Flight of the Force (Star Wars Rebels)

Starry Night

Ezra's POV

I stepped out into the dark night. The rest of the crew was sleeping, giving me a rare moment of peace. A moment I fully intended to take advantage of.

I shrugged off my jacket and stretched. It felt good to let my wings be free for the first time in a while.

I was the only person I had ever met who had wings. They were onyx black, covered with sleek feathers. They melded directly into my back. I had full control over them, and even used them to fly when I was younger. As time went on, I did it less and less. I was constantly worried that the Empire would discover my wings and take me away.

There were stories of others with wings. They were called angels by the people on the nearby planet. It was said that they were breathtakingly beautiful and gifted healers.

I hadn't told the rest of the crew about my wings yet. I didn't know why. I guess I was just afraid. Afraid of what exactly? That I couldn't answer.

I flapped my wings and soared into the sky. I could see the grass far below me and the stars high above me. It always brought me an amazing feeling when I went flying. I felt free, like nothing could tether me to the ground.

I hadn't figured out yet how it was possible I could fly. My wings weren't nearly big enough, and I wasn't nearly light enough. Nearest I could tell, it had something to do with the force.

The sun started rising in the distance and I headed back towards the Ghost. I had to be back before they woke up. Otherwise there would be awkward questions. As it was, I wasn't sure if Kanan had figured out my secret yet or not.

I looked down again. It was getting bright pretty quickly. I might have to fly into the clouds to avoid being seen.

I heard a blaster shot and felt a searing pain in my right wing. I cried out and flapped desperately, but I was losing altitude fast. I searched the ground again.

A hunter was standing in the grass, head turned skyward. He didn't look like he was from the Empire, but he definitely wasn't friendly. I felt another flash of pain in my wing and dropped a few feet. I had to get back to the Ghost. I had to get back to safety.

After flying a short distance, I could see the Ghost. I flapped my wings a final time before dropping like a stone towards the ground.

I turned myself just before I hit the side of the Ghost. I felt my wings snap beneath me. I rolled to the ground with a mild thump. I slowly climbed to my feet and groaned. My left wing was bent at a strange angle, and my right wing still had a hole from the blaster shot. I painfully pulled on my jacket and covered my wings. Not a moment too soon. The crew came rushing out of the Ghost, blasters held ready. They halted when they saw me.

"What was that?" Kanan asked.

"What was what?" I asked, struggling not to wince.

"We heard something crash into the Ghost," Kanan explained.

"Nope. I didn't see anything. It was probably your imagination," I said. I walked past them and into the Ghost. As I passed Hera, my bent wing accidentally brushed her. I shuddered and walked faster.

I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep this secret from them.