TATOOINE
Slowly, the trio stumbled through the wreckage of Bestine's downtown, eager to make their way out before the Coalition found them.
"We need to get the weapons too, for the resistance," Tahiri said.
Kira looked around to find the remains of the cantina where they had been ambushed by Durge, seeing the sack of rifles.
In the distance, one Jawa was getting the attention of another, chattering excitedly about the spare electronic parts lying all over the street.
Each of them took one end of the sack containing the rest of the arms intended for the Tatooine militia force.
Overhead, Kira heard the faraway sounds of Republic and Coalition ships exchanging laserfire. She looked up to see the faint shapes of fighters soaring over the desert, blasting at one another.
"Where's the bounty hunter's ship?" Sam asked.
"We docked it in the underground landing platform nearby," Tahiri replied, "We'd better hurry."
Kira could hear the sound of fighter engines growing closer.
The sight of exploding ships and rotating lines of red and green laserfire was expanding in her line of vision as well- yet Kira's mind was drifting far from the present situation.
Her use of midichlorian manipulation against Durge, even though it had failed, was conjuring images in her mind. Images of war, and violence, but more specific images as well.
She could see herself facing off against Darth Ultor, striking him fatally. Another image of herself standing before an army of Sith, destroying their life forces with simply a raise of her hand.
But then, the sound of Tahiri saying, "The ship is this way," returned Kira to the present.
She could feel her sanity slowly beginning to slip away, lingering as if waiting for her to do something about it. She felt an inexplicable wave of rage directed at anything that stood in her path- and right now, the sight of Sam taking Tahiri's hand as they fled into the underground docking station seemed to be a prime target.
Kira was not entirely aware of herself as she extended her hand towards Sam and Tahiri, letting out a yell as she used the Force to pry them apart and send them tumbling in opposite directions.
A moment later, Kira found herself beholding the sight of Sam and Tahiri sprawled in two different direction, gazing up at her in horror.
Kira whipped her head between the two of them, in shock at what she had just done.
"Kira- what was that?" Tahiri asked, both angry and horrified at the same time.
"I have to go alone," Kira said, keeping her voice and demeanor as cold as possible, "I have to stop Ultor myself."
"What's gotten into you just now?" Sam demanded.
"Stay away," Kira snarled at them, dashing towards the ramp of Slave II.
As she prepared to board Ailyn Fett's ship alone, Kira turned back to her bewildered friends with a feeling of regret.
"Take the speeder back to base," she said, "I'm sorry, but I have to do this."
Kira couldn't bring herself to wait for her friends' replies of protest. She darted into Slave II and practically dove into the cockpit.
"Kira, come back!" Tahiri yelled as the Firespray lifted from the docking bay, already aiming its cannons at the approaching Coalition fighters.
"We're going to have to get out the hard way!" Sam realized, climbing to his feet as he unholstered his blaster.
Tahiri followed him, giving one last look at Kira's ship as it grew smaller, rising higher above the rooftops of Bestine.
The rush of anger that had swelled inside Kira was still fresh enough for her to blast away three Syck fighters at once as they dove after her.
Her teeth clenched as her hands tightly dug into the meta of the controls.
Kira felt more at home than she had in a while as she shot down fighter after fighter.
She had to forget about her friends, as well as her family for the time being. The longer she thought about Sam and Tahiri, the more the rage inside her grew.
Republic Interceptors had begun to mix with the Coalition ships, blasting at their designated targets as well as Slave II. Kira knew that even if the Republic pilots were aware that there was a Jedi, and not a bounty hunter, flying the Firespray, they would likely still target it.
She pulled on the accelerator with a snarl, aiming for the stars as she rose further and further above the warring ships.
"The speeder's this way," Sam said as he pulled Tahiri down the alleyway from which he and the fallen militia fighters had come.
Tahiri's free hand clamped down hard on her lightsaber hilt, her violet blade waving in all directions as she protected them both from the blasterfire coming from the buildings and the air above.
"What about the weapons?" she asked, "The militia is still unarmed without them."
"We'll have to think of something else," Sam replied, "We don't have time to go back for them."
TATOOINE
As Kira's Slave II blasted off into the orbit of Tatooine, a Coalition Dreadnought forged in Had Abaddon's sinister factories entered the system.
The crew of Sith Lords continued to operate the vessel, commandeered by the projection of Darth Plagueis.
Bane and Savage had both been revived, with Savage among the deck workers and Bane standing on the command bridge, receiving direct orders from Plagueis.
"Lord Bane, I grant you the rank of Sith General, as founder of the Rule of Two bloodline," Plagueis was telling his fore-bearer, "You have the natural right of command. You will lead our army on the battlefield against the enemy, and you alone will report directly to me."
"It is an honor to serve you, Magister," the spell-bound Bane replied, "The Sith army will succeed where the Brotherhood of old failed. With your powers beyond compare, we will lay waste to all who stand in our path."
The Millennium Falcon had taken cover deep within the canyons beyond the Dune Sea.
While the refuges and would-be resistance fighters stayed in the shelter of the ship's overcrowded passenger hold, Han, Leia, Chewie and the droids stood just off the ramp, looking up at the horizon.
"We can't go anywhere without risking being found," Han complained, "I sure hope the kids are having better luck than we are."
"Then we'll have to stay in the shadows until more help arrives," Leia replied gravely.
"Nobody else is on our side," Han pointed out.
Leia closed her eyes in meditation, suddenly looking deeply alarmed.
"Mistress Leia, are you quite all right?" Threepio asked.
At the Lars Homestead, Tionne looked up at the sky with dread, sensing the new arrivals. Turning to her fellow Masters, she declared, "We're going to have to get the students out of here, as soon as possible".
WELLSPRING OF LIFE
The lone Herald-class ship appeared abruptly before the bright, shimmering planet standing alone in the vacuum of space.
Ultor came to his senses at that moment, beholding the sight as his ship rapidly approached it.
He could sense the mysterious beacon that had summoned him here, and guided him through the Force. He knew that the secrets that he had been after were here, and they would be his.
Ultor smiled as the bright lights from the orb's surface illuminated his cockpit. Whatever entity had summoned him wanted him here, and it would reveal its true face to Ultor alone. This was the culmination of his journey that had begun in the Jedi Archives on Coruscant.
That fateful day had once seemed like a tragic mistake, then as a necessary evil. But now, Ultor knew that evil was irrelevant, all that mattered was who was worthy of mastery, and who was destined to fail. The Jedi had failed due to their fear of greater power, as Luke Skywalker had proven. Ultor's conquest would reward him instead.
Finally, Ultor's ship reached solid ground and docked.
Ultor slowly emerged from his cockpit, using the Force to open the ramp of his ship.
As he descended, he felt the flow of his blood hastening, gazing around at the enchanted vegetation that inhabited the planet.
Ultor pulled his lightsaber from his robes and ignited it.
"You summoned me here," he declared, "Now reveal yourself and give me what I seek."
He turned to find a ghostly image appearing out of thin air- it was a tall man with long har and a short beard, wearing the distinct robes of a Jedi.
"The midichlorians may have summoned you here, but you still have a chance to leave," the Jedi ghost said.
"Why should I leave?" Ultor demanded, narrowing his red-and-yellow eyes, "I have come after the most secret knowledge that this place holds."
"The will of the Force is only second to one's own choices," the mystery Jedi replied, "You can stay here, and absorb the knowledge being offered, but your soul will be corrupted beyond the imagination. Your fate will be horrific. You can still escape it."
"I see you for what you are, Jedi," Ultor sneered, "The light side is too weak to stay victorious for long. That is why I am here, and that is why your Order will be crushed, once again."
"The Jedi are not consumed by greed as you are," the spirit condemned, "The Jedi seek power for the benefit of others, not their selfish desires. I stand before you having achieved victory over death not for my own gain, but to pass on knowledge to future leaders of good. My knowledge of the midichlorians can save you from the terrible fate about to befall you. You have already seen the corruption that has taken over the spirit of another whose path you follow."
"I know you refer to Darth Plagueis," Ultor replied, "His power is nothing compared to what mine will become, and his legacy will be as insignificant as yours when I am finished with him."
Another Force spirit spoke to Ultor, joining Qui-Gon.
"I warned you once of the consequences of this dark path," Anakin Skywalker said, "and the power you seek will consume you even beyond the most twisted Sith Lords of the past. Soon, you won't be able to save yourself."
"I have no desire to be saved," Ultor replied, pointing his red blade fruitlessly through Anakin's blue, transparent chest, "It is everyone else who will need saving, including that precious girl of yours. But nobody will be able to save them from me."
Anakin and Qui-Gon exchanged ghostly looks of resignation, both of them flickering from sight a split second later.
"Where are you?" Ultor roared, gazing up at the golden heavens, "Show yourself to me!"
Soon, Ultor was surrounded by four towering, alien beings, radiating an energy of calm that he had never experienced.
"We are the Force Priestesses, speakers for the midichlorians," Serenity said, her black eyes staring down into Ultor's soul, "They have summoned you here to master them, but they will not give themselves to you for free."
"Don't speak in riddles to me, witch," Ultor growled, raising his lightsaber as if preparing to cut Serenity down, "What do they want, and how do I achieve the powers that Plagueis wields?"
"Plagueis will be the key to your mastery," Serenity replied, "The midichorians may serve his will, but they grow tired of answering to him. So they have summoned you here to challenge him."
"They want to serve me instead?" Ultor inquired.
"No, but they see you as necessary in getting rid of their current Master," Serenity replied, "It is the way if the dark side to destroy your own."
"Nobody will destroy me," Ultor scoffed, "I'll kill Plagueis and anyone else who tries to stop me."
He then dipped his blade towards Serenity, intending to plunge it into her heart. However, the Priestess vanished, and Ultor was left with a vision. He saw himself as a young teenager, accompanied by Ben Solo.
He saw himself activating the Sith Holocron, while Ben tried to tell him off...
His lightsaber plunging into Master Brand, who as in the wrong place at the wrong time, Skyler fleeing the Jedi Temple as the Jedi Knights pursued him...
The preserved spirit of Darth Sidious, advising his lone flesh and blood, finding the secret army of Shadowtroopers, building the dark-side enchanted Dreadnoughts that would become the Coalition's command ships...
"These visions will not deter me," Ultor growled, "I will not rest until I have won!"
He began to trudge through the sandy jungle, in search of his most powerful foe.
"Show yourself," he demanded, his rage beginning to erupt.
Finally, he saw the silhouette of another, more solid figure, seated and deep in meditation.
TATOOINE
The speeder that Sam and the militia volunteers had taken from the Lars Homestead zoomed as fast as it could away from Bestine's city limits.
While Sam's eyes were fixed on the vast emptiness of the desert ahead, Tahiri's head was turned back at the city of chaos they were leaving behind.
"I don't know what took over her like that," Tahiri said.
"She's being affected by those new powers," Sam replied, "She tried to use them against Durge, and she used them to bring my father back from the dead. I think it's affecting jed her mind."
"She always talked about you," Tahiri said, growing increasingly forlorn, "She always was excited to see you. You were the mystery handsome pilot that went into the den of the Coalition to save her."
Sam looked away ruefully, gazing up at the afternoon sky.
"It's not like she didn't risk her life to save me. I didn't do the right thing, in leaving so soon," he said, "I should have explained to her at least. Maybe she would have convinced me not to go back to the Republic."
"I know you're not a Jedi, but the Masters always say not to dwell in the past," Tahiri replied, "Living in the moment keeps it from haunting you."
"That is good Jedi wisdom, but it's easier said than done," Sam said.
Deciding to change the subject, he said, "The mission was a total failure. We lost the rest of the strike team and we have no weapons for the militia. They'll be in no shape to fight against the Republic army or the Coalition."
"As long as everybody is standing, there is hope," Tahiri replied, "A new plan might come when we least expect it. I just have a feeling."
"I wish I had the Force about now," Sam replied.
Tahiri's Force sensitivity was sending her a new message now, one that was ringing alarm bells.
She stood up in her seat and sprang out of the moving speeder without warning, activating her violet blade.
Before Sam could begin to process what was happening, a laser blast struck the hood of the landspeeder.
Sam's vision was blinded by smoke and cinders as the speeder tumbled sideways and twisted through the sand before coming to an anticlimactic halt.
Tahiri was already deflecting additional laserfire coming from the herd of banthas surrounding them.
A chorus of Tusken Raider yells was audible over the sound of the scuffle. Each of the nine banthas that had approached was mounted by a masked tribesman.
Sam drew his own blaster and prepared to fire, but a sharp blow to the head knocked him out.
"Sam!" Tahiri yelled, starting to run to him as he fell onto the speeder face first.
"I wouldn't come closer," the Tusken who had knocked Sam out warned her.
Tahiri halted in her tracks, deactivating her lightsaber as she looked hopelessly for a way out.
Several of the other Tuskens dismounted their banthas and ran towards her. Strong hands grabbed Tahiri's arms and wrapped her into a tight strand of rope. Her lightsaber hilt slipped clean out of her grip as one of the Tuskens snatched it.
The Tusken who had attacked Sam hoisted him up and began to carry the unconscious officer towards his own animal.
Tahiri found herself being dragged through the sand by her new captors, finding herself unable to struggle. If there was hope to be found, Tahiri thought, it had better show itself sooner rather than later.
TATOOINE
Two consular ships sped out of the atmosphere of Tatooine, appearing into orbit from the obscured desert clouds.
Tionne determinedly piloted one spacecraft, filled with anxious Jedi Younglings, while the Barabel Master Sebatyne flew the other.
"Where are we going, Master?" a small human girl asked.
"We're taking you to Corellia to be safe," Tionne replied, "It's one of the most Jedi-friendly systems in the Republic."
"Danger ahead," Sebatyne reported, spotting a Sojourn-made transport carrier speeding towards them.
"It's the Sith army," Tionne replied, "We'll have to make the jump to lightspeed before..."
Still under the influence of Plagueis's alchemical spell, Savage opened fire on Tionne's Corvette, while in the other Sith shuttle, Darth Tenebrous pulled the triggers that activated the guns and aimed at Sebatyne's ship.
"Pull into lightspeed!" Tionne shouted into her radio over the voices of the screaming children aboard.
"They're too close on my tail," Sebatyne replied, speeding upwards in a loop to avoid the Sith vessel.
WELLSPRING OF LIFE
Plagueis sprang to his full, towering height as Ultor charged.
The younger Sith already had his saber at the ready as the
Muun fired a massive voltage of Force lightning. As the dark energy bounced closer to Ultor snd his plasma blade, it seemed to shrink in size and scope, making it easier for him to deflect.
"You are foolish to challenge me in my domain, where I am strongest," Plagueis growled, "The midichlorians answer to me, and this is their place of festering."
"The midichlorians are tired of serving you," Ultor retorted, assuming an offensive combat stance, "They seek to liberate themselves by declaring me their new master."
Plagueis let out an enraged howl and sent another bolt of dark energy at his rival.
Once again, the magnitude of the energy diminished as it reached Ultor, allowing him to catch its stream on his red blade.
As Plagueis shifted his focus to the confrontation before him, he lost his midichlorian-enhanced control on the army of undead Sith Lords.
Back in the immediate orbit of Tatooine, the two Sith pilots began to regain control of their senses, as well as the rest of the revived army aboard the carriers.
"What am I doing here?" Savage asked, looking around.
"Make the jump, now!" Tionne shouted, taking advantage of the enemy ships' relenting and pulling the throttle.
Master Sebatyne followed suit, activating the hyperdrive of her vessel just as Tenebrous resumed firing on her and her charged. Despite having been freed from his former apprentice's spell, Darth Tenebrous did not have the same shift in conscience as the pawn Savage.
"You fool! You let the Jedi get away!" Darth Zannah snapped at Savage as she appeared in the cockpit behind him.
Savage stood up from the pilot's seat and drew his double bladed saberstaff.
"I want nothing more to do with the Sith," the Nightbrother Zabrak replied, "They robbed me of my life and my family."
Before he could move on the offensive, Zannah had him pinned down with a ruthless barrage of Sith lightning, immediately rendering the hulking warrior unconscious.
Tenebrous spoke into the radio, addressing both the Sith in his own vessel and the other ship.
"We may have been manipulated by Plagueis, but the fact remains that the Jedi Order is in our grasp. If we go down to the planet and make our strike, then we can wipe out the entire Order. Those Younglings will have no Masters left to train them."
"I concur," Zannah replied, "Let us finish what we began. Today, we will revive the Sith for all time."
CHANDRILIA SYSTEM
Swarmed by a small fleet of New Republic Interceptors, an old Mon Calamari cruiser sped as quickly as it could away from the Chandrilia system, en route to Tatooine for much-needed aide.
"Prepare to jump into lightspeed on my count," Admiral Ackbar said from the control station.
"Wait," Lando Calrission interjected, "We're picking up on two ships entering our orbit."
"It's the Jedi!" Trix Azer realized as she made out the emblems on the two Corvettes.
"This is Master Tionne," said a voice into the cruiser's radio, "We have evacuated our younglings from the battle on Tatooine. The Sith and the Coalition are gearing for a devastating attack, and Omas's forces are only making matters worse."
"Senator Mothma and her staff will take care of the Younglings," Lando replied, "You can count on us."
TATOOINE
Inside the Millennium Falcon's cockpit Leia suddenly shook Han awake.
"Han, I sense something terrible about to happen."
"What else is new?" her husband asked, "We've got every side against us and no weapons to fight with. We're just sitting ducks here."
"I feel a disturbance from Anchorhead," Leia replied, "Omas is about to tear the city apart. We have to stop the battle before it gets innocents killed."
"We're tied down by an unarmed militia that is in no shape to fight any battle," Han replied.
"You're forgetting that I'm a Jedi," Leia replied, "I can handle Omas and his guns. You and Chewie will stay here and take care of the others."
"No, you stay," Han replied, "Chewie and I will go and take care of Omas."
"Han, you can't!" Leia exclaimed, slipping her hand over his with dreadful fear, "You won't stand a chance."
"That's what you said about the asteroids," Han replied lightheartedly, "Besides, like you said, you're the Jedi. If anybody comes, you're the best chance at protecting all these people. They need you."
Leia was silent as she thought it over. She knew Han was right, but she hated to send him on a mission that he was far less likely to survive than she Leia was a Jedi, and she could not let attachment cloud her judgment.
"What happened to the old mercenary?" Leia asked, nuzzling her head against Han's chest.
"Besides," Han amended, "It won't just be me against the Republic army. We've still got friends out there."
The Pyke and Black Sun soldiers massed outside the border of Mos Espa as the Republic AT-GTs rolled through the sand.
Additional guerrillas were piloting the Coalition's artillery tanks from the alleyways and hidden bunkers into the streets in anticipation of the battle to commence.
"All units, prepare to fire," Omas said from his cockpit, "Reduce the city to rubble if you have to."
"Sir, our scanners are picking up on dozens of civilian crafts attempting to push through the Coalition bagel units and evacuate," a scout from one of the other tanks reported.
"We can't risk letting any terrorists go free," Omas replied, "prepare to deploy the drones and open fire on my count."
"Wait, what's that?" one of the sergeants asked in alarm.
The unmistakable Millennium Falcon came spinning from the late afternoon sky, its cannons trained directly at the lead AT-GT.
From the Falcon, Han dispatched a signal to the Republic ground forces.
"You've gone too far, Omas," he warned, "I'm not letting you hurt these innocent people."
"If you oppose our military front, then you are supporting the Coalition army that stands before us," Omas replied, "And all traitors to our Republic will be dealt with accordingly."
"I won't let you hurt these innocent people," Han declared, "I'll tear every one of your cannons apart piece by piece if I have to."
"You'll die trying," Omas replied, "You were always one for reckless stunts, Solo. This one will be your last."
To the commanders of the AT-GT armada, Omas said, "Take out the Falcon, then continue with the main operation."
"Get ready, Chewie, this is going to be rough!" Han shouted down from the cockpit into the gunning station.
"I don't see why we had to be here!" Threepio protested from the passenger hold, grabbing tightly to Artoo's domed head.
Han swerved through six streams of heavy artillery fire as they sailed high into the air. Meanwhile, Chewie howled with vigor as he fired at Omas's cockpit, though the movement of the Falcon hurt his accuracy.
"The Coalition army is advancing!" observed a Brigadier.
The Coalition artillery cannons appeared larger as they rolled from the city limits of Bestine towards the advancing Republic army, flanked by hundreds of heavily armed guerrilla fighters.
"Brace for incoming fire," a commander said.
"Take Solo down!" Omas yelled.
Half of the AT-GTs kept their cannons trained on the airborne Falcon, while the crew aboard the rest of the Republic tanks turned their attention to the advancing Coalition military.
Meanwhile, Syck fighters appeared over the tallest towers beyond Bestine's borders, speeding to join the fight.
"Well this is just great, Chewie," Han commented at the sight.
A portion of the Syck fleet broke off to target the Millennium Falcon, while the rest opened fire on the Republic invading forces.
Omas's tanks returned the fire, sending missiles and lasers across the sandy terrain.
The guerrilla soldiers likewise began firing with all the ammunition they had, which sped in dozens of directions for precision.
The AT-GTs mowed down guerrilla after guerrilla as they slowly advanced into the city. Meanwhile, Han and Chewie were struggling to avoid fire from the Syck fighters as well as the Republic vessels.
Finally, a small green bolt struck the satellite dish atop the Falcon, causing a small fire to erupt upon the hull.
Chewbacca roared with hopelessness as Han's eyes widened in surprise.
A blast from an AT-GT cannon tore into the Falcon's passenger hold, ripping off a sizable chunk of the freighter's engine and exterior.
The Falcon sputtered as it came collapsing from the sky, sliding onto the sand and screeching forward to a halt.
It didn't even occur to Han to try and start the engine again, as damaged as it was. He instantly sprang to his feet and dove down the entryway that led into the ruined, flaming passenger hold.
Chewbacca was already there with Artoo and Threepio, who protested, "Artoo, do something!"
Artoo began to spray a jet of water from his domed head onto the fire, but it did only marginal good to extinguish it.
Han grabbed onto Chewie weakly as he choked on the cinders flying through the air inside his beloved ship.
"Oh, dear me, is there anything we can do?" Threepio asked.
"I don't think there's much more we can do," Han replied grimly, "This might be the end."
He thanked his luck that he had said goodbye to Leia before his doom, and made her realize how far he had come from the selfish smuggler he had once been. He knew she would be strong enough to carry on the fight after his death. They all would. Han thought of Luke and his son Ben as Chewie wrapped his furry arms around his best friend.
"The might of the Republic will always bring its traitors to justice," Omas said from the cockpit of his AT-GT, which was preparing to fire a killing blow to the wrecked Millennium Falcon.
Before the AT-GT could open fire, its rear was struck by a volley of lasers from above.
"Where'd that cone from?" the captain inside the cockpit asked.
A new fleet of X-Wings, Interceptors and Republic command shuttles came soaring from the bright blue Tatooine sky, with the sun's glow gleaming off of Lando's Lady Luck.
"Those are Republic ships attacking us!"
Han, Chewie and the droids raced down the ramp of the burning Falcon just in time to see the swarm Rebel Alliance-era craft, launched from Chandrilia and several other sympathetic worlds, firing on both Omas's fleet and the Coalition forces.
"Green and red groups, go help the city evacuate and keep the Coalition forces from stopping them!" Lando ordered, "Blue and gold, stick with me."
"I thought he'd never show," Han muttered to himself as he watched in awe.
Chewie was quicker on the uptake, unstrapping his bowcaster and training it on the incoming Coaliton ships. He was able to hit one from the sky, then another.
Inside the old Hutt Cartel palace, Rotta the Hutt spoke to his fellow Coalition leaders via holo-conference.
"The Republic fleet has reinforcements that are undermining our control in Bestine," Gorga said in Huttese.
"How did they get past the blockade?" Rotta demanded, "Black Sun Vigos, explain!"
"Our forces were mainly concentrated on the Sith vehicles from Sojourn that are now entering the atmosophere," Vigo Yerrin Serri replied apologetically, "They pose a grave threat to our plans on their own."
Rotta hissed angrily, furious at the greater complications arising.
"Take the entire population hostage if you have to."
Inside the city limits of Bestine, civilians of all species and trades were desperately scrambling towards any spaceports and available transportations that they were able to find.
Soon, however, the cloaked Pyke soldiers began to appear at the entrances, blocking the refugees from passing through.
Some brave citizens opened fire with their blasters, sometimes managing to kill their captors. However, the Pykes were far better trained in combat, and were indiscriminate about who was on the other end of their staffs and rifles.
A large bloc of refugees reached the arched entrance that led to the Bestine General Spaceport, with a large pocket of public offworld transport vessels waiting in the large hangar.
A line of Pykes stood guard, determined not to let anyone through. The armed civilians stood with their blasters pointed, not daring to fire lest they risk getting cut down themselves.
The sound of two lightsabers coming to life broke the standoff as Saba Sebatyne and Tionne both leapt from a passing shuttle onto the sandy ground.
Both of them began to battle the Pykes, deflecting fire and using the Force to push several warriors away at a time.
"Go, get to safety!" Tionne shouted, ushering the refugees into the spaceport.
"Get their ships, make sure they don't get near the civilian craft!" Trix shouted into her radio she led an Interceptor unit towards the Sycks that were awaiting the fleeing refugee shuttles.
Ship after ship hurried away from the city as the Republic and Coalition ships exchanged fire, with several fighters at a time erupting in gas and flames.
"Looks like they're taking a lot of hits," Han observed, "We oughta do something."
"Look, over there!" Threepio pointed at a massive illumination of light approaching.
Several Anchorhead landspeeders were approaching the battle scene, equipped with two dozen Jedi, many of whom had their lightsabers at the ready.
"Retreat!" Omas shouted, "Fall back! We can't win from here! We're being torn apart from too many angles!"
The AT-GTs began reversing away from the battle, leaving behind a trail of corpses and wrecked artillery equipment in their wake.
The drone ships began to follow the tanks as they disappeared over the desert hill.
The strike team of Jedi joined the Rebel forces as they approached the adobe city.
Coalition fighters and transport carriers began to fly out of their hidden bases and platforms as the Jedi charged as a unit into the city, causing the guerrillas to retreat as quickly as they could.
Han, Chewie, and the droids rushed to the Lady Luck as it descended and prepared to dock.
"Lando, you old bastard," Han grumbled as the ramp to Lando's shuttle slid open to reveal the caped Admiral.
In spite of his pride, Han rushed to embrace his old friend and rival.
"You actually made it."
Lando returned the gesture replying, "It was the least I could do. Where's Leia?"
"We've got a militia army, but they have no weapons. She's the only one defending them," Han replied as Chewie suffocated Lando in a hug as well.
"Well, we've got plenty of arms and ammunition to spare," Lando replied.
He then noticed the wrecked Falcon lying in the dunes, and his joy turned to despair.
"What did they do to my ship?"
"Omas's handiwork," Han replied grimly, "I was ready to go down with her."
Chewie bellowed his agreement.
"Well, the old girl isn't the only thing Omas has managed to split in two," Lando replied, "The Republic Senate is split between our camp and his. The Chief is nothing more than a sitting duck while they argue about what to do with this war."
"But we have some friends now?" Han asked hopefully.
"Mostly the old Rebel strongholds," Lando replied, "But Omas still has a lot of systems fired up with his rhetoric. He's bringing even more Republic forces to steamroll the planet."
Jedi Master Tionne joined the two rogue Republic officers.
"We cannot let that happen, can we?" she asked.
"I hope we can count on the Jedi to keep the peace here?" Lando asked.
"You have our support, Admiral Calrissian," Tionne replied.
"Now, I think it's time to see what we can do with the Falcon here," Lando stated, turning his attention to the ruined Corellian freighter, "We can't just leave her to rest, not after everything she's been through."
"Couldn't agree more," Han replied.