A/N: Hi all. This fic is a little out of place in here, Its much shorter and set recently, so if you think it deserves it own spot let me know. Its takes place immediately after the events of "legacy" so if you haven't watched it, this will contain some serious spoilers.

I just needed to have a Happy cry after all the Wretched ones Filoni gave me TT_TT. I hope everyone is well hydrated.

Closure

"Hey Hera."

Hera twisted around in the her pilot seat and saw Ezra standing in the cockpit doorway. His body language was awkward, a hand ruffling through his hair and his eyes averted. He looked tired, but otherwise okay. He glanced back up to meet her gaze and offered her a weary smile. "Do you... have a minute?"

"Of course." She replied instantly, smiling warmly in return. She waved a hand at the empty copilot seat beside her.

He hesitated, as if he'd been expecting she would say 'no', but then dropped his tense shoulders and sank into the chair.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Ezra started out at the starry skyline and Hera patiently returned her attention the holoscreen data. Deciding on a temporary base location to hide the fleet was proving to be a difficult task.

The Phantom had only rendezvoused with the fleet a few hours before. Ezra had disappear into his cabin on arrival, and Hera was silently thankful she'd sent Sabine and Zeb to be by Commander Sato's side to aid with communication and repairs.

Kanan hadn't needed to say a word. She understood as soon as he'd turned to face her.

After a little while, Ezra looked away from the veiwport and pulled his knees up to his chest.
"I guess... Kanan's probably told you," he swallowed, "about my parents."

Hera heaved a deep breath, and closed the holoscreen. Turning her body to face the boy and dropped all the steel from her expression. Curled in on himself, squeezing his knees into his chest, Ezra always managed to make himself appear smaller then he was. He stared at his knees, but his focus was clearly on something much further away. A muscle worked in his jaw.

"Yes." Hera answered honestly, as gently as she could. She waited a beat, and then reached out and lay a soft hand on his arm.

She steeled herself in case he tried to shrug her touch off, but he didn't. He turned his head, and looked her straight in the eye.

"I'm so sorry, Ezra." She breathed, the tightness in her chest expanding. Her lekku fell limply over her shoulders. There wasn't anything else to be said. Nothing she could ever say would ease the ache in his chest.

As much as she believed in hope, it hurt when it was lost. Which meant she had to keep it alive, if barely.

He blinked at her, and she saw a shudder in his eyes, his lips twitched. He opened his mouth to reply, but seemed to struggle to get the words around the lump in his throat.

"It's... It's okay." he said, studying his knees. After a beat he added, "I'm okay. Really. It's better that... that I know."

She squeezed his arm, and after a moment, he leant into the touch, just an inch.

She felt her eyes growing hot and quickly blinked them clear. He lifted his head after a moment and smiled softly.

"Did Kanan tell you they heard our transmission?"

Her returning smile was wide, but her voice was soft. "Yes. I'm sure it inspired them to keep going, to stay strong. They were very brave."

He nodded weakly, and his expression grew a little shakily again.

"They saved so many people, Ezra."

It was true. The Bridgers' sacrifice, by all accounts, had been the pinnacle point in the mass escape. Many names and leads and missing persons were being located as they spoke. New information and valuable intel on the Empire was coming to light. The rebellion may have lost their safe-hold on Garel, but their hope was burning brighter than ever. The Empire had not won today and that was in many ways thanks to the Bridgers.

Ryder Azadi, the former governor, had made that clear, and reports of their action had already spread deep throughout the rebellions fleet. The voices of Freedom, had paid the ultimate price.

They would be proud.

Looking at Ezra, they had a lot to be proud of.

They had lapsed into silence, both deep in thought. But now Ezra lifted his chin and sat up straight. His eyes were bright and focused on something far away; he looked like he was teetering on the edge of spilling something heavy. Hera waited.

"Hera," He began, seeming to find it hard to look her in the eye. "I just... wanted to tell you..." He struggled to string the words together, and they tumbled out disjointed. "I think, I know... That they were really proud of me. Of Us. Of everything we've done and what we're trying to do..."

Hera wanted to speak, but she could see he wasn't done. She didn't want to interrupt him and break his train of thought.

"I wanted to say... Thank you. For helping me... for changing me; into someone they could be proud of. Someone who can carry on what they started."

Hera felt her lips open in surprise. Before she could gather her words to answer, he looked her right in the eye and smiled one of his rare, unguarded grins. His eyes were wet, but no tears fell and he didn't wipe them away.

"I think they knew... that I would be okay, because they knew I would have you." He shook his head a little as he spoke.
"You would have loved them Hera, and..." His throat tired to tighten on his word. "I know they would have loved you."

Hera felt her heart twist in her chest. A bubble of tightness took her breath away for just a moment and she felt a rush of light-headedness spread through her all the way to the tips of her lekku. Her eyes burned, but for a different reason now.

Now it was her turn to swallow a lump in her throat but the words weren't coming out.

Seeing her suddenly struggle to find her voice, Ezra turned bashful now. The moment of rawness had passed and now he looked a little embarrassed by what he'd said. Hera was not one to be left speechless easily. He blinked his eyes dry and cleared his throat.

"So... That's all... I wanted to say, I guess." he got up quickly and gently detached her hand. He appeared a little less drained than he had before.

"I better let you get back to your work, Captain." He winked, and moved to leave.

"Ezra."

He turned. "Yeah?"

Hera stood, meaning to finally speak, but instead she found her heart lunged in her chest. She followed it and found herself wrapping her arms tightly around him. She squeezed, pressing him close into her shoulder, suddenly needing him to know what she was feeling.

He was surprised, but not offended. Maybe a little overwhelmed judging by the shuddering intake of breath. Hera swallowed and pulled away to give him some space, but only an arm's length.
He met her eyes, and his own were wide. Hera smiled and finally found the words she needed to say.

"I know I would have loved them, because they sound just like you."

His expression evolved quickly through shock, and then pain as the words took their effect. He lowered his eyes and looked at the floor, drawing in a deep breath that made his shoulders stretch and shudder. Then he lifted his eyes, and smiled at her.

"Thanks, Hera."

After a moment, he felt awkward again and she let him de-tangle her arms with an gangly laugh.

"Well, I gotta go. You've got a fleet to house and I'm sure I'm late for Jedi training or chores or a prank Chopper's been waiting to pull on me."

Hera leant an elbow on the back of her chair, cocking a brow. "More likely he's waiting for you to pull one on Zeb when he gets back."

Ezra chucked as he slid down the port hole ladder. "Fingers crossed."

"As long as my ship stays in one piece." She called over her shoulder, sliding back into the pilot's chair. She smiled as his voice drifted back up the porthole.

"Aye Aye, Captain!"

R&R for good Karma and to stem the flow of feelings TT_TT