"Lee Tersu," Denz answered the hologram call of his former crew mate, who he hadn't spoken to since his sentencing on Coruscant for his part in the Hosnian base fire. He had made a point of avoiding the Tersus all together, especially after confessing his feelings for Rya. But it wasn't just Lee and Rya Denz had lost touch with, he had moved on from many of his old rebellion friends at this point in his life. He had nothing against them and thought warmly of them, but his focus was on the Lothal ambassadorship. He finally felt that he was making a difference for his people, and with that responsibility he had no time to live in the past or get caught up in their affairs. As the hologram of his old friend's face flickered into focus, he had to admit his dread gave away to joy at the sight of him. "It's been a while."

"Hello Denz," Lee greeted. From his youthful glow and polished clothes, Lee could clearly see Denz was handling the years much better than him. He felt strange asking for a favor after all these years, especially knowing his friend had never gotten over his feelings for his wife. "I need a favor."

"Funny," Denz said cheekily. "That seems to be the only time I hear from you these days. Or should I say years?"

"I know, I haven't kept in touch, but I could really use your help, '' Lee began. He knew Denz was right. But his focus was on Lenore. "It's my sister."

"The buckethead that sprung us from Coruscant?" Denz asked curiously. He had assumed she was dead due to the destruction of the first death star.

"I found her. Or more so she found us," Lee explained. "We arrested an Imperial Unit for taking hold of an armory. We secured the weapons and the troopers, but Lenore showed up to rescue them. They were her Unit during the Empire."

"Lee," Denz replied solemnly. "That's a punishable offense. You're barely getting out of the hot water you're in now over Hosnian. What do you expect me to do?"

"Remember what she did for us," Lee recalled. "We'd all be dead if it weren't for her. Think of Cassian Andor. She was the one that pointed him toward the Ring of Kafrene. I know it."

"That was a long time ago," Denz reluctantly replied."Good deeds have expiration dates, especially for ex-imperials."

"It's my sister." Lee pleaded. "Please. She's all I've got left."

"I know," Denz acknowledged. "I heard about you and Rya…"

"Then you understand why this means so much to me. And for Prisa. I don't know what will become of me and Rya, but Prisa should have a chance to know her aunt."

He hoped his plea would convince Denz to help. In the past, Rya had always gotten after him to make peace with Lenore but he had been too stubborn to change his mind and had wanted to focus on the rebellion at the time.

"You're lucky I'm your friend Tersu," Denz chuckled slyly. "Cus no one else could pull this off for you."

"No they couldn't. But more importantly they wouldn't," Lee was grateful to hear the familiar cockiness in Denz's voice.

"I'll make the arrangements to have her put under house arrest. Being a Tersu I take it she wouldn't do well in the amnesty program, and being a low ranking buckethead helps with the deferral. Tell Rya to prepare for a prisoner transfer by the end of the week. There will be some documents she'll have to sign," Denz informed. "Lee, does Jules know she's your sister?"

"Yes," Lee admitted. "I'm afraid of what she might do given her track record."

"No telling what that half hinged twi'lek will do these days. Maybe she'll look the other way for you," Denz replied. "I better go. This'll require a lot of paperwork."

"Denz," Lee admitted. There was a long pause. "Thank you."

"Just do me a favor and don't ask me for any more favors from now on," Denz nodded and cut the transmission.

Lee sighed with relief and walked to the holding cell to tell Lenore the good news but found it empty. He quickly entered and looked around. Had she escaped? Where was she?

"If you're looking for your buckethead sister she's not here." Jules said, leaning against the doorway.

"Where is she?" Lee asked, confused. Jules examined her nails pretending not to hear his question. "Answer me."

"I told you, I'm not going to lose what I have left for a loth-rat. Especially an imperial one," Jules remarked.

"Jules! Where's Lenore?"

"Prisa is not a very common name you know. I knew I heard it before when Rya named your kid," Jules continued. "I never was so slow to put two and two together."

"What are you talking about? Where's my sister?" He was annoyed.

"She's being transferred." Jules stood up straight.

"To Lothal? So soon?" Lee asked. "How can that be? I just spoke to Denz."

"She's being taken to a place where real justice can be administered," Jules smirked.

"What have you done?"Lee shoved her against the wall.

"Nothing you haven't done before." Jules said. Lee let her go. There was no time to argue with Jules if he was going to save his sister. He needed help. He turned to leave. "Lee, that buckethead I left to die in mid space aboard the Revenant, she said her name was Prisa Matno."

Lee stopped and realized Jules had crossed paths with Lenore before and judging by her tone it wasn't a pleasant encounter.

"Your sister evaded me once before. I don't intend to make the same mistake twice."

Lee rushed to the main computer and logged in. He scrolled through the entry logs searching for any information of Lenore's whereabouts. Jules had been sloppy in her prisoner analytics before, and Lee was hoping she still was. Any clue could help pinpoint Lenore's location. As he reviewed each entry he realized it was pointless. She had this one off the books and had not updated prisoner information. This was personal to her and it was clear she had no intention in covering her tracks. Lee slammed his fists in frustration. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. What was he going to do?

"Are you a rebel or not? No rebel I know would let a counsel decide his course of action if he knew better. You're a good fighter, Tersu, but you need to look up from your blaster once in a while and see the big picture."

Lee smiled as he could hear Cassian Andor's voice loud and clear in his mind.

"You should forgive your sister."

Lee opened his eyes. He had lost sight of who he was over the years. He had to remember, he was Lee Tersu, a boy from Tarkintown, a fighter, a brother, a husband, a father, a loth-rat, and more importantly a rebel. He knew Jules was unhinged and would never see through the blurred lines of justice she had smudged to satisfy her pain and suffering. If it came down to it, he would need to stop her at all costs. Realizing what he must do, he headed toward the weapons holding cases.

Lee sorted through the supplies only taking what was necessary. He was not planning to return to the NRF. This was his end with New Republic, which did not bother him as much as he thought it would. He disliked the way the Republic was handling many things and felt they were headed down a path that would crumble all that he had fought for. As he finished loading his utility belt and vest he heard footsteps coming toward the holding area.

"What are you doing?" It was Gil. Lee looked at him as he shut the case. He walked around the soldier and logged out of the base's systems."Gees, Lee. What are you doing? Going after the bucketheads?"

"Stay out of it Gil," Lee warned.

"I could have you arrested for this, you know? Taking weapons without authorization is going to extend that military sentence of yours," Gil threatened. "Everyone's been talking about you and the things you did with that twi'lek during and after the war."

Lee rolled his eyes. With all the peace in the galaxy, all these New Republic Force Soldiers could do was talk. They had no point of reference of what needed to be done in times of war. He wondered for a moment what Saw Gerrera would have thought of the new soldiers. Probably nothing flattering.

"Did you hear me Tersu! Stop this instance or I will report you!" Gil shouted and then fell silent as Lee pointed his blaster at him. "Loth-rat."

"Get in the holding cell," Lee calmly commanded. Gil followed orders as Lee kept his blaster pointed at the young soldier. "All those things Jules and I did, we did them for the Rebellion. And others did far more. But I won't bore you with their names since your soft mind wouldn't be able to fathom what it takes to survive a war. You wear that uniform with that New Republic patch because others did the things you can't and won't ever be able to do. Show a little respect to the veterans that have sacrificed for you. All this is because of us...and sadly I think you'll lose it from the look of things…"

With that Gil lowered his head in disgrace. Lee lowered his blaster, activated the shield barrier and left. He was going rogue.


There was no telling how long Lee had until the NRF noticed one of the speeders was missing or that Gil had been locked away in a holding cell. He made his way away from the base and followed the single file track toward a wooded area. The tracks were most likely made by Unit-56 as the length of the strides appeared as though they had been running. Within a few more meters Lee came to a clearing where a medium size ship had been parked. Pulling over he examined the area and found the ship had left an oil spot on the grass. This meant it was most likely in need of repairs, or was a piece of junk that was on its last job and intended to be disposed of after the prison break.

Lee took out a small data pad and began to search for nearby garages. Numerous listings populated his search, all had a New Republic Commerce seal of approval except for two. One was out of business and the other was listed as Jin and Cruv's Garage. Lee had a hunch that this was the place he was looking for. He smiled and shook his head wondering what awaited at the garage his sister must have struck a deal with.

At first glance, the garage appeared to be your typical everyday business. But at a closer examination he could see the place was barely scraping by from the discarded spare droid parts, unwashed flooring, and a few broken windows. As he made his way toward the front entrance he found more parts, wires, half finished engines, oil cans, and anything else you could imagine a jawa would be ecstatic to get their hands on.

"Hello!" Lee called out.

There was no reply. He had to be careful. If Unit-56 was here he knew they were armed and potentially dangerous. How could he convince them he was there to help Lenore before being shot on the spot? He didn't have the best track record for sibling support, and he wondered if Lenore had ever told them about their past on Lothal.

He took a deep breath and reached for the handle of the front door. To his surprise discovered it was unlocked. He entered the hangar to find his next surprise of the day. Before him was a familiar GAT-12h Skipray ship. It was Kina Arde's ship the Revenant, or at least what was left of it. It had clearly been modified with parts from Imperial Ships.

That's not Kina. She'd never go for those imperial era modifications in the thrusters, Jules had said on Hosnian, which meant Kina Arde was dead. Perhaps that was the bad blood between Lenore and Jules. Unable to piece the story together, Lee continued to the office that was located behind the ship.

Lee could see through the observation window of the office, Unit-56 was with a Rodian couple, Jin and Cruv. He subtly entered the doorway and caught the tail end of their conversation.

"Where? Can we intercept her in time?" a trooper with a blaster scorch on his shoulder armor asked. His helmet was off. Lee recognized him as Rol Gwyer from Commander Monn's report. The other two troopers were Civ and Besa, examining the schematics of the base and planning their rescue mission. It was nice to know this group of bucketheads cared enough not to leave his sister behind, which was more than he had done in the past.

"Not sure if we need to. Last information here says she was headed to Lothal,"the lead trooper Harillo Rathos said. He was tall, dark, and handsome. Lee immediately disliked him but not for his good looks. He could sense this man had taken his place in Lenore's life. He spoke with urgency yet protectiveness when he said she. For that he was grateful but also jealous. He was her blood, and no surrogate brother, no matter how well intentioned, was going to stop him from helping.

"No," Lee finally stepping out of the doorway and into the room prepared to join the heist or be shot. "She's not."

"Who are you?! How'd you get back here?" the female Rodian Jin demanded to know. "Did you tell G-3PO to lock the door?"

"Yes," the male Rodian Cruv responded, shaking his head. "He must have forgot with all the excitement."

"Droids, can't count on them for nothing," remarked Civa. Lee did not acknowledge the prejudice nor did he defend the droid. He continued.

"I need your help. Lenore needs your help," Lee said calmly but with a sour taste in his mouth. It was hard for him to ask former Imperials for help. He felt as though he had walked into a Rancor pit.

"I ought to shoot you where you stand. Just the same way you shot her." Harillo said, slowly approaching until he was standing eye to eye with Lee. He could feel the hatred this man carried for him even though he didn't know him.

"You could. But it won't help her now." Lee said sternly, trying his best to negotiate. "I tried my way and failed."

"Rebels," Civa scuffed again. Besa nudged him to be quiet.

"My partner has her being transferred off-world," Lee informed.

"Off-world where?" Rol asked concerned.

"I am not sure," Lee admitted. "But once she leaves Gascon we won't be able to find her. We need to act quickly or-"

"Master Cruv the intel on Mistress Lenore is being transmitted in. She's been spotted in the eighth sector loading docks." the protocol droid G-3PO entered the room and looked around at the tense room as he made his announcement. "Goodness gracious me. What did I miss?"

"Glad to know protocol droids are still good for something." Civa got up and put his helmet on. Besa followed him and headed toward the ship as Rol collected their weapons from Jin. And with that Lee knew he had missed his chance sending him into a panic.

"Wait! Where are you all going? We don't even have a plan. You have no idea what you're up against." Lee said.

"We know enough." Harillo turned back and stopped Lee from following them aboard. "We know you left her. But we won't. You were her brother. Her family."

"I still am." Lee stated.

"No," Harillo said and put his helmet on. "We are. And we're going to do whatever it takes to save her."

Lee stood frustrated and at a loss for words when he spotted Kina's astrodroid R3 beep in agreement with Harillo and quickly rolled past G-3PO onto the ship. The ramp raised and within a matter of seconds Unit 56 was gone. Lee's heart sank as he had no other plan. He had finally lost. He failed Lenore the way he had failed his mother, his father, and sadly now that he had left the NRF he had failed Rya and Prisa. All he had done, all he had fought for, sacrificed, all of it amounted to him alone in a run down garage with strangers. He turned around and looked at Cruv and Jin, who clearly had no idea Lenore had a brother. Jin placed her hand on Lee's shoulder and asked, "How can we help?"

"What's the use…" Lee said, taking a seat without invitation. "It's hopeless…"

"Never lose hope," Jin said with a smile. Lee looked up into the Rodian in disbelief. He felt as though his father was being channeled through her. But how could one still hope? Cruv walked over to his computer and unlocked a panel covering and keyed in a sequence before pushing a button.

"Code Deliverance, Calling all available posts and standbys," Cruv said over his network speaker. "Repeat Code Deliverance, all available posts and standbys are needed."

Within a few moments the computer screen projected a map of the core, mid, and outer rim planets. Small green markers began to flicker in response to the call for help. It was some sort of group. Were they an underground network? An alliance? Lee examined the screen as more green markers appeared.

"What is this?" Lee said in amazement.

"The forgotten," Cruv explained. "It's a network your sister started after the fall of the Empire. Started small with intercepting Slaver Freighters and expanded to what you see here."

Lee looked over the map, he was taken aback and the area and number of contacts that appeared.

"Use to be more before the accident," Jin chimed in. "Lenore lost her partner during a job and it took her a year to make it back to the main base. Decided we were getting too big and attracting the wrong sort of attention. So she disbanded it. But the majority of us keep it going, unofficially."
"What's Code Deliverance?" Lee asked. Jin and Cruv exchanged looks. They realized Lee had no idea what Lenore had been up to in past years.

"It's a pact. We all pledged we'd come together for Lenore if she ever needed it. It's the least we can do after she gave us all a second chance," Cruv explained.

"Second chance huh," Lee chuckled. "I could use one of those."

"Come," Jin motioned for him to follow. "I'll fill you in as much as I can. We got a u-wing you can use. Cruv, send coordinates for the others to meet on the north side of Gascon. Most likely those bucketheads are going to make a run for it but'll get forced toward the New Republic blockade."

"Yes ma'am," Cruv smiled and typed curiously away on the computer. Lee followed Jin to A UT-60D U-wing starfighter in the back of the garage.

"She doesn't look like much but she'll get the job done," Jin said.

"Thanks," Lee said as he prepped the cockpit.

"Good luck, you're gonna need it," Jin replied.

"Hey… I'm Lee Tersu,"Lee introduced himself sheepishly.

"Nice to meet you Lee,"Jin said. "May the force be with you."