Sabine took a slow, calming breath, comfortingly settling her hands on the pistols in her holsters. "You sure about this, Kanan?"
"No." Kanan pinched the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger.
"Right. Good. So, situation normal then?" Zeb drawled, leaning heavily on Sabine's seat back, his head propped in one hand.
Kanan scowled heavily. "Alright, alright. Is Vin ready?" He glanced across at Sabine as he took the controls of the Phantom.
"Yep." Sabine nodded.
"And Ezra?" He looked back at Zeb.
"He's in position."
Kanan started up the ship and piloted it out.
"Are you sure about this?" Kanan asked Vin.
Vin nodded, her eyes cast down. Her right hand cupped her left elbow.
"I'm really sorry about all this, Vin. Really sorry." Kanan scrubbed his hand over the back of his neck.
"Well, I guess I get a chance now. The Imperials weren't planning on treating me like an honoured guest." Vin sighed in resignation. "And I owe the galaxy a favour or two after the kind of stuff I used to do."
"Redemption is a tough path to walk," Kanan said quietly.
Vin grimaced. "Sounds great."
Kanan stood in front of her and she held out her wrists. He bound them with the plasteel binders. He reached up and gripped her arm. "Trust me."
"I don't really have much of a choice," she said wryly.
Kanan drew the speeder to a halt on the outskirts of the jungle, just in front of the compound front gates. Vin remained waiting in the speeder, staring down at her lap.
Two hovercraft approached from the opened gates. The rear one had a forward mounted heavy gun that made Kanan swallow a little. Well, he had to expect some kind of heavy artillery. He held up both hands, palms open.
Lan Eliis stepped out of the lead vehicle, carrying a heavy rifle slung across her chest. "I see you have my beloved sister, Jedi."
Kanan nodded. "You got my pilot?"
Lan Eliis smiled brightly. "Absolutely."
"You show me yours and I will show you mine."
Lan gestured, and two men stepped out of the secondary vehicle. They yanked the limp body of Hera from the rear door.
Kanan felt a flare of rage sour his gut, but he kept his eyes on Lan. She was watching him with an amused expression.
"I decided the balance of the trade was a little more in your favour, so I took a little extra," Lan drawled, laughter in her eyes. She raised her voice. "Come on, little sister. You and I need a chat."
Kanan kept his hands folded in front of him. Vin slowly, carefully got out of the speeder.
"Bring Hera to me," Kanan said as Vin drew alongside him.
Lan gestured again.
The two men dragged her onward, her boots scoring two lines in the dirt.
Vin stared directly ahead, refusing to even look directly at her sister.
Hera was dumped in the dirt at Kanan's feet.
Kanan raised his hand to his mouth. "Now!" He threw himself over Hera as the ground trembled, then exploded under Lan's vehicle. The vehicle went airborne and flipped. Bolt fire from someone else came out of the jungle.
"Get off me." Came the small voice beneath him. "I'm fine."
"Hera?" Kanan scrambled backwards, and peered at Hera.
She was looking at him with bright, pain free eyes. "Hey. Is this the plan?"
"So far. Seems to be going okay." Kanan held down his hand.
"Well, we are getting shot at, Sabine is blowing something up, so yeah, I figure it's going as usual." Hera gripped his hand and pulled herself up. "Gun?"
"In the speeder."
"What about the sister?" Hera turned. Vin was standing stationary in the midst of the chaos. A blaster bolt sliced through her body, with no visible effect.
"On the Ghost." Kanan pulled Hera toward the speeder. He grabbed a gun, handed it to Hera, then jumped in the pilot seat. He clicked a button on a small device clipped to his belt.
Vin shimmered and dissipated.
Lan's howl of anger could be heard over the sound of gunfire. "JEDI!"
"Time to go." Kanan yanked on the steering yoke of the speeder and jammed the lever forward. They shot into motion, Hera leaning over the back and firing back at the volley of fire that chased them.
"Second vehicle giving chase," Hera called out. "Floor it, Kanan. What's the plan?"
"I didn't expect to get this far!" Kanan yelled over the whip of the wind. "But we have back up."
"We do?"
Kanan hesitated. "Maybe."
Hera just shook her head.