Chapter 12: A Silhouette
-.-.-.-
"When surrounded by war, one must eventually choose a side. The future has many paths — choose wisely."
-.-.-.-
The Rebels' stolen Imperial Shuttle soared through hyperspace like a chrome needle spiraling for a fixed target. Kallus focused on the shuttle's controls from the pilot console. He tried to look busy, making minor adjustments to the Imperial comm frequency and going through basic checklists in his mind.
-.-
A memory came forward.
"This is Fulcrum with an urgent message. Thrawn knows about-"
Kallus stopped talking and flinched as he observed the Fulcrum symbol fluctuate on his communication equipment.
Adjust controls… Focus signal…
Electronic interference still present… Signal won't go through…
"By the light of Lothal's moons," Thrawn said smoothly.
Kallus' heart dropped as Thrawn's figure stepped into the doorway. The moonlight silhouetted his white uniform with a soft glow, a harsh contrast to his crimson gaze. His eyes glimmered red upon Kallus with a knowing and crisp conviction.
With his secret now seemingly exposed, a stunned Kallus turned in his seat to fully face Thrawn.
"That is your code-phrase isn't it, Agent Kallus?" Thrawn said, walking forward and stopping a few more paces into what was once Ezra's home. Thrawn lowered his left hand from behind his back, holding a device. "Or, would you prefer I address you as Fulcrum?"
Kallus was trapped. And Thrawn knew it.
Kallus silently considered the device in his hand. Thrawn held it up for Kallus to see, rotating it to reveal the screen to him. The Fulcrum symbol was displayed above alternate waveforms, which were jamming the outgoing signal.
"I'm afraid your Rebel friends won't receive your warning," Thrawn said.
Kallus suddenly lunged at Thrawn with a kick. Thrawn blocked it with his knee and countered with a right punch and a kick of his own, but Kallus blocked both and dodged around the Grand Admiral. Kallus threw a punch. Thrawn maneuvered left and punched Kallus in the chest, stunning him. This gave Thrawn the opening to grab Kallus and flip him on the ground with a harsh thud.
The memory morphed.
On the outside walkway, two Death Troopers held up a beaten and bruised Kallus by the arms. Thrawn defeated him in their scuffle, but not before Kallus was able to destroy the jammer, releasing his warning to the Rebels.
Kallus looked up at Thrawn with an injured defiance, and the Grand Admiral slowly walked to him with his hands behind his back. Emerging from the darkened room and into the moonlight, he stopped in front of Kallus and considered the betrayer of the Empire with his intense eyes.
"You have the heart of a Rebel," Thrawn said.
"I'll take that as compliment," Kallus replied.
Thrawn furrowed his brow at this, his eyes emitting something that wasn't quite contempt. Irritation, disappointment, obligation. Displeasure? Remorse? With an almost indiscernible narrowing of his eyes, a thousand thoughts appeared to flow through the Grand Admiral's mind in mere seconds.
After a pause, Thrawn turned to go back into the room, and the Death Troopers followed, dragging Kallus with them.
-.-
"Kallus?" Ezra said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Kallus immediately startled away from the touch and panicked, turning sideways in the chair. Ezra recoiled back into his copilot seat and met Kallus' confused gaze as the former Imperial emerged a little too slowly from his flashback.
Rex held up both hands and softly took a step forward from behind Ezra.
"Whoa, hey Kallus, it's just us," Rex said gently. He indicated to himself and then Ezra. "It's Rex? And Ezra?"
Kallus quickly shifted his troubled gaze between them. Everything was hazy. Nothing made sense.
Rex pointed left.
"Sabine and Kanan… over there?" Rex continued. Kallus breathed quickly, his heart racing. "We're in hyperspace… on a mission."
Shoulders eventually relaxed with recognition, and Kallus shook his head in embarrassment. He ran a hand through his blond hair, took a deep breath, and leaned his elbow on the back of the pilot chair. Another shaky breath, and he grabbed his nose, his hand covering his eyes. Shake the memory.
"Brrwir bwhaa ahh," Chopper warbled. The droid was in the rear of the shuttle plugged into a data port. Makeshift medical equipment rested on a repulser lift nearby.
"And Chopper," Sabine quietly said, concern laced upon her brow. But her smile was reassuring.
Rex slowly crouched on a knee in front of Kallus and looked up, hoping to meet his eyes.
"Hey, you went away from us for a little bit there," Rex said with a sympathetic gaze. He was careful not to touch him, recognizing the symptoms of a flashback. It reminded Rex of the psychological and emotional wounds he and his Clone Troopers had to sometimes deal with as a result of the Clone Wars.
Kanan could sense the turmoil in Kallus' mind, but it was diminishing quickly.
"Deep breaths soldier. It'll pass," Rex continued.
Kallus took in another deep breath and flicked his timid yet hardened gaze over to meet Rex's, filled with understanding. His forearm swung over and hung freely off the end of the pilot seat as his muscles continued to relax.
"I'm back," Kallus timidly said, looking down again. "My… apologies."
"No need to apologize, Kallus. But I've got to ask," Rex said carefully, slightly grimacing. "You feeling up to this mission? Returning to the Empire-"
"I'm good to go," Kallus interrupted.
Rex squeezed Kallus' knee and nodded, knowing not to press the issue further. He moved to get up.
"I'm sorry Rex… it's just, memories…," Kallus said, watching the former Clone Captain maneuver stiffly in awkward fitting Stormtrooper armor.
Rex leaned on a wall and crossed his arms. "I understand," Rex said.
"Are we sure about this mission?" Kallus said suddenly. "Because what it means is…" Kallus laughs and looks at them all, shaking his head. "…is nearly crazy."
"You and Rex haven't seen his message yet-" Ezra started but was interrupted by Kallus as he continued.
"One of the greatest military minds of the entire Empire just happens to be working against them this whole time?"
"I know how crazy it sounds," Kanan said from his seat.
"I worked side by side with Grand Admiral Thrawn," Kallus countered with a soft intensity. He eyed each of them, letting the silence speak for him a moment. "I witnessed him first-hand hunt the Rebels down with a passion. Like you were antagonists meant to be completely removed from a Dejarik board. It was like a game of strategy to him, and he enjoyed it."
Rex felt a similar doubt as well. Kanan held up a hand, and Ezra and Sabine traded worried glances.
"It's a situation I don't think any of us fully understand," Kanan said slowly. "And I know you and Rex weren't given much of a briefing either before you had to leave base and meet us on the Ghost."
"Mon Mothma didn't say much, no," Rex said.
"I get it," Sabine offered. "Even after seeing his message and speaking with Ruhk, the Empire's propaganda still seems easier to believe."
"Look, I don't doubt the strategery behind this mission, please don't get me wrong there," Kallus said. "A Grand Admiral of the Empire? That's a valuable asset and amazing source of intel if he cooperates."
He sighed and softened his eyes. "I saw Hera's eyes. Even through a holo her conviction was evident. If she and Mon Mothma believe in something, I'm there."
Kallus looked down briefly at his left hand resting on his leg. He made a fist and pulsed it three times as he thought. Intense eyes once again beheld the group.
"Just…," Kallus hesitated, he rose his right hand to emphasize his words. "There's always something more with him. Don't forget what he's done, and what he meant to do to the rebellion. To us."
The quiet in the shuttle was edged. Rex nodded and hummed an affirmative in the hushed silence.
"We need to be careful, I agree," Rex said slowly. "Like you said, you served next to him. Anything at all give you pause about Thrawn's allegiance? Perhaps a reason to send the Ghost a message in the first place?"
"I think you know my answer to that," Kallus said.
"Nothing at all?"
Kallus sighed and deflated. He shook his head.
"I don't know," Kallus said. "I've not really thought over my career with him lately."
Chopper warbled a chirp.
"Not much time before we arrive," Ezra said.
Sabine smiled with a mischievous glee.
"You know what that means Chop!" Sabine said. She held up and excitedly shook three cans of paint. "Time for a new coat of paint!"
She maneuvered around the makeshift medical equipment and approached Chopper, followed quickly by lamenting and frustrated warbles. Kanan was grateful for the change in spirits and chuckled as Sabine gently argued with and convinced the spunky droid about the disguise.
Rex put his stormtrooper helmet on while Kallus and Ezra turned their attention to the shuttle controls. Ezra cued up a map of their known location and Kallus inserted a transponder chip into the communication console. Kallus wasn't quite finished entering a code sequence into the console though when he hesitated again.
Kallus started breathing quickly and his eyes widened. He froze.
-.-
Thrawn's form silhouetted by soft moonlight…
Red glowing eyes…
"By the light of Lothal's moons…"
-.-
"He knew the code-phrase," Kallus whispered.
Ezra glanced at him and recognized the look on his face. It was the same expression he held right before Ezra startled him earlier.
"What, Kallus?" Ezra asked carefully.
Kallus held the look of a man standing just beyond the point of a revelation. His hand trembled as it hovered, frozen over the communication console.
"The code-phrase; he knew it," Kallus repeated. His voice was small as his mind seemed to be partly in the memory still. Adrenaline made his fingers twitch while his thoughts organized.
"Fulcrum?" Ezra asked.
Kallus' eyes abruptly focused, and he shook his head, lowering his hand to his lap. He glanced back at Ezra with wide eyes, present on the shuttle once again.
"N- no…," Kallus said, slowly regaining his voice. "The code-phrase used by Fulcrum agents. By the light of Lothal's moons…"
They emerged from hyperspace, the front viewport revealing a calm view of the space over Brentaal. But Kallus looked down and didn't react. Ezra pressed a button sequence and began scanning the sector around them.
"It was the first thing he said to me," Kallus continued wistfully, visibly swallowing and blinking.
"No contacts in range," Ezra said, a nervous inflection to his voice. "We got here early. Hopefully."
"Kallus what does that mean?" Kanan prompted.
Kallus looked at Kanan.
"I'm not sure," Kallus said. He huffed a wary breath. "But…"
-.-.-.-
Commander Kimmund wasn't hungry. He sat in the mess hall alone among the Devastator's stormtroopers, hovering over his food. The others gave him space, wary about the leader of the First Legion.
Kimmund didn't blame them. He was a superior officer but also leader of a secretive operational squad that answered directly to Lord Vader.
His helmet rested on the table as he stared blankly at his food. A subtle shift of gravity occurred as the Devastator dropped from hyperspace, but Kimmund didn't notice. Thoughts were in turmoil, and he felt an unexpected conflict with his station that he couldn't quite shake.
A tray of food suddenly crashed onto the surface of the table across from him. Kimmund startled and looked up to find Tephan. She dropped her helmet next to his and plopped down in the seat across from him.
"I called your name twice," Tephan said, her demeanor spicy. She lifted her glass of caf and plate of food from the tray. Each produced a pronounced clink upon the table's surface. Kimmund watched passively, and Tephan shoved the tray aside with a flick of her fingers.
"Seeing as you're sitting alone…" She dramatically whipped her cloth napkin fiercely through the air with a whoosh, releasing it from its fold. "… I thought I'd ask if it's alright to join you…," she said, placing the napkin on her lap.
"…, sir," she added. Tephan glanced at him briefly, her eyes betraying a playful companionship despite her otherwise spicy demeanor. She pointedly placed utensils next to her plate.
Kimmund didn't say anything, letting her express her little grandstand. He watched her take a bite of food amidst the companionable silence, and she began to fail at holding back a smile while she chewed her food. They met each other's gaze again, and Kimmund's façade of a stony expression failed as well. He chuckled.
"Permission granted," he said.
Tephan smiled triumphantly, her nose wrinkling as she relaxed into her seat. "Thank you, sir," she offered.
Tephan couldn't help but notice that Kimmund had barely touched his food.
"You know," Tephan said, swallowing her food and eyeing him with raised eyebrow. "It's an Imperial offense to let caf go cold. I'm obligated to report you to the Imperial Office of Criminal Investigations."
Kimmund chuckled again and grabbed the neglected glass of caf. He swirled it around and considered the liquid within.
"I've got a question for you, Tephan," Kimmund said. He sipped at the caf and scrunched his eyebrows a bit at the lukewarm consistency.
"Shoot," Tephan said.
"Why do you remove everything from your tray every time? Once you're done, you have to put everything back anyway."
"I like to enjoy my meal," she insisted, grabbing her own cup of caf. "The tray is too constraining. Makes me anxious."
Steam rose from her cup of caf, and her eyes closed as she breathed in the sweat aroma. She took a sip, and her shoulders lowered as she visibly relaxed.
"Ah, …," Kimmund intoned. His voice was quiet as he slipped back into his thoughts.
Tephan noticed. She rested her elbows on the table surface and lowered her voice. "He's not doing well is he?"
Kimmund flicked his gaze to her, his expression grim but guarded.
"The Grand Admiral I mean," Tephan whispered. "It's bad isn't it?"
Kimmund pursed his lips and held her gaze. He considered what he could say. The truth about what really happened to Thrawn was very compartmentalized. Even Tephan as part of the First Legion was unaware of the truth and assumed along with the rest of the Empire that Thrawn was injured in an assassination attempt. Kimmund, Lord Vader, Loyalty Officer Ottkreg, and the Chief Medical Officer were the only people on the ship who knew the full truth beyond the cover story.
Kimmund didn't like lying to his team, especially Tephan. He shook his head in a silent "no" and looked down at his caf, slowly swirling the liquid again.
"I see," Tephan said with a hushed breath. She took in a deep breath and eyed him with sympathetic hesitation. "Don't blame yourself. I'm sure the Grand Admiral wouldn't want you to either."
Kimmund felt a pang of guilt, opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by an alerting chime on his commlink. He set his caf down on his tray and grabbed his commlink from his belt with a sigh.
"Commander Kimmund here," Kimmund said with authority. Tephan returned to her food respectfully but still listened.
"Sir, this is Lieutenant Jace," a nervous voice emitted over the commlink. "I'm the air traffic controller on watch, and there's a shuttle here requesting permission to land."
"Why are you contacting me about it, Lieutenant?" Kimmund asked.
"They say they're carrying a resupply of medical equipment, sir. We don't have any record of expecting their arrival, and their transponder seems to be acting up. But with the First Legion handling Grand Admiral Thrawn's recovery… I thought I should check with you before proceeding further with protocol."
"I see…," Kimmund said, his mind racing. He couldn't remember an order to receive a delivery of new medical equipment…
Tephan kept her head lowered to her food but looked up at Kimmund. She saw him narrow his eyes and seemingly come to a decision.
"Have a readout prepared for me, Lieutenant, and I'll review their information," Kimmund said, raising from his seat. "Allow them to enter the pattern in the meantime. I'll be there shortly."
"Aye, sir," Lieutenant Jace replied.
Kimmund cut the comm and placed the device back on his belt. He grabbed for his helmet and eyed Tephan apologetically.
"Sorry Tephan, duty calls," he said, placing his helmet on. "Gotta go whip a pilot into shape for breaking their transponder."
"No worries, sir," she said with a smile. She pointed at him with her fork. "Give 'em an extra shakedown for me."
"Will do," Kimmund said, offering a lazy salute while rotating toward the exit.
Tephan chuckled and nonchalantly saluted back, her elbow not moving from the table. She watched her Commander leave the mess hall with worried eyes. She knew he was troubled.
An RA-7 protocol droid appeared and suddenly grabbed Kimmund's barely touched tray of food.
"Whoa hey hey hey!" Tephan said batting a hand at the startled droid. The droid paused, and Tephan reached over the table. She carefully grabbed the top of Kimmund's cup of caf and lifted it from the tray. "I'll take that."
She settled in her seat again and swirled the liquid around, mimicking Kimmund's habit. Her mouth downturned in a grimace at the lukewarm temperature while she took a sip. The droid turned to deliver and dispose of the tray of food but Tephan stopped it.
"Droid wait," Tephan said, still grimacing. She held out the cup to it. "Go heat this up for me would you?"
After a short pause, the droid took the cup and walked away to fulfill her request. Tephan returned to her food with a sigh, moving it around on her plate. She looked up and scanned the mess hall, watching the other Stormtroopers and Imperial officers. Her gaze met some and felt a pang of frustration each time as they quickly averted their eyes from her own.
Tephan chewed on a big bite of food, chomping on the regulation rations in her mouth like it was the scrumptious result of motherly home-cooking. She was alone just as Kimmund was before her arrival. And she was okay with that. That's what she told herself anyway. Her gaze flicked back to the door that Kimmund exited through, and she washed down her food with the last gulp of her own cup of caf.