Zeb watched the dealer follow Kanan out of the Phantom. He wanted nothing more than to break that guy's nose for leaving behind his friend. They may have had their disagreements, but Ezra deserved better than being used as bait for the Empire. If it was not for Kanan's intrusion, that piece of scum would have been thrown off the ship mid-flight. The last smuggler they trusted tried to split them up transporting a pig that basically lived underground eating rocks.
Even so, the Lasat had to admit that they would not have the chance of finding their missing crew mate without Caden's help. The whole crew would still be stumbling in the dark about where to look next. They still were, in a way. The first few months were nightmares. He used to think watching Lasan burn as his own people were being slaughtered was the very definition of the word, but that all changed when they were forced off Lothal. It was now the ringing silence that filled the cabin he and the Loth Rat shared during those few months on the Ghost.
He curled his hands around his bo-staff as the Phantom flew north. Everyone might have been better off leaving Caden behind and sending someone else as Kanan's back up. It would have relieved some of his worries.
"Are we just letting him go off with Kanan?" the Lasat demanded. "For all we know, he could leave him out there in the middle of nowhere!"
Sabine placed one hand on her hip. While she did not expect their guest to sell Kanan out to a passing caravan right away, it made her wonder why this man was willing to help them steal this information in the first place. They were now infamous Imperial fugitives that would have any cartel looking for a pay day.
"Caden has not done anything to prove he would turn us in so far," Sabine reasoned. "My guess is there is something in it for him."
"How do you know that?" Zeb scowled. "Did you two bond over the comm link behind our backs?"
The young woman narrowed her eyes. None of them were happy to learn the person they were working with could do the same to them all, but beating the guy to a pulp would not help anyone at this point.
"No one who works in the black market would give up the information we have that easily," she explained. "I met plenty of people like him as a bounty hunter. Of course, they only did that to avoid being killed."
Chopper waved his mechanical arms in disbelief. The first crew he traveled with could have cared less about whether or not he was turned to scrap metal if a mission somehow went wrong. Even after his repairs were completed, Hera knew that he would be scarred as long as he functioned. The droid would not let that happen again!
Hera focused on the dry landscape in front of them. There were very few canyons within a mile radius to take cover until they received word everything was clear.
According to Caden, routinely patrolled every few hours. There were also Jawa caravans, quite a few bounty hunters and some smugglers who risked traveling across this waste land. He was not very optimistic they would avoid the detection of the Empire long enough to slip away unnoticed.
"I am just glad we finally found a lead," the pilot chimed in. "Never thought to look on this planet, though."
Sabine could not shake the feeling Hera was hiding something from them again. Before they picked up the smuggler outside of Anchorhead, she decided to eat breakfast early. The young woman crossed her arms realizing now they were going to wait near the mouth of a canyon once more. She heard her talking to someone who sounded like Caden about a safe waiting spot eavesdropping.
"Are we supposed to be find a hiding spot?" she questioned. "All we are doing is flying around."
"Unfortunately, Tatooine is not the kind of planet to find cover outside of the cities and settlements so easily." Hera explained, "Caden explained to me this planet was not always this hot."
Sabine knew this planet was a death trap. It might as well be Mustafar with this extreme environment. This environment was dangerous in its own right considering a person could die of anything here. With heat stroke being the most common cause of death, some disappearances went unexplained for years. Many Mandalorians have told her growing up to avoid this system unless you know what kind of business you plan on carrying out.
"Everyone knows why this rock is nothing but desert now," Zeb spoke up. "It is a miracle anything can survive in this heat."
The Twi'lek landed the Phantom in the shadow of a cliff. The only thing they could do was wait for Kanan to give the signal. Under normal circumstances, she would ignore their contact's advice to take cover at the mouth of a canyon. Ryloth was no different from Tatooine in some ways, but the hemisphere she grew up in was never this unforgiving. Whether it was the rough terrain or resilient wild life that brought her home world to mind, she could never tell.
"I can understand how," she disagreed.
"That still does not explain why we are sitting out in the open," Sabine demanded. "Those TIEs could ambush us from above."
Hera looked over her shoulder at the Mandalorian. She has not seen the young woman this upset since the day they were forced to leave Ezra behind. Years of traveling the galaxy has taught her that Mandalorians valued family and tradition as much as Togruta do. The few encounters she had with them were always violent space battles as their run in with the Protectors has proven.
"This is the closest canyon I saw on the map," she admitted. "If there were other places we could have landed, we would not have to fly out this far."
"What if we do not make it there in time?" the young woman continued. "Hera, you know after what happened last time why we cannot fail this mission."
The pilot glanced over her shoulder at the artist. She did not need to be Force-Sensitive to hear Sabine's thoughts. None of them wanted to leave another friend behind.
"None of us want to lose another team member," she says. "Kanan will not let that happen to either of them."
"How do you know it won't happen again?" Sabine continued. "You know how Kanan's plans go."
Hera's heart dropped seeing both of her crew mate's dejected faces as memories of the mission hit her with full force again. At first, the Twi'lek did not know how to handle the possibility of Ezra being an Imperial prisoner or worse. She honestly did not know which was better if they had to choose between either of those options.
"We got to have faith the same thing will not happen," she told them. "Kanan and I have never given up on Ezra; you three should not, either."
The three of them stared at her in silence. There were days where the promise to find their missing friend sometimes became a mantra. None of them were able to respond to the pilot's words as the communication system crackled to life.
"Spectre One to Phantom; everything is safe." Kanan reported.
"Copy that, Spectre One." Hera said, "Is Caden safe?"
She started up the engines waiting for his answer. By the time they were in the air, the Twi'lek found herself praying under her breath in her native tongue that nothing bad happened. The Empire was starting to catch up with the Rebellion faster than they could keep up sometimes. It crossed her mind the Imperials were jamming their signal inside the building. There was no way they could hack into their systems from the Phantom. It would be so much easier if they were on the Ghost.
"Spectre One, do you read?" the pilot repeated. "Spectre One?"
Sabine nervously looked to her crew mates. The artist knew this would happen. They infiltrated that TIE base with the hope of finding Ezra or, at the very least, information where they were holding him. While the four of them were running around trying to avoid storm troopers, it occurred to her afterwards the commander informed other ranking officers of the attack.
Just one more reason to avoid Tatooine, she thought.
"You think they know we are here?" the young woman asked.
"We did attack their base," admitted Zeb. "Those bucket heads have to be ready for anything by now."
This possibility worried Hera even more. If it was a trap, then it was too late for them to pull out now. The Twilek did not know if Caden had a part in this but she was not letting another stranger hurt her family again. Now that she thought about it, that name sounded familiar. There was someone with that name who piloted for another rebel cell that was in operation long before they became involved with the Alliance. No one knew why they disappeared after three years of working with them.
"How are things on your end?" she asked.
"He's fine, but I have a feeling they upgraded security for another reason." Kanan answered, "How long until the distraction?"
The pilot sighed nearing the communication tower. The troopers who looked up barely had a chance to react to their appearance when the nose guns and few TIEs blew up. Hopefully, the thick smoke would buy them some time before the wind blew in. This was the result of the new explosives Sabine found while on a mission to Iego. Apparently, this batch is only manufactured on Mandalore.
"Twenty seconds!" Hera shouted.
The hatch opened to four men aiming their blasters up at them. She almost felt bad for them hearing Zeb and Sabine land on the balcony. They may be soldiers blindly following the Empire but these men were people who believed they were doing the right thing. Even if it was the result of academy brainwashing, the Twi'lek still did not agree with their orders to make life harder for civilians.
Sabine shot two of the troopers before they could pull the trigger. It did not surprise her that they did not use put the training they received to good use. Even as a cadet, she could out shoot the highest-ranking officer and 'properly conduct herself.' The girl pushed away those memories hearing the sound bodies falling to the ground from being electrocuted. She had to admit his bo-rifle was useful in itself.
The Lasat dropped the troopers at his feet before running into the building. What worried him was not the quiet hallway, but the fact that Kanan and Wamp Rat were not carrying their part of the plan. The Imperials were obviously waiting for them seeing the startled guard at the door.
"You would think these bucket heads would put up a better fight," Zeb commented. "Those two should be up here by now if we could take those four out."
"Like I said on the Phantom, they could already know we are after that information." she repeated, "If that is the case, then I am taking over Caden's job!"
The guard at the door lowered his blaster in time to have Zeb's fist jaw meet his chin before he could say anything. The man slowly rubbed his chin sitting up only have the muzzle of a rifle pointed in his face with a snarling Lasat standing over him. What they did not expect was to hear Kanan's muffled voice.
"What was that for?!" he demanded.
"How should I have known it was you?" the Lasat shot back. "You were wearing a bucket!"
The Jedi lowered his voice standing up as he took off the helmet. He did not which was worse: having Caden ditch his disguise or Zeb mistaking him for a storm trooper. The first time was bad enough. Then, he and Ezra had to act as 'Imperial prisoners' to escape the troopers searching the area for them.
"I would love to continue this argument, but where is Caden?" Sabine asked. "He is supposed to be with you."
"He is in there downloading the intel now," Kanan whispered. "You and Chopper go help him."
Sabine punched in the access code. Thankfully, the holodisk they were loaned had a few pass codes that were created along with the security upgrades. The Mandalorian did not want to admit that Caden was smart enough to slice into more than just the Empire's defenses. If a smuggler is able to do that, they could possibly have some bounty hunting experience.
That, or he has great connections.
The young woman expected to see another 'bucket head' hacking into the mainframe. She could not tell if he was insane or reckless enough to reveal his identity to the Empire. Either way, they would ask him later what kind of customers gave up the information they have now.
"Chopper, plug into the mainframe." she ordered, "Search for prisoner logs and transfers."
Caden did not look up from the terminal as Sabine started scanning the closest screen. Between reading prisoner logs and wiping the security cameras video, he welcomed the help. Normally, the dealer would insist on leaving the droid out of this. They had about four minutes left before a unit of storm troopers stepped off that lift.
"Their manual systems may be difficult to figure out, but it is not that complicated."
Sabine wanted to stun him for wiping security footage instead of downloading what they came for. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind glancing down at the small screen in front of her. There were prisoners scheduled to be transferred to number of different locations, including those they were familiar with, for the next two days. There were other systems she would have to ask Kanan or Hera about if research did not give them any answers.
"Really?" she shot back. "Then tell me why you are messing with their security cameras."
The dealer did not know what to tell her. He preferred life in Tatoo System for more than just the business opportunities. Tatooine was the last planet anyone working for the Empire would think to look for people with the kind of bounties he and Ridge had over their heads. Most of the low lives that visited this dust bowl were slavers, smugglers or bounty hunters who would not mess with a small group selling illegal goods. He had no idea why this woman brought to mind someone they once knew, but she just did.
"The Imperials have enough leverage to lock down Anchorhead for a manhunt," Caden explained. "I have sliced into their systems from remote areas before without being tracked by their best hackers. The less proof they have, the more likely we are able to escape."
Sabine could not believe her ears. One minute, this guy was a part-time smuggler who obviously had work ethics; the next, someone who wanted to fight the Empire. A part of her wanted both him and his friend to join the crew if they were that talented. Not only did the rebellion need extra people for gathering intelligence, but it would also keep them one step ahead of the Empire for once.
"Hacking their systems is the last thing on my mind," she commented. "Do you have data tapes?"
Caden handed her a small disc switching over to the prisoner files. He would normally insist on downloading the information himself but they had little time. The sound of blaster fire outside the door told him the unit of storm troopers were eager to put holes through their heads. When the droid unplugged, he knew it was time to go.
"Got it," Sabine said.
They found Kanan and the Lasat returning fire out in the hallway. Two of the troopers were either stunned or dead. The men left standing were determined to live up to their training, but that was debatable seeing cadets had better aim than their superiors.
Now is not the time to think about that, he thought.
"What took you so long?!" the large alien yelled.
Caden barely dodged the blaster fire joining the gun fight. He forgot what they called him, but it did begin with a 'Z.' Very few Lasat survived the massacre on Lasan. The dealer never thought he would meet one, let alone see one of their warriors up close in combat.
"We downloaded what we came for," he said. "Now if only these robots would use their common sense and run back to the lift."
The Mandalorian fired a few rounds before holstering both blasters. She had no idea how the Imperials found out about the ruse Kanan and Caden used, but it did not matter now. The entire based knew they were being attacked the minute those explosives went off. Their chances of escaping were slim if they radioed for back up while hacking their systems.
"After you wiped their security system," Sabine added. "Whatever you plan on doing, you better do it now!"
"Talking to me or your pack leader?" Caden shot back.
She pointed to Kanan tossing a few smoke bombs five feet in front of their small group. The unit was slowly pushing them back towards the balcony through the thick screen. Hopefully, the Phantom would be waiting to take off once they boarded.
The Jedi ignited his light saber to deflect the blaster fire back at the men. He hoped this mission was worth the risk. If all they did was draw unwanted attention to themselves, it would be one more thing to worry about. Not only would the Empire know they attempted to 'take control' of another tower, but it would also draw attention to the rebellion. Ever since the siege of Lothal, the Imperials' noose has been slowly tightening around their necks.
"Get to the Phantom!" he ordered.
Caden looked over his shoulder in slight shock. The last time he seen Jedi in action ended with the man being captured. It only got worse after the crew had to move on when Fulcrum said there was nothing they could do after three weeks off searching. Ridge never liked to talking about the incident. Apparently, it reminded him of an unrelated episode. The only person who knew what happened was dead.
A hand roughly jerked his right shoulder reaching for his blaster. With the number of men that were pushing them back, it was the only thing he could of think of. The last Jedi they had to leave behind went missing after failing to break him out of an Imperial prison.
"Come on, Wamp Rat!" Zeb snarled.
He could hear Kanan deflect another round of bolts following them out onto the balcony. The Phantom was hovering two feet from the railing. The dealer jumped in after the others boarded just as the hatch closed. A part of him was relieved to see the Jedi joined them in time just as they were taking off.
"How did it go?" Hera asked.
"It took the bucket heads awhile to figure out what was going on," Sabine spoke up. "We would have been out on the balcony earlier, but Caden decided to mess with their security footage."
The Twi'lek kept her eyes on the dry landscape in front of her. She did not know what the dealer did to the tower's security system but it could not be good. For all they knew, he was only cooperating with them to spring a trap for a big pay day. The Empire often hired smugglers and bounty hunters off the streets to capture people they considered fugitives.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Zeb commented. "Last time I checked we were looking for information on Ezra."
Kanan could tell whatever Caden wanted to say on the elevator was connected to a past incident. The grief and regret in the man's eyes were not those of someone interested in turning them in for a hand full of credits. He understood the feeling all too well.
"Ridge has history with the Empire," Caden says. "He never talks about it, even with those close to him."
"What kind of history?" Kanan asked.
The dealer took a deep breath staring at the tip of his boot. Recalling the incident that tore apart what was left of their crew still made his stomach feel as if someone was a twisting a hunting knife in his rib cage. It was not supposed to happen that way. They should have known the Empire increased the number of patrols where they landed!
"He was an orphan for a few years before he met his first crew," he began quietly. "I can tell you from personal experience that it can take a toll on a kid's mind having to survive on to your own. One of my crew mates got curious about an abandoned control tower shortly after we first ran into each other a few days before that."
Kanan did not need to look at Hera to know she was thinking the same thing. The old communication tower was the first place they dared to stake out every time a mission brought them to Lothal. Ezra admitted to him that was where he started living two years after his parents were dragged away. He did not know if anyone else knew about his make-shift home, but they figured it out.
"Did he tell you anything else?" he pressed.
"Ridge also had a crush on a girl," he slightly grinned. "He did not realize the girl was an old friend of his wife until she told him."
Sabine thought about Amira watching them shop at Old Jho's. She knew there was something about the little girl that reminded her of a good friend she once knew in the academy. The cadet was a genius by their commanding officers' standards, but she also had medical skills that eventually attracted unwanted attention to herself and her assigned squad. Mandalorians were infamous for their ruthless tactics, not their healing abilities.
"I bet the woman must be worried," Hera said. "How is she handling all this raising Amira?"
Caden's face was an unreadable mask when he looked up at them. Whatever it was, he intended to keep quiet about this woman.
"She works a lot," he said. "Ridge made me promise to support them if anything happened."
"If you can convince her to meet us somewhere, that would be a big help."
The Twi'lek attached to the Ghost before shutting down the engines. There was something they were missing, she could feel it in the pit of her stomach. Kanan's face reflected the shock they all were trying to shift through. When they first set out to locate him, it was to find the boy they were forced to leave behind. Not a grown man with a wife and child.
"Even if his wife does not contact us, I think the Intel we got should give us an idea."
The Jedi slid down the ladder into the common room. He could feel Hera worriedly watching him as he waited for the others to gather around the table. At this point, he did not know what to think anymore. Ezra knew better than to start a relationship with any girl until the age of seventeen. It took him and Zeb combined to give the kid the 'talk' if he had any hope of surviving life on the ship for more than four months.
What is he like now? he wondered. How does his 'wife' know Sabine? Or is he talking about someone else?
Zeb crossed his arms. "Since when did your friend get married?"
Sabine narrowed her eyes at the idea of Ezra being married as she sat in the booth. She liked Ezra, but the thought of being in a relationship with him was the last thing that would happen.
"I was wondering the same thing," she added. "Who is this mystery woman?"
Caden shivered plugging in the data chip thinking of the tactics she would use to get a name. Sitting next to this Mandalorian made him rethink some of his decision in the past, not counting the chances he took years earlier.
"That is not important," he growled. "All any of you need to know is that she was - is - trustworthy."
The young woman stared at him as pulled up the prisoner profiles. She did not know why he was covering the fact he was hiding something painful. Whatever it was, this woman probably dangerous. If she caught the Empire's attention in the past, they would have found out. Setting her helmet on the table, Sabine scanned the list until she stopped on two near the bottom.
"It looks like two prisoners are being transferred off world this evening," Sabine began. "From this list, our best bet is the second fugitive. It says here his home world is Lothal."
Kanan pushed back the thought of Ezra being married so young. For now, they had to come up with a rescue plan. The Imperial transport would probably be escorted off world by TIEs. Ever since his own break out, the Empire has been taking precautions whenever they were transferring 'infamous' prisoners now. That is, if the commanding officer was smart enough to take this precaution.
"Where are they holding him now?" he asked.
A projection of the TIE base they have been harassing for the past week replaced the prisoners' log. The Jedi had no idea what was going. Even if they were holding Ezra prisoner there, how would they know without falling into another trap?
"We already tried looking for him there," Zeb spoke up. "For all we know, they could have shipped him somewhere else by now."
"I would not put it past the Empire to fake records, especially if the person is an Imperial prisoner." Sabine commented, "If he is at that TIE base, then we need to come up with a better plan."
Caden did not know what to say at first. He knew the Empire was capable of covering up the whereabouts of people they 'black listed' over the last few months. The dealer hoped they would not resort to another prison break. Those kinds of missions always carried the risk of capture or, the worst case scenario, finding out a crew mate has 'turned' against you.
"What about their security?" Kanan asked.
"It is too risky," Hera disagreed. "They know what our ship looks like. Even if we were able to get away safely with the prisoner aboard, it would do nothing but attract unwanted attention."
Sabine switched off the hologram. The young woman folded her arms as she watched the others' reactions.
"They will be waiting for us," she agreed. "We did attack that base two times already."
Caden eyed the crew as his instincts started taking over. He knew something was off about this small group. Whatever they did to get on the Imperial 'Most Wanted' list had to be big.
Hera looked to the Lasat. "Zeb?"
The warrior tore his eyes away from Caden. They may not have known each other long, but he was being too quiet. How can I bring this up to Kanan?
"About that," he began uneasily. "What if they planted that information as a trap?"
"Then we have to trust this information is their real schedule," the dealer answered. "Whether it is a trap or not will not matter if they transport him to the destroyer above this planet on our watch. Once they find out you are here, I can guarantee you this planet will be under a temporary blockade."
Kanan knew the Lasat could see the change in Caden's behavior as the rest of them. He was surprised Chopper did not shock him the instant he started acting focused. They would find out soon seeing Zeb invaded his personal space.
"Who put you in charge?!" Zeb snarled. "Until a few seconds ago, you were just sitting there!"
"I was listening," Caden growled quietly. "If we have any chance of rescuing Ridge, then now is the time!"
Hera could only watch the Lasat lift the man by the front of his shirt. She knew if no one stopped him from punching their only lead, they would be on their own for a few hours. They all have been on edge since they met this man. Still, it did not mean he could be threat.
"Put him down, Spectre Four."
Caden sat on the edge of the seat glaring up at the alien. There were few times where customers tried to rough them up over a failed deal or job disagreements. The disappointed party would be dragged away after being stunned but there those who pushed their luck.
"Count yourself lucky," the warrior growled.
"I should be saying that to you," Caden said. "We deal with customers like you every day."
"We are not arms dealers!" Zeb shot back. "How do you know our friend, anyway?"
The pilot placed a hand on her hip watching their guest challenge Zeb. There was something about this man that had her questioning whether or not he was just a mechanic with connections to the black market.
"Alright, calm down." she spoke up, "While on the topic of our missing crew mate, we would like a few answers ourselves. Why are you so interested in helping us find him?"
Caden turned stone grey eyes on the Twi'lek. It was clear the Jedi wanted to break his teeth for lashing out this way. At this point, he would do anything to keep his promise to Amira's parents. She needed her father; not a legal guardian that endangered her well-being.
How can I explain this to them without being stranded in the middle of nowhere? he thought.
"Do you know where they are taking him?" the dealer spat. "Do you know where they are supposed to take him?"
Kanan could feel his stomach tightened into a ball. There was something behind those words that sent chills down his spine. This man was non-Force-Sensitive, so how would he know about that system? How did he learn about what happened there?
"Where are they taking him?" he asked.
Sabine brought up the prisoner's file again. She could not figure out why Caden was upset about failing to keep his friends' promise. As far as anyone could tell, he did not want to become a single parent.
"They are transferring the prisoner to the spice mines of Kessel," she told them. "It also looks like they are expecting someone to break this guy out. The TIEs escorting his transport off world will be a problem if we want to shoot it down."
"Those kriffin' Nerf Herders!" Caden hissed. "The last time I checked they send people like Ridge to that burning rock."
"That won't work either," Hera disagreed. "By the time we ground the ship itself, the Empire would have sent reinforcements."
Kanan felt a small flicker of hope rereading the prisoner profile one more time. The species, birth date and home world information were correct, but there was something about the destination and extra notes. He could only guess the 'burning rock' that Caden referred to was Mustafar. The other thing that kept nagging him was the fact this person was - and still is - on an Imperial fugitive list.
The Jedi closed his eyes with his hand stretched out as he focused on Ezra's signature. There was another black wall blocking their connection. He could still sense the same unstable emotions from before but there was another that seemed to take root overnight. The thought of being ripped away from his crew again had him doubling over as the despair grew stronger. It was a feeling he has been fighting for the last five years, but never before has it gotten this bad.
Could these be Ezra's emotions? he gasped.
A whip snapped across his back, nearly driving him to the ground. The dirt beneath him suddenly looked more welcome than the arm of the man he was holding to as if it were a life line. That was when it all became too much for his body as another lash ripped his skin apart. He should not be here in this crowded tunnel. The yelling that followed was the worst part. He has travelled the galaxy and been exposed to the foulest language there was, but even this would make Yoda gag!
"Move, Bantha Dung!" the overseer shouted.
Someone grabbed his left arm as darkness started creeping around the edges of his vision. A part of him wondered if he was back on the star destroyer over Mustafar being tortured by the Grand Inquisitor, but that did not feel right. If he were, the floor would be cold steel. However, there was not enough time to think as a small hand started shaking his shoulder. He could not tell when he passed out.
"Kanan, can you hear me?" a female voice called. "Kanan?!"
The Jedi looked up to see the blurry figure of a large alien bending over him and a green skin Twi'lek. He was surprised his raw back was not screaming or no one was rushing him to the med bay to treat his wounds. Was that a waking nightmare or vision?
"Is he going to be okay?" the Lasat asked. "This is something only the kid would do."
"Kid?" a man asked.
"I don't know," the woman admitted. "This has never happened before."
Kanan blinked slowly sitting up. He could still feel the whip crack across his back yet that was not enough to convince himself he was still on the ship. Slaves sentenced to live out their days in camps eventually died at some point. Whether it was from being overworked or lack of oxygen, every prisoner died in Imperial hands.
"What happened?" Hera asked. "You gave us all heart attacks."
"I prefer panic attack," Caden corrected.
The Jedi glared at him as Hera helped him to his feet. He did not know what the vision meant for Ezra or the rest of the crew, but something told him this would come true if they did not intercept that transport. The thought of his apprentice, if he could still call Ezra that, being enslaved sickened him.
"I have an idea where they are taking Ezra, but the current location we have may not be the camp." he said, "If we are going to shoot down that transport, tomorrow will be our only chance."
"Slow down," the Twi'lek said. "You nearly hit your head on the edge of the table."
Kanan winced as the invisible whip lashed across his back again. Even if it was a warning from the Force, the Jedi found it difficult to process. There were no words to describe what he seen. It was hard to ignore the others' worried faces regaining his balance, let alone reorder his thoughts. A plan was already forming but there was no way he could think without going back to that vision.
"The information on that data chip is all we need," he said.
"I think you hit the floor too hard," commented Zeb. "How do we even know if that is where they are taking him?"
Caden watched the Jedi slightly roll his shoulder. He knew there was more to this crew than they were willing to admit. It went beyond finding a missing friend to something bigger than one planet's political issues. The dealer could see the same fire that he once had burning in their eyes. Seeing them rally around their friend reminded him of what he lost a few months ago, but that was something he would never have back.
"I just know," Kanan said. "It is hard to explain but I think there is a way to get him back."
"Ezra never bothered to contact us the first year he went missing," Sabine pointed out. "What makes you think he will leave with us after rescuing him?"
The Jedi has been going over that same question the last five years, but he refused to give up on finding him. Some of the people they met the past five years were saying it was best to move on and focus on the present. Many believed he was most likely dead or just decided to walk away from their cause yet he and Hera still scanned the holonet for news on his whereabouts. There were those who believed Ezra turned to the dark side once they found out about his Force Sensitivity. To this very day, he refused to think his apprentice would fall that easily.
"She has a point," Hera quietly admitted. "What do you have in mind if getting close to the transport is out of the question?"
"If we cannot shoot down that transport, then we have get closer to the last place he was seen." Kanan said, "I have a plan, but involves Caden's help."
Caden lifted a brow hoping the risk this 'plan' did not involve being dragging into a prison faculty in hand cuffs. Then again, this group was not being honest with him either. If Ridge were here, they would have been off this burner long before they were drawn into something that went over their heads.
"Last time I checked, I was just a ship guest." he commented, "What can I do to get you close to a TIE base?"
"You have customers who work for you on the inside, right?"
The dealer could tell from the expressions on the rest of crew members faces they were debating on someone throwing off the ship. A part of him was hoping the Twi'lek would not be the person given the honor of dropping a poor soul to their death mid-flight. It was not uncommon for pilots to do that on this planet. However, that only happened over Sarlacc pits, canyon cliffs or in deep space.
Thank goodness, we are not in mid-flight.
"You can openly talk around me," Caden told them. "There is no one I have left outside of Amira. My crew broke up a year ago, but it was not on their own will."
"Probably because you let the Empire drag them away," Zeb commented.
The smuggler resisted reaching for the blaster resting on his hip as he braced himself for the warrior's next insult. He barely had the chance to pull the weapon from its holster when the barrel of another pressed against his back. There was no need to look over his shoulder to see who was holding him at gun point; Mandalorians were not known for their mercy.
"Make one move," Sabine quietly growled. "I dare you!"
"Would not think of it," he countered.
"Sabine, put the blaster away."
"We both knew this would happen, Kanan!" she spat. "Why do you think this guy would help us rescue Ezra?"
Caden settled on glaring at the warrior since he was unable to stun the alien for assuming the worst-case scenario. There were people who thought he was kind of person to sink that low, but even black-market dealers had their loyalties. While most of them were formed under the threat of death, he knew better than to get involved with cartels like the Hutts.
"Ridge is the only friend I have left," the smuggler began. "The least I could do for him and his daughter is reunite them."
Hera did not know what it was about this dealer, but he certainly had no intention of harming them yet. The most disturbing thing he has done so far was bring a child to a meeting regarding Ezra's whereabouts when he clearly knew more than he was letting on or, maybe, it was both of those actions. She did not know what to think anymore.
"Sabine..." she trailed off.
The Mandolorian looked up at her before setting her blaster on the table top. If this man did know where they were taking Ezra, he was holding back to either torture or lead them into a trap set up by the Empire. She would not be surprised if they found out Caden barely cared about Ezra or Amira at all.
"Enough mind games," Hera told him. "Do you really think withholding information from us will help get your friend back?"
"I told your co-leader what I was able to," Caden snapped. "If you want to find out more, you will have to talk my partner after rescuing him from Imperial enslavement or, most likely, a fate far worse than death."
Hera could not stand to see the last spark of hope slowly fade from her crew's faces. She did not want to believe they travelled to this planet to learn that Ezra possibly left his own family behind. Even if Amira was his daughter, there was nothing they could do prove it based off a stranger's word. They could not abort the mission if there was still a chance that Ezra could return to them in one piece.
"Kanan?" she asked.
"Tell them what you told me," the Jedi said. "You know as well as I do your 'missing friend' would not want his own daughter to grow up like he did."
Caden was not surprised this Jedi would figure out what he was trying to hide. It was not that hard to figure out taking one look at Amira. She may look like her mother, but the girl also dealt with situations like this so much her father.
I suppose that is part of the reason I never left her with Denali.
"Figured it out, have you?" he muttered. "Well, it is about time, Jedi Master."
As of this update, this story takes place five years after the events on Malachor. The only difference is that Kanan never lost his sight. Also, keep in mind to look for small hints that will come up throughout this story.
What do you think happened to Ezra? Where do you think the Empire has sent him?
- insert dark trombone theme -