2100 hours, 19 BBY

Royal Palace, Petra, Planet Rhydellia

"MOVE IT! MOVE IT!"

The roar of missiles and thunder of cannons echoed throughout the city. The pitch-black tranquility of nighttime was replaced by the hateful deep-red and amber. Smoke choked the lungs as the city burned. In the distance, a rocket impacted and leveled another building. The desert world of Rhydellia was in its seventh year of a bloody civil war that gripped the planet. Petra, the capital city, was under siege by rebel forces, and they were winning. For almost a year now Petra had been shelled, sacked, and razed three times over. Each time the rebels inched closer and closer into the city. Now after a fourth drive into the city, they were at the palace doorstep. And, with desertions, turncoats, and all manner of casualties and injuries the loyalist forces were hanging by a thread.

"GET THOSE HEAVY GUNS UP TO THE FRONT!" Cillian cried out to the heavy weapons teams that emerged from the palace. Captain Cillian Quinn of Ranger company E of the Rhydellia Rangers adjusted his slouch hat and readied his long rifle. The Rhydellia Rangers were once the de-facto law enforcement on the planet. While local police and PDF forces kept the peace in major cities. The Rangers kept the peace in the less civilized parts of the planet. But that was before. Before the rebellion and before the war. As tensions grew worse between both parties the rangers became a militia, putting down rebel uprisings and snuffing out dissent wherever they could.

Captain Cillian led the infamous Ranger Company E. Once 200 men strong, Company E's exploits were well known throughout. From tracking and bringing down a mass-murdering cult in the badlands to stopping a rebel insurrection in the capital. Cillian and his company were model rangers. However, battle after battle whittled down their number and a number of his men even deserted or changed sides. But those that stayed and those who survived were now alongside the rest of the loyalist forces in the fortified courtyard of the royal palace, bitterly defending it.

"How're you boys doin' over here?" asked Captain Gronhart of the Royal Guard as he crouched next to Cillian. The stoic captain wiped ash and soot from his face.

Cillian reloaded his rifle's charges. "Lost half a dozen men falling back here. Damn good luck you guys managed to fortify this place before they hit us."

"We just got word from the Southern Corps," Gronhart said. "They're on the way, we just need to hold out a while longer until they can relieve us."

"We don't have a while longer!" Cillian shouted, turning to Gronhart. Despite his ceremonial helmet, Cillian could tell Gronhart was just as worried as he was. The rebels were marching closer and they were shelling and razing the city with each step. "We need to either abandon the city and regroup or wish for a miracle."

Gronhart sat still for a moment, thinking. But before he could speak a speeder approached, prompting the two of them to peek over cover, weapons ready. The armored transport parked alongside one of the barricades. Three dozen mounted troops disembarked. From their blue uniforms, they deduced that the men were part of the Royal Cavalry.

"You guys are a sight for sore eyes," Gronhart said as he ordered the main gate to be opened. The mounted troops made their way inside where their commanding officer dismounted and met with Cillian and Gronhart.

"Why'd they send you boys here? Shouldn't you be out there where you can better fight?" Cillian asked.

"New orders from up top." the officer said, drawing his carbine from its saddle holster. "Seems that as of now, the Royal Cavalry no longer fights for the monarchy."

Before they could react the Cavalry troops opened fire. Gronhart was the first to fall. Cillian watched as three bolts pierced through his chest piece.

"CILLIAN!"

Cillian was woken up by a pair of hands shaking him.

"Wake up, love! You're having another nightmare!" came the soft voice of Cillian's husband.

Cillian slowly sat up in his bed. He was covered in sweat; his heart beating like it was ready to explode. He felt ready to break down. Instead, he gritted his teeth, took a breath, and sat up.

"Are you okay, love?" asked Aphras, caressing his back.

Cillian took a deep breath and nodded, uncoiling Aphras' tail around him. "Yeah, I'm fine. You go back to bed, I'm gonna go get some air."

Cillian stepped out onto his porch and lit up a cheroot. Looking out on the town from his porch, he watched the sun as it was just beginning to peek over the horizon. The shift from a pitch-black to a blueish-white. It reminded Cillian of his days in the field when he and his men camped in the mountains and he'd be on watch. The temperature was usually not too bad this early in the morning. Residents often woke up early to enjoy the weather before the sun fully rose. The town of Pecado was full of tough folks, even by Rhydellia standards. Through thick and thin, sandstorms, and heatwaves so intense the plants would burst into flames. The people of Pecado survived. When Aphras and Cillian first settled the whole town was skeptical of them. But Aphras was proficient enough in medicine to warrant becoming the town's doctor. Cillian on the other hand did a stint working for the town's gunsmith until he decided to help Aphras out with the clinic.

The front door creaked open and aphras slithered out onto the porch. Being a Quetzal, Aphras' entire lower half was a serpent-like tail adorned with dark brown, off-white, and pale yellow scales. And where his two halves met, a bouquet of black and off-white feathers circled his torso. His skin was a beautiful caramel color from growing up in the badlands his whole life. However, it was his hypnotizing purple eyes that captivated Cillian when they first met.

"Couldn't sleep?" Cillian asked, looking over to Aphras who was settling into his cushion next to Cillian.

"Not without you." Aphras sighed, coiling himself into the large cushion. "It's nice today."

Cillian puffed his cheroot and nodded. "It's nice and peaceful."

"So, what was it about? The nightmare." Aphras asked, brushing back his hair.

"It was nothin'." Cillian shook his head.

"It's not nothing." Aphras retorted. "You were trembling, love. You sounded like you were ready to cry."

"Really, it's nothing. Nothing I want to talk about anyway." Cillian sighed.

"Fine. Just know that I'm here for you, love. Always." Aphras nestled his head onto Cillian's shoulder. "Hey, what would you say if I cut my hair? Maybe short hair will save me in this heat."

That prompted a chuckle from Cillian. Who grinned as he puffed his cheroot again. "If you want. But I like it long. The purple color really shows when it's longer. Besides, you'll look like you're a little kid again."

Aphras was quiet.

"Hey, you know I'm joking-"

"Is that...Elena?"

Aphras pointed over to a young girl riding a blurrg. She was wrapped in a cloak and although her face was obscured, both Cillian and Aphras could tell it was their niece. Cillian was the first to get up.

"Elena! What're you doing here?" Cillian asked, grabbing the reins of her blurrg, leading it to the clinic. He tied the blurrg and helped Elena down. Immediately she wrapped her arms around Cillian and buried her face.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Aphras asked worriedly as he made his way over.

"Where's your parents? Your sister Meadow?" Cillian pulled down her hood. Her face was flushed. Her eyes were red from crying.

"Honey, talk to us. What's wrong?" Aphras said.

Elena wiped her tears. "Some guys came to the farm. Started shooting up the place. I was gonna help Meadow feed the blurrg. I couldn't find my boots. And-"

"Hey, take a breath. Slow down. Some guys came to the farm." Cillian interrupted her.

Elena nodded. "Y-yeah, they were shooting up the place. They were setting fire to everything. Dad put me on the blurrg and told me to run. This was the only place I could think of. Uncle Cillian, they took Meadow. Mom and dad, I think-"

"Don't talk like that." Cillian caressed her head, planting a kiss on her head. "Come on, let's go inside."

"Come on honey, let's sit you down." Aphras led Elena inside as Cillian followed close behind.