A Shadow Of Hope

Chapter 37

Kanan groaned and slowly opened his eyes. He could barely make out his surroundings in the dim light. A moaning chuff made him look round with some effort. Kyber was lying beside him, sides rising and falling heavily. Then Kanan realised they were bound in a net that seemed too small for the dragon. Kanan clutched his head and tried to recall how he got there and why he was trapped in a net. Then it all came back.
Himself riding Kyber to fight alongside his friends in a battle on Florrum. Kyber destroying an AT-AT walker with a single fireball. A net taking hold of the dragon an himself. Unbearable needle sharp lightning crackling over their bodies. The feeling of falling before going into internal darkness.

"Kyber" Kanan muttered, placing a hand on the dragon's neck and rubbing the place.

"Kyber wake up. C'mon I need you right now."

One of Kyber's green eyelids slid open revealing his turquoise coloured pupils.

"Kanan?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah. You okay?"

"I'll live" the Shadow Wing answered.

Kanan activated his lightsaber and cut through the metal ropes. Standing, Kyber threw the net off him and helped Kanan up.

"How do we get out of here?" Kanan asked putting his weapon back on his belt.

"You could shoot a fireball at the ceiling but that could cave us in more. Blast it...uh Kyber? What are you doing?"

The dragon was scraping at the walls.

"I have to get back up there. My family's fighting and so I have to as well."

"Kyber, you're going to cave us in even more making escape impossible. Stop" Kanan told him.

Kyber ignored Kanan and continued to scrap around with the boulders. With a growl of frustration he let a fireball loose.

"Kyber!" Kanan exclaimed sheltering his head as more rocks tumbled from the caverns walls

Kyber unlocked his barbs and swung them furiously at the cavern walls.

"Kyber stop!" Kanan ordered but the dragon wouldn't listen.

He continued to bite, scratch and pull the rocks. Trying to find a weak spot in the cavern. Kanan's eyes narrowed and his voice became sharper.

"Kyber!"

The dragon froze.
The voice.
The tone.
It sounded so familiar.

It sounded so much,

Like Ben.

*Flashback*

"Kyber. How many times have I told you, you need to learn to accept orders" Ben told his dragon.

"Ben, believe me. I listen to orders but I just follow them in my own way" Kyber shrugged.

"You're going to get us both expelled from D.R.A.G.O.N if you keep this up. Fawn's been nagging me to keep you under control."

"Fawn giving you a hard time is she?" Kyber laughed.

"I'm not surprised. Hurricane told me the other night she almost threw a fit when she found out I'd blown up an Imperial Light Crusier on my own."

"Fawn instructed you to give the ship enough damage to malfunction, not blow it to smithereens!" Ben groaned.

"Eh tomato, tamarta" Kyber shrugged.