Wars Amongst the Stars: Rebellion: Vol: 1

Chapter Seven

Ar'iabel sneaks into the spaceport on Lothal, hoping to find a ship to use. A bounty hunter, who was kicked from the Guild, and is wanted by the Empire, is known to be currently docked in the port. She spots her intended ship, an old Corellian G-9 light freighter, rigger-class, named the Corundrum.

She chose to steal this ship for a few reasons, one being, since the man of whom the ship belongs to is on the run from the Empire, he won't be able to report the ship as missing. The second reason being it was her ship during the Clone Wars, meaning she knows how to fly it quite easily. Keen knows she shouldn't dwell on the past, but, she can't help the nostalgia she feels.

She hops inside the craft, plotting the coordinates for Dagobah. "I'm on my way, Master Yoda," she mutters, lifting the ship off the planet, and taking off through the atmosphere.

***

Coming out of hyperspace, Keen surveys the Sluis Sector of the Outer Rim, looking for any Imperials who might be in the nearby area. Spotting nothing, she makes her descent for Dagobah.

She easily finds Yoda's hut, seeing as it looks like the only man-made structure on the swamp world. She raises one hand to knock, but the door swings open before her fist makes contact.

A smile fills her face, seeing the unashamed Force using. The Grand Master is clearly not fearful of any one finding him. "Master Yoda?" she calls, ducking as she walks into the hut.

"Hmmmm, Master Quinara, troubled, you are."

Confused for a moment, Keen responds, "Yes, Master."

"Tell me why, you shall."

"I killed someone. The Inquisitor, that's what he called himself. He used the Force for ill gain, and tried to kill me, and my friends."

"What you must, you did. Find Master Luminara, did you?"

The Jedi gazes around the hut, stalling for time, "Yes, Master," she mumbles, looking down. "She's one with Force."

Master Yoda looks remorseful, "With someone, you were."

At this, Keen's eyes light up, a new will for life brightening her countenance. "I found an old Padawan, Caleb Dume."

"Padawan Dume, hmmmmmm."

"He's a Knight now, and has taken on a Padawan for himself. I never thought I'd see another Padawan being trained, except for Skywalker, of course." Yoda senses her happiness, and allows himself to smile. "What did you need, Master?" Keen finally asks, remembering why she came to the swampy, desolate planet.

"Need your help, Master Kenobi does. To Tatooine, you shall go."

"Hang on! You call me all the way here, saying you need something. I fly all the way out here, after stealing a ship, only for you to send me to Tatooine! You couldn't have told me to just told me to go there in the first place!" she rants. She would've been pacing, waving her arms around, were it not for the low ceilings, she'd prefer not to have a concussion.

Yoda sits on his rock, waiting patiently for her to calm down, "Anger, I sense from you."

She takes a deep breath, slowly letting the Force flow through her, calming herself down. "Okay, I apologize, Master. I will go to Tatooine. It's just, coming here, it could cause problems for you, were I to be seen. I worry for you, and I know, that opens me to the temptation of the Dark Side." She once more looks around the hut, before she suddenly remembers what sits in her bag. Flipping open the flap, she pulls out one of the scrolls that rests in it. Pulling it out, she hands it to the Grand Master. "I managed to save this from the Temple, shortly before the Empire took it over, it seems as if you could use something to fill your days."

Ar'iabel stands, hunched over, making her way for the door. "May the Force be with you," she hears her Master call.

Keen hesitates, hand on the doorknob, "May the Force be with us all," she states, leaving the hut, and her Master, for what feels like the last time.

***

Master Quinara once again breaks through the atmosphere of a planet, setting a course for Tatooine. Just as she hits hyperspace, her comm beeps. "Keen?" she hears Kanan say.

Flipping a few switches on her ship, she leans back pulling her comm out. "What's up, Jarrus?"

"How's your mission going, are you going to be back soon?"

"What? You miss me already?"

"No, of course not."

"It looks as if I may be gone longer than I expected. Is there something you need?" She props her feet up on the dashboard, leaning back, seeing the notes that the clones left her before missions, still on the ceiling of the cockpit.

"No!" he answers almost too quickly, and too forcefully.

Keen rolls her eyes, "Wanna try that again?"

She hears him sigh, and what sounds like blasters going off. "Ezra is in the Imperial Academy on Lothal." More blaster fire is heard over the comm.

"Okay, why?"

"Hera received word of a possible shipment of Kyber Crystals, and only Kallus has access to the location. The kid got it, but, it's possible some of his friends are gonna get killed by the Empire for suspected Force sensitivity."

The Master plants her feet back on the floor, leaning forward, "We can't let the Empire have those crystals, no matter the losses."

She hears a sigh, accompanied by the sound of cannons. "We got the crystals, but, are you anywhere near Lothal?"

Keen quickly checks her coordinates, dropping out of hyperspace almost immediately. "I'm over the planet right now. I'll get the kids, don't worry, just get here, fast!"

She lands the Corundrum just outside the Imperial Training Facility, seeing an explosion on the platform overhead. The Jedi flips some switches, lifting the ship up, making sure the ramp is level with the platform. Keen sets the ship to hover, rushing for the door.

"Hey, kids," she shouts out at the Rebels, "did you miss me?"

Ezra's eyes brighten, leaping for the ship, "Yeah, of course. Man are you a sight for sore eyes."

She waves her arm, spotting the squadron of Troopers chasing the Rebels, and signals them on board. "C'mon, we'd better go."

Zeb, Sabine, Chopper, Ezra, and some other Imperial recruit climb aboard the freighter, while Master Quinara slides back into the cockpit, heading for the atmosphere of the planet. She sets the Corundrum to autopilot, once entering hyperspace, twisting her chair around. "Kanan called, said you guys could use a hand."

"Yeah," Sabine mutters, "And you arrived right on time."

"A Jedi is never late, nor are they early, they arrive precisely when needed," she winks. "Good work, Ezra, I heard you were the one to find the Kyber Crystals."

He blushes under the praise, the ship coming out of hyperspace, coming up next to the Ghost. The Jedi opens a channel over the ship. "Hey, Kanan, I got a gift for you?"

The Jedi Master can sense the happiness radiating from the other ship, as Kanan chirps over the comm, "Send them over. And Keen?"

"Yeah?" she asks, watching the rebels walk over the port to the Ghost.

"Thanks!"

"Anytime, kid," she smirks, jumping her ship back into hyperspace.

(Takes place during the SWR episode Breaking Ranks)