Ania watched as the green lightsaber arched down into the Sister's red one. She spotted Kein Rei drawing a blade behind Ezra. Ania struck out with the Force, halting Kein in place. She shivered violently and felt a terrible pain from her side. Ezra and the Sister continued to fight.

Ania forced herself to her feet. She pulled her discarded lightsaber from the snow, using the Force, and limped towards Kein. She activated the amythest blade, preparing to strike a death blow. A sharp pain stabbed through her side and she lost her grip on Kein.

Instantly, he whirled at her, lashing a plasma blade at her face. Ania dodged and severed the blade with her lightsaber. Kein drew a blaster and fired at her. She deflected the blasts, gritting her teeth against the pain. Kein sent a solid kick directly into her injured side.

Ania cried out and fell to her knees in the snow. Before Kein could attack, she had her lightsaber pointed at his chest and a mental grip wrapped around him again. Ania struggled to her feet. Kein glared at her, his rage visible even in the driving snow. Ania paused and lowered her lightsaber. She clipped it to her belt and grabbed a blaster, quickly stunning him. Kein fell to the snow, unconscious.

She glanced at Ezra. He was holding off the Sister. Ania grabbed her injured side as it continued to bleed. She stretched a hand out, lifting Kein. She moved towards his ship and slammed the ramp open. Despite her chattering teeth, a bead of sweat dripped down her face. She dropped Kein inside the ship and sealed the ramp.

The hissing of colliding lightsabers drew her attention back to Ezra. He had been forced to his knees, barely managing to keep the Sister's blade from pushing his own into his neck. "Ezra!" Ania cried out. She struck out with a hand, pushing the Sister off balance.

Ezra whirled beneath the Sister's extended arm. In one fluid motion, he drove his lightsaber behind him and into the Sister. Ania could hear her gasp. Ezra turned back to the Sister as she fell into the snow, unmoving. He looked back at Ania and began to run towards her. Ania took a few steps and glanced at her side. The wound was worsening. She looked back at Ezra.

Her vision distorted suddenly and the ground swayed beneath her feet. Ania took a few uncertain steps and fell into the snow. She looked at her fingers, turning blue from the cold. Ezra slid in the snow beside her. She could barely make out what he was saying, but the fear and desperation she saw in his gaze said enough.

He leaned closer, trying to say something. Her eyelids grew heavier. She saw Ezra reach for her. Her vision faded to black for a minute. She felt herself being lifted from the snow. She groaned as the motion jarred her side. She shivered violently and blinked as the snow landed in her eyelashes.

Her vision cleared for a moment. Ania looked up. Ezra glanced at her, worry emanating from him. He quickly carried her aboard the ship and into her cabin. Ania tried to sit up, but he pushed her down again and left the cabin. When he returned, he held a bacta patch and a thermal blanket. Her vision faded in and out as he applied the patch to her wound, then covered her with the blanket.

When her vision cleared next, she was alone in her cabin. The ships engines were running so they must have taken off, she realized. Pain swept over her again as the door hissed open. She caught a glimpse of Ezra, before finally letting herself fall unconscious.

She didn't know how long they had been flying before a Rebel cruiser picked them up. Ania had faded in and out of unconsciousness the entirety of the time. Most of the time, Ezra was right beside her for the brief moments she was awake. The other times, she could hear him speaking into a comm.

At one point, she was aware that she was being moved somewhere. As soon as she had stopped moving, she let her mind drift. It pulled her completely away from her body and the pain that surrounded it, letting her fall into a blissful darkness.

"Ania...wake up. I have something to show you."

She obeyed the voice and opened her eyes. The Daughter stretched a hand towards her. Ania grasped it and let the Daughter pull her up. "Where am I?"

"In the middle," the Daughter said, leading her through the empty space. Stars glittered down at them.

"What happened? Why didn't you help me?"

"I did but you lost focus. I have a warning for you."

Ania held her hands out in front of her. They didn't look entirely normal. In fact, they seemed to be semitransparent and were tinged in a blue glow. "Wait. Am I...dead?"

"No, you are not dead, but you are dying."

Ania's eyes widened in fear. "No, I can't be!"

"Do not worry. You are safe from death. You are dying, but will recover. Come. I don't have long and you must see this." The Daughter waved a hand and a large portal, such as the ones from the world between worlds, appeared. She pointed at the portal. Ania leaned closer, watching the scene within.

They were running on a strange planet, being chased by creatures of nightmares. Ania tripped, but Ezra pulled her back to her feet. A massive citadel loomed before them.

"If we can get there, the creatures will stop!" Ania yelled. She didn't know how she knew that. Ezra nodded and ran faster. At last, they slid to a stop before the citadel. The creatures hissed in pain and retreated.

Ania looked around. On another hill, beyond the citadel, two strange buildings seemed to give off a strange presence. The citadel disappeared and they were standing before the two buildings.

Ezra stepped inside one of the buildings. Ania followed him, cautiously. A dark presence seeped into the air around them. Ezra leaned towards a raised part of the floor. "Ezra, don't!" She cried. As she spoke, Ezra pushed the seal off the tomb.

Ania's eyes widened. There was a man's body in the tomb. Gray skin and bleeding tattoos from her visions. He looked as though he were asleep, and not dead. With a sudden, hissing noise, the darkness swept out of the room. Ezra glanced at Ania and covered the tomb, quickly.

They were back in front of the citadel. Ezra faced her, lightsaber in hand. "Ania, snap out of it! Something in this planet is messing with your mind! This isn't you!"

She activated her lightsabers, baring her teeth at him. "Yes, it is! You just refuse to accept it!" She lunged at him, forcing him to block the blow.

"I don't want to hurt you, Ania!" Ezra cried. "Please, come back!"

She felt pressure building within her temples as the dark presence was forced out of her mind. "No!" She cried out. The darkness barreled straight into Ezra.

The vision cut off again, this time showing the two of them wielding the duel bladed lightsabers. Ania barely recognized herself, much less Ezra.

The vision ended and the portal dulled. The Daughter looked at Ania, warningly. "Do not take this lightly. If the two of you fail, this is what your fate will be."

"Wait, fail what?" The starry realm began to fade around her. "What do you mean?"

Ania blinked her eyes open to harsh lighting. She looked around. The stone complex was completely different than the one on Atollon. Everything sounded different, too. She looked to her side. She was wearing a white suit, with a clear patch over her injury. It was nearly healed, but a terrible scar remained.

Ania heard something rustle beside her. She turned her head, spotting Ezra, asleep on a bench. Almost as if sensing her gaze, he opened his eyes. Relief flooded his blue gaze and he leaped to his feet, falling down at her side. He grabbed her hand, holding it to his face as though he couldn't believe she was there.

She swallowed. "What happened?"

"They almost killed you. I thought you were't going to wake up," Ezra said breathlessly.

"Where are we? It doesn't sound like Atollon."

He sighed. "We're on Yavin 4. As soon as a cruiser picked us up, you were brought here. Admiral Thrawn attacked our base on Atollon. I was sent there to help. Commander Sato was killed. The rest of us escaped to here."

The door hissed open and a medical droid as well as an older human woman stepped inside. "Ah, she awakes," the woman said. "How do you feel?"

"Sore, tired," Ania said. "All the things that come with almost dying."

"Sense of humor intact. Good." The woman moved closer and checked her wound. "This is healing nicely. I'm afraid there will always be a scar, though." She turned and checked Ania's vital signs. "Everything looks good. I'll be back to check on you later." She gave Ezra a stern look. "Don't overwhelm her, young man."

He straightened immediately. "I won't." She gave him a satisfied nod and stepped out with the medical droid.

"Give me the full story," Ania said. "I need to know what all happened."

Ezra pulled his bench closer. "I killed the Twelth Sister as soon as you pushed her off balance. I was coming to help you, when you collapsed. Kein had opened your injury and the cold was freezing you. I got you onto the ship, did what I could and signaled Chopper Base for help." He scrunched up his eyebrows, thinking. "We were flying to Atollon an entire rotation before the ship ran out of fuel. Thankfully, Hera managed to get to us in time. We met up with another cruiser that took you to Yavin and brought the rest of us back to Atollon."

"What about Tolsa?"

"She came with you to Yavin. She's out on a relief mission right now."

The doorway hissed open and Zeb and Sabine stepped inside. "Well, this is awkward," Zeb said, pointing at their still clasped hands. Ezra sheepishly let go.

"Good to see you looking alive," Sabine said. "Did Ezra fill you in on everything?"

"Pretty much. Except for one thing. How did we get sent straight into a trap?" Ania looked between the three.

"We received a coded transmission about the job," Sabine began. "After Ezra's call for help came through, Commander Sato and Hera checked the message again. It turns out, Jax masked his signal and voice and sent the transmission. He set you guys up."

"The little coward was arrested immediately," Zeb added. "He's still being held for the time being."

Ania nodded. "When will Tolsa be back?"

"Soon. We'll tell her you're awake when she arrives." Sabine put a hand on Zeb's arm. "Come on. We've got our own work to do."

"Sure you don't want to join us, Ezra?" Zeb asked. Ezra shook his head. Ania gave Zeb a questioning look. "The kid's done nothing but sit in here since we arrived. It might do him some good to get out again," Zeb said with a shrug. He followed Sabine out of the room.

"The whole time?" Ania raised an eyebrow at Ezra.

"Except for the times when the doctors kicked me out." He raised a hand to the back of his neck. "I was just worried that you would die like,"

"Your parents and Ahsoka?" She finished. Ezra nodded. "I thought I was going to, too. But I didn't, thanks to you. If you hadn't gotten me back here, I wouldn't have made it." She searched his gaze intently. "How badly were you hurt?"

"I...wasn't. I mean, I was, but somehow, you used the Force to heal me when I was bringing you back onto the ship." He dropped his head into his hands. "I just...if you had..." he looked up. "I have never been more scared in my life."

Ania took his hand in her own. "Before I left for the Senate, you made me promise that I would come back. That promise still holds. I will always come back to you."

He smiled, squeezing her hand tightly. "I will too." She didn't have to doubt the sincerity of his words. She could feel the strength behind them, and Ezra's determination to make sure that promise was kept.