notallofus | (no subject)

It's a long haul to Demiloch, which means there's been plenty of downtime. And waiting. There's always something that needs to be done, something that needs to be fixed or cleaned or otherwise attended to. But Hera had insisted that everything was under control, and that she didn't need his help running a systems diagnostic, that she and Chopper have it well in hand, leaving Kanan to retreat to his room.

He knows how he should be spending the time, how Hera would want him to spend the time. Still, he delays before eventually opening the compartment under his bunk, and taking out the holocron. He takes a seat on the bottom bunk, and holds out the holocron, turning it over in his hand. It's dark at first, but then a blue light begins to hum within it, and the holocron lifts itself from his fingers, floating out, bathing the room in blue light.

Sometime later, the holocron is still floating, spinning in a slow circle, a holo illuminated above it. The image in the holo is of a woman, with dark skin and black hair tied into two looped braids along the back of her head. Her eyes are closed, and she speaks, softly –

"- ignorance, yet knowledge –"

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Hera's hand tightens around Kanan's, even as the rest of her body relaxes.

He doesn't hate it here, he doesn't regret being here, he doesn't . . .

"I believe that, too."

The holocron hangs in the air, spinning gently, blue light still shining from within it.

Kanan looks to Hera, his hand still around hers.

"I think that's -"

He lets out a breath, trying and failing to think of a better word. "- something. Something I know of the Force."

He'd still known it practically, when he'd needed it. But belief, faith - that was something else.

Quietly --

"I hope that's a good thing."

Her fingers tighten on his for a moment. Two.

"I think it is."

"I do, too."

His fingers press against hers, and he looks back to the holocron.

"It's a light, where there wasn't one before."

Hera, too, looks at the holocron, finally. There's a few moments of silence, which from her side is a comfortable one.

Then, with another quick squeeze of Kanan's fingers --

"We'll just have to keep it growing, then."

For Kanan. For their crew. For the rest of the galaxy.

(And in the meantime, hope will do.)

Kanan also lets the silent stretch, feeling no hurry to speak again.

When he does -

"What were you going to ask me? When you came in."

"Oh."

She'd almost forgotten, in the wake of listening to Kanan's thoughts on what he doesn't often speak about.

"I was going to ask if you wanted dinner."

It's not a very existential question.

He squeezes her hand, briefly.

"I'll be there in a few minutes."

"All right, love. Take your time."

She gently disentangles her fingers, then stands up and heads for the door.

Hera turns to smile at Kanan, very briefly, before heading to the mess and some really delicious reconstituted protein and vitamin supplements.