Star Wars Rebels: When Hope Is Lost

Chapter 6: The Offer

"We have to go back," Hera said, breaking the silence. After Kanan had managed to pull himself together, the crew had all become lost in their thoughts. "We can't leave him there."

"Hera—" Sabine started, but the Twi'lek cut her off. "No Sabine! He's one of our family! And he's just a kid! He can't withstand Imperial torture, and it's almost 100 percent likely that they're doing it to him! And before you say, 'We don't know where he is', let me tell you. They're still on that medical base. A ship docked right after we got off the station. A Lambda class shuttle. And that could only have been carrying someone important. They wouldn't leave very quickly if someone inportant was on board the station. They'd want to follow procedures even more carefully."

"Hera's right," Kanan said, surprising everyone. "We have to go back for him."

The others nodded in agreement (even Chopper) and Hera set the course for the medical station.

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Ezra had never imagined pain like this. Lightning, torture droids, when did it end? He was in so much agony that he had begun to have trouble thinking of ways to avoid answering their questions. He couldn't take much more of this. At least so far, they have only used physical torture. The torture droid stuck another needle into his arm. He winced as the sharp point broke the skin.

"I'll ask you one more time: WHERE IS AHSOKA TANO?" The Seventh Sister demanded.

You said one more time last time too, Ezra thought. And the time before that. How the Empire knew about Ahsoka, he had no idea. But he knew that he wouldn't tell them anything about her. Not her location, nothing. But he didn't know that much to begin with. Ahsoka was a Jedi; she kept to herself a lot, just like Kanan. But at least Kanan had opened up a little more. And Ahsoka's location? The Command Ship. That was all he knew.

"I don't know." He said flatly.

"My Lord, I suggest we take the interrogation to another level," the Fifth Brother suggested. "Perhaps.... A little show of force would be good for the boy. He is stronger than the Seventh Sister and I anticipated."

Ezra glared at him. "If you say it's good for me, it's definetely NOT good for me." He felt a surge of pride at having exceeded their expectations. Ha! That's right! I'm a 'child' and I can outlast your torture devices!

"Yes," Vader said. "I believe it might be more... Effective."

Vader streched out his hand, and Ezra instantly felt him pull at his mind. The pain.... It was excrutiating. He groaned, trying desperately to keep his mental barriers up. He felt so cold....

"Where is Ahsoka Tano?" The Sith asked.

Ezra said nothing.

"Tell me."

"No," Ezra moaned.

"It is pointless to resist."

Ezra shook his head.

"If you will not tell me, I will inflict more pain," said Vader.

"Go ahead," Ezra put on a brave face. "I'm not going to tell you anything."

Vader didn't reply. Instead, he gripped tighter on Ezra's mind. Ezra fought the urge to scream, as that would only encourage his enemy.

"WHERE IS SHE?" Vader thundered.

"I.... I don't know!" He burst out.

Vader, suprisingly, let go. Ezra took deep breaths, trying to calm his racing heart. He leaned back gently against the console, breathing hard. The reason he was so gentle with himself was because he hurt all over from the Imperial torture droid shocking him and sticking needles into him. The needles didn't even inject anything. They just hurt when they broke the skin and hit a vein or a muscle. They were always injected to hit something. Never something critical, just something that the dark-siders had no problem injuring to extract information.