Mira’s P.O.V.

Mira watched the formidable form of the Imperial cruiser pass by through the viewport, breaking focus briefly to smile in amusement at the awed face of Ezra Bridger.

“This ship is the coolest!” he exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement.

Thank goodness the Church was able to obtain a ship with a cloaking device. During these times, under the Empire’s watchful eye, it must have been no small feat.

Frida had described it as nothing less than a miracle, and Mira certainly believed it.

“Ready to attach,” Ahsoka announced, easing forward on the controls.

Mira drew a breath and held it as they advanced closer to their intended target. Then, with a slight jolt, the ship magnetized to the cruiser’s surface, completely undetected.

Mira breathed out.

Let’s hope the rest of this mission goes as smoothly.

Ahsoka powered down the ship before relinquishing her role as pilot and turning to face the others.

“Everyone ready?” she queried.

Kanan, Ezra, and Mira all nodded.

“Don’t forget, once on board the enemy cruiser, it’s important that we stay together. Is that understood?”

Again, the others nodded.

“All right. Let’s go.”

Kallus’ P.O.V.

Kallus walked the mute gray halls of the Imperial dreadnought, his boots tapping on the cold, hard floor and echoing softly off the walls, his eyes flitting between the manifest in his hands and the occasional stormtrooper passing by.

His focus inevitably kept coming back to the baffling word beneath the cargo heading.

“Unlisted,” it said.

Unlisted?

He would’ve expected someone of his clearance to be at least privy to what it was they were transporting. But it had all been overseen by some unknown figure with seemingly no title.

All Kallus knew was their destination.

Wayland.

He’d only been there once, and hadn’t even been permitted to enter the Imperial base there at the time.

He doubted this time would be any different.

There’s far too much strange activity going on as of late.

He’d heard the rumors surrounding Myrkr, that a high-ranking official had been sent there to conduct research.

That, coupled with the presence of the mysterious research station on Wayland, made it clear that the Emperor had a very high priority secret.

Perhaps they’re building something? A superweapon?

It would certainly be a decisive play…and a devastating one.

He remembered his part in the slaughter of the Lasat. How he had driven them from their homeworld and to the brink of extinction.

For revenge.

For his Empire.

“I was only doing my duty,” he had told the Lasat rebel on Bahryn, “I never asked questions.”

“Are you afraid of the answers you’ll get?” the Lasat had challenged him.

Not anymore.

Kallus stopped in front of a door, punching in the proper code to the control panel and triggering it open. He stepped through the circular frame, pausing just inside. A massive vault stood a few paces ahead, but the path was barred by the very one who had overseen this whole venture. He stood guarding the unknown cargo, his back facing Kallus, his long robes narrowly avoiding brushing the floor.

He was dressed mostly in black, with the hem of his robes being a sharply contrasting red. Beneath his cloak, he wore a white shirt, as well as vambraces to protect his forearms. His hair and eyes were both dark, his skin tanned.

The Guardian of Tantiss is what they called him.

Kallus knew him as the imposing skug who never spoke, simply choosing to stare down whatever poor soul made an attempt to speak with him.

Kallus stepped forward, lowering the manifest.

“I wish to inspect the cargo,” he announced brusquely.

Finally, the Guardian turned ever so slightly in Kallus’ direction, a single black orb fixing unwaveringly on the agent. His gaze seemed to encompass Kallus’ entire being, breaking him down to individual cells and atoms. And that eye continued to stare, unblinking.

It was highly disconcerting to say the least.

“May I remind you that as an ISB agent, I have a very high level of clearance?” Kallus pressed, refusing to back down so easily, “A simple cargo check is well within my prerogative.”

For a second, the Guardian stood still as a statue. Then he turned to face Kallus fully, the intimidating aura surrounding him seeming to intensify as he moved. Kallus took an involuntary step backward, his hardened expression chipping. He cleared his throat forcefully, fixing his countenance to what it was before.

“Very well, but I’ll be reporting this indignity to the Emperor when next I see him.” Quietly, he added, “You may be his chosen guard dog, but as an Imperial intelligence officer, my title is to be respected.”

The Guardian of Tantiss, who’d had his arms comfortably folded up until this point, now slowly let them down, muscles flexing as though preparing to free Kallus’ head from his shoulders. The Guardian may have only been human, but he stood at least a good head taller than the ISB agent, and his hand seemed easily large enough to crack a man’s skull with minimal effort.

Kallus had to resist the urge to run, instead backing away from the daunting figure gradually while fighting to keep on a mask of calm disapproval.

Then he was over the threshold and the door was snapping shut, cutting off the Guardian from his line of sight. He almost breathed a sigh of relief, running a hand over his face and catching up beads of cold sweat in the process.

I’m playing with fire here.

He had done as the Lasat had advised. He had started asking questions.

But to what end?

He hardly knew. But the desire for truth that he had gained through his experience on Bahryn wasn’t something that could be so easily pushed aside and forgotten. At the very least, he knew that.

A sound from above caught his attention and he looked up quickly, his eyes settling on the vent directly overhead. He quirked an eyebrow at the grating, wondering at whatever it was he had heard.

Then, slowly, he moved off down the hall, leaving the seemingly insignificant mystery behind.

Mira’s P.O.V.

Ahsoka waited a few more moments to make sure the coast was clear before lifting the grating from the ventilation shaft and dropping lightly down into the corridor below. She turned, beckoning to the others to follow suit. While Ahsoka watched for any enemy arrivals, the other three descended to her level one by one.

Once Ezra’s boots connected with the floor, he spun to face the direction Kallus had headed, his expression twisting into one of anger.

“Kallus,” he hissed.

Mira remembered how the color had drained from the young boy’s face when Ahsoka had first whispered the name.

“Who is he?” she asked gently.

“He’s an Imperial intelligence agent,” Kanan explained, “And this is far from our first run-in with him.”

“He kidnapped me, set traps for us, tortured Kanan, and tried to kill us multiple times!” Ezra proclaimed loudly, prompting Kanan to sharply remind him of the need for quiet.

“His methods are…barbaric to say the least,” Kanan added, clearly troubled by the memories, “He would rip children away from their families, poison the supplies of innocent refugees. And that’s not even the worst of it.”

“He sounds…despicable,” Mira said, appalled by the gruesome picture her companions had painted.

“He is,” Ahsoka weighed in, her tone sinister, “Just like any of the Empire’s puppets.”

Even those who serve it against their choice? Mira asked silently, but she ultimately left the question unspoken.

Ahsoka tiptoed over to the door leading to the cruiser’s vault, pausing to draw out a stolen manifest.

“This is it,” she said, “According to the manifest, there’s only one person guarding the crystals.”

“Do you think it’s an Inquisitor?” Ezra asked.

“Most likely.”

“Well,” Ezra said cockily, allowing himself a lopsided smile, “This should be no problem then. Inquisitors are old hat for us, right, Kanan?” He straightened suddenly, his arrogantly relaxed expression morphing into anticipation as he turned to Mira. “And with veterans such as you and Ahsoka, it’ll be twice as easy! I’ve seen Ahsoka in action against Inquisitors, and let me tell you—”

“Keep your voice down,” Kanan hissed impatiently.

Ahsoka ignited her dual blades, plunging them into the doorway and getting started carving the rebels an entrance.

“Keep a lookout,” she told the others.

“It’ll go faster with someone helping you,” Mira offered.

But Ahsoka insisted, “I’ve got it.”

“If anyone comes, just let me handle it,” Ezra volunteered smugly, “I’ve been practicing my mind trick technique.”

“Or,” Kanan interjected cuttingly, causing Ezra to actually flinch, “You could leave it to a professional who’s not as widely known and wanted by the Empire.”

He looked to Mira pointedly.

“Oh, of course,” she accepted readily, “My mind trick may be a little rusty, but if you consider me the best candidate, then I’m happy to accept the challenge.”

“That sounded way less confident than my delivery,” Ezra said, earning a tired shove from Kanan. “I’m just saying!” he barrelled ahead, “If I were you, I would’ve been way more comfortable letting me do it.”

Mira stifled a laugh.

Her mirth, however, quickly vanished at the sound of approaching footsteps. She glanced over at Kanan and his padawan, noting their equally grim expressions.

“Ahsoka,” she whispered urgently.

“Almost through,” Ahsoka answered, taking a second or two more to complete the circle, “There!”

As soon as the triumphant proclamation escaped her, the severed piece of metal snapped outward with startling force, crashing into the Togruta and sending her flying backward over thirty feet. Mira stared, frozen in shock, until the footsteps she’d heard came close enough to admit their source within view.

One of the stormtroopers gave a surprised shout, “What’s going on here?!”

His companion broke off, approaching Ahsoka’s unconscious form.

“Lightsabers!” he gasped, stabbing a finger at Mira and the others, “They’re Jedi!”

“Ahsoka!” Ezra shouted worriedly, moving toward her.

Kanan quickly seized his apprentice by the scruff of his neck, holding him back with one hand while going for his lightsaber with the other. Mira went for her weapon too, but surprisingly, neither stormtrooper fired off a single shot. Instead, they backed away, dragging the limp Togruta with them.

Then Mira felt it. An overwhelming sense of dread. And it seemed to be emanating from just to her right. She turned, coming face to face with an ominous stranger.

The man seemed to radiate doom. The feeling was overwhelming. Mira thought she might choke on it. It permeated every corner of her being, paralyzing her with fear such as she had never felt before. She had to get away, had to—

“Uh, guys? Who’s…”

Ezra’s question died in his throat as the stranger drew out a lightsaber hilt. Mira recognized the helve as that of a lightstaff.

Reacting instinctively, she leapt back, tapping into the force and yanking Kanan and Ezra back just as the figure ignited his weapon and swung.

Ahsoka said we need to stay together, Mira thought, forcing down her panic.

“Ezra! Help Ahsoka!” she shouted, raising her saber to prepare for the fight of her life.

The stranger's blade came crashing down on hers with startling force. Thankfully, before she could buckle under the pressure, Kanan came to the rescue, joining Mira in her attempt to force their opponent back.

Then at last came Ezra’s response, “Right…right!”

Mira watched out of the corner of her eye as he raced off after Ahsoka and her captors.

He’ll have to face the stormtroopers on his own…

A hefty boot slammed into Mira’s gut, forcing all the air out of her body and knocking her legs out from under her. Without her aid, Kanan quickly crumbled to the enemy’s attacks, only narrowly avoiding being sliced in half due to some nimble footwork. Then the stranger threw out a hand, and Mira felt the force ripple from the sheer power of his command.

Even Vader never showed such capabilities. And Rain only narrowly survived her encounter with him, even when she had Grievous’ help. So how are we expected to survive a foe like this?!

Kanan, seized in the invisible grip of his opponent, lurched forward, heading straight toward the stranger’s bared blade. Mira reached out, using the force to push back the enemy’s weapon from its intended target. The man only just avoided being seared by his own lightsaber through moving it in unison with Mira’s force push. Mira watched, stunned, as the stranger used the momentum to swing his blade around to his opposite hand. Thankfully, this forced him to release his hold on Kanan, allowing the rebel to defend himself against his enemy’s invigorated attack. The strike was so powerful however that Kanan had to throw himself backward to prevent his own lightsaber from being slammed into his face.

We need help, Mira thought desperately as her companion landed in a heap beside her, We need help NOW!

Ezra’s P.O.V.

Ezra barrelled down the corridor, barking at the pair of stormtroopers once they were in view.

“Let her go!”

Both bucket-heads turned in his direction, momentarily caught off guard.

Then a third appeared, firing past his fellow stormtroopers toward Ezra. There was no available cover, so Ezra drew his lightsaber, deflecting the blaster bolts safely away from both himself and Ahsoka, who was swinging precariously between the two Imps, her arms held by one and her legs by the other.

Sorry, Ahsoka, Ezra thought, tapping into the force and pushing the duo off balance.

Then he sprinted forward, leaping over the flailing tangle of limbs and striking at the third decisively. The Imp went down, and Ezra rounded back toward the other two, switching his lightsaber over to blaster mode and finishing them off quickly. Then he was kneeling at the Togruta’s side, fiercely trying to shake her awake.

“Ahsoka! Wake up! Please!”

A ripple in the force warned Ezra of incoming danger, and he ducked only just in time to avoid taking a blaster bolt to the shoulder. Whipping around, he re-engaged his lightsaber, parrying the incoming shots from two—no, three new arrivals. Ezra gritted his teeth, struggling to hold his defense.

Stang! I could really use some more training!

His awkward position coupled with the fact that he had to protect the sprawling form behind him in addition to himself certainly wasn’t helping the situation.

Come on, Ahsoka! We need you!

But if the limp Togruta could hear his silent cries, she gave no indication of it.

A well-aimed shot sent Ezra’s lightsaber flying out of his grip.

“No!” he yelled.

Panicked despair flooded through him.

Kanan and Mira are fighting that…that man, and I can’t even do my share.

The Imperial troopers closed in, ordering him to stand down. Ezra did as they said, raising his arms above his head in surrender.

Ahsoka, please…

Suddenly, the stormtroopers catapulted backward, landing in a disoriented jumble some distance away. Ezra turned his gaze, finding Ahsoka’s hand outstretched beside him. Her eyes were bleary, her head obviously still troubling her given that her other hand was clutching it, but she was awake.

Thank goodness for that!

He gave her a nod, summoning his lightsaber to him with the force. The bucket-heads were just beginning to sort themselves out by that point, so Ezra switched back to blaster mode to finish them off. With the threat incapacitated, the boy then turned his full attention to his companion, helping her into a sitting position.

“What happened?” Ahsoka groaned.

“You got knocked out.”

Ahsoka surveyed her surroundings.

“Where are Kanan and Mira? I told them we need to stick together!”

“It’s not their fault! They’re fighting the guy who knocked you out.”

“Then we should join them,” the Togruta declared, pushing herself to her feet and taking a second or two to steady herself.

“Are you okay?” Ezra asked worriedly.

“Fine,” Ahsoka answered shortly, “Where are my lightsabers?”

Ezra obligingly fetched her weaponry from the dispatched stormtroopers, handing them back to her one at a time. Ahsoka fixed them to her side before starting off, beginning with an easy walking pace and then gradually shifting into a run.

Stolen novel; please report.

Hang on, Kanan, Mira, Ezra thought as he closely shadowed the Togruta, We’re coming, so hang on!

Mira’s P.O.V.

Mira watched helplessly as her own lightsaber arced downward, threatening to cut her in half. Kanan, having been disarmed as well, threw himself at the enemy out of desperation, seizing the stranger’s arm and pressing upward with all his might, slowing the lightsaber’s descent enough for Mira to throw herself out of the way. Seeing an opening, she took it, aiming a sharp kick at her opponent’s shins. It produced no reaction at all.

Oh, force…

Mira hadn’t felt so wildly panicked since Order 66.

This is the end, she thought, For all of us.

And she fully believed it.

The stranger slammed his knee into Kanan’s gut, crumpling him like a ragdoll. Then he raised his double-bladed lightsaber to aim the finishing blow.

In that moment, the purest instinct flowed through Mira, forcing an unwelcome name from her lips.

“Rain!”

The man wavered as though off balance, and it took Mira a second to realize he was off balance. The stranger’s head turned toward the new threat that had presented itself, and Mira followed his gaze, half expecting to see her twin sister standing there. It was, of course, Ahsoka. The Togruta’s stance issued a silent challenge, which she quickly followed up with a verbal one.

“Stand down!”

The stranger turned to face her fully, discarding Mira’s lightsaber as he did so. Evidently, he no longer registered her and Kanan as a threat. Mira’s despair deepened at the thought.

After receiving no answer from her opponent, Ahsoka pressed on, “I sense you are strong in the dark side, but even so, I have nothing to fear from you!”

Mira watched, horrified, as Ahsoka drew her lightsabers.

I have to warn her…she doesn’t stand a chance!

“Ahsoka, wait!”

But her pleas fell on deaf ears. Ahsoka barrelled forward, her white sabers clashing with the enemy’s red.

It lasted only a moment.

Holding her off with one hand, the stranger used his other to bend the force to his will, pinning Ahsoka’s arms to her sides and sending her crashing into one wall and then the other before depositing her onto the cold, unyielding floor.

We’re nothing to him. Nothing at all…

Ahsoka raised her head weakly, her eyes sweeping the room.

Then they flicked upward, settling on the open vent through which the rebels had come.

She wouldn’t. She WOULDN’T!

Mira felt like she was trapped in a nightmare as she watched Ahsoka leap into the ventilation shaft, leaving her fellow rebels behind in a desperate escape attempt. The stranger reacted quickly, using the force to collapse the duct. Mira heard nothing, no cries, no shouts of pain, or anything of the sort. Maybe Ahsoka had escaped. Maybe she hadn’t. Ultimately, it didn’t matter. She had abandoned them to their fate.

The stranger deactivated his lightsaber, returning his attention to his last conquest.

“Ezra, run!” Kanan shouted frantically.

But it was no use. Without even looking at him, the stranger reached through the force to grab hold of young Ezra, dragging his struggling form toward where he stood. Then, with his other hand, he lifted Mira and Kanan off the floor, leaving them dangling helplessly in midair. Mira felt her throat start to constrict. She fought it with all her might, fought to breathe, to live. But her vision was quickly growing dim, and judging by the choking noises coming from Ezra and Kanan, the same was happening to them.

“Ah, I heard this level suffered a breach,” a voice said, causing the stranger’s concentration to momentarily lapse, “But by the look of things, you have it well under control.”

Mira took the opportunity to suck in a lungful of air, turning her head with some difficulty in order to catch a glimpse of the speaker.

It was Kallus.

“Do you think it wise to kill them?” he continued nonchalantly, “No doubt, we could find other uses for these rebels. Besides, I imagine Vader would be pleased to have some Jedi for his newly reconstructed prison on Stygeon Prime, especially since these are the same Jedi who destroyed it in the first place. And of course, the Emperor would want examples made out of them.”

Mira couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Vader…alive? But, how?!

She thought of that lone ship fleeing the venator over Stygeon Prime.

It can’t have been him…could it?

What if Rain had been right? What if they’d allowed one of their greatest enemies to escape that day?

We couldn’t have known. None of us sensed him.

“But first things first,” Kallus was saying, “They should be questioned. We don’t know how many rebels could be onboard.”

The darksider must have agreed, because Mira and the others were abruptly dropped, landing painfully on the hard floor. Together, the three aimed a harsh glare at the Imperial officer.

Ezra, though a little hoarse, managed to snap, “We won’t tell you anything!”

Kallus regarded him coolly, “I’m sure you’ll change your mind, when it comes down to it.” He nodded to his escort, which was made up of four or five stormtroopers, “Set blasters to stun. If they resist, shoot them.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Mira said, making no effort to veil the anger in her voice.

She got to her feet, placing her hands behind her head, and motioned for Kanan and Ezra to do the same. Ezra was last to comply, then they were all filed away.

“This isn’t over, Kallus,” Kanan said darkly as they passed the officer.

Kallus didn’t bother to reply.

The three Jedi were placed in interconnecting cells ray-shielded on every side. And there they waited.

“Ahsoka will come for us, right?” Ezra asked hopefully.

“Ezra, we have to consider that…well, Ahsoka might not be alive,” Kanan explained somberly, “It would’ve taken some very quick thinking to avoid that attack.”

“But she could’ve seen it coming and used the force to get out of the way in time! That’s a possibility, right?”

“Ezra,” Mira said with a mixture of firmness and gentleness, “That doesn’t change the reality that Ahsoka left us. She went against her own instructions in an attempt to preserve herself. She acted antithetical to the Jedi values.”

“But…what if she knew this was going to happen? What if it was her plan to rescue us all along?”

“Ezra, the man we fought had every intention of killing us. Ahsoka knew that, yet she left anyway. She had no intention of any rescue.”

Ezra’s gaze fell and he sank to the floor, folding his legs under his chin and lapsing into silence. Mira almost felt bad for forcing him to face the truth, but it was better that he learned while young how to recognize a traitor, or his naive soul would forever be taken advantage of.

“Mira.”

She turned her focus to Kanan. He appeared perplexed.

“During the fight, that guy was going to stab me. And…I thought I heard you call your sister.”

Mira turned away, clasping her hands tightly together.

“I did. I hardly know why. Or maybe I do. My sister had—has many flaws, but she always tried her best to protect me. I suppose one can grow accustomed to that over the years.”

She thought back to the painful moment when she had parted from Rain, and her twin’s stinging words: “You were rigid and selfish and ungrateful!”

After being so long forgotten, the question she had asked herself after learning of Rain’s defection to the Separatists jumped to the forefront of her mind.

Did I take her too much for granted?

She thought of their childhood promise, and Rain’s harsh accusation.

“Through all those years, you never once told me you loved me.”

I tried to show her that I cared through pushing her to be better, but…maybe that wasn’t what she needed.

She recalled the image of Rain curled against the interior of their ship, her face hidden in her long hair, her hand desperately clinging to Mira’s.

That was in the wake of Trish’s departure.

It was always hard for me to understand what it was she needed.

At the time, all Rain had been able to say was, “Trish is gone.”

“I’m sorry, Rain,” Mira had answered.

And she had meant it. But a moment later, Rain withdrew her hand, and Mira left, assuming that was what her older sister had wanted.

Maybe I should’ve reacted differently…

But the opportunity had long since passed, and there was nothing Mira could do to change her actions.

“They say absence makes the heart grow fonder,” Kanan half-joked, cutting into Mira’s musings.

“Yes,” she answered briefly, not wanting to delve into the subject any further.

The door to the holding room slid open then, admitting Kallus. In one hand, he held Mira’s saber, in the other, Kanan and Ezra’s. He gave a nod to the two stormtroopers keeping watch just outside, and the door slid shut again. Approaching the cells at a leisurely pace, he examined the weapons in his hands with a bored expression.

“Those don’t belong to you,” Kanan hissed.

Kallus shifted his gaze to Kanan, his bored countenance remaining intact. Ezra got to his feet, his body visibly tense.

“Let’s get down to business, shall we?” Kallus said, “Are there any other rebels onboard this ship?”

“No,” Mira answered crisply, prompting uncertain looks from both Kanan and Ezra.

“Good,” Kallus replied, his attitude seeming to change on a dime, “Then we have nothing else to worry about.”

He stepped forward, disabling the ray-shields on Mira’s cell and tossing her her lightsaber. The rebels stared in shock.

“I don’t understand,” Mira said.

“A rebel once saved my life,” the agent explained, “So now I’m going to save yours.”

“No, no,” Kanan insisted, shaking his head, “This is some kind of trick. Don’t trust him, Mira.”

“Look, if you want to escape this ship, you’re going to have to trust me. We’ll need to make it look like you escaped on your own and took me as hostage.”

Mira clutched her lightsaber tightly, remembering the things Kanan and Ezra had told her about the man standing before her. Her brows furrowed in renewed anger.

“I’ve heard the things you’ve done to rebels,” she glared, “That record speaks for itself.”

Kallus regarded her thoughtfully for a moment before responding, “Fortunately for you, people aren’t always so two-dimensional.”

Mira was stunned. His words were frighteningly similar to something Rain had once told her. But beyond her unsettling sense of déjà vu, she found herself remembering Frida’s words.

“Not everyone is deserving of sympathy, but I believe all living things deserve to be understood.”

“All right then,” Kanan said suddenly, his tone dark, “If we’re going to do this, we’ll have to make it look convincing. Mira, a little help?”

“Wait,” Mira said, shaking off her dazedness to address Kallus, “If your intentions are good, then prove it, beyond a shadow of a doubt.”

The agent’s countenance displayed a mixture of confusion and skepticism.

He scoffed, “And how exactly am I supposed to do that?”

“Open your mind to me.”

“Wait, would that…really work?” Ezra queried.

“Yes, but it’s up to you to see that it does,” Mira said pointedly, her attention still fixed on Kallus, “Lower your mental defenses. Let me in completely so that there can be no misunderstanding.”

Kallus retreated a step, “I’d rather not have you digging around in my head, if you don’t mind.”

“He won’t agree to it, Mira,” Kanan said bitterly.

“I’ll only take what I need,” Mira explained, “And leave your memories untouched.”

Kallus considered her a moment, glancing to Kanan, then back.

“Very well,” he said quietly, “Do it, and quickly.”

Mira stepped forward, placing her fingertips on Kallus’ temples.

“Relax,” she instructed.

The ISB agent released a long breath, closing his eyes. Mira sensed his guard falling away, allowing her entry. Their consciousnesses mingled, and Mira, with a twinge surprise, realized the Imperial officer had been true to his word. There was no malice, no hidden agenda, simply the sincerest intention to help.

Mira withdrew, wasting no time in relaying her findings to her fellow Jedi, “He’s telling the truth.”

“What?” Ezra gasped, “No way!”

Mira moved away from Kallus, deactivating the ray shields on the cell immediately next to hers. Kanan wasted no time, striding forward and roughly seizing the ISB agent by his collar.

“Wait!” Mira protested, grabbing hold of Kanan’s sleeve.

Kallus looked deeply alarmed but in the end all Kanan did was lean in close and whisper fiercely, “I still don’t trust you.”

He released his grip, giving Kallus a chance to recompose himself.

“Fair enough,” he said a little shakily.

“I’ll take those,” Kanan hissed, snatching both his and Ezra’s lightsabers from Kallus’ hands.

Then he strode over to Ezra’s cell, freeing his student from his confines. Without warning, Ezra threw up a hand, slamming Kallus into the wall and prompting a surprised shout from him.

“Ezra!” Kanan snapped.

“What? You said we had to make it convincing!”

The door to the holding cell flew open then, allowing the outside guard entrance. They raced into the room, alerted by Kallus’ cry of distress.

“Sir!” one shouted in alarm when they saw the situation.

Kanan reacted quickly, grabbing hold of Kallus so as to use him for a shield.

“Back off, or he dies,” Kanan warned.

Mira and Ezra flanked him, weapons drawn, but as it turned out, their services weren’t needed. With some additional encouragement from Kallus, the stormtroopers did as instructed, backing away slowly and lowering their blasters.

“Tell them you want this level cleared,” Kallus whispered to his captor.

“Don’t tell me what to do,” Kanan hissed back before raising his voice to the guards, “We want this level cleared! NOW!”

The Imps continued their gradual retreat, relaying the rebel’s demands through their communicators. Once that was complete, they turned on their heels and ran. Thus, the first step to ensuring the rebels’ freedom was underway.

“Start walking,” Kanan ordered the prisoner, pushing him ahead.

Kallus obeyed, his expression grim.

“I’m assuming,” he began, “That you navigated the ship undetected by means of the ventilation system? Or was it just coincidence that I heard noises coming from the ducts shortly before you made your appearance? You rebels never were very good with stealth missions.”

“Shut it, Kallus,” Kanan glared, clearly in no mood for Kallus’ unsubtle jabs.

Evidently, the agent was unintimidated by his captor’s outburst, since he only remained silent for a few seconds at most.

“Well, if that was how you got in, then that’s how you can take your leave.”

“Actually, we weren’t thinking of leaving just yet,” Kanan answered.

“We weren’t?” Ezra queried.

Mira was equally surprised as the young padawan. But it was Kallus who put her unspoken question into words.

“You can’t possibly still be thinking of trying to get your hands on the cargo,” he said, clearly baffled.

“Maybe.”

“Kanan,” Mira said, “We can’t risk it.”

“There’s people counting on us to get those crystals back,” her fellow Jedi reminded her.

“I know—”

“Wait,” Ezra interjected, “We have a prisoner.”

Kallus scoffed, “I’m not your real prisoner. This whole thing was my idea—”

Ezra continued as though the agent hadn’t spoken at all, “We could use him to get that guy guarding the crystals to stand down. Or we could use Kallus to lure him away!”

“The Guardian isn’t going to be lured anywhere,” Kallus insisted.

“The Guardian? Is that what he’s called?”

“Yes. And he hasn’t been letting so much as a sweeper droid near the cargo. Even with my clearance, I haven’t been able to lay eyes on it.”

Mira thought back to their recent battle.

He never once moved during the fight. Not a single step out of place, despite all our efforts.

A renewed apprehension swept through her.

“Kanan,” she said again, “We won’t survive another confrontation with him. It’s not worth—”

A resounding crash from overhead cut her off mid-sentence, and Ahsoka descended into their midst, blades ignited and at the ready. She swung at Kallus, showing no hesitation.

“NO!” Mira shouted, tapping into the force and slamming the Togruta backward.

Her lightsabers narrowly missed their target, singeing Kallus’ clothing and leaving him deathly white. Mira stepped forward, fury pulsing through her veins. Ahsoka seemed equally enraged.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she hissed.

“You almost killed an ally,” Mira seethed, “After you left us behind out of cowardice!”

“How DARE you?!” Ahsoka snapped back.

“That’s…that’s not true, is it, Ahsoka?” Ezra asked hesitantly.

Ahsoka softened her expression, “No. I would never leave you. I was watching for you this whole time.” She turned to glare at Kallus. “Your prisoner is misleading you.”

“How do you know that?” Mira demanded.

Ahsoka directed her disapproval back to the twin.

“He’s an Imperial agent. That’s all the proof you need. People like him don’t change.”

“I looked into his mind and couldn’t find a single indication of falsity,” Mira recounted, “You’re wrong.”

The Togruta’s scowl deepened. “I’m not.”

“Ah, sorry to break this up,” Kallus said, sounding a little hoarse from the shock he’d just received, “But you’re going to have to make a decision. And I can tell you for certain that trying to get the crystals would be suicide. The only information I have on the shipment is that it’s headed to Wayland, but whatever its intended use may be is beyond my clearance. However, I do know something that might be useful to you. There are some unusual reports surrounding Myrkr these days, and I believe it may have some connection to what’s happening on Wayland. Fortunately for you, Myrkr is under far less heavy guard, so if you go there, I’m guessing you might just be able to figure out whatever secrets Wayland holds.”

“That’s a lot of ifs and maybes,” Ezra pointed out.

“We don’t need your advice, Kallus,” Kanan glowered.

Ahsoka jabbed a lightsaber toward the Imperial officer, silently threatening.

“Come on, guys,” she said, “We’re getting those crystals.”

Mira didn’t budge.

“No.”

Ahsoka faced her, sheer venom in her expression.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re not going to order us to our deaths, Ahsoka. I won’t allow it.”

“I’m in charge here, Mira, not you,” Ahsoka reminded gratingly.

“I am aware of that, but regardless of whether or not you think Agent Kallus is lying, we know the Guardian cannot be trifled with! We must leave.”

“We’ll do no such thing.”

“Ahsoka? Maybe she’s right,” Ezra interjected timidly, “That guy seemed way too powerful for the three of you. You barely survived…”

Kanan watched his apprentice, running a weary hand over his face.

“I agree,” he said, sounding reluctant to admit it, “As much as I want to help get those crystals back to their rightful owners, it’s not worth sacrificing our lives over. That’s why we agreed to make it a stealth op in the first place. I’m sure they’ll understand.”

Ahsoka looked over her teammates before coming to rest on Mira.

“I knew you weren’t ready for this mission,” she disparaged.

Mira’s blood boiled but she held her tongue.

“One last thing,” Kallus said, “One of you should use a Jedi mind trick on me. It’s better, for both myself and all of you, if I don’t remember helping you.”

“Oh, oh!” Ezra volunteered excitedly.

“Hold on,” Kanan said, placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“I’ll do it,” Mira and Ahsoka said in unison.

The Togruta folded her arms across her chest, looking scornful.

“You mentioned earlier your mind trick was rusty. And clearly you couldn’t detect Kallus’ true intentions. Are you sure you can handle it?”

“Yes, I’m quite sure,” Mira said stubbornly, turning to face Kallus. “Relax your mind, just like before,” she told him.

He gave a measured nod, repeating the necessary steps. Mira let the force flow through her, once more enveloping the officer’s unresisting consciousness with her own.

“The rebels escaped on their own,” she said, “Unknown to you or any of the guards, one of them had a frequency jammer which disrupted the ray-shielded cells, allowing them to escape, reclaim their weapons, and take you as a hostage.”

Kallus’ eyes opened, appearing glazed as the mind trick took effect.

“Yes…” he said slowly, “That is what happened.”

“Good thinking,” Kanan lauded Mira.

Ahsoka seemed to be the only one displeased with her fellow Jedi’s apparent success. Her arms remained crossed. Mira released her hold on Kallus’ mind, and as realization flooded his face, he stepped back several paces. Mira could almost see the wheels in his head turning frantically, trying to puzzle out what to do about this unsettling situation he had found himself in. Then Ahsoka threw up a hand, effortlessly slamming him backward into the wall. Mira watched, feeling completely caught off guard, as he slumped to the floor unconsciously.

“Come on,” Ahsoka said, effectively barring any discussion on the matter.

Ezra, then Kanan leapt into the open vent. Once they were clear, Ahsoka looked to Mira.

“Well?” she said testily.

Mira silently climbed into the shaft.

Ezra’s P.O.V.

“Do you think Mira’s right about Ahsoka?” Ezra whispered concernedly to his teacher once they were safely aboard their ship.

Kanan sighed, “I have no idea what Ahsoka’s mindset was, Ezra. At the time, I was lying on the floor feeling like my gut had been pulverized.”

“I didn’t see her face when she left, but Mira did.”

“Look, Mira might’ve seen fear, or she might’ve seen something that she mistook for fear. It’s possible that Ahsoka disregarded her own orders in the hope that she’d find a real chance to rescue us somewhere down the line, or it’s possible that Mira was right and Ahsoka left because she was afraid. Either way, I can’t hold it against her. Our superiors aren’t going to be perfect all the time, Ezra. They have to make hard choices just like we did when we operated on our own.”

Ezra nodded slowly, thinking back to the frequent glares Mira had exchanged with her older twin.

Maybe she just got used to criticizing people in charge and needs to readjust like I did when I joined the Spectres?

Ultimately, he didn’t want to believe Ahsoka had any ill intent. Neither Kanan nor he knew her all that well, but even so, in the times that they had worked together, she’d seemed very likeable.

She said she was watching for us. She probably felt bad for leaving us behind.

Ezra glanced across to the opposite end of the bridge where Mira and Ahsoka were, recalling their exchange just before the escape.

“I knew you weren’t ready for this mission,” Ahsoka had said.

But Mira had made the right call…hadn’t she? If she hadn’t challenged Ahsoka’s orders, they might not have been alive to second-guess themselves. Kanan had even agreed, despite initially siding with Ahsoka.

Ezra remembered his own paralyzing fear in the Guardian’s presence.

No…they had made the right choice.

So why did Ahsoka seem so…so…?

The words escaped him. Perhaps Ahsoka just wasn’t used to having her orders defied so openly. Then there was the matter of her commenting on Mira’s abilities to use a mind trick. Ezra supposed she could’ve been genuinely concerned, but something about the tone had felt off. It’d sounded too…

Condescending.

Ezra had heard it many times from Imperials who’d seen him as nothing more than street trash, so it sounded wrong coming from the mouth of someone he considered a friend and ally, even if it wasn’t directed at him.

Whatever the problem is between the two of them, I hope they sort it out…

But watching Mira leaning over Ahsoka as she piloted and exchanging a series of angry whispers with her, it seemed unlikely.