Ezra’s P.O.V.
The ship shuddered slightly under Ezra’s feet, signalling that they had docked with the Rebel command ship. The crew filed off the shuttle one by one, stepping into the stark white surroundings of the much larger vessel. But they had barely taken a few steps when their little droid Chopper waved his tiny mechanical arms in warning. Sabine turned toward him, pausing to listen to his garbling.
“Chopper said a transmitter activated on our shuttle moments ago,” Sabine translated, her voice laced with obvious alarm.
“What does that mean?” Ezra queried.
Kanan answered for him, “It means the Empire tracked us back to the fleet!”
He turned, racing off down the hall. Ezra and Sabine followed as quickly as they could. Hera reached the command center first, where Commander Sato and Ahsoka Tano were quietly conversing with each other.
“Commander Sato!” Hera said breathlessly, “We need the fleet to jump out of here! Our shuttle was tracked.”
Before the commander could reply, someone sitting at the control panel turned to face them.
“Commander. Scanning a ship entering our sector.”
Hera and Kanan exchanged a look. Commander Sato reached down, activating the holomap next to them. Turning back to the person seated at the control panel, he ordered them to summon all their fighters to the command center. Upon their arrival, the fighters’ concern quickly lessened.
“We’re tracking one target,” one of the pilots said, pointing to the virtual map.
The person at the control panel spoke up.
“It’s not an Imperial fighter,” he said, “Our scanners say it’s a Conqueror-class assault ship.”
Someone else seated at the panel cut in, “Commander, we’re receiving an incoming transmission. Whoever’s on that ship is trying to contact us.”
Commander Sato’s brow furrowed, “Put it through.”
The holomap disappeared, replaced by an image of a masked figure which Ezra recognized at once.
“Hey! That’s one of those masked fighters from Lothal!” he declared excitedly, pointing at the figure.
“Greetings, rebels,” the stranger said, addressing Commander Sato, “I carry a warning. You have a stolen Imperial shuttle among your fleet. The Empire is tracking it.”
“You’re a little late,” Hera said, “But thanks for the warning.”
“I am not the one you should be thanking.”
“Who are you?” Ezra blurted.
But the stranger’s attention was elsewhere, leaving Ezra’s question unanswered.
“Are my eyes deceiving me?” she queried, “Or is that Ahsoka Tano?”
Ahsoka’s blue eyes widened in surprise. Ezra stared at her.
“You know her?”
The Togruta’s gaze flitted between the holoscreen and Ezra.
“I—”
Kanan stepped forward, cutting her off.
“Why are you helping us?” he asked the stranger.
Instead of answering the question, the woman stepped aside, allowing her counterpart into view.
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” the white-clad stranger replied.
Ezra noted that the second sounded feminine as well.
“Commander.” All heads turned toward the control panel again. “There’s another ship entering our sector. We’ve identified it as an Imperial fighter.”
“Just the one?” Sato asked.
“Yes, Commander.”
“Commander,” the white-clad stranger said, “You can count on our support.”
With that, the transmission cut out.
“I want Phoenix Squadron to intercept that enemy fighter!” Sato ordered.
The fighters complied, running to their stations. Ezra and the rest of the team remained. It wasn’t long before the rebel ships were dispatched. Commander Sato pulled up the holomap again.
“Fighter, coming in at mark three!” one pilot said, his voice emanating through the command centre’s comms.
“He’s coming in too fast!” another said.
“Fleet, raise deflector shields,” Hera ordered.
“We’ve lost Phoenix One and Two!”
Ezra pointed to the map, singling out the enemy fighter.
“He’s heading right for us!”
“Enemy fighter’s making for the command ship!” one pilot confirmed.
Then suddenly the ship lurched, causing people to scramble for something to grab on to.
“Where’s that assault ship?” Sato demanded.
Ezra searched it out on the map. It was sitting there, not moving, not helping at all. Ezra felt utterly bewildered.
“What are they doing?” he asked.
“Nothing,” Kanan answered, “They’re doing nothing.”
The ship rocked again.
“Sir!” It was the man at the control panel again. “Our hyperdrive has been damaged!”
“How can one fighter best our entire squadron?” Sato demanded.
“Your pilots are outmatched, Commander!” Hera said.
Ezra turned to her, then back to the map, his face a picture of worry. He sought out the Conqueror-class vessel again, promptly releasing a cry of excitement once he found it.
“They’re moving! They’re going to help us!”
Sure enough, the assault ship was picking up speed, quickly pursuing the Imperial fighter. The two starships looped around the Rebel command vessel before doubling back. The Imperial fighter changed course, exchanging fire with the assault ship. Hera turned to Commander Sato.
“We need to get the fleet out of here,” she said, “That fighter can’t be the only one. The Empire knows where we are. They’ll send more.”
“She’s right, Commander,” Ahsoka agreed.
“I will not abandon our command ship!” Sato protested.
“You don’t have a choice, sir,” Hera said, “Without a hyperdrive, we must abandon ship.”
“The fighter has broken off its attack!” one of the remaining pilots announced.
All heads turned to the map to find the Imperial fighter now pursuing the assault ship.
“They did it!” Sato said.
But he had rejoiced too soon.
“Sir, we have star destroyers at sector five!”
“It’s now or never, Commander,” Kanan said.
Sato looked from Hera to Kanan to Ahsoka, then hung his head in defeat.
“I regretfully agree,” he relented, leaning down to speak directly into the comms system, “All hands, abandon the ship!”
“Let’s hope our mysterious friends manage to keep that fighter occupied,” Kanan said.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
“Wait...what are they doing?” Ezra queried.
The assault ship was headed straight for the Imperial dreadnoughts.
“Are they mad? They can’t take on star destroyers by themselves!” Sato insisted.
“Apparently, they believe otherwise,” Kanan said.
“Come on!” Hera urged, “Everyone to the Ghost!”
Ezra obeyed, hurrying to where their light freighter was docked. They had the ship fired up in no time.
“Ghost crew,” Sato’s voice said over the intercom, “The escape pods are secure. Fleet, commence hyperspace jump!”
“Copy that, Commander,” Hera answered, “We’ll meet you at safehaven.”
Something caught Ezra’s eyes through the viewport and he turned his head. His jaw dropped at the sight of flames erupting from one of the Imperial dreadnoughts.
“What is that?” he demanded.
All heads turned, regarding the blaze with shocked expressions. Sabine pressed closer to the viewport, squinting. Ezra did the same, throwing out an arm and pointing as he spotted the Imperial fighter.
“They disabled the Imperial fighter! I can see it.”
The fighter was floating aimlessly through space. Ezra strained his eyes again, looking for the assault ship. He soon found it hovering near the star destroyer that was going up in flames.
“Look!” he cried, “I can see the assault ship, but they’re too close to that star destroyer! They’re going to be caught in the blast!”
“There’s someone on the dreadnought!” Sabine exclaimed.
“They’re insane,” Kanan said disbelievingly.
“It’s okay,” Sabine announced, “Their ship is pulling away.”
“Hera!” Ezra said, “Send them the coordinates!”
“Already done,” Hera answered readily, “Get ready. I’m making the jump to hyperspace in three, two, one.”
Ezra watched as the distant stars stretched into infinite lines of cold blue light, pulling them away from the wreck of their Rebel command ship as well as the new friends they had made.
When they arrived at their destination, they docked with one of the corvettes, reuniting with Commander Sato and Ahsoka. Sato seemed deflated, crushed by the loss of his command ship.
“It could’ve been much worse,” Hera pointed out.
Ezra saw Kanan lay a hand on the Twi'lek’s shoulder, drawing her aside. His curiosity got the better of him. He crept toward them, straining to listen.
“Was it wise to give our coordinates to complete strangers without Commander Sato’s permission?” Kanan asked quietly.
“I know they were a little...well, questionable,” Hera replied, “But you heard what they said. The enemy of our enemy is our friend. I think we need all the allies we can get, and you saw what they were capable of.”
Kanan sighed, “Well, there’s no—”
“Commander.” Kanan turned his attention to the rebel addressing Sato. “Our scanners have picked up the assault ship in the area. They followed us, and are attempting to contact us now.”
Sato was surprised, “What? How did they know these coordinates?”
Hera stepped forward.
“I sent them the coordinates, Commander,” she confessed.
“Well, put the transmission through,” Sato told the rebel crewmember.
Everyone crowded around the tiny holoscreen projecting from the control board, watching as the white-clad figure appeared.
“Requesting permission to dock with your ship, sir,” she said.
Sato glanced at Ahsoka.
“I don’t believe they are a threat,” the Togruta said in answer to his unspoken question.
“If I may, Commander,” Hera interjected, “I think they might be of help to us. They already saved our skins today.”
“Very well. Permission granted.”
The transmission flickered out and Ezra waited in anticipation. Finally, his nerve broke and he ran for the exit, gesturing excitedly to Sabine.
“Come on!” he urged.
He heard Kanan calling him but he wasn’t about to stop. Sabine followed him to the docking bay, Hera, Kanan, Ahsoka, and Commander Sato arriving shortly thereafter.
“Well, this is quite the greeting party,” Kanan muttered, folding his arms across his chest.
They watched the doors of the docking bay, waiting. Then the doors opened.
Ezra took in the three imposing figures standing before him, the two masked strangers, and a tall caped droid unlike any Ezra had ever seen. It had a long face, with strangely organic-looking eyes of gold color.
Suddenly Ahsoka gasped, “Grievous!”
Ezra turned to her in surprise, watching as she drew her twin sabers. Kanan went for his weapon as well.
“What?” Sato said, confused.
“Everyone, get back!” Ahsoka shouted.
“Why?” Ezra asked.
“Ezra, that’s Grievous,” Kanan said, “He led the Separatist armies during the Clone Wars. He killed Jedi!”
“No, wait—” the white-clad stranger tried to protest, but her darker counterpart cut her off.
“I’m surprised at you, Ahsoka,” the woman said, stepping forward, “I would’ve thought you’d eventually notice that the Clone Wars ended a long time ago. The General abandoned his allegiance to the Sith years ago. It seems you’ve learned nothing...two-bit.”
“Two-bit?” Ahsoka echoed, taken aback, “Wait…”
The stranger peeled off her black mask, revealing a human face. Long dirty blonde hair spilled over her shoulders, her deep brown eyes narrowing in on Tano.
“Rain,” Ahsoka said, her expression souring.
Kanan cast a sidelong glance at the Togruta, “You know her?”
“We met as Jedi padawans during the Clone Wars,” the one called Rain answered, “And our...differing opinions doomed us to be rivals.”
Ahsoka scoffed, “Differing opinions? You must be referring to your own traitorous tendencies.”
Traitorous?!
Rain actually smiled satisfactorily before answering, “On the contrary, I was referring to your obvious resentment of your juniority and decidedly unfortunate skill gap. Oh, and let us not forget your rather interesting concept of prioritization.”
Priority? What does she mean? Ezra wondered, turning his attention to the Togruta.
Ahsoka was seething, her grip on her lightsabers so tight that the young Jedi could see her knuckles turning white.
“Rain!”
The quiet reprimand came from Rain’s white-clad counterpart. Rain didn’t seem terribly bothered by her companion’s chiding, choosing to use it as a segue.
“You haven’t forgotten my little sister, have you?” she asked, gesturing to her companion, who promptly discarded her helmet, revealing a face so alike to Rain’s it was almost scary.
The only difference between them was the hair. The younger sister’s was cut short, only coming down to her shoulders.
“Are you twins?” Ezra asked.
“Of course they’re twins,” Sabine reasoned.
“Yes,” the younger sister answered, a friendly smile on her face, “My name’s Mira, Mira Callyn.”
“So you’re both Jedi?” Ezra prodded ecstatically.
Rain’s eyes narrowed, directing a piercing glare at Ezra. Ezra pulled back slightly, wondering if he’d said something wrong. Mira appeared deeply uncomfortable.
“I am not a Jedi,” Rain said, “I have not associated myself with them in years.”
“Then you’re a Sith,” Kanan accused, still holding his lightsaber at the ready.
“I am not,” Rain hissed.
“I saw your red lightsaber,” Kanan pressed, “Only Inquisitors or Sith use them.”
“But they were fighting against that Vader guy, remember, Kanan?” Ezra defended.
Ahsoka’s interest was piqued. She lowered her sabers, her expression morphing from anger to a reserved curiosity.
“Vader?” she echoed.
Rain laughed suddenly, turning heads in her direction.
“I’m shocked that you of all people, two-bit, wouldn’t know who that is.”
Ahsoka quirked a brow incredulously, “Should I?”
Rain stared at her, mimicking the Togruta’s expression.
She pursed her lips, “How should I say this?”
“Rain, don’t—” Mira protested, but Rain held up a hand.
“They should know what they’re up against,” she insisted, “Vader was once a Jedi by the name of Anakin Skywalker.”
Ezra saw Ahsoka’s eyes widen.
“What? You’re lying!”
She looked to Mira for clarification. The younger twin hung her head.
“It’s true,” she said.
General Grievous, who had been silently observing up to this point, stepped forward.
“Your Anakin Skywalker betrayed the Jedi at the end of the war,” he said, his voice grating, “He is the one responsible for decimating your Temple. Under his new alias, Vader, he attempted to slaughter the Confederate council before challenging Rain and myself.”
“You and her?” Ezra gestured to Rain. “So you were…”
“I spent some time on both sides of the war,” Rain said.
So that’s what Ahsoka meant...
“Excuse me,” Ahsoka said suddenly, deactivating her lightsabers and breaking away from the group.
“Commander Tano!” Sato called after her, but to no avail.
“So in other words,” Kanan said, glaring at Rain, “You betrayed the Jedi to join the Sith. So I was right.”
Hera laid a hand on Kanan’s shoulder.
“Kanan,” she said, “They helped us.”
“Yes,” Sato agreed, “And we are grateful for the assistance.”
“It was our pleasure,” Mira said, but her smile looked forced.
“It was her pleasure,” Rain corrected, “My sister has a knack for persuading me to do things I otherwise wouldn’t.”
“So you’re saying you didn’t want to help us?” Sabine asked, dismayed.
“It was against my better judgement. Your unfavorable greeting has confirmed my suspicions. The Jedi’s prejudice would prevent us from forming an effective alliance. Besides, we are elite, while you—” Rain’s gaze swept the faces before her, her expression scathing. “—are amateurs.”
Ezra’s spirits plummeted.
“I beg your pardon?” Sato spluttered.
“We will take our leave,” Rain announced, “I see no point in further wasting your time and ours.”
“Rain—”
But when Mira saw that her sister wasn’t interested in hearing what she had to say, she stepped forward, pushing something into Hera’s hands.
“Mira!” Rain said sharply.
Mira turned, stepping past the doors. They slid shut behind her, the room immediately falling silent.
Ezra felt crushed. He’d been so looking forward to asking them about those amazing fighting styles he had witnessed and how they had managed to disable the Imperial fighter and destroy that dreadnought.
“What did she give you?” he heard Kanan ask.
He turned to see Hera cupping a small chip in her hands, her expression one of pure surprise.
“I think,” she said slowly, “That she just gave me a way to contact them.”