The Empire is making pellet-like blaster shots that can kill ghosts. It's up to Orson, Lyra and the Rogue One crew to stop them.

I don't own anything.
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Orson's P.O.V.

The plan is simple: whine like K2 and hopefully gain my rank back. Or at least, that's how it will appear to the Empire. While I do this, K2 will slip inside the base and shut down any cameras or traps set up around the portal. That will be Cassian's signal to lead the rest of the team in from behind and get as close to the portal thing as they can. All I have to do is keep the Empire's attention on me. Simple, right?

Not so much. The plan is terribly flawed. There are so many variables relying on normalcy in the Empire. In fact, the change of survival with this plan would be 2% if we were in the physical world.

But it's the only plan that has a chance (or rather, the only plan we could draw up) and with only a week to think about this, we didn't have much time to flush out the flaws.

It's the night before we're going to attack. Lyra straps some supples to her Markavipes then begins tying everyone's weapons on. No one is calm and I don't blame anyone. I sigh and help Lyra with tying up the supplies. Neither of us speak to each other and Lyra looks kind of mad.

When she speaks, her voice has a cold ring to it. "You know, I don't think this mission was the smartest," she says. No, it's not the smartest. I don't respond and she continues talking. "Do you realize how much of an emotional toll this is going to take on everyone? And we have no guarantee that we're going to make it out of there or find Galen or Jyn. We are going in blind! Our only resources are Ryln and Malik's observational surveys."

"I know," I said quietly. "I know the risks. We're all going to be hurt by this not just physically, but mentally. But if we don't stop the Empire, then who will?"

"I think you're missing some my point. Our team is not emotionally stable. Are we really willing to risk everything? Are you willing to risk their mental and physical health for the sake of destroying something we have no idea how to destroy?!"

I sigh. "Look, if you want to hold me responsible for whatever happens on the field, fine. But you and the others chose me to be the team leader. If you wanted to lead you should have spoken up."

Lyra scoffs. "Even if I did, they would have still chosen you." She walks off to grab some other things. I sigh and look up at the dark sky. I know that I'm walking blindly into a battle no one wants with trauma survivors as my teammates. Over the week, I would ask myself if I should be the leader. What kind of idiot forces trauma survivors to relive something they'd rather forget?

My fingers wrap around the Kyber crystal. I still want to find Jyn but it seems like that mission has been pushed back and classified as less important. The mission to end the Empire once and for all has taken over, but I know better. No one can destroy the Empire, no matter how hard we try. If I make it out of this fight alive, I'll continue to fight the Empire but I'll probably be alone. I doubt Jyn will want to help and Galen is too afraid to fight. I can't ask the other Rebellion members either. Finding Jyn was their only goal.

We ride the Markavipes through the airstreams and arrive at Walden. Ryln and Malik are waiting for us. No one talks as we set up to spend the night. When we're finally done, I offer to take the first watch. I can hear Baze and Chirrut making small talk.

"What do you want to do... after we find Jyn, Chirrut?"

"I want to spend the rest of my life in peace with you."

"That's it?"

"Can I ask for anything else?"

"I'd like to do the same then." My heart sinks as I hear this. If something goes wrong and Chirrut or Baze die, I am responsible for destroying their dreams.

Morning comes around and it takes only a half hour for everyone to ready themselves for the fight. Ryln and Malik have decided to join us because other Rebellion members aren't joining us for some reason.

I look at my team. They're lined up and look like they could use five extra hours of sleep. Cassian is all the way to the left, cocking his blaster as he shifts his staff on his shoulder. Next to him is Bodhi, whose clenching a metal rod that he's used as a stress reliever. Lyra is next, a rifle strapped to her back, a blaster at one side, and a pistol at the other. Chirrut and Baze are to her left, and they don't look good. Both are forcing themselves to hold their weapons. Ryln is standing to their left. She has a simple rig, a blaster and plant of rounds. Finally, Malik, who is all the way to my right, has an electro baton and a pistol.

We're a sad group, to be honest.

I suppose I should give them some sort of pep talk, as every major attack group has one. But honestly, I don't know what to say. The pressure of the crew's eyes on me makes me wish a stormtrooper would come up and shoot me with one of those special bullets. I take a deep breath and do my best.

"Today, we're going to fight against the tyranny of the Empire's reign. We'll fight our last battle against our foe together. Even if this means having to lay down our lives, our efforts will not be in vain. We're going to stop the Empire in their tracks and bring about peace to this realm, whether this act is just a small doing or an event powerful enough to alter history. Surprise is on our side. They have no idea we're coming.

It's not the greatest pep talk and all I can hope for is that the group accepts the fact that I tried. Cassian then walks up next to me and does his own pep talk as the second in command. "We all know the plan. K2, do your job fast so we don't lose precious time while Orson speaks. Lyra, you're sniping from the grates. Chirrut, Baze, watch our backs. Bodhi, take the front with me and Malik and Ryln will be the head lookouts. Get to your positions swiftly and quietly. Make ten soldiers feel like a hundred and may the Force be with us." Cassian should have just done the pep talk himself.

"There's only nine of us," K2 protests.

"We're rounding up."

The mission is on. K2 and I run ahead and hide behind the largest rock we can find. Cassian and the others are waiting above us. They'll hide in the same place right after the two of us leave. I motion to K2 to go ahead. "You need to look like you've been through hell so you have a good excuse on why it took you a month to reach the base," said K2. Before I say anything, K2 gives me a couple punches in the stomach.

"My bruises from Cassian's staff aren't enough?!" I wheeze.

"You're right. They're enough for the rest of your body." The droid slaps my face. Then he gets up and blends in with the rest of the Empire crew. As soon as he's far enough in, I stumble up to some stormtroopers.

"Halt!" Calls one. The three stormtroopers point their guns at me. "This is restricted area! What are you doing here?"

"I want to speak to the leader of this base," I hiss. "Now!"

The stormtroopers interrogate me instead. I continue to complain to them, begging to come in contact with their leader. Finally, one goes in and fishes out the leader. My stomach drops when I see who it is.

Grand Moff Tarkin.

I want to kill the bastard right then and there. But I resist when I see Malik and Ryln run across the open area and sneak into the base. K2 must have shut down the shield. "Director Krennic," Tarkin says coldly. "What a surprise to see you here?"

Had I been in the other realm, I would have been overjoyed to know that Tarkin was dead. But since I'm dead too, that doesn't make happy at all. "You abandoned me!" I snap. "I oversaw the construction of the super weapon and you turned your back on me?! I want that promotion you promised years ago!"

Tarkin laughs. "Promotion? You don't deserve a promotion. You hardly did anything." I feel my blood rushing to my fists. Takin has such a punchable face.

"What do you mean I hardly did anything? I harnessed a power far greater than anything ever recorded in history and you think I did NOTHING!!??"

"Perhaps you can prove yourself by contributing to the Empire's cause again. Allow me to show you some work your college Galen Erso has created. Perhaps you will expand on his knowledge and bring ultimate power to the Empire in the Living Realm and the Ghost Realm."

I scoff. "Is that a challenge?"

"If you prefer to think of it that way."

"Sign me up," I said. Tarkin brings me through many halls in the small base until we reach the giant portal thing. On his knees and chairs to the wall in the corner is a tired looking Galen. He looks at me and I can see a look of betrayal on his face. I want to reassure him that I'm not the bad guy but I don't want to break character. "May I inquire what you will do with this?" I say to Tarkin.

"It is a portal that will rip a hole into the Living World. We will be able to create immortality by using the stormtroopers from this realm."

I nod my head and inspect the portal. It's not super big but it is taller than me. I sigh and walk around the portal, glancing at the doorway now and then. Finally, K2 wanders in with a box of supplies for Galen. He flicks his fingers a few times and I know that my team is ready.

I walk past Tarkin so our backs are to each other. Then I laugh a little. "A marvelous job you have done. It looks complete. However, I suggest you do not fire it yet. Because I have some other business to attend to." With that, I yank out my pistol and spin around on my heal. The barrel is pointing to Tarkin's head. K2 pulls out his own pistol and immediately the rebels appear around the room.

Tarkin glances over his shoulder and looks slightly surprised. Then his cunning grin appears and I dread the worst. "You thought I wouldn't know about your betrayal to the Empire?" He asks. "Think again." Tarkin yanks out his gun and fires at me.
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