It was a usual supply run – go to town, get supplies, don't attract any unwanted attention ("and do NOT steal a TIE fighter!" Kanan had made very clear to a rather sheepish Ezra and Zeb). But this time, Ezra wasn't attracting attention. No, this time, something was attracting his attention.

"Guys, wait," he called out, stopping abruptly in front of an alleyway. Zeb and Sabine halted beside him. "There's something here."

He could sense it. He wasn't sure exactly what yet, but it was there, in the alley. It felt... small, not threatening or malicious, but not necessarily friendly either. It was just... something. Something tugging at him. He knew if he tried to walk away, he wouldn't be able to ignore it.

Zeb frowned. "Good something or bad something?"

"Just... something."

Ezra tread quietly into the alley, reaching out around him through the Force as he tried to locate the mysterious presence. The feeling seemed to beam stronger the further he ventured. Though he didn't know what it was, it felt... frightened... upset... lonely.

Suddenly, he heard a scratching sound coming from behind a stack of crates. He jumped back, almost knocking into Zeb and Sabine, who had been following close behind. Sabine held up her blasters, pointing them in the direction of the crates.

There was another scratch. Then a hiss. Then, Ezra caught a glimpse of glowing eyes.

"Sabine. Put your blasters down."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

Sabine lowered her weapons as Ezra crept closer to the crates. "Hey little guy. It's okay," he said. "You can come out."

Slowly, with much hesitation, something small, with ginger and white fur, crawled out from amongst the crates. It was a loth-cat!

Ezra sunk to his knees in front of the small creature and waited for it to approach him. He remembered what Kanan had taught him about forming connections with other living beings – to let his guard down, to open himself up and be willing to connect with others. That, combined with the silent begging of hey I'm friendly so please don't try to scratch my face off, he hoped would do the trick.

The loth-cat approached him cautiously. It circled him, it's tail brushing against him, before curling in a furry heap in front of him. He reached out to stroke it, feeling the rumbling vibrations of a satisfied purr as he did.

Sabine and Zeb knelt beside him.

"Awww, it's so cute," said Sabine, running her gloved hand over the creature.

"Where did it come from?" Zeb wondered aloud.

"I think he's lost," said Ezra. An idea struck him and his eyes widened. "We should take him back with us."

"You think that's a good idea?" asked Zeb. "What would Hera and Kanan say?"

"We can think about that on the way back," said Sabine, who had already taken a liking to the cat. "Besides, they took in all of us, right? They're not going to throw out a poor, innocent, little loth-cat. Look at his face. Who could say no to that face?"

"Okay," Zeb agreed. "Well, what are we going to call it then?"

"What about Spec?" Ezra suggested. "You know, like Spectre."

"I like it," said Sabine. "What do you say, Spec?"

The loth-cat let out a loud purr.

Zeb laughed. "I think he approves."

...

They had every intention of talking to Hera and Kanan about the loth-cat. Truly, they did. They just didn't quite know what to say yet, which is why they were all crammed on and around Zeb's bunk, playing with Spec, while they thought about it.

Okay, maybe they weren't really thinking about it. Maybe they were just playing with Spec.

"Ezra!" Kanan's voice called from out in the hall.

"Oh no, it's Kanan," said Ezra. "Quick, hide the cat!"

Zeb quickly tucked the squirming loth-cat behind his back. Noticing that the creature's bushy tail was still visible, Sabine scrambled to sit beside Zeb, blocking it from view.

"Ezra," Kanan called from just outside the door.

"Coming!" Ezra replied, pressing the control to open the door for his master. He leaned casually against the door frame, doing his best to seem not suspicious (but, as Sabine would inform him later, definitely looked suspicious).

Kanan eyed him for a moment, getting the feeling that there was something going on, something the boy was up to, then shook his head, deciding that, whatever it was, he was probably better off not knowing. "Training in half an hour," he said, then looked up, noticing both Sabine and Zeb in the room too.

Ezra, Sabine and Zeb.

All in the same room.

And he hadn't heard a single dispute. No chaos or commotion whatsoever.

Hmm.

"What are you guys up to?"

"Nothing," Ezra stammered. "We're just, uh..."

"Spending some time together," Sabine finished for him. She threw her arm around Zeb."You know, family bonding."

"Uh, yeah... right," said Zeb. "Bonding."

There was a long pause as the trio waited to see if the Jedi could sense they were hiding something. To their suprise, and relief, Kanan simply nodded. "Training. Half an hour," he repeated to Ezra, before turning to leave.

Ezra saluted. "Got it."

"Spec! No!" Sabine suddenly called out, and Ezra barely had the chance to register what was happening as Spec darted past him, having evidently squirmed free from Zeb's grasp, and bolted straight out the door. He followed Zeb and Sabine as they raced out of the room and after the small creature.

Who was heading straight for Kanan.

The cat darted between Kanan's ankles, knocking him off balance.

"What the –?"

Before he even had the chance to register what was happening, Kanan found himself crashing to the floor, as the being responsible let out a pained yowl and moved swiftly past him.

Ezra helped Kanan to his feet, while Sabine and Zeb managed to corner Spec and grab him. The three of them stood before Kanan, Spec cradled in Sabine's arms. Judging by his disapproving glare and crossed arms, the Jedi was less than impressed.

"Anyone want to explain why there's a stray loth-cat on our ship?"

"Well, um..." Zeb began, rubbing the back of his neck.

"We found him in the town this morning on our supply run," Sabine explained. "He was all alone and seemed scared, so we helped him."

"His name is Spec," said Ezra. "You know, like Spectre."

"You named it?"

"Yeah."

"No."

Ezra frowned. "What do you mean 'no'?"

"I mean, no, the cat is not living on this ship," said Kanan.

"Why not?"

"Because it's not."

"Please, can we keep it?" Ezra pleaded. "Please, Kanan."

"No," Kanan repeated. "We don't need a cat. We already have Chopper."

"You told me to connect with other living beings," Ezra reminded him. "This is me connecting with another living being!"

"Yeah, I meant do it outside," said Kanan. "Not bring it on board."

Sabine rolled her eyes. "Come on," she said, grasping Ezra by the sleeve, "let's go ask Hera. It's her ship."

...

"Spec, huh?" Hera raised an eyebrow as she examined the loth-cat cradled in Sabine's arms.

"Yeah, like Spectre," said Ezra proudly.

"Can we keep him? Please, Hera," Sabine pleaded. She tilted her arms to angle the cat closer to Hera, as if allowing her to get a closer look at him and all his cuteness may help sway her decision.

Hera reached out and ran her hand over the cat's fur, then gently scratched the top of his head. Spec closed his eyes and tilted his head back, leaning into the touch. "Well," said Hera, "I guess he is rather cute, in a feral sort of way."

"Yeah, just like Ezra," said Zeb, throwing his arm around the boy. "And we kept him."

"Hey!" exclaimed Ezra, shrugging the arm off his shoulder.

"So can we keep him?" Sabine asked again. The three of them looked at Hera with pleading eyes, awaiting her response.

Hera sighed. "The cat can stay," she said, the response triggering a collective and triumphant "Yes!" from Spectres 4 to 6. "But he's your responsibility, and he's not allowed to get in the way of missions. Otherwise, we'll have to find him a new, safer home. Got it?"

"Got it," they replied in unison.

"Thank you, Hera!" Sabine called out as they exited Hera's room, almost colliding with Kanan as he strode through the doorway.

"You're really letting them keep that thing?"

Hera smiled. "Wouldn't be the first time I picked up a stray," she said, tapping him affectionately on the cheek as she went over to press the control panel and close the door.

Kanan rolled his eyes. "Ha ha, very funny."

She reclined against the wall. "Come on, don't you think it's kind of cute?"

Kanan moved to rest his forearm against the wall and leaned in closer to Hera as she circled her arms around his neck. "I can think of something cuter."

Her gaze narrowed as she arched an eyebrow. "Are you comparing me to a loth-cat, Kanan Jarrus?" she asked in a teasing tone.

Kanan smiled. "To be fair, you compared me first."

Just as they leaned in closer to each other, their fleeting moment of peaceful alone time was shattered by a series of crashes, shouts and a shrill screech.

Kanan sighed heavily in annoyance. "Told you. Bad idea."

As soon as they stepped out of Hera's quarters, Kanan was almost tripped over by the speeding loth-cat for the second time that day. This time, however, the cat had a reason to be running for its life. Right on its tail, Chopper was in hot pursuit, brandishing his claw hands and electro-shock prod, possibly with murderous intent. Not too far behind, Ezra, Sabine and Zeb were chasing after them frantically.

"Chopper, no!"

"Chopper! Get back here you little –"

"Quick! Get Spec!"

"I'm trying!"

"You touch that loth-cat, droid, and you're going to the scrap heap!"

"Chopper!" Hera growled. The droid stopped in its tracks almost immediately. "Leave it alone!"

Chopper let out a disappointed whomp, then rolled away from the cat, allowing Ezra to run over and scoop up Spec.

Hera turned to Ezra, Sabine and Zeb. "If you want to keep the cat, keep him away from Chop," she said. "For his own sake."

Circuits still firing with frustration, Chopper wheeled away, warbling furiously to himself.

Why does Hera bring more ferals onto our ship?

Were the others not enough?

...

Kanan liked animals. Really, he did. He knew that the Force connected him to every living being in the galaxy, and he respected the gift of that connection deeply.

But that damn loth-cat.

He tried to connect with it, tried to be friendly and open and embrace this new member of their crew. But all his attempts at connection were met with hisses, swipes and scratches.

Sometimes, it would just glare at him. Kanan couldn't tell if it was waiting to strike or just judging him for some perceived default (Take your pick, cat, he thought. I've got plenty). He often wondered if it was secretly plotting to murder him in his sleep.

Maybe it held a grudge because of his initial reluctance over bringing it on board. Did cats hold grudges?

Still weary after a night of restless, intermittent sleep, Kanan dragged his tired, aching body out of bed. When he exited his room, sure enough, sitting about a step from the doorway, was that damn cat, staring at him with an unwavering focus. It was unnerving.

"What are you looking at?" he grumbled.

The creature responded with a rather disapproving maow.

Kanan sighed. It was going to be another long day.

...

And another long day it was, as chaotic and death-defying as usual.

Another plan that didn't go according to plan, another sprint for their lives back to the Ghost, dodging the blaster fire that rained down on them. But all things considered, the mission could go down in the books as a success. That is, if they all made it back to the ship in one piece.

"Everyone on board?" Hera called out over the comms from the cockpit as Kanan, Ezra, Sabine and Zeb scrambled up the ramp and into the cargo bay.

"We're all here," Kanan called back. "Let's go."

"On it," Hera responded. "Zeb, I need you on the guns."

Just as Zeb exited the cargo bay, a flash of white and orange dashed in, running straight past Sabine, Ezra and Kanan.

Sabine's eyes widened in horror. "Oh no! Spec!" she cried. "Wait! Come back!"

The three of them watched, frozen in shock, as Spec scampered down the ramp, heading out of the ship.

"What do we do?!" Ezra asked, panicked.

The Ghost began to rumble as Hera prepared to take off. "Guys, we have to go now!" her voice warned through the comms.

Kanan could see Spec – the loth-cat had reached the end of ramp and was heading straight for the Imperials that were shooting at them. Stupid cat clearly had a death wish or something.

He turned to look at Ezra and Sabine, both staring out the ship in horror as their beloved pet continued to run straight into the line of fire.

He sighed, shaking his head.

You better appreciate me after this, cat.

Lightsaber in hand, Kanan ran to the edge of ramp, dodging and deflecting the swarm of fiery red bolts that zipped towards him. He could see the loth-cat at the foot of the ramp. He reached out through the Force, grabbed hold of the furry little beast and began pulling it towards him, all while still actively trying to not get shot. The cat wriggled and thrashed wildly as it floated through the air, and continued to do so once tucked securely in Kanan's free arm. Sharp claws scraped across his arms, tearing through his sleeve and digging into his skin. Kanan winced and inhaled sharply in pain. As the ship began to ascend, he backed up the ramp, deflecting a final few shots before he reached the safety of the cargo bay and secured the door. He collapsed against the side wall, exhausted, and slid into a seated position on the floor.

"Spec!" cried Sabine. The creature leapt from Kanan's arms. "Are you okay?"

"We were so worried about you," said Ezra, as the two of them fussed over Spec, cuddling him and stroking his fur.

"I'm fine," Kanan muttered from his spot on the ground. "Thanks for asking."

...

That night, Kanan couldn't sleep. It wasn't exactly a rare occurrence, but he'd been so tired he'd thought for sure he would be out in seconds. Apparently not.

After a couple of hours of futile tossing and turning, he decided a change of scenery might do him some good. He wandered to the cockpit, treading lightly so as not to wake the rest of the sleeping crew.

Settling in to the co-pilot's seat, he peered out the front viewport at the Lothal night. The bright glow of the planet's two moons cast light over the open plain. Kanan could see the tall grass swaying in the late night breeze, while patches of it shook more furiously, no doubt from the movement of some nocturnal wildlife. Aside from that, all was quiet and still.

If Kanan hadn't been so tired, he might have sensed that he wasn't alone in the cockpit. Something jumped up onto his lap, startling him. He glanced down to see two beady black eyes staring up at him.

"Hey, what are you doing?" he asked. He was still nursing some nasty scratches from the little beast.

The loth-cat lay down and curled itself into a ball, relaxing it's weight on top of Kanan's legs.

"Is this your way of thanking me for saving your life? Sitting on me?"

The cat meowed, and showed no interest in moving.

Kanan sighed. "Whatever."

At first, he ignored it, continuing to stare out into the night. Then he found himself mindlessly running his fingers over the animal's fur. It was rather soft. The cat purred, deep and rumbling, apparently enjoying the attention.

Okay, maybe it was cute.

Maybe bringing the cat on board did make sense. Hera seemed to have a habit of welcoming lost souls into their crew. Maybe that was just what they were now – a mismatched family, thrown together by unfortunate circumstances, into a new place of belonging.

And after today's crazy stunt, Kanan was sure Spec would fit in with them just fine.

...

"Where's Spec?" Sabine asked Ezra and Zeb as she entered the ship's common room. She was sure Spec had stayed in their room last night and was surprised to see the two of them lounging on the couch, no cat in sight.

Ezra and Zeb looked at her, dumbfounded. "I thought he was with you," said Ezra.

"You lost Spec?!" Sabine exclaimed furiously.

"I didn't lose Spec!" Ezra shouted defensively. "You lost Spec!"

"Ugh," Sabine groaned in frustration. "Just search the ship. He's got to be around here somewhere."

"Spec! Spec!" they each called out as the wandered through they Ghost, checking every room, every small space where a loth-cat could possibly hide.

"Guys! I found him. He's in the cockpit," Zeb whispered through the comms.

"That's great," Sabine replied. "But, why are you whispering?"

"Just come and see for yourselves."

Ezra and Sabine hadn't been entirely sure what to expect when they arrived at the cockpit, but it certainly wasn't this.

Kanan, fast asleep in the co-pilot's chair, with a sleeping Spec curled up in his lap.

"And to think he didn't want us to keep the cat," whispered Ezra as the three of them gazed in amusement and awe at the sight.

"What are you guys whispering about?" Hera appeared behind them, brow creased in confusion at just what the three of them could possibly be doing crammed around the cockpit, whispering and giggling. They moved aside wordlessly, allowing Hera to pass. Once her gaze fell on Kanan, her expression softened. She smiled fondly and pressed her hand to her mouth, stifling a giggle.

"Everyone keep quiet," she said. "I'm going to grab the holocamera."

...

As Lothal's blue and gold late afternoon sky settled above them, and a light, cool breeze swept through the vast open space, Kanan and Hera sat on the ship's lowered ramp, taking in the fresh air, warm afternoon glow and moment of tranquility. Just in front of the ramp sat Ezra, Sabine and Zeb, smiling and laughing as they played with Spec. The loth-cat seemed to cuddle up to whoever was giving him the most attention at that given moment.

There was a rustling in the tall grass nearby. Ezra, Sabine and Zeb didn't think much of it, but the sound caused Spec's ears to perk up.

"What is it, Spec?" Sabine asked, turning to look in the direction the sound had come from.

Spec ran towards the long grass, stopping just at its edge, waiting hesitantly.

Ezra jumped to his feet. "Spec, wait!"

The rustling grew louder and the tall grass swayed furiously. Something was moving through it – heading towards them.

Zeb and Sabine moved to stand behind Ezra, watching on cautiously

as the movement of the grass traced its path closer and closer, until it's source finally emerged.

Ezra, Sabine and Zeb stared in surprise.

Three loth-cats, a little larger than Spec, each a unique mixture of white, brown and orange.

The three cats moved swiftly over to Spec, brushing up against him affectionately, then began rolling and tumbling playfully, as if they were excited to see him. Spec's dark eyes shined as he too joined in. It was clear the cats were familiar to him and he seemed filled with joy to see them again.

"What's going on?" Kanan asked as he and Hera came over to see what all the fuss was about. As his eyes fell on the roughhousing pile of loth-cats, he sighed. "Don't tell me you guys found more."

"No, they found us," explained Ezra. "Or rather, they found Spec."

The crew watched as Spec emerged from the pile, his white patches now darkened with dirt. The loth-cat wandered back towards them. Ezra could've sworn there was a smile on the cat's face. Or perhaps he was feeling the creature's joy emanating through the Force.

"Are they your friends?" he asked. "Your family?"

Spec purred. One of the other loth-cats made a sound. The three of them stood by the tall grass, tails swishing high in the air, watching Spec from a distance. Spec turned to look at them. Then, he looked back at Ezra with his small, dark eyes.

Through the Force, Ezra felt the loth-cat's desire, a wordless asking.

He understood.

"Guys, I think he wants to go with them." He looked Spec in the eyes and ran a gentle hand over the cat's back. "That's what you want, isn't it? You want to go with them."

Spec's tail swished high, but as he glanced around at the crew, it slowly dropped. He wandered over to Zeb, brushing up against his leg.

Zeb reached down to stroke him. "It's okay, buddy," he told Spec. "You can go."

"We'll miss you," Sabine said sadly, as she crouched down to pet the loth-cat goodbye. "Make sure you come back and visit, okay?."

"You're welcome back any time, Spec," said Hera, scratching him between the ears.

The loth-cat stopped in front of Kanan, looking up at him with pleading eyes.

Kanan sunk down to the cat's level. "Look, I know I said I didn't want you living on the ship, but you're not half bad, Spec. Not half bad at all," he said, rubbing the cat's head affectionately. Spec leaned into Kanan's touch, eyes closed, and let out a soft purr. "Now go," said Kanan. "Be with your family. If you ever need a place to stay, you've always got one here."

Spec turned to look at Ezra one last time and through the Force, Ezra felt a rush of emotion, of gratitude, a warm feeling that seemed to say thank you. He watched as Spec ran to join the other loth-cats, then disappeared with them into the long grass.

"I'm going to miss him," said Ezra, as they all turned to head back to the Ghost.

Sabine nodded. "Me too.

"Reckon we can find another one?" Zeb asked.

"Nobody is deliberately looking for stray loth-cats in town," said Kanan. "That is an order."

"What about accidentally?" asked Sabine, a teasing grin on her face.

"No."

"What if we get a grumpy one and name it Kanan?"

"Definitely no."

"Kanan II?"

"No!"

"Why not?" asked Zeb. "We picked up Ezra in town." He reached over and scruffed up the boy's hair.

"Zeb," Hera said sternly, "stop comparing Ezra to a loth-cat."

"Yeah, if I'm a stray, you guys are strays too!"

"Hey! Don't bring me into this!" Sabine snapped. "I never said you were a stray."

Hera and Kanan stood at the edge of the ramp, watching on as the kids and Zeb continued their bickering into the ship.

Kanan shook his head. "They never change, do they?"

"They did seem to get along better when that cat was around," Hera said with smile.

Kanan sighed. "I miss it already."