The shuttle, having lost a wing, flew in an unstable pattern. Kyp tightly gripped the controls, Chewie was yelling, Karrde and Shada fired from their blaster turrets. Kyp broke a couple of bulkheads, but eventually, the shuttle stopped. As soon as it did, stormtroopers ran towards it.

The Imperials may have been expecting New Republic Marines who came out of the shuttle's hold, their rifles blazing. They didn't expect an angry Wookiee, a Mistryl Shadow Guard, and a Jedi Knight to join them. Kyp deflected a few bolts with his lightsaber, and then ripped away several blaster rifles with the Force. Then he sent the stormtroopers hurling into a wall.

"Let's go," he said.

As soon as they went into the next hangar, Chewie let out a loud roar. Kyp looked around, lightsaber ready. "What is it?"

Chewbacca pointed at the freighter at the other end of the hangar. Kyp recognized it immediately. "The Falcon? Here? But that means—"

Chewbacca didn't wait for him to finish before running off. "Hey! Where are you going!" Kyp yelled. Chewbacca barked an answer.

"Detention level?" he repeated. "I'm going with you."

"Jedi Durron, you—" the Marine officer tried to stop him.

"I'm going. I'll rejoin you before you get to the bridge," he said. "You've got a Mistryl with you. She's almost as good as I am."

"What do you mean, almost?" Shada demanded. Kyp, rushing off after Chewie, didn't answer.

He heard blaster fire ahead. Running around the corner, he found two Imperial officers firing at Chewbacca, who was hiding inside an elevator. Kyp yelled, getting the Imperials' attention. He deflected one bolt straight into the man who sent it, then ran up and sliced the other Imperial in half. Summoning an access key from one of the dead officers, he joined Chewie in the elevator. He slid his card, and the cabin began to move.

The Wookiee gave a sort of laugh. "Remembering?" he asked. "I see." He reminded himself to ask Han or Luke what Chewie meant sometime.

The elevator opened. An officer in the doorway raised his rifle but was blasted by Chewie before he could fire off a shot. Kyp jumped in, lightsaber in hand, deflecting blaster fire and attacking. Within seconds, there were no Imperials left standing.

Kyp and Chewie moved down the corridor, when Kyp suddenly stopped. "Wait," he told the Wookiee. He tried to summon a blaster from one of the dead Imperials, and couldn't. "Ysalamiri," he whispered.

Chewbacca growled, then continued. They approached the farthest cell. Kyp drew his lightsaber.

"Let's hope this is it, Chewie," he said, and began to cut it open.

XX

"Han," Mara said. "I think I have an idea where I saw—" She stopped talking and pointed at the door. A glowing magenta tip was popping through, cutting the door open.

"So someone decided to rescue us," Han said. The door fell open, and a large Wookiee looked inside.

"Chewie!" Han shouted. Chewbacca roared in happiness.

"We better get out quick," Kyp said.

"Durron?" Mara asked.

"So that's why they had ysalamiri here," he mused. "Let's go."

They got out. Chewbacca roared a question.

"No... You and Han better get back to the Falcon and help with the battle."

"Battle?" Mara asked.

"We're in battle, and it's not going well. So we're going to take out the leadership."

"Sarim."

"You know him?"

"I have an idea," she said. But she was interrupted from saying more when several stormtroopers opened fire at them.

Kyp ignited his lightsaber and began blocking blaster bolts. Mara grabbed their weapons with the Force. Kyp looked at her, but said nothing. Mara picked up one of the blaster rifles.

"Durron, you wouldn't have a spare lightsaber on you?"

"As a matter of fact, I do."

Mara's eyebrows shot up. "May I ask why?"

XX

Luke was concentrated on flying when he felt a familiar warm presence. Mara! he thought.

I'm alive, farmboy, she sent back. Durron and Chewbacca rescued us. Han's here too.

Why didn't I feel you before?

Ysalamiri.

You're getting out?

Durron is going to the bridge to deal with Sarim. He'll need my help, if I'm right.

But—

I can handle myself, Skywalker. Just make sure to come back to me in one piece.

Good luck, Mara.

You too, Luke.

An bright explosion blinded him. Luke recognized it as the Star Destroyer Annihilator, which finally fell to concentrated fire from Sarim's fleet. "General Fel?" he called out.

"I saw it, Skywalker. We have to keep fighting. We're lucky the Lusankya is taking most of their fire. What's the status of the infiltration team?"

"They'll make it," he replied. "Whether they succeed..."

"You'll know?"

"One way or the other," he said. "Skywalker out." He resumed engaging enemy fighters.

Kuth contacted him. "Sir, a large craft has left the Conqueror. Maybe they're trying an infiltration of their own?"

Luke turned his fighter. "Let's see." Heading towards the conqueror, he scanned the ship. He laughed softly. "Han!" he said.

"What are you flying, kid? What's going on?"

"We're trying to save the galaxy."

"Again?"

There was no need to reply to that. Han moved into the formation, placing the Falcon behind Luke and Kuth's fighters

"Skywalker," Kuth said, "Is whoever flying that freighter crazy?"

"You could say that," Luke answered. "His name is Han Solo."

"What?" she shouted. "In that?"

"Who are you—" Han demanded.

"Han, not now. She's on our side."

"Sure, kid. Congratulations on the engagement, by the way."

"Thanks. If we both live through this."

"You will."

"Thanks."

An enemy TIE avoided his fire, dropping below, and was blasted by the Falcon's lower turret. Ensign Kuth made a sharp turn to avoid another attacking fighter, and destroyed it. They headed off to help the squadrons that weren't as fortunate.

XX

Mara and Kyp were heading towards the main elevator. "I was learning to fight with two blades at once," Kyp told her. "I'm not good enough to go into combat like that, but I still carry the spare lightsaber."

Mara nodded. Blaster fire was heard from up ahead. "Sounds like they might be in trouble!" Kyp ran forward.

The New Republic Marines were engaged in a firefight with stormtroopers, outnumbered two to one. Kyp and Mara lit up their lightsabers and jumped into the fray.

The two Jedi worked in concert, blocking bolts with their lightsabers, taking away the stormtroopers' weapons, flinging them into walls. The room was soon cleared.

"Mara!" Karrde yelled. "You're alive!"

"Thank you, Jedi Durron," the Marine officer said. "Who is this?"

"Mara Jade," Mara introduced herself. "Jedi Knight."

"She was held prisoner," Kyp explained as the group stepped into the main elevator.

"Will they surrender when Sarim is dead?" the officer asked.

"I don't know. According to General Antilles, they won't surrender if he isn't."

"Why would—" the elevator door opened. "Freeze!" the Marine officer shouted as his men pointed their weapons at the bridge stations. The bridge crew got up, but Mara and Kyp sent their weapons flying away with the Force.

Then the command chair turned around, revealing Sarim in his black uniform. He stood up. "Impressive..." he said.

"Surrender, Roxad Sarim," Mara said. "Or should I reverse the anagram? Morax Isard?"

"How did—"

"I recognized you. Not at first, but then I remembered. After all, you were only fourteen. Funny. Isard claimed you were her brother. Wouldn't fool anyone really close—"

"So you figured that out. Big deal. You will not live to tell about it." He raised his hand and lightning poured out of his fingers.