(Credit to @Laelish on Tumblr)
This galaxy is chaotic in every sense of the word, even more so than mine. One day we could be fending ourselves from Imperial patrols, and the next we could be running from Inquisitors and a Sith Lord. Not only that, but we always have to keep a strict measure on what supplies we have and need. Food, fuel, and first aid were becoming more scarce. All these great unknowns continue to pile on top of each other, and even then there always seems to be a glimmer of hope. We finally found a place to hide our fleet: In the spaceports of Garel, in plain sight. I heard the planet is a hub for trade, so supply runs are much more manageable. And whenever I'm not on missions, I'm honing my skills as a soldier and a mechanic. There was finally some structure in my life. I can't be mad at that, right?
Wrong. Today, I was doing blaster training under Rex's tutelage, but I had yet to hit the target he set up. "Aim, then fire," he kept saying. I barely missed every shot I took. The lasers traveled much slower than I thought and I hadn't adjusted to their lagging speeds. "Damn it!" I yelled out in frustration after whiffing a few more shots. I pocketed my blaster and went back inside the Ghost. I passed by Zeb in the hallway leading to the crew's cabins. "Meeting in the common room, Y/N," he told me. I sighed loudly, walking into the lounge, where Hera awaited us for a mission briefing. Kanan, Ezra, and Rex entered shortly after, enabling the captain to play the transmission from Commander Sato for everyone. "As we speak, the frozen planet of Rinn is facing an energy crisis. When their supply of fuel cells is gone, the settlements will not be able to power the heaters they need to survive. See what you can find, without delay." The transmission then ended. "They'll freeze down there," Sabine said. "Since we're on Garel, we should check out the black market," Ezra pointed out. "Bound to be generators or something we can get our hands on," Kanan agreed. "Gear up everyone, time to make friends with the locals," Hera prompted. The crew began to leave the room, but Ezra and I were held back. "Except you, Spectre 6. I asked you to clean the ion scoring off the Phantom's exhaust port. Twice," she reprimanded. "But I had Jedi practice. And blaster practice," Ezra pleaded. "Well now you have scrubbing practice," she countered. "And you're staying here, Y/N, for your little outburst. We can't have your spurts of anger jeopardizing our missions," Kanan scolded. Chopper laughed at us, which Hera didn't find amusing. "What are you laughing at? Uh-uh, you're gonna help them," she ordered. Chopper returned this inconvenience with some beeps and warbles. I'll never understand that rust bucket. "We'll discuss this later," the older Jedi said before leaving the Ghost. "Great," I muttered. "Let's just get this over with," Ezra said.
We took the cleaning rods that Hera left for us and got straight to work, neither of us happy about our current situation. Ezra was the first to voice his displeasure. "It's clean the Ghost, lightsaber training, blaster training." "It's do this, now this, here's something to do," I joined in his rant. "I miss the old days when everything was simpler," he replied. "Not running all the time, just doing my own thing and feeling good about it," I added. Chopper interrupted us with a repeated beeping sound, which meant someone needed help. "A distress signal? From who?" I questioned. Of course when I reminisce about the good times. "This is the Broken Horn. We require assistance," someone said from the other end. "Broken Horn? That's Vizago's ship!" Ezra pointed out. He seemed to be looking for an excuse to not clean the Ghost, and I couldn't blame him. I didn't want to be here either. "Okay, look. Someone's in distress, and if there's one thing I learned from Kanan it's that we help people in distress," he reasoned. He climbed back into the Ghost, and I followed suit. Chopper seemed to be protesting our decision, but we brushed him off, neither of us caring about what the droid had to say. "Well, let's go see what Vizago got himself into. I owe him a favor, and this could square us," Ezra said. "Besides, I'd rather deal with the dangers out there than be stuck here doing this," I chimed in. After a rocky takeoff, we ascended from the atmosphere and into space.
Chopper continued to make noise, still not pleased with our choice. "Chopper, we're not running away from our problems, we're simply helping someone with theirs. Big difference buddy," I said. Ezra audibly chuckled at my genius, but his expression quickly changed upon seeing Vizago's unmoving ship in the window. He signaled the ship for its captain but got no response. Chopper complained, but Ezra silenced him. "Well of course we're going to board the ship." We docked with the supply ship and boarded it. "Vizago must be in trouble, why else wouldn't he answer his comm?" He pointed out. I raised my blaster and took careful steps to not alert anyone who could have hijacked the ship. We really didn't know what we were dealing with, and my suspicions rose when a door closed, separating me and Ezra from Chopper. "Something is definitely not right," I whispered. Any noise created was bad noise. Ezra carefully looked around but bumped into a droid. He jumped from fear and raised his lightsaber towards the droid, but it didn't move an inch. "They're shut off," he said. This could be a trap. Maybe abandoning the Ghost wasn't such a good idea.
I heard faint music coming from the door in front of us, so we went inside to investigate who could be there. "Vizago? Vizago, is that you?" Ezra asked the figure working under the control panel. "Uh, not exactly," the figure answered. He was a weird-looking guy with tusks under his chin who wore a hat and goggles. "Well, hello there. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Hondo Ohnaka, proud owner of this fine but currently inoperative vessel," he said. "Where's Vizago? This is his ship," I said, pointing out that the owner was missing. "You know Vizago? Well then, we have a mutual friend! Yes, it was his ship. But we were enjoying a friendly game of Sabacc, and...well now it is my ship," Hondo said, perhaps too enthusiastically. "Vizago bet his ship?" Ezra questioned. "Right after his droids, which are now also mine. Watch," Hondo answered, pulling out a device. "I turn them on," We pointed our blasters in fear. "I turn them off," I lowered it after the droids shut down. "Okay, I guess that could happen," Ezra said, trying to play it cool. "You know about me, but who are you?" Hondo asked, curious as to who we were. Ezra chose to answer first, aware that I was struggling to come up with a fake name to hide my identity. "I'm Lando Calrissian," he said. Hondo became infatuated upon hearing that name. "Lando...so at last I meet the semi-famous Lando Calrissian! A tad younger than I pictured, but to be so young and flying to my rescue proves that you must be the scoundrel I have heard of," "Yeah, I mean I am pretty good," Ezra bragged, feeding into the lie he created. "And who might you be, my friend?" Hondo asked, turning his attention toward me. "Donald Glover. I'm an actor, a writer, and a singer. Some people have described me as a triple threat. But I kind of like to call myself...just a threat," I replied, trying to be charismatic. That was probably the worst lie I've created. Hondo let out a small laugh. "Are you looking for a crew? Good news, Hondo is hiring," he proposed. "Uh, I already have a crew. Speaking of, where'd my droid go?" Ezra inquired. "You lost your droid? I lost my whole crew, thanks to the Empire. I was once a captain, you know. Oh, the stories I could tell, so many of them were true," Hondo proclaimed. Just then, we heard an alarm from the control panel. I looked out the window and saw a Light Cruiser moving towards us. "Uh yeah, you want to tell us a story? Tell one to the Empire while we get the power back on," I said to Hondo as Ezra and I got under the control panel. As Hondo was stalling the Empire, we got all the systems online, including the hyperdrive. Chopper rolled into the cockpit and plugged into the panel, entering some coordinates into the hyperdrive while we were being shot at. "Lando, Donald, it looks like we are off on an adventure!" Hondo cheered as we jumped into hyperspace.
After some unconvincing convincing from Hondo about potentially joining his crew, we landed at a trading post on the planet Nixus. Chopper had found power generators in a storage room - exactly what we needed to complete our mission - but we had to strike a deal to keep two out of the five crates. At least we get some credits from the third. Fine by me. "Chopper, Y/N, stay here in case there's any kind of trouble. Keep your comm channels open," Ezra said. "Hurry up, Lando! We are on a schedule!" Hondo shouted. Ezra followed the pirate to his meeting point while we waited for the transaction to be completed. Honestly, I'm perfectly fine with staying behind. Shady people like this exist everywhere, but in the underground, everything is against you, and the only support you get is from yourself. Moments passed until we got a message from Ezra. "Looks like you got us captured, it would be nice if we had some BACKUP," he said. "Ezra's in trouble, let's go," I told Chopper. He beeped something and pushed the crate Hondo left behind. I followed him,
Ezra's POV:
On top of deserting the Ghost, we got captured by Azmorigan and his men. He was a general nuisance the last time I saw him, but he learned from his mistakes and came prepared. Even more so now because I don't have my crew alongside me. Let's hope Chopper and Y/N get here soon; this operation looks to be foiled already. "Just a thought, but why don't we just call it even and go through with the original deal? Sounds good, yes?" Hondo pleaded, desperate to save himself. It seemed as if Azmorigan was right about my "partner" being washed up. "I appreciate your offer, humbly, but I don't think you're gonna be around to collect," the crime lord cackled. He pressed a button, opening the bay doors that led into space. "Azmorigan, do take the fruits of our labor if you must, that I understand. But this? Is it necessary?" Hondo questioned. Honor among thieves, I guess. The crime lord smiled devilishly yet again, all the leverage seemingly in his favor. "Oh yes. You see, the Rang Clan has a nice bounty on your head. I'll collect these generators and make an additional profit from your death," he laughed. "Your business plan is impressive," Hondo replied curtly. "Of course it is, it's mine," Azmorigan said before turning his attention to me. "Uh, who is this?" One of his guards took my helmet off, revealing my face for him to see. I looked down, hoping he wouldn't recognize me, but that proved to be in vain. "I know you, from somewhere...Calrissian's farm on Lothal," Azmorigan deduced. "Well of course you know him. This is my longtime friend Lando Calrissian," Hondo answered. I never told him his name, but now my cover was blown. "What? No, he's not Calrissian," Azmorigan said. "You lied to me? I knew I liked you," Hondo said enthusiastically. Not the time. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the crime lord pushing some buttons as he made his grand speech. "You robbed me. Oh, I will enjoy this. I get to collect on Ohnaka, I get to kill you, and I get to keep the five generators. All of them, five crates!" He paused for a second to recount the crates, realizing there was one missing. "Wait. There are only four crates here, you were supposed to bring me five." "Well, the droid had the fifth crate," Hondo said. "Droid?" Azmorigan questioned. Right on cue, Chopper came speeding in with the crate, scaring our enemy away and causing a ruckus. Y/N entered a few seconds later, precisely shooting down a guard. Another guard landed on our platform, so Hondo and I rolled off it, tapping a button on a control panel to send him into space.
"So what's the plan?" Hondo asked me. "I don't know, ask the droid," I replied, as all their attention was focused on Chopper. Y/N came over to me and blasted our handcuffs off of us. "Chopper, over here!" I called out. In response, he threw my lightsaber and I started shooting at the criminal, but I couldn't hit a shot. I need a lot more training. Azmorigan had a trick up his sleeve and kicked a ladder into us, sending everyone flying and breaking the control panel. Chopper found the slug after stealing a few blasters from the unconscious guards and proceeded to shoot at him. Out of the corner of my vision, the platform was moving and Hondo was on it, hurtling towards his demise. Chopper and Y/N had their attention focused on Azmorigan and they both registered hits, causing the crate to fly into Hondo's hands. "I'm rich!" he exclaimed. Then he looked back. "I'm dead!" Seeing this, I focused on the Force and slowly pulled Hondo back into the bay. Unfortunately, Azmorigan managed to escape to his shuttle, but we reclaimed our generators and held onto his stash of credits. "Well, that was easy!" Hondo joked. "My friend, my friend. You may not be Calrissian, but I know one thing you are: You are a Jedi." "Hey, not trying to spoil the moment, but let's get the crates back on board," Y/N said, reminding us of the mission. "Of course, but first let me chat with my friend here, Donald," Hondo answered. He turned his attention back towards me, captivated by the fact that I was a Jedi. "Why didn't you tell me you were a Jedi? You know, I am an old Jedi sympathizer. I know, I wouldn't believe me either, but one of my best friends was a Jedi. I'm pretty sure we were friends." "Well, I'm not really a Jedi yet," I shrugged, alluding to the fact I was still in the early stages of being a Padawan to Kanan. "Then be a pirate Jedi! We will make an excellent team. But first, tell me: What is your name? Your real name," Hondo responded, steadfast in his hope to recruit me. I still wasn't moved. I belong to the Ghost, I just got caught up in a peculiar situation. "Ezra Bridger. My name is Ezra Bridger," I answered. A look of empathy plastered across the pirate's face. "Thank you, Ezra Bridger," he said. At least this partnership could be beneficial.
Y/N's POV:
We left Nixus and set a course for Garel. I walked back to the bridge with Hondo, Ezra, and Chopper alongside me. The pirate kept attempting to persuade Ezra to join his "crew," and decided to rope me into it. "We can split it right down the middle, thirty-thirty-thirty! You won't get a better deal than that, especially from me," Hondo said. Clearly, he didn't know how basic math works. "That's only 90 percent. What about the other 10?" I questioned. "Oh, you'll want to spend that on expenses, trust me," he replied. I looked at Ezra, who gave me a quick smirk before catching Hondo's attention. "Ok. How about 0% for me and him, but I want the generators. All of them," the Jedi proposed. Hondo beamed in excitement at the possibility of getting every bit of money. "You have a deal, partners!" he exclaimed, roping both of us in for a hug. "This makes me happy. You get the generators, I get you for my crew. It is good, let us celebrate! Droid, go to the galley and bring me the most expensive drink you can, and something for my friends." Ezra looked back at me, and I nodded at him in understanding. Keep Hondo as far away as possible, not too hard. "I think I'll go with him," Ezra said. "Of course, partner. Don't forget yours!" Hondo exclaimed.
We entered the cockpit and Hondo sat down, counting the credits we stole from Azmorigan. I stared directly at him, expecting him to say something or go on a long rant. He talks too much. I can't wait to get off this burner. "So!" Hondo started. "Now that you've joined my crew, let's discuss what we can sell next." Let's play along with his delusions, this could be fun. "Okay, what else aside from the generators do we have?" I asked, looking as interested as I could be. "Well, we do have some-" Hondo was cut off by Ezra and Vizago entering the room, neither of them looking amused. "I think you two know each other," Ezra said. Hondo gasped as he saw the man who he allegedly won the Broken Horn from in a bet. "Partner, how could you let this dangerous criminal out of the brig?" He asked, pretending to be betrayed. Ironic. "Save it, partner," Ezra silenced him. The Jedi then attempted to ease the tensions with yet another proposition. "Let's all relax. I take the generators, you two split Azmorigan's credits. Everybody wins." "That is a fair deal. And it disgusts me," Hondo said. Of course the pirates would be unhappy with a beneficial trade. "For once, I agree. Care to hear my counteroffer?" Vizago responded, pulling out the device that powered his droids. He pushed the button, turning them on, and they were ready to attack us. Ezra ignited his lightsaber, and Hondo and I raised our blasters. Carefully dodging some shots, I ducked down and fired a few shots into the frontmost droid's chest, putting it out of commission. I tried going for the one that was grabbing Ezra, but I couldn't land a hit. The ship then jolted out of hyperspace, sending me to the ground. Hondo shot the droid and saw an opportunity to escape. "Excellent work! I will invest in your share wisely," he wisecracked, leaving the cockpit. "Thanks a lot, partner," I said angrily. More droids suddenly entered, and Vizago ordered them to keep Ezra occupied. He used the Force to take the switch from Vizago's belt but dropped it in mid-air. I dove for it, grabbed the switch, and pressed the button, turning the droids off. Chopper then beeped rapidly on comms. "What could have possibly gone wrong now?" Ezra wondered aloud.
We ran out of the cockpit towards Chopper's location but bumped into Vizago halfway through. We heard the Phantom detach and head towards Garel, seemingly leaving us with no way to follow the rogue pirate. "Looks like you got your ship back," Ezra said, reminding Vizago they were even. "Yes, but I lost all my credits, and my generators!" the captain replied in displeasure. "Technically, they were my generators," I countered. Knowing he wouldn't get what he wanted, Vizago led me, Ezra, and Chopper to an escape pod. "I hate children," I heard him say before jettisoning us from the Broken Horn. "Not sure how we're gonna explain all this," I said, voicing my concerns over how the crew would react to us ditching our assignment. Chopper let out some warbles, which Ezra translated. "What do you mean you know where Hondo will be?" Chopper beeped a few more sounds, but I didn't need it to understand what he was getting at. "Let's just go back to the Ghost, I think there's a good chance he's there," I said. Walking back in the night, we heard Hondo's overly positive voice coming from the cargo bay. It appalled us. "Then he let Vizago out! The villain was upon us, I'm telling you! But young Ezra, he and Donald stood tall in front of me, and withstood a massive- My friends! I was just talking about you. How we rescued the generators from the evil Vizago." "Yeah, that's not true. You stole the generators and my ship," Ezra thwarted. Hondo gasped, trying to back himself out of his corner with another lie. "What an accusation! You wound me!" So dramatic. I'd rather be deaf than listen to him. "Chopper had the Phantom on autopilot," I confirmed, putting the nail in the coffin. "Yadayadaya, that's another version of the story, I suppose. Tell you what, keep my generators. They are my gift to you. Goodbye!" the pirate said, bidding farewell before walking into the streets. "Contact Commander Sato, tell him Ezra Bridger and Y/N L/N have his generators," Hera said, commending us for our success. The crew climbed up the ladder, leaving me and Ezra alone outside.
"What a day," I said, breaking the silence. "First we're training, then we run into a pirate and two criminals." "Honestly, it was a great way to blow off some steam," Ezra added to my thoughts. "So who is Donald, exactly?" the Jedi asked. I chuckled a little before answering. "Someone very famous from Earth. Eccentric and comical, kind of like our "partner." Thanks for buying me time, though." "No problem. You know, I think there's a lesson to be learned from this," Ezra began. "Not another lesson, you're starting to sound like Kanan now," I replied. We laughed for a while before settling down. "Are all people from Earth this funny?" he asked. "I don't know, is everyone in this galaxy full of surprises?" I questioned. "Maybe," Ezra said. "There's your answer," I smiled, holding up my fist. Seeing Ezra's confused face, I explained what this meant to him. "Fistbump. Tap my fist with yours." "Ah," he uttered, returning the gesture. "Just following the bro code," I said. "Respect and stick up for each other and everything will be alright." Ezra nodded at me, liking the idea of having our own pact. Kanan then joined us outside. "Went for a little spin?" he asked. "We figured things out," Ezra answered. "Lucky to have y'all. If there's one thing you know that I respect is no man left behind," I added. Kanan smiled at us before we walked back into the Ghost. Things are really starting to look up here.