One of you amazing reviewers predicted something was going to go wrong earlier in the story. This is for you. :)
"Who are you?" Kanan asked, looking around. They were surrounded by fifteen troopers. The situation looked bleak.
The human officer simply smiled. She had red hair that was tied back into a bun and looked like she was in her thirties. Her green eyes were filled with knowing. Kanan's heart began to pound. It didn't take the Force to know she knew why they were there.
The officer continued. "My name is Frieda Longheart, and I will be overseeing your stay at Kirna Base. Set for stun."
Kanan ignited his lightsaber, the stun blasts dissolving under his blade. Hera began shooting. She took out five stormtroopers before she fell to the barrage of stun blasts. She fell to the ground, out like a light.
"Hera!"
The Stormtroopers stopped firing and Longheart smiled. "Now Jarrus, I'm willing to offer you a deal. Come willingly, and we'll let your friend live."
"How do you know who I am?" Kanan asked.
"Everyone knows who you are. And I knew that if I set off the bombs in Genevene, I'd attract so much rebel scum. Looks like it worked. Now, what is your answer."
Kanan glared. "Ezra, I'm sorry. We'll find a way to save you. I promise."
Kanan turned off his lightsaber, and Longheart downed him quickly with a stun shot. She then turned to what was left of her squad. "Take these two to a holding cell. I'm going to find their ship."
Ezra woke up to the sound of an explosion. The impact knocked him out of bed and send him landing on the ground, tangled in blankets. He cried out in pain as his IV was ripped out of his arm. Through his blurred vision, Ezra saw the medical droid get gunned down. With what little strength he had, Ezra called Kanan's blaster to his hand with the Force. "Chopper..." he croaked. "Hide..." Chopper ducked into a storage space without a sound.
Ezra painfully shifted out of the blankets and looked up at his attacker.
"Nev...ought I'd find y... so...ckly," a broken voice said.
Ezra was cold. Everything hurt. He didn't know who this person was, but the Force told him she had to go and fast. Ezra shakily lifted his blaster, but a wave of dizziness swept over him. "Aww..." the voice said. "Is the si...tle boy gon...try an...ut up a fight?" Who was this person? Why was she here? What happened to Kanan and Hera? Ezra lifted up the blaster to shoot his attacker, but his arms hurt so much and he couldn't think straight and he saw three blasters instead of one and...
He couldn't do it...
He couldn't do it...
He just couldn't do it...
Ezra's world was silenced by a blue ring headed towards him...
The world of waking wasn't kind to Kanan.
Then again, it never is after a stun shot.
He felt groggy and tired, but that wasn't what was on his mind. Kanan quickly sat up and rushed to Hera's side. He shook her, calling her name. Hera groaned and opened her eyes. "Where are we?" she murmured. Kanan looked around. There were three durasteel walls and what appeared to be a ray shield. He tried unlocking it using the Force, but to no avail. "Looks like a holding cell... I can use the Force while inside but not outside..." he mumbled. "We have to get out of here fast and get Ezra."
"No need for that," a voice rang out. Kanan recognized that voice as the officer that captured them. Kanan's heart dropped into his stomach as she came into view. Two stormtroopers were dragging a limp Ezra in between them. When he was tossed into the cell, it seemed like they were trying to throw him as hard as they could. Kanan and Hera immediately braced Ezra, keeping him from hitting the ground.
"Let him go," Kanan yelled. "He's sick! He has that disease those bucketheads let loose in Genevene!"
"Are you referring to the bombs filled with Rubrosis that were set off after Genevene threw a hissy fit?" Longheart replied.
Kanan's eyes widened in realization. "You were there..."
"I was there," Longheart replied cooly. "I was the buckethead who gave the order to set off those bombs. I was then promoted and sent here. I assume you came here for the cure? To save those villagers that clearly don't deserve to live? To save your precious little boy?"
Hera narrowed her eyes, giving Longheart a murderous glare. Kanan gritted his teeth in fury. As if to rub it in, Longheart held up the two vials that were filled with nectar. The vials that Kanan and Hera had filled. "You wanted this right?" Longheart tightened her fist and the two vials shattered in her grip. "Oops."
"You sleemo!" Kanan roared. "He needs that! Those villagers need that!"
Longheart turned to the two troopers that had brought in Ezra. "Burn the flowers. All of them."
"NO!" Kanan and Hera screamed in unison.
Longheart just smiled. "I think I'll enjoy you watching your boy die. Agent Kallus will be here in a week. Enjoy your stay."
The officer smirked and left without another word.
When Hera was sure she was gone, Hera burst into tears. "What are we going to do?" she sobbed, pulling Ezra's head into her lap.
Kanan looked over Ezra, assessing his condition. Ezra's chest and arms were covered in bruises. Ezra's skin was paler, if that was even possible, and his chin and lips were stained with blood. Ezra had two days before he slipped into a coma...
Kanan blinked back tears and spoke with a shaky voice. "We just have to make the next two days as painless as possible... Maybe we'll get lucky. Maybe someone will come for us. Maybe they'll miss one of the flowers..."
Ezra's eyes blinked open, shining with tears. "Kanan... Hera..."
"Ezra," Hera said softly.
Ezra was shivering. Kanan shifted closer, gently rubbing Ezra's bare arms in an attempt to warm him up, but as gentle as he was, Ezra cried out in pain.
Kanan immediately drew back. "Sorry... Just hang in there," he whispered. "Just hang on for two more days. You'll sleep through the rest."
Ezra nodded. "I got...captured... I don't know where...Chopper is...or if he's even...alive... I know...the med droid...isn't... Kanan... I'm sorry..."
Hera shushed him as Kanan closed his eyes sadly. "Don't be buddy. Don't be."
Chopper emerged from his hiding place, slightly amused about the fact that in her rush to get Ezra, the officer had neglected to get rid of the ship.
"Ezra?" Chopper warbled. "Ezra? Are you alive?"
The ship was empty. Chopper passed down the smoldering remains of the medical droid, and used his rockets to propel himself off of what was left of the Avenger.
That sleemo officer had taken Ezra. If they had Ezra, they most certainly had Hera and Kanan as well.
They were being kept at that base.
Chopper figured it was time to pay that base a visit.
Chopper to the rescue...possibly maybe.
You know, my favorite Chopper moment was when he got ahold of the blasters. I was thinking, "Oh no. This outta be good."
I know a lot of you wanted this to be Sloane but I wanted to develop Longheart a little bit. There's also another reason that you will all know soon enough.
If Kanan calls Ezra buddy on the actual show, I will die of feels! :)
Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you did, you know what to do!
Until next time!