Maintaining the cohesion of the team was becoming increasingly challenging amidst the mounting pressures from the relentless Inquisitors, and the ever-watchful gaze of Mara Jade, who was intent on eliminating them. On top of that, a host of other complications plagued their efforts, sowing discord and uncertainty. Recognizing the need for a strategic shift, Peter made the difficult decision to send Gwen on an independent mission—an opportunity for her to demonstrate her worth to the rebellion.
While he framed it as a chance for Gwen to prove herself, there was a subtle truth he was reluctant to share: Peter was eager to take a break from the chaos and spend some much-needed time with Sabine... just the two of them. Gwen, perceptive as ever, easily saw through Peter's ruse; yet, she chose to keep her thoughts to herself, driven by her own ambition to earn her place within the rebellion's ranks. It was a moment of opportunity intertwined with unspoken intentions, setting the stage for the challenges and triumphs that lay ahead.
Gwen was currently on board a CR90 Corvette searching for a missing patrol. She was standing aside from Commander Sato's seat as she didn't really have anywhere to sit and she could feel the looks everyone was giving her quietly.
"We'll be arriving in the Del Zennis system any moment."
"Well, we're coming up on the last known position of our missing patrol, but I already checked the star charts," Ezra said. "There's nothing out here."
That got him a look from Commander Sato, so Gwen came to his rescue. "But obviously, that's not true since the ship went missing, so, you know, there must be something out here."
"When Captain Syndulla said you volunteered for this mission, she insisted you could be helpful," Sato tells Ezra. "And that you would be able to help us with anything Imperial that we come across, Ms. Stacy. Let us hope that is true."
That was when Gwen and Ezra felt their abilities alerting them both. Gwen grunted as she grabbed her head, sensing something was coming whilst Ezra sensed it within the Force.
"Something's about to happen." The two whispered.
That was when the ship began to shake causing everyone to be flung around.
"Commander, we've lost hyperdrive control."
"Emergency positions."
"What's happening? Are we under attack?" Ezra asked as Gwen and he took their seats.
"We're being pulled out of hyperspace!"
That was when they were indeed flung from Hyperspace and left drifting.
"Secure all stations and get me a status report." Commander Sato said.
"Instruments have frozen!"
Gwen looked out the window and gasped when she saw what it was. "Oh, no... they finished it."
"It's a Star Destroyer!" Ezra said.
"No," Gwen whispered. "That is something worse."
"Send the distress signal." Commander Sato demanded. "Now! Phoenix Home to Ghost. We've been pulled out of hyperspace. The Empire Phoenix..."
That was when they lost all communication and they looked up in worry as to what was about to happen.
Back on the Ghost, everyone was gathered around to see what part of the message went through.
"...Home to Ghost. We've been pulled out of hyperspace. The Empire..."
"The transmission was jammed," Hera explained. "But still, that doesn't make any sense. You can't pull a ship out of hyperspace because you never know exactly where it is. A tractor beam can't get a lock."
"That's 'cause this isn't a tractor beam." Sabine realized. "It's a gravity well. When I was at the academy, they were developing a new cruiser with gravity well projectors powerful enough to pull a ship out of hyperspace."
"Well, it looks like they finished it," Kate commented.
"Chances are they're still testing the system," Sabine told her. "If they follow Imperial procedure, the testing zone for this type of ship wouldn't be that large. You'll probably find it not far from where we lost contact with Commander Sato."
"All right, everybody," Kanan said as he prepared to head out. "Gear up. We're goin' out there."
Hera saw that wasn't a good idea and quickly stopped him. "Not everybody. You and Rex will go to that system. Find that ship, and I bet you find Ezra and the others."
"Not Rex! I'll take Zeb or Sabine or Peter." Kanan said.
"Oh, I was planning on it regardless," Peter stated. "Gwen is up there, and you are likely going to need me in case they put her in some sort of special cell."
"If you are going to go, it would still be smart to take Rex," Hera told them both. "Rex's military experience will be invaluable and he can also impersonate a stormtrooper."
"Right. That's because he is a stormtrooper." Kanan stated with a snarl.
"No, he was a clone trooper." Hera corrected.
"Same thing." Kanan proclaimed.
"Kanan, I sent Ezra," Hera said with a sigh. "This is the only way."
Kanan saw her worry and knew this would at least ease it even if he wasn't going to like it. "All right. We'll get 'em back. All of them."
Back with Gwen and the others, they were being led down the halls of the Imperial vessel while Gwen tried to keep her head down. She didn't need anyone on board to recognize her and luckily she decided not to wear her Ghost-Spider attire so she looked like any other girl in the galaxy.
"Don't worry, Commander," Ezra said. "I'll get us out of this. I've been captured many times."
"You're not putting anyone's mind at ease with that one," Gwen muttered to him.
"Well, I've escaped a lot too," Ezra stated.
"Obviously." Commander Sato scoffed.
They were then led down the hall where they found a room of Imperials and the man in charge. Gwen looked to the side and saw a door with a strange laboratory and she felt like she should recognize what they were working on.
"Rebels." Admiral Titus scoffed. "Out here searching for your missing patrol, I assume."
"We are members of the Corporate Alliance." Commander Sato tried to lie their way out. "You have taken possession of my ships illegally, and I demand you release us."
"You are in a position to demand nothing, Commander Sato." Admiral Titus stated. "Ah, yes. I am familiar with your activities in this sector. I suspected if we captured even one rebel ship, others would race to the rescue. But I dared not hope we'd capture someone as significant as you." He then looked over towards the kids. "And what would your names be?"
"Jabba the Hutt." Ezra quickly answered.
"Uh... Natasha Romanoff." Gwen tried to lie. She learned that name from Yelena a while back and figured it was a good lie.
"Mmm... You, boy, are a tad small for a Hutt, but I know someone else who goes by the name Jabba. Ezra Bridger." Admiral Titus stated. "And you girl, I don't recognize your name. But I do recognize your face. Gwen Stacy. Everyone in the Imperial knows your mother."
"Stepmother," Gwen muttered as she looked to the side.
"My apologies, my dear. I imagine Agent Kallus will be quite pleased to hear you have joined us, Ezra Bridger. And I'm sure Doctor Patel will be quite pleased that you have come home, Ms. Stacy. Secured them."
Back on the Ghost, Peter leaped down from the upper levels and the Symbiote morphed around him as he sighed and rubbed his arm. Kanan came in from the lower level and Rex was already there waiting for them to arrive.
"Look, for the record, this wasn't my idea," Kanan told Rex.
"Just try to act like a professional," Rex said.
"What if you get in there and forget whose side you're on?" Kanan asks.
"I would never be on their side or wear their junk armor." Rex proclaimed.
That was when Zeb marched in while carrying two Troopers he knocked out so as to not damage the armor. "Here are your disguises." He then tossed them at their feet.
"Perfect." Rex sighed.
"Sorry, kid, could only find two of them," Zeb tells Peter.
Peter sighed as he walked up and knocked on the armor. "Maybe Ezra still has that cadet uniform- WHOA!" He jumped and watched as his Symbiote suit was morphing around him. He looked over his arms and watched as the Symbiote bulk itself out and turned white in various places, turning themselves into an exact replica of the Imperial armor, including adding a few inches on the boots to make up for height differences. "Oh, yeah." He said as he looked himself over to see all of the replications to the point you couldn't tell it wasn't armor. "I am loving this experiment more and more." He then walked off and whistled. "Come on, BD!"
BD chirped as he jumped and chased after Peter.
"Now I feel a little jealous," Kanan sighed as he had to put the armor on piece by piece.
After some time, the two older rebels were both dressed and ready to head out. Well, Kanan was. Rex was still adjusting the armor as he walked out of the Ghost and tried to get it to fit properly.
"This garbage is nothing like clone armor." Rex scoffed.
Kanan chuckled when he saw how tight the armor was. "Looks a little tight on you, old man."
"Yeah? Well, at least I know how to wear it." Rex stated as he then adjusted a plate on Kanan's shoulder.
"Kanan, Rex," Hera called to get their attention. "Once you're in, signal me, and I'll come in with Phoenix Squadron to blast you all out."
"How are we getting in anyway?" Peter wonders.
That was when they saw Sabine flying down and landing an Imperial shuttle in the docking bay across from where they were. She gave a friendly wave in the ship when she saw them in a joking manner.
"How is it the Empire lets us keep stealing these things?" Kanan wonders.
"Oh, I thought it was the same one we used before," Rex admitted.
"They all look the same to me," Peter shrugged.
Kanan, Peter, BD, and Chopper (with an Imperial paint job) were flying through Hyperspace to their last known coordinates. They looked back and noticed that Sabine painted the three of them fighting together.
"I don't know why she does that," Kanan commented.
"I believe it's called artistic expression," Rex said.
"Yeah? Well, my expression is wrong." Kanan stated. "I'm not happy about being on this mission."
"Really? That wasn't clear." Rex commented sarcastically.
Chopper chuckled at that.
"And trust me, she is very expressive," Peter commented as he reclined on the seat behind the two, placing his feet on the seat ahead of him.
"Hey, feet," Kanan said, gesturing to the feet Peter placed on his back.
"Geeze, sorry, Dad," Peter said sarcastically as he placed the feet down.
"Once we board this thing, Chopper will plug in, find out where they have our people, and we get them out of there," Kanan told them the plan.
"We've got to disable this weapon, whatever it is," Rex stated. "If the Empire is able to intercept our ships in hyperspace, this rebel movement won't last long."
"I hear what you're saying, but remember, this is a rescue mission, first and foremost," Kanan said. "We're coming up on their last known position."
"Let's just hope we can find that ship fast," Rex said as they came out of Hyperspace.
And right there, they found the ship floating in the clear open space.
"Found it," Peter said.
"Shuttle S257, this is a restricted area." They were contacted.
"Copy that, sir." Rex took the helm. "Boy, are we glad to see you? We have a 157. Repeat, a 157.
"You are not cleared. This is a 675 test zone and off-limits to you, S257."
"Well, if we don't get some help soon, we're gonna have a 3376 on our hands," Rex warned them. "I don't think you're gonna want to have a 3376 off your starboard side, now, would you, sir?"
Shuttle S257, requesting your emergency access code."
"Copy that, sir." Priority protocol 7..."
"This is the stuff I can't stand, protocol nonsense," Kanan told Peter and Chopper
"Stand by for code check."
"Cody and I practically invented these emergency protocols back in the Clone War." Rex explained how he knew them. "Trust me, the codes are good."
"Copy, Shuttle S257. You are clear to proceed on heading 1599 to hangar 11."
"Thank you, sir," Rex said as they came in for a landing. "See? They don't suspect a thing."
Admiral Titus walked through his shuttle as he approached the comms and contacted his superiors. "Agent Kallus. Professor Serena Patel. Our new gravity weapon reeled in a catch of rebels who I believe you're familiar with, Commander Jun Sato and a young one who calls himself Jabba. And a familiar recent defector, a young woman."
"You have Ezra Bridger and Gwen Stacy?" Serena Patel said in shock.
"Excellent work, Admiral," Kallus said. "Lock the two of them in a secure cell under triple guard."
"Triple guard? For two children?" Titus asks.
"I warn you. Do not underestimate them," Serena warned him.
"I'm certain that the Imperial Navy is more than a match for these two; whatever they call themselves," Titus said.
"We shall see," Kallus said as they hung up. "I'm on my way."
Back on the shuttle, the three of them were getting ready to head out as Peter's suit morphed back into a Stormtrooper armor.
"Well, all set?" Rex asks.
"I guess," Kanan said.
"All set," Peter said as they exited the vehicle.
"This must be just like old times," Kanan said to Rex.
"Just follow my lead and you'll be okay," Rex said.
"No, you follow my lead," Kanan replied.
"Boys, you keep fighting, I might take command," Peter dared them.
"Command deck says you need to make your repairs and depart." A trooper told them.
"We need to get to maintenance," Kanan said, using the Jedi Mind Trick.
"You need to get to maintenance."
"We can go on our way," Kanan said, doing it again.
"You can go on your way." He then moved out of the way and they walked down the halls.
"Not bad," Rex commented. "I've seen better."
"Eh, maybe I'll practice on you sometime." Kanan retorted.
"Chopper, BD, plug into the system and find Gwen, Ezra, and the crew," Peter told the droids. "And see what you can find out about this place."
BD and Chopper were quick to begin working on the data of the facility. Chopper bleeped, warning them what he found.
"Transferring to a secure cell?" Kanan asked in worry. "That means they know who they are."
They reached an elevator and tried to get away clear.
"Let's go! Hurry up."
"Hurry up."
"Hit the button."
"Which, which button? I don't know where it is." Rex said as an officer approached.
"Oh, no." Peter sighed.
The doors closed with the Officer in the elevator with the three of them and the two droids. "Your armor appears to be a little tight, trooper."
Rex chuckled a little irritated. "I'll tighten... your face... a little tighter."
"What was that?"
"Possible hyper-sickness," Kanan said, explaining Rex. "Uh, I'm taking 565 here on, um, the 257."
"The commissary? That's the last place I'd take him." The officer scoffed.
"Yeah." Rex laughed. "I'm gonna take you... Commissary."
Back with Gwen and Ezra, they were being brought to a secure cell with one of the Troopers carrying Ezra's saber with another holding Gwen's web shooters she finally perfected.
"You ready to make a move?" Ezra asked Gwen.
"Just say when," Gwen said, showing she already phased out of her cuffs, holding them to not get them suspicious.
"Move along, rebels," the troop said, pushing them along.
"Hey, just so you know, when we escape, I won't hurt any of you." Ezra said.
"Yeah, that's great, kid." The trooper said, opening the door. "I feel real safe."
"You shouldn't." They both replied.
Ezra focused and activated his saber, causing the trooper to freak out. Gwen then tossed the cuffs toward one of the troopers and then leaped into the air, channeling electrical energy into her fist. She had been practicing and it was finally paying off as she slammed her fist into the ground while Ezra leaped. The electrical energy then passed through the metal grate and shocked all of the troopers at once. Ezra then for his saber back and quickly sliced their blasters, rendering them helpless, and Gwen and Ezra victorious.
"You see? You're fine." Ezra said.
They tossed the unconscious troops into the cell and closed the door. That was when she sensed something coming and quickly pushed Ezra out of the way.
"I got this!" Gwen said.
Gwen then sent an electrical blast that shot out of her hands when they collided and went straight toward the approaching troopers. The three of them turned the corner just to be caught in the blast, sending them flying backward. Gwen stood proud as she placed her web shooters back on just when she saw Chopper and BD come out of the corner, causing her to freeze.
"Chopper? BD?" Peter was a little confused.
Gwen then realized what she did as she ran over to the troops "Oh!, Oh, no." She then removed one of their helmets, and it was Peter. "Oh, no!"
"Kanan?" Ezra tried to wake them up. "Rex, come on."
"What just happened?" Peter moaned."
"Oh, did you see them?" Ezra asks. "We were so outnumbered. There was a firefight. A big firefight!"
"Yeah, you guys fought great, but we got a little overwhelmed." Gwen kept up the lie.
"Really? Weird," Peter groaned as he rubbed his head. "All I saw was the two of you."
That was when Chopper created a projection revealing it was Gwen who zapped them with her bio-electricity. He replayed it a few times to let it sink in before turning it off.
"You zapped us! I can't believe you zapped us!" Kanan stated.
"Oh, come on! You guys were dressed as Stormtroopers!" Gwen defended why she reacted the way she did. "Not to mention, you were wearing those stupid helmets, so how are we supposed to know that it was you guys?"
Peter hummed as he picked up his helmet/Symbiote fragment. "To be fair, she makes a good point."
"You zapped us," Rex sounded more proud than irritated as he laughed while they were beginning to stand up.
"You're lucky my bio-electricity stunned you guys," Gwen told them.
"Well, your bio-electricity should've killed us," Rex stated.
Peter and Kanan turned to him in shock. "What?!"
Rex shrugged. "Just in case it wasn't us."
Kanan groans. "This armor doesn't protect you from anything!"
"That's what I've been saying!" Peter proclaimed as he looked down at the armor. "Yet these guys are still wearing them. I mean, what's the point? Look intimidating?"
BD chirped.
"Yeah, well, if they got more high-grade armor, they'd be more intimidating by default," Peter replied.
"Now's not the time," Ezra said. "We gotta find Sato and sabotage this ship."
"They have this gravity weapon thing that- You know all this," Gwen said, noticing their faces.
"So what's your plan?" Rex asks.
"Well, we should probably split up," Ezra said. "I'll take Gwen and Chopper, and he can get us to the reactor that powers this thing.
"Oh, Pete," Gwen got his attention. "I think I saw my mom's facilities on this ship. Might be something to look into."
"Good plan, you guys do that and you two bust out Sato," Peter told Kanan and Rex.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa." Kanan stopped them. "We are not splitting up. Let's get Sato and get out of here."
"The kid's right," Rex stated. "We have to destroy this ship and any information we can gather on our enemy is a-"
"Do you know how many stormtroopers are heading this way?" Kanan asks.
"It doesn't matter," Rex stated.
"Can't afford to separate."
"We have to protect the fleet."
"Will you two quit it already!?" Ezra asks, pushing them apart. "Part of the reason I took this mission was to get a break from this!" He stated as he walked off. "Okay, Chopper and I will meet you at Sato's ship. Gwen, you coming?"
"Oh, right, yeah," Gwen said as he rushed to join him.
"He takes after Hera sometimes," Kanan commented as they split off.
"Secure detention block." The troopers said as Kanan and Rex approached. "One of the rebels has escaped. Do not attempt capture. Eliminate the target."
"I got this one," Rex said as they approached the guards.
"We don't have time for another one of your long-winded bluffs." Kanan scoffed.
"Oh, you got a better plan?" Rex asks.
"Yeah."
"Well, what is it?"
"This!" Kanan opened fire, shooting the troops, and getting Rex to fire the last one.
"So much for stealth." Rex scoffed.
"It's not like they don't know we're here." Kanan defended.
Gwen was currently in the elevator using her camouflage to not be spotted. Ezra clung to Chopper to not be spotted as the doors opened and they passed a security personnel. They then reached the hyperspace core and saw the large room filled with engineers and scientists. Peter split off and made his way down towards the facility Gwen saw.
"That must be the reactor core for the gravity weapon." Gwen guessed. "I recognized some of these designs from my stepmother's work."
Chopper grunted, getting their attention.
"What? You have a plan?" Ezra asks.
"We're the bait?" Gwen asks.
Ezra looked off and nodded. "Okay, we'll draw them away. Most of the time they ignore droids anyway."
"Yeah, it's a bit of an odd thing with that," Gwen admitted.
Ezra and Gwen made their way inside. Gwen camouflaged herself and sneaked her way around waiting for a moment to make herself be known. That was when Ezra was spotted while hiding behind one of the barriers.
"Hold it! We've got an intruder."
Ezra drew his lightsaber and leaped off the ledge. "Come and get me!"
Gwen then let herself be known, shooting off webs to latch onto the troops and leaped to kick one off the ledge. "Come on, boys!"
Chopper then strolled into the room. Gwen came zipping past, and she tackled another one of the troops. Chopper made his way to a terminal and plugged himself into the system. That was when he began to mess with the room, turning off gravity and causing the entire room to begin floating.
"They've shut off gravity!"
"Was this part of the plan?!" Gwen asked, shooting webs but watched as they didn't shoot but floated off.
"This wasn't part of the plan!" Ezra cried.
Chopper then continued to mess with the systems before finally preparing to turn the gravity back on. "Whoa! Don't you dare! Don't you do it! Not yet!" Ezra/Gwen cried.
Then gravity was turned back on, causing everyone to fall and slam into the platforms. Gwen climbed back up with a groan, that the first time she felt floating upside down since she got powers.
"OW!" Ezra cried as Chopper rolled over his fingers. "You better have sabotaged it."
Chopper grunted.
"What do you mean, you think you did?" Gwen asked as they reached off.
Peter made his way through the ship and made it onto the platform before approaching the doorway where Gwen said she saw something. He opened the doors and was confused by what he saw. There was a bunch of equipment around the room, and he walked over to pick up a fragment that was revealed to have some sort of electrical-based armor.
"What the hell is this stuff?" Peter asked BD.
BD then jumped and raced across the room, looking at something on the wall. BD chirped to get his attention.
Peter looked over and saw that it was some sort of strange-looking droid. It looked like a J-series labour droid that was coated with a silver coating followed by some strange blue energy.
"What is this?" Peter asked, approaching the droid and seeing the file. He was beginning to learn the language of this galaxy thanks to Hera and Sabine helping out. "Electromagnetic synthesoid?"
BD chirped, wondering what that meant.
"I think... this is a weapon." Peter took a guess, seeing the droid was deactivated. "It'll likely be destroyed with the ship, so it doesn't matter. Let's go help the others."
As they were leaving, Peter's senses stopped him. He then looked back towards the Electromagnetic robot as it began to be charged up with energy. The eyes began to glow, registering that it was coming online.
"TARGET: SPIDER-MAN," The Electromagnetic robot recognized, quickly shooting electricity toward Peter.
Peter created a barrier using the Symbiote but was then shot and sent flying and slammed against the wall. He groaned as BD took a large hit of the blast. Peter groaned as he began to get back up and saw the Electromagnetic droid march out of the room and see the people. The troops looked towards Spider-Man and prepared to open fire when Peter shot out the tendrils to strike at them.
Then Peter looked at the Electromagnetic droid as it charged up and fired at him. Peter quickly ducked to dodge the strike as he ran down the hall, smashing the controls hoping to slow the droid down.
"That guy packs a punch," Peter said with a groan. "BD, you okay?"
BD chirped, stating that he was rebooting.
"Rebooting got it," Peter said as he raced towards the blaster fire.
"Kanan, we've got something on the ship with us," Peter called into the comms. "
"Good to know. We're headed for Sato's ship." Kanan told him.
"Gwen? Ezra?"
"We did our job," Gwen confirmed.
"Roger that," Peter said as he raced down the hall.
As Peter sprinted through the dimly lit corridors of the ship, an unsettling sensation prickled at the back of his mind. Suddenly, a jolt of raw electricity surged into the air, prompting him to skid to a halt. Just ahead, the dreaded Electromag- you know what? The Electro droid whirred into view, its metallic frame glinting ominously as it zipped past, siphoning the very energy from the ship itself. The lights overhead flickered erratically, casting eerie shadows as Peter watched helplessly, his heart racing.
With a sinister hum, the droid channeled the absorbed energy, launching a crackling bolt directly at him. Instinctively, Peter dropped to the floor, narrowly avoiding the electric strike. In a swift motion, he extended a tendril toward the droid, determined to subdue it. But the droid retaliated with brutal efficiency, using its electric charge to superheat and incinerate the Symbiote tendrils before they could make contact.
"That didn't work," he muttered to BD, who bleeped in solemn agreement.
Without warning, the Electro droid unleashed a devastating blast, sending Peter hurtling through the metal walls of the ship. He crashed into the debris but sprang back up, brushing himself off as though the impact were nothing. Quickly, he shot tendrils at the walls around him, slamming them down onto the relentless android in a desperate attempt to immobilize it. Yet, the more he resisted, the more energy the droid absorbed, growing increasingly powerful with each moment.
Realizing the escalating threat, Peter's mind raced—if he couldn't find a way to shut down the droid soon, it would become an unstoppable force, and he would be left powerless to fight back. Time was of the essence; he needed a plan and fast.
"BD, any ideas?" Peter asks.
BD chirped, having no real idea how to fight a droid with capabilities of draining energy.
"Well, if we can't stop it, we might as well give it a reason to use more energy!" Peter exclaimed, his voice a mix of determination and urgency.
Tendrils snaked from his back, writhing like living shadows as they grasped a dozen shards of debris. With a swift, fluid motion, he hurled the fragments towards the relentless Electro droid, which reacted instinctively by firing at the incoming projectiles to protect itself. Peter calculated that each time it released a blast, it consumed more of its precious energy. The more energy the droid expended, the weaker it would become—this was the strategy he had to employ.
The droid advanced relentlessly, a metallic behemoth that seemed almost unstoppable. Just as it prepared to launch another strike, a sudden flicker in its systems betrayed its struggle. Slowly, the lights on its frame dimmed, and with a final sputtering sound, it collapsed to the ground, completely drained of power.
Peter exhaled heavily, relief flooding through him as he watched the droid power down, its once-menacing frame now inert. But the moment of respite was fleeting. He turned his attention to the chaotic scene unfolding nearby, where blaster fire lit up the dim surroundings like staccato bursts of lightning. Rex was charging forward, his expression focused and resolute, with Kanan close on his heels. A few troopers followed, their eyes sharp and alert.
Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Peter summoned his Symbiote to erect a formidable barrier, a shimmering wall of dark energy that would shield his allies from the ongoing assaults. He hoped it would buy them the precious time needed to escape the perilous stranglehold of the battlefield.
"What happened?"
"We're taking an escape pod, come on!" Kanan said, leading them down the corridors.
They made it to the escape pod and onto the ship that got them on board. They were preparing to jump into Hyperspace when suddenly they were being dragged back out by the Gravity Well.
"We are caught! Again!"
"Chopper! You said you sabotaged it." Ezra stated.
Chopper grunted, telling them to wait.
"What do you mean, "Wait for it"?" Gwen asks. ""Wait for what?"
That was when they watched as the Star Destroyers surrounding the ship were beginning to be drawn into the ship as well.
"Chopper rigged their own weapon against them." Ezra put together. "It's pulling everything in."
"Including us!:" Gwen stated.
That was when the Star Destroyer made contact with the ship, causing a huge electromagnetic surge. The weapon was shut down and a huge surge allowed them to get free of their grasp.
"Commander! We're free!"
They then jumped back into Hyperspace making their getaway as everyone cheered. Chopper was taking the majority of the credit as he cheered.
"Oh, now you're the big hero? It was a team effort." Ezra stated.
As they escaped, Kallus arrived at the scene and sighed when he saw the destruction. "Seems the admiral had some problems with the children after all."
"She is growing stronger," Serena stated with a sigh.
That was when they saw something come from the destruction. A giant surge of electrical energy was blasted off of the center and they watched something fly over towards the ship.
"What is that?" Kallus asks.
"My newest creation," Serena noticed.
The Electro droid had drained all of the energy from the three ships with what little energy it was given during the surge and it was now back functioning at full strength.
"My crew and I owe you our gratitude," Sato told the heroes. "All of you."
"Thanks, Commander," Gwen said with pride.
"You know, when you two aren't fighting each other, you fight really well together, Jedi and clones," Ezra told Kanan and Rex. "Now I get it."
"Kids." Kanan scoffed. "You know, crazy ideas."
"Yeah." Rex laughed. "You know - Thanks. Well, I guess there's nothing more to say about it."
"Hey, Rex." Kanan gave the soldier a salute of respect.
Rex returned the salute.
On the sprawling, neon-lit planet of Coruscant, a young girl named Riri Williams deftly navigated the shadowy alleyways, carefully evading the watchful eyes of a nearby Stormtrooper patrol. Cloaked in a dark hood that obscured her features, she moved with a mixture of caution and determination, her heart racing as she approached a specific wall that had been marked in her mind.
As she neared the wall, Riri's gaze fell upon a faded poster plastered to its surface. With a practiced flick of her wrist, she activated a small eyepiece, scanning the poster with keen interest. Hidden within the grime and peeling layers, she uncovered a set of coordinates that glimmered faintly, beckoning her to follow them.
Her journey led her to an abandoned diner, its once-vibrant colors now dulled by years of neglect. The door creaked ominously as she pushed it open, the air inside thick with dust particles dancing in the light streaming through cracked windows. The diner was eerily quiet, devoid of life, so she slipped inside, her instincts alert as she chose a booth in the corner to wait.
Moments later, a hologram flickered to life before her, its vibrant colors casting a surreal glow in the dim diner. The unmistakable symbol of the Avengers logo materialized mid-air, and a mechanical voice echoed from the projection. "You're late."
Riri, momentarily startled, replied, "Sorry, had to dodge an imperial patrol." Slowly, she pulled back her hood, revealing her determined expression. "How do you know about me? I thought nobody knew I existed."
The voice responded with an air of confidence, "Riri Williams, I know more about you than you could possibly imagine. Your father was one of the scientists who was killed during the creation of the Death Star so he would stay silent. And now you're fighting against the Empire that took your father and mother in the shadows. But don't worry, I won't breathe a word to the Empire. In fact, I want to help."
Riri's curiosity was piqued. "Help how?" she asked, an edge of excitement creeping into her tone.
"Word is, you're cooking up something big," the voice continued, activating a hidden compartment in the booth. With a mechanical whir, a small, sleek fragment of metal emerged, shimmering under the diner's muted light. "You've been designing an iron suit to protect yourself and defend Coruscant. The exterior looks impressive, but you need real iron to make it truly powerful. This is an experimental metal—what I like to call 'smart iron.' It's a fusion of human ingenuity and machine capability."
Riri carefully picked up the fragment, marveling at its sleek contours. "Smart-iron?" she echoed, intrigued. "How does it work?"
The voice hesitated for a moment before responding, "Sorry, that's a trade secret." Suddenly, a sense of urgency pierced the atmosphere. "Wait… we've been compromised."
"What?" Riri asked, turning to see troopers swarming her location.
"You need to run, destroy this place, and take the armor, I will find you later," The voice said, shutting down.
Riri exhaled sharply, her determination fueling her as she aimed her device at the evidence of her presence, a bright flash illuminating the darkened room. The moment the shot rang out, she felt a rush of adrenaline surge through her. Without a second to lose, she sprinted toward the back door just as the sounds of heavy boots came thundering down the corridor. Blaster fire erupted behind her, the air crackling with danger.
With a swift motion, Riri shed her cloak, revealing an intricate suit made of sleek, metallic components that gleamed under the dim lights. The suit, inspired by iron yet advanced with cutting-edge technology, enveloped her with an empowering hum. She raised her arms, using the suit to deflect the incoming shots, the energy beams ricocheting off her armor with sharp snags of heat and sound.
Bursting onto the bustling streets of Coruscant, she spotted a malfunctioning button on a nearby electronic panel. With a powerful punch, she activated the thrusters embedded within her suit, launching herself into the sky. The towering buildings of Coruscant blurred past her as she soared upward, narrowly escaping the grasp of the relentless Imperial patrols below.
As she reached the upper levels, Riri glanced down at her wrist, where the "smart Iron" flickered to life in the light, pulsating with information as her systems began to scan it. After scanning the chaotic scene beneath her—the throngs of diverse lifeforms bustling about—Riri landed silently in an inconspicuous spot. She blended seamlessly into the vibrant crowds, her heart pounding with exhilaration.
With a swift flick of her fingers, Riri activated her commlink, her voice low and urgent. "Ollie, I might have something," she whispered, her breath barely escaping her lips. "I'm heading back. The Empire almost had me, but I slipped through their fingers. This fight is far from over."