Now then- this chapter is shorter (a lot shorter) than the others, but one particular writing device I've employed in the past to great success has made a triumphant return... much to your discomfort, I believe. Although you guys have pretty much been prepared for this... }:I

Disclaimer: Honestly, the day Disney decides to put Star Wars in my hands is the day the world goes mad. Because... well. Bad things would happen.

There- that should be half-way!

Nearly half a standard hour after he'd been smuggled into this accursed place, now Ezra had something else to do other than the mindless repetition of placing bombs- touch his communicator to send his signal to Kanan and the others.

Oh the entertainment.

Ezra planted his forehead on his arm, content to just lie there in the vents for a little bit. He'd been doing his job well- there was now a bomb in almost every junction of the ventilation systems on the northern half of the tower's diameter, along with a few extras here and there when there was a straight piece for a significant length. And now that his job was half-done, that he didn't have to place so many- the plan called for twice the amount of bombs on section than the other, so it would fall in the direction they needed it to. Now that those 'extra' bombs had been placed, he just needed to place the minimum amount that was needed to make the tower fall.

Which, to be honest, was still a lot. He still had his work cut out for him, and he still had- most probably -another half hour to go. His back and leg muscles were already sore and protesting, and they'd be screaming even louder at him by the time he was done here. The entire trip wouldn't have had that much of an effect on him, to tell the truth, if only he hadn't been forced to go back and forth to resupply. Because that was the real problem- he'd gone back to Chopper's hidden room tens of times, going back and forth between the far edge of the tower and a point he deduced was almost in the middle.

All without making a sound. Which was rather frustrating, because being stealthy in the vents meant moving slowly. Which just made the entire ordeal that much more frustrating.

But still- it was half-way over now, and in another short (ish) amount of time, he could get out of this accursed tower. And maybe slump down in his bunk and just not move for a few days... or have Sabine poke a few pressure points to help him out. She knew a lot of them, something that Ezra'd witnessed first-hand when she'd taken down a stormtrooper with nothing more than a pinch to the small bit of exposed neck in their backside. She'd said that they could be used to take out enemies or to relieve pain, so maybe she'd be willing to help him out...

With that thought in mind, Ezra picked his head off his arms and started shimmying backwards. As slow and awkward as it was, he couldn't very well turn around in the cramped and narrow space. He'd be moving backwards until he came across a junction, which he'd stick his feet into and wheel himself around until he'd be facing the right way. He'd been doing that a lot. He was practically a master at it now.

Five... four... three... two- here. Pretty much the only way Ezra'd been able to keep track of where his entrance and exit point was was by counting the exact number of turns and junctions he'd had to pass while going and getting away from it. Though it'd taken him a few tries to get the technique down, costing precious minutes when he'd originally gotten lost.

Wrapping his fingers around the grating, Ezra once again popped open the now loose grate that gave him access to the room below. Unlike the other times he'd come back to restock, Chopper wasn't there.

Which was a good thing- that meant he was on his way around the base, slicing and placing the looping code into the cameras around the three bays Kanan, Zeb and Sabine would be hitting. In a minute or two, Chop'd send out his own signal, verifying that the bays were safe to go into. Ezra had to admit- he hadn't worked with Chopper a lot in missions, but he seemed to be taking this one more serious than the others. Maybe it was because the Empire was finally starting to crack down on them, or maybe Hera'd finally broken through his obviously faulty compassion circuits and had installed some decency and common sense into him. It was probably the former.

Whatever the case, the droid's absence actually lightened Ezra's heart just a bit- the plan was going smoothly, and if all went well, they'd be out there in no time. Well, in a little time, it'd still take him a bit to finish the tower, but they'd be over and done with the mission soon, with no one harmed and everyone safely aboard the Ghost.

Ezra honestly should have known better.

He'd only made two trips since his half-way signal, and was starting on his third in a new section when the inevitable happened-

The plan didn't go as planned.

I swear I won't be able to walk straight for da- the bottom of the vents crashed down to the floor below, bringing Ezra down with it. He collided onto the floor, the breath knocked out from his lungs as his stomach whammed into the deck. He only had a second to register 'they put a trap in the vents!' before a large, heavy boot came smashing onto his exposed back- effectively eliciting a cry of pain from Ezra as well as pinning him to the floor.

"Ah, I was wondering when you'd show up. You've kept me waiting, little Bridger boy."

It was commander Morden.

Return of the Cliff Hangers! Mua ha ha ha! }:I