Star Wars: Rebels: The Rising Darkness

Disclaimer: Star Wars Rebels and all Star Wars characters and Lore are not my property, as they are all owned by Lucasfilm and the Walt Disney Company.

A/N: Hello to you again my most respected readers! This chapter took a lot of time and proofreading because I was dedicated to get it as close to perfect as I could. I apologize for the unexpected delay. Now, it is time for the final battle on Ord Mantell. The Rebels versus the new Grand Inquisitor. And plus some more development for Ezrabine towards the end. The wait is over, so enjoy! :)

Chapter 10: Amongst the Ruins

From within the broken wreckage of the stolen Imperial gunship, the Rebels along with General Dodonna began to crawl out in a similar fashion to what they had to do from the downed shuttle just minutes prior. Upon gathering his bearings, Ezra quickly went around to the front to help Sabine out from the cockpit. Thankfully, the task was made significantly easier because the windshield had been completely destroyed upon impact into the sandy beach beneath them. Helping the teenage Mandalorian back on her feet, the young Padawan noticed Kanan and Zeb were aiding Dodonna in getting back up as well. The older general lacked the quick reflexes of his youth. For her part, Sabine was the first to catch what had transpired back at the former luxury resort behind them.

"No…"

Following the gaze of the young artist, the others mirrored her expression at the sight of the dust cloud permeating where the Freedom Coalition HQ had been standing. To say this didn't compound the shock and desperation they already felt at the loss of the rest of the city would have been an understatement. Ezra was the first to formulate his thoughts enough to speak up.

"Come on! We need to help Aygo and his men!" immediately running off in the direction of the dust cloud, halting immediately at the voice of his master.

"No, Ezra! We can't help them now…" Kanan trailed off solemnly, the ominous presence of the Dark Side growing closer. Sabine found the reason why.

"Look! Inbound gunship!" the teenage Mandalorian shouted, zooming on via her rangefinder as the atmospheric assault craft closed in on their location.

"No…" Kanan couldn't help but mutter aloud, his eyes growing wide the moment the truth became undeniable, "General, stay back! Everyone else, get your weapons ready!"

"We'll take that thing no problem!" Zeb growled, raising his bow-rifle.

"That's not what I think he means…" Ezra replied as he too finally sensed the approaching eminence that was the Dark Side.

The gunship began to circle around the crash site rather than opening fire. It was then and there that the Rebels and General Dodonna got their first glimpse at who was behind everything that had transpired against them since the mission had begun. Grand Inquisitor Dunkel Nachtgeist, an Evocii, former slave boy to the Hutts, now leader of the Imperial Inquisition serving directly under Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine himself. The aura of the Dark Side permeated around him, emanating from his very being as he stared down at his enemies below. Crimson red eyes glared from under his hood and above the half-mask covering his nose, mouth, and jaw.

Without wasting any time or even uttering a word, the Grand Inquisitor leaped from the canopy of the gunship once more, both his robes and cloak billowing up through the air as he descended, the intensity of his gaze never leaving his eyes. Kanan and Ezra drew and ignited their lightsabers, and Zeb kept his bow-rifle raised as Sabine drew and did the same with her blaster pistols. Dodonna dropped to his knees behind the team, intending to resume the act of being an unwilling hostage. The moment seemed longer than it truly was, but finally the menacing Dark Side master elegantly landed on both feet a short distance away, his cloak coming to rest and increasing his silhouette upon the sandy shoreline around them. After another long, tense moment, he finally spoke in a mirthless, sinister tone that was enough to unnerve his opponents despite their continued resolve.

"I must admit, when I was first informed of your arrival on this battlefield, I was actually somewhat surprised. But then I remembered that your crew seems to have a habit of showing up precisely when and where it is most inconvenient for the Empire."

"You've actually read up on us? We're flattered," Kanan replied sarcastically. Recognizing this but not caring, the Grand Inquisitor continued.

"You seriously shouldn't be; I research a great deal about a multitude of topics at my leisure. Hyperspace travel amongst an entire fleet often leaves an excessive amount of free time, such as it were."

"Why?" Ezra blurted out through grit teeth. Sabine eyed his severe expression intently. Grand Inquisitor Nachtgeist shifted his gaze to the young Padawan as well.

"I'm sorry, did you say something, boy?" the casual tone with which the Dark Side master addressed him, devoid of remorse or concern, only enraged the young Padawan further. Kanan could sense Ezra's temper flaring and eyed his apprentice cautiously. Zeb didn't miss their imposing opponent as the latter studied Ezra's expression with his own eyes.

"Why did you destroy the city? Why did you drop that bomb, killing so many that had no involvement with the battle whatsoever? Tell us why!"

"Ezra…" Sabine began in a sympathetic tone, but the warped Evocii standing before them interrupted her.

"You have asked me a question, but your words raise one of my own. Do you honestly believe I can provide you an answer that will satisfy you? Quell the obvious rage burning in your heart and mind?"

"No… I don't," Ezra growled through grit teeth.

"Ezra…" Kanan joined in with Sabine in attempting to calm his apprentice. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity as she moved to Ezra's side.

The young Padawan looked over his shoulder at his female teammate, and immediately felt a calming ease began to take the place of his fury, as if her mere presence was enough to vanquish the negative, dark energy forming within him. However, the Grand Inquisitor did not miss this, either.

"Do you hate me, boy?"

Ezra immediately swung his head back to face the sinister Evocii, who had lowered his eyelids partially in an expression of indifference, and the young Padawan first decided to take a deep breath, and closing his eyes as he let it out before answering.

"No, no I don't. A Jedi shall not know hate," the tone Ezra gave as he spoke sounded calm and rehearsed, having directly quoting the teachings of the old Order. Grand Inquisitor Nachtgeist merely narrowed his eyes at the display.

"Such futile absurdity. You disappoint, you little trainee."

"The time for words is over, Grand Inquisitor. I know you didn't confront us just to try and provoke my Padawan," Kanan countered sharply, and Ezra couldn't help but give an approving smirk.

"It's not often I agree with a Jedi, but you're correct on both counts," as he spoke, Nachtgeist thrust his left arm out to the side, his cloak blown back and exposing his custom-built single-hilt lightsaber. The Rebels shifted back to their fighting stances with their own weapons raised as he drew and ignited the ominous red blade. Eyeing his opponents, he then added, "One chance to surrender, one chance to hand over the general. Take it now, if you value keeping your bodies intact."

"We won't relent until our mission is complete," Ezra Bridger retorted, keeping his lightsaber raised.

"Nor will I for my own," Dunkel Nachtgeist affirmed in his tone devoid of doubt or remorse.

At that moment, both Sabine and Zeb opened fire with their blasters. The Grand Inquisitor was pinned on the defensive, but effortlessly blocked and deflected every bolt that came his way with just one hand on the hilt. Ezra and Kanan used their own sabers to shield Sabine and Zeb from any deflected bolts coming back at them.

Recognizing their defense wasn't letting up, Nachtgeist thrust his left hand forward at a downward angle, using the Force to blast the sand between them. A cloud of the particles instantly hurled at the Rebels, who had to cease their focus on the fight to shield their eyes. Only Sabine didn't need to block her eyes thanks to her helmet visor, but her vision was still obscured. Utilizing the infrared setting on her rangefinder, she quickly pinpointed the Grand Inquisitor, who blasted them all off their feet with a swipe of his left hand, causing a wave of Force energy to surge into them. Having been thrown out of the cloud of sand as it swirled around them, Zeb raised his bow-rifle at the menacing Dark Side master and pulled the trigger. Sabine did the same from inside the cloud, her rangefinder giving her a clear shot.

Nachtgeist effortlessly blocked the incoming blasterfire once again, but this time with no Jedi protecting him, Zeb was easily hit with multiple bolts, howling in pain as he fell backwards and onto the sandy shore.

"Zeb, no!" the teenage Mandalorian cried out at the sight of her older comrade going down.

"You'll pay for that!" Ezra yelled as he and Kanan dispersed the sand cloud with the Force.

The Grand Inquisitor raised his left hand again without a word, stunning Sabine telekinetically and without warning, pulling her to him at high speed. She barely had time to yelp before his fingers wrapped around her neck. Ezra and Kanan could only watch in horror as their enemy slammed her down into the ground with a loud thud, all with one hand while the other kept his saber up. The teenage Mandalorian was unresponsive, like the Lasat warrior just a few feet away.

From beneath the mask covering the lower half of his face, the Grand Inquisitor gave a knowing grin to himself, sensing the unbridled rage building in the young Padawan. Standing back up from his crouched position over Sabine who lay unconscious down at his feet, he watched as Ezra screamed in blind fury, charging at him.

"Ezra, NO!" Kanan shouted, but to no avail.

The moment he was within striking distance, Ezra brought his lightsaber down on his opponent, who effortlessly blocked two swings before kicking the young man with a boot to the stomach, knocking the stunned Padawan off to the side as Kanan re-entered the fray. Displaying his skill with the Ataru form, the recently-promoted Jedi Knight temporarily forced Nachtgeist back on the defensive, but the Grand Inquisitor countered with his own knowledge of the Niman form, it's quick and versatile parrying display catching Kanan off-guard. Knowing this maneuver was leaving him vulnerable to decisive blow, the team leader was forced back on the defensive.

By now Ezra was back on his feet with his saber reignited. Recognizing the disadvantage of facing two Jedi at once with a single blade, Nachtgeist moved to draw his second lightsaber clasped on his right side. It was a familiar curved-hilt of older design than his custom-built saber, and Kanan recognized it from his studies in the Jedi Archives. Ezra didn't miss seeing the eyes of his master go wide in surprise at the sight. The young Padawan eyed the menacing Dark Side master as the latter drew and ignited the second lightsaber in his left hand.

"That lightsaber… it was Count Dooku's!"

Ezra mirrored the expression of his master, having recognized the name from studying lightsaber forms in datacrons back on the Ghost, before narrowing his eyes once more. The Grand Inquisitor merely gave a demented chuckle before he raised the hilt of the lightsaber in his left hand, as if displaying his prize for his opponents.

"Very astute, Jedi, and correct. This was the blade of Darth Tyranus, or Count Dooku as the Old Republic knew him."

"And how did you obtain that blade?" the Jedi Knight demanded. Nachtgeist simply raised his other saber before replying in an ominous tone.

"I don't have to explain anything to a group of corpses," heaving his arms back before thrusting them forward, the Grand Inquisitor launched both of his lightsabers in a spinning, double-throw.

Kanan and Ezra were both forced to raise their own lightsabers with both hands to block the incoming, telekinetically-manipulated blades. Their focus forced to remain on their defense, they barely had time to register as their opponent leaped into the air above them, recalling both lightsabers before bringing them back down on the two Jedi. Now, it was a master of the Dark Side versus both the Knight and his Padawan together. Using the power of the Force, the Grand Inquisitor used any fingers he didn't need to keep his grip to throw the two Jedi back into the destroyed city behind them, surging forward with unnatural speed to make sure he didn't lose them.

The two Jedi landed on their feet atop a segment of a wall that lay amongst the debris scattered all around them, visibility limited because of the dust cloud permeating the area around them as well. Within a moment of their landing, Nachtgeist was upon them once again, this time using the uneven terrain to keep them off-balance and force them to watch their steps. If their attention was divided, he would hold the upper hand. Perhaps realizing this strategy, Kanan came up with an idea of his own.

"Ezra, grab something with the Force and hurl it at him! He can't block our blades and blunt objects at the same time!"

"On it!" the young Padawan replied.

Grabbing chunks of metal and bedrock telekinetically, the teacher and student threw whatever they could seize with their power at their enemy, who leapt backwards to give himself more reaction time to defend against the onslaught, easily slicing through everything that came his way with his twin blades. Then, seizing both of their next objects with his free fingers, he threw both of them back, towards Kanan, who was forced to slice through both with his own lightsaber.

"Kanan!"

Upon hearing the voice of his apprentice call for him, he knew something was wrong, but the split second he had to process this was too late. The Grand Inquisitor slammed into him with both feet, drop-kicking him with a surge of Force energy, sending him instantly flying into another fallen structure behind them with a yelp.

Nachtgeist easily countered Ezra who had lunged at him with lightsaber raised once again. After blocking a number of swings from the boy's blade, he spun his right foot and tripped the Padawan to the wreckage beneath their feet. Ezra barely had enough time to raise his saber to block an incoming death blow, but the Grand Inquisitor was only using his right-hand lightsaber. He kept his left-hand blade idle, not even bothering to use his full skill with both weapons against the Padawan. Ezra narrowed his eyes as he stared into the hardened expression on the face of his enemy, who regarded the fellow orphan with a mix of curiosity and admonishment.

"You care for the Mandalorian girl, don't you?"

Ezra felt his expression immediately shift to complete surprise, a faint blush staining his face as the words registered in his mind.

"Wh-wha-whaddya mean? What's that gotta do with anything?!" Ezra attempted unknowing and annoyance, struggling to mask his shock and the uncertainty of what to say along with it.

"Your anger was already growing after I took down the Lasat, but it increased exponentially after I did the same to the female. You blindly charged at me without a thought to your own safety. That and the look in your eyes as I caught her throat in my grip said everything I needed to know. I understand that kind of disbelief, that kind of hatred," as the Evocii continued, his tone had shifted to one of insight and almost what sounded like… sympathy. His eyes even seemed a bit softer.

Ezra mentally shook his head, disregarding such thoughts. Still, he was somewhat taken aback as Nachtgeist took a step back and allowed the young Padawan to get back on his feet without resistance.

"I told you, I don't hate you. A Jedi shall not know hate," the orphan from Lothal repeated.

"That's not you talking, those are the Jedi teachings that have been drilled into your skull. Their Order always denied the basic necessity of acknowledging emotions. I suspect that's part of the reason they fell so easily in the end. You won't ever be able to achieve your goals, your ambitions, if you shut yourself off from your own reality. Be mindful of that truth if you wish to avoid becoming another body in the pile, boy," the orphan from Hutta lectured. At this moment, it almost seemed like the two weren't sworn enemies, but rather two halves of the same coin.

"Is that a threat?" Ezra asked, raising his lightsaber again. The Grand Inquisitor merely shook his head with closed eyes, before opening them again and replying.

"No, merely a warning. Strict adherence to the Jedi Code will be your undoing, like it was for the rest. I've walked the sacred halls of the ruined Jedi Temple on Coruscant. I've seen where Jedi young and old fell, victims of betrayal from within, and their own willful ignorance. You cannot deny what it is that you feel, what it is that you know."

"Even if I were willing to agree that I'm denying anything, how would you possibly know anything about what I'm feeling or thinking?" Ezra asked, narrowing his eyes slightly, alarmed at how uncertain he was suddenly feeling about the situation.

"I know because I was once like you; feeling afraid of losing what little I had left, feeling lost from having been torn from so much already, knowing nothing was certain, on the cusp of something greater than myself and unsure of what to do about it," Nachtgeist eyed the young Padawan intently, greatly interested in where this conversation was heading, even though he already knew where.

"And what… what did you do to make… to make it all stop?" Ezra asked cautiously, his hardened expression having dropped, curiosity and a hint of sadness creeping in its place.

"I embraced my power as I began uncovering every bit of it, and I decided I would do whatever it would take to effect the outcome I desired. No more limits, no more inhibitions. Only the solace of absolute certainty remained. I've never felt more complete than I am now, that I've opened myself up to the Dark beyond the Light…"

"Don't listen to him, Ezra! He's trying to deceive you!"

Both the Grand Inquisitor and the young Padawan shifted their focus to the Jedi Knight, who had picked himself up out of the wreckage he'd been thrown into minutes ago. Reigniting his lightsaber, Kanan leapt back over to his student's side. Nachtgeist narrowed his eyes, clearly annoyed at the unwelcome interruption.

"Just as I said, willful ignorance."

As this was taking place, over at the government building across the ruins of the destroyed city, HK-47, Commander Alpha, and the detachment of the 338th Legion had wiped out the Freedom Coalition holdout desperately attempting to bar their access to the Imperial hostages inside, including the governor. Now only Rajom and a lone squad of militiamen remained in front of the door on one of the upper levels that led to the meeting room that was serving as a makeshift prison cell.

"Steady boys… if we die, we're taking every Imperial dog in that room with us," the male Twi'lek lieutenant told the squad.

At that moment, the doors at the end of the corridor in front of them flew open. The cloned Imperial troopers immediately opened fire, the superior skills they boasted to their lesser counterparts more than enough to terminate the entire squad and wound Rajom before their foes could barely get off a shot. The Twi'lek crumbled to his knees on the floor, his rifle having been blasted out of his hands. He shaking drew a pistol as he gritted his teeth through the pain of his wounds, struggling to try and move back to the door that led to the hostages.

"I… I won't die like this…"

"Exclamation: If death by blasterfire isn't to your liking, I would be more than satisfied in killing you through a variety of methods, pitiful meatbag."

Grunting as he turned to face the source of the mechanized voice, Rajom raised his pistol at HK, who easily dodged the single blaster bolt fired in his direction before unleashing his flamethrower on the wounded organic, instantly setting him ablaze. Rajom screamed in agony as he was incinerated alive, no way to avoid burning to death in his wounded state on the floor of the narrow corridor. HK silently watched the carnage as he recorded it with his photoreceptors for future sadistic visual entertainment.

Back down amidst the rubble outside, Ezra Bridger and Kanan Jarrus had resumed their battle with Grand Inquisitor Dunkel Nachtgeist. The two Jedi were too distracted by their intense duel with the vicious Dark Side master to notice the imposing Imperial flagship overhead as it slowly moved towards the spaceport across the destroyed city.

Every move the Jedi Knight and the Padawan made against the Grand Inquisitor was blocked or parried, but they were holding their own as well. It seemed like it was as even a match as two versus one could possibly achieve. The ferocity of the fighting and the surging Force energies had further damaged the already demolished surroundings in the rubble that was once the capital city. Chunks and pieces of debris went flying in different directions, the wreckage of collapsed buildings breaking apart even further beneath their feet and under their blades. Displaying his incredibly honed skills with his weapons, Grand Inquisitor Nachtgeist spoke up once again, his tone once again cold and without remorse.

"Escape is not possible. You will die broken and alone amongst the ruins. This feeble uprising fell. Now it's your turn, Jedi."

"We won't be dying here. Our way out is still secure!" Kanan refused to despair at their situation. He could sense the grin their opponent formed under his mask in response.

"I wouldn't be so presumptuous if I were you. I take pride in being very thorough in my work."

The sound of turbolaser fire raining from overhead in the distance caused both Jedi to turn their heads to the source. The Furious Vengeance had begun aerial bombardment of the spaceport, the ensuing destruction effectively demolishing the entire surface complex in a matter of seconds. Ezra and Kanan were both horrified at the sight, knowing the Ghost hadn't taken off from its perch inside the hangar bay they arrived in. There was no way Hera or Chopper could have possibly survived.

"No… NO!" Ezra stepped forward, completely focused on the heart-wrenching sight before him.

"Ezra!" the startled shout of his master came too late, for Ezra Bridger was impaled through the chest from behind with twin red lightsabers, courtesy of the Grand Inquisitor. He choked out a gasp as he dropped his own lightsaber from his slackened grip, looking down in fear at the blades protruding from his torso. It was over in what seemed like an instant, for he felt a boot in his back push him off both lightsabers as the Grand Inquisitor resumed the duel, this time with Kanan alone. Falling forward and off the edge of the fallen building they had been standing on, Ezra blacked out as he tumbled to the ground, almost missing the voice of the girl he had fallen for scream out his name in horror.

"I'm… sorry…"

"Ezra! NO! NOOO!" Sabine shrieked, having caught sight of the young Padawan being stabbed from behind just as she climbed atop a pile of rubble within her firing range. She herself had regained consciousness just minutes ago.

Pulling out and arming a grenade, the teenage Mandalorian frantically hurled the explosive at the Evocii, who easily sensed the impending danger accurately enough to kick the grenade back at her without shifting his focus from the duel with Kanan, utilizing the Force to do so. Sabine barely had enough time to leap from her position before the deflected explosive detonated, the explosion engulfing said position within a second of her narrow escape. With grunt, she landed face down on the dirt, groaning as she looked up to the fierce duel going on just ahead.

Kanan was fighting with renewed purpose, knowing he may very well have just witnessed two of the most important people in his life die, with him helpless to stop any of it. He vaguely recalled while focusing on the fight that he hadn't felt this withdrawn and surging with wild abandon since he believed Ezra had fallen in the raid over Mustafar. This time however, it seemed not even this extra strength was enough to overwhelm his opponent. The new Grand Inquisitor whom he was fighting for his life against had proven without a doubt he was far stronger than his predecessor.

"Give into your agony, accept your anguish. It is not so terrible to admit you are at wit's end," Nachtgeist told Kanan through remorseless and knowing eyes as they continued fighting blade to blade.

Having crawled and finally climbed back onto her feet, Sabine ignored her injuries through pure adrenaline as she rushed around the fighting to frantically search for Ezra. Upon finding him motionless on the ground on the other side of the collapsed building where the duel continued above them, the teenage Mandalorian huffed with a shortness of breath as she rushed over and knelt at his side, nearly falling to her hands and knees in the sheer urgency of her movements.

"No… no, no, no!"

Pulling off her helmet and tossing it to the side, Sabine reached for and grabbed Ezra, pulling his limp form to her as quickly and still delicately as she could. She pressed the side of her head to his chest, desperately listening for his heartbeat. Upon hearing the faint but present thumping sound, she gasped, and before she could stop herself, felt wetness form under her eyes in pure and raw emotional relief. Her disciplined restraint be damned at this point. She could barely contain the overwhelming feelings bursting from within, and knew she couldn't for much longer. She faintly allowed a quiet sob escape her.

"I'm sorry, Ezra…"

The vicious duel raged on above the younger rebels. Kanan was now at his limits, realizing that everything he had wasn't enough in this battle. Nachtgeist pressed his advantage, forcing the Jedi Knight back with every blow. Catching an opening, the Grand Inquisitor forced Kanan to keep his lightsaber raised with his left blade, while he slashed across the Human's midsection with his right blade. The wound was a grave one, and Kanan yelled out in pain as he stumbled back and fell off his feet, dropping his lightsaber as he did so. Raising both of his own lightsabers, the Grand Inquisitor prepared to deliver the final blow, the death blow. His crimson eyes bore into Kanan's brown ones, displaying his relentless resolve and intent to kill. He spoke with ruthless malice and unwavering spite, reflecting his severely low opinion of their cause.

"Your deaths shall be forgotten when the rest of your rebellion joins you in the grave. All of you have thrown your lives away for absolutely nothing."

"We fight to the end, for a free galaxy," Kanan defiantly retorted, wincing and groaning as he clutched at his injury. He let out pained shout as Nachtgeist slammed his right foot down on the arm grabbing his stomach.

"Arrogant and ignorant to the end, just like the rest of your kind, Jedi."

As he prepared to drive his twin blades through the defeated Jedi Knight at his feet, the Grand Inquisitor instantly sensed impending danger and leaped back and into the air, just in time to avoid a barrage of laser fire that would have cut him to shreds had he remained stationary. Kanan choked out a gasp with the pressure previously forcing him down dissipated. Looking over in the direction of the sudden attack, both men saw it was the Ghost, with Hera in the cockpit and Chopper on the nose gun.

"So it seems your cavalry has arrived. Your pilot's more resourceful than I thought," Nachtgeist admitted as he elegantly landed on his feet a short distance back, cape billowing in the sudden gust that formed at the arrival of the Rebel starship.

"Yeah… she has a knack for perfect timing…" Kanan chuckled lightly as he groaned out the words, giving a smile in the direction of the Twi'lek pilot despite wincing in pain again.

Unleashing a second barrage of laser fire, this time coupled with a salvo of proton torpedoes, Hera and Chopper both unleashed the Ghost's arsenal on the Dark Side master below in front of them. Knowing such heavy weaponry was beyond his ability to successfully counter, Nachtgeist took flight and retreated, narrowly avoiding the ensuing explosion that demolished the section of the collapsed building he'd been standing on. Without a word, he began leaping through the air and around the shattered and broken wreckage of the destroyed city around them. It was almost in the blink of an eye before he was out of sight. Kanan could sense the presence of the Dark Side fade away at his rapid departure.

The Ghost hovered over the battlefield as Sabine, now with her helmet back on, carried Ezra over to the boarding ramp as Hera opened and extended the entry point. Kanan attempted to stand on his own, but was surprised to find a wounded Lasat climbing atop the pile of rubble of aid him.

"Zeb… you and Sabine found us…" Kanan gritted out in relief, both he and the Lasat warrior supporting one another with arms around their shoulders.

"We're a family, right? We stick together," Zeb replied in a likewise manner.

"Wait… where's… ugh… where's General Dodonna?" the Jedi Knight asked as urgently as he could, straining through his words.

"The gunship that shot us down circled back and the troopers took him while we were down. I'm sorry Kanan… we weren't in any shape to try and stop them… we failed," Zeb lamented as he hung his head in shame.

"We'll worry about that later. We're not out of this yet…" Kanan replied, hearing the familiar, unmistakable roar of TIE fighter engines growing closer and closer.

Sabine heard the ominous sound as well, nearly stumbling from pain and exhaustion as she carried Ezra further inside the starship. Their home. The teenage Mandalorian was grateful to have her helmet concealing her face. She wouldn't want anyone to see how much she'd let her feelings show upon finding Ezra alive.

A/N: Well, there you have it everyone. Now I will let you know here that this was the last chapter. I am planning a sequel to pick up where we will leave off in the epilogue, but whether or not I'll put more time into a second story will depend on the kind of feedback I receive from you, here. So please, do review and give me your thoughts! ;)

I've begun formulating the epilogue now, and I expect it to be out sometime before the Season 3 premiere in one week from today. I bet all of you are looking forward to that as much as I am! Thank you for reading and again, please let me know what you think. Have a great one! :)