Star Wars: Starkiller

Meditating was something I did quite often, unlike what Vader had taught me which consisted more of an exercise that allowed to sharpen the mind and heal wounds, the meditation I used was more similar to the one practiced by the Jedi, where your mind went into a deep state of relaxation and awareness, this was one of the few things that allowed me to relax and get out of the constant state of internal conflict in which I found myself lately.

Unfortunately, this was interrupted by someone knocking on my door.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

I did not answer immediately, being too immersed in my state of relaxation, however, when I felt the presence of whoever was on the other side I had no choice but to come out of my trance to open the door.

On the other side of it stood a Hera with a serious look on her face. I looked at her with a neutral expression, I knew she was still angry with me, still this didn't mean I wasn't going to listen to what she wanted to tell me.

"What's going on, Captain?" I asked, my tone emotionless, as if it was a simple formality.

"We're heading to Ezra's parents' house to discuss the plan on what course of action we'll take with Senator Trayvis," she said in her characteristically direct tone. "I wanted you to come."

For a moment, I was surprised by his invitation. After what had happened with Ezra, I thought Hera would prefer to keep me on the sidelines. But I didn't let the surprise show on my face.

"I thought you were angry about what I said to the boy," I replied, crossing my arms calmly.

"I'm still mad," she admitted without hesitation. "But you're still part of the team, and I thought you'd want to be a part of this, whatever suspicions you might have about the senator."

I nodded slightly, but I couldn't help but speak my mind. "Hera, you know as well as I do that it is impossible that the boy's parents are still alive. Prolonging their hope seems futile to me... and a waste of time."

Hera pursed her lips and looked at me with an intensity that could have intimidated anyone. However, I kept my expression neutral.

"You know, Galen? I really don't understand you," she finally said, with a tone that mixed weariness and irritation. "Sometimes you're capable of completely altruistic actions, of genuinely caring about others. But other times... you are simply apathy personified. What's wrong with you?"

I didn't answer right away. Not because I didn't have something to say, but because I knew that any explanation would be insufficient. Hera didn't understand, and perhaps she never would.

"You know what, don't answer me," she continued, holding up a hand as if she didn't want to hear what I had to say. "Do whatever you want, but I want you to know that this behavior is unacceptable to me. Thank you for saving me, but I can't let you continue to behave like an... asshole to the rest of the crew, for whatever reason."

Hera paused, looking me straight in the eye, as if waiting for some spark of empathy to arise in me. She said no more, but her silence carried more weight than her words.

"When we get back," she continued, her tone firm, "I want you to apologize to Ezra for what you said to him. Ok?"

I didn't respond. My eyes remained fixed on her, but my silence seemed to be answer enough for Hera. She snorted in frustration and turned to leave, her determined gait echoing down the hallway.

However, she stopped before she completely disappeared from my sight. She turned slightly, not quite looking at me, and spoke one last time, her voice softer but laden with meaning:

"And regarding your question...we don't do this because we're overprotecting Ezra. We're doing it because it's the right thing to do. And because, if we had no hope, then we would have no reason to fight."

She gave me one last look, as if hoping her words would find some echo in me. Then she left, leaving the door open behind her.

I was left alone in the room, silence filling the space. Her words echoed in my mind, though I would not admit it aloud.

Hope.

Hera and the rest of the crew always talked about it, as if it was the spark that ignited everything, as if it was enough to take on the Empire. I, on the other hand, knew it wasn't enough. I had lived through too much, seen too much death and desolation, to believe that hope could be the engine of anything more than illusions.

What is wrong with me?

Hera had asked that question, but she wasn't looking for an answer. And even if she did, I'm not sure I could give her one. Was it my training with Vader? The fact that I was raised as a weapon? Or was it simply the weight of everything I'd been through, the choices I'd made?

I sighed, slamming the door shut and dropping onto the bed. I couldn't deny that there was a part of me that wanted to believe in what Hera said, in that hope that seemed to drive them all. But another part, the bigger part, knew that reality was much crueler.

Hope was a fragile thing. Something that could be easily destroyed. But if he had no hope, what was he fighting for? Only for revenge, hatred? Probably yes, but if so I wouldn't still be in this place, with these people, so there had to be something else. Maybe I was driven by something else, maybe it was compassion, maybe it was empathy or even maybe love, whatever the reason, I knew I couldn't leave things like this.

So I set out to do the only thing I could do at that moment.

'I hate this.' I thought as I made my way to the old senate building of the Old Republic.

---

 The Republic Senate building dominated the skyline of Lothal's capital city like an imposing figure of authority. Its main structure, shaped like a round box topped by a spiral that seemed to defy the heavens, had a majestic, yet oppressive air. The white walls gleamed in the sunlight, as if to project purity and justice. To me, it was nothing more than a symbol of corrupt and decadent power.

From my perch high above, I clung to the walls of the building, using my control over the Force to propel myself upward with quick, precise movements. Sometimes I would make impossible leaps, propelling myself with the energy of the Force, while others I would briefly lean on small ledges, using the momentum to move forward. The winds aloft were not a problem; they were insignificant compared to the challenges I had faced before.

Finally, after one last leap, my hands gripped tightly on the edge of the platform that led directly to the main entrance of the Senate.

With a nimble movement, I rejoined, towering over the building. In front of me, the scene I had expected unfolded: a contingent of hundreds of stormtroopers, perfectly lined up in front of the entrance.

'With that many troops it will be impossible for them to enter... unless I give them something else to focus on,' I thought as my mind began to plot a course of action.

I adjusted my hood to hide my face in shadow, letting my figure cast an aura of menace. I walked calmly toward the ranks of stormtroopers, my boots echoing softly against the metal floor of the platform. My right hand slowly slid to my waist, where the lightsaber rested.

One of the soldiers noticed me, turning his head slightly as he became aware of my presence. "Citizen, this is a restricted area. Identify yourself immediately."

I did not respond. I just raised my left hand and, with a simple gesture, threw him through the air as if he were a rag doll. His shout echoed before disappearing into the distance, breaking the discipline of the ranks of stormtroopers.

"He's a Jedi! Go and get him!" roared the commander, pointing his blaster at me.

That was my cue.

With a snap-hiss, I ignited my lightsaber, bathing the scene in a crimson glow that contrasted with the white light on the walls.

The stormtroopers opened fire almost instantly, unleashing a hail of laser fire on my position. Their movements were coordinated, precise, but predictable. With trained precision, I deflected each of the shots with fluid movements of my saber, the laser beams bouncing off the red blade and flying in all directions, some impacting the stormtroopers themselves.

One of them tried to flank me, but a quick flick of my wrist sent his shot back into his chest, knocking him down instantly.

As I continued to block the shots, I felt the energy of the Force building up in the fingertips of my left hand, an electric current crackling like untamed fire. As the pressure peaked, I extended my arm forward and unleashed a storm of Force lightning on the nearest group of soldiers.

The lightning sparked and flashed with a blinding radiance, striking several soldiers at once. Screams of pain filled the air as they fell to the ground, their bodies writhing under the relentless discharge. Some tried to retreat, but the chaos I had unleashed prevented them from reorganizing.

I took another step forward, my lightsaber whirring as I easily cut down the shots still coming my way. I leapt forward, landing in the middle of another group of stormtroopers. My crimson blade swung in a perfect arc, cutting down two stormtroopers at the same time. The heat from the saber left scorch marks on the ground as I spun and blocked another shot.

One more soldier approached from behind, blaster in hand. Without even looking at him, I extended my free arm toward him and threw him against the wall with a telekinetic thrust. The impact was brutal, and he fell motionless to the ground.

More stormtroopers continued to arrive from the entrances of the building, trying to surround me. I felt the change in the atmosphere, the concentration of enemies. It was just what I wanted.

I spun on my heels, hurling my lightsaber at a group advancing from the left. The blade spun through the air like a deadly disk, slicing through three soldiers before returning to my hand in one fluid motion. At the same time, I used the Force to lift two others off the ground, strangling them with a simple gesture.

The commander, who had given the initial order, tried to back away, but I wasn't going to let him. In one swift motion, I leapt toward him, landing right in front of his position. His eyes widened in horror as I raised my saber and brought it down in a single, accurate blow. His helmet rolled to the ground as his body fell heavily.

The momentary silence that followed was broken by the hurried footsteps of more troops coming from inside the building. My breathing remained calm, controlled. This was my element. That was my only thought as I let my passion guide my actions and the killing continued.

(Meanwhile elsewhere in the building)

Agent Kallus was having one of those days that seemed to never end. Between the constant pressures from his superiorsand the grand Inquisitor to capture the Jedi, lately it seemed to him that he was doing everyone's job, add that to the fact that apparently there is a mystery Jedi that he still didn't know who he was but he had already met when fighting with him, unlike Kanan Jarrus, this one seemed to be more ruthless and powerful, that was the conclusion he came to when he faced him and lost resoundingly as if he was no match for him at all.

With the task of tracking down and destroying the rebels and the growing demands of the Grand Inquisitor to capture the Jedi, Kallus was beginning to feel like he was carrying the weight of the entire Imperial machine on his shoulders. And the worst part was that, deep down, he knew that no one would value his efforts; in the Empire, failures were punished, but successes were rarely rewarded.

He was in his temporary office within the Lothal Senate, reviewing recent reports, when another problem, a much more personal one, haunted his mind: the unknown Jedi. It was not Kanan Jarrus, that much was clear. This new opponent, whose identity remained a mystery, had humiliated him in combat. When Kallus had faced him weeks ago, it was as if his experience and training were worth absolutely nothing. The Jedi's movements were relentless, swift, charged with a precision and fury that seemed inhuman. He had felt, for the first time in a long time, true terror in combat.

"He was no ordinary Jedi..." he muttered to himself.

Something about his style, his attitude, was unsettling to him. There was a coldness about him that did not match the ideals of the Jedi Order. This enemy was different.

Before he could delve any deeper into his thoughts, a sudden tremor shook the building. The sound of a distant explosion echoed, followed by a brief moment of silence that was quickly interrupted by shrill alarms. Kallus stood up immediately, his expression hardening as he grabbed his bo-rifle staff and turned on his holoprojector to contact his troops stationed at the Senate entrance.

It took a few seconds for the transmission to connect, but finally a stormtrooper in his trademark white helmet appeared on the holo. The trooper appeared nervous, constantly turning his head as if expecting an attack at any moment.

"Trooper, what's going on down there?" demanded Kallus in an authoritative tone, though internally he was beginning to feel uneasy.

"Sir, we have a problem, there's some kind of Jedi here and-"

The trooper abruptly cut himself off, ducking to dodge the body of another stormtrooper that flew out behind him, crashing into a metal wall with an impact that echoed through the transmission. Kallus narrowed his eyes, trying to comprehend the scene unfolding in front of him.

"What's going on? Report right now!"

The stormtrooper raised his head slightly, panic evident in his voice. "Sir, it's... I've never seen anything like this before. He's slaughtering us! We need reinforcements immediately! He's..."

Before he could finish, a flash of red briefly illuminated the holoprojector, followed by a piercing sound: the distinctive whir of a lightsaber piercing armor and flesh. The soldier let out an agonized scream before collapsing to the ground, and the transmission cut out, leaving Kallus staring at the extinguished projector.

The agent remained motionless for a second, processing what he had just witnessed. His calculating mind quickly dismissed any possibility that this unknown Jedi was simply an adversary. He had seen enough footage of Jedi combat to know that this was not normal. This was different.

'This is not a Jedi.' He thought, adjusting the grip on his bo-rifle. 'This is something far worse.'

He took a moment to analyze his options. He could call for reinforcements, but he knew that mobilizing troops on a planet like Lothal was not as quick as on other, more militarized worlds. The remaining stormtroopers in the Senate building were probably already dealing with that threat, and if the trooper's reports were true, they wouldn't last much longer.

As he made his way toward the exit of the room, he activated his communicator and sent a message to all nearby units.

"This is Agent Kallus. We have a hostile Jedi at the Senate entrance. All available units, head there immediately. Do not underestimate the enemy."

He put the communicator away and took a deep breath as he walked briskly toward the epicenter of the chaos.

---

A large amount of scattered corpses could be seen at the entrance to the senate building, the stormtroopers' armor was smoking, blaster and lightsaber marks could be seen on their armor, at least the ones that were complete, others were dismembered and even decapitated.

That was the scene Kallus encountered once he arrived at the main entrance. Anodized and even somewhat terrified by the sight before his eyes the Imperial Intelligence Bureau agent knew that this fish was too big for him to catch, so he turned on his holocommunicator and called the first person that came to mind for this.

Once he turned on the holo-communicator, he caught a glimpse of the silhouette of a male Pau'an dressed in Imperial unifome and holding a round shaped lightsaber that appeared to have two blades.

"Agent Kallus, I was waiting for your call." Said the silhouette projecting the agent's communicator. "Did you find the Jedi I was looking for?"

"Actually, Grand Inquisitor, I found something that perhaps will interest you more than the Jedi, something more...dangerous." The agent said, which made the silhouette smile slightly.

(Meanwhile with Galen)

'If what he said in his transmission is correct, the senator should be around.' I thought as I walked through the long corridors of the old senate building, I kept going like this for a while until I found a door that seemed to connect to a chamber.

I walked carefully, on the lookout for any unusual sounds, until I found myself in front of an imposing door. Its design, marked by filigree and worn emblems, suggested to me that it connected to an important chamber.

I pushed the door open slowly and my eyes fell upon the interior of the chamber. The chamber consisted of a podium in the center, with a speaker's lectern facing two rows of seats arranged in three ascending tiers. Behind the podium, on the far wall, was a faded sign that read, "New Freedom," an almost sarcastic echo of what this place may have once represented.

At the podium, a somewhat older human male stood, absorbed in thought. He had dark hair with gray locks that betrayed his age, fair skin and piercing blue eyes that seemed to analyze everything around him. Beside him, two imposing-looking guardian androids stood motionless, their glowing red visors like unwavering sentinels.

'That must be him.' I thought as I moved forward, trying not to draw too much attention to myself. However, my presence did not go unnoticed. Noticing my approach, the man looked up. His expression went from a mixture of suspicion and surprise to a warmer and more confident one, almost as if he was expecting anyone.

"Welcome, my good friend. I thought no one had deciphered my transmission. I'm glad I was wrong."

"Senator, you need to come with me. It's not safe here." I warned him, my tone reflecting urgency, though I tried to remain calm.

The man frowned, shaking his head.

"That's impossible."

"Believe me, it is." I insisted, with a firmer note in my voice. "Leave everything here and come with me. Your departure will distract the Imperials who are already on their way."

The senator was not convinced.

"But, my good friend, I must wait for more people who heard my message to come. It is vital."

I sighed, the last thing I needed was a stubborn politician.

"I understand, I'm sorry, Senator."

He looked at me with a mixture of surprise and confusion.

"Why?"

"For this."

Before he could react, I reached out, using the Force to throw the two androids against the side walls. The sound of their metallic bodies crashing against the marble echoed through the room. Before the senator could scream, I moved quickly toward him. With a precise blow to the side of his neck, I knocked him unconscious. His body slumped, but I caught him before he hit the floor.

'I hope this is enough of an apology.' I thought as I placed the senator over my shoulder. The androids sputtered in the corner, incapacitated, but I knew I didn't have much time before Imperial reinforcements arrived.

Without looking back, I ran for the exit with the senator between my shoulders.

(A while later at Ezra's parents' house).

The Ghost crew was gathered in the small subway shelter of the house, a hidden space Ezra's parents had used during their days as rebel activists. The packed earth walls and worn bookshelves were a silent testament to their struggle. In the center, an old table held a holographic projector displaying a map of the city.

Hera was standing next to the projector, arms crossed, intently observing the details of the area. Sabine was manipulating the holoprojector, zooming in on the streets near the Senate building where Gall Trayvis had mentioned he would be in his transmission.

"According to the transmission, Trayvis wants to meet at the old Senate building," Hera said, pointing to the spot on the holo. "It makes sense. It's a symbolic location, but it's also strategic. It's far enough away from direct Imperial control that we can get in and out without raising too much suspicion."

"What if it's a trap?" asked Zeb, leaning against the wall with his bo rifle resting over his shoulder. "It wouldn't be the first time someone tried to use a decoy to lure us in."

"It's a possibility," Kanan replied, his tone more thoughtful as he cleaned his blaster. "But so far, Trayvis has been one of the few voices within the Senate opposing the Empire. His message seemed genuine. If he wants to join the cause, we can't ignore him."

"Besides," Ezra interjected, arms folded, "my parents believed in him. In many of their occult transmissions they talked about how Trayvis supported the rebels on Coruscant. If there's a chance he's on the side of the cause, we have to try."

Sabine, who was still adjusting the holographic map, frowned. "Don't get me wrong. I want to believe he's on our side, too. But this plan has too many variables. The area around the Senate is still patrolled by Imperial troops. And if anyone gives them away, we'll be trapped."

Hera nodded, understanding. "That's why we have to be careful. We'll go in discreetly, making sure we don't draw attention to ourselves. If Trayvis is telling the truth, we can get him out of there and take him to Ghost. But if anything feels wrong...we'll back out immediately."

Zeb grunted. "I hope he's telling the truth. I don't like sticking my neck out for politicians, but if this guy really is with us, it might be worth it."

Before anyone else could respond, a thud caught everyone's attention. It was the sound of footsteps outside the house, rapidly approaching the front door.

The group's instincts instantly kicked into action. Kanan and Zeb stood up and positioned themselves on either side of the door. Zeb raised his bo rifle and readied it while Kanan held his blaster, ready to fire.

Ezra, Sabine and Hera stood behind, pointing their respective weapons at the door. Sabine shot a quick glance toward Ezra. "Are you expecting someone?"

Ezra shook his head, his eyes riveted on the door. "No. No one should know we're here."

The air in the room grew tense as the sound of footsteps stopped just outside the door. The crew exchanged glances, ready to act in case the Empire had found their hiding place.

The door shook slightly, as if someone was about to touch it or open it.

"Whoever it is," Kanan muttered under his breath, "be careful. Don't fire until you're sure."

The group braced themselves, in complete silence, as they waited for what was to come.

They quickly exited the mini-bunker on the floor of the house and took cover. Kanan and Zeb positioned themselves on either side of the door, Zeb with his bo rifle at the ready and Kann with his blaster, while Ezra, Sabine and Hera aimed at the door with their respective weapons.

Once the door was opened, however, it revealed a sight no one expected.

---

I had managed to get past the patrolling Stormtroopers in the city by jumping between the rooftops, where I was currently trying to remain unnoticed until I reached the rendezvous point.

I remembered the route we had taken the last time we came to this place, memorizing every detail of the road as a reflection of my training. Soon, Ezra's parents' old house appeared in front of me. The door was unlocked, which simplified things. Without a second thought, I opened it.

Crossing the threshold, I was met with something I was already expecting: guns pointed at me from all directions. Ezra, Sabine, Hera, Kanan, Zeb and even Chopper were prepared, ready for the worst. I didn't flinch, I didn't even blink. I simply waited. Recognizing me, they lowered their weapons one after another, though I couldn't help but notice the tension still present in their postures.

I ignored them completely. In one swift motion, I pulled the unconscious Senator Trayvis off my shoulders and dropped him to the ground with a thud.

"I got Trayvis." I said simply.

The silence in the room was immediate. Everyone looked at me, expressions of surprise and even disbelief were evident.

"Well, that was... unexpected," Kanan said, breaking the silence as he looked at the unconscious senator.

"Yeah, how did you do that?" Asked Sabine, clearly surprised.

"Wowowo," Chopper added with a tone that seemed to join the question.

"I simply scaled the Senate building, avoided some guards and found him inside," I replied neutrally, deliberately omitting the more violent details. There was no need to mention the destroyed androids or the ways in which I avoided leaving witnesses.

The surprise on their faces did not diminish. Hera and Kanan, in particular, looked at me with a mixture of skepticism and caution. I could sense that they didn't quite believe my version.

"You just...dodged them? How?" asked Hera, her tone marked by clear doubt.

"Skill, I suppose," I replied in the same impassive tone, meeting her steady gaze with mine. Hera narrowed her eyes, as if trying to read me, but I said no more.

"Well, regardless of how you did it, good job, Galen," Kanan finally said, trying to deflect attention.

One by one, the others began to congratulate me, some with genuine enthusiasm, others a little more cautiously. Except Ezra. His gaze was fixed on me, charged with a mixture of doubt and curiosity.

"Hey, kid," I said, addressing him directly. Ezra looked up, clearly surprised that I was addressing him. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I hope the gift is enough to make amends." I tried to speak in the warmest tone I could find, though it was something I didn't do often.

Ezra blinked, his expression softening a little. "Take it easy, Galen. No hard feelings."

Despite his words, there was something in his tone that didn't quite convince me. His expression didn't seem entirely sincere, but I didn't have the time or energy to analyze it either.

Sabine, who had been quiet as she pondered, broke the silence. "Now that you brought it up, there's something I'm suspicious about."

"What do you mean?" asked Zeb, frowning.

"Think about this," Sabine continued, pointing at the unconscious senator. "In his transmission, Trayvis said the rendezvous would be at sunset. But Galen arrived much earlier, and he was already there."

"And according to what you said, the place was crawling with Stormtroopers. How come they didn't get him?" added Hera, her arms crossed and a worried look on her face.

"Maybe they didn't decipher his broadcast message?" suggested Ezra.

"No," Kanan said, shaking his head. "There's something else here. Something Trayvis himself will have to clarify for us."

Before he could add anything else, Chopper moved toward the senator. Without warning, he extended one of his connecting arms and used it to deliver an electric shock to the man. Trayvis' body convulsed slightly before he awoke with a start.

"W-what? W-where am I?" stammered the senator, clearly disoriented. His eyes darted around the room quickly before stopping on me. "You! Who are you? Why did you bring me here? If you're from the Empire, you should know that I work for the Imperial Bureau as an informant, so you're in big trouble!"

Trayvis' statement landed like a bucket of cold water. A charged silence pervaded the room as everyone stared at him in disbelief. Ezra's eyes widened, clearly shocked, as Hera's expression hardened, her lips forming a tense line. The tension in the air was palpable, and everyone seemed to process the senator's words in their own way.

"Oh, oh," Trayvis muttered, realizing he'd screwed up.

"You're… You're with the Empire?" asked Ezra, his voice trembling between disbelief and disappointment. His hands, which had been resting calmly at his sides until then, clenched into fists.

"But all your transmissions, those planets you visited… how did no one ever find out about you?" Hera interjected, crossing her arms and fixing him with a hard stare. Though her tone was controlled, her posture betrayed her growing anger.

Trayvis seemed to wrestle with himself, searching for the right words to explain what he could no longer hide. "I… I…" he stammered, visibly sweating under the weight of the accusing gazes.

"Speak, senator." Demanded Kanan, his voice firm but laced with barely contained anger. He stepped forward, just enough for Trayvis to feel the weight of his presence.

Trayvis swallowed hard, raising his hands in a defensive gesture. "Because no one ever knew. Not even my own droids," he began, glancing around as though trying to justify himself. "Insurgents are not arrested. They're identified… and watched. The troublesome ones have… accidents after I leave."

His words hung in the air like poison, and the reactions came immediately. Sabine let out a scoff of disbelief, while Zeb gripped his bo-rifle so tightly his knuckles turned white. Hera looked away, visibly disgusted, while Kanan closed his eyes briefly, as if trying to contain his anger.

From my spot at the side of the room, I watched the scene unfold in silence. The revelation didn't surprise me in the slightest; if there was one thing I'd learned under Vader's command, it was that almost no one in the Empire could be trusted. Still, there was a small satisfaction in seeing I had been right.

"But you're not a traitor," said Ezra, breaking the silence with a voice that wavered between pain and disbelief. He stepped closer to Trayvis, as if searching for an explanation. "You're a voice of freedom, a light in the darkness… like my parents."

At the mention of his parents, Trayvis's expression shifted. His eyes narrowed for a moment, as if he were recalling something. Then, a spark of recognition lit up in his gaze.

"Parents?" the senator repeated, leaning slightly toward Ezra. "No one has spoken against the Empire on Lothal since… since the Bridger transmissions." His face brightened with sudden understanding. "I remember them… the original voices of freedom. You're their son."

Ezra took a step back, as if the words had physically struck him. His expression hardened, and his voice rose, filled with anger and frustration. "Why? WHY?" he demanded, desperately searching for an answer that might make sense of it all.

Trayvis looked at him with a mixture of pity and resignation, as though he had anticipated this reaction. "I joined the Empire," he began, his tone almost condescending. "Like your parents should have… for their lives. For you."

Ezra froze, processing those words, but Trayvis continued before he could respond. "Your parents were very brave… and very foolish. If they had cooperated, they would still be here. Alive."

The words landed like a blow to Ezra's gut. His body trembled slightly, and his hands clenched so tightly it seemed they might break. For a moment, no one spoke, and the only sound in the room was the constant hum of Chopper's arm.

"That doesn't justify anything," Hera finally interjected, breaking the silence. Her voice was cold, almost cutting. "You sold yourself to the Empire and betrayed everything you pretended to stand for. That's not survival, Trayvis. That's cowardice."

"You have no idea what it's like to face the Empire!" Trayvis snapped, now clearly on the defensive. His gaze darted from one person to the next. "You all play at being heroes, but you don't know what it means to sacrifice everything to survive."

"Sacrifice everything?" Sabine interjected, her tone dripping with disdain. "You didn't sacrifice anything. You turned your back on the people who trusted you. On people like us."

Trayvis flinched under Sabine's words but said nothing. Ezra, still frozen in place, took a step forward. His voice, low but full of intensity, cut through the tension like a knife.

"My parents weren't foolish," he said through clenched teeth. "They were brave because they stood up to what you didn't have the courage to face. You chose to betray people and the cause instead of fighting for something bigger than yourself."

Trayvis opened his mouth to respond but found no words. Ezra stared at him for a moment longer before looking away, his shoulders trembling from the mix of anger and sadness clearly overwhelming him.

From my spot, I watched as the conflict unfolded. I didn't feel particularly moved by the revelation or the others' morality. To me, Trayvis was just another pawn on the board, someone who could be useful for now. But there was something about the restrained fury in Ezra that caught my attention. Maybe because I saw a reflection of something I had felt myself once.

"Alright," I finally said, breaking the silence as I stepped forward. All eyes turned to me. "So what do we do with him?"