Steps into Shadow
2 BBY
Six months have passed since the mission to Malachor and the fight against the Empire continues. Errol and Hera are still going strong with their relationship and Errol has now become lieutenant in the Rebellion.
During this time, Dash and Ahsoka have decided to fully be part of the Rebellion and because of their experience from the Clone Wars, they are made Generals, working closely with the Ghost crew and Phoenix Squadron, outranking Sato.
Noticeably, Kanan has distanced himself from his friends and closed off, meditating and coping with his blindness. Also noticeably, Ezra started to change ever since Malachor, having been severely affected by what happened there. This change was making his friends concerned for him.
With all this change and time passing, things have changed as a whole. And now, the Ghost crew were on their latest mission.
On the planet of Naraka, an Imperial prison is being guarded by Stormtroopers and an AT-DP Walker. The entrance to the prison was situated on a walkway that was up against a cliff face. Underneath it, Zeb and Sabine were climbing their way to the entrance, out of sight of a couple of Stormtroopers guarding the entrance. Eventually, Sabine grabbed one of them by the ankle and pulled him over the edge. The other Trooper noticed this.
"Hey." A voice called to him.
"What?" The Trooper said but as he turned, he got punched right in the face and was thrown into the chasm by a 17 year old Ezra, who has changed significantly since Malachor. He now looked older. His mullet was now a buzz cut and his normal attire from before is now a more refined and tidy Rebel suit with shin guards. And he of course had a new lightsaber and had his own blaster he had holstered on his leg.
Both Zeb and Sabine climb up onto the walkway and group up with Ezra.
"Gotta hand it to ya, kid. This was a pretty good plan. You've been on a roll." Zeb told the teen.
"Hey. I'm just getting started, buddy." Ezra said, sounding rather cocky.
"Freeze Rebel scum!" A Stormtrooper shouted, aiming his blaster at the trio from the entrance. He then felt someone tap his shoulder. He turned around, only to get hit by a spinning kick, throwing him off the walkway.
It was Errol but his Mandalorian armour was slightly different as it now had a white pattern all over it, making him look more angular and complimenting the brown of his armour. His helmet also had marks on it to make him look more threatening to his enemies. He also now had a jetpack on his back, the same colour scheme as his armour.
"You still have a long way to go, Ezra. Let's move." He told his fellow Jedi blankly as they all hid from a searchlight. Once it moved elsewhere, they came out from their hiding places.
"Okay, Chopper. Jump." Ezra called the astromech through the comlink. The droid appeared at the top of the cliff and warbled as he looked over at the Walker.
"No rocket. It's too loud. Now jump!" Ezra replied, getting a bit annoyed at him. Chopper warbled back angrily before he jumped off, wailing and he was about to be spotted from the searchlight until Ezra used the Force to hover him in place above the searchlight until it moved away and then he made him drop down and Zeb caught him.
"Chop, get this door open. Hurry." Ezra then ordered him, sounding more serious then he was before. Zeb put him down and he beeped and warbled in frustration, flailing his arms about heading to the entrance.
"You're welcome." Zeb muttered at the ungrateful droid. Chopper then opened up the door and they entered the prison, silently and stealthily making their way through the prison's hallways, avoiding Stormtroopers until they reached a particular cell.
"6609. This is it. Sabine, you're up." Ezra said and Sabine started to hack the console next to the cell, letting out an annoyed sigh.
"I still can't believe we're here to break this guy out of prison." She groaned. Errol felt the same, even more so considering what this person did the last time they met.
"Yeah. He double crossed all of us any chance he had." Errol backed her up.
"Trust me, we need the information he has." Ezra stated.
"You heard the boss. Open the door." Zeb said.
"Don't encourage him, Zeb." Errol gritted through his teeth.
"He is in here because of us." Ezra then told them.
"*scoffs* He brought this upon himself, Bridger." Errol spat as Sabine finally opened the cell. They looked inside, surprised to see an Ugnaught, who looked at them and spoke in his native language of Ugnese.
"Who's the pig?" Zeb asked. Another figure in the shadows pushed the Ugnaught aside and revealed himself to be Hondo.
"Purple guy, Mando girl, Errol Flynn and Ezra Bridger. My, look how you've grown." He greeted them. Ezra smirked while Errol, Sabine and Zeb frowned.
"Ah, I knew you would not let your old partner, Hondo, rot away in this prison." He then said.
"Hondo, it's good to see you." Ezra greeted him as though he forgot all the things he was told about him.
"Not really." Zeb and Errol said at the same time.
"You better have the intel you promised." Sabine sternly told the pirate.
"Yes, we do." Hondo replied.
"I'm sorry. 'We'?" Zeb questioned, aiming his bo-rifle at him. Even Errol pulled out one of his blasters and aimed it at him.
"Yes. *sniffles* Me and my business associate, Terba. You wouldn't believe the secrets he knows. *clicks tongue*" Hondo explained.
"You're right. We wouldn't." Zeb snorted, speaking for everyone. Well, except for Ezra. Terba then started to speak in Ugnese and snorted to Hondo.
"What fun. Now we're rescuing two people." Sabine said, deadpanned.
"Hey, twice the fun." Ezra smirked.
"More like twice the annoyance." Errol retorted as a couple of Stormtroopers came around the corner behind Ezra.
"Look out!" Both Errol and Sabine, causing Ezra to turn around and shoot at one of them in the chest with his blaster. Some more pop up and everyone fires their blasters at the Troopers as Hondo and Terba run, everyone joining them. They ran as a whole unit of Stormtroopers chased them.
"Spectre-7 to Ghost. Change of plans. We need a 44 scoop at the landing platform." Ezra told Hera through his communicator.
"On my way, Spectre-7." Hera replied. They reached an elevator that Chopper opened up as everyone with a blaster gave cover fire until they all entered the elevator and it then took them somewhere else.
"Here. Make yourself useful." Sabine told Hondo, handing him one of her blasters. He examined with a particular look that made Errol annoyed.
"Oh! Mandalorian! I can get a lot for this on the black market." He said.
"You so much as sell it, I'll actually slice your hands off." Errol threatened him, which managed to work as Hondo gulped audibly, which amused Zeb and Sabine greatly. Terba was touching Zeb, making him growl at the Ugnaught.
The elevator stopped and opened, Sabine and Errol ran out shooting a couple of Stormtroopers and then Hondo stepped out and shot one himself. Everyone else stepped out.
"Come on! This way." Ezra told everyone and they followed down the hallway, Stormtroopers appearing out of nowhere firing at them. Ezra used this as his chance to use his current lightsaber. He grabbed the hilt, dodged blaster bolts and spun in the air, igniting his green lightsaber.
Ezra sliced one Trooper as he got on the ground, kicked another in the chest and then Force Pushed a third to a part of the hallway, knocking him out. He then ran up to a couple more Troopers, slicing one and blasting another. But there was something different. Ezra was more brutal and cold than before.
"Is that really Ezra?" Hondo asked, rather shocked at how different he's become since they've last met.
"Most of the time." Sabine replied, herself being concerned about this change in Ezra. More and more Stormtroopers appeared, after the Rebels and pirates. Terba then spat at Hondo.
"No, you cannot have a double share, you greedy little pig." Hondo scolded the Ugnaught.
They reached a door leading outside and Terba ended up gaining a burst of speed, muttering to Hondo bitterly.
"What do you mean the deal's off?" Hondo questioned as Terba ran past Ezra, getting ahead of everyone.
"No! Terba, wait!" Ezra said.
"This is not good business!" Hondo blurted out as Terba got outside, thinking he was now free but then he saw the AT-DP Walker before it fired its cannons right at him, throwing him in the air, squealing as he fell down the chasm.
"No!" Ezra exclaimed.
"Whatever." Errol muttered, not even caring in the slightest.
"Well, I guess the deal is off." Hond pointed out. The Walker then started to fire in their direction, missing.
"Get to cover!" Errol told everyone and they got behind some crates to avoid the barrage of blaster fire from both the Walker and some Stormtroopers.
"Karabast! We're cut off!" Zeb cursed as he and Hondo fired at them. Errol and Sabine firing at the Troopers coming from the hallway.
"We need to make a move, or we're never going to!" Sabine pointed out as she threw a thermal detonator at the troopers, exploding the second it landed, taking out the Troopers and Chopper shut the door.
"Don't worry, Sabine. I got us into this, I'll get us out." Ezra said. As everyone did cover fire, Ezra tuned into the Force and he used it so that he could control the Imperial piloting the Walker. He then used him to fire at the Stormtroopers. Everyone was shocked to see this display of the Force. Especially Errol and Sabine, the latter removing her helmet and her hair has changed as it was now white and purple. Errol knew full well that this is not something Kanan taught him, or even his parents.
Once Ezra took out all the Troopers, he made it step off the landing pad, falling deep into the chasm.
"When did Kanan teach you that?" Sabine asked him.
"He didn't." Ezra coolly answered. Underneath his helmet, Errol narrowed his eyes suspecting where and how he learned that.
The door behind them then exploded open and more Stormtroopers came, firing at them. They all ran.
"Get ready to jump!" Ezra informed everyone.
"Jump? What does he mean jump? Jump where?" Hondo asked in confusion.
"Means our ride is here." Zeb translated as they ran down the walkway just as the Ghost flew in.
"Now!" Ezra shouted as the Ghost flew underneath the walkway and they all jumped off and landed on top of the ship. They then entered the ship as Hera flew out of the planet's atmosphere.
Errol, Zeb and Ezra entered the cockpit. Errol sat in the co-pilot seat and took his helmet off to reveal that while he looked slightly older than before, his hair still remained the same. And his scar over his right eye had faded a bit, still prominent.
"Was that Imperial Walker helping you?" Hera asked them as Zeb sat behind Errol and Ezra behind Hera.
"Yeah. Ezra used his Jedi Mind Trick on the pilot. Pretty wizard, eh?" Zeb said.
"I did what I had to do." Ezra said casually. Then both Sabine and Hondo entered.
"Ah, Captain Syndulla. I appreciate the rescue. And, of course, I expect full payment even though Terba tried to betray us." Hondo greeted the Twi'lek.
"Wait. Who's Terba?" She asked her boyfriend, confused.
"Hondo's former cellmate that nearly botched our mission and didn't make it." He answered, looking directly at Ezra, knowing that he didn't know about Terba. Hera noticed this and looked over to him.
"Ezra, did you know about this?" She asked, sounding stern.
"Not exactly. But Hondo and I had a deal." Ezra confessed.
"*scoffs* Not surprising." Errol spat, turning back to face the windshield.
"Ezra, when it's your mission, you are responsible for all of the details." She told him.
"I was responsible for what I knew. We went to get Hondo, and here he is." Ezra glared at her, standing up and walking to leave the cockpit.
"*sighs* I'm sorry about Terba." He then apologized to Hondo before he left, making Errol look at him as though he grew an appendage on his head.
"Ah, the fiery spirit of youth, eh?" Hondo asked as he sat on the chair behind Hera.
"It's not all bad." Hera replied.
Shortly after, Errol went to check up on Ezra and found him in the common room, sitting by the table.
"Hey, Errol." He greeted him.
"Ezra, I seriously doubt saving Hondo was a good idea. Yes, he may have intel but that was the only reason to save him. Have you forgotten what he did to my mom and when he double crossed us?" Errol asked him.
"Look, I trust him, okay? That should be good enough." Ezra rudely brushed off. That made Errol storm off to his and Hera's quarters and sat on the bed.
He's noticed the changes going on with Ezra. Even though he was getting better and more skilled as a Jedi, he's grown more rude, hotheaded and hostile. And with what he just did with that Walker, Errol's now suspecting a certain possibility that he wished wasn't true.
They eventually made it back to Chopper Base on Atollon and around the holotable were the Ghost crew (excluding Kanan), Dash, Ahsoka, Alaara, Rex, Sato and Hondo. Dash, Ahsoka and Alaara glared at Hondo, still disgusted with him after what he had done in the Clone Wars.
"So, so, so… how much do you insist on paying me for this intel?" Hondo asked.
"Being rescued from that Imperial prison wasn't payment enough? What do you want?" Hera asked in disbelief, placing her hands on her hips.
"How about you just give us the intel as insurance that me and my wife don't punch you in the face repeatedly?" Dash suggested, desperately wanting payback on the pirate.
"Ah, while your offering is quite tempting, Dash, I was thinking about a ship. What good is a pirate without a ship? You know, the Ghost is a very nice ship. I could probably-"
"Forget it." The Ghost crew present all shot down in unison.
"*laughs* I'm kidding, of course. But I do need a ship. Nothing too fancy. Just something with a roomy cargo hold, Hyperdrive, shields, weapons. I am a wanted man, after all. Very popular." Hondo told everyone. Hera, Errol, his parents and Alaara all frowned at Ezra who shrugged his shoulders.
"If your information is good, as you are making it seem, then we have a deal, Hondo." Ahsoka sternly said.
"I give to you the planet Yarma." Hondo said, turning on a hologram of a galaxy map and a red blip formed where the planet is located.
"And hidden in its cloudy heavens, Reklam Station, a secret Imperial salvage yard where thousands of Republic Starfighters are being dismantled for scrap. My former friend, Terba, worked on the line there before he was arrested for trying to escape." Hondo explained, changing the hologram to an Imperial structure and then to a Starfighter that was very familiar to Rex, Dash and Ahsoka.
"Y-Wings! We haven't seen those since the Clone Wars." Dash said in shock.
"But can they fly?" Hera asked him and the other Clone War veterans.
"Those Bombers may be old, but they were solid in combat operations." Rex explained.
"If we could steal a squadron's worth…" Hera contemplated.
"They would be key to building a strike fleet, one capable of our next objective, the destruction of the Empire's factory on Lothal." Sato continued. The mention of Lothal made Ezra very eager to get these Bombers.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go get 'em." Ezra said, punching his fist into his hand.
"Not so fast. We need to scout it first. Confirm Hondo's intel and recon its defenses." Hera told him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"You still do not trust Hondo given our history together? You wound me too quick, madam." Hondo said in mock hurt.
"You double crossed us when we met those Lasats. Of course we don't trust you." Errol reminded him blankly.
"Ezra. Me, Ahsoka and Sato trusted you with the last mission and your success has not gone unnoticed. You will lead this mission as Lieutenant Commander." Dash then suddenly said, shocking the crew.
"Lieutenant? A promotion?" Ezra asked, forming a smirk, surprised.
"*chuckles* You earned it, kid." Rex told him.
"Way to go/Well done, young Jedi." Sabine and Zeb congratulated him, the latter patting him on the shoulder as they left.
"Congratulations, Ezra. Kanan will be proud of you." Hera told him.
"Yeah? Well, he has a funny way of showing it considering he's never around." Ezra said, darkly before he walked off.
Errol didn't congratulate Ezra, thinking his promotions would get to his head and make him more reckless. And his parents noticed that he was silent.
"You alright, sport?" His dad asked him.
"Yeah. I just think his promotion might be a mistake. Doesn't his new behavior wave red flags?" He asked his parents as Hera, Alaara, Hondo, Rex and Sato walked off.
"While he may be behaving differently, it's not a cause of concern." Dash shrugged off. Errol sighed.
"I hope so." Errol muttered before he headed off to go think things over.
After he let himself sink into his thoughts, walking by the fence surrounding the base, he decided to see if his suspicions about Ezra were true. He walked into the Ghost and walked into Ezra's quarters to see him lying on the top bunk.
"Errol. Uh, hey, what are you doing here?" Ezra asked, sounding slightly nervous, jumping off the bunk.
"What's wrong with me just wanting to talk with ya?" Errol questioned, walking in slightly.
"Nothing. It's just that I need to get ready for the mission." Ezra replied, slowly making his way to his painted cadet helmet. He must be hiding something in it.
"Are you hiding something?" He asked the nervous Jedi.
"Not at all. Just need to clean my helmet." Ezra lied, which Errol picked up on. He then Force Pulled the helmet to his hands and then he reached in and pulled out the Sith Holocron with its tip twisted. Errol's eyes widened until he frowned at Ezra.
"You've opened the SIth Holocron?" He asked him.
"Yeah, I opened it. So what?" Ezra shrugged off rudely.
"The only way this could be opened is by someone using the Dark Side." Errol reminded him.
"Well, the things I've learned from it have really helped me." Ezra stated.
"I suspected you were using it!" Errol now shouted at him.
"Yeah, and maybe you should too. You might actually learn something." Ezra told him.
"No, Ezra. You'd end up on a dark path. One you can't come back from." Errol pointed out.
"Everything I've learned has helped me win one battle after another. I'm using it for good." Ezra argued.
"The Dark Side is nothing but empty promises and quick results! A trap!" Errol told him, getting right up to his face.
"Not for me!" Ezra spat back, making Errol step back, disgusted at him, even considering punching him but he'd never stoop that low, not after he got heated at Hera after dealing with Lando.
"There's no way you're keeping this." Errol said, turning to the door but stopped in the doorway, looking back at Ezra.
"Anakin Skywalker thought the Dark Side was the only way to save his wife, but it resulted in her death and he became Darth Vader. That could happen to you, Bridger." Errol said with finality.
"Whatever. If you're not going to learn from it, then I don't need you, just like I don't need Kanan." Ezra spat.
"Those words will come back to haunt you." Errol said before he walked out.
Errol had to tell Kanan about this and so he made his way to him, by the fence, meditating. He was in neater attire, like Ezra and he now had a good amount of facial hair and wore a mask that covered the top half of his face, over his misty eyes.
"Kanan." Errol greeted in a neutral tone.
"What is it, Errol?" He asked him, sensing unease.
"Ezra's been using the Sith Holocron." He revealed, putting it in his hands, feeling it over and knew he was telling the truth.
"I can't believe this." He muttered in sadness.
"It's clear he blames himself for what happened to you." Errol said.
"And yet I don't." The older Jedi confessed.
"You'll have to tell him eventually. And you'll have to hide it from him as much as possible." Errol said as he turned back to the Ghost.
"And Kanan. You can still train Ezra and be a Jedi with your blindness. As long as you push yourself." He gave him something to think about as he walked away.
The mission was now underway. Sabine (without her helmet) piloted the Phantom with Ezra, Rex, Zeb, Errol (with his helmet) and Chopper accompanying her.
"We can't jump directly to Yarma from here. We'll have to drop out of Hyperspace at the Sereeda Waypoint and plot a new jump." Sabine explained.
"Do not take too long. That is Mining Guild territory. If they spot us, they'll alert the Empire and jeopardize my payment. *chuckling* I mean, our mission." Hondo said.
"We'll be there and gone before they know it. Right, Chop?" Sabine said. Chopper agreed right before they entered Hyperspace and made it to their first destination within minutes.
"Okay, Chopper. You're up. Program those coordinates fast before-" Sabine was ordering Chopper when their comms came on.
"Attention shuttle craft. You're trespassing in a Mining Guild claim zone. Identify yourselves. State your business." A Mining Guild captain said, making even Chopper grow concerned as he saw Mining Guild ships fly up behind them.
"State your purpose." The captain ordered them and Ezra decided to reply back.
"Please excuse the intrusion, Captain. We'll be on our way as soon as we calculate our Hyperspace jump." He tried to make them seem like passers by.
"We will not authorise any such jump until you've registered with the Empire and paid the Hyperspace toll. Prepare to transfer credits." The captain replied before Guild TIEs flew up to either side of the Phantom.
"If you do not slow your speed, we will open fire." He then warned them.
"Sabine, do something." Errol said. She then gained speed and maneuvered out of the way of cannon fire from the TIEs.
"Imperial prison is bad, but where the Mining Guild will send us is worse!" Hondo stated, not wanting to get caught.
"Hang on!" Sabine told everyone as she did a barrel roll and other maneuvers. Chopper used the turret on the Phantom to fire back, managing to destroy one of the TIEs.
"Brace yourselves." Sabine then said before she activated the emergency brake and then fired at the TIE, destroying it in seconds. Errol sighed in relief.
"Chopper, we're clear. Charge the Hyperdrive." She then ordered the droid.
"Wait. We should destroy the transport before they contact the Empire." Ezra pointed out.
"They would've already done that before chasing us." Errol told him firmly.
"No! We're not leaving any witnesses." Ezra argued.
"Well, guess what, Bridger, that's not our mission!" Errol spat back at him, getting seriously fed up with Ezra's attitude.
"He's right, Lieutenant. The important thing here is to proceed with our mission." Rex backed up his godson.
"Fine. Make the jump." Ezra groaned, relenting.
"Hyperspace, here we come." Sabine said and they jumped into Hyperspace.
They reached Yarma as quickly as possible and descended to the planet.
"No Imperial traffic on the scopes but no sign of the station either. " Sabine informed everyone in confusion.
"It is down there, my friends. And those ships are ripe for plunder." Hondo said.
"There's no telling what we're flying into." Sabine said with caution.
"Meaning there's a chance the Empire's already down there, waiting for us." Errol added.
"Let's find out. Take us down." Ezra ordered and they entered the planet's atmosphere.
"There it is. Reklam Station." Sabine said, seeing a structure in the far distance.
"Chopper, get a count on those Bombers." Ezra requested from the droid, who projected a hologram of the station on the console.
"There! Y-Wing Light Bombers. Looks like they're in decent shape, too." Ezra noted.
"Yeah, but according to Chopper's scan, there's only fifteen left." Sabine added until one of the Bombers entered the dismantling area.
"Now fourteen. Looks like they're in the middle of being destroyed." Errol pointed out.
"We need to move in now. There won't be any ships if we wait." Ezra stated.
"Hold on. Our orders are to recon the station, not go after ships." Zeb reminded Ezra with seriousness.
"We should advise Captain Syndulla." Rex suggested.
"What if the Empire detects our transmission? I was given command of this assignment. I know what the objective was and I am changing it. We're going in now. That's an order." Ezra disrespectfully argued against Rex, getting right in his face, which made Errol slam the teen up against the wall.
"Back off, Bridger. Unlike you, he was following orders from a higher ranked officer. But since you are so stubborn, we'll follow your new order." Errol growled at him, letting go and stepping as far away from him as much as possible. The atmosphere in the shuttle was now thick with tension as Sabine piloted right to the station.
"Hurry! We're losing ships." Ezra said as they saw that there are now thirteen Y-Wings left.
"Well, Lieutenant, what's your plan to get 'em out of there?" Sabine asked Ezra.
"Here's what we're gonna do-"
"Look out!" Rex interrupted him as they were heading right towards some kind of droid, but Sabine swerved enough to just graze it and kept flying.
"What was that?" Sabine asked.
"Oh, right, right. That is probably a dismantler droid. Forgot that Terba said there might be some guarding the station." Hondo confessed, annoying both Zeb and Errol.
"When were you gonna share that information?" The Lasat demanded with a subtle snarl.
"Well, of course, I just did." The pirate replied. A few moments later, a couple of the dismantler droids chased them and one attached onto the wings of the Phantom.
"Chop, get it!" Sabine ordered and the droid fired a shot at it, making it let go and he shot it again, destroying it. The rest still chased them as they got closer to the station.
"Right, I'll handle those clankers. Hold on tight!" Rex advised everyone as he walked up to the hatch.
"Where are you going?" Hondo asked the clone.
"Outside." Rex replied, opening the hatch. One of the dismantler droids attached and repeatedly hit the shuttle. Rex took some shots at it but when it tried to swing at him, it landed on the left wing, causing it to tip over slightly and Rex was losing his footing. Both Errol and Zeb then grabbed his ankles as he was about to fall out. This gave Rex a better angle and he fired some more shots at the droid, causing it to explode, which in turn damaged the Phantom.
It started spinning as Errol and Zeb pulled Rex in. It aligned itself again but the engines started to sputter and the shuttle then made a sharp drop.
"We're going down!" Sabine shouted as they were descending down to the station.
"Chopper, get the engines back online!" Ezra told the droid, who warbled back at him as they descended past the station into a storm, getting struck by a lightning bolt. The last droid chasing them was about to ram into them but another lightning bolt struck it. Chopper waved at it.
Eventually, the shuttle steadied itself and Sabine ascended but up to the station and out of the storm.
"Brace yourselves! I'm gonna lock on to the station." Sabine told everyone before magnetically docked underneath where the Y-Wings were.
Everyone climbed out and onto the platform to see that more Y-Wings were being destroyed. Both Errol and Sabine put their helmets on.
"We gotta shut down the conveyor before they're all slagged. Come on." Ezra said and they ran down the platform until they stopped when they saw an Ugnaught pop, noticing them. And then more popped up.
"Ugnaughts." Zeb muttered as the Ugnaughts walked up to them and essentially told them to go away.
"Get out of the way. I don't want to hurt you." Ezra threatened them, making them back away in fear. Hondo then got in front of the teen.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait. Every situation has the potential to be profitable. *clears throat*" Hondo told him before he talked with the Ugnaughts in Ugnese and what he told them made the three look at each other and nod.
"I told them Terba was my friend, and we've come to liberate them. I think that's what I said." The pirate explained with both thumbs up, making Errol roll his eyes.
"'Liberate them'?" Zeb questioned.
"Fine. They can help us liberate the ships. Hondo, get them to shut off the conveyor." Ezra told Hondo.
"Uh, very well. *clears throat*" He replied before talking in Ugnese again about the conveyor. One of the three nodded and then ran past everyone, climbed up a small ladder and then pulled a lever which stopped the conveyor. Then he communicated with an Imperial questioning what happened and the Imperial threatened the Ugnaught.
"Let's just get our ships and get out of here." Ezra said.
"We have to refuel them first. Their tanks are gonna be empty. You clearly didn't think of that getting into this." Errol stated, walking past Ezra, shoving him with his shoulder.
"Not the first complication, won't be the last. Let's get to work." Rex sternly told Ezra with a hand on his shoulder before he and Sabine went to catch up with Errol.
"You know, Kanan would've loved this mission." Zeb said to Ezra as well before he joined up with everyone, leaving Ezra on his own, thinking about all that he's been told and how things have been so far.
Errol had just finished refuelling a Y-Wing as both Sabine and Zeb were busy doing the same with two more.
"Last two, and then we're out of here." Sabine explained. All of them weren't aware of a dismantler droid watching them from below, letting the Imperials know they're there and suddenly the magnetic locks kicked in.
"Ugh. Well, they know we're here. They're locking the ships down." Sabine commented as the conveyor came back on.
"Perhaps my associates can assist?" Hondo asked before talking with the Ugnaughts.
"*sighs* My friend says all systems have been overridden by the control tower." Hondo translated, looking towards the large dome.
"*sighs* Zeb, you and Sabine finish refuelling. I'll take care of the tower. Rex, Errol, you're with me." Ezra ordered and everyone ran to do their tasks except for Errol, which Ezra noticed.
"Errol, come on!" He barked at him.
"You said you didn't need me, Bridger." Errol coolly replied before he ran to join Sabine and Zeb.
"Whatever!" Ezra said angrily as he caught up with Rex.
He met up with Zeb and Sabine, who were busy refuelling the last Y-Wing. Chopper started to beep.
"Stop your complaining. This is the last one. Then we'll leave." Sabine told him, noticing Errol was with them.
"Weren't you with Ezra." Sabine pointed out.
"He said he didn't need me, same for Kanan." He said, not saying anything else.
Suddenly, he felt something come up behind him so he turned around and used the Force to crumple up the dismantler droid severely and tightly and then stabbed it with his gold lightsaber and kicked it off the conveyor and fell into the storm below. Sabine and Zeb saw that rather powerful display, thinking yet again how they're glad he ain't a Sith. Rex later joined in saying that he saw the droid and realised that Errol took care of it.
They eventually finished fuelling the last Y-Wing up when the station started to rumble slightly and a blast was heard from somewhere in the station and then the magnetic locks deactivated.
"The Bombers are unlocked." Zeb said.
"Spectre-5 to Spectre-7. What was that blast?" Sabine asked Ezra over the comms.
"I had to cut the station's power. Get in those Bombers and get out of here!" Ezra replied.
"What about you?" She asked him.
"I'll take the Phantom. Now get going. That's an order!" Ezra told them.
"Chopper, tap into the relay navigation system. I need you to remote pilot those three ships." Sabine told the astromech, who talked back.
"Yes, you're getting in a Y-Wing too." Sabine replies blankly. Chopper then beeped back.
"Zeb!" Errol called out. The Lasat grabbed Chopper and put him into an astromech socket of the Y-Wing that Rex got in as Sabine, Errol and Zeb got ones themselves. Chopper then started to complain. Errol wished Slick was with them on this mission instead of Chopper.
"Stop complaining and focus. You've gotta get those Bombers in the air." Rex told him, making him groan in frustration before he worked his magic.
"Detach Bombers from the Dock." Rex then told him and they all did just that, one at a time.
"Nice work. Now keep 'em steady." Rex said and they all flew off, leaving the planet's atmosphere.
"Chop, set the coordinates in the navi-computer." Sabine requested but Chopper gave her and everyone bad news.
"What?! There's no Hyperdrives?" She asked.
"I guess it would make sense the Empire would remove them." Errol commented right before a Star Destroyer appeared and some TIE Fighters flew in to intercept them.
"Oh Karabast!" Errol and Sabine cursed.
"My thoughts exactly." Zeb muttered grimly.
"Spectre-7. The Empire's in orbit. We're in deep Bantha crap." Errol commed to Ezra, not getting a response. He's in trouble.
The TIEs then started firing, narrowly missing the Y-Wings.
"They're trying to drive us toward their tractor beam." Sabine realised as she and the others started to fire back, taking down a couple of TIEs. They flew away from the Destroyer when the Rebel Carrier appeared out of Hyperspace and the rest of the Rebel Fleet, including the Ghost.
"Ghost to Bombers. Get your ships on the Carrier. We'll cover you." Hera commed in.
"Copy, Ghost. Nice to have you cover our backs." Errol replied, sounding so relieved to hear his girlfriend as he and the others docked onto the Carrier.
"By the way, any sign of the Phantom? I think Spectre-7 is in trouble." He then said over the comlink.
"Ezra's not with you?" Surprisingly Kanan asked.
"No. Get to the station, now!" He told them and then comms were cut off.
In the Ghost, Kanan, now being able to see through his blindness, managed to save Ezra and they and Hera were in the cockpit as Hera flew back to the Carrier as the Rebels kept the Imperials busy. To say that Hera was mad at Ezra is an understatement partly because he lost the Phantom but also for another reason, and she knew that a couple of others would not be pleased with him as well.
"I-I can explain everything." Ezra tried to tell her.
"Save it." She spat at him with venom before contacting Sato.
"Commander Sato, everyone is accounted for." She told him before all of the Rebels jumped into Hyperspace back to Chopper Base.
Once everyone arrived back at base, at nightfall, the Ghost crew and Rex gathered around.
"I'm sorry, okay? I mes-"
"EZRA BRIDGER!" A thunderous roar stopped Ezra's apology and made everyone jump to see an enraged Dash storm up to Ezra. This had to be the first time that Errol was ever scared by his dad. He saw his mom walking up behind him and she had a look of cold fury on her face.
"What the hell were you thinking?! You had a responsibility to the mission and to Phoenix Squadron! Not only did you almost get yourself killed, but also your team and especially my son!" Dash said, raising his voice ever so slightly as he continued.
"Sir-"
"SHUT UP!" Dash bellowed out right in Ezra's face, now too scared to say or do anything.
"You've just shown that my trust in you with your promotion was misplaced! You disobeyed direct orders, and for what?! *sighs* You give me no choice but to strip you of your command and you will be suspended from any missions until further notice. During this, you had better think about what you have done, your behavioural change and lack of responsibility. Understood?!" Dash scolded him further.
"Yes, sir." Ezra quietly acknowledged in pure guilt and shame. Ahsoka stood next to her husband and looked over to her son.
"Errol." She sternly gestured to him to step forward, and he did so without question.
"You're now promoted to Lieutenant Commander." She said, giving the rank to someone else that would actually be responsible.
"Yes, ma'am." He nodded and then his parents walked off before Zeb cleared his throat to get their attention, slightly scared though.
"If you suspend Ezra, you should suspend all of us. We went along with him." Zeb said, defending Ezra.
"Your loyalty may be admirable, Zeb, but this was Ezra's mission, not yours." Dash coolly told him before he and Ahsoka continued off somewhere in the base.
"At least we got the Y-Wings?" Sabine tried to change the subject.
"They're not for us. We have orders to deliver these Bombers to General Dodonna's unit. They're part of a wider Rebellion we're working to build. It's growing every day." Hera explained, looking at said ships.
"Well, I guess if we're going to defeat the Empire, we'll need all the help we can get." Sabine pointed out.
Errol and Hera were in bed in their quarters, cuddling with each other in silence.
"Hera?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you know what you want to do if/when we win against the Empire?" Errol asked.
"I don't know honestly. I'm just so focused on the present that I don't think about the future." She answered with honesty. He couldn't blame her as they've been so busy with the Rebellion that there isn't time to think about what comes next.
"What brought this about?" She asked him.
"Nothing. It just came into my head." He shrugged before he kissed the top of her head.
"Well, let's get some sleep. I want to get back to work as early as possible." Hera said, closing her eyes.
"And I think I should train as well." Errol agreed as he too closed his eyes to sleep.
If anyone has read FULCRUM 01's Rebels story, you'll notice particular similarities. Please don't tell me I'm plagiarizing him as he deserves full credit for making me want to write my own Star Wars Saga, I just liked what he did and was inspired by it.