Chapter 18: Revenge of the Empire

Galactic Empire Journal Entry 37 – Location: Yavin 4

"By the time we landed on Yavin, whatever shock we'd felt at the destruction of the Death Star had been replaced by anger. For months we'd treated the Rebellion like a disobedient child, only to be repaid for our tolerance with treachery on an unimaginable scale. Frankly, I don't remember much of the fighting. I guess we won."

It’s been an hour since the four remaining members of Orion Squad had landed on Yavin 4. Most of the planet was a huge jungle full of giant trees, making them perfect cover for their assault on the Rebel Base. Yavin 4 was named this way because it was the fourth habitable moon orbiting the massive red gas giant, the actual Yavin.

The planet also had many ancient ruins and temples. Ghost remembered one of the history books he read during his free time on the Conqueror was about Yavins temples. According to the book, the temples were built by an ancient warrior race known as the Massassi, a species that was enslaved by the Sith many years before the Old Republic. And now the Rebels are using their biggest and most well-guarded temple as their base.

They were able to find the Rebels base easily. But they chose to land their TIE Demolisher on the opposite side to avoid detection, and signal the rest of the Imperial Army to begin their descent.

They vowed on this day that for the destruction of the Death Star and the deaths of Apex and X-Ray, the Rebels will pay in blood. What remained of the 501st was given the honour of avenging them by the Emperor himself. If they succeed today, then there’s a chance that they will win the second Galactic Civil War. And this time, it will end in victory.

Thunder was stationed on one of the tall tree branches on lookout for both the army and any Rebels heading their way. There’s no way these Rebels don’t know they’re here. They’ve learned their lesson a long time ago about not underestimating these Rebels. Form this moment on they will always expect the unexpected.

“See anything yet, Thunder?” Ghost asked him through his helmet radio.

“Nothing yet- Hold on!” Thunder warned, causing the other three clones to hide behind cover in case of an ambush. “Something big is heading towards us from the south.”

The south? Then it might not be Rebels as their base if north of their position. Could it be?

Suddenly out of the bushes an AT-ST Walker appeared before them, followed by another, which was also followed by a huge gathering of Stormtroopers and a couple hover tanks.

Orion Squad came out of hiding and Thunder landed back on the ground to greet them. But there was still one more AT-ST Walker approaching them. This one was different than the other two though. It was a different colour scheme, which was black with yellow patterns, similar to Ghost’s own Purge Trooper armour. And on its sides it had two massive guns. The one on the left was a long claw-like plasma cannon, and the one on the right was a rocket launcher.

Ghost was glad to see that they were bringing out the big guns to use against these Rebels. Though part of him can’t help but wonder where they’ve been hiding this advanced AT-ST on the Conqueror. (Unless it was on one of the other two Star Destroyers)

The top hatch of the advanced AT-ST opens up, and Orion Squad were surprised to see that it was piloted by Cornelius Sigan himself. This is probably the first time ever he’s actually been on the field since he was usually giving orders from the safety of the Conquerors bridge.

“Admiral Sigan? What are you doing down here?” Daxter asked.

“And who’s manning the Conqueror?” Boomstick followed with his own question.

“My crew are still in command of the Conqueror. I wanted to be here to help put an end to the Rebels personally. They’ve gone too far this time, and I want to watch you and your men tear them apart in person.” Sigan replied.

“From the comfort of your fancy Super AT-ST?” Ghost asked sarcastically.

“I’m not as young as I used to be, so don’t expect me to be throwing punches at them anytime soon. Besides, this mission of vengeance should be carried out by you and your men. It would be disrespectful to Apex and X-Ray if I got in the way of that.” Sigan explained. Ghost was actually touched by Sigan’s words. His relationship with him has definitely improved since they first met. No wonder Vader chose him to be their ships captain.

“Remember your brethren aboard the Death Star and show the traitors no mercy” Sigan continued.

“Oh don’t worry, we won’t.” Ghost then turned to his men. “Now I know you men want the same thing we do right now. To kill those Rebel scum in the most painful way possible for what they’ve done to us.”

Some of the Stormtroopers even nodded in response, confirming Ghost’s suspicions. But he paid them no mind and continued what he had to say.

“We’ve scouted out the Rebels base as soon as we’ve arrived. It is located in the ancient temple a few miles north of here… The Rebels probably already know we’re here and are waiting to ambush us. Therefore we will not proceed straight forward. First we will form a base in the ruins of the stone fountain to the east. Then we’ll proceed north west from there and throw everything we’ve got at these Rebel scum!” Ghost explained to them.

The 501st and the rest of the Imperial Army all cheer in response and prepare to move out. They don’t know what to expect once they reach the Rebel base, but its too late to turn back now. Ghost and his squad lead the army towards the location of the ruined fountain, preparing for their biggest battle yet.

Upon arriving at the fountain they were already attacked by Rebel forces. It would seem that they somehow anticipated their strategy. No matter, the 501st legion will still destroy them all the same.

Each Stormtrooper fought with a burning desire to see them die in their hearts. Unleashing the rage they carry over the destruction of the Death Star upon them.

Orion Squad did this tenfold. Thunder disintegrating them with his ARC Castor. Boomstick blowing up a whole group of them and their tanks with his rocket launcher and land mines. Daxter decided to spice things up a bit by using the buzzsaw arm in his backpack to slit some of their throats while shooting the ones in front of him.

As for Ghost, he just wasted no time blasting them with his rifle, not even bothering to draw his lightsaber as he believes them worthy of it. He just wants the Rebels dead as fast as possible. He won’t fully be satisfied with his revenge until he knows for certain the Rebellion is dead.

Two Rebel tanks soon come across his path and lock their missiles onto him. Ghost then decided now was the perfect time to draw his lightsaber, but he never got a chance to do so as one of the tanks got blown to pieces by an incoming missile.

Ghost turns to Boomstick thinking it was him, but Boomstick pointed over to Sigan’s Super AT-ST, implying that he fired it. He was then shocked to see the other capabilities his Walker was capable of.

The AT-ST’s claw like arm started emitting an energy beam that wrapped itself around the other tank, and actually managed to lift it off the ground like how a Jedi would use the force to lift an object. The AT-ST then flung the tank forwards, throwing it at a huge group of Rebels that were advancing down the hill they were heading towards.

“Whoa! Where can I get one of those?” Boomstick asked jokingly.

Ghost ignored him however and began shouting out to his troops, letting them known what they’ll be doing next. “Good start troops. Our next objective is to make our way over to the reflecting pool. It’ll make a good staging area for our assault on the temple.”

The men all follow Ghosts lead and begin making their way up the hill the Rebels were coming down.

Once they reached the top, the Rebels temple base was in their line of sight. They still had a few miles of jungle to trek through. (which might be a problem for the AT-ST’s)

While they could’ve just blasted the Rebel base with another bombardment. Ghost knew that this wouldn’t have brought the Rebellion to an end. They may’ve stopped one Rebel cruiser from escaping. But they doubted there weren’t any others that evacuated before their arrival.

Ghost needed to know where the rest of them were hiding, and he knew that the answers would be inside that temple. Once he finds out who their leaders are, he can track them down and kill them personally. Or bring them back alive for Vader or the Emperor to execute. But if he could get his hands around the throat of the Rebel pilot that was actually responsible for destroying the Death Star, that would be great.

Many Rebels were stationed at the reflecting pool, armed with three of their own hover tanks, and the front line made up of Wookiee warriors holding rocket launchers.

The men of the 501st had little time to react as the rockets headed their way, only giving some of them just enough time to dive out of their path.

Enraged at seeing even more of his men dying at the hands of Rebels. Ghost ignited his lightsaber and actually threw it at the Wookiees. The spinning yellow blades slicing through their necks one by one until it came back to his hand like a boomerang. He may not have the force, but luckily for him he didn’t need it when he has magnetic gloves to recall it back to him whenever he needs it.

Boomstick and Thunder then decided to exact their revenge by destroying the hover tanks. Boomstick chucked a couple land mines underneath the tanks, detonating them immediately resulting in them all being destroyed.

As for Thunder, he had an even better idea for dealing with the Rebels at the reflecting pool.

“Ghost, get everyone out of the water!”

Ghost looked up at Thunder hovering in the sky, then he looked down at the reflecting pool. Quickly realising what was about to happen, Ghost ordered his men to move as far away from the pool as possible.

Once they were clear, Thunder unleashed a maximum powered blast of lightning from his ARC Castor at the water. The whole pool became electrified and any Rebels standing in it or in close proximity had been completely fired.

To the few Rebels who didn’t get caught in the blast, this was a savage horror. But to the Empire, it was glorias. Some of the Stormtroopers even let out a cheer for Thunder for his really effective kill. Under different circumstances it would’ve been viewed as overkill.

But this was nothing compared to the destruction of the Death Star. They remember hearing how these Rebels – as well as the many governments that funded them – had actually cheered when the Death Star was destroyed. So this little cheer from the 501st was justified in their eyes.

“Good job up there, Thunder. The reflection pool is ours… Do you see the temple?” Ghost asked.

“Yeah, straight ahead. As well as more Rebel reinforcements.” He replied.

Sigan then began approaching Orion Squad in his modified AT-ST, standing with them until the reinforcements arrive. “My scouts are still preparing the bomb for the temple. We need to make sure all the Rebels attention remains on us until then.”

“How long will that take?” Ghost asked.

“About two minutes if they’re quick enough and have no problems.” Sigan responded.

“You heard the Admiral men. Defend the reflecting pool and keep all the Rebels on us. Once the bombs are in place, we can finally have our revenge.” Ghost announced/reassured them.

The clones all did as instructed and fought their hardest against the Rebels. The walls of the reflecting pool provided perfect cover from incoming attacks. Even their tanks rockets have a hard time breaking through completely due to how ancient they were.

The AT-ST’s were also a big help against their overwhelming numbers. Especially Sigans. His walkers advanced weaponry made it formidable against the Rebels feeble tanks. Mostly using its gravity claw arm to pick up and throw the tanks at the Rebels, as well as any large rocks he could find.

Ghost, Daxter, Thunder and Boomstick were outside the safety of the walls taking on the Rebels themselves. They were obviously using their force fields to protect themselves. (They’re not stupid)

Thunder and Boomstick were now relying on their blaster pistols as Thunders ARC Castor needed thirty minutes to recharge, and Boomstick wanted to conserve the little rockets he had for their assault on the temple.

One Rebel – A human female – attempted to neck behind them and plant a thermal detonator under their force fields, the same way the clones used to do to Droideka’s during the Clone Wars. Daxter however programmed his backpack arms to watch his back and blast the rebel with the Super Battle Droid attachments he applied to it after their mission on Mustafar.

“No Rebel is going to be sneaking up on us this time.” Daxter muttered to himself and continued aiming his focus on the Rebels in front of him.

Suddenly, the members of Orion Squad started receiving some firepower from above? They noticed that several shots have come from a couple towers sniping towers strayed around the temple base. Now they wish they had Apex with them. He would’ve instantly noticed and taken them out by now.

That thought alone only caused the members of Orion Squad to become even more enraged, being reminded of their brothers deaths.

Boomstick then decided “screw it!” and fired another rocket at the tower shooting at them. He still had a couple of rockets left, so where’s the harm in launching one more. With the tower down, they continued to focus their attack on the approaching Rebels.

“Commander! Come in Commander!”

Ghost heard Sigans voice over his helmets radio, which is usually a bad sign during missions. Whatever it was, he will not let it get in the way of his revenge.

“What’s wrong now?” Ghost answered.

“The scouts got killed bringing the beacon to the temple. You’ll have to go out and retrieve it while we keep the Rebels preoccupied.”

Ghost let out a small grunt of annoyance. He knew something like this was gonna happen. Had they learned nothing from the last time they did this on Mustafar. Sigan should’ve just let him and his squad handle carrying the strike beacon. But then again, if they did then there would’ve been nobody leading on the front lines now that Shadow was dead.

“Very well, we’ll go after the beacon.”

“Thank you. And don’t worry about your men, ill protect them with my AT-ST. I promise you, Ghost. This Rebellion ends today!” Sigan reassured him.

Ghost nodded at Sigan even though he couldn’t see him behind the AT-ST he was piloting. The four clones then began running like hell away from the reflecting pool and began heading west of the temple, as it was the last known location of the scout troopers. They just hope for their sakes the Rebels haven’t come across the beacon and destroyed it.

Upon arriving at the smaller temple west of the reflecting pool, Orion Squad was expecting some Rebels to be there and ambush them, or find the beacon in pieces. But instead they found the temple to be empty of any lifeforms. And the beacon was just sitting on a rock just waiting for them to grab.

Ghost and his brothers knew instantly that there was something wrong with this. Daxter remembers back during the raid on Polis Massa that he had a run in with a couple Bothan spies that tried to ambush him in a similar way.

Daxter switched his visor to thermal vison and slowly scoured the area in case there were any Bothans hiding in the area. And just as he suspected, there were. About five of them to be exact. All of them are hiding in the ruined temple, one of them manning a sniper rifle, aiming at whoever goes to grab the beacon.

Clever, but not clever enough to fool them a second time. The claw arm of his backpack then reaches inside and pulls out a small spherical recon droid. (The same ones Darth Maul used on Tatooine from the Phantom Menace)

He sends the droid into the temple to confront the Bothan Rebels and set it to self-destruct upon entry, killing them all. To which they confirmed as the heat signatures in the temple all faded away.

“Let me guess. There were Rebels hiding in that small temple.” Ghost asked.

“Yep. They tried to pull this on me back on Polis Massa. Fool me once, shame on them. Try to fool me twice and they pay the price.” Daxter said proudly.

“That doesn’t even rhyme.” Boomstick pointed out. Ghost chuckled a little bit from that exchange. At least his brothers haven’t let Apex and X-Ray’s death completely change them.

Thunder then goes to grab the beacon and checks it to make sure it’s still intact to which it is.

With no time to lose, they all ran in the direction of the Rebels temple base. Once they get inside and get the information they’re after they beacon place the beacon and have the Star Destroyers above blow the place sky high.

Ghost blasts away at the Rebels in front of him alongside Daxter, clearing a path for Thunder as he carries the beacon, all the while Boomstick was watching their backs with his pistol in one hand and a thermal detonator in the other.

They easily manage to find the doors to the Rebels temple base. After all it was the only part of the temple that wasn’t ancient stone, instead it was a massive wooden door. Why wood? They had no idea. Maybe it was because the Rebels had limited resources on Yavin and had to settle with chopping down one of the many really tall trees in the area.

Daxter backed up against the door to set a detpack while Ghost, Thunder and Boomstick covered him. the droid arms reached into the backpack, pulled out a detpack, and placed it on the doors.

“Hey guys.” Daxter spoke up, getting some of their attention. “You remember how I said to never press the red button, only the blue when it comes to detpacks?”

“Yeah” They all say at the same time in confusion.

“Well todays the day I finally press the red button for a change.”

“Hold on a minute.” Boomstick interrupted. “You said pressing the red button causes the explosives to go off immediately… Isn’t that like a bad thing?”

“Not necessarily.” Daxter reassured him. “I’ve modified them to start a ten second timer the moment I press it. So as soon as I do, we run like hell. Got it?”

The clone brothers all nod in response, giving Daxter the all clear to go ahead and press the red button. As soon as the ten second timer appears, they began making a run for the trees.

Inside the temple base, the Rebels were preparing to move more of their tanks out to aid the soldiers engaged in battle with the Empire. But as soon as they were about to open the big wooden doors, they suddenly explode in a sudden burst of fire. Splinters of wood flew everywhere, some of them even hitting the Rebels. Some died from the splintering wood while others were just seriously wounded.

As the smoke clears from the entrance they could see the four members of Orion Squad standing there, weapons equipped. And behind them stood Sigans advanced AT-ST.

The Rebels open fire upon them, but they were no match for Sigans AT-ST. It picked up one of the tanks inside the hanger and threw it across the room into the other ones like before. It then used its rocket launcher arm to destroy some of the Rebels X-Wings, preventing them from taking off.

Ghost and his squad then storm their way through the rebel base, killing all Rebels inside without hesitation. Finally, things are turning around for the Empire. Their revenge is almost complete.

Sigan’s AT-ST keeps the Rebels mostly preoccupied by shooting up the place with his walkers heavy blaster fire. This gave Orion Squad the opportunity to go deeper into the base and search for their control room. If they could scan their computers, they should find where the Rebels that escaped are hiding.

They reach the top of the temple and find the command centre for the base. Despite the walls being made from ancient stone, they could hardly tell from all the advanced technology around them, including a giant computer on the wall, a holotable of their own, and several databanks which will come in handy. There was also a ladder heading up to the roof of the temple, which Ghost would assume is how the Rebels gain access to those sniper towers.

“Daxter, see if what data you can get out of these. Boomstick, guard the door, make sure we don’t get interrupted. Thunder, begin setting up the beacon on top of the temple.” Ghost instructs them.

“SIR!” They all salute their commander and do their assigned tasks.

As Boomstick was about to seal the door to keep the Rebels out, he was surprised to see that the door just suddenly closed by itself.

“What the-

Suddenly, a spread of green blaster fire came out of nowhere and knocked Boomstick against the wall. The rest of Orion Squad all turn in the direction of where the blast originated from, and saw that on the opposite side of the room, a couple Wookiees have entered from the other entrance.

Orion Squad raise their weapons at the Wookiee Rebels and were about to attack, but they were silenced by the sound of another Wookiee growl. The three Wookiees stand aside to allow their leader to enter the room and confront them.

This Wookiee was different to the other three. He had black fur instead of the usual brown. He also had grey highlights in his fur, showing that he was an older Wookiee. He also had long dreadlocks and wore armour. He also had a vibro blade attached to his back.

The members of Orion Squad were shocked by his appearance, as they already recognised this particular Wookiee. It was a Wookiee they’ve met before a long time ago during the Clone Wars… Ghost removed his helmet in order to look at him with his own eyes.

“I never would’ve thought we’d ever see you again… Chieftain Tarfful.” Ghost spoke up, confirming their suspicions n this Wookiee being Tarfful. “Time has not been kind to you. Your furs starting to turn grey… Are you with the Rebellion?”

Tarfful started speaking in his native tongue towards the old clones he used to fight alongside with during the battle of Kashyyyk. He too remembered Orion Squad. He remembered how they were once his allies and even friends. It actually brought pain to his heart to see that they were now on opposite sides.

“So you are with these Rebels… Such a shame. I held a lot of respect for you during the Clone Wars.” Ghost responded.

Tarfful growled in response, implying that he felt the same way.

“Apex and X-Ray are dead.” Ghost replied to what he was saying. “Your so called allies murdered them when they blew up the Death Star.” Ghost started raising his voice in anger as he looked the ex-chieftain in the eyes. “You’re people did this, Tarfful! We may’ve done some things we’re not proud of, but the Empire finally managed to bring peace and order to a chaotic galaxy. We only did what we were made for. As a warrior, you should know exactly what it feels like to do what you think is best for your brothers in arms. And right now, crushing your Rebel Alliance and restoring peace is what’s best for all my brothers, both living and dead!”

Tarfful responds again not with words, but by unsheathing the huge vibro sword from his back. He says a couple more words before taking a fighting stance alongside his Wookiee warriors.

“I’m truly sorry it had to come to this, old friend. But I promised my men revenge for what you did, and that’s exactly what we plan to do. Know that I don’t hate you for joining the Rebellion. After we conquered Kashyyyk I saw it coming. I’m just find you unforgivable for getting involved in this conflict. Now in the name of justice, I am forced to kill you!” Ghost then drew and ignited his double bladed lightsaber.

He and Tarfful charge towards each other and clash their blades together. Sparks fly as both sides struggle to force the other back. Upon closer inspection, Ghost recognised the blade the Wookiee chief was holding.

“That blade…it’s mine!” Ghost pointed out. Recognising it as the very same vibro blade he wielded during the Clone Wars. “Where did you get it?”

Tarfful let out a couple growls in response and broke the blades connection by grabbing Ghosts leg and throwing him backwards across the room into the next room he just came from. Ghost however recovered swiftly and reignited his lightsaber.

“I see. So one of the Wookiee prisoners stole it from the vault on the Death Star during the prison break. But why use it? Just to spite me?” he asked.

Tarfful growled again, followed by a nod.

“I see. So you thought it would be poetic to kill me with a weapon I used during the Clone Wars. That’s irony right there, considering I stole that blade from my first Commando Droid.”

Tarfful ignored his comment and began swinging the sword again. Ghost dodged it and started moving backwards, only to stop as he accidently fell over the balcony of the temple. It was then that he suddenly realised that he and Tarfful have been forced to continue this fight on the outside of the temple, which actually worked well for him. Without all the databanks in the way, he can focus on actually taking this fight seriously, without fearing they’d destroy the very data they were after.

He then leaps over Tarfful who attempted to slash him from above, but failed miserably. But he was quick enough to counter the strike from behind Ghost brought down.

“I hope the others are dealing with the other Wookiees without destroying the data we need to find their other hidden bases.” Ghost thought to himself as he clashed with Tarfful again.

Back with the rest of Orion Squad, they were dealing with the other Wookiee warriors. Daxters droid arm was still plugged into the computer so he couldn’t really go anywhere when dealing with his Wookiee. His shotgun didn’t seem to do much to him either considering the fact he was wearing armour like Tarfful and the rest of the Wookiees.

His forcefield was protecting him from the Wookiees bow castor fire, but it won’t hold him for long. Especially since the Wookiee started slamming its fists into the forcefield, weaking it severely.

Daxter then surprised the Wookiee by deactivating the forcefield and grabbing its arm, pulling it down to his eye level. This was then followed by his backpacks Super Battle Droid arm appearing and firing several shots at its face until it was dead. It may’ve been ugly, but it did get the job done in the end.

Boomstick however was holding his own against the Wookiee. Wookiee’s are known to be one of the strongest alien species in the galaxy. But Boomstick was known to be one of the strongest clones ever made, second only to Wrecker.

Daxter was kinda dumbfounded at what he was watching. A Wookiee and a Death Trooper are punching each other several times, as if they were two competitors in a boxing ring. He can’t help but wonder if Boomstick is enjoying this too much.

Boomstick then catches the Wookiees fists, stopping its attacks. Then to the Wookiees shocking surprise, he was able to actually push his arms back, overpowering the Wookiees own strength. He then followed this up with a well-placed punch to the head which resulted in the Wookiee being knocked to the ground and - to Daxters surprise – it actually killed it.

Thunder was just trying to climb the ladder to the roof with the beacon, but the Wookiee going after him kept grabbing his leg and pulling him down. If it weren’t for his really tough Dark Trooper armour, he probably would’ve had his leg torn off by now. Wookiees are strong enough to tear the limbs off of their foes after all.

The Wookie then attempted to stab his leg with his knife, but it broke upon contact, not even laying so much as a scratch on his sleek armour.

“My armours made from Cortosis, your little knife ain’t gonna cut it. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a beacon to plant.”

Thunder then decided to ignite his jetpack right underneath the Wookiee holding onto him. The flames from it shot out all over the Wookiees head, setting its fur ablaze. The Wookiee roared in pain, causing it to let go of the ladder and fall down to the ground bellow. Fortunately for the Wookiee, it died on impact so it didn’t feel the pain of having its furry face burned off.

Thunder then flew out of the hatch and landed on top pf the temple. Without wasting anymore time he placed the beacon on the top and activated it. It’s only a matter of time till the Star Destroyers up above will make their descent and lock onto their location.

Thunder then notices below him that Ghost and Tarfful were still fighting each other on the balcony. He would get involved, but something tells him that this was Ghosts fight, and he’d best stay out of it. And even if he wanted to, his ARC Castor hasn’t fully recharged yet so there was nothing he could do.

Ghost and Tarfful fought with a lot of fury in their veins. Both individuals have lost a lot of loved ones during this war. Both used to be close allies who felt a horrible betrayal at the hands at the other. And both are fighting to ensure victory for their causes.

Had Ghost been an ordinary clone he would never stand a chance against a Wookiee warrior in a fight. But Ghost was no ordinary clone. His genetic enhancements and skills make him a formidable opponent for the Wookiee chieftain.

Whilst Tarfful was stronger physically, Ghost was more agile and kept trying to land a hit on him from behind. But Tarfful wouldn’t let him.

Ghost improvised by pulling out his rifle and blasting at the ex-chieftain. Tarfful tanked the blasts however thanks to his armour and charged towards him. He pulls his right fist back ready to punch the Purge Trooper.

Ghost however leaped up and over him and instead of using his lightsaber, he simply did a spinning roundhouse kick at the back of his head, causing the Wookiee to stagger forwards.

As Ghost was about to ignite his lightsaber and finish him off, Tarfful backhands him, knocking him into the balcony wall behind him. The impact causes Ghost to drop his lightsaber over the railing, leaving him with only his rifle as a weapon.

Or so he thought. Tarfful also managed to knock the rifle out of his hand too, leaving him completely defenceless. He then grabs Ghost by the throat and lifts him over the balcony wall. Ghost struggles against his intense grip but to no avail.

Tarfful spoke to him once again in his peoples language. Telling Ghost that nothing has changed for him since the battle of Kashyyyk. He still feels like he’s fighting a bunch of soulless machines. During the Clone Wars he saw the clones as independent warriors fighting for the good of others. But now he sees them as a bunch of fleshy droids blindly following orders for a corrupt conspiracy without question. That’s what angers him most of all about the 501st legion, that they’ve become the very thing they’ve sworn to destroy.

“You’re comparing us to the Seps Battle Droids? How dare you!” Ghost responded in anger even though he was still having the air choked out of him.

“You think I wanted to go down this path?” Ghost started speaking up again after catching his breath. Tarfful loosened his grip a bit to hear what he meant by that. “My men and I were forced to kill the Jedi via the inhibitor chips they put in our brains at birth. Those chips killed the clones you once fought with, leaving only us. My brothers and I want to be free of all this, but we can’t run away or join your alliance. The only way for us to truly gain freedom is to earn it… The Empire isn’t perfect, but it is the galaxy only path to peace. A peace the Rebel Alliance is trying to destroy!”

Tarfful only shook his head in response. He thought the Empire was bringing peace to the galaxy? He can’t help but feel sorry for these poor clones. Right when he saw them as their own individual person, that vison faded, revealing the clone soldier underneath.

He then began tightening his grip once again, attempting to crush his wind pipe and kill him. To him, death is what will finally free these clones from the Empires enslavement. For all that they’ve done for Kashyyyk during the Clone Wars, Tarfful promises Ghost that he’ll make it quick.

But before he could do so, Tarfful was suddenly stabbed through the chest with a yellow lightsaber blade. The sudden jolt of pain caused Tarfful to let go of Ghost and send him plummeting to the ground bellow.

He was saved however by the one who stabbed the Wookiee chieftain, which to his unexpected surprise was Sigan. He quickly pulls him up with all his strength until Ghost was able to reach the wall himself. All that advanced Purge Trooper armour certainly didn’t make him any lighter.

“Admiral? What are you doing here? What about the Rebels?” He asked him.

“They’re all dead, Commander. Your men and I made sure of that.” He then hands him back his lightsaber. “I saw you drop this and assumed you were in trouble. So I raced up here to help you… And it looks like I got here just in time.”

Ghost grabs his lightsaber and places it back on his belt. He then places his hand on Sigans shoulder and gave him a light smile. “Thank you, Sigan.”

Ghost then approached Tarfful who was laying on the ground clutching the wound in his chest, barely able to breath. Ghost had seen this before many times. Tarfful may be tough as far as Wookiees are, but even he can’t shake off a lightsaber stab to the gut. It’s only a matter of time until death claims him too.

“You know this Wookiee?” Sigan asks.

“Yes. This is Chieftain Tarfful of the Wookiee warrior tribe of Kachirho city. We were once allies during the Clone Wars when we helped them free their home planet from the CIS. But when the Empire conquered Kashyyyk, he and many Wookiees decided to join the Rebellion.”

“I’m guessing this Tarfful isn’t going to tell us where the remaining Rebel leaders have fled to?” Sigan asked hypothetically.

“No. Tarfful is one of the toughest warriors I’ve ever known. His spirit is pretty much unbreakable. He’s going to die anyways. Seems pointless to interrogate someone who can’t even speak.” Ghost pointed out.

“Well it doesn’t matter. Daxter said he acquired a list of Rebel hideouts across the galaxy. We’ll find them. It’s only a matter of time.” Sigan reassured him before heading back inside the temple.

Ghost picked up his rifle and placed it back in its holster on his back before looking down at the fallen Wookiee who was still struggling to cling to life.

“This was your fault, Tarfful. Your choice to join the Rebellion got you and your people killed. None of them had to die you know. Sure the Empire had enslaved your kind, but at least you were still alive… How many more need to die before you realise that resisting the Empire is a death sentence?”

Tarfful only had enough strength left to utter out a couple of small growls before the life finally leaves his body and his arms fall to their sides and his eyes close. His final words seem to have affected Ghost in some way.

Ghost then picked up his discarded helmet and places it back on over his head. “How strange.” Was all he had in response to what he just said. He then follows after Sigan and re-joins his troops outside the temple.

After the battle ended, the remaining members of the 501st gather together at the reflecting pool, resting after the big battle they just had. Some of them were being treated by other medic troopers. With X-Ray gone they’ve lost their best field medic. But fortunately for them, they manged to save up a huge supply of his enhanced bacta liquid.

The members of Orion Squad were all sitting together with Sigan, looking over the list Daxter was able to obtain from the base computer. It showed a star chart hologram with several planets throughout the galaxy. Some of them having the Rebels symbol over them. This implied that only planets with the symbol are controlled by the Alliance. The only problem is that there were so many it’s hard to narrow them down.

“I’m sorry Ghost. This was all I could get. My fight with the Wookiee disrupted the data transfer.” Daxter apologised.

“It’s fine, Dax.” Ghost reassured him. “We’ll find a way to track the remaining Rebels down and destroy them, even if we have to search each of those planets individually.”

“That might not be necessary, Commander.” Sigan spoke up, interrupting them. “The Empire can send probe droids to each of the Rebel controlled planets and scope them out. The Rebels can hide all they want, but we’ll find them eventually.”

Ghost was relieved to hear that. It’s about time they’d gotten some good news.

And speaking of good news, the Star Destroyers have managed to lock onto the beacons signal on top of the Rebels temple base. It looks like the bombardment was about to begin.

Ghost then stood up and climbed on top of one of the destroyed pillars in the middle of the reflecting pool. He orders his men to stand to attention, to which they immediately do.

“Vengeance is ours, men. The spirits of fallen brothers will sleep soundly tonight knowing we’ve finally gotten back at the Rebels for the Death Star… I know it’s destruction has been hard for each and every one of you, and that we’ve lost even more of our brothers during this battle. But thanks to your efforts, we have successfully driven the Rebels off Yavin 4. They are on the run and are hiding form us. But thanks to Daxters influence, we now have the locations of the various planets they could be hiding on. It’s only a matter of time until we find them and fulfil our revenge… No matter what, the 501st will not yield to these Rebel scum. We will defeat them! We WILL bring an end to this war! WE WILL BE FREE!”

The men of the 501st all let out a cheer and raise their arms high in response to Ghosts inspiring speech. Things may’ve been bad for them with the destruction of the Death Star, but now they all feel hopeful, knowing that they have the tools the need to finally turn the tides in their favour. There’s no way the Rebels will get the drop on them this time. This is the end of them.

There is no greater proof of that then the massive green laser blasts raining down from the Star Destroyers and plummeting against the temple base, blowing it to pieces. The clones once again letting out a thunderous applause at seeing he Rebels bas being destroyed in front of them.

Ghost turned back to Sigan and his three brothers and gave them a reassuring smile. They don’t exactly know if they will be able to beat the Rebels, but this is a massive chance to ensure victory. They will take this chance if it means restoring order to the galaxy for the second time.

“Watch out Rebels. The time has come for the Empire to strike back!” Ghost thought determinedly to himself.

Galactic Empire Journal Entry 38 – Location: Yavin 4

"After the battle, the surviving members of the 501st finally caught their breath. The Empire had taken the Rebels' best shot and come up standing. Now it was our turn to strike."

To Be Continued