A Star Among Planets (Star Wars Rebels Fanfiction)

Chapter 42: Pains Of War

    "Jump! Dodge! Roll, no roll!"

Keen whimpered as he fell sideways, crushed by Molis's weight. Molis leaped off of Keen and helped him to his paws quickly. "It was a valiant effort, little one," barked Molis gently as he set Keen back on shaky paws. "You'll be better, one day."

Keen pushed Molis away, growling. "I can't do this! I can't fight like a Jedi and a wolf at the same time," he argued as his tail kinked over his back. "I'm just not made for it."

Halftail shook his head calmly. "Just try again. It won't ever improve if you don't try," he pointed out as his own tail tip twitched in annoyance.

Keen didn't seem like he cared. "You always said not to try and now I'm supposed to try. Make up your mind!"

Halftail was surprised at how vicious he sounded. "Keen, you're doing great and I commend you for your skills, but we must try harder."

Keen shook his head, baring his teeth in a snarl. "If I'm doing so great then why did Ezra get to go on the mission and I'm stuck here," he snapped.

Molis exchanged a worried glance with Halftail. Halftail gulped a bit. "It was a mission that only Ezra could execute. There are no wolf clones," he reminded him.

Keen extended his claws, scraping against the floor of the hanger. "Maybe not, but that doesn't mean that I couldn't have helped. Ezra is my friend and I want to protect him."

"We understand that," sympathized Molis as he looked over to Keen with gentle eyes. He had adopted an almost father figure role for Keen. "But Ezra can take care of himself and so can you. That's why we train, to show you that you can take care of yourself."

Halftail lifted his head and took a step toward Keen. "Why don't we try a little bit more?"

Keen shook his head and stomped off. "I'm done!" There really wasn't a lot of places for him to go to be alone, but Halftail didn't feel like following him. First, he had trouble with Swifttail and now Keen. Were Bluefeather or Birchfoot next?

"Don't be too hard on him," sympathized Molis as he blinked his eyes to Halftail sympathetically. "I'll go speak with him and see what's really wrong. I think that there's more to this story."

Halftail watched him go and he suddenly felt alone. He decided that maybe he would do some battle training with just himself in an attempt to keep himself sharp. He sprang forward with his claws outstretched. He pretended to break the Stormtrooper's neck, just as he had done numerous times before. He then turned and thrust his hind legs against the back of the ship. He felt the jolt through him and imagined what it would have felt like to slice through something that wasn't Stormtrooper armor.

"What are you doing?"

Halftail turned his head and realized it was Birchfoot. Birchfoot held a syringe and some leaves clamped firmly in his jaws. Halftail chuckled as he lifted his whiskers. "Sorry. I was just practicing some battle moves. It's rare that I can actually practice by myself and not teach anyone anything."

Birchfoot nodded in understand as he strode forward and dropped some herbs at Halftail paws as well as the syringe. "I remembered that you need two a day and today you haven't even had one."

Halftail sat down and stretched out his foreleg, allowing Birchfoot to do it for him. Birchfoot slid the needle into his leg and Halftail cringed at the slightly burning pain. Once he was finished, Birchfoot drew the needle out and threw it aside. Birchfoot then nudged the herbs toward him.

"This is for that awful cough that you still have and maybe to help you mellow down," explained Birchfoot before he sat and looked at Halftail.

Halftail lowered his head and began to chew the herbs, swallowing them in large gulps since the taste was so bad. Once he was finished, he dipped his head to Birchfoot in appreciation. "Thank you. I have to keep remembering my injection."