Aleckina Tadeef

Meet the Crew

"Ezra, get her out of here!" Kanan yelled, facing off with the Inquisitor.

"I'm not leaving you," Ezra said defiantly.

"I'll catch up," Kanan said. "Go!"

Ezra looked down at the smaller girl clinging to him, partially out of fear, and partially out of the need for support to even walk. Looking into her frightened, tear-filled eyes, he made a dicision. Saving Aleckina was important to Kanan, and now to all of them. He bent down and scooped up the small girl bridal style and started running towards the rendevue point. He was surprised at how little Aleckina weighed, but realized that in an Imperial cell, she probably was rarely fed. She tensed when he lifted her up.

"It's ok," Ezra wispered. "We just need to get out of here. Kanan will catch up to us. Just wait."

They continued running, and soon were found by Sabine and Chopper, who was flying alongside the Mandalorian.

"Ezra, come on!" Sabine yelled, urging him to go faster. "Where's Kanan?"

"He'll catch up," Ezra explained. "The Inquisitor is here. We need to move, fast."

"Right,"Sabine answered. "Let's get back to Hera. Zeb said he would be there soon."

They had not run much further when they heard light, running footsteps behind them. Looking back, they saw Kanan catching up to them, and the Inquisitor walking in the distance, calling for a lock-down.

"Keep going. Don't slow down," Kanan ordered.

They soon reached the rendevue point, where Hera and the ship were. Zeb, they saw, was already there, waiting for them and fighting off Stormtroopers.They loaded onto the ship and Hera took off. Ezra gingerly set Aleckina down on the feet.

"Sabine, man the nose gun! Kanan, up top," Hera ordered through the intercom.

"Is this her?" Zeb asked after a couple awkward moments of silence, eyeing the black haired girl. His loud, rough voice made Aleckina jump. "Sorry," Zeb mumbled, feeling guilty for scaring the girl.

"Yes," Ezra answered. "This is Aleckina. Aleckina, meet Zeb." Then, whispering loudly, he added, "Don't worry, he's not scary. In fact, he loves hugs,"

"I do not!" Zeb roared.

Aleckina, still scared despite Ezra's jokes, hid behind the taller boy.

"Zeb, quit scaring her," Ezra countered.

"It's your fault!" Zeb retorted.

"Ezra," Hera's voice came over the intercom, sounding annoyed. "Stop agitating Zeb and bring Aleckina up to the cockpit."

Ezra did as he was told and took the girl to Hera. When Ezra left, Aleckina sat in the seat beside the Twi'lek pilot, who was still flying in various directions to evade the TIE Fighters.

"I saw what happened," Hera said, referencing the scene between Zeb and Ezra. "They are always getting under each other's skin. I'm sorry Zeb scared you. He really is a good friend to us. He just takes some getting used to."

Aleckina nodded, not really knowing what to say. She felt she should trust them. Kanan obviously did. But, did Kanan's crew know what she was? Master Depa Bilaba had always said that if people knew she was half-Miralukan, they would hurt and use her. Her time in the Imperial cell had not convinced her otherwise.

Suddenly, Hera connected to Hyperspace and left the TIE Fighters behind. She skillfully landed the ship in a deaolate, empty field on Lothal.

Using the intercom, Hera said, "Sabine, can you meet Aleckina and I in the medbay?"