Hondo has never been so insulted. Him plotting to steal from the Treasury? That is not who Hondo is anymore. Hondo is even writing a book about it! Improving his grammar and everything! They may have caught Hondo unawares, but there is more happening here. Uncle Hondo will get to the bottom of this and the true amateur perpetrators will be brought to justice!
The Siege of Lothal: Part 2
"I'll have Sabine whip up a medal for you to wear," Ezra's Captain continued. "One that says just how stupid that was."
"Maybe it's the six Corellian ale," Han said as he topped off his last beer for the night. He frowned as he gave it more thought. "But did I hear that right? Vows and all? Because you're a little young to be hitched."
"No, not like that," Ezra said and leaned in. "And could you keep it down? I think half the ship heard you!"
"Well," Han said, as he gave it more thought. "What does it mean? Other than she's getting some dreams of yours?"
Ezra rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "Would you like a deposition, or would you rather hear what happens next?"
Han smirked and wagged his finger. "Already know what happens next, Kid. By now, the Empire has made certain the whole galaxy knows." Han shrugged. "The Empire set you up. Made it look like you got her killed."
"Sabine," Ezra said suddenly when the girl reappeared from over Han's shoulder.
"I could feel your worry all the way on the other end of the ship!" Sabine said. "You said you and Kanan learned how to filter out each other's thoughts and emotions. Teach me."
Han's smirk grew at the look on the Kid's face. Like a rabbit about to bolt. "Sabine," Ezra said and then blurted. "I'm sorry! I don't know how this happened. But it took months for my bond with Kanan to develop. Only once we both could feel it were we able to 'filter' stuff. And I know you want to know how this happened, but I don't have an answer!"
Sabine sighed and pressed her fingers to each side of her face.
"Well, here's my idea, Jedi Boy. We've been risking each other's necks and sleeping across the hall from each other for over a year," Sabine said.
"Whaaaaaaaaawhaaa."
"Chewie's right," Han said, while trying not to slur his words. "She has a point."
"You think I haven't thought of that?" Ezra said and glanced sharply at Han. "But there's still so many questions."
"Well then, explain what you do know, kid," Han said.
Ezra shook his head, and it occurred to Han that he had explained this numerous times already. Well, tough. Whether you had control over it or not, you made this Force Bond. So explain it as many times as she needs to hear it.
"Every Force Bond is unique, but has basic similarities. I know that doesn't make sense, but that goes hand in hand with all this Jedi stuff. And then more time after that for us to figure out how to 'filter it' completely. I'm doing all I can to not… worry. But as hard as I try to contain it, it's impossible for me to do it from one end. Believe me! Kanan tried and tried to block it from just his end when I was still just starting out, but he couldn't pull it off. You're going to need some lessons on the Force. It's the only way."
"But I can't use the Force!" Sabine said and stamped her armored boot on the deck.
"Pfft," Han said and rolled his eyes. "'The Force.' Some people are just lucky."
And like the magician she was, as soon as she had appeared, Sabine had left. The only sight of her ducking down a corridor heading toward somewhere, Han could only guess. "Well then. That's twice you've pissed her off. Or three?"
"She's off to find Kanan," Ezra said.
"And you know this, how?" Han said.
"Now that she knows about the bond, and I've accepted it, she's like a valve that won't shut off. Like an E-Web blasting away at me! Kanan is practically a Jedi Knight and has trained for things like this. I'm still just an apprentice! And now with Sabine?"
"She's hosing you down with everything she feels?" Han teased, unable to help himself.
Ezra shook his head. "She's trying to control it, like the same way you would try not to think about something that's bothering you. Only that's not how the Force works. There's a technique about being able to calm another. Send them positive feelings."
"Well great," Han said. "Help her mood then. What are you waiting for?"
"I've yet to master it," Ezra said, his face all screwed up like he ate an overly ripe meiloorun. "I hope Kanan knows and will be able to give her a breather from all this."
"Whaaaaahhhh, raaaaauuuuhu!" Chewie growled.
"You already saw what happened on the holonet," Han said with a glance at his friend and partner in crime. "Although I am curious about how you escaped. And how my ship got involved?"
"You've had a hard enough time believing what I've said," Ezra said, reminding Han of all the snark he'd shot.
"Whooooomp, waaaaamp!" Chewie said.
"Okay, okay," Han said, giving into his friend's demands. Han held up in peace. "I'll lighten up, promise."
Ezra gave a snort. The sort that said I'll see it when I believe it.
Still, he cleared his throat and began again.
"So we were spread out on the roof of the spaceport surrounding that particular landing pad. It looked exactly how we saw it in the dream," Ezra said. "Me, Hera, and Sabine. Chopper and Zeb were guarding our escape shuttle and Kanan was playing stormtrooper on the ground, and getting ready to snatch Minister Tua."
"Did you plan to stage it, make it look like a kidnapping?" Han asked.
"We thought about it, but when we arrived and got a look at the size of the welcoming committee, plus Agent Kallus being there, we knew the Empire would see right through it. Especially when, well, you saw it."
"The way you tell it, if you're being honest with me, that Agent Kallus guy must've had spycams following her all day. Just waiting to catch you in the act."
"Well," Ezra said and folded his arms. "They didn't catch everything."
"Force Bonds happen between master and apprentice!" Kanan's voice hissed over the comlink. But Ezra could hear the condemnation in it. The disappointment.
"They happen when people spend time together!" Ezra snapped back. "Between two people who go through a lot together!"
"Two people who are each Force Sensitive!" Kanan argued.
"Spectre-1, maintain cover." Hera's voice was cool and professional over the comlink. "You're drawing way too much attention to yourself with this many eyes on you. Spectre-5, are you okay?"
"Okay? Well Spectre-2 turns out me, a Mandalorian, might be the very thing my entire culture is grown up to despise," Sabine said, her tone far less panicky when speaking to Hera. Less panicky, but no less spiteful. "And also? Kinda wanting to blast Spectre-1's head off, but I don't think those are my emotions!"
They weren't. Ezra wasn't happy at all with Kanan's reaction, or what he might be suspecting.
"Ah, not to interrupt," Zeb's voice chimed in. "But is there something I should know about?"
"Talk fast, Spectre-6," Hera ordered. "Spill about the dream."
"Exactly like Spectre-5 said," Ezra responded. "But there was always something a little off. All those guards, but none near the shuttle. It's just wrong. And I know it's the Force that's been showing me this."
"Copy," Hera said, her tone still professional. "Spectre-1, approach the shuttle as if you're-"
"Crazy?" Kanan said. "Because that's what this seems like."
"Like you forgot something important," Hera said. "But crazy works too."
The longer they waited, the more and more Ezra's muscles grew tense and howled away at him to get up and move. Preferably down to Kanan and shove him back and away from the shuttle. But already he saw several stormtroopers taking notice, and one wearing the same rank on him on the shoulder pauldron.
"Spectre-1 in five seconds, you'll have a Commander tapping you on your shoulder," Hera said.
"Tell him your helmet's comlink isn't working!" Sabine said quickly. That made sense. They would've tried to get his attention on their comms before racing over to stop him.
From their separate perches on the roof surrounding the landing pad, the three watched as Kanan tried to con his second stormtrooper for the night. Only this one wasn't buying it and after several tense seconds, Ezra saw the telltale hand wave of a Jedi Mind Trick.
All three held their breath and waited. Only once or twice had Kanan not pulled it off, but still, this guy seemed determined. Finally, the other stormtrooper backed off and did an about face and walked away. Walked right out of the landing pad, which meant one less buckethead to deal with.
"That was close," Kanan said.
"You got rid of him," Hera said, her voice smooth despite the tensity of the situation. "Promise him tickets to a grav-ball game?"
"He's off to the armory to find me a new helmet. Should keep him out of trouble."
"Well, what'd he say about the shuttle?" Ezra asked, wanting to know what this was all about. Was the Force really telling him something or was he losing it?
"Just that they all had orders not to approach the shuttle under any circumstances. And reminded me of the threat against Minister Tua's life."
"Ah, karabast," Zeb's voice broke in. "They're gonna blow it with her on it!
"And we're being set up to be assassins!" Sabine said.
"We need a new plan," Hera said, her voice shaking as she urgently began to think of possible solutions.
"No time," Kanan said. "The Minister is pulling up now. Along with Kallus, here to make sure no matter what, she doesn't leave alive."
Ezra felt a mix of confusion stir inside of him. She was doing this out of fear of her life, and her information would be invaluable to the Rebellion, but still she stood by while her people - his people - were imprisoned and sent to places like Tarkintown. Sure, she did that low housing cost initiative that helped out a lot of poorer Lothalites. And she never turned in Jho, despite knowing he knew how to contact them.
"Stop that!" Sabine's voice said loud and clear over the team's comm. "We have a job to do. You can dwell later!"
Kriff. What the hell will she do when she feels me crushing on her?
"Right. Five, stay up top and take out some of that aggression on these bucketheads."
"Copy, One. I'll try to remember which bucket is yours."
"Funny," Kanan said. "Two and Six, wait for my signal then drop down. Two, I want her attached to your hip at all times. Six, we're on bodyguard detail. No sabers. Moving now."
"Now," Sabine said. "While they're distracted with the Minister!"
Sharing a nod, Ezra and Hera together made the jump. Hera had to be sure to land on the balls of her feet and roll to absorb the impact of such a high drop. Ezra was able to cushion his landing with the Force at the last second.
It wasn't anything Kanan had taught him. But all that vent-crawling and running around on rooftops? It was a lot of trial and error, but eventually Ezra figured out how to "jump down" a bit easier on the legs.
Noticing a small pile of crates, he helped Hera to her feet and guided her to the cover. It was halfway between where Kallus had parked his landspeeder and was "escorting" Minister Tua to the shuttle. And it looked like he had some weird floating droid with him, but at roughly 15 meters distance Ezra didn't recognize the type.
"Thank you, Agent Kallus, but there… There was no need for an escort," Minister Tua said. Her voice carried and Ezra could hear she was going for courteous, but there was just no hiding her fear.
"Lord Vader asked me to make sure you reached your shuttle safely." Kallus replied with zero hesitation.
Lord Vader?
"I see," the Minister said and Ezra watched as any remaining fight in her fled at the namedrop.
"We can't be too careful about security these days," the Agent added.
"Yes, I suppose so." The Minister said, sounding like a prisoner headed toward execution.
"I can't get an angle, One." Sabine said. "I'll drop down behind them."
"Copy, Five," Kanan said. "On your go."
"Oh?" Sabine said. "I'm going to enjoy this."
"Just make it snappy," Kanan said as Tua, along with a guard of stormtroopers and, of course, good old Agent Muttonchops, "escorted" her along the way. There was still that floating droid or probe. Ezra still couldn't identify it.
With a flourish, Sabine dropped down at the perfect moment and then called out. "Hey!" Stunned, the stormtroopers just looked at the colorful Mandalorian Girl, nevermind the powerful WESTAR blasters in her hands.
That is until Sabine opened fire.
"Minister," Kallus said as he pulled out some small pistol and began to return fire. "Take cover!"
But Sabine wasn't messing around and had already dropped three troopers, all the while walking toward some crates she spotted for herself to take cover behind. That is, if the troopers ever began to return fire.
Sabine was having a field day.
Eventually, they snapped out of it and began unleashing volleys of blaster bolts from their E-11s. Stormtroopers elsewhere in the port heard the fire and were undoubtedly responding, which was when Kanan closed the shutter doors to the landing pad and blasted the door controls. The Imperials were trapped.
"Surprise," Kanan said in his stormtrooper outfit, his inner wiseass coming out to play.
"Rebels," Kallus sneered and aimed his blaster at Kanan. Despite being at less than ten meters distance, Kanan dodged every bolt until he managed to grab cover by a crate. "Minister! The shuttle!"
Scared out of her mind, Minister Tua began to run for the shuttle but was intercepted by Hera as she ran past their hidey-hole of crates. "I don't think so," Hera said and caught hold of the Minister's arm and tugged her over to them.
"What?" Minister Tua said. "I don't understand."
"Allow me," Ezra said. The Jedi Boy stood and took a step away from the cover. "Hey, bucketheads!" He shouted.
There were two running across the landing pad to assist Kallus, but stopped at the sight of the wanted Rebel. Ezra had his blaster out and in a moment, purple blaster bolts slammed into each of the troopers. "Too slow," Ezra said.
"Be careful, Six," Hera said over the comlink. "There are cameras."
Ezra groaned but took a page out of his Master's book, and played what he had come to call "plot armor dodging." When he reached one of the bodies, he used the Force to help lift the bigger trooper into his arms and then frowned.
Ezra used one of the already dead troopers as a shield while he thought about what had occurred to him.
They didn't know what would trigger the bomb? His guess was it was proximity. Or a remote that Kallus would trigger once the Minister (or one of them) ventured too close to the shuttle.
Kriff that! There were two bodies here. With great effort and concentration, Ezra lifted them each into the air. One he held in front of him to continue to block blaster bolts. The other he held aloft and steadied his aim. The boarding ramp wouldn't be sufficient. His aim had to be spot on. Right into the troopers' compartment.
As Ezra focused, he heard the voice of his Master shouting at him from the comlink. As well as Skippy, interjecting himself for the first time that night. They weren't supposed to be revealing themselves as Jedi, but what did it matter? The entire galaxy has seen him and Kanan holding lightsabers. It was on wanted holos everywhere.
"Time to go for a little ride, buddy!" Ezra said and with the Force went from holding the two troopers in the air to throwing one of them straight through the entryway and aboard into the shuttle's compartment. Ezra only barely got his other stormtrooper shield up in front of him in time to block the force and debris from the exploding shuttle.
Not that it kept him on his feet, that close to the shuttle there was no way Ezra wasn't going to feel that explosive force of the blast and it bowled him right over onto the duracrete landing pad.
And then there was nothing but silence and the sound of his own breathing, and just the slightest ringing in his ears. Lying flat on his back, Ezra inherently knew he was in danger but couldn't bring himself to try to stand yet. His legs felt like jello and his thoughts were all muddled.
Then he heard something altogether different. It was Kanan. Only his Master seemed to be speaking in his head.
Get up! Come on, get up!
"Okay," Ezra said, slowly pushing himself up to all fours despite every fiber in his body protesting, only to immediately duck back down as his instincts kicked in and warned him of incoming blaster fire.
"Kark!" Ezra said and found himself out in the middle of the landing pad. Thanks to his stormtrooper shield, he didn't get hit by shrapnel, but he was still very shaken up. Like Kanan had used a full powered Force Throw and slammed him against a wall. Not that his Master would do that, but still, as time ticked by and Ezra became more and more aware of what was happening around him, he had no idea of how he was going to get out of this!
"Six to all," Ezra said into his comlink, but his words were slurry. "Bomb defused. But I'm in a bit of a jam. Over."
There was some reply, but between the explosions and the sounds of blaster fire ping-ponging in every direction as the battle raged, Ezra couldn't make out what was being said. "Say again," Ezra said into his comlink.
"I repeat, hang in there, Six," Kanan said. "Shuttle is inbound for pickup... I'll make sure that Five collects you. Tell her to be extra gentle with your fragile state."
That slimeball, Ezra thought and knew in that moment that Kanan wasn't kidding him about having Sabine carry him to the shuttle. He was hurt, but he wasn't that hurt.
With his pride refusing to give way to common sense, Ezra picked himself up and used the Force to lift the dead and shrapnel riddled stormtrooper and then ducked behind the shield just as blaster fire began coming his way again.
"Damn it, Six," and Ezra could hear the exasperation in Kanan's voice. "Fine! Two is closer. Get to her! Two, is everything okay with you and our passenger?"
"We're good," Hera responded. "Though passenger is hardly the word I think she'd use!" There was a brief pause, followed by a chuckle from the female Twi'lek. "She says thank you, Six. For what you did. Now hurry up!"
Okay, Ezra thought and glanced to his right. Crates. And Hera and the Minister, less than half a dozen meters away. Hera looked like it was just another day at the range, but the Minister was filled to the brim with fear. And there was something else.
Something cold. Similar to the cold he felt on the way in the shuttle, on the way to Lothal as they passed real close to one of those Star Destroyers. The Dark Side, and Ezra's eyes widened. His head was still pounding and his eyes were a bit hazy, but through the Force he felt it.
There was another presence here.
Following his instincts, he stopped and looked past the rooftop surrounding the land pad and instead focused on the walkway high above. Ezra shook his head, trying to clear the blurriness but that damn explosion. But there was something there. Someone. Watching them all.
"Move it, Six!" His comlink screamed at him with Sabine's voice.
"Just a little further, Ezra!" Hera said, her loud voice carrying itself over the loud blaster fire and ringing in his head. Ezra blinked several times and looked again to the distant walkway, and this time he was certain something was up there. But the distance was too far and dark for him to make it out clearly.
But it was something of the Dark Side.
Grunting with the effort, Ezra at last made it to the blaster fire scarred crates that were holding up well and provided good cover for Hera and the Minister.
"Glad to see you're in one piece," Hera said in between blaster shots. "I'll have Sabine whip up a medal for you to wear," Ezra's Captain continued. "One that says just how stupid that was."
"I thought it was rather brave," Minister Tua said from where she continued to crouch very low to the ground.
"Well, that's Ezra in a nutshell," Hera said, only this time Ezra swore he saw a twinge of smile on her lips, a chink in the armor of her mask of anger.
"Who's winning?" Ezra asked, not trusting himself to peek out and try to assess the situation.
"I don't know what it is with Agent Kallus-"
"Muttonchops," Ezra said, correcting her softly. Hera rolled her eyes and Minister Tua looked confused for a moment, and then quirked a small smile as she picked up on the joke.
"Fine." Hera said. "Agent Muttonchop must've had his space-wheaties because he's managing to hit everything in sight. I almost got him a few times, but he must have a horseshoe up his ass because he keeps jumping into cover at just the right moment."
"Spectre-4 here. Hope you've cleaned up that landing zone because Chopper's on final approach and not stopping for anything!"
The Minister chose that moment to look up and see the public commuter shuttle they had used to smuggle their way past the blockade. And dangling out of the forward boarding door was Zeb with his bo-rifle. Which was good. He still had his beef with Kallus and he was ignoring all other targets except for the Imperial Agent.
"That's our exit?!" The woman shrieked.
"One step at a time, Minister," Hera said, doing her utmost to keep calm and collected.
"Yeah," Ezra said, picking up on Hera's unspoken cue. "Just like old times, remember? Only this time, no annoying protocol droids whining about being stuck in the back of the shuttle."
"Right," the Minister said and managed a smirk at the memory.
"Come on!" Zeb shouted as the old and clunky shuttle landed amongst the remains of the destroyed Imperial Lambda shuttle.
Together, the three made a break for it. As they ran, Ezra glanced back up, searching the distant walkway for any sign of the figure he had seen. But there was nothing. He couldn't even feel the cold anymore.
One by one, the Spectres boarded the shuttle with Chopper shouting at them to hurry from his place at the pilot's station. Scolding their slowness with a reminder that these things weren't made to take blaster fire. And once all were aboard, Chopper immediately gunned the engines and began to climb the shuttle out of the spaceport.
Only the orange astromech's earlier concern proved to be prophetic. They'd hardly gotten any distance before some lucky stormtrooper or something else to get a good clean shot at the shuttle's engine.
"Hang on!" Hera shouted and braced both herself and the Minister for the crash landing.
"Oh Dear!" Minister Tua cried but followed Hera's lead. Meanwhile, everyone else on board just grabbed something to hang onto and prayed. Luck was with them as the shuttle went down in the middle of a street with few bystanders.
Still, it was a hard landing and followed so closely by that explosion. Ezra wasn't seeing straight at the moment. A fact which was further reinforced when he felt a large hair arm pull him close. "Stay with me, Kid," Zeb said. And then they were off, running from the shuttle and the growing crowd of curious onlookers.
Thankfully, they landed in the Lower City. And Ezra's old house was soon in sight. A welcome for them all.
"Everything has happened as you predicted. Lord Vader." Agent Kallus said to the projected hologram. Only Vader had his back turned to him, and looked elsewhere.
"Not everything," Vader said. "Your reports continue to underestimate the boy."
"I don't understand, my Lord?"
"He knew the bomb was aboard the shuttle."
"That's impossible," Kallus said. "I planted the explosives myself in a secured hangar. And I told no one of your plan, my Lord."
"Are you attempting to hide your failures, Agent?"
An icy cold grasp of a hand wrapped itself around his neck. Agent Kallus took a deep gulp. He didn't understand the Force, but he knew what one talented in it could do.
"Never, my Lord. As I said, operational security was at a maximum. I handled all the specifics personally." Kallus said and winced as the grip tightened further. He glanced from his neck to the hologram and saw Vader had yet to look at him. Still staring off, as if lost in thought.
"The boy," Vader stated, as if coming to a conclusion.
Kallus stopped his struggles, closed his eyes, and awaited his fate. Seconds passed by that felt like a millennium for the ISB Agent. Until finally he felt the icy hand of death release its hold on his neck.
"No plan survives first contact with the enemy." Vader said, not caring the least as Kallus coughed and cleared his throat as best he could. "And the Grand Inquisitor underestimated his Master. Depa Billaba was many things, but she learned from her failures. And passed the lessons she learned down to her Padawan. I wonder what else she may have passed down."
"My Lord," Kallus choked out. "The plan is still salvageable. The Rebels kidnapped the Minister to hold her for ransom. The floating spycam managed to catch enough footage for us to sell it like that. The tracking."
"How fortunate it is you took those steps then, Agent." Vader said. "Inform the populace that the kidnappers hide in their midst," Vader said and at last turned to face Kallus's hologram. "Lock down the spaceport and make it known. Any ship attempting to leave will be destroyed."
"Right away," Kallus answered and made certain to bow before disconnecting the transmission.
The Agent allowed himself a moment to touch a finger to his neck. Not there. All gone. Yet even now, if Lord Vader wished it, he could probably snap his neck with very little to no thought at all. Wasn't that where the stories came from, after all?
It took Sabine a few moments with a wrench, but she had the old Bridger communication system linked to the Imperial broadcast. Then the Ghost crew and the Minister sat back and watched as some Imperial official was projected next to a large image of Minister Tua.
"...our beloved Minister was captured by the Rebel insurgents she has been hunting. The same Rebel insurgents responsible for the deaths of several Imperial officials and the destruction of millions in lost property."
"Absurd," the Minister muttered. And then the hologram changed to a picture taken of them at some point during the escape. Though it only showed Ezra, Hera, and Kanan dressed as a stormtrooper, but without a helmet.
"If you see them, summon Imperial authorities immediately. Trooper corps have been mobilized in an extensive search…"
Hera shut it off, unable to listen for a second longer. "They did this to turn Lothal against us."
"Had I been killed, yes. But you stopped that," Minister Tua said. She looked over at Ezra, who was feeling better now that his body didn't feel like it'd been in a shuttle crash or nearly exploded. "Thank you, Ezra Bridger. Your parents would be proud of you carrying on the fight, especially in company like this."
"What do you mean, company like this, Minister?" Zeb asked. Ezra never thought "shoulders" would squeeze down here, but the big purple hairball had proved him wrong.
"Heroes." Minister Tua said. "One of the few Rebel cells that don't kill every Imperial they come across. Fight them, certainly. And when you steal, it's only to help those that have been taken advantage of by the Empire."
"Tarkintown," Zeb said and crossed his arms.
"Yes," Minister Tua said. "Thank you for caring for them. The Empire has made it increasingly difficult for me to help my people at all. And I don't think the Empire plans to set me free from my captors. Or if I am, I will certainly be killed later."
Putting aside all of their altercations in the past, Ezra reminded himself of how she knew Jho but never turned him in. She also managed to bring affordable housing in Lothal, and give their people a way to afford a home that didn't include making a deal with a devil. She'd helped hundreds if not thousands with that. And also if they get out of this alive, then Tua herself could return and give some sort of address, clearing all of this up.
"Why does the Empire want you dead?" Kanan said, his tone soft as he spoke.
Minister Tua reached into her tunic and pulled out what first looked like some container for medication. But when she opened it, inside it contained a small data card.
"Whoa," Sabine said, recognizing the brand immediately. Minister Tua placed it in Sabine's hands. "That's high end. Lots of encryption."
"I've keyed it to myself and everyone else in this room. It has everything I promised you, except for the Emperor's personal interest in Lothal. That I managed to overhear in a conversation between Grand Moff Tarkin when he was having a private call with the Emperor and didn't dare copy something like that down."
"What was it about?" Ezra said.
"The Emperor has a list." Minister Tua explained. "Of planets with Jedi temples."
"And Lothal is on that list?" Kanan said.
"Yes. Of course, we've hardly ever had a Jedi come here, let alone an entire temple of some sort. While Lothal has a wealth of natural resources, it is this Jedi Temple the Emperor is most interested in."
"What other planets were on the list?" Ezra said. His voice was calm, but his heart was beating fast at this news. It was still okay. They were still Emperor knew a Temple was on Lothal. He just didn't know where. Only the Emperor wouldn't stop until he found it.
"No idea," Minister Tua said. "And I didn't wait to find out if any other locations would come up in their private chat. If Tarkin spotted me, he'd kill me."
"So, why are you running now?" Hera said. "Why are you so certain the Empire wants you dead?"
"Lord Vader." Minister Tua said. "He told me I had failed in my efforts to hunt you down, and that I lack the brutality to do what he believes is necessary. On that account, he is correct. Supposedly I was to go to Tarkin on that shuttle to 'answer for my failure.' But Tarkin only deals with failure in one way."
"Lord Vader?" Ezra said, and then recalled the conversation she was having with Kallus when they entered the landing pad. "He's the one that ordered Kallus to accompany you."
A very dark look of fear and anger formed on the Minister's face. "Second only to Tarkin, or perhaps even above him in rank. Very little is known other than he's the Emperor's enforcer. A 'problem solver,'" the Minister said, her voice filled with sarcasm.
"Tarkin thinks of me as a naïve schoolgirl. Lord Vader didn't come to Lothal because of my failure. He came because of Tarkin's. A scrappy band of Rebels destroying the Grand Moff's personal Star Destroyer." The Minister smirked. "Anyway, Lord Vader's now the one in charge and he's the one who informed me that Tarkin wanted to see me. He suspected I'd still have friends I wouldn't give up. He was right."
"Jho," Ezra said.
Minister Tua smiled and nodded. "The Empire suspects Jho to be a Rebel sympathizer, but not active in the movement. I've kept him hidden."
"As well as the people on this," Sabine said and held up the data card. Potential allies. Powerful ones.
"What else can you tell us about Vader?" Kanan said.
"Not much. I've only met him a handful of times. He's a very terrifying individual. But most importantly I suspect he's like you," Minister Tua looked from Kanan to Ezra. "He too carries a lightsaber, though I've yet to see him actually use it."
"You're sure?" Kanan said, frowning.
"I've spent well over a year chasing you," Minister Tua said. "Believe me I've done my research on lightsabers."
The cold, Ezra realized. He was watching us the whole time.
"Okay," Hera said. "This is a lot of intelligence that we need to get back to the Rebellion, no matter the cost."
That was when the group heard a commotion coming from upstairs and Chopper banging on the hatch to the secret basement. The Empire had found them.
Zeb at long last pulled himself out of the narrow pipe, that was the only escape route was out of his old house. He didn't want to think about what the Empire was doing in there right now.
"This won't do," Hera said as she glanced around the back alley the escape had them. "We have to get off the streets. Ezra?"
"Yeah," Ezra said and searched all around them, looking for handholds only someone like him could see. He'd always be a Loth-rat. "There," Ezra pointed to a dubious route up to the rooftops. "There's a long space there, but Kanan and Zeb should be able to make it and help the rest of us across."
"The rooftops, of course," the Minister said. "How did I overlook that?"
"Don't know," Zeb said with a grin. "The Kid was giving your troopers a good chase when we stole that TIE fighter, Minister."
The Minister shook her head, snapped her fingers, and laughed. "Commander Meiloorun then I presume? And here I thought Lyste was his usual idiot self. And it's Maketh. Maketh Tua. I think it's fair to say my days of serving the Empire or holding any public office are at an end."
"Maybe. Maybe not. There is a place for everyone in the Rebellion, even if it's not on the front lines." Hera said but then took another furtive glance around. "Well, we better get a move on." Hera warned. "Or it'll be Prisoner Tua in another minute."
"Right," Maketh said. Working together, they followed Ezra's plan and were on the rooftops and safely out of sight. They were more safe, but with this many searching for them, it was now a matter of "when" would they be discovered.
Agent Kallus really was pulling out all the stops. And if Vader is who Maketh describes, then Kallus had good reason to be motivated.
Up top there was some privacy, probably the best they'd get for the moment. And so Sabine opened her tactical map of the City as well as the surrounding airfields. They needed a ship.
And, of course, it was Kanan who eventually suggested the Imperial Complex. Worse, after taking a detailed analysis of their options, Skippy agreed with Kanan!
"Well," Maketh Tua said after a long silence. "We've managed this far. Off to see the Wizard!"
Kanan frowned. "The Wizard?"
"You know the Wonderful Wizard of…" Maketh let it hang there for a second and then rolled her eyes. "Is he always like this?"
"Yes," everyone but Kanan said in unison.
And then Sabine raised her hand. "Least guarded or not, how are we going to get to its hangar?"
And that's how Ezra found himself dressed up like a cadet again pushing two big crates while Kanan Jedi Mind Tricked their way past security. Once they reached the right hangar and landing pad, they opened the crates.
The results were predictable.
The three girls scrambled out as fast as they could, breathing in deep lungfuls of air! Meanwhile Zeb was a tangle of limbs as he had apparently decided now was the time to get into a wrestling match with Chopper, his crate-partner.
Ezra and Kanan were both happy to ditch their Imperial uniforms.
"Home sweet orange," Ezra said and smiled at the feel of his own clothes again.
Sabine rolled her eyes. "You really should think about updating your look."
"What's wrong with my jumpsuit?"
"Shh!" Hera said and pointed over at the shuttle's cargo, still waiting to be loaded. Specifically what the cargo was.
Military grade shield generators.
"This is exactly what we need!" Hera said eagerly and grabbed one.
"Grab a crate, pull your weight," Sabine chimed and elbowed Ezra.
"Funny, haha," Ezra said as he grabbed one.
"I feel as if there's an inside joke I'm unaware of," Maketh said as she grabbed a crate and hurried along with the rest to the unguarded Lambda shuttle.
"Tell you later," Sabine said. "Promise!"
With Zeb grabbing two of the generators, they had nabbed all six and were halfway to the shuttle when it struck Ezra. He didn't know how he'd missed it. Maybe the presence had a way of masking itself? Or maybe he just knew when and how to make an entrance.
Standing at the narrow opening to the hangar door was a tall figure in a black combat suit of some sort, complete with a cape and helmet. Tall and imposing. He slowly walked forward and ignited a single blade blood red lightsaber. And every step he took his mechanical breathing became louder as he neared.
And behind him were well over a dozen stormtroopers.
"Vader," Minister Tau said from next to Ezra. "He knew. He knew we would come here."
"Go," Ezra said and handed his generator crate to her.
"But-"
"You heard the, Kid," Kanan said as he pulled out his lightsaber. Then noticed Sabine not moving. "You too," he told her.
"But I can help!" Sabine said, refusing to back down over this.
And Ezra felt it. The cold. Kanan was feeling it too. It was impossible not to.
"Remember the mission," Kanan said. "Now go!"
Sabine glanced from Kanan and then to Maketh, not moving. Frozen in terror. Sabine gave a groan and took her, her crate, as well as her own and pushed her toward the shuttle. Meanwhile behind her she heard the telltale sign of E-11s opening fire and lightsabers being ignited and clashing.
Eventually the former Minister got her feet working and was eagerly running. A welcomed reprieve for Sabine.
"Take my generator," Sabine said to her. "Then get on board and you stay there! Out of sight!"
"Yes! Yes! Of course. I can't tell you how much-"
"Save the thank yous for later. Now go!" Sabine instructed. She then turned, pulled her WESTARs and watched as with one wave of his arm this Vader guy threw both Kanan and Ezra backward.
Okay, Sabine thought. And aimed her blasters at some stormtroopers who were taking aim at the shuttle. Because apparently this Vader guy called dibs on Ezra and Kanan. And with their two resident Jedi having their hands full, it was up to her and the rest of the Spectres to keep the oncoming horde of stormtroopers at bay.
As well as to keep the Lambda shuttle safe from blaster fire. Sabine had a gnawing feeling in her gut that this Vader guy was bad news. The worst they've faced yet.
Since she began this Force Bond thing with Ezra, she had never felt so much fear from him before.
With blasters in hand, she opened fire on the stormtroopers.
It was a strange thing, and while Ezra was used to strange things, he didn't know what to quite make of it. At first that is. He had felt the Force, but he had never felt such an immense center of it in one area. In one being.
And it was a guy with a walking respirator attached?
"Come," Darth Vader said as he squared off with the two Jedi and adopted a pose that Ezra immediately recognized as Form 1. "Defeat me. Your friends' lives hang in the balance."
Immediately the snap hiss of Kanan's blue lightsaber caught Ezra's attention. But he didn't ignite his saber. Not yet.
"Lord Vader," Ezra said as he clutched his lightsaber tightly. He had yet to ignite it. "How about you surrender and maybe we'll let you live."
"Ezra-"
"So. She told you." Darth Vader said over the hum his lightsaber blade, curious about this revelation. He glanced over at the shuttle, where Maketh had only just gotten into cover. "I wonder if she'll talk to me. Perhaps she knows how you learned of the explosives on the shuttle? And what deal has she made to save herself?"
Ezra held his breath and tried to keep a straight face, but it was no use as Vader turned his black helmet, illuminated in a shade of red from the glow, and its mask's chilling eyes to Ezra. "You seem to know much, boy." Vader said after a long silence. "I wonder. What else you may know?"
Suddenly Ezra felt as if he was an insect pinned under the magnifying glass. Unable to move!
With a wild yell Kanan rushed forward, two hands on his hilt, and slashing downward his blue saber downward with all his strength. But Vader hardly noticed as he casually kept him at bay with his red saber, holding it with one hand.
Again and again Kanan attacked, adopting Form 1 himself in favor of its offensive ability but still Vader hardly gave him any mind and easily kept pace with Kanan, even under Kanan's fastest and strongest attacks.
But "Vader" hardly noticed. He looked like he was hardly pushing back at all. Not even attacking! It would take them both to defeat Vader, only Ezra couldn't move as Vader's examination of him hadn't moved.
Well two can play at that game.
"Skippy," Ezra whispered. "Scan for weak points."
"Already complete. Based on the vocal patterns in his speech and the timing of his loud breathing, a respirator in his suit is keeping him alive. He is also extremely powerful. Unlike Kanan he is not using his full use of the Force behind each swing. You will lose if you attempt to fight him with strength alone. You must find another way to defeat him."
"Thanks, Skippy," Ezra said, and did his best to meet Vader's gaze with a glare of his own. And then just like that, he felt Vader release him.
"Yes." Vader said, continuing to look at Ezra. "It is you."
"Don't listen to him, Ezra!" Kanan said and briefly stopped his attacks. He was breathing heavily, but Vader? The mechanical breathing remained unchanged. He spared Kanan a glance.
"And you have not told him? Kanan Jarrus, or perhaps I should say: Padawan Caleb Dume?"
Kanan gritted his teeth but didn't refute the claim. Did that mean Kanan's real name wasn't Kanan, but Caleb?
"He never told you your lineage." Vader said, his focus leaving Ezra and his taunts focused on Kanan. "If I have felt what grows inside the boy, so have you."
Kanan struck again and again and the mechanical monster hardly moved at all. Unlike with the Inquisitor who clearly used some fancy lightsaber form to beat them. This guy was just beating him. With power alone.
"Don't listen to him, Ezra!" Kanan shouted between strikes.
And then it clicked. "My anger," Ezra said as he stepped away from Kanan. Circling to the other side of Vader.
Raising his left hand, Vader stopped Kanan mid-swing. He then looked back at Ezra.
"Yes," Vader said. "Your anger. And the injustices. That anger could lead you to many things you thought impossible." Vader paused and turned toward Kanan. "Only this one is doing all he can to leash it. Control your power. Control you."
"You mean the Dark Side," Ezra said and scoffed, all the while trying to ignore the pain Kanan was in.
"That would be one method."
Ezra didn't hesitate and charged Vader, physically checking him backward. The move surprised the Dark Lord as he took a couple steps backward and thus was unprepared for when Ezra at last ignited his blade and struck. A moment that rewarded Ezra with a hit to Vader's unarmed hand and with one purple flash he sliced off Vader's offhand.
Only to see cybernetics? Ezra blinked, not knowing what to think.
Kanan gasped a lungful of air as Vader lost control over him. "Remember your training!" Kanan yelled. "Shield yourself!"
Recovering swiftly, Vader, with the stub of his left hand showed he didn't need his hand to exercise his control over the Force as Ezra felt himself lifted off the ground, completely at Vader's mercy.
"That was unwise," Vader said. Distracted with what Ezra had done, Vader almost didn't see Kanan's decapitation blow until it was too late. Now with only one hand to wield his saber the Dark Lord began to pay more attention to the Jedi and released Ezra, letting Kanan's apprentice fall to the duracrete pavement of the landing pad.
Ezra wasted no time, he reignited his saber and while Kanan attacked from the left Ezra would attack from the right. Only now Vader wasn't using Form 1 but something that Ezra had never seen before!
It was two against one, they'd make it work. Kanan would strike and Vader would match it. When Ezra tried to strike Vader from behind the Dark Lord merely shifted his stance so that he faced both of them head on.
Still two on one, Ezra thought and knowing his Master like he did the two struck simultaneously again and again. But Vader was just so fast. Ezra would thrust and Vader would parry, twist his blade, and nearly slice Ezra's hand off! But with Kanan attacking at the same time he would just shove Ezra back with the strength of the Force running through him and his blade, causing Ezra to stumble before getting back into the fight.
And it was the same with Kanan! He clearly didn't recognize Vader's technique, and he moved so quickly, too quick, that Kanan had to give up on the offense and instead resort back to his defensive Form III in order to finally be able to match the one handed but immensely powerful blows from Vader's lightsaber.
Eventually they gave up on forms altogether and tried whatever they thought might work!
It didn't change a thing. For every angle they struck from, Darth Vader was there a second faster. It shouldn't be possible, but it was. And the power radiating off Vader in waves was all the explanation Ezra needed.
Despite it being two on one, Vader was just too strong in the Force and had far more training. Even with only hand on his lightsaber every blow that Ezra deflected felt like he was defending against a wrecking ball being swung at him. And while he battled back against it his was less wrecking ball and more toy hammer in comparison.
As the fight continued it gradually took a greater toll until Ezra was panting to keep up with the ferocity of the speed on display. And that was the explanation. Finally it clicked for Ezra what the problem was. He was reminded of playing holo-chess with Chopper, and accusing the little astromech of cheating. That droid could see maybe ten, twenty moves ahead! Meanwhile they saw what they would only see two, maybe three moves ahead. He didn't know how talented Kanan was in that skill, but he was huffing and puffing too and it looked like he was having significant troubles.
Vader was a cat, and they were the mice.
"Enough," Vader said and with a swing of his arm an immense wall of Force energy slammed into both of them.
It was powerful enough to knock Kanan out and leave him lying helpless. For Ezra it had him getting to his feet, reaching for his lightsaber when suddenly he was frozen solid from the neck down.
"Another way," Skippy hissed at Ezra.
He looked and saw that Vader had his left hand raised and reaching out, stub and all, toward him! And in his right hand he held Ezra's own purple blade. Waving it about and studying it.
"An interesting crystal," Vader commented. "Tell me how it is you came by it?"
In an instant Vader threw the blade at Ezra and the boy was helpless to watch it get embedded in the wall he was shoved up against. Still unable to move, Ezra watched its blade spark as it cut through the duracrete and moved closer and closer to his neck. Like it was all a magic show with him strapped down and the saw inching closer.
Mustering his courage Ezra turned and looked at this Vader guy with contempt. "Maybe I'll tell you," Ezra said, and his eyes came alive with fury. "When I'm cutting through your neck with it. And smile as you struggle to breathe."
The blade stopped inching closer, and Ezra saw that now he had Vader's full attention.
"It's what you're scared of, isn't it? The walls closing in. You struggle and struggle. Shout and scream. But no one's there, and there's no breath. No one coming to your rescue. You die. Weak. Pitiful and alone. Were you always alone?"
The blade moved again, inching closer to Ezra's head. But at long last, he heard the pace of the mechanical breathing increase.
"And I wonder." Ezra said. "What would they think of you now?"
"Your attempts to anger me are futile, boy."
"Oh I know. Completely futile," Ezra again taunted and then suddenly felt the purple blade come free of the wall only for Vader to now hold it inches from his neck. And Ezra fought to keep his fear in check, it wasn't easy but it was a battle he was winning. His anger though? That was getting harder to reign in.
This thing comes to his planet and his home and uses his lightsaber to threaten him?
Ezra leaned forward, staring into the empty eyes of the Dark Lord. Daring him. He was locked into a battle of wits with the reaper and daring him to slice. But he didn't. He wouldn't. Not until Ezra broke.
"You're not mad, huh?" Ezra asked. "Well how about when they shoved you in that suit to keep you alive?" Ezra smirked. "How long ago was that? How many nights have you closed your eyes, wondering if you'll ever open them again?"
Another centimeter and his blade would literally be burning his neck.
"Were they laughing at you? Because I am. Weak. Pathetic."
"Hah."
"Hah."
"Hah."
In anger Vader shoved Ezra again with the Force and then moved the purple blade back, ready to cut through Ezra's neck and finish this once and for all.
"Now, Skip!" Ezra ordered.
Ezra's blade extinguished and the angry Vader was surprised at the sudden display. It was just enough time for Ezra's shields to come back up, break Vader's hold on him, grab his gun-saber and squeeze the trigger.
Caught completely off guard Vader's armor held up to the first barrage of blaster bolts, but his helmet was a weak point and Ezra had learned a lot about aiming when competing with a Mando on the blaster range.
But it didn't last as suddenly Vader had his saber in his hand, trying to deflect back the purple bolts but was surprised (and angered further) when he couldn't. His lightsaber could only absorb them. The surprise cost him as more purple bolts landed, and he was breaking down Vader's helmet. Just a little bit more.
But then Vader lifted his left arm and must have done something because now no bolts were landing. After a few more shots Ezra stopped squeezing the trigger.
"Clever tricks, boy," Vader said. "But they won't save you. Nothing can."
Ezra gritted his teeth. Anyone else and they would've toppled, but somehow this Vader guy was still standing! Just a little more, Ezra thought. He could see the damage his blaster had been causing, which was exactly when the stormtrooper commander gave the order to redirect fire at him.
"Form III!" Skippy warned.
Skippy's warning, in combination with Ezra's limited precognition, was just enough to get him into the defensive Soresu form in time to deflect the first of many blaster bolts. His purple blade flashing all around him, Ezra struggled to keep up.
"A little help!" Ezra yelled.
"Stop!" Lord Vader ordered his stormtroopers. They did so immediately, and Vader gave his blood red saber a flourish. "I will enjoy this."
A stormtrooper's blaster shot was Vader's only warning, and it missed, as an angry Kanan thrust his saber through Vader's back. Furious to be caught by surprise by a mere Padawan, Vader had moved just in time so that the blade didn't pierce anything vital. But it did still skewer Vader's side and the Dark Lord had cried out in pain.
And Ezra was back up and shooting, aiming for Vader's helmet and scoring hit after hit as the stormtroopers didn't know who to aim at, especially when the other Spectres were coming to Ezra and Kanan's aid and pushing the stormtroopers back.
It was a long time since Vader had felt such fury. And he had to tap deep, deeper into the Dark Side and find the hate that fueled him. Hate that he usually felt toward only one individual in the galaxy.
But the boy had succeeded where so many tried and failed. Not with his saber or power with the Force. No. It was his words. He had succeeded in getting under his skin. He pissed him off. And now he and his friends would pay.
No more games.
Clapping his forearms together, a deafening clap of thunder and s powerful flare of Force energy shot out all around Darth Vader. In every single direction, the energy hammered whomever it hit, including his own troopers. In a few moments, all was silent except for the dreaded mechanical breathing.
Everyone was down on the ground. Some were unconscious. Some were dead from broken necks and other wounds. And some writhing in pain. None of that mattered. As their pain and suffering only fueled Vader's hatred more and granted him still greater power.
He still winced in pain from the lightsaber wound and his suit systems were lighting up with warnings of whatever the boy had shot at him had severely compromised his helmet and his primary respirator was one blaster shot away from killing him.
It didn't matter.
Extinguishing his lightsaber blade, Vader used the Force to lift Kanan up with one hand and Ezra in the other. Master and Padawan floating across from one another, no more than a meter's distance. The two Jedi, the least affected by Vader's Force attack, struggled, but the power channeling through Vader, the sheer embodiment of the Dark Side, was too great for either of the two to overcome on their own.
Surrounded by the bodies of the fallen, Vader looked from one Jedi to the other. And then slowly he began to tighten his grip.
Turned so that they were already facing each other, the two took in each other's appearance. They looked like they'd just gone through hell and lost. And as Kanan and Ezra looked at each other, they felt their throats begin to pinch shut. In an instant, both were struggling to breathe.
And Vader gorged on their suffering. There were few punishments he could think of that were better than this.
"You fight for a beautiful planet, Dume." Vader said and turned his head with its damaged helmet to Kanan. The normally pristine transparisteel eye coverings now cracked like a spider's web, a sorry consolation prize of just how close he and Ezra had come to defeating him. "I shall enjoy watching it burn."
Vader heard struggling and looked to Ezra, who appeared to have something to say to that. Vader considered him for a moment and decided to abide his own curiosity. At this point there was nothing he could say or do to save him and his Rebel friend. But the boy's anger, he was creative.
"You'll be the one who burns," Ezra said after several deep breaths. "And I'll be there to pour the fuel and light the match."
"Ezra!" Kanan tried to croak out, to chastise his apprentice.
But there was no controlling Ezra now, and he fought back. He couldn't break the hold, fine. He reached through the Force to pick up whatever he could to throw at Vader.
"You had your chance, boy," Vader said and Ezra could almost see the demonic yellow eyes hiding behind the cracked glass of the mask.
"Sir!"
Distracted with the two Jedi, an unexpected flurry of blaster fire sped through the air and ruptured his suit. Struggling to breathe Vader dropped both Jedi. More blaster fire kept at him and he held up his arms to use the Force to block the shots. It was only then he saw the shooter, standing less than a dozen meters away with a fallen stormtrooper's rifle in her hands.
Minister Maketh Tua.
"No more." She spat, and aimed her rifle carefully. "This ends now."
It was a fatal mistake as Vader wrenched the weapon from her grasp, turned its barrel on her, and squeezed the trigger. The weapon's shot hit her in her unarmored chest.
Fatal.
Maketh Tua gulped and then crumpled to the ground.
Seeing it all, it was too much for him. Ezra pulled his blade to his hand and with purple flashing through the air he gave in. Power unlike he had felt before surged through his veins and Vader, despite his wheezing, chuckled as he got his own lightsaber up just in time.
"I knew it." Vader managed to say. Ezra's anger was great, but unfocused and with a fairly simple wave of the arm Vader sent him flying backward.
"Destroy them," Vader spoke, speaking into a hidden comlink.
As the Spectres got to their feet, still recovering from Vader's earlier area attack, they watched in horror not just Maketh's motionless body, but a second wave of stormtroopers! And the Imperials' rifles were up and shooting.
"We need a miracle," Zeb said.
"Gotcha covered," Sabine said and threw two detonators at a pair of walkers. With pinpoint aim each one hit and attached itself to a leg joint. "Miracles away!" Sabine said into her comlink.
Ezra stood, purple lightsaber in hand and walking toward Vader who was getting to his feet as well when Ezra felt a powerful yank that pulled him away from Vader and out of the blast zone. With fire still in his eyes he looked up to see a tired and exasperated Kanan looking at him, but in a way he never had before.
"We are leaving," Kanan said, his tone clearly making it an order.
Ezra got to his feet and whirled to face Vader again, damn the consequences, only to watch in surprise as Sabine's explosives went off and the two walkers collapsed. Both crushing Vader and cutting off the second wave of stormtroopers.
"Zeb," Kanan said as he continued to pull Ezra to the shuttle. "Zeb grab Maketh. We're not leaving her here."
"Already on it, just you two get to the shuttle before - oh hell!"
Kanan and Ezra felt it, the surge of dark power and as they turned, they looked with wide eyes as the hurt and mangled Vader managed to lift both of the walker wrecks off his body. And then toss them aside.
"If that won't kill him, what will?!" Ezra asked as his anger gave way astonishment.
"Not us," Kanan said regretfully. The situation then began to spiral further as stormtroopers cleared the wreckage and were aiming their rifles. "Run, now!" Kanan said.
A few of the fleeing Rebels took some shots at them, one of them even at him which Vader easily reflected with his lightsaber. Unlike the purple lightsaber, these blaster bolts he could reflect back.
Vader watched as the shuttle departed, and as it flew further the words the boy used to enrage him slowly abetted. His anger gave way to a begrudging respect.
"Sir?" the trooper commander said. "Should we not deploy fighters?"
"The planet is blockaded," Vader said quietly. He would need to return to his Star Destroyer for treatment. "Get me Agent Kallus."
"Yes, my Lord," the Commander said and then began to hail the correct frequency. Another trooper came forward carrying Vader's lost appendage, thanks to that Bridger boy.
It would be repaired and reattached aboard his Star Destroyer as well. His helmet and suit? Well he had a backup for a reason.
"Sir," the Commander said. "Agent Kallus for you."
Vader nodded and looked at the hologram projection. Kallus's reaction was predictable given the shape Vader was in.
"My Lord-"
"Is the tracker planted?" Vader wheezed.
"Yes, my Lord," Kallus answered, and then smiled. "As well as the second."
Vader didn't know anything about a second tracker, he had ordered no such thing. But as he was learning about Agent Kallus. The man was nothing if not prepared.
"Send my shuttles my coordinates, then organize five raiding parties of willing stormtroopers."
"Raiding parties?" Kallus said with a frown.
"Yes," Vader said. "I made the Jedi a promise. And I shall keep it."
"Kanan," Ezra said after the team had reorganized themselves and were just flying around and trying to figure out their next move. All the while trying to ignore Maketh Tua's body in the after section of the trooper compartment with a blanket covering her.
"Yeah?" Kanan said.
"What was that thing?"
"I'm not - I'm not entirely sure." Kanan said.
"Fine," Ezra said. "Then what do you think it was?"
"A Sith Lord," Kanan said, too tired to argue. "The ancient enemy of the Jedi. And we were very lucky to survive."
Ezra wanted to argue. That a few more shots and they might've beaten him. Or if Kanan's surprise attack had hit him through his heart - assuming he had one - then that would've ended it. Instead he just nodded in acceptance.
Though a few things stood out to Ezra. He was curious about me. And why was I fighting alongside a Jedi? Is my anger that strong? And what did he mean by my lineage?
"We need to leave." Hera said as she joined the somber group in the back. "The Empire will spin this. That we assassinated her."
"They won't get far with that," Sabine said, a determined look lighting her eyes and furrowing her brow.
Ezra wanted to ask what that meant but the exhaustion was creeping up on him.
"Well we still need to smuggle ourselves off Lothal," Hera said and a pained look settled on her face.
"Who?" Kanan said, speaking for them all. And then it registered whom Hera had in mind. "No. Absolutely not."
"He owes us," Hera said.
"Who are you guys talking about?" Ezra said.
"Lando," Sabine said and Ezra turned to look at his best friend. She stood with her head hung low. "They're talking about Lando."
This was a difficult chapter for Hondo. Vader is tricky to write and much more menacing to see when watching the holos. Also, he was a bit more vocal than Hondo would have preferred. I think he sensed the potential in Ezra and wanted to test the waters. And yes, we're headed back to everyone's hated gambler. We'll see how it goes this time. Perhaps a comeuppance of sorts? Well Hondo will waste no more time getting this up there! And then he will discover what is happening at the treasury.