Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars Rebels or any of its characters.

Prologue

His breaths were quick, uneven. He was clearly unconscious; the way his head was slumped over and the slackness of his body. He looked as if he were dead.

The gaping hole in his side didn't help disprove that.

The Inquisitor gazed at him, his eyes unreadable and his face blank, except for the faint smile. His prisoner was breaking and being reborn into something new, something grand. Soon there would be nothing left of his past self. The Emperor would be pleased.

"Wake up," he whispered. Blues eyes shot open at the sound, and a shudder went through the body, trails of blood leaking from the wound. His prisoner looked around frantically, the fever doing its job to confuse him. Eventually he rested his gaze on The Inquisitor and he went still.

His voice raspy, he spoke, "Wh…. What is it now?" Laughing his cruel laugh, The Inquisitor slowly walked around, glancing at the myriad of injuries, minor and serious alike, that covered the boy. "Young Ezra, you seem to be feeling down. Why don't you just go back to sleep, let me take care of you? You're very important to me."

"Never." This time Ezra's voice was strong, the sound reverberating around the room. He made to get up, only to feel a lance of pain from his side, causing him to slide back down to the floor.

The Inquisitor reached down and grabbed the boy's face, leaning down to Ezra's eye level. "Unfortunately, you do not get to choose, boy. Very soon you will drift away and then your true destiny will begin."

Ezra responded with a glob of blood being released from his mouth and hitting the Inquisitor on his cheek. The Inquisitor released Ezra's face and slowly wiped away the blood. Silence prevailed for a few minutes before the smile widened a fraction and he turned and walked out of jail.

Ezra closed his eyes once he door shut, leaning against the cool metal. Kanan, he thought, Where are you? I can't hold on for much longer. With that trailing thought, he fell into a slumber, pleading that he would be rescued.