Aria sat in a large office, her back to the desk, looking out through three large windows. The first Tatooine sun was creeping over the horizon, illuminating the Mos Eisley. The one time of the day that this place is actually pretty. As the sun rose higher, she watched the rays of light creep across the carpeted floor. The office she “procured” for herself was the former Governor’s. After dealing with him at the Pod Race celebration last year, it gave her immense joy to take the office from him. She had left him his residence but she had recently been thinking that was not such a smart choice. As the sun rose higher, the windows automatically began to darken and shade the office. So much for the view.

She turned from the windows back to her desk. There were several data pads and three data daggers. Three data pads had different messages Aria had recorded the night before. One data pad held her usual report to her superiors, another data pad had a message to her mother, the third one had a message that was a bit more complicated. That data pad, if it got into the hands of any Imperials, would get her killed.

Data pad number three not only had information about the garrison that was on Tatooine but the message also had her intentions to turn against the Empire. She stared at the data pad for a bit, lost in her thoughts. The familiar scream of TIE fighters overhead startled her. When she turned to look out the large windows, she could just make out their shadows. They’re flying a little low today.

Aria turned her attention back to the data pad and then stabbed it with a data dagger. It popped and hissed; the screen melting where the dagger had entered. When it finally stopped making noise, Aria reached in and pulled it apart. She took the remaining circuits and crushed them with her fingers. Then after sending her report and her mother’s message, Aria rose from the desk.

There were two Lieutenants and a few Storm Troopers waiting outside the office for her. Lieutenant Drea Tor and Lieutenant Felix Oreik, both in the ISB and both under Aria’s command. They were fairly good, loyal to the Empire and followed orders but Aria didn’t trust either one. She knew that when the opportunity presented itself, both of them would take her out to advance their careers. For that reason, Aria preferred to work alone. But everything on Tatooine was different and it made her uncomfortable.

“I watched your interrogations from yesterday.” Aria frowned at both of them. “Felix, you’re very sloppy and Drea, this isn’t a brothel. They need to fear you, not fall in love with you.”

Drea raised her eyebrow but didn’t say a word. This time. Felix however…”Sloppy? How dare you! We got the information we needed. I have troopers ready now to go…”

Aria cut him off, her voice raised in anger. “You? You have troopers ready? Who gave you the authority?”

“General Bixx.” Felix smiled. “Perhaps he thinks I am more qualified than you are.”

Aria turned and walked away, her fists clenched and left the two Lieutenants behind her. Why was she so angry? She really didn’t care if one of them tried to take this post away from her but she hated her authority being challenged. It took a lot for her to become a Colonel in this Imperial Navy, she doubted either one could survive any of what she had to face.

She deserved their respect in the but she knew she was never going to get it. There is no respect for anyone in the Empire, only power. Those who have it and those who want to take it away. And Aria wasn’t going to give up what power she had, not yet.



Aria walked through the streets of Mos Eisley alone. She greeted a few of the vendors that she had come to know. There were just a few who had agreed to give her information in return for turning a blind eye to their operations. So, she kept these vendors safe from Imperial raids. As long as their information was good and accurate, there was some trust between them.

Another squadron of TIEs flew overhead as she entered a small cantina. She nodded to the bartender and disappeared in the back where there was a storeroom. Once inside, she found some long robes hanging on a hook. She dressed in the long robes, covered her head and face and snuck out the back into an alley. Aria made her way out of the alley into a large market place and she blended in with the crowd.

There was a commotion at the far end of the marketplace. Stormtroopers had entered a small business and had rounded up all of the occupants. It was no surprise to Aria to see Felix there, directing the whole raid. Damn you, Felix. She frowned. Now she would have to find another way to retrieve messages from the Alliance, if there was any. It was very likely that no one would answer.

Since the last pod race, Aria had sent messages to everyone she knew of who had worked with her Uncle Miroslav, under the code name Pandora. To say that her uncle was not well liked was an understatement. Miroslav had betrayed the Imperials for the Alliance, so he was considered a traitor. He was also likely dead but Aria wanted proof. She had to be careful about how far she was going to take her investigation into his death. Anyone associated with Mirosalv Channing would also be considered a traitor. She had taken her stepfather’s name to avoid suspicion. There wasn’t anyone in the Empire who knew that she was related to Miroslav Channing and it was safer to keep it that way.

As Felix lead some of his “catch” to a transport, Aria came up with an idea. She would have to make it to the base just as the transport did. She quickly calculated her route back to her speeder bike. I just might be able to make it. Aria decided it was worth the risk as she turned and made her way back through the crowd. She hoped that a few Felix had captured would recognize her and go along with her plan.



The base was busy. Troopers going in and out, TIE fighters landing and taking off. It had certainly had increased in size since she’d been there. It was a good thing since the Imperial fleet had left and had yet to return. The small garrison had adapted to their surroundings. There had been a few attacks but nothing that the Imperial troops couldn’t handle. The locals seemed to accept their last defeat because it had been quiet these last few weeks.

Aria parked her speeder, nodded to the Troopers standing guard and entered the large hanger bay. There was a large group of pilots standing to her right and a large group of Sand Troopers in front of her. She scanned the room, looking for the transport but it hadn’t arrived yet but it was only a matter of minutes. As she walked past the pilots she caught the words mission, training evaluation and Captain Dunn. She turned to look over her shoulder to see Traven Dunn standing next to his commanding officer and the General. He really should be Group Captain, at the very least. I hope the Bixx enjoys the show and gets involved.

She caught the Dunn’s eye for just a moment but there was no reaction. Aria had tried, very briefly, to get his attention when she first arrived but it was a fruitless endeavor. It bothered her that she’d failed and it distracted her from time to time.They had become a bit more polite to each other after the pod races but there was nothing further. Most men, like General Gareth Bixx, fell all over themselves to get her attention and she couldn’t figure out why Traven Dunn was so immune.

Behind the large group, Felix and his little transport was arriving. Aria grinned. This little show was going to be fun. She motioned for a Trooper and asked for a data pad. While she waited, she observed the scene in front of her. Felix, obviously proud of himself, strutted around issuing orders to the Troopers. From her count, there were ten prisoners. Again, she grinned. Even if her plan didn’t immediately work, she’d come up with a back up plan. Finally, with a data pad in hand she walked around the back of the transport so she wouldn’t be seen by Felix or “his” Troopers right away.

She stepped close to the transport and got the attention of someone inside. “Follow my lead,” she whispered. She saw his data pad and she set the one she’d been given next to his. Then she walked around to confront Lieutenant Felix Oreik.

“Lieutenant.” She nodded at him.

He looked surprised to see her there but he recovered himself and gave her a proud, smug smile.. “Colonel Drake. Come to congratulate me?”

“Hardly.” Her face remained neutral, her voice calm. He had no idea what was coming. “Who gave you permission for this little raid?”

“Like I told you earlier today, General Bixx.”

She nodded. “Who is your commanding officer?” She had raised her hand up to stop a Trooper from opening the transport.
Felix looked from Aria to the Trooper and signaled for him to carry on but Aria’s hand remained in place.

“I ask you again, Lieutenant Oreik. Who is your commanding officer?” She raised her voice enough that some of the pilots looked over in their direction. She walked around Felix, her back to the pilots and more importantly, Bixx.

“You are, Sir.”

“And did you run past this little operation by your commanding officer?”

“No Sir.” Finally he had the intelligence to stand at attention. Aria nodded again.

“And how do you know that your commanding officer wasn’t already running an operation?” She moved again, this time so she could see Bixx. They made eye contact. Before Felix could answer her question she continued.

“Trooper, open the door.”

As he did she called out Imperial IDs. “TM4413, please step forward.” It took a few seconds and then a male appeared.

“KM8762, please step forward.” She turned to Felix, not hiding her anger. “Shall I continue?”

“What the hell is going on here?” Bixx also looked angry. Good, now see who really runs this base.

“Who gave you permission to give orders to my ISB agents?” She emphasized “my.” That stopped Bixx in his tracks. Aria narrowed her eyes at him. “Surely, General Bixx, you don’t presume to be my superior. You are aware that I can shut this base down and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

He stared at her for a moment and hesitated. Behind him, the pilots he had been been giving orders to, had turned their attention to the two of them. Her eyes briefly moved over the crowd behind him, Traven among them and he was moving toward the front of the group.

“Do we not have a common enemy, Colonel Drake? Lieutenant Oreik simply brought me information and I decided to act.”

“You decided to act?” She frowned and waved her hand at the prisoner transport. “These operations are ISB, and I give those orders. You do not. Stay out of ISB business or I’ll begin an investigation into you, Bixx.”

He looked amused. “Go ahead, Drake. I think it’s time for a change in our ISB counterparts. I’ll make sure to pass that along to my superiors.” He emphasized “my” and turned away from her. The pilots cleared a path for him and he barked more orders at them about their mission.

Aria turned to Felix. “Get these citizens out of here. You’d better hope you haven’t jeopardized my operation with this little stunt. Once you’re done, come see me.”

As he saluted her, she lowered her voice. “You need to be smarter than that to take me down, Felix.” He frowned at her and she could see he was angry but she did not care.

She picked up her data pad and walked away from him. Aria walked past the pilots and nodded at Traven. “Captain.”

He nodded back. “Colonel.” He slipped his helmet on and followed the rest of the pilots to their TIE fighters. She turned to watch him walk away. Angering a General wasn’t exactly a smart move and he could make things difficult for her. They had a past and she didn’t put it past Gareth to use it against her. She needed an ally, maybe she could charm the good Captain? She shook her head and turned from the TIE fighters. Maybe it was time for a new plan.