The rebels were shifting nervously under Phantom's narrowed gaze. It sent shivers down their spines as he obviously wasn't pleased.

"That was just pathetic," Danny shook his head. "I told you to shoot at the target. But the only thing you hit was air, and yet I am ready to bet you missed the atoms the air is made of!"

He indeed wasn't happy. They have been exercising ever since Phantom brought them here, and the results were yet to be shown. Some were getting better, but the most couldn't even hit the target itself, not to mention bull's eye.

"What I want you to understand," Danny went on, "Is that the soldiers won't go easy on any of you. For them you are ducks they were sent to hunt. Animals, who are good only to be a prey. Our primary target is to prove overwise. We must show the government, and most importantly, other slaves, that we must be taken seriously."

"What's the point?" One of them exclaimed, "I was a simple farmer, everything I can do is to work with the soil and grow plants!"

Danny looked him straight in the eyes with a contemplating expression on his face.

"Maybe so," he responded quietly, but everyone still heard it clearly. "But look at me, who do you think I was in my homeworld, hm?"

The young alien tried to find an answer, but Phantom raised his hand, signaling that he didn't need an answer in the first place.

"I never was meant to or ever planned on being what you see now. When I was a kid, I dreamed about being a space pioneer. Explore new worlds, see new places..." he chuckled, as if the entire idea seemed ridiculous to him. "But my grades told otherwise. Since I didn't have time to study, I barely managed to pass exams."

"You don't seem stupid," Haseas raised his eyebrow and Danny laughed.

"Thanks for the compliment, but knowledge and what I studied are different things. Sure, I can build blasters in comparison to which this ones are pieces of crap. Yet, I'm not very good at Math. And, again, I didn't have time to study. What was I doing, you may ask, well, that's complicated. My birth parents were...are," he spat, "scientists. Not everyone can punch a hole in another dimension. Especially if this is dimension where souls go after death."

Everyone fell silent.

'Ah, yeah, they are religious bunch,' Danny remembered.

"And all in all, they were too stupid to close the gateway. What for? They can study another world as much as they want, and 'Phantom' will deal with everything what comes out of there, And yes, it wasn't my birth name. It was simply a nickname I worked under. Actually, it was more like a survival, either I beat and send them where they belong, or they kill me. My point..."

He took the blaster, spun around and started to fire. Each of his shots hit the target dead on, and everyone's jaw hit the floor. Shooting from blaster and his hands felt different for Phantom, but years of practice spoke for themselves.

"...is that no one is born for something. You are what you want, and now you need to be soldiers. Try again."

-Later-

Danny was entertaining himself with the only thing he could do at the moment. Feeding his small pet with another bird. The nestling was growing quite fast. In a week and a half she already got her white fur and could walk on small legs, even if very slow and clumsy. Phantom was often helping the birdie to get up. It caused him to smile every time. The fact that the most ferocious carnivore was so helpless sounded unusually deep. She actually had taken liking in him. The nestling loved to nuzzle against his touch. 

Danny made a bite of his own diner. He ate the same food as his pet, namely one of the birds they shot and brought here. Once fried over campfire, it tasted like turkey.

'You are thinking about that sith, don't you?' Ashla asked.

'Yes,' Danny leaned back against the rocky wall, glancing at the communicator on his table.

'Sith are known to be cunning and deceiving, you must never trust him.'

'I never planned to, but there was something about him I can't shake off. Maybe it was because of how familiar it felt.'

'You mean THAT guy?' Bogan asked, carefully avoiding calling Danny's most hated enemy by name. He knew Phantom didn't like it. Danny nodded, staring on the opposite wall.

'If this old man is anything like Dan, of which I don't have many doubts, then I better keep an eye on him.'

'Don't hurry too much, kid. One thing at the moment. You are leading rebellion, remember? I doubt he is keeping track of your actions.'

Danny sighed quietly. 'Yeah, I guess you are right.'

"Hey Danny," Johnor came inside the room with a grin on his face.

"Hey there, John," Phantom smiled slightly. "What are you doing here?"

"Dad sent me to tell that they are ready!"

Danny chuckled, before getting up. "Well, let's not keep them waiting."

"Can I stay with birdie?" John pleaded.

"Hm...as long as you don't take her out of her cage. And be careful, she bites painfully."

John nodded and sat near the cage, waiting for the bird to do anything interesting, which made Danny chuckle again, before he turned away and walked out. Phantom was greeted by a sight of his small group. They were already armed and prepared for their first mission. Danny smiled as he felt determination radiating off his subordinates. Haseas stepped forward.

"Well, boss, what's your plan?" He asked with a smirk.

Danny put a device on the ground in the center and a hologram appeared. It was a map of the capital.

"Since I arrived on this planet, I got a few...associates among the guards, you may say. And so, I got an information where exactly they are hiding their supplies. And that's here," a needed building changed its color from casual blue to red.

"So, we are going to steal the supplies?"

Danny smiled mysteriously in response.

"Yes and no. I want the soldiers to think that that is our target. While in reality we are going to pay a visit to one of the biggest slave owners of the country."

An image of a man appeared. For a slave owner he looked quite stereotypical. With a look on his face which didn't show much intelligence, an uncountable number of fat chins and dressed in ridiculous clothes, which are probably the most fancy ones here.

"Rylkes Tebnock? Are you serious?" Haseas exclaimed. "His mansion is probably the second most guarded place on the planet!"

"Exactly," Danny said, completely nonphased. "And that's precisely why we need to distract the guards for a while. Our main task is to free the slaves he is holding. To show everyone what our purpose is and that our rebellion isn't doomed to failure," he chuckled. "Now we need to split up in three groups. First group must plant the explosives we have in this place," Danny pointed at one of the buildings. "We will bluff and the same time we will not. It is positioned on needed distance from both the mansion and the warehouse. Let them think we are trying to lure them away from the second one."

"Still, I'll make a portal to the warehouse. The second group must carry as much as possible from there. Once you call attention, come back and call me. I'll close it."

"But why can't you do everything? You are a sorcerer!" One of the rebels said.

"The praise is appreciated, but unneeded. But if I do everything, it won't cause the same effect. We need to show that we are the organization, is that clear?"

He received multiple slow nods of understanding.

"Now, the third group, led by me, must infiltrate the mansion itself. Haseas, you told me that you served Tebnock for some time. Do you still remember how it is from inside?"

"So that's why you asked," Haseas mumbled, "Yes, I do remember."

"Then you will come with me. Every second is precious to us. We will start in midnight. Have a good sleep until then, it will be a long and eventful night."

-Later-

Scaball was in his cabinet, staring at the city below with a look of anger and exasperation on his face. It has been two week since his slaves were gone, and they were still nowhere to be found. He was ready to bet that this 'Phantom' had something to do with it. But how, that was a good question. When he interrogated the guards they swore that no one left or entered. But also they both said that they got some strange feeling of cold inside. There was also a huge time gap in their memory. Could Phantom somehow affect people's memories?

"Hm...ghosts..." he mumbled, rubbing his chin. There must be some mention of this race somewhere.

He walked to his table and started to search in holonet for any information. It didn't go well. He couldn't find anything at all. This race wasn't yet encountered, and that concerned him. How was this possible, they thought they knew about all the races of their part of the galaxy. What if he is a spy...no, if that was the case he would have to go to the empire capital. Then he was sent to cause dissent, so they will be an easy prey. The question is, who sent him?

The chiss obviously envied them, it is logical if they did it. But they were isolationists, and very fierce for that matter. No matter how much they sent, yuthanian fleets were always crushed. It could be that the chiss decided to retaliate, though. And that was something to be worried about.

Other possibilities seemed so unrealistic, that Scaball waved them away. Skii-ruu? Bah, that lizards didn't cooperate with anyone besides their own race. Not that the yuth were much different, but such thought didn't cross his mind. Plus, Yuthanean empire wasn't even bordering them, they were on the end of the galaxy, while the yuth were the closest to the center. That was their personal pride.

Don't even get started on Kiliks. If those insects wanted to expand, which by itself sounded ridiculous, then they would have invaded the skii-ruu, since they were neighbors. And yet there were the cases when they subdued the members of other races to join their hive mind. Scaball shuddered at the thought.

Then he recalled Phantom's words.

'I'm probably the only ghost you will ever see.'

Could it be that he is the last one of his specie? Then he should search for the planet which faced some kind of apocalypse. AND the one which once had certain conditions for evolution to make Phantom's kind like it is now. It could be a shadow world, hence the light radiating off him. Now the governor has something to start from, at least.

"I will find you, brat, no one runs away from Scaball."

He was ready to make a sip of his drink, when a loud explosion boomed across the whole city. Scaball almost dropped his glass out of surprise, before running to the window. He saw a building far on a distance, engulfed in fire, with a line of smoke reaching to the sky. It was a place where his statue once stood. If Scaball's orange skin could become redder, he would be as red as the drink in his glass, which he broke by clenching his fist.

"Phantom," he growled.

Named ghost teen meanwhile grinned in pride from his hiding place. Group B has done its purpose well. Blowing up the monument was a genius idea offered by the one he put in command of that group. Scaball was an arrogant fool, if you destroy his statue, then he won't wait too long to arrive. Danny looked in direction of the mansion.

It was a very harmonic mixture of white stone and golden ornaments. It wasn't that huge by itself, but all the gardens, ponds and small houses there and there. Danny remembered how Sam once told him how her parents took her out of the city to their fancy mansion. She didn't like it in the slightest. Phantom didn't like it too. Because he missed her.

Just as he predicted, the guards were surprised by the explosion, and most of them ran to see what happened there. Danny turned on the communicator in his ear.

"Thonor, what about the guards?"

"Not good, boss, some of them were ordered to stand down. They are still patrolling the perimeter."

Thonor was one of the members of the rebellion, who was assigned with a job to watch over their enemies and inform about their movements, since the members of his race were gifted with a brilliant eyesight and night vision.

"Flames, now what we are...I got an idea."

"Never doubted you, sir."

Phantom looked back at his men.

"Alright, folks, change in plans, you will have to get the slaves alone. Now, we all know that in combat soldiers will most possibly get you. So do not engage them in fight until you have absolute superiority in numbers, AND do it quick and quiet, just as I taught you. Haseas, you will lead this group. Contact me when you find the slaves."

"Roger that."

"Wait until my signal. You will recognize it when you see it."

To the rebels' awe Danny became invisible. Everything they saw were imprints on stomped grass. And when Phantom got to the stony pavement, he didn't leave a single trace. He walked unnoticed right in front of patrols Danny then flew up through the opened window. The mansion was just as pompous on the inside as it was outside. Phantom then reached to the Force without dropping his invisibility. He found what he was searching for. Danny took his way to his target.

He saw a door guarded by two soldiers, but wasn't concerned in the slightest. He simply phased through. It was a bedroom, belonging to the owner of the mansion. And Rylkes was pacing around like headless chicken, and wearing night pajamas.

It was about time Danny revealed himself. He came to the man from behind and pointed something to the back of his head. Rylkes jumped in shock and terror.

"Well hello there," Danny grinned.

"W-who are you?"

"Ah, yes, I believe we are not introduced properly. Daniel Phantom, the one who is pointing a blaster at you."

"You are the one who ran from Scaball!"

"I was in there only because I wanted to."

"GUARDS!" Rylkes exclaimed.

The soldiers immediately ran inside the room, but stopped abruptly once they saw what was going on.

"Guards, help me!"

"Eh, sir, he is pointing a tree branch at you."

"Awe, I wanted to know how long it is going to take for him to figure out," Danny laughed.

He pushed his captive forward and right into the guards. Using their surprise, he used the Force to pull their blasters right into his own hands.

"You know what they say back at my home? Once a year even branch can shoot. However...blaster shoots faster."

He pressed two triggers and shot. Rylkes screamed so loud that even the rebels heard it. All the guards heard it too and ran inside. Haseas guessed it was the signal. After receiving a confirmation from Thonor that the path was clear, he and his comrades took their way to the place where the slaves were kept.

Under Haseas' guidance they got to the small door in the back of the mansion. They went through the maze of the same corridors, thankfully without the soldiers guarding them. Then they stopped near one particular door. Once they opened it, a poorly lightened staircase was everything they saw. Haseas ordered to stay alarmed, since there were usually guards downstairs. His assumption was right, those two hadn't heard the screaming, or they were very responsible. Either way, they were an obstacle the rebels needed to pass through. On a signal on three, they got out of their cover, sitting on their knees and shooting at them. The guards didn't have time to react and were down after the first blasts.

There was one confusing and shocking part. Instead of simply hitting and killing, red beams pierced through the guards' and left scorch marks on the wall behind. Phantom should hear about this later, but they now had a mission.

They got to the door and tried to open it, but it was closed tight. Haseas noticed a panel. A panel which required a password to open the door.

"Shit," Haseas put a finger on his communicator, "Phantom, the door needs password, we can't get through!"

"How inconvenient," Danny mumbled.

He was now holding Rylkes a hostage, now pointing a real blaster to his head. That blasts he did weren't aimed at the guards and the slaver, he missed on purpose in order to call attention. In a short hand-to-hand combat Danny knocked out the guards and captured Tebnock. And even being surrounded by his goons didn't phase Phantom at all.

"What's inconvenient?" Rylkes whimpered.

"Relax, I'm not thinking about you."

"Let him go, scumbag!" One of the guards ordered.

Danny only laughed in response.

"I don't think you are in position to demand anything from me," he said, making the guards want to kill him even more. Some wriggled their fingers near the trigger.

"Don't shoot!" Rylkes shouted.

"Right, you don't want your payer to be dead, do you?" Danny asked, situating his captive in more comfortable position. For himself, not Rylkes. "Now, mind telling me the access codes?" He looked at Rylkes.

"Why do you think I'll tell you?"

"Because I can kill you, what kind of question is that?"

"If you kill me then the guards will kill you."

"I'm afraid it's too late for this. Now. The password."

Danny used his aura to make Rylkes fear him even more. Maybe it should boost his contemplation a little.

"A-alright, H2Y65R, that's the password!"

Haseas heard everything through the communicator and entered the code. The door slid open, revealing another huge room where the slaves were living. Everyone's eyes turned to the rebels.

"Okay, ladies and gentlemen, if you want to be free, follow us," Haseas said with a grin.

Danny meanwhile tried to distract the guards as much as he could. Thankfully, he could discuss a lot of things, he was gifted with a very talkative mouth. He learned a lot of information about this country during this conversation, well, more like they blurted it out. But from all the pieces of information Danny got an idea for his further actions.

'What's taking them so long?' He thought with irritation.

"What's the point of your actions?" Rylkes asked, his fear turning into anger. "You are holding me for half an hour already. What do you want?"

Danny glanced out of the window and saw that his subordinates were leading a pretty big group of people. He moved in front of it, closing the view. And since it was the only window not covered by curtains, no one saw anything. And Danny realized that it was time to say some very paphos phrase.

"I want many things, none of which you can actually give. You, my friend, are merely a tool with which I'll get what I'm looking for. But I indeed held you here long enough. I already got what I came for. Death to the Empress!"

Danny jumped through the window, grinning at their stunned faces. On his flight down he opened the portal and fell through it, before landing on their meeting point. It was more painful than he expected. Apparently it was like in Portal game series, where acceleration of free fall is applied even when going through the portal.

"Ouch," was Danny's reaction.

"You alright, boss?" Haseas asked.

"Nah, I don't have a single bone in my body to be broken," Phantom got up on his feet.

"Wait, YOU are their leader?" One of the slaves asked incredulously.

"Yep. Now," Phantom opened another portal. "Come in, we shall discuss everything once we are in safety."

The slaves were reluctant at first, so the rebels showed the example.

"So, boss, what exactly were you doing in there?" Haseas asked his leader as their comrades were walking through the portal.

"I had a friendly conversation with Rylkes. AND I got an idea how to grow our power even more. Tell me, does anyone here know how to control a dreadnought?"