The Rebel Twins

by GradGirl2010

For 15 years I was alone. Fixing spacecrafts to numb the pain. The Clones' betrayal of the Jedi stole my brother from me. At the time, it seemed as if it would be forever. Reunited through this war of Imps and Rebels, Caleb...huh...Kanan wants me by his side again. The problem is...the idea of fighting again terrifies me. The screams...they won't stop.

11. Not Ready To Be Master

Not Ready

To

Be Master

Yay! I've reached one of my fave episodes! Rise of the Old Masters! Yep! You've guessed it! Everyone's favorite Inquisitor will finally make his debut. As I said last chapter, I will be busy so updates will not be as frequent - however frequent that was. Sorry.

And, to answer a reviewer, Yeah. I do have plans for a "Girls Night Out" chapter. Two in mind, actually. One is - you guessed it - the Sabine and Hera episode with those creatures that are afraid of light. The other has to do with them going shopping and things go awry. Maybe they'll end up in a crate and wind up on a tropical, Hawaii paradise island. Like Pokitaru, as an example.

Moving on.

xxx

Early morning, right as the sun's outline was peaking from the horizon, was the perfect time to begin lesson two of Ezra's Jedi Training. To say he was excited was the understatement of the decade. Force push, force pull, force...whatever other tricks The Jedi were famous for. Maybe he'll do that one thing Kanan does. The trick where he waves his hand to one side and says, these are not the droids you're looking for. He really wants to learn that one. Maybe he can get Sabine to give him a little kiss.

Zeb and Chopper were intrigued by Jedi knowledge and powers, and the training regiment applied to harness those powers. They followed Kanan and Ezra out to the hull, taking a box of sour milk with them. Leaving the women folk to a nice quiet morning inside the ship. Fresh coffee and donuts spread around. Hera programmed the ship to hover in the midst of dense cumulonimbus clouds. The perfect cover to hide the ship from prying scanners, and the prime privacy for the boys to train in.

Sabine handed Hera and Katerina piping hot cups of coffee, made just the way the pair like it. They clinked their cups together, taking in slow and savoring sips. Pleased ah's resonating harmoniously. "It's always quieter when the boys are playing outside." Sabine joked.

"I'll drink to that." Hera took another sip, falling into a state of bliss. She could drink this sort of coffee all day long if fate let her. "Maybe I should lock them out and drop them all off somewhere."

"Come on, Hera!" Katerina playfully scolded her. She handed the captain a donut, finding that the lack of sugar was bringing on her morning grouchiness. "If the boys weren't around, our journeys through space would be tedious and quiet."

"We wouldn't leave them behind forever. A week or two tops." She winked.

"In that case, Grim has mentioned he needs extra hands on Chandrila."

"We should plot a course immediately!" Sabine shot a finger in the air, all for the plan. "If they want to fuss, I have sleep bombs." She spread tiny pellets between her fingers, wriggling her brow impishly. Hera and Katerina snorted at her feline grin. The trio burst into animated laughter, slapping their knees while minding their drinks and donuts. "We're terrible people!"

"No-no!" Katerina fought to regain her breath. "We're terrible friends!" She leaned on the chair arm, feeling her side stitch.

"We're both!" Hera guffawed, wiping away a tear. She managed to weasel a donut in her mouth. A miracle she didn't choke. "Speaking of the boys, how do you think they're doing? Kanan and Ezra I mean." The question was mostly directed to Katerina. Sabine was curious of their progress as well. It's been only an hour but it felt long considering they weren't hearing much action coming from outside. Or finding the ship being broken in chunks.

Katerina sucked on her lips in weighty musing, leaning back as the spotlight was shifted onto her. In regards to Ezra and Kanan as Jedi, Katerina is often strapped down by inquiries from the others because of her relation to the previous Jedi. How hard is the training, what is to be expected of an apprentice, how powerful can a Jedi become - and so on. Seldom does she have answers to their questions. Kanan's time with the Jedi and his master were brief, but it's more than what Katerina had. More of her time was spent in the hangar with the ships. Save for when they offered to train her, or when Kanan needed help. Nevertheless, her time amongst them allowed her to make educated guesses, and assuage their curiosity. NOW, when it comes to the warring, stubborn mule behavior of a two boys who are like brothers, Katerina is an expert.

"Hard to say, really. It all depends on Kanan and Ezra." She shrugged. Not much of an answer by the way Hera and Sabine were ogling her. Katerina bit into a donut, thinking of a better way to explain. "Kanan and Ezra are both impatient, stubborn, and very combative. One will question, the other will say why they're right, and then all Hell will break loose."

"So we should be expecting something to happen relatively soon, then?" Sabine chuckled. A carton of milk falling past the window stopped her. "What the…" She rose from her chair. Hera and Katerina ogled her, wondering what she was looking at. Two more falling cartons raised their brows. "Please tell me that's not our ration of milk!"

"No. That's the old stuff." Hera informed her, helping her relax. "Kanan wanted to borrow it."

"Must be for saber combat and marksmanship." Katerina elucidated. "Normally a training droid is used. But since we don't have any…" She gestured to the falling milk.

"What's the purpose of this exercise?" Sabine asked, itching her head.

"It's supposed to simulate a battle. Basically its so a Jedi can develop proper stance and learn to combat various attacks. It also helps in honing their ability to deflect blaster fire."

"Sounds handy!" Hera approved.

"Trust me. Jedi would have dropped like flies if they didn't learn these skills. These are the basics."

"I guess Kanan plans to put Ezra's basics through the ringer!" Sabine directed their attention to the rainfall of milk cartons. What on Sereno were they doing to him, the trio questioned fretfully.

Each one falling was whole, meaning Ezra was missing. One or two were cut in half. As a first lesson goes, the conclusion of Ezra's aim and accuracy...shall not be mentioned. The hailstorm of carton came to a sudden halt. Hera, Katerina, and Sabine pressed to the window to see what had happened. A body plastering to the window frightened them. They gaped in horror. Ezra was sliding down the curved window like a bug on a windshield, scrambling the slither back up to the roof. He saw the women ogling him terrified. He smiled and waved, trying to convince them he was good. He wasn't fooling anyone.

"PLEASE TELL ME JEDI CAN FLY!" Hera shrieked.

"If they can, Caleb's holding out!" Katerina darted for the cargo hold while Hera jumped on the controls.

Sabine stayed on the bridge, too petrified by Ezra sliding further down. Kanan was on the ledge, reaching down to grab him. Ezra's body lost grip and he plummeted below the clouds. "EZRA!"

xxx

Katerina met up with Zeb at the onramp. The man was hyperventilating in panic as he waited for Hera to open the hatch. "Do I WANT TO KNOW what happened?!" Katerina fumed, ripping at her scalp.

"Kid doesn't like his milk!" Zeb tried to laugh. He flinched when Katerina threatened to punch him.

"You won't like me if he hits ground!"

xxx

Ezra was in free fall and he wasn't slowing down. Layers upon layers of clouds dispersing around him. He started to hate tales of clouds being lush winds pushed him up by, maybe, half an inch, then would drop him like a sack of bricks. He flailed wildly, clawing desperately at the air for the slightest ledge or invisible string to stop himself. Even with his noodle like muscles buzzing, he could sense the ground was swiftly approaching. The last layer of cloud was coming up. He closed his eyes, waiting for the impact. Instead, he was floating in reverse, completely in shock and confusion that he was...flying?

Sweet salvation was his. Hera practically dropped The Ghost from where it was hovering, meeting Ezra halfway. Kanan was still on the ledge. Every ounce of his strength was focused as he coiled the force to Ezra, drawing him back to them. The kid wasn't exactly light. Hera opened the hatch. Katerina crept toward the ledge with a hand in Zeb's vie grip while the other was grappled to the hull. Ezra wiggled like a worm to bring himself closer. His fingers brushed Katerina's, missing the mark each time.

"ZEB…" Kanan growled. He couldn't hold him. He dropped his arms. The force dispersed.

Ezra dropped suddenly. "GOT HIM!" Katerina lunged forward, grabbing his one hand. His weight pulled her over.

"GOT YOU!" Zeb snapped a hand to her ankle, digging in his heels on the edge. Ezra and Katerina were grateful, but were about to lose their lunch at how close the ground was. Zeb carefully pulled up, grabbing Katerina by the back of he shirt. With one sharp pull he hoisted the two up into the air. The three toppled on the ramp, lying their in breathless amazement. Zeb, however, was soon overcome with regret at what nearly happened. Katerina was still foggy on WHAT just happened.

Chopper rolled on scene, laughing mockingly at Ezra's attempt to fly. He had one carton left for the occasion. He threw it for old time's sake. Ezra dodged it easily, not amused by him rubbing salt in the wound. The Loth cat below appreciated the milk landing on it's head even less.

xxx

Hera charted a course for space, finding their time on Lothal was at an end. Ezra stormed on board, humiliation weaving a cap and hood on his back. Katerina wasn't in any better of a mood. Zeb was trying to find a way to make light of the situation. Failing miserably at every turn. When Kanan climbed down into the hold, he was on the receiving end of Katerina's fury.

"When the Hell did flying become a Jedi power?!" A rhetorical question. She really wants to know why Ezra fell off the ship in the first place. Kanan exhaled furiously, rubbing the bridge of his nose irritably.

"Around the same time Astromechs flinging milk cartons as training shots became standard!" Ezra huffed.

"Really?!" She sneered at spinning mech. He was actually proud of what he did. "You threw him off the ship? YOU let this happen?!" She directed the second question at Kanan. Last time she checked, Masters are supposed to mind their apprentices!

"Hey, I didn't let anything happen! It just did!" Kanan barked back at her. The two squared off, ready to thrown down the second one of them swung. Hera and Sabine watched closely from the other room. "It happened so fast, I couldn't react quick enough!"

"Then that should be intermingled in lesson two! Reaction speed!" She jabbed a finger in his shoulder. That lesson wasn't implied for just Ezra.

"I WAS teaching him that!" Kanan swatted her hand away.

"Teaching or letting Zeb and Chopper use me as a milk carton punching bag!" Katerina extended a hand, stopping Ezra from adding to the conflict.

"Why are you even involved? This has nothing to do with you?!" Kanan snarled. He's offended Katerina's throwing herself in the middle of his and Ezra's ordeal.

"This has everything to do with me, Kanan! You made it clear you want me involved!" Kanan felt his own words wrap in a noose to his neck. "I want to pave the future for Jedi just as badly as you do!" She loved the Jedi so much. They were family. If Ezra's one key in reigniting that lost flame, she won't let Kanan ruin it. "You and I are the only ones with knowledge of the Jedi, but you're his master! I encouraged you and Ezra to train! I did not, however, intend for you to kill each other!"

"I wasn't trying to kill him! I was trying to train him, and things took a turn. Like-they-will!" He emphasised in a grim tone, warning her to mind her place next time. Kanan shoved past her, looming over Ezra. "You weren't focused!" He hissed at the boy.

"Tough to focus when I'm falling to my death!" Ezra turned on his heels to walk away.

Kanan wrenched him back by the arm. "You wouldn't have fallen if you were focused!" He combatted. "You're undisciplined and full of self doubt!"

"And whose fault is that," Ezra ripped his arm free, and leaned in with a haughty smirk, "Master!" Zeb, Katerina, Sabine, and Hera all felt the knife driven into Kanan's chest by that comment. Kanan's fist balled. His head hung with notable failure.

Katerina clapped loudly. "That's it! Everyone needs a break! Go!" She ordered Kanan and Ezra to opposite corners.

Kanan grudgingly growled, throwing his hands up in defeat. "It's difficult to teach!" He went into the lounge.

Zeb pushed his way in, spinning Ezra around. "He means its difficult to teach YOU!" He shoved Ezra to a wall, wedging his own knife.

"Zeb," Katerina squeezed between him and the boy, "If this isn't my place to remark, then maybe you should keep your mouth shut too!" She snarled.

"Oh, so it's alright for you to butt in but not me?! Miss I'm not a real Jedi but I grew up with them?" He mocked her, bobbing spirit fingers side to side.

That stab about being a non-Jedi added to the knives. "I may not be a Jedi, but I'm still more qualified to make brash and rude comments than you!" She snarled back. "Stick to what you know best! I don't know what that is, but you should stick to it!" Zeb was next on that chopping block. He shook his head, leaving to the lounge before someone says something else that they regret.

Ezra slouched against the wall, unable to really lift his head. Katerina felt his pain. This escalated fast. Hera ogled the pair, offering them a reassuring smile that everything would work out. Katerina matched the smile, Ezra not so much. She joined the others in the lounge, leaving those two to calm down before joining. Ezra thrust a fist into the wall, muttering profanities under his breath. The words pathetic, stupid, and horrible were related to him.

Katerina touched a hand to his shoulder, pressing to his back so he'd see he had someone to lean on right now. "Day one of lesson two - utter failure." She partially joked.

"Does the phrase do or do not mean anything to you?" Ezra turned the conversation to his own inquiry.

Katerina hummed thoughtfully. "Another of Master Yoda's brain teasers?" She shrugged her hands.

Ezra howled in absolute rage, throwing his hands in the air. "You have no idea what it means either, do you?" He slammed his forehead to the wall.

"Not a clue." She admitted flatly. Ezra banged his head two more times. Katerina hugged hands to his shoulders, stopping him before "I'm sorry, Ezra. My time with the Jedi wasn't as intimate as Kanan's."

"I thought you said they trained you!"

"WITH KANAN. They trained me with Kanan. The rest of the time I was working on upgrades." There's a fine line in the tale she's told him thousands of times. Funny how Ezra forgets the fact that she isn't a real Jedi.

"Still, why can't you teach me again?!" He pleaded.

And there it is. "Because I'm not a Jedi, and - whether you believe it or not - Kanan is the best thing for you."

"You mean he's the only thing, right?" He mumbled. Clever word play, but not the issue.

"No, Ezra!" She clenched his shoulders, twisting him to make him look directly at her. Her knit brow took him aback. "You and Kanan are two sides of the same coin." She brushed his hair from his face, bring on a smile so he would relax. "And until you find a median standpoint, you both will forever flip in the air and never know where you stand."

"I'm not sure what that means." Ezra shrugged.

"You will. Now come on." She guided him to the lounge. "I think we should patch things up."

Ezra wasn't looking forward to that. Although, in some mature part of him, he was willing to admit he was in the wrong somewhere. Katerina must have felt the same way, otherwise she wouldn't have said we. He released a breath, not wanting to put it off. "Kanan-"

"SSHH! You made the holonet." Sabine hushed him. The holonet projector was up and running. The Empire sigil hovered over the reportedly stolen TIE Ezra and Zeb crashed.

"The stolen TIE fight was later used to attack a transport of innocent workers." The announcer poured sour grapes to the masses listening.

"LIAR!" Zeb snarled, offended that his good name was being run through the mud. "We set 'em free!"

Static silenced the enraged Lasat. The newsfeed was hijacked, replaced with an image of a sophisticated, elder gentleman. "This is Senator in exile, Gall Trayvis. I bring more news The Empire DOESN'T want you to hear!"

"Who's Gall Trayvis?!" Ezra asked.

"The only member of the Imperial Senate with the courage to speak out against The Empire!" Hera passionately educated, obvious enthralled with the man. She was surprised Ezra didn't know who he was.

"Ken was there when he was sentenced to exile." Katerina chimed in. She was winded thinking about Kendril's demonstration of what happened. "He said it wasn't pretty."

Silence immersed them as Gall Trayvis continued his tirade. "One of the Republic's greatest peacekeepers," The image chance to a Mirialan woman in an orange jumpsuit being escorted by Stormtroopers, "Jedi Master Luminara Unduli...is alive!"

"She's what?!" Katerina parted the crowd, thrusting herself front and center. Kanan was right there with her.

"She's been imprisoned, unlawfully, somewhere in the Stygian System." Trayvis proceeded. "We DEMAND The Emperor produce Master Unduli so she may be given a fair trial-" His feed was abruptly cut, bringing The Imperial news to a dead halt. Sabine cut the projector, waiting for the inevitable plan of attack be voiced.

Katerina lost her wind, plopping on the couch beside Sabine. "I can't believe it…" She muttered in a hushed tone. Hope was beaming in her eyes, igniting a flame within Kanan. "Luminara's alive! Kanan...this is…" She was on the verge of cheering.

"I know…" He shared her glee. This is the best news they could have hoped for.

"This Luminara…" Ezra interjected on their nostalgia, "You guys knew her."

"We've met her once." Kanan stroked his chin pensively.

"She left an everlasting impression." Katerina commented dreamily. "The woman was...I don't know how to describe her."

"She was a great Jedi Master." Kanan laid down the bases. "Brave. Compassionate. Disciplined." That gave him an idea. "Actually, she'd be the perfect teacher for you." He proposed to Ezra, stunning the boy. Katerina was none too thrilled by his words either. "There have always been rumors she survived The Clone Wars, but...they never came with a specific location before." Kanan idolized the discovery, finding that ray of hope in the sea of darkness he's been living in. All the while his padawan was reeling at the thought of being passed over to someone he doesn't even know. "We can't pass this up!"

"Was hoping you'd say that!" Hera was behind him the whole way. "I'll set course for the Stygian System!" She raced to the bridge.

"The rest of you prep for an Op!" Kanan ordered.

Katerina shot to her feet, latching a harsh hand to Kanan's wrist. "Can I talk to you?!" That wasn't a request either. She dragged him into his room, locking the door so Hera and the others couldn't intervene. Zeb and Sabine ran in opposite directions, wanting to avoid that storm.

Ezra, however, stood rooted while Chopper mocked him again. "Did you hear that? He's done with me." His shoulders sank. "He's going to pawn me off on some stranger."

xxx

"She'd make an excellent teacher?" Katerina threw Kanan's words at him like darts, trapping him between her and a wall. "Is that Kanan code for, I can't hack it so I'm going to make you someone else's problem?"

"Look, before you bust my chops, I'm making this decision with the best intentions!" He motioned his hands for her to relax. He knows she's teeming from earlier, so he wanted to avoid another argument if possible. "The kid needs someone focused, disciplined, and experienced in the ways of the force."

"HE-NEEDS-YOU, Caleb! Ezra-needs-you!" She was tired of hearing this same old song and dance. She listed off on her fingers, "Not Master Unduli, not Master Kenobi - YOU! And you need Ezra!"

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Kanan pushed her out of his way. He has an operation to prepare for.

"I don't?!" She whipped him around by the shoulder. "Remember Master Windu's Padawan? The cat with the lightning fingers?"

"Yeah! Hot tempered and manic! What about her?" He scoffed.

"He tried to give her to someone else too! Because he felt that he wasn't the right fit for her, and because he felt he'd taken on a burden he couldn't handle!" She gestured to the boy was currently being battered by the slump Kanan's put him in.

"I never called Ezra a burden! I just...I can't be what he needs!" He can't be the masters that have come before.

"What he needs is for someone to believe in him! For someone to have his back!" She got in his face, locking those aquamarine daggers to her retreating brothers. "Not turn on him because they've come to the conclusion that being Master isn't all it's cracked up to be!"

"You don't think I knew being master wouldn't be a cakewalk?!" He swept a hand, driving her to back away from him. This time she was on the retreat. "It's one of the things I expected when I agreed to this!" He thrust a finger to the responsibility he took on.

"Yet here you are, dangling a future in front of Ezra and taking it away from him because it's too difficult for you!"

"I'm not taking it away!" He shook her by the biceps. She masked a wince at his monstrous grip. "Where'd you even come up with such a ridiculous idea?"

Katerina lifted her arms and parted his hands off her. "You're the one who whisked him from his home! You're the one who told him of the force, what it does and can do, and what you can help him accomplish!" And, if she recalls correctly what he said to her, "That he can be apart of something greater! Bigger!"

"And he is! I've kept that promise!"

"On the contingency that he becomes your pupil! You agreed to train him!"

"What are you saying?! That I'm stringing him along? I'm pretty sure we've had this conversation!"

"We have! Several times! And every time you seem to forget something very important!"

"Which is?" He dared her to say what was truly on her mind. He can take it. He'll just hurtle back whatever's in his arsenal.

"EZRA-ISN'T-YOU!" You...you...Kanan's eyes widened, her words piercing his soul to the very core. He isn't...me? "Ezra doesn't have a gaggle of Masters to teach him! He wasn't raised from youngling to padawan with teachings of traditions, methods, and fighting styles!" He wasn't privileged to a blessed life. "He's a 14, going on 15, year old boy with power he knows nothing about, stuck with a no patience Master who expects him to pick up on everything on the spot!"

"I don't expect that of him!"

"Yet you gave up after barely an hour!"

"I didn't give up! I just...can't teach him like how my master taught me!"

How his master taught him. How the masters taught other padawans. When is Kanan gonna get that their time is over. "Billaba and I spoke a few times over the holonet! She told me all the time you were easily discouraged and gave up when things didn't go your way!" Hearing his master's name, Kanan became rengaged by a new spark in their argument. This time he felt a spark of animosity. The type that makes one want to punch someone. "She'd be pretty disappointed to know that hasn't changed!"

It was as if someone possessed him. Kanan's fist clenched her collar, pinning her to the wall with a loud thud. "Don't you dare bring her into this!" He frothed through gritted teeth.

"I am bringing her into this!" She held onto his wrist, using her own strength to pry him off of her. "Because I know that if Bilaba gave up on you the way you're giving up on Ezra it would have devastated you!"

"I'M NOT GIVING UP ON HIM!"

"THEN WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"I'M GIVING HIM A BETTER OPPORTUNITY!"

"FOR HIM OR YOU?!"

Unbeknownst to the pair, Chopper had hacked the door lock and opened Kanan's room. Sabine cleared her throat, nervously poking her head inside. "Uhh, guys?"

"WHAT?!" The two snapped at her.

She skipped to the other side of the door, ready to make a run for it. "We're ready for the briefing when you are!" Was all she said before she grabbed Chopper and went to the bridge.

Kanan nearly lost track with this annoying distraction. He doesn't have time for Katerina's lectures, or for her accusations. He violently ripped his hand from her collar. Katerina bore heated daggers at him, rubbing her chest. "We're not done!" Kanan warned her, marching for the bridge.

"Couldn't have put it better myself!" She fumed.

xxx

Hera set the coordinates for the Stygian System and sent the ship into hyperspace. There was a long while still before their destination arrived. With the tension somewhat cooled, the briefing of their mission was set to begin. Chopper rolled himself to center stage, projecting a full spectrum image of a bastion of the worst nightmares to rise from blueprints. A tall, winding, prismatic spire of a tower that resembled fortresses long hidden in forbidden mountains.

"Welcome to The Spire on Stygian Prime." Sabine auspiciously announced, drawing in her audience. "The only prison in the Stygian System, AND its impregnable." She added on the side of caution.

"That's never stopped us before." Kanan joked.

Sabine laughed at his bravado. "Trust me! We've never faced anything like this! It's a real work of art!" And she isn't one to take things like this lightly. She loves her art. "Blast proof, ray shielded, protected by anti-ship weapons, TIE fighters, and short and long range scanners." All the spire was missing was a fresh coat of paint and a bow on the highest point.

"We can fool the scanners." Hera declared confidently.

"Maybe. That just leaves the guards posted on all the walls." Silver lining meets the dark cloud. "Look, even if we do get inside, it's getting out that will be the challenge. Because, you know, its a prison."

"What about going in low and sneaking onto this landing platform?" Ezra proposed, pointing to the landing.

"The landing platform has a high trooper presence and blast proof doors. Impossible to get in or out that way." Scratch one possible entry off the list.

Kanan studied The Spire closely. In his experience, no matter how heavily fortified a place is, there is always one weak spot. A path of least resistance. The one place that's deemed unimportant. "Here!" He marked their entry with a red dot. "There's only room for a couple guards. We take them down," He drew a line up and to the side, "Make our way to the upper isolation cells, free Luminara, and come back out the way we came in."

Chopper added in how suicidal this plan of Kanan's really is. In spite of him making it sound easy. "Yeah…" Sabine scoffed with him, "You'd have to be crazy to try that lousy plan!"

"Let's hope The Empire thinks so too." Kanan wriggled his brow.

"Then to add to the crazy," Katerina dug a handful of purple pellet from her pack, "I can have an excuse to test out these bad boys."

"What are they?" Sabine poked at them. They looked like smoke pellets, only bigger.

"That's a surprise." She teased.

xxx

The force - an entity, phenomenon, or an abundance of energy from all living things across the universe - perpetually revolving around a figure. His eyes were closed, his mind silenced, his spirit open to the vast wealth of power the force encouraged. The universe was infinite, spanning to and enveloping planets in its raptures. The force granted the wielder the privilege of being immersed within the very epicenter, revealing that which would obscure itself in the shadows of its reaches. Nothing was beyond his sight or knowledge. All were within this beings view. Every emotion was his to absorb and savor like a fresh ambrosia. Nothing could elude him. Including of a pair of Jedi who have undoubtedly heard the news of their lost master.

Teeth showed in a sinister grin. Golden eyes flared open, piercing the walls of his room, staking into the bodies of the two Jedi on their way. "I should prepare to welcome my guests."

xxx

The Ghost dropped out of hyperspace. Stygian Prime sent shivers of excitement and apprehension down their spines. The planet was masked in tints of grey, black, and the pastiest ethereal hue they'd ever encountered. The inside wasn't any sunnier. Nothing but clouds under a starry night sky.

Hera halted The Ghost in the thickest bunch of clouds, leagues away from the prison so the scanners don't chance on it. Hera and the others - minus Chopper - were going to go the rest of the way in The Phantom. The little droid was irritated that he was being left behind. Zeb, in his usual obnoxious way, apologized to Chopper that they won't need his faulty scanners on that mission. An insult that would come with a price later.

The Phantom was coming in hot and fast. The clouds were parting like the seas in its wake. Zeb was twitchy and ready for action. Ezra was writhing in his seat. Katerina was anxiously polishing her staff. Kanan wasn't bothered, and neither was Sabine. Professionals only when they have to be. The clouds broke from The Phantom. Valleys of nightmarish mountains sharper than stalagmites greeted the crew. Stygian Prime was nestled atop one of those peaks. Actually, if one were easily persuaded, the prison would appear to be either carved from the mountain, or the mountain sprouted the prison from its womb. Either way, it was far more impressive in person than on a hologram.

"30 seconds!" Hera warned them of the drop. 30 seconds until they are abandoned to the belly of one of The Empire's beasts. "Good luck."

"Luck?!" Zeb scoffed. A prissy wish for what would be considered a suicide mission on other planets. "We're going to need a miracle."

"Here's three!" Sabine fanned a few of her special bombs. Her little miracle workers. Ezra and Zeb took one. Sabine always comes through.

Katerina was surprised at herself for not shaking in terror, or being unable to move. This is will be her second mission involving breaking into Imperial bases. The first one was aboard a ship, and there was a plan in place. Things went awry, but nothing they couldn't handle. This one...this one was different. Completely different. There was a plan for entry and exit, but the inner workings involved improvising the whole way. There's the butterflies in the stomach she was looking for.

"Try to stay focused!" Kanan advised Ezra gruffly. He then moved a stern glare to Katerina, warning her to be the same.

"Thought there was no try." Ezra smugly threw his words back at him.

Katerina elbowed him, leering crossly. Ezra pursed his lips, sinking embarrassed in his spot. She stretched a hand, placing it to Kanan's back. He felt her courage flow into him, alleviating some of his tension. "One step at a time. Foot in front of the other." She recited. Kanan's head stayed forward, but a small smirk appeared. They will make it out of this. They've come too far not to.

Hera spotted their intended landing zone. The troopers stationed were ignorant of their approach. She opened the hatch. The frigid air washed in a tidal wave inside The Phantom. Kanan took a deep breath, spotted his targets right below him. With a graceful flip he landed right between the stupefied troopers. He easily disarmed the first. The second clicked the hammer of his blaster, only to have his feet swept from under him and the wind knocked out of him. Kanan had the upperhand.

Ezra, inspired by his master's skill, got in a running start. "KID, WAIT!" Zeb howled lunging for him. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Sabine and Katerina gaped in shock. Ezra jumped out of The Phantom.

"You know something?" Katerina wheezed.

"What?" Sabine huffed.

"I'm not at all surprised!"

xxx

Kanan kicked the remaining trooper's gun away. He pulled the trooper into his knee, knocking him unconscious with ease. "Nice and quiet like ." He chuckled. Until Ezra came wailing in on his premature jump. He fumbled on the landing, rolling uncontrollably. He swung his arms to stop himself, and wound up smashing his hard pack against the blast doors. Might as well have rang a gong. Kanan winced, overcome with horror at the loud sound. Zeb, Hera, Katerina, and Sabine felt that impact, and were turned to ice waiting for something to happen. Either the mountain falling, or a barrage of Stormtroopers to come out with their guns blazing.

Ezra scrambled away from the door. He begged and pleaded for no one to hear that, for that door to stay closed. He backed up to Kanan, both waiting for the slightest sign of troopers. When the doors didn't open, the two found relief and released their breath.

"WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! You were supposed to exit with Zeb!" Kanan shrieked in a quiet tone. "You're lucky every Stormtrooper in the prison didn't hear you!" Ezra wasn't lucky, it just took a moment for the Stormtroopers to get there. Four heard the noise, and were absolute confused by Kanan and Ezra.

xxx

"Well, guess our quiet entry is out." Katerina rolled her eyes. She got in her own running start. "Shall we?" She gestured to Zeb and Sabine.

"We shall!" The two moved for a running start.

xxx

The second the doors closed behind the troopers, Kanan used the force and yanked their blasters from their hands. Zeb, Katerina, and Sabine leapt form The Phantom, catching the troopers off guard. One trooper took the initiative and charged Sabine with his blaster rising over her head. She easily caught the blaster, dealing a swift punch and kick, subduing the trooper. Katerina rolled and split kick two troopers in the chest. Zeb clamped a large hand to the last two troopers and threw them over the edge. The first bit of danger was past.

"Stunts like that put us all in jeopardy!" Kanan ripped into Ezra during their respite. "That is EXACTLY why you need Luminara to teach you DIS-CI-PLINE!" He knocked the hard headed boy, wanting to etch this lesson into that thick skull.

"I was just following your example." Ezra moaned. Katerina arched a brow.

"Yeah? Well try to stay focused and follow the plan instead!" Kanan huffed.

Sabine worked on hacking the door's security measure so alarms don't alert the entire prison to their presence. Kanan was so fed up with Ezra today he had to walk away to the railings in order to cool off. Katerina strutted beside Ezra, arms crossed and her expression crosser.

"Can you believe him?!" Ezra's voice cracked in outrage. "I do something HE would do and it's wrong! But if he does it, he's right?!" He hopes Katerina sees the double standards here.

"In this case, he's right, Ezra!" Ezra felt an invisible palm slap him across the face. "There's a time and place for everything, and this was definitely not the time for reckless actions!"

"I thought you were on my side!" He threw his hands at her.

"I don't pick sides, Ezra. I try to help people be accountable." She calmed her tone. Ezra responds better to soft words than criticisms. At least when it comes to her. Kanan...they both respond hostilely. "I saw your landing." They all saw the landing. "Did you consider if the troopers who attacked would raise an alarm? How far ahead was this improvised stunt planned? "

"Uhh…" Ezra blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. "It stopped when I made jump." Katerina pressed knuckles to his skull, walking over to the door. Ezra still wasn't sure what happened, but he acknowledged he was in the wrong somewhere.

"Hate to interrupt," Sabine stopped the drama before they were caught, "But we need the kid to open the door!"

Ezra's mood did a complete 180. "I've got this!" He pulled out his lock picking device and went to town on the door. Meanwhile, Hera parked the ship on the side of the tower. The second they had Luminara, they were bugging out of there.

xxx

Ezra strutted like a boss through the corridor, quite proud of himself that he got them inside. Kanan and Zeb ruined his moment when they shoved him around. Technically, he had no room to boast. That fiasco outside was his fault. Also, getting cocky because of one success would get him killed. Katerina was starting to see what Kanan meant about Ezra lacking focus and forethought. Still, they can't afford to be fighting amongst each other. Ezra did his job, it was time to move on. He doesn't need a medal every time he does something right. It'll only make his head swell.

Kanan made his way to an intersection in the corridor. He closed his eyes, opening himself to the force and drawing Luminara's presence in. Reassuring himself and his team that they weren't walking into a trap. "Luminara's here…" He could feel her. As if she were right beside him. "I can sense her presence but…it's clouded…" He touched his head, feeling that cloud flow into him. He can't pinpoint her. Luckily Sabine was there. She rushed to a terminal, syncing the prison records and schematics to her wrist com. "Where's Master Unduli?"

"Detention block: CZ01. Isolation cell: 0169!" She announced heatedly.

"The isolation cells are on the lower levels too?" Katerina's eyes widened. The entry aside, she knew this was too easy. "We planned off outdated schematics!"

"What does that mean?!" Ezra dreaded.

"It means the plan changes!" Kanan elucidated impatiently.

"You got a plan B?" Zeb doubted.

"Figuring one out right now!"

Ezra was about to remark on Kanan improvising when Katerina pinched his nose. She doesn't want anymore arguments the rest of the trip. Her head was pounding enough as it is. She took point as a corner was coming up. She slid her back along the wall, peeking around to find two troopers idling in the corridor. They were...comparing sports cards. Guess some trends never die. She spotted another terminal. There was an elevator right next to it.

"You ready for that surprise I mentioned?" She winked to Sabine. She sloshed a bottle of water at her. Zeb, Ezra, and Kanan wanted to see this. Katerina poured water on the three pellets, then threw them with a sharp underhand. The bouncing pellets baffled the Troopers. The pellets shook uncontrollably, the bases bubbling. The Troopers leaned down to pick them up. Katerina mouthed, curling fingers, 'Three...two..one!' Their fingers barely brushed the caps. Purple ooze exploded, plastering the Troopers in odd poses to the wall. The force of the blast left them in a mild daze. Katerina ran up and knocked their heads with her staff, finishing the job. Zeb, Sabine, Ezra, and Kanan stood gawking, not sure what to make of what happened. "Industrial glue in a condensed, water soluble cap. Perfect for sealing cracked hulls for a period of time."

"Powerful stuff."

"I wouldn't touch it. I don't have the dissolving agent to free you."

The elevator next to the terminal opened. "Zeb, Sabine, you're coming along. Katerina, you're still with myself and Ezra in recovering Luminara." Zeb and Sabine are a good vanguard in any situation, and Katerina can stand on par with Kanan. The teams were aligned, but their plan was sketchy.

"Weren't we supposed to hold our escape route HERE?!" Zeb stressed the lunacy in this plan. Sabine, Ezra, and Katerina herded inside the elevator.

"Now the turbo lift IS our escape route! Let's go!" He growled. Zeb reluctantly entered the lift.

The lift wasn't necessarily made for space. Four people, plus Zeb, crammed in a small spot. It would make a brave person claustrophobic. They were practically standing on top of each other. But the lack of space wasn't the real issue here at the moment. The problem is that the plan already took a sour turn and they barely started 15 minutes ago.

"Ugh! His plans get worse every time!" Sabine scoffed.

"Just hope he doesn't change it again!" Zeb whined, rolling his eyes.

"I'm standing right here!" Kanan groaned, making his presence known.

"We know!" Zeb and Sabine snorted. Kanan crossed his arms, really feeling his team's love. Katerina and Ezra sealed their lips. Tempting as it was to comment, they were already on thin ice.

xxx

A few fluid keystrokes granted access to the security terminal, opening a live feed to the isolation cells in the lower levels. Briefly were they rewound a few moments prior. Golden orbs scanned the recordings for the amiss or intended. Lo and behold, fortune smiles on the patient. One three different feeds, five individuals were caught racing down the corridor. An adult male and female, a juvenile male and female, and a Lasat.

Lips stretched into a malicious smirk. "Right on schedule." The figure moved the payback forward, pausing where the five entered an elevator and were heading for the lower levels. "Yes, Little Mice." The figure purred. He brought the feed to present time, watching his prey stoop into battle ready stances. "Follow the path I have laid."

xxx

The elevator came to a halt. Two Stormtroopers guarding the lift were completely oblivious to the loaded lift behind them. The door flew open. Kanan grabbed the troopers and yanked them inside. The troopers wailed as they were beaten half conscious. The lift opened, revealing two unconscious troops and a very proud gaggle of rebels. Zeb was itching for round two.

Kanan, Ezra, and Katerina exited the lift first, clearing the hallway. The coast was clear from left to right. A malice tainted the air. "Brr…" As she was about to relax, shivers crawled over Katerina's back. She spun around, gazing down the eerily silent corridor, half expecting someone or something to be lurking in the shadows. There was no one. "That's weird." She breathed.

"What's wrong, Riina?" Kanan raised a brow at her.

"I just got this chill. Like we're being watched." She rubbed her arms. Zeb, Ezra, and Sabine looked around cautiously.

"I don't sense anybody close by." Kanan assured her, searching for mysterious persons.

"You sure…?" She rubbed the back of her neck. The hairs were standing on end. There isn't a doubt in her that if she peered around the corner she'll find someone. "I would swear someone's watching us."

xxx

That someone chuckled menacingly, stroking his chin. "Aren't you a perceptive one?" And who was he to waste such perception? He should go greet his guests.

xxx

Back to the mission at hand, Hera was still waiting outside on pins and needles for them emerge with Luminara. Time was shortening.

"Maintain com silence." Kanan ordered everyone. Ezra and Katerina crept at his tail. Kanan leered to Zeb and Sabine, "And whatever you do HOLD-THIS-LIFT!" They are not to let it go anywhere or be taken by anyone. Luminara was so close Kanan and Katerina could practically touch her. The Jedi Order was on the verge of being rebuilt.

"YOU THERE! HALT!" Two Stormtroopers meandered in their path. Their blasters were aimed.

Kanan and Katerina lost all patience for these morons, sharing heated nods. Kanan scooted back, spreading his arms. Katerina crouched and weaved in front of him. Kanan curled his fingers and wrenched his arms backwards. The troopers flew off their feet, losing their blasters. Katerina shot up. She slammed the full brunt of her palms to their helmets and smashed their heads hard to the ground. The impact resounded like lightning, striking awe to Sabine, Zeb, and Ezra. It ended in just seconds, with a wrath none of have seen either exact on an enemy. It unnerved and excited them. Kanan and Katerina released hot breath, simultaneously quieting themselves as they glared hatefully at the unconscious troopers.

"Wow…" Ezra breathed. "You two really aren't messing around tonight."

"There's a lot more at stake than you realize!" Kanan huffed, storming for the adjacent corridor.

"He's not lying…" Katerina massaged her palms, locked in a trance as her muscles throbbed.

"Are you alright?" Ezra touched a hand to her arms. She flinched at a slight jolt. "You're shaking."

"I don't know." She moaned, walking with Ezra to keep up with Kanan. Zeb dragged the troopers in with him and the others. "Part of me…" She stopped herself, shaking her head, "All of me is really hoping she's here. Because...if she survived...maybe…" She squeezed her arms, trying to suppress the anxiety making her want to shed her skin, or explode.

Ezra pat her shoulder comfortingly, "Don't worry. Kanan said he sensed Luminara." He has faith in Kanan. And he knows Katerina does too. "She's here. You guys...will have your friend back." The last part was flowing with grief.

Katerina was caught off guard, watching somberly as the boy rushed to meet up with Kanan. "Ezra…"

As expected, there were guards at Luminara's cell, babbling about whether or not either of them have been able to see this particular Jedi before. Kanan wasn't in the mood for them or a fight. Instead, he used one of his favorite tricks. He extended a hand, swirling his fingers gracefully in a hypnotic motion, "Shouldn't you be guarding the Jedi Cell? It's on the next level."

"It's...on the...next level." One Trooper repeated monotonously. Katerina and Ezra looked on in amazement. Katerina more so. She's only heard of this technique, but was never privileged to see it in action. This trooper's will - his words - weren't his own. An influence the weak of mind cannot shake.

"You better get moving." Kanan dismissed them.

"We better get moving!" The second trooper acquiesced. Then they both raced for the next level.

"Whoa. I didn't know you learned to do that." Katerina lost her breath to the feat.

"When do I get to learn that?" Ezra asked excitedly.

"Luminara will teach you!" Kanan used the force, prying the locks on the cell. "Much better than I ever could." He mumbled. Ezra was starting to be ridden with guilt. Maybe...maybe he wasn't being fair to Kanan.

The trio cautiously entered the prison cell. A Mirialan woman donning an Imperial Prisoners jumpsuit was seated to the bench, weeping into her cuffed hands. Her oceanic eyes acknowledged her visitors. The despair pooling within them was enough to tear Kanan and Katerina in half. Which is precisely how they felt when they saw her. They were supposed to be happy. Cheerful. Feeling victorious. This is a momentous occasion. A fire to light the way for a new future for the Jedi. So why does it feel...false?

"Is it really her?" Ezra broke the tense silence.

"Yeah. That's her alright." Katerina replied in a drone. She bit on her lower lip. Something about her...

"But something's wrong." Kanan voiced what he and Katerina both thought. Luminara left her seat, meandering close to Kanan. He can't explain it, but this wasn't right. SHE wasn't right. "Master?"

"Master Unduli, it's us." Katerina crept closer. She knows its been a while, but surely she hasn't forgotten them. She reached out to the silent master, "Don't you-"

Luminara turned on her heels. Her slow steps made barely sound as she sauntered despondently toward a container welded to the wall. She faced the confused trio, phasing inside the container. Her sad, blue eyes peering through the small window pierced Kanan and Katerina like spears. She closed her eyes for one last time. Her vibrant green skin decayed to ghostly grey. The face of Luminara Unduli emaciated to mummified remains. Kanan and Katerina were taken aback in abject sorrow and horror. She's...dead. She's been dead...the whole time. For YEARS by the looks of it.

"What happened to her?!" Ezra gasped. Katerina clamped hands over her mouth so she wouldn't cry out. "I don't understand!"

"No?!" A foreign voice balked. Kanan, Katerina, and Ezra spun to find an Pau'an male in the doorway. The black and grey armor of an elite Imperial soldier only as daunting as the dark energy seeping from every pore of his pale skin. "It doesn't seem complicated." He scoffed at Ezra's remark. "I am The Inquisitor." He introduced himself, strutting inside and locking himself in with his new captives. His striking golden eyes beaming in the darkly lit room, shredding their insides to tatters. The ignition of his crimson lightsaber cast a petrified reflection to Kanan and Katerina's widening eyes. Their blood turned to ice in their veins. He's a sith! Absorbing the fear in the room through his skin, The Inquisitor's lips spread into a malicious grin. "Welcome."

The Game Has Changed

So sorry for being gone for so long, you guys.

Now for the chapter you've been waiting for. Hope it was worth the wait.

Moving on.

xxx

With the exception of a few minor mishaps, the infiltration of the prison Stygeon Prime went smooth and fast. A personal achievement the Ghost Crew strives for. But they must not get ahead of themselves. Master Unduli was locked in the bowels of that horrid prison, and Kanan and his team have yet to secure her. Hera, bring the key to their escape, hid the Phantom beneath on the prison's cliff side. Thanks to the Phantom's shielding, the prison sensors won't be able to spot her while she is still. Until Kanan and the others returned, she won't move an inch. Even if it was starting to get a bit chilly.

Kanan and the others had been in there for a while. The silence was unbearable to the point of being maddening. Hera hated waiting, and hated not knowing if her friends were making progress or were captured. Coms were limited to the inside so no outside scanners pick them up on accident. She was - literally and figuratively - in the dark. The search lights narrowly missing the Phantom's hull was her one source of anxiety and excitement. Well, on the bright side, she wasn't alone. Though she wasn't exactly delighted by the company.

A dull alarm alerted Hera that a bogey was nearing her location. And it was coming in fast. "Company!" She prepped the ship for a counterattack the second one of the Empire's lackies spotted her. She grasped at the controls, lying in wait for the hide of a trooper or the hull of a TIE. But, as the seconds ticked by, nothing appeared. Hera darted her eyes left to right. The scanners are never wrong. So why doesn't she see-

A massive shadow ghosted by. Hera shook her head, thinking it was a trick of the light. The shadow flew by again. She wasn't seeing things. And she wasn't seeing Imperial Forces either. As she began to question what was out there with her, the mysterious something flapped its fleshy wings beside the ship. Large green eyes blinking at the ship.

"WHOA! Okay...you're not a TIE fighter!" Hera marveled at the beast. It was...a Tibidee, if she remembers correctly. They're notoriously found on mountainous planets. Sort of like Stygeon. And what luck the prison on Stygeon is smack dab in the middle of mountains. Adorable things, but not wanted at the moment.

The Tibidee nudged the ship, pressing its underbelly to the Phantom. "HEY! Watch it, Buddy!" Hera braced herself. Any harder and the Phantom will be dislodged from the mountain. Her troubles multiplied by three when two more Tibidee joined in on the nudging. "OH NO, NO, NO, NO!" Hera panicked, turning the Phantom back on. She didn't have to wonder too long what was drawing those creatures close to her. Each time the signal jammer beeped, one Tibidee would screech in response. Hera groaned, smashing a palm to her face. "UGH! The signal jammer is acting on the same frequency as these creatures! It sounds like their…" She trailed off as a Tibidee snuggled to the ship, "Mating call?" She didn't see that coming. For once something is trying to shoot her ship down. Unfortunately, the love was going to have to wait.

"You love birds are attracting too much attention." She dislodged the Phantom, pulling away into the clouds. Her little entourage followed at her tail wings. "Hopefully I'm not needed any time soon."

xxx

A trap! The whole thing was a trap! Luminara, her capture, her survival - nothing more than a plot! And Kanan led his team to those hooks, and now they were going to sink. The moment Luminara appeared on the Holonet, her location revealed, to the very last second Kanan led his team inside the one prison no one's ever escaped from. The Luminara he thought he sensed before was nothing more than a phantom of the past. The real Luminara - mummified remnants trapped in a box - has returned to the force with her fellow Jedi. And now Kanan, Ezra, and Katerina are at the mercy of an Inquisitor. Whatever that is. Regardless of what he called himself, the evil in his presence was suffocating. Kanan, Ezra, and Katerina quaked in fear of the man locked in the cell with them. And by that toothy grin of his, he had no intention of letting them pass. Not after going through all the trouble of trapping them there.

Kanan twisted his saber together and ignited the blue beam, squaring challengingly to the Inquisitor. Katerina moved Ezra behind her, keeping an arm stretched to bar that golden eyed monster from touching him. Ezra had no qualms with staying behind her and Kanan. He already knew he didn't stand a chance against him. But what unnerved him most was Katerina's hardset leer towards the Inquisitor. She was staring at him as if she recognized him from somewhere but couldn't place him. Then she gasped in horror. A terrifying realization turned her spine to ice.

"You were the one watching us." Katerina muttered raspily. The Inquisitor raised an intrigued brow at her. Before, in the corridors, Katerina couldn't shake that sickening feeling that someone was watching them. She thought it was being on enemy turf causing her to be paranoid. Now she knows she wasn't. She moved close to Kanan's ear. "Kanan, this guy has been watching us! I know he has!"

"How can you tell?" He rumbled under his breath.

"I don't know, but…I just do."

Katerina knows she's right. The same sensations pooled to her skin when Kanan was close by. Something in her mind just knew. She knows this is the man behind the curtain that's been watching them. How she knows? Don't ask her. No one could ever explain it to her. She had this instinct since she was born.

Kanan settled for that answer. In turn, he felt even more stupid for not seeing this trap coming. Katerina's instincts are as sharp as his. Possibly sharper. If he wasn't angry with himself, or directing his fury at his sister or Padawan, he would have heeded her words.

"I don't think I've ever seen a Sith before." Katerina hissed through her shudders.

"And you still haven't." The Inquisitor savored her trembling. He took torturously slow strides down the steps. "Inquisitors are not Sith, but I was trained by one. My job - a talent I have refined," Katerina and Ezra edged back. Kanan moved himself in front of them, glaring hateful daggers at the casually walking Pau'an, "Is to hunt and kill any Jedi that will not join the Empire."

"No wonder there aren't any left." Katerina acknowledged the sting Kanan felt, but diverted concern to the mummified Luminara. "Neither Luminara nor any of the old masters would ever join the Empire!"

"Precisely why a majority were killed by the very soldiers they trusted." He impassively countered. That menacing grin of his widened at Kanan and Katerina's anger. They plan to make him pay for those words. "But, I digress. Master Luminara died with the Republic. Her bones serve the Empire by luring the last Jedi to their deaths." Just as they have done now. How did I not see this was a trap?! Kanan cursed his shortsightedness.

"Spectre 3, come in! It's a trap!" Ezra shouted to the comlink. Static replied to him. Katerina tested hers and Kanan's. Static as well. They were being jammed.

"There will be NO reinforcements." The Inquisitor decreed. They were on their own, and at his mercy.

Kanan steeled his buzzing nerves. He extended his left foot. Katerina moved Ezra back further. That was Kanan's cue and he charged. The Inquisitor folded one hand behind his back. His strongest swing to end the opposition in one blow, and the Inquisitor effortlessly weaved his body to evade it. Kanan countered with another strike that was easily repelled. The Inquisitor forced Kanan's saber to the side, bringing the tip of his to meet his neck. His stance was relaxed, almost lazy. He wasn't even taking Kanan seriously. A big mistake. Kanan swatted the tip out of his face, roaring as he swung his saber again. The Inquisitor loved listening to him roar like a crazed animal. Her certain swung that sword of his like one. He raised his saber, stopping the strike for his neck, and smoothly moved in. The dueling red and blue saber screeched, sparking purple bursts as they ground together. Kanan stomped backwards, grinding his palms to his saber hilt while the Inquisitor held him at bay with one hand. He wasn't impressed, and wasn't going to be intimidated. Her lashed out with several strikes, exerting himself to move the Inquisitor from their path. He was a mountain. Immovable and unwavering. He locked his saber with Kanan's, purring hungrily with glowing eyes.

"Interesting…" His eyes studied Kanan intimately. "It seems you trained with Jedi Master Depa Billaba." Katerina gaped in awe.

"How-" Kanan was thrown of kilter. No one's ever linked his style to his old master. NO ONE! Because no one ever bothered to learn of the Jedi or their methods. "Who are you?!" The Inquisitor wasn't ready to end their game quite yet. He pushed Kanan back. Fluid motions of the saber drove him for the wall. The boy's defenses were textbook and the skills of a Leaner fresh from his schooling.

Ezra and Katerina were entranced by the duel. Horror and amazement gripped them, forbidding them from looking away. Someone in the Empire can actually match Kanan blow for blow. Worse. He was stronger than Kanan. Outmatched him in skill and power. The pair were jolted out of their stupor when the duel was inching their way. Ezra and Katerina darted around, heading for the door. As they suspected, the door was locked. And the Inquisitor was the only one with the keys. So Ezra was going to make use of Sabine's miracle. Meanwhile, Katerina reached her hand for her staff. Her fingers were shaking. Excitement or fear? She'll find out soon.

The Inquisitor hadn't broken a sweat fighting Kanan. A master swordsman fighting a Padawan who was barely out of training. A mortal had better chances against a god. Kanan thrust his saber for that black heart of his. The Inquisitor stepped to the side, latching a hand to Kanan's forearm, halting the premature assault.

"The temple records are quite complete." He finally answered Kanan's question. Kanan freed his arm, but the Inquisitor already drove his saber for his head, forcing him to block. "Close quarter fighting." Her marched forward. Kanan had no choice but to move with him, staggering back towards Luminara's coffin. "Billaba's emphasis was always on Form 3 - which you favor to a RIDICULOUSdegree." He scoffed disappointed. Kanan wasn't worth the challenge. Ezra fired his slingshot. The Inquisitor easily intercepted the pitiful ball of light. Kanan used the distraction to strike. The Inquisitor jumped and thrust a kick to his back, knocking Kanan off his feet. Katerina and Ezra helped him to his feet, locking disdainful leers at the smug Pau'un. "Clearly you were a poor student."

"WATCH YOUR MOUTH!" Katerina screeched. Ezra launched two more stun shots.

The Inquisitor literally welcomed the bursts with open arms as the tendrils snaked his armor. "Is that really all you've got, my boy?" He teased.

"Well I've got that." He gestured to the set charge. The controlled explosion sabotaged the door. Ezra, Kanan, and Katerina burst for the cloud of smoke in a sprint. The Inquisitor's saber glowed beyond the cloud, and he emerged like the predator he was, hungering to find and kill his prey.

Katerina boggled The Inquisitor when she ended her run. "RIINA!" Kanan cried. He and Ezra skid to a halt. She spread her feet, dipping into a stance as if she were going to fight him. The Inquisitor laughed at her bravery, continuing his march towards her. "Specter 7! What are you doing?!"

"Buying us time!" She flourished her staff, making the Inquisitor arch a brow. The weapon was intriguing. Katerina stabbed her staff to a pipe. High voltage circumvented the piping, building up pressure that caused the corridor to shriek, stressed metals to groan shrilly. Holes puncture the floors and walls. The Inquisitor sprang back several feet. Boiling hot steam erupted in geyser, creating a thick impassable wall. The Inquisitor huffed derisively at the pitiful obstacle. Katerina removed the staff, letting the pressure dwindle, and threw a handful of those pellets. They popped instantly, spanning a thick webbing of glue in The Inquisitor's path. He growled irritably, eyeing Katerina like a slab of meat. "RUN! RUN!" Katerina grabbed the boys by the wrists, dragging them for their lives. The Inquisitor ignited his lightsaber. The glue was melted where it touched.

xxx

Meanwhile, Sabine and Zeb were keeping to the plan. They held the lift that would take them straight for the landing platform for their rendezvous with Hera. The SAME landing platform they wanted to avoid. Their plans seem to change way too often. They may as well improvise from the get go.

The two were getting anxious waiting around. Luminara's cell wasn't too far from where they were. Even with obstacles, Kanan and the others should have returned by now. Something was wrong.

"Specter 5 to Specter 1, come in!" Sabine shouted in her helmet's com, twisting a dial to tune the frequency. As Sabine came to suspect, static intercepted her call. And there's only one reason for that. "Thought so! They're jamming our signal! They know we're here!"

"Here in this lift or…"

"HERE PERIOD!" Zeb wasn't sure what was worse. "They lured us in upstairs at the prison's weak point! We're expected to exit the same way, so you can bet there will be Troopers waiting for us!" She used her wrist device to try and scout for alternate routes, hidden passageways, or possibly a means to exit the way they came in without being spotted. Their luck for the day ran dry. "We'd never make it out of the lift."

Zeb wasn't about to accept her quitter talk. "So what do we do?!"

"Time for a miracle." Sabine bounced one of her bombs. Zeb's grin said, now we're talking.

xxx

The adrenaline raging from their pounding hearts sent Katerina, Kanan, and Ezra stampeding through the narrow prison corridors. The entire prison was aware of their presence. The time for stealth was behind them. Escape was their only option. They could sense him. Hear him. See those evil, golden eyes. He was following them. Hunting them down. Lavishing in the little rats scrambling to escape. Any second, from around any corner, he will appear. He was going to kill them. Place their corpses alongside Master Unduli. Fire burned their lungs, drying their cracking throats. Voices in their minds screamed faster, faster, faster! Their muscles tingled numbly, legs ready to give, but still they ran. Their feet shaking the ground asunder.

"We're almost there!" Kanan screamed breathlessly. Just another hallway and The Ghost will be waiting to evacuate them.

"Kanan…"

"Yeah, I know." Katerina didn't have to finish. He felt the same unease chilling his spine. A Sith, who isn't a Sith, trained to hunt and kill Jedi. A hunter in his own league with skills that could very well surpass a Master's. They surpass Kanan's by hundreds of years. And THAT was a scary fact.

Katerina entered the threshold to a perpendicular hallway. Her blood turned to ice at a figure from the corner of her eye. Invisible bonds ripped her feet clean off the ground. Her back smashed hard against the wall. The wind ripped from her lungs on the harsh contact. "RIINA!" Kanan and Ezra cried.

"LOOK OUT!" She shrieked. Kanan entered the intersection. He pivoted on the ball of his foot. His saber igniting on the draw. He brought it up just as a red lightsaber came down. Ezra was rooted with horror. The Inquisitor had caught up with them.

"You aren't going to leave now, are you?" The Inquisitor taunted. "We've barely become acquainted." The deadlocked lightsabers flared wildly. Red and blue radiating heatedly as the warriors held their ground. Kanan dug in his feet. He poured strength in his arms, barely a match for The Inquisitor's one handed grip. His attention diverted to his other hand. Outstretched with the fingers curled, he was keeping Katerina firmly pinned to the wall. Her feet well away from the ground. An unstoppable force pinning her to an immoveable object. Her limbs securely mounted to the cold metal. Unbearable pressure squeezing her. It feels like she's being crushed, or that the wall would give. She prayed it was the second option. "Don't look away, Jedi! I want to see your eyes as you die!" The Inquisitor purred. He curled his fingers tighter. Katerina inadvertently whimpered. Her body constricted itself. Flesh and bones squeezing every muscle until it became numb. Kanan's concentration strained between her and the Inquisitor, and his strength waned.

"Wow! He can rhyme!" Ezra pulled his slingshot back. "Didn't know Imperials have an ear for poetry!" He released three shots. The Inquisitor grimaced, releasing his hold on Katerina, and diverting a force pulse to disperse the shots. Katerina collapsed like a ragdoll. Every muscle in her body felt like a noodle that's been pulverized. "Can't believe that worked!" Ezra pat himself on the back, helping Katerina sit against the wall.

"Nice work!" Kanan praised. Somehow, Ezra resisted making one of his usual witty, snide remarks. Katerina wheezed as circulation returned to her veins, fresh oxygen pumping her blood. She was going to live. For how much longer would be determined in the next few minutes.

"Geeze, I can hear Zeb now!" She coughed dryly, gasping as her body regulated herself. Being lifted off the ground like a feather. He already makes fun of her height. This is going to make her life miserable. "That idiot Lasat is going to ride me for weeks with this one!"

"Seriously, did you two get married when we weren't looking?" Ezra snorted.

Katerina's cheeks flushed bright red. "SHUT UP!"

The Inquisitor stabbed a terminal, causing two hallways to seal themselves off. Kanan, Ezra, and Katerina were rooted in place, trapped in a small space with The Inquisitor. Only one way out to the left, and no way he was letting them run away twice. "Now that I have your attention..." The Inquisitor returned to his stance, daring Kanan to come at him again. "Shall we continue where we left off?"

xxx

Sabine and Zeb's first order of business was to disable the lift they were currently on, and then work their way for the others. If they can at least stall the Troopers long enough to reach the lift, they might have a shot. The plan taking off without a hitch depended on Sabine's miracle.

"I've got a bad feeling!" Zeb rumbled. His crossed arm tensed at his chest.

"Stormtroopers coming in hot will do that to you!" Sabine rolled her head.

"No! I mean, we can't raise anyone on the coms, and Kanan, Ezra, and Katerina haven't tried to find us!" Zeb bit on his thumb, nervously snarling under his breath. "They have to know we're being expected at all exits, and would have TRIED to send some sort of signal."

"You think they were captured?" Sabine weighed the worst and worst of the worst circumstances.

"Let's hope not. Rescuing one Jedi will be hard enough."

"Don't let Riina hear you say that. I think she hates being confused for a Jedi." Sabine warned, checking her wrist com for the lifts near their exit.

Zeb scoffed contemptuously, rolling his eyes. "You think I care how she FEELS right now?" He spat heatedly. He planted hands to his hips, frothing at the mouth. Why should he give two rat-tails how she feels? She all but called him a useless moron a few short hours ago. AFTER she, once again, rushed to the defense of poor, pitiful, picked on, defenseless Ezra. Zeb caught Sabine eyeing him. He can practically see the derisive glare behind that screen. "What?"

"You two have SERIOUS issues." She groaned, marking their path. "I'm friends with a marriage counselor, if you're interested."

"OH SHUT UP!" Zeb turned bright red.

xxx

The Inquisitor raised his lightsaber. A push of a button and another beam ignited on the other end. "Does yours do that?!" Katerina pointed, ogling it dumbfounded. It was cooler than her lance.

"No…" Kanan pouted.

The Inquisitor stretched his saber behind him, charging with a wolfish smile. He was faster than he looked. Kanan barely managed to deflect the first blow. The Inquisitor simply flourished his saber, utilizing both ends to back the young Jedi into a corner. The dual sided saber's twirling disoriented Kanan, tripping him up as crimson beat the air. Nevertheless he stood his ground, centering his focus on the Inquisitor himself in place of the blade. Reading his body was his only method of countering. Defeating him? The was another matter entirely.

Katerina and Ezra made sure to stay well out of the way. Kanan has enough on his plate without worrying about them getting hurt. That be easier if they weren't lost in watching these two go at it. The Inquisitor was toying with Kanan. As much as it pains them to admit, Kanan would have been killed a long time ago if his opponent wasn't at the mercy of his sadism.

"Are you paying attention, BOY?" The Inquisitor broke Ezra from his trance. He had his saber locked with Kanan's, pinning him against a wall. "The Jedi are dead! But there is another path!" Ezra's eyes widened. There is? There are other options besides Jedi? Why hasn't he heard of this? "The Darkside!" He purred.

"Never heard of it!" And guess what. He wasn't interested. He launched another stun ball.

The Inquisitor shoved Kanan away and spun his saber, beating another pitiful shot. Using the force he launched Ezra off his feet, ricocheting him off the wall. He hit the ground with a painful thud. "EZRA!" Katerina ran to his side.

"Have neither of you taught him nothing?" The Inquisitor mocked. Katerina was really starting to hate him. Kanan shared her sympathies and went in for another charge.

xxx

The Stormtroopers were on the move. A squad sprinted for the escape lift Rebels were spotted riding. Overriding the lift's systems, the Stormtroopers initiated a forced stop on their level. Before the lift arrived they had already gotten into formation. Blasters aimed and sights set on the future dead corpses of the, Empire's most irritating of vermin.

The second the lift doors opened, the Stormtroopers opened fire. Laser bolts filled the loft with smoke and holds, decimating the tiny space to ribbons.

"HOLD YOUR FIRE!" The commander barked. Through the heavy fire he was able to see no one was inside. At least no one resembling a rebel. Stalking closer, their blasters raised cautiously, the Troopers peeked inside and we're dumbfounded. There were other Stormtroopers unconscious inside. They weren't the only ones.

Rapid beeping drew their attention to an upper corner. By the time anyone realized it was a bomb, and explosion took the lift offline and the Troopers with it.

On the level below, Zeb took enjoyment out of the vibrations the bomb caused. "That's one lift offline. " Sabine never does anything half-assed.

"I've disabled the other two!" Sabine announced, running up behind him. "There are other ways down, but it'll take then a while." Meaning it was time to make tracks. They just hoped Kanan and the others were on their way too.

xxx

The clash of blue and red sabers intensified as Kanan pressed on with his assault, and The Inquisitor mocked him with his two handed mastery. One handed, he was was a force to be reckoned with. Two hands make him virtually unstoppable. Kanan poured all his strength into his attacks, wanting to overwhelm the Inquisitor through sheer might. Not only was his plan failing, due to the fact the Inquisitor's strength matched his, the Inquisitor was feeding off the anger and fear seeping from his pores. The anger the young Jedi directed at him, and the fear he held for the well being of his companions. The child Jedi in particular.

The Inquisitor swept his saber over ground. Kanan twisted into a flip, creating a gap between them. "Do you really think you can save the boy?" He sneered. He snuck a sly peek at Ezra, ensnaring the boy in his golden orbs. Ezra, too frightened to retort, stood there like an animal in the light. Katerina, however, felt her stomach churn. He knows what Ezra is! He wants him! "For his sake, surrender." The Inquisitor offered.

"I'm not making deals with you!" Kanan declared. Katerina stood by Ezra, extending a protective hand. Neither of them were letting him anywhere near Ezra.

The Inquisitor wasn't at all surprised by the response. Disappointed all the same for their lack of intelligence. "Then we'll let him make one, shall we?" A thrust of his palm sent Kanan soaring down the hall, colliding with Katerina to a painful thud. Ezra gaped in dismay. From the waist down pure terror rooted him. His heart, pounding so hard he can hear the blood in his ears, skipped beats as it threatened to burst from his chest. He tossed them both like they were nothing. They...WE...can't win. "Your MASTER cannot save you boy. Neither can his foolish companion." Rage replaced Ezra's fear. He bore his teeth at the Inquisitor. "He is unfocused and undisciplined."

"Then we're perfect for each other!" Ezra's voice cracked. He drew his slingshot, sending two shots.

The Inquisitor swatted the shots like bugs, then darted for Ezra, twisting his saber back. Ezra ran off the slanted walls, cringing at the heat brushing the backs of his legs as he planted himself behind the Inquisitor. "I do admire your persistence." He hummed. Shifting his hands one over the other he slowly twirled his saber. The passing beams highlighted his golden orbs. His grin widening as Ezra's breath quickened. "Ready to die?"

Katerina lugged Kanan's heavy body off of her. He groaned at being tossed twice in a few short seconds. As she was about to tell him to stop being a baby, Katerina gasped as The Inquisitor cornered Ezra, and he was dumb enough to raise his fists. He was going to get himself killed. "GRR!" Katerina whipped her staff from the strap, darting past the semi-conscious Kanan.

The Inquisitor charged for Ezra. He twisted his body, drawing his elbow back. Ezra cowered behind his arms. The Inquisitor thrust his lightsaber. The red blade was diverted across to the side by an ornate white and turquoise pole. Ezra and The Inquisitor gaped in awe of the inch gap protecting the boy from a horrendous wound. The surging lancehead sparked animatedly touching the heated beam. The Inquisitor followed the electrical lance up to the forearm pressed parallel to his, meeting Katerina's furious eyes. And she met his. This trio was just full of surprises.

"Riina…" Ezra breathed, fighting hard to not fall to his butt.

"Sorry to interrupt! But I was promised the next dance!" The placed both hands to her staff, driving The Inquisitor's saber to cross between them.

The Inquisitor chuckled at her bravery. "Who am I to refuse a LADY?!" He stunned her with a kick to the stomach. Katerina slid to a halt, shaking off the kick. She spat at the ground. Her defiant glare said to him, is that the best you've got? The Inquisitor goaded her with a curl of his palm. He doesn't want the surprises to end, let alone the fun.

Lance met saber in a flurry of parries and twirls. Back and forth the pair drove one another. Ethereal white and Crimson red shrieking at each contact. The Inquisitor, calm and impassive, matched blow for blow against his young adversary. Effortlessly he launched counterstrikes in tandem to the rather boorish technique. Katerina ignored the smug smirk for the Sith. Or whatever being of the Darkside he claims to be. She attacked The Inquisitor fiercely and without hesitation, utilizing her speed and agility to match the unyielding strength he possesses. Side steps were countered by sudden spins. Kicks parried off one another, followed by punches that were blocked at the wrist. Each block by the saber sent numbing pulses shooting through Katerina's palms straight to her shoulders. Blood vessels in her hands felt like they were breaking. She was running on fumes while he might as well not even be trying. The Inquisitor locked his saber to the lance, driving it into the floor. He vaulted forward, thrusting an upward kick. Katerina weaved off to the side, sliding her staff free. She quickly spun around, jabbing for his hip. The Inquisitor swiftly brought the saber back, catching her attack. Katerina dug her feet in a stop, twisting her body and swinging the staff. The Inquisitor bent far backwards. The breeze of the lance carried tickling charges that graced his skin. Katerina recovered from the miss, flourishing her staff to the next hand. The Inquisitor touched palms to the ground. He spun a kick to her wrist, knocking the staff out of her hand. He swung his lower body around, sprang forward and dealt a heavy punch in the middle of her ribs.

"KATERINA!" Ezra screamed. Kanan was jolted from his stupor.

A devastating burst of incomprehensible godlike power exploded out her back. Katerina felt the wind leave her again. Blood coughed from her throat. Her nerves, as the numb muscles radiated with pain, buzzed rampantly. Shock sent chills throughout her entire body. Her vision was blurring.

That...was…

"Now I understand." Katerina's consciousness lingered on The Inquisitor's voice. The fist in her ribs, the sole prop preventing her from falling to the cold surface, twisted and tenderized her ruptured muscle to paste. "Why Kallus constantly confused you for a Jedi. Your style of fighting is formidable, if not unrefined and jagged." He slowly removed his fist, leading Katerina to drop to her knees. "That is more than these two disgraces combined." Ezra clenched his fists. Kanan, a hand to his whirling head, leaned up on an elbow.

Katerina planted a hand, grasping at her throbbing stomach. Her eyes were wide in utter disbelief. In her mind she was reeling at the defeat looming at their necks like sickles. That curved blade torturing the thin veins. Is this...the true strength...of those of the Darkside? This is who the Empire has backing them when their operations go south? With the Jedi gone, this being is the one keeping the peace throughout the universe? If it is...we can't win.

"Yes, you can certainly hold your own. But I am afraid you will always be at a disadvantage. Do you know why?" He continued to mock her, aligning his saber to the side of her head. Katerina remained silent, refusing to grant him the satisfaction of her admitting to his strength. The Inquisitor grabbed a fistful of her hair, wrenching her upright. He was leaning in so close Katerina was able to see her frightened reflection in his golden eyes. "You lack TRUE power!" He released her hair, then scooped his hand, curling his fingers tight. Katerina threw her head up, a drive heave choked out of her. Pressure crushed her windpipe in a vice. Bone and muscle caving in, lungs throbbing as air was barred. The blood vessels constricted in her frozen eyes. Her mouth was stuck open, starved for the slightest breath of air. Her skull swelled like a balloon. Her eyes were about to pop out of her head.

"LET HER GO!" Ezra darted, leading with his shoulder. The Inquisitor sneered and thrust a hand, knocking Ezra on his back, the wind leaving his body.

"Children. That's all any of you are." The Inquisitor drew his saber back, the tip lining up with her heart. The world was blurring, beats of her heart were slowing, and everything was disappearing around her. This can't be happening! Her mind screamed. Her eyes glossed as her life - from the Jedi to now - began to flash before her eyes. It was all over for her. For Kanan. For Ezra. The Inquisitor tightened his grip. It can't end here! Ezra's whole body had seized up. No screams to stop him, or courage to intervene. Caleb...Tears trickled down her cheek. I'm so sorry. The Inquisitor felt her body go limp, acknowledging she has finally given up.

Kanan leaned up on his elbows. The Inquisitor was about to run his saber through her. Katerina closed her eyes. HELP ME, CALEB! "NOOO!" He threw his arm out curling his fingers. The Inquisitor's arm jerked then stopped right as the saber burned a hole in her chest plate. The Inquisitor snarled rabidly, whipping his glare to the intervening vermin. Kanan flourished his hand. The Inquisitor was ripped off the ground, his hold on Katerina vanishing, and was plastered to the ceiling. Air exploded in Katerina's lungs. She choked and gagged as her heart and lungs came back to life. Ezra burst with hyperventilating relief. The sheer skepticism in Kanan's timing - were it they weren't seeing it with their own eyes - Ezra and Katerina would think it was a trick their minds were playing. "BOTH OF YOU, RUN!"

Ezra scooped Katerina under the arms, pushing her into a sprint to Kanan. White hot pain ruptured in her abdomen, and her back prickled. Unable to hold him any longer, Kanan released the Inquisitor. He landed to one knees, unshaken by the trap but not tolerant of it. Kanan examined Katerina and Ezra thoroughly. Superficial wounds, nothing dangerous. Both nodded assuringly. They were fine, and would soon learn if they were able to run or not.

The Inquisitor climbed to his feet, igniting his twin sided saber. His patience for this trip long evaporated. A stroke of the hilt and the crimson blades spun like a propeller, astounding the retreating trio. "Does yours do THAT?!" Ezra gasped.

"Come on! Let's go!" He shoved them both along. NO! Kanan's lightsaber was ordinary. He and the others ran down a random corridor. Katerina's abdomen and throat were killing her, but she mustered through the pain. It'll be worse if they are killed.

Luck returned to their side as Zeb and Sabine emerged up ahead. "GUYS! THIS WAY!" Guided by Sabine, the Rebels raced throughout the prison, heading for the landing platform holstering their escape.

"Figure out it was a trap?!" Kanan asked Sabine.

"Yeah! Luminara?"

"Long gone! Our exit?"

"Landing platform!"

"I thought it was impossible to escape that way!"

"Let's hope the Empire thinks so too!" Hope is a luxury they can't afford right now.

The hollow whirs beating the air preceded the Inquisitor as he rounded the corner, chasing down the Rebels in a brisk walk. Fury radiated from him, carrying with it a storm he would unleash upon his enemies. But he can't very well do that if they escape.

"Scure the facility!" The Inquisitor ordered into his wrist communicator. The prison echoed with his voice. "Full lockdown." The blaring alarm put the prison on high alert.

"Well, that's not helpful!" Ezra stated the obvious. Everyone mustered a second wind and broke into sprint.

One at a time, door panels sealed off every single corridor. The Rebels jumping through the narrowing panels like hurdles, squeezing themselves tighter the faster they closed. The Inquisitor, seeing them escape, stooped into a full run, diving through the doors seconds before they shut on him. Sabine and Katerina, out of their own miracles, tried to slow him down with blaster fire. The bolts were repelled.

The final door to the landing platform was about to close before they could all pass. Zeb jumped to intercept, pressing himself and forcing the doors to stay open. "CAN'T DO THIS ALL DAY! COME ON!" Kanan and Ezra were the last to jump through. The Inquisitor tucked and rolled, swinging his saber just as Zeb jumped back and out. He smirked quit produly at the door shutting in his face. The saber punctured the wall, melting the metal as it was drawn in a circle. "WHAT THE-"

Katerina yanked him by the wrist. "Yeah! They can do that!"

"Isn't that JUST dandy!" Not as dandy as a massive blast door standing in their way. Zeb bought them a little more time by shooting out the door terminal. "That isn't gonna stop him for long!" He stressed for someone to act.

"I'VE GOT IT!" Sabine rushed to the platform's controls. She used the override codes she placed into the system. Buzzing made her howl enraged. "I'm locked out of the system! Ezra?"

Ezra gave his lock pit a try. Thousands of volts shut him down, throwing him off his feet. "Sorry!"

"Oye!" Zebra obnoxiously smacked Katerina's back. "Make yourself useful and open the door!"

"I'm an engineer, not a locksmith!" She snapped, flexing her back. She thinks part of her spine ended up in her throat. "I don't know how to open doors!"

Zebra growled animally, clawing at his face. "Ever notice how you fail at the WRONG MOMENTS?!" He towered.

"Ever notice what a useless, rusted part YOU are?" She daringly moved in.

"You know what-" Zeb was about to crush her skull.

"ENOUGH!" Kanan barked, hoisting Ezra to his feet and leading him to the middle of the room. "Ezra! Together!" He squared up to the door.

Ezra glanced between the door and Kanan, feeling his chest tighten. "What! Are you serious?!" Kanan expects him to open that huge door? I can't-

The Inquisitor's lightsaber pierced the crease of the backdoor, working its way down. "CAN WE TRAIN EZRA LATER?!" Zeb howled.

"Let them do this! They've got this!" Katerina advocated passionately, flourishing her staff. "Ezra, you've opened doors hundreds of times! Focus, and let the force do the rest!"

"You heard her!" Kanan backed her. "Picture the locking mechanisms in your mind!" Kanan extended his hand, closing his eyes so that those very locks would appear before him.

Ezra still had his doubts, but set them aside given their only other exit was being melted open. He closed his eyes, steadied his breathing. This sphere surrounded him, guiding him to within the door, taking him inside and scouring for the release. The hundreds of doors he's cracked open before this one - the same sounds of gears and cogs releasing. One by one the locks released, and one by one those doors opened. This one will open too. It has to!

The Inquisitor's blade was halfway down the door. Sabine, Katerina, and Zeb planted their feet, awaiting the onslaught he would deliver. If they go down, they go down fighting. Simultaneously, Kanan and Ezra flipped their palms up and raised them high. There was a wisp of air. A sheet of dust curling, carried by the powerful night air rushing in. They had done it! EZRA had done it. He actually opened the door. The victory was as hollow as it was short.

Over a dozen Stormtroopers had them at the end of their scopes. Not even a second later, volleys of laser bolts shrieked across the platform. Kanan and Katerina rushed to the front line. Saber and lance deflecting the bolts, but the previous battle leaving the owners winded and unable to hold out for too long. They would need a miracle.

"One last miracle!" Zeb still had one of Sabine's grenades. He gave it his best toss. The grenade landed near a handful of Troopers and blew a gap in their defenses. The Rebels used that gap to gain ground, rushing into the fray. Sabine, Ezra, and Zeb returned heavy fire while Kanan and Katerina deflected as many bolts as they could, eventually taking cover behind some crates. That was their last miracle, and they were running out of steam. The mission was a bust, so time for a hasty retreat.

"Specter 5 to Phantom!" Sabine called Hera. The others offered her cover. "We're on the landing deck ready for pick up!" She stressed pick up to mean appear in the next second!

"On my way, Specter 5! And I'm bringing the fleet!"

"We have a fleet?" Zeb quizzed. Where was he during this?

"We do now!" Hera purred. This was going to be fun. From the cover of night, the Phantom emerged to deliver some heavy ordinance. The Rebels cheered as Hera came in for the rescue. Stormtroopers prepared to shoot it down. Their guns dropped with an ounce of their courage as a flock of Tibidee accompanied the Phantom, ready for action. Neither Kanan or the others have seen anything like it. The beings Hera can inspire is terrifying.

The Tibidee dove in fast. Laser bolts bounced off them, not leaving so much as a nick in their tough hides. Stormtroopers were run over like speed bumps, knocked into crates and TIE fighters. The sheer numbers the prison came to rely on to halt the Rebels' escape was being destroyed in a matter of seconds. Meanwhile, Hera laid waste the the TIE fighters in the reserves. No air support, and ground units were...grounded. The tide had finally turned in their favor again. Cannons mounted on the landing deck were activated, firing in every direction to hit either the ship or one of the Tibidee. The tide was turning again.

Kanan gave the signal and he and the others broke into a dead run again. The Inquisitor, tenacious as he is, forced the door open and was steadily losing patience for the interferences. His patience was thinned drastically spying his quarry escaping in a direct line. Zeb and Sabine shot out the cannons, clearing their getaway. The TIE's still standing provided excellent cover from the Troopers who lingered. Hera lowered the Phantom's hatch, lining up with the landing platform. The Inquisitor's lightsaber spun rapidly. The shrill beatings on the air stopped the retreating Rebels in their tracks. The twirling saber was let loose. A crimson red disk sliced the air clean in half. Kanan planted his feet and batted the saber high flying to right field and out of the park. The Inquisitor easily willed it back to his hand, sneering murderously.

"Does yours do that?" Zeb teased. Kanan won't dignify that with an answer.

"No! But mine does! KANAN!" Arm fully extended, Katerina let her staff soar across the landing platform. Kanan guided the staff through the force, sending it straight for The Inquisitor. The Jedi hunter scoffed at the mockery, batting the staff away high in the air. No one expected it to land a hit. Providing a distraction? Worked like a charm. Zeb, Sabine, and Ezra were already boarding the ship. Kanan and Katerina turned on their heels. The staff was returned to Katerina's hand. When their friends were clear, the two sheathed their weapons and raced for the ship.

"Not bad!" Kanan approved. Katerina offered a smug smirk in response.

The Inquisitor's hands balled into fists. This...can't...STAND! He roared in his mind. Left, right, sideways, and back, this rabble of vermin has mocked, humiliated, and brazenly challenged him. Daring to raise their weapons to him, throwing a pitiful glue barrier in his path, MOUNTING HIM TO THE CEILING! How dare they! My master will not be pleased! Emasculating him in the presence of his own forces. Making him appear incompetent and unable to deal with children and their pet! Now they mow down his troops, bring in more pets, repel him as if he were an amature, and believe they can simply escape on the wind? I-THINK-NOT!

"HURRY! COME ON!" Sabine egged them on. She and Zeb anchored themselves, reaching out.

There are repercussions for hasty actions. These Rebels will pay the price for their affront. Kanan and Katerina were another foot from being pulled onto their ship. Zeb grabbed Kanan as he jumped, lugging him onto the ramp. The ship stooped a ways, allowing Sabine and Katerina a chance to connect. The Inquisitor curled his palm and lifted. As Katerina was about to reach for Sabine, invisible fingers clamped to her throat once more, stopping her dead in her tracks.

"RIINA!" Sabine cried. Kanan, Zeb, and Ezra stared on in horror. Katerina gasped for air, staggering and falling to one knee. Not again! She cried in her mind. Kanan seethed at The Inquisitor, seeing that hand of his curled and leashing her.

The Inquisitor chuckled as he lifted her off the ground. Her flailing feet were like fish desperate the return to the water. She clawed and pried at her neck, futilely trying to escape his grasp. Kanan's heart dropped seeing Katerina at The Inquisitor's mercy again. Katerina roared animally, choking on the restricted air her lungs hungered for. "And now…" The Inquisitor took a stance. Katerina rose an inch.

"KATERINA!" Kanan jumped back down, racing for her. As the Jedi was about to grab his friend, the Inquisitor retracted his arm. Katerina was ripped out of his reach. The Inquisitor wrapped his fingers to her neck. Her neck was so small in his hand he could easily crush it. But where's the fun in that? He looked Kanan dead in the eye, smiling hungrily, wanting him to bear witness. He moved his sheathed saber behind her. "NO!" Kanan begged.

"CALEB!" The barrel met her back. Katerina's eyes widened. Heat stroking metal shrieked shrilly. Intense yet numbing pain reduced her insides to nothing, and her mind went blank as her arms fell to her sides. Absolute silence - no breathing, whirs of engines, or flapping of wings - coupled by glares of utter horror and grief flooded the platform. Katerina's trembling eyes scrolled down. Sprouting between her ribs was the red beam. The reality of it - the hand at her neck, and the hand holding that beam in place - murdered that rebellious spirit of hers. A hollow breath escaped her lips, her body sinking. The Inquisitor smiled victoriously..

"NOOO!" Kanan's rage launched him like a rocket. Grieving tears made his eyes glisten in the moonlight. The Inquisitor's chuckle echoed ominously on the cold air.

"Do you understand now, My Dear?" Her head shook as she twisted her stiff neck, bringing her terrified gaze to meet The Inquisitor's triumphant grin. "As I told you: You lack the power to be of any use." He shoved the saber deeper. Katerina's body tensed. Blood exploded from her throat. "And now you will die…" Her dimming, aquamarine eyes glossed over in failure. The stars in the sky blurred. Her vision was starting to grow dark, "Knowing that, even with your best effort," He brought his lips to her ears, "It was never enough." The ominous whisper echoed in her brain. Steadily fading pounding in her ear numbed her to the bone. The hammering of her heart was swiftly dulling.

"LET-HER-GO!" The Inquisitor acknowledged Kanan too late. A fist connecting and shattered the bones in his nose. His hand and saber left Katerina, and he was thrown to the ground with a devastating boom. Kanan caught Katerina before she could touch the cold metal. "I've got you! I've got you! I've got You, Riina! You're gonna be alright!" He sputtered frantically. He stroked hairs from her face, wanting to see her eyes. She was starved to breathe. Each inhale caused an agony worse than what she's ever felt. She was clawing at Kanan and at the wound to make the pain stop.

Hera moved the Phantom closer. Kanan carried Katerina bridal style. Once on, Hera poured on the gas and the Rebels had escaped. "Easy now! Easy!" Kanan tossed her to the floor, panting as he fought to tear her chest plate off so she could breathe.

Normally, The Inquisitor would mark this as a stain on his rather pristine record. However, perhaps the sour mark can be labeled as bitter sweet. After all, he successfully eliminated at least one Rebel vermin. "Good riddance to the false Jedi." He purred, returning inside the prison.

xxx

Katerina's breath was becoming labored, slowing to the point inhaling was too tumultuous. The damage was so severe she fell unconscious halfway. The Ghost was just two minutes away. TWO MINUTES! Katerina had to hold on for two minutes. Then they would patch her up, help her heal, and she'll be good as new. Yeah! She's was going to be fine! No way after surviving 15 years was she going to keel over now.

"It's okay, Riina!" Kanan sat on the floor with her propped on his lap. He kept caressing her cheek as he soothed her. He squeezed her hand in his, pouring his strength into her. "You're going to be fine! Everything's going to be okay! You'll-" He moved to bring her hand to his cheek.

The hand slipped from his grasp, and in slow motion her arm listlessly hit the floor with a thunderous THUD. The sound carried for miles in Kanan and the Rebels' ears. Hitched their breath in their throats. No one moved, no one spoke - they all just stood there. The ship on autopilot seemed to slow as well. The urge to call her name was strong. But the fear she would not respond was stronger.

"Riina? RIINA!" Kanan shook her violently. She wasn't responding. A closer look showed her stomach wasn't rising or falling either. He touched a spot her neck, and placed an ear to her chest. He closed his eyes, calming himself to amplify his hearing. Hera and the others carefully walked in, standing on their toes for either Kanan or Katerina to speak. Their minds begging and pleading that this wasn't happening. That she wasn't…gone. "No...no!" The ice replacing Kanan's blood bred pure horror to his face. He shook her again. He opened her eyes, finding no light inside of them. "NO-NO-NO! KATERINA! DON'T DO THIS TO ME, KATERINA!"

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH HER?!" Zeb's voice cracked.

"HER HEART STOPPED! SHE'S NOT BREATHING EITHER!" Sabine, Hera, and Ezra staggered, nearly losing strength in their legs. Zeb, on the other hand, dropped to his knees. No. Please no.

Kanan climbed onto her, heatedly bouncing his palms to her chest. "KATERINA! COME ON! FIGHT! YOU HAVE T-...YOU HAVE TO FIGHT, RIINA! PLEASE!" Kanan choked as tears spilled down his cheek. "I'M SORRY! I'M SO SORRY! FOR THE THINGS I'VE SAID, THE DANGER I PUT YOU IN! EVERYTHING! JUST PLEASE OPEN YOUR EYES!"

Sabine and Hera, unable to bear to watch, turned away. Tears stung their eyes. Ezra was clawing at his scalp, tearing at his head, praying that this wasn't happening. As for Zeb, he just sat there on his knees. Silent, blank, watching Kanan hammer fists and palms to the wakeless girl. Her lifeless body jerking. Those vibrant eyes remaining closed. Unbeknownst to the Lasat, a lone tear curved to his eye, trickling down his cheek. Katerina...

Kanan squeezed his eyes closed, taking a deep breath, "WAKE UP, KATERINA!"

To be continued