The suite he lived in had a spacious living room, with a couch, desk, and holocomm terminal. The master bedroom had a king-size berth, a balcony with a fine view of the spaceport and the skyline, and an en suite bathroom with both a tub and a shower. Five other rooms, of slightly less but still luxurious, each consisted of a bedroom, a living room with a couch and a stand-up shower.
Needless to say, all of the girls were staring all about them at the level of prestige that he correctly guessed none of them had ever seen before. Ezra smiled at their reactions, which had been his reaction too when he had first taken ownership of it. All three of them turned to look at him when he spoke. "You're more than welcome to take a room each and use the showers. I'll see if I can find you any clean clothes. In the meantime, I need to take care of something."
"How do we know you don't mean us?" asked the orange Twi'lek, suspicion in her eyes. "Just because you've brought us here doesn't mean you can do what you like." "Don't be an idiot," the other alien girl shot back with a glare. "If he was going to do anything, which he isn't, I'm quite sure, then he would have done so by now." "You seem pretty convinced," the red-haired girl muttered.
"I'm surprised you're not," Ezra replied, walking over to the terminal and starting to type in the contact code he had been given before leaving. He could feel the girl's eyes on him as he did this, not to mention feel the waves of suspicion coming off of her through the Force. But there was also a touch of curiosity, no doubt as to what he meant. "What do you mean by that?" she asked. Ezra paused in typing in the code. The only person who was supposed to have known who he really was was Gamreq.
Unfortunately, circumstances had gotten the purple Twi'lek involved but it seemed that she was willing to keep her mouth shut out of both curiosity and the fact that her unknown savior, whoever he was, was her ticket off of the planet and away from Groddel's control. No mission ever went one hundred percent perfectly, he knew that from personal experience, but he had hoped to complete this one without any interference.
However, he had only been able to succeed by taking the three girls into his confidence. And given who the red-haired girl was, would he really be taking such a big risk with exposing his real identity to her...? No, he wouldn't. After finishing typing in the contact code, Ezra stepped back, allowing the terminal to do the rest, and turned to face the girls. Or more specifically, the only other human in the apartment at that moment in time.
But then again he had always described himself as being happy-go-lucky throughout his years as a street rat and with the Ghost Crew, even if it had been to Kanan's chagrin. Taking a breath, Ezra turned to the girls, brought his hands up and pulled off his helmet exposing his face and held it at his side. His physical appearance hadn't really changed much since joining the Rebellion save for that his body had filled out and he was taller.
That was mainly due to the fact that he was now getting proper meals instead of having to just scavenge what he could find on the streets or steal from stores and the like. Probably the most notable change were the twin scars on his left cheek courtesy of the Grand Inquisitor. Finally, his hair was slightly shorter, that had mainly been at Kanan's insistence as it had been customary for Padawans to have their hair cut short. Thankfully, Ezra had been spared what he considered a scandalous proposal.
All three of the girls were staring at him with wide eyes, the human girl in particular, kept staring at the boy before them even after her companions had stopped doing so. No way, she thought, Are my eyes playing tricks on me? "Hello, my name is Moreena Krai," Ezra said with a smile. "It's been a long time hasn't it?" The jaw of the girl who he called this name dropped open as she continued to stare at the blue- haired boy for what felt like forever.
The other two occupants in the room just stood there, glancing from one teenager to the other then back again, having no idea what was going on. "Moreena?" Ezra asked, starting to get a little concerned that he may have given her a shock. "...Ezra?" Moreena responded after the longest of times, a glint appearing in her eyes. He nodded, his smile widening. Suddenly, without warning, the teenage girl let out a yell of excitement, which made the Twi'leks jump, and ran straight into the young man's arms.
As they hugged each other, the alien girls stood there, only this time, their mouths were moving wordlessly and their eyebrows were scrunched together as they tried to make heads or tails of what they were witnessing. Then the two teenagers broke away from each other. "What are you doing here!?" Moreena asked, grinning from ear to ear. "On a mission for the Rebel Alliance. What are you doing here? I thought you'd gone to Alderaan with your family," said Ezra.
"I did, but I got caught by some bandits who wanted to make some quick credits. One moment I'm walking along and the next someone knocks me out and I'm waking up behind bars on my way to this starforsaken part of the Galaxy." She paused as she looked him over. "What happened to you?" asked Moreena, gently tracing the scars on Ezra's left cheek. "Lightsaber. Courtesy of the now deceased Grand Inquisitor of the Imperial Inquisition," Ezra replied.
He saw Moreena's eyes widen. "I've heard about them but I never thought they actually existed." "Well take it from me, they do," her friend replied. "Okay, hold it! Hold it!" said the orange Twi'lek, waving her hands about. "What's going on here? Because we clearly missed something." Ezra and Moreena stopped their reunion and turned to look at their other companions. "This is Moreena," Ezra explained, introducing the human girl.
"She was my good friend back when we were both living on Lothal." "Oh," said the female alien in understanding." "No worries. And you two are?" the boy asked, raising an eyebrow. "Juli. Juli Rodull," the purple one replied with a small bow and a smile. "And I'm grateful for what you did in helping me out back in the club. Few muster the courage to stand up to Groddel and even fewer live to tell about it." "I'll say," agreed her fellow Twi'lek.
"I'm Basuna by the way, Basuna Dukara. And I would like to know what you mean by "on a mission for the Rebel Alliance" and what it has to do with us?" "It's a long story," said Ezra. "And as for what it has to do with you lot, well... nothing unless you have something in mind." Basuna stared at him in shock. "You mean that?" There was a genuine note of curiousness in her voice and in her eyes. Ezra nodded.
"Considering I'm only here for a few more days, once you're off this planet the choice is up to you what you do next." The two Twi'leks looked at each other for a few moments, having a silent discussion. "But, if you want my honest opinion," the boy continued, "I think what you, all three of you need, is a shower, no offence but you're starting to smell a bit." "On that we can agree," Juli muttered as she, Basuna and Moreena realised the truth of what he was saying.
The two alien girls immediately walked off into each of the adjoining rooms, the prospect of getting a good cleanup putting a smile on their faces. Once they were out of sight, Moreena suddenly hugged Ezra tightly, more so than she had done so before, surprising him. "Mo? Is everything alright?" he asked. "It's like you're back from the dead," the red-haired girl said quietly. Then she looked at him. "You don't know how much this means to me," said Moreena.
"Hey, it's okay," said Ezra with a comforting smile. "I've really missed you," she continued and nuzzled into his chest and tightened her hold, afraid he might disappear on her. It should go with saying that Ezra was taken aback by his old friend's boldness for an instant, before he reciprocated the hug. "I've missed you too," he replied. They stayed that way for a few more minutes before they released each other.
By that time the sound of running water could be heard signifying that both Juli and Basuna had gotten into the showers inside their chosen respective rooms and were no doubt thoroughly enjoying themselves, grateful for the ability to clean themselves. "Something tells me that you should follow their example and get cleaned up," said Ezra, pulling away from her. "I'll see what I can find in the way of clean clothes for you. Though I guess anything will be better for you considering what you're already wearing."
"I'll say," agreed Moreena, looking herself and the outfit she was clad in over. Suddenly a smirk appeared and she looked back at Ezra, only now with a seductive look on her face. "Uhh, Mo? What's with that look?" the boy asked, looking confused. "Weeeell, what do you think of it, Ezzie?" she asked with a smirk. "How do I look?" "Umm, uhh... very pretty?" he replied, a hint of red starting to appear on his cheeks. "Really?" Moreena asked, taking a small step closer.
"Yes..." Ezra replied, his face beginning to slowly turn crimson. "You know what...? I kinda like it..." said Moreena. "I know we just reunited, but maybe I should wear it more often." "Uh..." the blue-haired boy stuttered as she stepped closer. "Every day... every hour..." "Aaaah..." "Should I try to sleep with it on?" By now Ezra was certain that his face was doing a perfect impression of a tomato and his outfit was once again beginning to feel tight and constricting, particularly around his throat.
His situation wasn't helped by the fact that Moreena had now reached him and was slowly starting to ever so slightly lean in towards him with a coy look on her face. "I... I don't know," was all he could get out. "Or maybe you want to be the only one who can see me like this?" "I... I..." Silence fell for all of two seconds or so before the red-haired girl burst out into a fit of laughter which was so hard that she had to lean against the holo terminal for support.
Ezra was quiet for a bit longer until he too saw the funny side of the whole thing and joined in with his own laughter. The two old friends continued to do so until they finally calmed down enough to speak, with big smiles on their faces. "Oh... Oh... I-I'm so *ha ha* sorry, Ezra," Moreen apologized, "but I just couldn't resist." "Nothing at all, Mo," the boy replied. "I should have expected something like that from you anyways."
They continued to chuckle for a few more minutes until the latter went off to take a shower. Left alone, Ezra went about removing his Red Dagger costume and placing it on a stand inside the wardrobe in his bedroom and changing into his usual, and more customary, outfit. He had grown out of his typical orange jumpsuit and the white and brown padding on his legs. Now, he wore a dark olive green t-shirt underneath a black long sleeved one that folded over at the front.
On top of both he was an orange jack with an earth brown patch around the collar and along and around the bottom of the rim. Six metal clips were on the front with three on each side and the crest of the Rebellion, the Starbird, was emblazoned on the left breast in yellow ringed in black along with four triangles that pointed downwards with the top one having a black dot in the middle.
The jacket also had earth brown cuffs and rectangular pads on the upper forearms that were thicker at the top. On his hands he wore dark grey gloves while the sheaths for his fingers were a golden yellow and had weather silver grey armour plates on top. He wore black trousers with a single dark golden yellow stripe going down the side and dark earth brown thigh tall boots that featured dark grey plates on the front and at the front above where his toes and behind his ankles for protection.
On each knee he wore a dark bronze-gold knee plate above each boot which had six holes in them. Completing his attire was a leather holster strapped to his thigh for the DL-44 heavy blaster pistol he carried and two belts wrapped around his middle. The first one went around his waist as was normal for such a piece of clothing and held two pouches on either side at the front and a circular loop for his commlink while the second was at an angle with a larger pouch used to carry his lightsaber due to its design.
He forgoed wearing much of the latter parts of his outfit, simply settling for the t-shirt, long sleeved one, and trousers. However, he did put the holster on just for safety precautions as he knew far better than to be unarmed on a planet controlled by both a Hutt and the Empire. Letting out a sigh, mainly as he now felt more comfortable, Ezra stepped out of the wardrobe and walked out of the bedroom and over to the holo terminal to wait.
A few minutes later, the projector in the middle flickered before a voice spoke. "Blue Supernova calling Double Luna. Blue Supernova calling Double Luna." These were the respective code names that had been assigned to him. "Double Luna receiving you loud and clear, Blue Supernova," Ezra said crisply. The projector flickered once again before the pale blue holographic image of Commander Sato appeared above it.
"Corporal Bridger, I trust your mission has been a success?" he asked. Ezra saluted before replying, "Yes, sir. I have the intel and my cover has remained intact." He saw a glint of what he hoped was impressment in Sato's eyes before continuing. "It's just as we suspected, sir. Groddel is allowed to run his operations here as he pleases provided that he gives the Empire a share of the spoils." Sato nodded once again.
Just as he opened his mouth to respond he stopped and closed it. It took the blue-haired boy a few moments to wonder what had happened until he realised that he had heard the sound of running water coming from the showers. "I hope I haven't interrupted anything, have I Corporal Bridger? I know you are on a planet controlled by a Hutt, but indulging in your vices wasn't on the mission briefing."
The question was soft, but there was a definitely sharp undertone that Ezra had heard before. Back then he had quailed in front of its owner and stammered out excuse after excuse. That had mainly been when he and the Ghost Crew had first joined the Rebellion at large. Of course, that had been then, and this was now. "Nothing at all, sir," Ezra replied calmly. "It's just that there were... complications, for lack of a better term, when the exchange was made.
Gamreq, my contact, wanted ten thousand instead of the five thousand you gave me, it was at that point that Groddel-" "-brought me and Basuna out and showed us off like pieces of meat," said Moreena as she stepped into view and walked up to stand beside Ezra. She had gratefully ditched the outfit she had been wearing and was now clad in a slate grey long sleeved t-shirt and black jeans.
"And Ezra here saved us from being the plaything of some wastoid-faced slave driver," the girl continued." Commander Sato's eyebrows rose and his expression changed. "I see. And who might you be if I may ask?" he asked. "This is Moreena Krai, sir," Ezra replied. "She's my childhood friend from Lothal, she and her family left to live with her grandmother on Alderaan a few days before I met Hera and the Ghost Crew." Sato's gaze flicked back to the redhead.
"It's true, sir," Moreena confirmed with a nod. "I was out for a walk when a bunch of Clawdites knocked me out and bundled me into a bag. My parents and grandmother are probably worried sick though I doubt they got much help from the Imperial law enforcement." "Agreed," said Ezra. "I know only too well what they're like, we all do, and there's very little to no chance that they're gonna waste time and effort in trying to find a single person of the working class, especially a farmer's daughter at that."
The sound of footsteps got their attention and Basuna and Juli came in, both looking far more refreshed than they had been earlier that evening and in clean clothes; the former was wearing a white t-shirt that resembled a tunic and a pair of crimson red jeans. Beside her, the latter was also wearing jeans except that hers were a blue-grey colour and the shirt she wore was a cream yellow. "Likewise," agreed the orange Twi'lek.
"More so considering that our home planet is Ryloth, I think that's self-explanatory enough." "Indeed," said Commander Sato. He looked back at Ezra. "You say you saved these three ladies from an auction inside the nightclub where you met the contact?" "Yes, sir. I couldn't let them suffer such a fate, Mo here especially. As for what she, Basuna and Juli are going to do next, well, the least we can do is try and get them home once my mission is over.
The Rebel Alliance isn't for everyone." Sato nodded. "Indeed, corporal." "That's what you think." Ezra, in shock, turned his head to look at Moreena who had a look of determination on her face. "Mo... are... are you sure?" he asked. "Never have been," the red-haired girl replied firmly. "I lost you once Ezra Bridger and there is no way that I am losing you again." For a few moments the young man was silent before a smile appeared on his face and put his hand out.
"Well then, welcome to the Rebellion, Moreena Krai." The girl returned the smile and clasped his hand firmly. "Thanks, Ezra Bridger." "The same goes for us," added Basuna while Juli nodded in silent agreement. "As much as it would mean to us going home, we're far better off staying with you. Besides, we do owe you for what you did back there," she continued. "Excellent," said Sato with a look of approval on his face.
"Very well done, Corporal Bridger, it seems that your mission has gained more than just what you were sent to acquire." Ezra smiled and nodded. Such praise from the rebel commander was rare, especially for him of all people. "Speaking of which," the man said, becoming serious once again. "Now that you have the data -tape I trust you will soon be taking your leave of Lunzomia?" he asked. "Yes, sir," replied Ezra. "As soon as tomorrow's auction is concluded."
He saw the commander raise an eyebrow in a silent question. "There's a new shipment of slaves coming in, some will be sold and some will be sent to fight in the arena," the boy explained, "it's the perfect opportunity to try and see if any of them will join us." Besides, as the "Red Dagger", Groddel, or whichever of his underlings, he choses will be expecting me to show up, as will the Imperial Governor, Sancolt." Ezra knew that this was pushing the boundaries of both the mission parameters and his own authority.
This was, as he full well knew, due to his earlier stunts and "loose cannon" attitude. Though he had matured a bit since then, mainly thanks to Kanan's training and spending time with the rest of the Ghost Crew, Sato still seemed to regard him with disdain. "Understood. Very well, Corporal Bridger, take necessary steps in order to complete your mission." Once again Ezra saluted which the Rebel Commander returned before the hologram flickered and his image disappeared.
Ezra turned to the three girls. "Well, that went far better than I thought it would," he said. "Let me guess, you didn't make the best first impression when you first met him, did you?" Moreena said with a smirk. "Yeah... That pretty much sums it up," the boy replied. He scratched the back of his head as he said this and all three girls chuckled together. Clearing his throat, Ezra decided to move onto a different topic. "How about something to eat?" he asked.
"You're probably starving right now." As if on cue a loud growl made them look round before they rested their eyes on Juli and realised that it had been her stomach. She blushed, her already dark purple skin taking on an even darker shade, so much so that it practically turned her skin black. "My apologies, I haven't eaten a good meal since, well... before I was kidnapped from my home planet," she explained.
Ezra laughed. "Come on then, no point in standing here and wasting time. Follow me." And he walked out of the room with the trio following after him. The kitchen itself was a combination of an L-shaped worktop with a row of cupboards above and more cupboards, an oven and a dishwasher below it. A bowl containing various fruits, mainly jogans, plums and, to Ezra's amusement, a couple of meilooruns.
He made a mental note to remember to tell the girls, Moreena in particular, how he and Zeb had gone out on a supply run after annoying Hera with their antics, even though the real culprit had been Chopper who had unscrewed the bolts from the bunk bed frame that they shared. The result had been the boy falling down on top of the still asleep Lasat and waking him up, something you did not do. Not unless you wanted to end up with broken bones or a broken neck. But that could come later.
Right now, dinner was on his mind and he was grateful that he had learned how to cook from Hera beforehand or the boy would have probably starved. About half an hour or so later he had whipped up a couple of seasoned deep-fried nuna legs along with a bowl of salad. It should go without saying that the smell of cooked meat had his guests all but salivating and rubbing their hands together and eager to start eating.
Moreena had pitched in with arranging the table and four soda drinks from the fridge. To their credit, Basuna and Juli were patient whilst these preparations were being made and waited until the two humans were seated before they tucked in. Ezra had to stop and laugh at how hungry they were, even Moreena surprised herself by eating as much food as she could. "You three could give Zeb a run for his money right now," he chuckled.
This made all three stop and look at him, then at each other before they swallowed what was in their mouths and smiled sheepishly whilst blushing in embarrassment. "Sorry," Moreena replied. "But this is just so good!" "I'll say!" agreed Juli. "You really know how to cook Ezra!" The young man laughed. "You can thank Hera Syndulla personally for that when we get back to the fleet in a few days," he said.
"That's what I've been wanting to ask," said Basuna, cutting a piece of meat. "What are your friends like? You haven't really mentioned them in much detail," she added, stabbing the piece with a fork and popping it into her mouth. Ezra put down his cutlery and thought for a moment. "Well, they're a mixed bag to put it both figuratively and literally considering that they're all from different races. Hera's a great pilot, and she knows it. Kanan's taught me a lot as well as keeping my skills on point.
Sabine's our explosive expert and an artist in her spare time, though I'm quite sure that you can imagine how close those two run. Zeb's our muscle. He can be a bit of a grouch, especially if you wake him up at the wrong time, I learned that to my peril." The girls all giggled at that. "And then there's Chopper, he's our astromech droid. To say that he's a menace would be like saying that Rancor's aren't carnivores, but he's got a good heart, helped us out of many a jam and he's a useful member of the team."
"Well, they certainly sound like quite the bunch," said Moreena. "But I'm curious, what do you mean by Kanan "teaching you a lot". Does he not have a specific role?" Ezra, who had cut and was currently eating another piece, paused in his chewing. Outwardly he pretended to apparently be in deep thought while, inwardly, he was berating himself for not realising that the girl, who knew him far better than nearly anyone else in the Galaxy, would catch on to the fact that he had left something out on purpose.
After all, the fact that he was training to be a Jedi and could use the Force wasn't something he just told anyone. Heck, much of my training was learning to keep it under control, Ezra thought to himself as he continued to chew. But again, this was Moreena Krai he was thinking of answering too, his oldest and best friend to boot. Basuna and Juli had proven that they too could be trusted with need to know information, mainly that he was an agent of the Rebel Alliance.
Sighing, and knowing that the best thing was to be honest, he raised his right hand and focused on the quarter full bowl of salad in the middle of the table. The girls all watched with some confusion at what he was doing until, to their complete disbelief, the bowl rose up into the air. Their mouths dropped open in shock as they watched what was playing out before them. "H-H- How...?" was all Basuna could get out before Ezra set the object down again and looked round at them.
"That was the Force," he replied simply. "The Force?" The bewildered look on Moreena's face was understandable. Basuna and Juli, however, were looking far more excited. "Just like a Jedi! You're a Jedi aren't you!" the pair cried in excitement. Moreena turned to look at them, her gaze even more confused than before. "Jedi?" she said in complete disbelief. "But that's impossible. First off, they're supposed to be all dead, and second, how do you two know that was the Force?"
"The Jedi Order played a pivotal part in the liberation and defence of Ryloth during the Clone Wars," said Basuna excitedly. "I was only a young girl at the time, nine or ten I think, but I can remember my parents telling me stories about what they were capable of," the orange Twi'lek continued. "Besides, there's no way that the Empire could have wiped out all of them, at least not without a fight." "Basuna's right," replied Ezra with a smile.
"Kanan was a Padawan when Order 66 happened. It was only thanks to his master that he got away." "I'm guessing that he doesn't like to talk about it much," ventured Juli. The blue-haired boy shook his head. "No, he doesn't, but he's willing to train me. Well... as long as I try." "Is it just him?" "No, Ahsoka Tano's with us as well." "WHO?!" The two alien girls cried, making Moreena jump. "Uhh, should I ask why you two reacted like that?" she asked.
"Ahsoka Tano was the Padawan of the famous Anakin Skywalker," explained Basuna. "You'd have to be pretty out of society to not have heard of him. No offence?" "Very funny," the human girl muttered, stabbing another piece of nuna and began to chew on it with deliberation. "All joking aside," said Ezra, "yes, Ashoka is with the Rebel Alliance and was the ever mysterious "Fulcrum" who gave us intel and missions until after we rescued Kanan from the Grand Inquisitor."
He said the last two words with a slight frown. "Still in pain?" Moreena asked, reaching across the table and gently taking his left hand into her right one. "Yeah. Physical wounds can heal pretty easily, emotional ones, not so much," Ezra replied. "What makes it even more so is that he was once a Jedi himself." All three girls raised eyebrows at this. "He was?" quizzed Juli. "Most of the Imperial Inquisition are," he explained.
"Kanan told me that they're Jedi who were captured by the Empire during its rise and forced into serving the Emperor as his dark servants." Silence fell as this information was processed by the girls. "You think there's more of them out there?" Basuna asked. "Probably," Ezra replied. "Considering that they most likely operate in a hierarchy system several of them will be trying to attain their former leader's position."
"Yeesh, talk about a vicious circle," muttered Moreena. "My thoughts exactly," the young man agreed. "Anyways, we better finish up here and then think about getting some sleep, I've a busy day tomorrow, not to mention I've got to get the Phantom prepped to fly us all out." Moreena, Basuna and Juli all nodded in agreement. The rest of the meal passed in relative silence apart from the chink of cutlery on the plates and the chewing of food.
Once the plates had been washed and put away, the two Twi'leks headed to their respective rooms to rest. Ezra watched them go before heading into his own room. Sitting down on the bed, he pulled off his boots, leaving him in his socks, and placed them neatly next to the nightstand before glancing up at the time. 22:02 was what it read. "Not as late as I thought," he said to himself.
He sat in silence for a few minutes before getting up and walked out onto the balcony. Folding his arms he rested himself on the rail and stared out over the space port. Away in the distance, a dark tower, dotted here and there with lights, mainly red and white, could be seen rising up from behind some hills. That was the Imperial base, complete with airfield, barracks and other facilities present with such setups.
He and the Ghost Crew had raided several like it on Lothal and other habitable planets in the system for both what intelligence they could scavenge and to do what damage they could to the Empire in their part of the Galaxy. Much of the city was lit up like a forest of Life Day trees, not that he was surprised. It reminded him of many nights spent up on the top floor of his communications tower back on Lothal, the one his parents had used to broadcast their messages of dissidence across the stars.
Ezra closed his eyes and let out a sigh. To say that he missed them would be one of the greatest understatements in galactic history. However, the young man was extremely grateful to Sabine for finding that picture and giving it to him. It was one of the most precious things he had in his life, another being his friendship with the Ghost Crew and now once again having Moreena Krai by his side. That was a gift in itself, one that he had given to himself.
Casting his gaze around the city's buildings, his blue eyes came to rest on the club, still alight and making enough noise to rival that of a stampede of Banthas in a thunderstorm, where he had rescued her and Basuna, and Juli from the sample auction. Speaking of which, the real auction would be tomorrow and the stakes would be a lot higher than just rescuing an old childhood friend and two others.
Their decision to join the Rebellion was their own, even though they had been given the chance to go home. The slaves, who would be sold off to various owners, those who could both match and beat him in terms of money and standing, would be a far cry from the measly five thousand that he had used to pay for the freedom of the three girls. Adding further complications to matters was the presence of the Empire looking to acquire their own "merchandise" as it were.
It was a certified guarantee that Governor Horjak Sancolt would be there in order to oversee the whole operation. Ezra had first met him on returning after completing a mission for Groddel at the beginning of his second week on the planet. While he may have simply come across as being like any normal nepotistic Imperial governor in the Outer Rim that wasn't the case. What Sancolt had that many of his contemporaries didn't was experience.
From what Spectre Six had learned the man, apparently, had served with the Empire in its early years and risen through the ranks to achieve his current position. The main thing that struck Ezra was that the man had qualities and abilities above that of someone simply meant to oversee what went on on a planet on the very edge of the galaxy's Outer Rim. Well, the fact Groddel was here was a big giveaway.
He cast his mind back to when he had told the Hutt about what species could be expected to be seen at the event. Wookiees and Zabraks were just the tip of the iceberg. Twi'leks were most definitely going to be there in order for the dancers to be supplemented and replaced. After that, he wasn't quite sure, there could be humans as such a thing wasn't uncommon and maybe those that weren't usually shown off.
Mercenaries, bounty hunters, criminal gangs, smugglers and many more besides would also be there at the thought of extra credits. To someone like Groddel, such beings could simply die like flies to him. It was the bigger and more powerful crime lords that he was hoping to attract, or whichever ones proved to be interested the most in the event itself.
To Ezra, it was the chance to both set some innocent beings free and, potentially, gain some new members for the Rebellion, though he highly doubted that they would all be as willing as Moreena, Basuna and Juli had been. "Thinking about tomorrow, huh?" He turned his head to see that said purple Twi'lek had appeared at the entrance to the balcony and was now looking at him with a concerned look in her green eyes.
"Hard not to," Ezra replied before turning his gaze back towards the city. He heard her footsteps draw closer and she too leaned against the railings. The pair stood there for a while in silence until the latter broke it. "I know I've said this already tonight but, thanks for saving me and the others back in the club," Juli said with a smile. "Nothing at all," Ezra replied. "I have the feeling that if our roles were reversed you would have done the same thing for me."
"Absolutely," the Twi'lek said firmly. "So, what kind of reception can we respect from the rest of the rebels?" she asked. Ezra pursed his lips together and thought for a moment. "Given that we're pretty, or rather, always, stretched for resources at this point, I think you'll get a warm welcome. I can't speak for everyone that you'll meet of course, but the general consensus will be a good one," he replied.
Juli smiled and he found himself smiling back. "So... what, or rather, how do you think the auction will go?" the Twi'lek asked. "Similar to tonight? Or completely different?" "Personally, I would go with the former, but I seriously doubt that it will," Ezra replied. "Knowing my luck, it probably will. There's no guarantee that every single slave I rescue will want to do the same as you.
Besides, I know I have a good stockpile of credits in my account thanks to doing work for Groddel, but they won't last considering who I'll be up against. Then there's the fact that I don't really have much luck. Again, that kinda comes with the territory, not to mention that I have to live up to what's expected of me." "You mean what happened with Commander Sato earlier?" Juli asked.
The young man laughed dryly. "Huh. That's just the tip of the iceberg. I mean, I don't blame him for giving me the short end of the stick because I'm a rule breaker and a loose cannon sometimes, I admit it, but I've come a long way since then. At least I think I have." He sighed and looked down at the ground far below. Silence fell again before he felt hand gently place itself on his shoulder.
Glancing up he saw that, once again, there was a kind look on Juli's face. "Well, I think you have," she said with a smile. "I mean, if you hadn't come as far as you say you have then you wouldn't have handled yourself so well when Sato was questioning you about us." Ezra nodded in agreement. Before now he had felt very under pressure whenever he had spoken to the man.
Tonight, and when he had accepted the mission, he had held his ground and spoken with much more confidence in both his voice and body stance than he would have normally used. In fact, it was highly likely that the look of impressment he had seen earlier was a definite sign of that. "Yeah," he said after a few minutes before looking over at Juli. "Perhaps you're right." The young Spectre and Twi'lek smiled at each other once again before turning their gazes back towards the city and sea of lights.