The vagabond Rebel fleet's strength had swelled since the Battle of Hoth thanks to more nations rallying to the cause. In addition to the smaller and typically outdated warships, a handful of capital ships had also joined the fleet. Among these were a Separatist Dreadnought and a pair of Republic Star Destroyers that had been liberated from Imperial ship breaking yards and brought back to a fighting shape. Admiral Gial Ackbar had also brought back a small flotilla from his recent visit to his home of Mon Cala.

The Rebel High Command assembled around the wide navigation table of the bridge of the fleet's flagship, the Mon Calamari-built "Home." All sorts of Rebel military officers, from generals to commanders to ship captains chatted around the edges of the room as they waited for Mon Mothma to arrive. Admiral Ackbar leaned against the railing of his command platform, watching the aides and runners come and go. His fishy eyes brightened on seeing Han and Chewbacca enter after their week of medical treatment had finished.

Han did a double take as he pushed through the assembled officers. Lando was standing with them, and not just in an advisory role, judging by the symbol on his tasselled epaulettes. "Well, well, well, look at you," Han said, smiling like a proud sibling. "You didn't tell me they made you a general!"

Lando smiled bashfully. "Yeah, well, I guess someone must have told them about my little maneuver against those pirates at Taanab the other day."

"Don't look at me, pal. I just said you were a fair sea captain. I didn't know they were looking for someone to lead this crazy attack."

"I'm surprised they didn't ask you to do it."

Han smirked. "Who says they didn't? But I ain't crazy. You're the respectable one, remember?"

A chime signalled that the briefing was soon to begin and the scattered conversations died off. Leia walked over to join Han and Lando. One section of the Rebel officers parted and Mon Mothma moved towards the navigation table. She looked around the room before starting to speak.

"The Emperor has made a critical error and the time for attack has come. The information brought to us by our Bothan allies pinpoint the exact location of the Death Star." A small point of red light appeared on the navigation table. "We also know that the main weapon of the fortress is not yet operational. With the Imperial fleets spread across the world in a vain effort to engage us, the Death Star is relatively unprotected.

"Most importantly, we've learned that Emperor Palpatine himself is personally overseeing the final stages of the Death Star's reconstruction. Many Bothans died to bring us this intelligence." Mon Mothma looked up to the command platform. "Admiral Ackbar, if you please."

The Mon Calamari stepped down from his platform and cleared his throat. "You can see on the table that the Death Star is off the coast of the continent of Endor near the cliffs of Kef Bir. Although the main weapon is not yet functional, that does not mean that the Death Star is defenseless. Besides the cannon batteries, it is protected by a fortress ward which is projected from a location deep in the forest of Endor. This ward must fall if we are to attempt any attack.

"Once the ward is gone, our fleet will create a perimeter while our riders fly into the Death Star's superstructure to attack the Core. The resulting explosion will destroy the fortress once and for all. General Calrissian has volunteered to lead the attack."

Han leaned towards Lando. "Good luck."

Lando looked at Han out of the corner of his eye.

"You're going to need it."

Admiral Ackbar held out his hand to introduce the man in charge of the ground strategy. "General Madine."

The general stepped forward with his hands clasped in front of him. "We have stolen an Imperial cargo airship. Making use of updated manifest codes and a secret Imperial cipher, a detachment will land in the forest and destroy the fortress ward's sigil drum."

"That sounds dangerous," Threepio said.

Leia put her hand to her mouth and whispered to Han. "I wonder who they got to try to pull that off."

General Madine looked in their direction and Leia snatched her hand back.

"General Solo," Madine said. "Do you have your detachment assembled?"

Leia and Lando both stared at Han in shock. Han grinned. "Um, my team's ready. I don't have a crew for the airship, though."

Chewbacca raised his hand and roared.

Han looked at his old friend with worry. "It's going to be rough there, pal. I didn't want to speak for you."

Chewbacca roared again, emphatically.

Han chuckled. "Well, there's one."

Leia smiled. "General... Count me in."

"I'm with you, too," a voice called from the door to the bridge. All present turned their heads to see Luke striding in with a smile.

Leia jumped up and hugged Luke tightly. When they broke the hug, Leia's brow furrowed at Luke's expression. "What is it?"

"Ask me again sometime."

Leia cocked her head but didn't press the matter. Han slapped Luke on the shoulder. "Luke! I was starting to think you got lost."

"Hi, Han, Chewie. I'm sorry it took me so long."

Artu whistled to Threepio.

"'Exciting' is hardly the word I would use, my little friend."

Imperial cargo airships are large boxy machines with a sausage shaped balloon on top filled with bladders of tibanna gas. While effective at transporting large amounts of supplies, materiel, or troops over any terrain, they are expensive to build and are too fragile to use in combat. The envelope is protected against small arms fire by a shield ward, but their comparatively low speed makes them susceptible to attacks by riders.

Han had volunteered to lead the ground attack partly because of his experience with Imperial cargo airships, although it had been a very long time since he had been on one. As he waited for Lando to enter the Home's hangar, Han stared at the airship's familiar appearance and reminisced.

Han snapped his eyes to Lando upon seeing the caped general walk past. He called out Lando's name.

Lando held up his hand and shook his head as he continued walking. "Han, I can't."

Han jogged over and stood in front of Lando to stop him. "Look, I want you to take her. I mean it. Take her. You need all the help you can get."

Lando screwed up his mouth in thought.

Han stretched his arm towards the nearby Millennium Falcon. "She's the fastest ship in the fleet."

Lando sighed. "All right, old buddy. I know what she means to you. I'll make sure to take good care of her. She won't get a scratch. All right?"

"Right." Han started towards the airship. After a few paces, he stopped and turned. "I got your promise. Not a scratch."

Lando laughed. "Would you get going, you pirate?"

Han smirked and gave Lando a relaxed salute. Lando returned the gesture. "Good luck out there."

"You, too." Han walked up the boarding ramp of the airship and made for the bridge.

A wave of nostalgia hit him upon seeing the chairs and controls. He remembered escaping Mimban and the failed heist in the mountains of Vandor. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Han let out an amused huff before taking his place in the pilot's seat. "Got her warmed?"

Luke looked at the gauge. "Coming up."

Chewbacca roared.

Han chuckled. "Yeah, brought back a lot of memories for me, too, Chewie." He readied the airship for takeoff but paused in the middle to stare at the Falcon.

He jumped a bit when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Leia leaned over. "Hey, you awake?"

"Yeah. I just got a funny feeling. Like I'm not going to see her again."

Leia smiled reassuringly and patted his shoulder. "Come on, General. Let's move."

"Right. Okay, Chewie, let's see what this hunk of junk can do."

Chewbacca growled an affirmative and turned the valve to start the tibanna fuel flow to the steam engines.

Han turned back to his passengers. "Ready, everybody?"

"All set."

Artu whistled.

"Here we go again," Threepio said nervously.

Han pulled the lever to engage the gears of the airship's ascension rotors. The propellers whirred as the blades chopped the air and slowly the airship rose from the hangar floor. He carefully flew the ship out the open doors and out over the sea.

Chewbacca tapped out a course to Endor on the navigation box and nodded to Han.

"All right. Here we go."

Chewbacca touched the green crystal on the front of the box and a Hyperion gate opened in the air in front of them.

The information that Emperor Palpatine received from Vader had pleased him. He ordered that Darth Vader and Moff Jerjerrod meet him in his tower to discuss the strategy for the upcoming battle.

The interior of the Emperor's Tower was designed to be dark and oppressive, far different from his lofty throne room at the pinnacle of what was once the Jedi Temple of Coruscant. Besides the tower's four giant circular windows, the only sources of light were pale blue gas flames and the glow from the Death Star's Core coming up the central shaft. The undecorated dark grey stone of the floor and walls sapped any warmth from the air, leaving the entire tower as cold as a crypt.

Palpatine sat on his throne at the top of a long set of steps. Darth Vader knelt at his feet while Jerjerrod knelt beside Vader.

"Rise," the Emperor ordered.

Vader was the first to his feet. "What is thy bidding, my Master?"

"Order Admiral Piett to send the First Fleet around the Horn of Kef Bir. There it shall stay until called for."

"My Lord," said Jerjerrod, frowning. "What of the reports of the Rebel fleet massing near Sullust?"

"It is of no concern. Let them come. Soon the Rebellion will be crushed and young Skywalker will be one of us." He looked back to Darth Vader. "Let Skywalker come to you. Seeking him out will only drive him away. There can be no mistakes this time. Do not let your sentimentality get in the way of what must be done." The Emperor made a gesture of dismissal. "Your work here is finished. Return to the Executor and await my orders."

Darth Vader bowed. "Yes, my Master."

The stolen airship emerged from a Hyperion gate some distance away from the coastline of Endor. In the distance, the Imperial First Fleet was on the move. The dawn sun made the Death Star beyond look like an enormous glowing coal over an ocean of fire.

Han looked at the basalt fortress, wondering if had always been that big. He dismissed the thought and mentally prepared to put the plan in motion. "If they don't go for this, we're going to have to get out of here pretty quick, Chewie."

Chewbacca roared in agreement.

Han tapped the flashing crystal on the communication console. A somewhat bored voice came from it. "We see you, please identify."

"Airship Tydirium requesting passage inland," Han replied.

No answer immediately came. Han looked to Chewbacca slowly as the airship continued its course.

On the Executor's bridge, Admiral Piett stood at the communication console. "Airship Tydirium, transmit clearance cipher for passage."

"Inputting now."

Leia stared at Han's fingers tapping on the silver plate. "Now we find out if that cipher is worth the price we paid..."

"It'll work," Han said, tapping the final runes. "It'll work."

Luke suddenly perked up. "Vader's on that ship."

Han tensed up a little. "Now, don't get jittery, Luke. There are a lot of command ships." He leaned over to Chewbacca. "Keep your distance, though, Chewie. But don't look like you're trying to keep your distance."

Chewbacca let out a confused growl.

"I don't know. Fly casual."

Darth Vader stared out the bridge window at the airship. He turned on his heel and walked over to Piett and the communication console. "Where is that airship going?"

Piett nodded for the comms officer to hail the airship again. When the line was open, the admiral spoke. "Airship Tydirium, what is your cargo and destination?"

"Parts and repair crew for the armor stationed in the forest."

Piett looked up to Vader.

"Do they have a clearance cipher?"

"It's an older cipher, my Lord, but it checks out. I was about to clear them."

Darth Vader looked out the window and stared at the airship again. He sensed a very familiar presence.

On the airship, Luke shook his head. "I'm endangering the mission. I shouldn't have come."

Han looked back to him. "It's your imagination, kid. Let's keep a little optimism here."

Admiral Piett raised an eyebrow as the seconds passed without any response from Vader. "Shall I hold them, my Lord?"

"No. Leave them to me. I will deal with them myself."

"As you wish, my Lord." Piett nodded to the comms officer. "Carry on."

Han frowned. "They're not going for it, Chewie."

Just as Han was about to take the controls again, the comm crystal crackled to life. "Airship Tydirium, request for passage is approved. Follow your present course."

Han blew out his cheeks. He smiled and looked to his friends. "I told you it was going to work. No problem."

Darth Vader watched the airship fly over the sea and toward the cliffs. There was no doubt that Luke was on that airship. As much as he disagreed with his master's orders, Vader would not actively seek Luke out, but the Emperor still needed to be informed of Skywalker's arrival.