The original plan had been to use the turbolifts. Luke hadn't considered that they would shut them down. Climbing down an access tube was hardly a highlight of his week, Luke noted.
Luke didn't look down. He knew if he did, he would look at a very long fall down to the dregs of the space station. He kept his eyes ahead on the ladder they were descending. Every level they reached, Luke would check his datapad to see if it was the detention level. After ten minutes of descent, they reached the detention level.
Luke had to make a little leap to reach the small crawlspace that the detention level led to. He moved into the crawl space, with Ahsoka behind him. Luke pulled out a pair of stun grenades. "I'll pop the access hatch, and we'll go from there." He said as he started to find the access panel for the crawlspace hatch. He hit the release for it, and it slid up to reveal the detention level corridor.
As he peeked his head out, he took stock of the situation quickly. It was one long corridor, in the typical Imperial military style. At either end of the corridor, there was a work station where troops were securing down the level.
Luke tossed a stun grenade in each direction, using the Force to enhance the strength of his throw, enough to ensure that the grenades reached their targets. There was a quick whine, then electric sizzles as the stun grenades went off.
They quickly moved out of the crawlspace, Luke holding his blaster at the ready. None of the troops were getting up, so that was at least a small favor.
They walked down to one of the terminals, where Luke started to check the prisoner records. "Okay, Kanan Jarrus is in cell AA-23." He said as he started to lok through the system. The door locks wouldn't engage, though.
He thumbed his commlink. "Winter, how's the progress going?"
"We've just secured the operations center. I'm going to start getting us into the computer systems." He heard typing on her end. "I've tapped into the commlines. You're going to have company down there, Luke. First response team enroute to the detention level."
Luke groaned as he moved away from the console. Better to get into the cover in the middle of the room. "We need you to unlock cell AA-23."
"What? Don't you two have lightsabers?" Winter asked.
Ahsoka shook her head. "No good. There's magnetic seals on the cells. We have to turn it off to get the cell open."
"I'll work on it." Winter said. "Give me a few minutes."
"We're not going to have a few minutes, Winter." Luke protested. "Troops are incoming."
"We'll do it." Ahsoka said, then she nodded, drawing her saber. "Let's get ready."
They took up positions behind the bulkheads of the corridor, each on either side. It was two minutes before the hatch opened, and stormtroopers flooded the room.
They moved as a single, coordinated unit, two troopers at the back blasting the corridor with covering fire as the rest of the squad moved in.
Luke and Ahsoka both lit their sabers, the snap-hiss of their activation filling the air. They both stepped out from the cover of the bulkhead, advancing on the troopers. Luke let the Force guide him, moving his saber to block the strikes, sending the scarlet bolts away as they advanced.
Ahsoka was a whirlwind of motion. Her white saber flicked and swung, striking the bolts in such a manner that each one bounced back at the attacking troops. It had its own dangerous beauty to every moment, like an intricate dance taht was rehearsed instead of the chaos of combat.
They reached the end of the corridor, in the control room. Luke used the Force to enhance his speed, and dashed forward He brought his saber blade across the chest of one of the troops, then swung it to block a blaster bolt he instinctively knew was coming on his left.
He whipped out his blaster, putting two bolts into the trooper. He kept his saber in his left hand, moving to put his back to the wall, facing any remaining troops. Instead, he saw Ahsoka, turning off her lightsaber, a mass of dead stormtroopers around her.
She pulled out her commlink. "Winter, how's it coming?"
But there wasn't an answer. Every door of the detention level opened, and Luke realized that it wasn't Winter.
Luke ran down the corridor, finding the cell Kanan Jarrus was in. He was there, looking the owrse for wear. He was bloodied and beaten, strewn over the floor of the cell.
"Kanan," Ahsoka rushed to his side, and checked his vitals. "Still alive." She lifted him, which drew a groan. "That's good. If he can groan, he's still alive."
"That can be remedied."
Luke spun around, locating the voice that came from the turbolifts. Luke felt a disturbance in the Force, like a cold wet feeling had been draped over his back. He turned to face the voice.
He was a tall, gaunt figure, a Pau'an all in black. He drew a lightsaber from his belt, and activated it. It burned with an angry red glare. "You are too young to be a Jedi, even one of the younglings from the Temple, Prince Organa."
Ahsoka, holding Kanan, glared at the Inquisitor. "You would know." She hissed.
"You know him, Ahsoka?" Luke asked. He activated his own lightsaber, standing between Ahsoka and the Inquisitor.
"Padawan Tano, the last time we met was at your trial." He smiled, revealing jagged teeth. "You now style yourself the trainer of this boy?"
Ahsoka grimaced. "Luke, get Kanan to the turbolift." She instructed him. "I'll handle him."
Luke deactivated his lightsaber, then stepped back. He took Kanan's shoulder, even if the Jedi was a good deal heavier than him. He backed away slowly, watching as the two former Jedi both moved towards each other. Ahsoka let her lightsaber ignite, and they both held their lightsabers in a duelist's salute.
Then it began. Luke had never seen two beings move with such speed, grace, and ferocity. White and red blades danced together, with no clear dominance emerging in the first few strikes. Luke watched as the Inquisitor made quick, precise maneuvers, using the limited space of the hallway to turn it into an improptu fencing match.
Ahsoka wasn't having any of it. She ducked and weaved, dropping down to try and make a strike at the Inquisitor's legs. He blocked low, then tried to bring a strike at her head. She brought her saber up, catching the blade in a horizontal block. The two pushed on each other for a long moment before disengaging, an explosion of Force energy knocking both back.
Luke was brought out of his spectacle when his commlink blinked. "Luke! We just got through the base channels. What's going on?"
"There's…something down here. We found Kanan. He needs medical attention. I need the assault team down here to bring him out. Ahsoka and I need help!"
"They'll be down there in two minutes, Luke. Hold on until then."
Luke knew he had to at least try. He reached into the Force, ignoring the tide of adrenaline, focusing. His lightsaber crackled to life, and he joined Ahsoka.
The Inquisitor hissed as he saw Luke approach. He side-stepped Luke's initial strike, allowing him to overshoot, leaving Luke and Ahsoka on either side of him. "A basic attack." He hissed as he thumbed a switch on his lightsaber. A second blade shot out, and he assumed a new stance to be able to pay attention to both Luke and Ahsoka. "Form One, in a duel? My, Padawan Tano, how the Jedi have fallen."
Luke and Ahsoka's eyes met, and he realized they needed to change strategies. However, the Inquisitor wasn't giving them any chance to discuss it. He knew Luke was the weaker link, and he went after Luke.
Luke had to work to stay on defense. Each strike was fast, setting an erratic rhythm he could barely keep up with. Once Luke thought he had it figured out, the Inquisitor would strike at Ahsoka. He kept himself between them in the center of the hall, like a Sarlaac, only lashing out when he found it advantageous.
The battle happened in seconds, but each moment was an eon to Luke. He kept trying to find any weakness in the Inquisitor's style, but Luke was spending too much time on defense. Then Luke had an idea.
"Catch!" Luke tossed his saber to Ahsoka, at the same time using the Force to accentuate his speed. He hopped onto the wall of the hall, then used the angle to launch himself over the Inquisitor's reach.
Ahsoka caught the second saber in mid-air, and brought it down in an overhead swing. Luke rushed back to the control room, while Ahsoka started to retreat as well.
"So young, untrained." The Inquisitor chided. "He would make an excellent student for the Emperor." He simply advanced on them, in no particular rush. Luke wondered where in blazes was the assault team. They needed to leave. Now.
Ahsoka leveled her sabers in a ready position. "You won't lay a hand on him. Luke!" She tossed his saber back to him, and he joined at her side.
The station shook with a rumbling vibration, one that lasted several seconds. "Assault missiles, blast." Luke hissed.
"We are rather loathe to give up our quarry," The Inquisitor said. He brought his saber in, striking at Luke, and Luke moved with a quick block, holding his blade in a downwards maneuver. Ahsoka used the moment to strike, taking a slash at his waist. The Inquisitor had to move his blade to block the strike, giving Luke just the opportunity he needed. He brought the saber down and struck at the Inquisitor's arm, severing it at the elbow.
The Inquisitor tried to strike back at Luke, but ended with Ahsoka's saber, penetrating his heart in one quick strike.
It was over just as suddenly as it had begun. The station shook again, more missiles rocking the frame of it.
The turbolift opened, and Winter and the assault team stepped out. "We've got a Star Destroyer closing in, and TIE Bombers are launching assault missiles at the station. We've got to get out of here!"
They hurried into the turbolift, carrying Kanan. Luke felt a disturbance in the Force, something he had never felt before. It was like a brand held above his face, the heat present, uncomfortable, a fiery gaze held into him from the Force.
He knew that there were worse things than the Inquisitor out there.