Kanan blinked as the blast door shut. The loud bang! as the twenty year-old metal slammed together. Having been in between where the indentations were made, a blast door shut behind the former jedi, leaving with a blaring alarm and dust-coated light as company.

For a moment Kanan processed what had happened; in less than ten minutes Ezra had gone from an ally to a crazed hawk-bat. Kanan, Sabine, and Zeb had given chase - and failed. He'd failed. Failed to stop Maul; failed to notify the others; failed to prepare his apprentice. Now Ezra was probably lost, too.

But Kanan would be damned if he wasn't going to try and save him.

Yet, at that moment, Kanan remembered something - or more specifically, someone's. Zeb and Sabine.

The lasat was probably fine, but Kanan had his doubts about Sabine; the mandalorian was tough, sure, but that stun bolt had hit her pretty hard. Running a hand through his hair, Kanan let out a breath, practicing the breathing exercises his master had taught him. Within minutes, Kanan had his breathing down to a normal level. Looking at the situation, Kanan saw two options: leave Ezra and take Sabine and Zeb back to the Ghost, and accept the heat the rebellion would give him, or attempt to save his apprentice and make his way to Zeb and Sabine afterwards.

"Yes, a difficult choice, isn't it?"

Kanan's blade, which had previously been brushing against the permacrete of the outpost, shot up, scorching the floor. He looked around; nobody was near him.

"I see idiotic minds think alike,"

That voice was familiar…

"Maul." Kanan growled, "How are you talking to me?" He demanded of the dathomirian. There was cruel laughter that echoed throughout Kanan's mind.

"A bond." Maul stated simply. When Kanan didn't respond, he continued. "No words? Your apprentice tried that: it didn't work." Kanan lowered his tip, and began to let his anger out into the force.

"Let me guess...you're letting your feelings out into the force, right?" kanan blinked, then closed his eyes again.

"No matter. Ezra will be mine - soon enough." Something in Kanan raised its head, sniffing around until it found what it was looking for.

"Don't tell me you're trying more si-" Maul's voice stopped mid-sentence, before crying out in anger. Kanan, meanwhile, was beginning to sweat; developing a bond was simple enough, but breaking one was far and ways more difficult. Kanan grit his teeth, focused harder on the bond. In moments, he grasped it; he felt a pain beginning in the back of his head shortly afterward. Nonetheless, Kanan pushed forward, twisting and stretching the bond with his apprentice. The pain in his head increased, but the former jedi pushed on.

In moments, the bond began to show the signs of tattering; biting his lower lip, Kanan drew more from his rapidly draining reserves of force power. The pain in Kanan's head was omni-present now. With one final, desperate push, Kanan took the last of his energy reserve.

Maul's scream of frustration was cut off when Kanan's bond with Ezra snapped in two, and Kanan opened his eyes. His dropped to his knees, letting his shoulders slump and an exhausted breath exit him. After a few moments, the former jedi turned on his heel, raising his blade as he did so.

Walking up to the blast door behind him, Kanan gripped the lightsaber with both hands and drove it into the durasteel of the blast door. Ignoring the soreness in his arms, the former jedi made a roughly circle-shaped hole with his lightsaber. It was a slow, grinding process, but Kanan pushed harder, gritting his teeth.

When the hole had been completed, he stepped back and wound his wrist back. Focusing his energy, the former jedi thrust his arm forward. The durasteel he'd cut flew back, slamming into the a blast door behind it.

Bending over, Kanan made his way through the hole and approached the next blast door.

This was going to a long mission.

Thirty minutes and at least a dozen doors later Kanan reached Zeb and Sabine. Kanan was deactivating his lightsaber when the pair glanced up; Sabine immediately ran up to him; her face was tear stained.

"Kanan!" she shouted, speed Kanan had never seen from the mandalorian propelling her right in front of the jedi, "What the hell was that?" Kanan looked momentarily confused, then sighed.

"I think Maul's finally gone and done it," he responded, dejected. Zeb, who had been watching the exchange, piped up.

"What do ya mean by 'done it'?" The lasat demanded, rising. "Because the way I see it, that kid betrayed us." Zeb started, rising from his sitting position. "So you better have kriffing good explanation for this," he growled. Kanan felt heat creeping up his cheeks as Sabine stood beside Zeb, a clear indication of her allegiances.

Under the pair of gazes, Kanan gave in.

"Maul attacked Ezra's mind - again. I don't know what he did but clearly Ezra thought we were enemies; for whatever reason." Zeb and Sabine didn't look overly convinced and both opened their mouths, yet Kanan held up a hand.

Giving the pair a tired, 'Don't even bother,' look that held a hint of anger. Zeb took this as a clear sign to stop immediately. Sabine, though, was near hysterical; she'd watched as Ezra collapsed; she'd attempted in vain to contact - talk to him. And now he seemed to have finally lost it. She was going to lose another brother.

The mandalorian's eyes had water at the edges, and her hands shook. Kanan, seeing the storm that was coming from the girl, pulled her in, wrapping his arms around her frame and rubbing her back.

"But I'm going to go get him," Kanan shot Zeb an authoritative look. "Try to contact Hera; tell her to bring the Ghost to your signal." The lasat nodded, reaching for the comm on his waist and giving it a few taps before letting out a frustrated sigh.

"The blasted things not working," he groaned. Kanan nodded, cautiously releasing the mandalorian in his arms and approaching the blast door Zeb and Sabine hadn't managed to pass; he raised the hilt, wrapped his fingers around the handle and ignited it, driving into the durasteel with unprecedented determination.

He was going to get Ezra back - no matter what it took.

AN: A bit of a shorter one, but I needed to 'set the stage' for Ezra's bit. That should be fun to write. Also, a quick question: Am I good at writing the more heartfelt moments for this story? That's all I have to say for the moment, so any reviews/favs/follows will be duly noted. - Raging Celiac