Star Wars rebels Abducted

Chapter 22: Preparations

Spectre one to Ghost, we could really use some back-up right about now!"

"Just give me a second, Spectre one, I've got my own problems as well! Or do you want me to bring three Ties into your party as well?"

"Understood, Spectre two. Just try to hurry up, we're gonna need you real soon."

Kanan put his commlink back inside his utility-belt and shot another bucket-head down. They were on the ice-planet of Hoth, currently backed into a corner by a squad of stormtroopers. The mission had been going according to the plan, but when Zeb had slipped on an ice-patch, the resulting crash had alerted the dozen or so guards to their presence. It hadn't helped that the Lasat had been swearing at the top of his lungs.

"Don't worry, Kanan, I gotcha. We'll take out these Ties-" There was an explosion some distance away- "real soon."

Sabine chuckled from her position in the gunner's chair, and Kanan was once again glad that she had refrained from participating in the mission. When she and Hera were both in the Ghost, no amount of Ties were safe from them.

"Whatever you do, just do it quick!" Zeb growled, firing another shot from his bo-rifle as he did so. A resulting scream told Kanan the bolt had met it's mark.

The job was simple: steal a decoder, plant a fake one, get the hell off of Hoth. The plan had involved nothing more than sneaking into the bucket-head's compound, silently dispatch the few guards stationed within, switch the real decoder with the fake one, and sneak away. They had been in the last step of the plan before their cover was blown, and now they desperately needed off the surface of the frozen wasteland.

While the crew of the Ghost had cold-weather gear, it was no where near what they needed for long exposure to the negative temperatures they were now experiencing. In this fight, the Imperials had the advantage that their fingers wern't frozen numb. The simplicity of the plan hadn't taken into effect that the raw arctic temperatures would dull their reflexes.

Of course, the plan would've been a lot simpler if a certain Spectre was there to sneak around through the air-ducts.

Another explosion sounded out in the distance, and Kanan knew that it would only be a matter of time before they could escape this bucket of ice.

"Zeb! We need to get somewhere more open!"

"Right, right, let's just mozy on down there, why don't we? If you havn't noticed, we've got bucket-heads pinnin' us down!"

"Oh come on, it's not that bad! All we need is-" With an ear-splitting roar, the Ghost flew over their heads. A single shot from the ship threw all of their enemies down, where they didn't get up again.

"Now, I believe you said something about needing our assistance?"

"Hera, you're the best, you know that?"

"Yes, actually, I do. But thank you."

The Ghost spiraled down, it's ramp extending as it did so. Pocketing the little chip that had caused all this carnage, Kanan followed Zeb towards the ship they called their home.

Suddenly, a wave of dizziness came over Kanan, and he nearly slipped because of it. It's too cold down here, I don't understand how anything could live on this ice-cube. Vowing to turn the temperature up on the atmosphere controls, Kanan just focused on getting inside the ship without stumbling. How is Zeb not affected by this monstrous cold? He's wearing less than I am!

Once the door to the outside had closed behind him, Kanan sighed in relief. The Ghost would always be there for them, as comforting as a mother was to her children. Only one of them was missing.