(Ok guys, here's the new chapter. I am extremely sorry about not meeting the deadline, I just finished the second online spanish course I was taking, and I just had a trip to New York to see my aunts and uncles, then I had an awesome trip with my friends (While following the social distancing guidelines of course), lastly, I just said goodbye to my little sister who is going to college out of state. In fact, she left in the morning of the day this page went up.
Like I said, I'm so sorry, but the chapter is here now and by the time you are reading this, I am already working on the next chapter. Also, I went back and took a look at my previous chapters that were posted, and I noticed that some of my spelling was off, and the paragraphs were to… what's the word… spacey (I don't know if that is an actual word there). So over the course of the next few weeks/months, I will go back to my previous chapters and fix up the spelling and condense the sentences into paragraphs. And check back on the story around this time every month for new chapters.
Anyway, enjoy the new chapter guys. And this is set during Brothers of the Broken Horn.)
Garel. A nice small planet not too far away from the Lothal system. The Empire has a presence on this planet, but it is extremely minor compared to Lothal. Phoenix Squadron luckily has an advantage here. Garel has multiple spaceports on its surface.
With that, Phoenix Squadron has taken root here, primarily in Garel City. If they keep quiet, they should be fine. There is so much to do. The Ibaar Operation is almost ready. It had been a few days since they encountered the Inquisitors on the medical station, Jaden knew that Kanan had informed Ahsoka about the threat, but he still wanted to talk to her, just to make sure she got the message.
He was currently in The Liberator blockade runner, at a holotable, attempting to contact Ahsoka, via the frequency that was given to him by Kanan. Kanan provided him with Ahsoka's Fulcrum frequency a few days ago as Phoenix Squadron was getting settled in.
The holotable then lit up to Ahsoka, sitting in the cockpit of her ship. Upon seeing her, Jaden felt relief seeing that his "Master" was safe.
"Jaden." Ahsoka responds pleasantly surprised. "How's it going with Phoenix Squadron?"
"All in all," Jaden began, "We are doing OK. We have set up on Garel and the relief mission to Ibaar is coming together, we are a few days out from it."
Ahsoka nodded in approval. Jaden continues. "I assume Kanan told you about the recent incident?"
"Yes, I'm glad that you are all safe." Ahsoka told him.
"You were right, The Empire is sending everybody after us now." Jaden expressed the gravity of the situation. Jaden knew as ever that Ahsoka looking into the Sith Lord is critical, he did not want to make this about him, but he wanted to ask.
"I know your investigation into the Sith Lord is important, but when are you coming back?"
"Soon." Ahsoka reassured him. "There are still questions that need answers. But Jaden, with the Inquisitors now in play, you, Kanan and Ezra must be cautious."
Jaden nodded at his teacher. She was right. If the Inquisitors could find them on the medical station, they could find them again.
"Well, I'll leave you to it." He tells her, preparing to turn off the hologram.
"Jaden," Ahsoka stops him, causing him to look up. "May the Force be with you."
Jaden smiles. "You too, Master."
Upon saying that, Ahsoka had both a surprised and disapproving look on her face. "Jaden don't call me Master." she tells him.
Jaden, still with a smile on his face responded jokingly, "Well, now I have to call you that all the time."
Ahsoka rolled her eyes and deactivated the hologram. But not before a small smile cracked across her face. Jaden managed to catch that before the transmission ended. Taking solace that Ahsoka was informed with this information, the dark skinned padawan left the room. As he was walking through the hallways of the ship, Jaden's mind was firing at all cylinders. So many things to consider and do. With the rebels setting up shop on Garel, the Ibaar supply mission and his training with Ahsoka, Jaden is just hoping that he does not mess anything up.
He was thinking about some of his past missions. His first mission resulted in the death of an asset, the Lothal mission ended in a confrontation with a Sith Lord and the Nar Shaddaa mission ended in a swoop bike chase. He knows that most of those situations were not his fault, but still…
He exited the blockade runner, walking into the hanger bay it was hidden in. He then proceeded to walk to the hanger bay where the Ghost is. His mind was still going. He knows that the Phoenix Rebels are working tentatively, yet stealthy to get their bearings here.
According to Ahsoka, the many rebel cells across the galaxy have silent supporters/assets within the Imperial Senate. These assets are using their influence to get much needed necessities to the rebels, such as fresh supplies and ships. But they must be very careful.
If the Empire finds out that some senators are supporting the rebels under the table, their homeworlds will be harshly subjected, if they are not already. While not being in the Rebellion for awfully long, Jaden was grateful for this.
He passed into the bay where the Ghost was. As he was approaching, he noticed that the Phantom was detached. Jaden thought it was a little odd, but not completely out of the ordinary. The ramp was down, and he went inside.
The Ghost was empty. Nobody was there, not even Chopper. It was completely quiet. Honestly, Jaden enjoys a little quiet occasionally. When Jaden went into the center of the Ghost, he saw his journal in the center of the table. Taking a seat, Jaden opened it up.
He was lazily flipping through the pages. This book held so many memories for him. When he was a little kid, his dad would read from the journal for him to fall asleep. Some of these stories were stories from a bygone era, but to Jaden, this was as close as he was going to get to knowing his mom.
Rollin never told him what happened to her, only that she fell with the rest of the Jedi. But every time he said that Jaden could see the pain in his father's eyes. He knew that he was not getting the whole story on this, and with the passing of his father, he might probably never find out.
But before he could think more on this, he heard voices coming from the entrance ramp of the Ghost. Putting the journal down, Jaden went to investigate the source of the sound. At the top of the latter, he looks down. He sees the rest of the Ghost Crew, minus Ezra, and Rex was with them as well.
Kanan looked at the dark-skinned boy confused. "Jaden?"
"Yeah?"
"Where's Ezra?"
"I don't know. I guess he's out."
Hera spoke up, "He's supposed to be cleaning the Phantom's exhaust ports."
Then they heard a familiar clicking/clunking sound coming at the end of the Ghost. Jaden recognized the sound; it was the sound of the Phantom coming back into place once detached. "I guess that's him." Jaden stated. "I'll get him."
He then proceeded to go to the Phantom's door on the ship. After a brief second, the door opened, but it was not Ezra. It was a Weequay, who was wearing goggles and a hat. The young Jedi responds to the unknown man by reaching for his blaster.
"Who are you?" unsure of what answer he will receive.
"Hehe, my name is not important," The Weequay started. He then looks and sees the lightsabers clipped onto Jaden's belt. "Another Jedi?" The Weequay then started to move past Jaden, and make his way to the exit ramp, but Jaden was still following him cautiously.
"Ugh, guys?" Jaden called out getting the rest of the Ghost Crew's attention. Turning to face them, Kanan moved in, blocking the Weequay from leaving. Jaden also noticed that he was holding a box of credits.
"Who are you and what have you done with Ezra?" he demanded.
The Weequay put up his hands in a passive nature. "I assure you that young Ezra is fine, let me explain, my name is Hondo. I was transporting power generators, until I was attacked by a vile fiend named Vizago."
Jaden recognized that name. Vizago is one of Kanan and Hera's underworld contacts. He listened to Hondo drone on, saying how he captured Vizago, how he met Ezra, so on and so on. "Ok, that's it, you're leaving." The young Jedi said, attempting to lead Hondo off the Ghost.
"Well, wait. I'm not done. Then he let Vizago out! The villain was upon us, I'm telling you! But young Ezra, he stood tall in front of me and withstood a massive atta..." He then looked down the ramp and saw Ezra walking towards the Ghost, coming up the ramp and stopping right next to him.
"My Friend!" Hondo says happily, but judging by the look on Ezra's face, he was not having it. "I was just talking about you. How you and I rescued the generators from the evil Vizago."
"Yeah, that's not true. You stole the generators and my ship." Ezra responded.
Hondo looked shocked by what he just said. "What an accusation! You wound me!" Ezra then takes the opportunity to explain the situation to the Ghost crew on how Hondo ended up here in the first place.
"Chopper had the Phantom on autopilot."
"Well, that's another version of the story, I suppose." Honda says. Trying to lessen the severity of the situation, he comes up with an idea. "I'll tell you what. You can keep my generators. They are my gift to you." He tells them as he walks off the Ghost with his box of credits.
"Goodbye." He yells back as he leaves.
But before he left the hanger, Ezra went up to him. "Just so you know, at one time, I might have joined your crew." He tells the pirate.
"You might..." Hondo laughs, "Oh, Ezra. You truly are a Jedi." He then continues to walk out of the hanger.
"Contact Commander Sato." Hera speaks up "Tell him Ezra Bridger found his generators."
The rest of the Ghost crew went inside to make contact, while Kanan and Jaden walked down to Ezra. Together they watch Hondo leaving.
"What was that about?" Jaden asks the blue haired boy.
"So, you went for a little spin?" Kanan asked with his arms crossed.
"I was just trying to figure things out." Ezra tells them.
"And did you?" Kanan asked.
"I used to be like Hondo..." Ezra explains to them, "Out for myself and alone. But that's not who I am anymore."
"You're on a different path now." His master tells him.
"And I have you guys."
"Aw that's sweet..." Jaden tells him. "But seriously, what happened?"
This caused Ezra to smile and roll his eyes. The 3 Jedi then went inside the ship.
Not long after…
Ezra explained the adventure to Jaden and Sabine, while the black-haired Jedi was flipping around in his journal. They were sitting at the center table.
"Just because Hera asked you to clean the Phantom's exhaust ports, you almost went AWOL?" Sabine judged him.
"I said I was figuring things out." Ezra retorted.
Then Hera and Chopper came in. "Jaden, Commander Sato has a transmission for you."
"For me?"
Chopper came forward and activated his holoprojector. A hologram of Sato and Jast Karr.
"Commander. Jast." Jaden acknowledged them.
"Jaden, good news." Jast say happily, "We have everything we need for the supply run to Ibaar. I was hoping that you and the Ghost will lead the drop."
Jaden looked at Hera who nodded in approval, and then back at Sabine and Ezra who had the same accepting look as Hera. He then turns back at the holograms. "You can count on us."
"Excellent," said Sato, who then turns to Jast, "Contact the Ibaar rebel cell. Tell them we will leave immediately."
A feeling of determination surged through Jaden's body. The Ibaar Operation is now underway. There are people counting on them, and they will not let them down.