Star Wars Rebels: The Rise of the Rebellion

Chapter 22: Steps into Shadow (Part 2)

"Hurry! We're losing ships!" Ezra exclaimed urgently, his voice filled with concern, as yet another Y-wing disappeared from the display.

"Well, Lieutenant, how are you going to get them out of there!?" Sabine questioned, her eyes fixed on the dwindling number of bombers.

"Look out!" Zalo shouted, alerting them to an incoming collision with a peculiar droid.

"What was that!?" Sabine demanded an explanation.

"That, my friends, would be a dismantler droid," Hondo informed them, a hint of mischief in his tone. "Tarba might have mentioned that they were guarding the station."

"When were you planning to share this information with us!?" Zeb interjected, frustrated by the unexpected obstacle.

"Well, I just did," Hando replied casually, offering no apologies as a few more droids pursued the Phantom, causing further chaos.

"Chopper, shoot it!" Sabine commanded, pointing at one of the droids. Chopper swiftly responded, blasting the droid and destroying it.

"I'll handle those clankers," Rex declared, his veteran instincts kicking in as he pulled out his blaster.

"Where are you going?" Hando inquired, curious about Rex's intentions.

"Outside!" Rex responded determinedly. He opened the back hatch of the Phantom and unleashed a barrage of blaster fire on the encroaching droids, successfully eliminating a few of them, but not without consequences. One of the droids managed to damage one of the Phantom's wings.

"We're going down!" Sabine exclaimed, the urgency in her voice reflecting the dire situation.

"Everyone, brace for impact!" Zalo commanded, his voice steady amidst the chaos, as the Phantom descended rapidly.

"Chopper, get the engines back online!" Ezra ordered, his focus unwavering. Chopper swiftly initiated the necessary repairs, restoring power to the engines just in time. Meanwhile, Sabine skillfully maneuvered the Phantom and latched onto a ledge on the station, preventing a catastrophic crash.

"We gotta stop the conveyor before they're all stacked," Ezra asserted with determination, leading the group of rebels. However, their progress was impeded by a gathering of Ugnaughts.

"Ugnaughts?" Zeb questioned, perplexed by their presence as they blocked their path.

"Get out of the way. I don't want to hurt you," Ezra warned the Ugnaughts, his voice filled with sincerity. Just then, Hondo stepped forward, positioning himself between Ezra and the Ugnaughts.

"Wait," the pirate interjected, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Every solution has the potential for profit."

Hondo turned to face the Ugnaughts and began speaking to them in their native language. Whatever he said appeared to have the desired effect.

"I told them Tarba was my friend and that we've come to liberate them. Well, that's the gist of it," Hondo reported, giving the rebels a thumbs-up.

"Liberate them?" Zeb questioned, uncertain of the plan.

"Okay, fine. They can help us liberate the ships," Ezra agreed, his determination unwavering. "Hondo, tell them to shut off the conveyor."

"Very well," Hando complied, relaying the command to the Ugnaught in the center. With a swift action, the Ugnaught deactivated the conveyor.

"Alright, let's get to the ships and get out of here," Ezra declared, a sense of urgency in his voice.

"Well, Lieutenant, first we have to refuel them," Sabine interjected, her focus on the practicalities of their mission. "Bet you didn't think of that, did ya?"