Herba was a novelist. She spent every day looking for inspiration, writing different techniques and trying out ideas. But that would all soon be in the past. Because today would change her life.

She sat at the computer as usual a cup of coffee on the side. The screen itself was open on a
word editor, but the document was completely blank. Not even a title was to be seen. But despite this, Herba was furiously thinking. There was so much to consider when writing a story. So much detail had to be included, it almost seemed impossible to get anywhere. The world had to come to life in every way, but how does one even communicate that?

While she thought about her story, completely focused on the screen, there was a sudden sound
she was sure she had never heard before, at least not in person.

Gunfire. Explosions.

She rushed to the window to take a look outside, expecting the worst. And indeed, her fears
were confirmed. Across the street, on opposite ends, two sets of troops stood firing at each other over the cars. Herba was excited for the smallest instant before realising the reality of the situation. What if the house was caught in crossfire? She recalled the fact har mother was downstairs preparing dinner for them. What if they shoot through the glass? She had to make sure her mum was safe. Thus she span the
chair around and began to head down the stairs.

Instant silence.

Everything black.

A pain in her forehead.

Her hearing slowly began to recover, and she opened her eyes to assess the area. Rubble was
everywhere. She was somehow in the one part of the house still standing. It took a few more seconds of taking in the surroundings. The ash lining the fallen rubble of what was once her home. The fires over parts of the building that had been hit more directly by the explosion. The smoke rising all around. A symbol of death.

No. Her mom had to be fine. She just had to find her. It would all be ok. They could get a new
house. Just as long as she lived. Then Herba found her. She lay under the rubble, with not a single breath.

Herba was stood in shock for a few seconds. It might have even been a minute. That moment
seemed to last forever. Then another explosion took her out of the trance. She turned around, storming out of the broken bricks and plaster, and immediately punched a soldier who was next to the building.

“Why the hell do you damn idiots have to fight…. My mother’s dead because of your stupid
rebellion. My…” She couldn’t take it. It was hard to believe she was gone.

The man turned to her with a solemn look. “Listen kid, I know this had gotta be hard for you, but the whole reason we’re doing this is because good people are dying every day in the outer ring because of the Empire. Here in the middle ring you don’t see it, but you’re not the first one to lose their parents. Every one of us owe someone to these bastards.”

It was hard to believe, but she had been out to the outer ring once, and it was rough. She had
never particularly liked the Empire, but the fight against it always seemed so far away, and there wasn’t a lot that could be done about it.

But now they had bombed her house just to take out a couple of rebels. She was infuriated at
them. The anger built up inside her, and suddenly, she found herself at the enemy side without warning. They had guns and she didn’t, but logic didn’t matter now. She had to get revenge on them.

She punched on of them in anger. But unlike the sodier earlier, this one flew back as if struck by a train, with a noticable crevice in his chest. She moved onto the next, and one by one punched each of them until they were all down. Somehow each one of them was rendered unconsious or killed in only a single blow, but she had done it. But for Herba that wasn’t enough. There were still so many in the capital that just sat by while order like this were given, or even gave them themselves.

The rebels were stunned at what just happened. Even she didn’t completely understand what
had just happened. As they began to retreat, she joined them. There was nothing left to lose.

***

“So we’ve got a new recruit?” Erun asked when they arrived at the Rebel hideout. There was a
hidden basement deep in the outer ring with a concealed complex inside. It was amazing such a place existed, completely invisible from the outside world. And inside, a massive number of people were moving around, heading to various parts of the facility, training, planning. It was almost like an entire army.

“Yes,” answered Harris, the rebel who’d talked to her before “the Empire saw fit to take out a
civilian building along with us. But she also somehow managed to take them all out by herself. I’m honestly not sure how she managed to break their line of defence so quickly.”

“Sounds like you caused quite a stir.” Erun smiled “What’d you say to some training.”