A REBEL'S JOURNAL
STAR WARS - INTERLUDE EIGHT
"A Rebel's Journal," written by Mark Stinson (with character input from Craig)
I'm deathly afraid that we may all die...but as my father was fond of saying...at least we will die free men. Father
was always talking about rebellion...saying we should stand up for our freedom and pull the Hindar Clan down from
their power-mad throne. I guess that is why Father was taken away when I was eight years old. They came in the
night and grabbed my father out of bed. The noise of my mother screaming woke me, and I peaked out of my bedroom
just as a Twilight Guardman backhanded her across the room and into our kitchen. He wiped the blood off his armored
hand on our curtains, while the rest of his squad carried my father away. At first he kicked and screamed, and
struggled against their grip...but suddenly he saw me, and a calm came over him. He looked deep into my eyes from
across the room. "I die a free man, Quint...don't you dare cry one single tear for me." One of the Twilight
Guardmen became enraged at my father's words, reached over, and with his powered grip snapped my father's neck.
I suppose it was on that day, some 9 years ago that I joined the rebellion. I didn't know it at the time...but
that look my father gave me...those words...I would spend the rest of my life living up to his memory. I admit,
I did cry for him...a day doesn't go by that I don't cry for all of us. With both my parents dead, I was sent to
the factory orphanages. Worked a few years for a man named Naben Leeds. He clearly cared about all of children
in his factory...but how does one man act as father for hundreds of children? He made our lives as comfortable
as he could, but the Twilight Guard Inspectors would come through, complaining about comforts that Naben Leeds
had provided us. We could hear them telling him that he would go to the slave pits under the city if he did not
comply with regulations. Often after one of these inspections, Naben Leeds would come to us where we slept. He
would stand there in the half-light...tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry I can't do more...."
I guess I was 12 when I decided to escape the factory and begin seeking my father's dream to live as a free man.
I began asking around about the rebels...an act that could very well have ended my life had I asked the wrong person.
It became apparent that one name kept being whispered to me...Ton Kimble. He was a legend. A failed Fire Mage,
he now led occasional raids on the Hindar Clan...striking at them where it hurt. Food being delivered to the Justice
Hall in our burrough would be poisoned en route, killing some and incapacitating many more. Factories machines
would be sabotaged...leading to work stoppages. Convoys of prisoners headed to the slave pits would be ambushed...generating
scores of new rebel fighters. And I've been here ever since....
I began my journals very early on...and I've written in one on-and-off ever since. I like the idea that even if
I do 'die a free man,' some record of what I went through will exist for others to find and learn from. Lately
I haven't written much...I suppose a certain bordom had set in...strike after strike against the Hindar Clan, and
they never seem to weaken. I suppose we are more an inconvienience to them, than an actual threat. So what would
cause me to write in my journal now?
Ranar came with the Prince and the Slave. It is whispered that he himself is of royal blood, and is a member of
a mighty warrior clan on some other world. He is tall and very strong, and swings his sword in wide strokes...but
he is also wise in a deep and simple way. When the visitors first came, and their group of 5 announced that 2 of
their members were the Prince and the Slave, the rebels cheered the coming of their two legendary saviors. We learned
that on other worlds they are called Jedi Knights, and we wondered at their powers...powers that seemed to sometimes
overshadow the power of our own Fire Mages. Many of the rebels seemed to forget about the other 3 visitors. Kenai,
Morgan, and Ranar seemed to fade into the background, as the rebels celebrated the coming of Quinn and Vette. Over
time, Kenai came to be known for his military planning and his ability to motivate the troops. Morgan is an excellent
healer, and appears to have a natural talent for shaping and commanding fire. And Ranar...he has become a leader
of men....
>From the first days of the Rebellion, Ranar began choosing them men that he wished to train and command. He
would pull them aside and offer them a position on his squad of men. Over time to gathered a core group of 20 men,
and over time a support squad of at least 40 men has been maintained. Ranar worked with the junk-dealer Minky-Wa
to acquire crude swords...and through raids excellent swords of Fendora-Bengala origin were acquired. Ranar treated
his men with respect, but pushed them hard. To have pushed them any less hard would be to condemn them to death
on the battlefield. Ranar trained us in the fighting style of Tibaroe, with some additional techniques he said
he picked up from watching the Jedi swing their light sabers. He ran his squad hard, and at times I was not sure
I had what it would take to make it. After he felt we were worth to wield swords in battle, he began to teach us
strategy...and stealth. He said that 10 men that are able to get to the right place at the right time can do more
damage than 1000 men without skills or a plan.
A great example happened about two weeks ago. Another burrough had seen very little rebel activity. Perhaps emboldened
by a lack of real enemies, the Twilight Guardmen of that burrough were exceptionally cruel to the populous. They
would commit Midnight raids into homes, taking their pleasure from unwilling young females. They were known to
use living innocent men as targets in combat practice...men randomly chosen from the street or the factory floor.
They seemed to delight in the torture and humiliation of the slave population, and this had struck-a-nerve with
our leader. Ranar enlisted some of the young and beautiful slave women of Milos to aid us in a raid on the Justice
Hall of this other burrough....
First, he was able to sneak us (his troops) and the women to the other burrough through contacts he had established
with Naben Leeds. I was glad to see old Naben finally able to do more than simply bow to his oppressors. Once in
the burrough, Ranar scouted a building that would serve as a proper trap. He found a partially collapsed building,
with walls remaining on three sides that stood near the Justice Hall. This building was also fairly close to our
sewer access to the factory service tunnels. Then the bait was set. The young women Ranar brought along walked
right into the front lobby of the Justice Hall. They began flirting with the young men at the desk. We did not
have to wait long. Made careless by a lack of rebel activity, the Twilight Guards walked willingly out of the Justice
Hall without their powered armor on....they simply followed the young women, who had made promises of pleasures
unimaginable. We waited, hidden in the rubble for our commander to give the signal. The women led the unarmored
TGs into the middle of the three walled enclosure...and from Ranar's throat ran a loud warrior's call in a language
I had never heard him speak before. We charged...swords outstretched, and we took our revenge for the many travesties
these men had committed. They died on the end of our Fendora Bengala blades, writhing and grimacing, as they had
caused so many slaves to do.
As soon as the last man had fallen, Ranar gave out a command that ended our attack...and with perfect discipline
we began the task of ushering the women back into the service tunnels. It was an attack unlike any that we had
performed before. Twelve TGs had died horribly, and not a single rebel had died! The celebration lasted throughout
the night...and Ranar drank and sang more than any one of us. Truly he understood the cause we fight for.
Once Ranar became more comfortable with his core group of fighters, he began to open up to us. He would tell us
stories for hours about another group of rebels he fought along-side on his home planet of Tibaroe. Tech-rebels...fighting
against the generations-old system of slavery...forced upon them by the Warrior-class of the planet. Ranar had
fought on the opposite side of the rebellion than all his family, including his cousin, High Lord Vorgan. After
the rebellion was resolved, Ranar was accepted back into his family...tech-rebels and warrior-class reunited. One
thing is clear from this war on Milos...there will be no reunification. Either we will die...or the Hindars will
die.
Ranar is focused on our war...but a small part of him seems to be looking ever forward...to a much larger conflict...an
even more devestating war. We call the dark beings that seem to be helping the Hindars "shades," but
Ranar calls them "Dark Vilars." He tells us that there was a great war of Shadows some 500 years ago...and
that the darkness that brought about that war is rising again. Who would have guessed that Milos would be this
important in the big scheme of things?
Towards this end, Ranar has been actively working to bring high-tech items back to Tibaroe...his home planet. I
was there with three other rebels when Ranar met with Naben Leeds. At first Naben resisted making any deals with
Ranar...his fear of actively working on an ongoing basis with the rebels far outweighing the goodness in his heart.
But Ranar can be a persuasive man, and in the end Naben agreed. Naben agreed to use some of the power he was hoarding
to create stealth cloaks for Ranar's core squad of rebels. In addition, Naben agreed to keep making stealth cloaks
on a long term basis...for possible transport to Tibaroe after the rebellion.
Once Naben Leeds had agreed, Ranar grabbed him firmly by the shoulders and gave him a warrior's blessing in his
native language. At the end, just before we left, Ranar told Naben, "I have lived with fear all my life, Naben,
and I know it took a brave heart for you to both care for the children, and appease the cruel rule of the Inspectors.
But the time for surviving by riding the fence is past. Look at these young rebels I have brought with me. Either
the rebels die...or the Hindar's die. Would you WANT to life if the Hindar's win? Live or die FREE, Naben. You
won't regret this arrangement we've made...I promise you that!"
I find myself wanting to write about things that I have observed that cast some light on what kind of man Ranar
is...and there is a story that sums up his kindness and generousity better than any other. It was a typical day
in the Gutter...gravely injured rebels were moaning and bleeding in equal doses, having just returned from a particularly
violent raid. Wala, Miter, and Morgan had worked themselves into complete exhaustion...but so large were the numbers
of injured that even Morgan's ability to heal with his hands had failed him.
Ranar pulled from his belongings a leather flask with metal trimmings. I had him tell tales of the Golden Mead,
but I had no idea he had brought some with him from Tibaroe. He moved to give some to the most desperately injured,
but Morgan called out from where he lay nearly unconscious on the floor, "Ranar, it is too precious...."
Ranar bent down next to Morgan. "Drink some Morgan so that you can go on healing...but know this, nothing
is more precious than these brave men's lives." Morgan healed more rebels and had to take a second dose to
keep healing...but finally he collapsed, completely spent. Ranar took what remained of his Golden Mead and gave
small doses of the Mead to each of the most injured rebels. I can't even begin to guess how many lives Ranar's
Golden Mead saved that day...but Ranar never once let a look of regret cross his face as the last of his Mead was
consumed.
In the morning we're going on a big raid. I'm afraid...I admit it. But all I have to do is remember my mother's
last moment...and my father's last words. "I die a free man, Quint." I know he would be proud of me...of
the Twilight Guardmen I have helped kill...the brave decisions I have made. No matter what happens I die free.
I have hope though too. The most amazing thing happened the other night. After a demolitions run where we blew
the main fuel storage for a Justice Hall, our core squad was making its way back to the Gutter. Ranar was leading
us through back alleys, attempting to get us back without raising any attention...and then we saw him....
He dropped from the roof and fell three stories, only to land in a crouch. As he straighted to his full height
we were able to take in some of the details. He was dressed in black leather...bristling with buckles and straps.
A long leather coat hung to the floor, and his face...it was simply darkness...shifting black shadows. Then the
voice...oh, god how it hurt. "Well, well, what do we have here? A squad of naughty rebels."
Blood trickled from my nose and I could taste blood in my mouth! I touched a wetness on my neck...I was bleeding
from my ears. And then it spoke again, "So you are the 'Ranar' we have been hearing about...these are your
last moments...all of you. Did you envision it ending like this?" I fell to my knees...that voice. It was
cutting through me. I glanced around in a panic...the whole squad was down...some looked already dead! Then I heard
Ranar speak....
"I have waited for this moment Dark Vilar. Do you know WHAT I am?"
The shade took a step backwards, and adjusted his stance. Some of the confidence the shade had exhibited was gone.
"It matters not WHAT you are rebel, I will feast on your flesh and sharpen my teeth on your bones." In
a flash the shade shot forward and struck at Ranar with his hand. Ranar ducked the massive blow, and his own sword
cut deep. That shade flew backwards, hitting the ground on his back but rolling to his feet in a fluid movement.
"What!?! The Golden Race...here?"
I closed my eyes, my left cheek resting on the cold bricks of the alley's floor. When I woke up later, I was in
the Gutter, being cared for by Wala. Ranar was nearby. I tried to speak...to ask him what happened. But he would
have nothing of it. "Quint, relax. You're safe. I scared the Dark Vilar off...he won't be so lucky next time."
I managed to form the words, "How did you do that?"
"Quint, I was born to kill those dark bastards. That war, 500 years ago...my Race won that war...and we'll
find a way to win the next one...we have to."
Well, that's it for now. The squad recovered from our encounter with the shade, and tomorrow we have a big mission.
I better get my sleep. I've got to make father proud....
NOTE: THE JOURNAL PRESENTED ABOVE WAS FOUND AMONG THE BELONGINGS OF A DEAD REBEL IN BURROUGH G-4 OF MILOS, AFTER
A PARTICULARLY WELL-ORGANIZED BUT COSTLY RAID. THE RAID HAD FOCUSED ON A HINDAR POWERED-ARMOR FACTORY THAT HAD
MANAGED TO GET UP AND RUNNING IN THE FIRST MONTHS OF THE REBELLION. THE FACTORY WAS A COMPLETE LOSS FOR THE HINDAR
SIDE...BUT MANY REBELS DIED IN THE ATTACK....
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