Zinea

Part 1 - The Comms Tower

Blasters echoed behind us as we sped toward the tower. My lekku were flying everywhere, but still I wasn't hit. Damn lucky stormtroopers can't aim. We stopped just outside the elevator as a ship approached, and I knew who was flying it.
"Take the lift. Hera will meet you at the top," Kanan yelled to us as the lift opened and my heart sank. It was too small.
"Wait, what about you?" Ezra stopped.
"I'll take the next one." He was lying. Kanan lit his saber and turned to face the approaching troops. Zeb, Sabine, and Ezra all crammed into the lift, but I turned away.
"Let's go!" Zeb called to me.
"We'll be right behind you," I yelled, lighting my saber as the door closed.
"You were supposed to leave!" Kanan yelled at me angrily, but his eyebrows scrunched with anxiety.
"Too bad. I'm here." He grit his teeth in response and faced the approaching transports again.
Kallus smirked as he stepped off of the transport."Now this is a familiar situation." His voice was deep and purring, like a monster toying with its prey. I wanted to shove a meiloorun down his throat.
"Same situation, same ending. You lose," Kanan responded.
"I don't think so." A ship descended from above and the inquisitor jumped out, landing with his typical evil flair. Kanan turned his lightsaber around and pierced the lift controls without breaking eye contact. That was it. It was just Kanan and I against the imperials.
"What did you hope to gain by coming here?" the Inquisitor's eyes flashed golden.
"You're clever. Figure it out," Kanan spat back at him before rushing forward. He and Kanan locked swords closely. I ran toward the fighting pair, sliding under their sabers and past the Inquisitor, before regaining my footing on the other side. Now that he fought against blows from both sides, his tactic moved to defense. I slashed from behind, but he disengaged and blocked just in time.
"You've been practicing," he commented to me.
"Nice of you to notice." I lunged my saber at him, but he parried it with so much force that I slid to the edge of the road. My saber flew several feet away and the rough ground scraped my skin as I fell, but I got up quickly, not noticing the pain.
The Inquisitor spoke again. "There's someone who wants to meet you. If you surrender now, he might let your friends live." I looked up at the tower. The shuttle that the Inquisitor arrived on was shooting at Ezra, Sabine, and Zeb.
Kanan lowered his saber and crossed his arms.
"Unexpected," the Inquisitor responded.
"We're full of surprises," he taunted, still with some fight in him. I pulled my saber to me with the force and lit it.
Golden eyes snapped to me for a moment, and I met them with my glare, before Kanan's comlink beeped and the Phantom sliced in from above. It made quick work of an imperial ship and everyone's attention was drawn to the sky. Kanan lit his saber, rushing forward to re-engage in battle.
I began running to them.
"Troopers, stop her," Kallus commanded, not fully alarmed by my threat. The troopers opened fire and one hit me in the shoulder. I fell to the ground from the shot. "Are you daft?" Now, Kallus was yelling, but not at me. "I said, 'stop her,' not kill her! Grand Moff Tarkin wants them alive!" This time, I could feel the pain. My hand wrapped around my pulsating shoulder as I glanced over to see the Inquisitor pushing Kanan back with their interlocked sabers. Sparks rained down on us as the attacking ship above exploded. Kanan disengaged his saber, only to be held against the door by the Inquisitor's use of the force.
"Kanan!" I yelled, trying to get back up again. Agent Kallus had walked over to me at this point and pushed me back down to the ground.
Kanan fought the hold to reach for his comlink. "Spectre-2, get out of here!"
"Not an option, Kanan," Hera yelled back, barely dodging the canon fire that was assaulting the Phantom.
"No time! Go!" There was no response. "Hera!" Kanan demanded, and finally the back hatch of the Phantom closed. Canon fire followed their retreat.
The Inquisitor released his hold on Kanan.
"Looks like I have time to meet your friend after all."
I aimed a kick at Kallus and activated my saber. "Kanan, no! We can do this!"
"No, Nea. You cannot win every battle. I should've taught you that sooner."
I looked back. The Inquisitor was aiming his lightsaber directly at Kanan's throat.
"Listen to him," he said calmly, "or we'll be bringing in one prisoner and one body."
I glared at the two before slowly lowering my saber.
"A wise decision."
Kallus stood in front of me again, reaching out to grab my saber. "I agree." I grabbed Kallus' hand and used to pull me to my feet while at the same time I activated my saber and held it against Kallus's throat. "Let Kanan go, or I kill him."
"Nea-" Kanan started, but the Inquisitor cut him off.
"What you do not understand, Jedi, is that the Empire does not negotiate with prisoners. Kill him if you wish. We have enough agents to fill the position," he sounded almost bored. Damn my bluff. I held the sword closer to Kallus's neck, probably causing the skin to burn.
"I will." I stared into his disinterested eyes as troopers approached Kanan and put him in binders. The Inquisitor sighed.
"Jedi are too patient. Troopers, shoot the Jedi master."
"Wait!" I yelled, my heart clenching. "Fine, fine!" I turned off the saber and held my hands up. Kallus let out a breath of relief behind me before grabbing my saber and putting me in binders, too. On the walk to the ship, I saw the Phantom make its final escape.
"Nea, it'll be all right," Kanan reassured me as we were marched to meet an approaching transport, then shoved to our knees.
"Why did you have to play the hero, Kanan?"
"Why did you have to turn back?"
I didn't respond. He didn't know the way I saw him, and he didn't know that I wouldn't sit by and watch my father be killed again.
Tarkin strutted off of the transport and was greeted with the gift of our sabers. "Well done, Inquisitor. These are the results I expect." He turned to us. "So, you are the Jedi in question?"
"Whatever you want from me, you won't get it." Kanan's eyes narrowed and I sensed he was thinking of all the people who were hurt in Tarkin Town.
"Sir, we have a problem." Kallus approached from behind us.
"Explain."
"It appears the insurgents have gained control of the tower's transmitter." It worked. The mission had been a success.
Kallus activated a comlink, which started playing Ezra's voice. "We have been called criminals, but we are not. We are rebels, fighting for the people. Fighting for you."
"A minor problem." Tarkin turned back to his transport, and we were pushed along after him.
"I'm not that old, but I remember a time when things were better on Lothal. Maybe not great, but never like this."
Kallus, the Inquisitor, and some troopers loaded into the transport with us, and we took off from the ground.
"See what the Empire has done to your lives, your families, and your freedom? It's only gonna get worse, unless we stand up and fight back."
I looked at Kanan. His face was stone cold and pissed off, but his pheromones betrayed that he was swelling with pride.
"It won't be easy. There will be loss and sacrifice. But we can't back down just because we're afraid. That's when we need to stand the tallest. That's what my parents taught me."
Our ship faced the tower.
"That's what my new family helped me remember."
Tarkin gave the order.
"Stand up together-"
The cannons fired.
"-because that's when we're strongest. As one."
The shots hit the tower and exploded. The comlink played nothing but static until Kallus turned it off.
Kanan and I could do nothing but stare at the tower until Tarkin spoke. "You do not know what it takes to win a war. But I do." It was such a big sacrifice for such a small reward. I turned and put my forehead against Kanan's arm, refusing to look at it anymore. The ship turned and left.