Luke held his light saber over his head to slay Han Solo. "Luke no!" Leia shouted but she was in no condition to stop him.
"I have to, for you," Luke said hesitating.
Suddenly a laser bolt hit Luke stunning him. He fell to the ground unconscious. Leia looked to see Dash with a pistol. "Hurry up," he shouted still shocked at what he had done. Leia gave him a grateful look. Lumiya watched helplessly as Dash assisted Han and Leia into his ship.
"Compassion….is a weakness," Lumiya said limping away.
Dash rushed into the cockpit, Leebo was already punching the controls for lift off. The Outrider lifted off the landing pad and accelerated into space. The Outrider was greeted by Luke and Lumiya's Star Destroyer fleet.
"Commander Dash Rendar, your ship is sooner than expected," the com said.
"Yes, Luke wanted to leave early," Dash said.
"Very well, the captain will be expecting Skywalker's arrival. Continue on your current course," the com continued.
Leia and Han looked at Dash wondering what he would do. Suddenly the Outrider turned around away from the Star Destroyers. "Where is it going?" the Imperial captain asked as he saw the ship turning away.
"Something is wrong, send fighters to intercept," the captain ordered.
"Fighters," Dash said as the Tie fighters came into view. The Outrider maneuvered to avoid Tie fighter fire. "Do we have light speed?" Dash asked Leebo.
"The coordinates will be set in a few moments," Leebo responded in a mechanical voice.
"You pilot, I am going to be at the guns," Dash told Leebo.
"Very well master," Leebo responded.
The Outrider began firing at the Tie fighters. One Tie fighter was surprised by the counter fire and exploded. The other Tie fighters stood their distance firing far enough to avoid getting shot at. The coordinates set; the Outrider went into light speed.
Luke got to his feet touching his head. He had the worst headache. Concentrating he looked for his light saber. Finding it he looked around for Lumiya, but she was gone.
"Get me a shuttle," he said frustrated.
Leia squeezed herself in the small cockpit. "So where are we heading?" she asked tired.
"Don't know, we're just cruising through space," Dash answered.
"We need to contact a medical frigate, someone loyal to Alliance," Leia said.
Dash nodded. "Just give me the coordinates," he said.
Leia hesitated but entered the codes in the computer. Immediately nearby rebel ships were detected. "There," Leia said pointing to a frigate.
The Outrider went into light speed toward the ship. "I'm no doctor but I can try to help you with those cuts," Dash offered.
"I'm okay," Leia said. Dash watched in wonder as cuts on her hand began to heal before his eyes.
The Outrider hooked up to the rebel frigate. The doors opened rebel troops pointed their guns at them as a precaution. They didn't lower their weapons until they saw Leia's face. "We need medical attention," Leia said.
Luke walked onto the bridge of his Star Destroyers. "They must have escaped on the Outrider, we lost them," the captain said.
Luke frowned. "It's okay, I have a tracking device on the ship," Luke said staring into space.
Anakin was meditating on the Death Star when he received a transmission. "We have discovered a small squadron of rebel ships. Leia is with them," Luke said.
"Capture Leia, kill the rest," Anakin ordered.
"What of Trenwyth?" Luke asked.
"I will send Admiral Piett for this mission," Anakin said.
"As you wish," Luke said disappointed signing off.
Anakin turned to another hologram. "Lord Vader," Piett addressed. The Executor was still defending the Death Star near the Endor system.
"I am sending you to Trenwyth, I have specific orders," Anakin said.
"As you wish, the fleet is ready," Piett answered.
Anakin ordered the Death Star into deeper space where the rebels would have difficulty finding it. The Imperial fleet under Piett went into light speed toward Trenwyth.
Luke clenched his gloved fist in frustration. "Set a course for the rebels," he ordered. Three Star Destroyers previously under Lumiya moved towards the rebel ships.
Leia rested peacefully as nurses and droids cleaned and healed her wounds. Han was in a bed at her side. "Some week huh?" he chuckled.
"Yeah," Leia answered tired.
Dash came into the room shaking Han's hand. "Thanks a million," Han said.
"That's one you owe me," Dash smirked using Han's expression.
"Why did you help us?" Leia asked suspicious.
"I couldn't let an old friend die before my eyes," Dash said.
When she was ready Leia turned on a hologram to communicate with Mon Mothma. "Leia Skywalker reporting," she said.
Mon stared at her wondering what to do. "Are you healthy?" she asked with concern.
"Yes, I am ready to fight for the Alliance," Leia said confidently.
"I appreciate your enthusiasm, it's in short supply here," Mon said grimly. "We are organizing an attack on Coruscant itself, our last stand against the empire. The emperor has failed to properly defend it. However it will take some time for a fleet to be ready for such an attack," Mon explained.
"What would you have me do?" Leia asked.
"Continue what you are doing, frustrate their efforts. Distract them from the real threat," Mon said.
"I understand," Leia said disappointed.
Suddenly the floor under Leia's feet shook. "Imperial ships!" a rebel officer shouted.
"We need assistance," Leia said to Mon. Mon's image faded and turned to dark. "We have lost the transmission," a controller informed her.
Luke's Star Destroyer launched Tie fighters shielding his ship from rebel fighters. The few remaining fighters exploded as they became overwhelmed.
"Should we assist her?" a rebel general asked Mon.
"No, she can handle herself," Mon said turning away from the hologram.
The Star Destroyers fired all at once blasting a transport ship. The frigate rocked as it was hit. "To the Outrider," Dash yelled.
"We have to save the frigate, the patients!" Leia argued.
"No time," Han said grabbing her.
"We have disabled the ship," the captain told Luke.
"Leia is on that ship, cease fire," Luke ordered.
Leia, Han, Dash, and Leebo boarded the Outrider and detached. Luke saw the ship take off from the frigate. "Have the Tie fighters pursue, destroy the frigate," Luke ordered.
The Star Destroyer blasted the Frigate, injured rebels and rebel personal were a blazed as the ship exploded. Tie fighters went after the Outrider firing at the engines. "We need to get to Trenwyth," Leia said as the ships rocked back and forth.
"That's where the Imperial fleet is going," Dash protested.
"We have to warn the Nagai, it's a trap," Leia pressed.
"All right, strap yourself in," Dash relented.
The Outrider powered up its engines and went into light speed much to Luke's dismay. "Where is that ship going?" he asked.
"It appears to be headed toward the Trenwyth system," the controller reported.
"Captain, head to that system. They're going to get themselves killed," Luke ordered.
The Outrider exited hyperspace in the middle of a space battle. Tof and Nagai forces were fighting in space and on the ground. The Nagai were being slaughtered. "Tell the Nagai to break off the attack," Leia said.
"I would love too, but there is too much interference," Dash complained.
The Tof and Nagai decided to both fire on them. Dash and Han worked with controls to avoid the fire. Despite their skills they couldn't help but take a dive into the planet. "We're loosing control. This is going to be a crash landing sweetheart," Han said sarcastically.
The Outrider fell into the atmosphere and crashed on the surface. The surface was also chaotic as Nagai pilots exploded and fell to their doom. A ship crashed near to them.
"We're going to be pulverized if we stay here long," Leia said worried.
"Can't argue with that," Han said checking the outside of the ship. "I wish…" Han trailed off.
Leia considered the Nagai fighter that had crashed near them. "I will try to use that ship to warn the remaining forces," Leia said running off.
Upon reaching the craft she found that the pilot was gone. Before she could access the controls she was pushed to the ground. The Nagai pilot had her hair in one hand and a knife to her throat.
"I'm here to help," Leia yelled.
"I don't need your help," the Nagai spat struggling with her.
Leia finally Force pushed the creature off of her and ignited her light saber. The Nagai took his knife in a vain attempt to hurt her. Leia slashed down on the weapon destroying it, the injured Nagai fell to the ground exhausted.
Leia deactivated her saber and proceeded to warn all ships to retreat. "Let me die," Tai said as Leia began to nurse his injuries. "There, that should keep you for a while," Leia said after she finished with the bandages.
Leia looked around; the planet was dead, devoid of all life. It was a wonder why the Tof would come here. Admiral's Piett's Executor and twenty Imperial Star Destroyers appeared just as the last Nagai forces retreated.
"Fire on the Tof," Piett ordered.
Instantly the Tof fleet exploded as the Imperial war ships fired on them. The Tof attempted to retreat but Tie fighters managed to blast a few more of their ships crippling their forces.
"Begin the bombardment," Piett ordered.
The Executor's powerful guns blasted the dead planet creating huge craters in the planet. Leia could feel the ground shake as the guns blasted the planet. "Can it fly now?" Han asked Dash.
"We have impulse power," Dash responded.
"That's going to have to be enough, Leia we're going," Han said.
The Outrider accelerated into space avoiding Imperial fire. Piett didn't seem to notice the Outrider rising from the planet; he was more concerned with completely annihilating the Tof presence, which he did.
Luke's three Star Destroyers arrived just as Piett finished the bombardment. "Commander Skywalker," Piett addressed.
"I'm looking for a ship called the Outrider, it was in this system," Luke said.
Piett took a sip of his tea. "I assure you that the fleet destroyed everything that left the planet, the Tof forces have been completely destroyed as well as the Nagai," Piett said.
Pleased with the gradual destruction of both the Nagai and Tof Anakin considered his next move. A hologram of a new type of battle station was in front of him. It looked like a long cone or a needle with the control rooms on the top. It was top heavy with multiple skyscrapers that made up the various bridges. The bottom of the station ended at a tip.
Anakin considered the various holograms provided to him from hundreds of holocams. Anakin studied the image of a dark clothed warrior with a light saber. Anakin stared in fascination at his black and red mask.
"Bring me my Star Destroyer," Anakin ordered.
Anakin took a shuttle to the Devastator and took command on the bridge. "We're going to these coordinates," Anakin said giving the captain a data pad.
"Sir, this is uncharted space," the captain protested.
"Is that a problem captain?" Anakin asked.
"No, of course not," the captain backtracked.
"Good," Anakin said walking towards his chambers.
Saijo System: A few weeks later
A hologram appeared featuring Anakin. "Lord Vader," Prince Sereno addressed.
"As you know the empire has sided with the Nagai against you, however recent events have proven to me that it is you we should be supporting," Anakin told him.
"We have killed millions of Nagai to prove ourselves to you," Sereno boasted.
"And you have done well, you have passed my expectations. I am sending my apprentice Darth Lumiya to assist you," Anakin said.
"The destruction of the Nagai is close at hand," Sereno said confidently.
"I hope so for your sake," Anakin said signing off.
Anakin turned another hologram. Luke's face showed through. "As expected the Tof have defeated the Nagai on Zeltros. I am cutting ties with the Nagai completely. I predict they will go running to the Alliance for help," Anakin said.
"With the Alliance's support the Nagai may defeat the Tofs," Luke considered.
Anakin smiled. "Yes, it seems Lumiya had defected to the Tofs. We must make sure the Nagai, the Alliance, and the Tofs are all destroyed," Anakin said.
"What would you have me do?" Luke asked.
"I am going into deep space; there will be a reorganization of the empire in my absence. I am appointing you to the Jedi council, Sate will be in charge of political matters on Courscant," Anakin informed Luke.
"This is a great honor," Luke said overwhelmed.
"As a member of the council you will be given the title of master," Anakin said.
"A master?" Luke said amazed.
"Of course, only a master would be on the council," Anakin said remembering his youth.
"Go to Saijo and wipe out the Tofs, all of them," Anakin said signing off.