(Admit it. You thought I wasn't going to continue this story. Well surprise!)

The first thing Ezra realized as he regained consciousness was the grinding sensation on his back and metallic limbs gripping his ankles. He opened his eyes, realizing he was looking at the ceiling and being dragged. The images of an Inquisitor attacking him with a red lightsaber flood his mind as he recalled the last thing that happened before he was knocked out. Ezra tried to move his hands but found them shackled together. He lifted his head up to see probe droids dragged him by the ankles, following the Inquisitor who was calmly strolling ahead.

Ezra didn't know what his captor had planned for him but knew it wasn't good. He tried to kick the droids away but the machines just gripped him legs tighter.

The Inquisitor turned around and approached Ezra's prone body. "Don't appreciate my pet's giving you a hand? Fine then, you can walk," she mocked.

The droids released Ezra as the Inquisitor grabbed him by the arms and forced him to his feet. She shoved him ahead of him but gripped his right arm to keep him from trying to run.

"You are in so much trouble," mocked Ezra as they continued moving.

"Ahh children and their empty threats. How cute," chuckled the Inquisitor.

"I'm serious. My friends are going to come for me and when they do, you are dead," scoffed Ezra.

"You mean the Mandalorian, Lasat, and Second Sister? I'm not worried about them," replied the Inquisitor.

"You should. If Second Sister killed your Grand Inquisitor, what makes you think you'll stand a chance? Especially when she'll have back up," Ezra taunted.

The Inquisitor just laughed at that.

"Laugh while you can because once my friends find me, you are dead," Ezra mocked.

"I'm afraid you'll be waiting a long time for them," said the Inquisitor. The chirping from one her probe droids emanated from her wrist com. Ezra couldn't make out what it was saying. They must be using some kind of different spoken language then normal droids.

"Good then lock down the whole station," the Inquisitor ordered.

"You're a lousy compass," muttered Zeb as he waited with Sabine for Sister to tell them which way to go. Being the only one of them who can use the Force, she was the best person to track down Ezra.

"The Force isn't a compass and neither am I Gamorrean brain," grumbled Sister, trying to focus.

Suddenly the lights came as the main generator must have been brought back online. Considering that Chopper was told not to activate primary power, this had to be Seven's doing. Down the hallway, the emergency blast doors sealed themselves. Sister turned to watch the same thing happen at the other end of the hallway with another blast door slamming shut.

"This can't be good," sighed Zeb.

"Seven's trying to slow us down," hissed Sister. She ignited her lightsaber and started cutting through one of the blast doors. In no time at all, Sister created a circular opening and stepped through it. The only problem was at the end of the hallway was yet another sealed blast door.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me," groaned Zeb.

"This Inquisitor's probably locked down the whole station. We have to get back to the control room and lift the lockdown," said Sabine.

"And let Seven get away with Ezra!" hissed Sister.

"Cutting through every single blast door on every single hallway is going to take forever even with a lightsaber," argued Sabine.

Sister wasn't happy about it but the Mandalorian was right, not that she was going to admit it out loud.

Ezra was manhandled into a hangar bay, shoved forward by the Inquisitor who held onto his right arm like a vice. He noticed the Dark side Assassin has her crescent shaped lightsaber holstered on her back. Ezra contemplated trying to grab it but knew deep down that wouldn't accomplish anything. This Inquisitor was far stronger than him in both skill and the Force. Maybe he could try if the others show up but for now he just needed to stay alive long enough to be found.

Sitting in the bay was a variation of the Tie Fighter that the Grand Inquisitor used. Well that explains how this particular Inquisitor got onboard. Guess the one the rebels stole wasn't a unique model.

"Please tell me we aren't leaving in that ship. How are you going to fit me onboard? Do I sit on your lap?" Ezra mockingly sighed.

The Inquisitor's wrist com began to beep. "Well looks like this party just got a lot bigger," she commented.

"What is that supposed to…?" Ezra asked.

He got his answer as the massive hangar bay doors opened, allowing an Imperial Lambda class shuttle to pass through the environmental field and land inside. Looks like the Inquisitor brought friends.

A loading ramp lowered to the floor as the shuttle airlock finished cycling and opened. A large grey-skinned alien marched down the ramp followed by more than a dozen Stormtroopers. Ezra noticed the alien was wearing the same kind of armor as the Inquisitors which meant he was probably one. This day keeps getting worse and worse.

"Sister what are you doing here?" the Grey Inquisitor demanded.

"Tracking down our targets as well as making new friends," the female Inquisitor answered sarcastically before shoving Ezra forward.

"Second Sister is here as well as least two others," the female Inquisitor continued.

Ezra cursed himself. He wasn't sure if the Inquisitor already knew about the others but he didn't have to confirm it for her by mouthing off.

"I will deal with them," the Grey Inquisitor spoke.

"I'm sure the Grand Inquisitor thought the exact same thing before he was killed. We will use the boy as bait to draw out the others," the female Inquisitor replied.

"I will decide our course of action," hissed the Grey Inquisitor.

"Are you pulling rank Fifth Brother?" the female Inquisitor asked mockingly. These two clearly had little respect for each other. It was a wonder how in the galaxy the Inquisitors were able to work together. Guess it took a strong hand like the Grand Inquisitor or Vader to keep them in line.

Fifth Brother turned to the bucket heads and said, "Secure this room."

The Stormtroopers spread out, noticeably far enough away for the two Inquisitors to speak privately.

"Third Sister has given orders to contact her should the rebels be here," Fifth said.

"No doubt so she can show up and claim the glory of killing our sister to Lord Vader," the female Inquisitor spoke.

"Agreed," hissed Fifth.

"What if our communication systems were suffering from mechanical issues?" the female Inquisitor suggested.

"Then the kill would be ours," smiled Fifth. They were undermining their superior? No wonder the Empire had so many problems. How could you run a military that conspires and works against each other? That was one reason why Ezra had no doubt that the rebellion will win.

"Your funeral," quipped Ezra. That got him a backhanded blow across the face but the insult was worth it.

"The station is big but we have an advantage. They will come for the boy," the female spoke.

"Second Sister cares for no one but herself. She will never risk her life to save his," spat Fifth.

"Maybe but the others will and once they're disposed, our sibling will be easy pickings once she's isolated," chuckled the female.

"I will not allow these rebels to escape because of your assumptions. I will lead a patrol through the station and find them," said Fifth.

"Your funeral," quipped Ezra. That once again got him a backhanded blow across the face but the insult was worth it.

Sabine finished cutting through the sealed hatch with Second Sister's lightsaber. The former Inquisitor wasn't happy with letting the Mandalorian borrow her weapon but storming through the blast door into the control room was far too obvious for whoever or whatever was inside. So Sabine was now crawling through the ventilation shaft hoping to catch whoever was in control of the station by surprise.

The Mandalorian moved the severed portion of the hatch out of her way and continued crawling until she reached a grate that overlooked the control room. Sabine slowly lifted up the grate and pulled out one of her blaster pistols. Down below was a probe droid similar to the one the Inquisitor had. The culprit was plugged into the manual port of the primary control terminal which allowed it to take control of the station. Nearby a deactivated Chopper was lying face down on the floor, no doubt the result of getting attacked from behind.

Sabine aimed her weapon, careful to make sure she didn't accidentally hit the console. Once her sight was lined up, Sabine took the shoot and a blaster bolt hit the probe droid in its center frame. The droid shrieked as it dropped off the console to the floor, its lights flickering. Sabine dropped to the floor and took one more shot to finish it off. She holstered her side-arm and quickly checked on Chopper. Fortunately, the little psychotic trash compactor suffered from some minor electrical damage when he was shocked unconscious.

With the flip of a switch, Chopper was back online and leaped to his feet. His arms twirled around him, probably expecting to be attacked after what just happened to him.

"Calm down Chop. It's me," Sabine said.

Chopper glanced around and noticed the destroyed probe droid nearby. He raced over to the pile of scrap and started stomping on it with one of his legs.

"At least I know your personality circuits weren't damaged," chuckled Sabine as she headed to the main console and accessed the station's lockdown. It didn't take long before the blast door sealing off the control room lifted and Zeb and Sister stepped inside. The two noticed the angry astromech smashing the remains of the probe droid and then after it was nothing but pieces, Chopper zapped what was left with his electrical arc welder arm.

"Well at least he's having fun," Zeb commented.

Sister rolled her eyes as the two joined up with Sabine as the control console.

"Where's Ezra?" demanded Sister.

"Just a second…here," replied Sabine who pulled up video footage of a hangar bay with a docked Lamda-shuttle along with dozens of Stormtroopers, two individuals dressed like Second Sister, and Ezra whose hands were bound.

"Oh boy. That's at least a full platoon," gulped Sabine.

"And now there's another one of your friends," grumbled Zeb.

"Five," hissed Sister.

They watched as the larger Inquisitor headed towards the exit with at least twenty Stormtroopers following him.

"They're going to search the station room by room for us," Sister commented.

"Well I'll pull the same lockdown trick they used on us. That'll slow them down," Sabine said. With a press of a few buttons, she sealed off the entire section containing the Imperials. It'll take them a while to get through that.

"Lock the hangar bay down as well. Make sure they can't get away," Sister said.

"I can secure the magnetic locks on the hangar doors but I'm pretty sure that Tie Fighter in there could blast through them given enough time."

"Can you contact the fleet?" asked Zeb.

"Not here," grumbled Sabine. "The Imps are jamming us. The only way for us to contact the fleet is to pilot the Phantom far enough away from the station."

"This is strange. Shouldn't they have a Star Destroyer or two orbiting the station? From what I can see on sensors, they came by themselves," Sabine said.

Second Sister started laughing. Sabine and Zeb both threw her a look. "What's so funny?" demanded Zeb.

"The kids want to show the adults they can handle themselves. I always knew those two were fools and this proves it," laughed Sister.

"What are you talking about?" frowned Sabine.

"Fifth Brother and Seventh Sister want the glory of taking me down all for themselves. They're arrogant and that's why I'm going to beat them," smirked Sister.

"And why are you so confident?" questioned Sabine.

"Because I'm the one who trained them," answered Sister.

Sabine wasn't sure if she shared Sister's confidence but Ezra probably didn't have much time left. By the time they got backup, the Imperials will probably kill Ezra and Sabine wasn't going to let that happen.

"Chopper take the Phantom and pilot it far enough to contact Hera. The rest of us will stay behind and get him back," said Sabine.

Krona yelped as she held her hand, her lightsaber slipping from her grasp. The scorch mark on her forearm was smoking as she dropped to her knees. The youngling glanced up to see her attacker. Second Sister's eyes narrowed in disappointment and Krona knew what that meant. Sister kicked her opponent in the chest, knocking Krona onto her back. The Inquisitor then slashed the Mirialian across the chest.

Krona screamed in pain as the energy blade scorched her skin. Sister pulled her blade away and deactivated her weapon.

"Pathetic," mocked Sister as the student held her chest. The lightsaber might have been on a non-lethal setting but they still caused painful burns. Krona's body had been littered with them over the years of her training with the Inquisitors. It was nothing like the Jedi Masters who would slowly mold and condition their students over decades. The Inquisitors didn't have such patience and if you showed no real sign of improvement within a short period of time, you would die.

"The trial approaches little Krona and if you cannot master the dark side, you will die just like the others," Sister stated.

"Yes Mistress," whispered Krona.

Sister just shook her head in disgust and walked away. Krona moaned as she struggled to stand. Someone quickly emerged from the shadows, grasping her by the arm and helping her to her feet. Krona realized it was probably the only friend she still had left in this galaxy.

"Are you alright?" Adonis asked.

"I'll be fine," lied Krona.

"I'm scared Krona. We're all that's left. If Second Sister and Third Sister aren't satisfied with our training…" Adonis shivered.

"We'll make it Adonis. I promise we're going to live and one day be free of the Empire," replied Krona.

Seven touched her chest, remembering Second Sister's lessons. At first she thought the Inquisitors were just bullying her and the other prisoners around for sadistic pleasure until she realized they were trying to get them all angry, to break them mentally, and then be built back up into completely different people. Ones that could serve the Empire's needs. Seven knew that Second Sister didn't care however about any of her trainees. She just wanted to look more successful towards Vader in churning out Force Assassins rather than Third Sister or the Grand Inquisitor.

As much as it angered Seven to admit, Second Sister was better than the others. The Grand Inquisitor was all about appearances, making himself look grandiose. Third Sister wanted to enjoy herself and that usually meant hurting everyone around her. Second Sister was far more devious. She would pit her rivals and subordinates against each other, making them fight another one another while she could weave her web of lies unnoticed from the shadows. That was how she managed to escape her fellow Inquisitors when the order came to terminate her.

With the rebels retaking the control room, they've locked down the entire station which forced Fifth Brother to cut his way through each and every blast door. It was time consuming so while her sibling went ahead with about twenty Stormtroopers, Seven decided to stay back with the rest as well as their prisoner. Five was a fool but a useful one that would probably take a few rebels before Second Sister killed him. Seven, on the other hand, had a better idea then brute force.

"Ma'am all the equipment required is accounted for and ready," an Imperial demolitions specialist reported. Seven ordered him to bring out specific items for a job.

"Good then let's get started," replied Seven.

"Started doing what?" asked the Jedi Padawan.

Seven grabbed him by the arm and forcibly hauled him towards the Imperial shuttle.

Five finished cutting through another bulkhead and kicked it open. Second Sister wanted to slow him down with this lockdown but all it did was delay the inevitable. Vader would reward him for killing the traitor and Five would be renamed the new Grand Inquisitor instead of Third Sister or Fourth Brother. No doubt those two are already plotting against each other for the title. Third planned on capturing or killing Second Sister and her rebel friends to prove her worth but Five was going to make sure that never happened. He hadn't forgotten or forgiven the things she did to him during his training.

"Sir shouldn't we split up?" suggested one of the troopers escorting the Inquisitor. "We have several plasma torches back on the shuttle."

"Split up and Second Sister will pick you all off one by one," remarked Five.

"Then shouldn't we have more with us instead of leaving so many back at the hangar bay?" asked the trooper.

Five reignited his lightsaber and swung it around, severing the trooper's head. His headless corpse slumped to the ground. "Does anyone else wish to question me?" he demanded.

None of the remaining Stormtroopers dared say a word.

Five turned his attention to the next bulkhead when he felt a ripple in the Force that could only come from another Inquisitor. Five's order had been around each other long enough to be able to feel each other in the Force, so good that they could even track each other down quite easily if they were close enough.

Five stabbed his lightsaber into the durasteel blast door and sliced an opening. Now he would accomplish what the Grand Inquisitor and Sixth Brother failed to do and kill Second Sister. After cutting a hole in the bulkhead, he kicked it open and sure enough Second Sister was standing there with her lightsaber drawn.

"You should have brought more troops boy," mocked Second Sister.

"Shoot her!" shouted Five. The troopers behind him opened fire but Second Sister easily swatted them all the blaster bolts aside.

"You should have brought a lot more," laughed Second Sister.

Five ignited his lightsaber and started to rush forward with several troopers right behind him. He instantly regretted his decision as Second Sister took a step back. She was goading him into a trap. Two blinking circular discs dropped to the floor from the air shaft above. He used the Force to leap through the hole he made in the blast door on his way in, barreling through the Stormtroopers who had followed him into the corridor. He made it through just in time as the bombs went off. The blast door was knocked off its hinges from the resulting shockwave which not only knocked Five right off his but also all the other Stormtroopers who hadn't rushed in. The ones that did were as good as dead.

Second Sister emerged from the smoke along with the Lasat. Five got to his feet then sensed danger. He glanced up to see the Mandalorian jumping down from an open air vent, firing her twin blasters. The sudden attack caught the Imperials off guard and they were quickly overwhelmed. The Mandalorian and the Lasat blasted at least seven Stormtroopers in the first few seconds. Second Sister flung her lightsaber through the air, sending it spinning through at least four troopers before it returned to her hands.

Realizing he was in over his head, Five took off running back towards the hangar bay.

Sabine and Zeb finished off the last of the Stormtroopers as Second Sister watched Five run away. "That's right. Run back to Vader!" she shouted.

"You enjoyed that a little too much," remarked an annoyed Zeb.

"I'll enjoy it once Five and Seven are no longer a problem," replied Sister.

"You were right about that ugly Inquisitor. He just rushed into the trap like an idiot," Sabine commented.

"Five was never very smart," smirked Sister.

"Clearly you're not a good teacher," mocked Zeb.

"You can lead a Bantha to water but you can't teach it to drink. Or to not eat too much jumba cakes so that they get stuck in a vent," retorted Sister. Zeb glared at her, knowing who she was mocking now.

"You two can kiss later. Right now we've got to get Ezra," sighed Sabine.

The moment Five came running back into the hangar bay, Seven burst into laughter. "Oh brother what happened? You seemed to have misplaced a few of our soldiers," she chuckled.

"Second set a trap," snapped Five.

"Which you walked straight into," mocked Seven.

Five noticed the Jedi whelp that Seven captured earlier was shackled, gagged, and had some kind of device wrapped around his neck.

"What are you up to?" demanded Five.

"Watch and learn brother," smiled Seven. She motioned for him to follow her into the shuttle.

"Alright there's about thirteen Stormtroopers left along with both of your old friends in the hangar bay. They've set up a perimeter around the entrance. Anybody who goes running inside will get a welcoming barrage of blaster bolts from every direction," Sabine stated. Everyone was standing in the control room, reviewing security footage of the hangar bay. They could see the Stormtroopers but couldn't see the Inquisitors or Ezra. They were probably onboard the shuttle.

"What if you attack from the vents again?" suggested Zeb.

"Five and Seven may be stupid but they're not stupid enough to fall for the same trick twice," remarked Sister.

Chopper's voice came in through the coms, spouting a bunch of nonsense that Zeb couldn't make out.

"Good news. Chopper managed to get contact Hera but it'll take them about an hour to get here," grumbled Sabine.

"Then all we need to do is wait for back up to arrive," smiled Zeb.

"Two can you hear me?" Seven's voice could be heard on the wrist coms. She must be using Ezra's com to speak with them.

The others stared at Sister, waiting to see her response. She seemed nonchalant as she replied, "I can hear you. Are you offering to surrender already Seven?"

"Always with the sarcasm. I have a proposition for you," chuckled Seven.

"So you are surrendering," mocked Sister.

"Actually I'll be accepting yours," stated Seven.

Sister burst into laughter. "And what makes you think I would do any such thing after I sent Five scurrying back to you like the womp rat he is," she challenged.

"Ask your Mandalorian friend about Flex-5 Detonite Tape," Seven replied.

Sister muted the com then she and Zeb turned their gaze at Sabine. "It's a kind of breaching charge the Empire uses to blow opens walls or doors," she explained.

Sister reactivated the com and mockingly said, "Ohh you've got a few boom boom sticks. I'm shivering in my boots."

On the camera footage of the hangar bay, Seven emerged from the shuttle manhandling Ezra along with her. Five was right behind her but that wasn't the thing that caught Zeb's eye. It was the strange looking collar around Ezra's neck.

"Normally I wouldn't worry about such things either. This stuff isn't the most powerful kind of explosive you can get but put it in the right spot and it can cause substantial damage like on a thin door or around a certain Jedi Padawan's neck," retorted Seven as she held up a remote detonator.

The blood drained from Sabine and Zeb's faces. Sister's face, on the other hand, was stoic and unreadable. If she was worried, she wasn't showing it.

Seven continued, "You have five minutes to enter the hangar bay and surrender or the boy's brains will be painting the walls."

"Don't do it. They'll…!" Ezra shouted through the com. On the security footage, Seven backhanded Ezra across the face silencing him and then stuffing a piece of cloth into his mouth.

"I'm giving you the same choice you gave me back in that cave. Better make it fast Two," mocked Seven who then cut the transmission.

"So much for waiting for backup," grumbled Zeb.

"I have an idea," Sabine spoke up. She activated her com and said, "Chopper take the shuttle just outside Hangar Bay 4 and wait. Ezra's been taken hostage and we're going to need to you to use the Phantom's cannons to clear out the hangar bay. While you're vaporizing the Imperials, we'll grab Ezra."

Chopper muttered something in binary. "I don't care if you're sick of saving Ezra. Just do it!" snapped Sabine.

"Slight problem. How are we going to get the detonator from that green witch?" asked Zeb.

"We'll just have to try and take it once Chopper starts causing mayhem," Sabine sighed.

"Sabine I don't like our chances," grumbled Zeb.

"It's Ezra's only chance," protested Sabine.

"I'll get the detonator," spoke Second Sister turned and stared walking off.

"Hey! How are you going to do that?" demanded Zeb.

"Just don't start firing until I'm close enough to Seven," Second Sister said, not glancing back.

"What is the point of this?" grumbled Five. "Second Sister won't come for the boy."

"Of course she won't but I'm the other rebels will. Divide and conquer brother," smiled Seven. Well that was at least part of it. Truthfully, she was looking forward to watching Ezra realize Second Sister wasn't coming to save him. That boy was naïve enough to think Two actually cared about him and Seven was going to enjoy proving otherwise.

"You've got thirty seconds boy and then your skull becomes squashed meiloorun," Seven mocked Ezra as she dangled the detonator in front of him.

"Movement!" one of the Stormtroopers shouted. Instantly every Imperial soldier aimed their weapons at the hangar bay exit. They had set up at least three make shift barricades in a curved pattern surrounding the doors. It gave them good cover while making sure the exit was covered from all sides. Rushing out that door would be suicidal for anyone less than a Jedi and Seven wasn't expecting her former superior to be coming.

"I'm here Kriff face," a familiar voice called out. To Seven's surprise, Second Sister actually showed up.

"Show yourself," ordered Five.

"Be careful what you wish for," mocked Second Sister. She moved through the opened durasteel doors, stepping inside the hangar bay with her lightsaber drawn and ignited. The former Inquisitor was strolling at a casual pace as if not intimidated by her situation.

"Hold your fire!" ordered Seven. The troopers kept their weapons trained on Second Sister but didn't open fire. Ezra tried muttering something through his gag but it was unintelligible. Though it was obvious he wasn't happy.

"What are you doing?" whispered Five, confused by his comrade's actions.

"If we're going to avoid Third's wrath, we'll need to give Vader something valuable and what could be more valuable than Two alive," replied Seven. She turned her attention back to the traitor and demanded, "Where are your friends?"

Second Sister held up her lightsaber. "This is my only friend," she commented.

"And yet you're here risking certain death for this boy," remarked Seven.

"You told me you were giving me a choice like I gave you back at that cave and I've made my choice," replied Second Sister.

"Then I'll give you another choice. Drop your weapon now, or Ezra loses his head," threatened Seven. She held up the remote detonator and held her thumb on the trigger to prove her point.

Second Sister came to a halt as the Stormtroopers surrounded her, their itchy trigger fingers ready to fire the moment the order was given. She deactivated her lightsaber and slowly set down on the floor. Her hands slowly raised, catching everyone by surprise and none more so then Seven. This had to be a trick of some kind. Second Sister wouldn't risk her life like this for anyone.

"What's the plan Two? Are your friends preparing an ambush?" frowned Seven.

"What good would that do at this point?" remarked Second Sister.

Seven's suspicions didn't diminish as Stormtroopers grabbed Two and quickly patted her down for any hidden weapons before snapping stasis-cuffs on her wrists.

Five instantly rushed forward and grabbed Second Sister by the neck. "I should kill you right now," he threatened.

Second Sister didn't flinch at the threat. "I'm sure Three will tell you the exact same thing when she finds out about all this," she mocked.

Seven noticed Five's resolve falter as his finger slowly loosened from the traitor's neck. That was good as she didn't want to have to kill Five to ensure Second Sister's survival. Five was a brute and imbecile but even he wasn't dumb enough to risk dealing with Three without at least gaining favor from Vader.

"Sabine now might be a good time," whispered Zeb, listening to the altercation inside the hangar bay as Second Sister was stalling for time. The fact that Second Sister was willing to take a big risk like this that surprised both him and Sabine. But the former Inquisitor could only stall the Imperials off for so long before they killed her and Ezra.

"You heard her. She said not to do anything until she was close enough to get the detonator," grumbled Sabine on the com.

That's when it dawned on Seven. There was no plan. This was the only one option Second Sister had to save Ezra's life and she was taking, regardless of the consequences.

"You actually care about this brat. After all the bodies you've left in your wake, what makes this boy so special?" inquired Seven. Two didn't answer but that didn't surprise Seven. The two prisoners were placed side by side with the remaining Stormtroopers aiming their weapons at both of them.

"We'll deal with their friends later. It's time to leave. Prepare the shuttles," Five ordered, obviously not wanting to lose their prizes. The sergeant of the Stormtroopers radioed the shuttle pilot and ordered him to prepare for liftoff.

"Running away. That's so…you," mocked Second Sister.

"It isn't cowardice that drives me but the desire to see what Lord Vader intends to do with you," retorted Five.

"You're also a bad liar," scoffed Second Sister. Five just glared at her but didn't bother with a response.

Seven approached Two. The human was physically taller than the Mirialan. She had always seemed more imposing even when Seven was a child but now things had changed. Seven now knew her former tormentor's weakness.

"Does the little runt know what kind of a person you really are?" wondered Seven. "Does he know about the cave?"

"Why is she taking us here of all places?" wondered Adonis as they followed Second Sister into the tunnels. Krona had no idea what was happening, only that the Inquisitor had awoken the two of them in the middle of the night, told both of them to get ready, and was now leading them into one of Mustafar's underground caverns. The tunnel system used to flow with hot magma that formed the walls and ceiling but centuries ago, the molten rock was diverted away due to an earthquake and the caverns emptied out. The stench of ash still filled the air though and perhaps always will.

"I don't know. Just do what she says," Krona whispered. It was important to always do whatever the Inquisitors ordered you to do. Disappoint them too often and you were never heard from again. Krona and Adonis weren't the only two younglings to have been captured over the years but their numbers have diminished as the Inquisitors began weeding out the weak. Krona knew there were three original Inquisitors and three others had been chosen to join their ranks before her. Now she just hoped that she and Adonis would as well if only to not worry about being murdered.

The cavern was dark with only Second Sister's ignited lightsaber guiding the way. She led them to a large nearly hollow chamber and then came to a halt, causing the two students to do the same.

The Inquisitor turned around and said, "Your training had reached a tipping point. This next challenge will require all the skills you've learned to survive,"

"We're ready Master," spoke Krona.

"For your sakes you better," remarked Second Sister. "In nature, life survives at the expense of others. You see it in nature such as when a Tukata kills a squellbug for food. When a crown prince of a royal family has his siblings killed before they could kill him to take his future throne. To kill is the cost of survival and your next test is to survive. Now draw your weapons."

The two drew their lightsabers. They were taken from the corpses of Jedi killed by the Empire and the weapons themselves modified to be disabled as the touch of a button that was linked to Second Sister's wrist computer. That way, the initiates couldn't get any funny ideas about turning on their masters.

"Only one of you is walking out of this cave alive. Now fight," Second Sister spoke. She suddenly deactivated her lightsaber, disappearing into the darkness.

"What? She can't be serious," gasped Adonis. Krona's hands began to shake as she tried to calm herself down. Panic began to set in.

"Serious enough to kill both of you if neither of you fight," Second Sister's voice echoed through the chamber.

"Krona let's make a break for it. If we run, we could make it to the surface," whispered Adonis.

"I don't have all night," mocked Second Sister's voice.

Krona knew what was going to happen next. Her mind played out nearly every action she could do and only one of them ended with her getting out of here alive. Yet she hesitated, unable to go through with it.

"Adonis," whimpered Krona.

"I remember the passage we came through. Maybe we can catch Second Sister off guard and use our powers to overwhelm her," insisted Adonis.

Krona started crying, knowing that would never work. Second Sister was much stronger than the two of them and could disable their weapons with a single touch of a button. There was only one thing to do but she didn't know if she had the strength to do it.

"We can do this Krona," urged Adonis. He wasn't going to fight her. He was going to get them both killed.

"I'm sorry," whispered Krona. She suddenly lunged forward, stabbing Adonis right in the chest. He gasped as he glanced down at the energy blade penetrating his body.

"But…you…promised," gasped Adonis. Krona disabled her weapon and then embraced Adonis, helping him to fall slowly to the floor. She burst into tears as she cradled his body in total darkness.

A sudden burst of red light lite up the chamber, revealing Second Sister with her ignited lightsaber standing over Krona.

"Perhaps there is hope for you yet," Second Sister remarked.

"I was about Ezra's age when you took me in there. How many other children did you take down there? How many bodies are down there rotting?" mocked Seven. She glanced at Ezra and was pleased by his reaction. He was stunned to hear all about his so called friend's dirty laundry which was amusing. He knew what she was before all of this so why was this so shocking?

"I took two down there and I was supposed to kill them both," replied Second Sister.

The smile on Seven's face vanished. "What are you talking about?" she demanded.

"The Grand Inquisitor wanted me to kill both of you but I convinced him to give the two of you one last chance and you took it," answered Second Sister.

"You're lying," spat Seven.

Suddenly Seven felt a rumble in the floor followed by a noise coming from behind. She turned to see the large dual hangar bay doors opening to the dark abyss of space. A lite blue hume indicated an environmental field was protecting the atmosphere and everyone inside the hangar from being sucked out. What were these rebels up to?

She got her answer as a shuttle shot into the hangar bay. Its blaster cannons opened fire on the Imperial shuttle. The Lambda class vessel exploded, the resulting shockwave knocking everyone off their feet including Seven. The next thing she knew, she was lying on the floor. She quickly grabbed for her lightsaber on her belt and searched around for the detonator. The explosion must have knocked it from her hand.

Seven glanced up to see Second Sister on her feet and somehow had gotten a hold of the detonator as well as her own lightsaber. The traitor ignited her weapon and cut her restraints off before hacking apart Seven's probe droids. Nearby Five had gotten to his feet and charged. Lightsabers clashed, red blades of pure energy twirling around at break neck speeds. The Lasat came rushing into the hangar, blasting any Stormtrooper standing.

Seven's first instinct was to join the fight but hesitated. She knew this wasn't a fight they could win so she did what she had been taught ironically by Second Sister. She was going to survive.

Seven quickly rushed towards her Tie Fighter and jumped inside. With the shuttle destroyed, there was no room to evacuate any of the Stormtroopers. Not that Seven cared much about those expendable grunts and Five was busy with Second Sister, providing a good distraction which Seven wasn't going to pass up.

As she activated her fighter, she considered firing her ship's weapons at the traitor but thought against it. The rebel shuttle that flew inside the hangar bay was swinging around the wreckage of the Imperial shuttle, blasting at any Imperial that moved and it wouldn't be long before it targeted her fighter and this enclosed bay was not an ideal place to fight with a Tie. Not to mention the small shuttle's weapons were far more powerful for a ship it's size so Seven didn't feel like testing how effective they would be on her own vessel. She ignited the engines and her fighter shot out of the hangar, leaving the others to fend for themselves.

Though as consolation, Seven knew that this whole rescue attempt for Ezra was all for nothing.

Seven escaped on her Tie Fighter but to Second Sister, only Five mattered. He was a brute but one with deadly skill. Utilizing Form V Djem So, his attacks were comprised of sequences of relentless powerful strikes with counterattacks mixed on should the opponent fight back. An effective style if you were Darth Vader but Five wasn't Vader. Whereas the Sith Lord has mastered the style to almost perfection, Five's attacks were lagging. He was strong but wasn't fast. In order to kill an opponent like that, you had to use your agility to your advantage. Keep on the move and strike him quickly where he doesn't expect it.

Five swung his weapon a low right angle in a sweeping arc. Second Sister used the short window to launch herself into a leaping cartwheel over the energy blade. Five attempted to turn around to attack but turned right into Second Sister's lightsaber, penetrating right into his chest. The Inquisitor dropped his own weapon and was dead before he hit the ground.

"You were always too eager for that killing blow," remarked Second Sister. It didn't take very long before there wasn't a single Stormtrooper left standing. Either they had been shot down or dropped their weapons and got down on their knees.

"Alright bucket heads all you line up and you better keep your hands where I can see them. Cause my finger's really itchy," warned Zeb. The troopers quickly complied.

Seeing the area secured, Second Sister turned his eyes to Ezra. He had used the Force to summon his lightsaber from Seven's belt just after the shuttle explosion and used it to cut himself free and remove his gag. However, he didn't try to remove the bomb collar around his neck. It was probably rigged to explode if tampered with.

"Are you crazy?! They could have killed you!" Ezra snapped.

"They could have tried," chuckled Second Sister.

"I'm serious. They could have shot you the moment you surrendered," grumbled Ezra.

"I didn't have time to come up with a plan. I had to improvise kid," remarked Second Sister, amused by Ezra's frustration.

The Padawan shook his head, grumbling to himself when he stopped and touched his collar as if either sensing or hearing something.

"Uh…this thing is beeping," Ezra stated.

Second Sister then noticed a flashing light on the collar. She moved closer and realized it was a timer. "Sabine get in here now. Ezra's bomb collar is armed and counting down!" she shouted in her wrist com.

"What? How? You have the detonator," gasped Ezra, his hands fumbling around the collar trying to find a way to loosen it. Sister grabbed Ezra and examined the device.

"Seven must have set it before I even walked in here. In case something happened, she wanted to make sure you couldn't be rescued," surmised Sister. She quickly analyzed the detonator she took from Seven and found a keypad to enter a code. That was probably how to disarm the bomb. The problem was the only person who knew it had just fled in her Tie Fighter.

The numbers ticked by as Sabine came dashing into the hangar bay. "Move!" she shouted as she brushed past Second Sister to Ezra.

The Mandalorian quickly examined the bomb and judging from the fact she wasn't doing much told Second Sister this wasn't good.

"Can you disarm it?" called out Zeb, stilling keeping his weapon trained on the imperials.

"The device is rigged with multiple detonators. If I disarm one of them, the others will blow," Sabine said.

"But you can disarm it right?" demanded Sister.

"I don't have the equipment on me for bypassing a device this complicated," protested Sabine.

"Then why don't you ask him," Ezra said, pointing to one of the Stormtroopers.

"Why him?" wondered Second Sister.

"Because he helped that Inquisitor put this thing on my neck," grunted Ezra.

Second Sister shot her hand out and the Stormtrooper suddenly was yanked telekinetically across the floor, coming to a halt at the former Inquisitor's feet.

"What's the deactivation code?" Sister demanded.

"I don't talk to rebel scum," spat the trooper.

"You won't be talking but you will be screaming," threatening Sister. She grabbed the trooper's helmet and yanked it off him, tossing it aside. The Imperial was probably in his late twenties. His face was unscarred and too pristine. He could talk tough but Second Sister doubted he'd even seen real combat before.

"What are you doing?" demanded Sabine.

Sister ignored the question, extending her hand and placing it a few inches away from the trooper's face. She stretched out with the Force in a way she never learned from the Jedi. The Force could be used to influence minds but you could do more than that. You could even jump into another's mind and see their thoughts. The Jedi Masters did that, sensing surface level thoughts but the Sith knew how to dig even deeper than that.

The trooper grunted, wincing in discomfort. Second Sister was starting to tear through his thoughts and the process was not going to be pleasant. She could feel his pain and fear. She went further and could see images in her mind, moments from his past. She could see him speaking with Seventh Sister and jerry rigging parts to make the bomb. She saw him install the device on Ezra's neck as Seven and her probe droids help the boy down.

The trooper cried out in pain as blood trickled from his nose. Sister could see the technical readouts of the explosives, manufacturing numbers, and part components. She could make out the words from instructors as the trooper was taught how to utilize them properly during his time in the Imperial Academy.

"What is she doing?" A horrified Sabine asked Ezra.

"I don't know but I don't think that's something Kanan knows how to do," Ezra replied.

The trooper clenched his head, screaming in agony. The Academy taught how to change emergency deactivation codes in each device. The numbers trickled in, the numbers that the trooper had entered into the bomb after they had been briefed on their mission, the numbers that would now save Ezra's life.

Second Sister released the connection with the trooper's mind and pulled out the detonator, quickly entering the deactivation code. The blinking numbers on Ezra's collar disappeared as did the beeping.

"The bomb's disarmed. It's safe to remove it," Sister said.

Sabine finished the job, undoing the latches and removing the device from the Padawan's neck. Ezra stretched his neck, the collar obviously leaving him with some slight discomfort but that wasn't what he was worried about. He was watching the trooper lying on the floor in pain, sobbing as he covered his face with his hands.

"What did you do?" asked a stunned Ezra.

"We need to leave before more Imperial reinforcements arrive," Sister said bluntly.

Apparently Zeb found the medical supplies as he followed Second Sister to the hangar bay. It was quite a coincidence but they stare a gifted bantha in the mouth so they loaded the supplies onto the Ghost before leaving. The surviving Imperials were left on the station to be retrieved by the Empire though Second Sister believed death might be preferable depending on who comes to rescue them.

They contacted the fleet and informed them of the situation. While Hera and Kanan were quite relieved to hear everyone was okay, Kanan made sure Ezra knew he was in big trouble once he got back.

Second Sister noticed how quiet Ezra was. He hadn't said a single word since they left the station. In fact he barely looked Second Sister at all. He saw a side of her that he's never seen before and he was shaken by it. The trooper she tortured was left a sobbing mess with mental damage that would probably take years to recover from. Ezra had seen her do terrible things before but nothing like this. Killing someone who was a threat and torturing a helpless prisoner was two different things to him.

Second Sister wanted to say something, justify her actions as the fact that Ezra was still alive because of what she did. She didn't feel anything for what happened to that Imperial soldier. All she cared about right now was talking some sense into him but the words escaped her. Besides, Ezra still needed to come to terms with what happened. He'll see she did the right thing. It may take some time but he will.

Surprisingly the person who wanted to sit next to Sister was Sabine. The Mandalorian was the last person she expected to share company with.

"What you did back there…" Sabine started to say.

"Needed to be done," Sister cut her off. "If hurting some random Imperial grunt means Ezra gets to live, it's an easy decision."

"Look I'm not arguing with you on that. Sometimes you have to do terrible things for the ones you care about. I don't know if Kanan or Hera would have approved of what you did. Hell I'm not I should approved of it but you showed me just how far you were willing to go to save Ezra," Sabine continued.

"I'm not here to impress you," grunted Sister.

"And I'll probably never like you but I don't have to like you to want you on this crew. Ezra would be dead right now if it weren't you. So you can take the empty bunk in my room," retorted Sabine.

Second Sister glanced at the Mandalorian. That was the last thing she ever expected to hear.

"You better not snore," Sabine added before standing up and heading towards the cockpit.

(This chapter was the most difficult one yet. Mostly because I just hated how each version I made and restarted it. At one point, I wasn't even sure if I wanted to continue it. It wasn't until I came up with the idea of Second Sister torturing someone to save Ezra that I was finally content. Don't expect that to be something Ezra just forgets about by next chapter, it'll influence his interactions with Sister from now on. Another thing that some people might have issues with is killing off Fifth Brother. I'm not gonna lie, he was never one of my favorite villains on Rebels and now that I have Third Sister along with some other Inquisitors I'm adding and eventually everyone's favorite blue skinned admiral, I felt the villain selection was already large enough as is. Plus I just couldn't come up with a realistic way of him escaping the final battle alive so I just decided to kill him off. Hope you enjoyed and please review.)