Tala: *Randomly starts head baning*
B.O.B: Tala don't do that. You'll give yourself a concussion.
Tala: B-but this song! It fits the kids so well! *Gives headphones* Here listen!
B.O.B: *Listens* HA! It does suit the Bridger pups.
Tala: I know right? Light 'em Up by Fall Out Boys seems like them. ;D
Disclaimer: We do not own rebels that right belongs to Disney. Except for our little OCs, their cuteness belongs to us.
Also we would love to hear your ideas and thoughts on the story. :) They really keep us going and inspire us to write more so we would love to hear what you all have to say.
"Come on Platt, please?"
"No!" The young kid was currently refusing his mother's attempt to put shoes on his feet. "Zebby no wear shoes and I no wear shoes!"
Sabine sighed, she was going to have a talk with the Lasat after this. "Get over here!" Sabine went to grab her youngest but he slipped away from her and out the door. His tiny foot steps rang through the halls and into the commons. As soon as he saw Zeb, he clung to his leg.
"Zebby! Mommy make me wear shoes!" Platt's face held the expression of sadness and fear.
"And you wouldn't do it because?" Zeb looked down at the boy.
"You no wear shoes, so I no wear shoes."
The Lasat stifled a laugh. "Come on bud. You can hide with me." Zeb picked up the child and placed him on his shoulder. The shoeless dou darted off before Sabine could catch them.
Ezra just remained silent and watched the two's exchange before they disappeared down the hallways. He found it rather amusing how much Platt admired Zeb. Soon Sabine came in, panting slightly with a pair of small shoes in hand.
"Where is he?" Her eyes were narrowed and focused on her husband with a stern gaze. Ezra just pointed to the ladder of the Phantom, knowing all too well that is not where the two went. Sabine quickly ran up the ladder. Once she disappeared, Ezra bolted out of the commons, knowing she wouldn't be to thrilled at finding no one there. He made his way to the cockpit where he knew he'd find his eldest. "Lara, you ready to do some training?"
Lara perked up and turned around. "What kind?"
"I think we should work on deflecting bolts. What do you say?"
Lara smiled and bounced out of her seat and ran to get her lightsaber. "Avoiding Sabine?" Hera smiled.
"You bet." With that Ezra left, following his daughter down to the cargo hold and out of the Ghost.
Once they were out Lara turned to her dad with a sly smile. "You can train me all you want. Mom's still going to find you."
Ezra just rolled his eyes. "I'm going to shoot at you," Lara gave her father a terrified look. "It'll only stun you I promise. It's good practice if you're going to run off and get into fights with stormtroopers."
With a roll of her eyes Lara nodded in agreement. "Good." Ezra set up a target for Lara to deflect the bolts too and stood a few feet away from her. "Ready?"
Lara smiled. "Aren't I always?" Pulling out his blaster-lightsaber hybrid, he set it to stun and then took aim at his daughter. Lara closed her eyes with a deep breath. Ezra fired, Lara swung her saber hitting the blaster back at her father. He dodged and it hit the Ghost. The two force sensitive beginning froze in terror. They knew Hera was going to bury them alive for shooting her ship, but a sigh of relief came from the two as they heard nothing come from the twi'lek inside. At that moment Zeb, with Platt on his shoulders came running out of the Ghost.
"Hey want me to help? We can do it the same way we did when Kanan was training you." Zeb smiled, his eyes flashing back to the Ghost.
"Oh why doesn't everyone just shoot at me. That'll make mom happy." Lara's tone was that of annoyance and sarcasm.
"You'll do fine." Ezra gave his daughter a reassuring smile. Lara just rolled her eyes before closing them once more. She waited in a readying stance as Zeb put Platt on the ground and pulled out his Bo-staff and aim.
"Zebby! No! No shoot sissy!" Exclaimed the young boy as he ran over in front of Lara.
"I'm not going to hurt her. I'm helping her be a better jedi." Zeb smiled, Platt didn't move.
Sabine suddenly came out of the ship and looked towards Platt. His eyes widen as he saw his mother. "No! No shoes!" Platt screamed as he took off into the tall grass. He randomly plotting down into the grass, thinking he was hidden. Sabine followed the train of parted grass. "No!" Platt yelled, but Sabine had already gotten ahold of him. Once she managed to restrain the struggling four year old, Sabine put shoes on Platt's feet. A victorious smile crossing her face.
Sabine set Platt back down in the grass and returned to the ship, giving a quick glare at Ezra. "I'll deal with you later." With that Sabine vanished into the Ghost.
Platt glared at his shoes. "I no like you. I make you go away." he grumbled. Platt, pouting, returned to Zeb's side. Then a sudden thought struck Platt looked at his older sister. "Sissy can I has saber to make shoes go bye-bye?"
Everyone looked at Platt in amusement. "No Platt. You can't destroy your shoes with my lightsaber."
"Why not?" The child whined.
"Because you need to wear shoes."
"Zebby no wear shoes!"
"Zeb is a Lasat." Ezra tried to explain.
"So why he no wear shoes?"
"Cause his feet are too fat for them." Arcas said with a smirk as he made his way down the ramp and out of the Ghost.
"Why you little!" Zeb took off after Arcas.
Arcas yelled in terror. "Mom! Hera! The beast has gone mad again!" Arcas disappeared into the Ghost with Zeb chasing after him.
Ezra bursted out laughing. "Run boy! Run!"
Platt ran after Zeb yelling "Let me at 'em!" Just as Zeb had done.
"Well Lara I don't think we're going to get any training done. I have to go save your brother. . . Again." Ezra smiled.
Lara deactivated her lightsaber and followed her father back to the Ghost. Arcas had managed to escape into the vents and Zeb was tracking him through the ship. Platt was following behind, mimicking everything the Lasat did. Lara had gone off to find the twins.
"Specters to the cockpit." Hera's voice came of the coms. With a sigh Zeb gave up his search and head to the cockpit with the other adults, leaving Platt to go fined Lara and pout.
Meanwhile Arcas climbed out of the vents and went to join his siblings as they made their way out of the freighter and into the grassy plains.
"Lara! Spar with me!" Arcas demand.
Lara rolled her eyes and turned to her brother. "Just like the old days?"
"Have to improve my skills somehow." Arcas took a ready position.
Lara smiled. "As you wish, little brother."
The two charged at one another the spar began. Jem and Kya joined and Platt watched them all clapping his hands "Fight! Fight! Get 'em big sissy!"
They spared as a means of training one another to to fight bucketheads if for some reason they didn't have their blasters or lightsaber. To Arcas it was fun, to the twins it was playing, to Lara it was teaching. Platt normal stood on the sidelines watching and cheering on whichever sibling he prefered that day.
Managing to getting ahold of her brother's arm Lara spun around and pinned Arcas into the dirt. "Gotcha!"
Arcas smiled before kicking Lara's feet out from under her. He quickly jumped up and Jem tackled Arcas back to the ground from behind. Arcas rolled over and pinned his younger brother to the ground. Kya leapt from behind but Arcas evaded her by simply ducking. Kya rolled and charged Arcas again. Lara sprang on her little sister like a cat. Kya, remembering what Zeb had thought her, used Lara's momentum against the young padawan threw her sister in the other direction. Jem got his feet out from under Arcas and kicked his older brother off. For a moment they all just looked at each other with playful yet sinister smiles and began to charge each other again.
"Why don't you use the force, oh powerful jedi?" Arcas grinned as he pinned Lara to the ground.
"Because that would be cheating!" Lara elbowed Arcas's knee and rolled away when he reacted to the pain.
The younger three charged Lara and she dodged them gracefully as if she were dancing. "You'll have to do better than that!"
Jem whirled and kicked Laras stomach for a moment forgetting that she was still injured from the time she had been missing. He immediately froze, a look a panic consuming his face as she dropped to her knees clutching her torso. Lara took a moment to regain herself the other children just waited.
"I think we're done." Arcas said softly as he went to help Lara up.
"Sorry Lara!" Jem almost sounded as if he were the one hurt.
"It's fine Jem, I should have known better than to spar when injured." Arcas had one of Lara's arms over his shoulder. Jem moved to help and Kya took Platt's hand and lead him back to the ship as the other's followed.
As they approached the ship they could hear the adults. Lara pushed Jem and Arcas away as she refused to let her parents think she need help. Sabine appeared on the ramp, the look on her face told Lara all she needed to know. "You're going on another mission, aren't you?" Lara tried but failed to hide the sadness that news brought.
"Yeah. We leave tomorrow."
Lara glared down Arcas who had been insisting on fighting with Jem when they were suppose to be going to sleep. "I mean it Arcas! Go to bed!"
"You're not my mom. You can't tell me what to do. " He grinned. "And it won't be like last time. You won't get to chain to the ladder this time."
Lara narrowed her eyes. "Last warning Arcas."
"You're injured. You can't do anything." Arcas laughed.
Using the force Lara threw a pillow at her brother's face. Arcas was surprised for a moment but then he grinned again. "Bring it!" Arcas snatched the pillow off the floor and Lara got Arcas's pillow off his bunk using the force. Jem and Kya joined them. Arcas swung his pillow and hit Lara's shoulder. Jem hit Arcas's face and Kya went for Lara. Platt smiled and grabbed up a pillow and hit Jem. That was all it took. A fight broke out among them.
Jem rolled off the bed . Arcas took the opportunity to hint his little brother, as did Lara. Kya hit her older sibling and dove to join Jem. The two became a small team. Platt hint Arcas, Arcas only stuck the pillow in Platt's face to avoid hurting the youngest of them. Lara went for Kya was Jem dove in the way and hit Lara in the face. The all began laughing and hitting each other, not caring that their pillows and ripped open and feathers were flying everywhere.
Ezra leaned in the doorway and watched his children fight. None of them seemed to notice him until he cleared his throat. They all froze, then slowly moved the pillows behind their backs as if they could hide them. "You done yet?" he said trying not to smile.
Feathers were everywhere, including in the children's hair. A sly grin spread across Arcas's face. Before anyone could stop him, Arcas threw his pillow at his father, hitting him square in the face. Ezra returned his son's sly smile. Snatching the pillow off the ground Ezra threw it back at Arcas and hit his son in the face. "Bring it kid!"
With a burst of laughter the kids and their father began their pillow fight over again. The pillows were thrown into anothers face and they began to throw the feathers at each other as well.
"What are you doing?!" Sabine and Hera stood in the door, their arms crossed. Zeb peered into the room and let out a laugh. The children and Ezra froze, feathers drifted down from when they were thrown and settled on the floor. "You're supposed to be an example for them!"
"I am being an example!" Ezra protested. "I'm showing them how to have fun."
"First the Ties and now this! Ezra, try and think of all the things you did when you were young and write me a list so I can know what to expect from your kids. " Sabine sounded annoyed.
A look of panic crossed Ezra's face. "We're doomed."
Hera laughed and went back into her cabin. "Just don't destroy my ship , got it kids?"
"Got it!" They all answered in sync.
The children watched as the adults were getting ready for their mission, Zeb dropped a crate on his foot and was about to curse but bit his tongue. Platt stiffened at Lara's side. "This like nightmare." he whispered so softly that Lara almost didn't catch it. He looked up at his older sister with sad eyes. "You were crying."
"Spooks, let's go." Sabine called as she entered the Phantom. The kids said their goodbyes to the crew. Platt clung to Zeb. "Don't go. I don't want you to cry." Platt said. Zeb gave him a confused look that wasn't answered for Ezra had taken the boy. "No!" the boy fought. "Zebby!"
"Zeb will be fine. We will see you guys real soon." Ezra said, giving his youngest a reassuring smile as Platt was put on the Phantom and the hatch was closed. He curled into Lara's side and stayed unusually quiet the rest of the way to the tower.
Once at the tower, Platt went inside and curled into a corner. "They going to make sissy cry." Platt said as Arcas knelt down beside his brother.
"Who is?"
"Mr Big meanie!" Scrunching into a tighter ball as he held his little stuffed Zebby close to him. Arcas turned over his shoulder and looked at Lara with a concerned and puzzled expression. Lara noticed and walked over to the two and drew her youngest brother into a hug.
"It's alright Platt. It was just a dream." She said, trying to sooth the boy within her arms.
"B-but what if it not? What if Zebby, and mommy, and daddy, and Hera leave us foreber?" Lara looked down at the young boy in shock but it soon faded into a warm, loving smile as she held him tighter in her embrace.
"They won't do that. They will come back. They always do." Using his sleeve, Platt began to wipe away the tears.
"You mean it?"
"Of course I do." Lara continued to smile at her younger brother. He smiled up at her before wiggling down out of her arms and going to play with the twins.
Arcas smiled up at Lara as she let out a heavy sigh. "Learned that from mom didn't you?"
"Yeah. Have to keep him happy somehow." Lara sat on the floor next to Arcas.
"But what if he's right. We've always known there would be a day that mom and dad don't come back. What then?" Arcas said in a low voice, looking at Lara with a sideways glance.
"You let me worry about that."
"But Lara-"
"No! You grew up too quickly as it is! You let me worry about what will happen and stay a kid for a little longer!" Lara hissed.
"Fine. But if ever the time comes, you'll let me in on your plan is right?"
"Yes, as I've always done." Lara looked up and saw Platt trying to climb up the ladder to the roof again. She jumped up and pulled the boy down, reminding him he wasn't allowed to climb ladders and he wasn't allowed on the roof.
Arcas laughed softly to himself as he watched the exchange of his siblings. "For you Lara. I'll stay a kid a little longer so you dont have to worry about me." Platt bite Lara and darted out of the tower. Arcas jumped up and went after him. "I got him." he said as he went.
Platt started to fight with Arcas and ran back into the tower. "You a meanie! Little Zebby not freaky!" Platt yelled as he snatched up his toy. "You say sorry to little Zebby!" Platt shoved the toy into Arcas's face.
"Get your toy out of my face or I'll make it go bye-bye!"Arcas said in a warning tone.
Lara was about to move in to ended the fight when Platt shoved the toy against in Arcas's face. With one movement Arcas snatched the toy from Platts hand, he went out on the balcony surrounding the room at the top of the tower. "Bye-bye!' he said as he flung the toy into the grass plains below.
Platt stood frozen as he watched his toy disappear into the tall grass. "Great job Arcas!" Lara said in annoyance. Arcas turned around at the two, glit now slightly playing at him.
"Sorry I-" Without warning Arcas was shot back over the balcony railing and would have fallen severely stories if he hadn't managed to grab onto the rail. The twins quickly stopped what they were doing and ran over to help their struggling brother back onto the balcony.
"Lara! What the heck was that for?!" Arcas snapped as he finally had his footing on the metal platform.
"That wasn't me!" Lara protested.
"Oh yeah, then who was it? You're the only one of us who can use the force!" Meanwhile as the two older siblings bickered, the youngest just remained where he was standing and stared at his hands in awe and even terror.
Lara felt the familiar hum-like feeling of the force. She whirled around trying to find the source, hoping the Inquisitor wasn't the cause. Her eyes landed on Platt as if they were drawn there. "Platt?" Lara began hesitantly. "Platt what were you just thinking?"
"I wanted to push bubby over. Make him fly like Little Zebby." tears rolled down the frighten child's face. "I didn't mean too!"
Lara took Platt up into her arms. "Platt you used the force! Do you know what that mean?" Lara said half excited, half horrified. Platt shook his head. "It means you're like me and daddy. You're a little padawan."
"No I not! I a Zebby and a spooky spook!" Platt protested.
"You're not a Lasat and Spook is a codename." Lara smiled as she carried Platt back inside.
"Oh great! Platt's a jedi! I think I'll just go piss off the empire now." Acras complained.
"He's not a Jedi, not yet anyway." Lara glared at Arcas. "But in time and with training he will be."
"We should tell daddy." Kya said looking at her younger brother in curiousity.
"Good plan." Lara pulled out her communicator in hopes that they were in rang. "This is Spook 1, Specter 5 do you copy?" there was no reply. "Spook 1 to Ghost, do you copy?" Again no reply. "Maybe they are out of range." Lara shrugged as she put the communicator away.
The children all laid together on the floor, Platt slept in Arcas's arms since he could lay on Lara's stomach. Platt sat up and screamed, waking all the children. Lara whirled to look at Platt where as Arcas sat up pulling a blaster out from under his pillow and shot the door.
"Platt? Platt what's wrong?!" Lara asked in desperation.
Platt looked up at Lara and began to cry. "They coming! Lara they coming to hurt us!" Platt cried.
"Who's coming?" Lara said as she gently took Platt's face into her hands.
"The bucketheads! They found us!"
"Oh Platt." Lara exclaimed as she pulled her younger brother into her arms. "They'll never find us he-" Lara was cut off by the sound of one of the many traps on one of the lower levels went off. Arcas ran to the door and flung it open. He backed away and slammed it shut. "The empire." He looked to Lara panicked.
"Get behind me! Now!" Lara hissed. She pulled out a blaster and readied her lightsaber.
Arcas took up a position on her right, his blaster pointed at the door. "Two ties and one carrier. Any ideas?"
"One." Lara turned to her younger siblings who were huddled behind them.
"You are not fighting them alone! And we're not leaving you!" Arcas declared.
"I was thinking we get out of here. If they plan to take the tower, then I plan to get out of it."
"From there?" Arcas said, his eyes saddening.
"Hide away, figure out how they found us." Lara shrugged. "I know a secret way out but it's a little inconvenient." Lara bite her lip.
Arcas straightened his back and looked suddenly like a little soldier. "Lead on."
Lara nodded and moved to the wall. She pulled a piece of the wall away revealing a long metal pipe. "We'll have to slid down it. Platt get on my back."
"What then?" Arcas said his tone was stern.
"We run." Lara said in a sadden tone. Kya and Jem grabbed the emergency pack they had stashed under a table. Everyone put on their packs. Since Platt's stuff was mixed into Lara's pack she placed it on his back.
"I'll go first." Arcas said moving to the gap in the wall. He crawled in and grabbed the pipe. He slide down into darkness and was followed by the twins. Lara looked one last time at the tower she had spent half her life in before sliding into the hole in the wall with Platt clinging to her for dear life. Using the forced Lara closed the hole back up and slide down. It was a long way down and halfway down Platt gasped in sudden realization. "Little Zebby?" Platt said his tone pleading.
"I'm sorry Platt, we don't have time." Lara said apologetically. Platt sobbed silently on Lara's back
Their siblings were waiting from them at the bottom of the pipe in a small space. Lara landed lightly and set Platt down. She pulled out her blaster and gestured for Arcas to do the same. Lara handed her blaster to Jem and readied her lightsaber. After taking a deep breath Lara kicked down a metal panel that lead outside. Arcas and Jem immediately shoot the bucketheads. The children ran into the tall grass. Lara pulled Platt with one hand and held her lightsaber in the other. They ran for the city, Lara deactivated her saber hoping that it would make it harder to find them if the imperial scum didn't have a bright green light showing them where to look. The kids ran as the Ties flew over head. Lara lead her siblings to a small out of place mound. She ripped the grass colored cover off the speeders that Arcas and stashed there. Lara climbed on one speeder with Platt sitting in front of her and Jem on the back. Arcas had Kya on the other. The older two nodded to each other before taking off.
They raced for the city, there they ditched the speeders along an old alleyway and ran on foot. Lara lead her siblings through the winding streets to the place her father had called home once. She slide the strange key her father had given her and they all went inside. Lara locked the door behind her and slumped to the ground. "How did they find us Arcy?" She in a worried tone. "They should have never been able to find us."
"I don't know Lar. I don't know. But if they found us at the tower, they'll find us here. Do you have a plan?"
"The Pit Stop. Dad always said if we weren't safe in the tower or near the city to go there."
"What if they're waiting there too?"
"Then we keep running until we find a safe place to hide."
"Platt," Kya began. "I found him while we were running." Kya revealed that she had little Zebby in her arms. Platt gave a happy gasp and hugged his recovered toy and his sister who had returned it to him.
"We're not staying long. They could find us here too. Sleep. We leave at dawn." Lara said sternly, hiding the fact that she was terrified by balling her hands into fist. "I'll take first watch." Lara said softly to Arcas. The children all clustered together as Lara sat facing the door and window. At dawn Lara woke her siblings and they left. The dark circles under Lara's eyes concerned Arcas but he didn't say anything about it. Once the children were out of the city they began the impossibly long walk to the small town where the Pit Stop was located.
They came over a hill and Lara came to a halt before she started to run. "That's the Phantom!" Lara shouted. Her siblings ran with her to the familiar shuttle. When they reached it the hatch was open. Lara ran to the ship but disappointment gripped her and she saw only Screws and Chopper.
"Chopper! Where is mom and dad?" Lara demanded. Chopper beeped angrily at her. At this point her siblings came up behind her. "What do you mean they were captured?!" Lara demanded tears beginning rolling down her face.
B.O.B: Ha! Another cliffhanger! A "To Be Continued!"
Tala: Lol Cliffies are the best! XD I feel like we be evil!
B.O.B: That just means more adorableness is on the way! Come Tala! On to the next chapter!