In 6 BBY, she left the 1337 N00B5, reasoning that the pirate gang was not having enough glorious victories that could be spun into sensational propaganda. The Empire continued to look for her, as she had published many anti-Imperial pamphlets, so she worked as a freelance journalist in the Outer Rim, documenting her life on the run from the Empire. In 1 BBY, Syal joined the Alliance to Restore the Republic. After the Battle of Yavin, she was assigned to specifically document the exploits of Ace Squadron to motivate rookie pilots in the Alliance.