*Ghost Crew*
Sabine signals for Zeb, Ezra and Chopper to prepare to jump on a nearby Imperial Walker. The Imperials are searching Capital City in search of the Rebels, so it seems a wise plan to attack them now.
The hatch of the Walker opens, and immediately the Lasat tugs a screaming Trooper out. Ezra drops down, greeting the second Stormtrooper, knocking him out almost instantaneously.
The Walker careens dangerously forward, shooting blaster bolts at civilians and Imps alike, due to the unconscious buckethead against the controls.
The Troopers on the ground begin shooting up at the Lasat, the Mandalorian immediately taking up arms at them. Chopper takes advantage of the distraction, flying his way straight through the open hatch.
"Plug in, Chop. We need prisoner logs of all Imperial detention facilities," the Padawan states, dragging the unconscious man off the pilots seat.
The droid chatters at the boy, placing it's probe into the access point. Ezra finally dislodges the man, knocking the Imperial vehicle out of position, almost causing the Lasat to fall from his position."Hey! Keep it steady in there!"
A hand of a Stormtrooper appears through the hatch, "Here, take this."
A small smirk crosses the Lasats face, as he tosses the unconscious person at the other Imperials.
Successfully leaping over to the Walker, the Mandalorian drops down inside, only for Chopper to inform her that he can't raise a connection to the Empire. "The entire system would have to be down."
"Well, they did blow up their own comm tower," Zeb replies from on top of the Walker, firing at the Imps down below.
"They must have taken down their entire data network."
"How are we gonna find out where they've got Kanan and Keen now?" Ezra grumbles, kicking the wall in anger.
Two more Walkers show up down the street, firing repeatedly on the rebels. As a blast collides with the side of the ship, Sabine reaches for her comm, "Whoa! Spectre-2, we need a pickup."
"I read you, Spectre-5. Rendezvous at the town's western border."
"Hate to be the pessimist, Ezra, but how do we even know–"
"They're alive, Sabine. I know it," Ezra states furiously, cutting off the Mandalorian.
*Tarkin's Cruiser*
Kanan is hooked to an upright standing table, strapped in with metals bars that press uncomfortably into his chest.
Tarkin stands menacingly before Kanan, a probe droid hovering inches in front of his face. "Now we will discover if you are indeed the Jedi you claim to be."
Wearily, the Jedi Knight meets his eyes, "Well, Governor, somebody's gotta keep you entertained."
The Grand Moff activates the droid for a short time, and when Kanan gives him no information he wants, he instructs Kallus to continue, moving across the hall.
The door to the cell slides open, revealing Keen also pressed to a table. Her shoulders are bruised, her robe ripped slightly on the shoulder, mercifully, they left her mask in place. She had fought hard against the Imperials, but had succumbed to them eventually. "Ah, Master Quinara," Tarkin stands in front of her.
"Wilhuff."
"Tell me, how did a Jedi as powerful as yourself end up with these Insurgents?"
"The day I decided I don't like Palpatine. The day that the clones turned on their Jedi. The day the Republic fell."
A droid probe floats in front of Keen as well, "Tell me about the other rebels cells?"
"Rebels in cells? You should know, you're the one who keeps locking 'em up."
"You must remember, Ar'iabel, that I've never had much patience," the Imp glowers at her.
"To be completely honest, Huffy, I tended to block most of our interactions from memory. Spoiler alert, I don't like you, never did."
*The Ghost Crew*
Ezra continues the Walkers trek away from the pursuing Imperials. "Ezra! I can't get a shot if you keep running from them," Sabine complains.
"Use the rear cannon," he shrugs in response.
"There is no rear cannon!"
"Hey, I'm doing the best I can!" the Lasat grumbles through the hatch. One of the other Walkers blaster bolts hits the rebels stolen vehicle, knocking Zeb off his perch, straight in front of the viewscreen.
"I can't see! Move!" the Padawan complains.
"Move? Move where?"
"Anywhere!"
"Just keep it walking in a straight line," Sabine responds. Keeping an eye on her comm. She jumps to her feet a few moments later, "Hera's incoming. Everyone up top! You too, Chop. Let it go."
The droid doesn't move, instead, he keeps searching the records.
Ezra follows Sabine to the top of the ship, just as Zeb climbs up. The Imperial Walker following directly behind them continues to shoot at them. All of the sudden, two bolts rain from the sky, knocking the Imperial ship out of commission. The Phantom zooms in overhead, opening it's ramp, allowing the rebels access to the ship.
Just as their feet touch solid metal, Ezra throws his hands to his head, "Chopper!"
"He's still searching for Kanan. Go get him," she commands the Lasat.
He leaps back across to the Walker, reaching into the ship, pulling the astromech out by his antennae. Tucking the droid under his arm, he growls, "Move, you stubborn junk pile! You're gonna get me fried!"
He successfully leaps back onto the Phantom, just as the rebels appropriated Walker explodes in a rainbow of colours.
"How'd it go?" the Twi'lek asks Ezra, shortly after the team enters the ship.
"It didn't," Ezra responds.
***
"Both Kanan and Keen knew the risks, accepted them. I'm sorry, but you must focus on your next objective," the hooded figure states through the hologram.
"But, Fulcrum, the Jedi are our objective. We can still find them," the Twi'lek pleads.
"At what cost? You? Your unit? The overall mission? There's something else, Hera. The transmission Ezra was able to beam out has attracted attention, not just from civilians, but from the highest levels of the Empire."
"It was Kanan's plan. I guess it worked."
"Your mission was to be unseen, unnoticed, and now–"
Hera cuts the figure off, "Kanan wanted to inspire people. He wanted to give them hope."
"Well, he was successful. But if you are caught, if Ezra is caught, that hope will die. To protect your unit, to protect Ezra, as much as I hate to say it," the cloaked figure sighs, "you must stop your search for Kanan and Ar'iabel, and go into hiding."
The Twi'lek sighs, flopping down onto her bunk, head dropping into her hands.
*Meanwhile*
The other members of the Ghost crew are sat around the holotable, studying a hologram of Lothal. "Odds are they've still got them at the Imperial Complex," the Mandalorian states.
The Lasat sighs, "If they do, we all know they're as good as gone."
Ezra focuses deeply into the Force, sensing their Force signatures. He snaps his eyes open, demanding, "They aren't gone. And they're not in the Imperial Complex."
"How do you know that?" the Lasat grumbles.
"I just know!"
"We can't make a plan based on a feeling," Sabine argues.
"Yes, we can. We do it all the time!"
"Not this time," Hera says, shooting the Padawan down.
"What are you talking about?" he demands, spinning to look at her.
"We can't go after Kanan and Keen," she explains, adding that it'll have to be a trap.
"When has that ever stopped us?" he protests, following her into the room.
"We can't risk it." Hera looks incredibly mournful, wanting more than anything to find Kanan, and by extension Keen.
Both Mandalorian and Lasat, still sitting at the holotable, sigh.
"Can't, or won't?"
"Ezra, there's a bigger mission you're not seeing. It can't be jeopardized for a... a couple of soldiers."
"'Soldiers'? They're our friends, Hera. I can't just forget them. And I can't believe you would either. Kanan would do whatever it took to protect us. Keen too."
Hera turns to face the Padawan, "They both already have when they sacrificed themselves. Ezra, they'd want us to honor the choice they made."
The boy angrily glares up at Hera, who placed her hand on his shoulder. He shrugs it off angrily storming to the bunks. He walks down the hall, seeing the door to Kanan's bunk open, and Chopper sadly sitting in the room, "Hey" he confronts the droid. The astromech turns, chattering at the boy, going to leave the room. Ezra kneels down in front of him, resting his hands on the side of it's heads, "Hey, hey, hey, it's okay. I miss him too. But I have a plan to find him, as well as Keen. Wanna help?"
(Beginning of Rebel Resolve/Fire Across the Galaxy)
Surprise! Special upload, on a Wednesday, cause I'm bored, and I felt like throwing this out. We only have a few more chapters to go. I hope you're ready for some sass from Keen.
May the Force be With You.