The Hunt (Star Wars Rebels)

By The Glow of Starlight

The Trandoshan was the first to strike, and it was only Kanan's Jedi reflexes that saved him. He ducked and a head on the wall behind him exploded. Kanan charged forward, shooting at the Trandoshan with with Ezra's lightsaber. The Trandoshan ducked and rolled behind a glass display case.

Kanan lunged with the lightsabers and sliced apart the display case, but the Trandoshan had vanished. An open vent on the ground was the only hint of where he had gone. The tip of the lightsaber swayed back and forth as Kanan glanced around, weapons held ready.

A blaster bolt shot from behind Kanan, catching him just below the shoulder blade. He grunted and spun around, shooting with Ezra's lightsaber. The Trandoshan stepped aside and threw a skull from a nearby display case at Kanan. Kanan charged forward, swinging the lightsabers and slicing the skull apart before forcing the Trandoshan to retreat a short distance. He growled, revealing his fangs.

"If the cure is so precious to you," the Trandoshan said, raising it high in the air, "go get it!" He threw the cure with all of his strength. Kanan deactivated the lightsabers and lunged, catching the cure just before it shattered against the far wall. When he turned back around, the Trandoshan was standing a short distance away with a blaster pointed at his chest.

"It was the Jedi's desire to protect everyone, the desire to not let even a single life be lost, that was their downfall," the Trandoshan growled. "You and your apprentice shall both be joining your dead brethren today."

He fired, and Kanan raised his lightsaber to defend himself. He raced to activate it as a dark blur threw itself between Kanan and the oncoming bolt. Roy fell to the ground, dead.

"Not the prey I was hoping for," the Trandoshan said, firing again. Kanan deflected it with his lightsaber and charged forward, swinging the dual blue blades with renewed fury. The Trandoshan fired his blaster once before it was sliced in half and he was forced to dodge away. Kanan pressed his advantage relentlessly as the Trandoshan proved difficult to hit. Eventually the Trandoshan managed to sneak a kick or scratch between Kanan's attacks.

A blaster fired and Kanan ducked slightly, but there was no need. The Trandoshan hissed one final time before falling to the ground. Zeb lowered his borifle from where he stood in the doorway.

"You were taking too long, and I couldn't let you have all the fun," Zeb said. The ship tilted and Kanan fought to keep his balance.

"We need to get out of here," he told Zeb. Zeb activated his communicator.

"Sabine? We got the cure," he said.

"I'll pick you up," she replied. "Make it quick, because there are a lot of guys out here trying to blow us up, and I may have accidentally destroyed their stabilizers."

Kanan and Zeb ran out and onto the main deck of the ship. Smoke and fire was everywhere, the results of Sabine's attacks. The Phantom hovered a short distance away, bay doors already open. Zeb and Kanan jumped aboard.

"Hang on!" Sabine called as the doors closed. The Phantom flew away from the Trandoshan's doomed ship. Kana got one final look at the ship as it disappeared beneath the ocean waves. The rebels held a moment of silence for Roy, the boy who had died a hero.

The hike back to Ezra was a short one. Luckily Zeb remembered the way, or else they would never have been able to find the bush. Ezra was in a worse condition than they had left him in. Kanan quickly injected him with the cure. It began to work almost instantly. Ezra's breathing softened and the fever died away. Some color returned to his pale skin.

"We should probably get back to Hera," Sabine suggested. "She'll want to see how Ezra is doing." Kanan nodded his agreement and Zeb gently picked up Ezra. They made their way back to the Phantom.

It was an incredibly short trip from the moon's surface to the waiting Ghost. The Phantom had barely finished docking when Hera flew inside, Chopper just behind her.

"Where is he?" she demanded. "Did you find him?"

Her eyes fell on Ezra, still sleeping in Zeb's arms. She ran forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, stroking his dark hair as her motherly instinct took over.

"His arm needs to be bandaged," she declared. "Zeb, take him into your room please."

Zeb and Hera left the Phantom, transporting Ezra to his waiting bed. Kanan followed them, but after Ezra was placed in a bed she shooed everyone else out and shut the door. She only allowed Chopper to stay inside. The crew waited in anxious silence outside the door instead. After a short time, Hera and Chopper emerged.

"How is he?" Kanan asked.

"He's going to be fine," Hera replied. Everyone sighed with relief. "He just needs lots of rest and to take it easy for a few days. He should be back to his usual self after that."

"And no one is going to be disturbing him, is that clear?" Kanan asked. No one argued with him. Sabine turned her head to hide a smile.

Now that Ezra was back, the heavy mood that had filled the rebels was gone.

---

Ezra opened his eyes. He was in a familiar room. It was the room that he shared with Zeb on the Ghost.

This had to be a dream, or a hallucination. He must have died.

The last thing he remembered was feeling awful right when he and Roy had reached the safety of the bushes. After that, everything faded into darkness.

Ezra climbed out of the bunk and stumbled to the door. He still didn't have his full strength back. He opened it and stepped out into the hallway. He could hear voices from the direction of the cockpit. He moved closer to the voices, but the words sounded as if they were coming from underwater.

Ezra finally entered the cockpit. Hera was sitting in the pilot's seat. Sabine was sitting in another seat nearby. They were deep in conversation. Kanan was sitting in a third chair, staring thoughtfully at the stars outside. Hera was the first to notice Ezra was there.

"Ezra!" she said happily, a hint of surprise in her voice. Sabine spun her chair around and watched Ezra in surprise, while Kanan jumped to his feet. His eyes met his padawan's.

"Kanan," Ezra said, falling to the ground, his energy spent. Sabine and Hera jumped to their feet, but Kanan caught Ezra first. They knelt on the ground together, Kanan holding Ezra in his arms.

"I'm here now Ezra. It's ok," Kanan told him.

"It was horrible," Ezra sobbed quietly, face buried in Kanan's shoulder. Kanan stroked his hair.

"I know, but you're safe now," he said. "Let's get you back to your bed."

Kanan helped Ezra stand up and walked him back to his bed. Hera and Sabine watched them walk away.

"Why can't they just say they love each other?" Sabine asked.

"Because they already have a deeper bond than that," Hera replied. "Love can dissolve after time. But the trust between Kanan and Ezra, master and padawan, will never be broken."

---

Yes readers, this is the end of yet another story. I gave you an extra long last chapter, so I don't want any moaning (not that you guys ever do. You're the best!)

If you have any ideas for future stories, feel free to mention them. I'm always on the lookout for new ideas! And hey, you never know, it might just be the next best story, all thanks to you!

May the force be with you
MOONHEART

P.S: This is not the end. Because as we all know, Revenge Leads to Pain