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They always go into these missions with a plan. A clear objective, a clear series of actions, as little risk as they can anticipate, and --

And almost every time it turns into this, a last-minute scramble with the pressure on, Kanan way outside his position and requiring a quick extraction, weapons blazing.

Just . . . usually it's a pretty simple maneuver to break atmo and run into hyperspace. This time, not so much. The planet's surface is covered with elaborate stone structures, most of which function like a forest canopy, just made of stone. And of course the cities are all built under this multi-shelled stone forest.

So now there's a maze to thread, at high speed, with TIEs firing at them and someone taking his time actually getting inside the damn ship.

"If you don't get inside in the next two minutes, Spectre-1, I'm going to send Chop out to get you. With his stim-prod."

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"That'd be great, you'd give these guys something else to shoot at!"

Kanan focuses, whipping around the corner of the stone wall he's pinned behind and firing toward the three stormtroopers who have him pinned down. One of them falls back, giving Kanan enough time to dash across the open space, toward a wide column Hera has just sped the Ghost around.

"You might have to slow down long enough for me to get on board."

"I'll give you a five-count. One."

She whirls the Ghost around another column, weaving and dodging and then diving below a bridge-like protrusion.

"Two. Chop, I need you to bleed some of the power from our shields when I hit five, because we're going to have a real short window."

Come on, Kanan. Get out into the open.

Edited 2017-10-28 03:06 (UTC)

"Three." He counts with her, leaning against the column, trying to get a better angle on the remaining stormtroopers. More are already running in.

"Four." He fires the two advancing troopers, and unhooks a smoke grenade from his belt, waiting for the reinforcements to clump together before he activates and tosses it toward them.

For this to work, Hera's going to have to maneuver a long, flat stone ribbon between herself and the following Ties. The only way to do that is to finish this flat run and jerk the entire ship sideways in a very narrow turn.

This turn will also put the cargo ramp right at head-height, for Kanan to make the jump. And it's all going to require split-second timing and immense amounts of trust.

"Five. Chop, now."

He must really trust her.

Kanan ducks down as smoke erupts throughout the stone enclave, and rolls out from the column, launching himself up to grab on to the edge of the cargo ramp. He shoves himself forward, jumping to his feet as he makes it into the cargo bay, and slams the button to pull up the ramp.

"All right, I'm in." He's barely had time to catch his breath before Chopper rolls forward, waving his arms and bleeping furiously.

"Yeah, Chop, I noticed." Kanan doesn't let the droid finish before he jumps up the ladder and heads for the dorsal cannon.

Hera's already pushing the speed of the Ghost to the limit, just to get them out of there before the TIES get back around the stone formation.

It works better than it doesn't, but the fastest of the TIEs gets enough of a sight on them to start shooting its laser cannons.

"They can't have gotten a lock that fast," Hera mutters, dropping the Ghost left and losing altitude, but she remembers a stone tunnel being there from previous failed attempt to get Kanan, and that shelter is going to come in handy.

"Chopper, power back to our shields as soon as you can. Kanan, have you got some firepower to give me?"

"I'm working on it."

And he hasn't nearly lost his footing three times since climbing out of the cargo bay. That's something other people do.

He manages to hook his hand around the ladder to the cannon before Hera can swing the ship again, and makes his way up, pulling the controls toward him as he jumps into the seat. "All right, let's go."

"Because we've been sitting still for so long," Hera slings back at him, spinning the Ghost off to the right, dodging between two TIEs and sliding the Ghost neatly between two close-together pillars.

"Tell me when you've got visual."

She'll do her best to give him a long firing window, but for now she's got to lure the TIEs out into the open. Good thing this set of pilots doesn't seem to have the most subtle of tactics.

Edited 2017-10-28 22:34 (UTC)

Kanan swivels the cannon, tracking a TIE as it swings around a column.

"Just get a little farther -"

The panel in front of him flashes, but he waits, waits for Hera to draw the TIE closer, and then fires.

Edited 2017-10-29 02:32 (UTC)

“Nice shot,” Hera says, voice still tight with tension. “Think you can do that a couple more times?”

That, of course, is when a second TIE comes screaming on from the left.

“Hold on tight!”

She pulls the Ghost into a steep dive, searching desperately for anything that will serve as cover.

"If you can get them away from those columns," Kanan calls back, hanging on to the console to not fall back out of his seat.

"If I miss or the debris hits them, this whole place could come down!"

“I almost think I’d be fine with that right now! Or for the love of — “

Hera bites down on a curse, darting back and forth around the columns Kanan is worried about, buying a few seconds to figure out an exit strategy.

“Put everything we’ve got into the shields, Chop. I think we’re about to take some heavy hits.”

This is such a stupid idea, but it’s the only one she’s got. Hera pulls away from the columns, putting all of the Ghost’s thrust into zooming skyward and right out into the open

“Kanan, I hope you’re ready for this.”

Kanan swivels, anticipating the next TIE before he sees it. His screen barely begins to flash before he blows it out of the sky.

"Makes it easier on me." But harder on Hera, he knows, as he swivels back toward the other two.

"That's what I strive for, every day," Hera says a little too sweetly, then grits her teeth and drops into a sharp right-hand turn that continues to become a barrel roll.

"Things are going to get hairy for a minute, but I'm setting you up for a clear shot. Someone in that TIE knows what they're doing."

In a way it's thrilling, pushing her piloting skills to this limit, but Kanan and Chop's lives are depending on her, so it's incredibly sobering at the same time.

"Hold on!"

She takes a spiraling path down, twisting the Ghost so that the laser cannons are directed right at the TIEs that are now framed clearly against the atmosphere above.

Kanan keeps his feet flat on the floor, and this time stays steady, even as the ship dives. He takes a deep breath, shifting the cannon toward one of the TIEs. The screen before him flashes, but his eyes stay on the sky.

He fires at one TIE, and it smashes to pieces in a burst of white flame. The other dodges the explosion, closing in, as Kanan swerves with it, firing, forcing it to roll away before -

"Argh-" Kanan jumps back out of the seat as the console explodes in a shower of sparks, tumbling to the ladde and grabbing the top rung before he can fall any farther.

"Dorsal cannon's out!" he yells, hoping Hera can hear.

The muttered string of Twi'leki curses over the comms -- and the sharp jerk of the Ghost to the diagonal -- suggests that she did.

"I'll find us some more cover, you get yourself up here on the double. Chop'll keep the seat warm for you."

If the nose turret goes, though --

No, it's going to be fine.

Hera pulls her ship into a quick series of back-and forth movements, twisting to stay ahead of the remaining TIE's laserfire. The pilot's relaxing, she can tell, because of the momentary lull in fire from the Ghost. This is going to be a problem.

Kanan drops from the ladder, landing less-than-gracefully on the floor below but quick on his feet, running for the nose gun.

"Chopper can take the rear cannon."

"As long as nothing in the dorsal turret's burning."

She's pretty sure the fire suppressant systems are up to spec, but all it takes is one flyaway spark.

Though if they get shot out of the sky by this TIE fighter, it's really not going to matter at all.

"Sorry for this."

The Ghost plummets like a stone, as Hera catches sight of a nice little hidey-hole that should let them get the drop on their persistent pilot friend.

If she can just get them out of sight quickly enough . . .

"Woah -"

Kanan grabs hold of the chair at those nose canon, stopping himself from falling forward into the console. He quickly pulls himself up into the seat, grabbing hold of the cannon's controls and gritting his teeth.

"Either Chopper's gonna have to shoot him, or you're have to fly at him."

"How good are you feeling about my piloting skills right now?"

If either Chopper or Kanan were currently in the co-pilot's seat, they'd see a very determined light take fire in Hera's eyes.

"I want this over faster, or we're going to have quite the welcoming party when we actually break atmo and head for hyperspace. I'll get you the cleanest shot I can."

Now if the TIE took the path she guessed he might, once the Ghost dropped out of sight . . .

And if there have been no other reinforcements in that time . . .

"Come on, give me all you've got."

Hera gives the Ghost an immense burst of speed, darting out of the inlet she'd found and driving straight at the back of the TIE fighter that was lurking near where the Ghost had vanished before.

"Now!"

There is no one else in the universe Kanan would rather have in the pilot's chair.

No longer needing to stay on his feet, Kanan shifts in the gunner's chair, turning with the Ghost, instinctively anticipating Hera's movements. It's easier now that he's closer to her, and closer to seeing what she's seeing. He can feel the path of the final TIE, its draw to them; it grows so strong that he almost feels that he's beckoning it back to them, before with a final burst of speed, the ship lurches back into view.

Kanan ignores the targeting panel. He's pulling the trigger the moment that Hera speaks.

It's a direct hit to the TIE's engines, and the fighter goes down in a ball of shrapnel and flames.

"Let's get out of here before more of them come to find us. Chop, pull up the headings while I get us away from this planet."

Hera immediately pulls up, pointing the Ghost's nose at the apex of the sky, and the stars beyond.

"Kanan, do you mind staying there until we actually hit hyperspace? Just in case there's another surprise in the wings."

Her voice is warm, a mix of affection and approval for Kanan's excellent shooting. They really make an excellent team. And . . .

Hera pulls her focus back on her piloting, because they aren't quite out of the woods yet.

"I'm not going anywhere, Hera."

He keeps his grip on the controls, but leans back in the seat as the Ghost rises, climbing toward the stars.

"Let's get you to hyperspace."

"How about we get all of us there, with the Ghost in one piece," Hera says, smiling even as her focus is on piloting her ship up into the black.

No expensive repairs would also be a plus, but there are no guarantees.

"But I'll give you dibs on any Star Destroyers we run into on the way."

"I don't like my chances on that one."

Size matters not, maybe, but Kanan's still pretty sure this cannon won't do much against a Star Destroyer's tractor beam.