"You're doing what?"
"I'm teaching Ezra to fly," Hera replied calmly.
Kanan looked at her in dismay, "Three months. I knew you for three months before you would let me touch the controls on the Ghost. You've known him for a few weeks and you're going to let him fly it."
"I'm letting him fly the Phantom not the Ghost."
"Still."
"He want's to learn and I think it'll be good for him. If we're going to be in a position where he has to fly wouldn't you rather he know what he's doing?"
"I mean yeah, but are you sure it's a good idea?"
"It'll be fine love, don't worry.
"Ok, what's the first thing you do when you pilot a ship?"
"Turn it on?" Ezra guessed.
"Nope."
"Check the fuel?"
"Nope."
"Then what?"
"Buckle your restraining belt." Hera told him.
Ezra started laughing but stopped when he noticed her expression, "Hera you can't be serious."
"I am."
"Buckle my restraining belt? What if we're on the run from stormtroopers?"
"Physics beat the empire."
"But-"
"No buts, you fly my ship, restraining belt goes on first. Got it?"
"Got it."
"So do you know anything else about flying?"
Ezra nodded and started pointing at the controls, "You use the lever to steer, obviously, and this lever is for the thrusters, and this one is for the shields, and... isn't this one for hyperspace?"
Hera smiled. he'd picked up a lot from just watching her and the others, "Very good. Shields and hyperspace actually have multiple controls but we'll focus on those later. For now let's just practice flying."
Ezra practically leapt into the pilots seat.
"Do you know how to start the engines?"
He looked at the controls, "Uhhh...no."
Hera smiled and showed him how. She remembered her first time in the pilots seat, sitting in her father's lap as he held her hands to the controls and gently guided the ship. She had fallen in love with flying and the freedom it gave her, and now she got to teach Ezra.
"Alright now pull back and take us up."
The phantom slowly rose into the air.
"Now give some power to the thrusters, but not to much."
Ezra complied.
"Ok now try moving the ship back and forth, get a feel for how sensitive it is."
"Are all ships different?"
"Most are close enough that you can't really tell the difference, but every ship has its own nuances. A good pilot is prepared for whatever a ship throws at him.
Ezra moved the phantom back and forth. At first his movements were jerky, shooting the ship in either direction. But Ezra was a quick learner and soon figured it out. Kanan had told her that Jedi tended to be great pilots since the force helped them to have better reflexes and Ezra was proving that to be true.
"Alright now we're going to try going a bit faster."
"Can you show me how to do a loop? Like you did to escape those Ties?"
"Er... maybe later. What I was doing only comes after years of practice."
"Good job. You're really getting the hang of this."
Ezra smiled. Piloting was a lot more complicated than he thought it would be. He scanned the controls and noticed a blip on one of the screens.
"Uh Hera, what's that?"
Hera looked at the consul, "Karabast."
She started frantically pushing controls.
"What's wrong?"
"It's an imperial patrol. I'm trying to scramble our signal, but we have to get out of here before-"
"Unknown craft, identify yourself and state your business," a voice demanded from over the comm.
"Kriffing son of a nerf herder," Hera muttered before getting on the comm, "Uh yes this is cruiser... Meiloorun. We were just transporting some cargo to our family in Jalath."
The comm crackled, "We were not notified of any transport in this area. A boarding crew will be on board shortly to inspect your cargo."
"Uh...No thank you?"
There was a moment of silence.
"Did that actually work?"
A blast shook the ship.
"Nope! Get us out of here!" Hera yelled.
Ezra pushed the controls and the Phantom shot forward.
"Uh Hera, maybe you should take control?"
Hera shook her head, "No time. Don't worry, you can outrun him. Head to those mountains."
"But-"
"Ezra, thrusters now."
Ezra pushed the lever and the phantom shot forward.
"Head in between those two," Hera said pointing at the spires of rock. They seemed way to close together for Ezra's liking.
"This is going against everything you taught me!"
"I know!"
Ezra steered the Phantom in between the mountains. He winced as the wings scrapped against the rock sending sparks flying into the air.
One of the TIE fighters clipped the rock, breaking off the wing and sending the ship spiraling towards the ground.
Ezra looked back and smiled, "One down two to go."
"Wall!" Hera yelled.
Ezra spun around to see a mountain looming in front of him, "Oh karabast."
"UP! Pull up!"
"I'm trying!" He pulled back on the controls and the phantom shot up missing the wall by a few centimeters. One of the TIEs following him wasn't fast enough and crashed into the mountain.
"Two down."
"Ezra pay attention!"
He turned the ship just in time to avoid crashing into another spire.
"Don't worry I got this."
He did not have this. The TIE was right behind them. He could hear the ion engines roaring. Hera was trying to shoot the TIE down but she couldn't get a clear shot. Ezra frantically looked around the plateau and spotted an archway.
"I have an idea!" he yelled as he put the ship into a dive.
"Ezra, what are you doing?"
"Improvising!"
The TIE followed them. Ezra steered around a few mountains trying to put some distance between them.
"Mind telling me the plan?"
"You're not going to like it!" He was so dead after this.
Hera realized what he was doing, "Ezra, no!"
The ship flew into the air. Ezra pulled back on the lever as the ship looped around the archway. The blood rushed to his head as the ship turned upside down. Eventually the world righted itself and the TIE was in front of them.
"Fire!"
Hera pulled the trigger and the TIE exploded. The phantom burst through the cloud of smoke and into the open sky. Ezra let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding and practically melted into the seat. He couldn't believe that worked.
"Are you ok?" Hera asked.
"I'm fine."
"Then what the kriff were you thinking? Are you insane?" Hera yelled.
Ezra winced, "Sorry."
Hera rubbed her face with her hands, "Ezra what you did was reckless and dangerous," she sighed, "But it was also impressive."
Ezra perked up, "Really?"
Hera laughed, "Yes really. That was some fancy flying. Now that being said if you ever try to do something like that again you are grounded for life."
She pulled Ezra into a hug.
"You also have to help me fix the Phantom."
Ezra sighed, "Yeah I figured."
"Hey maintenance is an important part of being a pilot."
She pulled away and put her hand on Ezra's shoulder.
"I'm proud of you kiddo."
"Does this mean I can fly the Phantom on missions now?"
"Not a chance."