Hello! I was wondering, would you like me to respond to your comments? I always read them all, but if you would like me to respond, I can. I hope you enjoy the first chapter of this fic!

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Chapter 1 - Hungry

Ezra did not know the plan.

He knew they were going to destroy an Imperial factory, and that it involved the air ducts; but that was obvious. The crew had always taken advantage of his short, thin frame to complete their missions. Ezra did not mind it; it felt comforting to know that he was needed. To say the least, it had been a while since he had felt that way.

But as the Phantom lowered down toward the planet, Kanan was making sure that everyone knew their role. And Ezra knew he was about to get busted.

"Ezra," Kanan said, bursting him out of his thoughts. "You know what to do?" In the cramped corroders of the Phantom, it was hard to hide his nervousness.

"Yeah," he lied. And just as he thought, Kanan saw right through him. Kanan narrowed his gaze, analyzing the smallest member of their team. Ezra cursed their bond under his breath. He did not actually mean it; their bond was what brought them together. But sometimes it could be annoying to have someone see right through you.

"You have no idea what your part is, do you?" Ezra, giving his signature sheepish grin and shrug, heard Kanan groan. He rubbed his hand down the length of his face, lingering for a moment before lifting it up and speaking.

"Ezra, this mission is important! We can't risk it because of you lack of focus."

"Relax – we never end up following the plan anyway." Kanan sighed.

"Kid's got a point," Zeb said.

"It's not just that. You have to have focus to control your emotions and to become a Jedi. It's a basic skill that basically every kid learned much younger than you, Ezra. I just can't comprehend on why you can't seem to grasp it."

Ezra looked defiantly into Kanan's sea green eyes, before turning his head away harshly. He scowled, biting the inside of his cheek. The crew could taste the tension in the air; it was not normal for Ezra to sulk away. He would usually put up a fight until Kanan gave in, deeming the issue hopeless for the time being. Ezra's reaction implied that, for once, he did not want to talk about it.

The Phantom rattled as it entered the planet's atmosphere. Hera kept a steady hand on the handles, flipping switches and adjusting nobs in order to keep them from crashing.

"You'll have exactly one rotation before I come and pick you back up. Any longer than that, and we'd be taking a huge risk," Hera said, ending the stifling silence that had washed over the crew.

"One rotation at these coordinates exactly. Got it," Kanan summarized. Ezra glanced at the coordinates on the screen and hoped that someone else knew them; he had no idea what any of the numbers meant.

"Good luck," Hera shouted over the rushing wind that came with the opening of the door. Ezra's long hair blew away from his face, allowing him to view the planet below. To his amazement, it was nothing like the grassy fields of Lothal. The planet seemed to be covered in green; the trees spreading out all across the world. Ezra awed at the Jungle planet, the damp air feeling refreshing as he breathed in.

He rushed forward, eager to jump out of the small Phantom and to explore the new planet. But before he jumped, he felt a hand grab the back of his collar. Yanked back into the Phantom, he stumbled back, tripping over his own feet. He landed on the floor, looking up at a furious Kanan. Sabine and Zeb were no longer in the ship, having already jumped out.

"Ezra!" Kanan shouted, but quickly gave it up. Hera was leaving the drop zone, and they had to get out quickly. Giving one last menacing glare at his padawan, Kanan picked Ezra up by his forearm. They turned and sprinted out of the Phantom, the floor quickly disappearing underneath them. Ezra felt the rush of adrenaline coursing through his body. If it was not for Kanan's grip on him, he would have surely spun out of control. This was only the second time he had jumped willingly from unimaginable heights (There had been a few times that he had fallen, and that was far less fun than jumping).

The trees approached quickly, despite the two Jedi being far from the jungle ground. Everything became a blur of green; and before he knew it Kanan's grip was removed. Ezra blinked, and the next thing he knew he was tumbling along the soft ground. The world whirled around him as he skidded to a stop. He opened his eyes, his vision spinning, trying to right itself. Shaking off the dizziness, he looked over to Kanan, who had landed perfectly in a crouch.

Ezra picked himself up, rubbing the spot where his back had rolled over a rock. As he looked around at their surroundings, the pain faded away and was replaced with astonishment.

The trees looked as if they were miles high, spreading their branches as if to touch the clouds. His eyes trailed down the bark until he was looking back at eye level. They had landed in a small cove, with soft green moss covering the ground. Around them an array of diverse plants grew. It was like nothing Ezra had ever seen before. There were so many different plant types, each slightly different from the other, all living together in the rich soil. The shrubs closed them off, leaving Ezra and Kanan secluded. The trees above almost blocked out the sun, but a few gaps allowed the light to illuminate the ground.

"Come on. We got a late start, and we need to catch up." Kanan's voice snapped Ezra out of his thoughts. The angry tone in his voice was still present, and Ezra knew that when they completed the mission he was going to get a lecture. He was not looking forward to it.

Kanan ran through the brush, and Ezra had to sprint to catch up. The last thing he wanted was to get left behind; that would only feed Kanan's frustration. He followed Kanan to the best of his ability as branches and vines whacked him in the face. Kanan would push them out of his way, but they would snap back before Ezra had a chance to react. He could not tell if Kanan was doing it on purpose or not.

Suddenly, Kanan stopped without warning. Ezra collided into his back, stumbling back in surprise.

"Hey!" he shouted, fed up with Kanan's actions.

"Shh!"

"What?"

"Shh!" Kanan repeated, growing impatient. "Do you feel that?" Ezra was confused, but he then recognized the warnings the force was giving him. He had unconsciously blocked them out in his frustration. It sent a chill up his spine. He felt a presence brush against his own, and it was not Kanan's. It felt cold and bloodthirsty, and Ezra had to resist the urge to let it consume him. It retracted, but not after its thoughts was injected into Ezra's mind.

"Ezra, are you alright?" Ezra had gone pale, his body slightly shivering in the heat. Kanan had felt the presence, but it did not linger long enough for him to pinpoint its source. He now looked at his padawan in worry as he shivered.

Ezra swallowed, his throat dry, before speaking.

"It's hungry."

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R & R

~ Kavella ~