Star Wars Rebels

Empire Day

"Not unless we have to..." Kanan walked over to the bar, quickly glancing at Hera and Zeb before leaning against the counter and covering his saber with his hand. Ezra sat next to him, while Hera and Zeb avoided eye contact with one of the troopers as it walked over. The trooper looked at them for a moment, before another one of the pilots called to him, 

"Over here!"

One of them forced a rodian out of his seat, as the alien stared at the three pilots with wide eyes, stuttering in his native language. The trooper holding a data pad looked to him, comparing him to the image on the screen.

Ezra watched from the counter, looking at the picture, "Tseebo..."

"What?" Kanan asked softly, looking to his Padawan. Ezra shook his head, 

"Nothing."

"He's not the one," the trooper with the data pad replied, as the others forced the rodian back in his seat. The main one, probably the commander, walked over to the bar, "The Imperial Holonet broadcast should play here at all times!" He slammed his fist on the bar. Jho looked back to him,

"No one's requested it in... well, ever."

The pilot continued, "It's the law."

Jho didn't want to deal with Imperial sleemos on this day, so he reached his hand down and turned back to the holonet, watching it. 

"-because today is Empire Day," the announcer stated, as Ezra glared at the hologram, "celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of the galaxy's salvation. When our great Emperor Palpatine ended the Clone Wars and founded our glorious Empire."

Sabine and Ky watched from the corner of the room, glaring at the hologram as the announcer continued, 

"On Lotha, Governor Pryce has commissioned a parade-"

"You heard the man!" The commander pilot looked around at all the citzens, "raise your cups to Emperor-"

Static erupted from the hologram, "Citizens, this is Senator in exile Gall Trayvis, I bring more news the Empire doesn't want you to hear," The bar went silent, as the Ghost crew listened closely to the transmission, "I urge you to boycott all Empire Day celebrations," Trayvis' voice became harder to hear, meaning the Empire was gaining control of the channel again, "to protest the ongoing injustices of the Imperial regime."

"Shut this off!" the pilot commanded to Jho.

The hammerhead held back a grin as he replied, "Can't. It's the law."

"We're done here!" the pilot stated, as he and his troopers left the building. As soon as the TIEs took off, Kanan looked to Jho as the Imperial transmission continued, 

"So come see the parade and-"

Jho shut off the transmission, looking to his friends at the bar as Kanan started, "TIE pilots on search patrols? What's going on?" Sabine and Ky made their way over as Jho answered to the best of his ability, 

"Imperial's have locked down the ports and put destoryers in orbit," he explained, "it's a full planetary blockade."

Kanan looked back to the rodian who the pilots talked to, "They're after a rodian..."

Sabine smirked, "Just be glad they're not after us for once."

"With what we've got planned for today's parade, they'll be after us again tomorrow." The Jedi responded, as Ezra looked over to him. The boy had been oddly quiet since they had entered the bar, 

"Well you're gonna have to do it without me." He stood and turned away from the crew. 

"Where do you think you're going?"