A Shadow Of Hope

Chapter 47

The Ghost dropped out of hyperspace towards Lothal, entering it's atsmophere. Whiplash purred as he stood on Ezra's shoulder, looking out to the vast landscape.

"Home sweet home huh?" He asked his rider.

The boy nodded wordlessly.

"I searched everywhere" Fawn muttered to herself.

"How did I never spot you?"

Ezra grinned at Whiplash who returned the smile. He knew Fawn was talking about him. Months she'd spent searching, and never found him. But Fawn told Ezra her hope he was still alive remained no matter what. Ezra felt his respect for his sister grow every day. 

"Okay, we're going to drop down on our dragons and do surprise strike. Chopper I need you to look after the Ghost while we're gone, alright?" Hera asked the little astromech.

The droid warbled an affirmative as the crew went through the doors to the entry hall.

"Alright, Kanan, you and I will get the prisoners. The rest of you, destroy every single Imperial you come into contact with. Understood?"  Hera asked. 

They all nodded and the ramp opened. 

"Alright, its a free fall until we're at least forty feet from the ground. Then get on your dragons and glide towards the Imperial occupation. Once there, throw these at every walker" Fawn told Ezra, Sabine and Zeb, tossing them a few explosives each.

 "Just make sure you're out of range when they detonate, they're nasty bombs those ones. Will give you a really bad burn if you're too close" Hurricane purred.

"How do you know that?" Kanan asked.

Hurricane looked at the ground and a pained expression came into his eyes.

"It hurt really bad" he muttered, but that was all he had to say for the others to know what happened.  

"These can burn though dragon scales?" Sabine asked in disbelief.

"Yup, they're my own creation. Their energy core is a cutting of a kyber crystal" Fawn replied putting on her helmet. 

"Yikes" Ezra muttered. 

If that was true,  then there was no wonder they burned Hurricane. Whiplash snuffed as he went to the edge of the ramp. It was a dizzying drop to the ground and he could make out the Imperial walkers and tanks patrolling Lothal.  

"Who's going first?" Whiplash asked over his shoulder.

"You" Ezra told his dragon picking him up and throwing him off the ramp.

"Ezra!" Whiplash yelled as he plunged down.

"Come on!" Ezra grinned to the others as he jumped after his friend. 

Fawn looked at Hera who shrugged with roll of her eyes and the rest of the crew leapt off the Ghost too. The rebels fell in the long line alongside their dragons, eyes narrowed as the ground came up to greet them. 

"Now!" Fawn told them.

Instantly, the rebels grabbed onto their dragons and locked their knees into the saddle. Yanking the reptile's horns, the rebels grunted as the dragons pulled up with a bit of a jerk. Fawn noticed how none of them got dislodged from their saddles and smiled.

'Their training is pulling off' she thought.

"Sir!" A Stormtrooper called approaching Agent Kallus.

"What is it trooper?" The man asked.

"We have multiple dragons coming in at point six, all with riders."