Laughter filled the air as the group made it back to the Ghost and their camp. It was dark by the time they arrived back at their little home-base. Stars began to glow above their heads as the clouds continued to disperse for the night.
The group sat around the campfire as they joked and told stories.
They would have to scold Athena the next day for such a dangerous act. Tonight was just for some joy. Some life.
Athena's hair glowed in the darkness as she sat there and laughed at one of Rex's jokes. Her hair floated in a fiery joy.
The coughing that came after the laugh was worth it.
All the aches and pains in her body were worth it.
She saved thousands of lives that day, including her own and quite possibly the crews'. Those 200 meters of lava was barely an inkling of all that was stored in Hellvius Inferno and Bakunyuu Imperials were smart and knew what they were doing when they evacuated the planet.
The planet had rivers upon rivers of magma under its surface.
The magma wasn't the dangerous part, per se. But rather the volatile gasses that built up in the mountain and all the rivers.
If Athena hadn't let out all those gases and droves of smoke and ash first, there would've been no stopping the lava. The volcano had rivers of magma run under a large portion of land like roots to a tree. If those roots of magma continued to hold all the pressure inside, they would've blown massive amounts of the planet up.
Son taught her how to let those things go. Let it all out and free.
The girl never would've guessed that the embodiment of the Dark side would have helped save a planet full of so much life.
She didn't even see any of the darkness behind all that. She didn't even realize how close she came to falling when those flames of rage engulfed her at the peak of the volcano. She didn't realize her eyes were trying so hard to glow a blood red.
The other Jedi knew, however. They could feel the darkness behind the flames. It didn't feel like the cold kind of darkness the Empire often emitted. It was a different kind of darkness.
She used the darkness right along with the light. She saw no real difference. Both sides could hurt or heal in her eyes.
Rae had been in the midst of the Imperials and the Inquisitors for a long, long time, and never had she felt the kind of darkness that this girl oozed. Yes, she had plenty of light, but oh how much she shivered at the brush of darkness she got every time she saw Athena. She was so powerful. So exuberant. So willful. So...angry. What in the galaxy could they do to make sure she stayed on their side? Even as she sat on the girl's left and shared a laugh with her, Rae couldn't help but wonder how screwed they'd be if this girl decided the darkness in her was better than the light.
Ezra sat on the right side of Athena but laughed a little harder than Rae. He didn't fear the darkness as much. He didn't see what was soooo wrong with it. Why was this darkness so much more appealing when Athena wielded it? Why did Athena's darkness allure him rather than appall him like the Inquisitors' darkness? Were they just using it wrong? In his eyes, Athena was obviously using this darkness correctly. It made her strong enough to protect those around her. No way was she too weak to let those around her to get hurt, Ezra figured.
Kanan couldn't help but to uneasily stare for a moment as he watched Athena and Ezra lean against each other as they shared a laugh. Ezra didn't really grasp the dangers of Athena's dark side. He didn't see that she was being trained to destroy a creature that had the capabilities of killing them all - and how do you kill a monster without becoming some form of a monster yourself? His Padawan frightened him sometimes. He was too impulsive. He was too emotional. He was too quick to assume. Ezra saw a beautiful flame that warmed him instead of a fire that could kill him. Ezra always saw things a little differently. Sometimes that was good, other times it was bad. When he should've seen darkness, he saw alluring smoke.
Ahsoka felt this all far deeper than the others - the apprehension to the girl's darkness. It reeked of the Son's doing. Ahsoka knew Son must've been the one to train her to use her rage to tame the volcano. She realized the moment Kanan told her of Athena's harsh awakening last night that Son had something to do with it. In some ways, you could say Son had helped save the planet, but that didn't mean he was to be praised. He was always after something more. Something more sinister always lied behind the veil of lies and manipulation.
Athena bent over, head between her knees as she coughed out more ash and smoke. Ezra gave her a helping hand on her back.
"Thanks, Ez," she finally said after the small fit of coughs subsided, a smile on her lips.
Ahsoka and Kanan sighed as they watched Ezra wistfully look into Athena's fiery eyes. He didn't realize he shouldn't play with fire.
Athena paused for a moment, hearing echoes of familiar voices swishing around her brain.
"I sure need to scold that kid tomorrow. She could've gotten killed…"
Athena turned to Hera but saw her lips didn't utter those words. But her voice was sure darn identical to that echo.
"Please tell me that we haven't run out of jerky…"
Athena squinted as she looked to Zeb as he looked down disappointedly into an empty bag. Once again, his lips were still.
"Man, I need to start on that painting tonight…"
Sabine's lips didn't move. She was just looking at Rex as he continued to tell old stories.
What was going on? Why could she hear these voices?
"Ah, where'd Chopper go?" Hera's lips were still motionless, but she turned her head around in search of the droid.
"He went to make sure the Phantom's ports were okay after all the smoke got on the ship," Athena looked to her captain, only to see once again her lips had yet to move.
Hera just about fell out of her seat at that. Did she actually say that out loud? No...she was definitely quiet.
"Uh...thank you, Athena," Hera eyed the girl with a suspicious look. She was unsure how that was even possible.
"Wait, what?" Rae questioned.
"Ah, nothing," Athena waved it off.
It was almost midnight now, but Hera allowed everyone to stay up past lights-out this one night. Too much had happened for her not to make an exception at least once.
Athena and Rae lied next to each other under the blanket of stars above them - the only two rebels left outside still.
The two faced opposite directions; Athena's feet pointing south and Rae's feet pointing north. Their heads lied right next to each other as their backs rested against the grass below them.
The Earthling's fingers interlocked with each other as the back of her head rested on them - elbows sticking out as she laid near her friend. Rae's hands laid on top of each other on her stomach, right above left.
Athena's fiery hair lightly glowed in the dark, resting against the grass. The last bits of ash were washed off her in the shower.
"Hey, do you think I'll ever get a lightsaber?" Athena asked.
"Maybe," Rae shrugged. "Your Master has to approve that you're ready, though, before you can start making one."
"Huh. Neat."
"What color lightsaber do you think you'll get?"
"I dunno. What colors are there?"
"Well…" Rae contemplated, looking up in thought. "With Jedi on the light side, the most common colors are blue and green. More Grey-ish Jedi like Ahsoka can have white sabers. Sabers like mine are rarer, being purple. Red is for the Sith and the Dark side users."
"Is purple your favorite color?"
"Yeah," Rae chuckled. "What about you? You got a favorite color?"
"Black," Athena admitted with a laugh. "It's simple and solid."
"Maybe you'll get the Darksaber," Rae laughed.
"What's the Darksaber?" Athena questioned.
"Oh, it's a lightsaber made…" Rae shook her head. "It's a whole Mandalorian thing. Short story: a guy made a saber that's black and people fight over it."
"Oh...okay," Athena nodded, still looking up at the new stars.
"So, what color of lightsaber do you think you'll get?" Rae said. "I kinda could see you with green."
"I could go with orange," Athena shrugged. "It's a neat color."
"Maybe you'll have purple too," Rae suggested. "You sure are rare, so I wouldn't expect anything less."
"What about white? Like Ahsoka's? Hers are really cool."
"Oh! Oh! Aqua! Kinda like your eyes," Rae turned her head to look at Athena, quickly remembering the amber still in her eyes. "Well...when they're normal."
"Eh, my eyes are usually more teal or turquoise," Athena shrugged. "Kanan's got that color too and he's got a blue lightsaber, so I doubt that eye color matters when it comes to lightsaber color."
Rae chuckled and looked back to the sky of stars above them. "You sure are something else, I'll give you that, Athena Jarrus."
Athena smiled, liking the sound of that name more and more as the days went on. She was connected to these people. She had some roots for once.
Rae sat up, "I gotta use the 'fresher. I'll be back."
"See ya."
Athena continued to stare up into the stars, searching for some kind of connection between the dots. Almost every Earthling did that - look for something that really wasn't there. Look for beauty in the chaos.
She felt the ground beside her move just a little with a soft thump.
"Hey, you're back already-" Athena picked her up a little to see Ezra walking towards her. "Oh hey, Blueberry head. I thought you were Rae."
"Oh-" Ezra stopped and had a nervous look on his face. "Um, do you want me to go or…"
"Nah, it's fine," Athena laid her head back down and looked up to the sky again. Ezra soon lied down next to her where Rae once was. Feet facing the opposite direction as her, heads side by side.
His hands rested on his stomach, fingers interlocked as his thumbs twiddled a little. He looked up into the dark sky filled with light.
"Hey, do you guys have constellations?" Athena asked.
"Uh...not really. I knew like one or two back on Lothal," Ezra admitted. "They were really ancient constellations. My parents said they helped the first settlers of Lothal know what time of the year it was."
"My planet had hundreds, maybe thousands. Probably because we're a little less…" Athena struggled to find the correct phrasing. "Far along as you guys are with technology. Not too long ago, my people used the stars to navigate our world."
Athena paused. She had never used the words 'my people' before. She had always been with 'her people'. Always on the same planet. Always on the same continent. Always in the same country. Almost always surrounded by people who shared all of this with her.
And technically they weren't really 'her people' - Earthlings that is. She was the first one of her lineage apparently born on that planet. Not even her brother was from there.
"Really? That many constellations?" Ezra was amazed.
"Yeah, we had whole stories behind each of them," Athena smiled a little as she looked up to the new stars. "Just about every star in our sky had a name and a story. We even try to predict people's personalities based on what stars they were born under."
"Really?" Ezra chuckled. "Your personality being determined by the stars?"
"I know it sounds silly, but you gotta remember that those stars are the only things for Earthlings to see," Athena reminded. "We don't have much else. We have our moon, our sun, our planet, and the stars."
"So, it's kinda like a spirituality thing?" Ezra asked.
Athena shrugged. "Sorta. My planet's got billions of people with millions of religions, so you can't really classify somethings as just one thing."
Ezra chuckled, "You Earthlings are something else. I couldn't imagine living on a planet like that. Sounds really different."
"It was," Athena admitted with a sigh. "It really was different from all this."
"Do you miss it?"
"What's there to miss?" Athena shook her head, rocking it on top of her fingers planted on the ground below her head.
"Your people? People that you knew?" Ezra suggested.
"I couldn't care less," Athena said. "What about you? Do you miss your planet?"
"Yeah...sorta…"
"What does that mean?"
"I- I love this crew. They're family to me," Ezra admitted. "But, I do miss Lothal."
"Do you miss anyone there?"
After a long pause, Ezra answered. "My parents. But they're not coming back."
Athena remembered the kids in foster care with her that remembered their parents. Too much for their own good, sometimes. They had someone to miss and cry over. They had hugs they wanted to feel again.
Athena never understood it.
"You knew your parents well?" Athena wasn't sure exactly how to go about this.
"Yeah. I was seven when the Empire took them."
The two laid there in silence for a moment. Not much there to make noise.
"I'm sorry about that." Athena almost whispered. "It must've been rough losing someone you loved so much."
"You lost your mother to the Empire, you know what it's like at least," Ezra said.
"I never knew my parents. I never had to miss them," Athena said. "I never had to lose a person I loved because I never loved anyone."
The two paused once more. The whole thing mulling over in their brains.
"I'm not sure what's worse. Knowing your parents then losing them, or never having any to remember," Ezra admitted. "Sometimes the only thing that gets me through a rough day is remembering my parents' warm hugs. I can't imagine not having those memories."
Athena paused some more.
"I...did almost love a person once. She died." her eyes stung as she thought back to her earlier childhood. "We have an old saying: 'tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all', but I don't agree. The hurt of loss was greater than the joy of knowing."
"Who was she?"
"A foster mom," she sighed. "One of the only ones I can remember - though sometimes I wish I didn't."
They paused.
"And a little foster sister and a little foster brother," the girl let out a shaky sigh. "They died."
"You lost too many, that's why." Ezra turned his head to look at Athena. "You probably lost more foster family members than you could handle."
"Quality over quantity, that's what I always say," she looked to the stars still. "You probably loved your parents a thousand times more than I ever loved anyone. You were left alone after your parents died."
"So were you."
"Always was." Athena said. "You can't miss a home you never knew."
"Yes you can," Ezra said. "You can always miss what could've been but never was."
Athena chuckled, "Since when did you become a literary poet?"
"Maybe it's the stars," Ezra joked.
"Ya know, you're the first person I think I've voluntarily opened up to like this." Athena chuckled. She turned her head and met his eyes.
It was strange. She'd never seen such a color of blue in someone's eyes. Royal, electric, blue.
This galaxy was full of so many new things.
New stars. New colors. New life.
Ezra could say the same thing about her. The flowing fiery hair dimly glowing under the night sky. The amber color flickering in her eyes. The aura that surrounded her.
"Thanks for being a family to me," she smirked.
Everything was just so electric and warm.
Ezra leaned over and pressed his lips against hers.
His breath was taken away, but not for good reasons.
He went flying up in the air, screaming. A block of rock protruding from the planet had launched him a good few meters away. His ribs hurt now. He looked up as he felt the ground around him lightly shake. There stood an infuriated Athena, her hair on fire and eyes glowing a dark orange.
"THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?" she roared.
Ezra's eyes went wide as he saw this. He scrambled to sit up, scooching away from the girl as she had blue flames engulf her head of hair.
"I-I just thought-" Ezra stammered.
He messed up. This girl just won against an entire volcano and he just pissed her off.
"Why did you think-" she could barely speak; she was so mad. "We aren't like that! You're basically my adoptive brother! What is wrong with you?"
"I just thought-"
"What kind of girl do you take me for?" she roared in anger. "I am not just...just...AH!" she stomped and the ground shook with her for a moment.
Rae, Sabine, and Zeb shared a concerned look with each other as their heads poked out from the cargo bay. They had been watching this for a while but didn't expect Ezra to actually take the drastic leap of faith.
"I'm so angry I could kill you!" she screamed, angry eyes engulfed in a dark orange as she glared at the trembling Ezra. "Why did you think I was just- I'm not- I'm not yours! I'm not yours for the taking!"
"I know! I just thought-"
She wouldn't even let him get a sentence in.
"You obviously don't think at all, dumbass!"
Ezra didn't know what to do. In front of him stood a girl who fulfilled the prophecy of a Goddess on this planet, angrier than ever at him.
"Calm yourself!" Daughter's voice snapped in the girl's head. "You could hurt him!"
"I don't care!" she yelled.
"Syla Dume! You stop this!" Father's voice echoed in her head. "Is this what balance looks like? You are consumed in anger just like the Son!"
"I-I-" Athena stammered, angered eyes now confused. "He- you-"
"He is your ally. Resist the urge to harm." Daughter said.
They must've made sure Son's voice was muted. She was far too angered. She was far too fearful.
Her flames died out and her hair became a dark brown as it rested against her back. Her eyes once again teal.
She saw the pure terror on Ezra's face. The same face she had last night when that demon lunged at her.
She...wasn't the bad guy...right?
Not knowing what to do, she ran. Her bare feet once again pounding against the dirt and grass of Bakunyuu. She ran off into the dark forest where no one could see her once she blended back into the night.
Ezra could barely stop shaking.
He could have died.
"What's going on out here?"
Sabine, Rae, and Zeb gave an unsure look to Kanan as he approached them - heading outside.
"What? What happened?" Kanan questioned the three. "I sensed something going on. Now what-"
Rae slowly pointed outside where Kanan caught eye of a petrified Ezra sitting on the ground.
He dashed outside to his Padawan and crouched down to the side of the boy.
"Ezra! What happened?"
He let out a shaky sigh as his worried eyes looked up to his Master. "I...I messed up."
Rae, Zeb, and Sabine looked amongst each other and decided it was best to give them privacy and to go back into the ship.
"What? What did you do?" Kanan questioned.
Ezra's legs slowly curled up near his chest and he wrapped his arms around his knees. His chin rested on his knees and he let out a deep sigh.
"Where's Athena?"
"She ran off," Ezra mumbled. "I- I shouldn't have done- I…"
"What happened?" Kanan questioned, seriousness and concern in his eyes.
"I kissed her…" Ezra mumbled, embarrassment in his voice as he looked at the ground.
"You what?"
Ezra sighed again, slumping his shoulders. "We were talking and it was all going great. It just felt right in the moment - but Athena obviously didn't see it that way."
Kanan had to pause for a moment. He could see the sadness in Ezra's eyes from the rejection. But, Athena definitely had her reasons for rejecting unwanted touch.
"I don't think she'll want to be friends with me now," Ezra murmured. "I messed up."
"You misread the situation, I'm taking it?" Kanan asked, sitting down next to the boy.
Ezra looked up to Kanan. "How does this stuff even work? I thought the moment was great. We were having an open heart conversation and everything. She looked into my eyes, I looked into hers, and I kissed her."
Kanan let out a sigh and put a hand on his Padawan's shoulder, "You just met her not too long ago, it's not like eye contact with a girl immediately means she's into you."
"She isn't going to want to even talk to me anymore, will she?" Ezra questioned, sadness in his eyes.
It was tough getting rejected. It's even worse when the rejection is met with complete rage from the other side.
Kanan gave a reassuring pat on Ezra's shoulder. "We'll have to see. You did cross a boundary that she obviously wasn't ready to cross."
"How do these things even work?" Ezra questioned. "You and Hera seem happy."
"Well…" Kanan shrugged. "I'm not sure how it happened either, kid. It just did. Over a while, a bond just mutually happens if you both agree to make that bond in that particular sense."
"So, I should have waited?" Ezra questioned.
"You should have also asked," Kanan said. "Communication is a priority for these kinds of things. She might have seen you as a possible…" Kanan tried to word it correctly "...romantic interest, but not if you jump the gun."
"I really messed up," Ezra shook his head, looking into the woods now. Nothing to see beyond the first tree. "She hates me."
"She probably doesn't hate you," Kanan said. "She's probably just really angry."
"I should have listened to you," Ezra grumbled, his shoulders still slumped. "I should have just kept it as friends."
"You both are young and don't know exactly what you're doing. Athena's got some things she needs to work out mentally and so do you. You both have been through a lot and are going through a lot," Kanan said. "I'd hate to see you too mess up a good friendship with romance at such a young age."
"You ever think it could've happened if I didn't kiss her?"
"It still might, just not for a long time," Kanan sighed. "We're in a war, whether we like it or not. We got an Empire hunting us down wherever we go. That puts a lot of stress on all of us - especially you Padawans. You guys need to focus on your training, then maybe you can work something out."
"I wanna tell her I'm sorry," Ezra sighed, looking into the dark forest. "But I don't think she wants to see me."
"Did she run into the forest?" Kanan asked.
Ezra nodded.
Kanan patted his shoulder before he stood up. "Come on, head on to bed. It's been a long day. Maybe you can apologize tomorrow morning."
Ezra stood, melancholy written across his face. "It...hurts...it..."
Kanan gave a small, comforting smile, "It's heartbreaking getting rejected. You'll get better with time."
Seeing the boy barely could pick his head up with confidence, the Jedi pulled his Padawan into a hug.
"Thanks, Kanan," he mumbled in a soft voice.
The Jedi let his Padawan go from the comforting hug and patted his shoulder again. "Now go to bed. I'll try to talk to Athena."
Ezra gave a small nod before heading back to the ship.
Kanan sighed and turned to the dark forests. He could still sense the flicker of his sister within the forest - running deeper into the darkness.
He took off after her, following the elusive girl once again.
She sure was a fast runner.
After a while of running, Kanan stood still. He could see nothing but darkness. The coldness of the night seeped into his skin. The light from the stars barely poked in between the leaves above him.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, searching for his little sister within the Force.
"Above you, dumbass."
Kanan opened his eyes in surprise. He looked up to see a little yellow flame flicker high in the air. He could barely decipher the outline of the girl sitting high up in the tree, holding the flame in her hand now. Her hair and eyes were extinguished of their glow.
"Athena-"
"Look, I'm sorry," Athena stopped him. "I shouldn't have gotten so angry. He's your Padawan, I know."
Kanan was shocked. Why was she apologizing right off the bat?
"Can you come down here?"
"Fine."
The flame in her hand disintegrated and he heard some rustling in the tree. Two light thumps hit the ground and the fire was much closer now.
He could see the sad and angry eyes of Athena now that she held the yellow flame in her hand again, just a couple meters in front of him now.
"I shouldn't have-"
Kanan stopped her, "No. Don't apologize."
"What?" she was confused. She had just threatened to kill Ezra - his beloved Padawan. Why wasn't he demanding an apology?
"You were scared. You don't like people touching you without consent, right?"
"I-I shouldn't have freaked out-"
"Do you want to sit and talk for a minute?"
"I'm not going back to the Ghost...not just yet," Athena mumbled.
"That's fine with me." Kanan walked over to the base of a tree and sat; his back resting against its bark. "We can talk here. I can tell there's a lot on your mind."
Athena let out a sigh and sat on the ground a few meters away from Kanan. She picked up a fallen, thin, limb of a tree and lit it to act as a torch. She let the flames on her hand die out and she stuck the burning tree limb into the ground between her and Kanan.
"I...I acted too harshly towards Ezra-"
"But, why? Why do you think you were so angry that you lashed out?"
"Why aren't you asking for an apology? I could've hurt Ezra - your Padawan."
"Because you have your reasons," Kanan shrugged. "I know you don't like people touching you - probably for good reasons too. Ezra didn't realize this and crossed a line."
"You...actually...see my side? You aren't just taking Ezra's side?" Athena was confused. He had known Ezra much longer than he knew her.
"Of course. I want to see both sides to understand the whole situation," Kanan said. "Now, what's your side?"
"I- I freaked out," Athena sighed. "I just don't see Ezra that way. We were such great friends...but apparently, he saw it differently than me."
"Ezra said you two were having a heart-to-heart conversation. Mind at least telling me the topic?" Kanan asked.
"Dead family members," Athena grumbled. "I talked about people I lost on Earth and he talked a little about his parents. He's actually one of the few people I talked about that stuff with because I saw him as such a close friend."
"And you felt betrayed when he broke that trust of friendship and kissed you," Kanan completed her thoughts.
"Yeah…" Athena looked down to the ground. "I didn't want that with him. I'm not just some girl that he can just decide is his little girlfriend whenever he feels like it."
"You didn't want to be locked into something you didn't agree to," Kanan said. "Just like those foster families you didn't agree to be a part of. Now, you're finally a part of a family you choose to be with and you saw Ezra's advance as a threat."
"Are you some kind of therapist or something?" Athena questioned, flustered by the truth behind Kanan's words.
"I like to see myself as a mediator."
"I just don't want to be someone's plaything," Athena admitted. "I didn't agree with being kissed."
"I completely understand," Kanan nodded.
Athena let out a big sigh and looked to Kanan. "I really messed up. I really like Ezra as a friend and I threatened to kill him when he kissed me."
"You like being friends with Ezra?"
"He's great as a friend," Athena said. "He listens really well. He understands what it's like to be an orphan. He's training to be a Jedi just like me. He likes to joke around and play holo-grames with me. He's a great friend."
"And now you're worried you won't be friends with him?"
"Yeah."
"He said the same thing about you to me," Kanan said. "Maybe you two can talk it out in the morning after you get a good night's rest."
Athena looked around the dark and lonely forest before meeting Kanan's eyes. "I'm sorry about last night - having to wake you up and all that."
"What did happen?" Kanan asked. "You haven't said much about the One's training. It's obvious that they've been training you, but how do you feel?"
"Horrid," Athena shuddered. "Last night I was training with Son and he sent a demon after me."
"Do you know who you're training with tonight?"
"Probably Daughter," Athena said. "I think they're going in an order: Daughter, Father, then Son. Then repeat."
"You going to sleep in the closet tonight?" Kanan asked.
She nodded. "I like my own space. I'm grateful that you helped me last night and all, but I do like my own space."
"If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask for it," Kanan assured. "This crew is like family. Family doesn't let family suffer."
Athena sighed and smiled, "You guys sure are selfless."
"You are too," Kanan reminded. "You're the one who risked your life to save those people from the volcano."
"Do...you think it's a bad thing the others know about the whole 'Goddess' thing?" Athena asked with uncertainty. "Sabine even said it. Technically I'm Goddess Inferna on this planet."
"Maybe," Kanan sighed. "But we can't help that now. All we can do now is try to keep the whole Ones and Abeloth thing under wraps."
"Will we need to go to another planet now?" Athena asked. "I kinda gave us away with the whole phoenix thing."
"So far the Empire abandoned this planet," Kanan said. "Commander Sato said for us to stay here as long as we can, seeing that there aren't too many planets around with that little of Imperial presence."
Athena rubbed the back of her neck and looked down to the ground. "Also, I need to tell you about something. It's about my trip into town with Ezra to get the battery."
"What about it?"
"I...kinda hurt a Stormtrooper," she admitted. "Bad. Real bad."
Kanan furrowed his eyebrows. "What? How? Did they see you?"
"No," she shrugged. "I used the Force and crushed his hand. Bad."
"Did the trooper know it was you?"
"No."
Kanan shook his head, "You're lucky. That could've gone a different way."
"I'm sorry. I did it to save an old man. That's where I really got this ring."
Kanan sighed. "Just don't do anything that reckless again, okay? You heard what Jalo said - the Empire wants you as one of their Inquisitors. They'll be just about willing to do anything to get a hold of you."
Athena was quiet for a moment.
Kanan stood, "Come on, it's late. Let's get you back to the Ghost."
The girl nodded and took her torch out of the ground as she stood. She let it light the way back to the ship.
"I hope this kid stays on our side, that's for sure…"
Athena glanced up to Kanan, eyes filled with hurt.
Did he really think she'd betray them? Was he really that worried she'd turn on them?
She extinguished her torch and didn't say another word to Kanan when they reached the Ghost again. She grabbed her black bookbag and locked herself in her little closet.
Ezra didn't make eye contact with this lasat cabin mate as he entered the room. He just about threw himself up and onto his top bunk - burying his face in his pillow.
Zeb retracted his sympathy grin and wave as he realized Ezra didn't bother to see it. His ears lowered and he let out a dejected sigh.
"Hey, look, kid - I'm sorry that you-"
"Please shut up," Ezra grumbled. "Please just shut up."
"It hurts, I know," Zeb said. "I'll leave you be. G'night."
Zeb stood from his seat and table and went to his lower bunk. The lasat turned his back to the door as he laid on his side. He didn't want to bother the poor boy any more than necessary. A broken heart wasn't really too much to joke about.
"I messed up…" Ezra mumbled, sniffling a little as his face was still engulfed by the pillow. "She hates me. She krifin' hates me."
"No she doesn't," Zeb assured, still lying on his bunk - ear perked up a little to hear the boy.
"I hate myself, then."
"You really shouldn't, that's my job." Zeb figured just a little humor may help.
"What if she never talks to me again?"
"She will. We're all living on the same darn ship for crying out loud."
Ezra turned around, the back of his head on his pillow and hands covering his face now.
"Agh! I can't believe I did that! And for what?!" Ezra groaned. "We were great friends! I just ruined it!"
Zeb sighed and rolled over, sitting on the edge of his bunk now. He glanced up to Ezra's bunk. "Kid, look, you'll work things out. Just...slow it down. This kid is from another galaxy and is probably still in shock about all of this. Leave things be and you two will probably be great friends again."
Ezra let out a dejected sigh, still pressing his hands against his face. "I wanted to be more than friends and I screwed up being just friends in general. I - I just can't…"
"Feel any different?"
"Yeah," Ezra admitted. "I love being friends with Athena. She's witty, she's funny, she likes to play holo-games with me, and she understands me. She understands what it's like to grow up as a kid street rat. But…"
"But?"
"But I can't help but like her stupid face!" Ezra exasperated, throwing his arms out in anger. "I just can't help it!"
"So, is this different from the whole Sabine crush thing?" Zeb asked, a little curious as to why this boy was so head-over-heels about this Earthling.
"Yeah, and I don't know why. It's just that...I don't know. Maybe it's because she grew up without a home just like me? And she's also training to be a Jedi?" Ezra said.
"You got a lot in common with her," Zeb concluded.
"And she's cute!" Ezra crossed his arms and frowned. "I don't get it."
"She looks like a girlier version of Kanan," Zeb chuckled.
"Exact- wait a minute." Ezra swung his legs over and looked down to Zeb. "Like Kanan?"
"She looks just like him," Zeb looked up to Ezra. "She's just not as ugly as Kanan so far."
Ezra froze. He stammered once he spoke. "Wait wait wait - she does not look that similar to Kanan, does she? They've got the same eyes and hairline thingy, but that's it, right?"
"You just don't like that you think the girl-version of Kanan is cute, huh?" Zeb chuckled.
"She does not- she is not just the girl-version of Kanan!" Ezra stammered. "Completely different!"
"They are siblings," Zeb said with a shrug. "Who knows, maybe in sixteen years Athena will look exactly like a blonde-Kanan."
Ezra shivered at the thought.
"And now your crush is gone," Zeb lightly cackled. "Your welcome."
Ezra sighed and pondered for a moment, "Well…"
"Aw come on, the girl looking like your Master doesn't already deter you?"
"She's more than her face!" Ezra defended. "She's nice, and funny, and strong, and-"
"Your little crush is a little deeper than you expected, eh?"
Ezra stopped, realizing he was blushing now. This crush didn't feel like the ones he'd had before.
Then he remembered Athena's rejection. The fiery rage when he kissed her. Her calling him her 'adoptive brother'.
Ezra slumped his shoulders and sighed. "And I pulled that stupid move…"
"Well, you got the rest of the war to try and be friends with her again," Zeb turned and lied back down in his bunk. "Who knows? Maybe after a while, that crush will go away."
Ezra sighed and plopped his back against his bunk - staring at the ceiling. "Yeah, I guess. I gotta apologize first for the kiss."
"Yeah. She sure wasn't happy about that," Zeb chuckled. "But, who knows? Maybe one day you two can work something out."
"I don't think it'll happen."
"Just give it time," Zeb yawned. "Just talk to the girl, maybe she doesn't have great eyesight and she'll go with ya."
Ezra chuckled as he looked to the ceiling. Zeb always did try to cheer him up in his own way.
