Star Wars: Rebels: Obscured Ambition
Disclaimer: Star Wars Rebels and all Star Wars characters and Lore are not my property, as they are all owned by Lucasfilm and the Walt Disney Company.
A/N: I give my most sincere apologies for this unexpected delay, life caught up with me as it were. However, I didn't want to rush my writing, and so at last here is the promised 2-part special!
Chapter 2: Infiltration
As the old transport sat idle on the large rectangular landing platform, lined on all four corners by freight lifts, both the ship's crew and port labor droids had set to the task of unloading the crates of supplies from the cargo hold. Taking great care to avoid detection, the four Rebels slowly crept their way off one of the side boarding ramps, they were careful to try and avoid detection from the ship's crew who were focused on off-loading the crates of supplies for the prison.
"This way," Sabine called to the others as quiet as she could manage while still making herself be heard, gesturing to them to follow her over the side and behind the ramp. They did so at once, just in time as two labor droids started their way back to the ramp.
"We should make for the closest lift," Ezra replied immediately and quietly upon setting foot on the platform in a hushed tone.
"There, but hold on a moment." Sabine said just above a whisper as she pointed to the lift on the northwest corner of the platform, and then gestured to the rotating security camera mounted above the entrance to it as well.
The team was careful to take cover behind one of the large landing gear pivots and in the shadow of the underside of the transport. The platform just beyond their position was illuminated by search lights projected from the port control station built into the eastern rim of the crater, and the entrance to the personnel lift on the opposite end.
Ezra eyed the camera as it rotated back and forth at a near 180 degree angle, meanwhile Zeb listened closely to the tapping of feet that went up and down the ramp behind them. Their current position was rather precarious.
"We're not exactly secure, here. If we're going to make a move it better be soon," the veteran Lasat warrior whispered to his teammates. He caught sight of one of the anti-personnel gun emplacements on the northern side of the crater. Troopers were on patrol on the surface just beyond.
"I think if we time ourselves just right, we can avoid being caught by the camera, but the second we step outside from under the ship, those lights will make us clear for everyone nearby to spot us," Ezra whispered, having analyzed their situation.
"The searchlights are also used to provide light for the crew and droids unloading the cargo. Perhaps when they're done, the lights will go out," Sabine suggested in an equally-hushed tone.
"If not, we'll lose the element of surprise," Zeb replied immediately and warily. The others knew he was right; they shouldn't leave anything to chance.
"When the transport lifts off, the shadow will rise along with it. We can use that for cover as we run over to the lift the second the camera lens are out of the way," Ezra said, building on the plan. Sabine nodded in agreement.
"All right, let's hope this works. One slip up and the entire prison will know we're here," the Lasat warrior reminded the others.
A few more minutes passed before the last of the crates were unloaded from the cargo holds inside the aging transport. As the voyage hadn't been a lengthy one, there was no pressing need for refueling. The crew boarded the vessel and the labor droids left out through the walkway. Once the ramps retracted, the telltale hissing and expulsion of steam from the landing gear pivots let the team know takeoff was imminent.
"Okay, ready, everyone?" Sabine asked the others. Ezra and Zeb both nodded, and Chopper chimed in agreement.
In the next moment, the engines flared to life once more, and the landing gear began to retract as the freighter lifted off. As the vessel began its slow and steady ascent into the artificial atmosphere around them, the rising shadow of the large craft encompassed the lift on the northwestern corner of the platform as the ship began to rotate so the bow was facing the direction of the portal ring. The Rebels made their move, heading across the platform as quickly as they could the exact instant the camera was pivoted to the left and not able to catch them in its sights. However, as it began to swerve back to the right, the team was forced to move further right to avoid being sighted. Hugging the side of the shaft of the freight lift, they were able to evade detection just in time, though they had to wait for it to rotate back to the left once more before finally moving over to the entrance into the lift, which was to their instant relief both unsealed and idle.
Using the floodlight built into her rangefinder, Sabine illuminated the control panel for the freight lift and pressed the button to take them down to the lowest of the storage levels, the one most likely to have less potential traffic. Once the twin doors to the lift closed, the interior lights came on automatically and the team was on their way down. The teenage Mandalorian went over the next stage of the plan to the others.
"Okay, once the doors open we need to find a security station. With any luck, I'll be able to access patrol schedules along with finding out where Dodonna's cell is."
"We won't be able to come back the way we came. How will we get back up to the surface?" Ezra inquired. Zeb offered his own idea, next.
"This asteroid's more than large enough to have mines tunneling through it, and if such is the case I doubt we'd find many cameras or patrols in there."
"You're right, Zeb, and fortunately not off the mark. There's a network of mining tunnels the prisoners are forced to work in as part of their sentencing. From the console at a security station, we can find out if they're our best bet out of here," Sabine clarified.
"We'll still need to find a ship, and break out through the shield, but I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Ezra reiterated.
"Same as always, then," Sabine replied nostalgically and Chopper chuckled, likely drawing up some memories himself.
It wasn't much longer before the freight lift ground to a halt. The instant the doors opened the team stealthily moved into the large, high-ceiling, well-illuminated storage room just beyond. They had chosen their entry point well; the room was nearly stocked to capacity and as a result had not been chosen to receive the cargo offloaded from the transport. Stacks of crates neatly piled atop one another formed complete rows over ten feet high in many locations, giving the entire room a maze-like atmosphere. Being the tallest in the group, Zeb was the first to spot the top of the doorway across the room that led to the only corridor on the level connecting the room to the rest of the facility. He brought his head down the moment he also caught another rotating security camera directly over said doorway as well.
"Karabast, there's another camera directly over the way out of this place," the veteran Lasat warrior told his teammates.
"Seeing as how there's no alarm going off, I think it's safe to say they didn't spot you, big guy," Ezra reassured him with a smirk.
"The crates that provide us cover will also make sneaking past it more difficult this time. Everyone, stay down and follow close," Sabine took point and urged the others to follow.
Soon, the Rebels successfully navigated the rows of stacked crates until turning the next corner would place them within view of the camera. In the silence of the room, they could hear the mechanized humming as it pivoted back and forth slowly. Chopper chimed in, issuing a suggestion in his binary language. Ezra's eyes went wide in realization as he understood.
"That's a good idea, Chop. He says he can use his sonic stun projector to temporarily short out the camera, freezing the display image long enough for us to run past," as the young Padawan translated the astromech's plan to Sabine and Zeb, the latter narrowed his eyes warily and gave an annoyed huff.
"Ugh, I wish Hera would let the rest of us know whenever she gives you upgrades, you troublesome scrap heap!" as Zeb growled his response, Chopper merely gave another mechanical chuckle, louder and more mischievous this time.
"Let's get moving, then," Sabine added.
"Ready… and, go!" Ezra told their astromech companion, who quickly moved around the edge of the row of crates to face the camera, which was pivoting opposite of their perch at that moment.
Revealing the sonic stun projector from behind one of the utility panels on his chassis, Chopper took aim and fired a burst of the soundwave energy. Instantly upon impact, the circuitry of the camera was temporarily frozen, and the four Rebels were clear to make their move. Ezra and Sabine went first. The two teens found that the doors were unlocked, but discovered a motion sensor built into the wall parallel to the floor on their right. They easily jumped over the range of the device to avoid detection, but then realized they had to alert the rest of their team.
"Wait, Zeb-!" Ezra attempted to warn the Lasat warrior who was coming up behind them, to no avail. He stopped short the moment he passed the sensor, the right light now flickering rapidly in silence.
"Oh karabast! Not good!" Zeb berated himself as Chopper arrived in the doorway behind him. Sabine quickly drew a blaster and shot the motion sensor to smithereens.
"There! You think we got it in time?" the teenage Mandalorian asked cautiously. As if on cue, the overhead emergency alert alarm began blasting over the comm speakers, alerting all security personnel in the prison.
"That's definitely a no. Come on, we need to get moving! Stealth mode, over!" Ezra said as he urged the others to follow him, and they did so.
"Around the corner to the left is the nearest security station! Let's see what I can do from there!" Sabine informed her teammates as the team ran.
Meanwhile, across the Galaxy, now it was the Ghost that once again sped its way through hyperspace. Kanan sat in his cabin alone, meditating in silence. The last few months had not been easy for the Jedi Knight. The physical pain of his debilitating injury had subsided, but learning how to keep functioning while completely blind was taking a lot longer. The whole ordeal had proven itself frustrating more than once, and Kanan found relying on meditation to help keep his calm and balance was effective on a level he hadn't seen for him since the early years on the run from the Empire. His eyebrows furrowed as a light nock at the door interrupted his task.
"Yes, Hera?" he asked simply. The door flew open and the rogue Twi'lek pilot stepped inside with a sympathetic expression, "Come on, you know I can't handle that face," Kanan told her a bit teasingly as he shook his head.
"And what face is that?" Hera asked with a smirk, her demeanor changing at his words. It stalled as she watched him stand.
"I don't need my eyes to know when you're giving me your sad face, now come on," Kanan pulled her into an embrace which she immediately returned.
"I just wish I could do more to help you…" Hera trailed off remorsefully.
"I know you do, and don't think I'm not grateful, but just having you with me is enough. Try not to burden yourself with it too much; I'll pull through eventually," upon hearing the words of the Jedi Knight, the rogue Twi'lek pilot fought back a sob as she pulled back enough to face him.
A/N: Continued immediately in Chapter 3! Enjoy!
