An: I should mention now that Kanan's ultimate canonical fate will not come to pass in my fanfiction. I'm too soft for that shit. If you stick around to the end, I will deliver a happy ending despite all the angst on the way. Almost made this smut. Next time I actually will. This contains heavily implied sexual slavery.
It was the wookies and now they were planning how best to liberate them from their death sentences. Ezra, who had been initially annoyed they weren't taking him home yet was on board now. "Why do we even need a plan?" He was looking at Quinn. "She could probably tear apart a whole squadron on her own, especially if she got the jump on them."
The was an uneasy silence around the war map as the other Spectres looked at Quinn for cues on how to feel about that. "Ezra..." Quinn started. "It's not a button I can just push. I also can't just...unpush it. And it adds uncertainty to the mission. Uncertainty adds danger. I won't be the thing that puts these people in danger."
Ezra seemed to be thinking. "I'm not sure how to tell you this, but there's a huge bounty out for the creature that did the murder."
"Exactly, Ezra. No one knows that was me yet. Except the bar tender, who is thankfully grateful enough for our continued business not to speak a word of me to the Imperials." She rubbed her shoulders gently through her clothing, wincing a little at the twinging holes she'd dug into them not long ago. Kanan gently pried her hands away and held them.
"There you have it, Ezra. The transformation is off the table." Reassured Quinn smiled, paying attention to the plan as it proceeded without her as a token.
x
Quinn ducked her head down out of the way of another barrage of blaster fire, glancing across the way to where Sabine and Kanan were similarly pinned. Next to her, Zeb was practically grinding his teeth at this predicament. Come on, Ezra. She mentally urged her brother on. The next shot she took nailed a trooper. He went down and didn't get up. I used to be so good at this. Why am I so rusty? Has it it been that long? Then she heard the wookie battle cry and the sounds of startled troopers and rose fully from her cover at the same time as Sabine, the two of them making quick work of the last troopers not being assaulted by angry wookies.
Ezra looked horrified at something, even despite this and it was enough to make Quinn turn around in time to see the sight of three TIE fighters rising up over the edge of the cliff. As she watched, they began to assualt their ship from behind. Hera responded swiftly, turning their ship and firing. The TIE fighter Quinn was most closely watching disappeared into smoke going down the side of the clidf and something infinitely worse rose to take its place. Agent Kallus' main ship loomed over them and Quinn felt her heart sinking into her toes.
As they were being forced to retreat further onto the planet, Quinn caught sight from the corner of one eye a trooper chasing a still bound wookie cub. As she was debating going after the two, Kanan grabbed her and pulled her into cover, practically tucking her into his space. "Get out of here." Kanan spoke over the comms.
Hera's response was instant and hot with a desperate anger. "What? No! I'm not abandoning you all!"
Kanan sighed and nodded. "No, you aren't. We're running a 22 pick up."
Hera paused ever so slightly. "Alright, I'll be back. Make sure you're ready."
"Seriously?" Sabine exclaimed, features over taken with surprise.
"22 pick up? Care to let me in on the secret?" Ezra was way behind and Quinn felt like the smile on her face was probably throwing him off.
"Kid, I'm about to let everyone in on the secret." Quinn was excited, grabbing Kanan's hand and yanking him in for a brief kiss before letting him step fully out of cover.
"You're just letting him go?" Ezra hissed, confused.
"Just watch, little brother." Kanan advanced, side-stepping every blaster bolt that flew at him with the barest of movement. Kallus eventually felt that something was up and held up his fist in a gesture of cease fire. The shriek of Kanan's lightsaber igniting filled Quinn with a mix of emotions, some of which weren't so wholesome if she was being honest. Oh, there will be celebration tonight. She thought, already aching for the embrace of her lovers.
"Q, love...If you could tone down your thoughts a little, we might get to safety sooner." Quinn blushed a little and tried to move on as Kanan prepared to fight Agent Kallus.
"All troopers...Focus your fire on...on the Jedi." The fire resumed and Kanan swatted aside every bolt before it could reach his compatriots behind him.
"Time to go." For Quinn he spared a tiny little wink.
"Everyone into the container!" Zeb shouted, helping up the one wookie who had been shot during this rescue. The wookie struggled, reaching for something on the other side of the firefight. Ezra and Quinn shared a glance and she nodded.
"Let's go, Ezra. Keep low."
They bolted around the side of the conflict, heading toward the bridge over the pit. Zeb yelled after them, annoyed and worried. "Kid! Q! Stop! Karabast!"
The sounds of fighting faded behind them as she and brother chased the trooper who was trying to catch the wookie cub. Quinn noted they were nearing the edge of the bridge with some degree of nervousness. We have to make this quick. Hera will be back very soon and if we don't make pick up, we might end up prisoner.
She looked at Ezra, trying to gauge what her younger sibling was up to. "Hey!" He said, making the startled trooper turn into time to watch him do an impossible acrobatic leap. Quinn had believed Kanan when he said it but... There's no doubt left in me that my little brother harbors a force connection. That was preternatural.
The trooper was dispatched quickly and Quinn began to relax, until she felt the cold metal of a blaster barrel pressed against the hollow of her throat. She froze, crying out for Kanan as he had taught her. Fuck-fuck, Kallus has me at blaster point. Ezra and I were trying to save the-
Calm came over that wasn't her own and Quinn swallowed, taking a breath and closing her eyes. "A master and an apprentice. Such a rare find these days."
"I dunno where you get your delusions, buckethead." Ezra spit venom, stepping so the wookie cub was protected behind him. "I work alone."
"Not this time." Kanan rose out of the mist in the pit, atop the Ghost. He had his lightsaber out like the protagonist of some testosterone filled vid where the hero saves the day and everyone cheers for it. Kallus fired a barrage missing every shot until Kanan deflected one back, causing him to stumble. Quinn took this chance, spinning on one heel and shoving him over the railing of the bridge. "Jump!" Kanan yelled. Quinn grabbed the cub and jumped after Ezra, making their get away.
x
The wookie whose cub they rescued thanked Ezra over and over. "Good luck, Kitwarr. Try to stay out of trouble." Next they were going to drop Ezra off. Quinn felt sad watching him walk away, but she understood. She was a little more than someone who was stranger adjacent, sharing Ezra's blood. She had also forgotten her original intentions to start something in the bedroom with this unexpectedly bitter end to her interactions.
Kanan petted her head as they watched Ezra run through the tall Loth-grass. "Be ready when I get back and we'll see."
Quinn shot eyes at Hera who just smiled in confirmation. Quinn took off to get their room ready. It felt like ages since the three them had been physically together. Boy am I ready. Nothing like a display of that power...
She was still roused later that night by her stomach rumbling and remembered all too. Ezra's earlier postulation that what she really needed was a meatier diet. Crawling from between her lovers, Quinn wiggled to the edge of the bed and tugged on a pair of Hera's pajama shorts and one of Kanan's over-shirts. The galley was empty at this time of night and when she stared at the frozen provisions she could thaw and prepare, Quinn's stomach turned.
Being a vegetarian had been a personal choice for several reasons. Her health for one, and for two...She really didn't like taking lives, especially not to prolong her own. Even if it wasn't a humanoid or some other form of sentient. The world was a cruel place though, she told herself grimly and getting to do what one wanted was a luxury. A luxury Quinn wasn't selfish enough to take. "I hope you all know I love you, because this disgusts me." And excites me. Don't lie to yourself. Quinn immediately shook it off, taking out a hunk of meat and firing up the cooker. That's the animal in me. The apex felid predator.
The meat began a slow sear as Quinn's thoughts tumbled around and around, chasing each other. That isn't me. The beast and I separate. Quinn poked at the meat, fighting a wave of nausea that intense hunger writhed just beneath. But you don't truly believe that, Quinn. She shook it off again, before shutting the cooker down. The meat was half raw but the animal was saying this was as cooked as was acceptable.
She sat at the galley table, poking at the meat before cutting it and bringing a piece to her mouth. There had been a third reason she didn't tell anyone. 1, 2, fuck it-3! The meat was disgustingly bloody and her stomach sang for more, the hunger growing from an ache to a roar. Memories began to crowd Quinn and she was helpless to hold them back, to shove them deep and keep them forgotten. Blood...blood...warm copper twang. Quinn shoved the plate away, her hands trembling. "I can't. Don't make me."
The memories opened up and swallowed her whole.
x
Quinn had messed up. She knew this. But the fact was...despite the nature of the job she'd been forced into, she was getting paid. The first time had netted her so much it made her head spin. Anything for my family. I love you, Ezra. She sent it home that night, as soon as the client was gone. It probably reached the family bank account before the taste of blood even left her mouth. She hadn't wanted to do it and...well the client had struck her for this hesitation. Quinn did this job for months, learning skills and using her body in ways that made her ashamed. The things she did to people for credits...These things were supposed to be between two or more consenting individuals who loved or at least cared for each other.
When she'd made enough to get herself out of trouble she'd left, but for years after that she felt the hands of her clients...Their mouths. Their appendages.
x
Ezra was roused in the middle of the night by the sound of a bowl shattering against the wall and then the refresher starting to run. Then, just over the water he could barely make out hiccuping sobs and an overwhelming wave of sadness and disgust hit him. Then the more audible sounds of puking. As he was debating what to do, the lasat on the bunk below him sighed and stood, going to investigate. Ezra joined him. The refresher went on for long enough that they both realized it was just to cover the sound of Quinn's crying.
"Leave her alone." Ezra finally said. "It's something she hasn't shared. Don't pressure her. She'll run from it." He pulled food from the galley. "Let's just make it clear we're here for her."