Unsettled/Disillusioned

Chapter 16: the newest Fulcrum

When Kanan and Ezra's supply ship landed on the airfield on Yavin IV, he noticed two more lights in the Force approaching them. It was a strange feeling sometimes, in place of his sight, Kanan could sense living beings in the Force, and Yavin IV sometimes felt like its own little Galaxy. Pilots, engineers, techs and soldiers were always milling about the airfield, in the Temple halls or the forested valleys on patrol. Each rebel felt like their own unique light. So when he and Ezra disembarked and began unloading the ship of new supplies from the latest dead drop, Kanan recognised the warm light of Wedge waiting to greet them and on approach, the twinkling star within Kallus, right next to the intense burning flame of Cassian Andor. Wedge had come to help Ezra unload the supplies, but Kanan had the sinking feeling Andor wasn't here to help in that regard.

"This dead drop didn't have another 'sunshine gift' hidden among the supplies, did it?" Was the first thing out of Andor's mouth, his accent giving a lilt to his voice that sounded to Kanan like a hint of frustration.

"Oh? Yeah it did!" Ezra exclaimed, "I guess Cal thought you would be picking up the last dead drop. This might be for you, Kallus!" "Oh?" Kallus asked cautiously as Ezra placed Cal's gift in Kallus' hands.

"Ha, he still thinks you like rocks, doesn't he?" Wedge laughed.

"Is that a kyber crystal?" Andor said, his light flared as astonishment coloured his voice, "Do you have any idea how much that is worth? Crystal that size could go for at least thirty thousand credits!" Andor exclaimed.

"Cal did mention something like that, he left us some mission logs, too," Kanan said, fishing out his datapad with the chip Cal left them from his pack and handed it to Andor.

"'These crystals are found only in the highest mountains on far flung worlds in the Outer Rim—' hmmm," Andor began reading the log Cal had left with the dead drop, but then skimmed most of the unencrypted archaeological treatise for what he was really looking for: Cal's mission logs.

"The Empire was mining kyber crystals on Sonos... many of the locals were forced to work in the mines..." Andor read quickly, the words escaping his mouth as he went, "'Abysmal safety measures. I should know, I was a scrapper on Bracca'— tsch. 'Soldiers and troopers harassed the elderly workers...' datdatdat... 'The locals considered the mountains sacred but the crystal veins in the foothills and by the river had been nearly depleted: the Empire sought to move further up the mountain... The KX series droids weren't a problem—' this is the other half of the mission logs Draven was looking for!" Andor burst angrily, "This explains why the representative for Sonos had contacted Senator Organa, they want to support the Alliance now!"

"Isn't that a good thing?" Ezra asked.

"It is, in the long run," Andor groaned, "but Kestis was only supposed to do reconnaissance on Sonos. Not take out an entire Imperial base on his own!" He said.

"Ha! Again?" Wedge cheered, "can I see that?" Wedge leaned over to peek over Andor's shoulder but was shoved away with a grunt.

"Cal said BD-1 took care of the mining droids," Ezra offered.

"That's not the point I'm making," Andor snapped, "We have protocols for a reason!"

"At least I understand him there. I don't like all that protocol nonsense either," Kanan laughed.

"Don't tell me all you Jedi are the same?" Kanan could practically hear Andor roll his eyes as he spat. Kanan couldn't help himself from stifling a laugh. He didn't know much about Andor's background, except that he was born on Fest, a former Separatist world.

"What, are we not meeting the expectations the CIS set about us?" Kanan joked.

Andor took a step back in awe, then forced a laugh, "no, the Separatists said you were all great war strategists and Generals. Who knew you were really all just mavericks, and Kestis is the worst of the lot!"