A/N, sorry I didn't upload yesterday, but this chapter took a long time to write. Enjoy.
Chapter 4: Story Time
Sabine woke in her room to the usual routine, Zeb and Ezra was chasing Chopper while Hera was piloting the ship. She did notice that Riley wasn't in the room, she put on her armour and left for the common room. Riley was chatting with Kanan when Sabine walked in.
"Morning, you're up late" snickered Riley.
"What do you mean by late?" Sabine sat down next to Riley.
"When we were kids, you used to be up and about with your drawings and paintings" Riley smirked at the comment which Sabine looked lost about. "I like the paintings"
"Thanks, I've been doing quite a few"
"Kanan told me you paint for the rest of the crew" Riley handed his sister and old Phase 1 helmet from the clone wars.
"Why this?" Sabine took the helmet and looked it over
"I found it while on Geonosis, I want to give it to Ezra as a present" Kanan was still quiet because he knew that Sabine still wasn't happy about last night.
"But why paint it?" Sabine looked at Kanan who gave the answer.
"The colours on it are faded and need redoing" Sabine understood as she knew that Ezra loved his helmet collection.
"Ok I'll do it later, but are you sure you're ready about telling everyone what happened?" Sabine asked while looking at a picture.
The picture was of Sabine, Riley and their parents. Sabine looked quite young for an academy, but the empire didn't think so. They would take young kids and ship them off for the academy.
"They have to know or else we'll be dealing with it on our own" Riley was leaning against the seat looking at Kanan. "And besides, you wanted to know what I was doing for the past 5 years"
Chopper came bursting through the door way with Ezra on top of him and Zeb smacking Chopper with a wrench.
"Wake me up will ya? Let's see if a droid can eat metal!" Zeb screamed while putting dents in the droid.
"What in the world are you doing out here!" Hera looked quite angry which put fear in the crew and Riley.
Both Ezra and Zeb stood straight and pointed at Chopper saying it was his fault as usual.
"Remind me upgrade Choppers zapper" Hera smirked.
"You don't mean that do you?" Ezra looked at Hera with deep worry, but Hera just laughed.
"So everyone's here, now let's here the story like you promised" Kanan look almost desperate so get it out of Riley
"Ok so it all started about one and a half years after Sabine left for the Academy"
6 Years Ago on Mandalor (Sabine was 10 and Riley was 12)
With Riley
Riley was in the fields around the back of the house practicing his shooting, he wasn't great but seemed to be getting better. He had a storm trooper helmet which he found in a dumpster around the town, and used it as a target.
A patrol of storm troopers heard the shooting and went to investigate, Riley was unaware of this and continued to shoot. The patrol found Riley and picked up by his shirt with surprise.
"Hey! You know what your doing is treason" The storm trooper removed his helmet with his blaster propped against his leg. "I think we'll need to take you in"
"But I wasn't hurting anyone was I" Riley protested.
"Doesn't matter, it' against the law" He ordered the other troopers to call for transport. "Where's your parents kid"
"Not with us" Riley Snapped.
"Hey the kid has a point" the trooper punched Riley in the stomach with intense force. "They're not here"
Riley retaliated by grabbing the blaster by the storm troopers leg and shot him in the leg, effectively killing the trooper.
"Hey kid, you'll regret that" shouted a second trooper.
Riley dropped the weapon and left it on the ground, he looked at his hands not meaning to get anyone killed. Riley bolted into town to try and lose the troopers but they were faster, Riley could weave round corners and fit through small spaces but was worse in straight lines.
Eventually Riley lost the troopers and made his way home, how would he explain what happened to his parents or even his sister who was training to become a part of the Empire. He reached the front door and cried as he was still recovering from the events that happened.
"Riley! What's wrong?" His mother couching before him. "Is it that kid across the street again?"
"No, I k-killed a storm trooper" he looked down trying to notice at the horrified faces of his parents.
"You what!" His father now storming into the room. "You know how dangerous that is. They could have killed you on the spot!"
"You think I don't know that!" Riley now getting serious about the events. "He punched me in the stomach, he was going to take me away for shooting practice. How could I just let it happen?"
"I thought I said 'NO SHOOTING PRACTICE' earlier" screamed his mother.
Right on queue as squad of storm troopers knocked down the door and grabbed Riley. An imperial officer walked in with a pale face and grey hair.
"Mr. and Mrs. Wren, your son has been charged with treason. Any attempt to stop the arrest will result in your arrest" said the officer calmly.
Out of nowhere his father knocked down 2 troopers and was shot in the leg. His mother was also arrested for her husband's reactions.
"I won't let you take them" Riley them punched the officer in the face resulting in the boy to get shot"
"Riley!" his mother was mortified.
"Riley don't stop fighting, this isn't freedom. FIGHT FOR FREEDOM!" his father shouted while being dragged away.
"Keep your sister safe, promise me" his mother was dragged off and that was the last time he saw them.
"I promise" whimpered Riley before passing out from the hole in his shoulder.
"Sir, what should we do about the boy" asked a trooper.
"Mark this building off limits, leave him here to bleed out and search the house for anything of value to them empire" the officer walked off muttering the words 'I hope it was worth it boy'
With Sabine
Sabine was eating lunch with her friends in the cafeteria, they were discussing the last test they had which was in battlefield strategy. They were telling each other what they put as answers when the intercom went off.
"Sabine Wren please report to the Chairman immediately, I repeat, Sabine Wren to the Chairman"
"What's that about?" asked a girl with blonde hair.
"I don't know but I'll see you guys later" Sabine got up and left for the Chairman's office
When Sabine arrived she took a seat waiting to be called in, she never liked the Chairman and he never liked her but they always seemed to get around that. She was also excited because soon she could go home to see her family during the end of the school year and Riley promised to take her out for the night, he described it as 'a reward for not ignoring them this long'. She always enjoyed his small witty jokes, and waited about 10 minutes before her name was called.
"Sabine, you can now enter" said the secretary.
"Thank you" Sabine entered and took a seat. "Is there a problem Chairman?"
"Yes and you won't like the news" the chairman was bold and has blue-green eyes. "Your family was talking out about the Empire in public. Your brother started protests by shooting passing patrols. I'm sorry but they are either arrested or executed on site"
Sabine looked applaud. Not by what he said but the fact that he though she didn't know her family. Her parents were always peaceful and careful while Riley couldn't even pull the trigger at a living thing. She put up the act that she believed him.
"Why would they do such a thing?"
"I don't know but unfortunately you can no longer leave the Academy grounds for your own protection." The Chairman said trying to convince her.
"I understand, permission to have the rest of the day off" Sabine said with sorrow in her voice.
"Take all the time you need"
Sabine left the office with a face that didn't look very friendly. She walked back to her room and started packing her stuff, she was also met by the blonde girl who was also her roommate Ann.
"Going somewhere?" Ann asked with a disappointed look.
"Home, I think that the Chairman is lying to me." Sabine walked over to Ann and hugged her." You've been my best friend since I arrived, please report about my absence in the morning, I don't want you to get in trouble because of me. Goodbye"
"Goodbye Sabine, oh and take this to remember me" It was a piece of metal that had both names inscribed when they first became friends.
Sabine made her way through halls and corridors. When she made it to the courtyard she climbed a wall which wasn't too high, about 6 feet and she ran as fast as she could.
Present Day
"You were a different kid" Sabine said trying to remember all the good times.
"We both were, but experience changes you in ways no-one can explain" Riley didn't look at anybody, just a blank wall.
"I can understand, my father led the rebellion against the droid army on Ryloth, no-one was the same after the planet was liberated with the help of the republic." Hera said with a hint of something that sounded like crying.
"Order 66 left all Jedi running and knowing that we never kept the peace, like we were supposed to" Kanan looked like he was remembering something on that day during Knightfall, the assault on the Jedi temple.
"The Invasion of Lasan made me realise that the Empire would do anything for power and that they should be brought down for what they done!" Zeb snarled while remembering the day his family was slaughtered.
"When my parents were taken away, I knew why they made the broadcasts and I swore that every Imperial scum shouldn't have any exceptions" Ezra looked like he was about to do something rash, but didn't seem to be remembering anything.
"The day I found you looking as dead as dinner, I knew that the Empire couldn't be bargained with and that they didn't care who they killed or what they destroy" Sabine looked heart broken and so did Riley as he was the one who was shot.
A/N, so the story I was going to write was too long, alternatively I will upload this as a 2 part story. I hoped you enjoyed this as it took ages to write and I enjoyed making this. I will put the suggestions into the story, I'll just need to find a good time to do it. Goodbye and see you next time.