(Apologies for the long wait but I decided I was going to finish up the last of Season One of Rebels with this chapter. I hope it being the longest chapter yet hopefully makes up for this.)
Varra didn't get any sleep once the battle was over. There was no day or night on Umbara, only eternal darkness but most of the clones had been up for more than sixteen hours so most of the battalions finally got some much needed sleep. Across the rest of the planet, the Umbarans were surrendering and the Separatists were evacuating, considering Umbara to be a lost cause at this point. Yet there were no victory celebrations. For the clones who survived the campaign, this was simply their latest battle and there would be plenty more to come.
Obi-Wan Kenobi was on his way to the base to pick up Master Krell's body and to take Varra into custody. The decision to report what really happened was controversial among the troops. Captain Rex, Fives, Jesse, and Tup wanted to report that Krell broke out of his cell and that Varra killed him before he could harm one of the guards. Yet it was Varra who decided they would report the truth. A Jedi wouldn't lie to cover up something like that and she was still a Jedi Padawan.
Varra had no illusions about her punishment for this. The Jedi will cast her out of the order and sent to the courts for trial on charges of murder. Still the odds of being convicted were slim. Master Krell had committed acts of treason resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Republic soldiers. Any first year adjudicator will be able to point this out along with throwing an extreme emotional disturbance defense and no jury in the galaxy would convict her. Varra knew she was guilty but didn't feel it. Her Master was a traitor and would have caused untold damage to the Republic war effort should he escape. All of that was true but Varra didn't kill him for those reasons.
She tried to mediate for the few hours she had to wait but found herself unable to find the inner peace she once had. Varra, like all Jedi, was taught since she was a child that in order to strengthen one's connection with the Force, removing all emotions and doubt from one's mind was necessary. But now that inner peace seemed impossible. Her mind wouldn't let go of the emotions she felt in the past day. Considering what she went through, it was understandable she'd be upset but Jedi were expected to overcome such things and adhere to the Jedi Code. Varra failed in both of those.
Kenobi's airship finally arrived, touching down on the airfield. A large majority of the 501st were assembled to await the Master's arrival with Varra standing near the front along with Rex and Fives. The airship's blast shutter opened, revealing the bearded Jedi Master. His face revealed nothing and he emitted nothing through the Force. Not anger, joy, disappointment, or anything. Kenobi stepped off the ship along with Commander Cody.
"General, Commander," Rex greeted them.
"All of you are to be commended. Taking the airfield, destroying the Separatist supply ship, and routing the last of the Umbarans. It's safe to say that all of you turned the tide of the entire battle," Kenobi spoke up so the entire 501st could hear him.
"We lost a lot of good men General," spoke Rex. "And we had help," he added, indicating Varra.
Kenobi's friendly tone seemed to fade as he turned his attention to the Jedi Padawan. "Yes. You'll need to return to Coruscant with me immediately," he said.
Varra didn't say anything, just lowering her head as she stepped forward to join him.
"A moment General," Rex said. "The Commander fought bravely alongside us and regardless of whatever wrong you might think she may have done, know that the entire 501st supports her and every one of us will gladly testify on her behave."
The 501st all stood at attention and saluted, not to Kenobi but to Varra. The Jedi Master was surprised as well as Commander Cody but not as surprised as Varra. She thought there would bitter resentment among them towards her loyalty to Krell even when he was clearly wrong. Then again she at least fought beside them throughout the entire campaign while Krell was always in the back. Maybe that is what earned their respect.
Sister charged forward, attacking the Grand Inquisitor with a relentless combination of lunges, slashes, punches, and kicks. Form IV was renowned for its aggressive fighting style and its use of physical attacks. Ataru teaches that your entire body is your weapon, not just your lightsaber. Hence why Form IV masters were considered to be just as dangerous unharmed as they were with a lightsaber. It emphasized using rapid and quick sequences of attacks aimed at keeping the opponent off balance using Force assisted acrobatics.
The Pau'an was forced back, swinging his lightsaber defensively with a single hand and standing at his side. This was the opening stance of Form II also known as Makashi. This fencing style was geared specifically for lightsaber opponents. Whereas most other styles utilized strength or agility to overwhelm an opponent's defenses, Makashi was all about balance and using quick jabs and cuts rather than hacks and slashes. The legendary Count Dooku utilized it to deadly effect, besting multiple powerful Jedi Masters. Still it wasn't without its flaws. Makashi had difficulty meeting strength head on, rather deflecting blows aside. Catch a Makashi duelist with a move he can't deflect away and his defense will crumble.
Sister attacked his head, legs, shoulders, arms, chest, attacking high then low, low then high, high and high, low and low. All of it was aimed at keeping the Grand Inquisitor off balance and wear him down. To his credit, the Pau'an managed to block, deflect, and parry all of Sister's attacks. He hadn't gained his position within the Inquisitorius by just sucking up to Darth Vader. He was the oldest of the Inquisitors and with age came experience.
Sister was relentless with her assault, running across the wall of the detention block to get around him and attacking from behind. Their blades clashed, sparks crackling from the meeting of two energy streams. The two opponents utilized the Force to increase their speed and reflexes to the point their movements would seem like a blur to anyone else. They were constantly on the move, never remaining still for a single moment.
Their battle spilled out of the detention block and in a hallway, moving down it and turning into another corridor. Sister was so concerned with landing a decisive blow that she sometimes took a moment to realize every time the two moved either into another corridor or room. All sense of time was lost as well. They could have been fighting for a few minutes or a few hours for all Sister knew. Her focus and that of her opponent's was to kill each other, nothing else mattered.
"Why exactly are we going to Engineering?" asked Zeb, helping Kanan as everyone rushed down a corridor. Stormtroopers were in hot pursuit right behind them, firing their blasters. The rebels turned and fired back, forcing their pursuers to take cover but it was only a momentary respite.
"We're going to blow the engines," answered Sabine.
"What?!" Zeb and Kanan both shouted at once.
"No Sabine's right. Every trooper on this ship will swarm us unless we cause enough damage to force an evacuation," Hera agreed.
"Better they run to the escape pods then after us," agreed Ezra.
"This is a bad plan," muttered Kanan.
"Since when have we ever had a good plan?" quipped Sabine.
Red blades clashed at the two Inquisitors battle across the ship. Second Sister attacked him relentlessly, hammering away with her blade at every possible body part of her opponent. The Grand Inquisitor, to his credit, managed to parry all of her blows. He was walking backwards, one foot in front of the other. Typically Makashi tactic to maintain good balance while constantly on the move but it was a defensive one. He had yet to truly come close with a counterattack or offensive strike of his own. Perhaps he was hoping to draw the battle out by tiring Sister out. One downside with Ataru was it wears you down faster than other lightsaber styles.
Fortunately, Sister heavily focused on endurance training dating back to when she was still a naïve little Jedi Padawan. She could keep this up for quite a while but for the moment, she held back utilizing any high risk jumps or acrobatics. She needed to conserve her energy as the Grand Inquisitor was. It didn't help that Makashi was a great style to wear down an opponent. Sister needed to finish this fight sooner rather than later.
"Joining the rebels I somewhat understand. You want vengeance but to actually join a suicidal rescue mission?" the Pau'an asked as he ducked to avoid a slash.
"Maybe I wanted a chance to kill you along with Grand Moff Tarkin," smiled Sister.
"Then you should have headed up to the bridge but instead you headed to the detention block to rescue your friends. After all these years, it turns out you're still a Jedi," mocked the Inquisitor.
Enraged by the insult, Sister suddenly a barrage of slashes and jabs. The Inquisitor blocked one of her strikes and their blades held fast against each other. The battle turned into a contest of physical force as the two combatants tried to push each other's lightsabers to the side. If one managed to get the right leverage, he or she could force their opponent's weapon aside, leaving an opening to strike. The Pau'an was physically stronger then Second Sister but she knew something he didn't. The Inquisitor's technique was very simple and effective but it exposed a weakness Sister has suspected for years. The Grand Inquisitor was too used to people fighting him using normal techniques. Do something unorthodoxed and it will catch him off guard.
Sister activated the second blade on her lightsaber and activated her gyro setting. The Inquisitor immediately did the same with his lightsaber, their blades were now locked with neither combatant ready to back down. Their lightsabers were starting to smoke, both gyros engines groaning from the equal strain they were suffering. The Grand Inquisitor was so focused on Sister's arms and her lightsaber that he didn't notice her shifting her legs.
Sister leaped up, doing a flip in the air while disabling her lightsaber gyro setting and one of her lightsaber blades all in the span of half a second. Now at a single blade and untangled from the Inquisitor's lightsaber, Sister was free to get a single swipe at her opponent's back before she completed her flip in the air and landed on her feet. The move was so fast and sudden that the Pau'an was caught almost completely off-guard. He lunged forward quickly enough to avoid a lethal slash but Sister still managed to leave a glowing cut across the Inquisitor's armor. Clearly it hadn't managed to reach his skin as the Pau'an was still on his feet and wasn't in any pain.
But at least Sister could relish in the fact that the Inquisitor's smile was gone. Her move might not have caused any reason damage to him but it did seem to have shattered the Inquisitor's confidence.
"Grand Inquisitor in name only," mocked Second Sister.
The Pau'an growled, showing his fangs. He lunged forward, lunging for a killing blow. Sister easily parried it aside and was quite pleased that their positions were now reversed. The Grand Inquisitor was now the aggressive one and Sister on the defensive. Except this was exactly how she wanted it. Now she could conserved her energy and wait for an opening to deliver a killing blow.
"I was always stronger then you. Lord Vader knew it, the other Inquisitors knew it, even you know it," Sister mocked as she continued to block the Inquisitor's attacks. "The Jedi saw fit to make you a Temple Guard. They didn't think you had what it takes to make it in the greater galaxy so they stuck you inside the Temple as a glorified security guard."
The Inquisitor snapped, roaring as he pounded away at Sister's lightsaber with his own. He might have known what buttons to push for Second Sister but she knew how to set him off as well. She always suspected the Grand Inquisitor resented the Jedi for assigning him to what he considered to be a minor position within the Order and now this proved it. The Pau'an was no longer fighting with strategy or grace but by brute force without thought or reason. That was suicide for someone who fought with Makashi. All Sister needed was just one opening and this fight would be over.
Another sound filled the hallways, competing with the sound of lightsabers clashing. Footsteps and a lot of them. Six Stormtroopers clad in black armor with skull shaped helmets rounded a corner and came to a halt. Slag, it was the Darkstar Unit. Sister heard about them. Special Forces that performed all sorts of wet works that the regular military would find revolting. Sister couldn't fight them and the Grand Inquisitor at once.
Sister kicked the Pau'an away from her and lashed out with the Force at the troopers, sending a Force Wave that knocked all six troopers off their feet. It wouldn't keep them down for long but it would allow Sister enough time to escape. She immediately turned and fled with the Grand Inquisitor right on her heels.
Sabine, Ezra, Zeb, Kanan, and Hera all rushed inside the engine room with blaster fire shooting past their heads. Ezra quickly hit the nearby door controls to slam a blast door, cutting the rebels off from their pursuers. He ignited his lightsaber and cut along the edges of the doorway to cauterize the blast door to the wall. Now no one would be able to open it.
"That won't hold them forever," Hera commented as they rushed down a long metallic walkway suspended at least a hundred feet above the ground. Ezra glanced around and realized he was inside the same large room he saw from his vision. Three large engines with multiple metallic walkways spider webbing around them on multiple different levels. Which meant that Second Sister and the Grand Inquisitor were probably on their way here.
Sabine rushed towards a large console situated next to one of the engines. "Ok just give me a few minutes and I can hopefully shut down the coolant systems to cause an overload," she reported as she typed on the interface.
"Hopefully?" frowned Kanan.
"Everything we've done up to this point has been done with nothing but hope," Ezra quipped.
"Well we're starting run a little low at this point so hurry up," Hera said.
"Almost got it. Just a little more…" Sabine said. Suddenly the screens on her console all flashed red.
"Frag! It's a security lockdown to prevent sabotage! I'm locked out!" cursed Sabine.
"Karabas. Now what do we do?" groaned Zeb.
"We're going to need to cut into the engine and destroy the coolant system manually. The problem is the coolant system is at the top of the engine," Sabine answered, pointing to the top of the nearest massive engine.
"Let me guess. Blasters won't get the job done," sighed Kanan.
"It's made of thick durasteel. Our blasters will barely make a dent on it," nodded Sabine.
"What about a lightsaber?" asked Ezra as he pulled out his own.
"If the metal's too thick for blaster fire, we can't just throw a lightsaber at it. Someone will have to climb up there and cut through it by hand," Kanan said.
"I can do it. I'm the best climber here," Zeb volunteered.
"Just don't drop it," grumbled Ezra as he handed his weapon over to the Lasat. He'd rather be the one to do the deed but most of all he didn't like giving away his lightsaber. Zeb scrambled up the large engine, almost falling several times with the lack of indentations or cut outs to grasp onto.
Back at the sealed blast door, sparks ignited through a glowing hole as the Imperials were starting to cut through it with a plasma torch. "Zeb hurry up!" Hera called up to him.
At the top of the machine and just inches from the ceiling, Zeb came to a halt then ignited Ezra's lightsaber. Sparks flashed as he started cutting into the machine. The Lasat had difficulty with it as he only had one right hand to utilize with his left hand and feet were holding him up.
With the sound of Zeb cutting the engine and the Imperial's cutting the blast door, Ezra was a little surprised when he heard a third sound. Grunting and the clashing of lightsabers. He glanced up to a walkway situated one level above them. Second Sister was battling the Grand Inquisitor with Sister moving backwards. She was on the defensive as the Pau'an was hammering away at her with his lightsaber.
Everything was happening just as Ezra's vision predicted but he wasn't going to let it finish the same way. "It's the Inquisitor! Shoot him!" Ezra shouted.
The others, already seeing the battle, aimed their weapons at the Pau'an and opened fire. The Inquisitor, sensing the attack before it happened, instantly leaped backwards to avoid the incoming blaster barrage. He then launched himself into the air and, to everyone's horror, landed on the same platform as the Rebels.
The Pau'an thrust his hand out and Ezra suddenly found himself flying backwards along with Hera and Sabine. The three of them landed in a roll and thankfully none of them fell off. Kanan, who must have managed to put up a telekinetic shield, hadn't moved at all. "Zeb I'm going to need that!" Kanan shouted.
Ezra's lightsaber dropped down which allowed Kanan to use the Force to pull it to his hands. He ignited it as the Inquisitor lunged forward. Ezra held his breath as the two were about to clash when a blur came flying from above. Second Sister was descending towards the platform and was descending directly towards the Inquisitor. The Pau'an turned just in time to block Sister's lightsaber blade at slashed down upon him. But he wasn't ready for Kanan. The Jedi summoned his own lightsaber which was hanging on the Inquisitor's belt then he thrusted both of his hands, sending a telekinetic burst that caught the Inquisitor by surprise. The Pau'an was knocked right off the platform, falling into the machinery at least seventy meters below.
Ezra glanced at the floor to see the Inquisitor had somehow managed to land on his feet. He glared up with murder in his eyes.
"Zeb did you finish?!" Hera shouted, her eyes focused on the blast door the Imperials were about to finish cutting through.
The Lasat quickly descended from the machine, having a much easier time coming down. "I cut into it but I'm not sure I did enough damage," he said.
"We can't stay here. We need to leave," said Sister.
The cut section of the blast door collapsed as Stormtroopers rushed in blasting. Sister activated her gyro setting, using her lightsaber as a shield to deflect every shot before thrusting out her free hand. The Stormtroopers were all flung off their feet and back through the hole they cut to get inside.
"We've got more!" shouted Zeb, pointing to the platform where Sister and the Inquisitor came from. Stormtroopers in black armor and skull-shaped helmets rushed onto the platform. The Darkstars had arrived.
"Not these guys again," gulped Ezra. Kanan tossed him his lightsaber back and Ezra quickly ignited it. The Darkstars all activated their jetpacks and flew into the air. They split up, moving to attack the rebels from multiple different directions.
"Everyone form a circle! Kanan, Ezra, and Second Sister will stay on the outside to block any incoming fire. The rest of us will stay in the center and provide covering fire!" shouted Hera. The Imperials fired away as the rebels formed into a circle with the lightsaber wielders surrounding everyone else. The group then moved forward, quickly heading towards an exit on the opposite side of the platform but slow enough to stay in formation.
Sister, Ezra, and Kanan blocked blaster fire while Hera, Sabine and Zeb fired back. Whatever blaster fire was deflected back at the Darkstars by Kanan and Sister never hit their targets. The dark armored Imperials were constantly zig-zagging in the air, making them difficult to hit. They reminded Ezra of hawk-bats, working together in packs to surround and attack prey from above.
"We're almost there!" Hera called out. The rebels were getting close to the exit when the Darkstars suddenly changed tactics.
The troopers each fired a single missile from their jetpacks. Ezra expected the projectiles to come flying towards them except they didn't. Three missiles headed directly towards the exit while three others were headed towards the platform they were standing on except it was at least fifteen meters away.
"Everyone jump to that platform!" Sabine shouted, pointing to a nearby platform on a lower level. It was in that moment that Ezra realized what was going on. The Darkstars were shooting at the platform itself, hitting it in two locations that could cut off the section of platform they were standing on from any support. Once the missiles hit, the rebels would drop to the floor. Sister and Kanan would probably survive the fall with their Force skills but everyone else wouldn't be so lucky.
Everyone quickly jumped off as the missiles detonated, sending the platform they were standing on a second ago tumbling to the floor below. Ezra came in hard, unable to land on his feet. He crashed onto his stomach which knocked the wind out of him for a moment. Ezra took a second to check on the others. Sister and Kanan had landed on their feet and were already deflecting blaster bolts. Sabine was back on her feet quickly as well as Hera. Zeb almost missed the platform but managed to grab it and pull himself up.
"No time to rest. Move!" Kanan said urgently. Ezra got back to his feet and grabbed his lightsaber which had landed a few feet away. He was lucky it didn't slide off. Ezra reignited his weapon and got back in formation to help shield the others. They quickly headed towards the exit on this level, hopefully before the Darkstars try that bridge cutting trick again. As if these soldiers weren't bad enough, Ezra noticed the Grand Inquisitor was scaling one of the engines to get to the same platform as the rebels.
Sabine, Hera, and Zeb were the first through the exit with Sister, Kanan, and Ezra coming up behind still blocking blaster fire. Before they could rush out of the room, one of the Darkstars fired a missile directly at them. It came in so fast that Ezra didn't have any time to react. Fortunately, Sister did and raised one of her hands. The missile came to a direct halt inches from her face. The projectile shook at if it was struggling against some kind of invisible rope holding it back.
The Grand Inquisitor leaped off the engine onto the platform and raced towards his prey, his lightsaber spinning. Kanan thrusted both hands out, not targeting the Pau'an but instead sending the missile that Sister was holding in place soaring through the air. At first Ezra was confused as it wasn't heading towards anyone until he realized it was heading directly towards the top of the engine that Zeb cut into.
The Grand Inquisitor was almost on top of them when the missile detonated on the engine. The resulting explosion was deafening, sending out a shockwave that send the Darkstars flying in every direction as well knocking the Grand Inquisitor, Ezra, Kanan, and Sister right off their feet. The air began to smell of burnt metal as the massive room was turned into an inferno.
Ezra, Kanan, and Sister quickly scrambled back to their feet and rushed through the exit. Ezra glanced behind him to see the Inquisitor still lying on the platform but had reignited his lightsaber. He threw the weapon at his escaping prey, it's twin blades spinning as it headed directly for Ezra. Sabine quickly smashed a button on the door console and a blast door slammed shut. Just in time as the lightsaber impacted the door, one of it's red blades sticking through but had come to a halt.
Tarkin's security detail had insisted that he evacuate the Sovereign the instant the prisoners were reported to have escaped. The Grand Moff at first refused. He wasn't the kind of commanding officer who ran at the first sign of trouble but that all changed when the entire ship was rocked by a series of explosions. A detonation within the engine room had destroyed the primary coolant system and now the main reactors were in danger of a reactor breach. Tarkin signal an evacuation order and was immediately escorted to an escape shuttle near the bridge that was designed to ferry the Grand Moff away from the ship within seconds of any danger.
The shuttle was halfway to the Iron Victory, the nearest Star Destroyer when Tarkin finally received a report about the fugitives. He had already received dozens of medical, fire, and various other messages regarding people still on board but only the rebels interested him.
"Governor this is Major Velken. I have the Grand Inquisitor with me," the Darkstar CO's voice came through the com.
"Report," ordered Tarkin.
"The intruders have managed free the prisoners and sabotage the engines. We believe they are still onboard," reported Velken.
"Is there anything you can tell me that I don't already know?" Tarkin said, keeping his temper in check.
"Second Sister is with them," replied the Grand Inquisitor.
Tarkin frowned. Intelligence believed that the former Inquisitor was simply using the rebels to escape Lothal. After the rebel cell managed to get her off-world, it was believed that Second Sister had moved onto either Hutt Space or the Corporate Sector to lay low. Clearly she had other ideas but none of this fit her psychological profile. Second Sister wouldn't aid the rebels unless she was getting something out of it and what could she possibly hope to achieve from a suicide mission? Risking her life on a mission certain to fail was also not in her profile.
"Eject all aft escape pods from the ship. That will allow a far more manageable number of escape pods for us to cover with our Ties Fighters and turrets. The rebels will either need to take one of these pods or one of the spacecraft from the hangar bay. You'll await them there and should they come kill them all," ordered Tarkin.
"What about Second Sister? Lord Vader had orders to capture her alive," the Grand Inquisitor pointed out.
"Let me worry about Lord Vader. Just make sure the rebels don't escape this time. Remember gentlemen, failure will have consequences," Tarkin warned before cutting off the transmission.
"You've got to be kidding me. All the escape pods in the rear section of the ship have been automatically launched," grumbled Sabine. She had been quickly skimming through a console to find a possible means of escaping the ship. With a reactor breach, the Sovereign would either explode or get dragged down to the surface of Lothal via the planet's gravitational pull. Neither of those options were appealing so the rebels needed to escape and quickly. Using the escape pods was risky as the Imperials would blast them if they managed to figure out which pod they were on but they were close enough to Lothal to possibly use one to escape to the planet below. It seemed the Imperials were one step ahead of them by ejecting all the pods in the area they knew the rebels were in.
"Karabas. What do we do now?" grumbled Zeb.
"Getting a shuttle's our only option now," said Sister. "The Imperials will target any escape pods that launch now from the forward section of the ship. All pods will ordered to stop a safe distance away from the Sovereign and drift in space until they can be retrieved. Any that attempt to get to Lothal will be shot down."
"How do you know that?" asked Ezra.
"Because it's what I would do," Sister answered.
"Let's just hope there's a ship left to escape on," Kanan sighed.
Ezra then noticed Sister was glancing at her left hand, clenching it into a fist as it shook slightly. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine," she grunted in a tone that meant she didn't want to talk about it so drop it. Ezra couldn't help but think back to the time Sister told him about the side effects of the chemical inside that micro charge implanted in her body. Numbness was the first symptom she mentioned which could she was feeling right now. But there's no way Sister was going to confirm his suspicions. She's not someone to confide how she's feeling to anyone including Ezra.
The route to the hangar bay was suspiciously quiet. Most of the crew had moved to the front of the ship for evacuation and what troopers they did see only ran along, avoiding a fire fight. They wanted to get off the ship as soon as possible and Ezra couldn't blame them. The ship was rocked by a series of explosions with each one seemingly getting stronger than the last. Lights began to flicker on and off with the evacuation alarm cutting in and out.
"The reactor's not going to last much longer," commented Sabine.
"Hangar Bay 5 is just up ahead," stated Sister.
The group entered a large hangar bay and to Ezra's horror, it was the exact same one he saw in his vision. As if that wasn't bad enough, standing in the middle of the hangar bay was the Grand Inquisitor.
"So glad you decided to join us," smiled the Pau'an who ignited his crimson lightsaber.
Ezra didn't miss the fact that he said us. He glanced around noticed a Darkstar in cover behind a parked Tie Fighter, aiming his blaster rifle at the Rebels. "Look out!" Ezra yelled.
The three Force wielders of the group ignited their lightsabers just in time as the first volley of blaster fire came streaking across the hangar bay. The Darkstars had positioned themselves all around the massive room to hit the rebels from almost every possible angle from both the main floor and a second floor comprised of raised walkways. The rebels quickly rushed towards a group of cargo containers for cover. Everything was happening exactly as Ezra's vision foretold and now there was only one thing left.
"Whatever you do. Don't attack the Grand Inquisitor," Ezra urged Second Sister. She threw him a look and while her face was masked by her visor, Ezra didn't need to see it to know she was annoyed.
"We need to get moving before…" Sabine said before the whole room shook violently. Everyone was knocked off their feet as lights started blowing out. Power conduits running along the ceiling exploded, dropping flaming debris all over the room. The Darkstars quickly rushed or flew to cover but one of them was crushed, hopefully to death. A new klaxon went off and Ezra got a bad feeling hearing it.
"That's the meltdown alarm. We've only got a few minutes before this entire ship explodes," said a nervous Sabine.
"Hey morons! This ship is going to explode. If we don't leave now, we're all going to die!" Kanan shouted out so the Grand Inquisitor and the Darkstars could hear him. His response was more blaster fire.
"Great. We finally meet the first set of suicidal bucket heads," grumbled Zeb as he, Hera, Sabine, and Kanan stood up from cover to return fire. The Darkstars quickly took cover or began moving cover to cover via their jetpacks. Fires were starting to spread inside the room and yet the Imperials fought on with almost no regard for their lives.
"Second Sister! Or perhaps I should say Varra Kayne!" the Grand Inquisitor shouted. Waves of pure hatred was emanating from Sister in the Force. Ezra glanced at her and saw she was clenching her lightsaber so hard, you'd think she was going to break her fingers. He knew that Sister had a name once upon a time but Ezra wasn't expecting the amount of hatred she'd have for hearing it.
"Don't call me that!" Sister shouted. She suddenly leaped over the containers.
"Wait!" Ezra shouted but Sister was gone. He glanced around the container to see her charging directly at the Pau'an. Their lightsabers clashed as both of the weapons spun around on their gyros. Ezra knew how this was going to end and just couldn't stand by and let it happen.
Ezra was about to jump out when a barrage of blaster bolts flew by his head. Kanan grabbed him and pulled him back down. "Ezra don't!" he ordered.
"You don't understand Kanan! She'll die!" Ezra shouted back. Sabine shot up from cover and got off a perfect shot with her blaster, hitting one of Darkstars on the second floor in the helmet. He fell off the platform, dead before he hit the floor.
Sister lashed out with her lightsaber, attacking like a wild animal. The Inquisitor was holding his own but his arrogant grin was vanishing and he was falling back. Maybe he was realizing he bite off more than he could chew.
"Animal! I have something of yours!" a familiar voice mocked. A Darkstar stepped out from behind a parked Tie Fighter he had been using for cover. In his hands was a bo-rifle, specially Zeb's bo-rifle. That's when Ezra recognized the voice, it was Velken's.
"Did I ever tell you about the times I visited the villages of Lasun and Mehrin?" Velken mocked. Whatever the Imperial was talking about set Zeb off. The Lasan screamed with a fury Ezra had never seen from him before. Zeb charged directly towards Velken, his safety almost a second thought.
"Zeb no!" Hera shouted at him but it was no avail. She quickly started firing at any Imperial she could see along with Sabine and Kanan. Ezra could tell they were giving their friend cover fire so he decided to help by firing his stun blaster on his lightsaber at a nearby trooper in cover. Velken disappeared behind a Tie and Zeb charged right after him out of sight.
Another explosion rocked the room. A parked Tie was crushed from falling debris, causing it to explode and kill another Darkstar nearby. Ezra should feel good about that but the fact was the whole hangar was falling apart with fires starting to burn out of control.
"We need to get out of here now! All of you lay down cover fire while I get to a Tie and prep it for flight. We'll use it to fly us out of here," ordered Hera. Having six people fit in one Tie was going to tough but it wasn't like they had much choice. The only shuttle in the room was a burning pile of wreckage, destroyed by debris that collapsed from the ceiling and there wasn't time to check any other hangars.
Sister and the Grand Inquisitor fought as if nothing else in the universe mattered. The room was burning around them onboard a ship about to explode and yet they didn't seem to care. The Pau'an managed to batter away one of Sister's attacks with one side of his dual lightsaber and lunged forward with the other end, stabbing Sister in the chest.
"No!" shouted Ezra.
Second Sister screamed in pain as a blade of pure energy stabbed her right into the left side of her chest. She could feel it puncture through her ribs and possibly internal organs. Sister froze, unable to move or risk the lightsaber causing even more damage and it was clear her opponent wasn't interested in giving her a chance to escape. The Grand Inquisitor was smiling ear to ear, having played Sister like an instrument. Saying that name had spurned her into a rage. She should have fought with her head instead of her heart.
"Before you die, regale me with your real reasons for being here. Was it for revenge or perhaps you did for it for that refuse you call friends?" asked the Pau'an, beaming with triumph.
Sister's options were limited at this point. She was barely able to stand and while she could escape from this, she wouldn't stand a chance if the battle resumed. Sister was right about this being a suicide mission after all. No one would miss her, no one would mourn her. Well maybe Ezra would but that was only because he didn't realize what kind of a person she was. Second Sister had done a lot of horrible things, most she wasn't ashamed of but there were still a few.
An explosion shook the hangar and that's when Sister realized there was a Tie Fighter suspended on a crane near the ceiling. The crane was starting to bend from the damage and the Tie was close to dropping to the floor. That's when a plan formed in her mind, a stupid one but it was her only chance.
"I…did it…" Sister whispered.
"Yes?" the Inquisitor smiled, leaning closer to listen.
"FOR MYSELF!" Sister suddenly shouted. She thrusted both her hands out, sending out a telekinetic wave that caught the Grand Inquisitor completely by surprise. The Pau'an was hurled through the air and landed roughly on the metallic floor. Sister gasped, the lightsaber getting pulled out of her chest caused immense pain. She dropped to her knees, unable to stand but having enough strength in the Force to activate the gryo spin on her lightsaber and hurled it at the crane. The crimson blades cut through the damage metal like a vibroblade through paper.
The Inquisitor glanced up, far too late to do anything as the Tie Fighter directly above fell to the floor, tilting towards landing with its right wing on the ground. He screamed as the fighter came crashing down on top of him. Sister could feel his death in the Force, the impact having killed him almost instantaneously.
Smiling triumphantly, Sister's strength gave out and she collapsed to the floor.
Ezra broke free from Kanan's grasp and rushed towards Second Sister's fallen body. He was forced to slow down and deflect incoming blaster bolts with his lightsaber from numerous Darkstars stationed around the room. The biggest problem with these black armored troopers was their accuracy was far superior to the regular Stormtroopers who couldn't hit the ground if they fell on it. The Darkstars, unfortunately, had deadly accuracy. Ezra was losing count on how many times bolts of energy came close to hitting his head. They also wouldn't just target his head but his legs as well. For those shots, Ezra had to jump or roll out of the way.
It was probably the hardest thing he's ever done but Ezra managed to reach Sister's body. The good news she was still alive and conscious judging from the moaning coming through her helmet. The bad news she was in no condition to move on her own. Blaster bolts shot from nearly every corner in the hangar as Ezra suddenly found himself not just defending himself but also Sister as well as the Darkstars tried to finish her off. But it was too much for him to cover and a blaster bolt nicked Ezra's shoulder. He grunted in pain but managed to focus and deflect the next set of incoming energy projectiles. Ezra knew he wouldn't survive long unless he got himself and Sister out of there but he couldn't even risk grabbing the fallen ex-Inquisitor without getting shot.
To his relief, Ezra saw Kanan rushing towards him with his own lightsaber raised along with Sabine who was firing her blast rifle. Several Darkstars turned their attention to the two which allowed Ezra only needing to deflect shots from one to two shooters. Kanan thrusted his free hand out and summoned Second Sister's lightsaber to him. To Ezra's surprise, he tossed the weapon to Sabine.
"I'll drag her, you two cover me," Kanan said.
Sabine ignited the double-sided lightsaber and activated the gryo setting. She may not have Jedi reflexes but the fast spinning dual blades formed a shield that made blocking shots much easier for here than for Kanan and Ezra.
Kanan deactivated his lightsaber then leaned down and put his hands underneath Sister's armpits to pull her to a sitting position and drag her backwards. Sister groaned in pain as Kanan moved her but she didn't complain. Ezra and Sabine surrounded the two, blocking every shot to keep Kanan and Sister safe.
"You got hit kid. Are you okay?" Sabine asked, shouting over the carnage.
"I'm fine but I'm still mad at you for knocking me back at that com tower and sending me away with chopper," Ezra said to Sabine.
"How about I make it up to you? If we survive this, I'll redecorate your room," quipped Sabine. It was nice to know that despite what the Imperials put her through, she still had her sense of humor.
"No more spray-painting me getting zapped by Chopper," ordered Ezra.
"You've got a deal kid," chuckled Sabine. Ezra couldn't help but laugh as well.
A nearby Tie Fighter was floating up into the air and for a moment, Ezra was terrified that one of the Imperials was inside of it. That was until the Tie turned and started blasting as the positions the Darkstars were taking cover. The pilot had to be Hera who must have snuck inside one while everyone else was drawing the Imperial's attention by rescuing Second Sister.
The fighter's heavy guns easily pounded away at anything the Imperials were hiding behind, forcing them to move. Two didn't move fast enough and were cut down, leaving just one who flew directly as Hera's Tie. He fired a missile from his jetpack but Hera managed to blast it out of the sky. The missile however did provide a good enough direction for him to land directly on the fighter and started cutting into it with some kind of wrist-mounted laser.
Hera spun the Tie around at an ever increasing speed, making Ezra almost dizzy watching it. The trooper was thrown off the fighter, landing hard on the floor. He groaned, somehow able to get to his knees. Ezra deactivated his lightsaber and aimed its stunner attachment at him. The trooper didn't get a chance to react before Ezra fired with a stun blast, knocking him unconscious.
"Nice going now let's get out of here," Hera replied using the Tie's loudspeaker.
Nearby, Zeb came flying out from behind a Tie. He was clenching his bo-rifle in his hands but he didn't look like he had won his fight with Velken. The Imperial Major flew out of cover and drop-kicked the Lasat off his feet. Velken turned his attention to Hera's Tie and with a touch of a button his wrist-computer, fired a missile from his jetpack. Hera didn't have time to get out of the way with the projectile impacting her fighter's wing. The Tie spun uncontrollably before crashing to the ground.
"Sabine, Ezra! Cover me, I'm going to get Hera and Zeb!" shouted Kanan as he pulled Sister behind a crate for cover. With only Major Velken left, they didn't need to worry about covering Second Sister like before. Sabine switched back to her blaster rifle as she and Ezra fired at the remaining Imperial.
Velken's jetpack ignited and he shot up into the air, avoiding enemy fire and pulling out a blaster he had mounted on his hip to fire back. Kanan managed to reach Zeb who was a little shaken up but managed to get to his feet on his own. They then both rushed over to the wreckage of Hera's crashed Tie and Kanan cut through the window with his lightsaber to pull Hera out.
The ship shook from another explosion, the largest one yet. Velken suddenly turned and soared over to a parked Tie Fighter. He dropped inside through the hatch and the fighter began to power up.
"Uh oh," gulped Ezra.
Velken's Tie Fighter slowly lifted off the ground then turned to a nearby Tie, blasting it into wreckage. Ezra was confused as to what the Major was trying to accomplish until he realized the man was trying to destroy every other craft in the hangar, therefore preventing the rebels from being able to escape the Sovereign.
"Kanan! He's destroying the other Fighters!" Ezra shouted to his master.
Kanan glanced at the Tie which just destroyed another fighter. The Tie was too high for his to attack with his lightsaber so he quickly rushed towards the closet working Tie which ironically belonged to the Grand Inquisitor.
Sabine rushed towards a dead Darkstar that she shot in the head earlier. Ezra, meanwhile, stayed with Sister in case he needed to move her should Velken decide to attack them directly. The Major's Tie blasted another parked Tie, leaving only the Grand Inquisitor's the only one left. Kanan reached the remaining fighter as Velken's Tie turned and fired. Ezra's Master ignited his lightsaber and, while he managed to deflected the shot back, the sheer force behind the blaster bolt knocked him off his feet.
The green energy bolt shot back at Velken who moved his Tie to the side but it's wing was still hit, causing enough damage to give Velken trouble in keeping the craft in the air. Nearby, Sabine finished tampering with the Darkstar corpses' wrist controls and fired a single missile at the Major's Tie. The projectile impacted the other wing, causing the Tie to spin violently towards the hangar's containment shield. It was meant to hold in air and gases while allowing larger objects like ships and people to pass through it. This allowed shuttles and Ties to come and go as they please without having to open massive hangar doors every time.
Velken's Tie spun uncontrollably right through the containment shield and out into space.
Sabine quickly rejoined Ezra and helping him dragged Sister towards Kanan, Hera, and Zeb. The Twi'lek Captain was a little bruised but thankfully seemed okay. "Looks like we've got one choice now," Hera said, referring to the Inquisitor's Tie.
"We can't just escape to Lothal. The Imperials will be waiting for us to try," remarked Sabine.
Sister groaned as she sat up and tapped a button on her helmet, opening the face shield to show her face. "The Grand…Inquisitor's Fighter…has…hyperdrive," she groaned.
Everyone eyes lite up at the word hyperdrive. If they could manage to fit inside, they just might have a chance of escaping. "Let's go," said Hera.
Zeb holsted his bo-rifle and picked up Sister. "How come I always seem to have to carry everywhere?" he joked.
"Because…I sacrificed my body…to save your furry…hide…dead weight," grumbled an annoyed Sister.
Everyone climbed up the Inquisitor's Tie into the access hatch on the roof. Zeb had the hardest job of climbing up it with Sister on his back but he managed to get inside. The first thing Ezra began to realize once everyone was inside was that Tie Fighters were not meant to carry six people. There barely any room for anyone to fit in. It was so bad that Zeb decided to just keep carrying Second Sister around as there was no room to set her down.
Hera sat down in the pilot's chair and started up the engines.
Grand Moff Tarkin stood on the bridge of the Iron Victory, having taken command of it the second he stepped onboard. He watched with growing irritation as his ship the Sovereign was starting to burn out of control. The Star Destroyer had been a symbol of Tarkin's power and authority and the rebel's actions had turned it to rubble. A large explosion decimated the rear half of the ship, sending the surviving front half sinking down to the planet below.
"Sir, one Tie Fighter detected escaping from the ship," the tactical officer reported.
"Have Zeta and Vaapad squadrons converge on that fighter and draw it towards us. Prepare tractor beam," ordered Tarkin.
The fighter shook violently as the front view-screen was engulfed in light. The Sovereign must have just exploded and they were probably caught in the wake of the blast. "You might want to go faster," suggested Zeb.
"I'm going as fast as I can," grumbled Hera who had quickly adjusted to the controls. Ezra closed his eyes, either waiting the blast to overtake them or for them to narrowly escape. A few seconds later, the shaking subsumed. Ezra opened his eyes to the view-screen had returned to normal.
"We made it. Punching in the hyperspace coordinates now," smiled Hera. Ezra couldn't believe it. All of them actually managed to get through this alive.
"Hera!" Kanan shouted, pointing to numerous Ties through the view-screen that were heading right towards them.
"I see them," Hera replied. She made a sharp turn, nearly knocking everyone except Hera off their feet.
"What's that flashing?" Ezra asked, noticing a warning alert on the controls.
"We've got more incoming," Hera replied.
"How much incoming?" asked Sabine.
"You don't want to know," gulped Hera. Ezra glanced at the readouts on Hera's console and stopped counting the red dots pursuing them after twenty.
Hera kept the Tie moving at nearly top speed, ducking and swerving as green blaster fire shot around them. Ezra was starting to get a little sick in his stomach as he wasn't used to be inside a Fighter that was faster and far more maneuverable then the Ghost. Also Tie Fighters weren't designed to protect its occupants from G forces as well as the Ghost.
"Are you almost done with the hyperdrive?" asked Kanan.
"Kinda busy trying to keep us all alive," grumbled Hera. Suddenly the fighter shook violently and then came to a sudden halt.
"What just happened?" asked a nervous Zeb.
"Tractor beam," Hera said with a resigned sigh. That was it then, it was all over. There was no escaping now.
"You've got to be kidding me. We got this far for nothing!" grumbled Ezra.
"Activate…the hyperdrive," whispered a weakened Sister.
Everyone threw her an incredulous look. "Jumping while in a tractor beam will rip the Tie into pieces along with us," Kanan said.
"Exactly," sighed Sister. "Better to die now…then to rot in an…Imperial prison."
Ezra glanced at the rest of his crew and family and it was clear that while they weren't going to argue. Hera activated the hyperdrive for a blind jump. It didn't matter where they went as they were going to explode the second they did.
"You know we never got a chance to thank all of you for coming for us," Zeb sighed.
"It was stupid but I'm proud of all of you," Kanan smiled sadly.
"Yeah thanks guys," smiled Sabine.
"I just want to say that it was really nice getting to know all of you," Ezra spoke up.
"Can we die now?" grumbled an annoyed Second Sister.
"Sir the Tie fighter's hyperdrive is activating. If they attempt to jump…." the tactical officer reported.
"They'll be destroyed," smiled Tarkin. A pity the rebels couldn't be taken alive but better to have them all killed then escape. Lord Vader will no doubt be unhappy with the death of Second Sister but Tarkin had known him long enough to know that he wouldn't make a big deal over it. What matters is that the rebellion on this world is crushed and the Empire's authority be unchallenged.
"Sir new contacts just dropped out of hyperspace," reported the tac officer.
Ezra held his breath as Hera was about to initiate the hyperdrive when he suddenly heard a familiar beeping over the com. Everyone's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets
"Chopper?!" Hera shouted.
Chopper commented that he couldn't leave them alone for a few minutes without them needing his help and that he brought some friends. Ezra glanced out the view-screen to see the Ghost and several Corellian frigates soaring towards them.
"Who are they?" asked Ezra.
"I don't know but I think they're on our side," said Kanan.
"I knew you were lying about not knowing other rebels," Sister said to Hera.
"The Ghost and three CR90 corvettes. Two of them are covering the rebel's Tie Fighter and the other two are heading towards us," the tac officer said.
Tarkin had to conceal his shock in front of the crew. He had planned on many things but rebel reinforcements wasn't one of them. Yet again these rebels continued to surprise him.
"All batteries target those ships. You may fire when ready," ordered Tarkin. The rebels might have reinforcements but those ships were no match for an Imperial Star Destroyer.
"They're targeting our tractor beam generator…the field's becoming unstable…tractor beam lost," the tac officer said.
Tarkin could only watch as the rebels ships including the stolen Tie Advanced all jumped away into hyperspace. The Emperor was not going to be pleased.
Ezra had no idea who their rescuers were but he had never been so grateful for being surprised by anything. Hera piloted the Tie into docking with one of the frigates and they jumped away. The top hatch opened and several hands reached down to help pull everyone out of the fighter. Zeb and Second Sister were the last to come up but the easiest as Kanan and Ezra both used the Force to slowly levitate them up. It was the easiest way to get the injured Sister up without inflicting more pain on her.
"She needs medical attention right away," Hera told their hosts.
"Let's get her to the medical bay," one of them replied. The rebels followed the men into a hallway in which Chopper came zooming down and nearly tackled Kanan, clenching the man with his metallic arms in a hug.
"Oh geez…nice to see you too," Kanan said to the overjoyed little droid.
Chopper then moved onto Sabine and hugged her. "I missed you too," she smiled.
Chopper turned his attention to Zeb and was disappointed that he'd have to give the Lasat back his stuff. "Hey!" shouted Zeb.
Chopper chuckled with a series of beeps. "That's not funny," grumbled Zeb.
"Hello? I'm dying remember?" grumbled Sister.
"Fine fine we'll get you there," said Zeb.
They continued following the officers to a small medical bay with less than ten beds and only two medical droids attending. Fortunately, there were no other patients so that allowed the droids to focus solely on Sister. Zeb set her down on one of the beds.
"I know you probably don't care to hear this but we owe you our lives," Kanan told the former Inquisitor.
"I didn't join that little suicide mission for any of you. I did it for myself," Sister muttered as the medical droids began examining her.
"Yeah well thanks anyways," smiled Kanan.
"Yeah what he said," stated Zeb.
Chopper got everyone's attention as it displayed a holographic image of a human probably in his fifties with a goatee and beard. "Hello my friends. It is good to see you again," he smiled.
"I don't understand. I met you once for a few moments. I don't even know your name," frowned Kanan.
"His name is Senator Bail Organa," answered Hera. The others glanced at her.
"And the crews of the blockade runners?" asked Kanan.
"Members of other rebel cells," replied Organa.
"There are other cells," realized Sabine.
"We're a cell? Did you know we were a cell?" Ezra asked Zeb.
"Uhh…no," muttered the Lasat.
"We weren't supposed to meet. That way if captured, we couldn't reveal the other rebels to the Empire. That was the protocol," explained Hera.
"The protocol has changed," said a Togruta as she stepped inside the medical bay.
"Fulcrum," nodded Hera.
The Togruta was about to say something when her eyes locked onto Second Sister with a look of recognition. Ezra glanced back at the former Inquisitor to see that she clearly recognized the Togruta as well. "You…" Sister said before her eyes rolled up inside her head and she passed out.
(Working on those fight scenes was extremely hard and I was constantly re-writing them especially because I wanted the non-Force users like Sabine, Hera, and Zeb also get their moments to shine in them. Hope you all enjoyed it and please review.)