The Deserter

Chapter 4

Disturbing Discoveries

Hello everyone, Darksawr here to bring you another chapter of the Deserter! I apologize for the wait, but I hope this is worth the wait (it certainly took me a long time and with a cold no less XD). I regret to say that the time between my updates will be inconsistent and may vary depending on the number of readers and my schedule. BUT, there is some good news, a few chapters in the future are complete. Inspiration strikes but not always in the way you want.

To one of my reviewers and friends whose been with me from the beginning Awesome Bill from Dawsonville, I did take your advice and personally I regret not taking it sooner I thank you :). Keep me posted if you have any advice or ideas.

A/N: For all of you who have seen Rogue One, you may have noticed some references to Rebels. You'll find some Rogue One characters sneak their way into my story, especially the Death Troopers. Who can look at me with a straight face and say you didn't think they were cool? *waits* I thought not.

Without further adieu, let the chapter begin!

Disclaimer: I think we all know who owns what.


Four hours later:

The Lasat and female Mandalorian had returned home, the former electing to see if the ship's captain needed any assistance and the latter claimed to desire a small break.

The best kind of lie was a half-truth. Sabine retreated into her quarters and sealed the door. It was time for the rebel to conduct a little investigation of her own.


"If this Recluse is a spy, then why aren't Stormtroopers turning the planet upside down to find us, I am certain that he didn't steal that medal, they don't have much monetary value in them." Sabine thought as she booted up her datapad and surfed the Imperial Holonetwork.

The Mandalorian transferred the data from her helmet cam a spare holo-comm that pulled up an image of the Recluse in his tragedy of painted armor. On the pad, an image of a Hornet Squad Soldier was pulled up, the snow white gear a stark contrast from the Recluse's armor.

The images began to overlap and made the resemblance visible. Underneath all that rust and mixed paint, the suits of armor shared the same design.

"I knew it looked familiar." Sabine murmured.

But the revelation brought more questions than answers. Imperial Supercommandos never conducted undercover operations, just as they never stepped away from their viceroy Saxon. Judging by the stranger's lack of physical skill, acquisition by theft wasn't likely. Unless…

The Mandalorian's eyes widened involuntarily and browsed the record Imperial Broadcasts and narrowed the results by desertion reports.

Apparently, five Mandalorians attempted to leave the academy just as Sabine had done, but they weren't as fortunate. All but one have been captured and recently executed for treason. The files used for the wanted board were still available for viewing, so Sabine opened them one by one.

Name: Callum Kyre

Callsign: Hornet Two

Gender: Male

Crime: Desertion

Wanted: Alive

Reward: 10,000 unmarked credits

Bounty Status: Claimed.

"Target: Executed." Sabine read the last part aloud.

The next file was pulled up without a second thought.

Name: Sahl Liq

Callsign: Hornet Seven

Gender: Male

Crime: Desertion

Wanted: Alive

Reward: 15,000

Bounty Status: Claimed.

Target: Executed.

The bounty increased increments of five thousand with each deserter removed from the board.

Name: Lahn Liq

Callsign: Hornet Six

Gender: Female

Crime: Desertion

Wanted: Alive

Reward: 25,000

Bounty Status: Claimed.

Target: Executed.

Sabine granted herself nothing more than a small shred of condolence for the fallen.

Name: Maxus Oberon

Callsign: Hornet Ten

Gender: Male

Crime: Desertion

Wanted: Alive

Reward: 30,000

Bounty Status: Claimed.

Target: Executed.

The last fugitive's name was missing from the file. All that remained was a gender, crime, condition wanted, and a handsome bounty of credits for capture.

Gender: Male

Callsign: Hornet Three

Crime: Desertion and Theft of Imperial Droid

Wanted: Dead or Alive

Reward: 50,000 (Dead) 100,000 (Alive)

Bounty Status: Open

Target: On the lam

Suspected Locations: Nar Shaddaa, Nal Hutta, and Ord Mantell.

Likely affiliation: Crimson Brotherhood, Nova Guard, or Black Sun.

The more she looked into Hornet Three, the bigger the chance of the Mandalorian's hypothesis becoming valid got. The holo net had plenty of images of Hornet Squadron armed with their weapons of choice, including Hornet Three, but none without their helmets. It stood to reason, though, a soldier of the Empire could never remove their helmet unless ordered to do otherwise. Only the officials who ranked among Gar Saxon and Vult Skerris were exempt from the regulation.

Sabine didn't need to see the Imperial Commando's face to learn who he was, the Imperial Academy's public records would give her the last piece of the puzzle. After spending a decent amount of time reviewing the suspect's one notable achievement the Mandalorian had solved the puzzle.

Although the Empire kept personal information to themselves, they didn't shy away from bragging about their military capabilities and the talents each student possessed. Based on the files, Hornet Three was the odd man out, the bottom of his class, reportedly having physical skills that are barely equivalent to that of the average Stormtrooper. But Gar Saxon tolerated this weakness because of Hornet Three's one redeeming quality: his accuracy.

Sabine was slightly impressed. Hornet Three had set the academy's sharpshooting record due to training hours in all other fields being thrown away and dedicated solely to his preferred weapon. Explained why he seemed to be unable to patch up minor damages to his own ship and untangle a few crossed wires on his holoterminal.

These traits fit the Recluse like a glove.

"I'd bet our share of the bounty that the droid Hornet Three stole was Omri." Sabine mused.

The information changed things drastically. The Graduation Gift, once a mere piece of metal, was now a warning of possible danger to Sabine's family. The Recluse, once a disrespectful mercenary, had become a simultaneous potential alternative for obtaining the required funds and a danger to their safety.

Sabine immediately felt a tinge of regret stab at her conscience for not telling Zeb about the medal. However, she wouldn't be too surprised if Zeb was already experiencing similar suspicions regarding their "friend."

The Mandalorian also felt the need to inform her compatriots as soon as she could. This problem wasn't one she could solve by herself any longer, it couldn't be thrown into the pile of secrets Sabine keeps. The Recluse was a threat to her family.

"Nasaade jurkadirs ti aliit." Sabine murmured to herself.


That's a wrap! I apologize if the chapter was short, I just wanted to let you guys know I'm still alive and kicking. Shoutout for whoever can translate Sabine's words.

A/N: Belive it or not the main reason why it took me so long to post this chapter is the conflict within me regarding how Sabine should inform crew and what course of action it may elicit. I'm thinking of having them make a plan B out of capturing the Recluse and turning him over to the local authorities in the event he stabs them in the back, but I'd like to hear some ideas from you guys. So if you review please give me some ideas, I'll give a shoutout to anyone who gives me an idea I want to integrate into my own and full credit for the concept and procedure (I know it's a small one or two paragraph long thing but I feel that I should give credit where it is due).

Good News: I have the next chapter underway and halfway complete! I can resume work once I have decided how to begin it (yes, I sometimes write the beginning last).

Read, Review, and Enjoy!

Glory to Mandalore!