The Rebel Twins

by GradGirl2010

For 15 years I was alone. Fixing spacecrafts to numb the pain. The Clones' betrayal of the Jedi stole my brother from me. At the time, it seemed as if it would be forever. Reunited through this war of Imps and Rebels, Caleb...huh...Kanan wants me by his side again. The problem is...the idea of fighting again terrifies me. The screams...they won't stop.

4. The Empire Strikes Hard

The Empire Strikes Hard

Here ya go.

xxx

Mothma's Garage was a literal ghost town. Lights out, workers home or crashed in their workspaces, business was closed for the next week. The Empire's abrasive visit killed their work mood. And quite possibly scared half the customers, and a quarter of Katerina's employees away. It isn't out of order to say there are people on Chandrila hiding from the Empire. Reasons that are entirely their own, and Katerina will never force them to tell her. For now, Katerina's sole responsibility is to her brother and his friends, ensuring they are safe while in her care.

A door whisked open. Katerina flicked on a switch, alighting a room. "You two can bunk in here." Kanan and Ezra ogled impressed. Pretty standard room, but good quality for an Auto Repair Shop. "No the Year Seasons, but…"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Ezra shooed her modesty. "This place is amazing compared to sleeping in the ship."

"Then I'm glad I could be of service!" Katerina blushed, giggling adoringly of Ezra. "You need anything, there's an intercom on the wall by the window. Myself or someone else will come by in a snap." She snapped her fingers as a guarantee.

"Thanks, Riina." Kanan can't thank her enough. For...anything. He plans to repay her for everything later.

"Not a problem at all."

"And as much as I hate to interrupt this warm moment," Hera politely intruded. Sabine, Chopper, and Zeb were behind her. "What is the status on our ship?" Agent Kallus's presence left her and the rest of the crew anxious. The fear he'll intrude in the middle of the night and steal them away was far from a paranoia.

"Glad you brought it up!" Katerina clapped her hands. "The Hyperdrive has a small tear near the coils. The intense power leaks rather than being charged in its area. Easily fixed." She waved it off. "Grim can check the Hyperdrive and easily fix the tear." Hera released one breath. But there's the matter of the cooling system. "As for your cooling system, the intense heat leaking from the hyperdrive has melted four of the hoses, and there is build up in a fifth one."

"That sounds...expensive!" Hera drooped her arms languidly.

"Not at all. The hoses are standard and I have a fresh set that can be installed in no time got those hoses earlier." A positive spin on what can be a potentially hazardous situation. "And then there's the engine…" And thus the misery spreads across the crew.

"There's an issue with the engine?" Hera can't take anymore bad news.

"No power steering fluid, three cracks in the radiator, and your oil tank is cooking your oil rather than using it." Zeb and Sabine saved a fainting Hera. Ezra was getting dizzy himself. "Luckily for you guys I can fix it up like its brand new without having to put in an all new engine." Heads snapped up with a new hope. "I'll be working on your engine at the crack of dawn. With Grim on the cooling system, and Dave on the hyperdrive - think you guys will want to stick around until noon?"

"Noon?!" The Ghost Crew gasped.

"What? Not soon enough?"

"NO! That's just…" Sabine ran the numbers in her head, calculated the complexities and difficulties of the tasks and the methods needed to ensure their success, and the tools and chemicals that they require. Not to mention minding not to add on to the damage in the process. "There's no way you'll have it finished by noon!" It's impossible.

"Good point, Sabine…" Katerina wrinkled her brow disgruntled. She propped an elbow on he am, stroking her chin with a thoughtful hum. "How about 10 and we use noon to get some lunch?"

"HUH?!" Sabine's jaw hit the floor.

"Are you being serious, or just pulling our antsy legs?!" Zeb was in no mood for either. He likes Katerina for her style, but now she was pushing it with this guarantee. Named prodigy by Kanan or not, too many big mouths with fancy toys assure to promises they never keep. Huge job like this, Katerina had to be blowing smoke from her nether regions. "No offense to you, kiddo, but I sincerely doubt you and the wonder twins will have made a dent by 10!"

Katerina glimmered at the challenge. Kanan recognized that look, sensing Zeba was about to eat his words in whole. Crossing her arms, Katerina edged her way to Zeb, a smug expression rankling his already fouling mood. "How much are you willing to place on your cynicism? Because,I'm happy to take that bo-rifle Mason found in one of the sleeping quarters." She challenged him. Sabine and Ezra stared gaping. "It is yours, right?"

Zeb matched her barrier stance and closed the gap, towering his impressive height to her just as impressive pride. "What makes you think that?" He'll humor her until he's bored.

"Ezra and Kanan are Jedi, Sabine and Hera's don't possess the upper body physique…" Hera and Sabine spread their arms and studied their upper bodies. They twisted their faces, wondering what was wrong with their physique, "And last time I checked, Chopper's a little on the mech side to be wielding an elite weapon like that." Zeb snickered in his throat, bobbing his head. She's a clever little grease monkey. "So either it's a paperweight...or…" She motioned a palm to him.

"Alright, detective! It's mine!" Zeb bent an inch from his nose touching hers. "But what makes you think you'll be the new owner?"

"Because I'm fantastic at my job." She boldly slipped her fingers in Zeb's beard, twisting hairs to her finger. "And I've always wanted a bo-rifle to hide under my bed." She pulled and snapped the beard.

Zeb yelped, massaging the tender spot. Kanan had to bite his fingers to not bust up laughing. "I'd hate to disappoint a Lady! Good thing it's going to be you!" Zeb cleverly countered. "Because when I win this wager," He prodded the medallion on her choker, "I get that little bauble you're sporting."

"This old thing?" She pinched it, reflecting the ring surrounding eight brass talons hugging an opal with a wrenchhead engraving. Filled in with with lime green gelatin to accentuate the marker. "What for?"

"This symbol's famous around these parts, and the further ones. According to Grim, the one's wearing it are considered the best." He set hands to his hips. "Telling people how I came across it will prove your best wasn't enough."

"Well don't you sound confident. I'll hate to make you eat your words."

" Proving you incapable will be my sweet dessert, Monkey Wrench."

"You've got yourself a deal then." Katerina extended a hand.

"Signed and sealed!" Zeb crushed her hand, shaking it firmly. "Can't wait for morning."

"Neither can I." She studied him head to toe. He carries himself with such pride. She'll regret popping him. "I'll let you all get to bed. Breakfast is serviced in the cafeteria on level C!" She announced, excusing herself. "See you tomorrow."

"Night, Riina!" Kanan waved. Though he's not sure he can sleep after witnessing an intense moment. "I didn't think you'd let a little girl get under your skin, Zeb." He mocked.

"That ain't no little girl, Kanan, as you well know!" Zeb scoffed. "And she isn't under my skin! She's a thorn in my side!" He huffed agitated. "Figures a girl like that would be related to you." Kanan will let that one slide. Especially since he's lashing out in humiliation.

"SO?!" Ezra darted around Kanan.

"So...what?" He shrugged.

Ezra was at a loss by his dismissal. "You're not going to ask her to join us?!" Kanan was shocked.

"Ezra!" Hera objected at the brash question.

"What?! She'd be a great addition!" Ezra twisted to his fellow rebels.

"I'm with him!" Sabine raised her hand, standing beside him. "Her mechanical know-how, fast work, and the fact that she owns a spot we can seek refuge in - Riina would be perfect for the team!"

"I dunno." Zeb grumbled skeptically. "No offense, Kanan, but I'd rather not have another member who's next to useless in a fight." He less than slyly pointed a thumb at Ezra who punched his shoulder. "And besides, she's been all talk so far. We don't know the peak of her skills." Kanan lifted a finger to argue the fight remark, but felt it best to leave it alone. "Now, an ally we can visit for fix ups? I'll settle for that."

"Are you forgetting how she handled Agent Kallus?" Ezra stressed the amazing show they witnessed. "For someone related to Kanan, she knows her way around intimidating people."

"Meaning what?!" Kanan was offended by the insinuation.

"No offense, Kanan…" Ezra debated on the gentlest way to word this, "Your people skills suck." There's that hand slapping Kanan in the face. "Riina's whole crew went from scared to ready to fight the moment she stood up to Kallus. You would have gotten heated and caused a huge firefight. Riina, she...she…"

Sabine inserted herself, "She draws people to her. Encourages them." She was encouraged herself. "She knew she was at a disadvantage, but she didn't back down. She found a way to beat him."

"We need someone like that!" Ezra urged.

"We need someone who can fight physically and verbally!" Zeb growled.

"^I second that!^" Chopper huffed. "^Besides, I'm the team's tech support!^"

"Doesn't mean we can't use a second one." Hera calmly debated. Zeb and Chopper were appalled she was agreeing with them. Kanan's stomach knotted by her agreement. "Riina would be invaluable in her own way to the team. But at the same time...I worry what bringing her into the rebellion will do."

"What do you mean?" Kanan spoke up for the first time.

"Riina has a good life here. A good job! She joins us...we could potentially ruin that for her." Hera spread her hands to the amazing compound. Kanan bobbed his head, admiring what Katerina acquired. Then he dimmed gloomily. The thought he might be separated from Katerina..."But I would hate to ask you to leave her again." Kanan gawked at her. Zeb and Chopper felt their disparage toward Katerina put a foot in their mouth. This isn't about personal offerings to the team. This is about Kanan. "And I know you don't want to let her out of your sight. Not when it was uncertain if you'd ever see her again."

"So...what are we all saying?" Ezra juggled the elephants. "Do we want Riina to come? Or not?"

"I…" Kanan squeezed his eyes closed. He traveled the universe for 15 years. One planet to the next - laughter, smiles, faces, and gestures, everywhere he went he was reminded of Katerina. A sister he feared died when the Clones betrayed the Jedi. Now he finds her living her dream as a mechanic. Hell. A couple of times he earned strange looks from people he'd mistaken for her. The Empire's presence infinitesimal at best. Wanton destruction when they're in a foul mood. He asks her to leave all this behind in order to help them fight...the Empire will hunt her down too. Possibly kill her. Then again, after today, who's to say she won't be killed as an example. "I don't know."

xxx

The night was still. The air crisp. The last of the lights within a ten mile radius extinguished. The night was clear. Human and humanoid alike were tucked away in their shelters, or gone home. Not so much as a mouse scurried Mothma's Garage. Perfect. Kallus rose from his position on a rooftop. The ravenous smile of a demon stretched ear to ear. The Garage was his for the breaching. And the Rebels are his for the claiming. Be they present or not - as the Lady Mechanic advocated - he can make an example of this location. A message to those who want dare to display Ms. Dume's unwise bravery.

"Agent Kallus. We're in position."

"Good." He placed his helmet to his head. He touched two fingers to the helmet's com. "Units 2-5-B and 3-7-A prepare to move in! Utilize stealth. No witnesses!" He stressed gruffly. "Units 1-6-F and 2-3-C remain on standby."

"Yes sir!"

"Sorry, Rebels. This time I have us surrounded."

xxx

In the midst of the ebony night, swarms of white armor can be seen flooded the Auto Yard from all sides. Backs pressing to parked vehicles, night vision goggles scoured the yard for surprise visitors. Hand signals permitted a swift advance. The Troopers stooped, scrambling in a crouch, aligning themselves to the wall below the massive windows. Heads nodded down the files, giving the green light to commence phase two of the infiltration. The units split in half. Half in front, half to the back.

Overhead, coming in by cruiser, was another unit. Troopers stepped to the walkway circling the roof. Four Troopers surveyed the roof walkway, setting up a perimeter. Incoming crafts or outgoing, they'd see it. Suctions cupped sealed to four corners of the roof's window panes, feasibly popping them from place. Grappling hooks were secured to the beams. Storm Troopers propelled inside. A handful landed to the suspended crafts, using them to stalk the unconventional work spaces. Meanwhile the rest planted to the ground floor, continuing their advance.

On the north side of the compound, a leading Storm Trooper hacked the door locks in a matter of seconds. Child's play in the face of real technology. The doors whisked open. The grinding gears made the troopers pause. Silence. Blasters at the ready, the troopers skulked through a narrow hallway, splitting off in pairs down adjacent corridors. Outside the open door, the other two units helped surround the building, remaining on guard.

Swiftly and silently the Troopers swarmed the compound. Their feet shuffling ever so lightly. Their bodies flowing in a breeze without disturbance. Doors to rooms were opened slightly. Some empty, others filled with clutter. No sign of people. A shame. The Troopers wanted to at least kill one rat lurking. The Troopers cleared the first floor, then darted to the second floor. One Trooper wasn't so graceful and bumped a vase on a podium.

xxx

BREAK! "Ugh...hmm!" Katerina grunted, jerking awake. Her deep sleep cracked on her skull like an anvil. Her drowsy eyes found her holo clock. 1:10am. She smushed a palm to her cloudy eyes, swinging her legs around, forcing herself to sit up. She hates her internal alarm clock sometimes. No matter. She earned, what, five hours of sleep. Two energy drinks and three pots of coffee, she'll be right as rain. Smelling her clothes, which she didn't bother to change out of, she's due for another shower. Hot water in the eyes sounded heavenly. And she does have a bo-rifle to pawn off a skeptical Lasat's hands. No time like the present.

Throwing her hair in a loose bun, wrenching her gloves and work boots on, Katerina meandered from her room, tying the straps of her beige khaki's to her waist. She stretched her arms behind her her head, twisted her torso. Cracks scaled her spine to her neck, loosening her sore muscles.

Crack! Katerina stopped and looked at her feet. She stepped on a broken vase. "When did that happen?" Incoherent muttering raised the hairs on her neck. She turned around. Two troopers passed down the adjacent corridor. By the sounds of it, they were conferring with others. Against her better judgement, Katerina trailed close to the wall, prancing on her advance. She crept to the corner. The hall ahead was clear for now. She rested her back so her ear can eavesdrop on the turn. Hearing nothing, Katerina rubbernecked. Five Troopers converged in the middle of a four way hall. "What in the-" A hand covered her mouth, yanked her into a bathroom, and smashed her to a broad chest. She screamed and kicked at her captor.

"SSH! It's me!" Kanan whispered in her ear.

"Kuhhemm…?" Kanan and Katerina froze, holding their breath. Shadows were seen at the crack under the door. The Troopers raced by the bathroom. One lingered a moment before pressing on. Relief was theirs for the time being.

"That was close." Kanan lifted his hand, lowering Katerina to the tiled floor.

"Caleb...what's going on? Why are Storm Troopers here? I thought they left!" She panicked in a whisper.

"Guess Kallus didn't like being put in his place." Though meant to be a joke, the seriousness of the situation limited the humor. He showed her his bullet sized comlink. "Just got word from the others. Storm Troopers have this place surrounded."

"What?!" She trembled. "How long have you guys been up?"

"We don't exactly sleep anymore. Too dangerous." Katrina got the sense he wasn't joking. "They're covering every exit and entrance!" Kanan sensed the imminent danger encroaching. Storm troopers were everywhere. Covering all the exits, and searching every corridor. "He didn't believe you."

"Excuse me?"

"Kallus! He knew you were lying! And I doubt he liked being told off by you." He added with a hint of pride. Katerina blew on her knuckles, rubbing them to her chest. "Did you do that thing where you suck on the inside of your lip when you're nervous?"

"I never did that!" She snarled.

"Yeah you did! Like when Senator Amidala caught you stealing cookies from the cafeteria and you tried to pass the buck on me." He suckled on his lower lip. "You'd suck on your lip like this."

"You're an idiot! I never did that!" Katerina shoved him. She mimicked the gesture. It was ludicrous. "Geez! What do you take me for?"

"Regardless! You're all in danger here." He clutched her shoulders. He loves their one on ones, but they need to be serious before they're dead. "Where's everyone else?"

"Umm...underground in the shops, Grim and Dave are in their room, and the rest are home."

Less civilians than he planned for. That takes some of the pressure off his shoulders. "Is there another way out of here?"

Katerina drummed fingers to her scalp. She beamed with an epiphany. "There are tunnels underneath that will lead to an old reservoir." If she remembers correctly, those tunnels should have flushed themselves of the flood from the heavy rains a while ago. "There's a ladder that'll take us within walking distance of the city's downtown district."

Music to Kanan's ears. The fervent footsteps of the approaching troopers coaxed him to a difficult decision. "Evacuate everyone, and you guys get as far away from this place as possible!" He scooted for the door.

"Wait!" Katerina grabbed his arm. "What about you?!"

"I'm gonna do what I do best! Fight."

FIGHT? Katerina's cheeks lost color. 'Piles of dead bodies at the feet of the executioner.' You can't fight...not now...'"I won't leave you!" Her fingers tightened to his arms. Her wildly shaking head flapped her in her face. "I won't let us be separated again! Not again, Caleb!"

"We won't! Not ever!" He kissed her forehead, sealing their promise. Katerina's eyes widened at the spark in her mind. Back in the simpler days, Kanan would make a promise and seal it with a kiss to her forehead. Water glossed her eyes. She gaze pleadingly to him. "You have my word, Riina! I'll come back." Before she could protest, Kanan already jetted out the door, disappearing into the hallway.

"And you never break your promises…" She touched where he kissed, "Do you, Caleb?"

xxx

The Storm Troopers arrived at their wits end. The compound was enormous. Their divided manpower cast an efficient web, covering a large amount of ground in good time. But a half hour has already passed and there wasn't so much as a hide or hair of people or rebels. The troopers dispersed throughout the compound constantly reported no signs of their targets. Or of the workers. They weren't about to give up. Not until all units reported in. They and Agent Kallus are 92% positive the Rebels are still inside. None of them were seen leaving.

The divided teams met near the main garage, deciding the scour the large workspace once more. Perhaps they missed something, or overlooked a crucial detail. One detail that's certainly missing in the ship. None of them have seen it. Maybe Agent Kallus got it wrong, and the girl wasn't lying. Too bad for her, Kallus might kill her to punish her for her obstinence.

"You know something?" A Trooper piped up. "I heard Mothma's Auto Shop across the planet have sub levels that are used as storage and other work spaces."

"No kidding?!" Another trooper stomped on the ground. Sounded solid, but it was a possibility. "Think this one might have a sublevel too?"

"Only one way to find out." A different trooper menacingly rumbled. He playfully tossed a thermal grenade. "How many of these do you think it will take?"

"NONE!" A bullet grazed a trooper's shoulder. Zeb rocked a hanging speeder, cackling maniacally at the beautiful shot. "We're right here for ya, bucketheads!" He slapped his rifle in his palm.

"COME AND GET US!" Sabine emerged from a scaffolding and fired twice, hitting the legs of two troopers.

"ABOVE US!"

"GET 'EM!"

xxx

"AGENT KALLUS! WE HAVE EYES ON THE REBELS! ENGAGING IN COMBAT NOW!"

"Excellent work, gentlemen!" Kallus verbally applauded them. "Occupy them lengthily. I am on my way."

xxx

The troopers opened fire on Zeb and Sabine. The pair hopped, skipped, and jumped from vehicle, platforms, to vehicles. The equipment absorbed the brunt of the damage. "SURE HOPE RIINA HAS INSURANCE FOR THOSE!" Zeb howled, looping behind an electronic winch.

"SHE'S GONNA KILL US!" Sabine ducked with him, reloading her pistols.

The Troopers narrowed their focus to Sabine and Zeb, stalking closer and unleashing heavy fire on their hiding place. Kanan and Ezra popped from hiding inside a tank. Ezra drew his slingshot as far back as it would stretch. Kanan lined up a clean shot. Ezra flinged four stun balls into the heads of the troopers. The jolt kindled their suits, dropping their blasters but not them. Kanan finished the job with shots to the shoulders and legs.

"Nice shootin'!" Ezra saluted.

"Not so bad yourself!" Laser fire switching to them cut the back patting short. Kanan and Ezra crouched at the base, shuffling from the narrowly missing bullets. Kanan spotted an opened tool trunk of wrenches, screwdrivers, and a old bolts and nuts. A handful of troops diverted from Sabine and Zeb, but they were still pinned down. "Alright! I'll cover you, you cover Sabine and Zeb's escape route!"

"Gotcha!" Ezra got ready to charge. "I just hope Hera can find the ship before this gets too hairy!"

"You're not the only one!" The ship may be on its last leg, but its the only chance they have. The only chance Katerina has. "Riina...please...forgive me." He spoke to the ground, knowing Katerina was right below him, evacuating her friends.

xxx

Hands shook the Garage Workers from their pleasant dreams. A silent alarm was triggered, calling for an immediate evacuation. Grim and Dave, roused from a dead sleep, hustled their crewmates through the sublevels, guiding them to the unused storage locker. Panicked questions and concerns echoed amongst the group. Grim and Dave assured them everything was fine, but the garage wasn't safe. Assumptions that the Empire was behind the evacuation were confirmed by Katerina who was shaking in her work boots. Before waking up Grim and Dave, she heard the battle explode in a rage of laser bolts. Her legs picked her up and sprinted as fast as they could. Twice that. She swore to explain everything later. For now, she needed to get them out of there.

A two ton manhole was pried from the caked sludge and contaminants of several years. Katerina winced at the foul smell. The flood was gone, but it left its waste behind. Katerina dropped to the knee high water first. She scanned the large tunnel, letting the sounds of the water and her breathing grow silent. Hollow breaths of ventilated air, the common sewer rat, and the occasional mysterious floating debris.

"All clear!" She called in a whisper. Grim helped lower people in one at a time. Not as adventurous as Katerina, they used the rickety ladder. Katerina helped them down, telling them to head for downtown. Grim and Dave were the last two. Dave drifted on his propulsion jets. Grim braved the jump, splashing Dave and Katerina with the filthy water. They make him pay later.

"Shall we go?" Grim offered, chasing after his friends. Dave wasn't going to argue. Katerina, however, didn't share the same rush. Grim heard he wasn't being followed, and was saddened. Katerina was paused under the opened manhole, gazing distantly to the chaos likely tearing the garage apart. Her legs twisted, fighting amongst themselves to run...or to help.

"^No one would blame you, you know.^" Dave announced. Katerina ogled him strangely. "^We'll be here tomorrow, and the next ten years after that.^" He wiggled to Grim who was standing with a warm smile. "^Kanan returned after 15. Don't waste another second.^"

"But I-"

"No buts!" Grim shoved her to the ladder, pushing her up five spokes. "Whether he likes it or not, your bother needs you!" And he won't here another protest on the matter. "Besides, I don't think we ever told them where we hid their ship." He added with an impish smile. Dread grabbed Katerina in a vice. She completely forgot about that. "Now get going!"

"What about you?! I can't just abandon you guys!"

"Katty," Grim inwardly snorted at her claim, "You never abandon anyone." The words touched Katerina in the heart. "Now go!" Grim pat Dave on the head, racing ahead.

"^See you on the other side!^" Dave activated his jets and went after Grim.

"I'll be waiting…" She fortified herself, climbing back to the surface.

xxx

The troopers were nearly on top of them. Zeb and Sabine weren't able to effectively return fire with three of the four sides blazing with heavy fire. Kanan and Ezra waited, risking their troopers rounding their cover. Jump too soon or too late and their plan falls to pieces. Zeba and Sabine will pay the price.

"Wait…" Kanan's extended hand kept the antsy Ezra at bay. "Not yet…" Closer...closer...closer… "GO!" Kanan flipped his pistol and returned fire. Ezra jumped and grabbed hold of a hanging hove car, swinging up into the driver's seat. He hopped from one craft to the next, darting for the midway to Zeb and Sabine. Trooper spotted him too soon. Kanan opened his palm to the tools boxes. Raising the palm he levitated the tools from their drawers. "HEY!" Kanan beckoned, jumping on the tanks. He threw the hand up. A barrage of tools hurtled in the air. Kanan raised his second hand and brought both down. The troopers ran in the opposite direction of the garage tool hailstorm. Screwdriver points narrowing missing the tiny gaps in their helmets at the neck.

He put fingers to his lips and whistled. "UP HERE, MORONS!" He tauntingly waved his arms. The troopers going after Zeb and Sabine joined the others and aimed for him. "WOOPS!" Ezra cowered between the seats of the supporting craft as the heavy fire was unleashed on him. "GO! GO! GO!" Ezra wildly flung his arm.

Sabine and Zeb exchanged firm nods. They jumped as high in the air as they could. Troopers spied them descending too late and met swift kicks to the face. Surrounding Troopers about faced, lining up a shot. Sabine ducked when Zeb threw a powerful punch her way and she shot in his. Successful blows subdued the troopers. The pair danced about one another, landing blow after blow, adding to the pile of troopers at their feet. Zeb swung Sabine by the arm. She ran kicks off three Troopers' skulls. Ezra shot a stun ball at the cables, dropping a craft on each one. He earned thankful salutes from his crewmates.

Kanan wrapped up with what Troopers remained with him. Two restrained his arms, leaving him open to the one laughing while pounding a fist in his palm. Kanan waited, let the trooper get close. He drew a fist back. Kanan launched a swift kick, thrusting his chin up. He then threw his legs in a drop, dragging his captors to bashing heads. The third man recovered, trying again for a punch. Kanan spun behind him. He chopped the neck, shooting a pulse that knocked him unconscious. The other two pushed up on their hands. Kanan flipped in the air, plowing his feet to their helmets, cracking their heads on the floor.

"MOST IMPRESSIVE!" A sardonic round of applause ended round one. To the Ghost Crew's dread, Agent Kallus himself brought round two tagging along at his heels. "Such tremendous skill for a group of rabble."

"Kallus!" Ezra snarled.

"Well, well, Padawan Jabba. Nice to set eyes on you again."

"FEELING'S NOT MUTUAL!" Ezra flung a stun ball.

Kallus effortlessly dodged it. "This has all been very entertaining, my friends. But I'm afraid the fun is over." He angled a hand up. The troopers locked their blasters on target. "Surrender quietly, and I might consider sparing the lives of the mechanic and her people."

"Consider?!" Kanan scoffed. He put his lightsaber together. The igniting blade pierced the darkness. Kallus and the Troopers were amazed for a second time by the weapon. "That's Empire speak for we'll kill you anyway!" He decreed, directing the saber threateningly towards Kallus. Sabine drew her second gun. Zeb spanned his rifle to a staff. Ezra...grabbed the nearest pipe. Big guns all around.

Kallus's smirk split his face. "What a clever Jedi I've stumbled upon. KILL THEM ALL!" He roared.

xxx

Hera skulked close to the wall, crouching low at turns before proceeding. She pressed a hand to Chopper to stop him. She put a finger to her lips, instructing Chopper to keep quiet. She pointed to the next corridor. Chopper reared his flat head around. Doors to the outside were wide open and itching to be used as an escape. Unfortunately armored shoulders on both sides impeded their route. Troopers had the exits covered - information acquired earlier. Hera just hoped they would have heard the commotion and gone inside. They weren't taking any chances. That aside, Hera realized something very important. She didn't have the first clue where The Ghost was being kept. She saw it be towed to the back somewhere. Then it disappeared.

"UGH! Too many complications today!" And not just because the ship wasn't in any condition to fly. She'll need to find the thing first to worry about that.

"PSST!" Hera and Chopper snapped around. Katerina animatedly motioned for them from a doorway. "This way, hurry!" She urged, ducking inside the room. Hera and Chopper didn't argue. Checking that the Troopers weren't looking, Hera and Chopper darted inside. Twin doors closed behind them, enclosing the pair in an elevator with Katerina. "Glad you're still okay!" Katerina punched in a code and hit the down key.

"What are you doing here, Riina?" Not that Hera wasn't glad to see her or anything. "Kanan told you to evacuate."

"I did evacuate, but then I came back. He never said I couldn't come back." She impishly loopholed her orders. Hera slapped a palm over her eyes. She can't believe there are two Kanan's in the universe. "Anyway, I'm taking you to your ship. We hid it in our underground shop."

"Underground shop?" Hera found the mystery intriguing. "For the customers wanting to be on the down low?"

"This is as down low as it gets." She assured her.

Close hugging walls peeled away. Rows of light traversing a massive cavern caught Hera by surprise. A tunnel that rivaled the size of a leviathan stretched for miles. Ships she recognized from wanted posts on the holonet were parked on a circle. Then lines in the sphere surrounded the ships. Possibly platforms of sorts. Though it doesn't appear they will rise above the surface. There was a control tower at a cobblestone wall. Likely what is used to lift and lower the ships. The Ghost was among those ships.

"Amazing…" Hera remarked breathless. "Simply...amazing."

"That's Chandrila engineering for you." Katerina boasted with her chest out. The elevator came to rest. "Renovations were funded by Ken's grandfather, and Ken helped make it his own."

"The term man cave comes to mind." The doors split. Hera, Katerina, and Chopper exited.

"You're perceptive. Ken wanted this space as a getaway when work became hectic."

"Guessing he was down here a lot."

"You sure you didn't work for Ken in a past life?" The two girls giggled.

Chopper left the giggling girls, darting for their long lost ship. He accessed the diagnostic system, redefining the true status of the damage rendered. It was worse than he originally suspected. But it'll have to do until they arrive at a safer destination. The next closest planet was Shambrila. As a mech he relied on facts. The fact is he is crossing every circuit in his small body the ship won't fall apart around them.

"I've got the get back up top!" Katerina announced urgently. Kanan and the others will need to be ready to run when Hera comes around. "Go to the tower! Enter code 5-12-02 and press the green, red, and yellow buttons in that order! There will be a delay, so you'll be able to get in as the ship's platform is rising!" Katerina spun on her heels, darting inside the elevator.

"Wait! Where are you going?! RIINA!" Hera screamed as the doors closed.

"I HAVE TO SAVE CALEB!" Katerina shouted back. This time, she will save him. The elevator vanished in the shaft, leaving Chopper and Hera to fend for themselves for the time being.

"Come back safe." Hera prayed.

xxx

Ezra leapt and roared like a maniac, cracking the pipe on a Trooper's head. He stooped slightly, then countered with a punch. Ezra felt his ribs light on fire. He dropped to his knees, hugging his trooper called, raising a foot. Kanan appeared and jabbed the saber hilt at his neck. The trooper fell like a tree. Ezra nodded gratefully, though laughed at his lame attempt. Blaster fire prompted Kanan to tackle him behind cover.

"Stay on your toes!" Kanan warned.

"Never realized I stopped!" Ezra bantered back.

Kanan rolled his eyes at the response. He rolled back into the line of fire. He deflected the bolts at the ground, and hitting a couple of the troopers. Their numbers were driving him back to a corner between two cruisers. Zeb smacked his bow upside the head of a trooper, spun and jabbed the other end into another's stomach, and finished the next with a swift kick back. Sabine dropped from nowhere onto his shoulder, shooting the lingering Troopers in the legs. They howled in pain, dropping to a knee. Sabine clawed Zeb's suit, flipping her legs up and connecting her heels with their heads. The smack to the ground made her tingle.

The troopers already began to regroup, opening fire on the cooperative rebels. The four spread out to the garage, utilizing the wide space. Kallus enjoyed the spectacle from a distance, awaiting the proper moment to strike. Ezra and Sabine slid under a bus. Sabine spotted a hatch above them. Troopers swarmed the bus, lying on their stomachs to kill the rats. No one was there. Rumbling came from inside the bus. Five troopers filed inside, spreading front to back. No one was inside either. Unbeknownst to them, Sabine and Ezra slid out the hatch, crawling away to a safe distance. Sabine revealed a trigger. Ezra covered his ears. Sabine pushed the button. Colorful smoke exploded out the windows. The troopers were heard hitting the floor. The two bumped fists. The storm wasn't over yet. More troopers were on their tails.

Zeb roared like an animal, jousting one, two, three, four troopers, smashing them into a wall. They toppled like dominoes. Zeb was about to pat himself on the back. Laser bolts narrowly missing his ears ruined the joy. He flipped the bow and returned it to a rifle. He strafed to the left, returning heavy fire as he ducked behind a pillar. He took out two troopers. Too many were still standing. Strapping the rifle on his back, Zeb clawed the pillar, rapidly scaling to an upper walkway. The troopers started shooting at the supporters, crippling the walkway where Zeb ran. Zeb climbed on the railing, jumping to a speeder and swing on it. He twirled his staff, cutting the cables of nearby speeders. The troopers wailed, being crushed by the speeders. Others managed to scurry away like rats. Zeb dropped to them, swatting them away. He was pounced on by two troopers from behind. They tripped his feet, pinning him to the ground.

Kanan, deflecting and countering against the encroaching troopers, was dismayed by the state of his team. They weren't beaten, but they were on the verge of falling. The instant a trooper is subdued, one in reserves comes to replace him. Kanan wielded the force to drive the troopers into one another. Dropped scaling tool boxes on them. He managed to cut a couple in the shoulder and legs. He jabbed an elbow, connected kicks and punches. He unleashed attacks in a fury. He had to hold on. For however long, he had to wait for Hera.

xxx

Katerina arrived to her office on instinct. It was the next section before the garage where Kanan and the others were fighting. The commotion beyond was reverberating the window mirror. Wailing, shouting, and shrieking weaponry made the hairs on her neck stand. Katerina's mind screamed for her to get word to Hera that she was ready for her. To bring the ship around so they can get the heck out of dodge. But the fighting. In spite of her legs wanting to run in the opposite direction and never look back, the fighting lured her to the window. Violent thrashings, and anguished cries a nightmare on her mind and heart. He shaking hand extended to the window controls. She swallowed a large lump. She pushed the button. Her blood turned to ice.

Troopers scattered to the ground. Half dead or half conscious. It was difficult to discern. Raging laser bolts indiscriminately causing irreparable damage. Blasters being crudely swung like clubs, missing and destroying property. The troopers who still stood decimated the garage. And Kanan and his friends were in the middle of it.

"CALEB!" Katerina screamed, pressing her palms to the window. He was using his lightsaber. She hasn't seen it in a while. She'd forgotten how amazing and unique lightsabers looked. Too bad this wasn't the time for reveling.

Kanan, Ezra, Sabine, and Zeb were skipping around like jackalope-rabbits, no room for them to rest or to regain their footing. Zeb flung tackling troopers, only to be dragged to his stomach again. He rolled around, flinging his rifling rampantly. Sabine used her surrounding to try and arrange explosives to create a sort of barrier. The troopers outsmarted her attempts, growing closer the harder they pressed. She shot at their feet, hoping to keep them back. Ezra was the hopper of the group. Bouncing off the ground and other objects in order to make the troops strike each other. One trooper caught his foot, smacking him hard to the floor. Kanan...he was losing ground. His lightsaber didn't give him too much of an inch. He was being backed up beneath Katerina's window.

"No...no…" They were losing. They were going to die. Just like everyone else. The Empire...was going to take...EVERYTHING! 'Dead younglings...clones mercilessly killing Jedi...empire troops raiding homes...' "Not again...PLEASE NOT AGAIN!"

Shrill gunfire pierced her core. Mad, warish screaming echoed deafeningly. The anguish wails of troopers falling to the pained howls of Kanan and his friends sustaining blows. Katerina cowered in her office. Hands clamped to her ears, and her body curled to a tight ball, she rocked back and forth in a corner. She shakily hummed to drown the battle from her bleeding ears. Tears spilled down her cheeks. The garage was steadily being torn apart, ravaged as Kanan and his friend fought vigorously against the seemingly endless siege of troopers. Kanan deflected a laser bolt back at a trooper. He wailed loudly. Katerina flinched. Zeb was slammed to a wall. The crashing equipment made Katerina jump. Sabine and Ezra were each dealt devastating punches and kicks. Their cries were like daggers in Katerina's ears.

"No more…" She whimpered fearfully. The blasters... 'Blaster barrels aimed to the forehead of a little girl.' "Please...no more…" 'Soldiers surrounding the girl...dragging her across coarse terrain...she screamed and screamed for help.' "Make it stop...please..." She begged and begged. Pleading to the forces to make the fighting stop. 'Bodies falling...dead faces frozen in horror...blood drenching a patch of grass and a horror stricken child.' "They're going to die! Everyone's going to die! Just like before…" Why? Her frantic mind screamed. Why won't they stop? No good comes of fighting. Only death prevails, claiming countless souls indiscriminately. Hands dirtied by blood. Scars left open to rot. And those who survive are trapped in the aftermath. A sea of corpses all that remains.

"Caleb…" She breathed, shaking her head violently. "Caleb, why? Why do you have to keep fighting?" Fighting is what stole him from her in the first place. It was a damn war that constantly took him to the opposite side of the universe, leaving her to fear that day would be the last she'll see him. 15 years that nightmare was a reality. Agent Kallus and his pack of dogs intended to tear her scar open again. All the while...while...while she wallows in misery, hiding like a worm.

An inferno lit in Katerina's stomach. Her fingers balled to fists. She raised her puffy face from her knees. Her glossy eyes brimming with hardened resolve piercing the darkness. Caleb, Ezra, and four others are risking their lives for her, her workers, and her place. And she planned to sit in her office and cry? "NO!" Katerina slid on her knees to a dresser. She twisted the handles of three drawers counter clockwise, and then pushed the three small top drawers like switches. Air hissed at the bottom of the dresser. The front tilted upward like a hatch. In place of clothes, a secret compartment was revealed. Two pistols, and a thick pipe bar collected dust inside. "Guess I break my vow, Ken."

xxx

Kanan was whisked to the floor, sliding across the marble to a harsh stop against a forklift. His light saber fell from his grasp. Three clicks followed by high pitch whirring dismayed Kanan. Storm Troopers trapped him at the end of their barrels. Their fingers on the trigger, and sights locked on his head, heart, and stomach - death finally found its way to Kanan's feet. Sabine, Zeb, and Ezra - scattered to opposite ends of the crippling garage, screamed and charged in vain to reach their leader. Their friend. Kallus order the Troopers and in an instant they had the Ghost Crew restrained and pinned. Victory was in their hands. Once the Master is killed, the little apprentice will follow.

"This would have been far less painful for you had you all surrendered." Kallus mocked him in the air of his defeat. "But it would have been far too dull for me." Kanan grit his teeth. "TAKE AIM!" Kallus raised his hand. The Troopers pressed the blaster butts to the crook of their shoulders.

"KANAN!" Ezra wailed, wrestling in the grip of troopers.

"READY…!" Kallus trailed, wanting the Rebel filth to squirm.

"I'LL END YOU FOR THIS!" Zeb murderously roared. Troopers added weight on him

"KANAN, RUN!" Sabine begged. Kanan resigned himself. Lightsaber far from his reach, he was done. May the Rebel prosper without him.

Kallus's lip curled to his teeth. As if in slow motion, his moved his hand forward, "FI-" Shattering glass rained on the troopers. A figure literally dropped from thin air. Clicks raised chills. POW! POW! POW! Kallus and his squad of Troopers rooted aghast. Not so much as a breath left their gaping mouths. The same of the Ghost Crew. No one moved. Spoke. So much as breathed. The Troopers surrounding Kanan just stood there. Kallus's order to fire never left his lips. Then, something completely stunned them. The Troopers, with delirious groans, toppled to the ground. Smoke emitted from the barrels of Laser Pistols.

Kanan opened his eyes with relief, and mild confusion. His looked at his palms, practically lost of breath that he was still alive. He saw the pistols responsible for the blaster fire he heard. Following them to their owner, his and everyone's jaws hit the floor. "Riina?"

Katerina's glistening aquamarine eyes shot open. Daggers launched in a glare to the Troopers and their leader who have dared to reduce her Garage to a smoldering mess. She slowly stood tall, slipping her pistols to leg holsters at her thighs. "You guys alright?!" She beckoned. Ezra, Sabine, and Zeb wordlessly nodded. Katerina glanced to Kanan who nodded swiftly. "Good." She was just in time.

"I thought I told you to leave!" Kanan swept a hand.

"Yeah! You did say something like that!" Katerina chuckled impishly, scratching her chin.

"I can't believe you're not listening to sense at a time like this!" Kanan reprimanded. "And since when do you use blasters?!"

"That's a really long story that I will be happy to tell at a later time!" And there will be a later time. That is...if her stomach didn't threaten to spew on the floor. 'A gash tearing in a boy's shoulder...young frozen dead faces...a horror stricken crowd.' Guilt yourself later! Caleb needs you now!

"Think she's a Jedi too?" As trooper whispered.

"I dunno."

"She doesn't look like one."

"What do Jedi particularly look like anyway?"

"Good question."

Katerina scoffed incredulously at the claim. The Empire's dogs are as ridiculous as she remember. "You honestly think a Jedi is the only threat in this universe." She reached behind her back, grasping a white and turquoise ornate pipe stretching diagonally hip to shoulder. She sharply flicked her wrist. Both ends of the pipe extended, creating a six foot long staff. The ends were smoothed, dull baubles. "How ignorant of you!" She twisted the middle. Electricity surged at the baubles, shaping to pure grey lanceheads. The troopers jumped, jolting to their stances. Katerina ignored them, glaring at the commanding officer twiddling his thumbs on his next move. "I ask you nicely to get, and you TRASH my place?" She snarled.

"You were housing fugitives! That grants me grounds to enter!" Kallus shouted back.

"PFFT! I'm going to make you regret ever crossing paths with me!" She stooped to a stance, holding her staff outward behind her back.

"OPEN FIRE!" Kallus bellowed.

The troopers aimed. Katerina breached the gap with remarkable speed and pierced the electrified land in the first trooper's stomach. Hundreds of volts traveled the suit, shocking the trooper inside and out. Katerina wasn't callous like the troopers. She removed the staff. The Trooper fell unconscious. The frightful murmurs of awe last briefly. A second trooper stormed behind her, raising his blaster butt over her head. Katerina ducked just as the butt dropped and swept a leg, tripping the troop off his feet. Two more troopers ran up behind her. Katerina effortlessly wrenched her staff past her shoulder. The one stopped too late. A light poke shot a pulse in his chest. His muscles spasmed and tightened, rendering him to his knees. The second continued his attack, wrapping his finger to the trigger. Katerina spun just as the shot fired, feeling intense heat miss by a breeze on her back. She flourished her staff, cracking the trooper on the wrists. His gun hit the floor. Another spin and Katerina struck the back of his neck, dropping him onto his friend. Five troopers surrounded her, attempting a blitz attack to subdue her. She staked the staff firmly. Pushing off the ground she stomped her first step in the lead trooper's stomach. She swung her body, ricocheting that kick to another fierce kick in the second trooper. Round and round she went, striking the troopers. She vaulted her staff free, flipping behind the sole remaining trooper. He barely twisted. He howled as the staff pierced his back, and he fell with his fellow troops. Katerina released a huffed breath. Her flaring adrenaline vibrated her nerves, made her body feel lighter than the air. She's almost forgotten what a rush battle offers. How invigorating it is to bring those who boast of their mighty strength and skills crumbling to her feet. The fall back? Fall too far to those carnal desires, and she'll become the monster.

Silence enveloped the garage. Unconscious Troopers riddled the floor. Kallus, Zeb, Sabine, Ezra, and Kanan were rooted in place. Mouths and eyes gaping in utter amazement, shock, and...bewilderment. Katerina turned to Kallus. He was taken aback. An entirely different person stood before him. The electricity of her staff paled compared to the storm surging in her eyes.

"You haven't forgotten…" Kanan relaxed. Katerina hasn't forgotten her training.

"Incredible…another Jedi..." Kallus breathed, reaching for the weapon on his back. Kanan, Ezra, and Katerina. "Three...in the palm of my hands." He salivated, crushing his palm.

"I already told you! I'm not a Jedi!" She doesn't mean to be, but she's offended the Empire thinks anyone with skill or poses a viable threat is a Jedi.

"Then what are you?!" Kallus growled.

"A mechanic!" She quelled her staff, stamping the bulb hard. "With violent tendencies!"

"DO YOU TAKE ME FOR A FOOL?!"

"Hard to take anyone with sideburns like that seriously!" She trailed a mocking finger on the side of her head.

"I will make you pay for your insolence!"

"I think enough people have paid for you! And I WILL send someone the bill for my shop!" She's had enough of his hot air. This is a losing battle. Troopers were already converging on their position, and there was still Kallus. And...Katerina knows she won't get away with mild strikes. She snatched Kanan's communicator. "READY?" She screamed.

"JUST SAY IT!"

"Hera?" Kanan remarked.

"NOW!" Katerina threw herself to Kanan.

Kallus grew nervous of the large shadow scrolling the garage. By the time he turned, he saw the rebel ship's gun charged to attack. "TAKE COV-" Hera pressed the twin triggers. The blasters bombarded a long strip, blowing a gaping hole in the garage. Part of the ceiling started to collapse. Troopers were shaken by the assault.

"EXIT! STAGE LEFT!" Katerina dragged Kanan by the hand. He summoned his saber to his hand, racing after her. Zeb, feeling his captors lighten, bucked them off. He took a mild pleasure and smashed two troopers heads together before running. Sabine squeezed her eyes closed and threw a flash bomb in the air. Troopers cired out in the blinding light. Sabine wiggled free. Ezra was close enough that his stun balls would do real damage. He shot one in each Trooper's gap of their neck and helmet. Their bodies tensed and dropped.

"AFTER THEM YOU FOOLS!" Kallus barked.

Hera dropped the landing hatch, running the ship in reverse for a swift retreat. Kanan and Zeb leapt on first. Trooper made the escape harder when they were oriented enough to open fire. Ezra was hauled on first. Sabine stumbled, then jumped. Katerina ran as fast as she could. Her hand outstretched. Kanan reaching for it, to never lose her again. Their palms grasped one another's wrist. Zeb and Kanan threw her on. Hera closed the door, taking off in any given direction.

"This is Agent Kallus! Rebel seen heading east! Intercept!" Kallus howled over his coms.

xxx

"We've got enemy reinforcements incoming!" Hera alerted everyone. Kanan jumped in the co-pilot's seat. Zeb and Sabine took the remaining two seats. Ezra and Katerina held on to something. "No way we're getting off planet! Not with the ship in this condition! We'd never get far!"

"What the Hell are we supposed to do then!?" Zeb was on the verge of yanking his beard. "We're sitting dorks flying around!"

"May I?!" Katerina approached the controls. Hera was open for anything. "Follow these coordinates!" Katerina entered altitude and longitude, sending them to the ship's navigation.

"Where is this?!" Hera guided the ship on course.

"The marine gardens! Thick enough to obscure our signal! I know a spot we can hide!"

"SOLD!" Sabine and Ezra hooted. Chopper grumbled rancorously of Katerina's unnecessary input.

"ALREADY THERE!" Hera put on the gas, throwing the ship into overdrive. Hopefully the ship doesn't crumble around them before they reach their destination.

xxx

TIE fighters scoured Chandrila high and low, following the immediate path the rebel ship was seen fleeing in. Morning has yet to break. The search lights roving the levels were blinding. The lights broke through window, waking up the dwellers in a rage. Meanwhile, in the event the trail went cold, Storm Troopers setup search parties that scoured the nearest areas the rebels would have gone into hiding. Not many places to hide a ship that size. The cloaking technology won't make their jobs any easier. They relied mostly on sight alone.

Kallus lingered at the partially destroyed Auto Shop. He kicked over a chunk of debris indifferently. Injured men of his units had been carted off to be tended to. He growled in disgust. It was bad enough rebels allied to Jedi decided to rear their noses in Imperial Affairs. Now a mechanic with violent tendencies, whom he is confident must be a Jedi, is thrown in the mix? What's next? Mahov Tarkin is going to fry his head on a spit when word reaches him about this latest stain on the Empire.

"These rebels are going to be the death of me!" Kallus cursed, pinching his nose. That girl…! He growled mentally. A mechanic possessing such skills. It's unprecedented. He couldn't get it out of his head. The fluid motions of her staff work. Her effective melee counters. Her handle on those pistols. She leveled his unit in a matter of seconds. 'I'm not a Jedi!' She so claimed resolutely. The offence she took to the accusation dripped in her tone. Her claim to not being a Jedi holds merit. She never utilized the force. "If not a Jedi...then what are you?"

"Agent Kallus!" A trooper captain arrived, saluting his superior officer. Kallus prayed, for his sake, that their was good news. Otherwise, there will be one casualty for the day. "I regret to inform you, sir, that our scouts have lost track of the Rebel Ship." The trooper saw Kallus's folded hands ball into fists. "UGH-BUT...we saw them fleeing south by southwest!" Not much, he's aware. But, for the sake of his neck, it was something.

"What lies south by southeast?" Kallus isn't too familiar with Chandrila's environment or terrain. The layout, thus far, resembled Coruscant. Towering buildings, the peak of technology ripely flying across the air, and ancestral structures serving as peaks of the planet's community.

"Further research discovered a spansion of jungle terrain."

"Jungle?" Kallus turned, shocked by the presence of wood in an industrial planet. No matter. This just may be the chance to corner them. "Have you scattered search parties?"

"Yes sir! But they've yet to locate the rebel ship."

"Keep looking!" They are in that jungle somewhere. He knows they are. "The ship landed for repairs and they didn't try to escape the planet. Which means it's not fit for space travel." This could be their last shot. Kallus won't miss them again. "Scour every inch of that jungle! Uproot every single tree, bush, rock - EVERYTHING!" He yanked the Trooper by the collar. "I-want-those-Rebels-at-my FEET!"

"YE-YES SIR!" Kallus shoved him off. The Trooper stumbled to his hands, then quickly recovered to a sprint. Kallus dusted this minor obstacle from his armor. A small hiccup in the choking he'll give to the Rebels. And that Mechanic.

xxx

Chandrila's dense jungle rivaled the seas of Mon Cala. Jungle was a kind term for it. More like a metropolis thick with musty, humid air covered in vines, moss, and questionable plantlife. Trees as thick as military tanks, and taller than Chandrila's state building, masked the jungle from the peeking sunrise. The trees seemed to grow larger the further inside one traveled. The richly green canopies heavily intertwined, creating the appearance of a green ocean. Below those canopies, the roots arched from the perpetually moist soil. Mushrooms a Trandoshan can use as a stair and foot stool covered the ground, and scaled mossy boulders. Birds flocked and sang their mating calls. Six armed primates swung from the vines. Serpents of different varieties skulked the grounds. The shrubbery carried it's own mysteries. Not all of the bushes were idle ornaments. Vines dangled from the canopies, secreting a mucus that is both appealing and appalling to different species. Marshes rested in random areas of the jungle. The life beneath their murky surface begets one to walk in the opposite direction.

Uncommon in some jungle, large bodies of water - considered lakes by outsiders - were scattered in each direction. Truthfully, any body of water larger than the marshes is a result of heavy rains. As such, nature made its own irrigation system that virtually connects throughout the whole jungle. Waterfalls, underground reservoirs, roaring rapids were a frequent occurrence on Chandrila. A lucky break for the Ghost Crew.

As much as Hera disliked it, she had to submerge the ship inside one of the large water bodies. It wasn't so deep that pressure would compromise the integrity, but it will suffice to obscure prying eyes or scanners. Everyone piled into the second ship - the Phantom - and hid it inside a cave behind a waterfall. The cave was appropriately a cavern. A modern marvel of nature. There was a brief respite, enough time for a little marveling.

"We should be safe here." Katerina reassured her friends, sitting to a rock. Her body ached in places she didn't even know she had. Her hands were still shaking. "The jungles and caverns on this planet make any technology blind. It'll be a while before anyone spots us."

"That's good to hear…" Sabine collapsed by her legs. Her back was killing her. The rock side was like a quilted bed. "Maybe now we can catch up on much needed sleep."

Katerina wouldn't blame any of them for closing their eyes for a couple more hours. Kallus's siege abruptly cut it short. Hera almost fell asleep at the wheel a few times. Katerina was used to the lack of six hours. While Kanan and the others situated themselves, Ezra and Zeb back to back and nearly asleep, Katerina removed her guns and staff from her person. She set the guns to the side, removing the cartridge. Her staff, as she was about to set it, was squeezed by her fingers. Nicks, scratches, and unflattering dents from years ago were hued by the fresh grazes. The weakness in her hand snaked up to her shoulder, quivering the arm like a leaf in the wind. Excitement, nausea, fear, and delight gripped her. The battle raged on in her memories. Fresh as morning dew. Heavily armed Troopers everywhere. The odds of her being victorious were slim to none. There wasn't even a guarantee she'd remember how to wield her weapons. She wasn't thinking at all. She just...had to save them. Save Kanan. Take back what she'd lost. She'd truly forgotten the rush battle gives him. It was enough to make her smile.

'No! Stay away from us!'

'Please don't kill us!

'We're sorry!'

'MOMMY! HELP ME!'

"Hey."

"BWAH!" The hand to Katerina's jolted her out of her skin.

"WHOA! EASY!" Kanan waved his hands. "Sorry, Riina. Didn't mean to scare you." He tried not to laugh.

"You didn't…" She partially lied, clawing fingers through her hair. "I was...lost in thought." She ogled her shortened staff.

Kanan gestured to the spot beside her. Katerina edged over, welcoming him beside her. His presence relieved the edge on her shoulders. "Your skills have improved. To be honest, I half expected you to forget your training." He derided himself for his ignorant belief.

"Never! I'll never forget what the Jedi and Clones taught me." She testified animatedly. "I took that, and used life experiences to improve. Next thing I know, I'm a one woman army that's handy with a wrench." She beamed. Kanan sourly glanced to the ground. The Clones. He'd forgotten they had a part in her training. Katerina rested her hand to his. "Avoiding the knife doesn't erase the scar it left." She gently commented.

"I know. But it doesn't lessen the pain either." Kanan's shoulder's sank. Katerina understood more than he knew. Somethings...it's easier to pretend they never happened. "I almost didn't recognize you in that fight. You're pretty fierce."

"You know…" Katerina bat her lashes, "I don't think you and I finished that sparring match."

"Hold your racers, Kiddo!" Kanan used a finger to push her back by the nose. "Beating Troopers - easy. Beating a full fledge Jedi," He proudly puffed his chest, "I'm a little out of your league."

"You'd like to think so, wouldn't you?" She shoved he staff to his nose. "A coward's way of avoiding a humiliating defeat."

Kanan's starting to notice she's become annoying brazen in 15 years too. He hummed intrigued by her weapon of choice. "Can I see that?" He opened his hand.

"Sure…?" She doesn't see why. She handed it to him. It was foreign to him. With his lightsaber he can press a button to the extend the beam. The ornate pipe baffled him. "Here…" She borrowed it and flicked her wrist. Kanan was startled by the extension. "And you twist here for the lanceheads."

"Oh?" Kanan twisted the center. The surge of energy entranced him. "Whoa…!" The same reaction was elicited from Hera and the others. Ezra forgot Hera and Chopper weren't there for the climax of the fight. He whispered the cliff notes version in her ear. Her jaw hit the ground in disbelief. "This is amazing. Where'd you get it?"

"Kendril got it for me. He never said from where." He took that secret to his grave. She hasn't stopped prying, regardless. "I must have smacked myself in the face countless times before getting a handle on it. Accidentally touched the lanceheads just as many times." She rubbed her poor nose. She's stunned it didn't fall off. Her fingers might have permanent nerve damage. She isn't sure. She does have a high tolerance for burns though.

"Who trained you?" Zeb and the others would like to know that too.

"No one, really." Kanan gaped. Katerina felt his skepticism. She nervously scratched her cheek. "O-one of the masters saw me playing with a broom when I was sweeping the gardens. Kung fu fighting the bad guys!" Kanan lifted a bewildered brow. "Remember that prank with a flatulence seats in the Jedi Council Chambers." No more need be said. Kanan might fall over laughing. Ezra and Sabine pouted. They wanted to hear that story. "Anyway, she showed me how to properly hold it, laid down the basic steps, and the rest is history. Even after I left with Kendril, I found archives for that particular weapon."

"You trained yourself!" Kanan gasped. "I'm impressed."

"Yeah...The Empire helped a little." She pinched her fingers, winking impishly. "Dodging bullets, smacking them silly, and evading them had its advantages."

"I'll be sure to send them a thank you card!" Kanan joked. All joking aside, though, "You really saved our butts back there, Riina. I can't thank you enough."

"You don't have to. I'd do it again in a heartbeat." If he heart doesn't explode like it nearly did.

"Speaking of having things done in a heartbeat!" Zeb obnoxiously trudged to them. "All of your tools are back in the garage of yours!" The same garage being swarmed by Troopers in the event Katerina was foolish enough to return. "Our ship is still in dire need of repairs, and we can't exactly hide in these caves forever!" He crossed his arms.

In his curt way, Zeb had a point. The Ghost needs those repairs done and finished while the getting is good. Who knows how long it will be before the Empire finds them. And there is no doubt they won't be as kind as before.

"What tools are there in the ship?" Katerina asked Hera.

"A welding torch, a few wrenches, clamps, and whatever else is in the toolbox." She can't be sure. Some of the tools are new. She hasn't done an inventory on them.

"That should be good enough for me to fix the hydrive and get your cooling system up and going."

"What about the engine?" No sense in fixing everything else if the engine is fried.

"Dave and Grim should have put what we needed in your cargo area." She hopes that they did. Would have saved them the hassle of running back and forth for the tools. The elevator is really slow. "Wishing I would have brought them along. They'd be a great help right now."

"We can help!" Sabine pulled Chopper and Ezra by her. "We're not prodigies, but we know our way around the ship!" Ezra was all for it. Chopper? He'd rather be sold for parts than help the flesh monkey. Then again, his personal feelings on the matter don't compare to the danger they're in. "Just tell us what you need and we'll do it."

"Be warned…" Katerina showed her teeth in a menacing grin. "I'm a strict boss!"

"And I'm a quick study!" Ezra puffed his chest. "I can handle anything you throw at me!"

"Then let's get moving." Katerina holstered her weapons, sauntering to the waterfall exit.

"Why don't you take the Phantom?" Kanan proposed. "It'll be quicker."

"You'll need the Phantom if the Empire gets here." Sabine reassured him. "Besides, the ship isn't far." She waved the remote. "And the homing beacon will raise the ship for us. We'll be fine."

"Please do." Kanan wished. Without further delay, Katerina and the small band left the cave. Kanan couldn't help the feeling he's making a big mistake.

"So she fights too?" Hera approached.

"You'd never believe it by looking at her." Zeb still can't believe it. And he was sitting right there. "Girl's got crazy skills."

"Sounds like someone to have on your side." Hera hinted mischievously. Kanan received the hint like a punch. "Speaking of sides…" Hera placed a hand on his shoulder, "Is she on our side, or are you on hers?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kanan gruffly shook her hand off.

"I saw the look in your eye. You want her to join us. But you DON'T want to take her from what she's known."

"Is that wrong?"

"Not in the least." Hera would never place that burden on him. She too doesn't want Katerina being dragged in with them. "But, when the time comes for us to leave," And it is coming soon, "Are you going to leave without giving her - or yourself - the choice."

Kanan pondered her words carefully. That decision could change so much. Truth be told, Kanan is curious if Katerina would come or stay behind. He'd love to have her on board. Earlier proved she'd be an invaluable force. At the same time, the advantage was hers because Kallus misjudged and underestimated her. And he doesn't appear to be the type of person to make the same mistake twice. His ambush proves it. He's a dangerous man. Someone he wouldn't want her around. But can he make that decision for her? Or should he leave it up to her? Kanan's not so arrogant to assume he knows what's best. Although...he'd be lying if he said he didn't feel better leaving her where she was reared.

xxx

The jungle was less thick than the canopy implied. Ezra, Sabine, and Katerina feasibly pushed through. Chopper's wheels tangled in the dampen twigs. He relied on his small jets to traverse the obstacle. The terrain wasn't the biggest problem. The humidity was almost unbearable. Breezes don't exactly help either. What air does flow carries a noxious smell. Thank goodness the trio had strong stomachs.

"And I thought my room was hard to maneuver in." Ezra joked to lighten the mood.

"I'd rather sprint through a minefield than be in this humidity!" Sabine fanned her face. Her helmet was going to stay on her hip until she needed it.

"I hear that. The garage on moving day is a real breeze compared to this." Katerina tore her gloves off, slipping them on her hip. Time to change the subject before the humidity kills them. "By the way, Ezra, has Kanan started training you in the ways of the Jedi yet?"

"Not exactly." He shrugged glumly. Katerina eyed him incredulously. She knows what not exactly was code for. Ezra slapped his hands at his hips in frustration. "He hasn't even brought it up since I joined! He said he'd teach me, but won't even come near what step one is!"

"Maybe he's punishing you for stealing his lightsaber!" Sabine snorted. Katerina snapped aghast eyes at her. "Ezra's sticky fingers are the whole reason he got involved with us! Stole our cargo, stole Kanan's lightsaber - twice!" TWICE? Ezra blushed, sort of proud of his accomplishments. "He helped us save some Wookies - earned him some brownie points." Katerina had to think about that for a moment. Ezra stealing Kanan's lightsaber out from under him. She wished she could have seen that. And Wookies. They would have been a sight. "Other than that, the most Jedi experience Ezra's gotten was seeing Kanan wield his lightsaber for the first time. And, you, being taken on." She shrugged indifferently. This whole Jedi training stuff was another language to her. She doesn't possess a real appreciation for it. In her opinion, if you want to learn something bad enough, you've got to do it yourself.

"No real surprise. I'm sure Kanan doesn't know where to start." Katerina defended him.

"What do you mean?" Ezra questioned skeptically. "Is it that hard to train someone?"

"It does present a challenge." She murmured. Though she can't say training new employees is the same as training would-be Jedi. "Kanan was barely a Padawan Learner himself - fresh from theoretical training with other Jedi Younglings - when the Empire wiped Jedi out." After 15 years, the stings of that night are as harsh and fresh within her. Talking about it out loud hurts more than she thought it would. "All the teachings in the archives, and what little field time he had - Kanan's edges aren't exactly smooth."

"I...think...I get what you're saying." Ezra coughed dryly. He put a hand beside his mouth, gesturing to Sabine and Chopper. "Mind clearing it up more for these two?" Sabine elbowed his ribs. "OW!"

"Ha-ha! Long lecture short - like me, Kanan is a self taught fighter. Only better." Way better. She'll have to spar with him for old time's sake. "What we learned from our teachers was a building block. The rest we picked up through our own rigorous experiences." Blood, sweat, bruises, and cuts from failures. Minor and hollow victories, narrow escapes, and the many mistakes they've made throughout their journeys. Every single obstacle is an experience one can't simply teach another to be prepared for. Or hope they'll match their level of skill in handling them. "Passing those teachings on...easy doesn't come with the territory."

"I guess that makes sense." Ezra felt his desire to learn the Jedi Way lessen. At the same time...he was itching to get started. He wishes he can skip to the part where he gets his own lightsaber and gets on with it. "I'd still appreciate it if he'd at least make an effort to hold up his end of the deal." The whole reason he came along in the first place was because Kanan said he'd teach him.

"Want to learn the first lesson of the Jedi?"

"YEAH!" He beamed like a star.

Katerina strode in front of him, resting her hands on his shoulders. "Patience."

"Say what?!" Ezra felt his excitement snuff.

"The Jedi are firm believers in all good things to those who wait and," She erected a finger before Ezra's childish impetuousness voiced itself, "Take-in-stride." She tapped his nose.

"What's any of that supposed to mean exactly?"

"Ezra, you barely discovered who and what you truly are," She lifted one flat palm, "And Kanan has taken on a responsibility he wasn't prepared for." She lifted the other, weighing them like an opposing scale. "Once the reality sets in, and you both grow accustomed to each other, things will move forward." She balanced the hands, bringing them together in a sort of harmony. "And the Jedi Way will pass on to you."

"What does that even mean?!" Ezra's head spun. He'd kill for a straight answer.

"Just have a little faith and patience. You'll understand one day." She skipped off over a hill, leaving Sabine and Ezra to spin their gears at what she said.

"Ever notice-" Ezra pointed in her direction.

"She's cryptic like Kanan." Sabine finished impatiently. "Yeah. I've noticed." She grumbled.

"MAN!" Ezra smashed both palms over his eyes. "WHY'D THERE HAVE TO BE TWO?!"

xxx

Meanwhile, The Empire's TIE fighters finished their initial sweep of the Metropolis area. The remainder of their search would begin in the dense jungles of Chandrila. In spite of the ship being seen heading for the woods, a conclusion that the ship may have diverted into the city was plausible. All units scattered to he city converge in a file, beginning their sweep. Kallus grew tired of waiting for the Mechanic and Rebels to return to the garage. He decided to join in the search, wanting to be the first to find his prey. If they were so foolish as to come back and land in his palm they wouldn't be so elusive, would they? He was wasting his time in the city.

The jungle would prove to be any kinder than the city. It'll be difficult to spot the ship amidst the thick canopies. "Thick canopies…" Kallus murmured to himself. Densely enclosed forestry...there is by no possible means a ship of that size can submerge itself without leaving a blemishing give away. These Rebels were smarter than that. They'll rely on a method more...in plain sight than ambiguous. That's how Rebels mask their presence afterall.

Gaps in the woodwork containing bodies of water passing by…Kallus may not be too familiar with Chandrila, however, he is astute when it comes to nature's creations. The large portions of water passing beneath can often run as deep as the sea bed. Depending on the integrity of the location, and the solidity of the soil, it would not be out of the question for a ship to be able to hide beneath one of them. "That's it! MEN!" He howled across the coms. "Focus your searches on the gaps in the jungle! The ship is likely hiding beneath one of these bodies of water!"

xxx

The beacon rose the ship above water like Sabine assured. Chopper flew to the hatch, entering the ship. He connected with the ship's controls, guiding it to clearing near the shoreline. Sabine and Katerina waved their arms, helping Chopper not hit anything as he brought it partially on the shore. Katerina was the first to jump inside. Lady Luck was smiling on her when she spotted the crates of equipment Grim and Dave stored inside the cargo hold. The hoses for the cooling system, a torch to seal the breach in the hyperdrive, tools for the engine, the works.

The first issue to be dealt with is the engine. Conveniently located near where the Phantom docks. Oil being improperly consumed, fluids nearly depleted, cracks in the radiator. Easily fixed as she promised. Ezra will be there to help her. The space was big enough for the pair. Simultaneously, while she works on the engine, Sabine can help Chopper with installing the hoses to the cooling system. He'll patch the tear that's leaking hyperdrive energy first. No sense welding with intense heat when it was intense heat that caused this mess.

"Will we be able to fix the hyperdrive in time?" Sabine fretted in her helmet coms to Ezra and Katerina. She feels as if the Empire could appear from the brush at any moment.

"We won't know till we finish our present jobs." Katerina would have a lot more confidence in the job if Grim and Dave were there. "Chopper, I'm counting on you."

"^I don't need your support! I can do this!^" He snapped.

Katerina blinked perplexed. "Does he hate me for some reason?" She asked, opening the hatch to the engines.

"Nah! He's grumpy with everybody." Ezra waved off. Katerina rolled her eyes and then jumped inside. A tighter fit than she realized. Still workable. "What's on the to do list first, Boss Lady?"

"The cracks in the radiator need to be fixed first." Katerina researched the information gathered by her team on her data pad. "Here, here, and here." She touched where the cracks were labeled.

"Geez!" Ezra's jaw hit the ground. "I knew the radiator would be big, but that's ridiculous!" The radiator for this particular brand of ship was enormous. It flowed through ten percent of the ship. Near the cap, beneath them, and somewhere by the muffler were the cracks. "This is going to take a while." Ezra groaned.

"Not at all!" Katerina reassured him. "These are very small cracks. Likely caused by stress. Easily fixable." Were it they were in her garage, she'd be at leisure to dissect the ship and do a proper repair. She'll have to make due with what was brought. Katerina climbed out, moving to an average sized tank. "Help me move this." Ezra grabbed the other side, lifting the relatively heavy tank near the hatch. Katerina opened it. It was filled halfway with water. Digging inside a crate, she emptied three bottles of different chemicals into the water, turning it into a murky soup. "Hook on this hose for me!" She handed Ezra the hose, then went back inside the hatch. Ezra wasn't sure where she was going, but she was the boss. The hose was connected and he snaked it to her. Katerina had the cap off and fed the hose in. "ALRIGHT! Flick the switch!" Ezra flicked it. The odd liquid was fed through the hose, flooding the radiator pipes.

"What's gonna happen?" Ezra helped pull her out. "And what's this stuff?"

"This is a sealant that will fill in the crack and nicks within the radiator. We just have to let it empty."

"So...what?" Standing around waiting for a tank to empty sounded boring. "We just twiddle our thumbs until this empties?!"

"Nope! Now we work on the steering fluid and oil problem."

"How do we fix that?"

"I'll show you."

xxx

The tear near the hyperdrive was bigger than Katerina made it out to be. Minor job his afterburners. A tear like this would have become a huge ordeal if it wasn't dealt with. It was amazing thee whole ship didn't explode under them. Chopper ensured the heat of his torch was focused to wear the heat wouldn't cause a reaction. He closely traced the tear, lightly moving side to side in a stitching manner. He added a sealant paste to the heated spot. He let the mix melt in a trail, dousing it over the heated spot. He gave it a quick spritz of a cooling agent, fixing the gap. A crude method, but one that will hold.

Next came the cooling system. A relatively easy job. But one that required attention. Chopper guided Sabine where the new cooling system hoses should be hooked, and how to fasten the clamps. Those hoses come off during midflight, they're as good as dead. The fumes from the cooling system will cause a seizure in the ship, and most likely wreak havoc on his crewmates lungs. Sabine was getting hot under her helmet, but braved through it in order to get them off Chandrila.

"So what's got your circuits so crossed about Katerina?" Sabine addressed the elephant stomped on the bitter mech. Chopper would argue that she needs to focus. That argument was rendered invalid when she hooked up the third hose, and was already fastening the clamp. "She's pretty cool. And for someone related to Kanan, that's saying something!"

"^I just don't like children thinking they know better than mechs!^" He growled. "^Congratulations to her! She spotted cracks, dings, and other grazes! Doesn't mean she's the best!^" And possibly what got under his metal skin the most, "And claiming she can wrap a three day work job into a few hours is pure arrogance!"

"Man, oh man! She just rubbed you all sort of wrong ways!" Sabine teased him. "She didn't mean any harm by it. She's just confident in her abilities."

"^Confidence and talk are two different things!^" He barked. "^There's no substitute for true work!^" Sabine let Chopper have that one. He's pretty set on hating Katerina. She just wanted to finish the repairs and get off the planet. "^Now let's hurry up and finish with these hoses! I want out of this jungle before my gears rust!^"

"Aye-Aye, Captain Chopper." Sabine sardonically saluted.

Chopper and Sabine finished attaching the hoses. Chopper checked that the coolant tank was filled to capacity, and labeled the work closed. They'll need to top it off when next they land. Ezra and Katerina were starting to finish up on their end. The oil in the tank was tainted by particulates clinging to the walls. Katerina added another one of her miracle mixtures into the oil. As the oil is being used, the mixture will flush the particulates. While they were busy with the oil, Chopper beat Katerina to the steering fluid. He took a silent victory in beating her to the punch. Katerina shrugged. Someone had to do it. It then bugged Chopper that she wasn't bothered in the least.

"WOO! What a day!" Ezra collapsed to the kitchen booth. Oil and dirt stained his suit and cheeks. "Can't believe we burned a couple hours!" The cooling system hoses were replaced. The tear causing the overheating was fixed. The burning oil was repaired. The cracks in the radiator were done. A lot of hard work. Worth it in the end.

"Are we seriously done?" Sabine asked in disbelief.

"Almost." Katerina contritely answered. "There's still the hyperdrive to deal with." Sabine and Ezra groaned, falling limp and exhausted. Katerina laughed at their drama. She ran a diagnostic she acquired on the hyperdrive. "At first blush, you'd think it was the tear causing it to malfunction." He findings proved otherwise. "The tesla fuses and lex coils are being stressed, interfering with the distribution of the energy."

"Is that bad?" Ezra was mostly wondering if the ship's hyperdrive was on its last leg.

"For the ship? No. It would still run. But for your quick getaways? You'd be dead in the water." So yeah. It was bad. "On the plus side, the controls are fine. I just need to get inside and do a little tinkering."

"^You don't need to TINKER!^" Chopper barked. "^You just need to leave it to me and we'll be up and running!^"

"Okay!" Katerina jumped, scooting from Chopper. "I'll...leave things to you...I guess."

"^Good!^" Chopper stormed out, flying onto the roof. The heated breeze gusted Katerina's hair askew.

"Seriously!" She fixed her hair. "Why does he hate me so much?"

"Don't take it personally." Sabine pat her on the back. "Chopper's like that with all the new faces." She strut to the outside.

"Told you." Ezra pat her next, following Sabine.

Katerina groaned irritably, trailing after the young teens. She get's the feeling someone out there is going to test her patience. "What was it Master Yoda always said? Breathe and count, count and breathe?" She scoffed. Katerina rejoined the humid jungle, looking forward to leaving once the hyperdrive was finished.

Shrill, hollow screeches echoed across the sky. Ezra, Sabine, Katerina - the entire jungle was petrified in their place. TIE fighters ripped the sky apart darting overhead. They missed the Ghost by a mile, but their presence was enough to turn everyone's blood to ice.

"THEY FOUND US?!" Ezra cried.

Sabine put on her helmet, touching fingers to her com. "Spector 5 to Spector 1! Come in!"

"Spector?" Katerina lifted a brow.

"Our code names so the Empire or anyone else doesn't catch on to us." Ezra explained.

"Spector 5 to spector 1! Come in! KANAN!" Sabine was screaming at static. "Our coms are down! The Empire must be jamming us!"

"No! It's the jungle!" Katerina kicked the dirt. "The jungle dampens all signals! Including communications! Ours only worked because we're in close proximity!"

"We have to get the others and get out of here!" Ezra stressed.

"Then you guys go get Kanan and the others! I'll finish the hyperdrive!" Katerina climbed to the roof.

"What?! We're not leaving you alone!" Sabine protested.

"No arguments!" Katerina, in the heat of the moment, threw Chopper down to them. "You guys will reach them faster, and I'll finish the repairs long before you get back!" Chopper despised she was saying she'd do a faster job than him. But she may have had a point.

"Then I'm staying with you!" Sabine declared, planting her feet. She won't be moved. "No arguments from you either!" It was a losing battle. And time was fading before them. The TIE's will just have to circle back and they'll be spotted. Katerina grudgingly nodded. "Alright! Ezra! Chopper! Get to Kanan and hurry! We're bolting!"

"We'll be back soon!" Ezra and Chopper took off into the woods.

"Work fast, Riina!" Sabine ran for the ship. If nothing else, the least she'll be able to do is offer cover to Katerina while she works. She has enough explosives to offer some cover. "Company's gonna be here soon!"

"Right!" Katerina raced to a compartment, opening it to the hyperdrive's mechanisms. "I have to work fast! Or we're all dead here!"

xxx

Ezra's force powers expelled wildly each time his fervent feet touched the ground. Resonating with his desperation to find Kanan and get back to the ship. He'd leap amazing distances, ricocheting off the trees and boulders. He tripped on the roots protruding the ground. He easily shook it off and broke into another dead run. Chopper had his jets on full blast, barreling through the vines and animals in his path.

The waterfall where they hid the Phantom was close by. Another ten or so trees and the clearing will appear. Faster. Faster. They needed to go faster. Sabine and Katerina were depending on them. They had to reach Kanan. "A little longer! Just a little longer!" Ezra chanted. Katerina and Sabine only had to wait a short while longer.

xxx

"Grr! Hrm! Ugh! Ah!" Katerina runted animally, working her hands on overdrive.

The hyperdrive, thankfully, wasn't in need of a repair. Readjustments was more like it. A little tinkering, loosening the coils, and switching the fuses around. The stress the electric charges built up dissipated. She moved the wiring around a bit. Further down, she saw the breach Chopper fixed. Liquid pooled at the bottom, a hair's length from sensitive circuits. Katerina flipped open her thigh pocket. She grasped an odd looking sponge. Slithering herself in, hooking her legs to the edges, Katerina mopped up the liquid. The sponge practically absorbed every drop. By the acidic smell, she assumed it was the plasma fluid. It was leaking from one of the dozens of thin tubes. Katerina didn't have time for a pretty job. She tore a piece of tape that was also in her pocket, and wrapped the leak several times before she was fine with it. She really missed her garage,

"Okay!" Katerina slid off the side, hugging to the ship for a steady landing. "Just need to fire up the ship." She needs to make sure she gives Kanan his spare communicator back when she's done. "Sabine, start her up! Let's get ready to run!" No response, and no reaction from the ship. "Sabine?! Sabine, are you there? Start the ship!" Still no response. Sabine must have fallen asleep while she was working. Or she's busy with something else. "Better check on her and get things rolling." She slid off the side, hugging the ship for a steady landing. "Hey, Sabine! What's the-" Katerina grasped the bar and swung around the corner. A fist connected with her nose, throwing her to the dirt. She groaned dazedly, holding the throbbing nose. Did she run into something?

"Hello there, Little Monkey." Her entire body ran cold. Her color paling. Impossible! He can't have found us! Not so soon! Her blurred vision gradually cleared as she shakily glanced to the sophisticated voice that addressed her. Unadulterated terror constricted her. Agent Kallus descended the drop hatch, wearing the extravagant cape of victory on his shoulders. In his hands, a blaster to her skull and her hands behind her back, was Sabine. "Miss me?" Troopers emerged from the woodwork, blasters locked on her vitals and ready to fire.

Katerina grit her teeth. "Oodles."

To be continued