"So?"
"Hmm?" Ezra fiddled with the cube in his hands, moving the colored squares around to try and get all of them to line up in the right place.
"The others not here, Hera trying to get that ship and all. We're floating beside the command ship in safety." Kanan watched his padawan fiddle with the puzzle toy, raising a eyebrow as he did. "You can talk to me you know. I heard what you said to Hondo, as you very well know."
"Oh, that." Ezra settled back against his seat, glancing at Chopper then at Kanan. The whole business with the Broken Horn had given the others a little relapse view into what Ezra's life had used to be.
How Ezra had used to think.
But then again, dealing with a pirate like Hondo did have that consequence, especially with Ezra needing time to think.
Kanan just needed to be sure that the other wasn't about to start taking extra missions of a unsavory sort. If for no other reason then he didn't want the other to suddenly end up as Hondo's 'cargo' by 'accident'.
"...I used to be like him. At one point, if Hondo had offered it then, I would have taken him up on his offer in a heartbeat." Ezra stared out the panels of the Ghost before looking back down at the cube, frowning at the colors as he tried to figure out how to open it. "The idea of a life among the stars, adventure, fun and someone to help me...even Hondo, would have appealed so much. A Jedi-pirate as he said..."
He glanced at Kanan to see what the Jedi thought only to be meet with a understanding smile. "Hey, I did work as a smuggler you know. And a thief." He focused out the window. "I had to survive somehow too..." But Kanan had been older, Caleb had been older then Ezra, and he hadn't been alone, he'd been with Kasmir. He glanced back at the teen who looked a bit better as he fiddled with the cube Rex had given him
"...I forget that sometimes." Ezra mumbled.
"Most do, they see me as a Jedi now, something of the old. But I spent a lot of time after the Clone wars hiding." Kanan turned his seat to continue watching, trusting Chopper to keep a eye on the Ghost.
"Mmmn...just...keeping his company reminded me of the road I could have gone. If it wasn't for you guys. I mean Hondo looks happy but..."
"But?" Kanan leaned his elbows on his knees.
"...He doesn't feel happy all the time like he pretends to be. He feels like someone who's lost a lot for the life he lives." Ezra finally peeked up at Kanan. "But I guess that's true for most things in our galaxy."
"Mmmn...how about this Ezra. When Hondo goes to bed, what do you think he dreams of?" The Jedi started slowly.
The youngster frowned at him, wondering what that had to do with anything before looking away. "I guess...credits? Loot he could ship and sell...his own ship? His past? Errg..."
"Mhmm...him and his..." Kanan nodded. "But what do you dream of?"
Blue eyes peeked at Kanan and a slight flush rose to his cheeks. "...You, the crew, my parents...the future?"
"We, them, the future. You may have grown up having to think you. But that's not how you think anymore. You said it yourself, you're not like Hondo anymore. You're like me. Like us. The crew. This crew."
Ezra raised his head quickly at that, hands resting in his lap with the toy. "I...huh...I didn't think of that. I mean, I thought I had you guys but...not think like you guys."
"Course you didn't. You have a tendency to second guess your own intentions. Comes from being on your own for so long and having to think that way." Kanan chuckled quietly. "Its not bad Ezra, not really. As long as you remember you don't have to do everything on your own."
"Kind of hard to remember among everything else." Ezra breathed out, waving the cube at Kanan. "Not that you guys make it any easier sometimes. I feel like I'm being crammed full of things to do and barely get time to do anything on my own."
"You crawl into the vents often enough that you get time on your own."
"You can all hear me. I KNOW Sabine went in there and left both microphones and cameras just in case." Ezra said dryly. "So I know you're all monitoring it just in case."
"...Well, you fell asleep in there last month!" Kanan defended their decision.
"Mhmm. Yeah I wonder why." Blue eyes rolled but he was smiling ever so slightly.
"Ah, first light you can be so annoying." Kanan chuckled, turning back to the Ghost controls.
"Course I am, that's my job as your padawan."
"No, your job as my padawan is to learn."
"So you say. I firmly think its to annoy you as best and as hard as I can, everyday for our natural lives until..." Ezra shut up at that, not wanting to even entertain that last word.
"...Hey, we'll be around for a long time Ezra." Kanan murmured, glancing at him.
"...Hmm..." Ezra fiddled faster with the colored squares.
"...Did Rex even tell you why you were doing that?"
"There's a surprise inside it." Ezra frowned, wondering what square that wasn't in the right place. "He said if I could get it all to line up, it would open up and there would be something inside it for me."
Kanan raised a eyebrow at that. Well Rex had the kid pegged at least. Make him want something and then make him work for it to learn. Not sure he liked the clone had Ezra that well pegged though.
"I just need t-oh..."
"Oh, Oh what?" He glanced over at Ezra then blinked. "Oh." The colored box had opened and inside it was two little figures. Ezra picked one out gingerly and stared at it before smiling. It was a little almost blue haired Jedi figure with a blue lightsaber. He picked up the second and smiled even more at the dark haired figure with a secondary blue lightsaber. Two small figures, a Jedi and a padawan.
"...Lets...not tell the others about those two..." Kanan murmured, smiling ever so slightly at the awed look on Ezra's face.
'...Perhaps I'll thank Rex for those...nawww.' He looked back out the Ghost's windows, reveling in the light hearted emotions beside him, relaxing calmly.
Author note: Tada? Oh! A little update, tomorrow I'm going on vacation for a week and then I'm getting surgery. I am not sure when I will have a stable internet connection but if I do, I will update it. This might mean however that the chapters are earlier then usual or later...I've been trying to follow a 24 hour update thing but hey, special cercumstances and all.