Pantora had fiercely resisted the Empire’s oppressive grip, dismantling the Imperial-inherited outposts left on its frozen surface. In retaliation, the Empire sent a task force of Venators and Star Destroyers to bombard the planet, reducing much of its settlements to ruins and unsettling the Talz, who began assisting the Pantorans in search and rescue efforts.

Pantora’s capital now stood at cannon-point, its people held hostage under the looming threat of orbital bombardment—against which their shield generators would offer no defense. Their only options: submit fully to Imperial rule or face annihilation.

Far from her besieged home, Riyo Chuchi and her dwindling band of guards sprinted through the labyrinthine alleyways of Coruscant’s undercity, desperately evading Imperial forces. The chaotic mix of blaster fire and shouted orders echoed through the dimly lit streets as TK troopers closed in.

One by one, her guards fell. Their agonized screams echoed in Chuchi’s ears as the relentless hail of blaster fire struck them down. Now alone, she kept running, her breath ragged, heart pounding. Captain Tarkin had made it clear—Senator Chuchi was now an enemy of the Empire, and was to be killed or captured.

And the TK troopers seemed endless, their white armor flooding the alleyway as they pursued her like an unstoppable tide.

"She's over there!" one shouted, followed by a stun round slamming into Chuchi’s arm, numbing it instantly—but she kept running. Another shot hit her leg, and she dropped to the ground.

She groaned in pain and rolled onto her back as the TK troopers finally caught up, blasters trained on her.

"I will not cave into your demands! Pantora will never submit to the Empire!" she yelled in defiance, staring down the barrel of what she believed to be her end. But then—a loud clanging of pipes and metal rang out from the deeper shadows of the alleyway, drawing the attention of both Chuchi and several troopers.

From the darkness, stepped {{user}}.