Broken Bonds

"Speech"

"Radio or calls"

'Thoughts'

Anew's Mind

Feldt took a step back as the voice filled the space around her. Surrounded by a crimson red, she had to steady herself. His presence was powerful and even if it was a diminished one, years of experience trumping her own limited experience, even if she was coming into her power set. She looked around the web, and Ribbons voice once again echoed through the void, "Looking to escape I see. You came to challenge me, and now you run?"

There was mirth in his voice, and Feldt spoke back with as much force as she could muster, "I won't let you control her!" She looked around for weak points, trying to weaken the roots as she reached out with all of the strength she could. The force tore through it, the metaphysical connection between the inquisitor and the woman he had made into his unwitting slave weakening, though not breaking as Feldt exerted herself.

In the real world, sweat poured down her face as Tieria could see how her brow furrowed. She let out grunts of pain and exertion, panting as her meditation was clearly getting worse. He wished he could help, but Anew grabbed her head, her mind on fire as the two force users waged a war in the force.

But Feldt continued to tear at the connections, Ribbons looking at her like a god, "What an interesting idea. Thinking you can free my thrall from her punishment. They all deserved this." He chuckled, "I wish Ali had been successful in grabbing you. You would have been the perfect weapon to hunt the Jedi that hid like the rats they are."

The ease that she worked through Anew's connections suddenly became more like wall as these roots became harder to tear. There was no way that she could break through all the way, not with the way that he was here watching. And her own walls struggled to hold against his as he seemed to barely be defending his spell, "Why did you kill my parents?"

"Because young, impressionable minds are perfect for this new regime. Serving your betters is the best way one can justify their existence in this galaxy. Why else do people exist for beings like us?" The being loomed over her, stalking around her like a predator, "I can see the weakness in your heart. Why care about these people? They just stand in your way. You and your lover can become powerful allies of mine. Imagine the safety and power you would gain serving your rightful lord."

The abyss she faced was overwhelming. An endless hole of power that promised so much, but she could detect the bubbling rage and desire from the man in front of her. Envy at something. Her mind flashed as a memory flowed into her mind.

A cloaked figure looked over a pod, two guards in full length red robes flanking him, spears in their hands. Ribbons stood next to him in a white uniform, lightsaber at his side. Feldt gasped as she saw a familiar looking purple haired man in a pod. He was naked, eyes closed as the discerning man looked over the pod.

"This one is not strong in the force. Did you lie to me, Ribbons?" The voice was raspy, full of power. Even more than Ribbons. Feldt shook with fear as the man that had been hunting them shrunk back just a bit. 'Even Ribbons feared him?'

She didn't recognize the figure, but a part of her shrunk back as Ribbons resisted stammering, "I did not lie to you. All predictions looked like the results would create another like me." The inquisitor gritted his teeth, and the man simply turned around. Feldt caught a glimpse of his yellow eyes, and she took a few steps back as he walked past her.

He couldn't see her, but she didn't want to be on his radar. This was a memory, and Ribbons balled his fists as he watched the powerful man leave with one more word, "When the results show consistency, I may grant you my personal attention again."

Ribbons growled as he looked at the man in the pod. He put his hand on the metal, and some of it bent as anger flowed off him, "You will learn what cruelty means. If I fail again, then you will never die on me."

Feldt was shaken out of it as she was taken aback by the sheer vitriol dripping from those last words. 'Is that what Tieria did to make Ribbons so mad? And who was this man that even Ribbons feared?' She let herself reflect on that for a split second, but suddenly that stalking and circling the man changed to a direct assault. Feldt could no longer try to break them as a dark growl emanated all around her.

Her walls strained as she hunkered down. Tightening up her defenses, she drew on her connection to Setsuna to draw what power she could. He was like a demi-god as he battered, pushing back into her own mind. She held onto her own precious energy as a whisper went through her mind, "Wait. You know when to strike."

That familiar comfort of the force followed in the wake of that, and she took a breath, quieting her doubts as Ribbons tore into her mind, "Isn't that precious? Thinking you can withstand me. I will torture your lover in front of you, never letting him rest! Only when despair truly sets in will I stop, and I will force him to watch you suffer the same fate!"

The image entered her mind of a scarred and bleeding Kiffar, his eyes looking at her he held strong, trying to resist. Tears streaked down her face in the real world, but she had to trust her instincts. This man was weaker than he made himself look, and as his assault hit the wall of her mind, "Tieria is a stronger man than you will ever be! Same with Setsuna!"

The inquisitor roared, and Feldt could feel all his focus was on her. His defenses had dropped, and her own walls were starting to break as he attempted to go through her mind. She let out a heavy breath, and let the force guide her. With a wail, power surged from her, and Ribbons's assault was stopped, her power hitting the roots of this artificial bond, this insult to the force.

It cracked and buckled from the attack, and Ribbons's aggressive roar was the only thing the Miraluka could feel as the red around her receded into a calm blue. She could no longer keep her focus, and she fell back into the real world, collapsing as she took deep breaths. It took several seconds for her senses to come back, starting as a fog that grew clearer as the seconds passed. Her body ached and she was mentally drained.

Anew cried out at this, her bond with the monster broken as she passed out. There was a new freedom she had never felt before, but it had all been too much for her, and she breathed steadily after a beat, letting sleep overtake her. A few tears ran down her face, her mind subconsciously aware of what had happened.

Tieria moved to Feldt, picking her up to steady her against a wall. He looked her in the eye, and she smiled, "Is it done?"

She nodded, her voice low, "Yes. Ribbons will no longer be able to hunt us." She let out a deep breath and leaned her head against a wall, "Have something…to tell…you…" Her breathing became steady, and Tieria just sighed, before scooping her up. He took one last look at Anew, and he would deal with her once everyone was back and Lyle signed off on it.

He carried Feldt to her and Setsuna's bed, laying her down. She immediately cuddled a pillow, and the clone couldn't help but smile slightly at the sight, "Good job."

Imperial Shuttle

As the ship escaped into hyperdrive, everyone relaxed. Thankfully it was basically impossible to trace someone through hyperspace, unless the ship had a tracker on it. But it wasn't like the imperials had the time to do it before they escaped, and they could check when they landed. It wasn't like they were going to be on that moon for much longer. Lyle put on auto pilot and stretched as he looked at the former imperial agent, "Well that went just as expected. The imperials really need to tighten up security."

Marie nodded, "Let's just say that the structure of the empire can make it hard to get the right people on the job." She stood up and looked at the door, "He's one of the good ones."

"We'll have to see. I like to judge for myself instead of relying on others." Marie nodded with respect, and the pair went through the door. Everyone was unstrapped and were standing up, though Sergei had moved to one of the seats, looking over the group. Christina and Setsuna were chatting quietly in the corner, while Allelujah was silent as waited for the admiral to speak.

He saw the pair enter, and Lyle stepped towards the admiral, Marie besides him, "So this is Admiral Sergei. Never expected to meet you. Though if we did meet you before, it would not be a friendly event."

Sergei nodded, and stood up, offering his hand, which Lyle shook, "Thank you for saving me and Marie. I am not going to complain against being rescued from a rigged court." His handshake was firm, and both men released the grasp as Lyle patted the gun on his side unconsciously.

"Well, the last week has all been chaos, so what is a little more? Rebel command is going to have a field day with what we've done." He could already see the talk Sumeragi was going to give him. The admiral grunted and Lyle half smiled, "You have just as fun a time as us?"

"Unless it involves being betrayed by your own people, I don't know if it's the same."

Allelujah spoke up, "I think we can relate to that. He sabotaged our ship using an inside agent that we had no idea about." Lyle looked at Allelujah, narrowing them. 'I wanted to keep that secret until he told us.' But the cat was out of the bag. Sure, Marie had told them what happened, but that doesn't mean their new guest had to know.

Sergei's eyes went wide, "He attacked you too?" He looked at Marie, who nodded.

"I told them what happened to me, and their ship needed fixes when I was there." Christina waved at them, and Marie continued, "I'm sure it was after you were captured by Ribbons."

"It's not been fun." The Zeltron was happy she could just relax and quieted down to let Lyle take control again.

"Yeah. Whatever that schutta is up to, it can't be good. But I need to know if you are willing to assist the rebels. I don't want to have to lock you up but will have to if you plan on being resistant." Lyle crossed his arms. Sergei looked him in the eyes, seeing the look of a man who is trying to do his duty.

A small smile crossed his face. It was almost like he was when he was a young officer. Serving with distinction, yet letting things slide if it helped his subordinates and didn't break the rules that much. Though the rebels had a looser ruleset than he had, and the weight on this man's shoulders was definitely heavy, by the intensity of his gaze. Sergei chuckled, "I can't say I'll join the rebellion. But if you need help, I offer my gun. He tried to capture and hurt my daughter. Afterwards, I'll willingly surrender myself. I'm already a criminal to the empire at this point."

"I can take that. Just know if you betray us, I won't be kind." The Corellian's eyes narrowed, and Sergei just met the man's eyes. He sighed and leaned back.

"I understand. Just like Commander Leland."

"Commander Leland?" That came from Marie, who looked at him curiously.

Sergei smiled, "My old superior. Didn't tolerate backtalk or people betraying him. A hell of a taskmaster, but he kept us all order." He looked at his daughter, "I can tell you more after I get some rest. And some hot food."

Allelujah spoke up, "Well we do have a decent cook, though he is the most stubborn crew member we have." Lyle and Chris chuckled at that, and Lyle looked at the imperial officer again.

"Well, you'll be under our watch on the ship. Setsuna, I trust you won't let him do anything." The Kiffar nodded, Lyle moving back to the cockpit. He could hear chatter from Marie as she spoke with her father, Allelujah jumping in occasionally. Sitting down in the pilot seat, he sent a message to the Vagabond that they were on their way, relaxing as he hoped this whole mess would be over soon.

The Vagabond

The shuttle landed near their ship, and all of them were soon up the boarding ramp. Sergei, his hands bound for now, looked around at their home, whistling, "So this is where one of these went. I expected it to be a modified civilian model."

Setsuna spoke plainly, "Security was lax." He read the report on it, and it certainly didn't make the imperials look good.

Sergei looked at the Kiffar, "Not exactly a talker, are you?"

"Nope." Christina giggled and walked past the others, "But there is one person he likes to talk to~." Setsuna had a hint of a blush, but that disappeared just as it appeared. The sound of footsteps reached them as Tieria appeared from the stairs to the bridge.

"Well, it took you long enough." His arms were crossed over his chest, "And I see you managed to rescue him. Any injuries?" A shake of a head, "Good. Anew wanted to talk with you, Lieutenant." His eyes looked at Sergei, narrowed.

Lyle's eyes went wide, "Ok. You have the bridge."

He moved towards the brig, but Tieria spoke up, "Not there. She's in your room." Lyle was about to speak when the clone spoke up, "She'll explain everything." Lyle changed directions and looked at Setsuna, "Move Sergei to the brig. And Allelujah, you get him something to eat."

The group split up, and Marie followed Setsuna as she looked at her father. Sergei kept his eyes forward, taking in the ship. Setsuna stayed quiet, and Marie casually spoke to the force user, "Can I stay and talk to him?"

"I wasn't ordered to lock him up, so sure. Just hand me your weapons." Setsuna looked at her, and his heart beat a bit faster at her warm smile. Appreciation filled him, and he stopped as he reached the door, "Here you go." Marie handed her blaster to him, along with anything else she had. Setsuna nodded, undoing the cuffs, and left the pair to talk.

Now with the privacy of the room, Marie sat down on the bed, the Admiral pacing around the small room. She let him work out his anxiety and worry, the next few minutes silent as she centered herself, Sergei calming himself down. He finally joined her on the bed, and leaned on her, "So you are joining the rebels?"

"I don't see another path. We've sat back and watched crimes happen to innocent people. And I don't think I can do that anymore."

Sergei stayed silent as he looked at her, seeing something new in her eyes. The words ate at him. 'How many aliens have I watched punished for not being human? How many people have been arrested on suspicion of being a Jedi or being a criminal?' His duty grated on him as he had to work with the most corrupt men in the galaxy, and all he could do was choose the right jobs that avoided the worst of it.

He leaned back up and put a hand on her shoulder, "I don't know myself, but I support whatever you want to do. If being with Allelujah and the rebellion keeps you safe, then what else would a good father do?" He kissed her forehead, and Marie wrapped her arms around him, hugging him.

It wasn't an easy choice for her either, the guilt of all her years of service sitting in her gut. She may not have skirted the dark side like Allelujah had been forced to, but she needed to make up for all she did. With hindsight in mind, she had no idea how many of the men and women she had sent to prison or interrogation were innocent or had a good reason for doing what they did.

It was all so much, and the appearance of Allelujah, a tray in his hands, relaxed her a bit as he looked between the two, "I didn't know what you liked, so I got something light. But I did get you a list of easy to make foods if you want something more specific." Sergei chuckled and stood up, taking the tray from him, as well as the list.

"Thank you. At the very least she has good taste." The Jedi blushed, something about him being a father causing this. They were in their thirties, and yet it was like when they were teenagers, "Go spend some time with him. I can eat on my own right now. Some peace and quiet would be good." Marie nodded and stood up, giving him one last hug and kiss on the cheek.

"I'll be back soon. Don't fall asleep." The pair left the room, and the door was closed as Allelujah just nodded at her, "You were given orders to lock him up?"

"Just now. Standard procedure. I think Lyle just wanted to give you two time."

"I'll thank him." She looked back at the door, then back to her boyfriend, "Anything I can do to help?"

Lyle's Room

As soon as Lyle was up the steps to the bridge, his pace picked up. He was trying not to seem too desperate, but he needed to see her. It was a blur as he pressed the button to access his room, and sitting on the bed was the woman he had worried about for the last couple days, the woman who he was growing more attached to every day. She was wearing a simple outfit, and her arms were wrapped around herself, "Hi."

Her voice was shaky, and Lyle swallowed heavily as he sat down next to her, pulling her in close as he breathed her in. Those few days felt like an eternity, and Anew melted into his embrace, warmth spreading through her. She was safe, and she kissed him softly. The Corellian responded happily, groaning into the soft, chaste kiss.

It was unlike their first heated kiss, and he could feel himself sinking deeper into embrace. He fell back, Anew cuddling his chest as the pair rested their foreheads together, "I'm free Lyle. I'm free." Elation laced her voice, and she kissed him again as his arms wrapped around her waist. She giggled as she rested her head on his, just basking in her newfound freedom.

"And here I thought Tieria would keep you in that cell."

Anew poked his nose, "Well he was nicer than I expected."

"What happened?'

Anew pursed her lips, "I don't know fully. Feldt approached me and entered my mind, and then I was free. All I could tell was he fought back, and then all that weight was freed from me. I owe her for that."

Lyle chuckled, "She would say it was the right thing to do, but that woman needs something nice for what she does for us." He ran his hand through her hair, and she blushed as she rested her face in his collarbone.

"You mind if I sleep here?" She yawned, and Lyle nodded.

"As long as you want."

Bunkroom of the Vagabond

Setsuna walked to the bunkroom, detecting his lover. He would have preferred to take a shower, but Christina was going to be a while before she got out. He had expected her to be in the engine room, but as he walked in, he could see her asleep on their bed. She was breathing steadily, and she was too cute as she wrapped her arms around a pillow. He shook his head and stealthily slid onto the bed, taking the place of the pillow. Her arms tightened around him, and she looked at him, still hazy as she yawned.

"I did it." Setsuna moved so he spooned her, wrapping his arm around her, "So tired."

"Get some rest." He smiled as she nodded, "You saved an innocent woman. I'm proud of you." Feldt's face went red, which only got worse when he kissed the back of her head. He pulled her close and closed his eyes as he joined her in sleep, the last thought on Feldt's mind the news she had to tell Tieria.

Author Note

And we come to the end of the rescue! I hope you enjoyed both of them as we head into the final arc of the story. My guess is that there are around 4-6 chapters left, and I wanted to thank all of you for continuing to read! I'll see you guys' next time!