She saw him again. He looked older, sadder, more angry now than the last time she had seen him. He couldn't see her. Perhaps he wasn't searching. She didn't entirely believe that, though. Every now and then, she felt a brush of his presence. It was enough to keep her going, the thought of seeing him again.

She reached out a hand and brushed his arm. She had been doing this since she'd been taken. He looked around, as though he had actually felt her. Maybe he had. A jerking sensation began to rouse her. She held on to the dreamlike state. She didn't want to face what would happen when she woke.

Ania blinked her eyes open in the cell. She was still strapped to the electrolined platform. They had tilted her upright. From her position, she could see out a large window. The city of Coruscant winked at her. How could something so spectacular house such a dark secret? The door hissed open and her persecutors strode in.

"Ah, you're finally awake. It's been almost two days this time," Grand Moff Tarkin smirked. "I thought you were trained to withstand pain."

Throat too parched to speak, Ania shot a poisonous glare at Tarkin and looked back out the window. The other, one she had learned was an Inquisitor, struck out, a fist colliding with her jaw. Ania spat onto the floor but still remained silent. She didn't know the Inquisitor's name, but she did know she was female.

"Let me try again," the Sister suggested. "As her body deteriorates, so does her mind. Perhaps this time I will be able to influence it."

"You are in charge of interrogation. I trust you know the methods to use. Report to me if you make any progress." Grand Moff Tarkin left the room.

The Sister went around the desk in the cell and hit a button. The blinds closed over the window. She made her way back to Ania and tilted her head. "You are a curious phenomenon, young Jedi. Many of your age would have succumbed by now."

Ania still didn't speak, but her thoughts were rude enough. The Sister held up a hand before Ania. "Tell me the location of the Rebel Base." Nothing. "You WILL tell me where the base is." Ania furrowed her brows in concentration.

"Who are your supporters within the Senate?" Ania closed her eyes, resisting the mind control. "Who brought you to Coruscant? Who helped your friends escape? Where are they? Who is Fulcrum?"

Ania blinked her eyes open, gasping. The Sister moved closer, bringing her hand closer to Ania's face. "Answer me! Who are the Rebel leaders within the Senate? Where is your cell? Who brought you here? Who helped your friend escape?"

Reach out.

A familiar voice broke through the Sister's demands in her mind. Ania followed the guidance. She grabbed onto the Force, letting it flow through her. "Who is Fulcrum? Where are the Rebels?"

Find her, the guide directed. Ania did as she was told. The Sister's violent presence wasn't hard to find. Control her.

I can't.

You can.

Ania struck out, wrapping her grip around the Sister's mind. The hurled questions broke off. Ania opened her eyes, maintaining her grip. The Sister's eyes were wide and she was clutching her head. She glanced at Ania with pure hatred. "Let go of me!" She gasped.

"You will release me," Ania rasped through a dry throat. The Sister resisted. Ania pushed harder at her mind. "You will release me."

"No!" The Sister gripped her head in agony.

"You will release me!" Two voices emerged from her mouth. Her own, and the guide.

The Sister released her head, compliance falling over her features. She pressed a few buttons on the platform. It dropped Ania to the ground. Her blue senate disguise was tattered. Ania grabbed the Sister's lightsaber. "You will sleep now," the two voices ordered. Instantly, the Sister dropped down, fast asleep.

Ania crept towards the doorway and listened. It was almost quiet outside. "Why do you think they asked us to guard the Jedi?"

"How should I know? Maybe we're the best."

"Um, I doubt it."

"Well, you asked."

She flung the door open and stabbed the duel blades through the two stormtroopers. They didn't have time to make a sound. Ania glanced around before running down the hall. Her bare feet made little sound on the metal floor. She flipped the other half the the circular lightsaber into position. Three stormtroopers rounded the corner.

One had a helmet slashed to pieces by the hilt. The other two found red blades within their skulls. Ania kept moving, undeterred by what was happening. You have to stop, the guide voice cautioned.

No! If you keep going, you can escape! Another more cruel voice declared.

Ania took no notice of either and continued to run. More stormtroopers met their fate at the edge of the blade. Alarms began to blare and the doorways began to seal. Ania ran and vaulted through several doors before she was trapped between two. She took the lightsaber and sliced a hole through one of the doors.

A burst of power sent the piece of door colliding with more stormtroopers. Blasters opened fire. She deflected them all back at the troops. Almost without noticing it, she had begun to make her way to the Grand Moff's quarters. More stormtroopers came and fell.

The black armor of death troopers crossed her path. "Get out of my way." There were three voices this time.

The death troopers opened fire. Ania activated the blade and ran. She took a flying leap, using the Force to direct the blast bolts away from her. The blade swiped through seven necks. Seven heads fell and the doorway hissed open.

The Grand Moff stood, fear within his gaze. "How did you escape?"

"Is that really what matters now?" The three voices asked.

"What..." the Grand Moff raised a blaster.

Ania extended a hand and the blaster crumpled into a useless heap of metal. "Do you think that can stop me?" She ran towards the Grand Moff and jumped, preparing to bring the blade down on him. She caught sight of herself in a window. Her skin was turning gray and cracking and her eyes. Her eyes were black with glowing red pupils.

A force pulled her back and grabbed her around the throat. Ania dropped the lightsaber, feeling that unearthly strength disappear from her. The Sister glared at Ania and she stabbed a sedative into her arm.

"You can never cage the power of Mortis," the three voices whispered. Ania slumped limply.

Captain Rex's ship touched down in a loading zone on the lower levels of Coruscant. He stepped out of the ship and flipped a few credits to someone nearby. "Keep an eye on her." The worker nodded and pocketed the credits.

Rex jumped into a shuttle to the Lower City. The small disk he held projected him moving towards the target, a blinking red dot. Tolsa had given him the code to Feton Ralius' tracking beacon. Rex had chased it all over the galaxy. Apparently, the crime lord had decided to make some new friends since he had been set free.

The shuttle stopped near a walkway. Rex jumped off before a stormtrooper could ask for his ID. He checked the coordinates again. He was getting close now. Rex spotted a few Mandalorians within the crowd. He grimaced beneath his own helmet, borrowed from Ezra's vast collection.

A few Mandalorians began to flank him. Apparently someone had noticed he had been following them. He stopped just outside a building and checked the map. The red tracker was inside. One of the Mandalorians grabbed his wrist and pulled him inside.

"Let go. I can walk myself!" Rex snapped, yanking his wrist free.

The Mando shrugged and led him into the building. A variety of creatures all dressed in bounty hunter gear greeted them. Even more Mandalorians milled about. The Mando led Rex into a common room. Feton Ralius lounged on a large seat. He straightened as they approached.

"Finally caught my stalker?" He drawled. "Well, how much has the Empire been paying you to follow me across the galaxy?"

Rex removed his helmet. "I'm not part of the Empire."

Feton leaned forward. "A clone! Fascinating. Tell me, what was your number and rank, clone?"

"Just call me Rex. I've come to ask a favor."

Feton raised an eyebrow. "A favor? Why would I help you with something?"

"Because you owe it to someone else. I know you Mandalorians. You're bound by honor," Rex pointed out.

"To whom do I owe this favor?"

"Ania Bonteri."

Feton stood and jerked his head. "Let's talk elsewhere." He brushed past Rex and led the way to a secure meeting room. Four Mandalorians had followed them. "You two, guard the door. And you two, make sure none of those low lives spill anything to the Empire. Make sure they know what will happen if they do," Feton ordered.

The door hissed shut. Feton motioned for Rex to sit. "So, what favor do I owe Miss Bonteri?"

"She saved your life. She helped you escape, along with Tolsa Lee."

"And?"

"By making sure you got away, Ania was captured by the Empire. I want you to help me rescue her," Rex explained.

"I escaped almost four months ago. Do you mean to tell me that the Empire has held that girl captive for four months? Do you know what they do to prisoners there?" Feton slammed a fist on the table.

"Nothing worse than the things you've done, I'm sure."

"Wrong. The Empire has no mercy for anyone. I never target women or children. The Empire could care less," Feton growled.

"You say that, yet you bought Tolsa from slavers."

"I gave her a better life than she would have had there. I never mistreated her, anyway."

"Will you help me or not?"

Feton sighed. "Yes, I'll help you. But how do you know she's still alive?"

"There's someone I know who can sense her. She's alive," Rex said firmly.

"We'll need a plan. I imagine that with her reputation, she's under heavy guard." Feton leaned closer. "And from what I've heard recently, there's an Inquisitor in charge of interrogating a prisoner. I'm willing to bet that prisoner is Ania."

"I doubt the layout of that prison has changed much since the war," Rex reasoned. "I can get us in and out, but your men will have to clear the way. I don't know what state Ania will be in, but it's possible that she'll have lost control of her power. Her mother told me that it could happen. If that's the case, I'll be the only one to approach her."

Feton nodded and pulled up a map of the prison. Rex studied it for a minute. "Back in the Clone Wars, a Jedi prisoner escaped across the catwalks. There may be a few patrols up there, but not many. If we want to make it in undetected, we get to the catwalks."

"How do we get up there?"

Rex glanced up, a mischievous grin in his eyes. "Jet packs. We fly over the perimeter wall with the jet packs. We leave a few of your men stationed in the air with sniper rifles. They'll take out anyone we miss. We get on the catwalks and make into Ania's cell. We leave a few men stationed in each hallway to secure our exit route."

"And what if the exit is compromised?"

"We go through the windows."

Feton looked appalled for a minute, then grinned broadly. "I like your style, Rex."

"We should make our move tonight. They won't be expecting anyone to come after so long and security is always loose around midnight, when the shift changes."

Feton nodded. "We have a deal then." He stuck his hand out. Rex shook it firmly.

"I guess we do."