A gentle snowfall danced between the towering firs that jutted upwards into the overcast sky, the flakes' gentle decent muting all sound except the soft crunching of the snowpack under Sabine's boots. Following the footpath that wound between trees and over the forested hills, she felt a gentle wind combing through her hair like a gentle touch, welcoming her vagabond soul back. Her heartbeat quickened as she neared the final ridgeline, her feet shuffling faster through the snow towards the crest. She could already hear grunts of exertion and shouts of exaltation, the sharp crack of sparring rods colliding, and peals of joyous laughter. The final meters of the hill seemed to extend into kilometers as her shuffle transitioned into a sprint, her face alight with anticipation. They were just over there, almost within sight. Aliit. Yaim. Family. Home.

A sound, a cold whisper, pricked at the back of her mind and caused her to come to a stop just before the crest of the ridge. She turned back, trying to discern where the growing noise was coming from. The whisper was now a whistle, growing in pitch and intensity as tops of the trees began to tremble as if from fright. The pit of her stomach dropped as the whistle became a shriek, a gleam of light beginning to pierce through the forest. As she threw herself to the ground, the concussion of superheated air pounded against Sabine's back as a gleaming bolt ripped limbs from the trees overhead, showering her with snow and debris. She looked on in horror as the bluish flame in its wake disappeared over the ridge, bracing for the wrath of its impact.

Instead of blinding light and deafening sound, only a dull thump echoed from beyond the ridgeline. Pushing herself to her feet, she sprinted forward to the top of the hill and looked over into the basin beyond. Figures in gold and grey armor stood silently faced away from her, all staring at the tall, gunmetal cylinder that now jutted from the snow in their midst. Panic tightened her throat as a young boy with chestnut hair slowly walked towards the giant metal tube, hand outstretched. Sabine scrambled forward, air finally escaping her lungs in a pitiful scream.

NO!

As the boy's hand touched the grey metal, a dense smog erupted from the missile, instantly enveloping the gathering around it, shrouding them from view. Sabine skidded to a halt as the cloud rapidly expanded outward, filling the basin and billowing up the slope towards her. Fear seizing hold of her mind, she turned and ran back over the hill, sprinting desperately down the winding path. Over her shoulder, she could see the dense fog boiling over the crest behind her. It poured down the hill and over the snowy firs, which rapidly decayed and burned away into ash as their mighty limbs came into contact with the mist. A fallen branch snagged her foot, sending her tumbling into a heap in the powdery snow. She tried to rise again, but terror robbed her of all motor skills and control. Her helmet nowhere to be found, she took one last deep breath and held it as the cloud seeped around her feet and washed over her body. As her lungs began to scream for air, she watched as the snow began to darken and melt, covering her body in a viscous red liquid. Lights began to flash in her vision as she reached the limits of her stamina, and with tears streaming down her face she let her lips part for her final breath.

Sabine's eyes snapped open as she gasped for air, the grey durasteel ceiling of bunk slowly returning to focus in her vision. Her eyes flitted to the bedside, where her blasters lay as she had left them the night before. The dull hum of the engines reverberated through the otherwise quiet room, gently soothing the throbbing heart rate from her hearing. She slowly sat upright, grimacing as her side protested mildly against the movement. The throbbing, shooting pain from the wound was absent, only a dull ache remaining to remind her of the injury. Stepping out onto the frigid metal floor, she moved with near-silent footsteps to the door, peering into the hallway outside. At the foot of the doorway sat her bodysuit, folded in a small stack. Turning the suit over in her hands, she found that the brownish-red bloodstains had vanished from the cloth. The perforation in the right side was gone, a small crescent-shaped line of stitching nearly invisible against the black fabric. Gathering up her belt and blasters, she quietly slipped out of the room and into the refresher.


"Look who's finally up and about."

Hera was once again waiting for Sabine as she entered the common room, greeting her with another gentle smile and a ceramic mug of steaming liquid. Accepting the mug with a grateful smile, Sabine slipped into the bench beside Hera, cautiously sipping from the beverage and savoring its bitter flavor.

"How long was I out?" Sabine asked between pulls from the cup. Hera grinned, pouring a dark, grainy cereal from a container on the table into a bowl in front of Sabine.

"About thirteen standard hours. Some of that is due to the painkillers I gave you, but you must have been exhausted regardless." Sabine nodded, slightly incredulous that she'd been able to sleep that long amongst complete strangers. She mulled the events of the past day between spoonfuls of the cereal, before turning to the other woman.

"Thank… thank you. For all of this," Sabine said, gesturing towards the bodysuit and the bowl of cereal on the table. "I don't have any credits, but if there's anything I can do…" Hera smiled, shaking her head.

"Absolutely not. I'm just glad we found you when we did." Setting her caf aside, Hera glanced at the chronometer on her wrist. "We should be meeting our associate in a few hours. Once that's done, we can take you wherever you need to go. Is there anyone we can take you to see?" Hera watched Sabine's countenance fall as she began half-heartedly pushing the remaining cereal around the bowl with her spoon. Before Hera could inquire further, the door leading to the cockpit slid open as Kanan strode into the room.

"We might have a problem," Kanan announced, glancing towards Sabine before pulling up a seat by the dejarik table. "He just missed his second check-in in a row." Hera's brow furrowed in concern as Kanan flipped several of the table's switches, a ghostly-blue outline of a cityscape rising from the surface of the table.

"Who is he?" Sabine inquired, setting the cereal bowl aside as the shimmering hologram expanded to cover the entire surface of the table. Kanan exchanged a questioning glance with Hera, before enlarging a portion of the hologram.

"Our associate. His last check-in was here, a kilometer from the spaceport and just outside of the local Imperial garrison. He said he was going to continue to recon the place, but nothing since."

"What about the Imperials?" Hera questioned, concern clearly spreading across her face. "Maybe they found him?" Kanan shook his head, crossing his arms as he reclined in the chair.

"I don't think so. Imperial comm chatter in the area has been heavy, but nothing about him." Kanan ran a thoughtful finger along the length of his goatee, before pointing at the glowing red orb that marked the missing associate's last position. "If we set down in the port, I should be able to get there in a few minutes. A guy his size is bound to have left a trail." Hera shook her head, leaning away from the holomap with a stern glare.

"You're not going alone. Something's stopping him from calling, and if it's the Empire or someone else, they could be waiting for you too." Kanan perched his hands on his thighs, a frustrated scowl on his face.

"Well, I don't think we have much of a choice, unless you're going to trust Chop to watch the ship and our guest," Kanan remarked. Hera's concerned look descended into an irritated glare as she began to open her mouth to reply.

"I'll go." Sabine's interjection cut the dispute short, eliciting a look of surprise from both Hera and Kanan.

"Are you sure you're up for it? You're still healing from your last few days, and this might not be any easier," Hera cautioned.

"I'll be fine," Sabine answered with a soft shrug. "Besides, I'm going to earn my keep somehow." Kanan and Hera exchanged another silent look, before Hera slowly nodded.

"It's settled then," Hera affirmed as a chime rang from the intercom. "And just in time. We're here." Kanan and Hera rose from the table and walked towards the cockpit, Hera beckoning Sabine to follow them. Sliding into one of the dull brown jump seats behind the pilots' chairs, Sabine watched as Hera set the ship's manual controls back into motion. Beyond the transparisteel of the cockpit, the blue-grey spiral of hyperspace began to slow, breaking apart into individual streaks of stars before the baritone thump of the hyperdrive disengaging announced their re-entry into realspace. Sabine felt her body beginning to tense as no planet appeared in front of the ship, but rather a field of massive asteroids.

"I thought you said we were going to find your partner," Sabine questioned, hands beginning to clutch the sides of the seat.

"We are," Kanan affirmed as Hera gently guided the ship into the field. Sabine began to open her mouth to reply, but paused as her mouth fell open in shock. A massive asteroid filled the view of the cockpit, thousands of buildings jutting from it like darkened icicles from its base. The towering structures narrowed to a fine point, then expanded again in a rough hourglass shape to connect to another asteroid orbiting slowly nearby. A million points of light from the windows of the city illuminated the surrounding field in an ethereal glow, silhouetting the hundreds of starships that flittered around it like insects circling a floodlight. Hera turned to see the girl's awestruck expression, an amused smile crossing her own face.

"Welcome to Kafrene," Hera announced, setting the ship into a gentle glide towards the city's port. "We'll be landing in a few minutes. You might want to start gearing up." Sabine nodded, and made her way to the door leading back towards the common room. Kanan waited until the door closed behind her before turning his seat to face Hera.

"Are you sure this is the right call, bringing her along?" Hera nodded as she gently pulled at the control yoke.

"If she's anything like what we think she is, she's not going to continue accepting our help if she thinks it's a handout. Mandalorians have too much pride for that. Besides, the two of you together will arouse less suspicion than just you moving alone." Kanan grunted in agreement, sliding his blaster from its holster and checking its power cell. "While you're gone, Chopper and I will see what we can do to repair the damage from Ord Mantell," Hera continued as blue outline of the landing bay began to fill their view. "I'll also see if I can get us more answers on who Sabine really is." Guiding the ship into the docking bay, Hera managed their slow descent until the mild shudder of the landing pads making contact with solid ground vibrated through the craft. Kanan rose from his seat, turning towards the door.

"And Kanan," Hera called as he paused before the door. "Please, take care of her." With a nod of acknowledgement, he turned and began the short walk to the cargo bay.


Weaving her way between the countless pedestrians that milled about the narrow street, Sabine relished the feel of her armor once again locked against her body. For one, it lent a sense of security and strength that had been painfully absent over the past days – even her side seemed less bothersome now that the beskar plates were fixed to her figure. Additionally, the helmet allowed her to subtly gawk at the diverse crowd that teemed around her. Even her brief venture into the world of bounty hunting couldn't shake the utterly alien feel of Kafrene's labyrinthine streets, whose inhabitants' clash of garbs, uniforms, and gowns made even her Mandalorian armor seem relatively unremarkable in comparison. Around her, the smell of ammonia venting from leaky pipes mixed with the aroma of cooking food of the street venders and the stench of the unwashed, unshaven miners that pushed past her on their way home. Peels of laughter, shouts of arguments, cries of merchants, and the mumble of conversations blended into an unintelligible cacophony that only amplified the claustrophobic crowding around her. She fought to keep the brown ponytail of her companion in her view as they pressed deeper into the city.

"So, how exactly do you plan to find this "associate" of yours?" Sabine inquired as they pushed into a quieter alley that broke off from the main corridor. "Who or what are we looking for?"

"Well, he tends to stand out in a crowd, so finding him shouldn't be too much of a problem," Kanan replied with a smirk. Continuing to survey the myriad of species that passed around her, Sabine cocked her head to the side at the man's turned back, clicking her teeth in frustration.

"Right. And that's the guy you sent to surveil an Imperial facility?" Scanning the crowd, Kanan shrugged.

"Didn't have many options. Besides, he doesn't try to find trouble. Trouble just has a way of finding him." The two paused as they rounded a corner to find an Imperial transport idling in the center of the thoroughfare, the strobe of its lights illuminating the darkened walls in red and blue. "Actually, I take that back," Kanan said, turning to Sabine with a cheeky grin. "He finds his own trouble. A lot." Gesturing for her to follow, he slipped through the crowd to the side of the vehicle, standing just beside it's doorway. "Stand here," he whispered just above the noise of the crowd, motioning to just in front of the door. Hesitating a moment before complying, Sabine watched as he rapped his knuckles twice against the side of the transport. A small camera protruded from the side of the vehicle, sweeping over the crowd before pointing directly at her.

"Who are you?" a disembodied voice demanded. Before Sabine could sputter a reply, Kanan leaned forward, just out of the camera's field of view.

"Cadet C-D-Six-Nine-Eight-Seven, sir. I'm… um… I'm lost…" Kanan announced, muffling his voice with his fist.

"Oh, for the love of…" the voice muttered as the camera retracted back into the vehicle. Sabine turned to Kanan speechlessly as the man continued to grin, drawing his blaster. The hatch slid open, and before Sabine or the Stormtrooper inside could react, Kanan leapt inside the vehicle, the cobalt flashes of stun rounds from his blaster blending with the blue strobe of the emergency lights. Clambering inside the vehicle and sealing the door behind her, Sabine turned to Kanan with fists clenched, stepping over the incapacitated trooper towards him.

"You could have told me you were going to do that!" she barked as Kanan crouched over a bank of radios bolted into the side of the wall.

"Sorry about that," Kanan replied, his apologetic tone clashing with the sly grin that continued to turn at his lips. "But windows of opportunity only stay open for so long." Turning up the volume of the speakers, the chatter of radio dispatches began to fill the cramped compartment.

"I thought you told said the Imperials didn't know where he was," Sabine questioned. Kanan nodded, slouching back into the seat left unoccupied by the fallen Stormtrooper.

"He hasn't been captured, yes. But active searches don't always get reported off-world."

"Still," Sabine objected, "there's no guarantee that they're looking in this area, or that-" Kanan held up an interrupting finger, increasing the volume on one of the radio sets.

"…at least two meters tall, armed with some sort of staff… troopers down in section seven, suspect might be heading to the upper levels, in section ten or thirteen…" Listening to the transmissions, Kanan shook his head with a chuckle.

"Like I said, trouble finds him. Let's go." Slipping out of the transport, the two pushed their way through the street towards a crowd gathering around the darkened opening of another small alleyway. The murmuring pedestrians were gathered around a trio of Stormtroopers lying motionless on the ground, two others trying in vain to maintain order at the scene. Glancing at the fallen troopers, Kanan nodded towards the alleyway. "It's definitely him. C'mon." Slipping past the overwhelmed sentries, Sabine and Kanan took off down the darkened corridor. Without the incessant noise of other pedestrians, the passage was eerily still, only the hiss of leaky pipes and the distant rumble of speeders audible over the echo of their footsteps. Dim lamps struggled to cast their amber glow over the countless shadows that played across the ribbed walls. As they rounded yet another winding corner, the murmur of electronic voices brought them to a sudden halt. A team of Stormtroopers, their flashlights pointed up into the heights of the levels above them, collectively turned to face them with weapons trained.

"What are you doing here? This section's under lockdown!" the lead trooper demanded. Kanan held his hands to his sides, ignorance and innocence plastered across his face.

"Sorry, must have taken a wrong turn-" Kanan began, only to be cut off by the click of arming blasters.

"Hands up, both of you!" the trooper ordered, as the others began to advance towards them. Sabine watched as Kanan's eyes flicked upward, then his hands began to raise above his head.

"Do as they say," Kanan instructed, as Sabine stared at him incredulously.

"You've got to be kidding-" Sabine sputtered, frantically searching for cover between her and the approaching soldiers. Kanan looked to her, a wily twinkle behind his deadpan expression.

"You have to trust me." Gritting her teeth, Sabine looked from Kanan to the troopers, slowly raising her hands. As the first trooper began to reach out towards Kanan, a flutter in the corner of Sabine's vision caught her attention. A dark mass separated from the ribbed walls above them, hurtling downwards and slamming the furthest trooper into the ground. As the others turned to face the new threat, dual arcs of purple electricity crackled to life at the ends of the figure's weapon as he lunged over the fallen trooper towards them. Confused shouts mixed with cries of pain as the purple electricity slammed into the two closest troopers, the force of the blow breaking chunks of their plastoid armor away and throwing them backwards into the walls. The figure's staff collapsed into what appeared to be a rifle, its powerful blasts felling the final two troopers. Sabine stood dumbfounded as the figure stepped from the shadows into the soft amber light, revealing a towering humanoid covered in short, lavender fur. The Lasat species were said to be all but extinct in the galaxy, yet one in the flesh stood before her, bo-rifle held in his mighty arms. Her awe switched to panic as the figure leveled its weapon at her, before Kanan's quick grasp forced the barrel towards the ground.

"Easy, big guy! She's with us!" Kanan shouted. Immediately the Lasat let his weapon drop to his side, his fierce gaze still trained on Sabine.

"Should know better than to dress up like a buckethead," he griped in a deep, gruff voice. Hands dropping to her hips, Sabine straightened up towards him.

"I'm not a Stormtrooper." The Lasat cast an inquisitive eyebrow at her as he slung the bo-rifle along his back.

"Didn't know Mandalorians came that short." Sabine's fists clenched in frustration, but before she could retort Kanan stepped between the two, shaking his head.

"Glad you two are getting acquainted. Sabine, this is our associate, Zeb." The Lasat turned to Kanan, eyebrow still raised.

"Associate? That's what I am now?" Zeb said, sarcasm and feigned outrage coloring his voice. Kanan waved off the comment, looking up and down the alley.

"I thought you'd appreciate the formality," he teased before gesturing towards the motionless troopers. "Now, unless you care to explain to their friends why you decided to scuff up their nice armor, I suggest we find a different location to talk."


From their corner booth, Sabine stared over the table towards the dozens of patrons that filled the bar from wall to wall. As seemed to be the norm on Kafrene, the din of dozens of bets, arguments and piped-in music mired all sound but the closest conversations in an unintelligible racket. Even through her helmet's air filters, she could smell the pungent t'bac smoke that hung over the crowd in a bluish haze. Between the fog of the smoke and the dimmed lighting, the visual filters of her helmet indecisively flickered between night and day settings. With a sigh of frustration, she pulled the helmet from her head, setting it beside her on the bench while running a hand through her crimson strands to free the sweaty mass of hair from the back of her neck.

"You might want to keep that on," Kanan cautioned from beside her. "Places like these can get a little rough." Sabine shot him an irritated glare as Zeb sidled into the booth on the other side of Kanan, setting three frosted glasses on the table. Taking one of the glasses, Kanan turned to the Lasat. "So, what were you able to find out?"

"The buyer was right," Zeb announced, leaning back into the broken synthleather backing of the booth. "Local garrison is a supply outfit, does repair jobs and the like for the other posts in the system. From what I saw, just your standard security detail with 'em." Pausing to drink from his glass, Zeb produced a small holoprojector that cast a map of several long buildings on the table. "They've got a warehouse just off of the port that handles electronics and computers. They run a handful of patrols around the exterior, plus cameras and whatnot. Seems pretty easy to me." Kanan stared at the holo, before looking to Zeb with a teasing grin.

"If it's so easy, why did you miss your check-ins?" A sheepish look spread over Zeb's face as he ran his meaty hand along the back of his head.

"I got made while I was casing the place…" Crossing his arms, Kanan leaned back into his own seat with an unconvinced smirk as Zeb held his hands up in penance. "I swear, the buckethead ran into my fist!" Sabine leaned forward over the table, looking at the hologram before turning to Zeb and Kanan.

"Can someone please tell me what's going on here? Why are you so interested in Imperial supply depots?" Zeb shot a hesitant look towards Kanan, who turned to face Sabine.

"The Empire is upgrading the software for the navigation systems of their cruisers and medium-range patrol craft. Part of that process is sending hard drives from their navicomputers to supply depots like this one to be formatted. Those hard drives carry the patrol routes for entire sectors of the Outer Rim."

"Which your 'buyer' is interested in acquiring, I'm sure," Sabine determined, earning a slow nod from Kanan. "So that's what you guys are. Thieves," she concluded, a scornful look creeping across her face. Zeb chuckled, giving Kanan a nudge with his shoulder.

"That's one way to put it," Zeb said as Kanan shook his head, leaning closer towards Sabine.

"Yes, those patrol routes are valuable to smugglers, spice-runners and the like," Kanan began, before lowering his voice until it was barely audible over the noise of the room. "But they're also a big step towards being able to stand against the Empire. We take from the Empire to help others who can't help themselves. Even though they can't stand today, they might be able to rise tomorrow, which would be the start of something bigger." Eyes widening, Sabine opened her mouth to inquire further when a Duros ambled to their booth, leaning heavily against the table. The three straightened in their seats as the visitor staggered towards Sabine's end of the table before turning to Kanan.

"What a stunning specimen you have here," the Duros began, the heavy smell of spice wafting into Sabine's nostrils as he spoke, staring down at her. She felt the heat of fear and anger rising in her face as the man's hand begin to extend towards her. "What's your price?" the Duro inquired, as his fingertips grazed the edges of her hair.

Before her hand could reach the grips of her blaster, a sudden flash of purple lurched in front of her, upending the table. The Duros's cry of surprise was drown out beneath the enraged roar that rumbled from Zeb's chest as he bent the creature's hand backward towards its neck, the wet crackle of snapping bone piercing the noise of the bar. The Duro's screech of pain was cut short as Zeb's paw encircled his throat, lifting him from the floor as his feet kicked in a futile attempt at escape.

"Nobody here's for sale!" Zeb bellowed, his announcement resounding through the now-silent bar. Unable to respond, the Duros gagged for air, desperately clawing at the immovable hand locked his neck.

"Zeb!" Kanan's voice rang out from behind the Lasat. "Enough!" Zeb remained frozen in place a moment longer, only the sound of the other man's choking audible in the room. Then, with a snarl he slammed the Duros onto the top of a nearby table, muttering under his breath as he turned away. Tossing a handful of credits on their now-vacant bench, Kanan placed a leading hand on Sabine's shoulder. "It's time for us to go," he ordered, urging her towards the door. Silently slipping the helmet back over her head, Sabine pushed towards the exit, drawing closer to the burly Lasat as she avoided the dozens of lingering stares around her.


Peering through the rangefinder of her helmet, Sabine watched as Kanan ambled inconspicuously down the street, occasionally speaking with street vendors and slowly making his way towards the front office of the supply depot. From where they lay on the rooftop, she could observe the length of the Imperial facility adjacent to them. True to Zeb's hologram, the main warehouse dwarfed the other buildings in the area, spanning three blocks of the port district. A low wall ran between the street and the nearest building, creating a narrow path where the occasional patrol of Stormtroopers could pass. An Imperial Officer emerged from the gate of the compound, joining the throng of pedestrians on the sidewalk. Bumping into his shoulder, Kanan mouthed what appeared to be an apology before the two went about their ways, Kanan discreetly bringing a comlink to his mouth.

"Alright, I've got the identification card," his voice crackled from Zeb's comlink as Sabine observed him flash the pilfered token in their direction. "Once I'm inside, I'll let you know when I've got the back door unlocked. Wish me luck."

"You'll need it," Zeb scoffed into the comlink. Sabine watched as a smirk momentarily crossed Kanan's face, disappearing as he walked to the access gate. Swiping the card through a panel next to the doorway, his shoulders visibly relaxed as the light on the panel changed from red to green, and he disappeared through the gate into the compound. Raising the stalk of the rangefinder, Sabine turned to Zeb, who continued to scan the compound with a pair of macrobinoculars.

"Think he'll be able to get access to the door controls?" Sabine asked, trying to mask the uncertainty in her voice with indifference.

"Kanan's a clever guy. I wouldn't worry too much about him," Zeb replied, his gaze still fixed to the street.

"I'm sure," Sabine remarked, studying the Lasat. Other than the occasional twitch of his pointed ears, Zeb's expression was completely placid, appearing completely focused on the binoculars he held in his paws. An uncomfortable silence fell over the two as they continued to observe the compound, all the while the events of day continuing to boil through Sabine's mind. Again turning to him, Sabine cleared her throat before breaking the stillness.

"About what happened in the bar…" Sabine began, before trailing off slightly as Zeb remained focused on the binoculars. "I could have handled myself."

"I'm sure you could have," Zeb stated, a slight smile creeping at the edges of his lips as he continued to look elsewhere. Sabine pursed her lips as she tried to decipher what the comment meant, before rolling to her side to face the Lasat fully.

"Then, why did you… stop him?" she asked. The small smile disappeared from Zeb's lips as ears seemed to droop lower to his head. Lowering the macrobinocluars, he turned his head to Sabine.

"What do you know 'bout Lasan?" Zeb asked. Sabine hesitated, her mind racing to retrieve long-buried memories from the Academy's history books.

"Um… well, it's the homeworld of the Lasat… obviously…" she muttered, blushing slightly as Zeb chuckled at her response. "During the Clone Wars it was a major supplier of droids and tech for the Grand Army…" she said, unsure if she should continue with the planet's history.

"Go on," Zeb encouraged, his expression still undecipherable to Sabine.

"Shortly after the rise of the New Order, there was an insurrection…" Sabine mumbled, trailing off as Zeb's ears flattened towards the top of his head. He looked to the street, then back to her, a glimmer of sadness behind his green eyes.

"That's how they're teaching it, huh?" he asked. Sabine nodded, grateful that the helmet concealed the shame that burned at the top of her ears. Zeb shook his head before turning completely to Sabine. Rather than anger or incredulity at her words, only gentleness and teaching carried in his deep voice.

"After the Empire came to Lasan, there weren't many of us left," Zeb began. "We were scattered, homeless, and the Empire wanted us dead. So, a lot of my people tried to hide in the darker corners of the galaxy. Problem is, when you're alone and afraid, there are a lot'a people who'll take advantage of that, no matter how big you are." He gestured towards the Imperial compound, the sadness in his gaze flashing to anger. "That lot is more than willing to turn a blind eye if it makes them a quick credit or silences an opinion they don't like. Every day, my kind and millions of others are bought and sold like nerf at a market. If it hadn't been for Kanan and Hera, I'd probably be carrying a ball 'n chain instead of a bo-rifle."

Sabine found herself wide-eyed and listening intently to the Lasat's story. Shifting uncomfortably, Zeb coughed and picked up the macrobinoculars, rolling the optics over in his hands. "That's more than enough history for you," he announced as he resumed his search of the street, before the optics drooped in his hands as he turned his head back towards Sabine. "Long story short, I'm not sittin' by and watching another person be sold. Not when I can do something about it." Sabine rolled back to her stomach, pondering his words as she looked out into the compound beyond. As she opened her mouth to ask more, the crackling of the comlink cut her short.

"Almost to the access point. Next patrol will passing soon, start getting in position," Kanan's disembodied voice announced. Turning to Zeb with a nod of acknowledgement, Sabine eased herself over the edge of the roofline, lowering herself from pipe to pipe along the side of the wall before dropping silently to the street below. Dashing across the street into the darkened alley at the edge of the complex, the two pressed themselves against the divider wall, listening for the clattering of plastoid armor. Sure as Kanan had said, the footsteps and idle conversation of a passing Stormtrooper patrol came and went. Receiving a boost from Zeb's offered hand, Sabine scaled the wall and ran to the unguarded loading dock, drawing her blasters and looking for additional patrols.

"We're at the door," Zeb whispered into the comlink, bo-rifle tucked tight into his shoulder. As seconds ticked away with no response, Sabine felt a trickle of nervous sweat running along the nape of her neck as her eyes flicked from the red light above the loading door and back to the trooper's patrol route. "Today'd be good," Zeb muttered tersely into the comlink. An agonizing moment later, the light flickered green, the creaking of the mechanical lock disengaging announcing their safe passage. As her eyes slowly adjusted from the light of the streets to the darkened warehouse, the enormous scale of the facility became apparent. Built like a starship hangar, the high ceilings of the building covered countless aisles of shelves, stacked with weapons, armor, and parts of every kind. Fighting her urge to wander the aisles like a child in a toy store, she turned to Zeb. Behind her, the Lasat had pulled a small box from one of the starship maintenance shelves, putting it in the bag he carried with a mischievous grin.

"Where exactly is this hard drive?" Sabine asked, grabbing a bundle of blasting caps and handing it to Zeb to add to his collection. He opened his mouth to reply, before scratching at the back of his head and bringing the comlink to his mouth.

"Erm… where exactly are the hard drives we're lookin' for?" The comlink sat silent for a moment, before what sounded like a sigh crackled from the device.

"Follow the signs to electronics repair and maintenance. I've got the cameras disabled for a little while, but not long enough for you two to be shopping around." Sabine shot Zeb a surprised glance, to which he replied with another sly grin and a shrug.

"Nothing gets past him. Let's go." Winding their way through the maze of aisles, they came to a halt outside a long cage that surrounded a row of gently humming computer terminals. Approaching the gate, Zeb thumbed the comlink to life again.

"Need the cage door open." The comlink remained silent, as the red light above the door remain brightly illuminated.

"Door? There's no door listed here…" Kanan announced from the comlink.

"Karabast," Zeb muttered, leveling his bo-rifle at the control panel.

"Wait!" Sabine hissed, pushing the barrel of his weapon aside. "I've got this." Producing a small multitool from her belt, she carefully unscrewed the panel from the wall, rocking the mess of wires from their port. As she gingerly snipped several of the wires, the light went out from above the door.

"You sure you've got this?" Zeb growled as she slowly crossed the cut wires, carefully intertwining them while avoiding the sparks arcing from the panel. Biting her lip, she delicately eased the panel back into the wall, pressing the access button. The light above the door illuminated with a vibrant green light, and the gate swung freely open.

"I've got this," Sabine announced smugly. With an approving nod, Zeb snuck into the cage and crouched over the row of computer terminals.

"Buyer said the drive should look like… this," he announced as he gripped the handle of a data tape and ripped it free from its socket. Sabine stared at him in incredulity as he turned to face her. "What?"

"Military hard drives have to be ejected from the main terminal before you physically remove them, or-" The braying of alarms echoed through the warehouse as Sabine pressed the grip of her pistol against her forehead in exasperation. "Or that happens!" The sound of approaching footsteps cut her off again, as the two bolted towards the loading dock. Ahead of them, a team of troopers poured into the aisle, forcing them to duck down the adjoining hall as crimson blaster fire began to violently burst against the shelves. Pulling a tall stack of crates into the path behind them, Zeb vaulted forward down the corridor, only to have troopers appear in their new path. Finding protection behind a vacant hoverlift, Sabine watched as the Lasat warrior exchanged fire with the Stormtroopers, the powerful blasts of his bo-rifle tearing through their armor plating and sending the assailants scrambling for their own cover.

A knot of fear twisted in her stomach as the thumping footsteps of even more troopers seemed to echo all around them. Firing over Zeb's impromptu barricade, a flash of white plastoid caught her attention. Next to Zeb, a pair of white armored gloves were removing the boxes on the shelves beside him; already, she could see the white shin-guards of at least three other troopers. Launching herself into a dead sprint, she barely registered the scorching heat of blaster fire tearing through the air centimeters from her head or the surprised shout Zeb uttered as he saw her breaking from cover. As she reached the shelf, she threw her legs forward in a sliding kick, the force of her body knocking the box and the trooper behind it sprawling backwards. Before the trooper's companions could break from their shocked stupor, Sabine forced her blasters through the newly created opening, unleashing a hail of fire that cut the soldiers down at the knees. Heaving for breath, she could see the doors to the loading dock just meters beyond the fallen troopers.

"Through here! C'mon!" she shouted as she wormed her way through hole, throwing other boxes aside to make room for her larger companion. Extending a hand to help him worm through the tiny opening, Sabine bolted through the access door, Zeb throwing it closed behind them and placing one final blaster bolt through the control panel. The sound of more approaching footsteps prompted Sabine to wheel around with blaster's raised, but Kanan's olive tunic rounded the corner of the building instead of the expected white armor.

"I thought we were aiming for stealth!" Kanan shouted, throwing a frustrated glare at Zeb. Weapon still trained on the building's door, Zeb shot back a sheepish grin.

"Eh, what's the fun of that?" the Lasat quipped. Sabine shook her head, sizing up the walls and buildings around them that all echoed with alarms and sirens.

"Where do we go now?" she asked. Without warning, Kanan spun back towards the alleyway, firing two stun blasts that incapacitated a pair of troopers that turned the corner just as blue rings reached it. Turning back towards Sabine, he looked at the small comlink in his hand and smiled.

"Up." Sabine cocked her head, unsure of whether to comment on the impossible shot or the ridiculousness of the statement. Before she could ask either question, the shriek of engines approaching rapidly overhead took her attention skyward. Weaving through the darkened canyons of the buildings, a small, boxy fighter dipped gracefully towards the loading dock, pivoting quickly on a cushion of air as it slid to a halt meters from their position. The ramp on the back of the craft flung open, revealing Hera looking back over the pilot's chair at them.

"Are you waiting for an invitation?" she shouted, eliciting another large grin from Kanan and Zeb. Sabine bolted for the shuttle, feeling the craft rock gently as it adjusted to the weight of the new passengers. Grabbing hold of an overhead strap, she felt the ship lurch as Hera slammed the access hatch shut and prodded the fighter into the sky, ducking through the other traffic above as they climbed into orbit. Floating among the asteroids, the freighter they had arrived on came into view, Hera guiding their shuttle into a small docking port near the stern of the vessel. "Chop, get us moving!" Hera ordered into the comlink as the four darted out of the shuttle and back towards the helm of the ship. The tension in Sabine's shoulders held tight until she watched Hera slip the craft between the last remaining asteroids and launch them back into the safety of hyperspace.

"Another quiet afternoon," Kanan jibed as the four walked back into the common room, earning him a surprisingly hard punch in the arm from Hera. Anger was plastered across her face, betrayed by genuine relief that softened her eyes.

"Blasting your way out of an Imperial facility is anything but." As Kanan raised his hands in innocence, Hera's gaze shifted to Zeb. "And you. You're supposed to keep him in check, not encourage him." Rubbing his hand against the back of his head, the towering Lasat looked positively bashful until Hera surprised him with a firm embrace. "It's good to have you back," Hera said, the anger replaced with a warm smile. Breaking away from Zeb, Hera turned to Sabine. "How are you feeling?" Pulling the helmet from her head, Sabine shook her head to free the hair stuck to her head and release some of the adrenaline-fueled tension in her neck.

"A little stiff," she admitted. "But pretty good overall." A warm twinkle lit up Hera's eyes as she nodded and turned back to Kanan and Zeb.

"Kanan, you've got first shift in the cockpit. We've got some things to discuss before we meet the buyer. Zeb, the refresher. You smell too much like the streets, even for this ship." Zeb feigned shock, pointedly raising an arm to smell himself. Turning to Sabine, Hera tapped on the orange droid that trundled into the room from the cockpit. "Sabine, you and Chop get to work on decrypting that hard drive. Let's see if that thing is worth all of our effort today." The droid grumbled a series of complaining tones, suggesting he was more than capable of doing the job himself. Hera shot the droid a scornful look, to which the droid moaned in acquiescence. As Kanan and Hera left the room towards the cockpit. Zeb placed a gentle paw on Sabine's shoulder.

"Not bad work back there, kid," he said, a soft smile shining across his face.

"Told you I could handle myself," Sabine responded with a shrug. The smile on Zeb's face broadened into a toothy grin as he reached into his bag, pulling out the box that he had snatched from the warehouse and placing it in her hands.

"Now do something about that armor, before I try to shoot you again." With a questioning glance, Sabine opened the cover of the brown box to find a small set of acrylic starship paints. Mouth hanging open in shock, she could hardly mutter her broken thanks before Zeb had disappeared down the hall towards the refresher.


Hera waited for the cockpit door to slide shut before pulling Kanan to her, wrapping her arms around his waist and holding him in a silent embrace. After a few wordless moments longer, she slowly unwound from him, grabbing her datapad from where she had left it on the pilot's console.

"How'd she do?" Hera asked as Kanan slipped into the copilot's station across from her.

"She's been trained. Young, to be sure, but she's been holding her own for much longer than just the past few days," Kanan speculated, grabbing a canteen from beside the chair and taking a long drink of water. "Were you able to find anything?"

"Some answers, but more questions as well," Hera said, offering the datapad to him. Kanan examined the screen to find a still image of a young girl smiling back at him. Her short, brunette hair and gray military fatigues couldn't hide the youthful baby fat that still clung to her cheekbones or the mischievous glint reflecting in her eyes.

"Sabine Wren. Force's light, she can't be much older than 12 here," Kanan mused, scrolling through the datafile.

"It gets worse," Hera added with a somber nod. "Most of her file is redacted or classified, but look at her rap sheet." Scrolling through the lines of blacked-out print, Kanan found the list of charges held against her.

"Desertion?" Kanan asked aloud, brow furrowing in thought. "Junior academies are usually treated more like boarding schools than actual military units… Tardiness and truancy, sure, but desertion?" Continuing to the bottom of the file, he looked up to Hera, once again in shock. "She's got a fifty-thousand credit bounty on her?"

"It's a miracle we found her first," Hera affirmed. "Somebody is very interested in getting her back."

"But who, and why?" Kanan thought aloud, before the cockpit door slid open to reveal Zeb standing at the doorway.

"Y'all need to come see this. Chop and the girl found something," Zeb announced, an unusual sense of urgency written across his face. As the trio filed into the common room, they found Sabine fixated on lines of code pouring from Chopper's projector, noticeably paling in the blue glow of the hologram. Kanan looked to the strings of digits, then to Sabine.

"What are we looking at?" Kanan asked. Sabine jumped slightly, as if she hadn't realized that the three had entered the room.

"Ch- Chopper, build the model," Sabine stuttered. The strings of blue coalesced to form beads of multiple sizes, joined together by single, parallel, and triple lines, bending and contorting into a long, spiraling chain.

"A molecule?" Hera asked as Sabine continued to engross herself with the projection. She nodded slowly, before turning to the three adults.

"A weapon." The declaration caused the three to exchange glances before Kanan leaned closer towards the projection.

"What kind?" Sabine crossed her arms, lost in what appeared to be contemplation. Then, after looking to Kanan, then Zeb, then Hera, she drew a long breath in.

"Chemical. DT-017, it's a prototype nerve agent the Empire has been developing for years. Colorless, odorless, undetectable to most species' senses and small enough to pass through most commercial and military-grade filtration systems." Sifting through lines of code that appeared next to the model, Sabine stared through the ghostly projection, speaking fully from memory. "The problem was how long the agent lingered; Imperial forces couldn't occupy an area the agent was used on for weeks, possibly months. But according to this, they've managed to stabilize it so that it dissipates within thirty-six standard hours."

"Karabast," Zeb exclaimed, crossing his arms in disgust. "If the Imps had something like this, they could have cleared all of Lasan without losing a single buckethead."

"Exactly," Sabine affirmed. Kanan and Hera exchanged a long glance, before Hera turned back to the projection.

"Do we know where they're building it?" Sabine nodded, switching the projection to the star charts that had originally been their main focus.

"They've been developing and testing the prototype on Subterrel. Deployment is set to begin with the next few months." Hera stared at the model, then at Sabine.

"We have to stop them," Hera announced flatly. Immediately, Sabine's concentration broke from the projection. Staring slack-jawed at the three, she started to back away towards the wall.

"Do you understand what you're saying?" Sabine spat, unable to mask the panic in her voice. "Subterrel is only parsecs from Kamino, deep in the Imperial security zone!"

"The ship is called the Ghost for a reason," Zeb offered, shifting the projection back to the star chart. "Besides, a mining planet's going to have plenty of freighters coming and goin'." Sabine scowled at him, before turning back to Hera.

"Even if we get to the planet, an Imperial research facility is going to have security, and a lot of it," Sabine objected. This time Kanan crossed his arms, pointing at the planet.

"Imperial security is often focused on direct, large scale attack. A small team on the ground might slip through the cracks." Crossing her arms, Sabine found herself staring into the floor of the of the ship, trying to force her heart rate back down. This was insanity – no, stupidity. But at the same time, with every objection she posed, another person revealed another fragment of an idea. No, she thought. You don't know them, they don't know what they're saying, they couldn't possibly…

"… the problem is the fact that the formula is already on their network. If we destroy the facility, there's nothing stopping them from rebuilding and restarting from where they left off," Hera continued. A hush fell over the group, as the three stared somberly into the star chart. Something burned in the back of her mind, something that hadn't bothered her in what felt like ages – conscience.

"I… If they have a network terminal at the facility, I could try to code a virus to corrupt the data," Sabine offered weakly. "There's no guarantee that it'll work." Looking up, Sabine realized that all three sets of eyes were now on her, a smile burning on Hera's face.

"That sounds like the start of a plan. I'll start working up the course to Subterrel." As she moved towards the door, Kanan slowly nodded.

"I'll work with Chop to see if we can get a schematic for the facility." Ushering the droid from the room, the two disappeared down the hall towards the crew quarters. Arms still wrapped around her, Sabine shivered as adrenaline and fear burned anew through her spine. It wasn't until Zeb cleared his throat that she realized he was standing in front of her, holding the breastplate she had been painting before the revelations.

"Well, this is…." his voice trailed off as he examined the plate in the light, an unsure look across his face. Using the base colors of the paints they had acquired, she had manage to blend a vibrant fuchsia that she used as the base coat of the plate. Across it, she had begun to doodle lines of yellow and blue, lines and spirals in an intricate mosaic of color. "This is a bit of a riot," Zeb managed. Sabine's gaze drooped back towards the floor, embarrassment flushing in her cheeks. When she looked back towards the Lasat, she was shocked to find a hearty grin on his face. "Rather like it, myself. Suits you well," he announced, returning the piece back to the table.

For the first time in weeks, a full smile burned across Sabine's lips.

Author's note: A thousand apologies for the delay in the second chapter; life comes at you fast sometimes. That being said, thank you so much for the tremendous outpouring of support for the first chapter! Your reviews, follows, and likes provide a ton of motivation to continue on. Up next, the mission to Subterrel and the more revelations about the crew! As always, feedback is always greatly appreciated!

All the best,

JA