Kallus spent the next several weeks adapting to life away from the Empire. On Yavin IV he devoted himself to his new home and new friends. He was able to lend his skills as an intelligence officer and tactician that he'd developed as an Imperial to now work against the Empire. The only individuals he actually knew at the base were Hera and Zeb. The rest of the crew of the Ghost were back on Mandalore.

Kallus wasn't sure if Hera quite trusted him fully. After all he had pursued the crew for the last couple of years before his about-face regarding his loyalties, but she was trying. She went out of her way to invite Kallus for meals and any entertainment activities that could be found on the jungle moon of Yavin. She'd even played Dejarik against Kallus a few times. Zeb seemed a bit more willing to accept him. For that, he was grateful.

One thing that he didn't expect, however, was that for the most part, no one looked at him with the disdain that he expected. After all, he'd been an Imperial. Not just any ordinary Imperial but an ISB Agent. Instead, some actually showed him more respect, real respect, than he'd ever been shown while working for the Empire. When Kallus made a comment about how people treated him Zeb laughed a bit.

"Not surprising. Half of the people here were Imperials at one time or another in some capacity. That means that they, especially, know what you risked."

Kallus thought about what Zeb said as they headed toward the mess area for their midday meal. Hera was flying on a mission, so she wasn't with them. Still, the table was full with several mechanics and others who worked in the command center. Every meal was the same, it seemed. While he once was able to have a meal in less than a quarter of an hour, they now took the better part of one. The reason being that he and the rest of the table spent more time laughing and joking around than they did eating. Something that he wouldn't have ever done while working for the Empire. Nor would he have tolerated it if he'd seen others doing so. He hadn't known what he was missing.

One of his new favorite pastimes had become listening to the stories that the others all shared regarding old battles. Rex had the most interesting ones from the Clone War. Kallus, like many other civilians when he was growing up, had never considered the clones as much more than biological droids but Rex was proving to be anything but that. Rex and Zeb were the security experts for the base thanks to both of their experiences on the battlefield. The two men complimented one another well and it was clear that they had developed a strong friendship.

As the meal break came to an end, Kallus listened as Rex was sharing with some of the younger officers at the next table of a battle that he'd fought alongside a Jedi called Skywalker.

Kallus scratched at the several days' worth of stubble that he now had growing while he tried not to show that he was as enwrapped in the story as the younger men and women listening to the old clone trooper. He'd decided that he needed a new look for his new life within the Rebellion. Being an Imperial defector, he knew that he'd have a price on his head should he ever be recognized so he chose to grow out a beard; figuring it was the best way to alter his appearance. He wasn't sure how but growing it out gave him a sense of freedom. Perhaps it was because a full beard wouldn't have been permitted while working for the Empire. That was why he'd allowed his sides to grow as he had while working as an ISB Agent. He'd pressed the limits as far as he could. So maybe he'd always been a closet rebel at heart.

After his meal he returned to the center of Rebel Command. He'd been able to bring with him quite a bit more understanding regarding the Empire. While it was true that there were many former Imperials, most of them had been low-level officers and recruits. But Kallus had been an ISB Agent. That gave him higher clearance while he'd been working for the Empire. It meant that he was more involved in the inner workings of the Empire than most who were here at Yavin. So, his knowledge made him invaluable. Finally, all that he knew but didn't dare share in his time as a Fulcrum could be passed along.

Thinking of Fulcrum, he wondered about Valour. Since he knew her code phrase he checked to see when the last time was that she'd checked in. He was shocked to see that she hadn't reported in since the night that he'd been accepted as a Fulcrum and given his own code phrase. Kallus's brow furled in concern. He still didn't know what kind of assignment that she'd been given when she was transferred away from the Imperial Complex on Lothal but with the amount of time that it had been, she should have been able to have gotten a pass out to get to her ship and send out a report. Or to at least check in. It had been several months with no word at all.

Kallus was in the command center when Jarrus and Bridger's ship reported in to inform the rebels of their approach. He smiled as he checked to make sure that he wasn't needed before he headed out to where the ship was cleared to land. In fact, he had a message to deliver to the crew. Kallus caught up to the crew of the Ghost as Garazeb was giving the others a tour of the base's main hanger area. He was about to make his way over when the alarms rang out. Kallus looked up and saw that what was left of the squadron that Hera was in command of was spotted coming in hot. There were fewer than half of her squadron flying in and each and every one of them looked as if they'd barely escaped a battle with their lives.

Kallus watched as the appropriate personnel went running to help the pilots once they landed, led by Captain Rex. The ships would all need complete overhauls, but he was just glad that the pilots who made it appeared to be in much better shape. He was particularly glad to see that Hera was alright. She was more aggravated at the failure of her mission than anything else. Still, being the leader that she was, she made sure that she let her squad know that she didn't blame any of them for the mission's failure. She gave them a pep talk and then started giving out orders to get the squad to move past the day's events.

Once that was done, the rest of the crew of the Ghost approached Hera. Kallus then watched as the family was once more back together. Kallus stayed back for a moment before he approached to join them.

"A reunion. How nice. But as Commander Bridger suggests, it's time to get to work. Mon Mothma requests your presence."

Kallus walked the crew back to the command center where the Senator was waiting along with the holographic image of Senator Bail Organa among other leaders of the Rebellion. Mon Mothma gave the words of encouragement that she knew that Hera needed before the matter at hand was brought to the forefront of the conversation. The Empire had established a new communications relay in the Jalindi system. It made it where it would be much harder to get around the Empire with it in place. As a result, the assembled were trying to think of a way to deal with the relay.

Kallus scratched the stubble on his chin as he thought before walking forward toward the display. "Perhaps there is another way. If we could somehow tap into this relay, we could use it to monitor Imperial fleet movements and adjust our own operations to avoid them."

Mon Mothma turned toward him as well as the others who were gathered around the display table. "Can it be done?"

Hera responded as the leader of her crew, "My crew and I have done plenty of jobs just like it."

"Are you confident your ship can get in and out undetected?" General Dodonna asked skeptically.

"We don't call it the Ghost for nothing." Hera's confidence was overwhelming. But Kallus knew that there was zero arrogance involved. She had the right to feel confident. She was good at what she did, and he knew it. If anyone could get this job done it would be the crew of the Ghost.

Mon Mothma authorized the mission, and the meeting was adjourned. That didn't set well with the teen.

"Wait. That's it? But what about Lothal?"

Kallus knew that the boy had a right to be upset. Had Thrawn not used him as a pawn to locate the rebel base, successfully, then the attack on Lothal would have gone down and dealt a damaging blow to the Empire. Kallus felt a pang of guilt as he listened to the teen argue his point of why the attack needed to be rescheduled. The planet was suffering under the Empire. Mon Mothma dismissed the rest in the room while she spoke with the teen alone.

Kallus hoped that he'd be able to help the boy in his fight for Lothal later. It may be only one planet, but the rebellion may be won one planet at a time.


Kallus sat outside the base and listened to the sounds of the jungle around the old, converted temple that was Rebel Command. He didn't know how long he'd been sitting out there when Garazeb found him.

"Hey, what happened to you? You never showed for the evening meal."

"Nothing. I've just been sitting out here thinking." Kallus leaned against the temple wall as an unknown creature bellowed from deep within the jungle. He briefly wondered how far into the jungle the rest of the rebels had explored. He toyed with the idea of maybe taking a small trek out to see what the jungle had to offer. After all, whatever was out there was certain to be the furthest from the Empire that he could find. He liked the idea of seeking out that opposite of the life that he'd left behind.

"Anything in particular?" When Kallus shrugged Zeb found a place to sit along the temple wall and eyed the other man. The Lasat had had several conversations about a variety of topics with him. He was beginning to tell when he had something on his mind. "This have anything about that friend of yours? The other Fulcrum?"

Kallus raised a brow for a moment before shaking his head. No. Was he still worried about Kiara and her lack of contact with Rebel Command? Absolutely. But that wasn't what had driven him out here tonight.

"Then what is it?"

Kallus mulled over what he'd been brewing over before he admitted. "It's Bridger. It's my fault that the assault on his home world had to be called off. I should have been more careful with my transmissions. If I had been, perhaps Thrawn wouldn't have put the pieces together so fast. Hell. I should have left when he was sent in to extract me. But I thought I was smart enough to outfox Thrawn. A lot of people paid for my arrogance."

Zeb was surprised to hear his new friend's lamentations. He was blaming himself for the attack on the rebel base on Atollon. "That wasn't your fault."

"Are you sure about that? Thrawn knew that I was spying on him, and he gave just enough information that he knew I wouldn't be able to resist sending out a message to try to warn the fleet. Then he used my message to locate the base."

"I read the reports; both yours and everyone else's. Even if Thrawn didn't attack the base, the fleet would have been walking into a trap if we'd gone to Lothal as planned. He would have won, regardless of if it was on Atollon or Lothal."

"Then why do I still feel guilty when I hear him wanting to help his people so badly?"

Zeb ran a hand over the top of his head. "Kallus, there's one thing you're going to have to remember, feeling guilty doesn't mean that you are guilty. I know that there are things that you regret from your past. Hell, we all have those types of things. But you can't let those regrets be the focus of your life. You are here, now, and you are making a difference. You can be proud of that."

Kallus felt his lip twitch into a smile. "So, when did you become a wise old sage?"

"Who are you calling old?" Zeb asked with a touch of offense in his voice.

"Well, you are, what? A decade, nearly two, older than I am. Right?"

"I am not old. And it's barely ten years; definitely not twenty!"

Kallus chuckled. "I stand corrected."

Zeb shook his head. At least he could see that Kallus no longer looked like he was carrying the weight of the galaxy on his shoulders. Given what he'd been out here mulling over, and the blame that he'd put on himself, Zeb figured that he'd let the insult to his age pass this time.


Weeks later when the crew of the Ghost volunteered for a mission to Lothal Kallus was more than willing to do what he could, too. He wouldn't be going with them to the planet. His presence would put the rest in greater danger. However, he and Captain Rex were helping them load some puffer pigs into the cargo area of the Ghost. They were to meet up with one of the crew's contacts who would then take them the rest of the way. They would be leaving their ship behind since they needed to go in undetected and the ship was well-known in the sector now. Especially since Thrawn had increased the bounty on its crew.

Kallus stepped forward onto the bridge as Hera began docking with the ship that would take the others to Lothal. "This friend of yours, Cikatro Vizago, is a criminal. He can't be trusted."

To Kallus's displeasure, Sabine retorted, "Yeah, we used to say that about you."

Ezra chose to add as well, "Yeah, and besides, Vizago has a legitimate business on Lothal now."

"And who told you that?" Kallus asked.

"Hondo."

"Ezra." The irritation in Hera's voice told Kallus that he wasn't the only one who was annoyed at the boy's willingness to trust the criminal element.

"Trust me. Vizago'll get us through the Empire's blockade. He needs the money."

Ah, yes. The only thing that a person of this ilk would be loyal to. Money.

After the pigs were carried over to Vizago's ship Kallus wandered back to the bridge of the Ghost as Rex joined him and Hera as the Twi'lek did one last check of the ship's systems.

"You're in command of the Ghost now. Take care of her. I will want her back." As the woman left Kallus sat in the captain's chair and ran a hand over the controls almost affectionately.

"To think all the times I chased this ship, all the trouble it gave me." Kallus leaned back in the chair as he looked over at the old clone trooper. "And now, I'm in command of it."

"You? Oh, no, no, no. She was talking to me."

"Why would she give the ship to you? I've commanded Star Destroyers."

"Well, I'd say you'd answered your own question then." Rex smirked as he crossed his arms.

Kallus looked down and thought about that. Yes, he had. His past as an Imperial still gave the Twi'lek pause, giving her a reason to doubt him. Reluctantly, Kallus stood and shifted over to the navigator's seat and allowed the clone to take the captain's chair.

When the Ghost watched its crew fly away with the smuggler Kallus had no way of knowing when they'd return. The Rebellion wouldn't be able to extract them so they would be stuck on Lothal until they could find their own way off of the surface. Kallus just hoped that he'll be able to see all of them return to Yavin IV safe and sound.


Before returning to the Yavin system Kallus took the opportunity to contact Tac. He knew that Valour hadn't contacted Rebel Command, but he'd hope that she had at least stayed in contact with her droid. Unfortunately, it would appear that she had been out of contact with him for just as long as she had been with Command. The only thing that put his mind at ease, though, was that Tac told him that Valour's bio-implant still showed that she had stable life signs.

After closing out the transmission Kallus went to the common area of the Ghost and sat at the Dejarik table. He turned the computer on to play against it, but his mind wasn't on the game. It seemed that all whom he'd consider to be his friends were out there and he didn't have much choice but to hope that they were all going to be alright. He wasn't in any position to help any of them right now. That was a very depressing thought.