"We'll take him together," Ezra whispered.
Ania nodded and together, they lunged at Kein. The Nautolan slashed his blades at them and ducked beneath their attack. Kein whirled into a roundhouse kick. It sent Ezra flying.
"Lord Vader will be pleased to see you again, Bonteri. You had better just come with me," Kein hissed.
Ania gripped Ezra's arm and pulled him to his feet. "You can tell that sleemo that I'll never join him again."
"He won't like that answer very much." Kein launched several blades at them before whipping out his blaster and opening fire.
Ania dodged in front of Ezra and deflected the shots. He stretched his hands over her shoulders and a wave of the Force crashed into Kein. The bounty hunter skidded back a few feet. His black eyes seethed with rage.
"I've hunted you for so long!" He spat. "I'm done waiting!" Kein launched a shock grenade at them.
Ezra and Ania stretched a hand towards the charge as one. The charge flew back and detonated, sending jabs of electricity into Kein Rei. He cried out and pulled himself out of range.
They activated their lightsabers and stalked towards Kein. The Nautolan started at the unearthly thing he saw within their gaze. "What..." Kein pulled out two more blades, his last ones, and took a stance.
Ania and Ezra leveled their lightsabers. Ania glanced at Ezra. He nodded briefly. She felt his presence brush against hers, and then they were one. Their lightsabers arched towards Kein. He crossed his blades, blocking the attack. Ania hooked one of his legs out from beneath him and Ezra planted a kick to his chest.
Kein stumbled back, shocked. he glanced between the two of them. "How are you doing that?" He gasped. He slid one blade back into his boot and pulled out a blaster, firing at them. They blocked the blasts and pressed forward.
Kein scrambled back further and hit a button on his wrist cuff. Ania paused as a familiar whine reached her montrals. "Get down!" Ania flung herself at Ezra, tackling him to the ground. Green TIE blasts hit the ground where they had stood moments before.
A squadron of TIE's and gunships flew overhead and in the distance, several stormtroopers on speeder bikes and transports surged towards them. "You might be good, but you're not good enough to beat these odds!" Kein sneered as he backed towards the approaching stormtroopers.
"The base!" Ezra hissed. "We've got to lead them away."
"We can steal their speeders," Ania suggested.
"Too long. Can you call Ro? We can lure them further into those mountains and try to shake them," Ezra jerked his head towards a set of mountains.
"I can try." She stepped behind Ezra and closed her eyes, letting her senses roam the planet. She vaguely heard Ezra activating his lightsaber and grab one of hers from her belt. A few blasts streaked past her, close enough that she could feel the heat they gave off.
Ro, we need your help! She called. Please, we have to escape and lead them away from our base.
"Be still, daughter. I am coming."
"Ania!"
She blinked her eyes open and whipped her shoto off her belt. Ezra tossed her lightsaber over and deflected a few more bolts. Ania quickly redirected a shot into one of the trooper transports. They took the moment to run and dodge behind one of the nearby mountains.
"So, are we getting help or not?" Ezra panted.
Be still, son. You are not alone. They whirled around. Ro blinked down at them. We must hurry. There will not be much time as soon as we run. Ro crouched down and let them climb onto her back. She rose to her full height and with one bound, set of flying across the grasslands.
"Head towards those mountains! We've got to lose them if we can," Ania directed. Ro adjusted their course and ran faster.
The TIE's and gunships were catching up to them quickly and the stormtroopers were gunning their speeders forward. The mountains were swiftly approaching. Ro's paws skidded on a few loose stones as they rounded a mountain.
The TIE's screamed overhead and opened fire. Ro ducked beneath a collapsing mountain. Ania stretched her hands up and threw the collapsed tip to the side. Ezra wrapped one arm around her waist and activated his lightsaber with the other.
He twisted, deflecting the stormtroopers shots. Ro's breath was coming in ragged pants now. "She can't go much further," Ania warned.
"We need to jump now while there's still cover!" Ezra replied. Ania nodded and whispered something to Ro.
Ezra deactivated his lightsaber and jumped. Ania flung herself off after him and hit the ground with a roll. She was instantly back on her feet and blocking several shots. Ezra joined her shortly and the stormtroopers surrounded them. They ducked behind a large boulder.
"So much for that plan," Ezra groaned.
"We can still try to steal their speeders. If we can get up high and jump down, we'll get control of the speeders easily," Ania explained.
"Worth a shot." Ezra glanced out and ran around one of the mountains. He began climbing quickly.
Ania activated her wrist comm and scrambled the frequency. "Hera, come in!" She called.
"I read you, Ania. What is it?" Came the reply.
Shots echoed before she could respond. "Kein Rei and a ton of stormtroopers are near the base. We've tried to lead them away but make sure that any incoming ships know that it's not safe to touch down," Ania said into the comm.
"Do you need reinforcements?"
Ania glanced towards Ezra. He had almost reached a ledge. "No, it's too risky. If they're caught leaving the base, it'll ruin the whole operation here. We've got a plan going."
"I'll have scouts watching you and we'll send troops as soon as we can. May the Force be with you." The comm switched off. Ezra had made it to the ledge.
Ania ran to another mountain and began to climb. The stormtroopers stopped firing to let the dust settle. Kein Rei stepped to the front, looking around. Ania reached a ledge and glanced at Ezra, tipping a finger to him.
"I'm afraid you've lost this battle," Kein shouted. "Surrender now or we'll bury you in these mountains!"
The dust stirred again as a breeze brushed past. Ezra nodded and they jumped. Ania's feet connected with a trooper's head, knocking him off the bike. She reversed quickly, before anyone could block her in. Ezra was doing the same nearby. Kein whirled and shouted with rage.
Before the stormtroopers realized what had happened, they were out of the throng. "Take the long way back!" Ezra shouted. He sped forward. Wind whipped her lekku out behind her and grit stung her eyes but Ania sped up anyway. The stormtroopers were in pursuit again, guns blazing.
She swerved, a shot narrowly missing her. More streaked past her. Ezra's speeder swerved ahead. Ania caught sight of sparks flying from it. She urged her speeder on faster still. Ezra's speeder began to shake suddenly, and flames burst out of it as a shot connected with the fuel tank. Ezra was flung from the speeder right as it exploded. Ania's eyes widened in horror and she drifted back around.
"Ezra!" She screamed, heart racing. She spotted him a few moments later. Ania raced towards him and jumped off the speeder before it had fully slowed. She sprinted towards Ezra and fell down beside him, rolling him over gently. The explosion had missed him narrowly but he was covered in cuts.
Ania shook him desperately as the stormtroopers neared. "Come on, Ezra!" She grabbed his arms and attempted to drag him towards her speeder. She dropped him and whipped out her lightsabers as the stormtroopers opened fire again.
Kein jumped off his own speeder and stalked towards her. Ania gritted her teeth and stood over Ezra, lightsabers thrumming with energy. "Isn't this touching?" Kein said mockingly. "It's a pity he won't be awake to watch me take you."
"You aren't taking me anyway!" She seethed.
"No? If I take him, I get the feeling you'll follow." Kein moved closer.
Ania whipped one of her blasters out and fired at him. "You won't touch him!" She growled.
Kein's eyes were wide but he quickly recovered himself. "We'll see about that."
The gunships overhead flicked off their spotlights as Lothal's sun began to peak over the horizon. Stormtroopers surrounded her again. Ania gazed around, devastated.
"You tried your best but unfortunately, your best isn't good enough," Kein said. "I'll give you one more chance. Come with me and I'll let the boy live."
Ania glanced down at Ezra. She shot a glare at Kein and deactivated her lightsaber, crouching next to him. She placed a hand on his arm and sent the Force pulsing into him. He drew in a shuddering breath, but his eyes stayed closed. Come on, Ezra, she thought.
Stormtroopers ran at her and wrenched her lightsabers from her hands. Ania screeched as they attempted to drag her away from Ezra. She pulled against them, managing to move back towards him. Ezra's eyes blinked open in bewilderment.
Ania twisted out of the stormtroopers grip and crawled back towards Ezra. "Go!" She screamed. Their hands wrapped around her wrists again. "I can hold them off."
Ezra stood, faltering a bit. Ania managed to bring her hands together into a fist and wrench free of the stormtroopers again. Kein was watching her with a faintly amused grin on his face.
She stumbled to Ezra. "Get out of here while you can!"
Ezra glanced behind her. "No. I won't let them take you again."
"They won't, now go."
Ezra grabbed her waist and kissed her briefly. "Don't come for me."
"No!" She screamed. Ezra flung his hands out and she grunted as the Force connected with her, sending her flying away from them. Ania screamed again as Kein Rei's blaster stunned Ezra and he fell to the ground. Stormtroopers clamped cuffs on his wrists and dragged him on top of a speeder. Ania hit the ground out of sight of the stormtroopers.
She gasped for breath and scrambled to her knees. "No, no, no!" She smashed her fists into the ground. "Idiot! Stupid idiot!" Tears slid down her cheeks. "Ezra!" She wailed.
A large paw landed beside her. Ania looked up into Ro's eyes. I will take you home.
Ania said nothing as she climbed onto Ro's back. The loth wolf began running. When they made it back, the stormtroopers were already long gone. Ania's lightsabers were propped against one of the cone shaped mountains. Black words marred the stone walls.
Three days or he dies.
Ania grabbed her lightsabers and narrowed her eyes. "We have to hurry." Ro needed no further encouragement. She took off into a flying run back towards the base.
The sun had fully risen when they arrived. Ania slid off Ro's back and thanked her quietly. The loth wold disappeared moments later. Tolsa was the first to meet Ania. She took one look at Ania's face and ran to her.
"What happened?" Tolsa gasped.
Behind her, Hera, Zeb, and Sabine were approaching. "Kein Rei and Jax. Jax is dead but Kein captured Ezra. I've got three days to turn myself over to them or they'll kill him," Ania explained.
Zeb growled and buried a fist in his palm. "We've got to rescue him!"
"We will." Hera put a hand on Zeb's shoulder. "Do you have a plan?"
"Yes," Ania narrowed her eyes. "I do."