I really, really hope I didn't rush this. I could feel the writer's block calling my name and I had to fight it off. I hope you enjoy!
"I'm going back inside that base."
That plan seemed so reckless. So replied. So...Kanan-like.
"I think you meant 'we' love," Hera retorted.
"Funny, because last I check," Kanan retorted, "there is no 'I' in 'we.' You need to stay with Ezra in case he stops breathing."
Hera nodded. "Okay. I trust you Kanan." Kanan slid Ezra off of his shoulder and led Hera to a nearly thick grove, where he gently placed his load on the ground. "This should make some decent cover."
"Be careful Kanan," Hera replied.
"When am I not?"
"Do you really need me to answer that?"
Kanan took off towards the bunker as Hera looked on. "Hang on Ezra..." she muttered. "Just a little but longer."
Ezra didn't repsond. He just murmured something softly. Hera craned her head so she could hear better.
"Mom... Dad..."
Kanan didn't stop running.
His hand hurt like crazy, but he didn't care.
He finally stopped at the location of their little showdown when he saw that Longheart was missing.
"Karabast... Should have made sure she wouldn't go anywhere." Kanan pulled out his lightsaber, but didn't ignite it. If Longheart didn't know where he was, he would have preferred not to tell her.
"What are you playing at?" As Kanan carefully made his way to the room where he sensed the cure vials. "How did she make it this far with an injured-" Kanan's thoughts were cut off by the Force pulsing in warning. Quickly, Kanan raised his lightsaber to defect Longheart's baton.
"Hey..." Hera pleaded to the dying boy in her arms. "Hey, I know you probably can't hear me, but listen. Don't die on me, okay? Just hang on a little longer."
In the short time that they had broken out, Ezra's breaths were growing fainter and fainter. Bruises began appearing on his head and his skin was almost burning to the touch.
The snapping sound of a branch caused Hera to raise her pistol. She carefully took aim and pulled the trigger, downing one Stormtrooper.
"So much for cover..." Hera muttered. She began to move Ezra to a safer location when the sweet sound of the Ghost's cannons filled her ears.
Hera wanted to cry in joy.
Rebel reinforcements had arrived.
The Phantom landed near Hera's location as TIEs flew up to engage the A-Wings that were now swarming the sky. Sabine and Zeb ran out, Sabine nearly sobbing with relief. "When we found the Avenger and the medical droid blown up, we thought you were killed!"
"I'm alright, don't worry. How much is left of that shuttle?" Hera asked.
"Door was ripped off," Zeb replied. "Engine wasn't breached thankfully but it looked like someone set off a bomb. Messed up with left wing. Long story short, that ship's scrap. Sabine managed to get what was left of the droid, so hopefully he can be salvaged." The Lasat turned to the near-lifeless Ezra. "How is he? Where's Kanan?"
Hera looked down sadly. "Ezra's dying. They burned all the moonblossoms."
"But that means..." Sabine's voice trailed off, tears welling in her brown eyes.
"No," Hera cut off gently. "Kanan thinks that they have more cure vials."
"Makes sense," Zeb replied. "Not even the bucketheads are stupid enough to have disease filled bombs and not be prepared in case it goes south on them. Where are they? Where did Kanan go?"
Hera turned to the base worriedly.
Kanan couldn't help but notice that Longheart was shaky, most of her weight being on her left leg, the one shot wasn't shot.
"You're not leaving alive!" she spat.
The base shook and Longheart's angry look turned to fear, before reverting back to anger.
"I believe I am," Kanan retorted. "You can either give up now or be cut down."
Longheart snarled before swinging at Kanan. Kanan blocked easily the baton. Longheart may be clever, but she was no swordsman. Kanan pushed forward, making Longheart stagger on her right leg. She cried out in pain before swinging again, this time, more frantically and almost in a rage.
Even Kanan couldn't keep up, and sure enough, Kanan's wrist snapped under the blow of the baton. Kanan cried out as his lightsaber fell out of his hand. He dropped against the wall clutching his injured hand.
Longheart smirked, pointing her baton at him. "Any last words Jedi?"
Kanan just scowled.
"Even if you get the cure vials, what makes you think you'll save the villagers?" Longheart taunted. "We can always set off more bombs. We keep them right here. Maybe we'll pay a visit to your precious fleet and set off bombs there. How does that sound?"
Kanan glared, before reaching out with his unbroken wrist and calling his lightsaber into his hand. It ignited as it came, and Longheart realized too late what was going on. Sky blue burned through the admiral's chest. Longheart's green eyes widened before glassing over as she slumped sideways.
Frieda Longheart was dead before she hit the ground.
Ahsoka immediately noticed the confusion in the TIEs attacking the light cruiser. It soon became apparent that their leader was dead.
"Their leader is not there to give them orders!" Sato ordered, also realizing what was going on. "Give it everything you've got!"
Rebel fighters swarmed the TIEs.
Kanan stood and with his uninjured hand, picked up his lightsaber.
He hurried down the hall into the room where he sensed the cure. Miraculously, he didn't run into any Stormtroopers. When Kanan reached the door, he opened it and entered. Kanan nearly cried out with joy when he saw the multiple cure vials on the shelves. He quickly stuffed them into a small bag and took off, headed back towards the base.
Ezra was going to make it!
He was going to make it!
"What do you mean Kanan went back inside?" Zeb gasped.
"He's going to get the cure," Hera replied. A stormtrooper came through the brush, met only by Zeb's bo-rifle slamming across his helmet. "How many villagers are left?"
"Eight hundred already died," Sabine explained. "Another six hundred hundred are in stage three and only have a few days. All but three hundred are infected. We've ran the Imperials out, but intelligence shows they keep the bombs here."
"And you can take care of that," said a voice.
The three spectres whipped around and saw Kanan. His wrist was swollen and he had a nasty wound in that same hand, but in his other hand, he had a large back full of-
"Cure vials!" Sabine gasped.
Kanan grinned. "Let's blow this place. Literally."
Sabin grinned mischievously.
She ran off, explosives in hand. When she returned, Zeb picked Ezra up and Chopper warbled happily as the reunited crew boarded the Phantom.
The base lit up in a celebratory yellow and blue.
On the Phantom, Kanan quickly used every once of his remaining energy to keep Ezra alive.
The boy's heart rate was dropping rapidly. "Hera..." he muttered, obviously strained from trying to keep Ezra's heart going. "I can only do this for a few more seconds..."
Hera pulled out a cure vial and poured the correct dosage inside a small syringe. With shaking hands, she quickly injected the golden nectar inside of Ezra's neck and almost immediately, Ezra's vitals stabilized.
Everyone let out a collectively held breath and Kanan smiled wearliy.
Hera turned to Sabine, Zeb, and Chopper, a sincere smile on her face.
"He'll be just fine."
For some reason, I really hated this chapter, but hey, on the bright side...
Yay! *Celebration plays in background* WE DONE DID IT! WE DONE FRIKIN DID IT! Next chapter will be the last one. I am going to rewrite it, so it might not be up right away, but hey! Mission accomplished!
Until Next Time!