(Like I said in the previous chapter, I am not taking the Inquisitorious origins from the Darth Vader comics into account. It was a good comic but I already have Varra's backstory already planned out in my mind and I'm not changing it.)
Chopper had the shuttle detach from Phoenix Home and jumped into hyperspace. The trip to Lothal should take less than half an hour which gave the crew more than enough time to come up with a plan. Ezra was sure that Hera would have preferred to have more time but Minister Tua was scheduled to be taken off planet shortly which didn't leave them a lot of time. They needed to get there as quickly as possible.
"So what's the plan?" asked Kanan, twirling his blaster in his hand. Apparently Ezra's master already knew whatever they were going to do it was probably going to require using that thing.
"Ok so Minister Tua is scheduled to visit Governor Tarkin tomorrow. She leaves via a shuttle at eighteen hundred. We wait at the hangar, steal the shuttle, and take her to safety," Ezra spoke up.
"That simple huh?" grunted Second Sister.
"Ezra I hope you're sure about this," sighed Sabine.
"After all the trouble she's made for us, why should we help her?" grunted Zeb.
"Because that's what we do. Help those who can't help themselves. Just ask Second Sister," explained Ezra.
Sister glared at him. "Don't compare us. That spineless bureaucrat and me are nothing alike," she growled.
"But we helped you when we didn't have to and you're still alive because of it. And because you got off Lothal, you later helped us rescue Kanan, Zeb, and Sabine. This is how you fight back against the Empire. With friends and allies willing to aid each other," Hera pointed out.
"She's still nothing like me," grumbled an annoyed Sister, folding her arms. Then again Ezra might get annoyed being compared to a sleazy politician as well.
"Plus her list will help us out," Ezra added.
"This still might be a trap," Kanan commented.
"Well we'll deal with it if it isn't," Sabine said.
"Cutting off Minister Tua's head would be a great way to do that. Or you could simply kidnap her for real and torture any useful information out of her before decapitation," suggested Sister.
Everyone onboard all threw her a look. "I'm just saying it's a viable option," Sister shrugged.
It wasn't long before they dropped out of hyperspace. Lothal appeared on the front view screen along with several Imperial Star Destroyers. Martial law was still in effect planet side but according to reports, imperials were allowing travel to and off world to resume. The Empire had reported that the Ghost crew was killed when the Sovereign exploded. They couldn't completely censor the destruction of Tarkin's flagship but they could spin it into trying to convince everyone that the rebellion was over on Lothal. They probably thought the Ghost crew wouldn't dare come back here. Well they were about to be in for a surprise.
"Shuttle 593 this is Lothal Control. You are cleared to land," a voice spoke over the com.
Ezra should be grateful they managed to bypass Imperial security but something didn't feel right. The closer they got to the planet, the more he could feel something. It was a cold sinking feeling in his gut, the exact same sensation Ezra got every time he got closer to a force wielder who used the dark side.
"Do you feel that? I feel so cold," Ezra asked Kanan. His master didn't say anything but it was obvious he was concerned.
"We should turn around," suggested Sister. Ezra glanced behind him to see from the look on her face that she was quite serious.
"We'll only get one chance to rescue Minister Tua. If we leave, she's as good as dead," protested Hera.
"You should worry more about yourselves. There's an Inquisitor here. I can feel it," replied Sister.
"This mission just keeps getting better and better," grumbled Zeb.
"Do you know which one?" asked Sabine.
"Doesn't work that way. There are nine Inquisitors still alive in the galaxy and there could be just one on Lothal or every single one of them," said Sister.
"Which one should we be more worried about?" asked Ezra.
"All of them," replied Sister.
"We'll just try and get this over with as quickly as we can. Hopefully we can get off Lothal without running into…whoever you're sensing," said Hera.
"Knowing our luck, I doubt it," grumbled Zeb.
Darkness greeted Varra as she regained consciousness. The last thing she recalled was the clone troopers massacring her fellow prisoners before capturing her. In fact, it felt like everyone in the entire temple was dying. It caused a ripple in the Force that was unlike anything Varra had ever felt before. She had no idea why the clones wanted her alive but it couldn't be good.
Varra attempted to move but her limbs were frozen in place. She could feel the cold sensation of metal wrapped around her wrists, suspending them above her head as well as restraints around her ankles and waist. Varra could tell she wasn't sitting down. The table she was strapped onto was standing upright but that was about as much as she knew about where she currently was. Varra decided using her five senses weren't going to tell anything else so she stretched out with the Force. She instantly almost regretted it. Wherever Varra was, the dark side was almost overwhelming here. There had been darkness in the Force on Umbara but nothing like this.
"I trust you've rested well my dear?" a voice spoke. Varra glanced around but couldn't find the source.
"The Jedi Order is no more. Their Masters killed, their Knights slaughtered, their Padawans butchered," the voice cackled. "But a few remain, scattered throughout the galaxy. The clone troopers are no experts at hunting down Jedi and bounty hunters won't suffice. I require the services of someone who understands them. Who can predict and counter any strategy or ability they can conjure."
"Who are you? Where am I?" demanded Varra. Lights suddenly illuminated the room, forcing Varra to close her eyes for a few seconds until her eyesight could adjust. She found herself in a small room with numerous droids that were either medical droids or torture. But the one thing that caught her attention was a single man covered in a black cloak. He was hunched over, his hood concealing most of his face but Varra didn't need to see it to know that he was the source of the dark side she sensed.
"I am Darth Sidious my dear and I have a preposition for you," the man spoke, his voice alone sent shivers down the spine. Varra instantly knew what he was. The Sith Lords were supposed to be extinct though Count Dooku and Darth Maul claimed the titles during the Clone Wars. Yet Varra had never heard of a Darth Sidious. The fact that the clones had massacred the Jedi seemed to prove this man's power and influence.
"What do you want from me?" demanded Varra.
"To show you another way then the Jedi. To help you reach your full potential and exact your vengeance against the Jedi," the man smiled.
Varra didn't say anything to that. She didn't know who he was but she certainly wasn't going to just open up to a Sith Lord.
"And the first lesson I have for you my dear will be the most important one," the man spoke. He raised a single hand and unleashed a discharge of purple energy from his fingertips. The electricity coursed throughout Varra's body as she let loose a loud painful scream. It only lasted a few seconds but it felt much longer.
"Pain," laughed the man who now held up both hands, unleashing purples arches of electricity. Varra did the only thing she could do and screamed.
The shuttle landed in the Lothal Spaceport without any incident. Star Destroyers hovered over Lothal city with dozens of Tie squadrons patrolling the skies. AT-PTs, Imperial tanks, and countless Stormtroopers flooded the streets. Sabine Wren hadn't seen such a military presence in the capital city since the time they rescued Second Sister. Fortunately the Ghost crew did have a few advantages. The Empire wasn't expecting them to show up here again and because the Imperials falsely claimed that the Ghost crew was dead, they'd be able to move about more freely then before.
The moment everyone disembarked from the ship, they were approached by an Imperial officer. Judging from his low rank, he was probably the local customs officer. "Your identifications now," he ordered.
"Is something wrong officer?" asked Hera.
"Until further notice, all traffic proceeding through Lothal space must undergo security checks. Now show me your IDs," the officer ordered.
"You've seen our IDs," Second Sister said, making a hand gesture.
"I've seen your IDs," the officer spoke as if in a trance.
"They all check out. We can go about our business. Move along," Sister added.
"You all check out. You can go about your business. Move along," the officer said. He turned and headed towards the exit as if nothing happened at all. Sabine had to admit the whole Jedi mind trick thing always creeped her out. The idea that somebody could just hypnotize another sentient like that was unnerving.
"I've got to learn how to do that," commented Ezra.
"Alright Zeb, Chopper, you two stay with the shuttle in case we need a quick exit," said Hera.
Chopper joked that they always need a quick exit.
"Tua's leaving from Bay 23. Let's move," Kanan said.
Sabine then noticed something Second Sister's lightsaber. It was no longer a single circular shape weapon or in its crescent shaped setting. Instead the lightsaber was separated in two halves, each placed on either side of Sister's belt.
"What did you do to your lightsaber?" Sabine asked.
"The same thing Kanan did to his. Carrying an intact lightsaber tends to draw attention. This way, the pieces look nothing more than tools or ornaments that no one would look twice at," explained Sister. The former Inquisitor must have modified her weapon during her recuperation. She certainly had plenty of time and spent most of it in a supply closet with all the tools she probably needed.
Bay 23 wasn't far away but it was under a lot more security as it was a government landing pad, not a civilian one. The Ghost crew hide behind a nearby building, scooping out the entrance. It only had a few Stormtroopers patrolling the exterior but it would only take one to set off an alarm and cause the whole plan to fall apart.
"We'll need a diversion," spoke Hera.
"Well I'm going to make a few friends. When Tua arrives, I'll keep 'em busy while you all drop in from the hangar from above," Kanan stated.
"Make a few friends?" frowned Hera.
"It'll be fun," smiled Kanan, seemingly proud that he was annoying the Twi'lek captain.
"Fun?" Hera hissed, starting to lose her temper.
"Don't worry General Hera," Kanan replied with a mocking salute. "Just be ready to move."
Kanan didn't give anyone a chance to respond before he took off down the street. He approached a Stormtrooper and patted him on the shoulder like they were old pals. He lured the trooper towards a nearby alley and proceeded to knock the Imperial unconscious. Kanan dragged the body out of sight and less than a minute later, emerged out of the alley dressed in Stormtrooper armor.
"Did getting captured not teach him anything about being reckless?" Second Sister asked.
"Clearly not," grumbled Hera.
"I'm kinda jealous. I only have the helmet," quipped Ezra.
The four remaining rebels scaled the wall of a nearby building. Sabine, Ezra, and Hera all climbed their way up while Second Sister launched herself into the air with a single jump, bounced off the building opposite and landed on the roof before her three companions could reach the top.
"When do I learn that?" asked an impressed Ezra as he and the other got to the roof.
"When you grow up," replied Sister. Ezra threw her an annoyed look in response as they made their way over to the roof overlooking Bay 23.
"Alright we'll split up. Sabine, you and Sister will attack the main entrance and create a distraction. Ezra and I will join up with Kanan inside the hangar bay and grab Minister Tua. We'll take the shuttle parked inside and pick you up on the rooftops once we're clear," instructed Hera.
Sabine nodded and was relieved when Second Sister didn't protest. The former Inquisitor had a habit of making a fuss out of anybody giving her orders but so far for this mission she had mostly just did what she was told. Granted she never acknowledged the order but she did at least carry it out.
The two broke away from the others and headed to the side of the roof leading to the entrance. Second Sister pulled out her lightsaber pieces and merged them together.
"Isn't using that going to attract the attention of the Inquisitor you sensed before?" asked Sabine.
"Do I look worried?" grunted Second Sister. She tested her weapon, switching it from crescent mode to disc mode.
Sabine shrugged, clearly her companion wasn't worried. Hopefully they could get Minister Tua and get off the planet before they ran into any of Second Sister's former comrades. They waited patiently until a speeder approached the entrance. Sabine used the telescopic attachment on her helmet to zoom in on the passengers and saw Minister Tua with Agent Kallus as the driver.
"Well well if it isn't Special Agent Kallus," remarked Sabine, retracting her attachment.
"Friend of yours?" asked Sister.
"If by friend you mean trying to kill us then yes, he's one of our oldest friends," quipped Sabine.
The speeder came to a halt in front of Bay 23. The Minister and Kallus exchanged words and proceeded inside the hangar bay. Second Sister leaped off the building and landed on the street below while Sabine was forced to follow by climbing down the building part way before dropping herself.
"Who wants to die first?" Sister called out, igniting her lightsaber. The Imperials turned, raising their weapons. Sabine drew her blaster and opened fire. Second Sister simply stood her ground, blocking every shot coming at them.
"Minister take cover," Kallus shouted as he returned fire. Tua took off into the hangar bay with Kallus slowly backing inside. A certain Stormtrooper (aka Kanan) hit a button on the door panel which closed the blast doors. The Stormtroopers suddenly found themselves cut off from Bay 23 as well as the Minister and Kallus.
Second Sister leaped forward, her lightsaber twirling into action. Within seconds, she cut down three Stormtroopers down and thrusted her right hand towards a fourth. The trooper was hurled through the air and crashed into the hangar bay blast door. He slumped to the ground unconscious.
"Next time save some for me," protested Sabine. Sister frowned and glanced around. Something clearly caught her attention.
"What is it?" asked Sabine.
Sister continued looking around at the rooftops. "Something's wrong," she whispered.
A thud could be heard behind them. The two turned to see a being dressed in dark metallic armor had landed on the street. He made a distinct breathing sound as if the being was using a respirator. A crimson energy blade ignited from a lightsaber in his hand.
"One of your old friends?" asked a worried Sabine, drawing her blasters. She glanced at Second Sister and for the first time Sabine had ever seen, the former Inquisitor's calm confidence was gone. She was almost hyperventilating in sheer panic. Whoever this was, Sister was terrified of it and that fact alone terrified Sabine.
"Vader," Sister gasped.
"You were unwise to return here," the being spoke in a commanding digitized voice.
Then the former Inquisitor did something else Sabine had never seen before. Sister turned and fled down the street. The Mandalorian was caught off guard by her companion just abandoning her but still maintained enough sense to fire her blasters. Vader casually deflected all of her shots away as if swatting away bugs. He then thrusted his hand and Sabine suddenly found herself flying through the air. She came crashing down painfully on top of the speeder that Kallus and Tua arrived in. Sabine groaned as she glanced up back towards her attacker. Vader stormed off after Second Sister, ignoring the Mandalorian. Clearly she was his primary target whereas Sabine was nothing more than a nuisance not worth the trouble of even killing.
Scrambling into the pilot seat, Sabine activated the speeder and headed toward the rooftop of the landing bay. A massive explosion inside the pad, violently shaking the speeder as it hung in the air. Sabine regained control and moved the speeder overhead of the pad to find the wreckage of a Lambda class Imperial shuttle. Kanan, Ezra, and Hera were slowly getting to their feet. They had obviously been knocked down by the blast but thankfully they seemed unharmed. However Tua was nowhere to be seen. Something was very wrong here.
"Zeb we're going to need a pickup," Sabine radioed in. The fact that she didn't use his codename emphasized how serious the situation was.
"Copy. We're on our way," replied Zeb.
Kanan, Ezra, and Hera took cover as several more Stormtroopers arrived to aid Kallus. Thankfully neither of them had to wait long for help to arrive. The stolen Commuter shuttle the Ghost crew arrived in descended into the landing bay. Its entrance hatch was open and extended with Zeb standing on it firing his rifle. His blaster fire knocked down one trooper, forcing the others to take cover.
"Come on!" Zeb shouted.
The shuttle landed and Kanan, Hera, and Ezra all rushed inside. The second they were onboard, the small ship ascended up to pick Sabine. The Mandalorian didn't bother parking her speeder. Instead she simply waited until the shuttle was close enough to leap from the speeder onto the shuttle's open hatch.
"Where's Sister?" asked Ezra.
"We were attacked by an Inquisitor or at least I think it was. Sister called him Vader," Sabine explained as the hatch closed behind her. That got a concerned look from everyone else onboard but none more so then Hera.
"Vader," the Twi'lek gasped in horror.
"Who?" asked Zeb.
"He's the Empire's ultimate problem solver," Hera explained. "My father encountered him on Ryloth several years ago. The Free Ryloth Movement lost more people that day then almost the entire history of the insurgency."
"Whoever he was, Sister was terrified of him. She took off running and he chased after her. I was lucky he wasn't interested in me or I'd be dead," continued Sabine.
"We've got to go back for her," Ezra protested.
The shuttle rocked, shaking violently and nearly knocking everyone off their feet. Chopper shouted that the aft thrusters had been damaged and they were going down. Everyone quickly found a seat and buckled themselves in before the small craft came crashing down.
Second Sister braced herself against a garbage unit, trying her best not to hyperventilate. Why did it have to be him? Sister would have preferred to fight every single remaining Inquisitor at once then fight her former master. She knew Vader was still close. The rage that she felt emanated through the Force could only come from him.
"You cannot hide forever," the Sith Lord's mechanical voice boomed across the alleyway. Sister glanced around but couldn't see him. Hopefully that meant Vader couldn't see her either. This was not a fight that Sister was prepared for nor one she would be willing to engage in even if she thought she had a chance.
"I knew you would seek vengeance but to join the ranks of the rebellion? Perhaps I underestimated your abilities if you require their assistance. You are still a Jedi at heart," Vader mocked. He was trying to lure her out. He knew all her secrets and he was the one who made Sister the way she is.
"Who are you?" Varra's captor demanded. He repeated the same damn question over and over again yet it didn't matter how she answered, the response was always the same.
"Go to hell," spat Varra. She was once again shackled onto an interrogation table with multiple electrostatic probes arrayed around her, ready to blast her with bolts of electricity.
"Unacceptable," the interrogator spoke. Varra screamed from the resulting electric charge.
It had been like this for days…or was it weeks? Months? Varra had lost all sense of time ever since she met that Sith Lord. Darth Sidious took incredible pleasure torturing her with his unnatural Force abilities but eventually relented and decided to leave someone else the task. Varra never saw him, his vision obscured from a blinding spotlight aimed directly at her face. She tried more than once to reach out with the Force to at least feel her captor but had no success.
The torture sessions always went the same way every time. Varra would wake up in a holding cell by an alarm then stunned unconscious by a blaster turret on the ceiling above her. She tried to crush it once using the Force but that only resulted in the floor being electrified. Compared to that, a stun blast wasn't too bad. Varra would then wake up strapped to an interrogation table. Her interrogator would arrive and would always ask the same question.
"Who are you?"
It didn't make any sense. Varra gave her name, her Jedi rank, addressed herself as daughter of Thera Kayne, born on the planet Denon, former padawan of Jedi Master Pong Krell, etc. It didn't matter what answer she gave, her torturer was never satisfied.
"Unacceptable," he would say then zap his prisoner with volts of electricity. He would repeat the same question, answer, and torture for hours. Sometimes the shocks would last so long that Varra would pass out. That was the only time she got any respite but the moment she regained consciousness, the torture would resume. It would only end when Varra would be rendered unconscious by a stun blaster without warning then wake up back in her cell. She was given a tray with barely enough food and water to survive another day.
The routine was methodical and fool proof. There was simply no way for Varra to get free and escape. More and more she just wanted it all to end. Sometimes she considered just ramming her head into the wall as hard as she could, causing brain damage to kill herself. Jedi training and stubbornness could only keep one's sanity in such conditions for only so long.
But the one thing Varra wanted more than anything before she died was to make that interrogator pay for all the pain he's caused her for nothing more than his own sadistic pleasure. The thought of strangling his neck with her bare hands allowed Varra to remain patient and to focus through the pain. The minimal amount of fluid and caloric intake weakened the former Padawan's body but not her mind. She could still use the Force and that would be the key. It wouldn't get her out of this prison but it could get her an opening. All she needed to do was wait.
Her patience paid off as she noticed the previous day that the restraints on her left arm were somewhat loose. If Varra put enough effort into it, she might be able to free herself. She would have to mask her efforts, waiting until her torturer shocked her to try and pull her arm free. Her efforts would look like wild thrashing when it would actually be to free herself.
"Who are you?" the question was asked again. Varra braced herself, ready to wiggle her arm the moment the electric currents hit her body.
"Unacceptable," the interrogator spoke after not getting an answer. Varra grinded her teeth as electricity coursed throughout her body. It hurt like hell but it enabled her to pull on her loose restraint with all her effort without drawing suspicion.
"Who are you?" the interrogator demanded.
"Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? You keep asking that same damn question over and over again. You want to know who I am? I'm the person who's going to kill you!" Varra shouted. Her restraint was loose enough for her to pull her arm free. With the blink of an eye, Varra thrusted her hand out at the spotlight shining on her face. The light was telekinetically turned aside, allowing the former Padawan to finally see her surroundings and more importantly her captor. He was dressed in a cloak that concealing his head.
Now was the moment Varra had dreamed about ever for weeks. She thrusted her hand out again, using the Force to fling her captor into the air and land right in front of her. Drawing on her anger and hatred, she then telekinetically began to squeeze his neck. Varra didn't bother conserving her strength to free herself. She just put everything into killing the source of her pain.
Her torturer didn't make a single sound as his body was lifted into the air. Varra wanted him to scream, to beg for his life but hearing nothing at all enraged her. She squeezed harder and harder, wanting to just hear a whimper before snuffing out his life. A metallic crunch broke her concentration. Released from her telekinetic grip, the torturer dropped to the floor with his head rolling out of his concealing hood. Varra was speechless at what she saw. The person who had been torturing her for so long was nothing more than a droid. A stupid machine that was just following its programming.
The restraints around her ankles and wrists suddenly unlocked. Varra collapsed to the floor, grunting as she struggled to get to her feet. That's when she felt a new presence in the room. The dark side rippled within the Force in a way Varra hadn't felt since she first met Darth Sidious. If he was here to kill her, there wasn't much Varra could do about it. She was too weak and what little strength she had was expended on that droid.
A tall figure strolled into the room dressed in black armor with a helmet resembling a strange looking skull. A respirator exchanged air loudly, creating an ominous breathing sound. Varra had no idea who he was but he certainly wasn't Sidious. He came to a halt in front of the former Jedi padawan, easily towering over her.
"Perhaps there is hope for you yet," the being spoke in a digitized voice. That was the first time she met Darth Vader.
"You only delay the inevitable," Vader's voice echoed through the alleyway. Varra couldn't afford to stay here much longer. It was only a matter of time before he found her and death would be a mercy compared to what the Sith Lord probably had in store for her. Varra's former master might be nearly unstoppable in a fight but he did have a few weaknesses. He was incredibly fast and agile compared to a normal humanoid but not as fast as Varra. Her only chance was to outrun him.
Varra glanced around, not seeing her former master in the alley. That didn't mean he wasn't nearby but it did mean she had a chance for a head start before Vader could find her. She leaped upwards, bouncing off the nearest building and right onto the rooftop of the building opposite. Varra didn't wait to see if anyone was following her, she simply took off running. She leaped from one building to the next, not daring to look over her shoulder. For all she knew, Vader could have been right behind her.
A speeder moving along the street below presented too good of an opportunity to pass up. Matching its speed, Varra leaped off the rooftop and directly into the passenger's seat. The human pilot didn't get a chance to react before she kicked him out and took over the controls. She breathed a slight sigh of relief as she increased speed.
A sudden violent series of sparks flew across her face. Varra covered her face with her free hand while ascending the speeder. The sparks had come from a recent scorch mark on the side of the aircraft. Varra glanced behind her to see Vader standing on a building below, summoning the lightsaber he had thrown at her. Varra wasn't one to believe in luck but she knew had the speeder been a few inches to the left there wouldn't have been a scourge mark on the speeder, just a severed head belonging to a former Inquisitor.
(Couldn't help sneaking in a Babylon 5 reference and I wanted to cover Siege of Lothal part 1 in this chapter. Part 2 will be covered next chapter.