The Dark Side, or the Light?
[There will be moments sometimes where pictures will be necessary for a certain scene in the story. I can't upload pictures to stories here, so if you want to see the pictures (the pictures won't be necessary until later), then head over to Archive of Our Own and find this story there. It will have the pictures.]
Chapter 1
The Ghost crew had just narrowly escaped the battle over Scarif. They were informed of a shipment that was set to be delivered to the Death Star, and were sent to stop it before it reached its destination. But the mission was very difficult for them, there were several groups of TIE Fighters, which shortly overwhelmed the short division of the rebellion sent there.
"We need some backup here. Half the fleet is on us!" The Jedi padawan, known as Ezra Bridger, informed General Dodonna via internal comlink from the cockpit of the Ghost. "Man, either we're getting worse, or they're actually practicing their aiming." He said.
"Ezra, you of all people should know better." Sabine Wren called out from the nosegun. Hera Syndulla smirked and thought to herself, 'I was about to say that.'
Some of Phoenix Squadron diverted and helped the Ghost out with the TIEs. Not many TIEs were left chasing the Ghost now.
The Ghost found itself facing the target of their mission. An Imperial Star Destroyer carried loads of crates with special equipment for the Death Star and, according to some reports, supplies that would come in handy for the rebellion.
"There it is." Hera grinned. "Kanan! Can you hit the target? It's just ahead!" She asked through the comm system.
Kanan Jarrus sat in the dorsal laser cannon turret, placed at the top of the Ghost. "Hera, have you paid any attention to anything I've accomplished in my blindness in the past few years?" He answered with a grin. Then he focused and aimed. He shot at the star destroyer a few times, successfully releasing the cargo from its hold.
"Nice job Kanan." Garazeb Orrelios called from under Kanan.
"I got all of it?" Kanan asked.
"Yep."
"Wow. Aang, have I ever thanked you for these gun upgrades?" Kanan asked the Besalisk known as Aang, who was standing beside Zeb.
"Only every time you used them." Aang replied, holding back a laugh.
"Well they're very handy." Kanan added.
"You say that every time also." Aang said.
The Ghost and a command ship flew by and picked up all of the supplies. But shortly afterwards, Kanan and Ezra blacked out.
Kanan and Ezra found themselves in a Lothalian alleyway.
"Why are we back here?" Ezra asked.
They heard several, loud shouts erupting from outside of the alley. Then they saw several people running past the alley and Kanan and Ezra sneaked up to the corner of the alley and peeked out. They saw a huge crowd, being held back by Death Troopers. Then they saw seven villagers being dragged up on an elevated platform by six stormtroopers and a mysterious figure in black attire and a mask. The villagers were placed on their knees, then the sith-like figure spoke.
"Rebellion of the galaxy!" The sith started with a very deep and mechanized voice, "You have threatened the Empire with your treachery long enough! IF YOU DON'T SURRENDER, these people... your people... will pay for your mistakes!" The sith then ignited two red lightwhips and scourged the villagers to death. Ezra looked horrified. The Imperial continued, "Every day, the number of the slaughtered will increase sevenfold! If you don't surrender by this time in seven days, Lothal will be gone!" Then Kanan and Ezra woke up.
Kanan and Ezra woke in medical bays. Kanan checked on Ezra, not sensing any feelings of anger or hated from him. Relieved, he spoke up, "Ezra?" He called.
It took a moment for him to respond.
"Kanan, we have to go back. We can't let this guy end Lothal." Ezra said. If he was scared for the citizens of Lothal in any way, he did a good job of hiding it.
"We will Ezra. We will. Maybe not immediately, but we will. Soon." Kanan replied, but continued afterwards, "The Empire's intelligence grows with every challenge we face. I've said it once, and I'll say it again: things were never this hard back in the Clone Wars. By the way the Empire's advancing, there's a chance they may overcome us."
"You were never one to lose hope." Ezra said quietly.
"Those people will not suffer, and we are not surrendering." Hera confidently proclaimed, entering the med-bay.
"I assume you saw it on the holonet?" Kanan assumed.
"Yes." She replied.
"Then you should know that this is definitely not something to be optomistic about. He is too precautionary. In our vision, we saw a lot more than you could. There were at least two battalions guarding the city." Kanan said.
"We don't know how much there was . We were only in an alley corner." Ezra said, making a point.
"Yes, but as I've also said, you don't need to see something to know it's there. I sensed multiple AT-AT Walkers, two squads of Death Troopers on the ground, and, frankly, many TIEs scouting the air. And that was just the entrance to the city." Kanan said, with his arms crossed.
"Wow! Well, how are we going to fight this?" Ezra asked.
"Sometimes it's not fighting we need to focus on." Aang said, entering the room.
"That is true, Aang." Kanan acknowledged the statement.
"How are we going to tell everyone else?" Ezra asked.
"They know." Hera answered.
"And what will we do to prepare?" Kanan asked.
"We will wait and see what happens." Hera said.
The formerly dead Cumberlayne Aresko was summoned to the office of the sith, known as Bando Roscoe. He entered the room and sat down in the chairs in front of the desk.
"I suppose you're wondering why I called you here?" The sith asked, in his chair facing the window.
"Well no, but now that you mention it-" Aresko started off, but was interrupted.
"I sensed something... off, about you and Myles Grint."
"Off?" Aresko asked after a moment of thought.
"I sensed a shadow of doubt within you both."
"Well, um-"
"It seems as though you are not comfortable with my actions." The sith turned his chair around, facing Aresko. "Is that so?"
"Um, well, I just think it might be too much, slaughtering the innocent." Aresko stuttered.
Bando clicked his tongue. "As if we haven't done it before. You are seeming to pity the lives of the people over serving the purpose of your Empire. Over keeping it in peace."
"Well no, I just-"
"We, have no mercy." Bando said, standing up. "Because we,will do whatever we can to draw the rebellion to us, to destroy them. They care too much about the people, therefore they won't be able to stand to see the people suffer the way they will."
"Understood."
"I expect neither you, nor Grint, who is standing behind the door listening to us, to forget your places. And especially, I expect you both not to forget who, brought you back."
"Yes sir." Aresko said, quietly.
"You both are excused." The sith finished.
Aresko left the office, now feeling nervous. He found Grint standing on the opposite side of the hall he was before the previous conversation started. They started walking away, soon passing Colonel Yularen.
Colonel Yularen entered Bando's office. "You summoned me." Yularen said.
"Yes. It is time to commence the next stage of my plan."
"Yes, sir."
"The rebellion will not be able to stand the genocide of the so-called innocents." Bando said.