(GOOOOOD LOOOOOORD! I have been away from this story for a while and I am SOOOOOOOO, SO SO SO SORRY. Believe me, I have been working on the story since I last updated. But during that time, I have been making college preparations: working on my projects for my film classes, and choosing my classes for next semester.

But the semester is coming to an end and I will have a good amount of free time. So here is what I am planning to do. Once this chapter is up, I will work on getting the next chapter up before the end of the year. If not by Christmas, then by New Years. So keep your eyes open.

PS: I hope you all have a great and safe Thanksgiving.)

This has been a moment long coming. The Ghost along with a blockade runner are in hyperspace. They were on route to Ibaar, a world in desperate need of aid. The Empire has been working the people of Ibaar to the bone and are limiting their food supply. Given the information provided by Jast, with additional contact with the Ibaar Rebel Cell, the Ibaarians will not survive another rotation without Rebel aid. The transport accompanying the Ghost contained the much-needed supplies.

Jast is currently on the Ghost with Jaden and the rest of the crew. They are trying to contact Eesh Fahm, an old friend of Jast and leader of the Ibaar Rebel Network. This will be the first time the two of them have talked in a long time.

A hologram of Eesh then appears on the Ghost's dashboard. "Jast!" the worn man exclaims, "It's so good to see you again."

"You too Eesh. We are on our way to you. What has happened?" Jast ask him, worried about the answer he will receive. Eesh then got a grim look on his face.

"It's gotten worse, Jast. The Empire has doubled our work quotas and cut our rations." He then turns to Kanan with a pleading look on his face. "Without your food drop, the weakest among us will starve."

"Stay strong, my friend." The Jedi assured him, "We'll be there soon."

"You have our deepest gratitude, Phoenix Squadron." Eesh wholeheartedly thanked them.

The Ghost and the transports then drop out of hyperspace. Directly in front of them was Ibaar. But in between Phoenix Squadron and the starving Ibaarians was an Imperial blockade. The blockade consisted of multiple light Imperial cruisers and some Imperial freighters carrying TIE fighters.

"Our underground network is standing by at the drop zone to distrib…" Eesh's transmission then started to cut in and out. Jast then proceeded to get worried.

"Eesh? Eesh?!" he yelled at the fading out hologram.

Sabine was on the comm's panel checking the transmission frequency. "The transmission is being jammed." She informs them.

"Looks like the Empire came out to welcome us." Hera says, analyzing the blockade in front of her. She was getting prepared to run it.

Then a voice cracked over the Ghost's comms. "Attention, rebel convoy. This system is under Imperial control." Jaden recognized that voice. It was Kallus, the Imperial agents they encountered on Lothal. "Stand down or be destroyed."

Zeb rolled his eyes. "What a surprise. Agent Kallus."

"I'll give him this, he's persistent." Hera responds. "Phoenix Leader, your pilots ready?" she asks over comms.

"As ready as we'll ever be, Captain Syndulla." Phoenix Leader responded "All fighters, attack formation."

As the A-wing fighters detached from the transport, Kanan, Ezra and Zeb then ran to their respective guns on the Ghost, while Hera, Sabine, Jaden and Jast stayed in the cockpit. It was time to attack. The A-wings then formed up on them and followed. The Imperial blockade responded in kind by releasing TIE fighters to meet them.

"Just handle those TIEs, Phoenix Leader." Hera commanded.

"We'll cover you, Ghost. Start your run."

With that, the Ghost moved in, moving ever closer to the blockade. The transport was following right behind them. The Imperials were holding their positions, and were firing on the Rebel ships, with TIEs moving in to intercept them. A number of them were moving in towards the Ghost.

"Zeb, bandit at 270!" Hera instructed.

"I see him." Zeb said at the tail gun, he fired but missed the TIE, "Karabast!"

"Ezra coming in at point 3!" Hera told the young Jedi at the nose gun. Ezra turned the gun and shot down the TIE heading towards the ship.

"Kanan, two marks at 185." She calls out again. Kanan, who is in the top turret shot and destroyed one of the TIEs coming from on top of them. While this is happening, the light Imperial Cruisers were focusing their fire on the blockade runner.

"This is Transport 1. We're taking heavy fire!" The runner pilot called out in distress.

"Stay on course, Transport 1." Hera told them, they still have a ways to go before they pass the blockade to the drop zone. But the blockade was not letting up, they were pouring on the amount of firepower on the blockade runner.

"Losing forward deflectors!"

"We're almost through!" Hera reassured them.

One final array of shots from the blockade causes the blockade runner to lose it's shields and start to explode.

"We're not gonna make it!"

"NO! NOO!" Hera screams as the blockade runner explodes, taking the food supplies and the crew along with it.

"We lost the transport." Phoenix Leader called out. This caused both Hera and Jast to develop a look of sadness. There is no way that they could break the blockade now. They needed to retreat and regroup with the Phoenix Fleet.

"All ships, abort! Abort!" Hera commanded, as she proceeded to turn the Ghost around and move out of range of the blockade. The A-wing in tandem turned around as well, but they were being pursued and shot at by the TIEs, who were hell bent on taking them out before they could jump.

"We have to get out of here!" Phoenix Leader called out. But, the TIEs were focusing their fire on him. Almost immediately after he spoke, his shields failed and his ship exploded, killing him.

"We lost Phoenix Leader. They're cutting us to pieces!" Phoenix 2 called out. There were only 2 A-wing fighters left.

"Set heading 267. All ships, jump now!" Hera told them as she pulled the ship into hyperspace, out of the Ibaar system. They now had a moment to catch their breath after their failure. Hera and Sabine looked behind them towards Jaden and Jast, to see if they were ok. Jaden looked semi-fine, but Jast had a frustrated look on his face,

"Damint." Jast said softly, but angry at the same time. He was crouched forward in his seat. He had his eyes close and was holding his head in his hands.

"Don't worry," Jaden tells the frustrated Ibaarian, "We will help them." Jast didn't say anything, he just continued to sit there with his head in his hands.

Hours later on the Liberator…

Hera, Kanan, Jaden, Jast and the remaining pilots from the first run are talking to Commander Sato about their failure.

"We must finish this mission." Hera was pleading, "If we try again with our two remaining transports, I know I can get at least one through."

"We don't have much time. My people won't last another rotation without these supplies." Jast told them.

"I agree we must try," Sato agreed, "but our entire fleet is no match for that blockade."

"There is an alternative." Rex chimed in, causing all eyes to fall on him. "I've been in contact with an engineer who has no love for the Empire and who claims to have built a prototype heavy assault starfighter, - a blockade buster."

"Great." Jaden said hopefully, "How do we get it?"

Rex turned to the young Jedi. "Shipmaster Quarrie will only discuss his ship in person - on the planet Shantipole."

The A-wing pilots went wide-eyed. "Shantipole?" one of them asked.

"Every pilot in the galaxy knows that's a one-way trip." the other warned.

"Hera will go." Kanan spoke for her.

"Kanan, no." Hera objected "I've got to lead the next run on the blockade."

Kanan turned to her. "If that fighter gives us a better chance to help Ibaar, we have to get it. And no one else is volunteering to go, but I know you will." He then turns to Sato, "What do you say, Commander?"

Sato took a second to think and nodded in approval. "Depart for Shantipole immediately. The next run on the blockade will commence soon."

Not too long later…

The Ghost drops out of hyperspace. In front of them is the yellow gaseous planet of Shantipole.

"So that's Shantipole?" Ezra asked, as he, Jaden and Jast look at the planet in front of them.

"Sabine, Zeb, head down to the Phantom. We're going down there." Hera told them. They can hear a hint of uncertainty in her voice. Sabine and Zeb nodded to her and proceeded to exit the cockpit.

"Good look guys." Ezra called out, causing them to look back.

This causes them to look back at them. Jaden smiled at Sabine, putting his index and middle fingers together near his forehead and sent it outward in a "good look" gesture. Sabine smiled back and did the same thing to him. Jast however had a more serious/stressed look on his face.

"We're counting on you." He told them. Sabine nodded and she and Zeb headed to the Phantom. Hera and Kanan went after them, leaving the two Force-users and the Imperial defector in the cockpit alone.

Jaden sat in Sabine's chair, Jast sat in Ezra's chair, right next to him, while Ezra sat in the copilot's seat. Jaden looked at Jast with worried eyes. He was pondering what was going on in the Imperial defector's head.

"You OK?" He asked him.

Jast just balled up his fist. His eyes were focused on the planet in front of them. Jaden can tell that he was not doing OK. And he thinks he knows why he's feeling like this.

While he was thinking, Chopper rolled into the cockpit, up to where Ezra is sitting. The droid then beeped angrily at Ezra.

"I called it, I'm in the chair, I'm copilot." Ezra told him. Chopper then started to swing his small arms at the young Jedi. Ezra grabbed the droid's arms and grappled with him. At the same time Kanan came in and sat in the pilot's seat. "Kanan, would you tell him I'm co-piloting" he complained.

Kanan rolled his eyes. "You two are co-annoying me." he told them "Now strap in, we need to pick up the rest of the supplies. With or without Hera." He then inputs the coordinates into the computer and pulls the Ghost into hyperspace.

"So when she gets the fighter, we don't have to wait." Jaden asked.

The Ghost then pulled out of hyperspace to the massive supply transport that the Rebellion set up. Looking out the window, Jaden can see the other Rebel transports coming out of hyperspace to be loaded as well.

"Now we just gotta wait for Hera to give us the go ahead." Kanan told them.

Ezra nodded and left the cockpit, while Jaden and Jast stayed in their seats. There was a brief uncomfortable silence while they waited for the transports to be loaded.

"Jast, what's wrong." Jaden asked him in concern. He didn't answer him. Jaden didn't need to use the Force to feel the stress on his mind. "Look, we'll help your people. You don't need to…"

"It's not just that" Jast abruptly interrupted him. He sighs and continues.

"I have just been away from home for so long. I was just 10 years old when the Empire came and took me away from my family to the Academy on Prefsbelt IV. They trained me to become a technician, they told me that my work will maintain the galaxy's security, but I never honestly believed them. Then, I found out what the Empire was doing to countless other worlds, including my own. Starving out the people, ripping up whole worlds for their resources and putting people in prison or work camps."

Kanan and Jaden look at him with sympathy. They have seen firsthand the oppression that the Empire has been spreading.

"When I found out about Ibaar, I knew I had to leave and help them. I had to get in contact with you and have you help my people, so I downloaded those hyperspace routes for you to use. When I contacted Eesh and his rebel cell, he told me that my parents... my family was gone. Killed during a worker uprising three years ago, and I did not even know about it. So many of my people are gone. If this doesn't work…"

"It will." Jaden tried to comfort him.

"We'll make sure of it." Kanan reassured him.

Jast looked at him with a somber look on his face. Both of them saw the regret in his face. He nodded at them and went to the back of the Ghost with Ezra. Only Kanan and Jaden were left in the cockpit. Once the final blockade runner was loaded, Kanan moved the Ghost in position for loading itself.

"What are you doing Kanan?" Jaden asked.

"In case Hera doesn't come back in time, we are loading up the Ghost in case we have to do the run ourselves." Kanan told him.

"You think she can pull it off in time?" Jaden asked again.

"If anybody can do it, she can." Kanan replied, "But still, we can never be too careful."

A couple of hours later…

There were still no words from the Phantom team. The Ghost was loaded with supplies underneath, and all the Rebel transports were on standby waiting for the go-ahead. Kanan was not worried about Hera in the slightest, he knew she could handle herself, what he was worried about was all of the starving Ibaarians that were systems away.

Ezra came into the cockpit. "I don't understand why we're loading the Ghost up with the food supplies." Told his master.

"Well, I thought Hera would be back by now. But when she went out there, there was never a guarantee she'd be back in time." Kanan told him. "We might be making the run."

Ezra went wide-eyes. "We're transporting the supplies in the Ghost? That'll make us the Empire's primary target."

"Yeah, but the Ghost is smaller and faster, so, with any luck, we'll just slip right by." his master responded.

"You actually believe that?"

"It makes me feel better when I say it." Kanan retorted.

Suddenly, the holoprojector on the Ghost began to beep. It might have been Hera with a mission update. But it wasn't Hera, it was Eesh Fahm, and he had a very dire look on his face.

"Phoenix Squadron," Eesh called out, "Where are you?"

Knowing the importance of this, Jaden went to the back of the Ghost and called Jast. The two immediately ran back to the cockpit.

"Eesh, what's happening?" Jast asked.

"They have cut off all of our remaining food supply now. Two families are already gone. We won't last half of rotation at this rate." Eesh told them in sorrow. "Please help us. Please…"

The transmission immediately cut off. No doubt the Empire cutting Ibaar's long range transmissions. They couldn't wait any longer. The longer they waited, more people died. Kanan, taking the chance, contacted Sato. moments later Sato appeared on the projector.

"Commander Sato." Jast addressed him. "My people are stretched to their limit. Families are dying. We can't wait."

Sato took in the information, then turned to Kanan. "Any world from Captain Syndulla?"

Kanan shook his head. Sato pondered the situation and finally made his decision.

"Begin at once." He told them.

Kanan nodded and turned off the transmission. Then, they all notice the transports and A-wing begin to move into position for hyperspace jump. Kanan then decided to contact the Phantom. He needed Hera's mission status. Without that fighter, it is all on the Ghost.

"Hera, please tell us you have something."

"Yes." She says confidently, "I just test-flew it. It has the speed, maneuverability, and weaponry. This ship is exactly what the rebellion needs."

Kanan then got a smile on his face. "That's great news Hera."

The blockade runners and A-wings moved into position for the jump to Ibaar.

"Kanan, they're starting." Ezra informed him as some of the ships jumped to hyperspace.

"What's going on?" Hera asked.

Jast moved in front to face Hera's hologram. "My people have contacted us again; they can't hold out anymore. Sato has ordered the second run on the blockade, and we are leaving now."

Hera looked down in concern. She then nodded and looked at them. "Alright, head to Ibaar. We will meet you there."

Kanan then deactivated the hologram. He then proceeded to pull the Ghost into hyperspace. It was now or never.

Jaden turned to Jast. "It'll work. They will come through." Referring to Hera, Sabine, Zeb and Chopper.

Jast didn't say a single word. He was getting a look of determination on his face. Jaden recognized it. He was determined to help his people or die trying.

The Ghost and the rest of the ships dropped out of hyperspace. They were once again facing the blockade.

"Command Ship, I'll follow your lead." Kanan called out. "Hopefully we can break through their line and make a run for the surface."

"Whose idea was this again?" Ezra asked sarcastically.

'Here we go.' Jaden thought to himself. Almost on cue, the A-wing escort flew outward to protect the Ghost. The blockade then proceeded to fire on the Rebels, while also deploying TIEs for good measure.

"We got you covered." Jaden to Kanan.

Kanan knew what he was thinking and nodded with approval. Jaden and Jast then ran out of the cockpit to the guns. Jaden manned the nose gun, while Jast got into the overhead turret.

Jaden, using the targeting computer managed to shoot down some of the oncoming TIEs, but more were on the way. Kanan, following behindone of the transports, was swerving the Ghost to try to make it through the gaps in the blockade. But the Imperial ships were increasing their firepower, deploying more TIEs and tightening their position, hellbent on destroying them.

Jaden saw the entry point that Kanan wanted to go through, but the fire was increasing. "Kanan, we won't make it through, it's too hot."

"We're cut off." Ezra exclaimed.

Kanan groaned in frustration. "I'm gonna swing around to try again from another direction."

Then a familiar voice came over the comms that caused everyone in the ship to go wide eyed. "Stay on course, Ghost." It was Hera. "I'll knock that cruiser out of your way."

The Phantom dropped out of hyperspace with a starfighter of an unknown type attached to it. The starfighter then detached from the Phantom and moved forward to follow the Ghost and Blockade Runners in formation.

"You boys better give me some room." Hera called out.

"You heard the captain." Kanan calls out to the rest of the ships. The Rebel ships peeled to the sides, clearing the way for the starfighter to face the blockade.

While in the nose gun, Jaden saw the starfighter fly over the Ghost into attack position. Converging on one of the Imperial assault cruisers, the starfighter fired it's 4 laser cannons in a link-up formation, severely damaging the cruiser.

'Nice.' Jaden thought to himself as he witnessed this marvel. He then ran back to the cockpit along with Jast.

"We're clear, going in." Kanan told her.

"We'll hold off any pursuit once you've made the jump out." Hera told them.

"We'll meet you back at the rendezvous." Kanan said back.

The exploding cruiser provided the opening the Rebels needed to pass through. Flying through Ibaar's atmosphere the Ghost reached the supply drop zone. Turning on the holoprojector, Eesh Fahm and his rebels were in frame.

"We're over the drop zone now." Kanan announced. "Releasing cargo."

Ezra turned and gave Chopper the go-ahead. Beeping in response, Chopper released the supplies, which dropped from the Ghost and hovered down to the Rebels below. In the hologram, the people in the cockpit see the Ibaarian Rebels receiving the supplies.

"Thank you, Phoenix Squadron. You've saved us. You've saved us all." Eesh replied happily. "Jast… your family would be so proud of you."

"You're welcome." Kanan replied.

"Thank you Eesh…" Jast thanked sincerely. "I'll be back soon, ya?"

Eesh nodded and the hologram deactivated. The Ghost then left the atmosphere and followed the Rebel ships out of the Ibaar system, including the new starfighter. The Imperial blockade was breaking up, and the TIEs were desperately trying to destroy the escaping Rebels.

"We have confirmation the drop was successful." Sato reported. "Let's go home, Phoenix Squadron."

With that the Rebel ship jumped to hyperspace, leaving the defeated Empire behind.

Not too long later, at the rendezvous point...

The Ghost has just docked with The Liberator, and the Phantom was reattached. Hera, Sabine and Zeb were back with the Mon Calamari who created the B-wing fighter, Quarrie. They were all feeling great after this successful mission. Sato joined them as well.

Jaden was busy talking to Hera and Sabine. "That was some fancy flying Hera. Serious, it was just amazing." Hera smiled at him. Jaden then turned to the blue haired Mandalorian, smiling at her and she smiled back. "Are we gonna get more of these B-wings?)

"We have something arranged." Sato replied.

Then, Quarrie and his astromech droid came out of the other part of the ship with the rest of the Ghost crew. "It seems Senator Organa has found a ship works sympathetic to our cause, and willing to manufacture more of these B-wings in secret." Sato told the old Mon Cala.

"Project Shantipole will continue under my supervision, of course." Quarrie replied. "There are many adjustments that need to be made."

"Quarrie, thanks to you and your ship, we helped many people today." Hera told him.

Quarrie looked at her and smiled. "I just hammered it together, young pilot. You made it soar." With that, Quarrie went into the blockade runner, with his droid following him.

"Your heroics are unparalleled, Captain Syndulla." Sato complemented her. "That is why I agree with Kanan's recommendation."

Hera went a little wide eyed. "Your recommendation? What have you done now?"

"Just listen to the commander." Kanan told her confidently.

"You are to be promoted to Phoenix Leader." Sato told her, "Our fighter pilots will benefit greatly from your expertise." They then all saluted Hera, much to her surprise.

"Good job, Captain Hera." Kanan told her, causing her to smile in response. Amidst this, Jast moved through the small crowd. Sato then turned and faced him.

"Jast, we have the transport ready for you." Sato told him. Jast nodded.

"Where're you going?" Hera asked him.

Jast looked at her, and there was respect in his eyes. "I'm heading back to Ibaar. There is still a lot of work there that needs to be done. But I want to thank all of you." He turned to face the entirety of the Ghost crew. "You all brought some hope back to my people."

"It wasn't just us." Jaden told him. "You brought hope to them too."

Jast smiled and nodded in respect. Giving one last glance to the Ghost crew, he went into the blockade runner for his journey home. Jaden watched his friend leave; he was thinking about the good work that the Rebels did today. Today they showed the Empire what they were capable of. With actions like these, hope will begin to spread.