Ch 13

The rebels were attacking an Imperial outpost on Ord Mantell.

Ezra, Sabine, Zeb, and Mara fought their way through stormtroopers, shooting and striking them down until they reached the control room.

Commander Hammerly and the three stormtroopers inside fired but they were no match for the rebels, getting quickly knocked down.

Before long, Sabine and Ezra had placed grenades on the consoles and the rebels ran back outside.

An Imperial troop transport pulled up and more stormtroopers came out as well as two electrostaff Purge troopers.

Sabine detonated the grenades with her remote and the building went up in a plume of fire and smoke as blaster bolts flew everywhere.

Ezra was fighting the two Purge troopers and parried a strike from one of them, then cut him down.

Then the last Purge trooper jabbed his electrostaff into Ezra's torso and he screamed once as electricity coursed through him.

Then his world went dark.

When Ezra woke up, he had been taken to an interrogation room in the Star Destroyer above Ord Mantell.

Commander Hammerly and two stormtroopers were in the corners of the room as the Third Brother arrived.

"Ezra Bridger." the Inquisitor sneered. "You've been causing us a lot of trouble. Attacking our bases, cutting off our supply lines, and all the while, using an old relic from an old era."

"My friends aren't gonna give up just because you caught me." Ezra retorted. "And the Jedi Order's gonna return and dethrone your Emperor eventually."

"Still persistant." the Third Brother said. "But even you must realize that your raids are getting you nowhere. The Empire still has the galaxy. And I will have the location of your friends."

Then the Inquisitor extended his hand and Ezra felt tendrils creeping into his mind.

"Is…this a…staring contest?" Ezra gasped out.

The Third Brother reached in even further and Ezra felt a searing pain as his memories were ripped from his mind.

Then Ezra screamed and his head fell back into his interrogation chair.

"I have what I need." the Third Brother said. "Execute him."

After the Inquisitor left, the two stormtroopers walked up to Ezra and aimed their blaster rifles at him.

Ezra still had some strength and he used the Force to make the first trooper aim his blaster at his friend and shoot him instead.

Then Ezra ripped free of his restraints with a Force shockwave that knocked down the last trooper and Commander Hammerly but she was still conscious.

Hammerly unstrapped an electro-baton from her belt and swung but Ezra got his saber to block just in time.

Then Ezra kicked down Hammerly and bolted out of the room.

He ran all the way to the hangar but a dozen stormtroopers with the Third Brother arrived.

Another door in the hangar opened and more stormtroopers with Commander Hammerly arrived.

"You are no longer needed." the Third Brother said, then flung his saber at Hammerly which impaled her, then the saber returned to the Inquisitor.

Suddenly, the Ghost arrived and its thrusters blew back stormtroopers like rag dolls.

The troopers still standing fired but their blaster bolts bounced off the ship's hull plating as the Third Brother dug his saber into the ground to resist the wind.

Then Ezra carried Hammerly onto the Ghost and it flew off.

"She's wounded." Ezra said.

"There's still a pulse." Sabine replied.

After they got back to the base, Hammerly was put on a stretcher.

"Why did you spare me?" Hammerly asked.

"Because it was the right thing to do." Ezra replied simply.

Then Hammerly was taken to the medical room.

"You sure know how to make friends." Hera said.

"I learned from watching you guys." Ezra replied.

Hammerly was a rebel now.