So there's only a couple chapters in this story left, so I might just post most of them here soon.
I'm thinking about re-writing "Family By Heart"(the sequel to this), but I'm not sure. Would y'all read it? I got the revised-plot written out, just gotta write it.
It was late at night now, a bright moon illuminating some portions of the ground and a couple stars shining above the trees. The Earth was cold and wet from previous rain showers, birds and bugs chirping and buzzing now more than ever. Kanan sat in the cave still, doing his best to meditate the cold away, putting mind over matter. It was to barely any use. This planet was too cold, too dark, too lonely.
He looked over the fire to see Athena asleep, her body in a tight fetal position, her arms crossed over her chest in a X - as if she were trying to hug the warmth back into herself. Her body shivered every once and awhile, but not to the point where he was convinced that this was her first time sleeping out in the cold wilderness.
Being close enough to Athena, he could now sense everything around them as if he were back in his galaxy. He could sense the life scurrying on the ground and the birds soaring overhead. But, he did his best to block it all out. Though that beautiful feeling of life thriving on this planet warmed his heart, the darkness he sensed on this planet chilled his bones to the core.
Kanan really wasn't one to believe in ghosts and ghouls and demons - it wasn't a part of his Jedi teachings. However, this planet made him reconsider that. Something was lurking around them. Something dark and menacing.
Kanan hadn't gone to Mortis like Ahsoka had, but if he had to guess, Earth probably gave off a similar sensation within the Force. Nothing was right here.
It would make sense if they had entrapped Abeloth here.
It wouldn't make sense that Abeloth would choose a girl with such a bright light burning within her. Abeloth was supposed to be nothing but darkness and chaos and this kid couldn't be interpreted as anything other than light - a fire.
Kanan would have fallen asleep much sooner if he wasn't shaken up by every movement nature would make around them. Nature was beautiful and calming on every other planet. This planet was beautiful, but anything but calming.
It had only felt like two minutes ago Kanan had shut his eyes when Athena shook him awake.
He saw the pile of wood was burnt down to ash and the sunlight was peaking through the trees just outside of the cave.
They emerged into the forest, soon trekking even further away from where they had begun their harrowing trip. Kanan tried his com just to see if by any miracle it would work; it did not. They were in another galaxy for the love of Force.
These two had nothing on them. No food. No water. No maps. Nothing. It was just the clothes on their backs, Kanan's lightsaber and useless com. Kanan let out a heavy sigh when he realized he had left his blaster on the Ghost before the whole Jalo fiasco occurred. At least Jalo didn't get the chance to take that from him.
As Athena whacked another branch away from their path, Kanan just behind her, she spoke.
"Hey, don't tell the others about that whole crying thing back there, okay?" Athena had a gruff voice. "I had a lot of weird emotions going on at once back there."
"It's alright. You know it's-"
She spoke in a little more of a serious tone, "Just don't. Don't say anything to anyone about that. Please?"
"Alright, I won't," Kanan assured.
The two were mostly silent for the rest of their hike into the unknown wilderness. As Athena scanned the forest a little better, she figured that they were in the North American region, having seen a bald eagle soar above them once.
"We're at least near my country," Athena said. "Or in it. I'm not sure. That could've been a secret American base in Canada or something."
"How can you tell?"
"That bird that just flew over was an American bald eagle, a native bird to my country. If I had to guess by these trees as well as these mountain formations, I'd say we're in the western part of the country if we are in fact in the United States."
"Your planet's flora varies that greatly?" Kanan questioned.
Athena glanced back. "Yeah, Earth varies a lot around the planet. We have snowy tundras, grasslands, tropical jungles, arid deserts...a lot really. I only know big cities well, though. I didn't get out into nature all that often."
"Then how do you know about these trees and birds?"
"Because we learn about it," Athena shrugged, carrying on in her swatting of the branches. "I might have skipped school a lot, but I did learn some things about my planet."
"So, do you know what that animal up there is?" Kanan pointed up to a tree. "Looks like some sort of cat."
"Oh shit!" Athena spat out in fear as she looked at the tree a good few meters ahead of them. Her eyes landed on the large tan cat peering at them from the branches of a pine tree. It's fierce and powerful eyes staring right at them.
As both of them stopped in their tracks, Kanan questioned. "Is that bad?"
"Mountain lion," Athena had frost creeping on her face again. "We don't have those in Cleveland."
"Are they dangerous?"
"That thing is as big as me with giant fangs and muscles galore, what do you think?" Athena hissed, keeping her eyes on the large mountain lion that refused to take its eyes off them.
"Are they afraid of people?"
"I don't know!" Athena had wide eyes. "I've only read about them a little back when I was little!"
Kanan placed a hand on her shoulder, "It's fine. All things are connected to the Force. If you calm your mind and focus, that mountain lion will see you as not a threat. We can connect to it." Kanan paused as he glanced once more at the large, muscular cat. He remembered back to when he had Ezra attempting to calm a small Loth cat, only to be attacked. This cat wouldn't be something they could laugh off if it attacked.
Seeing that Kanan had far more training and experience, he suggested. "I'll try to do it first. Better safe than sorry."
So, he stepped out in front of Athena and held his hand up to the large predator, searching through the Force. He let out a breath as he let his guard down, letting the cat know he was not a threat.
He snapped his eyes open as he heard a growl and angry yowl instead of the expected friendly purr. The cat jumped down from the pine tree's branches as it continued to let out an angry growl.
Kanan put himself in front of Athena even more, shielding the kid from the large cat. Its tail with a black end was waving in a slow warning motion. The fur on its back stood. Its large teeth bared.
"Let me," Athena didn't know why she did that. She didn't know why all the frost melted off her body. All she knew was that the mountain lion wasn't fond of Kanan. The girl stepped out in front of Kanan and held out both of her hands, fanning out her fingers in a display of surrender.
Kanan stood there in wonder as he felt that flame within the girl glow with a more comforting warmth. She crouched down to the mountain lion's height as it slowly approached. Its bright eyes were so intense.
They weren't just one color.
They changed with every movement and change of lighting. Blue, gray, yellow, and even sea-foam green. As the cat stared at her, its eyes were unyielding. But so were Athena's.
The growl disintegrated and the big cat's fur smoothed down. Its tail no longer waved.
When the mountain lion finally arrived at Athena's hands, the girl gasped a little as it came in contact with her. The top of its head planted right into her hand, its fur brushing against the palm of her right hand.
The cat began to purr and rub its head against Athena's hands. Like a house cat. The girl cautiously petted the large cat's head as it continued to purr and rub against her.
Kanan looked to Athena with wide eyes. "How did you do that? It- it wouldn't even let me connect with it."
"Earth is different from your galaxy," Athena glanced over her shoulder to him. "On Earth, animals want respect. They don't want vulnerability. They want to know that you respect their power, even if you have more." Athena paused and furrowed her eyebrows as she turned back to the cat. How did she know that?
"So, on Earth, nature doesn't want you to let your walls down," Kanan pondered. "In order to connect, you must show strength?"
"No-" she shook her head as she continued to pet the big cat. It was a female cat, fully grown. "-they don't want you to let your walls down; you're admitting your easy prey then. They don't want strength - that shows them you're a threat."
"I'm confused," Kanan said, raising an eyebrow at the now calm girl.
"We want understanding. We want others to understand us and respect us," Athena said, now staring into the mountain lion's iridescent eyes, a hand gently placed on the side of its head. "Earth is a very cruel planet, but it is filled with life. You must learn to respect the life around you if you want peace. If you don't, you'll be torn to shreds."
"You seem to know a lot for someone who says they are never out in nature," Kanan commented.
"I don't know how I know this," Athena admitted. "It- it's just coming to me."
"That's the Force," Kanan said. "You're connected to this planet, Athena. The Force may be strange here, but you've adapted to it. You know more than you think and are capable of things greater than what you can imagine."
Athena paused for a moment, staring into the eyes of the mountain lion a little more. She couldn't even begin to describe the feeling that filled her body at that moment. It was like a river of pure energy flowing between them.
A moment of peace. Respect. Understanding.
"Can you take us to where other humans are?" Athena didn't know why she was talking to the cat.
It blinked. Quickly, it turned and began to walk through the forest at a brisk pace. Athena turned to Kanan and waved for him to follow.
The two humans followed the mountain lion through the lush green forest, even through a shallow river. It wasn't exactly running, but rather hustling. A walk with extra speed and no breaks.
Then the cat stopped and shared a look with the two. It let out a meow-ish sound before pouncing onto a near tree, climbing up into the cover of the leaves.
Kanan gave Athena a confused look. "I don't see any people. Why did that cat take us here?"
Athena scanned her eyes around. That mountain lion didn't bring them there for nothing. She stopped when something red caught her eye. She walked over to the bush and grabbed onto the red can, turning it to see the words Coca-Cola written on it.
"Trash,"Kanan said. "People must be near."
Athena sighed, letting the can slide out of her fingertips. "Maybe there's a camp or-" she paused, listening to the wind around her. Fast wind far away. Just as Kanan was about to speak, she took off running.
He followed the girl until an abrupt stop. Cement. A long strip of cement with yellow lines down the middle. A car passing here and there at a flash.
"A road!" Athena cheered. "People!"
"Okay, but what's the plan?" Kanan questioned.
"We catch a ride from someone and get a ride to a town where we can get some food," Athena looked up to Kanan. "If we do this right, I can get people to give us some money."
"No mugging people." Kanan warned.
"Nah, I can play the orphan card and get sympathy money," Athena said. "Well...you're too old to have the 'poor baby orphan' thing to work. I can pretend you're my dad. I'll say my mom, your wife, died a couple of months ago in a car accident -" Athena gestured to his armor. "-the same accident that injured your arm and now forces you into a brace. You and I were on a camping trip when a bear attacked us last night and we got lost in the woods - now we're cold and starving and in need of a ride."
Kanan had to blink a couple times. "You scare me. How did that story come so easy to you?"
She shrugged. "Hey, play a sob story good enough and people will buy it."
He chuckled and ruffled her hair, "You're gonna do great in the Rebellion."
She smiled as she swatted his hand away. "Alright, alright. Let's go and have some sorry soul feel bad for us."
The girl stood at the edge of the road and stuck her thumb up. Kanan figured this was some sort of Earth thing.
After a few minutes and about a dozen cars passing, a stroke of luck hit them.
An old, rickety pickup truck slowly pulled over to them. The driver rolled down his window. He was about sixty-some years old, white beard, dark eyes, happy-ish glow around him. It was like a fun old grandpa.
He chuckled. "You two look like you've been through Hell."
Athena put on her best act. Though, for this part she wasn't lying. "Oh you wouldn't believe it, mister. We spent the whole night in the woods, cold lost, and alone."
"What happened?"
"Well," she sighed. "My dad and I here were going on a camping trip when a bear tore up our camp site. Our car wouldn't work, so we had to run. It- we got lost. It was so scary...we almost were killed by a mountain lion! It was so horrible."
"No cell phones?" the man asked. "You kids can never get off them darn things."
She shook her head, conjuring a few fake tears to well up. "We left them in our car and forgot them when we had to run from the bear. It was so horrible! We had no food, shelter, or even water! I could barely even sleep…"
"Oh you poor things," he sympathized. He bought the bait. "That's horrible. Mind me asking where your mother is?"
Kanan decided he should join in if this was going to look convincing. He spoke in a somber voice. "She...died about a month ago. Me and my kid here were going on this camping trip to get our mind off it. It's been so hard...and now this."
"Oh my," the old man was heartbroken. "Bless your hearts, that's horrible."
Athena sniffled, "She- she...it was a horrible car accident. My dad almost lost his arm in the accident...I...I...it's been so hard."
"I guess that's why you got that thing on your arm," the man said, sympathy in his voice.
Kanan nodded. "Doctors say I was lucky. My wife…" he paused for effect, pretending to choke up a bit.
The man nodded. "I completely understand. Now, where are you heading?"
"The nearest place with food and a payphone, maybe?" Athena said. She looked back to Kanan. "But...we left all of our money back at the campsite, didn't we, Dad?"
Kanan nodded. Man, this kid was good.
"Hop in the back, I can give you guys a ride. I'm heading to Vegas for my daughter's wedding," the man said, he stuck out his hand. "Name's Jerry."
Athena shook it. "Athena."
Kanan shook his hand after. "Kanan."
The man chuckled, "Athena? Ain't that a Greek goddess?"
The girl nodded, pretending to put on a heartbroken face again. "My mother gave it to me. She was named after a Greek goddess too. Hera."
"It's a lovely name," the man nodded with a smile. "Now hop in the back and I'll get y'all to somewhere you can get some rest."
"Thank you, sir," Athena smiled.
Kanan followed Athena in climbing into the bed of the pickup truck. It was a little dirty and had a couple pieces of trash, but it beat walking. The man got back on the road and drove. It was a little windy, but it didn't matter.
As they got faster down the road and the windows in the man's truck were rolled up, they figured it was safe to talk in privacy now.
"Really? Hera is your mom?" Kanan chuckled.
"I technically wasn't lying. Hera is my Space Mom," Athena smiled a smug smile.
"You did good," Kanan admitted. "You do this stuff often?"
She shrugged. "When I can. I couldn't do that when I met you guys since I was a wanted criminal and my photo was circulating. Other times, heck yeah. People would always say how I had pretty eyes and I'd cry that I got them from my now dead mother."
Kanan laughed, "You little scammer."
"Hey, I was technically not lying," Athena pointed out. "I was taught my whole life that my mother was probably dead and, figuring that eye color is genetic, I probably got them from her."
"That's a little sociopathic," Kanan pointed out.
She shrugged again. "Hey, a kid's gotta eat."
"So, how do you think we'll get off this planet?" Kanan said. "My com probably isn't in range for a planet in a whole new galaxy."
She gave an unsure look. "I- I have no clue. I just figured that we better get out of this area and get food at least. From there, I don't know."
"You're going to have to start thinning ahead of just survival, Athena," Kanan reminded. "I understand that in this particular situation you really couldn't have a plan even if you wanted to, but I noticed that about you. You look only for the basics of survival."
"Because that's all I've really needed," Athena rolled her eyes. "I'm not exactly used to planning ahead because there is no ahead for me. No next day. I live day-to-day."
"Well, we'll have to teach you about planning ahead then," Kanan said. "It's a big part of being in this war. You can't just think of now. You have to think of what's ahead. About the future."
She sighed, her eyes now downcast. "I-I guess I never did that because I never really saw myself having a future...well, I did for a bit, then I screwed up...and every time I'd think of the future - it would feel either overwhelming or just hopeless."
Dammit, she was opening up again.
What was with this guy?
"Well, with us, I think you'll find yourself looking at a better future. It's the biggest thing keeping the spirit alive. Hope. Hope for a better tomorrow."
"Stop making me emotional!" she warned as she pointed at him. Her heart knotted by those words. Hope...Hope...Hope. Like a heartbeat. "You always manage to make me have emotions!"
Kanan chuckled, "Alright, sorry for making you recognize emotions like a real person."
"Shut up…" she grumbled.