Flaws of the Jedi

Solo - Part 3 - Final Part

Astoria and Ezra had gone back to a small room with two beds, a large dresser and a small balcony - the room in which they were staying. The room had a conjoining door that led to where Ahsoka and Anakin were staying. It was sort of like a hotel, but much less expensive-looking and much smaller. Anyways, the two Padawans had gone back to the room to leave Obi-Wan, Anakin and Ahsoka to discuss how they would go about searching for Astoria's aunt. Astoria herself was ecstatic! She was so overjoyed that she would finally get to find her aunt! Or at the very least, know what had become of her that fateful Christmas night on Endor.

As Astoria and Ezra closed the door to their room, Astoria turned around to face Ezra and basically just squealed with excitement.

"Oh my Lord, we're going to find my aunt!!" She exclaimed happily as she jumped forward and clung to Ezra.

Ezra laughed a bit and smiled at how happy she was and returned her embrace. "Wow, you're really excited!"

She let go of him and looked up to him, still with a bright smile and sparkling eyes. "Of course!! I've had the nagging thought of what happened to her in my head for so long and now I'm finally going to know! And maybe even be reunited with her!"

Ezra smiled again and draped an arm over her shoulders. "I'm really glad that you're so happy. I haven't seen you so excited in a pretty long time," He told her as the two walked into the room.

"It feels... different - if I had to put it any way. I'm not complaining, though! Yes, being this happy and excited is a bit different, but it feels great!!"

Ezra's smile brightened as he looked at her eyes sparkling with glee. "Aww... I've missed that look in your eyes.."

"Huh?"

"That cute sparkle your eyes get when you're hyper or happy or excited; it's been a while since you've been happy enough for that to show too well."

Astoria smiled more and honestly blushed a little bit, turning her cheeks a light shade of pink.

"Aww! So cute!"

"Ah, no!" Astoria cried, a bit embarrassed.

"Aw, come on! Let me compliment you just this once! Please?" Ezra said, looking at her once more.

Astoria looked up at him as they walked further through the room to the balcony. She smiled once again and said, "Fine.. whatever."

Ezra smiled more at her as they reached the balcony. "Finally! Thank you!"

Astoria laughed a little bit and replied, "Yeah, whatever; don't get used to it!"

They both laughed a little at the joke, even though they both knew it wasn't exactly much of a joke. Astoria has always had a bit of an issue with accepting compliments. After a while - Ezra thought - Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka sort of gave up trying to compliment her at all because of how stubborn she was. But Ezra was determined to get her to a point where she could at least accept a compliment, whether she believed it or not.

As they stood on the balcony, the two began to let the silence fill the air. As they did so, though, another noise came to their ears. It sounded like the distressed meowing of a Loth Cat - one of the most common animals on Lothal. Not just any Loth Cat, though; it sounded like a baby.

Ezra and Astoria looked at each other as the noise became clearer. They both wondered where it could be coming from. They weren't too far from the ground, but would they be able to hear a baby Loth Cat from this height? They couldn't really tell.

They both decided it would just be best to go down and outside to look for anything. What they would do if they found something, they didn't know quite yet. Was the animal hurt? Was it lost? Was it hungry? They had no idea what was wrong that would get a baby Loth Cat to meow that much and that loud.