Sparks of Rebellion
Chapter 17: The Lost Commanders
Not long after the destruction of Phoenix Home, the Phoenix Cell, commanded by Commander Sato.
Ahsoka, Ferus, Lisa and the Spectres are on the run from the Empire.
"The destruction of our command ship has severely limited our ability to fight the Empire in this sector."Commander Sato stated.
"So maybe we don't fight, uh, Commander Sato, sir."Ezra said. "When things got tough for me on Lothal, I'd go find some place to hide."
"You are never shy with your opinions, Ezra Bridger, but establishing a base is a good idea."Commander Sato agreed.
"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 admitted.
"Or aid the nearby systems suffering from Imperial oppression."Kanan added.
"We can't help others if we can't help ourselves, Kanan."Hera reminded. "If only we had more allies."
"I know someone who might be able to help us."Ahsoka commented. "A great military commander with a vast knowledge of the Outer Rim. He could assist us in finding a base, and his experienced leadership would make him a powerful ally."
Lisa looked at Ferus.
"Who is she talking about?"She whispered.
"You will find out, sweetheart."Ferus answered.
"How do we recruit this leader?"Commander Sato asked.
"That's the problem."Ahsoka replied."I lost track of him a long time ago and all my transmissions have gone unanswered."
"We can find him."Ezra suggested. "Let us try."
"Well, there is one option I've not yet attempted."Ahsoka remarked.
Afterwards...
Ahsoka gives Sabine and the crew of the Ghost the head of an old tactical droid..
"Is that the head of an old tactical droid?"Sabine asked.
"These droids were great at finding things, calculating."Ahsoka explained. "Found my master and I a few times when we didn't want to be found."
"How in all the galaxy is that droid gonna find your friend?"Ezra asked.
"Well, I heard he was last seen in the Seelos system."Ahsoka stated. "You can start there."
Ferus and Ahsoka began to walk away.
"You're not coming with us?"Lisa asked.
"We have something else to attend to."Ferus responded in a bitter tone.
"The Sith Lord."Kanan said.
"There are questions, questions that need answering."Ahsoka commented.
"I wish we could go with you."Ezra said.
"You have your own mission, Ezra."Ahsoka reminded. "Kanan, if you find my friend, you must trust him."
"If he's all the things you say, we can't afford not to."Kanan admitted.
"Trust him."Ahsoka said simply.
Then the door closed in front of Ferus and Ahsoka.
"What was that about?"Ezra asked.
"I have no idea."Kanan replied.
Lisa simply shrugged in response.
In Space...
The Ghost departed from the Phoenix Cell and headed to the Seelos System.
Inside the Ghost...
When the Ghost drops out of hyperspace at Seelos, the ship's systems were damaged from re-entering realspace.
"We get all the way to Seelos and now you tell me the hyperdrive wasn't completely fixed?!"Hera said angrily.
Chopper beeped in response.
"You finished the important repairs?"Hera argued. "How did you define important?"
"What's going on?"Kanan asked as he came up.
"Chopper and I are staying here."Hera replied. "To clean up his mess, take the Phantom, hopefully we'll be ready to go by the time you get back."
Inside the Phantom...
"Well, let's fire this thing up."Sabine said.
She plugs in the tactical droid's head, which quickly detects something.
"I think it's scanning for a signal of some kind."Sabine suggested.
"Good luck."Ezra admitted. "You could really get lost out here."
"Maybe that was the idea."Zeb stated. "What if this great commander we're looking for doesn't want to be found?"
"Well if we tell him that Ahsoka and my dad sent us, I'm sure he would."Lisa commented.
"7567."the tactical droid said. "7567."
"It's homing in on something."Sabine remarked.
"7567."the tactical droid repeated.
"There."Zeb said pointing at something ahead. "Up ahead."
In the distance, the crew spots a walker and flies towards it.
When the Phantom got closer they saw it was a heavily-modified AT-TE walker.
"Whoa."Ezra said in surprise.
"Now that is a work of art."Sabine chuckled.
"Looks like an old Republic tank, used during the Clone Wars."Kanan stated with a frown.
The Phantom landed on the ground and the rebels came out
"Ezra, Lisa, be on guard."Kanan warned.
Then five old men emerged from the walker.
"It's just a bunch of old geezers."Zeb scoffed.
"Well-armed old geezers."Sabine corrected.
"What do you want?"Rex asked.
"We're looking for someone."Kanan replied.
"Well, that's too bad, 'cause there's nobody out here."Rex stated.
"Hey, uh, does the number 7567 mean anything to you?"Ezra asked.
This caused the five old clone troopers to get alarmed.
"What did you just say?"Rex questioned.
"Uh, I said 7567."Ezra answered.
"I haven't heard those digits in...well, that's my birth number."Rex admitted.
"Birth number?"Ezra said in confusion.
"They're clones."Kanan stated and activated his lightsaber.
"Kanan, wait!"Ezra protested. "Stop!"
"Hey, what are you doing?!"Lisa questioned.
"Jedi?"Wolffe panicked. "They've come for revenge."
He fired his blaster causing Kanan to deflect the shots with his lightsaber.
This caused Zeb and Sabine to take out their blasters.
"Drop the blaster, old man!"Zeb snarled.
"Don't try it, boyo!"Gregor retorted holding his blaster. "I'll gun you down."
"Stand down, troopers, now!"Rex ordered. "That's an order, soldier."
"But he's a Jedi."Wolffe argued. "A Jedi!"
"I know, I know."Rex replied. "But they weren't the ones that betrayed us, remember, Wolffe, remember?"
Wolffe lowered his blaster while Kanan still held his lightsaber on.
"Kanan, Ahsoka said to trust them."Ezra reminded.
"Sorry about the, um, weapons malfunction."Rex apologised. "My friend here is just a little defensive, see, we haven't seen a Jedi since, uh..."
Kanan raised an eyebrow at him.
"Well, it's been a while."Rex admitted.
"See?"Lisa asked. "They mean no harm."
Kanan sighed and deactivated his lightsaber.
"Well, my name's Ezra."Ezra responded. "That's Lisa, this is Kanan, that's Sabine and Zeb, it's nice to meet you, 7567."
"Actually my name is Rex, Captain, 501st Clone Battalion."Rex said. "Meet Boost, Warthog and Commanders Gregor and Wolffe."
"We were sent by Ahsoka Tano and my father Ferus Olin."Lisa stated.
"Father?"Boost asked in confusion.
"Ahsoka Tano and Ferus Olin."Rex said. "I fought by Ahsoka's side from the Battle of Christophsis to the Siege of Mandalore, a friend of hers and Ferus is a friend of mine."
"Even Olin's kid?"Warthog asked.
"Of course."Rex answered.
Lisa smiled at the old clone captain's response.
Inside the AT-TE Walker...
"Hey."Gregor said. "You're a big one, aren't you?"
"Bigger than you."Zeb joked.
Ezra picked up Rex's old clone helmet.
"Whoa, hey, hey."Rex said with a smile. "Easy with those, son."
"Oh, yeah, yeah."Ezra answered and placed down the helmet. "I might move the dust."
"How is Commanders Tano and Olin?"Rex asked.
"Uh, well, in need of help."Ezra responded. "We all are. Look, we're trying to fight the Empire, but we're outnumbered, overmatched and taking a beating. We could use your help."
"Well, I'm not sure I'm much help to anyone these days."Rex replied. "Didn't you hear? The Emperor said the clone army has outserved its purpose and retired us. Now we spend our days just telling stories and slinging for joopas."
"This was a wasted trip."Kanan muttered as he began to walk away. "You heard the clone, he's not interested."
He then left the room.
"You don't like the Empire, do you?"Lisa asked.
"Well, the Empire certainly isn't the Republic, but you can't do anything about that."Rex stated.
"You could fight."Ezra suggested.
"Sorry, son."Rex answered. "My days as a soldier are over."
"Well, okay, then maybe there's one thing you can help us with."Ezra suggested. "We need a base, Ahsoka said you knew about all sorts of secret locations in the Outer Rim."
"Well, my memory isn't what it once was, but, um, there are a few spots I never bothered to report to the Empire."Rex admitted as he stood up. "Look, why don't you wait outside and I'll put together a list of coordinates."
Ezra, Lisa and the rest of the rebels went out of the walker.
"Do you think they will help us?"Lisa asked.
"I'm sure they would."Ezra responded.
"I doubt it."Kanan retorted.
Then Gregor came outside.
"You know, I was thinking, since we're providing you with a list of bases, um, there's something you can do to help us."Gregor admitted.
"No, thanks."Kanan replied.
"We would love to."Lisa remarked.
"Sure."Ezra replied. "What can we do?"
"Out there, deep below, roam the joopa."Gregor explained. "Elusive big game, when we're lucky enough to sling one in, it'll feed us for the whole year."
"Okay, what do you need?"Sabine asked.
"Him."Boil said pointing to Zeb.
"Huh?"Zeb asked in confusion. "What?"
Gregor smirked in response.
Afterwards...
While Sabine and Zeb were preparing to help the clones catch the joopa, Ezra and Lisa went to the Phantom to check on Kanan.
"Okay, you don't trust these clones, but they haven't done anything."Ezra said.
"You don't understand, they're dangerous."Kanan replied. "They could-"
"They could what?"Lisa questioned. "My dad and Ahsoka have been friends with them during the war even after. So what's not-"
"You weren't there."Kanan stated with a glare. "Neither of you weren't even born."
"What are you talking about?"Ezra asked.
"I don't feel like discussing it."Kanan responded.
Ezra and Lisa turned to leave causing Kanan to sigh.
"It was at the end, the end of the war."Kanan admitted. "Our fellow soldiers, the clones, the ones we Jedi fought side by side with, suddenly turned and betrayed us. I watched them kill my master. She fought beside them for years, and they gunned her down in a second and then came for me. Later they said they had chips in their heads that made them do it, so they had no choice."
"I didn't betray my Jedi."
Kanan, Ezra and Lisa turned around and saw Rex.
"Wolffe, Gregor, Boost, Warthog and I all removed our control chips."Rex stated.
Kanan continued glaring at him.
"We all have a choice."Rex admitted and walked away.
Ezra and Lisa smiled while Kanan simply folded his arms in doubt.
"Well, for what it's worth, I believe we can trust Rex."Ezra remarked.
"Yeah, we shouldn't judge someone of what they are."Lisa agreed kindly.
The two kids walked away leaving Kanan alone to go back to the others.
Zeb leads the hunt for the elusive joopa with the AT-TE in tow.
"If we're lucky, we'll catch Big Bongo today."Gregor announced.
"Let's get this over with."Zeb muttered. "I'm getting hungry."
"Keep on going forward."Gregor ordered. "Just a little bit more, we're coming up on a hot spot!"
"Your hot spot looks like everywhere else on this desolate rock."Zeb insulted.
Then there was a small explosion of breaking rocks ahead.
"Out there."Sabine said.
"All right, full stop."Rex ordered.
He and Wolffe made the walker stop.
"All right, just a little bit more."Gregor ordered. "Little more."
"Oh, really?"Zeb asked in annoyance.
Gregor looked at Ezra and Lisa.
"You know, we really appreciate this."He admitted. "I mean, we, we should do well today, with your friend here."
"Yeah, well, Zeb packs quite a punch."Ezra commented.
"I'm sure, I'm sure."Gregor laughed. "But really, I mean, joopa supposedly love Lasats."
"They love them?"Sabine asked. "What do you mean?"
"Well, they say they love the smell or I guess they love the taste as well."Gregor replied. "And maybe it's about the texture."
"Wait, if Joobas are Lasat eaters that means-"Lisa started.
"Zeb's not the hunter, he's the bait!"Ezra said in shock.
"Oh, hunter, bait, it's all the same."Gregor remarked.
"No, it's not!"Kanan snapped.
Suddenly more rocks began to break.
"Zeb, you better get back here right now!"Kanan shouted.
More rocks broke from underground causing Zeb to back away nervously.
"Buddy, run!"Ezra yelled. "You're the bait!"
"Zeb, it's gonna eat you!"Lisa warned.
The Jooba beneath the ground got closer to Zeb.
"Oh, karabast."Zeb mumbled nervously.
"Zeb, run!"Kanan protested.
"Get out of there!"Ezra shouted.
Zeb wasn't moving a muscle.
"What are you doing?!"Kanan asked. "Run!"
A tentacle burst out from the ground and grabbed Zeb pulling him down.
"Zeb, no!"Ezra screamed.
"Whoo-hoo! This could be him!"Gregor laughed. "Our Big Bongo!"
The walker started going after the Jooba.
"Hey, I bet you know a thing or two about mechanics!"Rex called out.
"Yeah, good bet."Sabine responded.
"Keep an eye on this regulator, the line can overheat and shut down."Rex ordered. "No line, no joopa, no Zeb."
"Got it."Sabine ordered.
"Well, what about me and them?"Ezra asked.
"You got the best job of all!"Gregor chuckled. "When the line swings around, you'll charge it with the electro-poles. Hit the line with the rod, and it'll send a bolt of energy down to the joopa. Do it enough, and you should bring it up to the surface."
Boost hands electric poles to Ezra and Lisa while Gregor hands one to Kanan.
"Here's one for you, General."Gregor said.
"Don't call me that."Kanan replied with a glare. "I was never a general."
"Uh, my mistake."Gregor apologised. "Sorry, Commander."
"No, it's not-"Kanan said.
He groaned and went next to the two padawans.
"Hit it now!"Rex ordered.
Kanan, Ezra and Lisa hit the line swing with the electric poles.
When the electricity hits the joopa there were more rocky explosions from the ground and the joopa rushed more quicker.
"That's it! That's it!"Gregor said. "Ooh! He didn't like that! Hit him again!"
The three jedi hit the line with the electric poles again causing the joopa to get more insane.
"He's a runnin', hit that line!"Rex ordered. "Bring him up."
The line went taller making Ezra and Lisa struggle to use their electric poles.
"We're losing the regulator!"Sabine shouted.
"Full stop, Wolffe! Dig in!"Rex ordered. "This is where we finish the battle!"
Wolffe brought the walker to a halt which yanked up on the throttle.
The walker comes to a stop causing Ezra and Lisa to fall but they were caught by Kanan and Boost.
Boost smirked. "This is where the fun happens."
"Huh?"Lisa asked.
The joopa was slowly pulling the walker along and downwards.
Then the ground beneath the walker began to crack from the strain.
"I can't reach it!"Ezra protested. "Kanan, lift me up!"
Kanan lifted Ezra up on his shoulders.
"Sabine!"Ezra shouted.
"I know, I know, working on it!"Sabine answered.
The walker lowered causing steam to come out.
"Got it!"Sabine announced.
Lisa prepared to jab the line with the electric pole while Kanan tossed the pole he dropped upwards to Ezra.
"Ezra?"Kanan warned.
At the same time Lisa and Ezra brought the electro-poles into the line causing a large surge of energy to travel down into the ground.
Then a giant jooba burst out of the ground.
"It is Big Bongo!"Gregor chuckled.
"It's hideous."Lisa growled in disgust.
Rex fired at the jooba causing it to let out a loud roar and drop dead in the ground.
Then Zeb came out of the mouth covered in slime.
"What a smell."Zeb muttered.
"Ah, Zeb!"Ezra laughed.
"Nice catch, old-timers."Sabine remarked.
Rex gave her a smile and salute.
"So what do you think?"Boost asked.
"Well despite the dangers, it was pretty fun."Lisa said in amusement.
"Yeah! Way to go!"Gregor admitted as he brought Zeb out of the jooba's mouth. "Now that, that was impressive."
"Impressive?!"Kanan questioned in anger. "You almost got my friend eaten!"
"Yeah ugh, I was in that thing's mouth!"Zeb shouted.
"Oh! Head to toe."Gregor responded and showed Zeb the dead jooba. "But look at you. You brought in our biggest catch ever."
"I did?"Zeb asked with a smile and looked at Kanan. "Actually, it wasn't so bad, Kanan, I-I knew I had the beast from the beginning."
"And you are a natural."Rex commented as he came down to see the three jedi.
"We held up our end of the deal, Captain."Kanan replied. "Now it's time to get us those coordinates so we can go."
"I'll get 'em."Rex said. "But you might consider staying for dinner."
"It's gonna be delicious!"Gregor laughed.
"That thing tried to eat me."Zeb stated. "Only fair I get to see how it tastes."
"Well, I have an appetite for a slimy but big meal."Lisa joked.
"Can't say no to that."Ezra agreed and looked at Kanan. "Right, Kanan?"
An annoyed look grew on Kanan's face.
Later that Evening...
Sabine, Ezra and Lisa watched the sunset as Rex went up to them.
"I've assembled a list of potential bases and clearance codes and a few protocols the Imperials still use."Rex admitted. "Should be of some use."
"Thanks, Rex."Ezra said.
"They're on our main computer."Rex commented. "You're gonna need-"
"Data tapes?"Sabine finished. "I got this."
She walked to the walker leaving Ezra and Lisa with Rex.
"You were brave today, kids."Rex remarked. "You jumped right in there to help, a great Jedi once told me that the best leaders lead by example, you both do that well."
"My dad did teach me to be good those around me."Lisa replied with a warm smile.
"I've learned from a great jedi too."Ezra admitted and looked where Kanan was. "Kanan."
"Mmm, you know, I don't think he likes me or ever will."Rex said. "Can't say I blame him. The war left its scars on all of us."
"Won't you reconsider joining us?"Lisa asked.
"You know, I've outserved my purpose for that kind of fighting, I'm afraid."Rex stated. "After the war, I questioned the point of the whole thing, all those men died, and for what?"
"I guess what they thought was right."Ezra answered.
Then Sabine came out waving a datapad around.
"The clones gave us up."She said with a frown. "They warned the Empire we're here."
"Wait, what?"Ezra asked in disbelief.
"You're mistaken."Rex replied. "We would never do that."
"Oh, I found the binary transmission to the Empire."Sabine argued. "And there are messages Ahsoka sent to Rex and he never answered her!"
"What?"Rex asked as he looked at the datapad. "I never got any messages from Commander Tano."
"I knew it!"Kanan said angrily. "I told you, they can't be trusted."
"Kanan, wait."Ezra protested and looked at the clones. "Is this true?"
"You know what I hate most in the galaxy beside the Empire are liars."Lisa retorted with her arms folded.
"We would never want to do anything with the Empire."Warthog admitted honestly.
Rex looked at Wolffe causing Boost and Warthog to do the same.
"Wolffe."He said. "What did you do?"
"We're you the one who blocked Tano's messages?"Boost questioned.
"I-I contacted the Empire."Wolffe answered.
"What?!"Boost said with a glare.
"How could you?!"Warthog growled.
"If they found out that we were helping Jedi, they'd wipe us out."Wolffe stated.
"Sabine, go warn Hera."Kanan ordered. "Tell her to scan for incoming ships."
Sabine rushed off to warn Hera.
"I wanted to protect you guys, protect our squad."Wolffe admitted.
"The war is over, we are free men."Rex reminded. "We can't live under the fear of the Empire for the rest of our lives, Wolffe, that's not freedom."
"You're right, they're not our enemy."Wolffe said sadly. "I'm sorry."
"Kanan!"Sabine shouted.
The probe started firing at the rebels but Rex quickly destroyed before it could make its escape.
"How long has this thing been watching us?"Ezra asked.
"Long enough."Kanan replied. "How's the Phantom?"
"Well, engine took a direct hit."Sabine responded. "We're not going anywhere until I can fix it."
"I can help you with that."Lisa assured.
"Wait."Zeb mean we're stranded?"
"Yep and the Empire's on its way."Rex admitted with a grim look.
The group looked at the evening sky that was now getting darker.
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter:)