1 | Star Wars Rebels: Beginning Of The End (completed)

Part 23

Above Tinnel, 1256, 3279 LY

     A lone Imperial shuttle with the clearance code 3424 climbed its way into the cold, dark vacuum of space. No ships intercepted it as its sublight engines roared. Although the world it had just left was one of many along the Corellian run, no other ships trafficked this area. The space of Tinnel once again became empty as the shuttle disappeared into hyperspace.

     This particular shuttle had only two inhabitants, both humans, inside its cockpit. The male seemed downcast; his hands were bound by cuffs. The female rose from the pilot's chair, her yellow eyes searching the male quietly. This woman flicked her wrist, and the cuffs came off of the sixteen-year-old. The young man looked up, quiet stubbornness in his eyes.

      The female, the Third Sister as she is known by, purred, ''Ezra, my young foolish boy, we never finished our conversation. Someone broke you free, but who?'' The question was rhetorical because she continued. ''No matter. We can just pick up from where we left off, eh? So tell me, my wayward young man, what is your last name?''

     ''I'm not going to tell you,'' Ezra growled softly, glaring.

     ''Ah, the spirit of youth,'' the Third Sister purred. ''Well, it's a minor detail, one to familiarize me with you, to know you a little better. As for me, I am known as the Third Sister, but I do have my own name. One that has not been uttered since before you were born. Katarina. Now, how old are you?''

     The sixteen-year-old raised an eyebrow. ''You must be really stupid, or you just can't take a hint, Katarina. I'm not telling you anything.''

     Katarina sighed, ''Just a minor detail, really, but I hope for your own sake that you answer this next one. Who taught you the ways of the Jedi, Ezra?''

     Once again, Ezra sighed, rolling his eyes. He didn't think this woman could take a hint. Not on the Twilight, not in this shuttle. Apparently, Katarina had a brain the size of a pea. Suddenly, the sixteen-year-old felt himself being lifted by invisible hands, his throat being squeezed slowly by its clutches. He clawed at his neck, trying to get the fingers off of him.

     The Third Sister unclenched her hand, sending Ezra falling to his knees, coughing and gasping, trying to get air back in. ''Let me ask you again, Jedi,'' Katarina repeated, her voice taking on a dark tone. ''Who is your Master?''

     ''Look,'' Ezra growled, his breath having returned, ''I seriously don't know if you can understand what I'm saying, but I'M NOT TELLING YOU. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?'' He drew the last part out, not thinking she understood Basic.

     The woman stuck her palm out, pushing Ezra against the wall. He tried to move, to get free, but he couldn't. She pulled out her lightsaber, hissing, ''I would kill you now if you had no use to me, but my Master wants you back on Coruscant alive. Perhaps he can extract information if you do not help me now.'' She activated it, a scarlet blade blazing to life, pointed at the sixteen-year-old male. ''You have one more chance before things get messy. Who is your Master?''

     Ezra smirked and stared the blade down, spitting, ''As if I'd tell you.''

     ''Fine,'' Katarina answered, shrugging. ''Have it your way.''

     A small shuttle plowed through hyperspace, this one with four inhabitants and a TIE fighter. The inhabitants consisted of an adult human male, a teenaged Mandalorian female, a Lasat male, and a Twi'lek female. The Twi'lek sat in the pilot's seat, the Mandalorian in the co-pilot's. As for the human male, he stood behind the Twi'lek, the Lasat not far behind him.

     The human male, Kanan, winced with his full body. It felt as if someone was slowly pinching his arm, getting worse and deeper. The Twi'lek, Hera, inquired, ''Kanan, are you alright?''

     ''Yeah,'' Kanan answered, looking down in thought. Perhaps it was Ezra. Even though he kept away from the Force, he left his bond with his student open to keep tabs on the teen. Perhaps he was feeling his Padawan's pain, but how could he know unless he used the Force to trace it?

     ''We'll be out of hyperspace in about ten-Kanan!'' Hera yelled as Kanan felt a fiery pain in the back of his left thigh, shooting up his back and down his leg. His hand shot out, grasping for anything as he fell, crying out. Beneath his faceplate, tears welled in his eyes. At the last second, something came beneath him, supporting him. Zeb.

     Kanan gasped, gritting his teeth as the pain continued, then abruptly stopped. Although he couldn't see, he felt tired, dizzy, and weak. ''Ezra,'' he moaned before collapsing entirely into the Lasat, unconscious.