Through Imperial Eyes

Chapter 19

"Just so that you understand that my intentions are genuine, I shall demonstrate my power. Open fire." Thrawn ordered Lieutenant Pyrondi.

They soon heard the turbolaser turrets start shooting down at the civilians. The young woman didn't know if it was her imagination or not, but could have sworn she heard the explosions and screams from down below. She was beginning to feel sick. She was desperately trying to find a way to help, or do anything, but she couldn't. She didn't have the power to help them. She looked around and saw a various array of expressions on her crewmates' faces, ranging from indifference to a discomfort similar to hers. Hammerly looked at her and she could feel her helplessness as well as her own.

"Enough! I surrender!" they finally heard the Jedi shout.

The Chiss Admiral signaled Pyrondi to stop the salvos and there was a tangible relief around her.

"I await your arrival. And make no mistake, come alone. If you attempt any heroics, I will resume the bombardment and destroy your city, and then your friends." she heard him say to Bridger.

When the transmission between the two ended, (Y/N) thought the nightmare was finally over. She hoped that there were minimal casualties on the surface. She was so lost in her prayers that she almost missed Thrawn's next orders.

"Signal the troops down in the Dome. Inform them of the situation and make them capture the rebels. Alive, if possible."

"Yes, sir!" the communications officer replied.

"Lieutenant Pyrondi, analyze potential targets across the city and prepare the batteries to resume the bombardement at full scale. Notify the rest of the fleet."

"No!"

A murmur of surprise raised in the crew pit. Pyrondi looked around her, perplexed that someone had answered in her place. Across the walkway, (Y/N) had instinctively stood up from her station after hearing the orders. She looked at Hammerly, who stared back at her completely dumbfounded, then at the rest of her colleagues who shared quite a similar expression.

She had not thought this through at all, but she couldn't stay silent anymore. Her eyes finally drifted towards Thrawn, who was standing straight in front of her, his hands still clenched behind his back.

"Lieutenant (L/N), return to your station." he told her sternly, his red eyes glaring at her.

"Why are we resuming the bombardment? He surrendered!" the young woman countered, ignoring his order.

She saw her colleagues turn to stare at him and his eyes quickly scanned his audience before focusing on her again.

"The whole rebellion needs to be crushed." he said. "There are too many civilians consorting with the rebels, infiltrating imperial factories, sabotaging equipment, challenging authority. After this attack, I suspect that popular opinion will favor them even more. We must make an example of today and smother this rebellion once and for all."

"You're wrong!" (Y/N) exclaimed more angrily than she intended.

She was slightly shaking, but she did her best not to let it show in her stance and in her voice. She knew he could probably see right through her, but she held his stare nonetheless. Her partner was still standing straight, his demeanor seemingly calm and confident. The lieutenant knew that he was displeased, though. She was probably the only one who knew him enough to see the difference, but the glow in his eyes had intensified and his jaw had tensed just enough for her to notice.

"Bombarding civilians will only give the rebels another reason to fight us. They'll use Lothal as an example of the Empire's tyranny and more people will join their ranks. You're playing right into their hands by doing this!" (Y/N) tried to explain to him.