The Seige of Lothal

It has been some time since the Ghost crew saved Kanan and discovered that they're part of a larger rebellion.

With knowledge of the latter, they've now taken part, currently in the middle of a fight against Imperials in space.

Hera piloted the Ghost, which was between a couple of A-wings, which were part of Phoenix Squadron, all flying towards three Gozanti-class cruisers, which were acting as freighters at the moment, also flying past CR90 corvettes.

"Making for the freighter. Keep the TIEs off our back." Hera ordered the pilots of the two A-wings.

"Split formation, Phoenix-2. I'll cut across their axis." One of the pilots then said through comms before the A-wing on the Ghost's right flew off and the one still with the Ghost fired at and exploded a TIE that was docked on the cruiser.

"Nice shot, Phoenix-1. Make sure to save some for the rest of us, okay?" Ender grinned as he aimed the nose gun and managed to shoot down another TIE, making it explode.

"Phoenix-1 to Ghost, we've cleared a path for you." Phoenix-1 told Hera as she circled the Ghost around towards the cruisers.

"Phew. Kinda nice having Phoenix Squadron watching our backs." Hera noted as she flicked a few switches.

"We always did alright on our own." Kanan pointed out as he manned the dorsal turret.

"True, but I prefer life with our new fleet to flying solo." Hera replied, making both Chopper and Rocket, who were in the cockpit with her, spin and nod their heads.

"Oh, you were solo?" Kanan noted.

But then both astromechs yelped, making Hera look to see a TIE flying right for them, but Ender managed to shoot it down within seconds.

Hera then had to do a barrel roll to avoid the explosion, which made Zeb struggle and stumble in the doorway to the nose gun.

"I wouldn't mind getting my feet back on solid ground for a while." He groaned as he found himself stumbling backwards.

"Come on, Zeb. What's wrong with being out in space?" Ender remarked before he glanced behind him to see the Lasat trip over the railing behind him and fall into the cargo bay, making him wince.

"Phantom, I'm moving into position." Hera informed Serah as she flew between two of the cruisers towards the third.

"Copy, Spectre-2. I'm on my mark." Serah acknowledged, flying in towards the third cruiser up in front, which had some containers attached to its bottom. She lined herself up and aimed. "Firing now!"

She then fired some shots that made the containers detach from the cruiser before circling around.

"And the cargo is liberated, Spectre-2, you're now clear for pickup." She informed Hera through comms.

Hera flew the Ghost towards the containers, which were hovering away from the cruiser, ready to pick them up.

But, suddenly, a couple of Arquitens-class light cruisers appeared out of hyperspace.

One of them had its cannons fire shots at the Ghost.

"Imperial reinforcements have arrived!" Hera informed everyone, diving low to avoid being shot at.

"Karabast!" Ender cursed in annoyance, especially now that they're being chased and shot at by a couple of TIE fighters. "Things are getting real crowded here!"

Serah then flew above all of the ships, spotting Phoenix-1 being chased.

"I need a little help! They're all over me!" He said frantically.

"I got your back." She told him reassuringly, flying down and shot down the TIE that chased him, diving past the light cruisers, one of which was firing at one of the blockade runners, which was under the command of Commander Jun Sato, a military man with greying brown hair, tanned skin and brown eyes.

"We're losing our deflector shields!" He barked at his men in the cockpit before activating comms. "Ghost, we must withdraw."

"Acknowledged, Commander Sato, but first we're gettin what we came for." Hera replied.

Kanan fired some shots with the dorsal turret, taking down two TIEs that were firing at the Ghost a moment ago, which flew for the containers.

"Zeb, get ready to pull those containers aboard." Hera told Zeb.

In the cargo bay, Zeb pressed a button that made a control panel pop out so that he could grab the containers.

"Almost in range." He told Hera as he looked at the monitor.

A TIE made some shots that hit the Ghost's hull, making it shake.

"Anytime, Zeb!" Ender barked anxiously.

"Come on. Come on." Zeb muttered tensely as the target aligned itself with the containers, making it go from green to red. "Yes."

He then turned a handle, which activated the magnet on the bottom of the Ghost, which pulled the containers towards it.

"Gotcha!" Zeb grinned before pulling the handle down, making the containers stick to the bottom of the Ghost.

"Ghost to Phoenix Squadron, mission accomplished!" Hera informed everyone through comms as she flicked a few switches above her.

Ender and Kanan shot down a couple more TIEs while Phoenix Squadron all entered hyperspace. Kanan then fired at another TIE, destroying it as it tried closing in on the Ghost.

"Spectre-5, bring it in." He then told Serah.

Serah flew the Phantom towards the back of the ship, its fins closing in and pressed some buttons as she aligned with the slot to insert the Phantom.

"In the pocket, five by one." She said right before attaching to the Ghost.

"She's home, Hera." Ender said, the ship having shook when the Phantom attached.

Hera smirked as she circled the Ghost around to the direction Phoenix Squadron entered hyperspace, soon entering it before the TIEs chasing them could fire.


After exiting hyperspace, the Ghost connected to the command ship known as Phoenix Home, which was a Pelta-class frigate.

The whole crew, excluding Chopper, gathered around the large holotable in the bridge with Sato and Ahsoka. Though Kanan sat on the top of a small ladder.

"You and your crew have proven invaluable to our fleet, Captain Syndulla." Sato told Hera, gesturing to the crew. "The fuel acquired in your convoy attacks has helped keep us one step ahead of Imperial patrols."

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

"Perhaps with your next attack, Hera." Ahsoka noted.

Then Chopper barged in, warbling and speaking binary, waving his mechanical arms, drawing everyone's attention.

"What is the meaning of this?" Sato questioned, annoyed at the sudden interruption.

"An incoming transmission. Who from, Chop?" Kanan asked, seemingly without respect or consideration of protocol and the chain of command, which was so unlike what Ender knew him to be like. "Ah, why don't you just play it?"

Even Hera was taken aback, as she frowned at him and cleared her throat, and all Kanan did was look at her as though he was a rebellious teen.

"Uh, Chop, cloak us with a one way transmission." She then ordered her astromech.

Chopper acknowledged and projected the transmission, showing a familiar Ithorian.

"Old Jho?" Ender asked, surprised by this.

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

"We're always ready to help someone in need." Kanan replied, having got off the ladder and gathered with everyone around the table.

"Yeah, well, this one's different." Jho pointed out before he stepped aside and Maketh Tua appeared, looking nervous and scared with her arms wrapped around herself.

"Minister Tua?" Hera gasped, expressing the shock the whole crew felt.

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

"Please, I beg you. Listen to my request." Tua begged desperately.

"End transmission now, Chop." Kanan ordered

"Wait!" Hera snapped, getting fed up with Kanan's behaviour. "Minister, what do you want?"

"My life is in danger. I need you to give me safe passage off Lothal." Tua explained.

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

"Quiet!" Hera barked.

"I assure you, my intentions are sincere. To prove it, I will trade secret Imperial information." Tua promised, making both Ender and Serah look at each other, very unsure of what to think of this, since this could all just be a trap.

"You're seriously considering the idea of defecting from the Empire?" Serah then asked Tua.

"Yes, I am." Tua nodded.

Ender used the Force, which revealed to him that she's actually being honest, as well as the emotions she's feeling.

"She's telling the truth. I can sense so much fear from her." He told everyone, wondering what was going on that made her so scared.

"Yeah. But of what?" Kanan questioned, having sensed her fear, as well.

Ahsoka frowned on this thought, as she considered some possibilities.

"So, what have you got to trade?" Hera asked Tua.

"A list of rebel sympathisers on Lothal and other nearby systems." Tua revealed.

"How come these sympathisers have not been arrested?" Sato questioned, raising a good point.

"Some have powerful friends in the Senate. Imperial command watches them, but can do nothing. I know you need allies. Get me off Lothal, and I will give you the list." Tua explained.

Hera placed her hand on her chin, thinking of what they can gain if they help Tua, even if she's an Imperial. She then looked at Sato and shrugged, considering the idea, though Kanan sighed in annoyance.

"We shouldn't even consider this." He frowned.

"This just screams of being a trap." Serah noted.

"There's something else. I've discovered the true reason the Empire came to Lothal." Tua revealed.

"We know that one. The Empire has a factory and they're stripping the planet's resources to fuel it." Hera replied, thinking that's what she was talking about.

"No. There is another reason known only to a few and ordered by the Emperor himself." Tua replied, making everyone shocked, knowing that this reason must be significant if the Emperor ordered it.

This made everyone talk amongst themselves, except Ender, who stood silently, thinking this over until he came to a decision.

He stepped forward, making everyone silent as they watched.

"We need to do this. If this all starts with the Emperor himself, we need to know what he's up to." He said.

"I agree." Ahsoka sided with him.

"So do I." Kanan said.

"Alright, if Commander Sato approves the mission." Hera reminded everyone.

"I believe it could be worth the risk." Sato replied, giving them the go ahead.

"Minister, we'll help you flee Lothal. Make sure you send the coordinates." Ender told Tua.

"Thank you." Tua said gratefully before she turned the transmission off.

Ender then turned and walked past everyone, Rocket joining his side.

"Well, I guess we're on our way back to Lothal." Hera noted to her crew.

"I guess we are." Kanan replied before he stormed off, leaving the bridge.

Hera, knowing he was in a mood, followed after him, being watched by Ahsoka.

Hera exited the bridge and followed Kanan down a hallway.

"Hey, what's with you?" She demanded from Kanan. "Do you have any idea how inappropriate that was?"

"Actually, no, I don't." Kanan replied, turning to face her with his arms out. He then turned to continue walking, but Hera grabbed his shoulder to turn him around back to face her.

"You can't just tell Chopper to project a hologram in a secret debriefing without authorisation." Hera scolded him, making him swat her hand off.

"Authorisation, procedure, that's what's bothering me." He snapped.

"Alright, talk to me." Hera said softly, making him sigh before they stepped aside to let a rebel walk past them.

"After this mission, I want us to go back on our own. Fighting alongside soldiers isn't what I signed up for." Kanan insisted, which made Hera force him up against a door frame.

"You seem to be forgetting these soldiers helped save your life." She reminded Kanan as he turned his face away.

"And I'm grateful. But that doesn't mean I want to join their little army." Kanan spat in annoyance. "When you and I started together, it was 'rob from the Empire, give to the needy', a noble cause. Now, we're getting drawn into some kind of military thing. I don't like it."

"We are fighting a bigger fight, but it's still the right fight." Hera reminded him just as Ender showed up by a nearby door frame, making him stop to listen in, though making sure to stay out of sight.

"I survived one war, I'm not ready for another one." Kanan said, turning, which made Hera grab his arm. "I saw what it did."

"To the Jedi?" She asked softly.

"To everyone." Kanan replied before he turned to walk down the hallway, leaving Hera on her own as she sighed and followed him.

Ender stood there in silence, soaking in his master's worries and concerns, knowing that he may not want to go through another war, but he'll have no choice, as Ender knew a war was ultimately inevitable if they wanted to take down the Empire.


Considering that the Empire would know of the Ghost because of the battle over Mustafar, the crew all boarded a Star Commuter 2000, with Chopper piloting.

"We're seriously letting this reckless bucket of bolts drive this thing?" Serah frowned as she and Zeb entered the commuter and soon took seats.

"Great mission, so far." Zeb muttered, sitting behind Hera.

Chopper spoke to everyone before he detached from Phoenix Home and flew off before entering hyperspace.

Kanan spun his blaster before turning to Ender.

"So, what's the plan?" He asked his Padawan.

"Well, Tua is scheduled to visit Tarkin tomorrow. And she'll leave via shuttle at 1800. So, we'll wait by the hangar, then steal the shuttle and take her to safety." Ender explained the plan.

"I do hope this plan works, Ender." Serah admitted, sitting behind him.

"After all the trouble she's made for us, why should we help her?" Zeb questioned.

"Because it's what we do, Zeb. We help those that can't help themselves, even if they're people like Tua." Ender replied, making Hera smile proudly at his maturity. "And there's the fact that her list will be a big help."

That last part made Zeb and Serah share a grin with each other.

Soon after, they exited hyperspace, flying right for Lothal ahead of them, where they also saw some Star Destroyers over the planet, which made Ender frown, seeing that the Imperial presence has increased on his homeworld.

Rocket chirped nervously, making Ender pat him reassuringly before Chopper beeped as he pressed some buttons to have clearance to land.

"Shuttle 593, this is Lothal Control. You are cleared to land." A male voice said through comms, and so, Chopper continued piloting towards Lothal.

Ender was about to say something when he felt something that made him very on edge, something that Kanan noticed.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I feel cold." Ender replied, a coldness wrapping around his entire body, especially his arms and back.

"Hmm." Kanan muttered, now getting on edge, as well.


After entering Lothal's atmosphere, they flew towards the Capital City, which has Star Destroyers hovering above.

Chopper soon landed the commuter in a docking bay and the ramp opened up, letting everyone exit the ship.

"I've never seen this many Star Destroyers in one place before." Ender said as he looked up at the sky. "Things have gotten worse here."

"Alright, Zeb, Chopper, Rocket, stay with the shuttle in case we need a quick exit." Hera told the Lasat and the two astromechs, the latter two nodding back.

"Tua's leaving from Bay 23. Let's go." Kanan then said before he and everyone else left.

The four made their way through the rather quiet and desolate streets, excluding the odd civilian here and there, before stopping by the corner of a building, where Kanan and Hera peeked around the corner to see that the entrance to the docking bay was guarded by four stormtroopers.

"Huh. We'll need a distraction." Hera told Kanan, who eyed the trooper with the orange shoulder pad that was walking away from the entrance.

He started forming an idea as he and Hera backed up and joined back up with Ender and Serah.

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

"Make a few friends?" Hera repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"It'll be fun." Kanan grinned as he folded his arms.

"Fun?" Hera questioned.

"Don't worry, General Hera. Just be ready to move." Kanan replied, saluting and placing a hand on her arm before turning to handle the trooper.

"What has gotten into him?" Ender questioned as he, Hera and Serah watched Kanan reach the trooper, say something to him and then knock him out with a couple of hits before dragging him down an alleyway.

Hera and Serah shared a shocked glance as they and Ender were flabbergasted.

Shortly after, Kanan showed back up, now wearing the trooper's armour and having his blaster. He then gave the three a salute before walking off.

"Did Kanan just go buckethead?" Serah questioned.

"I don't believe it." Hera frowned as she folded her arms.

"Anyway, let's get going." Ender reminded them.

They all jumped onto a vehicle before climbing onto a lamp that hung off the side of the building and then reached up onto the roof.

Ender and Hera jumped across onto the docking bay while Serah stayed on the building rooftop, keeping their eyes open for Tua as Kanan noticed them in position.

"She's coming." Ender said, noticing the transport Tua was using, frowning upon seeing that she wasn't alone. "She also has company."

"What kind of company?" Hera asked as she looked down at the Sentinel-class shuttle in the docking bay before joining Ender's side.

He pulled out a pair of macrobinoculars and looked to see that Tua was being escorted by Kallus in a landspeeder.

"Good old Agent Kallus." He groaned as he lowered the macrobinoculars, watching the speeder stop in front of the troopers and a probe droid, which raised alarm bells for Ender.

"Thank you, Agent Kallus, but there… there was no need for an escort." Tua told Kallus anxiously as they got out of the speeder.

"Lord Vader asked me to make sure you reached your shuttle safely." Kallus replied. Ender, being able to hear him, was wondering who this Lord Vader was.

"I see." Tua noted before heading into the docking bay.

"We can't be too careful about security these days." Kallus pointed out as he, and Kanan, followed her.

Serah started climbing down, knowing that things were about to kick off.

"Yes, I suppose so." Tua replied just as Serah landed on the ground.

"OI!" She yelled, drawing their attention as she wielded her blasters and then fired shots at the troopers and Kallus, even managing to shoot down and make the probe droid explode.

"Minster, take cover!" Kallus ordered Tua as he pulled out a blaster pistol and fired back at Serah, all the stormtroopers joining in.

Kanan, though, pressed a button that shut the doors to the docking bay, cutting Kallus off from them.

"Surprise." He told Kallus before blasting the panel to keep the doors locked. He then turned and ran for cover.

"Rebels." Kallus snarled with contempt as he fired at Kanan, though he kept missing, as Kanan kept moving and even flipping over a crate, which he then used for cover.

Both Ender and Hera jumped down into the docking bay and landed by a pile of crates, which they ran from when Kallus appeared and tried shooting them down, though Kanan provided cover fire.

The three all joined up with Tua by some other crates.

"Minister, get into the shuttle!" Ender told her. "We'll be right behind you."

"Right." Tua acknowledged.

Back with Serah, she took care of the stormtroopers with quick succession and got in the landspeeder, which she made hover up in the air as she was being fired upon by a couple more stormtroopers.

Part of the speeder got shot, now making it set on fire, which had Serah get up and jump off onto the top of the docking bay before it crashed down onto the ground.

She looked down to see Tua run into the shuttle, Ender, Hera and Kanan behind her.

Just as the three were about to enter, though, the shuttle exploded, knocking them onto their backs and knocking the helmet off of Kanan.

They all got up and looked in horror, seeing that it was all a trap and now Tua was dead.

"Imperial scum." Ender snarled with venom, disgusted that they'd go this far.

Kallus then fired at them, making the three turn and run for cover, Kanan having grabbed his helmet.

The doors then opened back up and more stormtroopers showed up, joining Kallus in firing at the three rebels, who hid behind some crates.

Up top, Serah activated comms.

"Zeb, we need pickup, right now!" She informed the Lasat.

"Copy. We're on our way." Zeb replied.

Within seconds, the commuter showed up, getting the attention of Ender, Hera and Kanan, seeing Zeb hanging out with his bo-rifle at the ready.

"Come on!" He called to the three before laying out covering fire at the stormtroopers and Kallus while Chopper landed the commuter.

The three ran and entered before Chopper beeped and lifted the ship off the ground, hovering so that Serah could jump in.

The ramp closed up and Chopper then flew off, though an AT-DP started shooting at the shuttle, causing some damage and making it shake.

Ultimately, they crashed in the middle of a street, nearly hitting some civilians.

When the shuttle stopped skidding, everyone shook their heads and groaned as an alarm started blaring and smoke surrounded them.

"Get up! We gotta move!" Serah told everyone before opening the ramp and exited the shuttle, seeing that they were surrounded by civilians, though she and everyone else ran past them and headed down an alleyway.


After running for a while, everyone made it to Ender's former home and gathered in the room that his parents used to make their broadcasts.

Both Rocket and Chopper were up top to keep an eye out for Imperials when Serah activated the broadcast device, showing an Imperial broadcast being played.

"A beloved citizen of Lothal, Minister Tua's life was cut short by a criminal band of rebels." An Imperial said before a holographic image of the crew showed up. "If you see them, summon Imperial authorities immediately. Trooper corps have been mobilised in an extensive sea-"

"They did this to turn Lothal against us." Hera told everyone after she shut the broadcast off. "We can't do anymore here. We have to leave, for good."

"The people should at least know they're being lied to." Ender argued, though everyone else clearly knew that this was a fight they can't win.

"The Empire isn't gonna give us a choice, Ender. We really do have to leave Lothal for its own safety before things get worse." Serah argued.

Up top, Rocket and Chopper turned to see that the closed door was being torched, before it exploded open and a stormtrooper showed up.

Rocket beeped angrily before he ended up shooting an electro stun blast at them, an upgrade courtesy of Serah.

"What the-?" Another trooper questioned before Chopper closed the door back up and welded it shut.

"Open up in there!" One of the troopers demanded.

Both Ender and Zeb popped their heads up, seeing what's going on.

"We're in trouble, guys!" Ender informed everyone else.

They all managed to make their way up onto the rooftop of the Brand house, which was soon exploded by a thermal detonator.

"If they know of this hideout, then they'll know of the others, as well." Ender noted gravely.

"There's no more hiding. We need a ship." Hera pointed out. "Maybe we can try one of the local Imperial airfields."

Serah pressed on her computer-linked gauntlet to project a holographic map of the city via Rocket.

"They're all locked down." She noted, seeing red blips scattered all over the city. "At this rate, we won't make it outside the city."

"The Empire's looking everywhere for us." Zeb said, making Ender realise that this may be due to this Lord Vader Kallus was talking about.

"Not everywhere." Kanan then argued, pointing at a certain large building.

"The Imperial complex? Are you crazy?" Hera questioned his sanity.

"Does anyone ever say yes to that question?" Kanan questioned back.

"He's actually right, you know." Serah pointed out. "The garrison is spread thin with troops deployed to block every city exit. Therefore, the area with the least amount of troops would be near the factories." She zoomed in on the area she was talking about. "And there's landing platforms outside the hangars. So, if we're to find a shuttle, this is our best chance."

"I'm already dressed for the part." Kanan noted, holding up the stormtrooper helmet.

Everyone then walked across some large wires to a building opposite the Brand house with both Rocket and Chopper using their rocket boosters to move to the building.

Ender glanced down at the burning remains of his old home, realising that there really is no going home from this point onwards.


Later that night, both Kanan and Ender, who currently wore an Imperial cadet uniform, pushed a trolley with a couple of crates to an entrance to a hangar that connected to the Imperial complex, where a couple of ITTs were exiting.

"What's this?" A stormtrooper that stood guard asked when they were close enough.

"Power cells in need of recharging for the rebel pursuit." Kanan replied as he and Ender stopped.

"I have to check inside." The trooper then said, placing a hand on.

"Hold on." Ender stepped forward, focusing on the Force and raised his right hand in front of the trooper. "You do not have to check inside these crates."

"I do not have to check inside these crates." The trooper said robotically.

"As you wish, trooper." Kanan said with a salute. "Cadet, let's move."

The two continued onwards, entering the hangar.

"I'm glad that training paid off." Ender told Kanan.

They made their way through some corridors until they reached a door to a storage room. Kanan saluted a trooper that walked past them before opening the door. He and Ender then entered the room and when they stopped, Ender tapped the crates.

One of them opened up, revealing Hera and Serah hid inside it. As the latter climbed out, the other crate was forced open, because Zeb looked like he was struggling to even breathe, though he did make a lot of noise.

"Zeb, will you be quiet?" Hera told him as he breathed heavily.

"What? I need to breathe. Have you smelled me?" Zeb questioned.

Serah peeked out of the door and looked up and down the corridor, on edge as there were no stormtroopers.

"No one's around. There should be at least a few troopers guarding the place." She informed everyone.

"At least the plan's going smoothly." Kanan replied, taking the helmet off as Ender had just taken off the cadet uniform.

"This way." The eighteen year old then said, pointing in a direction away from the door they entered through.

They were all about to go when both Rocket and Chopper beeped and shook the crate they were in.

"Somebody get Chopper and Rocket." Hera hissed.

After Zeb helped the astromechs out, everyone entered the corridors, where Zeb stopped and knocked out a couple of stormtroopers.

After making their way through, Rocket opened a door that opened up to outside, and they ran past some TIE fighters and AT-DPs.

When they reached one of the last TIEs, they stopped and noticed a Sentinel-class shuttle.

"There's a shuttle. What'd I tell ya?" Kanan told everyone.

"You did good." Hera complimented him.

Now with a means to leave the planet, they all started running, but Serah stopped upon noticing several objects of interest.

"Guys, look." She called out to everyone, making them stop and join her side, Hera realising what the objects were with wide eyes.

"Shield generators." She said eagerly.

"Military grade, too." Serah noted before activating the hover feature to push one of the generators.

"Zeb, Ender, grab all we can carry." Hera said as she pushed another generator. "These might help turn this day around. The fleet could sure use them."

The two ran to and pushed a couple of shield generators to the shuttle, joining back up with everyone else.

However, as they made their way to the shuttle, their backs facing the slightly open hangar doors, Kanan and Ender stopped as they felt something that shook them to their core.

"Oh, no." Ender muttered.

"The cold." Kanan muttered as well as he and his padawan turned to the hangar doors, where stood Darth Vader, who Ender recognised from his vision in the Jedi temple on Lothal.

Vader activated his red lightsaber, drawing everyone's attention as they all stood and watched Vader with horror, who approached them with stormtroopers showing up to back him up, primarily trying to stop them from taking the shield generators, as Vader's attention was on Ender and Kanan.

The two pulled out and ignited their lightsabers, ready to fight.

"Hera, go! We'll cover you!" Kanan told the Twi'lek, looking over his shoulder.

"KANAN, LOOK OUT!" Hera warned her.

Vader swung his saber at Kanan, who blocked it, but was struggling from the pressure Vader forced down.

Meanwhile, Serah and Zeb used a couple of crates for cover as they fired back at the stormtroopers while Hera pushed the shield generators into the shuttle with aid by Rocket and Chopper.

Vader moved his saber to make Kanan slip before he Force Pushed him and Ender away with ease, knocking Ender onto his back while Kanan landed on his feet.

Kanan charged at Vader and tried hitting him, but Vader deflected Kanan and knocked him aside before blocking more strikes and then grabbed his hands when Kanan tried a thrust, lifting him off his feet and squeezed so hard that Kanan's lightsaber deactivated.

Then he threw him away, his face planting on the side of a crate.

Ender, who just got to his feet, saw this and tried attacking Vader, only to get launched back and pressed up against the leg of a walker.

"Your master has deceived you into believing you can become a Jedi." Vader sneered as he used the Force to move Ender's lightsaber towards his neck.
Ender struggled with all his might, even tapping into the Force to push back, being barely able to stop the saber from slashing him.

Kanan got up and saw this, so he ignited his lightsaber and attacked Vader, who turned and blocked him, freeing Ender from being slashed at as he landed on the floor while Vader deflected Kanan's saber.

"Get ready to fly us outta here!" Hera told Rocket and Chopper, who were activating the shuttle. Hera then ran out and joined Zeb and Serah, who fired at and shot down some stormtroopers.

Kanan tried slashing at Vader, but he stepped aside and pushed Kanan away.

Ender charged at Vader with his lightsaber over him, and when he reached him, he swung at him, only to get blocked and pushed back, being knocked onto his back.

Kanan then tried hitting Vader again, getting blocked. He then tried thrusting at him, only to get dodged and then tried slashing at him, only to have their sabers locked.

Serah, deciding they need to get out of this quickly, pulled out a thermal detonator.

"Time to give them a little something." She told Zeb, handing him the detonator, making him chuckle.

"Nothing like a good explosion." He smirked.

Vader nudged Kanan back to try and slice at him, but Kanan blocked him before they locked sabers again.

"Aim at the walkers." Serah told Zeb as they popped up from behind the crates and threw some detonators, which stuck to the legs of the walkers, making the troopers run away.

Eventually, Vader moved Kanan's saber up and nudged him to strike at his right shoulder, which hurt him, making him step back and join up with Ender.

Just then, the detonators exploded, which started to make the walkers teeter.

"NOW!" Kanan told Ender, who knew what he meant, as they Force Pushed Vader, who landed on his hands and knees and looked up to see the walkers fall and then land on top of him, seemingly crushing him to death.

Thinking it was over, the pair turned to get in the shuttle, but they stopped when they heard groaning metal, making them turn to see that Vader was still alive and lifting the walkers off of him.

"I think we just made him more angry." Ender gulped.

"You're right. Run!" Kanan agreed with him and they both turned to run to the shuttle, joining up with everyone else as Vader walked from under the walkers, which crashed down behind him.

On the ramp, as Chopper and Rocket made the shuttle lift off, Serah pulled out a blaster and fired at Vader as he approached them with his lightsaber ignited.

However, Vader deflected the shots back at her, hitting her chestplate and her helmet, knocking her off her feet.

"Serah!" Ender cried out worriedly as he pulled her away from the ramp as the shuttle flew off away from the hangar.

As they flew off, now having gotten away from Capital City, everyone sat on benches, Ender and Kanan on one side, Serah, Zeb and Hera on the other.

Zeb, make sure they can't track us." Hera ordered as she checked on Serah.

"Consider it done." Zeb replied before walking off to check as Serah took off her helmet with gritted teeth.

"You alright?" Hera asked her.

"I'll live." She hissed.

"Just who was that, Kanan?" Ender asked. "Because that didn't seem like an Inquisitor."

"Because he wasn't. He's something worse." Kanan replied.

"What do you mean?" Ender questioned.

"He's a Sith Lord. The ancient enemy of the Jedi." Kanan explained.

"Then I guess it was luck that we're still breathing." Ender replied gravely.

"It was." Kanan agreed with him with a grim nod.

"Then that settles it. I'm gonna make for orbit so we can jump away." Hera said as she and Serah stood.

"Hera, no." Kanan told her, making her stop walking to the cockpit. "He will have a blockade of Destroyers waiting for us."

"Combine that with this shuttle being slow with barely any weapons or shields, we'll be caught and worse." Serah added. "Which means we have to smuggle ourselves off of Lothal."

As she climbed up a ladder, Hera placed a hand on her chin, thinking about what she said.

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

"What are you thinkin'?" Kanan questioned, not liking the look on her face.

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

Both Ender and Kanan shared a look, knowing full well who she was talking about.

"Not him!" They said in unison.

Afterwards, Kanan joined Hera in the cockpit with Chopper as she made a call with Lando Calrissian, who appeared in holographic form.

"Well, hello there, Captain Syndulla. This is a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you?" He greeted her with a 'charming' voice.

"This isn't a social call, Lando. It's business." Kanan cut him off. "We need your help smuggling something off Lothal."

"Past the Imperial blockade." Hera added.

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

"What do you want?" He asked.

"What have you got?" Lando asked back.

"Imperial shield generators. Military grade." Hera hesitantly revealed.

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

"Two." Hera replied, hoping Lando bought her lie.

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

"Fair? You're taking half." Hera said, affronted about this, as those generators are supposed to be for the fleet.

"Those shields won't do you much good if you're dead." Lando countered.

"Three it is." Kanan agreed, not liking this as Hera shook her head. "So we have a deal?"

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


They all flew all through the night, reaching their destination in the early morning sunlight, that destination being Lando's farm.

Right as they landed, everyone exited the shuttle and were greeted by a protocol droid.

"You must be Lando's droid." Hera said.

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

"Me." Serah held her hand up, making Chopper and Rocket beep at her. "As well as you, Rocket, but definitely not you, Chop."

Everyone then proceeded to the farm, but Ender stopped as he noticed a large and dark pillar of smoke on the horizon to their right.

"Oh, no." He muttered in horror, realising where the smoke was coming from.

Spotting a speeder bike, he got on it and activated it just as Kanan and Zeb noticed the smoke as well.

"Hey, Ender!" Zeb tried to talk to him, but Kanan placed a hand on his arm.

"Just let him go, Zeb." He said grimly as Ender sped off.


Within minutes, Ender stopped and got off the bike, looking at the scorched and burnt remains of Tarkintown. He then heard another speeder bike behind him, knowing it was Kanan.

"They're all gone." He told his master.

"They're prisoners of the Empire, now." Kanan said knowingly.

"I just sense nothing but pure evil and malice." Ender shuddered as Kanan joined his side. "Did they do this just to get at us?"

"Yes, to make us afraid. The people that lived here just got caught in the middle." Kanan replied.

"They're now suffering because of us." Ender said, feeling ashamed of himself.

"There's a cost for any action we take now, Ender. Things are getting worse just as they did back when I was younger than you. But back then, there were ten thousand Jedi Knights protecting the galaxy. Now…." Kanan explained.

"It's just the two of us." Ender finished for him.

"Against an Empire." Kanan noted.

"But we can still fight. We have allies." Ender argued.

"Do you understand what you're saying?" Kanan questioned him, making his padawan turn to face him directly. "You saw what we're up against. Look!"

"I do understand what I'm saying, Kanan. Because I can't just let fear take over and inform my decisions. And someone has to do something against the Empire, even if we have smaller numbers." Ender argued.


The pair made it back to the farm, where they noticed some contraptions were made.

"What happened out there?" Hera asked Kanan.

"The Empire burned Tarkintown." Kanan revealed, shocking everyone, with Serah and Zeb sharing a look with each other.

"Were there any survivors?" Serah asked, dreading to hear the answer.

"Everyone's now held captive." Ender spat, making Zeb growl.

"Let's go bust 'em out." He suggested, punching an open palm. "Where's my rifle?"

"No, he'd be waiting." Kanan reminded him before turning to Hera. "You were right. We have no choice. We have to leave."

"For the good of Lothal." Hera agreed, looking over at Ender, who accepted this fact, as much as it pained him.

"Just how do we leave the planet?" He asked.

"Lando had these old transponders lying around." Hera replied, pointing at the objects Serah was working on when he and Kanan got back. "Serah's gonna tune their signature codes to match this shuttle's."

"Sounds like a lousy Lando plan." Kanan commented, making Zeb chuckle in amusement.

"It may be Lando's gear, but it's my plan, mister." Serah coolly replied with a stern look. "With the transponders beaming the same signal as the shuttle, we should be able to slip by unnoticed."

"Ooh, sounds like a lousy Serah plan." Zeb nudged Kanan by the arm.

"Better than Lando's." Kanan replied.


After they loaded the transponders into the shuttle, they took off from Lando's farm and flew up into the sky.

Once they reached the clouds, the ramp opened up and both Serah and Zeb took one of the transponders and pushed it out as it was activated, leaving it to hover in the sky.

They continued doing this until all of the transponders were used up.

The ramp then closed back up and Hera piloted the shuttle to exit Lothal's atmosphere while Kanan, who was in the co-pilot's seat, looked at the scanner, seeing that various fighters where's splitting up to the various transponders.

"The Empire's takin' the bait." He told Hera with a grin. "Their fighters are splittin' up."

"Alright. Let's make our run." She replied, flicking a few switches above her.

They quickly made it out of Lothal's atmosphere and saw the blockade before them. And Kanan then noticed on the scanner that the fighters were heading for them.

"Looks like they figured it out." He told Hera, who looked back at him with a grin.

"It's too late, boys." She said smugly before entering the shuttle into hyperspace.

"Never thought I'd say this, but thank you, Lando Calrissian." Hera said as she and Kanan exited the cockpit and joined up with everyone else.

"So if we can't go back to Lothal, where are we going?" Kanan asked as he sat alongside Ender.

"What are you talking about? We're part of the rebellion now." Hera questioned him.

"Are we? Are we all sure about that?" Kanan questioned back, gesturing to everyone.

"We could just grab the Ghost and lay low for a while." Serah suggested, making Hera and Ender look at her questioningly.

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

"Ender, what do you think?" Hera asked the eighteen year old.

"We may not be able to help Lothal now, but if we become part of the rebellion, we get stronger, so that we can eventually go back and change things for the better. So we really should stay with the rebellion." Ender explained, cementing the decision that they all remain with the rebels.


After a while, they exited hyperspace and Hera piloted the shuttle towards Phoenix Home, being escorted by a couple of A-wings, with Kanan sitting next to her.

"Phoenix Home, this is Ghost away team. Clearance code 1-2-1-8-1-5." Hera said through comms.

"Your clearance code checks out." A man replied after a moment of silence. "Welcome home, Ghost team."

Hera flew for Phoenix Home and attached to an airlock.

Everyone, except for Zeb, were then making their way to the bridge when Rocket came up behind them, beeping frantically with fear.

"Rocket just said that a transmitter on the shuttle just activated!" Serah told everyone, making their eyes widen with horror before they all ran for the bridge, knowing that the Empire can track them back to the rebel fleet.

They all made it to the bridge, finding Sato talking with Ahsoka.

"Commander Sato!" Hera called for his attention. "We need the fleet to jump out of here. Our shuttle was tracked."

"Commander, I'm scanning a ship entering our sector." A bridge operator called out to Sato, making the Ghost crew look at each other worriedly as a holographic radar showed up on the large table, showing that there is indeed one ship approaching them. "We're tracking one target. No other ships have entered the system."

"Move Phoenix Squadron to intercept." Sato ordered.

The pilots of Phoenix Squadron all ran and entered their A-wings and took off as soon as possible to handle the one ship that showed up, which was a TIE Advanced x1.

"Fighter coming in at mark 3." One of the pilots told the rest.

They then all fired at the starfighter, so sure they could defeat it with ease. However, it barrel rolled and moved side to side to avoid being hit before firing at and exploding the pilot that spoke to the rest.

"He's coming in too fast." Another pilot informed everyone as they watched the red blip advance towards the fleet on the radar.

"Fleet, raise deflector shields." Hera ordered through comms to the corvettes.

"We've lost Phoenix-1 and 2." A pilot informed.

The TIE Advanced flew at and fired shots at one of the corvettes before flying right for Phoenix Home.

"He's heading right for us!" Ender pointed out on the radar.

"Enemy fighter's making for the command ship." A pilot said frantically.

The TIE Advanced fired a shot that did some damage to Phoenix Home, making it shake and the lights flickered off for a moment.

"How can one fighter best our entire squadron?" Sato questioned in disbelief.

"Your pilots are outmatched, Commander!" Hera told him before she started running to leave the bridge.

"What are you doing?" Kanan questioned her.

"Getting involved." Hera replied back before she ran out of the bridge.

"Not without me, you're not." Kanan barked, chasing after her.

"Come on." Serah told Ender before she ran after Kanan.

Ender was about to run after her, but Ahsoka grabbed his attention.

"Alright if I tag along?" She asked him.

"Sure." Ender shrugged before the two of them ran after everyone.

As they ran to the Ghost, the TIE Advanced managed to wipe out a couple more fighters from Phoenix Squadron.

Once they did reach the ship, Zeb ran into the Phantom, Serah climbed up to the dorsal turret and Ender ran into the nose gun while Hera, Kanan and Ahsoka ran into the cockpit.

"Everyone, check in." Hera said as she got in the pilot seat, Ahsoka in the co-pilot seat and Kanan sitting behind her as they activated the Ghost.

"Tail gun, check!" Zeb acknowledged as he activated the Phantom.

"Turret, check!" Serah acknowledged as she primed the turret.

"Nose gun, check!" Ender acknowledged, activating the nose gun.

"Alright, kids, do mom and dad proud." Hera told all of them as she flicked switches.

"Here he comes!" Kanan said, pointing at the TIE Advanced, as it approached Phoenix Home, which it fired at so much that its shields were now gone.

"Ghost moving to engage." Hera informed Sato through comms as she disconnected her ship from Phoenix Home and flew after the TIE Advanced.

"On him!" Serah called out as she started firing, but the starfighter banked right and she missed.

"Who the hell is this guy?" She questioned as Ahsoka was deep in thought, like she was sensing something.

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

"Copy that. Phoenix Squadron, form up and focus fire." Hera said as she kept pursuing the TIE Advanced, which made a right turn, now with the remainder of Phoenix Squadron joining up.

"The Force is strong with him." Ahsoka noted before turning to Kanan. "Kanan, let's find out how strong."

"How can I help?" Kanan questioned, slightly confused.

"Just remember your training." Ahsoka replied before closing her eyes.

Kanan sighed before he, too, closed his eyes and placed a hand on her shoulder, both of them focusing the Force to sense out the one piloting the TIE Advanced.

Meanwhile, Ender fired some shots at the starfighter as it flew towards Phoenix Home, no doubt to deliver shots to make the ship explode.

He kept firing at it, but the pilot did barrel rolls and avoided the shots.

"The cold…." He then muttered, feeling that familiar sensation from when they were on Lothal, along with fear, anger and hate, which made his eyes widen. "It's the Sith Lord we encountered on Lothal!"

As he said that, both Kanan and Ahsoka sensed through the Force towards Vader, who sensed them, as well, especially Ahsoka, whose eyes opened up, filled with fear.

"The apprentice lives."

She then screamed before she was knocked unconscious from a surge Vader sent through the Force, making Kanan grab her before she could hit the floor.

"Ahsoka?" He said worriedly.

Vader pulled up from Phoenix Home, which confused Hera.

"Captain Syndulla, whatever you're doing, keep it up!" Sato said eagerly through the comms. "The fleet can recover!"

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

"I will not abandon our command ship!" Sato snapped back, very much against the idea just as Vader came up behind the Ghost and the remainder of Phoenix Squadron, firing shots at them, taking out one of the two ships of Phoenix Squadron.

"You don't have a choice, sir!" Hera retorted "Without a hyperdrive, you must abandon ship!"

Just then, several Star Destroyers appeared as Vader fired some shots at the Ghost, making it shake violently.

"It's now or never, Commander." Kanan urged Sato.

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

"Don't worry, sir. We seem to have his attention." Hera replied as she flew away from the fleet, which started turning away from the Star Destroyers, dodging more shots from Vader as she performed some barrel rolls. She flew towards the Destroyers as Zeb fired back at Vader.

"Suddenly, there's a lot to do back here." He told Hera.

"Sorry to spoil your fun, Zeb, but I'm ordering Chopper to divert all power to the hyperdrive, including cannons." Hera replied, flicking a switch.

Chopper grunted with a salute before inserting into a slot to do as Hera requested.

"Hera, have you gone nuts?" Serah snapped, though Ender smirked.

"She hasn't. I know what she's doing." He replied as Hera continued flying right at the Star Destroyers.

Meanwhile, Sato and the rebel crew of Phoenix Home jettisoned with escape pods to join up with the remainder of the fleet as it flew away.

"Ghost crew, the escape pods are secure. Fleet, commence hyperspace jump." Sato said through comms.

"Copy that, Commander. We'll meet you at safe haven." Hera acknowledged before the fleet entered hyperspace.

"The fleet's left. We need to leave, as well!" Serah informed Hera.

"Everyone, hang on." Hera advised to everyone.

She kept flying at the Star Destroyers, missing more shots from Vader.

"Chopper, angle all deflectors astern." Hera requested from her astromech, who grunted as he spun the slot he inserted into. "The Star Destroyers aren't the ones firing at us! Now, do it fast!"

Chopper grumbled as he continued as he was told.

She then flew towards two of the three Star Destroyers, hoping to get between them, knowing in advance that they'll try and use a tractor beam on the Ghost.

"Hera!" Kanan said worriedly.

"Wait." Hera replied patiently. "Wait…."

Just as she flew in between the Destroyers, Vader fired some shots that hit the Ghost.

"Gotcha." She then smirked as she was right in the middle, knowing they're right about to activate the tractor beam, entering hyperspace, therefore, making Vader get caught in the tractor beam.


Having successfully escaped from that Imperial ambush, the Ghost crew caught back up with the fleet elsewhere in space.

As both Rocket and Chopper were working on repairing the damage on the Ghost, Ahsoka sat on her own in the cockpit, contemplating the encounter with Vader.

Then both Ender and Kanan entered.

"Hera said that you wanted to speak with us?" Ender asked her.

"Please, come in." She greeted the pair.

"Are you alright, after what happened?" Ender then asked.

"I am, thank you." Ahsoka reassured him as he and Kanan sat on the seats behind the pilot and co-pilot seats. "I wanted to ask you about the Sith Lord you encountered on Lothal."

"You know we encountered an Inquisitor before, but this was nothing like that." Kanan replied. "The fear, the anger, the hate. You felt it. I haven't sensed a presence like that since -"

"The Clone Wars." Ahsoka finished knowingly.

"Yeah." Kanan sighed.

"Ahsoka, do you have any idea about who this Sith Lord is?" Ender asked, leaving a tense silence for a moment.

"No, I don't." Ahsoka replied as she glanced away, telling Ender that she actually at least suspected who he was, but didn't want to say anything about it, for some reason. "But I do know that he will be coming. They'll all be coming, now."

"Then we'll just have to be ready to fight, however possible." Ender said determinedly.

"We must find the strength to fight, but the greater courage is knowing when not to fight." Kanan pointed out as the rest of the Ghost crew entered the cockpit.

"And we'll be beside you either way." Hera said confidently as she, Zeb and Serah gathered around the Jedi pair, which Ahsoka watched with a smile before she faced outer space, feeling some dread about Darth Vader, as she sensed familiarity with him.

Regardless, both Ender and Kanan were right, that they need to be ready to fight, as well as know when to fight, as a Sith Lord is on a whole other league compared to an Inquisitor.


Sorry for taking a while to upload this chapter. I was just taking a break, both to relax and to plan out future stories I want to write in the future.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to adapt season 2, especially with certain added elements that will make things interesting. But don't expect them for a while.