Visions

Eleven: Code Revive

Hera was glad to have Arene on board, but she couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed that the girl didn't have any important information.

They had landed at the base on Atollon an hour ago, but Sato hadn't even bothered with debriefing Arene. There was no use. The young Twi'lek didn't know anything.

Hera was in the cockpit of The Ghost, laying half under the control panel. During the flight, an alarm had gone off, but she couldn't see that anything was wrong. Neither could the diagnostic she'd run before deciding to figure it out manually.

She huffed while reassembling the hyperdrive control. Must have been a malfunction. Thing was, Hera kept the ship in top-notch shape, so malfunctions never happened. Hadn't for three years.

"Why do I even keep that bucket of bolts around?" Hera grumble angrily, and heard Chopper give an alarmed whirr behind her. She cast him an angry glance. "Yes, I'm talking about you. Now get over here and put that shield generator control pad back together!"

"You know," a calm voice said from behind her. "Chopper probably didn't even do anything wrong."

Hera sighed wearily, and slid out. "I know that, Arene. But I gotta find someone to blame."

The girl smiled slightly, before perching on one of the back chairs as Hera went back to the panel and tested the buttons and controls. A slight pause filled the air before Arene spoke again. "What was it my...parents going to give you?"

Hera sighed and cast her a sympathetic look. "They knew of an Imperial commander and a few cadets that wanted to defect. They'd have had a lot of useful information the Rebellion needs."

Arene caught her breath, and Hera glanced back at her again. The girl looked stricken. "Code name...'Revive'?"

~//~

Ezra was in the middle of talking with Commander Sato when Hera appeared around the corner, at a near run. Her face wore a determined frown, and Arene was following closely behind her, nervousness stamped across her features.

Something was wrong.

As Hera neared, everyone stopped what they were doing and glanced at each other. Worry was thick in the air.

At last, Hera got to Ezra and Sato. "Commander, Arene may have some information on Revive."

Everyone was instantly crowding around the two Twi'leks, and Ezra could feel Arene's fright. "Everyone, back away!" Sato's voice had this commanding underlying tone to it, and it was impossible to ignore.

Everyone around gave the four people in their midst some space.

Sato didn't waste any time, turning on the holomap and letting Arene take his place.

She moved forward, but looked towards Ezra. "Where is the Yost system?"

Ezra quickly located the planet, and she smiled her thanks before returning her attention to the map. She pointed to a small blue dot. "This is Velgue Outpost, I think."

"Yes, it is," the commander affirmed.

She drew in a shaky breath before going on. "There is one Imperial Commander, by the name of Rendè Clarris, and five cadets, who wanted to stay unanimous for safety reasons. Clarris is willing to trade Imperial information for safe passage off the planet, but he does not want to join the fight against the Empire. He also asked that his fiancé be picked up from Devaron, to save her life. He is certain the Empire will capture and kill her for any information on his whereabouts."

The area around the outdoor Command Center was quiet. Ezra could almost feel the dissent. Finally, Sato spoke. "What kind of information does this Imperial have to offer?"

~//~

Sabine stared at herself in the mirror. "No more thinking about him. You have to get over it."

She groaned and dropped her head in her hands. Who was she kidding? She couldn't just forget her feelings for Ezra. It was impossible. "Ugh, I'm so stupid." She turned away from the mirror, ending her little pep-talk with herself, and surveyed her room.

It had more space than her cabin aboard The Ghost, but it still didn't feel like home. When they first decided to be a part of the steadily growing Rebellion, she'd been told that she couldn't decorate it permanently. At all. Thankfully, she'd found a way to forget that enough times that they didn't even bother.

Sabine smiled slightly. Yep, it almost looked like home. But it didn't feel like it. Ever since joining the crew, she's enjoyed the feel of always being in the air. The gentle roll, the slight hum of the engines, just them, alone, made her feel, well, free.

She wanted to paint, but there just wasn't time. Sato was going to debrief them soon, and attendance was mandatory. Which meant that Ezra would be there. Which meant more forced normalcy.

Sabine didn't know if she could keep this up.

She quickly finished getting dressed, and headed out to the CC (Command Center).

~//~

When Sabine arrived, everyone else was already gathered. Which was strange, seeing as she'd been a bit early.

She glanced around at the others, noting with no little annoyance that Arene was present as well, but skimmed over Ezra as fast as possible. Her heart still did a little flip.

"What's going on?"

Sato finally noticed her standing there, and cleared his throat. "Forgive me for not alerting you, but the debriefing was canceled. We have, however, a new mission."

Sabine was surprised. Almost everything about the Rebel Alliance was ordered and scheduled, from morning to evening. "What'd I miss?"

~//~

"No! Not a solo op! Ezra's too recognizable! They'd know him right off!"

Sabine was taking this harder than Ezra had expected. "That's the idea, Sabine. We want Clarris to know I'm from the Rebellion, or he might not trust us."

She looked at him as if he was stupid. "Yeah, he'll recognize you. Along with everyone else at the outpost!"

"Sabine," Hera looked at her sympathetically. "We have to take risks. Besides, you know Ezra can take care of himself."

Zeb nudged Ezra's shoulder. "Don't let that go to your head, kid."

Ezra grinned up at him. "Well, last time we thought you could take care of yourself, it turned out it was all Kallus."

"This is no time for jokes, Zeb!" Sabine was really upset. Ezra had a feeling that she wasn't saying the real reason for her opposition.

"Why can't someone else go?"

"Sabine, it's okay. I'll go in, get our people, and I'll be back before you even miss me. Don't worry."

Sabine looked up at him, something inexplicable on her face. "I can't help it," she murmured, and he had to strain the hear it. "I'll worry the entire time."

Fear is a disease; hope is its only cure.
~Jedi Proverb