Starkiller's Rebellion
A Brighter Hope
Chapter One
The Rouge Shadow dropped out of hyperspace and instantly cloaked. Inside two figures carefully took in the scene before them.
Juno gritted her teeth, "We're too late."
"I'm not so sure about that," her companion, Galen/Starkiller remarked. He pointed at the Star Destroyer. "Get closer and underneath. Let's see what they've got."
Shrugging, Juno did so, wincing at the sight of the Tantive VI's damage. "Looks extensive. It also seems like their still searching. Can the crew really hold out that long?"
"No, the fighting is over," Starkiller answered. "Vader's on board, and so is the Princess. I can't tell much beyond that, or Vader will know we're here."
"Wait," Juno muttered, looking closer. "One of the escape pods is missing. Imperial gunners would have destroyed it on sight, unless it wasn't carrying any life forms."
Starkiller thought for a moment before saying, "Let's assume, for a moment, that there were no life forms aboard that pod. Why would you jettison it?"
"Something valuable inside," Juno answered, working with his line of thought.
"So lets say that our Princess puts something valuable inside."
"The Death Star Plans. But she said she wanted to recruit General Obi-Wan Kenobi to plan the offensive. So why send it down if it's not going to reach him? Self preservation?"
"No," Starkiller shook his head. "She's smarter than that. She'd make sure someone got the plans to him in case she was captured and couldn't retrieve the plans herself."
"Not to mention that Vader would figure it out and head down there and retrieve them," Juno agreed. Inspiration struck her and she turned toward her partner. "Droids."
Though she couldn't see his face, she could tell when the realization hit Starkiller as well. "Clever," he remarked. "Droids would fit the bill perfectly. They would not register as life forms, so Imperial gunners would think the escape pod was malfunctioning. They would also be able to leave the pod after impact to deliver the plans to General Kenobi." An alarm rang and he started. "Detection?"
"Negative," Juno replied, checking the readouts. "Landing craft. Looks like Vader's on to them as well."
"Land in the outskirts of Mos Eisley and find a cheep room to stay in," Starkiller told her as she powered up and headed down to the planet. "If I can't intercept the droids before the Empire, maybe you can. Once the thugs know those droids are hot, they'll start looking, and flapping their jaws at the local bar."
"Or whatever they've got instead," Juno chuckled. "What about Proxy?"
"That could be a problem," Starkiller mused. "He'd be helpful both keeping guard of the ship and disguising himself as a Stormtrooper to infiltrate their operations."
"I'll go in first," Juno said. "If things get hot, I'll trade him."
They landed without a hiccup, and Juno quickly donned some obscure trader's robes with a hood while Starkiller wrapped strips of cloth around the parts of his armor that were more vulnerable to sand. As they stepped out into the desert planet and prepared to go their separate ways, she quickly turned and placed a quick kiss on his mask.
"For luck. You look more like a Tuskan Raider than a Sith Master," she remarked.
Beneath his helmet, Galen Marek smiled. Turning towards a small swoop bike they had pulled out of the cargo hold, he climbed on and hit the throttle, roaring off into the desert.