Alright folks, I hope you will like this latest chapter as we dig into the rescue of Ketsu. I thought about this from the episodes where Ketsu let the Rebels have the droid and then when she was there to help them get the carrier fueled to escape. Since there was never really anything confirming that she had joined the Rebellion, I thought about how a criminal group like the Black Sun, and would they just let someone up and leave without any form of retribution? I think not. So this chapter dives into that.
As for the reviews, I only got three this time again. Not a big deal, but I do hope I can coax some more to let me know if you like where the story is heading, if you have some thoughts or ideas, or just let me know if there is something that needs more of my attention. I'm trying my best to proofread before posting, but I know there is no way I caught everything. So, with that said, onto the reviews:
Classic Cowboy, yes indeed, Sabine's partner in crime has arrived, and she will help add a different perspective for all the drama, but we have to deal with the hot water she's in first. I appreciate the vote of confidence, good sir.
tuake, I'm not sure it will be a huge fight when Kanan does come back, but his return definitely won't be the cure for Ezra's slide into the dark. He'll be a help for sure, but I'm thinking of his part as more like a shepherd trying to corral a herd. You can't just push straight through, you have to work around the edges, and coax the whole herd into the direction you want them to go slowly. Thank you for the review! I really enjoy seeing your thoughts on the story.
Guest, I hope you enjoy the continuation of the rescue mission as much as you did the beginning. Sabine and Ezra will come to understand that even if they are angry with one another, they still are quite the formidable duo out in the field. Thank you for the kind words!
Now, onto the story!
Chapter 9: A Rescue Turned Sideways
This was it, she thought as she was gasping for air. Her left arm was hanging limply at her side, and she knew from the amount of pain she was in that her shoulder had to be dislocated at the very least. But she wouldn't be surprised if a scan revealed something was torn.
Ketsu had inadvertently run into a small group of Black Sun members as she once again tried unsuccessfully to break free from where they were corralling her. She figured she now knew what a nerf felt like at it was being herded against its will. And at the rate she was going, she was certain the comparison between the creature and herself would only continue in similarities, right up to the point of being butchered.
Maybe all the rumors were true that no one left the Black Sun on their terms. Ketsu thought she had a chance to be the one to break from that rumored mold, what with her upbringing and training from the Imperial Academy to rely on, but oh how foolish and arrogant she'd been to think like that.
She was already without any weapons along with her injured arm, and to top it off, she was exhausted too. It felt like it'd been days that she'd been on the run even though it was nowhere near that long. Regardless of the actual length of time, she just didn't know how much longer she would last. It was a numbers game and she didn't have them, not by a longshot.
If she could just take a few minutes to catch her breath, or maybe to try resetting her shoulder. Then she might have a bit more of a chance, but she wasn't even getting that. And as if to prove her point, a blaster bolt suddenly shot into the wall just above her head, indicating that it was time to move again.
So, despite the protests from her body, Ketsu got up and ran around a nearby corner in the opposite direction of the blaster fire. Only, this time her escape route was blocked by four more members of the Black Sun. Ketsu was able to strike one of them with her good arm, but that left open her injured arm too, which was latched onto and viciously yanked down, bringing her to her knees.
Taking in every ounce of fight she had left, Ketsu kicked out and managed to slam her foot into the ankle of another one of her would-be captors. Immediately after connecting, she clearly heard a snapping sound followed screaming in pain, letting her know that another one of her enemies was incapacitated. That was only the beginning though, and she almost got back to her feet when someone else hit her in the back of the head using the butt of their blaster rifle. The force behind the blow nearly knocked her unconscious, but the stun bolt that followed it finally finished the job.
"Get this mess cleaned up immediately," one of the Black Sun members barked. "You all have attracted too much attention."
"Like you could've done any better, Jodo." Another Black Sun member fired back as he began to restrain Ketsu with binders.
But the first man in Mandalorian like armor, Jodo, was proven correct when the pop and hiss of a lightsaber sounded just behind them. They all turned around to see a young man standing before them, and worse yet, he wasn't alone.
"A Jedi," Jodo yelled out as he drew his blasters and began to open fire.
"Are you sure you read that sleemo's mind correctly?" Sabine huffed as they continued to weave their way through streets and alleyways.
"Yeah," Ezra answered. "He was trying to keep the location of the crash site from me, and that's why it wore me out a bit."
"I thought you had mind tricks down after working with Kanan on it so much," Sabine said as they walked around another corner.
"Mind tricks only work on the weak-minded," Ezra explained. "On a random bucket head, yeah, it is easy. Besides, what I did there wasn't the same as a random mind trick. That's more like inserting a suggestion into someone's mind. What I did back there was pulling information from his mind."
"And that's more difficult?" Sabine asked.
"Especially if they aren't weak-minded," Ezra answered. "He may have been a thug but he wasn't stupid."
"I guess that makes sense," Sabine responded as she pulled up a holo map of the south end of Garel City.
"How many more streets do we have to cover?" Ezra asked.
"Well, from the look of the map, we still have around ten blocks or so left." Sabine detailed. "That is unless you can use those Jedi powers to find someone else from the Black Sun, or oh, I don't know, Ketsu maybe."
"You know, Sabine, just because you can't see it happening doesn't mean that it's easy to do," Ezra said in frustration. "I wish it was that simple. That I could just focus on Ketsu or any random person, but I can't."
"I know," Sabine said in an apologetic tone. "I just want to find her before it's too late. I have a pretty good idea what will happen if they get to her before we do."
"Really?" Ezra asked.
"I was a bounty hunter before I joined Hera and Kanan," Sabine pointed out. "Ketsu and I both thought that we wanted to join the Black Sun, collect bounties, and maybe earn enough credits to retire one day at an early age. I didn't realize back then how selfish we were until after Hera and Kanan took me in. They showed me something better than I'd been a part of in a really long time."
"You know, I think that's the most you've ever told me about yourself, Sabine." Ezra pointed out while hiding a chuckle. "And from what you said, I'm starting to think that maybe you and I weren't all that different before we met Kanan and Hera."
"You were a loth rat when we first met, Ezra," Sabine said, disagreeing with his opinion. "I was trained to be a warrior from the moment I could walk, and then was placed into the Imperial Academy. I wasn't just on the streets stealing to survive."
"That's not what I meant," Ezra fired back while trying to quell the anger and a little bit of hurt he was feeling from her words. "All I was saying is that we were both only thinking of ourselves before we joined the Ghost crew."
"Oh," was the only response Sabine could manage to utter. She knew that she had just upset Ezra, and when she went back over what she had actually said to him, she couldn't blame him.
Up to that point, things seemed to finally be back to normal between them, and this time she was the one who stuck their foot in their mouths. She literally wanted to kick herself in the ass for it. It had been so long since the two of them had gotten along, and she had just ruined it. Plus, if that wasn't bad enough, Ezra was absolutely right too. They both had been only thinking of themselves before they met Kanan and Hera.
She had to make this right. "Ezra," she said before pausing to consider the best words, but Ezra didn't allow her to say more as he shushed her.
"Did you hear that?" He asked as they stopped at a crossroad.
"Hear what?" She asked when he didn't continue.
"I thought I just heard blaster fire." He said, grabbing her attention completely.
"Which way?" She asked, but he didn't have to answer as the sound of another shot being fired rang through the streets, providing them both with the direction to head.
Sabine took the lead, slinking around building corners as quickly as she could without making too much noise. She led him down one final street and when she peered into an alley, she saw Ketsu on the ground being restrained.
She turned back to Ezra and gestured with her hands, letting him know that she counted a total of eight enemies. Ezra nodded in confirmation as he pulled his lightsaber hilt from his waist and then gave a hand gesture to indicate that he planned to get everyone's attention with it. That would then allow Sabine to open fire before anyone knew what hit them, and hope they would all scramble without trying to drag away their prize.
Ezra seemed to become a beacon of confidence as he stood tall and walked around the building corner, his trusty weapon of choice firmly held in his hands. And when he ignited the blade, Sabine was ready to go to war.
Jodo ducked behind a trash crate to evade the rapid firing of dual Mandalorian blasters. Once he had adequate cover, he took a quick look around and found that two of his Black Sun brothers were down, having not been quick enough to escape the blaster bolts. They were at a disadvantage, but Jodo didn't want to retreat just yet and blindly fired in the direction of the intruders, but with each shot he fired, it was immediately followed by the sound of a lightsaber waving through the air and blocking it. And that sound was then quickly followed by the thud of a blaster bolt making an impact, either into a wall or another body.
By his count, in less than a minute they had already lost four more men, and the sounds of continued blaster fire mixed with the lightsaber singing as it swished through the air confirmed that whoever these individuals were, they were still in the fight.
Just a few short moments later, another of his brothers had his blaster shot out of his hands, causing the coward to cut bait and run away. Jodo wanted to go after the coward and teach him a lesson personally, but that would be at the expense of failing to acquire their traitorous deserter.
He couldn't let the mission become a complete failure. So, as a last resort before fleeing himself, Jodo took aim one final time and squeezed the trigger. His shot was true, and it would surely provide him the time to escape and fight another day.
"Ketsu!" Sabine yelled in a panic as she watched helplessly as a shot went straight for Ketsu. There was no question that a coward Black Sun member had just shot her sister, and that meant she and Ezra were too late, causing Sabine to see only red.
She charged forward, no longer concerned about any returning fire from what remained of the Black Sun. As she advanced toward Ketsu, her enemies came into view, and she went right to work. It almost seemed like it was effortless for her, firing off round after round, all with deadly accuracy.
Ezra watched in awe as Sabine singlehandedly took out three more men. Her attack was almost flawless, except for when one of the men managed to shoot her in the shoulder before they too were dispatched. Even with that, it was still one of the most impressive things he'd ever witnessed. Especially how being hit didn't even seem to faze her, and that only caused Ezra's opinion of how badass she was to grow even more.
If not for the blaster bolt charring her uniform, no one would ever have guessed that she was hurt as she continued to run straight over to Ketsu, sliding to her knees as soon as she reached her sister. She gently rolled Ketsu over as Ezra made it to them and began standing guard, watching their backs in case any more Black Sun members showed up.
"She's breathing," Sabine announced as she continued evaluating the extent of Ketsu's injuries.
"Can we get her back to the Phantom?" Ezra asked. "Because I doubt her old friends are going to let us stay here for long."
Sabine didn't immediately respond but knew that Ezra was right. They couldn't stay there without the Black Sun returning in greater force. She just wasn't sure if Ketsu could make the trek back to their ship without medical treatment, and then have to wait until they returned to Chopper Base. Regardless of how soon she needed it, the fact remained that Ketsu needed medical attention, and sooner rather than later if at all possible. The trick was, who on Garel could they trust?
They had to make a decision, so she made one. "We need to find someone who can treat her wounds as soon as possible."
"Then let's try to find a nearby medical facility," Ezra said.
"I don't know how can we trust where ever we do stop, but we can't stay here," Sabine said as she began to move Ketsu into a better position to be carried.
"I don't think we have much choice in the matter," Ezra said. "We'll just have to stay focused until they've treated her, and deal with whatever comes."
"Ok," Sabine said, and they got to each side of Ketsu, and hoisted her up as gently as they could.
It was slow going at first, not wanting to cause any more injury to Ketsu if they could help it. Along the way, Sabine pulled up a holo map and found the closest medical facility. She still wasn't keen on going to the first place they could get to, but without being certain of how badly hurt Ketsu was, she didn't want to risk going any farther.
As they reached the entrance of the medical building, they hadn't yet been approached by any aggressor, but that didn't make them feel at ease. Instead, once the medical personnel inside took Ketsu into the back area, Sabine refused to let Ketsu out of her sight. The medical staff tried to guarantee Sabine that her friend would be safe but eventually decided it was a lost cause when they saw the Mandalorian reaching for her blasters.
Ezra, meanwhile, chose to remain out in the waiting area toward the front of the building. He found a spot close to the entrance and in a position where he would easily be able to see and if needed, get to anyone he didn't think was there for medical reasons. Once seated, he closed his eyes and began to meditate, focusing on his surroundings, searching out for anything that might feel a bit off to hopefully give him a little more of an advantage in reacting to any potential aggression.
After around an hour of being in the medical facility, Sabine was still tapping her foot impatiently as a medical droid continued treating Ketsu's injuries. The amount of time they'd been stuck in there was frustrating her to no end. She'd been tense the entire time, with the only reprieve being when Ketsu did regain consciousness, but it was then that she also discovered that Ketsu had been stunned before that chakaar before they tried to kill her.
That knowledge brought Sabine's blood to a boil, and she had to fight the urge to find that gutter trash and dispatch him for his cowardice. But there would be time for that later. For the time being, her only concern had to be getting Ketsu off Garel safely.
When the medical droid had finished tending to Ketsu's injuries, Sabine finally left her side to retrieve Ezra from the waiting area. They hadn't even made it back into her room before Ketsu was already standing impatiently. "Where's the Shadow Caster?" She asked the two Rebels.
Sabine glanced at Ezra for a moment, slightly surprised as to her sister's first question. "We um, we actually don't know." She eventually answered.
"We couldn't tell how badly you were injured," Ezra added. "Sabine saw one of them shoot you before they left, and we decided it was best to get your injuries treated."
"Well, I've been treated," Ketsu said. "So, let's go get my ship."
"I'm not sure that's such a good idea," Ezra responded. "We've been fortunate to this point that none of your Black Sun buddies have found us yet."
"Well I'll be damned if I'm going to let one of those pieces of bantha fodder have my ship without a fight," Ketsu said.
"Look, Ketsu," Sabine said, trying to calm her down. "Under normal circumstances, I'd be right alongside you…"
"Well, I'm calling in the favor you owe me." Ketsu fired back. "Don't think that I've forgotten about it."'
"You owe her?" Ezra questioned.
"Umm, yeah," Sabine said in resignation. "You remember the time with the droid on Garel where she saved me from the shuttle. That one made us even for Ketsu leaving me for dead before I joined the Ghost crew."
"And then there was my helping you and the Ghost crew when you were refueling the carrier so you all could escape to where now is your home base."
"We can't take them on in our current condition," Sabine replied. "You didn't have any by the time we got to you, and you're definitely not at one hundred percent even if you've been treated. I was in here the whole time, so I know how bad a condition you were in. Before we even consider going after the Black Sun to get your ship back, we need to come up with a plan first that will even give us a chance of succeeding without losing our heads in the process."
"Plus, we don't even know where they took your ship to," Ezra added.
"I know where they would've taken it," Ketsu said. "I was one of them after all."
As much as she wanted to just go on the offensive, Ketsu couldn't argue that at the very least, they made a valid point. Going in blind with no plan wouldn't end well for them. So, she spent the remaining time she was held in the medical station detailing to Sabine and Ezra of all the Black Sun held territories on Garel, as well as the most likely location they would've taken her ship to and the type of resistance they should expect.
They also went over the weapons they had on their persons and concluded that any attack would require them to get their hands on some more weapons first. So, reluctantly, Ketsu agreed to head back to the Phantom, where Sabine had some more miracles available.
Before they left though, the first thing they did was find some different clothing that Ketsu could wear over her armor to better hide her from any Black Sun criminals they might come across along the way. And to complete this task, Ezra went out into town on his own, headed for a marketplace, and found a suitable cloak that would do the job.
With the cloak sufficiently covering Ketsu, the three of them then made their way back through Garel City. They remained cautious, vigilant as they trekked their way back to the Phantom while also trying not to look conspicuous and keeping their eyes on their surroundings simultaneously.
By the time they reached the hangar, Ezra and Sabine both had found the same number of threats as they had initially when they were looking for Ketsu, but that didn't ease their apprehension at all. They knew the numbers were against them, and unlike before, they no longer had the element of surprise.
Fortunately, they arrived at the entry to the spaceport facing no opposition, and finally began to feel relief that they were in the clear as Sabine input the codes to open the spaceport door. But just as they began to let their guard down, they opened the door to the Phantom and instantly knew that they were in trouble.
"Where are the men we restrained?" Sabine asked as she drew out her blasters.
"Over here," one of those men answered for her as they stepped out with blasters drawn. "You're not going anywhere."
Ezra made to pull his lightsaber from his belt, but a stun blast struck him from behind, putting him down instantly. Sabine and Ketsu turned in time to see Ezra crumpling to the ground as the person who fired on him stepped out from behind his cover. "Jodo," Ketsu growled. "Still shooting people in the back I see."
"I do what's needed to get the job done," Jodo replied casually. "We knew there was a chance you got a distress call out before you crashed, and your two friends made the mistake of not finishing off the men they captured when they had the chance. With just an astromech droid guarding them, it wasn't difficult for my men to take down the droid and comm me. So instead of needlessly hunting for you, we decided to sit back and wait for you to come to us."
"We won't come quietly," Ketsu growled, ready for a fight to the death if that was what'd be required. She knew that if they went willingly, death would be the best thing they could hope for.
"If you won't come quietly," Jodo answered with supreme confidence evident in his voice and then jammed his blaster onto the back of Ezra's neck. "Then this one dies first."
Ketsu opened her mouth to give Ezra the best chance he had at a quick, painless death, but Sabine dropped her blasters and answered first. "We'll come quietly."
Ketsu shot her eyes over to Sabine in surprise. "What are you doing?" She asked in a quiet voice just above a whisper. "If they take him with us, they'll torture him until after he begs for death."
"I'm not going to do something that would end up with Ezra being killed because of my actions," Sabine responded as their adversaries approached and put them both in binders.
Ketsu wanted to argue and fight, but she heard something she hadn't expected to in the tone of Sabine's voice. Desperation. It was obvious that there was something more to this boy than when Sabine had referred to him as nothing more than an annoying little brother back when Ketsu first met him.
With them properly subdued, some of the captors then unceremoniously loaded them into the Phantom while others dragged Ezra's limp body in, tossing him haphazardly next to the two Mandalorian women. No sooner had he landed than did Sabine scoot a little closer to Ezra, seemingly checking on how he was doing as best as she could, considering her hands were tied behind her back.
Ketsu meanwhile, knowing that Sabine's focus was elsewhere, turned her attention more to their current predicament. By her count, there were about a dozen men around them, with Jodo Cast leading the way, but soon enough, only four of them remained onboard the shuttle as Jodo climbed into the pilot's seat and took off. That left just three men guarding them to deal with.
Unfortunately though, the flight wasn't long enough for any plan of attack to form before Jodo brought the Phantom down inside the building that Ketsu believed and then confirmed her ship had been taken to.
Then they were greeted by even more members of the Black Sun when the ramped was opened up, causing Ketsu to smirk as Jodo stood from his seat. "Think you brought enough men?" She taunted.
"We're not taking any chances," Jodo answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "Now, let's get moving before your company arrives."
Ketsu defiantly hesitated, but a blaster pushing her in the back forced her to exit. Sabine didn't put up any resistance at all and instead stayed as close as she could to the men dragging Ezra out. Ketsu watched this with interest as they were placed into a makeshift brig. And once again, as soon as they were all inside the holding cell, Sabine scooted up closer to Ezra's limp form.
"Alright, you need to spill Sabine," Ketsu said as she leaned against a wall before sliding into a seated position.
"What are you talking about?" Sabine asked.
"What's the deal with you and the Jedi there?" Ketsu bluntly asked.
"There's nothing to tell," Sabine immediately answered as she glanced down to her best friend.
"Oh yes there is," Ketsu fired back, not buying what Sabine was saying for a second. "The last time we were together, you told me that Ezra was just some annoying kid Hera and Kanan picked up. You also said that he gave you a pretty good idea what having a little brother around all the time would feel like. But now, here you are surrendering instantly and then watching over him like he's something precious to you. The Sabine I know would've gone down swinging."
Sabine wanted to fire right back that Ketsu didn't know what she was talking about, but that would only serve as confirmation that something was going on between herself and Ezra. Ketsu knew her better than most even after their years apart, and while there was a lot that had changed about Sabine, the majority of that change was around why she fought now versus the type of person she was.
Sabine still felt like she was the same person that Ketsu had known for years for the most part, and that person didn't have any romantic entanglements worth telling about. Passion for art and completing mission objectives still reigned supreme. The only real difference now was that the payment for completion of a task wasn't as selfish as it had been during her bounty hunting days with Ketsu.
And thinking about this instance like a mission caused her to formulate a response that she hoped might quell Ketsu's thought process. "I guess it's been a little different since Ezra almost lost his life because of me not too long ago." She said. "During a mission I was in charge of, Ezra fell out of the ship as I was trying to get all of us out of harm's way. Then I made the decision to leave him behind, and having that feeling of someone dying because of my decision isn't something I want to experience again if I can help it."
Ketsu listened intently as Sabine provided her justification for being so protective, but when she was finished, her words only caused the smile on Ketsu's face to grow. "I don't know who you're trying to convince more, me or you. It's obvious that he's grown on you and now you actually like the boy, so why not just admit it and be done with it?"
"I do like him," Sabine admitted, but quickly continued. "He's become a really good friend and someone I can count on."
"Uh-huh," Ketsu responded in a manner that said she still wasn't buying it. However, if she did have a rebuttal, it was interrupted when some Black Sun members entered the holding area and opened the cell door. When they entered the holding cell, they yanked all three prisoners up off the ground and dragged them out into another area of the facility.
They were escorted into a larger room where there was a contingent of characters on a slightly elevated level, with one in particular in the middle, but in hologram form. He was the one to speak first. "Ah Jodo," the man called out, instantly silencing any form of murmurs in the room. "So, it is true. You have brought the deserter back to us."
"Yes, Prince Xizor," Jodo answered with a bow.
"Excellent work," Xizor said before his holo image turned toward the captives. "And who might these two unexpected guests be?"
"They tried to assist the traitor in escaping sir," Jodo responded.
"The boy is a Jedi," Added one of the men Sabine and Ezra had previously captured.
"And the other appears to be Mandalorian," Xizor said. "Their armor is not so unlike your own, eh Jodo? Remove the Mandalorian's helmet so I can see who both our guests are."
Three men stepped forward, each one eager to do Xizor's bidding. Sabine struggled against the first two who reached her, but with her hands still bound behind her back, there was only so much she could do before the two men forced her to her knees while the third ripped her helmet off.
No sooner had her face been revealed to everyone around, than did Xizor smile in triumph. "For your traitorous departure Ketsu, you shall be executed. But you also owe the Black Sun for the bounties you've let slip through your fingers."
"Like hell," Ketsu growled. "I know for a fact that there have been other Black Sun members who've come up emptyhanded more times than I have."
"True, but they remained loyal to the Black Sun," Xizor replied before he rubbed his chin as if contemplating something. "And luckily for you, I know that these two are Rebels, and thusly wanted by the Empire. However, if you give up the location of their Rebel base, then I will consider your past sins absolved, and make their deaths quick and painless."
"Go to hell!" Ketsu shouted. "We won't tell you anything."
Her response only caused Xizor to smile. "Jodo," Xizor said. "You know what to do. I'll leave you to it. Comm once you've made them talk."
And with that, the holo image faded away. Following his orders, Jodo stepped closer to the still unconscious Ezra as he again pulled out his blaster, placing the barrel directly onto the base of Ezra's skull. Then he looked to Sabine. "Such a pretty face." He said before gesturing to a few of the men.
The remaining Black Sun members approached Sabine, who was still being held forcibly on her knees. One of the bulkier of the men stood in front of her, cracking his knuckles, and stopped just in front of her. "Don't tell them anything, Ketsu." She quickly said as she mentally prepared herself for what was about to come, and come it did.
The first blow was a sharp kick to her midsection. Sabine tried to refrain from making any noises, but the kick to her gut was so hard that she couldn't completely stop herself from coughing and trying to suck in some air. She wanted to fight back, but the two men who'd been holding her down were still holding her in place.
The next three shots were all to her face, with each one snapping her head violently in one direction or the other. Two more blows landed to the midsection, and then the two holding her in place finally decided to let her go. However, any reprieve she hoped for from that was squashed away as the other men circled around her, taking turns kicking or punching her, and never allowed Sabine to get back to her feet.
They never even paused to ask Ketsu if she was ready to give up the location of the Rebel base. Instead, they just continued to pound away on Sabine. If her hands hadn't been bound behind her back, then she at least might've been able to try defending herself, but these cowards weren't taking any chances, and just continued to pummel Sabine while Ketsu watched helplessly.
As Sabine's torture continued, she began to struggle with remaining conscious. Her vision was blurred from all the strikes to her face, and she was struggling to even roll over when they kicked her in her sides. It was continuous and unrelenting and felt like it lasted for hours. Sabine was sore all over, certain that she had a few cracked ribs at the least. It quickly got to the point where it hurt to breathe, it hurt to move. She couldn't be certain, but it also felt like one of her arms had been broken as well.
They eventually did pause, but she didn't expect it to last long as one of the men reached down, grabbed a fistful of Sabine's colorful hair, and yanked her head up so that Ketsu had a clear view of her friend's face. "What do you think, Ketsu?" Jodo gloated. "Do you think your friend has had enough?"
Ketsu looked down at Sabine's battered face and tried to hide her emotions, but she couldn't keep the tears from shining in her eyes. "You've made your point," she croaked. "Just get it over with."
"The Rebel base location," Jodo replied as he took his blaster from Ezra's head and pointed over to Sabine's. "And I'll allow you to say goodbye to your friend."
But Ketsu kept her mouth shut. So, Jodo went to pull the trigger but found that he couldn't move it, leaving him surprised. His weapons had never misfired before. He tried to squeeze the trigger again but was met with the same result. "You," he said while pointing at one of his men. "Toss me your blaster.
The weapon was tossed to him, but right before it reached his outstretched hand, it stopped in midair. That caused him to look back over to the captured Jedi, whose eyes were now glaring daggers directly back at him. He opened his mouth to yell out to the men closest to the Jedi, but then all of the holstered and even unholstered blasters suddenly went sailing through the air, and more importantly, away from the Black Sun men.
What happened after that was more of a blur as Ezra shot up into a standing position and caught his lightsaber in one motion as he'd summoned it to him at the same time as he disarmed everyone else. The green blade came into view, and he attacked without mercy. It only took Ezra a few short moments to slice his way through everyone, save for one man. Jodo.
With everyone else seemingly dispatched, Ezra stalked toward Jodo as the criminal stumbled and fell onto his rear as he tried to crawl away. But when it became clear that he was attempting to get over to the pile of blasters, Ezra quickened his pace and stopped Jodo in his tracks by putting his lightsaber blade just under Jodo's chin.
While all this transpired, Ketsu had gone straight over to Sabine. She checked Sabine's injuries as best as she could considering all the distractions around her with the screaming and slicing that Ezra was doing to the Black Sun. She didn't look away from Sabine until she heard Jodo beginning to blubber and plead for his life.
"Why should I let you live?" Ezra growled as he hoisted Jodo up into the air with the Force. "You were going to kill my best friend. I should kill you just for that."
"Please," Jodo begged. "I'll do anything."
"Ezra, don't," came the quiet plea from Sabine.
Ezra stopped as soon as he heard her voice and glanced over to his friend. He was elated at first, but upon seeing what those men had done to her infuriated him. He growled, grinding his teeth as his focus returned to the man still being held up in the air by the Force. "She just saved your life," He said. "You'll live, but only to tell your boss that if they come after any of my friends again, they'll have to deal with me. And next time, I won't stop."
With that said, Ezra used the Force to throw Jodo violently into a wall, knocking him unconscious and crumbling to the floor. Ezra then used the Force to unlock the binders on both Sabine and Ketsu before going to the other side of Sabine and help her toward the Shadow Caster. Just before they boarded Ketsu's ship, Ezra went over to Chopper and powered him back online. He then told the astromech to fly the Phantom back to base and to let the Rebels know that Sabine would need some medical assistance when they arrived.
Ketsu piloted the Shadow Caster up after the Phantom and followed it into the upper atmosphere where they could jump into hyperspace. At that point, Ezra virtually refused to leave Sabine's side and received a sideways glance from Ketsu. He held Sabine's hand once they were finally alone, and when he did, Sabine managed to crack open her eyes. "I suppose, this makes us even," she quietly said.
Ezra grinned at his friend's attempt at humor as he also reflected on their escape. He'd been strong and she'd seen it. And that made him realize that the Holocron had been right all along. Sabine was interested in strength, not weakness, and this was a great first step to repairing the divide that up until now, had been steadily growing between them.
A/N: That dang Holocron just won't go away, will it. Up next, we'll see Ketsu getting a better view of what this thing is between Sabine and Ezra as she also acclimates to her new future as a Rebel while both Wini and Gavyn come back into the picture a bit more. Stay tuned, and keep the reviews coming! I love hearing your thoughts and opinions.