Disclaimer: See Summary.
A/N: Well, this is it. Just a few more chapters to go. I'd say three more, assuming I add an Epilogue chapter. Maybe more if I need to.
Now, for the reviews.
CT7567Rules: I'm sorry, but no one alive has the ability to do that. Besides, even though the First Order won't be as strong as they've proven to be in canon, they're still going to prove a challenge for the heroes.
Starwarshobbitfics: I'll explain how Mercy knew the Ewok's language eventually. Possibly in my next story.
So, mild spoilers for parts of Battlefront II's story mode.
Anyway, with that said, here's the next chapter.
"So, This is the place, huh?" Kuron noted as he stepped outside. The rebels had already set up and were preparing for the coming battle. "Doesn't look like much."
"That's what you said about Yavin IV, and Sullust, and Garel." Shisuta countered. "Shall I go on?"
"Heh, you got me there." Kuron replied. Then he noticed Mina nearby. He and his girlfriend looked over to where she was sitting. She seemed deep in thought. "Hey, Mina." Kuron called out. "You alright?"
"Hmm?" Mina muttered. "Oh, I'm fine."
"You sure?" Shisuta asked. "You haven't said a word since we got here. We're worried about you."
Mina sighed. "I was reaching out into the Force. She's here, I know it. She has to be."
Shisuta and Kuron looked at each other, then back at Mina. "Still worried about Mercy?" Kuron asked. Mina nodded. "Well, don't worry, Mina. We'll find her. Trust me."
"Damn right we're finding her." Came the voice of Anakin Skywalker. The younger adults turned to face him. "I refuse to just sit around while my daughter suffers at the hand of that monster."
"Uncle Anakin." Mina said. "I'm so sorry I let this happen." Her fingers curled into tight fists as she released her emotions. "If only I'd just been more aware. I could have stopped him."
Anakin put his hands on his niece's shoulders, looking her in the eye. "Mina," He reassured. "What happened is not your fault. I don't blame you for anything. But I am still angry. Just not at you." Mina smiled, and embraced her uncle.
"Thank you, Uncle Anakin." Mina said. The two hugged for a moment longer, before separating.
"We're family, Mina." Anakin replied. "That's what we do: We support each other."
"I'll make you proud, Uncle." Mina assured.
"I know." He responded. Then, he noticed something in the sky approaching. It was Luke's X-Wing. "Looks like my son is finally here."
The ground crews went to work assisting Luke and Eris. Anakin and Padmé approached the younger two, with soft smiles on their faces. "Luke, Eris, welcome to Endor."
"Thanks, Dad." Luke replied happily, embracing his father. "Hi, Mom." He hugged Padmé, before adding, "We have something to tell you guys. Where are the others?"
"Hey, kid." Han greeted, as he and Leia came over to see them. Once everyone was present, he asked. "So, what's new?"
Luke and Elis exchanged smiles, before Eris held out her hand. Padmé gasped sharply as she realized what it meant. "Luke and I are getting married." Padmé actually squealed a bit as she smiled at them. "Pending your approval, of course," Eris added, turning to Anakin.
Anakin chuckled, before wrapping her in a hug. "Welcome to the family, Eris." He said warmly, as he and Padmé both hugged their new daughter-in-law.
"Thanks...Dad." Eris replied, smiling.
Han and Ezra turned Luke. "Nice job, kid." Han said, patting Luke on the shoulder. Ezra gave his friend a thumbs up.
"This is all well and good," Kuron chimed in. "Don't get me wrong, this is all really touching, but we got Imps to fight, remember?"
"Of course, Commander Vos." Hera said, as she and Kanan approached. Luke noted that they were holding hands. "In fact, you and Shisuta will be leading the scouting party. Search the area, and report back once you find something."
"We'll get right on it, General Syndulla." Shisuta replied. As the two of them headed off to get ready, Anakin spoke up.
"And if you guys find my daughter, please bring her home."
"So, what do you think?" Kuron thought out loud, as the two of them trudged through the forests. "First Kanan and Hera, then Luke and Eris. Who's next? Ezra and Sabine? Leia and Han?"
Shisuta seemed shocked, and she stopped in her tracks. "You're forgetting someone, Kuron."
"Who?" He asked.
"Us." She replied bluntly.
"Oh," Kuron frowned. "Sorry."
"Well, we'll talk more about this later, mister." She said. "Right now, let's focus on reconnaissance."
"Got it." He replied. "But just to be clear, you're not mad at me, are you?"
She held up a fist, and the soldiers stopped. "We're not alone."
"I sense 'em too," Kuron added. "I'll get a better look." He disappeared into the mist, snaking through the trees. When he rematerialized, he was shocked by what he saw.
Two members of Inferno Squadron, followed by a squad of stormtroopers. He could hear them talking, but he couldn't tell what they were saying. Before he could be discovered, he vanished, retreating back to the scouting party.
"What did you see?" Shisuta asked.
"Stormtroopers." Kuron replied. "And they were led by members of Inferno Squadron."
"So, she was with them?" Shisuta asked, a slight bit of jealousy in her voice.
"Hey, we were never a couple, okay?" Kuron replied. "I swear."
"Uh-huh, sure." Shisuta replied, playfully.
"Look," Kuron added. "Mercy's out here somewhere. I can sense her. We gotta clear these guys out first. Ready?"
"Let's do this." Shisuta replied. With a snap of her lightsaber, and the click of his shotguns being pulled out, they leapt out to engage the enemy.
"What exactly are we doing out here again?" Luke asked. "I thought Kuron and Shisuta were on scout patrol."
"They are," Eris replied. "In the northern sectors. We get to scout out the south."
"So, when's the wedding, lovebirds?" Han asked from behind them.
Eris glanced back over her shoulder, and smirked. "Depends. I could ask you the same thing, Solo."
Chewbacca laughed in Shyriwook, before something caught his attention. Han didn't notice at first, and replied, "Well, we can't count our chickens before they hatch, you know."
"Oh, have a little confidence, nerf herder." Eris joked. "We got this." Then she noticed that someone was missing. "Say, where's our mountain of hair?"
Han looked over his shoulder and noticed that Chewbacca had wandered off. Then they noticed that he had gotten distracted by something on the ground nearby. It was a slab of meat.
"Chewie!" Han yelled. "Get away from that!" He ran over to stop his friend. The others joined him. But it was too little, too late. With a snap, nets shot up from the ground, trapping the five of them.
"Well, that's just great." Han grumbled. "Who would do something like this?"
"Maybe someone who likes their home security?" Eris suggested.
Their questions were soon answered, when a small group of furry creatures emerged from the bushes, brandishing primitive weapons.
"Is this as bad as it looks right now, or is it just me?" Luke asked.
"Oh, I don't know, dear." Eris said. "We just got netted by a bunch of teddy bears with spears, and they're probably going to eat us. You tell me if that sounds bad."
The creatures, chittering in a strange language, stepped closer. Eris was about to say that it was nice knowing everyone, when a small, familiar voice piped up. "Luke? Leia?"
"No kriffing way!" Eris called out, as she struggled to pinpoint the voice. Everyone squirmed to see where it came from. Eris and Leia both gasped when they saw her. "Mercy!"
Stepping out of the bushes, was a familiar little girl, with ruby red hair, and bright blue eyes, which sparkled when she saw them. Then she turned to the creatures and spoke to them, in what the others could only assume to be the language of the natives. One of them took an axe and slashed at the ropes. The net gave and all five rebels hit the dirt hard.
Luke didn't have a chance to get up before he was tackled in a hug from his baby sister. "Hey there, baby sis. I've missed you so much." Leia and Eris joined the hug, happy to see the little angel safe and sound.
Eris pulled back and noticed something about her. "Say, where'd you get the new clothes?"
Mercy looked down at herself. She was wearing a dark green poncho and a pair of tiny sandals. "Oh, the Ewoks made these for me. I met them a few hours ago, and they already seem to like me."
Leia stood up. "Well, it's so good to see you again, little sister." She said. Mercy smiled up at her. Suddenly, her com link went off. "This is Leia Skywalker, reporting."
"Leia," Anakin's voice replied. "Good to hear from you. How's patrol going?"
"Smoothly, dad." Leia replied. "We've made contact with the natives. They're called Ewoks, and they seem rather primitive."
"Interesting." Anakin responded. "Anything else?"
"Well..." Leia began. "There's someone here who I think you'll be thrilled to see." She bent down so that Mercy could see.
When Anakin saw her, he was shocked, to say the least. "Mercy? Is that you?"
"Daddy!" Mercy shouted.
"Is that my little angel?" Came Padmé's ecstatic voice. She shoved Anakin aside in her haste. When she saw Mercy, she gasped. "My baby!"
"Mommy!" Mercy cried, tears welling in her eyes.
"We'll be on our way back shortly." Eris said. "Have Kuron and Shisuta come back from their patrol yet?"
"Not yet," Anakin replied. "Just hurry back."
"Just a second, Daddy." Mercy chimed in. "I wanna see if the Ewoks wanna help us fight the Empire." As Luke set her down, she turned to her new friends, explaining the situation as best she could. One of them, apparently the chief of the tribe, stepped forward and offered his weapon to the young girl. Mercy nodded and turned back to her father. "Chief Chirpa says he and his people are eager to help."
"Duly noted." Anakin replied. "We could use their knowledge of the land. And, I'll see you soon, sweetie."
"Love you, Daddy." Mercy said happily.
Anakin smiled. "Love you too, kid."
Stalker was concerned. He had plans for the rebellion. What he needed was to unearth any remaining secrets Palpatine had left. Which was why he had summoned this particular Admiral.
"Admiral Versio." He said.
"Yes, Sir?"
"In my years of working under Palpatine's authority, I've heard him mention a few 'Contingency' plans. I was hoping you could explain one to me."
"Which one, may I ask, are you referring to?" Admiral Versio asked.
"Operation: Cinder." Stalker replied. "I was hoping to gain a little knowledge about how this plays a part in the grand scheme of the Empire's goals."
"Well, sir," Admiral Versio began. "It is meant to serve as a means of suppressing any further rebel activity, should the Death Star fall."
"Why?" Stalker asked.
"Pardon?"
"Why would something like this be necessary?" Stalker clarified.
"To ensure that the rebels are sent a clear message that any hope they have of winning is false." The admiral replied.
"Wrong." Stalker said.
"Excuse me." The admiral asked.
"This Operation: Cinder is yet another destructive example of the Empire's abuse of power." Stalker explained. He glanced over his shoulder at the shorter man. "Do you even realize what you would be unleashing upon the galaxy?" When he didn't receive an answer, he turned to face the Admiral and continued. "You would be condemning the people of this galaxy to a fate worse then that of the Death Star. Where the Death Star would instantly snuff out all life on the planet, the destruction brought on by Operation: Cinder would be drawn out.
"You see, I've been researching this little pet project of yours, and what I've found troubles me. What Operation Cinder entails is the use of a multitude of satellite lasers to strike the planet's surface. Now, I believe you expect this to cause catastrophic storms, but what I've found proves to be far more devastating.
"What you plan to do with this project involves using the lasers to superheat the planet's atmosphere to temperatures exceeding 310,000 degrees, essentially turning the planet into a large convection oven. All life on the planet would slowly burn up, leaving nothing but ruin. Do you understand why I am explaining all this to you?"
"Sir, I assure you, this is what the Emperor ordered to initiate." Admiral Versio replied. "I am merely following orders."
"Well, I see that." Stalker replied. "But do you remember who runs the Empire now?" Before the admiral could reply, the Stalker reached out with his left hand, locking the Admiral's jaw in a bone crushing grip. "Me." He seethed. "And as your superior, I order you to have Operation Cinder dismantled, effective immediately." He released his grip and violently threw him to the floor.
"Sir, I.." Admiral Versio began, but was cut off.
"What? You what?" Stalker hissed. "Would rather order your own planet to burn in the name of the Empire? Don't bother denying it, Admiral, you think that is what the Empire needs, don't you?" Using the Force, he lifted Versio up and clamped his hand on the Admiral's shoulder.
"You're familiar with the phrase 'Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it', right?" He asked, in a chillingly calm voice. "Well, we certainly wouldn't want a repeat of Admiral Konstantine's...incident, would we?" Nervously, the Admiral shook his head. "Good," Stalker added, releasing his grip. Admiral Versio staggered to his feet, gripping his shoulder. "I'm looking forward to you're report. I expect there to be no indication that Operation: Cinder ever existed. From now on, we do things my way. And if you still don't agree with me, well..." He chuckled sinisterly. "You can be replaced."
"I-I..." Versio stammered. "I understand, Sir."
"Good." Stalker smiled. "Now get moving."
As the Admiral left, he noticed his daughter approach. "Ah, Commander. The Stalker is looking for you." In a hushed tone, he added, "Be careful what you say to him in there; he's in an irate mood right now."
"Duly noted, Father." Iden Versio replied, as she took a deep breath and entered the Stalker's quarters. "You asked for me, Sir?"
Stalker smiled as she entered the room. "Ah, Commander Versio, you're back. Please, come in. Have a seat, my dear." He sat down at his desk, offering her the chair opposite him.
"I will stand, sir." She replied.
Stalker shrugged it off with a chuckle. "Very well." He said. "How was the mission? I take it the child escaped you, since she was not with you when you returned."
"Unfortunately, sir, she escaped." Commander Versio replied.
"Why so serious, Commander?" Stalker asked, with what Iden assumed was his friendliest smile. "I'm not angry at you."
"And yet you vaporized Admiral Konstantine after he failed to keep her from getting away." Commander Versio argued.
"Someone had to do it." Stalker growled, though his malice was not directed at her. "But that's not what I wished to tell you."
"What is it, then?" Commander Versio asked.
"It's about your father." Stalker replied, "And Operation Cinder. Were you aware that he would willingly turn it against Vardos?"
"No," Commander Versio replied, with a mixture of shock and denial.
Stalker raised an eyebrow, smirking at her reaction. "You seem...unsure about this. In denial. Care to elaborate, my dear?"
"He wouldn't be that desperate, would he?" Iden replied. "Why would he do that? What about the civilians."
"Collateral damage, most likely," Stalker replied, leaning back in his chair. Iden's fists clenched at the idea of her homeland being targeted. Now to really force her hand. "You know," Stalker said. "I would keep an eye on him if I were you. I've already ordered him to dismantle the project. The problem is, even though he fears the consequences, I fear that he will somehow try to enact Operation Cinder anyway."
"And if he does?" Iden asked, cautiously.
"Nothing is true, everything is permitted." Stalker replied cryptically. "Consider what this means for the Empire should your father go through with the plan."
It took a moment for Iden to grasp what this meant. As she pondered this, the Stalker stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know he is your father, but the Empire is rife with madmen. Krennic, Tarkin, even Palpatine himself. But many still remain, my dear. Be careful of your father's plans. You are dismissed."
Iden saluted and left. Stalker smiled. "One way or another," he said as soon as he knew he was alone. "The war will end on this planet."
A/N: So, what did you all think. In case you're wondering how I came up with the numbers for the Operation Cinder part, I heard it on Game Theory's analysis of Operation: Cinder. Look it up.
By the way, imagine that there's a big time jump between when Kuron and the others engage Inferno Squadron, and when Luke and the gang reunite with Mercy.
Anyway, just a few chapters left. Then I'm taking a vacation from Fanfiction for a while. But don't worry. I'll be back next year (as in 2018, not a full year from now).
Next time, the battle to end the war will begin.
Until then, please RRF&F, and I'll see you all next time. Peace out, and may the Force be with you. Always.