I know it's been a long time. My apologies for the hiatus... Real life got in the way and will get in the way in the future as well. Updates will remain at odd times, but I have the story planned out so it'll be easier for me to write. I hope you'll like the chapter (and if you do, make sure to leave a review).

Thanks DeltaCortis, WeylandCorp 4, The Hope Lions, Sktheiss, SiriuslyPink, Laddy-Daddy, Anon and SernaJ for leaving a review last chapter! I highly appreciate every kind of feedback you give me and it helps me motivate myself to write.


- CHAPTER TWO -

"Ah, the lady of the house has finally arrived."

"Who are you?"

"My name is James Wright. I am with the Imperial Security Bureau."

"What is your business here?"

"I am here to take you in for suspicion of conspiracy against the Empire."

.

.

Little could be said about what it was like to be a stormtrooper on the planet of Tatooine. There was a small outpost on the edge of the city of Mos Eisley, yet for years, it hadn't been occupied by the Imperials for more times than the regular inspections—which usually happened twice a month or more, depending on the reports that were sent out concerning the crime in and around the city. Troop Commander Levy or SN-58 as his superiors would sometimes call him, had been responsible for most of those reports or rather, the lack of information those reports contained. Just enough to avoid suspicion and too little suggest that they'd need reinforcements.

At hindsight, Levy found this behavior unfitting of his station, yet who could blame him? Those Academy officers knew little of how it was to be an armored stormtrooper on a desert planet where smugglers and scoundrels like the Hutts reigned supreme. The trouble he and his men had to go through just to not have their armor dysfunction thanks to the sand was unbearable.

Not to mention this heat. Unlike M-218F and KJ-17, who had both grown up and trained at a planet with similar conditions, Levy was not accustomed to what it was like to live on a planet with two suns. In fact, he was used to something entirely different; the planet of Gorn, where the conditions were rough and the planet's rotation and location made it so it was always dark and cold.

While he had been taught to completely abandon all forms of nationalization, he still looked back to it sometimes to remind himself how foolish he had been to think a planet with two suns was better than a planet with none.

Levy loathed this heat and the heat loathed him. While some would say the white armor reflected the sun, it was still an extra layer on his skin. What people seemed to forget was the thick and black jumpsuit stormtroopers had to wear underneath. A suit of torture, that's what it was.

So, when there were no inspections, he and his men had chosen to not wear them at all. At first, he had been surprised at how different the people seemed to approach him then, even though they still knew he was with the Empire. It was as if they suddenly realized that they were in fact also humans, like them. Just with different backgrounds and training. They had affiliated themselves with the locals and the locals had affiliated themselves with them.

And the criminals? They were looked over, ignored. Only the crimes that were in sight and impossible to overlook were fought against, but even then, if the criminal had an affiliation with the Hutts, they usually got away with it with a warning.

It was corrupt and when he had first been stationed here, Levy had fought against it with all his heart. The critique he had received, from his superiors no less, were enough to set anyone off course.

It was as if the Empire didn't want to fight them.

After almost a year of being stationed here, Levy had learned to live with it, so he could at least enjoy his time here like any other human would.

Yet now, also that came to an end.

"I heard your squadron has found the Rebel insurgents. Is this true, SN-58?" His superior officer, Lieutenant Ward asked. She had been sent here merely days ago, together with the Annihilator. Her presence, together with the Scout squadrons and ground vehicles, had been a rather unwelcome surprise.

Levy felt his face harden underneath his helmet. It felt almost alien on his head. "Yes, ma'am. They were careless looking for a transport in a place like Anchorhead. They know little about the area, clearly."

"Only yes or no will suffice, Trooper." It was the incorrect way to call a Troop Commander—it would be either Commander, Platoon Leader or the full Troop Commander—yet Levy felt himself in no position to correct her. After all, he had lost all credibility to call himself that after his behavior here.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Where are they now?"

"We've got them locked up in their cells."

"Get them out of there."

"Ma'am?" He asked, confused.

"Tell your men to set up a public execution range. The citizens of this godforsaken planet have lived irresponsibly for too long. They need to know what happens to those that rebel against the Empire." That was a line he had heard too much these last few days. They wanted to oppress the citizens, yet left the criminal practices alone? It all seemed too inconsistent to him, yet he knew who was responsible for the sudden change.

"The Grand Moff has ordered this?"

"Do as you're told, Trooper, or I will have someone else do it for you," Lieutenant Ward answered coolly, completely ignoring his question. There was no respect in her voice. Then again, what was new.

He saluted and left the station. His men were there to wait for his command. Levy knew that they were as unhappy with the situation as he was. At least M-218F—or Chris as everyone called him—was. He didn't have to see his face to know that.

"What are our orders, sir?" JK-60 asked when Levy didn't speak immediately. He was better known to them as Jack. Jack had only been with them for a month and was perhaps the one who was the happiest with the reinforcements. However quick to adapt, there was still too much of the Military Academy in him. It removed all individual thoughts from his mind, like all stormtroopers were taught to do.

Commander Levy had hated it at first, yet now he realized that it had been jealousy—it was so much easier to be able to follow a command without questioning it. How much he wanted to be able to act like that again.

"The Rebels are to be executed. We're supposed to make a show of it, so others can see it as well. I want you, Gary, Reed and Breaker to set up a range. Platoon 3 and 4 should make sure all the citizens are present during the execution. I want you, Chris, to get word through to them to make sure they do their job. Sten—," some of his men snickered and Levy realized his mistake. "SN-40," he corrected himself, "you are with me."

"What will we do?" Stench asked. It was a nickname he hadn't been able to get rid of, if only because SN-40 hadn't been able to think of a different name himself.

"We'll help Platoon 2 get ready to take the prisoners to the range on my command."

Everyone went to their stations, yet next to Stench, another Trooper remained. "Yes, Chris?"

"Are we really gonna let them take command like this?"

Levy took a sharp breath, something he knew his men were able to hear thanks to his helmet's amplifiers. He didn't care. "SN-40, you can go ahead. I'll follow you later."

"Yes, sir."

Commander Levy waited until he was out of sight, before speaking again. "Chris, I know you would rather be with your new family, but we have duties now. Have you forgotten or are you that eager to abandon our cause already?"

"The Stormtrooper Corps is my life," Chris defended himself, "but I don't want to choose between that and Ilene." Ilene was Chris' wife, who he had been married to for four months now. Levy knew more about her than Chris himself, if only because of the amount of time he spoke of her when they were off-duty.

"I'm not asking that of you."

"Making her watch an execution will alienate her from me."

"She supports the Empire, doesn't she?" Chris nodded. "Then she'll understand."

Chris still seemed unsure.

"Look, Chris. Once those Rebels are out of the way, Grand Moff Tarkin will lose interest in this place. He'll go back to wherever he came from and will take those reinforcements back with him. Soon, things will be back to normal again. Whatever feud you have with your wife, you'll be able to solve then."

He admired the way he loved her, yet knew that on the long run, it would be better for them if they just did what they were told. And then, Levy could finally resign from his station and leave this place forever.

His dream to bring justice to those that deserved it—he wasn't worthy of it. Not anymore.

.

"A bit jumpy around the Imperials, aren't you?" The man in front of him asked. He was slumped in his seat as if he was relaxed about the situation. Yet Ben could hear the tenseness in his voice.

Ben moved his eyes away from the stormtroopers that were standing at the exit of the cantina. There were four instead of the usual two, meaning that they had business here of some kind. Although Ben didn't sense a direct threat, he was still wary. "There are an unusual amount of them here today. Any idea why?" He asked his companion—if one could call him that.

"Who knows, I like the stay out of the Empire's business."

Ben sat back in his chair. "I see… do you know anyone who might?"

"Why don't you ask them yourself?"

"I'm opting for something with a little bit more… discretion."

"If you want discretion, you should ask snake-head there at the bar." The man nodded his head to a green Twi'lek male that was sitting at the bar. His head tail looks a bit like a snake indeed, Ben mused. "He knows his way around this place more than I do. Now, get lost, old man." He gave Ben a crooked grin.

Ben stood up. "Thank you. How long will you stay here?"

"With those Imperials here, not more than a day. Why?"

"I might be in need for a transport out of here in due time. Is there a way to contact you?"

"Something like that has a price, you know."

"We can discuss that later."

The man sighed. "Well, you can find me at Bay Seven, but at the end of the day I'll be gone. Want your way out any later, you're gonna have to find someone else."

Ben nodded. "I understand. Thank you for your time," he said and stood up from his chair. He pulled his hood over his head, hoping that the stormtroopers wouldn't take mind of him. They were hardly the observant type, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Walking towards the bar, Ben could feel the eyes of other strangers watching him, but that was to be expected at a place like this. Everyone was on edge today.

The Jedi asked the bartender for a drink, sitting next to the Twi'lek the smuggler had pointed at earlier. The green Twi'lek turned to him and spoke some words in Twi'leki, a language Ben was faintly familiar with. "Although I could make out a few words, I'm terribly out of practice," he informed him.

"Who are you?" The male translated. His eyes pierced right through him. They were green too, Ben noticed.

"Just a man who wants to gain some knowledge. He," Ben nodded to his companion, "told me you could give me that."

"Knowledge costs credits, human."

Ben took out five coins, making a total of 50 credits. "Will this be enough?"

The Twi'lek eyed the money. "Depends on the information."

"What are the Imperials planning?" Ben asked. The Twi'lek took the credits.

"They are planning to execute some prisoners today."

Ben felt his blood run cold. "An execution? Who are the prisoners?"

"Who knows?" From the Twi'lek's body language, Ben could deduce that he must know more, but had no intention of given the information unless he was given more credits. He didn't plan to give it to him as he would probably need it at a later time. Ben moved his hand under the table, using the Force to influence the Twi'lek's mind.

"You will tell me all you know about the prisoners," Ben said.

"I will tell you all I know about the prisoners," he echoed. There was a faraway look in his eyes. "I heard they were a couple of Rebels the Imperials have picked up in Anchorhead. That's all I know."

Anchorhead—that was where Luke and his friends had last been seen, as Beru had told him. "Is there a boy among them? Around 15 years old, blond hair, about this high?" Ben gestured the length.

"I don't know," the Twi'lek answered truthfully.

Ben scowled slightly. "Were they sure they were Rebels?"

"They seemed to be or else the security wouldn't be this tight. There are however rumors that there are a couple of civilians among them too. Apparently found helping the Rebels out at one point. If you ask me, they're probably seeking to use it as an excuse to corrupt this place, like they did with so many others."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that." Ben stood. "Thank you for your time." He left, passing by the stormtroopers with ease. Clearly, they had just been stationed there to put an eye on them, not to search for someone in particular.

The information he'd gotten had been worrying to say the least. As it seemed now, the Empire was holding a couple of Rebels into custody that they planned to execute later today. What made it so complicated, was whether Luke and his friends were among them or not. Ben was uncertain if he should believe those rumors or not. If he acted too hastily, he might lose his only chance and put the lives of others at risk, but if Luke was truly among them… he might be too late to save him.

Patience, he told himself, as he had done many times with his old Padawan. The Force will guide the way. It has done so many times before and it won't fail me now.

.

The cells on Tatooine were exactly what you'd expect of them. Full of sand and dust with only the slightest amount of sunlight reaching the inside through a single window. The lack of sunlight was the one good part of being locked in here as it made the cells colder than the temperatures it must be outside.

With the air being as dry as it was, Brand couldn't help but cough to keep the dust out of his lungs. To no avail. They hadn't been given any water since they were caught back in Anchorhead and it was taking its toll on them. Lara had collapsed a few hours ago, her body not being able to handle the dehydration anymore, while both Brand and Tyr had felt their strength leaving them every minute that had passed.

From time to time, Stormtroopers would walk by and a while back Brand had asked them for some water, if only just for Lara, but with no results. The only thing he got was a blaster pointed at his face and a threat to "stay quiet, Rebel scum".

They must be enjoying this, Brand thought bitterly. After all, they had continuously outsmarted them during their stay here on Tatooine. After the crash, they had had countless of Imperial reinforcements after them but thanks to Tyr's ability to hide the transmissions from the device and Lara's quick thinking, they'd managed stay out of Imperial sight for enough time to be able to get away.

However instead, they'd lingered on the planet for too long. And Brand knew that he was the one to blame, even if the others didn't want to say it out loud. He was the one that had pushed it, continued to look for Wesley for much longer than he should have.

Realistically his wingman wouldn't have been able to get away. Not with so many Imperial searching teams scouting the area. The others thought him dead, saying that the mission was far too important to throw away for the sake of a dead man.

It had taken Brand too long to realise that as well.

And now they were here. Drying out in a cell that looked like it hadn't been used in ages with the device back in Imperial hands. Or at least, that's what they thought.

Instead, the Empire was holding a fake version of the device. The outer shell was from the original, of course. They hadn't had the time and resources to recreate a square box full with machinery to a point that the Empire wouldn't notice the difference between the two.

No, the only difference between the fake and the real one was the data chip that made out the core of the machinery. Without it, the device wouldn't be able to function.

Now all they could do was hope that the Empire wouldn't notice, until they were off this planet and back on Yavin IV. That is, if they would ever get out of this damned cell.

At this point, it was hopeless to try to make an escape. Not with one of them unconscious and the other two weakened to a point that they couldn't think about much other than water.

Water…

Oh, how he longed for it.

And when the Stormtroopers came to their cell and opened it, Brand dared to hope that they brought some. Even if it was only one drop.

But instead, they'd been picked up and dragged towards their deaths.

.

With the word about the execution range spreading faster than wildfire, it didn't take long for Ben to find the execution range. He kept his mind calm and serene, searching through the Force to find that bright presence that Luke always carried with him. However as Ben was walking through the crowd of people, he couldn't sense him.

Had he already been discovered and taken to the Star Destroyer that was in orbit or could it be that Beru Lars had been wrong? That Luke hadn't been caught in the first place and was instead lost?

Ben remembered the time he'd spend watching over him. The times where he'd go out discovering the area, even further once he got that landspeeder of his. It worried his aunt and uncle, it always did, but in the end, he'd always found his way home. No, Luke wasn't lost. He knew the area better than anyone.

Luke was in the hands of the Empire; Ben knew that with great certainty. The Force was pretty much screaming it at him. Warning him that something was about to happen. That something had already happened.

And Ben Kenobi had to stop it.

If Ben's worst expectations were true, he knew that he wouldn't be able to get Luke back on his own. A Jedi Master against a Star Destroyer? No… He's grown too old for that sort of nonsense.

Yet if there's anything that he could do, he would. He'd made a promise to keep Luke safe. It was his duty after all. And he knew that if Darth Vader or worse, the Emperor, would get a hold of him, it would have terrible consequences for not only the boy, but for the Galaxy as a whole.

The crowd around him started to murmur as a group of Stormtroopers walked towards the newly made shooting range. Ben realised that he'd already lingered here for too long. He had to leave before he'd expose himself any further.

Yet somewhere in the edge of his mind, the Force was urging him to stay.

An Imperial officer walked forward and stood on a stage so people had to look up to her as she spoke. Her voice was warm, but had a Coruscanti accent laced into it.

"Many years Tatooine has been able to live in health and prosperity under the rule of the Empire. It proves that even in the most desolated planets, with the most toughest of conditions, we're able to face the toughest of challenges", the officer began. Propaganda, Ben thought with a small sense of amusement. It never ceased to amaze him.

"Yet there are some that faced the other way. Chose to fight against the opportunity to have a better life. Chose to fight using… criminal ways." The officer paused for a second to let that notion linger in the crowd. "Today we stand here to prosecute the worst of the worst: terrorists. Rebels. Traitors. Too long has this scum lived among you. Like cockroaches, they were able to multiply under these pillars that support the Empire and like rats they chewed on the prosperity and opportunities of others. Of you, citizens of the Empire!

But no longer. No longer will we look away! No longer we will stand by and watch! Their time is over. And the Empire's time has only just begun."

The officer turned to Stormtrooper Commander behind her. The stormtrooper gave a signal and the prisoners were brought forward.

"As with all changes, we must start small but strong. These Rebels will be the first example for what would happen to any that dared to face the Empire, with many more to come. These are thieves, murderers, terrorists. The last remaining pilots that attacked our Imperial Shipyard at Fondor, killing dozens of loyal citizens without a second of thought."

The officer continued to talk about their crimes, not leaving out anything they've found on them. Ben thought deeply about what he was to do with this situation.

In his many years of isolation, Ben has seen many good men die that had not deserved it. That he could have saved. Hiding his identity, protecting Luke, his duty, had been more important than his own morals and wishes. Luke was too important for him to bring attention to himself and this planet. There was too much at stake.

Yet now with Luke most likely in captivity, it was a different story. Ben wouldn't be able to save him without the Empire taking notice that he was still alive. Surprise was his best asset here, yet even then, Ben had doubts that he would be able to enter a Star Destroyer unnoticed and get Luke out of there alive. That was something he simple couldn't do alone.

But he could save these people. Help them escape. The Rebellion needed every man they could get with their numbers going thinner and thinner with every challenge they took. The Rebellion needed him. Leia needed him.

If Luke was lost, then Leia would be their only hope. It would be catastrophic if both him and her would be in the hands of their father. Ben wouldn't let it get to that point.

In fact, together with the Alliance, they might be able to get Luke back after all.

All this was depending on whether Luke was caught or not. All balancing on a single string that could snap if he made the wrong decision. And if it did snap, it could make the situation worse than it already was.

As Ben disappeared into the crowd, he made his decision.

.

Commander Levy watched Lieutenant Ward's speech with small uninterest as she spoke. He couldn't relate to the things she spoke of even if he tried. Yes, Tatooine technically owned by the Empire, but it had never been a part of it. The Hutts ruled this planet. He knew it, his Platoon knew it and the people in the crowd knew it as well.

It was all a show. To make an example that was already being made in many parts of the galaxy before the Empire wasn't even a year old.

However, these people needed to be reminded of the Empire's control. Reminded that they weren't going to slack - not anymore. That is, until the reinforcements would be needed in a different system, leaving this planet to go back to its usual self again.

A lot could be said about what the Empire would do during that time, but it was all guess-work at this point. Lieutenant Ward was in charge of the military operations here on Tatooine and Levy had a feeling that this wouldn't change any time soon. This station wasn't befitting of her rank, especially not when it was as difficult as getting control over places like Mos Eisley back again.

This job should be given to a General. One with more experience and expertise than this Lieutenant could ever have.

However he wasn't a Grand Moff and why Tarkin had elected her to do this job, Levy had no clue. But he had to admit, Ward wasn't an incompetent leader from what he'd seen the last few days. Even with its faults, her speech was still causing the people to mutter amongst themselves and to look at the prisoners with disdain; mostly for them invading their peace and quiet like this.

"Sir, we've lost contact with Platoon 4," M-218F, Chris reported to him quietly.

Levy snapped his head towards him, instantly on guard. "That is our rear guard. Is Platoon 3 already notified to assist?"

"They're already guarding the crowd," Chris reminded him. Levy had forgotten. Another sign that he'd been slacking too much for too long.

With Platoon 2 already guarding the prisoners, it was up to them to assist instead. "Go with SN-40 and JK-60 to investigate then. Report to me immediately once you know something."

"Yes, sir."

They never came back.

.

To be continued.