Days after escaping from the Empire, the rebellion was traveling aimlessly through space. Losing Phoenix Home was a devastating blow to our efforts, further limiting our already limited resources. In this business, we take what we can get, and it's usually never enough. It's been difficult adapting to space life, but I've found ways to keep busy. Whenever Hera or the rebellion has a job that needs to be done, I'm usually the first to volunteer. Making small repairs to the A-Wings or working with the various computers on the blockade runners made me feel useful. I'll get used to it eventually.
The crew and I were standing around a holo-table with Commander Sato transmitting from the other end, discussing our next objective. "The destruction of our command ship has severely limited our ability to fight the Empire in this sector," Sato said. "So maybe we don't fight, Commander Sato, sir. When things got tough for me on Lothal, I'd go find someplace to hide," Ezra responded. I remembered the conversation I had with him not too long ago. "You are never shy with your opinions, Ezra Bridger, but establishing a base is a good idea," Sato acknowledged. "Not just a good idea, but a necessity. We only have so much fuel we can burn through, and these convoy attacks may be unsustainable," I added, emphasizing the importance of finding a place to settle down. "Problem is, none of the potential bases we know of have the tactical advantage we need to protect what's left of our fleet," Hera replied. "Or aid the nearby systems suffering from Imperial oppression," Kanan added. It wasn't just about sticking it to the Empire, but also helping those who couldn't fight back. "We can't help others if we can't help ourselves, Kanan," Hera rebutted. "If only we had more allies." "I know someone who might be able to help us," Ahsoka interjected. "A great military commander with a vast knowledge of the Outer Rim. He could assist us in finding a base, and his experienced leadership would make him a powerful ally." "So how do we find this leader?" Sato asked. "That's the problem. I lost track of him a long time ago, and all my transmissions have gone unanswered," Ahsoka replied. "We'll find him, let us try," Ezra said confidently. "Well, there is one option I've not yet attempted," Ahsoka said. We then departed for the Ghost, making the jump to hyperspace.
Overall it was a smooth ride, but a couple crackling sounds coming from the cockpit got my attention. As soon as I opened the door, Hera and Chopper were in a heated argument. "We get all the way to Seelos, and now you tell me the hyperdrive wasn't completely fixed?!" Hera yelled. Chopper beeped back some choice words but only succeeded in angering Hera more. "You finished the important repairs? How did you define 'IMPORTANT'?" she snapped. "What's going on?" Kanan asked, peering up from the ladder. "Chopper and I are staying here. To clean up his mess," Hera answered. "Didn't we just fix everything?" I wondered aloud. We literally just overhauled the entire ship and now it's falling apart again? Thank God it's not falling out of the sky. "We did, but Chopper is very irresponsible. Take the Phantom. Hopefully we'll be ready to go by the time you get back," Hera said. Shrugging my shoulders, I went back in the direction I came from and climbed the ladder to the Phantom, where I was joined by the rest of the crew. We detached and descended down to Seelos, a barren white desert with nothing in sight for miles.
"Well, let's fire this thing up," Sabine said, holding a metal head with some wires sticking out of it. She inserted it in the Phantom's dashboard, where it emitted some feedback. "I think it's scanning for a signal of some kind," she analyzed. "Good luck, you could really get lost out here," Ezra noted. "Maybe that was the idea. What if this great commander we're looking for doesn't want to be found?" Zeb pondered, making a good point. If he was as hyped up as Ahsoka made him out to be, wouldn't he be fighting with the rebellion on the front lines, even with another rebel cell? A brief silence filled the room until I heard a sound coming from the head. "7567. 7567. 7567," it repeated. "It's homing in on something," Sabine said. The Phantom changed course to follow the signal. Zeb was the first to notice something in front of us. "There, up ahead!" He said. As we got closer, the blur shaped into a complicated walking vehicle. I'll call this a walker. "Woah," was all I could muster. "Now that is a work of art," Sabine said in awe. "Looks like an Old Republic tank," Kanan added before muttering something I couldn't hear. The walker stopped and we landed right next to it, waiting for someone to acknowledge our visit.
Eventually, three old men donning chest plates and blaster holsters walked out the door and gazed at us. "Pfft. It's just a bunch of old geezers," Zeb said, mocking the men whose walker they called home. "Well-armed old geezers," I pointed out. "What do you want?" One of the men asked us. "We're looking for someone," Kanan answered. "Well that's too bad, 'cause there's nobody out here," he countered. "Hey, does the number 7567 mean anything to you?" Ezra said, remembering the number the metal head transmitted. "What did you just say?" The frontmost man replied accusingly, with his two counterparts raising their weapons. "Uh, I said 7567," Ezra repeated, unfazed. That definitely sparked something in them. "I haven't heard those digits in...well that's my birth number," he said. "Birth number?" I asked. "They're clones!" Kanan shouted, igniting his lightsaber and getting into an attacking stance. "Kanan, wait, stop!" Ezra pleaded. This did little, however, as one of the clones started firing his rifle at us. "Jedi, they've come for revenge!" He said. Not even two minutes in and there's bad blood. Zeb, Sabine, and I raised our blasters in defense of our crewmate. "Drop the blaster old man," Zeb threatened. "Don't try it boyo, I'll gun you down!" another clone retaliated. Seeing the unnecessary squabble unfold, the clone that didn't fire back quelled the situation. "Stand down, trooper, now! That's an order," he urged. "But he's a Jedi. A Jedi!" one of the clones stressed, keeping his weapon trained on us. "I know, I know, but those weren't the ones that betrayed us. Remember, Wolffe, remember," he said, finally breaking through to his crewmate. "Kanan, Ahsoka said to trust them," Ezra said, getting Kanan to retract his lightsaber. "Sorry about the weapons malfunction there," the frontmost clone joked. "My friend here is just a little defensive. We haven't seen a Jedi since, well it's been a while." "Well, my name's Ezra," Ezra replied. "This is Kanan, Sabine, Zeb, and Y/N. Nice to meet you, 7567." "Actually my name is Rex, Captain. 501st Clone Battalion. Meet Commanders Gregor and Wolffe," Rex greeted. "We were sent by Ahsoka Tano," I said, drawing the connection between the two old friends. "Ahsoka Tano. I fought by her side from the Battle of Christophsis to the Siege of Mandalore. A friend of hers is a friend of mine," he said reassuringly. Ezra and I smiled back, hopeful that our new ally would help the rebellion with his expertise.
We followed Rex inside his walker and got down to business. "How is Commander Tano?" he asked. "Well, in need of help. We all are. Look, we're trying to fight the Empire, but we're outnumbered, overmatched, and taking a beating. We could use your help," Ezra explained. Rex said that he and his men have retired from fighting, brushing us off. Kanan motioned for us to leave, but Ezra kept pushing. "There might be something you can help us with. We need a base. Ahsoka said you knew about all sorts of secret locations in the Outer Rim," he reminded us of the mission she tasked us with. "Well, my memory isn't what it once was, but there are a few spots I never bothered to report to the Empire. Look, why don't you wait outside, and I'll put together a list of coordinates," Rex offered. Okay, this was definitely a wasted trip. Let's go back, repair the Ghost - again - and return to the fleet. We can get coordinates elsewhere. Gregor soon joined us outside. "You know, I was thinking, since we're providing you with a list of bases, there's something you can do to help us." "No thanks," Kanan scoffed. "Sure, what can we do?" Ezra asked. It's admirable how much he wants this. Maybe I need to be more optimistic. Gregor looks in the distance and says his favor. "Out there, deep below, roams the joopa. Elusive, big game. When we're lucky enough to sling one in, it'll feed us for the whole year." "Okay, what do you need?" I ask, curious as to how we catch this beast. "Him," Gregor pointed at Zeb, who stared back in confusion.
While we traversed the desolate landscape, I chose to zone out for a little bit. I do that a lot with my downtime. There were no distractions during wartime, so I had to find some way to keep busy. This is the first planet I've traveled to, and I had a gut feeling that the galaxy was gonna be bigger than I anticipated. "If we're lucky, we'll catch big bongo today!" Gregor called out to Zeb, who was hooked up to an electrical line. Zeb muttered something I couldn't hear because of all the machinery moving around me. "Keep going! Just a little more, we're coming up on a hot spot!" Gregor exclaimed. "Your hot spot looks like everything else on this desolate rock," Zeb said. Then, a loud bang could be heard in the distance. "Out there!" Sabine pointed out. "Alright, full stop," Rex told Wolfe, who stopped the walker. Gregor told Zeb to keep going a little more before turning back to us. "You know, we really appreciate this. I mean, we should do well today with your friend here," he said. "Yeah, well Zeb packs quite a punch," Ezra joked. Gregor laughed. That laugh sounds maniacal. What exactly does he have planned with Zeb? "I'm sure, I'm sure. But really, I mean joopa supposedly love Lasats," he said. My expression became suspect towards him. "They love them, what do you mean?" Sabine asked the clone. "Well, they say they love the smell, or I guess they love the taste as well. And maybe it's about the texture, you know," "Wait. Zeb's not the hunter. He's the bait," I deduced. "Hunter, bait, it's all the same," Gregor said, attempting to console us. "No, it's not," Kanan snapped. The rumblings in the ground got louder and louder. All of us pleaded for Zeb to come back to the walker or he would get eaten. Unfortunately, the Lasat was frozen in place and got caught by the joopa, who then slithered away. "This could be it! Our big bongo!" Gregor shouted in excitement, running inside for a moment. Wolffe pushed a lever forward, starting up the walker and moving it toward the joopa.
"I bet you know a thing or two about mechanics," Rex said to Sabine and I. Yes! This could be my time to shine. "I'll handle this, Y/N," Sabine said reassuringly. I frowned in response, bummed that I couldn't show off my mechanical prowess. "Keep an eye on this regulator," I heard Rex say. "The line can overheat and shut down. No line, no joopa, no Zeb." This was my specialty. I get it though, experience outranks everything. "What can we do?" Ezra asked as Gregor walked towards us with rods in his hands. "You got the best job of all! When the line swings around, charge it with the electro poles. Hit the line with the rod, and it'll send a bolt of energy down to the joopa. Do it enough, and you should bring it up to the surface," he explained. I took a rod and ignited it, ready. Rex initially struggled to control the line, but eventually brought it back towards us. "Hit it, now!" He ordered. Ezra, Kanan, and I sent a pulse of electricity to the line, creating a vibration in the ground. The adrenaline fueled me. This is fun. "Oh he didn't like that one!" I cheered. "Hit it again!" Gregor said. The three of us sent another pulse to the line, slowing down the joopa even more. "Hit that line, bring him up!" Rex said, but it sailed over our heads and out of reach. I heard the regulator make a sound, and Sabine got straight to work repairing it. "We're losing the regulator!" she said. "Full stop, Wolffe, dig in. This is where we finish the battle!" Rex commanded. The walker stopped but started to tilt down a little, the force of the joopa trying to escape was too great. "I can't reach it. Kanan, lift me up," Ezra said. "I need help up here!" Sabine shouted. Handing Ezra my electro pole, I climbed to the regulator and Sabine handed me a wrench. "Take this and keep the bolts cranked," Sabine instructed. Letting my instincts guide me, I got in the box powering the regulator and started turning the bolts so they wouldn't spring off. "Sabine? Y/N?" Ezra shouted. "Working on it!" we responded in unison. After a few more screws, the regulator stabilized. "Got it, hit the line Ezra!" I ordered. He shocked it, and a scream could be heard from below. "That's a big beast," I said, astonished. Seeing the joopa above the surface, Rex fired his turret gun, putting it down for good. Wait. Where's Zeb? All of us ran down, hoping he'd emerge. Sure enough, he did.
"Zeb!" We all rejoiced. "Nice catch, old timers," Sabine said. Rex returned a salute. Gregor swiftly climbed down the ladder and ran towards the Lasat. "Way to go! Now that was impressive," he complimented. "Impressive? You almost got my friend eaten!" Kanan chastised. "Yeah. I was in that thing's MOUTH!" Zeb scolded the clone. "Head to toe, but look at you. You brought in our biggest catch ever!" Gregor said, his spirits still extremely high. "I-I did?" Zeb asked, stunned at the size of the joopa. "Actually, it wasn't so bad, Kanan. I knew I had that beast from the beginning," he quipped. "And you two are naturals," Rex exclaimed to me and Ezra, showering us with praise. "We upheld our end of the deal, Captain. Now it's time to get those coordinates so we can go," Kanan said, his distrust for the clones still very apparent. "I'll get them, but you might want to consider staying for dinner," Rex offered. We all wondered aloud how the beast would taste, and we accepted his offer.
A few hours passed, and Rex re-emerged from the control room, completing his side of the deal. "I've assembled a list of potential bases and clearance codes the Imperials still use. Should be of some use," he said. "They're on our main computer. You're gonna need-" "Data tapes? I got this," Sabine chimed in, getting our information. Rex stood next to Ezra and me. "You kids were brave today, jumped right in there to help. A great Jedi once told me the best leaders lead by example. You two do that well," he said, applauding our skills. "Thanks, Captain. You know, I learned from a great Jedi. Ezra," I said, slapping him on the back. "So have I, Kanan," Ezra joked. "I don't think he likes me, or ever will," Rex remarked, aware of their differences. "Can't say I blame him, the war left its scars on all of us." "Won't you ever consider rejoining?" Ezra asked the retired captain. "You know, I've outserved my purpose for that kind of fighting, I'm afraid. After the war, I questioned the point of the whole thing. All those men died, and for what?" he wondered. I wasn't aware of the previous war Rex referred to, but stuff like this happened on my planet too. We try to learn from our history, but it's ironic how much it ends up repeating itself. As I pondered that question, Sabine stormed outside. "The clones gave us up. They warned the Empire we're here," she said angrily. "You're mistaken, we'd never do that," Rex replied. "Oh, I found the binary transmission to the Empire. And there are messages Ahsoka sent to Rex, but he never answered her!" Sabine continued, dumbfounded that we were sold out. "What? I never got any messages from Commander Tano," the captain stated. "I knew it. I told you, they couldn't be trusted," Kanan said, enraged at their betrayal towards us. "Is this true?" I asked. Wolffe looked down and turned himself away from us. "Wolffe. What did you do?" Rex interrogated. "I contacted the Empire. If they found out that we were helping Jedi, they'd wipe us out," he tried to reason. "Sabine, go warn Hera. Tell her to scan for incoming ships," Kanan ordered. I turned my attention back to the clones, who were arguing with each other. "I just wanted to protect you guys, protect our squad," Wolffe said. "The war is over. We are free men. We can't live under the fear of the Empire for the rest of our lives, Wolffe!" Rex cried. "That's not freedom." "You're right. They're not our enemy. I'm sorry," Wolffe conceded. Immediately after, we heard a shout from above. "Kanan!" Sabine cried out. Kanan jumped up and saw a probe droid floating right next to the Phantom. Shooting some shots at the crew, it then destroyed its left engine and flew down towards us. "Probes. I hate probes!" Zeb exclaimed. I jumped down from the walker and started shooting at it but couldn't register a hit. "Rex, you gotta make this right," Ezra said, tossing him a rifle. The captain took aim until he found his target, then fired, putting a precise hit on the probe, immobilizing it. "Yes!" Ezra cheered. "Nice shot," Sabine said. Gregor cheered and Zeb smirked. I gave a quick thumbs up to Rex.
Night fell, and we went to the destroyed probe droid. "How's the Phantom?" Kanan asked me. "Engine took a direct hit. We're not going anywhere until we can fix it," I replied. "Wait, you mean we're stranded?" Zeb said in fear. "Yup. And the Empire is on its way," Rex said gravely. After a little bit, we went back towards the walker. Everyone went inside except for me. I leaned forward on the railing, looking out towards the desert. My first real battle against the Empire would inevitably come, but when? All I know is that I have to be perfect. One mistake could spell death, and I really didn't want to die just days after I threw myself into the rebellion. "Y/N?" I heard a voice say my name. I turned around and saw Sabine standing there. I hope this becomes a regular occurrence, but at the same time, I don't. I appreciate the effort, but I'd rather be alone in my thoughts right now. "You need to rest. We have to repair the Phantom tomorrow, and with your help, we can work faster," she said. At least she's looking out for me. "Alright," I conceded, following her inside. Fate will twist its hands soon, I just don't know when or how it will happen. I eventually let sleep take me under, hopefully being prepared for the challenges that will lie ahead.