The people in the streets Ganthel stood back ignoring the rain's steady increase into a downpour and watched as a squad of stormtroopers surrounded a young woman and her brother who was openly criticizing the actions of the Galactic Empire. Despite her efforts to talk her brother down the young woman was also being charged with disturbing the peace and possibly treason, and while she pleaded with the lead trooper to explain the situation her brother continued to resist until the lead trooper was fed up. He pushed the man to the ground raised his blaster rifle and with the trigger pulled a single scorch mark was left on the young man's shoulder. The young man screamed through clenched teeth reaching for his wound only for the plasma scoring to burn even more causing him to thrash about.

"We're taking them both in" the lead trooper told his squad motioning for them to arrest the two.

While the woman continued to cry and beg and her brother scream and thrash the lead trooper looked at the spectating civilians asking if anyone else had anything to say against the Empire. The mass response was averted eyes as some began to turn and walk away too afraid to say anything, too afraid to stand up against them. As some of the crowd dispersed a single person stepped forward wrapped in a hooded robe with their face completely concealed.

"I've got a lot to say" the figure told the trooper the voice male, "Should I start with how much of a coward your Emperor is or how pathetic his Empire is? Or maybe I should talk about the horrible excuse for a man I see in front of me?"

"Guess you want me to arrest you" the trooper said only to hear the hooded person chuckle.

"I want you to try."

The trooper raised his rifle and the hooded figure moved, pushing the blaster back down before thrusting a knife hand chop at the trooper's neck stunning him. His leg flying up and spearing downward kicking the trooper's knee from the inside causing him to collapse before hooking his leg around his still standing leg, grabbing the trooper by his throat he pushed back as he swept the trooper's leg. Though his helmet protected him from the worst of the impact the sudden shock dazed the trooper as the back of his head was slammed into the ground.

Grabbing the downed trooper's rifle the hooded attacker turned in a kneeling stance and fired, two shots finding their mark against another trooper's chest before two more hit the next trooper in his shoulder and chest followed by a fifth and sixth shot to the third imperial leaving only one more. The remaining stormtrooper cursed the hooded assailant and raised his rifle only for something to push at him from the side causing his aim to shift and his shot to harmlessly impact the ground. Turning to fire again his arms were pushed once more this time upward and everyone watched as the blaster bolt sailed into the sky.

"What the hell?" the trooper wondered before looking down to see the hooded figure sprinting toward him.

Unable to react in time the imperial soldier felt his attacker's shoulder ram into his gut knocking him off his feet. As he fell back the stormtrooper watched his attacker shift to the side and place his hand against his armor just over his chest and when he pushed down the trooper felt something else push him to the ground, but this push wasn't just against his chest. It went beneath his armor and through his skin and between his ribs before reaching his heart, that's when he felt the push, one strong enough to cause his heart to explode on impact.

Knowing his enemy's final breath would be spent choking on his own blood, the hooded figure stood up dropping a bacta patch in front of the young woman and her wounded brother and then turning around to face the lead trooper who had regained his senses. The soldier got up to one knee first, but before he could stand the hooded figure was already in front of him crouched down with his fist reared back. The uppercut knocked the stormtrooper sergeant into the air, his helmet flying off as he landed on his back once again.

"You won't get away with this" the sergeant choked as the hooded man lifted him up, "The Empire will."

"Fall" the hooded man said, "The Empire will fall and the Emperor will die at my hand, as will anyone else who gets in my way."

Wrapping his hand around the imperial's throat the hooded man began squeezing until the last gasp of air was expelled and the stormtrooper's body went limp. Dropping the his dead enemy the hooded figure turned around and walked away, the few civilians that remained too terrified to move could only watch him walk away without another word to anyone as the rain had turned into a full on monsoon. Word must have spread quickly nearly every civilian in the area had fled to their homes or sought shelter inside a nearby business afraid to be seen in the streets after what happened.

Ignoring the rain the hooded man continued to walk through the open alleyways until he came across the condemned warehouse he had taken refugee in for the past two weeks. With a wave of his hand the steel door was lifted into the air and moved to the side without a sound, once inside another wave of the hand replaced the door sealing him inside where no one would find him. Continuing to the back corner and the staircase that led to the second floor the hooded man reached for his neck and pulled at his collar dragging the soaked robe off and tossing it to the side.

Two months, it had been two months since he left Shili to fight the Empire. It was just him now, all alone to take on the Galactic Empire and the pair of Sith that commanded it. Two months and yet it felt like years. He had attacked transports carrying soldiers, equipment and resources, set bombs in shipyards stolen medical supplies and poisoned food rations that were exclusively reserved for Imperial forces, for two months he hit them in every way he could think of, but he was just one man, one man against an Empire.

He could have had a partner, there were others he trusted to fight alongside him, people he had fought with before and entrusted with his life, but he chose to leave them behind, leave her behind.

"It's safer for them" he reminded himself as he collapsed on the old musty couch, safer that they be as far away as possible from his battle against the Empire.

It took a lot to convince his brothers to stay out of the fight and it took even more to convince her to stay on Shili where it would be safer. She had cried and pleaded for him to not go alone, telling him it would be better for them to both fight together, but he couldn't risk it. After everything he lost leaving him with only her and three others, if anything were to happen to her then he would lose all will to continue on. He hated himself for putting her through such despair he knew she had a point that they would be safer together, but he could not risk it, above all else she had to remain safe.

He promised he would contact her every day to let her know he was alive and well, but after the first month every day turned into every other day before becoming once a week. Despite the distance between them he could sense the fear in her heart the pain she felt at the thought of something happening to him, it was the same pain he felt when he thought the same about her. He loved her, for a long time they were friends and for a long time he loved her and then though his love for her still remained, he left her.

"Please" she said to him when the shuttle's ramp lowered, "Please take me with you."

"I can't" he answered, "I can't risk anything happening to you."

"What will I do?" she asked him, "What will I do if something happens to you?"

He finally turned to her wrapping his arms around her, holding her tight feeling her return the embrace right away.

"I'll come back" he whispered to her, "I will come back alive, I promise you. I'll call you every day to let you know I'm alright and I will come back to you alive."

She couldn't find her voice as he let go and pulled away from her, she watched him board the shuttle and as the door began to close she heard his last words to her.

"I love you Ahsoka."