A/N: I would like to point out, I have no idea if Jho being married is canon, but in this story he is. I hope everyone enjoys.
Kanan and Hera got up early, in the hopes of getting an early start on their search for Tseboo. Kanan had just finished brewing caf when Hera came back from her call to Jho's place.
"So what's the situation?" Kanan asked handing Hera a mug.
"Good news bad news," Hera replied as she took her much needed beverage, "Good news is Jho is in Capitol City for some supplies, he will meet us at the old trading station north of the city."
"And the bad news?" Kanan questioned, though he kind of already knew the answer.
"His wife is not a morning person; I got an earful from her", Hera indicated while trying to clear her ears, "But she relayed our message to Jho, and he will tell us about Ezra and his parents."
"And hopefully where Tseboo might be." Kanan reminded Hera
"Right. But I am a little curious about what happened with Ezra's parents that made them get taken by the Empire." Hera said, voicing her concern for Ezra's parents.
"Once we talk to Jho and find Tseboo, we'll know everything," Kanan assured Hera, "after all how hard is it to find a human named Tseboo?"
"Tseboo isn't human, he's a Rodainian." Ezra corrected Kanan from the kitchen door; making his presence clear to Kanan and Hera.
"Thank you for clarifying that," Kanan said, crouching down to get eye level with the kid, "Did we wake you up." Kanan asked.
Ezra shook his head, "No, I was awake anyways and heard you guys talking. Are we really seeing Jho?"
Kanan was silent for a moment before he explained, "Well, me and Hera will be going to see Jho while you stay here?"
"How come I can't come?" Ezra asked a little sad he couldn't see his friend.
Before Kanan could try to explain, Hera put a hand on Kanan's shoulder and took over explaining gently, "Well Ezra, it's like we told you yesterday, with you on the Ghost, we won't worry about imperials finding you. But if you want to tell Jho something we will tell him, okay?"
Ezra thought of it for a moment before nodding and smiling, "Okay."
Hera smiled at the boy's cute remark and ruffled his hair again, earning a smile from the kid, "How about some breakfast?"
"If it isn't too much trouble." Ezra uttered nervously.
"Not at all," Hera assured the boy smiling, "Besides it looks like you could use a good meal." Hera knew the others notices too, that the kid was smaller than what a boy his age should be, and when she carried him last night, she could easily feel his ribs. Luckily for Ezra though, Hera knew what to make for kids, "Do waffles sound okay?"
Ezra nodded eagerly at the question, and with that Hera began making breakfast.
"Come on kid, grab any seat at the table." Kanan indicated to Ezra. Ezra slide into the booth at the table while Kanan went to the fridge.
"So how's your wrist today?" Kanan asked grabbing a container.
"Still a little sore, but a little better." Ezra answered looking at his wrapped up ligament.
"Well if you don't use that hand as much, it should heal better in a few days." Kanan explained as he set the cut up fruit from the night before on the table.
"Help yourself," Kanan indicated to Ezra.
"Thank you," Ezra said to Kanan as he grabbed a slice of jogan.
"Don't thank me, thank Sabine and Chopper, they're the ones who cut it up," Kanan revealed to the kid, causing the boy to hesitate eating the fruit, "They thought it would help you to not be so scared of Chopper." Kanan pointed out before taking a bite of one himself to show Ezra, "See, totally harmless."
Seeing Kanan eat the fruit encouraged Ezra to eat some of the fruit too.
"Perfect, nothing goes better with fruit then waffles," Hera pointed out as she set a plate of waffles before turning back to the fridge,
"Thank you Hera," Ezra said smiling at the kind Twi'lek
"You're welcome sweetie," Hera then turned to the fridge to grab the kid a drink, "Now do you want some juice or-,"
As Hera turned around, she saw that Ezra had already scarfed down half his waffles while Kanan chuckled at the kids now syrup covered face.
Ezra felt the stare of the two grownups in the room before looking up, "Sorry," Ezra muttered, thinking he offended them with his 'table manners' or lack thereof.
Hera just chuckled though and grabbed a wash cloth, "Nothing to apologize for kid," Hera clarified as she cleaned up Ezra's face a bit, "Now do you want some juice?"
The now cleaned faced child nodded yes, continuing to eat his breakfast at a slower pace. While finishing breakfast, the three heard the sound of someone being zapped followed by a yelling.
"CHOPPER!" Zeb roared as he chased the droid into the kitchen, causing Ezra to panic and hide between Kanan and the wall next to the booth. Hera noticing the scared kid, grabbed Zeb by the ear and put her boot on Choppers dome of a head.
"What the heck are you two doing?" Hera sternly asked the two, giving both Lasat and droid the death stare.
"Ask the rust bucket," Zeb angrily indicated, getting his ear back from Hera, "I'm sleeping and this bucket of bolts shocks me."
Chopper then began beeping non-stop that even Hera was having a hard time understanding him. Before she could somewhat translate though Ezra entered the conversation.
"I didn't hear Zeb snore." Ezra indicated from behind Kanan, revealing the reason Chopper woke up Zeb.
The grownups looked at the kid, a little baffled that the kid understood the droid.
"Ezra, can you understand binary?" Kanan asked the boy hiding behind him.
"Kind of," Ezra admitted, "I know a little bit from the droids on the streets, but not a lot. Why?"
"Just that is pretty impressive for a seven year old." Hera admitted.
Chopper then began beeping nonstop, clearly happy the kid understood him. Though when he tried to come closer to the kid, he only clung onto Kanan.
"Slow down Chopper," Hera said gently to Chopper, "just give him time. Why don't you go see if Sabine is up, but don't shock her." Hera indicated the 'don't' part.
As Chopper rolled out of the room Ezra chimed in weakly, "Thank for the fruit." This earned a little happy spin from Chopper.
Once Chopper was gone, Zeb got himself a cup of caf.
"Well if it make you feel better, I needed you to wake up soon anyways to run a diagnostic on the Ghost." Hera pointed out to the groggy Lasat.
Zeb moaned at the idea though, "Hera be reasonable I just woke. I need at least ten minutes before I do anything."
Hera agreed, "Fine, but it will be done by the time Kanan and I get back from town."
"Can I help?" Ezra eagerly asked the Lasat.
Before Zeb could argue, Hera intervened smiling towards Zeb, "Of course you can. Zeb can always use a hand."
"Come on Hera, we should head out; Jho said to meet him at the old loading dock by 9 am." Kanan pointed out.
"You guys will be careful, right?" Ezra asked a little worried.
Kanan smiled at the kid, "Tell you what, why don't you hold onto this," Kanan said handing Ezra his comlink, "That way if you want, you can talk to me or Hera while were out."
Ezra looked at the comlink in his hand and smiled at the man.
Kanan then messed his hair up a bit, "Be sure to listen to Zeb and Sabine, alright."
"Okay, "Ezra replied with a little giggle.
With that Kanan and Hera went to the cargo hold to get there speeder when they heard to comlink going off. Kanan turned it on, "Hello."
"I'm just making sure it works." Ezra said on the other line, and from the entrance to the cargo bay, earning a laugh from both Kanan and Hera.
Kanan and Hera rode their speeder to the old Lothal loading dock. Once used by the Republic for transports, were now used by Lothal business men who did not want the Empire interfering with their trading local farmers. The place was now empty this morning.
Hera, who drove the speeder, parked it behind a rock formation. The two then waited around the post location, waiting for Jho.
"Where the heck is the guy?" Kanan annoyingly asked
"Relax," Hera evenly told Kanan, "He will be along."
"I know, I know." Kanan said trying to calm down and failing. "I just want to find this guy. Who knows, maybe he knows what happened to the kid's parents."
"Maybe?" Hera sad with a little doubt in her voice, which Kanan picked up on.
"What? You don't think he'll know?" Kanan asked
"It's just…" Hera did not want to say what was bugging her, but Kanan figured it out.
"You don't think they're alive, do you?" Kanan asked, almost a little disappointed that Hera had thought what even he was thinking of, but just kept denying it for Ezra's sake.
"I don't think he thinks they're alive." Hera admitted, indicating the 'he' part.
Kanan thought that was crazy, "The kid hasn't-"
"Kanan," Hera interrupted his argument, "Ezra has not said anything about finding his parents, all he seems to be focused on is looking for Tseboo." Hera's tone then got more disheartened, "I just think with his parents being gone for almost a year, he might not have high hopes of finding them."
As much as Kanan hated to say it, he couldn't argue with Hera's point. If the kid had thought his mom and dad were alive, he would be looking for them, not some friend of his.
"Is he really an orphan," Kanan thought to himself. Just thinking it made Kanan depressed for the kid. But there was the alternative.
"Well at least the kid has this Tseboo guy, and the sooner they get reunited, the sooner Ezra will be safe." Kanan said, trying to brighten up the situation, though the thought of the kid leaving them saddened him. But he knew it would better for Ezra to be with a friend then random strangers.
Hera was about to say something, but just then they saw Old Jho's speeder coming their way. Once it came closer them, the Ithroain parked the speeder and stepped off.
"If it isn't my two favorite rebels." Jho said happily
"It's great to see you Jho." Hera greeted while hugging Jho.
"Long time no see." Kanan added as he shook Jho's hand.
"Thank for seeing us on such short notice." Hera gladly thanked.
"Well when the wife called me yelling about you guys needing to talk to me, I am more than willing to spend a little more time away from her. So what do you guys need, a job or…?"
"Wait, didn't she tell you why we needed to talk to you?" Hera asked, now very annoyed with Jho's wife.
"She never tells me the whole story. Why, what's up?" Jho asked.
"Well we actually were told that you could help us find someone," Kanan explained to Jho, "You know a kid named Ezra?
Jho's eyes widened at the boy's name, "Ezra Bridger? Short, like seven, dark hair and bright blue eyes. That Ezra?" Jho sounded almost hysterical at the name.
"That's him," Hera said, realizing that no one in the crew knew Ezra's last name.
Jho anxiously asked, "How do you know about him?"
Kanan and Hera explained about their recent mission and discovery of the boy. Jho again rambled his shock. "I can't believe it, he's alive. I thought for sure he was gone. I heard about the kid being taken into custody and I thought..." Jho couldn't finish the sentence.
"Well Ezra told us that you might know where to find his friend Tseboo." Hera revealed.
The mention of the Rodanian though caused anger to enter Jho's eyes, "If I ever see him, I will personally shoot him myself!" The Ithroain shouted.
"Woah, relax," Hera said calmly, yet again calming a situation before it escalates.
Jho took a breath, "Sorry guys, it's just the mention of that low life increases my blood pressure."
"Why? What did he do that is so horrible?" Kanan asked both confused and concerned.
Jho took a moment to compose himself before he explained, "it was never confirmed, but me and everyone else who knew Miriam and Ephraim, Ezra's parents, are sure that Tseboo was the one who turned them in."
This news utterly shocked. Kanan anger began to rise as did Hera, but Kanan needed to know, "But for what? What could two citizens with a child ever do to get arrested and taken away?"
"Do you guy know those broadcast, the 'The Voices of Hope'?
"Of course," Hera gladly stated, "They talked about standing up against the Empire," then it started to click in Hera's head, "Wait, were Ezra's parents involved with those broadcast?"
"The Bridger's were the 'The Voices of Hope'." Jho revealed to the now mind blown Kanan and Hera.
A/N: Yes I left you all with another cliff hanger. I hope all enjoyed this chapter. Do not worry though there will more family fluff. Also for some reason viewers are in need of the bluberry being hurt. DO NOT WORRY, he will relive some of his tortured moments, so stay tuned.
