A/N: So, a bit of a short chapter today, sorry. I just wanted to get this out so I could show you that I'm not dead and update you guys on a couple of things. I went on a week-long vacation with no Internet, so I couldn't do anything about that. As I've said before, updates on this and on HtHC will be sporadic, depending on my schoolwork (though it's almost summer!), my job, and inspiration/writer's block. Also, I've never mentioned this before, though I've meant to: none of my work is beta'd. As such, if you see any errors (grammatical, structure, OOCness, etc), please, please tell me so I can correct them. Thank you so much for your responses! They mean so much to me and help me keep writing!
As always, comments, questions, reviews, and helpful criticism are highly appreciated.
Hera carefully brought the Ghost down to the Imperial docking bay, feeling the gentle bump that signaled a successful landing.
"Here we go," Hera muttered to herself, switching off the engine. "Chop, turn on the comm system," she added distractedly, powering down several systems that were no longer needed, running a diagnostics scan, and readying her ship for repairs and refueling. Chopper wheeled over to the comm and Hera heard the click of activation.
"Let's get this party started," Hera announced to her crew, running a critical eye over the reports and making a mental To Do list. She heard Zeb's distant whoop and grinned. "Get your gear and meet in the cargo bay," she instructed before switching off the comm and standing up. She stretched, her arms over her head, and let out a satisfied sigh when her back popped. As she made her way towards the cargo bay, Hera swiveled her neck, feeling the tense muscles loosen. Hera slid down the ladder and opened up the ramp just as Sabine appeared at the top of the ladder. Apparently deciding that the ladder was too boring, Sabine headed straight for the railing and, without missing a beat, vaulted over it to land in front of Hera, a huge grin plastered on her face.
"Reporting for action, sir!" she said, saluting in a very dramatic fashion. Hera shook her head with fond amusement as Sabine slipped her helmet on, the smile still evident.
"You've got everything you need?" Hera asked, making sure that her own blaster pistol was in its holster on her hip where she could reach it easily.
"Of course!" Sabine scoffed. "Dual blasters here and here," she gestured to her sides. "Back-up in my leg holster, back-up to the back-up in my waistband, vibroknives in my boots plus the two in my sleeves, belt full of miracles plus the pouch of ingredients for crafting in the field, and, most importantly, my spraypaints safe in their holsters." She patted the aforementioned spraypaints on her thighs proudly.
"Plannin' on takin' on the entire Empire by yourself, there, champ?" Zeb grunted as he entered the cargo bay, Chopper hot on his heels. Sabine playfully shoved him in response. "Where's Kanan?" Zeb asked, shoving the Mandalorian gently.
"Here," Kanan spoke up, seeming to materialize out of nowhere next to Hera.
"What took you so long, love?" Hera asked, peering at Kanan intently.
"I thought I felt… something. Never mind, it's probably nothing," Kanan said, looking (and sounding) like it was most assuredly not "nothing." Nevertheless, Hera let it go. If it was important, she knew her partner would let her know.
"We ready?" Hera asked briskly, distracting her crew from pursuing the subject any further. Kanan shot her a grateful look. Sabine nodded and Zeb patted his bo-rifle with a grin. "Keep an eye on the ship, Chop," Hera told her droid. He grumbled, unhappy about being left behind, but rolled back to the cockpit anyway.
Hera led the way off the ship and towards a group of Imperials waiting in front of her ship. Four troopers stood at attention behind a well-dressed man who looked over her crew with a sneer on his face. His eyes lingered on Zeb as a flash of anger crossed his face, but he was quick to mask it and turned back to Hera.
"I am Agent Kallus of the Imperial Security Bureau. Who are you and what is your business here?"
"My name is Tann," Hera responded, giving the cover name that had been decided on earlier. Her crew had painstakingly come up with new identities for this mission, complete with backgrounds and life stories. With some help from Fulcrum, Sabine had even set up some basic information on the HoloNet that would suffice as long as nobody dug too deeply. Each spectre had memorized their "new" lives; hopefully, the information would hold out for as long as the crew needed.
"She's our pilot," Kanan cut in smoothly. "My name's Marik. This is Iala," he gestured to Sabine, who crossed her arms and nodded stiffly. "And this is-"
"Bernharr," Zeb interrupted, glaring at the agent.
"A Lasat," the man said, his lip curling as he eyed Zeb with poorly disguised disgust. Zeb flattened his ears and bared his teeth.
"We're bounty hunters," Hera broke in quickly, stepping forward and "accidentally" treading on Zeb's toes.
"Bounty hunters?" the agent repeated, turning to Kanan as if Hera wasn't even there. She bristled, silently furious, her lekku twitching with barely restrained anger, but bit her lip and kept silent. "Well, the Empire occasionally has need for your services. Very well. You may stay in the Guest Wing. However, if you are found breaking any of the rules, which includes trespassing onto areas you are not permitted to enter, the punishment will be swift and harsh. A full list of the rules and regulations will be presented to you upon receiving your rooms."
Hera and her crew nodded before following the man. That rule certainly wasn't going to be followed, of course, but the problem would be not getting caught. Hera had full faith in her crew, though. She knew they were capable of pulling this off.