Hey!
Remember how this story should have been finished by now but I lost track of time and forgot to keep updating it?! *Wheezes into oblivion*
Well, we're back anyways and here to finish it off once and for all! Again, I'll be posting a new chapter for this story every weekend, and I promise I'll set an alarm this time so I don't forget ha ha! Anyways, time for another dose of angst. Ready? No? Too late!
May the force be with you always!
-Superherotiger
…
Tiger Talks
Mpathy- Oh no! Well, at least there's still hope that Kanan will get the venom right? *Glances down at chapter* On the other hand…
Raven J- Hey sorry about the wait. I just got busy and forgot this was supposed to be finished! All the chapters are done now though and I'll post a new update every week for this story. Won't be much longer and it will be completed :D
Midnight Luna- Oh damn, don't worry I totally understand. Cramps are the worst! Have you tried a heat pack or hot water bottle? That usually helps for me. And that's all good, Ezra gets bitten by some poisonous insects when he falls in a ditch. And I'm glad you're enjoying it! This time I'll remember to keep updating ha!
PetaZedrok- Someone asked for a pinch of angst, and I gave them a mountain. (Glad you like it though!)
MAYONNAIZE529- Sorry for the wait! Hope you like it! (Weekly updates from now on too, so the conclusion is right around the corner!)
…10 hours left…
Hera's POV
"Do you have any idea how dangerous that was!?" I roared in fury.
"Throw me out the airlock then, I don't care!" the Lasat retorted, folding his arms heavily and turning away. "I gave the kid a chance to look at the stars, and I have no regrets!"
"Garazeb Orellios!" I barked, my brow furrowing tightly. "You are hereby suspended for endangering Ezra's life."
His head whipped up, his face a picture of disgust as he stepped forward and snapped "I gave the kid what he wanted! What's so wrong about that?!"
I jabbed my finger into his chest and replied harshly "You took him off his life support, which could have killed him right then and there if you weren't careful!"
"So what?! Now you're gonna stop me from seeing the kid on his deathbed?!" he asked in pure frustration.
"You don't know that he'll-"
"Hera wake up!" he yelled, his voice enraged but his eyes welling with sorrow. "Kanan isn't back! The kid is fading! Nothing we are doing is helping! Can't I get the chance to remember the kid for who he is, not how he died?!"
I felt my anger fade, staring blankly up at the Lasat as he stared back at me with wide, tearful eyes. His breathing was ragged, but as he unravelled his fists he admitted softly "I just wanted him… to be happy… one last time…"
My expression shifted to a pained, sympathetic gaze, my weary eyes stinging from unshed tears. "Oh Zeb…" I murmured, my voice a shaky whisper. I could see the Lasat beginning to cry, his head held low in an attempt to hide his agony. But calmly, I leant against his arm with my hand on his shoulder, shutting my eyes tightly as I spoke "I know it hurts… I-I know it's painful…"
He muffled a small whimper, holding his hands to his face as tears fell from his cheeks. "It's not fair," he snarled hoarsely, his voice raw with emotion.
"I know…" I sighed, the warmth radiating from his fur taking the chill off my icy skin. "But we need to stay strong… for Ezra…"
Slowly, Zeb pried his hands away from his eyes, revealing his worn, weather face, his normally vibrant eyes hollow of all emotion. I was no Jedi, but even I could sense the intense grief he was going through with the possibility of Ezra's death. Someone he'd known from the moment he joined the crew. Someone he'd formed a fierce bond with over the years. Someone the Lasat cared for like a brother, almost as much as Kanan cared for like a son.
I couldn't help but feel defeated.
Only ten hours remained and there was no word from Kanan. Ezra's condition was deteriorating fast, and the unconscious murmurs for his master only rubbed more salt into the wound. Karabast! I wish I could force the stubborn Jedi back here to stay with the youth in his time of need, but knowing Kanan, he wouldn't stop until he saved Ezra, or died trying.
Opening my eyes ever so slightly, I gazed out at the vast expanse of space beyond the cockpit window in search of peace. Any measure of peace for that matter.
But it seemed today was not my day…
"HERA!" Sabine's cry echoed through the hallway.
I immediately pulled away from Zeb, the two of us exchanging a terrified glance before we sprinted out of the cockpit towards the medbay. I smashed the control panel with the heel of my palm and burst into the room with alert eyes. But what I saw only made my heart drop into my stomach.
Ezra, convulsing uncontrollably on the medical bed was gasping for air that never seemed to appear while Sabine and Chopper were frantically pulling medical equipment from the crates. "Hera help!" the teen screamed, her eyes petrified in fear.
"What's wrong with him?!" I demanded as I leapt over the scattered tubes and wires to the ill boy.
"His lungs have gone out!" Sabine explained swiftly, lifting a heavy piece from the crate. Zeb rushed to her side and helped drag it from the tomb of attachments, Sabine turning to me and yelling fearfully "He can't breathe! We need to put the ventilator in!"
"What does it do?!" Zeb asked cautiously.
"It'll breathe for him, but we have to put this breathing tube down his throat," the mandalorian explained hastily.
"But he's still awake!" Zeb protested.
"Well we don't have much a choice anymore!" she snapped.
I stared down at the boy in panic as he struggled for oxygen, clawing at his red, inflamed neck as his eyes fluttered abnormally. "Force!" I cursed, sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling him up into my secure embrace. "Don't do this Ezra, stay with us, stay with us!" I pleaded softly while he twitched and squirmed in my arms. His breathes were quick and spastic, smothered cries of agony slipping through any moment he wasn't frantically gasping.
"Shh, shh," I struggled to sooth as tears began falling from my eyes. "Sabine hurry up!"
"Moving as fast as I can!" she barked as she and Zeb placed the ventilator at the base of the bed.
She held up a long, firm tube, her face pale as she gave me a sickly expression. I nodded my head sharply, sliding my hand to the side of Ezra's face to keep his head still. Sabine placed her hand on his chest and winced, whispering "I'm sorry Ezra. This is going to be uncomfortable for a moment."
I shut my eyes and turned my head away.
Please Kanan. Hurry back love…
…
Kanan's POV
I almost couldn't believe my eyes.
The two beasts strode casually through the snow, the young energetic cub prancing circles around his father. A father Kreptor, I thought to myself anxiously. Of course it would be just my luck to come across the most dangerous form of the creature, and I knew this, because Thomas had very carefully warned me of the differences between a mother and father Kreptor.
He told me that while paternal bonds with cubs weren't common, they did happen. And if you ever saw one, you sure as hell better be ready, because not only were they bigger than the females, but they also came with a long, sleek tail embedded with toxic spikes. And surely enough, the adult Kreptor below had a tail that swung back and forth through the snow hypnotically.
He had a bulky frame, razor sharp claws, two enormous fangs, and poison that would kill me within an hour, if he didn't shred me apart with those teeth of his first.
I could already feel the sweat forming on the back of my neck.
Slowly and cautiously I pushed myself away from the ledge, holding my breath in fear of being found. I continued to crawl backwards until I felt my boot hit the metal of the speeder bike, rising to my feet and swiftly detaching a harpoon gun and electric net. I wouldn't have long, and if I messed this up, I'd be dead within seconds.
I took deep breaths and tried to calm my racing heartbeat, clearing my head of distractions as I centred my mind.
I swung the harpoon gun over my back and turned to pace back to the ledge, before hesitating.
Sylvia's story resurfaced in my mind, and for the slightest moment, I questioned whether or not I was doing the right thing. Was killing this innocent creature worth it? Would it even work?
But then flashes of Ezra's weak, dying body crossed my vision and I closed my eyes and focused. This would be my only opportunity to get the venom, and my only chance to save the boy. Could I live with myself if I let this chance slip? Could I live with myself knowing I could have saved him, and chose not to?
Thinking back to all the years I'd known the child, all the memories, and the growth, and the laughter, and the sadness… I wasn't sure I could give it up so easily.
And when I opened my eyes, I felt a deep guilt settle in my stomach as I stepped forward, the net in my hand. It would be difficult, but the quicker I got it done, the faster I could get back to Ezra. And once he was alright, and everything was back to normal, the shame would go away. Right?
Shaking my head, I tensed my muscles in preparation for what would come next. I had to be completely focused, as with one wrong move it would be over before I knew it.
I lowered myself to my knees and crawled back to the edge of the chasm, holding the electric net in my tight grasp. Below, the Kreptors continued through the narrow pass without concern, almost directly underneath me and my trap.
And I waited.
Waited for a few more steps. For a few more seconds. For my only chance…
And then, that moment came, and I threw the net out in a powerful thrust.
The mesh spread out as it fell down, expanding into a large web as it finally plummeted onto the unaware Kreptor below. When it caught the beast, the father roared in surprise and went to cut the lines with his mighty claws. But then, in an almost sickening sight, electricity surged through the wires entangling the creature, causing the beast to roar in agony. His cries were powerful and deafening as flashes of yellow sparked and shot through his bulky build.
Until finally, the terrible howling stopped, and the electricity ceased.
The beast fell to the snow with a sickening crunch, the strained whine that followed causing me to flinch as I rose to my feet.
I could see the little cub running up to his father and trying to rip the metal chains away while the adult remained pinned to the icy surface, his limbs paralysed.
Inhaling sharply, I almost couldn't bear to look at the sight. But what came next would be far worst.
Focusing my mind, I released a tense sigh and pulled out my harpoon gun.
One chance…
One shot…
With a powerful surge of energy, I leapt down the ledge, the wind whipping through my hair as my eyes remained fixed on the baby Kreptor. To a normal person, this height may have been fatal, but using a quick force push I managed to break the fall and land in the snow with ease. My sudden entry surprised both beasts, but I didn't waste time in pouncing forward and tackling the child.
It wasn't very big compared to it's father, maybe the size of a young teenage human, but it sure did try to put up a fight.
It squirmed and snapped with its underdeveloped claws, kicking as hard as it could into my waist as I struggled to keep it still. We wrestled in the freezing snow for a few moments longer, the desperate cries of his father howling in protest as he attempted to break his cage. But every time he stood the electricity activated again, sending him back muzzle first into the snow with pained whimpers.
Meanwhile, I felt my head reeling from a fierce blow to my face, three prominent claw marks imbedded into my right check. It stung like nothing before, but I still managed to keep hold of the creature as we battled for control.
And finally, with an extra burst of energy, I managed to grab its flailing arms and pin it to the snow, holding it there with my foot as I reached for my harpoon gun. It had gotten knocked away during the tussle, but dragging it to my grasp with the force, I glanced down at the beast with ragged breath.
The child was quivering, his small, beady eyes shifting back and forth anxiously. Unable to move and not strong enough to resist my restraint, he had no other option than to stay paralysed in fear.
And there, on the tip of its small, unthreatening fang, a single drop of inky black substance formed. There was my signal, as Thomas had put it.
Slowly, I raised the harpoon gun, aiming the arrow at his skull. The baby Kreptor squealed, staring longingly at his father who was still trying to break free from the net. And for a moment, I debated in my mind whether I should use my lightsaber instead for a faster… possibly less painful death.
But something within me felt off just at the mere thought of it.
Suddenly, I felt sick to my stomach, the feeling of the harpoon gun resting in my grasp unfamiliar and cold. My brows furrowed, mentally battling over my next step as my morality fought with my logic. My finger was so close to pulling the trigger. I could feel the strings tensing under the slightest touch. If I just pulled it back, if I just set it off, it could all be over…
But then, a sweet, gentle whistling hit my eardrums, and I perked up for the source of the sound.
It took me a moment, but I soon realised the force was calling out to me. Obediently, I followed its melody, until I was staring directly into the eyes of the father Kreptor.
He was breathing heavily, his eyes half lidded in exhaustion from fighting the electric net. But never the less, he went to stand again, swiftly getting stunned and falling back to the ground. In desperation, he moaned and pawed at the snow in the direction of his cub. His child…
And suddenly I realised.
This Kreptor… this father… he was just like me…
Fighting for the survival of his child regardless of the odds and battling in desperation for the one he loved. Continuing to get up in the face of defeat. Continuing to try, even when there was no hope.
Slowly, I felt my expression softening at this realisation. And when I gazed into his exhausted, gleaming eyes, I didn't see a monster…
I saw myself…
Flickering my gaze to the baby pinned beneath my foot and held at the mercy of my gun, our gazes locked, and in a flash, Ezra's innocent face engulfed my vision.
With a gasp I stumbled backwards, dropping the gun and scrambling away from the cub that now jumped to his feet. Without hesitation the baby ran to his father, chittering in a strange language and trying to break the strong metal. But with great reluctance, the father whimpered and pushed his cub away with his paw. The child tried to resist but the adult was strict, next time pushing him back with a little more force. It was an obvious message.
Go. Save yourself.
Yet despite his father's warning, the cub refused to leave, curling up in a ball next to him and nuzzling into the thick pelt of his mane.
Stubborn… just like…
My mind finally broke, and I buried my face into my hands with an ashamed grunt. I couldn't do it… I couldn't kill this father, who just like me, only wished to protect his child. It wasn't right, and it wasn't fair.
I glanced up wearily at the two Kreptors, sitting there solemnly in each other's presence as the reds of the falling sun shimmered on their silver pelts. The child knew the dangers, yet he stayed. And the father knew his fate, yet didn't fight any longer. Even with the threat of death hanging above them, they stuck together, and they were okay that way.
A stabbing pain rippled through my chest as I realised how selfish I'd been.
I should have stayed with Ezra from the very start. I should have been there when he needed me. I should be there right now. But I wasn't, because selfishly, I was just trying to keep him alive, not taking into consideration what that could mean for him.
Shamefully, I lowered my head, gazing at the Kreptors with a softened expression. And with a heavy heart, I took my lightsabre in hand and made my decision.
When I first crawled forward, the baby jumped up in defence, baring his teeth with a weak snarl. But I sat calmly in the snow and exchanged a long gaze with the father, who followed me with pin-point focused eyes.
"I'm sorry," I rasped hoarsely, grabbing a fistful of the netting in my hand. "I may not get to save my son… but that shouldn't mean you have to as well…"
And with a flash of blue and a sizzle of metal, I cut the web open, wide enough to make an escape.
An opportunity I wasn't expecting the Kreptor to take so quickly.
In a flash he had leapt out of the net with a furious roar, smacking me backwards with a powerful swipe of his paw. It knocked the air right out of my chest as I skidded through the snow with a groan, the sky spinning above.
Until suddenly, the Kreptor jumped a top of me, one paw pinning me to the floor as he stared down at me with midnight black eyes.
I gritted my teeth when his claws began to cut through the fabric of my jacket, just scratching my bare skin as the pressure on my ribcage made it difficult to breathe. Grunting, I gazed up at the beast with petrified eyes, unable to fight a creature so enormous.
The Kreptor growled, his eyes narrowed into slits as he flashed his gleaming, dagger-like teeth. He reared his head back for an attack with a fierce rumble, teeth and fangs lunging for my face in a swift motion.
I'm so sorry Ezra…
But all that came was a deafening roar, and no pain.
I opened my eyes slightly to see the Kreptor staring down at me with angered eyes, but with a flick of his tail he turned and bounded away, leaving me alive and for the most part unharmed. Pushing myself to my elbows I watched as he reunited with his cub, nuzzling into him with relief before taking hold of him by the scuff of the neck and running away.
And before I knew it the Kreptor had disappeared, fading into the surroundings within a second and leaving me in the thick, icy snow.
Alive yes, but with no venom…
And no time left…
Super Bomb V
The Light in the Dark
Remember Me
Lost Chapters
O' Family of Ours
There is no Death, There is the Force
To Mend the Bond
Beasts of Legend
Family Ties