Child of Balance

Mind Infultration

Ezra wiped some dirt off his cheek and prepared himself for a counter strike. The fighting was more vicious than he had anticipated. Ahsoka and Tolsa were close by and Kit was at his side. There was still no sign of Ania, Gideon, or the other Inquisitor. Slowly, the Mandalorian warriors were being forced back towards the Sundari Dome as Death Watch and the Empire gained ground.

He sidestepped a stormtrooper's attack and cleaved his saber through the trooper's stomach. Once, Kanan had told him that Jedi do not kill to end battles. Usually he followed those words, but today, there was too much at stake.

Kit skidded to a stop beside him, panting. "I think I saw her up ahead," he said.

Ezra followed Kit's pointing finger. Across the battlefield, a Togruta dressed in red and black Mandalorian armor was cutting down warriors with a red blade. His breath caught for a moment, but he forced his disbelief away.

"Ahsoka!" He shouted. She finished off one of the Death Watch warriors and vaulted towards them. "She's here."

Ahsoka spotted her daughter swiftly. "Gideon has her wearing Maul's Mandalorian armor," she growled.

No wonder the markings look similar, Ezra thought. "What do we do?"

"We need to separate her from the others. If we have her alone, maybe we can help her."

"It's worth a shot," Kit shrugged.

Tolsa had joined them by now. She nodded her agreement. "I saw Bo and Feton farther ahead. They haven't seen her yet, but it won't be long until they do."

"Then we have to go now." Ezra burst into a sprint with the others close behind him. He whirled past Imperials and Death Watch warriors, making his way closer to Ania. A blast went sailing past his face. Ezra skidded to a stop and rolled.

Massive paws thumped down onto the stormtrooper and Ezra cringed at the sound of snapping bones. In another moment, Ro was at his side. He pulled himself onto her back. They bounded towards Ania.

She spied them soon. Her new red blade whirled into view, but Ezra stretched a hand towards her. The blade flew out of her grasp and into his. Ro pounced onto Ania, pinning her onto the ground. She writhed beneath the wolf. The others reached them shortly.

"Grab onto Ro!" Ahsoka ordered. She wrapped her own arm around the wolf's neck. "Get us away from here."

Ezra screwed his eyes shut as wind whipped past his face suddenly. When he opened them again, they were a long ways away from the Dome. He could barely make out the flashes of blaster fire being exchanged.

A shriek drew his attention. Ezra whipped out his lightsaber just in time to parry the Inquisitor's attack. She knocked him off Ro's back and landed before him. "How did she get here?" Ezra shouted.

"She must've grabbed onto Ro right before we left," Ahsoka shouted in reply.

He ignored any further comments, focusing on the Inquisitor before him. "Leader Snoke will be pleased if I bring you to him," she sneered. "It will make up for Gideon's failure."

"Snoke will just have to be disappointed then," Ezra taunted. He ducked past her attack and landed a kick to her stomach. She staggered back, wheezing. "Who are you? What happened to Ania?"

"Ania Bonteri no longer exists. Now, her name is Nia and she serves the will of Snoke."

Ezra bared his teeth in a snarl and lunged at the Inquisitor. "She'll never serve the will of another. Not again. Not as long as I live!" He slammed his lightsaber against hers with a furious attack.