Dedicated to BookSwiftie1234

     Sometime after the mission to Concord Dawn, Jedi Knight Kyra Kryze-Kenobi, Captain Rex, and the Spectres found themselves fighting Agent Kallus and a squadron of stormtroopers on an Imperial construction module above Geonosis. As the rebels began to make their escape, Kyra realized she would be unable to break away from Kallus, whom she was currently battling.

     When she saw that the Spectres were waiting for her to catch up, she yelled, "I'll meet you at the ship!"

     A few moments later, Ezra Bridger said, "Phantom, we're leaving. Where are you?"

     "Busy right now!" Kyra replied as she pinned Kallus against the wall and kneed him in the stomach.

     When a squadron of stormtroopers charged around the corner, Kyra shot the control panel to the nearest blast door, giving herself a moment to catch her breath.

     Grabbing her comlink, Kyra said, "Don't wait for me, Spectre-Six, get out of here. I'll find an escape pod."

     She sprinted through the ship and dove into the first small craft she found, but was grabbed from behind before she could escape. When Kallus pistol-whipped Kyra, she turned and punched him in the face before launching the escape pod, sending them plummeting towards Geonosis. Kyra heard Ezra Bridger calling her name on the comlink but was unable to answer because she was too busy fighting Kallus, who slammed her against the escape pod's joystick and broke the controls, sending them spiraling out of control. Instead of descending to the warm sands of the planet below, the escape pod hurtled towards one of Geonosis's icy moons.

     Kallus pulled back on the joystick and tried to control their crash, but it was no use. When the escape pod broke through the thin layer of ice that covered the moon's surface and landed in the deeper snow below, Kyra's head slammed against the side of the small craft and her world went dark. When she woke up a short time later to the sound of screaming, she found Kallus clutching his right leg, which was bent at an odd angle. Kyra opened the escape pod's hatch and took a quick look at their surroundings before pulling the door shut.

     "W-what are you doing?" Kallus asked with a groan as Kyra threw his bo-rifle into the snow.

     She dragged Kallus out of the pod and set him on the ground, aiming her blaster at his head as she finally answered, "Just thinking about how easy it would be to leave you for dead on this forsaken moon. But—"

     Kyra sighed and holstered her blaster, "—if I give in to such desires, I would be no better than an Imperial like you. We'll just have to play nice until the fleet can pick us up."

     Kallus chuckled, "You're expecting your rebel friends to come to your rescue? Your friends fled. If anyone finds us, it'll be the Empire, and you will be captured. The Empire will finally know who you really are. I must admit, I'm impressed by how well you have kept your true identity a secret."

     "As much as I appreciate the flattery, that isn't going to happen," Kyra said as she rummaged through the escape pod.

     When she heard Kallus grunting behind her, she turned to find the Imperial crawling slowly towards his weapon.

     She stepped on the rifle just as he reached for it and said, "That isn't happening either."

     She tossed the weapon back into the escape pod as Kallus reminded her that nightfall would arrive quickly.

     As Kyra activated a portable heater, she smirked and quipped, "Don't tell me you're afraid of the dark."

     "It's not just going to get dark," Kallus retorted as he moved closer to the heater, wincing as he stretched his injured leg. "It's going to get colder, too cold for this to keep us warm."

     Kyra's laugh was full of sarcasm, "And here I thought Geonosis was a desert planet."

     Kallus scoffed and pointed towards the opening above them, "That is Geonosis. We are on one of its moons. How is it that you have bested me even once?"

     "Oh, get a sense of humor, Agent," Kyra said as she rolled her eyes.

     "The transponder was damaged in the crash. If I can repair it and reactivate its signal, maybe the Empire will find us before we freeze," Kallus suggested, his eyes widening when a creature roared off in the distance. "Or worse."

     "I'll take my chances with the cold and whatever we're sharing this hole with," Kyra growled. "I know what happens to people like me in an Imperial prison."

     "Cooperate, and you will get a trial," Kallus assured her.

     Kyra chuckled, her amusement quickly disappearing when the creature in the shadows shrieked again. She raised her blaster and whipped around, the world tipping on its axis as her head injury made itself known. She carefully crouched in the snow and began to remove her helmet, stopping when she remembered whose company she was in. Instead, she set to work on fixing the transponder and changing its frequency so anyone could detect its signal, not just the Empire. Unfortunately, ignoring her problem did not make it go away, and she found herself blinking every few seconds to try and clear her vision.

     After fixing the transponder, she sighed and set the device aside before turning to Kallus, "I can heal your leg, but there's something I need you to promise me in return."

     When Kallus arched an eyebrow but stayed quiet, she interpreted his silence as approval, "If I remove my helmet to take care of the injury that's giving me this bloody headache, you'll know who I really am. I need you to promise that my anonymity will remain intact."

     Kallus immediately protested, so Kyra simply shrugged and said, "If you want to take your chances against those creatures with that leg, be my guest."

     Kallus urged her to wait, his jaw clenching as he grappled between betraying the Empire he served or dying on an icy moon.

     Finally, he nodded, "Very well. I will not reveal your identity to my superiors."

     When Kyra favored him with a look that suggested she could see through his loophole, he sighed, "You have my word that I will not share your identity with those who have a past, present, or future affiliation with the Empire."

     When Kyra did not sense any deception on Kallus's behalf, she sat next to him and activated the built-in flashlight on her helmet before gently rolling up the cuff of his pant leg. She then removed her gloves and set them on the heater before placing her hands on his leg and closing her eyes, breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth.

     "This might sting a bit," she warned a moment before the telling crack of mending bones reverberated through the cave, quickly followed by a scream of pain from Kallus.

     She muttered an apology as his broken leg finished healing, hesitating for a moment before finally taking off her helmet and spraying a vial of bacta on the gash that ran across her forehead. She held Kallus's gaze as his jaw dropped, silently daring him to break the promise he had made.

     After a moment, Kallus shook his head and said, "Commander Krystal Organa. Would I be correct in assuming that even this name is not the one you were given at birth?"

     When Kyra nodded, Kallus barked out a humorless laugh, "No wonder you're called the Phantom."

     "The Organas have no knowledge of my work with the rebels. They are unaware of my role in the Rebellion, as is the Empire," Kyra lied before deciding to gain Kallus's trust with a bit of the truth. "I've used my diplomatic immunity and unique position in the Senate as cover for my rebel missions, as well as the Mandalorian armor to conceal my identity."

     "So the armor is just another cover?" Kallus assumed.

     Kyra shook her head, and when she did not elaborate any further, Kallus asked "Why do you do it? Maybe you won't die today, but the Empire will win. Every day, we recruit more informers. Every day, we persuade rebel sympathizers to reconsider their allegiances."

     Kyra – having thought that they were making progress – sighed and said, "And every day, more and more people are getting fed up with the Empire and joining us. Those that have seen their worlds turned to wastelands, their homes reduced to rubble. I fight against the Empire because I know that, at the end of the day, I have a family to return to. Because I know that I'm making a difference, that my actions have a positive impact on people's lives. Can you say the same, Agent Kallus?"

     Kallus frowned, but before he could reply, the portable heater wavered and went dark, its power cells having frozen. Kallus claimed they would be the next to freeze, but Kyra ignored him, focusing on an object that was glowing off in the distance. She walked across the cave and found a pile of golden, rock-like objects that steamed in the cold and let off a small amount of warmth.

     "It's probably a form of meteorite," she said to Kallus – who was shivering – before giving him the small rock. "Here. Warm yourself up."

     Kyra started to put her helmet back on but stopped when the agent said, "Alexsandr. That's my name. Alexsandr Kallus."

     Kryze held out her hand, "My name, my real name, is Kyra."

     Kallus shook her offered hand as a screech emerged from the creature in the shadows once more.

     "You really think we'll survive, with whatever that is in there?" the agent despaired. "Plus the temperature's dropping, and our only heat source is this thing. And who knows how long it'll last?"

     "There's another difference between the Empire and the Rebellion: You're so quick to give up hope, but Rebellions are built on it," Kyra stated. "Like I said, the transponder's working. My friends will find us."

     "The transponder's signal will never get through the ice," Kallus claimed as Kyra put her helmet on.

     "Are you always this dour?" she asked before throwing the transponder through the opening overhead and onto the surface above. "I can use the Force to lift you to the surface, then I'll climb out after you."

     "You would help me get out first?" Kallus asked, genuinely confused.

     Kyra nodded, "I was raised to put other people's needs before my own, as those of us in the Rebellion were."

     Before she could execute her plan, however, one of the creatures – which turned out to be a bonzami – crept up behind her. The snow-white beast was a mixture of reptile and bird, featuring a beak lined with hundreds of sharp teeth that was big enough to swallow her whole. Kyra drew her pistols and shot at the bonzami, but the creature's thick skin was blaster proof. She holstered her blasters and ignited her lightsaber, but the bonzami knocked the weapon out of her hand and pinned her against the ground. When its claws dug into her abdomen, which was not protected by her armor, she screamed and used the Force to send the creature flying across the cavern.

     She scrambled to her feet and dove into the escape pod as the reptile chased after her, kicking the small craft and sending it rolling across the snow when its large mouth would not fit inside. When the bonzami tried to reach inside the escape pod, Kallus opened fire and distracted the beast. Kyra climbed out of the craft and shot at the creature, the rebel and Imperial working together to drive the creature away from their makeshift camp.

     "It's probably going to come back," Kallus said, breathing hard.

     "Yeah," Kyra agreed, "and it's probably going to bring its friends."

     "That is the order of things," Kallus replied. "The strong survive, the weak perish."

     "Is that what happened on Geonosis? The weak needed to perish?" Kyra asked, though her attention was still focused on the patch of shadows that had enveloped the bonzami.

     "The only thing I know about Geonosis is that the population is gone. I never asked questions," Kallus admitted.

     "Maybe you should start. Or are you afraid of the answers you'll find? Afraid you'll learn the Geonosians were wiped out by your precious Empire?" Kyra asked as she rounded on Kallus, the sudden movement causing her to stagger.

     Kallus rushed forward and caught the Jedi, helping her to the ground before lowering himself into the escape pod. He appeared a moment later with a medpac and crouched in front of Kyra, who instinctively reached for her blaster when his hand moved to his belt. When he stopped to show her that he was only reaching for a vile of bacta, Kyra's hand slowly slid off her blaster and lowered to her side. Kallus worked with a quiet concentration as he applied the blue liquid to the gouge marks on her stomach and wrapped a length of bandage around her torso.

     They sat in silence once he had finished, and after a moment, Kyra whispered, "Thank you."

     "You would have done the same for me," Kallus replied.

     Kyra held his gaze for a moment before putting her helmet on, quickly taking it off again when she found that her vizor had been broken.

     "I remember my first unit," Kallus said quietly after a moment. "The boys and I were deployed to Onderon to bring peace and security to a troubled world. We were on a routine patrol and ran into one of your rebel friends, a mercenary who worked for Saw Gerrera. I was lucky, knocked out by the first blast. I came to but found I couldn't move. And then I saw him, the mercenary, calmly walk through smoke and fire to finish my unit off, one by one. The injured never had a chance. Always wondered why he let me live."

     "I fought at the Battle of Onderon during the Clone Wars," Kyra replied, her voice low. "I fought side by side with Saw and his sister, Steela. After her death, he changed. Resorted to using radical measures to make his point. He may be a rebel, but we are not the same. And neither is the Phoenix Squadron."

     "Does that sentiment apply to Imperials?" Kallus asked.

     Kyra considered her answer for a moment, then admitted, "Up until today, no. But now I'm realizing there may be more Imperials like you. Ones who aren't complete genocidal maniacs."

     A genuine laugh escaped Kallus's lips, "You almost made me feel good about myself."

     Kyra smirked as she threw the meteorite, her helmet, and his bo-rifle onto the surface above them. When she moved to the middle of the cave and stood directly beneath the opening, Kallus followed, both keeping an eye out for the creature that inhabited the icy cavern. Kyra turned to Kallus, and when he nodded, she closed her eyes and reached out to the Force. She heard Kallus gasp as he was lifted off the ground but remained focused on her task, knowing she would drop Alexsandr if her concentration was broken. Once he was above solid ground, Kyra let him go and immediately ran to the nearest pillar of ice. Luckily, the structure was tiered, and she climbed the first few levels without a hitch.

     Unfortunately, before she could fire her grappling hook, she heard a familiar howl below her. A second shriek followed the first, and two bonzami circled the pillar, jaws snapping as Kyra made sure she did not conveniently fall into the creatures' mouths. She fired her grappling hook, which lodged in the ice ceiling above her, and let go of the pillar. She ascended towards the surface but was stopped by one of the bonzami when it bit her foot. Kyra cursed, pining for the jetpack she had long since outgrown, never having found one that would fit her armor now. Fortunately, the boot guard that protected her foot blocked the creature's tooth, but the bonzami was still able to pull her down.

     As Kyra fell, she frantically reached out for something – anything – to hold onto, surprised when her body jerked and suddenly stopped in midair. She looked up to find Kallus leaning over the edge of the cave, gripping her hand with both of his. With her free hand, Kyra drew her blaster and shot the bonzami in the mouth, forcing it to let go of her foot. As the bonzami squealed and retreated, quickly followed by its companion, Kallus pulled Kyra out of the cave and into the blizzard that currently raged on the moon's surface.

     "Better activate that transponder," Kallus said. "It's a lot colder up here. We won't last long."

     Kyra nodded and activated the device, arching an eyebrow when Kallus held out his hand.

     "If we get separated out here, there's a good chance we'll both freeze to death," he explained, and after a moment, she took his hand.

     Eventually, they sheltered underneath an outcropping that blocked the majority of the biting wind and huddled around the meteorite, which still gave off a small amount of heat. The golden light illuminated Kallus's blonde hair and hazel eyes, as well as the snowflakes that were strewn through his locks, softening his usually hardened features.

     "Let's hope this works," Kallus said as Kyra activated the transponder. "Of course, since you adjusted it, we don't know who will pick up its signal."

     "I guess all we can do is wait," Kyra replied as she held her hands over the meteorite. "At least we have this to keep us warm."

     "Still think your friends will find you?" Kallus asked, this time without the sarcasm.

     "Unless the Empire finds us first," Kyra answered grimly, wincing as she leaned back against the jagged rock.

     Even as she pressed a hand against her stomach, Kallus was on his feet and kneeling beside her. She looked down as he moved her hand and found what she had already expected, the claw marks and puncture wounds were not fully healed and had been exacerbated when she tried to climb out of the cave.

     Kallus glanced around their makeshift shelter and cursed, "I left the medpac in the cave."

     When he got up and started back towards the crash site, Kyra grabbed his arm and stopped him, "Don't. You'll freeze to death before you reach the cave. Besides, even if you did make it, I wouldn't be able to pull you out."

     Kallus sighed and settled on rewrapping the injury with another roll of gauze, apologizing when Kyra grimaced as he tightened the bandage to slow the bleeding. When Kyra noticed the concerned expression on Kallus's face, she assured him that she would be fine. His expression quickly changed from worry to doubt, but she ignored him and set to work on her helmet.

     After some time had passed, Kallus said, "The Battle of Onderon took place more than fifteen years ago. You must have been a child."

     Kyra nodded, "I was ten at the time, seven when the Clone Wars started. All I've ever known is war, whether I'm fighting on the front lines or working in the shadows."

     Kyra drew her knees up to her chest, staring out at the wind-swept night to avoid Kallus's sympathetic gaze. When Kyra woke the next morning, her helmet sat on her lap and her head rested on Kallus's shoulder. Alexsandr's arm was wrapped around her waist, his hand shielding her injured abdomen from the elements and resting on the bandage that wrapped around her torso. Kyra quickly moved away from Kallus and put her helmet on, clearing her throat awkwardly and waking Alexsandr when she heard the sound of a ship approaching. Kallus stood and pulled Kyra to her feet, the unlikely allies cautiously walking around the outcropping to see who had discovered the transponder's signal.

     When Kyra spotted the Ghost, she breathed a sigh of relief as Kallus said, "Your friends did find you."

     "Like I said they would," Kyra reminded Kallus before turning to face him. "You know, we will treat you fairly."

     "I'll take my chances with the Empire," Kallus replied, his statement failing to convey the levity he was going for.

     Kyra sighed, "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed. But I can't say I'm surprised, either. Hopefully, the next time we see each other, it will be under better circumstances and on a...warmer planet."

     Both the agent and the commander laughed, but when Kyra turned and started towards the ship, she stopped. She reached into her utility belt and produced the spare comlink she always kept on her person.

     "If you ever need my help, contact me on this comm and use the phrase, 'It's snowing on Geonosis.' I will answer," Kyra said as she gave him the comlink. "Until our paths cross, Alexsandr."

     "Until our paths cross, Kyra," Alexsandr Kallus replied as he accepted the comlink, Kenobi giving his hand a squeeze before letting go and heading towards the light freighter.

     As she walked up the Ghost's ramp, she was met by Hera, who expressed her relief upon seeing Kyra in one piece.

     "We picked up your beacon. We were so worried," the captain said as she pulled Kyra into a hug.

     "I'm fine," Kyra assured Hera Syndulla, who had become like a sister to her. "We've all been in tighter spots. I knew you'd find me eventually."

     As the rebels boarded the light freighter, Kyra Kryze-Kenobi glanced over her shoulder at the rock outcropping before finally following the others inside.