Chapter 2
Encounter
10 BBY
Paradis
The Star Destroyer Liberio burst out of hyperspace. From the bridge's viewports the moon of Paradis floated in front of it. It looked like any other terrestrial planet or moon. Mountains dotted the surface and large bodies of water adorned the dark green with bright blues.
Theo Magath stared closely at the planet. He could not help but compare its appearance to his own home. The arid look to his home planet could not look any different to the one in front of him. He looked past Paradis to see another planet, his home. The sun covered the planet in shadows, hiding its appearance.
His attention was broken when a beeping sound echoed from behind him. He turned to see an officer striding toward him.
"What is it?"
"A transmission for you, sir," the officer said. His upper-class accent even more pronounced than others.
Magath nodded. He followed the officer into the bridge command center where a holotable was in the middle. The officer stood across from Magath and pressed a button at the table. Shimmering onto the holotable was the appearance of Zeke Yeager. He still did not wear his standard issue cap, but Magath had come to expect it after a year of working with him.
Zeke Yeager stood at attention and saluted his superior officer.
"At ease, Yeager."
Zeke loosened his positioned. "Welcome back, Commander. How was Coruscant?"
"Stuck up as always," Magath replied.
Zeke cracked a smile. "I'm sure."
"How're things here?" Magath asked, wanting to get straight to the point.
Zeke grabbed form a datapad that was offscreen and quickly skimmed through it. "Rebel activity has increased since you departed. The so called "Devils of Paradis" used the absence of the Liberio as a cue to increase their activities."
Magath thought on that. He recalled the theory Zeke had presented him with, which he had proposed when he had to depart several months ago. He had to give the young man credit; he was spot on in his deductions on their activities.
"Our countermeasures?"
"Local forces are having trouble finding their base of operations, but we have narrowed it down to a general location," Zeke replied.
"Show me."
Zeke nodded and pressed several buttons on his datapad. Zeke's holographic image shifted to stand to the side and next to him an image of the moon appeared.
"We believe they are holed up to the south."
On the holographic image, a circle appeared on the southern hemisphere.
"This is the city of Trost. It's the largest population center on the moon's southern hemisphere."
Magath studied the image. Several dotted lines from across the surface all intersected at that city.
"Have we increased security there?" Magath asked.
"Patrols and curfews have been established, but these rebels are better than we gave them credit for."
"Are they out maneuvering your tactics?"
"I'm still studying them. However, I can give a solid profile on their most notable members."
"Show me."
Zeke pressed several buttons on his datapad and the image of the moon disappeared. Replacing it were five military profiles. Four of the profiles were human males, and all Eldian. Despite looking human, they all had the traditional mark of their near human statues. While not as apparent as others, they still possessed the marks beneath their eyes. The final person looked female, but their profile was unsure as to their gender.
"These are their upper ranks?"
Zeke nodded. "Yes, sir. All former members of the local military before its dissolution."
Magath placed a hand on his chin. He studied each of the profiles carefully. Each of them had a different strength in specific fields. However, there was one standout.
Zeke managed to catch where his Commander's attention was. He enlarged the profile as the other four were minimized.
"This is their leader: Erwin Smith. Former commander of their military. Skilled in all areas of combat and an expert pilot. Though his real skill appears to be his leadership skills. All those who follow him do it without question."
Magath studied the profile carefully. He really did fit every mold a leader should have. Should he had joined the Empire, then they would have a skilled commander; akin to the exploits of Chiss named Thrawn.
"What's this about being against the former Republic?"
"He's a staunch Nationalist. Believes that Paradis should not be beholden to any outside power. Similar views to that of the Ryloth insurgent Cham Syndulla."
"Even he worked with the Republic," Magath reasoned.
"So did he, but kept his disdain even as the Clone Wars dragged on. He went rogue along with the other four just as the Clone Wars were ending, almost like he saw the Empire coming."
"Doubtful."
Magath studied Erwin's profile again. Part of him wanted to respect the man, but he was in direct opposition with the Empire and he would not allow such actions to continue.
"And the other four?"
Zeke pressed a button on the datapad and the other four profiles enlarged.
"Top right is Erwin's second in command: Mike Zacharias. Skilled tracker and hand-to hand combatant. Left is Hange Zoe. Weapons expert. Then we have Moblit Berner. Mostly average in all areas. Then there's the real piece of work."
Zeke pressed a button and the other three profiles disappeared. The final one enlarged showcasing an interesting looking profile. It was mostly empty as to his origins, save for his skills. The sight of it caused Magath to slightly falter in his composure. The man was nothing short of a monster.
"Only name known is Levi. Whether it's an alias or his real name, no one knows. He's skilled in every form of combat and is a better pilot than even the most ace of pilots. Appeared from basically nowhere when he joined the local military. Since then he's been a terror on the battlefield. Several reports filed suggest he took on a battalion of battle droids by himself and there is footage to back up that claim."
Magath rarely showed his emotions, but awe was written across his face. There was a solider of that caliber present on an out of the way system. If Magath did not know any better, he would have assumed the man was a Jedi. However, he found himself saying it anyway.
"Is he a Jedi?"
"It appears not, but I don't fault you for assuming. A lot of his feats in battle are comparable to that of a Jedi," Zeke replied.
Magath exhaled to regain his composure. Everything was starting to make sense as to why the local forces could not content with this rebel cell. Having a charismatic leader was one thing, but having a super soldier as well made for anyone to have difficulty.
"Yeager get down to the surface and see what you can find out about them that isn't on these files. I'm sure their former comrades will know something the files don't show," Magath said.
"Right away, Commander."
"And send me all the data you have. I want to go over everything carefully."
"Understood. I'll report on anything I find."
Zeke's holographic image vanished, but the profiles remained up. Magath gave them one last look before shutting down the holotable. He let out a breath and turned to exit the bridge.
"I'll be in my quarters. If there's an emergency, let me know immediately," Magath said to the officer standing beside him.
"Yes, sir."
The door to the bridge opened and Magath exited. As the door closed, he ran through everything he just learned again. One thing was certain, this assignment would not be completed soon.
Trost
Through a pair of electrobinoculars, Moblit could see the outline of the Libeiro above the moon's atmosphere. It had returned just as it was scheduled. That meant the Imperial commander had returned, which meant they would crack down on their operations harder. Moblit pressed a button on his wrist commlink. The beep signaled someone was on the other end.
"Looks like our intel was spot on. The Liberio is back."
The commlink crackled as someone began to speak. "Roger that, Moblit. Return to base."
"Copy, on my way."
"Moblit stop for some supplies! I need some things for my experiment!" Hange's voice crackled over the comm.
"Next time, Hange. What's wrong with the spare parts we have at base?" Moblit asked as he walked towards his speeder bike.
"We don't have the parts I need to modify the speeder engines."
"Well next time we have leave we can get them," Moblit replied.
Hange was about to argue, but Moblit cut off communication before they could get a word in. Moblit sighed and hopped onto his speeder bike. He looked back toward the engine and a worried expression grew. This was the most recent speeder they had worked on and the thought filled him with dread.
"Please don't explode," he muttered.
He pressed the ignition and the engine came to life with minimal exhaust noise. While it was a relic from the Clone Wars, a BARC Speeder, it was still in good condition. However, that never stopped Hange from tinkering with them.
The engine roared to life as Moblit hit the accelerator and sped down the forested mountain. Moblit made sure to avoid the usual routes, as many were patrolled by Imperial forces. He and his allies had their own routes that Empire had not discovered yet.
As he neared a wall of stone, he flicked a switch on his speeder. A section of stone was pushed out and opened revealing an entrance. Moblit sped through and the door quickly shut behind him. The cramped corridor was barely illuminated by overhead lights until it fed into a large hanger.
Personnel milled about the hanger. Each doing whatever task was assigned to them. Some did maintenance on equipment and speeders, others were doing military drills, while some simply mingled. Moblit pulled into an open spot and parked his speeder. A male Togruta helped him remove his gear from the bike.
"Thanks, Keiji."
The Togurta nodded in response and got to work on the bike's maintenance.
Since they began their operations, their resistance movement had significantly increased in personnel. While never at the numbers they had during the Clone Wars, the over a hundred strong group made striking against the Empire a bit easier. Humans, aliens, and near-human's alike all join the cause. It made Moblit happy to see so many joining their cause. Be it that their leader was Erwin Smith, or they simply saw what the Empire really was.
Moblit walked into the command center, where Mike, Levi, and Erwin were all standing around a large holotable. Projected on it was a simulation of the blockade above Paradis' atmosphere.
"Sir!" Moblit gave a standard army salute with his right hand over his heart.
"Good to see you back, Moblit," Erwin said. "Anything out of the ordinary up there?"
"No, sir." Moblit walked forward and hit a few buttons on the holotable. A third Star Destroyer joined the simulated blockade. "The Liberio has returned."
"We should expect more resistance soon then," Mike said.
"Possibly. Though I feel like we haven't seen everything they've got," Erwin said.
Levi scoffed. "You're talking like they don't see us as a threat."
"I don't think that's true," Hange said as they entered the command center.
Hange walked up to the holotable and pressed several buttons. The simulation shifted to show the northern hemisphere of the moon.
"The Empire's been really ramping up their factories and repair depots. Especially in Orvud."
The hologram changed to show a recreation of Orvud, with a focus on the city's northern sector. Several light cruises were docked at the military port, with several airfields and factories surrounding it.
"They're producing weapons faster than we can destroy them," Hange said.
"I've heard they've started to set up shop in Shinganshina as well. It's only a matter of time before every city just becomes one large factory," Moblit added.
"It's like I've been saying. All this effort to stop the Empire and we're barely making a dent," Levi argued.
"I won't argue that you're wrong, Levi, but what other choice do we have?" Hange asked, lifting their goggles from their eyes.
Silence permeated throughout the command center. Not even the technicians spoke. While they all knew the fight was going to be hard, hearing just how hard it was could make things feel hopeless.
"Then let's make more than a dent," Erwin said.
Everyone turned to their leader with confused expressions.
"How do you propose we do that?" Levi asked.
"Moblit, how sure are you about the new factory in Shinganshina?" Erwin asked.
"Not entirely but given this is the Empire we're talking about; I wouldn't be surprised."
"Then get a recon squad together. You and Hange are to investigate. Report back everything you see," Erwin said.
Moblit and Hange looked at each other. Hange shrugged and turned to exit the command center.
"I'll make sure the Turbo Tank is ready to go," Moblit said.
"No. Keep this discreet. I'll inform our contacts in Shiganshina about the assignment," Erwin said.
Moblit nodded and saluted. "I'll leave as soon as we're geared up, sir."
Moblit turned and followed Hange out of the command center.
Levi turned to Erwin. "You better not be planning what I think you're planning."
Erwin turned to his subordinate and smiled. "You said we had to make more than a dent. This is the way how."
Zeke walked through the capital's military center. His boots clicking on the wooden floors. Behind him were his two Stormtrooper guards and another officer. As he walked past military personnel, they all stood in attention greeting the young man.
He turned the corner and walked up to a large wooden door. While Zeke respected the local's commitment to the rustic architecture, at times it felt rather out of place. This was such an occasion.
He opened the door and entered the office of General Dahlis Zachary, one of the few from the former local military still with a post. The older man was sitting at his desk and at his side was Commander Dot Pyxis, another who retained his post. The two were Eldian, but with age it became difficult to discern if the lines beneath their eyes were from age or the typical markings.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen. I'm Lieutenant Commander Zeke Yeager of the Imperial Navy."
"Welcome, young man. How can we be of assistance today?" Zachary asked.
Zeke walked up to the wooden desk and placed a small holoprojector on the surface. He pressed the top of it and five military profiles appeared.
"I wish to know all about these five," Zeke said.
"What else do you need to know? Everything is on these documents," Pyxis said.
Zeke looked between the two older men. He knew they were shrewd, but he was unsure as to where they placed their allegiances. Many from Paradis were similar to Erwin, in that they were staunch nationalists. However, with the advent of the Empire any such fires were quickly snuffed out. Though the Clone Wars seemed to greatly aid in such endeavors.
"The both of you served with Commander Erwin Smith even before the Clone Wars. What can you tell me that isn't on these files?" Zeke asked.
The two men looked at each other for a moment. It felt like the two were communicating something with just a glance.
Zachary rest his elbows on the desk and interlocked his fingers. "I appointed him fresh out of the academy to his own unit; the ones you call 'The Devils of Paradis.' When the Clone Wars reached us, he was adamant we did not need Republic help. As you no doubt know, that ended up not being the case. He was a bit of a maverick even before he became a rebel."
Zeke pondered on that for a moment. What stood out was the final thing the general said. If Erwin had the same reputation then as now, then Zeke had to reevaluate his profile of the rogue commander.
"I respected his aptitude for battle strategy. I would hate to have him as an enemy," Pyxis said.
Zeke rose an eyebrow. "Isn't he your enemy right now? You serve the Empire, do you not?"
"Of course, it is simply hard to call him an enemy after fighting beside him for so long," Pyxis replied.
Zeke did not hear the man stutter or hesitate in his words. It impressed him how the elder commander could say something that openly defied the Empire's authority.
"See to it that you keep your personal opinions out of this, Commander Pyxis. I'd hate to have to report you," Zeke threatened.
"Your concern is noted, but unwarranted," Pyxis replied. "You still have much to learn, young man."
Zeke felt his blood begin to boil. He would not allow people to insult him in such a manner. He refused to believe that he was incapable at his job. However, he could not strike at a superior officer.
"Fine then. If you won't give me more information about your former comrade, then answer this: how goes construction of the depot and factories to the south?" Zeke asked.
"Progress is going smooth. The first factory should be up and running by the end of the week," Zachary reported.
"And the fuel depot?"
"All the canisters are set up. It'll serve as a refueling station until we get the factory up and running."
"I see. Then everything is on schedule."
Zeke turned to leave. He could no longer stomach being around the two older men.
"If you decide to stop being so focused on the past, you know how to reach me."
Zeke opened the door to the officer quickly exited. He did not bother to check their reactions. If everything worked out, then his plan would succeed. Zeke knew the rebels had a spy within the military. While Zeke was not sure who it was, he knew it was someone Erwin had worked with before.
He could tell it was not Zachary. That man looked like he was about to retire. While Pyxis was also up there in age, Zeke could tell the man was still cunning. He could easily assume it was Pyxis, but the man was hard to read.
He needed more information, but his current plan would not give him all of it. While luring the rebels south was easy enough, it would not help locate the spy. However, he had to take his time, and the first thing he needed to do was size up their forces.
Zeke knew they did not have the means to openly defy them. That was why most of the attacks were small in scale and were mostly hit and run. The had not hit any big targets since the Turbo Tank. Hopefully a foolhardy attack on the factory and fuel depot would give him a better understanding of both the enemy and of their commander.
Zeke was sure that they would take the bait.
Shiganshina
Through a pair of electrobinoculars, Moblit could see the Imperial fuel depot and unfinished factory. It all looked to be according to regulation. Even the guards and patrols were in their positions. An AT-DP and several Stormtroopers guarded the main entrance, with about a garrison's worth of troopers patrolling the construction site and depot. Close to the depot was a garage with two more AT-DP, a TIE Fighter, and several speeder bikes. They had the bare essentials to keep their assets protected.
Moblit removed the electrobionculars from his eyes, and motioned for Nifa, a red haired Pantoran, to slide down the ridge. The two joined Hange, Keiji, and a Zabrak named Abel. They looked at a holographic recreation of the depot projected from an astromech droid.
"The depot's defenses are the minimum needed. It seems the Empire believes no one is crazy enough to attack it," Hange said as they lifted their goggles from their eyes.
"I guess that means we are," Abel replied, adding a shrug.
"The compound to the north is too well defended, so we can't hit that with our numbers," Hange said as they leaned closer to the holographic image. "However, this one is still being built. Taking this one out will create a decent dent in the Empire's war machine."
"What's the plan then, Captain?" Keiji asked.
"For now, report back to Erwin with the intel we've got. Though, if we're smart about it, we could just infiltrate the base now," Hange pondered.
"No way, Hange! Our assignment is just recon. We don't have the equipment for an infiltration," Moblit replied.
Hange groaned. "Come on, Moblit. Stop being such a worrywart."
"Let's link up with our allies and contact Erwin," Moblit reasoned.
Hange groaned but followed their friend's orders. The other three looked between each other and shrugged, as this was the two's usual dynamic. Hange and Moblit, along with the astromech, jumped onto a land speeder, while the other three had speeder bikes.
The ride back to the hideout in Shiganshina was simple enough. They knew which Imperial checkpoints avoid and how to keep any Imperial from looking too closely. Plus, they all went in separate directions in order to keep suspicion low. However, they still all pulled into the hideout at the same time. The routes were calculated so that would always be the case. Should someone be lagging behind for any reason, the group knew they were compromised.
The hideout within an abandoned warehouse district by the river. Since the Empire found little use in Paradis' older infrastructure, anything that was not up to standard was simply abandoned. Now the district was comprised of vagabonds, bounty hunters, scoundrels, and anyone else who wanted to keep away from Imperial eyes.
"Anything out of the ordinary?" a young human male asked as the five jumped off their speeders.
"Nope. Imperial protocols are still the same as they have been," Hange replied. "How're things here?"
The young man shrugged. "About the same. Managed to get the holotable up and running."
"We appreciate it, Furlan. Thanks for the help," Moblit said.
Furlan nodded. "Not a problem."
The hideout was run by a skeleton crew and most were from Levi's old associates. Furlan was one of them. When Levi was forced to join the military, his gang was forced to hide. However, with the advent of the Empire, their little rebellion needed all the help they could get. Which led to many of Levi's old comrades to join up.
"Where's Isabel?" Nifa asked.
"Running a different recon mission. The Empire's been cracking down hard on places like this. We're trying to figure out how much time we have left here," Furlan replied.
"I thought the Empire steered away from these places?" Abel asked.
"At the beginning, yes. But with our little rebellion becoming more of a threat, they've realized that places like this are ideal for our group to hide."
"Makes sense. Then we should make this quick." Hange turned to the astromech. "R4, plug in and upload the data we collected. Furlan get us in connect with Erwin."
R4 beeped in response, while Furlan gave a salute.
The six gathered around the holotable, leaving an open space. Filling that open spot was the full holographic image of Erwin. He took in his surroundings for a moment and turned to his subordinates.
"So, what have you found?"
Hange pressed several buttons on the holotable and a recreation of the depot shimmered to life. It laid out everything they had recorded.
"It's a pretty standard protection detail. Maybe a few more Stormtroopers than needed, based on how many we saw patrolling the walls and the interior," Hange explained.
Erwin studied the holotable closely. He made sure to note the approximate size of the protection detail as well as all the armaments they had at their disposal. The whole operation relied on if they could get in and leave without a problem.
"The first step is infiltration," Erwin said. "We need a unit that can impersonate Imperial forces and other to set up explosives in the depot and the factory."
"I think we should just hit the depot. Without fuel there is little they can do. All their production would cease," Hange countered. "Plus, it'll significantly reduce the chance of being spotted."
Erwin was silent as he took in Hange's input. As he studied the recreation, he mentally factored in Hange's suggestion. It did make sense to do that instead of hitting both. Fuel was more valuable than anything else at the moment. That included their own forces.
"What if we both hit the fuel depot while also taking some for ourselves. We're running low for our own operations," Erwin suggested.
"Not a bad idea. We could get in with the Turbo Tank under the guise of needing to refuel. We'd still need two units, but that way it would make things more believable," Moblit said.
"I think you're right." Erwin stroked his chin as he thought over Moblit's suggestion. "Right, I'll send Levi's team along with the Turbo Tank. Link up with him when he arrives."
"Roger that, Commander!" Hange said, adding the typical salute Which the others mimicked.
Erwin nodded in response and his hologram disappeared in a shimmer.
"Furlan, show us what you're got stored here," Hange said, turning to the young man.
"It's not much, but there's bound to be something here you can use," Furlan replied.
"Then we better start looking."
Several 'yes, sir's' rang out as everyone looked between all the supplies in the hideout. They had to make sure they had something that could help in their attack.
By the time Levi and his group had arrived with the Turbo Tank, night had fallen onto the city. Unlike some planets, Paradis' night sky could be seen clearly. Light pollution was minimal even with the present of the Empire. It was great comfort to the people to be able to see so clearly the stars in the sky. City lights would dim as it progressively got later, and tonight was no exception.
After rummaging around for several hours, Hange and the others found several things that could be useful: a crate of thermal detonators, several old Clone Wars blasters, and a box of unmarked credits. Whoever had been the last one to use the warehouse had left a lot of useful items.
Levi brought along with him more munitions, as well as disguises. The disguises were Imperial officer uniforms and Stormtrooper armor. Their resistance force always kept some Imperial uniforms on hand in case of an infiltration mission.
When the Turbo Tank was loaded up, everyone in the warehouse gathered around the holotable to discuss the plan.
"In order to get through security, several of us will need to be disguised as Imperial troops," Hange explained. "Levi, Moblit, and I can't be disguised as officers we're already known as rebels. And in order to draw less suspicion, Abel, Keiji, and Nifa can't be the officer's either."
The three humanoids scoffed and rolled their eyes. The Empire's blatant xenophobia made them as easy sore spot for many in the group. Which also ended up adding more of them into their ranks.
"I guess that leaves my team to be the impersonators," Levi said. "Nanaba, you're still familiar with Imperial protocol, right?"
The tall, blonde woman nodded. "Unless they changed everything, then I should be able to get us in."
"Great. You and Petra will be the officers. Gunther, Oluo, Eld, you three will play Stormtroopers. Just say you're running a skeleton crew and they should believe it," Levi said. "Now, get changed."
"Yes, sir!"
"The rest of you suit up. There's still a chance we'll need to fight our way out," Hange said.
Keiji, Abel, and Nifa all nodded and turned to check all their gear. Levi, Moblit, Hange, and Furlan were left at the holotable. The silence was heavy as they all knew what was at stake with their mission. It would be the first time they would hit a target as large as this. While they all knew their fight would reach this point, it still put them all on edge.
"So, we're really doing this?" Furlan asked.
"We don't have a choice. If the Empire builds another factory, we wouldn't stand a chance," Hange said as their hand curled into a fist.
"In all honesty, we already don't," Moblit added. "We don't have the capability to fight the Empire."
"What if this mission goes wrong?" Furlan asked.
Levi, Moblit, and Hange looked between each other. They seemed to say something to each with just one look.
"Then it just might be the end for us," Levi said plainly.
Silence permeated again. Knowing that this was an all or nothing mission did not help in raising anyone's morale for it. The only option was to complete it and keep moving forward.
"We're all set! How about we get this show on the road!" Nanaba called out, now wearing a black Imperial uniform.
Levi sighed and holstered his blaster. "Let's see if Erwin's plan doesn't get us all killed."
"What about the rest of us?" Furlan asked.
"Stay here and wait for our signal. If we get in a bind, we'll need the extra manpower to get us out," Hange said.
Furlan nodded. "We'll be on standby."
Hange let out a breath and moved their goggles to be over their eyes. A part of them knew that this plan would end up devolving into a fire fight, but they still held out hope that everything will go according to plan.
"Get a move on Four-Eyes. You're team leader," Levi said.
Hange scoffed. "What's with the hurry all of a sudden."
Hange entered the Turbo Tank and moved toward the cockpit. Eld and Gunther sat in the pilot chairs wearing Stormtrooper armor minus the helmets.
"Let's get moving. We should do this while it's still dark out."
"Copy that," Eld said as he activated the Turbo Tank's engine.
Hange took one last look at their makeshift command center as the tank pulled out of the warehouse.
The drive to the fuel depot was silent. The tension was thick enough to be seen. Each of the rebels would look over their gear even though there was nothing out of place.
Hange sat in the cockpit. They kept their gaze firmly out the viewport. It was the only thing to keep them distracted from the mission. Nights on Paradis were always beautiful. The limited light pollution meant that every star could be seen clearly. What always stood out in the night sky were the sky lights.
An aurora of blue-green lights cut through the starry sky. They extended to cover the whole moon almost like fingers, but their epicenter was the capital city of Mitras. None of the local people knew what the lights meant, but their presence in the sky was a comfort many.
At the moment, those lights were a comfort for Hange. Maybe after the fight against the Empire ended, they would devote their time to learning about their home. There were still legends to uncover and the lights were a part of it.
"We're nearing the depot, Hange," Eld said.
Hange turned their gaze forward. Four large spheres loomed over the walls of the depot.
"Right. I'll tell the others."
Hange exited the cockpit and descended toward the main compartment. Levi was the first to see Hange and nodded in affirmation.
"We're nearing the checkpoint. Levi, Moblit, Abel, Nifa, Keiji, get to the underside compartment. Nanaba, Petra you know what to do."
Everyone nodded and got into position.
The Turbo Tank came to a halt at the fuel depot's checkpoint. An officer and two Stormtroopers walked up toward the main door. The officer had a datapad in hand and carefully studied its contents.
Nanaba let out a breath and adjusted her cap. Petra steadied her nerves and Oluo in his armor shifted uncomfortably.
The door slid open leading the three toward a disgruntled officer.
"What is the meaning of this? You're not on the arrival schedule!" The officer gestured at the datapad in his hand.
"Apologies, sir. We were chasing the rebel group and we're running low on fuel," Nanaba said.
"And you couldn't have reported the rebels and gave prior notice?"
"We got into a fire fight. The tank took damage and communications took a big hit," Nanaba carefully explained.
"Where is the rest of your crew?"
"Most died in the fight. We're operating with a skeleton crew."
"The lifeform scan checks out, sir. They are operating at minimal capacity," a trooper said.
"All of this is highly irregular. The latest reports say the rebels are in Trost."
Petra stepped forward. "We received a new report saying there is a smaller group operating out of Shiganshina."
The officer pondered that for a moment. He appeared to be considering the possibility.
"I'll have to check with command about that report."
The officer glanced at the tank. It did suffer from damage which gave credit to the claim of there being a battle. There was still the irregularity of there not being a report about a skirmish, but the rebels were known to knock out communications. There was a report last year about a stolen Turbo Tank. He looked to the tank again. Was there a chance this was stolen tank?
The officer sighed and turned to Nanaba. "Very well, you may refuel. Make it quick."
The officer made a motion with a raised arm and the barrier into the depot opened.
"Much appreciated, sir. We'll be as quick as possible."
The two disguised rebels quickly boarded the tank and the tank moved into the depot. The officer watched as the tank entered. He was still the whole event odd. He grabbed the communicator at his belt and held it up to his mouth.
"Command, this is Shinganshina fuel depot. Rebels in disguise may have infiltrated. Please advise on next course of action."
The other line was silent. Normally command never took this long to respond. Everything was beginning to feel odd and out of place.
Static came from the commlink before a different voice from the operator spoke.
"This is Lieutenant Commander Zeke Yeager from Imperial command. Quietly gather your forces. I'll be there within the hour with reinforcements."
"But are they really rebels?"
"They are. Do not engage until I arrive."
"Yes, sir!"
Everything was going rather smoothly, almost too smoothly. The Turbo Tank was almost fully fueled, and several smaller fuel canisters were already loaded in the tank's cargo compartment.
Keeping watch were their allies in disguise. Nanaba kept them appraised of the kind of protocol needed for any situation, but there would still be a limit to how long they could fool people. While many of its officers were not that bright, there were still some who could recognize when something was wrong.
What was a cause for concern was that there was a lot of movement in the depot despite it being the middle of the night. While most of the rebels simply chalked it as a shift change, there were still too many Stormtroopers moving about.
Hange and Levi were the two most weary about it all. The two stayed in the Turbo Tank to monitor communications, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The usual sound of dispatches and status updates on areas of interest.
"We need to speed this up," Levi said. "Something's off. I can feel it."
Hange checked the Turbo Tank's fuel level. "We're still not a full capacity yet. Once we are, we'll leave."
Levi grunted and turned to the cockpit's viewport. "Don't you find all that movement odd?"
Hange shrugged. "Well, yeah. But as long as they aren't bothering us, we have to take this chance."
Before Levi could respond, Hange's wrist comm beeped as someone tried to get into contact with them.
"Hange here."
Erwin's voice came through the comm. "I need a status update, Hange."
"Tank's almost fully fueled. We've got several fuel canisters to last us for a while," Hange reported.
"And the Empire?"
Hange glanced over to Levi for a moment. His left hand held tight on his blaster's grip, while his right held one of his vibro-knives.
"Something seems to be off, but so far nothing."
Even through the comm, Hange could see Erwin nodding. "Right then. As soon as your fueled up get back to base."
"Don't worry…" Hange's voice trailed off. The sound of machinery filled their ears. It sounded familiar and had a certain rhythm to it. They turned to the viewport, but it was still pitch black. Hange could hear Erwin trying to get them to explain what was going on.
Suddenly, light filled the cockpit blinding the two. Levi and Hange brought up their arms to block out the light, but as quickly as it appeared the lights vanished. The sound of a gunship joined that of the machinery.
Levi's eyes widened and he quickly turned to Hange. "Get down!"
Filling the darkness were two bolts of red plasma. Levi lunged at Hange and he tackled them out of the cockpit. Explosions rocked the tank. Anyone close to it was blow away by the blasts.
Across from the tank, two large flood lights were turned on. The lights were attached to a large four-legged walker that towered over the tank. They both illuminated the fuel depot revealing the disguised rebels.
Within the incapacitated tank, Hange and Levi both came to. As the two opened their eyes, they quickly noticed how damaged the interior of the tank was. Sparks flew from a multitude of loose wires, and most of the durasteel paneling was falling apart.
"We need to get out of here. Move it, Four-Eyes."
"I'm right behind you." Hange brought their wrist comm up to their mouth. "We've been made and they're attacking in full force. We need an extraction."
Hange did not bother for a response and quickly followed Levi out of the tank. Luckily the door was jammed to remain open which allowed for a quick exit. Hange quickly pulled out their blaster, but Levi pulled her down. As he did so, Hange turned to the tank even the exterior was destroyed. Several large holes opened the cargo bay and the wheels were all blown apart. Their main method of transport was no longer functional.
"We show our faces we're done." He gestured toward the walker. "One blast from that and we'll be scorch marks."
Hange nodded. "Where are the others?"
"I don't know. We can only hope that they survived or haven't been captured," Levi replied.
The two scrambled behind cover. Close by the two could hear something rattling. They peered from behind their cover to see Oluo shaking in his borrowed armor.
Levi sighed but understood his fear. Anyone being held at gun point with a cannon had every right to be afraid.
"That's one," Hange said.
Levi peeked over his cover and tried to assess the threat. The flood lights made it so it was impossible to see the force that had gathered. However, with the walker it was made clear that the Empire had every intention of wiping them out.
"We took too long," Levi said. "I knew something felt strange."
Hange sighed. "It's too late now."
"As much as I would like to, we can't fight our way out," Levi said.
"Too bad there isn't a back door," Hange replied.
Levi rolled his eyes. He turned to Oluo, who finally noticed his two commanding officers.
"Where are the others?"
"Eld and Gunther were thrown by the explosion. Petra and Nanaba found cover before all their forces converged."
"Well, at least we know two more are alive," Hange said.
Levi turned to them with an incredulous look on his face. Hange merely shrugged in response.
All of a sudden, the flood lights turned off. The three rebels slowly peeked from their cover and saw another set of lights illuminating the Imperial force from behind. Now everything could be seen. Two squadrons of Stormtroopers were perfectly lined up. Behind them was the tall walker and at its side were two AT-DP walkers. If there were any more forces behind them, the lights kept them from being seen.
"Great," Levi muttered as he slumped against his cover.
"We really don't stand a chance," Hange said.
"You think?!"
The Empire's silence was broken when the sound of a hologram being projected came to life. The three peered to see an Imperial Officer being projected. However, what stood out about the officer were the lines beneath his eyes, reflecting his status as an Eldian and a near-human. Levi and Hange looked between each other, surprised that a near-human managed to be a part of the Imperial Military.
"Good evening, rebels. Or should I call you the Devils of Paradis? I'm Lieutenant Commander Zeke Yeager of the Imperial Navy. I have your meager forces surrounded and destroyed your only means of escape." The officer paused for a moment. "Along with that, I have captured two of your compatriots."
The image shifted to show Petra and Nanaba being held by Imperial Stormtroopers. They were alive, but they looked hurt. The blast had singed their clothes, with cuts and bruises adorning their faces.
"Surrender to me or your comrades will be executed."
"Don't do it, Captain!" Nanaba cried out.
She was quickly silenced by a trooper using their blaster to hit her on the back of her head, knocking her out.
Levi's grip on his vibro-knife tightened as he watched the footage.
"Easy, Levi."
Levi did not respond, but his grip lessened.
"I will not ask again. You will surrender."
The image of Zeke Yeager vanished.
Zeke let out a sigh and turned to their captured rebels. He walked toward the still conscious Petra and knelt in front of her. The young girl had a defiant look on her face. If Zeke had to guess, the girl was around his age. Just like many locals she had marks beneath her eyes. However, they were barely noticeable. If one were not looking, then it would never be noticed.
"You're a lucky girl."
Petra rose an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"
"If you were to join the Imperial Military, you'd not face the stigma I do," Zeke replied.
Petra's gaze hardened. "Maybe you should rethink which side you're on."
Zeke let you a humorless chuckle. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful. In fact, the Empire's ideals make it all the more satisfying when I succeed where humans don't."
"You're just a glory hound."
Zeke shook his head. "I'm not. I'm just here to do what needs to be done. I will eliminate all the rebels in this sector. For the Empire's glory."
Zeke stood up and turned away from the girl.
"You won't win! Everyday more and more people realize what the Empire really is! More people will rise up!"
Zeke stopped. He could hear Stormtroopers raising their blasters, but with a single gesture he stopped them. Zeke turned back to Petra. Her defiant gaze had hardened. Beside her, Nanaba was beginning to stir.
Zeke gestured to the woman and a Stormtrooper forcefully woke her up. Nanaba reacquainted herself with her surroundings and was quick to notice Petra.
"Is that right?"
Petra nodded. "One day everything will come crashing down."
"If what you say is true, it's a shame you won't be around to see it."
Before the two girls could react, Zeke drew his blaster and fired. The bolt struck Petra in the chest. Her body fell to the ground. Her life snuffed out in an instant.
"NO!"
Nanaba tried to rush to her friend's side but was hit again by the Stormtrooper. She fell ground and began to crawl towards her friend. The Stormtrooper raised their blaster, but Zeke told them to stand down. He wanted the blonde woman to feel defeated.
Nanaba made it to Petra's side, her body was already getting cold. She turned her over to see her defiant face morphed into that of surprise. Her eyes were wide open, and a single tear had fallen. A charred hole was put in her sternum, her death had been in an instant. Nanaba fought tears as she closed her friend's eyes; it was the least that Petra deserved.
Nanaba then turned to the Imperial Commander, hatred in her eyes. Zeke gave the woman a single look before turning away.
"Don't worry. You'll join her soon enough."
Zeke walked away from the two and past the rows of Stormtroopers. He knew the others lived, but he wanted to make sure they knew what would happen if they did not surrender.
"You no doubt heard the blaster fire! I have personally executed one of your comrades for their defiance against the Empire! All of you will soon follow if you do not surrender! This is your last warning before my troops move in!"
Zeke's words were met with silence. He expected as much, especially with how the girl had acted. But a part of him still wanted to them to surrender without a fight. It seemed the Devils of Paradis really only believed in violence.
"Troopers move in! Capture the leaders, kill the rest."
Stormtrooper chatter exploded as they all began to fan out. Several attached flashlights and began to look around. They moved crates and other objects that could be used as cover. However, they appeared to not uncover anything near the front of the wreckage.
The troopers began to search behind the destroyed tank. Just as one group moved past several crates, six rebels jumped form their cover and began to open fire.
The warehouse was filled with the frantic shouts of people being lost and confused. Hange's messaged had reached them and no one knew what to do. Furlan tried his best to calm everyone down, but it was impossible. Several people had already abandoned the group, while others were too scared to even leave.
Even Furlan was having trouble keeping his own emotions in check. He was worried about his comrades, but he was more concerned for his own life. If the Empire had caught them at the depot, it would only be a matter of time until the warehouse was found.
He stared at the schematic on the holotable. He was not looking for anything in particular, but he needed to do something. He had to corral everyone to at least stop panicking, but his own hands were shaking. He was not the authority that was needed. Only Levi could get them to stop. If Furlan had an ounce of his strength, then he could get every to work together on something.
Even if he did not have what it took, he could at least attempt to emulate it. Furlan took in a deep breath.
"Everyone, stop!"
He managed to shout over everyone who was panicking and had everyone's attention. Furlan smiled to himself, surprised that it even worked.
"We have to go help them! We're their only chance at escaping!"
"We'll die if we take on all those troops!" someone retorted.
"That may be, but at least we'll go down as rebels and not cowards."
"Well said, Furlan."
Everyone turned to where the new voice came from and saw Erwin along with more of their comrades. Furlan felt the wave of relief that washed over everyone.
Erwin walked past everyone and stood beside Furlan. Everyone stood in attention as best they could. Their group was not a formal military after all.
"We planned this strike and it is our responsibility to bring back our people. So, pick up a weapon and we'll join the fight with our comrades." Erwin placed a closed fist over his heart. It was the typical salute of the former Paradis military. "Give everything for the cause!"
Everyone followed their commander and echoed the mantra.
"Give everything for the cause!"
With that everyone was determined to fight. Even if they had no chance at surviving, they would at least die as rebels.
However, Furlan was still hesitant. "Do we have a plan, sir?"
Erwin turned to Furlan and nodded. "An ally managed to procure us better armaments."
Furlan was about to reply when a familiar voice came to his ears.
"Good thing I swiped this shipment. Now we stand a fighting chance!"
Furlan turned to see Isabel walking toward the holotable. Her typical wild smile plastered on her face. Behind her were others lugging in crates of weapons.
"I'm glad to see you," Furlan said.
Isabel nodded. "Well, we always got Levi's back. No matter what."
Furlan smiled. "Yeah." He walked past Isabel. "Let's get these things loaded! C'mon people!"
Erwin watched as his rebels prepared for the biggest fight of their lives. It would be now that they would show everyone on the planet that it was possible to fight the Empire. All they had to do was make sure at least one person survived the battle.
"Sir, they've retreated toward the fuel containers."
Zeke groaned at the Stormtrooper's report. Their meager force was turning into a nuisance. However, he had to give them credit at how crafty they were. By hiding by the fuel, they delayed their deaths. One shot would ignite everything and take them all out.
"How many were there?" Zeke asked.
"We counted eight."
Zeke's eyebrows rose. He mouthed what the trooper had said. He was in disbelief that eight could stay alive for so long.
"How many dead?"
"None yet."
That meant that ten were a part of this attack. He glanced over to the dead girl and the blonde woman. The woman had not left her comrades side. If she were not his enemy, he would have commended her devotion to her ally.
"Did you spot any of the these five?"
He held out a small holoprojector and five pictures were shown. The Stormtrooper studied them for a moment. His helmet made it difficult to figure out where their gaze spent the most time.
"These two, sir."
The trooper was pointing at Hange and Levi, which meant they were leading the attack. He found it odd that Erwin would send two of his best for this attack, but he waved off his doubts. If all his research had told him anything was that Erwin was always careful.
"How shall we proceed, sir?"
Zeke sighed. There was only one choice at the moment. "Set all weapons to stun. Draw them out of there."
"Yes, sir! You heard him, move out!"
The squad divided itself and a small force of ten Stormtroopers moved deeper into the depot.
Zeke turned to the horizon. He could see the sun beginning to rise. He had hoped to finish them off before dawn, but the rebels' stubbornness was apparent.
Zeke was not the only one to notice the sun was beginning to rise. Behind the large fuel canisters, Hange noticed sky shifting from black to purple. Daylight would make escape impossible, which gave her hope that there was still chance for them to escape.
Hange regrouped with the others at the far end of the depot. Levi, Moblit, Oluo, Nifa, Keiji, Gunther, and Eld and Abel were all gathered around a small holoprojector which displayed the recreation of the fuel depot.
"How does it look?" Abel asked.
Hange shook their head. "Not great. They're sending in a squad to find us back here."
"Not that it'll take long to find us," Nifa said.
Hange wanted to dispute it, but they agreed with Nifa's sentiment. Right now, there was little chance they would survive a head on fight. They got lucky in their retreat. Using the fuel canisters as cover meant they had to hold their fire.
"If they come face-to-face, we'll have the advantage. It's just a matter of getting past their perimeter," Hange said.
"We could scale the walls," Eld suggested.
"We don't have the equipment for it. All of our gear was blown up," Levi said.
Silence fell over all of them. None of them had ever felt so hopeless before. They always managed to find a way to persevere even in the worst of circumstances. But in the moment, they all found themselves in, none of them could muster up the strength to keep fighting.
"I guess this is where our little rebellion ends," Oluo said.
No one responded. No one could find the words to disagree. Even Hange was having trouble finding what to say.
Breaking the silence was Hange's wrist comm going off. The sudden noise startled everyone, Levi and Moblit were quick to draw their weapons. Hange pressed her wrist comm and a voice they desperately needed to hear filled their ears.
"You might want to see what's about to happen."
Just hearing Erwin's voice filled them all with courage. They all peeked from behind the canister and they saw a bright light rocketing towards the tall walker. The projectile collided with the side of the walker's head, despite it having no effect it filled the eight of them with renewed confidence.
As for the Imperials, Zeke began to bark orders. Following from where the shot came from a cloud of dust was approaching the depot. He grabbed a set of macrobinoculares and zoomed in toward the cloud. He saw a large group all on speederbikes or landspeeders racing toward them. At the center, riding a white, Imperial speeder was the rebel leader Erwin Smith.
Zeke brough his wrist comm up to his mouth and barked orders. "All walkers fire on those speederbikes!"
The two AT-DP's turned quickly and began to fire. The AT-AT on the other hand was taking longer to maneuver.
"Erwin, the big one's turning!" Mike said.
"All rockets fire another volley! Aim for the neck of the walker! It's the only weak spot!"
Several rebels on the landspeeders grabbed rocket launchers and opened fire. The rockets sailed through the air Most missed their mark, but the ones that hit caused the walker to stagger a bit. Erwin called for another volley and another hail of rockets struck the walker.
The Imperial's beneath the walker were scrambling. They all knew it was just a matter of time until the walker collapsed. Zeke grit his teeth as he saw the rebels advancing. He cursed at himself for thinking that the others would not put up a fight.
He looked toward the walker. Its neck was in flames and one more hit would sever it. Along with the AT-DP's a squad of Stormtroopers were opening fire. Zeke had no idea if they had taken any down, but the volley of rockets showed they had not slowed down.
As another volley hit the neck, creaking of metal and machinery filled everyone's ears. The walker was going to fall. A booming snap was heard, and the head of the AT-AT was falling to the ground. Zeke yelled for everyone to move away and as the head fell to the ground, it was engulfed in an explosion. Soon after, the body toppled over with its neck smoking.
Just Zeke was about to order a counterattack, the eight rebels hiding in the back of the depot began their own assault. He divided his forces to take on the two forces. While the rebels that were hiding were so few, the presence of a single person made them a threat.
He glanced toward their advance and saw Levi slicing through troopers with a vibro-blade. Behind him were the others, blasting anyone that got in their way. Zeke drew his own blaster and began to fire on the eight rebels. If he could at least kill Levi, or even Hange, then all the losses they were about to sustain would not have been for nothing.
"Sir, the larger rebel force is about to be right on top of us!"
"I'm aware, Captain. However, these eight need to die."
Nanaba, who was still with the Imperial forces, used the confuse in order to tackle the Stormtrooper that Zeke had spoken to it. She quickly grabbed their blaster and fired into their chest. She stood up and pointed at Zeke who had spun around and aimed at her chest.
"I'll kill you for what you did!" Nanaba spat.
"I executed a rebel." Zeke's blaster whined as it primed. "Which the same thing that will happen to you!"
Before either could fire, an explosion caused their attention to change. One of the AT-DP's had been hit and crashed to the ground. Nanaba spun around to fire at Zeke, but several Stormtroopers began to fire on her. She took cover and began to fire back. She had to regroup with the others. She could see them charging forward.
The sound of blaster fire was drowned out as all the speeders entered the depot. Erwin's troops charged forward and pressed their attack. Both sides took losses, but the rebels were pushing their Empire back.
Mike took a small team and moved to link up with Hange's group. When he caught sight of Nanaba, he quickly rushed to her side.
"You all right?"
"I've been better. Thanks for coming."
"We never leave anyone behind, you know that."
Nanaba nodded gratefully.
"Now c'mon. We have to link up with Hange's team."
The two jumped from cover narrowly avoiding blaster fire. They managed to find Hange's team in all the chaos. Hange was relieved to see that Nanaba was still alive but noticed Pera was not with her.
"Where's Petra?" Hange asked.
Nanaba shook her head with a defeated expression.
"He really did execute someone," Hange muttered.
"I see her!" Oluo called out.
Everyone turned to see Petra body. Hange, Levi, and Moblit were quick to notice that she was dead, but the others believed she was still alive.
"Was she knocked out?" Eld asked.
"She's dead!" Nanaba said. "Their commander shot her."
Everyone went silent. The rage began to boil within all of them. All of them wanted revenge. However, Hange knew doing that would get them all killed.
"We can't do anything about it now. We have to honor her by living to fight again. I just know she was defiant until the last moment." Hange said. "We have to move, now!"
They all began to move out. Taking out any trooper that got in their way. The only one who remained still was Levi.
He could not tear his eyes off the girl corpse. It was odd for him. He was used to death, but this one felt different. He tore his gaze away from her body and narrowed it on Zeke Yeager. He was hiding behind a crate and firing on Erwin's forces. He tightened the grip on his vibro-sword. He would only have one chance. Before he could move, someone grabbed his arm.
"Levi, don't."
He could see it in Hange's eyes. The look that told him they needed to leave.
"I have to kill him. It's his fault we're losing so many good people!"
"And they know what they signed up for. They made their choice to fight and the cost is one's life. Petra knew that. Her death can't be in vain. You have to live, so in the next fight you can take that bastard's head."
Levi stared in Hange's eyes. He knew they were right. He had fought for so long that the only way to honor someone was to keep fighting. He took one last look at Petra. He may not be able to avenge her today, but he would in the future.
"One day, I will kill Zeke Yeager."
Hange smiled. "I'll gladly join you."
The two nodded and burst from their cover. The Stormtroopers were too preoccupied with Erwin's force to give them any attention. When Erwin saw his two best fighters joining the larger force, he knew it was time to move out.
"We've got out people! Everyone, retreat!"
When Zeke heard that he burst from his cover and began to fire blindly.
"Don't let a single one get away!"
The Imperial pressed their attack, taking down more rebels as they all retreated towards their vehicles. The remaining AT-DP fired on them, but a rocket to the leg caused it to collapse to the ground.
Zeke continued to yell order, but no matter how many rebels feel, just as many were escaping. He managed to lock eyes with Erwin. Time seemed to freeze as he finally met his adversary.
"I will kill you. Just you wait, Erwin Smith."
Erwin was the first to turn away as his speeder roared to life.
As the remaining rebels made their getaway, the Imperials slowly began to stop their fire. Zeke walked around dead troopers and destroyed machinery but stopped when he saw the rebel he had executed, Petra. He was surprised to see they had left her corpse behind but understood why they had to.
He turned away from her and did not her body another look. He could no longer focus on the present, but only on the future. A future where the Devils of Paradis were no more.
When everyone made it back to the hideout, a head count revealed that they had lost almost half of their forces. Their group was not large so losing half was a major blow to both morale and manpower. However, they all knew what they were signing up for.
Erwin made sure go to as many of his subordinates as he could, trying to comfort them in any way he could. He knew he could not get to everyone, but he tried. They had lost many in the battle, and it would only get hard going forward.
"Erwin."
The commander looked up and saw Mike walking toward him. The larger man gestured to the strike, all of whom were facing the ground. He had heard that Petra had been killed, but not during the fire fight. Zeke Yeager had executed her.
He walked over to the strike team; he knew they were the ones he had to talk to them most.
"You all fought well. I'm glad you all made it back."
"We're still short a man," Gunther replied coldly.
"I know. Losing a comrade is never easy. It'll only get harder from here," Erwin said.
"I swear, I will kill that man," Nanaba said.
"We all want a stab at him. He'll pay for killing her in cold blood," Levi replied.
Erwin nodded. "We have to fight on, for her and everyone else we lost today."
"Erwin we're down fifty percent of our manpower. How're we going to continue fighting?" Hange asked.
"By pressing forward, Hange. After all, we're the Devils of Paradis."
Erwin's words stirred a fire within everyone. Despite their losses, they still had a duty to keep fighting. The Empire had to be defeated.
"Commander! You need to see this!"
Everyone followed the Rodian rebel fighter toward the holotable. Projected was the image of a man they did not recognize. He wore the Imperial officer uniform and held the rank of Commander.
"This is a message to all the citizens of Paradis. A terrorist group by the name of 'Devils of Paradis' attacked an Imperial fuel depot last night. We were able to drive off these insurgents, but they have made their presence known to everyone. These criminals are dangerous and are led by a man that is just as dangerous." The image of the officer vanished. Replacing it was the image of the rebel leader. "Their leader is this man: Erwin Smith." His image remained up for enough time that everyone could memorize his appearance. "Him and his group are to be considered extremely dangerous. Report any signs of rebel activity. Remember the Empire is here to protect you from people like him. Trust in the security the Empire brings."
Silence permeated the command center. With that report, they were officially no longer a rumor. Rebel activity was now confirmed, which meant their fight would get harder going forward. Erwin let out a breath and turned to everyone.
"You heard them. We are now enemies of the Empire. I understand if all of you are scared. Hell, I am too. I do not blame you for wanting to leave us. I will not hold it against you. If you feel like you've done everything you can with us, you may leave. I will not stop you." Erwin paused to let his words sink in. "However, if you chose to remain, then you are all the stronger for it. I will continue to fight. The question is will you?"
Once again there was silence. However, everyone was standing still. No one had turned to leave. While many looked scared, it was as if their resolve was only strengthened.
"Looks like we'll continue to fight, Commander. It's like you said, we have to fight in order to be free again," Furlan said.
Everyone agreed with a loud scream. It was followed by a proud salute from every fighter present. Erwin turned to the four he started their movement with and saw them doing the same. Even Levi begrudgingly did it as well. Erwin smiled and turned to his comrades.
He slammed his closed fist over his heart. "Give everything for the cause!"
Everyone repeated the motto, with just as much determination.
Everyone was ready for a fight and they were ready to fight until the last.
AN: Finally got an update for this one. While I did say this story would be sporadic, I hadn't intended for it to take this long. I appreciate your patience.
As for this chapter, I wanted it to be about the struggle on Paradis. They have been fighting since the beginning, but I wanted to show their first big battle. Granted I don't think I wrote a battle as best I could, but I hope it was still exciting. It was honestly a lot of fun writing this chapter.
With this chapter we see a lot of the changes I have planned. While Paradis will be a planet of a mostly "human" population, I still want to some diversity in the species seen. For that reason a lot of the minor characters from the Scouting Regiment will be changed to an alien race. As you just read, all of Hange's team are now aliens. However, some of the bigger characters will remain human, or in this story's case "near-human." And here is another change from my own opening chapter. Now every Eldian will have markings under their eyes. However, those are (or were) titan shifters in the source material will have more pronounced facial markings. Those that aren't will have them but (as the story says) are not as noticeable if one isn't looking for them. This is also an effort to diversify the world a bit.
Another change from Chapter 1 is that Paradis is now a moon. I had always intended it to be this way, but it slipped my mind when writing chapter 1. I hope you can all guess what planet this moon orbits. In order to give the planet a more lived in feel is the way it looks. On the outside and inside it keep a lot of the same architecture which is done to contrast the sterile Imperial facilities. There will be more references to the source material scattered around the moon, to add onto the lived in feel.
With all that out of the way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. We'll be bouncing to a new planet soon, so I hope you look forward to it. If you're enjoying, feel free to follow favorite and/or review.
