Hello everyone! Thank you for all your support – and everyone telling me that my writing wasn't sloppy! You're all so sweet!

storyteller2899 – No prob! I'm glad that I have readers like you who enjoy what I have to write! And yes – poor Kallus. But I feel like it's very important when writing from his point of view to demonstrate that he truly believes he is doing the right thing. I think that's a large motivator in who he is as a character, and why he changed sides – a strong moral compass, and then realizing that his compass was misaligned… it's a very fascinating dynamic to me.

doodly-squat – OMG I COULD NOT WRITE A ONE SHOT OF ZEB AFTER LASAN BECAUSE IT WOULD BE SO SAD AND OMG I WOULD CRY WRITING IT… actually I'm pretty good at doing that anyways, aren't I? Maybe that'll go in my list of "to be written" fics? 😃
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SWEET REVIEWS! AND ALL THE INSIGHT. OHMYGOSH YOU REALLY KNOW KALLUS' CHARACTER!

Killerkitty641 – Oh yes! XD

Lynn Friedman-kinsey – Thank you so much for all your encouragement! As for your questions – I do know lots of veterans, and I myself am a veteran ^_^

PrincessCadence2012 – Thank you so much and glad you could make it! Glad to have you here 😊

xCoatl – No worries! I see what you mean – when he says "I took credit for it…" like, he was saying that his earlier claims were merely boasting. I had to go double check on wookiepedia, and now it's really vague on whether or not he really ordered the use of the disruptors, though it does say that he participated in the genocide at some kind of level. The way I interpret the scene in The Honorable Ones is that Kallus realized that he boasted about it, and he was apologizing for trying to take credit for the idea, like "this isn't something I could have tried to attribute to myself." In either case – whether he did so or not – it still makes for a fascinating character dynamic, and I am just running with my interpretation! THOUGH OHMYGOSH THANK YOU for the insight – I like these kinds of challenges, it helps me refine my own vision. So thank you! 😊

Also – if any of you would like to chat, about writing or Kallus or whatever, I'm always down for a PM convo ^_^

Happy reading!

(also sorry for the short update, next chapter will be full of combat and action ;)


It was the wrong kind of reaction to seeing the shuttle return. One of intense foreboding, almost reluctance, a wish that it hadn't returned at all. The news it brought with it weren't of escape and safety, but of more dangers ahead.

"We have reports they've taken hostages," the report was delivered completely wrong - emotionless, dry, not like the reaction felt by Kallus. "Maybe as many as thirty. Being held at the palace."

Most of the others were already on the shuttle – how they had all managed to survive for so long was beyond Kallus's ability to figure out. No one looked particularly eager to volunteer. No, they were doing what was so typical of someone hearing something they wished not to have heard – they simply looked away, overacting their ignorance.

"I will go," Kallus said, perhaps not as bold as he'd hoped to sound, but resolved nonetheless.

"We weren't asking for volunteers!" the captain of the shuttle said, surprised. "We were just telling you – if you haven't accounted for all the-"

"We aren't leaving anyone here!" Kallus snapped back.

He couldn't believe it – the Empire wouldn't abandon its own people, would it? No… it was this captain. Afraid, most likely. Not wanting to make another trip if he could help it. Not that Kallus could really blame him – the sky was filled with pillars of smoke as other ships – military craft – were being shot down. The battle was far from over. Their mission had been to secure the innocent, the Imperial workers – government employees and their families.

"You'll never make it," the captain of the shuttle shouted, but by then Kallus was already turning away, looking down the street laid out before him. Much of the buildings were in ruin, the rubble spilling out onto the road. Fires were burning without restraint, smoke was filling the sky. But it led almost directly to the palace, not even a half of a mile from where the shuttle stood.

You have to try.

It was a crazy thought, a suicidal thought, but perhaps that was what attracted Kallus to it. In some sort of morbid way, it felt necessary. A way to make amends for the wrongs he'd done… his complacency watching his friends die.

Kallus was running before the shuttle took off. By the time he'd make it to the end of the first block, he could hear it's engines pick up – they'd decided to leave without him. Kallus tried not to think about what he would do if the shuttle didn't come back.

The battle is turning, he tried to convince himself.

He wasn't too far off. Not like he had any way to confirm his hopes at that point. But when the shuttle had returned, it was one of the first things the stormtrooper commander had said. Tell all units to use the T-7s against the enemy. The beasts didn't stand a chance.

But that wasn't Kallus's priority anymore. He had to get to the palace.

His fingers tightened around his own T-7 ion disruptor – having secured one from a storm trooper when they were standing their ground and protecting the landing site. It gave him confidence, even though Kallus knew the dangers of becoming too confident in a weapon. It was one of the reasons he'd spent much of his free time training in various combative arts. But against a Lasat, Kallus was more than willing to rely on his weapon.

He met no resistance on the way to the palace. Either they had killed anything with the will to resist the Empire in this sector, or they had fled. But the palace… surely there would be guards there. Kallus knew close to nothing about the Lasat way – but what he thought he knew told him there would be a lot of resistance in the palace. They would more than likely defend their royalty with everything they had.

Kallus tightened his grip on his weapon, his knuckles turning white.

And he would fight them with everything he had.

He was nearly at the palace when a screaming green bolt rained down from orbit. Kallus could feel the explosion in his skull, his teeth feeling like they were threatening to fall out of his jaw. He didn't realize he'd fallen until he was on the ground, the planet beneath him trembling from the attack.

Kallus looked up, his heart lightening.

They were bombing the palace?!

And then just as quickly, his stomach twisted.

But they've got hostages there!

Kallus scrambled to his feet, looking up to see if any more attacks were coming. No, it doesn't matter. Whether they attack or not, you have to get the hostages.

He chased away the obvious – how can you help anyone if you're dead? – and continued to run towards the palace. He actually had to scramble over rubble in order to gain entry. The stones were warm, having absorbed the energy from the blast, but he climbed over them safely.

And even with the palace in partial ruin, Kallus was impressed with its grandeur. Well, not enough to feel bad about wanting the entire thing to burn down once he was done with his mission.

There were guards, just as he had expected. At least down this first corridor, they were dead. Dead or unconscious. Kallus didn't care which. He was more interested in their weapons – an idea of what he would have to face if he came across a live one.

Kallus put his disruptor down and grabbed the weapon of one of the dead Lasat – this one was most certainly dead. He wouldn't have risked trying to do something like this with a beast if he wasn't sure it was already dead.

But Kallus couldn't figure it out – it just looked like an oversized rifle. Simple enough to figure out how to defend oneself against.

He reached down to grab his disruptor, and his heart stopped. It wasn't there.

And a voice, behind him.

"Don't move."