Star Wars: Force of Nature

by General Rage

In a carefully laid trap, the King of Monsters is hit with a devastating super weapon. While the Nations of the World cheer they do not realize they have not destroyed him, only sent Godzilla to a new world. It is here the Atomic Titan shall come face to face with a new enemy, as he walks straight into a war long ago in a Galaxy Far, Far away...

8. Now You'll Suffer for It!

Chapter 7: Now You'll Suffer For It!

Darth Vader stormed into the Command Center, flanked by his personal guard. Sakal, leaning over the command console, turned to him as he entered. He suspected he wanted news on the operation and how it was going. Unfortunately, Sakal had nothing for him as the latest reports hadn't come in. Interference from a sudden storm in the area, plus the radiation, had made a mess of the impromptu probe droid messenger system. It was taking longer to receive the much needed intel. He'd have to stall for time. Just until he actually had something to report.

"Lord Vader," he began, trying to sound in control. "I am awaiting further information on the operation. Final confirmation of the monster's death should be coming-"

"I do not need your report," Vader boomed at him loudly. "The creature has escaped your trap."

Sakal looked aghast, how could he possibly know that? He couldn't know that. Surely this was a test, a way to gauge his ability to keep composed in a dire situation. He did his best to keep his cool.

"Sir, I highly doubt it could've freed itself," Sakal insisted. "Just because it's taking longer than expected-"

"I am not mistaken," Vader declared loudly. "I have sensed his escape through the Force. It is free of the quarry and not entirely of its own hand."

Sakal stared at Vader wide-eyed, trying to see through the dark mask he wore. He kept trying to see if he could determine whether or not this was a joke on his part. But Vader didn't joke and he did not sound like he was toying with the General either. No, he was truly enraged. Sakal feared he was about to learn Nulon's lesson, that the saber on the dark armored man's hip would start to glow. Instead, nothing happened, Vader just stood there. So Sakal started to ask his own question. If Alpha Predator One hadn't escaped on his own, that only left one explanation.

"Are you saying the Rebels helped free him?" He asked tepidly.

"Indeed," Vader grimly answered. "And I suspect they are already on their way here, following in the creature's wake."

"Following?" Sakal asked again, more fearful than before. "Alpha Predator One is coming here?"

Vader didn't answer that. He didn't need to, Sakal knew he was telling the truth. This was it then, the final stand, all or nothing. That monster would charge in here, destroy all their work and then the Rebels would mop up the rest. He turned to Vader and stood at attention.

"What are your orders, Lord Vader?" He asked readily.

"I have already ordered more AT-ATs down to the surface, along with other special walkers held in reserve," Lord Vader answered simply. "Contact all remaining Imperial Forces and relocate them here. We shall hold this facility no matter the cost. Star Destroyers are on their way and I have already instructed Doctor Boll to finish final preparations on the prototype immediately."

Sakal looked back in surprise. He was considering unleashing the Zillo-Beast on Alpha Predator One? That seemed a drastic measure. Not to mention potentially costly if it failed.

"Are you certain of that, my Lord?" He asked, trying not to sound like he disagreed with the plan.

"It is a last resort," Vader coldly explained. "One I will only enact should all else fail."

Sakal knew what Vader really meant. "All else" was really referring to him. If he failed. Sakal really did not want to think about what else Vader would do should that happen. As the Dark Lord left he turned slightly back to look at the General, a threatening glare as he did so.

"This shall be our final stand," he declared. "Either the monster and the Rebels fall, or this facility does."

With that, Darth Vader left taking his Stormtroopers with him. Again, Sakal realized the real meaning behind the statement. It wasn't their last stand at all, just his.

---

"Are we really sure this is such a good idea?" Zeb asked. "I mean I know it's a bit late to back out now but..."

"You're free to go over there and tell him you're having second thoughts," Kanan jovially informed him.

He pointed over to Godzilla, who they were following behind at a considerable distance of at least half a mile. The giant was plodding along at a relatively steady pace. Even at this distance, they could feel the reverberation of his footsteps. Like miniature earthquakes every couple of seconds.

"Yeah, how about you do that instead," Zeb grumbled back before he elaborated further. "I'm just saying, it feels like we're putting a bit too much faith in that lizard. That and the idea of making deals with a giant monster is pretty disturbing."

"We're not relying on faith," Ahsoka informed him. "Everything we learned about him suggests Godzilla only cares about destroying all perceived threats. So long as he believes something is dangerous to him, he will pursue it. We made our point clear concerning the Zillo-Beast's danger to him and that's all he needs to justify destroying it."

Kanan turned to the Togruta, a bit of a suspicious glare as he looked at her.

"And yet you didn't tell him that the weapon was a giant cybernetic killer alien clone," Kanan reminded her. "Any reason why?"

"I don't think that's a detail he would've cared about," Ahsoka explained plainly. "Given what we learned of his history, do you honestly think he'd care? Besides, that creature waiting for us in that lab is more weapon than anything. It's hardly a deception. Do you disagree?"

"I don't," Kanan admitted. "It's just weird how you treated it. Almost like you were giving a briefing to someone. Information on a need to know basis and all that. Like he was one of your recruits."

Ahsoka crossed her arms and eyed her fellow Force User with a slight air of disdain.

"Technically he is," Ahsoka stated in a technical tone. "Even if he won't admit it. In any case, it won't matter. We'll be leaving this planet the moment the facility, the research and the prototype itself are all destroyed. Godzilla will get what he wants and so will we. Everyone walks away a winner."

"Except the Empire of course," Zeb added with a chuckle. "But who cares about them, right?"

Certainly no one within the small convoy currently following the giant reptile. Said convoy was a mix of several vehicles, mostly re-purposed by the Rebels from both sides of the Clone Wars. Only a few were newer attack vehicles. Most of the motorized forces consisted of either AAT-1 Hover Tanks or AT-TEs, the main attack vehicles of both the Separatists and Republic respectively. The former were no longer manned by droids, but they were still as effective as they were under their previous owners. Not nearly as powerful as any of the Empire's newer 2-M tanks of course. Like the AT-TEs though, they had been upgraded to at least be able to put up a decent enough fight. Said AT-TEs were also slower than anything the Empire had, but they made up for it in their ability to take a hit. They'd both be the main thrust of the operation.

The Rebels did have other walkers though, besides the old AT-TEs. A number of AT-AP Walkers were in their service. A number of Rebel Cells had liberated these during the chaos of the post-Clone Wars era. While not nearly as well armored as Imperial Walkers, they made up for it with a laser that could tear buildings apart with ease. Surrounding these walkers, protecting them from the heavy vehicles that could tear them apart, were skiffs outfitted with anti-vehicle weapons. Apparently they came from a small cell stationed on Tattooine. They liked harassing Imperial patrols with them and had been fairly successful in a number of raids on small convoys.

The Rebels also had long range artillery capabilities, again with liberated Clone Wars tech. Hailfire Droids had given the Republic hell back in the day, now they would help restore it. Their big wheels were a bit cumbersome, but their long-range missiles were all that mattered in the long run. They were mostly at the back of the column, ready to bombard the Imperials when the time came. Speeder bikes waited with them in reserve, prepared to dash out into the field to swarm what was left of the Stormtroopers when the bombardment ended.

However, the bulk of the attack was infantry, hidden in either the AT-TEs for protection, riding on speeder transports, or huddled inside one of three massive rolling monsters on wheels. Juggernauts, powerful killing machines that could destroy tanks and fixed positions with relative ease using their powerful mounted laser cannons and rocket launchers. More importantly, they could house several squads in their massive frames. They would be the hammer of the attack, forcing their way into the Imperial positions and allowing the Rebels to storm the complex.

Yet even with all this hardware they had scrounged together, it was still nothing compared to what Moira had claimed was waiting for them at the facility itself. A second recon flight reported that the Imperials were delivering even more AT-ATs, as well as a few smaller Missile Walkers called AT-MPs. They were already bulking up their defenses in preparation for Godzilla and, as Ahsoka suspected, their little convoy too. She wouldn't be surprised if a few Star Destroyers moved into position soon.

Now, as she stood in the Command Cabin for the Juggernaut, she wondered if Godzilla would be able to handle all of that on his own. They'd probably need to give him a slight helping hand in some capacity. It was why she had kept Moira's team in the air, ready to assist Godzilla when the assault began.

She had other concerns than just Godzilla though. There was Kanan too, who had been rather cold and abrasive towards her since the mental vision with Godzilla had ended. His latest comments, were just the latest in a string of minor jabs at her for how things had gone down at the quarry. It was only now she was starting to notice them more readily.

"Kinda funny how we're helping him kick the Empire out though," Kanan said suddenly with a sardonic tone. "We're basically handing the planet over to him."

"At least he only wants control of one planet," Ahsoka noted. "And an otherwise uninhabited one at that."

"Just seems odd for Rebels to do is all," Kanan shrugged. "It's kinda like installing a dictator. He's a monster, but he's our monster, right?"

The mocking tone had finally gotten to Ahsoka. She couldn't ignore it anymore. She approached the surly Cowboy Jedi and confronted him directly.

"Is there something you want to get off your chest, Kanan?" She asked, perhaps a bit less reserved than usual. "Because I think it would be better for everyone if you did."

"Alright," he growled lowly. "You really want to know? Here it is. I'm still not exactly thrilled with how things went down. You said we'd talk it out first, instead you force the issue on me and Ezra. Not exactly what we discussed. Not exactly very Jedi either."

"Well I'm not a Jedi," Ahsoka replied succinctly.

"Yeah, thanks for the reminder," Kanan shot back. "I'm starting to realize why you quit."

Ahsoka grimaced at him and his aggressive stance.

"What happened, happened," she flatly declared. "I made my choice and I had to live with it. If you think that makes me a lesser person, fine, but don't pretend you understand the why of it."

"I understand enough to know you keep pushing my crew into these situations," he explained. "Situations I'm not entirely on board with. I may have volunteered for this, but I did not volunteer for Ezra to be used in what was essentially an untested, first time ever mental connection like that. We're lucky we're still able to eat food unassisted and stand up straight."

"I took precautions," Ahsoka insisted. "I prepared our way beforehand. Godzilla understood we posed no real threat or wanted to wish him harm. That was our in. We had to take it before that door closed. It was a calculated risk, the same as any other action."

"No, not the same," Kanan declared, pointing his finger at her. "Because Ezra didn't appreciate the danger he was in. I was the only one doing that."

At this time, Zeb was looking between the two Jedi nervously. Slowly but surely, he got up from his seat and started moving away from them. Neither of them noticed and Ahsoka continued the conversation.

"I remember you being proud of Ezra," Ahsoka informed him. "You congratulated him."

"Because he exceeded even my expectations and I was proud of him," Kanan insisted. "But that doesn't get you off the hook for risking his life like that. His and mine actually. All for a plan that in the end only barely worked."

"We're on the same side, Kanan," Ahsoka firmly informed him. "I don't want to lose you or Ezra anymore than any other soldier, but we cannot ignore the fact that such a thing might happen. If something went wrong I would've been prepared to shield you from the consequences. I would've ejected you both from the connection if I had to. I was at as much risk as you were, maybe more."

"Oh, so that somehow makes it okay then?" Kanan asked vindictively. "And that's another thing, I don't like being called a soldier. I'm not that, not anymore. To be honest, sometimes I wonder if we're really on the same side like you say we are. Mainly because a lot of the stuff you put us through is more than what any of us signed on for, what Ezra signed on for. We were just trying to save one little corner of the Galaxy before, not take on the whole Empire."

Ahsoka sighed, shaking her head. After all this time, did he still not understand? This fight was bigger than any one planet. Bigger than any one person or grievance. Hera had mentioned they had started together under less than noble aspirations. Kanan felt doing good at the start was just a nice bonus to, well, spending time with her it seemed. He had changed greatly over the years, but as Ahsoka feared he wasn't interested in being part of a bigger movement. Perhaps it reminded him too much of what happened before, too similar to the Republic that turned on him. And now, with his own Apprentice to look after, his priorities had shifted again.

"Take it from me, Kanan," Ahsoka tried to tell him calmly. "You can't protect him forever. Every Jedi, Master or Apprentice, eventually has to leave the other. They have to find their own way in the Force and have to be willing to let them."

"I am willing," Kanan steadfastly assured her. "But when he's ready, not before. When he's prepared for the danger, when he knows what he's going to face. Not when he's still some hot shot kid looking for a little glory."

Kanan's words started sounding personal, mixed with the past and present. Ahsoka honestly wondered if he was even talking about Ezra anymore. In a way, she understood what he was getting at. Ezra needed to be ready, but in some ways, so did Kanan.

"He'll never be ready if you don't give him the chance," Ahsoka informed him. "None of them will. We can't keep waiting and hoping we'll be ready, we don't have that luxury. Sometimes... we just need to take a leap."

Now she was sounding nostalgic. Her thoughts drifting back to a time that was a lot more simple. A time that held as many wounds for her as it did for the Cowboy Jedi before her. Kanan probably noticed, but he didn't budge much on the subject.

"You know, you better hope that our new friend stays okay with being a part of this rebellion for the moment," Kanan told her. "So far he's been able to tolerate this, like I do. That might change though. Because honestly, he had a point. You are using him."

"In a way, he's using us too," Ahsoka noted. "I'm sure at least he thinks of it like that."

"Just don't think for a second that my crew is as willing as him," Kanan reiterated. "We have the same goals, but we're not your soldiers. Remember that."

Kanan walked off, not angrily, but not exactly in a friendly manner either. Ahsoka finally noticed Zeb in the corner, rubbing the back of his head at the whole scene.

"Eh, he's just letting off some steam," he tried to assure the togruta. "I think it has more to do with the kid than you, honestly."

"I'd like to believe that," Ahsoka sighed, turning back towards the sight of the distant Godzilla ahead of them.

Kanan was right though, she was using Godzilla. In many ways she was using all the Rebel Cells. It was for a common goal though, a noble one. Then again, how many times had the Jedi Order said that very thing to themselves? With any luck this wouldn't end as badly as that though. They just had to stay the course a little longer. This mission was almost over. It all relied on Godzilla pulling through against incredible odds. She wondered if the big lizard relished the challenge actually. Perhaps this was more than just shared interest than, maybe he just wanted a good fight. If that was the case, the Empire was certainly going to give it to him.

---

Kamo had always feared this day. In the back of his mind he just knew it would happen. You can't expect to kill a whole damn Order of the most powerful warriors in the Galaxy wholesale. No, some had to have escaped. He just kept lying to himself that they hadn't. Now, they were back. They were back for him. They had to be. And somehow, he didn't know how exactly, they had brought that monster with them. It was the only explanation his mind could come up with for such a huge coincidence. This creature shows up at the same time as a bunch of Jedi return? They attack this planet, of all planets, with him on it? No, not coincidence, it couldn't be.

He had seen it with his own eyes. Somehow those Jedi were controlling that monster. He knew they could do that, Clones knew everything about the Jedi. For all he knew, every attack was orchestrated by them, that this creature was in fact part of whatever plan they had in store. Alpha Predator One was an instrument in this endeavor, being used to strike back against the Empire on this remote world. And why this world? Because he was here, one of the last Clones still active in the service. They probably found out about his deployment here and took the chance to get revenge for what had happened.

Kamo didn't know if that was completely reasonable, or if it sounded at all rational to anyone else. He supposed it only really made sense to him. No one else had been at the Temple, no one else knew the details of what exactly they had to do that night. They only people who knew were Clones who had been there and Jedi. To everyone else it was just some little blurb in a history book or a short holo film that ran on the networks. They didn't know the truth, they were just told to regurgitate some story they had been fed. He knew what really happened and why the Jedi would be after a Clone like him.

He had been right about the monster having an intelligence and goal behind its actions. He didn't suspect it was due, at the very least in part, to Jedi trickery. That creature was still a danger alright, still smarter than what Command seemed to believe, but now Kamo knew where some of that direction it had came from. However, he didn't share it with the others, he didn't share it with anyone. He couldn't let people know Jedi were still alive. One, because that would create a panic among the ranks. Two, because he couldn't really confirm it beyond his own suspicions. And Three, because his mind told him not to. He had to remain secretive, quiet, so no one would stop him from doing what had to be done.

They had been quickly diverted to a massive facility, residing close to the cracked and blackened volcanic landscape. Said volcano was only a mile or so away from the complex, relatively dormant and only spewing out a few harmless lava flows that had been guided away from the facility.

The facility itself was massive, almost like a small city onto itself. Apparently they needed to hook up a plasma reactor that sucked up power from the planet's core just to keep it all running. Kamo didn't know why they needed such a huge complex, but he suspected it was for something big. This was obviously what they had been protecting all these years. Why else would they call them all here to defend it?

Defend it, not just against the approaching giant lizard, but Rebels that had somehow gotten past the blockade and onto Tsuburonda. Now they were following Alpha Predator One it seemed and they'd be attacking this facility alongside the reptile. That pretty much confirmed Kamo's suspicions that the Jedi were directing the monster, but again he didn't say anything. He knew Command wouldn't believe him about the Jedi with a more tangible threat in the form of a Rebel assault force on the way. Even if they did, they certainly wouldn't feel three Jedi were directing Alpha Predator One. Taking them out was key to finally killing that thing, he knew that. No one else would understand.

No, if he wanted the Jedi dead then he would have to rely on himself. He was the only person here capable of doing that. Arch and Devo, they wouldn't last very long. They didn't understand the Jedi like he did. They hadn't fought beside them, they hadn't even really known them and they certainly hadn't had to fight one ever. When the Rebels got inside this complex, and with the help of their big angry mutant krayt dragon friend they most certainly would, the Jedi would be with them. It would be up to him, a lone clone, to take them down. No one else.

As soon as they landed he broke off from the main group and slipped away into the inner bowels of the complex. He didn't know if either Arch or Devo noticed his disappearance and he didn't really care. That probably sounded cruel, but it was the truth. He had a mission, not exactly a new one but it overrode everything else. Killing a Jedi, however, was not easy. Killing three by yourself was near impossible. Add on to that he was no longer young. He just wasn't much of a match for a Force User, not by himself anyway. He needed to gear up.

He found what he was looking for after a about half an hour of searching. In the security quarters, which all Stormtroopers now had access to, he found the main armory. Most of the guns had been taken, only the surplus remained. Fine by him, he'd take whatever there was left.

At the back of the room he located a number of high-powered blaster rifles, long ranged, scoped. He'd only need one, no sense in overloading himself. Not that he believed it would be much use against a Jedi, but there was always the chance of a lucky shot. He grabbed a number of grenades as well, deciding he'd use them as a last resort. He also found a spare Arc Caster, although again he doubted it would be really effective. All it was for was to wear the Jedi down, tire them out. Only thing he could do. He picked up some blaster pistols as well, just as backup in case things went wrong.

Then he found the real prize. Within a crate at the back of the room was a rotary blaster cannon, similar to the ones used back in the war. This would be the weapon that could break the Jedi, the gun that could take one down. Of course, it was easier when there were at least five of them against one. He'd have to play it smart if he hoped for the cannon to be effective.

As he picked up the rotary blaster from the crate, his arms struggled to hold it properly. It had been a long time since he had used one of these and he was not in his prime. These Jedi had years to train, while he hadn't seen any real action since the end of the war. The odds were against him here, but if there was any chance of survival he had to see this through.

"There you are, sir."

Kamo turned to see Arch staring at him from the doorway, sounding and looking rather confused. Kamo didn't say anything in response. He just hefted the rotary blaster over to a table to put it down and then he started gathering what he could into a carrying satchel for later. Arch approached him, still curious about the whole thing.

"You really think you're going to need all this?" Arch asked. "I mean, I know they say there's a pretty big Rebel Force out there but still."

"For what I'm fighting, I'm going to need it," Kamo stated bluntly.

"What you're fighting?" Arch said, perplexed by the choice of words. "What are you talking about? You mean the monster? That's kinda out of our hands at the moment, sir."

"He's not the problem," Kamo insisted through gritted teeth as he looked briefly at Arch.

The Scout Trooper was a bit put off the by the Clone's sudden shift in tone and mood. As Kamo started doing a system check on the rotary blaster, making sure it was in working condition, Arch approached him steadily. His concern was obvious, even through the helmet.

"Is everything okay, sir?" He asked tepidly.

"No," Kamo replied bluntly. "Nothing has been okay for awhile."

He wouldn't tell Arch anything. He didn't need to know, he couldn't. He wouldn't last five seconds against a Jedi. He wouldn't be able to protect him. At least with Alpha Predator One they were dealing with something that was indiscriminate. A creature that focused on the battle as a whole and rarely individuals. The Jedi were different. They were up close, they were personal and they had abilities that made soldiers like Arch redundant. Besides, this was his mission, he couldn't bring him in on it. That wasn't how this worked.

"What's wrong?" Arch asked again. "You've been acting weird since we got out of that quarry. Haven't said a word to me or the LT. You were looking at that monster and you muttered something about following orders and then nothing."

Kamo stopped his work briefly, but did not speak or turn to Arch.

"Do you know something about that monster?" The Scout pressed. "You've been right about him so far. Command may not buy it, but I'll listen."

After a long silence, Kamo spoke at last.

"I did find something out," he informed him. "But it's something you can't help with."

"What do you mean I can't help?" Arch asked, sounding offended. "We're a team!"

"I'm sorry, but that's just how it is," Kamo repeated. "It's something I gotta do. I can't involve you. That's all I can say."

Arch still looked confused. He didn't say anything, but he didn't move. No doubt he had a ton of questions on his mind. Questions Kamo couldn't answer. All he could do was try to explain.

"Remember when you said you hadn't expected your first combat to be like this," he began to recall, turning to the scout and staring him down. "What did you expect when you joined up?"

"Well, adventure mostly," Arch admitted. "Serving the Galaxy, maintaining order, keeping the bad guys down."

"That's how I started too," Kamo morosely admitted. "Heroic aspirations, noble ideas. Difference is, I didn't have a choice. I never had one. I was bred to go to war, from day one. That was all that ever mattered. I never thought about what would happen when it was over. When the war was done and the soldiers they bred to fight it were no longer needed. I just went day by day, doing what I was told, expecting it would all be worth a damn, that I was doing something important. In the end, I did do something important and it's the one thing I can't really remember much about except that I did it."

Arch just stood perplexed, trying to figure out what the old soldier was trying to tell him. Kamo supposed he was being to cryptic. Like he suspected, Arch just didn't understand. He wasn't a clone, he didn't know.

"They gave us a bunch of promises when they made us," Kamo continued. "Motivation to keep fighting I guess. It seemed enough at first, but as time went on, their promises didn't seem to pan out like we wanted. Then we get ordered to take down the very people who commanded us. None of us even flinch, we just do it, because that's what good soldiers do. What do you get in return for that? For saving them from a conspiracy against them? Nothing."

"I remember," Arch tried to squeak out. "You all got discharged."

"We were thrown away, cast to the side, tossed into a box and forgotten," Kamo corrected him harshly. "We'd done their dirty work, we did it proudly. We were good soldiers, we followed orders. We did what had to be done, didn't hesitate. Hell, it was easy! I don't know why, but it was! And what's our reward for that kind of loyalty? We end up being forcibly ejected from the one job we were born to do and left alone to rot!"

Arch backed up slightly as Kamo's started shouting. The Clone caught himself and quickly calmed. He then asked another question.

"What do you know of the night the Jedi Temple on Coruscant was attacked by Republic Forces?" He asked.

"Well, you'd know more than me, sir," he admitted. "You were there."

"That's the thing, I don't know," Kamo explained plainly. "I only get flashes, brief images. I don't remember anything substantial. Just that I was there, that there were Jedi and I killed them because they were traitors. I don't remember how many, who or how. Something happened that night and I can't remember it for some reason. I don't even know how I feel about it! Does that sound normal to you?"

Arch shook his head.

"That's what the price of war is, kid," Kamo informed him. "I killed a bunch of people who were the guardians of peace in the Republic for thousands of years and I don't even know how I feel about it. I only know what they told me and I have to accept that. What I can't accept is being treated like garbage by the very people who made me do the thing I can't remember! But I'm still loyal to them, a good soldier who follows orders. You know why?"

"No," Arch admitted sadly. "I can't really say why, to be honest."

Kamo walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Because I have nowhere else to go," he sullenly informed him. "I never had a choice, Arch. I never had a chance to walk away from something bigger than myself. I'm a soldier, it's just what they made me to be. The hero they wanted, until they didn't need me anymore."

"I'm sorry, sir," Arch told him earnestly. "I... I didn't know that-"

"It ain't your fault, kid," Kamo told him sadly, as he took his hand off his shoulder. "You're not the one who needs to apologize."

Kamo went for the door, leaving Arch standing there. The scout did not go after him. The Clone decided to leave him with a parting bit of advice.

"Don't try to become a hero, Arch," he warned him. "It's never worth it in the end. There's no reward, there's no glory. Just a few worthless bits of metal they pin to you and memories you don't want to dwell on."

And some you couldn't, he would've added. He suspected Arch already knew that though. Without another word, he left the Scout behind and walked off into the facility. He'd wait for his moment in the dark, wait for the Jedi to come for him. And then, he would end what he started all those years ago. Only this time, he would feel something he could remember.

---

"It sounds like a real wild ride," Sabine told Ezra, a bit of envy in her voice as she spoke. "I'm trying to picture it in my head, but my imagination probably doesn't do it justice."

"It was pretty trippy," Ezra admitted, leaning slightly back in the chair across the table. "I've never gone that deep into an animal's mind before."

Ezra had finished regaling Sabine with his experience of being inside the mind of the creature now known as Godzilla. They had been in the Ghost's central quarters sitting at the holotable for a few solid hours now going over it all. It wasn't like there was much else to do while they waited to get to the Imperial Science Complex. Besides, Ezra still needed to process everything that had happened.

He tried not to embellish the events too much, if only because he knew Sabine wouldn't buy it. Saying he was the sole reason for the success of the whole negotiation was just something she wouldn't believe. Besides, she just wanted the details of what he saw, not what he, Kanan or Ahsoka had done. She even had an open sketchbook, trying to put down her best interpretation of the images Ezra tried to describe.

The thing was though, it was difficult. He certainly remembered the conversation, or what passed for one anyway. He definitely remembered the weird landscape to a degree. It was the images and colors and other things that flashed before him that were more difficult to discern or recall. Information overload perhaps, his mind couldn't retain everything of the experience. Like details of a dream passing from your mind or being forgotten when you woke up.

What little he could relay to Sabine, however, was more than enough to get her fascinated. Sure, she was just using him to get inspiration for her next bit of artwork, but Ezra would take any opportunity he had to get into a conversation with her. Maybe he'd even convince her he had a cultured side for once.

"I wish I could've seen it," Sabine explained as she sketched an image of the mindscape's jungle. "I've used things like dreams to inspire me before, but I've never thought about something like this. How do animals see us? How does nature view us? What are their dreams like?"

"Well he's not really an animal," Ezra hesitantly informed her. "I mean he is, but he's more than that I think. When I was inside, it felt like I was communing with nature itself."

"He does have the word 'God' in his name," Sabine noted. "Not to mention his pretty defiant attitude. Seems like he has a bit of an ego."

"Maybe, but there's a reason he isn't very humble," Ezra thoughtfully continued. "After surviving so long like he has, against near impossible odds, it's hard to claim he hasn't earned that image he's built for himself. To be honest, I think it's more self-confidence and esteem than ego. He knows the kind of power he wields and refuses to hide it."

Sabine finished up her little sketch for the moment and turned her full attention to Ezra.

"You know what I'm still wrapping my head around?" She asked inquisitively. "The fact he's from another planet, another Galaxy even. That he was such a huge threat to the people of that world, that they got desperate enough to try something crazy. They made a weapon so powerful it actually shot him who knows how far out into space and deposited him right here! And he survived that kind of experience. That's insane."

"His story, not mine," Ezra said defensively. "But yeah, it does sound like he made a real nuisance of himself over there. He certainly doesn't feel sorry about it either."

"He's not exactly your average sapient being," Sabine argued formally. "His sense of morality may in fact be completely different from ours. Like, beyond our ability to understand. I will admit though, just thinking how many people he's probably killed scares me a little."

Ezra felt the same way. While Godzilla didn't harbor any particular joy over what he had done, he had no regrets. His rage wasn't fueled by a hatred for humans, but anger still fed him. There was pity, but no empathy. Like Sabine suggested, they could hardly judge a creature who's sense of right and wrong was separate from their own. But the thoughts currently swimming in Ezra's mind concerning these facts were not so easily banished.

"He's thinks in terms of survival mostly," Ezra said thoughtfully. "He attacks those who hurt him, people who are scared of him. He's filled with thoughts of revenge, subsists on violence, but that's just skin deep. I could sense more."

"Like what?" Sabine asked, sounding genuinely interested.

"Loss, pain," Ezra started to state, a careful tone in hise voice. "And I could feel a more noble desire too. Those images he showed us, they dragged up a sense of fondness at times, remembrance."

Sabine raised an eyebrow at that.

"Are you saying the big grey lizard was getting nostalgic?" She asked, trying to stifle a bit of a laugh. "He's... homesick?"

"However much it changed, he was still torn away from his home," Ezra explained wistfully. "I think beneath all the anger over what the people of that world did to him, there was an undercurrent. He saw an abuse of power, saw injustice, potential danger to his home. He wanted to stop it all, change things. He did it in the wrong way, maybe, but there was more to it than just payback."

"Didn't he technically say that's all it was about though?" Sabine asked, quickly adding. "And when I use the word 'say' I'm using it in a figurative term of course. I don't think that weird pseudo-telepathy counts as talking."

Ezra didn't really have an actual answer, just feelings lingering from the vision. He could only shrug at the question and offer his best guess.

"I'm just saying I felt there was a part of him that is a defender," he elaborated best he could. "A protective instinct. Maybe he won't admit it, but it's there."

Sabine eyed him curiously, trying to figure out where this little talk was headed.

"He did agree to help us," Sabine relented. "All that stuff about doing it for himself could just be a cover. A way to keep up a tough guy act. You could ask Kanan or Ahsoka about it. Maybe they felt it too."

"I don't know," Ezra sighed dismally as he stared off to the side. "I don't think they took the same experience away from the experienc elike I did. All those thought waves we read weren't an exact science after all. Maybe I'm just reading too much into it."

Sabine suddenly leaned in across the table, forcing Ezra to bring his head back up to her. There was a small smile across her face, comforting and warm.

"I'm big on art interpretation," she began simply. "Trust me on this, Ezra. You can never read too much into something or someone. People aren't simple creatures, they have various shades and colors to them. I doubt giant monsters are in any way less complicated."

That got a chuckle out of Ezra, pulling him out of his funk. She was right, Kanan always told him a Jedi has to trust his senses and feelings. And right now, his senses were telling him that Godzilla, undoubtedly a big angry jerk of a lizard, was more than he let on. He contemplated the idea of talking to Kanan about it or perhaps even Ahsoka. She'd probably be more receptive to the idea, she had come up with the idea to form an alliance with him after all. However, the thought would have to wait as Hera's voice came over the Ghost's intercom.

"We're coming up on the target," she announced. "Setting down near Ahsoka's Juggernaut in the staging area. She says we'll have a good view of our new friend's assault from there."

It was finally time. After days of planning and hard fought battles, they were nearing the final objective. Everything now hinged on how much damage Godzilla could do to the Imperials. With any luck, he'd do the entire job for them. Needless to say, Ezra was hoping for some decent front row seats to the action. Whatever was about to unfold, he didn't want to miss a second of it.

---

The giant trees that had covered Godzilla's approach, however slightly, became smaller and smaller with every step. Soon, he could see a plain where they grew no more and blackened cracked volcanic earth covered the ground. He finally beheld the enemy stronghold and suddenly realized why the Rebels had been so quick to beg for his assistance. Before him in the distance, beneath the shadow of a large fire-spewing volcano, stood something akin to a small city with large buildings and sky-piercing towers. He could feel energy sources within, fueling the massive complex which no doubt housed many thousands of workers. All of this for one weapon? Now he was curious as to what this thing was.

Upon second glance, he determined a possible answer as to what exactly he was after. Lined up along the outer perimeter, staring him down along a large volcanic plain of rock, was a huge herd of mechanical beasts preparing for his arrival. Godzilla turned his head in slight confusion. Of all the mechanized monstrosities he had faced, these things were most bizarre. Godzilla was smart enough to not presume they weren't dangerous though. All giant machines were dangerous and these were the largest weapons this Empire had thrown at him so far. At least he thought they were, until he turned his eyes skyward upon hearing a sound above.

Slowly descending from the clouds, three large triangular ships emerged. Godzilla had encountered flying battleships before, during the initial phase of his fellow kaiju being rounded up and deposited on Monster Island. Those things had ridiculous looking drills on them though. These flying ships were streamlined and militaristic to the core, lacking any such digging implement on their noses. Perhaps the Empire did not share the same weird fascination with that tool that his humans had. He suspected these vessels would be just as well armed as any of the flying battleships from home though.

With such weapons arrayed against him, Godzilla suspected he'd finally have a proper challenge to contend with. Good, he had been worried this would be boring.

He did not expect much help from the Rebels who had tried to make peace with him though. They were opportunistic and petty. They felt their cause more just than others. However, their goals did somewhat align and therefore he suspected they told the truth when they claimed they would leave when this was over. Their fight was with this Empire, not him. No sense in antagonizing them when they would soon no longer be a problem. Knowing their kind though, they'd still make him do most of the work.

That didn't really concern him too much though. He had made it clear he would not be their tool in this endeavor, that this was purely out of the necessity of survival. They were benefiting from his actions, not the other way around. As long as they respected that, everything would be fine.

Of course, he did question whether he was being a bit too broad in his low opinion. The three who had talked to him did not seem like others of their kind. They were strange compared to most of their ilk. The very fact they attempted to speak first rather than attack was interesting. The youngest among them was the least confrontational and the most genuine of the three. He earnestly asked for help, while the other two were either openly hostile or concerned with making deals. The child even seemed to understand why he had refused at the start. If nothing else, that surprise made going along with this plan for the moment at least worth attempting. For there was something about the young one that was... different. That spoke to him, convinced him what he said was the truth.

In fact, the three that spoke to him shared some commonalities. Their feelings of compassion before force, life before death and diplomacy before aggression were all easily readable. They almost sounded and felt like members of Mothra's acolytes, the Natives who treated her like a God. To find like-minded creatures similar to those humans so far away from her influence was astounding. Another reason to at least give them the benefit of the doubt for the moment.

Regardless, as far as he was concerned, this little war was another petty squabble playing out on another planet. He had seen little groups like these Rebels before, some of them had even tried to use others of Godzilla's kind against him. Now they expected him to do the same, but he would not to be directed like a puppet. He'd kill this Empire his way, along with their weapon.

It would take time for the ships to get into range, leaving him with an opportunity to determine the best way to destroy the ground forces. More importantly, they'd be reluctant to fire when he was in the middle of these massive walking tanks. Besides, he didn't need to kill all of them. Just enough to satisfy those Rebels lying in wait. Then he'd let them distract the remainder and attack the facility proper where he would route out and destroy the Empire's weapon. After that, this planet would be his.

With a mighty roar, Godzilla waded into the field of combat, fury in his eyes. It was time to finally end this farce and throw these white-clad soldiers off his world.

---

Sakal now finally stood staring directly at the enemy they had been fighting for the past few days. In person, the giant lizard was a lot more intimidating than he first pictured him. He watched through the Command Center's glass windows as the beast ran onto the volcanic plain, shrieking like mad in an angered vicious battlecry.

Sakal's resolve did not waver in the slightest. He had the firepower to blow this monster back into the hole it crawled out of now. Its bizarre, inhuman cries would not break him. It was time to put this menace down for good.

"Klusto," Sakal called to his Commander. "Order the AT-ATs forward, delta attack formation. AT-MPs are to offer support, but are to remain at the back of the attack column. We will need them later when the Rebels assault the base."

"Yes, sir," Klusto saluted. "Also, the Star Destroyer battlegroup is closing in our position. Their arrival is imminent. I've already relayed your orders for them to stay away from the main facility. If Alpha Predator One does manage to somehow shoot one down, we won't have to worry about them crashing on us."

"Good, but that won't happen," Sakal assured him. "Their shields will protect them from the atomic ray and that dumb beast can't fly. Once they have a clear shot, they can bombard the big lizard until there's barely anything left of the corpse."

By now the AT-ATs were already closing on their target. Sakal turned back to see Darth Vader already watching the proceedings. He quickly turned away before the Dark Lord could see him. Reminded of the stakes of the battle at hand, he finally gave the order.

"All AT-ATs, engage target at will," he ordered. "Annihilate Alpha Predator One!"

Every AT-AT then started opening fire all at once. The final battle had begun.

---

Blazing hot lasers slammed into Godzilla as he charged forward. They exploded against his hide, searing his scales. Godzilla kept charging though, fighting through the pain. He already had his sights set on one of the lead walkers, already traversing ahead of the pack. Its guns continued to bombard the rampaging lizard as he pushed forward, hitting him in the head and trying to blind him. Godzilla didn't need sight to destroy this machine though, he just needed speed.

At the apex of his charge, Godzilla lifted one of his legs and slammed it into the cockpit of the AT-AT. The running kick knocked the machine's head back, the full force of the blow throwing the machine off balance. As it crashed down onto its side, Godzilla stomped his foot straight through the body of the walker. The resulting explosion blinded the giant lizard slightly, but he shook the blast off.

As smoke billowed around his head, he looked out to see more of the walkers closing in. They started to encircle him, firing from all angles. The bulk of their forces blocked his path to the facility, while the those on the flank kept raining their shots down upon him. He couldn't risk leaving his backside open to these overgrown war horses, he needed to thin their ranks before attacking the Empire's facility proper.

He stomped away from the wreckage of the first walker and turned his gaze to one of the AT-ATs on his flank. He kept his mouth closed, charged his atomic breath and then fired it directly at the cockpit. The blast tore into the head of the machine, setting the cockpit on fire. It kept walking forward for awhile longer, its head ablaze, before tumbling forward down to the ground.

But before Godzilla could fire another blast, the AT-ATs raked lasers across his side and up towards his head. Roaring in pain and taken by surprise, the great monster titan dropped to ground. He used his claws to stop his descent and turned his back towards the bulk of the incoming fire. Laser bolts ripped into his back and he growled in anger. He had left himself open to attack just then, gave them an opening. He needed to disrupt their range of vision somehow.

He charged his atomic breath again, his head still pointed down to the ground. Then he pulled himself up, twisted around violently and fired a sweeping blast across the ground. The volcanic rock was churned up by the raging beam, as fire exploded up in the wake of the atomic ray. A wall of flames and smoke now blocked the view of several walkers.

The war machines had lost their target, but Godzilla hadn't lost them. He watched a figure through the flames slowly move forward, braving the infernal wall. As the walker parted through the fire though, their cockpit was filled with a big grey reptilian claw. The pilots screamed as the claws ripped into the head of the machine and tore off the lower jaw.

Godzilla pushed the broken machine over onto its side, just as he heard another of the AT-ATs lurching forward. The giant turned, lifted his tail and then slammed it down on the cockpit of the walker as it emerged. The strike was powerful enough to decapitate the machine, the head tumbling down to the ground. The walker toppled over after it, both crashing into the ground in a twisted heap.

However, as Godzilla had been dealing with him, another Walker emerged just beside him. It fired several blasts into his front as he was turned away. The shots forced Godzilla to stumble backwards, but it did not make him fall. In a rage, Godzilla turned violently again, his tail aimed low towards the walker's legs. The strike broke the machine's right front knee joint and caused it to trip over itself. The AT-AT smashed head first into the volcanic rock and Godzilla roared in victory at its demise.

But more walkers were braving the fire wall. The Empire was not lacking in courage it seemed, at least so long as they had their precious war machines to protect them. No matter, he'd take as many on as he could. He looked briefly to sky, tracking the progress of the incoming flying ships. They were closing fast, but moving in a position far to the right of the complex. A strategy motivated by fear no doubt, Godzilla had seen it before. The flying ships from home always tried to steer clear of populated areas when attacking. It showed that they weren't as confident in their weapons as they appeared, for they feared the possibility of failure. Whereas Godzilla feared nothing.

However, he also spotted something else in the sky, coming in from a different direction. They were smaller, but his keen eyes could spot them easily. They weren't the Empire's flying machines though, they were something else. A fact confirmed when a few of the airborne craft split off and dived towards one of the AT-ATs moving to engage him. They dropped a few bombs from their bellies, ripping open the backside before demolishing the cockpit head. The burning wreckage collapsed to the ground shortly afterwards.

So the Rebels were helping out after all. Today was full of surprises indeed for Godzilla. Well, might as well let them engage in their baser instincts. No sense in him having all the fun and there were plenty more Imperial Walkers to destroy.

---

Through the macrobinoculars Ahsoka saw Anglyph's bombers do their job perfectly. Yes, it was only one walker, but it was one less that Godzilla had to concern himself with. It was all part of the plan. The Raiders and other air assets would help thin the herd a little. Godzilla was taking up the core attention of the Imperials for now, giving them a chance to strike their own blows to the enemy's defenses. She didn't know if Godzilla would appreciate the help, but he didn't seem to mind it.

She was concerned about the approaching Star Destroyers though. They had a lot of firepower backing them up. She imagined they wouldn't bring their full wrath down onto their giant grey friend so long as their allies were in the way, at least not for awhile. The Empire was always quick to sacrifice the lives of their soldiers for victory, especially if things were going badly.

"How long do we wait until we move in?" Kanan asked, standing beside her with the rest of the Ghost crew. "He's taking his sweet time in destroying the main defenses."

"I don't think our friend is very concerned with timetables," Ahsoka informed him. "Besides, he still has a lot of AT-ATs to kill. Until both they and the main defenses are down we'll be risking a gauntlet."

"Is there any way we can at least nudge him in the right direction?" Kanan asked.

"You mean issue orders to him," she responded, quickly discerning the true nature of his question. "Unless you want to risk angering him, I don't think that's a good idea."

She understood Kanan's concerns, however. The quicker they could get inside, the better off they'd be. She just couldn't see anyway to direct Godzilla without him seeing it as an attempt to control him. The big lizard had made it very clear he was against that.

"What if we play to his aggression?" Hera suggested. "We've seen how often he's exploited weaknesses in the Imperial Forces. If we give him an opportunity to strike, he'll more than likely go for it."

"We could have the Hailfire droids open fire on the main defenses," Ahsoka suggested. "At this range it won't be very accurate, but a few of the missiles should find their targets. Godzilla could then be convinced to hit the facility directly if he sees it under fire."

"Shouldn't we be just as concerned with the Star Destroyers that are moving in?" Sabine asked suddenly. "They're going to make any attack pretty hard, even if all the AT-ATs and guns defending the facility are knocked out."

Another fair point, one Ahsoka had already considered herself.

"We'll need to take them out if any assault is to be successful," she admitted. "If we're going to direct Godzilla's attention in any form, that should be our prime directive. For now we'll just launch a Hailfire volley. The Star Destroyers are not really in range to do much harm for the moment."

"Our fighters are going to need all the help they can get to deal with them when that moment does come though," Hera cautioned. "That and convincing our giant friend there to coordinate with us is going to be a challenge. I should head up in the Ghost, I'll be of more help up there anyway. Maybe together me and Moira can figure something out."

"You'll need gunners," Kanan told her. "And some of us will need to stay and prepare for the ground attack."

"Chopper can take over the rear turret," Hera suggested. "Sabine still has that jetpack she stole-"

"Liberated," the Mandalorian girl was quick to correct.

Hera rolled her eyes.

"Fine, liberated," Hera relented. "I can take her into the heat of the battle myself when it's time and meet up with all of you at the main facility."

"I'd feel better about this if you had an extra hand," Kanan informed her. "You'd have full coverage that way."

"I agree," Ahsoka concurred. "I have just the person in mind. Well, person being operative term."

Ahsoka looked over her shoulder to see Moira's grungy, old battledroid working on anti-vehicle skiff in need of some repair. He was unscrewing a latch when it suddenly opened and a flood of engine fluid spewed in his face. Ahsoka chuckled slightly at the scene. Despite being as accident prone as all of his metal brethren, Jetty was still more competent than most as the fight in orbit had proven. Besides, Moira had put him at her disposal for the coming fight. No sense in wasting him on mechanical duty when the Raiders could use him in the coming fight more.

"Hey, Jetty," Ahsoka shouted over to him. "I got a new job for you. Less engine grease involved in this one."

The battledroid, still covered in oil and gunk from the skiff, just lifted his arm and gave a thumbs up.

"Roger, roger."

---

The battlements of the science complex were lined with turbolasers and missile launchers. AT-MPs patrolled around the perimeter, while Stormtroopers held position on the walls. All guns were trained towards Alpha Predator One. They fired every now and again, but to little or no effect. The monster was too busy with the AT-ATs to bother with them right now. Everything they fired just seemed to bounce off. They weren't a threat to him, a fact that wasn't really comforting.

Manning a turbolaser position, Arch felt completely helpless in the face of the monstrosity before them. Once more, he could do nothing as battle waged in front of his eyes. An AT-AT seemingly charged into the giant reptile from the side. The metal head of the walker ramming against the creature's upper leg. The beast roared and turned towards the attack. He brought up both his fists and brought them down on the walker repeatedly. He next grabbed the machine by its sides and toppled it to the ground. Then, the giant creature raised his foot and finally stomped on the AT-AT's head.

If there was any kind of bright side it was that the Walkers seemed to give Alpha Predator One greater pause. At least more so than anything else they had tried. He was fighting more defensively, reacting to attacks, taking hits that appeared to hurt him. If nothing else, the AT-ATs were wearing him down. Arch couldn't shake the feeling of futility though, like this was just delaying the inevitable.

Maybe it was just his nerves unraveling after getting beaten by this thing so many times. Perhaps it was because he knew the Rebels would be attacking regardless of this battle's outcome. He had never faced real Rebels before, he was a bit worried about that. He didn't even know they were organized enough to build an army. In reality though, his real concern probably stemmed from Kamo's words. How heroics were for naught, how he had been forgotten and the memories he couldn't remember haunting him as much as those he did recall.

It was that last bit that felt most troublesome. Mainly because it held a twinge of truth. He didn't know what this giant city-like complex was for. All he knew was it had to be the sole reason anyone was out here. He had heard of it before all this of course, but he had never really been here. Most Troopers hadn't, it was off limits to all but a select few.

Now he and his fellow soldiers were standing here, guarding the gates as it were, ready to die protecting whatever lay inside and he still didn't know what it was for. It was disturbing to him, partly because it felt wrong not to know what the point of a battle was. However, it was mostly because he realized he hadn't thought much about all that until he had spoke with Kamo just awhile ago.

What were they fighting to save in this place? What was so valuable that every Trooper had been called in to defend this facility? Why were the Rebels so keen to get their hands on whatever was inside? How did they even find out about it and why were they apparently more informed than him? It all just felt so wrong all of a sudden. The fact he was only asking these questions now just made him feel worse. They were hiding something in here though, that was the ultimate point. Arch felt he and every other trooper deserved to know what that something was now.

He wasn't about to ask those questions aloud though. Mostly because he suspected at best he wouldn't get an answer, at worst he'd probably get put in the brig for insubordination. Then again, with how things were going, they'd probably stick him in a walker and send him off to kill the big rampaging reptile alone.

Arch's thoughts continued to swim in his head, his eyes locked on the Alpha Predator One as the battle against the walkers waged. The only thing that snapped him out of the stupor was the sound of something whistling through the air. He looked up and saw several arching fiery streaks speeding across the sky. They then started to plummet to the earth, towards the defensive line, towards him!

He moved before the alert sounded, loudspeakers screaming at Troopers to run for cover. Arch quickly dashed into a small alcove and clamped his arms over his head. Explosions erupted across the defenses around the perimeter, creating huge balls of fire. Arch could feel the quaking in his boots as whatever was hitting them crashed down upon them. He could hear a few Troopers' death screams as the fire swallowed them up.

When it was over, he looked out to see what had been damaged. Surprisingly, although there were a number of casualties and destroyed turrets, the bulk of the attack didn't land directly on their lines. No, the majority of the shells or missiles, whatever hit them, apparently landed further ahead. He could tell by the fact at least one AT-AT nearby had been utterly demolished by the barrage. Arch's position had just been on the edge of the attack's area of effect, shots that went wide. The real target had been the walkers, and the barrage had scored at least one as far as Arch could tell.

There was only one group currently in the area he figured would do that and he knew why. The Rebels were going out of their way to help even the odds more than they thought. They were trying to take out a few walkers for Alpha Predator One. More than likely so the big lizard would finally turn his attention to them and blow a hole wide enough for the Rebels to storm the facility.

Now, more than ever, Arch really wanted to know what was so damn important that these raiding insurgents would team up with a monster to get to.

---

Klusto rushed over from his station towards Sakal. The General was so transfixed by the holographic images of the battle on the strategic table that he didn't notice the Commander's approach. He didn't like what he was seeing, as more and more AT-ATs vanished from the table, one after the other. Alpha Predator One was holding his own certainly. Klusto finally got his attention by tapping his arm slightly.

"Sir," he began cautiously. "We've analyzed the barrage that hit our lines. Our archives suggest the pattern was similar to the Hailfire Droids of the Clone Wars. It's likely the Rebels have appropriated other such war machines from that conflict. Significantly modified of course, Hailfire Droids didn't have nearly that great a range before."

"Not very accurate at least," Sakal noted. "Still deadly though. Worse yet, they're using it to help their lizard friend. Same as those starfighters we're getting reports of."

Sakal looked back briefly at Lord Vader and noticed he was glaring at him. He knew, yes, he knew things weren't going well. Sakal shook the death stare off and returned to work.

"Are the Star Destroyers in position?" He asked Klusto.

"Almost, sir," the Commander promised. "But with the monster so close to the Walkers there is no guarantee they'll be able to avoid friendly fire."

"Tell them they'll have to risk it," Sakal ordered briskly, his agitation growing. "And have them send out what fighters they can to deal with those Rebel flyers helping Alpha Predator One. I want them gone, now! The AT-ATs are to push forward with their assault on the monster and ignore all other threats. Have them engage three at a time, Gamma Formation. He can only react to one Walker at a time, we need to use that to our advantage."

Klusto saluted and headed off to relay the orders. Sakal in the meantime tightened his grip along the edge of the strategic table and gritted his teeth. He glared at the green dot that represented Alpha Predator One's position.

"What's it going to take to kill you?" He glowered in a low guttural voice.

---

After the barrage hit, Moira decided she wasn't about the let the Imperials get off that easy. In a diving strafe run, she raced down from the clouds and opened up on the perimeter defenses while they were still reeling. She could only hit a small section, but at least it would be a few less Imps to deal with later. Her ARC's lasers ravaged the still reeling section of the perimeter. She led her shots towards a still intact turret and lay into it. When it exploded, Moira peeled off from her attack run.

That was when she spotted an AT-MP taking aim at her as she turned. She rolled the ARC-170 to the side as a missile rocketed out, just barely missing her. She then re-acquired the walker and let loose with a torrent of laser bolts, ripping into one of the missile pods. The shots ignited one of the missiles in their tubes and caused an explosion that ripped straight through the war machine's head. As it toppled to the ground, Moira pulled up back into the sky.

As she flew up, Moira took in the sight of a slightly more eye-catching display. Godzilla had just used his tail to knock the legs out from under one AT-AT. As it was toppling, the monster was already bitting into the neck of another Walker and wrenching the cockpit head away from the giant war machine. The beastly titan lizard then tossed the decapitated head a few hundred yards through the air only to crash into another AT-AT. The head embedded itself into the top of the Walker's back, whereas the force of the collision unbalanced the machine and caused it to fall onto its side.

"Such raw primal power," Gorossk's voice declared through the radio. "Relentless in the pursuit of its prey, undaunted by the odds against it, utterly fearless. It is an Apex Predator unlike any other."

"I really hope that praise isn't a precursor to a sudden desire to hunt it down for sport," Moira cautioned crassly. "Cause if it is, you're on your own. There's no blaster big enough for that thing in existence."

"I'm just admiring another master hunter, boss," Gorossk assured her. "There's no rule against that. Besides, I have more fun watching others fail to kill him so far. I'd rather not join in their error."

That was a load off Moira's mind. She really didn't want to have to drag the Trandoshan away from a fight they had no real stake in, especially when it would only help the Empire as far as she was concerned. She had to admit though, he was right about their giant friend. It was a spectacle to watch this Godzilla wreak havoc. She supposed that was relative though, considering the Stormtroopers definitely didn't feel that way right now. She didn't get to watch much more of the battle below though, as another of her teammates interrupted her.

"Moira, my radar screen is picking up a lot of incoming contacts," Ro warned suddenly.

Moira turned to her own screen and soon saw it fill up with red dots herself. She looked towards the direction they were approaching to see one of the Star Destroyers in the distance, edging closer to the battlefield. Looking harder, she saw several black dots speeding towards her as well.

"The Empire is finally sending in their own air support, team," she warned them all. "We want control of the skies now, we gotta earn it."

"Is it too much to hope all those TIEs are after the Gorossk's angry cousin down below?" Ro asked tepidly.

Moira didn't bother to reply, the answer was more than obvious when the TIEs screamed in front of their formation and started opening fire. They weren't here to engage in a suicide run on a monster that had beaten them off without even trying before. No, these Imps wanted a target they knew they could kill. Moira banked hard on the stick and pulled out the path of the incoming TIEs. A few of their number broke off and chased after her.

"All wings, break and take evasive action," she ordered as green bolts sped by her window. "Priority one is protecting the Y-Wings. Stay away from the Star Destroyer as it approaches, we do not need more enemy fire than we can handle right now."

One of the shots then hit Moira's engines, the shockwave of which shuddered the cockpit. Turning back briefly, she spotted the pair of fighters slinking behind her tail. Thinking quickly, she suddenly reduced speed so that her craft went tumbling backwards. The TIEs parted away, probably thinking she had lost power completely. But when she was behind them, she kicked the engines back into full gear, righted her craft and took aim at her attackers. A blaze of red bolts cut into the Imps, causing them to fall from the sky for several feet before their fuel cells ignited and exploded.

"Heh, stupid Imps," Moira laughed.

Her laughter was stymied by a new pair of TIEs, descending from above out of the aurora illuminated multicolored sky. They closed in on her and she tried to break away, but before she could, the two TIEs exploded from laser fire themselves. She looked around to see which one of her squadron mates she now owed a drink for saving her behind and instead saw something else. Now swooping past her came a grey hexagonal ship, one she remembered seeing earlier.

"Hey there, Raider Lead," came a voice over the radio. "Hope we didn't steal a kill from you just now."

"Not at all, Hera," Moira chuckled back at the twi'lek. "Thanks for clearing my skies. You picked a hell of a time to show up though, considering the Destroyers are moving in."

"We probably would've been up sooner," Hera explained, "but we were helping an additional crewmate with the gunnery controls."

Before Moira could inquire who she meant, the answer spoke up for her.

"Greetings, ma'am," came the electronic high tempo voice of a certain battledroid. "Don't worry, I'll buff out that engine of yours when we land."

"Jetty?" Moira responded in surprise. "What are you doing on the Ghost?"

"On top turret duty, ma'am," the droid answered diligently. "Trying to ease into it. Been awhile since I shot anything."

It had been awhile, Jetty had only ever worked on other machines since he came back online. Moira had never even considered giving him a gun, let alone putting him in a fighter bomber. Although she had good reason in doing so.

"Hera, you should know," she began to warn. "When I rebuilt Jetty I pretty much reprogrammed him from scratch. I rewrote and replaced all his original combat subroutines with engineering ones. You sure you want him in a turret right now?"

"Chopper is not primarily programmed for combat either and he does just fine," Hera assured her. "Besides, we got bigger problems now. I'm seeing more squadrons of TIEs coming in."

Moira looked at her own display and soon saw a number of dots approaching them from behind.

"Likely a swarming pattern," Jetty warned. "Take us from up top and below."

"Looks like I'll be needing the extra guns after all then," Moira determined succinctly. "I'll fly wingman, keep them off you. You're the biggest target in the sky right now. They may think you're another bomber out for their walkers."

"Well if we're lucky we won't disappoint them," Hera declared. "Got your back, Raider Lead!"

The two craft turned into the incoming TIEs, coming at them from the sides of their swarm pattern. The Ghost's various guns opened up on the Imperial pilots as they tried to adjust their courses. The red laser blasts cut down several of the TIEs as their formation broke apart. Moira managed to hit a close to equal number of TIEs as she flew along the lower section of the formation. Between the two of them, the Imperial numbers were halved sufficiently. The remainder though quickly turned around and attacked once more. Moira saw Jetty's turret fire a blaze of shots above them wildly. The droid was wide in his targeting but he managed to score a hit on one TIE's wings and force the other to peel off. Maybe he hadn't entirely lost his combat skill after all.

More enemy fighters soon joined the fray though, aggressively speeding towards Moira and the Ghost. Normally, Moira would just reconnect with her squadron for backup. The problem was the TIEs had cut her off from them and her team looked to be having problems of her own. In the distance she could see a number of dots engaged in a furious mid-air melee. They needed another strategy to get this fresh wave of fighters off of them before they could reconvene with the other Raiders.

"I say we take this fight lower to the deck," Moira suggested. "Imps aren't nearly as skilled pilots when they have to worry about hitting stuff. We can work our way back to my squadron when they're thinned out."

"Let's just steer clear of the big brawl if we can," Hera cautioned. "Last thing we need is getting caught between the big lizard and the walkers while being chased."

Once again, Moira dived down closer to the ground below. Some of the fighter squadron broke off to chase her while others went after Hera's ship. The tail gun on the Ghost let off a few blasts as it fled. A direct hit destroyed a pursuing TIE that got too close to the vessel's backside. Moira suddenly wished she had a rear gun on her own ship as she soon found more TIEs hot on her tail.

Moira rolled her ARC left and right, her craft cresting just a few feet above the ground at this point. The field was littered with the remains of a number of AT-ATs, their wreckage still burning from their brief battles mere moments ago. She darted through the broken war machines, turning and rolling past them. The TIEs on her tail kept pace with her regardless, blasting away at her as she fled from them. One or two clipped a wing on a sharp turn, smashing into the backside of a smoldering hulk of dead AT-AT, but it wasn't enough to take them all out.

Then she saw it, an AT-AT with a hole burned square through its side. One of Godzilla's fresh kills from the looks of it too. Moira aimed for the tunnel, boosting the afterburners. As she passed clean through it to the other side, she turned the ARC around. Some of the TIEs, still in close pursuit, followed her through the tunnel, others just flew over it. Not as many as she liked, but enough. She let loose two missiles and let them slam into the hole. The remains of the broken AT-AT erupted in a fireball, destroying all within as well as those not fast enough to avoid the collapsing of the machine's seconds later.

Moira peeled off before she got too close to the remaining TIEs who hadn't tried to follow her every move. She darted back towards the gauntlet of dead AT-ATs, but the pilots who remained were the better trained ones it seemed. They held back, trying to gauge her movements. The upside of course being they didn't fire as many shots at her anymore since they never had a clear target. She couldn't keep away forever though, so she decided on another risky move.

She made a beeline for the center of the ground war, Godzilla himself. The titanic reptile was currently engaged with another AT-AT, who was doing his best to keep it at a distance. The big machine was strafing the big monster, instead of attacking head-on. Two of its compatriots were doing the same. Problematic for the big lizard, an opportunity for Moira.

She flew towards the legs of the nearest AT-AT, the TIEs still following, and raced through the legs as they stomped about the field. The pilots of the giant machine were too busy with Godzilla to notice her old fighter. The TIEs tried to match her moves, darting around the walkers' legs best they could as Moira flew beneath all three in rapid succession. Some accidentally crashed into the legs when the walkers moved where they didn't anticipate, but most managed to weather the Raider's maneuvers.

"Pretty good flying for a bunch of Imps," she admitted. "But I still got one more trick up my sleeve."

She flew towards Godzilla now, specifically his tail. It was lashing about in the air rapidly and Moira suspected he was about to use it for another swipe at his attackers. Moira raced towards it just as the tail lifted violently and swished to the right. She pulled the stick hard towards the left, towards Godzilla's back. Three TIEs were unable to do the same, crashing into the tail as it slashed through the air. The monster's attack managed to break one of the knee joints for an AT-AT as well. It fell to the ground, flat on its face.

Moira now raced up along the spiky back of the reptile, speeding towards the head. There were still two more TIEs on her tail, and they weren't about to let her escape. When she reached open sky, past Godzilla's massive head, they unleashed every green laser bolt they had been saving. Moira had to dive quickly just to get away, passing by the big monster's eye. She could've sworn she saw the beast's pupil move in her direction, watching her descend. She quickly kicked in her afterburners and leveled off on the stick. Her TIE pursuers followed, but only for a short while. A sudden gigantic hand rose up and swatted them from the sky like bugs, removing the last of her attackers.

Moira wasn't sure if she should be grateful that Godzilla saw the TIEs as an enemy or lucky that she was able to get away from his grasp in time. Either way, she soon saw a more pressing concern. The Ghost was just a few feet in front of her, still being harassed by a few TIEs. With her tail gone, Moira darted towards the beleaguered ship. She kept an eye on the top turret, where she remembered Jetty was, and watched it haphazardly blast apart one of the TIEs. He was doing well, but that didn't mean he and Hera didn't need some assistance.

She moved in, buzzing around the Ghost, flying under and around the ship. She locked onto the TIEs and fired a blaze of hot laser down their throats. As she turned back for another pass, she saw Hera was already using the slightly clearer skies to her advantage. She pulled a tight loop with her ship, faster and harder than one would expect with a vessel that size. As Jetty's turret continued to fire at the TIEs now below him, Hera came around on their back sides. Her main guns easily cut down the stunned Imperial pilots still scrambling to figure out what had just happened.

When it was all clear, Hera joined Moira along her wing. The Raider Leader was, herself, still a bit stunned.

"That was a killer move," Moira reasoned. "How'd you pull that off?"

"Besides this thing being heavily modified," Hera began, sounding rather proud. "You just gotta know how to talk to her sometimes."

"Is there any way I can steal you away from Fulcrum when this job is done?" Moira was quick to ask in follow-up.

Hera laughed.

"I'm afraid that's not in the cards," Hera expectedly answered. "But while we're still officially working together, there's another temporary Rebel who needs our assistance."

Moira looked out to see Godzilla, still embroiled in a fight with two AT-ATs that were keeping a fair distance away from him. Moira wondered why he didn't just use that blue fire breath he shot out. Perhaps it took a lot of power to pull off. After all, he absorbed a ton of lightning before to seriously let loose with it in the quarry. Regardless, after the lizard had saved her backside just a few moments ago she figured she owed him a solid. Even if she still wasn't sure if the big grey monster had meant to save her at all.

"Might as well," Moira stated. "Don't got a tow-cable on this thing though. Do you?"

"I prefer the more hands-on approach anyway," Hera declared. "Follow us in."

Moira did so, speeding after the Ghost as it raced towards the brawl. Hera crested the top of the walker as it walked around Godzilla, moving towards the head. When she got over it, she called out over the radio loudly.

"Hit'em hard, Sabine!"

Lasers from the lower nose turret perforated the walker's cockpit canopy. Bolts pounded on the head as Hera turned about for a direct confrontation. She lay into the face of the AT-AT with her main guns while Sabine kept firing with her turret. Moira soon came around and added her own furious display of lasers to the mix. Eventually the cockpit caught fire and the head exploded from all the sustained fire. Not particularly the best method one on one with an AT-AT. When it was partially distracted by a giant lizard and taking several direct hits to the face though, it suddenly became doable.

Not missing a beat, Moira moved to the next AT-AT, firing at its head as she sped by. For a split second, the pilot of the walker followed the ARC-170. That was the second it lost the fight, because in that moment Godzilla seized the walker. With no need to worry about the second war machine, it could now focus all its energies on the only one left still currently engaging him. Moira watched as the beast used his massive claws to tear into the back of the AT-AT. And once he had dug them deep, he pried the war machine apart, splitting it down the middle. The two broken halves of the AT-AT fell to earth, the side with the cockpit on it falling to the right. Godzilla let out a triumphant roar and then moved onto the next group of AT-ATs.

Moira just stared in stunned silence for a brief moment. Gorossk was right, this thing was an apex predator, a ruthless one at that. It was hard to imagine that anything could stop him at this point, but then she remembered the Star Destroyers and the problems they would pose for him.

"Should we ask him for a thank you or just link back up with the others and see about those Destroyers?" She asked Hera over the radio.

"Destroyers," Hera responded without even missing a beat.

Yeah, she thought she'd say that. So they left Godzilla to his work and raced back to the Raider Squadron. They'd need to come up with a plan on how to deal with those Star Destroyers. If they weren't dealt with, Ahsoka's people wouldn't even get to the complex with or without a hole blown through their defenses.

---

Sakal had pulled out every AT-AT defensive action in the rule book. The monster was taking a pounding, reports from the AT-ATs still in the field claimed he appeared to be hurt, everything he was hearing made it sound like Alpha Predator One was fighting more defensively and it was tiring him out. And yet it wasn't dead, so none of that mattered. Unless it was dead, they were failing. As more and more AT-ATs fell, Sakal finally relented.

"Tell all walkers to pull back to secondary," he ordered Klusto. "Engaging him directly isn't working, we need to create a wall. Draw him in and then hit him from behind on both sides with-"

Sakal felt a cold chill suddenly rise up his spine, as ghostly deep breathing sounded over his right shoulder. He slowly turned and saw Lord Vader staring down at him. It took all of Sakal's courage not to jump back in fright.

"This is becoming embarrassing, General," he stated. "You have been given every advantage in this battle. All our most advanced and powerful weapons. And yet here we are. With you losing the initiative against, of all things, an animal."

"I'm doing everything I possibly can, Lord Vader," Sakal pleadingly insisted. "I have the Destroyers moving in. Once they have line of sight and a clear target they can bombard the immediate area with no more loss of life to our own forces. The Rebels will attack whether he breaks through or not, we have to consider their inevitable-"

Vader rose his finger violently, practically shoving it in the General's face.

"Do not presume to know what I have and have not considered," Vader boomed at him. "In regards to the defense of this complex, I am still weighing many options at my disposal."

Sakal did not like the emphasis he put on the word "disposal" just then. He had to think of something, a way to kill that monster, not just hurt it. The Destroyers were one idea, but maybe there was something more he could do.

"We do have other weapons," Sakal recalled. "The special walkers Overseer Nulon procured for study and integration into the prototype before he... well..."

Sakal stopped there, not wanting to remember what had happened mere hours ago. Mainly because he kept placing himself in Nulon's position continuously whenever he did. The General looked to Klusto instead, hoping he'd continue to explain.

"They are certainly more powerful than your average AT-AT," the Commander admitted. "They could push him back. But, we'd be risking our greatest asset against the Rebels in the process. Their shock value would be more potent against them than the monster. Not to mention our troops aren't as trained with them as they should be."

"Well there's no more time for training," Sakal declared adamantly. "Ready or not, we need them up and running as soon as possible. If the Destroyers fail we'll send them in. If nothing, maybe it will finally finish the beast off."

"For your sake, I hope your confidence in these special walkers is well placed," Vader threateningly stated.

The dark armored man walked away slightly, staring out of the Command Center window. He had stopped being the shadow, now he was among Sakal's own people. The General already felt the noose tightening around him. He had to make this work.

---

Godzilla followed the walking tanks as they moved back into a more defensive position. He suspected though that were not really retreating. No, they were merely trying to preserve their dwindling numbers and try to protect what little ground they had left. He had seen this so many times before it was almost like clockwork.

Their delaying tactics were more effective than those back home, however, for their weapons hit hard and left their mark. Godzilla kept pushing despite the pain, it was nothing compared to what he had been forced to endure when man awoke him with their own super weapon. All he could do was hope his wounds would heal quickly and he'd be able to break through their lines.

He fired a short blast of his atomic breath, hitting one of the walkers in the face, blowing it apart. As the AT-AT crumbled to the ground, smoke pouring from its headless neck, shots rang out across Godzilla's back from both sides. He turned left and then right to see at least four AT-ATs on either end surrounding him. Their withdrawal had served another purpose, to encircle him. Well, he wanted a challenge, no sense in complaining now.

Since these machines were keeping their distance, far from his tail and claws, he couldn't so easily rip them apart. Using the atomic breath in a sweeping action could level one of the surrounding attackers, but that seemed a waste of energy, of which he had already used a lot of beforehand. Before he could think further though, the encircling AT-ATs backed away. They didn't disengage, they were still firing, but they widened their circle. Godzilla wondered, why the sudden change in tactics? Why suddenly give him more room? Then he heard a low rumble in the air, saw the sun darken, looked up and got his answer.

The flying battleships had arrived, hovering over his head, no doubt training their various guns and weapons on them as he stood there. Now things made sense. The AT-ATs were giving their friends in the sky room enough to blast away at everything below with impunity. Well, not everything, just him.

Godzilla let out a roar of defiance up at the flying monstrosities. That was when they started firing. Powerful green energy bolts rained down from above, churning up volcanic rock as they struck the ground, causing massive explosions. Godzilla ducked his head low and began to run, looking for some kind of shelter in the bombardment. There was none. He felt a terrible burn strike his back and force him down. He pounded the dirt and jumped back up, continuing to run, struggling against both near misses and direct hits. Each shot made the ground shake, his body wince, scales burn and char.

At this rate they'd burn the volcanic rock to glass just to be rid of him. Perhaps he had left a bigger impression on this Empire than he originally thought. He wasn't sure how proud he should be of such an accomplishment given the circumstances. With that sobering thought, and no substantial shelter in sight, Godzilla looked for the next best thing and scrambled for it.

---

Scanners on the Star Destroyer's bridge couldn't pick up anything for awhile and visual confirmation was impossible through all the dust and rock being kicked up. Perhaps they had jumped the gun a bit when the monster started roaring, but no one wanted to risk being hit by the creature's ray beam. While there was no clear indication they were hitting anything, the area was so completely saturated it was impossible that they hadn't hit the monster at least once. On the other hand, what good was a barrage on a singular target if it wasn't more focused on said target's current position? Eventually the Imperial Captain waved his hand in a silencing motion and shouted across the bridge.

"Tell all ships to stop firing," he ordered. "We've lost visual. We need to reacquire the target again. Let the smoke clear, recycle the guns and then we'll coordinate our fire in a concentrated bombardment."

Eventually the Destroyers silenced their guns, just for the moment. The smoke and volcanic dust took awhile to clear, but when it did... they saw nothing. The monster was nowhere to be found, as if he had just vanished into thin air. Briefly, everyone started mumbling about the beast being vaporized, but their Captain wasn't about to claim victory so quickly.

"Initiate heat signature and bio scan," he ordered. "If something is alive down there I want to see it on screen."

The Star Destroyer's sensors began to scan about the area, but all they could see was volcanic rock, ash and the broken remains of AT-ATs the monster had destroyed. The Captain didn't understand, how did they lose something that big?

---

He waited beneath the broken and discarded machines, the dirt and rock covering him partially. It wasn't the best of cover, but it had been all he could find. His dead enemies would serve as a protective shell, at least for the moment while his wounds healed and his skyward foes scratched their heads in confusion. Godzilla waited, lying perfectly still, letting them think they had won for a few precious moments more. He listened to the rumbling engines of the flying machines above, mentally determining their positions.

Then, as he began to charge his power, bright blue creeping up his spines, he struck.

He burst from beneath the broken remains of the Imperial Walkers, rock and earth exploding forth as he arched up. Godzilla aimed his mouth in the direction of one of the Destroyers and fired a blazing blue beam of death directly at it. The blast cascaded across the ship's stomach, easily cutting through the shields and burning away at the hull. The Star Destroyer rocked wildly as it took the hit and desperately listed to the right to escape the attack.

Godzilla ended the sustained blast and pulled himself out of the wreckage entirely. As he did, the large broken machines gave him another idea. He picked up the decapitated head of an AT-AT and chucked it towards the Star Destroyer. The cockpit crashed into the side of the bridge tower as the already damaged Destroyer limped off to the side. Godzilla then grabbed at a large intact chassis and threw it directly at the underbelly of the next ship. The walker torso managed to burst through a number of decks with relative ease.

The still functioning AT-ATs on the ground opened fire, trying to force Godzilla off his newest targets in the air. The reptilian titan lay down another wall of fire with his atomic breath towards the walkers behind him. That would disrupt their aim long enough to accomplish his new mission, to bring these flying machines down.

There was ample ammo littering the field to throw back up into the skies. Better yet, the ships were so low tossing the parts at them was child's play. Every substantially large part Godzilla could find, he tossed it up into the air, mostly at the various guns that had by now resumed their attack. He managed to destroy a few with his attacks, but despite the damage it wasn't enough to take one of these ships down. He needed to find a weakpoint, something to aim for.

If nothing else, the attacks forced the Star Destroyers to back off slightly and reposition themselves further away from the complex. They didn't want a stray piece of giant scrap to hit the facility they had meant to protect. As they moved away from the onslaught of wreckage, Godzilla spotted something. A strange depression in one flying battleship's stomach where he could see spare flying machines hanging from above. That looked like a sufficiently big chink in the armor.

The ship in question had been hit by several AT-AT parts already, losing quite a few guns. Godzilla powered up his atomic breath, but this time he aimed directly for the depression that housed the miniature flyers. The beam launched out and struck the hangar dead center. Godzilla poured on the fire, the power of his atomic breath forcing him slightly back as he poured it on. Then, suddenly and violently, the blast cut clean through the ship, hit the engine core and caused the whole stern of the destroyer to explode. The Imperial ship fell from the skies in flames, descending towards the volcanic mountains as it crashed. When the massive vessel finally collided with the ground, a large fireball burst forth from its carcass.

Godzilla rested for a moment, watching the fires consume the demolished ship. The attack had taken quite a bit out of him, but he couldn't let up. He still had two more threats to deal with. He took aim at the second Star Destroyer and fired again, but the ship was ready this time. It turned away from the blast even before Godzilla fired it. The beam missed the hangar and didn't do nearly as much damage against the underside hull.

The Empire was probably using its shields again, sending more power to them to withstand his attacks. Godzilla could break through the shield given time, but it was time he didn't have. The ship fired several blasts directed at him, forcing him to back away from the barrage. They weren't about to let him get another clean shot. If only there was some way to close the gap, to fight the ship one on one.

That was when Godzilla got another idea. He had only ever used this trick once before, mainly because it had took a lot out of him just to pull off. However, he'd be using just as much, if not more, to break through the shields while under fire. It was a risk he had to take.

With his back turned towards the nearest Star Destroyer, Godzilla bent his head down, charged his atomic breath and just as it reach the apex of its growing power he jumped into the air. The force of his atomic blast acted like a jet engine and sent into the air, flying backwards. He kept the blazing blue stream going, knowing that the second he stopped firing was the second he'd fall back to earth. For the moment, it would keep him airborne and speeding towards the Star Destroyer.

As he neared the ship, Godzilla angled the beam to lift his back right into the vessel's stomach. His dorsal fins sliced into the hull, scraping along the metal and through the lower decks. He then raised his arms, digging his claws into the ship's insides. At last, he stopped shooting the atomic breath. He now hung precariously from the still flying ship and began pulling out it's guts with reckless abandon. Wires, generators and machinery tumbled out, the pieces falling to the ground. He knocked some away in various directions, sending them flying towards the AT-ATs below and crushing them.

Already the excessive damage was taking its toll, as the ship was starting to list downwards. Godzilla's added weight probably wasn't helping either. The ground was starting to come up fast, but the giant reptile didn't seem be in any hurry to leave. He still had a lot of ship to gut after all.

---

Moira wasn't sure if she should believe what she was seeing just now. This giant monster had just launched itself off the ground, flew backwards through the air and grabbed onto a Star Destroyer in order to tear it apart from below. They had said this thing was sentient, even intelligent, she didn't think it was also borderline insane. It took awhile for her to find words to use, but she managed.

"Well, that's something you don't see every day," she noted aloud.

She was still trying to wrap her head around how exactly that had worked, but her brain soon had to process other things. Specifically the remaining Star Destroyer moving into position to fire on the precariously hanging Godzilla. Then, suddenly, Godzilla turned towards the approaching ship. For whatever reason, he fired a ray blast from his mouth that slammed across the top of the Star Destroyer, setting it ablaze. The force of the blast forced the Destroyer back up into the air a bit, halting its descent for a few fleeting seconds.

Godzilla, in the meantime, suddenly plunged his head into the bottom of the Destroyer he was still hanging from. He tore a big chunk from the ship and sent it hurtling towards the second ship. From what Moira saw it was probably a piece of the hyperdrive, but she couldn't tell from this far away.

Finally Godzilla swung himself off the doomed ship and dropped towards the Destroyer slightly below. His claws scratched into the ship's hull, tearing deeply into it. But unlike before, he couldn't hold on as well. He slipped from the ship, firing a short ray blast from his mouth that damaged part of the bridge tower.

The big grey lizard plummeted to the ground again, moving his body in order to point one of his shoulders down towards a bunch of AT-ATs below. He crashed down on top of the war machines, crushing them all. The Star Destroyer he just dropped from veered away, fires raging across all decks. The other Star Destroyer, badly damaged from the attack, now began to plummet, explosions bursting from every deck.

Moira figured Godzilla had damaged to engine core in the attack and that it was far too damaged to stay in the air. She contacted Hera as she watched the ship fall.

"You just saw what I just saw right?" She asked. "I didn't take some bad death sticks, did I?"

"No, I saw it too," Hera assured her. "Still trying to process it. I'm not sure if I should be laughing or cheering at the moment to be honest."

"Same," Moira concurred. "No matter which one it is though, that big lizard is pretty damn hardcore."

---

The Star Destroyer's Captain watched as his ship's bridge went up in flames. His crew panicked and ran about, trying to get to escape pods. He knew it was pointless, they were just too low. At least they had directed themselves away from the facility, but it was a small comfort given the circumstances.

As he watched the ground get closer and close in the window, clutching onto the terminal as their nose dipped and the whole bridge became slanted, he tried to piece together everything. They had just been taken out of the air because a monster flew up from the ground using his heat breath and gutted their engines. Of all the ways to lose a fight, this was not one he had considered. Again, that wasn't much comfort.

"This is quite literally the most ridiculous way for someone to die," he declared. Then he just sighed and held his head high. "Oh well, at least it's memorable."

That was when the ground filled the entire window, the nose broke in half against the ashen soil and the entire bridge went up in a fireball.

---

Ezra had watched the whole scene through the macrobinoculars with rapt attention. He imagined everyone else was doing the same. Godzilla had just demolished two Star Destroyers and taken another out of the fight. And the way he did it was nothing short of astounding.

"Do you think he could always do that?" He asked Kanan curiously.

"I, uh, I guess so," he flabbergasted Jedi replied. "Probably took a lot out of him though."

"It did," Ahsoka stated, sounding just as surprised at the whole ordeal as any of them. "I can sense his strength ebbing. He's using too much energy in this fight. The Empire may be on the ropes, but they're wearing him down with every shot. If he doesn't make a breakthrough soon, he won't make one at all."

Ezra couldn't help but hope he was fighting this hard because he wanted to give them the chance they needed to end this. However, he figured the real reason was because he knew this was the last fight. If he won here, he'd never be bothered again. To hold anything back now would be foolish.

However, his lack of restraint was costing him. Ezra knew what that felt like and he knew he wouldn't have eased back if it weren't for Kanan's guidance. If Ahsoka was right, maybe it was time to step off the sidelines.

"Can't we help him?" He asked both his fellow Force Users. "He might be stronger than any creature alive, but he's not invincible. He keeps going like this and the Empire is going take him down."

"We'd just be in his way right now," Kanan informed him. "Our best option is to wait for our opening and move in quickly. We'll be in a better position to help him then and we won't be wasting resources to bust through that outer perimeter."

Ahsoka seemed to agree with Kanan, much to Ezra's displeasure. However, as he looked back to the battle, he saw something near the walls of the science facility. A large underground door slowly rose from the volcanic rock. It opened up and out marched two walkers, but unlike any he had ever seen. Godzilla had a new opponent to play with now.

---

Picking himself off the ground and surveying the remains of the AT-ATs he crushed, Godzilla felt he was now pretty much in the clear to burst through the facility walls and end this farce. Instead, he soon saw another obstacle parading up from the underground. Large spider-like machine crawled out into the open, two of them to be exact and trained their sights on him. Godzilla cocked his head from side to side, curious at the strange new machines but recognizing them as a threat nonetheless. He steeled his gaze as the new war machines began to move into attack position, AT-ATs flanking them as they did.

Unknown to Godzilla, these machines were some of the deadliest walker attack vehicles in the Imperial arsenal. They were unique in more than one way, as they had decidedly more alien origins. The Mobile Heavy Cannons were created by the Umbarans, a species who lived on a world constantly shrouded in darkness. Just like their world, their weapons were vastly different than other cultures and the MHCs were no exception. Walking around on six legs, these massive machines sported a large swiveling plasma turret on the top of their bulbous chassis. After the Clone Wars, the Empire had snatched up the remaining tanks and altered the design slightly for the Imperial Military. These ones weren't all that different from the Umbaran models and were no less menacing than their alien built cousins. For the Clone Troopers that had first encountered them so many years ago, they were very intimidating. Not so for Godzilla, as all they did was make him think of Kumonga and how annoying that lecherous bug could be.

Godzilla moved to engage, but the MHCs opened fire first. Their giant electromagnetic plasma cannons blasted away with several shots. Each hit harder than the last it seemed, their attacks knocking the monster king back a few feet each. Godzilla hadn't had as much time as he would've liked to recover from his flying attack and these spider tanks were now taking full advantage of that.

Now firing in unison, Godzilla moved back, keeping his eye on the attacking robotic spiders. These plasma weapons hurt more than previous ones, perhaps because of the electrical charge each plasma shot carried. Devastating against infantry, painful against a monster whose only weakness was with electricity. Godzilla continued to fall back, losing ground that had been hard fought and earned. The AT-ATs joined in as well, intent on avenging their fallen comrades. Godzilla had no opening to strike back, not with the MHCs refusing to let up.

Before long, Godzilla was stumbling into the dense jungle near the edge of the volcanic field. He hoped the trees and brush would force the giant machines to slow, but they kept pressing. There was little he could do under the intense fire and his body still hadn't fully healed from the fight before. He would not give in though, he would find a way past their guns. He started forcing himself to weather to shots, pushing towards these new enemies.

Thats when something started hitting the MHCs from above. Lasers and proton bombs began dropping from the skies. Some hit the AT-ATs flanking the six-legged war machines, others hit the MHCs. Godzilla looked up and saw the source of the attack, it was the Rebel flying machines once again, trying to force the attention of the Empire away from him. Suddenly the Plasma weapons turned skyward and started shooting at the Rebels above, particularly an oddly shaped craft that just danced gracefully around the shots.

Godzilla had no time to be thankful, only time to exploit the distraction knowing it would not last long. He saw one of the AT-ATs had broken from the rest of the formation, trying to escape another bombing run. Godzilla raced towards it, letting it open fire on him. It wouldn't matter when he was done with it, for as he closed the distance he leered his head down and then butted his skull against the machine's belly. As it reared up, Godzilla grabbed the AT-AT and kept running with it out in front, using it like a riot shield.

The nearest MHC reacquired Godzilla, but its shots did little to break through the metal bulkhead of the AT-AT. Before long, the back of the upturned walker was slamming into the spider-like machine with the force of a speeding freight train. The six-legged weapon of war stumbled backwards, slight damage to its hull, but Godzilla was far from finished. He began beating the MHC to a pulp with the AT-AT, pounding on it again and again until the cockpit window smash clean open and the plasma turret lay broken and useless. The giant reptilian terror then tossed the broken remains of the AT-AT towards the second MHC and shoved his massive claw into the cockpit. He squeezed hard and ripped out the machine's guts before unleashing a close range atomic blast that obliterated the vehicle's upper half.

As the smoking remains of the MHC collapsed to the ground, Godzilla used his massive tail to smack away a remaining AT-AT, beating it into the ground. But while he had destroyed the nuisance before it could become a problem, the still functioning MHC unloaded two blasts into Godzilla's shoulder and head. The giant lizard king was knocked down into the ground by the force of the blast, but scrambled onto all fours. He turned, seeing the Rebels continue to hit the MHC, trying to get it away from him. In that moment, Godzilla lunged at the war machine and grabbed for it's legs.

The King of the Monsters now stood tall again, clutching the front legs of the MHC in both hands. He pulled on one hard and plucked the robotic limb clean out of its socket. Sparks flew and wires spilled out alongside fluid as the machine's middle legs started pounding into Godzilla's chest. In response, he bent down, snatched up one of the legs in his jaws and wrenched it free of the body.

Now with only four mismatched legs, the machine tried to slink out of the monster's grasp. It pulled back, causing Godzilla to stumble at the sudden jolt and loosen his grip. Now free, the giant walker aimed its weapon at the lizard's head. Godzilla quickly grappled the vehicle's weapon and smashed his free claw into the cockpit. He moved the gun away as plasma blasts started firing at him. He aimed the turret towards the science facility perimeter wall and let it devastate the defenders. Big bluish-green balls of hot flaming death streamed towards the Stormtroopers on the battlements, wreaking havoc as blowing holes clear through their defenses. Finally, Godzilla snapped the turret off like a twig, ending its threat to him.

The King of the Monsters was far from done though. With every bit of his remaining strength, Godzilla lifted the machine off the ground, roaring in rage as he did. He was subsisting on pure adrenaline now, pure primal power. He swung the massive machine around him to build up momentum, holding onto one of its dangling legs. Then he let go and let the giant broken metal spider sail through the air and crash back down on the Imperial Facility's wall. The husk of the machine burst through the perimeter with relative ease, leaving a several dozen yard gash in the perimeter itself.

Godzilla roared in triumph one last time and lowered his head, panting as he did. He had given the Rebels what they wanted, a way in. Now they could take things the rest of the way and give him a moment to rest. He'd finish the Empire off once he was back to full strength, which wouldn't take long. He had taken their best shot once again and they had failed. The rest would be child's play.

---

Ahsoka lowered the macrobinoculars and opened up the comms channel.

"We have our opening," she declared. "All forces, converge on the facility. We need to exploit that hole while the Empire is still bleeding. Move out and do not stop for anything!"

She began rushing back towards the Juggernaut, Kanan and Ezra in tow. Already the other Rebels were scrambling to their own vehicles and racing off towards the facility en masse. Godzilla had pulled through after all, he had given them their way inside. All they had to do now was take the facility and destroy the Cyber Zillo-Beast.

"You think Godzilla will be alright," Ezra asked as he ran alongside her. "He's taken a real beating and the Empire is still gonna want him dead."

"We can't worry about that right now, Ezra," Ahsoka insisted sternly. "We need to complete the mission. Right now he's resting and rebuilding his strength. Let's just give him his space and let him recover. Our concern is the monster the Empire has inside right now."

Ezra turned away as they climbed into the Juggernaut, looking back to Godzilla as he stood in the jungle, recooperating. Ahsoka supposed she was being a bit harsh there, dismissing Ezra's fears like that, but right now they needed to stay focused. Their mission's goal was in sight, they couldn't trip up now.

---

Sakal stared at the holotable in disbelief. The Mobile Heavy Cannons had failed. Alpha Predator One was battered and weakened, but he had prevailed regardless. Their defenses had been compromised and the Rebels were no doubt on their way. He was out of resources. What few AT-ATs he had left weren't enough to make up for every defensive turbolaser they had lost and with the only Star destroyer still flying badly damaged their air support was all but gone. He clutched at the side of the table, breathing heavily, sweating profusely as he frantically tried to think.

"Klusto, have all forces converge on the gash in the wall," he stated hurriedly. "That is where the Rebels will be concentrating their efforts. We'll pull back the remaining AT-ATs and focus the AT-MPs on strategic approach vectors. We can set up fallback position in-"

"This has gone far enough," the booming voice of Vader declared suddenly.

The tall dark cloaked figure turned towards the General marching slowly up to him. Sakal could no longer keep his legs steady and even he backed away slightly, fear and panic clearly etched across his face, but still retaining a sense of determination.

"I haven't lost yet," he insisted. "I can beat the Rebels! I still- ack!"

Sakal suddenly found himself clutching at his throat, as if an invisible hand was clasping around his windpipe. The ghostly grip started to tighten, strangling him until he could hardly breathe. He choked and sputtered, digging at his neck, as his eyes bulged and his tongue swelled. He looked to Vader and saw that he was clutching his hand into a claw-like shape, aiming it at him directly. It was then Sakal felt the floor beneath him vanish and he began to float ever so slightly off the ground. He wanted to scream in fear, tell Vader to stop, explain that he could fix this, but he couldn't. All he could do was listen as everything started going dark.

"You have failed the Empire for the last time, General," Vader coldly informed him. It was the last words he spoke to Sakal directly, before is gaze turned to Klusto. "Commander, have your forces prepare a defense against the Rebels. And inform the remaining Star Destroyer to close within range of the Monster's coordinates. I will contact them shortly, you are now in command, General Klusto."

They were the last words Sakal heard before his whole body went limp and everything went dark.

---

Klusto could only thank Lord Vader for his generosity as he watched his old friend slink to the floor dead, finally released from the invisible hold on his neck. Vader then left the room, his entourage in tow. Klusto couldn't take his eyes off of Sakal's body, the look of frozen abject horror on his corpse. Klusto felt he was about to be sick.

All their plans, their hopes, the things Sakal said would be their reward for a job well done, they all died with him. Klusto suddenly wondered if any of them would get out of this alive, if any of them would be spared Vader's wrath should the monster fail to kill them. Their fates were no longer theirs regardless. All Klusto could do now was stop the Rebels, carry out Vader's orders and hope for the best.

He thought briefly of Boll and what Vader would do to her next if things went further south than already were going. If nothing else, he had to find a way to keep her safe. He already lost one valued friend, he would not lose her. All he had to do was hold these Rebels back, but that was a daunting task. Whatever the cost, he had to find a way to keep Boll safe. He couldn't contact her now and warn her though, Vader was probably listening in. He needed to find her directly and that meant finding a moment to slip away.

For now though, he sent the order for the Destroyer to move into position near Alpha Predator One.

---

Moira watched the stream of activity below them. The Imperials were quickly readjusting their strategy given how badly their perimeter had been broken just now. The bulk of their forces were moving to block the hole in the wall Godzilla had just created. It was the only thing they could do, but it also made them easier targets for an air assault.

"Anglyph, how many bombs you got left?" She asked.

The ithorian responded with a cautionary series of worbbles and grunts, reminding of a potential danger she was overlooking.

"I know they got AT-MPs, but their missiles are going be preoccupied with us and the ground, trust me," she assured him. "Just prepare for a run on that hole. We break their defense there and the Rebels can just move through the breach with little to no opposition."

"Our ship is going to need a place to land, Moira," Hera informed her over the comm. "We're going to need to meet up with our friends down below once they get inside."

"I'll put Ro on it," she assured the twi'lek pilot. "He'll make sure the way is clear for you. We have an ETA on the main force's arrival? Because the Imps are scrambling to secure that gap."

"Fulcrum said they'd be here in minutes," Hera replied. "We'll be part of the opening barrage. Primary targets at the AT-ATs and any other heavy weapons we can spot. I'll be dropping Sabine off to help once the charge starts."

It seemed like everything was accounted for, save for the Star Destroyer that was supposed to be still flying around. However, it didn't seem to be in any hurry to help provide support. The remaining TIEs had been largely routed and any that remained were hovering over the facility proper. Something felt wrong, she turned her craft in the direction of damaged Star Destroyer and saw it limping in the opposite direction of the facility, headed towards Godzilla. What the hell were they thinking? Even weakened, that big lizard had to have enough juice to blow their smoking behind out of the skies. Imps weren't smart, but they weren't that stupid.

Now Moira was certain something was really wrong.

---

Darth Vader moved through the complex towards the roof. He strode out onto a large landing pad that overlooked his far off target. The giant reptile stood in the jungle beyond, slowly making it's way back to the facility. Vader could sense the creature was exhausted, but it wasn't dead and therefore still a threat. Until it no longer moved, until it stopped breathing it would remain a threat. It roared ever so slightly as it stomped about, signaling its eventual return to battle. That it was battered but would soon finish the job the Rebels had sent it here to do.

Then it spotted the Star Destroyer looming overhead and turned towards it. It didn't fire, its energy reserves still too low no doubt. All the better as far as Vader was concerned. He wanted that ship as intact as possible if his plan was to succeed. He had every confidence it would though, he had done it before, when he was a different man. Back then he had the ship evacuated before he drove it into a Trade federation vessel. Sentimentality, mercy, weakness, things a Sith had no use for. The Destroyer was useless now, its crew expendable. All that mattered was killing the monster while it was still recovering.

"Lord Vader to Star Destroyer," he began, contacting the Captain over the comm. "What is your status?"

"My Lord, this is the Captain," the Officer began nervously. "We're in position as ordered, sir. I'm not sure what good we can do. All primary weapons have lost power, we're barely holding on as it is. If this thing fires at us our shields won't hold. I request that my ship be pulled out of combat range so we can-"

"Your request is denied, Captain," Vader responded coldly. "Your Empire requires you for one final service. Do not fear, you will be remembered for your bravery."

Vader stretched out his hands and reached through the Force towards the Star Destroyer. It was time to show this monster that he was not the only one with impressive powers. That there was a cost for defying the Empire and the Sith. With the power of the Force surging through him, harnessed in his fingertips, he closed his hands around the Imperial Starship. The vessel buckled and shook in the air as Vader strained to pull it down. The monster's attention was soon more firmly earned as the Star Destroyer's nose pointed towards his head.

Vader then forced the ship to careen towards the monster, ever so slowly at first but picking up speed with every second he had his invisible hold on the starship itself. Pieces of metal and of the hull began to crack and break off under the strain of the Sith Lord's power. Fires and explosions spread forth from open seams in the hull, jutting small towers of fire as the vessel fell.

It was only then Vader heard the screams. He hadn't turned off his comm-link, he was still connected to the bridge of the doomed Star Destroyer. The panic cries of the Officers aboard, not understanding why they were suddenly falling, no, plummeting to their deaths. Vader let the screams carry on, tuning them out. They were of little consequence, he had to maintain complete focus on the task at hand. His muscles ached as he continued to force the ship towards it's target. The pain was nothing compared to what he lived with everyday inside his armor, he would not succumb to it. However, he was straining the limits of even his power and he had to end this quickly.

The monster roared up at the oncoming ship. He had nowhere to really run in time. It didn't look like he wanted to either. Instead, he fired his atomic breath at the incoming ship, hitting it in the nose. That only succeeded in setting the vessel on fire, it did not stop it. Vader forced the ship to fall faster, battling against the beast's attack. He strained and growled beneath his helmet, his fingers turning into claws as he powered the Star Destroyer's descent forward. Until finally he let out one last burst of strength and pushed the Star Destroyer into freefall speed.

The ship's nose slammed into the giant lizard's maw, pushing him down into the dirt as the giant burning ship crashed atop him. Dirt, rocks, trees, fire and smoke all exploded upon collision. The ship's engines exploding mere moments after hitting the ground. A huge fireball lit up the sky and set the jungle ablaze.

It was done. Vader turned away from the burning wreckage in the distance, his arms slumped to his side beneath his cloak, but he himself stood tall and unwavering, his stride unbroken. It was as he predicted. Without hate, the monster's rage was a tiny flickering flame against him. The power of the Dark Side had prevailed once again. Alpha Predator One was dead.

---

Everyone in the Rebel Task Force had seen it, no one could've missed it. Their eyes had more or less been split in focus between their final goal and Godzilla as he stood recuperating. When they had seen the Star Destroyer suddenly dive towards the giant reptile, crashing into him, no one could turn away. Hera had transmitted the footage from the Ghost's cameras directly to Ahsoka's Juggernaut. It was a disturbing sight to be sure.

"They committed suicide just to kill him?" Zeb asked, still astonished.

Ahsoka didn't think so, and she suspected Kanan felt the same. His expression was similar to hers, one of suspicion and contemplation. Imperials weren't so keen on suicide runs like that and something had felt really off about how it started falling. There was little time to think about it though, as Ezra started shouting.

"We have to go," he declared anxiously in earnest. "We have to get to that crash site and help him!"

"Ezra, we don't even know if he's still alive," Kanan sternly informed him. "And even if he was, how would we help him? He's buried under a ton of Imperial bulkhead!"

"I don't know, but we have to try!" Ezra insisted urgently. "We owe it to him! He wouldn't have come here if we hadn't asked him to! We wouldn't have a chance at getting inside if it wasn't for him!"

Kanan turned and bent down to Ezra's level, maintain his firm tone.

"That's right, we wouldn't have this chance without him and if we take time out to go to that crash site we're going to lose that chance," he told his padawan. "Right now, we have to stay focused and get into that facility."

Ezra turned to Ahsoka, looking for a sympathetic ear, but she shook her head too.

"It is the best way we can honor his actions," she stated solemnly. "I'm sorry, Ezra, but this mission is bigger than any one individual. We can't stop the attack just to check on him out of the slim chance he's alive."

"But he is alive," Ezra continued to insist. "I can feel it! Don't ask how, I just do! We can't just abandon him!"

"And we can't just abandon the mission either," Kanan reiterated. "It's the whole reason we're even here in the first place."

"It wasn't his mission until we made it his," Ezra shouted back. "We pulled him into this! Now that he's served his purpose we're done with him? Is that what this Rebellion is about? I thought we were better than that."

Kanan just sighed and stood back up.

"I'm sorry, Ezra," He told Ezra sadly. "But I told you before, this fight will involve sacrifice from all of us. That's just how it is. I wish it wasn't like that, believe me."

Ezra looked away frowning, the discussion seemingly ended. Everyone turned back towards the attack screen and started rethinking their strategy.

"With Godzilla gone, the Stormtroopers are probably feeling a hell of a lot better about themselves right now," Ahsoka warned. "Their morale is going to be a lot higher than we had hoped."

"At least packed in as they are, their greater numbers won't matter as much," Kanan added. "If things get rough, we can encircle their defenses around the perimeter breach and start squeezing. Either way, we need to concentrate on taking out the AT-ATs and-"

There was a swooshing sound of a door opening and closing. Kanan, Zeb and Ahsoka turned to see that Ezra was gone. Kanan growled under his teeth and ran out the door. Ahsoka knew that look, it was the disgruntled one Master Kenobi always had when Anakin ran off to do something stupid. She followed her fellow Force-User best she could through the Juggernaut's cramped corridors, heading towards a troop compartment near the vehicle's port side.

When they got there, they found they were too late. Ezra had taken a speeder bike, opened the side bay door and sped out into the wild, heading towards the billowing smoke of the crashed Star Destroyer. He was going to find Godzilla, or whatever was left of him.

"Blasted kid," Kanan growled as he prepared to mount the speeder bike.

Ahsoka stopped him though.

"No," she said, grabbing him by the shoulder. "I need you here with the attack force and your crew needs their leader."

"So I should just let Ezra run off on his own?" Kanan asked angrily. "Sorry, not happening. Who else is going to get him?"

"I will," Ahsoka assured. "I've already relayed the battleplan to all the Cell Commanders. I don't need to be here for the battle to work, but I need you with your crew and someone familiar with the overall strategy to direct things if something goes wrong."

Kanan seemed taken aback by this, surprised at what she was suggesting.

"You want me to lead the attack so you can go pick up my wayward Apprentice?" He asked, seriously confused. "Why?"

"Trust me on this, Kanan," Ahsoka insisted. "Right now, I don't think you're going to be able to convince Ezra of anything. He may be your Apprentice, but sometimes being the Master means trusting them to go their own way."

"He's doing something incredibly stupid and foolhardy," Kanan argued. "And for what? Because he wants to help a giant alien dragon that didn't even like us?"

Ahsoka didn't respond, she just climbed onto the speeder bike and started the engine.

"He's following his Jedi Instincts, they're telling him where he needs to be," she explained. "If you can't trust your Padawan's judgment, the Apprentice you've been teaching, how can you ever trust yourself as his Master?"

Without another word, Ahsoka took off after Ezra. Leaving Kanan to ponder her words. She wasn't sure if she was speaking sense, or if her advice was any good. Right now she was listening to her instincts, that being to let Kanan take the reigns for the assault and for her to follow Ezra. Maybe it was the odd feeling she had from the Star Destroyer's crash. Maybe it was because part of her felt she really did owe it to Godzilla to at least see if he was alive. Or maybe, it was just Ezra and how much this situation felt all too familiar to her. He was going off on his own path on this one, just like she had years before. This time though, unlike her, he wouldn't have to do it alone.

---

AN: Apologies that this took so long. It was a rough month, a lot of personal things. Writing was a bit difficult for a few days. I would like to thank Crow and Hellfox for doing what they could to help me through it. You guys bothered to listen and for that alone I'm grateful, it helped me to talk things out and move forward.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, that you will review and share your thoughts, and that if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. But do check my profile's note page first to see if I've already answered them for you. You'll find the latest edition to this story's author's note near the top of the profile page like always. Just copy and past the link, removing the "." from the address. Sorry it's like this, but that is how has decided to do things now. It's annoying, I don't like it, but it is out of my hands. Apologies. See you next time.