Chapter 2
The Ghost is now docked with one of the cruisers of Phoenix Squadron. Ezra is currently on his way to the bridge for a briefing from Commander Sato. He was just coming back from getting his injury treated. He quickly entered the bridge in a hurry.
"Sorry I'm late!" He said.
After a stern look from Sato, he quickly placed himself near the table.
"So, according to the report from Kanan." He explained. "There is a new type of Imperial droid."
The table then displayed a hologram of the droid the Ghost crew just fought. It first showed it in its droid form, and then it showed it in its turret form.
"This thing is tough." Kanan added. "Not even a shot to the head is enough to take it out."
They continued to discuss how to deal with this new development.
"Hey." Ezra said. "What's that thing on its back in turret form?"
He pointed at that thing. It seemed to be a rectangular box housing a power source of some kind. Sato enlarged that image, but he couldn't make anything out of it.
"It appears to be a generator of some kind." Sato stated.
Sabine looked at it closely. She felt like she saw this somewhere before.
"I knew it!" She suddenly shouted. "I saw this somewhere before!"
That caught everyone's attention.
"Wait, Sabine." Kanan asked. "You saw this before?"
"I think." Sabine answered with a hint of hesitation. "When I was at the base, I got a glimpse of that."
"I wasn't able to make much out of it because we were on time constraint." She continued. "But what I did get is that the power source is basic pure energy."
"Pure energy?" Hera asked.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Zeb asked.
"It means it can't be destroyed." Sabine replied.
There was silence. Murmurs were going on with how they are going to deal with this. Meanwhile, Sabine had somewhat of an idea to deal with these droids.
"I think I have an idea on how to deal with this thing." She suggested.
Everyone at the table turned their attention to her.
"What do you have in mind?" Sato asked.
"I'll have to call an old friend though." Sabine replied.
"What does this friend of yours have to do with this?" Kanan asked.
"He's seen this kind of technology before." Sabine explained. "He could help us in this situation."
Kanan thought about this. He was worried. He can't be sure if this friend of Sabine could be a potential spy for the Empire.
"Oh yeah." Sabine mentioned. "He and I broke out of the Imperial Academy at about the same time."
Even after that, Kanan was uncertain. It was only after Hera told him that this may be the only way to deal with it he finally caved in.
"Okay then." He replied shortly. "Call your friend."
Sabine nodded and quickly left the bridge. She was going to the Ghost.
"You sure about this?" Zeb asked.
"She trusted us to tell us about her friend." Kanan responded. "Now, it's time to return that trust."
"Heh." Ezra joked, nudging his master. "And you say she's the one with trust issues."
Kanan chuckled, and returned to Sato's briefing.
Sabine approached the door of her room. She looked around and made sure no one was around. She breathed in. When her door opened, she took one step in, and Chopper surprised her with a loud roar. Sabine jumped back in a startle, banging her head on the doorframe ceiling and falling on her bum.
"Ow…" She groaned.
Chopper chortled and rolled away, still laughing. Sabine sighed. She wasn't in the mood to go after the annoying tin can. She got back up and entered her room. She looked for her holocommunicator. When she found it, she set it up on her table. And once she finished setting up, she contacted her friend. As the communicator dialed the call, Sabine did something rather unusual for her. She dusted herself off, and she brushed her hair a bit. Then, she sat down with her legs together, placing her hands on her lap.
The holocommunicator beeped for a short minute then it stopped. The call went through. There was audio, but no hologram. Sabine then rested her head on her hand, but what startled her was the audio that went through.
"Hello?" The audio said. "Is this thing on?"
Sabine got up and listened to the audio. It was amusing, to say the least.
"Bee!" The audio shouted. "I thought you fixed the transmitter!"
"I did!" A different audio yelled. "Try it again!"
Then there were gears turning and some clanking. The hologram slowly appeared.
"I have to do everything around here!" The hologram figure groaned as he slowly appeared.
He paused. He looked around and realized that the holograms were working. Sabine just waved at him, trying to hold back her laugh.
"Hi." She smiled.
"You never heard this." The figure told her.
"Don't worry." Sabine joked. "My lips are sealed."
Then, the figure picked himself up and looked professional.
"So, Sabine." He said. "What can I do for ya?"
"Well, Felix…" Sabine began. "I have something to ask…"
"Does it involve a bucket?" Felix asked.
"Uh… no?" Sabine answered.
"I'm in." Felix chuckled.
Phoenix Squadron flew at a slow pace in space. Sato sat at the head console, while the Ghost crew just stood by as other rebels were busily doing their work.
"This is the rendezvous." Sato said.
Sabine and the others looked out the window screen. There was just a black void.
"I thought you said he'd be here." Zeb commented.
"He'll be here, don't worry." Sabine assured.
That's when a ship jumped out of hyperspace and into view of Phoenix Squadron.
"There it is." Sabine smiled. "The Iced Shell."
"The Iced Shell?" Ezra laughed.
"Don't look at me." Sabine said. "He named it, not me."
The ship approached the main command ship of Phoenix Squadron. It folded its boosters up and docked on the other side.
The Ghost crew walked to the other docking port. They now stood by the entry hallway.
"Alright, anything you want to tell us before he comes onboard?" Hera asked.
"Just that he won't be the only one you'll be seeing." Sabine replied.
The doors slid open. The moment the door was completely out of the way, an eager gold and purple astromech droid rolled right up to Sabine and began to beep wildly.
"Whoa, whoa there!" She called. "R8, I missed you too!"
She then rubbed the small astromech gently and caringly. The droid purred in delight.
"I thought I told you to stay on the ship." Grumbled another voice.
There was metal clanking that seem to be steps. Ducking to avoid the door, the other voice soon introduced himself.
"Salutations." He said. "I am B2-G5. I am a reprogrammed Imperial droid."
The crew looked at the stature of the droid. He was tall. But while his torso was bulky, his arms and legs were relatively thin. And he was in black with hints of orange here and there.
"I see you are the friend Felix told us about." B2 said, looking down at Sabine
Zeb growled at the droid, but Ezra held him back.
"Be nice…" Ezra warned him.
"It's okay, kid." Said another voice. "People tend to be like that when they see a droid like Bee."
The crew looked behind Bee and saw one more figure walking towards them.
He was in Mandalorian armor. But in contrast to Sabine's colors of Magenta and orange, his was in gun metal silver and light silver. On his wrists were gauntlets. On his left gauntlet, it housed twin barrels that served as laser guns. The side had a small panel. It housed a small missile. His right gauntlet was different. While it did have the same twin barrel laser guns, there was something else right below it. It had some kind of pad that seemed to have controls of the jetpack behind him.
The figure was also holding his helmet on his side. The helmet was also gun metal grey and light silver, much like his armor. But different from traditional helmets, it had a glowing blue visor.
"Felix…" Sabine cooed.
Then, right in front of everyone, Sabine just hugged Felix. It wasn't a huge hug, but it was enough to send a message. Realizing what she just did, Sabine pulled back quickly.
"You were that excited to see me?" Felix asked in a taunting voice.
"Well… no!" Sabine answered quickly.
They just looked at each other for brief few moments before Hera cut them off.
"Hate to break the reunion." Hera interrupted. "Commander Sato would really like to meet you."
Felix snapped back into reality and responded.
"Oh, yes." Felix replied. "Of course."
He then began to walk with Hera closely behind. R8 and Bee sniggered quietly together and followed. Then, Zeb and Kanan went along. Sabine sighed and then walked. Ezra went up to her.
"What was that about?" He asked.
"Nothing." Sabine responded.
Then she slowly picked up pace and walked away from Ezra. Ezra chuckled at the sight. He knew what this was.
Felix was being briefed on the droid by Commander Sato. The Ghost crew are also listening on.
"So, according to your friend Sabine." Sato said. "You have experience with a droid like this?"
He then pressed a button. The hologram of the droid appeared on the table. Felix observed the droid closely.
"I think so…" Felix pondered. "I think I know what is powered by…"
He looked at the hologram closely.
"There is a way to deal with this droid." Felix replied shortly.
"Is there?" Zeb asked. "Constant shooting did nothing."
"That's the physical approach." Felix answered. "There is a pragmatic approach."
He motioned R8 over. The small droid rolled over and plugged in. She flipped around and displayed the hologram of the droid in turret form. It rotated it to the backside.
"You see that?" Felix asked.
"Yeah we do." Kanan said. "What about it?"
"We disconnect it, and the behemoth stops." Felix explained.
Everybody stopped and then thought about it.
"All we have to do is get close to the thing." Felix finished. "Where did you see it?"
"An Imperial test base not far from here." Hera answered.
"Alright then. Let's go." Felix concluded.
He and his droids then began to exit.
"You're not going alone." Kanan reminded.
"I'm not." Felix answered. "I have you guys."
He continued walking down the halls. The Ghost crew quickly went after him.
"The Ghost is too damaged!" Hera mentioned.
Felix stopped. He turned around to face Hera.
"We're taking my ship." Felix replied. "It'll be a lot less susceptible to suspicion."
"And… if I'm being honest." He added, knocking on the walls. "My ship doesn't exactly scream 'Rebellion'."
Hera thought on that for a bit. Felix wasn't wrong. They always brought the Ghost on every mission as of now. The Empire would definitely have taken notes of the Ghost's status.
"I see your point." Hera admitted. "We'll be there shortly."
"I'll be waiting." Felix said.
Then, he walked towards his ship. Hera turned to her crew and told them to get their gear.
In a little while later, Bee and R8 are prepping the Iced Shell for the mission, and maybe a battle. The Ghost crew then boarded with everything they needed.
"Everybody on board?" Felix asked.
"We're all on." Kanan responded.
Felix walked up to the bridge and sat down at the controls. He flipped switches and pressed a couple buttons.
Bee pressed the comms.
"Commander Sato." He said. "We're ready for our departure."
"Very well." Sato replied over the speaker. "You are clear for jump. Good luck."
"Thank you." Bee replied.
The Iced Shell then detached from the command ship. Folding its boosters back down, it flew to an open space ahead. And in a brief moment, it went into hyperspace.