For some, the boy may have been a burden, but for me, he wasn't. Although Ezra was a young man, his weight was hardly difficult to manage, especially since he had shed several pounds since the infection had taken over his body. Glancing down at him, I saw that Ezra was not much more than flesh and bones, and he grew weaker with every step we took. I did my best to mind his injured leg, but even so, every step I took made him whimper.

It wouldn't be much longer before the whimpering eventually stopped.

As soon as the thought crossed my mind, I immediately scolded myself, reminding myself that Ezra still had the look of a fighter and that he wouldn't give up, not yet. We would contact his friends and then he would receive help. With medical attention, Ezra would survive with both his life and an interesting story to tell.

Occasionally, in his feverish delusion, Ezra would whisper names I knew: Ashoka, Chopper, and then others I didn't: Kanan, Hera, Sabine, Zeb. Who were these people? Were they the rebels? What role did each of them play in the rebellion? Were they his family? I had assumed so, but it occurred to me that I'd never asked Ezra about his past to know for sure.

When I really thought about it, I didn't know much about the kid at all, other than that he was a Jedi and that he was part of the rebel alliance. Other than those two facts, all I knew was that Ezra reminded me of Will. Their senses of honor and duty were identical, and they both had that unrelenting fire to never give up. Yet, Will had died here, and now I was holding Ezra as he faded away in my arms. If I lost another brother to this forsaken planet, I would fall into a grief I would never emerge from. If the Empire returned, no longer would I be able to find cause to hold my ground.

It seemed like years before we finally reached the downed Star Destroyer. Once we did, I quickly laid Ezra on the ground and instructed Gear and Chopper to go look for a transmitter. Doc stayed with me while I redressed Ezra's wound the best I could, cringing whenever Ezra cried out.

"He's going to die, you know."

Doc's voice made me pause, but I soon continued moving. "You don't know that."

"Yes, I do," he snapped. "His body can't handle much more. Considering his age and the severity of the infection, he doesn't stand a chance."

"He won't have to fight much longer," I said. "His friends will be here soon."

"The rebels?" He scoffed. "Letting Ezra go to them would be treason. Even if they were somehow able to save his life,  they would seal his fate."

"Shut it."

"Jedi are valuable to the Empire. If they knew he was here--"

"For the last time, we are not handing a crazed woman and a dying boy to the Empire," I said, slowly rising to my feet. "These are people, Doc, even if they do practice Jedi ways, and they need our help."

"You're a fool, Stance. You always have been." He glared at me. "Don't you see that this is our big chance? Instead of contacting the rebels we could contact the Empire. We'd be declared heroes."

"I'm not a hero," I said and turned away from him. "I'm a soldier, and the people who took me from my family and abandoned me won't change that. They can't change me. They can't touch me, not anymore."

"I don't understand," Doc growled. "Don't you want to be rescued? Don't you want to see your family again?"

"Of course I do." I took a deep breath. "They're the only thing I think about at night. However, I refuse to see them again if it means handing Ezra over to be executed."

"A quick and painless execution is more merciful than what he's experiencing now."

I glanced down at Ezra again and watched as pain rippled across his face. As his body shook, Ezra screamed in pain. Kneeling beside him, I considered Doc's statement, was he right? Was protecting Ezra cruel? Preventing him from going over the edge--was it wrong? Perhaps Doc was right.

Maybe it was time to let Ezra go.

Reaching out, I squeezed Ezra's trembling hand. Just as I was about to let go, Ezra's eyes flew open, if only for a moment. As his eyes, an unusual violet, met mine, I saw the desperation within them. I saw the layers of pain, but I also saw the strength that had brought Ezra this far. The strength that would carry him till the bitter end.

"Stance," Ezra said even as his eyes drifted close, "Stance, please--"

I gripped his hand more tightly. "I'm here. I've got you."

"They're coming," he whispered, "So close." He fell limp once more. "They're in trouble."

"Don't worry," I said and gently laid him on the ground. "We'll find them and get you home."

I was unsure if Ezra had even heard me, but regardless, a peace came over Ezra. For once, there was no trace of pain. Whispering a prayer, I faced Doc again. "You heard him. Ezra has people coming to get him. People who care about him and are risking it all to get here." I stepped in between him and Ezra. "If you won't stand by me and wait for them and protect them if need be, then you can leave."

He regarded me with nothing but anger. "I saved your life."

"I will be forever grateful for that, but that doesn't mean I will allow you to kill Ezra." I offered Doc my hand though all reasoning suggested otherwise. "So, what is your choice?"

Doc considered it for a moment before extending his hand to meet mine. A smile had just started to spread across my face when Doc pulled me forward and punched me hard in the gut. Grunting in pain, I gripped Doc's arms and threw him to the ground. Frantically, Doc reached for his blaster, but I kicked it out of reach. As I stepped towards him, Doc threw a leg out and tripped me. Throwing himself on top of me, Doc raised a bloody scalpel above his head, aiming for my neck. Grabbing his wrists, I hurled him off of me and scrambled to my feet.

I was about to advance towards him when Ezra groaned in pain from behind me. Immediately, I froze. Although the side of me that seethed with anger told me to approach Doc, to finish this once and for all, the other part of me felt called to Ezra's side. One thing was for sure: I couldn't keep Ezra safe if Doc was around; however, I couldn't just kill him. Although we were enemies now, at one time, I had considered Doc a friend.

Releasing a breath, I hauled Doc to his feet. "Get out of here. Now."

A stiff nod was all I got from Doc as he hurried away, but it was enough. With Doc gone, I quickly knelt by Ezra and surveyed him. It took me a moment to realize that he wasn't breathing. Feeling his wrist, I couldn't catch a pulse. With my mind spiraling into panic, I folded my hands over Ezra's chest and began to press down every few moments, begging for a heartbeat.

"Hold on, Ezra," I whispered, "Don't you dare give up."

Behind me, I heard Gear and Chopper approach. "What happened?"

"He stopped breathing," I said, almost hysterical. "And I can't find a pulse."

"Move," Gear said and gently pushed me to the side. Silently, I watched as Gear knelt and beckoned Chopper closer. After an instruction from Gear, Chopper whirled his arms around and triggered an electric current, making his arms spark with electricity.

"Touch him," Gear told Chopper.

"Are you insane?" I cried. "You'll kill him."

"It's our only chance," Gear said and looked at Chopper. "Do it." Whirring noisily, Chopper extended a limb and made contact with Ezra's chest. As the current passed through Ezra, his body flailed before lying still.

"It's not working," I said.

Gear looked at Chopper. "Again." Chopper beeped and touched Ezra.

"Come on," I yelled, "Breathe!"

Seemingly having heard my command, Ezra sputtered as his breathing slowly regulated. Relieved laughter filled the air, and I rose to my feet. As I stood, the world spun and my vision flickered. Glancing at Gear, I saw that the relief had faded from his face and had been replaced by a look of fear. Lowering my head, I noticed the scarlet stain that was slowly spreading across my chest. My knees buckled, but before I could collapse, Gear was there, helping me to the ground.

"Where is Doc?" Gear asked, and I shook my head.

"I gave him a choice. We fought, and he left."

As my mind replayed our battle, I remembered how Doc had punched me in the chest and the stinging pain that he'd left. That scalpel he'd tried to use to slash my neck--it'd already been bloody. It seemed that when Doc had punched me, the blade had been tucked away in his palm, puncturing my armor and stabbing me. However, because of the panic that followed our battle when Ezra stopped breathing, I had not noticed my wound until now.

"Take care of Ezra," I said to Gear. "And try to make contact with his friends. Watch for trouble."

As Chopper honked nervously, Gear pressed down on my wound. "You're not going to die."

Before I had a chance to argue
otherwise, I slipped into darkness.

Dear faithful readers,

I am so so so sorry it has taken me so incredibly long to update. Truth be told, I kinda took a break from all things Wattpad, but I felt bad leaving this book, especially since you all are so invested in it. Your comments never cease to make me smile, and I wanted to apologize for the wait. Thank you for constant support, and I promise you that the next chapter will come quicker than this one did.

In other news, what did you think of this chapter? Will Ezra hold on till the rebels arrive, and will Stance survive the wound Doc gave? Where is Ashoka? Will Kanan and the Ghost crew escape the Empire's clutches? Leave your thoughts in the comments and don't forget to vote!

Love y'all!

Julie :D