Stowaway: A Star Wars Rebels Story

Going Home

"Captain, I commend your bravery for protecting your fellow pilots," Mothma said, appreciative of Hera's efforts despite her failed mission. "Thank you, Senator. I just want to know what went wrong out there," Hera replied. "As do I, but that will have to wait. Senator Organa has an update on the Empire's movements. This one is of interest to you, Y/N," Mothma reported, heightening my attention. "We've been tracking Imperial rotations around the galaxy. Our spies noticed a large force just moved northwest hours ago," Organa began. "Oh no..." I muttered under my breath, expecting to hear the dreadful news. "Upon further inspection, our spies also reported that most of the Imperial fleet had left Lothal," Organa continued. I audibly gasped at this news. My worst fears had come true. "Thrawn is amassing his forces at the wormhole," I deduced. My time has just run out. I have to leave now. I sank deeper into despair with each passing second, to the point where I was on the verge of breaking down. "Excuse me, Senator," I said, excusing myself from the meeting. I needed to be alone for a while. Taking deep breaths, I attempted to calm my racing thoughts. It wasn't just about Thrawn; it was also about my friends. My crew. My family. Despite forcing myself into their lives, they had accepted me as one of their own. They showed me a different way of life. We had freedom, so we used it to help free others. I became a warrior. A leader. An invaluable crewmate, an amazing friend, and a trustworthy boyfriend. Tears welled up in my eyes as I remembered the conversations I had. The missions I was a part of. The bonds I had forged. I really didn't want to leave it all behind. But I had no choice. Not as long as Thrawn was out there, threatening Earth. "You okay?" Kanan asked, interrupting me from my trance. I was shocked to see him standing there. "Not really," I answered honestly. "It's okay. We'll help you out," Kanan offered, knowing my time here was short. Wiping the tears away, I refocused on the objective. "Thank you. Let's get to work," I said with the little amount of confidence I had regained. The rest of the crew joined us outside, and we went straight to the Gauntlet to check whatever needed fixing. Let the preparations begin.

"So what do you need?" Hera inquired. "Fuel canisters, blaster recharges, ration packs, and canteens," I listed. "I don't have the first two items on my world, but I want to see what they're made of. See if I can build more of them." Then I devised our plan. "Hera, Sabine, and Chopper, you stay here and make sure that all my systems are fully functional. The rest of you, help me find and carry the items." We sprinted to the storage unit and frantically grabbed everything we could carry. "Slow down, everyone, we can't have anything breaking. The Rebellion doesn't have unlimited resources," Zeb advised, tempering our haste. We slowed our pace to a brisk walk and returned to the Gauntlet. From there, Kanan, Ezra, Zeb and I formed a line to a storage closet onboard, keeping a steady pace as we worked to pack everything within its relatively small confines. "Hold on, guys," I announced, noticing a box sitting there. I had to move it or not everything would fit. I lifted the box, which proved to be very heavy, but not unliftable. I carried it into the cockpit and placed it down on a passenger seat before returning to my post. "Ok, let's go," I said. Item by item, we placed everything in the closet except for the fuel canisters. Those we placed next to the troop transport, pushing them into that area. "That should be everything," Kanan confirmed. "Hera, do you have the coordinates to the wormhole?" I asked. I could feel my heart beating faster as I would be departing very soon. "I do. I'll transmit them to you now," Hera responded. She departed and went to the Ghost. I heard a beep from my dashboard and plugged the coordinates into my navigation. "Y/N, open that box for me," Sabine said. "This is from you?" I wondered. "Just open it," she replied sternly. I did as she said and opened the box. What I saw made my eyes widen in awe. A full set of armor fit with vambraces, a jetpack, and a switchblade. "No way," was all I could manage to say. "It took a lot of convincing, but after that day on Krownest, I had to make it up to you. Remember what I said about Mandalorian armor, about its history? This is a newly forged set. You get to write its story. Serve it well and with honor, and may whoever you pass it down to do the same," Sabine explained. I couldn't believe it. This was the perfect gift.