Hello everyone!
Hope you've had a good weekend despite the insane political climate we've had to endure over the past couple of days. Let's hope we can find a semblance of normalcy now… fingers crossed.
I am doing my best to produce chapters more regularly, and if I'm not mistaken it's been about a week since my last chapter, so here's hoping I'm able to keep the rhythm going. With lockdown back into effect, it'll certainly make it easier.
Without further ado, let's answer all of your lovely reviews on the last chapter:
-RKF22: Bless you, man. Thanks for the continuing encouragement and support. May the Force be with you!
-TheEmeraldMage: I definitely think that it makes sense for Yoda not to fight in cannon since he hasn't had a lightsaber in a long time, and has chosen exile, and is committed to teaching and learning about the Force. However… I mean… getting to have Yoda go all out using all his 800+ years of knowledge is just too good to resist. Regarding the color of lightsaber crystals, my research (i.e. Wookiepeedia) says that the colors meant something when Jedi studied and train to become either Guardians, Consulars or Sentinels. But in later years that system was abandoned and Jedi just picked green or blue crystals based on personal preference. As to the choice concerning Luke and Mara, I felt that blue was good for Mara since she is committed to being a Jedi and Yoda already has his green crystal, and for Luke, I was going to go for a color-changing crystal or something but just went for yellow since it felt like a sort of symbolic "in-between" color between red and the colors of the Jedi. Glad you enjoyed this chapter, and hope this one gets you excited for what's next! Thanks a lot for your feedback!
-Jeda31: So happy you enjoyed the last chapter! I can get very self-conscious after writing certain chapters and wondering if people will like them or not if they have less action or plot-heavy development. I'm glad that you like the way events are progressing and I hope that chapter 33 gets you excited for what comes next. Thanks for your dedication to this fanfic, and for all your kind words.
-mrhunterjdavis: Thanks a lot! Hope you enjoy how things unfold in this chapter.
-Luise: Glad you're enjoying it all so far. Yeah, you're looking ahead to what'll happen between Obi-Wan and Padmé. For now I can't say much for spoilers sake but don't worry, the moment you're waiting for will come soon enough. I working towards giving you regular updates as much as possible, so thanks for your patience and support. Hug and kisses back!
And now, with all our reviews answered, let's not waste any time and jump right into chapter 33!
Enjoy, and don't forget to favorite, follow, and review!
Grand Admiral Tarkin focused on mitigating his frustration as he made his way to the Emperor's throne room. The construction of the Death Star II was behind schedule. Rebel interference with Imperial supply routes had caused many essential materials to run out, causing weeks of delay until new ones could be obtained. Even with all the builders and architects working overtime every single day, the encroaching deadline upon which the Death Star II was supposed to be finished seemed impossible to meet.
Tarkin had made the executive decision to bring in slaves from some of the Empire's colonies to help make up for lost time. He had promised them all freedom if they managed to finish the project in time which had served as a powerful motivator for many of them. The truth of course was that as soon as their work was done, they would be executed on the spot and dumped out into space. It was out of the question to allow anyone who had seen the Death Star II to simply walk free.
Receiving an impromptu summons from the Emperor had also not done much to improve his mood. Tarkin had already bit his tongue when Sidious had told him when he wanted the Death Star II to be finished, but if he wanted to bring him in to humiliate him for how the construction was not progressing according to schedule, Tarkin was unsure he would be able to stay silent for much longer.
Damn you, you old fool!
As he approached the Emperor's throne room, he made out the white uniform and blue skin of the man he avoided almost as frequently as Palpatine: Grand Moff Thrawn. Last Tarkin was aware, he was supposed to be resuming his expansion campaign into the unknown regions. The fact that Thrawn was here clued him in to the fact that something major was afoot.
The Grand Admiral relaxed his features and sharpened his movements without slowing down his step, coming to a halt in front of Thrawn who gave him a thin-lipped smile. His red eyes seemed to gleam with added anticipation but Tarkin had been doing this job too long to fall for such basic intimidation tactics.
"Grand Admiral, what a pleasure to see you again," Thrawn spoke evenly, holding out his hand. "I must say your progress on this battle station is most impressive. I suppose you truly were the man for the job."
Keep talking, you damn alien…
"Grand Moff, the feeling is mutual," Tarkin replied with calculated grace. He gripped the Chiss' hand firmly, staring right back into his blood-red eyes. "When this station is finished I daresay your fleet will soon become obsolete. With such a weapon, the Empire's dominance will once again be imposed throughout the galaxy."
"Let us hope it all unfolds better than last time," Thrawn said, a slight smile curling the edges of his lips.
"Indeed."
Tarkin did not bother trying to out-talk Thrawn, it was a waste of time. As much as he hated to admit it, the Chiss was one of the brightest minds in the Empire, and winning a battle of words against him was nigh impossible. Tarkin would teach Thrawn humility through actions, not words.
The two men turned towards the door to the throne room as it opened to let out the Emperor's top advisers. They were all whispering and muttering to themselves and to each other, reflective looks on all their faces. Some of them nodded towards Thrawn and Tarkin, but most just ignored them, lost in their trains of thought.
Thrawn and Tarkin entered the throne room side by side. They crossed the narrow walkway over a deadly drop that led straight to the reactor core and climbed up the stairs to stand before the Emperor's throne. It took them half-a-second to realize that Darth Vader was present beside Palpatine, his black armor seamlessly blending in with his surroundings.
Sidious sat in his chair, his white hands and chin standing out against the darkness that enveloped him.
"Welcome, gentlemen," Palpatine's raspy muttering showed neither displeasure nor pride; it was completely enigmatic. "I have summoned you both here today because the time to strike back against the Rebels is drawing near."
The only reaction was a slight eyebrow raise from Thrawn. Apart from that, he and Tarkin remained still, while Vader's gaze seemed to drift away from the conversation.
"The smuggler Han Solo and Princess Leia are currently in the hands of the Hutts," Sidious continued. "Capturing them now and executing them alongside Kenobi will irreparably crush the spirit of rebellion currently festering throughout my Empire."
It made Tarkin's skin crawl the way Sidious uttered the word "my", as though all these planets and systems were just marbles spinning around in his hand. He had to dig his nails into the palms of his hand to steady himself and speak:
"My lord, we made an agreement with the Hutts to deliver Solo in exchange for letting us use their hyperspace routes. Going back on our promise to them would risk an unnecessary conflict with—"
Tarkin's words died in his throat when he saw Sidious' yellow eyes glow from the darkness shrouding his face. These two piercing orbs in which burned such hatred and malice made his knees quiver uncontrollably. He cursed himself, tensed every muscle in his body to stay immobile but those eyes kept probing and twisting like they were dissecting his thoughts.
You monster… what are you?
When Thrawn spoke, Palpatine's eyes were diverted away from Tarkin. It was as if he was released from a chokehold, he wanted to gasps for air but managed to stay straight and unmoving. He was sweating profusely but did not allow himself to wipe it away.
"My lord, while I do not share the Grand Admiral's belief that the Hutts are any threat to us," the Chiss spoke in a suave and deferential tone which concealed his true intentions. "Is it not risky to divert time and resources in dealing with a problem that has already been solved?"
"I did not summon you here to share opinions, Thrawn," Sidious replied coldly, rising out of his chair to let his shadow loom over him and Tarkin. "I am delivering you my direct orders: go to Tattooine, capture Solo and the princess, exterminate any resistance. Ultimately, I only need the girl alive. If you must kill the smuggler, so be it."
Thrawn nodded slowly, digesting all this new information. He could tell that this was a strategic move by the Emperor and that this whole operation likely had something to do with the princess he wanted alive. It was also clear to him that any more debate was futile at this point. Better to just comply and move forward.
"I understand, my lord," Thrawn said silkily, delivering a formal bow. "I will leave immediately to rejoin my fleet and travel to Tatooine. Will Grand Admiral Tarkin be joining me?"
Tarkin cursed Thrawn for directing Palpatine's attention back towards him but managed to keep his composure when the Sith lord stared back at him; amusement shining in those infernal eyes. His words were sadistically mocking:
"That will not be necessary. I believe our Grand Admiral has lost his nerve for combat. Just continue your work here, Tarkin. Get the construction back on schedule, or must I also give Thrawn your responsibilities in addition to your title?"
There was nothing he could do. This was the one man in the entire galaxy he was too afraid to talk back to. Tarkin swallowed his pride, gave a low bow and answered:
"That will not be necessary, my lord. The work will be finished on time. I swear it… on my life."
Sidious smirked curiously when he heard that final promise. He nodded his satisfaction and returned to sit atop his throne.
"Thrawn will bring back any of the Hutts' slaves he is able to find," Sidious said in a more calculating tone. "They will come in useful to finish construction by the due date. I am satisfied that you used such incentive."
Tarkin could not care less about this man's praise, but he nodded politely, as was expected of him.
"Now, both of you leave," Palpatine ordered sharply. "Lord Vader will accompany you to Tatooine, Grand Moff Thrawn, just in case there are any… unforeseen interruptions."
Thrawn and Tarkin both saluted the Emperor and matching each other's steps, marched out of the throne room without another word. Vader was about to follow them out when Sidious' voice halted his steps:
"I can sense your mind is wandering, Lord Vader… You are thinking about this mission. Does it hold some value to you perhaps?"
"No, my master," Vader replied quietly, eyes down. "I thought I sensed something… a familiar presence…"
"Young Skywalker?" Sidious enquired, his crooked teeth appearing between his scarred lips. "Do you believe he is alive?"
Vader reflected quietly on his answer. Tatooine was a planet he had avoided for a very long time, and when he had started reaching out towards it through the Force, he swore he felt someone trying to reach back. Not trying to reach towards him, but towards someone else; and soon as she had sensed his presence, she had immediately retreated away and disappeared.
That encounter had been troubling him ever since. He was already certain beyond doubt that Luke was still alive, and now this presence on Tatooine felt like some sort of déjà vu. It was almost like… Padmé…
That one thought echoed in his mind, over and over, as Sidious stared down at him, awaiting his response. His answer was clear, he could give it with near absolute certainty; and yet:
"Skywalker is dead, my master. I have meditated on it and found no other possibility."
Sidious gazed back at him evenly, his face an immaculate mask of emotion. Vader could feel him searching for the truth in his mind, but the Dark Lord was powerful enough to disguise his true thoughts from Sidious.
Eventually, the Sith Lord turned his chair around to face the window behind him. His reply was quiet and inscrutable:
"Well then, once Obi-Wan is dead, the Jedi will truly be extinct. All those that remain will be crushed or turned in the end."
Thankfully, the departure from Illum had been less eventful than their arrival. By the time the Imperial blockade noticed the starship leaving orbit, Luke had already activated the hyperdrive and gotten them out of danger.
Yoda, Mara, and Luke now all had kyber crystals for their future lightsabers. The only issue was that they had absolutely no materials to build said lightsabers.
After a couple of minutes of flight, Luke deactivated the hyperdrive and let the ship drift as he went to join Yoda and Mara in the communal room. Both of them were sitting on stiff benches, eating some sloppy reconstructed meat product. Mara was visibly cringing with every bite, while Yoda just ate it quietly with an impassive look. That did not surprise Luke much when he remembered what the old Jedi ate on Dagobah.
"This a fairly inhabited sector. We shouldn't have to worry about the Empire finding us here," he said as he took a seat across from Mara. "We need to decide what to do next."
"Turning these things into weapons should be number one," Mara said as she raised her kyber crystal up towards the light, letting it cast a constellation of blue light across the table. "And after that, rescuing Obi-Wan should be our top priority."
"Han and Leia have also been captured, Mara," Luke reminded her, calmly fingering his own yellow kyber crystal. "We need to figure out where they are. We already know where and when Obi-Wan will be executed."
"Oh, and that'll make it easier to rescue him?" Mara asked. She tried to avoid sounding irritated but she had genuinely expected Luke to be on her side in rescuing Obi-Wan first. "Vader and Sidious will be present for his execution. It'll take everything we have to not all die. Whoever is holding the princess and your friend won't be anywhere near as much a threat as those two."
Luke was about to counter her point but the sudden realization that Yoda had not said a word since they started talking caused him to stop. The former Grand Master was slowly eating his food, seemingly not paying attention to his two students' argument.
"What do you think, master Yoda," Mara asked the old Jedi before Luke could. "Rescuing Obi-Wan first will help us get into the Alliance's good graces and boost their popularity across the galaxy."
"Leia is a member of the Alliance's High Council," Luke countered. "If anything happens to her, that will be an irreparable blow from which the Rebellion will not easily recover."
In response, Yoda merely let out a low rumble from his diaphragm. He pushed away the empty tray of food and gathered his feet under him to sit in a meditative stance. His gaze wandered from one student to the other.
"What does the Force tell you?" was Yoda's simple question.
A question to which neither Luke nor Mara had an answer. Both glanced at each other awkwardly, silently urging the other person to give a response. Yoda just hummed softly at their previous impulsiveness.
"Always so eager to weigh choices as they present themselves," he said seriously, tapping his clawed finger on the end of his gimmer stick. "Never consider other voices do you? Our opinions, our judgements, unreliable they are. But the will of the Force… a clear, unbiased direction it can give."
"But master, the Force isn't always reliable," Luke countered, remembering when he had tried to call upon it on Cloud City against Vader. "Sometimes it just comes back muddled and unclear."
"Not simply the words of the Force can you hear," Yoda replied as he closed his eyes and concentrated deeply. "But the voices of others. Friends, allies who wish to guide us. Hear their voices do you?"
Mara and Luke exchanged a look, and in unison, sat cross-legged next to Yoda and focused on the Force. They felt each other's signatures, clear and strong, yet carefully disguised to not draw the attention of Sidious or Vader. They all appeared as luminous beings in an endless blue void, no other Force signatures in sight.
"Now, reach out," Yoda's voice echoed in their heads. "Remember your allies, from long ago."
For Mara, those words held very little value since all of her "allies" were now her enemies, but she could sense that Luke was picking up on something. Out of the infinite blue he could sense a familiar presence; someone whom he had not seen in several months.
"Yes, good…" Yoda said encouragingly, as he aided Luke to focus in on that distance Force signature. "Feel it, speak to her."
It struck Luke like an illumination: Ahsoka. She just popped into his mind spontaneously as her Force presences became stronger. It was like a familiar scent or sound that brought forth a surge of memories.
Luke focused on her, reached out to her, and finally spoke when he sensed he was close enough.
"Ahsoka, it's Luke."
A few seconds passed until Ahsoka's voice echoed back across the void.
"Luke, thank the Force you're safe, we've been trying to contact you. You need to get back to the fleet right away."
"Has something happened?" Luke asked worriedly.
"Lando found Han and Leia. And the Alliance needs the Jedi to come together to rescue them. We have to form a united front against the Empire."
Luke carefully weighed her words. It appeared the Force had shown them which rescue they needed to conduct first.
"Where can we find you?" Luke asked.
"Are these sorts of missions always this boring?" Ezra groaned as he took his eyes away from the binoculars fixed upon Jabba's palace.
Rex and Cody both shared a chuckle at the young man's impatience. It was only a show of impatience, in reality, Ezra understood the importance of their task, they all did. But none of them could deny that reconnaissance and surveillance was generally a monotonous and thankless task.
"You get used to it after a while, Ezra," Cody replied from his sleeping position on the dune. "The trick is to be prepared for when things stop being boring."
With the members of the Alliance's High Council more or less on the same page, they had collectively sanctioned the operation to rescue Han and Leia from Jabba the Hutt. However, this had come with several caveats, including an in-depth and meticulous period of reconnaissance in order to formulate a safe and foolproof plan. Whether they liked it or not, the Rebellion's credibility and survival were at stake. Any botched operation in the current war climate would risk irreversibly tarnishing the Alliance's already damaged image.
As a show of good faith, Rex, Cody, and Ezra had volunteered to lead the recon operation. They were one of three teams placed at key locations around the perimeter of Jabba's massive fortress, situated in the middle of the endless Dune Sea of Tatooine.
Cody's team was in charge of monitoring the front entrance, which consisted of a massive metal door that could only be opened from the inside. There were no guards outside. All visitors were screened through a camera, the heavy door lifted just enough to let them in before slamming shut as soon as they were inside.
"Jabba certainly never liked taking chances," Rex muttered as he scanned the front ramparts for the hundredth time, hoping to find an entrance point that he may have missed. "Security is even tighter than during the Clone Wars."
Both he and Cody were cloaked in sand-colored robes which concealed their regular Clone armor and help them blend in with their surroundings. Ezra wore a tan-colored tunic with a hat to conceal his striking black hair, which he regretted not having shaved since the midday heat from the Twin Suns was suffocating.
"Have there been any new reports from Lando?" Ezra asked hopefully.
"None," Cody replied worriedly as he checked his scrambled coms set for any new communications or reports. "That's not a good sign. I told Rebel Command we should suppose the worst has happened but they ordered us to stay put and keep watching."
"Our only man on the inside may be dead and they want us to keep staring at sand and rocks for another week?" Ezra ground out irritably. "Ahsoka and I could get Han and Leia out of there without anyone ever knowing we were there."
"You have to see it from their perspective," Rex explained, as he wrote down that a group of smugglers was exiting the palace. "After everything they've seen, there's no way they're just going to put all their hopes in the Jedi and let you rescue them however you see fit. Ackbar and Mothma have given us just enough wiggle room to operate with relative freedom. If we're able to free Han and Leia, the princess will be able to add her voice in support of the Jedi's autonomy, but until that happens, we have to play this by the books and follow orders to the letter."
"Even if it means leaving Lando to die?" Ezra muttered in disbelief. He understood Rex's logic but he just could not square the morality of it.
"War is sacrifice, Ezra," Cody chipped in, reflexively scratching the scar over his left eye. "And one of its many tenants is that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. The Alliance would rather have one man dead, than risk dozens more trying to rescue him. We're in it for the long haul; as a gambler, I'm sure Lando would understand that better than anyone."
"Just take it one step at a time," Rex offered reassuringly. "We have no way of knowing what's happened to Lando until we see it for ourselves. It's only a matter of time before the Alliance comes up with an extraction plan."
"Speaking of extraction," Cody interrupted, packing up the portable comms scrambler. "Our relief will be arriving soon. We should head back to the camp."
Ezra glanced at his wristwatch and realized that their shift had ended and it was now time to hand over their surveillance job to another team while they went off and got some sleep.
It took them less than two minutes to back up their equipment and carefully erase any trace of their presence, which was not easy since they were surrounded by dunes of sand.
Their hour-long trek back to their base camp was fairly uneventful, apart from the fact that they never ran into their relief. Normally, both teams would have crossed paths at some point and Cody's group would have handed off the equipment before returning to camp. Instead, they were now approaching their makeshift home base with all their surveillance devices still in hand.
"I swear, if those brothers overslept and forgot about our relief, I'm dunking their heads in the sand," Rex grumble irritably. Once he neared the perimeter of the camp, he let out a thunderous shout: "Tuyin, Braan, Koris, where the kriff are you?!"
His question elicited a response, just not the one he was expecting. From behind the tents that the Rebels slept in, Imperial Stormtroopers emerged, dressed in specialized desert gear. About a dozen of them encircled the camp, completely outnumbering them. The soldiers brought Tuyin, Braan and Koris out from one of the tents at blaster point. The three brothers looked ashamed of themselves but Rex did not hold it against them. Even he would not have expected an Imperial ambush all the way out here.
He and Cody raised their hands above their heads, while Ezra kept his hands beneath his cloak, weapon already in hand.
"Gentlemen, I assure you this is some sort of misunderstanding," Rex said, feigning surprise. "We are simply part of a private archeological expedition. We are searching for fossils and—"
"Silence!" the Stormtrooper captain shouted, pointing his rifle straight at Rex, prompting his men to do the same. "We know who you are, Rebels. How many more of you are there?"
As Rex and Cody shared a silent look on how to proceed next, the two Sand Troopers behind them approached Ezra aggressively, ready to strike his back with the butts of their rifles.
"Hands up, Rebel!" one of them bellowed.
Just before the rifle could hit him, Ezra swung his lightsaber out from beneath his cloak, igniting it and cutting through both of the Imperial soldiers.
Rex and Cody were quick to react. They both rolled out of Ezra's ways, unholstering their blasters just as the young Jedi unleashed a massive Force push which knocked down the seven soldiers in front go them, as well as Tuyin, Braan and Koris.
Rex and Cody quickly fired at the Sand Troopers that had not been hit by the Force push before the others could get up. Their blaster bolts struck two Imperials in the chest, while the three Rebel brothers tackled two other soldiers to the ground and tried to wrestle their guns away from them.
This left them with six Sand Troopers to worry about, who were now back on their feet and returning fire. Rex and Cody quickly dove for cover, taking refuge behind some sturdy supply boxes. Two of their tents had already caught fire due to the flammable Tibanna gas cartridges inside and a large smoke plume was building up right above their camp.
Ezra executed a nimble flanking maneuver, running around the perimeter of the camp to attack the remaining soldiers from the right. He managed to cut one of them down but had to deflect the blaster fire from his comrades. Rex and Cody seized the opportunity and opened fire on the temporarily distracted Imperials. Two more of them went down, leaving only three Sand Troopers still standing, surrounded by Ezra, Cody, Rex and Tuyin, Braan and Koris who had managed to subdue their captors.
"Drop your weapons!" Rex called out. "We've got you outnumbered!"
The soldiers knew their situation was hopeless and dutifully surrendered their weapons before kneeling on the ground with their hands behind their heads. While the three brothers took care of securing the prisoners, Ezra, Rex, and Cody gathered together with grave expressions.
"What would Imperials be doing all the way out here?" Cody ground out in frustration. "This can't be a coincidence."
"I sense something bad is closing in on us," Ezra muttered; the Force had suddenly become clouded and ominous. "We need to contact the fleet immediately."
"Already on it," Rex said as he used the long-distance communication dish to send a message back to the Alliance.
Luke and Mara were anxious about returning to the Rebel Alliance's fleet, since the last time they left it had not exactly been on official terms. Some would even call it an escape from detention. Even though Ahsoka had assured them that Jan Dodonna and Crix Madine were willing to put that aside for now, it did not take away from the fact that everyone else in the Rebel Alliance may not be as understanding.
Luke heaved a low breath to calm his nerves as he pulled down the central lever on his flight panel which brought the ship out of lightspeed. As the streaking stars became stationary again, their shuttle emerged in the midst of the Alliance's fleet. There were about a dozen heavy assault cruisers and several dozen medical and support frigates, not to mention all the smaller spacecrafts also present, buzzing around the larger ones like flies.
"Shuttle T4-9005, we have been informed of your arrival," a voice spoke over the comms. "Make your way to these coordinates and use landing bay number three."
"Copy," Luke replied as he input the coordinates into the navicomputer. "We're making our approach now. Stand by."
As the shuttle slowly weaved through the imposing-looking ships, Luke could sense Mara anxiousness increasing slightly. As well as she tried to conceal her Force presence, the worried expression and fidgeting hands gave her away.
The young Jedi was not sure what prompted this reaction, but with a strange casualness, he placed his hand on top of hers. She immediately glanced at him embarrassingly, expecting him to say something clever but he just kept his hand there, even stroking the edge of her thumb with his own.
It was odd how such an innocuous gesture made all of Mara's worries suddenly feel inconsequential. She stared at both of their hands with an odd feeling of disbelief and fascination; ideas were forming in her mind, butterflies were fluttering in her belly; she did not want to give all of this a name, terrified by what it could mean.
Luke was feeling similarly bewildered. What he had initially pictured as a simple reassuring gesture now felt like something more. The way he had caressed her finger was completely spontaneous, and the way he had sensed her emotions shift ever so slightly when he did so just made him wonder even more: what was happening between them?
He could not bring himself to look into her eyes and neither could she. They just held each other's hands for several long seconds, trying to sort through these burgeoning feelings, until Yoda's voice startled them both back to reality:
"Approaching fast we are."
Luke suddenly realized that he was approaching the landing bay much too fast and quickly turned down the thrusters as he engaged the landing sequence. Just like that, the feeling was gone, leaving them both speechless and confused. Mara cleared her throat reflexively before getting out of her chair, vaguely muttering:
"I'll go get our stuff."
This left only Yoda and Luke in the cockpit, the latter of which felt extremely awkward about the old master's silence. Luke silently prayed that Yoda had not sensed too much of what had transpired between him and Mara. Luke did his best to focus on setting the ship down and once it was immobile on the ground and the engines were deactivated, let out a breath he did not realize he had been holding.
Luke suddenly felt a familiar pair of clawed hands grasp both of his shoulders. Yoda had perched himself atop of the young man's back, letting his gimmer stick dangle over his shoulder.
"Old have I become," the former Grand Master sighed in a dramatic tone. "Help this old master to walk will you, Skywalker?"
"Of course, master," Luke replied with a smile. He got up from the pilot's chair and made his way towards the back of the ship. "I think a lot of people will be very happy to see you."
"Hmmm, temper their expectations they should," Yoda whispered with a twinge of sadness. "Even during the Clone Wars, no longer in my prime was I."
"Are you sure about that?"
Luke wanted to chuckle at Yoda's modesty. The first time he had met him on Dagobah, the old master had made Luke feel like an insignificantly powerless child. Even after all that he had learned and mastered, he did not feel anywhere close to Yoda's level, and he imagined there were only two or three beings in the galaxy who could hope to go toe to toe with the former Grand Master.
Mara and Luke avoided each other's gaze as they waited for the boarding ramp to open. Yoda and Luke went out first, followed by Mara.
Their welcome committee was small, in the hopes of avoiding unnecessary attention. Ahsoka was present, a wide smile on her face when she saw Luke and Yoda. Admiral Ackbar was similarly thrilled at seeing the two Jedi, especially the old master to whom he bowed respectfully. Crix Madine did not show much outgoing joy, but he also bowed respectfully to Master Yoda, granting him the respect he was due.
R2-D2 gave an excited chirp and whistle at seeing them all return, while Chewbacca let out a boisterous roar of joy, which echoed across the hangar and ruined the discreetness they were hoping to achieve.
The Wookie stared at Yoda in disbelief, struggling to comprehend how the Jedi he had assisted at the end of the Clone Wars to escape his home planet of Kashyyk, was now right in front of him aboard a Rebel cruiser.
"A long time it has been, Chewbacca," Yoda acknowledged with a smile.
"I can't believe it…" the Wookie growled emotively. "You came back… and Luke, Mara..."
They both waved at Chewie warmly who returned their greeting by wrapping them in a big fluffy hug. Yoda managed to climb on top of Chewie's head to avoid being crushed and determining it was a better way to get around than Luke's shoulders.
"I hope you do not mind?" he asked the Wookie politely.
"Not in the slightest," Chewie growled back brightly.
"If you would all mind following me," Crix Madine spoke up, anxious about the pairs of eyes that were now ogling them. "I'd like to continue this reunion in a more private setting."
The entire group slowly made its way out of the hangar under the awestruck gaze of all the Rebel soldiers and technicians in the hangar who stared at Yoda in disbelief. They were all whispering, nudging each other, and pointing at him, realizing that the most powerful and legendary Jedi of all time was currently aboard their cruiser.
Crix led everyone onto the bridge of the command ship where they met Mon Mothma and Jan Dodonna, who were both surprised to see Yoda, but bowed to him venerably all the same.
"Master Yoda… I cannot tell you how thrilled we are to see you," Mon Mothma spoke slowly, somewhat unsure if this was real. "I heard that you went into exile soon after Order 66. I was not sure if we would ever see you again."
"A mission the Force has given me," Yoda said, reaching into his tattered robe to reveal the green kyber crystal he had received on Illum. "Your help we require. Although Jedi and Rebels perhaps do not see eye to eye, work together we must. Fast approaching is the threat."
"Have you sensed something, master?" Ahsoka spoke up, looking worriedly into his graceful emerald eyes.
"Plotting something Sidious is," the old master replied carefully. "Vigilant we must be to—"
"Emergency transmission from Tattooine!"
Everyone turned towards the technician on the bridge who had spoken. Ackbar gestured to him to patch the communication to the holotable they were all standing around. The glowing blue hologram of Rex, Cody, and Ezra appeared, all looking grim and determined.
"This is Captain Rex contacting the Rebel Alliance. We've just been ambushed by an Imperial patrol. They've revealed that there are more of them on Tattooine and that this is part of a larger assault by the Empire. We believe something big is about to happen and ask that we proceed immediately with the extraction of Princess Leia and Han Solo. Captain Rex out."
When the communication ended, everyone looked at each other with the same thought in mind. If the Empire was involved on Tatooine, they could no longer wait to plan their rescue mission. The Alliance either needed to commit to save Han and Leia no matter the cost or abandon them to avoid risking additional casualties from a battle with the Empire.
Everyone agreed which choice needed to be made.
"Signal to two of our heavy assault cruisers and four of our frigates to immediately set course for Tatooine," Crix Madine shouted to the soldiers on the bridge. "I want us ready to jump to lightspeed in two minutes. Move!"
The room was immediately abuzz with activity as everyone rushed to perform their duties. Ahsoka approached Luke, Yoda, Chewbacca, and Mara, and lead them away from the commotion, into a side hallway.
"Chewie, take them to the repair room," she said. "They'll need their lightsabers built by the time we arrive on Tatooine. Contact me when you're done."
The Wookie growled an acknowledgment and quickly lead the three Jedi away, while Ahsoka returned to the bridge.
After two minutes exactly, the other ships were gathered around their command ship and all at once they made the jump to lightspeed.
The journey was tense and nerve-wracking, many people dreading what they would find when they dropped out of hyperspace. Ahsoka called upon the Force to soothe her mind and clear her senses, knowing that her level-headedness and calm would have a profound impact on everyone under her command.
All four members of the Rebel High Command were still on the bridge, keeping themselves busy however they could and working with their strategists to determine how to engage the Empire when they arrived. There had been no time to evacuate any of them off of the cruiser before it jumped to lightspeed but none of them had even thought of mentioning that fact. Despite how risky it was for all four of them to be present in the same place during a battle, they had all accepted that risk without batting an eye.
That fact alone filled Ahsoka with pride and confidence.
"Emerging from hyperspace in three… two… one!"
The streaky blue tunnel decomposed back into stars, and the massive orange orb of Tattoine came into view on their port side. And right in front of them, the Empire was waiting.
An Executor-class Dreadnought, Vader's personal flagship, hovered between two Star Destroyers, one of which sported a giant Chimera emblem on its underbelly.
Several deafening seconds of silence passed; Ahsoka could sense the fear and hopelessness in the room. Until Admiral Ackbar's loud baritone cut through it all:
"Bring our two attack cruisers alongside us to protect the support frigates. Deploy all fighters and get our troops on the ground, now!"
"I will direct the ground troops personally," Crix Madine ordered, determination and ire burning in his eyes. "Tell all platoon commanders to gather in hangar 4 immediately!"
"Ahsoka!"
She turned towards Mon Mothma, locking eyes with the de facto leader of the Alliance.
"I need you to stay in contact with all Jedi on the ground," she said, all gentleness in her voice now gone, replaced by an intense and thunderous shout. "Help them find Han and Leia, and get them out of there safely. We'll handle the rest."
"Yes, milady," she replied immediately.
Ahsoka ran over to the closest comms station, taking a seat and checking that her headset and controls were all properly calibrated. A fire was burning inside her, but not of anger, one of pure willpower.
We're about to show you what the Jedi truly stand for, Anakin. I hope you're watching…
And, stop!
What did you think? Excited for what's coming next? Been a while since our last Rebels vs Empire battle, and this one is an original creation.
I will do my absolute best to deliver the next chapter in a timely fashion.
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