Dedicated to defiantminstrel103

     The next morning, Jedi Knight Kyra Kryze-Kenobi and the Spectres gathered at an abandoned comm tower that Ezra Bridger once called home, the young Jedi reaching out to the Force as he searched for General Hera Syndulla.

     After a moment, he turned to the others and said, "She's in the dome in Governor Pryce's office."

     "The administrative offices would be on the one hundred and fifty-seventh level," Sabine Wren replied.

     "So how do we get past all the patrols, gun turrets, and watchtowers?" Garazeb Orrelios asked. "It's not like we can just fly in."

     "That's exactly what we'll do," Kyra stated, "The Empire's equipped to counter sophisticated weaponry and targets. They won't be looking for something low-tech like a simple glider."

     Zeb sighed, "I don't know. If we get spotted, we're at a pretty big disadvantage."

     "No. We'll just look like Loth-bats," Ezra argued as he handed his macrobinoculars to Zeb. "Look toward the south entrance, where the garbage chute is. I bet we can glide right past them and never be noticed."

     "Right. So where do we get these gliders?" Zeb asked.

     "Easy. We make them," Sabine Wren answered.

     That evening, as the rebels finished painting their gliders, Kanan Jarrus joined them. The Jedi Knight had cut his hair and shaved his beard, his new appearance reminiscent of his days as a padawan learner.

     Sensing the collective stares of his friends and family, he smirked and said, "Let's go get Hera."

     Kyra and Ezra changed into a pair of stolen TIE pilot uniforms before putting on their helmets and climbing onto their respective gliders, Kanan following suit as Zeb linked the homemade vessels together. Chopper held the chain that connected the gliders, sitting on the back of the speeder bike as Garazeb Orrelios towed the rebels behind him, creating enough lift to get the gliders into the air. They rode over the capital city of Lothal, above the polluted air of the Empire's factory and to the one hundred and fifty-seventh level of the large domed building that served as the Imperials' headquarters.

     As they landed on a metal platform, Ezra stated, "No alarms. So far so good."

     "People never pay enough attention to the world around them," Kanan replied.

     "Good thing you taught me otherwise," Ezra said.

     Kanan smiled and placed a hand on Bridger's shoulder, "You're a good listener, Ezra. It served you here and it will serve you again in the future."

     Kyra glanced back and forth between the master and apprentice, once again troubled by Kanan's choice of words. Kyra handed Kanan a pair of magnetic devices that would allow him to climb on the dome's surface and remain undetected as he rescued Hera.

     "Pryce's office is six levels down," she informed him. "Kanan...don't do anything rash. The Rebellion still needs you. We'll get to the ship. Signal us when you're ready."

     As Kryze and Bridger ran towards a set of external stairs, Kanan called after them, "Ezra, Kyra. May the Force be with you."

     As he jumped over the edge of the platform and disappeared, Kyra and Ezra made their way through the Imperial complex, slowing their pace each time they came across another pair of stormtroopers.

     As they finally entered the open-air hangar bay, alarm klaxons started to blare, and Ezra laughed quietly, "Well, I guess Kanan got Hera out."

     Kyra nodded and stated that she would fly before strolling over to the nearest pilot and telling him that he had been reassigned. When the pilot expressed his confusion, Kyra offered to show him the orders and pulled him aside, kicking him in the stomach before slamming him against a nearby container. As he slumped to the ground, she punched him in the face for good measure and boarded the LAAT gunship. Kyra prepared the ship for takeoff and activated the spotlight, following another pair of gunships toward the fuel depot.

     After several minutes, Kyra's comlink beeped, "Phantom, do you read? How are you coming with that ship?"

     Kyra let out an explosive breath of relief, "Kanan! Did you get her?"

     "Of course he did," Hera answered.

     "There's been a change of plans. We need a pickup—" Kanan added.

     "In the fuel depot, I know," Kyra replied. "The Empire does, too."

     "Well, let's hope you get to us first," Kanan said. "We'll be on top of the central fuel pod."

     As Kyra put her comlink away and took off her stolen Imperial helmet, "Spectre-Six, you might want to hang on."

     Kyra eased the gunship into a barrel roll, causing the stormtroopers to fall out of the open hold in the back before straightening out again and firing on the nearest gunship. When the second Imperial vessel turned to engage the commandeered gunship, Ezra activated his lightsaber and deflected the blaster shots, one of the redirected bolts hitting the other gunship and causing it to go up in flames. With the enemy fighters taken care of, Kyra raced to the fuel depot and quickly spotted Kanan and Hera atop the main fuel pod. As Kanan helped Hera into the gunship, an AT-AT walker opened fire and shot the fuel pod, the flammable liquid rapidly tearing apart its metal container.

     The concussive blast rocked the patrol ship and Kyra struggled to hold it steady as Kanan ran forward and held the fire back with the Force. Kyra's eyes widened as she watched the flames swirl around them, wishing she could help but unable to do so, seeing as she was controlling the gunship. When Hera ran to Kanan's side, he stopped her, one hand taming the inferno while the other pushed Syndulla back into the hold. One by one, Kanan Jarrus looked to Kyra, then Ezra Bridger, and finally Hera Syndulla before launching the gunship away from the fuel depot and letting the fire consume him, the Jedi sacrificing himself to save his lover, student, and fellow Knight of the Jedi Order.

     Kyra Kryze-Kenobi blinked several times, trying to hold back the tears that pooled in her eyes as she quickly flew away from the fuel depot, the entire facility disappearing in a wall of fire.