The day following the destruction of the city, life went on aboard the Black Hole as normal. No one talked about the events that had happened during the battle the day before. The day went on, soldiers did training scenarios, ate, lounged in the mess hall. That night, Ty sat in his quarters trying his best to sleep. Every time he drifted off to sleep, nightmares would come and always turned out the same.

In the dream, Ty was in his Stormtrooper armor carrying a blaster rifle. He was walking through a field and every where he looked, children's bodies were scattered everywhere. All of them had dead, blank looks in their eyes. As Ty stepped over one of the bodies, the child suddenly sat up and grabbed his leg. Ty looked down startled as the child screamed.

Ty sat upright covered in sweat. He sighed as stared up at the ceiling through the darkness. This was not what he had expected things to be like when he joined up with the Empire. He expected to fight rebels, pirates, and smugglers. Not murdering innocent women and children. This was not how it was supposed to be. As Ty thought, he heard a soft knock on his door. As he stood and dressed, he wondered who it could be this late at night.

"Who's there?" Ty asked as he finished dressing.

"It's me," Ian whispered from the other side. "Hurry, let me in." Ty quickly opened his door and let Ian in. "Hurry and shut the door."

"Ian, what are you doing up?" Ty asked rubbing his eyes. "I'm tired."

"I want to talk to you about something," Ian replied.

Ty yawned and tried focusing his eyes. "Can't it wait until in the morning?"

"No!" Ian said, almost yelling. "It has to be tonight. Now. It's important."

Ty sighed. "Fine. What is it?"

Ian sat down on the bed and didn't say anything at first. For a few seconds, he appeared to be in deep thought as he sat there fiddling with his fingers. If Ty didn't know any better, he would almost say Ian was afraid. Finally, Ian spoke.

"You think what happened bad just as I do, don't you?" Ian asked.

"Of course I do," Ty replied. "Those were innocent children we killed last night! Whatever their parents had done, the kids didn't deserve to be killed or watch their parents be killed."

"Ty, I'm defecting to the Rebel Alliance," Ian said bluntly.

Ty was taken aback. He didn't know whether Ian was joking or what. He often thought about the Imperials who defected, but Ty never believed he would have ever actually had known one.

"What? Are you crazy?" Ty asked, almost too loudly.

"Keep it down," Ian replied. "Yes, I'm serious. I can't support the Empire anymore."

"Ian, if anyone catches you, they'll kill you without a second thought," Ty pleaded.

Ian looked down at his boots and sat silent for a few seconds before looking back at Ty.

"I don't care anymore," Ian said. "I'd rather die fighting the Empire than live serving something so evil."

"Why are you telling me this?" Ty asked. "How do you know I won't turn you in?"

"Because I've seen how you act when Jacen talks about the rebels," Ian explained. He scratched his elbow. "I recognize the facial expressions. Besides, I'm going to be gone by the time anyone came for me. I'm sneaking off in a few minutes."

"How?"

"Let's just say the rebel agent on board has top level clearance to the shuttles," Ian replied.

"You know who the sympathizer is then?" Ty asked.

"Yes," Ian replied. "Ty, there's another reason I'm telling you this."

"What? Why?" Ty asked.

"I want to give you the chance to defect with me over to the Alliance."

Ty sat there in silent shock looking at Ian. Could he actually be serious? What if this was a test of his loyalties to the Empire? What if there were armed Stormtroopers outside waiting for the two to come out to arrest him?

"If this is a trick to test me…" Ty started.

"It's not."

"How do I know that?" Ty asked.

Ian pulled out a rebel symbol used by the rebels to prove if they really were part of the Rebellion.

"The sympathizer gave this to me to prove to the rebels I'm really with them and not a spy who discovered them," Ian replied. "Do you want to come or not?"

"I…I don't know," Ty replied. "I need to think about this."

"You don't have time," Ian replied. "I'm leaving tonight. The sympathizer is going to get me off the ship in a shuttle. You have to come with me or never. Which is it?"

Ty sat silent. This was becoming way too much. The innocent deaths, rebellion, all of it. He knew if he went, that would mean treason against the Empire, not only by joining the Alliance, but going AWOL. Both punishable by immediate death. It would also mean he would have to cut off all connections with his family. Possibly forever. But, the Empire couldn't go on like this.

"Fine," Ty finally answered. "I'm coming with you."

"Good," Ian replied. "Come on. Let's go."

"Now?" Ty asked.

"Now."

Ty swallowed. He couldn't believe he was going through with this. But, nonetheless, he was. Ty followed Ian as he led the way to where the rebel sympathizer was waiting. A few minutes later, they reached the docking bay.

"I'm here," Ian said.

"Welcome," said the voice as they entered. "Who is that with you?"

"Ty Cilias," Ian replied. "He's defecting with me."

The sympathizer walked out in plain view and Ty couldn't believe who it was.

The rebel sympathizer was Captain Vuroan.

"Fine," Captain Vuroan said. "Take that shuttle. The pilot will take you to Tatooine. There you will meet up with this man." Captain Vuroan handed over a holo of a man to Ian, who looked at it and then slipped it into his pocket."He'll deliver you to the rebels. Good luck."