Chapter 11
"You knew?" Hera is shocked. She's genuinely stunned by his use of her name. All thoughts of the woods, of her potential execution, disappear. Hera steps back, not in fear but because she needs a moment to absorb it.
"You're letting her go?" Gary asks quietly. "Th-that's—ok, whatever."
"General Hera Syndulla?" Dyer recalls, then points furiously. "She-she's a high-value target! She's the only thing holding the rebels back! You're a fool if you let her go!"
Hera watches him study Dyer and her before focusing on Gary. "Rebel leaders are professional fugitives. How many men should I set aside to watch her around the clock? Your plans must account for your opponent's reaction, response, and goals. When not if, she escapes, how many deaths are acceptable? How many will die recapturing her ALIVE because she's a 'high-value' target?"
"Why not…," Gary asks awkwardly. "Take her off the board?"
"Why not murder me?" Hera demands angrily.
"To be fair, it crossed my mind too. What's the rebel's reaction, response, and goal?"
"What does it matter?" Dyer snarls, still kneeling. "That's not the Empire's way!"
"Look where that kind of thinking has gotten us," the commander retorts.
"The rebels will grieve and want revenge," Gary states. "They'll make us pay."
She opens her mouth to dispute it, then hesitates. Is he right? Yes, he is. All three of them watch her reaction, and the weight of their attention makes her self-conscious. Finally, she nods, conceding the point. Hera asks, "What do you want, commander?"
"You overheard me, general. You know what I want: off this planet with my troopers."
"I appreciate my release," Hera sighs. "But even if I could give that to you, I wouldn't. You're an ongoing threat to the rebellion."
"Well, at least she's honest," Gary shrugs. "Not smart denying outright, though."
"I'm not asking you to," the commander replies. "I'll get us off Endor."
"You're still an ongoing threat."
"Yes, but hardly the greatest one," the commander motions. "You've cobbled together a revolution and replaced us. Now, you're in charge. Without the fear of the Empire to unite you, what holds it together? Yes, you have senators and governors, but most of them swore to the Empire too. The same people leading the Clone Wars and led the Empire, intend to continue ruling. Your leaders will compromise with them and claim they're saving lives and time."
Hera thinks about it, "Isn't that what you're asking me to do?"
"No, I'm trying to save my people and negotiate a withdraw."
Hera points out, "You'll still be my enemy after this."
"You're still my enemy right now," he huffs with amusement. "Think of this as an act of good faith. I'm offering your freedom and Lord Dyer in exchange to leave Endor peacefully."
"I-what?" Dyer sputters impotently. "I'm not an a-a-a commodity to barter over!"
"Or," she suggests. "You can surrender and end this before anyone else dies. The Emperor is dead. The war is over."
"One thing I learned on Kelee, and you'll soon discover. One side doesn't determine when a war is over. Both have a say," the commander laughs, pondering a moment. "The parallels between the Clone Wars and this—well, it's unsettling."
"Enough history lessons, won't you even consider surrendering?" Hera urges.
"If I surrender, it will be on my terms, and I'll need strong motivation."
"Do you think you're a contender for the throne?" She demands. "The next emperor?"
They burst out laughing. Dyer cries, "He's a dumb grunt!"
Gary laughs so hard he almost falls over while Hera fumes, feeling left out of the joke.
"Behold, the value of a soldier," the commander declares sadly. "No moff, admiral, or governer will follow a stormtrooper. We're battle fodder and a potential threat."
She evaluates him and changes direction, "What are you fighting for, commander?"
He jolts, surprising Hera, "Heh…a separatist general asked me the same thing once. I fight for order and justice. Have you ever gone to the outer rim or Wild Space?"
"What does that have to do with your evil regime?"
"You've never experienced the horrors that lie beyond our borders."
"Have you ever looked in the mirror?" She taunts him.
"Snarky comebacks will not protect your people," the commander assures her. "Power hates a vacuum; without the Empire as a stabilizing force, your problems will multiply. You gave blasters and explosives to a stone-age species. Their conflicts haven't gone away; they're paused to face a mutual enemy. Now, that enemy is gone."
"The Ewoks are generous and noble," she grits her teeth. "Without the Empire, millions of species can choose their future now, not have it determined for them."
"For now, you're allies, but can you say that for the whole species? What prevents them from dominating Endor with your weapons? Millions of planets are free to choose violence too. Are you willing to spill your allies' blood if they murder their neighbors? Will you risk your own to stop it, and for how long? Will you ignore the slaughter? I've been here before, general!"
"I won't let that happen!" She snaps, her frustration boiling over.
"Primitive warrior races don't take new weapons and return to farming and hunting. They seize what they only dreamed of," he warns. "Now, multiply that by a million species and systems throughout the galaxy. The Alliance does not have the resources to stabilize the galaxy."
"Enough! If you're releasing me, do so. I'm not debating the value of the Empire," she growls, clenching her fists. "I've witnessed its crimes, and the galaxy is better without it!"
He's quiet while Gary looks at the ground. Suddenly, the commander draws Dyer's blaster. The tension thickens until it's hard to breathe. Without warning, he flips it, holding it out to her. She hesitates, and he says, "Take it, general. These woods are dangerous."
Cautiously, she accepts it, placing it on her belt. She mutters, "Good luck, commander."
"When rebel command suggests bombing the compound, remind them I'm not there."
Hera flinches, but he turns without another word, marching into the woods. Gary gives her and Dyer a last look, saluting her informally before following him. She doesn't know what to make of it. A part of her doesn't want to care, but she can't help herself.
Against all odds and her past experiences, Hera respects him.
"Well, that went better than I could hope," Dyer interrupts her musing. Hera's lips twist with disgust, but he disregards her mood. He stands up, squaring his shoulders, abruptly full of himself. "General, my surrender comes with the expectation of proper treatment as a lord."
"You have nothing I want. You're spending your life in prison, my lord."
"We'll see about that," he smirks. "What's your plan for returning to rebel command?"
Hera frowns, loathing his arrogance. She reaches into her boot, removing the comlink she hid. Dyer nods as if he'd known about it all along. Hera calls out, "This is spectre-2."
"Good to hear you, spectre-2," Rex replies. "A shuttle is coming for pickup."
"Contact rebel command and transmit the recording," Hera orders. "I need everything we have on the commander if we're going to neutralize him."
Barely a half-hour later, Hera stands in a circle with her command. Rex is on her right, and several officers surround the table. Across from her, a blue-tinted hologram of Mon Mothma joins their conference. Innately elegant, the representative of Chandrila and rebel leader listens attentively to her report. Red hair greying, Mon Mothma is the leader of the rebellion.
Chief Chirpa and a protocol droid positioned themselves to her left. The furry Ewok and the silvery robot couldn't be more different, but the Bright Tree's leader is a vital ally. The droid whispers to him in the Ewok language to translate the discussion. Against her wishes, Mon Mothma invited Lord Dyer to the meeting after speaking with her and intelligence.
Hera concludes, "He released Lord Dyer and me in exchange to withdraw safely."
"While I prefer to avoid any further bloodshed," Mon Mothma asserts. "We cannot."
"He must not ally with the Duloks," Chief Chirpa says, and the droid interprets.
An X-wing pilot suggests, "Two proton torpedoes will eliminate the base, and the pathfinders can mop up. Without support, he'll surrender or face Ewok justice."
"Alone, he decimated both Ewoks and the pathfinders," Rex reminds them. "Whatever we do has to account for his counter."
"His goal is to escape," Hera interrupts, motioning for them to quiet down. "He may trade for the transmitter vane because he needs shields to buy time. An alliance isn't his goal."
"Why would he go to the Duloks if he's retreating?" Chief Chirpa asks. "The Duloks are aggressive, treacherous, and their witch is wicked, but they have no ships."
"He knows an airstrike is our first choice," Hera explains. "It minimizes risk to us."
"Are you certain their shields are down?" A pathfinder asks. "This could be a trap, and if they repair their shields, this becomes drastically more difficult."
"Even with shields," Chief Chirpa insists. "My hunters can slip over the walls and throw grenades or slay them quietly. We'll be inside before they know it."
"My sharpshooters could pick off anyone that survives," the pathfinder adds.
"We still have the AT-ST," Rex points out. "-and explosives to punch through the wall."
"Hera," Mon Mothma calls. "You spent the most time with him. What's your analysis?"
Let him go, but she suppresses the thought. "He's intelligent, decisive, and deadly. If cornered, he'll fight to the death and make us pay for every inch in blood."
"Then bombing the compound seems like the best approach," Mon Mothma determines.
The pilot insists, "I can order a strike immediately. We have X-wings in the air."
"Chief Chirpa and I should organize a cordon around the base first," Rex argues. "The commander isn't the only threat, and everyone that escapes is another potential problem."
"How long will that take?" Mon Mothma thoughtfully.
"Not long, a little longer if we use the walker, but the shuttles will do all the work."
"If the pathfinders can strike the base alone," Chief Chirpa proposes. "My forces can intervene with the Duloks, preventing them from joining our enemies."
"What would that involve?" Hera asks, the commander's words echoing.
"A show of force," Chief Chirpa puts up his hands. "No more. We don't want any further conflicts, but the Duloks will push if they think we're weak or distracted."
"There's a significant risk of an accident or misinterpretation," Hera cautions.
"I want to avoid further conflict," Mon Mothma insists. "Can they be negotiated with?"
"Yes, but carefully," Chirpa warns. "Too many warriors will be a threat, pushing the Duloks to the Empire. Too few will get seized for ransom. Food will go far with them, food and medicine, but you will not trade weapons. They will be used on us, sooner or later."
"Agreed," Mon Mothma nods. "We surround and neutralize the base and negotiate with the Duloks. Is there anything else to discuss?"
"The commander is not at the base." Blast! His words echo in Hera's ears, infuriating her intensely. "We'll keep the plan, but if we bomb it, he'll seek revenge. I guarantee we'll regret it. He has to return there, which gives us an edge and the means to track him."
"Why wait?" A pathfinder sneers. "He might escape, and he has to pay for his crimes!"
"The longer we wait, the more likely they'll repair the shields," The pilot declares. "Dramatically increasing the risk and danger to our forces."
"For now, he can't leave Endor or communicate with imperial command. Place scouts to watch the compound," Hera realizes this is a crucial moment, threatening her leadership and a lot of lives. "I'll take a shuttle to the Dulok camp, preempting him. It'll take him another hour to reach it, but I'll be there in minutes. We'll negotiate for the vane and the Duloks' neutrality. If we leave the commander cornered and unprotected, we can leverage his troops' lives against him, maybe force a surrender. If it fails, then we'll bomb the compound."
When everyone looks at Mon Mothma, Hera feels frustrated and undermined. Mon Mothma weighs her options before ordering, "Proceed with Hera's plan. If we can avoid battle, if we can convince the imperials to lay down arms. It will go a long way to securing peace."