Empire's Child

Chapter 28

Early the next morning, I get up and take out my lightsaber. I don't sleep with it on me or under my pillow or whatever, mainly because I tend to be a pretty restless sleeper and I'd rather not wake up with a hole through my head because I accidentally turned my lightsaber on in the middle of the night. It's always nearby, though, on a bedside table or in a drawer. For a second, I'm disoriented, wondering where my closet is, my books, the window, etc. Then I remember. Alek is gone, I'm on a random Outer Rim planet, and I'm about to go on my first mission without my father nearby. "Commander Naberrie?" I sigh and open the door. I'd had enough time to change and put my hair into braids. A stormtrooper waits outside, carrying a datapad.

"Yes, trooper?"

"Agent Kallus is waiting for you in his office." The trooper hands me the datapad. "This is all the information we have on the rebels." I quickly flip through the reports.

"Thank you, trooper. I'm on my way." I tuck the datapad under my arm and walk down the hall to the elevators. The ride up will take a few minutes, enough time to read through one or two of the reports.

Name: Unknown
Affiliations: Rebel, Disturber of the Peace
Family: Unknown
Homeworld: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Skills: Recruitment, planning
Weaknesses: Unknown
Species: Human
Gender: Male

Well, that's not much to go off of, and nothing new. I already knew that he was male, human, and a rebel. If he wasn't a rebel, why would we be chasing him? I sigh. Maybe the next file will be better.

Name: Hera Syndulla
Affiliations: Rebel, Disturber of the Peace
Family: Cham Syndulla (father, insurgent), Eleni Syndulla (mother, deceased)
Homeworld: Ryloth
Age: Twenty-four standard years
Skills: Recruitment, piloting
Weaknesses: Unknown
Species: Twi'lek
Gender: Female

Okay, that was a little better. I assume she was the pilot of that ship I'd seen. So, there's the leader, the pilot, and the Lasat and Mandalorian girl. Fighters, I assume. And the boy they'd taken. A prisoner? Why would they take him? Unless...that feeling I'd had around the kid. What if...could he be Force-sensitive? Now that would be interesting. Maybe this world isn't as boring as I originally thought.

The elevator dings and the doors open. I step out into the hall and then into Kallus's office. "You know, there's a reason I chose a room on the lower floors. A ten-minute elevator ride just to get to the right floor isn't worth the view." I sit in the extra chair. It's just us in the room, no stormtroopers or other commanders. Interesting. Does he suspect there's a spy? "So, what's the plan?"

"This group has a Twi'lek and Lasat." He says.

"I know."

"So what would you do?" Kallus asks. I sigh. I'm not an ISB agent. This isn't my strong suit. But we learned a little about battle tactics at ATOE, as an elective. Some of us were going to be holding high military positions in the Empire farther down the road, so it made sense to offer that class. "They're both from worlds that are full of civil unrest, or used to be. The insurgents on both planets were targeted by the Empire, but the Wookiees got as many out as possible. You're setting a trap with Wookiees?" Agent Kallus nods.

"Fake information was spread last night about a transport carrying Wookiees to an undisclosed location. We assume the rebels have heard about this and will try to break the Wookiees out. Instead, we will be waiting." He stands and I follow suit. "We leave now."

The fake-prison ship is already in position, and our Star Destroyer waits a few parsecs away. We're waiting for their signal, and then it will only take about five minutes of hyperspace and we'll be there.

The signal comes barely an hour after we got into position. I wait with Agent Kallus and a squad or stormtroopers as the ship lurches into hyperspace, then out. "Prepare to board." He orders. I take my lightsaber off my belt, carrying it in my hand.