Chapter Three
Disclaimer: See Chap.1
I know it has been a while, I have been either working on something else, too busy in real life, or just lazy and I hope this makes up for it, now on with the show.
Upon returning to Phoenix Squadron, the Ghost docked with the command ship, Phoenix Home, and the Spectres disembarked, all in a somber mood. As they entered the command bridge, both Ahsoka and Rex were waiting for them. Commander Sato addressed them, "After your mission report and talking with Ahsoka and Captain Rex, I have already green lit your rescue mission."
"Thank you, Commander Sato," Hera said.
"Just don't get anyone else captured, or worse." Sato stated, before he turned his attention elsewhere.
"So, what's the plan?" Ahsoka asked.
"The only thing we have figured out is that Ezra is being held aboard a Star Destroyer somewhere, but who knows where, and there is another issue, I can only barely sense him, which at the very least, means he's alive." Kanan said.
"I have an idea, Kanan, we should meditate to try to locate him, however, we must be careful, keep the Ghost moving, keep them off our scent." Ahsoka said, hoping that her idea wouldn't attract the attention of Lord Vader. Returning to the Ghost, the Spectres left the fleet in search of Ezra.
Aboard the Relentless
Kallus had awoken from his nap with a queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach, and he didn't know why. He surmised that it all had to do with that one Inquisitor that really creeped him out, as well as the fact that it wasn't sitting well with him that Ezra, even though he was Kallus' enemy, was turned into a baby, by some dark power. He looked at himself in the mirror, and asked himself, "Is this what the Empire is becoming, a collection of dark sorcerers, intent on dominating the minds of everyone, and capable of turning those who oppose them into children? I thought I was being a servant of order and peace, but what am I really?" He had no answers to his own questions. He splashed some water on his face, "Pull yourself together, Alex. You swore an oath of loyalty to the established government and have a job to do." His self-pep talk done, he left his quarters and headed for the bridge.
When he arrived, Jerec was seemingly staring out the window into hyperspace. Jerec asked him, "So who is this Fulcrum that I have heard about?
"An inside agent, someone who is passing on information about Imperial shipping and other things to the rebels known as Phoenix Squadron." Kallus answered. Turning to Konstantine, Kallus asked, "Are we nearly to Lothal?"
"Yes, Agent Kallus, we will be there shortly," came the reply.
Jerec then seemingly for no reason left the bridge, once he was gone, Kallus asked Konstantine, "What do you make of him?"
"He's weird, all of them are, but him more so than the other two." He replied. Kallus just nodded to that. Truthfully, Kallus was beginning to think that he should break his oath only once and contact the rebels so that they can come and get their comrade, if only to ease his conscience. "Exiting hyperspace," shaking Kallus from his thoughts.
Elsewhere on the Relentless
Jerec stalked the halls of the Destroyer, musing to himself on the nature of things. "This Fulcrum is a problem, and Vader's fascination with a single Jedi is peculiar." As he went, he stopped by the quarters of the other inquisitors, finding Seventh Sister struggling a bit to take care of Ezra. "Having trouble?" he asked as he stepped in.
"Yes, you just had to turn him into an infant." Seventh Sister said.
"You didn't specify how young to make him. Now, either of you, answer me this: Why is Lord Vader seemingly obsessed with finding the Jedi known as Ahsoka Tano?"
Both inquisitors looked at each other, before Fifth Brother said, "When the Grand inquisitor showed Lord Vader a list of all known Jedi who escaped Order 66, her name caught his attention."
"What I recall from my days as a Jedi, was that she was the padawan of the famous Knight Anakin Skywalker," Seventh Sister added.
"Skywalker? All I remember is a young boy with a young master, Obi-wan Kenobi." Jerec recalled.
"Vader killed Skywalker during Operation Knightfall when Vader led the 501st into the Jedi Temple. Vader wants Tano so that he can finish the job, as well as find out if she knows where Kenobi is as he too escaped Order 66." Seventh Sister said.
"Did he now? Very intriguing. I sense that our prey will show themselves soon, and when they do, we shall be ready.
With Kallus,
As the Relentless exited hyperspace, Kallus was struggling with his conscience, he told Konstantine that he was going down the surface. As the shuttle descended into the atmosphere, Kallus was thinking ways he could clear his conscience, the only way he found was to break his oath of loyalty. As the shuttle touched down at the Command Center, Kallus molded his mind as to not to convey any traitorous thoughts. He walked into Governor Pryce's office.
"Ah, Agent Kallus, you are back, good, I have left some files on your desk for you to look over, more suspected traitors and all that. You look pale, Agent Kallus, are you feeling alright?" Pryce asked.
"I just spent multiple days in the company of three Inquisitors, must have had an effect on me," a half truth, Kallus told her.
"Three?" She asked
"Yes, there are two I have been with for a bit, the third joined us a few days ago, and of them, he's the weirdest." He told her.
"Well, how about you take a night of leave and get a drink, that should help you," she recommended.
"Thank you, Governor Pryce." Kallus left her office, glad that he was able to slip away without raising any suspicion, he dropped by his quarters, changed into civilian clothing, got into his personal speeder and left the base. Kallus knew of a cantina that the Spectres used to frequent and headed there.
Arriving at the cantina, Kallus sat at the bar, and the bartender, an Ithorian, came over to serve him. "What can I get you?"
"Corellian whiskey, if you got it." Kallus ordered, the Ithorian grabbed the bottle and a shot glass. "Leave the bottle," Kallus said, giving the bartender the credits for the bottle. Taking a large swig from the bottle, he looked around the cantina, looking for anyone that might have a connection to the Spectres, not finding anyone.
'You look glum, friend, what's on your mind?" The bartender came back to talk to him.
"A conflicted conscience, I suppose. Are you Jho?" Kallus asked.
"Yes, I am, what's it to you, friend?" Jho asked back.
"I need to get a message off world, to a group of insurg.." Kallus caught himself, "freedom fighters, called the Spectres, do you know them."
"They used to frequent here, and I may know how to contact them. What's the message?" Jho asked.
"One of their number is aboard a Star Destroyer in orbit, the Relentless, extremely well-guarded, including three Inquisitors," Jho gave him a questioning look, "just tell them that, and here are the codes necessary to avoid having the transmission be picked up by scanners." Kallus gave him the codes.
"Who are you, friend, to have these kinds of codes?" Jho asked.
"I am no one, friend, and please, just leave me in peace." Kallus answered him.
"Alright, I won't push." Jho said as he went to serve other patrons.
Kallus sat there, with his bottle of whiskey, in thought over how he could face his superiors and underlings now that he had broken his oath. He surmised that as long as they don't question him too much about it, he'd be fine. Hours later, after he had finished the bottle, and was sober enough to drive, he went back to the command center to sleep.
Elsewhere in the galaxy
Kanan and Ahsoka sat in the lounge of the Ghost, legs crossed, in meditation, trying to find Ezra's location, but all they could feel was a faint trace of his light, but it was surrounded an excessive amount of darkness, meaning, they could get a lock on him.
In the cockpit, Hera and Sabine sat in silence, Hera sipping a cup of Caf, while Sabine felt immense guilt for Ezra being taken. The silence was broken by the communications console beeping. "That's an Imperial code on it." Sabine said.
"Yes, but it was sent out directly for us to receive. Clearly, whoever is sending it wants us to answer it." Hera observed.
"Could it be a trap to get a trace on us?" Sabine asked.
"Well, we won't be in this spot for much longer, and we'll get a move on after we find out what this is about." Hera said as she hit the answer call button. Jho appeared on the hologram. "Jho? How did you get hold of Imperial codes?" Hera asked the Ithorian.
"One of my patrons gave me them, along with a message for you, is Kanan with you?" Jho asked.
"I'll go get him." Hera said as she stood up, heading for the lounge. Walking in, she seemed to have disturbed his meditation by simply being there.
"Kanan," Hera said.
"Yes, Hera?" Kanan asked back.
"Old Jho is contacting us and wants you to speak with him." Hera told him.
"I'm coming," he stood and followed her back to the cockpit, "Go ahead, Jho."
"Kanan, good. I was given a message for the both of you from one of my patrons. One of your number is being held aboard a Star Destroyer, named the Relentless, in orbit over Lothal, and supposedly extremely well-guarded along with three Inquisitors, whatever those are." Jho told them. Kanan paled at the notion of facing three Inquisitors.
"Thanks, Jho, and may I ask, what did this patron look like?" Hera asked.
"Light-skinned human, hard jaw line, brown eyes, strawberry-blonde hair, serious muttonchops," Jho described him.
"Thanks, Jho," Hera ended the call. "Kallus gave Jho that message, why?
"Did you happen to overlook the fact that he said three Inquisitors? Why are there three now?" Kanan was a bit panicked.
"At least we know where he is, and we can go get him." Sabine said.
"We'll be walking right into a trap, but what choice do we have. Let's go get him." Kanan decided, with that, the Ghost jumped to hyperspace.
Well, things are in motion, Kallus broke his oath to the Empire, what does that mean for him, we'll see, and Jerec is interested in Ahsoka because Vader is after her. Next time, rescue mission.
The Emperor is out peace.