A Shadow Of Hope

Chapter 45

Ezra woke early the next morning. Whiplash was snoozing beside him quietly, back rising and falling as he breathed. Ezra slowly slipped out from the dragon who's front claws were over the Jedi's chest. Climbing down the ladder, Ezra glanced at Zeb's bunk and saw the Lasat wasn't there.

'Odd' he thought.

'Zeb's never up early.'

Rolling his eyes, Ezra banished the thought aside and left the room. Opening the door, he went down the corrider to Fawn's cabin. He made sure he didn't make a sound though. Ezra didn't know if anyone else was up and didn't want to be the reason for waking them.

"Fawn?" Ezra whispered, softly knocking twice on the Gray Jedi's door.

"Fawn you up?"

The door slid open with a soft hiss but Fawn wasn't in the doorway. Instead, a small Hurricane stood bleary eyed at the foot of the entry.

"Fawn's not here" he yawned.

"I think she's outside mediating."

"Outside? Where are we?" Ezra asked in surprise.

"On Lothal. Hera landed the ship here last night" Hurricane replied. 

"Right. Thanks buddy."

"Where's Whiplash?"

"Still asleep."

The dragon closed the door as Ezra went down the hall. He slid down the ladder to the entry hall where the ramp was open. Walking down it, Ezra saw Fawn sitting on her knees a few meters away with her back turned. Ezra approached her, not knowing if she had sensed him or not. His thoughts were interrupted when Fawn's head lifted slightly.

"Ezra?" She asked turning her head slightly to glance at him.

"Hey" Ezra said awkwardly.

Fawn motioned to the ground beside her with her hand and Ezra got into a kneeling position like she was. Fawn looked at him for a few seconds before closing her eyes again.
Ezra patted his kneecaps as he looked around him. This was Lothal alright. Grass fields, Capital City in the distance, and the occasional Lothcat jumping up from the tall stems. He found himself glancing at Fawn occasionally, not knowing if he should speak. Fawn didn't say anything at all, Ezra couldn't tell whether she was deep in mediation or if she was ignoring him. After a few minutes, the Gray Jedi opened her eyes.

"I hope you slept well?" She asked.

It was such an out of the blue question, it took Ezra a few seconds before he could reply.

"Yeah, alright. You?"

"I honestly didn't sleep much at all. Too caught up thinking about last night" Fawn told him.

"Yeah, I spent a few minutes thinking as well" Ezra admitted.

Silence fell between Ezra and Fawn for a minute or two.

"Um, Fawn?" Ezra asked after a while.

"Yeah Ez?"

"Now that I know I'm your brother, will this make things awkward between us?"

Fawn looked at the sky in thought.

"I don't think so. Sure, it'll take a while to get comfortable with the idea your long lost sibling is right there. But we'll get used to it."

Ezra nodded in agreement. He didn't know how long it would take him to believe Fawn being his sister wasn't just some crazy dream and he was going to wake up at any second.

"Where were you?" Fawn asked.

"Huh?"

"On Lothal. I searched there for months and I never found you anywhere."

"Did you check Capital City?"
"More than once."

"The Imperial communication towers?"

"Quite a few."

"The grasslands?"

"Hurricane and I spent hours flying over those fields."

Ezra rubbed his head.

"Guess I'm better at hiding than I thought" he said.

Fawn smiled slightly and looked over at Ezra.

"You don't mediate much do you?" She asked.

"What makes you say that?" Ezra inquired.

"You're not relaxed. I can feel your emotions, they're going wild" Fawn remarked.

"Well, what so you expect? I mean, I learnt I had a sister last night" Ezra told her.

"Fair enough."

The siblings looked at the sky, watching as the clouds changed from a dazzling pink and yellow, to cream white.

"Sooooooooo" Ezra looked at Fawn.

"We're good?"

Fawn put a hand on Ezra's shoulder with a smile.

"We're good Ezra."