Journey Into Darkness

by Slayzer

Ezra wasn't on The Ghost when the ship fell into an Imperial ambush and was reportedly destroyed with all hands. The rage, pain and sorrow at the loss of his new family is too much for him. It is through those powerful emotions that the Dark Side will take hold over Ezra and his destiny. This remakes Ezra into a deadly agent of the New Order and a willing servant to the Dark Side.

7. Chapter 7

Star Wars Rebels is owned by Disney and I make no profit off this use of their intellectual property.

One day I'm going to learn to stop saying "I'll update soon." as life hears that and then smacks me upside the head. It's been a rough couple of months and it's still a little rocky from me right now.

Thank you all for your forbearance and continued interest in this story.

I also hope this helps any of you out there who like me are itching for the second season of Rebels. I'm not even going to pretend that I can scratch that itch anyone has for Episode Seven. There are people who have been waiting for that for as long as I've been alive.

Journey Into Darkness.

By Slayzer.

-Shipyard CM-185, Control Room-

Exar could not help but admire Kanan's skill as the two of them dueled. He was every bit and more the Jedi that Ezra had seen defeat the Pau'n Inquisitor years ago. Kanan was a man without fear and his convictions carried through with his every move.

Red and blue blades of light hissed as both men pushed their lightsabers together.

Odd that it was Exar who found his purpose wavering.

The Inquisitor moved backwards to disengage but Kanan wouldn't let him go that easily. Step by step Exar was being pushed back by the Jedi's attacks. It seemed that even after years of hardship and the power of the Dark Side wasn't enough to allow the student to surpass the master.

Feeling that he had the advantage Kanan pushed his attack. The Inquisitor switched to using the purely defensive form of Soresu. That was not something the Jedi had expected. Kanan didn't know why but some instinct told him that the Inquisitor holding back.

"Form III is an odd choice for a Sith lackey."

Exar brought his lightsaber up to block Kanan's next wave of attacks. "In every philosophy of combat there is a time for defense..." Exar stole a glace at the view screens showing the rebel fleet starting to withdraw. "... and a time for retreat."

Exar deactivated his lightsaber and took a step away from Kanan before bowing politely. "I concede this battle as your win, Jedi Scum."

Exar found Kanan's lightsaber at his neck. The Inquisitor slowly clipped his lightsaber onto his belt and turned his masked face to Kanan. "I am unarmed and the Jedi do not kill unarmed opponents."

Kanan snorted in contempt at the Inquisitor's benign tone as he leaned in closer. "You have no right to talk to me about anything concerning the ways of the Jedi."

Exar turned his head slightly and Kanan saw his face reflected back at him from a single black opaque lens. That blood red mask made the Inquisitor seem all the more indifferent. "Be mindful of your feelings Kanan. I can feel your anger."

Kanan took a deep breath and from a moment Exar didn't know if his gambit was working. It wouldn't take much for Kanan to kill him right now, Jedi or not. The moments that followed felt like hours as Exar hid his thoughts behind the dark fortress of his rage.

The Jedi took a step back but kept his lightsaber aimed at Exar's neck.

Kanan deactivated his lightsaber and then started to walk away but he kept the Inquisitor in his sight at all times.

"How did the Jedi ever manage to defend anyone following such a gutless code?" Exar asked as he traced the place on his mask that was over his two facial scars with his left hand.

"The Jedi Code isn't just about how we fight. It's a comprehensive philosophy that touche on every aspect of a Jedi's life. It's everything from how we treat our defeated enemies to everyday mundane thinking like..."

"...Knocking on a door before entering a room." Exar finished the thought without meaning to.

That was one of the many things that Kanan had hammered into Ezra over his apprenticeship. That the Jedi were not warriors but peacekeepers and while the different may have been slight it was what made them Jedi.

Kanan was momentary shocked.

The Inquisitor for once hadn't been mocking or cruel when he spoke those words. The Jedi took a harder look at his opponent and not just with his eyes but his perceptions as well. The Dark Side was strong with the Inquisitor and it feed off his rage and pain yet under that vortex of dark emotions was something Kanan could only describe as sorrow. The most chilling thing was that those deep emotion of loss felt so familiar.

A happier memory brought everything into focus for Kanan.

"Stop touching your scars or they'll never heal." Kanan warned his padawan learner sternly.

Ezra ran his left index and middle finger over the tightened skin of his new facial scars. "Sorry but I can't help it. They feel so weird."

The movement of the Inquisitor's fingers across his mask was exactly the same as Ezra feeling his scars.

Exar saw that Kanan had noticed him touching his face like that, like Ezra would and as Exar still dose. He then turned his back on the Jedi and walked away. As he did he saw the bodies of the dead stormtroopers and rebels scattered around the control room. All that death was caused either directly or indirectly by Exar.

"Wait!" Kanan called out to the Inquisitor's retreating back. "Your name, what is it?"

Exar could feel the pained hope not just in Kanan's words but in his heart. He just didn't know what the Jedi was hoping for, that he was or wasn't Ezra. Perhaps it would be best if Kanan still believed his padawan was dead rather then what he had become.

"I am the Inquisitor as this is all my Master will allow me to be. If you must know my name is Exar Nihilo." Exar said as he walked away from Kanan.

"Ezra!" Kanan gave voice to the fears and hopes that warred within his conflicted heart with just a single word.

Exar's absolute and indifferent non-reaction answered Kanan as clear as if the Inquisitor spoke to him.

Kanan knew then that Exar Nihilo was or at lest had once been Ezra Bridger.

Kanan just stood there and watched the back of the man was once his padawan disappear into darkness. He just stood there at a lost and helpless for sometime.

Then Hera's voice came in over the comlink. "Are you alright Specter One? The fleet is pulling out and this whole base is going to blow soon."

It took Kanan a moment to remember how to work his tongue. "Co... Copy that Specter Two. Specters Four and Five get back to the Ghost."

"What's wrong? You don't sound like yourself." Hera asked.

"Weber Cross is dead. The Inquisitor got him. Hera about the Inquisitor he's..." Kanan stopped and felt his fist tighten around his comlink until his fingers hurt.

Hera got a little worried. After all it wasn't like Kanan to break communication protocols and use her real name during a mission. "What about the Inquisitor?"

Kanan looked around at the dead bodies of Rebels and Stormtroopers alike scattered around the control room. Ezra wasn't just responsible for the death of Kanan's old Jedi friend but everyone here was a victim as well. How many other people had his beloved padawan slain before even coming here?

The crew of the Ghost could never know the truth.

It took years for the pain of Ezra's death to dull into something they could at lest function with. Hera doesn't think Kanan knows but some nights he can still hear her crying for the boy she loved like a son.

Ezra turn his back on the Jedi Code was one thing but to betray the love they had for him was too much.

It was unforgivable.

Even for a Jedi what Ezra, what Exar, had done was unforgivable.

"The Inquisitor is too powerful for any of you to take on. So get everyone back to the Ghost as ordered."

Kanan made a quick exit and started to head for the hanger one where the Ghost was waiting. He had barely made it past two crossways when Zeb called him on the comlink.

"I think we have a problem Boss."

"What is it?"

"Specter Five just turned off her comlink and locator beacon. I think she's going after that Inquisitor on her own."

Kanan had to stifled a curse before he could reply. "Keep trying her and tell her to get her mando-butt back to the Ghost. This place is too big and we don't have enough time to go searching for her. Specter Five will have to make it back on her own."

"We're not leavening her." Hera said as a statement of fact and Kanan knew the tone well enough to not push her.

"We'll wait as along as we can for her to return." Kanan agreed but in his mind he thought. 'But only Sabin can decide for herself if she's going to comeback or not.'

-Shipyard CM-185, Rail System-

Huge shipping containers speed by on cushions of electromagnetic levitation. Some ran like normal trains on the ground while others cruised along the walls or floated on the ceiling. To unload and resupply the ships docked here quickly a network of rail systems snaked throughout the shipyard. While not meant for pedestrian travel it was the fastest and most direct way for Exar to get from the central control room back to The Resolute.

Exar didn't even flinch as a container the size of a truck spend by him. He then walked right into the path of another on coming container. The just before it almost ran him down Exar used a Force jump to land on top of the container. He activated the magnetics built into the soles of this boots to keep his foot. Now he was make much better time.

The comlink in Exar's mask connected him with Commander Xelha. "How's the evacuation going?"

"Very well all things considered. The Resolute is 65% functional with ion engines and deflector shields fully operational. We even manged to bring some of the turbo lasers batteries back online."

"Dare I ask what's in the 45% that isn't functional?"

"Mostly the hyper drive and the ship's complement of star fighters. We can't get the lighting to work on deck two so we're using a shit load of portable lights. Also the life-support will occasionally flicker."

"Flicker?"

"You know turn off all of a sudden. But don't worry we usually have it back online within a few moments?"

"Usually?"

"Hey, this was your plan from to start with and we're all doing our best to make it work!"

Exar shrugged, a gesture that was wasted on an audio only call. "You've all doing well to have gotten as much of the ship up and running as it is. Now, what's that battle like out there? Last I saw the Rebels were pulling back."

-The Resolute, Bridge-

Commander Xelha had to walk over several power cables that snaked over the command deck and duck past a tech crew trying to fix the aft targeting array. She made her way though the hustle of crewmen and women fixing the ship to the ready room. It took a swift sharp kick to get the holotable working right but soon the battle zone was laid out for her.

"The Rebels completed their evacuation of the Shipyard not long ago. That was about the time their fleet started to fall back as well. Unfortunately our Navy seems to have hit a snag in their pursuit of the Rebel fleet."

"What kind of snag?"

Commander Xelha looked dejectedly as the holographic images of burning Star Destroyers filled the holotable. "A minefield. The Rebels placed stealth shield mines all around the combat zone. As they fell back our forces rushed in to catch them and sailed right into the mines to disastrous effect."

Xelha watched as the holographic image of the Star Destroyer Furious break apart as mines ruptured the ship's hall. The enhanced image did nothing to show the tens of thousands of Imperial men and women on board dieing in the cold void of space.

Just how high would the reaper's toll be for this parade of military fiascoes?

Xelha didn't want to think about it but in the back of her mind she put a rough guess at a over several hundred-thousand dead.

Even with a ship at 65% Xelha still wanted to get out there and into the fight but her training kept such rash impulses at bay. Everyone was working as hard as they could and once The Resolute was up over 75% repaired she'd take the ship out.

"I'll be there shortly Commander and make sure... Kriff!" Exar's line was suddenly away washed in static and what Xelha thought sounded like an explosion.

"Sir!?"

It was several long moments before Exar's voice came back over the comlink. "I'm fine but I seem to have run into a problem."

"What kind of problem?" Xelha asked.

-Rail System, a few minutes before-

Sabine checked her wrist computer to make sure everything was set. It didn't escape her notice that her computer flashed with several incoming transmissions from The Ghost that she'd been ignoring. This time there would be no hugs and 'Space Mom' when she made it back.

If she made it back at all.

Sabine knew that Inquisitors were serious customers and she was fully prepared to die if that's what it took to take him out.

A gust of air from a fast moving cargo containers pushed against Sabine's black armor. She was waiting patiently like hunter while hidden in the shadows of an alcove high in the ceiling. The enhanced optics of her helmet gave her a clear tactical view of this section of the rail system.

Sabine spent days studying the layout and stolen blueprints of this shipyard in preparation for this mission. This cargo transport system was the fastest way from the central hub with the control room to the docking pylons.

If the Inquisitor wanted to get to the old Star Destroyer the Imperials were repairing then he'd have to pass through this section.

Sabine's patients and foresight were soon rewarded.

A man in red armor with black robs was riding atop of a speeding cargo container heading right for her. She couldn't see his face because of the red mask he wore but everything about him screamed Dark Side. A heartbeat latter and he had rushed pasted the place where Sabine was hidden.

Sabine took one last moment to get use to the wight on her back before jumping down from her hiding place.

The fall would surely have killed her but halfway down she kicked on her jet pack's thrusters. Sabine took a moment to silently thank Hera for that day trip to Mandalore so she could get her hands on this baby.

The jet pack was linked in with Sabine's armor and she could control it all with subtle movements of her eyes. She blinked to single an increase in speed and then she took off like a missile.

In that moment the jet pack wasn't just additional equipment but an extension of Sabine's self just like she was with her armor and weapons. The adrenalin burning in her blood pushed her just as much as the fuel being consumed by the thrusters did. The armor, the weapons, the jet pack and Sabine herself all become one deadly integrated weapon system.

A weapon system known and feared across the galaxy as a Mandalorain.

Sabine was catching up with the Inquisitor now and soon she had a target lock on him. She launched the jet pack's top mounted missile and the explosive round flew toward it's target.

Exar was still talking to Xelha on the comlink. "I'll be there shortly Commander and make sure..." He sensed danger and saw a missile heading right for him. "...Kriff!"

Exar pushed out with the Force to throw the missile off course. With such little warning the best he could do was forcing the missile downward where it impacted with the container he was riding on. The explosion that followed lifted the huge container off it's magnetic levitation rails.

While momentary airborne with the container Exar deactivated his boots magnetics and Force jumped clear before the ensuing crash. The container landed hard and wasn't alined with the rails so it jackknifed before rolling top over bottom. By now the stations computers had detected the failure and locked down the other rail lines and containers.

Exar had cleared the crash with his jump and saw his black armored assailant. While he had killed many a Jango Fett clone he had never faced an honest to Force mandalorain before.

This would be an encounter to savor.

"Sir!?" Commander Xelha asked over his comlink.

"I'm fine but I seem to have run into a problem." Exar said grabbing his lightsaber from his belt.

"What kind of problem?"

The black armored Mandalorain came toward Exar and drew two blaster pistols the moment she touched down.

"The Mandalorain kind." Exar said simple as he cut communications with Xelha and ignited his red lightsaber.

Sabine opened up with both blasters and Exar was pinned by a barrage of fire. However holding the Inquisitor in place was all the blaster fire did. Every shot, no matter how well aimed, got deflected.

In the back of Sabine's mind something about this reminded her of Kanan. The Jedi with his lightsaber facing down a squad of stormtroopers and turning back every shot they fired at him. Even the way the Inquisitor stood his ground and the way he held his lightsaber was in someway reminiscent of Kanan. This insight made something clear to Sabine.

She wasn't going to able to just gun the bastard down.

Sabine kicked on her jet pack and took the the air while keeping up her blaster attack. Exar deflected a red bolt back at her and hit her left vanbrace. The shock of the impact was enough to have Sabine drop her left blaster pistol. Now that the rate of fire had dropped by half Exar could force on the Force and not just keep from getting shot.

The Inquisitor wrapped the Force around the flying mandalorain and pulled her back down.

Sabine almost didn't have time to react to the suddenness of the fall. That she was falling even with her jet pack on was disorientating. A moment before she'd crash to the floor Sabine juiced her jet pack all it was worth. The thrust from the jet pack and the unnatural pull of the Force jarred her body. It felt like she was in a spaceship breaking gravity without inertial dampeners.

Sabine's landing was hard and left her body feeling like jelly. When considering that Exar had been trying the smash every bone in her body it was a very good landing however.

Sabine brought her remaining blaster pistol up to fire on the Inquisitor. Exar waved his left hand and the blaster was ripped from Sabine's numbed hand before flying to him like a trained bird. The polished brass looking cybernetic hand crushed the Mandalorain blaster like it was a empty can.

Seeing his enemy disarmed Exar strode forward confidently he doubted the Mandalorain had any more tricks up her armored enclosed sleeves. He leveled his lightsaber at her and even the voice changer in his mask couldn't remove the smugness from his tone. "It's just like dumb kriffing Mando to bring blasters to a..."

Exar didn't get to finish his quip as Sabine drew and then ignited Ezra's blue lightsaber.

"...a lightsaber fight." Sabine finished for him helpfully.

It was so unexpected that a Mandalorain would have a lightsaber that Exar failed to notice the weapon's familiar build.

Sabine juiced her jet pack once and took a flying leap at the Inquisitor with Ezra's lightsaber held high. Exar barely had time to block the blue lightsaber as the Sabine laid into him with savagery.

The way Sabine fought was nothing like anything ever taught by the Jedi or Sith. In fact her moments seem to borrow more from Mandalorain armored fighting techniques then any kind of swordsmanship that Exar was familiar with. The Inquisitor was reacting just as much to Sabine's swift kicks and powerful elbow blows as the lightsaber in her hands.

Exar made an overhead slash but Sabine blocked while pirouetting like a dancer and slammed her knee into his ribs. The former Jedi armor and vestments buckled slightly under the sudden impact of mandalorain iron. Exar was left winded with his guard open.

Sabine leaned in with her right shoulder and then juiced her jet pack on for a quick burst of thrust. The jet powered shoulder tacked landed right in the Inquisitor's chest and threw him back as if he just got hit by a speeder bike. The impact was so fast and so sudden that Exar's lightsaber slipped from his numbed fingers.

Now that the Inquisitor was down and unarmed that was as good a chances as any for Sabine to finish this. She moved swiftly with Ezra's lightsaber ready to inflict the killing blow. Exar felt the aggression from the Mandalorain heading toward him. Even unarmed he wasn't with means to attack.

Exar kicked out at Sabine's legs as she over committed herself to a downward swing of her lightsaber. The lightsaber missed as Sabine's legs bucked under her and she fell to the floor. Once she hit the deck a quick force pull disarmed the Mandalorain of her Jedi weapon and sent it clatter away on the floor somewhere.

Both of them being disarmed and laying on the floor did nothing to the Inquisitor or Mandalorain's fighting spirit.

Sabine and Exar threw themselves at each other and started rolling around on the floor grappling with one another. It this fight it seemed that Sabine's armor and great fighting experience gave her the edge but Exar's enhanced arm help balance it out.

Exar was on top of Sabine with his cybernetic arm crackling with electricity. He was reaching for her head when she turned at the last moment and unfortunately he hit her jet pack.

This was very bad as jet packs don't react well to sudden surges in electricity.

Sabine's armor enacted a safety protocol and detached the jet pack from her armor automatically. The jet pack laid their on the ground next to the two combatants just smoldering and sparking it's way to an explosion.

Exar saw this and tried to get away but Sabine held him fast. She wasn't fighting but just making sure he couldn't get away. If the price for killing this bastard was blowing herself up with him that's what she'd pay. Those feelings in Sabine's heart at that moment were deeply familiar to Exar. That's how he felt as Ezra when he set himself out as bait to kill Kallus. Exar knew that he'd never be able to fight his way free from Sabine determined grasp in time to escape the blast so he didn't try.

The Inquisitor suddenly embraced Sabine as if she was a lover which took her very much by surprise. Exar then used every once of strength in his muscles, augmented cybernetics and Force enhanced power to throw himself and the suicidal Mandalorain in his arms clear.

The two of them were falling through the air when the jet pack exploded and the shock wave slammed into them. The pain of the blast was punishing and it only made the two of them hold on to each other more tightly. The impact of them hitting the deck was enough to jar them lose from each others hold however. The two beaten and battered opponents landed not far from one another.

Exar and Sabine both then promptly passed out cold.

-The Resolute, Bridge-

Xelha look at the readout from all station heads and saw that overall they had 83% of the Resolute operational. The ion engines, deflector shields and all turbo lasers most gratifyingly among those working systems.

"Disengage us from the shipyard and take us into battle." Xelha said and felt every eyeball on the bridge looking at her. The plan had been to use the ship as a lifeboat not take it into the fight.

Smiley was for once without his trademark grin. "Are you sure about that Captain."

Even though she was only a commander being the ranking command officer on the ship allowed her to be addressed as Captain. Xelha tried not to savor that title and focused on the battle raging without them.

"We have sailors in the void Chief and we are not just going to leave them out there to die."

The sensors showed many lifepods from doomed Star Destroyers and while conventions of war forbid the targeting of them it was an active combat zone. A pod could just as easily be destroyed by hitting some debris or a mine as surely as being blasted by a Rebel terrorist.

"I'm eager for a fight Sir but..."

Xelha held out a hand to stop Smiley from saying any more as she already had the same thought. "We're not going to leave the Inquisitor behind in a doomed space station."

Smiley nodded his head. "Even if he's not Navy It wouldn't feel right to leave him behind like that after he saver our backsides."

Xelha agreed. "Then you better get to work fixing one of those republic gunships in our hold so we can go give the Inquisitor a lift when he calls."

Smiley's face lived up to his nickname as he snapped off a salute. "Aye, Aye! Captain, Sir!"

Xelha was sure if anyone could get one of those relics from the Clone Wars to work again it was Smiley. With that done she turned her attention to the more pressing matter of the the Rebel Fleet.

The Resolute shuddered as the docking clamps released it from the station's hold. As the ship moved under it's own power a flight of X-wings flew past. The Rebel fighters didn't attack even with an Imperial ship just out of dock without it's defensive array up.

"Why didn't they attack?" The officer manning the sensor system asked.

Xelha smiled joyless and somewhat feral smile at the Rebels that ignored her ship. "They think we're not worth the effort. The battle zone is full of far more dangerous Imperial targets so why waste time on a derelict like this." Her smile shifted into something resembling joy and anticipation. "That was the last mistake their ever going to make in their soon to be very short lives."

The Rebel battle line lay ahead of Xelha and she gave the order she so desperately wanted to give since her first day at the naval academy. "Raise deflector shields and take us into the fight!"

Before she would need every ounce of her concentration here in the battle Xelha took a moment to pray for the Inquisitor's safety. Xelha didn't not know if her Zeltron gods and ancestors spirits would look out for a non-Zeltron alien but in that moment it was all she could do for Exar.

-Rail System-

Exar woke up with jolt as pain flared throughout his body.

With a force of will he laid back down and slowly tested each of his extremities for damage. There was a lot but nothing he hadn't endured before. His armor had stopped most the shrapnel from penetrating to deeply. Exar paused to grab one of the medpac he kept tucked in his robs and jammed the needle into this hip. His bloodstream was suddenly awash with a cocktail of drugs to numb pain, boost adrenaline and stop bleeding.

Exar pulled himself to his feet and looked around. He remembered fighting a mandalorain and that she had almost blown them both to hell. In fact she wasn't that far away from where he landed and she was still out cold. Her armor didn't make it obvious but he could see the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest as she breathed.

He would have to take care of that.

Exar reached out with the Force to find his lightsaber. He could use the one he took from the Jedi he killed but he needed his own lightsaber back. Lord Vader may not be a Jedi but he had their anal retentiveness went it came to lightsabers. For Exar lose his lightsaber on his first mission would be a show of carelessness.

The familiar energy of a lightsaber was closer then Exar thought and he drew it to his hand. The hilt felt odd and yet somewhat familiar. The only way he could explain it was if his phantom pain was replaced by a real flesh and blood arm.

A blade of blue crystalline light blossomed from the hilt of the lightsaber in Exar's hand. Still the fact that Exar's lightsaber was the wrong color didn't reach hit him yet. It was only when he saw the Mandalorain's colorful armor lit in a blue glow that he realized this wasn't his lightsaber.

Exar stopped and looked at the lightsaber in his hands, the one he built himself with the scraps Kanan and the crew of the Ghost had laying around. This wasn't his lightsaber but Ezra Bridger's.

The question of how it got here was answered when Exar took a closer look at the young Mandalorain woman who almost to killed him. Her armor had also taken the worst of the blast and it's dark black outer coat of pant had been scored off in several places. Under that heavy black were bright colors of purples and oranges. It was the faded star bird now visible on her left shoulder that put everything into place.

"Sabine..." Exar said as he turned off Ezra's lightsaber and knelt down next to her. With steady hands and a trembling heart he careful removed her helmet. Exar made sure to cradle the back of her head with his right hand in case she had spinal or head trauma.

'She's so beautiful.' Exar thought after he took off Sabine's helmet. In fact that was the same thought Ezra had the first time he saw Sabine take her helmet off.

Sabine was unconscious with her face flushed and her black dyed hair was matted to her head with sweat. Her lower lip was split and her eyes fluttered as if she was trying to wake up.

Exar took out his last medpac and gently pressed it to Sabine's neck. A few moment's later and Sabine's breathing became easier and more regular and he was sure she'd be fine.

Perhaps fine was an oversimplification.

Sabine would wake up in pain, confused, unbelievably pissed and most likely being violent. She would be out of any mortal danger from her injuries.

Now the problem was what Exar was going to do now?

If he left Sabine here she would die when the station blew up.

If he brought Sabine with him and back to the Empire then she would be killed.

If he brought Sabine with him and didn't go back to the Empire then they would both be killed.

Exar's hand tightened around the grip of his, of Ezra's, lightsaber. He knew the only way to get Sabine out of here alive was to bring her back to the Ghost.

That however was not going to go over well for anyone.

While Exar was running his mind over just how bad of an idea a reunion with the Ghost crew was Sabine regained consciousness.

The first thing Sabine noticed to her discomfort was that her helmet was gone and she didn't remember taking it off. She sat up slowly and saw the Inquisitor standing there with his back turned to her and...!

That Kriffing Bastard had Ezra's lightsaber in his hands!

Anger fueled adrenaline rushed through Sabine and she saw remaining her blaster pistol on the floor near her. It was lucky that they had landed so close to where she had dropped in earlier in the fight. Moving with a speed and grace that defied her injuries Sabine grabbed her blaster and rolled to her feet in one motion. The blaster was held securely with both hands and aimed right at the Inquisitor with her finger tensing on the trigger.

"Don't." The Inquisitor said and he wasn't begging or even frightened.

Sabine hesitated but didn't take her eyes off him or her finger off the trigger. She was sure he didn't mind trick her as she had training to resist that and she couldn't feel his will pushing into her mind. It wasn't even the fact that with only one blaster Sabine knew it be very one sided fight but she'd take those odds anyway.

Exar turned to face Sabine with Ezra's blue lightsaber in his hands. "Odd equipment choice for a Mandalorain but you handled it well." The Inquisitor took a few practice swings with Ezra's lightsaber. "Far better then most if I'm honest."

Sabine fixed her cool brown eyes and the barrel of her blaster at Exar. "Give that back to me. That lightsaber is not yours to touche."

Exar laughed at that and his amusement took Sabine by surprise. It was as if she said something funny to him. Exar looked at Ezra's lightsaber one more time before turning it off and holding it out to Sabine on an outstretched hand. "Your right, this isn't mine."

Sabine took a few weary steeps toward the Inquisitor her every sense heightened. She reached out to retrieve Ezra's lightsaber with one hand while keeping the blaster trained on Exar with the other. Sabine's finger just brushed the hilt of Ezra's lightsaber when all of a suddenly...

"SPECTER FIVE, JUST WHAT THE NAME OF KRIFFING HELL DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING?!" Hera's voice screamed, not said or ordered or even yelled but Screamed, through Sabine's wrist comlink. The Ghost had finally worked it's way thought Sabine's communication lockouts.

It was only by the virtues of Sabine's training and battle hardened nerves she didn't freak out. Exar however smiled, sure Sabine couldn't see his face under that grotesque red mask but she was sure he was smiling. The tension of the situation gone Sabine grabbed Ezra's lightsaber from the Inquisitor and replied to Hera.

"This is really not a good time for this Specter Two."

Exar excused himself to go and look for his own red lightsaber. "I see this this is personal call so I'll leave you alone."

'Yep, the bastard's smiling his head off at this.' Sabine thought as she kept a marksman trained eye on the Inquisitor while she talked to the Ghost.

Kanan's voice came through next on Sabine's comlink. "No this is exactly the time and we don't have much of it left. How soon can you make it back?"

Sabine looked at the time and did a quick mental check of how much time was left on the explosives. There wasn't a lot of time left and there was too much distance from here to the Ghost. "Not soon enough." Sabine answered gravely.

"I'll see that she get's back to you." Exar said, his voice having a strange echo effect because Sabine could hear his words being spoken and then repeated to her on the comlink. Somehow the Inquisitor had The Ghost's personal communication codes. That was something known only to a few in the rebel network. Compartmentalization of cells and members was stander operating procedure for the nascent Rebellion.

Exar found his lightsaber as he talk to the crew of the Ghost through his comlink in his mask. "Naturally I'm not doing this out of the kindness of my heart. I'm in need of a ride off this doomed shipyard. Think of it as a business deal, I bring you your wayward Mandalorain and you get me out of here."

Hera cut to the comline. "Were not a taxi service and we certainty don't make deals with Imperials."

Exar used his foot to lift Sabine helmet off the floor before bouncing it off his knee and then passing it to her like it was a ball. "I thought you were running out of time here? I help her get out and you help me. Besides what are you worried about? I'm the one who's outnumbered."

Sabine looked at her helmet in her hands and the Inquisitor who just minuets ago nearly killed her and was now being glib about the whole thing. "Why should I trust you?"

"Obviously you shouldn't but I don't want to die here and despite your attempt at a murder suicide I don't believe you really want to die either. So as I see it this has nothing to do with trust and everything to do with survival."

Kanan's voice cut into the comlink like a cold blade. "Survival and not trust is what you do best isn't it?"

That hard pained edge in Kanan's tone took Sabine and everyone else on the Ghost by surprise. Only the Inquisitor could appreciate the layers of pain and betrayal in the Jedi's voice.

"I do have a talent for enduring when everything else has turned to ash and dust." Exar said meeting Kanan's coldness with taut restrained rage.

Exar turned to faced Sabine. "If you want to live and see your friends again then we have to work together. Now make up your mind because we have precious little time left."

Sabine holstered her one remaining blaster and Ezra's lightsaber before putting her helmet back on. "You go first. I don't trust you to have my back."

Exar shrugged but turned to lead the way regardless. "I don't care and it shouldn't be a problem as long as you don't fall behind, Shorty."

"SHORTY!?" Sabine yelled and fought off the impulse to shoot the Inquisitor in the back.

-The Ghost-

Kanan turned away from the com system but still felt everyone watching him. His anger had gotten the better of him and that wasn't like him at all. What the crew needed was the cool under fire and level headed Jedi they'd come to depend on. "Hera get the Ghost ready to launch, Chopper keep scanning the battle outside. Zeb get ready to help me greet the Inquisitor when he gets here with Sabine."

"You really think he's going to make good on his word?" Zeb asked as he got his bo-riffle ready.

"I think he'll get here with Sabine but after that we have to be ready for anything." Kanan answered.

Hera watched Kanan closely and she could sense he pain and tension he barely kept under control. Was it because of the death of Weber Cross his fellow Jedi? No, Hera was sure that wasn't it. Whatever was effecting Kanan was rawer and more personal then that.

"What's wrong Love, what are you not telling me?"

Kanan looked at Hera but heisted to answer. Zeb and Chopper both knew that was their cue to leave so they left to do their assigned duties.

Kanan tried to find the words but he couldn't. He felt so pathetic that he couldn't share this with the woman he loved. Sometimes the truth, or as he is a Jedi, a certain perception of a truth could be the most painful thing ever.

"Just get the ship ready and leave the Inquisitor to me." Kanan saw the hurt look in Hera's eyes but he would not budge on this.

-Shipyard CM-185, Corridors-

Sabine still wasn't sure about this uneasy truce with the Inquisitor but Exar hadn't done anything to her, yet.

So far he had been leading them through locked doors and hatchways using his Imperial codes to override the security systems. While she hated to admit it this was making the trip faster and Sabine knew they only had so much time left.

A timed warring bleeped from her wrist commuter and she reacted without thinking.

"Brace yourself!" Sabine yelled as she thew herself against the lean of a bulkhead.

Exar only had a moment to react and take cover when the whole complex started to shake. Red emergency lights turned on and warning sirens blared throughout the hallways. That was nothing next to the shriek of tortured metal as sections of the massive shipyard shifted and ruptured to space.

It felt like hours but it was over in a few minutes.

"Was that it?" Exar asked moving away from the relative safe of the wall.

"If it was then we wouldn't be talking." Sabine said calmly. "That was only the primary detention to break apart the main junctions holding this place together. We don't have much time until the secondary detentions blow the power core."

"Why not just blow the whole place up in one big flashily explosion?"

Sabine scoffed at the idea. "Do you how much explosives it would take to blow up something this size? A controlled staged implosion was the best we could do. Flashy it isn't but this place will still be scrap when we're through it." She then pushed ahead of the Inquisitor. "Come on we have to hurry."

Exar then followed Sabine in racing down the corridors as fast as they could. Even with artificial gravity something about the floors and walls seemed off, as if the place was slightly off kilter. Overhead some power conduits blew and Exar saw the ceiling over him and Sabine about to collapse down on them.

"Sabine! Get down!" Exar yelled as Sabine looked up to see the ceiling about fall in on top of her. Training took over and she threw herself flat on the floor but in her mind she knew it was a useless gesture. The falling debris would crush her and not even her Mandalorain armor would protect her from that.

But nothing happened.

Sabine looked up to see the ceiling debris floating in the air. It was like someone just hit pause in a holovid to stop the action. Sabine turned around as saw Exar with his hands out stretched above him. He then started to walk forward with almost painful deliberation. Sabine knew enough about the Force to know that using it like that must be incredibility taxing.

"Door..." was all Exar could say as his mind pushed the Force against the incredible weight of the collapsing ceiling.

The hatchway ahead of them had been pressure sealed in response to the collapse and could not be opened manually. Sabine did have a 'universal skeleton key' with her however. She ignited Ezra's lightsaber and then started cutting through the thick blast doors. In a matter of moments she cut an opening in the door and fortunately for them the next passageway was clear.

Sabine ducked into the safety of the next hallway and waved the Inquisitor on. "Come on!" Oddly enough it didn't escape her that this would be the perfect time to gun Exar down in cold blood.

Every step Exar took felt like kilometer but he still put one foot in front of the other. Then the moment came where he knew he couldn't hold out any longer. He didn't even try to regain his hold on the Force, he just ran for all he was worth. The ceiling came down like the jaws of some great beast ready to devour the Inquisitor in one bite. Exar leaped the last few meters and barreled through the opening Sabine made just as the section behind him collapsed.

Exar landed on the floor and laid there gasping for air after that ordeal. Sabine reached down to give him a hand getting up. "Come on and get on your feet. Now as I hate being indebted sp dose this count as me saving you, you saving me or should we just call it even?"

"I don't keep a running score so why don't we call it eternally even." Exar said as he about to take Sabine's hand.

Their hands didn't reach as Sabine backed up a step.

Sabine took off her helmet and looked at Exar as the pieces of a puzzle she didn't even know she was working on fell into place.

"You called me Sabine. When your warned me about the ceiling falling you didn't call me Specter Five but my name. How do you know my name? And our communication codes, not even many of the other Rebel cells know those."

"You underestimate the massive Imperial intelligence apparatus." Exar said pulling himself to his feet.

Sabine shook her head. "No, if they knew our codes they have ambushed a long time ago. I'm starting to think your one of those few people who knew our codes along with our real names."

Exar turned away. "I don't have time for this nonsense."

"If you really knew about me from some file then you'd have recognized me sooner but it wasn't until after our fight that your attitude toward me changed." Sabine ran a hand over the flaking black paint of her armor and the revealed bright colors underneath. "After you saw the old paint of my armor that's when you recognized who I was."

Exar stopped and took a deep breath. He didn't want Sabine to know the truth about him but she was smart and observant. He just didn't think after three years Sabine would still know him, or at lest remember Ezra, well enough to see through him.

Exar turned to face Sabine but she was ready in front of him and pulled the hood off his head. The tresses of blueish black hair that fell to the Inquisitor's shoulders only strengthened a suspicion that Sabine dare not put into words.

Sabine reached for his mask next but Exar backed away. She followed him in close step until his back was pressed up against a wall. With both hands she reached out and touched the Inquisitor's mask. Exar suddenly seized Sabine's wrist with his own frightened trembling hands.

"Please." The Inquisitor pleaded softly.

Sabine had that playful slight twist to her lips that she sometimes passed off as smile. "What are you afraid of?"

Kanan had asked the question of his Padawan while fyrnocks made ready to rip them to shreds.

"Ezra what are you afraid of!?"

"I don't know!" Ezra said denying something he couldn't face even more then the fyrnocks.

"Yes, you do!" Kanan insisted.

Exar's hands stopped shaking but he continued to hold Sabine's hands back. "I'm afraid of the truth and I'm afraid that that truth will hurt you."

Sabine's eyes seemed to overflow with compassion as her fingertips brush against Exar's mask. "Maybe but only the truth can set us free."

The Inquisitor's grotesque blood red mask fell to the floor.

Sabine gasped as she saw herself looking into Ezra's face. Time had changed him slightly but it was still Ezra's brash, wild and roguishly handsome face. She noted the change in his eyes most of all, gone were the eyes that were her favorite shade of blue. In their place were golden eyes of burning hate and resentment. That didn't matter at all to Sabine because he was still Ezra.

Exar closed his eyes as he saw Sabine react to him. Suspecting the truth and knowing the truth are worlds apart. He didn't want to see Sabine's shock fade into anger and betrayal. In his mind he could already imagine Sabine wishing she didn't know and that he should have remained dead.

"Your alive!" Sabine said in a tear choked voice as she hugged Exar and buried her face into his shoulder.

Exar sagged under the weight of Sabine's relief. He couldn't believe that even after everything he'd done. After becoming the monster he willing turned himself into she was still happy to see him. Sabine's relief then gave way to sadness and she could not restrain herself.

Sabine was so overwrought that all she could do in between muffled sobbing was apologize to Ezra. "I'm sorry but we all thought you were dead. You have to believe me that if we had known you were alive then we would have done anything to find and save you. "

Exar tentatively warped his arm around Sabine while she sobbed into his armor as years of pain rushed out of her. He had been afraid of Sabine hating him for what he'd done but she was the one feeling guilty. Sabine was afraid that Exar couldn't forgive her for not saving him.

The irony of it all almost made him want to weep.

"There's absolutely nothing to forgive." Exar said his arms hugging Sabine tightly as if she'd disappear if he let go of her. "I didn't know you were alive either. For years if even dared to dream or hope that any of you survived then the pain of it would have torn me apart."

Sabine stopped crying and just let herself be held in Exar's strong embrace. "It must have been so painful for you."

"I survived."

Sabine pulled her head up from curve of Exar's shoulder and looked into his face. She smiled sadly and cupped his face with her hands. "But it was still painful."

"It was." Exar said as a few tears fell away from his golden Dark Side tainted eyes.

Sabine brushed Exar's tears away. Then as if moved by something older and stronger then the Force both Exar and Sabine leaned in closer to each other. Their lips started tingled in mutual anticipation to touche one another. The silent desperate longing they felt for each other for years was boiling over.

Exar and Sabine were just about to kiss.

"Specter Five are you alright!? You stopped moving!" Hera's voice asked coming through Sabine's wrist comlink.

Right, they were still on a doomed space station with the clock running down.

"I'm fine Specter Two. I just got a little... ah... distracted." Sabine replied while she and Exar both blushed like two teenaged who just had their mother walk in on them. (And there was perhaps more truth in that analogy then either of them wanted to admit.)

"Well then I suggest you stay focused and move it because we don't have a lot of time left."

Sabine and Exar let go of each other and enjoyed the awkwardness of their almost kiss for a moment before getting ready to go.

Sabine held out Ezra's lightsaber to Exar. "I bet you want this back."

Exar looked at his old Jedi lightsaber and then to the girl who he had silently loved in his heart for years. "Has it been useful to you?"

Sabine nodded. "It's saved me in more ways then you can know."

"Then that's where it's doing the most good." Exar said as he picked up his red Inquisitor's mask and tucked behind his robs. "Come on."

Sabine smiled as she reattached Ezra's lightsaber to her belt. "Don't forget who's in charge here, Kid."

"You know Sabine that one year of age you have on me doesn't really allow you to call me kid anymore." Exar said sounding a little petulant at her use of nickname he hated.

"-Sigh- I thought I told you before. It's not about time but maturity."

"So it's because your so much more mature then I am. I guess I can accept that..." Exar then smiled in that way that only Ezra could. "... Shorty."

"Now where do you get off calling me Shorty!?"

Exar shrugged nonchalantly and smiled. "Obviously because if your one year let's you call me Kid then the fact that I'm taller then you let's me call you Shorty."

Sabine bit back a retort and put her helmet back on her head. "Come on. We're wasting time we don't have."

-The Resolute, Bridge-

Commander Xelha smiled as she watched two Rebel Corvettes go down under the weight of her guns. The Rebel fleet had ignored the Resolute after it broke away from the station and it was costing them greatly now. The enemy had used ambushes and their more maneuverable ships to their advantage. Now that the Resolute was behind their lines of retreat and was pinning them in place.

This made a whole section of the Rebel line easy prey for the big guns of the Imperial Star Destroyers and the Empire's Navy went about avenging itself with relish. Only now it seemed that Xelha and her crew had the Rebel's attention.

"Sir, Rebel frigate inbound and launching fighters!"

Xelha stiffed a curse as it would do for the captain of a ship to lose her cool. "Redirect power from the aft guns to the bridge deflector shields."

Without fighter support to back up their anti-air guns Xelha knew they had little chances of swatting all those pest out of space.

The big ship reached out for the fast moving fighters with it's turbo lasers. A few of the unlucky or too slow became brief burning stars but the rest continued their attack run. Just as the X-wings were almost upon them a wing of TIE Advanced come swooping down on the Rebels.

The rebels broke and scatted but were easy picking for the TIE pilots. Xelha breath a sigh of relief and called the TIE pilots. "Thank you for the assist pilots."

"This is Widowmaker Two and we were all too happy to help." Lieutenant Commander Humah said over the comlink.

Xelha quickly checked in with Smiley. "How's the repairs to the gunship coming?"

"It will hold air and fly but once I fire it up I don't know if the engines will take a prolonged strain or flame out on us."

Xelha saw the Inquisitor's locator beacon heading towards Hanger One. "Well get it ready to fly as I think the Inquisitor is going to need a ride soon." Xelha then contacted Widowmaker squadron and saw the readout for the commanding officer's data. "Lieutenant Commander Humah I was wondering if you and your squadron would help us with a little escort duty."

"I was thinking you'd never ask."

-Shipyard CM-185, Hanger One-

Hera was waiting by the controls of the Ghost with the ship's engine warmed up a ready to go. Chopper was monitoring Sabine and the Inquisitor's progress as well as the shipyards rapidly failing integrity. From up in the cock pit she could see Kanan and Zeb ready to great their guest. Hera tapped her fingers on the control yoke in a nervous tempo as she was slightly beside herself with worry.

Not about the Shipyard failing or the battle raging out side in space.

Hera was confident that her piloting skills would get her ship and her crew out of any trouble they found themselves in.

What was weighting heavily on Hera's mind was Sabine.

Sabine was doing so well that Hera hadn't felt the need to keep an eye on her. Now that cocky little Mandalorain had disobeyed orders and was endangering not just herself but her crew. To top it off Sabine was now being used as a bargaining chip by some Dark Side psychopath.

'That bastard better not have hurt one hair on Sabine's head.' Hera thought to herself before wishing for the safe return of a girl she sometimes cared for like a little sister and sometimes loved like a daughter. It was because of those strong feelings that Hera was so sure that Sabine would make it back to them.

And once Sabine was back home.

"I'm going to kill that girl myself." Hera said thinking of what she'd do to Sabine once she was back home safe and sound.

Chopper bleeped in surprise at the twi'lek's unusual hostility.

"No, not really. But I will give her enough punishment detail that she'll think she's dieing."

Chopper growled happily at that. That meant someone else would be stuck with the worst jobs on the Ghost instead of the astromech. Chop then informed her that Sabine and the Inquisitor were almost here.

Two black shapes came running out of the hallway into the hanger. One was Sabine in her dark black mandalorain armor and the other must have been the Inquisitor. Sabine didn't seem to be under the Inquisitor's guard. In fact she was running ahead of him and waving her hands in joyous greeting.

Sabine saw Zeb and Kanan out to greet her and Ezra. Of course they didn't know it was Ezra with her so she understood their causation. Zeb had his bo-rifle trained on the Inquisitor but as he drew closer he recognized the face

"Karabast! I don't believe it but Karabast it's true!" Zeb's green eyes lite up and he smiled like he hadn't in years. "It's the Kid. It's Ezra!"

Hera was out of her seat and had a pair of binoculars out in a heartbeat. She zoomed in on the Inquisitor's face and saw that Zeb was telling the truth.

It was Ezra.

Her boy had come home.

Chopper bleeped a question to Hera.

Hera nodded her as tears ran freely down her face. "Yes, I'm going to kill the both of them." Hera as her voice trembled as she was overwhelmed with joy.

Sabine waved happy to Zeb and Kanan. She saw that Ezra had fallen behind her a bit and grabbed his arm to pull him along. "Come on, Ezra!"

Exar worked his hand free of Sabine's grasp and came to a stop. "I brought you back to the Ghost like I said I would."

Sabine made a few more steps before turning to face him. She took off her helmet and her face showed confusion at Ezra's action. "What are you talking about? This is your home to."

Exar said nothing.

In that moment Sabine understood that he wouldn't be coming back with her. "What the hell are you thinking!?" Sabine yelled in outrage. After all how could he not want to come home?

Sabine felt a hand on her shoulder and found Kanan standing beside her. "Get back to ship. I'll handle him." There was no joy on Kanan's face or in his voice. Just this cold certainty that seemed at odds with his normal demeanor.

"What do you mean 'handle him', it's Ezra?"

Kanan glared unforgivingly at Exar. "No, he's not. He told me his name was Exar Nihilo an Inquisitor of the Empire."

Exar smiled at that and then started to laugh uproariously. After a few moments he turned his cold yellow eyes to his former master. "You disappoint me Kanan."

"I disappoint you!? You were suppose to fight the Empire not join them! You were suppose to help persevere the Jedi not hunt them down! You were my Padawan, Ezra!"

Exar shook his head sadly. "You disappoint me because after I saw that you were alive I had silently hoped that even after all years that had passed you'd be able to..."

"To what!?" Kanan asked cutting Exar off and getting in the young man's face. "Forgive you! I'm am a Jedi and there are things that even a Jedi can not forgive! What you are, what you've become, there is no forgiveness, no redemption for that!"

Exar didn't react at all to Kanan's outburst. "I had hoped that you would be able to understand me. I see that's asking too much of a Jedi."

Sabine had enough of this and put her self between the arguing men. One who she respected greatly and the other that she cared deeply for. "Stop this the both of you! We can work this out later if you'd just come with us Ezra."

Kanan took a hold of Sabine and pushed her back toward the Ghost. "Save your breath Sabine. It's his choice not to come with us."

Exar turned his back on Kanan and Sabine and on the rest of the Ghost. "It was the choice I should have made three years ago and not have gotten involved with any of you."

Pain tore through Sabine heart. "WHY!? Why are you walking away from us, from ME!? How could what to go back to the people who killed your parents!?"

Sabine stopped when Zeb came over and held her back and saw in his lasat eyes the same questions and pain she had.

"The Empire didn't kill my parents, the delusion of hope killed them. I didn't need a free Lothal or vast corrupt Republic government. What I needed was not live on the streets and eating out of dumpsters or stealing to get by. Family suppose to be the people who protect you but my parents weren't there for me when I needed them." Exar glanced over his shoulder at Kanan, Sabine and Zeb with a look of such pain. "None of you were there when I needed you either."

Whatever the crew of the Ghost were going to say next was cut off by an old Republic gunship flying into the hanger and touching down by the Inquisitor. The gray paint on the hall was flaked and the troop doors hesitated for a moment before opening. A group of four stormtroopers poured out with basters ready.

Chief Petty Officer Smiley was at the gunship's controls and yelled out the doors. "We thought you might need a ride Inquisitor!"

Exar pulled his black hood around his head and put his red mask back on his face. "Come on, we don't have time to deal with them."

"Sir!" Came the reply from the stormtroopers but they kept the band of rebels covered as Exar walked onto the gunship. Once he and the stormtroopers were aboard the ship took off and left the failing space station.

Kanan likewise lead his crew back to the Ghost. Sabine was so devastated that all she could do was sit down lost in a daze. While most of the crew could relate to her pain and confusion they needed to get out of here.

Hera took the Ghost up while Chopper manned the rear turret and Zeb took the roof gun. Kanan took a moment to make sure Sabine was at lest strapped in and doing okay before running to the belly gun.

Both the Ghost and the gunship flew out of the hanger just in the nick of time as the massive shipyard started to come apart. However the saying out of the frying pan and into the fire came to mind as they were now in a combat zone.

The Ghost opened up on any Imperial ship in range as Hera flew them through the chaotic battle zone.

From behind the Ghost the massive city sized Imperial shipyard came apart. The power generator failed and now without gravity stabilizer or vector controls the station was quickly ripping itself apart. Some pieces of the shipyard were the size of Star Destroyers and more the a few ships meet their end by being smashed by any of the countless smaller fragments.

The destruction of the shipyard was the finale signal the Rebel fleet had been waiting for.

The amount of debris in space was playing havoc with the Imperial's scanners. The Rebels used this like a giant chaff grenade and escaped into hyperspace, the ships all heading to any one of dozens of preset destinations. No matter how many ships the Empire had they wouldn't be able to follow all of fleeing Rebel ships. In fact with their scanners so overwhelmed they couldn't get any accurate readings on any possible hyperspace coordinates.

The Rebel Fleet had made a clean get away leavening the Empire to lick it's wounds and shift through the wreckage.

-The Resolute, Hanger-

The old gunship and it's TIE escorts landed without issue. There had been some close calls with friendly fire and debris but they made it alright.

Now that the fighting was over Xelha could leave the bridge and make it down to the hanger. She watched as the gunship's doors opened and Smiley came out with the Inquisitor held up under his arm.

"Is the Inquisitor hurt badly?" Xelha asked as she rushed to help Smiley carry him.

Smiley shook his head. "Nah, near as I can tell he's just worn himself out."

"I'm right here." Exar said but let himself be carried to a wanting crate so he could sit down. The day's physical fatigue and emotional stress pounded his body and it was a struggle to stay wake now that his life wasn't in danger. He stomach growled reminding him that he hadn't eaten for sometime.

"I'll call the galley and see if they got the kitchen up and running." Xelha said getting on her comlink to make sure not only the Inquisitor but whole crew could eat.

Exar looked at saw the pilots of Widowmaker Squad heading toward him and not one of the squad was lost in the fighting. Lieutenant Commander Humah ran a hand threw the short spiky blond locks of her hair now that she was free from that helmet. "I see your the only one to came back without your ship."

It was true.

And she was only jokingly so Exar deiced to let live.

"What's it like out there Commander Xelha?"

"Sir, the commanding Admiral was killed when his ship was destroyed and now the remaining ship captains are debating a course of action."

Being a proud Navy woman Xelha wouldn't say the other captains were squabble and trying to pin the blame on anyone but themselves.

A crewman came over with a hot mug of nutrient boosting tea for the Inquisitor. Exar took the mug and with gratitude. "I would remind the captains that Lord Vader will be here sooner then later. Also that Lord Vader is less like to kill us all if were actuality doing something useful like rescue operations or trying to tack down those Rebel ships." Exar took his mask off so he could take a sip of the tea. The hot liquid warmed him and the infused nutrients helped replenish him.

Everyone in the hanger was looking at Exar in stunned silence.

Exar cocked an eyebrow. "Well he wouldn't kill us all personally, unless it was a very slow week."

Smiley was the first to react now that he could see the face of the Inquisitor. "Your just a kid."

With the mask and voice changer everyone assumed that Exar was much older then he really was. An embarrassed blush ran across Exar's face as he glared at the assembled crew. "I'm NOT a kid." he said peevishly.

"What are you then, nineteen?" Humah asked still a little taken back by this revelation.

Exar's blush deepened. "Eighteen."

Xelha shrugged. "Well that's old enough to enlist at lest."

"-Sigh- And that part of the reason why I wear the mask. No one takes me seriously if they now how young and handsome I am." Exar looked over at Xelha. "This isn't going to a problem working together now is it?"

Xelha shook her head. "No, your more capable then men three times your age. Don't worry about charming me either, I don't have any interest in younger man."

Humah smiled at that. "In that case no problems here either as I don't have any interest in men of any age." The TIE jockey may have shot a loaded smile and less then subtle look in her green eyes at the sexy female Zeltron Commander.

Exar cleared his throat and the developing sexual tensions between the two Navy woman. "So rescue operations and make sure we bring in Rebel survivors as well. I'm sure I.S.B will have some questions for them later."

To Exar's great relief everyone jumped back into it. Smiley was ordering space to be cleared for incoming wounded. Humah took Widowmaker squad out again to scan for survivors and any reaming Rebel mines that are floating out there. Xelha was on the comlink wrangling the other ship Captains into helping the rescue operation. It was easier for the Zeltron Commander now that she could threaten them with the wrath of Lord Vader.

Exar could see there was nothing left for him to do. So he finished off his tea and was just going to rest his eyes for a bit.

Xelha finished her call after getting the other ships to join in helping. She turned to ask Exar something else when she saw him sprawled out on top of the crate fast asleep.

Xelha ran a hand over his cheeks and then checked his pulse. It was only exhaustion but sleeping on a crate wouldn't do him any favors. She order two crewmen to take the Inquisitor to an empty cabin so he could sleep properly.

-Far Away, The Ghost with the Rebel Fleet.-

News of the raid and humiliation of the Empire had spreed from the sector to the whole galaxy. Even the Empire's massive propaganda machined couldn't spin this defeat. So even if things got dicey toward the end and with the loss of a Jedi Knight the young Rebellion celebrated their victory.

There was no celebrating on the Ghost however.

Kanan looked around at the faces of his team and knew he had to tell them. "Don't misunderstand what happened out there. That was an Inquisitor and same kind monster the Empire sends after us all the time. The fact that he was once someone we knew changes nothing."

Hera brought her sad green eyes up to Kanan and asked. "Dose it really change nothing? Do you feel nothing at all knowing who that is?"

Kanan sighed heavily. "The good kid we knew as Ezra Bridger is dead. What that man is is a betrayal of everything I taught him and everything we meant to him. I know this isn't easy to accept but if you can't face that fact then we'll lose this war."

Zeb growled angry at the whole unfair universe. "Your asking a lot Boss. I mean how sure are you that..."

"I'm sure Zeb. I'm more sure then I wish." Kanan said cutting Zeb off. He then looked at Sabine who hadn't said a word yet. "Anything you'd like to add Sabine?"

"Did you know it was Ezra?" Sabine asked.

"That became clear to me after our duel."

Sabine shook her head and then got to her feet. "I'm asking if you knew that Ezra was alive before today?"

Kanan took a deep breath. "I told you that the person you knew and loved as Ezra is..."

Sabine's fist cut Kanan off as she decked him with a hard right cross. The Jedi was knocked to the deck and the mandalorain started kicking him while he was down. Zeb had to pull Sabine off him for she really started to hurt Kanan.

"Hey, easy girl just calm down." Zeb said as he hauled Sabine away from Kanan.

Even if she could hit him anymore Sabine spat and swore at Kanan. "Kriff You and your Jedi half truths! I'm not asking for your worthless point of view but whether or not you knew Ezra was alive!"

Hera knelt down to help Kanan back to his feet and pushed a clean handkerchief against his split lip. Kanan looked at Hera and while he didn't see the anger in her eyes he saw the same question.

"The bond between master and apprentice is strong and the bond I had with Ezra was stronger then most. He shut me out and over the years I've done the same but sometimes I would feel his pain and rage. I sometimes I could feel Ezra slowly begin to change into something else." Kanan stopped to look at the horrified expansions of the crew. He had know for years that Ezra was alive and had deliberately kept that from them. "I wanted us to remember Ezra as we knew him not as what he came to be."

Kanan walked over to Sabine and waited until she could look him in the eye. "I wanted to protect the memory of Ezra as the boy you loved."

Sabine nodded as she understood what Kanan was saying but she didn't forgive him. "You should have let us know."

"I now understand that was a mistake."

"Yes, it was but now what are we going to do about it?" Zeb said as he let Sabine go now that he was sure she wouldn't pound Kanan flat.

Hera was the one who answered. "We do what we should have done three years ago and we go bring our boy home."

Chopper agreed completely with Hera as did Zeb and Sabine. This left Kanan out voted but more then that it left him in doubt.

There was no coming back once you stat down the dark path was one of the oldest Jedi sayings. Kanan knew better then any of the crew how far gone Ezra was. That he was little more now then a slave to the Dark Side and a tool of the Sith.

Yet as Ezra's master had Kanan given up too soon?

After everything that Ezra meant to Kanan didn't he at lest owe it to his Padawan to a lest try and save him.

Try?

'Do or do not, there is no try.' Kanan thought as he made up his mind.

"Let's go bring Ezra home."

-end-

This is odd.

An ending that is somewhat optimistic.

Let me just enjoy the novelty of that for a moment.

Well this was a horrible chapter to write. Sabine finding out was the hardest thing. First I had her reacting much like Kanan did with anger. Then I thought passion and not anger but that didn't feel right either.

Then I had the idea of forgiveness. That in know Ezra was alive Sabine would want to be forgiven as she feels she abandoned him. They both thought the other was dead and in fact share similar feelings of guilt. Now their reunion became an emotional catharsis.

However I couldn't let them kiss no matte how badly they wanted to.

Kanan knowing about Ezra and not telling the crew I was very much Ben and Luke but how I wanted it to go. 'Certain point of view' my ass you lying old dead bastard. That's why I think Jedi are more then a little manipulative.

Speaking of dear old Obi Kanobi as I like to all him. You may have noticed I had Kanan paraphrase Kanobi's words to Anikin when after he left him to burn.

Oddly enough I enjoyed writing Hera as angry protective Momma Bear. She just so furious with Sabine but also so worried at the sometime. Once again Hera wasn't really going to kill Sabine she was just so mad at her.

Sorry again that this took awhile to get to you and thank you for your patience.

Thank you as always for reading and please leave your thoughts in a review.