The Imperial cruiser hung in orbit above Lothal like a steel mountain.
Its massive hull stretched for kilometers, layered with armor plates and weapon turrets. Docking bays lined its lower surface, and the glow of shield generators shimmered faintly across the vessel's surface. Countless lights blinked along the structure, marking windows, control towers, and hangars large enough to swallow entire fleets.
To the Empire, it was simply another warship.
To the five people circling it in silence, it looked like an entire city floating in space.
Sebul's ship drifted nearby, completely invisible under Harry's cloaking enchantment. From the outside, the ship was nothing but empty space. Imperial sensors passed over it again and again without noticing anything unusual.
Inside the cockpit, however, tension filled the air.
Sebul tightened his grip on the controls as the cruiser passed beneath them for the third time.
"We've circled this thing three times now," he said, his voice tight with worry.
Quinlan leaned against the bulkhead behind him, staring at the enormous warship through the forward viewport.
Sebul glanced over his shoulder.
"What exactly are we doing?"
He pointed toward the cruiser.
"That thing has twenty-five thousand crew on board. Maybe more. That crew alone could fill a small city."
He gestured toward the interior of their ship.
"And we're five people."
Two of the rebels from Lothal sat in the rear compartment, quietly checking their blasters. They had insisted on joining the mission to rescue Governor Ryder Azadi.
Both were experienced fighters, but even they looked uneasy at the sight of the cruiser.
Sebul exhaled heavily.
"If we attack that thing head-on, we won't last five seconds."
Obi-Wan Kenobi stood quietly near the cockpit window, studying the cruiser carefully. Even through the Force, he could feel the sheer number of soldiers inside the ship.
It was overwhelming.
Quinlan finally spoke.
"I hate to admit it, but the pilot's right."
He scratched his beard thoughtfully.
"There's no way we can storm that cruiser."
The room fell silent.
Obi-Wan folded his arms behind his back.
"We will not attack the cruiser," he said calmly.
Sebul turned his chair toward him.
"Good."
"But we still need a plan," Quinlan added.
The Jedi Master remained quiet for several long moments.
The cruiser slowly drifted past them again, its massive engines glowing faintly.
Finally, Obi-Wan spoke.
"I believe I have one."
Sebul raised an eyebrow.
"I'm listening."
Obi-Wan turned toward him.
"Drop the cloaking field."
Sebul blinked.
"…What?"
Quinlan straightened.
"You want us visible?"
"Yes."
Obi-Wan stepped closer to the cockpit.
"Fly past the cruiser at high speed. Head toward Lothal."
Sebul stared at him in disbelief.
"You want us to fly directly in front of them?"
"Yes."
"And then what?"
"Make us look weak," Obi-Wan said.
Sebul frowned.
"We are weak."
Quinlan chuckled quietly.
Obi-Wan continued.
"Don't fly like an expert pilot."
Sebul looked personally offended.
"Let them believe we're smugglers or desperate rebels," Obi-Wan said calmly. "Not trained fighters."
Quinlan's eyes lit up as he understood.
"You want them to chase us."
Obi-Wan nodded.
"A few fighters will break formation to pursue us."
Sebul leaned back slowly.
"This is the kind of plan that gets people killed."
But he reached forward and tapped the control panel.
The invisibility enchantment flickered.
The ship shimmered briefly—
—and suddenly they were visible.
Alarms immediately triggered across the Imperial cruiser.
Inside the cockpit, warning signals flashed.
Sebul shoved the throttle forward.
"Hold on!"
The ship surged forward at full speed, streaking past the massive cruiser.
Within seconds, the Imperial response came.
Four TIE fighter jets burst from the cruiser's hangar bay, their engines screaming as they accelerated toward the fleeing vessel.
Sebul glanced at the radar.
"Four fighters."
Quinlan smirked.
"Perfect."
The fighters opened fire.
Bright green laser bolts streaked through space, slamming into the ship's shield barrier.
Inside the cockpit, the ship rattled slightly.
Sebul checked the shield readings.
Harry's magical enhancements held strong.
The barrier barely flickered.
"Not even scratching the paint," Sebul muttered with satisfaction.
He veered sharply to the left, letting the fighters think they had forced him off course.
"Don't fly too well," Obi-Wan reminded him.
Sebul groaned.
"This hurts my professional pride."
Behind them, the four TIE fighters continued firing.
Sebul dodged lazily, intentionally letting some shots strike the shields.
The Imperial pilots grew more confident.
They accelerated, closing the distance.
"Come on," Sebul murmured. "Follow me…"
The ship plunged toward Lothal's atmosphere before suddenly veering back into open space.
The TIE fighters stayed locked onto them.
The Imperial cruiser was now far behind.
Quinlan glanced at the radar.
"We're out of their range."
Obi-Wan nodded.
"Now."
Sebul's expression changed instantly.
His hands moved across the controls with lightning speed.
The ship spun suddenly, turning directly toward the pursuing fighters.
The TIE pilots had no time to react.
Plasma cannons roared.
Two fighters exploded instantly in bright flashes of light.
The other two attempted evasive maneuvers.
But Sebul was no longer pretending to be a weak pilot.
He flew like a storm.
The ship rolled sideways, slipping between laser blasts before firing again.
One fighter lost an engine and spiraled out of control.
The last pilot tried to flee.
Sebul disabled its engines with a precise shot.
Within seconds, the battlefield fell silent.
Debris floated slowly in space.
Two fighters were destroyed.
Two remained intact, drifting helplessly with disabled engines.
Sebul exhaled slowly.
"Alright."
He glanced back at Obi-Wan and Quinlan.
"You wanted fighter ships."
He gestured toward the disabled TIEs.
"There they are."
Quinlan grinned.
"Perfect."
Obi-Wan nodded calmly.
"We will need them for the next part of the mission."
Sebul turned the ship toward the drifting fighters.
"And what exactly is the next part?"
Obi-Wan looked back toward the distant Imperial cruiser.
"We board the cruiser."
Sebul stared at him.
"You're joking."
Quinlan laughed.
The battlefield in space had gone quiet.
Fragments of destroyed TIE fighters drifted slowly in the dark void, reflecting the distant light of Lothal's sun. Sebul guided their ship carefully closer to the disabled fighters.
"Easy… easy…" he muttered while adjusting the thrusters.
The invisible vessel drifted beside the first damaged TIE fighter, and mechanical arms extended from the cargo bay. With careful precision, the ship's magnetic clamps latched onto the small craft.
Inside the hangar compartment, metal groaned softly as the fighter was slowly pulled into the ship.
Sebul wiped sweat from his forehead.
"One down."
The second fighter was collected the same way.
Within minutes both Imperial ships were secured inside the cargo bay of their cloaked vessel.
Once everything was locked in place, Sebul immediately reactivated the full cloaking enchantment. The ship shimmered faintly before disappearing once more into the emptiness of space.
"Back to invisible," he said with satisfaction.
Behind him, the cargo bay had turned into a small repair yard.
The damaged TIE fighter rested on support braces while Sebul moved around it quickly, opening panels and examining burnt circuitry. Beside him worked his droid with bright optical sensors and mechanical arms that moved with impressive speed.
The droid rotated its head and extended a welding torch.
"Rollo, pass me that conduit."
The droid immediately handed him the part.
Rolo was a remarkably efficient engineering unit. Its original designation had been R5-Kel—something Sebul himself had never bothered naming.
But Winky had changed that.
The first time she saw the little machine back on Bogano, she had tilted her head and said simply, "Everything needs a name."
From that moment on, she had begun calling the droid Rollo.
Sebul had laughed at first.
But eventually everyone else followed her lead.
Now even Sebul couldn't imagine calling the droid anything else.
Rollo worked quickly beside him, tightening bolts and reconnecting damaged circuits. The little machine hummed cheerfully as it replaced several burnt components inside the fighter's engine assembly.
Sebul watched with admiration.
"You're still the best engineer I've ever had."
Rollo beeped proudly.
Within a short time the first fighter was fully functional again.
Sebul stepped back and admired their work.
"Perfect."
Quinlan leaned against a cargo crate nearby, watching the repair process.
"So we've got two Imperial fighters now."
Sebul nodded.
"Technically."
"But we're only taking one," Obi-Wan added calmly.
Sebul glanced over his shoulder.
"Yes."
He tapped the hull of the second fighter affectionately.
"This one's going back to Bogano."
Quinlan raised an eyebrow.
"For what?"
Sebul grinned.
"For training."
Obi-Wan immediately understood.
"The children."
"Yes," Sebul said proudly. "Those little Jedi are going to need flying practice eventually."
He gestured toward the fighter.
"And there's no better combat training ship than a TIE."
Quinlan laughed.
"Harry's going to turn Bogano into a full academy."
Sebul shrugged.
"That's the idea."
Meanwhile, Obi-Wan stood near the equipment lockers, studying the next phase of their mission.
The plan had already begun forming in his mind.
Stormtrooper armor was laid out across a workbench.
The suits had originally been collected from Tatooine—taken from defeated Imperial soldiers and carefully stored for situations exactly like this.
Quinlan picked up one of the helmets and turned it in his hands.
"Well," he said, "this is nostalgic."
Obi-Wan smiled faintly.
"You worked with them once."
"Before Order 66," Quinlan replied quietly.
He placed the helmet on his head.
"I know how they move, how they talk, how they act."
Obi-Wan nodded.
"So do I."
The two rebels from Lothal watched the preparations nervously.
"You're really going to walk into that cruiser?" one of them asked.
"Yes," Obi-Wan answered simply.
The second rebel crossed his arms.
"And what about us?"
Quinlan grinned.
"You two are coming with us."
The rebels looked confused.
"As prisoners."
The idea clicked immediately.
If two stormtroopers returned to the cruiser with captured rebels, no one would question why their fighter had been damaged or why they had left the cruiser in the first place.
Obi-Wan explained calmly.
"You were attempting to escape Lothal. We intercepted you."
"And destroyed your transport," Quinlan added.
"Captured the survivors."
The rebels nodded slowly.
"That would explain everything."
Quinlan pointed toward the cargo bay.
"And we'll fly in using their own fighter."
Sebul looked up from the engine compartment.
"Just don't scratch it."
Obi-Wan allowed himself a small smile.
"We will try."
Sebul wiped grease from his hands.
"Rollo and I will stay here."
The little droid beeped in agreement.
Sebul pointed toward the second fighter.
"I'll finish repairing that one while you're inside the cruiser."
Quinlan nodded.
"And if things go wrong?"
Sebul grinned.
"Then I'll come back with the ship and rescue you."
Obi-Wan lifted one of the stormtrooper helmets and placed it under his arm.
"Let us hope it does not come to that."
Moments later the preparations were complete.
Obi-Wan and Quinlan stood fully armored in stormtrooper gear, their faces hidden behind the white helmets.
The two rebels from Lothal stood between them, wrists bound with magnetic restraints.
The repaired TIE fighter sat ready inside the cargo bay.
Sebul walked over and placed a hand on the hull.
"Good luck."
Quinlan climbed into the cockpit.
"You worry too much."
Sebul smirked.
"That's because I'm the one staying alive."
Rollo gave a cheerful electronic chirp.
The cargo ramp opened slowly, releasing the fighter into the vacuum of space.
Moments later the small craft ignited its engines and shot forward toward the massive Imperial cruiser waiting in orbit above Lothal.
Inside the cloaked ship, Sebul watched them disappear into the darkness.
"Let's hope this works," he muttered.
Rollo beeped softly beside him.
The stolen TIE fighter descended smoothly toward the Imperial cruiser's lower hangar bays.
From the cockpit, Quinlan could see hundreds of identical craft already docked inside the enormous bay. Rows upon rows of TIE fighters rested on metal landing racks, their wings folded inward like a forest of black steel blades. Technicians moved between them while clone troopers patrolled the platforms, their white armor gleaming under the harsh hangar lights.
"Welcome to the heart of the Empire," Quinlan muttered.
Obi-Wan, seated behind him in full stormtrooper armor, remained silent.
The fighter touched down among the others with a dull metallic thud. The engines powered down, and the cockpit canopy slowly opened.
The two rebels from Lothal sat between them, wrists bound with magnetic restraints. They had already begun shouting and cursing as planned, drawing attention to themselves before the troopers even approached.
"You Imperial dogs!" one of them shouted loudly.
"You won't get away with this!"
Several clone troopers turned their helmets toward the noise immediately.
Two soldiers began walking toward the newly landed fighter. One of them had bright green markings painted across his armor—clear signs of rank.
Obi-Wan recognized it instantly.
A clone sergeant.
Behind him followed several troopers from his squad.
The sergeant stopped in front of the fighter as Obi-Wan and Quinlan climbed out, dragging the prisoners behind them.
"Where are the others?" the sergeant asked bluntly.
There was no greeting. No formality.
Just the direct, efficient tone typical of clone soldiers.
Obi-Wan adjusted his voice slightly before replying. The stormtrooper helmet distorted his words enough that his real voice would not be recognized.
"They were killed, sir."
The sergeant glanced toward the prisoners.
"What happened?"
Quinlan answered this time.
"Smugglers heading toward Lothal," he said. "Carrying weapons."
He shoved one of the rebels forward roughly.
"They destroyed three of our fighters before we took them down."
One of the prisoners immediately started shouting again.
"You scum!"
A nearby trooper struck him hard across the shoulder with a rifle stock.
"Quiet!"
The prisoner staggered but continued yelling.
"We'll see you burn when the rebellion comes!"
The scene quickly drew more attention from nearby troopers, but their focus remained entirely on the struggling prisoners.
The sergeant shook his head.
"Idiots."
He gestured toward the two captives.
"Take them to the detention block."
He paused before adding,
"Put them with their governor."
Obi-Wan felt a small wave of relief pass through him.
Governor Ryder Azadi was still alive.
"Yes, sir," Obi-Wan replied.
The sergeant pointed toward a corridor leading deeper into the cruiser.
"Follow him."
One of the clone troopers stepped forward and began walking ahead of them.
Quinlan and Obi-Wan dragged the prisoners behind him, marching deeper into the massive ship.
The interior corridors of the Imperial cruiser were wide and heavily guarded. Stormtroopers moved in squads, officers walked briskly between control rooms, and the low hum of the cruiser's engines vibrated through the metal walls.
The two prisoners continued their performance.
"You traitors!" one shouted.
"Cowards!"
One of the troopers lost patience and struck him again.
"Shut up!"
The rebel fell against the wall, groaning dramatically.
Quinlan nearly laughed inside his helmet.
The distraction was working perfectly. Every trooper who passed them looked only at the prisoners, not at the two armored soldiers escorting them.
After several turns through the cruiser's corridors, Obi-Wan spoke to the trooper leading them.
"What's happening with the governor?" he asked casually.
The trooper shrugged slightly.
"Not sure."
They walked past another checkpoint before he continued.
"Some talk about transferring him."
"Where?"
The trooper glanced over his shoulder.
"Mustafar."
The name hit Obi-Wan like a sudden chill.
"Execution," the trooper added bluntly. "Lord Vader will be there."
Quinlan's eyes narrowed behind his helmet.
Mustafar.
Obi-Wan kept his voice calm.
"When?"
"Soon," the trooper replied. "Probably transferring him on a smaller transport."
This cruiser would not travel to Mustafar simply to deliver one prisoner.
They would send a smaller escort vessel.
And that vessel… could be attacked.
They finally reached the detention block.
A heavy security door opened, revealing rows of energy-barrier prison cells.
Inside one of them sat Governor Ryder Azadi, hands bound but otherwise unharmed.
The trooper unlocked the neighboring cell.
"Inside."
The prisoners were shoved roughly into the cell beside the governor.
They immediately resumed shouting.
"You'll regret this!"
"You can't stop the rebellion!"
The guards rolled their eyes and shut the cell door.
Quinlan leaned closer to the energy barrier while pretending to adjust the restraints.
Quietly, he slipped a small blaster into the prisoner's sleeve.
Obi-Wan did the same with the second rebel.
"Hide it," Obi-Wan whispered under his breath.
The prisoners nodded subtly.
"Wait," Obi-Wan murmured. "Do nothing until we return."
Governor Azadi looked up in surprise but said nothing.
Moments later the guards finished securing the prisoners.
The clone trooper who had escorted them turned back toward Obi-Wan and Quinlan.
"Your report's done," he said. "Dismissed."
Obi-Wan nodded.
"Yes, sir."
As they began walking back toward the hangar, Quinlan spoke quietly through the helmet comm.
"So we wait."
"Yes," Obi-Wan replied.
"If they move him to Mustafar," Quinlan continued, "we hit the transport."
Obi-Wan nodded.
"A much smaller target."
They reached the hangar again and approached their stolen TIE fighter.
One of the deck officers looked up from a datapad.
"You two again?"
Quinlan answered immediately.
"We're returning to the debris field."
"Why?"
"To check for salvage from the smuggler ship we destroyed earlier."
The officer shrugged.
"Fine."
He waved them toward the fighter.
"Don't take long."
Quinlan climbed into the cockpit and sealed the canopy.
Moments later the TIE fighter lifted from the hangar floor and flew out of the cruiser's docking bay.
Once they were clear of the massive warship, Quinlan let out a long breath.
"That was closer than I like."
Obi-Wan watched the cruiser shrink in the distance.
Author's Note:
Enjoying the story?
Consider joining my Patreon to get early access to more chapters and exclusive fanfictions! Even as a free member you will get one extra chapter and you'll receive early access to chapters before they're posted elsewhere and various other fanfictions.Your support helps me create more content for you to enjoy!
Join here: Patreon(dot)com(slash)Beuwulf