Mara POV...

The flight back to Ahch-To took a couple of hours as expected, and while Zenna was being all cheerful and happy about being around me, the other two were just getting anxious and filled with dread. Hiccup of course was pacing, as he usually did when he was stressed or anxious, while Astrid was sitting on the bench nearby. R5 was piloting the ship, though my parents were still with the rebels.

"Are you done pacing yet?" I asked him with a raised eyebrow.

He stopped and looked at us, obviously distressed. "You'd think after getting yelled at for so many years I'd be used to it by now, but nope! Still feels like a death trap!"

Astrid winced slightly at that remark, obviously still feeling some small amount of guilt for Hiccup's treatment while I just rolled my eyes. "Come on, it's not like he's gonna kill you. At the very worst it can't be as bad as how he yells at Tuffnut and Ruffnut," I said optmisitically.

"That's because those knuckleheads don't really care," Astrid pointed out in a deadpan.

My face fell and I gave her an irritated look. "Yeah, like that's gonna help his anxiety," I said dryly.

She simply shrugged in apology.

"Yeah, I know he's gotten mad before but this, is really bad! We literally snuck onto your ship and blasted off into Thor knows where." Hiccup argued. "My dad isn't exactly one who would go easy on something like that."

"Okay, I get your point," I admitted. "But worrying about what he'll do won't make it any better, it's still gonna happen, and you'll be fine afterwards, so just stop worrying. There's no point. Take it like a man!"

Astrid nodded her head slightly in agreement. "I guess that's true. Best to just face your mistakes head on."

"Oh I wish I could feel the same as you guys," he muttered.

Me and Astrid shared a look. Meanwhile, Zenna continued frolicking around the room, eventually taking interest in a shelf of datapads, and picked one up in her mouth. Looking over, I widened my eyes in alarm and rushed over there.

"No Zenna, don't bite that!" I cried out in horror.


I guess Hiccup did have plenty of reasons to worry. Despite being Stoick's son, and Astrid being the star Viking teenager, Stoick showed absolutely no mercy in his rage when we got there. The yelling went on for a couple of minutes, and even Zenna was flinching in fear, hiding behind my legs and trembling nervously. He even started to turn on me, for what I don't know, maybe just to unleash more of his pent up Viking rage. Luckily, I was saved when my communicator went off, signaling a message from dad. Even Stoick decided to let that slide, although with a reluctant grumble, and I quickly scurried away.

Zenna tried to latch onto me, but I gently pushed her away, promising that I would see her soon, reaching out with the Force to let my message and affection for her be clear. Getting back inside the ship, I glanced back at Hiccup and Astrid as Stoick continued his yelling, not envying them one bit. Once the ramp was closed, I opened the transmission and a hologram of my dad showed up.

"There you are. Thought you'd never answer," he comments.

I rolled my eyes. "Ha ha, very funny. Stoick was mad, so I was a little busy."

He raises an eyebrow but simply shrugs in acceptance. "Eh, I expected that," he says. "I was just calling to let you and R5 know to meet up with us on Garel. It'll be a temporary hideout for the rebels until they manage to find a more permanent home."

"Ok dad, see you there," I replied, moving to end the message.

"And don't be late!" he adds in before his hologram disappears.


Garel City Spaceport, Garel; Lothal Sector

Jarik POV...

Back during the Clone Wars, I was part of a foursome which consisted of me, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, and Anakin. We were probably the most well known Jedi team for the Republic, and it was certainly obvious through us being the poster boys, or in Ahsoka's case, girl, for them. Citizens cheered us on, the Separatists knew to be wary of us, and we brought lots of successful wins in the war. However, we were far from perfect.

Like arguing for example. Obi-Wan and Anakin excelled at it, while me and Ahsoka added to the fire with our young teenager attitudes.

Watching Kanan, Rex and Ezra argue with each other about who gets to do their practice with the Padawan made me wonder if that's what it looked like from an outside view of us. Ezra had just gone through some blaster training, Chopper moving around some crates with a Stormtrooper helmet. Me and Ahsoka were both sitting on top of the Ghost, looking down at them from our vantage point when Kanan came out. We also got a good view of their short argument between each other, sensing their frustration. Because the two of us were such high profile targets, we were both wearing our cloaks with the hoods up to protect from any stray camera or droid that zoomed by us.

"They really have issues with each other," I commented.

"Especially Rex and Kanan," Ahsoka added, from where her head was resting on my shoulder. "Even when they get past their differences, they still bicker and try to prove themselves better than the other."

"Now that's a familiar sight," I recalled with some amusement.

She chuckles lightly. "Yeah. Obi-Wan and Anakin bickered like nobody's business."

"Obi-Wan certainly had the wit."

"Which you inherited from him," she said. "And also his thinking face, where he holds his chin."

I made a face at that comment. "Really?" I ask in exasperation.

"Nothing wrong with the truth Jarik," she says with amusement in her tone.

"Yeah? Well you picked up your smart mouth from Anakin," I retorted back.

"I already had a smart mouth," she frowns.

I shook my head. "No you didn't, you were just snippy, and way to eager for excitement. There's a difference," I argued.

"Are you really saying I never had a smart mouth before becoming a Padawan? Because that is a complete lie." Ahsoka says back firmly. "You, on the other hand, never had the best jokes before becoming a Padawan."

I looked at her in bewilderment. "What?! I made you guys laugh!" I protested.

She smiled sheepishly. "Sometimes it was a pity laugh," she said in mock sorrow.

In response I jerked my shoulder away, causing her to yelp as he head fell, and she collapsed on her back onto my legs.

"Jarik!" she exclaims angrily.

I just laughed at her, but she then shoved me with her hands, and I landed on my back with a grunt. We then wrestled with each other, rolling across the roof of the Ghost with the occasional giggle, overall just having a good time. I couldn't remember the last time I had felt so joyful like this. Eventually, I managed to bring us to a stop, leaning on top of her, a grin on my face. She playfully tried to shove me away, but I pushed her hands back down after a few moments. Collecting ourselves, our giggles died down as we stared at each other with smiles on our faces.

"I haven't had that much fun in a while," Ahsoka admits.

"Eh, must be a gift. I have always been a great jokester," I emphasize, and she rolls her eyes.

"Just stop talking," she retorts.

We slowly move our heads closer, intending for a kiss. We were literally starting to touch lips when the clearing of someone's throat ot our attention, and we both looked up, our expressions shifting to slight annoyance.

"Well, this is quite a sight," Boil says with a smirk, leaning against the turret gun's window.

"Do you mind?" I ask Boil, not very amused.

"Oh no, don't mind me. Go on," he says with a simple hand gesture.

I narrow my eyes in irritation, and Ahsoka sighs, sitting back up, gently moving me away. I cross my arms and manage a small, disappointed pout.

"What do you need Boil?" she asks slowly.

"Oh, right," he says, like he just remembered why he came up here. "Hera just called a meeting, and she'd like the two of you to attend if possible."

"Alright, tell her we'll be there," she sighs, and I share the sentiment.

Life in a war never gives us much time for ourselves.

"Yes commanders," he says with a small salute, sort of mockingly, and then continues to stand there.

"Don't make me throw my lightsaber at you," I threaten him when he doesn't move. He quickly scurries away back into the ship after that, knowing I would follow up on my threat, because I have thrown my lightsaber at the men when they were being irritating.

Non-lethal setting of course.

"Well that ruined the moment," I complained.

Ahsoka shrugs in a 'what-can-you-do' fashion. "Yeah, well, when we agreed to help out with the rebellion we knew time wouldn't be in our favor."

Unfortunately she is very right in that assessment.


In the Ghost's common room, the Spectres were all gathered around the holotable, which was projecting a hologram of Commander Sato while the two of us stood more in the back, like usual. We were more advisors than actual participants to them, unless the mission is really important.

Inquisitor of Vader level important.

"As we speak, the frozen planet of Rinn is facing an energy crisis." Sato reports, showing an image of a generator, and then the planet itself. "When their supply of fuel cells is gone, the settlements will not be able to power the heaters they need to survive."

"They'll freeze down there." Sabine says sadly.

"Since we're on Garel, we should check out the black market." Ezra suggests.

"Bound to be generators or something we can get our hands on." Kanan adds in agreement.

"See what you can find, without delay." Sato orders, and then his hologram disappears, ending the transmission.

"Gear up, everyone. Time to go make friends with the locals." Hera tells the group. Everyone moves to head out, but before Ezra could leave Hera and Kanan stop him.

"Except you, Spectre-Six. I asked you to clean the ion scoring off the Phantom's exhaust ports. Twice!" Hera says sternly, hands on her hips in a scolding-mother-like fashion.

"But I had Jedi practice. And blaster practice!" Ezra protests in exasperation.

"Well, now you have scrubbing practice." Hera says with a gleam in her eyes. Chopper starts to laugh as he rolls by, which Hera takes notice of in displeasure. "What are you laughing at? Uh-uh. You're gonna help him!"

Chopper stops, and then turns back around, grumbling to himself. Hera moves to follow the others, but then takes notice of us still standing there.

"Ahsoka? Jarik? You not coming?" she asks curiously.

"We'll sit this one out Hera. Not really worth the risk for us," I respond.

"Our presence would cause more trouble than it would be worth, especially since you won't really need us on it," Ahsoka adds.

Hera nods in understanding, and then leaves the room, while Kanan turns to Ezra. "We'll discuss this later?" he asks sternly.

"Can't wait for that." Ezra replies sarcastically, walking away.

Boil stops by us for a moment, giving us a look. "You couldn't come? Like, undercover work or something? *I know you went undercover as a boyfriend and girlfriend back in the War," he says.*

Ahsoka and I both widen our eyes slightly and give each other sheepish glances. "I guess..." she mumbles, her lekku turning a shade of purple.

"How did you-" I start to say before shaking my head in realization. "Anakin," I muttered. "Anyways, back then we weren't exactly being hunted down by the whole galaxy with our faces plastered on every wanted billboard," I pointed out.

He shrugs. "I suppose that's a good point," he agrees. "Although I have to admit, all these small missions are a little boring for me. I was bred for battle, not simple black market supply shopping!" he whines.

"You lived in a barren desert doing nothing for fourteen years." Ahsoka deadpans.

"Hey, we had the thrill of chasing joopas to use for fun," he replies defensively. "I want an exciting, dangerous mission! I can do more than this!"

"Yeah, well until that day, dear soldier, you can continue going on your blue milk runs," I replied with a small grin.

He rolls his eyes but exits the room, and we watch him go in silence. I thought he was gone, until-

"I heard you wore a fancy gown on that mission!" Boil yells from across the ship.

Ahsoka's lekku turn a very deep purple, showing just how embarrassed she was, and she turns away, grumbling to herself.

"It wasn't a gown... it was just a simple dress," she mutters.

The only thing suppressing my laughter was the fact that he was also embarrassing me as well.


Sometime later Mara and R5 both arrived on Garel with the Knight Hawk, and luckily a spot was open right next to us to land, so I helped to set up the reservation for the ship, keeping its real identity secret of course. We met up with her in the Ghost's docking bay, going to head into the ship, although there was one thing I had to clear up first.

"So, did anyone else sneak onto the ship?" I asked her.

"No," she replies.

"Zenna didn't come on while you weren't looking?"

"No, she was still outside when I closed the ramp."

"Did you check the ship to make sure nobody else was there?"

"Yes! Nobody snuck onto the ship!" she finally exclaimed in exasperation.

I narrow my eyes at her for a few moments before nodding. "Alright, good."

"Don't have to be so skeptical with me," she whined.

"Well, considering the fact that Zenna snuck onto the ship twice now, and then afterwards both Hiccup and Astrid followed, without us knowing, I can be allowed some suspicion," I argued.

She shrugs in reply. "Fair enough," she agrees.

"Glad you finally resolved your argument," Ahsoka commented.

"It wasn't an argument," I said with a frown.

"Nope. It was an interrogation!" Mara says, grinning at me.

I roll my eyes while Ahsoka chuckles in amusement. "Hah hah, very funny."

While we were talking, the three of us reentered the Ghost and were now in its common room. Mara looked around with a frown of confusion. "Hey, where is everybody?"

"On a mission. It's nothing too big, they're just searching the black market for some generators." Ahsoka explained.

"They're for a frozen planet running out of fuel energy." I added. "And everyone went, except for..."

I raise a hand dramatically, and right on cue, Ezra and Chopper both burst into the room, headed in the direction of the Phantom's entrance. Seeing us however, he stops in surprise, slightly nervous.

"Oh! Uh, hey guys... Mara," he greeted sheepishly.

"Sup," she replies simply.

"Where are you off too in a hurry?" Ahsoka asks him.

"Huh? Oh, umm, just, going to grab the right tools for the ion scoring problem."

Lie.

"Uh huh. You mean in the Phantom?" I ask.

He nods his head. "Yes- I mean, no! No!" he corrects himself in alarm. "No, just over in the uh, the storage room."

He stands there sheepishly, offering an innocent grin while Chopper rolls past us, grumbling as usual. Mara simply raises an eyebrow. "You're terrible at lying."

"L-lying? What do you mean?" he questions in feigned confusion. "And for the record, I grew up on the streets, so I would say I'm a good lier."

He then widens his eyes, as if stunned that he actually said that. Ahsoka shakes her head in amusement.

"Lying on the streets to survive, that's one thing. Lying to people who know you, that's another," she tells him with a knowing smile. "Trust me, I should know."

He sighs in defeat, hanging his head. "Alright, you win. I was actually planning to take the Phantom with Chopper and help out Vizago. He sent a distress call out to us."

Me and Ahsoka share a look, but knowing Ezra's determination and knack for going against the rules, we decided to just let him do it, finding stopping him to not be worth the trouble.

"You sure it was Vizago?" she asks him.

"The signal came from his ship, so yeah." Ezra answers.

"Alright, sure," I told him.

He blinks in surprise. "Wait, you're letting me go? Just like that?"

Mara eyes us weirdly. "Yeah, like that?"

"Can't be too much of a problem if it's just Vizago. Isn't much he could really do, considering your partnership with him on a business standpoint." I tell him.

Ezra beams at us. "Ok, great! Thank you so much!"

"Really? Why don't you ever let me do stuff that easily?" Mara complains.

"Because we're your parents," Ahsoka stated. "Pretty self explanatory."

"So, you guys wanna come with?" Ezra offers.

Ahsoka and I both shake our heads quickly. "Oh, no no no, no we can't do that."

"Why not?" he questions.

"Do you even know how much we're worth to the Empire?" I ask rhetorically. "Because he'd give us up for that, and trust me, its a lot."

"Can I go then?" Mara asks hopefully.

We both turn to look at her, the answer already in our gaze, but she interrupts before we could start.

"Come on, like you said there isn't much Vizago could do. Plus, I could help keep these two out of trouble," she suggests, gesturing to Ezra and Chopper.

By Ezra's expression, and the way Chopper was grumbling, they took offense to that. But, seeing as how Mara made an admittedly good point, we relented.

"Alright, but be careful." Ahsoka told her.

"Thanks mom!" she beamed happily.

With that being said, the three of them rushed down the hall towards the Phantom, and I shared another look with Ahsoka.

"We just sent two teenagers and whiny rust bucket to answer a crime lord's distress call." I stated.

"Yes we did," she replied.


Mara POV...

So, Ezra has never really had a proper lesson when it comes to flying a ship. That was quite obvious from how our takeoff was wobbly, at least until we got to orbit. Needless to say I wasn't trusting his flight skills that much, but he refused to get out of the pilot's seat.

"You seem distressed." I observed.

Ezra gives me a strange look. "What do you mean by that?"

Chopper beeps at me, and I raise an eyebrow. "Kanan and Rex are bothering you?"

He sighs. "Well... not exactly," he admits. "It's just, they keep trying to control what I should train to be. Forcing me to choose being either a Jedi or a soldier."

"Huh. Well I suppose that's not helpful," I admit. Chopper beeps at Ezra accusingly, and he quickly replies.

"No, I'm not running away from my problems!" he says defensively. "I am simply helping someone with their problems. There's a difference," he finishes with a confdient smile.

"Doesn't mean you can't do both at the same time," I point out.

"Hey, I'm not running away from it, simple as that!" he protests. Chopper beeps doubtfully.

Not much further out, we catch sight of a freighter floating through space on its own. There weren't any other ships as far as I could tell, and there was no damage done to it either. I had to wonder just what exactly seemed to be Vizago's problem.

"That's Vizago's ship, all right." Ezra confirms. "I wonder what happened."

He then turns on the communicator, sending a signal to the ship. "Vizago! Cikatro Vizago, do you read me?"

There was no answer other than static, so he just closes the transmission, and Chopper beeps questioningly at us.

"Well, of course, we're going to board the ship." Ezra replies.

He flies us up to the freighter, and lands sideways onto the ships hull, on top of the docking tube. Ezra then puts on his helmet, and the three of us enter the ship, Chopper giving off an occasional grumble. The corridors on the freighter all just seem dull and lifeless, and I couldn't really hear a sound at all. Weird.

We creeped along, and I glanced at Ezra. "Why are you even wearing that ridiculous helmet?"

"What? I gotta be secretive," he defends himself, and I roll my eyes.

We quickly turn to the task at hand, and I reach out with the Force, taking notice of how there seemed to be no life signatures anywhere.

"Vizago must be in trouble. Why else wouldn't he answer his com?" Ezra asks rhetorically.

As we passed through the corridor, a door suddenly slammed down behind us, separating us from Chopper. I looked behind us in concern.

"We should probably open the door for Chop," I told him.

"He'll be fine," he replies dismissively. "As far as I can tell nobody is even on the ship. Besides, he's gone through worse."

I glance at the door with a doubtful look before following after him. "If you say so," I replied.

Continuing along the hallways, we decided to head for the bridge. Ezra was about to turn around a corner, but I quickly grabbed onto his shoulder before he could continue.

"Careful," I warned him.

I stopped him from running straight into a large droid, which he yelped in surprise at, quickly backing away and pulling out his lightsaber. I just walked past him and inspected the droid, noticing a line of more on both sides of the hall.

"They've been shut off," I told him.

"Well, that means something is definitely not right. He wouldn't just leave his security droids off like this," he says with a frown, opening his face mask.

Continuing down the hallway I open the door to the end, revealing the cockpit. Immediately, we were blasted by some cantina music, as well as the grunting of a man working on some mechanics. I raised an eyebrow in bewilderment, moving forwards with Ezra.

"Vizago? Vizago, is that you?" Ezra asks.

The guy underneath the console grunts again, slowly getting to his feet. Standing up is a Weequay man, who looked kind of like a pirate in my opinion. He brushed himself off and gave us a drunken grin. Wow.

"Uh, not exactly!" he says, and stares at us curiously. "Well hello there!" he exclaims enthusiastically with a wild grin.

Ezra backs up a step warily, pulling out his lightsaber blaster and aiming it at him, although the pirate; who else could it be, doesn't seem concerned at all.

"Allow me to introduce myself," he continues, shutting off the awful music. "I am Hondo Ohnaka, proud owner of this fine, but eh, currently, inoperative vessel!"

I raise an eyebrow in familiarity with the name. I'm sure I've heard that name somewhere, maybe from mom or dad, but I can't recall what it was for. I'm not too sure.

"Where's Vizago? This is his ship," Ezra questions cautiously.

"Ah, you know Vizago? Well, then we have a mutual friend!" he says with exaggerated movements. "Yes, it was his ship. But we were enjoying a friendly game of sabacc, and..." he hesitates, and I narrow my eyes at him. "Well, now it is my ship."

"Vizago bet his ship with you?" I ask doubtfully.

"Right after his droids, which are now also mine!" he says cheerfully, pulling out a remote. "Watch. I turn them on. I turn them off. I love that."

while he was speaking, he pressed the button on the remote, and the droids started to activate, before he turned them off again.

"Yeah, okay, I- I guess that could happen." Ezra says, putting his lightsaber away. The guy certainly had a way with words and stories, along with the perfect personality but he still seemed a little off when describing it. I'll keep an eye on him.

"You know about me, but who are you two?" Hondo asks curiously.

Me and Ezra share a look, and he takes off his helmet. "I'm Lando Calrissian." he says with a charming smile.

Hondo gasps in awe. "Lando! So at last I meet the semi-famous Lando Calrissian!" he exclaims, slinging his arm around Ezra's shoulders and leading him forwards. I follow behind them. "A tad younger than I pictured, but to be so young and flying to my rescue proves that you must be the scoundrel I have heard of."

"Yeah. I mean, I am pretty good." Ezra replies with a sheepish smirk.

"He's pretty good," Hondo mutters before turning to me. "And who is the little lady? I must say you look quite the beauty, if I do say so myself."

I discretely roll my eyes, deciding not to bother commenting about him commenting on my looks. He's a pirate, that's what they do.

"I'm Ashla, Lando's girlfriend!" I say with a charming smile, grabbing hold of Ezra's arm, acting like an infatuated person. I did it so well even my parents would have trouble not believing it, although obviously they won't.

Ezra sputters in shock before swallowing, quickly nodding along. "Y-yeah, she's my girlfriend! Just met a couple of weeks ago while I, uhh..." he stammered.

"He just finished smuggling a shipment and was hanging out at a bar, where he helped rid me of some, very irritating morons," I added, sending Ezra an expression that just screamed 'I-love-you.'

Admittedly it was funny seeing how uncomfortable this was making Ezra, although he had no reason to complain. He tried to flirt with Sabine when he first joined from what I heard.

He gasped again. "How romantic! Oh, I certainly must say you got yourself quite there girl there huh? Hahaha!" Hondo laughs.

"Sure did," Ezra replies through gritted teeth, faking his smile.

"Well my friends, are you looking for a crew?" Hondo asks. "Good news. Hondo is hiring!" he says happily.

"Uh, I already have a crew. Although our droid was with us earlier..." Ezra replies, looking back down the hall. I finally let go of his arm, and he sighed in relief. I just rolled my eyes in amusement.

"Oh, you lost your droid? I lost my whole crew, thanks to the Empire." Hondo remarks, and I immediately noticed the sincerity and sadness in his voice. "I once was a captain, you know. Oh, the stories I could tell. So many of them true."

Just then, the scanners started going crazy, and just outside the window we could see an Imperial lightcruiser approaching swiftly. I was immediately on alert, mentally preparing myself for the possible confrontation.

"Uh, yeah, you want to tell a story? Tell one to the Empire while I try to get the power back on." Ezra tells Hondo, quickly getting to the console and sliding underneath it.

"I'll try and get the engines running," I added, dashing towards another terminal, messing with the buttons and using my mechanical know how that mom has taught me to a certain point.

Hondo clears his throat and activates his comlink, contacting the Imperial ship. "Hello? How can we help you?"

"Attention, transport. You have breached an Imperial checkpoint," the officer responds sternly.

"Hyperspace would be good!" Hondo tells us worriedly.

Not a moment later, the lightcruiser opens fire on us, green laser bolts striking the hull of the freighter. I could only hope they don't accidentally hit the Phantom.

"Seriously?! They didn't even give us time to answer!" I complained.

"I think I got it!" Ezra exclaims, and I slam my hand onto a glowing button.

The ship begins to power up when Chopper comes barreling through the door with a yell, headed straight for the astromech port. He plugs in, and the ship blasts to full power, the hyperdrive coming online.

"Well, Lando, it looks like we are off on an adventure!" Hondo exclaims joyously, and we burst into hyperspace, leaving the Imperials behind us.


After the brief skirmish with the Imperial vessel, we had been zooming through hyperspace, just sitting in the cockpit. Hondo once again tried to imply the offer of us joining his little 'crew,' and help him 'push' a few crates, which Chopper revealed were coincidentally carrying the power generators the rest of the team was looking for. We quickly struck a deal for two of the generators, as well as half the price of a third if we were to help him, and were on our way. We came out of hyperspace and landed at a trading outpost station. The ramp lowered, Hondo standing up front, while Ezra and I pushed our own crates, Chopper next to me.

Hondo walked forwards, and we prepared to follow after him when Ezra stopped us. "Hey look, I think you two should stay here in case there's any kind of trouble."

I raise an eyebrow at him while Chopper beeps back at him. "Any particular reason why?"

"I know we're already in trouble Chop and, yes, there's a reason." Ezra replies. Someone has to stay with the ship to make sure we have an escape route, and incase this turns out to be a trap."

I shrug in acceptance, understanding his reasoning. "Alright, fair enough."

"Thanks. Keep your com channel open," Ezra says, pressing a button on his own comlink.

"Hurry it up Lando! We are on a schedule!" Hondo yells from up ahead by the doors, getting impatient.

Ezra rushed up to meet Hondo again, and I watched him go, shaking my head slightly. I wanted to be a part of the action, but at the same time didn't really care for a meeting with some other crime lord or smuggler, whoever was buying. That part of the job was usually left for dad to do. Plus, it was likely they were going to be captured. They honestly were not an impressive sight at all, so it's best for me to be the rescue girl.

Chopper and I stood there silently as time passed, and I drummed my fingers against my arm from where they were crossed. I then gave him a brief glance.

"What's up?" I asked casually.

He gave a slow beep in response.

"Yeah, I can agree with that. He is stubborn," I replied.

Just then my comlink started to beep, and I answered it, receiving an immediate response from Ezra. "Looks like you got us captured. It would be nice if we had some backup!"

I rolled my eyes with a small laugh at how he was emphasizing the situation, as well as showing his agitation. I honestly expected this to be a high possibility, considering the fact that from first glance they had no protection, just two random people with valuable items to easily overpower. Also, I didn't trust Chopper enough to stage a proper rescue; I'm sure he'd try, but I'd like to test my own luck.

The droid himself grumbled in agitation and popped out his little arms, grabbing onto the crates and rolling forwards at high speeds. I quickly jogged after him in slight surprise, running alongside the furious droid.

"Woah, don'y you have a plan?!" I exclaimed.

He beeped back loudly, and I stared at him in bewilderment. "Just ram the crap!? That's your plan?"

Chopper continued to charge forwards, beeping his confirmation.

"Yeah, well I'm adding to it!" I yelled to him.


I was crouched on the front of the utility platform which was carrying the fifth generator as Chopper pushed it along at high speeds, the floating platform rendering any friction irrelevant. Flying through the hallways surprised lots of different people who were there, and they all quickly leapt out of the way with shouts of surprise or annoyance.

"Sorry! Excuse us! Coming through!" I quickly yelled.

"Turn left!" I then yelled to Chopper, who complied without hesitation, turning us down another corridor that wasn't crowded, having very little people there. I managed to stay on despite the sharp turn with a little application of the force, and also grabbing onto the side. I then waved my hand, opening the hanger bay doors to where Hondo and Ezra had gone into. Chopper charged forwards as fast as he could go with an insane yell, and I managed a small laugh.

"Ahh! Blast them!" some ugly, fat and disgusting red guy yelled, rushing forwards with two henchmen.

The thugs opened fire on us, but I leaned my head to evade the bolts. Just as Chopper was about to crash into the rest of the power generators, I leapt off of the cart and flipped through the air. Immediately, chaos ensued as the crash sent crates flying everywhere, smashing into the thugs. I landed on my feet, and Ezra jumped up, sweeping the legs of another guy out from under him, causing him to go flying.

Hondo watched the man fall to the ground and then got to his feet. "Thank you for stopping by!" he exclaimed, jamming the button to some control as he leapt to the side.

The platform he was just on then started to shift, and another thug sat up, rubbing his head. His reprieve would be short lived however, as the cart suddenly shot towards the exit, bringing the guy with it. He screamed in terror as he was thrown past the blue shield, dying out in space. I grimaced, but otherwise gave no reaction. Even I've seen worse.

"Die you pirate scum!" the fat guy yelled in a rage, firing his blaster at us, the remaining thugs joining him. We all ducked behind flipped carts and crates, taking cover from the blaster fire.

"Well, this is fun." Hondo commented casually. "So, what's the plan?"

"I don't know, ask the droid," Ezra replied with a smirk.

Sure enough, Chopper had wheeled behind a thug that was getting up nearby, passing unnoticed. The thug took aim at Ezra and fired, but he just jumped up, swinging his arms underneath him and holding them up perfectly, so that the blaster shot broke his binders. Ezra landed on his feet and grinned.

"Hey! Get my blaster!" he called to Chopper.

As the thug prepared to fire again, Chopper electrocuted him and then grabbed Ezra's lightsaber, rolling back in our direction. He tossed it to Ezra, who caught it out of the air and then shot Hondo's bindings.

"Can I please just beat the crap out of these guys already?" I asked, sort of tired of the nonsense.

Ezra knew what I was implying. "In front of him?" he asked doubtfully, gesturing to Hondo. "I thought you were supposed to keep a low profile!"

"The heck is he gonna do?" I shot back with a raised eyebrow.

"What will I do? Ha!" Hondo exclaimed, throwing his head back before frowning in confusion. "Uh, what are we talking about?"

"Fine!" Ezra grumbled.

"Now you die Hondo Ohnaka!" the fat guy yelled again.

I vaulted over the crate and then charged for him, a grin on my face while Ezra fired back. The guy took notice of me and yelped in fright, scampering off to the side. He grabbed one of his henchmen and shoved them at me, right as I was leaping through the air to kick him. Instead, the thug received a full kick in the face, knocking him unconscious and sending him several feet.

Another thug charged at me, firing his rifle, but I ducked my head and rolled towards him, jumping up at his face. I quickly brought my knee up to slam it into his face, and then grabbed his arm, throwing him onto the ground. While this was happening, the fat guy had shoved an overturned cart he was hiding behind towards Ezra. Hondo had shoved him out of the way, but was then slammed by the cart and thrown onto the conveyor belt. The controls to the belt had been smashed, so he was then sent hurtling towards the open vacuums of space.

"Hondo!" I called out in concern.

The fat guy was then shot from behind by an electrical burst, causing him to fall and throw a container he was carrying into the air. To my bewilderment it was Chopper who shot him, having chased the guy with two blasters in his claws. The container the fat guy was carrying landed on the cart Hondo was seated on, and he grinned happily.

"I'm rich!" he exclaimed excitedly, before glancing behind him with wide eyes, about to be thrown out. "I'm dead!"

Just as the cart was sucked into space, Ezra reached a hand out, grabbing Hondo with the Force before he could fly out as well. Hondo gave brief startled cries of surprise, and I also raised an arm, helping Ezra out. We deposited Hondo back into the hanger, and I lowered my arm with a sigh, the fight being over.

Of course, Chopper continued to chase the red, ugly fat guy all the way back to his ship, firing his blasters wildly, to which he then entered the ship and blasted off, soaring out into space as fast as he could. Hondo ducked underneath the ship with a yell, and then watched it fly away before turning to us.

"Well, that was easy," he remarks, laughing. I shook my head, and we headed back over to the pile of generators.

"My friends, my friends. You might not be Calrissian, and you might not be... well, whatever you said," Hondo started, and I crossed my arms. "But I know one thing you are. You two, are Jedi!" he concludes with a laugh.

Ezra looks surprised, but honestly, why was he? He just used the Force to save him.

"Why didn't you two tell me you were Jedi?" Hondo questions us. "You know, I am an old Jedi sympathizer," he chuckles. "I know. I wouldn't believe me either, but one of my best friends was a Jedi."

He then frowns to himself. "I'm pretty sure we were friends," he says with uncertainty.

I widen my eyes in realization, now understanding why I had felt some familiarity with his name before! Mom and dad once told me about him from the Clone Wars. They weren't friends exactly... but they were acquaintances, on decent terms. Most of the time.

"Now I remember where I've heard your name from!" I exclaimed.

"Eh?" Hondo asks.

"Wait, you know this guy?" Ezra asks.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course not stupid," I retort, and he grumbles to himself while Chopper laughs, and I turn to Hondo. "Do you remember Jarik and Ahsoka?"

"Jarik...? Oh. OH!" he exclaims, his eyes beaming and he laughs. "Of course I do! We had quite the history together! Ah, the things we did..."

"So let me get this straight. You were friends with Jarik and Ahsoka?" Ezra asks with wide eyes.

"Of course I was! We fought off Grievous together!" he says proudly.

"After you held Ahsoka captive," I recalled with a pointed look.

He coughs nervously. "Yes, well, that was of the past! It all worked out in the end!" he finished happily. "To meet even more Jedi..."

"Well, she is, but I'm not really a Jedi, yet." Ezra tells him.

"Well, then be a pirate Jedi! We will make an excellent team!" Hondo says enthusiastically.

"No thanks," I reply.

He ignores me. "But first, tell me, what is your name? Your real name."

"Ezra Bridger," he replies.

Hondo pats him on the shoulder, and to my surprise I can sense genuine sincerity from Hondo. Guess he does have a soft spot for Jedi. "Thank you, Ezra Bridger. And you?" he asks, turning to me.

I hesitate to answer, more for my reputation and then just go with it. "Mara Jade."

He gasps in a mixture of shock and awe. "The famous Mara Jade? Your reputation precedes you!" he exclaims.

Ezra gives me a weird look, and I shrug in response. "Hey, my parents aren't the only ones with a large bounty."


A lot later, we were all back on the ship, heading for Garel so that we could return to the rest of the crew. I was mostly just hanging around the ship, wandering aimlessly in my thoughts while Ezra and Chopper were elsewhere. Hondo was really pushing the offer for them to partner up with each other, but it didn't really concern me. I knew that despite his current troubles, Ezra woudn't stay with Hondo. He valued the Spectres, his family, too much.

Shots from the bridge broke me out of my thoughts, and I groaned in disbelief. what was the problem now? I ran at full speed in the direction of the bridge, and once I got there, I noticed a group of the security droids activated now, and advancing towards Ezra, firing their blasters at him. He was fumbling for the remote to turn them off, but I just rolled my eyes. Striding forwards, I activated my lightsaber, and with one clean swing, brought them all down to pieces. The droids were packed closely enough together that it was possible.

Ezra stared at me with wide eyes in bewilderment while I deactivated my lightsaber and put it back on my belt. "You overthink things too much," I stated simply. "Where's Hondo?"

He sighs. "Long story short, Hondo actually shoved Vizago into his own brig, so I freed him, hoping to make a compromise. Instead, he stole the remote and activated the droids, while Hondo escaped, and Vizago chased after him."

I blinked in surprise before crossing my arms. "I knew his story didn't feel right."

Ezra's comlink then turned on, and Chopper's voice beeped frantically at us. Ezra clenches his hands and throws them into the air in agitation.

"What could've possibly gone wrong now?!" he exclaimed.

We ran back down the hallways in the direction of the Phantom where Chopper was, bumping into a large green man with horns on his head along the way. I assumed that was Vizago. Looking at the docking entrance, we watched as Hondo flew the Phantom away.

"Well, looks like you get your ship back, as promised," Ezra says with a grin.

"Yes, but I lost all my credits! And my generators!" he exclaimed angrily.

"Technically, they were my generators," Ezra spoke up sheepishly.

Vizago leveled us with a glare, and I sighed to myself. It wasn't moments later that all three of us were in an escape pod, Vizago standing outside the door. He closes is on us while Ezra waves at him, and then we were blasting off to Garel.

"Well this was... interesting," I remarked.


Jarik POV...

The Spectres had all returned from their mission, and when they learned what Ezra had done, Kanan and Hera were furious, although we did let them know Mara had gone with him. Now though, what came back on the Phantom was certainly not a sight I was expecting at all. The Phantom had docked with the Ghost, but we didn't sense Mara or Ezra on board. The rest of the group had gathered in the cargo bay to confront the teenagers, but instead got...

"I am Hondo Ohnaka! Proud owner of that fine ship I just flew in on!"

Ahsoka and I shared a look with each other as we entered the cargo bay, watching from above.

"Actually that is, my ship," Hera responded with a glare.

Hondo coughed. "Yes well... I am the one that flew it here!" he defends himself.

"Same old Hondo," Ahsoka told me, and I hummed in agreement. We then both decided to head down and greet him, as we actually knew the guy, unlike the others.

"Where's Ezra and Chopper? And Mara?" Kanan demands in a no nonsense tone.

"Oh those three! Don't worry good friends, they'll be here soon! They're perfectly fine!" Hondo says cheerfully, holding what looks like a container full of credits. I'm sure that box has plenty of stories to tell.

"You expect us to believe that after you just show up in our ship, which they were using?" Kanan accuses. Hondo laughs nervously.

"Actually, Hondo is right on this one. He wouldn't have done any harm to them," I said, marching forwards with Ahsoka by my side.

"how do you know that?" Sabine asks incredulously.

Hondo eyes the two of us for a moment before his eyes light up in recognition, and he gasps. "Could it be... oh my. Hahahahaha!" he laughs joyfully. "Jarik! Ahsoka! I can't believe you came all this way to meet up with me!"

The Ghost crew all stare at us in surprise. "Wait, what?" Kanan questions in disbelief.

"You actually know this talking pile of garbage?" Zeb asks in shock.

"Too well, to be honest." Ahsoka answered.

"Haha! Oh we were great friends!" Hondo exclaims, coming by to sling an arm around my shoulders, while I raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh the three of us go way back! We fought off the army of General Grievous together!"

"After you attacked our ship and took Ahsoka captive," I reminded him.

He coughs into his hand. "Yes well, we aren't all perfect are we?" he asks rhetorically, stepping back and gesturing to us. "But I mean, look at you two! All grown up into adults! I like your hairstyle, very rogue quality. And my dear Ahsoka, age certainly has improved your beauty," he says flatteringly.

"I don't believe this," Hera muttered to Kanan in astonishment.

"Well it certainly wasn't kind to you," Ahsoka replies with a small smirk.

Hondo laughs in amusement, throwing his head back. "You certainly haven't changed! You know, I like you two! By the way how is Kenobi? Is he still around?"

I roll my eyes. "Alright, to be honest Hondo, what happened to Mara, Ezra and Chopper?"

"Uh, right to the point I suppose," he mutters with a frown. "Well, if you must know, they helped me face off against a villainous crime lord on his own ship!"

I glanced at Ahsoka with a sigh. "Here we go again."

"It was an incredible tale of adventure-"

"Hondo please, no stories," Ahsoka said seriously. Movement from the bottom of the ramp then got our attention, and everybody but Hondo watched as Mara, Ezra and Chopper came up the ramp.

"But its a good one I'm telling you! Young Ezra, and young Mara were standing tall in the face of the villainous Vizago throughout the whole incident! They withstood a massive atta-" he exclaims dramatically before noticing their presence. "My friends!" he yells, slinging an arm around Ezra's shoulder. "I was just talking about you! I was about to tell the tale of how the three of us rescued the generators from the evil Vizago!"

Ezra shoved his arm off with a light glare while Mara crossed her arms, a little annoyed but also amused. She caught our stares and shrugged her shoulders with an eye roll.

"Yeah, that's not true. You stole the generators and then my ship," Ezra accused.

Hera and Kanan share a look before smirking in amusement while Hondo gasps in feigned horror. "You wound me!"

"Chopper had the Phantom on autopilot," Ezra stated.

"Well that's another version of the story I suppose," he replied in rebuttal. "I'll tell you what: you can keep my generators. They are my gift to you," he says, turning towards the exit.

"Well this was certainly interesting." I commented.

"Yes it was!" Hondo exclaims, turning back around to face us. "To think you went all this time without coming to see me! It saddens me!"

"Hondo, I know you well enough to know that you've been perfectly fine." Ahsoka replies, crossing her arms.

"Yes, I suppose so," he says in agreement, before lowering his tone of voice a little bit. "If I must be honest though... it is a wonderful sight to see the both of you still alive," he admits with genuine sincerity.

We stop slightly in surprise, but soften our expressions, and I allow a small smile on my face. "It's good to see you as well Hondo."

He nods before whipping around quickly, his sincerity quickly replaced by his usual old self again. "Goodbye!" he exclaims.

What a day.


* = Future Forces of Destiny chapter I'm writing soon, I think it'll be quite fun! :D

Ahh the nostalgia in this chapter... so wonderful and sad at the same time for the happy married couple. And Hondo was always a fun character, though to be honest writing him was really hard actually.

This was a much longer chapter than I anticipated so I skipped past some scenes to keep it from being insane. Hope it worked out well enough!