The Jedi King
Chapter I
The Hidden Heir
THE GHOST
Ezra was sleeping soundly in his bunk above Zeb, he was tossing and turning though, a dream had slowly turned into a nightmare, as voices shouted in his mind and the sounds of battle raged then he saw it.
"HOLD THEM BACK!" A man with a fake eye and mechanical leg shouted weilding a green lightsaber fighting off a sea of stormtroopers, thunder and lighting covered the skies as red flames burned a city. A line of five jedi stood against an army of ghostly white stormtroopers that had no end to them, the stormtroopers charged up a wide row of steps like a waterfall of death in reverse. The five Jedi held their ground the old man, he had gray hair but was still strong enough to fight, beside him was a zabrak with two lightsabers facing the onslaught with his brethren then a woman with silver hair and a purple saber the other two were a twi'lek holding blue and green swords and green skinned girl with red sabers. Striking down the stormtroopers, fires raged around the stone steps, but Ezra couldn't see any further.
The ground shook the building they were on had something inside, something raging, the Knights held their ground as rocket fire flew past them the number of stormtroopers without end as lightsabers and force powers cut them down left and right. Somewhere in the distance shots rang out, the jedi had a sharpshooter taking out the stormtroopers atop a fallen statue but Ezra couldn't see him. A scream, the zabrak man was gone, a fiery explosion was all that remained and the green skinned girl went down before the old man came to his aid. "I'm fine- I'm fine." The girl said getting up and charging the stormtroopers. They had the numbers but the jedi had their lightsabers, they had the force and they had their resolve.
The woman with the purple lightsaber was caught in a sea of the imperials before she was forced to the ground, she grabbed one of the troopers' thermal detonators and looked up at the old man seemingly in charge of the defense "No!" He yelled before she activated the grenade, taking twenty of the imperials with her. The twi'lek man with blue skin and mismatching lightsabers let out a furious roar, and the last three jedi came together as one and with a might force push it was like a cannonball tearing down the stone steps throwing hundreds of stormtroopers into the fires below them.
The ground shook again, the building behind them cracking and shaking violently, was it a castle, a fortress, no, a temple, Ezra wasn't sure? When the Jedi had a chance to catch their breath they saw a shuttle flying overhead it distracted them long enough for a loose rocket to come flying in "LOOK OUT!" The twi'lek pushed the other two out of the way, when the dust settled the twi'lek man was cut and bleeding, his robes and armor were in shreds and the other jedi were nowhere to be seen.
But there were more stormtroopers heading his way, gritting his teeth he smashed a fist into the stone blood spurting out as he picked up his two lightsabers and charged down the steps, a barrage of blue blaster fire went his way and he deflected what he could a few bolts getting past hitting him in the arms but that only seemed to make him stronger. Ezra watched as he cut down the stormtroopers like they were nothing corpses falling piling up on the steps till he stood on a small mountain of white armor "BACK, BACK ONLY DEATH AWAITS YOU HERE!" He howled valiantly to the sky and even then the stormtroopers heard him and began to retreat fleeing down the steps, they had won. Ezra wasn't sure what he was seeing was this the true power of the jedi, the ability to stand against armies, to do the impossible to be a champion of… no…
The twi'lek jedi looked up and breaking through the storm clouds was the silhouette of a star destroyer and an orbital bombardment, coming right for the last jedi.
"WAAAH!" Ezra screamed shooting up and smashing his forehead into his bunk top and rolling over to remember he was about five feet off the floor and hit the metal bunk floor with a loud thud, moaning Zeb rolled over looking down at him, the purple lasat groggily said "Bad dream?" He asked.
Ezra feeling his head and his side sat up "Y-yeah I think so?"
The doors to their bunks opened and the two rebels looked to see the Ghosts Captain, the green skinned beauty that the Twi'lek Hera standing over them "Ah good your awake, come have some breakfast Ahsoka has a mission for us."
"Another one?" Zeb yawned.
"Geez don't we get a break?" Ezra asked to get up, still rubbing his sore parts.
Hera smirked "Hey, it's nice to be wanted isn't it?" She asked.
"What I want is sleep." Zeb mumbled.
Following the green skinned twi'lek down the corridors of the freighter, they passed by Sabines room and she walked out with some upgrades to her look. Her hair was now a mix of teal and blue, her armor had more orange paint on the boots, knee guards and shoulder plates, along with her right breastplate and she was wearing a long sleeved black shirt "What?" She asked.
"Nothing, new look is all." Ezra said.
"Problem?" Sabine asked him.
Ezra yawned "To sleepy… for problem." He said as they walked into the Ghosts kitchen and lounge, he Kanan was already up sitting at the table while the others came in, Chopper their astromech droid rolled in last "Good now that you're all here we can begin."
Kanan grunted unhappy with the fact they were still running errands for this Phoenix Squadron said nothing "Ahsoka has given us a special mission, she has people on the moon of Lycomedes 2, it orbits Lycomedes Prime a gas giant in the outer rim." Hera said as the chopper brought up a hologram of a purple gas giant with a large brown asteroid ring around it and two small moons on its left side, it zoomed in one one that was a spec of green, beige and slivers of blue.
"Lycomedes 2? Hera, that's a smuggler's moon?" Sabine said.
"And you know that… how?" Ezra asked.
Sabine's lip curled up "I had a life before this, I used to go there when… it's not important, go on."
Clearing her throat to get her kids' attention back on her, Hera gave a stern maternal look to the two teens "You're not wrong Sabine, the moon does have something of a rough reputation."
"We should fit right in." Zeb chuckled.
Hera frowned. "Unfortunately ever since we left Lothal, our bounties have gone up so we'll need to be smart when going into the capital of Skyros, the Royal family that rules the moon are sympathizers to our cause."
"Because?" Kanan asked.
"This is a complicated situation. Kanan, the royal family of Skyros don't know we're coming to extract the operatives." Hera said.
Everyone looked puzzled. "So wait, they're our allies but they don't know we're coming?" Sabine asked.
"For the secrecy and protection of the operatives, yes, they won't know we're on the same side either and they'll be carrying vital information that could save lives." Hera said.
"What kind of information, Hera?" Kanan asked.
Sighing, Hera fixed her jaw into place "Ahsoka didn't tell me what, but she's asked for us personally this is our chance to repay our debt to her and the rest of Phoenix Squadron, that's about all I can say on the matter."
The rest of the rebels knew they owed Ahsoka and Phoenix Squadron big time for them saving the crew from the Star Destroyers over Mustaffar. It had only been a few months since then and the specters were still getting used to working with a larger number of people working together against the Empire. "So, we're going into a hostile place with no friends and there are bounties on our heads, Lady Pennolpe?" Kanan asked.
"Lady Penelope." Hera said.
Both Zeb, Sabine and Chopper moaned before Ezra asked "Who?"
"It's a job we run, Hera dresses up as a dealer in… exotic goods, we go to places like Skyros and haggle our way into places we usually can't get such as…" "A royal palace." Hera finished Kanan's sentence.
Ezra smiled at it "Sounds fun."
"Wait for it." Zeb said.
"So everyone cough up any valuables or things that at least look valuable." Hera said the other three were all groaning. Minutes later everyone was holding boxes and crates of various items. Zeb had a few knick knacks of shiny looking silverware or cups he would drink out of, Sabine had painted a bunch of small tools, old pots, and somethings Ezra didn't have names for while he had just a few rocks, pieces of junk and miscellaneous items. Hera brought out a large box of what looked like twi'lek totems, scrolls and works of art. Kanan was holding a bag of some kind before they all dumped it onto the lounge table.
Zeb sighed "Don't suppose that Ahsoka can loan us some credits to buy some actual exotic goods?" Zeb asked, picking up from Kanan's pile, he didn't have much but a few bracelets, leather weavings and a figurine or a loth cat.
"Sabine, you still have some gold and silver paint?" Hera asked.
"I'm on it." Sabine said walking back to her room.
Then Hera looked at Kanan and held out her hand "Oh no, no not again last time that Crime Lord bought it and you almost lost an arm."
"Then take the crystal out." Hera suggested.
Zeb snickered, "What's so funny?" Ezra asked.
"Last time we pulled a Lady Pennelope, Kanan tossed his lightsaber into the pile, thinking no one would buy it." Zeb told him.
Ezra gave a slow knob "Let me guess, someone did, weah who wouldn't want a lightsaber." Ezra shrugged, folding his arms.
Kanan glared at his apprentice "Listen kid, a lightsaber is a jedi's most sacred ally, you can't give it up lightly when you do it means you're giving up on being a jedi."
"Which is why I'm not right?" Ezra asked him.
Kanan frowned at his student, before he held up his lightsaber "I'm going to take the crystal out, but if anyone tries to buy it…" "They won't Kanan, it's just for show." Hera said.
"It's better." He grumbled.
Ezra watched him stomp off before he followed, Kanan had gone into his quarters and sat down kneeling in front of the lightsaber. He was about to say something but the nhe saw Kanan's lightsaber rise, the blade rotated for a full circle before Ezra heard the sound of clicks, screws coming undone and the lightsaber started to take itself a part right in front of him. Eyes wide Ezra saw a spark, and a bright glowing crystal like a star within the room emerged from the center of the lightsaber and fell into Kanan's hand before the lightsaber put itself back together again. Kanan was looking at the crystal and Ezra could feel an overwhelming feeling of sadness in him "When I was just a little younger than you, I went to the ice planet of Illum on a jedi youngling tradition called the crucible, it's when… 'exceptional' padawans get they're crystal in ice caves." Kanan said.
He glanced over at Ezra and felt the uneasiness in the boy "Somethings wrong?"
"Yeah, I had this… weird dream?" he said.
"A vision of our future?" he asked.
Shaking his head Ezra said "No, this, this felt like a memory."
He gestured for Ezra to come in and sit down, and the boy found a spot across from him "Want to talk about it, what did you see kid?"
"Fighting- jedi fighting stormtroopers in a burning city, thousands of imperials, it looked like they had no chance, but somehow they knew that?" Ezra said looking at the floor "I watched some of them die, there was so much darkness, no hope but… but they kept fighting even when they're were just a few left and then… I woke up?" Ezra finished.
Kanan scratched his chin "What does it mean?" Ezra asked.
"I'm not sure, most visions we get are supposed to be the force trying to tell us something?" Kanan pondered.
"So what was this, that no matter how hard we fight we'll die?" He asked morbidly.
Kanan smirked and patted him on the shoulder, "That jedi, never give up."
In less than an hour the Ghost was underway jumping into Hyperspace and heading to some of the farthest known reaches of the Outer Rim, the ship exited toward the great gas giant of Lycomedes Prime, the twin moons orbiting it, getting closer to the second moon the ship broke into the lower atmosphere and began descending over the purple tinted sky, mixing with the blue of the waters. Flying far from the nearest city. The Ghost set down outside the city in one of the remote canyon valleys, as they disembarked everyone was fidgeting and pulling at their disguises. Ezra pulled at the tie around his neck and the bight green valet suit he was wearing, the puffed up shoes were so tight on his feet that he wanted to kick them off "This is so stupid." Zeb grunted coming out in the thick looking spiky armor he was wearing.
"Speak for yourself." He said, the armor covered his whole body and clanged around with every step he took. He looked at the helmet and the ghoulish carvings on it "This doesn't even have any holes for my ears." Zeb groaned while Kanan walked down in the long brown coat, his dark locks hanging loosely around his head instead of a ponytail. The blue flight suit he wore was held close by his blaster pistol and a set of new orange boots.
"Quit your moaning, you fit in that armor last time we pulled the Lady Penelope job?" Kanan said.
Zeb grande as he yanked at his skull belt "I was uh… younger, less muscle too." Zeb said.
Ezra snickered at the idea of Zeb thinking he put on a few pounds, "You'll be fine Zeb, the point is to look fearsome not actually be fearsome." Hera said, everyone of the boys' heads snapped when they saw Hera walking down in a radiant white gown held up by a golden necklace with chain links running down her exposed back and arms, she was fixing on golden earrings and a pearl covered tiara on her head. Kanan gushed at her as Ezra gapped "Whoa Hera… you look like a-a-a." "Like a queen." Kanan said, folding his arms.
"Queen of the pilots." Sabine said following that she was wearing the same color scheme as Hera, a long white gown with a green hood over her head, if Ezra wasn't already used to it he wouldn't notice that Sabine was covering her armor with the loose robes.
Ezra scratched his chin "So Kanan's her pilot, Zeb the bodyguard, and me the valet what are you?" Ezra asked.
"Sabine is playing the role of the Handmaiden." Hera explained.
Ezra snorted "Handmaiden?"
"Laugh all you want Ezra, but here in the Outer Rim Handmaidens are some of the most elite and well trained warriors in the galaxy, which is why it's perfect for Sabine." Hera said, winking at her, behind them Chopper drove down a speeder with the large cargo hold on the back, that Sabine had painted bright green and gold before everyone started to get in. Zeb and Kanan took the front seat with Zeb driving, Ezra, Hera and Sabine in the back before they took off from the canyon. Chopper had hopped out and was waving goodbye to them before they moved toward the city.
Puzzled Sabine asked "Where'd we get the speeder?"
"A gift from Ahsoka for the job, make us look more official now everyone gets in." Hera said.
Ezra looked back at Chopper giving off a more than usual suspicious wave "You sure it's okay to leave him with the ship?"
"Chopper will be fine."
"It's not Chopper he's worried about." Sabine said knowing full well what that droid was capable off.
When they left the canyon, they came across a strange mismatch of hard orange rock like Garel and thick grassy planes like Lothal, but instead of the sandy beige reeds this were dark green fields with thick trees that had mossy leaves hanging from their branches. The small moon of Lycomedes 2 was bathed in the purple hue of the gas giant above it, and on the horizon growing in the distance was the city of Skyros. It was a large walled citadel that sat perched on one of the plateaus, the rock carved from the same stone as the earth had an incline to it with thick jagged and often broken spikes at the base "Hmm that must have been one hell of a fortress?" Sabine said as the walls were falling into decay.
Up on one of the walls a cloaked figure spotted them, Ezra looked up at them and felt a suspicious feeling as they watched them enter the line for the city gates.
"It was, in the days of the old Republic, a force of Republic troopers and even a Jedi Temple was here." Kanan said as they drove up the street that had been made from the plateaus natural elevation. People in carts, speeders, even on mounts of shaggy cat like pigs walked up it.
This got Ezra's entrance "What were the jedi of the old republic like?" Ezra asked.
Kanan glancing back, somewhat pleased his padawan was so interested, started "A lot different then my generations, they fought a lot more, but that's because the Galaxy had a lot more problems."
"Oh yeah, like who?" Sabine asked.
"Hmm like Sith Empires, Cults, Warlords, Mandalorian Neo Crusaders, this place saw a lot of action so best to make sure that armor stays on." Kanan snickered back at her.
This made Zebs crushed ears perk up under his helmet "Wait, I thought you said the Jedi weren't in the Mandalorian war, no offense Sabine."
"None taken." Sabine said.
The speeder reached the top of the plateau to the main gates that were open wide for travelers, traders and farmers on the moon. The guards at the gate were dressed in matching leather with bug eyed helmets holding blasters waving people through in an orderly fashion. "No the Jedi weren't the ones who did were… well it's a complicated part of our history." "Enough of the history lesson, time to start the show Kanan." Hera said, whispering.
"Of course my lady." Kanan said looking at Zeb, the lasat snickered before he spun his speeder around the others and moved to the gate. When as if knowing it would happen the two Guards sprang in front with their blasters drawn out of the gate poured four more Guards "Halt identify yourself." One barked.
Ezra nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Hera let out a loud scoff "Identify myself? Guardsman, do you have any idea who I am!" Sabine slipped out of the speeder and opened the door for Hera, who seemed to stand ten feet tall either that or the heels. Striding toward the guards holding herself up as a Queen drawing the eyes of everyone at the gate. The Guard raised his blaster unaccustomed to seeing a twi'lek dressed in such radiant garp that wasn't a dancing girl holding herself with such pride "I-I said halt."
"Halt yourself blagart, I am Lady Pennelope of the Intrepid Commercial Combine here to do business with his majesty the King, I haven't come all this way to this backwater for some glorified customs agent to scan my wares and get his grubby fingers all over it." She snapped, pressing a ringed finger into his chest.
"G-grubby." The guard squeaked.
Ezra was enjoying the show when the Guard started to get his sense of numbers and the blaster in his hands and raised his blaster "I don't care who you are, just another twi'lek who-OOF'' Out of nowhere Sabine appeared her green and white robes a blur of movement as she dispatched the guard with nothing but her fists getting between Hera or the Lady Pennelope and an overzealous guardsman. When she did so the other guards pointed their weapons at her, Zeb jumped out of his seat ready to cut them to pieces and when it was all about to go south-
"HOLD!"
The Guards all looked over their shoulder to see a man without a helmet, wearing a yellow sash around his waist, a sign of rank maybe, "Forgive us my lady, there's a reason Skyros has survived this long on the outer rim, because of so many pirates and raiders my guards can be a bit, trigger happy." The Guard Captain was a tall man with dark black hair, brown skin and crooked nose. He wore a saber at his side and as he approached he bowed "But the Lady Penelope of the Intrepid Commercial Combine is always welcome." He said, holding out his hand in friendship.
Hera waved down her 'bodyguards' and held her hand aloft like a true lady "At last a gentleman, Captain…" "Delmar My Lady, the City Guard is under my charge by the blessings of his Majesty, shall I escort you to the Court." He asked, offering his arm.
"Yes indeed, Captain, the serving boy brought the merchandise with you." Hera called back to Kanan and Ezra.
Kanan, playing along, rolled his eyes "You heard her highness." The speeder entered the city with an escort of Guards with Captain Delmar walking beside the speeder as Hera sat in the back..
"I hope our humble city can accommodate you Lady Pennelope, King Rickos has done much since his ascension." Captain Delmar said, they passed by various bazars, buildings all the same sandy beige as the sand. The dirt had been turned into clay and formed large buildings in the typical outer rim fashion, but there was an abundance of trade and commerce in the streets. Kanan eyed a few bounty hunters looking at wanted poster and saw his face on it, pulling his hair down around to hide his face, he reached in the back and pulled out a puffy hat for Ezra to put on "What are you-" "Shh." Kanan said, gesturing to the hunters.
They left the bazar behind and passed through a large square the south led to the gate, the west showed a road leading to a starport, and the right to the palace, but at the north part of the square was a large ruined building its ancient stones all but torn away with only a handful of crumbling walls remaining, and its main one at the back mostly untouched bore the symbol of the Jedi Order. Ezra's eyes went wide at the winged shield and saber, its red paint faded to brown and cracked around the edges but still standing, Kanan watched it before they drove to the palace. A tall citadel with a high wall, there were guards standing at the gate before it opened when Captain Delmar approached the gate with Lady Penelope and her entourage. They entered the courtyard that had a large fountain. The fountain had a statue of a man with goat legs and horns holding a lightsaber, dressed in armor with horns and a cape, it was falling into ruin with blaster marks and cracks running up and down it, even at the lightsaber that spewed out water in his hand.
"Is that a Jedi Knight?" Ezra asked Kanan.
"Jedi Lord, when the Republic was really young the jedi went into the outer rim to try and stop the chaos, worlds like this were so grateful they gave the Jedi palaces, titles, we even had a Jedi Supreme Chancellor once." Kanan said as they pulled around the fountain. The speeder came to a halt and Captain Delmar helped Hera out before he walked up to the main entrance two guards with yellow capes before they opened the door.
Captain Delmar turned around "I will inform the King you are here Lady Pennelope."
Hera smiled before she walked back to the others "Alright, everyone you know what to do, Kanan tell those pilot stories I gave you, Zeb look as menacing as possible, Sabine you stick close to me, don't look anyone in the eye." Hera said as everyone nodded, Ezra held his hand up like a curious school boy.
"What about me?" He asked.
"I forgot, we haven't pulled this job with you before uh… just stand next to the merchandise and don't do anything." Hera said to him.
"Oh." Ezra said, sounding disappointed.
Captain Delmar returned out of the palace "The King has agreed to see your wares, you will have one hour to prepare and I do hope you have plenty of things, his daughters have… expensive taste." He gave Hera his arm again and led her into the palace.
"Your liege, was he always King or a former lord?" Hera asked.
Captain Delmar gave a smile before he sighed "His majesty was not a former lord, nor was he always king, years ago he spent his time plying his trade as an… honest starman." The guard captain said as they passed a painting showing a strapping man in a spaceship wearing an illustrious purple coat and feathered hat holding a blaster and vibrosword with a woman wrapped around his leg as he sailed the stars, it was a pirate. "Ah I see, and his predecessor?" Hera asked.
Delmar sighed sarcastically "Unfortunately Skyros's former regent disappeared in a strange accident, reluctantly his highness was never found and my legie humbly assumed the throne." The King said.
Ezra, unsure of what they were talking about, looked up to Zeb who was carrying a series of crates before he dragged his finger across his purple furred neck making an 'urk' noise to explain it.
Later, the specters were brought into the palace ornate hallways with great plants in jars, tapestries, statues and finally to a large throne room with great pillars, stained glass windows and a purple rug covering the floor. As each of them carried in the crates the rebels set up the junk pile in the most appealing way. Sabine had painted nearly everything that didn't already look valuable with silver or gold paint, with a glazed finish to add a nice touch. Ezra opened one case and pulled out a series of dresses. "Whoa where did these come from?" Ezra asked.
Hera came over pulling out a Purple silk garments "Dresses, for the King's daughters, Ahsoka provided them, she and I used to… sneak into a lot of fancy places." She said before they started to set everything up like it was a fancy looking bazaar.
Trumpets sounded, and the doors to the throne room opened wide, members of the court walked in they were a mix of humans, aliens and fancy droid before a heavy gong sounded and the rebels saw Captain Delmar enter behind a short fat man with a bald head, trimmed red beard and purple robes, behind him were a dozen girls of varying age getting younger as they went behind, the last one was dressed in a fully covered green and yellow veil. The other girls were decorated with jewelry, purple dresses or other colors and sat at the floor of the Kings seat "Presenting his Royal Highness, King Barbarosa of Skyros, your majesty I give you Lady Pennelope of the Intrepid Commercial Combine, she has come to sell her exotic wear to your highness and his family."
"Ah yes, the Combine has… quite a reputation, you hav eexotic goods but… trouble seems to follow?" The king asked.
Hera stepped forward and bowed "Our goods are highly sought after your majesty, pirates and would-be thieves are common but thankfully to the skills of our Captain Dash Rendar and my faithful bodyguard the last Grimble, we have nothing to fear." She gestured to Zeb and Kanan. Ezra noticed Kanan putting a toothpick in his mouth acting cool, Zeb gave rough snarl to add to the character.
"And the children?" The King asked.
Ezra said nothing and Hera gave as sigh "Ah a tragic tale, my handmaiden, taken from the Echani Sisterhood by brigands before she found her way to my services, and out humble valet an orphan and a mute, you court should steer far from him he has no understanding of most things."
"Ah I understand, you are most merciful to accept him into your service." King Barbarosa said as he looked to his daughters, "Girls, you may peruse the wares." A shrill shriek went up from the girls that made both Ezra and Zeb jump with a start before they swarmed over all the knicknacks and dresses, Ezra had to scramble to get out of the way as they started to look through everything. He noticed Kanan acting his best to look cool as the court's adults surrounded him and Hera asking questions about their adventures. Ezra didn't want to admit it but with his hair down and the toothpick Kanan looked pretty cool.
Among the King's daughters, Ezra caught one of them looking right at him, a small girl covered head to toe in a pink and yellow veil, with only a narrow slit to reveal green eyes looking right into his blue ones. As all the girls perused the 'merchandise' many of them flocked to the silk dresses, jewels, small trinkets and statues, Sabine watched almost nauseously at their behavior. Hera stood beside the King who smiled "Hoho it seems my treasury is about to take something of a hit?" He said.
"If the Combine is needing to offer you a discount your majesty, I'm sure we can accommodate?" Hera said in her fake accent.
"Hoho, you are too kind Lady Penelope please you must join us for dinner tonight, I will accept no refusal." The King said while the court continued to look at all the merchandise.
Ezra who hadn't been paying any more attention to the veiled princess saw she was now walking past him, Ezra couldn't place it but he'd seen those eyes before, somewhere? Ezra saw her go by but instead of going to the dresses, jewels or works of art the veiled girl approached the small boxes in the back. Kanan took note as well as the ladies of the court swooned around the 'pilot' he gave a small gesture for Ezra to follow as the girl's hands hovered over each small box. Rummaging through it, Hera saw this and walked up leaving the Kings side knowing that was the same box Kanan had put his lightsaber in. "Princess, surely you wouldn't want anything in there, I have some fine necklaces you could look at?" Hera asked.
The King walked up behind them "Oh apologizes Lady Pennlope, Pyrrha has a more curious mind then my daughters." the King said When Pyrrha turned around her green eyes making Hera stop, in the girl's hands she was holding Kanan's lightsaber.
"Hoho, what's this?" The King asked looking at it with some curiosity, "A flashlight?" The king asked looking down the emitter "NO." Hera snapped, swiping away worried the King was about to skewer his face on the blade. Her sudden outburst made all the court look at her "Forgive me, this is more… rare item." She said,
Everyone in the court oohed and awed, now interested "Well do not leave us in suspense?" The King asked.
Hera knowing she promised Kanan they wouldn't sell it beamed at her, and as Hera tried to come up with a lie someone said "A Lightsaber." The specters and the court looked to one of the Kings entourage sitting in the corner, it was a trandoshan sitting in a dark crimson kimono, wearing a straw hat that covered his whole head except for his green snout that held a long smoke pipe that had a plume rising from burning embers, beside him sat a sling rifle without a scope that was the only other weapon in the room besides the guards and the lightsaber.
"Indeed Ronin?" The King asked.
Hera puzzle looked at Kanan for a moment then at the King "Your highness who may this be who would know such a thing?" She asked, flicking the saber hilt in the trandoshans direction acting like the pompous dealer Lady Penelope was.
"My manners, a member of my entourage and Master of the Hunt, Ronin of Trandosha, though trandoshans have a fearsome reputation I assure you he is quite tame indoors, you were saying Ronin." The King said as the trandoshan continued to smoke his pipe in the corner.
The trandoshan huffed out the smoke like a dragon. "A lightsaber, the weapon of the Jedi Knights, rare item, illegal item." Trandoshan said, raising his hat up a bit to reveal one glassed over eye.
"Ohoh illegal in the Empire, but this is Skyros, Pyrrha do you wish for this to be your gift?" The King asked her.
All eyes went to the veiled princes who gave a simple knod.
Hera feeling Kanan's eyes on her held back her worry "How can I… refuse such a polite young lady." She said handing the lightsaber to Pyrrha, the girl took it in her hands and wrapped her fingers around it, each time her digits passed over the on button Kanan winced. But Ezra remembered he'd taken out the crystal or at least Ezra had hoped he had. By the time the girls had all picked something and credits had exchanged hands there wasn't much left on the pile. Hera handed the credits over to Sabine leaning into whispers.
"That paint is long-" "Three months before it starts chipping, but the dresses?" Sabine said as they had all been taken by the princesses.
"Eh, not Ahsoka or my style anyway." Hera said, stating it was no great loss.
Sabine walked back to one of the cases next to Zeb and set the credits inside a lock box for him to guard, she then walked past Kanan who grabbed her arm "Make sure you get it back before we leave." He said.
"Isn't that more of a job for Ezra, a thief?" Sabine whispered.
Kanan gave her a dad glare and she rolled her eyes under her hood "fiiiiine." She grumbled moving on.
Rejoining Hera, Sabine saw the king clap his many ringed fingers before pronouncing "That's enough shopping for today, let us adjourn to the dining hall for a dinner to honor our guests." The King said walking to the exit.
Hera turnaj to Zeb and Ezra "Guard, valet Watch the merchandise and have it returned to the speeder." She said in her fake accent.
"As you wish my lady." Zeb said in a snooty accent, Ezra had to cup his mouth so as not to let his laughter escape.
As they divided, Hera was escorted by the King down who held her hand gently in his "I see many daughters your highness but, where is the Queen?" She asked.
King Barbarosa signed "Alas my Lady Pennelope, their mothers are free spirits who I wouldn't dare to cage, though from time to time they do stop by to check on their daughters, even take them on their adventures."
"Adventures?" Sabine asked.
The King turned back hearing the Handmaiden speak "Forgive Brianna, she can be a bit curious." Hera said.
"No need for forgiveness, the women I loved are extraordinary to say the least, three of my eldest daughters belong to a great bounty hunter who sends them gifts from across the galaxy, I have two sets of twins from a woman who still does my… old trade."
"A privateer?" Hera asked.
The King laughed a bit "Indeed she is, a Queen among them, the rest are all amazing in their own right." The King chuckles.
"And Princess Prryha?" Hera asked to watch her with the other girls, some curious about the lightsaber having never seen such a weapon, Sabine made a note that of all the girls only Prryha had taken an interest in the sword.
The King was silent "Pyrrha is not one of mine biologically I should say, I adopted her from the streets of Skyros, you've probably noticed the veil she wears."
"I did, but saw no reason to bring it up?" Hera said as they walked into a jubilant dining hall with a long round table for all to sit at, the King going to the center with Hera at his side and the court, daughters and guests all taking seats.
"Her life on the streets was hard, and for that she was… injured most heinously by the former Kings guards, specifically on her face, though she is truly a beautiful soul, she knows many judge by eyes before seeing who she truly is." The King said, Hera and Sabine noticed Prryha was on the far side of the table, too far for Sabine to get close to without being seen.
Outside the palace in the Courtyard, both Zeb and Ezra were loading up all the stuff that hadn't been bought and locking away the credits "Well at least we made some credits, any idea who the people we're looking for are?" Zeb said in a stressed voice as he loaded the last of the merchandise.
Ezra shrugged, "No, not really, I'm more worried what Kanan is going to do with someone who took his lightsaber?"
"Fair point-" Zeb cut himself off when he pointed up to the nearby citadel wall, there was a cloaked figure watching them from above and. Zeb lifted a claw to the cloak and Ezra looked up to see the figure staring back down at them.
"Is that the operative?" Ezra whispered.
The figure moved inside one of the old towers and Ezra looked back at Zeb "It has to be, why else would they let us see them?"
"You sure?" Zeb asked.
Ezra thought for a moment "Look just think of how impressed Hera and Kanan will be when we find the operatives, maybe even keep a big cut of the treasure?" Ezra elbowed him playfully and Zeb returned a toothy grin.
"Alright let's go."
Ezra and Zeb headed to the palace walls, walking up a narrow flight of steps following the cloak into the tower, it was dimly lit and made of ancient stone, looking around Zeb sniffed the air before "Who goes there!" There was a flash of light and both of the rebels saw one of the Palace Guard staring them down with a flashlight.
"Identify yourselves." He said in a thick outer rim accent.
"Ap-apologizes guardsman, the young valet was wanting to see a view of the city from the walls." Zeb lied, seeing the person they were following was gone.
"This is a restricted area, you must leave at once." The guard said before Zeb grabbed Ezra by the collar.
He bowed, "Of course, of course." Zeb said, dragging him away "That was close."
"To close." Ezra said as the Guard watched them head down the steps and his body flicker like a hologram, just as the sun was starting to go down.
Back in the banquet hall, Hera continued to play the part of Lady Pennelope making the King laugh and get distracted, when Kanan gestured for her. It appeared that Prryha was leaving the dinner table, the lightsaber held in each hand as if she was holding an important treasure. Sabine gave a wink and waited till Prryha was out of the room to follow.
She headed out of the banquet hall behind Pyrrha, doing her best to go as unnoticed as possible down the hallways of the palace passing by the guards who barely noticed her before she spotted the girl who took Kanan's lightsaber walk out of a room. Assuming it was hers, she waited till the coast was clear to go in, flipping the switch the princesses room was nothing like Sabine expected it to be, it was so, so messy. There was one large bed next to a balcony, a fireplace across from it, a desk in the corner filled with paper and books, so many books everywhere on the desk, the bed, the floor. At the edge of the balcony Sabine noticed a pair of boots too large to be a girl and assumed the Princess wasn't such a polite little girl as hera assumed. But what really caught Sabine's attention was what was hanging over the fireplace.
Hung there above the mantle was a sword.
She approached it and took it off the wall, it was a two handed blade with leather wrapped up hilt, in a thick studded scabbard, when she removed it it had an unusual design to it, it had a wide base on the back end it reached up further and curved out, on the front it was shorter but more metal before it elongated int curved end katana, etched into the blade was an ancient writing Sabine had never seen before, and she new a lot of alien languages but this was unlike anything she'd ever seen they weren't auresh or mandalorian, they weren't even letters more like ruins. She pulled the blade out with a single pull it released so quickly, the scabbard was heavier then the whole sword, she looked at in awe even though the design looked agent the blade itself was spotless, not a single scratch or blemish on the weapon like it was freshly forged. Sabine slowly pulled back her beskar gauntlet to test it to see if the metal was beskar and when she tapped it on her armor it didn't melodic pitch beskar on beskar would make instead Sabine saw for the first time on her armor a scratch.
"Don't think this is your room girl?"
Sabine spun, letting her sleeve drop, reaching for the loose part in her robes that her blasters were tucked into to see Ronin standing there, his straw hat pulled low and his pipe still smoking, "Not yours either."
"But this is the house I serve, leave before I call the guard." The Hunter said.
Sabine, not wanting to draw attention, walked to the door while the trandoshans one good eye watched her from the side, when she left the room. She reached for her comlink "Specter 4, specter 7, I couldn't retrieve the you know what, your up be on the lookout for Princess Prryha." Sabine whispered.
Down in the courtyard both Zeb and Ezra heard it, and Zeb nudged Ezra pointing up to the nearest wall, looking up they saw Prryha moving in her veil like a pink and yellow ghost holding a wrapped up bundle in one hand, the lightsaber. "Go, I'll see if I can sniff out our operatives."
"Wait, why do I have to go play errand boy?" Ezra asked.
"Because, you can brag to Kanan all you want, you got his lightsaber back before he could." Zeb chuckled.
Ezra snickered "ohhh good idea."
Both of them looked back up at Prryha who was at the edge of the wall before she walked down some steps and moved out through a side door portcullis. Ezra quickly trailed behind her passing through the exit and into the busy Skyros streets, the sun was setting on Lycamons II casting a dark purple hue over the city. Ezra followed Pyrrha through the emptying streets, always one step ahead of him the girls veil trailed after her as she rounded corner after corner till they came back into the moonlit street to see her walking into the former Jedi Temple runes. Ezra followed closer and peaked over the fallen walls to see Pyrrha was walking up the cobbled steps to the broken wall of the church. There the sigil of the jedi order was cracked and crumbling at the altar, Ezra got a bit closer as he saw what Pyrrha had been holding was laid on the altar, it was Kanan's lightsaber.
What was this mysterious girl doing?
Pyrrha knelt at the altar and sat on her legs and did….
Nothing?
Ezra was confused at first but then he remembered he'd seen Kanan do similar stuff like that, she wasn't just praying she was meditating. Blinking a few times Ezra reached for his comlink to signal one of the crew when he saw a large shadow pass over him and everything went dark.
He awoke with a throbbing pain, when he woke up the pressure on his head was even worse because he was upside down being hung over the city walls and plateau to over a four hundred foot drop. When Ezra looked up he was staring at the straw hat and trandoshan teeth of the hunter Ronin "Hello there." He said and beside him stood Pyrrha still veiled. The trandoshan had his sling rifle over his back and it made Ezra wonder what other weapons he had stored under that thick red kimono.
"Why are you following me?" Pyrrha asked if her voice was deeper than Ezra expected a girl her size could be, but it was more likely just muffled from the veil.
Ezra held up a finger but he was having a hard time talking "We wereaahh… uwwwhhh… gonna puke." He mumbled.
"Hmm not a mute, the Twi'lek was lying, wonder what else she lied about?" Ronin asked.
"Pull him up." Pyrrha said to the trandoshan.
Ezra felt the trandoshans claws pull him back up over the wall and drop him, his head still swimming he surfaced when he saw the sling rifle pointed right into his face, the trandoshan holding it with one hand, Prryha sat down on a nearby fallen rock legs spread hunched over not at all lady like as she had been in the palace. "Last time I'm asking, why-are-you-following-me?" They asked intently, Ezra saw she was holding Kanan's lightsaber in her hand.
"Think they want it back?" Pyrrha asked.
"Hmmhmm." The trandoshan said.
Pyrrha looked up at the trandoshan "Wait, there's something else, what aren't you telling me?"
"Somethings off about this one, and that pilot." Ronin said, sniffing him.
Pyrrha glanced down at him and then looked him over, Ezr started regaining most of his senses, "Look I just want it back alright my huh… Mistress needs it." He fibbed.
But neither appeared to be buying it "What's your name?" Pyrrha asked under her coverings.
"Jabba." Ezra said using his usual pysundom.
Pyrrha and Ronin glanced at one another before they burst out laughing, a few local birds flew off and Ezra gulped "Hahah hehe hehe aaah well your one small Hutt aren't you Jabba." Prryha laughed wiping water from her eyes. Ronin was snickering now his fangs gleaming in the purple light of the gas giant.
"Well being a valet burns a lot of calories doesn't it." the trandoshan hissed.
Meanwhile Ezra watched the lightsaber swaying back and forth "No hold on hold on, perhaps this is Jabba the Hutt, I wouldn't be suprised if someone named their slave Jabba as a joke?"
"Yeah a killer joke." Ronin said.
Pyrrha looked over at Ezra and folded her arms standing up "So what to do with… you?" She said as she looked up at the sky, Ezra felt something then, danger.
Descending down to the surface of the planet was a Gonzatti class Imperial light cruiser, it had four starfighters detach with a lambda class shuttle descending toward them and rapidly gaining speed toward the city. "The Empire, they found us." Ezra and Pyrrha said at the same time.
"Wait?" Both said again.
"There after you, there after me?" Again both at the same time.
Prryha and Ronin looked at one another "Your the people we're looking for." Prryha and Ezra mirrored their answer.
They paused a long time waiting for the other to say the same thing again, Prryha held up Kanan's lightsaber and handed it to Ezra "Truce then, we get back to the palace decide what to do with you later." Prryha said as Ezra got up holding the lightsaber.
Ezra followed, still a bit dizzy. "Wait, wait are the rebel operatives Ahsoka sent us to find?"
"She what…" Prryha asked, looking up at Ronin.
The Trandoshan leaned in and whispered something to the girl, "But you said… oh… oooooooh, ok yeah that's good." Prryha said before turning back to Ezra, "Jabba was it, or whatever you call yourself follow us we know a shortcut back to the palace."
"Ummmm okay." Ezra said running after them, he followed the hunter and the princess down the palace wall to an old statue, the feet were all that remained, and Prryha reached up and pressed the pinky toe on it, the statue began to scrape across the stone pavement and open up into a series of steps. "Whoa cool." Ezra said following them into the tunnels, Ronin produced a glow stick and started to move.
Ezra had a hard time keeping up with them, "Whoa hold up a sec."
"For a mute he sure does talk a lot." Prryha said ahead of him, Ezra straggled up from behind as they came to a narrow staircase leading up. It turned left, then right, then spiraled before they came light silhouetting a doorway. Ronin opened it and they came into one of the palace hallways, they came out and Ezra saw the doorway was hidden behind a tapestry before Ronin hid it again.
Ronin turned to them and grabbed Ezra by the scruff of his green valet uniform "You come with me, you get back to the other girls, I'll get us a ride out of here." Ronin said.
"Roger roger." Prryha said before they split up.
Leading Ezra down the hallway, he tried to speak up "W-wait if you're with Ahsoka we should all be getting out of here."
Ronin stopped at a large window "Can't the imperials lock down the city." He said pointing to the swarm of TIE fighters that were descending and troop transports landing in open parts of the city. Ezra looked down to see the City Guard wasn't doing anything to stop them, in fact they were getting out of the way more as it seemed.
"They'll be looking for anyone suspicious, say a rich Twi'lek heiress and her colorful band of morons." Ronin said pushing him along till he let him go at a fork in the hallways, pointing left with a single claw he said "The throne room is that way, the rest of your cell should be there." He said before Ezra could ask anymore questions.
He heard a loud set of footsteps looking back he saw Kanan bounding to him with Sabine and Zeb behind him "Where the hell have you been?"
"Getting this back." Ezra said, holding up the lightsaber.
Kanan looked bug-eyed. "How did you-" "Princess Prryha, the trandoshan, they're the rebel operatives we were sent to find."
"Where are they we need to go now-" "The Empires here, I know, we saw them." Ezra said to his master as Kanan took the blade, reaching into his pocket he clipped off a small piece of the lightsaber and slipped the crystal in.
Sabine stepped up to him "Okay where are they now?"
"The trandoshan ran off, and Prryha went back to the throne room." Ezra told them.
"And you let them go?" She asked.
Ezra flung his hands in the air "Right, because I can totally control a full grown lizardman and a scary murder princess."
"Is it just me or do most of the royal princesses we meet have a tendency to shoot first and ask questions later?" Zeb asked.
"It's just you, now come on we need to get back to the throne room." Kanan said, hiding the lightsaber in his coat and moving back down the hallway.
Ezra followed him "What about Hera?"
"She's already on her way back to the Ghost." Kanan said.
"How's she getting past the Empire, they're already landing stormtroopers?" Ezra asked, following at his heels.
Kanan glanced back "Let her worry about that." He said as they got closer to the throne room entrance, the Specters stood out of sight behind the doorway in the nearby hallway as they saw the doors to the throne room were already open and Agent Kallus walking in with an escort of Stormtroopers, Captain Delmar and his guards stood up a bit straighter with the presence of Imperial troops, the King sat on his throne with his daughters at his side, Kallus barely noticed anyone besides the King looking far to pleased with himself. The King, sweating a bit, stood up "Greetings-" "I am Agent Kallus of the Imperial Security Bureau, although Lykamos is not part of the Empire yet we've tolerated your activities here for some time, that is no longer the case." Agent Kallus said.
"I beg your pardon? "The King asked his sweating to stop, Captain Delmar looked to him and his hand slowly moved to his sword. In an instant the two closest stormtroopers to Kallus came forward and raised their blaster at Delmar.
"Consider me a taste of what is to come, for too long your world has been without law and order. That changes now, your highness or should I say, governor?" Kallus said smugly, crossing his arms.
Ezra fumed at Kallus's smug look of superiority "Surrender and submit." He added, throwing injury to insult.
The King stood up and his guards, daughters and court looked at him. The king gulped before he stood from his throne and walked out to meet Kallus before he slowly knelt at his feet "I am… at the Empires disposal." The King said head low. Kallus looked pleased when suddenly the King moved faster than a man his size would expect to move holding a dagger he had pulled out from seemingly nowhere and lunged at Kallus, who moved just in time for it to graze his chestplate.
"Traitor!" Kallus shouted as the stormtroopers rushed forward blasters raised to shoot the king. Suddenly Captain Delmar and his guards appeared attacking the stormtroopers with their spears and blaster pistols, Delmar shouting "TO THE KING!" The court room erupted into chaos. The King's guards burst in from the other hallway and surrounded the stormtroopers, as the King and Captain Delmar retreated out with all the princesses. But those weren't the only stormtroopers who were there, the throne room doors opened wide and more stormtroopers flooded in as Kallus drew his bo-rifle "Arrest them all for sedition." He barked.
The rebels watched the battle unfold before Zeb asked "Uh do we want to get on this?"
"Nope." Kanan said, pulling them away.
"Sabine, let's find Prryha and make like a tree." Kanan said, taking out his blaster.
Sabine nodded, taking out her blasters from under her robe and running down the hallway again, passing by the windows Ezra saw dozens of ships flying out the city space port, TIE fighters giving chase. Then a couple buildings exploded making them all stop and look "This place is crazy." Zeb said.
"Guess that's what happens when you try to take from former pirates." Sabine said before she moved on, they moved left down the corridor of bedrooms and heard the sound of stormtroopers "Put your hands in the air." It was coming from inside Prryha's room, rebels burst into the room they saw an imperial stormtrooper standing back to them before he went down out cold and Prryha standing there in front of them holding the strange blade in one hand the wooden scabbard in the other. The other stormtrooper was thrown across the room into the nearest bookshelf covered in books. There wasn't any blood on the blade and from that the rebels could tell the two men were still alive. "Uh… guess you don't need any help." Sabine said holstering her blasters.
Prryha looked at her "…. So that's what was under those robes?" She said, sheathing the blade.
Sabine lifted up the helmet "Good eye, now come on we have to move." She said before dropping it, Prryha saw Kanan's lightsaber poking out of his coat.
"So your the jedi." She said as she walked to the bed and reached under it pulling out an old backpack, in fact it wasn't just any pack it was an old Republic clone trooper backpack beat up and scratched, but the Republic Emblem still on it.
Zeb looked out from behind the door "Not to be that guy but we have an escape plan?" He asked.
"We go out the window, head for the wall and make a run for the gate." Kanan said as Prryha walked straight past him to the nearest fireplace and pulled one of the small candles and the fireplace backed up to reveal a secret passageway "Or we could do that." The rebels started to go to the passageway when they saw Prryha reach down to her veils skirt, and start to pull it up. Zeb grabbed Ezra's eyes covering them and Kanan turned away.
"You sure this is the best time to-….oooooohohohoho." Sabine said when 'Prryha' tossed off 'her' veil dress and standing in front of them was a boy with dark blue trousers tucked into wrapped up white boots, he wore a snug quilted short sleeved jacket across his chest with the sleeves rolled up and a leather belt with a bronze buckle. his hands were covered in fingerless gloves like Ezra, but they went up to his forearm and his hair an unusual color like Sabines, white with shades of blue in it, tied back in a top knot, but what was really interesting was the fact he had white tattoos on his cheeks and nose, two marks on his cheek running down under his eyes and one directly across his nose.
All the rebels gawked as the boy slipped the sword into a belt holster fastening it tightly "Ready?" He said.
"Wait what- how?" Ezra asked flabbergasted at Pyrrha revealing she was a he, and he was dressed in traveling clothes instead of a princess's gown.
"Questions later, run for our lives now." Kanan said, pulling him into the passageway, everyone followed with Prryha or whoever the boy was following Sabine down sealing the passageway behind them "What is that war paint?" Sabine asked.
"Something like that." He snickered as the fireplace exit sealed just in time before Kallus and his men came in "Get a medic up here and find those rebel scum."
Down below them 'Prryha' now revealed to be a boy was moving ahead of them, he had a glow stick for a light source "These crypts go all the way back to the old Republic, the Jedi Lord who lived here built them in case she never needed to escape from a seige, which happened a lot actually." He said walking down the steps, as they moved through the crypts Ezra found himself looking at all the stone carvings and drawings on the wall of Knights. The first showed a great army all holding swords similar to the one the boy was holding, the next showed a group of black cloaked figures being praised by red skinned people.
"How do you know about this?" Kanan asked as they passed by another set of wall paintings, it showed two people in blue cloaks landing in front of the red people, then a great war between the red people and more of the ones with swords. The tapestries went on and on until Ezra saw one cave painting that Sabine noticed as a mandalorian mask "I spent a lot of time in the library." He said.
The boy named Prryha held his hand up and everyone stopped another light was coming from a nearby tunnel, and as they all got closer to it weapons ready, they sprung around to see Captain Delmar, a dozen of the Royal Guard all surrounding the King and when they looked closer they saw the royal guard were in fact the Kings Daughters all armed to the teeth "Ah thank the stars, you're okay lad." The King said, Prryha walked up and hugged the fat man.
"I'm so sorry your highness, they have to be here because of us." The boy said, breaking the hug.
King Barbarosa looked over at the rebels "Where is Lady Pennelope… really they were with Phoenix Squadron all along?" The King asked.
"Yeah." the boy said, looking back uninterested.
The King rolled his eyes "Stars why didn't they just tell us, would have saved us all a great deal of time."
"Hey no one ever said Phoenix Squadron chose people for their brains."
"Hey." The specters all said.
The King ignored their objection "Come, we are on our way to our escape shuttle, the treasury has been loaded now-" "I'm sorry your highness, they're after us, we'll cover your escape with lots of noise." The boy said looking to the specters, "I trust you're all good in a fight."
Sabine gestured to her mandalorian armor, Kanan and Ezra held up their lightsabers, and Zeb just stared insulted. "Hmmm very well, may the Force be with You lad." The King said, holding out his hand.
The rebels watched Prryha take the King's hand in a firm grip "And with you, oh and Ladies… uh it was memorable." He said winking and smiling, before the girls all waved him off or cocked their rifles, or giggling. "Your majesty we must go." Captain Delmar said, leading the king and his family down another hallway.
"What was that all about?" Ezra asked curiously and smirking, "You try hiding two months with a dozen pirate princesses who play target practice with you playing the target."
Suddenly the whole cave shook and dust sprinkled over the escapees "What was that?" Zeb asked.
"I'm not a betting kid but I'd say those were Imperial detonators and- Run!" The boy said, sprinting down the cave with the rebels struggling to keep up.
They made a left and started to see a light, walking out they heard a rifle cocking and saw Ronin holding the sling rifle pointed right at Kanan's head, when he saw Pyrrha he lowered it "We friends now?" He asked, standing in front of the speeder.
"Yep, friends now, explain later- drive now." The boy said running and jumping over the front of the speeder sliding to the other side as they came out Zeb stopped and saw it was their speeder while everyone piled in.
"Wait a second you were going to steal our speeder?" He growled before he got in with the trandoshan "Ugh lasats."
The disrespect was mutual "Trandoshans."
"Furballs." Trandoshan said.
"Lizards." Zeb snarled back.
"Snobs." Ronin hissed.
"Mercs" Zeb barked.
Before they both snapped at the same time "Scruffy Nerf Herders."
"Would you two mind killing each other later and shoot them." Kanan said shooting back at the Stormtroopers who were now pouring out of the crypt opening fire. The rebels and their new 'friends' jumped in the speeder and the trandoshan hit the gas pedal sending the speeder bursting through one of the outer gates breaking down the wood and entering into the city. Imperial bike troops were already waiting for them and zipped behind them shooting.
The trandoshan swerved around corners to avoid getting shot, nearly throwing the rebels out "You know we could shoot them if you didn't turn so much?" Sabine snapped.
"You could also find another getaway vehicle, Mando." The trandoshan snapped.
"THIS WAS OUR GETAWAY VEICHILE!" Zeb roared as they drove into the bazaar breaking up stalls and vendors' merchandise going everywhere as people scattered to get out of the way.
Ronin doubles down at Zeb "Who leaves the keys in their own getaway vehicle Space Cowboy, for thieves you're not very good."
"We're not thieves— most of the time." Ezra said shooting his stun bolts at the imperials through his lightsaber. The Trandoshan did another tight turn and his straw hat flew off, they saw the right side of his entire scaled face was covered in a thick set of scars, the right eye milky from being blinded and the rest of his face mangled from an injury that healed long ago.
He laughed, "Of course not, you're a rebel cell." The boy named Prryha said holding on.
This got Kanan's attention, "Wait how'd you-" "Hello bullhead, so are we." The trandoshan snapped at them, and suddenly another imperial bike trooper appeared. He flew up behind the others and opened fire on their bikes taking both of their pursuers out, Sabine and Ezra looked back in shock.
"One of the bike troopers just took out the others, he with you?" Ezra asked.
"Oh yeah." 'Prryha' said before the speeder bike hit its accelerator coming up just short of the speeder and leaping off it, in a flash of holographic light a strange looking droid took its place, it had a skeletal frame, smooth metal on its joints, and head, with a yellow center for a holomatrix.
It was a droid none of the rebels had ever seen "Greetings young Master, it seems we are on the run again." The droid said.
"Morons, meet Proxy, Proxy meet the morons." The trandoshan said as they broke out onto the main street, everyone holding onto the increasingly crowded speeder.
"We're not morons." Kanan said, defending his squad.
The trandoshan gave thick scoff when firing came from above, the Rebels looked up to see a squad of imperial jumptrooper with jetpacks soaring above them with black markings on their helmets, "They fly now?" Ezra gawked.
Ronin looked over at Kanan with a sarcastic look, "Don't look at me, look at the road Trandoshan."
"The Empire has a massive amount of resources and is the dominant military superpower in the galaxy, and jetpacks have been widely incorporated throughout the galaxy for longer than the past three thousand years. The fact that you seem surprised at the Empire having access to jetpacks is why you are by definition of-" the trandoshan took the speeder up a ramp and the speeder flew into the air and the trandoshan spun around reaching into his robe to produce two heavy blaster pistols which he stood up, turned around and opened ire taking out the imperial jumptrooper squad in a single barrage of blasterfire before he dropped back down as the speeder cleared the wall and took off into the outskirts "Morons!"
All the rebels looked stunned at the trandoshans sudden move of getaway driving, marksmanship and insultsmenship "Haha nice shooting Turok."
"Turok?" Sabine asked.
"Wait Ronin isn't your name?" Ezra asked, but Kanan beat him to the question "Turok, as in Turok Skell the Crusader?" He asked.
The trandoshan smiled at him with his fangs, a single gold one poking out "Maybe not such a bullhead afterall is he a kid?"
"What do you expect from a Jedi?" The boy said as they drove off across the sandy trail.
Heading back to the canyon it looked like they could relax for a bit, "So his name is Turok, that droid's name is Proxy. Are you really called Prryha?" Sabine asked.
"Hmmm no." The boy said as they swirled through the streets, he rummaged through the remaining trinkets and through them at any imperials still chasing them.
"And your real name is?" Ezra asked.
The white and blue haired boy said "Oh yeah… I'm Jabba, no wait I'm Empress Teta."
Turok laughed from the driver's seat at the tease at Ezra "How about this, Jabba, you tell us your names, I'll tell you mine?"
Not really in the mood to argue, I looked at one another and gave in "Ezra." the boy started.
"This is Kanan, the big ones Zeb and the girl who you really don't want to piss off is-" "Sabine." She said under her helmet, before the other boy could reveal his name the ground was shaken by green cannon fire, everyone looked up to see four TIE fighters chasing them. Zeb gave a loud groan looking back at the ships and started shooting.
Everyone used their blasters to try and fend off fighters, "Either you three really pissed off the Empire or Agent Kallus is in a mood." Zeb said.
"Probably both, we were hiding out in the King's court laying low after we stole some Imperial data." Turok said taking evasive action on the grass and sandy dunes, kicking up dust to obscure the pilots vision.
Kanan, using his blaster pistol, asked, "What kind of data?"
"Oh the kind about advanced weapons, fleet movements, oh I almost forgot a list Known surviving Jedi, Kanan Jarrus." Turok said glaring at him, Kanan's face shifted from surprise to seriousness, "That's some data." Zeb said in the passenger seat.
"Yeah, well we usually have to deal with more than just an ISB agent." The boy said, holding onto his sword hilt.
Kanan and Ezra shared a worried look as they felt a sudden chill in the air, and without warning another TIE fighter swooped down, almost hitting them with its haul. It was a TIE Advanced, with the curved solar wings and the pilot who the two jedi already knew who it was. It swooped back around and the rebels saw climbing out of the cockpit, inside was a black cloaked and armored Imperial Inquisitor. Their armor was similar to the other Inquisitors they faced, black with imperial emblems on their pauldrons, a rotating saber hilt already ignited in his helm. But the ghoulish helmet they wore had two narrow slits for eyes and a slit in the mouth, a crown of spikes covered the head, and it raised a red lightsaber at them in challenge. Kanan holstred his blaster and reached for his lightsaber "He's-" "HE'S MINE!" Prryha said, jumping off the ship.
The Inquisitor did the same and they watched the two lock blades, the ancient sword Prryha was using connected with a red lightsaber and the strange runes glowed bright blue before they began to duel. The speeder veered off making them shrink in the distance sparks of the blades showing where they made contact "Turn around, he can't fight one of those things alone!" Kanan snapped.
"He'll be fine if he does this all the time." Turok said.
"Besides don't you guys have a pilot?" He asked, just as the Ghost flew overhead scattering the tie fighters, Hera opened fire from the front and the ship's reer guns unleashed at their flank, Hera looked down at the dunes and saw 'Prryha' fighting the Inquisitor alone, "Oh great." She mumbled.
On the surface, Prryha held his blade in a low guard and the two fighters encircled one another, "You came all this way out for me, I'm touched Inquisitor." He said a bit winded already.
The Inquisitor was twice his size and already had his second blade out, no words came out of the red blade mask just a slow breathing "Always a riveting conversationalist." The boy said before they engaged them. The boy Was shorter than the towering Inquisitor and his slightly curved blade made it easy for him to dance around the giant and leap over the swiping blades, or slide under the red dot double end.
Not far ahead of them, Hera flew down low in the Ghost and lowered the ramp for Turok to pull the speeder in before she took off, the trandoshan pulled in and Zeb was about to seal the gate before Ezra stopped him "Wait, what about Pyrrha or whatever his name is?" Ezra asked.
"Kids right, we need to head back." Kanan said hopping out.
Hera looked behind her and pulled the Ghost around as the rebels held down the speeder, with magnetic locks, Kanan and Ezra at the cargo door edge still open ready to jump out and help the boy.
On the ground the boy was holding his own moving from one spot to the next from the mystery Inquisitor, who followed with every strike. The boy blocked using his leather bracer to hold his blade in place with both arms, having to step back because of the larger enemy's brute strength. Trying to sweep at his feet it was like kicking a tree, the boy staggered back holding his leg "What are you made of metal?" He asked.
The Inquisitor just breathed hard and swung overhead, the boy parried and sliced at the mask letting sparks fly before the Inquisitor grabbed him at the neck. The boy gagged before he held his hand up right in front of the Inquisitors face and a force push set him free and the Inquisitor flying back, coughing and out of the corner of his green eyes he saw the Ghost approaching when it was low enough and flew over, he leapt up fifteen meters off the ground and landed in the cargo hold giving Ezra a start and landing right on top of the other boy. Down on the surface the Inquisitor watched the Ghost flyaway without saying a single word, there would be another time.
"G-get off me!" Ezra snapped, pushing him before he realized what the boy had done, "Wait, no normal boy could jump that high you…" Kanan and the others came in "Kanan did you see him jump?"
Kanan slid down the ladder "I did, and how you got free from the Inquisitor, you're strong in the force and the Jedi arts."
The boy sheathed his sword behind his back "Guilty."
"How, who trained you?" Kanan asked.
"I did." A familiar voice said, Ezra and Kanan looked up to see Ahsoka looking down at them but unlike her usual calm or soft soothing face she was stern and pointing her eyes right down at the boy with white markings on his face like hers, blue and white hair like her lekku and a similar but paler complexion.
Glancing over red faced he said "Hehe yeah…. Hey mom."
"MOM?" Ezra, Sabine, Zeb and even Chopper in his own droid speak at the same time.
Grunting from the other side of the ship, 'Ronin' came out relighting his pipe, with a match, "Ahsoka." He greeted me.
"Turok, I thought I told you to keep a low profile." She greeted me back.
He sucked on the pipe and then said "Hard to do that when the ISB shows up looking for us, and you got your errand girl running around with these morons." He said looking at Hera.
"Nice to see you too Turok." Hera said.
The trandoshan walked up to her and held up his claw, she took it in a firm but comradery shake, both of their arms flexing, "Still the best pilot in the Outer Rim."
"In the Galaxy." Hera said as they both laughed, apparently they were old friends.
"Wait you knew- I have so many questions." Zeb said looking at Turok who just gave a smoky snarl.
Hera rolled her eyes seemingly knowing it from the start even as Kanan looked at her as if she was for real and Hera nodded, "Then let me answer one, meet my son, Ahkilleon." Everyone looked at him as he cleaned his blade with his wrist and sheathed it in the scabbard "What, you thought my name was really Prryha?" He asked.
"I mean, with the dress?" Ezra shrugged.
Ahkilleon snickered as he helped Ezra up "It's called a disguise, better than yours and besides the clothes are nice but the heels, stars above… the murder." Ezra started to laugh again and threw his arm around the other boy in a brotherly fashion, Ezra snorted before he started to laugh, both of them laughed and even Zeb and Sabine joined in.
"Come on, I'm starving." Zeb said putting his hands on both boys shoulders "I could use a bite to eat too." Sabine said.
"Here they are, new imperial weapons, fleet movements and the list." He said, Ahsoka took it and Kanan walked up to Hera eyeing the holodisks,
"With that list we could find more Jedi to help us, help train Ezra and Prr- your son?" Kanan said to Ahsoka.
Ahsoka looked at the two disks "Which is which?" She asked.
Turok pointed one claw at the one in her left hand, the red disk "Fleet movements, weapons." Then to her left hand where the other holodisk laid "List of known surviving Jedi, I wiped it from the Imperial databanks, that's the only one now." Turok said about the blue one.
"Good." Ahsoka said before she made the jedi list disk levitate in her hand with the force before she crushed it "What are you doing?" Kanan gasped.
Ahsoka watched the pieces crumble "You remember Master Kenobi's final message Kanan, to stay hidden, if we go looking for these Jedi then the Empire is bound to follow, Inquisitors too like the one Ahkilleon fought." Ahsoka said.
Kanan frowned at the idea of seeing fellow Jedi again as soon as it came "I… I understand, I guess." Kanan said walking away disappointed. Turok watched him go, and Hera followed him to console her friend, leaving just Ahsoka and Turok on the balcony, "Your boy did good, don't be too mad at him."
"I'm not mad at him Turok, I'm mad at you." She said hands on her hips, very close to her lightsabers.
"You couldn't keep him hidden forever, he's a fighter like-" "Like his father?" Ahsoka cut him off.
Turok frowned, "Like his mother, he won't stand by while people suffer needlessly. A kid like that helps people, just who is." Turok explained.
"And what about Proxy, if he'd been captured the Empire would have access to one of the most advanced infiltration units in the galaxy, if they copied his holomatrix-" "I know, I know, but look what we got out of it." Turok explained pointing to the holodisk.
Ahsoka glared at him and folded her arms "You want to keep him safe, what mother wouldn't, but if you keep him too close you'll push him away, how about you let him work here?" He gestured to the Ghost.
"Aboard the Ghost?" She asked.
"Why not, you trust Hera, seem to trust this Kanan guy and his other friends, besides there aren't many kids his age in the rebellion?" Turok added, Ahsoka pondered it and started to see it would be a good thing for her son to be around boys and girls his own age.
Shaking her head in defeat "Fine, but no running off again."
"Promise, I think Hera will mind if I fly for a bit, being grounded for too long?" Turok asked her.
Ahsoka watched Ahkilleon in the next room and gave a half shake half knod, Turok took it as a yes or maybe and went into the cockpit sitting down. Waiting a few moments Chopper rolled by eyeing the trandoshan suspiciously before Turok knew he was gone. Ever so slowly the trandoshan started to move his claws across the dashboard and open a transmission, "Ghost mode initiate, protocol 99 applies, ." The transmitter started to go weird, it wanted to show a holographic image of someone but it was fuzzy, hazy turning the figure into a phantom.
It spoke with a muffle voice, staticy and impossible to identify but Turok already knew who it was "You got my transmission?"
"Yes, we're already reverse engineering the new weapons, and moving our people, and that list…" The voice said.
Shaking his scaled and scared head "Lots of those Jedi— a lot of those people are already gone." Turok said.
"Or with us, the ones who aren't Caliban will find them." The voice said.
"Yeah but what if Ahsoka's right, what if we ain't doing them any favors by finding them, some of them left that life behind, we don't have any right dragging them back in?" Turok asked the voice.
There was a long pause. "We have to try, for the boy's fathers memory, I know you're playing a dangerous game Turok, but the information and people you're sending us while you play rebel will not be forgotten, it won't be like last time, we'll be ready."
"I just hope it's worth it." Turok said starting to get ready to cut the transmission.
"It will be, Militia Invictus." The voice said, Turok paused and then repeated it "Militia Invictus." But what was it, an oath, a farewell, a battle cry, a warning.
To be Continued…