"Hurry! We're losing ships!" Ezra shouted as the Phantom accelerated towards the station. "Well, Lieutenant, what's your plan to get them out of there?" Sabine asked. "Here's what we're gonna do-" "Look out!" Rex alerted as an orange ball came into view, forcing Sabine to swerve around it. "What was that?" she said. "Oh, right, right. That is probably a dismantler droid. Forgot that Terba said there might be some guarding the station," Hondo answered. "And when were you going to share this information?" Zeb questioned. "Well of course I just did," the pirate said, dodging him. "This was your intel, how could you forget this information before we take off?" I yelled accusingly. I hate that guy, but I'm completely justified in laying my emotions on him. If this plan goes wrong now, he's to blame. We felt the droid latch onto the rear of the Phantom. "Chop, get 'em!" Sabine ordered. Chopper got to work, firing the turret gun onto the dismantler droid and destroying it. Two more followed us, prompting further action. "I'll handle those clankers," Rex said. "Where are you going?" Hondo wondered. "Outside," the clone replied, opening the door. He leaned out, trying to get a shot, but the droid shook the ship a little and he lost his balance. Zeb noticed this and grabbed onto Rex just as the wind made him fly away. With more room to shoot, he destroyed the dismantler droid, but not before we heard some metal getting ripped off and the engines sputter. "Who else heard that?" I panicked. "We're going down!" Sabine warned us as we started losing altitude. "Chopper! Get the engines back online!" I ordered. We dipped below the station, right into an atmospheric storm. I saw a flash of lightning before my eyes as the Phantom shook. "Did we just get hit?" Zeb said, terrified. Whatever it was didn't set us back as the engines became functional. Sabine leveled the ship and yanked the steering to give us some space. "Brace yourselves, I'm gonna lock onto the station," she said. We all hung onto something as the magnetic locks came online, gluing us to the underbelly of the salvage line. "No time to waste. Let's go," Ezra ordered, opening the door.
We all climbed to the platform to start the next phase of our recovery operation. "We gotta shut down the conveyor before they're all slagged. Come on," Ezra motioned for us to follow him towards a nearby control panel. On our way there, we ran into a couple unexpected people. "Ugnaughts?" I announced. "More of those pigs?" Zeb said, surprised. They walked toward us, unhappy that they'd been intruded upon. "Get out of the way. I don't wanna hurt you," Ezra said with some hostility, stepping toward the workers. "Ezra, there's no need for violence," I rebutted. You've gotta chill out, man. We won't succeed like this. "Y/N has a point. Every situation has the potential to be profitable," Hondo agreed, trying his luck. He started speaking some language, and to my amusement, the Ugnaughts seemed happy at what he said. "I told them Terba was my friend and we've come to liberate them. I think that's what I said," Hondo translated. "Liberate them?" Zeb questioned. "Fine, they can help us liberate the ships. Hondo, get them to shut off the conveyor," Ezra commanded. Hondo spoke again and one of the Ugnaughts ran up to the control panel, forcing the belt to stop. "Laborer 429, why have you disengaged the conveyor?" a voice asked from the panel. The pig answered back with a bold lie. "It's malfunctioning? Well get it repaired, miscreant, or I'll have you thrown off the station," the voice threatened. "Let's just get our ships and get out of here," Ezra said. He seemed very impatient and I understood why. There weren't many ships left and we had to get them back to the fleet. "Well, Lieutenant, first we have to refuel them. Their tanks will be empty. Bet you didn't think of that when we walked into this," Sabine pointed out. Ezra seemed a little down after his credibility was undermined. "Not the first complication, won't be the last. Let's get to work," Rex assured. "You know, Kanan would've loved this mission," Zeb added. "We'll get through this, Ezra. You're doing well so far," I said, trying to encourage him further. He seems flustered. He just needs to shake it off and focus. I ran to the Y-Wings and plugged a line into one of them, starting the refueling process.
The Ugnaughts did an excellent job of stalling the Empire, and we were down to refueling our last two Y-Wings. But just as everything is going right, something bad happens. Every single time. The magnetic locks on the conveyor belt activated and it started moving again. "Looks like they know we're here," Sabine said. Hondo asked the laborers what happened and they answered him. "My friend says all systems have been overridden by the control tower," Hondo translated. "Zeb and Sabine, finish refueling. I'll take care of the tower. Rex and Y/N, you're with me," Ezra strategized. We were running towards the tower but stopped to find Sabine and Zeb under attack by a dismantler droid. "Lieutenant! I thought we destroyed them all!" Rex said. "You two, go help them. I got this," Ezra ordered. We ran back to the Y-Wings to save our crew. "Y/N, draw its fire. I'll handle this one," the clone said, climbing onto a crane. I started firing at the droid, getting its attention. It let go of the ship but couldn't react as it got hit by Rex. However, it still stood firm, determined to finish its task. "You want more, you lousy clanker? I'll show you more!" the clone shouted. He swung the crane around to grab onto the dismantler droid, but it grabbed onto the claw. A few of my shots landed on the droid but seemed to do no damage. "This thing's too strong!" I complained. The droid got itself on the catwalk and then ignited a flamethrower at Rex, who crouched down for cover. I landed some more shots that actually did some damage, but the droid kept scuttling towards me. "Shit!" I yelled, jumping out of the way to avoid its buzzsaw. I rolled over to see the droid get sent flying at a nearby wall. Seizing this opportunity, Rex moved the crane into the droid, but it fought back before it got crushed. "Y/N! Hit it now!" he ordered. I aimed carefully and shot at a nearby power box, causing a mini explosion that immobilized the droid. Rex then pushed the waste of space off the platform and I heard it crash onto the surface below. "Help us!" Zeb and Sabine cried out. I noticed they were close to falling off the ship, so I rushed to the platform and slid down the Y-Wing. I got into a crouching position and used my strength to pull Sabine up. Rex did the same with Zeb as Chopper controlled the crane to level the ship. "Thanks for the save," Sabine said, using me for support. "No problem. I hope Ezra's having an easier time," I replied. Knowing him, he's gonna do something reckless.
Ezra's POV:
I made my way up the tower effortlessly. Apparently, I missed a check-in from Hera, but I think my excuse was good enough. I calmly walked through the doors to the command center, igniting my lightsaber to strike fear in the officers' hearts. Two stormtroopers fired, and I deflected their blaster bolts back at them, killing them. Everyone left the room except for Commander Titus, who stood at his post. "You?" he said, surprised. "You? The last time we met, you were captain of a top-secret Star Destroyer. Now you run a junkyard?" I taunted, recounting how I single-handedly caused the Interdictor to collapse on itself. Okay, Chopper helped. But I was the last person he saw, so I get the credit. "Your capture and execution will mean my return to ranking status," Titus replied. "Yeah, get ready for another demotion," I said. The commander fired at me and I sent his laser just a little bit high, forcing him to dive out of the way. I used the Force to pull his blaster away and I cut it in half. "I'm asking nicely. Unlock those bombers. Now," I threatened, pointing my lightsaber at his neck. "Sorry, but I've sabotaged the control unit. The only way to unlock the bombers is to cut power to the entire station," Titus confessed. "Okay," I answered without hesitation. "Wait! If you disable the power, this station would drop to a fiery destruction. You would doom us and your friends for a few old ships?" Titus said, trying to get me to think twice about my decision. I already made up my mind, though. "I believe in my friends. They'll be fine," I said, slicing the power unit. "You? Not so much. Better get going." "Evacuate now!" Titus ordered over the intercom before running away. I got a signal from my comlink and answered it. "Spectre 5 to Spectre 6, what was that blast?" Sabine asked. "I had to cut the station's power. Get in those bombers and get out of here," I responded. "What about you?" she said. "I'll take the Phantom. Now get going! That's an order," I replied before closing the channel. As I was about to leave, I saw a shuttle flying away from the station. I know exactly who that is. "Hondo, I thought you were guarding the shuttle in case we needed an escape," I said. "And I am. We are making our quick escape now, or at least Hondo is. I will see you again soon, partner. Another successful adventure!" the pirate exclaimed before going out of range. All I could do was shake my head at the clever backstabber. "Well, I better get moving too," I muttered to myself before sprinting out of the tower.
I saw the bombers leave the station. That's good. But the ground I stood on was becoming unstable quickly. That's not good. I moved as fast as I could toward the Phantom but kept stumbling every few seconds. "Spectre 6, the Empire is here in orbit. We're in big trouble," Sabine said over comms. I slipped down to a platform and saw the station's power cells bursting open. I heard a crash and turned around to see the crane falling over the edge. But it took the Phantom with it. "Oh no. No, no, no, no, no!" I screamed. I could do nothing but watch as they fell to the surface. Then it exploded. My only way of getting off the station, gone in a flash. "I'm in trouble too," I said to myself. Thinking quickly, I tried climbing up to higher ground to get a better signal. "Spectre 5? Spectre 5, come in! Can you hear me? Sabine, come in!" I shouted in desperation. Sadly, I received no response. "This is wrong. It's all gone wrong..." I cried out. "Kanan! Where are you?" I pleaded. The station started to descend quickly. I grabbed onto the edges of the platform below my feet, holding out hope that someone would come to get me. As the power cells kept combusting, the station tilted toward the surface and debris flew around me. I couldn't see anything. All I heard was the howl of the wind and the claps of the thunderstorms. I kept praying that this wasn't how I'd go out. I screwed up badly. I left my team out to dry and I'm going to become one with the Force. I closed my eyes, accepting my fate, but I heard a voice calling to me. "Ezra, I'm right here!" It was Kanan, who was leaning out of the Ghost's airlock. "Kanan? I can't reach you! It's too far!" I shouted, trying to get my words across the violent storm. "It's okay! I've got you! Go ahead, let go," Kanan said. Seeing no other option, I let go of the platform and floated away from it. Kanan grabbed me and pulled me into the Ghost, saving my life. "Got him!" he shouted as Hera turned the ship around. We scrambled up to the cockpit, and I couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty. "Hera, I can explain everything," I began, wanting to get my punishment out of the way. "Save it," she said. "Commander Sato, everyone is accounted for." We jumped into hyperspace, back to Atollon. I tried talking to Hera again, but she remained silent. I'm in deep trouble.
We landed back at the base, and we caught up with the rest of our crew. Seeing Hera storming away, I gave my apology. "I'm sorry, okay? I messed up." "As a leader, you have a responsibility to Phoenix Squadron. You almost got your team and yourself killed," Hera reprimanded. "I know. Okay, the Phantom is gone. But we're back in one piece and we've got five new...or old bombers," I explained, trying to shed some positivity on today's near-catastrophic mission. "You disobeyed orders! I have no choice but to suspend your command," she ruled. I looked down at the ground, feeling defeated. "So did we, Hera. We went along with him," Y/N said, defending me. "You suspend him, you suspend all of us," Zeb added. "Your loyalty is admirable, you two. But this was Ezra's mission, not yours." Hera countered. "At least we got the Y-Wings," Sabine said. "They're not for us. We have orders to deliver these bombers to General Dodonna's unit. They're part of a wider rebellion we're working to build. It's growing every day," Hera explained. We were just one cell of a galaxy-wide movement. The progress we've made has been astounding. But I had to make amends with a few people, especially after today's events. I found Kanan staring at the desert, even though he was blind. I walked next to him, ready to explain my demeanor to him before the mission. "I should have told you I was using the Sith Holocron. I wanted to believe it could help us," I said. "We don't need that thing. We'll find another way," Kanan replied. "Um, what did you do with it anyway?" I wondered. "It's safe," he said briefly. I nodded in understanding. "Oh, one more thing. I wanted to thank you for coming back," I said. I never wanted to admit it, but I needed his guidance. He really is wise. "I'll always come back," Kanan responded. Now that I've reconciled with my master, I ran off to find Y/N.
Y/N's POV:
"What did you want?" I asked Hera. She wanted to speak to me for some reason, and I couldn't figure out why. "As a Lieutenant, it's your responsibility to keep your team focused," she stated. "I had no commanding power on this mission, and neither did Rex. As happy as I am to have Ezra back, he put it upon himself when he went solo," I said, defending my claims. "You knew that he wasn't right in the head. Heck, you complained about him not even a week ago. I assigned you in secret for this mission just to keep him sane," Hera countered. "I can't control a whole person!" I snapped. She looked back at me in shock. I haven't let out this much rage in a while. That's not exactly true, I ripped into Hondo just a few hours ago. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. I just don't know what to do, and it doesn't help that you're basically telling me to figure it out," I explained myself, much calmer this time. "Your bond with him is very strong, and you know his personality better than I do. Now that you've seen what happens when Ezra isn't himself, you know what to do now," Hera suggested. "That sort of helps," I replied. It didn't, but I had to start somewhere. "Well then, here's an answer you could relate to more easily. Lift his spirits, just like you do with your girlfriend," Hera said. "Wait, girlfriend? What- how-" I stuttered, unable to form my thoughts into words. "You think I don't know what goes on in my ship?" she quipped. "This isn't funny, Hera. Just tell me how you know," I said. "The night of your promotion, I saw you two walking back to the Ghost together, holding hands and leaning against each other," she explained. "Please keep this between us," I begged. But Hera wasn't moved. I have to let her know. "I knew what Kanan was doing when he moved into your cabin after giving me his. I haven't said a word about it," I thwarted. "You have my word," Hera agreed before walking off. "Y/N! Wait up!" Ezra said. "Listen, I'm sorry for what I said to you on the Phantom. About me not wanting you there." "It was hurtful, but you weren't thinking straight. I've moved on, brother," I stated, accepting his apology. "So, Hondo finally learned your name," he joked. I chuckled, recalling what he said at Reklam station earlier. "I was just as surprised as you were." "Yeah, but I think it's over now. Let's go back," I replied. We strolled back to the Ghost, relieved that we were all alive.
But we weren't all well. Ezra wouldn't heal that quickly and Kanan needed to fully immerse himself back into the crew. Worst of all, I didn't completely trust Hera to keep my secret. I hope I'm wrong about all this.