Star Wars Rebels: When Hope Is Lost

Chapter 5: The Talk

Ezra sat against a console, hands cuffed, staring at the female Inquisitor. She held his lightsaber in one hand and examined it.

"Not bad," she said. "A very complex design. A built-in blaster? Where'd you come up with this?"

"Why, you jealous?" Ezra smirked. Then the other Inquisitor came in and his cocky smile faded.

"Where's the girl?" The female asked.

"Gone," he said simply. "They all are. I let them go, in exchange for the boy. And the Jedi agreed to it."

Wait, what?

"Did you hear that?" The male said, cracking an evil, sly smile. "They abandoned you. They willingly left you."

No.

"Lies," Ezra scoffed.

"Are they? Try to sense your Master," the enemy offered.

So shutting his eyes tightly, Ezra tried to. At first he refused to believe it, but it was true. They were gone. Ezra opened his eyes. Hurt and betrayal clouded them.

"They must have had a reason," he finally said.

The female laughed. Then she turned to the male Inquisitor. "At first I thought you were an idiot for letting the rebels go, but now I see your point."

The other laughed cruelly and the two left Ezra alone to wallow in his emotions.

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Hurt.
Betrayal.
Anger.
Pity.
Sadness.
Despair.

These emotions filled Ezra's head and leaked into his heart and chest until he found it hard to breathe. He couldn't believe it. He had been abandoned in his time of need. And not by Zeb or Chopper or someone he would have expected to do it, by Kanan. His Master. His friend. His teacher. His family. The only man in the world who could even come close to replacing his father, had betrayed him.

The door in front of him slid open. He had no desire to lift his head from his gaze at the floor, but he did so anyway, putting on his bravest face and raising his mental barriers.

What he saw made him think twice about living.

Both Inquisitors, joined by the Sith Lord he and Kanan had battled over a year ago. The only person in the world that had actually made him feel terrified.

"I think it's time for a proper introduction," the female said in her mechanical tone. She clicked up the front part of her mask/helmet and Ezra stared into cold, icy, yellow eyes. "I am the Seventh Sister."

"I am the Fifth Brother." The male Inquisitor said.

Then Ezra met the gaze of the black-masked figure towering before him.

"And I am Lord Vader." The Sith said, in a dark, deep tone. "What is your name, rebel?"

Despite his fear, which hopefully was not showing, Ezra still managed to lace some sarcasim into his voice. "Jabba the Hutt."

Then he knew he had made a mistake in toying with the Sith. His breathing started to become constricted, and his throat felt like it was on fire and being crushed—at the same time. If he could have, he would have clawed at his throat. But the handcuffs prevented that. He let out a ear-piercing and ragged scream.

"I will not ask again," Vader said. "What is your real name?"

"Ezra.... Bridger...." The boy croaked out. Then the grip on his throat was released. He collapsed onto his hands and knees. As his breathing returned to normal, he glared up at the Sith in hatred.

"A Bridger. Not a surprise," The Seventh Sister said. "I know all about your family."

"Where are my parents?" Ezra asked. "What did you do to them?"

She chuckled. "I didn't do anything. Ask the Grand Inquisitor. Oh wait: He's dead." She smirked.

Ezra stood up and lunged for her, but was instantly thrown back against the console by the Fifth Brother using the Force. His head hit the console first and he cried out.

"Such a foolish boy," the Seventh Sister said. She turned to the Sith. "Shall we begin the interrogation?"

"Yes," the Sith said. "Let's see if the boy lives up to his reputation."

Ezra managed a little laugh. "You really think you can get anything out of me? Forget it."

"But why do you still have loyalty to the people who abandoned you?" Asked the Seventh Sister.

"Because unlike you, I have hope." Ezra replied simply.

The Seventh Sister crouched down right in front of him. Ezra met her cold, hard gaze. "I'm not afraid of you," he said.

"Not yet," she replied. "And whether you like it or not, Ezra, you are still a child. You won't be hard to break, I assure you."

He gazed into her yellow eyes. "We'll see."