(Ezra Bridger POV)

"Ezra? Ezra! Get out of there right now! That's an order!"

"Like many arms…surrounding you in a cold embrace. Then—"

The hyperspace computer locking in gear pulls me out of my head before the blue streaks of light solidify.

We're in hyperspace…

Many arms.

Me.

I called the Purgill to pull the fleet away from Lothal. I had the idea.

Sabine trusted me. She—

Every single screen in front of me goes black on me right as an alarm shatters the peace and quiet, causing me to leap up and pop open the bulkhead, where greying smoke is beginning to billow.

"T-9!" I call out at the same time as I hit my hip for my comm—

It's not there.

Quickly, I scan the floor, the pilot's seat, and then the dash before spotting my comm perched on top.

Kriff and I jumped too.

With a flick of my wrist, my comm is in my hand. "T-9! Tee! Uhh?!"

The R-Series astromech, which was named T-9 way before I met him, responds instantly that he's already on the problem.

That should not have done that.

I look from the completely dead console to the sight outside of the ship's window of the rotating, hypnotic pulsating blue of hyperspace travel.

"Tee? I just rewired the entire console. Power was not affected, was it?!"

…No. But the wiring job failed.

"Okay…do your best to bring this whole…" I wave at the brick in front of me. "—thing back to life?"

…Yes. But I will not be able to leave this access port until we do so.

"Kriff." I blurt out.

Not a great time for my electrical skills to fail me. We've got this whole ship, seven people not counting me, plus trade goods we just picked up, plus me.

That's a lot for one droid. Even if RT-9 has always been a stubborn droid.

Like a Mudhorn.

T-9 chimes back onto my comm in binary right on cue.

"If it takes more effort to restart the console than you're comfortable using, then don't. I know you can get us home—"

The indignation in T-9's reply gets me to laugh before—

—she's almost done brewing up the caf.

"Don't focus on what she's doing in the kitchen. Focus on keeping this ship in hyperspace, and us in one piece Tee."

…she's drawing power that I have to divert for her to use. I am focused.

"And you're doing a great job. I know I packed that Gonk droid. Would that help with the power?"

Tee's response comes just as the doors open and two cups of cafs and a smile follow.

"I knew those Aquilae gave us bad wiring." Danielle says, contempt in her voice.

"I thought it might have been okay."

The Aquilae said they got it from Jawas they traded with on one of the unknown number of asteroid belt outposts.

That's what I get for trusting the Jawas.

Got more galactic news though.

"It's…" The steam comes out of her as I close the bulkhead back up. "We'll fix it when we get home. Everyone will love the deal we got. I'm sure Dad will let you use some of the credits we saved to go get good wiring. The magic you've worked on this ship is worth it Ezra."

Danielle sets one of the cups of caf on top of the now dead console before wrapping her arm around me and placing what presumably is my caf in my chest. "We could find a place to eat. The starport was slammed again…"

I laugh at her implication and take the caf, getting a smile in return. "If you want."

A smile comes my way before she grabs her caf and leads me out of the cockpit out into the decent-sized freighter, which can seat eight comfortably, but right now is filled with the snores of the other six passengers.

The wide smile turns and looks at me again as I'm led by the hand through everyone, to the ladder which leads to the observation deck.

"Can you…?" Danielle turns and makes eye contact with me before smiling again.

"Yeah." I return the smile to defuse her nerves as she looks away and begins scaling the ladder.

I don't mind using the Force. I just don't love everybody knowing I can do it all the time.

Let them think what they want.

I hear Dani's boots leave the last rung, prompting me to turn and look down the tight hallway that leads to where everyone else is sleeping.

Now.

"Focus. Focus on letting go."

I put my focus on the two cups of caf brewed behind my feet, and within moments I can feel both the cups as well as Danielle's full attention on what I'm doing.

"Do, or do not. There is no try."

Kanan got that from Yoda but was so young that he couldn't understand. And he told it to me so young that I didn't either.

You win by surviving.

Do, or do not.

The Force around me lightens as I feel Danielle's wonder and joy before I open my eyes and start climbing the ladder, two rungs at a time.

"I know today the goal was to get food fast, but if it's just us we can scan the 'Net…pick the trading post based on the food."

"You've thought about this." I tease her.

She always thinks with her stomach.

"I almost put in an order while you were doing your shopping. Something over open heat sounds good." She smiles, then sips her caf.

"I'll let you lead on that. Which reminds me by the way. Tee's running everything since the wiring failed. I'll need to hook up the gonk droid to him."

Danielle smiles "He deserves it. Are you sure he can handle it? That's a lot of jumps."

"I asked, and he said it was fine. Just a power thing."

"If he can handle the jumps," Danielle says before adjusting in the seat to give me a little more room. "Tee?"

I smile to show my thanks as Danielle comms the astromech and "—tell me if your power dips after the calculations for each jump And double check each calculation. I'll come hook you up to power. Don't worry about that."

"Don't micromanage him."

Dani shoots me a glare before starting down the ladder. "No, no I'm coming right now. If the calculations pull that much every time…"

Her voice drifts off as she disappears off towards the astromech, leaving me alone in hyperspace again.

Good news about the Galactic Credit Standard being ratified throughout more systems in the Outer Rim. Means the New Republic is starting to show a little spine.

When I heard that Mon Mothma demilitarized the remnants of the Empire after they won the war, at first I thought the trader who said it was messing with me.

Despite the Force telling me that it was true.

It wasn't until I saw a group of Jawa traders, and they confirmed it that I believed it. Any of it.

Mandalore glassed in something they call 'The Night of A Thousand Tears'.

Nobody's seen any since.

…

If the New Republic is doing something smart, they're listening to Hera.

Hera's okay.

I know I left her, Sabine and Zeb and everyone on Lothal.

They're okay.

But if the Empire would turn Mandalore's surface into glass…they'd do the same to Lothal.

Lothal…

It was buying a…shard, really, of what the Jawa called 'Mandalore'. Basically glass, except for some small inscriptions in a language I only saw a few times.

Heard some crazy story that came with it too. And had to pay extra for 'toxic air'.

There's been nothing but crazy stories since word finally traveled into the Unknown Regions that the Empire lost.

Finally. After everything.

Mustafar, Lothal and Vader. Escaping Thrawn. Fighting him again.

They finally lost. You'd think that'd be the end of it.

Most people in the Unknown Regions don't follow or pay any mind to what's going on in the larger galaxy, since it's so hard to go in between the two.

Those who do get paid handsomely. And they don't get paid to talk.

But I got more news today. And heard the news about the New Republic solving their credit problem.

Hard to take you seriously if nobody takes your money. And if you don't walk up with a blaster. Because you CHOSE to take it apart and leave it at home.

But they're finding a way to make it work…

Ideals only get you so far though without action.

Danielle's footsteps echo through the sleepy ship.

Action.

(Hours Later)

The large hangar bay doors continue pulling themselves open as Danielle pushes herself out of the co-pilot's chair. "I'll go get everybody moving."

Her hand lingers on my shoulder for a moment before I give a half-turn and a smile. "Sounds like a plan."

The Force reverberates with her contentment as I continue lowering the freighter down into the hanger bay below.

Good to be back on firm ground.

The lush, tropical foliage of the planet around us continues slowly disappearing, leaving only the cliffs off to one side before those too vanish into reduced lighting and durasteel and wiring and—

"Tee, I'm ready to pass everything off to the ground crew. Get you that oil bath. Great job." I hit my comm while simultaneously piloting the ship with the Force and flipping the necessary sequences to ensure the landing gear failsafes are active.

Tee's normal response doesn't have the same energy behind it, and I can only smile as I catch Danielle's voice slipping under the door.

Sounds like she's having the crew unload most of the trade right off. The freight crew is ready, as are the customs officials.

The beats and rhythms of a Trance genre song become louder and louder as I lower the ship. T-9 hops into my ear and informs me that the landing sensors have picked up all their markers as I…

Have got this…handled.

The Freighter comes to a firm stop, followed by a cheer from everybody seated somewhere behind me before their footsteps overwhelm everything else.

"—TEE!" I hear Danielle, prompting me to pull out my earpiece and slip it into my pocket.

I would love to slip home tonight and do all the meetings with Danielle's Dad and the Sector Trade Manager and what customs found and the administrative part of the trip tomorrow.

Danielle knows that. This was a two-day trip, even with lightspeed travel and we left at first light yesterday.

I didn't feel anybody lingering too long back in the makeshift office Danielle and I shared for the trip, so I don't have to worry about anyone rifling through my bag.

They rib me about what I buy since I don't buy much. I've bumped into a couple supposed 'Jedi Texts', one of which…seems to come from something.

They don't see the point of me trying to keep up with what happens in the larger galaxy.

Makes sense. Most folks can barely solve their own problems, so why worry about somebody else's, that you can't help with?

Got a couple more of those. During that meeting I will have to request some time to study it with T-9. With an equal amount of homework added in.

Because as much as I'd hate to admit it…

We have our own enemies and problems here on Caltana.

It's sparsely populated, with the entire planet having four spaceports almost equidistant from each other on both sides of the planet's equator.

It's a planet of just over a billion people that are very focused on striking a balance between expanding out into the sector and protecting its ecology.

Orbited by five moons, three of which are quickly becoming more space station than moon but…

Dani got mad at me recently for pointing this out.

They've always had these strict zoning and ecology rules. They almost threw me in prison overnight for the 'damage done to the environment' after I crashed here.

But they'll completely alter every aspect of their satellites.

I give the cockpit one final sweep before exiting and walking through the corridor and past the galley where most of the crew used to be. Footsteps from the crew are already echoing throughout the ship, mostly from below as presumably our goods are being unloaded.

Arriving in the office, I sidestep the desk and pull my staff off the wall, leaning next to the keypad that…

Holds my bag.

The keypad chimes once, the physical locks disengage, and I scoop out the bag holding a small stash of credits and a lockpick amongst the paperwork we never needed, a dried snack I thought I may need if we got stuck in orbit due to a landing zone blockage or whatever.

Plus my purchases today.

The office door opens as I'm closing up the safe. "You didn't need in there did you?" I greet her.

"No." Danielle replies with a curt head shake before she lets the door close behind her.

She's got news she can't widely share.

"Any news?"

"No. The rumors about that protest in the square turned out to be a bunch of hot air. So the meeting the defense council planned turned into a strategy session about pirates."

"That's why we have the Defense Force."

"That you helped trained up so much." She reminds me.

"It's amazing what discipline and clarity of purpose do." I disguise my frustrations as I rise out of my crouch. "That's all."

"Dad said that Councilor Shav petitioned to have everyone meet tonight but he rebuffed it. Said that it might not even be necessary if customs doesn't find much."

"Sounds like he's happy about how much prices came down." I smile.

Danielle gives me a grin full of teeth. "Oh, the King of Caltana loved that part. He wants to talk to you about that. Haven't talked to him personally yet, but I talked to the Guard."

The Royal Guard.

"What'd the Guard say?"

"That the King has went to bed but kept the kitchens going until our arrival." Danielle puts on her best, sarcasm-infused impression of what she's supposed to sound like.

At least it's an elected king and not a real monarchy.

"Mom's up though and probably waiting on us." She then adds.

"She must be in a good mood." I comment, then glance and see Danielle smiling.

The Head of Caltana's Ecological Protection Agency must have loved that the protest fizzled out.

Can't blame them. You want to destroy the planet?

Means you have to go outside and look at it first. And half of this planet looks like it belongs on a holovert for the planet.

Glaciers and sheer cliffs. Literal peaks flowing into valleys, all of it.

At least the planet I crash-landed on is a pretty one.

"I don't know about you, but I was thinking about real food. And that takes a minute to prepare. I was going to call ahead before we hail in a speeder and fly down there." Danielle plans the rest of my night.

"Dinner, then reconvene in the morning? Go from there. Maybe you can go to work like you're supposed to." She wraps it up by laughing at me.

"Hey! You guys keep contracting me out. So…" I defend myself as Danielle keeps laughing before grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the ship and the night beyond.