As soon as Hutch signs off, Tor storms out of the interrogation room.
Strapped to the table, Sierra knows she's in for a world of hurt when he gets back. She can't dare to think that he would have left her alone after hearing her friends' broadcast. One can only get that lucky once in a year, not twice in a day.
Tor returns not ten seconds later with two guards.
"Do it."
The guards walk to Sierra's right. One grabs her shin and – to Sierra's abject horror – the second starts to undo the cuff on her right ankle.
"No," she begs. "No, please! – It's a freighter! An old spice freighter. That's the kind of ship we're using! I'll tell you anything, just please don't-!"
The snap of bone fills the room, followed shortly by Sierra's scream.
…
Rex kneels before Steela, tying her boot laces while Bo-Katan stares at them.
"This has to be one of the most ridiculous plans I've ever seen." She says, staring at the fake belly bulging out from beneath Steela's shirt.
"It worked." Steela points out. "Security didn't find any of my gear."
"But now you have that thing stuck to you."
"Look, it was either me or Soniee and she's no thief. Even though Korkie wouldn't mind playing the daddy."
"Or Saw," Rex mumbles as he ties the last knot and steps back, leaving Steela to defy the laws of physics yet again and stand up. "We need to hurry. If Tor is as furious as Hutch says he is, then he's going to take out his anger on Sierra."
Bo shoulders the first pack of gear they strapped to Steela's stomach. "Your girl won't last long. When Viszla got that mad, somebody was going to die."
"Then let's get to the detention level." Steela implores, screwing in her earbud. "That's where they're going to keep her."
"We have to let the others in first."
Bo walks off down a hallway to let the others in through the service entrance while Rex and Steela keep hurrying. Or more accurately, Rex hurries. Steela waddles.
"Do I smell pickles?"
"You're not really pregnant." Rex whispers.
"I know that. I'm acting."
Rex sighs a little. "I don't smell anything. It must be the baby." He presses the elevator call button and the doors open. No sooner have they stepped inside and pressed the button for the detention level when an older woman already in the lift starts peppering them with questions and even touches Steela's belly. They can't arrive at their destination fast enough.
"Ahsoka?" Steela hisses once they finally get away. "You can't pay me enough to wear this stupid belly again."
"I agree. It's only worth it when you know there's a baby inside." She says. "We're inside and on our way to the detention level. Soniee, the security system?"
"I have everything under control." Soniee says cooly. "No alarms are going off, and we're scrambling the facial recognition system. So far it hasn't gotten any hits."
"You can keep the cameras from seeing us?" Hondo asks. "You know, Hondo is hiring!"
"No, thank you. I'm glad to be on this side of the keyboard." Soniee says around the same time Korkie loudly clears his throat and Saw's voice grumbles, "not happening."
"Focus!" Lux snaps. "Rex and Steela, how close are you to the interrogation rooms?"
"I don't know! It's not like they posted a map. Rex?"
"Interrogation rooms are going to be as far from the elevators as possible. Steela and I will start here but we'll need backup. There should be a service staircase that's closer to the rooms."
"We're taking it right now. Level six, right?"
"Level six." Rex confirms.
"We are on our way!" Hondo announces.
"You have your lock picking gear, right?"
Steela nods.
"Then let's go. We have to get to Sierra."
…
"Stop! I'll tell you anything, just please stop!"
Sierra's body is on fire. Tor's done but she doesn't know what's causing it. All she knows is it hurts.
She's screaming. Some of it is words, some of it is just screaming. She knows she's said things, important things. Things about Ahsoka, about Lux, about the crew. The basic cons they use, Saw's fighting style, crimes they've committed in the past.
The things Tor said he wants to hear, but nothing makes him stop.
He doesn't want information, she realizes as unconsciousness threatens to take over. This was never about information. This was about Dad…my family…me…
"Wake her up!" Tor orders.
The guards activate the electricity.
"Again!"
"Sir?" a guard asks.
"Are you questioning my orders? Again! "
The guard presses the button on the controls.
This time, it doesn't hurt.
It's okay, Sierra. You're going to be fine. It doesn't hurt anymore, it won't hurt ever again…
The door opens and two shots ring out.
"Stand back! STAND THE KRIFF BACK!"
Am I dreaming? Because that sounds like…
"S-Steela?" She slurs.
But it's not a dream. Steela and Captain Rex are in the doorway, like two very pissed-off angels with guns.
"I'd listen to the girl, she doesn't miss." Rex advises. "It's only a matter of time before Lux Bonteri arrives. Personally, I would rather face him when he can't see what you've done to his sister."
Tor scoffs. "If he's here, then why would I give up my hostage?"
"Because you don't want me to shoot you?"
"Should you really be out and about in your condition, Steela?"
Sierra lifts her head. Condition? What's he mean by…what the heck?
Steela is pregnant. Very, very pregnant. How long have I been here? Long enough for Steela to be that big? Maybe she was pregnant before and was just hiding it. Impossible. They share a room, they've walked in on the other dressing a few times. Her stomach has always been flat.
How long did it take them to come find me?
Steela shoots, and Tor roars in pain, falling away from the table.
"Sierra!" A beautiful voice shouts as rebels, angels, swarm into the room to release the restraints and pick her up.
Sierra cranes her neck away from the people swarming over me. "Lux?"
Lux is here. Face scrunched in anger and hatred, but he's here. His expression softens a little, looking like he's going to cry.
"Hi, Sierra."
If there was any water left in her, Sierra would cry.
"Hey, hey," Saw says, taking most of her weight while Korkie takes her broken leg.
"Everyone, take Sierra back to the ship," Lux orders.
"What?" Ahsoka asks. Clearly that wasn't part of the plan.
"Take Sierra back to the ship. I'll follow you."
Ahsoka crosses her arms and shakes her head. "I'm staying. The rest of you, go."
"I'm not leaving you with him." Rex snaps, glaring at Tor.
"Go, Rex! Everyone take her home, and that's an order!"
Saw readjusts Sierra in his arms. "Time to go home," he mutters, and the others lead the way out the door.
…
After the others leave, Tor has the nerve to smile at Lux.
"Took you long enough."
"Do you have something for young girls? It isn't enough that you had to pick on Ahsoka, you had to torture my sister too?" Lux snaps, leveling the pistol at him.
Ahsoka grabs his arm. "Lux, don't."
"Don't? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't!"
"Because it's murder." Ahsoka says forcefully.
"Murder? Murder? Did you see Sierra? If we'd gotten here a few minutes later, we would have had a murder on our hands!"
"I know." She squeezes his arm. "And trust me, I want to kill him too. But you are better than him, Lux. You don't kill people who can't fight back."
"No, but I'll do the galaxy a service when the time comes."
"Don't!"
"Don't tell me that you have compassion toward him! Ahsoka, don't you remember what he did to you? What he did to my father? He killed him in cold blood. He was going to torture you while you were sick. He almost tortured Sierra to death!"
Ahsoka scowls at Tor. "He's not my favorite person either, but you are a bigger man. You have a son. Do you want to set this kind of example for him?"
"Do I want to look Sierra in the face and say I didn't kill him?"
"Lux! If you do this, there's no going back. You aren't the same person, you just aren't."
She wraps her slim fingers around his, steering clear of the trigger.
"Don't kill him out of hatred," she says gently. "It's not the Jedi way."
Lux's arm relaxes the tiniest bit when Tor opens his big mouth.
"You know, I can see the family resemblance." He says. "She looks just like John. Her screams sound like his, too."
Lux swallows hard.
"Tor," he says in a voice that doesn't sound like his. "You hurt my wife. You killed my father. You tortured my sister."
He reaches for the trigger.
"Prepare to die."
He's about to shoot when Ahsoka snatches the blaster and judo-flips him over her shoulder, muttering "I can't believe I'm doing this."
"Ahsoka, Tor!"
But they don't have to worry about him. A shot rings out, and Tor's body lights up from a stun bolt.
He falls to the ground, completely unconscious.
And Saw is in the doorway.
"You need to come with me, right now."
"I need to deal with him first." Lux seethes.
"No," Saw says urgently. "Sierra crashed on the way back to the ship. Tandin thinks she's gone into shock."
