Child of Balance

Reunion

Early the next morning, their strange guide was leading them through the treetops towards Ezra's supposed hideout. They paused for a moment and the boy scooted farther down the branch, scanning the forest. He hadn't placed his helmet on yet.

"What are we supposed to call you?" Ania whispered as he made his way back to them.

"I told you. No one goes by their name here."

"Right, but what if we need to warn you about something? It would be easier if we had something to call you," she replied.

The boy closed his eyes tightly for a minute. "All right, fine. Just call me Kit for now."

Ania nodded and let him take the lead. Kit led them through the treetops towards the beach. A few Trandoshan speeders flew overhead and they fell still. The Trandoshans leaned out, sniffing the air, before continuing on.

    Kit shook his head. "I'm tired of those blasted lizards. This operation of theirs only prospered beneath the Empire, especially because the Empire would send prisoners to them on purpose."

    Ania carefully avoided his gaze. She had no idea if any of her targets had been sent to the Hunt. As far as she knew, they had all been killed somehow. "The Empire is gone now," Sabine replied. "The New Republic is in the middle of its formation. Maybe they'll do something about it."

    "I doubt it," Kit scoffed. "My folks told me about the old Republic, back during the war. It sounds like a less extreme version of the Empire."

    "Who were your parents?" Sabine asked.

    "No one. At least, no one anymore." Kit fell silent, refusing to answer any more questions. Ania and Sabine glanced at each other as they continued on.

Shouts from below caught their attention. Several people came sprinting beneath the tree. A Trandoshan speeder burst out of the branches behind them. Ania narrowed her eyes, a hand sliding towards her lightsaber. Kit shook his head at her, sliding his helmet on.

"We can't help them," he hissed.

"I thought your job here was to help people," she replied.

"It is, but only those who have a fighting chance. None of them do." Kit motioned to the people below. Two of them had already been gunned down. Ania gritted her teeth.

"I've let enough innocent people die in my life. I've still got a lot of them to make it up to," she said. "I'm going to help them."

Without another word, Ania leaped down into the fray. She landed on the Trandoshan speeder. The Trandoshans whirled on her, blasters at the ready. Ania locked her grip around the speeder's controls and sent them rocketing away from the people. She spread her hands wide, sending the two Trandoshans careening into trees.

Ania let the Force unwrap itself from the steering. She took control, flying back to the others. Kit shook his head as he jumped into the speeder along with Sabine. "Brave but stupid," was all he said.

The people beneath them shouted as they sped away. Kit took the controls. He motioned to her lightsabers. "You're a Jedi?"

"No."

"But you have lightsabers. Only Jedi and Sith carry those."

"I'm not a Jedi or a Sith. We call ourselves Gray Jedi."

"I don't much see the difference, but all right."

    "How much farther?" Sabine asked. She looked up towards the sky. There was no sign of the Redemption.