Sparks of Rebellion
Chapter 12: Vision of Hope
Ezra was being trained by Kanan in Form V while deflecting blaster stun shots from Sabine, Zeb and Chopper.
"You've got the blocking down for the most part, but you shouldn't just randomly deflect the energy any which way."Kanan said. "You've yet to hit the target I gave you."
"Yet!"Ezra responded as he deflected the lasers."Key word is yet."
"Ugh."Kanan sighed. "You're distracted, impatient, what's your rush?"
"I don't want to miss Senator Trayvis's transmission."Ezra admitted as he placed off the mask of his helmet.
"You don't even know if he'll transmit today."Kanan stated.
"He's been on more frequencies lately and I have a feeling."Ezra said. "Today's the day."
"Well, I have a feeling you're gonna get stunned if you don't stay in the moment."Kanan retorted. "This moment."
As Ezra continued to train, he hears voices in his head of the Senator-in-exile and others.
"You there."
"Senator, you're in terrible danger."
"Put your saber down, boy, now!"
"The Empire knows you're here."
"Stay close, Senator."
"You want me to go in there?"
"Your parents were very brave."
Ezra groaned as he opened his eyes and saw he was on the floor.
"I got stunned, didn't I?"He asked.
"No, you deflected every blast back at the target."Kanan replied.
"I saw something."Ezra admitted.
"Saw?"Kanan asked. "You had a vision?"
"I saw Gall Trayvis."Ezra answered."Kanan, he knew my parents!"
The rebels fell silent at the boy's outburst.
"It was so real."Ezra replied as he stood up. "You were there and and you were there, sneaking around in the dark, troopers were everywhere."
"Sounds like a pretty average day."Sabine remarked.
"Except Senator Trayvis was there, fighting side by side with us."Ezra answered. "And he said he knew my parents!"
"Right."Kanan replied. "Look, Ezra, just because you want something to happen doesn't mean it's going to."
"But it might."Ezra argued.
Zeb smacked him by the head.
"Ow!"Ezra groaned. "What are you doing?"
"Helping you to hone your Jedi powers."Zeb responded with a smirk. "Why didn't you see that coming?"
"Doesn't work that way."Ezra answered and got punched in the arm by Sabine. "Ow! Stop!"
"Maybe if we keep trying."Sabine chuckled.
"Ezra, hurry!"Hera called out from the ramp of the Ghost. "He's on!"
Ezra picked up his helmet and rushed inside the ship.
In the Cockpit...
"I started recording before he came on."Hera admitted.
"Yes!"Ezra said happily.
"I'll play back the entire message."Hera said.
"The insurgents terrorizing our world will soon be brought to justice."Minister Tua commented. "I have assurances from..."
Then the hologram of the minister switches to Senator Trayvis.
"Citizens, Senator-in-exile Gall Trayvis here-"Trayvis said.
Kanan, Sabine and Zeb arrived into the room.
"Right on time!"Ezra remarked.
"Shh!"Hera whispered.
"...coming to you with a reminder that the Empire applies the term "insurgent" to anyone who dares defy their tyranny, such as some very courageous souls on Lothal."Trayvis stated.
"He's talking about us."Ezra said with a smile. "He said Lothal."
"I know."Hera responded. "Here it comes."
"To those rebels, I have a message: The sun may have set on the Old Republic, but a new freedom can be won if we are brave enough to fight for it today."Trayvis assured. "See you soon, my friends."
Then the hologram went off.
"He's coming here to meet us."Hera said.
"Uh, how do you know that?"Zeb asked.
"My contact, Fulcrum, says the senator hides coded messages in his transmissions."Hera replied. "When Trayvis mentions a world, it's always the next one he visits."
"How come the Empire hasn't caught him?"Kanan asked.
"Trayvis is too smart."Ezra answered. "You know, he pirates the Empire's own signal, just like my folks used to."
"And the clues he puts in his messages where to meet him are obvious to the locals, but go right over the Empire's head."Hera added. "Watch."
She began playing the hologram again.
"The sun may have set on the Old Republic, but a new freedom can be won..."Trayvis said.
"He said the Old Republic and a new freedom."Hera commented.
"Well, everybody on Lothal knows the New Freedom mural."Ezra said and realised something. "It's painted on the wall in inside the Old Republic Senate building!"
Sabine puts on a hologram of the old senate building on Lothal.
"Hmm...been abandoned since the Empire built the Imperial complex. - Good place for a friendly get-together."She replied.
"Yeah, but when's this meeting?"Zeb questioned.
"Uh, he worked sunset and today into his message."Ezra replied."Pretty obvious."
"Yeah, too obvious."Kanan retorted. "We should have some insurance, in case the Empire is more clever than we think."
"You've got a friend inside the Imperial complex, right?"Hera said. "So find out for sure."
"I'll meet you at my at my parents house at 1700."Ezra remarked as he stood up and put on his cadet helmet.
"Ezra about your vision."Kanan stated. "Don't be too quick..."
"To take it literally?"Ezra finished. "Kanan, I know it's right, you're always telling me to trust my feelings, well, I've never felt stronger about anything in my life."
The boy then left the room as Kanan looked at Hera.
"Vision?"Hera asked.
Outside...
Ezra met up with his friend from the Imperial Academy, Zare Leonis.
"Zare!"He said.
"You're a stealthy one, Dev Morgan."Zare remarked.
"Yeah, that's me stealthy Dev Morgan."Ezra responded. "Hey, thanks for meeting me last minute, Cadet, by the way, how'd you get past the gate?"
"I've been promoted."Zare answered. "Got class three clearance now."
"Um, congratulations?"Ezra said.
"To both of us."Zare replied. "New clerical and courier duties give me greater access to intel you can use."
Ezra quickly hid behind a crate as stormtroopers passed by behind Zare.
"Unless I'm caught, in which case..."Zare said.
"Yeah, let's not get you shot."Ezra stated. "What do you have?"
"Agent Kallus and every section commander have been in secret tactical meetings."Zare answered. "He's gathering troops for a massive operation."
"Any idea what for?"Ezra asked.
"Something to do with the old Senate building."Zare answered. "But it might just be a drill, I'm not sure."
"It's no drill."Ezra commented. "I need to warn the others."
"Uh, one more thing."Zare said. "I'm being transferred off world to the Officers Academy on Arkanis."
"There's something you should know."Ezra stated.
"Don't tell me you're gonna miss me, Dev."Zare joked.
"What? No."Ezra answered. "I mean, sure, but, look, that's not it, my real name is not Dev."
"It's not your name?"Zare asked.
"No, it's..."Ezra started.
"You there!"
Before got a chance to tell Ezra his real name, he got interrupted by a squad of stormtroopers, forcing him to run.
Later that Night...
Ezra found Chopper in the old building, which used to be his house.
"Where is everybody?"He asked.
Chopper beamed at him.
Ezra saw the beneath entrance was open and saw his friends inside.
"It's pretty old."Sabine said. "He said his parents used it to broadcast from."
"I don't get it."Zeb admitted. "They weren't soldiers, just citizens, so why'd they risk it all?"
"They had hope."Hera responded. "That they could do something to make the galaxy a better place for their son."
Sabine cleared her throat to alarm Hera when Ezra came down from the ladder.
"Cutting it a little close."Sabine said. "I know you don't want to miss Trayvis's meeting."
"Neither does the Empire."Ezra answered and looked at Kanan. "And you were right, Kanan, they know where the meeting is, Kallus has an operation planned probably to capture Trayvis or worse."
"The Imperials will have numbers."Zeb stated.
"We'll have surprises."Kanan said.
"What gives you that idea?"Sabine asked.
"I'm being optimistic."Kanan answered with a smile.
The Next Morning...
After learning of the plot, the rebels stake out the Senate Building, where a dignitary shuttle has docked.
"There's a dignitary shuttle and two protocol droids on the platform."Sabine commented. "Trayvis must already be inside."
"I'm not seeing any Imperial forces, well, they gotta be around."Kanan said and looked through his binoculars. "Yeah, I found them, looks like they have the whole area locked down."
"We've gotta get Trayvis outta there before the Empire moves in."Ezra admitted.
"Wait, why haven't they moved in?"Hera asked.
"They want us too."Kanan replied. "It's a trap."
"So maybe we don't walk into it for once."Zeb said. "We don't even know for sure your precious senator is in there."
"Yes, we do."Ezra argued. "I saw it."
"If we can get up there without being seen, maybe we fly him out on his own ship."Kanan suggested.
"I know a way in."Ezra replied with a smile. "No one will see us."
Sabine looked at him with a suspicious look.
"Hey, I survived alone against the Empire for eight years."Ezra stated and walked off. "Come on."
Chopper opened the sewer entrance so that his companions can go in.
"Ugh that's a sewer pipe."Zeb said in disgust.
"Yes, it is."Ezra responded. "And I can pretty much guarantee we're not gonna run into any stormtroopers down there."
He began going down the ladder followed by Hera and Zeb.
"Terrific."Sabine said sarcastically.
She then went down the ladder with her friends.
"Okay, Chop, stay here, just in case we need a backup strat."Kanan ordered.
Chopper closed the sewer entrance causing Kanan to quickly put his head down.
Inside the Sewers..
"Used to be too much water to walk down here, but since the Empire started rationing, pretty dry."Ezra explained.
"Well, it hasn't helped the smell."Zeb muttered.
"Speaking of which, it does smell like you."Sabine stated.
"Hmm?"Zeb said.
"I was talking to Ezra."Sabine commented.
"Wait, you know what I smell like?"Ezra asked.
"Can we focus, please?"Kanan reminded.
The rebels went out of the sewers.
"What do you think?"Ezra asked.
"Better safe than sorry."Kanan replied.
He uses the force to make the two robots go another way.
The rebels go out of the sewer entrance.
"Hold on."Kanan said before looking at Zeb and Sabine. "You two, up top."
The rebels split up with Zeb and Sabine going one way while Ezra, Hera and Kanan went to another.
Ezra, Kanan and Hera go inside the Senate Building.
"Hello."Trayvis said."Who's there?"
"Senator Trayvis."Ezra replied."We're friends."
"Welcome!"Trayvis greeted. "I was beginning to think no one on Lothal got my message."
"Senator, you're in terrible danger."Hera stated. "The Empire knows you're here."
"That's impossible."Trayvis responded.
Kanam glanced at him with a suspicious look.
The rebels are then ambushed by Imperials causing Kanan and Ezra to activate their lightsabers while Hera took Trayvis.
"Kanan Jarrus, Jedi Knight, Padawan Jabba."Kallus said with a smirk and notice Hera. "And what have we here? A Twi'lek I've yet to meet from your regalia, I suspect you must be our talented pilot."
"Where is the Lasat and the Mandalorian girl?"Minister Tua asked.
"If you won't talk, then my troopers will become a firing squad."Agent Kallus threatened.
"You'd better do as he says."Trayvis said.
"Don't worry, Senator."Ezra assured with a smile. "Our friends will be along."
From the ceiling, Zeb and Sabine throw detonators to the ground to make smoke surround the imperials as Hera, Sabine and Zeb attacked the stormtroopers with their weapons.
"Stay close, Senator."Hera instructed.
"We've gotta get Trayvis out of here!"Kanan stated.
"Follow us!"Ezra said.
The rebels went out of the senate building.
"Was really hoping that shuttle'd still be here."Hera said.
Then an imperial shuttle appeared and began firing at them.
"And that's not the ride we're looking for."Kanan commented.
The group went to the sewer entrance.
"You want me to go in there?"Trayvis asked.
"It's not so bad once you get used to the smell."Ezra assured.
"You never get used to the smell."Zeb replied.
Kanan and Ezra activate their lightsabers to deflect the lasers of Agent Kallus and the two stormtroopers.
"Go!"Kanan ordered.
The rebels escaped with Trayvis into the sewers and a chase ensues as the Imperial forces pursue them.
Hera notice Trayvis was catching his breath.
"Ezra, wait up."Hera stated.
"Sorry, Senator."Ezra apologised."We just wanna get out of here as fast as we can."
"I am the one who should apologize, my young friend."Trayvis replied. "I've been pursued, but never in such a place as this."
"Figured you'd be used to running from the Empire."Kanan said.
"Well, I-I've never come this close to capture before."Trayvis lied.
Imperial forces scurry to secure sewer entrances .
"We'll draw them away!"Kanan stated. "Get Spectre-2 and Trayvis to the hatch."
"Wait."Ezra said. "How will you find us?"
"I can smell you, remember?"Sabine reminded.
"Oh."Ezra answered.
"Think of something clever to say later."Hera admitted. "Move!"
The rebels split up in the sewers to confuse the pursuing forces with Hera and Ezra taking the Senator.
"You're so well organized."Trayvis said. "To evade the Empire as you have, you must have quite a support system, good funding, powerful allies."
"No, this is it."Ezra replied. "We're all there is."
"You can't be serious."Trayvis commented. "I hoped we could learn from you, Senator, your transmissions have already helped keep us going."
"Just to know someone else is out there has meant a lot."Hera remarked.
While in the sewers, they come to a slight drop.
"Come on!"Ezra encouraged.
Ezra and Hera jump down to the floor, where Trayvis falls down.
Ezra and Hera help Trayvis to his feet and a look of disgust passed over his face after being touched by the rebels.
Trayvis brushes off his clothes, the areas where the rebels touched him, when Ezra and Hera were not looking.
"How are we getting past this thing?"Ezra asked.
"We could try to cut its power."Hera suggested and handed her blaster to Trayvis."Watch our backs, will ya?"
The Senator turns the blaster on the two rebels.
"That's enough."Trayvis scoffed. "We're not going anywhere."
"Whoa! Senator?"Ezra asked. "What are you doing?"
"Put your saber down, boy."Trayvis ordered. "Now!"
Ezra dropped his lightsaber down.
"You're...You're with the Empire?"He said in disbelief.
"But all your transmissions, those planets you visited."Hera said. "How did word not get out about you?"
"Because no one ever knew not even my own droids."Trayvis replied. "Insurgents are not arrested, they're identified and watched, the troublesome ones have accidents after I'm gone."
"But you're not a traitor."Ezra argued. "You're a voice of freedom, a a light in the darkness, like my parents!"
"Parents? No one has spoken against the Empire on Lothal since the Bridger transmissions, I remember them."Trayvis said in realisation."The original voices of freedom, you're their son."
"Why?"Ezra shouted in shock. "Why?!"
"I joined the Empire like your parents should have for their lives, for you."Trayvis said cruelly. "Your parents were very brave and very foolish, where are they now? I'll tell you, my boy, they're gone!"
Ezra gasped in horror.
"They're not gone, Trayvis."Hera replied as she walked forward.
"Stop right there."Trayvis ordered.
"As long as we fight, all that they spoke out for lives on."Hera admitted.
"I said stop!"Trayvis demanded.
He tried to shoot Hera as she approached him, but the blaster was not charged.
"What?"Trayvis said in disbelief. "No!"
Hera took her blaster back and punched Trayvis on the face, knocking him out cold.
"A true rebel would know if he's holding a charged blaster."Hera stated with a frown.
"You knew!"Ezra said.
"He tried to get us to surrender, he wasn't tired when he stopped, he was waiting for Kallus to catch up."Hera commented. "And he wanted our secrets, I didn't want to believe it.
She gives Ezra a comforting hand on his shoulder.
Then Kanan, Sabine and Zeb arrived to the duo.
"What happened to the senator?"He asked.
"He was working for the Empire."Hera replied.
"Is there anybody on our side?"Sabine questioned angrily.
"So guess he stays here."Kanan admitted. "What's our plan?"
"We were gonna stop the fan to get through."Hera replied.
"Okay, but what will keep our friends from following?"Sabine asked.
"We only stop it long enough for us to get past it."Kanan replied. "Cover me."
Then Agent Kallus and his imperial forces arrived.
"Incoming!"Ezra shouted.
The rebels fire at the imperials as Kanan focused on the fan.
Kanan used the Force to stop the fan from moving.
"Move it, rebels!"He ordered.
"Blast the Jedi!"Agent Kallus snapped.
The rebels escaped from the Imperials as Trayvis regained consciousness.
"Ezra, let's go!"Kanan shouted.
Ezra gives Trayvis a face of disgust and anger before following his friends.
Later that Evening...
The rebels returned to the Ghost, where Ezra lamented at how wrong he was.
"I didn't see it, I was so wrong."Ezra said sadly.
"We all thought he was a good person."Hera admitted.
"You always say I should trust the Force, I thought that's what I was doing."Ezra commented.
"Your emotions clouded the vision."Kanan replied. "It takes-"
"Training and discipline?"Ezra finished.
"To see things clearly, yes."Kanan stated. "Visions are difficult, almost impossible to interpret."
"What was the last vision you had?"Ezra asked.
"I saw this bratty kid that constantly caused me trouble."Kanan answered.
"I guess you read that one wrong."Ezra said awkwardly.
"Yeah, I guess so."Kanan answered.
The man then went up in the Ghost.
"You know, I wanted to believe in Trayvis as much as you did."Hera commented.
"Yeah."Ezra said. "What's wrong with us?"
Hera and Ezra sat down together on the Ghost's ramp.
"We have hope...hope that things can get better."Hera responded. "And they will."
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter:)