"Mistress Kiara! Master Kallus! A message is coming in from Ryloth on the priority channel."

Both humans had been sitting together in the common area of the Shadow Chaser when the droid came floating down the corridor excitedly.

"Tac, go find Zeb and Sabine," Kiara unfolded her legs out from under herself and said as she stood to walk over to the comm unit in the common room. She'd been reading her datapad researching the purrgil still while Alexsandr had been sitting beside her while going over intelligence reports before the droid had raced in, bubbling over with excitement. Kiara had the transmission ready as soon as the two members of the Ghost crew joined them.

Shortly after the droid headed out both the Mandalorian and the Lasat came running in as if they had both run at top speed. "Tac said-"

"We waited until you got here," Kiara said as she switched the transmission on.

The holo-message flickered to life to show that Kanan was standing before the camera, and he was holding a small, squirming bundle. As soon as the ones gathered took in the fact that Hera had finally given birth, he shifted the baby in his arms in an effort to make sure that his family at a distance could get their first look at his new son.

"I'd like introduce the newest member of the Ghost crew; Spectre Seven. Jacen Syndulla."

"He's so cute!" Sabine squealed. "Oh, hey, wait. How's Hera?"

"She's fine. She's actually asleep right now so I figured I'd take the time to send out a message to the rest of you."

"We'll have to toast to the health of your son when we are able to all get back together again," Kallus said from his place behind the others.

"That mean that you're buying?" Kanan asked with a chuckle.

"I am. It's not every day that you become a first-time father," Alexsandr confirmed. "We'll need to set aside the time to come and see you and Hera. I'm sure that when we tell the leadership that they will understand."

For several moments those gathered in the common room on the Shadow Chaser spent the time asking about the baby as well as its parents. When the transmission ended Sabine said that she'd take care of informing the leadership of their impending trip away from the rebel base. She wouldn't tell them where Kanan and Hera had gone since General Dodonna hadn't wanted to know, just in case. But with the birth of the couple's child, they now planned to leave to see them just as soon as they could gather their supplies. Zeb joined her so that he could search out Rex since the two of them shared the responsibilities for the base's security, so he wanted to give the man a heads' up.

Once alone, Kallus pulled Kiara back to sit beside him on the couch as she'd been before the transmission had come in. He knew that once they left the planet to head to Ryloth quiet moments like this with just the two of them would be few and far between while transporting their friends with them.

He still would grin whenever Kiara would get comfortable while leaning against him. When she rested against his shoulder as she went back to her datapad, as he did the same with his own, he rested his cheek on top of her head. They would be preparing to leave in a couple of days and, until then, he wanted to enjoy the quiet intimacy that he'd come to love.


Elios read over the report sent by his scientists. They had a provisional serum ready for him, though they couldn't guarantee the outcome for him since they didn't have a force-sensitive to use as a test subject. Without an actual force-sensitive to use the experimental solution on, they could only hypothesize as to the effects that it would cause within the system of an individual. He instructed them to continue their research since he wanted an alternative method of delivering the concoction if need be. He would get them a test subject; one way or another.

The Moff sent a message that they had best hope that it did indeed work and informed them that he wanted the serum rushed to his ship. Hopefully, it would be his ticket to rise above the other Moffs and allow him to stand out for his Emperor.

With that done, he checked in with his head of security. After reading over the reports of several incidents where the various members of the crew who apparently were now allies, and more, with his daughter he had instructed his head of security to increase the training of his men. When he seized his daughter this time, he didn't want to lose her thanks to the incompetency of his troopers.

Elios checked to see the progress of the training and he was assured that they were prepared to prevent another escape like had taken place back in the Trilex system. He then gave the order to set in a course. He knew where the rebel cell was, thanks to his informant. He had for quite some time. He was even aware of the fact that the Jedi wasn't with the rest of the cell. He'd been asked to leave after a close call on a nearby system. That meant that their greatest weapon wouldn't be an issue. The rebels were vulnerable. That meant that he wouldn't get a better chance to move forward now that he had the tools he needed he felt ready to move forward with his plans.

By the end of this week, he will prove that he is worthy of his Emperor.


Kallus stepped out into the early morning hours, getting a head start to the day. Their small crew planned to leave the system later in the evening. Still, he and the others would all help with the daily tasks as much as they could before they would leave for Ryloth. It was still an hour before he would usually get up in the morning but there was too much to do to waste time trying to get any more sleep. He'd rest once they made the jump to hyperspace.

An alarm suddenly sounded when Kallus was only halfway to the Command Center from the hanger. He started running on instinct and raced into the communications room and demanded to know what was going on as soon as he crossed the threshold.

"A Star Destroyer just dropped out of hyperspace, sir," the communications officer said over the blaring of the alarm.

"Get the fighters up in the air!" General Dodonna could be heard shouting from across the room. "And send out the order for everyone to prepare to evacuate."

"How did they find us?" Someone could be heard in the room asking.

Kallus wanted to tell the general that this was what he'd been afraid of for quite some time, now. He'd told the leadership that they needed to move on after Kanan and Kiara's run-in with the Inquisitors, but they hadn't wanted to abandon the base so soon after having established it. But at the moment, there were more important things to worry about other than where to cast the blame for the attack. It would wait until after they were all out of this mess. He set about directing the fighters as they scrambled to face off with the looming Imperial ships.

Meanwhile Rex and Zeb worked together to prepare the base for an invasion. Sabine briefed the ground forces on what they could expect and gave a refresher of what to do to help ensure that they would survive. Kiara set about to help load various transports with the equipment that could easily be loaded. Each of the transports would be expected to take on as many of the land crew as possible when the evacuation order was given. Each of the rebels had their own tasks and no one had time to think about what the others were doing. They all just simply expected that everyone else was doing what needed to be done.


Elios stared out of his office's viewing port and watched as the pitiful rebel forces left the planet's surface and headed toward his Star Destroyer. He watched as his TIE fighters were sent out to intercept them as if they were pests and were being swatted. He instructed for his admiral serving under him to prepare for the ground assault. Moff Dume wouldn't be going to the planet's surface, as he preferred to lead from his ship.

"Moff Dume, we have engaged the enemy."

"Excellent. Remember, deaths are inevitable but there are those whom I wish to be taken alive. If the woman whose description you were given the information regarding is found dead, then you will suffer the same fate. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Inform me when the base is secured."


When a blast rocked the base Kallus reached out to steady the older general to prevent him from losing his balance.

"This battle isn't one that we can win. The transports are ready to take off," General Dodonna said as he looked around the communications room of the Command Center. "We should give the order."

Kallus hated to admit it, but he agreed with the general. "I'm afraid you're right. Head to your transport and I'll send out the order."

"Good luck. I will see you at the rendezvous point."

Kallus nodded and turned to the communications operator, "Go. I'll take care of this."

The operator nodded gratefully as she stood and headed to join her evacuation team that she'd been assigned to. As she did so Kallus sat at the station to send out the evacuation order. He then activated the self-destruct system on the computer that Sabine had devised so that the Empire couldn't glean any useful information from the equipment that they had to leave behind. When he stood in the doorway, he waited just long enough to see that the countdown timer was activated before he grabbed his blaster and started to make his way to the hanger where the Shadow Chaser was still waiting for him. Most of the rest of the ground crew had already left on the previous transports. Two of them had been shot down before they had barely gotten out of the planet's atmosphere. But Kallus knew that the Shadow Chaser would get out when others couldn't.

"Alex, where are you?"

"I'm on my way. I had to set the self-destruct."

"Hurry! The base is being overrun and we are using the ship's cannons to cover everyone trying to get to their ships. Troopers are already everywhere!"

"I'll be there in just a moment. I'm only another corridor away."

As he ran down the hall, he helped the others who were making their way to the hanger. When another blast rocked the building, it was followed by stormtrooper fire as they filed their way into the corridor. Kallus returned fire as he bent to lift one of the other men who had tripped over fallen debris as he led those around him away from the troopers. As they ran toward the hanger where only the Shadow Chaser and two other transports remained Kallus continued to send random shots behind him to cover their escape.

From the ramp of the ship Zeb and the two women all kept up a continual barrage of weapons' fire to cover those trying to make it to the last of the transports. Rex was using the cannon to shoot at the bucket heads. They were only waiting for Kallus.

"There he is," Zeb shouted. "Kiara, you may want to get up to the cockpit so we can get out of here as soon as he hits the ramp."

Kiara fired off one more shot at a stormtrooper before nodding and turning to head to the cockpit. Wolffe was already up there and had fired up the engines so as soon as Alex set a boot onto the loading ramp the ship was ready to lift off.

Sabine stood with her back against Zeb's as she continued to down the countless supply of enemy soldiers who were trying to crowd their way toward the ship. Where Zeb stood, he watched as Kallus seemed to practically be carrying one of the other rebels who had come out of the main building with him. As the troopers surrounded him with the small group that he'd led out Zeb heard the other man's voice come over the comm unit behind him in the ship.

"Kiara! Raise the ramp. Go!"

Zeb's eyes went wide when he heard that and as the ramp closed with him and Sabine still standing on it, he called for his friend. "Kallus!"

A trooper took the comm device from the man as the rest of his comrades held him and the others that he'd been with at blaster point. The sergeant sent his men to seize control of the nearest transport that still had yet to take off.

Kallus was pushed to his knees with his hands on his head as he looked up toward where the Shadow Chaser took to the sky. He only prayed that it would get past the blockade. When the ship disappeared from view Kallus closed his eyes. He wondered if he'd see the ship, or its owner, again.

He was restrained along with the rest of those who hadn't been able to escape; many served within the Command Center. Kallus glanced around and saw that most of them were lower ranked individuals. The general had been on one of the other transports. A quick glance also told him that he was the highest ranked rebel that the Imperials captured.

Good. That meant that they won't get the information that they had hoped to get from the leadership. He could withstand whatever they did to him. Being able to resist torture had been part of his training within the Imperial Security Bureau. And he had been a very good student.


Kiara sat beside Wolffe and the two worked together as they flew the Shadow Chaser past the Imperial blockade. When the alarms started to go off that the blasts that they were taking on were causing damage she called down to Sabine to ask her to join Tac and help with the repairs.

"Uh... Right. I'll get right on that."

"What was that about?" Wolffe asked since the woman seemed to sound a bit off.

"Who knows. We'll find out after we blast our way out of this system. Start calculating the jump to hyperspace." Kiara continued to do her best to stay a step ahead of the TIE fighters and saw that the transport that had taken off right behind them was hit. The blast must have started a chain reaction as the ship exploded into a fiery ball. She didn't see the second one take off at all. That meant that they were the last ship to make it off of the surface

Wolffe indicated that he was ready, so Kiara put in the last sequence into the computer and when the stars changed their appearance to indicate that they were in hyperspace both of them leaned back into their chairs in relief. Wolffe told Kiara that he'd stay in the cockpit and when they came out of hyperspace after finishing their first jump he'd go ahead and make the second one before they would then head to the rendezvous to join the rest of the cell, or at least those who had made it out.

Kiara nodded and headed back toward the common area where she expected to find her friends. As she headed in that direction, she passed those who lined the corridors who had been assigned to leave out on the Shadow Chaser. She wasn't sure where she could have squeezed in anyone else but if they'd had to, they would have found a way. When she got to the common room she walked in and saw where Zeb had his head in his hands. Rex was sitting beside him, and he had a hand on the Lasat's shoulder.

"Zeb?" When the man lifted his head to face her, she saw a look of utter sorrow. That was when she glanced around. She knew that the ship was packed but she would have expected to see Alexsandr here with Zeb. "Where's Alex?"

Zeb stood and walked over to the young woman and looked at her for a moment before her pulled her toward him to wrap her in a hug. "I'm sorry."

Kiara heard the words, but it took several moments for them to reach her brain. When she registered them, her breath quickened, and her vision blurred. Nearby, the dejarik table smoldered where a fire began. A computer panel behind her in the wall also sparked. The refugees who were crammed into the small space began to move to put out the fire and sparks in confusion.

"He told me he was onboard. I didn't take off until he said-" Kiara whispered into the Lasat's chest as he held tightly onto her.

"He knew you wouldn't, we wouldn't, leave otherwise. But he also knew that he wouldn't be able to get to the ship before we were overrun with troopers."

"He's a deserter. They'll kill him." As she spoke, she felt the dampness leaking from her eyes streaming down her cheeks.

"We're not going to let that happen," Zeb insisted. Would the leadership send in a team, no. But they never let that stop them before. They'd get his friend out. He didn't know how, just yet, but they would.