Hera's POV:
I was running diagnostics in the Ghost's cockpit when I heard someone enter. I looked away from the status panels and saw Kanan standing in the doorway. "You wanted to speak with me?" he asked. "Hey, love. Yeah, it's about Sabine and Y/N," I said. "They're still not talking to each other, aren't they..." Kanan trailed off. "Yeah, and I'm sick of it. I don't know what happened after the mission to Skystrike, but this has gone too far," I continued. Y/N has tried to repair his relationship with Sabine multiple times and it hasn't gotten anywhere. In fact, it's gotten worse. She purposely avoids him. We had to separate Y/N on the mission to Mykapo at Sabine's request. "They've been through better days, but making them stay out of convenience is the easiest way to end their relationship. We can't force anything," Kanan explained. It made logical sense, but nothing about this whole situation made sense to begin with. Maybe if that's what it takes to fix this? Defying all logic? Yeah, I have an idea. "We can, actually," I sneered, hoping he'd catch onto my off-putting tone. "What are you getting at?" Kanan wondered. "Let's send them on a mission together. They have to talk no matter what," I proposed. "Not a bad idea. I'd say we invite a few friends too," Kanan agreed, somehow making my good idea an even better one. "I'll go inform Commander Sato," I said, running off to put my plan into action, but Kanan stopped me before I could climb down the ladder. "Aren't you going to finish your repairs?" he wondered. "Oh...right," I said, getting a little nervous. I was so desperate to heal this fracture between two of my crewmates that I forgot to make sure my ship was in working order. I hastily finished fixing the Ghost then set off to find Commander Sato. This will be an intriguing game to play.
I rushed to the command center and found the commander reading through some datapads. Each one usually had intel that scouts around the rebellion gathered, and that's how we would plan our missions. "Commander Sato," I alerted, getting his attention. "Captain Syndulla. What brings you here in such a hurry?" he wondered. "I'm assigning a mission to a few pilots. May I see the datapads?" I asked coolly. "Actually, I received a new transmission from Fulcrum this morning that may interest you. I'll play it for you now," Sato said. Urgent missions like these are prioritized, and I couldn't believe how perfectly timed this was. Sometimes intel could be days old before being utilized despite our attempts to be efficient. The commander found the recording in the logs and played it back on our holoprojector. "My intel indicates there's an Imperial project being built on Jelucan. Although it does not suggest anything specific, we have reason to believe it's part of something more sinister. Your objective is to destroy the base before they can make any more progress. And if possible, discover its secrets. Fulcrum out." "We can't afford to chance this. We have to stop the Imperials from completing their project," I stated firmly. "Agreed. Pick your crew and have them report to our carrier. They will be briefed there," Sato said. "Understood. Thank you, Commander," I saluted, leaving the command center to begin my search. I know exactly who I want. This plan can't possibly fail. I found all ten pilots I was looking for throughout the day. They flew their fighters up to the carrier, but we had to stagger their departure times due to some expected complications - mainly a certain Mandalorian and a galaxy traveler being stubborn. I saw the last two pilots enter the bridge and ordered the soldiers piloting the ship to jump to hyperspace.
I displayed a hologram of the base's schematics and began the briefing. "Ahem," I said, clearing my throat to get the pilots' attention. "Alright, rebels. This mission will be unlike anything you've faced before. The Empire's base might not seem big, but much of it lies within the mountains. At the bottom, there are factories and an airfield, and there are anti-ship batteries lined up all the way to the top. Those of you in the Y-Wings that General Dodonna lent us will attack from above and destroy the base, shutting down its project. Those of you in the A-Wings will clear a path and keep the Empire back from the bombers. I will shadow you in the atmosphere. Once you're done, come straight back here and report to me. Questions?" I explained. The squadron stayed silent for the most part, agreeing with the plan. All except for a lieutenant who caught onto every detail I said. "What exactly is this secret project the Empire is working on?" Y/N asked. "Fulcrum wasn't sure but he believes that there's something bigger," I replied. "So shouldn't we find out what that something is?" he reasoned. "Our objective is to destroy the base. We don't have time to uncover this mystery," I countered, laying the argument to rest. Or so I thought. "With all due respect, Captain, Y/N has a point. Even if we destroy the base, the Empire probably has copies of their plans elsewhere," Wedge said, defending his crewmate. I sighed, accepting that he was right. We can't let the Empire's secrets go unnoticed. I had to change the objective because of that. "Alright. We'll still go with the bombing run, but I'll make a little adjustment. Y/N, Sabine, you will break into the base and download their plans," I decided. "WHAT?" Sabine shouted. I saw Y/N side-eye her, displeased with her constant refusal to be around him. "You've done it before. Go do it again. The rebellion depends on it," I stressed. "I understand," Sabine responded, my words finally getting through to her. Seems like I found the problem. She'll do it for the rebellion, but only when I tell her to. That's not a good sign. "We're coming up on Jelucan," a soldier announced, dropping Phoenix Nest out of hyperspace. There were no Star Destroyers in orbit, which was promising. "Pilots, get to your ships. Good luck, everyone," I said. The pilots saluted me and ran for the hangars, ready to depart for this wild ride.
Y/N's POV:
I raced down to my A-Wing and hopped inside, powering up my systems. "Command, this is Phoenix 2, standing by," I said through my comms. "Check-in confirmed," Hera replied. I waited until all the other pilots checked in, and then Hera gave the green light to begin the mission. "Phoenix Squadron, proceed to the surface." I carefully lifted the ship off the ground and hit the forward thrusters, accelerating toward the atmosphere. "All pilots, pace yourselves. There are a lot of batteries carved into the mountain and we don't know how close we can get before they open fire," Wedge warned. "Let's get a better look. Initiate your descent now," Hobbie said. Having our former Skystrike pilots really helped. Their communication and coordination was impressive, so it made sense why Hera put them in charge of the flight team. We flew down in the direction of the base, making sure to stay with our wingmen. Or in my case, my wingwoman. Sabine had stayed unusually silent so far apart from her outburst during the briefing, and this never happens during missions. I don't know what's going on here. I won't let her walk away without an answer. As I refocused on what was in front of me, we broke through the clouds and saw a mountain range nearby. "That looks like our base. And I have visuals on the batteries. Eight spread out around the base," Rake informed us. "Take out the batteries first, then bomb the airfield. Don't give them a chance to shoot us out of the sky," I suggested. "Good idea. We'll clear a path for you after," Hobbie said, adding to my plan. "All fighters, stay with your wingmen and take out those cannons. Command, starting run now," Wedge alerted Hera. All of us broke into attack speed, immediately facing the barrage of lasers. Here goes nothing.
I swerved right, narrowly dodging the battery closest to me. The laser's trajectory seemed to be going up and I didn't have the angle to fire back. "Phoenix 1, take the shot. I can't get a clean look," I said over comms, hoping Sabine would finally say something. "Bank left, Phoenix 2," she replied. At least she's professional. That's a good sign. I slowly turned, and as planned, the battery kept trying to cut me off. I heard a satisfying boom and looked out the cockpit, seeing the cannon's head completely missing. "Nice shot! Let's go closer," I said. We took out a second battery with ease, but just as we went for our third, I picked up something on my scopes. "Enemy fighters on our six! I need some support!" "We got you covered, Phoenix 2," Rake said over comms. As I was dodging laser fire, I heard a TIE get hit toward my right. "Circling around to .5," Sabine said, flanking another TIE and dealing with it quickly. Rake's bomber broke formation and sent a few torpedoes to the battery, rendering it useless. "All ships, batteries are clear on the western border. Phoenix 1 and 2, make your run. Phoenix 5 and 6, protect them. Everyone else, follow me," Wedge ordered. The rest of the ships made for the factories, leaving a clear path for Sabine and me to fly to where the data was reportedly being held.
The base was smartly constructed into the mountains, making it almost impossible to see without getting up close. "Raise altitude, Phoenix 2. You're too low," Sabine said. "Copy," I replied, ascending in the air and finally finding the opening in the rocks. "Four more fighters, incoming!" I alerted our breakaway team. "Go for it, Phoenix 1 and 2! We'll draw them away," Phoenix 5 responded. I accelerated toward the base with Sabine right behind me, but two of the TIEs weren't fooled by our tactic. They relentlessly fired at us, leaving me unable to shake their lasers. "Phoenix 1, take care of the noise!" I said in panic. Sabine maneuvered her A-Wing, taking out one of the TIEs. We weren't as lucky with the second fighter, who clipped my right side. My engines were failing and I was burning up. Thinking quickly, I slightly elevated my fighter to get above the hangar, opened the cockpit, and pressed the eject button. The timing couldn't have been more perfect as I saw my ship explode below me. Only one problem: I underestimated how high the seat went. I thought I heard something over comms, but their message was muffled under the raging battle taking place around me. I pulled the cord attached to the ejector seat and out popped a parachute that pulled me in toward the base.
Just as I thought my luck couldn't get any worse, it did. A squad of stormtroopers opened fire. I hastily equipped my blaster and shot back, but I was a sitting duck in the air. The troopers shot a few holes in my parachute, quickening my fall as I failed to dodge their fire. Thankfully they couldn't keep up with my increased speed. But that resulted in a hard fall either way, and I hit the ground with an unwelcome thud. My body was in pain and I couldn't stand up on my own. The troopers pulled the parachute over my head and trained their blasters on me, ready to make their kill. They blasted without hesitation, but I didn't feel any marks on me. So who's firing? Several shots later, I looked around to see the entire squad lying on the floor. By sheer luck, I survived yet another encounter where I stared death in the face. A hand reached for mine and pulled me up. To my surprise, a certain Mandalorian faced me. "Thanks for...the save," I said through soreness. She flung me on her shoulder and rushed inside the base as the alarms blared around us. I remember being in this situation before on Garel, but I was in much better shape as I wasn't fading in and out of consciousness. After a few turns, Sabine eventually set me down in what I assumed to be a storage unit. She left for a little then came back with a medkit and took out a pillbox, opening its contents. "Take this," she said. I slowly took the pills in my hand and popped them, hoping for a quick fix to my physical restrictions. Sure enough, they did the trick after a few minutes. "Come on, let's go," she ordered. I got up and followed her out, our new objective being to find what the Empire was hiding from the galaxy.
Sneaking around wasn't going to do much, as the entire base knew we were here. So we did the classic run-and-gun technique. No stormtrooper stood a chance of facing us, and we reached the data banks in good time. Even with Sabine's short, sharp utterances toward me, I still considered it a victory. Despite her unwillingness to work things out, she didn't want to see me dead. Wait a minute. I think I figured it out! She's scared of losing me. I'll let her know after the mission. "Y/N, cover me," Sabine said. I reconfigured my blaster to rifle form, then strategically pointed it at the doors on both sides and the turbolift in front of us. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before the troopers came rushing in. "Get down!" I shouted as the squad began firing. Sabine and I dove for cover, occasionally peeking out to deal with the stormtroopers. The squad was thinning out one by one, but we were getting overwhelmed fast. "We're pinned!" Sabine yelled. Someone had to take action. Even if I got hurt again, it would be for the rebellion. I stood up and rapidly shot at every stormtrooper, attempting to dodge every bit of enemy fire directed at me. I took out the three troopers in front of me and swiftly went for the ones by the turbolift. Using some martial arts moves I remembered from Rex - who took over my training in Sabine's absence - I knocked out the next unit I faced. Re-equipping my rifle, I dealt with the remaining troopers, breathing heavily after using up so much energy in the skirmish. "Finish the download," I ordered. But Sabine didn't move. I walked around the computers and saw her under the table, frozen in shock. "Sabine?" I asked, trying to snap her into reality. But she still gave me no answer. "Please, we have to finish up and get out of here. The rebellion depends on us," I said, paraphrasing Hera's words to her when we were on the carrier. That seemed to do the trick once again, as she refocused on the task at hand. After a short while, the download was completed. "Perfect. Plant some explosives and we'll leave," I said. She placed the explosives in the data banks at a much faster rate, and then we ran out of the room.
Making it back to the hangar was much easier this time around, as a good chunk of the base's infantry was depleted. That good chunk wasn't good enough, however. A squad of stormtroopers were firing at the A-Wing Sabine piloted, eventually breaking through its tough exterior and causing it to be blown to smithereens. "Shit. What do we do?" I wondered, trying to improvise. "Follow me," Sabine replied. I did as she said and we jumped inside a TIE Fighter. "I'll disable the transponder. Send a signal to Hera." I pulled out my comlink and held down the send button. "Phoenix Nest, this is Phoenix 2. I stole an Imperial ship and we are en route to you. Send a signal to the rest of the pilots to return," I messaged. "Message received and confirmed. See you soon," Hera responded. I started up the fighter and slowly flew away from the hangar, but I turned around and massacred the ships inside first. I wasn't going to take any chances just in case some Imperials were still airborne. "Blow it," I told Sabine. She pressed a few buttons on her gauntlets and I could hear the entire base shake from the violent explosions. I turned the TIE around to see a few of our ships in combat with the Empire's remaining forces. "Phoenix 3, I'm coming in to help. Watch the TIEs to see which one is ours," I said through my comlink. "Copy that," Wedge replied. I flew into the fray and took out an enemy fighter, but I barely missed another one that was close by. "He's coming around. Follow me!" Rake ordered. I circled around to try and stop the TIE, but my aim was off once again. The fighter landed a few shots on one of our A-Wings, blowing up Rake's ship. "Rake! No!" Wedge shouted. He expertly maneuvered his fighter to destroy the TIE, avenging our fallen comrade. No more Imperials were currently in the skies to knock us down, but they left their mark on all of us. Rake was killed in action in front of my eyes. He was a close friend to many of our pilots, and this loss would be tough to recover from. I had no time to grieve, though, as the important thing right now was getting out of Jelucan.
We accelerated out of the atmosphere and saw Phoenix Nest in the distance. "Got it. No more tracking devices on here," Sabine informed me the transponder was disabled. As soon as she said that, a Star Destroyer appeared right above us, and a squadron of fighters was deployed to cut us off. "It's too late," I said. We docked in one of the hangar bays and ran up to the bridge. "Mission accomplished, Captain," Wedge said solemnly. "Understood. Make the jump," Hera ordered the soldiers. The fighters tried to delay our escape, but their lasers barely damaged the carrier. The soldiers guided the ship to its correct coordinates and we made the jump into hyperspace. Even though we completed our mission, we all felt demoralized. Rake was an exceptional pilot and he gave his all to the Rebellion, but most importantly was a great friend to Wedge and Hobbie. He thanked me graciously after rescuing them from Skystrike's prison and I'll forever remember the kind gesture. However, there was still some business that needed to be taken care of. "Y/N, Sabine, may I speak with you both in private for a moment?" Hera asked. She knew. I followed her out of the bridge and into a storage room. Sabine followed inside, and I immediately regretted that decision as the captain locked us inside. I wanted to talk to her and re-spark our relationship. Not like this though. But my hand was forced. So I had to pop the question.
"Sabine," I said. She slowly turned to face me. I noticed this sullen look in her eyes. I hated seeing her like this. She looked away for a second and opened her mouth to talk, but the words wouldn't come out. I realized I had to speak for her, or this would be a moment that I'd regret for life. "I was reckless, I know. I almost got myself killed twice." I paused for a bit before continuing, trying to find the right words to say. "But I'm still here. You're not going to lose me. You know that, right?" I thought I did fine, but my decision would be judged by Sabine's reaction. I waited for her to say something, anything. But she kept quiet, and to me, this was telling. Her short, choppy bits. A more standoffish attitude. Finding the easy way out to avoid me. It truly made me sad that a mission caused our relationship to deteriorate into nothingness. But I knew deep down that option wasn't good enough for either of us. I had to keep searching for the answer she would be happy with. "I'll be safer, just for you. I promise. Please forgive me," I said. Sabine looked back and approached me, taking cautious steps. Then she roped me into a tight hug. I felt my shirt collar get a little wet in the process. I returned the gesture, and somehow - even with my emotional toughness - I broke down. We understood that being away from each other wasn't healthy. We needed each other's comfort. We were stronger together, even if it meant taking a step back. We stayed like this the rest of the way back to Atollon, and funnily enough, Hera found us like this. She didn't say anything when we stared at her. She just smiled. Clearly, she was as happy as we were that this turbulent chapter was over. We pulled away from each other and followed her out of Phoenix Nest, taking a shuttle down to the surface.
Instead of going straight to debriefing, our detachment went to the edge of the base. Wedge held a pilot's helmet in his hand, while Hobbie held a lantern and a lighter. They climbed a small rock nearby, ready to deliver their speech. "Rake, you were a fantastic pilot, rebel, and friend. It's been an honor serving alongside you, and I wish this adventure could have gone longer. Your sacrifice will not be in vain, and we will finish what you started," Wedge spoke. Hobbie lit the lantern and placed the helmet over it, creating a small memento for us to remember him by. "We know you'll happily look down upon us when this fight is over," Hobbie finished. They climbed down and joined us, and we wrapped our arms around each other, looking skyward. Even though this war might drag on for far longer than we hope, we know eventually we'll get it done. We returned back to the base where Hera and Sato were expecting us. "Congratulations on a successful mission. Your farewell was quite touching. Y/N and Sabine, stay here. The rest of you are free to depart," Sato said. After the pilots got out of earshot, Sabine uploaded the Empire's data onto our projector. We read the contents of the files, and our faces grew from studious to stunned. Hera had the gravest look out of all of us. "I don't believe it," she muttered. "I thought the Empire wouldn't go anywhere near the wormhole," I added. "How could they have known about this? Who's leading this project?" Sato asked. Hera only spoke three more words that left us all devastated:
"Grand Admiral Thrawn."