I do not own Star Wars in any capacity.

Enjoy chapter 49!

Sabine was counting down the hours until this job was done and she could finally leave this infernal ship and its infernal crew. Not that they weren't efficient at what they did, but as the last couple of days wore on, Sabine found herself increasingly frustrated with every single member of this ship.

After the incident with Ezra, she noticed a definite shift in the Ghost crew members. It was difficult to explain, but it was as if the crew had contracted into an even more protective bubble around the kid. Each person did it to different degrees. Hera was by far the least irritating of the bunch. At the very least, the Twi'lek spoke to her like an actual person, and she didn't openly coddle the kid.

While Zeb had mostly ignored her before, now he had this habit of softly glaring at her, especially if Ezra was also in the room. She countered each and every glare with one of her own. She may only be a third his size, but she wasn't about to be cowed by some meathead who didn't even know her.

Even Chopper had become unreasonably protective. After what happened with Ezra… Well, the droid didn't even bother to be subtle with his threats.

Then there was Kanan. Aure grade bounty or not, she had actually grown to like him. He was like Hera in that he didn't treat her like a child. He didn't ask her stupid questions and knew when to keep his mouth shut and leave her alone. Honestly, it would have stayed that way if it hadn't been for Ezra.

Just a few hours after she had spooked the kid, she had been walking to the galley for dinner when Kanan had stepped in front of her. He had his shoulders pulled back and his arms crossed as he glared down at Sabine. It hadn't until that moment that she realized how big Kanan was.

"I don't know what your deal is, and quite frankly, I don't care. You do not take it out on my son."

Refusing to be intimidated, Sabine kept her chin high and glared right back at him. "Well then maybe you should teach your son to mind his own business."

Kanan didn't even blink at her response. "I won't say it again," he said simply, his voice low and hinting of a threat. "If you have a problem with Ezra, you take it up with me."

Sabine didn't respond. Normally she would scoff at such a threat, but the truth was that she did feel bad about what had happened. It had been a throwaway comment for her, but it was obviously a sore spot for Ezra. It made her feel almost as bad as if she had hit him.

But the way everyone here protected the kid? It was no wonder he had such a thin skin.

Not that any of it mattered at this point. Today they would get this karking job done, and Sabine would be on her way. They wouldn't have to worry about her, and she could go on and forget all about them.

"According to the intel Ketsu provided, protocol states that two supply officers pick up the shipment and sign off before the ship leaves," Hera said.

Everyone was in the cockpit, Chopper projecting a schematic of the Imperial base in the middle of all of them. Sabine had taken the copilot's seat. Hera was obviously in the pilot's chair. Zeb was sitting behind Sabine, and Kanan was sitting behind Hera. Ezra was standing right behind Kanan, his gaze fixed on the holo and very deliberately avoiding looking in Sabine's direction.

She didn't even know why Ezra was a part of this. There was no way he was going to be part of the mission, right? A strong breeze could knock him over. And their confrontation the other day proved he wasn't mission ready.

"The best chance we got to get the supplies without getting Imperials on our tail is to take the ship before it arrives," Sabine said. "There's a short distance between orbit and atmo where we can sneak in under the Imperial radar."

"Why can't we just hijack the ship once it gets far away enough from Garel?" Zeb asked.

"Because I don't know where shipments are going," Sabine said. "I only have the local Imperial movements." She pulled out a data spike. "I have a jammer we can use to keep them from putting out a distress signal while we take over. We'll only have a short window. As the only humans, Kanan and I will board, knock the guys out, take their place, and pick up the supplies at the base before rendezvousing back with the Ghost."

"No way you guys are going in there without backup," Zeb said.

"Don't really have much of a choice," Sabine said. "The moment any of the Imperials see you on the base, the jig will be up."

"Zeb doesn't have to be seen," Hera said. "And you should have back up. Zeb can stay on the ship and be there in case anything goes wrong. Once you're on board, Chopper will fly the Phantom back, and we'll be staying close on the Ghost so we can scoop you out if needed."

"What about me…?" Ezra asked hesitantly.

"You're staying on the Ghost," Kanan said firmly.

Sabine relaxed slightly at that, but the kid didn't to accept it so easily. "But I can help!"

"And you will," Hera said. "You can help monitor Imperial chatter. That way, if anything goes wrong, we'll know as soon as it happens and can fly in to aid in an escape."

"But Chopper can do that by himself, like on Stygeon Prime!"

Sabine raised an eyebrow at that. Stygeon Prime was home to one of the highest security prisons within the Empire. What would a mismatched crew like this be doing there? It had to be related to Kanan's Aure grade status. But to bring someone like Ezra on that kind of mission seemed ludicrous.

"This isn't up for debate," Kanan said sternly. "You'll stay on the Ghost and aid Chopper in monitoring our status. Alright?"

Ezra pressed his lips together in frustration but didn't talk back again. Instead he crossed his arms across his chest and slumped in his seat as he sulked.

"We have about an hour before the ship arrives," Hera said. "You'll intercept it in low orbit. Then you'll have about five minutes to take over and continue on route before the Imperials get tipped off and alarms get raised."

"More than enough time," Zeb said with a cocky grin.

"Especially with me leading the mission," Sabine said with a smirk.

"No," Kanan said. "I'll be taking point."

Sabine balked. "You can't do that! This is my intel, my mission…!"

"And this is my crew," Hera said, his voice frustratingly calm. "Your designation is Spectre Six, and you will follow Kanan's lead."

"And how do I know you won't just take the supplies and leave me behind?" Sabine scowled.

"You have my word," Hera said emphatically.

"Your word means nothing," Sabine spat. "I need assurances. Either I lead this job or the job isn't happening!"

"Ketsu," Hera reached forward to put her hand on Sabine's shoulder, but Sabine pulled back with a sneer. Who did Hera think she was? Sabine wasn't Ezra. She wasn't some child who needed coddling.

Hera sighed. "If you don't want to be a part of this mission, that's fine. You can stay on the Ghost with Ezra and Chop to make sure we don't leave you behind. You'll still get your cut. But our crew is a team, and Kanan our leader. That's final."

Sabine gritted her teeth, but she didn't have a decent rebuttal. It's true she could stay on the Ghost to make sure they didn't just dump her and leave her for dead. But she also wasn't about to sit in the background while the others pulled off her job. "Fine," she ground out.

Hera smiled. "Alright. We've got a plan. Ezra, prep the Phantom. Chopper, help Sabine with the jammer."

Chopper grumbled and Sabine rolled her eyes as she got up and followed him to the port. Just a couple more hours, she kept telling herself.

While she helped Chopper install the jammer into the Ghost, Hera came up to them. Sabine paused in her work, raising an eyebrow in question.

"I think you'll be wanting these." Hera reached into her pockets and pulled out Sabine's pistols.

With a grin, Sabine quickly swiped them up. "It's about time. I've been feeling naked without these~"

"Well, I trust you won't be reckless with them. And it's probably important to keep you armed for this mission."

Sabine chuckled as she replaced her pistols into her holster. "Mission... You talk like it's some sort of military operation instead of simple theft."

Hera gave a small smile. "Well, we are stealing from the Empire. It's certainly a bit of an operation."

"Yeah I guess that's true…" She narrowed her eyes slightly at Hera. "That's something your crew is used to, I take it?"

"You could say that." Hera stood up. "You'll need to leave in thirty minutes. Will you be done by then?"

Sabine smirked. "Don't worry. I just need a few more minutes."

Hera nodded. "Alright. Meet Kanan and Zeb in the Phantom once you're finished."

Sabine just gave her a half-hearted salute before returning to work on the jammer. Just a little longer...she promised herself. Just a little longer, and you'll be very rich and far far away from here.

Kanan had a bad feeling about this. He couldn't quite put his finger on why. He wasn't even sure if it was the Force giving him this feeling or it it was just his gut instinct. Either way, it was impossible for him to ignore. Which was why he had brought his lightsaber pieces along with him.

Logically, there was no reason for it. This was a solid plan planned on solid intelligence. It was probably one of most tightly formulated plans they had ever pulled off. The chances of it going wrong were relatively low, even if they did, the consequences would be easy enough to deal with.

Ketsu walked into the Phantom, gazing between Kanan and Zeb. "I assume at least one of you actually knows how to fly, right?"

Ah yes. The cranky teenager determined to piss off everyone. That was probably wasn't helping.

Kanan sat in the pilot's seat, trying to ignore her. He knew she was deliberately trying to get a rise from them.

Chopper whomped annoyed with Ketsu, insisting that he could fly no matter what.

"We're not about to let you fly, if that's your question," Zeb growled at her.

Ketsu just shrugged, sitting across from the Lasat. "Just want to make sure we're not about to ram into the Imperial ship."

"Spectre Six." Kanan turned around in his seat to face her. "Unless you actually have something constructive to add, you're not helping the mission by bickering with us."

"Hey, I'm just trying to lighten the mood," Ketsu said with a shrug and a smirk.

It took all of Kanan's willpower not to roll his eyes. He knew Ketsu's game. She was putting up a front of relaxation and confidence. And while Kanan had no doubt that she was capable, he could also see her behavior for exactly what it was: an act. He didn't completely blame her. She was in a tiny ship with two strangers who could easily take her out if push came to shove. She knew better than to project fear or uncertainty.

Still, that didn't make her behavior any less irritating. "Just… try to focus," Kanan said with a sigh, turning back to the controls. Ketsu was clearly not used to working with other people, but she was going to have to adjust fast if they wanted to complete this mission clean and quick.

"Entering Garel's upper atmosphere," Hera said over the comm. "The Imperial shipment is scheduled to be in range in fifty seconds."

"Copy that, Ghost," Kanan said, powering the shuttle up. "Phantom prepped and ready to launch. Three… Two… One..."

The Phantom detached and Kanan guided her off of the Ghost, plugging in the coordinates and making his way toward the Imperial shipment route. A soft beeping to the side indicated that Ketsu's jammer was functioning. He only hoped it actually worked, or else this mission was over before it started.

Right on time, the signal of an approaching ship entered his scanners. Kanan set an intercept course, approaching the ship from the North at a lower altitude to avoid being spotted. The ship didn't change course, which boded well for them. Up here in the low exosphere, it should be a simple manner of temporarily knocking out its engines, docking with the ship to board, and knocking out the Imperials before continuing out on the same route.

And that's exactly what happened. Zeb and Ketsu quickly knocked out the two supply officers, and they went to work securing them in one of the lockers. "Alright, Spectre Three," Kanan said. "Take the Phantom back to the Ghost. We'll comm when we're back in the air and out of Imperial range."

"Assuming nothing goes wrong, and we need a rescue," Zeb said flatly.

"Hey, a little optimism here," Kanan encouraged. He went to a small storage locker, looking through the uniforms. "Well, this should fit you," he said to Ketsu, pulling out a smaller one. "Get dressed and look for the manifest while I keep the ship on track."

Ketsu glared at Kanan, but she followed anyway. She grabbed the uniform from him, looking at it with a disgusted sigh. "This is the part I've been dreading…" she mumbled.

"This is your plan," Zeb growled.

"Just because it's a good plan doesn't mean I have to like wearing this grey boring blob over my armor."

"Over your armor?"

"I'm not about to take my armor off."

"Isn't that going to make you look, you know, lumpy?"

She started to put the jacket on. "As long as I take my holsters off, it'll be fine. Strap my pistols to my hips and I'm good to go."

Kanan sighed as he started to put on his own uniform. "Will you two please focus. Our ETA is five minutes."

He was facing forward, but he could practically feel Ketsu rolling her eyes at him, but he didn't have time to deal with her attitude. He finished getting dressed before sitting in the pilot's seat.

As they approached the base, Ketsu came up and sat beside to him. With the grey uniform and her colorful hair was tucked into a hat, she looked every part of an Imperial officer. She held out a datapad. "We just need to get the supply officer to sign this, then they'll hand the supplies over, and we're ready to go."

They approached the base, and something buzzed on the back of Kanan's mind. He frowned, narrowing his eyes as the base came into view.

In his periphery, he could see Ketsu frowning at him. "What?" she asked.

Kanan blinked, looking directly at her. "What?"

"Well, you look vaguely constipated. At least, more than usual."

Kanan rolled his eyes. "It's nothing. Just… thought I saw something."

Ketsu leaned up in her seat, looking down at the base. "Not sure what you'd be seeing. Just ships and bucketheads marching in formation as usual."

That was when the buzz in the back of his head grew louder. Kanan's frown deepened.

It was warning. And considering it was getting louder the closer he got to the base, he could safely assume the danger was there. He knew better than to ignore this, but he wasn't sure what the Force was trying to warn him about. Whatever it was, it was making him increasingly uneasy.

"Garel City base, this is Cruiser Zero Eight," Ketsu said into the mic. "Approaching point Delta Gamma."

"We should to turn back," Kanan said, his voice even.

Ketsu quickly covered the comm. "What?!" she hissed. "Why?"

"Yeah, Kanan." Zeb was looking over their shoulders down at the base. "Everything's goin' smoothly so far."

"I've… I've got a feeling." Kanan stared back at Zeb pointedly. He didn't want to explain that he was sensing something in the Force in front of Ketsu.

"What are you talking about?" Ketsu asked, her temper shortening by the second. "We can't go off course now. They'll know something's up and shoot us down in a second!"

Before Kanan could respond, Air Traffic Control replied. "Copy that Cruiser Zero Eight. You are cleared for landing."

Ketsu turned forward, taking control of the ship. "I don't know what's going on with you, but I'm not going to let your feelings get in the way of the mission!"

Zeb frowned as he stared back at Kanan. He understood what Kanan was saying. "We don't have much of a choice here, mate," Zeb said quietly.

"Zeb, we can't…!" Kanan whispered, as if that would keep Ketsu from hearing.

"Maybe… Maybe there's nothing," Zeb said with a firm hand on his bo-rifle. "Or we'll just be in and out before anything happens."

Ketsu looked between them incredulously as she steered the ship down. They were going to land in seconds. "What is going on with you?"

"Nothing," Kanan said, turning back to the controls. Zeb was right. There was no turning back now without attracting attention. They would either shoot the ship out of the sky, or worse, track it back to the Ghost. And Kanan refused to let that happen.

And who knows. Even if there was something wrong here, what were the chances it would be anywhere near a routine supply exchange?

He swallowed hard, bolstering his mental shields and hoping that luck was on their side.

Ketsu eased the ship down and put it on standby. Two officers were approaching them, a man and a woman. Kanan got up and put a hand on Zeb's shoulder. "Stay back, buddy. Hopefully we won't need you."

"Yeah, what're the chances of that?" Zeb said with a scoff.

"Just… stay out of sight," Kanan said tiredly, putting on an Imperial cap and walking toward the ramp with Ketsu. "Follow my lead," Kanan said as he hit the button to lower the ramp.

"Hey, this is my mission...!" Ketsu hissed.

"And I'm in charge!" Kanan hissed back. "So be quiet and follow my lead."

He was sure Ketsu would have replied if not for the supply officers walking up to the ramp with the crates. Even she wasn't hot-headed enough to risk blowing their cover.

"Evening, officer," Kanan said casually.

The woman frowned at them as Ketsu handed her the manifest. "Where's Fen and Roti?"

"They were reassigned," Kanan said easily, watching as her eyes flickered between the datapad and Kanan.

"Reassigned? Since when?" the other officer said.

Kanan shrugged. "I just go where I'm ordered."

The woman typed something on the pad, a light in the corner flashing a few times before turning green. She was still frowning as she handed it pack. "Well, everything seems good here."

Ketsu took the supplies and pushed them up the ramp as Kanan gave a salute. "Alright, then we'll be on our way."

He could still sense the doubt in the officers as he turned and followed Ketsu up the ramp, but they turned to walk away as well. Okay. That went precisely as planned. Now they just needed to fly away casually, and they would be good.

The ramp closed behind them and Ketsu ran over to the controls. Zeb looked pleased. "Hey, everything went as planned for a change."

"We're not out of here yet," Kanan said. The buzzing in his head got louder, making him tense. There was no way he could relax until they were safely away and back on the Ghost.

Just as Kanan sat down in the pilot's seat, Ketsu suddenly froze. "Oh no."

"Oh no?" Zeb echoed. "What do you mean 'oh no'? What could have possibly gone wrong?!"

Ketsu was furiously messing with the controls, her gaze intense in concentration. "They've put a lock on us."

"A lock?" Kanan asked. "What kind of lock? It's not like they put gravity locks on the ship."

"No, not a physical lock: a controls lock." Sabine slammed her fist on the panel, cursing in her native Mando'a before glaring at Kanan. "Guess they didn't believe your little performance, Mr. Leader."

"Now is not the time for - !"

Then Kanan felt it, like a lump of ice in his stomach. His eyes widening, he looked out the viewport to see a row of troopers heading their way. Led by a tall Pau'an in black armor.

"Karabast…" Zeb breathed.

"We have to leave. Now!" Kanan ordered.

"I can't override this lock!" Ketsu shouted back. "It's an Imperial vehicle, so it's specifically designed for ports to have Master control when they're within range. The only way to unlock it is to do so at the command tower!"

Kanan was shaking as he pulled out his comm. "Spectre One to Ghost: We need an immediate pick up. I repeat, an immediate pick up!"

"What?!" Sabine said incredulously. "We're not even going to try to talk our way out of this?"

Kanan pointed out the viewport. "Do you see that man in black?"

Sabine frowned, following the line of his finger to the Pau'an. "What the hell kind of Imperial is that…?"

"That is an Inquisitor. There is no talking our way out. It's either find a way to escape or die." Kanan went back to his comm. "Spectre One to Ghost, do you read?"

"We read you, Spectre One. We're already on our way."

This was bad. This was really really bad. What was the Inquisitor doing here? Of all places. Was it just a coincidence? Or did the Inquisitor somehow sense that Kanan would be here? He was suddenly very grateful he brought his lightsaber along on a whim. Except it hadn't been a whim. The Force knew this was going to happen, warned and prepared him. Kanan stripped off the Imperial jacket, making sure he had easy access to his lightsaber parts.

The ramp to the ship suddenly opened on its own accord, revealing the Inquisitor and his accompanying stormtroopers. Ketsu drew her pistol while Zeb pointed his bo-rifle down the ramp. The Inquisitor smiled, exposing his sharp teeth. "Hello, Jedi."

Please leave a review to let me know what you thought!