For You Alone

In My Heart

Ezra Bridger stepped up to glare at the imposing Imperial Star Destroyer. "Chopper, put me through."

Chopper squawked an affirmative, and a hologram of Grand Admiral Thrawn appeared before the viewport. "Governor Pryce is our prisoner, and we have complete control of the Imperial Dome." Ezra smirked. "You failed, Thrawn. Leave Lothal and we might let your troops out before we blow the Dome to pieces."

"Are you quite finished?" There was an unsettling look on Thrawn's face, and Ezra didn't enjoy looking at it. "If you truly wish to save Lothal, Commander Bridger, the only term I'll accept is your immediate and unconditional surrender."

Ezra frowned. He held all the cards. What did Thrawn have to threaten? "Why would I surrender when I hold your entire army prisoner?"

"No." Ezra's blood froze. "You've simply moved my assets to a safe position, so that I can bombard civilians of your home without incurring Imperial casualties."

"Rex!" Sabine beat Ezra to it. "Raise the planetary shield!"

The old Clone sounded panicked. "The generator just went offline!"

Now Thrawn smirked. "Your shield generator is under my control. Just so you understand that my intentions are genuine, I shall demonstrate my power." He half turned. "Open fire."

Ezra could only watch in horror as Chopper opened up a camera feed, and watched his city burn. It only took a few minutes before he could take it no longer. "Enough! I surrender!"

Thrawn's eyes widened slightly, and he nodded. The barrage ceased, and he stared at Ezra. "I await your arrival. And, make no mistake. Come alone. If you attempt any heroics, I shall resume the bombardment, and destroy your city. And then your friends."

As soon as the hologram dissipated, Ezra moved, handing his lightsaber to Chopper and beginning to make his way out of the control centre. Hera stopped him. "Ezra, I understand you think you need to do this, but-"

Ezra sighed. "This is what I'm meant to do."

"There's another way. There's always another way." Hera laid her hands on his shoulders. "I won't let you go."

Ezra reached out with the Force, and nearly recoiled. Hera was terrified of losing him like she had lost Kanan. She had yet to grieve for the fallen Jedi, and Ezra wasn't sure what would happen if he followed through with his plan. "Alright. If this isn't the way, than what is?"

Hera smiled as she removed her hands. "Let's see what we have to work with."

The others gathered around a holoprojection of the station. "Charge up the Dome's cannon." Zeb growled. "Blow them out of the sky!"

"Even if we do, 'blow them out of the sky'." Kallus was at least thinking. "The wreckage will come crashing down on the city!"

But Ezra's focus was on Chopper, who had just nodded almost imperceptibly. Then he looked up and a small vent panel had opened. "One last time."

The Force pinged, and Ezra turned to see Sabine staring at him, softly shaking her head, tears welling up in her eyes. Ezra mentally groaned and stepped away from the vent, nodding once at her.

"Hera." Relieved, Sabine made her way over to the big screen. "We should use the primary schematic if we're going to find a way to raise the shield. We need to find a way to get down here."

Zeb scowled. "And find a way to get past all the Imperials we've locked in here with us!"

Kallus pointed. "We can bypass them using an executive order to order them back to the barracks."