Chapter 29: Until We Meet Again

The base on Dantooine was anything but small, to Will it rivaled the size of the base on D'Qar. As it turns out, he had not only gone to Dantooine with his regiment, but a fleet of Resistance ships. At the helm of this operation was General Leia Organa.

Will had much to think about as the ships moved through hyperspace towards the planet. He reflected on his times with Phasma, and concentrated on the strong emotions he had felt coming from her. He remembered the nearly oppressive anger, but, it was tinged with an incredible despair. It was obvious that Phasma had lost something important, but what?

Or who? Will thought.

Will thought harder, but he hit a blank wall. He knew next to nothing about Phasma's life, only that she was skilled in combat. Perhaps the Force would give him some answers. Reaching into it, he prodded with his mind, hoping to get an answer, the Force responded.

Will sighed.

It was the same response he had gotten countless times before. It was as if the Force was teasing him. Will knew that he and Phasma had a connection through the Force, but what that connection was still remained a mystery to him.

Perhaps a meeting with Leia was in order.

Hux was surprised to see Phasma in such a state when she reached the command center on Starkiller Base. Stormtroopers and officers all jumped out of her way as she strode into the facility. On the outside she remained stoic as always, but Hux could tell that Phasma was furious at something. He smiled to himself; he would gladly direct her anger at the Resistance.

Hux was standing around a large holotable, and Phasma joined him.

"Captain Phasma, I trust you have sent me a full report on your actions on Yavin 4?" He asked in a patronizing tone of voice.

"Yes….. sir." Phasma's modulated voice ground out.

"Excellent." Hux said.

Soon afterwards, Colonel Barlow and Major Hagg made their way into the command facility and joined Hux and Phasma at the holotable.

"Sir." Barlow saluted Hux.

Hux merely smiled. "Colonel, I hear you let Anders and the Resistance forces go."

Hux thought he saw Phasma's gloved hand spasm at the mention of the Resistance colonel, but he played it off as his imagination.

" I did sir." Barlow answered. Beside him Hagg gave a smile.

"Why?" Hux asked.

"Because capturing or executing them on the spot would not be an honorable thing to do." Barlow said, straitening his shoulders.

"Since when does the First Order care about honor? We need victories." Hux's voice began to raise.

"I got you a victory; the First Order now controls the Yavin system." Barlow shot back.

Hux quieted down, he had no good response to that. "Regardless, we have a new objective."

"What sir?" Hagg asked.

"Dantooine." Hux said.

"A large Resistance base is on Dantooine." Barlow said in realization.

"What is the plan?" Phasma asked in a rage filled tone.

Hux turned to look at the commander of the First Order Stormtrooper Corps. "Simple, we assault and capture the base."

"But Dantooine is a large base, not any small outpost." Barlow said.

Hux turned to look at the Semian. "Indeed, we will have a mass a large force around the planet and launch an invasion force."

"Do we know how many Resistance fighters are on the planet?" Hagg asked.

"Intelligence puts the number around 80,000." Hux responded.

"What is the plan?" Phasma asked once more, this time the impatience in her voice was plain to hear.

"We take a large fleet to Dantooine. Launch our forces, encircle the base and capture it." Hux said.

"That is easier said than done." Barlow replied, feeling that the plan was flawed.

"Exactly, which is why I am ordering you to carry the operation out." Hux said.

Barlow could only nod in response. "Yes, sir."

"Dismissed." Hux said with a wave of his hand.

Barlow , Phasma, and Hagg took their leave and left the command center.

Barlow had a terrible feeling about this new operation.

When the frigate came out of hyperspace around the atmosphere of Dantooine, Will was in awe. There were Resistance ships everywhere, seemingly encircling the planet like a protective halo. He did not have much time to gawk at the scene as a deck officer informed him that the transports carrying himself and his troops were ready for departure.

Walking down to the hanger of the frigate Will got on one of the ten or so transports which subsequently lifted off.

The ride down to the surface was a bit bumpy but nothing like the experience at Yavin 4. The ordeal brought back some fresh memories of their ordeal, which seemed like only yesterday, but was in fact two and a half weeks earlier.

The transport touched down on the surface with a thud and the ramp lowered. Will and his troops stood up and proceeded to walk down the ramp. Will was amazed at what he saw.

While D'Qar was the largest base of the Resistance, Will had never seen that many people there when he visited the base. However, here on Dantooine, it seemed like every Resistance squadron, battalion, and regiment was represented. There were so many soldiers, so many different species, so many different planets, to Will it looked like the entire galaxy was represented. He must have counted three hundred fighters in the walk to the barracks.

The barracks were sparse, nothing that Will did not expect. After organizing his bunk, he received orders informing him that Leia wanted to speak to him.

It appears that the general read my mid. He thought with a smile.

After giving some orders to Rex he took his leave and left to find Leia.

That was easier said than done.

He must have searched for an hour, getting lost numerous times; his attempts to get directions seemed futile. No one seemed to know their way around this base.

After nearly ripping his hair out he finally found Leia's temporary office.

Two large durasteel doors slid open to reveal Leia and another individual slouched over her desk, the general seemed to be giving instructions to this unknown individual.

Upon hearing the doors slide open, Leia looked up and smiled.

"Ah Will, it is nice to see you made it."

"Same here general." He replied, standing just past the door's threshold

.Leia turned her attention to the unknown individual with his back to Will. "Could you give us a moment?"

The man said nothing but snapped to attention and turned around.

Will's fists clenched when he saw the man's face.

Major Ematt walked slowly towards Will, glaring at him as he passed by. Will fists unclenched only when the double doors behind him slid shut, leaving him and Leia alone in the large room.

"Have you felt it?" Leia asked.

Will scrunched his face up in confusion initially, until he thought. He had felt that something major was about to happen, the Force, as usual would not reveal what, but something was going to happen, something major.

"I have felt a foreboding for the past two days, as if something is going to happen, something bad."

Leia nodded. "The Force has sent me visions of our future."

"What do you see?" Will asked in curiosity.

"All I see in these visions are people crying, our troops blasting off of a planet's surface, and…" Leia trailed off, her eyes staring down at her desk.

Will walked closer to Leia, "Leia, what else did you see?"

Leia's head moved until her eyes stared right into Will's. "I saw the Semian flag being consumed by fire."

Will's eyes furrowed in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Let me show you," Leia said. She moved her hands and placed them on Will's forehead, just below his cap. She closed her eyes and began to focus her energy.

Will saw what Leia was doing and closed his eyes.

The flag of Semia was folded in a four sided square, it's blue banner with a single large white star at the center was surrounded by fire.

The edges began to curl inwards and blacken as it burned, the fire slowly consuming the flag until it was nothing more than a charred mass.

Will and Leia both removed themselves out of the vision.

Will was surprised. The Semian flag that Leia had showed him in the vision looked an awful lot like the flag his regiment had brought with them, in addition to their regimental flag. The square shape that the flag was folded in also sent some alarm bells on in his head. The flag was folded in a square only during ceremonial occasions, during anniversaries, military events, or periods of mourning. The aspect of fire also made him think. The only time a Semian flag was to be burned, was when it had been desecrated.

"What do you mean by desecration?" Leia suddenly blurted out.

Will nearly reared back in shock, had Leia been reading his mind? "Were you reading my mind?"

Leia gave a small smile. "Well no, your mind was shouting so loudly that any force user within five light years could hear you."

Will scoffed. "Very funny."

"Will, what did you mean by desecration?" Leia asked, her humor morphing into seriousness.

"Desecration to the Semian flag includes the introduction of foreign materials onto the fabric itself, like dirt, mud, or dust; the fabric being torn, or the flag touching the ground." Will repeated the mantra he had heard since he was a young child.

Leia wordlessly nodded.

"What do you think it means?" Will asked, hoping Leia would have some answers.

Instead she shrugged her shoulders. "I do not know. The Force is strange like that, it sends me visions but not explanation whatsoever."

This time Will wordlessly nodded.

Suddenly Leia's face turned into a frown.

"What is it?" Will asked with concern.

"The First Order ships have arrived in the system. From what I can sense, they are beginning to mobilize their forces. We should expect air and ground assaults within the coming hours. "Leia turned back towards her desk to call the other generals and commanders and inform them of the situation.

Will guessed it was time he took his leave and got back to his own forces. He began to walk to the doors and exit the office when Leia's voice stopped him.

"Wait."

He did so and turned around to face his general.

Leia stood behind the desk across the room from him.

"I sense Captain Phasma." She told him.

Will had been so caught up in reflecting about Leia's recent vision that he did not sense Phasma in the force. Clearing his mind, he focused. Yes, Phasma was there, a halo of darkness surrounding her; the anger was palpable and nearly suffocating. But upon focusing closer, Will thought he felt it once more, a tinge of sadness colored her force signature.

Phasma's hint of sadness ignited his curiosity once more, yet it was quashed soon after.

"Will, you should return to your regiment, we may have a ground engagement very soon." Leia said.

Will nodded, "Can do, general." He turned around and made for the door.

Just as they slid open Leia's voice once again filled the office.

"May the Force be with you."

Will turned around and gave Leia a smile from the doorway. "And with you."

With that he stepped out into the hallway, the doors shutting behind him. The hallway was a chaotic scene. Men and women, in all sorts of Resistance uniforms were running up and down, racing to get to their destinations. Will decided he would take it a little slower and walked back to the barracks.

He found his soldiers gearing up when he arrived.

"Rex, what is going on here?" Will said in slight confusion.

"You did not hear?" The major asked.

Will looked over Rex's shoulder as Rogers helped Tali put on her equipment belt. "No."

"General Organa has ordered that our forces be ready for an attack."

"What about our fighters in the atmosphere?" Will was confused, he thought the Resistance had a substantial number of fighters and frigates orbiting above the planet, surely they would put up a hearty fight.

"From what I was told, our fleet was ready, but our intel underestimated the size of the enemy force. We were told that it would be no more than five First Order frigates and cruisers coming out of hyperspace, instead we got ten."

Will shook his head in disgust. Perhaps he should lead Republic Intelligence, even though he had no idea how to gather such information, he knew he could do a better job than those currently working in the unit. "Did our ships put up any sort of fight?"

Rex nodded his head. "Some. We destroyed a good number of TIE fighters and damaged two frigates and a cruiser. But our ships took a beating and were forced to pull back."

"So you are telling me that nothing lies between those First Order ships and us?" Will asked in a sarcastic tone.

"Indeed." Rex replied in a grin fashion.

"Alright," Will said with a sigh, "get them ready."

"Yes, sir!" Rex said, than handed out orders.

Phasma watched as the ship came of out hyperspace. A tan and green ball encompassed the view out of the bridge windows. She had little time to analyze the planet for the Resistance ships started screaming by almost instantly. The blue lasers of the Resistance T-70 X-Wings mingled with the red bolts from the First Order ships; the lightshow standing in stark contrast to the enveloping darkness that was space.

Phasma took one last glance and walked off the bridge. She walked down the halls, heading towards her troops. She anticipated the call before her comm began to beep.

Activating it, she was met with the voice of Hux blaring through her helmets internal speaker system.

"Captain, ready your troops. You are to get the troops on the surface and establish a landing zone. Once established, you will wait for Barlow to arrive and take command."

"Yes, sir." Phasma said and switched off the comm.

In mere minutes she was in the hangers. Chaos reigned around the cruiser she was on. X-wings engaging in hot dogfights with TIE fighters, ships exploding, and people dying. But the atmosphere inside the hanger was eerily calm. Men walked rather than ran to ships; TIE's were dispatched in an orderly fashion; and Phasma was able to organize the nearly 400 troopers assigned to her without difficulty. They boarded the transports and ships of every shape and size imaginable, and exited the hanger bay. However, the chaos that seemed to envelop the entire system was gone. Replaced with quiet, all around the transports were debris floating in the vacuum of space. Looking out from the cockpit of one of the transports, Phasma knew that the First Order had gained control of the skies.

She focused in on Dantooine itself, her consciousness stretching out towards the planet's surface. Her force signature found two distinctive signatures on the planet below. One was extremely bright and powerful. The other force signature was dimmer and weaker. Focusing even further, she stretched her mind towards the weaker signature. The two signatures made contact, and Phasma felt a wave of surprise and shock so strong her mind whipped back.

Her consciousness returned and she found herself gripping the pilots seat for dear life. Her lungs seemed to burn as she took deep breathes to calm her shaking limbs.

She had nearly lost control.

She could not allow that to happen again.

But she knew with finality that he was here.

It was a cold day with overcast skies. Will and his troops were dressed in their winter gear. A dark green frock coat, adorned with the rank patch of colonel, was all that Will wore; in addition to his peak cap and standard trousers and combat boots.

Will had gotten his troops all formed up and ready to go. Now they stood just outside the base perimeter. In front of them stretched a wide open plain, undulating hills and crests adorning the large expanse of field. The rugged mountains hemmed in the field on both sides, to the rear stood the large Resistance base, and to the front was nothing but openness.

Will guessed that if a battle were to occur, this is where it would start.

And he was right.

After waiting nearly thirty minutes, the shadows of ships became visible in the cloud layer above. Will stole himself, preparing for what was coming through the clouds above their heads.

The ships that came through the cloud layer bore the insignia of the First Order.

Almost instantly, the ground defenses of the Resistance base opened up. And large laser bolts were sent skyward. In an attempt to blow the enemy ships out of the sky. But they all could see that such methods were largely ineffective.

Soon, and with minimal casualties, the First Order ships began to land across the wide open plain. The ships landed somewhat close to the Resistance base, less than a kilometer separated the two opposing sides.

Will knew the Resistance was in trouble.

However, his spirits grew when he saw Resistance X-wings fly from the base and hurdle towards the First Order ships. The sounds and sights of the bombing and strafing of the enemy was music to his ears. Additionally, he and his Semians had been reinforced by around six thousand other Resistance infantry soldiers.

Their odds of a victory were greatly increased.

Leia scrambled around in the main operations room in the base. She had been informed that most of their ships were out of the fight, leaving their ground positions venerable to air attacks. They needed to get ships into the atmosphere if the Resistance was to have a fighting chance.

She turned to General Donhue.

"General, what is the status on our remaining ships?"

Donhue looked at a console in front of him before replying. "Most of our ships have been taken out of the fight. But, we still have a frigate, a cruiser, and numerous fighters."

Leia noticed that Donhue had a look of concern on his face. "What is it, General Donhue?"

"Well, General Organa, even with those ships, we do not stand much of a chance. The enemy has far superior numbers."

Leia muttered a silent curse to herself. Things were not looking good.

"Is it possible to abandon the base?"

"What?" Donhue and a few others stared at Leia in shock.

" Is it possible to abandon the base? If we simply cannot hold back this dark tide?"

"Yes, it is possible. We have enough transports to ferry our soldiers, and most of our equipment." Donhue replied.

"I want transports loaded with vital equipment as a contingency." Leia ordered.

"Yes, General Organa." Replied Donhue, but it was obvious the man was less than pleased. He more preferred to attack the enemy with all they had. And if that caused the death of every one of them, then so be it. They died with their faces to the enemy. Not their backs.

Will saw as more and more enemy ships landed a kilometer to his front, and grew increasingly worried. The Resistance soldiers had been standing idly by while the number of the enemy continued to increase. If they were going to have any chance of a successful attack, they needed to do so now.

But the time came and went. And Will felt opportunity slipping through his fingers.

Soon, he had an answer to his anxiety.

His comm unit beeped. Removing the device from his belt, he activated it. "Yes?"

"Sir, General Organa has instructed all forces to prepare to head back to the transports." A garbled voice said over the channel.

"Excuse me?" Will said, not quite believing what he had just heard.

"The general has ordered the base to be abandoned." The voice said, and then the line went dead.

Will was left staring at his comm unit for a moment before he put it back on his belt.

What was Leia thinking?

Why was she doing this?

They had a chance at victory!

Yet even Will knew that such an outlook was no longer accurate. They did have an opportunity to victory, but as the seconds went by, that opportunity had dwindled. Now they faced two options, defeat or destruction.

Will decided on the former. Even though he hated the idea of retreat, he knew he valued the lives of his men. He would not throw their lives away needlessly.

He looked around and noticed that the numerous Resistance units surrounding him began to head back, in an orderly fashion, to the base.

Will sighed.

"Prepare!" He shouted his brave men and women snapping to attention. "About, face!" They all spun around in unison. "Forward, march!"

The nine hundred Semians then began to march back towards the base, the last ones to leave the field.

Colonel Devitt Barlow looked through marcobinoculars at the sight unfolding before him. It appeared that the Resistance forces were pulling away!

He had seen the Semians in the center of the line, their two flags waving in the cold breeze. The dark blue of the planet's flag stood out just as much the red regimental flag of the 1st Semian Regiment that flew beside it.

"The Anders Attackers" Devitt had made the nickname up after some thought.

Devitt had given orders to his troopers to prepare a defensive position in case they were attacked. Barlow had ordered the ships to land on the crest of a hill in the middle of the open plain. In front of them, the ground rolled up and down towards the Resistance base.

Devitt was quite sure that no attack would come. To attack these stormtroopers across an open plain was suicide.

Captain Phasma and one of her officers, a trooper Devitt recognized as Nines, came to stand before her.

"Report, Captain Phasma." He said.

"Sir, our troops have followed out your orders. They have emplaced defensive barricades along our entire front."

"Excellent." Barlow smiled, pleased with this development. He then turned to Nines.

"Colonel, I have emplaced the artillery behind the main line on infantry. Even occupying such a position, the artillery still have a clear field of fire towards the enemy base." Nines reported to Barlow.

Again, Barlow smiled. "Very good. Our forces control the air, and soon we will control the ground. Good work the both of you."

"Sir." Both Nines and Phasma replied before stalking away.

Devitt once again turned to the Resistance base. A small smile began to appear on his face.

It would seem that he had bested the great William Anders.

Phasma stared across the plain towards the Resistance base. She knew Anders was there, she could feel him in the force.

His presence burned in her mind, like a beacon of light.

Since she had found out about her relationship to Will, her soul had been tearing itself apart. One part of her mind told her to follow the light, to go to Will. Perhaps they could actually form a relationship, one they should have had for the past twenty years. But the other half of her mind told her fervently not to. It told her to obey and follow the training she had received so long. It told her to bring peace and order to the galaxy. It told her that Will as the enemy, and that he was to be destroyed like the rest of the Resistance.

Phasma had spent many nights awake, trying to figure it all out. She knew she would have to make a decision one day, and that decision would be a permanent one. Whichever side she took, there would be no turning back.

Her force senses shot up in warning, and she looked around. Everything appeared nominal, they still controlled the atmosphere, and there were no visible enemy units near their position. She turned her head back to stare at the Resistance base. Something was going on, and she felt Will's force signature darken slightly in sadness.

Perhaps he had just learned of this defeat? Phasma thought initially.

But focusing further, it seemed like Anders had resigned himself; to what she could not begin to imagine.

She saw Resistance ships beginning to lift off the ground. It appeared that they were evacuating the base. As the ships got higher into the sky, Phasma made a decision.

Her emotions might be in conflict, but her beliefs about the Resistance were not. The ships needed to be taken out of the sky.

She turned to the nearest artillery officer and gave the command.

"Fire!"

Will was just ready to begin marching his forces up to the transports when a lieutenant ran onto the open air platform.

"What is it?" Will asked.

"Sir, General Organa has asked me to inform you that you are the last to board transports. We have a very limited amount of time if we are to successfully evacuate the base and rendezvous with our remaining ships in the system." The man virtually mumbled every word he was talking so fast.

Will nodded. He looked around and caught sight of the first Resistance transports ascending into the cloudy sky. Numerous others were powering up their engines in preparation to depart.

Then a flash temporarily blinded him, followed by a loud explosion. When his eyes finally came back into focus, Will saw the debris of a transport shuttle hurtling back to earth. The flaming fragments landed with an additional ball of fire. Then suddenly, two other airborne transports were taken out of the sky.

He turned to the lieutenant.

"You tell General Organa, that we are stuck here until that artillery is dealt with. Do we have any reserve fighters to deal with those First Order ground forces?"

The lieutenant shook his head solemnly. "No, sir, we do not. All available fighters were scrambled to ensure what was left of our system fleet remained unscathed."

"Kriff." Was all that Will said. They were in some serious trouble.

He looked across the plain, the First Order forces clearly visible. He turned back to the lieutenant, his eyes full of resolve.

"You tell General Organa that the Semians will take care of those guns."

"Sir, yes sir!" The lieutenant replied, snapping a salute before running off of the platform.

After the man had gone Will turned backed to the transports holding his men. Their ramps were lowered so he had a clear view of his troops.

"Everyone off!" He shouted.

Slowly but surely, every Semian soldier, nearly one thousand of them, came off of the transports.

Rex came up to Will. "What is the issue?"

Will turned to him. "First Order artillery is going to blast us out of the sky if we do not take care of them."

"What do you propose we do?" Lieutenant Rogers sounded from the mass of soldiers.

"We deal with them." He replied.

"How?" Rex asked, "The ground is open. The only way we could attack is a frontal assault."

Will turned to look at him, there was something in his eyes. It seemed like resolve mixed with resignation.

"Are you crazy! That is suicide!" Rex nearly screamed.

"It is the only way the rest of our forces will make it off the planet. Rex, I will take four hundred, you take the rest and get them out of here." Will's voice was stern and serious.

"No, I will not let you sacrifice yourselves or our men!" This time Rex did scream.

Will's eyes fixed him with a stern look. "That is an order, major." He then turned to others. "Rogers, Tali, Dryse and Huxley, you will all go with Major Howe."

"But sir….!" Huxley began.

Will then fixed him with a stern look. "That is an order sergeant."

Huxley solemnly nodded, his head down, eyes staring at his boots.

Will then looked at the faces of each of his soldiers. " Brave men and women, my brave soldiers. I am in need of four hundred souls for this undertaking. This mission will be extremely dangerous, and there is a good chance that you may not come out of it alive. If you want to join me, step forward now. If not, I completely understand. Many of you have families, loved ones back home that rely on you, and are looking forward to your return. I realize that. I want you to know, if you do not step forward that nothing will be held against you. All of you have proven yourselves worthy of the ideals in which our country, our planet, was founded. I can only say in our last few minutes together, at least for now, that it was a honor and a pleasure serving with such fine soldiers."

After Will had concluded his speech he resumed sweeping his gaze over each of his soldiers. Slowly but surely, some began to step forward. They were followed by more. Both of the regiment's color bearers stepped forward.

Will smiled. If this was to be a suicide mission, they would take their flags to the grave, literally.

Soon, all four hundred were assembled. The remaining six hundred soldiers looked on at their brothers and sisters in arms for perhaps the last time.

Will's comm began to beep.

He answered it.

"Will, what are you thinking!?" Leia's voice shouted over the comm.

" I am doing what has to be done." Will said softy.

"But you might perish!" Leia's voice was thick with worry.

"That is a risk I knew when I signed up to be a soldier Leia." He said sadly.

"I cannot lose you!" Leia's voice was cracking, as if she were nearly about to cry.

Will closed his eyes and sighed. "Leia, I cannot thank you enough for being there for me. I cannot tell what will happen in the coming hours, but if I find myself in your office, you can yell at me then. If I do not return, my dear Leia, never forget how much I cared for you."

Now Will could hear the soft sobs. "Will, I do not know what to say."

Will smiled grimly. "Come now Leia. You have an entire base to lead. I am sure that you have to get back to leading them. And remember, I will see you again, no matter what."

"Okay. Be safe my dear friend." Leia replied.

"I will." Anders said with a sigh before clicking the comm off and returning it to his belt. He felt Leia's overwhelming melancholy through the Force.

He turned back to Rex. "Get the remaining troops onto the transports."

"Yes, sir." Rex said in a soft, pain filled voice. Soon his orders were given, and the soldiers began a slow march up the ramp. Soon they were all onboard. Except for four hundred which now stared from the landing platform.

Rex had not yet boarded. He remained near Will. Suddenly he moved to stand next to him, Rex's eyes pleading with Will's as the two stared at each other.

"Will, are you sure you have to do this?" Rex asked, his hand gripping Will's forearm.

Will stared down at Rex's hand. "I am afraid I must." He brought his eyes up to stare into the depths of Rex's soul. "I have a request Rex."

"Name it." Rex said instantly.

Will sighed. " If I do not return…"

"Will do not say such things." Rex said, his voice was hoarse.

"If I do not return," Will continued, trying to act unaffected, "go back to my house, and retrieve some of my possessions. I have no one else to give them to. Take what you need or want. What you do not take, offer it up to them men." Will said as he looked over Rex's shoulder into the troop transports containing his sad soldiers.

Rex nodded, tears finally spilling over his cheek. He grabbed Will in a fervent embrace. His tears wetting Will's shoulder.

"Please Will, do not do this." He said, his voice muffled as he spoke into Will's shoulder.

Will sighed, his eyes watering. "I must." He gave Rex a final tight squeeze before releasing him.

The major nodded softly and wiped away his tears. Suddenly he snapped to attention and gave Will the firmest salute he could muster.

Will snapped to attention and returned Rex's salute. He turned to his soldiers in the transports. All six hundred returned his salute with their own.

Rex slowly but surely boarded a transport. And soon their ramps began to close. Rex's eyes remained fixed on Will until the transport ramp closed.

With his remaining four hundred troops, Will took them away from the landing platforms. Once they reached the perimeter of the base, he halted them.

He looked across the plain to the First Order soldiers. This was suicide, but it had to be done, if the Resistance were to have any chance at survival.

"Form into lines!" Will shouted, turning around to view his men as they went about his orders.

Slowly but surely the four hundred formed into a line, two ranks deep. The color bearers moved to stand next to each other in the rear of the line. The Semians were to march with their flags on what could prove to be their final march. The blue Semian flag with its large white star at the center flapped in the wind. Beside it, their regiment's pride and glory. Their red regimental flag with a white number 1 in its center also blew in the breeze. With his men all formed up, Will turned to face the enemy once more. He could see that they had put up barriers and defenses. He took a deep breath then gave the command.

"Forward! March!"

Four hundred Semians headed off across the wide open plain. Their enemy lay a kilometer away.

Davitt and Phasma looked on his shock. They simply could not believe what they were seeing. It was unheard of for an attack to be carried across an open field of fire, especially when the First Order troops were well entrenched.

"Hold your fire." Devitt ordered his troopers. The number of enemy soldiers coming across the field was much smaller than his force, around five hundred men, Devitt estimated.

His eyes and face fell when he saw the flags. He knew the only flag bearing regiments in the Resistance were Semian. A based off of the red regimental flag, he knew Anders and his troops were coming across the field.

Phasma stood surrounded by Trix, Nines, Whip, Sparks, and Krax. All of them stood in slight bewilderment, but none more so than Phasma.

She wondered just what the hell Anders was thinking. Did her offspring have a death wish?

She stood in silence, along with the rest of the line, as the approaching enemy soldiers got closer.

The Semians crested over the small hill and began to go down the slope. In front of them was another small rise in the ground. The terrain was slightly hilly, but the line remained intact. No one spoke as they advanced through the open; the only sounds were the rustling of equipment.

Will was five paces in front of the line, his view of the stormtroopers changing as he moved up or down a small slope. He could tell they were nearing the enemy lines. Details that were obscure at the perimeter of the base were now clearer. Will could make out soldiers standing behind the barriers. One caught his eye, a dark cape fluttering behind the figure. Captain Phasma.

Will smiled. It was fitting that he and the captain meet again. After all, Phasma did say as much back on Yavin 4.

Their line continued to move, closing in on the enemy line. Will was surprised they had not been fired upon yet.

Devitt and his soldiers watched as the small line of enemy troops came closer towards their position. Behind him he heard footsteps, then the annoying voice of Major Hagg.

"Sir, they are within range, I believe the time to blow them away is now."

"Not yet." Devitt replied.

"But sir, they Will overrun our positions!" Hagg tried to argue.

"Silence and return to your post." Devitt sternly ordered his subordinate.

Hagg said nothing and went back to his post next to Phasma and her soldiers.

The Semains were just coming up the slop of a hill, the tops of their flags visible before the line of green clad soldiers appeared. At their front, Devitt spotted the form of William Anders.

He sighed. It was like the civil war all over again. But he had to do it.

He turned to the artillery piece on his right and softy muttered.

"Fire."

Will saw an artillery piece fire, the bolt screaming towards them just as they crested the hill. It impacted the ground to his right, just in front of his troops. Four of them fell, motionless. He could wait no longer.

"At the double quick!" He ordered, and soon his men and women were jogging towards the enemy. The artillery began to fire in unison, large bolts streaking over their heads or impacting the ground next to them.

When they got close enough, Will saw the entire line of stormtroopers level their rifles and fire. Men and women were knocked out of the ranks by the dozens, their green clad bodies hitting the hard earth with thuds. Yet Will and his troops still pushed on, growing ever closer to the lines.

Phasma was pulling the trigger of her blaster aimed into the mass of moving green in front of her. She saw as dozens of Semian soldiers fell out of the ranks, their bodies lying still or writhing in pain. Beside her, her troops fired into the line of enemy soldiers.

She saw Anders at the front of the column. Her hands itched to point the rifle at him and pull the trigger. Her mind's internal war spiked. Yet it seemed the light side was winning out. She resisted the urge to blast Anders, and hoped that the man survived this charge.

Will looked up and down his line as they ran, it was shirking in size. He needed to do something, and do it fast. He spotted the next rise in front of him and made his decision.

Just as they reached the rise he ordered his men to halt and lie down. They complied quickly.

However, for a color bearer, it was not fast enough. The young woman took a bolt straight through her heart, her body collapsing to the ground. The blue Semian flag she held began to fall to the ground when it was caught by another soldiers and held aloft.

"Blaze away at them!" Will shouted over the sound of battle. He moved behind his prone soldiers, crouching but still exposed to the enemy. Bolts whizzed by him left and right. It was dangerous, but he knew it was what had to be done.

He looked up through the haze of battle, towards the enemy lines. He found a section of troopers that he recognized instantly. Whip, Nines, Krax, Sparks, Trix, Phasma, and Barlow stood almost directly to his front, only twenty or so meters away.

He made eye contact with each of them; the battle seemed to slow around him as he did so. He noticed that Trix and Whip hesitated in firing their rifles when they made eye contact with him. He then locked gazes with Phasma. Time seemed to stop. Through the Force Will felt all different emotions begin to spill from her signature: worry, horror, sadness, anger, and steel cold resolve. His eye contact with Barlow almost made it seem like the First Order colonel was trying to convey his apologies and regret for the current situation.

Will did not understand why the captain was feeling such powerful emotions, but he did not have time to think. The Force shrilled with warning, and he quickly dodged a couple of blaster bolts. He then went back to shouting orders and encouraging his men.

Phasma watched as Will went about walking up and down the remainder of his line. Blaster bolts whizzing around his frame. They had made eye contact, and even if Phasma was wearing her helmet, she made it clear to her son what she was feeling.

She felt surprise emanate from William's force signature. Then she realized why. He did not even know of his relation to her. And that made her angry.

She continued to blast off shots as quick as she could, her troops doing the same. She looked to her right and saw Major Hagg. The man smiled as he shot, no doubt enjoying the killing he was doing. Phasma wanted to shoot him right then and there.

Then Phasma heard the rumble of engines. She looked past Will and his trapped soldiers, across the plain. Resistance transports were heading into the sky, their paths clear of artillery fire.

Phasma then moved her gaze back down to Will.

"What are they doing!?" She heard Sparks yell over the roar of battle.

"They are not getting on those transports!" Trix yelled in response as he shot his heavy blaster rifle.

"Sir, what are they doing?" Nines shouted to Barlow.

The man turned to look at Nines. Phasma and the other four troopers around saw the look of sadness on the man's face. "They are staying behind." And then he went back to firing his blaster pistol.

Phasma and her soldiers slowly resumed their fire, Barlow's words leaving them shaken.

Phasma was now terrified. She knew what Anders was doing.

He was sacrificing himself.

Will turned around, back towards the base when he heard the shuttle engines fire up. Then he saw the dozens of shuttles begin to rise up into the sky.

This was it. There was no way they were going to leave the planet on a Resistance shuttle. This was the price they paid for their heroics.

Will decided that he and his troops had had enough. They had stalled long enough for the rest of the Resistance to escape.

"Fall back!" He screamed. His soldiers obliged and rose up and began racing down the rise and back towards the Resistance base.

"Save yourselves!" Will screamed with pent up emotion.

Barlow saw Will make a sweeping motion with his hand and soon his troops were running for their lives. However, many were falling as they ran for safety, shot in the back.

"Cease fire! Cease fire!" Barlow thundered to his troops. Soon the firing died down, and they watched as the remainder of the Semians fled across the field.

All except for one individual.

Will looked at the scene before him. On the slope of the hill, where his troops had laid down, was a mass of dead and wounded soldiers. As managed to grab a limping soldier and asked the man to go around looking for severely wounded brothers in arms.

He came upon the two flags, the regimental flag pole had been staked into the ground. But the blue Semian flag now lay on the dirt, having fallen during the battle. Both had lifeless arms slung over their poles, brave men and women having fallen to retrieve their colors. Will gingerly removed the still arms from the pole of the red regimental flag. He removed his from the ground and leaned it against his shoulder. He would not let these colors fall into enemy hands. After retrieving the flag, he and his companion found a soldier with a severe arm injury. Taking the man's good arm, Will slug it over his shoulder.

As he turned around to head back to base, Will stared at the line of enemy troopers. He gave a slight nod to Barlow, Devitt and the five other troopers he knew. Then turned around and was beginning to step over a now dead comrade when he heard a scuffle behind him.

Phasma watched as Anders picked up the red flag of the 1st Semian Regiment and retrieved a wounded comrade. She gave a firm nod in response to the one he had given her.

She was proud. He had survived and now he continued his selfless acts by retrieving the wounded.

"Sir, he needs to be taken prisoner. " Hagg said.

Her helmet whipped around to face the major, a sneer on her face.

"Quiet major, I give the orders around here." Barlow snapped as he watched the man he dared to call friend began to walk back to the Resistance base.

"He is getting away!" Hagg shouted, and then in a blur of movement, he ripped the thermal detonator from the backside of Trix's belt and moved to hurl it towards Will.

"STOP HIM!" Barlow screamed.

Phasma lunged at the man, as did Nines and Whip, but she was too late.

Will heard Barlow scream.

"STOP HIM!"

His head whipped around, and that is when he saw it, flying through the air towards them.

A thermal detonator.

Time seemed to slow as the object moved towards Will, it reached a position just in front of and above their heads when the inevitable happened.

It exploded, showering them with fragments and shrapnel. The clear air around them was suddenly replaced with red mist as the shrapnel hit their bodies.

They fell in a heap, the red regimental flag draping itself over the still body of William Anders.

Phasma, Barlow, Nines, Whip, Trix, and Sparks stood in stilled shock. Krax had hauled Hagg off in binders after what he had done.

Now they were left staring. Phamsa had seen the explosion, seen the shrapnel hit Will's body, and saw him fall to the ground, the red flag covering his still body.

She could not feel him in the force, and she panicked.

"Medics! Aid the wounded, that is an order!" Barlow barked. He quickly stepped around the barriers and went to the mass of dead and wounded enemy soldiers. Phasma and her troopers followed.

She followed at a subdued pace, her body and mind still in shock. She looked around an noticed the other five troopers were moving much the same way.

She saw Barlow kneel down over the flag covered body. She reached him just as he pulled the flag down to expose Ander's face.

The mother in Phasma wanted to scream.

He looked as if he were asleep, his features relaxed and peaceful. His cap had fallen away, his brown hair exposed to her eyes. Barlow moved his fingers up to Anders' neck, checking for a pulse.

Phasma now visibly tremored, she knew the results.

Barlow took his hand away and stared up at Phasma and the soldiers now surrounding him. He shook his head solemnly before removing the rest of the flag from Anders' body. Doing so exposed the numbers wounds he had sustained from the explosion.

Barlow took the flag, gave one last sad look to Will's body, and then moved to retrieve the blue Semian national flag.

Phasma moved forward and knelt down next. The tears began to trace their way down her cheeks. For the first time in her career, she allowed herself to show some semblance of weakness. Her gloved and gauntleted hand found Anders' now cold cheek. Her fingers ran along the curves of his face, her mind mapping every dip and curve of her young boy's face. She knew she may never look on him again, she needed to do this. She did not care if her soldiers watched. Based on their emotions flowing through the Force, most that stood around her were surprised or even depressed. They had grown to respect and some like Trix and Whip, had grown to like the young Resistance colonel. Phasma understood their emotions, for she too had grown to respect, and care for William Anders. Now, however, his bright light in the Force was gone.

Her eyes gazed over Will's body once more and the reality of the situation grew on Phasma. The tears now ran down her cheeks in torrents, a small pool forming at her neck seal. She dipped her head in grief and sorrow, her helmet coming into contact with her chest plate. She knew her troops would see her weakness, but she was past the point of caring. Her hand came up and caught Anders' light brown hair. It stayed there for several silent seconds, her gloved fingers twirling the locks, remembering the texture and color. She then moved her hand and placed it over Will's heart. She nearly ordered the muscle to beat, but his chest was still, his heart would beat no more.

That realization really hit home for Phasma. She remembered her young husband all those years ago. The memories were nearly alien to her. In one last showing of grief, Phasma did something none of her soldiers had seen before.

She removed the clasp of her cape around her neck. With the cape free from her body, she gingerly covered Anders' body with it.

It was Phasma's final show of respect, and a great one. Her cape meant nearly as much to her as her armor. But there was another reason that Phasma wanted to do this. The cape was an extension of her, it was a part of her. If William never got to know his mother in life, never got to have something physical to remember her by, she would leave him a part of her in death. It was the least she could do, for Will, but also for her.

With her ritual complete, Phasma stood very slowly, her joints aching just as her heart did. She stared down at Anders' cape covered body before she knew it was time to go. Slowly, she turned around and willed herself to return to her lines.

She looked over her shoulder, towards the body, Trix, Whip, and Nines stood over Anders, each of them looking down at the body. She ripped her gaze away and continued back to the lines.

Upon arriving at the lines she saw Barlow with both flags. He had constructed a small pile of clothing, and used blaster packs. Phasma had no idea what he was up to.

Barlow had folded the red 1st Semian flag in the ceremonial square shape. Even though he was their enemy, he was going to honor these brave soldiers for what they had just done. He saw Captain Phasma return, a for once in his life, he saw her without her cape. It momentarily surprised him.

He moved with the folded flag clutched to his chest until he stood before Phasma.

Phasma looked down at the flag in Barlow's arms. He looked at her through the visor, and then extended his arms towards her. Phasma looked at the red flag was presented to her. Her hands came up automatically, and clutched the folded flag.

"You hold the memories of those who fell here in your hands." Barlow said quietly.

Phasma controlled her shaking hands. The flag she held was more than a piece of fabric; it was the heart and soul of the regiment, the heart and soul of those soldiers, the heart and soul of William Anders. She clutched the flag to her heart. She had been entrusted with a sacred object; she would protect it, for his memory.

Phasma looked out over the gruesome sight that met her eyes. She noticed a fair number of wounded soldiers had been aided by her troopers. The maimed and injured were brought back to their position and were treated for their wounds.

Phasma, along with most of her men, had formed a ring around Barlow's pile of material. They watched as he folded the blue Semian flag into the four sided square. He then moved over to the pile, withdrew his blaster pistol, put it up to the material, and pulled the trigger. The clothing instantly ignited, the flame spreading to the other material. Soon the pile had been turned into a makeshift fire.

Barlow knelt down slowly, and Phasma and her soldiers watched as he extended his arms and put the folded flag into the fire. The fabric curled and darkened as it burned.

Barlow then stood up, facing the carnage that lay on the plain. Phasma and her soldiers followed his gaze. Her eyes found the cape covered body.

Slowly, Barlow saluted before the burning flames. Phasma saw, and then her hand slowly moved towards her helm. Slowly but surely, the other troopers had followed her movements, and soon the whole line of stormtroopers stood saluting in the setting sun, a final show of respect for their honorable enemies.

Later that night a General wept in her quarters, her soul crying out for the young man she had grown to love and care for as a son.

A Resistance major sobbed along with his lieutenant when was told the news. He would never again look upon Will's face in life. He now only had memories.

A First Order colonel toasted his drink to the man who saved his life in those woods. A man who was now gone forever.

A heavytrooper sat on his bunk as a tear silently coursed its way down his cheek. He felt like he had failed. The man had saved his life, but he could not save the life of his savior.

Another stormtrooper, a squad leader, removed his helmet from his face. The ghastly scars exposed in the artificial light of his barracks. He thought of the man who had understood him, had defender him, and vowed to make it right.

Later that night the body of Hagg was discovered. He had been beaten to death. The blows were so severe that he could only be identified through his uniform markings.

In the privacy of her own quarters, a mother wept for her lost child. Her soiled hands clutched her light blond hair. Her hopes and future dreams were shattered. She had nothing left to live for. The sobs came loudly and unbidden as she thought of the young colonel.

He should have still been living.

But was not.

The End?

This was my longest chapter, wow. I thought about a good way to end this story for a long time. I felt like ending the story this way was for the best. This is war, and in war, happy moments a few and most of the time come to an abrupt end. I enjoyed writing this story immensely, and hoped you all enjoyed it as well. Stay tuned for more stories in the coming months!

-LittleP