- Flashback -

(Sabine POV)

He stole a kriffing ship.

"- a YT-2400 light freighter. Cost me some good credits man." the shipyard manager eyes us warily.

That's gotta be worth thousands of credits.

The manager, supervisor, whatever he is moves to put the small file back in a drawer behind his small desk.

This place is a shit hole. Almost worse than Corellia . . .

"Did you happen to have a tracker on this ship?" Hera questions optimistically "We really need to find the thief. He . . . he means a lot to us." Hera glances back at us then eyes Kanan.

"You'd be lucky to find him before them Empire does." the supervisor smiles a not-so-toothy grin. "I've already reported him to authorities. Turns out the fucker has a track record that exceeds most criminals."

This guy.

"Hey-" I move to interject but am cut off abruptly.

"Did you receive information regarding this 'track record'?" Kanan asks quietly air quoting 'track record'.

"Perhaps, but I don't hand out classified information for free." He smiles revealing his gnarly teeth again.

You little shit!

In an instant my blaster is in my hand and trained on the man's forehead before Kanan or Hera can object. Slowly, I lean in close and nearly growl.

"Criminal reports aren't 'classified'. Their free to the public. Now, your going to tell us what you know or . . . " A soft click indicates that the safety is now off, and the man across from me looks suddenly terrified.

Give me what I want.

"Sabine! That's not-" Kanan starts but supervisor Fugly beats him to it.

"I'll . . . I'll tell you what they told me." Shitface looks grim before slowly taking a breath.

Hera reaches out and pulls my arm down from his face and takes the blaster out of my hand and sliding the safety back in its place.

"The officer I spoke with, he may have mentioned an insurrection at the Lothalian outpost in the south. Said confidential information had been accessed." He eyes each of us before gulping.

Boy I wish Zeb were here right now. This guy would be shitting his pants.

"And why . . . sorry I'm having a hard time understanding why this officer would relay this information to whose." Hera questions.

"Well I requested it so. I wanted to know what this brat was involved in!" He answers hotly "He stole on of my kriffing ships for galaxies sake!"

"Here." a stack of credits drops in the table suddenly. "40,000." Kanan says lowly with a frown. "Should cover the cost. C'mon, we're leaving." he says shortly grabbing Hera by the arm.

Taking the queue, quickly follow only stopping once to give Fugly the not so nice finger.

Asshole.

- End Flashback -

Damn

I glance around the tarnished control room as Hera has Chopper connect to the beat up terminal.

"Hopefully there's something left." I quip with a frown.

"Well if there is, Chop will find it. Won't ya buddy?" She smiles patting his dome.

"Blah blah blah." Chopper exclaims loudly.

That was meant to be a compliment Chopper, not a question of your ability.

This is the fifth outpost we've traveled to in the last couple of weeks. Every single one was ripped to shreds, and the occupants weren't in better condition.

Kanan's worries he's lost his way. With the force or something. Zeb says he's lost his mind.

And I don't necessarily disagree at the moment, taking another look around.

"Power was cut as we suspected." Kanan announces his return with Zeb. "Same as the others."

"He's certainly predictable, the kid." Zeb mutters with a frown.

Chopper found data breaches in three of the last four terminals. Ezra is looking for something, or someone.

"Any signs of a data breach Chop?" I ask in vain.

"Chopper found two. One in the IBS data logs and one in prisoner transfers. Specifically regarding a man named Tarkin. Three separate searches of that specific name." Hera translates for Chopper.

Tarkin? Oh no.

"That must be who he's after." Kanan sighs as he strokes his short goatee. "Do have anything on him?"

Yes. He's a vile monster posing as a Grand Moff.

"No." Hera states crouching down next chop. Turning her head over her left shoulder she eyes me. "Sabine? Ever heard of this guy?"

"Ummm . . . yea. He's probably the single most powerful man within the Imperial Navy." I can't hold back a sigh.

Zeb eyes bulge as Kanan and Hera look skeptical.

"Why?" Kanan starts slowly.

"Well for starters, he's the Grand Moff." Hera sighs loudly and Kanan does his best not to look impressed. "And . . . he's Palpitines right-hand man. He has complete authority over the Navy and the IBS."

He's going to get himself killed.

"So . . . the questions that remain . . . why is Ezra going after him?" Kanan starts looking out one of the shattered windows across the barren landscape of Oon.

Ezra hasn't even made it out of the Lothal sector as we know if. How the kriff does he expect to take down a Moff.

"And where would this Moff be if he does?" Hera adds looking to Kanan. "We need to be prepared as if we know he's going to. All the evidence indicates he is." as she gestures around the room.

Oh I think I may have an idea.

"Coruscant. He is the Emperors most trusted ally after all." I bet he mooches off Palpitines ass hourly.

"Sounds like a plan." Zeb smiles.

"Sounds like suicide" Chopper beeps in a dire tone.

"Well it's all we have, let's get there as quick as possible and lie low." Kanan turns on his heel quickly and out the dismantled door.

To Coruscant then. The heart of this blasted Empire.

...