Dedicated to Wandwitch2bruchulk

     Chopper Base was bustling with soldiers, pilots, engineers, and leaders, all preparing for the strike on Lothal. General Jan Dodonna and his forces were headed to Atollon to help the Phoenix Squadron, the general leading one of the largest rebel cells in the Rebellion. A portion of the squadron had already gathered in Atollon's orbit, the other half remaining below to finish any last-minute preparations.

     As she walked onto the bridge of the Phoenix Nest, Commander Kyra Kryze-Kenobi was informed that Dodonna's fleet had arrived and she hailed his flagship, "Phoenix Nest to Vanguard. Welcome to Atollon, General Dodonna."

     "Thank you, Commander Kenobi," the white-haired rebel replied as he appeared on the holoprojector. "This day has been a long time coming. Hopefully, we can finally deal a blow to the Empire and show the rest of the galaxy what we're capable of."

     The general began to say more, but his transmission was interrupted, "This is Fulcrum with an urgent message. Thrawn knows about—"

     Before Alexsandr Kallus could finish, his broadcast was cut off. Kyra's fists clenched at her side as the rebel leaders wondered what the former Imperial agent had been trying to warn them about.

     "Thrawn knows we're here," Kyra answered quietly before opening all of the comm channels. "All ships, battle stations!"

     "How can you be certain?" Dodonna asked.

     Before she could explain, five Imperial Star Destroyers and two light cruisers emerged from hyperspace, the ships only a small portion of Grand Admiral Thrawn's fleet.

     From the bridge of the Phoenix Nest, Kyra ordered, "Phoenix fleet, set defense formation Aurek-one! Alert Rebel Command!"

     When Governor Ryder Azadi's hologram disappeared, Captain Hera Syndulla reported, "They're jamming long-range transmissions. We have to scrub the mission."

     Kyra nodded, "Evacuate all ground staff. We're getting out of here! All personnel, code Kay-One Zero. Evacuate immediately.

     "All craft, jump to hyperspace. Regroup at rally point Nova," Dodonna instructed.

     "I still have people on the surface. We can't just abandon them," Kyra protested.

     "If we wait, they'll cut us to pieces, Commander," the general argued. "Signal the other frigates to jump."

     When one of the Nebulon-B frigates made the jump to lightspeed, it was intercepted by an Interdictor-class vessel, the Imperial craft coming out of hyperspace and appearing behind the rebel ship. The Interdictor opened fire and destroyed the frigate that had tried to escape as the Chimaera – Thrawn's personal Star Destroyer – emerged from hyperspace.

     When Thrawn hailed the rebel leaders a moment later, he said, "General Dodonna, Commander Kenobi, Captain Syndulla. At last, we meet in this theater of war, however briefly. There is no escape, and your forces are badly outnumbered. This 'rebellion' ends today."

     "We'll never surrender to you, Thrawn," Kyra growled, but the grand admiral only smiled.

     "You misunderstand, Commander," Thrawn replied in his calm voice, which never grew louder in volume nor raised in tone. "I'm not accepting surrenders at this time. I want you to know failure, utter defeat, and that it is I who delivers it crashing down upon you. Now, let us proceed."

     As the hologram of Thrawn disappeared, Hera stated, "We don't have the strength to meet Thrawn head-on, but I will get us to safety."

     Examining the battle order, Kyra asked, "How do you propose we break his blockade?"

     "Thrawn believes this is the entire rebel fleet, so we just need a big enough opening to get one ship through," Hera explained. "Once clear of the jamming, they can call for reinforcements to attack the Empire's flank."

     "That should divide their forces and enable us all to escape," Dodonna agreed.

     "The Ghost stands the best chance," Kyra claimed. "We'll make an opening for you."

     "Not for me," Hera clarified. "Ezra and Kanan will take the Nightbrother."

     When both Ezra Bridger and Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus argued against leaving the base, Hera said, "There's no time to argue. As Jedi, you have the best chance to escape, and there's nobody I trust more to get the help we need. You're going. That's an order!"

     As the master and apprentice signed off, Kyra ordered the fighters under her command to launch, several squadrons of A-wings and Y-wings racing out of the hangar bay and towards the Imperial vessels.

     "All command, spearhead formation. Frigates and corvettes, protect the transports," she instructed, the fleet quickly being joined by the Ghost, the Nightbrother, and a pair of A-wings piloted by Lieutenants Wedge Antilles and Hobbie Klivian.

     Kyra watched as Imperial TIE fighters moved to intercept the rebel vessels and a squadron of Y-wings bombed one of the Star Destroyers. A pair of Imperial starfighters shot down a CR90 corvette, along with a Y-wing, preventing the Green Squadron from completely disabling the Destroyer. Both sides suffered losses, a Hammerhead corvette was shot down, as were multiple TIE fighters. Knowing that their window of escape was closing, Kyra ordered all of the ships to charge the blockade. As the rebels advanced, another Nebulon-5 frigate was demolished, along with a pair of Braha'tok-class gunships.

     "Commander, they destroyed the Orion!" a pilot informed Kyra, even though she could see the destruction with her own eyes.

     Off to their left, a Y-wing collided with one of the Star Destroyers, causing only superficial damage to the Imperial vessel.

     "Hera, I can't get through as long as those Interdictor cruisers are cutting us off," Ezra said over the open comms channel, Bridger having taken on the mission by himself when Kanan was needed elsewhere.

     "Stay sharp, Ezra. We'll find you that opening," Hera promised.

     "I know, just...hurry," Ezra urged as Kyra watched another Alderaanian corvette fall to the Empire.

     After a moment, Kyra took a deep breath and replied, "Ezra, go to heading two-two-one and prepare to jump."

     When the pilots on board turned to look at Kyra, she instructed them to abandon ship and head for Atollon. Opening a private comm channel, Kyra ordered the rest of the crew to do the same, the rebels racing for the many escape pods and vessels not in use.

     When two of the pilots insisted on staying, she said, "I appreciate your loyalty, but I will not ask again. Abandon ship. That's an order."

     The pilots hesitated, then saluted Kyra before running to the escape pods after she had returned the gesture. Sitting in the captain's chair, Kyra took a deep breath and put her helmet on as she broke away from the rebel fleet and charged towards the nearest Star Destroyer. As she had hoped, one of the Interdictor cruisers moved to intercept the carrier and fractured Thrawn's blockade. She waited until the Interdictor had activated its gravity wells before abruptly changing course and flying straight towards the Imperial vessel. Kyra closed her eyes, waiting to be enveloped by smoke and flame as the Phoenix Nest collided with the Interdictor.

     Instead, she heard a mechanical – and slightly maniacal – laugh and was knocked out of her chair a moment later when Chopper came flying across the bridge. Kyra managed to pressurize her helmet as Chopper and they flew into space, the astromech using his thruster to navigate through the debris and land in the main cargo hold of the Ghost. Chopper immediately went up to the cockpit, but Kyra stayed in the cargo hold for a moment, catching her breath. Finally, she got to her feet and climbed into the cockpit, sitting next to Hera in the co-pilot's seat. As the rebel fleet returned to Chopper Base, Kyra quietly thanked Hera for saving her life, Syndulla nodding as they disembarked and made their way to the command center.

     Looking at the battle order, Hera stated, "Thrawn is preparing for a planetary bombardment. How's the shield coming, Zeb?"

     "We're about to fire it up now," Garazeb Orrelios answered. "Rex and I have done our best, but this is really Sabine's baby. There are a lot of modifications and special fuses. We never got to test it while Sabine was still here, so if it overloads, I'm not sure we can fix it."

     "Let's hope you don't have to," Hera replied. "Fire it up."

     Electricity crackled over the comm channel, and after a moment, Captain Rex said, "It's working. The shield is stabilized!"

     Hera smiled and contacted Kanan, who was riding back to the base on his speeder bike and informed him that Thrawn was planning to launch an orbital bombardment. When Kanan assured her that he was moving as fast as he could, Hera urged him to move faster. Kyra placed a hand on Hera's shoulder and told her that Kanan would be all right just as General Dodonna informed the leaders that the grand admiral had opened fire. Through the clouds came a barrage of green blasterfire, the power of Thrawn's entire fleet threatening to overheat the shield generator. Everyone ran for cover as the shield began to give way, bracing for impact as they waited for the enemy fire to rain down.

     Suddenly, the bombardment stopped and Chopper Base stood untouched. As the rebels cheered, Hera contacted Kanan, who had not been protected by the shield generator.

     After a moment, the Jedi Knight groaned, "I'm gettin' the feeling Thrawn's actually trying to kill us this time."

     Hera laughed with relief, "Oh, that is only funny because you're still alive. Now, please, come home, love."

     A moment later, when the command center was hailed by Thrawn, Hera gestured for Kyra to stay out of sight as she answered his transmission.

     "Commander Kenobi is dead," the grand admiral claimed, not realizing that Kyra had been rescued. "But before you begin to mourn the loss of your leader, I want you to know her sacrifice was in vain. You see, the last time she was aboard my ship, Commander Kenobi lost a sapphire ring, which I quickly recognized as belonging to her mother, the late Duchess of Mandalore. Because of this seemingly insignificant piece of jewelry, I discovered that Agent Kallus was the one you called Fulcrum, despite his efforts to frame Lieutenant Yogar Lyste. Then, earlier today, when Kallus attempted to warn you of the impending attack, the trajectory of his transmission and General Dodonna's fleet helped me deduce the precise coordinates of your rebel base.

     "So, though she may have allowed one ship to escape my blockade and though she may have saved the lives of her crew, I want to ask you this. How much blood will be on Commander Kenobi's hands when this is all over? When your Rebellion comes to an end, and it will, how will you remember the one known as Phantom? Will you commemorate her? Or will she go down in infamy as the woman who destroyed the very cause she helped create, the very Rebellion she helped build?" Thrawn finished, and before he ended the transmission, he crushed Duchess Satine Kryze's ring in his hand.

     Kyra took her helmet off and sat heavily on the nearest container as she tried to gather her thoughts, her heart sinking when she saw a pair of pilots shooting accusatory glances in her direction.

     "Commander, our shield generator's taken a beating," Rex informed her as he walked up to the command center. "I doubt it'll survive another attack like the last one."

     Grateful for the captain's loyalty, Kyra got to her feet and said, "I don't think it will have to. Thrawn was trying to soften us up. He'll send in ground forces to do the dirty work."

     Off to her left, General Dodonna nodded and activated a holomap of the base, "I agree. My guess is he will most likely stage a direct assault from this position."

     "If we mine these approaches here and here, we can slow 'em down," Rex suggested, pointing to a pathway on the map.

     "Good. You and Zeb take a squad down and get it done," Kyra instructed as the holomap disappeared.

     "Scanners have picked up Imperial transports on the western quadrant," AP-5 reported.

     "He's launching the first wave," Hera said quietly.

     Kyra left Hera in charge as she put her helmet on and ignited her lightsaber, racing to the aid of Rex and Zeb. Reaching out to the Force, Kyra vaulted through the air, eye-level with the engineers navigating one of the All-Terrain Armored Transports. As she began to arc downwards, she cut through the two right legs of the walker, which came crashing down and crushed a pair of stormtroopers beneath it. Kanan joined the ground team a moment later, the rebels taking shelter in a cave as a Lambda-class shuttle landed behind the three remaining walkers. Outside, a storm was brewing, dark clouds gathered as the wind picked up and lightning struck.

     The Jedi Knights activated their lightsabers and used the blue glow of their blades to light the interior of the cave, quickly finding themselves face-to-face with a death trooper: a specialized soldier who wore black armor and spoke in codes that only those in his squadron understood. Kyra deflected the blaster shots and gunned down the death trooper with his own rounds before following Kanan, Rex, and Zeb back to the command center.

     As they joined the others, Ezra hailed Hera and said, "Phoenix Leader, I brought help. We're taking out the Interdictor."

     When Kyra urged everyone to evacuate the base, knowing it might be their only chance of escaping, she was relieved to see that the rebels listened to her without hesitation. Unfortunately, her relief was crushed when the shield generator exploded, the TIE fighters and AT-ATs immediately opening fire on the base and quickly destroying a GR-75 transport. As the transport fell to the planet's surface, the rebels were surrounded by a squadron of death troopers led by Thrawn.

     "And now, Captain Syndulla, I will accept your formal surrender," the grand admiral said quietly. "Or you will watch your friends perish, one by one, starting with the Jedi. And this time, I can assure you Commander Kenobi will not rise from the dead."

     In response, Kyra and Kanan ignited their lightsabers, thunder rumbling in the distance and interrupting Thrawn when he started to speak.

     When Thrawn asked if Kanan feared the storm, he replied, "Yeah. And you should, too."

     The grand admiral smirked, but his smile quickly disappeared when a bolt of lightning struck the ground behind him and scattered the death troopers. As rebels and Imperials alike took cover, Kyra sprinted towards the Thrawn's shuttle and ignited the engines, informing Hera that she was joining the dogfight in space as she took off. Shortly after, Kyra spotted the Ghost leading the remaining rebel ships out of Atollon's atmosphere, breaking through the raging storm below. Knowing that one of the rebel pilots would eventually mistake her for the enemy if she continued to pilot the Lambda-class shuttle, Kyra flew into the hangar of the Chimaera, guided by both intuition and the Force.

     An Imperial officer approached the shuttle as she lowered the main lamp, but before he could shout a warning, she knocked him out and changed into his uniform. Kyra knew the uniform would not be an overly convincing disguise, but she prayed the rumor of her death would be enough to fool the Imperials while she was on the Star Destroyer and hoped that Thrawn had not already told the fleet that she was still alive. She stowed her armor inside a duffel bag and left it in the shuttle, deciding to keep her lightsaber and planning on passing it off as evidence of her own death if she aroused any suspicion. Kyra ran deeper into the Chimaera, not sure what she was looking for but knowing she would recognize whatever 'it' was when she found it.

     Halfway to the bridge, she rounded a corner and nearly ran into Kallus and the two stormtroopers who were escorting him through the ship.

     Clasping her hands behind her back, she asked, "Trooper, where are you taking this prisoner?"

     "We were given orders to execute him, Sir," the stormtrooper answered matter-of-factly, as if killing captives were a regular activity, which she feared it was.

     Kyra glanced at the rebel spy, Alex having been badly beaten during his time in the Empire's custody.

     Turning back to the trooper, Kyra decided to play along, "Were you given a specific method of execution?"

     Kyra nearly laughed out loud when the stormtrooper actually considered her question and replied, "Well, uh, no."

     "Brilliant. Follow me. You've never truly executed someone until you've thrown them out an airlock," Kyra claimed, and she could tell Kallus was having a hard time keeping a straight face as they boarded the nearest turbolift.

     As the blast door closed, Kyra kneed the first stormtrooper in the stomach before kicking the second trooper in a rather sensitive spot between his legs. The first stormtrooper raised his blaster and aimed it at Kyra, but she used the Force to slam him against the wall and rendered him unconscious. The second trooper grabbed Kyra from behind and threw her onto the ground, kicking her in the stomach. When Kallus tried to help, she stopped him and ignited her lightsaber, stabbing the stormtrooper in the chest as she got to her feet.

     She sighed, "Sorry about that. I needed to let off some steam. It's been a trying day."

     As Kyra removed his restraints, Alex said, "I was on the bridge when you...when you flew into Admiral Konstantine's ship. I stood there and watched the entire battle, unable to help fix the damage I caused. I-I thought you were dead, and there was nothing I could do."

     Kallus took a deep breath before asking, "Why did you come back for me? You didn't know what ship I was on, and even if you did, you could have gotten yourself killed. Why risk your life for mine?"

     "A feeling," Kyra whispered before quickly kissing his cheek, as Kallus had done the last time they saw each other.

     Kallus smiled and took a blaster from one of the fallen troopers as the turbolift stopped and the blast door opened. As they ran through Thrawn's Star Destroyer, they faced a handful of troopers, but most had already been sent to man their battle stations and were too busy to carry out their regular patrols. They quickly reached the hangar bay and were running towards Grand Admiral Thrawn's shuttle when it exploded, knocking both Alex and Kyra off their feet. Kyra's ears rang as she lay on the ground, stunned and temporarily paralyzed from the blast. She turned onto her side and gasped, looking down to find that a piece of shrapnel had lodged itself in her ribcage.

     As her hearing returned, Kyra heard Kallus groan off to her left, a nasty gash running down his right temple and a metal shard embedded in his left thigh. When a cold laugh echoed through the hangar bay, Kyra turned and realized that she and Kallus had been surrounded by Governor Arihnda Pryce and a squadron of stormtroopers.

     "You fools, did you really think I'd let you escape that easily?" Pryce sneered. "You will not escape this time, Commander Kenobi. Surrender, or die."

     As the stormtroopers raised their blasters, Kyra clenched her jaw and got to her knees as she reached out to the Force. A fierce battle cry escaped her lips as she picked up the burning remains of the shuttle and hurled it at the Imperial forces, trapping both the troopers and Pryce behind the wreckage. Breathing hard, she crawled on all fours towards Kallus with the intention of checking on him, but Alex ended up pulling her into his arms when she collapsed. Kyra saw Kallus speaking into his comlink but could not hear him – or anything – for that matter, only catching glimpses of what happened next as she faded in and out of consciousness.

     The next time Kyra stayed awake for longer than a moment, she asked, "Where are we?"

     "An escape pod," Alex answered as Kyra looked out of the viewport and realized they had been launched into the middle of the battle, TIE fighters swarming past them as they pursued the rebel pilots.

     Kyra laughed, wincing when a stab of pain tore through her chest, "Let's just hope we don't crash this time."

     Despite Kallus urging her to stay awake, Kyra drifted off once more, this time waking in the room she occasionally shared with Hera aboard the Ghost. She was no longer wearing the tattered uniform she had stolen from the Imperial officer and her chest had been wrapped, the shrapnel removed. She started to sit up and grimaced, waiting a moment before leaning against the wall behind the bunk bed. She slowly pulled on the orange shirt and tan pants that had been set on her bed, tying the laces of her work boots as someone knocked on the door.

     When Alex walked into the room a moment later, favoring his left leg, he said, "It's good to see you awake, Commander. We weren't sure you were going to make it."

     As Kallus sat next to Kyra, she asked, "How long have I been out?"

     "A few days. You got lucky. If the shrapnel had been any higher, it would've punctured your lung," he answered. "We've been lying low in the Unknown Regions to be sure the Empire didn't track us. Wouldn't want to lead them back to Rebel Command, now would we?"

     Kyra shook her head, then asked, "How's your leg?"

     "I'll manage," Kallus assured her as she lightly traced the scar that now ran down his right temple, along the edge of his eye.

     "Thank you," Kyra whispered. "For everything."

     "Thank you for risking your life to save mine," Kallus replied, his ears turning red.

     When Alex started to lean towards Kyra, she pulled away before he could kiss her and stuttered, "I'm sorry, I-I can't do this."

     Kallus's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "What do you mean?"

     "I can't love someone the way my parents loved each other," Kyra whispered. "When my mum was killed, it felt like my heart had been ripped from my chest. And my father—I'll never forget the look on his face. I barely recognized him. The anger, the pain, the misery. I never want to put someone through the pain I felt that day."

     Kyra drew her knees up to her chest and wiped away the tears that trickled down her face as she looked away from Kallus.

     After a moment, Alex held her face in his hands and quietly replied, "How do you think I'd feel if something happened to you, Kyra? I'd be devastated. But, even though I know it can be lost or taken, I'd rather share my affection than never know the happiness that comes with being loved because I'm afraid to lose the one I love. And I'm not the only one. Every one of the people aboard this ship loves you in their own way. Would you close off your heart and shut us out to protect yourself from a pain that may never come? That would be a rather lonely way of living."

     As Kyra considered Kallus's words, she remembered her father's own statement: What you need, you already have. Unfortunately, you seem to be letting it all go. If you continue to hold those you love at arm's length, you will lose them forever.

     Kyra sighed, a small smile appearing on her face as she said, "And all this time I thought the Imperial Academy erased any soul you might've had before joining the Empire."

     Kallus chuckled, "You forget, dear Kyra, that I am an ex-Imperial. I've been corrupted by the bleeding hearts of you and your rebels."

     "You make it sound so terrible," Kyra laughed as she elbowed his side. "Is it really that bad?"

     Kallus nodded, though he failed to maintain his somber expression as he whispered, "Though, I must admit, the company here is, by far, better than the Empire's."

     This time, when Alex leaned towards Kyra and kissed her, she did not stop him. Kallus ran a hand through her red hair and wrapped his arm around her waist, gently pulling her closer.

     When he finally sat back, Kallus whispered, "Come with me."

     Alex helped Kyra to her feet and closed the blast door behind them after leading her into the hallway. On the door was a mural – no doubt painted by Sabine Wren – of Kanan, Hera, Kyra, and Alex; Jarrus and Kryze wielding their lightsabers while Syndulla and Kallus had their blasters raised, the four rebels ready for anything. Below them were the words: Leaders, Mentors, Rebels, Family. Kallus then took Kyra to the common room, where Sabine had painted a large mural on the wall behind the table, a colorful portrait of the Spectres, Kyra, Rex, and Kallus.

     As Sabine walked into the room, followed by the crew of the Ghost, she said, "My father's being held captive on Mandalore and I could use your help to rescue him. But a Mandalorian can't travel to her homeworld without armor."

     One by one, Kanan Jarrus, Captain Rex, Hera, Chopper, Ezra Bridger, and Garazeb Orrelios placed a piece of armor on the table in front of Kyra, with Sabine setting a helmet and jetpack down last. Kyra lost the ability to speak as she stared down at the brightly painted armor for a moment, and when she finally looked up at the family she had been working with for nearly four years, Kallus answered the question that was in her eyes.

     "I managed to salvage your armor after you took care of Governor Pryce and her forces. It was in rough shape, but I figured if anyone could fix it and make it look like new, it would be Sabine," Kallus explained.

     Her boot, shin, and knee guards had been painted yellow for remembrance, while her vambraces, left shoulder pauldron, and cuirass were orange, displaying a love of life. Her shoulder pads, right shoulder pauldron, antenna, rangefinder, and helmet were red, a color that honored the wearer's parents. Her left shoulder pauldron featured the symbol of Fulcrum in white while her right shoulder pauldron featured the crest of Clan Kryze in black. Her helmet was once again decorated with the symbol of the Rebellion, the orange Alliance Starbird rising from the ashes of the Old Republic to fight back against the Galactic Empire.

     The jetpack itself was black, with a pair of fiery wings painted over the plain backdrop to make it seem as though she were actually the phoenix herself, flying through smoke and fire to lead her squadron against the tyranny of the Empire.

     "The paint scheme represents your role as leader of the Phoenix cell, as well as your inability to die, no matter how hard the Empire, or anyone else, tries," Sabine Wren added with a smirk.

     When Kyra stood and gathered the Spectres in a group hug, Kallus stepped aside, looking extremely awkward. Kyra rolled her eyes and pulled Alex into the embrace, the rebels simultaneously welcoming him to their family and the Rebellion.

     After a moment, Alexsandr Kallus said, "I want to thank you, all of you, for taking me in."

     "Thank you for risking everything," Kyra Kryze-Kenobi replied, quickly planting a kiss on his cheek before joining Hera Syndulla in the cockpit, the two women leading what remained of their rebel cell to Yavin 4, the home of the Rebellion.