****Shout out to those of you who have liked and reviewed and read my other works! thanks for HANGING in there with this, writers block had its hold on me... yeah I know puns aren't my thing. Thanks to rebels lover for giving me a shout out! Her stuff is pretty good too! Sorry for the cliffe but that's how I roll!**

Ezra woke up to a dull pain in his side. His eyes cracked open to see a tuft of auburn, hair in his eyes making him jerk away in surprise. "Ow," He muttered, peeling the strands of brown out of the eye it had been stuck in. How on earth did that even happen. He thought. Not that it mattered. The teen stroked the boy's head, noticing the way it was starting to jerk around. A nightmare.

He really wished the kid were Force-sensitive now.

"Don't worry it's just a dream, I'm still right here, you're still safe. You're safe. It's just a dream, you can wake up… wake up, kid. I'm here."

Reddon gave more kicks, his arms starting to flail.

"Reddon wake up. Reddon, come on, you don't have to be trapped there, it's not a better life. I'm here. I'm here, keeping you safe."

Reddon gave a snort as he gasped through his mouth and nose, his whole body giving a jerk like a puppet on strings lifted from a fire. Feeling arms around him, he gave a cry of alarm, rousing some of the children.

"Reddon it's me, it's just me. It's Ezra. You're okay kiddo, the danger is gone, you're in a good place now. They can't get you now. I'd never let them get you."

The boy whimpered and turned into Ezra's chest.

"Don't worry, I've got you." He stroked the boy's back as both of them faded back into a restless sleep.

Entering the Force, Ezra called out to Kanan. Kanan please help put me and Reddon to sleep without nightmares.

Sure thing kid.

Ezra immediately felt waves of calm go through him before remembering something. Wait, Reddon isn't Force-sensitive.

Damn it. That would have helped him. Even though he isn't Force-sensitive I can tell how scared he is. And how much peace he has around you. He trusts you Ezra.

I know. That adds so much pressure. If something happens to him and I can't stop it, it would have been just false hope that I gave him.

False hope and peace are better than fear and destitution, which those kids were living in before you and Sabine entered the ship. And even if it was false hope for them, at least you gave them some hope. Sometimes that's the best you can do.

I guess. Ezra thought groggily, and realized his master must have been putting waves of sleep over the Force. You're as tired as I am. Get sleep. You need a clear mind.

I'm used to staying awake for days on end. I'll be okay. You're the one who needs rest more.

Too tired to argue, Ezra only nodded his head.

"'ra thank for sav'in us." Reddon mumbled, sleep pulling him back into its arms.

The teen rubbed his back again. "You don't need to thank me, I never would have let someone hurt you kids and get away with it."

"I know you can save us… I can't wait to get outta here… Get me outta here."

"I will, I promise." Ezra said, and Reddon didn't reply. A couple of minutes later, the teen heard his breathing soften, and even out a little more.

You really care about him, don't you. Kanan said through the Force.

What? Yeah, I do. I finally understand what you feel for me. I finally understand what it means to give someone such a, feeling of protection, the happiness that comes with knowing someone depends on you like that…

But? I can feel your anxiety.

It scares the hell out of me. If i fail him, if something happens to him that I can't stop, what then?

Then you tell yourself what I tell myself when someone happens to you. Your faith in me wasn't shaken, and you're still alive.

And if I died?

There was a pause, growing longer as the seconds passed. I wouldn't let that happen.

But if it did. Ezra insisted.

If it did, the bond would be severed, but not my feelings for you. They will never go away. And if you die, I can know that you died with a sliver of faith in me, faith that I would get you out alive, faith, and trust, and hope, and love.

Everything Reddon has for me…

Nothing's going to happen to him, kid. We won't let it.

I guess not.

Let me put you to sleep, Ezra. You're exhausted and worried.

Not anymore… not worried at least. Thanks for the calm.

You're welcome. You thought I would let you stay worried?

Well it's you… He joked.

Ezra thought he heard Kanan say something else, but couldn't hear it as sleep plugged his ears and darkened his vision.

The next time Ezra woke it was to a small hand shaking his shoulder. "Ezra, or, Logan… are you awake?"

"Jus' clo'in' my eyes…" Ezra slurred back. "Hmm? Have another nightmare?"

"No… I just woke up."

"Oh, I didn't go to sleep at all. I wanted to make sure no troopers got in."

"Oh wow! You must be tired!"

"Not at all." he lied. With a groan he sat up, looking around him. Of the forty kids, about nine were awake.

"I need to go to the bathroom… don't peek!" Reddon stood up and ran to the toilet.

Ezra gave a small laugh. "I won't peek." He looked around at nothing before his eyes settled on the door. Something was nagging at him, something that was important.

Ezra? Kanan's voice startled him out of his thoughts.

What?

What's the matter? I sensed you starting to get worried or something.

Something isn't adding up and I don't know what… Something about this I guess.

What do you mean?
Something is wrong and I can't tell what… the SOS call I guess.
What about it? I feel your confusion. Don't doubt yourself.

The kids were all locked up… all of them… There's no comms or any way of communication here… so how did they send the SOS?

Ezra felt Kanan's worry swell in response.

Do you think this was a trap? Kanan sounded worried.

I think they wanted get the kids and us. Ezra's own worry increased, and Kanan pushed calm through the Force.

Thanks for warning us. I guess that's why they caught the change from 40 to 42 so fast.

And why they pretended to recognize Sabine and I…

The Force says she's still alive.

I trust the Force…

But? Kanan asked.

She can still be hurt and alive.

I know… But you know what?

No, I don't know. What?

She's just as strong as you are. You're both going to pull through just fine.

Thanks, Kanan.

You're welcome, kid. Just hang tight.

Are you ready for the breech?

I am.

This is happening today…

Go for the under armor, take their blaster, get to the airlock as fast as you can. We can do this.

What are you going to do?

Exactly what you wanted to happen. I'll be making a distraction.

Don't do something stupid.

Don't worry, I won't do anything you would do.

What were you planning? Ezra couldn't help but worry.

"Ezra!"

The teen jumped. "Whoa!" His head jerked to the side. Reddon was an inch from his ear.

"Sorry," He sat back.

"That's okay. What's wrong?"

"You were staring at the door. Your eyes looked all dead."

"Wait, my eyes looked dead?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Okay, for one, how do you know what dead eyes look like?"

Reddon shrugged, looking down at his feet and picking at a hangnail. "Mmh." Was all he replied.

"Reddon, has someone been killed in front of you?"

This time the kid looked up at him. "No. No, I've never seen anyone die. I've just seen dead bodies. People and animals. People eyes are worse because with animal eyes they're just like little beads, like dolls… but not with people. People eyes look scared, like they're off somewhere else and are scared, like they wanna come back. Like they wanted to have a good life, like they wanted to be shown… um, mercy is the word. I don't like dead people eyes. They just stare at you."

Ezra shuddered. "I have too, kiddo."

"Am I gonna be a dead person?"

The teen paused. "One day. But not today, not any day soon."

"Promise?" There was no fear when he spoke this time. Ezra felt a twist in his gut, not wanting to let him down.

"I promise."

Reddon nodded, before pausing. "You said you were from Lothal?"

"Yeah…? Why?"

"Have you ever seen a Loth-cat?" The boy brought his knees to chest, hugging them and resting his chin in the hollow. His eyes were wide and curious, dotted with mischief.

"Haha, yeah. Why?"

"Was it big?"

Ezra raised his eyebrows. "Eh, yay high." He put his hand a foot above the ground. "And yay fat." He put his hands to his ears.

"Whoa! Did it attack you?"

"No, it just growled at me and pawed at me."

"Did you eat it!"

"What!" Ezra exclaimed, laughter falling from his mouth. "No! That thing would have eaten me before I could have the chance to get it on a spit. I didn't eat it. I just let it go."

"It sounds like it would be yummy."

"You're nuts, kiddo."

Reddon shrugged, smiling. "I want to see a Loth-cat."

"Oh, you will some day. They're vicious and cantankerous though."

"Can-what?"

"Cantankerous. Crabby. Snippy."

"Ooh," Reddon's smile grew. "You know really big words."

"I know really big swears, too."

"Do you swear a lot?"

"No, not a lot a lot. I swear when I'm in trouble or danger or something goes wrong."

"So a lot!"

"Hey!" Ezra laughed again. "You think that I mess up that much?"

"I don't know, it sounds like it!"

"Well I don't." Ezra was grinning hugely.

"I've messed up." Reddon's eyes left Ezra's face, clouding in memory.

"Trust me, kiddo. I have too." The smile dropped from the teen's face, as if it had only been a mask of porcelain glued on by happiness, both so easily crushed by the Empire.

"Oh yeah?" the kid said bitterly. "Have you ever had to crawl away from a man who was trying to beat you to death and people stopped and laughed at the street rat?"

Ezra felt a pang of sadness for him but snapped anyway, "Have you ever had to watch your parents be dragged away to their death as you did nothing?"

"Worse, actually!" Reddon snapped, tears gathering in his eyes. "I had to watch as they were killed because they wouldn't move because they had nowhere to go and they didn't want to be killed on the streets and they didn't think-" Reddon gave a sob. "They didn't think they'd be killed by the government!"

"Oh Reddon…" Ezra felt anguish and loss rip through the Force. He hugged the boy tightly. "How long ago…?" His voice was barely a whisper.

"Two years! I was four! I was just four and they killed them! They killed them!"

Ezra? What's going on? Kanan's voice was concerned.

Wanting to be alone with Reddon, with the one person who really shared his pain, all Ezra did in reply was shut his master out. What does he know. He thought. He survived the Clone Wars but what does he know about being abandoned. About being a toddler, just a little kid, when your parents are killed.

"I was seven." Ezra said in his ear.

Reddon gave a hard sob into Ezra's chest. "They didn't do anything. They didn't do anything and they were killed! The man who called me a street rat almost killed me! Why didn't they do anything da-Ezra! Why didn't they try to stop him! They didn't stop him they agreed with him and they didn't do anything when they saw them kill my parents!"

It took Ezra a moment to realize what events he was talking about, and when he did, his heart wrenched in his chest again. "Breathe, Reddon. Breathe. It's over now. All of that stuff is over. They did nothing, they agreed with him, because they were scared, and because they are awful people. Because they don't understand that people who steal, steal so that they don't die of starvation when those same people who we're stealing from think we should just get a job. They don't understand what barely surviving, so young, on your own, is like. They don't understand that they can fight back, that they have a choice. And that's exactly what they made me go through when I was your age. You've survived on your own, but you're not alone anymore. You've got us and you're safe." By the time he was done talking Ezra had tears of his own in his eyes. He blinked them back as he added, "You're safe. Your parents might be gone but there are still people who care about you, who would do anything and everything to keep you breathing another day."

"I want my mommy and daddy back!" Reddon wailed. Ezra's shirt dampened more.

"I want mine back too, kiddo. I want mine back too." He patted the child's back. "But I have others now. I have people who I think of as my mom and dad."

"Can I think about them like that too?" Reddon peeked up at the teen's face.

He noticed how red it was. "Absolutely."

"Tell me about them…?"
"Well, one is a man, a Jedi in secret and one is a Twi'lek woman."

"What are those again?"

"Jedi are the ones with the whooshy glowing sticks, and Twi'lek and the ones with green skin."

"Oh."

"Yup." Ezra reached out with the Force and could tell that the boy had calmed, but his heartbreak still remained. "They're really great people. The Jedi's name is Kanan. He's saved me a lot. Even when I've thought he wouldn't be able to. There've been a lot of close calls. He's never let me die though. And Hera, the Twi'lek, she's so sweet. She can get kind of moody but aside from that, she calms everyone down and she always swoops in right when you need her. Literally! She's a pilot! And then there's Sabine. She's a lot more moody than Hera and she paints a lot. Hera trusts her more than me but that's only for right now. Zeb… Zeb is like a big brother to us. Even though I think he's older than the Empire."

Reddon gave a giggle. "Wow he's old!"

"Yup! He's a Lasat."

"Oh, those things!"
"Yeah. He can be a meany but he's also pretty cool."

"He sounds cool!"

Ezra nodded and opened his mind again. I'm sorry for cutting you out Kanan. I just needed a second to myself.

That's okay. I understand.

Thanks.

Really, get some sleep. I can feel your exhaustion. Have Reddon wake you when everyone is awake.

I'm fine.

You need a clear mind to fight and having it fogged with sleep is no good, especially when so many lives are riding on this.

Okay, okay! Thanks for the added pressure!

The voice chose that time to rear up again. You won't save them in time.

Shut up! Ezra yelled back.

Ignore them, Ezra. They're wrong. It was wrong, whatever they said… I'm sorry for this. I'll let the Force help me.

What…?

Kanan channeled sleep through the Force, and within a couple of seconds Ezra was asleep again.

Ezra awoke a final time after Reddon shook him with rising desperation. "Ezra! Ezra! Wake up! Wake up! They're here! Everyone is up they're almost here!"

"Wha-!" Ezra bolted up, every sense heightening with adrenaline.

"Reddon, calm down. What's going on, tell me."

"The stormtroopers are almost here! You've gotta get us out!"

"I will. I promise." Ezra looked around at the faces, all looking at him to keep them safe, and tried to look more confident than he felt. "It's gonna be okay." he told them. "I'm gonna get you out… Did any of you kids radio our ship?" He asked before he could forget again.

Blank faces met him, before those faces turned in confusion to the others.

"No…" came the mumbled replies.

Ezra sighed, his stomach fluttering. "That's what I thought."

He reached out with the Force. Two birds with one stone… it was a trap. They're the ones who radioed us, not the kids.

That's what I thought. Be careful, troopers are about to come with the food, and some are coming down from command. I'm in position. As soon as you start fighting I'll create the diversion.

Okay. Thanks for the warning.

Don't worry kid. Kanan sucked in a breath. Troopers are five seconds out… four… three… two…

The durasteel door slid open, and Ezra steeled himself to face the trooper that came into view.

You'll never make it out alive.

***until I can torture you next time!**