A/N: In the previous chapter I said that Brendan's commanding officer was the future General Veers. However, I was actually thinking of Admiral Ozzel and mixed up the names. I have gone back in the chapter and corrected said mistake. So don't be confused when I start calling Brendan's commanding officer Captain Ozzel rather than Captain Veers.

Also, warning, this chapter gets very gory.

Operation Citadel

Chapter Seven

The Bombing of Faclov

"You're positive that Rhiaon is a traitor?" Captain Ozzel demanded, expecting to appear powerful seated at his desk on the Star Destroyer the Eradicator. It wasn't his Star Destroyer, and he wasn't even near the top of the Imperial food chain, but he was a commander with soldiers that listened to him and deserved respect.

Respect Third Sister had no intention of giving him.

"You have seen the footage of his confession," Third Sister said dryly.

She stood across the desk, dominating the small office. Her pale skin, blue eyes, and long, ice blonde hair making her look like a phantom under her tight fitting black dress and leggings. Her cloak was neatly tied around her neck, and her hood pulled back. The silver lightsaber on her belt gleamed menacingly. Yet despite all the fear and power she emitted, she seemed to be barely more than nineteen.

There were three words that came to Ozzel's mind when he looked at Third Sister: beautiful, young, and dangerous.

"I have heard many of my men mutter that they wish to join the Rebellion. It's all tough talk," Ozzel dismissed. "None of them have the bal-"

"Captain," Third Sister warned. "You are in the presence of a lady."

Ozzel frowned, "None of them have the courage to do it."

Third Sister cocked her head to the side, "I think Lord Vader would find it very interesting that you view joining the Rebellion as courageous."

"Listen to me, Little Girl, the Rhiaon issue has already been dealt with," Ozzel snapped. "I gave him a warning he's sure to-"

Third Sister lifted her hand and suddenly something was squeezing Ozzel's windpipe.

"Do not call me 'Little Girl' Captain," Third Sister warned as she Force Choked Ozzel. "I may be half your age, but do not forget which of us has the higher rank."

Third Sister released Ozzel.

Ozzel coughed hard as he regained his breath, "But Rhiaon is not a problem-"

Third Sister smiled, "Captain Ozzel, you are a careless fool. I have no doubt that someday you are going to make a grave mistake, and will pay for it, likely at the hand of my Master, Lord Vader. I assure you, I will enjoy the day he strangles the life out of you. He probably won't even do it in person, just over a view screen. But until that day, we must heed the orders of the Grand Moff Tarkin."

Ozzel frowned, "Tarkin?"

"You think My Lord is idle enough to concern himself with rebellious Stormtroopers? He passed the issue to Governor Tarkin."

"By why Tarkin?"

"Because Brendan Rhiaon's father, Alaric Rhiaon reports to Tarkin," Third Sister explained. "Tarkin, in turn, passed the issue to several lower ranking officers… scapegoats in case of failure."

Ozzel didn't like how Third Sister was looking at him.

Third Sister continued, "Alaric Rhiaon's project has stalled and, well, he needs his faith in the Empire revived. And everyone knows the best way to bring people back to a cause."

Silence clung to the air, and it took a few minutes before Ozzel realised he was supposed to fill in the blank.

"A victory?" Ozzel guessed.

"A martyr," Third Sister corrected. "Brendan Rhiaon's a handsome, clever, likeable, young man of good Imperial stock. A soldier. A son. A brother."

"A martyr."

"A pretty face to bring the galaxy together."

"You want me to kill Brendan Rhiaon."

"No," Third Sister laughed. "I want the Rebellion to."

Ozzel looked down at his desk; an odd feeling growing in the pit of his stomach.

"You have your orders, Captain," Third Sister turned and walked to the door. She paused at the archway and looked back at Ozzel, "I will so enjoy watching Vader kill you someday."

Ozzel felt a cold tingle down his spine as Third Sister exited his office.

"She's worse than Seventh Sister," Ozzel shuddered.

"Is everything in place, Sergeant Myec?" Ozzel asked over the comm.

He was observing the hustle and bustle of the town square in the capital city of the planet Faclov, cleverly named Faclov City. His Stormtroopers were milling about, performing their usual duties. Security cameras were standard issue in public places like the town square, and all of them were connected to the Imperial database. Ozzel had many lovely angles of the town square where the explosives were cleverly hidden.

It was a suicide mission that only a couple Imperials were aware of. The other Stormtroopers stationed in the blast zone were like Brendan; weak, rebellious, liabilities, a problem to be eliminated. Brendan Rhiaon's death wouldn't just take care of one troublesome Stormtrooper, but would be a cleansing of the weakest links in the Imperial chain.

Of course, there would be civilian casualties, but there were always those in war. Ozzel would sleep just fine tonight.

… Although that might be because he knew Third Sister wasn't going to break in and slit his throat.

He hoped.

"The charges are set and Kast is in place," Myec reported.

"Good," Ozzel smiled. He flipped the line to Kast open and addressed both men, "Sergeant Myec. Sergeant Kast. The Empire thanks you for your heroic sacrifice."

"If it means taking down the Rebellion, I'm honoured to do it," Kast replied.

"Alright, boys, let's get this show on the road. And whatever you do, do not reveal what we've done."

"Yes, Sir!" both men replied.

Comfortably seated in his office, Ozzel watched the scene before him on the various security cameras placed around town.

No one would forget this day in history.

"Rhiaon, disturbance at Mark 4587," Ozzel's voice crackled over Brendan's shoulder comm. "Please intervene."

Brendan pushed the button to reply, "Affirmative, Captain. Approaching now."

Brendan had no idea of the plot. When two people started fighting in the street, he thought nothing of it. When Ozzel ordered him to intervene, he thought nothing of it. When the source of the fight proved to be one man accusing the other of being a Rebel, he thought nothing of it.

He didn't see the small X scratched in the dirt between the men. He didn't see the forty-seven bombs hidden around the square. He didn't see that everyone of significance in the Empire suddenly clear the square. He didn't see Sergeant Myec watching him carefully, as if waiting for a signal. He didn't see Sergeant Kast hidden in the shadows with the detonator.

And then the oddities started appearing.

Brendan was in the middle of negotiating peace between the two men when a command came over his com.

"Corporal Rhiaon, report your location," Captain Ozzel demanded.

Brendan frowned, "Town Square, Mark 4587. Intervening in the public disruption as ordered."

There was silence over his radio, and then Ozzel spoke again.

"Rhiaon, there are no less than eighteen troopers in Mark 4587. Please give specific location."

Brendan looked around in confusion. He was basically in the dead center of the town square.

"Center of town square," Brendan said.

"Negative," Ozzel replied. "Need more specifics."

"There's a shop nearby called Antilles Fine Imports."

"Negative. Need more specifics."

"There's a fountain about ten feet away."

"Negative. Need more specifics."

Brendan rolled his eyes, "How about I'm next to the two yelling guys?"

Silence over the radio.

"Rhiaon you will report to my office for disciplinary action at the end of your shift," Ozzel snapped. "Insubordination is a serious issue. Additionally, I'm still unable to locate you. Remove your helmet so I may identify you."

"You want me to what?" Brendan blurted out. He had never been asked to remove his helmet on duty.

"Remove your helmet immediately, Corporal Rhiaon," Ozzel ordered. "If you fail to comply, additional action will be taken against you."

"Come on, Pretty Boy," Myec taunted over the comm. "No one cares if you have helmet hair."

Ozzel watched from his office as Brendan Rhiaon reluctantly took off his helmet.

"Perfect," Ozzel hit a few buttons to zoom the security cameras on Brendan, his face becoming easily recognizable and very handsome. "Rhiaon, you are to continue without your helmet on."

"Sir?" Brendan's voice responded in utter confusion.

"I want to observe how you handle this situation. Promotion may be in your future young man."

On the camera, Ozzel saw Brendan flash a smile that belonged in the picture of HoloMags for teenaged girls. The boy was truly the perfect image to win over the public.

Brendan continued with his intervention, not noticing how little by little the actors (whose families were being paid handsomely for the sacrifice of their live) forced Brendan backwards towards the X in the dirt.

He was saying things that made perfect soundbites for propaganda. "There is no need to fight for the peace the Empire already provides." "We are all a common people united in the same quest for peace, love, and happiness." "Hate not your Rebel neighbour, but help them do the right thing." Ozzel honestly thought the Empire propaganda department should have snatched Brendan up years ago.

Slowly, but carefully they moved Brendan into place.

And then he stepped over the X.

"Alright, Rhiaon," Ozzel commed Brendan. "You can put your helmet back on now."

"Yes, Sir," Brendan replied. Putting back on his helmet, he looked at the two men beside him, and said, "Gentleman, at the end of the day I think we all can agree we just want peace."

And then everything blew up.

Screams filled the air as bomb after bomb went off. Body parts flew through the air, scattering in a dozen different directions from their origins. Men, women, children, humans, aliens, Imperials, Rebels, innocents, dead in the most horrific and painful manners.

The smell was ungodly: blood, metal, fire, smoke, and worst of all, roasted flesh. Blood literally ran through the streets as an estimated 2,147 people died in 2.38 seconds.

It would take weeks to sift through all the body parts, and most would never be matched to their owner. Families were notified based on the tiniest scraps of identification. Hundreds of families would never get confirmation.

But the Rhiaon family would get confirmation, because they did find Brendan.

Or rather… pieces of Brendan.

His comlink was found three blocks away, smashed beyond repair.

His weapons belt with his blaster was found hanging from a tree next to Antilles Fine Imports.

His dog tags were found lying on top of Sergeant Myec, who was so horribly mangled they had to match him to his dental records.

His arm was found in a nearby alley, identified as Brendan by a tattoo of the word Felicity which was followed by his sister's date of birth.

Finally, two feet away from the X that set his death sentence, Brendan Rhiaon's helmet was found.

… With his head still inside.

Bail Organa had no idea why the Senate was called to an emergency session, but he was suspicious when they specifically requested the presence of Leia and Felicity. Usually, he got the odd request for Leia, but Bail knew something was wrong the Emperor himself commed Bail and requested Felicity by her full name.

The media was crammed into every free nook and cranny of the Senate hall, and far too many of those cameras were pointed at the Alderaan pod. Bail frowned as he noticed where the rest of the cameras were pointed.

"Why is there a pod with Vader, Tarkin, and my father?" Felicity asked.

Bail felt his stomach drop, "I… I don't know."

Leia and Felicity shared a look.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Leia said.

And then the Emperor arrived.

I remember sitting in the pod that day as Palpatine announced the horrible tragedy that was the Bombing of Faclov. Like I said before, he was nothing if not one cunning bastard. He had planted enough clues to make it look like it had been the Rebels who set it up. The Rebels came off as dangerous, wild card, vigilantes who anyone would be ashamed to associate themselves with.

And I lapped up every word.

"How dare they!" Felicity hissed. "Those disgusting, selfish, murderers! The Empire gives them everything and this it their answer?"

Leia looked at Felicity, horror in her eyes. At first, Bail thought it was Leia being unable to hold back her involvement in the Rebellion when her best friend was spitting such terrible insults.

But then Leia asked a harrowing question.

"Felicity… isn't Brendan on Faclov?"

Everything in Felicity's life came to a screeching halt.

Brendan.

Brendan was on Faclov.

Was he alive? Was he okay? Felicity wanted nothing more than to smash the pod back into the wall, and run all the way to Faclov to see if Brendan was alright. Or at least run to the nearest comm. She needed to see her brother immediately.

But she didn't need to go to Faclov to see what happened to Brendan.

Because Palpatine performed one of the most disgusting actions he ever committed.

He showed the footage of Brendan's death.

Palpatine had invited me, my father, and the media to the announcement of the bombing specifically so that our reactions could be caught on film.

And I played right into his hands.

"Brendan?" Felicity whispered in horror as the footage played on the view screen of every Senatorial pod. As the Stormtrooper pulled off his helmet, there was no denying that it was her brother. "Oh my God… What- What's going to happen? Why are they showing my brother?"

Fear shot through the hearts of both Organas, and immediately Bail sprung into action.

"Turn off the view screen," Bail ordered as he hit the button that returned their pod to the wall.

Leia looked up at him, "But Father-"

"Do it!" Bail snapped.

"What's going to happen to Brendan?" Felicity repeated helplessly. Her skin had gone white, her eyes wide, and she could barely move a muscle. She was in shock. "What's going to happen?"

"Father, I can't turn it off!" Leia exclaimed, frantically pushing at buttons.

"What's going to happen to Brendan?"

"Let me try," Bail nudged Leia aside. He too tried the buttons, but the screen would not turn off. The Emperor must have overridden the controls so everyone would forced to watch.

"What's going to happen to Brendan?" Felicity's voice had become hysterical.

Bail looked over to his head of security and got an idea.

"Oberon, give me your coat!" Bail ordered, and the coat was in his hands a second later. "Felicity, come here!"

Bail grabbed Felicity and pulled her into his embrace. He held her head against his chest, forcing her to look away from the view screen. Bail held her tight, trying to cover her eyes and ears as the footage played. Over and over Felicity asked what was going to happen to Brendan, and Leia cried in the corner.

"We're almost there," Bail said as the pod was inches away from returning to its place in the wall where they could escape the horrifying footage.

But they couldn't get away fast enough.

"Gentleman," Brendan's voice said over the footage, "at the end of the day I think we all can agree we just want peace."

BOOM!

Felicity's scream filled the Senate Chamber, reverberating off the walls as she sobbed uncontrollably at the sight of her brother being blown to pieces.

Many voices joined her – cries of outrage and horror – but the cameras of the media all turned to the desperate screams of the martyr's sister.

Felicity clutched Bail like he was the only thing tying her to this life. His heart broken as Felicity screamed and cried for her beloved brother. He held her tight in a fatherly way that Alaric had never done, but Brendan had specialized in. Bail pulled Oberon's coat over Felicity's face, shielding her from the cameras. She should be able to have privacy in this moment, but Palpatine ensured she hadn't.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Bail glanced over at the pod with Alaric Rhiaon. Alaric was on his knees, gripping the control panel for support as he sobbed. Tarkin stood next to him, awkwardly patting Alaric on the shoulder, looking like he wanted to throw either Alaric or himself over the edge of the pod.

Vader paid no attention to Alaric, his head turned to observe Felicity. Bail wondered if a little bit of Anakin Skywalker was peaking out in that moment. Could Vader sympathize with the grief Felicity Rhiaon was displaying? Was Vader reminded of Padmé Amidala's death?

Then Vader's head turned to look at Leia, and Bail lost all sympathy. He grabbed Leia's arm and pulled her against him.

Bail hated when Vader paid attention to Leia. It always felt like a countdown to the moment he realized she was his daughter. Bail knew that someday he would have to tell Leia the truth, and when that time came, it was indeed the truth he would tell her. He wouldn't say something stupid like Vader had killed Anakin. Leia would know that Anakin Skywalker was Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker was her father, Padmé Amidala was her mother, and that she had a twin brother named Luke.

But until that day came, Bail would not let Vader have her. Leia was far more Bail's daughter than she would ever be Anakin's. So as Vader looked over at their mutual daughter, Bail once more claimed his right to her as the father she shared a heart with, not the father she shared blood with.

Click.

The pod had finished returning to the wall.

"Come on," Bail urged the girls. "Let's go back to my office."

The media was waiting for them the moment they stepped out of the pod. Bail's security team formed a wall around the Organas and Felicity in an attempt to give Felicity her privacy, but it was all for not. Felicity was so overcome by her grief that despite both Bail and Leia doing their best to hold her up, she didn't have the strength to stand.

Felicity collapsed to the ground and sobbed in what would become an iconic display. The Martyr Brendan Rhiaon's sister helpless on the floor of the Senate, sobbing uncontrollably over the murder of her brother by those dastardly Rebels.

Bail and Leia tried to get her to stand and come with them back to the office, but Felicity could not. Brendan was gone. Brendan, the joy of her life, her best friend, her brother who was more like a father to her, the man who taught her to tie her shoes, who camped in the backyard with her, who played both Stormtrooper and fairy princess with her.

Brendan, her everything, was dead.

And Felicity had watched it happen.

"Brendan! Brendan! BRENDAN!" Felicity wailed on the floor of the Senate hallway as cameras flashed around her.

With tears streaming down her face, Leia dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around her best friend. She held Felicity close, stroking her hair, and crying with her. Leia didn't know if they would ever be okay again.

"Where is she?" a voice called down the hallway. "Where is my daughter?"

The crowd parted, cameras flashing wildly as Alaric Rhiaon made his way down the hallway.

His eyes locked on the girls on the floor and he cried out, "Felicity!"

Sniffling, Felicity looked up, her eyes as tears and snot streamed down her face.

"Daddy," Felicity bawled.

Alaric couldn't help but give a slight smile; it had been years since she called him that.

"Felicity," Alaric said.

"Daddy!" Felicity called.

Leia felt a touch on her shoulder and looked up to see her father giving her a look. Understanding, Leia let go of Felicity and stood so Alaric could take her place.

"I want him back, Daddy!" Felicity wept as Alaric's arms wrapped around her. "I want Brendan back!"

"I do too, Little One," Alaric rested his chest atop her head. "I do too."

They sat there in the hallway, crying in each other's arms, the media lapping up every moment. All anger forgotten in that moment of mutual sorrow. There was no Felicity being an unprofessional mess in front of royalty. There was no canceled reservations and denial of roast leek soup. There was no lowcut dresses and being humiliated in front of the Emperor himself. Brendan was gone and all they had was each other. In that moment, Felicity didn't care if her father was abusive, with Brendan gone she was just glad to have some family left.

And as Bail watched Felicity wordlessly excuse her father's abuse, he felt like he was going to be sick.

But then things took an even worse turn.

"Why did they do it, Daddy?" Felicity sobbed in her father's arms. "Why did those disgusting Rebels kill Brendan?"

Alaric's gaze hardened, "Because they're bad people with a twisted corrupt ideology."

Fury filled him as he thought of how the Rebels had stolen his beloved Brendan. His little prince and heir. Alaric was more determined than ever to complete his Death Star so that he could find the Rebel base and blow them all to hell.

In that moment, my father found a new path. He didn't feel strong enough to save my mother, and he hadn't been able to save his son, but he still had me. And in that moment, he knew that he would do whatever it took to save me.

"We'll get them, Little One," Alaric vowed. "We'll get those dirty Rebels and you'll be happy again."

"Promise me, Daddy," Felicity begged. "Promise me, we'll kill them all."

Alaric pulled back, wiped a tear from her face and smiled, "I promise you, Felicity, we'll kill them all."

Felicity smiled and hugged him as tight as possible.

When Leia recounts this story, she likes to say that as she and her father watched me vow to kill all Rebels – Rebels including them – there was only one word that came to her mind.

"Crap."