I do not own Star Wars in any capacity.
Enjoy Chapter 14!
"Hera! Hera!"
It wasn't a voice she heard often. Especially not from her cockpit. It had Hera scrambling from the console to the hatch that led down to the loading dock. At the base of the ladder was Nara, her forepaws against the wall as she looked up to the opening. "Nara? What is it?"
"Something went wrong! They need a pick up, now!"
Cursing under her breath, Hera scrambled to the pilot's seat, powering up the ship and slamming her hand on the comm. "Spectre One, Spectre Four, come in!"
"S-Spectre Two?" Sabine's voice stuttered. "We need a pick up!"
"Yeah, I heard. I'm on my way. What's your status?"
"We're just a bit southwest from Kaadak's shack, and there's this old maniac who clearly has a vendetta against Inquisitors…"
"What?!" Hera exclaimed.
"Yeah," Sabine said with a sarcastic laugh, the sound of blaster fire in the background. "Who would have thought there would be anyone here that would recognize the haran'la beacon?!"
Well that was just their luck. "I'll be at your location in less than a minute. Be ready."
"There's not exactly a place for you to land…"
"Then it's gonna have to be a scoop job." Hera hit the internal comm. "Chopper! Get ready to open the ramp on my signal."
The droid blatted in response, as Hera traced Sabine's comm to their precise location for a heading. The engines powered up, and Hera initiated the launch sequence, taking off from the port. The fact that Kanan had not answered her hails did not bode well. And Nara was too panicked to be forthcoming. The questions would have to wait. She wasn't going to distract them if they were in the middle of a fight.
Her leather gloves squeaked as she gripped the spoke tightly. She could taste bile in the back of her throat while she tried to reassure herself. There had been no reason to think there would be anyone on Nar Shaddaa that would recognized the beacon. It hadn't even been an hour since Ezra left the range of the Ghost's jammer. For someone to have not just seen the beacon, but had been close enough to find them… What were the chances?
And yet Hera couldn't completely swallow down her sour regret, as if she could have done something more to prevent this. Which was ridiculous. She needed to push the notion away and focus on the task at hand. That was, saving her crew. They were going to have to act fast. The locals would not appreciate having a large freighter hovering over a no fly zone. If they lingered too long, they were likely to find themselves under fire.
As the Ghost came up on Sabine's location, Hera got a visual on the situation. A portion of the marketplace had been cleared and was in complete disarray, like a fireless bomb had gone off. In the center was a human man clad in tattered black clothing wielding a large weapon that crackled with purple energy. His weapon was clashing with a red blade. Hera was initially shocked that Kanan had given Ezra his lightsaber back. Then she got a better look at the actual swordsman.
Hera clenched her teeth, trying not to stare as she leveled the Ghost out. Kanan had never even mentioned owning a lightsaber. And if he was using it now after all this time… "Chopper, lower the ramp!"
The indicator light on the console began blinking, but Chopper's panicked warbling filled the internal comm. Something about Nara…? Before Hera could question it, a white blur shot out from the Ghost and tackled the black clad man.
Hera cursed under her breath. This was the opposite of what should be happening right now. "Spectre One, Spectre Four, get on the ship now!" She kept a close eye on the scopes for any other ships that might approach.
A flash of red, and the man in black crumpled to the ground.
"W-We're coming!" Sabine said through the comm.
"Copy that," Hera said, adjusting the engines to prepare for a quick getaway. She could see other blaster bolts starting to crisscross the clearing, aimed at her crew as they fled. "Come on, come on, come one…" she murmured.
The moment Chopper announced that everyone was on board, she pulled the ship up away from the market. A few stray blaster bolts harmlessly dissipated across the Ghost's shields as she made a direct line to the closest hyperspace lane. Voices and some banging could be heard from the loading dock below. Angry and confused shouting. That was not good.
They weren't being followed, thank the Goddess. Of course most of the Nar Shaddaa locals weren't going to care about a random freighter, but a lack of followers also meant whoever that man was had been alone. And according to Hera's scans, there was no longer an outgoing beacon coming from within the Ghost, which meant at least Kaadak had finished her work.
The final destination didn't matter. Hera just plugged in a set of coordinates far away from Hutt Space and activated the hyperdrive. Once the viewport was filled with swirling blue, Hera went over to the hatch and slid down the ladder into the loading dock.
"Back off, Sabine!" Nara growled, her teeth bared and her fur standing on end.
"You can't expect me to just stand here with my thumbs in my ears!" Sabine shouted back. "You owe me several explanations!"
Nara was using her body to separate Kanan and Sabine, her head looming over the Mandalorian. Sabine was not cowed by her size or snapping jaws. Her helmet was still on, her hands gesticulating wildly as she yelled. Kanan was trembling where he stood, staring at a blank space on the wall. His hands were balled into fists at his sides, one of them clutching the hilt of his lightsaber.
Ezra didn't seem to be doing much better. He was standing hunched in the far corner away from everyone, holding his lothcat daiima tightly to his chest. His eyes were slightly unfocused, and his breathing was noticeably labored. At least he was also noticeably collarless.
"We don't owe you anything!" Nara snarled. "Right now, you are just making things worse!"
"What am I doing that - ?!"
"Enough!" Hera barked, cutting through the argument. She used her arms to step between them and create space between Nara and Sabine. Once it was clear that they weren't going to jump at each other's throats again, Hera sighed and rubbed her forehead. "What happened? Obviously Kaadak managed to get the collar off…"
"Where to start?" Sabine said with a humorless chuckle. "The fact that Kanan has some connection with Crimson Dawn, or that we were just attacked by some ancient Imperial who has it out for Inquisitors?!"
"What?" Hera glanced at Kanan, who hadn't moved an inch since she came down. While she knew the highlights of Kanan and Nara's past, Crimson Dawn had never come up. Or any other sort of crime syndicate. As far as Hera knew, Kanan's crimes had been purely petty and entirely self-serving.
"Apparently Kaadak used to work for Crimson Dawn, had their mark," Sabine went on, the bitterness evident in her voice. "Kanan recognized it and just went ballistic."
"Of course he did," Nara snapped. "Crimson Dawn is vile, their ranks have no scruples. They would take and use Ezra and the Little One in a heartbeat!"
"Oh ho ho, it was more than that," Sabine bit back. "It was personal, I could tell! What are you two hiding?!"
"Stop it, stop it!" Hera yelled. This wasn't going to get them anywhere, not when Kanan and Ezra were both catatonic. That needed to be addressed first. She put a hand on Sabine's shoulder. "Chopper, go with Sabine to the engine room to run diagnostics."
"Run diagnostics?" Sabine squeaked. "Hera, I deserve to get some answers!"
"And you will," Hera said sternly. "But right now, you are going to help Chopper run diagnostics. Understood?"
Hera expected Sabine to keep pushing back more, but to her surprise and great relief, Sabine just scowled. "Fine." She ripped herself from Hera's hand and walked over to the ladder. "Come on, Chop," she growled as she disappeared into the depths of the ship.
"P-Purge Trooper…"
Hera turned to see Ezra's eyes flickered hesitantly between her and the floor. "What's that, love?"
Ezra licked his lips. "Th-That trooper with the electrohammer and the mark…" He trailed a shaky finger down the right side of his face. "He was a Purge Trooper. But… this one was so old… And what's he doing out here?" Ezra's voice was getting progressively higher pitched as he spoke.
"Well, he's gone now," Hera said softly, taking a small step closer to Ezra. "And everyone is okay."
Ezra glanced up past her before quickly looking back down, his grip on his daiima tightening. Nara had wrapped herself around Kanan protectively, obscuring him from view. She was gazing intently at Hera and Ezra as she silently observed their conversation.
Perhaps 'okay' was a relative term. But none of them were physically hurt, and they got that horrible collar off of Ezra. They could figure this out. First there was just the monumental task of soothing two sets of traumatized Force sensitives. Hera sighed. Kanan and Nara would be okay. Ezra and his daiima needed to be addressed first.
Hera took another step closer to them, encouraged when they didn't flinch or shy away from her. It wasn't like she has had much of a chance to interact with them. Most of what she knew of them was from what Kanan told her. "Ezra?"
He looked up at her, his eyes clearer than Hera had ever seen them before. Any facade he had worn before was gone, and with his baggy shirt hanging low off one skinny shoulder, he actually looked like a child. "He…" Ezra's voice was barely audible, and Hera could see him swallowing nervously. "H-He's not a Jedi…"
Hera bit her lip, hearing echoes of quiet conversations shared in the middle of the night cycle. Given Ezra's history, she didn't know if that was a reassurance or a cause for alarm. "That's not really for me to say," she replied quietly. "Let's just get you two settled, okay?"
Ezra's shoulders stiffened slightly. "S-Settled?"'
"Yeah… I'm sure you're both exhausted." She put a hand on his back and gently nudged him toward the cargo bay door. "Kanan always has a stash of meal packs hidden away."
Just before stepping into the cargo bay, Ezra stopped and turned back toward Kanan and Nara. His daiima made a small growl-like sound in the back of her throat, her ears back and flat against her head.
"They'll be okay," Hera said assured.
Ezra gave a small nod, turning back around. Hera gently led him over to his cot and sat him down before digging through Kanan's cold storage unit. Unfortunately there weren't any leftovers, just some packs of vegmeat. It would have to do for right now. Hera pulled one out and ripped one open. "Here," Hera said, offering it to Ezra. "I'll make us some real food later tonight."
The boy took it wordlessly, staring at the vaguely green food stuff. Then he blinked and looked back up at Hera with a small frown. "You knew?"
Hera raised a questioning eyebrow. "Knew what?"
"Knew w-what Kanan is?"
She bit her lip, not wanting to betray too much. "And… what do you think Kanan is?"
Ezra just shook his head, obviously overwhelmed and confused.
"Eat your lunch," Hera said gently but firmly. Then she addressed the daiima curled up in his lap. "You make sure he eats and takes it easy, alright?"
Her eyes widened slightly, her head shifting slightly back and forth. She seemed shocked that Hera was actually talking to her. Poor thing wasn't used to being treated like an actual being. It took every fiber of Hera's self control to not reach forward and pet a hand over her head. It was largely taboo for another sentient to touch a Force sensitive's daiima. It was considered a very personal and intimate act for them.
So Hera just smiled at her. "What should I call you?"
The daiima glanced up at Ezra, who frowned slightly. "Why does everyone keep asking that?" Ezra asked quietly.
Which… meant she didn't have a name. It shouldn't have been that surprising. Ezra's parents had kept them apart, the Inquisitorious regarded daiima as nothing but 'Assets'... But has Kanan and Nara really spent all these days with them without even giving Ezra's daiima some sort of moniker? "She's like Nara," Hera pointed out. "Why shouldn't she have a name?"
The two of them both just stared at her blankly. Perhaps this was too hard of a conversation to have right now in the wake of all of this excitement. "Just… eat," Hera said gently. "Maybe lay down for a few minutes."
Ezra gave a small nod, taking a nibble of the vegmeat.
It was as good as she was going to get. Giving another smile, Hera straightened. "Let me know if you need anything." She knew they wouldn't, but she might as well start normalizing just the mere notion that they're not alone anymore.
Reasonably certain that Ezra and his daiima were in a steady state, Hera braced herself to deal with her other traumatized crew member.
It had been… too easy.
It was difficult to pinpoint what exactly had sent them over the edge. They were used to being separated so that it couldn't be the distance. Of course, the revelation that this locksmith was a member of Crimson Dawn…
[Former Crimson Dawn.]
[We don't know that!]
[You could sense her sincerity… She's desperate to stay hidden.]
As always, Nara was the voice of reason, and Kanan both clung to it and despised it. Besides, that hadn't been the breaking point. Even if seeing that symbol had sent him spiralling back to those towering and twisting vines, the vaulted ceilings and broken statuesque columns in dark caves lit only by countless candles…
It was a miracle he had managed to keep most of the threads of himself together.
Was it when that trooper arrived? The warning the Force suddenly screaming in his ear just as the old man had screamed for the Inquisitor?
Seeing the humming hammer, about to swing down and crush the boy's head…
It was another frayed thread, his saber twisting together and radiating its horrid bleeding light. It was worth it to protect the kid, to save him. That was all that kept him tied together. He was protecting the kid.
The trooper thought he was an Inquisitor. Raved on about he had been abandoned, left to die alongside his brothers…
But it wasn't even those words that had cut through him completely, ripping apart the few threads he had left.
It was the eyes. Those dark brown eyes filled with anger, deep-set under craggly brown skin.
He was a clone.
Untethered, Kanan dissipated like a wisp of smoke, and Caleb took over.
It had been so easy...
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It was like blacking out. Except it wasn't. He could hear it, embody it, feel it all keenly. But he wasn't there.
No, he was there. She was there. But Kanan… Nara… They were blurred out, somewhere just behind them.
It was easy.
It was so easy to kill him.
Then the threads began to slowly stitch themselves back together. Nara was wrapped around him, blocking anyone else from coming in and tangling it all up. His face burned, his vision red, and all he could hear was the sound of his own breathing.
Warm hand stroking along their fur… at first they stiffened at the intrusion, but a quick sniff confirmed the identity. They just continued to stand there, allowing themselves to be soothed by the soft words and touch. The threads were able to coalesce and bring Kanan back into himself.
"What happened?"
They were the first words that he could actually understand since he started to fight the clone. He gave a slow blink to firm himself in the present. He was standing in the loading dock with Nara who was comforting him by pushing his body up against the wall with much needed pressure… and Hera was leaning against Nara, whispering into her ear.
Quickly reaching out in the Force, he confirmed that it was just the three of them. He relaxed slightly with a low growl. "It was… too much," he murmured. "All at once, just everything just came crashing down…"
"Alright, alright... Well, just start from the beginning. Kaadak works for Crimson Dawn?"
The statement made Kanan's heart jump up into his throat, beating erratically. He had to focus on Nara's point: former Crimson Dawn, former Crimson Dawn, former Crimson Dawn…
"She used to," Nara said flatly. "She said she left, that's why she's on Nar Shaddaa, hiding in Hutt Space."
"And you think she's lying?"
"No," Kanan murmured. "But…" The risk, distant as it was, was too much for him to ignore. Even the smallest connection with Crimson Dawn could put all that he and Nara have built in jeopardy. Nara should have stayed on the ship, because now Kaadak probably heard about the half blind man wielding a red blade alongside a giant wolf, and if word of any of that got back to him…
"Kanan, Nara… Is Sabine right? Do you have some sort of connection with Crimson Dawn?"
That's right. That particular detail hadn't come up in the nights of panicked rambling. It was a distant fact, something that never really explicitly had an effect on their life, but still an organization to avoid at all costs. Even now, they couldn't tell Hera the whole truth. That knowledge was too dangerous. Just like Hera had to keep some things about Fulcrum to herself… there were some things he and Nara had to keep to themselves.
But that didn't mean he was going to lie. "I… I suppose."
"You suppose?"
"Hera…" Kanan finally looked up, meeting her beautiful green eyes and hating the confusion, sympathy, and understanding that filled them. He swallowed, trying to wet his throat. "The bottom line is Crimson Dawn cannot find us. Can't even get a whiff, otherwise we will be hunted down, and it will put everyone on this ship in danger."
Hera just gazed at him for a moment, searching his expression. "You know you're going to have to give Sabine some sort of explanation."
And what he just told Hera was not going to be enough to quell Sabine's vicious need to know the entire picture. While she generally knew where the limits were, she was angry now. If she thought Kanan was hiding something that could put them in danger, she wasn't going to back down. They were going to have to come up with some sort of half truth that would satisfy her without actually putting her in danger. "I'll talk to her later," he mumbled.
Hera continued to run her hands through the fur of Nara's neck. "At least you got that collar off of Ezra," she said with an edge of forced lightness.
It was the only good thing to have happened in this last hour. Because even after all this effort to slowly pull Ezra and his daiima away from their training and identity as an Inquisitor… A trooper just happened to detect their beacon before Kaadak managed to deactivate it.
Not just any trooper. "What was a clone doing on Nar Shaddaa…?" he mused out loud.
"A clone? Ezra said it was a… a Purge Trooper?"
Realization echoed between Kanan and Nara as they put some of the pieces together. While they had never encountered Purge Troopers themselves, they had heard of them. They served the Inquisitorious, specially trained to kill Jedi. That must be how the Empire repurposed the clones, turning them into a dedicated Jedi killing force. Really, it was an obvious transition.
"Kanan? Nara?"
Right. The present. Now. "Purge Troopers work for the Inquisitorious," Kanan said mechanically. "No doubt Ezra and his daiima interacted and trained with them often."
"And it was a clone trooper?"
Those eyes… They had fought with them. Defended them. Killed them… watched the light drain from those eyes as they struggled just to survive…
"Yes," Nara replied in his stead. "We… We recognized him. And knowing what his intentions were, knowing what they're capable of, knowing what would happen if we didn't take him out…!" Her voice began cracking, and she tucked her nuzzle under Kanan's arm, seeking his embrace which he gladly gave.
Kanan finished for her. "We had no choice." To protect themselves, to protect Ezra and his daiima, to protect his crew, there was no way they could allow that man to live.
"Well, I don't see that man's death as any different than the troopers we deal with every day," Hera said with a small sigh.
It was different. Kanan didn't just shoot this trooper in an attempt to escape or to protect the crew. Sure, he might have been protecting Ezra and his daiima at first, but he had fallen back on old lessons. He and Nara both had, tapping into their burning anger and pushing their assault until the threat had been eliminated. It just drove home the fact that nothing had changed… not really.
"I got Ezra and his daiima settled in the cargo bay," Hera said. "And speaking of, care to explain why you haven't given her a name?" Her voice was gentle despite the slight accusatory tone. "Or even a moniker."
"I've been calling her Little One…" Nara said slightly sheepishly.
"Well after everything she's been through, she deserves a proper name…"
"Of course," Kanan said defensively. "But daiima names aren't just arbitrary things. It's a part of the Force, something that the jemma and daiima have to discover together."
Hera nodded slowly. "A Jedi thing?"
Kanan sighed. "Yeah… a Jedi thing…" A Jedi practice that Ezra and his daiima deserved to experience. The Jedi might be gone, but at least there were some parts that they could keep alive. Some practices that didn't bring more attention to the blazing target on their backs…
"Well, do it soon," Hera said firmly. "Let her finally start to develop the agency that she's been denied for so long."
"We will," Nara promised, moving her head over and rubbing her muzzle against Hera's chest.
Kanan bit his lip. Of course they had already been planning on doing this, but it was easier said than done. To do it properly, Ezra's bond with his daiima needed to be strong and clear. They needed to feel safe with one another. That wasn't going to be an easy task. It was going to take time and stability.
Their previous thoughts of retreating to Denova coalesced into a plan. "Hera…" Kanan said carefully. "I don't really see any way around it, we're going to have to take them into hiding."
Hera's eyes slowly slid downward to Nara, her hands slowly stroking her head. Then she let out a small sigh. "I don't suppose there's anything I can say to convince you to do that hiding on the Ghost."
"I've just announced to dozens if not hundreds of people that I'm Force sensitive. Word will travel fast, and now I know there is some connection with Crimson Dawn on those streets… We have to disappear until it blows over. Hopefully… credible word won't get out past Hutt space."
"Well you don't have to be alone," Hera said. "I can keep the Ghost in orbit…"
"We're going to need to stay low for a while," Kanan pointed out. "Kaadak wiped out our savings, you're not going to have enough fuel for that kind of break, and I mean besides…" He gave a knowing chuckle before lowering his voice to an understanding tone. "I know you, Hera. Sure, you're down for the occasional vacation, but that's not what this is. It might take weeks… months… for us to help those two. You're not capable of staying in one place for that long. Not when there are so many suffering under the Empire. Not when you know you could be helping them."
It was one of the many reasons Kanan loved her. It was that spirit that had helped dig Kanan and Nara out of their destructive lifestyle. Gave them purpose...
Hera pressed her lips together. It was obvious that she wanted to argue, but Kanan knew he was right. Nothing - not even her love for Kanan and Nara - would get in the way of her mission.
"You could still visit us between missions..." Nara pointed out, her voice small.
Hera gave a humorless chuckle. "We could... Except if you're really that concerned about hiding from Crimson Dawn, it's probably best to restrict our contact to just a secure comm channel. At least until we can confirm that the underground chatter has moved on from this incident."
She was right, but it was still disappointing to hear. The thought of being away from the Ghost for so long - not seeing Hera or Sabine, hell even Chopper - physically hurt.
But there really was no other choice. Particularly for Ezra and his daiima. They needed to do right by them. Someone had to.
Kanan closed his eyes and took a deep breath, centering himself. "I'll talk to Sabine later," he said. "Right now I need to talk with Ezra and the Little One."
Hera nodded. "Alright. I'll comm when food is ready."
She was about to step away when Kanan reached out and gently grabbed her arm. "Hey... Thank you... for everything."
Hera gave a small smile. "Of course, love."
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