Star Wars Rebels: Come In, Spectre Six

Part Six

Ahsoka found herself in her bedroom. The door was wide open and Sabine stood in the doorway, giving Ahsoka a concerned expression. She stood up to meet her friend.

Sabine hugged herself and stared at her feet. "What should we do?"

Ahsoka could only think of one thing left to do. "Call the Ghost crew," she answered confidently, "Tell them to meet at our hideout on Lothal tomorrow at sundown. We have some catching up to do."

 * * * * *

Hera, Zeb, Chopper, Sabine, and Ahsoka gathered around the small kitchen table in their hideout on Lothal the next day. Sabine and Ahsoka told their companions what they'd found and explained that consulting with the rest of the crew was the only thing they could think of doing before making a final decision on whether or not they should find Ezra. Zeb was all for it, saying that "he could finally put his position as the strongest one in the crew to use again," and nearly made Sabine and Hera tackle him. Chopper never really liked Ezra but was silent and respectful as they weaved their way through the story. Hera just looked at them with a confused and unconvinced stare the entire time.

"So," Hera said, "that's all you found?"

Sabine's head whipped in Hera's direction, her eyes shooting daggers at the Twi'lek rebel. "What do you mean? Were you expecting more than a self-spoken message to prove his existence? Come on, Hera, how is that not enough?"

"I have to admit, Hera," Zeb joined in, "it does seem pretty legitimate."

"But didn't you say that Ezra said he didn't want to be found?" Hera argued. "Shouldn't you respect that?"

"There's more to it than that, Hera," Ahsoka piped up, "Something's off about him. It just doesn't feel right."

Hera laughed, but it wasn't a hearty laugh; it sounded more cruel. "More of this Force crap! You Jedi are getting in the way of my life and--"

"Mommy?" a little voice said behind them. The Ghost crew turned to little Jacen, who stood in the doorway in his pajamas, clutching a small blue blanket in his hand. "It's time for bedtime now."

Hera sighed. "Alright." She stood and started to lead her son to bed, but stopped herself in the doorway as she took her son's hand. Without making any eye contact, she calmly replied, "No one, I repeat: no one, is to go looking for Ezra, is that clear?"

Sabine started to argue, but Hera held up her hand. Then she left them in eerie silence and boiling anger as the rest of the crew wondered: What would they do now?

* * * * *

"She can't do this!" Sabine complained as they settled in the cockpit of the Trillion and launched into space. "Ezra might be in real trouble, and she's just going to let him go?"

"I know," Ahsoka replied smoothly as she started to charge the hyperdrive.

Sabine continued, "How could she do this? I thought she liked Ezra. I mean, if he were still here, he would've been like Jacen's big brother."

"I know," Ahsoka said. "Maybe that's what she's afraid of."

"What, a second child? She already has to take care of Chopper and Zeb, and they act childish. Why not one more that might do some good for her son?"

"She's afraid of what Ezra might teach him."

Sabine laughed cruelly. "So, she's afraid of her son being related to his father?"

"She's afraid of her son suffering the same fate as his father," Ahsoka responded.

After a long moment of silence, Sabine sighed. "Are we going to let Ezra go, after all this time?"

"No," Ahsoka said as she plotted the coordinates on her gridmap, "we're not."

"What?" Sabine exclaimed, "But Hera just said--"

"Hera may be the Ghost crew leader, but I'm my own boss," Ahsoka flipped the lever, activating lightspeed. The tunnel of blue formed around the vessel as it sped up so fast, the stars bled into thin white lines on the walls of hyperspace.

Sabine smiled. "Where are we headed, Master Jedi?"

It disheartened Ahsoka to be called a Jedi when she wasn't one, but she knew Sabine didn't mean it to bring back good but sour memories. "Coruscant," she answered, shoving down the memories and staying focused on the task at hand. "I have a very old friend there who may or may not help. And if she doesn't... well, let's hope we have the same skills with technology as Ezra did, because my friend is the only one I know who can pass him up."