Rain’s P.O.V.

“I’m powering down!” Hera shouted, “They’re not getting us without a fight.”

As she cut off the engines, a silence settled over the group, leaving the ominous creaking of the ship as the only sound to be heard. Everyone waited with baited breath as they were reeled into the Empire’s grip, an unspoken question on all their minds.

How will this go down?

After all, it could very well be their last stand.

Kanan finally arrived, subsequently breaking the tension as he stumbled into the cockpit.

“What’s the plan?” he huffed.

Plan? Don’t fool yourself. How could anyone plan for this?

Sabine cocked her blaster, “I vote for not dying.”

Ezra raised a hand shyly, “I’ll second that.”

Bane scoffed, “Good luck with that. The second we step off this ship, we'll have twenty blasters on us at least, and nowhere to run. We try anything and they’ll gun us down.”

And if we surrender, we’ll be executed. Rain’s eyes swept the interior of the ship. Of course, the other alternative is to use this ship to blow ourselves to hell...go out on our own terms. She contemplated her companion’s faces, wondering if anyone else was thinking the same in that moment. Even if they were, though, I’d doubt they’d suggest it…

“Our only chance would be to disable the tractor beam,” Mira remarked rather hopelessly.

“Without dying,” Kanan added unhelpfully.

“Well,” Hera spoke up, climbing out of the pilot’s seat and unhooking a small, handheld blaster from her belt, “If that’s our only chance, then that’s what we’ll do.”

Everyone stared at her as if she had sprouted a third eye.

“You can’t be serious, Hera!” Kanan protested, “We can’t fight an entire Star Destroyer of bucket-heads!”

“Come on, Kanan,” Hera pressed, “When have you ever backed down from a fight?”

“We can’t win this—”

“Then we’ll die trying.”

Kanan drew back slightly, his expression one of pure shock.

Hera let out a long breath, “Listen. If we can just keep them occupied in the hangar, then two or three of us might be able to slip past their defences and disable the tractor beam.”

“We might have a shot,” Ezra said, sounding hopeful.

“Count me in,” Sabine volunteered, “I’d love to throw our hosts a firework display. How about it, Kanan?”

As the other Spectres waited on Kanan’s response, Rain shot a glance at Bane.

Doubtless, they’ll need all hands on deck to pull this off. But if Bane goes out there—

Rain doubled over, clutching at her head as a familiar presence overwhelmed her senses. As quickly as it came, it began to ebb, allowing Rain to recover somewhat from the sudden onslaught. She straightened slowly, searching out Mira’s face. Her sister’s expression said everything; she had felt it too.

I guess we know now why the Ghost couldn’t detect any signal from the Destroyer.

“What is it?” Bane asked, hovering over her.

Rain fixed her gaze on Kanan.

“Vader.”

The name seemed to fill the room with a ghostly chill.

Ezra paled, “We’re dead.”

“No. His focus will be on me.” Rain gave a slight smirk. “He holds a strong dislike for those with whom he has history, and an even stronger one for those who habitually remind him of it.” She turned her attention to the Twi'lek, “You don’t need to concern yourself with any tractor beam. We’re going to destroy that Imperial ship.”

Hera’s eyes widened, “What?”

“Grievous and I will head to the bridge, dump the escape pods, and set the self-destruct sequence.” She turned to Bane before concluding, “No witnesses. No tractor beam. No Vader.”

Mira stepped forward, looking perplexed.

“Rain, I don’t like this. I think we should go with Hera’s plan. Bane can stay here—”

“We need him in the fight, Mira. It’s their lives or ours.”

Mira pursed her lips but said nothing, merely directing an icy look at the bounty hunter. Bane gave her no notice.

For someone who idolizes the Jedi teachings, you have a funny habit of letting your hatred cloud your judgement, little sister. You might foolishly choose to believe that Bane’s career would be the only loss suffered were his association with us to be discovered, but it’s so much more than that. We’d lose access to valuable intel, Bane might lose his life, or even be used against us! So no, his loss is not worth sparing the lives of a few Imperial dogs who you nonsensically choose to lavish pity on!

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I agree with her,” Kanan put in, “We’ll need all the firepower we’ve got. And if we can take down this Star Destroyer, it’ll be the icing on the cake.” He glanced down at Hera. “Well, what do you say?”

Hera considered him momentarily.

“I’m with you.”

“Yeah!” Ezra exclaimed excitedly, throwing a fist in the air and turning to face Sabine with a wide grin, “We can do this!”

“Shut up,” Sabine said witheringly, placing a gloved hand on his head and shoving him away.

“Okay, we’ll only have a few minutes to grab everything we need,” Kanan said, getting straight down to business, “Once we’ve got that covered, we head down to the cargo bay. Hera, on my signal, you lower the ramp and come join us. Everyone got that?”

“We’re ready when you are,” Rain assured him.

“I’ll get prepped and meet you guys there,” Sabine said, heading for the door.

“Hang on,” Bane said, effectively stopping her in her tracks, “You said something about fireworks. You got more explosives on this ship?”

After a brief hesitation, Sabine replied, “Of course.” She glanced down at her boots shyly as she added, “Did I...not mention I was a demolitionist?”

“No,” Bane answered shortly, moving past her.

He paused as he cleared the exit, glancing back at Sabine expectantly.

“Oh! I’ll show you the way,” she said, catching on.

As the two disappeared from view, Kanan surveyed those who remained with clear impatience.

“Shall we get a move on?” he urged.

Rain merely nodded, leading the rest of her elite to the designated rendezvous point while Kanan and his apprentice took up the rear.

As they walked, Mira leaned into Rain, whispering fiercely, “There is a difference between killing out of necessity and outright slaughter, Rain, and what you intend is slaughter!”

“All Imperial deaths are necessary, Mira. If they survive the battlefield, then they inevitably return to it. Besides, you should be well aware there is more than one way to escape a doomed vessel.”

“Rain, you and I both know that you have no intention of letting anyone off this Destroyer alive.”

Rain sighed, “I’d say ‘you know me too well’ if I could, but I’d be lying then, wouldn’t I?”

“Rain—”

“Hey,” Ezra’s voice cut her off just as they reached the assigned place.

All eyes turned to him.

“Look, I—” He said, running a hand up and down his arm nervously. “I know I messed up, guys. I’m...I’m sorry.”

His gaze shifted from Kanan to Rain. Kanan wordlessly laid a hand on his student’s shoulder while Rain silently contemplated Ezra.

“I am...also—” she began, only to be interrupted by her little sister.

“It’s all right, Ezra. We understand you just wanted to help,” she assured him.

Rain stared at Mira in mute fury.

She thinks so little of me, and she seeks to invoke the same mentality in all those she encounters. She WILLS me to be the villain!

“Well, what did we miss?”

Sabine’s voice cut through the tension. Rain felt someone’s eyes boring into her and turned to see Grievous gazing in her direction.

How is it he can always sense my distress?

“Hera, lower the ramp,” Kanan instructed, speaking into his comm.

As the stark white light emanating from the hangar of the Imperial ship began to pour in, Kanan rolled his shoulders, bracing himself for what was to come.

“Well, he said unshakably as Hera appeared at his side, “One target down. One to go.”

“Heads up!” Sabine shouted as the ramp reached the midway point.

Winding her arm back, she hucked a bomb into the hangar, the resulting explosion prompting several startled screams. The rebels scattered as their enemies let off a volley of blaster shots into the Ghost’s open cargo bay.

“Oh, no, you don’t,” Hera hissed, charging into the hangar with her pistol at the ready, “No damaging my ship!”

Bane followed her lead, guns blazing, and by that point, everyone else was surging forward as well. A collective war cry rang out and the blaster fire immediately thickened. Rain deflected a shot before slashing an oncoming Imp across the chest with a heavy, right-handed swing. Pivoting left, she thrust out, felling two in one strike. As more enemies closed in on her position, she used a spinning kick to force them back, crouching low and wielding her lightsaber one-handed. A single fluid rotation of the blade over her head and three more troopers fell back with mingled screams and groans. Then Rain had both hands on the hilt of her weapon, splitting it in two with a quick twist and stabbing outward. The last man was killed by a stray blaster bolt, freeing Rain to close the distance that had formed between herself and the other rebels.

Mira and Kanan were fighting back to back, Ezra slowly drifting away from them as he overzealously tackled one trooper after another. Kanan shouted at him to get back but Sabine instead swooped in to cover the reckless padawan, Hera at her side.

Rain gravitated toward where Grievous and Bane were holding ground together, adding the erratic hum of the General’s lightsabers to her own.

The enemy will be forced to send reinforcements soon, Rain pondered, glancing at their exit, The General and I will have to be positioned by the bay doors before that happens. They come in, and we’ll slip out.

Rain swung her lightsaber in an upward motion, causing a blaster bolt to ricochet off it. She cast a quick sideways look at the bounty hunter.

But if Vader comes himself...I can cloud his senses, but I can’t blind him. All it would take is one look, and I’d lose my inside man. I doubt he’d even consider working with us again…

Rain pushed the thought to the back of her mind, twisting around to protect Bane from incoming fire.

“General!”

Grievous’ head turned in her direction, allowing her to signal her intentions to him. He nodded and started moving toward their exit, Rain at his side.

Then the bay doors opened.

Ezra’s P.O.V.

A barrage of fire spilled out from the receding doors.

“Kanan!” Hera shouted, “We’ve got some extra company!”

“Find cover!” Kanan called back.

His team immediately jumped into action, heading straight for the ship. Ezra started to follow orders, only to hesitate as he saw Rain’s elite scattered and pinned by the heavy fire. The dozen or so surviving stormtroopers from the first wave had joined their reinforcements, falling in line and renewing their attack on the rebels. Mira seemed torn, glancing from the Ghost to where Rain and Grievous were holding their ground while trying to maintain her defense.

Then Rain shouted a single word, summoning her elite.

“Rally!”

Mira’s indecisiveness effectively vanished, allowing her to run to her sister’s aid. Ezra reluctantly tore his eyes away from the scene, regrouping with the others at the ship.

“We can’t get in a clear shot,” Hera said, gesturing to Rain and her three elite, “They’re sitting ducks out there.”

“A couple more lightsabers probably wouldn’t hurt,” Ezra suggested.

Kanan sighed.

“Soon those troopers will start circling to close in their target,” Hera pointed out, “And right now it looks like those four have no intention of retreating. Someone will have to have their backs for when they lose that option.”

Kanan reignited his lightsaber, grumbling to himself, “If we all get shot because of them, I am not gonna be happy.”

“Okay. Round two,” Sabine declared, clutching an explosive in one gloved hand.

The Spectres advanced, using the enemy’s focus on Rain and her elite to cover ground quickly.

Kanan and Hera moved to flank their fellow rebels on the left while Ezra and Sabine gravitated toward the right, the padawan announcing their arrival with a gleeful, “Your backup has arrived!”

Understandably, hardly anyone paid him mind, and Ezra quickly discovered that the slight distraction he had posed paled in comparison to the spectacle happening right next to him. He paused in between deflecting blaster bolts to do a double take, but sure enough, there was Bane, expertly wielding one of Rain’s crimson sabers in addition to one of his dual pistols. The combination of weapons allowed him to employ Form III to ward off blaster fire while simultaneously keeping up his own ranged attacks.

He’s pretty good…

It was obvious the bounty hunter wasn’t on the same level as someone like Kanan or Rain, but he definitely surpassed Ezra’s own skills.

The padawan chanced a look at Sabine, finding that she too seemed somewhat engrossed with the unusual sight.

Pausing to deflect an incoming blaster bolt, Ezra leaned in slightly to his fellow Spectre, voicing his confusion, “Is he force-sensitive?”

“No! Or...I don’t think so!” came Sabine’s puzzled reply.

“So you don’t know?” Ezra teased, “What kind of a fangirl are you?”

“Ezra, if we survive this, I will kill you!” Sabine threatened.

“You’re worried about surviving this when you’ve got me?” Ezra laughed.

Sabine groaned loudly before returning her full attention to the ongoing battle. Ezra did the same, deciding he’d simply have to add his queries to the infinite list of questions he already had in regards to Rain’s elite.

I probably won’t get answers for them, but I’ll remember them just in case…

Mira’s P.O.V.

Hera’s voice rang out, “They’re flanking us!”

Mira swivelled her head in the Twi'lek’s direction, her eyes quickly locking onto the subject of concern. Stormtroopers were fanning out around them, then closing in.

We’ll be surrounded in seconds.

“I know!” Rain hissed, “We need to form a circle!”

“Everyone, form a circle now!” Hera shouted, taking command, “Back to back!”

The united rebels immediately sprang into action, pressing together to tighten their defence. Mira ended up slotted between Kanan and Hera, with Rain standing just behind her.

“Those doors aren’t going to stay open forever!” she heard her sister yell.

The reinforcements arrived sooner than I would’ve expected. Knowing Vader, this wasn’t done out of fear. He’s trying to overwhelm us. If the bay doors close again and Rain and Grievous are forced to wait for a third wave, we’ll lose too much time. And if the enemy takes control of the Ghost…

“Mira! I need your help!”

Mira twisted to catch a glimpse of her sister’s face.

“We need to stop the incoming fire!” Rain explained.

“And how exactly do you propose to do that?” Kanan asked skeptically.

Rain didn’t answer, turning instead to the cyborg fighting at her side, “General! Cover me!”

As Grievous moved forward to shield Rain, Mira turned to Kanan, “Actually, Kanan, we could use your help. Rain’s going to need a significant boost in power to pull this off.”

Kanan momentarily let his concentration on defence lapse in order to raise a skeptical eyebrow in Mira’s direction.

“It’s okay,” Hera told him, never taking her eyes off her targets, “I’ve got your back. You help.”

“Okay,” Kanan said slowly, addressing Mira, “I’ll follow your lead.”

“Ready!” Rain announced, tucking one saber and a dual pistol borrowed from Bane into her belt before closing her eyes and outstretching her arms in either direction.

Mira laid a hand on Rain’s shoulder, letting the force flow through her and into her twin. Then Kanan’s hand closed on her arm and she felt a rush as his energy joined with hers before spilling to Rain. She closed her eyes, shutting out the din and letting calm wash over her.

Rain’s P.O.V.

Rain’s eyes snapped open. Her power surged. She issued a silent command, willing the enemy fire to stand still. She turned her head left, and there, shivering defiantly in midair were ten, twenty, thirty, forty blaster bolts and counting. All around the rebels they were snapping to a halt, gathering rapidly before petering out as the Imps began to register what was happening. Rain breathed out sharply, her face twisting into a smile.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

Then she pushed back, forcing the fire outward in one uniform motion and felling over half a hundred troopers at once. And as they fell, she saw her opening.

“Bane!” she shouted, drawing his pistol from her belt and tossing it over her shoulder without so much a backward glance, “Switch!”

It was only a split second before her eye caught the silver glint of her lightsaber hilt as it soared in her direction, showing that all those years of practice and implementation had paid off. She shot her hand out, snatching her saber out of the air before springing forward like a caged animal. A hasty summoning of her General brought him quickly to her side, his heavy footfalls clanging in her ears. He quickly overtook her, forging the way toward the exit. There was little to no resistance from the enemy; Rain’s attack had wiped out all but twenty or so men from the second wave. Nothing stood in their way, and Rain had just caught her second wind. For a moment, she felt unstoppable.

Then the doors began to close.

“No!” she shouted.

Grievous ground to a halt instantly, his talons screeching against the metal flooring. As Rain went to pass him, he snatched her up, spinning her around to gain momentum before hurling her straight through the opening. She cleared the doors, jumping up and turning on her heel. Grievous was hurtling toward her but even his long stride couldn’t compensate for the distance he still needed to traverse. Rain threw out her hands, drawing on the force. Even though they weren’t touching her, the thick bay doors still threatened to crush her. Rain growled defiantly, fighting to ignore the massive strain on her body as she struggled to keep the doors open.

Just a few more steps. He’s almost here.

Then Grievous was through. Rain let go, feeling the weight lift. She doubled over, taking a moment to catch her breath before uprighting herself and meeting the General’s eye.

“Let’s go.”

Mira’s P.O.V.

Mira saw the bay doors close and silently prayed that the force would aid her sister and the General on their mission. Then she returned her full attention to the battlefield, turning on her heel and sprinting after her fellow rebels as they retreated to their ship. They fanned out across the entrance, effectively cutting off their enemy from their means of transport.

“No matter what, we don’t move from this spot,” Hera ordered, pausing to fire off a couple shots at the scattered Imperial forces, “We hold until the others get back.”

“Understood,” Kanan confirmed.

“No surprises. Got it,” Ezra agreed.

Thank goodness, Mira thought, relieved by the padawan’s pledge.

“It should take a while for the next wave to arrive,” Hera explained, “So if anyone’s got any ideas for how we can get the advantage here, now’s the time to say it.”

Mira waited in silent anticipation for someone to voice a strategy, but aside from the irregular exchange of fire between the rebels and Imps, there was no sound to be heard. Expectant looks passed between the insurgents as though they all assumed someone else had a plan to offer, but still no one spoke.

“Well, that’s comforting,” Sabine said, finally breaking the tense silence.

Mira’s hopes sank.

The terrain is really our biggest issue. If we had more cover, we could hold more ground. But as it is, the ship is all we’ve got…

Mira looked up at the massive bay doors, their steely face staring back at her in cold silence.

Hurry, Rain. Please hurry.

Rain’s P.O.V.

It’s too easy, Rain thought as she plunged her lightsaber into the blast doors separating her from the bridge.

Grievous, standing a pace away, mimicked the action, using two lightsabers instead of one in order to minimize the amount of time it would take them to cut through.

It’s too easy, Rain thought again, If Vader truly wanted to prevent us from getting to him, I have no doubt he could. But no...he WANTS us to confront him.

She leaned harder against the hilt of her weapon, feeling somewhat envious of the General’s sheer, mechanical strength as she saw how much faster he was progressing in comparison to her.

She shook away her mild case of jealousy, focusing in on her previous musings, I was hoping to keep my identity secret from Vader for longer. I should’ve killed him on Lothal...Mira and I both. But even with all that training, it wasn’t enough. I underestimated him. Or maybe it was just luck that he escaped us that time. Either way, as soon as we cut through this door, Grievous and I will both be revealed to him. There’s no undoing that. So I must ensure that this ship becomes his final resting place.

The track Rain had been carving into the door met the General’s, forming a flawless circle. Rain quickly tapped into the force, giving the sphere a hard shove and dislodging it from their path. A flurry of blaster fire immediately greeted them, flying indiscriminately through the opening they had created.

I suppose we’ll have to deal with the pests first.

Expanding her senses, Rain searched for the nearest life-forms and quickly snuffed them out, effectively putting a stop to the onslaught of enemy fire. Then, with a quick nod to Grievous and a white-knuckled grip on her saber hilt, Rain dove into the command centre headfirst, rolling upon impact and landing in a guarded position with her blade ignited and casting a vivid red light on the glossy, ebony catwalk. Grievous followed immediately, his heavy talons inducing a harsh sound as they connected with the flooring. On either side of the rebel combatants were Imperial crew attempting to carry on their work in between casting worried glances at the new arrivals. Some looked to the front of the room, regarding their equally concerned captain and the figure standing next to him in anticipation.

Rain could read their silent pleas well enough. They expected a rescue. If Vader hadn’t been standing there, they most likely would’ve been thrown into a panic before the rebels had even entered.

And doubtless, the Sith’s untroubled attitude helped add to the more ordered behavior present in the room.

“Maintain our course, Captain,” Vader said, moving to the end of the catwalk in a few unhurried strides.

Rain straightened slowly, observing her target’s every move with the utmost attention.

“General Grievous,” Vader said suddenly, “Yours is a face that is all too recognizable. But yours…” The Sith turned his focus to Rain. “Yours offers some difficulty, seeing as you share it with another. Though judging by the hue of your blade, I would assume it is Rain I am speaking to. Am I mistaken?”

Rain gave a single shake of her head, her face utterly expressionless.

“Then I gather it was your younger sister who accompanied you to Lothal. I’m surprised she agreed to such a partnership, considering your differences.”

Rain ground her teeth together, taking a step forward and raising her double-bladed lightsaber in a threatening gesture.

“If you don’t mind,” she hissed, “I’d rather skip the small talk and get straight to business.”

“I would’ve thought you’d learned your lesson on Lothal.”

The corner of Rain’s mouth turned up in a self-satisfied smile.

“If you’ll recall, Lord Vader, my sister and I had you on the run after our encounter on Lothal. If not for your reinforcements, that little backwater planet would most likely have been your grave.”

Vader took a step forward, lessening the distance between them, “You think too highly of yourself.”

Cold anger burned in Rain’s eyes as she advanced a pace.

“I’ll admit I somewhat underestimated you on Lothal, but the very fact that the force has willed us together again I take as a sign. You are fated to die by my hand...Anakin Skywalker.”

Vader took two hasty steps forward, his cape swishing angrily as he drew his lightsaber.

“You should have died on Mustafar!” he shouted, his mechanical mask distorting the tones of his voice.

He swung at Rain, who immediately dodged the blow and leapt down into the starboard crew station. Grievous wordlessly took her place, engaging the Sith. Rain turned her attention to the Captain of the dreadnought, reaching out through the force to seize hold of his mind. She had barely brushed his consciousness, however, when a tremendous crash broke her concentration. She whipped around to see Grievous sprawled against the blast doors and Vader moving in her direction. Evidently the Sith was very sore from hearing his old name and had no interest in battling his fellow cyborg.

Sith certainly do know how to nurse a grudge…

Rain moved away from her opponent, leaping back onto the catwalk right by where the Captain stood. The Imperial officer shrieked in terror, scampering away from the rebel and pressing himself against the wall. Taking advantage of Vader’s rather sluggish speed, Rain grasped control of the Captain’s will, subjecting it to her own.

Open the blast doors!

The Captain straightened, his fear momentarily gone, and turned to his crew.

“Open the blast doors!” he ordered.

His men complied.

Finally, Rain thought as the doors began to recede, Some breathing room.

She didn’t have time to issue her second command before Vader caught up with her, hacking and slashing at her with heavy-handed blows. Rain danced around him, avoiding his attacks for the most part or else redirecting them with a calculated shift in weight, an angled parry with her blade, or a measured use of the force.

He easily rivals Grievous in terms of physical strength. If I attempt to counter that directly, I’ll be squashed like an insect. No, I need to outlast him.

Thankfully, by that time, Grievous was upright and charging back into battle. Vader, however, seemed well aware that he couldn’t engage the both of them at once. Lifting his free hand, he used the force to send the General reeling back a second time. Rain glowered at him, pressing her attack.

What good is having so many lightsabers when I can’t make full use of them? I need to create an opening for Grievous.

She disengaged, twisting her lightsaber into two before spinning around her opponent in the hopes that she could attack his blind spots. Vader followed the motion with surprising speed, striking with a wide slash and forcing Rain to stumble back. The rebel gritted her teeth in frustration, throwing up a hand and slamming the Sith backward. The Captain had to dive out of the way to avoid getting bowled over, but it was just the opportunity Grievous and Rain needed. The General hurtled forward, pinning Vader down while Rain drew the Captain towards her with an uplifted hand, hissing directly into his terrified face.

“Set the ship to self-destruct and jettison the escape pods.”

The fear melted from his features and he responded with an unwavering, “Yes, ma’am.”

“Do not address me as ma’am,” Rain instructed coolly as she set him down and let him get to work.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the majority of crew slipping away from their posts and out the door as quietly as possible. Doubtless, they had discovered by this point that they had already lost. Whether or not that was because their would-be savior was currently wrestling on the floor with a terrifyingly strong creation of science or because they had heard Rain’s order and witnessed their Captain’s dream-like state was of little consequence. As it was, the few remaining kept looking around in horrified confusion, only making a half-hearted attempt to continue their work.

The battle isn’t won though. Not quite yet.

Almost as soon as the thought had finished forming in Rain’s mind, she saw Vader throw off his attacker and rise to his feet. By the look of it, he had sustained a few injuries in the struggle, mostly along his shoulders, arms, and sides. But judging by the growing taint of darkness Rain could feel flowing through the force around them, that may have only served to make things worse.

The angrier we make him, the stronger he grows.

Vader dove at Grievous, engaging him in a flurry of lightsaber blows. Green, blue, and red all melded together, creating an almost blinding light. Rain raced forward, hoisting herself up and over the General’s hunched form and landing lightly behind their opponent. Turning on her heel, she brought both her lightsabers down, feeling victory within her grasp.

But she never hit her mark. Her body froze up, imprisoning her within her own skin.

No...NO!

But her silent screams went unheeded. In an instant, she and the General were thrown back, and Vader turned on her, light ricocheting off his helmet and making it look as though his eyes were gleaming through that dark mask he wore.

“You should not have underestimated a Sith,” he said, and his words sent terror flooding through Rain.

He’s completely different from when Mira and I faced him on Lothal...how...how was I such a fool?

Grievous tried rushing Vader again, but with a mere flick of his wrist, the Sith had him airborne and struggling vainly to regain his footing. Unperplexed, Vader continued his advance on Rain. She jumped up to meet him, but she had hardly got her feet under her when Vader smashed his boot into her gut, knocking the wind out of her and forcing her back. Rain hit the wall and folded, gasping for air and feeling like a starfighter had just rammed her at full speed. Her vision swam, the dark figure before her looking comically distorted. Then that red blade descended on her and her instincts kicked in. Her dual sabers met his, redirecting it away from her center. Unfortunately, the blade didn’t quite clear the needed distance, causing it to bite into Rain’s side as it connected with the wall behind her. Searing pain overloaded the rebel’s senses, making her unsure whether the blood curdling screams that followed were really her own. But nevertheless, she kept an iron grip on her weapons, pouring all her strength into holding them steady.

She knew if she were to let up at all, she would quickly be cut in half.

A mechanical yell escaped Grievous as he thrashed helplessly at the air. Rain bit back the pain, summoning the last ounce of fight she had in her.

“You always did believe you were special, didn’t you, Ani?” Rain hissed, forcing a gruesome smile onto her face, “How arrogant. You should know you’re not the only one who can use their pain and anger as a weapon.”

An alarm blared out suddenly, announcing the countdown for the self-destruct sequence. Vader turned his head, easing up on Rain ever so slightly in the process. It was all she needed. Knocking the Sith’s blade aside, she flung her protesting body forward, releasing one dual saber and closing her fingers over that ominous mask.

“Die, Anakin Skywalker,” she growled.

The force responded to her, closing around Vader’s helmet like a vice. A sharp crack sounded and the Sith stumbled back with an inhuman cry, his hand shielding the extent of the damage from view. Grievous dropped to the floor, catching himself and immediately pouncing on his enemy, driving their face into the floor and further damaging their protective gear. Rain picked up her lightsaber, stumbling slightly as a feeling of faintness swept through her suddenly.

Stay awake, she told herself, Stay awake…

“I told you,” she said, “You are fated to die by my hand.”

“I am not dead yet,” Vader rasped.

Next thing Rain knew, Grievous was hurtling toward her, flinging her backward and narrowly avoiding landing on top of her. The rebel woman slumped forward, feeling her strength fading quickly.

Stay awake. Stay awake!

As the darkness pressed along the edges of her vision, Rain saw Vader moving toward them, blade in hand. He seemed utterly undeterred by the fact that his battered mask was barely holding together. Rain could see his eyes clearly now, two burning rings that carried nothing but hate. She should’ve felt terrified, but weariness was the only thing that weighed on her in that moment.

“General,” she said, seeing the cyborg’s hazy form turn to face her, “Hold onto me.”

Rain lifted a hand, shattering the viewport with an unspoken command. She felt Grievous hunker down and encircle her with his mechanical arms as the great expanse of clouded sky threatened to swallow them whole. The cowering Imperial Captain and the dark figure beside him were immediately swept away, leaving the rebels alone. The remaining crew members had long since fled the bridge, having left after the first sounding of the self-destruct alarm.

Rain’s head lolled to one side as she succumbed to her pain and exhaustion, her eyes slowly sliding shut.

“General,” she whispered weakly, feeling her consciousness quickly slipping away from her, “Get us out of here.”

Ezra’s P.O.V.

“Aren’t they cutting it kind of close?” Ezra asked worriedly, glancing at the open bay doors.

Despite the distinct lack of Imperial stormtroopers, everyone remained at the ready, weapons in hand. It was unlikely that the enemy would make another appearance since they promptly scattered after the countdown began, but caution seemed best given the situation.

“We have time,” Hera assured the young padawan.

“They’ll make it,” Mira promised.

Judging by Bane’s expression, the bounty hunter didn’t share the confidence of his fellow rebels, but nonetheless, he held his silence.

Ezra gazed forlornly at his modified lightsaber hilt, feeling useless.

They could be hurt. They could be trapped. We can’t know for sure if they’re really coming back...

But, wait, no, that wasn’t entirely true, he realized. After all, there was one thing that bound them together, connecting them across time and space.

The Force...

Ezra reached out with his senses, searching for their absent companions. At first, he felt nothing. Then a faint presence caught his attention, growing stronger with each passing moment.

“I can sense them!” Ezra exclaimed jubilantly, “They’re on their way!”

Sure enough, mere seconds later, the imposing figure of Grievous appeared, a motionless form dangling from his arms. Cold dread gripped Ezra.

Oh no…

It was Rain he had sensed moments ago, so at the very least he knew she wasn’t dead. But whatever injuries she had sustained must’ve been severe for her to appear so still.

It’s my fault. This is all my fault, Ezra thought despairingly.

“I need to get us out of here,” Hera said suddenly, resting a hand on Kanan’s shoulder briefly, “Let me know if she’s okay.”

The Twi'lek holstered her blaster, clasping hands with Mira for a quick second before making off. The others remained where they were, watching and waiting as Grievous neared the ship. When at last he reached them, Bane stepped forward, looking Rain over quickly. Then he turned his attention to the General, his red eyes blazing with anger.

“What did you do?” he hissed.

The cyborg offered no response, hanging his head in shame. It felt strange to see such an intimidating presence appear so subdued.

Bane didn’t press the issue, simply reached out to take Rain’s limp body into his arms. Mira stepped forward to assist but a silent glare from Bane stopped her in her tracks. Mira’s eyes flashed hostility but she said nothing, watching as the bounty hunter hefted her sister out of Grievous' hold.

“Please, give her some space,” Mira said quietly, prompting everyone else to step back.

As they did so, Ezra got his first clear look at the extent of Rain’s wounds, feeling the color drain from his face as he comprehended the damage. Rain’s side was badly burned, her skin red and angry from the touch of a lightsaber.

“Vader,” Kanan said darkly. He turned to Grievous, pausing to steady himself as the Ghost pulled away from the Imperial destroyer. “It looks like you two barely got away.”

“We defeated the Sith,” the General assured him, “But not without great difficulty.”

He turned his gaze on Rain, concern and sadness haunting his reptilian eyes. Mira moved toward him, placing a comforting hand on the cold, durasteel armor.

“It’s not your fault,” she said softly.

“No,” Ezra agreed, watching as Bane settled Rain’s unconscious form onto the floor and then bent over her to administer a stim pack, “It’s my fault.”

“No, Ezra,” Mira protested, “There was no way we could’ve known about the dreadnought, especially not with Vader here to cloud our vision. It wasn’t the Spire’s alert that brought it here; it never would’ve arrived so quickly if that was the case. No, it would’ve had to have already been enroute before we even got here. Why? We’ll never know. An unscheduled inspection, maybe...as much a surprise to the Imperial forces on Stygeon Prime as it was to us. Either way, we can be thankful this trial is finally over.”

“Not yet,” a voice said weakly, and the rebels all turned to see Rain straining to sit up.

She was breathing irregularly, sweat beading her forehead.

She doesn’t look good.

“It’s not over yet,” Rain insisted, struggling to get up.

Mira raced to her side, counteracting Bane’s effort to help her sister by throwing out an arm so as to hinder Rain’s progress.

“You shouldn’t do that,” she chided gently, “You need to relax; let yourself heal.”

Rain fixed her little sister with a stern look.

“No,” was all she said.

Mira, stunned, withdrew her arm and pulled back, allowing Bane to finish helping her twin to her feet. As Rain turned toward the cockpit, Grievous moved to take the bounty hunter’s place, shadowing Rain’s every step as though worried she might collapse at any moment.

After the two of them had disappeared from view, Ezra turned to Mira in confusion, “What did she mean “It’s not over”?”

Mira’s only response was a deeply worried expression.

Rain’s P.O.V.

“Rain.”

Rain paused, aiming a side glance at Grievous. Even the effort of turning so slightly was torturous.

“General,” she said between labored breaths, “You don’t need to concern yourself with me. I’ll be quite all right.”

“I wish to offer my apologies,” Grievous explained, “That Sith used me as a weapon against you. My failure to aid you sufficiently is...inexcusable.”

Rain’s expression softened and she moved to face the General fully. Unfortunately, it was at that moment that her legs chose to buckle, sending her careening toward the floor’s cold, unyielding surface. Grievous caught her, hoisting her back onto her feet. Rain silently cursed her frail state, furious at herself for such an undignified display of weakness.

Pull yourself together!

She raised her head, meeting the General’s eye.

“Vader’s mastery of the force placed you at a disadvantage, General, and through no fault of your own. Make no mistake; your aid was invaluable. I am standing here now due to your efforts, and I cannot thank you enough for that. You know the respect I hold for you. That will never change; you have my word.”

Oddly, Grievous dropped his gaze, appearing only further deflated by Rain’s attempt to console him. And as much as Rain wanted to soothe his worries, she couldn’t afford to lose any more time.

I must get to the cockpit, she thought, turning back toward her intended path.

As she moved forward, however, she heard the unmistakable sound of Grievous still following in her wake.

Very well, she silently consented, If this will improve his mood, then I see no harm in it.

Of course, the General was forced to stop upon reaching the doorway to the cockpit, as it still would not admit his bulky frame. Rain ventured on alone, her balance somewhat improved, and headed straight to Hera’s side, her sense of urgency growing stronger.

“Syndulla,” she addressed the pilot, “Our business is unfinished. Circle the star destroyer.”

“What?”

“Do it.”

Hera gave a stiff nod and wordlessly followed Rain’s instructions, turning the ship about and starting to loop around the Imperial dreadnought which was now violently expelling flames and debris.

“What’s going on?”

The other Rebels had caught up with them, but neither Rain nor Hera paid them any mind, choosing instead to focus their full attention on the task at hand. Hera maneuvered the Ghost as tightly as she could around the self-destructing vessel while Rain keenly scoured their surroundings.

Then she saw it, a ship emerging from the wreckage of one of the docking bays and quickly diving toward the planet's surface. Rain’s grip tightened on the back of Hera’s chair, her knuckles turning white.

No survivors, she silently insisted.

“Shoot it down.”

Hera had already seen the ship so she knew well what Rain was referring to. But for some reason, she made no motion to pursue.

“They’re retreating. Obviously not a threat.”

Rain rounded on Hera, her eyes blazing.

“Shoot it down.”

Ezra interjected this time, sounding confused, “But they’re not attacking us. They could just be maintenance crew for all we know.”

“Ezra’s right. We’ve dealt enough damage to the Empire today. We have enough deaths on our hands,” Kanan added quietly, dropping his gaze and folding his arms across his chest.

Rain cast a split second look at Bane before glaring at Kanan, “Did you lose your spine? It was made clear from the very beginning that there were to be no witnesses.” She spun back toward Hera, clutching her chair with both hands and leaning in close. “Why aren’t you pursuing that ship?!”

“Look, I didn’t say anything, but I felt dumping the escape pods was too much,” Hera said suddenly, her expression hardening, “I understand you have people you want to protect, but so do I, and I’m not going to further endanger my team or yours by pursuing a lone ship that clearly poses no threat.”

She turned her attention back to her piloting with an air of finality, hauling back on the controls and aiming the ship away from the planet’s surface. Rain stared at her, hardly able to contain her rage.

“Then give me the Phantom,” she pressed, trying to maintain her cool.

“You need an astromech in order to operate the Phantom’s hyperdrive function,” Hera pointed out shortly, “And Chopper’s not here.”

You’re not thinking long-term, schutta. YOUR team may be safe once we leave this place, but mine may be severely crippled due to your refusal to take action.

She had to resist the urge to reach out and strangle the Twi'lek. Admittedly, by this point, it was far too late to have any hope of preventing the enemy from regrouping with the ground forces and fleeing the planet safely afterward.

If you had acted on my orders the moment I uttered them, we would not be in this predicament.

Rain clenched her jaw, the fire in her eyes replaced with frigidity. She straightened slowly, releasing her death grip on the pilot’s chair. She thought about saying something but ultimately refrained from doing so upon seeing Bane making his way toward the two of them. She could almost feel the disapproval and hostility radiating off of Kanan and Mira from where she stood but she paid them no mind, keeping her eyes on Bane.

The bounty hunter leaned against the back of Hera’s seat, bending down so his head was level with hers.

“You remember my promise, don’t you, little lady?”

Hera shot him a side glance.

“None of us have exposed you to the Empire.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t know about that.” Bane erected himself, sounding almost carefree as he spoke. “Whether directly or indirectly, it makes no difference to me.” He thrust a toothpick in his mouth, turning and heading for the exit. “Keep an eye out for me in future.”

Then he was gone. Rain cast a sweeping look over the tense figures in the room, registering the disappointment and concern on the younglings’ faces as well as the cold anger in Kanan and Mira’s eyes. She lingered a moment on her sister, feeling oddly numb as she met and held her gaze.

Then she followed Bane’s suit.