Daughter of Mortis

Broken Chains

    Ania blinked her eyes open wearily and groaned. Her entire body ached and a massive headache split her skull. She lifted a hand to her head, then paused. There were no cuffs on her wrists or ankles. That's odd, she thought. She glanced around the cell. The two side walls were transparent. She gasped, spying the members of the cell next to her.

    Tolsa glanced up. "Ania, you're awake!" Her voice was strangely muffled.

    Ania pulled herself over to the wall. "What happened?"

    "I'm not sure. We went where you told us to but there was no sign of Ezra. We came to find you and then the Red Guards caught us," Sabine replied. "What happened to you?" She motioned to the dried blood on Ania's face.

    "Vader and the Emperor think Ahsoka is alive and that I know where to find her," Ania explained. "I'm not sure what they're going to do next."

    They fell silent as two sets of footsteps clanked in the corridor. Kein Rei stepped in front of Ania's cell, with a human behind him. "Come to gloat you sleemo?" Tolsa spat.

    "No, I've come to let you out," Kein replied. He swiped a keycard across a panel and Ania's cell door hissed open.

    "This is a trick," Ania said with a glare.

    Kein moved to the other cell and opened the door. "It's not a trick." He motioned to the boy next to him. "This is Jordan Mandala, a pilot and a defector."

    "I'll help you escape if you can get me away from the Empire," the boy, Jordan, said. Tolsa looked at him curiously.

    "I don't trust them," Zeb growled.

    "It doesn't matter. We can't leave without Ezra," Ania pointed out.

    "Last I heard, your friend has already been terminated." Kein tossed Sabine's blasters and charges in, along with Tolsa's lightsaber. Jordan handed Zeb his bo-rifle. "Now, do you want out of here or not?"

    Zeb, Sabine, and Tolsa stepped out of their cell. Ania followed them out. "I can't leave without Ezra," she said.

    "I already told you, he's dead," Kein hissed.

    "No, he's not." Ania pointed a finger towards him accusingly. "You have no idea."

    "I'll get you to your ships," Jordan broke in.

    "Take them. I'm getting him," Ania replied.

    "No, we can't split up again," Tolsa exclaimed.

    Ania whirled towards her, blue eyes snapping with fire. "Do as I say. I won't see another one of my friends hurt in this place. Get out of here and get back to the squadron. Take him with and drop him off on some other planet or take him to Hera. I am not leaving without Ezra, but you guys aren't staying."

    Tolsa's eyes were wide. Sabine gritted her teeth, but nodded. "Come on. She'll be fine." Zeb and Sabine turned to follow Jordan.

    Tolsa quickly gave Ania a hug. "If anything happens to you again, I will kill you. I'm tired of you risking your life but never letting anyone else do it."

    "Better me than anyone else. Go." Ania pushed Tolsa towards the others gently. She waited until they were safely in the lift, before turning to Kein. "You won't be leaving until you take me where you last saw Ezra."

    "You better pay me for this. I'm not sticking my neck out further than I have to," Kein growled. He turned and headed towards another lift.

    They began to descend into the palace. "Why did you decide to help us?" Ania asked, crossing her arms.