Erstwhile

Ambush

"Why didn't you stay back like I told you to?" Ashoka asked me as she helped me to my feet.

"I know it sounds dumb, but I have a bad feeling about this mission," I replied, "And--"

"So do I," she said and walked back to the cockpit.

"Wait, you do?" I sputtered as I followed behind her. "Then why are you still going?"

"Our men need the supplies," Ashoka said, shrugging.

"No, that can't be the only reason," I argued, "I know it isn't."

Sitting down, Ashoka swiveled her chair around and faced me. Raising her eyebrow at me, her silent question was clear.

"Master, I don't know you that well, but I have fought beside you. With your light sabers and even without them, you're strong, brave, and agile."

"Then what has you so concerned?" Ashoka asked and crossed her arms.

"I wouldn't have been able to recognize it if I hadn't seen it in myself," I began, "Back on Lothal, after my parents were arrested, I was left on my own. When times required it, which was pretty much all the time, I stole and cheated, just to get by.

"I tried to be confident and dauntless--no job too big, right?--but I soon found that not only was I lying to others, but I was lying to myself. I wasn't some professional thief, a master at concealing his emotions--no, I was terrified." Raising my eyes, I gazed into Ashoka's and found that they were filled with tears. "And, Master, I think you are too."

At my words, her persona crumbled, and she bowed her head. The next time she raised it to look at me, it was hard again, like a stone. "As soon as we get out of hyperspace, I'm taking you back." She turned back to the helm.

"What's the point in that?" I asked, exasperation leaking into my voice, "It'd be a waste of time and fuel when I could just go with you."

"Ezra, this mission is dangerous. You and I both know that," Ashoka explained calmly, "but I can do it on my own."

"Fine," I replied and sat down in the chair next to her. Leaning back, I kicked my legs up onto the mainframe and folded my arms behind my head. "You can go alone; I'm just coming with you."

Ashoka rolled her eyes. "There really is no getting rid of you, is there?"

"Pretty much."

"How does Kanan handle it?"

"For the most part, he just rolls with it," I laughed and closed my eyes. From behind us, Chopper whistled and honked, indicating that we were about to leave hyperspace. The next moment, the droid's prediction came true, and, beside me, the Commander gasped.

Whipping my eyes open, I found Ashoka's cause for concern almost immediately. Taking up most of our window was a huge, Imperial ship, and just a ways behind it was the military station, which, from the looks of things, was very active.

"This is an ambush!" I yelled as the Imperial ship's guns pointed at us.

"Hang on!" Ashoka shouted and yanked the helm down, causing the Phantom to nosedive. Biting back a scream, I clutched my chair as Ashoka skillfully avoided every Imperial projectile.

"That wasn't so bad," I moaned as we flew out of range.

"It's not over yet," she said and pointed out the window.

Following her finger, my gaze soon stumbled upon her point of indication. "TIE fighters!"

"Ezra, how good of a shot are you?"

I leapt out of my chair. "Good enough," I said as I brought the scope down from the ceiling and prepared to fire.

***

"I can't shake them!" Ashoka exclaimed as she furiously twisted the helm of the Phantom. Following close behind us was the group of TIE fighters.

"Hold on," I whispered from behind the guns. Gazing through the scope, I spotted an enemy and quickly pressed the buttons underneath my thumbs. Moments later, two green beams shot from the cannons and hit a TIE fighter, immediately causing it to explode.

"I got one!"

"Don't get too excited," Ashoka growled, "There's still eight left. It's only a matter of time before they hit us."

"I'm working on it," I muttered and continued to fire at the enemies.

"Chopper!" she shouted, "We need to jump to hyperspace now!"

A series of beeps and whistles was the droid's reply.

"I don't care where we go!" She yelled, "Just somewhere away from here!"

As Chopper started up the hyperdrive, a TIE fighter avoided my shots and fired at the back of the Phantom. As the fighter landed the hit, our ship shuddered, and I almost lost my grip on the scope.

"Chopper, what's our damage?" Ashoka asked.

In response, the droid buzzed nervously.

"Master, if the hyperdrive is fried, how are we going to--" I started, but Ashoka interrupted.

"Ezra, strap yourself in."

Leaving the guns, I quickly sat down and secured myself to the chair beside Ashoka. "What are we going to do?" I asked.

"We're going to land."

"Where?"

She directed the Phantom to the left, where a green planet loomed, "There."

As Ashoka fought for control over the ship, I brought up a map and located the indicated planet. "According to this, that planet is uninhabited."

"Does it say why?"

"No," I replied and jolted forward as the Phantom was hit yet again. Craning my head, I saw fire catching on our left wing.

"At this rate, we'll be lucky if we survive the landing," Ashoka muttered as we approached the green planet.

"Just to let you know, if I die, Kanan is going to kill me."

"I'll keep that in mind," Ashoka said as the Phantom entered the green planet's atmosphere.

Hello!
This is my first ever Star Wars fanfiction, so I may not have gotten all the facts right, but I tried. What did you think? Tell me in the comments!!
Julie :D