Anakin watched as Ezra practice deflecting stun bolts from Sabine, Zeb and Chopper with his lightsaber and cadet helmet on to try hitting the stromtrooper helm sitting on a rock. The only reason he the merc wasn't helping was because his dad had removed the stun setting from all four of his DC blasters in order to increase the damage output and fire more shots before needing to recharge. 'Kid's got it easy. My dad shot real bolts at me during my training and much to my mother's horror when she found out.' Anakin chuckled as he remembered the first time she found out and how she had scolded his dad non-stop for an hour.

"You've got the blocking down for the most part, but you shouldn't just randomly deflect the energy any which way. You've yet to hit the target I gave you." Kanan said. "'Yet'! Key word is 'yet.'" he replied, avoiding two shots from Sabine. The older Jedi groaned slightly before gesturing for them to hold fire as he walked up to the younger teen while the Lasat and Mandalorian holstered their blasters. "You're distracted, impatient. What's your rush?" he asked as Ezra sighed and opened the front of his cadet helm. "I don't want to miss Senator Trayvis' transmission." he answered.

"You don't even know if he'll transmit today." the older man pointed out. "He's been on more frequencies lately, and I have a feeling. Today's the day." the kid replied. "Well I have a feeling you're going to get stunned if you don't start paying attention." Anakin piped up. "Exactly. So how about you focus on this moment." Kanan chastised before the kid groaned slightly and reactivated his saber before closing the faceplate on his helm. The three opened fire on him again as he started dodging ad deflecting with a few shots actually close to his target.

The kid opened his faceplate again and looked around before narrowly blocking a bolt. Anakin was a bit surprised when he started redirecting all of them towards the helmet before fainting.. The five quickly ran over to him before Kanan kneeled to check on the kid and remove his helmet. Ezra gasped in surprise after regaining consciousness before the older Jedi helped him sit up. "I got stunned, didn't I?" he asked. "No, you deflected every blast back at the target." he replied, sounding impressed, while gesturing to the smoking trooper helmet on the ground.

"I saw something." Ezra said. "Saw? You had a vision?" the older Jedi asked in surprise. "I saw Gall Trayvis. Kanan, he knew my parents! It was so real..." the kid said as Kanan helped him up. "You were there, and- and you were there, sneaking around in the dark. Troopers were everywhere." he said, looking at Kanan then the two older teens. "Sounds like a pretty average day." Anakin replied as Sabine nodded. "Except... Senator Trayvis was there, fighting side by side with us. And he said he knew my parents!" the young Jedi said as he took a few steps forward.

"Right. Look, Ezra, just because you want something to happen doesn't mean it's going to." Kanan said, folding his arms. "But it might." he replied before Zeb gave him a light smack on the back of the head after he turned around. "Ow! What are you doing?" he asked the Lasat in annoyance while rubbing the back of his head. "Helping you to hone your Jedi powers. Why didn't you see that coming?" he asked with a smile and laugh. "Doesn't work that way." Ezra replied with a small glare as Zeb and Kanan walked back to the the ship.

"Ow! Stop!" he exclaimed as Sabine punched him in the shoulder while she and Anakin passed him. "Maybe if we keep trying." she said with a smirk. "Ezra, hurry! He's on!" Hera called from the ramp before he started running to the ship. "That's not how the Force works." Anakin said to the two non Force-sensitives. "How do you know?" Zeb asked with a brow raised. "Because I've studied it." he replied simply before they entered the ship and their way to the common room.

"The insurgents terrorizing our world will soon be brought to justice. I have assurances from-" the recording of Minister Tua was suddenly cut off as hologram of Trayvis' picture appeared. "Citizens, Senator-in-exile Gall Trayvis here." he said. "Right on time!" Ezra said before Hera shushed him. "Coming to you with a reminder that the Empire applies the term 'insurgent' to anyone who dares defy their tyranny, such as some very courageous souls on Lothal." he added. "He's talking about us. He said Lothal." the kid said in excitement. "Does he come with an 'mute' button?" Anakin whispered to Sabine from where they sat on the seat behind the holotable. "I wish." she whispered back.

"I know. Here it comes." Hera replied to the younger teen, sounding a bit annoyed by his interruptions. "To those rebels, I have a message: The sun may have set on the Old Republic, but a new freedom can be won... if we are brave enough to fight for it today. See you soon, my friends." Trayvis said before his transmission changed back to the news. "In other news, Lothal's mines are-" the broadcaster started before Hera turned it off. "He's coming here to meet us." Hera realized. "Uh, how do you know that?" Zeb asked, sounding skeptical. "My contact, Fulcrum, says the senator hides coded messages in his transmissions. When Trayvis mentions a world, it's always the next one he visits." she explained.

"How come the Empire hasn't caught him?" Kanan asked. "Trayvis is too smart. You know, he pirates the Empire's own signal, just like my folks used to." Ezra said. "And the clues he puts in his messages where to meet him are obvious to the locals, but go right over the Empire's head. Watch." she said before turning the recording back on. "The sun may have set on the Old Republic, but a new freedom can be won-" the recording said before she turned it off again. "He said 'the Old Republic' and 'a new freedom'." the captain said.

"Well, everybody on Lothal knows the New Freedom mural. It's painted on the wall in- inside... the Old Republic Senate building!" he realized with a grin before Sabine brought up a hologram of the building. "Hmm. Been abandoned since the Empire built the Imperial complex. Good place for a friendly get-together." she said before turning the hologram off. "Yeah, but when's this meeting?" Zeb asked. "Uh, he worked sunset' and 'today' into his message. Pretty obvious." Ezra replied with an eye roll the Lasat couldn't see since he was standing behind the kid.

"Yeah, too obvious. We should have some insurance, in case the Empire is more clever than we think." Kanan said. "You've got a friend inside the Imperial complex, right? So find out for sure." Hera said to the younger Jedi. "I'll meet you at my- at my parents' house at 1700." he replied as he grabbed his helmet before Kanan stopped him. "Ezra. About your vision. Don't be too quick-" he started before the kid cut him off. "To take it literally? Kanan, I know it's right. You're always telling me to trust my feelings. Well, I've never felt stronger about anything in my life." Ezra replied before leaving. "Vision?" Hera asked the older man as everyone else left.

Around 5 p.m the merc and rebels waited patiently inside the bunker in Ezra's old home for him to arrive after getting the information they needed. "It's pretty old. He said his parents used it to broadcast from." Sabine explained while gesturing to the broadcast device while Hera worked on it. "I don't get it. They weren't soldiers, just citizens. So why'd they risk it all?" Zeb asked, referring to Ezra's parents. "They had hope. That they could do something to make the galaxy a better place for their son." Hera replied as Ezra slid down the ladder and Sabine cleared her throat to alert everyone to him.

"Cutting it a little close. I know you don't want to miss Trayvis' meeting." the Mandalorian girl said to him. "Neither does the Empire. Neither does the Empire. And you were right, Kanan. They know where the meeting is. Kallus has an operation planned- probably to capture Trayvis... or worse." the kid said. "The Imperials will have numbers." the Lasat said. "We'll have surprise." Kanan said with a smirk. "What gives you that idea?" Sabine asked. "I'm being optimistic." he replied.

The next morning Anakin and the rebels staked out the old Senate building from a walkway outside the building while crouching behind the railing. The two in Mandalorian armor lowered their rangefinder antennas to view a landing platform near the top of the old building. "There's a dignitary shuttle and two protocol droids on the platform. Trayvis must already be inside. I'm not seeing any Imperial forces. Anakin?" Sabine explained, raising her antenna before asking him. "Hmm... Not seeing anything either." he replied before raising his then looking over the edge of the railing.

"Well, they gotta be around." Kanan said before using his macrobinoculars to look around. "Yeah, I found them. Looks like they have the whole area locked down." he added before lowering the binoculars. "We've gotta get Trayvis outta there before the Empire moves in." Ezra said. "Wait. Why haven't they moved in?" Hera questioned. "They want us too. It's a trap." Kanan replied as Sabine took off her helmet. "So maybe we don't walk into it for once." Anakin suggested. "We don't even know for sure your precious senator is in there." Zeb added.

"Yes, we do. I saw it." Ezra insisted. "If we can get up there without being seen, maybe we fly him out on his own ship." Kanan said. "I know a way in. No one will see us." the kid assured before the Mandalorian girl gave him a skeptical brow raise. "Hey, I survived alone against the Empire for eight years. Come on." he replied with a smirk, gesturing for them to follow.

Chopper warbled as they rounded the corner to a sewer entrance before said droid pushed an R-series into the open hole. The droid let out a series of beeps as they heard it crash into several things before stopping and letting out a weak whirring beep. Chopper let out a triumphant chirp before Zeb kneeled by the hole and sniffed. "Ugh. That's a sewer pipe." he said, groaning in disgust as the others walked up to it. "Yes, it is. And I can pretty much guarantee... we're not gonna run into any stormtroopers down there." Ezra assured before he started climbing down followed by Hera then Zeb after he let out a sigh.

"Terrific." Sabine said sarcastically as she started climbing down after Anakin. Once everyone besides Chopper was in the pipe, Ezra started leading them through it. "Used to be too much water to walk down here, but since the Empire started rationing, pretty dry." he explained. "Well, it hasn't helped the smell." the Lasat complained, waving his hand in front of his face. "Speaking of which, it does smell like you." Sabine said. "Hmm?" he replied. "I was talking to Ezra." the Madalorian girl said as she and Anakin high fived. "Wait. You know what I smell like?" the kid asked with a smirk before the merc shoved him. "Get your head out of the gutter, kid." he snapped as they reached the exit near the Senate building.

"What do you think?" Ezra asked the older Jedi as he, Hera and Kanan poked their heads out of the exit after climbing up the ladder. "Better safe than sorry." he replied with a small groan of frustration before Anakin sensed him using the Force. The two older teens and Lasat climbed up after the other three exited before Kanan turned and stopped them. "Hold on. You three, up top." he said quietly to the three before Anakin climbed up first then helped Sabine up as Zeb climbed up by himself. The three carefully made their way across the roof before finding a way in and making their way onto the rafters just above where Trayvis was protected by Kanan and Ezra with their sabers out and Hera with her pistol ready as the three were surrounded by stormtroopers.

The three tossed some smoke bombs before the two teens lowered their antennas to see everyones heat signatures and Zeb dropped down. The Lasat activated his electrostaff before attacking the stormtroopers as the teens opened fire on the troopers. After the others got out and the teens dropped down and Sabine tossed a thermal detonator before the two ran out the exit. Anakin took cover around the corner with the others first before grabbing Sabine's hand as she nearly slid off the edge when passing them. The merc pulled her to the side protectively as the detonator went off. "Thanks." she replied softly. "You're welcome." he replied just as softly. "Sabine, I..." he trailed off before the two were snapped out of their moment as Hera spoke.

"Was really hoping that shuttle'd still be here." she said before an Imperial landing craft ascended from below where Trayvis' shuttle was earlier. "And that's not the ride we're looking for." Kanan said before it opened fire and they ran back the sewer entrance. Sabine pressed a button on her wrist computer before the sewer door opened. "You want me to go in there?" Trayvis asked. "It's not so bad once you get used to the smell." Ezra assured. "You never get used to the smell." Zeb joked before a blaster bolt flew overhead and they turned to see Kallus and two troopers running towards them.

"Go!" Kanan exclaimed as he and Ezra ignited their blades and started deflecting bolts before Zeb helped the senator onto the ladder. Hera followed next, then Anakin and Sabine. 'Nice view.'. Zeb slid down last and after a few more seconds the Jedi jumped down before Sabine closed it just as Kallus reached the entrance. The group ran for a moment before Trayvis stopped to catch his breath. "Yes, I'm- I'm coming." he assured, panting heavily. "Ezra, wait up." Hera said to him as he and the other stopped. "Sorry, Senator. We just wanna get out of here as fast as we can." the kid said to him.

"I am the one who should apologize, my young friend. I've been pursued, but never in such a place as this." he replied, still catching his breath as he gestured to the sewer pipe they were in. "Figured you'd be used to running from the Empire." Kanan said to him as he walked up behind Ezra. "Well, I- I've never come this close to capture before." he replied before two stormtroopers rounded the corner where they'd just come from and opened fire. The group took cover at a four-way intersection, with Kanan, the two older teens and Lasat on one side and Hera, Ezra and Trayvis on the other.

"We'll draw them away! Get Spectre-2 and Trayvis to the hatch." Kanan ordered the kid as more stormtroopers appeared before Anakin shot one with his DC-15A. "Wait. How will you find us?" he asked as Kanan and Zeb took off down the pipe on their team's right. "I can smell you, remember?" Sabine replied dryly. "Oh." he said with a smirk, looking like he wanted to say something else before Hera cut him off. "Think of something clever to say later. Move!" she ordered before she, Ezra and Trayvis ran down the pipe they were in. "Why do you encourage him?" Anakin asked Sabine as they ran down the pipe to catch up with the older man and Lasat. "I don't do it on purpose." she replied as they killed three more troopers. "Oh for-!" he cut himself off with a grumble.

"Spectre-5, do you actually know where we're going?" Kanan asked her as she, him and Anakin reached another four-way. "Of course I do." she replied, pressing a few buttons on her computer. "Sorta." she added quietly before pointing to the right. The three ducked as a blast flew over their heads and they started running again before Zeb reached the intersection. "Zeb, this way!" the merc called out behind him and the Lasat made a quick turn as more bolts flew behind him. "As much as I hate this mission it could be worse." Anakin said as they kept running. "How could it be worse?" Kanan asked him. "We could be running through sewage." he replied before Sabine groaned in disgust. "Oh! Why did you have to put that thought in my head?" she complained before he shrugged in reply.

A few minutes later the group exited the small pipe and jumped down into a bigger one with a huge fan and where Hera, Ezra and apparently unconscious senator were. "What happened to the senator?" Zeb asked as he and the other three walked up to the senator and their friends. "He was working for the Empire." Hera replied. "Is there anybody on our side?" Sabine asked, sounding annoyed. "So guess he stays here. What's our plan?" Anakin asked the Twi'lek. "We were gonna stop the fan to get through." she replied, gesturing to it with a nod.

"Okay, but what will keep our friends from following?" Sabine asked her. "We only stop it long enough for us to get past it. Cover me." Kanan said before walking up to the fan and holding his hand out. The others readied their blasters while Ezra ignited his saber. "Incoming!" Ezra warned as Kallus and a few troopers appeared at the entrances of the two smaller pipes and opened fire. "Move rebels!" Hera ordered as they made their way through the stopped fan one by one. "Not a rebel!" Anakin said as he jumped through. "Ezra, let's go!" Kanan yelled before he and the kid jumped through just as the fan started moving again.

Kanan stabbed his saber through the sewer door they had first entered when the it wouldn't open before he poked his head out. The droid complained as everyone exited the sewer, the two older teens last. "Hey, you're supposed to be glad to see us." Kanan replied as the droid warbled again before they all quickly left. Night had fallen once more by the time they had made it back to the Ghost. The two older teens returned to their room before getting ready for sleep.

"Hey, Anakin?" she asked him after removing her armor and leaving her in her bodysuit. "What's up?" he asked, turning to face her after having removed his armor as well. "What is it you wanted to say after my detonator went off?" she asked, sitting on her bed on the other side of the room. "Hmm... I don't really remember since that shuttle attacked us." he replied with a shrug. "Oh, okay." she said.

The merc could sense some sadness coming off her as she got into her bed. Anakin wanted to ask her about it but his sudden shyness prevented him from speaking and instead he walked over to the door panel and pressed the button for the room's light, bathing it in darkness before making his way back over to his bed and getting in. 'Even though it probably wasn't the best time, I still should've confessed to her earlier today.' he chastised himself before trying to fall asleep.

Chapter 9 done.