Hey,

So I'm wrapping up the story here. I had the whole story completed and then something happened with my updated (don't ask - i don't even know) and I lost the whole last chapter. Now that I'm done sobbing in a corner I am working on re-writing it. Sorry for the delays!

Thanks for reading! (don't forget to comment and like if you like or have something to comment!)

-Chefke

Kanan spent the last eleven hours hacking, browsing, coercing, and using force suggestion on anything that got in his way of finding Hera. The hooded figures were literally anonymous. No one knew anything to tell and those that did were to scared to say anything. He slammed the door on a dusty hut as he sprinted into a closed racing arena office. He found out from a Rodian at a Cantina that there was a Hutt named Rotta living locally on the planet who ran some sort of racing track. He knew everything and everyone.

He had accepted payment prior for the ship information and details but as soon as he saw the holo information of the ship, attackers, and weapons he froze. He shoved the credits back at Kanan and stammered at him to leave. This filled Kanan with dread immediately. What Hutt would turn down money?

'I need the answer Hutt!' He shouted as Rotta tried to push him towards the door.

'Not them... Get out! Stop asking questions and get out! Tell no one you were here and what you asked me about! I'm a Hutt... I... I... know people.' He whispered in a frightened monotone.

'I can't. They took her-'

'A woman? It's always about women with you humanoids. Consider her dead, if she's lucky.' He looked at him knowingly. He wasn't sure what made him crack, the innuendo towards the Empire's prisoner's mysteriously being sold into sex slavery or the fact that it was a possibility that Hera was actually dead. His fists slammed into the wall hard enough to make it crack. He wasn't sure what happened to his face but he felt rage course through his body, an unexplainable and uncontainable rage. The once domineering Hutt shrank back in fear.

'Please. There are plenty of women, they're replaceable. I fear for my life, which is not replaceable.' He babbled, terror and yellow irises reflected in his eyes.

He wasn't even conscience of what he was doing. He raised one hand towards the cowering Hutt feeling his voice go thick and his eyes sting.

'You will tell me what I want to know, Hutt.' The Hutt's eyes widened in fear.

'No' He breathed comprehension dawning on his face. A force sensitive. He wouldn't have a choice. He struggled to keep the force sensitive out of his thoughts.

Kanan pushed harder, his body visibly shaking. This was stupid. He was calling on an ancient power he had long ago abandoned and which he probably had no right using in a desperate attempt to get the women he loved back. But, this information would save Hera. Hera was the forefront of the rebellion and that rebellion was saving countless lives and species. One person's privacy was worth that, wasn't it? He wasn't really hurting him. It was all in his head. More determined than before, he stretched his fingers and tried again.

'You will tell me everything I need to know.' He saw the Hutt begin to shake out of fear or exertion; he wasn't sure. He was going to collapse, probably have a heart attack. It would probably be less painful to be shot through the heart he thought bemusedly.

Bilaba. Like Bilaba had been shot.

Oh, fuck! What the hell was he doing?! He dropped the wheezing Hutt to the ground and threw himself backwards. His eyes stopped burning immediately. Rotta shivered with what looked like a chill, his hide turning to an odd grey color. He had lifted the entire damn thing up against the wall with his mind. He was tired, tired from the lack of sleep, from his terrible mistake, and tired of not having Hera. He needed her. She grounded him, like Master Bilaba had.

Unbidden, his mind had started to chant on it's own.

There is no emotion, there is peace.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

There is no passion, there is serenity.

There is no chaos, there is harmony.

There is no death, there is the Force.

'I... I...' He stammered. His cheeks were red with shame. He couldn't meet the Hutt's eyes. Bilaba would have been ashamed with him. He was ashamed of him. He didn't deserve the curse that was the force. He didn't deserve any of this. But... without the force he never would have met Hera. She would have died on Gorse under a pile of rubble as the Empire claimed a natural disaster or Rebels. He probably wouldn't have even noticed the story in the news column and would have continued about his day. He needed to find Hera. He was spiraling out of control. He needed his center. His calm. His Hera.

'I'm sorry. You'll never hear from me again.' He whispered. He turned to leave. Rotta wheezing and shivering on the floor. He wanted to help him but he had already done enough damage here today.

'Inquisition Requisition Ship.' Rotta wheezed.

'What?'

'It's an Inquisition Requisition Ship. That thing is probably... headed to Mustafar... for further questioning... or or back here to dump the body...' He stuttered trying to regain his composure. He looked up at him suddenly with eyes of steel. 'You owe me Jedi boy.' Kanan nodded at the door and turned to leave. Curiosity and self loathing made him freeze.

'Why?' He whispered still not meeting Rotta's eyes. 'You could report me. Make millions. Galaxies knows I deserve it.' Rotta grumbled still trying to right himself. Kanan had to dig his nails in his palm to stop himself from going near the furious hutt.

'One of your kind, a Togrutan saved my life when I was little, without her I would be dead. She died in the Purge. This is my debt to her fulfilled. You still owe me because when the Inquisition does come after me I want to be protected. Protected by a Jedi. They haven't broken a promise on me in the past and I'm willing to bet they won't now.'

'I'm no Jedi.'

'Not from where I'm laying pony boy. Go, if you plan on saving your girl.' There was a glimmer of what look suspiciously like ill-covered respect in his eyes. A look from a safe and cultured past long forgotten. A time when planets had a voice and people weren't scared if every night would be there last. A time before the Sith.

Kanan ran. He never ran faster in his life. He debriefed Chopper on the way. Chopper bleeped nervously about how he obtained the information. He warned him to stay on mission, Hera's life was in danger. Chopper prepped the Ship and he was already hovering in the air when Kanan emerged through the outcropping where they hid the Ghost. He had to jump to reach the ship, a jump no human would have made. He grimaced as he sprinted into the ship closing the exit behind him, just another sharp reminder of who and what he was. He ran into the co-pilots seat and strapped in. Chopper was piloting from a station behind him. Neither would sit in Hera's seat. That seat belonged to their Ship's Captain.

Chopper managed to identify two ships that were within his search parameters and part of the I.R.P. They were both listed as mundane ships. There was literally nothing that screamed Government run military terrorist group. They didn't use any government codes or clearances and all their programming and tech was next gen. They wouldn't be able to hack it, he'd be going in blind. He felt his throat go dry. He didn't have a hope in hell.

The two were in the solar system; each at opposite ends. One was listed as a decomissioned medic station and the other was an oil freighter.

The oil freighter was relatively closer to him. Since, he could barely still sense Hera he set coordinates for the 'oil freighter.' He wouldn't be able to sense her if she was so far. As it was he shouldn't be able to sense her at all. Only force sensitives with intimate relationships could sense each other like a spouse or master and padawan. They weren't close. Hell, she barely tolerated him.

He had chopper gear up the guns, check that the medbay was prepped, and run ship diagnostics as he prepared his weapons cache while they were using lightspeed. One hour. One hour of travelling and then he would destroy anything that got between him and Hera.

He finished arranging his weapons and sat down to organize his thoughts. He was actually meditating but he wasn't ready to call it that yet. As his mind became one with the force he felt as if the force was warning him, or maybe begging him? It was hard to understand. He opened his eyes and rubbed them. Chopper looking at him inquisitively. He started to beep.

Can you feel her? Is she alive?

He froze. She was alive, but he could barely sense her. That wasn't possible! The connection should have been getting stronger... Cold reasoning dumped onto him like a freezing bath in middle of Tattoine's desert.

Shit. A decomissioned medic center would have all the tools they needed for torture. It was large enough to hide multiple prisoners and it was so far out that no one would investigate it. He cursed as he ran to the Nav computer and reprogrammed the coordinates. The abrupt turn of the ship caused a tantrum from Chopper who was just as concerned as he, if not more. The ship whined with the abuse and the Hyperspace generator spluttered at the new coordinates but the ship took it as if it knew the stakes.

He double checked the new coordinates in fury taking over his body. The estimated time of arrival was four hours. He felt what little cool he had slide. Where was their help?! Fulcrum already knew Hera had been taken. Why was Fulcrum not helping?! After everything they had been through! Fulcrum hadn't responded to any of his hails or calls and he couldn't just show up at their meet spots. He didn't have the time and he didn't know them. He had to do somethi-

Kanan. They're going to move me. I won't be able to resist the torture there. I won't tell them about you. I'll find a way. I'll-

It's okay Hera, I'm coming.

I won't tell them Kanan, I swear.

If it keeps you alive, do it.

No! I'd die first. Kanan I-

Her thoughts became incoherent as her torture resumed. Her screams ricocheted in his mind causing him to drop to his hands and knees, tears pooling in his outstretched hands as he screamed for her and she him.

Kanan

No. I'll tell you nothing

No.

No.

Nothing. You'll get No-

Her screams were agonizing, clawing under his skin. He begged for everything and anything in the Universe to stop her pain. He begged the Universe to let him take her pain. He cried out till his voice was raspy and ached from use.

Help me Kanan.

Kanan.

Please. Kanan.

Please. I love-

Blackness. She had passed out.

Her screeches pierced every fiber of his being. He felt his skin crawl as his fist connected with a wall panel. He felt the metal buckle under him and his fist bruise. He needed pain. Pain was good. It would keep him alert. He had to find Hera before it was too late.

Hera! Where are you?

He was screaming into an empty void. She was still unconscious. He needed to get to her before they caused irreparable damage.

He calculated an hour to arrival. He called Chopper and the two made several battle strategies. He hid the data chip in Chopper's memory bank and attached his lightsaber and blaster to his leg. Then he sat down in front of the hatch and meditated again. Not because it was the Jedi thing to do, but because he needed to calm himself. He needed a clear head to do this and may the Galaxies help anyone who got in his way.

They pulled out of hyperspace and he could see the Medic Center. It was attached to a tall platform with tall grey spiderey edges where ships attached themselves. The whole ship was lined with observatory decks. It looked like it was from the clone wars, it probably was.

He sighed. He would not let them take her. He had already lost too much to evil. He would not loose Hera. Especially not today, of all days not today.

He stood up shakely barely registering that Chopper was helping him up and handing him his backup gun. Chopper asked him if he was okay, if he was ready. He shook his body and nodded.

'Let's bring Hera home, Chop.' And he walked down the ramp onto the station.

He felt her presence all around him. He was wrapped in her, it made it hard to find her. He disembarked quickly getting rid of every droid in the hangar with his blaster. He sidled up by the Data Console and downloaded the specs of the ship. He also connected Chopper totheir mainframe and jammed all transmissions. He checked the video feed for patrolling officers. Four. He could take four. He would have too. He didn't have time for mistakes. Not today.

He rushed down the hall and watched as the guards began changing shifts. He slipped by them unnoticed. He quickly located the cell block from a secondary data terminal. It was packed with petty criminals. Surely not where you would put someone you went to such great lengths to capture?

He studied the map again. There was a small room next to the engine room that was using a lot of power and that had a pass key protected video feed and multi-door unit. There were at least thirty feeds in there. He knew where she was now he just needed a diversion.