Well, the story seemed pretty popular so I decided to get another one finished for you guys. Thanks for the support. By the way, I'll do my best to incorporate what we see in the actual show seeing as it's still going. I don't really plan on major happenings until after the season's over.
Note: If you're not familiar with Davenport Gateway it's not canon, nor is it expanded universe. It was a planet made up for the web series Relentless, a fan made Star Wars series.
Chapter 2
Everyone was in the cockpit of the Ghost as the countdown timer to them exiting hyperspace got to within a minute. Everyone was in their usual seats, but in different outfits, as Kanan had instructed. He himself wasn't wearing his armor, instead he had on a brown leather jacket with the same pants. His lightsaber and blaster were on his belt, with the saber being in its two pieces on his belt. Ezra had opted for one of the only other clothes he had, a blue jacket that was probably a little bit big for him and khaki pants with his wrist mounted energy slingshot hidden under his sleeve. Zeb had just grabbed a big black cloak with a hood to cover his normal clothes, he wasn't one to just change, much to the discomfort of Ezra's sense of smell. Sabine had taken off her armor, seeing as no one could miss it, and just put on a green vest smeared with dabs and dots of paint that went down to just above her knees and hid her blasters from sight. Under it she'd put on a purple long sleeved shirt. Hera had a bit more to choose from when it came to clothes, and had put on a set of tight red pants and a white shirt with a leather vest over it where she'd stashed her pistol.
Chopper had been told to stay with the ship, else he start a fight with the someone or something, like a security droid or a cop. Hera had already contacted their usual supplier and arranged for the pickup of their supplies which were supposed to be waiting at a small space port away from the main higher scale and thus more Imperial heavy areas. After the supplies were loaded Kanan and Hera had given everyone their fair share of the credits and a time to be back aboard. They'd all earned some time to shop around and see about purchasing something that would make life more comfortable so long as it was within their budget.
"Alright, coming out of hyperspace in three, two, one," Hera counted down and then the Ghost exited hyperspace and the view of the planet below rapidly filled the viewscreen.
"Whoa," Ezra drawled out as he saw the planet in question.
The planet seemed to glitter with yellow lights and glowed an almost red from the pollution that was well known to shorten the inhabitants' lifespans. The surrounding space was pretty crowded, freighters of all shapes and sizes went back and forth all around the local space. In the distance Hera winced at the sight of an Imperial class Star Destroyer. It wasn't really bothering anyone, and there weren't any TIE fighters trolling about looking for trouble. So Kanan just nodded to Hera to proceed and the Ghost gently rocked forward as its engines accelerated the ship forward towards the planet.
Davenport Gateway, ISB Headquarters
"Agent Kallus, our sensors just caught a VCX-100 freighter exiting hyperspace. But we lost them about as soon as they appeared," a technician seated at one of the sensor control stations in the command center for the Imperial building called out.
Kallus smiled to himself, smug in the assurance that he was correct at guessing the rebels' mindset in staying clear of Lothal and coming here to resupply and re-equip.
"That's them, alert all forces to call in their position as soon as they've been spotted. No one is to make a move until I give the order."
"Yes sir," another man at the comms station snapped obediently as Kallus stared with daggers at the images he'd gathered of the crew of this ship.
"Welcome to Davenport Gateway, rebel scum."
Davenport Gateway, Space Port No. 23
"Well, here we are gang," Hera said as the Ghost touched down within the circular landing bay area that they'd managed to secure for themselves.
"And there's our supplies," Kanan pointed, seeing a stack of crates waiting for them with the marks of their supplier clearly visible with a Rodian leaning against them, watching the Ghost as it settled into place.
"Well, let's hurry up, I've already got my own stuff to do," Sabine said as she got up and made her way out of the bridge.
"First we load our supplies," Kanan ordered, "Then you can go do whatever it is you need to do Sabine."
"Fine," Sabine groaned as everyone began sliding down the ladder as the hatch opened and the ramp lowered into position.
"Chopper you stay here," Hera commanded.
"Yeah, don't want you causing trouble," Zeb snickered as the grumpy droid chattered at them angrily as he rolled back inside.
"What was that?!" Hera huffed like a mother stunned at hearing her child cussing like a sailor.
"Ah my friends it has been too long," the Rodian called out, extending his arms out in greeting.
"What do we owe ya Chich?" Kanan asked sternly, knowing this Rodian.
"Oh no hellos? I thought we were friends?"
"Hello Chich," Hera groaned, "Now come on what's the cost this time?"
"Seeing as I like you," the Rodian began, rubbing his chin in thought.
"Or seeing as we kept your whole operation from being busted," Zeb growled.
"True…true, I'll make you a special discount, two thousand credits for the supplies, fuel, explosives, and power packs."
"That's not a bad deal," Sabine shrugged as Hera counted out the cash and handed it over.
"You see, I remember those who have helped me in the past."
"We only helped you because you were a security threat to our operation."
"Yes well, if it's all," Chich replied.
"That's all," Zeb growled and the Rodian turned and left.
"Wow, you guys sure don't seem to like him," Ezra chuckled.
"He's a cheapskate. Trust me, you don't want to know the kinds of things he's involved with," Hera said as she and the others began getting the crates loaded. The process of loading up the ship didn't take all that long, and soon they were shutting the hatch with Chopper looking out of the bridge window, probably simmering in his metal shell.
"Alright, you know the plan, kid stick with Zeb, and don't cause any trouble."
"You do know the last time those two went out on their own right?" Sabine laughed, referring to the stolen TIE fighter incident.
"There aren't any TIE fighters around here for them to steal, and no stormtroopers for Zeb to beat up on. But be on alert all the same, there are a great many unsavory characters around here. There's a reason the Imperials avoid it," Kanan warned.
"Please, with the big guy's stench no one will even bother," Ezra said confidently, starting leaning on Zeb, who, not too pleased with Ezra's comment, stepped to the right and almost let Ezra topple over onto the dirty concrete floor.
"And none of that either," Hera noted, "We'll have enough to worry about without you two at each other's throats."
"If he could reach," Zeb chuckled.
"And what about you two?" Sabine asked, noticing that Kanan and Hera were standing pretty close to one another.
"We've…got plans," Kanan grinned confidently looking at Hera who gave him one of her all-knowing smirks.
"I thought Jedi weren't supposed to-," Ezra began, but Zeb slapped a hand over his mouth.
"Come on we're wasting time," he said hurriedly, knowing Kanan and Hera well enough to not let Ezra finish his sentence.
"Sabine are you sure you'll be alright?" Hera asked as their two comrades started walking out of the door.
"I'll be fine, I'm heading to that little shop over by the food courts that I get my materials from. I've never had trouble before and I don't intend to start now."
"Alright then, if anything," Kanan said, but didn't finish.
"Call you on the comm link I got it, besides," she stated, tapping on her thigh loud enough to hear the metal of her blasters, "I'm not exactly unarmed."
"We know, just concerned is all," Hera said.
"Thanks mom," Sabine laughed good-naturedly and turned to leave.
"Well, we're spending our free time worrying, come on," Kanan said to Hera and the pair left the hangar.
As each of them left the wide open hangar doors they were being watched. A small black recon droid was hovering over the hangar, hidden behind a clump of antennae. The droid was Imperial, and its masters were well aware of what it was seeing. Outside the hangar was a detachment of plain clothes police agents, and each pair of agents received a target to tail with orders to stay back and stay hidden. These agents each had a small hidden camera somewhere on their person, most of them as a button on their lapel or something of that sort. This meant they could be looking elsewhere but still had to keep their bodies aligned with their targets to keep tabs on them. This would help prevent suspicion from being aroused amongst their target.
But their objective was two-fold, if something went wrong or the order to take them down was given a squad of stormtroopers was standing by within a minute's time. But they were a back-up net meant to ensnare their quarry using the heavy blaster pistols hidden in or under their jackets or coats. For now though, they were to watch and above all wait. Everything depended upon their ability to lull these Rebels into a false sense of security and then pounce on them once that was achieved. But they still didn't have a target. That was for Agent Kallus to decide.
Davenport Gateway, ISB Headquarters
"They've left sir."
"Show me," Kallus ordered and three view screens popped up, showing that the rebels had split up into pairs, save one.
"We've identified the Jedi to be with the Twi'lek heading north in District 8-D Level Twenty and the Padawan to be with the Lasat headed towards District 12-D Level Ten."
"And the Mandalorian?" Kallus demanded.
"Alone sir."
"Location?"
"District 3-F Level Five," the trooper reported.
Perfect, Kallus thought to himself. She was well over a kilometer from her comrades in an area with no security blind spots. It was void of back alleys and most roads and streets were dead ends, perfect for an ambush and then pursuit. But best of all, it was easily navigable for air speeders to swoop in from above and bypass buildings and streets crowded with civilians.
"That's our target, I want snipers with overwatch of all routes into and out of that area. Reposition squads one and three to support squad two. Reroute any local law enforcement away from her. Let her get her guard down."
"Yes sir."
"Get me a speeder," Kallus ordered, seeing the young Mandolorian looking around on the screen, her face bright with energy and a sense of purpose, "I'll lead the operation myself."
Davenport Gateway, District 3-F Level Five
Sabine always at her most excited whenever she was out on her own as she was now, off to find her favored paint shop where she had a good friendship with the owner who gave her access to some materials that found their way into Sabine's paint bombs, fireworks, and other items that could have used the vibrant touch of an artist like her.
This part of Davenport was an area she had visited many times, and never had any problems. It was supposedly had a pretty high crime rate, but with the Empire if one of them didn't like the way you looked at them it was construed as treason. From Sabine's experience most of the people were just families trying to scratch a living in tough circumstances. None of them seemed to be the type of people to turn to crime, and those that did attempt it here didn't live in this neighborhood and were taken care of pretty quickly by the same people who Sabine knew seemed to go out of their way to make the people miserable. It was a give and take, crime didn't exactly match up with the big picture for the Empire, and they quickly stomped them out, or tried as the case was time and again with herself and her crew.
Sabine was well within the food court area where there many small mom-and-pop type eateries and stands serving a variety of exotic foods mostly right from the local marketplace and were usually pretty fresh and always delicious. Sabine saw that her usual stand which served a few Mandolorian dishes was open for business and she decided to stop by for a quick bite to eat before heading to her destination.
"How's the gi dumpling soup today?" she asked, walking up to the counter as the old human man running the joint noticed her.
"Very good, we just got in a fresh batch of gi fish. Would you care to try some miss?" he asked with a warm friendliness that was seldom found nowadays.
"Of course, and can I get a side of Haarshun bread? It's been a while since I've had a homecooked meal I recognize," Sabine said with a smile as her stomach began to note the absence of food in its belly as her nose was filled with many familiar smells that reminded her of home.
"You're Mandolorian my dear?" the man asked as he gently stirred the pot and scooped out a few ladles of the yellow broth and white dumplings, quite intrigued in Sabine's statement of his Mandolorian dishes being familiar to her.
"Yeah, I know there aren't many of us around these parts," Sabine smirked as the soup was placed on a tray with a plate of the incredibly thinly baked and rock solid bread.
"No we don't, normally you Mandos are pretty recognizable."
"Well I'm not wearing my armor for good reason," Sabine said as she fished out the credits to pay for her meal.
"Ah, trying to avoid some unwanted attention my dear?" the man chuckled wholeheartedly.
"You could say it was of the…Imperial variety."
"Hmm…I do see. Well we haven't seen any stormtroopers around her in a while. Things have been pretty quiet since the Relentless and her battle group left with those reinforcements a good chunk of the criminal population."
"The Relentless? The Imperial heavy carrier?" Sabine asked as she handed over the credits.
"Yeah, it came and left within a few days with ten thousand troops. They were mostly up in the space port area where the real trouble is. Heard they blew up a smuggler's ship trying to run only to find out they were smuggling toys, can you believe that? Toys!"
"Oh I can just see the faces on those bucket heads when they opened those crates," Sabine laughed out loud, and then began imitating the Imperials, "Like as soon as they open it, 'What's this? Toys? We risked our lives for toys? But it's okay we're Imperials and we don't care how stupid this makes us look.'"
Sabine and the old man shared a good laugh at the misfortune of the Imperial soldier, as the galaxy tended to do all the time. But, something made the old man stop laughing and Sabine couldn't tell until she felt someone standing behind her. She felt her breath catch in her throat as her stomach felt like it dropped to her toes. Sabine probably shouldn't have made fun of those stormtroopers, karma doesn't necessarily care whose side you're on.
"You know, you probably should've just quit while you were ahead," a very familiar voice said behind her.
She spun around, and her right hand reached under her long vest to the handle of her blaster. But it stopped short at who she found herself pinned in by. It was Agent Kallus, he was standing there with his hands behind his back and a confident grin on his face. Behind him were at least ten stormtroopers, all pointing their weapons at her.
"Well, when you deserve it, you deserve it," Sabine said back nervously, her mind racing her heart matched the hundreds of ideas and plans rushing through her mind as it beat so hard she could feel it in her ears. Then her elbow bumped into the piping hot bowl of soup, and an idea struck her.
The stormtroopers were on either side of Kallus, but there was an opening where two of the troopers on the far left were side by side with a table next to them and a clear line into an alleyway right behind it. She knew that for her mad plan to work her opponents would need to get closer.
"Perhaps, but you should remember that it is you who find yourself surrounded and defenseless," Kallus said confidently, and waved a hand forward, "Now don't resist, we need you alive."
The stormtroopers began to move forward, their weapons ready to fire. Sabine couldn't tell if they were set to kill or to stun. Either way she was in trouble if this didn't work.
"There's your first mistake," Sabine chirped as she backed up away from the stormtroopers, making them come even closer, and that's when she let 'em have it.
Grabbing the soup bowl in one hand she swiped it across the line of heads, making the steaming contents splatter against their helmets, and those that didn't get hit, held their arms up in reflex. And this gave Sabine the opening she was looking for. She bolted to the left and jumped onto the table, leaping over a stormtrooper behind the group sent forward to arrest her. As she hit the ground with a roll she noted how she'd need to remember that trick for future uses. The alley was directly ahead as she heard the odd sounds of E-11 blaster rifles firing their stun blasts at her. Several flew by her head and more than a few landed in front of her and behind her.
"Spectre Five to Spectre One come in!" Sabine yelled into her comm, as she chanced a look back down the alley to see Kallus leading the charge after her.
"Spectre Five what is it?" the voice of Kanan asked just as suddenly as she'd called out on the comm.
"It's Agent Kallus he just tried ambushing me! We gotta-," Sabine continued as she was about to exit the alley. But her call was cut short by four stormtroopers jumping into the alley's only exit. She skidded to a halt as she gasped at the sight. Normally this would have worked, but today things were different, and this definitely sank in just before the troopers fired. Blue circular stun blasts slammed into her chest. She was unconscious before she hit the ground.
The comm link clattered to the ground, coming to rest at Kallus' feet and he picked it up with a satisfied smile on his face.
"Spectre Five repeat your last! Spectre Five come in!" the comm called out with another voice, a voice Kallus recognized as that of the Lasat.
"I don't think your friend is available right now," Kallus spoke into the comm link as his troopers secured restraints around Sabine's wrists after checking for a pulse and making sure she hadn't hit her head collapsing onto the ground.
"Kallus!" another voice hissed into the comm, the voice of the youngest member of the team, Ezra, "If you hurt her I'll make you wish you were never born!"
"I look forward to it," Kallus said with a taunting laugh as he then dropped the device onto the ground and then stomped on it in one swift stroke. He'd made his point, and now the game really began.
Well there we are, Chapter Two is finished. Thanks for reading folks hoped you enjoyed it, I sure enjoyed writing it. Like I said before any suggestions or pointers are always appreciated so don't hesitate. Until next time folks.
Next Chapter Preview: This is different, looks like the crew's gonna have to launch a rescue mission without their explosives artist, oh well, fun can still be had.