Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars Rebels that goes to Disney, Lucasfilm and Dave Filoni.

On Lothal, an Imperial shuttle approached the Imperial Complex with Governor Pryce and Admiral Konstantine walking towards it as the shuttle landed in the building with the ramp lowering, revealing Thrawn and two Death Troopers accompanying him on both sides.

"Governor Pryce, I bring urgent news," Thrawn told Pryce as he walked down the shuttle's ramp with the Death Troopers.

"Of course. Right this way," Pryce said as she led the Chiss Grand Admiral to her office while unbeknownst to them Kallus watched from the catwalk above them as used a mouse droid to spy on the conversation as he pressed a button on a remote he was holding. The mouse droid rolled a small hatch next to the sealed door as it closed after Thrawn, Konstantine and Pryce walked through the door with the Death Troopers walking with them on both sides, Kallus then left the area.


"Is all this secrecy truly necessary, Grand Admiral?" Konstantine asked Thrawn as they entered Pryce's office as the Chiss closed the window's blinds.

"We still have a traitor in our midst. We need to be highly cautious about what we discuss and where we speak. And what I'm about to say cannot fall into the rebels' hands."

A hologram of Tarkin suddenly appeared on the holotable, "Admiral Thrawn, I trust the information you have for me was worth the wait."

"The rebels of the so-called 'Phoenix Squadron' are about to launch a major military strike against the Empire," Thrawn said as he sat down in the chair of the table.

"They wouldn't dare," Tarkin said in disbelief.

"Oh, believe me, they would," Thrawn stated, "Everything leading up to this moment has been rehearsal. The real performance is about to begin. I'm counting on it."

"You have my attention," Tarkin stated, "What target will the rebels attack?"

"I believe they're about to strike our most important facility in the region," Thrawn began, "The TIE Defender factory right here on Lothal. My spies report General Dodonna's fleet is en route to reinforce Commander Sato and Captain Syndulla."

"Where is this fleet massing?" Tarkin asked him.

"I have yet to uncover its precise location," Thrawn admitted.

"A coordinated attack by multiple rebel cells is unprecedented," Pryce stated.

"And it's exactly this moment I've been waiting for...to wipe them out," Thrawn stated.

This statement, shocked Kallus as he's been hearing the entire conversation via the mouse droid, transmitting it to him on his comlink as it hid in a ventilation shaft.

"I want you to capture their leadership," Tarkin ordered.

"In such a battle, it may not be possible to take prisoners," Thrawn informed him.

"Ah, but a man of your talents will manage. If we are to crush this rebellion, we must make examples of its leaders," Tarkin stated.

"As you wish, Governor Tarkin," Thrawn relented as he turned the holoprojector off while Kallus went to leave the room he was in, going to warn the rebels as 'Fulcrum'.


"She did it. Hera really did it," Ezra said, happily with disbelief as she stood near the communications center with her master, "Look at everyone. I can't believe they're all gonna help Lothal."

"It wasn't just Hera," Kanan reminded her.

"Oh, I know," she stated, "And you, too, Kanan. And Zeb as well as my sister, Sabine. Chopper… less so."

"No," Kanan chuckled, "That's not what I meant. I meant you."

"Kanan, I didn't do any of this," she protested, "If not for you guys, I'd be back on Lothal, just...waiting to be rescued like everyone else and not Sabine's sister or a Mandalorian."

"Ezra, you have never been like everyone else," Kanan said as he turned around towards her, "Your transformation is proof of that. Hera always saw something special in you, and so did I with you being a Mandalorian Jedi and all. At times, I was afraid. Afraid that I couldn't teach you everything you needed to know."

"But you did and over the past two years I have grown used to being Sabine's twin and have accepted being her twin and if I was given a chance to change back, I don't think I would take it," Ezra told him, "I've also learned so much."

"And so have I. We all have," Kanan told her, "In fact, sometimes I wonder if I anything left to teach you."

"No that can't be true," she stated.

"My own Jedi training was limited," Kanan told her.

"I don't mean about the Force," she told him, "I mean about life outside of Mandalore, about being a good person. That's what you taught me while Sabine has taught me how to use my jetpack, my vambraces before we went with her to Krownest where I met our mother and brother, the Mandalorian code as well as Mando'a."

"Hey, you two. The time to talk is over. Let's help out," Hera called out to them from the holotable as she handed a datapad to a rebel pilot next to her, "General Dodonna and his Massassi group will be here any minute."

"General Dodonna?" Ezra repeated as she recalled hearing that name before, "That name sounds familiar."

"It should," Kanan said as he placed a hand on her shoulder, "He got those Y-wing bombers we stole. He commands one of the largest rebel cells I know of. With him and his fleet, we have a real shot at taking out the Imperial factories on Lothal."


"Commander Sato, there are several ships emerging from Hyperspace," one of Sato's pilots reported to Sato who stood behind them in the bridge of the Phoenix Nest.

"At last, General Dondonna's fleet has arrived," Sato stated as a fleet of EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigates and CR90 corvettes jumped out of Hyperspace near them.


"Phoenix Nest to Vanguard. Welcome to Atollon, General Dodonna," Sato said on the comm system of Dodonna's flagship as Dodonna, a Caucasian elderly man with a beard walked onto his ship's command deck from the holotable.

"Thank you, Commander Sato. This day has been a long time coming," Dodonna stated, "Hopefully, we can finally deal a blow to the Empire and show the galaxy what we're capable of."


Back on Lothal, Kallus was flying a speeder bike to a tower that Ezra lived in before she met Sabine, Hera, Kanan, Zeb and Chopper and entered a room after ascending the tower, sat down in a chair as he turned on a transmitter in front of him with the symbol of Fulcrum appearing on it. "This is Fulcrum with an urgent message. Thrawn knows about…" he stopped as the Fulcrum symbol turned red as it began to get jammed and tried to increase the signal but to no avail.

"By the light of Lothal's moons," he suddenly heard Thrawn say and turned around to see Thrawn standing in the doorway and went to approach him, "That is your code phrase, isn't it, Agent Kallus? Or would you prefer I address you as Fulcrum?" He then pulled out a device and turned it around to show him a screen displaying the Fulcrum symbol being jammed, revealing the device to be a jammer, "I'm afraid your rebel friends won't receive your warning."

This statement angered Kallus as he yelled as he charged towards the Chiss, who instantly pushed his leg upwards stopping him from coming forward as he began to punch Kallus. They began to go into a fistfight as Kallus swung around Thrawn before Thrawn swung the Fulcrum agent around before jumping back onto his feet.

"Your technique is good, but limited by your training in the Imperial Academy," Thrawn stated as Kallus picked up one of the stormtrooper helmets on a ledge behind him in the room, "Predictable…" Kallus threw the helmet at him, Thrawn caught the helmet as he slid across the floor, knocking Thrawn to the floor as Kallus got back up and stomped on the jammed with his foot, allowing his transmission to go through to the rebels.

"You talk too much!" Kallus growled as they went into a fistfight yet again before Thrawn kicked him out of the room onto the balcony in front of the railing, guarding the tower in a circle and was grabbed on both sides by two Death troopers.

"You have the heart of a rebel," Thrawn remarked as he approached him.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Kallus responded, panting before they dragged him inside the tower and proceeded to beat him up, bruising his eye, blood marks on his godhead as well as lip after placing stuncuffs on his arms as they were placed behind his back.

"You may have transmitted your warning, Agent, but in doing so, you've given me the last piece of the puzzle," Thrawn began as a holomap of his star map appeared in the room as the trajectory of General Dodonna's fleet and Kallus's transmission appeared on it as well, "Now, this is the trajectory of General Dodonna's fleet, and this is the trajectory of your Fulcrum. Taken separately, they mean nothing. But together…"

"Nothing. There's no planet there. The rebels are smarter than you give them credit for," Kallus said, interrupting the Grand Admiral.

"A pity you do not study art, Agent Kallus. There is much it can show you, if you know where to look. Such as, a system that does not appear on Imperial charts, but is represented in the art of the ancient people of this people," Thrawn went on as a projection of the sector of where Atollon was located appeared on the projector, "I believe they call this Atollon, now the home of your rebel base." Thrawn then took out his comlink and went to contact Konstantine, "Admiral Konstantine, deploy the fleet to these coordinates. We will join you shortly."


"We just received a new transmission from Fulcrum," Hera announced from the command center's holotable as holograms of Dodonna, Sato and Ryder Azadi were projected on the holotable's projector as Kanan and Ezra stood at the table with her as the symbol of Fulcrum was projected on the holotable.

"This is Fulcrum with an urgent message. Thrawn knows about…" Kallus's Fulcrum voice began as it was cut off, causing everyone to look at each other.

"Thrawn knows?" Kanan repeated, "Knows about what?"

"About the attack on Lothal?" The Mandalorian suggested.

"Something's happened. Most of the Imperial fleet left the system," Ryder reported, "What does it mean?"

"Thrawn knows we're here," Hera realized as she turned to the rebel pilots nearby, "All ships, battle stations!"

"How can you be certain?" Dodonna asked.

"The last time this happened, the Empire ambushed us on Garel," Ezra recalled.

"Commander Sato," one of Sato's pilots called out to Sato on the hologram.


"We have Imperial Star Destroyers incoming," the rebel pilot went on as Sato approached him on the command deck as five Star Destroyers jumped out of Hyperspace.

"Phoenix fleet, set defense formation aurek-one!" Sato ordered, "Alert rebel command!"


Ryder's hologram vanished as Sato said that as the Imperials began to jamm their long-range transmissions.

"What happened? Where's Ryder?" Ezra asked as she noticed Ryder's hologram abruptly vanished for no reason.

"They're jamming our long-range transmissions," Hera explained.

"We have to scrub the mission," Dodonna stated.

"We were so close!" Ezra cried.

"Evacuate all ground staff. We're getting outta here!" Hera ordered.

"All personnel, code K-one-zero. Evacuate immediately," a man announced on the base's intercom as the alarms started blaring, causing the rebel pilots to immediately head straight for their A-wings.


"All craft, jump to Hyperspace," Dodonna said on his flagship as he turned to the holograms of Sato and Hera, "Regroup at rally point Nova."

"I still have people on the surface," Sato protested.

"If we wait, they'll cut us to pieces, Commander," Dodonna reasoned.

"Go. We will cover you," Sato relented.

"Signal the other frigates to jump," Dodonna ordered one of his flagship's communication officers and one of the EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigates jumped into Hyperspace only to be pulled back out of Hyperspace, "Something's pulled them out of Hyperspace."


"If that is true, there will be no escape for us," Sato stated from the Phoenix Nest as he realizes that they are trapped.


"Gravity wells engaged, sir," an Imperial technician reported to Konstantine aboard the interdictor's bridge.

"All batteries, open fire," Konstantine ordered and the interdictor began to fire upon the EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate that tried to enter Hyperspace as Thrawn's flagship, the Chimera entered the system from Hyperspace.


"What of Governor Tarkin's prisoners?" Pryce asked Thrawn as they observed the interdictor firing upon one of the EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigates from the bridge with a captive Kallus behind them being restrained by the two Death troopers from before.

"General Dodonna is known for his courage. He wouldn't be aboard the first vessel to flee," Thrawn told her, "It's free is therefore irrelevant."


"General Dodonna, Commander Sato, Captain Syndulla," Thrawn greeted the rebel leaders on their holotables at Chopper Base, the Phoenix Nest and Dodonna's EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate, "At last, we meet in this theater of war, however briefly. There is no escape, and your forces are badly outnumbered. This, uh, 'rebellion' ends today."

"We'll never surrender to you, Thrawn," Hera stated.

"You misunderstand, Captain. I'm not accepting surrenders at this time. I want you to know failure, utter defeat, and that it is I who delivers it crashing down upon you," Thrawn stated, "Now, let us proceed."

With that, the hologram of Thrawn vanished from the holotable as the holoprojector switched back to that of a holographic battle map as Hera began studying the map, "We don't have the strength to meet Thrawn head-on, but I will get us to safety."

"How do you propose we break this blockade?" Sato asked her.

"Thrawn believes this is the entire rebel fleet, so we need just a big enough opening to get one ship through," Hera began, "Once clear of the jamming, they can call for the reinforcements to attack the Empire's flank."

"That should divide their forces and enable us all to escape," Dodonna stated.

"The Ghost stands the best chance " Sato told them, "We'll make an opening for you."

"Not for me. Ezra and Kanan will take the Mandalorian's lightsaber," Hera stated.

"No way. I'm not leaving you!" Kanan protested.

"This is our fight too," the Mandalorian added.

"There's no time to argue," Hera stated, "As Jedi and a Mandalorian one, you have the best chance to escape, and there's no one I trust more to get the help we need. You're going. Chopper, too. That's an order!"

"Hera, I can't leave yet," Kanan told Hera as both Zeb and Rex ran up the Ghost's ramp while Chopper rolled onto the Manfo'ade kad'au which has been repainted from red and black to blue and red to match Ezra's armor, "There's someone I have to warn about this, out in the wilderness."

"What? Kanan, no! I need you and Ezra to get help," Hera told him.

"That's what I'm doing," he reassured her.

"You mean from him?" Ezra asked as she approached them.

"Hey, I'm a persuasive guy," Kanan told them.

"Who are you talking about?" Hera asked as she crossed her arms.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Kanan sighed, "But I need you to trust me."

"Don't keep me waiting long," Hera relented as she turned to the Mandalorian, "Ezra, the mission is yours alone."

"Good luck, Ezra," Kanan told his Padawan as he walked away from them after placing a hand on her shoulder.

"May te Force cuyir ti ni," Ezra muttered to herself in Mando'a as she placed her helmet over her head.


"Still glad you got mixed up in this rebellion, Rex?" Zeb asked the clone from one of the Ghost's cannons.

"Ah, it beats better than slingin' for joopas," Rex answered.

"Does it?" Zeb asked, "They sure do taste good."

"Ah, they do, don't they?" Rex asked him as both the Ghost and Ezra's Mandalorian gauntlet lifted off of the ground.


"Launch fighters!" Sato ordered from the Phoenix Nest's command deck and with that both A-wing as well as Y-wing flew out of the Phoenix Nest's hangar, "All command, spearhead formation. Frigates and corvettes, protect the transports."

"We'll take point, Commander," Dodonna said as he began to carry out Sato's order.


"Sato is employing a Danaan tactic. Bold. But I'd expect no less from the beat commander to ever come out of the Mykapo system," Thrawn stated, "Reinforce our center and send in the fighters." TIEs then flew out of the Chimera's hangar as a hologram of Admiral Konstantine appeared in front of the Chiss Grand Admiral.

"Yes, Grand Admiral?" Konstantine asked.

"Konstantine. Keep your interdictor cruiser back until I order otherwise," Thrawn ordered.

"Why not just attack them now with overwhelming force? I could…" Konstantine began to protest.

"Because I kid these Rebels. I've studied them. They will, no doubt, defy convention and attempt something unexpected," Thrawn explained, "We will be prepared for it. As long as you do exactly as I say."

"As you wish," Konstantine relented as the hologram of him turned off.

"Fighting over glory?" Kallus said, mocking Thrawn.

"I do not require glory, only results for my Emperor," Thrawn stated.


"Phoenix Squadron, keep those fighters busy. Green Squadron, attack the lead destroyer," Hera ordered as the Ghost and Ezra's Gauntlet fighter began flying with the A-wings.

"Copy that, we'll clear a path," Wedge said as he was flying one of the A-wings. As he said that he and the other A-wings began to go into a dogfight with the TIE fighters, Rex manned the Ghost's top turret as this happened and fired one of its cannons at the TIEs destroying one of them.

"All wings, arm proton bombs and follow me," one of the Y-wing pilots ordered as he flew towards one of the Star Destroyers and began to bomb it's hull with proton bombs. "Green group, clear out for another pass."

As the y-wing swung back around to bomb the Star Destroyer again, TIEs began to open fire on them, critically damaging the Y-wings.

"I'm hit!" A female Y-wing pilot cried out as her Y-wing went down.

"I hope Kanan's having better luck," Ezra muttered as she and a hopped saw a CR90 corvette go up in flames from two Imperial fighters.


Kanan flew a speeder bike through the wilderness of Atollon as Krykna spiders walked out of their nest near the Bendu and above the top of the hill as Kanan stopped his speeder on the top of the hill and got off the speeder as he stood up, he saw the Bendu sitting in the middle of the crater.

"Bendu!" Kanan called as he began to approach him, "Bendu, we need your help."

"You have brought war to my quiet world, Kanan Jarrus, Jedi Knight," the Bendu began with anger as he turned around towards him, "And I will have no part of it!"

"Wait, Bendu, hear me out," Kanan pleaded.

"No!" The Bendu said as he pounded his fist onto the ground, "I am the one in the middle. I take no side."

"So you're just gonna let us die?" Kanan asked him, "You think the Empire won't kill you, too?"

"I am beyond your worrying and wars. I am unseen, unknowable, like a rock in the river," the Bendu answered before asking, "Do you think it chance this world was so difficult for you to find, eh?"

"No," Kanan answered, "But maybe we were meant to find it and to find you."

"For what purpose?" The Bendu asked, "I was here long before you and will be long after. I am the Bendu, the one-"

"In the middle. So you keep saying," Kanan finished for him before exhaling, "Look… I tried to live like that way once. Told myself that the galaxy would go on with or without me. But when I saw innocents harmed and knew I had the power to do something about it, I couldn't just watch it all burn down around me! Some things are worth fighting for."


"Phoenix Squadron, we've gotta keep those TIEs off our cruisers!" Hera ordered as the Ghost flew past the Phoenix Nest.

"This is Massassi group. We're taking heavy fire. We need help," Dodonna suddenly said on the Ghost's comm system.

"On our way," Hera said, answering Dodonna's call for help.

"Too many ships to protect!" Zeb growled as he fired at the TIE fighters from the Ghost's nose gun cannon, destroying one of the TIEs. As three TIEs chased a group of A-wings, Ezra flew in with her Mandalorian gauntlet and destroyed the TIEs with its guns. Seconds after this, multiple TIEs flew towards a Hammerhead class cruiser and began firing upon it, causing it to begin to go down.

"All ships, charge the blockade!" Sato ordered as he saw the hammerhead class cruiser go down and multiple of the rebel ships began to charge towards the blockade as another of Dodonna's Nebulon-B frigates was destroyed.

"Commander, they destroyed the Orion!" A rebel officer reported to Sato on the Phoenix Nest's comm system.


"Capital ships, hold your position," Thrawn ordered from the Chimera, "Their cruisers will have to come to us."

TIE fighters chased after Ezra's Mandalorian gauntlet, firing upon it as it's wing rotated around as Chopper grunted to her.

"I see it! They're cutting us off!" She told him.

"No, no!" A Y-wing pilot screamed as his Y-wing was shot down before it could crash into the hull of a Star Destroyer and crashed into the hull of the Star Destroyer near him.


"Hera, I can't get through as long as those interdictor cruisers are cutting us off," Ezra told Hera on Sato's comm system.

"Stay sharp, Ezra. We'll find you that opening," Hera reassured the Mandalorian on Sato's comm system.

"I know, just… hurry!" Ezra pleaded on the comm system as Sato looked out the window and saw yet another corvette go up in flames.

"Commander Wren, go to heading 221 and prepare to jump," Sato said, contacting Ezra as he approached the comm system, he then turned to his crew, "All hands, abandon ship and make for Atollon!"

"We're staying, Commander," the two pilots told Sato after the rest of the crew in the bridge left.

"Very well. Man your stations," Sato relented as the two pilots sat back in their seats.


"Hera, I think Sato's evacuating the carrier," Zeb reported to Hera as he saw ships leaving the Phoenix Nest.


"That's a command ship. Move to intercept!" Konstantine ordered as he saw the Phoenix Nest breaking off from its position.

"But sir, Admiral Thrawn ordered us to maintain position," an Imperial officer behind him protested.

"Move to intercept!" Konstantine repeated, "I will not be denied the glory of this kill!"


"Konstantine, return to your assigned coordinates immediately," Thrawn ordered from the bridge of the Chimera as he saw Konstantine's interdictor begin to intercept the Phoenix Nest.

"I've had enough of your games 'Grand' Admiral," Konstantine retorted on the Chimera's comm system.


"Hera, what's Sato doing?" Ezra asked from her Mandalorian Gauntlet as she saw the Phoenix Nest out of formation.

"He's drawing that ship out of position," Hera responded, "Get ready to jump!"


"Prepare to engage gravity wells!" Konstantine ordered the Imperial officer before smirking as he saw the Phoenix Nest come under Imperial fire.


"Wait…" Sato said as the Imperials continued to fire upon the Phoenix Nest, "Now!" He then ordered the pilots, who then changed the carrier's course as it began to fly towards Konstantine's interdictor.


"Sir, he's changing course!" The Imperial officer reported to Konstantine as he saw the Phoenix Nest begin to fly towards them.

"No! Take evasive action!" Konstantine ordered.


Sato closed his eyes just as the Phoenix Nest rammed into the interdictor, killing both Konstantine, the personnel of the interdictor and Sato and his pilots with Ezra and Hera nothing watching with wide eyes and disbelief as Kallus watched from the Chimera with a facial expression filled with a mixture of shock and admiration at Sato's sacrifice and kamikaze attack.

"Ezra, now!" Hera yelled into the comm system of Ezra's Mandalorian gauntlet before Ezra jumped her ship into Hyperspace.


"Sir, one rebel ship escaped the blockade," an Imperial officer reported to Thrawn on the Chimera.

"Konstantine was careless," Thrawn told him, "Let's hope he did not undermine my efforts. Press the attack. Force them to ground."


Dodonna and other personnel on his Nebulon-B frigate left the bridge as the ship began to get destroyed by TIE fighters with the escape pods being launched with Dodonna in one of the escape pods.

"All ships, return to base," Hera reported as she flew the Ghost back towards Atollon with corvettes and the escape pods doing the same as the defiant Kallus and triumphant Thrawn watched from the Chimera.


"You can feel it, can't you?" Kanan asked the Bendu, as he continued to reason with him as they saw debris of the rebel ships breaking up in the atmosphere of Atollon, "My friends are dying."

Such is the fate of all living beings," the Bendu replied.

"Not like this, crushed by overwhelming evil. Help us survive, Bendu. Help...us...fight," Kanan pleaded.

"I will not fight your petty battles," the Bendu stated.

"You'd rather hid. Like a coward," Kanan told him.

"I will not be called a coward by the likes of you, Kanan Jarrus!" The Bendu began with rage as he began to summon a storm as he began to levitate off of the ground before remarking to him, "Perhaps it is the will of the Force that the Jedi and all your kind perish, and I serve the will of the Force!"

"Bendu? Bendu!" Kanan called as the wind died down and saw that the Bendu had vanished.


"Senator, there must be someone you can send or something you can do," Ezra told a hologram of Mon Mothma as the Mandalorian held her helmet in her hands as her Mandalorian gauntlet flew through Hyperspace.

"I wish I could help you, Commander Wren, but I can't," Mon Mothma told her with regret, "In doing so would play into Thrawn's hands, and he would wipe out all we've worked to build."

"I know. He planned this," Ezra said with anger as her Mandalorian Heritage showed.

"Senator Organa was right. It was too soon for an open warfare against the Empire," Mon Mothma stated, "I promise you, we will do our best to negotiate fair treatment for the prisoners."

"What if there are no prisoners?" Ezra asked her, "I'm not ready to give up yet."

"You have courage, like a true Mandalorian warrior, Ezra. May the Force be with you," Mon Mothma said before the holoprojector of her turned off. Chopper grunted as he approached Ezra.

"No. We can't go back. Not without help," She argued, "And I think I know where to find it." Chopper grunted a response, "Sabine and Mom."

Please favorite and review. Would you like me to continue adding the Imperial scenes or not? Also how should I chage the meeting between Ezra, and both Sabine and Ursa?