The Warrior

Given Up

Hera sighed a loud sigh as she landed the Ghost outside of Capital City as she didn't want Imperial forces to sight their ship and call reinforcements foe their capture.

The crew had been searching for Aurek for the whole morning and it was now mid-afternoon. Hera was determined to find him since he had been a little distant so suddenly after his mission to retrieve the Droid courier with Ezra and Sabine.

However, she was forced to call off the search when Commander Sato contacted her for their return to the fleet. At first, she was reluctant, but after remembering that Aurek said he wouldn't be around forever, she believed it was best that they let him go.

After calling everyone to the Comman Room, Hera informed them all on their current situation.
"Guys, I'm calling off the search for Aurek. We're being summoned back to the fleet and I think we have no choice but to leave him as he is."
Ezra, Sabine and Zeb looked at her in disbelief. They had just gotten used to having their newest member around and now they were leaving him behind.

"You can't do this, Hera."Zeb said calmly.
" Zeb, remember when he first joined the crew that he said his stay would only be temporary?" Kanan asked as he placed a hand on his shoulder." He might have left because his time was up with us."
"Still doesn't give him the excuse to not say goodbye us before he leaves." Sabine retorted. Ezra nodded in agreement. He had started to like Aurek and wanted to make things better with him and he might not get the chance to do so. He imagined that someone like Aurek wouldn't be easy to find in a galaxy as vast as this one.

"I don't know if some of you might have noticed, but after the mission with the courier, I think Aurek had a mental breakdown or something. Because he seemed to be more distant as well as closed-off than before." Hera stated. "Maybe he left because of what happened when you guys left him behind." and she then pointed at Ezra and Sabine. "You two had a hard time trusting us when you first joined and maybe when you guys betrayed his trust in us by leaving him to be captured by the Imps, he couldn't take being with us anymore."

Kanan then spoke up, "You have a point, Hera. But we don't know that for a fact. All we can do is just imagine why he left."

"I can't believe this." Zeb said as he left the Comman Room and retreated to his room. Ezra and Sabine then followed suit, leaving Hera, Kanan, and Chopper alone together.

"Chop, set a course for the fleet." Hera ordered the astromech. Chopper then turned himself around and made his way to the cockpit.
"Hey, we'll be alright." Kanan said as he tried to comfort Hera. "I know. I just got used to having him around, that's all." she replied.
"So did I. But you have to learn that people come and people go. It's the circle of life."
"Yeah, I guess."

Just as Hera and Kanan were about to go to the cockpit, Chopper came bursting through the Comman Room doors making loud frantic beeps and grunts. "What is it, Chop?" Kanan asked. Chopper replied with a series of grunts a beeps.

"An incoming transmission? From Aurek?!" Hera translated as she seeeked conformation of Chopper's outburst. Chopper then nodded in response and put the transmission through on the Dejarik Table.

A hologram showing Aurek, and two other figures appeared with all of them seeming quite distressed. "Hera, where are you guys? We're being pursued by Imperial forces and are in need of immediate extract!" he demanded. At first, he received no response, but Kanan then replied with: "Where in the name of Ryloth have you been, Aurek?!"
"Now's not the time, Jarrus. Meet us at the end of the highway outside of Capital City as soon as possible."

The transmission ended and Hera immediately made her way to the cockpit. The Ghost then lifted off the ground and hovered a couple of meters above the highway and she spotted an Imperial Troop Transport speeding its way away from Capital City with several speeder bikes pursuing and shooting at it. "Kanan-" Hera began and Kanan replied "I'm on it" as he made his way to the Nose Gun and started blasting the Imperial forces away.

"What's going on here?" Ezra asked as he opened the door to the cockpit to see Hera in the pilot's seat. "Ah good you're here, Ezra." Hera began. "Make your way to the Cargo Hold. We got friendlies inbound."
"Really? Who?" Ezra asked.
"Who do you think?" was all Hera said. With that, Ezra made his way down the ladder and opened the Cargo Bay doors to see a speeding Imperial Troop Transport making its way to the Ghost.

Three figures had made their way topside of the transport and managed to jump their way on board as the Transport passed just underneath the ship.
Ezra then closed the door and the Ghost lift off and away from Lothal.

In the Cargo Bay, Ezra was greeted by none other than Aurek,and two others whom he had never seen before.