Star Wars: Rebel Dogs

by Drongs2.0

The Force. It binds and connects us even in the most unusual of ways. Now the Forces has brought forth a new ally for the Ghost team. New friends, adventures, and foes shall rise in these dark times of the Empire. Now it'll take more than just hope to aid the growing rebellion.

11. Golden Goose

Star Wars: Rebel Dogs

Chapter IX: Golden Goose

As usual, Maz's palace was one, if not the most, bustling joint within the outer rim territories. From all around the galaxy, smugglers, pirates, bounty hunters, and others of morally questionable professions would often think of this place as a second home. Thanks to no small part of Maz Kanata, the 4ft orange humanoid alien of origins known only by her closest friends. One constant guest must remember that she would be willing to help those under her roof so long they brought no trouble upon her or her establishment. Whether it was with info on a job or finding work for those who needed it, she'd always have just the thing these people needed. Perhaps it was her Force sensitivity or countless connections, Maz would always pull through.

For this reason, Balto always found himself coming back here so often. Maz has proven herself to be a valuable friend to have all those years after they first met. Memories of fifteen years ago how she freely housed him within these walls. How she would even stick her neck out for the Jedi by hiding him in the secret underground rooms whenever the Empire came snooping around the palace. Maz didn't have to go all out to risk her neck for him, but she did, and Balto was forever grateful for it. He owed that orange imp his life, and Maz yet still continued to aid him whenever they met up throughout the years. Balto could not ask for a better friend.

However, Balto was not out here alone. Sitting opposite from him was Hera Syndulla. After the whole debacle on Saleucami, Hera had felt it necessary to accompany Balto this time. Can't have one of the few Jedi get captured, could she? A bit overprotective. But to the Twi'lek captain, Balto was family. When the Anthro wolfdog failed to check in when visiting Saleucami, Hera worried for his condition. After this, she decided it was best not to allow any team member to go off alone anymore.

The two rebels sat at their table pretending to make ideal chitchat around fellow bar patrons as if they were there for nothing more than a relaxing drink. A simple ruse they must undertake with Imperials being patrons of this cantina as well. With all Balto and Hera have been up to, it was best to wait and not draw attention until they had a chance to leave. All they needed was Maz's intel, and then they'd be out of there.

"Glad to see you showed up this time." Balto and Hera found their little orange imp friend approach.

"To be fair, I was held up when my ship crashed," Balto said with a smile, "It's always a pleasure to see you, Maz."

Maz nodded before addressing the Twi'lek in the room, "Hera, I see you're here too."

"Just making sure he got here smoothly this time," Hera pointed to Balto, who gave a lighthearted huff in response, "How're you, Maz?"

"As well as I can considering the state of things," Maz pulled up a seat with the two rebels, "Could do without the Empire. Perhaps I should change the menu so those dogs will go somewhere else for drinks."

"And then you'll probably lose legit business, and then who will be the pirate queen?" Balto jabbed.

"I assure you, I'll manage. I always do." Maz somberly answered, "A part of me hoped the reason you didn't show was because you finally found wisdom in my advice."

"Please, Maz, don't get started." Balto sighed.

"Balto Jee keekah soh uba near nailure, besh. Go home!"

"I can't," Balto retorted, "I can't face Jenna, not yet."

"Stubborn as always." Maz groaned before facing Hera, "I take it you don't agree with him being out here either."

"I've tried persuading him for a while now," Hera answered, "But you know how he is."

"I know. That Lasat companion of yours probably listens better."

"You both know I'm still sitting right here?" Balto asked, visibly irritated with their gossiping about him without having the courtesy of waiting for him to leave.

"We know!" the two women said in unison.

Balto groaned, "I doubt you called me here to discuss my life choices. What's going on, Maz?"

Knowing that time was crucial, Maz got up from her seat, "Follow me."

Balto and Hera did as she said, following the orange imp through the cantina. Once they cleared the patrons, the three went up a spiral staircase only to move across the hall and back down to a farther end of the building. Here lay the palace generators, which powered most of the core functions except one area; this one area was where Maz was leading them down. Behind these generators was a door almost concealed by its brick red coloring. There were other – easier means of reaching this route, but Maz chose anything other than the direct path for the sake of confusion against those folks who were too curious. Beyond these doors was Maz's secret underground storage bunker. Everything valuable and sacred to the orange imp was stored within these catacombs that circled the entire perimeter of the palace. However, other than holding treasures, each room of this bunker could also be used for hiding someone on the run and in need of the pirate's aid. To which of it was the door to one of these bunkers Maz had led them to.

"I believe you're acquainted." Maz addressed Balto before opening this room.

When the door shot open, Balto could not prepare himself for what was behind. The Anthro wolfdog was in shock as to who now stood before him.

"Boris!?"

"Boychik!"

Inside stood an old Anthro goose, who Balto was all too happy to leap at and embrace the bird in his arms. Hera just stared onward at such a cheerful display as, per the goose's short stature, Balto held him almost over his shoulder while continuing this joyous reunion. It wasn't often to see Balto this excited. The last Hera could think of this happened was back when telling him how the Rebellion found another Jed, and his mood quickly shifted when it turned out to be Krell. But here, it was like seeing a whole other side of the wolfdog that had long since been locked away, finally seizing the chance to break free. A shame Balto rarely expressed himself in this manner more often instead of opting to keep his emotions heavily guarded. He looks genuinely happy right now.

"Alright, alright!" the goose hollered as the wolfdog tightened his embrace, "Down boy! You're too big to be handling me as if you're still a puppy."

Balto would honor this request, but only after a longer hugging session. Only then did he place the old goose back down with a smile still across his face, "Whatever you say, Boris."

This goose, Boris, steadied himself from the dizzying reunion to then be faced with someone new. Eying the Twi'lek up and down, inspecting her lime green skin tone and orange jumpsuit, it became clear to him who she was, "So, you must be the famous Hera."

"Famous?" Hera was caught off guard, "Never been called that before."

"I've heard plenty about you back on Animaria. Pardon me." Boris gave the captain a bow of respect, "The name's Boris, but my friends call me..."

"Boris." Balto corrected the stammering goose, "Everyone just calls him Boris."

"Okay," Hera snickered at both parties' antics, "Boris it is."

With introductions out of the way, Hera could get a good look at Boris. This goose's appearance alone showed that he was older than Balto by a considerable margin. Noticeable wrinkles lay under his eyes, and his feathers were thinner layers than most avion Anthros. Boris wore a beige red button-up jacket and blue dress pants, and a CDEF blaster pistol holstered along his belt. Like most Anthros, Boris's feet lay bare on the stone floor.

"So, Boris, what brings you to this neck of the galaxy?" Balto asked.

Boris, for his part, stuttered nervously, "Well, ain't that a loaded question."

"Boris?" Balto groaned.

"He's in trouble with the Empire." Maz blurted out for him.

"Boris, what did you do?"

"I may have partaken in some old hobbies from my youth if you get my meaning." Boris winked.

But, of course, Balto knew what Boris was talking about. In the goose's younger days, Boris was quite the information smuggler. Back then, Boris would infiltrate powerful businesses to leak their dark secrets for the whole galaxy to see. Because of him, many corrupt companies were looked at with a more critical lens, if not folding altogether. No one ever suspects the stubby goose to be up to no good. However, Boris had long since retired from that line of work before the Clone Wars kicked off. Why come back to it and risk dealing with Empire, no less?

"The Empire's been more vigilant on allowing aliens in secure sectors in recent months, and they're vehemently against Anthos for our planet sitting out of the war." Balto exclaimed, "How did you manage to get them to allow you into a facility, let alone close to a console?"

"I pose as a janitor. Pulled the sad old bird routine, and they fell for it!" Boris had himself a hardy laugh, "Serves them right! I sure teach them!"

"So, wait, you stole data from the Empire?" Hera caught on with what the two Anthros were insinuating and was further surprised with a nod from Boris, "You get anything good?"

"Did I get anything good?" Boris asked sarcastically, "I've got the key to the gateway of the motherload." Boris gave himself another hardy laugh, "Anyone who call me an old goose, believe these words, I still got it!"

"Except for the fact that you got caught," Maz pointed out, "That's one reason I need you to get him out of here. Can't get him off world by normal channels and it's only a matter of time before the Empire knows he's here. Figured calling you lot would, pun withstanding, kill two birds with one stone. You can get your intel, and he's out of my cantina."

"Wait, what do you mean one of the reasons you want him out of here?" Balto couldn't help but ask.

"She can't resist my animal magnetism." Boris answered.

This caused Maz to groan in frustration, "I'll have you know, you old goose, I'm currently seeing a Wookie."

"What do those lumping hairballs have that I don't?"

"A charming personality, for one."

Suddenly, without warning, the tunnels were flashing in red, alarming lights. Maz's mood turned dower, for she knew what must be going on. The imp soon signaled for the others to stay safe as she dealt with topside. Going back to the cantina, it was as Maz suspected; the Empire was here. This time, though, they weren't here as simple patrons. No, they were armed and harassing Maz's other customers. Not becoming of an establishment that Maz had been tending to for many years.

"What's the meaning of this!" Maz shouted in feigning ignorance, "Get out! Get out this instance!"

"Pardon the intrusion," from behind the intruding troopers walked in the ISB agent, Agent Kallus no less, who stepped forth to address the pirate queen, "I assume you're Maz Kanata, the owner of this fine establishment?"

Maz, of course, nodded, "I do not appreciate this assault on my establishment. I must remind you, agent, that the Empire has no jurisdiction here. I only allow your people here so long they follow my rules and not harass my customers as you are now."

"Apologies sincerely," Kallus acknowledged, "However, I'm afraid to inform you that we're on the hunt for a fugitive that's been eluding us for some time."

"Good luck with that," Maz snarked, "There's not a single person here who hasn't committed some form of crime."

"I'm not concerned with your smugglers, thieves, or pirates." Kallus snickers before handing her a datapad. Said pad held the image of Boris on its frame, "This goose committed acts of terrorism against the Empire by stealing sensitive data from our facility. We have reason to believe he fled to this system and is hiding out on this world, particularly in this tavern. We only want to search your property and quickly be out of your hair. Or, we could take this up with the Hutts and offer them double the rate you paid for this planet. Heard some good things about this place. Would hate for it to go away under such circumstances."

In Maz's line of work, it didn't pay well to be a fool. She knew just how persistent the Empire can be sometimes. Buying the planet out from under her would be the kinder approach; there were worse methods they could undertake. This was why Maz wanted Balto to get Boris off world as soon as possible so as not to force the Empire's hand. Maz would acquiesce to Kallus' demands on the grounds that he would not disrupt the rest of her patrons, a deal Kallus agreed upon. However, the Imperial agent had one other demand under his sleeves.

"We also know of your secret underground room. We'll be searching through there as well." such a request irritated Maz greatly, "Don't worry, I'm not interested in anything you have hidden down there. All I want is the goose."

Maz chose not to go against this. She allowed him and his men into the undergrounds for their investigation. But, if this Kallus believed that he'd be able to find them so easily, he was sadly mistaken. You see, Balto, Hera, and Boris would no longer be down there.

The two rebels and one goose had long since left those tunnels before Maz even began speaking with Kallus. Maz was simply the distraction, for these three could sneak out from the underground before any was the wiser. The tunnels being 'secret' were merely an exaggeration. Any regular knew of them, for Maz would allow certain patrons to use them to make deals and negotiations. In truth, only those close to Maz's inner circle knew of the real secrets this palace holds. Thankfully, Balto was one of those people.

From the second-story hall stood rows of doors for a joining room. Rooms that once housed Balto fifteen years prior and any other seeking refuge for more than a day. One of these doors, however, would appear nonfunctional with a 'Needs Maintenance' sign stripped across. Any usage of this door's panel would result in it being broken, but that was far from the truth. When Balto stopped at it, he pushed a hidden switch, which allowed the panel to pull out, revealing a hidden keypad underneath. The Jedi only needed to put in the correct code before sliding the door pad back in place to scan said combinations. Once confirmed, the door shot open for them to sneak on through and shut it before any troopers arrived to note if anything was amiss.

The inside of this room was dingy and very dusty, but that was to be expected for an area only used for emergencies. With stormtroopers running around on the prowl, this would certainly count as one of those times. In the corner lay a rug that Balto quickly pulled aside to reveal the tile floor underneath. The wolfdog only had to press a series of these tiles in a precise order before a trap door would make itself known for the three to use. Inside this trap door was a shoot that slid the companions outside the castle and in walking distance of the surrounding forest, to where they all fled, sneaking to the shipyard. However, that plan came to a halt when seeing how the whole landing platform was swarming with stormtroopers. They weren't getting out through here.

"Wait a minute," Boris spoke slightly higher than a whisper, "That's the guy who flew me here."

Balto and Hera saw him pointing to a red Devaronian accepting credits from one of the troopers.

"Looks like he was selling you out." said Balto, "No wonder they found you so fast."

"Either way, we should get moving." Hera ordered, with the two Anthros following her. Through her comms, she spoke, "Spectre Three, we're gonna need immediate evac at the rendezvous point. Expect resistance." beeps were heard before she switched the comm off.

"You mean, you weren't already landed at the port?" Boris asked.

"Of course not," Balto answered, "Only amateurs park there. When you go to Maz, it's expected that you're up to no good. So, it's best to keep your ship somewhere more secluded just in case you need to hightail it out unnoticed."

After a while of trekking through the wilderness, the rebels and goose found themselves traveling to a remote cliff that overlooked the massive lake on whom shores Maz's palace was built. All seemed to be well. However, Hera had enough experience to expect the worst, which inevitably happened when a legion of stormtroopers came barreling out of the trees. In no time, the three found themselves completely surrounded with no means of escaping save for the fall off the cliff. Their only strategy was to wait as Agent Kallus stepped forth.

"Now, this is an unexpected surprise," the agent spoke, "I was hunting a goose and found myself some rebels." Kallus took notes of the familiar faces who stood before him, "Hera Syndulla, always an honor. As well as our newest Jedi, 'Togo.'"

"Hi, Kallus," Balto greeted, "Hope you're not sore over the whole, leaving you on a disabled ship in the middle of space."

"Joke all you like, Jedi. But you are surrounded, and your so-called friends have abandoned you." Kallus smugly pointed out, "I suggest you surrender."

"Did you hear that, Hera?" Balto asked sarcastically, "Kallus seems to be under the impression our ship was supposed to have landed here."

"I heard," Hera continued with the same sarcastic tone, "Funny he would think that."

"And horribly mistaken." Balto finished.

"Enough!" Kallus grew tired of their banter, "I'm only going to say this once: turn yourselves in, and the Empire will be merciful."

"No thanks," Balto answered, "I've been on the other end of how you Imperials interrogate your prisoners, and I refuse to allow Boris to go through that."

"Then you leave me no other choice," Kallus raised his right arm to signal an order, "Troopers, open fire..."

But before Kallus could finish that order, a combination of explosions and heavy blaster fire erupted behind him and his troopers. Kallus barely jumped out of the way in the nick of time when those blasts met his position and saw the assault come from a small shuttlecraft. Said craft that swooped overhead was the Ghost's detachable shuttle, the Phantom. The Phantom ceased its assault and descended over the cliff edge in front of our heroes, with its rear doors opening up to Sabine and Ezra laying down cover fire. Enough cover fire for Hera, Balto, and Boris to safely jump aboard while the stormtroopers ran for cover. Balto was slightly embarrassed he needed to pick up the old goose and carry him aboard.

"Good work, Chop!" Hera rushed to the cockpit while Chopper beeped through the shuttle's intercoms, "No, I'll take it from here. Everyone, strap in. This is going to get hairy!"

Boris was the first to heed Hera's warnings and strap himself to his seat, with Sabine and Ezra slowly following suit. Balto, however, decided to keep standing directly behind Hera's seat as they flew off.

"Hi," Ezra greeted the goose, "Name's Ezra, and that's Sabine."

"Boris, a pleasure to meet ya." the goose answered, even though he was more concerned with holding on to his seat for dear life.

"What you in for?" Sabine jokingly asked."

"I stole classified files from the Empire."

"We've been there before," however, Sabine couldn't help but notice how much Boris was fidgeting, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Boris soon jumped in his seat when the shuttle jolted, "It's just that, I'm a low altitude flyer."

That only confused the two teens, with Ezra asking, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"He hates heights!" Balto answered for him.

"But he's a bird." Sabine shot back.

"Don't remind me," Balto groaned before shifting attention to the ship's consoles, "We got TIEs incoming."

"I see them." Hera replied.

Just as Balto said, a squad of five TIE fighters had launched the moment Balto, Hera, and Boris boarded the Phantom and were in hot pursuit. One may think having a swarm of TIEs encroaching on one's position would be a terrifying affair. For Hera, though, she prided herself on being an expert pilot who successfully evaded many enemy fighters while flying for the Rebellion. Her first course of action was to keep the Phantom at a low altitude, as close to the trees as possible without hitting them, for a TIE's targeting systems would be scrambled as a result and rendered useless. A TIE pilot without their targeting computers might as well have the same aim as a stormtrooper. With those TIEs having their aim hindered, all Hera needed was to outmaneuver, something she had great experience with.

It was easy to find such a means to be craftier than these TIEs, for a planet with vast vegetation such as Takodana had many opportunities to do so. One such would reveal itself, but it would take a skilled pilot to pull it off in their favor. Fortunately for all onboard the Phantom, Hera was precisely that. Powering the shuttled forward cannons, she shot the ground, sending debris flying. The shooting stopped when a substantially large dust cloud had formed and engulfed the sky, which the Phantom flew into. Believing it to be nothing more than cover, the squad of TIEs followed after their targets. Little did they know that hidden within this dense debris cloud stood an abandoned observation tower as old as Maz's Palace itself. Thus, the cloud wasn't only meant to mask an escape but also hide hazardous obstacles. When said tower came into view, the lead TIE wasn't fast enough to bank out of the way, so he ended up crashing into the structure.

With four TIEs remaining, they exited the dust cloud and resumed their chase. However, Hera already had another trick up her sleeves. With her astromech buddy, Chopper, still hooked up, took control of the Phantom's rear turret and opened fire on their pursuers. One blast hit the wing of one TIE fighter, sending it careening into another, taking both out of the sky. With only two left, the TIEs made wild maneuvers to confuse the rebels and make themselves harder to hit. Knowing these guys wouldn't fall for the same trick twice, and with Chopper having a harder chance of shooting them down, Hera thought it best to take this battle above Takodana's atmosphere.

"Really hope this works." Balto muttered under his breath.

"Don't tell me you're doubting my skills after all these years." Hera was still able to joke even while evading enemy fighters.

"More or less referring to Kanan and Zeb pulling us out of this," Balto quickly redirected, "I know better than to question your flying."

Hera eyed Balto suspiciously, "Nice try, but flattery will get you nowhere. I'm not revising my policy again."

It was worth a shot, but Balto still believed he could reason with her, "Hera, I'm a fully trained Jedi Knight. I don't require babysitting."

"The fact you can't see why I have these rules in place shows that you need it more." Hera retorted, which was answered with a groan from the Jedi Knight.

When leaving the upper atmosphere, the Phantom received much-needed reinforcement from her sister ship, the Ghost. The freighter barreled her way past the shuttle and straight at the oncoming TIEs, who quickly maneuvered out of the way. Zeb sat in the Ghost's dorsal turret, who opened fire on the evading TIEs. A valiant attempt to be sure. But TIEs were notoriously slippery, and Zeb's turret had limited range for being located primarily on the ship's top half.

"Kanan!" Zeb bellowed, "Usually, when Hera's flying, she fires back."

"Working on it!"

In truth, Kanan didn't know how to operate the forward turret from the cockpit. The Ghost's console could be a maze when trying to access certain functions for how much it was retrofitted. An intimidating task for someone so inexperienced with it as Kanan was. Best to consult with an expert instead. Which is why the adult padawan patched his comms to the Phantom.

"Hey, Hera..."

"...no, I'm not deflecting..."

Some soft hushing came over the comms followed by, "One second," it was Hera sounding as if she was caught amid a tense conversation with Balto before comms were raised, "Yes, what's wrong, Kanan?"

Kanan needed a moment to wash away the awkwardness of what he called in before answering, "Yeah... um... just having trouble accessing the forward turret from the cockpit."

"You just need to rewrite power from the turret to the main console," Hera said as if it should be obvious, "I'll have Chopper send over the command keys for it."

Those instructions came in, and soon after, Kanan laid down cover fire for his fellow crew. Still, though, he couldn't shrug off what happened. It sounded as if Hera and Balto were in the middle of an argument before he called in. Now, there's a sight to behold for those two, who were both parental figures of most of the crew, now getting into a tussle. One thing Kanan knew, however, was that he wanted no part of getting in the middle of that.

With the Ghost deep in battle, she and her sister ship could dispatch the remaining enemy fighters. But regardless of the struggle taking place in space, another much smaller battle still raged inside the Phantom. A battle not of blasters but of words where both sides refuse to budge.

"Okay," now that she helped Kanen, Hera could go back to her prior discussion with Balto, "As I was saying, after what happened on Saleucami, I don't think it's a good idea for anyone on this crew to go out on missions alone."

"I told you there's nothing to worry about!" Balto argued, "Everything turned out fine."

"Are you sure?" the Twi'lek captain was not easily swayed by the wolfdog, "Because you never fully disclosed what happened."

"What's there to talk about?" Balto shot back, "I ran into a bounty hunter, but I dealt with it."

Again, Hera was not so easily swayed by his explanation. What really annoyed her was that this behavior was sadly not uncommon to Balto. Even after all they'd been through, Hera hoped the wolfdog Jedi would be more forthcoming with her. But, instead, he seemed to regress back to how he was back when Krell had showed up. Balto was hiding the truth of the situation from everyone, and Hera, always up for a challenge, was going to get to the bottom of this.

Before long, the last of the TIEs were destroyed, allowing the Phantom to dock back onto the Ghost. With both ships again made whole, the Ghost launched into hyperspace, leaving this system behind. Now assured that their threat had been successfully evaded, the Ghost crew reconvened in the mess area to discuss their next move with their newest passenger.

"So, we came all this way and risked our neck over some bird?" snapped Zeb.

"Hey now," Boris fired back, "Don't be taking that tone with me, big guy! I've forgotten more than you'd ever known."

"Well, this ship was missing something, another feisty crewmate." Kanan uttered to himself before turning to Hera, "What exactly are we dealing with here?"

"Beats me," Hera answered, only to give Balto a coy smile, "But Balto seems to know him well."

Understanding what his Twi'lek friend was trying to do, Balto addressed the whole crew, "Everyone, this is Boris. He's been an old friend of my family since I was a pup. You could say he practically family as well."

"Don't thank me." Boris said rhetorically.

"He also used to work as an undercover reporter. Committed espionage to gather and expose the dark secrets of businesses during his younger days and claims to have done the same with the Empire, which is why they're after him."

"Yep, and they never knew what hit them!" Boris exclaimed with much confidence that soon turned to embarrassment after being reminded what they had recently been through, "At least, not until I left, that is."

"Which is good for us," Hera reached her hand out to the old goose, "Let's see what you got."

"Oh, I don't have it on me."

"Why not?" asked an annoyed Zeb.

"Simple, if I got caught before I reached you, they'd just take it and kill me." Boris said with a matter-of-fact tone, "So, I stored it somewhere safe so they wouldn't find it."

"Right," Sabine chimed in, "That way if they catch you, they'll just torture you to know where it is and then kill you."

Boris' proud face fell, "Why must you say it like that? Now I feel foolish!"

"She does have a point, Boris." Balto said unusually lowly, "It's too dangerous for you to be out here like this."

Balto would walk away after saying such, leaving the entire crew bewildered by his behavior. There was no doubt in Hera's mind that something was eating away at the aging Jedi. She would follow after him to press on his recent actions, but they had a new mission that couldn't simply be ignored.

"Boris," Hera pulled the attention away from the situation, "Why not give me the coordinates so we can lay a course there."

"R-right," Boris stuttered a bit before obligating Hera's request, "We should hurry, though. The soil of the planet I buried the data in will degrade it within the next fourteen hours."

"So, if we can't get it, no one will?" Hera was answered with a smirking goose, "Smart move."

Hera didn't take long to log the coordinates within the Ghost computers. All that was needed was to drop out of hyperspace for nearly a moment to find the right hyperspace lane before breaking back into lightspeed. According to these coordinates, the Ghost would take more than eleven hours to reach her destination. Just enough time to get the data before it degrades. It was also a good thing that their newest passenger was quite the talkative sort. By the time Hera reached the lounge, Boris was already amid his long-drawn-out storytelling, regaling those in the room with stories of his and Balto's youth. Even Balto was there, seamlessly out of his odd funk, chowing on the day's meal while the old goose kept going on. So, Hera thought she might as well get her portions before enjoying the show.

"How were you able to get off of Kessel in one piece?" Ezra asked.

"Oh, please. Kessel may have some intimidating guards, but if you know where to go, getting past them is no worries." Boris narrated with much vigor in his performance, "Going undercover as their filing clerk, you'd be surprised how many will turn a blind eye."

"Not too surprising," Sabine interjected, "We had Ezra pass as a cadet at the Imperial Academy a few months back, and no one there suspected a thing even though he's a wanted criminal."

"It's crazy how lax security at curtain places can be sometimes." Hera stated.

"So, why has no one ever heard of Kessel's labor camp getting leaked? Zeb asked, "You think something like that wouldn't be hard to miss."

Boris' mood shifted from the question, and he became hesitant to answer, "Um... something personal came up, and I ended up sitting on it too long. Anyway, has Balto ever told you the time he sicked some varactyl on his classmates when he was a little pup?"

"Oh, Boris, please not this story." Balto bemused, on the verge of hiding his face behind his paw-like hands.

"No, wait!" Kanan beamed in excitement, "I want to hear this."

As the stories went on, time moved forward all the quicker. Eventually, it was about that time when the Ghost power went to standby throughout her interiors, indicating the hour was late for the crew to turn in. They'll need to be wide awake when they arrive at their destination. However, sleep would not come easy to Hera. Her mind wandered around a particular Jedi whose attitude had been at odds lately. Balto's stubbornness about talking about Saleucami was one thing, but then there was the snapping out at Boris earlier. For being so close to be considered family, Balto seemed rattled that Boris was even out here. Whatever the reason, Hera could only guess, but it kept her up; perhaps some refreshments would help clear her mind.

But, before she could make it out the door, Hera heard some commotion in the lounge. At first, the Twi'lek captain thought it to be another of her crew unable to sleep, but listening closer, the more the sound of the argument pair became apparent. Curiosity getting the best of the captain, Hera snuck down the short hall and listened intently. For whatever reason, Hera wasn't the least bit surprised to find Balto and Boris' voice inside.

"I've told you before, Boris, this decision was final!" Balto exclaimed loud enough to pierce through the door, "We've been over this before."

"I know, I know." Boris scurried through his words, "But, Boychik, don't you think this has gone on long enough? You have responsibilities outside the Rebellion. Responsibilities back home where you belong."

"Responsibility?" Balto scoffed, "What about the responsibilities I gave you? I told you to look after Jenna while I was away. Yet, here you are light years away from Animeria."

"Because she doesn't need me. She needs you!" Boris bellowed, "You've been away from home for far too long. It's time to put an end to this and come home."

"I can't. You know what's at stake."

"I do," Boris said "That's why I'm out here, to help wherever I can. So, we can all finally put this whole mess behind us once and for all."

There was initial hesitation from Balto, but sadly, it didn't last, "No." there was reservation in the wolfdog's voice. However, that didn't stop him from continuing, "That no... that no excuse for being out here. It's too dangerous."

"Balto," Boris pleaded, "Now's not the time to be bullheaded."

"No, Boris!" Balto snapped, "You don't belong out here. It was a mistake for you to come."

Those were the last words spoken by Balto. After those cold words were spoken, Hera heard one of the two climbing down the ladder to the cargo hold. In time, the Twi'lek realized this had to have been Balto who left, for she could still hear Boris waddling around ranting to himself. Knowing that the conflict between these two was far from settled, Hera made up her mind to be the intermediary for them both. These Anthros were supposed to be family and shouldn't be fighting, not like this at the very least. Yes, it would be meddling on Hera's part, but she was the captain of this ship and Balto, now Boris, were members of her crew. Meddling in her crew's affair for things to run smoothly was a part of a captain's job, after all.

Stepping inside the house, Hera couldn't help but feel amused at how Boris was still stomping around, ranting to himself without even noticing her presence. It wasn't until the automatic door swooshed shut that Boris realized he had company. The look of embarrassment on the old goose's face was priceless.

"Oh, Hera, fancy seeing you here," Boris stammered from the state he was caught in, "Sorry you had to see that."

"Don't worry about it. It sounded like you two were really going at it." Hera's words earned her a look of suspicion, "You'll come to learn that not much happens on this ship without me knowing about it."

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Boris said sincerely, "But you know how he is, stubborn!"

"Tell me about it," Hera chuckled, "I care about him and all, but sometimes he makes me want to pull out my own lekkus."

"I don't know why I put up with him!" Boris continued his earlier rant, "Even when he was young, he could be so bullheaded."

"Still, it's not always without a deeper reason behind it," Hera attempted to steer things slightly in Balto's favor, "The last time I had to deal with him like this, it all stemmed from his own insecurity. Once I broke that down, getting him to see reason again was easy."

"You managed to get through to him when he's like this?" Boris' question was met with a nod, "I've only known three people who could do that. You must be very special to him."

"I'd like to think so. We've both owed each other our lives on many occasions." Hera suddenly found herself reminiscing, "Can I tell you something?" Boris nodded, "I always wanted a brother, but there was never enough time. My father was too busy fighting the Separatists who invaded and occupied our home planet of Ryloth. When that ended, the Empire came and put us back in that position. The only difference was this occupation claimed the life of my mother. When I met Balto, we just hit it off. Even though it wasn't always perfect, I can't tell how many times we argued when I found him making unnecessary repairs to my ship. But even though we argued, I always knew he cared. The point I'm trying to make is that he became the brother I never had, and I'll always be grateful for that."

"Yeah, yeah," Boris contemplated Hera's words, "I can't stay mad at him for long anyway. Despite his faults, Balto's still a good pup. You made your point, Hera. Not half bad if I do say so myself."

"I don't know what you mean." Hera played coy with a sly smile on her face.

"Don't think you can fool me, young lady," Boris wagged his feather-like appendage at her, "I've looked after more handful children before you could even walk. I've had to play this very game you're trying to play me."

"But, like you said, it worked."

"Yes, yes, I concede," Boris had himself a fit of the giggles, "I can see why he and Jenna speak so highly of you."

"That's good to hear," Hera joined in on the laughter, "I remember there were times Jenna was jealous of how well Balto and I got along."

"Oh, she did mention something along those lines happening," Boris continued, "But she says she cherished you as a sister and how grateful for helping to keep Balto's head on straight."

The two continued with one another but were cut short when Boris began coughing. At first, it was no different from the last two coughing fits the old goose Anthro went through, but that was soon to change. Boris' coughs soon became violent, and he was forced to lean against the table for less risk of falling to his knees. Hera was quick to action as she grabbed a handkerchief for the old bird and helped him up to a seat. Hera also took the liberty of prepping a glass of water for him. But, before she could present him with the beverage, Boris' cough ceased, and what Hera saw on the handkerchief caught her off guard. A splotch of blood stained the fabric. Boris quickly tried to hide the evidence when he saw Hera staring over his shoulder, even though he knew it was too late.

"Boris?" Hera placed a hand on his shoulder to meet his gaze, which the old goose was trying to avoid, "Boris, you can't pretend I didn't see what I saw. If something's wrong, we can drop out of hyperspace and set you on the closest medical station."

"No, no! There's no time for that!" Boris rushed into interjecting without thinking, "I guess there's no hiding it anymore."

"Boris, what's wrong?"

"It all started back when I was undercover on Kessel. Most of my time was spent looking over the mines, and, you see, they didn't have proper ventilation masks suited for me. I ended up contracting Kalla-Nohra, also known as golden lungs, where unrefined spice gets trapped in the respiratory system." Boris paused to drink the water Hera got him, "Remember how I said I didn't publish my findings for personal reasons?" Hera nodded, "It was my wife, Stella. She fell ill, completely unrelated to my condition. I should've stayed with her but was so caught up with my work. So determined, I was to take down Kessel's mining operation. When I was ready to report my findings, I found that Stella was already gone. I missed... I missed her passing by one day. A week later, I found out I had Kalla-Nohra. Can you believe my luck? It's like the galaxy made me the punchline to a cruel joke. I threw all my notes on Kessel away like it were a curse on my life."

Hera, this whole time, sat and listened to this goose's sad tale. She felt his loss and wished there was a means to mend such heartache. However, Hera would have to settle with what she could actually do.

"I'm sorry for what you've been through," Hera began saying, "Is there anything you need? Any medication that can help?"

Boris groaned, "Medication doesn't do much. Only stops the symptoms and slows its more fatal effects. It's terminal no matter what I do."

"Any idea how much longer you have?"

"Well, I stopped taking medication when I started this whole fiasco..." Boris thought out loud, "And all the stress from this whole thing since then, I'd say not long. In fact, anything more than six hours from now would be generous."

Hera's eyes might as well pop out of her sockets with how wide they were. Six hours? That's a very short time frame. There is not enough time to go after the data files and seek medical assistance for Boris. There was no doubt in Hera's mind about what to do.

"I'm taking us out of hyperspace!" she announced, "I'm taking you somewhere to get treatment."

"No, Hera, you mustn't." Boris exclaimed, "There's no time! We must retrieve the data before the allotted time, or it'll degrade."

"Boris, you're part of my crew now. I'm not allowing you to throw your life away, even over some Imperial secrets."

"But it's my life! My choice to make!" Boris shot back, "If I must sacrifice myself to help Balto, then so be it."

Hera groaned as she sooth the bridge of her brow, "I'm starting to see where Balto gets his stubbornness from."

"Please, Hera, listen to me," Boris begged, "Balto's been out here searching for his lost pride for twelve years, four of those on his own. Four years away from the love of his life. He needs to finish this before he makes the same mistake I had. Before he misses out on Jenna's life. I'd gladly give my life to make sure that doesn't happen. Please, Hera, we must put an end to this."

For a while, Hera stood there, conflicted by Boris's resolve. A part of her wanted to disregard his words and fly him to the nearest medical station. However, another part of her agreed with what the goose was saying. Balto was indeed so enveloped in this quest of his that he was losing sight of what should be most important. Boris had a point. They did have to put a stop to this. They needed to end this whole fiasco before Balto found himself going home to an empty house.

"I'm probably going to regret this," Hera muttered before answering Boris, "Alright, we'll do it your way. But you better bet if we get that data with enough time to spare, I'll be flying like a bat out of hell to get you some help."

"That's all I can ask for." Boris showed signs that he was growing tired with a yawn. He would then prop himself on one of the sofas and cover himself with a spare blanket loaned to him, "You're an angel for aiding this old bird's last request. I just have one last thing to ask." Hera was all ears, "Don't tell Balto about my condition. He carries so much on his shoulders. I don't want my illness to be another weight on..."

Boris dozed off before he could finish, but Hera understood. The Twi'lek gently caressed the sleep goose's forehead before leaving with a "Goodnight, Boris."

But when Hera left, she wasn't going back to her quarters. The captain had other plans. Instead, Hera slid down the ladder to her ship's lower deck. Within this loading dock, the cockpit of Balto's fighter, the Kodiak, was jutting from the floor. The rest of the scout fighter lay directly underneath the Ghost. The repairs on the Kodiak were practically complete. However, Balto insisted on having this ship towed along to work on some minor adjustments and some finishing touches to make things easier if he were to find himself in this situation again.

Speaking of that wolfdog, Hera had some words concerning him to get off her chest. Hera turned back towards the cargo hold, where she knew he'd be. Sure enough, she found her Jedi companion standing behind a workbench, sparks flying from said bench, lighting up the area as Balto focused on his welding. Sparks from the welding reflected off the safety goggles this Anthro Jedi wore. One would assume those goggles prevented Balto from noticing anyone coming along, but Hera knew better. Whether it was by the Force or his own natural canine senses, there was no doubt in Hera's mind that Balto knew she was there.

"You know," Balto spoke up, "For how much you made a fuss about Sabine and I eavesdropping, you sure are quick to not take your own advice."

"Well, I am the ship's captain," Hera said, "It should be my responsibility to know everything that's going on. Especially means looking out for my crew's wellbeing."

"What you witnessed was a private matter between two family members," Balto said without even looking up from his work, "Nothing about it has anything to do with my effectiveness on this ship."

"You sure about that? Because that's another thing. Lately, you haven't been yourself," Hera exclaimed, "You've been irritable, distant, closed off. You hardly talk to any of us anymore. You just shut yourself off in this room, working on a fighter that was already fixed weeks ago. You know why I think that is?"

"Let's not get started on this again."

"It's Saleucami. Your whole mood has changed since you were there!" Hera called out, "You know I'm right. So, how about you stop being an arrogant ass and admit to it."

"How about you stop meddling in things that don't concern you!" Balto snapped, finally facing Hera but without removing the goggles.

"No! I'm not Boris, who, I might add, you've been treating horribly since he got here." Hera stood her ground against the towing wolfdog, "Unlike him, I still have the energy to stand against you. So, you gonna tell me what's wrong, or just scorn me again?"

Balto huffed in frustration before turning away from Hera's gaze, "You wouldn't understand."

"Oh, I'm sorry. For a second, I thought we were past this!" Hera ranted, absolutely fed up with her friend's behavior, "You know, I thought you learned to trust me! That after everything that happened with Krell was enough to prove this, but I guess I was wrong!"

"It has nothing to do with that." Balto grumbled.

"It sure feels that way," Hera piled on the pressure, "After all, why else would you continue to ignore our advice to go home to see your wife."

"I told you I can't go back empty-handed."

"Yeah, far be it for us to help your two's relationship so it doesn't end up into a broken marriage."

"I can't go back, I'm not..." Balto began stuttering his words, "I'm not strong enough."

"Oh, and being out here will make you stronger?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what is it!?"

"I killed my best friend!"

A deathly silence then filled the hold. Hera stood there a gasped at what she had just heard. The Twi'lek captain knew there must be some explanation, for the Balto she knew would never intentionally do something so heinous. However, even with the goggles still over his eyes, she could still feel the anguish coming off the Jedi wolfdog. The sorrow seeping from Balto was enough to put the whole room in a state of unrest. It would take Balto a full minute of silence before he explained himself.

"You want to know what happened on Saleucami?" Hera knew Balto's question was rhetorical and thus didn't answer, "What I said for the most part was true. I was ambushed by a bounty hunter. But what I failed to mention was that he was a Clone, not just any Clone. His name was Patch, and he was assigned to be the captain of my battalion. Throughout the Clone Wars, the two of us became fast friends. We were more like brothers. At least we were before the purge happened, and he succumbed to the chip in his head. I never thought I'd see him again, but he seems to have tracked me down."

Hera already had a brief understanding of where this was going, "Balto..."

"But it was all a ploy!" Balto continued, not even hearing Hera, "His chip had been removed! He even went as far as to threaten Jenna just to keep up with the rouge. All so that it forces my hand into killing him because... I don't know, because he thought he owed it to me!? A means to repent for the role he played in the purge. How absurd! I never once blamed him for what happened! I knew it was the chip that forced him into it! His death was senseless! But that doesn't change the fact that I killed him, my brother."

"Balto, you couldn't have known his intentions," Hera attempted to comfort.

"I should've known!" Balto fired back, "I should've sensed that something was off with him! My master trained me to be more mindful of the Force. I should've sensed that Patch was being disingenuous. That his chip was gone! But I was too caught up with seeing him again and his threats against Jenna that I wasn't thinking straight. He's dead, and now..." Balto struggled to say what was next, "Boris, he's dying." Hera was surprised to hear that Balto already knew before she even had a chance to say anything, "Judging by your reaction, I'm guessing you already know. Tell me, is that why you're here? To lecture me about how little time I have left with him? Think I didn't know that? I'm not the one who asked him to throw his life away for me!"

"Balto, calm down."

"How can I be calm!? How can I when the goose who helped my mother raise me, who was the closest I had to a father figure, is standing at death's door? You tell me! When the bodies of my friends and family continue to pile up for the last fifteen years when I lost the one thing most important to Jenna and me, how do you expect me to remain calm!"

Despite Balto's outrage, Hera took her own advice and remained calm. She knew the cause of his outburst did not lie with her. An observation made even more apparent when the Twi'lek captain slowly and gently removed the goggles from atop Balto's head so she may see what his eyes would tell. Hera wasn't surprised to see that Balto's eyes were puffy and red. The whole time, he's been trying his damnedest to fight the tears, but without the goggles to catch them, they fell across the wolfdog's cheek all the same. It was clear that Balto was hurting. Despite his attempts to be stern and stoic, that demeanor has now been shattered. Balto could hide his true feelings no longer, try as he might.

Balto would shift his head in a vain attempt to hide those eyes from Hera's gaze from seeing this pitiful state, though he knew it was too late. His Twi'lek friend would pull it back to regain eye contact. Hera was not leaving his side, not when he was in such a state.

"I know what you're going through," Hera said soothingly, "How do you think I felt when I lost my mother? I know it's hard, but that doesn't mean we should allow ourselves to give into despair."

"I don't know if I can," Balto whimpered, "Am I cursed?"

"Balto, don't be ridiculous."

"I'm serious, Hera!" Balto barked, "So many people I've cared about have been dying or taken away from me. On Nalvaan, Master Yoda came to me in a vision. He warned me how difficult continuing this path would be. I thought I was ready, but I was wrong. Shortly after, I killed Patch. Now Boris is next to go. I don't think I can handle this anymore. I'm not strong enough to keep taking these kinds of hits, suffering so many losses. Even Jenna, I'll end up losing."

"You haven't lost her." Hera placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I will," Balto fought back, "I'm no fool. I knew the risk of being away for so long would have on our relationship. But I can't go back after all these years with nothing to show for it." before he knew it, Balto's legs grew weak, and he found himself sitting on the floor in distress.

But still, Hera was not deterred. She stayed with the sulking Jedi, for the Twi'lek knew this was where she was needed, "You know, this is why Boris and I worry about you. What you went through, it's too much for one man to handle alone. Even for a Jedi like yourself."

"She'll hate me, Hera." Balto whimpered, "She'll hate me if I fail. I just know it."

"That's not true. Jenna loves you. Nothing can change that."

"How can I go back empty-handed?" Balto continued, "How can I look Jenna in the eyes as a failure?"

From there, Hera sat down with her wolfdog companion. She draped her arm over his shoulder, pulling them closer together, "The same way we've always done things, together." she then gently petted the fur on the back of Balto's head to help calm down, "I know you've suffered a great many losses since the Clone Wars. But know that this family will be there by your side."

Balto remained seated there in his captain's arms. Her words spoke true to the aging Jedi's heart; it's always drawn him close to the Twi'lek since they met. How Balto always admired Hera's seamlessly boundless compassion and optimism. With such, she manages to put the Jedi's mind at ease during the times he found his spirit waning, which even Jenna had a hard time pulling him out of.

Balto never knew why, but he and Hera just clicked in a manner he'd only shared with a select few. Perhaps it was their shared love of flying, growing up through war, or how the Empire took what they once called home. Whatever the case, Balto was lucky to have her by his side. When holding him in such, this wolfdog could feel his fears and anxieties melt away with calm setting back in. A testament to the strength of their bond. A bond Balto once believed was lost when the inhibiter chip turned Patch against him during the purge.

"Thank you, sister."

"It's what I'm here for." Hera continued caressing his head.

"My head really hasn't been on straight. Not since what happened to Patch." Balto reflected on how he could be so lucky to have Hera by his side again, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for my recent behavior and being a burden on your shoulders again."

"Not a problem, that's what big sisters are for."

Balto couldn't contain his laughter, "You know I'm more than five years older than you?"

"Your point being?"

The two had a somber laugh together. For a moment, they had forgotten their worries and anguish, but it was only for a moment. When it was all done, reality slowly began crashing down upon them. Words that were thrown without thought and words still left unspoken. The weight of Balto's actions soon weighed on his mind.

"Balto..."

"I know, Hera." Balto interrupted, for he knew full well what she would say, "I need to talk to Boris. I need to make this right."

But when Balto picked himself up, his legs suddenly grew weak under his own weight. He would've fallen if Hera wasn't there to catch him.

"You're in no condition for that right now," she said before using her captain privilege to hand down one last order for the day, "You obviously haven't been getting enough sleep. You'll need some rest for the day ahead."

With Balto stumbling in his Twi'lek sister's arm, Hera guided him through the cargo hold. When they reached the loading dock, it was clear to Hera that the Anthro leaning against her wouldn't be able to return to his quarters in his state. Instead, her sight shifted to the Kodiak's cockpit. Sure, it wouldn't be the most comfortable sleep, but it was better than a cargo crate. With the cockpit opened, Hera gently plotted her tired brother into its seat. With a sluggish nod, Balto gave his thanks before drifting off.

So, too, did Hera's eyes show their signs of waning. Disappointment crept in, for she was hoping there would be time for Balto to reconcile with Boris and maybe talk that goose out of this suicide mission of his. Hera never liked losing people under her. The weight, the pressure, the fact everyone upon this freighter always looked to her when things turned south. It's a lot for the Twi'lek who grew up dreaming of flying through the stars to handle, especially if it was someone close to her. Yes, Hera had only known Boris for a day, but that old goose shared familiar ties with someone of whom she, too, felt that way. As far as Hera was concerned, that alone made Boris a member of her found family that has since been building on board the Ghost.

Instead of her quarters, Hera found herself in the Ghost's bridge contemplating. She could do it. She could screw this whole mission to hell and get Boris the treatment he so desperately needs. However, a part of herself asked why there wasn't enough time to help Boris? What if they made it to the medical station and were still too late? It would mean that Boris still died, and Hera snuffed his last request.

Still, that was a long shot, so much so for Hera to reach the button that could stop all of this. The tip of her finger lay on that button with only the slightest pressure needed. But then another side of her chimed in. The rebel, the soldier, told her how this was an opportunity they couldn't pass up. Not when it could help them deal a blow to the Empire. Besides, this was all to help Balto end his twelve-year-long journey. Wasn't that why he was here, so this crew could help finish his mission? Ultimately, Hera allowed her outstretched arm to go limp and slide off the console. Now, there was no going back. May whatever cosmic force in the universe be her judge. For now, Hera was tired and eager for sleep; staring out into the flash of stars speeding past at light speed calmed her to sleep.

Hours later, Hera was awoken by the bleeps of her console and fluttering lights blaring all around her. Hera focused her attention on said console, knowing what it was signified. They've reached their destination. They'll be out of hyperspace in mere moments, so it's best to call everyone in to get this done before their luck catches up and something hectic starts happening. With each member of the Spectres and Boris in attendance, Hera dropped the Ghost out of hyperspace. There before them was a red desert planet of Iego. Hot, desolate, and very remote. It was far from where the rebels and Imperials would've gone.

"Really?" Ezra blurted to Boris, "You chose Iego of all planets."

"I don't know, kid." Zeb sarcastically spoke, "Barron, humid, annoying wildlife. You should feel right at home here."

While Zeb was having himself a good laugh, Sabine had an earnest question, "Seriously, though, why here of all places?"

"Well, why not?" Boris said with an enthusiastic shrug, "The planet's remote. Hardly anyone ever goes there. Even the people residing there want off without looking back. Some people believe the planet to be cured."

"Yeah, I heard about that." Balto said, "Anakin and Master Kenodi proved the curse to be a Separatist weapon they destroyed."

Boris simply shrugged it off, "Yeah, but most off-worlders don't know that. All in all, it was a perfect hiding place where no one would think to look. Once we reach planet side, we will be made in the shade."

Zeb huffed at Boris' enthusiasm, "If there's anything I've learned from being out here, it is that overconfidence tends to be our bad omen." the Lasat then began silently counting down from three, two, and one.

Immediately on the dot, Chopper started beeping frantically to the crew after jacking into the Ghost sensors, "Something's coming out of hyperspace." Hera translated.

A Star Destroyer then appeared directly behind them; it fired upon the Ghost as soon as it arrived. Good thing Hera's such a good pilot; otherwise, they'd be space debris right about now. Still, the barrage of turbo lasers barreling down on the Ghost wasn't how anyone wished to get through just moments after waking up. Perhaps the Empire felt the same way, for they eventually stopped firing on them. It wasn't long before the Ghost received a transmission from the Star Destroyer. Despite Hera's reluctance to negotiate with the Imperials, she did need to know the terms of this temporary cease-fire.

"Chopper, patch us through." the droid did as he was told and allowed the transmission through the ship's coms.

"Attention, Ghost," the voice of Agent Kallus echoed through the coms, "I'll make this brief. All we want is the criminal you are harboring. Surrender him to us, and we'll be merciful in allowing you rebels to leave unharmed. You'll be given one minute to respond before we open fire again. I advise you to choose carefully."

With the transmission cutting out, everyone was left in foreboding silence. One minute wasn't a lot of time to make such an overbearing decision. But what Kallus said was true. They'd need to think carefully before making their next move. However, to intimidate them, Kallus inadvertently showed his hand. He wanted Boris alive. Perhaps for interrogation of what information he stole. Either way, it could offer an opportunity to formulate a plan.

"Don't worry, Boris, we're not letting them take you." Hera assured the old goose.

"I do hope so," Boris would attempt to mask his nerves, but they were getting to him in his old age, "Just never been on the receiving end of a warship before."

"We've been in worse scrapes than this." Kannan chimed in to help calm the bird, "And under a tighter time crunch."

However, Sabine posted a response that was on all their minds, "I'm still wondering how they found us so fast."

It was a good question. Their ship couldn't have been probed with the new XX-23 tracker. The only ship they knew of to use such a device was the TIE Advance used by the late Grand Inquisitor and the only one the rebels ever saw ended up being stolen by them after the Grand Inquisitor's demise. Only stranded TIEs and no other specialized fighters were in that early dogfight. Something else must be at play here. An unknown factor they weren't privy to. Something new. Something that... wasn't on the Ghost prior.

"Boris," Balto was almost hesitant to speak, but if he didn't, it would jeopardize the lives of everyone onboard, "Boris, did anything happen while heading to Maz?"

"What?" Boris saw the crew suddenly staring at him, "No, of course not!"

"Boris, this is serious." the Anthro wolfdog reiterated.

"I am serious!" Boris held firm, "Nothing happened. It was an enjoyable flight there. The captain was very accommodating."

"You mean the Devaronian?" Balto's question was answered with a nod, "The same one who sold you out?"

"I know, I was surprised by that too!" Boris soon drifted off, recounting his brief stay, "And he seemed so nice too. Even giving me a nice farewell hug and pat on the back."

Balto was on him in an instant. Despite Boris' refusal to cooperate, his fellow Anthro continued with the involuntary search. Even then, Balto could find what he was looking for hidden snugly into the cuff of the goose's collar. A military-grade tracking device too advanced for some freighter captain to get their hands on. The only explanation would be that Devaronian was in on it from the beginning. Probably was intercepted by the Empire before picking up Boris in hopes of leading them straight to the stolen intel. Poor old Boris was none the wiser of such.

"I'm terribly sorry," Boris held his head in his wings, "This has never happened in my whole career."

"Happens to the best of us, Boris. No use dwelling on it now." Balto attempted to comfort his old friend with an additional pat on the back.

"You know, we should really get better at spotting those." Zeb thought out loud.

"Speak for yourself, Zeb." Ezra retorted, recounting an earlier point in their adventure together.

In response, the Lasat growled, "Speak for yourself!"

"Guys, now's not the time." Hera shushed.

"Hey, Balto," Sabine bumped the shoulder of the older Jedi, "Doesn't this remind you of how we first met?"

Sabine's words were deliberate; that much he believed. But it served to place an idea in Balto's hand. He turned to that Mandalorian with a smile on his face, "Yeah, and I'm forever grateful for that moment. Hera!" With the tracker in hand, Balto stepped near the front of the cockpit, "I have a plan, but I really need your help to make it work.

Hera didn't need to say a word. All it took was one look, and Balto had his answer.

---

Onboard the Star Destroyer, Agent Alexander Kallus stood at attention on the bridge, staring out at one singular ship, the Ghost. She and her crew have evaded capture for longer than anybody in the Empire would care to admit, but hopefully not much longer. These rebels made a crucial mistake in getting involved in yet another information theft. The memories of that day when this same band of rebels aided the escape of a treacherous Rodian information officer. The ISB Agent even had a clear shot of the Rodian if one of those Jedi, Kanan Jarrus, didn't interfere. Any lesser Imperial would soon blast them out of the sky without a second notice.

No, not Kallus. Kallus has always considered himself to be an honorable man. Regardless of what the rebels believed, Agent Kallus saw the Empire for what it was; the means of bringing peace and security to this chaotic galaxy. Admittedly, yes, sometimes the Empire's method could be too brutal for his liking, but more than not, it proved justifiable. At least, that's what the briefing indicated. Still, it didn't mean Kallus had to stoop to being uncivilized. Showing how the Empire can be reasonable would help sway more towards their cause.

"Agent Kallus, are you sure all this is necessary?"

Of course, some make such things more complicated to achieve, "Admiral Constantine, what can I do for you?"

"Perhaps you can tell me why we're wasting our time?" Constantine scoffed, "We have them dead to rights! We should blow their ship where it stands."

"Need I remind you, Admiral, those rebels hold a criminal who's hidden stolen Imperial intel? We need them captured to ensure such intel does not go to the wrong hands." Kallus was calm, but he was anything but. For all the times he served alongside Constantine to apprehend this group of rebels, Kallus deduced the man was ambitious as he was incompetent. The Admiral's shortsightedness has cost them more time than he could count. How he made it through the ranks, Kallus rather not know, "Besides, I've given them a short time frame to make their decision, which should run up right about... now."

"Sir!" one of the officers called out, "A rebel freighter is fleeing!" so it was. The Ghost was flying off.

"Disappointing, but not unexpected." Kallus soon took charge, "Get the tractor beam locked on that freighter..."

"Sir!" the same officer spoke out, "The tracking beacon is moving in the opposite direction. It's heading for one of the planet's moons!"

"What!?"

Sure enough, Kallus spotted a red and white fighter of unknown origins speeding off. A baffling new development, to say the least, for Kallus was unaware this band ever received a new fighter. Whatever the case, this didn't change anything. Kallus was still on a mission and determined to complete it.

"Launch fighters to intercept! Shoot to disable. I want them alive!"

Eight TIE fighters were sent out to chase down this new fighter. Little did they know they weren't chasing after any old fighter. This was a Jedi Scout Fighter, the Kodiak. After being grounded for so long, she was finally soaring through space again. The Kodiak was more than a match to outpace simple TIEs. While these Imperial TIEs made their approach, the Kodiak sped off for one of Iego's moons. This particular moon was shrouded in an asteroid field, a difficult space for any ship to maneuver, but that would go double for the clunkiness of a TIE. Needing to bob and weave around asteroids ultimately meant the Scout Fighter would need to slow down to make these tricky maneuvers as well as to give the TIEs a chance to catch up. However, this slight advantage meant very little for the Imperials, who had already lost one fighter almost immediately after entering the field.

When TIEs eventually got too close, they were quickly fired upon by the Kodiak's rear turrets. At the helm of the gunner position was none other than Sabine Wren. Her second time in the seat, Sabine hoped to make up for her last outing on this fighter by shooting down these Imps. The young Mandalorian expertly shot down one who came too close, then shot down another after the Kodiak pulled a tricky maneuver to avoid an asteroid. Still, one could not count on things remaining so easy as the TIEs regrouped and swarmed from behind.

"Don't think I'll be able to shoot them all down," Sabine said casually, "What do you say we drop the payload?"

As the TIEs closed in, the Kodiak's rear hatch opened up, unleashing its hidden contents. What spilled out was the tracking device along with dozens of detonite charges; these charges were set off once the TIE fighters were in range. The following explosion set off a chain reaction, destroying the TIEs too close to the blast radius, and the other being thrown off course, careening them into the surrounding asteroids. Those remaining five TIEs were decimated before they even knew what hit them.

The Kodiak flew back around with all enemy fighters neutralized, rendezvousing with the Ghost. The small fighter docked back under the loading dock. Once secured safely, the Ghost shot into lightspeed, leaving the Star Destroyer behind. Within the safe confines of hyperspace, Kanan exited the Ghost cockpit to check on their returning fighter pilot. Making his way down to the loading dock, the middle-aged Jedi could already see Sabine exiting the fighter, followed by the pilot.

"You know, I shouldn't be all too surprised you'd pull such a crazy stunt." said Kanan, hanging over the platform overlooking the whole dock, "But even then, I never thought you would want to fly a Jedi Fighter."

"Wasn't too bad," Hera said from inside the pilot seat. "Steering's a bit sensitive, but nothing I can't handle."

Kanan had a smile on his face over her rationale, "So, what's our next move?"

"We'll give them more than an hour," Hera pulled herself out of the Kodiak and climbed the ladder so she may reach her quarters, "If all goes as planned, The Empire will be out of there before we double back to pick up Balto."

"You mean Balto and Boris, right?"

There was a slight pause from Hera, but in the end, she continued to her quarters without a word. When within her room, the Twi'lek captain dropped to her bed in silent contemplation. A part of her wish – hoped that what she knew was to come was not so. But Hera knew better as she looked at the cobblestone portrait of her mother. It was one of Hera's last reminders of her mother aside from the Kalikori within her father's procession. Still, the wound- the loss was fresh even after so many years; Balto could only imagine Balto would face the same.

---

Once again, Agent Kallus found himself riddled with frustration. Once again, the rebels have escaped his grasp. However, Kallus was not willing to let this all go to waste. He knew the rebels never went anywhere without cause. They came here for a reason, and Kallus wished to know why.

"Make a sensor sweep of the planet," Kallus ordered, "I want to know why those rebels were here."

"Agent Kallus, I must protest!" Admiral Constantine exclaimed, "We should focus our efforts on following after those rebels, not wasting our time with this barren wasteland."

"Admiral," Kallus also protested, "I know this band personally. They wouldn't come this far out without just cause."

Constantine answered with a huff. "I believe the reason is quite clear. These rebels obviously discovered your tracking device and led us out into the middle of nowhere to dispose of it! I'd say our business here is done."

"Admiral..."

"This may be your operation, but this is my ship." Constantine fired back, "As far as I'm concerned, we're done here. That is unless you want to file a report to the ISB board. I wonder how they'd feel about the proceedings so far."

With a clenched fist, Kallus relented. It pained him to do so, but his hands were now tied. Again, how Constantine got to be an admiral, Kallus didn't want to know. So be it. Let the rebels have this little victory. Next time, however, they won't be so lucky. Kallus will catch them sooner or later, and no bumbling admiral will get in his way.

Unfortunately, those sensory sweeps could've been of great help, for it would've shown the Phantom entering Iego's atmosphere. Amidst all the confusion, none of the Imperials took notice of the small shuttlecraft detaching itself from the Ghost and made a beeline for the planet as the battle raged. Balto had to give it to his crew; Hera's and Sabine's demolitions pulled off a great distraction. Without them, Balto and Boris might never have gotten close to landing on the planet's surface.

Landing would be difficult, with them needing to land as close as possible before Iego's soil degrades the data. The problem was exacerbated by Boris' fear of heights, making him direct Balto without looking at their flight plan. By some miracle, the two Anthros found a secure landing area just outside the nearest settlement, yet still close enough to reach the data before the allotted time. Balto and Boris would need to hike the rest of the way, but before long, the two came across a tall stone pillar. From there, it took no time for Boris to locate the detacard hidden in the soil next to the pillar.

"Just in time!" Boris cheered through exhausted breaths, "A moment later, the data would be toast."

"I have to hand it to you, Boris. Out of all the crazy ideas you've had over the years, this was really up there." Balto and Boris had a good laugh as the wolfdog took the card and placed it in his jacket pocket, "Let's get back to the Phantom. We'll wait for everyone there." but before he could even walk back, Balto heard Boris cough, and cough, and coughed even harder. With such intensity, Balto ran back to aid the old goose, "Boris, are you alright!?"

But he wasn't okay. This was, without a doubt, the worst coughing fit Boris has suffered so far. So bad, in fact, that he needed Balto's help to sit himself down properly against the stone pillar, but still he answered, "Don't fret over me, boychik. I'm fine."

"No, you're not, you're sick." Balto removed his jacket and draped it over his old friend, "When was the last time you took your medication?"

"You know how much I hate taking those things." Boris attempted to joke through the wheezing.

"This is no time for jokes!" Balto began panicking, "By the Spirits, what were you thinking!?"

"Thinking of you, boychik. Always thinking of you."

Balto tried to steel his emotions but couldn't hide his true feelings even from himself, "You already know this, but I never knew my father. Mother told me he died before I was born. But it didn't matter to me because I always had you. You were always there for me when I grew up an outcast. Even when Nava recruited me for the Jedi Order, even when I returned to visit my mother's grave after she died. Now, the one time you needed me, and I failed."

"Do not blame yourself. I knew the risk, always knew the risk. Nothing worth doing is without risk." Boris wheezed.

Feeling his sense of control failing, Balto places a hand on Boris's shoulder, "Please, don't die."

After a few more coughs, Boris spoke one last time, "It's alright, boychik. I lived a good life, made many good friends. But the one thing I was greatest moments was being part of your family. Watching you grow was one of the happiest moments of my life. I am... I'm proud of the man you have become." Boris patted the jacket pocket that held the datacard, "Take this and make our family whole again."

No longer able to control himself, Balto pulled Boris into his embrace. With such an array of emotions running wild, Boris also felt compelled to return said embrace. These two Anthros, no, surrogate father and son, remained within each other's arms in complete solace, knowing full well this would be their last time together. Why not have a semblance of peace before the inevitable?

Time felt unmeasurable after that moment. Balto didn't even register that more than an hour had passed since then, long overdue for the Ghost to return to retrieve him. Only when Hera and Chopper arrived to find the Jedi kneeling before a freshly made grave did Balto realize how long he had been there. Hera didn't need any other indication of what had transpired here, she simply knelt next to Balto and draped her arms around him as a sign of support. Only then did Balto respond to his surroundings by gently grasping Hera's arm.

"Do you need more time?" she asked gently.

Balto shook his head, "The prayer had already been enacted. There's nothing left here but an empty shell." he then pulled himself off the ground, "We should be going. Sorry to keep you all waiting."

With all said and done, the Spectres were reconvened on the Ghost. A deafening silence swept over the ship, with everyone in mourning after being briefed on what had transpired. True, they hadn't known Boris for very long, and some barely had a chance to know him at all. But that did little to hamper the loss that came over them all. The worst was Balto; the poor wolfdog had hardly spoken a word since coming aboard. Instead, he was content with standing at the corner of the lounge, sulking while the rest sat at the table.

Eventually, Kanan grew wary of the constant silence and thus chose to take action. He took refreshments from the fridge and handed one to each person, including Balto, before lifting his up high, "I want to propose a toast to Boris. We hardly knew ye, but you risked your last breath to help Balto and those who were complete strangers. I believe that shows one's mettle. To Boris!"

"To Boris!" called everyone else.

Even Balto lifted his glass and approached with the datacard in hand, "Boris gave up everything for this. It would be a shame if we never found out why."

Balto gave the datacard to Chopper who, in turn, inserted the card into his chest plate. The beaten old astromech moved into a position that offered a more excellent vantage point for everyone before projecting a holographic image to them. The image showcased the schematics of a tall – menacing Imperial structure approximately fifty floors high. The massive tower forked off from the middle with only two bridges connected from different heights. The top of both sides contained large landing platforms for VIP uses, as the schematics also showed an airfield directly behind the building. The left tower held a series of antennas of various sizes connected to a turbine to better change their position.

"That's the Khylm!" Sabine exclaimed, "It's one of the most secured information hubs in the Empire. Also, interior specks, troop shift schedules, fighter numbers, the works!"

"Sounds like Boris was planning a heist." said Ezra.

"Hold on," Zeb cut in, "That old bird stole information so he could steal information? Doesn't make any sense."

"Says here, there's a huge data cache coming in." Sabine read off the file, "If it's heading for the Khylm, they'll be heavily guarded. More so than the blueprints dictate. Boris must've taken the opportunity to swipe this to get the bigger payload later."

"It must be filled with highly classified secrets if the Empire were so hyperfocus let their guard down in other aspects to protect it." Kanan pointed out.

"Then we should hit it!" Ezra called for arms, but everyone only stared in silence, "It's what Boris would've wanted."

"Your heart's in the right place, Ezra." Hera calmed the young padawan, "But we can't just storm such a facility without the necessary precautions."

"Plus, there's a chance the Empire knows what kind of data Boris stole." Kanan pondered further, "There's a chance they'll tighten security for good measure."

"Then how are we supposed to get in?" asked Zeb.

"We can't!" Sabine answered, "Even if Kanan somehow mind-tricks his way past who knows how many troopers, he'll still have to contend with the security droids. There's no way for anyone without the proper clearance to get through."

"I know a guy," Balto halted their bickering, "He's a carrier thief, very top-notch. He can get us through."

"Is he good?" Sabine asked.

"The best." Balto assured the teenage Mandalorian, "He once robbed a high-ranking senator blind and broke in and out of the Jedi Temple in a week."

A sense of recollection swept over Kanan, "Wait, you're not talking about who I think you are?" Balto nodded, "You're talking about the Hood?"

"I'm sorry, who?" Zeb asked.

"Wait, wait, wait, you know the Hood?" Ezra also asked, ignoring the Lasat's inquiry.

"Seriously?" Sabine chimed in, "The guy's a legend."

"Is anyone gonna fill me in?" Zeb again asked, only to be stonewalled.

"You really think he'll help us..."

"Okay, seriously," Zeb had had enough of being ignored and spoke up so all could clearly hear him, "Can somebody please explain to me what's so important about a hood?"

"Not a hood, Zeb, the Hood." Sabine clarified, "As in, the most notorious outlaw of the known galaxy."

Zeb scoffed at the notion, "If he's so infamous, why haven't I seen any bounties on him?"

"He's too sneaky," Ezra answered, "He keeps to the shadow. No one he's robbed has ever seen his face. The closest they've gotten was the sight of his hood, hence the name."

"Can't put a bounty on a head no one's seen." Kanan added.

With that explanation out of the way, Hera spoke to Balto, "You really think he'll help us?"

"I'm certain of it." the wolfdog nodded, "He actually owes me after a job went south."

---

Takodana

Four years ago

Cautiously, Balto stepped out of Maz's castle. It had not been long since he left Animaria for the second time. His Anthro heart ached as leaving Animaria also meant leaving his wife, Jenna, behind. However, Balto will not allow himself to be detoured. Yes, this quest he's been on may have lasted eight years by this point, but the Jedi already tried working through this with a team, and the results were fruitless. Going solo on the excursion may yield better outcomes. The long nights without his wife will be challenging, but the three of them will finally be reunited once this personal mission is done.

For that to succeed, Balto would need a ship. Which was why he was even on Takodana. Of course, Maz was kind enough to offer one of hers, but Balto already knew what he wanted. The problem was that this ship wasn't in anyone's possession, not even Maz. Balto would also require help to procure this ship, for it would be under heavy guard. Maz, being as resourceful as ever, knew someone who could help. She sent the aging Anthro on his way after receiving a transmission of her contact's arrival.

Thus, here Balto was, going to the coordinates Maz laid out for him. It brought the wolfdog to a privately owned section of the landing field. This was clearly orchestrated to keep their dealing out of prying eyes. Balto took notice of a figure in a green hood casually leaning against one of the ships. This man seemed to have no care in the world and appeared to be ignorant of Balto's presence.

"You know," the Hood spoke with a cockney accent, "I don't normally make house calls, but Maz is a dear friend of mine. If she vouches for you enough to stick my neck out, I guess that makes you a friend as well."

Balto initially didn't know how to respond to such an odd quarry, "My name's Togo. I need your help breaking out an old ship of mine from an Imperial shipyard."

"Is that all?" he snicked, "For Maz, I expected something grander."

"It's heavily fortified, I assure you." Balto answered, "Listen, I know of your exploits, Hood, and I know..."

"Let me stop you right there. I hate that name. Don't think it captures my charm. If we're going to be working together, then please..." the thief pulled down his hood and revealed himself to be like Balto, an Anthro, a fox Anthro no less. The fox gave Balto a cheeky grin before finishing, "Call me Robin."

End of Chapter IX

A/N: Yes, I know, it's been a few years since I last updated this story. Sorry, but work has been hell as of late, and I've been going through many financial hurdles as of late. Still, I want to get these stories out to all of you who have been waiting.

With that said, as for Boris. Honestly, I initially had no plans for the character at first. In fact, initially, his character was going to be a former Separatist with whom Balto and Hera had ties, and Balto would aid Hera to forgive the man for his act during the Clone Wars. But I later didn't think it matched thematically with what's happened recently in the story. As for Boris' death. Again, I thought it was more thematic to go this way even after already having a death that hit Balto hard in the very last chapter. I promise the next chapter will be lighter than these last two. Speaking of, I hope one of my readers is happy with the addition of a particular green wearing fox. Till next time.