Star Wars: Starkiller

A ship had arrived at Lothal, this ship was a Lambda-class T-4a Shuttle bound for the Imperial base in the Capital. These types of ships were known in the Empire for carrying valuable passengers and this was no exception.

The ship entered the base which was filled with various troops marching and conducting routine training.

Once landed, it was greeted by the Minister of Lothal, Maketh Tua, a young human woman with blonde hair, at her side accompanied by Agent Kallus and at her other side, the Grand Inquisitor who had recently been contacted by Kallus. From the ship, descended one of the Empire's most important officers, Moff Tarkin.

"Grand Moff Tarkin, I am honored by your visit to Lothal." Said the minister in a tone bordering on admiration.

"My visit is hardly an honor, Minister." Said the officer in his usual skeptical tone.

"I admit I was surprised to learn you were coming." Replied the minister.

"And I, too, have been surprised by what's been happening on your little backwater world." Said in a tired and even somewhat frustrated tone Tarkin.

"If you are referring to the insurgents, I..." The minister tried to explain herself.

"In the absence of Governor Pryce, you have had a single, simple objective, Minister, to protect the Empire's industrial interests here. Interests which are vital to our expansion throughout the Outer Rim." Tarkin said, interrupting her. "But instead of protecting those interests, you have allowed a cell of insurgents to flourish right under your nose. Am I correct?" Which made the Minister cringe at her incompetence.

"And, Agent Kallus," Tarkin said turning to look at him. "Have you just stood idly by while this rabble have attacked our men, destroyed our property and disrupted our trade?"

"I have exhausted every resource to capture them, sir. This group has proven quite elusive." Kallus replied.

"Well it seems that your efforts have not been enough, for according to the reports that reached me, we apparently lost over 100 soldiers in a single attack. Do you have any idea who caused it? Their motives? Or even a name?" Tarkin asked, which made the agent try to find words for an answer.

"W-Well, from what I could elucidate, the attack was caused by a lightsaber, however, I have my suspicions if it was caused by a Jedi or something else." Replied the agent as Tarkin stared at him.

"Yes, I had a very helpful conversation with someone who may know the identity of this mysterious attacker, unfortunately he will arrive in a few days, as he is currently occupied with other matters that I am not authorized to reveal." Tarkin said to subsequently turn to look at the minister.

"And regarding the rebel cell minister, don't worry, if these act up again I will have a plan to exterminate them for good."

(Meanwhile elsewhere in Lothal)

The sound of pounding echoed softly in the makeshift training space outside the ship. Sabine was agile, fast and quite accurate, but there was something about her movements that made her predictable to me. I turned my body just in time to dodge her blow, and in the same motion I swept in with a low kick, knocking her down with one clean blow. Sabine went flying backwards, landing on her back with a thud.

"Ouch! Hey, no fair using Jedi tricks." She complained as she slowly got up, rubbing her side.

I sketched a small, barely perceptible smile as I reached over and extended a hand to help her up. She hesitated for a second, as if she thought I was going to try something else, but finally took my hand and stood up.

"The universe is not fair. Remember that on the battlefield, our enemies will use whatever advantage they have to destroy us," I replied in a neutral tone, as if that was nothing more than a self-evident fact.

"Yes, but we're not on the battlefield, Galen." Sabine replied with a light tone, a spark of humor in her voice as she removed her helmet, exposing her sweaty face and messy hair. The way she looked at me, with mild defiance mixed with camaraderie, elicited something unusual from me: a short, almost inaudible laugh.

"I can't help it," I finally said, shrugging.

"You know," she said as she twirled her helmet in her hands, her tone more serious now. "I've been thinking about something...where did you leave Gall Trayvis the other day? Since we found out he was a traitor, he hasn't transmitted again. It's weird, isn't it?"

My expression hardened slightly, though I tried to keep it neutral. Sabine's words caused a flash of memory to cross my mind. I didn't respond right away, which caused her to arch an eyebrow, clearly noticing my lack of response.

---

After the confrontation with Trayvis, the crew had decided to let him go. Not without first making sure he was unconscious. Kanan, Hera and the others wanted to avoid more unnecessary deaths, arguing that their punishment would be to lose the public's trust and live with their shameful betrayal. But I knew that wasn't enough.

When the time came, I volunteered to move him to another part of town, making sure he couldn't locate our hideout. No one questioned my willingness, and that allowed me to act freely.

I took him to a dark alley, away from prying eyes. With a few light blows to the face, I woke the senator. His expression quickly turned from confusion to fear as his eyes met mine.

"W-where are we? You again?" He asked, his voice trembling and his gaze pleading.

"Yes, me again." I replied coolly. My tone was neutral, but the threat in my words was clear.

Before he could react, I raised a hand and began to apply pressure to his neck with the Force. His feet lifted off the ground as he struggled to breathe.

"W-why?" He managed to say, his voice barely a choked whisper.

"Because you know too much," I said as my gaze bore into his, cold and implacable. "I cannot allow you to inform the Imperials that you saw me. It was a pleasure to meet you, Senator."

His eyes filled with horror as I clenched my hand into a fist, intensifying the pressure. A dry crunch echoed through the alley, and his body went still. I released him, letting him fall to the ground like a broken doll.

Gall Trayvis was dead.

---

"I left him where I found him. Perhaps he was frightened." My answer was simple and devoid of emotion, though I could tell from Sabine's face that she wasn't entirely convinced. She frowned slightly, as if she wanted to ask something else, but finally dropped the subject.

"Well, changing the subject," she said as she grabbed a nearby towel and began to wipe the sweat from her face. "I wanted to thank you for the spar. It's been a long time since I sparred with someone like this."

"Oh yeah? Since when?" I asked curiously, though my eyes watched her fleetingly as she wiped herself. It was a minor detail, but the way her leisurely movements contrasted with her usual energy caught my attention.

"Since I was in Mandalore, I think..." His tone changed slightly, becoming softer. She lowered her gaze for a moment, as if those memories were absorbing her completely. The mention of her planet made me frown with interest. Sabine didn't talk much about her past, least of all Mandalore.

"What was it like?" I asked suddenly, breaking the brief silence.

She looked up at me, clearly surprised by the question, but upon seeing my expression, her surprise mutated into a slight smile.

"It was beautiful," she replied, her voice tinged with nostalgia. Her eyes got a little lost as she spoke. "The part where I lived was full of forests and mountains. There were endless meadows that my brother and I used to explore when we were kids. I lived there with my family.... My mother, my father, my brother.... All together. It was... home."

There was something in her voice that made me stay silent.

"And why did you leave?" my question was direct, almost too much so, but there was sincerity in my tone.

Sabine hesitated, crossing her arms as if seeking to shield herself from the memories. Finally, after a few seconds of silence, she began to speak cautiously, as if choosing each word carefully.

"When I entered the Imperial Academy, I distanced myself from them for a while. I believed strongly in the Empire. I thought that I was doing the right thing.... That their orders were to keep the peace and bring prosperity to my world and my clan."

Her voice grew more bitter, her words tinged with remorse.

"I built a weapon... Something I thought would help protect my world. But it didn't. The Empire used it against my own people. Against my family, my clan, my planet." He closed his eyes for a moment, as if the memory was too painful to look at directly. "I tried to speak out against what they were doing to my creation, but it was no use. No one listened. They called me a traitor...even my own family. And in the end, I had no choice. I had to leave the Imperial Academy and flee Mandalore."

Her voice cracked slightly at the end, though she quickly regained her composure. For a moment, I said nothing, allowing her to process what I had just shared. My gaze remained fixed on her, observing the nuances of her expression, the mix of guilt, anger and sadness she carried.

"Perhaps you should have been a little smarter," I began, breaking the silence with a bluntness that I noticed immediately irritated her. "You should have known how the Empire was going to use that weapon. Though of course...you were young and naive."

"Wow, thanks for the support, Galen. Really, very thoughtful of you," Sabine replied in a scathing tone, clearly annoyed.

She wasn't finished, however.

"But you didn't mean to," I added with a softer tone, my gaze direct and sincere. "I know you, Sabine. I know you're one of the kindest and bravest people I've ever met. You wouldn't willingly do anything to hurt the ones you love. And that... that's what makes you different from the Empire."

She paused, clearly taken aback by my words. Her cheeks tinged with a barely perceptible blush as she looked me straight in the eye.

"Thank you... Galen." She said after a few moments, her tone lower, almost shy.

"You're welcome," I replied simply, though my gaze remained fixed on his. The silence between us became thick, almost tangible, as our eyes remained connected.

Without realizing it, our faces began to draw closer, as if an invisible force was pulling us toward each other. I could hear the faint rhythm of her breathing, getting closer and closer, as I closed my eyes as well.

And then, finally, our lips met.

The kiss was brief, but emotionally charged. Sabine and I pulled away slightly, still close enough that I could feel the warmth of her face. She looked at me with a mixture of surprise and something I couldn't quite identify.

"That was..." she started to say, but left the sentence incomplete, as if she didn't know how to describe it.

"Reckless, perhaps." I replied with a slight smile.

She let out a small laugh, lowering her gaze as she put her helmet back on. "Definitely unexpected." she said before stepping back, regaining some of her usual attitude.

However, just at that instant, something disturbed the calm atmosphere. I felt a change, a presence I had not noticed before. It was strong, intense, and its energy was tinged with anger. I stopped, tensing immediately, and turned in the direction from which it came.

Ezra was there, standing a few feet away from us, partially hidden by the shadow of the ship, he was on the boarding platform. His face was rigid, but his eyes gave him away: a mixture of jealousy, restrained fury and confusion. His gaze alternated between Sabine and me, as if he was processing what he had just witnessed.

For a moment, our eyes met, and his hardened countenance became more evident. The fury he felt needed no words; his energy communicated it all.

I stared at him, not looking away. I said nothing, but I didn't need to. My expression was neutral, cold, like an unbreakable wall that gave him no room to confront me. Ezra, realizing I wasn't going to back down or explain myself, clenched his fists tightly and looked away in frustration.

Without a word, he turned abruptly and began to walk away down the hallway, his footsteps echoing louder than usual, as if he couldn't contain the tension that was overtaking him.

I watched as he walked away, sensing that his fury was not only directed at me, but also at himself. Something in his energy suggested that he was struggling internally, as if he didn't know how to handle what he had just seen.

Sabine, who seemed not to have noticed at first, turned her head toward me, noticing my shift in attention. "What's wrong?" she asked, her tone unconcerned, though her eyes searched my face for answers.

"Nothing." I replied simply, keeping my gaze in the direction Ezra had disappeared in.

She frowned slightly, as if trying to understand the meaning of my words, but didn't insist. Instead, she let out a sigh and turned back to the ship.

---

Upon returning to the ship, the entire crew gathered in the common room, the usual place to discuss strategy. There was a palpable air of tension; something important was about to be discussed. When I arrived, voices were already echoing in a lively exchange.

"Sometimes it seems like the cards are always stacked against us. Every victory comes at a price, Kanan, and I'm tired of it," Ezra declared, his frustration evident.

"Ezra, I fully understand how you feel," Kanan replied calmly, though his firm tone revealed determination. "That's why I've come up with a plan that could tip the balance in our favor."

"What kind of plan?" asked Sabine, leaning forward slightly, intrigued.

"We'll do what Trayvis did before," Kanan announced, and his words dropped like a stone in the water, causing ripples of astonishment among everyone, including me. Despite this, my expression remained as neutral as ever.

"I don't understand... you want us to send inspirational messages?" asked Zeb, with his characteristic sarcasm.

"Exactly that." Kanan confirmed, which made Zeb look at him skeptically.

"Not to be a spoilsport, but how do you plan to do it without the Empire tracking us down and capturing us?" questioned Sabine, ever the pragmatist.

"Because the Empire will be the one to relay the message," Kanan replied with an enigmatic smile. "Chopper, show us what we found."

The astromech droid beeped a couple of times before projecting a hologram of a tall structure of distinctly Imperial design. It was imposing, a bastion of totalitarian control.

"May I present to you the Imperial Communications Center on Lothal," Kanan explained. "This place has enough power to transmit a message not only to all of Lothal, but to nearby systems as well."

"It's insane," Ezra stated, though the spark of excitement in his gaze belied his words. "You want to take over an Imperial communications tower, basically impossible to access, and then use it to send a message to the entire galaxy? That's insane."

"And that's precisely why I know you're interested." Kanan replied with a grin.

"Let's say we did manage to take it. What would we say in that message?" asked Zeb, his tone cautious.

"Something the Empire never says: the truth," Kanan replied, eliciting a wave of smiles from everyone.

Everyone, that is, except me. The plan seemed like monumental recklessness to me; to risk it for something as intangible as a message. However, I sighed internally. If they were going to do it, they would need my help to survive.

"I'm in." I declared in a flat voice.

All eyes turned to me in disbelief. It looked like I had just announced something impossible.

"That does surprise me more than the plan," Zeb commented, with a smirk.

"Yeah, but I'm glad you want to participate, Galen." Hera added, with a nod of approval.

"Make no mistake," I clarified, crossing my arms. "I'm just doing it to make sure you don't all end up with your heads blown off."

"There's the Galen we know." Kanan replied, eliciting laughter from the group. I remained impassive, although, deep down, I admit the situation was funny. Of course, I would never say it out loud.

"And the rest?" Asked Kanan, addressing the group.

One by one, the rest of the crew showed their support. The mission had begun long before we set foot in the Communications Center.