CHAPTER THREE

This could be worse, Hera thought

The situation had at least improved from the moment Kanan cut the speeder wreck open and they realized the occupants were none other than Agent Kallus and Officer Swain. Hera was no longer worried about her passengers dying from their injuries. Chopper had been threatened into leaving them alone. Ezra and Sabine had daily operations mostly under control, and the same was true for Kanan and Zeb's guard duty. Kallus was cooperating for now. Swain and Zeb had a conversation which wasn't please don't crush my head. It was progress.

And it was quiet.

Well, as quiet as it got on the Ghost. She could hear Sabine's spray paints from down the hall, and Ezra whacking Chopper with a wrench, as well as Zeb reading a detective story to Swain, who couldn't look at a datapad screen with her head injury. Hera would take it.

So when she answered the comm and saw it was an old friend, she thought it was yet another positive occurrence. "Senator Tural?"

"Captain Syndulla, thank gods."

Tural didn't waste time. Since her experience with Hera's family she had joined the rebellion and was assigned to defection duty, making contact with would-be defectors and arranging their escapes and assignments to rebel cells. One of her defectors had missed a check-in and Tural was worried.

"This is very unlike her," the Senator said, wringing her hands. "And she's not listed on any Imperial arrest records or medcenter rosters. I notified Mollymauk and she told me to alert you so you can investigate."

"We have our hands full right now but I can ask around. What's your defector's name?"

"Hannah Swain."

Hera felt a headache blossom behind her eyes.

"Actually, I might know something about that."

"You do?"

"Maybe. What does she look like?"

Tural told her and yep, that headache was turning into a migraine. "I definitely know something about that. She's with me."

"With you?" Tural squeaked. "Your cell wasn't consulted for this and even if you were, go time isn't for three more weeks! What's she doing on your ship?"

Hera had even more questions. "Why don't we talk to her?"

She put Tural on hold and made her way down the corridor, Zeb's voice growing louder and clearer. "'A policeman, skiing!' – say, I don't think I've read this one yet! I woulda remembered a skiing policeman."

"You would remember if you had; it's really good." That was Swain, sounding calm and content for once. The revelation that she and Zeb liked the same mystery novels had done wonders to reduce her fear of him. "The twist is something else."

"Well don't spoil it for me." Zeb went back to the text but Hera arrived before he could get far.

Swain acknowledged her with a nod. "Captain."

"Oh hey Hera," Zeb set down the datapad. "We were just gettin' to the good part. What's up?"

She hated to pop the bubble of calm but…Hera took a deep breath. "Swain," she said. "Would you care to explain the conversation I just had with Senator Tural?"

Swain's eyes went huge. "Excuse me?"

In response Hera took Tural off hold and watched as relief washed over the senator's face.

"Swain! Thank the stars, I thought you were dead! Why didn't you check in? I've been worried sick!"

Swain stared at Tural for a long moment, and then without warning burst into tears.

"I'm sorry!" She blubbered. "I should have told you before but – but I didn't think you would believe me!"

"Karabast," Zeb whispered, his ears flattening.

"It's alright love. Everything is going to be fine." Hera hung up on Tural without ceremony. "Zeb, would you bring us some water and tissues? And then go find Kanan."

…

"She's gonna dehydrate if she keeps going like that." Kanan observed.

Hera shoved a cup into Swain's hands mostly to get her to stop crying. "Drink your water, honey."

Swain gulped it like a shot and Hera took advantage of the quiet to get a word in. "You're not in trouble; we just need to know what's going on."

"How long have you known Tural?" Kanan asked.

"A couple of months," Swain hiccuped. "I finally found her after all my other options ran out."

"So you've been planning this for a while." Swain nodded. "Well, the wait is over. You're with us now."

"But, but, I don't have the data I promised Tural."

"That's okay. You're much more important than data," Hera said.

"And my boyfriend, he's defecting too but he's still on Lothal." Swain choked. "Oh gods, he must be so worried!"

"We'll pick him up. Shouldn't be too hard." Kanan said.

Swain wasn't mollified. "What about Kallus?"

Now there was an issue. Hera and Kanan looked at each other. They couldn't just take Swain, Kallus wouldn't rest until he found them. Telling him the truth would, if possible, be worse. For a single, wild second Hera actually considered faking the girl's death.

"I got it," Kanan said.

Both Hera and Swain stared at him in disbelief.

"You got it?" Hera repeated.

"Whatever it is, Kallus isn't going to swallow it," Swain said.

"Oh he's going to swallow it alright," Kanan said. "Just follow my lead."

…

Kanan brought Kallus his dinner a while later. "Bon appetit. Hope you like stir-fry," he said.

"Thank you." Kallus accepted the plate and gave Kanan his usual question. "How's Swain?"

"She's doing alright." Better than alright, actually. Zeb had made Swain waffles for dinner to cheer her up, and last Kanan saw the two of them were debating which toppings were better. He sat down, bracing for the conversation. "We need to talk about her."

"Is she okay?" Kallus dropped his fork and leaned forward with concern.

"She's fine, we just need to talk." He paused. "Kallus, have you noticed anything different about Swain? Something that sets her apart from other kids her age?"

Kallus chuckled, ignoring the spike of anxiety. "She's a responsible teenager who doesn't drive her guardian to drink. How many of those have you encountered?"

"Yeah, that's rare." Kanan allowed himself a small smile before sobering up. "I'm talking about something else. She seems like a good kid, quick learner … maybe a little too quick."

"What are you implying?"

Here went nothing. "Swain's force-sensitive."

"No she's not," Kallus rapped out.

"Yes, she is."

"No, she's not! All ISB cadets are tested at the academy – if she was one of you Jedi devils, then we would know! I would know!"

"Those tests aren't failsafe," Kanan said carefully. "Sensitivity can develop later in life, especially in a high-pressure environment. And there's always a chance the test just glitched."

Kallus stuck to his guns: "There was no glitch. She doesn't move things with her mind –."

"I wouldn't expect her to without training."

"Or get inside people's heads! She's a prodigy, I'll give you that, but she's not some wizard."

Kallus wasn't backing down, but Kanan wouldn't either. "There were always beings in the galaxy who either didn't know they were force-sensitive or chose not to go to the Temple, and the Jedi Order observed them from afar. Most untrained force users are charismatic, they make friends easily and everyone likes them. They're empathetic, show a natural aptitude for service careers and usually express a desire to help people." He raised an eyebrow. "Sound familiar?"

"You just described half the ISB."

"Does the Inquisitor pay attention to Swain?"

Kallus froze and Kanan knew he'd gained traction.

"Kallus, she's like a little nova in the force. I sensed it. And if I can sense it, then he definitely has."

Kallus turned away. "It doesn't mean anything."

"It means she's not safe in that complex."

"He watches us in the sparring ring because we're the only ones practicing quarterstaff combat. It's the closest thing he has to a lightsaber."

Kanan internally thanked the force that Swain had noticed that little detail. It was the perfect evidence he could spin doctor for his phony claim. "He was stalking her. Watching her movements, her reaction times, looking for evidence of force usage when she fights. He's just waiting for the right moment to pounce."

Kallus scoffed but Kanan sensed the thread of fear hidden underneath. Kallus didn't trust him fully, but he believed him enough to be worried about Swain's safety.

"She can't go back there."

"Then where's she supposed to go?"

"Somewhere she can learn to control her powers."

"I'll teach her. Tell me what she needs to learn."

"If the Inquisitor's onto her, then it's too late. He'll come for her the first chance he gets and I know you would fight to the death to protect her, but that's a fight you can't win."

Kallus bristled.

"Hannah needs to come with us."

"No."

"Kallus –."

"I'm not leaving her with enemies!" Kallus ran a hand through his hair. "How would I even explain her absence?"

"Died in the crash. Eaten by Loth-wolves. Kidnapped by pirates. Take your pick, and sell it with the knowledge that she's safe."

Kallus shook his head. "It's ridiculous."

Kanan exhaled. "Look, I didn't want to tell you this, but I've already talked to Swain about it."

Kallus gave him a look of pure homicidal rage. "Are you joking? You had no right — I'm her responsible party, you had no business going to my concussed, teenage trainee about such a matter."

"Since it's her neck on the line, yeah, I did. She wants to stay with us."

Kallus did a double take. "What?"

"Well her options are the devil she knows or the Inquisitor kidnapping her out of her bed at oh-three hundred, so can you blame her?"

Kanan watched the other man gulp a breath. "She has a concussion and she's not thinking straight. I … I'll take her home. I'll get Colonel Yularen to help us, we'll figure something out."

Kanan shook his head. "You can't walk the line on this one. You can either be Agent Kallus or Swain's dad, but not both. Choose wisely."

He stepped toward the wall to give Kallus some space to breathe and process, but the conversation wasn't over.

"What exactly would the Inquisitor want with her?"

He hadn't planned to commit this far to the lie. "He seeks out force sensitives to make more Inquisitors."

"Inquisitor Swain?" Kallus laughed humorlessly. "She doesn't have a bad bone in her body. How would he pull that off?"

Kanan didn't answer and Kallus zeroed in. "Tell me."

"You don't want to know that."

"Whatever it is, he's been plotting to do it to my daughter under my nose for months. I need to know."

"The only way to make someone like Swain embrace the dark side is to destroy her soul," he said. "He would have to make her entire existence nothing but fear and pain."

Kallus stared straight ahead, and Kanan was convinced this was against the Jedi Code.

"Kallus?"

"I'm going to vomit."

Kanan barely got the emesis bag to him in time.

Kallus coughed, wiped his mouth with a tissue, and threw the bag into a nearby waste can.

"You good?" Kanan asked, wielding a second bag.

"Swain can stay with you."

Hallelujah, praise the force. "I knew you had it in you."

"But not alone." Kallus crossed his arms. "I'm coming with her."

Uh-oh. "You really don't —."

"Yes, I do."

"Alrighty then." Kanan whistled. Hera was gonna love this.