Ezra sat in the air ducts, his head in his hands, the tracks of dried tears on his cheeks. He had heard her cries, they echoed on the metal around hime and was helpless to stop them. There was just too many. Too many for him to deal with without the others.
But Hera held out. She didn't tell them anything.
After a while, there was silence.
Ezra crept along the narrow shaft, back to Hera's cell. He peered through the vent and waited. He didn't have to wait long. The door slid open, two Black Sword mercs hauled an unconscious Hera between them, and dumped her into the middle of the room. She didn't move.
Ezra pressed his hand against the vent, the vanes sharp against his palm.
The door slid shut.
Ezra immediately dropped down into the room, keeping beneath the single camera that was the only surveillance. Drawing on the force, he manipulated the device to turn sideways, giving a nice view of the floor and wall to one side.
He scrambled toward Hera, and patted her face ineffectually.
"Hera?" he whispered. "Wake up. Please."
Her face was swollen and battered. Her eyelids briefly fluttered, but that was it, she remained resolutely unconscious.
Ezra checked the time and winced. He was running short. He curled his fingertips against his palms, sat back with his butt on his heels and closed his eyes. His heart was thundering in his ears and he had to wilfully concentrate to slow it to a dull roar. Everything was crowding in on him. Hera needed him. Needed him very very badly.
He felt the warmth of the Force sending its shimmering tendrils over his skin. He felt the fear of its power lightly brush over his mind, but he pushed it back.
Hera needed him.
He needed something new. Something he hadn't tried. He drew deep, and placing his hands over the worst of Hera's wounds that he could see, he projected those gentle tendrils of force into her. He struggled to maintain control. He could feel Hera's pain with the slowly opening channel between their bodies. He could feel how far away she was, pushed back by the agony of her torture. She didn't want to push through the wall of the pain, so he had to ease it.
He could feel her flesh slowly repairing. He hoped, hoped he had this right.
Suddenly her eyes flew open and she grabbed Ezra's wrist.
"What are you doing here?" she whispered hoarsely.
"Kanan has a plan. We are going to get you out of here."
Hera gave a soft laugh as her hand fell back on her chest. "Kanan has a plan?"
Ezra rose to his feet and moved over to the door. "Yeah. Well…" He peered out of the window, using it to check out the corridors. He hesitated, and glanced back at Hera. "We have the basic outline of a plan."
Hera closed her eyes. "When will this basic outline of a plan be taking place?"
"Kanan is on his way. He has Lan's sister."
Hera opened her eyes at that and struggled to sit up. "He didn't."
"Don't worry. He says he has a plan," Ezra reassured Hera.
Hera pressed her fingertips into her eyes. "Then I will just hope that his Force is guiding him on the path of the light right now."