Okay I need every shred of serotonin I can get right now, so! Have a fic I wrote for @sarah3210 in honor on May the Fourth! Hope you guys enjoy it!
(Taglist for fun and profit: @day-to-day-thots @laughingphoenixleader @aosladies @heckin-music-dork @opalknight @cassie-fanfics)
It had been a long time since Ezra Bridger had flown a shuttle. But somehow, that’s not why his hands were shaking as he approached the hangar bay of the ship in front of him.
He shouldn’t have been nervous. But for the first time in almost ten years, he wasn’t on Peridea. He was home.
Or close enough, at least. The ship wasn’t Lothal. But when Ezra thought of home, Lothal wasn’t always the first thing that came to mind. It wasn’t a place at all. It was people.
They’re here. He was sure of it. Sabine had told him where to find Hera— or rather, Hera’s flagship, since she was a general now. He couldn’t really say he was surprised. Just proud, if you could be proud of the woman who’d basically been your mother for so many years of your life.
The two A-wings escorting him peeled off as he slipped through the energy shield and set the shuttle down. Not too rough of a landing— Hera or Sabine could have done better, but Ezra was a little rusty.
Through the viewport, he could see a handful of figures moving towards the shuttle. Okay. Here we go.
He realized, as the shuttle ramp was lowering, that he hadn’t taken off the armor he’d stolen on Thrawn’s ship. Huh. Well, this should be fun. Holding back a sudden burst of laughter, Ezra headed down the ramp slowly, his hands in the air.
There was a cluster of people coming to meet him— most of them wearing white and blue or black uniforms, all looking exceptionally wary. And in their lead was a green skinned Twi’lek woman wearing a flight jacket and carrying a small blaster that she leveled directly at Ezra.
It’s Hera. She looked a little different. Older and tired, but still determined, with the same calm that she wore when she was trying to mediate a fight between him and Zeb. Holy kark, it’s Hera, and is that— in a flash, he realized that Kallus and Zeb were a few steps behind her, bo-rifles at the ready as they eyed the potential threat warily.
The reality of it hit him like a brick in the chest because it meant he was back. It worked. Ten years and he was face to face with his family again, finally.
He was still reeling when he recognized the figure rolling towards him. Chopper looked exactly the same as the last time Ezra had seen him, when the droid had helped him save Lothal. He was bwomping something about who did Ezra think he was fooling as he approached, and Ezra almost automatically let a hand drop to the top of Chopper’s dome. “Hey, Chop,” he whispered, far too low for anyone else to hear it. The droid let out a satisfied noise— clearly, he’d realized who Ezra was immediately.
Hera still looked unsure, though. Which was fair. Ezra was, after all, still wearing trooper armor. Reaching up, he slowly pulled off his helmet.
The expression on Hera’s face changed in a snap, shock and confusion bright in her eyes. Ezra knew the feeling. He still couldn’t believe what he was looking at, either.
“Ezra?” she said, her voice shaking, holding a thread of hope that Ezra understood deeply.
“Hi, Hera,” he said, and found himself grinning like an idiot because it had been so long but he was back. Things were a mess but he was with his family again. He could fix it. “I’m home.”
He started towards her, but Hera was already moving. Her blaster clattering to the ground, she darted towards him and threw her arms around him in a fierce embrace that knocked the wind out of Ezra. “Ow,” he grunted, but hugged her back, feeling tears prickle his eyes.
“Hi?” she said, her voice shaking. “You’ve been gone for ten years and that’s how you start?”
“Uh—”
Another set of arms enveloped them, effectively crushing the last of the air out of Ezra’s lungs. “When I’m done hugging you,” Zeb growled, “I’m gonna kill you.”
“Missed you too,” Ezra gasped, wheezing for breath. “Kallus, you next? Is it gonna be a hug or a death threat?”
The man laughed, sounding more at ease than Ezra ever remembered him sounding. “Oh, I think Zeb and General Syndulla have the death threats more than covered.”
“That’s good,” Ezra said as both Zeb and Hera let go. Hera only stepped back a little, though, studying his face.
“You’ve grown up so much,” she whispered, gently touching his cheek. “And you’re— we thought you were—”
“You really thought Thrawn and a couple purrgil could take me out?” Ezra said, raising his eyebrows and grinning. “I’m pretty offended.
Zeb grinned even wider. “Oh, not everyone did.”
“Thanks, Zeb.”
Zeb’s grin, somehow, widened. And got a lot more smug. “Oh, I wasn’t talking about me.”
“Ouch. Wait, then who—”
A door hissed open, and a voice cut him off. A familiar voice. “Hera! You’re not going to believe this, but I sensed—”
Ezra’s heart stopped around the same time the voice did. Staring over Hera’s shoulder at him was… a ghost?
Because Kanan Jarrus had died on Lothal, saving him and Sabine and Hera.
He couldn’t be here, his hair and beard grown back with streaks of gray. And he DEFINITELY couldn’t have two kids with him— one who looked like a small version of Hera but with freckles, and patches of orange in her skin. She eyed him warily as she clung to Kanan’s hand. The other was a human boy with green hair, and was gaping at Ezra with delight. “I told you,” he whispered.
“—Ezra,” the man finished, meeting Ezra’s gaze with clear, seeing eyes. The scar was still there, but… His eyesight came back. Right before he… he died. Didn’t he?
He could barely speak as Hera silently stepped out of the way, a smile on her face. Clearing his throat, Ezra managed a breath. “K-Kanan?”
A smile spread across his face. “Hey, kid. I bet you have some—”
Ezra cut him off by sprinting across the space between them and tackling him in a hug that nearly sent them both flying backwards. He was definitely going to cry, but all he could do right now was cling to his master and pray that he didn’t somehow disappear. “You’re here,” he choked out, holding back a sob.
Strong arms wrapped around him, holding him close. For a moment, he felt just like a padawan again. “I’m here,” Kanan murmured. “And so are you. Force, Ezra, we missed you so much.”
Ezra let out a shaky laugh. “Uh, you missed me? I thought you were dead.”
“I almost was.”
“Thank you for not being dead.”
He felt Kanan laugh. “Any time, kid. Thank you for coming home safely.” He paused, and Ezra could sense his confusion through their bond. Their bond, which had come flowing back so naturally that it felt like it had never left.
“Shouldn’t Sabine be with you?”
Whoops. “Uh, yeah, about that,” Ezra said sheepishly. “Um… she and Ahsoka are kinda left behind? And Thrawn is also here? And he has a team of witches and a creepy friend named Enoch?”
“Maul isn’t resurrected from the dead, too, is he?” Kanan said wryly, and Ezra laughed.
“Nope. He’s still dead.”
“Okay, then. We’ll handle it.”
We. Somehow, Ezra thought, the prospect of facing this with his family at his side made the whole situation a lot easier. It always did.
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The Gannet (WIP) - Moodboard & Notes
" By today’s way of thinking, showing no fear of humans ought to be an endearing, if rare quality among wild species. Not so in the past. If a gannet’s nest site could be reached, the young of our largest seabird was easily seized and killed. This naive trust led Carl Linnaeus to classify its genus as Morus, ancient Greek for ‘stupid’.
The same unfearing nature is found in the gannet’s close relative, booby. The English name "booby" was possibly based on the Spanish slang term bobo, meaning "stupid”, as these tame birds had a habit of landing on board sailing ships, where they were easily captured and eaten. "
" Encountering a gannet is good luck, especially for someone who is about to undertake a voyage. Gannets spend long stretches of their lives at sea, diving from impressive heights onto shoals of fish and squid below. A gannet encounter can indicate a thirst for adventure as well as an inner fortitude that allows one to weather whatever storms may come. In addition, encountering a gannet may be a sign to take heart and have courage. Gannets must trust themselves to stay aloft over miles and miles of roiling sea. Furthermore, when the time is right these birds take death-defying plunges into the foamy waves. Encountering a gannet may be a sign to trust your instincts or to “take the plunge” and courageously dive into whatever challenge life sends your way. "
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The Gannet
The dull sting of a thin walking stick—nothing but a rod, in all honesty—whacked across the center of ??s back, his spine jerking upright in an instant. The hit wasn’t that hard. He knew it could’ve been worse, knew it had been worse in the past.
“Stop being nosy, and sit up proper, for heaven’s sake,” Mrs Malcolm(??) scolded drily.
Biting on his tongue ?? made sure to have his chin raised just right, his shoulders back and chest firmly held. With effortless dignity, poised, polished, polite. The exact way that had been drilled into him over and over, since before he had even known how to walk.
“That’s better. See, we all know you know how.”
Of course he knew. How could he not?
Regardless, the questions held silently, childishly, under his tense tongue were:
Did knowing how to do it mean that he had to do it?
And:
What if he, simply, didn’t want to do it?
And:
Did it matter what he did or did not want?
These were all questions ?? had been taught not to ask. Had been whacked by Mrs Malcolm’s walking stick for asking; had been scolded and scorned and shamed for asking.
Such aimless curiosity was unbecoming for a young gentleman like him. Curiosity, for things that the society—and thus, his family—deemed inappropriate.
Or, unimportant.
Or, below his station.
Or, reckless.
For someone like ??, who sometimes genuinely believed that curiosity was the very thing that kept his blood warm, it was nearing torture to constantly be told to focus, to stop asking questions, to do as you are told.
Where on the everloving Earth was the spark in that?
The walking stick snapped down over his pin straight shoulders.
“Hopeless!” Mrs Malcolm declared. The crow’s feet around her eyes looked unhappy, as usual. ?? blinked up at his disappointed tutor, forcefully dragging his attention to the present moment.
The book in front of him still showed the very same page from before, his progress practically nonexistent.
It was no surprise, then, that Mrs Malcolm’s walking stick was so overtly excited and active today.
“Could we not learn about something… Something less… Ah, stiff?” ?? enquired, knowing full well that he shouldn’t.
Mrs Malcolm whacked at the table top, by the book, and too close to comfort when it came to where ??s fingers rested.
?? curled his hand into a careful fist.
“Yes, Mrs Malcolm,” he said, holding back a sigh. Young men of his station weren’t to be caught huffing and puffing, it was unsightly and unattractive.
?? pulled the book slightly closer, eyes dragging sorely over the text. Endless flowery cursive moaning about old failed techniques used in even older failed wars.
Silently, to himself, ?? thought that all wars were failed wars.
Thus, perhaps, failed was his war against…
This.
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Kanera, Blind date au?
My stars this prompt is great I could have gone any number of directions but this one was too great to not write:
“You set me up on a WHAT?” Hera gaped at her friend in horror.
“A blind date,” Omega said, looking way too cheerful about the prospect. “Listen— we think you’ve been spending too much time working. The Empire’s not going to be overthrown overnight, and you need to spend some time on yourself. Like going on a date!”
There was a lot to unpack in that sentence. Hera decided to focus on it one part at a time. “We?”
“My brothers and I.”
Hera’s eyebrows shot up. “THEY’RE INVOLVED IN THIS?”
Omega nodded. “Hunter said he knows the perfect young man. Smart, kind, hates the Empire— you’ll love him!”
Letting out a long sigh, Hera said, “Omega, you know I don’t have time for that kind of thing. It’s just not a priority, not while the Empire’s still around.”
“I know,” Omega said, putting a hand on her arm. “But life doesn’t stop just because the Empire needs to be fought. Just think about it— I’m going to go check it with Echo.”
Hopping up from her seat, she headed across the restaurant to where her brother was sitting. Hera let out a long sigh, staring out across the open sea below them. She should have known visiting Pabu again was a bad idea.
“You okay?”
Glancing up, Hera saw a dark haired man standing nearby her table. She almost told him that it was none of his business— but there was something like genuine curiosity in his eyes. “Meddling friends,” she said.
The man snorted. “Oh, I know the type. Why my love life is any of their business is beyond me.”
“Exactly!” Hera said, throwing her hands up in the air. “Maybe I happen to have more important things going on than romance. And Force only knows with Omega’s friends, I’ll probably get stuck with someone insane.”
The corner of the man’s mouth tipped up in a grin. “Probably.”
“I’m back, and I brought snacks— oh, hi, Kanan!”
Hera turned at Omega’s cheerful voice. “I didn’t know you were already here,” the young woman continued, setting down the plates she’d been carrying. “And I see you met Hera.”
Slowly, Hera turned to face the man she’d been talking to. “You know the type, huh?” she said, raising a very pointed eyebrow.
He had the good sense to look a little sheepish. “In my defense, I wasn’t totally sure that it was you she was setting me up with. And I’m… less opposed to it now.”
Hera couldn’t say that she wasn’t less opposed as well. But she definitely wasn’t going to admit it. Folding her arms, she said, “Well, consider this your opportunity to convince me.”
Kanan grinned. “I like a challenge.”
Neither of them saw Omega smirking as she took a drink from her beverage.
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