Rogue Redemption
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters that I am about to mangle around for my own amusement – sadly all Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story characters remain the property of Disney and Lucasfilm Ltd – I am merely borrowing them and make absolutely no profit from their use. Thus, please keep the legal attack dogs – also known as lawyers – firmly muzzled and on a leash as I have no money to give anybody.
Authors Notes: I had this idea after a) watching the awesome movie Rogue One and b) a pm discussion with F-14 Tomcat Lover on in which we discussed a scenario very much like the one I will be using in this single shot story.
Since we do not know the fate of the whole of the Ghost's crew – though we know Hera, the ever-cantankerous droid Chopper, and the Ghost herself are still around – I will be using some of my own thoughts and ideas on what's happened to them in the two years that have passed since the mid-season finale of Rebels, so events may go somewhat AU from what eventually does happen.
Also, this story does contain spoilers for the final act of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story so for those of you who somehow haven't seen the movie yet you have been duly warned and proceed to read at your own risk.
Stolen Imperial Shuttle Rogue One
Imperial Security Complex, Scarif
Sitting among the small squad of Rebel troops Ezra Bridger was deep in thought. He'd kept to himself as much as possible during the flight to Scarif, keeping his lightsabre concealed on his person so nobody figured out that he was a Jedi and from their guessed who he really was. As far as everyone here was concerned he was Dev Morgan, a former Imperial cadet turned Rebel fighter as he didn't want the responsibility that would have been immediately thrust on him should these people know who and what he really was.
Responsibility that he didn't want, not after what happened on the last mission he'd been placed in command of. A mission that had gone horribly, horribly wrong right from the word go and cost him the lives of almost everyone that had been under his command in an Imperial ambush. Both Hera and Kanan had tried to tell him that it hadn't been his fault, that nobody could have done anything different in that battle, but that didn't stop him blaming himself. Especially as he'd been too busy preparing for the mission to pay attention to the subtle warning signs that the Force had been giving to him. Signs that should have clued him in that the mission was a trap.
So far, this time he'd been successful in keeping anyone from realising who he was. Though the looks that the blind warrior priest Chirrut kept sending him indicated that at least someone was suspicious that he was far more than he appeared to be. It wasn't surprising really as he could sense the Force in the other man, not as strongly as it was in him and Kanan, or even Jai and Dara – which was probably why the old Jedi Order hadn't taken him in for training – but it was there. But so far, the priest hadn't said anything to anyone.
The sound of retro-thrusters firing caught his attention and he looked up as Cassian and Jyn came back onto the shuttles main deck. "Everyone into the cargo pod quick were coming in to land," Cassian ordered.
One by one they all did as instructed and Ezra somehow wasn't surprised to find himself sandwiched between Chirrut and the wall of the cargo hold. "I know what you are," Chirrut said softly, quietly so nobody but he would hear him.
"Do you," Ezra whispered back.
"The Force is strong with you, focused. There is no doubt in my mind what you are my young friend," Chirrut replied quietly, inwardly feeling even more confident that their mission was going to succeed at the knowledge that there was a Jedi secretly with them. He wasn't sure why the Jedi was keeping his presence quiet and pretending to be just another fighter but the Force told him that there was a good reason for it. One that would be revealed in time, whenever the Force felt it was time to do so.
"I just never thought I'd see one of your kind again," Chirrut added softly, he'd been a newly qualified priest and just settling in to the kyber temple on Jedha when the Jedi Order had fallen along with the Republic and like the other Guardians he'd wept as the dark side took over the galaxy. "I didn't believe any of you had survived Order 66."
"A few of us have Vader and the Inquisitors haven't gotten us all yet," Ezra replied just as softly. Inwardly smiling at the thought of the very big dents he and Kanan had put in the ranks of the Inquisitors over the years, many Inquisitors had died beneath their blades – as had the former Sith Darth Maul – over the last few years. Though his inward smile turned into a grimace as he remembered the costs as well – especially the apparent death of Ahsoka on Malachor at the cybernetic hands of Darth Vader and the blinding of his master by Darth Maul not to mention his own brush with dark side before Kanan took that damned Sith Holocron off him.
"As the Force wills it," Chirrut answered with a smile. "If the Force wills us to survive I would welcome a chance to speak with you and your Master if he still lives."
"I'll be sure to introduce you," Ezra replied with a smile before glancing up as he sensed, then heard some Imperial's coming aboard presumably to speak to Bodhi about their arrival. He mentally prepared himself a moment before one of the hatches to the pod opened and the first of the Imps dropped down – to run into a stun shot at point blank range. Before the other Imps could react, Cassian shot up out of another hatch and stunned them both, Jyn following him up.
For another few minutes, nothing happened then Bodhi spoke from above. "Okay your clear go," the turncoat Imperial pilot said. Immediately the Rebel fighters around the cargo pod opened the small exterior hatches and dropped down onto the landing pad, which appeared to be next to a beach of a tropical paradise that was unfortunately marred by the monolithic presence of the Empire.
Still Sabine would love the colours here, Ezra thought looking at the varying shades of green of the tropical foliage and the splashes of colour from the flowers some of the plants sported. He put the thoughts of his currently absentee girlfriend – Sabine was off on Mandalore preparing the groundwork for an uprising against the puppet Imperial Viceroy Gar Saxon with Fenn Rau, using the skills with the darksaber that he and Kanan had been teaching her to unify the various Mandalorian clans ready to depose Saxon and his Imperial Super commandoes, which he knew could well lead to Sabine being declared the rightful ruler of Mandalore – out his mind.
Instead he made himself pay attention to the fighter who was giving out demolition charges with orders to place one on as many landing platforms as possible so they could draw out the Imperial garrison. Which would make things much easier for Jyn, Cassian and K2 when they infiltrated the Citadel Tower to reach the data vaults. After accepting a charge – though he did have a few of Sabine's little miracles sequestered on his person in places nobody would think to look, his street rat past did come with a few perks, ready just in case – he moved away accompanying Chirrut and Baze into the foliage.
Whereupon they quickly came upon a pair of bucket heads, chatting idly about how the T-15 speeders were at last being phased out of Imperial service, who froze in surprise at the sight of them. Not giving them any chance to react the three of them attacked, one trooper falling to a few blows from Chirrut's staff while Ezra used a quick tightly controlled burst of the Force to telekinetically send the other flying into a palm tree where he slumped unconscious to the ground.
Baze gaped at him, like Chirrut he instantly realised exactly what he was. "You're a…." he started to say shocked only to go quiet when Ezra mentioned for him to stay quiet while he scanned the area with both his eyes and the Force.
"We're clear good luck and may the Force be with you," Ezra said to them before heading into the jungle, using both his natural skill at stealth developed over the eight years spent living alone on the streets of the Lothalan capital and the Force to remain undetected by the still oblivious to the Rebel presence Imperials. His current destination being a landing pad closer to the tower and after that well he had a plan that should make the job of getting the Death Star plans off this planet a great deal easier.
"You knew what he was all along," Baze said watching the young Jedi vanish into the undergrowth.
"Of course," Chirrut confirmed. "It is a sign of great hope from the Force my friend."
"We'll see," Baze replied having seen the Jedi fail to stop the rise of this Sith-ruled Empire – for who but the Sith would conceive of a weapon as powerful and as horrible as the Death Star – he wasn't about to believe one being here – one who was obviously too young to have been in Purge so thus was probably a, or had been a, padawan to some Jedi who had survived the Purge – would make that much difference to the success or failure of this mission.
Of course, he didn't say anything to Chirrut as the priest would just give him that disappointed look of his – made more poignant by his glazed sightless eyes – and tell him that he should have more faith in the Force. So instead he just moved to place his own explosive charge ready to cause the distraction that Cassian, Jyn and K2 would need to get the plans without being detected. Still he had to admit, at least to himself, that wished the clandestine Jedi luck.
After leaving Chirrut and Baze it didn't take Ezra long at all to plant the explosive charge he'd been given on a convenient fuel storage tank and to signal the squad leader – whose name he couldn't remember – that it was in place and ready. Once that was accomplished he moved away along the perimeter until he came across a single solitary scout trooper, his armour coloured yellow and green indicating he was a jungle/shore trooper, covertly taking a piss against the side of a palm tree.
Perfect, he thought as he crept up behind the oblivious trooper as the other finished answering the call of nature. As soon as the trooper finished re-securing his armour Ezra loudly cleared his voice, in the way an Imperial drill sergeant would if they caught a cadet doing something that they distinctly disapproved of. Alarmed the Imperial whirled around…
… only for Ezra to wave a hand in front of his face and use the Force to reach into the Imperials mind. "You will take off your armour," he intoned.
"I will take off my armour," the trooper said back mesmerized by the ever-faithful Jedi mind trick.
"Then you will lay down here and go to sleep," Ezra continued.
"Lay down here… go to sleep."
"And you will do it now."
"Okay."
Without further comment or complaint, the shore trooper immediately divested himself of his armour, before now clad only in white underpants and socks laying down and promptly falling asleep. Weak minded idiot but then the Empire doesn't like strong minded troops, Ezra thought with a mental snort as he collected up the armour and disappeared into a thicket of bushes.
Moments later he reappeared now wearing the troopers armour. Any second now, he thought noting that the trooper he'd mind tricked had now started snoring.
No sooner than he'd thought that than the concussive rumbles of multiple explosions ripped through the air as all the planted charges detonated. Chaos instantly erupted as alarms began to ring with urgent emergency clamour as the Imperials realised that they were under attack. Within seconds' blast door covered entrances started opening as the garrison started to react, the Imperials that emerged instantly running into a barrage of blaster fire from the prepositioned Rebels – plasma bolts crashing hard into the armour of the surprised bucket heads dropping dozens to the deck with death screams of mixed surprise and pain. The rest scattered in instant confusion before beginning to return fire in a very ad-hoc fashion.
In the chaos, nobody – on either side – noticed one trooper slip back inside the base complex instead of moving to engage the enemy.
Rebel Headquarters
Yavin Four, A Few Minutes Later
"Senator, Senator."
Walking with General Dravin and Blue Leader Senator Mon Mothma turned in surprise at the sound of someone calling for her. She was even more surprised to see one of the ensigns from the control room consoles running up to her. Only to be stopped by the general who immediately moved to shoo the junior officer back inside.
"No let him speak," she ordered before turning to the young human male. "What is it ensign?"
"Senator we've intercepted an Imperial transmission," the young man replied, gasping as he tried to get his breath back after running from the control room. "Senator there are Rebel troops attacking Scarif."
"What how," Dravin demanded in shock.
"Andor and Erso," Mon Mothma said knowingly. "They've gone after the Death Star plans themselves and convinced some others to accompany them. Where is Admiral Raddus? I need to speak with him immediately."
"He's returned to his ship ma'am. He's going to fight regardless of the Council's decision," the ensign answered. Mon Mothma closed her eyes for a moment, not really surprised by the actions of Captain Andor, Ms Erso or Admiral Raddus. Like her and Bail they all knew what was at stake, the threat that the Death Star represented and that it was far more than a threat meant to scare unruly systems into obeying Emperor Palpatine's will. Given he was really the Sith Master Darth Sidious – Bail had told her who and what Palpatine really was years ago, just like he'd told her that Leia was really the daughter of their late and greatly missed friend Padme Amidala though he hadn't said who her father was though she had a good idea who it was and what that person had unfortunately become – it was inevitable that Palpatine would use the station again. And that next time he wouldn't be satisfied with destroying one of the oldest continually inhabited, and most sacred, cities it the galaxy as he had on Jedha but would destroy an entire planet and everyone on it.
"Then we have no other choice," she said at last starting to walk back inside the base. "Not that there ever really was a choice. General give the order for the fleet to assemble and deploy. Send everything that we can spare into battle immediately."
"And the destination ma'am," Dravin asked.
"Scarif. They are to do whatever is necessary to assist in the successful recovery of the Death Star plans. Send as many ground troops along as possible as well."
"Understood ma'am," Dravin acknowledged before looking at Blue Leader and the ensign. "You two come with me."
"Yes sir," both acknowledged before the three man ran off the mobilize the sudden surprise deployment of the Alliance's forces. Mon Mothma watched them go before heading for her chambers to prepare a speech to give to the rest of the Council. She knew that this action would bring the Rebellion out of the shadows and into the harsh light of day, but it was clear that this needed to be done. She just had to now convince the Council, many of whom were former members of the Delegation of 2000, of just why it was necessary.
She was just passing one of the officer quarters when a familiar voice from inside caught her attention. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T FIND EZRA," came the angry sounding voice of one General Hera Syndulla mere moments before the Twi'lek herself appeared from her room, her face a mask of mixed exasperation and fury with her battered – and notoriously cantankerous – old astromech droid Chopper as well as a male Lasat following along behind her.
I wonder what that's about, Mon thought to herself as the trio raced past the Twi'lek and Lasat only briefly pausing to give a nod of acknowledgement to her in difference to her position as the joint head of the Council before continuing to wherever it was they were going. For a moment, she wondered who Ezra was but shrugged and continued her way as there was no way for her to know the names of everyone who was a member of the Rebel Alliance.
Even if said member was a Jedi.
Of all the times for Ezra to pull his disappearing act on us, Hera thought in annoyance as she made her way through the ancient stone hallways of the temple that had been repurposed into the current headquarters of the Rebel Alliance. In moments, she was outside the chambers that had been assigned to Kanan and let herself in.
To see Kanan sitting in the Jedi meditation pose, his mask off to the side, sightless eyes closed. "Yes, Hera," Kanan asked not looking up.
"Kanan we've got a problem. Zeb and Chopper just told me that they cannot find Ezra anywhere," Hera said. "And I just got called by Dravin, all available forces are deploying to Scarif immediately. We need to fi…"
"You won't find Ezra because he's not here," Kanan interrupted, opening his eyes. "He's already on Scarif."
"WHAT!"
Behind her Zeb winced at the volume. "Hera, will you please not scream like that it kind of hurts," he complained.
"Sorry Zeb," Hera replied shooting the former honour guard an apologetic look for hurting his sensitive hearing before turning her attention back to Kanan. To see that in the time she'd been looking away her Jedi crewmember – and lover which was one of the reasons why Kanan hadn't said anything when Ezra and Sabine officially started dating last year – had gotten back to his feet, put his mask on and was now clipping his lightsabre to his belt. "What do you mean Ezra is already on Scarif," she asked.
"He left with Captain Andor and Ms Erso," Kanan replied, "he told me through our bond that he felt like he had to go with them."
"And you didn't tell me," Hera asked hurt.
"We both know why I didn't," Kanan answered. "You would have tried to stop him going, but Hera that is something that we could not do. I've been meditating on it and communing through the Force with Master Yoda. We both agree that going to Scarif is Ezra's last Jedi Trial."
"What does that mean," Hera asked.
"It means that if he succeeds in the mission that the Force has given him then Ezra will cease to be my padawan learner," Kanan explained. "He will instead become like me a Knight of the Jedi Order."
"Damn the kids really come a long way then," Zeb said breaking the surprised silence feeling a strange mixture of hope and pride. If he survived Scarif then their little loth-rat would have completed his transformation from the angry street kid who'd dropped in on them so suddenly on Lothal five years ago, and rocked their world in a new direction but especially Kanan's as the older human male started really behaving like the Jedi that they'd only previously only ever had small glimpses of, into the Jedi Knight that he'd been born to be, despite the dark sides best attempts to turn him to evil.
"We all have," Kanan answered. "Now we should get going, while going to Scarif is the final part of Ezra's trials there is nothing to say we can't turn up to help him and the other brave people who've gone there to get the Death Star plans."
"Agreed," Hera replied shaking off her own shock at Kanan's announcement, even as she guiltily acknowledged that she would have indeed tried to stop Ezra going to Scarif. Sometimes it was just too easy to see Ezra as the lonely, troubled teenager that he'd been and not the powerful young Jedi on the cusp of knighthood that he'd become. Like all parents, surrogate or otherwise, she had to accept that her son had grown up.
Something that to her, like any good parent, wasn't exactly easy.
After a moment, she put aside her matronly side for now and mentally put her generals cap back on. They had work to do and very little time to do it, thankfully Scarif was only a couple of minutes away at maximum hyperspace speed being located within two hundred light years of Yavin. Indeed, one of the reasons why they'd chosen Yavin as their main base following the loss of the smaller bases on Atollon and Dantooine was it was very close to several very important hyperspace routes allowing them to strike virtually anywhere in the Empire with ease. While at the same time being far enough said hyperspace routes that there was very little chance of a random Imperial patrol stumbling across them and calling in the cavalry in the form of a few star destroyers.
"Alright let's get going," she said turning and walking out of the room with the rest of her original crew, save Sabine of course, following behind her. Their destination being the Ghost and from their Scarif. I just hope Ezra's unhurt when we get there, she thought.
Because, Jedi or no Jedi, nothing would save him from her if he wasn't.
Control Room
Citadel Tower, Scarif
A Short Time Later
Director Orson Krennic was starting to get frustrated and annoyed by the situation he'd found himself in. He'd arrived to begin checking through every single one of Galen Erso's dispatches and notes – a laborious task as Galen had been nothing if not meticulous in keeping records – for any sign that the man had sabotaged the Death Star. Only for the Rebels to begin attacking the base within a couple of minutes and it didn't take a genius to figure out what it was they were after, the plans to the battle station.
So far, the fighting seemed to be confined to the beach and the landing platforms though their appeared to be a lot of confusion about the exact number of insurgents attacking and where exactly they were. And now to make matters worse internal comms had just gone down for some reason, while they still had external comms – thus they knew what was going on outside and that the AT-CT's we're on their way and would certainly soon route the Rebels – but that was it.
"Director urgent message from orbit," General Braha reported. "Rebel fleet massing outside the shield. They're closing the shield gate but multiple enemy X-Wing fighters and U-Wing transports got through the portal before they could do so. I've sent runners to tell our AA positions of the incoming threat and to deploy fighters for defence."
"Good. Any news about the internal comms?" Krennic asked hearing the control room doors open.
"Not yet sir, we're still trying to determine where the failure has occurred," the general answered before noticing that a shore trooper had come into the room. A shore trooper who was holding a strange cylinder that for some reason set mental alarm bells ringing. He was sure he'd seen cylinders like it before and that they were dangerous but he couldn't for the life of him remember when or why said cylinder was a threat.
He pushed that aside, there would be time to think about why the cylinder was dangerous later. Right now, there was another matter to deal with. "What are you doing here trooper?" he demanded, "the battle is outside."
"Not anymore it isn't," the trooper answered and touched something on the cylinder causing a one and a half meter long green blade of energy to extend with a snap-hiss sound. The eyes of both General Braha and Director Krennic went wide as they recognised a laser sword and there was only one group who used green coloured laser swords. A group that supposedly no longer existed having died with the Republic.
"Impossible the Jedi were wiped out twenty years ago," Krennic exclaimed gaping at the shimmering green plasma blade in a combination of shock, horror and terror. Having fought in the Clone Wars he was aware of how devastating a weapon that lightsabre was, especially in the hands of a Jedi.
"On the contrary," the Jedi answered and in his voice, they could hear a clear smirk. "My master and a few others survived and continue to do so despite the best efforts of Vader and his Inquisitors."
"What are you waiting for," Krennic asked his two Death Trooper escorts. "Blast him."
Neither trooper needed to be told twice. Both raised the E-lid's blaster rifles at the Jedi and opened fire. Only for the Jedi to blur into motion the green blade intercepting the blaster bolts and sending them flying back on specific trajectories, killing those control room personnel who'd started to draw their own pistols. Then the Jedi leapt into the air and forward towards the troopers, the emerald blade flashed out impossibly, superhumanly, quick and both Death Troopers dropped to the floor headless.
Panic erupted in the control room as the few staff who'd not been hit by the troopers deflected weapons fire attempted to flee. Only for a contemptuous hand gesture from the Jedi to send them all flying into walls where they slumped down unconscious from the hard impacts.
Ezra took a moment to take in his handiwork. Before turning to the two Imperial officers in the room, one wearing the rank insignia of a general the other in a white uniform with a cape. He focused the bulk of his attention on the general knowing he'd have what he needed but keeping one eye – and part of his mind – on the high ranking white uniformed and caped guy.
"The master override for the planetary shield. Where is it," he demanded.
"I'll never tell you," Braha shot back defiantly. The Jedi sighed and he got the distinct impression that the eyes that were being hidden by the helmet visor were being rolled in minor irritation. Then the Jedi waved his free hand in front of his face and suddenly a strange fuzziness enveloped his thoughts.
"You will tell me where the master override for the planetary shield is located," Ezra told him.
"Top level right hand side, third station," Braha answered immediately.
"Very good you will come up here and deactivate the defence shield," Ezra continued as the mind trick worked its usual magic. Not for the first time he wondered just why the Imperials had to be in general so weak minded.
Unable to resist the compulsion Braha did as he was told. Ascending to the top level and started to move over to the third console on the right. Watching in horror Krennic decided to act, he quickly drew his blaster but before he could point at the mind controlled general to stun him – and keep the shield up – the silver weapon was yanked out of his hand. He watched in dismay as it shot through the air to the Jedi who contemptuously sliced it in half with his lightsabre.
"Sorry no interference from you," Ezra replied before unleashing a force push. Krennic screamed as what felt like an invisible battering ram slammed into him and sent him flying back hard into a wall. Darkness enveloping him on impact with the wall as he slumped down unconscious. A moment later a shiver in the Force let him know that impenetrable force field that surrounded the entire planet, and which made attacking a planetary base like this one so incredibly tricky, was coming down. Simultaneously he sensed a familiar presence above and knew his Master was here.
"Excellent now you will tell me where are the main shield generators located," he ordered the general.
"Grid three, three, nine equatorial zone."
"Thank you, general, you have been most helpful," Ezra answered before unleashing another force push, sending the general into a wall and blessed unconsciousness as well. Now to make sure that they cannot use these consoles when they all wake up, he thought before throwing his lightsabre and using telekinesis to turn it into a whizzing circle of plasmatic destruction that he carefully guided through every console in the room.
In seconds the room turned from the beating heart of the base, and the key component of the base defences, into a liability as the Imperial obsession with centralised control would mean any back-up control facility would be unmanned and locked down until needed. Calling his lightsabre back to his hand and deactivating it, but keeping it handy, he raised his wrist comm and activated it.
"Spectre Six to Ghost."
"Ghost here Spectre Six," Hera's voice answered immediately. "Ezra, are you alright?"
"I'm fine Hera," Ezra replied with a smile, touched by the concern he could hear in the matronly Twi'lek's voice. She really had become like another mother to him over the years that he'd known her.
"I assume we have you to thank for taking down the defence shield," Hera asked.
"Yes, and I have the location of the generators so you can ensure it stays down."
"Where are they Spectre Six?"
"Grid three, three nine. Equatorial zone."
"Well done. I'll let Admiral Raddus know so we can take them out. In the meantime, get down to the beach so we can pick you up."
"Sorry Hera can't do it. I need to go make sure Jyn and Cassian get the plans or all this will have been for nothing. I've taken out internal comms so we'll have to ascend to the communications array on top of the tower to transmit them to the fleet."
"Understood. We'll drop our load of ground troops on the beach and be waiting for you there."
"We'll be there," Ezra answered, "Spectre Six out."
After closing the link with Hera, wondering idly why she hadn't verbally ripped his head off for coming here without telling her, he turned and left the control room. Once he was back out in the corridor he closed the blast doors to the room and ignited his sabre and running the controls through with the plasma blade making it impossible for the doors to be easily reopened. While it wouldn't stop, the Imperials escaping the control room once they regained consciousness it would certainly slow them down for a while. Giving him, the rest of Rogue One and the newly arrived Rebel Fleet all the time they needed to escape with the Death Star plans.
Which was the most important thing.
Turning away from the control room he began running in the direction of the data vault.
With the Force augmenting his speed it only took a few minutes for him to reach the walkway above the antechamber to the data vault. What he found there was a firefight as K2SO was exchanging fire with at least two groups of stormtroopers which also attempting to access some of the files. It was immediately obvious even from here that the ex-Imperial enforcer droid was in a bad way, his armoured durasteel carapace had a few holes from direct plasma hits blown in it and he was periodically spitting out sparks and smoke from the various points of damage. Looking at him Ezra guessed that the droid was only a few more hits from destruction as while enforcer droids were built tough even they had their limits.
I must help him, he thought drawing weapon of the sand trooper he was wearing from its place on a leg holster. Before simultaneously igniting his lightsabre and vaulting over the railing and down into the antechamber below. Where he immediately went to work blocking, and deflecting incoming blaster bolts with his sabre hand while firing back with the blaster in his other hand. After what seemed like minutes but was only a few seconds the fighting stopped, the two groups of bucket heads who'd been pinning down K2 lying motionless on the floor faint curdles of smoke rising from where the blaster bolts that had killed them had struck.
"You are obviously not a trooper who are you," K2 asked his rescuer, a rescuer who was dressed like an Imperial but was wielding a weapon that marked him down as something that supposedly no longer existed.
"Oh, right helmet," Ezra muttered before holstering the blaster pistol and taking off the helmet. Instantly the droid recognised him from the group of fighters who'd joined Cassian and Jyn to make up Rogue One.
"Mr Morgan," K2 said managing to convey surprise despite his voice, like all droid voices, being generally emotionless. "If my visual sensors are not deceiving me you are a Jedi."
"They're not deceiving you K2 I am a Jedi or rather I'm training to become one," Ezra confirmed. "And my name really isn't Dev Morgan. It's Bridger, Ezra Bridger."
"Kay what's going on out there," Cassian's voice abruptly came from the radio.
"Mr Morgan has appeared and just saved me from being destroyed by Imperial troops," K2 replied to his partner. "It also appears that he has been keeping secrets from us."
"Secrets! What kind of secrets?" Cassian demanded.
"It appears that he is a Jedi padawan and that Dev Morgan is an alias. He tells me that his real name is Ezra Bridger."
"Repeat that please Kay. I'm sure that you said that he's a Jedi?"
"I am a Jedi Captain Andor," Ezra replied moving close enough to the comm unit for his voice to be picked up. "But that is immaterial right now. Do you have the Death Star plans?"
"Not yet but we've identified them. Kay, we need you to highlight the data tapes for Project Stardust."
"Project Stardust," K2 acknowledged. "Highlighting now."
"I see them beginning retrieval procedure." For an agonizing minute or so nothing happened then Cassian's voice came again. "We've got them," the captain said sounding triumphant. "Open the vault door."
"Opening door now," K2 answered giving the command, making the vault door open just as another squad of troopers came in and opened fire. Ezra immediately blurred into motion again, slipping into his preferred lightsabre combat form of Ataru instantly, sending the initial volley of blaster bolts back at the troopers who fired them, killing three immediately.
Then he was amongst them. Blade lashing out in the quick but deadly jabs and slashes from seemingly multiple directions at once that combined with Force assisted speed and acrobatics made Form IV: Ataru or The Way of the Hawk Bat one of the deadlier lightsabre combat forms. As always Ezra augmented his acrobatics and lightsabre strikes with his other Force powers, especially telekinesis sending troopers flying and some of the martial arts moves he'd picked up off Sabine over the years.
Cassian and Jyn emerged from the data vault just in time to see Ezra single handily and seemingly effortlessly take apart the entire squad of troopers. Despite having heard tales of the Jedi and their capabilities all their lives both could only stare in awe as in what seemed like seconds the entire squad were either killed or rendered unconscious by being thrown hard into metal walls and ceilings. The speed, power and lethal efficiency with which the Jedi fought was both awe inspiring and in its own way quite frightening.
Both shook themselves to get rid of the shock as Ezra turned to look at them, holding his lightsabre in the guard position. "You know I've heard stories about the combat capabilities of Jedi but I never truly believed them until now," Cassian said. "Why didn't you tell us who and what you really were?"
"If I had you wouldn't have succeeded as well as you have," Ezra answered. "Nor would the planetary shields be down as you'd have likely wanted me to stay with you."
Cassian's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "The shield is down?" he asked.
"Yes, I mind tricked the general in charge of this place to deactivate the shield and it won't be going back up again as I not only destroyed the control console in the command centre when I took it out but gave the fleet the location of the shield generators. Some A or Y wings should be taking them out as we speak."
"Nice," Jyn commented with an appreciative whistle. "Now we just need to transmit the plans to the Rebel Fleet. Can we do that from here?"
"No, the internal communications systems appear to be off line," K2 replied before looking at Ezra. "I assume that is your doing?"
"Correct. Internal comms are out so the Imperials can't coordinate their defence. We must ascend to the communications array at the top of the tower to transmit the plans. A ship will be waiting there to pick us up."
"Alright, Kay what's the quickest way up to the array?" Cassian asked turning to the droid.
"There is a turbolift twenty-five meters east of here that leads to the maintenance gantry beneath the array," K2 answered. "With the bulk of Imperial attention focused on the battle outside there is a seventy percent probability that we will reach it undetected… however Cassian I cannot accompany you."
"What why?" Cassian demanded.
"My primary motivators and first line back-up circuits were destroyed by blaster fire before Jedi Bridger reached me, secondary back-ups are badly damaged," K2 explained a jerk and a burst of sparks from some of the holes blown in his shell showing the proof of his wounds. "I estimate I am only at most five minutes from complete systems failure."
"No. no, no there has to be something we can do," Cassian demanded feeling as though someone had just punched him in the gut at the knowledge that his faithful droid was to all intents and purposes mortally wounded.
"Not in time," K2 replied sadly, the faint haze of smoke trailing from some of the blaster holes getting a little thicker as more of his internal circuitry was rent by overloads and burnouts, the deadly legacy of the plasma he'd soaked up beginning to destroy him. "My end is certain. Go I will delay any pursuit that manages to organise if I can."
"But…"
"Go. The Death Star plans must reach the Alliance, make my death mean something."
Cassian looked at him, eyes shining with unshed tears, before nodding and starting to walk away. Jyn and Ezra both followed, but not before pausing to give nods of salute to the droid, until they were out of K2SO's sight.
"Goodbye my friend," K2 said softly as the sound of running footsteps approaching caught his attention. Knowing now that there was only one thing he could do to give Cassian and the others the time they needed to escape he pulled his manipulator spike out of the console.
Then he fired two shots from his blaster pistol into the terminal causing a complete loss of power to the data towers in the achieve. As the console began to smoulder and burn, the heat of the plasma bolts consuming the delicate electronics within, he stood away from it and made himself ready.
A second later the first of yet another squad of Imperial troops started to come charging into the room. Resolutely he raised the pistol and opened fire gunning down two of the white armoured stormtroopers in an instant, the others flattened themselves against the wall and began returning fire. Naturally most of the blood red shots went wide as it was widely known that stormtrooper training emphasised volume and rate of fire over accuracy. Which was a dead giveaway that – aside from rare cases like Vader's 501st Division or the Death Troopers – the Empire regarded its soldiers as being little more than organic battle droids.
As the troopers continued firing at him K2 returned fire, his own shots brutally accurate and dropping Imperials lifeless to the deck. Then the inevitable happened and a blaster bolt took him high in the torso, knocking him staggering back. Another bolt followed and another punching through his weakened carapace to fill his interior of superheated ionized tabana gas. He slumped back against the wall, critical systems failure warnings flashing through his damaged CPU, meaning that the time for his last act had come.
He armed his self-destruct charge.
A forth plasma bolt smashed into his head making his world flash with static then go dark as his CPU was destroyed. But it was too late. As the stormtroopers approached to make sure that the droid was dead the last thing they saw was a brilliant flash as K2's self-destruct charge fired.
The blast shook the entire Citadel Tower.
Now in the turbolift and ascending towards the communications array at the apex of the tower Cassian, Jyn and Ezra all staggered as the lift was momentarily jolted on its running track as the shockwave rippled through the tower.
"KAY," Cassian yelled before beating against the door, closing his eyes and looking down in pain and grief. After a second he felt a dainty hand clap him on the shoulder and he glanced over to see Jyn looking at him in sympathy and understanding. After a few seconds, he allowed an appreciative smile to appear on his lips and Jyn smiled back, a mutual spark of attraction flaring between them.
Standing behind them Ezra smiled as he didn't have to be a Jedi to see the attraction flare between the two of them. Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor were just right for one another, both completed the other filling in holes that neither person had known they had. The Force was quite clear on that detail. And it looks like they might be starting to realise that themselves, he thought as for a few moments out of time the tableau between Jyn and Cassian held.
The moment only ended when the lift came to a stop. "Uh Cassian you might want to stop leaning on the lift doors before," Ezra started to say just as the lift doors opened and the captain fell forward with a yell of surprise to a bruising impact with a sheet metal deck, "that happens."
"Are you hurt?" Jyn asked resisting, just, the impulse to laugh at what had just happened.
"Aside from a little bruised pride I'm fine," Cassian replied picking himself up, wincing slightly knowing he was going to ache for days after this. "Come on we need to send those plans to the fleet."
Without waiting for a reply, he walked along the short corridor and out onto the open-air maintenance deck beneath the great dish of the communications array. From here they had a breath-taking view of the entire tropical atoll on which the base was built, as well as a bird's eye view of the ongoing battle.
A battle that seemed to be winding down. Rebel X and A wing fighters dominated the skies above the base, the smouldering remains of TIE Strikers falling to earth all around. Down on the beach they could see many U-Wing transports along with a few larger craft that had deployed ground forces that were mopping up the last few stubborn pockets of Imperial resistance. All around lay the smouldering wrecks of AT-CT and AT-ST walkers. All of it pointed to one thing.
Their audacious attack had succeeded; Citadel Base had fallen to the Rebel Alliance.
"Let's get to the transmitter controls and finish this," Ezra said softly breaking the spell that had fallen upon them all at the sight of a most unexpected, but welcome, victory. He did a quick scan for the Ghost and spotted her shooting down one of the few remaining TIE's before heading in their direction.
"Right," Jyn agreed and made her way over to the main console beneath the dish. After unclipping the data tape from her belt, she carefully slotted it into the reader and entered the command to transmit the contents to the orbiting Rebel fleet. Only for the screen to flash red.
"Reset antenna alignment," a female computer voice said. "Reset antenna alignment."
"I'm on it," Ezra said immediately moving over to a free-standing console on the end of a gantry sticking out from the service deck. After a few moments of scanning the controls he figured out exactly what he needed to do and made the appropriate adjustments. Immediately there came the whirring of very powerful motors from above them and the great metal dish began to move, the antenna in the centre coming onto an alignment with the Rebel fleet. In seconds, it was in position.
"Try it now," he called to Jyn.
"Trying now," Jyn replied and once again entered the command to transmit the contents of the data tape to the Rebel fleet. Immediately a new screen appeared showing four bars of eight units each representing the information contained on the tape. Instantly the farthest to the left on each bar began flashing black.
"Transmitting," the antenna's computer intoned. "Transmitting."
"Spectre Six to Ghost," Ezra said into his comm. "Spectre Two inform Admiral Raddus that we're transmitting the Death Star plans now."
"On it Spectre Six," Hera acknowledged and went quiet for a moment. "Admiral Raddus confirms that the transmission is being received and processed."
"Transmission complete," the transmitter computer announced.
"Hera?" Ezra asked.
"Admiral Raddus confirms, we have the Death Star plans. Coming in now prepare for a 44 scoop."
"Understood we'll be ready," Ezra replied before signing off then looking at Cassian and Jyn.
"Well?" Jyn asked.
"It's done," Ezra confirmed. "The plans are now aboard Admiral Raddus ship."
"You mean we've done it," Jyn asked.
"Yes, and now it's time to get out of here," Ezra replied his confirmation drawing a cry of victory and elation from both his fellow humans. Now that they had the Death Star plans the Alliance would soon find the fuse that Galen Erso had built into the great battle station, light it and blow the Sith-spawned abomination back to hell where it belonged. Hopefully before somewhere else suffered the same fate as sacred Jedha or worse.
Something, be it experience or the Force, however told Ezra that it would not be that easy. A fact proven a second later by a shiver in the Force. Looking up Ezra could see, just beyond the edges of the transmitter dish, a new moon blink into existence above Scarif. A moon with a large and very regular crater in its northern hemisphere.
The Death Star.
The roar of the Ghost's engines drew his attention and he saw the heavily modified VCX-100 light freighter coming to a stop below them. "Come on," Ezra said gesturing to Jyn and Cassian to join him at the rail. "Were going to have to jump."
"Jump are you crazy," Jyn asked.
"Trust me we'll be perfectly safe," Ezra answered before leaping over the banister rail and landing easily on top of the Ghost, where he exchanged a two-fingered salute with Zeb who he could see manning the dorsal turret. Then he turned and looked up at Cassian and Jyn. "Come on."
Cassian and Jyn exchanged a look, shrugged and decided that they had little choice but to trust the Jedi. So mentally crossing their fingers both leapt over the banister rail and dropped onto the top of the Ghost themselves.
"See that wasn't so bad," Ezra told them. "Now come on let's get inside. We're not going to have long to get out of here before that thing fires on us."
Without waiting for a response, he led them across the top of the Ghost to a hatch that had been pre-opened for them. Cassian and Jyn followed closely behind the young Jedi, both glancing at the Death Star with dread filled eyes before descending into the interior of the heavily modified Corellian freighter.
"Chopper close the hatch," they both heard Ezra say. Looking over they saw a beat up old C1 astromech droid one of its manipulator arms plugged into a terminal on the wall. The droid warbled in response and with a hiss the circular overhead hatch slid shut. A moment before the intercom came to life.
"Ezra I need you down at the entry ramp now," Hera's voice said immediately. "There as some troops down there pinned down that we need to pick up."
"On it Hera," Ezra replied into his wrist comm already starting to move.
"Can we help at all," Cassian asked.
"You might be able to come on," Ezra answered gesturing for them to follow him through the familiar corridors of the Ghost to the entry ramp at the front of their main cargo hold. The two other members of Rogue One followed close behind him, in seconds the three of them were dropping down a ladder onto the deck.
To find two people already there. One was Kanan who smiled and nodded in greeting to his padawan as he sensed his arrival, though he sensed that that would not be for very much longer at all. Just until they were done here and got back to Yavin IV. The other person in the room was to Ezra's total lack of surprise the old clone trooper Rex. Who as with Kanan smiled and nodded in greeting to Ezra while preparing his dual DC-17 blasters to unleash covering fire for those ground troops who the last of the Imperial garrison had pinned down.
A second later the deck shivered as the Ghost set down on the surface of the planet. "Get ready," Kanan said taking his lightsabre off his belt and holding it ready for activation. Moving up beside his master Ezra did the same thing with his own sabre but not before pausing and offering the pistol that had come with this armour to Jyn knowing that she didn't have a weapon having given hers to K2SO. She accepted the offered weapon with muffled thanks while besides her Cassian readied his own pistol.
Then the ramp/door lowered and they were treated to the sight of Chirrut, Baze and two of the squad that had initially come to Scarif pinned down by several stormtroopers who were using some cargo pods as cover to exchange fire with the Rebels who were pinned in a glass-edged crater blasted into the sand.
"Let's go," Kanan said igniting his lightsabre and starting down the ramp, simultaneously Ezra did the same thing beside him. Rex followed a half step behind, levelling his DC-17's at the white armoured troopers who'd succeeded him and his brothers – and which really didn't deserve to be called troopers in his mind as their training and abilities were so pathetic that just calling them troopers dishonoured those of his brothers who'd fought and died for the Republic. And those who'd been driven to insanity or worse when those Sith spawned control chips took over their bodies and turned them on the Jedi and anyone else who threatened the Sith Lord Palpatine's rise to absolute power as Emperor – and opened fire sending a dual salvo of blue plasma bolts right at them. As usual his aim was deadly accurate and one of the Imperials went down with a death scream.
The sudden barrage of covering fire seemed to catch Imperials and Rebels alike. The stormtroopers immediately ducking back into cover and attempting to reposition to counter the new threat. Baze and the two Rebel troops for their part glanced back at the Ghost, Baze felt a smile appear on his face as he saw not one but two Jedi – one of whom was the same one he'd seen earlier though now dressed in shore trooper armour for some reason – coming towards them an old clone trooper along with Cassian and Jyn. The two Rebels just gaped open mouthed in shock at the sight of something that they'd previously only ever heard about.
Shock turned into awe when, as soon as they were clear of the ship, both Jedi leapt into the air in Force powered leaps. Leaps that brought then down right behind where the Imperials were taking cover, lightsabres instantly becoming blue or green whirling storms of death as Kanan and Ezra ripped into the Imperials. In seconds, it was over.
As the last of the bucket heads met his end beneath the green blade of his sabre Ezra happened to glance up at the looming presence of the Death Star. Just in time to see eight green energy beams merge together above the crater-like superlaser, right before sending a massive emerald lance of pure destruction towards them. The massive beam of the weapon shooting past barely a kilometre over their heads – close enough for the energy spill to make the hair on the back of everyone's necks stand up – and touched down somewhere just beyond the horizon.
Instantly the horizon went white, the flash of the explosion momentarily blinding everyone – well save Kanan and Chirrut who were already blind. When the initial detonation flash faded and everyone could see again what they saw was horrifying. An immense mushrooming cloud – almost like the cloud from a nuclear explosion – was rising into the sky. A cloud that was nothing but a glowing mass of superheated plasma shot through with great chunks of rock and glowing geysers of lava. A cloud that was expanding – rapidly filling the horizon and starting to slowly advance towards them.
Though perhaps the most terrifying thing about it was its silence.
"We need to go," Ezra said as a deep rumbling thrumming and shaking began to be felt. The planet itself writhing in agony over the tremendous blow that had just been delivered to it.
"Everyone on the Ghost," Kanan yelled out. "Now."
Not needing to be told twice the assembled Rebels got to their feet and ran straight for the Ghost. The ground quakes shaking Scarif growing in intensity as the ever-expanding fireball slowly approached, the force of the reaction created by the Death Stars beam causing matter-antimatter pair bonds to form in the cloud increasing its force as it literally started to rip a huge part of the planet apart. Somehow everyone managed to keep their feet as they climbed aboard the modified freighter.
Naturally the two Jedi were the last people to board.
"Hera everyone's aboard," Kanan said into his commlink as he and Ezra ran up the ramp. "Close the ramp and let's get out of here."
"On it," Hera responded immediately engaging the repulsors and closing the ramp at the same time. Kanan signed off and waited as he heard the main engines start and felt the Ghost pulling away from the surface. After a few seconds a whir of sound and sudden momentary surge of acceleration informed everyone that they'd just jumped into hyperspace – without even leaving the atmosphere, shooting away from Scarif at hundreds of times the speed of light.
"Is it over," Baze asked after a moment.
"Not quite yet it isn't there is something that needs to be done first," Kanan replied. "But that can wait until we reach Yavin Four."
"Oh, what's that," Jyn asked.
"Nothing that concerns you Ms Erso. Though I don't doubt that Mon Mothma and the Council will want to thoroughly debrief you with everything that's happened. No what needs to be done concerns my somewhat wayward padawan here," Kanan said clapping Ezra on an armour-clad shoulder.
"What's that Master," Ezra asked curious looking up – though not as much as he once would have had to – at his teacher/second father.
Kanan smiled mysteriously. It wasn't often that he got chance to really wind Ezra up anymore. Besides making him wait would be good payback for going off like he did, even if it had been his last trial. "You'll find out," he said mysteriously. "In the meantime, why don't you go and get out of that armour. Then I believe that Hera wants to see you on the bridge."
Chuckles ran through the cargo hold as Ezra suddenly sported a dear caught in the headlights expression. "Is she mad?"
"You'll find out. Now do what I told you and get out that armour."
Ezra gulped. "Yes Master," he said before scarpering up to the crew deck and the quarters he now shared with Sabine. Kanan watched him go before, once Ezra was out of immediate earshot, starting to laugh. Rex joining in a few seconds later.
"That was cruel, Kanan," the clone said between laughs. "Cruel but fun. He's going to be a nervous wreck now until he sees Hera."
"I know," Kanan said still chuckling.
"Is he really in trouble with General Syndulla," Cassian asked intending to speak on the padawans behalf if he was. While he hadn't been able to save K2 Ezra's help had still been invaluable in the mission.
"No," Kanan said reassuringly. "The most she'll do when she sees him is hug him to death. Between her and Zeb Ezra is going to soon find himself a bit breathless."
"Oh."
Rebel Headquarters
Yavin IV, A Few Hours Later
Ezra was both nervous and uncomfortable. Nervous because he had just received a summons to report to one of the larger briefing rooms in the repurposed temple ziggurat. Whatever it was about he had a strange feeling that it was going to change things for him, for his role in the rebellion. A rebellion that was currently riding high from the victory at Scarif – even though it had been very costly, especially in space when Vader's flagship had shown up alongside the Death Star and disabled Admiral Raddus ship. Thankfully the Death Star plans had gotten away, carried aboard Princess Leia's ship which he'd heard was off on another short, side mission before she could bring the plans here.
He was uncomfortable because of what Kanan had told him to wear. When he'd gotten back into his quarters here in the temple he'd found a package with his name on it, his name written in Kanan's handwriting. When he'd opened the package, he had found inside formal Jedi robes of the kind that you now only normally saw in a few – now illegal – holographic records that had survived the Empire's – largely successful – attempts to erase all trace of the Jedi from history. Among them had been a note telling him to wear them when he was called.
Something he had duly done. Though the robes felt slightly uncomfortable, as he just wasn't used to wearing something like this with so many different layers, it also felt strangely right to be wearing them. Felt natural. This was after all the ancient uniform of the Jedi and provided one of the few tangible links to the past – and the Order as it had once been during the days of the Galactic Republic – that they had.
Arriving outside the indicated briefing room he paused to gather his courage, then knocked on the door. Immediately the doors opened and he walked inside. To find that the normal arrangement of chairs facing a dais and screen – from which briefings would be delivered – had been removed. Instead all the Rebels in the room were standing. All of them he recognized mostly from Phoenix Squadron – those few of them who'd survived the encounter with Grand Admiral Thrawn – but some from Lothal – like Ryder and Tseebo – and others that he'd met and helped over the years. Like Jai, Zare, Zare's former girlfriend and now wife Merei and his sister Dhara and the members of Rogue One.
They all stood in two columns facing the front of the room. Where the crew of the Ghost, Ezra somehow wasn't surprised to see Kanan wearing similar robes to him, though he was surprised to see Sabine as he hadn't heard she was back were waiting along with Generals Dravin and Dodonna and Mon Mothma. I wonder what this is about, he thought feeling his unease about this whole situation spike a little. Especially when Kanan spoke up and did so very formally.
"Padawan Ezra Bridger step forward," he said. Ezra did as instructed walking past the line of familiar faces. Until he came to the foot of the dais. "Knell please."
Raising an eyebrow Ezra did as instructed, still not having a clue about what this was about. He watched as Kanan came to stand in front of him and unhooked his lightsabre from his belt. And abruptly he almost forgot how to breath as he suddenly realised just what this was about. What was going to happen now.
"Padawan Bridger, you have completed your training and been undergoing the Jedi Trials. After communing with the Force and consulting with Grand Master Yoda we have now determined that your trials have ended," Kanan continued in his best Jedi Master voice before activating his lightsabre and carefully placed it close to first his left shoulder then his right. "By the rite of the Council and the will of the Force I now dub thee Ezra Bridger a Knight of the Jedi Order. Arise Ezra Bridger, Jedi Knight."
Feeling his eyes burning with unshed tears of joy, and feeling his heart wanted to explode from delight at accomplishing becoming a full Jedi Knight, Ezra got back to his feet. And then became aware of the clapping from the assembled audience. He turned in place and took in the various reactions around the room. Everyone seemed to be extremely happy and looking at Mon Mothma especially he saw true hope in her eyes along with nostalgia for times that had passed and which might, if they were ultimately successful in defeating the Empire built by Darth Sidious, one day come again.
After a few moments General Dravin stepped forward and formally began dismissing the assembled witnesses. As the room began to empty, everyone heading back to quarters or stations, Ezra turned to look at his master – well technically former master now but he knew there would always be a part of him that would see Kanan as master – and his crewmates.
"I ugh don't know what to say," he said softly.
"You don't need to say anything," Kanan replied, "it's overwhelming I know. You've come a long way from the little street urchin who dropped in on us so suddenly five years ago. I'm so proud of you."
"Only because of you, because of all of you."
"I only opened the door for you," Kanan answered. "You were the one who walked through it. But enough of that formal talk now…. Come here."
Ezra smiled and stepped closer and let Kanan pull him into a hug. After a second he was released to be pulled into hugs by Hera, Zeb and Sabine respectively each offering congratulations. He even felt and heard Chopper gently tapping his leg and offering congratulations in binary. Though the hug with Sabine naturally lasted the longest as it had been months since they last saw one another on anything other than a holonet transmission.
It was at that moment however that Mon Mothma spoke up. "I am sorry to derail your celebrations of this accomplishment. Which I admit has given me great hope for the future and our mutual dream to restore the Republic," she said as all the Spectres turned their attention to her. "But I have an urgent mission for you. One that relates to the Death Star."
"What is it," Kanan asked.
"Shortly before I came to this ceremony we received an emergency burst transmission from the Tantive IV," Mon explained. "They reported that they'd been disabled by the ISD Devastator over Tatooine and were currently being tractored in prior to boarding. Princess Leia indicated that she was placing the Death Star plans inside an R2 unit that she would then send down to the surface of Tatooine in an escape pod.
"What I need you to do is go to Tatooine and retrieve that R2 unit, the plans and if possible execute Leia's secondary mission to retrieve Master Kenobi."
Hera exchanged looks with her entire crew before turning to the Senator. "We'll leave immediately Senator," she said.
"Thank you."
The End?
Authors Note: Well that's the end of this one-shot story, I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Before anyone asks I will be writing, at some point, an AU of A New Hope set in the alternate universe established in this story but do not ask for an exact time table as I cannot give you one.