Hello all! Okay, here is the update. I had a really hard time with this chapter, so I hope it doesn't disappoint. Next chapter will be the last chapter!
Moomkin - Julia is still a bit of an enigma even to me. I think she has some secrets that I'll dig up eventually, but she's staying a little tight-lipped right now!
Rabbit887 - Ha! Good question. You'll find out this chapter!
Dragunz - You are 100% right on the com silence from Ezra, Sabine and Kanan. I mean, they have got their hands full! As for wanting to know more about Kallus' integration into Fulcrum...oh man, you sent me down so many rabbit holes! I've always wondered the same though. They really glossed over that part, but I think it was mainly to get that 'wow' reveal when we finally learned Kallus was Fulcrum. Still, an episode explaining his path from ISB agent to Fulcrum agent would have been super cool! I'll keep my fingers crossed that they explore this more in the next season.
Lynn Friedman-kinsey - I have not a lot of idea how panels would work in cases like this. I just kind of winged it and liked the setup, so I kept going! I'm glad you've been enjoying it. I was really taking a bit of a shot in the dark!
Mistress Malica - Hopefully this chapter starts to show a different side of Kallus to the panel! Enjoy!
Kaytori - Good question! If I recall correctly, it was Tarkin who told the Inquisitor that Kanan was 'no good to them dead.'
Meiji no Pan - Lol. Why thank you! I'm glad you are enjoying the story! And thank you very much for the May the 4th glory. *grins*
Cheion - Aw, poor Kallus. They were mean to him, but *sighs* he did do a lot of very bad things. I do love rooting for him though. I'm glad you like Julia. I hesitated to have so many original characters in this story, but it was too hard to have a court scene and not write some new characters in.
The panel reconvened, but Julia did not take her seat at the back of the room. Instead, a seventh chair had been positioned at the front table for her. Noting Hera and Zeb's lack of surprise, Kallus could only assume they had already been made aware of the elder woman's role on the panel.
"I believe," Julia said, smile in place, eyes set on Kallus, "the panel would like to hear from Orrelios Garazeb. He has much to tell us about a certain Geonosis moon."
Zeb shifted in his seat, his expression guarded, and Kallus had to wonder how the Lasat would choose to describe their time stranded together. It would, after all, be hard to justify defending someone who'd just freely admitted to so many atrocities.
After a brief hesitation, Zeb spoke of his encounter with Kallus on the Imperial construction module in orbit around Geonosis. He explained how Kallus followed him to the escape pod, and how their fight within the pod, after its launch, had damaged the navigation system–causing them to crash land in an ice cavern on the Geonosis moon. Briefly, he mentioned Kallus' injured leg and how he'd easily had the upper hand over the agent, but fighting when his opponent was at an obvious disadvantage would have been dishonorable.
The story felt detached and practiced, as if the Lasat had repetitively rehearsed in preparation.
Admittedly, it stung to hear Zeb so dispassionately speak of their time together on the ice moon, but, perhaps, Kallus considered, he'd seen a comradeship where Zeb had not. The hurt that lone musing brought surprised him immensely.
Pulling himself from his thoughts, Kallus noticed the courtroom was silent. Looking up, he found the Lasat studying him. Kallus straightened, realizing he'd been slouching, gazing absently at his own interlaced hands resting on the table before him.
For a moment, the two just stared at each other. Kallus could feel Zeb assessing him, gauging him. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Garazeb's expression softened.
The Lasat began his story again, but the words were no longer planned and polished. He fumbled through his thoughts, expressing them in a jumbled mess, but there was emotion.
He spoke of the bitter cold and the glowing meteorite they used for warmth, and how they had discussed both Lasan and Onderon. Zeb's voice was gravelly but steady as he told of how they had stopped bickering and listened to each other, taking the time to hear of past pain and regret. Kallus had apologized for what had happened on Lasan, stating that it wasn't supposed to have been a massacre, and Zeb, for his part, believed him.
Zeb assured the panel that only by working together had they been able to escape from the bowels of the ice cave and the ravenous Bonzami dwelling there, and, once free of the layers of ice, they were able to radio for help.
Julia arched a brow, faint smile in place. "The Ghost crew received the distress signal and was the first to arrive, but, why didn't you take Kallus as a prisoner? Why leave him alone, possibly to die, on the ice moon? You denied the Rebellion a great resource by not taking him captive."
A protective twinge arose in Kallus. This was his trial. Julia had no right to put Zeb on the spot. The Lasat was not there to be judged.
"There was nothing lost because of my choice," Zeb replied gruffly. "We could have taken Kallus then, but I doubt he would've told us anything. Instead, I let him decided his fate. He'd earned that, and, in the end, he supported the Rebellion far more as a free man than as a captive."
Julia nodded, "Thank you Orrelios Garazeb. That was all I wished to ask you."
Letting out a low huff, Zeb leaned back in his chair before he looked to Kallus and gave a tentative smile.
For his part, Kallus returned the smile but faltered as he caught sight of Hera. She was studying Zeb, as if uncertainty plagued her, as if she were questioning his defense of Kallus.
"Hearing of your time on the ice moon with Orrelios Garazeb was most enlightening," Fae Saas said, taking over the questioning, "But I still cannot clearly see your path from that ice moon to where you sit now. Tell me, how exactly did you become a Fulcrum agent?"
"It was…complicated," Kallus frowned. "Not long after Zeb and I escaped from the ice moon, I was contacted by an agent of Fulcrum."
"Why?" The Mon Calamari asked. "Even you can admit that such contact would deem too great a risk, so why would they contact you?"
Kallus shrugged. "They had apparently heard how Garazeb and I had worked together on the Geonosis moon, and they hoped that meant I had a change of heart about the Rebellion."
"Had you?"
"Not exactly," he replied, "but, after my time with Garazeb, I was considerably more open to listening to what this agent had to say–without immediately reporting them to the Empire."
"And, what did this agent of Fulcrum want?" Fae asked.
"They had an operative cornered in a Lothal mining operation and needed to get them offplanet. Having exhausted all other options, I was their last resort."
"So," Fae started, her large eyes scanning him carefully, "you agreed to aid in this rescue, but why? Were you planning on trying to capture the Fulcrum agent?"
"It had crossed my mind," Kallus answered. "Their transmission could not be traced with any accuracy. So, if I wanted to either join or attempt to capture this agent, my best option was to assist in the rescue."
Fae gave a faint scowl, her features oddly contorting in confusion. "As you joined that mission to rescue the operative, your loyalties were undecided?"
Kallus nodded. The capture of the Fulcrum agent certainly would have been a boon to his military career, but he couldn't deny wanting to escape the coldness he felt in his rank in the Empire. He found himself longing for those more personal attachments he'd afforded himself in his youth–the sort of attachments that seemed plentiful in the Rebellion.
"Tell me," Fae Saas said, "about this mission."
"It had been simple enough," Kallus began, his thoughts wandering back to that day. "I had gone to the mine on Lothal and found the operative. They were disguised as a Stormtrooper but couldn't get around checkpoints without raising suspicion. By taking the operative on as my escort as I inspected the facilities, I was easily able to get them past the checkpoints and onto my private shuttle. From there, under the guise that I had personal business to attend to on Coruscant, we proceeded to our rendezvous with a rebel ship."
Fae Saas gave a thoughtful little hum, as if contemplating Kallus' story. "And you went by yourself to meet with these rebels? How did you know they wouldn't take you prisoner?"
"I did not know." It had been a gamble, but Kallus had felt it was well worth the intel he could gather in that one encounter. "Since Garazeb did not take me prisoner on the ice moon, I decided to place some trust in this Fulcrum agent, but I still came armed."
"You returned the operative and met with the agent," Fae said, "but we don't have any data on this meeting. Can we assume this encounter was when you agreed to join Fulcrum?"
"No, not right then," Kallus replied. "I was offered the chance, but I turned it down. I was given contact information, in case I reconsidered."
"I do not understand." Fae muttered. "You were trusted with Fulcrum contact information, given the opportunity to feed the Rebellion false information, and you simply returned to your Imperial duty but made no report of this rebel activity to your superiors in the Empire. I find myself wondering why this Fulcrum agent trusted you so, and why you chose to hold on to this information and finally join the ranks of Fulcrum when you did."
Kallus considered what the Mon Calamari had said. He could understand how his decision to join the Rebellion seemed rather convoluted. Quite frankly, he was still a bit baffled as to how he came to the decision he had. Of course, his time with Garazeb on the Geonosis moon had started him down the path, but there was someone else who'd pushed him over the edge.
He looked to Julia, suspecting they had a common ally–someone who was fond of holding people to their word.
The mischievous smile on the old woman's face was all the answer Kallus needed.
Brusquely, Julia motioned for a guard to step forward, and she handed something to him. "Perhaps this holo recording will answer a few of your questions, Saas."
None of the panel members protested as the guard loaded the holo chip, although Tadia Hentz cast a blistering glare in Julia's direction.
The holo image flickered, distorted at first, but then the unmistakable figure emerged.
Standing tall, firm, the holo of Asoka Tano faced the panel.
"I have just met with Agent Kallus." Ahsoka smiled softly. "He returned an operative to me today. I spoke with Kallus for a long while. I sensed in him a desire to do good, and I believe he would work harder for our cause than we could have ever imagined–than even he could imagine." She paused, smile fading, sadness marring her face. "During his time with the Empire he has done terrible things, and I sense his shame and grief mounting as his awareness of those wrongs grows. The dark side had a hold of him for so long, but I have to believe there is hope for one to escape that darkness…no matter how far they've fallen into it. There has to be hope." Ahsoka's gaze scanned the room, as if she could see everyone there. "I sense something coming, something that I fear will cause the Rebellion to lose me. If that is the case, we will need skilled rebel agents to fill in the void of my departure. Though he has yet to agree to take the title of Fulcrum, I believe Kallus will become a vital part of our Rebellion if we give him the chance."
Abruptly, the image cut out. The guard stepped forward, retrieved the holo chip and gave it back to Julia. With the exception of the lone guard, everyone kept still, silent.
"The agent you met with was Ahsoka Tano?" Fae Saas asked at last. "Why did you not tell us this?"
Kallus left the question unanswered, uncertain he could give a satisfactory response. He knew mentioning Ahsoka would have worked in his favor, but there had been too much of their meeting Kallus had been asked to hold in confidence.
He'd found it humorous at the time that someone so respected in the Rebellion was asking an ISB agent to keep her secrets, but, as he listened, as he found himself willingly answering her questions, he knew he would not betray her.
Ahsoka had a calmness about her, an air of tranquility, and, once he allowed himself to listen, to stop viewing her as a rebel combatant or threat, Kallus felt his own overwhelming anger, fear and guilt still.
They had talked for hours. She tried to persuade him to join the Rebellion, but he would not consent so quickly. It was too large of a decision to make lightly. She had been disappointed but said she understood.
Then, Ahsoka had started to speak of her hopes, dreams and fears. Eventually, she'd maneuvered the conversation so that Kallus was telling his as well. It could have been a Jedi mind trick, but he found that he didn't care if it was. It had been pleasant to talk so freely, to speak his mind without fear or anger clouding his words.
They talked for length about the Empire. Ultimately though, Ahsoka's questions revolved around one man. She had many questions about Vader…
Fae cleared her throat, calling Kallus' attention back to her. "When did you begin transmitting as Fulcrum?" She asked, clearly understanding her other questions would receive no answer.
"After I heard of what happened on Malachor. The reports indicated that Ahsoka had been killed, but," he paused, feeling a sad smile forming, "there have been many false reports of rebel deaths in the past. It wasn't until I noted the decline in the Rebellion's precision attacks, in supply raids, that I felt certain Ahsoka and her intelligence gathering skills were truly lost to your cause."
"So," Fae's voice softened. "You began your transmissions."
"It was minor information at first," he replied. "I still hadn't convinced myself that I could make the leap from Imperial to rebel, but Garazeb had challenged me to search for answers behind the Empire's actions, and what I found…" He trailed off and then looked up to meet the Mon Calamari's gaze. "I made my choice, and I'm here now."
Stromgald Sypikne suddenly spoke up."You were the one who sent the information about the cadets at the Imperial Skystrike Academy who wished to defect?" After asking the question, Stromgald looked to Fae Saas. Obviously the man had spoken out of turn, but the Mon Calamari gave a faint smile and nodded.
"Yes," Kallus answered, "I'd hoped the rebels would be able to get them out before the investigation began, but that was not the case."
"During the investigation," Stromgald said, "you noticed Sabine Wren amongst the cadets, and you aided her and the defecting cadets in their escape of the facility?"
"I only bought them some time and gave Sabine a little information on the safest route to take, she did the rest."
Picking up his datapad, Stromgald silently read over some information, his hand absentmindedly rubbing at his stubbled chin.
"And, on another occasion," Stromgald began, "you informed us of the new weapon being built at the Imperial Armory Complex on Lothal. Later, you helped Ezra Bridger and Kanan Jarrus escape from the complex with the plans for the new Starfighter, correct?"
"Yes, it was…" Kallus went silent as he noted the green light flashing on the holoprojector–indicating an incoming transmission.
Quickly, a guard was up to answer it and the blue holo image flickered into view. It was Ezra.
Hera was instantly on her feet, her chair loudly scrapping against the floor. "Where are Sabine and Kanan?" She demanded, earning herself a glare from several panel members.
"Not here," Ezra answered, fidgeting slightly, "but they're safe. We've just been…uh…really busy. So, I don't have a lot of time–sorry."
Jaw clenched, eyes fixed on Ezra, Hera hesitantly sat down. Kallus could tell the Twi'lek wanted to ask more, that she couldn't contain her worry, but Tomas Dryer spoke first.
"Thank you for contacting us," Dryer replied, his one good eye watching Hera's reaction. Seemingly satisfied that the Twi'lek would not have another outburst, he continued. "We understand your situation and know it was probably very difficult to find the time to answer our questions."
"But it is important," Ezra answered.
Kallus studied the young man a moment, impressed at how far he'd come. He held himself like a Jedi now, standing tall and firm but with no feel of threat or arrogance. Kanan had done well.
"Could you tell us about your mission to extract Kallus from the Empire?" Dryer asked.
Ezra gave a faint nod. "We'd learned that Kallus' Fulcrum transmissions were being monitored by the Empire. They knew of a spy presence and, in a matter of time, would find him. So I disguised myself and stole a shuttle, hoping to get captured and make contact with Kallus. AP-5 and Chopper came with me. They posed as droids that had been taken with the stolen shuttle."
"A risky endeavor," Tomas mused, "and not one that went according to plan, correct?"
"I was transferred to the Chimaera, Grand Admiral Thrawn's ship, but, fortunately, I hadn't been recognized, and Kallus had obtained Lieutenant Yogar Lyste's code cylinder so he was able to move more freely around the ship without detection. He was then able to free me."
"And what did you do then?"
Ezra sighed. "I wanted to get off the Chimaera as fast as possible, but Kallus said that Thrawn had a star chart with potential planet locations of our rebel base, and the Grand Admiral was rapidly narrowing the search. It was only a matter of time before he'd find us."
"So, Kallus convinced you to go to this chart and show him where our rebel base was? Did that not seem suspicious to you?"
"I'm not going to lie, I really wasn't sure if I could trust him. I mean, there were a lot of lives at stake and we haven't exactly always had a great history with Kallus." Ezra glanced over at Kallus, giving a small apologetic shrug. "But, when we got to Thrawn's office and I saw the chart, Kallus was right. It was only a matter of time before the Chopper Base would be found. I didn't have a lot of options but to trust him."
"You altered the star chart and then proceeded to the shuttle bay to escape. Kannan and Rex were to be waiting?"
Ezra nodded. "Yeah, we made it to the shuttle bay. Kallus had somehow managed to convince Lieutenant Lyste that Pryce was the rebel spy, so as she tried to capture Kanan and Rex, who were disguised as Stormtroopers, Lyste mistakenly thought she was attacking actual troopers. Lyste took Pryce down in front of a full Imperial audience, and, in the guise of helping Pryce, Kallus was able to get close enough to slip Lyste's code cylinder back into the Lieutenant's pocket."
"So, Lyste was implicated as the rebel spy? Is that why Kallus stayed behind?"
"He said he could do more good for us from within the Empire."
"Did you believe him?"
"Yes," Ezra replied, no hesitation. "I could feel his determination, his hope, but…" He paused, brow furrowing. "There was loss too. It was like he knew that was probably his last chance to get away from the Empire. I could feel that loss grow as our shuttle pulled away."
"Do you think that…" Dryer went silent as Ezra's attention snapped away to something out of the projector's range.
"They're where?" Ezra's voice was raised, but far from panicked. "Tell them we are on our way." He turned back to face the panel. "I've got to go. Things have…uh…come up."
"Ezra," Hera's tone was commanding, demanding answers.
The young man looked to Hera, a tight smile in place. "Everything will be fine. We've got this." He turned, bending over, as if to cut the transmission, but then he paused. "I wasn't sure about Kallus at first. I really didn't think we could trust him. There had been too many times he'd put me and the rest of my crew in danger. He'd hunted us and found any way he could to make our lives miserable." Ezra looked up, eyes scanning the panel members. "And then he changed. It was hard to believe at first, but he kept helping us, feeding us information. There were so many times he could have betrayed us, gotten the upper hand, but he didn't." Ezra took a deep breath, face set in determination. "I didn't realize at first what Kallus' defection meant, but, as I thought about it more, I found a new hope. We've had people defect from the Empire before, but never so high in rank. What we decide now with Kallus sets the tone for other high ranking members of the Empire who wish to leave."
Without another word, Ezra bent down and fiddled with something and the holo imaged flickered off.
Kallus sat, feeling slightly dazed. He'd not expected Ezra to so deftly defend him.
Then, Rin Proga asked Kallus to tell them of his capture, of how Chopper Base was discovered, and of his escape.
Kallus started with how he'd spied on Thrawn's meeting with Pryce, and how he'd found out that Thrawn knew about the upcoming attack on Lothal. Leaving nothing out, he kept taking until he was telling them of how the Ghost had latched on to his escape pod. Much to his embarrassment, Julia mentioned there was a medical report on his injuries from his capture that everyone had access to on their datapads, and the room was silent for a few moments as they studied the report.
"So, looking back, do you think you should have left with Bridger when he came to extract you?" Tadia Hentz asked.
Kallus considered the question, allowing himself the time to plot the chain of events that would have unfolded had he gone with Ezra.
"I did underestimate Thrawn," he said at last. "That was a mistake, but whether I went with Ezra when he came to extract me or I stayed, the Empire would have cornered the rebel fleet. Perhaps Chopper Base would have remained hidden for a while longer, but the attack on Lothal would have been a devastating loss for the rebels. I stayed because I thought it was where I could best serve the Rebellion and…" He paused, swallowing hard, trying to ease the tension building in his throat. "…I was afraid. I did not think I would find a place amongst the rebels. I did not think you would accept me. I felt it was better to use up all the resources I had, and, when the time came, the Empire would end me as I had ended lives for it."
Kallus allowed himself a deep sigh. It was all out now. He had no more to say. Mentally and physically, he felt drained.
"I believe we are done," Julia announced, "Kallus, the guards will take you back to your room while we deliberate. Zeb, you are excused to leave, and, Hera, please stay. We would like to have a few words with you."
The urge to question why Hera was to stay arose in Kallus, but, as one of the guards settled a hand on his shoulder, encouraging him to rise and follow, he decided to remain quiet. He no longer had a say in what was to take place. His only role now was to wait and accept whatever outcome the panel decided upon.
He stood up and followed the guards, allowing himself one glance back at Hera and Zeb. They were engaged in a conversation, but their voices were lost amongst the chatter coming from the panel members. Neither looked over as Kallus exited the courtroom.
The walk back to his room felt longer than before. When they arrived, one of the guards offered to fetch Kallus' meal, but he declined. He was not hungry. He only wanted to lie down, close his eyes and drift into a blissful abyss.
Surprisingly, sleep came to him quickly, and it was hard to shake off when, hours later, one of the guards woke him. Groggy, Kallus blinked, staring up at the young man.
The guard looked tired but was otherwise keeping an impassive expression. "They're ready for you."
Kallus nodded and stood, ready to follow, ready to find out what his fate would be.