Chapter 2: Alex's Past

Kanan's P.O.V

"So, Alex, what's your story?" I asked Alex after I introduced all of us to him. "It's a long story, a long painful story." Alex sighed. "But since you want me to answer up, I guess I'm telling you my life story." The already seemingly new ally sighed again, then got into the story.


Flashback

Alex's P.O.V

My life wasn't always that of being a rebel, in fact I was never like one in the beginning to begin with. Come to think of it, life was a heck ton easier compared to today.

Before I began rebelling, I lived a normal life in Capital City. I was just like any other kid here. I had a good life, I had two amazing parents, I had a good education going in school, I had more than plenty of friends in my life, I was even considered one of the top students in the Capital City Martial Arts Academy. Heck, I was a first degree black belt, and it felt good to be that. I also gained experience from sword training in the academy, as well as some weapons training in general. I even had a girlfriend who cared for me just as much as I cared for her. To sum it up, life was great in general. But, that was earlier, during a time where life was easier than it had to be today. Now, it's way different.

When I was fourteen, my parents opposed the Empire a lot, and so did I. In general, a lot of my friends and family didn't like them. But when it comes to me, my hatred for them grew after they were involved in the worst day of my life. Three months after I turned fourteen, my parents beamed out messages against the Empire frequently, expressing their voice against their rule over Lothal. It just so happened that one day while beaming out more messages, the Empire just happened to show up at my front doorstep. They took my family away from me, and that was just the beginning.

After the events that occurred, I was never the same. My hatred grew for the Empire, and I wanted revenge against them for taking my parents from me. They were going to pay for that, one of these days. I hated them the most, and I would spend everyday preparing for the one act that would change my life even more: rebelling. After my parents were gone, there was no use in trying to return to life the way it was with or without them, and now I just turned to rebelling at the time.

As the months flew by, I trained rigorously in hand to hand combat, polishing my martial arts skills, training to one day take on the Empire. And then one day, on my fifteenth birthday last year, my best friend, Yeager, who's family was also negatively effected by the Empire, got me involved in one of the things I never thought possible, claiming that I needed to know how to use it if we were to take on the Empire. He bought me a DH-17 pistol off the black market, and since he was a good shot, Yeager helped me prepare for rebelling, training me how to shoot. His training helped me become a good shot with a blaster, and when you throw in the techy part of me into the mix, where it got me my tech gadgets(made by me personally), we were a pretty good team. The more rebellious activities we did, combined with that of our payment that we get from our daily jobs, with me being a courier and Yeager working at a diner in his area, we got access to more gear, most of it off the black market. I got my Mandalorian chest plate that way, as well as my custom wrist blasters. Honestly, though it was hard, it felt good to rebel against those who harmed both of our families.

As time flew by with us rebelling, not only were we making a name for ourselves in the name of freedom, we were making a difference. As rebels, we not only were considered heroes by people who hated the Empire all across Capital City, we were praised for everything that we did. However, this did not last.

During a hit and run op on an imperial meeting about rebel activity, in which we went in loud with explosives and whatnot, Yeager was arrested by the Empire and charged with treason. Luckily for me, I managed to escape, but witnessed the Empire take away my best friend. I never saw Yeager again, and it made my hatred for the Empire burn in me even more. I could have saved him, but I was risking getting myself arrested as well, so I escaped on my own, grieving over the fact that was the last time I'd see Yeager. About a couple of nights later following that night, I turned to rebelling on my own, and it just so happened that the Empire caught me in the act, sentencing me to prison and charging me with treason. At the time, I guess the best way to describe me was now an imperial prisoner, now with a number as an identity. They never called me by my first or last name, just by the prisoner number "X-90." Life was beginning to seem hopeless for me, and for pretty much all of these prisoners, a good amount of which actually got charged for treason against the Empire as well. However, things weren't gonna always be like this in prison.

A coupe of night later following my arrest and prison sentence, I convinced an inmate to start a riot, which he did, in which I escaped. As I ran back into the city, I quickly went for a secret room that my parents would broadcast from in case something went wrong with their broadcast in our house. This secret room was within the sewers, being this room I'm in right now with this crew of rebels, and it's located just below our house, which since following a few days later after my parents were arrested has been blocked off by the imperials. However, knowing well that this room could be spiced up since I was gonna be living here for a while, I always snuck back into my house, getting items from it like my martial arts belts, bringing them in here.

Time flew by further, and by then the daily cycle was the same after I assumed the name "Dragon." By day, I would always be a local courier, delivering packages to people and whatnot, getting payed in credits for my tasks by people who hired me. By night, I would become Dragon and end up rebelling on my own at night. This act has gotten me arrested even more, and when it came to breaking out, it was always by either these two things: prison riots or bribing a guard with spare credits. Ironically, the guards always fell for it whenever I'd bribe them.

Present day

By the time I turned 16 a few months ago, I still continued rebelling on my own. However, just when I came into contact with this crew and helped them escape, things were changing yet again, just like how life always has since my parents were taken.


Kanan's P.O.V

"And that's my story for you all right there." Alex said, finishing his life story. After hearing all of this, there was no doubt that we may as well welcome him into the larger rebellion.

"We can all feel your problem about the Empire and rebelling, Alex." I said to him. "In fact, there's pretty much one thing that brings us all together in this crew." "What is it, Kanan?" Alex asked. "Family. We all lost somebody important to us, and that only motivates our fight against the Empire. When Ezra lost his family, he was only 7. When he came into contact with us last year or sometime like that, we were his new family from his point of view. We all know your struggle, Alex, and I think you'd make a great addition to the team if you're willing to join our cause." I told him.

"Seriously? Me...joining you?" Alex asked, his brightening up at the opportunity. All of us nodded. "Honestly though, guys, do you even trust me enough?" We all looked at each other, then I decided to talk privately with my team. "Alex, in the meantime, I would suggest heading somewhere private while my crew and I talk privately." I informed him. "Do what you gotta do." Alex responded, him leaving us.

"So?" I asked the team. "Well, he did save us." Ezra said. "I'm with Ezra on that one. Though I didn't trust him, at least he actually gave us a good reason to trust him. Plus, he's gone through what we all have gone through, losing family." Sabine responded. "I'm willing to trust him if he's willing to trust us." Zeb said. "Since we have a clear vote on things, I'll contact Hera and ask her if she trusts Alex enough." I told my team, grabbing my commlink.

"Specter 1 to Ghost, you there?" I said. "What is it?" Hera inquired. "We made contact with Dragon earlier, and we got his real name as well. His real name is Alex Saxon, and we seem to trust him after he told us his life story. What do you think, Specter 2? Do you think we should recruit him?" I asked. "If you seem to trust him and if those were our orders to find Alex and recruit him into the Rebellion, I guess I trust him as well. Give me some time to locate a good place to pick you all up and we'll get going. Specter 2 out."

"She trusts him." I told the team. When Alex came out from wherever he came out from, he asked, "So, do you trust me enough?" I held my hand out at the new Lothalian member of the Rebellion. "Welcome to the team, Alex." I said, shaking his hand firmly.

"So what now?" he asked. "Now we just lay low and wait until our pilot contacts us and gives us the location for a pickup. You might wanna start packing." I suggested to him. "I was thinking the same thing. Thanks for recruiting me, guys." Alex said, which earned him a smile from all of us. We were always glad to have somebody join the team, and Alex was no different.