Cashing forces

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars Rebels or anything star wars related. Just my characters and some of the plot.

Just having fun writing.

Here's a link to a pictures I drew of Zaria and her parents. And pics of her clothes.

RedtailHawk19 at deviantart

I like to draw clothes and write so I can get better.

I adore the design of the sith purebloods. But I have taken liberties of my own. But I plan on explaining lots of things later on.

Prologue

Zaria opened the door to the old com tower. The door sliding open with a soft hiss.

Zaria crept noiselessly in the room. Ezra's deep sleep breathing making her ears twitch. Zaria's steps were quiet enough that even if Ezra had been awake in his hammock he wouldn't have hear her coming. Zaria set the hologram message and a lunchbox on his bedside table. She steeled herself. Erza could handle himself while she was gone for a mission on Tatooine. She hopefully would not take to long.

Zaria brushed away a lock of hair from his eyes.

"Ziur j'us veek brolin."* She murmured fondly.

Then, like a shadow she left back into the night as if she were never there at all.

This is a line break.

Ezra Bridger yawned and stretched his arms over his head. The sunlight hitting his face. Ezra sniffed. He looked at his bedside table. He grinned Zaria had left him some breakfast now he had one less meal to worry about for today. He eagerly grabbed the box. Knocking the hologram message onto the floor. A hologram of Zaria flared to life.

"Hey little brolin, I am sorry I couldn't be here in person to tell you. But Visago had a job that paid to well to turn down, I have to take it. But it's an off world job. I am hunting a traitor on Tatooine, it could take awhile. So I will be gone for a while. But I left supplies and credits with TZ-34 my, as you call him, my nanny droid. He is at your old house waiting. Don't be so sassy with TZ-34 you know he hates it. Be strong while I am gone, I will try to be back soon. Don't do anything to stupid. Be smart while I am gone, I know you will do well on your own. Take care until I get back. Keep up your training." Zaria's message paused. As if she were abashed about what she would say next. "And. . . Remember that I love you. Don't get yourself killed while I'm gone. I would miss you. Okay enough of the mushy stuff. We will see each other soon." The hologram shut off.

Ezra frowned.

"Well as long as it's not to long."

So, Ezra waited.

And waited, and soon it was seven months. Ezra had lost hope that Zaria would return.

Chapter 1

Zaria Saijtoir stepped off the ramp with relief. It was good to be back on Lothal. Tatooine was dreadfully hot, what with three suns what planet wouldn't be. Zaria wore a black clothed head wrap and poncho to hide her unique features. Zaria couldn't afford to draw attention from the Empire or anyone else. So, the trip had not been comfy with the dense obscuring cloth on her face and head.

It had been an effective and consequential trip.

Zaria had Xen Cato's head in her bag. She had to go give it to Visago so she could get paid. Xen had been a simpleton who double crossed Visago the head of the broken horn crime syndicate and no one crossed Visago. So, Zaria jumped at the chance to make good easy money. But it turned out her target was a lot harder to catch then she first assumed. What had been a one month mission turned into seven months. But she had prevailed and had an opportunity filled trip.

Zaria patted her other bag.

It had ancient sith vibrodaggers and vibrosword, and a talisman to help with focus. One of the daggers and the talisman were gifts for Zaria's friend Erza. It was his birthday tomorrow. Hopefully the gifts could make up her being gone for so long. She would need all the help she could get. Ezra was Zaria's only friend.

He was two and half years younger than Zaria at fifteen, fifteen years tomorrow.

Zaria felt a kinship with the human. He was an orphan like her, and he was force sensitive like her. Zaria supposed that was the real draw to why she was so adoring of him. Zaria had fought with herself on whether she should train Ezra in the force. Not just teach him tricks. But after meditating on the matter Zaria saw she was not meant to be his teacher. She wondered if Ezra had found his mentor yet. Zaria had met him when he was eight years old and hopeless at stealing or surviving on his own. Zaria could see his potential though so she taught him how to live in a new world without his parents. Zaria had been eight years old when her own parents had been killed. He was a younger brother to her. Zaria considered him family.

Zaria set off for her home. Tomorrow she would bring Ezra some Lothal spice cake and his presents and they could spend the day together. She could get back into Ezra's good graces with some time.

Zaria walked through the destitute streets. The two moons of Lothal shined pearlescent tonight. She entered the alley where she had stashed her speeder bike.

The sleek black and red speeder was still there. Zaria climbed on, the quiet purr of the engine humming as she drove to Visago's camp, then she could return to her home. Zaria's home was an old abandoned jedi temple. Zaria loved her home.

She had found it when she was ten years old and had made it her own. It was the ideal base for her. It hid her use of the force when she trained. But it wouldn't be safe for Ezra. He was not ready. So Zaria had found him his own base. An old com tower.

Zaria's sharp golden eyes caught sight of Visago's camp. Visago was waiting for her as she slowed her bike down.

"So my shadow, did you complete the job? Took you long enough."

Zaria rolled her eyes.

"Would I be here if I had not? And you did not tell me Xen could shape-shift. Job would have gotten done a lot faster if you had given me all the information." She hissed at him as she reached into the bag with the head and threw it at Visago's feet. Dead eyes stared up at him. Visago kicked the Clawdite head away from him.

Visago brought out the case of credits he promised her.

"Job well done. Why don't you stay and have a drink with me? I bet you are beautiful under that head dress of yours." Visago leered at her.

He had been trying for years to see under her head dress.

"That little human pet of yours has been bugging me about you every time he comes with those new friends of his."

"Ezra?" Zaria blinked in surprise.

Visago snapped his fingers.

"Yes, him. Do me a favor and tell him you are alive. And about that drink?"

"I will let Ezra know you didn't kill me. No thanks to the drink, maybe another time. I will go sleep, and I have an angry Ezra, I need to meet tomorrow. Pleasure to do business as always, catch you around." Zaria left before Visago could say another word.

She yawned under her head wrap.

She was glad to make it home in record time. She enters the temple and closed the door shut behind her. She stretched her arms into the air and took of her head dress and poncho. It felt good to free her head from the cloth.

"Master, I'm so glad you are home at last. I told the boy you did not expire." TZ-34 walked towards her. Picked up her fell things.

"Good to see you to TZ-34, we have our morning spar tomorrow."

Zaria shook her hair. The gold bands on her long obsidian dreadlocks jingled from hitting each other. Zaria entered her room. TZ-34 followed. It was a refurbished meditation room. She sat down in front of her mirror. And applied moisturizer to her dark red skin. Tatooine had dried her out. Zaria removed her gold piercings. First her two lips piercings, her lip ring and stud below her bottom lip. Then, her eyebrow stalk bands, her earrings, her bands on her two chin tendrils. She carefully removed the nose stud from her left nostril. Now, she could go to sleep.

"Shall I leave you to recharge master?" TZ-34 inquired.

"Yes, good night TZ-34."

Zaria didn't even bother taking off her dusty clothes and laid face down on her bed and quickly fell asleep.

This is a line break.

Zaria clapped her hands as she performed her push ups. She was almost done with her morning routine. Her morning spar with TZ-34 had been invigorating.

"200." Zaria jumped up and wiped her forehead.

Zaria looked at the time, it almost noon.

"Erza should be up by now." Zaria chuckled.

Zaria stretched her arms over her head. She had better change her clothes and head out. Zaria put on her long sleeved light blue shirt, her black skirt, white tights and black boots. The last the to be put on was her dark gray poncho. The poncho hood wrapped around her head like a mask. Only her eyes could be seen.

Zaria slid her satchel over her shoulder. Made sure her money, weapons, and Ezra's presents were packed away.

"Tell the boy happy creation day for me, master!" TZ-34 called from his own room.

"I will, see you later."

Zaria exited the temple and climbed on to speeder.

She sped off to Ezra's tower.

Zaria frowned as she looked around the empty room in Ezra's tower. Ezra was not here. He had not been there for weeks. Where was he if he was not here? Zaria sighed.

"No use hanging around here then." Zaria walked out onto the balcony then jumped down to the ground. Zaria used the force to land gracefully onto the ground.

"Might as well go see the celebrations in the city." Zaria directed her bike towards the city.

The streets were packed with beings. Imperialis searching the crowd. Zaria parked her bike near Ezra's old home and stalked over to the imperial officer.

The man was glaring at his datapad. It had a picture of a lime green Rodian on it.

Zaria bumped into him.

"Oh I'm so sorry." Zaria picked the datapad up from off the ground. Dusted the dirt of it, she inspected the picture.

"I'm so clumsy." Zaria simpered from under her head wrap.

The human snatched the datapad from her.

His ISB helmet skewed to one side. He angrily fixed it.

"You must have important work to do, Agent. I'm so glad our galaxy is in your capable hands." Zaria says sweetly before he could retort.

"Yes, well see you are more careful." The agent tells her dismissively.

"Oh I will, happy empire day." Zaria bowed as she backed away. The agent went back to searching the crowd.

Zaria was curious, why did the empire want this Rodian so badly? Zaria wondered how much they would pay her if she was the one to find him. Zaria's thoughts were broken as she felt Ezra's presence. It was different more focused, less wild than before. Did Ezra find a master to teach him while she was gone?

Zaria snuck up behind him.

She grabbed him around the neck playfully.

"Hey brat, miss me?" Ezra squawked in surprise. He twisted out of Zaria's hold.

His blue eyes widened in surprise.

"Zaria!" He hugged her tightly.

"You are alive! You are back!"

Zaria laughed.

"I missed you too." She patted Ezra on his head.

"You were gone for months!" Ezra frowned at her.

"You were supposed to be back in a month. I thought you were never coming back."

Zaria ruffled his hair.

"II came back, I promised I would. I just got a little sidetracked, it's a long story. I will tell you more about it when we are alone. So, how have you been?"

Ezra smiled and shook her hand off his head.

"I'm good, I have so much to tell you about." Ezra stopped as he caught sight of some people. Zaria turned to look too.

"New friends of yours?"

Ezra nodded.

"We are gonna jazz up the celebrations."

"Now? Mind if I tag along?" Zaria was always up for messing with the empire.

"Sure come on, I'll introduce you to them."

The sky lit up with fireworks.

"Hmm pretty." Zaria commented as she gazed up at them.

"That's Sabine's handy work. She this Mandalorian artist who's great at blowing stuff up." Ezra tells her excitedly.

"I cannot wait to meet her." Zaria looked appreciatively up at the sky where another set of colorful fireworks burst.

"Hey there's Kanan." Ezra pointed out a tall dark skinned human with at brown reddish haired ponytail. Zaria blinked, she couldn't believe it. This Kanan was a jedi, he must be Ezra's teacher. Zaria clamped down in her force signature so it appeared she was a non-sensitive. Kanan was accosted by a storm trooper after he slipped an explosive under the new model tie fighter.

"Come on." Ezra ran over to Kanan.

Zaria followed but hung back to observe.

"All the colors- its- it's like a rainbow." Kanan slurred making it seem as if he was drunk.

"Dad, what are you doing?" Ezra grabbed Kanan's arm.

"Sorry my dad is just so patriotic."

Kanan pumped a fist into the air.

"Empire day! I love it! All hail our glorious empire!"

Zaria was impressed, this Kanan was quite the actor. He had to good, if he hid from the Empire successfully after all these years.

The trooper must have lost patience to deal with a drunk civilian so he ushered them away.

"Move along."

"Thanks, where have you been?" Kanan asked Ezra in an undertone.

"Making connections, this is Zaria Saijtoir. She's one of my oldest friends, she just got back planetside today." Ezra brought Kanan over to Zaria.

Kanan looked Zaria over.

"Nice to meet you." He held out his hand.

Zaria shook it.

"The pleasure is all mine. I'm glad Ezra has had someone around to help keep him out of trouble while I have been gone."

A shiver went up Kanan's spine.

He sensed something about her.

"How's the plan going?" Ezra looks at the tie fighter.

Kanan shook himself out of his thoughts and grinned.

"Just watch."

Zaria sensitive ears easily picked up on the rapid beeping of a bomb.

The bomb went off in a spectacular display of fireworks. The tie fighter went up in smoke. Screams and cheers went up from the crowd.

The governor shouted furiously.

"Find who is responsible for this!"

"That should be our cue, to get out of here."

Zaria muttered. She turned and sprinted away, grabbing Ezra's hand and pulling him with her.

Kanan protested and ran to catch up.

"Wait up!"

Two figures from an alley join their run.

A lasat and a young mandalorian who looked three years older than Zaria.

"Who's this?" The purple Lasat grumbled looking at Zaria.

"This is Zaria, she's a friend." Ezra answered.

Kanan stopped the others followed his lead.

Zaria skidded to a stop and turned to look what was keeping them.

Zaria felt the tremble in the force as an inquisitor walked towards the bomb site.

The inquisitor radiated with the dark side.

The Lasat had his rifle pointing at the ISB agent she had bumped into earlier.

"We do not have time for this. Let's go!" Kanan ordered.

Zaria stated at the Pau'an inquisitor. His signature felt familiar.

The Lasat's ears flattened against his head.

"Fine." He said disappointed.

Kanan ran again with the crowd, the rest followed him.

Zaria tore her gaze away from the inquisitor and was swift to catch back up by weaving between people.

"Spectre-2, we are en route to the rendezvous." Kanan spoke into a comlink.

"Negative Spectre-1 the streets are blocked. Rendezvous is impossible. I cannot- I cannot- I repeat I cannot reach rendezvous." The female voice replied from the com.

"I know a place where we can sit tight until things calm down." Ezra spoke up. He pointed to the Lasat.

"But 'shoulders' here might have trouble taking my route."

"Then, we need another option." Kanan demanded.

"Nah, it's fine." The lasat grabbed his com.

"Spectre-2 can you make it to the old market place?"

"Affirmative." The voice confirmed.

"I'm on my way" The Lasat saluted Kanan then climbed up the side of a building.

"See you at these ghost." Then, the Lasat disappeared.

"We will signal a new rendezvous when we can." Kanan called.

They followed Ezra to a sewer grate.

"I see you have been keeping busy. Never pictured you as a rebel." Zaria walked behind Ezra.

"Yeah, me neither but I'm good at it." Ezra grinned.

"I can tell, so introduce me to your rebel friends." Zaria turned so she could walk backwards and look at the other two humans.

"That's Sabine Wren, the explosive artist, and that's Kanan Jarus." Ezra pointed to each of them.

"Guys this is Zaria Saijtoir, she helped me learn how to survive after I've been on my own."

"So, what mandalorian and a jedi huh?" Zaria couldn't resist saying, enjoying the jedi's reaction.

Everyone froze. Sabine drew her blasters.

Zaria rolled her eyes and waved a hand.

"Relax, I hate the empire as much as anyone and I have no quarrel with the Jedi." Kanan glared distrustfully at her.

"Guys, calm down. Zaria is trustworthy, I promise. Now come on, this is the grate when need to take out of here to get to the place." Ezra leads the way out and to his old home.

"This building has an imperial warning declaring this building off limits. It's condemned." Sabine folded her arms across her chest. Ezra didn't reply, he pulled out and old data card and slid it threw the reader. The door hissed then opened.

"Come on." Ezra stepped inside.

"You were coming here today, this was your home wasn't it. Where you grew up."

Kanan's insights were spot on.

"I grew up on the streets." Ezra says bitterly.

"Alone." They walked inside.

Zaria smacked Ezra lightly on his head.

"And what was I? Your imaginary friend?"

Ezra rubbed his head.

"Ow!"

"Why here? Why now?" Sabine pulled off her helmet.

Ezra shifted around the room.

"I don't know, had this feeling." Ezra walked towards the middle of the room and pushed back a rug. Revealed a hidden door underneath. Zaria could hear the soft sobs coming from the secret room.

"Tseebo!"

Ezra gasped.

"Tseebo, Tseebo, it's me Ezra Bridger."

The crying stopped.

The faint clink of an implant made Zaria's ears twitch. A Rodian climbed out of the hole.

The Rodian the ISB agent was searching for. Tseebo muttered nonsense in huttese. He walked straight into a wall.

"He's an imperial slave." Zaria felt pity for the Rodian. She abhorred slavery. It was a disgusting practice.

"He's the one, they're all searching for." Kanan looked excited.

"You know him?"

Ezra sat down.

"Yeah, he was a friend of my parents. But something's wrong. What's that thing on his head?"

Sabine walked over to examine the rodian.

"The empire has implanted cybernetics into their low level technicians. Personality sacrificed for productivity."

The word productivity seemed to snap something in Tseebo.

"Tseebo's productivity is 19% higher. An increase in food would help bring it to 35%." Tseebo's thin form growled from hunger.

"Tseebo went to work for the imperial data office after the empire took my parents." Ezra glared at Tseebo.

Zaria pulled a fruit from her bag. Offered it to the Rodian.

"No wonder the Imperialis want him back so much. He's a walking hard drive of imperial secrets. And don't be so hard on him Ezra. We all have to survive. Not everyone has the strength or the power to stand up to the empire. Perhaps he is standing up the only way he knows how. And that is worthy of respect." Zaria watched Tseebo nibble on the fruit.

"Your parents? You never told us." Kanan knelt down next to Ezra.

"What's to tell? They've been gone for eight years. I've been on my own since I was seven." Ezra turned away from them.

"Seven imperial." Tseebo continued in huttese.

"What's he saying?" Kanan rubbed the back of his head.

"He's detailing imperial fighter deployments on Lothal." Sabine translated.

"We have to keep Tseebo out of the empire's hands. Sabine can you access the information?" Kanan looked at Sabine.

"Uh? I think, so I'll need a few minutes." Sabine fiddled around with Tseebo's implant.

"Ezra are you okay?" Kanan asked his Padawan.

"I'm fine." Ezra draws away from Kanan to climb down the hole.

"I'm told you, you have to let your guard down sometimes." Kanan tells him.

"I said I'm fine." Ezra dropped to the floor.

Zaria jumped in after him.

"Ezra Bridger son of Ephraim and Mira Bridger. Born fifteen years ago, today." Tseebo mutters.

"Oh empire day." Sabine puzzled out.

"It's Ezra's birthday."

Ezra kicked an old toy on the floor of the room.

"Speaking of birthdays, I have your presents." Zaria smiled under her head dress.

"Thanks Zaria, but I'm not in the mood right now." Ezra runs his fingers over the old radio.

"Okay." Zaria nodded sensing now was not a good time to push Ezra.

"Later perhaps."

His fingers finding a chip. He pulled it out. The force called out to Ezra.

Zaria reached out to Ezra, he gasped.

"Ezra, come see this." Sabine called down to the two orphans climbing down the latter. "What's all this?" She asks surviving the room and the chip in Ezra's hand.

"My folks used to broadcast down here, speaking out against the empire. It's probably just and speech about justice or something."

Ezra set the chip down and started back up the ladder. Sabine grabbed the chip and followed after. Zaria shook her head.

She climbed up two bars at a time. Sabine typed on her wrist computer. Tseebo's implant beeped and projected a hologram of the data.

"What are we looking at here?" Kanan puts a hand to his chin.

"Everything!" Sabine breathed.

"Imperial specs on the new ties. And then new T-8 distruptors. Schedules, tactics, strategies, half of its encrypted, but it looks like there's a five year plan for Lothal and every other outer rim world."

Tseebo groaned, and the hologram cut off.

He swayed on his feet. Zaria caught him.

"No wonder he's shorting out, all that data would overload anyone." Ezra sounded disgusted with the empire.

Zaria didn't blame him. She hated them.

"We need to smuggle him off Lothal." Kanan decided.

"Smuggle him out of the city first. Which is on high alert and crawling with imps." Zaria tells him.

"Security has been short because of Empire day that's the only reason they haven't caught him yet. But the day is almost done."

Tseebo walked into another wall as if proving Zaria's point in how hard it would be to get Tseebo out of the city.

This is a line break.

Zaria decided she liked this Sabine girl as she watched her take out the storm troopers with a battle lust fit for a mandalorian. Kanan smiled and waved at the trooper who exited the transport to see what was going on.

Zaria knocked the man unconscious with one hit. She tore the helmet off him and threw it to Ezra.

"Don't have that one yet." She winked at him.

Ezra caught it.

"You are the best, Zaria."

"I know." Zaria chuckled.

"I will ride behind on my bike."

Ezra dragged Tseebo onto the transport.

Kanan and Sabine closed the door after they climbed in.

Zaria rode her speeder close behind them. Kicking the trooper who woke up in the head before he could com in.

Zaria snickered.

The blockade was cute, Zaria wonder how the officers got anything done on Lothal. Most were complete morons.

She fired the blasters on her speeder. As she swerved in front of the stolen transport. Zaria nimbly dodged the return fire. And broke through the blockade with a smirk.

A second transport was hot on their trail.

The transport rocked with an explosion. Zaria took out her sleek nabuain design blasters and shot the two imperials on the bikes.

Their lifeless bodies hit the ground with a sickening crunch.

Zaria bared her sharp teeth under her head wrap. Pleased with herself.

The second Transport rammed the stolen transport. The ISB agent jumping onto the rebel transport. The ghost dropped out of the sky ramp extended.

The Lasat shot his rifle at the agent.

Zaria admired the pilot who was excellent enough to fly so low to the ground.

Zaria could feel her blood pump with the excitement. Perhaps there was something to this rebel business. Zaria was going to like this group. Zaria weaved around the transports. Getting behind the second transport, with her shooting it from the back and the ship's guns shooting at the front. The transport was taken out quickly.

Zaria sped back in front of the rebel transport.

The agent was knocked off the transport with blaster fire from the Lasat.

Zaria could still sense him though. So, the was probably holding onto the back. Kanan climbed on top of the transport. Then, force pushed Tseebo up. Ezra and Sabine followed after. The ship dropped down close enough to scoop up the rebels. Zaria sighed sadly and jumped off her speeder onto the transport.

She watched as her speeder crashed. She turned around. Her force enhanced reflexes helping her dodge the shots fired from the agent. His eyes narrowed in recognition at her.

Zaria snarled at him and force gripped his blaster to shoot his next shot into the grass off to the side of the road. Kanan's eyes widened in surprise. Zaria flipped onto the ramp and pulled Kanan up. The ship pulled up. The ramp closed.

"Hera, needs you on guns Kanan." The Lasat tells the Jedi. Kanan looked at Zaria. He shook his head, he would have to deal with her later.

He made his ways to the guns.

Zaria made her way to Ezra's side.

The ship was taking shots, the flying eradicate from the pilot having to fly to avoid being hit. Ezra stumbled.

"I have to go man the nose Guns." Sabine looks at Ezra. Another shot rocked the ship. Ezra fell into Tseebo.

The Lasat growled.

"Is that scrapheap Chopper even paying attention?"

He climbed out of the galley.

Tseebo groaned.

"Ezra? Ezra Bridger is that you?" Sounding for the first time since Zaria met him like a normal being.

"It is you!" Tseebo looked like he would cry.

He came towards Ezra.

Ezra backed away.

"Yeah Tseebo it's me, but now is not the best time for a reunion."

Sabine paused at the door.

Tseebo spoke rapidly in huttese

"What's he saying?" Ezra asks.

"He says he knows what happened to you parents." Zaria translated before Sabine could. Zaria knew how much this would conflict Ezra. On one hand, Ezra wanted to know what happened to his parents but on the other knowing would finally make it real. Make it sink in that his parents are never coming back. Zaria felt the same way. But Zaria had felt through the force when her parents were killed. No doubt Ezra had too.

"Sabine! I need you on the nose Guns now!" Hera's voice crackled over the ship's com. Sabine hesitated.

"Didn't you hear Hera?" Ezra looks at the frozen Sabine.

"Didn't you hear Tseebo? He said he knows what happened to your parents." Sabine gestured to Tseebo.

"I already know what happened to my parents! They're dead, now go shoot down the TIEs." Ezra snarled.

The ship rumbled.

Sabine nodded as she ran to the nose guns.

Ezra shook Tseebo.

"Are they? Are my parents dead?"

This is a line break.

"Does anyone want to explain why we are so popular tonight and why we have two extra passengers?" Hera demands of Kanan.

"The Rodian has Empirical data that is damaging to the empire." Kanan explained.

"Okay I can see why that's important, but the force sensitive girl?" Hera looks hard at Kanan.

"The girl is a friend of Ezra's. There wasn't time, Ezra says she can be trusted." Kanan says.

"Do you trust her?" Hera asks.

Kanan sighed.

"Nothing she's done makes me think she is not trustworthy. But something about her puts me on edge. I can't put my finger on it." Kanan admits.

"Well we need to get the rodian out of here. We can figure out what to do with her after we have taken care of this." Hera decides.

She flipped you ship to avoid more blaster fire.

This is a line break.

"The Bridgers should hide, they took Mira and Ephraim away." Tseebo whimpered.

"Where?! Where did they take them?" Ezra cries desperately.

"Forgive Tseebo, forgive him." Tseebo sighed tiredly.

"Forgive you?" Ezra asks.

"Tseebo was afraid, Tseebo could not raise Ezra Bridger. Tseebo ran away." Tseebo sobbed.

Zaria grabbed Ezra before he could strike Tseebo.

"Coward! You could have stopped them! Why didn't you stop them?" Ezra shouted struggling against Zaria. Tseebo's implant beeped and Tseebo was lost to it.

"Ezra! Calm down." Zaria whispers.

Ezra's fight drained out of him.

"Ezra! The shields are down. We need you in the cockpit!" Hera orders on the com.

Ezra sighed.

"On my way."

Ezra turned back to Tseebo.

"My parents trusted you, and you failed them. You failed me. I was starving on the streets. How can I forgive you for that?" Ezra ran out of the room.

Zaria shook her head.

"Come here." She took Tseebo gently by the arm and guided him to sit down.

"Ezra does not mean it. He's just hurt and confused."

Tseebo shuttered.

"Ezra Bridger is right." The ship leaned to the left sharply.

"Tseebo, you can fix things right?" Zaria asks an idea forming. She had heard that the ship's astromech was down.

Tseebo nodded.

"Come on, we have a ship to fix." Zaria grinned.

Tseebo perked up at that and muttered happily in huttese.

"Come on, I heard the ship's navigation is down. I bet you can fix it." Zaria leads the chattering Rodian to the cockpit. If not then Zaria could.

Zaria opened the door.

"Fast travel over interstellar distances, hyperspace is optimal." Tseebo bent down to fix the ship pushing Ezra out of the way.

"What is he doing?" Hera the light green twi'lek frowned.

"He's fixing your ship." Zaria shrugged and sat down in a brightly colored chair.

The ship beeped.

Hera stared down in awe.

"I don't believe it, he fixed it." Hera grinned setting up the hyperdrive.

"Get ready!" She yelled.

Then, it them into hyperspace.

Ezra jumped up to catch Tseebo.

"Uhh Hera, this is Tseebo."

"And did Tseebo just signal hyperspace coordinates directly into my ship?" Hera examined Tseebo.

"That would be my guest." Ezra smiled.

"Well, then thank you Tseebo. You just saved all of our lives." Hera thanked the rodian.

"Tseebo was just following orders." He looked at Zaria. Hera did too.

"Hera, this is Zaria. She's my oldest friend." Ezra tells Hera.

"Nice to meet you." Zaria bowed.

Hera nodded.

"Let's get down to the galley. We need to have a meeting."

This is a line break.

Zaria sat next to Ezra. Kanan was waving a hand in front of a non-responsive Tseebo.

Zeb the Lasat glared at Zaria distrustfully.

Sabine was fixing chopper. Hera was observing Zaria.

"So, I do we do with him?" Ezra gestured at Tseebo.

"We have a few ideas." Kanan admits.

"But you are the one who has history with Tseebo. What do you think we should do with him?"

Ezra put on the helmet Zaria had given him.

"Don't know, don't care."

Zaria was amused watching the jedi try to teach Ezra. It was too bad she couldn't have been Ezra's teacher. But Kanan had potential, he just had to stop teaching the old jedi way to Ezra.

"Ezra you will never advanced as a jedi. If you can't be honest at least with yourself." Kanan's words strike wisdom.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Ezra asks stubbornly.

"It means confronting things you have to deal with." Zaria lightly smacks Ezra upside his helmeted head.

"Listen to your master. He seems to be wise."

Ezra shot Zaria a hurt look. Kanan shot her a grateful look.

"You don't get to lecture me. Not after abandoning me for seven months." He got up angrily from the table. Zaria recoiled.

"Not after keeping secrets from me."

"Ezra, there are things I couldn't tell you for your safety. And a lot of things happened on Tatooine." Zaria clenched her fists.

"Does not mean you get to just come back and pretend like you didn't just drop all contact with me! I thought you were dead." Ezra shouted.

"Ezra, I didn't mean to make you feel like I abandoned you. I kept my promise, I came back." Zaria argued.

"I'm sorry if you thought that."

Ezra's voice cracked.

"Whatever." He made his way past Kanan.

"Ezra, Tseebo, and Zaria matter to you. And you care what happens to Tseebo." Kanan pulls off the helmet.

"Why should I? He did nothing to save my parents. She just left without a word." Ezra pointed at the two.

"I left a note and breakfast." Zaria interjected.

Ezra gave her a dirty look.

"What could Tseebo have done against the empire?" Kanan reasoned.

"And besides look at what he's done since. the imperials encourage these implants but they're not mandatory. Not, yet he must have volunteered. He uploaded their secrets then ran." Sabine looked at Tseebo fondly.

"Maybe he's trying to make up for letting you down."

"Brave for him as a non-human to do this. The penalty is death for this. Maybe Tseebo didn't speak out against the empire when he should have. But this kind of data might cripple the empire if it gets into the right hands. People make mistakes Ezra." Zaria stands up.

Tseebo's implant beeped.

He chattered in huttese.

"He says the empire can track the ghost." Sabine looks worried.

"Oh please." Zeb scoffed.

"The imperials can't follow us through hyperspace."

"Imperial XX-23 S-thread tracker was developed by the sienar systems." Tseebo's hologram booted up. Showing the tracker.

"To trace ships through hyperspace to destination."

"Hera, could they have tagged us with that thing?" Kanan frowns.

"We better find out." Hera turns on Chopper. Chopper panics.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down Chopper. You were just offline for a few minutes. We need you to scan the ghost for a tracker." Hera explains.

Chopper makes two grumpy beeps but does what Hera asks.

With everyone back in the cockpit. Chopper displayed where the tracker was on the ship.

"So, ISo, this good news is the tracker is on the hull of the phantom. Not the ghost." Hera says cheerfully.

"How is that good news?" Zeb grumbles.

"It will allow us to detach the phantom and lure the imperials away from the ghost and Tseebo." Kanan explains.

"You want to detach while in hyperspace? People meant it when they said Jedi were crazy." Zaria whistled incredulously.

"That's dangerous!" Sabine exclaimed.

"Not as dangerous as what I plan to do with the ship." Kanan announces.

"Can't wait to hear this." Zeb rolls his eyes.

"I checked our current trajectory if you could modify the hyperspace coordinates to change course." Kanan looked at Hera. She nodded.

"Then, we could pass by the old clone base in the asteroid field."

"You mean the base with the nasties that live in the shadows?" Sabine looked uneasy.

"Wait! What? Why would we want to go down there?" Ezra protested.

"He's right Kanan." Hera agreed.

"Why not just drop the phantom in our trail and let the imperials chase their tracker?"

"Because there's more than a tracker at work here. Back on Lothal I sensed it, the inquisitor is on our trail." Kanan warns.

"The inquisitor is a force sensitive. He wouldn't chase after an empty decoy." Zaria finishes.

Kanan narrows his eyes at her.

"So, you are a force sensitive."

"Yes, I am." Zaria answers.

"What?" Ezra squawked.

"You're force sensitive? When were you planning on telling me?"

Zaria looked at Ezra.

"When I was ready when you were ready. Don't forget I helped you with it when you were a kid. Remember what I told you?"

Ezra folded his arms.

"Always trust my instincts. Zaria, why didn't you train me?"

"Because I'm not meant to train you. He is." Zaria pointed to Kanan.

"The force has other plans. Look, I will explain what I can when we are not being chased by a crazy imperial inquisitor." Zaria promises.

"You had better." Ezra growls.

"As long as Ezra and I are aboard the ghost we jeopardize Tseebo's escape." Kanan says.

"So I gotta leave the ghost and go to this nightmare asteroid a favor to Tseebo?" Ezra mutters.

"As a favor to all of us." Kanan corrects.

"And don't worry I'll be right beside you."

"We will be right beside you." Zaria interrupts.

"You're not coming." Kanan glares.

Zaria laughs harshly.

"Are you serious? Don't be stupid, you're an out of practice jedi. Ezra is just a beginner. You think you can take out a serious trained imperial inquisitor?"

"What and you think you can beat the inquisitor?" Kanan growls.

He is pushed into the wall with the force and held him there. Zaria shoves the others down with the force to stop them from helping him.

Zaria snarls.

"I have been trained to use the force since I was one standard year old. I have never stopped my training for a signal moment. Yes I think I can take this sith pretender on." Zaria released them and pulled out her lightsabers from her bag. Hooking them onto her belt.

"I'm going, try to stop me jedi." She challenged.

Kanan shook his head.

"Fine, you can come."

Everyone eyed Zaria wearily.

The room settled as Zaria sat back down.

"Everyone go get ready." Kanan orders.

Zaria was the first out of the room.

She headed for the phantom.

Ezra's anger and mistrust hurt her.

Hadn't she proved she cared about Ezra? Hadn't she taught him skills he needed to survive? She had trusted him with something no one else knew about her. . . Her face. Ezra was the only one she trusted to show him her bare face. No one else could say the same.

Kanan and Ezra entered the mini ship.

"Strap in, preparing for separation." Kanan ordered.

"Once we are out of hyperspace, we will lead the inquisitor away."

"You sure about this?" Hera's voice sounded worried through the com.

"Positive." Kanan confirmed.

"Just be safe, Ezra watch his back for me.," Hera sighed.

"I will." Ezra promised.

"And Zaria anything happens to either of them. I will put a bolt through your brain." Hera threatens Zaria.

"Understood, but that will not be necessary." Zaria says frostily.

"Ready for separation." Hera's voice is tight with emotions.

"Copy that ghost." Kanan readies the controls.

The countdown began.

The detached put Zaria on edge. She closed her eyes and calmed herself thru the force. Then, Zeb was over.

"I am never doing that again." Zaria groaned.

This is a line break.

Zaria sensed the shadow beasts roam throughout the base with her force senses.

Kanan outlined his plan.

"We need to connect with the creatures and pit them against the imperials."

Zaria nodded.

"Not a bad idea Jedi. Not bad, it could work."

"Kanan, I can't, I'm afraid." Ezra sounded pained to admit it.

"I got news for you kid, everyone is afraid. But you admitting it just now makes you brave than most and it's a step forward." Kanan laughed.

"Yeah, into the jaws of a nightmare." Ezra's fear spiked into the force.

"You must name and acknowledge your fear before you can banish it." Zaria quoted her mother. She had been told that many times. Kanan stared at her. How did Zaria know that quote? Kanan focused on their matter at hand.

"I'll get the tracker off the phantom, you go make some new friends." Kanan patted Ezra's arm.

"I'll keep watch for the imperials." Zaria looks at Kanan. He nodded stiffly at her.

"Here we go." Kanan opened the ramp.

and they stepped outside.

Zaria headed for the entrance to the base.

She hid in the dark opening all her senses.

Ezra's fear leaked into Zaria's senses.

She wanted to help him but Ezra had to fail or succeed on his own. If Kanan had faith he could do it. Zaria would too.

She blocked out Ezra's emotion.

Kanan came to Ezra's side.

"You're blocked, let go."

"I can't." Ezra's voice cracked.

"Don't be afraid." Kanan coached his student.

"I'm not afraid of them." Ezra admits.

"Then what?" Kanan demands.

"I don't know." Ezra edges away from his problem.

"Yes you do! Face it Ezra." Kanan calls.

"I'm - I'm- I'm afraid of knowing, I'm afraid of the truth! I'm sorry Tseebo. I'm sorry, I forgive you." Silence stilled at Ezra's words.

The entire atmosphere changed. The growling and snarling creatures calmed.

Zaria smiled.

She jumped over to the two.

"I knew he would be a good teacher for you."

Ezra hugged her.

"I'm sorry Zaria, I'm sorry, sorry for being so angry with you. I missed you and I'm glad you came back."

"I understand Ezra, I should have talked with you before I left, I was thoughtless. I'm glad you found something to be a part of. Can you forgive me?" Zaria stroked Ezra's hair.

"Only if you forgive me." Ezra bargained.

"Deal." Zaria let go of him.

Kanan watched them.

Perhaps he had misread Zaria wrong.

She seemed genuine in her affection for Ezra.

"Okay we need to be ready back to your positions." Kanan ordered.

The trio was much more focused and alert.

Zaria returned to her position.

A ship landed outside.

A troop of Storm troopers and the Pau'an inquisitor stepped off the ramp.

Zaria watched amused as the troopers were attacked by the creatures. The inquisitor was not impressed.

"This was your plan?" He chuckled.

"To lure us here and allow these creatures to do your work for you?" Kanan drew his blue lightsaber.

"How do you think it's working?" Kanan baited the inquisitor and sent a large creature after him.

The inquisitor cut the creature down with a red slash of his own lightsaber.

Kanan gave a flinch at the creature's death.

"Pathetically." The inquisitor drawled advancing towards Kanan.

Kanan attacked.

The inquisitor smirked as he fought with the jedi. Ezra concentrated on the creatures.

The inquisitor was faster than Kanan. Kanan had not used a lightsaber until he had met Ezra. Zaria had been right, he was rusty. Kanan was doing everything he could to stay alive. The inquisitor grinned with a dark glee.

"Your meager training is nothing in the face of true power." He forced pushed Kanan back into a wall. Knocking Kanan's breath away. Zaria sighed, the jedi really was out of shape. She would have to step in.

Ezra's trance broke. He force gripped Kanan's lightsaber to himself and held it in front of Kanan protectively.

"You're not going near him."

The inquisitor looked amused and force grabbed the lightsaber from Ezra's hands.

"Oh I think I will. It's time to end this pathetic Jedi and Padawan. Your devotion to your master is admirable but it will not save you." The Pa'uan grinned as he stalked forward.

"Nothing can."

Zaria fond of dramatic entrances and exits. Dropped down from the rafters. Her gold lightsaber and red shoto lightsaber blocked by the inquisitor's lightsabers.

He stared at Zaria with confusion.

"A second Jedi? No wait, a sith?"

Zaria kicked out at him with the force.

"Nu sua nenx tsis ax jidai. Nu valia qorit j'us tsis viedmain."* Zaria hissed in the sith language. She could see the inquisitor struggle to understand her words. His eyes widened when he translated them.

Zaria gave a roar of a battle cry. And attacked, it was thrilling to have such as a worthy opponent to fight. She fought with relish the Inquisitor frantically defending himself.

Ezra was staring at the fight with shock. It was whole levels above from the fight Kanan and the Inquisitor had.

They moved so fast Ezra couldn't even see them. Zaria was scary with her fierce attacks. Every bit the warrior she claimed to be, but she was overconfident.

Zaria flung the inquisitor like a rag doll around the base using the force.

"I'm disappointed, here I thought you would be a challenge." She taunted.

"And you call yourself sith, pathetic. You are weak!"

Her battle lust pumping through her veins. Battling a real enemy was much more satisfying than fighting against the old temple droids. Zaria kept the inquisitor on the defensive. Zaria was brutal with every measured strike.

But her overconfidence gave the inquisitor an opening. The inquisitor pulled her headdress down over her eyes. He shoved her with the force. Zaria groaned as she hit an old broken ship. Her headdress fluttered to the ground. And Zaria lifted her uncovered head.

The inquisitor and Kanan gaped in shock.

Zaria looked like the pure blooded sith in old republic holocron vids Kanan had been shown in history classes as a youngling.

The inquisitor frowned.

Could she be the child of the Sith pureblood male and female Jedi he and his master had hunted down eight years ago?

Zaria's cheek tendrils quivered in rage.

"You hunted down my parents, Sith pretender. But they protected me by hiding me on Lothal." Zaria answered the inquisitor's silent question.

Her golden eyes burned with hate, her Sith bloodline now clear to be seen.

Zaria bared her sharp teeth at the Pau'an inquisitor. He stepped back showing a hint of fear. The feral image of a furious sith pureblood calling for his blood chilled him. The dark side mixing with her light side causing the air to grow heavy with her force signature. The air was thick with tension, Zaria's aura threatening to overwhelm the other force users.

Zaria began her onslaught again. This time wild but even more brutal than before. The Inquisitor was growing tired.

"Enough!" He knocked Zaria down, threw her at Kanan who was trying to get up. Zaria's head slammed into the wall.

The inquisitor panted.

"The emperor will have much use for for you, girl."

Zaria growled.

"Zaria, is not going anywhere with you!" Ezra yelled in anger.

The inquisitor felt refreshed breathing in it.

"Yes good, unleash your anger." He laughed darkly.

"I will teach you what your master could not."

Ezra glared backing away from the inquisitor.

"You have nothing to teach me."

"The darkness is too strong for you orphans." The inquisitor cast a glance at Zaria with the dark side rolling off her.

Zaria struggled to get control of herself.

"It is swallowing you both up, even now. Your friend does not seem to mind the dark." Ezra's back was now to the ledge descending into darkness.

"No!" Ezra gasped.

Zaria shook her head. Trying to bring her dark side back into balance. Kanan was staring at her like she stepped out of his darkness nightmare.

"Your master will die." The inquisitor was enjoying himself.

"No." Ezra denied.

"Your friends will die, Zaria will fall, and everything you've hoped for will be lost. This is the way story ends for you."

"NO!" Ezra paled.

"Don't listen to him, Ezra. You can choose how the story ends."

Zaria shouted to him.

Ezra glared at the inquisitor. Zaria was right, he wouldn't give up.

The force rumbled as Ezra gave himself to it. A giant shadow creature climbed out of the pit behind him.

"Ezra, no!" Kanan lifted his arm weakly.

How had things gotten out of hand so quickly? The smaller creatures took one look at the thing Ezra had called to him and scattered in fright. The inquisitor frowned. He activated his second blade on his lightsaber. Ezra waved a hand, and the beast screeched and attacked the Pau'an. Ezra's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fainted onto the hard ground.

Zaria and Kanan both scrambled to his side. The beast roared and swiped at the inquisitor. The inquisitor snarled and dropped the blue lightsaber in favor of his so two double sided red lightsaber.

Kanan shook Ezra.

"Ezra? Ezra? Come on answer me!"

Ezra's faint signature fluttered along with his eyes.

"Kanan? Zaria? What happened? I-I feel so cold." He shivered.

"I know, it's okay we're leaving." Kanan picked Ezra up. Ezra's eyes closed again. He felt so tired.

Zaria snagged Kanan's lightsaber laying on the ground. The inquisitor glared as they fled the base. He roared at the beast, his dark aura scarring it off.

With a savage yell he threw his lightsaber at Kanan and Ezra. Zaria used the force to throw it back. Distracted by catching his lightsaber he couldn't stop the trio from closing the Phantom's ramp.

"Man the guns! I need to fly us out of here." Kanan ordered Zaria. She sat down next to Kanan. And shot the ship the inquisitor brought. The inquisitor took in the sight and felt uneasy.

"My master will not be pleased."

This is a line break.

Kanan glared at Zaria.

"Give me one good reason, I shouldn't blast you into space?"

Zaria avoided his eyes.

"Will anything I say be trusted, now you know what I am?"

Kanan was silent.

"I am not your enemy, we both want the same thing." Zaria whispers.

"And what would that be?" Kanan growls.

"We both want Ezra safe. If Ezra wakes up and doesn't want me around anymore. I'll leave." Zaria looks at the sleeping Ezra.

Kanan frowns.

"You really care for him don't you?"

Zaria nodded.

"I am sorry, I lost control. That inquisitor was the one who helped end my mother's life."

"Your mother was a Jedi, I'm still trying to wrap my head around that one." Kanan sighed.

"What was her name?"

"Ymira Numark." Zaria answers.

Kanan looked at her in surprise.

"The famous Jedi healer Ymira Numark? She went MIA in year one of the clone wars. The jedi council thought she died. She was a friend of my master. She's your mother?"

"Yes, she taught me and my father in the jedi arts." Zaria says fondly.

"I miss them."

"Your father, an extinct sith pureblood learned the jedi arts from Ymira?" Kanan thought this was even harder to comprehend.

"My parents loved each other and me deeply. My Father was an honorable warrior." Zaria hugged her knees to her chest. They fell silent.

This is a line break.

The crew congratulated Ezra and Kanan on a job well done. Zaria hung back not wanting for the rest of the crew to see her without head dress.

Kanan called up to her. Kanan didn't know if having a jedi's worst nightmare on the ship would be a good idea. But Zaria cared for Ezra and Ezra trusted her. And for now that was good enough for Kanan.

"Zaria, come down here, we are about to go eat dinner."

"Yeah, don't you have presents to give me?" Ezra teased.

With a deep calming breath Zaria jumped down. To the rest of the crew's credit, there was barely a reaction to her appearance.

"Woah! You look like a goddess of war. You have to let me paint you." Sabine was impressed. Chopper seemed quite taken with her look.

"That's not something you see every day." Zeb commented.

Hera smiled.

"Kanan tells me you're joining our crew." Hera stuck out a hand.

"Welcome aboard."

Zaria shook it.

"Thanks for having me."

"Can I have my presents now?" Ezra wiggled his eyebrows.

Zaria snickered.

"I don't know, they are awesome. Maybe I should keep them." Chopper beeped in agreement.

Ezra lightly punched Zaria's dark red skinned arm.

"Red, isn't the only one who got you something kid." Zeb ruffled Ezra's hair.

"Come on everyone to the galley." Hera herded the group to the room.

The Lothal spice cake from Zaria's bag sat on the table.

"I hope you don't mind I went through your bag." Hera looked at Zaria testing her reaction. Zaria didn't blame her for caution.

"It's fine." Zaria smiled.

"Zaria, you got me Lothal spice cake?" Ezra grinned brightly.

"It's not every day a brat turns fifteen." Zaria chuckled.

Zaria reached into her bag. stuffed in the corner. She pulled out her presents for Ezra.

"This is an ancient vibrodagger, I found in a ruin on Tatooine. It's specially made to withstand lightsabers." Zaria didn't say it was sith made. But it didn't matter, it could be used by Sith or Jedi. Zaria cleansed it of the dark side. Her own pair tucked into her bag.

Kanan seemed to know what it was, but said nothing. Zaria pulled out the japor ivory charm she had carved on a jerba leather cord. Zaria had made it special with the force. It worked as a luck charm to help with focus and meditation.

"I made this to help you with your Jedi training. It will help you focus and meditate until you will not need it anymore."

"Zaria, these are great. Thank you."

Ezra hugged her.

"Don't lose them. You don't know what I went through to get theses presents for you." Zaria grinned.

Zeb shoved a Trooper helmet at him.

"For you weird helmet collection, kid." Then Zeb went back to drooling over the cake.

Sabine gave Ezra the chip from his house.

"I fixed up the image and data for you, you can look at it later."

Ezra's tears gather at his eyes. Embarrassed Ezra wiped them quickly away.

"So this your best birthday ever?" Zaria pinched his cheek playfully.

Ezra slapped her hand away.

"Yeah, yeah it is. Now slice me some of that cake! It's my favorite!"

Zeb cheered.

"I call the second piece."

"Dibs on the third!" Zaria shouted.

"Okay calm down, I will cut the cake." Hera laughed.

This is a line break.

The hologram flickered.

The inquisitor bowed.

"Report." Vader commanded.

"My master, the jedi has a new ally. A sith pureblood." The Inquisitor dared to look up.

"Impossible, the last Sith pureblood committed suicide. There are no more." Vader's deep voice boomed.

"Master, the last Sith pureblood had a daughter with the jedi female he traveled with. I saw her myself when I was following the jedi." The inquisitor informs his master.

"If this is true the emperor must not find out about her. Find her and bring her to me." Vader orders.

"I will succeed, my master." The inquisitor promised.

"See you do, there are others who can take your place." Vader ended his transmission abruptly.

The inquisitor stood.

He would not fail his master.

End of chapter 1

Sith translations

*see you soon brother.

*I am not Sith or jedi. I will end you, sith hypocrite. (pretender) couldn't find Pretender in sith dictionary in found online. So I used hypocrite.

By these cool folks I was able to find the sith language.

sith/

. ?title=Sith_language

.

I have it all planned out for this story but my life is hectic right now so I'll update when I can. Plus who's excited for for season 2? I know I am.

Season 2 starts on the twentieth of June!