1 | Star Wars Rebels: Fallen Hope: My Only Jedi

Part 8

Capital City, Lothal, 2016, 3274 LY

How long? How long had it been? Kanan opened his eyes to find everything bleary and disoriented. He felt the sensation of being bound by his wrists, and wondered slightly who was behind him. As his sight became clearer, he realized that he wasn't in the interdiction field. Why? He was more dangerous than Ezra, so why was the kid still in the interdiction field? As he asked himself this, the Besalisk Gruffe stood up and walked over to him, standing about a meter away. ''Look who has awakened. Welcome back to the land of the living, Kanan.''

Sitting on his knees, Kanan looked up, startled. ''Oh, yes, I know your name. That's about all I was able to get out of your son.'' He opened up the link between him and his apprentice. ''Get out of my son''? Ezra, what did he do to you? he asked incredulously.

What do you think? was Ezra's reply. Kanan shook his head with annoyance and fury. He had to keep his composure. I'm sorry. I should have let you come with me.

Grinning in the bond, he replied, It's not the stupidest thing we've ever done. Just hang in there.

Annoyance sparked in Ezra's Force aura. What do you think I'm doing? It's not like I can sit down. Or walk away. I wish. Didn't they both. ''Remember how I said that I ran some enterprises around here? One of them is being an information broker.'' Then things made sense. A terrible, intelligent sense. Kanan drew back an inch. ''Ah, you know my type.

''You must have encountered information brokers before. Mainly, the Empire. Yes, I've done business with them before. Their problem is that they go about breaking someone the wrong way, am I right? Kanan, you've been interrogated by the Empire.'' Kanan, he was sure, looked confused, mainly at how Gruffe knew this.

''I did my research, my young friend. On with my spiel, you've been interrogated before by the Empire. They tried to break you with pain. It would have worked, had you not have the will that you possess.'' Kanan knew where this was going. He grit his teeth as Gruffe continued, ''The one thing that can break anyone is not pain.'' The Besalisk rubbed his chin. He was finally getting down to the point of his whole spiel. ''It is the pain of someone else, someone close. Like someone's son.''

A gasp escaped Ezra, and his aura spiked with surprise and horror. All Gruffe knew was the gasp, and he shot a glare at the boy, who stayed quiet, but the fear was all over his expression. ''Like I said, his pain will break you. He will die and you will watch. Then I might offer you the mercy of death.

''Since I am not so sure you know how this works,'' Gruffe explained, ''I will start by telling you the rules of this. I ask a question and you answer it. Get it wrong, and he gets it. Don't tell me the full truth, he gets it.'' The Besalisk picked up a device, smiling to himself. ''This dial,'' he continued, showing Kanan the dial on the device beside a red button, ''controls the power of the electricity. For every wrong answer, the dial goes up. It only goes up to 100. It's at 10 now. It will reach 100 eventually. By that time, you will be broken.''

Looking up, Kanan smirked. ''You underestimate me, Gruffe, old pal. As did the Empire.''

Gruffe shook his head. ''Oh, I think not.'' He bent down to Kanan's level. ''I believe you'll break if your son screams loud enough. First question. Are you a Jedi?''

Kanan, Ezra warned through the bond, but Kanan sent him a wave of strength. Thanks. I'm probably going to need that. ''No,'' Kanan responded, boring deep into the Besalisk's eyes. He winced when Ezra yelped, knowing that he had been shocked.

''I did my research, Jedi.'' He turned the dial to the next number. 20. ''Next question. Is that boy your son?''

''No,'' Kanan growled truthfully. ''He is not my son.''