Author's Note: Dearest readers, a very Happy Star Wars Day to you all. Thank you for your patience and support during this lengthy hiatus, but I'm so glad I can get a chapter to you by May the 4th. I hope you all have a great Star Wars Day. Enjoy the Bad Batch Season Finale and Tales of the Empire! The Phantom Menace is also celebrating its 25th anniversary this year! Without further ado, let's dive in.

~ Sparks

ADVISORY: The following chapter contains sensitive material relating to: Torture, extreme violence, brutality, suicidal thoughts, dismemberment, and major character death. Remember to practice self care before, during, and after reading.

Chapter: 138 The Battle for Avinaria (Part II)

- ACCESSING IMPERIAL NETWORK -

IHC: Imperial High Command to Governor Reina...Governor Reina, respond. These missed check-ins have persisted long enough…Governor Reina. Governor Reina. Failure to comply by the next rotation will result in a visitation from Grand Moff Tarkin.

Long had the sunrise served as a symbol of hope for the people of Avinaria. In such trying times, the oppressed had to cling to any semblance of salvation they could. Even as the clouds veiled the upcoming sunrise, Idrial looked to the horizon. She squinted towards the dim sunbeams fading through and sought comfort in them. A chilling breeze reached her feathers at such a high altitude. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been in the capital city's center. And even so, Tristis was hardly recognizable since her family had fled. Gone were its mighty trees, instead replaced by mile upon mile of chromium edifice.

Idrial fought through her tiredness to stand tall, feeling the weight of so many eyes on her. From her fellow prisoners lined up behind, to the crowd amassed below their platform. Shouts and heckles blended together, forming a distorted mess which echoed up to her ears. Yet amid the vocal disarray, one voice spoke above them all.

"My people of Avinaria!" Governor Reina declared. She stepped out across the platform, addressing the crowd while keeping Idrial in frame for a camera droid. Idrial glared at its sinister lens as it zoomed in on her bruised face. "For years, I have dedicated my life to the progression of this world. Just as the Empire has for all of the Outer Rim. And it is thanks to my team's efforts, that this planet has come to know true security. Trade systems are now linked to Avinaria. The capital's streets now hum with the sounds of advanced airspeeders. And we are on our way to becoming the new jewel of the Outer Rim." Reina dropped any performative grin and jabbed a gloved finger at Idrial. "Yet there are those who still stand in the way of progress. Terrorists seeking power under the guise of freedom!"

Idrial couldn't tell if the crowd was yelling in favor of or against her. Either way, she remained stone faced as Reina continued. "But the Empire shall always prevail. Before you stands the result of Imperial excellence...as we have captured one of the terrorist leaders." Reina persisted as the crowd grew restless. "Leader or not, she will learn her place in this new order." The governor lowered her voice to be personal with Idrial. "On your knees," she commanded. Even while captured in the heart of Imperial occupation, Idrial didn't obey. "Get down!" Reina growled as two stormtroopers boxed her in.

At the governor's command, one of them deadlegged Idrial until she was forced to the ground. The camera droid hovered in front of her face and kept zooming in. Once Idrial was on her knees, the stormtroopers grabbed her wings and forced them open. Her wingspan was like a violet tapestry, catching slivers of sunlight beyond the stormy clouds. Anticipating what was coming, Idrial did her best to slow down her breaths. She wouldn't cry. She'd refuse to give them that. At least, that's what she kept telling herself. The troopers kept a firm grip on Idrial as she kept looking forward. Reina's shadow could be seen across the platform as an officer handed her something. The smokey smell of burning metal filled the air as Reina's shadow raised a sickle-shaped object. As she cycled through several buttons, Idrial heard gears cranking and blades spinning.

Idrial had done everything she could to be strong. The Resistance had been looking to her for guidance for years. Yet for all of her valiance, she too was alive like the others. She had thoughts, feelings, and very real fears. The likes of which had her breaths racing involuntarily as Reina powered up her tool. Idrial did her best to stay calm, even thinking of her beloved family. Yet in spite of her efforts, she felt so alone. She was a prisoner, fighting for a home so chillingly foreign to her. As that terrifying thought sank in, she could hear the machinery getting louder. Its sharp hiss accompanied an abrupt warmth as a single tear fled her eye. And as the device made full contact, Idrial screeched.

No amount of closed doors and shuttered windows could silence Idrial's pain. The muffled remnants of her torment echoed from the speakers as a sole person sat in the Resistance headquarters. Despite their protests, Olgui and Vona were forced out by their father. He might've been miles away and feeling utterly helpless within, but Ryx refused to let Idrial endure her clipping alone. All of Payori Village waited at the base of his tree, vicariously mourning through him with their heads hung low. The occasional scream would be far too great to muffle, and caused several Avinarians to shudder.

Anna was twitchy and relentless. Her leg bounced restlessly as she picked at her nails. Scraping at the tips, she anxiously shaved them until portions of skin flaked off. Her tired, angry eyes peered up at the treehouse as she worried for Ryx. She had never come to master a full connection to the Force, but she could feel the resentment rising among the Avinarians. It hadn't take much time fighting alongside them for Anna to realize how broken they really were. Many had joined the Resistance to avenge those they'd lost in the first place. But Idrial...Idrial had been one of their pillars of strength. The Finc family had held true to their cause. So much so, that in the sincerest of ways...the Resistance connected with them as kin would. In all of her years of warfare and hiding, never had Anna seen such dedication. Not even the Jedi Order had boasted such kindred and unwavering devotion.

Heaviness fell over the village as the broadcast ended. The lights dimmed in the treehouse and thunder boomed from the clouds overhead. The scraping of Ryx's talons had his people perking their heads up as the door swung open. It nearly cracked off its hinges from how hard it'd been pushed as Ryx stomped his way down. His hunched silhouette was deathly with each flash of lightning during the descent. While his people prepared to salute, they found a haggard and furious leader at the base of the stairs. The first torchlight reached Ryx's wild face. His sunken, bloodshot eyes gazed into the flame before glancing at his people. Only then could the glistening of tears in his glassy eyes be seen. Pushing forward, Ryx bypassed all questions and concerns as he paced about.

"T-...Tinun," he murmured, still pacing. "My gun."

"Right here, general?" the captain worriedly handed him the rifle. Ryx was quick to snatch it and storm off across the village. "General?" Tinun asked. "Where are you going?"

"Dad?" Vona called to him. Her shaken voice was enough to gain Ryx's attention. Her father turned to see both her and Olgi standing nervously with the crowd.

"Is Mom okay?" Olgi dared to ask.

Ryx's eyes twitched as his seething anger continued to rise. Looking at his daughters. Seeing his wife in both of them...brought greater tears to his eyes. "We're gonna get her back," he hissed. "We're gonna kill them." His voice rose, prompting Avinarians to squawk around him. "We're gonna kill every single one of them!" His rage was the Resistance's as Avinarians rose their blasters in solidarity. Tinun glanced at Anna, for both knew he wasn't of sound mind. Ryx scaled the nearest stack of supply crates and violently shook his rifle. "For over a month, we've been making the Empire pay for what they've done to our world! Now they do this to my wife? The mother of my children?" His shouts only riled the crowd up further. "We've hit them this hard, we'll hit 'em again! All out assault on the capital! Gather every weapon we've stolen and use it against-"

"General!" Tinun worried. "See reason!"

"Reason?" Ryx cawed. "After what they've done to you, Idrial, and so many others?" His feathers ruffled chaotically as other Avinarians rose their wings in agreement. "We cannot waste a moment longer. They wanted a war? We'll give them a war!"

Letting anxiety get the best of her, Anna charged through the crowd to reach Ryx. "That's enough!" she shouted over their caws.

"I need you on my side on this," Ryx implored. "With your power, Anna, we'll be unstoppable and-"

"Listen to yourself!" Anna yelled again, straining her throat in an effort to silence the crowd. As their raging carried on, Tinun squawked to help quiet the mob.

"Let her speak," the captain cawed.

"Anna," Ryx implored. "As someone who's also had the Empire hit them where it hurts-"

"Listen to yourself," Anna repeated. "Your wife. The mother of your daughters. Don't be blinded by your pain on this. That's exactly what the Empire wants." Although he remained shallow-breathed, Ryx tilted his head to listen. "You said it. We've hit them hard for a month and they know it! They're desperate, so they set a trap. They know they can't win unless we slip up." Ryx's shoulders dropped as the mob looked to him for a response. Anna persisted with the rising silence. "You go in blind...attack the capital...and the only massacre will be our own. We all weep for Idrial's suffering, but not at the cost of Resistance lives." While she meant everyone, Anna jabbed her hand towards his children. "At the cost of the cause itself!" Anna took a deep breath to steady herself. "I lived this life already. I've seen planets rise and fall. From one veteran to another, don't throw away my experience for nothing."

Ryx's furious stare passed over the torchlit mob. Thunder rumbled overhead as he focused on his children, specifically his youngest. As lightning flashed across her yellow plumage, he briefly saw his teenage self standing there. Confined in the bloodied and tattered uniform of the Avinarian Civil War, this reflection was gone in the next flash. With a deep breath and heavy heart, Ryx lowered his rifle. "Stand down," he murmured and dropped from the crates. Unwilling to be embraced by the Resistance, he hung his head and trailed off past the village.

Anna hurriedly gave chase and skidded beside him. "I know it might not seem like it," she panted. "But you made the right call. Think of your kids."

"They're all I think of," Ryx murmured and continued his walk. "And their mother." He winced, still hearing her screams in his mind. "They clipped her, Anna. Those animals clipped her and I couldn't leave her to...she was all alone and I just-"

"Nothing I say will change what happened," Anna answered. "But from what I'm hearing, Idrial is alive. We'll get her back, Ryx. But we'll do so on our terms. Not in some rampage."

Ryx paused, feeling ashamed at what he'd almost brought himself to do. "You sound like your sister," he mumbled.

His response made Anna partially choke. "Well, I had to learn it somewhere." As much as she didn't want it to sink in, Anna missed Elsa and the others dearly. If she thought on them too much, regret would take hold. Instead, she tried to keep herself grounded in the moment and focused on Ryx. She followed him as he continued to trudge through the village. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"Halcoa's old hut," he answered. "We might not have seen eye to eye on many things, but her ability to plan was unmatched." He approached a darkened dwelling and sighed before giving himself permission to enter. "No matter the outcome of her attack on Governor Reyna's convoy, there's no way she did so without meticulous...recon." Anna trailed behind Ryx and watched as he relit the dwelling. Stacks of datapads lay untouched next to an overused monitor. Ryx was quick to reboot the system and discover row upon row of reconnaissance entries. Each had been compiled through the plugged in datapads, combining months of spy work. Ryx smiled faintly. "Halcoa, you genius. I promise it wasn't all in vain." Anna leaned over his shoulder as he gestured to the flashing files. "She's got everything here from frequented convoy routes, to old and new capital building schematics." Ryx paused, scouring over the data entries while Anna leaned closer. "That's it," Ryx realized. "The capital. Its lower east wing has been repurposed into a detention block for high priority prisoners. Politicians or-"

"Rebel leaders," Anna realized as she looked Ryx in the eye.

"You wanted to be smart about this right?" he quipped. "Halcoa just gave us the keys we need to mount a rescue mission. Before you say anything, I can assure you that my mind is extensively clear on this."

"I believe you," Anna assured. "We just need to have an effective plan."

"And we will. I'll have Tinun assemble a squad of our best and we'll move under the cover of night. But no matter what, we're getting Idrial back. Are you with me?"

Anna gripped the old Avinarian's shoulder and nodded. "We take our wins-" She paused, thinking of her old squad and the mantra Mattias had taught them. "-and our losses together." They exchanged friendly salutes before Ryx started exiting the hut. "Hey-" Anna added and brought her friend to a halt. "Do you think Chuza was right? That this rebellion was doomed to fail? That as a Jedi, I've ultimately caused more suffering than I have helped your people?"

Ryx simpered. "No," he said boldly. "All out war was inevitable. We just chose to take a stand on our terms. We all knew the risks." As he continued out the door, he glanced back when Anna didn't follow. "You coming?"

"Yeah," Anna mumbled. "Just...gimme a second. I'll catch up."

While Ryx suspiciously stayed for a moment, he trusted her enough and obliged, Anna could hardly keep her breathing in check. Each gasp was becoming increasingly shallow as she backed up against Halcoa's desk. With Ryx gone, Anna no longer needed to be strong for anyone. She could stop masking and let her emotions around the situation come cascading down. Idrial tortured in Imperial custody...Ryx mounting a rescue mission...her companions lost across the stars. The pressure of it all had Anna rubbing her temples as she struggled to get a deep breath in. Her hand tremored. So much so, that she had to steady herself on Halcoa's desk. As Anna gripped the edge, she noticed an odd...welcoming glint on the adjacent side. An old bottle of alcohol had been left behind, its dark contents still pooled within.

Anna swallowed the rising lump in her throat as she glared at the substance. Her lips parted between hastening breaths as she observe the bottle's shiny neck. The stress of her situation combined with her fatigue to form a rising despair within. So much so, that a familiar urge came snaking through her. The lump rose again, this time unbearable at the thought of not making it without the bottle. If she could have just one gulp...a simple sip. It would be enough to quiet things. Given the Resistance's circumstances, Anna didn't even know how many days she still had in her life. Who would even know about it? She felt thirstier than ever, and visualized the alcohol drowning the lump in her throat. Her grip on the bottle tightened until her knuckles went white. A deep rumble filled the void of her mind as she slowly raised the drink.

Paranoid, Anna looked around to make sure she was alone. Wafting the odor was as foreign as it was enticing. And as she raised the bottle towards her lips, she briefly saw Mattias in her mind's eye. Not as a haunting corpse, but as the "young at heart" mentor he'd always been. His smile was as simple and short-lived as the memory itself. Anna shuddered, snapping herself back into the present moment. With a heavy sigh and flick of her wrist, Anna emptied the bottle on to the floor.

"Anna?" Ryx worried and called to her from afar.

"Coming!" she assured and dashed out of Halcoa's old home. Before fully departing, she took one last look at the shadowy hut. While she'd managed to resist temptation, a grim feeling sunk in as she continued on her way. It was just as Ryx said. No matter how far they'd come, the uphill path they'd taken was one of constant effort.

She returned to find Ryx conferring with his daughters and Captain Tinun. "We can have a strike force assembled within the hour," he explained. "Using gunships hijacked from a previous raid, Anna and I will enter the capital building from above. There's a broadcast tower just across the street, which we'll use for a landing zone."

"Won't it be guarded?" Tinun considered.

"Undoubtedly," Ryx answered. "But if we can clear out the roof patrol quickly enough, we shouldn't expect reinforcements. Especially since they'd only come running if we interfered with the tower itself. That being said, once the tower is secure, Vona and Tinun will lead covering fire positions from across the street. You'll fire only if this goes south, and hopefully we can keep things stealthy down there."

"What about me?" Olgi asked her father.

"This sounds like a solid plan, general." Tinun remarked. "But we must consider. What if Idrial isn't there?"

"I know the risks are great," Ryx answered. "But waiting any longer gives them a chance to interrogate further or even execute. It's the best lead we have...and we've got to try. She's there. I know it."

"Dad?" Olgi called to him again, this time catching his full attention. Perhaps she'd always had it, and Ryx had elected to avoid the question. "What about me?" she reiterated. "Where can I go?"

Ryx sighed, "I need you to stay here."

"What?" Olgi cawed and her feathers ruffled in waves. "I can fight!"

"I know you can."

"Vona's going!" Olgi snapped. "She's my Mom too! I have every right to help save her!"

Ryx hung his head. "I...know you do."

"You seem to know a lot about me," Olgi scoffed and crossed her wings. "Then why can't I-"

"Because you're all heart," Ryx interrupted and had Olgi shrinking. Noticing his daughter's body language, he hurriedly approached her. "And...that's not a bad thing. To be passionate in the name of things is a great strength. But heart cannot win a battle alone. Especially one as dangerous as this one."

"I've shot a blaster before," Olgi protested. "You and Mom taught me."

"And we taught you damn well, but you haven't seen combat. Your time will come, little Olgi. But it is not on an intense mission like this. Family is all we have. And I-..." Ryx glanced at Vona, who nodded in agreement. "We can't lose you. You have every right to hate me for this, but please try to understand."

Olgi stressfully grinded her beak, but ultimately relented. "I...do," she said. "I just feel so helpless in all of this."

Ryx planted a gentle kiss on her feathered head. "I know," he murmured. "But we'll get through it together, as we always have. And we'll bring Mom back. I promise."

Anna's last time in a gunship didn't spur the most pleasant of memories. As she clung to a handhold in the Imperial vessel, she tried to stave off flashbacks of evacuating Aren. The thought of leaving Blazer and Sparx to die still left an ache within her. The likes of which she could only quell with newfound conviction. I decide what happens next, she spoke within. While gunships might've evoked feelings of death, she forced herself to think of heroism. Idrial was counting on their plan to succeed and she couldn't let herself freeze up under pressure.

Anna's gaze wandered throughout the hold. The extraction squad was silent and focused on their upcoming task. While Vona and Tinun looked over their weapons, Ryx kept leaning towards the cockpit. Contrary to the Republic gunships of old, their Imperial variants could be piloted by a single person. Ryx surveyed this dutiful Avinarian as he navigated the nighttime clouds.

"General," the pilot soon said. "We're beginning our descent towards Tristis."

With a deep breath, he steadied his mind on the mission ahead. "Be ready on the gunship's clearance code," he said. "Then make for that broadcast tower." The pilot dutifully obliged and sent a signal code to nearby sentries. As a result, their gunship flew into the city unchallenged and had its passengers sighing in relief.

Anna readied herself as the gunship slowed and began a circular landing atop the broadcast tower's roof. The strobing lights on its landing gear flickered across a bewildered stormtrooper's lenses. Perplexed while the gunship powered down, he approached to investigate its unsealing doors. While he understood that protocols were changing and the capital was in a state of emergency, the trooper wasn't afraid to tell the incompetent pilot off. "This is a no landing zone," he asserted. "All carriers are to-" By the time he could make out the bulky silhouettes within, a mysterious power pulled him off of his feet.

With a heavy yank of her arm, Anna Force-pulled the trooper into the gunship. Plastoid clunked and scraped as he endured a ferocious, Avinarian bludgeoning. Anna couldn't help but watch from the shadows as Tinun, Vona, and Ryx took turns stomping the trooper into the floor. Their talons found the creases in his armor, ultimately drawing blood.

Ryx hurriedly rolled the body aside and vaulted out of the craft. As his bloody talons clacked against the chromium rooftop, he turned to his team. "Not a sound now," he said. "Leave the tower be. Vona...Tinun. Take your positions." At the general's command, his daughter and the captain split to opposite corners of the rooftop. They switched their blasters to sniper configurations and then subtly nodded to one another.

"Looks like we're up," Anna whispered as she and Ryx moved to the ledge. Once they had a clear view overlooking the capital building, the duo unstrapped blaster rifles from their backs. Prepping their grappling hooks, they fired across the street and waited for contact. The sharp thud against the capital building's duracrete had them flinching for a moment, worried that someone would've heard. Instead, only continuous winds blew across the rooftops.

"Now or never," Ryx said as they fastened their cables to the broadcast tower's ledge.

Clicking her belt alongside Ryx's, Anna brought her heels to the edge. With mighty lunges, they propelled themselves off of the roof and towards the capital building. Cold, daunting gusts brushed against them as they zip-lined across. Anna tried not to look down, but couldn't help seeing how high up they'd taken themselves. Soon, the broadcasting tower became a bulky shadow as they tumbled on to the capital's rooftop. While Ryx was able to stick the landing with his talons, Anna rolled into a pillar.

"We made it," Ryx whispered into his comlink and helped Anna up. "Proceeding to the next step. Snipers, keep those blasters ready and mark your targets."

"Copy that," Tinun responded while swaying his rifle across the capital building.

"Copy-" Vona paused as she scoured the lower levels. "-that," she murmured.

"What?" Tinun worried. "What is it?"

Vona tensed up, still keeping her gaze on the scope as she observed a bizarre...Imperial unit. A group of Avinarian conscripts were on patrol, all led by a human officer. Gone was any sense of individuality as the clipped Avinarians had been fitted into matching, black uniforms. They were strictly loyal to the Empire, and carried themselves with a fierce stoicism as they marched as one.

Worried about his daughter, Ryx called in. "Vona? Vona-"

"I-...I don't understand," she sputtered, fighting both anger and frustration. "They're just like us. So why would our own people betray us and do such a thing?"

"Vona," Ryx spoke calmly. "I know it might be hard to accept, but this is war. They made their choice. Just as we have made ours." With a deep breath and heavy heart, Ryx concluded his sentiments. "Do you understand?"

Steadying herself, Vona pushed to be desensitized to the conscripts. "Understood," she murmured and aimed her rifle once more. While she didn't want to fire on the people she sought to liberate, she'd do so as a last resort.

"Clear to advance," Tinun called in. "Proceed to ventilation shaft."

"Copy that," Anna responded. She was so quick to switch her saber on and off, that any outside observer would've seen it as nothing mre than a distant flicker. Once sliced, the vent's grating collapsed and allowed the infiltrators to slip in.

"How are you holding up?" Ryx whispered.

"Making it work," Anna answered breathily. "Haven't been part of a rescue like this since the Clone Wars."

"With your squad," Ryx realized as she nodded solemnly. "They were lucky to have a leader like you," he continued. "Just as I am now."

Anna simpered as they quieted down. Their stealthy traversal took them beyond the maintenance halls and deeper into the capital building's recesses. Every small bump or nudge within the shaft's metal walls sounded like a bomb going off

As Anna was about to round the rightmost corner, Ryx tugged on her boot. He held up a small holoprojector and used its map to illuminate the shaft. "Right will take us towards the offices. Left is down to the detention blocks. At least…according to this."

Trusting Halcoa's findings, Anna kept her head down and crawled in the opposite direction with Ryx. As they peered down through the ventilation's lined grating, they noticed the corridor's dark flooring transitioning to a crimson-lit pathway. Blood red lighting was often a staple for Imperial confinements, designed to mentally torment captives while physical torture was endured.

Taking initiative, Anna flicked her wrist forward. With a heavy push, the grate's bolts came flinging off and allowed the duo to drop in. The eerie stillness of such a blood red corridor was far too quiet for their liking. The hum of Ryx's blaster rifle filled the air as he aimed it down the hall.

"Clear," he murmured suspiciously.

"Oddly clear," Anna reiterated as they crept onward. Their soft steps still caused an ongoing echo, leaving them all the more cautious. "Where the hell are the guards?" Anna whispered.

A slowly flickering wall panel caught their eyes as Ryx dared to approach it. While Anna kept guard, he held his breath and disengaged the locking mechanism. Anna and Ryx pressed to each other's sides and stared down the hissing doors. Several bulky locks came undone, each clanging upward to reveal a shadowy chamber within. And as the machinery settled, a pungently putrid odor came forth.

It had Ryx and Anna gagging instantly as they struggled to observe a huddled mass. "What the kriff is that?" Anna choked.

Moving quickly, Ryx activated the flashlight on his rifle. Its gleam was brief, as the light shined across a feathery corpse. Shock gripped Ryx as he staggered back. His curse was broken and breathy as he steadied the flashlight again. Returning the beam upward, he and Anna found themselves staring down a pile of Avinarian corpses.

Anna couldn't explain what she was hearing in Ryx's native tongue. His disgusted, anguished chitters had the flashlight rattling in his grip. Anything from resistance fighters, to interrogated civilians, to children had been indiscrimately thrown on top of one another. While the lower bodies had significantly more decay, all corpses possessed clipped wings. That sight alone was enough to have Ryx bypassing the stench. He swished his light over the top, checking fresh corpses for his wife's plumage. While terror took hold over his fallen people, a sick sense of relief kept finding him with each body.

"She's not-" Ryx croaked. "I don't think she's here." Backing away from the pile, Ryx focused on an infantile skull closer to the bottom. "We've got to stop them, Anna," he cawed. "Got to make them pay."

"I know," she spoke solemnly and guided him out of the death chamber. "And we will. But right now, we need to find Idrial."

Ryx slowly nodded, snapping out of the atrocity he'd witnessed. As they continued through the detention block, Anna discovered a set of stairs leading deeper into the darkness. The lighting darkened to an even bloodier tone and Ryx brought his light down the new hallway. As he did so, it shined against a plastoid dome and revealed two stormtroopers standing guard.

"Intruders!" was all one of them could yell before Ryx gunned him down. The second trooper was still raising her blaster while that same magazine was unloading into her torso.

Anna and Ryx moved up as the troopers fell dead. "What are the odds someone heard that?" Ryx asked while reloading.

"Let's not stay and find out," she answered and called in over comms. "Extraction team, any movement topside?"

"All quiet," TInun assured.

"Business as usual," Vona concurred.

Easing themselves, Anna and Ryx exchanged nods before going to the wall panel that both troopers were guarding. Initiating the same procedure, Ryx opened the locks. The duo prepared themselves for another corpse pile, but instead found themselves face to face with a single prisoner.

Ryx didn't think it was possible for his heart to leap and shatter at once until he laid eyes on Idrial again. Battered, clipped, but far from broken…his wife had been cuffed to the chamber's back wall.

She could barely lift her tired head as her husband loosed his unique call. Her warbles were short and breathy as Ryx ran to her. Meanwhile Anna activated comms. "Extraction team," she said. "We have her. Securing release now." Anna sparked up her lightsaber, making Idrial flinch for a moment before slicing off the cuffs.

Weakened from interrogations, Idrial dropped into Ryx's loving embrace. "It's going to be alright, my love," he whispered to her. "I've got you." Sinking into his familiarity, Idrial nuzzled against his yellow feathers.

"I-"...she winced through her injuries and forced a smile . "Didn't…tell them…anything."

"Never imagined you would, baby." Ryx jested. "Let's get you out of-"

Suddenly, the chamber's dark redness powered up into blinding, white lights. The trio found themselves hissing under such stinging brightness as more overhead lights powered up.

"Infiltration team," Tinun called in. "We may have a problem. Looks like lights are fluctuating from the outside in."

"Oh we see it." Ryx groaned from inside the detention block.

In that moment, an all too sinister voice projected over the capital building's intercom. "I love it when a plan comes together," Governor Reina remarked. "Sometimes working better than expected. "Not only do I now have both Resistance generals…but their Jedi pet as a bonus? All too easy."

"Move!" Anna blurted without hesitation. "We're out of here. Now!"

Within seconds, sirens were blaring throughout the detention block and all of the capital building. A secondary entryway to their level cranked open, allowing stormtroopers to come charging in.

"Kriff!" Anna shouted and immediately threw herself in front of the Fincs. Spinning her saber, she blocked incoming shots and put their group on the defensive. While she managed to send a few lasers back to their shooters, the majority of her swings were solely for redirection.

Ryx safely dropped Idrial behind the wall and returned fire. While Anna kept the troopers distracted, he was able to land shots into two of them. The hits were enought to make the rest of the squad seek cover and buy time for the trio to reevaluate.

The troopers regrouped and returned fire as another shot rang out against them. Glancing over his shoulder, Ryx saw Idrial shooting from around the corner. She'd recovered a blaster and utility belt from one of the downed troopers guarding her cell.

"Honey!" Ryx called out over the blasterfire.

"We're not out of this yet!" was all she said, still using whatever strength she had left to fight on.

"Keep backing up!" Anna told the Fincs. Her plan made sense until troopers could be heard from the adjacent hall. And before they knew it, the group was getting cornered from both sides.

Split down the center, Idrial and Ryx kept the troopers pinned from opposite ends. Meanwhile, Anna blocked shots where she could. "They're boxing us in!" Idrial grunted and blasted again.

Realizing they were running out of time, Ryx called on comms. "Extraction team, we're compromised! We're taking heavy fire in the detention block. Cannot get to the roof!" Ryx paused between shots as an idea ignited. "We need a distraction. Get us a window." A stray laser scorched the wall near his feathered head. "Hurry!"

Muffled blastershots echoed alongside the sirens while the extraction team observed. While Tinun considered what type of distraction to initiate, Vona understood what her father was asking of her.

Steadying her sniper rifle, she focused its scope on the patrolling…Avinarian conscripts. Taking a deep breath, she thought about her loving family and how every passing moment put them at risk.

"They made their choice," Vona reassured herself. This is mine."

Fleeing her thoughts, Vona aimed at the nearest Avinarian on the roof…and pulled the trigger.

The conscript fell dead…and the ensuing blast had other Avinarians ducking while the officer barked in terror. The roof dissolved into dissaray as the unit's officer desperately tried to maintain control.

"Hold the line!" he commanded. "Hold the-"

A second sniper blast rang out, this time from Tinun. The captain left a scorching blasterhole in the officer's back and sent his subordinates into disarray. As if on cue, one of the troopers activated comms and said, "We have multiple shooters across the capital roof. Send backup. I repeat. Send immediate-"

Vona gunned him down before nodding to Tinun. Before they knew it, the sniper duo was dropping multiple foes and 'holding their own line' in a sense.

Back in the detention block, the secondary squad had been rerouted to the roof. "It's working!" Anna shouted. "Stairs are clear. Let's go!"

They proceeded upstairs, dodging the occasional blastershot as sirens blared. "Extraction team!" Ryx called while helping Idrial ascend. "Get the gunship ready for a quick sweep. We're making our way to the roof!"

"We're clearing as fast as we can," Tinun responded. "Heavy hostility!" He sniped another conscript off of the rooftop as more sought cover. "What side are you emerging from?"

Anna was quick to wave her saber over the nearest guidemap and call in. "North side!"

"Copy," Tinun answered. "Vona, you're on covering fire. The rest of you, airborn now!" At the captain's command, the rest of the extraction team prepped their gunship. "Divert all power to shields!"

Heavy blasterfire pulsed against the craft's wings and had it tilting. As it started to take off, Vona peeked from its hatch and fired back. Tinun joined where he could to keep their attackers at bay. "We can only hold for so long!" the pilot squawked. "They get a rocket in here and we're finished!"

"Let's hope they don't," Tinun asserted. "Just be ready to rush us out of here!"

Back on the rooftop, an Imperial officer thrust his hand towards the stolen gunship. "Bring it down!" he barked. "Concentrate all fire on the fuel-"

A flash of green flickered across his torso. Anna moved like a furious blur as her team emerged from the lower level. With a flourish of her saber, she charged to take on the downed officer's troopers. With the roof forces occupied, the extraction team could land safely.

"That's it, dear." Ryx panted while helping Idrial to the roof. "Almost there." He glanced over to see Anna hacking down the routed stormtroopers. His eyes widened as more emerged from a hatch across the rooftop. "Left side! Left side!"

Anna spun just in time to take cover. As lasers darted overhead, she and the Fincs dashed across the roof. Their getaway gunship unleashed several explosive rounds, rippling the enemy defenses and sending several tumbling to the street. The shockwaves were so powerful, that even those escaping lost their footing. The gunship spun and opened its boarding hatch. "Come on!" Vona called out while shooting at enemies.

Anna sprinted for the ramp, all while spinning her saber to keep blasterfire focused on her. Ryx dug his talons into the duracrete to regain his footing. Shaking off his dusty daze, he lunged through the smoke as a blastershot rang out. Unlike the storm of bold, E-11 blasts, this shot was much sharper. Coming from an officer's pistol, this single blast brought an all too familiar shriek with it. The likes of which had Ryx's heart sinking as his feathers ruffled.

Time froze for Ryx Finc, as he felt like he was living the nightmare he'd witnessed earlier. A horrid echo filled his deafened mind as he replayed Idrial's cry over…and over. The world seemed to slow around him as he turned, and saw his beloved dropping to the floor…with a smoking blaster wound in her back.

"No!" Ryx screamed into the darkness of the night. His call was as guttural as it was exasperated. Especially once he traced the shot to the smoking pistol of Governor Reina. Rage and desperation took hold as he returned fire while running to his wife.

Ryx's stray shots were enough to send Reina ducking behind several vent units. He slid to Idrial and pulled her behind a durasteel pipe along their escape path.

"No!" Anna shouted to them, realizing they couldn't make it to the gunship.

"Mom!" Vona called out. "Dad!" Stormtroopers nearly killed her as the situation made her stop shooting.

"Stay here!" Anna warned her. "And keep firing!" While Vona hesitantly followed orders, Anna slid out of the gunship and tried fighting her way back to the Fincs. With more Imperials boxing them in, she found herself closed off while observing them from a distance.

Devastated, Ryx rolled Idrial over and sat her upright. "B-baby?" he croaked. Her eyes listed leftward as she coughed in response. "Hang tight," Ryx assured. He was about to throw Idrial over his shoulders when she heavily shoved his chest. As her trembling wings slinked back, Ryx could see how weak she had become. "No-" he uttered. "Come on, I can-...If I just-"

All Idrial did was softly shake her head. Her tired and solemn eyes spoke more words than most would know. That gaze was a testament to the relationship they'd nurtured for years, even as the world collapsed around them. And as she caressed his teary face, he knew her mind was made up.

"We can't hold!" Tinun voice crackled as Ryx's eyes filled with tears. The couple exchanged heavy nods before sharing a quick, yet firm kiss. Tears dampened Ryx's cheeks as he pulled away and pressed a blaster in Idrial's grip.

As Ryx parted from his wife, his squawks were painfully savage. He fired indiscriminately, downing troopers and furiously making his way to Anna. Be it adrenaline or an unspoken rule of understanding, Anna backed up with him. A great sinking feeling reached her chest as they both ran for the ramp.

With a heavy, yet labored breath, Idrial rose from cover. Raising her scavenged E-11, she fired with a single goal in mind: Take down Governor Reina. There was fury beyond her pain as she repeatedly pulled the trigger and forced Reina back into cover.

"Taking fire!" the governor yelled while ducking.

"Protect the governor!" Imperials brayed and turned their attention to Idrial.

With much of the enemy's firepower diverted from the gunship, Ryx gave his next command. "Get us out of here!" he shouted.

"Wait!" Vona worried. "What about Mom?" As Tinun understood the situation, all he could do was hang his head in grief. Anna found herself taken back to Aren, as she relived the fall of her squad. "No!" Vona protested, on the verge of tears herself. "We have to go back! What are we-" A firm hand gripped her shoulder. Bewildered, Vona glanced down at Anna who was slowly softening her grip. Before she could comprehend the situation, Ryx was already putting a wing around her. "We-" Vona choked. "Have to go…back. Please-"

Blasterfire lessened on the gunship, allowing it to escape across the nightsky. But as all attention fell to Idrial, it became far more difficult to dodge incoming lasers. For the wounded rebel, she only saw red and kept her sights set on the governor. Her heart pounded as Reina emerged from cover and the women exchanged shots. But while Idrial thought she'd been aiming properly, her wounds proved too great. The Avinarian's shots dropped while a stormtrooper's blast struck her leg.

"Hold your fire!" Reina called out as Idrial fell face first. A sinister smirk crept across her lips as silence claimed the rooftop. "Hold your fire." She took her time strutting out of cover and basked in watching Idrial writhe. The Avinarian's wounds stung as she coughed blood against the roofing. "I'll admit…the trap didn't go precisely as planned," Reina lamented as Idrial fell forward again. "But your Resistance has only broken further. And believe it or not, your suffering is just getting started." Reina knelt down as Idrial hid her head in the fetal position. "I'll keep you barely alive if I have to," the governor whispered with the night's chilling breeze. "But I want you to see what it's like when everything you've built crumbles." Reina's smirk widened as she leaned lower. "Better yet…hearing it all should suffice."

The governor forced her hands down to Idrial's head, even as she tried to hide it deeper. Digging her fingers into her temples, she pulled up, so she could take one last look at Idrial's face. Reina recalled the bloodlust she'd sated when she blinded Halcoa, and longed to do the same to her. But as she raised Idrial's face to meet her own, a sharp snap emanated from below.

Idrial glared up at Reina with fury in her eyes as the governor dropped all bravado. Befuddlement took hold as she glimpsed the stormtrooper utility belt Idrial had been wearing…and the thermal detonator that'd been activated. Mere seconds of shock was all it took for Reina to subconsciously loosen her grip. Once she did so, Idrial used her last ounce of strength to press forward and jab the governor's eye with her beak.

The attack had multiple troopers shooting Idrial, but by then it was too late. She'd thrown herself on top of Reina, raising her wings as the governor screeched in terror. Horrified and disoriented, the governor and those around her were suddenly silenced as the detonator exploded. With a mighty flash, both Reina and Idrial became fiery silhouettes while those around them went flying back.

A great silence fell over Payori Village for the rest of the night. For even before the laser-scarred gunship had landed, it was as if those on the ground could sense the failed rescue. Whatever grieving wails had come from Ryx and Vona were drained during the flight, leaving them as hollow shells departing among their peers. And when Idrial's loss shattered Olgui, it rippled throughout the rest of the Resistance.

In time, Anna sat in the shadows of the Finc treehouse. Like each mission she'd endured for years, she replayed every single detail. She contemplated if any misstep could've been avoided…If she could've changed just one detail. But if history had taught her anything, what was done was done. She dwelled among a broken Resistance, knowing the Empire would be planning its next move. Olgui's sobs still echoed from downstairs as Minerva tried comforting her.

Ryx needed time to think while Vona had stormed off on her own. Captain Tinun found himself pacing throughout the upper level, still trying to convince himself that one of their generals was gone. Each level of silence found itself disrupted as a pair of talons skidded in.

"Sir," an Avinarian scout called to Tinun. "Imperial HoloNet broadcast." His voice was shaky as he looked to the captain for orders, who in turn glanced at Ryx.

"Play it," the surviving Finc grumbled.

"General," Tinun lamented. "You don't have to-"

"I said PLAY IT." Ryx growled as Tinun nodded to the scout.

The broadcast amplified throughout the treehouse's speakers, causing many Resistance members to gather around. "It truly is a sad night for Tristis," General Stavo declared. His words had Ryx's brows furrowing. "Governor Reina…your righteous leader…is dead. She was killed by the very terrorists she sought to protect you from." As the announcement carried on, Ryx's demeanor shifted entirely. He straightened his posture as a tear fled his eye. "This so-called Resistance is nothing more than a rabble of terrorists, bent on razing Avinaria to the ground. If they drive the Empire from this planet, they will ignite another civil war, bringing ceaseless bloodshed. But you…you can still stop this. Even those who have joined ranks with the insurgents have a choice. There is a murderous Jedi in the Resistance ranks. Anyone who turns this Jedi into Imperial custody will be granted full pardon. Do what is right for your homeworld, or suffer untold consequences."

As the transmission concluded, Ryx looked to Anna first. "Idrial," he uttered. "Sh-...she wouldn't go down without a fight."

"That kriffing explosion," Anna realized.

"She actually got that bitch," Ryx rejoiced and blew a kiss above his head. "Well played, my love. Well played."

While Tinun also admired the moment of truth, his next observation had him staggering back. "General-" he spoke up.

Anna swallowed hard and followed Ryx to the captain. After hearing such an enticing announcement, she braced herself for a mob of Avinarians ready for her head. The Resistance had suffered greatly and by Chuza's logic, it was the Jedi's doing by default.

As Anna and Ryx stepped outside, they indeed found themselves peering down at a mass of Avinarians. Only instead of rage, they found unity. Together, these tired fighters raised their wings up to the treehouse and stood as one. But none would lift their wings higher than Vona, standing atop the damaged gunship.

"They want one of us-" she cawed and spread her wings further. "They have to come and get all of us!" Her words were followed by a wave of squawks and battle cries as Anna bit back a gasp.

She might've been trying her best to show strength, clenching her fists and pursing her lips…but nothing could stop the tears swelling in her eyes.

Riding his peoples' energy, Ryx rose his wings from the balcony. "Idrial's sacrifice will not be in vain!" he declared and brought the crowd to silence. "They have to be tired, my friends. If we are, they have to be tired. With Reina dead, General Stavo's gotta be panicking for power. There will not be a better time to strike than now. We wait another moment and it will be too late."

"What are you proposing, sir?" Tinun questioned.

"We play on their desperation to destroy us," Ryx answered. "We lure the Imps into our territory and take them head on. For all we've lost and all we gain…if this is to be our end, let it be so on our terms! Are you with me?"

With a deep breath, Anna came to terms with her place in the fight for freedom and stepped beside Ryx. Raising a fist, she yelled, "For Avinaria!" Her shout spurred another wave of battle cries as the Resistance rallied for a final stand.

The whir of repair crews had become both incessant and cacaphonus. Idrial's explosive sacrifice ravaged the capital building's rooftop and left smokey residue even as teams below scrambled under a new leader's orders. While General Stavo had often been seen as a pillar of strength to his troops, he was kidding himself when it came to keeping his composure. His wild, unblinking gaze darted between approaching troopers as they assembled in an expansive hangar. His beard acted as a scruffy shield to mask his quivering, lower lip.

Portable, disc-shaped pods hovered around Stavo, each projecting an Imperial dignitary. All holographic eyes fell to him, yearning for answers to the 'Resistance Crisis.'

"I assure you," he spoke openly. "The situation is under control."

"Under control?" one of the offworld governors blathered. "Governor Reina is dead!"

"I am well aware of the governor's passing," Stavo fired back.

"Sir," a trooper beckoned. "We have a transmission. From the Resistance."

Stavo's strained eyes widened until they looked as though they'd pop. All he could do was wave a hand to temporarily silence the man. Despite his efforts, the holograms had already caught wind of such a transmission and spiraled into a tizzy.

"I will have order," Stavo decreed.

"Are you trying to make peace with them?" a dignitary asked.

"Is it a new threat?" probed another.

"Sir," the same trooper called again and had Stavo gritting his teeth. "We have a shuttle entering our airspace. Level five clearance."

"Tarkin," Stavo hissed under his breath. Without further hesitation, he ceased connection to all of the surrounding holoprojectors. One by one, the squabbling dignitaries were silenced as Stavo recomposed himself.

"Sir," the trooper beckoned, this time making Stavo shift with a death glare. "The…Resistance transmission?"

"Hold off," Stavo commanded. "We need to better establish what exactly is going on with-"

The general found his words muffled by an Imperial shuttle's sharp hiss. The dark craft hovered into the hangar, folding its wings and lowering its ramp. Regardless of his haggard and insomniac state, Stavo stood at attention. Yet as he braced himself for the boots of his regional superior, he was all the more bewildered…by the scraping of talons.

Dark, sharp claws touched down on their native planet. As decompressed air spewed from the ramp, A cloaked silhouette descended into the hangar. His beaked helmet was sleek and dreadful, while his Imperial pauldrons were polished and pristine. Gav Riden surveyed the disorderly hangar before setting his sights on General Stavo.

While stories had often reached their ears, never before had Avinaria's Imperial staff seen an Inquisitor. Gav lurched forward, as if feeding off the heightened anxieties he sensed. "Who is in command here?" he hissed through his helmet's modulator.

Stavo cleared his throat. "I am," he asserted. "With the governor's passing, we-"

Gav quickly observed Stavo's rank bar and cut him off. "That will be all general. At this time, all of your military assets are under my control. You, along with any field officers who aren't present in this hangar now answer to me."

Stavo stammered as Reina's warnings haunted him within. "What?" he uttered. "On whose authority?"

"Lord Vader and the Order of Inquisitorius," Gav cawed. "Your backlog of reports called for further investigation. The likes of which yielded results of a Jedi on your planet. Did you honestly think we wouldn't find out when you broadcast about a Jedi to your civilians?" Stavo's silence had Gav stepping closer. "Because of your incompetence, Avinaria is in disarray and your governor is dead. If you want to keep any semblance of your rank when this is over, you'll do exactly as I say from this moment forward."

As Stavo stared down his own desperate reflection in Gav's visor, he heard more vessels gliding into the hangar. Realizing the governor's fears had come to pass, he ultimately relented. "I-" he murmured. "We have a message…sir." He reluctantly gestured to the scout trooper, who played the transmission for all to see.

Luckily hidden behind a helmet, Gav's face flushed with shock as a projection of Anna Dellian formed. A larger figure projected next to her, as Ryx Finc spoke up. "How long will this bloodshed persist?" he cawed. "For every Avinarian you slaughter, the Resistance's prowess will only grow." He wrapped a wing around Anna. "You couldn't stop the Jedi, and you won't stop us. You've called us traitors, thieves, and even cowards for our tactics. But you forget our true name as the Warbirds of this land. And if it's all out conflict you want, we will graciously oblige. In the name of our ancestors who took first flight, let us meet on the Zenaida Fields and end this once and for all. Raise your wings."

The transmission concluded as both Ryx and Anna's frames froze before Gav's eyes. His taloned feet coiled angrily as memories of a life long forgotten flashed within. An abundance of failure had his eyes twitching and beak grinding.

Contrary to his frustrating display, Stavo had begun to regain his composure. "It's clearly a trick," the general spoke up. "Send no reply." Gav slowly turned, letting his silent stare fall on Stavo. "They're baiting us," he doubled down. "With your reinforcements, we can fortify the capital. We lost our governor, but they lost a crucial leader. Starve them out and-"

"What part of 'you are no longer in command' do you not understand?" Gav snapped. He jabbed his cloaked wing at Anna's static image. "So long as that Jedi lives, more will join her cause. Where you see a trap, I see an infection. And it's been left untreated for long enough." Stavo glanced at his nearby officers, who all seemed equally unsure over the predicament. "General," Gav commanded. "You will assemble your forces to march on these Zenaida Fields. Infantry, artillery, air support…all of it!"

As Gav oversaw the unloading of his transports, Stavo approached his officers. "General, this is madness," one of them whispered sharply. "We can't seriously proceed with this."

"The-" Stavo huffed, coming to terms with their situation. "The Inquistitor has overridden our chain of command. This operation is happening with-" He lowered his voice and leaned closer. "-or without us. Follow the orders, and our expertise will see us through."

More shuttle ramps hissed as they unloaded supplies into the hangar. While groups of stormtroopers hauled cylindrical, E-Web blaster turrets…something far more menacing clamored down from behind them. A designated trooper slowly backed up, and waved his hands to guide several daunting silhouettes. These shapes continued to stretch throughout the hangar as AT-STs filed into formation.

Such military prowess reflected off of Gav's helmet as he said, "At dawn, the Resistance dies."

Even since the planet's Imperial occupation, Avinaria had still been known for its graceful mornings. Fresh dew would coat its untouched fields and beckon the gentlest of breezes to its inhabitants. And yet, no peace could be found on this quiet morning. The silence was nothing beyond frigid and eerie, as if all of Avinaria had been briefly abandoned. As if the entire planet was holding its breath, waiting to see who would make the first move.

Anna Dellian had witnessed many of these intense calms before. The way they'd heralded every battle and lasted days in the wake of bloodshed. As she knelt atop a slope overlooking the Zenaida Fields, she observed such sacred ground. Thousands of years of graceful vistas would soon be alight with screams and blasterfire. On impulse, Anna shook her head. For while she understood the necessity of the fight to come, it pained her to realize Elsa's vision. Perhaps the whole point of pursuing peace was not to be better than another person…but to end a cycle that had gotten people nowhere for hundreds, if not thousands of years. The Clone Wars had long passed, and yet here Anna was…locked in another freedom fight. With a deep breath, she rose to her feet and made her way to Ryx's cottage.

Still under the cover of a fleeting night, Ryx's shadow loomed over the kitchen table. His head hung low over his folded wings as he murmured to himself. Anna tensed up when he raised his head to meet her. "Sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to intrude."

"It's alright," he assured. "Really." With a heavy sigh, he reflected on the shadows around him. "I can't remember the last time I prayed to any of our gods before this morning. It's crazy what losing someone you love will do to you. If Idrial's…well…somewhere… I hope she's listening." Ryx glanced back at Anna. "I hope the same for those you've lost. But whether we like it or not, we're here…and it's up to us now." Anna was initially concerned as Ryx unveiled a fine set of clippers. Intricate, Avinarian markings lined the handle as he raised the device to his head. "Long top feathers are a sign of peacetime," he explained. "When all is said and done-" The clippers hummed as he trimmed his head. "I will let my crest grow in a better world."

As Anna watched him prepare for war, she ran a hand through her long…auburn strands. "I said I wanted to die back on Nar Shaddaa." she murmured. "That I wanted those thugs to kill me. Even that I wanted you to kill me." She pulled out a chair to sit beside him. "Seeing the end of this day isn't guaranteed for any of us. And I never really thanked you for saving my life. For helping me to feel everything in this moment with people worth fighting for." She slowly bowed her head to him and asked, "Would you honor me in your ways so that I may begin anew?" With a dutiful nod, Ryx powered the clippers once more.

The rest of the Resistance encampment was still stirring. That was if they'd even managed to find sleep. Some had been restless enough to see a certain figure hobbling over the hills long before he started squawking. "You-" Master Chuza wheezed. "You fools! Flee this land! Get to whatever ships-" The old Avinarian could hardly catch his breath as he stumbled into camp. "Get to whatever ships you can and get as far from here as you can!" He pleaded to deadpanned and disgusted faces, flailing his wings like a madman. "Have you not lost enough? Avinaria's time has come. If you fight, all of you will die! All of you will-"

"That is enough," a woman declared as her boots tromped in from behind. No longer speaking with an ounce of caution, Anna stepped closer. Chuza slowly turned to see a prominent silhouette traversing the tall grass. Sunbeams crested over hill as the dawn set her shoulders ablaze. Zenaida's just breeze brought a swish to Anna's short bob of hair as she narrowed her gaze. Free of her cloak, she had suited herself in a form-fitting undertunic, spun from Avinarian fabrics. Durasteel vambraces lay fastened to her wrists as she crossed her arms. Her eyes were tired, but far from broken as she stared Chuza down. "There is no turning back," she said.

"You're all going to die," Chuza warned, his beak trembling.

"Then you have forsaken the Jedi Code," Anna refuted. "There is no Death, there is The Force. You call me a hypocrite, and you're right. Many of us have lost our path, Chuza. Some of us are just choosing to find a new one."

"Anna," Ryx beckoned from atop the hill. "It's time."

And at the general's command, the Resistance collectively assembled. Weapons were loaded and supplements were prepped as units formed up. And as the Resistance began their march through the fields, Chuza was left to blather into the echo chamber of his own shame.

As fighters formed ranks, Ryx spotted his youngest daughter raising a rifle among them. She swallowed hard as he approached her. "You-...you can't stop me from fighting anymore, Dad." Olgui stammered. "I need to do this. For Mom."

Ryx sighed and reached for her blaster. Yet instead of taking it away, he checked the bolt charge and helped raise the stock. "Do this for you," he said and noticed Vona beside her. "Both of you. Trust your instincts and keep level heads. And if anything…anything…should go south. I want you to drop your weapons and run. You run as fast as you can back to camp, get Minerva, and get offworld. Deal?" Olgui reluctantly nodded upon thinking over such an outcome. Ryx was short on time, and had to take Vona's silence for agreement. He kissed their foreheads before regrouping with Anna and Captain Tinun.

Smoke billowed from the great forests as the Empire's war machines barreled through. With no care for resources, the Empire focused on incineration and clearing through trees as quickly as possible. Flametrooper equipment roared while heavy saws buzzed from troop transports, paving the way for a bulk of infantry. This chaos was only obscured by the occasional screech of TIE fighter flybys overhead.

The Empire had established a command post on the opposite side of the forest. This hastily built compound housed several holoprojectors that could keep leaders in contact with commanders and officers on the ground at all times. General Stavo watched with hands folded tensely behind his back as the resources he and Reina vowed to preserve were wasted away. Juxtaposed to him, Gav was like a caged animal. The restless Inquisitor paced around the holotable as his army drew closer to the Zenaida Fields. He didn't care if all of Avinaria burned to the ground. Even the Resistance was a mere stepping stone in his path. All Gav wanted, was Anna Dellian…and any means to reach her would suffice. Both he and Stavo's heads turned as a commander's projection flickered into view.

"Payori Village has been razed and we're about to enter the Zenaida Fields," he said.

"Inquisitor," Stavo said. "We should commence a bombing run. It will both reveal and weaken the enemy position. Then we can advance."

Gav shook his head. "Halt the bombers," he demanded. "We can't risk losing the Jedi. Infantry to center for full advance on the fields."

"Inquisitor," Stavo spoke far more sternly. "We don't know where the enemy is. Those fields expand in every direction once our units clear the forest."

"Then we fan out by battalion," Gav asserted. "This is your only warning, general. Stop questioning my authority." Stavo took a deep breath and cautiously watched miniature projections of stormtroopers entering the fields.

A grim silence fell over Zenaida as clusters of pale-armored bodies emerged from the burning forest. Led by grey uniformed field officers, these stormtrooper units marched onward. As the bulk of infantry stomped up, several transports hovered at their sides.

Across the approaching forces, a rifle's barrel slowly crept out from the long grass. Ryx's trusty weapon was soon joined by a row of blasters lining up alongside his. While some Resistance fighters steadied themselves, other Avinarians were shaking under pressure. The sound of stormtroopers marching through the grasslands thundered in their hearts. "They're in range, general." Captain Tinun whispered at his side. "Ready when you are."

Ryx swallowed hard. "Not yet," he whispered and kept his target set.

The stormtroopers kept advancing as his unit grew anxious. "Sir?" Tinun uttered.

"Wait," Ryx hushed him. He stayed focused on the lead officer, who was suddenly squinting forward. Ryx waited until the enemy had just barely made out 'something foreign' in the grass to make his move. "Take it to 'em," He cawed and opened fire. Before the officer could alert the troopers to his findings, Ryx's laser struck him in the chest. This death heralded a volley of laserfire on the troopers below. "Raise your wings!" Ryx rallied. "Fire at will!"

While the initial line of stormtroopers had been caught of guard, the multiple rows behind them were far more prepared. Their response was as rapid as it was destructive. E-11s ignited from below in a blinding storm of scarlet. Feathers burst through the grass as Avinarians screeched in pain. Ryx, Tinun, and several others took cover as their initial attack wave was virtually destroyed in one hit. Still the survivors dared to raise their weapons from the grass and blindly fire again.

"Push them back!" Ryx yelled over the blasterfire, even as Avinarian bodies fell beside him.

Even with their officer down, the troopers took it upon themselves to advance. Their overwhelming shots kept the Avinarians pinned while the Empire sustained limited casualties. One Resistance member couldn't even activate a grenade before being shot dead.

"Third volley!" Ryx shouted. "Return fire!"

"General!" Captain Tinun squawked as another fell dead at his side. "We have to fall back!"

"It's too soon!"

"We stay, we die!"

Realizing the captain was right, Ryx relented that their attack was over. Popping a smoke grenade from his belt, he rolled it into the grass and rose amid the firefight. "Retreat!"

"Retreat!" Tinun echoed his command while lifting a wounded Resistance member. His efforts were fruitless as a blaster bolt finished her off. Dropping the body, Tinun and Ryx joined several routed fighters and tumbled down the hill's opposite end.

Stavo stroked his beard while watching the battle unfold via holotable. As he focused on each unit, Gav instead scoured the battlefield for Anna. Both listened as reports came in from onsite commanders. "The enemy has broken engagement," an officer called in. "We have them breaking routed and on the run."

"Hold position and reform the-" was all Stavo could say before Gav cut him off.

"Full advance," Gav commanded.

Stavo's eyes widened as he still found it in himself to speak up. "Sir," he spoke with great discontent. "We have the advantage. Push that hill and we lose it."

"We have them on the run," Gav cawed and nearly lunged at Stavo. "I will not allow this Jedi to escape with them while we regroup. All units push forward. Overwhelm and crush them."

At the Inquisitor's command the vast sea of white moved to swarm their first hill. Transports emptied more troopers to bolster the furthest units as they passed through the smoke grenades' residue.

And as the first few troopers passed through the smoke, they found themselves stumbling downhill. Upon regaining their footing, the troopers witnessed a multitude of Avinarian defenses. The Resistance had used unpacked tents to create makeshift bunkers across the fields. Together, they had formed a crescent-shaped entrapment for those dropping from the hill as Ryx's small unit served as bait.

Once Ryx and the others were safe to catch their breath behind defensive lines, Anna raised a blaster rifle of her own and yelled, "Fire!" Wave upon wave of blue lasers darted in crescent formation. Similar to Ryx's surprise attack, the first line of unprepared stormtroopers dropped instantly. The rest of the encroaching Imperials were left to prepare their own defenses and fire indiscriminately across the way. Having been drawn into an open field, cover was hardly an option. As desperation set in, it was kill or be killed.

Stavo's nostrils flared as he observed his troops falling into the Resistance's obvious trap. He watched as Gav grew increasingly flustered, only giving the order to keep attacking without any clear strategy. Unwilling to pointlessly lose anymore lives, Stavo lunged at the holotable's comm. "TIE bombers," he called in. "Hit the Resistance position. Two strafes. Clear all-" The general suddenly felt a great pressure build up beneath him. As if a great gust of wind had thrown him across the room and into the back monitors. Stavo rose with a groan to see Gav raising a twitching wing.

"That was not your order to give," the Inquisitor snarled. "The Jedi-"

"She'll be dead if she's down there," Stavo assured. "We both want victory, Inquisitor. This is how we achieve it."

While Anna still wasn't the most accurate shooter, the sheer amount of stormtroopers descending made them easy marks. She had to hope she'd at least downed someone in the masses as they returned fire. Vona had taken up a sniper position from one of the bunkers and would occasionaly check on Olgui. Her little sister kept her aim true and fired upward.

Ryx rallied to Anna as they blasted towards the hill. "How are we holding?" he panted.

"So far so good," she answered. "Catch your breath, gramps. We've got them right where we-" A series of sharp screeches rang out across the ashy sky. And as the silhouettes of three TIE bombers formed, Anna and Ryx braced themselves.

Scattering meant losing their defenses, leaving the Resistance to take cover and hope for the best. "Get down!" Tinun cawed as the bombers started their attack run.

Even though the Resistance was bracing, some of its fighters were preparing countermeasures. Raising rocket launchers from cover, several fired their projectiles without getting a proper lock-on. The missiles zipped by as the TIEs commenced bombardment. Glowing, deathly proton bombs fell over the crescent position and left craters in their wake. Blood and soil spewed throughout the smoke as bodies tumbled in multiple directions. Those who could still aim fired their rockets, managing to hit two of the bombers down. By the time the third was taking evasive action, the damage was already done.

Never before had the silence of Chuza's hut been so deafening. As blasterfire and explosions echoed in fields far too close, the elder just sat there hugging himself. He wanted to cry, thinking on every word Anna had told him. The failures of his Republic…the Jedi Order…of his own apprentice. Chuza's eyes reddened as the dying screeches of his people reached the hut. Burying his face in his wings, they were soon dampened with his tears. He raised his head in shame and stared into the lone candle on his table. Memories of the Old Republic he treasured oh so much were fading into nothingness. And as he sat in that vacuous room, he realized how right everyone had been.

"All these years wasted," Chuza croaked, thinking of how he'd forsaken himself. 'I've honored every legacy except that of my own,' he thought. 'Do I even have…a legacy? Is it too late?' And in those moments, Chuza's brows relaxed as Anna's final words returned to him. "There is no Death," he said aloud. "There is the Force." Reaching out with his shaking wing, Chuza knocked the candle over…letting its flame spread across the table. And as that fire burnt away at his confined hut, he called the saber box to him.

The crescent defense had fallen, reducing the hilltop and lower areas to a shrouded mess. Dark clouds of smoke consumed Zenaida, obscuring those within from view as stormtroopers regrouped. From the Resistance side, those who could still fight had gathered with weapons at the ready. Ryx charged his blaster and looked to Anna as she stood tall. "If we go-" he said. "We go on our terms."

"This is it," Anna affirmed and helped him up. Officers barked commands and raised their pistols to call for order. And as their troops reassembled, a sharp hiss ignited from beyond the smoke. Heads turned as Anna Dellian emerged atop a downed TIE fighter. Swishing her lightsaber forward, she yelled at the top of her lungs. "Attack!"

Gone was any form of surprise, for in those moments the Resistance was being fueled by sheer adrenaline. And as Anna led the charge, all of which the Empire feared made sense. The reason they'd done everything in their power to erase the Jedi Order for years. No matter how much the Avinarians had suffered, they were willing to fight and die beside Anna. They rallied behind her mighty lightsaber and charged into all out conflict. Without time to properly counter, the Imperials were forced to take them head on. As squawks and screams intertwined, both armies met in a massive collision.

Feathers crashed against plastoid while blasters sparked at point-blank range. Wings flapped in faces while talons dug into helmets and chestplates. Blaster bolts shot through bodies and sent corpses from both factions rolling into the grass. The occasional grenade would burst throughout the clash, sending bodies flailing into the smoke.

Deaths stacked atop one another. An Avinarian knocked a stormtrooper to the ground. Having dropped his helmet, the trooper was getting his eyes pecked out when another Imperial shot the Avinarian dead. Moments later, Anna lunged over and drove her saber through his chest. It wasn't long before several troopers advanced on Anna, electrobatons at the ready. While their melee weapons were shorter, they were durable enough to resist a lightsaber's strike.

Vona kept up sniper fire where she could, but ultimately paused when Olgui's blaster started clicking. "Here," she chirped and passed an extra ammo charge over. An incoming storm of laserfire forced both to duck their heads. As they emerged from cover, Vona fired across the battle and struck a trooper closing in on her father.

The trooper fell and dropped an E-11 by Ryx's feet. He picked it up and wildly sprayed both that and his rifle at anything plastoid. A stray shot struck his shoulder and forced him downward. Enraged, he threw the overheated E-11 and barreled back into combat.

Anna Force-pushed a trooper away and spun to avoid several batons. One of them struck her hip and sent a shock pulsing throughout her torso. As the other troopers moved in, Anna leapt into a violent spin. In a flash of green plasma, her blade sent severed arms and legs rolling to the ground. Anna switched to a defensive stance and deflected incoming shots from a rushing trooper. Meanwhile, an officer tried to flank and take aim with his pistol.

A flash of red burst into faded feathers, as someone threw himself behind Anna. By the time she'd dealt with her attacker and turned, she saw that Tinun had taken a laser for her. "Captain!" she gasped as the officer continued to shoot at them.

Even with a smoking wound in his gut, Tinun kept firing his blaster. He was able to gun down the officer and two troopers before dropping into Anna's arm. There was barely any time for Anna to comprehend what had happened. More foes were closing in and Tinun's body was already going limp. She gently lowered the captain to rest among the dead, as yet another soul was lost in those sacred fields.

As Anna spun to engage more enemies, she noticed a daunting sight atop the hill. Fresh troopers were still pouring in, ready to deliver ferocious blows to the Resistance. Any dent in the Imperial war machine was quickly filled by these rapidly descending reinforcements. Anna slashed a trooper down just as a troop transport loomed over the hill. Its gunner fired across the way, blasting Avinarians with explosive rounds.

"Vona!" Ryx warned. "Olgui! Get out of there!" He could only shout for so long before a laser struck his thigh.

"Dad!" Olgui cried out as Vona dragged her to safety. The Finc daughters rolled away just as an explosive round demolished their position.

Anna grew weary, both in age and stamina. Her Ataru aggression persisted, even through her dizziness as she hacked away at troopers. Only when she broke to deflect blaster bolts did she realize just how many had died around her. Her boots were constantly bumping against limbs as Imperial and Resistance corpses alike covered the field. While Anna pushed herself to keep fighting, she tried not to give attention to the sheer amount of troop reinforcements still dashing in. And as the roar of the third TIE bomber echoed overhead, Anna found herself close to the end.

'I'm sorry, Elsa…Kristoff…Sven.' she thought to herself. 'Mattias…I did the best I could.' She peered up at the bomber as it prepared to bombard their zone. 'Blazer…Sparx…Speedy. I'm coming home.'

An ear splitting clamor rang out from above the battle, as the TIE's thrusters suddenly failed. Having suddenly lost all momentum, the pilot was jerked forward against her restraints. While she tried to regain control, it was as if an energy field had ensnared her vehicle. As warnings blared throughout her cockpit, she diverted all power to the boosters. Only then did the mysterious grip release itself…after angling her towards the ground. As the TIE exploded beside the battle many on its edge spotted another figure among its flames. Still raising a wing to call upon the Force, this short…elder Jedi emerged from the smoke.

Even through her exhaustion, Anna found it in herself to smile as Master Chuza came forth. "In the words of the great Bastila Shan-" he declared. "The Force fights with me!" Chuza hooted valiantly and leapt into the fray. Tapping into years of attunement, he unleashed a mighty Force repulse that rippled the very ground. Stormtroopers sailed through the air as Chuza launched them higher. And with a ferocious flap of his wings, he brought his victims smashing into the terrain. Knowing his battle had just begun, Chuza drew both his and his former apprentice's lightsabers. Dual-wielding the green blades, he rushed into battle and began slashing at stormtroopers.

Vona and Olgui recovered from the explosion and returned to provide sniper cover. Meanwhile, Ryx had rallied what survivors he could gather to keep clashing with Imperials. Even in the most dire of circumstances, morale soared as a second Jedi joined the fight. "To the Jedi!" Ryx shouted. "To the Jedi!"

Anna and Chuza went back to back, deflecting bolts and hacking anyone who came too close. "Welcome back, master," Anna panted.

Focused, Chuza jabbed a saber towards the hilltop. "We need to destroy that transport. Are you with me?"

"Kriff yes," Anna grunted as the Jedi surged forward.

"Clear me a path!" Chuza hooted while slicing at a foe's legs. Anna served as a distraction, blocking the majority of blasterfire while the Resistance moved up alongside her. Once in range, Chuza leapt on Anna's shoulders and called upon the Force. With a heavy grunt, he bent the transport's main gun just as it was powering up. This led to a misfire, sending smoke puffing within the vehicle. As flames spread throughout, its crew emerged both dazed and coughing. Anna and several Resistance members took them out, not giving them a chance to recover. As the transport imploded, Chuza used the Force to hurl its charred fragments at stormtroopers in bulk.

"I don't believe it," Ryx huffed as blood ran down his beak. "They're falling back."

With each push, the Resitance's morale only soared further. Scorched and battered troopers retreated, their ranks broken as they made for the forest. "Raise your wings!" Avinarians could be heard cheering. They raised their blasters through the smoke as their proud silhouettes stood tall. "Raise your wings!"

Anna coughed as she caught her breath and staggered beside Chuza. It wouldn't be long before Ryx and other Resistance fighters were regrouping on the hill. "Dad!" Olgui called out as she ran over with Vona. No words could reach his beak as he pulled his daughters into a brief embrace. Their reunion was short-lived as the survivors came to terms with their situation.

Desolation surrounded them. Countless Imperial and Resistance bodies lay strewn throughout the fields. Smoke still wisped from their fresh blaster wounds and stretched to the rising sun. Tufts of burnt and scattered feathers swirled eerily in the wind. As Ryx tried to make sense of the death toll, he glanced at Anna.

"Tinun?" he asked until she gravely shook her head.

As the grim realization took hold, Ryx and Anna exchanged pensive stares. All while Chuza continued to watch the Imperials flee into the forest. "Dad," Vona beckoned. "What do we do?"

Ryx and Anna knew the truth, it was only a matter of who would be the first to admit it. They knew all out warfare on the Fields of Zanaida was a longshot…and a one way trip. It was a miracle that they'd even beaten back the Imperial's initial offensive. But looking over their weakened forces, they had to face the facts.

"If we reset and they hit us here again-" Ryx professed. "We won't be able to hold them." While some fighters didn't wish to see such a reality, they hung their heads in agreement.

"We're not gonna break them again," Anna concurred. "And if we're going to pursue, there will never be another window."

"There is no Death, there is the Force." Chuza murmured.

"We've come this far," Anna said as she reignited her saber. Basking in its green glow, she raised it atop the hill. "Will you follow this Jedi one last time?"

Accepting fate in the name of freedom, Ryx primed his rifle. A cacophony of blaster clicks mustered behind him as he gathered what strength he could still find. Grinding his beak to null the pain of his wounds, Ryx raised his voice. "In the name of all we've lost. In the name of all that we are. To battle, Warbirds of Avinaria. One last time!"

With labored, yet valorous battle cries, the Resistance made a final charge down the hill. Chuza spun his sabers like pinwheels, joining Anna's in an emerald trifecta. Lasers rained down from their forces as they picked off straggling Imperials.

"I don't believe it," Gav hissed while leering at the holotable. "They really think they can win."

Unable to tolerate such incompetence any further, Stavo raised his voice. "Your incompetence has granted them any form of advantage. We can still win. They don't have enough forces to take the command center if we-"

A sudden burning sensation came upon Stavo. And by the time his face was glowing red, Gav was already digging a saber into his chest. "None of this conflict matters if a Jedi lives," Gav growled while impaling Stavo further. "And now…there are two of them." As he withdrew his blade and let the general's corpse drop, Gav made for the doors. As he departed, he left countless officers without a leader to issue orders over comms.

Resistance forces sacrificed bright fields for the cover of the great forest. "Keep pushing!" Ryx shouted. "Whatever you do! Don't stop!"

Blastershots rang out between the trees and splintered against hefty trunks. While some stormtroopers kept retreating, others dropped behind logs to stall the Avinarian advance. But the Resistance was a valiant machine, surging onward despite their brutal casualties. Even as Avinarians continued to get gunned down in the pursuit, they pushed onward.

Anna sprung up to a log and started hacking away at troopers. While she kept the unit distracted, the rest of the Resistance flanked to overwhelm them. Chuza sliced a trooper before Force pushing an entire log over. As it rolled, it crushed any foes who were hiding behind it for cover. As Ryx pressed forward, and officer attempted to take a shot at him. He shifted to evade and drove one of his talons into the man's jugular.

As stormtroopers continued to flee, a panicking officer had lost all stomach for battle. With disheveled hair and flailing arms, she desperately pointed to her pursuers behind. "Mortars!" she blathered while practically crawling for her life. "Bring up the bloody mortars!"

A row of fresh troopers rushed to set up the arced projectiles. Without waiting for a countdown, they began launching explosives towards the advancing Avinarians.

"Brace!" Anna warned as the sharp projectiles whistled overhead. They arrived sooner than expected, and blasted holes through the offensive line. Avinarians caught in the blast were obliterated in flashes of fire and feathers, yet the Resistance couldn't stop.

"Get under their range!" Chuza hooted. At the speed their forces were advancing, the mortars were only able to get two rounds off before being overwhelmed. While some troopers stayed to fight, others joined the mass retreat.

"Turn the mortars on them!" a Resistance fighter hollered. "Turn the-" Suddenly, all breath fled her throat as she clasped it. The chilling sight brought Anna and Chuza to a halt as the woman was lifted into the air. Within moments, she was hurled directly into an Inquisitor's crimson blade.

The very sights and sounds of such a weapon sent a chill pulsing through Anna. While she'd initially expected Hans, the Inquisitor's Avinarian frame had her brows furrowing. While Anna seemed focused, a deep yet familiar disturbance reached Chuza as he eyed the Inquisitor. "No," the elder uttered. "It can't be-"

"Spare me your shock," Gav cawed while igniting the second side of his saber. "You had your chances to stay lost."

"Chuza?" Anna worried as she came to terms with Gav's survival. "Chuza I need you on this!"

The elder glanced down at his second saber, of which once belonged to the very enemy he would know face. Clasping it tightly, he concentrated on the moment. "And have me you shall."

Gav charged, striking down two Resistance fighters in the process. "Ryx!" Anna shouted. "Keep leading the charge! We'll handle this!" He reluctantly concurred as the Jedi moved in. While Anna sprung from below, Chuza launched from her shoulders. Gav spun his saber to counter each as red clashed with green.

While the battle persisted around the duelists, their sabers were relentless. Plasma sparked from each blade as the Jedi went fully offensive. Waiting for them to tire, Gav leapt at Anna with his talons ready. Even after so many years, Anna recalled his attack from the Corellian Cup and sought to catch his leg. But Gav had also prepared, and instead spun to kick Anna with his other foot. As she tumbled back, Gav locked blades with Chuza.

"After all of these years," he hissed. "You still kept my saber?"

Gazing into his own reflection in Gav's helmet, Chuza dared to counter. "You were like my son," he grunted. "I waited for you!"

His words only enraged Gav as his strikes intensified. "Waited! Respected! Cared! All lies! You held me back, old man! Held me back from what I could be!" Anna returned to the fray, forcing Gav to withdraw and deflect. "You were always afraid. And you were right to be!" Chuza's breath hitched as he stumbled back. Fatigue was setting in as he watched Gav overwhelm Anna with fury. "I was always meant for so much more!" he crowed and kneed Anna in the stomach. Age and exhaustion were catching up to her as she buckled forward. "And denying Hans this kill will be my-" As he raised his saber to strike, a sudden surge in the Force brought him tumbling forward.

As Anna caught her breath, all she could do was watch as Chuza used the Force to smash Gav into tree after tree. He did so until his helmet crunched and and cape tore. There was pain in Chuza's eyes with each thrust, until he ultimately sent Gav rolling before him. No amount of hatred nor conditioning could get Gav mobile in time as he barely found the strength to get on his knees. Unable to breathe through his dented helmet, he pushed it off to reveal his bloodied face. And as his piercing yellow gaze met Chuza's somber stare, the old master searched for any semblance of the boy he once knew.

"Go ahead, master," Gav mocked through aching coughs. "Kill your Padawan."

Chuza's beak quivered as he hurriedly found the breath to speak. With tears in his eyes and a heavy heart, he recounted every memory he'd shared with Gav. From the Jedi Temple to their near death experience, they had slowly become worse for each other. And as he stared into Gav's bloodshot eyes, Chuza said, "You are no Padawan of mine." As that realization reached the Inquisitor, Chuza activated both his and Gav's former saber. In a swift slash, Gav's head rolled from his shoulders and into the shadows.

Having recovered from her hit, Anna limped over to Chuza and put an arm around him. "Chuza?" she called. "Master Chuza?" He slowly came out of his state of shock. "Come on," she said. "We're pushing forward." Her tone was surprisingly calm as she guided him away from Gav's body. And with each step away from the dark scene, Chuza felt lighter. The sight of stormtroopers fleeing out of the forest inspired the Jedi to press on as the Resistance gathered again.

"We've beaten them back!" Ryx roared as fighters cheered around him. "Forward! Forward! FORWARD!"

The Resistance survivors clung to what momentum they could salvage and continued to pick off Imperial stragglers. "Forward!" they chanted as one while breaching the treeline. And as they fled the shadows and stepped into a sunlit clearing, they found themselves staring down a row of AT-STs.

All momentum faded the moment those heavy vehicles opened fire. Colossal, explosive layers struck the very center of the Resistance attack force. Anna had barely registered what happened before the world was upside down a second later…and she was crashing back down in the next moment.

As she lay there betwixt smoke, fire, and a tumultuous ringing in her ears, Anna tried to make sense of her surroundings. While the AT-STs maintained a continues laser barrage, stormtroopers had setup rapid-fire E-Web turrets beside them. These guns sent lasers sweeping across the trees, mowing Avinarians down as they emerged from the forest. The Resistance didn't have time to react to such an artillery barrage, and bodies were just falling on top of one another. Those still shellshocked from what was happening were rising with shot up limbs and burnt feathers. Anna watched as they rose from the ground only to be gunned down within moments. Resistance fighters she'd come to know for weeks. People with lives and convictions…were being reduced to a rapid fire death toll right before her eyes.

Anna's face was covered in ash as blood trickled from a scrape across her temple. She glanced rightward…and saw Ryx's twitching body sprawled beside her. Having been positioned directly beside the blast, he'd taken the hardest hit. As he tried to rise, blaster bolts struck his hip, thigh, and wing. He fell limp amidst the chaos as Anna could hardly stomach a gasp. Bodies continued to drop under the relentless blasterfire as a pair of sabers sparked up.

"Anna!" Chuza screeched. "Get up, Anna!" He flailed his blades to deflect as many shots as possible. "Hurry!"

Fighting through her shocked stupor, Anna clasped her lightsaber and crawled over bodies. Reactivating her blade, she stumbled next to Chuza and began blocking shots. She didn't even know how many survivors they had, or if they were all that remained. All she could do…was block blaster bolts.

"Keep drawing their fire!" Chuza grunted. "Keep-" He could hardly speak as all turrets focused on him and Anna.

"Bring them down!" an officer commanded from behind the E-Webs.

Anna and Chuza held their ground, deflecting a flurry of blastershots until their arms burned. The flashes of such constant strobe nearly blinded them as they relied on senses alone. And with each laser that Anna batted away, she saw the faces of her past. Not as haunting ghosts, but blissful memories calling her home. Elsa, Mattias…Kristoff, Sven and the Deathchasers. Her parents…or whatever semblance of imagery she could come to peace with. Determined to finish the Jedi off, one of the AT-STs opened its dorsal latch and fired several grenades to their position.

Spotting the incoming cluster, Chuza relinquished his defense. Channeling all of the Force power he could call upon, he thrust his wings forward. His Force push sent the grenades spiraling back, but that split decision came with a price. Lowering his sabers for a mere second allowed the E-Webs to reach him. Round upon round of scarlet laser unloaded across Chuza's body.

"No!" Anna shrieked as she lunged to his aid. But without both Jedi to repel the laser storm, she could only block so much. Several bolts on Chuza's side started to rise. By the time she'd felt one of them blast a hole in her foot, the rest were climbing up her leg. Anna fell over with an agonizing wail, watching as her saber rolled off into the grassy carnage. An AT-ST's heavy laser struck Avinarians nearby, and blasted her doonium hilt to pieces. As her vision began to blur, she briefly glimpsed her green kyber crystal as it was consumed in flames.

Despite him being struck down, Chuza's Force push had prevailed. While some of the grenades clunked against the AT-ST's legs, others darted into its viewports. The ensuing blasts crippled the machine and sent it toppling into some of the E-Webs. As the surviving Imperial defense struggled to maintain their footing, Vona stood amid the carnage. She stared across the field, spotting her father's body and recalling his words to run. Hearing Olgui gasp at her side only urged her to do so further, yet Vona couldn't bring herself to flee. Instead, she took it upon herself…to lead.

"Grab the mortars!" she squawked and thrust a wing back to the forest behind her. "Turn them back!" If Vona wasn't backing down, neither was Olgui as they dashed into the madness. One of the stormtroopers was just getting back on his turret when Vona sniped him in the chest. She and Olgui dropped as an AT-ST's heavy laser rocked the ground beside them. As the remaining vehicles stomped towards them, a series of projectiles came zinging from the treeline. Following Vona's orders, Avinarians had turned the Empire's mortars against them. The bombardment blasted the AT-STs from their position as surviving Imperials lost the artillery advantage. As routed stormtroopers stared into the rising flames of their destruction, their remaining officers had no choice. Cut off from superior leadership, they called for their ravaged units to make a full retreat. To fall back as far as possible to any given position.

As the Resistance survivors laid claim to the clearing, adrenaline fled their bodies. Some succumbed to the copious blastershots they'd sustained and dropped soon after while others angstily raised their wings. "Victory!" Vona cawed to her people, her legs still trembling. "Victory!"

In those devastating moments, it was a miracle the Resistance could have found any reason to cheer. The warbirds might've taken a valiant stand against the Imperial war machine, but both forces had been virtually destroyed in the process. Any calls for victory were merely justifications for the unfathomable amount of dead.

Cheers, blasterfire, and even the slightest breeze became distortions to Anna. Blood seeped from the corner of her lip as she stared up into the ashy skies. Only a heavy wheeze could make her find the strength to roll over.

Anna could hardly see her charred, smoking leg in the smoke. Her pantleg was riddled with blaster bolts as it dragged across the floor. Anna crawled her way to Chuza, who was laying face up with shots from the waist down.

"I'm sorry," the elder croaked. "I'm so sorry." Chuza could barely keep his eyes open as a lifetime of regret filled his heart.

Realizing there wasn't much time, Anna found the strength to bring her hand atop his chest. "You have nothing to apologize for," she assured. Be it her own suffering or his, Anna couldn't stave off the tears swelling in her eyes. "And when people think of historical Jedi, you will be remembered. I'll make sure of it." Anna forced a smile through her teary eyes and quivering lips. "Master Chuza…the Brave."

Chuza had stopped moving altogether, likely taking his last breath as she spoke. And as Anna broke down atop him, she had to believe her words had reached him. She had to. Her body trembled and her eyes grew heavy, making her wonder if death had finally come for her. It'd lingered at her doorstep so many times over the years. If she was to embrace the end in this moment, all she could ask herself…was 'How many more had to die?'

"How many more have to die?"

There was a great weightlessness to any ensuing feeling for Anna. She could hear Zenaida's gentle breeze returning, as if calling her to another horizon. But as she slowly stirred, she found herself staring up at a battered tent. Dropping an arm had it grazing the low-lying dirt beneath her stretcher, as she tried to make sense of where she was.

A thick, bacta bandage had been applied to her temple, and similar treatments had been placed throughout her aching body. As Anna rolled over, her groggy eyes saw scavenged Imperial medpacs. But amid the torn containers, a yellow figure caught her eye. Barely mobile and covered in patches, Ryx Finc offered a faint smile.

"Anna," he spoke softly and it was enough to have her crying. A tear fled his eye as he rested on his pillow. "It's going to be okay," he said. "I don't know what's next…but I promise." His aching voice persisted, so he could reach her. "What I do know is that the Resistance lives. We beat them back when none of us thought we could. Our war is far from over, but no one…no one…can take away what we've done."

Anna slowly nodded in acceptance, only to feel a great numbness from below as she shifted. As the battle's events returned to her mind, she nervously glanced down under her thin blanket. It was as if all blood had been drained from her as a chill pulsed throughout. Anna could hardly stomach a full gasp, seeing that her right leg had been amputated from above the knee. All Anna could do was sink back into her stretcher and gaze up at the tent's tattered cloth.

"How did it all come to this?" Anna grieved. "How have we learned nothing from decades…centuries of war?"

"Perhaps it's all this galaxy knows," Ryx considered. "And we've done the best we can to justify our side of things. Still, it will never change how kriffed up it all is. But I have to believe-" Ryx grinded his beak as he took a deep breath. "I just…have to believe that there will be a future without this bloodshed again. We are sacrificing all of this so the next generation hopefully never has to. That is the true pursuit of peace."

Anna slowly nodded to him and kept staring up. "Peace," she reflected.

"What?" Ryx asked.

"You're right," Anna answered. "This war is far from over. And no matter what happens, I'm going to find my sister. I'm going to finally make things right between us. I can't lose her…not again."

Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading this chapter of "The Frozen Force." Thank you so much for your patience through this very long hiatus. My life and its schedules have greatly changed, but I need you to know I am still writing this story. I will see you next time! Happy Star Wars Day!

May the 4th be with you,

~ Sparks