Without you

Chapter 21

No one's p.o.v

Hera quietly closed the door behind her as she entered the room, quietly locking it.

"What is this? Who are you?"

Hera turned around from facing the door to facing the so-called 'Slave Master'. The man tilted his head smiling, licking his upper lip.

"Well hello" he greeted, his voice was almost soft but there was something alarming behind it. It reminded Hera those men that lurk in the shadows of the dark alleys. Handsome strangers with beautiful voices that lure poor, naive girls right into their clutches, vanishing them from the face of the planet, never to be heard from again. There were many men like that on Ryloth. She had lost a friend that way.

The man was slowly walking towards her, not directly thought. He was walking in cycles around her, like the predator surrounding its' pray.

"How did you get her?" he asked her, stopping right behind her, laying his chin on her shoulder. She could feel his breathing on her neck. It would be so easy to do it now.

'No, wait. Just a few more seconds'

"I am new here, and I think I got sort of lost...so I came to see if you could help me to my cell, sir" she said innocently. Thankfully, she didn't have to act too hard, her sweet characteristics made most people underestimate her, and this one was not any different.

She felt him smile against her neck as his hands wrapped around her.

"It would be a shame to take you to that dirty cell when we could have so much fun here. After all, samples like you are not made for labor but for...other services"

As soon as she felt him relax slightly against her, Hera turned giving him a strong kick in the...yeah. As expected the man fell to his knees with a groan of pain. Hera lost no time, she grabbed him while he was still distracted she pushed him on his chair, forcing his hands through the arms of the chair and taking the handcuffs out of her hands, attaching them to his hands. The man tried to get off the chair but to no avail.

"What the hell are you doing?!" he yelled at her, whatever charm was in his voice before had now vanished. Hera punched him, making the chair move by the force of the blow.

"What? You don't expect people to stand up to you?You expect them to just sit still while you defile them?"

"Slaves-" he started but Hera interrupted him.

"Are people, and this is inhumane" she pinched her nose groaning. "I will make this easy for you. You will tell me where my kid is and I will let you go?"

"Your kid?"

'My kid' had she really said that. She smiled a little.

"Yes, my kid. Ezra Bridger. Ring any bells?"

The Slave Master chuckled.

"Yeah right. You think that tying me in a chair will make me tell you were my favorite 'toy' is?"

Hera smiled. "No, but that will" she said walking over to his office. "If you don't tell me where he is I will simply send a transmission to my ship. The empire checks all transmissions that go through their database. How will it look like, a decrypted message sent to a rebel ship from your office?"

For the first time, Hera detected fear in the man's eyes. "I  might be lenient to you, even though you're a pig, but the empire won't. This is your last shot. Tell me where he is now" Hera said leaning over the chair, looking the man right in the eyes and the man looking everywhere else.

"He is my quarters, there is a side room there"

Hera smiled taking the comm out.

"Heard that guys"

"Loud and clear, heading there now" Kanan's voice echoed through the silent room.

"You had back-up" the man mubbled.

"Ezra has a big family" she said about to leave.

"You don't look like you are related to the boy.He's not really your son, is he?" she heard him say while she was unlocking the door. She smiled.

"He is in all the ways that matter"

"And that man?He was the one I saw when I got the boy back isn't he? He doesn't deserve you, stay here. I have never met a woman like you before. They all just bend on my will. You are the only one who has ever put up a fight. I find that alluring" he said, the charm returning to his voice as he looked at her with lustful eyes.

She turned, leaning on the door, looking at him for a moment.

"He is twenty times the man you will ever be"

She closed the door behind her, locking it. Ofelia walked up to her.

"I have to say, hearing you beat the crap out of that bastard was truly cathartic"

She said waving her comm. Hera smiled.

"Yeah well, he deserved every bit of it and a lot more" she said.

"Come on. Let's get Ezra"

The both started running through the empty hallways. In the rare case a guard popped up, well, it was no match for our fierce women.

They met with Kanan and Zeb halfway.
Kanan smiled.

"Nice to know you think I am better than him" he said playfully.

Hera smiled rolling her eyes.

"Almost everyone in the galaxy is better than him so don't flutter yourself love" she shot back.

"Keep the flirting for after the mission" Zeb gave both of them a slight pat on the shoulder before running up ahead, punching a guard that had just turned the corner.

Out of breath, they stopped outside the door leading to the Slave Master's room. It had beautiful shapes carved on the front, underlining the difference between the Master and everyone else.

Ofelia took a few steps back, eyes widened, looking far away.

"You okay kid?" Kanan asked grabbing her shoulder, flinching when she slapped it off. She backed away shaking her head. She looked up to meet the worried eyes of the crew.

"Sorry, it's just...bad memories from this room" she mumbled.

"Would you like to-" Hera started but Ofelia shook her off.

"No, I'm coming with you. I'll be fine...I'm fine"

All three of the patted her on the back. It made her smile. She could she why Ezra loved them so much.

They all turned to the door. This was it. They were finally here. Kanan leaned over the panel and slowly dialed in the code. The door opened, the bright light from inside illuminated the dark hallway. They all hesitated for a moment before taking a step forward.

Hello my loves. See? I managed to update this one more fast than the last. You know what I call this? Progress! *Proud smile* (I am lying to myself). I don't have much more to say. I hope you all had the best holiday you could considering the circumstances. And may the new year be proven to be  better than the last one. May the force be with you. Always.