Stowaway: A Star Wars Rebels Story

Conflicting Perspectives

Our next mission is going to be the riskiest one yet. Stealing supplies has become muscle memory, but stealing an Imperial carrier is a different beast. But for whatever reason, Hera and Kanan have been extremely angsty today. It couldn't be about the operation. Their whole lives they've endured war and this was just like any other mission, only with higher stakes. They destroyed a Star Destroyer once. Heck, I've even snuck around an Interdictor and fared just fine. Do they know something I don't? "Y/N, our guest is here. Time to go," Ezra called out. I left my bunk and followed the crew to the opposite airlock of Phoenix Home. "Straighten up, you're making me look bad," Kanan told us. "What's the matter with you?" Ezra chastised. "Nothing. Just calm down." "You calm down." I chuckled at the brief exchange the two Jedi had until the door in front of us opened. Out stepped three Twi-Leks, who I assumed were our allies for this mission. "It's been a long time, Father," Hera said. The frontmost Twi-Lek nodded before turning to Kanan. "Ah, you must have been the Jedi I've heard about," he acknowledged. "Jarrus. Kanan Jarrus. I've uh, heard a lot about you too, sir," the Jedi stumbled. He's trying too hard to impress him. Just be yourself, man. "This is the rest of our crew. Ezra, Sabine, Zeb, and Y/N," he continued but got every one of our names wrong. Chopper grunted in disbelief, probably because Kanan had forgotten about him. "A fine group of fighters. Cham Syndulla, at your service," the Twi-Lek greeted. "The Liberator of Ryloth. I studied your Clone Wars tactics at the Academy," Sabine pointed out. He really is important to the cause. "Yes. The Empire is still trying to figure out how to beat me. These are two of my finest warriors. Numa and Gobi," Cham said. "Well, we should get to the briefing. There's a lot to do," Hera recommended, with a bit of bitterness in her voice. Raising an eyebrow, I looked at Ezra, who shrugged right back. We were silent the whole trip to the bridge as this whole dynamic was too lopsided. They're father and daughter, why does Hera not seem happy to see him?

Hera opened a hologram of the space above the Ryloth system, showing the carrier we wanted to steal and a cruiser reinforcing it. "The Empire has a carrier in orbit over Ryloth that they use to bomb the Twi-Lek rebels. The ship's well defended, but we can get aboard using the stolen bomber while the squadron is away. One team secures the hangar, the other storms the bridge. Then we jump out before they figure out what hit them," Hera explained. The carrier wasn't heavily guarded and we had the manpower and skill to take it. "Hold on, since when did we get a bomber?" I asked. "You know, you should really pay more attention during the briefings," Zeb mocked, pointing at Cham. I nodded before looking at the war hero, waiting for his input. "No. This monstrosity has rained destruction and death on the citizens of Ryloth. It is not enough that it simply disappears. My people need to see it fall from the sky in flames as a symbol of our strength. So, I recommend a change in plans. Using my bomber, schematics, and timetables, we can destroy the carrier when it's most vulnerable," he suggested. "If you could have destroyed it, you would have done so already. You need us, and we need the carrier," Hera countered. "We need each other. Cham's intel, Hera's plan," Kanan said, easing the tension between the Twi-Leks. Cham looked to his warriors before giving us his answer. "Very well. With Jedi on our side, how could we fail?" There seemed to be this acerbic persona he was carrying. Now I see why Hera wasn't happy to see him. They think nothing alike!

We walked back to the Ghost to prepare for the mission, and one of those tasks was doing routine maintenance on Chopper. I decided to take this up not because I'd get it done quickly, but because I had to speak to Hera. I didn't care if it wasn't my place to intervene with family troubles, this feud between her and her father couldn't go on any longer. I knocked on the door of Hera's cabin. "Come in," she said. I walked through the door and she put a wrench in my hand. Kneeling down, I opened Chopper's third arm and got to work rewiring his circuits and removing some dust. "Hera, why do you and Cham hate each other?" I asked, not wasting any time popping the question. "We haven't spoken in years. He's spent most of his life fighting. During the Clone Wars, he was a hero. He freed Ryloth from the droid army. Then after the Republic became the Empire, he still led the resistance. After my mother was killed, nothing became more important to him," she explained. I sighed, trying to craft a response. Everyone has their struggles, but I couldn't relate to this. "I think what both of you do is valiant. You should fight for what you believe in. But the only way I can see this disconnect getting fixed is if you let your father know why this is the path you chose," I said. "Now that I think about it, I wish I never abandoned Earth. I threw away any chance I had to patch things up with my family. Before this mission ends, do what I couldn't, and come to terms with him." I heard the door open and Cham stood in front of it. "I'll see you at the bomber," I concluded before leaving them alone. At the very least I gave Hera a different perspective, but I might have made a big mistake. I shouldn't have opened up like that. What if she thinks less of me for basically admitting I didn't want to be here? Or if she finds a way to send me home and I have to face my destiny? Calm down, Y/N. Too many questions. I cleared my head and walked towards the bomber, waiting for the rest of the crew to join.