The Rebel Faction

New Beginnings Part I: An Alliance of Rebels (Yavin 8)

Marin Faulker stood there with his hands clasped behind his back. He looked at a small plaque he had hanging on the wall behind his desk, engraved was the name "Roons Sewell", Roons Sewell had been a General in the Rebellion before sacrificing his life to save his men. In Marin's eyes he had been a hero. At Roons' funeral he had some of his favorite lines read by Jan Dodonna, throughout the years Marin often referred to these words.

"If Tyranny's cold grasp should tighten, what is left but to endure? One man or one woman, a grain of sand in that clammy clot, a fellowship of wet misery."

"But if some strange fire should fuse that sad company into glass, then what newborn edges might bloodily cut and win release?"

"We are being shaped in this war. Let it happen. Be sharpened as glass, yes, but flexible as steel."

"Each fallen comrade is a hammer blow, but along with it, let that strange fire make you harder for the rigors ahead, sharper and more daring for battles to come."

"We fight a good fight."

"It was an honor to have served with you. I loved you all."

Marin loved him as well, he was a great soldier and an even better man. But that was years ago, when Marin had first joined the Rebellion. He was just a pilot, he didn't know at that point how far the Rebellion would take him. But Marin Faulker wasn't always a Rebel. No.

Marin thought of how many times he'd try to get the single moment out of his head, however no matter how hard he tried he would never live it down. Somehow he didn't see how evil the Empire was, somehow he didn't the Empire for what it really was, an oppressive, tyrannical, dictatorship.

28 Standard Years Ago: Coruscant

I'd just graduated from the Academy, I was stationed in Imperial Center which was where every member of the Imperial Military wanted to be, or at least that's what I thought.

Clink Clank Clink Clank Clank. Came the quick sound as I marched down the catwalk at a quickened pace, I can still remember the sound vividly.

Click. Came the audible sound. "TX-365 reporting in." Click was heard again as my Stormtrooper's comlink relayed the message.

Click. "TX-365, what is your position?" Click. TX-360 asked me, I still remember his designation...

Click. "Glitannai Esplanade sir." Click. I replied as my pace slowed and I began to monitor the activity of the bustline avenue of tourist shops and restaurants. It was one of the most popular destinations the rich and famous of Coruscant, not many other could afford what they had to offer there.

Click. "TX-365, report to rendezvous point cresh on the double." Click. TX-360 ordered. An order which I followed without a second thought. Who knew that in just a few moments I'd see an even that wouldn't be broadcasted on the Holonet or advertised by the Rebellion... but an event that showed me how ruthless the Empire really was. I'm still amazed that I hadn't noticed before.

Click. "Yes sir." Click. I replied immediately and headed to the rendezvous.

As I got closer I noticed that I was the last of the squad members to arrive at the rendezvous. The other Stormtroopers just stood there looking at me, I wondered what their facial expressions might say if I were able to read them. Reliving the events in my head it was like they were twelve ghosts looking straight into my sould. Eerie.

"Hey YOU there!! Where do you think you're going?" TX-362 said to a group of Mon Calamari walking into the Il Piatti restaurant, there was a large group of them, they looked like they were celebrating some special event. Men, women, children, there had to be at least twenty of them. Their faces were glowing, although it was difficult for me to distinguish the expressions of the Mon Calamari at the time I could tell that they were happy.

"We were just celebrating my-" The Mon Calamari male's words were cut short as TX-362 slammed the butt of his blaster rifle into the alien's jaw. One of the Mon Calamari rushed to his friend's aid when TX-362 raised his blaster rifle aiming it at the second male now.

"Hey Fish Face what are you doing on the Esplanade?" TX-362 asked the alien was visibly shaken. His friend knocked out cold and lying on the ground, blood gushing from his wound. At this point I was waiting for the other troopers to step in and grab 362... but they... they didn't.

A young Mon Calamari ran forward to grab her father in fear, her father now staring down the barrel of TX-362's blaster rifle. But just as she went to clutch her arms around her father for safety 362 adjusted his aim and opened fire on the small Mon Calamari. BLAST BLANG BLAST. I heard it, the shots rang through my ears as all of a sudden the whole scene was in slow motion. The alien girl fell to the ground motionless. Dead.

"Ha ha ha!! What are you gonna do NOW FISH FACE???" TX-362 said as he raised his aim back to that of her father.

At this point I felt like I was in some kind of nightmare that I would wake up from at any moment. My blaster rifle fell out of my hands and probably made a sound when it hit the ground but I didn't hear it.

Then one of the other Stormtroopers opened fire on the Mon Calamari male. A disturbing laugh rang throughout the group as he blasted the man repeatedly, I think at this point I was deaf to the situation but the bright blaster bolts exploded from the other troopers barrel as another Mon Calamari fell to the ground. The other Calamari began to run hopefully for their lives but then the other Stormies began to open fire. I looked left, the blur of crimson blaster fire escaping from rifle after Stormtrooper rifle in a blaze of evil glory.

I looked to the right and they all began to drop. They began to fall one on top of the other. TX-362 ran into the middle of the crowd kicking the Mon Calamari which had fallen in the massacre. Kicking the already lifeless corpses. Laughing maniacally the whole time.

The pile of corpses was spread out, but all of them were dead. Women. Children. Fathers. Wives. Aliens. Somehow this justified the actions taken by TX-362 and the rest of the squad. They stood there excited.. excited... they'd just ended the lives of twenty some odd innocent people and they couldn't be happier about themselves.

Click. "TX-360 to BASE. We're gonna need a cleanup crew on the Esplanade. We've got fish guts that need to be mopped up." Click. He went on to congratulate TX-362, he patted him on the back, and the rest of the squad continued to laugh and joke about what they had just done. Posing as if they were gunning down the group all over again. Disgusting.

I remember the next day when the Sargeant questioned the Squad Leader about the massacre he had told him that the Mon Calamari were "unruly" and that they had to be dealt with. I remember that they shared a good laugh about the whole thing, I'll never forget the image of the Sargeant patting TX-360 on his armor plated shoulder. At that point I knew.. I knew... that what I was doing was wrong.

The first chance I had I left the squad.. I left Coruscant.. I returned home for a while... but then... I ended up with the Rebellion... I knew it was the right thing to do.. I knew I had to fight for what was right.

Who'd have known that someday I'd be leading the Rebellion?

Not me.

The Present: Yavin 4

The Commander-in-Chief stood there for just a few moments more staring at the plaque, remembering the massacre which had eventually lead him here.

"I'm gonna do this for you Roons..."

The Present...

"I do not care that you are triple volunteers! I do not care that you think you're tough! And I especially don't care what Colonel's @#%$ you sucked to get into my training program!" Skier knew this was going to be a long training session, "Those who I deem worthy will survive, and those who don't will either quit...or have a training accident! This base suffers at least three training accidents a year! All of them, men who have crossed me! If you understand this, give me a hoohah Major!"

"Hoohah, major!"

"Lieutenant! What is your name?!"

"Major, Pike, Major!"

"Surrender your side arm for inspection!"

The soldier named Pike began to unholster his DL from his belt. The Major's face lit up bright red, and he immediately began screaming incoherently at the man.

"What the @#%$ do you think you're doing?!"

"Major, you told me to relinquish my-"

"ARE YOU SPEAKING?! Were you told to speak?!" the Major screamed, "You will not, under any circumstances, relinquish your weapon! If High @#%$ Admiral Marin Faulker walks up to you and asks you for your weapon, you will not relinquish your weapon!! Everybody better give me a hoohah Major!"

"Hoohah, major!"

It seemed that right away the Major had it out for this guy named Pike. Everywhere he went, the Major followed, picking out every mistake he made. The Major reminded him often that any one of those could prove fatal.

Pike began to voice to the other Lieutenants that he was fearing a "training accident". None of them really cared. To be honest, I didn't really give a damn either. No matter how much the Rebellion advertised the glory of the Rebel army, there was no honor. No dignity. No trust.

It seemed everyone hated everyone else.

One of the most grueling aspects of our training courses was called the Brain Buster. The whole idea was to get you to think when you were exhausted...and the Major really knew how to get you exhausted.

We were in the middle of this training excerise when it happened. Most of the soldiers had already gotten to the top of the steep mountainside we were climbing, but only me and Pike remained. Both of us had gone last. Pike was struggling to make it over the edge when the Major stepped down on his rope. He began questioning him. It wasn't the first time this had happened. I was able to make out what they said...barely.

"Liuetenant Pike, can you tell me the speed of a Corellian Corvette?"

"Ahhh!" gasped Pike, "Yeah...ahhh!....21, sir!"

"21 what?"

"MGLT, sir!....ahhh!"

"Take that, and multiply it by the number of ships Joren Arden had with him at Corellia."

"Ahhh!"

For a long while Pike just hung there, struggling to think. He obviously didn't realize that it had been a trick question all along. Even I had, and I was still struggling along.

"Zero, idiot," one of the Lieutenants finally cried out, "Joren Arden wasn't at Corellia."

"Have you lost it, Lieutenant?" the Major calmly asked, the question directed at Pike.

"Tell me one more thing. What is your weapon?"

"Ahhh!"

"Your weapon, man. What is it? What makes you survive and the other guys die."

Silence.

"Its your brain, idiot. Your brain is your weapon. I think you came to this fight unarmed, Lieutenant Pike. Take off your pack."

Pike struggled with his pack, glad to be rid of it. Were I in his situation, I would've too. The packs were one of the things that made us so exhausted. Often times filled with durasteel parts or weights, they easily got you exhausted fast.

Pike handed the pack to the Major, who tossed it over the cliffside. It fell for a while, narrowly missing me, and finally coming to a halt as it slammed into a tree not far from the ground.

"You can't finish this course without a pack, Lieutenant Pike," the Major said, "I suggest you go get it. Even if you gotta break through Centerpoint to do it."

Pike groaned and began his decent back down the cliff. The others turned away, all except the Major who lingered, watching Pike's progress. Just then, the wire that attatched Pike to the top of the cliff snapped, and he fell with a scream. I grabbed out at him, but didn't even get close.

The soldier tumbled down the cliff, slamming into rocks and trees on the way down. I couldn't possibly tell just when he had died, but I could rest assured that he was definitely dead by the time he reached his pack.

"Hurry up, Lieutenant Skier," the Major shouted down, a calm grin on his face, "There are three training accidents here a year. That makes one."

The Major sheathed a knife covertly, but I saw it. I climbed up to the top of that cliff as fast as my body could carry me.

Later that night we were finally allowed to sleep for the first time in five days, but I couldn't. Pike's dead continued to flash through my mind. I don't know why. I hadn't known him very well. I hadn't even much liked the guy. But something made me remember. Something made me guilty.

I shifted my thoughts somewhere else, and my memories brought me back again...

The Past...

"John! Where are you going?" Jeremy called out to him, "We've got patrol duty together in an hour!"

John sighed, dreading this moment.

"I'm leaving, Jeremy," John replied, sighing again, "This time I think its for good."

"What are you talking about, John?" Jeremy asked, his confident grin fading into a frown, "Going where?"

"I'm joining the cause, Jeremy," John said, but there was no happiness in his voice, "The New Rebellion. Calls went up for new recruits a while ago."

"What?" Jeremy asked, shocked, "But what about Helix? You can't abandon your people! Literally! Protocols won't allow it!"

"Thats why I haven't been taken off the flight roster," John replied, looking around to make sure nobody was watching, "Nobody knows I'm leaving besides a few others who are coming with me. We're pretending to be a patrol, and then we're going to jump out system. Please don't tell anyone, Jeremy! Please!"

"Don't worry," Jeremy growled back, with narrowed eyes, "I won't."

The Present...

Sooner or later, I don't know when, my memories quickly turned into dreams. The sound of a horn blowing loudly woke me up. It was what the Major always used to wake up us, and it was annoying as hell. But it didn't make much sense right now. We were supposed to be simulating covert warfare, and blowing a horn was usually considered a dead giveaway.

I sprang up from my spot on the ground, as did the others. We all knew something was wrong...

Day of wrath! O day of mourning!
See fulfilled the prophets' warning,
Heaven and earth in ashes burning!

Oh what fear man's bosom rendeth,
when from heaven the Judge descendeth,
on whose sentence all dependeth.

Wondrous sound the trumpet flingeth;
through earth's sepulchers it ringeth;
all before the throne it bringeth.

Death is struck, and nature quaking,
all creation is awaking,
to its Judge an answer making.
Lo! the book, exactly worded,
wherein all hath been recorded:
thence shall judgment be awarded.

When the Judge his seat attaineth,
and each hidden deed arraigneth,
nothing unavenged remaineth.

What shall I, frail man, be pleading?
Who for me be interceding,
when the just are mercy needing?

King of Majesty tremendous,
who dost free salvation send us,
Fount of pity, then befriend us!
Think, good Jesus, my salvation
cost thy wondrous Incarnation;
leave me not to reprobation!

Faint and weary, thou hast sought me,
on the cross of suffering bought me.
shall such grace be vainly brought me?

Righteous Judge! for sin's pollution
grant thy gift of absolution,
ere the day of retribution.

Guilty, now I pour my moaning,
all my shame with anguish owning;
spare, O God, thy suppliant groaning!

Thou the sinful woman savedst;
thou the dying thief forgavest;
and to me a hope vouchsafest.

Worthless are my prayers and sighing,
yet, good Lord, in grace complying,
rescue me from fires undying!
With thy favored sheep O place me;
nor among the goats abase me;
but to thy right hand upraise me.

While the wicked are confounded,
doomed to flames of woe unbounded
call me with thy saints surrounded.
Low I kneel, with heart submission,
see, like ashes, my contrition;
help me in my last condition.

Ah! that day of tears and mourning!
From the dust of earth returning
man for judgment must prepare him;
Spare, O God, in mercy spare him!

Lord, all pitying, Jesus blest,
grant them thine eternal rest. Amen.
__________________________________________________

He stood in the shade of the bank of the Seigen River, having walked yards away from the house, and family, momentarily weary of the company. He stood six feet two inches in height. His hair was a dusty white color, his eyebrows a darker shade of black. He had a well-proportioned frame and a suffuecuent amount of muscle, but he lacked any trace of fat; his muscles showed clearly beneath the skin, giving him an appearance of thinness.

The same leanness added intensity and, falsely, a hint of villainy to his face. When he smiled, it seemed he might be thinking something unplesant or planing mischeif. His voice did little to help this impression, as gruff and cold as it was.
His clothes tended to be proffesional. His faveorite outfit was an old red jacket - he wore now - a black vest and matching pants. His shoes were sturdy military issuie boots, perfect for the harsh use they often saw in the feilds around his home.
Wind hissed through the branches of a tree overhead.

Looking up, peering between the black silhouettes of leaves he saw the thick spill of stars. He knew all the constellations, knew how the stars were born (as much as everyone else did anyway) and how they grew old and how some died. Still, the stars were seldom more than lights on a deep blue velvet. Only once in a great while could he make them fill out and see them for what they were, far participants in an intricate play.

Voices carried over the woods. On the broad singlestory cabin's porch, vaulting on sturdy concrete pillars above the fern- and tree-covered bluff, a new visitor sat, looking at him curiously.

Below him, the river flowed with a whispering rumble. Still squatting, he slid down the bank on the heels of his thoroughly muddy boots and dipped his long-fingered hands into the cold water.

All things are connected to a contented man. He looked up again at the sky.

"God damn," he said in awe, his eyes moistening. "I love it all"

Something padded close to him in the dark, sniffling. He tensed, then recognized the eager whine. The three month old dog, Holt, had followed him down to the river. He felt the pup's cold nose against his outstretched palm and rumpled the dogs head and ears in his outstretched hands.

"Why'd you come all the way down here? Nothing intresting back home?"

Holt sat in the dirt, rump wriggling, tail swishing through the damp leaves. THe pup's moist brown marble eyes reflected twin-star glints.

"Call of the wild" he said on the dogs behalf.

"Out here in the savage wilderness" Holt leaped away and pounced his forepaws into the water.

Turning back from the river, he made his way back to the cabin.

Marty, his son; a bright, quiet boy of eight, spectrally thin; played with his cousin on the sward below and east of the patio. Becky, a pretty hellion with more apparent energy than sense - excusable for her age - had brought along a monkey hand puppet. To give it voice she made high-pitched chattering noises, more birdlike than monkeylike.

Marty's giggle, excited and girlish, flew out through the tops of the trees. He had hopeless crush on Becky. Here, in isolation - with nobody else to distract her - she did not spurn him, but she often chided him, in a voice full of dignity, for his "boogy" ways. "Boogy" meant any number of things, none of them good. Marty accepted these comments in blinking silence, too young to understand how deeply they hurt him.

They had lived in the cabin for six months, since the end of Raven's stint as science advisor to the President of Ursia. He had used that time to catch up on his reading, consuming a whole month's worth of astronomical and scientific journals in a day, consulting on aerospace projects one or two days a week, flying north to Tuis or south to Segun once a mo

Matthias Woods looked into the sky, his right hand cupped over his eyebrow to block out the brilliant sun.

"Who the @#%$ is this hot dog?" Matt whispered to himself as he looked to the starfigher doing several ridiculous maneuvers.

Matt squinted his eyes to get a clearer sight. "Is anyone tailing that guy or did I just enter the Yavin 4 Air Show viewing grounds?" Matthias Woods said as he viewed the starfighter making several evasive maneuvers for no apparent reason.

"Admiral Woods." The female voice came through the comm unit.

"Woods here." He responded.

"I've got a message from an unidentified vessel hailing "General Marin Faulker"." The female voice continued.

"Playback message please." Woods responded.

"Alexei Ferrier to General Marin Faulker, Alexei Ferrier to General Marin Faulker, do you copy?" Was heard through Matthias Woods' Comm Link.

"Patch me into frequency Morgan." Woods answered to the woman who was controlling incoming messages.

"Unidentified craft this is Rear-Admiral Matthias Woods. You are in Rebel airspace." Matthias said confidently as he waited for a reply. The reply did not come immediately as Matt stood there almost ready to have his own starfighters shoot the starfighter down.

"Rear-Admiral this is Alexei Ferrier reporting for duty. Awaiting clearance for landing." The starship replied.

"Alexei Ferrier?" Woods asked himself. "Morgan, check the clearance list for an "Alexei Ferreir"." Matthias Woods inquired.

"Clearance granted." Morgan said as she responed to Rear-Admiral Matthias Woods.

"Alexei Ferrier eh?" He said to himself. @#%$... "Alexei Ferrier you are clear to land, Marin Faulker has granted you access to this sanctuary himself. Proceed to the co-ordinates directed." Matt Woods said although not completely assured that this "Alexei Ferrier" would be a welcome addtion to the Rebellion.

Matthias Woods hopped on his speeder bike to meet this new recruit at the docking bay. A deep rumble exuded from the engines as he jammed the throttle forward propelling the sleek craft into motion at a few hundred kilometers per hour.

He navigated along the trail that the Rebellion had cleared out for patrols and quick trips to the various bases and assorted Rebel buildings on the planet. Marin had setup these pathways not only for patrols, each path was just a few minute's journey via speeder bike. This made it easy to get around the planet quickly with speeder bikes as the main mode of transportation. Each path was wide enough for a few speeder bikes to pass comfortably, although at any given time there would only be two, one coming and one going. Morgan had tabs on all the paths and anytime a Rebel requested passage they would have to clear it with her, this would prevent unnecessary accidents. Although every once in a while an uninvited guest would make its way to the path, usually in the form of wild animals. Typically these scenarios didn't end up well for any involved.

They had been working on a sensor system for the paths that would alert them to these types of obstacles. The system was almost complete but was not ready to fully implement yet. There were several of these types of projects that the Rebels had been working on to fortify their base of operations. Seeing as they hadn't occupied Yavin 4 for very long they'd been doing a remarkable job.

Matthias Woods arrived at the docking bay and parked his speeder in the designated area which was little more than cleared out brush in front of the Massassi Temple which had been turned into a makeshift Docking Bay. He then made his way to the landing pad where Alexei Ferrier would be arriving shortly. Two Rebel soldiers who were standing guard at the entrance to the docking bay saluted Rear-Admiral Woods as he entered. As he made his way to the landing pad the two soldiers accompanied him blaster rifles in hand.

Just as they made their way up to the docking bay Alexei Ferrier was landing. The Rear-Admiral and the two soliders stood there as the man left his craft and came to greet the Admiral. He saluted as Woods returned the gesture.

"Alexei Ferrier, former Batiiv Pirate, and Invid Survivor, reporting for duty, Admiral."

"Welcome to Yavin 4 Alexei Ferrier. Those stunts you pulled up there, almost got you killed." Matthias Woods said sternly.

Alexei Ferrier was wise enough not to respond.

"I'll have Rezar and Tanglo escort you to your quarters." Woods said as he motioned for Alexei Ferrier to join the two Rebel soldiers.

Arza Rezar and Mata Tanglo lead the way as Matthias Woods just stood there for a moment on the landing pad. Matthias Woods looked up to the sky, it was a beautiful picture, the bright red Gas Giant Yavin hovering above them. It was huge, it occupied most of the sky along with the various moons scattered on the horizon.

Was I too hard on him? Matthias Woods questioned himself for just a moment and then brushed it off without a second thought. No... of course not...