Star Wars Rebels: Hera & Kanan

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Hera and Kanan had just returned to the Ghost after dropping off some "liberated" supplies to a small camp of displaced farmers about 100 klicks outside of Capital City. They walked into the ship's cockpit to find the comm beeping, alerting them to a waiting holo message.

"I hope this is a job," she said.

"Unless it's a paying job," Kanan said, "I'm not interested. We need credits."

He wasn't wrong. She threw herself into her seat and pushed the button to play the pre-recorded message, while Kanan leaned against the co-pilot chair on one elbow.

Nash's tall, lanky form appeared, and it looked like he was sitting at a booth in Old Jho's Pit Stop.

"Hello, idiots!" he said, grinning. "I have a surprise for you both. I think we're all tired of me being the galaxy's worst third wheel...and besides, I owe you both. So here it is: I've taken the liberty of booking you an all-inclusive, week-long stay on Spira- that's one of the moons of Rion. Tana, the proprietor of Tana's Resort, is an old friend, and she'll treat you like royalty. I've also droidnapped your obnoxious astromech so that you two can do what you desperately need to do in complete, uninterrupted peace. All expenses are covered, so enjoy yourselves. You better leave now, if you want to make it in time for your reservation!" He winked and raised a glass, and the holo image flickered and died.

Hera stared at the spot where the image had been, utterly dumbfounded. That message- from Nash, of all people- hadn't even made the list of last things she'd expected to see.

"Kriffing hell," Kanan said softly. "That's a really nice gift."

She swiveled in her chair to look at him. "Did you know about this?" she demanded.

"Huh? No! I didn't know. I might have mentioned..."

"Mentioned what?"

"I might have mentioned to him that I was trying to find a nice place to take you," he said.

"Why would you tell him that?"

"We were having a few drinks," he said, shrugging. "I didn't tell him why."

"I'm sure he figured it out, Kanan."

He made a face that suggested reluctant agreement. "Well, I didn't know he was going to do that. The moons of Rion are only affordable if you've got lots of credits. Even if he just called in a favor from a friend, it's still one hell of a nice gift."

"Be that as it may, we can't just leave for a whole week. We have things to do here," she said, giving him the stern stare that he stubbornly refused to stop referring to as her "Captain Hera Look."

He raised one of those remarkable eyebrows and smiled at her like he was concerned that she might be losing her mind. "What things, exactly? Are you talking about stealing food crates for the farmers? Because I don't even remember the last time we got a paying gig."

"Don't exaggerate- it's only been a couple of weeks. A job could come through any minute. Fulcrum could contact us."

"And if they do, we'll just be out of town, that's all," he said with a shrug. "I'm sure Fulcrum will manage. It's only a week."

"A lot can happen in a week! And what about Chopper?" she wondered. "I wouldn't put it past Nash to sell him for scrap."

"He probably wouldn't get much for him," Kanan said, chuckling. His smile faded when he saw her frown. "C'mon, Hera...he's not going to harm a single circuit in Chop's rusty dome- he knows he'd have to answer to you."