Star Wars Rebels: Hera & Kanan

Chapter Four

Hera Syndulla was, among other things, a recruiter. She worked for a small but steadily growing group of rebels who had been quietly organizing over the years since the fall of the Republic, with the hope of one day openly opposing the Empire. Although it wasn't her primary objective, she'd been asked to keep an eye out for anyone who seemed both useful, and unfriendly to the Empire. And even before he'd prevented a collapsing catwalk from killing her with a wave of his hand, Kanan Jarrus had proven himself to be no fan of the Empire, and very useful indeed.

Now that the initial awkwardness of living and working with him in close quarters had mostly passed, there was no denying that she'd made the right choice in hiring him. He completed every task she gave him rapidly and efficiently- yet another clue that he'd been trained, rather than raised. Kanan made the disciplined, well-trained warriors of the Free Ryloth Movement look slow in comparison. And, despite her continued lack of reciprocity, his unwavering romantic interest in her had the added benefit of making him very eager to please.

No...there was no question at all that he was useful.

The question was whether Kanan Jarrus would ever be willing- or able, for that matter, given how much time he spent intoxicated- to live up to the full potential of the gifts he had been given.

A month into his occupancy of the cabin across the corridor, there was no longer any wisp of doubt in Hera's mind that he'd once been a Jedi- though probably not a full Jedi Knight- he would have been just a kid when the Jedi Order was purged by the Empire for alleged treason. He never mentioned it, and Hera never asked, but she felt a chill of horror whenever she considered the possibilities of what Kanan might have gone through at such a young age. It certainly explained a lot about him and his behavior- in particular, the drinking- which she tolerated so long as he didn't let it interfere with their work or her ship.

Kanan made an effort to hide his abilities, although whether he was hiding them from her or just out of habit, she couldn't tell. Even so, he was preternaturally good at getting a read on people and situations- sometimes without even being in the same room. And his agility and strength were well beyond that of an average human. She knew what he was, and he knew that she knew. Maybe he'd tell her about it someday. But until that day came, Hera gave him his space and tried not to press the issue.

In the meantime, she had important work to do. Talented though she was, she knew that she'd need help if she ever wanted to put a real dent in Empire's sleekly malevolent carapace. She'd never be able to do much without a bigger crew. What she really wanted was to assemble a team- her own rebel cell. Who better to start that team with than a former Jedi? The trouble was that the former Jedi in question seemed a lot more interested in drinking and trying to flirt with his new captain than he was in rebelling.

He was also unpredictable and reckless. But Hera, being fairly unpredictable and reckless herself, found that their mutual appreciation for throwing caution to the wind caused them to sync up nicely in sticky situations. She was unquestionably the more pragmatic and focused of the two, but his quick-witted creativity was a tactical boon. And as much as she was loath to admit it, she enjoyed his sense of humor and his seemingly endless tales of fights, cantinas, and the occasional woman- all of which managed to be dryly self-deprecating and uproariously funny, while still painting Kanan as the hero.

They got along fine, worked well together, and had a good time doing it. It should have been a no-brainer to ask him to be her partner, which was the easiest and most obvious path to recruiting him- but Hera held back. His stories all had one thing in common: he never stayed in one place. She wasn't sure that he'd stay with her long enough to recruit him- especially if the whole romance angle didn't pan out for him. And even if he was better behaved than she'd initially expected, he was still a bit of a mess.