Sabine sprinted down the hall in search of her friends. Hera hand sent her to go get the two female Jedi Padawans, seeing Kanan and Ezra were busy blocking enemy fire and Zeb was doing his own thing.
Her heart dropped when she set eyes on a motionless body with purple armor. Two deactivated lightsabers rolled out of her hands. The Mandalorian rushed over to the girl and shook her shoulder. The Mandalorian paid no attention to the mass of ice chunks lying in the dark hall.
"Rae? Rae? What happened? Are you okay?"
Rae shook awake. Drowsily, she looked to the Mandalorian as she lied on her side. "S- Sabine?"
"Where's Athena?" Sabine questioned. "Is she okay?"
Rae paused, her heart dropping to her stomach as she remembered back to her friend's sacrifice. She slowly looked around as she sat up, regaining awareness of her surroundings. The door was open again. The shards of ice still on the ground around her, but the cold was gone. The cold was far gone.
"Vader..."
"Vader?" Sabine questioned. "The Sith Lord?"
Rae let out a shaky breath as she picked up her lightsabers. "They took her. They got her."
The Mandalorian swore. She soon wrapped Rae's arm around her shoulders and stood the girl up. "We have to go. We have to go."
It was so disorienting.
To go back to the Ghost as it fought off AT-DPs, Athena not with them.
To go to their battle stations, a crew member missing.
The ground swayed beneath Rae's feet when she got into the cockpit - taking the co-pilot seat as Hera flew out of the construction module. The TIEs exploding and the AT-DPs dropping did not faze her as it should have. It was all so numb, but it hurt so much.
Ezra took the seat behind hers and Hera commented: "What a day we're having."
Rae could barely hear Ezra when he shouted, "Zeb made it out! Zeb, you copy? Zeb!"
"He must've lost his comlink. He's heading for Geonosis. We'll be able to find him," Rex assured.
"TIEs incoming!" Hera warned.
It was all a blur to the Padawan in purple.
After the fire-fight, the Ghost hid itself away in orbit of Geonosis. Ezra looked to Chopper.
"Hey, Chop, you track Zeb's trajectory?"
The droid sarcastically beeped.
"Yes, we want him back! Don't be a sleemo," Ezra hit the droid's top. "Find him."
Hera turned back to Rae, "Where's Athena? I thought she came back with you and Sabine?"
Hera froze as she saw the tears well up in Rae's eyes. Ezra saw this too and was wide-eyed.
"She...the Empire has her," Rae spoke softly.
"The Empire?" Ezra raised his eyebrows and looked to Hera. "Then we have to go back! We-"
"It was Vader," a single tear fell from Rae's eye. "We're not getting her back. We're never getting her back."
The ship fell silent.
No one made a sound.
Zeb was lost somewhere in the Geonosis system with no com. Athena was captured by a Sith Lord.
They came with nine rebels and were leaving with seven.
It was a couple of minutes before anyone spoke again on the ship.
"Uh...guys?" Sabine's nervous voice came over the com from the Phantom. "We got company."
Hera's eyes were wide as she looked over to her radar. A massive Imperial Executor-class Star Dreadnought flying just past them. She turned the ship around to face it.
They all held their breaths as The Executor flew past them. With its gigantic size, there was no doubt to anyone why they were called Super Star Destroyers.
Ezra and Kanan's blood went cold as they began to finally sense the Sith Lord.
"Why aren't they firing on us?" Hera's uneasy voice questioned.
"Because she made a deal," Rae's face muscles tightened as she tried to hold it all back. "She...she gave herself up to give us a free pass."
They watched as the Executor-class Star Dreadnought revved up its hyperdrive. They watched as it vanished into thin air.
They couldn't move.
Their worst fear just came true.
The Empire had its hands on a girl they intended on making an Inquisitor out of.
When Hera finally regained herself a little, she looked to Chopper. "Keep looking for Zeb. He can't be far."
***
Zeb and Kallus pushed and shoved each other as they woke up on the surface of Bahryn - the icy moon of Geonosis, disgusted to see their enemy leaned against them during their short slumber.
Their ears perked up as they heard a distant roar.
"That's a ship," Kallus said.
"Yeah, but whose?" Zeb stood. He turned and offered a hand to the injured Imperial. "Come on."
The ISB Agent took it and the lasat helped the man stand to see a familiar light freighter touch down on the icy surface, the glowing rock in Kallus' hand.
"Ah. Your friends did find you," Kallus remarked, staring at the ship.
"Like I said they would," Zeb turned to Kallus. "Ya know, we will treat you fairly."
Kallus lightly scoffed and took his arm away and stood on his own now. "I'll take my chances with the Empire...Zeb." He offered over the rock. "You said that Athena friend of yours made this. Have it back then."
"Keep it. You need it more than me."
The two shared a stare as they met eyes. A sense of mutual respect. They offered each other a gesture of respect with their hands before parting ways.
The Imperial watched from the shadows as Zeb was greeted with relieved cheers from his crew.
"Zeb!" Sabine and Ezra cheered as they ran out of the ship.
"Told you he'd be fine," Kanan commented.
"Zeb, you made it!" Ezra cried out.
Zeb was surprised at the crew's reaction. Yeah, they loved him, but they seemed pretty emotional for him being gone for just a couple of hours.
"We picked up your beacon, we were so worried," Hera let out a sigh of relief.
"Ah, it wasn't so bad," Zeb chuckled and put a hand on Ezra's shoulder. "We've all been in tighter spots. I knew you'd find me eventually."
Zeb looked around to the group and saw three people weren't there. Rex, Rae, and Athena.
Ezra's voice seemed nervous as he spoke, "Yeah, alright. Come on, Zeb. It's, uh, it's cold out here."
"You've been out in it for two seconds," Zeb rolled his eyes.
"Yeah! Two seconds too long."
Zeb chortled, "Hey, where's little Goddess Inferna? I need some fire. That little lava rock she gave me kept me alive, but barely."
The lasat immediately noticed the rest of the crew's faces go grim. He looked to Kanan for answers.
"Zeb...she's not coming back," Kanan let out a shaky breath. "She - she's gone."
"Vader," Sabine blurted out as she shook her head and took a shaky breath. "He got her."
Zeb was startled. He stammered, "Wh- what about Rae? Rex? Are they okay? Did he get them too?"
Hera crossed her arms and looked down, shaking her head. "No - Rae got shot a couple of times but should be okay. I got Rex watching over her to see if she'll be okay for the moment. Seems like Athena's last act before capture was to heal her blaster shots."
"She...karabast," Zeb was speechless.
The Empire really took her. They really took that little girl he taught Aurebesh to. They ripped that little Earthling away from the only family she ever knew. Just how evil was this Empire?
The lasat turned back to the rock formation Kallus had hidden behind and stared at it for a moment before turning back to his family. They made their way back into the ship they called home - now just a little more empty.
The ship was a little quieter.
The ship a little colder.
Their home was emptier.