I am not a natural born writer, but I do have a basic understanding of the English language. Word count for this chapter, 3,474 not including author's notes. Not bad for a non-writer. XD

A slight breeze sent a chill down Ezra's spine as he observed his target. The residence of the Alaaster family. Originally from Coruscant, the family had recently relocated to Lothal for a change of pace. According to Kallus, the entire family would be invited and most definitely attend the Outer Rim diplomatic conference. The conference was really more like a social club for the elite, wealthy, and Imperial suck ups, but all that mattered to Ezra and the Rebllion was the amount of intel that could be gathered from infiltrating such an event. That's where the Alaaster's came in. Kallus had met a few of the family members before he defected, and he had learned that the youngest couple, Keanu and Genevieve, were looking into adopting a Lothian child partially to improve their connections with the locals, but mostly just because they wanted a kid. Ezra wasn't sure why they couldn't just have a kid of their own, but he guessed he might find out if he could get them to 'adopt' him. The only problem was Draedyn, the over protective big brother of Keanu and head of the Alaaster family. He took care of pretty much anything that involved leaving the safety of their home.

For the past two weeks Ezra had been watching and waiting. Ideally he needed to cross paths with Keanu or Genevieve since they were the ones looking to adopt, but they rarely ever got out. Draedyn would be easier to run into with his frequent coming and going, but Ezra had seen Draedyn's interactions with the public. He looked down on pretty much everyone and expected to be treated more like a monarch than just a wealthy citizen. To say wealth had gone to his head was an understatement. Ezra certainly didn't like the vibes he was getting from him, and if he managed to get into the family, he was sure Draedyn would be a problem.

Ezra sighed and rolled over on his back to watch the sky. It was a relatively nice day that would have been more beautiful without the looming clouds of industrious smoke on the horizon. However, the skies were clear and the warm rays of sunshine warmed his skin. The slight chill indicated that winter wasn't too far off. The sound of an engine roaring to life caught Ezra's attention. He rolled back onto his stomach to see a transport getting ready to leave. Draedyn and surprisingly Keanu were boarding. Ezra smirked. They were going to Capitol City, and he would be there to 'greet' them.

"Well, Keys?" Draedyn queried his younger brother who had been eying the allies during their walk through Capitol City. "Did anything catch your interest?"

"I didn't even see any," Keanu sighed poking a fork at the food they had ordered from a local Lothian restaurant. "Not that I would. Remember the guy we spoke to said the quickest way to find one straight from the streets would be to hire someone to hunt them down."

"Well, you turned down the option to 'buy-a-kid' from one of Lothal's unofficial orphanages and you're reluctant to hire someone to nab some starving loth-rat off the streets, so you really can't complain," Draedyn said seemingly uninterested.

"Kids aren't rats. Its not their fault their on the streets." Keanu defended, "and I don't want to give money to some human trafficker. I'm not opposed to hiring someone, but what if they just grab a random kid and threaten them to behave, even if said kid already has a family? I'd much rather see the kid in person before I bring them home anyway."

"Well, if you'd hurry up and pick one, I could get back to more pressing matters." Keanu sighed, his brother was hopeless sometimes. Draedyn suddenly straightened himself, "Look! There's a kid," looking over his shoulder, Keanu saw a dark haired, tan skinned boy probably about 13-14 making his way down the street. His dirty, old, orange jumpsuit had definitely seen better days.

"He probably has a family," Keanu said turning back to face his brother."

Draedyn raised a brow, "You sure about that?"

"Dude this is a farming planet. The local population isn't exactly known for its wealth and clean clothes," Keanu stated.

"Well, why don't we ask him?" Draedyn nonchalantly said standing up from his seat.

"Drae don't..."

"Hey kid!" Draedyn called out. His voice was loud and authoritative, but it wasn't quite a shout. The kid stopped and looked around to see who was being addressed "Yeah, you in the orange jumpsuit. Come here!" However, the kid just stood there not really sure what to do. Draedyn motioned for the boy to come closer again. The look in his eye and his stature gave him a very asserting image and it seemed to work on the kid who slowly started walking toward them.

He was warry, Keanu noticed, but a glint of curiosity shined in his eyes. Just before the kid reached their table he stopped, staying far enough away where he could eye both of them and their security detail. "What do ya want?"

"Are you an orphan?" Draedyn asked staring inquisitively at the boy who shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

"What's it to ya?" the boy asked, shocked at being asked such a personal question right off the bat.

"Are you an orphan?" Draedyn asked again.

"None of your business," the kid sneered then cockily adding, "I do answer questions for credits though."

Draedyn just stared intently at the boy before responding, "How about you tell me for free, and I won't call the authorities to pull you in for questioning."

The kid took a step back, "You can't do that! I ain't done nothing!"

"Actually, you were acting quite suspiciously, and I can assure you my word carries a lot of weight with the Empire, so why don't you just sit down and maybe we can come to a resolution that doesn't involve the Empire." Keanu sulked in his seat. He was uncomfortable with this situation. The kid huffed and turned to run, but a guard who had been standing down the street had quietly worked his way up behind him blocking his escape. Reluctantly, the kid sat down.

Ezra did not like where this was going. He was hoping to get Keanu alone, but his over protective brother had just called him out. Was he on to him? The glare in his eyes made Ezra think he was just a 'top dog' kind of guy, but he certainly wasn't going to let his guard down right now.

"That's better," Draedyn started. Ezra noted that up close it looked like his first set of grey hairs were coming in, but despite that, everything else about him seemed to indicate he was ready for just about anything at a moments notice. His piercing dark brown eyes reminded him of Thrawn's intense gaze. Ezra shuddered. "Don't be nervous, as long as you answer my questions, everything will be fine."

"Yeah sure, whatever," Ezra said crossing his arms acting uninterested. Despite how uncomfortable he was, this was his chance to get into the family. It was time to put his questionable con skills to the test.

"Are you an orphan?" Draedyn asked for the third time.

"Yeah, so?" Draedyn rolled his eyes at Ezra's attitude.

"Do you have a name?" Keanu asked this time. While Ezra noted he seemed genuine, he couldn't give them information so easily. Orphans on the street trusted very few people and shared information about themselves with even less.

"Yeah," Ezra purposely left it at that.

"And it is?" Draedyn asked impatiently after a few seconds of silence passed.

"Well, most people call me 'Get out of here you kriffing loth-rat' but I call myself Ezra," Ezra was dying on the inside. He noted the shocked expression that washed over Keanu's face.

"You call yourself Ezra?" Keanu asked confused, "Why would people call you something so profane?"

"Better than calling myself 'kriffing loth-rat," Ezra shrugged, "And truth be told, I've had to do a lot of... erm... questionable things to survive."

Draedyn shifted and interrupted, "please do refrain yourself on the language. You are just a child."

"Hey, I'm 15! Technically a teenager, and why should I care? You're not my dad." Ezra sassed back. Draedyn just motioned to the guards reminding Ezra that he could still call the Empire. "Okay, what else do you want to know?" Ezra sighed.

"What were you're parents names?"

"Uh, mom and dad?"

"What is your last name?"

Ezra looked up and pondered, "I don't know," He said, "never thought about it."

"What happened to your parents?" Keanu asked gently, interrupting his brothers interrogation. His soft, blue/grey eyes locked with Ezra's darker ones.

"I don't remember." Ezra paused then quietly added, "I think I was like 7 maybe."

"And you've lived on the streets ever since?" Keanu asked surprised.

"Not exactly. There was this Rhodian who looked after me for a bit, but then he left. Then there was Ferpil who taught me how to... uh... survive, but he was killed. I also used to have a friend named Krai, but she left too." Ezra was beginning to enjoy messing with them. He could tell Keanu was about ready to jump up and hug him which was good that's exactly were Ezra wanted him. Draedyn still seemed calm and calculating though, and it unsettled him.

"Hm," Draedyn mused drawing the attention back to himself, "How did this Ferpil die?"

"He survived a little too well, if you know what I mean," Ezra said matter-of-factly.

"What would you think if someone wanted to take you in?" Keanu asked. Ezra could see the wheels turning in his head.

"Who would want to take me in? I'm damaged goods," Ezra said calmly like it was nothing. It actually did sting a little saying it out loud, but Ezra knew he meant something to Kanan, Hera, and everyone else on the Ghost.

Keanu looked at his brother and they had some sort of silent sibling communication before Draedyn responded, "Well, I don't think it would be wise to leave you on the streets to do your 'surviving'. You will come with us to our estate, and from there, we will figure out what to do with you."

"You can't do that!" Ezra squealed as a guard came up and grabbed his arm, "This is kidnapping!"

"Not unless you come willingly," Draedyn smirked. The glint in his eye made Ezra shudder as he realized Draedyn seemed to enjoy seeing him struggle.

"And why would I do that?" Ezra spat.

"Well, I could just turn you over to the authorities." Ezra sighed and quit struggling. Another guard grabbed his other arm even though he made no move to run or struggle anymore. As they lead him to their transport, Ezra realized that Draedyn might end up being more of a problem than he originally thought.

The ride to the Alaaster residence was an uncomfortable one. A guard sat on each side of Ezra while another guard and the pilot sat up front. Draedyn and Keanu sat in the mid-section of the transport with a fourth guard. Ezra and his guards were seated in the back, and in Ezra's opinion, too close to his bubble. It was hard to see exactly where they were from his seat, but Ezra guessed they were getting close to the estate. Sure enough, the transport soon came to a stop and everyone began to climb off. As soon as he was off the transport, he looked back to see the gates of the privacy wall already closed.

"Don't go getting any ideas kid," A guard said in a gruff voice before putting a hand on his shoulder to guide Ezra toward the house.

"See to it that our friend here is cleaned up for diner," Draedyn said before roughly adding, "We wouldn't want to contaminate ourselves."

Ezra gulped. As offended as he was, Draedyn was certainly testing his resolve. The guard just nodded and guided Ezra through the front door. Once inside, Ezra gawked at what he saw. The walls were covered in ornate designs displaying what looked like ancient Lothian culture. A crystal chandelier hung overhead of the entrance way. There was a grand stairway with beautiful tapestries of Lothian landscapes and Loth Wolves draping the banisters. The most astonishing thing to Ezra though, was the carpeting. He'd never been inside a dwelling that had carpet flooring. It was so beautiful and covered in intricate designs that Ezra was almost afraid to walk on it. The guard paid no mind to it however and just dragged Ezra along through a set of corridors adorned with paintings and antiques that no doubt costed a fortune. Finally they stopped in front of a door and stepped in. The guard closed the door behind him, and Ezra's nerves tingled when he heard the guard lock it.

The room was plain and simple. A servant who had been in the room before they entered looked up from a datapad. To the left was a doorway where Ezra could hear someone else doing something. From a door to the right, another servant and a man walked in, who did not appear to be a guard or a servant, and went straight to Ezra. The man hovered around Ezra analyzing him and making comments to no one in particular. Ezra flinched when the man started touching him. The servant paid no mind to Ezra's futile attempts to shake him off, and he shuttered and squirmed every time he grazed over a ticklish spot. After several more minutes of uncomfortable pokes and prods, the man turned to the guards. "I'll be done in approximately 30 minutes to a hour," He then left through the same door he came through, and Ezra couldn't help but wonder what exactly he'd be done with.

Drawing his attention away from the right door, another man came through the doorway to the left. "Its ready," He said and the two remaining servants began guiding Ezra toward the doorway. He tensed not exactly sure what to expect but relaxed once he saw it was just a bath. The Ghost had a shower, but Ezra had rarely used it. He wasn't fond of water, and as long as no one complained about his smell, he could live without taking showers or baths. However, it was clear they expected him to bathe. Ezra shrugged, he'd take one for the team. After all he didn't hate water that much.

"Eeek!" Ezra squeaked when a servant slid his hands down Ezra's jumpsuit and began to pull it off. As the jumpsuit was pulled down another servant grabbed the shirt Ezra wore underneath and pulled it over his head. The third servant lifted Ezra up off his feet so the first servant could slide the jumpsuit off all the way. Ezra just stood there stunned. The servants seemed totally unfazed. "Wait!" Ezra yelped as one servant pulled his underwear down. The third servant picked him up again and dropped him in the bath before he could protest any further. Ezra flailed for a moment as he slid on the smooth surface of the bath. It had only taken them mere seconds to get him completely undressed and in the water. He had to admit, the warm water felt nice though, but he still felt out of his element, almost like a loth-cat in water. He had hoped he could take it slow and bathe in private, but apparently, that was not going to happen.

"I...I can bathe myself," Ezra stammered, but the servants didn't listen. One took to washing his hair while the other went to washing his back. He wasn't sure where the third servant went, but he was too distracted to care. Ezra remembered he once heard some rich kid bragging about how his family was so rich he didn't have to do anything, and Ezra wondered if that included bathing himself. A small laugh escaped Ezra's lips, and he wasn't sure if it was because one servant had started to wash his ticklish sides or because being bathed by someone else seemed totally ridiculous to him. However, uncomfortable and out-of-his-element Ezra felt. It was over in minutes. A servant pulled him out of the water and another wrapped him in a large, soft towel that easily went all the way down to his ankles.

Ezra was picked up and carried through another doorway to the left. In this room, there was a chair, a mirror, a shelf full of beauty products?, and several female servants. The servant holding Ezra sat him in the chair which was facing the mirror and the female servants stepped up. One began brushing his hair and trimming it. The other two began inspecting his feet and hands before beginning to clip his nails and do what he only assumed was some sort of spa thing. He had to admit, if this is what being rich was like, he could definitely get used to it. His thoughts then drifted to his parents, Tarkin Town, and other Imperial injustices,and he realized he could never live a life like this. If he was ever this wealthy, he didn't think he could live with himself knowing he could've used the credits to help others. It was nice to be pampered, but he just couldn't understand how people could live like this and not even bat an eye when others needed help.

Finally, the servants were done with him, and one of the male servants came back to carry Ezra back to the first room they'd been in. The man who had poked and prodded him was back and holding a stack of clothes. The servants each grabbed a few and began dressing him. They fit perfectly so Ezra guessed that the guy who had been poking him earlier was probably some sort of personal tailor. He was also surprised at how soft and light the clothes were. The tailor servant turned Ezra around to face a full body mirror once he was done being dressed. "Ah, not bad. Not bad at all," the tailor said, admiring Ezra's pristine appearance. Ezra realized he visibly looked a shade lighter. Had he really been that dirty?

Keanu stared out of the wind over looking the golden plains of Lothal. It was so much more peaceful here than the busy streets of Coruscant. He heard soft footsteps behind him, "Hey Gen."

"Hey, baby. Is it true? Did you and Drae literally bring back the first kid you found?" Genevieve laughed brushing her locks of light brown hair out of her eyes.

"Yeah, I don't know if he's the one, but he could use a loving family," he said wrapping his arms around his beautiful wife.

"Do you even know anything about him? What is he steals something?" Gen's eyes opened wide.

"I definitely think he's stolen before, but I think it has to do more with survival than it does monetary gain. He's clearly underweight which isn't surprising considering he's been on the streets fending for himself most of his life." Keanu stated thinking back on his encounter with the orphan.

"Poor thing," Gen whinnied, "how old is he?"

"15," Keanu answered, "and he certainly acts like it," He laughed.

"Oh really?" Gen chuckled raising a brow.

"Yeah. Drae said we could take the week to get to know the kid, and if we like him, he'll see to the adoption papers."

"And if we don't?" a worried look crossed her face.

"We'll find a place for him. I mean we aren't just going to put him back on the streets, so if he doesn't work out we'll send him to an orphanage or something." he said grabbing his wife's hands to reassure her.

"If that happens he'd be transported off-world right? Lothal doesn't have an orphanage right?" she looked down at the fields below.

"No, no it doesn't so he would have to be transported off-world. There are 'unofficial' orphanages, but they're more like buy-a-kid type places, and I don't want to send him to a place like that. It'd be about as bad as putting him back on the street." he grimaced.

"I don't like the idea of sending him away from his home world either," Gen stated.

"Me either, but it'd be better than letting him starve on the streets. I mean we might not be able to give him a home, but we can at least see to it that he lives to be 18." Keanu said hoping to reassure his wife that they wouldn't do this kid wrong.

"I suppose that's true." Gen paused, "What's his name?"

"Ezra," Keanu looked Genevieve in the eyes and smirked mischievously, "Ezra Alaaster."

Constructive criticism is very much appreciated.

Review or don't, I could care less. :P

Disclaimer: I own Star Wars. JK I don't own Star Wars.

Why do people do disclaimers anyway? When I read a fanfiction, the first thought through my head is NOT, "Wow! this must be the original creator of {insert name here}!" Honestly, it's the last thought in my mind. The original creator doesn't need to make a fanfiction because they created the original how they wanted it. Now that's not to say a creator couldn't write a fanfiction on their own work, but I feel that is very rare. I am personally friends with 2 writers and both never say anything like, "I'm going to do this in the book, but then write a fanfic where this happens instead." They're too focused on things like world building and character development to worry about writing a fanfic of their own work. Rant over. Have a nice day!

Note you may find useful:

Draedyn Alaaster is Keanu's older brother.

Keanu Alaaster is married to Genevieve Alaaster.

Nicknames are as follows: Draedyn = Drae, Keanu ' Keys, and Genevieve = Gen.

I refuse to acknowledge Kanan being blind or dead. I write all my fanfics as if he was never blinded or killed. IF I do acknowledge him being blind, then I go with the premises that he got his sight back when he saved everyone, BUT he didn't die. I mean Kanan is Kanan, and I'm not ready to let him go just yet. :3

This is set after Kallus has officially joined the Rebellion.

Fun Fact:

Alaaster is derived from Alabaster just without the b obviously.