AN: Alright, I was going to do this chapter different, but trust me, you want a whole chapter dedicated to the execution of what goes on here. Give me a few days for that one, it's gonna be big. I am MUCH excite. Enjoy, lovelies!
Chapter 22: The Playing Field
Ezra sat upon the floor before his two Masters, his eyes closed in his concentration as the glowing green of his kyber crystal floated before him, surrounded by tiny pieces and parts, little components and screws that he had never seen before, but was supposed to know, was supposed to feel what was to be done with him. So far, he had been unsuccessful, and each attempt to craft the lightsaber had ended in failure. This time was shaping up to be no different, his nervous excitement about the current mission keeping him distracted and unfocused, and each attempt to combine the pieces together resulted in the components falling to the ground, or stubbornly refusing to go where Ezra directed them. It was like the Force itself was against him.
"I don't get it!" the boy cried in frustration as he scooped up the pieces and shoved them back into the bag he had been keeping them in. He would make no progress today. "You both know how to make a lightsaber! Why can't you just make mine so I can actually begin training?!"
"The lightsaber isn't the point, apprentice," Obi-Wan growled, his eyes fixed not on Ezra, but on the holographic display before him as he and Lando plotted and planned his assault on the Chimera. "The lightsaber has never been the point. Crafting your blade is about your connection with the Force. You fail, and will continue to fail because your focus is on the weapon, on the object, the unimportant. This is about the Force, not about what you will get out of it."
"You need to have patience, Ezra," Kanan said, far gentler than Kenobi had been. "When your ready, the Force will guide you."
"Yeah, but when's that going to be?" Ezra grumbled. "We're about to go on a major offensive against the Empire, don't you think it'll be better to have another person with a lightsaber?"
"A reckless, impulsive child in possession of a weapon that marks you for death?" Obi-Wan asked, vaguely amused. "No, I don't think so. The Inquisitor is already after you. There is no sense in making you a target for the rest of the Imperial forces as well, especially not on this mission." Obi-Wan's face hardened as his eyes roved over the holographic display, all his collected information on Thrawn floating above a map of the mining city of Bandor on Bandomeer. "Thrawn is a dangerous adversary. I don't want to give him more to work with than he already has. I'm reluctant to have you here as it is."
"Trust me, you're going to want us here," Kanan said as he helped Ezra to his feet.
"If I didn't trust you, Jarrus, you wouldn't be here at all..." Obi-Wan muttered, his finger touching one of the mining complexes on the map and zooming in on it. "This facility is where they refine ionite and prepare it to be shipped off world to production centers across the Empire. As I'm sure you're aware, Lando, ionite is extremely rare, and recent Imperial demand for it has driven the price way, way up. It's an asset they're keeping very closely guarded, and when you can make away with it, you're going to make a fortune on the black market."
"A prospect I am very much looking forward to..." Lando drawled as he looked at the map. "The city is very well protected. How do you expect to get the ionite off the planet without being shot down by the city defenses?"
"Or by the Chimera..." Kanan muttered. "A Star Destroyer is no joke, and I don't know if we can outrun it."
"We won't need to," Obi-Wan said, tapping three spots on the map of the compound, the points lighting up with red light. "We aren't going to engage the Chimera. You're right. A Star Destroyer is a scary thing, and I don't want to directly engage it. To make my infiltration of the craft go as smoothly as possible, I need chaos, and to keep us as safe as we can, we're going to make this a ground assault."
"...you want to assault an Imperial mining and refining facility from the ground?" Kanan asked slowly. "Are you sure you know what safe means?"
"Those ion cannons point outward, Jarrus, do you want to be in the air?" When Kanan looked sheepishly at the ground, Obi-Wan zoomed in on one of the marked spots. "We create chaos on the ground, it will spread to the Star Destroyer as they attempt to deal with us. As brutal as the Empire is, they won't destroy their own assets, and an ionite mine and refinery is far more valuable than the lives of their soldiers. They'll send overwhelming strength in numbers to flush us out, but one Star Destroyer isn't going to be able to do that if we're smart about this."
"Even if it's Thrawn?" Kanan asked, and Obi-Wan's eyes narrowed in focus as he stared at the map.
"...even if it's Thrawn. It's his tactics against mine, and I thrive best in chaos. He may keep a cool head, but the military presence in the mining facility won't, and they aren't under his command We can use that to divide them and conquer." He took a deep breath as he examined his data. "We're meeting on my terms. Finally."
"So, what, we make a mess of the base?" Ezra asked warily. "How. There are a lot of Imperials down there, Kenobi. I know we're supposed to be taking on the Empire and all, but..." He looked nervously at Kanan. "I don't know, I thought we needed to play smart, and it's just dumb for two small ships to take on a heavily guarded Imperial facility and a Star Destroyer."
"I told you, we aren't going to deal with the Star Destroyer," Obi-Wan said firmly. "Do your job in the mining facility and I'll be able to get on board, and once I'm there, that ship is ours." Ezra stared in disbelief at the Sith Lord.
"...how."
"Don't ask him how..." Kanan drawled. "Just know he can do it. He's got a record."
"As I said, Ezra," Obi-Wan said smoothly, "my ally is the Force. Not enough to carry the weight of an entire battle, but used properly, it can tip the odds in our favor, and we will need to fully utilize every advantage we possess."
"An advantage I'd like to have is a lightsaber..." Ezra mumbled, and the Sith's sharp, glowing eyes fell on the boy predatorily, Kanan wincing as he caught the expression and quickly moved to stand between the teenager and Kenobi.
"Obi-Wan, come on..." Kanan said lightly, a nervous laugh in his voice. "He's still learning how to use his powers, he doesn't know-"
"But he will know now," Obi-Wan said softly, his tone low and dangerous. "Shall I show you the error in your thinking, apprentice?" Obi-Wan cooed sweetly, Ezra suddenly very nervous. "Lando, please go to the cockpit and inform K-2SO that we are to enter orbit around Fitee as soon as we leave hyperspace. We are to keep on the dark side of the planet, I don't want our presence detected. Make certain the Ghost receives the coordinates and remained locked to our navicomputer. I want the entire crew aborad the Umbra as soon as we reach the rendezvous point, understand?"
"Perfectly," Calrissian smoothly drawled, slowly backing away from the commanding Force sensitive. In the few hours they had been in hyperspace toward Bandomeer, Lando had a chance to get to know the Shadow King a bit. Enough to learn that despite his apparent youth, he was a remnant of the Clone Wars, a cast-off Jedi, or a survivor of the Jedi Purge. Enough to learn that he was a very dangerous man. Enough to know that he was a very good friend to have. Losing that sabacc game may very well end up being one of Lando's most fortuitous accidents. So when Kenobi said scram, Lando did as he was told and left the three alone.
"Allow me to demonstrate," Obi-Wan said, tossing one of his lightsabers to Ezra and shutting off the holographic displays with a wave of his hand. "A lightsaber is an object. A tool. A weapon through which a Force sensitive being may focus their energy during combat, but that it all it is. A means through which to channel the Force. It is ultimately unnecessary. Jedi Master Yoda never uses a lightsaber because he is simply beyond such a thing."
"But you do," Ezra said, looking at the weapon in his hands.
"Even I only draw my blade for very specific purposes, I'd rather use my particular brand of the Force to avoid fighting, if possible. People are resources, tools to be used. It is a waste to throw them away. Death must have meaning. Death must have purpose." Obi-Wan grinned wickedly. "But I am Sith, apprentice, we are more bound to the material than the Jedi. For us, a lightsaber is a tool used for death and cruelty, or..." Kenobi grinned wickedly at Ezra. "Or to teach a lesson. Power the blade on, boy, and come at me."
Grinning broadly at the prospect of finally being able to cross blade with someone and progress with his training, Ezra powered the weapon on, a brilliant blue blade extending from the hilt and thrumming gently in the air. He swung the weapon around, feeling his light and easy it cut through the air, and raised it in front of him, but frowned when Obi-Wan didn't move, didn't take his own blade in hand, not the sinister red nor the unusual black. He simply stood. His gaze focused, his fingers wriggling at his side, and Ezra felt as if something were scratching on the inside of his skull.
"A-aren't you going to draw your weapon?" Ezra asked, and the Sith Lord chuckled deeply.
"My weapon is drawn." Obi-Wan grinned. "Strike at me, Bridger. Prove to me you are not a failure. Prove to your Master that you are worthy of the powers you were born with." Clutching the saber tight in his hands, Ezra rushed at Obi-Wan, bringing the blade swiftly down at the unarmed man, and he felt sudden pressure strike his shoulder, swift and sudden, causing the blade to be knocked off its course and narrowly miss the Sith Lord. Teeth grit in irritation, Ezra swung the saber again and again, each time the Sith Lord deftly stepping out of the way, each time a swift push upon his shoulder setting the strike off its mark. Ezra saw the golden eyes blaze as he raised the blade up, and the lightsaber was swiftly torn from his grasp and flew into the Sith Lord's hand, the boy freezing when the glowing blade was leveled at his neck.
"A lightsaber is little in the hands of one who does not turn themselves over to the Force," Obi-Wan said evenly. "Your use of the Force is passive. Instinctive. A good thing, but not enough."
"H-how did you do that..." Ezra asked, his eyes wide as he watched the blade, the Sith stepping back and putting enough distance between them for Ezra to breathe and allow his heart to stop pounding.
"As I said," Obi-Wan said softly. "My weapon is the Force. I feel it flow within you. I see what you do before you do it. I sense where best to apply pressure to set you off-balance. In time, you will learn these things as well." Obi-Wan looked at the boy pointedly. "With patience."
"But you have the Force," Ezra said quickly, and Obi-Wan tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Kanan says there aren't many people left that have the Force, so most of the people we fight aren't going to be able to do what you just did."
"...you think a Jedi with a lightsaber invincible." The Sith Lord growled, adjusted the settings on the saber, and tossed it back to Ezra. Kanan stared wide eyed at the exchange, his jaw slack.
"Wait, Obi-Wan, did you just lower the setting?!"
"I have need to teach my apprentice a new lesson..." the Sith growled.
"...it was full power before?!" Kanan's eyes widened further when th Sith nodded. "What were you thinking?! Giving a fully powered lightsaber to a kid with no training! What if you were hit?!"
"If I were struck by your Padawan, Kanan, I deserve to be struck down," Kenobi grumbled. "Never you mind that, the power has been lowered now." He tossed the lightsaber back to Ezra, and the boy quickly switched it on. "I won't use the Force this time. Come at me."
Ezra didn't hesitate a moment. Raising the lightsaber above his head, he rushed forward once again and began to bring the blade down upon the Sith, only this time, Obi-Wan did not hold still. This time, the Sith rushed in to meet him, the gap between them closing quickly, and Obi-Wan raised his arms to block Ezra's strike at the lightsaber's hilt before the boy even had the chance to bring the blade down. Using the momentum from the swinging blade, Obi-Wan sidestepped as he guided Ezra's hand downwards, and when the lightsaber crossed in front of the boy's stomach, Obi-Wan grabbed the hilt and pushed Ezra's hand toward the boy, the blazing blue of the blade passing through the teen's body. Ezra's eyes widened in pain as the blade cut right through him, and he could feel the burn upon his skin in a ring around his torso from where the blade had bit him.
The Sith Lord slipped under Ezra's arm, and the awkward angle of the boy's hand on the saber's hilt as the blade pressed through him allowed Kenobi to tear the weapon from his grasp in a back handed grip. Spinning around as he darted past the boy, Obi-Wan lashed out with the lightsaber, the blade cutting through Ezra's legs, and with a gasp of pain, the boy fell to the ground, his eyes wide with pain and disbelief as he looked up into the glowing, golden eyes of the Sith Lord, the blue blade held above the pit of his throat.
"A lightsaber is just a weapon," Kenobi snarled. "Without the Force, without training and discipline and dedication, without focus, anyone can beat you. You have a natural advantage and you are squandering it." Obi-Wan raised his hand and Ezra rose into the air, his legs kicking for the ground, his entire body convulsing in pain, and with a rush of air around him, Ezra's back struck metal as he was thrown against the wall, and his vision flashed white.
He could...see them. Figures in the light, shadowed at first, but quickly becoming clearer. Him and the others saving Lothal's senator, a man that had openly been speaking out against the Empire, a man that had been sending coded messages to the dissatisfied people around the galaxy and meeting with them to help form local rebellions, a man that had been on the run for the better part of a year. He could hear the senator speak to him, tell him about his parents, long since gone, but from the way he spoke of them...
With a startled cry, Ezra's eyes flew open, and he quickly scrambled to a seated position from where he had laid crumpled upon the floor, his eyes wide, his heart pounding, his breathing fast and ragged, and Kanan knelt before him, a calming hand on his shoulder. Slowly, Ezra began to clam, the presence of the Jedi soothing as opposed to the Sith's frightful, his touch like peace and serenity instead of fire and death.
"Are you alright?" Kanan asked softly, and swallowing hard, Ezra quickly nodded. Smiling at his student and patting him on the shoulder, the Jedi quickly reeled on the Sith Lord. "You could have been gentler with him!" Kanan snapped at the cold, indifferent Sith Lord, the holographic displays once again open as he quickly read over the information.
"Ezra was in need of teaching," Obi-Wan said, completely disengaged. "I had a lesson, I taught him the lesson, and he will be better for it. Focus and dispassionate calm isn't the only way to connect with the Force. Pain works just as well."
"The lessons of a Sith!"
"I am a Sith, do you expect me to teach differently?" Obi-Wan asked, his eyes narrowing in irritation. "He is impatient, he doubts that which he cannot see. If we cannot make him feel the power of the Force through patience, we shall do it through pain. He will learn, and when he does, he will understand."
"I-I saw something!" Ezra said, his voice shaking, and both men's focus quickly shifted to the teen on the ground.
"Saw what?" Kanan asked. "Did you have a vision?"
"Y-yeah, I think so..." Ezra shook his head. "No, I know so. I saw something, Kanan. Lothal's senator is in danger, I saw us saving him...h-he said he knows my parents!" The Jedi drew back slightly, quickly searching Ezra's face, and looked back at Obi-Wan. The Sith Lord looked just as concerned as him.
"It's possible..." Obi-Wan said slowly, a hand slowly stroking his chin as he thought. "I did use the Force to throw him around. The direct touch of the Force and the pain he was experiencing may have been sufficient to focus his own connection and open him to the flow of the Force around him. This could very well be a vision. Or..."
"Or something's misleading him," Kanan said quickly. "We all saw his last vision. We saw what was there, I could feel the overwhelming power of it. Something else was there with us, if Ezra is open to something like that-"
"Than it's possible his visions are being manipulated," Obi-Wan finished. "I agree with that assessment. Even if the visions do originate in the Force, Sidious may have his hand in them, or he may be fabricating them completely." Obi-Wan sighed heavily. "Or they are real, and his emotions are getting in the way of his clarity. I need to see this vision," he said, kneeling before Ezra and laying his fingers upon his temple. "You have shown me once. You remember how to do so, yes?"
"Y-yeah, I think so," Ezra said, the boy clearly still shaken, though the touch of the Sith Lord sent waves of calm and relaxation through him, and before he knew what was happening, his eyes were closed, his body relaxed, and the images and sounds of the vision filled his mind. Obi-Wan frowned as he observed the vision, withdrew his hands, and sat back.
"I don't feel Sidious' touch. This is a vision, not a manipulation."
"Then we need to go!" Ezra said quickly, jumping to his feet. "The senator's been fighting against the Empire, and I saw him fighting alongside us! I saw us rescuing him! And he said he knows my parents!"
"Look, Ezra, just because you want something to happen, doesn't mean it's going to," Kanan said. "I know you're looking for answers, but that doesn't mean things are going to happen the way you've seen. The vision could be incomplete, or you could be misinterpreting it. Visions are tricky things, deceptive and difficult to interpret, even to those with a talent for foresight. Don't be too quick to take it literally, or-"
"Kanan, I know this is right," Ezra said forcefully. "You're always telling me to trust my feelings, and I've never felt stronger abut anything in my life!"
"A fair indication that things are not as they appear," Obi-Wan said quietly as he stood. "I advise caution when approaching this. You may feel this is right, but so often, feelings can lead you astray. There is a reason Jedi looked to cleanse themselves of emotion, as misguided as they were..." He shrugged. "In any case, we are in the middle of something more important." Ezra's eyes narrowed, and both the Jedi and the Sith could feel anger welling up inside the boy.
"Kenobi, these are my parents we're talking about! I don't actually know what happened to them, if there's a chance they're alive, and if this senator knows them-"
"Your parents are dead, Bridger," Obi-Wan snapped, so cold and harsh that the boy drew back, stunned and shocked and visibly wounded. "No amount of wishing or hoping will bring them back, no vision will make them real. And even if they were alive, even if this senator did happen to know something, your mother and father are not more important than our current mission. We are going after Admiral Thrawn, do you understand? If you are not focused, if you are distracted by this, you will die."
"...we need to approach this carefully, Ezra," Kanan said softly, his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Your strong emotions may be making you see what you want to see, which will conceal the truth from us. If your parents are alive, we'll find them, but not by rushing in blindly." Eyes cast at the ground in resignation, Ezra slowly nodded.
"Thanks, Kanan..." Obi-Wan scowled and looked away from the pair.
"If this senator has been as active in local rebellions as you say, I'm certain he's garnered some amount of attention," Kenobi grumbled. "I'll ask Fulcrum about him."
"Y-you'd do that for me?" Ezra asked, a small, hopeful smile on his lips as he looked at the frowning, dissatisfied Sith Lord, and the golden eyes shot to him, narrowed slightly and quickly looked away.
"I'm not doing it for you, apprentice, I need you focused for this mission, and if this is how I can get you to shut up about it, so be it." He glanced back at the boy, saw joy and gratitude practically radiating from his face, and he swiftly looked away. "Don't place your faith in hope, Bridger, they are dead. The sooner you accept this, the less pain you will suffer." He felt the ship shudder softly, the engines lowering in pitch as the hyperdrive disengaged as they returned to sublight speeds. "Come. I've got all my assets in one place. We need to plan our attack."
"Senator Trayvis will in fact be headed to Lothal," the heavily distorted voice of Fulcrum said, the symbol of the agent floating above the holotable that the group stood around. The Ghost and the Umbra moved in orbit, concealed from sight behind the planet Fitee as they planned their attack on nearby Bandomeer, where the Chimera was stationed. The operation was bigger than anything the Spectres had undertaken before, which brought their activities directly in line with something larger, something that Obi-Wan was clearly a part of, but had been unwilling to involve them in. But now, here they were, working with Lumis and Fulcrum, part of something bigger, something far greater than their Lothal insurgency.
Hera loved every moment of it. This was what she had been working towards. This was what she was meant to do, and soon enough, the Spectres would become part of an actual rebellion. She could feel it.
"See, I told you!" Ezra said. "It was a vision, I told you I could feel it!"
"Do not be hasty, Spectre," Fulcrum said. "Trayvis' latest transmission follows his pattern. He has left a message within that will only be understood by locals with instructions on where and when to meet him. But the Empire is more clever than you seem to think, and several Imperials in command on Lothal are locals, Minister Tua and Governor Pryce included. Furthermore, the timing of this visit seems rather convenient, given recent events. My sources indicate that the Imperials are planning something big on Lothal. A greater presence or a strike against their insurgent problem."
"Well of course he's going to Lothal then!" Ezra said. "The best time to instigate a rebellion is when the Empire is cracking down. This just makes sense."
"Perhaps..." Fulcrum said slowly.
"This isn't the only time we've gotten intel from the Trayvis transmissions," Hera said. "We actually heard about Jedi Master Luminara from one of his messages."
"Hmm..." There was silence for a moment as they waited for Fulcrum to take the new information into consideration, and through the Force, Kanan could feel cold, murderous wrath roiling within the Sith Lord. "Lumis." Kenobi looked up, his arms crossed over his chest, his entire being appearing deep in thought. "What are your feelings on the matter?"
"A renegade senator, meeting with local rebels all across the Outer Rim..." Obi-Wan said slowly, his gaze lowering to the ground. "Increased Imperial presence on Lothal, and if he did in fact broadcast about Luminara...there can be no doubt. This is a trap."
"To lure rebels to a meeting spot to be rounded up by the Empire," Fulcrum added. "I concur."
"What?" Ezra asked in disbelief. "No, that can't be, I saw us helping him in my vision! He knew my parents, and they stood against the Empire!"
"They may be unrelated," Obi-Wan said firmly. "Perhaps your vision wasn't a premonition, but a warning."
"N-no..." Ezra whispered, his chest tightening in desperation. "No, my parents-"
"Your emotions are clouding your ability to see this vision for what it is..." Kanan said, laying a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You set this matter to rest long ago. It's time to let go."
"In case there is a chance we are incorrect, I will send some of my agents to monitor the situation," Fulcrum said after a moment of silence. "For now, I need you to focus on the task at hand. No matter the outcome, we will get to the bottom of it."
"Thank you, Fulcrum," Hera said softly. "No matter the outcome, it will be good to have this matter resolved."
"Lumis, are you prepared to undergo this mission?" Fulcrum asked, and the Sith Lord nodded.
"I am."
"What is your strength?" Obi-Wan took a deep breath, entered his commands into the holoprojector, and schematics of the mining refinery and the Chimera appeared on the display.
"The strength of the Spectres, which includes one kriffing excellent pilot, a beast with the strength of ten men, a Mandalorian explosion artist, a deceptively useful droid, and two Jedi." He frowned. "One and a half Jedi."
"H-hey!" Ezra said indignantly, glaring at Kanan when the Jedi snorted with laughter.
"The rest of our strength includes one KX series security droid, an HK series assassin droid, a professional gambler and smuggler, a clone soldier, a Mandalorian warrior, a Lord of the Sith and three highly specialized ships."
"What?" Kanan asked, looking around the room. All those Obi-Wan had listed were present...save for one. "We only have two ships, and unless you're talking about Sabine-"
"The Mandalorian and the third ship haven't arrived yet," Cody said softly. "He just entered the system, he'll be here soon."
"This is the largest operation you have attempted, Lumis," Fulcrum said, and Kenobi drew up taller, a small smile on his lips.
"I haven't had a team like this before," the Sith Lord said. "A functioning, cohesive team makes all the difference, and I have that now."
"You have a plan then?" Fulcrum asked.
"I do." Obi-Wan enhanced the holographic image of the mining complex. "This is Bandor's ionite mining and refinement facility. Local pirate and smuggling operations have resulted in additional security within the facility and the presence of the Star Destroyer Chimera, commanded by Admiral Thrawn of the Imperial Navy. Our mission is the defeat of Admiral Thrawn. In order for that to happen, we need to lead an assault on the mining facility in order to draw the attention of the Chimera. With Thrawn's forces deployed to deal with the insurgent activity in the facility, I should be able to sneak aboard the Star Destroyer. If we do our jobs, there will enough chaos on the ground to create chaos on the Chimera, which will give me an easy path to the ship's command. Once I reach the bridge, we win."
"You make it sound so easy," Zeb growled, and Kenobi flashed him a smile.
"Taking th ship will be easy, provided I can get on. Actually getting on that ship is the hard part, these ships are a great deal more secure than the Clone Wars era Venator classes."
"Doesn't help that the bastard knows your work," a modulated voice came from the door, and the occupants in the room turned to face a Mandalorian in green armor as he took off his helmet, revealing a dark haired, handsome man, a face that Kanan had seen hundreds of times. This was a clone, but he was young, far younger than the advanced aging clones should have been. He felt his chest tighten despite himself.
"You're late, Boba," Obi-Wan said flatly as Cody rushed to meet the Mandalorian and tightly embraced him, the younger man returning the gesture and lifting the older man off the ground.
"Got tied up, boss, sorry..." Boba said, putting Cody down and patting the clone affectionately on the back. "Hello, father..."
"Would it kill you to come visit more often?" Cody said with a roll of his eyes. "Unlike the kriffing Shadow King, I'm not getting any younger."
"What, would you have me neglect our Mand'alor? I'm on her honor guard, you know how busy she keeps me." Boba looked at Obi-Wan and smirked as he bowed. "Bo-Katan sends her fondest regards."
"You keeping her safe?" Obi-Wan asked, his heart starting to pound in his chest, and Fett scoffed as he rolled his eyes.
"Please, who do you think I am? Not that it's easy, and not like she needs me for protection, but yes, she is safe. She asks a lot about you. She misses having you around."
"...it's mutual." Boba's eyes widened as he looked at the holographic symbol on display.
"Kriff, is that Fulcrum?!" Without waiting for an answer, the man cleared his throat and ran a hand through his tousled black hair and leaned on the holotable. "Well, hey there, Fulcrum..." he drawled, his voice smooth and low, and the encrypted, distorted sound from the holotable sounded vaguely like annoyance.
"The plan, Lumis," Fulcrum said, and the Sith Lord focused on the display, quickly tapping points on the map of the facility.
"The mining facility is equipt with significant defenses that need to be brought under our control. Three ion cannons defend it, " he said, marking the points on the map the weapon were located. "And the shield generators and on site security measures are controlled from a command center located here." He pointed to another place on the map. "We can make our small numbers seem very, very large by dividing their forces and reducing their ability to respond to an emergency, and for that, I've taken the liberty of dividing us up into teams."
"What, you're splitting us up?" Lando asked, looking at the Sith Lord skeptically. "You know, divide and conquer goes both ways."
"Which is why your role is so important, Lando," Obi-Wan said. "Since you still technically own Hera's droid, I'm sending you and Chopper down as the infiltration team. The Imperial officer in charge of the facility isn't just a greedy bastard, but he's also a gambler." Obi-Wan smirked when he watched Lando's face light up.
"We have contacted him on your behalf," Fulcrum said. "As it turns out, he's very interested in the unmined land you own on Lothal, since the planet is such a wealth of rare minerals."
"Your job is to get into the facility and have him take you to the command center," Obi-Wan said, zooming in on the target area. "There, you are to lower the shields and disrupt their security systems. Try to keep the officer alive, he's corrupt enough to be of use to us, and I think you may find him very lucrative if you play your had right."
"I think I may be able to manage that," Calrissian said, patting Chopper on its flat domed head.
"Zeb, Ezra, Sabine, Cody, you four are on the ion cannon teams. You will infiltrate the facility through the maintenance shafts accessible through here," he said, zooming in on the map. "If you follow the path have laid out for you here," he said, drawing a line along a corridor on the map, "you should let out fairly close to the northernmost ion cannon. Sabine, did you prepare the explosives I requested of you?"
"I did," the Mandalorian said, smiling slyly. "Some of my better work, if I do say so myself."
"Excellent," Obi-Wan said, pointing at the north point on the map. "Plant your explosives there and make sure they're very well concealed. We need as much time as possible to get to the east and west cannons, so don't detonate those explosives until you receive the signal. Ezra, you're with Cody to take the east cannon, Sabine, you're with Zeb."
"You know..." Ezra said slyly, "Sabine and I work really well together..."
"Cody has a lightsaber," Obi-Wan said flatly, and without missing a beat, Ezra pointed to the clone.
"I'm going with him."
"Once there, you are to hold position and activate the ion cannons. When you receive the signal, you are to make yourselves combat ready. You'll know what to shoot at when you see it."
"Shouldn't be a problem," Cody said softly, and the corner of Obi-Wan's mouth twitched with a faint, familial smile.
"Kanan..." Kenobi drawled, looking slyly at the Jedi. "You have the most dangerous job. You're the distraction. Your job is to create such a commotion that you draw all the attention to yourself. Lando's shutdown of the security system will slow reenforcements, and if he can lock down the facility, it will be a while before they can get more troops inside."
"So, what, just me and a couple hundred stormtroopers?" Kanan scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Sure, no problem." Obi-Wan smirked, chucklign softly under his breath.
"Don't forget, there will be an explosion on the north side of the compound, and the cannon teams should be drawing attention to themselves as well." He zoomed in on the souther section of the compound. "This is the refinery, and it should grant you the best place for cover. Given the dangerous nature of the task, I'm sending you with HK-45." The Sith Lord grinned at the droid, its visual receptors looking over its Master. "Think you can handle it, HK? There are lots of targets to shoot at down there."
"Question: lots of unrestricted meatbags, Master?" the droid asked and when the Sith grinned and nodded. "Excitement, Oh, Master! This could be my greatest day! Don't you worry, Master. Lots of meatbags are going to die, just like you want!"
"Scan everyone in this room and be certain you have logged them as allies, HK," Obi-Wan said softly as he looked at Hera. "Do you find this acceptable protection for your Jedi, Syndulla?"
"Of course you have a murderous, psychopathic droid..." Hera sighed. "Yes, I suppose so. At least it's on our side..."
"Hera, Boba, you two are my sky strike team." Kenobi zoomed out on the map, the mining complex minimizing to a small representation as Obi-Wan brought the Chimera into view. "After the shields are down and the ion cannons are in our control, you will be given the signal to attack the facility at this point here." He tapped his finger to the southwestern building of the facility. "This is the hangar bay from which the refined ionite is exported. You are to dock here and load up the Ghost and the Slave I with as much of the stuff as you can. The delay caused by the sabotaged security and the commotion of Kanan and HK nearby should give you a fairly clean shot at the depot. If not, Boba, you know what to do."
"You got it, Boss."
"When we give you the signal to leave, you leave immediately. There are going to be lots of TIEs in the air, but our guys will be on the ion cannons and hopefully making a mess of things. Hera, you're the best pilot we have, so all you're going to do is fly. Make your escape, avoid enemy fire, and Boba will destroy any TIE in your way." The Twi'lek looked at Kenobi suspiciously.
"A Star Destroyer can hold seventy TIE fighters. That's a lot of targets for one man."
"Yes, but there isn't anyone better at shooting down enemy starships."
"Don't worry," Boba said, a cocky smile on his lips as he leaned in toward the pilot. "I've got a few tricks in my arsenal. You'll be safe with me, sweetheart."
"Don't you go getting any ideas..." Kanan softly growled, and laughing in amusement with his hands in the air, Boba backed away from the Twi'lek.
"K2..." Obi-Wan looked at the droid, it's head raising when it was spoken to. "You're going to be coordinating the entire attack from the Umbra. You will monitor everyone's activities and positions, call in each phase of the attack, and make adjustments as necessary. You're the relay center for this entire thing."
"Master, that is quite a big responsibility," K2 said dryly. "And the odds of success are low."
"K2..."
"They are very low, Master," the droid continued. "Will I be blamed for our failure when you are all captured and killed?"
"Statement: What does it matter?" HK asked. "They will be dead, so blame cannot be assigned."
"I suppose that's true," K2 mused. "Very well, Master, in light of this new information, I suppose I can bear the weight of this responsibility."
"Well, that's a relief..." Obi-Wan said with a roll of his eyes. "That leaves me with the task of infiltrating the Chimera and finding Thrawn. As soon as I have command of the Star Destroyer, I'll order our retreat. We'll need to get out before they call for more ships and manage to blockade the system." He zoomed in on the map and touched the spot indicating the hangar bay. "This will be the extraction point. Hera, that's all you, we need the best to get everyone to safety. If anyone gets pinned down, make sure to report it so we can coordinate a rescue. Nobody is getting left behind." Obi-Wan looked around the table at his crew and couldn't keep the small smile off his face. "Any questions?" There were none. "Any objections, Fulcrum?"
"None," Fulcrum said. "Come back safe, rebels. There is work to be done, and I believe it's time to bring you closer to our cause." Obi-Wan watched carefully as his fellow Spectres beamed with a light greater than the brightest star, quietly grasping hands and shoulders in a sudden swell of newfound purpose and resolve.
"Alright..." Obi-Wan said, clearing the holodisplay of the attack plans. "Stick to the plan. If something happens and you need to improvise, good, do it, but let us know so we can adjust accordingly." The Sith Lord took a deep breath as he looked at the team he had assembled. Teenagers and Jedi and droids and smugglers, the entire lot of them. Not a team he ever thought he wanted, but now that he had them, he couldn't imagine having anything else. "Happy hunting, everyone. May the Force be with us."