A/N: Hey guys! So sorry about the long wait. Between track season and testing from the end of the school year, plus some personal things going on, I haven't had the time to update. So, here is an extra long chapter for staying through this and putting up with me and my long waits. Thanks!

Jax was stationed with Kanan and Hera on the outpost Ezra used to live in, and where Kallus would use as his Fulcrum headquarters.

Ezra, Sabine, Ryder, and Zeb were stationed outside the TIE defender factory to spy on it while Jax, Hera, and Kanan were doing a recon.

"Spectre 2 to Spectre 6," Hera said. "What's your status?"

"No sign of the ship," Ezra replied. "Yet. How's your recon going?"

"The Empire's been fortifying their anti-aircraft defenses," Hera said, looking out her binoculars. "And there are some new fuel tanks near the factory."

"They must be getting ready to start a full-scale production," Kanan added.

"Maintain surveillance until nightfall, then return to base," Hera instructed Ezra.

"Copy that," Ezra replied. "Phoenix 6 out."

Jax sighed. "I hope they can get information on it. More than some pictures. If this TIEs all that people say it is, we need hard data. But I'm not sure how they can get it."

"Not without getting caught," Hera added. "They could get the flight data recorder, but it's inside the ship. There's no way they could get it without getting caught."

Jax nodded in agreement, but he had a feeling that they were going to try it.

----

"Spectre 4 to Spectre 2," Zeb called. "Ryder and I are coming back to base."

"And what about Spectres 5 and 6?" Hera asked.

"Uh, about that..." Zeb responded. "They stole the TIE defender."

"They what?" Hera demanded.

"They were trying to get the flight data records," Zeb said quickly. "And then Thrawn came and they were caught, and they told us to come back to base and they stole the TIE and said they would find their own way back."

Hera sighed. "Well, there isn't anything we can do right now. Just come back quickly."

----

When Zeb and Ryder got back to base, they were taking Ryder's U-Wing to go find them.

"I should have expected them to do something crazy like that," Zeb growled as he got on the ship.

"It's okay, Zeb," Kanan reassured the Lasat. "This is on them."

"According to Imperial chatter, they crashed," Hera said worriedly.

"The Empire's gonna pour everything they have into the search," Ryder added. "But we can't contact them without risking a signal trace."

"It doesn't matter," Hera said, and Jax saw how worried she was. She was worried like Ahsoka was when Jax would go on missions. She was worried like a mother. "We have to find them."

----

"I'm picking up a lot of Imperial patrols on the scanner," Ryder said.

Hera just looked more worried.

"It's okay," Kanan said reassuringly. "Ezra and Sabine have each other," he paused. "They'll find their way home."

"I'll monitor the Empire's chatter and keep the engines warm, just in case," Hera said, and she landed the ship at their base.

----

It had been a long night. Jax had only gotten maybe an hour of sleep, he was sure Hera had gotten less than that, and it wasn't until morning that Ezra and Sabine turned up.

"Ezra!" Hera shouted as they ran to them. "Sabine!"

Ezra looked down to them from the hill he was standing on, and Jax felt relief wash over him.

"Thank goodness you're safe," Hera said, kneeling at Sabine's side as she sat up.

"How did you get back here so fast?" Zeb asked.

"Didn't you see the...Loth-wolf?" Ezra asked, turning around.

Jax narrowed his eyes. There wasn't a Loth-wolf anywhere in sight.

"Sabine," Ezra said as the Mandalorian stood up, rubbing her head.

Sabine groaned. "I don't remember seeing anything. I just heard you say 'wolf'."

Hera's gaze traveled to what Jax was pretty sure was the flight data recorder. "Is that the..."

"Flight data recorder from the TIE defender Elite," Ezra finished. "All Sabine's idea," he added.

"We got the hyperdrive, too," Sabine said. "Stashed it in the rocks near the crash. I think it'll work in our U-wing."

"Then we can come and go off this rock," Zeb said with a satisfied smile. "Well done, you two."

Jax smiled. "We might have a chance retaking Lothal. I didn't think you guys could do it."

"What, you doubted us?" Sabine said with a smirk.

Jax shrugged, hiding his smile. "Eh, maybe."

----

Ezra, Jai Kell (the man who had led them in the sewers from a few nights before), and Zeb were going and getting the hyperdrive, while Sabine and Jax stayed on base with Kanan and Hera.

If Jax was being honest, he was missing the action. He hadn't been out in the field like Ezra and Sabine had, and Zeb was going on the mission to get the hyperdrive while Jax was stuck on base.

"Zeb's got the hyperdrive," Hera said to them around midday. "But Ezra's doing something crazy."

"Again," Jax added.

"Zeb should be here soon," Hera continued, scrolling on a datapad. "You ready?"

Sabine was getting ready to put the hyperdrive in the U-wing so they could get the flight data recorder back to rebel command.

"I should be able to just drop the hyperdrive in and run power to it," Sabine replied, taking the datapad from Hera.

"This ship is old," Kanan said, walking towards them. "There's no guarantee the defender's hyperdrive will even work in this thing, never mind the Imperial blockade."

"Getting this TIE defender data to the rebellion is vital," Hera replied defensively.

"When are you going to feel you've done enough for this rebellion?" Kanan asked her.

Jax backed away, feeling he shouldn't be intruding on the conversation, but hid so he could still hear what was being said from inside the U-Wing.

"I guess when the Empire is overthrown and people are free to live their lives the way they want again," Hera replied.

"And when that time comes," Kanan continued. "How do you want to live your life?"

"Huh," Hera said. "I don't know. Guess I never really thought about it."

"So I guess you never really thought about us," Kanan assumed.

Jax winced. That was a little harsh. The Rebellion was Hera's life, and her will to do good was fueling it. Hera loved Kanan, that much was obvious, and he knew Kanan didn't share Hera's beliefs in her duty to the Rebellion, but Kanan was being a little judgemental and harsh.

"Kanan, we've talked about that before," Hera said, sounding hurt.

Jax looked at Sabine, whose face was puzzled.

"You're hearing this, aren't you," Jax asked softly.

Sabine rolled her eyes. "I'm not deaf. But this is an...interesting conversation."

"Kanan's being a little harsh," Jax added.

"He's a Jedi," Sabine replied. "He doesn't know what to do with his feelings."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Jax agreed.

"Have we?" Kanan asked from outside the ship.

"You know how I feel," Hera replied.

"Do I?" Kanan asked.

Jax heard a pause, and he looked out the window to see the two leaning in close.

And then Ryder had to be a jerk and interrupt them.

"Hey, we got incoming!" He yelled, and Jax raced out the U-Wing.

There was an Imperial transport headed straight to them. It looked like their base had been found.

Ryder aimed his pistol at the transport, and he shot his blaster as a single person walked out. It was Zeb.

"Look what I got," Zeb said, then ducked away. He reappeared and rubbed the back of his head. "Oh," he said. "Guess I should have mentioned I stole the transport."

Jax couldn't help but smile as the Lasat looked embarrassed. Then, it looked like Ezra and Jai pulled up to the base in their stormtrooper disguises.

"Good job," Kanan said to them. "Looks like our hyperdrive problem is solved."

Ezra stepped off the speeder. "Yeah, well, you know how one problem usually leads to another?"

"Yeah..." Kanan said slowly, crossing his arms.

"We have another," Ezra said.

"Great," Jax mumbled sarcastically.

"And it's small, creepy, and very dangerous," Ezra added, ignoring Jax.

"So, not good for us," Jax summarized.

"I just said it was a problem," Ezra said with a roll of his eyes.

----

"Well, it wasn't easy, but I got patched in," Sabine said, jumping off the top of the U-Wing, where the hyperdrive now was. "Still, I give it a fifty-fifty chance of working."

"I'll have to live with fifty-fifty," Hera said determinedly.

An engine roared in the distance, and Jax turned his head to it.

He couldn't see what it was, but Ezra could.

"We're out of time!" He shouted.

It was the Empire. They had found their base.

Jai was sitting in a speeder, most of their supplies loaded in it. "We'll hold off the Empire until you're clear," Ryder said. "We'll signal rendezvous coordinates later."

"And if we don't hear from you?" Jai asked.

"You will," Ezra reassured him.

"Alright, Bridger," Jai agreed. "Good luck." And then he drove away.

Jax hid behind a pile of empty crates, his blaster drawn as he aimed for the incoming troopers. Sabine joined them.

After a moment, he felt Sabine smack his back with a blaster, and he turned around to see Hera and Kanan kissing.

Took them long enough, Jax thought with a wry smile. But he was happy for them. Hera broke the kiss and pressed their foreheads together, a smile on both of their faces.

Hera lifted Kanan's chin and then went into the U-Wing, the data recorder under one arm.

"May the Force be with you," she said, and then was in the cockpit of the U-Wing.

Kanan's smile just grew.

He joined them behind the crates after a moment, his blaster drawn.

"We won't stand long against those tanks," Zeb said as he fired a few shots.

"We have that transport," Ryder said, referring to the one Zeb had stolen. "And a bike."

Then, one of the tanks blew up the transport.

"How many can we get on a bike?" Zeb asked.

"We're out of options!" Ryder shouted.

They all stopped, but Jax couldn't think of anything. They would probably have to try and fight or try and run.

"There!" Ezra shouted, pointing into the ravine. "That's our way out!"

Jax looked to where Ezra was pointing and saw a wolf, bigger than he had ever seen.

"Loth-wolves?" Ryder asked.

"Look," Ezra said. "They helped me before. We should follow them."

"Are you serious?" Ryder demanded.

"Do you know the way out?" Ezra shouted to the wolf.

The wolf turned its head with a sniff and bounded over a hill.

"Come on," Ezra shouted, starting to run where the Loth-Wolf had gone.

"Seems like the best idea we've got," Jax said, running after the teen, everyone else following.

They headed into the rocks, and they followed the Loth-wolves for who knows how long.

"Ezra!" Zeb shouted as they lagged. "Wait up!"

"Ezra!" Sabine called again.

"I don't want to lose them," Ezra said, stopping for only a second. "Come on!"

And they kept running.

When they finally stopped running, they were in an opening, where it wasn't tight and it was open, where the wolves could sit comfortably.

"Hold it," Ezra said as they tried to go forward. "Stay back."

"Why have they stopped?" Kanan asked.

"I don't know," Ezra replied. He took a few steps forward.

"Ezra, stay back," Kanan warned the boy.

Ezra walked forward. He slowly approached the wolves. "There's a way out of here. Isn't there?"

The white Loth-wolf just growled softly.

"You wanted us to follow you," Ezra continued. "Didn't you? What are you waiting for?"

The wolf looked past Ezra, and straight at Kanan.

"Kanan?" Ezra asked. "Kanan, it's looking..."

"At me," Kanan finished. "I know." The Jedi slowly approached the wolves, and he stopped when he was right next to Ezra.

"What does it want?" Kanan asked.

The white wolf stood up with a soft growl. They turned around and headed into a cave behind him, the other wolves following.

"I guess they were waiting for you," Ezra assumed.

Jax moved forward, curious as to where the wolves were going. He followed Kanan and Ezra into the cave, Zeb, Sabine, and Ryder following.

The cave went at an angle, almost straight down, and it was hard to walk down, especially with how dark it was.

Sabine lit her flashlight and stopped. "There are images here of people," she noticed. "People following a wolf."

"I guess we're not the first ones," Zeb replied, and they continued walking down, Sabine's light helping them see.

"Hold on," Ezra said a few moments later. "Shut your light off."

Jax looked at Ezra in confusion. Now they couldn't see. All Jax could see was the Loth-Wolves glowing eyes in front of them and hear their growls.

"What now, Ezra?" Kanan asked.

"I'm now sure," Ezra replied.

"There wasn't a picture of wolves eating those people, was there?" Zeb inquired.

An explosion shook the cave, scattering dust on top of them.

The Loth-Wolve's lips curled up in a snarl.

"The Empire's bombing the mountains!" Ryder whispered.

"We've gotta get out of here," Ezra shouted as the cave shook. The Loth-wolf stood up in front of him, and Ezra grabbed its tail as it walked forward.

"Everyone, join hands!" Ezra shouted.

"Ezra..." Sabine said cautiously.

"Just do it!" Ezra said angrily. Jax grabbed Zeb and Kanan's hands, and they moved forward.

The wolves led them into a passageway that was almost blinding, a blue hue. The blue went lighter until Jax saw white, and then he blacked out.

----

Jax woke up in a cave, this one close to being outside so he could actually see.

He groaned and stood up, seeing everyone else doing the same.

He looked around and saw the white Loth-wolf close to him, and he stumbled back a few steps.

"Where in blazes are we?" Zeb asked.

"Let's find out," Ezra said, walking outside. Jax followed him.

Sabine pulled out a datapad, and after a moment, she said, "You're not going to believe this. We were in the northern hemisphere. Now we're in the southern hemisphere. Somehow, we moved halfway across the planet."

"I'm not even gonna ask how we got here," Ryder grumbled.

"Ezra, how did you know the wolves could do that?" Jax asked.

"I didn't," Ezra replied. He turned around as the wolves walked back into the cave, where Kanan still was. Ezra followed the wolves inside the cave.

After a moment, Jax did too.

"Kanan," Ezra said. The Jedi was standing towards the wolf, his back to Ezra and Jax.

"Look around, you two," Kanan said. "Tell me what you see."

Jax paused and looked around. He saw images everywhere. Of wolves, people, and they were worn away. Old.

"This place reminds me of the Jedi Temple here on Lothal," Ezra replied.

Jax nodded in agreement. He hadn't thought of that. "Yeah, and the images are old. They've probably been here for thousands of years."

"The walls are telling a story," Ezra added. He pointed to one. "There are people coming down from the sky. I think they might be Jedi."

"There's a message here for us," Kanan said vaguely.

"Because we're Jedi?" Ezra guessed.

"I'm not," Jax said, crossing his arms.

"Dume," The wolf growled, causing Jax to jump.

Kanan's mouth opened in surprise.

"What does that mean?" Ezra asked. "The wolf said it before."

Kanan took his mask off his face. "Dume is my name," he responded. "Caleb Dume is the name I was born with." His unseeing eyes were right at the wolf.

"Wait," Jax said. "How does the wolf know that?"

Kanan took a few steps forward and pressed a hand on the wolf's forehead. "It has a deep connection to the Force," he replied after a moment. "And to the energy of this planet."

"Don't all living things?" Ezra asked.

"This is different," Kanan said. "More focused. Like it has a purpose."

"And we're part of it," Jax breathed.

"I'm getting a feeling building the TIE defender isn't the worst thing the Empire's doing here," Kanan said grimly. "There's something else. Something more sinister."

"Dume..." The wolf said again. It stood up and then backed away into the wall. All that remained was a large crack.

"So, all the paths are coming together, right?" Ezra asked.

"Yeah," Kanan said. "I'm just not sure if we're going to like where they lead."

Jax didn't say anything, but he knew things would get a lot worse before they got better. Hopefully, they would all live to see it.

----

It had been a long, boring mission to get a long-range transmitter to contact Hera, but they had been desperate, and it had been worth it.

They were now contacting Hera, and Jax was practically brimming with excitement. It had taken them too long to get a hold of the Mining Guild vehicle for it not to work.

"Happy to hear from you guys," Hera's familiar voice said. "And good timing, rebel command has authorized the attack. Fighters are being fueled and bombers loaded."

"The attack?" Ezra exclaimed. "It's happening?"

"We're launching our assault on the next rotation," Hera replied. "I told Mon Mothma you'll coordinate the ground assault."

"You can count on us," Ezra said determinedly.