team" said Tug, his small force signature flashing lighter than it was before as he got to his feet and sprinted out of sight.

"That might work for him, but not for me, Kanan I have to be there, I know I have too" said Ezra coming up and sitting next to me.

Our force signatures hummed for a moment, reminding me of the bond we have, how deep it went and that we are still developing as master and student. I thought on that and realized in a way Ezra had a bond to everyone on the ship. They were not jedi bonds because Ezra and I were the only force sensitives on the ghost, but still they were there. So when Ezra said that he had to be there to help in the rescue of Hera and Sabine, well...

"And you know if you get hurt I am going to feel it and come running, plan or no plan that I might come up with, understand that master, I will be there either way"Ezra said, a little smugly.

"I sighed, the kid had a point too. What would I do if I was in his position, I would rescue him of course and never give up until I did. I mean we had already done that when we saved him from the slave camp and I did it again when I tied his life to mine risking my life, but something I would do again in a heartbeat.

"Alright you can come, but you do as I say, no show boating and if I tell you to run, you run. I don't want to hear any protests about it, I am your master as well as your friend. My first priority is that you survive this, understand Ezra" I said looking in the boy's eyes making sure the message got through.

"Kanan I..." Ezra started to say before he sighed and then said " I understand master".

"Be sure that you do and Ezra why don't you rest up until we hear from Tug. We can't plan much until we know how many of us there are going to be, also you look like you are about to fall" I said looking the kid up and down, he didn't want to show it but he was trembling, worse than I was before he came in.

Ezra nodded then left Zeb and I alone. I could tell Zeb wanted to talk about what just happened, but at the moment I didn't want to hear it. I had enough to deal with and having the big purple cat man pointing out things that I already knew, wasn't going to help me much and force knows what is going on in Ezra's head because right now he has blocked it off from me.

"Boss are you sure about this? about the kid joining us in this fight. I know I said we need him and I know he has healed from everything physically, but I can see mentally he is not ready and may never be" Zeb asked.

"Its one of the questions I had going through my head before saying yes to Ezra. Physically he is almost back to normal, we will probably even start soon again on light sabre forms, but you are right mentally he is not ready" I replied, before turning my head towards my and Ezra's room. Ezra was screaming, both with his voice and in the force, he was locked in one of his nightmares again.

I sent out calming waves to him, which soon had him deeply asleep. I looked back to Zeb and realizing he was watching the monitors. Tug was back, that kid was fast, but not only that he had brought a small army with him. That could not have been all him, he must have had help to get this many people to come or maybe it was the will of the force that made them do it, but that didn't matter, what did was that we had the numbers we needed.

"Looks like the little brat did alright, and here's me thinking he was just another Ezra" Zeb said.

"Knew he would" I answered still thinking of what to do I planned to do with Ezra and now what I would do with all of these people without them getting hurt.

"Kanan things will turn out alright" said Zeb with a high hope that things will turn out for the best..

"And you know this how?" I asked, my voice asking more than my question did.

"Don't you know I am a jedi too" Zeb said chuckling a little but then answered more seriously "things just have a way of working out when I am with the only father and son jedi duo in the universe".

I smiled. Zeb was right about everything he just said, even the bit about Ezra and I being father and son, I wasn't sure what the old jedi masters would think of that but I knew for Ezra and I it was what we needed to feel whole. I just needed to find a way of doing it in safe way. A small plan started to form as Zeb went to let Tug and his army inside the ghost, I just had to hope that they would follow it.

An: what is the plan? more soon.