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I slept deeply the next few nights. So deep, I'm not sure I even dreamed. I know they say you dream every night, and only remember a handful of them, but I was so exhausted, physically and mentally, that I may have just passed out for the entire night. I can't be sure. All I know is that the first one was the most peaceful night of my life. I guess that happens when you tire yourself out by learning you're in a new universe that's supposed to be fictional, and fighting a dangerous Sith Lord. the following two nights, not so much. Still pretty deep though. Unfortunately, it could not last forever. I was slowly stirred awake by a hand shaking me at my shoulder.
"Mmmm…" I groaned in displeasure, putting the pillow over my head with a moan.
"Kid, it's time to get up." An amused voice said from beside me. I turned my head and lifted the pillow, seeing Kanan's face looking at me with an amused smirk. "Not a morning person?" He asked.
"You don't know the half of it." I said dryly, slamming the pillow down. "Wake me at the turn of the century." I mumbled out.
"Gotta get up Lance, Commander Sato's called us in for a meeting. We have an hour." He told me. I groaned as he removed the pillow. Since his room was the only one left on the Ghost that had space, Kanan and I were roommates now. Zeb and Ezra's room was full, Hera's only had one bunk, and Sabine is too private a person to room with someone she barely knows and doesn't trust to the absolute max, much less an older guy. Kanan was already using the bottom bunk, so I had to take the top one.
"Alright, alright… I'm up." I sighed, groaning as I sat up.
"Take your time. Hera brewed a fresh pot of caf in the kitchen, if you're interested." He told me.
"I most certainly am." I said as I stretched my muscles. Shaking the tiredness out of my head, I hopped off of the bunk and slipped my boots on. Kanan nodded at me as we both left the cabin. He went to see Hera, and I went straight for the kitchen. "Ah, coffee, how I adore thee." I sighed as I grabbed one of the mugs and filled it with the beverage. Caf tasted pretty much exactly like coffee, which was surprising. I knew it was a caffeinated beverage, but to find out that it was pretty much the same thing was surprising. Ground from roasted brown beans and mixed with hot water in a variety of different methods.
I took a sip of the drink and let out a sigh. It's good to have something familiar in this galaxy. With that thought I sat down at the table in the kitchen. I'll have something to eat later, maybe after the meeting. Don't know why I'm attending though. I'm just a stray they picked up. Well, an inter-dimensional stray, but I hardly see how that qualifies me for anything. Eh, I'll find out.
In the few days since arriving in this galaxy, I'd gotten to know this merry little band of Rebels. Hera was nice; warm and considerate. She was always taking care of everyone else, and I heard it was thanks to her I was staying on the Ghost, not an overcrowded crew's quarters on one of the blockade runners. I sensed a fire in her though. Despite her gentle demeanor, she was a passionate person, one I'd like to avoid pissing off. I almost thought she and Kanan were together in the beginning, but I turned out to be wrong there.
Kanan was a nice guy. He didn't complain about having a 21 year old roommate, and welcomed me with open arms. Well, open enough. He seemed to figure out that I wasn't the most social person in the world, er, galaxy, and he didn't pester me with any pointless small talk. We did have some pleasant conversations in the cabin though. I could tell he was a brave man, and a leader to boot. I could see why the Ghost crew trusted him. Also, if it wasn't already obvious enough, he was Jedi. His training was incomplete when Order 66 was executed, but from the sparring matches I've seen between him and Ezra, that wasn't a huge deal where skill was concerned.
Speaking of, Ezra was quite a unique kid. I'd learned that the planet I'd appeared on, Lothal, was his homeworld. He lived there for almost 15 years before he'd been picked up by the Kanan as his Padawan. I was surprised to find out that his parents died when he was 7, and he lived as a street rat until Kanan found. I had to admit, I wouldn't have survived like that at the age of 7. In that regard, he was stronger than me.
Chopper, the droid that belonged to Hera, was a bit of an annoyance. Nevermind the fact that I couldn't understand him, he seemed to have a troublemaking streak that he reserved for anyone that wasn't Hera, Kanan, or Sabine. Usually, that meant trouble for Zeb and Ezra, but with my addition to the ship, he's been breaking off of those two and bothering me a little. Something tells me that if I don't do something soon, it's gonna get a whole lot worse.
Now, Zeb. Short for Garazeb, he'd informed me. Zeb was abrasive, impatient, temperamental, and violent. That being said, he was a good person. He cared for the Ghost crew more than he'd allow to show, and would probably go above and beyond for them. His odour left something to be desired, something he knew, but it was easy to get used to. Apparently, that's just how his species, the Lasat, smelt. Unless they used some special soap or something, there was no getting around. It seemed to be a constant source of ridicule in his verbal battles with Ezra.
And the last member of the Ghost crew, Sabine; the young Mandalorian girl. She was expressive, artistic, blunt, and intelligent. She was also a capable fighter, and hated being kept in the dark. In the beginning, she was suspicious of me, which I could understand to an extent. She was constantly barraging me with questions about my planet, my solar system, and myself. I was willing to indulge, but I quickly learnt that she wasn't willing to answer all the questions I had, which, again, I could understand. She was a rather private person. That said, I did find her a bit of a hypocrite to practically interrogate me whilst not willing to answer her own questions. Anyway, once her suspicion had been assuaged a little, or maybe she just decided she was ready in case I tried anything, I found it easy to connect to her. She was only 18, but she was rather mature for her age. Maybe that was it.
And finally, Ahsoka Tano. I must admit, I nearly had a nerdgasm when it sunk in that I would be learning from her. She was my favourite character in The Clone Wars. As a Padawan, she was perfectly matched for Anakin Skywalker. She was witty, quick-thinking, and an excellent Jedi. At least, in my opinion. Her leaving the Order was actually the last thing I saw of The Clone Wars. She's not the same though, which is to be expected after 15 years of growth. She was wise, polite, helpful, and patient. I was truly relieved that she was here, and honoured that she would be teaching me.
We hadn't had any real lessons yet. She'd told as much about the Force as she could put into words, and given me some basic instructions on meditation and concentration that I had been practising these past two days, but no actual Force or lightsaber training, which made sense. Both the Force and lightsabers are dangerous things. Jumping in wouldn't be a good idea with my current skills.
I was pulled from my thoughts when the door to the kitchen opened, and in walked Sabine, Chopper rolling right behind her.
"Morning." I said to her, raising my mug.
"Morning." She responded with a light yawn. Apparently, she just woke up too. "Is that a fresh pot?" She asked, pointing at the pot of caf I'd filled my mug with.
"Yep. Hera just made it."
As she grabbed a mug and filled it, I noticed something different about her. Her armour had changed. Gone was the pink that was there the other day. Now, it was replaced with varying shades of orange, red, and yellow. One of her shoulder pads had a stylized number 5 on it, and the other had a strange creature painted on. Also, she'd changed her hair. It was now dark blue at the roots, transitioning into bright teal tips. Not gonna lie, it looked good on her.
"Something wrong?" She asked with a raised eyebrow as she noticed I was staring.
I snapped out of my thoughts and shook my head. "No, sorry. I just noticed the changes." I told her.
"Oh, yeah. The paint was fading, so I decided to start over." She said, admiring her own work. "What do you think?" She asked, flipping her hair.
"Well, I do like the hair more than the last one." I admitted. "I've always been more partial to colder colours, except for red." I hummed in thought. "The armour gives off an air of passion and determination. It suits you." I complimented her. "But, in the end, what matters is what you think." I added.
"You know art?" She asked in surprise.
"When I was younger." I shrugged. "I don't paint or draw all that often anymore. I'm more into literature and music these days." I explained.
"Such as?" She asked, sitting across from me.
"Well, there was a poet called Lewis Carol, who was famous for writing a book that eventually became the template for a popular children's story. My favourite of his works was The Jabberwocky, a nonsense poem about the hunting and killing of a monster called the Jabberwock." I told her.
"A nonsense poem?" She asked.
"Twas brillig, and the slithy toves, did gyre and gimbal in the wabe. All mimsy were the borogoves, and the mome raths outgrabe." I recited the first stanza.
"Sounds like a different language altogether." She observed. She was clearly interested. It wasn't hard to tell that she was an artistic soul.
Sabine and I had spent the next half an hour talking about our favourite artists and their works. Apparently, an artist named Janyor was a major influence on a lot of her own work. He was a Bith, one of those aliens you see playing the flute things in the cantina in A New Hope. I also told her a little bit about Van Gogh, which interested her. She was also surprised to learn that I'd designed half my tattoos.
Sadly, it had to end. The meeting was going to start soon, and we had to get to the Blockade Runner. I had no idea where to go, but thankfully Sabine was willing to escort me. When we got there, everyone except Kanan and Ezra had already arrived. We must be early then. Ahsoka and I shared a quick and polite greeting, and Hera was even kind enough to ask if I was adjusting to the Ghost alright. Zeb and I just shared a nod, and the holographic form of Commander Sato didn't say anything. Maybe he didn't see me.
The bridge of this Blockade Runner looked almost identical to the one on the Command Ship. It had the same white walls, the same stations, even the round holoterminal in the middle.
Right as Kanan and Ezra entered, Sato spoke.
"The destruction of our Command ship has severely limited our ability to fight the Empire in this sector." He started, his voice grave.
"So maybe we don't fight." Ezra suggested, getting everyone's attention. "Uh, Commander Sato, sir." He gave an awkward salute. "When things got tough for me on Lothal, I'd go find a place to hide." He explained.
"You are never shy with your opinions, Ezra Bridger." Sato commented dryly. "But, establishing a base is a good idea." He acknowledged.
"Problem is, none of the potential bases we know of have the tactical advantage we need to protect what's left of our fleet." Hera chimed in, her hands on her waist.
"Or aid the nearby systems suffering from Imperial oppression." Kanan added, his eyebrows raised.
"Difficult to protect others when you can't protect yourself, wouldn't you agree?" I asked of him. He sighed with a roll of his eyes. He wants to get back to helping people, I get that. But, we're not really in a position to do so right now.
"If only we had more allies." Hera sighed with a shake of her head.
"I know someone who might be able to help us." Ahsoka spoke up, getting all of our attention. "A great military commander, with a vast knowledge of the Outer Rim. He could assist us with finding a base, and his experience leadership could make him a powerful ally." She said, walking up to the holoterminal.
"How do we recruit this… Leader?" Sato asked.
"That's the problem, I lost track of him a long time ago, and all my transmissions have gone unanswered." She answered thoughtfully.
"We can find him, let us try." Ezra said confidently.
"Well…" Ahsoka responded after a moment of silence. "There is one option I've not yet attempted." She gave a small smile.
I found myself in the cockpit of the Ghost, leaning against the wall whilst Ezra and Sabine took seats. Kanan was doing… something, at a panel, and Hera and Chopper were getting the ship ready to fly. I maintained a cam exterior, but I was actually excited. I was about to go out and see a new planet! How could I not be excited? It was pretty awesome if I do say so myself.
After a moment of wait, Ahsoka walked in with… hey, I recognise that! It was one of those tactical droids from the Clone Wars. Supposed to be super intelligent and efficient.
"Is that… the head of an old tactical droid?" Kanan asked, voicing my thoughts with surprise.
"These droids were great at finding things, calculating." Ahsoka said as she handed the head to Sabine. "Found my Master and I a few times when we didn't want to be found." She said with a small laugh of nostalgia.
"How in all the Galaxy is that going to help us find your friend?" Ezra asked, doubt evident in his voice.
"Well, I heard he was last seen in the Seelos System, you can start there." Ahsoka answered as she turned to leave.
"You're not coming with us?" Ezra asked in surprise. Wait, am I supposed to go with her then?
"I have something else to attend to…"
"The Sith Lord." Kanan guessed.
"There are questions that need answering." Ahsoka said, more to herself than anything.
"I wish we could go with you." Ezra said sincerely.
"You have your own mission Ezra." She smiled at him. "And Lance," She got my attention. "We can start our real training when I get back. For now, this is something I need to do myself. For now, stay with the Ghost crew." She told me.
"No worries. I'm actually looking forward to seeing a new planet." I told her with a shrug. She smiled in amusement.
"Doesn't Lothal count?" Sabine asked.
"Aside from those big rocks, it didn't look all that different from Earth, and I didn't see any wildlife, so I'd hardly count that." I pointed out.
"Kanan, if you do find my friend, you must trust him." Ahsoka said to the Jedi.
"If he's all the things you say, we can't afford not to." Kanan returned humorously, though I could sense his confusion.
"Trust him." Ahsoka said seriously before the door closed.
"What was that about?" Ezra asked, completely confused.
"I have no idea." Kanan shook his head as the Ghost separated from the Blockade Runner.
The trip to Seelos was quiet. I spent most of it in the cabin, reading a book I had in my laptop bag; White Fang, my favourite book. Aside from my bo staff, it was pretty much the only useful thing I had in there. My laptop was dead, my phone would be soon, and I only had a charger for my phone that I couldn't use. Not to mention my wallet and keys, which were equally useless. I also had two identical amethyst pendants in there. They were supposed to be gifts for my sisters' upcoming birthday. They were twins turning 13. I decided to keep those pendants around my neck until I figured out something else to do with them.
Anyway, I took out the book and staff and stored the bag away, with all my useless stuff, in the small compartment under the bunk. I'd probably be leaving it there for a good long while. And forgetting about it too.
Anyway, I was called out of the cabin by Kanan, who informed me we'd have to take the Phantom, the small shuttle attached to the Ghost, down to the planet. Apparently Chopper had slacked off while repairing the hyperdrive after Vader's attack, only fixing what he considered important. Apparently he wasn't very good at deciding what was important and what wasn't. This annoyed Hera to no end.
As we descended down to the barren-looking white planet, I stared in awe. It was actually amazing to behold. I think Kanan and Ezra felt my excitement, because they were laughing under their breaths. It may be just a barren wasteland to them, but it's a whole new world to me. Literally. There was nothing but flatlands as far as the eye could see; cold, solid rock. You'd never find something like this on Earth. I was so absorbed by the view that I didn't notice the conversation around me until the droid head bleeped. Wait, since when was it attached to the main console?
"7567… 7567… 7567… 7567…" The droid head repeated over and again in it's mechanical voice. Wait, that sounds familiar...
"It's homing in on something!" Sabine said, surprise evident.
"There, up ahead." Zeb pointed over Kanan's shoulder. Sure enough, up ahead there was a vehicle or contraption of some kind. Once we got closer, we could see that it was some kind of six-legged walker, with a long cannon on its 'head,' and a lot of wear and tear. That thing was old. I think I saw those in the Clone Wars series…
"Now that is a work of art." Sabine was certainly impressed.
"It looks like an old Republic Tank, used during Clone Wars…" Kanan said, his tone low and his eyes narrow. Yep, that confirmed it. With a bit of caution, Kanan landed the Phantom right in front of the tank. But not before whoever was driving saw the Phantom and stopped, probably an invitation. Hopefully. As we landed and the door opened, Kanan stopped Ezra and I.
"Be on guard." He told us as we walked out. Ezra looked at him strangely, but complied nonetheless, as did I. As we all stood in front of the tank, waiting for whoever was inside to greet us, the door opened.
Out walk three senior aged gentlemen. They all looked disturbingly alike, so at first glance, I assumed they must be closely related. One of them was bald and had a full white beard. He wore armour that looked almost like that of a Stormtrooper. He stood in front, like a leader. Next to him stood one that was clean shaven and bald, but had clearly let himself go a little in the middle. He wore a tank top, but no armour. The last one had some short hair, a mustache, and sideburns, all white. He was also blind in his right eye.
Holy crap, I think I just realised who these guys are!
"Pff… Just a bunch of old geezers." Zeb scoffed in dismissal.
"Well armed old geezers." Sabine corrected, her helmet now on. And she was right, the two at the back were carrying some pretty tough looking rifles.
"What do you want?" The apparent leader of the three asked, almost abrasively.
"We're looking for someone." Kanan told him.
"Well, that's too bad, cos' there's nobody out here." His accent was almost like mine. I remember reading somewhere that the original actor in the second movie(ugh) was a New Zealander.
"Hey, does the number 7567 mean anything to you?" Ezra asked out of nowhere.
"What did you just say?" The old man demanded, his hands on the railings.
"Uh, I said 7567." Ezra repeated for him.
"I haven't heard those digits in… Well, that's my birth number!" Yep, that pretty much confirmed it, at least for me.
"Birth number?" Ezra mumbled in confusion.
"They're Clones!" Kanan realised. I felt a wave of fear and anger come from him as he ignited his lightsaber. We were all surprised at his sudden outburst as he put himself between us and the Clones.
"Jedi! They've come for revenge!" The half blind Clone cried out, aiming his gun at us. He fired two shots, but Kanan easily blocked both of them.
"Drop the blaster Old Man!" Zeb growled, aiming his rifle thing at them, Sabine doing the same. I reached for my staff, but I realised it would be pretty useless in this situation.
"Don't try it boyo!" The bald Clone aimed his own rifle at Zeb. "I'll gun you down!" He had a manic grin on his face.
"Stand down Troopers, now!" The leader shouted as he pushed the blasters away. "That's an order, Soldier!" He snapped at the half blind one when he tried to re-aim at us.
"But he's a Jedi, a Jedi!" The spooked clone re-aimed anyway.
"I know, I know!" The leader said, hotly but calmly. "But they weren't the ones that betrayed us." He said, soothingly as he could. "Remember, Wolffe. Remember." He said, finally calming his brother down. Wolffe, I don't remember that Clone. I don't think anyway.
"Kanan, Ahsoka said to trust them." Ezra reminded his master, who still had his saber at the ready.
"And she was pretty serious about it too." I added.
"Sorry about the weapons malfunction!" The leader called out to us. "My friend here gets a little defensive. We haven't seen a Jedi since… Well, it's been a while." He said awkwardly. Everyone was silent for a split second before I decided to speak.
"My name's Lance. This is Kanan, Ezra, Zeb, and Sabine." I introduced the gang as everyone put their weapons away. "What should I call you? Something tells me you don't want to be called 7567." I said with a hand on my waist, earning a slight grin from him.
"My name's Rex, Captain of the 501st Clone Battalion." Yep, I was right. It's Rex. I remember he was there when those droids were stealing Clone armour on Kamino, and he was also there when the four-armed Jedi betrayed the Republic. I don't remember the full stories of those arcs, but I remember them happening. "Meet Commanders Gregor and Wolffe." He introduced the crazy one and the half blind one respectively.
"We were sent by a mutual friend, Ahsoka Tano." I told him. His eyes widened at the news.
"Ahsoka Tano…" He breathed out in surprise. "I fought by her side from the Battle of Christophsis to the Siege of Mandalore, and a friend of hers is a friend of mine." He grinned down at us. "Here, come on in. We have a cooler inside." He invited us in, walking in with his brothers. Ezra immediately hopped on the ladder with no misgivings. Zeb and Kanan most reluctantly followed, leaving Sabine and I to wait for them all to go up.
"I need my own blaster." I realised with a sigh. "If that had turned violent, I would have been completely useless."
"You have a lightsaber." Sabine reminded me, pointing at the saber attached to my belt.
"A lightsaber with which I have no practice, no skill, and no experience." I pointed out. I'd been a bit nervous to use it since getting my hands on it. "I'm more likely to hurt myself with this thing than anyone else." I gave a light frown. "And my bo staff is practically useless at a distance. I can't block blaster fire with it."
"Alright, I see your point." Sabine conceded as I offered her to go up the ladder first. "Probably best to talk to Ahsoka about it." She told me, climbing.
"Yeah, good idea." I agreed, following after her.
First thing I noticed, it was cooler inside the tank. There were a bunch of terminals and chairs inside, but if you didn't know it was actually a tank walking on six legs, it would be easy to mistake this for a small living space, not dissimilar to the dorms of a University. To the side, I noticed a couple of Clone Trooper helmets. They were old and worn, just like the armour Rex currently wore. Also, the one with blue markings, matching Rex's armour, had several tally marks carved into it. I doubt that it's how many droids he killed, there's not enough, but maybe it's the number of battles won or enemy commanders he took down.
"Whoa…" Ezra was even more interested in them than I am. He'd shown me his helmet collection, and I have to admit, I was amused. It actually seemed a little bit fun, collecting helmets from defeated Stormtroopers, but that's probably the kid in me talking.
"Hey, easy with those, Son." Rex warned him, amused but stern as he took a seat.
"Oh, yeah, sure… I might move the dust." Ezra said sarcastically, a slight roll of his eyes. An uncomfortable silence followed, mainly due to Kanan and his clear disdain for being here. I didn't need to sense his feelings to know he was not happy. Rex decided to break the silence with a question.
"So, how is Commander Tano?" He asked of us.
"Well, in need of help." Ezra told him, walking forward. "We all are. We're trying to fight the Empire, but we're outnumbered, outmatched, and taking a beating. We could really use your help."
"Well, I'm not sure we're much help to anyone these days." Rex said with a cynical shrug. "Didn't you hear? The Emperor said that the Clone Army had served it's purpose and retired us. Now, spend our days telling stories and slinging for Joopas." He leaned back in his chair, not a care in the world.
"The fuck is a Joopa?" I asked under my breath.
"This was a wasted trip." Kanan scoffed with a glare on his face. "You heard the Clone, he's not interested." He turned and left the room. I'd go after him, but I didn't think I could say anything that would help. He was an Order 66 survivor. Not much you can say to that.
"Wait, you don't like the Empire, do you?" Ezra asked of the Clone.
"Well, the Empire certainly isn't the Republic, but you can't do anything about that." Rex responded, barely moving from his comfortable position.
"You could fight." Ezra returned.
"Sorry Son, my days as a soldier are over." Rex said depressingly. Wow, and I thought I could be gloomy when I was down.
"Well, it's your choice." I told him, stepping forward. "However, we could still use your help. The Rebels are looking for a base, and Ahsoka mentioned you had a vast knowledge of the Outer Rim." I mentioned. He shared a quick look with his brothers before speaking.
"Well, there are a few spots I never bothered to report to the Empire." he said, standing up. "Why don't you all wait outside and I'll put together a list of coordinates." He suggested.
"Much obliged." I said with a nod and the rest of the Spectres and I left the room.
Whilst we allowed the Clones to do their thing, we got comfortable outside. Kanan started brooding whist leaning over a railing, Zeb doing the same. Ezra leaned against the wall beside the door, and Sabine leaned with her back against the railing, looking over at the desert. I myself just paced about, my hands on my pockets. A few moments later, Gregor emerged, a wide grin on his face.
"You know, since we're providing you with a list of bases, I was thinking there might be something you guys could do for us." He said, slowly building up to something.
"No thanks." Kanan shot down immediately.
"Sure, what can we do?" Ezra asked, ignoring his Master.
"Out there, deep below, roam the Joopa; elusive big game." He said with another one of his manic chuckles. "When we're lucky enough to sling one in, it'll feed us for the whole year." he said, leaning against the railing.
"Kay, what do you need?" Sabine asked. Gregor chuckled again, pointing at Zeb.
"Him." He said simply, catching the Lasat's attention.
"Wha?" The Lasat asked.
I don't like this…
Zeb was walking in front of the tank, a pack attached to his bag, which had a rope made of energy extruding from it. The rope went all the way up to the cannon on the tank, along its length, and then a large, cylindrical device, which seemed to be what was generating the rope. Since we were moving about, Sabine took the time to land the Phantom on the pad the tank had. After that, Kanan went in there and wouldn't stop brooding. Ezra went to talk to him, but judging by the way he returned within a few minutes, I doubt it went well.
"If we're lucky, we'll catch Big Bongo today!" Gregor said with excitement. I think Zeb mumbled something there, but I couldn't catch on to what. "Get ready, we're coming up on a hotspot!"
"How can you tell?" I asked, confused. The 'hotspot' looked exactly the same as everywhere else on this planet.
"Out there!" Sabine called out, pointing in the distance. Sure enough, there was some kind of movement underground where she was pointing.
"Alright, full stop!" Rex, who was sitting at the cannon's seat, ordered over the comm. Wolffe, who was driving, halted the tank. The silence was palpable for a moment before Gregor spoke.
"Alright, just a little more!" He called out to Zeb before turning around. "You know, we really appreciate this. We should do well today, with your friend here." He said, pointing his thumb at Zeb. Oh God, I'm right aren't I?
"Yeah, well, Zeb packs quite a punch." Ezra told the Clone confidently.
"Oh, I'm sure." Gregor responded with another one of his mad chuckles. Seriously, this guy is giving me some real Joker vibes. "But Joopa supposedly love Lasats." He snickered.
"They love them?" Sabine asked, her alarm bells finally ringing. "
"Well, they say it's about the smell, though maybe it's the taste?" Gregor asked himself. "Maybe it's about the texture, you know…" He waffled on.
"Wait, Zeb's not the hunter, he's the bait!" Ezra realised.
"Yep, thought so." I sighed.
"You knew?!" Sabine, Ezra and Kanan asked of me in unison. Wait, when did Kanan get here?
"Why didn't you say anything?!" Kanan demanded.
"I honestly thought you all would have picked it up as quickly as I did." I admitted. "That's what I get for having faith in ya." I sighed dramatically.
"This is not the time for jokes, look!" Sabine cried. In the distance, there was something digging underground, head straight for Zeb. Ok, yeah, she's right. Save friend now, humour later.
"Zeb, you better get back here right now!" Kanan shouted.
"Zeb, what is that?!" Sabine called out.
"Buddy run, you're the bait!" Ezra steamed.
"Move, or you're gonna get eaten!" I cried out. I was barely able to hear Zeb mumble something before a long, pink appendage shot out of the ground and wrapped around Zeb, making everyone gasp. "Please tell me that's not a tongue…" I begged under my breath.
"Oh no, that's definitely a Joopa tongue!" Gregor laughed as the tongue pulled Zeb under the ground. "Woohoo!" he cheered as the creature underground dragged Zeb through the rock, leaving a trail in the ground where the energy line cut through. "This could be him! The Big Bongo! HAHAHA!" He laughed madly, his eyes going crazy. OK, there is something seriously wrong with this guy.
Immediately, Wolffe started the tank up again and followed the trail.
"Hey, I bet you know a thing or two about mechanics." Rex guessed, his words directed at Sabine.
"That would be a safe bet." Sabine responded with a smirk, her hand on her hip.
"Keep an eye on this regulator." He pointed at a device attached to the cannon. "The line can overheat and shut down. No line, no joopa, no Zeb." he instructed.
"Got it." Sabine nodded, getting to work.
"What about us?" Ezra asked, gesturing to Kanan, himself, and I as Gregor approached, carrying two long rod-like things.
"You've got the best job of all!" he grinned widely, as he'd been doing since this whole kerfuffle started. "When the line swings around, you charge it with the electro-pulse." he said, handing one to the kid. "Hit the line with the rod, and it will send a bolt of energy down into the joopa. Do it enough, and you'll bring it up to the surface!" Ezra nodded, grinning himself as he activated his rod. (That's what she said.) Now that I think about it, those rods look a like the ones General Grievous' bodyguards would use. "Here's one for you General." Gregor handed Kanan a rod as Ezra got into position.
"Don't call me that." The Jedi snapped. "I was never a General."
"Oh, my mistake. Sorry Commander." Gregor saluted as Kanan took the rod. Kanan tried to protest again, but ultimately gave up. When both Jedi were in position, the joopa suddenly turned to the left, bringing the cannon around with it.
"Hit it, now!" Rex yelled. Kanan and Ezra complied, pressing the electrified ends of the rods against the energy line. The energy visibly travelled down into the ground, shocking the joopa, and earning a loud roar of pain, though it didn't stop the joopa from burrowing, and dragging the tank along with it.
"Ohoho! That's it, that's it! He didn't like that!" Gregor cheered. "Hit him again!" He whooped. Kanan and Ezra did so, earning another roar.
"He's running! Keep hitting him, bring him up!" Rex called out. Kanan and Ezra tried, but it was too out of reach. Ezra tried climbing up onto the railings, but it didn't get him up high enough.
"We're losing the regulator!" Sabine cried as the line started to fade. It wasn't going to last much long.
"Full stop Wolffe! Dig in!" Rex ordered his brother. "This is where we finish the battle!" The tank came to an almost immediate halt, one that very nearly sent us tipping over the edge. Thankfully, nobody fell off. It kept the joopa from getting much further though.
Ezra tried to reach the line, to no avail. "I can't reach it! Kanan, lift me up!" Ezra shouted at his Master, who complied, having dropped his rod. Seeing that, I immediately sprung into action. I couldn't balance on railings like Ezra was moments ago, so I'd need something to help with that. Luckily, I had my staff on hand. Extending it, I grabbed the rod Kanan had dropped and hopped onto the railings, using my staff to balance myself out. I had to admit, it was a bruise to my ego that Ezra could do it and I couldn't.
"Any day now Sabine!" I yelled over to the Mando as I activated the rod.
"Working on it!" She shot back, sweat dripping down her forehead. Within the next few seconds, she'd been able to stabilise the line.
"Now!" Kanan signalled us. Ezra and I immediately plunged our respective rods towards the line, hitting it with the energy, and sending one last bolt down into the joopa.
Apparently, it had had enough after that.
The ground in front of the tank broke open, and out emerged a scary-ass concoction of hell if I ever saw one. Seriously, that thing was scary as fuck! The mere sight of it actually cause to fall back off the railings. It looked like a giant maggot, slithering in the air like a snake, with eight blood-red eyes staring down at us. It's mouth opened, showing several large mandibles, and let out a screeching roar. Now, something about me, I HATE loud sounds. And that one was particularly painful to listen to.
"It is Big Bongo!" At least Gregor was excited…
I briefly wondered how in the hell the Clones planned on taking this thing down. It was massive, and there was no way an electric rod was going to do the trick. Then again, they'd mention that they'd caught these before. However, none of those were 'Big Bongo,' so is this going to be different? Before I could even form another coherent thought, the beast roared again and lunged, only to be stopped by a blast to the face from the tank's cannon. With one last screech of pain, the monster fell to the ground dead, and the line faded from existence. One could see the creatures eyes fade from red to black; a sign of death, probably.
We all looked down at the dead beast, scared stiff for what may or may not have happened to Zeb. Several tense seconds passed before the beast's mouth started to move, and out crawled Zeb, covered in the monster's slimy saliva.
"Ugh, what a smell…" he complained as we all calmed down. Everybody cheered at the realization that Zeb was alive. We'd killed the beast, Zeb was alive, and a large list of potential bases for the Rebels was on its way. All in all, this was a good day. So far.
Noone was happier than Gregor, though. He'd already descended the ladder to the ground and made a beeline for the now deceased Big Bongo.
"Now that was impressive." He grinned widely as he helped Zeb up.
"Impressive?!" Kanan shouted in outrage. "You almost got my friend eaten!" He snapped.
"Yeah!" Zeb agreed, a light snarl on his face. "I was in that thing's MOUTH!" He howled.
"Oh, head to toe!" Gregor agreed happily. "But look at you! You brought in our biggest catch ever!" He showed Zeb the beast. It was the first time Zeb had gotten a good look at the creature he'd helped bring down.
"I… did?" he asked. Immediately, he jumped onto the credit. "Actually, it wasn't that bad Kanan!" he called out to the Jedi. "I knew I had the beast from the beginning." He boasted.
I had to roll my eyes. "It seems males aren't any different in this galaxy, no matter what species they are." I sighed.
"Like what?" Sabine asked in amusement next to me.
"Eager to jump on any glory and credit they can get their hands on, no matter how hazardous or nonsensical it might be." I gestured to the joopa.
"And you're different?" She raised an eyebrow.
"I like credit, food, and boobs as much as the next guy." I admitted without any shame, which surprised her. "However, none of them are worth going through all the trouble just for bragging rights." I told her with a smirk.
"We held up our end of the deal, Captain." Kanan said to Rex, calm as I'd seen him all day. "Now it's time to get us those coordinates so we can go."
"I'll get'em." Rex nodded. "But before you go, you might consider staying for dinner." he gestured at the duo on the ground.
"It's gonna be delicious!" Gregor whooped with joy.
"That thing tried to eat me, only fair I get to see how it tastes." Zeb agreed, his hands on his waist and a grin on his face.
"Can't say no to that, can you Kanan?" Ezra asked cheekily.
"Case in point." I whispered to Sabine, who stifled a laugh.
About an hour later, when the sun was starting to set, Sabine, Ezra, and I were waiting outside the tank's entrance while Rex did his work. We'd all helped attach the giant beast to the side of the tank. From its sheer size, I wouldn't be surprised if that thing fed them for more than just a year. We hadn't actually had the chance to taste it yet, though if Kanan had his way, we probably wouldn't. The three of us all turned our heads as rex emerged from the tank.
"I've assembled a list of potential bases, clearance codes, and protocols the Imperials still use." he told us. "They should be of some use."
"Thanks Rex." Ezra said sincerely.
"You're gonna need-"
"Data tapes?" Sabine cut the Clone off. "I'm on it." She said, entering the tank. Well, I suppose with her on the job we'll be out of here soon. As I watched the sunset, I noticed Rex was lingering.
"You two were really brave today." he complimented us. "You jumped right in to help. A great Jedi once told me that the best leaders lead by example, and you do that well. Both of you." He said with a smile.
"Thanks Rex." I returned the smile.
"I learnt from a great Jedi too; Kanan." Ezra responded, looking at his Master, who was brooding off to the side.
"I don't think he likes me… And I honestly can't blame him." Rex sighed as he leaned over the railings next to Ezra. "The war left scars on all of us."
"You really won't reconsider?" Ezra asked.
"You know, I've outserved my purpose with that kind of fighting I'm afraid." The old Clone sighed yet again. "After the war, I questioned the whole thing. All those good men died, and for what?" He asked of the Padawan.
"I guess… for what they thought was right." Ezra answered.
"Nature." I chimed in, catching both of their attention. Kanan's as well. "War and conflict is the natural order of things. People will always find a reason to split amongst themselves. Differing religious beliefs, independance, or control, it's all the same." I shook my head. "A bit more than 70 years ago, a man named Adolf Hitler waged a global war on my homeplanet in the name of his own conquest. He slaughtered anyone that didn't fit into his perfect world view, no matter their age or gender. Homosexuals, foreigners, disabled people, and anyone who didn't follow his religion. He even commited genocide of a major religion called Judaism." I looked at Rex and Ezra, seeing their surprise. "It's just how people are. Hitler wanted perfection, the Separatists wanted independence, and now the Empire wants control." I sighed.
"That's a dark view for such a young man." Rex said, looking at me sadly.
"I'm a cynical bastard; have been since I hit puberty." I shook my head with a humourless chuckle.
"Are you learning from Kanan too?" The Captain asked.
"No." I shook my head in negative. "I've only been with these people for a few days. Ahsoka is the one who'll be training me." I explained. "She offered after I helped these guys get away from a Sith Lord."
"What, Commander Tano?" he asked in surprise. I nodded. "Well, you must be quite something then." he grinned at me. "If the Commander has offered to take you on, she must see something in you. Truly, I doubt anyone could do a better job." he crossed his arms with a smirk. "Well, except for maybe General Skywalker." He added. Yeah, no... I don't need him teaching me anything right now thanks.
"The Clones gave us up!" Sabine's sudden outburst caught all of our attention as she stormed out of the tank, holding one of those datapads. "They warned the Empire we were here!" She told us angrily.
"What, what?" Ezra was surprised, a feeling I shared.
"You're mistaken, we would never do that!" Rex protested.
"Oh, I found the binary transmission to the Empire." Sabine shot back, glaring. "And there are messages here from Ahsoka sent to Rex, but he never answered her." She added.
"What?!" Rex seemed just as surprised as everyone else as he grabbed the datapad. "I never got any messages from Commander Tano." He said as he scrolled through.
"I knew it." Kanan growled. "I told you; these Clones can't be trusted." He looked ready to toss them off the tank.
"Kanan, wait." Ezra stopped his teacher with a hard look. "Is this true?" He asked the Clone Captain. Rex looked thoughtful for a moment before turning to his brother.
"Wolffe." He said sternly. "What did you do?" His tone of voice commanded an answer right out of his brother.
"I… I contacted the Empire." Wolffe confessed. "But if they knew we were helping Jed, three of them at that, they'd wipe us out!" He defended himself.
"Two, technically." I gestured to Kanan and Ezra. "Not that it's relevant." I said when Sabine gave me a look. "We should probably warn Hera." I said.
"Yeah." Kanan agreed. "Sabine, go. Tell her to scan for incoming ships." He instructed the Mando, pointing at the Phantom. She nodded and ran.
"I just wanted to protect you guys; protect our squad!" Wolffe looked Rex in the eye.
"The war is over." Rex grabbed his brother by the shoulders. "We are free men. We can't keep living in fear of the Empire for the rest of our lives Wolffe! That's not freedom!"
"You're right… They're not our enemies…" Wolffe confessed, his head down in guilt. "I'm sorry."
Before anyone could say anything else, the sound of a blaster being fired on the tank sounded in all of our ears. We allied heard Sabine called out for Kanan, and the Jedi immediately jumped into action. As did I, my staff at the ready. Her attacker was an Imperial probe that immediately fired upon us. I'm embarrassed to say I let out a little yelp as I fell to the ground in a poorly conceived attempt at dodging.
The probe tried to get away, but Kanan and I quickly went after it. Don't know why, I was pretty much useless with just my staff. I could probably smash it if I got close, but that thing was fast. Kanan tried to shoot it when we got to the ground, but it was nimble. It shot right past Zeb and Gregor, who were already on the ground from dodging it's fire. Just when it looked like the thing might get away, a blue blaster bolt shot from on the tank, destroying the probe. Kanan and I looked over at the tank, and saw Rex holding one of those rifles they had earlier.
Minutes later, after the sun had set, we were all gathered around the now destroyed probe.
"I'll say it again, I really need my own blaster." I said with a shake of my head as Sabine approached, having inspected the Phantom.
How long has this thing been watching us?" Ezra asked, his tone grim. It was clear what the presence of the probe meant.
"Long enough." Kanan answered, and I couldn't disagree. "How's the Phantom?" He asked of Sabine.
"Well, the engine took a hit." Sabine reported regretfully. "We're not going anywhere until I can fix it."
"You mean we're stuck here?" Zeb, understandably, was not keen on the idea.
"And the Empire is on it's way." Rex added ominously.
"Well fan-fucking-tastic." I sighed.
Christ, this chapter may be one of the longest I've ever written. I may very well be getting the spark back hey. Who knows? Don't get your hopes up though people.