Star Wars: Rebel Bounty
by Senth

Disclaimer: I don't know George Lucas nor his gold fish no money is being made off this work and this is for the enjoyment of Star Wars fans! : )

2nd Disclaimer: Ob Khaddar is NOT my original character. I am basing this story on speculation after reading a small paragraph on "Star Wars: The Illustrated Universe" in the Section about Alderaan about a radical named Ob Khaddar who was never found after his insult to the Emperor on Alderaan. I hope you enjoy my speculative story!

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Chapter 1 - On Danger's Edge
3 months before the destruction of Alderaan

In a galaxy so big there were many places to hide and yet there was no place to run. The Emperor held control over all worlds and the Imperial presence existed from the civilized areas of the Core Worlds to the desolate and dangerous edge worlds of the Rim. Within the desert world of Alluyen there were small mining colonies and as well as orbiting refinaries for the raw materials that came out of its dry cliffs. Yes, the world was painfully hot during the day and freezing cold during the night filled with oceans of sand and rolling dunes.

The population was mainly human and Twi'lek but there were other aliens involved in its colonization. There were nomadic desert tribes of humans and Jawas who lived together for mutual trade and benefits. Alluyen's largest space port and city was that of Tab'Fendrill that was of course headed by the Imperial authority under Prefect Nak Fenderlin, which the city was bluntly renamed after.

Tab'Fendrill was a major center of trade and most ships that passed by there were Imperial cargo vessels as well as smugglers from time to time. But unlike the Prefect who worked in Tatooine, Prefect Fendrill was dedicated to his job as the city's governor and security was tight within the space port. Crime rates had dropped and Rebel agents were wary of entering the world for espionage activities.

Tab'Fendrill was filled with various species who traded items and settled in for mercantile puposes. Stormtroopers constantly patrolled the narrow alleys and wide streets and one or two were posted within the spread out cantina's. Since Fenderlin made a profit from the taxes he collected from the merchants and bussiness owners he had set up a fortress to be built in the center of the space port city for the purpose to welcome Imperial diplomats from other Rim worlds filled with the creature comforts any moff would wish for.

Since no Rebel in their right mind would enter the highly secured space port Ob Khaddar found it the perfect haven to hide. Hopefully no one would suspect his presence there since he was so far from Alderaan. Of course, the Imperial death warrant on his head could change things. He was almost certain he had Armand Isard, Director of Imperial Intellegence on his tail.

Well, he was one step ahead, of course, hew knew of her existence and he knew how she did work. That was enough to keep him safe for the moment.

Ob Khaddar was a young man with strinking straight white hair and pale blue eyes. He had been a student within Alderaan University and had majored in politics and law. But as a student of history and law he had a special contempt against the Empire's twisted form of propaganda and censorship on various historical documents. His anger at the Empire's twisting of the truth had been expressed fully in various of his essays, dangerous as they were to right since they were considered acts of sedition.

Bail Organa had taken noticed of Ob's defensiveness to truth and had revealed to the young man that he was one of the leaders of the Rebellion. Organa had secretly set up Ob as one of the leaders in the Underground Rebel Movements in Alderaan's student body. That movement helped supporters of the Rebellion come together and smuggle arms and ammunition onto Alderaan with hopes to get the peaceful world to take up arms for defense.

Khaddar strongly supported the Rebellion's cause and had at one time or another made very open statements about it. He decided Imperial Intellgence did not think him a threat (at first) and therefor decided not to do away with him so soon. Many of his peers and proffesors within Alderaan University had warned him against doing any more and he had gained a reputation for his radical ideals.

Weeks after Ob had heard that Emperor Palpatine was coming to Alderaan for a visit and an errand of state. Using his creative abilities as a grass painter Ob had disguised much of his dislike for the Empire and petitioned to create a portrait of the Emperor in one of the many large vast fields of Alderaan as something to welcome and honor his highness. After long hours of review and thought the ruling council gave him leave to do so. Ob grabbed the oppurtunity and used it to his full value.

Grass painting required the use of various colored flowers from all over the galaxy to 'paint' a portrait on the landscape. Ob begna by creating a portrait of a very young and charismatic Palpatine. One of the council members came to overview it and approved of the painting so the next day the Emperor flew into one of the sail barges with his entourage of advisors to view the painting from overhead. But Ob had no intent to let it go so easily. A few hours before-hand he had planted black lilies into the portrait and although he was not there to see it he assumed the Emperor was not quite happy to see what he pulled.

No the Emperor must have been furious.

Ob grinned, ah the trials of the clever! But no hiding on Alluyen he hoped he would not be discovered. The Force knew what Palpatine would do to him if he was caught. Ob grimaced. He would suffer a torture greater than death that was for certain. No one in the galaxy would dare oppose the Emperor so openly and humiliate him publicly. Ob decided that the best he could do now was somehow get in contact with the Rebel Alliance and aid their cause.

It was his best chance for protection and he would finally be fighting for a cause he believed in. He silently prayed that Bail Organa did not suffer too much from Ob's insult. He wished he was there to see Palpatine's face that morning. He had to find a witness someday, that was for certain, and hear his account of it.

But there were other things worrying him also and it had nothing to do with his own life but rather with that of his adopted daughter's, Niamh Khaddar, who was currently attending the Young Ladies Academy in Chandrilla. He had left a secret message to Bail Organa to aid her to safety and he prayed to all the gods that have ever existed on his world to get her to safety. The Force knows that if Isard discovers her what tortures she will have to suffer. More so, Khaddar was sure that the Empire was bound to use her as bait.

Ob sighed silently. He didn't have time to waste currently. He had to begin a plan to out smart Isard and the bounty hunters.

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TO BE CONTINUED