Chapter 45
Mystery of Chopper Base
The Sleeping Army
LOTHAL
Black Wolf Moon
Far away from prying eyes Imperial or Rebel alike, the Militia had returned to the Black Wolf Moon, Reik, Dray, Tai, Kieza, Fairfax and Colin were walking across a walkway deep inside the moon's interior, and beneath them a sleeping army of millions of Battle Droids, "So this is them, the sleeping army of the dragons horde?" Fairfax said looking over at the B2 battle droids covered in dust having laid dormant for over a decade and a half. "What's the official count?" Fairfax asked.
There was a loud bwamming sound that echoed overhead of them, "Take it thats Levithan?" Fairfax asked.
"Yes." a Tactical droid with faded dark blue paint approached them, the droid came up to them holding a holopad, "The Boss wanted me to give you this."
Reik took it, "Thank you soldier." Fairfax said to the droid.
It turned to Fairfax, "Thank you sir, can I be of service to any of you now?"
"How many droids do we have here, B1's and continuing from model up?" Reik asked the droid.
"Roger, roger, the factory produced over 200 billion B1 battle droids, all in storage, fifty billion B2 battle droids, also in storage." the droid said turning around to walk as it guided them on the tour, they left behind the B2 battle droid section and entered into a hangar of sorts, there rows and rows of Vulture droids were on standby heads down "In addition to ground forces, this facility accumulated in over one million vulture droids and varying models of bombers and so on." the droid added walking them to another section; this was a lower hallway with large crates marked BX.
Dray stopped "How many commando droids?"
"Due to the expensive nature of the model, and limited resources of the moon after transmissions ceased, only a measly one hundred thousand BX-models were produced." the tactical droid told them.
The commanders all looked at one another "Measly… well I'm sure you did your best." Reik said smiling.
"Other models and units number around fifty thousand ranging from Magna Guards, buzzard droids and so on." the tactical droid said.
"These numbers are great, but how are we going to get them to surface?" Colin asked looking at the droids in storage, "And how do we even know if they are charging, don't their batteries die down?"
"That's true, droid what's your charging situation like?" Dray asked the tactical droid.
It computed for a few moments, "Charging stations have been deactivated for fifteen years, it will take time to bring them back online?"
"Do it, all of them and start charging the droids." Reik ordered looking at the datapad.
"What about landing them?" Colin asked.
The tactical droid led them down the hallway into a darkened walkway before lights came on flashing bright like the sun rise and above them were ships, hundreds of them "This facility constructed a fleet of over fifty Munificent class frigates, all equipped with their own landing crafts, twenty five Providence class dreadnoughts before resources were diverted for a special project."
"Special project?" Keiza asked. The droid pressed a few buttons on his arms and the walkway lowered down onto a tram system that lit up sending them deeper and deeper into the moon passing by the giant providence dreadnoughts to a dark cavern lined with stone. Fairfax turned on his flashlight as the lights came on for them to reveal a massive ship bigger then anything they have ever seen "What is this monster?" Fairfax asked.
The tactical droid turned "The last of the Subjugator Class Heavy Cruiser its primary armament consists of two superheavy mega-ion cannons located on the port and starboard hull, capable of neutralizing the power systems of entire star fleets, rendering them defenseless. For secondary armament, this vessel is armed with 500 dual turbolasers, twenty forward turret-mounted heavy turbolaser batteries, and twenty forward turret-mounted twin medium turbolaser batteries. Furthermore armed with 200 dorsal, port and starboard turret-mounted twin light turbolaser batteries, 400 turret-mounted point-defense twin light laser cannons, ten forward-mounted proton torpedo launchers, holding five torpedoes, and two forward-mounted heavy tractor beam projectors. Additionally armed with several other ion cannons, flak guns, and an assortment of other weapons. As for defense, the vessels were equipped with a primary deflector shield generator-" "It's a fucking monster." Colin said, looking at the ship.
"It's a flagship." Dray said over to Reik, "One issue with this great and mighty fleet." Reik said leaning on the railing of the tram, "Fuel."
REBEL FLEET
The Recently christened Chopper Base,
Across the stars, in a remote part of space far from any enemy fleets, the rebel fleet had found a home on the small hidden world of Atollon. Atollon was located in an uncharted region in the Lothal sector of the galaxy's Outer Rim Territories, off a major hyperspace route. The planet had a breathable atmosphere, but a hot climate. Despite the dry weather on the rocky surface, which was covered in plated tree corals, the planet featured a freshwater source deep underground. The rebels had made short work establishing a base on the surface a few buildings had already been propped up to house the crews and their supplies.
The Ghost was flying down from the carrier delivering supplies and more with the ships large cargo hold able to make multiple trips "Ghost to Phoenix home, we're heading down with another load." Hera said into the comlink as she flew down.
"Copy, Ghost, I'll meet you on the surface." Sato replied.
"So, one more run, then we'll take a break." Hera asked as Zeb walked in, she looked over her shoulder at him and asked "Are they still at it?"
Zeb shrugged scratching the back of his head "Pretty much non-stop."
Hera got up and walked out of the cockpit as Zeb took over the controls, she later entered the cargo hold to see Ezra and Kanan sparing hard, the two of them were a flurry of blue laser swords clashing against one another in concentrated strikes "Keep your blade up- It's easier to drop it than it is to raise it." Kanan said. Sabine was leaning on the railing watching the contest between master and apprentice as there wasn't much esle to do on the ship but shuttle supplies back and forth to the surface.
Ezra broke away and turned on his sabers pistol mode shooting stun bolts at Kanan, he deflected them saying "You know, that's my move."
"I steal from the best." Ezra said commentating on his past life.
Ezra flipped around Kanan when the man charged and landed on Kanans flank lightsaber at his neck "Gotcha!"
"And I got you." Kanan said his lightsaber held in a reverse grip on Ezra.
Ezra let out a groan, dropping his guard "Tied again?"
"There's no such thing as a "tie"." Kanan insisted to him "You lose, you die.
"Yeah, and you win by killing an Inquisitor." Ezra argued.
"No. You win by surviving." Kanan snapped back.
Before the two could devolve into an argument like they commonly would about these things Sabine interjected with a compliment "You two are getting pretty good."
"Getting? Are you saying we weren't good before?" Ezra asked her, Sabine smirked while Hera pointed out "I think she just meant you're even better now."
"I'll take it." Ezra said before Kanan ignited his lightsaber swung at Ezra before he blocked it.
"Hey!" Ezra blocked the lightsaber blow and Kanan grunted out "You never turn your back on an enemy."
Ezra frowned "Okay. But since when are you my enemy?" Kanan paused for a moment before he said "Let's go again."
Up above on the catwalk Sabine watched for a few more minutes before she headed over to the longue area, she saw Ahkilleon playing Admirals & Armadas with Proxy, "Shouldn't you be training with them?" She asked him, looking over the game, Ahkilleon was playing with a different fleet against an Imperial one, "I am training, look."
Sabine leaned on the table and noticed the fleet consisted of one corvette frigate, three hammerheads and an Imperial carrier. "Is that… Phoenix Squadron?" she asked.
Ahkilleon nodded, "Yep, took Proxy and I little bit but we managed to create a program that made Phoenix Squadron playable pieces, the Imperial pieces were a little harder to come by."
"How did you get this, I thought you said it was illegal?" Sabine asked sitting next to him she scrunched in so close her shoulders and legs pressed on his and for some reason that made the boy blush.
"I downloaded a spare copy before the Phoenix Home was destroyed, the Young Master is so fond of this game I thought it prudent." Proxy said as the droid sent his Star Destroyer at the rebel fleet, he had two support cruisers with him and a series of red nad blue dots that were TIE's and A wings flew around one another like a swarm of gnats.
Sabine watched as Ahkilleon used his fleet's smaller ships to his advantage, the rebel fleets' smaller ships began to fly around the bigger Star Destroyers, then fly away. "You're retreating?" Sabine asked.
"Am I?" Ahkilleon asked.
Proxy's destroyers followed before the hammerheads flew back around and rammed into the flanks of the Imperial ships, Proxy cocked his head and watched as his two support ships were rammed right into the Star Destroyer, it glitched for a split second before one of the support ships blew up followed by the second with his Star Destroyer sustaining massive damage. Ahkilleon smiled before Proxy pressed a button and red defeat signs appeared over the droids destroyer and blue fire works burst open over Ahkilleons fleet signaling victory, "Hmm well they are called Hammerheads for a reason?" Sabine said.
"When I was a youngling, Grandpa Trench taught me that in almost all ancient cultures with militarized navys' ramming was the oldest form of attacking, the reinforced hauls of the Hammerheads bridges are perfect for this kind of attack." Ahkilleon said excitedly about the theory.
Sabine leaned on the table "Think it could be used in a real fight?"
"Sure… once I've done a few more simulations." Ahkilleon said with flushed cheeks as it was still just a theory "But I know if we're going to beat the Empire and stay one step ahead of the Militia, we need to think outside the box." Ahkilleon started to reset the board and Sabine watched him intently with her amber eyes, tucking in her lip she scratched at her trousers as he spoke "Everyone here brings something to the crew, Hera's a great pilot and a great leader, Chopper found this freaking base, Kanan can out think any problem we face, Zeb's more than muscle he can track, he can climb anything, Ezra can use the force to talk to animals I can't-" "What about me?"
He looked at her puzzled "Shut up." He said.
"Excuse me?" Sabine asked him, "What can't you do?" he asked her "You can fight, you can fly, speak multiple alien languages I can too but so not run through blaster fire in beskar armor, aaand shoot the hair off a swamp rat at five hundred yards. Whats the point of being a jedi when you can do all that and you don't need the force?" Ahkilleon asked, Sabine looked at him wide eyed and opened her mouth to speak but couldn't find the words.
"Sabine?" Ahkilleon asked.
She jolted up and then stood up "Well uh, whatever you say Admiral?" She teased before walking out.
Hera noticed her briskly walking out of the room and to her own quarters, before she could close the door Hera caught it, "Everything alright?"
"I'm fine, just uh needed to make sure sensors are ready for the base, before it's to late you know." Sabine said all flustered as she started to work before she buried her head on her desk and scratched behind her blue and turquoise hair.
Hera walked out looking down at Kanan sighing, "You and me both."
LOTHAL
Black Wolf Moon
The militants had returned to Leviathan's chamber, "I've got good news and bad news, who wants which first?" Dray asked knitting his eyebrows, no one looking optimistic about either. "Let's start with the good." Reik said next to Tai who was recovered from her fight with the Inquisitors. Fairfax and his Dragoons stood together like a flock while Kieza and Colin stood there whispering.
"Do we need chairs here if we're doing meetings?" Colin whispered.
"Riiiiight." Keiza replied.
Dray cleared his throat getting his attention "Good news, we have a fleet so massive we can take this entire System along with a droid army that's in pristine condition charging right now, and most likely the surrounding systems."
"That was the good news and the bad news?" Reik asked.
"The nearest fuel depot that we could have raided was already attacked by the rebels, and even if we could we still don't have any ships to get there in mass." Dray added.
Reik grumbled through a bit fist, "Options people?"
"We could attack the Imperial storehouses here on Lothal, but getting the shipment up to the moon would be near impossible with the Imperial fleet on high alert afterwards?" Colin proposed.
He looked to Kieza, "Don't look at me I just shoot stuff sir."
"Fairfax, your our most prominent naval officer, what do you think?" Reik asked him.
"With all do respect Chief Bloodwolf, we can contact the Militia high command and request it, there's no guarantee the Warlords agree to this much fuel for an attack that they haven't sanctioned you'd have to be mad to sign off on it." Fairfax explained to him.
Dray smiled hearing that "Well, good thing I know a madman and a Warlord."
"Which world?" Reik asked.
"Not of any World, the Warlord of Shadows his name is Caliban."
ATOLLON
Chopper Base
The Ghost had made landfall on Atollon the rebel fleet had a few dozen buildings set up in quick pop up buildings that could interlock with one another to make a full structure, one of the hammerheads was already set up and Hera was looking at the base with pride while Kanan either tired from training or something else was stoic "I thought you'd be more excited about our new base."
"We finally have a place to call home." Hera said to him.
Kanan forced a smile at her saying "Trust me, Hera, I'm excited- This is my excited face."
Rolling her pale green eyes she said "Yeah, very nice."
Already waiting for them were Proxy and his new friend the former imperial droid AP-5 "Here's that crate of power generators, AP-5." Hera said walking up to the two droids.
"This shipment was due hours ago." AP-5 said to them, before Chopper said something in binary "So I can expect them to be late all the time then?"
The rebels regrouped with Rex who had been overseeing the construction of the base under one of Atollons larger coral trees that provided them shade, protection and some overall structure to build out from "The site doesn't look like much, I'll admit, the good news is our scouts found
a fresh water source deep underground."
"We're placing sensor markers around the perimeter." Sabine said gesturing to long stakes with computers attached to the top of them that would sense motion "We'll know if anyone drops by unannounced."
As she spoke Zeb noticed a tiny insect with a hard shell scuttling around their supplies "Hey get away from that- How I hate those little bogens." Zeb snapped at the bug.
"This planet may be hot, dry, and unpleasant, but at least there's nothing trying to kill us." Rex said optimistic. Ezra and Ahkilleon had been quiet the whole time and both of the boys looked at one another, not saying a word but knowing the rebels luck was never that good.
"Want to go train a bit?" Ahkilleon asked him.
The two boys started to walk away to get a break from the rest of the crew "If I train anymore my arms will fall off." Ezra replied.
"Well we wouldn't have to, if we didn't go to Malachor." Ahkilleon suggested.
"What did you see that's got you so shaken up, you usually run head first into danger without a second thought?" Ezra asked him.
Ahkilleon stopped avoiding his gaze "I just… don't think we should overestimate our abilities, that's all."
"You didn't answer my question, I saw Master Yoda, Kanan said he saw Temple Guards, what-did-you-see?" Ezra pressed him and Ahkilleon opened his mouth "I saw… a jedi, or he use to be a jedi… okay okay brother." he grabbed Ezra's arm and pulled him away to a secluded spot near the border of the sensor fence.
Ezra pulled away when he new they were to far for anyone to hear them "What is your deal?"
"Alright, so Kanan's told you about lineage right?"
"What?" Ezra asked.
"Lineage Ezra." Ahkilleon said sitting down, he knelt to the dirt and drew two lines "Most of the time, Jedi don't have actual families, so they trace their lineage from their Masters." Ahkilleon said as he drew the lines he made an X on one "This is you." Then he drew the line to the left, going back "This is Kanan." He made another X and then another and another "Depa Billaba, Mace Windu etc. etc."
Ezra interjected quickly "Wait, Windu, didn't he have a purple lightsaber?"
"And apparently a grudge, my lineage is different." Ahkilleon said going to his line above Ezras "There's me." He made his X and then drew a circle around it O, and went back "There's my mom, Ahsoka Tano." Ahkilleon said making the same symbol as he then split the line going into a forked Y and out "During the Clone Wars she had practically had Masters, Anakin Skywalker." Ahkilleon made a Circle and then an X for "Obi-Wan Kenobi."
Ezra sat down across from him and sighed "What does this have to do with what you saw on Lothal in the Temple?"
"I'm getting to it, I swear…" Ahkilleon said "The further these lines go, they all go back to Master Yoda, if you saw Yoda, Kanan talked to Yoda and I'm sure my mom has some how, I should have seen Yoda too." he said sitting down across from him "But I saw someone- something else."
Ahkilleon started to draw in the dirt in front of Ezra, who leaned over to see him draw a line and then another till it made a long faced man with a beard trimmed to a point with a hawk like face with dark eyes "I saw Dooku."
"Who?" Ezra asked.
Ahkilleon's eye twitched "Have Kanan and Hera told you nothing about the clone wars?"
"Other then that they fought droids, the jedi should never have been in it and so on." Ezra replied.
Ahkilleon sat up pressing his hand together and to his lips "Dooku, Count Dooku of Serenno, former Jedi Master Count Dooku started the clone wars."
"Wait, a jedi started the clone wars?" Ezra asked him.
"No, well he wasn't a jedi anymore, he became a Sith Lord like Vader." Ahkilleon said to him "Why did you see a Sith Lord in the Jedi Temple!" Ezra snapped at him.
Ahkilleon hushed him "I don't know- I don't know- I don't know." he said quickly in a whisper, "But Dooku showed me what we'd face on Malachor, well he wasn't the Count Dooku in the clone war, he was younger, dressed as a jedi and the lightsaber he used it was blue in the vision not red." Ahkilleon explained.
"It could be a trick, it is a trick." Ezra said firmly nodding "If the light is helping us then the dark would help the Inquisitors right?" Ezra argued.
"But why show it to me?" Ahkilleon asked him.
Ezra shrugged "We should tell Kanan and Ahsoka, they'd know what it means."
"No, no, no." Ahkilleon said "One word to my mom about this and I'm right back to being on starship detail duty, you guys need me on Malachor."
"Oh so now you want to go?" Ezra asked him.
Ahkilleon shook his head "No I-" suddenly Ahkilleon froze, he looked out into the distance "You feel that?"
"Feel what…. Yeah, somethings up." Ezra said listening to the force.
LOTHAL
Black Wolf Moon
Reik and Dray were waiting inside one of the hidden bases hanger, "You trust this man?" Reik asked him, the hangar was pretty much empty and the cargo door slowly started to open, its large massive doors with moon surface on top and metal behind it grinded open loudly with flashing yellow lights.
"Caliban isn't a man, not anymore, he was once a jedi like me, but he chose to become something more, something else." Dray said as the hangar doors opened.
Reik heard something heavy and made of metal sound off but he didn't see anything. "He's here." Dray said.
"What I don't-" Suddenly Reik saw a flash of blue and appearing out of thin air was a ship in the shape of an arrow with metal shipping crates attached to it, the doors opened and walking out of it dressed in his purple robes, scarf and bandages was the golden faced Caliban. He walked down followed no one but the exhaust from his ships ramp.
Dray bowed, leaning on his cane "Lord Caliban, welcome."
"Commander Dray, you've been busy or so the grapevine says." Caliban said, waving his hand he looked at Reik, "And this is your champion, the fabled Bloodwolf, charmed." Caliban held out his mummified hand and Reik held out his own taking it.
"That's the fuel, Lord Caliban?" Reik asked, looking up at the metal crates.
Caliban looked over and then back at Reik, "It could be, Commander Dray has told me of your situation, quite a fleet you and an army, but… no wavy to move it?"
"We do now." Reik said as they shook hands, Reik started to pull away but Caliban didn't let go of his hand "Do you, and what do I get in exchange?"
Reik pulled his hand away and glared at the cyborg. He looked at Dray who just stared forward at Caliban. This was up to Reik "We're on the same side, but by helping Lothal you'll have my gratitude, forever." Reik said.
Caliban scratched his golden mask's chin, "Oh gratitude, now that's nice, a little vague but I had something else in mind." Caliban said walking over by the metal crates, he knocked on them and inside they could hear the containers full of fuel cells "And what's that?" Reik asked.
Turning back around Caliban pressed his fingertips "My vessel, the Cabal One, is an old ship, took a nasty beating against the Empire recently, I'm in the market for a new one."
'We have plenty to spare." Reik said smiling but Caliban shook his head, "No, only one, Commander Dray has kept me apprised of your situation, the Subjugator, I want the one you have here that in exchange for all the fuel you'd ever need." Caliban said.
Reik's eyes went wide, the Subjugator was the crown jewel of the armada they had in the moon, the flagship for the Lothal Fleet, "... Once we take Lothal, it's yours."
Caliban flung his arms out wide "Wonderful." Clapping both hands, suddenly the hangar had dozens of the stealth ships filling the hangar all of them lined with crates. The doors opened and walking out where Caliban's animal masked shinobi began to unload the crates.
ATOLLON
Chopper Base
Back at the rebels' new base Hera was leaning over a holotable that Sabine was getting hooked onto the power generators, the sun was starting to set on the dry humid planet but other then that everything was in top shape "I can't believe it's all finally coming together. Ships, pilots, a base."
"Everything you need." Kanan said behind her.
"Except you and Ezra." Hera said, facing him"So, when do you leave?
Kanan fixed his jaw and said "As soon as Ahsoka gets back, we can't run from the Inquisitors forever." Kanan told her.
Hera, not happy with it, looked away "I figured it was something like that, with all that training.
Kanan walked over to her so he could look her in the eye "Hera, what you've accomplished here is important. I understand that now, the need for us to be a part of a larger rebellion." he said placing one hand on the holotable leaning it close to hers as if to take her hand "I'm behind you… But none of it will matter if we don't do what we need to do."
Sabine finished setting up the holotable and then interrupted their conversation "All sensors on the Eastern face are in place."
"Good. Have all the pilots checked in?" Hera asked.
"Lieutenant Deiser hasn't come back yet." Sabine said as both Ezra and Ahkilleon came up to the command center.
"Phoenix-6, report. Deiser, do you copy?" Hera pressed a few buttons to bring up the comchannels for the base but no answer came back.
Sabine answered "She was on the North face."
"We'd better go check on her." Rex added stepping up.
"Take The Phantom."
Ahkilleon followed them "I'll go too, Ezra and I felt something was up."
"Felt?" Sabine asked.
"Don't bother, it's a jedi thing." Rex said as they headed to the Phantom.
Later, Rex, Sabine and Ahkilleon were landing where they lost track of Pheonix Six aka Lt. Dicer, they found her a wing abandoned with bogun scurrying around the area. The sensor marker had been placed and Sabine was trying to reach her on her comlink "Spectre-5 to Phoenix-6, where are you? Deiser, come in."
But no answer, Ahkilleon walked around looking for anything out of the ordinary, he had his hand on his lightsaber and felt something was amis.
"Looks like whatever happened, happened right after she placed that sensor." Sabine said as Rex picked up Dicers helmet with a bogun running out of it "Someone else is here." Rex said.
"Or something else- Behind you!" Sabine screamed pointing at the A-wing standing on top of it, twice the size of Zeb with multiple legs two dark black eyes a beak and giant head "SPIDER!" Ahkilleon shouted drawing his lightsaber.
"Do you think it's aggressive?" Rex asked.
Sabine started to shoot at it and the krykna thick white armor absorbed the lasers screeching at them "I'm not waiting to find out!"
"More incoming!" Rex said shooting at them, "Krykna… why krykna." Ahkilleon shouted.
"Get to the ship." Rex ordered. The three of them retreated with Rex covering the two teens, Sabine yelling into her comlink "This is Spectre-5. We're under attack! We need backup-"
They heard Rex scream and one of the krykna had grabbed him "Get off me, you lousy crawler!"
"Rex!" Both teens shouted at the same time. They watched Rex get dragged into a cave with the other krykna following with their prize. Ahkilleon swung his lightsaber at the krykna swarming him and Sabine as she fired from his flank before they were surrounded they were about to be overwhelmed when out of the sky came the Ghost cannons firing down on the krykna sending them retreating back into their caverns.
The specters rushed out into action, lightsabers and blasters drawn, Zeb was reluctant however, holding back ears bent behind his head. "What are you waiting for? Come on!"
"I hate multi-leggers." Zeb cried out.
Ezra came up to Ahkilleon and Sabine "Where's Rex?"
Sabine answered him "Those creatures took him, I think they got Deiser too."
"They're krykna, multi legged creatures they hitch rides on meteors and can nest anywhere, so of course they nest on our new base cause we're lucky like that." Ahkilleon groaned.
Kanan looked over at the caves "Way to be optimistic junior."
"Chopper, locate Rex's position!" The droid computed out a few notes before pointing toward the caves "He says this way."
Zeb held back while everyone headed to the caves "I'll, uh... I'll guard the ship."
"We need you, Zeb, Chopper, stay here and keep the Ghost ready for take-off." Hera ordered him and then Chopper.
Zeb moaned out toward the caves "More than two legs is just excessive."
"Stay sharp and stick together." Hera told them.
"They have tough armor. Aim for the eyes." Sabine added in. They headed deeper and deeper into the caverns the burrow had been carved out with years of digging, and the walls were lined with webs and other gunk.
They came to a fork in the caves and Kanan said "We need to split up. Ezra, go with Hera.
"No. Ezra, Ahkilleon, stay with Kanan. Sabine, Zeb, with me." Hera counter ordered before she gave him a look that it wasn't up for discussion.
"Let's go." Hera said moving on, everyone split up the blasters in one team and lightsabers in another. When the jedi were out of sight, Zeb mumbled out "Shouldn't we have a Jedi on each team?"
"We've gotta get used to not having them around." Hera reluctantly foreshadows their soon to be departure from the rebels.
Elsewhere with the boys and Kanan, they moved down the tunnels the light from their lightsabers keeping them illuminated when out of the shadows came one of the wild krykna spiders, Kanan raised his lightsaber before Ezra jumped out in front of them "Oh, let me try to connect with it."
"I don't think so." Kanan said.
"Trust me, I got this." Ezra said turning off his lightsaber walking toward the spider, "Ezra, I agree with Ironbullhead here, bad idea, bad-idea." Ahilleon echoed.
Ezra looked back hand up and the Krykna pounced, Kanan grabbed Ezra and pulled him back before slicing the spiders front leg off "Hey!" Ezra snapped.
"Maybe I should teach you more common sense!" Kanan said, chasing after the spider.
"I had common sense before you started teaching me!" Ezra barked
"We can argue about this later. Come on!" Kanan snapped.
Ezra turned on his lightsaber following him and Kanan "You always change the subject
when I start winning. Tell him Ahkilleon."
"Can we just save Rex and argue about this later." Ahkilleon shouted at the two of them.
Elsewhere in the caves, Zeb, Herea and Sabine were continuing the search for Rex, "So, everyone knows we can't rely on the Jedi for everything, Kanan and the boys are going to leave soon." Hera said to them.
"Yeah but they'll be back." Zeb said, looking down a corridor with his blaster.
"Just, maybe prepare to say your goodbyes after this." Hera said, looking at Sabine.
Zeb chuckled "I already spoke to Ezra, besides that, they'll be fine."
Suddenly they stepped on something crunchy and looked down to see hundreds of abandoned bogen shells "I don't like the looks of this." Hera muttered.
"Those big crawlers must eat them." Sabine said.
"Ugh. Even I wouldn't wish that fate on these little bogens Ugh." Zeb said when Sabine spotted thousands of small balls on the ground.
"Are those eggs?" Sabine asked.
"I could really use a hand over here."
All three of them looked up to see Captain Rex hanging from krykna legs as one of them was propped up in the ceiling from one of the tunnels "Rex!"
"I met the neighbors, I don't care for 'em." the old man said, more irritated than afraid.
Sabine reached for her comlink "Guys! We found Rex."
Kanans voice echoed out "Good wor, we're coming to you." He said just as they shot at the legs freezing Kanan but the shot echoed out throughout the whole cavern and they heard the clicking and screeching of more krykna, who started to emerge from the various tunnels.
"Actually, I think it's time to go." Zeb said, shooting frantically.
"This way!" Hera said, seeing an opening.
Sabine shouted to all of them "Aim for the eyes!"
"Get back, ya stinkin' crawlers!" Zeb said shooting at them while Rex was tossed one of Sabines pistol shooting at them, Hera led them out before she was cut off by another spider "They're boxing us in."
Suddenly two blue lightsabers and one orange one burst from the ceiling and Kanan dropped down with Ezra and Ahkilleon stabbing at the spiders cutting them a way free "Huh. Glad you could drop in." Sabine said.
"You didn't just say that!" Ahkilleon shouted at her.
Kanan ignored Ahkilleons anger over the pun and shouted "Come on, we'll clear a path!" Kanan said "Ezra with me, Ahkilleon cover our back." The three jedi got into position and started to fight their way free. In a few short but chaotic moments they were out of the caves and running back to the Ghost.
"Chopper, open up! Chopper!" Hera shouted before the ghosts ramp dropped and everyone got inside shooting and slicing at the spiders. Everyone ran into the cockpit and looked out to see all of Chopper base was overrun with the spiders..
"This whole place is infested." Rex said seeing the webs covering their ships and buildings.
"Maybe this base isn't so "perfect" after all." Kanan said.
"I'm not giving up without a fight." Hera said, Ahkilleon reached into his pocket and pulled out the transmitter. He looked at it with his thumb on the switch, one press and they'd have Admiral Trench and who knows how many other reinforcements. Jedi, droids, a whole army?
He looked up to see Hera in the pilot seat getting the ship ready to fly "Hang on!"
"Hera, get us outta here!" Kanan said as the ship tried to take off but it was like some invisible hand was keeping them planted firmly on the ground.
Hera switched off "It's no good! I'm at full power.
"Ah. They must have glued us down."
"Well, we're safe here, right?" Ezra asked
"Sure." Hera said optimistically before Zeb ran to the back of the ship getting onto the Phantom to get on the turrets and started to shoot at the swarming bugs.
Ahkilleon pushed his way up to the front "Hera, I may have a way out of this-" "Keep that in mind, for now route auxiliary power to the hull." Hera told Chopper before the droid did so and a surge of power ran over the haul, shocking the spiders.
"That should knock 'em off." Hera said but the krykna just kept coming.
"It's not working. Hit 'em again!" Kanan told Chopper.
"No." Hera argued "If we drain too much powe we won't be able to lift off."
Kanan spoke up after "I hate to break it to you, but we're not goin' anywhere. We have to go outside and cut the ship free."
"Yeah, fat chance surviving that... Huh?" Zeb snapped.
Ezra hit back over the coms shouting "Oh, that's great, Zeb. I'm gonna get eaten, the last Jedi in the galaxy, chomped up by some crawlers because you were too afraid to go outside."
Ahkilleon came up to Hera again, "Hera, I… I have an idea, it's crazy but it could help, I got this transmitter it could help us?"
"Right, the one your mom gave us, sure could use the Commander right now." Rex said over the comlink.
"Doubt even she could fight off this many spiders." Hera said not knowing what the transmitter was really for.
Sabine looked over at the spiders and said something "We're missing something, why didn't these things attack us before?"
"You're right." Rex said "They could've overrun the base, they didn't come near it."
Sabine looked out of the window and saw the spiders passing by the sensor and avoiding it at all costs "Sensor marker... that's it!"
"Kanan! I think I know why they didn't attack the base- Look! See that marker?" Sabine said pointing to the marker not far from the ship. Kanan spied it and sabine continued "When I was looking for Deiser out there, the creatures wouldn't come anywhere close."
Kanan started to see what she was getting at "They don't like the markers, and the base is surrounded by them!"
"If we can get it, we can use it to hold them off while we clear the ship." Kanan said, Ezra added "Only problem is, how do we get to it?"
Suddenly Rex shouted out "We got a breach! They're coming in the airlock!"
They all ran to the airlock to see a bold krykna prying it open with his long legs, he patted Ahkilleon on the shoulder "We'll hold 'em here. Get out and cut the ship loose!" Rex nodded at Ahkilleon.
Shoving the transmitter in his pocket Rex and Ahkilleon faced the Spider, Rex started to shoot at it and Ahkilleong got close slicing off one of it's legs, he used the force to push the spider back out the airlock but it grabbed onto the doorway with its remaining legs.
"Come on kid, charge!" Rex and Ahkilleon both ran at the spider tackling it out of the window, Rex grabbed onto the doorway just in time and Ahkilleon with the other. But the spider pinched it's two remaining legs on Ahkilelons leg and Rex groaned as the weight was to much.
"Hold on kid, hold on I got- No!" Rex shouted before the weight was too much and Ahkilleon was dragged down out of the ship into open ground along with the krykna. They landed on the hard rocky surface with a heavy thud and Ahkilleon scrambled back to his feet against a canyon wall looking out at a growing number of Kyrkna.
"COME ON THEN!" Ahkilleon shouted running at them.
He stabbed the first krykna that came close to him. And then took out another's legs when they came at his left and right, Rex looked out to see the spiders swarming over his orange lightsaber. Ahkilleon swung his lightsaber in every direction, panting, feeling the frustration of the anger sneaking up on him "No, no, no, not going to give into anger, I can do this." Ahkilleon said as he fought on.
Everywhere he looked he saw the krykna, more and more appearing from underground when he saw one of them shoot webs at him, on instinct he dodged it and then deflected another one by one the spiders would shoot webbing at him and he's either dodge or slice it to ribbons. But as more of it caked on him from the small bits the harder he found it to move. "No." Ahkilleon felt his legs get stuck on some webs and the spiders were getting close. One krykna pounced on him knocking him down he stabbed it through the head with the lightsaber but more were coming he looked for the transmitter but saw it lying a foot away from him. More webs showered on him and he was about to be eaten alive when-
Cannon fire from above, the Ghost was in the air, the rebels had done it and they were coming to get him. The krykna scattered at the heavy laser power before the haul opened and everyone rushed out minus Hera, who was flying the ship.
Sabine came out swinging the sensor marker as Ezra and Kanan cut him free, "Always in need of saving." Ezra said.
"Shut up." Ahkilleon said getting cut free grabbing the transmitter and his lightsaber before they all fell back onto the Ghost.
"That's it! We're clear!" Kanan hollered up. "Get us outta here!"
The Ghost flew into the sky far away from the nightmare of the krykna, everyone breathing easier, Ahkilleon peeling off webs stuck in his white and blue hair, as they came into the cockpit "Guess we should inform Commander Sato our site... might not work out." Ezra said.
"No." Hera said spinning around switching to autopilot "It took everything we had just to find this place. I'm not ready to give it up."
"We're not going to." Kanan agreed "The Rebellion needs this base and we're gonna do whatever it takes to keep it." Kanan said staunchly to the rest of them.
Sabine held up the sensor marker smirking "Don't worry. I'll handle it."
LOTHAL
Black Wolf Moon
The working B1 droids and Militia regulars were prepping the fuel for the ships, long hoses set up on walkways fed down into the number of ships as entire battalions of droids were on the move marching in them. Up above one of them Reik was over seeing it all with Dray beside him "Magnificent isn't it." Dray said.
"Is it?" Reik asked.
"Something wrong?" Suddenly Reik drew his blaster pistol and held it up to Dray who didn't even flinch, "You've been spying on us?"
Dray looked at the pistol and then at Reik, "If by spying, you mean reporting to my superiors yes."
Reik grabbed Dray and pushed him up against the railing and Dray dropped his cane, holding out both hands "How much else have you told them."
"Only what we've seen together, and that Lothal could become the planet that will hold the key to our victory against the Empire." Dray said.
Reik pressed his pistol up under Drays jawline and primed it, "First the general and now this Caliban, do we rule Lothal or do they?"
The commander held his hands out still showing no intention of resisting, "You have your fuel, you have your fleet and army, you don't need me anymore so why not just pull the trigger?" Dray asked, the look in Reiks eye was a whirlpool of emotions before he pulled his pistol away.
"Because… we wouldn't have gotten half as far without you, but why didn't you tell me?" Reik asked.
Dray leaned on the railing and picked up his cane to steady himself, "I have superiors I need to report to." Dray said "The reason I didn't tell you was for your own safety, The Militia may be united but there are factions inside the Militia, powerful ones who you need on your side, Caliban represents one such faction better to have him as an ally then an enemy."
"So for all that talk about the unity of the Militia, your just like the rebels." Reik accused.
Dray took that personally "I'm nothing like them."
"They run and hide, picking scabs at the Empire, we fight with everything we can, the Militia will free this Galaxy from the Empire, not the rebellion, the rebels are the past, we are the future my brother." Dray grabbed his arm and squeezed it "But we must do it, smart."
"Give Caliban the subjugator and you have a powerful ally, as Warlord of Lothal you will rule this planet and you must make tough calls, that is the burden of leadership." Dray told him as they watched more battle droids awaken and march onto the ship "And are you with me, or are you with them?" Reik asked.
Dray looked forward, "I've spent so many years of my life moving from one planet to the next, helping other militias form, smuggling, stealing, spying, killing all for the Militia. But this Lothal, it's got a hold on me now, and to you." Reik felt Dray's hand touch his arm and lower down to his hand in solidarity "Militia-... Lothal Invictus."
"Lothal Invictus."
ATOLLON
Chopper Base
The sun was rising over Atollon, the nightmare from the night before had started to subside and the rebel troopers were starting to set up Sabine sensors as a makeshift fence that kept the krykna away from the base. "I think your fence is gonna hold." Kanan said behind Sabine.
The girl not one for keeping her thoughts to herself, remembered what happened in the caves "You'd better go talk to Hera." she said.
"Why? What's wrong?" he asked.
Sabine flung her arms in the air and looked at the man like he was daft "Kanan, wake up! She might agree with your mission, but you're still walking out… and taking the boys with you." Kanan heard her and sighed, shaking his head, he knew he'd have to do it sooner or later. He spotted Hera in the distance and walked out to her.
Sabine watched the two talk, a few words that was meant only for them and then finally an embrace in the sunset and she smiled, shaking her head, she headed back into the base and looked around for someone in particular, she suddenly saw Zeb looking at her from a distance with a shaking head "What?" she asked approaching him, "Nothing, just thinking you should hurry up before he leaves too."
"Ezra can take care of himself." Sabine said arms folded.
"Not him, him." Zeb said smirking at her with a wink "Him… what who him?" Sabine asked blushing.
Rolling his cat like eyes, Zeb face palmed "Oh karabast, you humans are all dense as that armor."
"Zeb, I don't know what your talking about." she said flustered he walked over to her "Oh come off it Sabine, we all see how you two look at one another, nothing wrong with it." Zeb said patting her on the shoulder she punched his arm away and glared at him, holding up both paws in defense Zeb showed he wasn't about to fight her.
She softened and he said "I… I'm not good that kind of stuff."
"Hehe, don't worry about it kid." Zeb said arm on her shoulder.
Elsewhere, Ezra and Ahkilleon were outside one of the fences looking at the krykna, Ezra was looking at them sitting legs crossed next to Ahkilleon, he watched Ezra reach his hand out trying to connect with the spider nearest to the fence when it snapped at him screeching "Whoa- Fine. I guess we won't be friends."
Ahkilleon laughed out loud seeing the spider scuttle off and said "Ezra, one of these days you're going to get eaten by those creatures you try to connect with."
"You got eaten by a Rancor on Nar Shaddaa?" Ezra said laying down on the dirt, "Yeah, but I wasn't trying to be friends with it, though I bet that would be pretty cool a jedi riding a Rancor into battle?" Ahkilleon chuckled.
Ezra looked over at him, "Hey about what we talked about before?"
"You said we need you on Malachor, but all this time since Lothal you've been against us going?" Ezra asked him.
"I am." Ahkilleon said "But I'm not going to let you face it alone, confronting fear is what Jedi do, and you know I'm with you to the end brother." Ahkilleon said arm out stretched and Ezra took it the two of them helping one another up when they saw Ahsoka approaching them.
"Ahsoka?" Ezra said "Mom, you're back?" Ahkilleon asked.
"I see the base is coming along nicely." Ahsoka said to the two of them.
Ezra looked back over at the krykna "Yeah. Um, these creatures almost ruined it though, no matter what I do, I can't seem to connect with them." Ezra said watching the krykna go back into the dry rocky desert.
"In my experience, just when you think you understand the Force, you find out how little you actually know."
"I don't think I ever understood the Force to begin with." Ezra said.
Ahsoka smiled before she walked alongside both of them "We should get going."
They headed back to the other rebels, Commander Sato was leaving down a shuttle and inspection the base, Hera and Kanan were speaking to them alongside Rex and Sabine who were explaining the fence. Sato nodded and later the Specters and Rex approached them "Welcome to Chopper Base Ahsoka." Hera said.
Ahsoka looked around "It's quite the spot, Ezra was telling me you had some trouble with the local wildlife?"
"Yeah, those krykna nearly ended us." Sabine said.
"We almost called you for help." Rex said looking at Ahkilleon, he went pale and Ahsoka felt something off in her sons composure, "Really, how?" she asked.
Rex cocked his brow "With the personal transmitter you gave him?" Rex asked her.
"What personal transmitter?" Ahsoka asked.
Everyone then looked from mother to son, "Ahkilleon?" Hera asked.
He said nothing and looked at everyone who were curious to what was al the confusion for, "That transmitter is for the Commander right?" Rex asked.
"Ahkilleon, what transmitter?" Ahsoka asked him. She stared at him sternly and he "What transmitter?" Ahsoka asked more intently.
Ezra nudged him and Ahkilleon reached into his pocket and pulled out the transmitter, Ahsoka snatched it from him and looked at it "What kind of transmitter is this, where did you get this?" Ahsoka asked him "Ahkilleon?"
"It- I… Admiral Trench gave it to me."
"WHAT?" Hera snapped at him "Since when?" Kanan asked, he looked at Kanan and with sorrowful eyes he said "Since… since the fuel raid with the Purgill."
Hera went paler than her usual shade of green "They could have used that to track us, they could be using it right now, how could you be so stupid in taking it?"
"I never used it, I didn't use it when we were captured by them or when I was on Nar Shaddaa, the Admiral wouldn't do that'' Ahkilleon argued back "The Admiral is part of the Militia, this could compromise the whole Militia." Kanan argued "Enough." Ahsoka said to all of them getting between Ahskilleon and them.
Ahsoka squeezed the transmitter tightly in her fist, "Sabine." She said tossing it to the rebels tech expert, "See if it's sending off any signal."
"Can't believe you took that spiders help kid." Zeb muttered under his breath. "If you had used it with the krykna we'd be crawling with Militia instead of those things, and personally I'd take the multi leggers."
Ahkilleon bit his lip and starred at the ground, Sabine cracked the transmitter open and looked it over the wiring, there were some lights but nothing flashing, "Nothing, the transmitter is built to be activated by pressing this button here, this thing is dormant."
Hera sighed in relief, "It doesn't change the fact you've been holding onto Militia tech and you never told us, I'm sorry Ahsoka but we can't let this slide-" "We won't." Ahsoka said.
"Mom?" Ahkilleon asked.
She grabbed her son by the arm and took him away from the others, they were led away from the rebels and to the very edge of the base, Ahsoka let go of him and walked forward pacing herself, hands on her hips "How could you be so… so…." "Stupid?" Ahkilleon asked.
"YES!" she snapped turning around arms extended out at him "Ahkilleon you know better then this, if that transmitter had been active this whole base, all the work we just did, it would have been… been for nothing, you would have betrayed the lives of every man and woman here!" Ahsoka flung her arms in the air "Wh- why, what did I do, why do you do these things Ahkilleon, Trench is no better than Asimov."
Ahkilleon's eyes widened "We've known Trench for years, you left me with him to keep me safe?"
"And he lied to us, just like Turok did, all this time they lied, they were using the rebellion to gain intel, and they'll use you too, just-" "Just like how the Jedi Council used you, used dad?" Ahkilleon snapped.
Ahsoka was speechless "That's not fair?"
"Isn't it?" Ahkilleon asked her "Is what Asimov said wrong, you and dad were kids when they sent you into the Clone Wars, right, how is this any different?" Ahkilleon asked, gesturing back to the rebel base "Because… because…." Ahsoka started to think of a reason.
"Because what-" "BECAUSE YOUR ALL I HAVE LEFT AHKILLEON!" Ahsoka's scream was loud enough to freeze Ahkilleon in his place, she walked up to him and knelt putting her hands on his arms and "My boy." She then put them on his cheeks, her thumbs stroking the markings on his cheeks and the one on his nose mimicking her togruta marks "My child, you're all I have left to remember your father, my Master, his master." She was close to crying she shut her eyes and for the first time ever Ahkilleon saw a tear run down his mothers cheek "This Galaxy, it's dark, it's cruel and so much bigger then any of us, but there's so much light when I see you, and it'll only grow stronger if you let it. I don't want you to make the same mistakes the Jedi did before us, it's why I walked away, I need you to understand everything I've done, everything the rebellion is doing is so you don't have to have the future I did." Ahsoka said before she hugged him like it was the last time she ever would.
It very well could be.