Star Wars: Rebel Rising(36)
They nodded. They were as prepared as they could be.
“Let’s go,” he said grimly.
Jyn had Imperial clearance codes ready by the time they dropped out of hyperspace near Tamsye Prime and the Star Destroyer orbiting it. They were cleared to land in moments, and Reece took his small cruiser down into the spaceport.
Jyn’s stomach was twisted in knots, though she didn’t know why. This was by far an easier mission than any of the others she’d been on. And it filled her with more hope than she cared to admit. She understood why Idryssa wanted to be a part of a larger group fighting the Empire. Sometimes with Saw’s missions, it didn’t feel like fighting the Empire; it just felt like fighting. But with this, there was a chance they could make a real, true difference, not just for the people of Tamsye Prime but also for the galaxy as a whole.
Reece stood as soon as he docked the ship, moving straight to the gangway. Saw and Jyn hung back, booting up the camera droids and directing them off the ship. Reece was playing the part of overseer; Jyn and Saw were his subordinates. Codo was their pilot; he was staying with the ship.
A pair of stormtroopers were waiting for them as they left the ship.
“Identification,” the first said in an authoritative voice.
“Of course, of course,” Reece said. He presented all the official documentation Jyn had forged for them. She breathed deeply, willing her heart not to leap from her chest. The stormtrooper handed back their scandocs when he was done. Jyn smiled down at the fake name she’d given herself, Kestrel Dawn.
“We’ve been expecting you,” the stormtrooper said. “This way.” The two stormtroopers turned on their heels and led the three of them and their droids through the spaceport and toward the exit.
Jyn took stock of the ships that were docked as they walked past. Three were obviously Imperial; the largest cruiser was probably the one used by Lieutenant Colonel Senjax, and the two others may have been transports for more stormtroopers or something else. There was a small fleet of branded ships with the Tamsye Prime factory logo emblazoned on them and a few smaller ships, perhaps privately owned, although Jyn doubted it.
Once outside, Jyn could see why Tamsye Prime was used only for manufacturing. The planet appeared good for little else. The surface of Tamsye Prime was unforgiving, the wind whistling through the hard shiny rock. It reminded Jyn of a darker version of the planet Alpinn, which she’d visited as a child. Alpinn was littered with shining white crystals that formed eerie formations and caves. Tamsye Prime’s rocky surface was a mixture of soft brown rocks that crumbled to fine dust and hard, shiny black igneous rocks that spired up like frozen water spouts or curled down like waves. Jyn couldn’t imagine what kind of drills must have been needed to break into the black rocky surface to build the spaceport and factories.
Lieutenant Colonel Senjax waited for them outside the main facility. “Ah, we can begin,” he said, a pleasant smile plastered on his face. Jyn blinked in surprise. She’d seen his image before, on the HoloNet, presenting to the public the new ways the Empire worked for the people of the galaxy and promoted peace among the planets. But there was something surprising about seeing him in person, tall and blonde and pale, with ice-blue eyes and a perfectly chiseled face and immaculate white teeth lined up in neat little rows as he bestowed them all with his smile. He was perfect, so perfect that Jyn felt like a grub worm next to him.
But he was also much more human than she’d expected. He was the face of the Empire, and his was a face she felt inexplicably drawn to, as if she could trust him. When Jyn thought of the Empire, it was a monster wearing a black helmet and killing her mother. Lieutenant Colonel Senjax wasn’t a monster.
She was very glad she was supposed to play the part of nothing but an underling to Reece; she wasn’t really sure she trusted herself to speak in that moment.
Lieutenant Colonel Senjax took the time to introduce himself to everyone in the small press group, from the paid actors who must surely have already known him down to Jyn and Saw. He stopped short of greeting the camera droids and laughingly turned to Jyn. “It feels rude not to speak to protocol droids or ones that look human and can talk back. I suppose the camera droids don’t really care.”
“N-no, sir,” Jyn stuttered.
“Well, let’s get to work!” the lieutenant colonel said cheerfully, turning to the factory. “Let’s show the people of the galaxy just how wonderful the Empire can be!”
It struck Jyn as she followed the group into the huge factory that Lieutenant Colonel Senjax hadn’t said the Empire was already wonderful, just that it had the potential to be.
Reece stayed near the front with the main camera droid as Lieutenant Colonel Senjax provided a constant chatter. “It’s best to treat these things as naturally as possible,” he told one of the reporters, smiling. “This isn’t an interview or even a true report. This is a conversation with the galaxy.”
Saw rolled his eyes, and Jyn hit him.
Reece dropped back. “Everything going well?” he asked in a low voice.
“Our end is good,” Saw said. “You?”
“We’re getting everything.” Reece tapped his nose, then jogged to catch up with the front of the group.
Saw frowned after him, then looked up at the camera droids buzzing overhead. Jyn knew what he was thinking. Saw didn’t like scouting missions. They were too passive. He’d be happier if they could blow the factory sky-high and transport every person on the planet to a safer home.