Chapter 14: Fire across the galaxy
It had been only a few hours after the data heist in orbit, but the Ghost crew was ready to take the next step in their quest to find Kanan.
Just like she came up with the previous plan, Jaral was already working her brain to the limit to come up with another extremely dangerous but potentially successful plan. To enact it, she said that they needed to steal a Gozanti-class transport.
For that reason, Hera brought the Ghost on the dark side of the planet, where Jinx had signaled an isolated outpost with an airfield and a transport scheduled to be there that day.
Looking back to it, the crew was surprised at how ridiculously easy that task had been.
The base was manned only by a handful of regulars, who had probably just come out from basic training and their sergeant wasn't any much better.
While Jaral distracted them by simply jumping and swinging around the barracks with her armor, making them run in circles, Sabine was placing explosives in the packed squad of TIEs in the small airfield, while Ezra and Zeb managed to get on the Gozanti completely unopposed.
By the time the imperials realized it, the girls had already jumped on the cruiser, and when the latter left, the entire squad of TIEs blew up.
Since they couldn't hide the Gozanti on the planet, the crew connected its airlock with that of the Ghost, letting Jinx manage them both in space.
"So we got the transport." Hera commented. "What now?"
They were at the holo-table in the common room. Jinx was projecting a scale model of the Sovereign, Tarkin's Star Destroyer.
"We will use it to get near the Imperial fleet over Mustafar undetected." Jaral explained. "We know they have Kanan on Tarkin's Star Destroyer, but we have to move fast, before he's brought on the planet."
"Yeah, but it's surrounded by a bunch of other Star Destroyers." Zeb noted, as the squadron included other three ISD escorting Tarkin's.
"We'll need a distraction to cover our entry. Sabine?" Hera asked.
Sabine mumbled. "Engine room's here." she indicated the rear of the ship. "All the power for the ship. If we could get inside the docking bay, I could rig something, black 'em out. But our transport ship's not gonna fit in there."
"We need something small enough to get into that hangar bay. Too bad we destroyed all the TIEs back at the outpost." Hera commented.
Ezra and Jaral looked at each other with a bit of a frightened look.
"Actually...I planned this because we do have one left." Jaral said, rubbing a hand on her side.
"What do you mean?" Hera asked in confusion.
"Uh-uh. Uh-uh!" Zeb made them a gesture to cut that off.
"Look, this is serious, Zeb. For Kanan." Ezra said with a resigned tone. Everyone except Hera assumed the same expression.
"Remember the TIE we stole a while back?" Ezra continued.
"Yes…" Hera raised an eyebrow.
"Well, we didn't crash it. We kept it. Hidden."
"You all knew about this?!" Hera asked with a loud voice. Everybody just looked away. Hera facepalmed. "I should be angry. I should yell at you for disobeying a direct order!" then she relented. "But right now, I'm just grateful we got it…" she sighed in relief.
Ezra and Sabine looked at each other like children about to reveal a trouble they made.
"Right...there is just one slight problem with that." Ezra said, tapping the end of his pointers together.
"What kind of problem?" Hera asked annoyed.
"Yeah…" Zeb stepped up, looking at them with an accusatory pose. "What kind of problem?"
The two teens looked at each other another time, before turning to the adults and trying to make the most innocent smiles they could muster.
As the group hopped on the Phantom and reached the hiding place of the TIE fighter, it all became clear.
"All right, this is...awful." Zeb said discouraged.
"What? Is some of my best work." Sabine retorted proudly.
She had painted the TIE fighter. A party of yellow and orange motives, some parts had black checkers that reminded of her right shoulder pad. It would certainly not go unnoticed into the hangar of a Star Destroyer.
"It'll have to do." Hera said with resignation.
"I thought you were supposed to be the sane one." Zeb protested. "This whole plan is as crazy as those colors!"
"You're right." Jaral said, stepping in front of the TIE and then turning to face all of her companions.
"This mission makes very poor military sense, but Kanan is family. I don't know you guys, but I've already lost family to the Empire, so as long as we have the slightest chance to get him back, I'm gonna take it! So now you have to choose. In or out."
"Do you even need to ask?!" Ezra replied instantly, and stepped beside his sister.
"Count me in." Sabine said, doing the same.
"I'm in." Hera confirmed with a determined gaze.
Zeb grumbled. "Karabast, I'm in. But what about that?"
Jaral turned her head for a second. "Well, no time to fix it."
"Besides, if all goes according to your plan, the Imperials will only scan it." Hera added.
"And by the time they see it up close…" Ezra started.
"It'll be too late." Sabine finished.
The Sovereign had just arrived in orbit over Mustafar, escorted by three ISD and at least four Gozanti cruisers loaded with TIE fighters.
The Inquisitor was making Kanan undergo another session of electrocution via the elcetro-stingers in the cell.
"Still protecting your precious crew." the Inquisitor grinned while the stingers left Kanan alone. "Quite admirable. But what I want to know, is about the other rebels. Code-name Fulcrum."
Kanan strained a bit because of the torture.
"I know nothing of a larger rebellion."
It was true. Of the people aboard the Ghost, only Hera had a contact with Fulcrum, who had passed the opportunity to meet Ezra and Jaral a few months before.
"And if I knew…" Kanan added. "I'd rather give my life than tell you."
The Inquisitor paced toward the board.
"So heroic. Just like your Master." he stopped beside the Jedi, bringing his grinning face closer. "Tell me Jedi. How did you survive Order 66, hmm? It was your Master Billaba who laid down her life for you."
Kanan looked away.
"Do you remember her last word, her last final breath before she died?"
Now the Inquisitor started whispering. "Of course you do. You see it in your sleep, you hear her voice when you wake."
Now he was practically breathing on Kanan's face, which was contrived in fear and guilt.
"Tell me, Jedi. What was her last word to you?"
"...Run." Kanan murmured.
The Inquisitor straightened back up. "And does your loyal and precious crew know that you ran as your master fell, abandoned her and the Jedi Order when they needed you most?"
Kanan didn't have the strength to retort.
The Inquisitor now took a few steps back.
"What do you think your rebels would do if they knew their leader was a coward? You're even afraid of your own power."
He took the two pieces of Kanan's lightsaber, hanging on the back of his belt, and he ignited the blade.
"You don't even have the courage to wear your full saber out in the open."
He pointed the point of the saber near Kanan's nose.
"Let me tell you something, Jedi. You're right to be afraid. You couldn't save your master then, and you can't save your followers now."
Aboard the stolen Gozanti, the Specters were preparing for the battle. They had left Lothal only 45 minutes after the scheduled departure of the Sovereign and its battle group.
Jaral had left a single processor to run the Ghost in their absence, and she gave one of her remaining two to Ezra. She had told him, that he would most likely run into the Inquisitor again, and he was gonna need every single advantage he had against him.
Hanging from the lower airlock of the ship was Sabine's customized TIE fighter. Hera would have to use the docking codes they had stolen along with the transport to gain access to the lower hangar. Then Chopper would remotely control the TIE into the hangar.
Inside of the TIE's hatch was a full load of EMP grenades, set over special amplifiers that would cause a total blackout on the Sovereign, probably even disabling the helmets of the stormtroopers and causing them to pass out because of the sudden burst of the helmet's systems.
It would also affect every fighter in the hangar, though only temporarily. In case of emergency, they could go there and steal a couple to escape.
It was a plan, but the prospect was suicidal nonetheless. Tension was high among the squad. They would go to any length to rescue their friend, but there was no guarantee that they would survive.
Ezra decided to spend some time meditating. It was a three hour journey toward Mustafar.
He shut himself into one of the smaller rooms, closing his eyes in the dark and letting the Force flow through him.
Over the last few months, meditation had actually grown on him. It gave him so much clarity of mind and an absolute faith in success, two things that he definitely needed right now.
As he could feel that they were getting close to the target, he opened his eyes, took a deep breath and stepped out.
Ezra was surprised to find Sabine coming to him. She was probably sent to warn him of the impending arrival.
"Hey." she said.
"Hey." he answered back.
"Hera wanted you to know that we're about to arrive. We need you on the bridge."
"Yes, I could tell."
Sabine chuckled. "You know, I thought that your gut at this point would take a life of its own and tell you clearly not to do this, but you're incredibly calm."
"Meditation can make wonders, if you do it correctly. Maybe I can teach you a thing or two." he said grinning.
The girl, in turn, gave a sad smile, rubbing her arms in a mild display of nervousness.
"Ezra, there is something I'd like to tell you. We may not survive this, so…"
But Ezra immediately raised a hand, prompting her to stop.
"Don't say it like that. We're a team, a family. As long as we watch each other's backs, we'll have a chance to win."
He took a step toward her.
"Besides, I have something to tell you as well. So I'll fight ten times harder to come back and tell you."
There was no hesitation in his words. He displayed a faint grin, accompanied by a gentle gaze in his eyes. He was ready to do this, and he intended to keep his word no matter the cost.
Sabine felt a tug at her chest. In front of her was not the hotheaded kid that she met almost a year before, but a young man and a warrior. A bit too eager to fight, yes, but loyal to his comrades and ready to give everything for them, and capable of keeping his head cool even in front of a suicide mission.
She didn't notice the fact that she was staring at him with a dreaming face, because Ezra actually tilted his head and waved a hand in front of her, making her snap out.
Sabine straightened up and cleared her throat a bit awkwardly.
Ezra gently touched her shoulder.
"Hey. We are gonna make it." he said with absolute confidence.
She replied with a nod.
"Ready to kick the Empire right in the jaw?" the boy encouraged her.
Sabine cracked her knuckles and smirked. "Bet on it."
With that, they both walked to the cockpit.
"You're here." Jaral said as they entered the cabin. She was sitting in the co-pilot chair. "We're leaving hyperspace in 5 seconds."
The time passed, and the blue tunnel dissipated exactly as Jaral said. In front of them stood the volcanic planet of Mustafar. His seas of lava made it look like the perfect place for a villain's lair.
The sensors were showing the imperial formation. By analyzing the radio traffic, Jinx noted that the Sovereign was the at the rear of the formation, the nearest ship to the orbit.
The transport approached the formation, trying not to raise suspicions.
"I'll send the transponder code as soon as we know Kanan is there." Hera announced, then turned her head over her right shoulder.
"Ezra?"
The boy took a quick breath. "Here goes nothing." He closed his eyes, standing between his five friends, his hands hanging on both seats in front of him as he was reaching to the Force. He could feel the mark of his friends in the room. Then he expanded, his vision slowly reaching the other ships of the formation. The mark into the imperial personnel was tenuous. He kept increasing his range.
"So? Anything yet?" Zeb asked nervously.
"Give him a minute!" Sabine whispered with a scolding.
"We don't really have a minute."
The transport was now approaching the Sovereign.
"Ezra, is he there?" Hera asked, tension marking her voice.
Ezra kept looking for Kanan's Force signature.
Gasp.
"He's there. He's alive!" he declared with enthusiasm.
Jaral immediately got at work on the console.
"Sending codes."
After a few seconds, the bridge of the Sovereign answered them.
"Transport Ship 6378 cleared for docking. Opening Bay 5."
Everyone smiled. The first part was done.
"Chopper. Send in Sabine's present." Hera ordered.
The astromech plugged into the ship's terminal, taking control of the fighter. The TIE started flying in an orderly fashion toward the lower hangar, tailing other 9 TIEs that were being sent by other ships as reinforcements.
As the TIEs landed, two stormtroopers were inspecting the incoming vessels, and were obviously
bewildered when one of those fighters showed its dashing colors.
"That's not regulation."
"I kinda like it."
The two got near the TIE, to see who was in there, but instead they were the first to be hit by the strong electronic blast, which fried their visors, comlink, every device inside the helmet, and the various explosions severely damaged their ears and eyes. Nothing fatal or permanent, but they were not gonna wake up soon.
The same fate fell on almost every stormtrooper on the lower decks. As for the ship, the blast immediately got its energetic network, which collapsed, and the ship went dark.
The smaller ships in the hangar would be back online quickly, but for the ISD it was a completely different story.
The Gozanti was brought in line with the starboard side of the Sovereign and landed its belly on the vertical wall of the ISD.
As the squad moved toward the hatch, Hera ordered Chopper to stay there and keep the engine running.
The airlock was extended, only to meet the durasteel wall. Ezra took out his lightsaber and quickly opened a circular hole to allow him and the others a safe entrance in the hallways, illuminated by the emergency lights and with some stormtroopers lying around.
"These guys are gonna wake up soon." Sabine whispered in her helmet's comm.
"Then let's make this quick." Ezra answered.
The bridge of the Sovereign was in full alert.
"The ship is up to emergency power and life support only." the captain of the ship reported to Tarkin, who was walking toward the viewpoint in front of them.
"I've been sending an all-clear message to the rest of the fleet." Tarkin declared. "As soon as we miss an interval, they send reinforcements. And that interval is up now."
He stopped in front of the viewpoint. Indeed, from the Star Destroyer in front of him something was coming out of the lower hangar.
A series of Lambda-class transports, most likely packed with stormtroopers, were making their way to the Sovereign.
As he was standing guard, Chopper noticed them on the radar, and grunted with concern.
The astromech sent a signal to the Specters on board.
"Chopper says that reinforcements are landing on the lower hangar." Jaral said while they were running toward the detention block.
"That was fast." Hera said in concern.
"Don't worry." Sabine said. "On a ship this big, it'll take 'em a while to find us."
Barely had they taken a turn in another hallway, that a squad coming from the upper decks (thus not affected by the EMP) crossed them. They exhibited the black pauldron of the elite guards.
"Freeze!" one of them intimated.
"They found us." Ezra said, then instantly raised his repeater and fired a burst.
One of the troopers fell unconscious, another one fell down, but writhed in pain.
The rest of the squad opened fire. Ezra and Jaral instinctively went forward and used their omni-tool directional shields, blocking the precise volley just in time.
"Get back!" Jaral ordered as another volley of bolts hit the shield.
Hera, Zeb and Sabine fell back, but on their right there was another squad incoming.
Jaral immediately followed them and went to cover the flank. Ezra launched a smoke grenade against the first squad.
The Specters managed to regroup while laying covering fire against the second squad, who was forced to take cover and limit the fire.
Hera closed the first blast door they came across.
"Stand back." said Ezra.
He ignited his lightsaber and pushed it into the door itself, melting its closing mechanism and blocking it for good.
"Nice thinking, Ezra." said Sabine. "Where do we go, now?"
Ezra retracted his lightsaber.
"I hoped we had more time, but apparently…" he turned back to face the others.
"Jaral, plan B?" he asked for her opinion.
The sister sighed. "We don't have much choice."
"Why don't you kids start telling us your Plan Bs?" Zeb asked irked.
"Because you wouldn't like them." Ezra answered candidly.
Jaral turned to face the other three Specters.
"Since that was our only way back to the transport, we're gonna head to the hangar and draw the stormtroopers away in the process, while Ezra take that maintenance shaft, goes around them and reaches the detention block." the girl explained quickly.
"You are right, I don't like this plan." Sabine interjected vigorously. "You can't go alone."
"I can if you guys do your job." Ezra simply stated.
"He's right, Sabine." Hera supported the idea. "Kanan might be injured, so we have to draw the imperials' attention on us in order to let them escape unimpeded."
Sabine grunted, but relented. "Just be safe, okay? And bring him back." she said with care.
"I told you I intend to come back." Ezra coolly replied as he moved to the maintenance shaft on the left side of the hallway.
Jinx quickly violated the door and Ezra started running. When the door closed again, hiding the boy, the others rushed toward the hangar.
"Since when do you care so much for him?" Jaral mocked Sabine.
"N-Now is not the time." she replied, unable to hide a hint of embarrassment in her voice. "Let's head to Bay 5."
"Oh, where your masterpiece is." Hera commented with a chuckle.
"That has nothing to do with it."
They had to stop as at the following intersection they ran into another squad of guards on their right side. These opened fire, prompting Jaral to push the other behind the corner.
"Sabine." she said, extending a hand behind her and the mandalorian immediately handed her a thermal detonator.
Jaral activated it and waited a few seconds, so when she threw it right over the head of the troopers, the entire squad was wiped out in a single blast.
Ezra could hear the footsteps of troopers all around the shaft, but luckily nobody thought about checking inside of them.
The shaft was a bit narrow, but not too much. He could still run into it, and by following Jinx's maps, he knew when to leave it to reach the detention block.
As he walked toward the gangplank surrounded with cells, Ezra used the Force to pinpoint the location of Kanan, later confirming it with the thermal visor.
After he quickly blasted the two guards, he reached the panel and opened the door.
There was Kanan. Battered and bruised but still able to talk.
"Turns out you taught me pretty well." Ezra commented jokingly.
"You shouldn't be here." Kanan responded. "But I'm glad you did."
"You'd do the same for me." Ezra added while as he extirpated the binders holding Kanan prisoner.
Kanan fell and Ezra caught him midair. More than two days of being tied to a table had sagged the Jedi's muscle, but he would be up and running very quickly.
"Jinx, calculate a quick path to the hangar." Ezra ordered as he wrapped Kanan's right arm around his shoulders.
"Currently, the engine room seems to be the quickest route. You can take a turbolift from there that will bring you to the lower hangar."
"Then let's move."
Ezra helped Kanan to drag himself out from the cell, then the two reached the engine room in around four minutes, only to find a very unpleasant surprise.
The Inquisitor. He was waiting for them on the gangplank leading to the various reactors and control posts.
The Pau'an ignited his crimson blade, assuming his confident smirk and his usual pose, with his feet at shoulder width. The left stand still behind his back.
"Wait here a minute." Ezra said, letting Kanan go.
"Ezra, no." Kanan objected, but he was still recovering and couldn't keep up with Ezra's quick walk.
The boy ignited the blade and removed his armor, as for all its perks, it did affect his agility.
Without wasting time, Ezra charged the Inquisitor, who didn't move as if to mock him.
However, the smug expression turned into one of surprise and unpreparedness as Ezra used the blaster mode of his lightsaber, of which the Inquisitor still wasn't aware.
Even if the opponent parried the blasts, he was caught off balance by Ezra's first strike.
The boy relentlessly attacked with his full arsenal: the abilities of the omni-tool, his saber, his own body, landing a couple of kicks against the Inquisitor.
The dark-sider managed to find an opening and thrust forward, but Ezra was ready and parried the successive series of blows. Every ounce of his nervous system was focused on the battle, and his genes were now showing results together with his training: previously, Ezra was barely able to follow the duels between the dark-sider and Kanan, but now the Inquisitor seemed to move in slow-motion at times.
As the Inquisitor tried to land a cutting blow, Ezra nimbly made a cartwheel and put a little distance between them.
The next second, he used his omni-tool to shot a full-power stun shot. Even though he parried the capsule, the sheer force of the blast was enough to make the Inquisitor stumble. It was at that moment that Ezra located Kanan's lightsaber and attracted it with the Force without wasting any time.
"Kanan!" he screamed as he tossed the lightsaber backward.
So far, Kanan was watching the duel with a mixture of pride and absolute amazement at the abilities of his Padawan. When Ezra called him, Kanan grabbed his lightsaber and ignited it.
Invigorated by the performance of his Padawan, Kanan found in himself the strength necessary to launch himself forward.
Ezra and the Inquisitor were interlocked with their sabers. Kanan arrived right behind Ezra and used the Force to make a jump that brought him right behind the Inquisitor.
The latter managed to push Ezra away and parry Kanan's attack, forcing him to take distance.
"Finally." the Inquisitor said with a grin. "A fight that might be worthy of my time."
The Inquisitor ignited his double-edged lightsaber and took the ready position of the Niman form.
With a silent nod, the two Jedi surged forward.
Now really fighting for his life (and enjoying it to the core), the Inquisitor fought with a strength three times his usual, and managed to withstand the attack, even counterattacking and pushing Kanan to the ground.
Ezra attacked again, but got repelled and his defense was left open when the Inquisitor hit him with a force push.
As Ezra immediately stood up, he saw the double-edged crimson lightsaber spinning towards him.
Ezra hadn't been trained to defend against that move, and there was no time to dodge.
The boy stood up and swung his lightsaber to parry, but he only managed to deviate it partially.
One of the crimson blades grazed his left cheek, then the other blade hit as well.
The pain was unbearable. Ezra cried out as he passed out, falling down the gangplank.
Jaral suddenly felt like she had been stabbed in the heart.
Good thing that they were just flattening against a wall in order to peek over a corner. She managed to not gasp in surprise and the helmet hid her terrorized face. After focusing for a second, she realized that the bond was still there.
Ezra is injured, but he's alive!
She couldn't show her anxieties to the group, otherwise they might lose focus as well.
As she took a breather, she peeked over the angle, noticing that the previously unconscious stormtroopers were now waking up, assisted by the reinforcements.
"The other bucket-heads are waking up…" she said with a concerned voice.
"Can't things ever get easier?" Zeb lamented.
"I think I have an idea." Sabine said, taking out a grenade from one of her pockets. "Jaral, keep you secfire ready."
Jaral nodded and put her finger on both the triggers of the TL-50, so she could fire the charge concussion shot.
Sabine threw the grenade, which lifted a big smokescreen. Jaral immediately understood the plan and got out of cover, pulling both the triggers. The repeater shook mildly in her hands as the main barrel formed the purple sphere and then launched it right in the middle of the group of stormtroopers. At least 4 of them were lifted from the ground and sent in various direction, sending the rest of them into chaos for a couple of seconds, enough for the Specters to cross the intersection.
"Bay 5 is just this way." Sabine said after checking her wrist-pad.
Jaral brought the lightened omni-tool near her vocalizer.
"Ezra, do you read me? We're almost at the hangar." No answer. "Ezra? Ezra, come on, don't leave me hanging."
The sound of his sister's voice immediately woke Ezra from his numbness.
He quickly realized that he had fallen for at least 7 meters down on another gangplank, running perpendicularly to the one he was fighting on.
The pain on his left cheek was still shooting though. As he lifted himself from the floor, he passed two fingers on the painful area and noticed that there was no blood.
The only good thing about a lightsaber wound, is that it cauterizes immediately. He remembered a lesson from Kanan.
"EZRA, PICK UP THE DAMN COMM!"
The angry scream from Jaral brought him back on track. He brought his omni-tool near the mouth and answered.
"I'm here."
"Thank goodness...Do you have Kanan? Are you two okay?"
Ezra's attention was then drawn by the sound of lightsabers clashing above him. He looked up and noticed that Kanan had taken his lightsaber too and was dueling the Inquisitor wielding both blades against the double-edged one. His movements were now incredibly fluid, focused, without fear.
"Yeah…" Ezra said, mesmerized. "We've never been better." he closed the comm.
Kanan and the Inquisitor had now reached one of the circular platform full of control panels. Kanan was using both fencing techniques and Ezra's blaster-saber. This forced the Inquisitor to fall back continuously, until he was at the edge of the platform.
Kanan forced him into a stalemate.
"You were right." he said to the dark-sider. "I was a coward."
The Inquisitor was looking angrily at him, a mixture of fury and desperation.
"But now I know there's something stronger than fear, far stronger."
Kanan took another ready position.
"The Force." he declared calmly.
The Inquisitor put his saber in front of him and activated the rotatory mode, the crimson blades creating a fast barrier of blows in front of him.
"Let me show how strong it is." Kanan murmured to him.
Then he thrust forward. However, he didn't aim at the blades, but with focus and discipline put the edge of his sabers inside the perimeter of his foe's hilt.
Then, Kanan pushed them out, cutting the Inquisitor's lightsaber in two.
As fate would have it, the two blades didn't turn off as they fell into one of the delicate reactor cores.
A blazing inferno came out of the device, making the entire ship tremble.
The reactor caused a chain reaction, starting a flaming collapse of the engine room.
The Inquisitor by now was hanging onto the edge of the gangplank with his hands. Kanan went right above him.
"You have no idea what you unleashed today." The Inquisitor declared in a grave tone. "There are things far worse than death."
Then he left himself fall into the ball of fire that was forming beneath him, to Kanan's dismay.
"Kanan!" Ezra called him from behind.
The Jedi turned around and was immensely relieved to see the lopsided grin of his apprentice.
"I thought I lost you…" he said almost moved to tears.
Another shake of the room convinced them that it was time to put wings on their heels and make way for the nearest hangar. Kanan threw Ezra his lightsaber and they started running.
Jaral, Zeb, Hera and Sabine had made their way to Bay 5 and found Sabine's 'masterpiece' ready for takeoff.
Jaral was the first to jump in, connecting Jinx to the mainframe and firing up the engine while the rest of the group tried to fit into the hatch.
"Ezra, we're in the TIE, where are you?" Hera asked through the comm.
"On my way. Go!"
"We're not leaving without you and Kanan!" the Twi'lek sternly replied.
"Will you just listen to the kid? Don't worry, I've got him." the joking voice of Kanan brought great smiles on the faces of everyone in the TIE.
"You mean, I've got you." they heard Ezra replied.
"you take care of the others, I'll bring him out of here. Trust me." Kanan said in the end.
Reassured enough, Jaral grabbed the control levers of the TIE and put on her helmet.
"Hold on tight, boys."
The TIE lifted from ground and shoot out into the stars.
And it got immediately fired upon by four other fighters.
"We had to take the TIE that has a bull's-eye on it." Zeb grumpily noted.
"Don't worry." the voice of Jinx interjected. "Chopper and I are en route with the reinforcements."
Everyone looked confused.
"What are you talking about?" Jaral asked irritated. "Where is Chopper with the transport?"
"He had to leave momentarily."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE HAD TO…" Jaral screamed, but then she felt like a stung behind her neck and she rolled on port side, avoiding a burst just in time.
"Jinx, scramble their sensors!" Jaral ordered, deciding that she didn't have time to complain.
Jinx obliged, using his only processor left with Jaral to mess with the TIEs pointing systems.
The elder Bridger pushed the engine to the limit and zigzagged, passing over one of the destroyer's bridge.
Right then and there, a TIE advanced, the same one as the Inquisitor's, came down on the group and destroyed two fighters, forcing the other to break the chase.
"I got your back, sis." the voice of Ezra came as the TIE advanced attached it as a wing-man.
The two Jedi had managed to steal the TIE, since the Inquisitor would not be using that anymore, while the imperial crew was too busy evacuating the Sovereign, which was going down in flames.
Since Kanan was still weakened, Ezra took controls. He had taken some flight lessons in the last few weeks, but most of the work was done by Jinx anyway.
"Thanks, but without Chopper's transport we're not going anywhere." she stated.
"Ezra, Jaral." the voice of the AI intervened. "We're almost there. Please head to these coordinates."
The siblings received the coordinates on their visors and directed their vessels toward them, pushing them at maximum speed.
"We got TIEs closing in." Jaral declared after looking at the radar on her HUD.
"How many?" Sabine asked.
"Too many."
At this point, they had already passed all the ships in the imperial fleet, and they had released all of their TIEs contingents.
A swarm of at least 30 fighters was catching up to them. Even Jinx's countermeasures could do so much against such numbers.
Ezra and Jaral desperately focused on simply avoiding the bolts incoming, Gritting their teeth and sweating intensely under their helmets.
"Whatever you want to do, Jinx, you better do it fast!" Ezra said under pressure.
"...Reinforcements have arrived." Jinx declared after a few seconds.
On their sensors Chopper's transport finally showed up. The droid chirped triumphantly on the comm.
He was briefly followed by the Ghost and, to everyone's surprise, three CR-90 corvettes.
"Who are they?" Zeb asked.
"I don't know." Kanan said. "But I think they're on our side."
The corvettes rushed forward, together with the Ghost, to attack and disperse the TIEs.
Jaral went straight for Chopper's transport and the magnetic clamps for the fighters under-belly. Ezra had to seek Jinx's help to make an automatic procedure, but in a few seconds they were docked. Jinx sent a signal to all the ships, which turned back and the flotilla finally jumped to hyperspace.
As the group of ships flew into the blue tunnel, the Specters came out of the TIEs and finally met again into the hallway of the Gozanti.
Hera and Kanan were the first to walk to each other.
"I owe you all a great debt of gratitude." Kanan said, putting his hands on Hera's shoulders. "Even if what you did was rash and reckless."
"You're welcome, dear." Hera said smiling and taking his hands in hers, before pulling him for a hug.
Jaral was looking happily looking at the scene like everybody else, until she noticed that Ezra didn't take off his helmet and the memory of the sharp sensation back on the Sovereign came back.
Her expression stiffened as she walked up to him.
"Take off your helmet." she commanded.
"What? Why?" he feinted ignorance.
"Ezra, there had been a moment on the Destroyer when I had the feeling that you were struck to death. Take off your damn helmet."
She looked down at him with the 'concerned big sister face', a face to which Ezra was unable to oppose.
He sighed and slowly took off his helmet. Despite his mid-long hair, the burned scar was very much visible on his cheek.
Jaral expression now was almost desperate. She gently put a hand on his face and made him turn, to better examine it.
"Does it hurt?"
"I'm fine, sis." he tried to dismiss her.
"That's something we will decide." Sabine intervened, coming near them and taking off her own helmet as well, taking a look at Ezra's wound.
Hera, Kanan and Zeb chuckled at the scene.
They were interrupted by the sounds of Chopper rolling in and speaking binary.
"Wait…" Ezra mumbled. "Chopper was here...and we only left a single processor of Jinx on the Ghost...who helped him driving and firing with the Ghost?" he asked.
Chopper then invited them to follow him into the airlock on starboard side. As a matter of fact, Jinx and Chopper had coordinated to link the Ghost and the transport even in hyperspace. Something that Jinx would most likely use to brag about the superiority of the machines once again.
When the door to the Ghost opened, the Specters were surprised to see four men, standing for attention at the two sides of the corridor. They were wearing what could pass for as a uniform.
When Chopper went ahead and passed through them, the soldiers turned 90° and stood at ease.
The Specters looked at each other before stepping in, with Kanan at their head.
Then, Chopper projected a holo-transmission.
"Hello my friend, it is good to see you again."
Kanan recognized the man to whom the Specters had returned R2 and C3-PO a long time ago.
"I don't understand. I met you once, for a few moments, I don't even know your name." Kanan said, bewildered as he walked up to the hologram.
"His name is Senator Bail Organa." Hera explained.
"And the crews of the blockade runners?" Kanan asked.
"Members of other rebel cells." Organa smiled.
"So there are other cells." Jaral commented with a proud smile.
"You guys knew something?" Ezra asked to Sabine and Zeb, who shook their heads.
"We weren't supposed to meet." Hera explained. "That way, if captured, we couldn't reveal the other rebels to the Empire. That was the protocol."
"The protocol has changed." a voice came from the ladder leading to the dorsal turret.
Out of it came down a female Togruta. Her lekkus going all the way down to her waist, and she was wearing a battle outfit, with some sort of light armor on her vital spots.
"Fulcrum." Hera said.
"Ahsoka." the Togruta countered. "My name is Ahsoka Tano."
"Why did you come here?" Kanan asked.
Chopper rolled up to her, and Ahsoka crouched to pat him on the dome.
"Because of you and your apprentices." she said calmly.
Ezra and Jaral looked at each other.
"I'm...not an apprentice." the girl timidly responded.
"You're a Force touched." Ahsoka explained. "And you have a strong and unique Force bond with your brother. That is enough to gain my attention.
"And because you two have transmitted that message. Many in this system and beyond heard your voices. You guys gave them hope in their darkest times. We didn't want that hope to die."
"So what happens now?" Ezra asked.
"I don't know." Ahsoka said, standing back up. "One chapter has closed for you, Ezra and Jaral Bridger. This is a new day. A new beginning."
Back on Lothal, Tarkin had been evacuated in time from the Sovereign and had now returned on the planet.
As his shuttle landed into the Dome's hangar, he found Kallus to greet him.
"We are getting reports of unrest all over Lothal. There are whispers from Mustafar. Some people see the Empire as weak, vulnerable."
"Not to worry, Agent Kallus." Tarkin simply replied. "The Emperor has sent an alternative solution."
Kallus felt a sensation of cold as a mechanical breath came from someone inside the shuttle.
And that's it. Man, these last two weeks had been a wild ride. I have had a lot of fun writing this and I'm happy to see some positive feedback.
Of course, I'm far from done. Tomorrow I'll work on a special Epilogue chapter before I declare this story complete and I start working on rewriting season 2.
I thank everybody who even took the time to simply take a look, and especially those who showed me support by openly following this story. I hope you enjoyed my personal version of Rebels and I hope you'll like to see the next Years of the 'Saga of the Bridgers'
Until next chapter, and May the Force be with You.