Star Wars: Wanderers

Chapter One

Hanna City, Chandrila
1 week before the Battle of Yavin

    The man sat in the darkest corner of the cantina, which also happened to be the one with the best view of both the entrance and the holoscreen. He could watch both incoming traffic and what was happening in the wider galaxy with ease, but they could not see him without some difficulty. He took another swig of Corellian brandy and let his gaze sweep the room again, as had become his habit in public places. He couldn't be sure that they weren't still looking for him. After all, he was still looking for his wife. He hadn't given up, even after all these years.

    At first, he'd been desperate for any news at all. He knew he would be under surveillance for some time, so he made no attempts to get offworld. He went back to work fixing ships, and building new ones as requests came in (although if the request came from the Empire, he might have made a few mistakes, ones that wouldn't be caught until it was too late. He was only human, after all). He was the best mechanic in Coronet City, and arguably on all of Corellia. He was too valuable for the Empire to get rid of him entirely, or even to take him away to continue his work in a slave camp somewhere. He and his wife had been known in the community as staunch Imperial loyalists, a reputation that had been so carefully cultivated that the rumors of Eliza Solo's treason had been treated as just that- rumors, unfounded in the extreme. No one questioned the story that she'd been placed in a different position in the Imperial Navy, or at least no one dared to voice their suspicions.

    At first Jasper didn't understand why the ISB had put out the false story. Their normal modus operandi was to make examples of traitors, in a manner that taught the general public a lesson yet didn't incite them to violence and rebellion. In time he understood; she had been a highly placed Imperial officer, well respected within the Empire. To make public knowledge of her betrayal- and her subsequent execution, if she was not sent to be worked to death in a slave camp- was to broadcast the fact that the Empire was vulnerable. That even the best of them could turn traitor and rebel against their might.

    Jasper chuckled bitterly and downed the rest of his brandy. He still had trouble using the word 'rebel' to describe his wife, and he never once thought of using the word to describe himself. Yet that was what they had become; somewhere along the way, they had transformed from law-abiding citizens to enemies of the state. It would be impossible to comprehend outside of the context that the state had also transformed, from a free and democratic Republic to an authoritarian and cruel Empire.

   How had it come to this, that the people of the galaxy were now divided into law-abiding, obedient Imperial loyalists, and traitorous rebels? Why had he not been able to see the Empire's cruelty until it struck him at his very heart?

    He refilled his brandy and stared into its depths, allowing the sounds of the cantina to flow around him. Bits of conversation came and went, but he heard nothing of interest to him. Chandrila was a world with rebel leanings, but all sorts of people could be found in cantinas, as he had come to learn. Even people with knowledge of the inner workings of the ISB. Of course, most of them had turned out to be false leads, but you never knew-

    Someone turned up the volume on the holoscreen. He looked up and saw the image of a beautiful young woman with brown hair tied in twin buns on either side of her head. The news anchor continued to speak: "...have not been confirmed, but we are being told that Princess Leia Organa's escort came out of hyperspace into an asteroid field and all aboard were killed. No word yet if..."

    Jasper stopped listening to the broadcast and looked down at his brandy, processing what he'd just heard. He couldn't believe that the princess's escort was so foolish as to make a mistake calculating their hyperspace route, especially with all the modern assistance one had nowadays. Besides, they were escorting a princess, after all. They had probably all sworn to protect her, and would take no risks with her safety.

    In addition to these facts, he knew that Princess Leia was of Alderaan, a world with remarkably strong rebel leanings. He had seen her on holo before, in the Senate arguing with Imperial loyalist senators, sometimes even challenging the Emperor himself. He was surprised she hadn't been killed before now. Such blatant rebellion against the Empire did not go unpunished for long.

    He left some credits on the table for his brandy and stood up. There was nothing new to be learned here. Perhaps he'd fare better if he took a more direct route. In his wanderings, he'd learned the names of a few key rebel leaders. Maybe one of them could help him in his quest...

    He moved toward the entrance and found his way blocked by a pair of stormtroopers. "You're under arrest," one of them said, as the other went to cuff him.

    Jasper stepped back, raising his hands slightly to show he was unarmed. "There must be some mistake..."

    "There's no mistake," said the one who had tried to cuff him. "You've been spotted in a few places you shouldn't be, talking to people you shouldn't have been talking to."

    "You mean like this cantina?" Jaspers spread his arms wide, swaying slightly as he did so to make himself seem like another drunken cantina-goer. "Well she's never talked back but she's always been good comp- hey!"

    The stormtroopers had grabbed him one on each side, and pulled his arms behind him so they could be cuffed. "Less talking, more walking," the first one said sharply. "Don't try to resist. You'll need your strength where you're going."

    Where I'm going? Jasper thought. There was only one thing that could mean. They were taking him to a slave camp to work for the glory of the Empire.

    Eliza might be there! Or I might find someone who knows where she is... this is great! I should've gotten myself captured years ago!

    As he was led away, his thoughts racing with excitement, he neglected to consider the possibility that he might not survive the torment that was to come.