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This is exactly what they needed. Kanan can feel it in the Force as the tension eases away and soon becomes replaced with carefree joy and, of course, the typical chaos that follows their little family around. The sun beats down on the sandy beach, not a cloud in sight as Kanan looks out at the shining blue sea.Hera is sat next to him, the two enjoying a well-deserved moment of peace while the kids all head out into the waves. This planet seems to have strong currents in the ocean, waves crashing over the shoreline every few seconds, but they can all swim so Kanan is content to turn his attention to the woman next to him.She’s stretched out on a reclining chair, datapad in one hand while the other rests open on her stomach, absent-mindedly tracing random shapes there while she reads. Now Kanan knows better than to interrupt her precious reading time, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t admire.It’s been months of mission after mission, partly to keep food on the table but also to keep up with their ever-growing desire to bring down the Empire. It had all come to a head two days ago, when Sabine had gotten caught between Zeb and a group of stormtroopers, and the lasat, too hung up on the battle, had nearly taken her head off with his bo-rifle.The ensuing collapse of the mission and hours of arguing had convinced Hera and Kanan that it is high time for a break. They could all use the reminder that even though their world revolves around the Empire, there is much in the galaxy that still remains untainted by its unforgiving grasp.So Hera has brought them here, a holiday getaway she remembers from her own childhood to which her mother would bring her when they could escape the fighting of the Clone War. A more perfect place couldn’t be found, Kanan has decided and he lays back against his own chair, allowing his eyes to close. All that matters now is the soft splashing of waves, the distant yelps and giggles coming from the kids messing around in the water.‘Come on, Ezra! The water’s great!’ Sabine calls, her words followed by a loud splash and an indignant cry from the boy. ‘Get in quick, or we’ll throw you in!’Kanan’s lips twitch into a smirk at that and the promise of his Padawan being tossed into the ocean by his crewmates is enough for his eyes to crack open again. Zeb and Sabine are visible only by their heads bobbing around in the waves while Ezra hangs around, just up to his waist, an odd sense of trepidation drifting through the Force.‘Kanan,’ Hera says slowly, setting aside her datapad as she sits forward and stares out at the sight. ‘Ezra can swim, right?’The Jedi Master scoffs at this, shocked that Hera could ever consider the idea that Ezra, strong and competent Ezra, could lack a skill as simple as swimming. Everybody knows how to swim.‘Of course he knows how to swim, he probably just thinks the water’s too cold,’ Kanan shrugs Hera off, ‘If he couldn’t swim, he would have said,’Except even as Kanan says the words, he doesn’t quite believe himself.‘We are talking about the same kid, right? The one who did know how to read until last year, who couldn’t hold a fork and knife. Kanan, please tell me that Ezra can swim!’ Hera cries, sitting ramrod straight and glancing between Kanan and the kids in the sea with mounting horror.Zeb has swum back over to Ezra, his chuckle carrying across the open air to the pair on the beach as he grabs Ezra around the waist and slings the boy over his shoulder. He starts to wade in deeper as Kanan and Hera spring to their feet.They take off at a sprint, bare feet burning against the scalding hot sand but the pain is hardly noticeable against the fear gripping Kanan’s chest. He calls out for Zeb to stop, to put down the boy who is now begging to be taken back to shore, but the lasat doesn’t listen. Kanan can only watch with his heart in his throat as Ezra is launched forward, flipping over in the air and landing face-first into the water.‘He can’t swim!’ Hera bellows as the two dash into the water. Zeb and Sabine’s heads snap around, eyes wide as the group realise that Ezra is not coming back to the surface.‘What do you mean he can’t swim? He never said anything!’ Zeb cries, frantically turning to the ripples of water into which Ezra has disappeared.Nothing else is said before all four disappear under the surface of the water, fanning out without needing to communicate to find the boy. Kanan reaches out in the Force, searches for his signature and finds only a flurry of panic as Ezra fights the currents.The deeper Kanan swims, the stronger the currents get, putting the skills he learned at the Temple to the test. Trying to avoid the harsher tugs of the water, Kanan struggles to navigate toward the dizzying source of the fear Kanan feels.Beneath him, the sea bed quickly falls away, an underwater cliff that sends another wave of fear coursing through Kanan’s veins. Ezra could be anywhere, pulled away by a current or dragged to the bottom of the seemingly bottomless ocean.He sees Sabine next to him going up for air, followed soon by Hera and even he can feel his lungs burning, desperate for a breath of oxygen. Still, he pushes through, feeling Ezra’s signature more clearly now, able to pinpoint its location just a few metres to his right, concealed in the dark water.
Just hold on, kiddo.
By the time Kanan finds Ezra, he’s floating limply in the water, head tilted back and mouth hanging open, a clear sign that he has succumbed to unconsciousness. Hastily, Kanan propels himself over, grabbing the boy by his swimming shirt and starting to kick to the surface.It takes longer than Kanan thought it might with the dead weight he drags behind him and the edges of his vision are blurring from his own need for air by the time he breaks the surface. Inhaling sharply, Kanan gives Ezra one last tug and brings the boy up too.The other three are still under, but Kanan can’t go back down for them now, he needs to get Ezra to the shore. He makes a beeline for the sand, rolling Ezra onto his back and swimming as fast as he can until, finally, he can stand.‘Come on buddy, work with me here,’ Kanan mutters, pulling Ezra around in front of him and smacking him square between the shoulder blades twice. Nothing happens.The shouting and splashing behind him suggests that the other three have realised Kanan has Ezra and are trying to catch up. Still, Kanan pays them no mind and instead wades Ezra out of the water, laying him down on the beach and pressing two fingers to his neck.‘He’s got a pulse, but he’s not breathing!’ Kanan hurriedly informs Sabine who is the first to reach him as he fusses over the boy. His lips are turning blue and the colour has drained completely from his faceShe’s quick to act, showing once more her extensive knowledge of dangerous situations that Kanan wishes she didn’t need to have. But there’s no time for thoughts like that, so Kanan leaves her to start performing rescue breaths as he stretches out a hand to the bag Hera has left by their chairs, searching out the commlink and calling it into his hand.Hera’s suddenly by his side, taking the commlink for him and calling for Chopper, who had insisted he wouldn’t risk the terrible fate of sand in his circuits, to bring the medkit. With his hands free, Kanan tilts Ezra onto his side when Sabine’s treatment doesn’t appear to do anything.‘Sabine, Zeb, hold him on his side,’ he instructs, passing the boy over as his hand comes to rest on his back and he closes his eyes, reaching out into the Force. ‘Come on, Ezra, cough!’It takes a moment, but finally Ezra’s prone form convulses a few times and he starts coughing, a mixture of water and seaweed spilling out onto the sand. Sighs of relief come from everyone sitting around Ezra as they latch onto the comforting sound of Ezra spitting up everything lodged in his lungs.‘That’s it, kiddo, get it all out,’ Kanan tells him gently, rubbing his back where he’s sure a bruise will soon form. ‘Keep breathing, you’re okay,’Chopper appears soon enough, warbling about his annoyance at having to leave the safety of the ship, but nobody pays it any mind as Hera takes the medkit from him. Besides, they all know the dramatics are just a facade when Chopper doesn’t immediately take off for the ship once more.With all the water expelled from his lungs, Ezra tries to roll over, reaching out in the Force for Kanan, but he stops Ezra from turning onto his back. He does, however, reach back out to Ezra over their bond and offer all the reassurance he can that the boy needn’t worry. They’ve got him.‘Stay where you are for a minute, Ez, just rest,’ Kanan tells him, moving around so he’s in front of Ezra and can see the boy’s face.His eyes are watering and bloodshot, and his hair is sopping wet and stuck to his skin which is slowly regaining colour. Without really thinking about it, Kanan pulls aside the wet strands of hair, moving them out of the boy’s way.‘What happened?’ he mumbles hoarsely. One hand comes up to rub at his throat as a frown creeps over his forehead.‘Apparently you didn’t think it was worth mentioning that you don’t know how to swim,’ Kanan explains, fixing the boy with a stern look. ‘What were you thinking, you could have died!’‘I don’t know, I guess I kinda forgot and then by the time I was in the water… I thought I’d be fine,’ Ezra’s eyes drift away from Kanan’s, instead fixing behind him where Kanan can sense Zeb has retreated, the faint feeling of guilt wrapped around him. ‘Besides, I wasn’t expecting to be launched into the kriffing waves,’Zeb chuckles in that awkward, slightly embarrassed way he always does and Kanan holds up a hand quickly to ward off any incoming argument.‘Alright, alright, whatever happened it doesn’t matter now,’ Hera chimes in, patting Ezra on the shoulder gently as she starts rifling through the medkit with her free hand. ‘Let’s get you checked over and then you are going straight to the med cot for observation, young man,’Ezra groans, squeezing his eyes shut but his complaints fall on deaf ears. There will be no getting out of this one after what’s just happened.‘No, you don’t get a say in this, Ezra. You also don’t get a say in the swimming lessons we’ll be starting once you’re cleared by the Phoenix squadron medics,’ Kanan tells his Padawan firmly.What exactly he’s going to do with the reckless child he’s somehow been entrusted with, Kanan isn’t quite sure. For now, he’ll just teach him what he knows and protect him in every way he can, and hold close to the hope that he won’t be sent into heart failure the next time something like this happens.