Star Wars rebels Abducted

Chapter 32: End Game: Part VII

Kanan's heart leapt when he saw the green lights on the monitor. The Phantom was there! Sabine had finally gotten the ship into position! They could finally leave the accursed Imminent Pursuit!

The Inquisitor, distracted by what was making Kanan so happy, wasn't able to block Kanan's kick. He flew down the hall, and Kanan didn't waste any time mocking him. He immediately ran to the hatch, which was opened by Zeb, and jumped with as much strength as he could muster. It wasn't a Force jump, but adrenaline was his friend. And so was a Lasat with twice his strength.

"NO!" The Inquisitor's scream of rage rang through Kanan's ears, but they were already closing the hatch.

They did it! They got Ezra out of there!

"How's the kid?!" Sabine yelled out from the cockpit, already taking off. Kanan folded down five of the Phantom's seats and laid Ezra down on them, as gentle as he could be. He didn't know the full scope of his injuries, but Kanan sure as Force didn't want to aggravate whatever had been done to him.

Zeb was looking over Kanan's shoulder with a worried look, his sensitive nose taking in the heavy scent of blood. "He'll be fine, with time. What about us?"

"Well, Vader's got about thirty troopers in Tie's chasing after Hera, and pretty soon they'll be coming after us, but other than that we're just dandy."

"Only thirty? I thought he had over a hundred?!"

"Well, Vader's not the Inquisitor. He doesn't think the Ghost is much of a threat." Zeb chuckled slightly behind him, though Kanan could still tell he was worried sick. He just put on a braver front than most, as the Lasat was one of the most stubborn people Kanan knew.

"I guess Hera'll make him see differently."

"If we survive this."

"Well, yeah. Did you send the message out to Hera, Sabine?" The Mando girl gave affirmination, then swerved violently to the right.

"Sorry guys, but attaching back into the Ghost is gonna be difficult. These pilots aren't under Vader for no reason."

"Give me a second, I can help with that." Kanan slowed his breathing and connected to the Force.

It gave him immense pleasure that he could feel his Padawan again.

But Kanan expanded his realm of presence beyond the Phantom, instead reaching out towards the pilot's of the Ties swarming around the Ghost. They were moving faster than any Tie Kanan had encountered, and he put it together than Vader, of course, would have only the best and fastest ships under his control.

Steadying his breathing, Kanan extended a tendril of thought towards on of the Tie squadron's leaders. With a twitch of the Force, the pilot lost concentration, and the vehicle he was flying crashed into one of his subordinates'.

"Alright!" Sabine's war cry of joy was matched by Zeb, but Kanan frowned. These were indeed trained pilots. Even though their leader had just careened into one off into one of their own, the team of Ties did not waver. Vader's ship had their pilots learn how to operate even without direct commands. Dispatching of their leader would do just about as much as dispatching an ordinary fighter. These were indeed advanced fighters.

A presence in the Force brushed up against Kanan's own. But it was not the colorful aura of Ezra. It was the black void of someone far more menacing than the Inquisitor.

With a rush of panic, Kanan closed off his mind to the Force, raising every mental shield he knew how. If that was indeed Darth Vader, it would take everything that Kanan would have to hold him off. But Vader did not attempt to take control of Kanan's mind. If anything, he had just scouted out the threats inside the Phantom, to see who it had been that had destroyed his Ties...