Chapter 7 Brothers of a Rebel

"Cham, my old friend. Come to sell me something?" asked Hondo to a hologram of Cham Syndulla.

Syndulla was a Twi'lek. He looked human but had pointy ears, sharp teeth, and two tail-like appendages coming out of the back of his head. Syndulla came from a world called Ryloth, which was currently being fought over by the republic and the separatists. Cham and his people were fighting alongside the republic to free their world, but unfortunately all forces were spread thin across the planet.

"I'm calling in my favor, Hondo." exclaimed Syndulla, "I need some men. My forces are spread thin and the republic won't send more troops."

"And how can I profit from this?" asked Hondo, stroking his chin.

"Hondo!" yelled Syndulla

"Alright. Alright." said Hondo, putting his hands up in defense from the Twi'lek's outburst, "But how will my men do any good for you? They won't do it for free, they're… pirates."

Cham only nodded and began to think about the situation.

"Ay Boss, your boys are back." called one of Hondo's men.

Suddenly Hondo thought of the way to help his friend, as he watched an old and beat up ship land.

"My friend, I will get you your men." Hondo said to Cham.

Syndulla was about to say something but Hondo ended the transmission and walked over to the junk pile of a ship. The entrance ramp of the ship slowly creaked down and Hondo winced at the sounds it made.

"Hey Hondo, those dog-like creatures paid up." said Dom as he came down the ramp, with the wind blowing in his trench coat. "But they didn't go easy."

"Bothans, Dom. Not dogs." said TR as he came down the ramp and handed Hondo a crate full of credits.

"Whatever. They still did a number on the Junk Pile." Dom pointed his thumb back at the carbon scoring on the sides of the ship.

"Well Bothans are naturally aggressive, my boy." explained Hondo with a smirk on his face.

"So then why do you send us on these errands of yours with a garbage ass ship!" yelled Sorin as he stepped on the entrance ramp and pulled his goggles up to his forehead. "Let me fly one of the corna saucers."

"Not in a million years." Hondo fired back.

"You're despicable." said Sorin.

"I'm offended." gasped Hondo, "And I don't even know what that means."

"So, what's next Hondo?" asked TR as Sorin punched Dom for laughing at Hondo's sacracism.

"You're going to Ryloth." stated Hondo, catching the attention of Dom and Sorin.

"Ryloth? But that's a warzone." claimed Sorin hoping Hondo was joking.

"An old friend called in a favor and I'm not getting paid for this so." said Hondo as he turned his back to them.

"Wait. since when does Hondo Ohnaka give favors without making a profit?" asked Dom.

"I can afford to have some non profit missions and plus I, Hondo Ohnaka, always repay my debts." claimed Hondo.

"But don't you owe something to the Hutts, and the Black Sun, and The Pykes, and-"stated TR, but was cut off by Hondo.

"Yes. Yes. Enough of that. Now off to Ryloth with you." said Hondo as he shoved the three teens back into the ship.

"But what are we even doing?" asked Dom.

"I don't know and I don't care. Just find a man named Syndulla." Hondo told the teens, "Now, goodbye!"

Hondo closed the ship's ramp and watched it slowly and painfully lift off the ground.

After a short flight through hyperspace, the Junk Pile came out in front of Ryloth. Sorin calmly flew the ship to the rendezvous point where they would meet Cham Syndulla. All that could be heard in the ship was the noise of loose parts clunking into each other. The three crew members never say a word when they are landing on a planet for a mission. They all knew what was the cause of the silence, but none of them wanted to bring it up.

The "accident" is what they called it and each of them dealt with it differently. Dom put his pain deep inside of him and acted normal. A smile on his face, but bags under his eyes. Some of Hondo men would find him late in the night at the shooting range. Sorin was the most open about it out of all of them, but he still rarely talked about it. He was lucky enough to find an escape, by learning how to fly starships. He wasn't half bad either. Tom kept to himself as normal. Most nights he lay awake, thinking of ways that it could have gone differently or it never happened in the first place. The three of them may be dealing with it in their own ways but they all unspokenly agreed that they were the last of them. The others were gone.

Sorin brought the ship down in front of an elegant house built into the face of a mountain. Coming out of what appeared to be the front entrance was tan skinned Twi'lek and a blue skinned Twi'lek. TR knowing what Cham looked like he figured it out who was who before he got off the ship.

"Greetings, I am General Cham Syndulla." said the tan skinned Twi'lek, "And this is my right hand man, Gobi."

"Hi there, my name is Thomas and these are my friends Dom and Sorin." said TR introducing the three.

"Welcome to Ryloth or what's left of it." sighed Cham. "As you may know Ryloth is at war and all forces are spread. I needed special men for a special Job and Ohnaka tells me you are not normal pirates."

"You can say that again." smirked Sorin.

"Yes, well the separatists are closer than I would like and you will be here until they are pushed back." explained Cham.

"Uh, excuse me but no has told us what we are even doing." said Dom.

"You will be guards for my home and my family." said Cham as he turned around and beckoned for them to follow.

The three looked at each in surprise but rushed to follow the Twi'leks. The house itself was more of a base but it still had that homey feel. Inside there were Twi'leks all over the place either as soldiers or as refugees. Cham whispered something to Gobi before turning around and excusing himself.

"Where is he going?" asked TR.

"Something urgent came up." said Gobi but TR could tell he was lying. "Come, I will show you three to your rooms.

They walked through the dark tan hallways, stuffed with craits of rations and supplies. It hit the three teens on how war really affects people. They came toward a blue colored door, which stood out in the dark colored hallway.

"This will be your room while you stay here." said Gobi as the three walked into a blue room. The same color blue as the door. "If you need anything just ask."

Gobi closed the door and left the three in the room to get settled. They look around at the room seeing all little drawings on the wall and a stack of boxes in a corner with some toys sticking out of them. It had four cots spread out evenly in the room as it was transferred into a bunk room.

"It looks like a kid's room." stated Dom looking around.

Suddenly the door opened to reveal a little Twi'lek girl. She was green skinned and appeared to be around the age of ten. She looked surprised at the three teens with tears forming in her eyes. Before anyone could say something she ran down the hall crying. TR stuck his head out and saw her run into another room.

"That was weird." said Dom as he turned back to his belongings.

TR stepped out of the room and started to walk down the hall.

"Hey Tom, where're you going?" asked Sorin, noticing him leaving.

"Going to see a future rebel. I think." he stated, already halfway down the hall.

TR stopped at the room he saw the little girl run into. Knocking is fist on the door he said, "Hello, can we come in?"

TR got no response. All he heard was quiet sobbing. He was about to open the door but Sorin stopped him.

"Tom, wait. Are you sure about this?" he asked with his hand on his friend's shoulder.

TR only responded with a nod and pushed the button that opened the door. Inside he saw what he would expect in a little girl's room. So colorful and full of life but one thing was out of place. It was the little green Twi'lek crying on her bed.

"Hey what's wrong?" asked TR with some concern as he slowly walked over to the girl.

"Nerra." she said quietly, "You were in Nerra's room."

"I'm sorry we didn't know. We were just told it was where we'll stay. We can move if you want." said TR.

"Don't bother. He never used it!" she said with some force.

"What do you mean?" asked Sorin as he crouched next to Tom. Dom followed shortly after when the girl only cried more as a response.

The three put the pieces together and figured out that she must have lost this Nerra she spoke of. TR glanced at her nightstand and saw a green Twi'lek woman who appeared to be pregnant.

"Hey little one. We know what it's like to lose someone close to you." said TR as he put his hand on the girl's shoulder, "Trust me we kno-."

He was cut off by the little girl hugging him tightly. He was frozen in shock for a bit but slowly returned the embrace. When she finished crying into TR shoulder she went on to hug both Dom and Sorin, who were both surprised by this.

"Thank you." she said as she went back to sit on her bed, drying her tears.

"How about you tell us your name, little one." said Dom.

"Hera. My name is Hera." she said with a shy smile.

"Well I'm Dom. That's Sorin. And this is Tom." introduced Dom.

"You are not Twi'leks, so why are you here? Are you Jedi?" gasphed Hera as her eyes lit up.

"Sadly we're not Jedi." answered Sorin.

"We are friends of your father. He asked us to protect you and your home." explained TR.

"We are going to be spending a lot more time together, and we are terrible people." joked Dom, trying to lift her spirits. His plan succeeded as she looked at him and gave a shy giggle.

"Alright we need to unpack our belongings. We will see you soon." said TR as three got up to leave her room.

"Wait can I help." called Hera.

She wanted to get to know these new people. She knew very well that her father called on the help of pirates, but these guys weren't pirates. She had tested them wanting to see if they would tell the truth. Hera had a good sense of knowing who people really are and she could tell those three were like her.

"Sure why not." said Dom.

Hera joyfully jumped off her bed and ran to catch up to her three new friends.

Over the course of the week, not much war activity was seen. There was the occasional republic fly over, which Hera had to see every time, but no actual attacks by The Droid Army. The three had put themselves to work around the house. Either helping the wounded or helping serve the supper rush. On top of that they had to watch over Hera, but it wasn't hard as she was always with at least one of them at any given moment. She was basically attached to their hips.

Hera had quickly trusted her new friends and loved every minute with them. She thought Dom was funny as he always made her laugh. Though sometimes she wouldn't get his jokes and when that happened he always said that if she was where he was from she would get it. TR or Tommy, her nickname for him, had made her feel safe and she hung around him the most. He always made sure that she was alright and asked if she needed anything. Sorin was her favorite though. She could sit for hours and listen to his stories about flying the Junk Pile. He only inspired her more to become a pilot and explore the galaxy. She was beginning to look at them as older brothers. As for the three, she kind of reminded them of Kid, which only made them want to protect her more, and after their first encounter with her, they saw her as a little sister. Now Dom and Sorin sat with Hera, at one of the tables set up in one of the bigger rooms of the house, eating some lunch.

"And that's how we escaped Pyke space. Dom was hurling for hours on end." laughed Sorin as he finished telling one of their missions to the little, giggling Twi'lek.

"I wish Dad would let me fly." sighed Hera.

"Well there is a war happening on your front stoop." Dom said sarcastically.

"I know and I know he is protecting me. It's just that he has me cooped up in this house." complained Hera.

"Tell you what. When we aren't being your personal guards, we'll sneak you out." stated Dom.

Hera lit up with glee and she couldn't wait for the day. She saw TR coming their way with a data pad in his hands, which meant one thing. He gave her a nod and she ran to the front door. She opened the door and saw The Junk Pile. 'It really is a junk pile.' she thought. Taking her eyes off the ship, she looked up to the sky for the reason she came out.

The three teens joined her as the faint sound of engines could be heard in the distance. Hera moved out a little more to get a better view of the Republic fighters. The sound continued to grow from the west as the ships came into view. But a new sound was coming from the east. TR stepped closer to Hera and looked in the opposite direction of her. He saw Separatist vulture droids flying over the horizon. Hera turned to see what TR was looking at and she gasped at the site. The Vulture droids started to fire at the Republic Bombers. The bombers tried to move quickly but one didn't move in time and was hit. It started to fall toward the ground aiming right for the front yard of the house. Right were Hera and TR stood.

"Hera, move!" yelled Tom as he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the house.

The bomber came crashing down into the Junk Pile, tearing both the ships apart. TR covered Hera with his body, as they fell to the ground, to protect her from any debris that came their way. Sorin and Dom ran out to help them up and bring them to cover within the house. Cham came running to them with a squad of soldiers behind him.

"The Separatists are making their attack." stated Cham over the blaster fire that was rushing in toward the house, "This could be the one that decides the victor."

He looked at the mess in front of his house and ordered some men to get the pilots out of the Y-Wing Bomber. Knowing his men would do their job, Cham and his squad rushed to help the republic troops in the front. Hera, clinging to Tom, watched her father rush off to war not knowing if he would return to her. Once her father was out of site she glued her eyes on the crash. She saw the pilots being pulled out and dragged into the house. She was about to follow them in when she heard a small cry for help. Letting go of Tom she whipped around and saw an orange droid stuck in the Y-Wing. She had no idea what came over her but she started running to help the droid.

"Hera!" called TR and ran after her with Dom and Sorin on his tail.

Hera ran through the blaster fire and jumped over the debris on the ground. She made it to the ship without scratch but hid behind it as blaster bolts were directed towards her. Tom, Sorin and Dom took out their blaster pistols and fired blindly at the directions of the shots to get to Hera.

"Hera! What were you thinking!" yelled Tom now crouching next to her.

"I don't know. I saw no one helping him and I…" cried Hera over the blaster fire.

"Help who?" questioned Dom taking shots at the advancing squad of battle droids.

Hera only pointed upward at the astromech stuck in the Y-Wing. TR looked at the orange droid, then at the more deadly ones that had gotten closer. Looking back at Hera he saw that she wasn't going to go back without this droid.

"Fine. Dom get over here and get this droid out. We'll cover you." commanded TR. He now turned to Hera, "And you keep your head down."

TR stood up, taking out his second blaster pistol, and fired at the battle droids. Sorin came up to his right and fired as well. Dom on the other hand was struggling with the flat domed astromech. After one big heave the droid fell out. Sorin put his blaster away and helped Dom pick up the droid.

"On three we move." said Tom, "One. Two Three."

The group broke from their cover. Dom and Sorin moved as quickly as possible with a broken droid in their hands, while TR covered them. Hera ran ahead into the house to tell the soldiers that the battle droids were close. The three made it to the entrance just as the reinforcements came to fight off the droids. They gave respectful nods to each other and went their respective ways. The teens followed Hera in her room as she had cleared a space for them to put the droid. Gently placing the droid down everyone let out a sigh of relief.

"Never do that again." Dom told Hera as he caught his breath.

"Sorry." she said shyly.

"We're not mad at you Hera, we were just scared." said Sorin, putting a hand on her head.

"So what's this little guy's ID." asked Dom.

"C1-10P." said TR as he checked the droid's ID number.

"Chopper." said Hera quietly.

"What?" asked Dom.

"His name is Chopper." stated Hera, "C1-10P spells CHOP, but Chopper sounds nicer."

Tom was shocked at what Hera had just said. He didn't realize until now that this droid was the rambunctious devil that helped start the rebellion. 'Man, Ant would love to see this.' he thought. Hera ran out of her and came back in with a bunch of tools in her arms.

"Let's fix him up." said Hera with a smile.

Cham came back to his home with less men than before but a happy thought in his head. He wanted to see his daughter tell her that they had pushed back the enemy. Tell her that they were safe now. Tell her Ryloth is free again. He barged into the front door to hear cheers of victory. He only smiled in return but pushed by to find his daughter. He slowly walked towards her room, keeping the smile on his face, and opened the door.

"Dad!" Hera screamed as she ran toward him giving him a hug.

"We did it sweetheart. We won." said Cham as he embraced her hug, "We're safe now. We're safe."

The three teens smiled at the site in front of them, but the last presence in the room looked on with a blank face.

"Dad, I have something to show you." said Hera as she let go of her father.

She stepped to her side and revealed Chopper to her father. He looked in surprise on how her daughter could have gotten a droid, but then remembered he had seen this little droid in the Y-Wing that crashed in front of his house. He was about to be furious at Hera and at Dom, Sorin, and Tom, but Chopper rolled up to Hera and grabbed her hand with one of his mechanical arms. At moment Cham could not be mad at his daughter or the boys he hired to protect her. He was just glad she was safe and they did their job.

"Does he have a name?" smiled Cham.

"Chopper and I'm keeping him." claimed Hera gripping Chopper's mechanical arm tighter.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." said Cham. He now looked at Sorin, Dom, and Tom, "As for you three your job is done. You are free to go."

"Thank you, sir, but our ship-" started Tom.

"Our ship was torn apart in your front yard." stated Sorin a little too aggressively in TR's opinion.

"I can help with that." said Cham with a smile.

He led them to the south part of the house. They had never been there during their stay so they had no idea what was there. They followed him into a ship hangar built inside the mountain and it only had one ship parked within it. This ship looked brand new. It had mounted turrets on the left side, the cockpit on the right, and curved, flat fins sticking out in front of the cockpit. From the curved engines in the back, Sorin could tell it was corellian. 'It kinda looks like the falcon.' he thought. He knew that this was the ship he was looking for. He could basically hear it calling him to fly it.

"Hera calls it the Chromium Starbird." said Cham, "Take as a payment for your duties here."

"Thanks, sir." said TR as Dom and Sorin rushed into the ship to only rush back out.

"Yah, thank you. You can't understand how I've wanted to fly something other than the Junk Pile." thanked Sorin.

"I'm glad that thing was destroyed." claimed Dom, "I think we can live in this one now."

Cham only chuckled at their remarks. He stuck out his hand for them to shake which they happily accepted. Hera on the other hand was upset that they were leaving. After they were done with her father, she pulled them all down to her level and buried herself into the three of them.

"Goodbye, Nerras. I will miss you." she said.

"We'll miss you too, little sister." said Sorin.

"How?" gasped Hera.

"We picked up a few things while we stayed." explained TR.

"Yah like some new curse words." laughed Dom.

Hera only laughed at him before she hugged them tighter. After a few more seconds she let them go and grabbed Chopper's hand. The three waved goodbye and walked onto their new ship. Sorin ran to the cockpit to lift them off with TR right behind him. Dom went in the other direction to explore the ship. Sorin started up the engines and slowly moved the ship out of the hangar.

"Let's see what this girl can do." smirked Sorin as he punched the throttle. The Starbird kicked him back in his seat as he flew to the atmosphere, laughing the whole way.

"I was right, it has rooms." said Dom as he came to the cockpit once they were in space.

"Yes." cheered Tom, "No more drunk pirates coming into our room thinking it's their."

"Amen to that." snickered Dom making them all laugh.

"Well Sorin?" asked TR.

"All set here." answered Sorin, as he finished setting the hyperspace coordinates in.

"Then Punch It!" yelled Tom.

Sorin pulled down the hyperspace lever, as the three looked out the cockpit watching wild space mourf into the blue hyperspace tunnel. The three smiled with glee as their faces lit up with the blue light.