Star Wars rebels Abducted

Chapter 20: Breaking Point

You failed them. They're all dead.

The same thought had been running around Ezra's head like a mantra, until in reverberated in his skull as some sick, twisted drum beat. He had failed. They were dead.

When Ezra had woken up, he had desperately tried to reach through the Force. To try and find some sort of sign, some symbol that meant his crew was still alive, that it had just been a dream. A horrifying dream.

But all he was met with was silence. The Force-inhibitor had worn off, he was, for the first time in weeks, free from the influence of any sort of serum. But he could not sense Kanan or the others. Ezra could feel the Inquisitor aboard the ship, and the hundreds of storm-troopers that marched around constantly. But beyond the ship... there was nothing. Nothing to answer his call, his plea, his cry for help. He was alone. They were all dead.

They're dead because you couldn't save them.

Ezra hadn't been able to do anything. He'd just sat there and watched as one by one, the people that mattered the most to him were murdered. He hadn't even been able to beg for the Inquisitor to spare them. He hadn't been offered the chance to turn to the Dark. Their execution hadn't had any real purpose... except to torment him.

You failed them.

Ezra rocked back and forth from his sitting position, eyes wide. He was unable to keep the images of their cold, dead, lifeless corpses out of his mind... Sabine, Zeb, Hera, and Kanan. His sister, brother, mother, and father. Dead, dead, dead, and dead. They were all dead. His family was dead.

It's your fault.

I... I couldn't save them... There was nothing else I could've done!

Because you're weak.

No! I did everything I could!

And it wasn't enough.

But... but... what else could I have done?

Unable to keep his emotions bottle up, Ezra leaned over to his side and retched violently. There hadn't been much food in his stomach, but what little there was was now gone. He realized he was shaking. And crying.

Hot tears flowed down from his face and mingled with the blood and sick on the ground. His family was dead. There would be no rescue. He was stuck here. Stuck on this Star Destroyer with the Inquisitor, until he eventually gave into the Dark. Now that his one source of hope was gone, how long would Ezra be able to last?

There is no rescue. There will not be any escape. You're stuck here.

Then I'll die here! I... I won't give in! I won't let what Kanan taught me go to waste!

But why resist? There is no point.

I can't just give into the Inquisitor! Then... then my crew would've died for nothing...

They died because you failed them.

But I did everything I could! And I... I'll keep doing everything... I won't give in...

But what's the point of resisting?

It'll keep Baldy from having a good time. He... I'll do anything to make sure that he doesn't get what he wants.

But Ezra's resistance was weak. His arguments were nothing more than a feeble gust of wind attempting to blow down a wall of bricks. After all, there was no way he was getting out of here...

The door to Ezra's cell opened, and Chip was admitted through it. For the first time, Ezra actually felt fear from the little robot's presence. He brought pain. And he knew that the pain wouldn't have an end. Not until he gave in.