Dedicated to Olivia_Benedetti

     Several weeks after they were first stationed on Mandalore, Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus, Chopper, Jedi Knight Kyra Kryze-Kenobi, Ezra Bridger, and Sabine Wren returned to Yavin 4 aboard the Nightbrother.

     "I wonder what this rebel cell is like, and how big it is compared to the Phoenix group," Ezra mused.

     "According to Hera, it's more well-equipped than we were," Kanan replied. "The remnants of our squadron are now a part of this cell."

     Once the Kom'rk-class starfighter had landed among the Y-wings and A-wings, Kyra lowered the main ramp and followed the Spectres outside, taking in the Rebellion's new home. Blue skies were dotted with fluffy white clouds, vast forests surrounding the ancient stone temples that served as the rebels' quarters and command center.

     Garazeb Orrelios welcomed Kyra and his fellow Spectres, giving them a tour of the base as he said, "There are cells gathered here from every corner of the galaxy. And it's still not enough against the Empire."

     "As long as we can help Ryder and Lothal, I'll take what I can get," Ezra replied.

     Captain Rex ran up to the group as alarms went off and Kanan asked where Captain Hera Syndulla was.

     Rex pointed to the clear skies overhead, "There she is, coming in hot with what's left of her squadron."

     Hera led three other rebel pilots toward the base, their Y-wings smoking as they dumped their fuel loads and prepared for an emergency landing. Those on the ground cleared an area for the bombers to set down, running for cover as Hera and the others slid across the landing zone, metal scraping and sparks flying as they finally came to a stop. A soldier helped Hera out of her cockpit, Syndulla hugging Chopper when the astromech greeted her.

     As Kyra and the Spectres walked up to Hera, Kanan Jarrus claimed, "I've seen worse landings."

     Hera gasped with surprise as she turned to find her crew standing behind her, "Kanan? You're all here. And Sabine, you came back. What about your family on Mandalore?"

     "They'll be fine," Sabine Wren stated. "Right now, my family here needs me more."

     "Well, I'm glad to have you. And there's plenty of work to go around," Hera replied.

     "A reunion. How nice," Alexsandr Kallus said as he joined the rebels, wearing a jacket that featured the symbols of both Fulcrum and the Phoenix Squadron. "But as Captain Syndulla said, there is much to do. Mon Mothma requests your presence."

     "I've been gone for weeks, and you don't even have time for me?" Kyra asked smugly, wrapping her arm around his waist as they walked to the command center.

     Alex smirked and kissed the top of her head, "I'll always have time for you."

     Kyra's ears turned as red as her hair, suddenly thankful for the dark command center as they joined Mon Mothma, General Jan Dodonna, and Senator Bail Organa, who had joined via a holoprojector.

     "Captain, I commend your bravery in protecting your fellow pilots," Mon said as she turned to Hera.

     "I just want to know what went wrong out there," Hera replied.

     "As do I," Mon agreed before turning to Bail. "Senator Organa may be able to shed some light on that for us."

     Bail nodded, "My sources in the Senate confirm that the Empire has established a new communications relay in the Jalindi system. It greatly expands their command and control throughout the surrounding sectors and enabled them to respond much more quickly to your incursion."

     As Bail activated a hologram that displayed one of the many large radar dishes, Dodonna sighed, "I hate to admit it, but it appears Gerrera's rumors were true."

     "How does Saw's ragtag group have better intel than we do?" Rex asked.

     "Because Gerrera has absolutely no qualms about how he acquires it," Kallus answered bitterly as he crossed his arms over his chest, the ex-Imperial having experienced the extremist's unethical tactics first-hand.

     "Well, if he gets results—" Ezra started, but Mon silenced him with a sharp look.

     "We do not mistreat our prisoners," the senator stated firmly before turning back to the radar dish.

     "Now, the question is, what course of action do we take?" Kyra asked. "We can't allow this relay to hamper our missions."

     "Perhaps there is another way," Kallus said as he enlarged the hologram. "If we could somehow tap into this relay, we could use it to monitor Imperial fleet movements and adjust our own operations to avoid them."

     When Mon asked if the Spectres could complete the task, Hera answered, "My crew and I have done plenty of jobs just like it."

     "Are you confident your ship can get in and out undetected?" Dodonna questioned.

     "We don't call it the Ghost for nothing," Hera replied.

     Mon authorized the mission, and as the rebels started to disperse, Ezra asked, "That's it? But what about Lothal? We promised my people support. Our attack failed, but they're still waiting. Ryder's counting on us."

     "May I have a word with you?" Kyra asked, and Bridger reluctantly nodded. "I understand your situation, Ezra, as well as the plight of your people. You and I both know our home planets have suffered at the hands of the Empire."

     As Kyra pulled up a holomap of the galaxy, she continued, "But if we help these two worlds, what of Onderon, or Ryloth, or Montross? What of the thousands of other worlds who need us? Where do we start?"

     "Yeah, but we already told Ryder we would send help," Ezra reminded her. "If Thrawn hadn't found our base, we would've launched an attack."

     "But, instead, when we amassed our forces, we were routed by Thrawn's starfleet and taught a valuable lesson," Kyra replied, "that we were not ready for open war."

     "Yeah? Well, some people say it's already begun," Ezra countered.

     "Indeed they do," Kyra acknowledged. "This is a time of difficult choices, sometimes impossible ones. I could have easily stayed on Mandalore, led my people to freedom, but I knew that I could do more good here."

     Ezra sighed, "I understand. Thank you, General."

     Kyra took a deep breath as she watched Bridger walk away, heading outside when she heard Saw Gerrera say, "Members of the Alliance to restore the Republic...Your losses today stemmed from your leaders' cowardice, their unwillingness to take decisive action against the Empire."

     A group of rebel officers had gathered around the astromech that projected Saw's hologram, and after a moment, Mon appeared at Kyra's side.

     "All across the galaxy, your people suffer while the leaders of this Rebellion refuse to act," Saw continued, his eyebrows raising when Mon stepped forward. "Madam Senator, I'm honored."

     Skipping past the formalities, Mon asked, "What is your business here?"

     "You ignored my warning about the Jalindi relay and paid the price," Saw replied. "Now you have confirmation, yet still you refuse to destroy it."

     Mon clasped her hands behind her back as she said, "So long as our allies in the Senate have hope of a peaceful resolution to this conflict, I will not risk—"

     Saw rolled his eyes and interrupted her, "If you continue to allow this war to be fought on the Empire's terms, not yours, you are going to lose."

     "I will not be lectured on military strategy by a man who has proven himself a criminal," Mon said, her voice remaining calm.

     "The Empire considers both of us criminals," Saw reminded her with a chuckle. "At least I act like one."

     "You target civilians," Mon replied heatedly, finally losing her patience, "kill those who surrender, break every rule of engagement! If we degrade ourselves to the Empire's level, what will we become?"

     "There she is! That's the leader the Rebellion needs!" Saw stated. "Where is that fire, that passion, when your people need it most? I hope, Senator, after you've lost, and the Empire reigns over the galaxy unopposed, you will find some comfort in the knowledge that you fought according to the rules."

     When Mon instructed the nearest officer to end the transmission, Saw asked, "What are you afraid of, Senator? The truth?"

     Mon sighed as Saw Gerrera's hologram disappeared, a ghost of a smile appearing on her lips for a moment when Kyra placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

                                                                      ...

     A few days later, when the Spectres returned from their mission to Jalindi, Kyra was there to greet them as they disembarked. She led them to the command center, where Mon was waiting.

     "We received this transmission two days ago," Senator Mothma said as she activated a recorded message from Ryder Azadi, the former Governor of Lothal.

     "The Empire is beginning trials on a new version of its TIE defender," Ryder stated. "Intel from our spies in the capital reveals the upgraded fighter is—"

     Before Ryder Azadi could finish his report, the signal began to break up, the hologram disappearing altogether a moment later.

     "Ryder's transmission from Lothal was cut off, and we haven't been able to contact him since," Kyra informed the Spectres. "Senator Mothma and I have witnessed the threat of the TIE defender first-hand. If there's been a new development with these fighters, the Rebellion needs to know."

     "I also know how important Lothal is to you, Commander Bridger," Mon added. "I'm looking for volunteers."

     "When do we leave?" Hera asked. "We're all going."

     Mon glanced at Kyra and said, "I understand, Captain. Your squad does work best together, but by all reports, the occupation of Lothal has become a complete lockdown. Even if you make it in, there's no guarantee the Rebellion can extract you if things go wrong."

     "I've had a long time to think about this," Ezra replied. "We'll get that intel, but I'm going home to help my people. Which means I'm there to stay."

     Shortly after, Rex, Kyra, and Kallus joined the Spectres aboard the Ghost, the rebels rendezvousing with Cikatro Vizago's cargo ship, the Broken Horn.

     "This friend of yours is a criminal. He can't be trusted," Kallus stated as he walked into the cockpit.

     Kyra smirked and turned in the co-pilot's seat, "We used to say that about you, love, and look how you turned out."

     "Yeah, and besides, Vizago has a legitimate business on Lothal now," Ezra added.

     Kallus arched an eyebrow, "And who told you that?"

     "Hondo," the boy answered as they docked with the Broken Horn, and when Hera sighed exasperatedly, Ezra Bridger promised Syndulla that Cikatro Vizago would be able to smuggle them through the Imperial blockade because he needed the money.

     "I'm leaving Kyra in charge of the Ghost," Hera stated, looking pointedly at Kallus and Rex as Kryze climbed into the pilot's seat. "Take care of her. I will want her back."

     "The Ghost or the General?" Rex asked with a smirk.

     Hera Syndulla chuckled as she left the cockpit, "Both."

     As Kallus sat in the co-pilot's seat, he said, "To think all the times I chased this ship, all the trouble it gave me. And now I'm at the helm of the very ship I tried, and failed, to destroy."

     "Well, I guess it's a good thing you didn't succeed, then," Kyra replied. "Otherwise, we both would've been thrown out an airlock on Thrawn's Star Destroyer."

     The Ghost pulled away from the Broken Horn and Kyra made the jump to lightspeed, silently hoping that the Force would be with the Spectres as they fought for Lothal. The trio returned to Yavin 4 and Kyra set the Ghost down in front of Rebel Command before lowering the main ramp. As they disembarked, Kyra gasped and her legs buckled, Kallus and Rex catching Kenobi as an overpoweringly personal disturbance in the Force brought her to her knees.

     "Kyra, are you all right?" Alex asked, but Kryze was unable to respond, her heart twisting painfully in her chest as she tried to process the devastating images rushing through her mind.

     The visions were accompanied by the sounds of blasterfire and TIE fighters racing overhead, of blood curdling screams belonging to men, women, and children, their cries drowned out by endless explosions and the heartless laughter of their assailants. When Kyra looked up at Rex, she saw the color drain from his face, for the clone had seen her go through a similar experience when she was a girl.

     As Kyra slowly got to her feet, an officer came running out of the nearest temple, "General, you need to see this!"

     When Kyra saw the rebel's pale complexion, she sprinted into the command center, Captain Rex and Kallus following close behind.

     When Kyra found Bail, General Dodonna, and Mon Mothma waiting for her inside the temple, she said, "Something's happened. I felt it. What's wrong?"

     When the three leaders hesitated, she shouted, "Tell me!"

     Bail Organa sighed, his eyes filled with sorrow as he held her gaze, "Kyra...I'm so sorry."

     When her adopted father activated the holoprojector, Kyra Kryze-Kenobi had to lean against Alexsandr Kallus for support. The Empire had decided to make an example of Mandalore, teaching the galaxy a lesson by displaying their power and showing the other systems what would happen to them if they tried to resist as the Mandalorians had.