Beyond the Rim
Book 1
Chapter 11: Breakout
Ezra could not sleep, his thoughts dwelled on Kanan, Hera, Chopper, and Zeb. The lights in the city had turned out, sounds of distant explosions and gunfire shot off into the sky once and awhile, sometimes Ezra looked out the window to see a trail of red flame fall from the sky and disappear beyond some tall structures. Sabine somehow was able to sleep soundly though the air raid.
Ezra grew tired, he knew he could not waste his energy staying awake, his thought then turned to Master Khan, who had not left the other room since he learned the fate of the Jedi Order.
The gunfire sounded closer and louder, Ezra looked out the window, atop one of the roofs, it looked like one of Chan's private anti-aircraft guns had found a target and began firing. He watched as moments later a trail of flames emitted from a shot-up aircraft, and crashed into the street right across from them, the wreckage crunched on the ground, and erupted into a massive fireball that illuminated the entire neighborhood and the sound of the explosion shook the whole building.
The explosion was loud enough to wake Sabine. She reached for one of her blasters, looking around and seeing no immediate danger she made her way over to Ezra, looking out to where the aircraft had fallen. She noticed Ezra's weariness and asked, "How long have you been up Ezra?"
"Long before the shooting began." He sighed. "Is it like this every night?"
"Every night." Called out a voice from behind.
Ezra and Sabine turned around, to see Master Khan out of the room He did not look any better than Ezra, he was looking down at the floor, and then to Ezra. "Come boy, I need some clarity."
Ezra looked to Sabine, she could only shrug. Without a second opinion, he decided to follow the Jedi Master into his room, the door closing right behind them.
This was the second room of a Jedi Ezra has seen, just as clean, organized, and a mat on the floor for meditation.
Khan sat down on his bed, twiddling his thumbs, Ezra could hear his breath. He spoke, softly but firmly. "All the Jedi?"
Ezra nodded. "I've only known a few jedi, Kanan, Ahsoka, and I did commune with master Yoda. As far as we know, we are the only Jedi left."
Khan slumped forward hands gripped to his knees. "I knew hundreds of Jedi, men, women, and children. They were all taken in my absence, If I was there, I bet I could make the difference."
Ezra came slowly to Khan's side. "I know how you feel, The Empire took my home, my family, and everything I loved. I was not strong enough then, But Kanan is helping me be stronger, and he's also teaching me to be better. You can help us, teach us the ways of the Jedi, as a fully realized master, you can train us to be the Jedi we were always meant to be. I know revenge is not the Jedi way, but with what we have left of the Jedi, we can help make a difference in this galaxy. It is what they would want us to do."
Khan straightened his posture wiped the tears from his eyes, and looked at Ezra, his sadness slowly drowned away. "Meet me outside." He asked.
Ezra stood, and bowed, and left the Jedi master in his room.
It was nearly midnight, Ezra was pacing back and forth, Sabine was wide awake, waiting to see the results of the meeting. Soon, the door open, Master John Khan stood in the doorway, his Jedi belt attached, lightsaber at his side. A rifle slugged behind his back, and two holsters on a second belt. "I needed to make peace with everything that has happened. And I've concluded that I must help you and your master avenge the Jedi and the Republic." He stated.
Ezra stood up smiling and bowed himself before Master Khan. "We won't fail."
Khan nodded. "So, where is this crew of yours?"
Sabine tried to relocate the events of yesterday. "They were captured by men in black suits and white hats like yours."
John knew in an instant. "They were arrested. Do you know who was in-charge at the time and if your fellow crew members are of any other species other than human."
"Two of our friends are not human, Zeb is a Lassat, and Hera is a Twi'lek." Ezra stated.
"And the guy who looked like he was in charge, he had a big scruffy beard, almost looked like a Wookiee in a dress suit." Sabine concluded.
"Inquisitor Jacob Bainer." Remarked Khan. "I know where they are being held, and we got to hurry. Knowing Bainer, your friends may not have much time left."
Sabine rushed to Ezra's bag to retrieve her armor and combat gear, she tossed Ezra his clothes and lightsaber while she was rummaging through the backpack.
The three moved out under the cover of darkness, looking up at the sky, often catching glances of the primitive aircraft that flew overhead, dropping their payload on the city.
"The station should be around this block." Khan whispered.
The three approached the corner slowly, the area was illuminated by an aircraft that had crashed and caught fire. But it gave them the ability to see the station and its plethora of defenses.
Sabine lowered the scope on her helmet and observe the outer perimeter. "That's a lot of officers, they got at least 4 anti-aircraft guns on the roof, and a guard at every door."
Khan's attention was turned to a sewer hatch near them. "Maybe we can access the stations sanitation level though the sewers."
Sabine nodded. "That would be our safest bet. I'm also guessing set weapons to stun."
Master Khan chuckled. "For a Mandalorian you sure like to go easy on the unsuspecting."
They quietly made there way to the hatch, slipped though the manhole, and entered the sewer.
Hera and Kanan laid wide awake in their cell, from the explosions and repeating gun fire from outside the window, to the loud snoring from Zeb, it was near impossible to find sleep.
A guard came by to look inside to cell, and then left as soon as he determined the cell was secured.
Kanan sat up in the bed and turned towards Hera in the other bunk. "We got to find a way out of here." He stated.
Hera got up and went towards the lock. "Zeb could try to break the bars, or chopper could try to cut the lock, or maybe you could use the force to do some sort of unlocking thing with it."
Zeb woke up from his sleep upon hearing his name, he could already tell without context they were planning a breakout.
Kanan stared sarcastically at Hera. "Right, then I can use it to make a nice candle lit dinner for both of us."
Zeb chuckled lightly till Hera's eyes began to drill into the bedhead Lassat.
Kanan shrugged "let's give Chopper a try. These bars don't look too solid."
Hera went over to Chopper and tapped his dome, as he began to turn back on automatically.
"Chopper, do you think you can cut the locks?" Hera asked.
Chopper grouchily replied and rolled his way over to the cell door and began to use his assortment of tools to try to cut the lock.
Two officers made their way down the hall, passing multiple doors, one of them began to creep open slowly and when the officers had turned the corner, Ezra, Sabine, and Khan emerged. Khan led the way towards the cell block, checking over corners, and motioning with his hands if the coast was clear.
They were making their way down a hallway when they noticed a large double door was already opened, and there were two men having a conversation. Ezra listened closely on the conversation.
"-We just can't do it Inquisitor, not during a war at least, I need at least twenty signatures to even have it recommended to the aerospace department, and the ministry of science to even sanction a dissection."
Ezra's heart sunk deep with that last word, but his ears still listened in.
"I know it will be difficult for you Chief, but I already have the approval from all the necessary ministries and the seal of the King to deal with all external anomalies and unexplained phenoniums. The only thing I need is your permission to take them into my custody."
"I don't know Inquisitor Bainer, they know how to speak our language, the least we should do is let them know their rights."
Suddenly, the building shook, a bomb must have landed nearby, everyone soon was able to steady themselves as the rumbling stopped.
"Those bomber pilots don't get their rights if they bail-out over this city. Neither should these aliens."
The chief looked down at the table, trying to grasp his options, clenching his fist, then finally he looked back up at the inquisitor. "Very well, I'll sign the approval."
Ezra backed away from the doors, "We- We have to hurry." He whispered.
Choppers saw was nearly finished cutting the lock. Hera, Kanan, and Zeb were consulting over their escape route.
"We'll need to find a map or something, find an emergency exit, sewer access, or a loading bay." Zeb suggested.
Hera nodded. "You and Chopper will find that map, Kanan and I will try to find where they are keeping our stuff."
Kanan nodded. "Remember, we are not going to hurt anyone, try to avoid violence as much as possible."
Zeb's ears drooped down, and he gave a thumbs up.
Soon, they heard Choppers saw cut all the way though the lock, and the cell door swung freely.
The four rebels began to exit the cell slowly but were halted by a shout. "Hold it!"
One of the officers came though the corridor, pistol drawn. Hera and Kanan put their hands up.
Suddenly, a blue blast shocked the officer, when he fell forward, the four rebels saw Sabine, Ezra, and a man they have never met before: standing behind the stunned body of the officer.
They were both happy to see Ezra and Sabine safe, but they still had questions about who this man was that was with them. But Kanan already had an answer in his head. "Master Khan?"
John stood there, looking at Kanan then he lowered his guard and nodded. Kanan began to walk up to him, and with no warning, went in and hugged him. The others just starred, Kanan was tearing up. John simple let him continue to embrace him. "It's been far too long, Caleb."
Kanan was surprised to see that he had already figure out his identity. "H-how did you know?"
John just smiled. "You may have grown older, but your spirit and smile are still the same."
The happy moment was interrupted, when a slightly cubby officer, holding a round beige and brownish pastry turned the corner. He dropped the snack quickly and began to shout. "Alarm! Alarm!"
Sabine tried to stun the officer, but her shots missed the somehow nimble but large guard, as he grabbed a lever on the wall, and pulled it down.
Bells rang out across the station. Khan turned to the others. "That's our cue to exit. Did they take your lightsaber?"
Kanan just nodded. "Right." John said. "Ezra, you come with me and Kanan, we'll get your stuff. Sabine, take the others to safety, we'll meet at my apartment."
"Alright." Sabine acknowledged, she reached into one of her pouches, and tossed a round object. "Here's a little miracle if things get tough."
Kanan caught the small object, a Thermal Detonator. "We'll put it to good use."
The two groups separated to achieve the goals and escape.
Inquisitor Bainer and other officers arrived in the cell block. "Looks like they were able to cut the locks sir." Said one of the officers upon close examination of the sliced bars.
Bainer twisted the hairs of his beard and turned to one of the officers. "I want guards stationed at every exit, put snipers out on every roof top near the station, and set up a two-mile perimeter supported by patrol cars."
He passed by the chubby officer who pulled the alarm, still looking at his pastry on the floor. Bainer shook his head. "And someone get this man another chocolate glazed doughnut."
Ezra looked around the corner, two men were standing guard at the requestions hall. He leaned back to Kanan and John. "Just two of them."
"Alright, follow my lead." John commanded, he turned the corner and approached the two officers. He waved his hand. "I'm here to claim some items."
"You are here to claim some items." Repeated one of the officers.
"You'll allow me and my two friends in, and no one else."
"We'll allow you and your two friends in, and no one else." The other stated.
The two officers unlocked the door, John motioned for Ezra and Kanan to come in. Once the three Jedi were in the door closed. "Alright, what exactly are we looking for?" John asked.
Kanan already started looking though boxes. "A lightsaber, two blaster, three backpacks, and a Lassat Bo-Rifle." Ezra began to assist in searching for the items, pouring though confiscated items.
Outside the guards saw Inquisitor Bainer turn the corner. "Let me in." he barked.
"We can't sir, we're under strict orders not to let anyone else inside."
Bainer looked at them and asked sharply. "Who's orders?"
"The man in the brown tunic and brown cattleman hat."
Bainer's attention shot to the door, he pushed the two guards aside, pulled out his revolver, and shot the lock. Inside, Kanan, John, and Ezra heard the gunshot. "Hide." Kanan whispered.
Bainer entered the room, drawing a second revolver from his belt, he began to slowly walk inside, pointing one gun at each side of him, and carefully glancing for anything moving, or out of place.
Ezra tried to move slowly to avoid Bainer's line of sight. But Bainer was moving ever so closer to where Ezra was hiding.
Kanan was able to see the inquisitor approach Ezra, he reached out with the force on a few boxes on an upper shelf and pulled them to the ground.
The sound of the boxes thumping against the ground was met immediately by repeated pistol fire. Once the last shot had fired, Kanan saw their stuff in one of the boxes that fell down from the shelf. Though the smoke that filled the room, he thought he was in the clear and tried to rush for the items, before he could reach all the items, two shots rang out, one missed, but the other shot impacted his shoulder pauldron, not penetrating the metal, but knocking him off balance.
The Inquisitor dashed towards him, attempting to fire another shot, but his pistols only clicked without any bright flash or loud bang. He tossed his revolvers aside and drew his swords from their sheaths. He then took a great leap upwards and was about to lunge his swords down on the disoriented Jedi.
Kanan tried to block the blades of the swords with this armored arm plates, but he felt no impact of the cold metal, all he heard was the humming and felt the soft heat of a lightsaber. He looked up to see a bright blue blade, the swords from slashing him, right above him.
Bainer looked up at the man, their eyes met in a dead stare. "Khan?!" he muttered.
John quickly used the inquisitor's confusion to catch him off balance, and force push him to the wall.
John reached out and pulled Kanan up off the floor, "Are you okay?" he asked. Kanan rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I'm good."
Ezra made his way past the two and began to pick up their items on the floor. "That's everything."
Kanan nodded. "Let's get out of here."
The three Jedi dashed out the door, past a few guards, disoriented by the three men rushing their way through the halls.
Ezra's commlink began to beep, he pulled it closer to his ear and tired to hear how the other team was going, he heard Sabines voice. "Ezra, we're home free, how are you guys?"
"We were able to get our stuff back, and we're making our way out." He replied.
The group had turned the corner, only to be cut off by a line of officers with weapons of every shape and size. Ezra was able to recognize one of the figures as the chief of the station.
"Surrender now, you see you're outnumbered." He ordered, "In the King's name, we order you to lay down your weapons, and put your hands up!"
Khan turned his head around; he saw the inquisitor approach from the hallway behind them. Cutting off their escape route.
"Any bright ideas?" Kanan asked?
Ezra began to look around, it was either a wall of plaster, or a wall of men with guns. But Ezra noticed something different between the two walls to their sides. "How thin do you think that wall is?"
Khan looked at the walls to their sides and pointed his fingers lightly at one of them.
Ezra took the thermal detonator from his and tossed it at the wall. The three Jedi then drew their lightsabers. Preparing for the worst.
"Open Fire!" the Inquisitor shouted. A dozen guns began to spit fire and lead, the three Jedi knew they could not deflect bullets, nor could they fight off those men, they just had to make their way far enough from the light blast radius.
At the last second, they jumped to the floor, the thermal detonator burst open the wall, the blast sending plaster, wood, broken up concrete and some metal in every direction, causing some of the officers to tuck down for cover.
When the smoke and dust settled, the three Jedi had vanished. The inquisitor looked out the opening in the wall. He saw nothing but darkness and small lights from fires. He snarled, holstering his revolvers. "Find John Khan, we find these aliens."
The officers got back on their feet and scrambled to their posts. Bainer remained where he was at, looking out at the city in the night, lit by spotlight and fires.
The three Jedi were across the way from Khan's apartment, they knew they had already escaped the police search perimeter.
"Caleb, I can see Master Billaba's hunger for action has influenced you."
Kanan wanted to say something, but Khan put his hand on his shoulder, with a tear in his eye, Khan gently said. "She would be proud of you."
The two made their way to the top, opening the door, before they could enter the room, they say the others, kneeling on the floor, with three men in black suits and red sashes behind them with automatic weapons.
The three stood in silence, as a man turned the other corner "John. You've proven to be more than a handful."
That man was Chan, one hand behind his back, the other hanging over the handle of his revolver.
Khan grabbed one of the backpacks, and tossed it towards Chan's feet, the flap flew open when it hit the ground causing coins of gold, brass, and silver too out. "I have your money, as we agreed."
Chan only glanced down at the floor where the money laid. "I do believe you, that this is thirty gold Crowns. But Jacob Bainer placed a fifty thousand Gold Crown reward for the capture of two kids, one adult male, one creature that looks like a purple bear, a green one with snakes for hair, a metal trashcan, and you." Chan pulled his revolver from his belt and pointed it at the three.
The reunited group did not know what to do, they were outplayed, and out of options.
Authors notes.
It has been almost a year since I've uploaded, this pandemic and a new lifestyle has not given me too much time for writing. Now things are almost returning to a state of normal, and I've found the time to write again. This is something I have thought of though many years, And I won't let one bad year throw me off for the rest of them, I look forward to picking up this story and writing again.