AN: Start of Season 2.

Spectre6: For your first point, they're a dyad in the Force. You can look up the abilities on the wiki, as I haven't revealed them all quite yet. I'll explain in more detail at the bottom, but if you think it's too op, blame Disney and the 7 hours of visual torture they call the Sequel Trilogy. For your second point, I did change that part of the last chapter, as I felt the same way you did. Ahsoka does play a slightly larger role in this story, but it's mostly for Sabine's benefit. It'll become clearer in the next few chapters. C:

Edited 11/15/2023 for AO3 posting. I haven't had as much time to edit my most recent chapters with a busier schedule, so doing this helped a lot. It should be easier to read now.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars Rebels or any related material.

The Siege of Lothal

"You and your crew have proven invaluable to our fleet, Captain Syndulla."

The Ghost crew was currently stationed inside the command room of Phoenix home alongside Ahsoka and Commander Jun Sato, the leader of Phoenix Cell. The commander continued, "The fuel acquired in your convoy attacks has helped keep us one step ahead of Imperial patrols."

Hera replied, "Thank you, Commander Sato. I'm just sorry our intel about shield generators being on that shipment was wrong."

Before anyone else could speak, Chopper and Twix busted into the room, both frantically beeping about something. Commander Sato looked at the droids somewhat angrily. "What is the meaning of this?"

Ignoring the commander's tone, Kanan replied nonchalantly, "An incoming transmission. Who from, Chop? Ah, why don't you just play it?"

"Ahem." Hera glared at Kanan in disapproval, but he just looked back at her with a smug expression on his face, one that said, Whatchya gonna do 'bout it?

Filing that conversation away for later, Hera turned back to her droid, requesting, "Uh, Chop, cloak us with a one-way transmission."

The astromech acknowledged the command and played the transmission, revealing an old Ithorian. Ezra smiled in recognition. "Hey, it's Old Jho!"

"I can't see you, but I can hear you, my friends. Time is short, and there's someone here desperate to speak with you. I told her I couldn't find you, but she wouldn't take no for an answer. She says she needs your help."

Kanan responded, "We're always ready to help someone in need."

Old Jho didn't seem to share the sentiment. "Yeah, well, this one's different." He then walked away from the projector as another figure appeared. The Spectres looked on in shock, Hera being the first to voice it.

"Minister Tua?"

"Oh, we can't trust her. She's an Imperial," Zeb complained.

"Please, I beg you. Listen to my request."

Kanan didn't look very happy. "End transmission now, Chop."

Hera, however, stopped him. "Wait! Minister, what do you want?"

The minister looked clearly afraid of something, constantly checked over her shoulder. "My life is in danger. I need you to give me safe passage off Lothal."

Zeb rolled his eyes. "You're not really considering this?"

"Quiet!" Hera barked.

The minister's voice shifted to a more frantic tone. "I assure you, my intentions are sincere. To prove it, I will trade secret Imperial information."

No one but the Jedi seemed to believe her as they looked around at each other for affirmation. Tristan then spoke up with a disbelieving smile on his face. "You're defecting from the Empire?"

"Yes, I am," sighed the minister.

Ezra affirmed, "She's telling the truth. I can sense her fear."

Sabine nodded in agreement as Kanan replied, "Yeah, but of what?"

As the Jedi looked around at each other in thought, Hera continued the negotiations. "So, what have you got to trade?"

"A list of rebel sympathizers on Lothal and other nearby systems."

Commander Sato spoke up for the first time since the transmission began, his hand stroking his chin. "How come these sympathizers have not been arrested?"

The minister began to grow more desperate as the rebels continued to question her. "Some have powerful friends in the Senate. Imperial command watches them, but can do nothing. I know you need allies. Get me off Lothal, and I will give you the list."

The members of Phoenix Cell looked around at each other, attempting to come to a decision. Kanan was the first to speak his mind. "We shouldn't even consider this."

Tristan tacked on, "It's obviously a trap."

Finally cracking, the minister revealed, "There's something else. I've discovered the true reason the Empire came to Lothal."

Hera didn't believe her, crossing her arms and responding, "We know that one. The Empire has a factory, and they're stripping the planet's resources to fuel it."

"No. There is another reason only known to a few, and ordered by the Emperor himself."

At that revelation, the adults started to converse with each other. Ezra and Sabine already knew their answer with Sabine vocalizing it first. "We have to do this. If there is something going on that was ordered by the Emperor, it has to be big."

Ahsoka nodded. "I agree."

"So do I," Kanan added.

"I agree as well. This is an opportunity we can't pass up," Hera said before continuing, "That is, if Commander Sato approves."

"I believe it could be worth the risk," the commander concurred.

Ezra turned back to the hologram. "Minister, we'll get you out. Send us your coordinates."

"Thank you."

"So, we're not taking the Ghost, and we're letting Chopper drive?"

The Spectres were currently boarding a Star Commuter 2000 shuttle provided by Phoenix Cell.

"After our stunt on Mustafar, there's a good chance the Empire will be able to track it," Hera replied.

Sabine, however, realized something as she sat down next to Ezra. "We didn't even use the Ghost to get to Mustafar, and it only appeared for a few minutes before we all escaped. Are you sure they can track it just based on that?"

Hera sighed. "You're probably right, but we can't risk the off chance that they can detect it on this mission. If the Empire knows we're coming, we put Minister Tua's life in more danger than it already is."

Zeb groaned as the shuttle departed from the small fleet. "Great mission so far."

Once the shuttle entered hyperspace, Kanan asked, "So, what's the plan?"

Ezra briefed the rest of the crew on his idea. "Okay, so Minister Tua is scheduled to visit Governor Tarkin tomorrow. She leaves Lothal via shuttle at 1800. We wait at the hangar, steal the shuttle and take her to safety."

"Ez, are you sure about this plan? What if it's a trap? The Empire could be trying to lure us back to Lothal after what we did at Mustafar."

Ezra sighed. "That's possible. However, we could both sense Minister Tua's fear, 'Bine, remember?"

"The Empire could be using her as the bait without her knowing. I wouldn't put it past them to do that based on what we've already seen. Even some of the instructors at the academy were ruthless. I doubt their superiors are much better, if at all." Tristan argued.

"Plus, after all the trouble she's caused us, why should we help her?" Zeb tacked on.

Ezra conceded, "You're both right, but we don't have much of a choice. Minister Tua has valuable intel that we all desperately need. Plus, this is what we do, help those who can't help themselves."

The shuttle had just exited hyperspace in front of Lothal. Chopper was currently conversing with the Imperial operators.

"Shuttle 593, this is Lothal Control. You are cleared to land."

Ezra looked out the window as Sabine leaned her head on his shoulder. "I didn't think I'd miss it, but I…"

Sabine looked up at him the moment she felt him tense. "What is it, Ez?" She suddenly tensed herself as she felt a wave of coldness wash over her.

Kanan looked at the two worriedly. "Are you guys okay?"

Ezra responded quietly, "Do you feel that? I-I feel so cold."

Sabine nodded in agreement, wrapping herself around Ezra in a futile attempt to ward off the feeling. Kanan turned back around, looking out the window as he contemplated possible causes of their cold spell.

Ezra was the first to disembark when Chopper landed the shuttle in the spaceport, looking up into the sky. "I've never seen so many Star Destroyers here. It's gotten worse."

"I know," he heard Sabine respond gently as she walked up behind him. Before they could continue their conversation, Hera began giving instructions.

"Zeb, Chopper, Twix, stay with the shuttle in case we need a quick exit."

Zeb groaned. "Why am I stuck babysitting the droids again?"

"Haven't you seen how much they like you? They're so attracted to you they can't help but zap you." Tristan quipped sarcastically.

The Lasat was about to retort but settled for a sighed in annoyance. "Fine."

Once the droids acknowledged their orders, Kanan ordered, "Tua's leaving from bay 23. Let's go."

As they reached the gate of the bay, they noticed a small squad of stormtroopers guarding the entrance. "Huh. We'll need a distraction," Hera pointed out.

"Well, I'm gonna go make a few friends. When Tua arrives, I'll keep 'em busy while y'all drop into the hangar from above."

Hera looked at her Jedi skeptically. "Make a few friends?"

"It'll be fun."

"Fun?"

Kanan gave her a mock salute. "Don't worry, General Hera. Just be ready to move."

Tristan snickered. "You should take flirting lessons from Ezra. Hell, I've unwillingly watched enough to learn a thing or two myself."

Both male Jedi slightly blushed as Sabine giggled. Hera just shook her head in amusement, a small smile gracing her face. Ezra and Sabine knew that Kanan was mocking Hera, as they overheard the pair's conversation on the capital ship earlier, but they couldn't help but laugh at Tristan's interpretation. Once the group settled down, they watched Kanan approach a trooper. They could hear, "Hey, didn't we meet in basic training? You look familiar," watching in stunned silence as the older Jedi knocked out the trooper and dragged him into a nearby alley, coming back out moments later fully clad in the trooper's gear.

"Kanan's gone buckethead."

"I don't believe it."

"I'm kinda jealous. I only have the helmet."

While the four climbed up a nearby roof, Sabine teased, "Don't worry Ez, you look better in the cadet uni anyway~!"

"Yeah, yeah, we all know you prefer me with less clothing," the young Jedi quipped back.

Tristan piled on as her sister's face gradually flushed red. "Helmet on or helmet off?"

"TRISTAN!"

"Will you kids shut up? You'll kriffing give us away!"

"Y-yes, Mom!" the kids chorused while moving into position. After a few minutes of waiting, Ezra spotted a speeder heading towards the bay. "Here she comes. But, she's got company."

"What kind of company?" Hera asked as she ran over to Ezra's position.

"Agent Kallus. Well, that's just great."

They watched as Minister Tua made her way into the bay, followed by the ISB Agent and Kanan, who motioned subtly to Tristan to make his move. The Mandalorian nodded and jumped down behind the group while shouting, "Hey!" He opened fire on the group, making sure to deliberately avoid Kanan and the minister.

Kallus shouted, "Minister, take cover!"

Kanan took the opportunity to close the bay doors on the other troopers, blasting the controls as he said, "Surprise!"

The ISB Agent looked pissed. "Rebels!" He opened fire on Kanan, who took cover behind a couple of crates. Ezra, Sabine, and Hera immediately jumped down to help him and the minister, who was now pinned down with them.

"Minister, get to the shuttle. We'll be right behind you."

"Right."

They all made a break for the shuttle, but once the minister was onboard, the shuttle exploded, sending the others flying back. The rebels looked at the flaming shuttle in shock. Kallus shouted in anger, "You did this!" as he and the other troopers pinned them down behind another crate.

Outside the bay, Tristan propelled himself up to the top of the bay with his jetpack just in time to see the shuttle go up in flames. Once he confirmed his crewmates were alive, he contacted Zeb. "Sabine was right, it's a trap. We need a pickup. Now!"

"Copy. We're on our way."

The moment the shuttle arrived, Sabine pulled out and ignited her lightsaber. "Go! I'll cover our backs."

As everyone filed into the shuttle, Sabine felt that wave of coldness resurface. She turned towards where the feeling was originating from, only to see a tall figure dressed in a black suit of armor look right at her before turning and walking away. She was brought back into reality when she heard her boyfriend shout, "'Bine, come on! Time to go!"

She swiftly backflipped onto the ramp as the shuttle took off with Tristan landing in front of her, both of them quickly making their way inside. However, once the shuttle was in the air, it was immediately shot down by a nearby AT-DP. The crew rapidly evacuated the burning shuttle with Ezra in the lead. "Our closest hideout is my parent's house. We should probably stay there for a bit while we plan."

"Everything has happened as you predicted, Lord Vader."

The Sith Lord turned around to address Kallus, who was on call through a holoprojector. "Now inform the populace the rebel assassins hide in their midst. Lock down the spaceport, and make it known, any ship attempting to leave will be destroyed."

"Right away."

Once Kallus ended the transmission, Vader began to think to himself. That girl, she's special. The boy can be manipulated, as there is still much turmoil within him. The girl, however, will not fall. She is too far gone in the light. He then remembered the name of the person who broadcasted against the Empire using their own tower not too long ago. Sabine Wren. That girl must be her. He turned back around, now looking out of his office, watching as his army deployed search parties in pursuit of the rebels. She must die.

The Spectres were conversing in Ezra's basement while Chopper secured the entrance. "Twix, can you play the Imperial broadcast?" Sabine asked. The droid beeped in acknowledgement and an Imperial figure showed up in the projection.

"A beloved citizen of Lothal, Minister Tua's life was cut short by this criminal band of rebels." The broadcast switched to a holo-photo of the Spectres present at the scene. "If you see them, summon Imperial authorities immediately. Trooper corps have been mobilized in an extensive sea…"

"Turn it off, Twix," Hera ordered before turning to address the rest of the crew. "You were right, Sabine. They did this to turn Lothal against us. We can't do any more here. We have to leave, for good."

"We can't just run. The people have to know the truth," Ezra countered.

Sabine looked at him sadly, "Ez, you know she's right. Lothal is my home as much as it is yours, and it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth knowing we have to leave it behind. But we don't have a choice. Anything we do here now has consequences." She was about to tell the group about the black suited man she saw, but before she could continue, she was interrupted by Chopper's frantic beeping from above.

Zeb climbed up first, announcing, "They're here!"

Ezra followed him up, pointing towards an escape route towards the back of the building. "Come on! I know a way out."

Once the group made it to the roof, Ezra spoke again. "If they know about this hideout, they'll know about the others. We need to find a ship and get out of here."

"Maybe we can try one of the local Imperial airfields," Hera suggested.

Sabine pressed a few buttons on her wrist controls, prompting Twix to display a holomap of Lothal. "They're all locked down. Besides, we'll never get outside the capital."

"The Empire's looking everywhere for us," Zeb added.

Kanan smirked as he pointed to the large dome on the map. "Not everywhere."

Hera turned to look at her Jedi. "The Imperial Complex? Are you crazy?"

"Does anyone ever say yes to that question?"

"Kanan has a point," Tristan conceded. "Searching for us everywhere in the city will spread the garrison thin. There will be minimal troops at the dome, as they probably think it's secure."

Sabine then zoomed the map in on the complex. "The area with the least troops will be here, near the factories. There are landing platforms outside these hangars. They're our best chance if we're gonna find a shuttle."

"I'm already dressed for the part," Kanan pointed out. After coming up with a plan, the crew sneakily made their way across the roof towards the complex. Ezra took one last glance at his old home, which had been bombed out by the Imperials with flames slowly consuming the building, before catching up with the crew. Guess there is no going home.

Kanan and Ezra were walking up to the Imperial factory, pushing along a hovercart containing three crates on it. The two were disguised in their stormtrooper armor and cadet uniform, respectively. The guard at the entrance halted them and asked, "What's this?"

"Power cells in need of recharging for the rebel pursuit," Kanan replied. Ezra continued to push the cart along, but the trooper stopped him again. "Hold it right there, cadet. We have to check inside."

"I got this," Ezra replied as he repositioned in front of the trooper, waving his hand slowly. "You don't have to check inside."

The trooper responded dazedly, "I don't have to check inside."

Ezra grinned inside his helmet. "As you wish!" He then continued to push the cart with Kanan walking right behind him. Once they were out of the trooper's hearing range, Kanan complimented, "Nice job, Ezra. Let's get to the storage room."

The younger Jedi nodded as they continued on, the two saluting any troopers that passed them on their way to their destination. When they made it to the room, Ezra told Sabine mentally, "We're here, 'Bine."

"Finally! I was starting to get cramped in here."

Ezra watched as the two females of the crew appeared from one of the crates, with Sabine moving towards the hallway to secure it. Suddenly, Zeb burst out of the second crate, yelling at the top of his lungs while flailing his arms, causing Hera to flinch at the volume. Tristan popped out of the third crate, looking irritatedly at the Lasat. "Keep it down, will ya?"

Zeb was still trying to catch his breath, gasping for air. "What? I need to breathe. Have you smelled me?"

"No, and I don't plan to anytime soon," the Mando retorted.

Sabine turned back from the hallway. "Luckily for us, there's no one around to hear it."

Ezra then pointed towards the back of the room. "This way."

Just as the crew began to leave, they heard metal banging and panicked beeping coming from behind them. Hera looked at Zeb with one hand on her hip and the other one pointing at the crate. "Zeb, go get Chopper!" As if the Force wanted Chopper to suffer that day, Twix activated his rocket boosters and flew out of the third crate. The crew glared at Chopper, who was still "struggling" in the second crate, in irritation. "Chopper, you lazy son of a-"

After taking out a couple of troopers on patrol, the group made their way outside. "There's a shuttle!" Kanan pointed out as the group hid behind a wall. "What did I tell ya?"

"Yeah, yeah," Hera responded as the group took off towards it. But before they reached it, Tristan spotted something from the corner of his visor.

"Hera, over here."

The Twi'lek gasped in excitement when she arrived at Tristan's side. "Shield generators!"

"Military grade," Tristan added.

"Guys, grab all we can carry. These might help turn this day around." Each member took one towards the shuttle while Chopper got it ready to launch. However, before they made it to the shuttle, the three Jedi abruptly stopped and looked at each other.

"Do you feel that?" Ezra asked trepidly.

The other two nodded as Kanan responded, "The cold."

They turned their attention to the main hangar bay, where a figure clad in black full body armor stood. They could hear the mechanical breathing from the suit as the man activated a single crimson blade. The sound of the blade igniting drew the attention of the entire crew, who now looked back at the menacing figure. Kanan ordered to them, "Get those shield generators on board. Now!" A squad of stormtroopers appeared behind the figure as he calmly walked forward, prompting the three Jedi to ignite their own blades. Once in range, the man struck as Kanan blocked, but the older Jedi was crumbling under the pressure of the crimson blade. The two traded a few blows before the figure caught both of Kanan's hands, deactivating the Jedi's lightsaber and tossing him into some crates nearby. Ezra mentally told Sabine while observing the fight,

"He was basically toying with Kanan. He's way stronger than us, but we're faster. We need to take advantage of that. Neither of us can stand alone against this guy, so we need to fight him together."

"He was at the spaceport when we left, Ez. I didn't have time to tell you earlier, but I think he's the one behind the trap. He's a lot smarter than he looks, so we need to be careful."

Ezra mentally nodded and the two refocused on the figure in front of them. As Sabine charged in, Ezra stretched out both of his hands, attempting to Force push the man. It didn't get the man off his feet, but it forced him to bend backwards, allowing Sabine to strike at him. Just as the man blocked her strike, Ezra jumped over her and swung down at him, forcing him to step back. "It seems you two have some talent. However, that will not be enough to defeat me." Before they could even react, he sent the two flying in different directions with a flick of his hand.

Sabine slowly stood up, shaking the cobwebs from her head. She was about to reach out to Ezra when she felt the Force scream out to her in warning. She immediately turned around and blocked a strike from the figure, but soon she was forced down to a knee, his overwhelming strength quickly overpowering her. Knowing she couldn't hold on for much longer, she broke the lock and rolled backward. However, she didn't have long to rest as the armored man pursued her, relentlessly striking at her. He struck at her from above, forcing her to block high. "I was going to let your little band of rebels live for a little longer. However, Sabine Wren, you will not be so lucky." He disengaged from their saber lock before swiftly stabbing his crimson blade into her unprotected core. Pain shot through her body as her face contorted into a silent scream. The last thing she heard was before fading out of consciousness was, "All the hope in the galaxy dies with you," as he retracted his blade, leaving her body to crumple to the ground.

The first thing Ezra saw when his mind cleared up was his girlfriend being stabbed through the stomach. "SABINE! NOOO!"

He barely heard Kanan shout, "Ezra, wait!" as he charged towards her, his mind swirling with anger and hatred. Once he reached her, he heard the figure say,

"You couldn't save her, boy. You weren't strong enough, and you will never be."

Rage continued to build inside him as he turned to glare at the figure. He called Sabine's saber to his off hand, orange and purple illuminating his enraged face. He could still feel his bond to Sabine, but it was fading quickly. When he heard Tristan touch down behind him, he turned to the Mando with a pleading look on his face. "She's still alive, but barely. Get her to the ship. I'll hold this guy off." He didn't wait for an answer as he turned back around and charged at the man, leaping high and swinging both blades down at him. He quickly disengaged as the man blocked both strikes, using his forward momentum to strike again. He channeled all his anger and hatred into each strike, temporarily allowing him to match the strength of his opponent's blows.

For the first time in a long time, Vader had a "challenge". He knew that the boy was fighting with raw emotion and that it would eventually wear off. What he did not expect was for the boy to know how to channel his negative emotions into his strikes. Vapaad. The boy is more talented than I originally thought. Which means there must be a survivor capable of teaching it to him as well. My master will want this one. He continued deflecting the strikes, trying to wear the boy down. "You would be an exceptional wielder of the dark side of the Force. Join me, and I can give you the power you want to save your friends."

Many months ago, Ezra may have been tempted to take that offer. However, ever since his experiences at Stygeon, he knew the dark side led to nothing but pain and suffering. He glared furiously at the armored man. "I will never join the likes of you." But before either could continue their duel, they heard someone call out, "Ezra, time to go!" Ezra jumped away from the man and turned around to see the Sentinel class shuttle already in the air, with Kanan at the ramp motioning for him to jump. Without further hesitation, he leaped onto the shuttle as it left the Imperial facility, immediately making his way to his fallen partner.

As Vader watched the shuttle flee, Agent Kallus came up behind him, asking curiously, "Lord Vader, I thought you wanted the rebels to escape alive. Why kill the girl?"

The mechanical man didn't move, calmly responding, "She would have become a threat to the Empire if she was allowed to live. Her speech inspired many people to follow in her ways. However, that hope can all be crushed at once with her death. Spread the news of her demise. It will demoralize the populace into submission."

Ezra kneeled next to his girlfriend, who Tristan had laid down on one of the benches. Her brother had taken off her helmet, allowing Ezra to see just how deathly pale her skin was. Her breathing was shallow, and he could slowly feel their bond slipping away. "Please, 'Bine. Talk to me. Please!" Tears were now freely falling from his face as he looked down at her, mentally begging for her to respond. Tristan put a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort the young Jedi, tears streaming down his own face. This was his sister, the one he adored so much, who he may never see again. No amount of Mandalorian training could have prepared him for this. The rest of the crew circled around the two, looking mournfully at the girl. Kanan broke the near silence in an attempt to comfort the broken Jedi.

"I'm sorry, Ezra. I know it's difficult. Just remember, trust in the Force-" He was suddenly interrupted by Ezra as the young Jedi shoved Tristan out of the way and moved over to Sabine's wound.

"Ezra, what-" Tristan was about to retaliate when Kanan put an arm out to stop him. "I can feel him doing something through the Force. This might be Sabine's only chance, Tristan."

Tristan nodded reluctantly as the two turned back to watch.

Trust in the Force, Ezra. He had no idea what he was about to do, but the Force was telling him to do something, and he was willing to do anything to save his love. He moved both of his hands over Sabine's wound and closed his eyes, feeling the Force flow through his body. I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me. He could feel his own life energy drain from his body as it poured into Sabine's, her cells around the stab wound regenerating at an alarmingly fast rate. Large beads of sweat formed on his face as he continued to channel his life energy into her body, his face set in grim determination. I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me. Trust in the Force.

The rest of the Spectres could only watch in awe as the wound on Sabine's stomach slowly started to repair itself. Her skin tone gradually returned to its natural color, and her breathing began to even out. By the end of the process, all that remained of the previously fatal injury was a hole in the fabric of her bodysuit and a small circular scar inside of it.

Once Ezra felt Sabine's vitality fully return, he stopped the process. His breathing was ragged and his face was flushed red from exertion. He felt his head start to spin as exhaustion finally consumed him. One last thought entered his mind as he drifted off into unconsciousness. Thank you, Kanan.

Tristan noticed Ezra start to sway before the young Jedi collapsed to the floor. He immediately went down to a knee to check on his friend's breathing. The Mando breathed a large sigh of relief at the knowledge that Ezra was alive. He gently picked up his friend and laid him on the same bench, just a few feet down from Sabine, and whispered, "Thank you, Ezra, for saving her." He then shuffled back towards Sabine and kneeled next to her, grabbing her hand with both of his as he wept quietly in joy and relief.

After a few minutes of near silence, Hera shattered it by ordering, "Zeb, make sure they can't track us."

"Consider it done," the Lasat replied confidently.

Hera nodded before continuing, "I'm going to make for orbit so we can jump away."

"Hera, no! He will have a blockade of destroyers waiting for us," Kanan replied frantically.

Tristan added as he turned around to look at them, tear streaks still on his face. "This shuttle is minimally armed. We won't even come close to surviving. We're gonna have to smuggle ourselves off of Lothal somehow."

"Mmm, that's not a bad idea."

"What are you thinking, love?" Kanan asked.

"I'm thinking we know the right man to smuggle us off-world," Hera replied as she climbed up the ladder to the cockpit.

Kanan knew who she was talking about and didn't like it, but he looked back at the two unconscious teens. He sighed, "We don't have a choice, I guess."

After another short period of silence, he heard Tristan ask him, "What did Ezra do?"

Kanan took a deep breath before answering, "Ezra used a technique called Force healing. It allows one to transfer his own life force into another to accelerate the healing of wounds, and for the higher level practitioners, to even heal fatal wounds. How Ezra learned to use it so effectively, I don't know. I suspect that even he doesn't, or he would have used it much earlier. Sabine was on the verge of death earlier, so the amount of life energy he poured into her must have completely drained him, probably close to death himself. Even the best healers at the Jedi Temple would have struggled to heal that wound. I don't think he'll wake up for a long time."

Tristan nodded worriedly, grateful for Ezra's sacrifice, but just as concerned about his well being. His mind then wandered to the armored man who had nearly killed her sister. "Who was that back there? Another Inquisitor?"

"No, something much worse. A Sith Lord. The ancient enemy of the Jedi. We were very lucky to survive," Kanan responded somberly.

Their attention was shifted to Twix as the droid hovered down the ladder, rolling up to Kanan and beeping at him. "Alright, alright. I'm going." The older Jedi climbed up the ladder, leaving Tristan to his thoughts.

"Well, hello there, Captain Syndulla. This is a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you?"

Kanan looked irately at the hologram. "This isn't a social call, Lando. It's business. We need your help to smuggle something off Lothal."

"Past the Imperial blockade," Hera tacked on.

"You know, if the Empire learns I got involved, it'd be all over for me. I'd be taking an awful big risk."

"What do you want?" Kanan conceded.

"What have you got?"

"Imperial shield generators. Military grade."

"Ooh. Now that's merchandise I can move. How many we talking about?"

"Two," Hera replied unconvincingly.

"Two? You are no gambler, Hera. Offering me two means you've got at least six, so I think three is probably fair."

Kanan and Hera looked at each other. The Twi'lek was about to deny it when Kanan stopped her, whispering, "Think about Sabine and Ezra. We don't have a choice here. Their lives are worth more than an extra shield generator."

Hera sighed and nodded. "Fine, Lando. Three. We have a deal?"

"While I'm not on Lothal at the moment, my droid is. Go to my operation, and he'll set you up with everything you need."

Hera, Kanan, and Zeb, along with the two astromechs, walked out of the shuttle at Lando's operation, approaching a humanoid droid. "You must be Lando's droid."

"Yes ma'am. Welcome. I have prepared everything according to Calrissian's instructions. Is one of you a mechanic?"

Hera responded, "He's back on the ship. I'll get him."

As soon as Hera walked onboard, she requested, "Tristan, we need you to-" she cut herself off as saw Tristan wrapped around her sister in a tight hug. "Sabine! You're awake!"

The Mando girl responded tiredly, "Hey, Hera." She then looked over Tristan's back and saw Ezra unconscious on the same bench, snapping her out of her drowsiness and pushing off Tristan slightly. "What happened to Ezra?" A terrifying thought crossed her mind as she reached for her own stomach, but to her surprise, there was only charred fabric and a small scar." Wait, what happened to me? I thought I… he stabbed me. How am I not dead?"

Tristan fully released his sister from his embrace as he responded truthfully, knowing Sabine didn't want anything to be sugarcoated. "From what Kanan told me, Ezra used Force healing to save you. He said Ezra transferred his life energy into you, and because you were so close to… to dying, Ezra nearly killed himself to save you. Kanan says he doesn't know when Ezra will wake up."

A pang of guilt shot through Sabine like a blaster bolt as she whispered, "It's my fault." Tears leaked out of her eyes while she scooted over to her unconscious boyfriend. Having heard her whisper, Tristan replied,

"You can't be blamed for what happened. That man would have wiped the floor with all of us."

Hera added, "He's right, Sabine. The same thing could have happened to any of us. None of us are blaming you."

"But it happened to ME! I'm the reason why… why he's like this." She broke down crying as she knelt next to Ezra, hugging his head to her chest. "W-why, Ez? Why do this to yourself?" she whispered shakily.

"Because he loves you, Sabine. He would do anything for you, we all know it," Tristan responded gently before continuing, "And that goes for the rest of us too. We're a family, it's what we do. I know it's hard seeing him like this. It's just as hard for me, knowing how much he means to you, but there is nothing we can do right now but wait for him to wake up."

Before he could continue, Kanan came back into the ship. "Hera, what's taking you so… long?" Seeing Sabine awake, he was about to go talk to her, but Hera stopped him.

"Sabine needs some time alone right now. Let's go." She then turned to the other Mando. "Tristan, Lando's droid needs a mechanic, and I don't want to ask Sabine to do it right now. The quicker we get this done, the quicker we get Ezra some help."

"I'm not leaving Sabine alone," Tristan defied.

"No, you're not," Hera replied. "I'll call back Twix to watch her."

Tristan reluctantly nodded as he stepped out of the shuttle, leaving Sabine to her thoughts.

Sabine was still watching over Ezra with Twix snuggled up at her side when the rest of the crew arrived at the ramp with a few devices. She looked at them curiously and asked, "What are those for?"

Hera replied, "Tristan tuned these transponders to match the shuttle's signature codes. Hopefully, it will throw the Empire off long enough for us to escape."

She just nodded and turned back to Ezra without a word, leaving the rest of the crew to prepare for the mission.

Their plan had worked flawlessly. Once the shuttle was in hyperspace, the crew gathered around the cargo bay to discuss their options for the future.

"So if we can't go back to Lothal, where are we going?" Kanan brought up.

"What are you talking about? We're part of the rebellion now," Hera replied, slightly confused.

"Are we? Are we all sure about that?" Kanan asked as he looked around the cargo bay.

"I like fighting with Phoenix Squadron. Reminds me of the Honor Guard," Zeb supplied. "Besides, they're counting on us. Wouldn't be right to abandon them now."

"I agree, we should stay with the rebellion." To everyone's surprise, Sabine was the one to speak up. She had been silent the whole journey so far, staying as close to Ezra as she could. She continued, "Ezra and I joined you guys so we could have a better fighting chance against the Empire. Being in this rebellion aligns with those goals. They can provide us with resources that may eventually allow us to come back to Lothal in the future as well. Plus, Ezra and I originally chose to become Jedi so we could make the galaxy a better place. We wanted to help create a place where no one would have to go through what we did as children. If we just take the Ghost and hide, we accomplish none of that. As much as I want to stay with Ezra for every waking moment, I know he would rather have me continue to fight, so that's what I'll do."

"What about Ezra? He's in no shape to fight." Kanan argued.

"Phoenix Squadron has more resources than we do that can help him recover," Sabine countered.

Hera smiled proudly at the Mando girl. "That's what I like to hear." She then climbed the ladder back up to the cockpit with Kanan following her. "We're going to exit hyperspace soon."

Once the ship dropped out of hyperspace next to the fleet, Hera said through the comms, "Phoenix Home, this is Ghost away team. Clearance code 1-2-1-8-1-5."

"Your clearance code checks out. Welcome home, Ghost team, and my condolences."

Hear looked at Kanan confusedly. "What is he talking about?"

"No idea," Kanan replied. Once they docked the ship, the crew disembarked, ready to report the mission to Commander Sato.

Sabine stayed on the Sentinel class shuttle for a little longer with Ezra when she heard Chopper beep frantically. "What?" She immediately ran out of the shuttle to the rest of the crew. "Chopper said a transmitter activated on our shuttle moments ago! Zeb, I need your help to carry Ezra."

"What about the shield generators?" asked Tristan.

Hera quickly responded, "We have to leave them, we don't have a choice. Chopper, Twix, go get the Ghost ready in case we need it."

Hera immediately ran off to the command room with the rest of the crew on her tail to alert Commander Sato while Zeb and Sabine went back to the shuttle. As Zeb grabbed Ezra and slung the teen over his shoulder, he saw Sabine looking at the shield generators. "Didn't Hera say we have no time to get them?"

"I think I can still get one." She turned on the thrusters of the closest generator, pushing it out of the shuttle and to the Ghost with Zeb following closely behind her.

"Commander Sato! We need the fleet to jump out of here. Our shuttle was tracked," Hera frantically got out as she sprinted into the command room.

"Commander, I'm scanning a ship entering our sector. We're tracking one target. No other ships have entered the system," a ship operator notified.

Sato ordered, "Move Phoenix Squadron to intercept." The pilots scrambled into their A-wings, getting ready to confront the foe. However, once the squadron was in space, it was clear that the battle was a mismatch. The Spectres watched as the singular pilot tore apart most of the squadron before heading towards the command ship. "How can one fighter best our entire squadron?" Sato asked in frustration.

"Your pilots are outmatched, commander," Hera stated before running out of the command room.

"What are you doing?" Kanan asked.

"Getting involved."

"Not without me, you're not." However, before he could leave the room, Ahsoka requested, "All right if I tag along?"

"I'm definitely not complaining. Come on, Tristan, let's go!" The three made their way out of the command room to the Ghost, where they met Hera, as well as Sabine, and Zeb, who had just arrived from the shuttle. Ahsoka looked at the female Mandalorian in shock. "Sabine? How are you here? We received the news that you died on Lothal. It's all over the HoloNet."

Hera quickly replied, "We can discuss that later. Let's move!" Everyone scrambled to their stations, Zeb quickly passing Ezra off to Twix as he headed to the tail gun. They heard over the PA, "Everyone, check in."

"Tail gun, check."

"Turret, check," Tristan replied.

"Nose gun, check."

As Sabine pushed the shield generator into the Cavalry, she wondered, Kanan in the nose gun? That's a surprise. Oh, right, Ezra's down. "Twix, get Ezra in here! We need to check in!" The droid beeped affirmatively, dragging Ezra into the ship as Sabine sat down in the pilot's seat. "Cavalry, check."

"All right, kids, do Mom and Dad proud. Ghost moving to engage." Hera released the docking clamp and chased after the singular TIE.

"Phoenix Home to Ghost. We can't withstand another attack from that fighter."

"Copy that," Hera replied. "Phoenix Squadron, form up and focus fire."

Sabine commed, "I'm sending out a homing missile. We can't seem to hit him with anything else."

"Wait! He can use it and lead it to Phoenix Home. He's obviously skilled enough to do it. It's not worth the risk," Hera replied.

"Then how else do we hit him?" She asked frustratedly.

Suddenly, she felt a familiar wave of coldness wash over her as the TIE made another run at the capital ship. She immediately commed, "Kanan, the guy in that ship is the same one that was on Lothal!"

She suddenly heard Ahsoka's scream through the PA. "Hera, Kanan? What's going on in there?"

Kanan was the one to respond, "She's fine, Sabine. Focus on the enemy."

The Ghost was then contacted by the capital ship. "Captain Syndulla, whatever you're doing, keep it up! The fleet can recover!"

"No! Commander, you need to get the fleet out of here now!" Kanan argued.

"I will not abandon our command ship!" Sato asserted.

Hera reasoned, "You don't have a choice, sir. Without a hyperdrive, you must abandon ship." Suddenly, three Star Destroyers dropped out of hyperspace in front of the small fleet.

Kanan added, "It's now or never, Commander!"

"I regretfully agree. All hands, abandon ship. You'll have to keep that fighter occupied."

"Don't worry, sir. We seem to have his attention." Just as Hera finished speaking, a well placed shot rocked the entire ship as it hit the starboard docking clamp, separating the Cavalry from the Ghost. "Hera, he shot the clamp! We'll need to jump separately."

"I'm sending coordinates to our rendezvous now, Sabine. Get out of here!"

"Understood. Good luck, Hera." Sabine then punched the lever, sending the Cavalry into hyperspace. She got out of her seat and walked towards the back of the ship, where Twix was attempting to lift Ezra onto the bottom bunk but failing miserably. She giggled at her droid while gently lifting Ezra up herself and laying him down on the bunk. After the events of the day, she was too tired to strip off her armor, so she just flopped onto the bunk next to him, drifting off to sleep almost immediately.

Sabine was woken up by a faint beeping coming from the cockpit. She asked groggily, "Twix, what's going on?" The droid started beeping panickedly, snapping her to attention as she went into the cockpit to check for the problem. It was then she noticed something off about the nav-computer. "Can you scan the ship for any damage? The nav-computer says we're heading towards Coruscant, but we should be going the opposite way to the rendezvous."

After a couple minutes, Twix beeped out that the hyperdrive was damaged earlier from the shot.

"How bad is it?" Sabine asked. But before the droid could respond, the ship began to shake violently. Sabine could hear the hyperdrive beginning to power down, but not in its normal shutdown sequence. "Uh, that sounded really bad." The ship abruptly started to spin out of control as it was spit out of hyperspace. Sabine immediately got on the controls and attempted to straighten the ship out, but she couldn't reach the engine switches due to the ship's continued spinning. "Twix, engines!" The droid magnetically locked himself to the floor of the ship and rolled up to the port located in the center console, quickly inserting his scomp link and turning the engines on. Sabine sighed in relief as the ship straightened out, but only for a moment, as she looked out of the cockpit to see the ship flying straight towards the ground at full speed. She hadn't realized they had entered the atmosphere of a planet. She shouted, "Twix, cut engines!" She pulled the controls up as much as she could as the astromech cut the engines, trying to slow their fall, but they were still going in too fast. "Hang on, it's gonna be a rough landing!" Sabine was about to strap herself into her seat when she remembered, "Ezra! Twix, take over the controls!" She immediately got up and stumbled her way to the bunks, jumping into the bottom bunk and wrapping Ezra in a protective hug, attempting to shield him from any injury with her armor. However, the moment the ship made contact with the ground, her head collided with bunk above her, knocking her out and leaving their fates to the forces of nature.

The Ghost, having just barely escaped from the Empire, dropped out of hyperspace next to the remainder of the fleet. Hera and Kanan breathed a sigh of relief as Ahsoka slowly regained consciousness. But before Hera could ask if she was okay, Tristan ran into the cockpit, looking around frantically. "Where's the Cavalry? Wasn't it supposed to meet here with us?" The adults immediately looked out at the fleet, but they couldn't find the small Aka'jor class shuttle anywhere. Hera contacted the fleet. "This is Captain Syndulla. Has anyone seen the Cavalry arrive?"

"Negative, Captain Syndulla. Everyone here is all we have left."

"Thank you." She then attempted to contact the Cavalry. "Sabine? Are you there?" All she received was static. "Twix? Hello? Respond, damn it!" Static again. She turned to Kanan and Ahsoka, desperately asking them, "Would you be able to sense her?" The two closed their eyes, but a few moments later, reopened them. Kanan spoke up first.

"I couldn't sense her at all."

Ahsoka nodded in agreement. "That means one of two things. One, that she's too far away for us to sense, or two, that she's… dead."

"Wait, I can't sense Ezra either," Kanan added worriedly. He then turned to Zeb and asked, "Where did you leave him?"

The Lasat responded worriedly himself, "I left him with Twix when I went to man the tail gun. He must have dragged Ezra into the Cavalry at some point."

The remaining crew were crushed by the news. First, they failed their mission on Lothal, just to lose over half of their fighter squadron and their capital ship as a result of it. And the worst news, they had just lost their three newest crew members, all at once.

AN: So, yes, they're a dyad in the Force, for those who didn't catch it. It was first mentioned by Yoda in Prologue III. It's the main "AU" part of this story, as it was the catalyst for Sabine awakening her powers much earlier than in canon, although that's an entirely different can of worms I don't feel like opening again. Based on what I know, dyads come with the instinctual ability to Force heal. While the Rise of Skywalker novelization said Rey learned to Force heal by reading ancient Jedi texts, that doesn't explain how Kylo/Ben uno reverses her death later on, and I HIGHLY doubt he would have learned Force healing, so I'm assuming that it's instinctual with a dyad and definitely not a plot hole. Well, I'm exploiting it to its fullest. I've already revealed their other powers earlier on, but I won't use them too frequently, outside of telepathy Across the Stars (heh, comment if you understood that one), cuz that's useful and convenient for me. The rest will only be used when it makes sense, including Force healing. For those wondering about Kanan's blindness later, you'll just have to see (heh).

Oh, yeah the reason why Sabine didn't die immediately should be obvious, but I've seen some wild comments about her stabbing in Ahsoka. Qui-Gonn took the entirety of the Obi-Wan/Maul fight and slightly longer to die. There ya go.

Vader sees Sabine as a threat to the Empire, not because she can beat him, as shown in this chapter, but because of what she represents. It's the same reason why the rebellion went to save Kanan in the original story. They wanted to make sure Kanan and Ezra stayed alive to keep the hope that they sparked alive. It's the same concept here, just with Sabine being the primary target instead of Ezra, as she was the one that made the speech this time.

If you're wondering why Sabine didn't react too badly to Ezra's near sacrifice, it's mainly because she hasn't had time to. The moment they got back they had to move immediately. She hasn't had time to fully grasp it, and he isn't dead, just unconscious, which eases her mind greatly. Also, I alluded to it, but I don't think I put it in the dialogue, so to clarify, Ezra is in a coma.

First cliffhanger of the story, although I have no doubt you know the fate of the couple. Stay tuned. c: