50

ONCE THEY were back in safe space, Hera radioed Kanan urgently.

"Come in, Kanan, are you okay?"

Inside the Phantom, Kanan had struggled to his feet, blinking in a daze from all the hits to the head. He pressed the com button. "Yeah, Hera, I... I'm okay."

"You don't sound okay."

"I hear a lot of blame in your voice..."

Hera rolled her eyes. "Nevermind. We're going to land near Tarkintown so we can get you out of the Phantom and treat you. Then I'll get Chopper and Tseebo working on repairing your controls, and then we'll deliver the cargo to Vizago - 'we' being me, Zeb, and Sabine, if you're too badly hurt."

Kanan sighed dramatically, though they were both clinging to every word the other said, struggling to calm down and reassure one another with normal sarcastic banter. "Didn't I just say I'm okay? Don't worry about me."

"I always worry about you," Hera responded gently. I love you.

Kanan smiled faintly, his cyan eyes remorseful. "You too, Hera. Over and out."

***

Hera piloted the Ghost into Lothal's atmosphere, then landed smoothly on the hill above Tarkintown.

She took a small, deep breath, then got up and turned to Chopper. "Chop, you heard what I told Kanan. Detach the Phantom from the magnetic lock and go tell Tseebo I said to help you with the repairs."

"Wrr-wrr."

Hera frowned at him exasperatedly as she walked by. "Just do it."

Unsurprisingly, Zeb and Sabine were standing erect in the common room, waiting for Hera. When she entered, they stared at her expectantly, worry on their faces.

"Kanan says he's fine," Hera assured them. Their shoulders slumped vaguely with relief. "Where's Tseebo?"

"He's hiding in the kitchen," Sabine sighed. "He's, um... not really an action guy."

"That's fine. Chopper should come to get him in a bit. Come on, we need to get Kanan out of the Phantom and head to Vizago's camp. Are you up to it?"

Hera merely asked out of courtesy. She smiled at them, already knowing the answer.

Zeb grinned. "Thought you'd never ask!"

***

By the time the three crewmembers left the Ghost and approached the Phantom, Chopper had already deactivated the magnetic lock, as Hera had requested. The Twi'lek captain knocked on the shuttle's closed entry ramp, then stepped back.

After a minute or two, the entry ramp shuddered open with several clipped screeches. Hera and Sabine grimaced, and Zeb clamped his hands over his ears. ("Karabast!")

Kanan stumbled out into the long grass, one palm pressed against his bloody forehead as he beamed at his friends. He couldn't have been happier to see them.

The others, however, flinched in horror.

"Kanan, what in the Outer Rim happened to your head?!" Sabine shrieked.

"I, uh, hit it against the dashboard a couple times by accident..."

"And you didn't TREAT it?" Hera demanded angrily. "There is a first aid kit inside of a compartment by the controls!" So saying, she stomped past him into the shuttle.

Kanan winced. "I forgot about that... S-Sorry, Hera."

That only earned him a venomous comment in Twi'lekki. He deserved whatever she'd said, sure, but he understood that she was only mad because he'd scared her, and he felt terrible for that.

Zeb slowly raised one hand. "I have a more important question."

Kanan glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, Zeb?"

Zeb stared at him. "Why are you wearing buckethead armor and a Tooka's face?"

"Uhh.." Kanan reddened underneath the paint and lifted a finger, opening his mouth to explain.

Unfortunately, he was cut off by an irate Sabine.

"IS THAT MY PAINT?!"