A/N: Hello! Another Sunday another chapter and I am proud to say that I got this done promptly. I was unable to put as much time into this chapter as I would like but my week was unusually busy. The scene didn't quite come out the way I wanted it to but it was on rewrite number 2.5 and I figured what I had would have to do.

Anyways, enjoy and I'll sign off and everything at the end.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars Rebels, Faith is my OC

Chapter Fourteen

Without you

Commander Lannery stood on the bridge of The Justice watching the slow rolling of the clouds over the ruinous land. Tibet Saxon's destroyer hung just below him and he watched it carefully. At the current moment they were experimenting with the weapons range and power levels, all technical information that went over Lannery's head. Supposedly an attack was imminent he had made sure to alert Tibet so that the trap could be sprung on the rebel advisories. He heard the soft steps of an officer and glanced to his left.

"Sir, Captain Hemmrick is waiting for you in your office." His coms officer reported with a salute.
"Thank you Leuitenat," Lannery responded returning the salute and walking towards the back of the bridge fighting to keep the smile off his face. Jane and himself rarely got to have on one conversations and while in his mind the Imperial mission always came first he would never turn down the opportunity to have a moment of alone time with his closest friend.
He stopped outside the door quickly double-checking his uniform to ensure that it was pressed to his liking before mentally berating himself and, his friends he spelled it out for himself once again before the doors slid open and he walked into the office.
He forgot how pretty her hair was when she had it tucked in a ponytail and tied professionally through her Imperial cap.
She was standing at his desk her fingers absentmindedly drumming on the desk while she stared thoughtfully out the window.
"Captain Hemmrick." He said the formal edge to his voice completely disappearing.
She turned around slowly, like she knew he was there, and intended to keep him waiting as long as plausible. When she finally met his gaze her chocolate brown eyes drilled holes into him and he gulped.
She laughed, that sweet and intoxicating laugh that could lighten a room with the emperor himself in it. Lannery quickly shook his head keeping himself focused on the here and now.
"Commander." She said mocking formality nodding to him respectfully.
"Glad you could make it," Lannery said quickly dropping the act and approaching her slowly.
She smirked at him her eyes flicking away before back to his face. "Been pretty busy, Saxon isn't exactly the most joyous mando to work for." She joked.
"I know our circumstance isn't ideal but I promise we are doing what is in the Empire's best interest." He reassured her his comforting smile a genuine one.
"Right…" She trailed off her eyes drifting downward at the mention of the Empire and Lannery's brow furrowed in concern.
"Something wrong?" He pressed gently fighting the urge to reach a comforting hand out.
"No," she responded quickly, too quickly. "I am fine."

Lannery simply let them sit in silence, when she finally looked up at him he was looking at her with such compassion and sympathy a trick that usually worked when she refused to divulge what was on her mind.
"I got word back from my brother," she said slowly.
Lannery's hope instantly dropped his eyes filling with sadness. "They imprisoned her?" He guessed trying to be gentle.

"Execution," Jane said her voice breaking as she said so tears starting to slide down her face.
Lannery disregarded every Imperial protocol and opened his arms letting Jane collapse into his side.
She never could control emotion like Lannery did. He wasn't surprised.
"It isn't fair!" She whined into his chest her sobs racking her body.
He realized how compromising it was for him to be this close to an officer but he didn't care. Jane was his friend, the one who had been there with him since the beginning, he would do what he could for her. He owed her that much.
"How could they condemn her without a trial?!" She questioned to no one in particular.
Lannery had finished rationalizing Jane's sudden proximity to him and he gently tugged on her shoulder to which she leaned further into him. They sat in silence for a moment occasionally Jane would let out a small groan or whine followed by a chorus of curses and redundant questions. She didn't want Lannery to answer she just wanted him to listen.
So he did.
Quietly, without complaint, and without letting her move.
It had been nearly five minutes when finally she removed her head from his chest and looked at him sadly. Her eyes searched the bottom of his chin, when he finally looked down he tried to give her his best empathetic face.
"I'm sorry," he said simply.
Lannery felt genuine surprise. Jane meant a lot to him but her sister had been caught in a scandal with known rebel sympathizers and regardless of her family or what they had done for the Empire Cassandra's actions were simply treason. Although personally, Lannery felt that she deserved Jail time and execution was a little harsh considering her family's loyalty and dedication to the Empire.
"Can we do anything?" He asked softly, Lannery didn't have a lot of power or political sway but he could try. He knew some people had a couple of favors to use.

"The execution was yesterday…" Jane said slowly her sniffling diminishing as she glanced back out the window.
"Oh," was all Lannery managed.
"There wasn't anything you could do," Jane said simply looking up and away from him. She finally pulled herself out of his grip and Lannery was loathe to admit he wanted her to stay only a little longer if only to feel her warmth pressed up against him.
"I'm still sorry," he said meekly.
"I know you are." She said genuinely looking back at him some of the light in her eyes returning.
"I am too." She admitted after another moment gesturing to his uniform.
Lannery glanced down and fought off the blush that threatened to creep its way onto his face. "Don't be," he quickly continued straightening his uniform.
"I appreciate everything." She added her eyes flicking around the room before settling on the door.
"I'm just repaying the favor, someone has to watch out for you, this isn't the academy anymore." He joked causing a smile to take hold of her face.
"No, no it certainly isn't."
Before he could ask about what exactly she meant by that his com lit up beeping furiously.
Glancing irritatingly at it he looked apologetically towards Jane before pressing the button. "Commander Lannery." He said formally clearing his throat.
"Sir!" blaster fire cut off the stormtrooper, "It is a rebel ambush, just like you said we are having trouble repelling them!"

Quickly all the previous ten minutes left Lannery's mind as he snapped into Imperial officer mode.
"Stay calm, make sure to let them split up, they will have to move to the data core if they are to strike a crippling blow. Trust Saxon to handle the weapon's core and I will be there shortly to intercept them. Hold them in the hangar for as long as possible but do not worry. They won't escape." Lannery was already moving around his desk grabbing his battle gear.
The Klaxons in the destroyer suddenly began blaring and Lannery finished tucking a pistol behind his belt and grabbing his E-11 from behind his desk. He wore light armour under his Imperial uniform but for the sake of appearances on the officer-issued battle helmet which he always felt looked stupid.
Before he could leave Jane put her hand on his arm causing him to be jolted back to the present.
He briefly recalled Thrawn's description of the Rebel cell and remembered them discussing the membership of two Jedi. He stared at a spot on his desk his mind rolling at the thought of being attacked by actual Jedi. He had a history with the lightsaber-wielding wizards but he thought them long gone after the Empire dealt them a crushing blow, before he could think longer on the subject he quickly ignored it moving to leave the room.
Jane stopped him with her hand on his arm causing him to freeze at the sudden touch.
"Be careful." She pleaded her eyes piercing straight through his Imperial defenses.

"I will," Lannery reassured her, quickly leaving her side before she said something that would convince him to stay.

—-

"How is it coming Chop!" Ezra said deflecting a bolt into the nearest Stormtrooper and quickly ducking behind the panel looking at the orange droid.
He beeped something back that Ezra struggled to hear over the sound of more blaster fire, sticking his pistol over top of the panel he fired into the oncoming Stormtroopers looking back to Chopper, "What was that?"
Kana deflected bolts finishing the last of the troopers in his hallway.
"He was complaining about how Imperial data logs are long!" Kanan finished explaining as Ezra sliced the door controls and shot the last stormtrooper.
"How does that have anything to do with how long he has left?" Ezra questioned.
"No idea," Kanan said shrugging.
Ezra tapped his com, "Sabine comes in, we have the data core almost wiped what is your status?" After a moment of silence, there was no response.
Uh oh
"Sabine?" He repeated an edge of worry taking his voice. Quickly switching signals he tapped the com again. "Faith! Come in Faith!" Another moment of silence before the sound of blaster fire filled the com.
"Ezra? Little busy is there a problem with the data core?" She responded.
"Where is Sabine? She isn't picking up the com?" He asked beginning to pace.
"She and Bo Katann went to the command center to destroy the weapon." Worried Ezra probed with the force trying to find the familiar Mando's signature. There, only Ezra didn't feel relief as he felt an overwhelming amount of pain come from her. "She is in danger!" Ezra said looking over to Kanan. His master acknowledged him with a nod, "Go, me and Chop will finish up here." Ezra hesitated for one moment before taking off down the hallway they came, dashing through the hallways as he tried desperately to remember the layout of an Imperial Star Destroyer. Left Right Left he found himself in another durasteel hallway. There! He spotted the fit and ran towards it, Imperial Klaxon's still rang above his head as he pushed the level he was confident the command center would've been on.
He did not expect the door to open to three stormtroopers

Then again they didn't expect their blasters to be cut in half and forced shoved into a durasteel wall when the fit was taking a little longer than expected.
Quickly running further down the hall he was greeted with the pair of Stormtroopers guarding a long door which electricity shot out from. Quickly disposing of them he pushed to the door only to be at the wrong end of a mandorlian blaster. Held by an angry-looking man, his blonde hair scarce and covering the top of his head, he looked like a younger Gar Saxon and Ezra deemed this must be the previous Saxon's brother and therefore the new leader of the clan in charge of Mandalore. He didn't follow Mandalore's politics, but he was pretty sure this guy was NOT on their side.
Further in the room he saw Lady Bo Katan and Sabine on the ground heaving and panting for breath and he saw the large core of the weapon alive and spinning putting two together he focused on the Mando in front of him. The longer he focused on him the longer Sabine and Bo-katan had to get up and get out of here.
"So you must be Tibet?" Ezra tried conversation. The warning in the force was faster than Tibet's trigger finger and Ezra ducked out of the way and removed his lightsaber quickly blocking the shots. From his left more Stormtroopers appeared and he cursed himself for not sealing the blastdoors. From inside the room, he heard a warcry and assumed that Sabine was up again.
Quickly deflecting more blaster bolts he got inside the room again to see Sabine against the wall and Bo and Tibet in hand to hand. Before he could react Sabine removed the Darksaber and went for the core, at the same time Tibet blocked a kick from Bo and sent her wheeling with a well-placed midsection kick. That weapon must've done a good number on her.
Unfortunately, Bo went flying into Sabine knocking the Saber from her hand, but not before it cut into her arm causing her to scream in pain. All of this happened in two seconds. As Tibet grabbed the Saber Ezra stabbed the door controls sealing the room from more stormtroopers. He heard the Darksaber ignite and his lightsaber flew up behind him in his defence buckling under the weight. With the aid of the force he shoved out of the saber lock and ducked sideways rolling to safety. Tibet growled from above him, Sabine tried to get up and aid him but her arm injury proved tough.
Tibet's charged again though his form was sloppy and unpracticed. Ezra sidestepped him confidently. He analysed the room briefly and a crazy plan began to form in his mind. Giving Tibet a well-placed kick in the back he shoved him away, jumping towards the core, he slashed open the window to the control room quickly shoving it with force as it shattered and glass broke into a thousand pieces spreading everywhere.
Below him the scene was alight with firefight, the AT-DP in the middle of the hanger, the Mandos dotted around exchanging shots with stormtroopers all culminated by Kanan's blue lightsabre deflecting a magnitude of bolts from an Imperial shuttle that Ezra was pretty sure hadn't been there when they landed. Ezra's confusion was quickly replaced with focus as his saber blocked another heavy strike from Saxon. Pushing him back he jumped down from the console and rengaged the Imperial looking briefly at Sabine. She held her arm, and the cut looked not deep, she would probably be fine given some time to heal but using that hand would be difficult.
Quickly spinning out of another saber lock Ezra changed to a super aggressive tactic forcing the Imperial to move backward, with more distance he shouted to Bo-Katan, "GO" gesturing towards the now open window.
"Are you crazy?" She shot back.
Blocking another attack from Saxon Ezra looked back at her with a wild grin, "I'll catch you both."
Without another word Ezra shoved Tibet saxon off of him, and before he could right himself he grabbed onto him with force and threw him, towards the open section of the window. Quickly following suit Ezra slashed the core with his Saber, causing it to glow in an electric blue. "We don't have much time!" Sabine said as she covered her eyes with her good hand.
"Let's move then!" Ezra declared diving out the window.
He was only in the air a few brief seconds before he used the force to cushion his fall looking up in time to watch Bo-Katan and Sabine jump out of the window, quickly reaching up he caught the both of them and slowly lowered them to the ground.
"Ezra look out behind you!" He heard Fatih yell from somewhere off to his left.
In the next moment, his saber was in his hand again and he blocked an incoming strike from Saxon.
Throwing him off he righted himself into a defensive position.
"We aren't done yet eh?" Ezra taunted beginning to circle to the left.
"Not even close," Tibet growled before launching himself at the young Jedi Padawan.
Ezra was unaware of what exactly the Mandorlian had been taught in the way of swordsmanship but it was even worse than his brother. Gar Saxon hadn't been the best saber combatant that Ezra had seen but then again neither was Sabine. Tibet was all heavy strikes and had no balance. He threw around the blade without preface or thought as to where it would land after the fact.
It only took thirty seconds of fighting before Ezra caught Sabine and Bo-Katan in the hands of Fenn Rau. Knowing they were safe he began the offensive, turning his blocks and jabs into quick precise stabs, parries, and slices to keep the Imperial on the backward movement. Tibet stumbled over himself his footwork an absolute mess and Ezra force pushed him into a stack of crates nearby glancing up he saw the battle moving as the core from the Duchess began to spark filling the entire command center with a blinding blue light. Imperial klaxons blared overhead as a pulsing orange liquid dripped from the core onto the ground melting through the durasteel.
"Ezra, we're on the way out but we don't have Tristian and Faith! They haven't responded to their coms." He heard Kanan speak through his wrist.
Quickly scanning the battlefield he spotted a flash of Mandolrian amour near the shuttle and quickly dashed towards it. Deflecting stray bolts that found themselves near him. As he vaulted over a crate he watched Tristian and some Imperial officer in hand-to-hand combat exchanging blow for blow. Faith was crouched near a crate clutching her midsection uncomfortably.
"Tristian MOVE!" Ezra yelled at his maximum volume.
Tristan got the message and quickly dropped to the ground, in the same moment Ezra unleashed a force wave that pushed the officer and surrounding stormtroopers off of their feet. Quickly running to assist Faith he smirked at Tristan. "You would've got him eventually."
Tristan returned the favor. "Thanks for the assist."
"You saved me again." Faith pointed out hobbling towards the edge of the hanger where the last of the blaster fire was still sounding from. They rounded the corner, and Kanan still deflected bolts while a charge of Stormtroopers fired on them. The core still looked to be in the process of destruction, and Ezra felt the terror in the force overwhelm, he suspected that the core which looked hooked up to the Star Destroyer had begun to draw a lot more power than it was supposed to.
The group of Mando spotted the three and lay down cover fire. Sabine who seemed to be fine again pushed her way to the front.
"Ezra!" She yelled her relief washing to panic. The force spoke where she didn't and Ezra whipped around his saber already in hand.
He heard Faith stumble from the sudden disappearance of his weight but she understood when she glanced backward to see Tibet pushing down, his stance weighted and his amour dented from being thrown into a pile of crates.
The fight only lasted for three swings of the saber before Ezra saw his opening and sliced straight into the Mandorian leader's arm causing him to cry out in pain and drop the Dark Saber. Quickly calling it with the force he tucked it in his belt.
Sabine provided him cover fire as everyone moved onto the Kormok Kanan and Ezra blocking bolts with their sabers. As the group piled on.
"Where is Tristian!" He heard someone yell out from behind him. Pulsing out with his force signature he located him a few crates away, distress leaking out from him.
"I'm on it!" Ezra said taking off towards the left of the hanger.
Tristan was pushed up against a set of crates completely pinned down by stormtroopers the officer from behind was in the very front of them his own E-11 blaster pointed at the head of Tristian Wren.
Without further thought Ezra grabbed three of the stormtroopers with the force and threw them into their companions knocking half of the force to the ground. Quickly the officer turned around his blaster already primed. Without so much as a second thought he opened fire Ezra blocked the bolts but continued his advance. Eventually, the Imperials pulled back behind cover allowing Ezra to reach Tristian and crouch next to him, returning fire with his pistol in his other hand. "How are we doing?" he asked playfully.
Tristan huffed clutching his side. "Got shot, right in the in-between plates, then got the floor wiped in hand to hand, apparently I would not have gotten him." Tristan joked wincing at the same time.
Without further comment, Ezra stood up looking at the Kormok a distance away they were hovering in the hangar Kanan waiting near the ledge as more Stormtroopers took to the hangar the fire becoming more intense with the Klaxon's blaring stronger overhead. The Mandalorian fighter turned opening fire with its main guns causing most of the infantry to dive behind cover as the ship floated to their section of the hangar Kanan waiting on the extended ramp, Fenn Rau behind him watching his flank.
"Ready Tristian?" Ezra asked nodding to Kanan who waited above them smirking down.
Quickly grabbing onto Tristian with his hand he shoved upwards bringing him towards the waiting fighter. Kanan snagged him physically, and Ezra stood up quickly making sure that no one had a shot, to his luck all the Imperials were hiding barely able to return fire. Ezra with the assistance of the force lept from the crates to the outstretched seats of the Mandalorian fighter.
At the same time, the rocket troopers had finally set up their defenses and launched a missile toward the hovering ship. As the ship rocked violently to the side, Faith was forced to grab onto Sabine to keep from falling over, as Sabine held both of them up, Fenn Rau grabbed the side of the ship while grabbing Kanan's outstretched hand, Kanan held onto Tristian and Ezra who had reached for the outstretched ramp missed it by about two feet.
As the ground quickly rose to meet him he pushed with the force slowly his fall to a mild pain.
Before he could move the click of an E-11 blaster filled his ears, and the sight of the Kormok Mandalorian fighter slowly flying out of the hangar filled his vision.
"Your surrender is unnecessary. Ezra Bridger." He glanced up to see an unknown Imperial staring at him and Ezra inwardly groaned.

As more blasters clicked around him, the officer smirked. "Stun him"

A/N: Nothing to comment on other than wishing everyone safe lives. A quick reminder to drop a review, they help me a lot and encourage me to write more. Even if your review is "your grammar sucks" while this doesn't help at all it does at least let me know you read the story which is all that matters to me.

So don't forget to R&R, and stay safe and I'll see you all next Sunday!