A man without a future, a Rebel without a cause (Complete)

[Tony Maxwell]

The planet Naboo was as peaceful as ever. The planet was so green, so full of life, so prosperous and alive. It was as close to a perfect world as one can find. Nothing is perfect, as Tony Maxwell discovered. Naboo has a deadly curse, an infliction and disease that is slowly devouring it. This disease it not incurable but it is difficult to remove, to the point of being deemed impossible. This infliction is just as deadly to those that fight against it as it is to those that do nothing. It is merciless, dangerous, and sinister. It is the Empire.

The so called Soveriegn Galactic Empire is an infestation found on many planets throughout the universe. Many planets have suffered, some even to the point of becoming uninhabitable. Naboo was once a pure world, and now the disease of the Empire has begun it's slow take-over. Forests are burned away to make room for war factories, excess pollutants are dumped into the water bodies, and the constant thrum of machinery has all but chased away the wild animals. If that was not enough now the Empire had launched a campaign that did nothing but seize control of it's citizen's property in the name of the war effort. Farms were burned to the ground to make room for even more factories and military compounds. Families evicted from their homes so that Imperial personel had somewhere to sleep for the night, and worse of all; the seizure of pre-existing companies and businesses.

The Droid manufacturing Maxwell Industries was one of those companies...

When the Imperial Officer appeared at the Factories front door with dozens of papers authorizing the seizure of equipment the Company's owner, Tony Maxwell, knew that it would only be the beginning. At first the Empire only seized work droids to aid in the construction of their factories and outposts, then they demanded that Tony produce more work droids so that construction could go faster. One thing after another and finally the Empire demanded access to the small line of combat droids that Maxwell Inc. produced. The combat droids were created for defensive purposes, but the Empire lost no time in reprogramming the droids for offensive combat.

Where did this leave Tony Maxwell and his company? It left them bankrupt. The Empire didn't pay for the droids, or when they did they only paid a quarter of their price. He couldn't sell his droids to anyone else because the Empire seized control of them as soon as they stepped off the production line. His factories on Kuat and Ord Mantell had to be shut down because he could not afford to keep them open. His life was falling apart, his father's dream shattered and his personal hopes washed away with the wave after wave of the Empire's infection. Did it make him a sissy if he constantly locked himself in his office and cried his eyes out? Did it make him less of a man because he was unable to defend that which he loves it the most? Is it his fault that all this happaned? It made it easier to think so. He wanted to blame the Empire, but any such outburst would warrant him instant jail time with the possibility of execution for acting in a rebellious way.

But the question is that despite the punishment, would it not be worth it to stick it to the Empire? To take a stand against them and inform the universe of the Tyranny that was taking place on Naboo? The answer is Yes, it would be worth the punishment...

[Tony Maxwell]

And that's just how it started...

At first he sent messages to friend's and collegues, warning them of the Empire's seizure of property on Naboo and other planets. As it turned out very few people had any idea the Empire was doing this, and any information that did reach the public ear was so drenched in imperial propaganda that every accepted it as truth, or risk facing the punishment of 'poking around'. His messages were cut short, however, when the Empire learned of this and secretly tapped in his messages. He recieved a strict warning and a one hundred credit fine, as well as being restricted from sending messages.

He sat on his tush for the next month, trying to discover an elaborate scheme in which to get the truth out, he found none. It was not until the Empire began to seize his newest line of droids, the X7-JK "Guardian" droids, that he hit the bottom of the well and retalliated in the only way he had left. A public speech.

First he sent his X7-JK's into hiding and then he dragged a wooden crate out into Theed's city square. Now perched upon his "soap box" he began his speech. A crowd quickly gathered. He spoke out about the seizures, the destruction of homes, and the bankruptsy of companies and corporations. He used the entirety of his formal litarature education to flame and bash the Empire, to raise the spirits of the people around him and ignite a spirit of Rebellion within them.

Imperial officials, along with a squad of Stormtroopers, appeared on the scene and the crowd rapidly dispersed, along with the patriotic speeker. Those speechers continued to take place all around Theed, and even in some of the other cities. Houses, cellars, and forest groves became the most common places for his speeches, and he never had a small crowd. News spread of this unknown speaker but all news of his next speech traveled by way of mouth, and therefore was kept secret.

Yet as secret as it had been it was not long before the Empire inserted operatives into Theed. They located a group of would-be rebels and managed to secure an invitation to Tony's next speech. The location of the meeting was sent to the Empire and a platoon of Stormtroopers stormed the scene and captured Tony Maxwell befor he could escape, along with the few men and woman that stood up and tried to defend the young Mister Maxwell. All hope appeared to be lost in a single, swift movement of Imperial hands as they pulled the metal wrench that was Tony Maxwell out of the gears and wheels of the Empire.

[Tony Maxwell]

He was taken away, interogated, and charged with Rebellion. They beat him down, packed him up, and threw him in a prison cell to await his punishment. But what about the flame he started in the people of Naboo? It did not grow smaller with his absense, but rather it grew in intensity until it was white hot and ready to explode. And explode it did. The event would later be named the Naboo Insurrection of 4 ABY. The people rose up, took any weapon they could, and assualted the many imperial compounds that dotted Naboo's surface. The Imperials were taken off guard in the beginning and lost many men before they could figure out what was happening. In the end the Empire's superior weaponry and training won the day. Hundreds were slaughtered, hundreds were wounded, and hundreds were captured and imprisoned. It was a military defeat for those rebels, but it was a victory as well. The seed had bee planted by their humble speaker, watered by the flame of defiance, and rooted by the blood of countless rebels. Naboo now had it's own chapter in the fight against the tyrant Empire. The plant of rebellion would never go out, it would thrive and live within the hearts of men. The Empire, even with all it's power, could never take that away.

But what of Tony Maxwell? He was sentenced to living the rest of his lives in the spice mines of kessel. He was pulled from his cell and imprisoned aboard the Imperial escort ship, The Lynx. Would he perish in the mines or escape to a new freedom, to become a leader of the rebellion Naboo Rebellion again. Only time will tell...