EPISODE I: OCCUPATION
In a galaxy far away -
Lee Tersu, a boy from Tarkintown, faces life under Imperial Rule.
His family is at its breaking point, and there seems nothing left for him to do
but to join the Rebellion and take a stand against the Empire.
But at what cost?

Five years had passed since Prisa left Tarkintown. That summer Lee and Lenore turned fourteen. Both had developed quite the reputation in the encampment. Lee was popular and a natural leader. He was always working on a new farming experiment to help solve the food scarcity issue in town. He had helped his father set up a small garden, where they were able to grow a small amount of vegetables. It wasn't enough to sell at the Capital Farmer's Market yet, but it was enough to keep the Tersus from going hungry. He only wished he could do more especially since he noticed the toxins in the soil were growing.

"Lee!" a young Rodian by the name of Stobo rushed up to the side of the garden. Stobo had been in the encampment all his life. His family were also farmers but their land was ceased by the Mining Company after new zoning laws went into affect when the Imperial occupation was official on Lothal. He had become a good friend of Lee's and a close playmate of Lenore's. For him to come rushing during the time Lee experimented most was not a good sign."Come quick!"

"What has she done now?" Lee said, annoyed. He knew it probably had something to do with his sister.

"Skylark. I told her not to play, but Bry Rooly egged her on," Stobo explained to his friend and motioned for him to follow him. Lee reluctantly stood and followed Stobo to the commotion outside of Tarkintown.

Skylark was a game the kids of Tarkintown liked to played. The players would sneak into the Imperial Mining Company sites and steal an item from the area. When the players returned the group would vote on who had retrieved the best item. The winner took home the whole pot as a prize.

This simple game that had started to pass the time was shaping up to be a profitable one. Lee himself had played a few times but eventually found it was taking too much time away from his experiments. He had responsibilities and didn't have the luxury of playing like the other kids. Lenore, on the other hand, was an avid player and was becoming a repeat winner.

"What's happening anyways?" Lee asked walking quickly to the group of kids chanting.

"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"

"Bry brought back a stormtrooper helmet. Lenore brought back a kyber crystal. Everyone knows the crystal is more valuable but Bry won't admit his loss," Stobo said. Lee knew Bry was a large boy and a bully. He had gotten into a few fights with him over the years, but he could only imagine the match up between him and Lenore.

"Move!" Lee said, pushing his way to the center of the crowd to see Bry taking a swing at Lenore who quickly dodged it causing the kids to laugh and Bry to grow angrier. Lenore's loth-cat, she had named, Viki was nearby hissing and trying to snap at Bry's ankles.

"I won the game you nerfherder! Now hand over the helmet or I'll have Viki chew off your ankles," Lenore yelled and continued to bob and weave away from the incoming punches. Lee quickly jumped in front of her, stopping the fight. The group of kids groaned.

"Come one Lee! It's all part of the game," one kid yelled.

"Great another Tersu for me to pound into the ground," Bry growled.

"I'd liked to see you try!" Lenore shot back. Bry lunged at her and Lee pushed him back with all his strength.

"That's enough!" Lee said. "Now admit your loss, Bry."

"Not a chance Tersu. I am the clear winner here," Bry said and lifted the helmet in the air to show it off, but the kids were unimpressed. The presence of the Empire didn't astonish anyone these days. Lee nodded to Lenore to reveal the kyber crystal. She pulled out an orange crystal. The group of kids awed at the way it sparkled. "That's probably not even real!"

"It's clear to everyone here that Lenore's the winner, Rooly. Now hand over the helmet," Lee said, holding his hand out.

"Why don't you make me, Tersu," Bry threatened and knocked Lee's hand away. Viki hissed and began to circle behind him waiting for Lenore's command to attack.

"Ok," Lee said surprisingly.

"Lee what are you doing?" Lenore tugged at his arm. She knew Lee was a good fighter when he had to be, but Bry was large for his age and she didn't want her brother to get hurt.

"I'll show you how easy it is to get a stormtrooper helmet. Any nerfherder can these days," Lee said. "Round Two. First one back with a buckethead wins it all, including the crystal."

"Lee no!" Lenore protested. "Do you know what we could get for a kyber crystal? Enough credits to get the equipment needed to build your air filter for the moisture vaporator."

"Don't lose hope on me yet," Lee said to his sister. She rolled her eyes. "What do you say, Bry? We got a deal?"

"Deal," he agreed. "I'll enjoy knocking you down a peg."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Lenore whispered to Stobo.

"Just two on patrol today."Stobo and Lee were scouting the Imperial Security Patrol currently on duty. They hid behind some cargo crates once they had made their way down to the main job site. It was narrow with the entrance to the mine not far from the steep climb. One misstep and you could easily roll into the mine's entrance.

"This is stupid Lee," Lenore whispered.

"You got us into this mess 'Nore," Lee said. "Now I have to get us out of it."

"That's not true! I won the game," she corrected him as she scratched Viki's ears to keep her calm. "This stupid round two business is not how you play the game."

"You shouldn't have been playing in the first place," Lee snapped."You're a thief if you play."

"Don't call me that!" Lenore yelled back.

"Guys, quiet!" Stobo warned as one of the troopers turned his head toward the cargo crates. The three fell silent and waited for the trooper to turn his attention back to his assignment. "That was a close one. So what's the plan?"

"I'm working on that," Lee said while watching the troopers scan the premises. He didn't have a plan at all. Lenore shrugged. "You got a better idea?"

"Yes, let's abort and go sell the kyber crystal," Lenore suggested as Viki took off after a loth-rat toward the stormtroopers. "Viki, get back here!"

"Oh no!" Stobo exclaimed. The three watched the loth-cat chase its prey past the stormtroopers startling them.

"Hey!" One trooper yelled.

"Vermin at two o'clock," the other trooper alerted and took a shot at Viki. Lenore's eyes widened with horror. Lee placed his hand on her shoulder to keep her steady. He knew the loth-cat would be fine. No matter the amount of training Lenore taught her, she was still a wild thing of nature and could take care of herself.

"Watch it!" the first trooper yelled as his partner who nearly shot him.

"What's going on down there?" a voice came over their comlinks.

"Sorry Lieutenant. Having a bit of trouble with the local wildlife," the trooper responded. His partner removed his helmet, "What are you doing?"

"I'm a better shot with my own eyes," the trooper remarked and scanned the area. He looked through his E-11 blaster rifle's viewfinder and spotted Viki. "I have you now."

"Hey!" his partner yelled at the sight of Lee holding his partner's helmet. "Stop!"

"Those Tarkintown kids are at it again," the trooper said, watching Lee run off with his helmet.

"We need to teach them a lesson. Set for stun and follow me," the first trooper said.

"TK–901, he's just a kid," the trooper protested. "Probably has nothing better to do than bantha around."

"He's a thief of Imperial property. Besides TK-323, do you want to explain to the Lieutenant why we are the third patrol this month to lose our helmets?" TK-901 asked.

"You make a good point," TK-323 said, adjusting his rifle's setting to stun and follow his partner.

"Hurry!" Stobo yelled at the Tersu twins.

"What about Viki?!" Lenore asked, leading the way making her way up the steep incline to the high ground.

"She knows her way home," Lee said with the stormtrooper's helmet tucked under his left arm. As the three made their way out of the mining site, blaster fire shot above their heads. "Take cover!"

"We're gonna die!" Stobo shrieked.

"No, we're not," Lenore said. "It's not live fire."

"How do you know the difference?" Lee demanded to know.

"Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies," Lenore sassed. Lee hoped for their sake that Lenore was right. As he looked around for an escape route. There was a narrow switchback path leading out of the mining site above the mine's entrance. He pointed to the path.

"Stobo you go first and Lenore and I will cover you," Lee instructed.

"Cover me how?!" The Rodian asked in disbelief. Lee pulled out a small sling shot and picked up a rock and fired it at the troopers. "Lee, you can't take down Imperial Stormtroopers with rocks and sticks?!"

"Get going!" Lee commanded as he hit one of the troopers in the head. Stobo saw Lee's hit and took the opportunity to run toward the path. TK-901 quickly regained his composure and fired at Stobo hitting the young Rodian. Stobo's body fell and rolled a few feet down the incline.

"Stobo!" Lenore yelled. "We have to help him."

"Here," Lee handed Lenore the helmet. "Get back to the encampment. I'll get Stobo."

"Are you crazy?!" Lenore asked her brother.

"If I say yes will you do what I asked?" Lee remarked. Lenore shook her head and took off up the switchback path successfully dodging the blaster stun fire. Lee quickly used the distraction to slide down and collect Stobo. He pulled his friend onto his back and stood to make a run for it.

"Enough of this," TK-901 said and switched his blaster to live fire. He shot at Lee but missed.

"What are you doing?!" TK-323 said, pushing his partner's blaster down. "It's just a helmet."

"It's an embarrassment! If the locals don't respect us, how do you think we're going to keep the occupation's stronghold? Those kids are not that far off from growing up and joining the rebels," TK-901 exclaimed and took another shot hitting the ground beneath Lee's feet. He lost his footing and rolled down the rest of the incline and into the mine entrance.

Lee coughed from the dust kicked up into the air. Stobo was still out cold. They were trapped. If he came out of the mine he surely would be shot or arrested. Perhaps he could wait them out and carry Stobo after nightfall.

"Come out kid! Or we're coming in after you," TK-901 yelled.

Lee panicked. Maybe he could find another way out or at least a place to hide until night. He pulled Stobo over his shoulders and began to walk deeper into the dark tunnel. As he made his way deeper into the mine he regretted his bet with Bry. He probably should have just fought the bully instead of trying to outplay him. The light was nearly gone when he felt the floor disappear beneath him.

"Ah!" Lee screamed but quickly felt a hand grab his back and pull him and Stobo back up.

"Don't worry kid, I got you," TK-323 said, wearing his helmet. Lenore and Viki appeared next to the trooper.

"This mine is no place for games," TK-323 lectured Lee and Lenore. Stobo was lying on the floor still out cold from the stun shot. Viki sat on top of the Rodian prepared to protect him. "I'm going to let you off with a warning if you promise never to come back here. That goes for the rest of the kids in your town."

"It's not a town," Lee corrected the trooper. TK-323 turned his attention to Lee. He knew what he meant but also didn't care for the kid that tried to take his helmet.

"That's enough out of you thief. You're lucky your sister here has a good head on her shoulders. But as I see it there's no harm done," the trooper said. "Now can I give you kids a lift home?"

"No," Lee said sternly. "We'll walk."

"Have it your way kid. Move along. Long live the Empire." He said, mounting his speeder and left. Lee frowned at Lenore and walked over to pick Stobo up. She could sense her brother was angry with her.

"Lee," Lenore pleaded. Lee shooed Viki off Stobo and put him over his shoulders preparing for the walk home. "Lee, don't be mad. I told you this was a bad idea. The minute I gave back the helmet he wanted to help us."

"When are you going to learn Lenore, the Empire is not here to help us," Lee scolded her.

"So what, I was just supposed to let you and Stobo die? Or get arrested?" Lenore asked.

"Just drop it, ok" Lee said grumpily.

"Fine," Lenore reluctantly agreed.

"What I miss?" Stobo asked, waking from his sleep.

"We lost," Lee announced. "Now we have to give Bry the kyber crystal."

"Ugh I don't feel so good," Stobo mentioned.

"Well you did get stunned," Lenore told him.

"Urgh, I'm gonna be sick" Stobo said. "Guys. I don't think we should play Skylark anymore."

"You don't say," Lee chuckled, continuing to carry him.

"Yeah, my stomach can't take it."

The three and the loth-cat made their way back to Tarkintown. They never played Skylark again.