Chapter 197
In the Headquarters of the Rebel Outpost, every Rebel was present. Ahsoka, Lux, Luke, Han, Chewie, Rex, Echo and Kix were sitting around the HoloTable, waiting for the briefing to start.
Laetitia, Mon Mothma, Gial Ackbar and Crix Madine stood in front of everyone else, organizing everything to start.
"This reminds me of the old times." Kix mused.
"Yeah ... except we're hearing the plan from a different 'General Skywalker'." Echo said, remembering the past.
Rex told them everything about Anakin's fall, and he was living as Darth Vader ... for Leah. While they couldn't believe that their General and friend was capable of becoming such monster, they didn't blame anyone for it. It was obviously his decision.
"She's just as good as her father." Kix defended her.
"But she's ... different. More ... toughened. More serious."
"You have no idea what's been happening to her since the last time we were all together. She's been through so much ... Too much." Rex quietly said in sadness.
Kix and Echo nodded sadly in agreement and understanding. That was ... unfortunately true. In the center of the room is a Holographic model of the half-completed Imperial Death Star, the nearby Moon of Endor, and the protecting deflector shield. The situation wasn't good at all.
Lando struggled to move through the crowd until he found Han and Chewie, who were standing next to Luke, Ahsoka and the others. Han glanced at Lando, who looked to be proud of the new changes in his life. He smiled, amused.
"Well, look at you. A General, huh?" Han said.
"Oh, well, someone must have told them about my little maneuver at the battle of Taanab." Lando said with a hint in his voice. He already knew Leah and Han helped him with getting a job for the Rebellion.
"Well, don't look at me, pal. I just said you were a fair pilot. I didn't know they were lookin' for somebody to lead this crazy attack." Han shrugged.
"I'm surprised they didn't ask you to do it."
"Well, who says they didn't. But I ain't crazy. You're the respectable one, remember?"
Before they could continue their conversation, Mon Mothma took a step forward, signaling everyone to be quiet.
"The Emperor has made a critical error, and the time for our attack has come." She started.
That sentence alone made the whole room silent and tense. Leah turned to the HoloTable and showed a holographic model of the Death Star. She could also see the Endor moon and the protecting deflector shield in the center of the room.
"The data brought to us by the Bothan spies pinpoints the exact location of the Emperor's new battle station. We also know that the weapon systems of this Death Star are not yet operational. With the Imperial Fleet spread throughout the Galaxy in a vain effort to engage us, it is relatively unprotected." Mon Mothma continued.
"But most important of all, we've learned that Palpatine, himself, is personally overseeing the final stages of the construction of the second Death Star." Leah carefully added.
Everyone in the briefing room, Ahsoka and Luke included, was surprised to hear that. Sidious wasn't one to 'oversee' anything. He just ordered. That all the more reason why this was their last battle.
"Many Bothans died to bring us this information. Admiral Ackbar, please." Mothma stepped aside to let the others say their piece.
Admiral Gial Ackbar stepped forward and pointed to the Death Star's force field and the Moon of Endor.
"You can see here the Death Star orbiting the forest Moon of Endor. Although the weapon systems on this Death Star are not yet operational, the Death Star does have a strong defense mechanism. It is protected by an energy shield, which is generated from the nearby forest Moon of Endor. The shield must be deactivated if any attack is to be attempted. Once the shield is down, our cruisers will create a perimeter, while the fighters fly into the superstructure and attempt to knock out the main reactor." He explained to everyone's distraught.
"General Calrissian has volunteered to lead the fighter attack."
Han blinked in surprise as he turned to Lando with a look of respect. That was ... nice of him. But it was also extremely dangerous.
"Good luck." He simply said, which Lando replied with a nod.
"You're gonna need it." He added as he turned his attention back to the briefing.
"General Madine." Ackbar said as he moved away for Madine.
"We have stolen a small Imperial shuttle. Disguised as a cargo ship, and using a secret Imperial code, a strike team will land on the moon and deactivate the shield generator. The assembly begins to mumble among themselves." He explained.
"Sounds dangerous." 3PO muttered cynically as he 'glanced' at Leah.
Leah just stared at the droid. He was afraid. It was written completely on his 'face'. Everyone in the room already knew it was dangerous. They didn't need to hear it from a droid!
"Wipe that nervous expression off your face, 3PO!" She ordered the droid, hissing in anger.
"Oh! I will certainly try, General." 3PO nervously replied as he looked away.
Luke smiled with others at his sister's bickering with the droid. There was a few times ... no, almost all the times that 3PO was annoying.
"I wonder who they found to pull that off." He muttered to Han, not knowing the actual truth.
"General Solo, is your strike team assembled?" Leah asked her friend, smiling in admiration.
Everyone, Luke included, turned to Han with a shocked expression on their face. That was ... unusual ... because Han was actually stepping up. They didn't see that side of him all the times ... No, at all.
"Uh, my team's ready. I don't have a command crew for the shuttle." Han shrugged unsurely.
Chewie raised his hairy paw as a volunteer. Han looked up at him, expecting him to do so but still unsure.
"Well, it's gonna be rough, pal. I didn't want to speak for you."
Chewie waved that off with a huge growl. Han smiled in happiness as he turned to Leah.
"That's one."
"Uh, General ... count me in." Luke smiled.
"And us." Ahsoka said for her and Rex.
"We were there for the beginning. Seems only right to be there for the end, too." Kix grinned as Echo agreed.
Leah smiled as she looked down. She was deep in her thoughts. This was really happening. If, or when, she went with them ... she would have to face Darth Sidious after 20 years ... She would have to face him as her father after 20 years.
Could she really do that?
"What about you, sis... General? I assume you're also comin' along?" Han asked, a bit surprised that she didn't already say it.
Leah looked up as if she had been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to do. He completely brought her out of her mind. She wanted to come. She had to come ... to confront Sidious and save Vader, but ... it was risky. What if the whole plan went wrong because she was with them?
"Uh ... yeah ... of course." She quietly said as she signed.
Luke stood up as he walked to his sister. He sensed her hesitation without even the Force. But why? Why was she hesitant? Normally, she would have jumped at the opportunity. Something was wrong.
"What is it?" He asked in concern.
Leah opened her mouth to say something, but she didn't even know what to say. How was she supposed to explain why she was confused? To say what was wrong with her when even she didn't know herself? As far as Luke knew, Darth Vader was Darth Vader, the monster who killed their father ... not the one who was their father.
It was getting harder to lie to him every day.
"I'm not going to tell Luke ... but you should. He's his son, and he's already suspecting something. He would want to know ... from you."
Leah didn't want to admit it, but Mina was right. It was time for Luke to know the truth ... the whole bitter truth. She didn't care if she hated him after he knew everything. She had lied to him long enough.
"Ask me that question later. I have to tell you something." She quietly said, her eyes shining in desperation.
Luke frowned in confusion and just nodded. He had a bad feeling about this. Leah patted him on the shoulder as she walked to the center. They had to send the Rebels on their way to beat the Empire.
"I don't know what to say, really." Leah shrugged honestly as she chuckled nervously.
"We're moments away from facing the biggest battle of our lives as Rebels or people. All comes down to this day. We have two choices, either, we heal as a team, or we're gonna crawl to them. And I don't know about you, but I've never crawled in my life, not even when I was a baby." She joked seriously.
"We have to stand together. Inch by inch, step by step, side by side ... until we're finished. We're nowhere near finished right now. In case we haven't realized it yet, we're in hell. Trust me ... And we can stay here, have our asses handed to us ... or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb out of this hell ... one step at a time ... together." She stated.
"But I can't make you do it. You have to look at the person next to you, and look into their eyes. You're gonna see a person, man or woman, who will sacrifice themselves for this group, because they know that if it comes down to it, you're gonna do the same for them." She said, knowing how true her words were.
"The Empire fights with arms but we fight with our hearts. Be brave. Be bold and do not waver. If we falter even a step, they will win and all the suffering we've endured, all the people who've lost their lives ... will be for nothing."
"They can torture us, and shoot fires at us us and burn our planets to the ground ... But what they don't see is that we can do the same to them. Fire is catching... And if we burn, they burn with us! Just like the first Death Star." Leah strongly promised to inspire them.
Every Rebel in the room was feeling very motivated to fight besides their General. They all hurrahed and hailed their Leader.
"As Senator Mon Mothma said, this may be our last fight against the Empire. But even when we win, it's not gonna be the end. We'll face a lot of danger, but we won't let it destroy us or stop us. We have to be strong. We have to be brave. We have to find every bit of strength that we have and never let that go ... We owe it to the people we've lost ... to everyone." She sadly cracked, remembering every person she, alone, had lost.
"Let's go win the last fight ... The Force will be with us." She finally said as she took a step back as a sign of being finished.
Every Rebel in the room clapped their hands for their Leader. They knew that whatever happened, they would have Laetitia Skywalker by their side ... and for them, that was more than enough.
Leah smiled in embarrassment and wiped a tear as she found her way through the crows. She thought she was saved when she saw her friends, but she was so, so wrong.
"Nice speech, General. Didn't think you had it in ya." Han chuckled as he patted her on the shoulder.
Leah covered her face with her hands, trying to hide. They couldn't see her, but they all knew she was blushing in embarrassment. She hated having to stand out and have all the attention.
"No, really ... It was amazing." Echo applauded her.
Leah looked up and smiled. Luke, Rex, Kix, Echo, Ahsoka, Lux, Han and Chewie were also smiling. Who knew what would happen after they left?
"Well, you are looking at the daughter of a bold Senator and the Padawan of the Negotiator. I'm supposed to be good at inspirational speeches." She sarcastically said.
"So true."
Done :)