Stowaway: A Star Wars Rebels Story

Reeling and Recovering

FOUR MONTHS LATER

Malachor hit us hard. Everyone around the base has been affected by it for the worse. Ahsoka never returned, Kanan was blinded by a forgotten Sith Lord and became distant from us, and Ezra stepped up to fill his master's void but became a little more aggressive in the process. Even though the rest of us weren't present for that mission, we all felt the strain of extra responsibility. Hera has been stressed out with more workload as Phoenix Leader. Rex is in the same boat, and he still continues to mourn the loss of a long-time friend. Sabine hasn't decorated the Ghost with one of her usual masterpieces in forever, and Zeb is constantly trying to find ways to stay busy. Even Chopper isn't complaining like he normally does. I never thought it would come to this, but the crew is falling apart. We don't see each other much. We don't even do group meals anymore. The only time we're together is during missions, and even that's been a rarity. So where do I fall into this? I feel that I have to be the voice of reason, the glue that keeps the rebellion together. At times, I think the fate of the galaxy is in my hands.

I think it's been around a year since I stowed away and joined the Ghost crew. It's a shame that I couldn't celebrate or even remember when my 18th birthday was, but those things have to take a backseat amid the war I'm fighting in. In the meantime, I completely transformed myself. I ditched the worn-down outfit I had from Earth and replaced it with a full combat uniform. I trimmed my hair a little bit, but I kept most of the length to keep it clean. I became stronger physically and a decent bit taller. My once lighthearted personality turned more serious as my involvement in Phoenix Squadron increased significantly. Someone had to step up in these difficult times. There were rumors around the base that someone was getting promoted soon, and I had every reason to believe it was me. I walked towards the command center where Hera, Sato, and Rex had a mission for me, but there was something else I wanted to discuss after the briefing.

"Good morning. I'm here for the mission," I greeted. "Indeed. A few scouts found a base where the Empire is mass-producing probes and security droids. The objective is to do as much damage as possible to their assembly line and halt their production," Sato explained. "No problem. What's the catch?" I asked. There always was potential for a setback, sadly. "The base is located on the planet Vulpter," he answered. "That's in the Deep Core. Why are you sending me all the way over there?" I questioned. "The factories there are the Empire's main source of production, and we believe that a successful attack would severely limit not just their arsenal, but the distribution of those droids across the galaxy," Rex said. "We'll give you clearance codes to get past the Imperial checkpoint. Take whoever you want with you," Hera added. "Yeah, about that," I said, getting their attention. "I appreciate you letting me choose my team, but this mission is dangerous and far away from Atollon. And there's a big disconnect between everyone within our crew. I won't risk losing one of us because of bad chemistry. So, I'd like to fly solo on this one," They all gave me stunned looks for wanting to go alone. Hera, however, visibly showed that she wasn't amused by my choice. "Here's the thing. The base is heavily guarded and the journey is long. One person cannot do this alone. You need someone to assist you." "Okay then. I'll take Chopper," I wisecracked. "Uh-uh. You're taking one more person. Otherwise, I have no problem sending someone else," she countered, putting emphasis on the word 'person.' Oh, you're gonna play this card, Hera? You're really getting on my nerves here. "Fine, I'll take Sabine," I resigned. "Thank you. Leave as soon as you're able to. Oh, one more thing, Y/N. We'll talk about your perceived "disconnect" later," Hera said. So you're just gonna dodge my question. I know there's no later, Hera. Oh well, time to prepare.

I went to the storage unit to get a few fuel canisters, some food rations, and canteens just in case. Vulpter is in the middle of the galaxy, so I wasn't taking the chance that we would be stranded and be left without food or water. After I moved everything to the Phantom, I saw Chopper rolling through the lounge. "Hey, we have a mission soon. Go fly up to your hatch and wait for me," I told the droid. He beeped in compliance and exited the Ghost. Now time to tell Sabine that she's a part of the mission. I knocked on her cabin door, expecting a response. "I'm busy, go away!" she shouted. Okay, not that response. "Hera assigned us a mission," I replied, unfazed but concerned by this sudden spat. She opened the door, glaring at me. "Take as much time as you need to prepare, preferably soon," I suggested before entering my cabin. Damn, even Sabine is growing a little sour towards me. I hate being right. I grabbed my blaster - a new A-180 pistol - from my bench before going to the galley to fill some canteens with water. Everything was prepared, so I exited the galley but saw Hera standing in front of the ladder. "You forgot these. You'll need them," Hera said, handing me two breathing masks. The planet was rumored to be polluted, so getting short of breath also wasn't ideal. "Thanks, Hera. Anything else I might have missed?" I replied. "You should be fine. Safe travels, you two," she said. I waved goodbye to her and climbed up to the Phantom to see Sabine sitting down in the pilot's seat, powering up the engines. "We ready?" I asked. "Yup, we're good," she said. We flew into space and plotted our route before jumping into hyperspace.