Beaten and Burned

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"How did they follow us?" Hera asked as they began to alert Ahsoka and maneuver around the incoming TIEs.
"They must've tracked us somehow...," Kanan said as they approached The Ghost.

Suddenly, Sabine's eyes lit up and she turned to a distraught Kanan.

"Kanan!" Sabine exclaimed. "The robot! There must be a tracking device implanted in it!"
"But it broke!" Zeb intervened. "We saw it!"
"Well, The Empire must've updated their technology, because they found us somehow!"
"We're locked in!" Hera exclaimed. "Everyone, get to your stations!"

Chopper was already in The Ghost as Hera ran past him to get back to the main cockpit. She disconnected the ship and began to maneuver between the ships. The rebel alliance began to fire back at the Empire and a battle began.

****

He gritted his teeth as he couldn't withstand the pain any longer. She was somehow finding a way into his mind and it was getting harder and harder to resist. Finally, she released him and he let out breaths of relief of pain. A few tears escaped his eyes as he felt a migraine forcefully overtake him. She brought the red blade back up to his neck as he pressed himself against a column he was put up in front of.

"You are strong with the force; stronger than we predicted," she told him. "But we will get into you--"
"Wait...," he stared up at her with confused eyes, "what do you mean 'we'?"

The door in the back suddenly burst open and in came the other one. Ezra's fierce expression returned as the humanoid approached.

"You...will fail,--" he spoke grimly to Ezra.
"In your dreams!" Ezra quickly shot back.
"You're already breaking...it's only a matter of time now."
"I won't fall to you!"

The man laughed as the woman stood aside in the darkness. Ezra became confused with his random outburst of laughter.

"You already have!" then he turned to her. "Let's finish him off..."

****

"Ahsoka's ship is being targeted!" Kanan exclaimed over his comm. "We've got to make sure she's safe!"

Just as they began to turn around, the large rebel ship was destroyed and debris was dispersed everywhere throughout space. However, Hera saw several minuscule escape pods emerge from the floating wreckage and disappeared before them as they escaped into hyperspace. The only ships left were a couple smaller ships that were connected to Ahsoka's, a few X-Wing fighters, and The Ghost. Hera continued to maneuver around shots being fired by The Empire.

"Hera!" Kanan exclaimed as he ran in from The Phantom. "Ahsoka just told me to go to Dagobah."
"Why Dagobah?" Hera asked as The Ghost swerved around a piece of debris.
"I don't know...we could be splitting up to get off of The Empire's grid."
"There's no easy landing spot for ships there, though!"
"Well, that's where the Commander told us to go."

Hera sighed, knowing Kanan was trying to make her feel guilty for having them becoming a major cell in the rebellion, leading up to the loss of their sixth specter.

"Specter two to other specters," Hera spoke on The Ghost's intercom system, "we're entering hyperspace and retreating to Dagobah!"

After a successful flight into hyperspace, the other specters met in the cockpit to discuss the situation.

"So, we lost our kid, our commander's ship was blown up, and we don't have a 'base' anymore," Zeb stated the fact,. "Any ideas?"
"I saw we split from the bigger rebellion," Kanan instantly said. "That way, it would be easier for us to get back Ezra and be safe."
"Kanan, I've told you this a million times," Hera started, "we need--"

Suddenly, Kanan burst out in pain and screamed of a burning sensation.

"Woah, Kanan! What's wrong?" Sabine and everyone ran over to his side.
"It's my right arm! It's burning!" Kanan replied.
"Let us see!" Hera said.

Hera pushed Kanan's sleeve up and examined it. Nothing appeared wrong, as she stared at the back of his forearm. Then, Kanan forcefully turned it over and a peculiar mark appeared just below Kanan's wrist. Sabine realized what it was and she stumbled backward in shock.

"Sabine, what is it?" Hera inquired.
"That mark...," Sabine vaguely muttered.
"What about it?"
"They're taking Kanan...to Coruscant...to the Emperor!"
"What?" everyone shouted back in shock.


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