Star Wars Rebels: Just Hold On

A Change of Tactics

Ezra's POV

Two weeks. That's how long I've been stuck here. That's how long it's been since I've seen any of the rebels.

For the record, Kaz did not find a way to escape within the first twenty four hours. That was a little less than two weeks ago. Ever since then everything has been a blur. I go to the group mealtimes before being taken back to my exclusive cell. Conner hasn't made any progress with all of the prisoners. I get drilled for information at least two times a day, always by the Inquisitor searching my mind. I can tell he's getting frustrated. I am too. But I won't reach out with the force again. I'm too afraid that I'll do something crazy and hurt everyone else again.

I haven't made contact with Kanan yet. I've tried countless times. Once I thought I brushed his mind somewhere in space, but I couldn't be sure. I don't think he got the message either way.

The cell door opened as the Inquisitor entered. I was slightly surprised. It wasn't time for my next session yet.

"What's up my Quizzy man?" I joked. The Inquisitor just stared at me.

"No? Not doing it for you?" I asked. "How about Inc? Mr. I? Mystery Inc?"

"Your spirit never stops amazing me," the Inquisitor finally said. "Will you not join me? You could be a powerful ally."

"Well, I could lie and say that I will," I told him. "Not that it'll do much good."

"Then your stay here is nearing its end," he told me.

"But it's so nice! I wanted to stay forever!" I said sarcastically.

"My master has given me permission to take more drastic measures," the Inquisitor continued, ignoring me completely.

"Please don't make me smell your feet," I begged.

"Enjoy your wits while they remain," the Inquisitor warned. "You may soon find that they are in short supply."

"Whatever that means," I replied.

"I'm going to give you one last chance," he said while extending a hand. I felt the cold fill me as pain exploded in my mind. He was examining my memories again. You'd think he would have learned his lesson by now.

"Tell me where your rebel friends are," he growled. "It isn't that difficult. Once you do, the pain will end."

"I told you already, I don't know where they are," I responded while carefully keeping my important memories hidden from him. I was getting better at it. "And even if I did know, I wouldn't tell you."

"Call out to your master using the force. He will sense it and come. That is an easy enough thing for you to do," the Inquisitor demanded, pushing harder with the force.

"I would never betray Kanan to you!" I shouted with my own explosion of the force. The Inquisitor withdrew from my mind. I could tell he was disappointed.

"Very well," he said with a sort of sigh. "If you will not call out to your master, perhaps your pain will." I had no idea what the Inquisitor had in mind until he activated his lightsaber. This couldn't be good.

(from this point to Kanan's POV, it's basically going to be Ezra getting tortured. If that isn't your cup of tea, go ahead and skip to that point)

The Inquisitor examined his lightsaber.

"You can still escape the pain," he told me. "Simply call out to your master. It's that easy."

"Bring it on," I growled in return. The Inquisitor smiled.

"Youth these days are so stubborn," he said to no one in particular. Then he lowered the lightsaber blade to my arm.

I had never felt anything so painful in my life. I had broken a couple of bones once when I got into a speeder accident, but that was nothing compared to this. A lightsaber wound was like what I imagined touching the sun would be like. And it wouldn't end. It just continued on and on and on.

The Inquisitor removed the lightsaber and I gasped for breath.

"Have you changed your mind?" he asked.

"You . . . wish," I growled. The Inquisitor switched hands and pressed the lightsaber to my other arm. I felt like I was going to die. I was almost willing to do anything to make the pain stop. But I wouldn't. I couldn't. I would never betray the rebels to the Empire. Not after everything they had done for me.

If Kanan was willing to die for me, I was willing to die for him and the others.

I was hardly aware of the Inquisitor removing the lightsaber. The pain continued even after it was gone. I wasn't sure how much more of this I could take.

The Inquisitor hardly stopped this time before he continued burning stripes into my arms. Each stripe sent a fresh wave of pain exploding through me. I wanted to die. I wanted it to end.

The Inquisitor paused. I couldn't even muster the energy to look at him.

"Reevaluating your decision?" he asked. "Are you prepared to call to your master?"

"You . . . might as well . . . just kill me," I snapped.

"Soon enough," he promised. "But not yet. We are far from over."

He moved behind me and began the same process with the lightsaber, only this time on my back. If anything, the pain was even worse. I felt on the verge of blacking out.

"KANAN!" I screamed before I surrendered to the darkness.

Kanan's POV

I pressed a hand to my temple and sank into the nearest chair. Sabine glanced up from her seat nearby and Hera sat down beside me. Even Zeb glanced up from where he was leaning against the wall. The atmosphere in the lounge of the Ghost had never been this tense.

"What is it?" Hera asked while placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"It's Ezra," I admitted. Now even Chopper was paying attention. We had been searching for any leads on Ezra's location for two weeks. We were all hopeful for any news we could get.

"He's in pain," I told them. "Terrible pain."

"We've got to do something!" Sabine said while standing up.

"Yeah," Zeb growled. "There must be some way to find out where the kid is."

"Can you sense anything else?" Hera asked. I nodded with my eyes closed.

"I think I can sense where he is," I told them. They all watched me eagerly as Hera pulled up the star map. I reached out for Ezra with the force.

Ezra's POV

Everything was empty.

I couldn't see anything or feel anything. I was only floating in darkness. There was a golden glow ahead of me. It looked so welcoming, so peaceful. I was sure there were no Inquisitor's that way.

"Ezra," a calm voice said.

"Kanan?" I asked while glancing around. It sounded like the voice had come from behind me where there was another light. This one was dim and orange and red. It didn't look as welcoming. It looked almost painful.

"Ezra, hold on," Kanan said. "We're coming. Just hold on."

"Kanan, I'm on Mustafar. The Inquisitor is here," I told him.

"Just hold on," Kanan repeated. I felt a comforting feeling. Then he was gone. I turned back to the orange light.

I couldn't leave yet. I had things to do. People to save.

Kanan's POV

I kept my eyes closed and let the force guide my hand. When I felt like it was in the right place, I opened my eyes.

"That's where Ezra is," I said. Sabine gasped.

"Are you sure?" Hera asked.

"I'm sure," I replied.

"Let's go bust some heads," Zeb said loudly. Chopper whirred in agreement.

"To Mustafar it is!" Hera declared.

"Ezra, hold on," I said softly. "We're coming. Just hold on."