Chapter 2.
"I don't have a shot!" Kanan warned as they were being chased through space by a star destroyer and four TIEs after a botched heist. "Chopper, do you have the coordinates?" Hera asked him as everyone was in the cockpit besides the Jedi before the droid warbled something. "What did he say?" Zeb asked. "He said, 'Hello, hyperspace.'" she replied. "That's not what he said." the Lasat replied, sounding skeptical as they entered hyperspace. Anakin frowned in annoyance as he thought about the failed heist. 'I really should start charging for failed jobs.'
"Told you we'd get away." Kanan said after entering the cockpit. "With the shipment. You said we'd get away with the shipment." Sabine reminded, sounding annoyed. "Kanan, we're low on everything." Hera said. "Food." Ezra said right before Anakin's stomach growled. "Explosives." Sabine added. "Fuel. We need to make some money, or we might as well put the Ghost in storage." the Twi'lek said. "There's always Vizago's job." the Jedi said before Anakin clasped him on the shoulder. "I second that. In fact, you get me three months of noodles and I won't charge you money for three months." the teen said before leaning against he wall again.
"So we're arms dealers again?" the Lasat asked, not sounding pleased at the idea. "More like arms redistributors." he replied. "Come on. We don't even know what kind of weapons we're talking about here." Zeb argued. "Hey, if it puts food on the table and frees up some time for oh, I don't know Jedi training, then I'm in." Ezra said with a smile as Kanan walked up between him and Hera. "That's two. You game?" he asked her. "Say I am. What then?" she asked, arms folded. "I already know the mission. Let's head to the spaceport." he replied. "Halle-fricken-lujah." Anakin said simply.
Now at the spaceport in Capital city the merc and rebels minus Hera boarded Star Commuter shuttle ST-45. As part of the plan Chopper warbled after entering the shuttle. "How rude." Zeb pretended to sound offended as he sat behind the two in Mandalorian armor before Ezra smacked the droid then sat across from them on the other side of the shuttle. "This way, Mr. Wabo. We have seats in the front." Maketh Tua, Imperial minister of Lothal said as she and her associate, Wabo entered the shuttle and sat down in the seats just in front of the two older teens. 'It's to bad she an Imperial, the woman's quite beautiful.' the Aqualish man said something in his language before the minister sighed in frustration.
"Where is that translator?" she wondered aloud before Anakin's eyes widened an he froze upon hearing the translator's voice. "Coming, minister. Come along, Artoo." C-3PO said to his counterpart, R2-D2 as they entered the shuttle and the astromech beeped. Anakin quickly turned his head towards Sabine so that his face was hidden from the droids, much to the girl's confusion. 'Shit! Shit! Shit! If Threepio sees my face the stupid droid will start blabbing everything about me!' "What's wrong?" she whispered.
"They're Imperial droids, you can never be too careful." he lied quickly in a whisper. The Mandalorian girl raised a brow, but seemed to believe him. "Final call for Star Commuter shuttle ST-45. Bound for Garel." the dispatcher said over the loudspeakers outside just as Kanan hopped into the shuttle. As he walked down the aisle, Chopper picked on Ezra a bit. "Sentients, please prepare for takeoff." the RX-24 droid pilot said as Artoo beeped and whistled.
After the ship entered hyperspace Wabo started to speak to Tua again. "Amda Wabo is most honoured you are joining him on Garel, Minister Tua." Threepio translated. "And, uh, if I might add a personal note-" he tried to add before being cut off as Ezra and Chopper staged a small fight. "Will you cut it out! You have plenty of room! Stop crowding me. Ow!" Ezra complained as the droid zapped him twice and he fell down before Kanan stood from his seat behind the younger teen. "Kid, how 'bout you get that rust bucket under control?" the Jedi pretended to complain before Chopper warbled at him. "Mind your own business!" Ezra pretended to snap back before Chopper zapped him again. The whole time they went back and forth, Anakin was trying very hard not to burst out laughing.
"Hey, pilot. Isn't there some rule against droids in the passenger area?" Kanan pretended to complain to the droid pilot. "I am sorry, sir. Your astromech must proceed to the back of the craft." the pilot said. "Hey, if my astromech's banished, then those two astromechs are banished too!" Ezra said as he pointed to Artoo and Threepio. "Astromech? Me? I have never been so insulted!" the protocol droid said, sounding... well... insulted. "I'll have you know that I am a protocol droid, fluent in over six million forms-" Threepio started before Tua cut him off. "Pilot, these two droids are with me, and I am on Imperial business." she explained to the pilot droid. "Sorry, ma'am, but these are Imperial regulations." the pilot apologized. "But, minister-" the protocol droid started to protest before she cut him off. "I can't risk an incident spoiling these negotiations. Go!" she ordered. "Oh, this is so humiliating." Threepio complained as he and Artoo made their way to the back of the shuttle.
Unfortunately for Tua, Wabo started to speak again and unlike before she had no translator this time, allowing the Ghost crew to continue their plan. "I'm sorry, Mr. Wabo. I- I don't understand you." she apologized. "Excuse me. I couldn't help noticing your predicament. If it's of any help, my girlfriend here is quite fluent." Anakin said to Tua and gesturing to Sabine. "Oh, I would never presume. Though it would be good practice for my level 5 exams at the Imperial Academy... No, no. But I couldn't." she pretended to humbly refuse. 'Laid it on a little thick at the beginning there, but I think the minister will still fall for it.'
"You're a level 5 academy student? I was too, once upon a time." Tua said with a smile as she sounded impressed by Sabine. "Now, please ask Mr. Wabo where the shipment is being held." she said to the Mandalorian girl who nodded before speaking to him and getting to reply. "He said bay 17." the girl lied smoothly with a grin. "Sentients, we are approaching Garel. Please prepare for landing." the pilot informed them before the ship exited hyperspace near the planet.
"My dear, you did great service to your Empire today. Now focus on those level fives." the minister instructed Sabine as everyone got off the shuttle after it landed. "Oh, I will, minister. It's been such an honour. Thank you." the girl replied, going overboard with her pretending. "You just overdid it." Anakin said he shoved her forward a bit before she shrugged as if to say 'What?'.
Kanan quickly caught up with them before they watched Tua, Wabo and a group of stormtrooper head off in the wrong direction. "Bay 7." Sabine said quietly while the two older teens put their helmets on. "Kanan, I thought you were going to teach me Jedi stuff. So far, all I'm doing is thieving, And I already knew how to do that." Ezra complained over Kanan's com as he made his way to bay 7 through the air vents while the others made their way there on foot. "Just get to bay 7, open the door, and we all get paid." he replied simply. "So we steal to stay alive. See? Told you I already knew this." the kid grumbled as the others reached the blast door.
"Okay. I'm in bay 7." he said a minute later before the door suddenly opened and Zeb clapped sarcastically. "Well, kid, you pulled it off." he complimented patronizingly. "Was there ever any doubt?" Ezra asked with a smirk. "Yes." the other four agreed simultaneously before Kanan went to open another blast door and the other went to check the crates. Once Zeb opened one of the crates he gasped and suddenly stumbled back in panic before Kanan steadied him. "Karabast..." the Lasat said quietly as tried calming down while Sabine picked one of the rifles up. "Whoa. They're T-7 ion disruptors. These were banned by the Senate. You can short-circuit an entire ship with these." she said in awe. "Cool." Anakin agreed as he picked one up. 'Dad'll want one of these for sure.'
"That's not why they were banned." Zeb said sadly as Sabine handed the one she was holding to Kanan before he put it back inside the crate then made of move to grab Anakin's who quickly stopped him. "Ah, ah. I'm keep this one and you keep the hundred creds for the fourth month." he said. The Jedi hesitated then nodded before putting the lid back on top the crate. 'Good thing I have an extra rifle belt.' the merc attached the belt to the blaster before slinging it over his shoulder. "Get 'em aboard before company comes." Kanan ordered.
The group moved as quickly as they could to get all crates aboard the ship. "Hurry! We're running out of-!" Kanan yelled before getting cut off by Ezra. "Times up!" he exclaimed as Tua, Wabo and the squad of stormtroopers just about reached bay 7. "Hands up." the commander ordered Zeb and Ezra before the Lasat surprisingly raised his arms and towards them as Anakin and Kanan stood near Sabine and her crate. After about thirty seconds, Kanan gestured for the two older teen to get the crate on board as he got his blaster ready before running towards Ezra.
Anakin and Sabine helped Ezra with the last crate before Chopper and surprisingly, Artoo and Threepio came aboard followed by Kanan and Zeb a few seconds later just before Hera started taking off. "Oh, look, Chopper made friends." the Mandalorian girl said sarcastically, gesturing to the other two droids a Chopper groaned. "I am C-3PO, and this is my counterpart, R2-D2. I was translating for Minister Tua when we were attacked by thieves like, uh you..." Threepio trailed off as Zeb and Kanan walked past. "We have company. Imperial droids." Kanan said after Zeb climbed the ladder and watched them. "Spectre-5, let's get a couple restraining bolts on these two." the Jedi said to Sabine. "Yup. On it." she replied before climbing the ladder. Anakin climbed up next before heading out of the cargo bay and towards the kitchen, hoping to scrounge up something to eat.
"Can we discuss this later?" Kanan asked Hera as the the two descended the latter into the cargo hold where the merc, rebels and droids were waiting. "That's fine, love. But we will discuss it." she replied, leaving no room for argument as Kanan sighed. "You know what they're talking about." Anakin whispered to Zeb. "No idea." he whispered back before Artoo beeped. "Oh, right. This R2 says its real mission was to make sure the T-7s never reached the Empire, and that his master will pay handsomely for their return." Sabine translated. "I can vouch for their master, I've met him a few times." Anakin said. Kanan looked at him then droids for a few seconds. "I'll think about it." he replied. "So, we're not selling the droids, but we're selling the T-7s? We don't even know who Vizago's buyer is." Zeb argued.
"We know it's not the Empire, and I already made a deal with Vizago. So let's get these crates off the boat." Kanan. "Maybe it is the Empire. Hell, for all we know Vizago may have been two-timing us the entire time." the merc said as he moved a crate outside. "Exactly." Zeb said, gesturing to the teen. "I don't think Vizago could play both sides without the Empire finding out." Hera pointed out as she did the same.
Vizago picked one of the blasters up after the crew delivered all the crates to the rendezvous place. "Oh. I can make some beautiful music with these." he said, inspecting the blaster. "They're not that kind of instruments!" Zeb growled as he leaned against some different crates the crime lord owned. "You just have to know how to play them. And how to play those who want to buy them." he replied. "You have to buy 'em from us first." Anakin said, casually relaxing against one of Vizago's speeders. "If there's one person on your crew who knows business, it's The Merc With No Fear." the crime lord replied while smirking at Kanan. "Let's just get this over with." he said as Vizago's droids started moving some of the crates onto the speeders before they heard a ship approaching.
"What is this? You were followed!" the crime lord accused before rushing towards his speeder. "That's not possible." Hera protested. "Tell it to the Tell it to the Empire! Leave the rest. We're gone!" he ordered his droids before Kanan grabbed his arm to stop him from fully getting on his one speeder. "You haven't paid us." Kanan protested as Vizago freed his arm. "Cikatro Vizago doesn't pay for half a shipment. And he doesn't pay for trouble with Imperials. My friends, I hope you live to bargain another day. And if you don't eh." the crime lord replied casually as he climbed fully onto the speeder before both took off, while waving goodbye with the rifle.
"Shouldn't we be going to?" Sabine asked as the Imperial ship got closer. "We can't let these disruptors fall into Imperial hands. Sabine, Anakin, destroy the guns." Kanan ordered. "Ha. Now you're speaking my language. I'll go get my gear." she replied as the other teen followed. Both stopped as the three droids suddenly appeared and made their way over to one of the crates. "R2-D2 stop! What are you doing?" Threepio questioned before Artoo beeped a reply. "Joining the crew?" the protocol droid asked, sounding confused. Sabine removed her helmet as Artoo beeped and whistled while picking a disruptor up for a few seconds then putting it back.
"Of course. Overload the disruptors, and boom! Good call, little guy. You can join our crew anytime." Sabine complimented the astromech with a smile and pat on the dome. "Well short my circuits..." Threepio trailed off in bafflement. "Hera, Anakin, help Sabine open the crates. Zeb, Ezra, line 'em up. Meanwhile I'll deal with the walkers." he ordered before taking the disruptor Anakin offered.
The merc and Hera helped Sabine just as ordered when he heard a thud from the distance and saw the ship drop off two AT-DPs. Kanan shot the first one that reached them, disabling it instantly and causing it to crash. The other one blasted the ground in front of him, knocking the Jedi off his feet before he could get a shot on it. Anakin quickly summoned it with the Force when he sensed no one was paying attention to him before helping Sabine rig the remaining disruptors.
"Okay, we're ready." Sabine said after she, Anakin and Artoo finished. Kanan, Anakin and Ezra pushed one set of disruptors towards the stormtroopers. "Okay, push." the girl ordered as she, Threepio and Artoo pushed the other towards the walker. A few seconds later both exploded, destroying the walker and killing the troopers while the ground shook from the explosions. The group turned their attention towards Zeb when they heard him cry out in pain and saw the Lasat on his knees as the I.S.B agent raised his own bo-rifle, ready to kill him. "No!" Ezra yelled as he thrust his hands out and Force-pushed the agent away, saving Zeb's life. Kanan looked at Ezra with surprise for a moment. "Spectre-2 get the kid aboard." he ordered Hera, before running over to Zeb. "Move, all of you, now!" she ordered pulling Ezra as the two in Mandalorian armor helped the droids stand before running towards the ship.
"Will he be okay?" Sabine asked, concerned for Zeb as he groaned in pain after they made it back onto the ship. "Yeah." he replied weakly as Kanan helped him up. "Thank's mate. Appreciate the save." he thanked Kanan. "Wasn't me. It was Ezra." he replied with a smile while gesturing to the kid with a nod. Ezra and Zeb nodded to each other. "And Ezra, your formal Jedi training starts tomorrow." Kanan said as the kid smiled and Artoo beeped. "Yay, Zeb's saved and Ezra going to be trained. Can we get some fricken food now, please?" Anakin asked before they all chuckled. The merc chuckled mirthlessly. "I'm not joking..." he said.
Chapter 2 done.