Governor Kalista Miros folded her hands and glared across the knuckles at the traitor standing before her. Isaack Boskin had been her second in command and trusted right hand for years, so his betrayal enraged her more than anything else he could've done.

"Before I pronounce sentence," Kalista began, "do you have anything to say?"

She measured her words carefully, allowing no hint of emotion to reveal her thinking.

"It wouldn't matter," Isaack denied. "You've already made up your mind. Get on with it."

"As you wish," Kalista accepted. "You are hereby convicted of treason and sentenced to death. Guards, get him out of my sight."

Stormtroopers in gleaming white armor grabbed hold of Isaack by both arms and forcefully removed him from the office and hauled away to the detention area where he'd be held until his sentence was carried out.

Kalista closed her eyes and leaned back against the headrest of her high backed chair. Too many had been falling under the corrupting sway of the Rebellion of late, and she'd hoped those closest to her would've proven more resistant to enemy propaganda.

The stupidity of those joining the Rebellion puzzled her. The bickering and self-serving attitudes of politicians that had been the doom of the Republic were not present in the Empire because the Imperial Senate was controlled by the Emperor. He kept the ambassadors in line, and the he kept the Empire moving forward. More progress was made in a week under the iron hand of the Empire than had been made in years under the supposed freedom of the Republic.

Kalista knew it wasn't a perfect system, but it was a marked improvement. Beyond the elimination of bureaucratic entanglements, the Empire's military was more than capable to deal with threats and interference. The pirates and smugglers infesting the Republic were now forced to ply their illegal trade beyond the Empire's boarders in the Outer Rim. Those who decided to cause trouble within the Empire were quickly hunted down and eliminated, ensuring peace and security for the worlds under the Imperial banner. The citizens of the Empire had fewer freedoms than under the Republic, but it was a necessary sacrifice to preserve what had been built.

A light illuminated inside a clear button on her desk, and she pressed a thumb down on top of it to activate the projector installed in the desk's surface. A blue hologram appeared with a news report of the destruction of the planet Alderaan by use of the Empire's new weapon, the Death Star.

Kalista read the report with a nauseating tightening of her stomach. An entire world had been swept out of existence in a single moment. In addition to the horrific loss of life, the wealth of Alderaan was gone as well, food for distribution across the galaxy and the natural resources able to be mined from the soil. The waste was incalculable, to say nothing of the effect it would have on planets depending upon Alderaan's exports.

Her thoughts switched from thinking about the incident itself and toward the motive behind it. She couldn't think of any sane reason to destroy an entire planet. Alderaan was peaceful with no weapons to offer resistance or trouble to the Empire. If anything, it was a model for success as they'd abandoned weaponry in favor of relying entirely upon the Empire for protection.

She wondered about the military forces on the surface and if they were evacuated prior to the destruction or if they'd been killed along with the local population. The iron-handed rule of the Empire had always been necessary to maintain order with the threat of destruction and death toward the disobedient, but if the Empire was going to slaughter those who were not resisting and lacked even the capability to fight back, what hope was there for anyone within the Empire?

Kalista couldn't find an answer. There was no reason to destroy Alderaan. There was no reason for the Empire to throw away so many lives and resources on a whim. There had been rumors of people on Alderaan aiding the Rebellion, but with a population of two billion, they were surely outnumbered by those who remained loyal. She realized if those who served the Empire unquestioningly could be destroyed along with Rebel supporters, it was only a matter of time before Kalista and her people became targets as well. She wondered how many Rebel sympathizers it would take to make her world expendable. In the interests of her citizens, Kalista knew she had to make a difficult choice.

Leaving her office, she headed toward the detention area. Dismissing the guards, she entered the cell corridor and found room seven. Inputting the access code, she opened the door and went in, facing a man she'd condemned to death.

"Isaack," she said. "The Empire used the Death Star to destroy Alderaan."

Her former second in command went pale but didn't say anything.

"The Empire has always eliminated traitors, but I had no fear because I was loyal," Kalista explained. "If they're going to kill everyone regardless of their devotion, no one is safe."

Kalista looked down unable to meet his gaze. She had trouble finding the right words to say.

"I believed in the Empire," she said at last. "Perhaps I still do. Fighting against the Empire may get my people killed, but staying true to the Empire may get them killed anyway. I can't serve as Governor any longer if it means letting my people die for nothing. The best chance we have is to fight."

She reached out and unlocked the shackles around his wrists before asking him, "How can I help the Rebellion?"