46

IT WASN'T too long before Kanan located a lift. Just like before, it was chock full of bucketheads, but luckily for him, they were all going up this time. He was too worried about the rest of the crew and getting out with the kyber crystal to whip up another unstuttered lie on the spot.

He left the lift at the docking bay level. Stormtroopers were slowly cleaning up the mess he'd made earlier under the direction of a few Imperial officers.

Kanan merged with a cluster of troopers who'd come off the lift to join the cleanup and strolled right in.

The new band of helpers headed for one of the officers. Kanan kept moving along with them, scanning the bay for his escape vehicle. The first thing he noticed was that some of the stormtroopers were getting ready to dismantle the Phantom for parts!

His heart almost stopping in his chest - If Hera's okay, she's gonna kill me - Kanan quickly broke away from the others and casually speedwalked over. "Hey, you guys," he greeted, struggling to stay calm. "What's up?"

His mind was racing a parsec a minute. How was he going to grab the Phantom and get out? The docking bay was full of stormtroopers, who could leap into the undamaged TIEs and shoot him down, or just shoot him before he'd have the chance, period. He couldn't just knock out the dismantlement team and speed away. That would be insanity. No, this situation required Kanan to think up a spotless plan, and now.

But Kanan's rapidfire thought process was faltering as dark whispers bubbled up through it.

My plans fail. They always fail.

Hera didn't answer the com. No one did.

This is impossible.

So what's the point in trying?...

Immediately after thinking it, he crushed that thought.

Do or do not. Kanan stared through his helmet's visor, completely blocking out the stormtrooper who was cheerfully explaining what he was doing.

Slowly, Kanan's eyebrows met, and he set his jaw.

The stakes were higher than they'd ever been before, and yes, it was true that this was probably all for nothing and the rest of the crew - the probability had to be faced - had been spotted by one of the other Destroyers.

But no matter how high those stakes were, Kanan would surmount them. He would battle Darth Vader to the end if he had to. He would keep searching for his Padawan until he breathed his last breath.

There was no do not. And...

"There is no try," he growled.

The stormtrooper broke off. He and his buddies stared at Kanan.

"Um... pardon?"

Kanan lifted his good hand towards them, fingers outstretched.

"You will let me inside that shuttle," he said quietly.

"We will let you inside this shuttle," they echoed, immediately locked into a trance.

"And, if I am spotted, you will cover me," added Kanan.

"We will cover you."

As the stormtroopers turned to face the rest of the docking bay, their blasters at the ready, Kanan bolted into the Phantom. He vaulted over the back of the pilot's seat to sit in it and started up the shuttle.

A few yards away, an officer whirled around. "Who's in there?!" he shouted, then pointed at the Phantom. "Stop that shuttle! The Jedi must be inside!"

A group of stormtroopers dropped what they were doing (they were carrying an injured fellow soldier to the medical wing) and sprinted forward, only to be shot at by the men Kanan had hypnotized.

Kanan wasted no time in looking back to see the resulting turmoil. The Phantom soared free of the Imperial Star Destroyer's docking bay. By the time the ship's crew spotted the shuttle's escape and started up the tractor beam, it was too late. They only succeeded in sucking back in the TIEs that had been sent after Kanan.

Kanan grinned to himself; he couldn't help it. For the most part, that had been pretty fun.

His smile instantly melted when he saw the Ghost was being pursued by dozens of TIE fighters.

Kanan switched on the com. "Phantom to Ghost: I've got the cargo. Time to get the heck outta here!"

As before... no reply.

Kanan growled, realizing right away what was going on. Our coms were jammed. He would have smacked his good hand against his forehead if he hadn't needed it to work the controls. He had been so quick to jump to fearing the worst that he hadn't even thought about the smaller answers.

"Well, that's not helpful," Kanan muttered. It sure wasn't. But he had faith that Hera would be able to see him and dock the Ghost with the Phantom, all while evading the TIEs. She was an amazing pilot. Kanan was a decent one, and a great shooter.

They could do it - and they would.

There was no try.