A short time later, Han, Chewie, Captain Rex, along with the droids and the rest of the Rebel squad all waited anxiously in the forest clearing for some sign of Leia. There was simply no telling just where or how far she'd gone, but if she didn't come back soon, Han fully intended to tear the whole forest apart if that's what it took to find her.

Finally, R2-D2 suddenly beeped in alarm, having picked something up on his scanner.

"Oh, General Solo, somebody's coming!" C-3PO warned.

At this, Han, Chewie, Captain Rex and the rest of the squad all promptly readied their weapons just in case whoever it was wasn't friendly.

But to their surprise and relief however, it was Leia who stepped out of the forest foliage with Ahsoka Tano and the Ewoks all following close behind her.

"Leia!" Han exclaimed as he ran up to her, but his relief quickly turned to confusion when he took in Leia's new friends, "Who's this?"

"It's all right, Han. They're friends. " Leia assured him.

Han looked at Ahsoka intently, "General Madine's agent?"

"Yes, General Solo." Ahsoka nodded, "I'm Ahsoka Tano."

But before Han could reply, he was quite taken aback when Captain Rex and R2-D2 both suddenly came forward to greet Ahsoka as though they were old friends, which as Han would soon find out, they in fact were old friends.

"Commander..." Rex addressed her with a fond smile as R2 beeped happily.

"Hello, Rex." Ahsoka stepping forward to hug him before then placing an affectionate hand on R2-D2's dome, "Hey, little guy."

Surprised, Han looked at Rex and then at R2, "Woah, woah, woah! You guys know each other?"

But Han's surprise turned to complete and utter shock when suddenly, Chewbacca also stepped forward to greet Ahsoka with a welcoming bark.

"Chewbacca, it's so good to see you again." replied Ahsoka.

Han felt his jaw drop, "Wait. WHAT? Chewie knows you to?!"

"We met back during the Clone Wars when I was still a padawan." Ahsoka explained, "In fact, that's when we all first met."

Han could only gape at Chewbacca. "Just how many Jedi friends have you got, pal?!"

"I'm not a Jedi, General Solo. Not anymore." Ahsoka clarified.

"Then just what-" Han started to say.

"Han!" Leia interrupted, even though she was just as surprised as him, "We can sort all of this out later. Right now, we've got a job to do."

"Okay, okay...", Han took a deep breath, and then pointed at the Ewoks, "And just who are they?"

"The Ewoks. They have agreed to ally with us for the coming battle." explained Ahsoka.

Han looked at the small furry, creatures with clear skepticism, "These little fuzzballs are going to help us take out the shield generator?"

"Oh, there is far more to them than meets the eye, General Solo. Believe me." Ahsoka assured before walking over to one of the Ewoks and crouching down before him, "Wicket, can you lead everybody back to the village?"

"Yub yub!" the Ewok known as Wicket replied in the affirmative.

Standing back up, Ahsoka turned back to the Rebels, "If you'll all just follow us, he'll take us back to their village so we can prepare for tomorrow's operation."

"You heard her." said Captain Rex, "Everybody fall in."

"Hey, wait just a minute!" Han exclaimed as the whole Rebel team began to follow Rex's lead, "I'm supposed to be in charge here, not-"

But before he could finish, Leia grabbed his wrist, and began to pull him along, "Oh, just come on, Han!"

The procession of Rebel troops and Ewoks made its way through the ever-darkening forest until they finally came to shaky, narrow, wooden walkway which led them high into the giant trees. Then, to the utter astonishment of the entire Rebel team, the walkway eventually brought them to a large collection of mud huts and rickety walkways attached to the massive trunks, creating a huge village high above the forest floor.

As the procession finally wound its way into the village square, the Ewok inhabitants suddenly began to scurry about in alarm at the sight of the newcomers. A few of them even began to arm themselves as Ewok mothers protectively gathered up their children.

"It's all right, my friends." Ahsoka quickly reassured them, "It's only me. And these people mean no harm. They are our friends as well."

"Wub Wub!" Wicket immediately backed her up.

Ahsoka's words seemed to calm the Ewoks' anxiety, and at last, they all slowly began to creep forward to inspect the new arrivals with an almost child-like curiosity.

As the Rebels made their way through the village, Han was suddenly feeling somewhat pessimistic as he fully took in their newfound "allies". The smuggler just didn't see how these Ewoks, these small, rather adorable-looking stone-age creatures were supposed to help them defeat the Imperial war machine. But then again, Master Yoda hadn't looked like much at first glance either. At this point, he doubted that anything would sound crazy anymore.

At last, the group finally came to a stop before the largest hut in the village where the Ewok Chief known as Chirpa waited along with several of the other tribal elders.

"Chief Chirpa, these are the allies I told you all about." Ahsoka told him, "They have come to help in your fight against the Empire as we promised."

Chief Chirpa took in the entire Rebel team and nodded, then said something to them in the Ewok language, before then proceeding to head into the main hut with the other Ewok elders in tow.

"What did he say?" Han asked.

"They use a very primitive dialect." C-3PO explained, "But I do believe he wants us to come inside with him."

A short time later, everybody was gathered inside the chief's hut as a glowing fire pit in the center of the room created a kaleidoscope of shadows all along the walls, which were decorated with animal skulls and ornate native shields. Against the back wall Chief Chirpa sat on his wooden throne flanked on each side by the other Ewok elders.

Leia, Han, Chewbacca, R2-D2, Ahsoka, and Captain Rex all sat along the walls on either side with C-3PO standing in the center of the room to interpret between the two groups while Wicket and another Ewok named Teebo stood off to the side.

"The Empire has been exploiting their world for years, and many tribes have been driven from their lands." C-3PO translated for Chief Chirpa, "They have been preparing to go to war for quite some time now. Once Mistress Ahsoka explained the Rebellion's plan to them, they were all too eager to join forces with us. They are most grateful for our aid."

While the Ewok Chief and protocol droid spoke, Wicket and Teebo showed the Rebels crude animal-skin tapestries displaying scenes of Imperial forces wreaking havoc on forest moon, and the increasingly desperate and almost futile attempts of the Ewoks to fight back.

Then, once they had finished, Wicket walked over to Ahsoka and handed her another one of the tapestries. This one was a map of the forest marked with all the places where the Ewoks had prepared various traps and other weapons of war for their coming battle against the Imperial forces.

"As I said, General Solo..." Ahsoka explained as she showed the map to Han, "The Ewoks may not look like much at first glance, but they are in fact very skilled hunter-warriors. You'll soon see for yourself the number of traps they have been building and all the other preparations that have been made. They are truly ready to go to war."

Han rubbed his chin in deep contemplation, "Well, I guess we'll take whatever we can get. Though I would like to see what we've got to work with for the attack tomorrow."

Wicket quickly scurried over to Han and began tugging on his arm.

"Wicket and Teebo can show you now while it's still light out." Ahsoka said, "But you'd better hurry, the darkness of night comes fast in these woods."

Chewbacca barked in agreement.

"All right then." Han nodded, getting up from his seat, "Let's see what these little guys have got to offer us."

Chewbacca, Captain Rex, C-3PO, and Chief Chirpa all quickly moved to follow as Wicket and Teebo proceeded to lead Han out of the hut. Leia began to follow as well, but stopped in her tracks when Ahsoka gently took her by the arm.

"Princess, would you please come with me for a moment?" the togruta asked respectfully, "There are some things that I think we need to talk about."

Leia looked at her for a long moment, remembering what Obi-Wan had told her about Ahsoka on board the Millennium Falcon, and already having a pretty good idea of what the former Jedi padawan wanted to talk to her about.

Ultimately, Leia nodded.

Back on the second Death Star, Darth Vader and several other members of the Imperial council cautiously entered the emperor's throne room. As they made their way into the dimly lit room, they found Emperor Palpatine sitting in an elaborate control chair facing a large window looking out across the half-completed Death Star and towards the moon of Endor.

After a few tense moments, the Emperor's chair slowly rotated around to face his visitors.

"What is thy bidding, my Master?" Vader asked.

"Send the fleet to the far side of Endor." Palpatine instructed his apprentice, "There it will stay until called for."

"What of the reports of the Rebel fleet massing near Sullust?" inquired Vader.

"It is of no concern." the Emperor confidently assured, "Soon the Rebellion will be crushed and young Skywalker will be one of us! Your work here is finished, my friend. Go out to the command ship and prepare to bring young Skywalker before me."

Vader bowed, "Yes, my Master."

With that, Vader turned and began to make his way out of the throne room as the Emperor then turned his attentions to the other council members. Passing by the two red-robed Royal Guards standing guard over the entrance, Vader couldn't help but begin to feel somewhat anxious as the time to finally move against his master drew ever nearer.

The emperor apparently didn't suspect a thing, but even so, the Dark Lord could still feel a lingering disturbance in the Force, as though there would be far more at play in the events to come than met the eye.

Princess Leia still remained a threat, and she would have to be dealt with sooner or later. And what was more, Vader could now begin to sense through the Force that another player had entered the game. A rather familiar presence that he had not felt in quite some time. Not since...

Not since duel against his former padawan on Malachor seven years ago...

But it couldn't be...

Surely...

With that troubling thought in mind, the Dark Lord briskly made his way through the Death Star corridors in the direction of the main hanger. He needed to get back to his ship and meditate on these matters in order to prepare himself for what was soon to come. He couldn't let anything distract him now.

With R2-D2 in tow, Leia and Ahsoka made their way into one of the vacant huts where the two of them could speak to one another without being disturbed. Ahsoka knelt down on the floor of the hut to sit on her knees as Leia sat cross-legged opposite of her, while R2 stood off to the side against one of the walls.

Now that they finally had a moment alone, Leia found herself somewhat overwhelmed by a belated sense of awe at meeting the former apprentice of Anakin Skywalker.

The former apprentice of her father...

"Ahsoka..." she began, quickly cutting off that train of thought "I... Obi-Wan told me about you, but... I never thought I'd actually get the chance to meet you in person. This... This is truly a..."

Ahsoka smiled, "The honor is truly mine, your highness; to finally meet the daughter of my old master."

Ahsoka's smile faded however when she saw Leia's expression suddenly turn incredibly troubled at the reminder of just who her father actually was.

"I'm sorry." Ahsoka apologized, "I know it must be so hard for you to know that, after everything you've been through, Darth Vader is actually your father."

"Only my birth father." Leia insisted almost angrily, "My real father was Bail Organa of Alderaan. There is nothing inside me that links me to Darth Vader other than my blood."

Ahsoka sighed gravely, "I understand your feelings, Leia. You have known Darth Vader only as a merciless enemy who has brought nothing but pain and suffering to the galaxy. But I knew another side of him..."

Ahsoka paused, and then produced a holocron from her side pouch. Levitating the object before her, she used the Force to unlock it, and a moment later, the holographic image of a younger Anakin Skywalker materialized between the two women.

In spite of her personal feelings, Leia almost immediately found herself fixated on the recorded image before her.

This was Anakin Skywalker. Her and Luke's biological father before he became Darth Vader, and Leia was truly seeing him for the first time. Honestly, she hadn't really been sure just what she had been expecting to see. The truth was, she was so used to only seeing Darth Vader that she'd never really thought about it before.

But the fact was, Anakin had only been a man. A tall, thin, and surprisingly handsome man. To Leia, it almost felt as though she were looking at a completely different person. She almost couldn't believe that this was the man who would eventually become Darth Vader.

Then, the holographic image of Anakin spoke, giving instructions on lightsaber techniques.

"Keeping your saber moving is the key to deflecting the fire from multiple adversaries. Fluid motion, one into the next, into the next, and so on. I've made some adjustments to the classic Form Four techniques that I think you'll find work well against droids and other ranged attackers. Here, I'll show you."

Leia could only watch, practically mesmerized as the holographic image of Anakin proceeded to effortlessly deflect every single blast from an offscreen training remote.

"Practice these exercises mindfully and you'll see improvement." he said once he had finished, "I promise..."

With that, the holographic image disappeared.

"He was... He was amazing." Leia had to admit.

"You should have seen him in person." Ahsoka replied, "He was powerful, and rarely lost a battle. But what surprised me the most was how kind he actually was. He cared deeply about his friends and always looked out for them. That was the Anakin Skywalker I came to know in my time as a Jedi padawan. He was my master, and practically an older brother to me."

"I... I'm sorry." Leia said, her voice filled with sympathy and regret, "I can't imagine what it must have been like for you to find out what really happened to him."

Ahsoka paused, the memories weighing heavily on her mind.

"It was seven years ago on Malachor when I finally met him again. That was when I learned the truth. I... I tried to save him, but... but he was... he was too..."

Tears began to well in Ahsoka's eyes, "Sometimes I can't help but wonder: if I hadn't left the Jedi Order when I had, if I'd only been there for him when he needed me, then maybe things would've been different. Maybe... Maybe I could've stopped it..."

"You are not responsible for what happened, Ahsoka." Leia assured, quickly taking Ahsoka's hands in her own, "Anakin's fall to the Dark Side was HIS choice, and his alone. There was nothing more you could have done."

"Maybe..." conceded Ahsoka, blinking back her tears, "For a long time, I tried to hold out hope that maybe... just maybe he could still come back... But now I..."

Somberly, Leia took a deep breath, "I'm sorry, Ahsoka. I understand what Anakin meant to you, but I'm afraid that Obi-Wan is right; the good man he once was is gone. Darth Vader is all that remains. Maybe the circumstances of his fall were indeed tragic, but that doesn't excuse nor make up for everything he's done. And now, he's taking Luke down the same path, and I will NOT allow that to happen. I must face Vader again, to save both the galaxy and my brother."

Though reluctant, Ahsoka ultimately nodded in agreement.

"In that you are right. In spite of all that has happened, I can sense that Luke remains conflicted about the path he has taken. There is still a chance to keep your brother from suffering Vader's fate. That's what she would want above anything else. But..."

"She?" Leia blinked.

Ahsoka was silent for a very long moment. At last, she looked up to meet Leia's gaze.

"Leia..." she finally asked, "Do you remember your mother? Your real mother?"

"Just a little bit." replied Leia, a bit taken aback by the question, "She died not long after I was born, but... I can still remember... Well, just images, really. Feelings..."

"Memories through the Force perhaps." Ahsoka speculated, "Tell me. What do you remember?"

Leia thought hard for a moment, "She was very beautiful. Kind, but...sad."

"You look so much like her." Ahsoka gave a warm but sad smile, "She was my friend. When I was accused of the Jedi Temple bombing, Padme was the one who defended me before the rest of the senate. If only she were here to see you now. She would be very proud."

Leia lowered her gaze, "To be honest, it's probably better that she's not here. Imagine if she could see what's become of the man she'd once loved now..."

"Leia..." Ahsoka started to say, but then trailed off.

"What?" Leia inquired.

Ahsoka took a deep breath, "Again, I agree that Luke should be your main priority above all. But if there is even the smallest possibility of bringing your father back to the light, however remote it may be, then for your mother's sake, you should at least try..."

Slowly, Ahsoka removed something else from her side pouch, and Leia quickly recognized it as a data chip. At this, R2-D2 promptly scooted up to Ahsoka, and allowed her to insert the chip into his memory banks. Barely a moment later, the astromech droid projected the recorded image of Padme Amidala as she lay dying on an operating table at the Polis Massa medical facility before Leia's very eyes.

Leia could only stare at the image as her mother, her and Luke's birth mother, spoke her last words.

"Obi-Wan..." Padme breathed, "There's good in him. I know... I know there's... still..."

Then, with a final laborious gasp, she lay silent and still, the last of her strength having finally left her. With that, the recording ended, and a speechless Leia could only watch as the image of her mother faded from sight.

"Even after everything he'd done..." Ahsoka said solemnly, "Padme never completely lost faith in Anakin. And your mother was right, Leia. There is still good in him. I know it seems impossible, but I have felt it. My heart tells me that your father may have some part to play before all of this is over."

Ultimately, Leia had no response to Ahsoka's words. As much as she hated Darth Vader, as much as she did not, could not, believe that he could be redeemed in any way, she found that she just could not bring herself say as much to Ahsoka. Not after everything she had seen and heard from her.

The only thing Leia could do now was prepare herself for what she knew would have to be done.

It had grown dark by the time Han, Chewie, C-3PO and Rex finally made their way back into the Ewok village along with Chief Chirpa, Wicket, and Teebo. By now, the village walkways were nearly deserted, and the sounds of the forest filled the soft night air as the windows of the little huts glowed and flickered from the fires inside.

"I've gotta admit, these little fuzzballs sure are creative, I'll give them that." said Han as his group entered the village square where Leia, Ahsoka, and R2 were waiting for them.

"Not to mention resourceful." Rex put in, "Their weapons are quite primitive, but we might just be able to make this work."

Ahsoka smirked at Han "Like I said, General Solo, there's more to them than meets the eye."

"All right then." Leia suddenly interjected, "Just to reiterate, General Solo has command, and remember everybody, the fleet is counting on you. You MUST knock out that shield generator no matter the cost. Everything depends on it. If I don't make it back, then..."

Han looked at her in alarm, "Wait a second; what are you gonna do? Where are you going?!"

Leia didn't even bother trying to sugarcoat it, "I'm going to save Luke."

For a moment, Han could only gape at her. A part of him knew he shouldn't be surprised, but another part of him was sure that he hadn't heard her right.

"Okay, I've heard a lot of jokes through the years..." the smuggler finally said, "But this... this is just NOT funny!"

"Han, I know exactly what you're feeling..." Leia maintained, "But in spite of everything that's happened, he's still Luke. I have to try."

"B-B-But, Mistress Leia...!" a distressed C-3PO began to protest.

"Leia, your insane!" Han declared, "This is nothing short of suicide!"

"I'm not arguing with you, Han! I HAVE to do this!" insisted Leia.

"Why?" a somewhat hurt Han retorted, already having suspicions, "Is it because you love him? Is that why you're..."

"Because he's my BROTHER!" Leia finally told him.

The revelation froze Han dead in his tracks, and his jaw went slack, "H-he... What...?"

"Luke is my brother, Han." Leia repeated, calmly this time, "It's a long story, but there's no time to explain, and I will NOT leave him to be consumed by the Dark Side like Vader was!"

"Vader? But if Luke's your brother, then that means that he's your..." a still reeling Han started to say.

Leia cut him off, "Han, don't. Please..."

"But Mistress Leia..." said C-3PO, "If you must go, must you do so alone?"

Leia nodded firmly, "Yes. I won't endanger the mission any more than necessary. This is something I have to do by myself."

Chewbacca let out a low, but understanding howl while R2-D2 mournfully whistled his own acceptance.

"I'm going to get Luke back..." Leia said again, before then turning to Ahsoka, "But I just can't promise anything about Vader..."

Ahsoka look at her intently, "I can't choose your path for you, Leia. But remember to trust in the Force, and listen to your heart."

It was then that Captain Rex stepped forward to address Leia.

"If I may have my own say, your highness..." the old veteran said in a solemn voice, "Your father, Anakin Skywalker, was the greatest man I ever had the privilege to have served under. Without him, I doubt that I or any of us would've made it out of the Clone Wars with our sanity or our lives. If anything of that man still remains alive inside of that black shell, I pray that you can find it."

Leia looked at him for a very long moment, until at last, she just nodded. She still didn't believe that there was any possibility that Darth Vader could be redeemed, but again, she found that she just couldn't bring herself to say it out loud.

"Good luck, everybody." Leia addressed them all, "And may the Force be with you."

With that, Leia turned and slowly began make her way down the walkway that led out of the village.

"Leia, wait!" Han suddenly ran after her, "Leia, what I said about Luke... I... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..."

Then, to Han's surprise, Leia suddenly turned to face him, and promptly shut him up by kissing him full on the mouth. For a second, the smuggler was almost to stunned to react, but he was quick to recover and passionately kissed her back.

The moment seemed to drag on forever. Oh, how they wished that it could last forever. But alas, it simply could not, and Leia finally had to pull away as tears welled in her eyes.

"I love you." the words blurted out of her mouth almost unbidden.

Han nodded, his eyes piercing right through her, "I know."

For one more long moment, they held one another's gaze, until at last, Han let Leia go and could only watch as she walked off into the darkness, and towards her destiny.

A short distance away, Ahsoka also watched in silence until Leia disappeared from sight. Then, without saying a single word, the togruta turned away, and made her way back into the hut that she and Leia had been occupying a short time ago.

Sitting down in the center of the floor, Ahsoka closed her eyes, and began to meditate, for it was time for her to have a talk with an old friend. A talk that had been a long time coming.

Onboard the Super Star Destroyer Executor, Darth Vader also sat in deep meditation, having sealed himself inside his meditation chamber where he could not be disturbed, trying to quiet and focus his mind.

Suddenly, the Dark Lord looked up as a very familiar presence suddenly made itself known.

"Hey, Skyguy..." came the voice of his old padawan.

Then, the Force-projected image of Ahsoka appeared in the meditation chamber right before his very eyes. The former master and apprentice had always shared a deep connection with one another through the Force, and even now, in spite of everything, it still remained strong.

"So, it is you." Vader finally said.

Ahsoka shrugged, "I'm not surprised that you sensed by presence. After all, no one knows me better than you, Anakin."

"Do not speak that name." Vader said sharply.

"It is the name of your true self." pressed Ahsoka, "You've only forgotten."

"Anakin is gone; I destroyed him long ago." insisted Vader.

But Ahsoka did not waver, "That's what Palpatine wants you to think, but it's not true. I know there is good in you. He hasn't driven it from you completely. That is why you couldn't destroy Luke. Not only is he a part of you, he is a part of Padme..."

Vader paused, seeming to ponder her words.

"She still loved you; you know? Even after everything you'd done." Ahsoka continued, "Tell me. Do you really think she would want this? For you to force your son down the same terrible path you've taken?"

"What Padme would want..." Vader said slowly, "No longer matters..."

Ahsoka looked at him intently, "Come with us. There is still time."

"Obi-Wan once thought as you do." Vader replied almost somber tone, "You don't know the power of the dark side. I must see this through to the end."

"I can't let you; you will be forced to destroy me." said Ahsoka with conviction.

"If that is your destiny." Vader calmly replied.

"Search your feelings, master." pleaded Ahsoka, "You can't do this. I feel the conflict within you. Please, let go of your hate."

Vader said nothing for a very long moment with his mechanical breathing the only thing breaking the silence that stretched out between them. Finally, the Dark Lord gave his former padawan the only answer he could, the one that he had accepted a long time ago.

"It is too late for me, Ahsoka. Far too late for me to be anything other than what I have become."

For what felt like an eternity, Ahsoka only stared at him, her eyes filled with sorrow and disappointment.

"Then my master is truly dead." she said at last.

Without another word, Ahsoka's image faded away before Vader's eyes, leaving the Dark Lord all alone in the darkness once again.

In the depths of space, the vast Rebel fleet was now fully assembled in tight formation, with the huge MC80A Home One Type Heavy Star Cruiser known as the Headquarters Frigate at its head. At least until the Millennium Falcon soared up to a spot just in front of it with Rogue Squadron following close behind, all looking very tiny in comparison to the massive cruiser.

Inside the Falcon's cockpit, Lando sat positioned in the pilot seat as his Sullustan copilot Nien Nunb made the final preparations for the jump to lightspeed.

"Admiral, we're in position. All fighters accounted for." Lando spoke through his comlink.

"Proceed with the countdown." Admiral Ackbar instructed from the Headquarters Frigate, "All groups assume attack coordinates."

Nien Nunb suddenly turned towards Lando, speaking in Sullustese.

"Don't worry, my friend's down there. He'll have that shield down on time." Lando assured, but then muttered under his breath, "Or this'll be the shortest offensive of all time."

"All craft, prepare to jump to hyperspace on my mark." came Ackbar's voice again.

"All right. Stand by." acknowledged Lando before pulling the hyperspace throttle.

The stars outside began to streak as first the Millennium Falcon and Rogue Squadron, then the Headquarters Frigate followed by the rest of the Rebel fleet all roared into hyperspace and towards what everyone knew could very well be the greatest battle of their age.

END OF PART 9