Ania and Tolsa slipped out of the senator's office, still dressed in their disguises. It was late and the entire senate building was silent, save the guard patrols. Thankfully, none stopped to question the two girls. Ania held up a small disk and checked their location on the map again. "We need to go down to the sub levels," she whispered. They turned into the nearest lift and set the level.

A few levels down, the lift halted. The door hissed open and a familiar reporter stepped inside. The door closed and the lift continued down. "Ladies," the reporter said with a grin. "Might I ask what you're doing up so late?" Ania caught his gaze flickering to the level display.

"Just going for a walk," Ania replied.

"All the way down in the sub levels?" The reporter's grin grew. "The only things down there are holding cells."

"Did you finish your article?" Ania quickly changed the subject.

"Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get all the information I needed. How did the vote go? I hear there was an unorthodox occurrence afterwards."

"The vote was fine. The outcome will be announced soon, I'm sure."

"So tell me, who was it they put on trial today?"

"Feton Ralius."

"Oh, so they finally caught him! And what was his sentence?"

Ania glanced at Tolsa and nodded almost imperceptibly. "Death."

"So here I find you, traveling down to the sub levels where they are no doubt keeping this criminal and you're traveling with one of Feton's former dancers. Am I to believe that you don't mean to rescue him?" The reporter whirled around and grabbed Tolsa by the wrist. He pointed a blaster at her jawline.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Ania growled.

"And what can a mere girl do against me?" The reporter laughed. "Do what I tell you to and I'll let her go."

"I have no interest in what you want." Ania smirked. "Because I know you'll do what I say." Her hand tightened into a fist at her side. Confusion swept over the man's face and he gripped his throat, gasping for air. He dropped the blaster and Tolsa rammed her elbow into his gut. Ania released her hold on the man and slammed him into the side of the lift. He crumpled to the floor, unconscious. Ania paused the lift and threw him into the hall, before continuing on.

They reached the sub levels a few minutes later. No guards were present when they stepped off the lift, but Ania didn't doubt they'd be coming soon. She pointed to a control panel on one of the walls. "See if you can find him," she ordered. Tolsa ran to the panel and quickly plugged her datapad in.

"Here! Cell Block B, number 6782," Tolsa unplugged her device and took the lead. Ania reached out and crushed every security camera she saw, hoping they hadn't been spotted yet.

They rounded a corner into Cell Block B. Instantly, several stormtroopers were on their feet, blasters pointed at them. Tolsa and Ania reached out together and pulled the blasters from their grips. Ania spotted one stormtrooper reach for the comm activator on his helmet. She whipped her hand up, suspending them all.

"Go and get him. I can hold them here." Ania gritted her teeth, trying to focus.

Tolsa nodded and swiped a keycard from one of the immobilized stormtroopers. She ran down the hallway, searching the cells. Ania's hand began to shake. She struck out with the other one. "Tolsa, hurry!" A headache was forming in her temples.

"I found him!" Tolsa disappeared into a cell and emerged a moment later with Feton leaning on her heavily.

Ania sent one last burst of power into the troops, knocking them all unconscious. She released with a gasp, bracing her hands on her knees. "Are you ok?" Tolsa asked.

"I'm fine. That just took a lot," she panted. "We should go. Sabine will be waiting." Ania let Feton drape his other arm over her and they made their way back into the lift. Ania set the level for the landing pad where Sabine would be waiting with a shuttle to get them to safety. The shuttle had been provided by Senator Organa and had already been removed of all tracking devices.

Feton grunted between them. "Where are you hurt?" Ania asked.

"You should be asking where I'm not hurt!" He hissed.

"Let me try something. Ahsoka made me read up on this and I want to know if it will work." They guided Feton into a seated position.

He raised a hand threateningly. "If you kill me, my men will hunt you down. I've already got a large bounty on your head, Tano."

"It's Bonteri and I could care less." Ania placed a hand on his chest and closed her eyes. She searched out his presence in the Force. As she concentrated, his physical form took shape in her mind's eye. Ania found his injuries and grabbed the life around them, weaving them together. She opened her eyes. Feton was staring at her, shocked.

"What did you do?"

"I used the Force to heal you. Did it work?"

Feton stood. "Did it work? Yes, it worked!" He looked around. "You wouldn't have happened to grab my weapons, would you? They have my helmet and I want it back."

"No, and we really don't have time to go looking for them. As soon as those stormtroopers wake up, we're dead if we aren't gone," Ania said. She glanced out the window of the lift. She could see the Emperor's Palace in the distance. A cold void opened within her, sucking the warmth from her very bones. She had been there once and once was enough. Ania turned away. The lift opened up to a hallway.

"I thought we were going to the landing pads?" Tolsa followed her into the abandoned hall.

"We are. The landing pads are on this level. The Senate building doesn't have outer lifts anymore. You can only access them through here." Ania led the way down the hall. A whisper of warning flitted through her mind and she paused, listening.

Footsteps, soft and barely perceptible, were waiting around the corner. Ania motioned for Tolsa and Feton to remain behind. She edged closer to the corner and peered around. A plasma blade embedded itself in the wall. Ania whipped back around.

"It's the bounty hunter from Kessel!" She exclaimed. "You two go. I'll cover you!" She drew her lightsabers out of her boots and activated them. A volley of blaster bolts met her as she fell into position.

Tolsa and Feton came swiftly behind her. Ania whipped her lightsabers around, blocking each attack. Tolsa and Feton reached the doorway and ran onto the landing pad. Ania stuck out with the Force, sending the bounty hunter flying. She deactivated her lightsabers and ran to the door. A beeping object flew over her head.

Ania gasped and flung herself down as the bomb went off, directly above the door, sealing her inside. Her comm went off instantly. Head ringing, Ania dragged herself up and took off running. "Ania, are you ok?" Tolsa called through the comm.

"I'm fine. Get to the ship and meet me at the next landing pad!" She ordered. Her comm switched off. Ania grabbed a blaster and her lightsaber. The blast had attracted the attention of many. Several senators came out of their offices. Ania flew past, nimbly dodging around them. The bounty hunter just shoved them aside.

Ania sent a quick transmission to Senator Li, telling her to evacuate in case someone came for her. The next landing zone was in sight. Ania cried out as a bolt of fire seared through her shoulder. She tucked her blaster into its holster and ran on. Another doorway opened ahead. Governor Pryce aimed a blaster at her head.

Ania struck out, aiming the blaster away and bringing her lightsaber down, dismantling it. She burst through the doorway onto the landing pad. The shuttle hovered at the edge of the pad. The boarding ramp opened and Tolsa appeared, waving her forward. "Come on!" Tolsa yelled.

Ania sensed the coming projectile. She whirled, blocking the Nautolan's plasma blades. He launched another bomb, this time aimed at the ship. It exploded near the thrusters. "Get out of here!" Ania screamed.

"You can make it!" Tolsa reached her hand out, beckoning.

Several stormtroopers followed Governor Pryce onto the landing pad. Five of them held rocket launchers. On Pryce's order, they dropped down and took their aim. Ania deactivated her lightsaber. "Go now!" She ordered into her comm.

"Where are you?" Came Sabine's reply.

The rocket launchers flared to life. Ania bounded closer to the ship and forced everything she had into a wave of power. The wave engulfed the ship, sending it roaring up into the atmosphere. The rockets collided in an explosion of light where the ship had been a moment before. Ania collapsed to the ground, utterly drained.

The bounty hunter knelt down and grabbed her weapons and comm. A soft rain had begun to fall again, washing the paint off Ania's face. Governor Pryce joined them. "So it is her. Looks like our spy was right. Well done, bounty hunter. Bring her in." The governor turned and marched back into the senate building.

The Nautolan slapped a pair magnetic cuffs onto her hands and pulled her to her feet. Ania swayed unsteadily. She hadn't known how much power that one move would require. She looked over her shoulder as she was led back into the building. The ship was gone from sight. Ania could only hope they made it back to Atollon safely.