To those of you who saw my last post, this new story comes as no surprise, so I'll just jump right into things. Star Wars Rebels is owned by Disney and Lucasfilms. I own nothing.

Chapter 1: IPRA.

Location: Planet Lothal, Capital City.

Date: 17 BBY (2 Years after the Formation of the Galactic Empire), Empire Day.

The smog filled skies above Capital City were alive with color as the latest in a long line of pyrotechnic shells burst open in a phantasmagoria of light and sound. Even the most embittered of citizens were enthralled, if only temporarily, by the spinning pinwheels and vibrant spiders that danced across the heavens. Indeed, it seemed as though the entire populace was out enjoying the skyward celebration.

However, this was unfortunately not the case. For deep within the imposing structure of the Imperial Security Bureau's Lothalan Branch Office, a young woman sat alone in a small, windowless room; completely petrified.

She was, by all appearances, an average looking human female. It wasn't so much that she was unattractive, she was actually quite lovely as far as humans go; it was more that there was nothing about her that really stood out from the rest of the crowd. Her blonde hair was done up in a simple, modest bun, her light brown eyes, though lovely, were a common color for her species, why, even the flawless nature of her complexion was quite commonplace amongst the more fortunate females of Capital City, what with the easy access to Imperial Beauty Treatments. Indeed, average was the perfect word for her; average height, average weight, average breast size, average everything. Even the way she dressed was average, like the way you'd expect a secretary or an assistant to dress; which was appropriate given that the former was her chosen occupation.

So given the sheer magnitude of her apparent averageness one might wonder what such a woman was doing in such a precarious predicament. This was something the woman in question had been wondering for quite some time. As far as she knew she had committed no crimes against the Empire. On the contrary, she had always strived to serve the Empire, even before there was an Empire, in the days of the Old Republic. She had always done her job diligently and professionally. She never made waves or fought against the changing tides. So why in the name of Emperor Palpatine had she been summoned to ISB Building? And why on today of all days?

As she tried in vain to keep herself from hyperventilating the door behind her suddenly slid open and a second human entered the room. However unlike the first, this human was most decidedly male. He tall and muscular, and although the female would never say this in front of him for fear of embarrassment, he was also extremely handsome. His pitch-black hair was cut short, regulation length for an Imperial Storm Trooper, and dotted with little points of silver, which gave it the appearance of a nighttime sky. His eyes were a dark violet, which interestingly enough just happened to be her favorite color. His masculine jawline was framed perfectly by an immaculately groomed goatee with similar silver points dotted about it. In short this man was, at the same time, both enchanting and intimidating.

As he walked past the woman took note of his peculiar looking uniform. It was somewhat similar in appearance to those worn by Grand Moffs, only the coloring was all wrong. Instead of the typical dark green his was an odd patchwork of gold and white, and on the left breast where Rank Insignia Plaque should have been there was instead a small silver brooch in the shape of a flute with a pair of fairy wings. In addition, she noticed he was carrying a strange looking data pad in his right hand. It appeared to be somewhat more advanced than any of the standard units she had ever seen; most likely a newer model or possibly a custom job. At any rate she was certain she had never seen anything like it, or him, before in her entire life; which was more than enough reason to be nervous from where she was sitting.

"Sorry to keep you waiting for so long," the man said as he rounded the large desk in front of her and casually took his seat. "I would have been here sooner, but my superiors handed me a bunch of paperwork to fill out at the last minute. Surely you know what that's like, don't you Mrs.…"

"It's Ms. actually," the woman corrected, her accented voice sounding slightly embarrassed. "I'm… I'm not married."

"Oh, yes of course, sorry." The man said apologetically, sounding more than a little embarrassed himself. "I actually already knew that from reading your file, but it's just been such a hectic day. Again, I'm so sorry."

"No, I understand. It's quite alright." The woman replied, sounding somewhat timid. "But, if it's not too much to ask, what's all this about? Why was I summoned here? I'm not in trouble am I? Because whatever it is you think I've done I swear…"

Before she could finish her sentence the man behind the desk held up his right hand. The woman got the message and immediately hushed up.

"All of your questions will in due time Ms., but first I have a few of my own." He explained as he tapped a few buttons on his data pad. "Now if you would be so kind, please state your name for the record."

"Y-yes sir," she answered, sounding timid once again. "My name is Maketh… Maketh Tua."

"Ma-Keth Tu-A." the strange man sounded out as he typed something into his data pad. "Let's see here. You're a native of Lothal. Your family lineage is almost entirely human as far back as our records go. And you are currently employed as a secretary to Minister Ghazan. Is that all correct Ms. Tua?"

"Yes Sir." The woman now identified as Ms. Maketh Tua replied, sounding slightly less nervous than before. "That's all correct, but I still don't understand…"

"All will be explained in time Ms. Tua. Just be patient." The man interrupted yet again; though his voice never raised a single octave. "Now, according to our records you attended several classes at the Imperial Academy. Is this true?"

"Yes, but they were mostly just refresher courses for classes I'd taken years ago. Before there ever was an Imperial Academy."

"Mostly… but not entirely?" the man asked, though his tone suggested he already knew the answer.

"Well… no," Ms. Tua answered, this time sounding more confused than nervous. "I also took a class on the new Imperial Filing System, another on the Imperial Constitution, and one covering all of the changes to the Galactic Legal System, but all government employees are required to take those."

"Indeed they are Ms. Tua." The man replied with an amused chuckle. "However, most government employees aren't as willing to comply with Imperial regulations as you are. Many need to be persuaded to attend the new classes, but not you. You went of your own freewill. Why is that exactly Ms. Tua?"

"Well… it was the law and I didn't want to lose my job." The blonde woman said matter-of-factly. "And besides, it's not like resisting would've changed anything; there'd still be an Empire whether or not I was there to answer the Minister's communications and fetch his coffee."

"True, very true." He said as he tapped something into his data pad again. "Huh, this is interesting. According to our records you used to work with several women who were arrested last year during a protest against one of the new laws." The oddly dressed man added with no small amount of amusement in his voice. "Now, call me crazy, but I find it hard to believe that a woman like you could work with so many women like them for so long and not be influenced by their… oh, shall we say, less than favorable philosophy."

There was something about the way this strange man spoke that was really starting to arouse the young blonde's ire. It was like he was trying to bait her into saying the wrong thing; almost like she was being tested or something.

'Well then,' she thought to herself. 'If I am to be tested, then I may as well pass.'

"If your records are as complete as you claim, then you know that my connection to those women extends no further than the shape of out chromosomes." She said aloud, sounding much more confident than she did before. "True, we did all use to work for the Minister and yes, once or twice, they did try to coerce me into joining their cause, but I always turned them down. As a matter of fact, I testified against them after they brought to trial. If you don't believe me, then check your precious records and see for yourself."

With an impish grin, the oddly dressed man scrolled through something on his data pad.

"You know, now that you mention it… our records do make some vague reference to you testifying against your coworkers." He said in an irritatingly playful manner. "However, they don't explain why you refused to join in their protest in the first place. I mean, it's not as if you knew they would all be arrested. So why couldn't they sway you to their cause Ms. Tua?"

"Because going against the Empire is a fool's errand!" answered Ms. Tua in a much harsher tone than she meant to. "I apologize for raising my voice, but it's the truth. Trying to bring down an organization as powerful and complex as the Empire is pure lunacy. More than that it's selfish. All of those protestors and so-called Freedom-Fighters calling to arms over every little inconvenience, and who pays the price for their actions? We do, that's who! I didn't join my fri… I mean, coworkers because fighting the Empire doesn't solve problems, it only makes problems worse! Does that answer your questions?"

"More than you realize, Ms. Tua." The mysterious man muttered under his breath.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Oh, nothing. Never mind." He replied casually as he once again scrolled through his data pad. "At any rate, let's continue." For about a minute and a half the oddly dressed man continued to tap and scroll; his face an unreadable mask of concentration. Final, after what felt like an eternity, the man ceased his endless scrolling and a smile spread across his lips. "Interesting… You know Ms. Tua, for an unmarried woman you seem oddly fixated on having children."

This statement really threw the blonde for a loop. Not because it was untrue, but more because it seemed to come completely out of nowhere.

"E...excuse me?" she stammered, her face lightly flushed with embarrassment.

"You work for Minister Ghazan, whose office is in the center of the city, and yet every day, without fail, you spend your lunch hour in the park near the southern edge." He explained in a tone reminiscent of a university professor giving a lecture. "At the best of times it takes you twenty minutes to get there and another twenty to get back, leaving you with only a little under half an hour to find a spot and enjoy your lunch, and that's only if you're lucky. According to your employee file, you've already been reprimanded twice for returning late from your lunch break. So why then, Ms. Tua, do you continue to go there every single day?"

"I… I…" the blonde stammered again, her blush intensifying. "I… I rather like the… scenery."

"Yes… I'm sure you do." The man said, sounding impish once again. "That's why you always sit at the beach nearest the playground, so you can sit back and fanaticize about having scenery."

"H-how… how did…" Ms. Tua stammered in a mix of shock and humiliation. "How did you…"

"How did I know where you always sit?" the man said, finishing her sentence. "How I know is not important. What is important is that in addition to your 'Lunch Time Hobby', our records also show that over the last year and a half you have logged over three-hundred volunteer hours at the local hospital."

"What has that got to do with anything?" she asked, no longer sounding embarrassed, but still a little flustered from all this questioning. "It's not a crime to donate part of one's free time to helping those in need. Personally I think it's a crime not to."

"I expected a response like that, based on what Dr. Iqua told me."

"Dr. Iqua? What did he…"

"Quote: In my professional opinion, Maketh Tua is without a doubt the finest volunteer we have ever had at this institution." The strange man said, clearly reading some kind of statement from the aforementioned Dr. Iqua. "She is warm, nurturing, and seems to possess a limitless source of energy when it comes to taking care of other. All of our patients love her. Particularly the children, who have affectionately dubbed her 'Auntie Tua'. I wish I had a million more volunteers just like her. End Quote."

"Dr. Iqua really said all that?" the blonde asked; once again sounding embarrassed, albeit for entirely different reasons.

"More or less." The man answered. "He kept switching between Basic and Rodian, so I couldn't get it exactly word for word. But trust me, he gave you a glowing review."

This time Ms. Tua was at a complete loss for words. She had known that Dr. Iqua and the others valued her help, but the finest volunteer they'd ever had? That was more praise than she thought she deserved.

"I-I don't know what to say."

"Good, then you won't interrupt me when I ask you this next question." The man said, quickly reverting back to his trickster persona. "Is it true that over the last eight months you have visited the Capital City Public Library a grand total of fifty-six times? Researching everything from child rearing to artificial insemination to holistic methods of increasing a woman's breast milk production?"

"Yes, all that's true, but I don't see…"

"Why I should care?" the strange man finished. "I care, because as I said before Ms. Tua, for an unmarried woman you seem oddly fixated with the idea of having children and I'd like to know why."

"I hardly think that's any of your business." The blonde replied defensively.

"Actually, it's the Empire's business," the man countered bluntly. "So unless you'd like to be charged with treason, I suggest you explain yourself as truthfully as possible."

At this, Ms. Tua let out an audible gulp. This was not a subject she normally discussed with people; especially not ones she had just met. However, under the circumstances she had very little choice in the matter. If she was going to avoid prison then she was going to have to spill her guts.

"Well, it's rather complicated, but I'll try to explain." The blonde woman said in submission. "You see, I'm rather… lonely."

"Everybody gets lonely Ms. Tua." The man replied dryly. "Though most people don't immediately jump to trying to have children. Have you considered trying to find a boyfriend first? Or perhaps some sort of pet?"

"I did consider that actually. Finding a boyfriend I mean." She replied. "But so far I haven't been able to find the one and right now I'm…"

"You're what Ms. Tua?"

"Right now, I'm… I'm ready to be a mother." She answered, her voice a rare mix of pride and embarrassment. "I know it sounds crazy, but I'm tired of waiting for someone who may never come. I'm ready to be a mother, I know I am, every fiber of my being is telling me I am. All I want is a chance to prove it. All I want… is someone to love."

By the end of her little speech, Ms. Tua's face was almost entirely bright red. She couldn't believe what she'd just said. All I want is someone to love; what was the matter with her? All she could think about was how desperate and pathetic she must have sounded. She closed her eyes and waited for the oddly dressed man to lay into her with another one of his cutting impish remarks. However, much to her own surprise, such a remark never came. In its place, he gave her an empathetic, "Makes sense to me" and then he went right back to scrolling through his data pad.

This really threw the young blonde for a loop. To think that after all the goading and mean-spirited comments, for this man to pass up a chance to ridicule her after she had given him so much fodder; it was positively mindboggling. Though not exactly unwelcome.

"Now then Ms. Tua," the man said after clearing his throat. "One last question. Do you recall an incident yesterday involving yourself and another woman on the street in front of your apartment?"

Like all of his other questions, this one seemed to come completely out of nowhere. However, unlike many of the others, this question was neither personal nor embarrassing. So she had no reservations about answering it immediately.

"Yes, I recall, though I'd hardly call it an incident."

"Be that as it may Ms. Tua I, and by extension the Empire, would appreciate it if you'd recount the details of this event in your own words."

The young blonde still wasn't sure what any of this had to do with anything. However, since she had no other options, she recounted the event in question exactly the way she remembered it.

"Let me see… I was walking home from work and since I was so close to my apartment I decided to get my keys out so I'd have them ready when I reached the door. But while I was rifling through my purse I wasn't looking where I was going and I accidentally bumped into another woman."

"Interesting…" the strange man commented. "Then what happened?

"Well… As you can imagine, I felt simply dreadful about knocking her over like that, especially since she was carrying so many groceries at the time, so I offered to help her pick them up. But she said she didn't need my help."

"So you're saying she was rude?"

"No, not rude exactly, it was more like she was in such a hurry to get home that she didn't want to run the risk of started a lengthy conversation. At least that's what it looked like to me."

"So once she picked up her groceries, she just ran off and that was it?"

"Yes… I mean no, I mean not exactly." Ms. Tua rambled as she tried to organize her thoughts. "What I mean is, yes she did run off after that, but that wasn't the end of it. After she left I noticed she'd dropped something; a holodisc. I was going to give it back to her, but she was already gone. So I decided to hold on to it until tomorrow, or rather, earlier today."

"I see… and what precisely did you do with the device in question earlier today Ms. Tua?"The man asked, though from his tone it was clear he already knew the answer.

"Well, I handed it over to the local authorities on my way to work this morning. I figured if it was important she might go looking for it there. I even gave them her description just to help move things along. After that I went straight to work and then a few hours later I was told to come here. Now if you don't mind Mr. Whatever-Your-Name-Is I've had quite enough of all these questions. So either tell me what exactly is going on here or let me leave, because until I get some answers I refuse to give you anymore."

Almost instantly the young blonde realized what a costly mistake she had just made. Mere minutes ago this man had threatened to have her charged with treason and here she was mouthing off to him like an impudent child. She could only imagine what he was going to do to her after such an outburst. However, much to her surprise, no punishment came. Instead the strange man behind the desk just let out a soft yet hardy chuckle.

"Very well Ms. Tua." He said sounding more than a little amused by her momentary boldness. "I suppose you've earned a few answers of your own. For starters, allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Marcus Puer-Fur. Agent Marcus Puer-Fur of the Imperial Progeny Relocation Agency."

"Imperial Progeny…" she repeated confusedly. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe I've ever heard of that organization before."

"Not surprising. We don't exactly advertise ourselves like those fellows in the ISB." He replied; his voice laced with a mix of professionalism and pride. "No, we in the IPRA prefer to keep our activities as low-key as possible. There are a lot of unscrupulous characters out there who would no doubt try to take advantage of our agency and all that we do."

"And, what exactly do you do Mr.…. I mean, Agent Puer-Fur?"

"That's a bit complicated Ms. Tua, but I'll try to explain it as best I can." The strange agent paused for a brief moment to collect his thoughts before he continued. "You may not be aware of this, but any given time in this great galaxy of ours there are at least four or five rebel cells enacting plans to try and bring down our beloved Empire."

"My word… that many?"

"I'm afraid so, but fortunately so far the ISB has been able to stamp out all of these cells before they could do any real damage. However, every victory comes with a cost. That is where we come in."

"What do you mean?"

"You see Ms. Tua, many of these would-be insurgents have families, even children, and more often than not when the ISB has finished its work these children are left without anyone to care for them; all alone in a cold and unforgiving universe. I ask you, is it fair for these children to be punished for the mistakes of their parents?"

"Certainly not!" the young blonde said, her maternal instincts stirred by his words.

"My sentiments exactly, and I happen to know for a fact that Emperor Palpatine feels the same way. Which is why he created the IPRA; to insure that the children of these so-called Freedom Fighters are given a second chance at life by placing them with people more worthy of having them."

"What exactly do you mean by 'more worthy'?"

"Well, not to put too fine a point on it, but people more like you Ms. Tua."

"Wait… what are… I mean… are you…" the young blonde stammered as realization struck like a block of solid stone. "Are you asking me to…"

"That's correct Ms. Tua, I'm asking you to take on the role you've waited for your entire life; motherhood."

"B-but I don't understand…"

"Oh it's quite simple really, the woman you encountered yesterday was a traitor; she and her husband were broadcasting anti-imperial propaganda from a secret bunker beneath their home. They've been causing the Empire problems for months, but thanks to you we were finally able to put an end to their rabble-rousing shenanigans." the enigmatic agent explained, filling the young blonde with a sense of pride. "And since you have done the Empire such a tremendous service, I feel it's only appropriate that the IPRA reward you as only it can."

"You… you mean…" Ms. Tua stammered once again, her voice an odd mix of fear and excitement.

"That's right, the couple had a child, a little two-year-old boy, and now he's all yours; you can take him home tonight if you wish."

For one brief and shining moment Ms. Tua's senses were overwhelmed with pure joy. At long last, her dreams of motherhood were finally within her grasp. However, just as quickly as it came her joy was soon replaced by soul-shattering sadness as she remembered why she had yet to achieve her dream on her own.

"I… I'm sorry but…" the young blonde said in a somber yet refined tone. "I'm afraid I must decline."

This seemed to catch the odd agent off-guard.

"I don't understand…" he said sounding seemingly befuddled. "Is this a joke? Everything in our records indicates that being a mother is your ultimate fantasy. And now that I'm practically giving you a child on a silver platter you say no. Are you mad?"

"It's not that I don't want this. Being a mother is all I've ever wanted." She answered sadly. "It's just… I don't make a lot of money, and my apartment isn't really big enough for two people. So I wouldn't be able to take care of this child properly. I'm sorry but I think it would be in the boy's best interest if you… sniff… if you gave him to someone else."

At first Agent Puer-Fur said nothing, his as unreadable as ever. Then, after what felt like an eternity, a toothy grin spread across his face and he brought his hands together in a slow, steady clap.

"Well done Ms. Tua," he said, this time only sounding slightly impish. "Most people slip with that last one, but I had a special feeling about you. Congratulations, the boy is yours."

"B-but I just said…"

"I know what you said, but please allow me to explain." The seemingly mad agent interrupted. "You see, part of my duty as an IPRA agent is to weed out those who are unworthy of the agency's gifts and based on what I've seen from this interview you are the most worthy applicant I've ever met. Granted I've only had this job a few months, but that's beside the point."

"Wait, interview? Weed out?" she asked with a mix of anger and confusion. "Are you telling me this whole time you've just been messing with me as some sort of test?"

"And because it was fun." Agent Puer-Fur said with a smile. "But all joking aside, you have all of the qualities needed to be a mother. You've got the instincts, the moral compass, the sense of civic responsibility; you were even willing to give up your dream just for the good of a child you've never even met. You're the perfect mother."

"Maybe…" Ms. Tua replied trying to sound humble. "But I still don't have the money needed to…"

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that," he cut her off casually. "You see, another function of the IPRA is to ensure that all Replacement Parents, as I like to call them, have everything they need to care for their new children; money, new birth records, I can even get you six months off for Maternity Leave if you like."

"H-How can one agency do all that?"

"We have our ways." He answered cryptically. "But enough about all that. What matters now is that this child needs a mother and you're the perfect person for the job. What do you say?"

At first the young blonde said nothing she pondered her situation yet again. On the one hand now she had no legitimate excuse not to raise this child as her own; the Empire would provide everything she'd ever need. It was perfect. But on the other hand raising this child would still be a lot of work and even with six months leave she'd still have to learn how to balance both her child and her career eventually. She wasn't quite sure if she was really up for the task. She was about to decline for the second time when a small cry reached her ears. It was very faint, so she assumed it must have been coming from another room close by.

'Is that the child?' she asked herself, already realizing the answer. 'It's just lying in a room somewhere in this horrible building and no one's doing anything about it. Why doesn't someone help it? Why don't…' she paused her train of thought for a moment, only to accidentally vocalize her thoughts a second later. "Why don't I?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"I said… I said I…" she stammered momentarily in embarrassment before her maternal instincts filled her with newfound confidence. "I said I'll do it. I'll take the boy and I'll raise him as my own."

"That's the spirit Ms. Tua." Said Agent Puer-Fur with a strange mix of mischievous mirth and genuine satisfaction. "Now, if you'll just follow me down the hall to fill out a few forms, you can take your new son home immediately."

"My son…" she said to herself, transfixed with rapture. "What's his name?"

"Ezra I think." the strange agent answered as he slowly began to get up from his desk. "But he's only two, so if you don't like the name you can just change it. No big deal."

"No, I love it." She said as she felt her heart fill with bliss. "My little Ezra. Ezra Tua."

End Notes: There it is folks I hope you liked it. For those of you who are following Comfort and Loss, the next chapter will be ready in two weeks. I apologize yet again for all of the delays.