Final Blow (Star Wars Rebels)

Light and Dark, Brother and Sister

Kimble attacked first, forcing Conner to  defend himself. He slowly gave ground as their lightsabers clashed again and again.

"Evelyn, are you ok? Did Kimble hurt you?" Ezra asked, placing his hands on Evelyn's shoulders.

"I'm fine for now. Rescue the others!" she told him.

"But if you're hurt-"

"It doesn't matter if I'm hurt or not. Rescue your stupid crew so that I don't have to save your butts again!"

Ezra released Evelyn and examined the vault door. It looked too thick to cut through. The mechanism beside the door looked like it could rotate, but when Ezra tried to turn it it didn't budge.

"Use the force, fluffy," Evelyn said.

"You're still calling me fluffy?" Ezra asked as he extended a hand, leaving it a few inches away from the indentation. It rattled slightly before beginning to turn.

"Nice try!" Kimble called. Ezra felt needle sharp pain in his mind and he lost his concentration. The lock snapped back into place. He held his hands over his head and sank to his knees, grimacing at Kimble's attack. Conner noticed what was going on and attacked Kimble with renewed vigor. She withdrew from the mental link, returning her attention to killing her brother.

"You have to pull yourself together," Evelyn said from Ezra's left. She helped him stand and guided him towards the lock. "I don't have the force. This has to be you."

Ezra noticed a circular burn mark on Evelyn's shirt. The area inside of the circle was dark.

"Evelyn, you're hurt!" Ezra realized. "You should be dead! I've got to get you to safety!"

"Save your friends, or I'll put a bullet through your head," Evelyn growled weakly, pulling out her blaster. Ezra stared at her.

"You can't be serious," he said. "You're going to die!"

"I took a pill. I won't be dead for a while longer. Use the force. Now."

"I'm not going to-"

"If you don't save your friends, I am going to die. And it will be in vain. And if I die in vain, I swear I'll haunt you until the end of your days, fluffy. Now do what I tell you and use the force," Evelyn demanded. Ezra considered arguing, but Evelyn was weak enough as it was. Instead, he extended a hand and set to work opening the holocron vault. It slowly rotated, bringing them closer to opening the vault. Closer to rescuing the rebels.

"ENOUGH OF THIS!" Kimble shouted. Stabbing pain filled Ezra's mind once again and he was forced to the ground. Evelyn turned around and saw Kimble stalking closer, lightsaber held ready. Conner was on the ground, blinking slowly. Evelyn stepped in front of Ezra protectively, but only scowled. An invisible force yanked Evelyn into the air and hurled her to the side. She crashed into a bookcase before landing on the ground in a heap. The bookshelf flickered and tipped, crashing into others as it fell. Kimble raised the lightsaber as she stood over Ezra.

Conner climbed to his knees and reached out, hand shaped like a claw. Kimble froze and dropped her lightsaber, which deactivated. She was dragged backwards until she was beside Conner, who was standing on his feet once again.

"I may not be able to kill you, but I can drive Ezra mad," Kimble hissed. She closed her eyes and Ezra began twitching as he struggled to fight back through the mental link. Conner hesitated. Kimble was the last living member of his family. But she had to be stopped. If she wasn't, she would drive Ezra mad. Conner had no way of severing the mental link the two of them shared. And even if he did, Kimble wouldn't rest until all of the rebels were killed. She had gone over to the dark side.

I have to do it, Conner thought. I have to. For the good of the Galaxy.

I can't, another part of him said. When he looked at Kimble, he could only see his little sister. The little sister that had gotten herself captured so that she could save him.

The hold he had on Kimble with the force slipped. Kimble grinned in triumph. The red lightsaber activated and flew into Kimble's hand. She spun around and stabbed with the lightsaber. It went directly into Conner's heart. Brother and sister gazed eye to eye. Conner's expression was one of solemn acceptance. Slowly Kimble's grin melted into a grimace of pain. She looked down.

A sapphire blade had entered her own heart.

"You wouldn't . . . big brother . . . how could you . . . " Kimble gasped softly.

"I set you free," Conner replied. "I set you free because I love you, Kimble. You'll always be my little sister."

Both lightsabers deactivated. Kimble's eyes closed and her body fell to the ground. Conner took one last look at Ezra, who was stirring, at Evelyn, who hadn't woken up, at the electrical clock. Five minutes left.

His eyes closed and he breathed his last breath.