Star Wars Rebels: Just Hold On

Fear Like Never Before

Kimble's POV

I was seriously getting sick of being called scum. It was the same every mealtime. This one was no different.

When I entered the meal room, everyone else except for Ezra was already there. I assumed that they were bringing him from wherever his new cell was.

"You look cheerful," Conner mentioned.

"Just thinking about seeing Ezra," I told him.

"You don't even know if he's alive," he reminded me.

"Actually, I do," I told him. I reached out through the mental link.

Over the last few hours, I had gotten better at using it. I could contact Ezra myself, and he could contact me. I also could vaguely sense which direction he was. 15 minutes ago we had discovered that we could feel a hint of each other's emotions. I didn't see how that could be useful, only embarrassing, but Ezra though that every bit of our connection was important in our plan for escape, which he still hadn't told me.

Are you almost here? I asked Ezra mentally.

Yeah, he replied. Coming in now.

His voice sounded more tired than before. I wondered what had happened in the last fifteen minutes to make him sound like that.

I'll explain later, Ezra's voice said in my mind. I blinked. I hadn't intended to send those thoughts to Ezra. Either I had accidentally sent them, or he was getting really good at reading my mind.

The door on the far side of the room opened as Ezra entered. He looked different. He walked with more of a slouch, clasping his hands in front of him. His eyes were staring at the ground. Those weren't the only changes. His wrist bracelet was gone, while a new bigger one had been wrapped around his neck.

The stormtrooper guards left Ezra alone and he walked over to us.

"Good to see you still with the living," Conner said playfully while slapping Ezra on the back. Ezra winced and laughed, standing up straighter.

"It'll take more than what they've got to bump me off," he told us.

"Why were you walking so funny when you came in?" I asked.

"What, the slouch?" he asked. "Yeah, it makes them feel better about themselves to see a prisoner submissive. And I wanted them to underestimate me. And it felt good to bend my back after hanging for so long."

"I'll have to try that sometime," Conner said.

"Why did you sound so tired?" I asked. Ezra glanced around.

"I've been trying to contact my master, but I don't seem to be making any progress," he admitted quietly.

"You can do that?" Conner asked.

"Yeah, he can," I said. "Aren't your master and friends on Lothal?"

"That's what I thought too," Ezra said. "But they could have left. If they have, I'm not sure I'll be able to reach them."

"I'm sure you can do it. You've done some pretty impossible things," I told Ezra.

"It helps when you back me up," Ezra admitted. I smiled.

"This is getting hard," he admitted.

"What is?" Conner asked.

"Thinking up escape ideas," Ezra said. "My best one involves all of the force users rising up together and using the force to escape, but every time I try to talk to them they won't listen to me."

"I might be able to help there," Conner offered. Ezra and I both stared at him in shock.

"What?" he asked defensively. "You've inspired me!"

"If you could get them to join us," Ezra began, "we might be able to escape without the help of my master. Of course, it all depends on if they'll help, and how many you can get."

"I'll see what I can do," Conner promised.

--- later that day ---

I sat on my cot, staring at my hands. There really wasn't much to do in these prison cells. I'd almost prefer that thy start torturing me instead of just sitting here.

The door to my cell opened and to my complete surprise the Inquisitor walked in, followed by two stormtroopers.

"I heard that you don't want to join the Inquisitors," the Inquisitor said.

"I would rather not," I said hesitantly. The Inquisitor smiled.

"Then your stay here has come to an end, along with that precious brother of yours," he said while activating his lightsaber. The stormtroopers raised their blasters as fear spiked through me. I couldn't see any escape. This was the end. Even Ezra couldn't save me now.