A/N: Zeb will be getting home, but he is injured bad and will have a long recovery ahead of him. Hondo is bringing him home aboard his ship and with the old pirate's help, the Lasat will be reunited with his family after so long. This will be the last update for awhile. I have a medical problem that might require some treatment.

Chapter 13 Zeb's Homecoming

On board Hondo's ship, Zeb lay on a bunk in the shuttle's small medbay. The Lasat was in bad shape after crashing in the alien ship on Nar Shaddaa. The medics had patched him up the best they could, but he needed the care of a full medical facility. The sedatives he was given by the medics, were wearing off and he was in a great amount of pain.

"Ugh!" he groaned and sat up on the bunk, a hand on his bandaged head, "Where am I?"

A wave of dizziness hit, but Zeb sat up more dangling his legs over the side of the bunk. He took a deep breath and stood up to find his right leg wouldn't hold him up. The Lasat gritted his teeth at the pain and looked down to see a huge bacta bandage on it and he took inventory of the rest of his body. Besides the bandaged leg, he saw that his right arm was in a brace and he felt a bacta bandage on his head above his left eye.

"Karabast...," he groaned and spotted a crutch leaning against a wall. It was made for someone alot shorter than him, but would work okay to support him while he looked around the ship. He reached over to grab the crutch and leaned onto it, even with the height difference, it worked. Zeb limped towards the doorway and and then passed by a mirror seeing his face.

"I look worse than ever," he grumbled and stared at his face staring back at him. His left eye was half swollen shut and a bacta bandage was on his forehead ridge covering a deep laceration. His green eyes that were usually bright and full of life, looked dull and lifeless. Dark circles were under the big eyes and the dark purple stripes that accented the sides of his face and on top of his head, had lost some of their vibrant color. His lips were cracked and the bottom one had a cut on it, his slitted nostril nose was red and caked with muscus. Zeb frowned more and then limped out of the medbay.

The Lasat followed what he figured was the way to the cockpit. Hondo's ship was similar to the Imperial shuttle that he and the GHOST crew had stolen almost four years ago. He went through the open door and was met by an angry Ugnaught hitting him in the knees.

"Hey!" Zeb yelled, "Melch, you know who I am! Quit hitting me!"

Melch snorted and turned to confront Hondo.

"Purple Guy!" the Weequay pirate called out seeing the Lasat, "You should be laying down. These are some bad injuries."

"Hondo, where am I? Where are we going?" Zeb asked as Hondo helped him to a seat near his.

"My big purple friend, you are aboard my ship OHNAKA'S PRIDE and I'm taking you home to your family."

"You...You're taking me home?"

"Yes, Purple Guy. Melch and I are taking you home to your family."

"My...family," Zeb whispered tears in his eyes, "Can I talk to them?"

"I'm sorry, my big purple friend, if you don't want any unnecessary attention from the Empire, we have to refrain from sending any messages."

An almost pout formed on the Lasat's face.

Back on Yavin IV:

Ayessa sat kneeling on the floor of her quarters in the vast Massassi temple that housed Rebel Command. The weather become rainy and cooler so she couldn't go to the waterfall.

"Oh, Garazeb," she whispered as she closed her eyes and sat cross-legged in front of the small altar she had built to house her prayer stone, "The gods are returning you to me. Oh, my sycha, I long to hold you in my arms. I know being Barrelian my species usually doesn't show affection by touch, but I yearn to feel you close to me, to feel your soft fur under my fingers."

She stopped speaking and opened her golden eyes that were full of tears.

"Garazeb, I love you. I hope you love me too. I want you for my bondmate."

Ezra and Sabine sat in the common area of the GHOST playing a game of Sabacc with Rex and Kallus. The four rebels had a hard time keeping their minds on the game knowing Zeb was finally coming home after two years.

Kanan and Hera lay in each other's arms after making love. They felt relief at Zeb coming home and looked forward to giving the Lasat the biggest hugs they could give him.

"Kanan," Hera said her head on his bare chest, "Our wayward kid is finally coming home."

"Don't let Zeb hear you call him that," Kanan answered putting an arm around Hera's naked shoulders, "You know he doesn't like being called a kid."

"Oh, I know. Even though he's older than both of us, I feel maternal towards him, and always have since we rescued him from Lasan so long ago. I feel the same way about Ezra and Sabine."

"I know, I missed him too and am relieved he's finally coming home. Let's get some rest."

"Okay, love," Hera said and gave him a kiss.

On Hondo's ship:

"Purple Guy, you need to lay down," Hondo said to Zeb for the umteenth time.

"Hondo, my name is Zeb, not Purple Guy," Zeb said as he grimaced against the pain in his head and right arm.

"Sorry...Zeb, you need to return to the medbay. Melch, mind the controls while I help Pur...uh...Zeb back to the medbay."

The Ugnaught nodded and went over to sit at the shuttle's controls.

Hondo helped Zeb back to the medbay and got the stubborn Lasat onto the bunk. He gave Zeb a shot of painkiller much to the Lasat's dismay.

"You need it, my big purple friend," the old pirate said and put a blanket over the Lasat's body, "These are bad injuries and need time to heal. Getting up and walking around won't make them heal any faster."

"Hondo...," Zeb began to say.

"Zeb," the Weequay answered, "You need to rest. I'll have you home in three days."

The Lasat smiled and closed his eyes, "Thanks, Hondo."

"You're welcome, Purple Guy."

As the old pirate walked out of the medbay, he heard the Lasat laughing. He smiled in spite of himself. He felt good helping Zeb get home, for the Lasat with help from Ezra and Sabine, rescued him from an Imperial prison once. That was the rescue where he lost his friend and partner, Terba. He felt bad for quite awhile at the Ugnaught's death, but now with Melch as his new partner, the memories weren't so painful.

Zeb drifted off to sleep and thanks to the pain medications, he began to dream about being reunited with his family. He smiled in his sleep as he dreamed about getting sibling hugs from Ezra and Sabine; punches and manly hugs from Rex and Kallus; and Kanan would give him a quick hug in that reserved way of his. Hera, would envelope him in a maternal hug that felt like the embrace of a mother. His smile vanished for a moment at that thought and tears fell down the sides of his face. He rolled over on the medbay bed as the dreams continued. This time he dreamed about Ayessa and how much he loved spending time with the beautiful Barrelian female. He thought about the walks they would take together, her slim hand in his bigger one. As he slipped further into a deep sleep, the Lasat kept dreaming about his lady love. He now realized that Ayessa was his one true love and he smiled in his sleep as he saw her laying across his lap as he caressed her long black hair and soft dark skin. She was smiling back at him with love in her golden eyes. He reached down to kiss her when a stab of pain went through his right leg waking him up.

"Ugh," he groaned and felt someone changing the dressing on the laceration. The wound was bleeding again, "Karabast! That hurts!"

Zeb prepared to punch who was changing the bandage.

It was Melch.

"Sorry, Melch," the Lasat said seeing the Ugnaught look scared, "Was dreaming and you startled me."

"Sor...ry," the little alien said in Basic, then launched into his own tongue.

"I can't understand you, but sorry for scaring you. Being a Lasat, makes me a bit intimidating to a smaller species."

Melch just smiled and finished bandaging Zeb's leg. The Ugnaught gave the Lasat a playful slap to his good shoulder and smiled.

"Thanks, Melch, you're okay...for an Ugnaught."

"You okay...too," the little being said his smile bigger, "Sleep now."

The day came for Zeb's return and his family waited anxiously on Yavin IV, knowing Hondo's ship would be arriving within the next two hours. Sabine and Ezra made sure Zeb's bunk was ready for him. Hera and Kanan talked to the medics relaying what Hondo told them of Zeb's condition. Rex and Kallus readied themselves to welcome back their friend and fellow Sabacc player. Ele and Leka helped Sabine and Ezra, feeling just as excited at Zeb's homecoming. Ayessa reached out with her telepathic abilities and connected with her sycha. She began to cry when she felt the pain of his many injuries.

"I will take care of you," she said her arms in a gesture of love.

Onboard the ship, Hondo and Melch had a hard time keeping Zeb in the medbay, especially after he felt Ayessa's telepathic touch.

"Who is Ayessa?" Hondo asked checking the bandage on Zeb's forehead.

"She's...uh...someone I know back home," Zeb answered his cheeks red with embarrassment.

"Oh...a lady friend," Hondo said smiling, "Is she a Lasat too?"

"No...she's Barrelian."

"Barrelian you say. They are a very tall species and are said to have strong telepathic abilities. The females are very beautiful in physical appearance. I'm surprised one of such beauty could love..."

"A Lasat?" Zeb finished for him, "What's wrong with that?"

"Well," Hondo said, "Your species aren't that good looking and your fur smells rather...musky."

"Hondo," Zeb answered as he gave the Weequay a dirty look, "You Weequays aren't that handsome either, and you smell too."

"Oh, my big purple friend, I'm just teasing you. I'm happy for you. I had a lover once but she left me."

"You probably drove her crazy."

"Yes, you could say that, but that's all in the past. Let's get you cleaned up a bit. Can't have your lady love seeing you look like this!"

"Yeah...I agree."

"Kanan!" Ezra called as he checked the readouts at the GHOST'S control console, "Hondo's inbound and should be here within a few minutes!"

The blind Jedi nodded and went to get Hera and Sabine.

Soon Zeb's family plus four were waiting by the landing area. A group of medics with a gurney waited nearby and would take Zeb inside for treatment.

"There's Hondo's ship!" Ezra called out pointing up at an approaching vessel that used to be an Imperial shuttle.

Kanan and Hera looked up to see the modified Lambda shuttle come in for a landing. Hera tried to keep the tears inside but wasn't able to. She looked back to see Ezra and Sabine come up to stand by her and Kanan. The younger rebels both had tears in their eyes.

They stood and watched as the ramp lowered. Watching with baited breath, they saw Melch come down first squealing a welcome to them and running to get a hug from Ezra and Sabine. Hondo came down next supporting a Lasat they figured to never see again. Kanan, Hera, Ezra and Sabine swallowed hard and felt tears in their eyes at how skinney Zeb had become and how injured he was. The Lasat looked up and that crooked grin they loved appeared, his eyes filled with tears.

"Zeb!" Hera called out and ran to him throwing her arms around the Lasat.

"Hera," he whispered and fell to his knees feeling Hera's maternal embrace. Tears streamed down his face.

"Zeb," she said her voice shaky with emotion, "Oh...Zeb."

She pulled him closer rocking the now crying Lasat in her arms as if he were a child. Kanan came up next, helping Zeb to his feet. Ezra and Sabine ran up hugging the Lasat too as they laughed and cried at the same time.

"Zeb, you look awful," Ezra said a smile appearing through his tears, "That's some weird scar on your forehead and your ear..."

"Zeb, you big lug!" Sabine said giving him an even bigger hug, "Don't ever do that again! I thought I lost my big brother...forever!"

"Ya didn't, Sabine," he answered and stumbled. Kanan gestured to the medics to bring over the gurney. Zeb was loaded on and that's when Rex and Kallus came over to greet their friend.

"Welcome back, soldier," Rex said laying a hand on Zeb's shoulder. Zeb took his good hand and placed it over Rex's. Kallus bent down to give his friend a quick hug.

"Nice to see you guys again," the Lasat said his eyes full of tears.

"Welcome back...Garazeb," Kallus said squeezing Zeb's good hand.

Ele and Leka came up to greet him next. Both young Fulcrum agents bent down to hug him.

"Nice to see you kids again," Zeb said and then saw Ayessa walk up behind them. They moved back to let her in.

"A...Ayessa," Zeb whispered the tears now running down the sides of his face.

The Barrelian female bent down touching her forehead to his and caressed his wet cheeks. Tears fell from her eyes onto his face.

"My poor sycha," she whispered and pulled away to look into his eyes.

"Ayessa," he whispered seeing how close their faces were to each other, "Ayessa."

He reached a hand up to caress her wet face and was surprised when she pressed her lips to his in a tender kiss. The kiss lasted for awhile, until one of the medics cleared his throat.

"Ma'am, we have to get him into the medical facility."

"Sorry," she said pulling away and standing up to take hold of one side of the gurney. No one stopped her.

"Let her be," Kanan said to the lead medic, "She's what Zeb needs right now besides treatment."

"Very well, Kanan. You and Hera may come along, no one else. Garazeb will be checked over, evaluated and placed into a bacta tank for a few days maybe longer. These injuries are serious."

Ezra, Sabine, Rex, Kallus, Ele and Leka sat in the waiting area. Hondo and Melch came in, the Weequay carrying a small furry animal.

"Well, I'll be," Kallus said, "That's a Tarkaalian strill. Don't see many of them around."

"Yes, Agent Kallus," Hondo said, "This is a Tarkaalian strill and she has bonded to Zeb. He calls her Ne'Roos. She's been frantic ever since he left the ship. Where is he?"

"Being checked out by the medics and doctors," Ezra answered.

"Hondo, what happened to him?" Sabine asked holding out her hands for the strill. Ne'Roos was wary at first of the Mandalorian girl, but felt her gentle touch and lay against her chest.

"He never told me or Melch what happened to him on that planet. It must've been bad because he's had alot of nightmares."

In the main examining area of the medical facility, Zeb was quickly undressed of the hunter armor and he blushed as he was now naked in front of not only Hera and Kanan, but also Ayessa.

"How is he?" Hera asked watching Ayessa caress Zeb's head.

"Garazeb has many injuries, how bad we'll know more when we run a full body scan. I'll have the results in a few minutes," the head doctor a human male around sixty years of age said. His name was Coleg D'negel and was from Corellia originally.

Kanan, Hera and Ayessa waited as the results of the scan came in.

"It's lucky that Garazeb is a Lasat. If he were human, he'd be dead right now," Dr. D'Negel said.

"Doctor, how bad are the injuries?" Kanan asked seeing Hera side up next to him with Ayessa close by.

"Garazeb has six broken ribs, a ruptured spleen, a compound fracture of his right forearm, a deep laceration on his right thigh, an even deeper one over his left eye, and a severe concussion. We will be placing him in a bacta tank for a week and then he will have surgery on his right arm and leg."

"Will he be all right?" Hera asked.

"Yes," Dr. D'negel answered, "Garazeb is fairly young for a Lasat and even though I've only treated two other Lasat in my medical career, they heal quickly from injuries due to their strong physiology. You can stay here while we put him in the bacta tank. It can be a bit unnerving to a patient to be placed in the tank."

"Thank you," Kanan said and walked back over to see Zeb being cleaned off and dressed in a pair of shorts that barely covered his male parts. Ayessa insisted on washing him off and Zeb shut his eyes, clearly embarrassed at her seeing him naked, but he was soothed by her gentle touch and comforting words. Soon the Lasat was given a sedative and readied for the bacta tank. Kanan, Hera and Ayessa followed the medics who carried the sedated Lasat to the bacta tank. A harness was placed on Zeb along with a breathing mask and he was lifted up off the gurney and lowered into the tank. Hera and Kanan stood watching as the Lasat floated weightless in the bacta fluid. Ayessa walked up to the tank and placed her hands against the glass.

"I will not leave you, my sycha," she said and sat down on the floor in front of the tank.

"Miss Ayessa," one of the medics said to her, "You can't stay here."

"I must," she said and stood up looking down at the much shorter Duros female.

"Let her stay," Kanan said, "Her presense will be a calming influence on Zeb."

"As you wish, Master Jedi."

Hera went up to place a hand on the side of the tank.

"We'll be here when you wake up," she said and turned to leave with Kanan.

Ayessa moved next to the tank and placed her face next to the glass as if to give Zeb a kiss.

"I will be back, sycha, I need to get my prayer stone and a few things for my stay here in the medical facility."

Less than an hour later, Ayessa came back with her prayer stone, several blankets and a pillow. Two medics who were checking Zeb's vital signs, stopped when they saw the tall Barrelian female walk back into the bacta tank area. The two human males smiled seeing what she had on.

Ayessa was dressed in a floor length gown that looked to be made of spun gold and was very tight. Her arms were covered and the high neckline accented her slender neck, broad shoulders and full breasts. She bent down to set the blankets and pillow onto the floor and her breasts pressed against the material showing their shape and the nipples.

"Whoa...it's a good thing that Captain Orrelios is sedated. If he saw that, he'd have a heart attack," one said.

"Or a stiffy," the other added and they both chuckled and left.

Ayessa frowned because she heard the rather vulger comment but she was flattered at their admiration of her physique. She sat down cross-legged on a blanket and picked up her prayer stone to begin a Barrelian prayer of healing. While she was praying, Zeb began to twitch in his drug-induced slumber. Ayessa sensed his distress and opened her eyes. She saw the Lasat moving in the bacta tank and his eyes opened partway, a frown creasing the forehead ridges.

"Oh, my sycha, you're having a bad dream," she said and stood up. With her left hand, the Barrelian female began to unfasten her gown and the material separated to show the sides of her full breasts.

Zeb's eyes opened a little more and what looked like tears formed in them, then closed again. Ayessa moved up to the bacta tank and put her hands up to the glass surface. She closed her eyes reaching out to the Lasat telepathically. The big green eyes opened to a slit and he reached his left hand up to the side of the tank.

"Feel my touch, Garazeb. You are not alone. You will never be alone. Close your eyes, my sycha. Listen to my voice, feel my touch."

Zeb's eyes fluttered open at her touch and then closed. Ayessa moved closer to the tank pressing her full-figured body up to the glass. Her gown parted, the full breasts springing free as she placed her hands up against the tank. Tears fell from her eyes and she pressed herself closer the gown slipping off her shoulders.

"Garazeb, feel my touch," she whispered and she smiled seeing his eyes open to a slit and what looked like a smile crossed his face behind the breathing mask. She saw that his gaze was on her bare breasts and she knew that by the sound of his increasing heart rate that he was becoming aroused. Not wanting him to be harmed, she pulled up her gown and did it back up before he hyperventilated.

"Sleep...Garazeb," she whispered as she watched his good hand press up to hers, "Sleep my sycha, for we have plenty of time to experience intimacy."

Zeb's eyes closed as he drifted off to sleep and his body relaxed, arms and legs moving weightless in the bacta fluid. Ayessa smiled and then sat down on the makeshift bed to pick up her prayer stone. She closed her eyes and prayed in her native tongue for a few moments and then layed down to fall asleep dreaming about becoming closer to Zeb in a physical way...