Wars Amongst the Stars: Rebellion: Vol: 1

Chapter Fifteen

The Sith Lord drags the Jedi aboard his shuttle, tossing her unceremoniously into a small room. She lands in a heap on the floor.

"What do you want?" she snarls at the Sith.

The deep breathing through the Sith Lord's mask fill the room. "You will tell me the plans of the Rebels. And you will tell me now."

"Yeah, fat chance, sleemo."

"You will tell me what I want to know, or I'll–" Darth Vader threatens the Jedi.

The Jedi glares up at the Sith Lord, he has her on her knees in front of him. "Or you'll what? Kill me, like you killed Padmé? And your unborn child?" Keen senses a burst of agony from Vader, and decides to continue on this topic. "Y'know, Senator Amidala would've lived, even after you choked her. She was fine. She died of a broken heart. You betrayed her, you betrayed everyone you ever cared about. Both she, and your child died, because you acted rashly!"

Darth Vader stands over her, looking at her for a few moments. He then dramatically turns, his cape flowing as he leaves the room, the door sliding shut behind her, a lock stopping the Jedi from leaving. Keen leans back heavily, her head thudding against the wall of the room.

*Meanwhile with the Ghost Crew*

"Welcome back," Sabine smiles.

"You outsmarted them again. Good job, boss," the Lasat adds.

It's the Twi'lek who notices the frowns on both Knight and Padawan, and notices the absence of a crewmember, "Where's Keen?"

Ezra looks down at the floor, scuffing his boot along the floor.

"The Sith Lord grabbed her," Kanan explains.

"Okay. Do you know how to find her?"

"No," Ezra moans. "It's my fault, and now she's gone, and-and, she's gonna get hurt, maybe killed."

Kanan side eyes the rest of his crew, to which they get the hint, and move into the cockpit of the Ghost. The Knight places a hand on his shoulder, "Ezra, look at me." The boy lifts his eyes to meet his Master's. "What happened is not your fault. I didn't teach you everything you need to know. Don't blame yourself."

"But it is my fault. If I hadn't gotten scared and tapped into the 'Dark Side' then Keen wouldn't have engaged that Sith Lord like she did. She would be here with us, not in some Imperial torture chamber."

The Knight goes to reply to his Padawan when they both hear a familiar voice. "Ezra! Kanan!" Ar'iabel's voice says.

"Keen?" Ezra says, looking around.

"I'm here, Ez, don't worry. I'm okay. You have to promise me that no one, not one member of the crew tries to save me."

"Why not?" Kanan asks, his eyes simply closed, feeling as if the Jedi is standing just behind him, even though, when he turns, he can't see her.

"I will not be responsible for their deaths. The Force has plans for all of you. Trust in it, it will guide you." The Jedi Master sighs. "I will do my best to escape. I hope to see you both again. Until then, may the Force be with you."

"With you as well, Keen," Kanan says, feeling the Force connection being severed.

*Back with the Empire.*

Ar'iabel sat in the cramped room on the Imperial shuttle, meditating, for a while, that is until she senses the Sith Lord coming back to the room. She stays in the meditation position, her eyes closed, as the doors slide open. "I must thank you, Anakin, for, at least you left my mask on."

"Anakin Skywalker was weak. I killed him. And what need have I to remove your mask, when all I would see is the face of a traitor."

"Right, flattery will get you no where. I'm still not telling you what you want to know," she says, lifting her head. "You might as well run me through with that Lightsaber."

Darth Vader stands dark in the doorway, and Keen can sense the inner turmoil he is feeling.

"Just kill me Vader. We both know you will anyway. Kill me like you killed Jocasta Nu, Shaak Ti, Cin Drallig, Bene and Whie Malreaux," the Jedi continues to name each and every Jedi, Youngling, and Padawan killed by Darth Vader in the Temple slaughter.

The Sith Lord just continues to look at his Jedi prisoner. "Tell me where the Rebels are hiding."

"Just run me through. You've been responsible for the deaths of the Jedi, such as Kit Fisto, Depa Billaba, Ki-Adi Mundo, Luminara Unduli, Ayla Secure, Mace Windu," Keen continues on, listing the Jedi lost in the Purge. Finally, she looks up, meeting Darth Vader's eyes, "Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano."

The feeling of anguish she feels from the Sith Lord brings hope of escape to the front of her brain. Darth Vader once again dramatically turns and leaves the room. It's barely a moment later that the door once again slides open, her bag landing at her feet. Looking up, Master Quinara's eyes meet a Stormtrooper helmet.

"Lord Vader instructed me to give you this. He says if he ever sees you again, he will not hesitate to kill you. This is your chance to do the right thing."

"Yeah, well you can tell Lord Vader he can kiss my bantha!" Keen says, quickly breezing past the Trooper. The Jedi doesn't hesitate to leave the Imperial shuttle, stealing a TIE Fighter, disabling the tracker.

(Ending of Empire Day/Gathering Forces)