A/N: So I saw the new Solo movie, and it was alright, wasn't exactly my favorite. But there's one scene toward the end they has me SHOOK. I won't spoil it, so you'll have to watch it for yourself, but if you're a fan of Clone Wars or Rebels, you'll be shocked/impressed.
"Hey kids, get up here" Hera said over the Ghost intercom.
"Can we have five minutes?" yelled Ezra "I'm actually winning"
"Sorry kid, but no." Zeb replied "Idiots array for the win"
"I told you not to play Sabbac against Zeb" Sabine said as she walked past. "You'll lose every time."
It had been a few months since the fight with the Inquisitor, and Ezra was doing a lot better. When they were all in the cockpit, Hera turned her seat around to look at them.
"Alright, we've got a new mission." She said as she pressed a button on the console. A hologram of Ahsoka appeared.
"Hey guys, I've got a job, and you guys are the perfect crew for it." She said "I've been in contact with a senator from Ransi. She, and a few other senators sympathetic to the Rebellion, want to leave the Empire, but don't want their families to be harmed because they were traitors. So we've got another way to get them out. There's a senate ball for senators of the mid rim. It's also attended by some members of the Imperial Navy. We're going to crash the party and make it look like we're kidnapping the senators that want out."
"Basically, we're gonna be sending Kanan and Ezra as infiltration." Hera said "We'll also have to send Sabine and Chop to steal info out of Imperial computers."
"So it's a party?" Ezra asked. "You know none of us are good in crowds, right? Plus we're all wanted by the Empire."
"Yes, but you haven't been very active in the mid rim. They won't expect you there." Ahsoka said "Besides, when has being wanted Ezre stopped you? This entire op is going to take three weeks. We'll be inserting Sabine as a new intern for the Ransi Senator. We'll work on getting IDs for Kanan and Ezra. Tano out"
Later that day, they docked with a Rebel cruiser to drop off Sabine. She had to change her hair color, so it was her natural black.
"You know, I kinda like this color" Ezra said as he walked up behind her
"Yeah?" Sabine replied, turning around. "Well take a good long look, because it's not staying like this."
"I'll get to see it again in a few weeks." Ezra laughed. They stood their for a moment in silence, then he wrapped his arms around her. She put her head on his shoulder, and they stood there for a few more moments.
"Be careful." He said finally.
"I'll do my best." She replied as the rest of the crew came into the airlock to say goodbye. "I'll see you in a few weeks." She said as she stepped onto the cruiser.
Sabine
The Cruiser took Sabine to a planet where she boarded an Imperial transport under her new name Alayna Kath. The transport made several stops before landing at a spaceport on Ransi. She grabbed her bag, stepped off the transport, and looked around the landing pad. She was supposed to meet a Senate aid that would approach her first. She walked to the edge of the platform and looked down over the edge.Below her, the city stretched out for miles, then ended against a snow covered plain. It reminded her of her home, Krownest.
"Miss Kath?" A voice asked. She turned around and saw a young boy, probably about 10.
"Yes," She replied.
"Follow me please, Senator Farrad is waiting." He said.
They walked to a speeder, which was operated by a droid. The speeder took them into the city to another landing pad, where there was a small transport. The transport took them an hour away to a large house set into the side of a mountain. They landed, and Sabine saw a young woman, probably about 20, walking towards them.
"Senator Farrad?" She asked
"Yes." The woman replied "And you must be Alayna. Please, come inside." They entered the house and walked into a large room. "My butler droid will take your things to your room." The Senator said. "Come into my office so we can talk privately."
They entered her office, which had a large window looking over the area. The house was set on a large mountain at the end of a valley. The afternoon sun bounced off the white snow, throwing rays of light in every direction.
"It's so beautiful here." Sabine said
"Yes, at least it was until the Empire took over." The Senator replied.
"So what exactly is my role here, Senator?" Sabine asked.
"Well, to get me off world I suppose." The Senator replied with a laugh "And you can call me Leeana, my dear."
"So what exactly is this ball?" Sabine asked, sitting across from Leeana.
"Well, it's a large formal event attended by mid rim senators and Imperial naval officers." Leeana said "It will be held at the capitol building here on Ransi. I've put in my invite for an officer named Balyn Derek, which is your friend. I'm also able to bring one person from my staff, which is where you come in."
"So basically, all the senators that want out will be there?" Sabine asked.
"Exactly" Leeana replied "There will also be access for mid rim command files and data banks."
"Perfect, except I don't have anything to wear" Sabine said with a grin.
"Well, you're about my size." Leanna replied "I'm sure we can find you something."
Ezra
"This is gonna get hot really fast." Ezra said as he finished putting on the black Imperial uniform.
"Yeah, but we'll be outside, so it won't be that bad." Kanan replied. It had been three weeks since Sabine had left, and it was time for the mission to officially start. Ezra, Chopper, and Kanan had picked up an Imperial shuttle from another Rebel cell, as well as fully believable IDs and credentials from Ahsoka. It now appeared they were an Imperial lieutenant commander and his junior officer.
"Alright let's go over this one more time." Kanan said.
"After we land Chopper is going to find a console that has access to mid rim command files." Ezra said for the millionth time. "We're going to make contact with Sabine and Senator Farrad, then blend in. We locate the senators wanting out, then wait for Chop to get finished with the files. Once he does, we contact Hera. Then we leave with the senators, making it look like we kidnapped them."
"Very good." Kanan said. They sat in silence for a few minutes, then Kanan looked at his young apprentice. "Ezra, I want you to try your best to control your feelings tonight." He said.
"What do you mean?" Ezra asked
"Well, I know you and Sabine are a thing." Kanan said.
Ezra's jaw dropped and his face turned red. "How did you…" He began.
"Kid, I've been around almost twice as long as you have, I think I know a thing or two about sensing emotions, especially when they're sitting out in the open like yours." Kanan laughed. "Also I saw you two kissing in the nose gun a few weeks ago. I don't have anything against it, in fact I'm happy for both of you. She's been a lot less stressed these past few weeks, more than she ever has. All I'm saying is, you're both young and impulsive. And Hera had to show me what she looks like so we know. She...Just try to focus on the mission, remember why we're here. Don't get lost in your feelings."
Ezra was confused, but he was distracted as they came out of hyperspace and Ransi came into view.
"Woah, what are those?" Ezra asked, pointing at a group of ships in orbit over the planet. "I've never seen those before."
They were star destroyers, but they were a little smaller and thinner, more dagger shaped than a triangle. They also had 2 command towers.
"They're Venators." Kanan said. "They were more commonly known as Jedi Cruisers. They were the main fleet ship for the Republic during the Clone Wars. The Empire doesn't use them much anymore. They're good ships though, well armed and tough to bring down."
"What's with the two separate towers?" Ezra asked.
"Well, during the war, a lot of battles were won or lost by fighters and bombers, as well as the capital ships. The Venators primary function was fighter carrier. Sort of like one of those Imperial light carriers, but on a larger scale. One tower controlled the ship and ground forces, one controlled the fighters."
Kanan rolled his eyes as Ezra took a breath and continued to ask questions about the war all the way to the surface.
Sabine
The day of the senate ball had arrived, and Sabine was standing in the biggest closet she had ever seen.
"This is so...weird." Sabine said.
"How so?" Leeana asked.
"Well, I only have the same three jumpsuits that I wear under my armor." Sabine replied "How do you ever choose what to wear?"
"Well, I just match my clothes to the occasion." Leeana said as she pulled a dress off the wall. "Here, try this on."
Later that night, the two of them were on their way to the capital.
"Alright, there are the others." Leanna said, pointing to a group of Senators. They walked over to the group, and Leeana introduced Sabine.
After a while, Sabine excused herself and walked away from the group to get a better feel of the place, scoping out the best exits and the amount of security, which was surprisingly minimal. As she made her way back to the senators, she saw two Imperial officers standing with Leeana. One was unusually short, almost as short as her. He turned slightly, and she knew it was Ezra. She smiled as she walked towards the group.
Ezra
Ezra and Kanan landed the shuttle and entered the building unopposed.
"Looks like these uniforms are paying off." Ezra said once they were in the lift alone.
"Yeah, and those IDs" said Kanan. He looked at his data pad for the location info. "Ok, we're supposed to meet the senator in the far north corner, near the pillars with flags on them." Kanan told him.
"Got it" Ezra replied. The lift opened, and they stepped out into a large courtyard.
"There they are." Kanan said, pointing to a small group of people.
"I don't see Sabine." Ezra said.
"She's around here somewhere." Kanan replied.
They greeted the Senators, then blended into the crowd. Ezra was standing next to Kanan, listening to him drone on about the military service he supposedly had, when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Hey there stranger." A familiar voice said.
He turned, and for a split second, he didn't recognize the girl standing in front of him. "Sabi..." He started, before she covered his mouth.
"Sshhh, don't blow our cover!" She said. "My cover name is Alayna."
Ezra was speechless. She was wearing a plain hot pink dress that fell to her ankles. It was loose, but still hugged her body, and it made her look a lot older.
"Wow." He said "You look...I can't even find the right word."
Sabine rolled her eyes and smiled. She loved him, but he was still a complete dork sometimes. "Yeah? Well I can, I'm freezing!" She said as she rubbed her arms.
Ezra laughed, then heard Choppers beeping in his earpiece. "Alright, Chops at the data center, so it shouldn't be to long now." He said.
"Well it'll take him a few minutes to bypass the firewall, so what are we gonna do?" She asked
"I don't know." He replied.
Sabine looked around him and saw musicians tuning their instruments. "Come on, I have an idea." She said as she took his hand.
She pulled him to the open area where the musicians were, then waited.
"What are we doing Sabine?" Ezra asked nervously. He hated being in the middle of everyone. It felt too exposed.
"Well, it's a ball, and from what I remember from back on Mandalore, people dance at balls." Sabine replied "Except me, I was never old enough until after I left."
As the musician started, Ezra grinned "Well come on then" he said as he took her hand. He pulled her close, and they began dance.
"I didn't know you knew how to dance." Sabine said, surprised as he spun her around.
"I'm full of surprises." He laughed He didn't tell her that Hera had spent the last three days teaching him how to dance. Somehow she had known he was going to need it. They continued to dance for a while, and Ezra was content to stay that way, but Chopper informed him that he had downloaded all the files he could get. Ezra sighed, then leaned in and kissed her.
"Time to go." He said when they broke.
"Let's wait, Kanan still has to gather the senators" Sabine said before she pulled him in and kissed him back. They stayed locked together for a few moments, then Chopper began beeping again.
"Great, Chop thinks they're on to him." Ezra said "We've gotta find Kanan and get out of here." He took her hand and they walked back towards Kanan and the senators.
Sabine saw a door open in the corner, and saw Chopper rolling out. "There's Chop." She said.
"Karabast." Ezra said as troopers walked out the door behind Chop.
"Hey droid, stop right there!" One of the troopers yelled. Chopper kept on rolling, and the trooper raised his blaster.
"Woah trooper, I've got this" Kanan said as he pulled out a blaster. "Come on droid."
They began walking towards the exit, and Kanan gave a nod to Ezra, who nodded back and pulled out a blaster and a locator beacon.
"Here goes nothing" Ezra said as he pushed the locator. A few moments went by, then they heard explosions, and alarms started blaring. There was blaster fire coming from the landing area, then Zeb and Rex kicked down the door.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Zeb yelled "Sorry to ruin this beautiful evening, but I've got money to make!"
Ezra and Kanan both raised their blasters and shot the troopers near Chop. They then pointed them at the senators they were 'kidnapping'. Sabine pulled her dress up slightly and grabbed a blaster she had hidden on her leg. She grabbed Leanna and pulled her toward the door as Zeb shot two troopers with batons that were closing on her. People were running everywhere, and with Ezra and Kanan shooting at them, the Imperial troopers didn't know who was friend or foe. They got the senators to the edge of the platform, still firing at the troopers.
"You have nowhere to go!" A trooper yelled. "Let the senators go!"
Suddenly, the Ghost rose from under the landing pad. The ramp opened, and they dragged the senators inside.
"Alright Hera, we're all onboard." Kanan said "Let's get out of here."
"Copy that" Hera replied as they sped away from the surface. "We've got TIEs incoming! Man your stations and hold them off while I prep the jump!"
Sabine ran to the nose gun and began blasting the fighters as they screamed toward them.
"I've got them." Ezra said from the top gun.
"Bet I get a kill before you." Sabine said
"Alright, coordinates locked, here we go!" Hera said as they jumped to hyperspace. As the black of space turned to blue, Sabine jumped out of her seat.
"How many did you get?" Ezra asked as he slid down the ladder.
"Four." Sabine said "What about you?"
"Five." Ezra said with the worst attempt at a straight face she had ever seen.
"Oh shut up." Sabine laughed as she pushed him. "You probably only got one."
"Well I got six, so beat that." Zeb said as he walked up. They walked to the cargo hold, where the Senators were talking with Hera and Kanan.
"Thank you so much." Leeana said, shaking Heras hand.
"Of course." Hera replied. "We're always trying to help someone in need."
