All the characters appearing in Star Wars are copyright George Lucas. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of TVfan.

The Saga of the Chosen One, Chapter 33

By TVfan

Space Above Coruscant

Kam Solusar brought the T.I.E. Scout he had stolen from Palpatine's hidden base on Byss out of hyperspace to find a massive warship in orbit around the planet. This was somewhat expected, as the Empire had other fleets of warships then the main battle fleet that, unknown to Solusar, had just been defeated at Endor. What Solusar couldn't tell, though was who controlled the massive warship. It was a massive ship, of the same class as the Executor, destroyed by the Rebels while it was under construction at Fondor. Just Anakin had guessed, the Super Star Destroyer as a CLASS of ships, and the Executor was not a one time experiment. But dealing with these ships would come later and in a changed galaxy, and for the moment that didn't concern Solusar. His interests were for the moment aimed at his own safety.

"Unknown Scout," came Jerec's voice over the communications link, "this is Inquisitor Jerec in command of the Super Star Destroyer, Vengeance. State your name and intentions."

"This is Kam Solusar," Solusar answered in a nervous voice as he slowly flew toward the warship, "I am returning as instructed."

"Ah... land in the main hanger bay," Jerec answered, "I will meet you there."

Solusar obeyed and slowly brought the scout fighter into the main hanger bay of the massive ship. As it docked in the landing claws on the ship, he found that Jerec was waiting for him.

"What is this?" Solusar wondered as he got out.

"A reward from corporate backers in the Imperial High Command," Jerec smiled, "You've completed the mission I sent you on?"

"Yes," Solusar answered.

"Excellent," Jerec smiled, "then you may well have saved the Empire."

Home One

Padme Amidala stood quietly on an observation deck on the Alliance to Restore the Republic's main flagship. Most of the Rebellion's government had gone with the refugees to Mon Calamari where they would avoid death should the attack on the Death Star was a failure, but she had remained. The battle at Endor was more for her then ending the tyranny that Palpatine had thrust on the galaxy, though seeing an end to that important for her.

There were times that she felt the war and everything bad that had happened was her fault. It had all begun with the blockade of Naboo when she was Queen. The Old Republic, struggling with corruption and tangled politics could do little. She had pleaded with the Senate to do something to curtail the Trade Federation's greed. But they were hampered it seemed, unless a stronger Chancellor could crush the corruption there. And so, she'd made a tremendous mistake. Instead of trusting Chancellor Valorum to argue a real case for Naboo's freedom... or instead of being bold in the first place, she called for Vote of No Confidence, which would see Palpatine become Chancellor of the Republic.

In the end, Palpatine did nothing to save Naboo. Saving Naboo was done by Obi Wan Kenobi killing Darth Maul, Anakin Skywalker destroying the Droid Control Ship, and the Gungans and her Palace Guards drawing the bulk of the droids away. Palpatine's election had done nothing, and the Trade Federation was never punished. Instead, Palpatine began building a power base, using what could have been classified as minor annoyances to create a crisis which would soon escalate into the Clone Wars. And Padme, then a Senator, watched as Palpatine used the war to increase his own power until he was powerful enough to simply end the Republic with a declaration. There were still times when she wondered if she done something different earlier, would Palpatine's rule be avoided and all the suffering Palpatine had brought on the galaxy be avoided.

But the past could not be changed, and light of the explosion of the Empire's Death Star outside the ship could show that Palpatine's tyranny was surely over. The reason that had her watching the battle and why she had refused to go to Mon Calamari were far more personal. Her son was part of the swirling space battle, which to some extent was still going on. Her daughter was on the forest moon, part of the battle down there. And her husband had surely done something to go after Palpatine directly. She wanted to make sure they would make it... and if not... she didn't want to go on without them.

Outside of Home One and just outside of the Death Star, Anakin was piloting the Imperial shuttle that he had taken in his attempt to escape the destruction of the Imperial battle station. Imperial Grand Admiral Declann lay in the back of the shuttle's cockpit, and his mission was now to make to either Home One or to Endor so that the Imperial Admiral could stand trial for his role in either Palpatine's rise or for Imperial atrocities committed.

As he pulled out of the Death Star, he noticed that the Imperial Fleet was beginning to break up, or retreat from the Endor area. He first wanted to fly to Home One, but he had only begun to move in that direction when the Death Star exploded. The shockwave and debris from the explosion caught the back engines of the shuttle and Anakin found himself piloting a crashing ship.

"Why do I always find myself in crashing ships?" Anakin questioned himself aloud and began doing everything to crash as gently as possible.

Endor

"We did it!" Han cheered outside the burning remnants of the Empire's bunker.

The Death Star had been visible from the moon's surface, even through the thick branches of the trees on the forest moon. To the Ewoks around them, the Death Star's destruction wasn't much of an issue. The Death Star itself had never threatened them and they didn't have the full awareness to realize that the Death Star's main weapon could have annihilated the moon and killed everyone on it. Still they celebrated along with the Rebel commandos, who owed the Ewoks their lives.

"Yes," Leia said simply, "Yes, we did."

Han caught an odd tone in Leia's voice even as the others celebrated the defeat of the Empire around them. He could see Chewie and Ahsoka conversing with some of the other commandos over their battle against the Imperial soldiers on Endor. It was supposed to be a time of triumph and joy. Yet, Leia sounded almost sad... and accepting of something. Of course it might be some sort of Jedi thing that Han would never understand, but still, something seemed off.

"Is something wrong?" Han asked her.

"Huh... what...?" Leia glanced back to him.

"You seemed a bit distant... one could even say accepting of some great tragedy," Han told her.

"Nothing's wrong, I suppose," Leia sighed, "It's just... there is something in the Force that doesn't feel right. It should. The Emperor is dead... but it doesn't."

"Is this about your father?" Han asked, "I'm sure he wasn't on that thing when it blew."

"He wasn't," Leia answered, "It's as I said... I don't know what this is."

Han was about to say something when he heard Chewbacca growl something to him.

"Han, look!" Chewie growled to him in his own language, which Han understood.

Han turned and looked up to see a small craft descending to Endor's atmosphere. It looked like it was on fire, but that could simply be from it's speed of entry. Even still, something didn't seem right about that ship.

"Is that what you sense that isn't right?" Han asked to Leia.

Leia paused and glanced to Ahsoka, who was following the line that the crashing ship was making.

"Yes..." Leia said slowly and then broke into a run with Ahsoka, Han, and Chewie following.

"You hold here in case Admiral Ackbar sends someone down!" Han called back to the commandos.

Home One

On the Rebel flagship, Admiral Ackbar was busy keeping tabs on the reports coming in from the battle at Endor. Every capital ship had sustained some damage of some kind, but so far it appeared that none of the Mon Cal Cruisers had been destroyed, though three of them would need serious repairs and would be out of action for quite awhile. The ships that the Empire had destroyed were either lighter gunships that were employed to defend the Rebellion's bigger ships from starfighters or lighter cruisers and frigates.

"We were unimaginably lucky, Admiral," Home One's captain said to him, "Not only have we won... but most of the fleet is in tact."

"Essentially," Ackbar nodded, "but we'll need a few moths to repair the ships that are damaged... and half of our main Mon Cal ships will need to go back to Mon Calamari for their repairs... and the bulk of the Imperial Fleet is still out there. We've won a great victory here, yes... but the war is far from over."

"Without the Emperor, though, they will fall," Home One's captain replied, "I'd think that is worth a celebration."

To that Admiral Ackbar nodded, "Indeed it is."

"What about the crippled Star Destroyers?" Home One's captain wondered, "and the T.I.E. pilots that weren't killed when their fighters were destroyed?"

"The T.I.E. pilots will be recovered," Admiral Ackbar answered, "and so far it seems the Imperial crews of the Star Destroyers they've stranded here are surrendering. The crews will be taken prisoner... and as for the Star Destroyers themselves, that will depend on whether or not they can be repaired enough to get to a real shipyard..."

"The Alliance using the Star Destroyers?" Home One's captain gasped.

"They're good ships," Ackbar sighed, "and the shipyards at Mon Calmari can not produce enough large warships to match the Empire's numbers... besides, most of our craft are of Imperial designs... one has to appreciate the irony of using the Empire's own weapons to destroy them."

Home One's captain chuckled slightly to that.

The hanger on Home One was a fairly different scene from the scene on the bridge. The starfighters couldn't play in the taking of prisoners from the Star Destroyers or even the T.I.E. pilots, and with no active Imperial Starfighters left in the area, the starfighters all began to return to Home One. As Luke brought his X-Wing into the hanger on Home One where Rogue Squadron was based, he found he someone waiting for him.

"Are you okay, mother?" Luke asked as he got out of his X-Wing and R2 was getting of the starfighter's droid socket.

"I'm fine, Luke," Padme gave a soft smile, "Just making sure that my family survived all of this."

He felt her worry and moved to give her a soft hug between mother and son. As far as he could tell, they had made it.

"Everything will be fine, mother," Luke assured her, "The Emperor is gone and with him, the Empire will fall."

"I'm sure you're right," Padme gave a soft smile, "but aren't I still entitled to worry a bit about my family?"

"I suppose," Luke shrugged and gave a slight smile.

Padme didn't get much longer to enjoy seeing her son alive as the rest of Rogue Squadron came over and began to voice their congratulations to Luke.

"We got 'em!" Biggs cheered as he and Wedge lifted Luke onto their shoulders.

"No more Empire!" Wedge cheered.

"Come on, guys, you did more then me to defeat this Death Star," Luke told them.

"Maybe," Hobbie said with a smile, "but still, we won! That calls for drinks all around doesn't it? Celebrate?"

"We'll throw a victory celebration never before seen!" Wedge nodded, "Fireworks, flyovers..."

He then glanced to see Padme standing quietly by Luke's X-Wing with Artoo joining her.

"Stuff like they've shown a lot in the holos about the Battle of Naboo," Wedge spoke, as if to get Padme involved, "Your mom could tell us how accurate they are."

"Most of the Imperial made movies of that battle are inaccurate," Padme spoke up, partially intrigued by the fact that Luke's squadron mates would know of a battle that occurred before they were born, and that they knew she was involved in it, "they tend to over hype the contribution of my old Palace Guards. They also remove the Gungans from the victory celebration over the Trade Federation. The real heroes of that battle were Luke's father and the Jedi Knights Obi Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn... and the Gungans played a very important role in the battle."

"You were there, though right?" Wedge wondered.

"Yes, yes, I was," Padme nodded, "I was still Queen then."

"So we could hold some celebration like that?" Wedge wondered.

"You'd have to clear things with the Admiral," Padme answered.

"I should have known I'd find you here," came a new voice.

Padme turned to see Mara Jade standing quietly by, looking up to Luke, still being carried on Wedge and Biggs' shoulders.

"You can set me down, guys," Luke said to them.

Wedge and Biggs complied and the Rogues began to move off for a moment. Luke thought he heard a couple of them snicker about him hanging out with his girlfriend.

"I'm sorry if they've irritated you," Luke spoke.

"You don't need to be sorry for anything, Luke," Mara gave a sigh, "I mostly wanted to see if I could make you squirm a little."

"Make me squirm?" Luke answered, beginning to sound nervous.

"Isn't that all you Rogues do? Crack jokes at one another?" Mara teased again.

"And shoot down starfighters," Luke answered.

Mara only shook her head and laughed a little. Padme watched quietly as the two young Jedi interacted, albeit awkwardly.

"It's good to see you alive, Luke," Mara said after a moment.

"It's good to see you alive too," Luke answered, "and... uh... you did quite well going after the Star Destroyers..."

"And you their starfighters," Mara slowly nodded, "even their Defenders..."

"They were tough, though," Luke commented slowly.

"So were the Star Destroyers," Mara nodded.

"JUST KISS ALREADY!" came holler from where the rest of the Rogues had moved to.

Mara looked up to see that they hadn't left the hanger. They finally scurried off when Mara glared at them.

"I'm sorry if they're starting things you don't want started," Luke said after a moment.

"Some things may have begun before them... or at least seen before they could," Mara commented. Luke looked on puzzled. "Before I even grew up really... when I was still a kid... I had visions of you and I in the future."

"Oh?"

"We were together," Mara said slowly, "and we had a child in these visions."

"I'd never force myself on you," was the first thing Luke said.

Mara only shook her head, "You're too much of a Farm Boy to force yourself on anyone..."

"Sorry."

"At first I thought these visions were set in stone... that they couldn't happen," Mara commented, "In time... I could see that things could be changed. My visions were only a possible future..."

Luke wisely stayed quiet this time.

"But when you volunteered to take on those Defenders in this battle... a good part of me was afraid you wouldn't make it," Mara said slowly, trying to sound tough, and largely failing, "... it's like I've realized some things... you may be a Farm Boy who's rather naive about a lot of things... but yet...you're brave..."

"You're attracted to me?" Luke asked, half surprised half confident.

"Don't let it go to your head, Farm Boy," Mara answered, "but yes... it's all strange... I feared those visions at first, thinking I would be forced into them..."

She gripped Luke to her in a hug.

"Now though... I want those visions to be real," Mara said slowly, "so I guess I'm laying my claim to you... you're MY Farm Boy, got it?"

"Yes, ma'am," Luke said with a rather dopy grin.

"Good," Mara answered and delivered what was Luke's first kiss.

Endor

The ship that crashed turned to be an Imperial Shuttle that made a rather rough landing about a mile or so to the west of where the Imperial base on Endor had been.

"Someone who escaped the Death Star before it blew?" Han wondered as he drew his blaster.

"I don't think so," Leia said nervously.

"This more of your Force stuff?" Han asked.

"Possibly," Leia gave an answer as they came closer.

Han only gave a sigh and turned to Ahsoka and Chewbacca, who had got there before he and Leia did.

"Are any hatches open?" Han asked.

"No hatches are open, but I think the main windshield was shattered when it hit the trees," Ahsoka reported, "I haven't gotten up there, yet."

The Togrutan Jedi made it up onto the top side of the crashed shuttle as Han and Leia reached Chewbacca. The Wookie looked rather nervous over something that he smelled, and Han could see it.

"What is it, Chewie?" Han asked him.

Before Chewie could answer, Ahsoka gave a gasp that was heard by everyone outside the fallen shuttle.

"Oh my stars..." Ahsoka gasped.

"What is it?" Leia asked.

"You guys might want to get up here," was Ahsoka's only answer.

Leia and Han were quick to scramble up to where Ahsoka had climbed to with Chewie following close behind. Ahsoka looked rather fearful and simply pointed down into the cockpit. Leia looked in, and found slumped in the pilot's chair and unconscious was her father, Anakin Skywalker. His skin and clothing was covered in several electrical burns of varying degrees of seriousness and his breathing appeared weak.

"We need to get him back to where our shuttles will come," Leia spoke quickly, "get him to Home One."

"Is there anyone else in there?" Han wondered.

"It looks like there's an Imperial Grand Admiral slumped on the floor behind him," Ahsoka answered, "but I think he's in much better shape, health wise."

"Let's get them out of there then," Han said, "Hopefully we can get your dad to medical treatment and the Imp to stand trial."

"Hopefully," Leia said slowly in a tone that sound relieved in any way.

They made their way into the cockpit and began their work. Leia and Ahsoka did their best to get Anakin out, though they had to use the Force to do so. They feared physical contact with some of the more serious burns would do him additional harm. Han ultimately handed Grand Admiral Declann to Chewie, who carried the Imperial Grand Admiral over his shoulder like he was a sack of grain. Once out, they rapidly made their way to the rest of the Rebels and where the Ewoks were still cheering the destruction of the Death Star.

C-3PO came with the Ewok chief that had hosted the Rebels in his village before the battle and had volunteered the help of his tribe and apparently the help of many of the other tribes in the area. The protocol droid found them collecting around the burning remnants of the 'backdoor' to the bunker. Many of the Ewoks were still voicing their cheerfulness at defeating the Imperials. They were quick to share their excitement with their chieftain.

"This is a glorious day," the Ewok chief said in his language, "the end of the ghost soldiers."

"I still worry about what this has done to your people," Threepio answered, "a million of them must have killed or wounded..."

"After the sins they committed, Goldgod, and the offenses they made, NO price is too much," the Ewok chief answered, "Our people will recover."

Threepio nodded politely. The Ewoks seemed to think him a god of some sort, no matter how many times he tried to explain he wasn't. While the chief moved to talk with the other Ewoks, he moved to talk to one of the commandos.

"Excuse me, sir," Threepio spoke, "Might I inquire as to how Master Solo and Mistress Leia and the others are... or to where they are?"

"They went to go investigate a shuttle that crashed near here," the commando answered, "Actually good to see you. You can tell us what the little fuzz balls have been saying."

"Mostly they are thanking you for assisting them against the 'ghost soldiers' as they've 'named' the Imperials," Threepio answered.

"At least someone is thanking us," the commando shrugged, making a joke that Threepio did not entirely understand.

He had no time to really say anything as a Rebel shuttle began to slowly land in the nearby area. At the same time Han's group returned to the area. Threepio turned and only gasped to see them carrying an unconscious and wounded Anakin as well as an unconscious Imperial Admiral, the exact rank Threepio didn't know.

"Oh dear! The maker!" Threepio said nervously as he came forward.

"He'll be fine, Threepio," Ahsoka assured him, though the tone of her voice didn't sound all that confident.

"We need to get him to Home One," Leia added.

"Oh dear," was all Threepio could say.

Home One

"So?" Mara asked Luke after pulling back.

"I... I..." Luke stuttered, not really sure what to say. He had enjoyed the kiss, and he found Mara to be very beautiful, but he didn't know what to say.

Mara only gave him a questioning look as Luke fumbled with what to say. Eventually he was able to process a response.

"I think you're very beautiful," Luke finally managed to say something.

On the bridge, Admiral Ackbar was in a more serious conversation. With the Death Star destroyed and the Emperor likely dead, he had to inform the rest of the Rebellion's leaders of the victory.

"Destroyed, you say, Admiral?" Mon Mothma asked.

"Yes, and the bulk of the Imperial Fleet destroyed or crippled," Ackbar nodded, "those that weren't destroyed have fled."

"They'll probably show up again," Garm Bel Iblis answered from his position in the holographic projection, "This might help us greatly in assuring ultimate victory... but Palpatine put a fair amount of structure into his Empire that will be tricky. The worst may be over... but I fear the war is far from over."

"I'm sure," Ackbar nodded, "I've already taken steps to insure that our damaged ships return to Mon Calamari for repair as soon as possible. We'll also try to see if we can repair the Star Destroyers the Imperials have surrendered repaired enough to move them..."

"Throw more of the Empire's own tech at them?" Iblis chuckled.

"It would ease the burdens on our shipyards when it comes to building ships," Ackbar nodded.

"You've done a lot to help us restore democracy to the galaxy, Admiral," Mon Mothma spoke, "so you have our thanks. How is Padme?"

"I would believe that for moment she is checking in on her family," Ackbar answered.

"Hopefully they've all made it," Bail Organa commented.

Admiral Ackbar nodded. The size of the battle that had been fought at Endor made it clear to him that there were a good many families that would have lost someone. Unfortunately, it was still far to early to know exactly who was dead or wounded.

"How safe is the area around Endor, now, Admiral?" Mothma asked.

"The Endor system is safe and free of Imperial ships," Ackbar reported, "If you wish to come here to make the announcement, the system is clear."

Meanwhile, Padme stood quietly by waiting for some sign that Anakin and Leia were okay. Luke and Mara had left for the moment, though Padme assumed it was probably to get cleaned up. Shuttles had been dispatched to recover the strike team on Endor, and Padme now waited for their return. After a few moments, a lone shuttle came into the hanger she was in. It wasn't assigned to this particular hanger, but Padme did know it was the shuttle that had gone down to the forest moon, based off of its communications with Home One's 'space traffic control'.

"Why is it landing here?" Padme wondered.

She had expected to move to one of the other hangers as the shuttle came in, but it didn't go to them. It came the hanger that Rogue Squadron and a couple of other starfighter squadrons were assigned to. It had come to where she was waiting and almost seemed to be in a fairly big hurry. She began to approach the shuttle as its main ramp came down. The first exit the shuttle was Leia, and she seemed surprised to see Padme standing there.

"Mother!" Leia gasped, "I didn't know you were here..."

"Evidently," Padme commented, "I'm here to make sure everything and everyone is alright. It is good to see you well."

Leia gave a have nervous sigh, which Padme caught.

"Leia, what is it?" Padme asked.

"Please promise me you'll be calm," Leia spoke slowly as she came down the ramp.

"I am calm," Padme answered, puzzled at why Leia was speaking this way, but knowing that something wasn't right, "What is wrong? They didn't kill Han did they?"

"Han is fine, mother," Leia spoke, "It's..."

At that moment Padme looked passed Leia to see Ahsoka moving a medical capsule through the door. Laying unconscious in it, with very labored breathing was Anakin.

"ANAKIN!" Padme screamed in horror, "What happened? Anakin, speak to me!"

"He went to confront the Emperor before the battle began," Ahsoka said nervously, "he felt that Palpatine would surely sense that his planned ambush had failed if he weren't distracted by something else. Leia and I argued to let us go with him, Mrs. Skywalker, but he refused."

Padme wanted to go to him, but found herself being restrained by Leia.

"We need to get him to the medical bay," Leia said firmly, "Quickly."

And that was when Padme knew why they had come to this hanger. Home One's main medical bay was close by. Far closer then it would have been had they landed in another hanger.

"Right this way," Padme urged, "hopefully he'll be alright. He has to be alright... and someone needs to get word to Obi Wan. Have him come here."

Padme moved beside the medical capsule while Ahsoka moved to push it along. Leia was quick to follow, when she felt Han's hand grasp her arm. She turned to him.

"Chewie and I gotta report to the Admiral," Han spoke, "Let him know how the battle on Endor went... probably tell him about some of the Ewok celebrations that Threepio was chirping about."

"I know," Leia nodded.

"I'll try to be as quick as I can and will meet you back in the Medical Bay," Han offered, "I don't think I can do much..."

"It'll be good just to have you there, Han," Leia said weakly, "Go on. I'll see you shortly."

Imperial Star Destroyer Chimaera

In route to Annaj, Gilad Pellaeon sat quietly as the wounded Imperial Fleet fled from the victorious rebels. The Death Star was destroyed, at least four Imperial Star Destroyers were destroyed and another four or five crippled and unable to escape the Rebels. And with them, Emperor Palpatine was dead, killed on the Death Star by Rebel saboteurs. The 501st Legion was either dead or soon to be taken prisoner on Endor. The Battle of Endor was easily the greatest single defeat the Empire/Old Republic had ever suffered in its lengthy history. No other defeat had produced results such as this.

"This victory will legitimize them," Pellaeon though to himself as he sat in his quarters, "and many that could reform things and actually make things better will turn to them."

Of course in spite of the defeat, Pellaeon did feel a strange sense of freedom. Like the Emperor had some spell over the men that had served him. Everything that had been done had been aimed at some Sith sorcery nonsense or these superweapons. All of them fool's errands. And it was foolish orders that had doomed them. The crew men of the fleet were exhausted from pulling construction shifts on the Death Star when the battle began. And to further things along, Teshik had kept the fleet in a tight blockade formation which the faster Rebel capital ships had used to their advantage. Had the men been rested and prepared for battle... and had they moved into a battle formation, Pellaeon was certain the Rebels would have been defeated, or at least suffered heavier loses to win.

"Sith worshiping fools," Pellaeon grumbled, "they wanted to win and decided to ignore any and all sound military strategy."

His sense of 'freedom' did not change Pellaeon's outlook on galactic politics. He still believed in maintaining a continuous and unbroken government. It began with the Old Galactic Republic, which became the First Galactic Empire when Palpatine had deemed things to be too dangerous or too corrupt to keep things as they were. Whether the government was a democracy or a monarchy, mattered little to Pellaeon. What mattered was continuality. He knew that various Imperial officers had committed atrocities, and he could honestly think that in time the Emperor had made some mistakes... or perhaps had outlived his 'usefulness' to the Empire.

But he could not justify the Rebellion. Had mistakes been made and had some of the wrong people found themselves in powerful places? Yes, but destroying everything by Rebellion was not the answer, and everything would be destroyed. He glanced to something on his desk and then sighed.

"Everything has been destroyed," Pellaeon said with a sigh to no one.

He was looking at a couple of data pads that contained an unofficial promotion. Due to brave and competent service, he was due to be promoted, and he found that his captain had put in a good word for him. Before the fleet had deployed to Endor, word came down, unofficially, that he was to be promoted to Captain. The official promotion was scheduled to be given by the Emperor personally as part of a victory celebration over the Rebellion. The end result, though was not what was planned. The Empire had been soundly beaten and the Emperor was dead. Worse, his captain was dead, which meant that anyone who could officially promote him was gone...

Within the fleet, Pellaeon's only hope was for the Empire to stay together and that the High Command on Coruscant, mostly a Council of Moffs and Grand Admirals appointed by Palpatine, would hold things together and manage to get a regrouping effort done. And in doing so, word of Pellaeon's unofficial promotion would reach them, and they would make it official.

But Pellaeon didn't give any hope for that. That was where the mistakes that were in the Empire would come back to bite it. Pellaeon was privately sure that many regional Moffs, who had always struck him as greedy and overly ambitious, would break away. Without the Emperor to unite them and keep them under control, the Empire would fragment into smaller and weaker pieces. This might help the Rebels gain some victories here and there, but it would also allow others to grow stronger. Forces in the Unknown Regions, the Hutts, the Mandalorians, and who knew what else. Things would not be better in the near future, Pellaeon was sure of that... and he could likely kiss his promotion goodbye.

Utapau

The aftermath of things in the Second Battle of Utapau also seemed to be going the Alliance's way. While the planet lay under Delvardus's regional command, and was supposed to be defended by his forces, the Tarkin relative and Imperial 'Moff' didn't counterattack the Rebel force that had liberated the world. For the elderly Obi Wan Kenobi, this offered a great opportunity to strengthen the Rebellion's position.

Obi Wan wasn't sure if their position was strong enough for the long term, but for the time being, he figured that if Utapau could be allowed to recover, they might still make valiant allies, at least in the region. And as he talked with local Utapauans, he had found that liberating the planet had another plus side to it. Apparently Palpatine had a storehouse in another section of the planet. What was there was unknown, but it was a storehouse which might aide in the Rebellion's recruitment efforts.

He had been so busy in dealing with affairs on Utapau that he had not received any notice on the victory at Endor. However, as he was dealing with a few minor talks, a Rebel officer came up to him. He seemed rather urgent about something.

"General Kenobi! General Kenobi!" the man said urgently.

"Yes... is something wrong?" Obi Wan asked patiently, "has the Empire counterattacked our thrust here?"

"No, sir," the officer answered, somewhat nervously, "It's an urgent message. From Endor."

"Endor..." Obi Wan said slowly, paused and then turned to the Pau'an who was apparently the administrative leader of the Utapauan peoples, "Please excuse me."

"It is no problem, Master Jedi," the Pau'an replied, "merely wishing to give you my thanks for freeing this planet and that Utapau will look forward joining your Alliance to Restore the Republic."

"That will be received well, thank you," Obi Wan nodded and moved to follow the Rebel officer. Once they'd gotten a fair ways away from the Pau'an, Obi Wan asked him the question that was on his mind, "what has happened at Endor? I assume the Death Star has been destroyed?"

"Yes, sir," the officer answered, "all reports indicate that the station was destroyed, the 501st Legion either dead or captured... or lost in Endor's forest, and Empire's main battle fleet defeated and practically crippled as a fighting force."

"That does sound like rather good news," Obi Wan commented, "So why does Admiral Ackbar wish to contact me so urgently?"

"The Admiral doesn't," the officer answered, "the person who has placed the call to you is Senator Amidala, sir."

That made him pause for a moment. Part of him wondered why Padme would be wanting to speak with him so urgently. He followed the officer to a shuttle and was soon back on his way the Peregrine, which had returned to a high orbit above Utapau. With the fighting there over, the LAATs were no longer needed for assaulting the planet... and for the most part, most of the Rebellions ground troops had already been returned to the Dreadnoughts they had come to Utapau on. Those that were still on Endor were only there to help the Utapauans get themselves back on their feet and for the moment. Rebel forces wouldn't remain on Utapau in great numbers unless asked or unless some major strategic objective in the area required using Utapau as a base. For the moment, Obi Wan didn't see that happening.

Upon returning to the Peregrine, Obi Wan was lead to one communications room where he found Padme's holographic image waiting. She did not look well. She looked afraid, worn, perhaps even heartbroken, which puzzled Obi Wan greatly. She had remained on Home One and had likely observed the battle there. And the officer had told him that the battle there had been a great success. If that was the case, why would she look so?

"Is something wrong, Padme?" Obi Wan asked.

"I fear so, Obi Wan," Padme said weakly, "I fear so..."

"What is it?" Obi Wan asked.

And then Padme said something that made Obi Wan, despite his age, despite his Jedi training, go pale with fear.

"It's Ani... I think he's dying," Padme said weakly.

Imperial Star Destroyer Chimaera, Over Annaj

Pellaeon slowly made his way back to the bridge as the Chimaera dropped out of hyperspace. What remained of the Imperial fleet that had fought at Endor had reached Annaj, and for the moment would be 'safe'. How long it would stay that way was a different matter. Pellaeon was privately sure that a fair number of the officers that made up the Empire's main battle fleet would break away as they Empire did. The Captains would either take their ships to the Captain's home sector, or would join up with some Moff or higher ranking Admiral that he felt deserved the right to rule some portion of the galaxy. Few would consider retaining a united front.

"We've reached, Annaj, sir," a navigation officer spoke from one of the crew pits.

"How are our communications?" Pellaeon asked.

"Long range communications are still online, sir," the navigation officer reported, "though, you'll need to use the Captain's command room. The systems here on the bridge are no longer functional."

Pellaeon knew that, based on the hole that an exploding T.I.E. Defender had made around the Chimaera's bridge. He then sighed heavily. The Captain's command room... something he'd never officially get a shot use now, since the men that could make his promotion official were dead.

"Very well," Pellaeon sighed, "I will be there... we have to let Coruscant know what has happened."

He didn't bother to listen to the other officer's response and moved silently toward the ship's command office. An area where the ship's captain on routine patrols could plan out every operation the ship undertook in detail... or could review orders that came down from the Fleet's command. On the large scale though, that function was no longer needed. The Empire's main fleet had lost a fair number of ships that were costly to build and carried large crew requirements, and even more were heavily damaged and all but crippled... and even the ships that escaped Endor were badly damaged. For all intents and purposes, there was no fleet and no Admiral to command it. And with the Emperor gone, Pellaeon was unsure that the Chimaera could even get a local assignment. But still Coruscant had to be informed of the disaster that had just befallen and potentially destroyed the Empire.

Pellaeon activated the main holo-communicators and set the settings for the Imperial Palace on Coruscant. He waited patiently until a gaunt looking man in official robes appeared. This was Sate Pestage, the man who had been one of Palapatine's right hand men in his rise to power along with Mas Amedda, and was currently the Empire's Grand Visor, and with rumors of Darth Executor being dead, was the man who would take over for the Emperor.

"What is it, Lieutenant?" Pestage demanded, sounding annoyed, "we are expecting word of the Emperor's triumph at Endor. The power of the Death Star is to be broadcast on all channels depicting the utter annihilation of the Rebels and an end to this war."

Another sign that that promotion would never come now.

"I am afraid, that it is that situation that I must report to you on," Pellaeon said slowly, "the victory did not happen and the Death Star has been destroyed."

"WHAT?" Pestage roared.

"And it gets worse," Pellaeon said slowly, "The Emperor was killed by Rebel saboteurs before the station was destroyed."

"And the casualties?" Pestage asked nervously.

"The Five hundred First Legion was completely routed in the field, with a total of one million men killed, wounded, or captured by the Rebels," Pellaeon said slowly, "The newly created Five hundred Second Legion suffered eighty percent casualties in the destruction of the Death Star. At Eight hundred thousand killed, wounded, and captured. Those that we recovered escaped in shuttles before the station was destroyed. The Empire's First Fleet has suffered the loss of four Imperial Star Destroyers destroyed completely. Another four were crippled and are now being taken as trophies by the Rebellion. And sixty percent of out starfighters were destroyed and their pilots lost with them. Total fleet casualties are approximately one point two five million men killed, wounded, or captured."

"Three point zero five million," Pestage said slowly.

"That is only a rough estimate given the known numbers available before the battle, and what I've been able to get from the other ship captains and officers on the fleet's surviving Star Destroyers."

Pestage gave a defeated groan. No casualties like that had ever occurred in a one day battle in the Old Republic/Empire's history, even in defeats. Some of the battles against the Confederacy of Independent Systems, particularly in the Outer Rim Sieges, produced total casualty counts that high, but those were lengthy battles lasting a month at the shortest and nearly a year at the longest, depending on how strong the CIS fortress was. And many different units commonly rotated in and out of these battles so that one legion wouldn't be worn down by these battles... Not even the destruction of the first Death Star had produced this many casualties in such a short period of time.

"Everything has changed, it appears," Pestage said slowly.

"Yes," Pellaeon nodded, "and the worst may be yet to come."

"I'm sure," Pestage nodded, "Once the fleet is ready, bring the entire fleet to Coruscant. We will need to regroup before the Rebels get bold enough to strike at the capital and insure that the Empire remains united."

"I'm not sure the fleet will follow me, sir," Pellaeon answered, "Officially speaking, I'm only a Lieutenant. Palpatine was scheduled to deliver my official promotion after the victory, which is now impossible... and even if it had been official, the promotion would have only made me a Captain, not responsible for the fleet."

"Needa effectively took charge of the fleet after the Devastator and Admiral Piett's death," Pestage answered, remembering reports he had briefed the Emperor on in the past, "Your promotion is official and the fleet will follow your orders until you arrive at Coruscant and an appropriate Admiral is found to command the fleet. That will be all CAPTAIN Pellaeon."

"Yes, sir," Pellaeon saluted and signed off.

With that over, and relieved to have his promotion made official, Pellaeon knew that getting the entire fleet to go to Coruscant would be impossible. The Empire had bred a desire to conquer and rule into many different officers, and was one of the problems Pellaeon had concerns with. Without the Emperor to keep them too afraid to go their separate ways, the fleet and the Empire were all destined to fragmentation and destruction.

Home One, Over Endor

Obi Wan flew as fast as he could to Endor upon hearing the report from Padme on Anakin's condition. He left Fenn Shysa to run things on Utapau with some of the other Rebel officers and rushed to Endor in an X-Wing that was part of the small wing of starfighters on the Peregrine. It lacked the high sub-light speed and maneuverability that the Eta-2 Actis Interceptor had in the Clone Wars, but the X-Wing was still an excellent ship in those qualities, and also possessed factors that made it an all around better starfighter. Stronger armor, shields, and also lacked the heavy maintenance requirements that its predecessor, the ARC-170. But, to Obi Wan, the fighter was merely transport between Utapau and Endor.

He found Padme waiting for him as he landed in one of Home One's hangers, looking distraught in many ways. Which he could understand. She loved Anakin deeply, and he had learned much from her on that love during the time that they were hiding on Alderaan. The Order's old rules had kept them apart and in secret, which gave them trouble, and when those rules were changed, they had to split up to protect their family from Palpatine. And now that it seemed likely that they were to get a chance at real happiness, Anakin was apparently dying. That had to be putting Padme through something awful and something Obi Wan could only guess at.

"It was good of you to come, Obi Wan," Padme said slowly.

"How is he?" Obi Wan asked, unable to hide his own nervousness.

"Not well," Padme answered weakly, "most of the burns were healed up with bacta patches... but he's still weak and growing weaker. Ahsoka and Leia have said that he went to make sure the Emperor couldn't escape the battle and succeeded in doing so, but it appears that he sustained fatal injuries or something. Nothing is working."

She was holding back tears, Obi Wan could sense that. Though he honestly wondered how he would keep from breaking down. Anakin had been his apprentice in the Jedi Order, and the two of them had been like brothers in the Clone Wars. Now the small boy that he had trained, who had been stronger in the Force then any other Jedi in the Order's history, was apparently dying. To Obi Wan, it shouldn't have had to be this way.

In the medical area, Anakin's eyes fluttered open to find Ahsoka, Luke and Mara, along with Leia and Han standing in one of the Rebellion's flagship's medical wards. He could feel that there were bacta patches on him to treat the aftereffects of Palpatine's Sith Lightning. Even with that, though, he still felt very weak. Much of that came from his anchoring Palpatine's spirit to him. The Sith Lord's spirit attacked violently from within him, but couldn't break free. All Palpatine's spirit could do was kill him... but in doing so, that would doom Palpatine as well. For as Anakin went into the Force's 'netherworld' so would Palpatine, and the Emperor would never threaten anyone again. His family would be safe from him forever. And in that, Anakin had an odd sense of peace.

"Are you alright, Master?" Ahsoka asked him first.

"In a way," Anakin coughed out, "Though I think that is the end for me."

"There's got to be something we can do," Luke spoke up, "something we can do to help..."

"There is nothing more that can be done," Anakin told him, "my journey... my destiny was always linked to defeating Palpatine. Yours, Luke, Mara, and Leia... yours will be around rebuilding the Jedi Order and truly restoring the Republic... and you'll have Obi Wan as a mentor for that... and Ahsoka can help you train the former younglings completely. And with them, the Empire will be finished."

"We wouldn't have gotten this far without you," Han spoke, "have to admit it... you've done a lot... and..."

"You have my blessing to marry Leia, if that is what you're after," Anakin chuckled weakly, "hopefully the two of you will get a better shot at happiness then Padme and I did..."

"DON'T SAY THAT!" came Padme's voice from the door.

He turned his head to see Padme and Obi Wan there. Padme appeared to be in tears and Obi Wan actually appeared to be fairly close behind her in that department. Padme rushed to him.

"You'll be fine... you'll get better!" Padme clutched at him, "Please, Anakin! Don't say things like that! Get better!"

"Things will get better," Anakin answered, "You're strong, Padme. Far stronger then I ever imagined when I was younger... I never realized it, and if it weren't for Qui-Gon, I might have followed Palpatine trying to save you from my nightmares, not knowing that you were stronger then them..."

"So you and Obi-Wan have said..." Padme still clutched at him, "but... I love you, Anakin! Don't leave me! Please... please don't leave me! It'll break my heart..."

"I'm sorry, Padme," Anakin coughed again, he could feel his body growing weaker, "this is for you... I may go... but you and Obi Wan will go on..."

"I don't love Obi Wan. I love you," Padme answered.

"That wasn't what I meant," Anakin sighed, "Obi Wan... please..."

"I don't want you to die, either, Anakin," Obi Wan sighed, "I trained you from a small boy... and you were a brother to me in the Clone Wars... I loved you, as a brother would."

Anakin felt Padme clutch at him tighter. Anakin did love both them back, Padme as husband, Luke and Leia as a father, Mara and Han as potential "in-Laws", and Obi Wan as a brother. But he could feel that his time was rapidly growing shorter.

"I know... growing up you were like a father to me," Anakin said weakly, "hopefully I've made you proud..."

"Please, Anakin..." Padme begged, "Please stay with us..."

"I can not escape my destiny," Anakin said weak weakly, "I love you..."

And with that the room fell silent. Padme looked down as Anakin's eyes closed for the last time.

"Anakin?" she said weakly.

No answer came. Padme spoke again, desperate for some response. Some home that Anakin was still alive.

"Anakin!" Padme began to shake him physically, "ANAKIN!"

And with that she collapsed crying into his shoulder.

A Few Hours Later

The shuttle coming from Mon Calamari and carrying the Rebel Alliance's chief leaders landed to find things quiet and a strange sense of mourning going through the entire fleet. Some of that could be expected as the battle could not have been without some loss, and as it came in, the Rebellion's leaders did notice the obvious damage that was on every ship in the Rebel fleet as well as several wrecked Imperial Star Destroyers as well. But the Death Star was gone and so was the Imperial Fleet. Clearly the Battle of Endor was a victory for the Rebel Alliance. Yet, the only person waiting for them was Admiral Ackbar.

"Something is wrong," Mon Mothma said nervously as the landing ramp went down.

The others that were with them nodded. Most of the Rebellion's government had left Home One for Mon Calamari before the Rebel forces had moved to make the attacks toward Utapau and Endor to insure that if the Empire had won, the Rebellion would be ale to manage some recovery and move on. It wasn't expected that they would have an easy road, but it was expected that they would be able to recover and ultimately find some way to move forward... eventually. But they had won and the Empire would fall.

Yet things did not look right. Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, Garm Bel Iblis had survived the battle by moving to Mon Calamari, the Rebellion's intelligence chief, Borsk Fey'lya had gone with them, to make sure that if something had gone wrong, the Rebellion would be able to build some political framework to recover from the a defeat. But the reports that had reached them had indicated that the battle had been won and there was no perceived need for recovery. But something still appeared to be wrong.

"We'd best go," Bail said to Mon Mothma, "Whatever is wrong, I doubt they'll tell us over a radio or comm.-link."

Mon Mothma nodded and stood up. She then moved toward the landing ramp as the others slowly followed her. In addition, the others then followed her. and made their way toward Admiral Ackbar who was waiting for them as they returned to Home One. As they did so, Mothma began the meeting with the question that was on her mind.

"You've done well Admiral Ackbar," Mon Mothma spoke to the Mon Calamari Admiral, "your victory here has surely restored peace to the galaxy."

"Yes," Ackbar nodded, "though not without an obvious cost."

"Yes," Mon Mothma nodded, "Hopefully we will be able to recover."

Ackbar nodded, "Yes... but some of the cost is a bit more related to the High Command and so forth."

"Is Padme..." Bail Organa gasped, knowing that Padme had remained on Home One during he battle.

"She is fine," Admiral Ackbar nodded, "General Skywalker, however, has died of wounds sustained confronting the Emperor directly. The Jedi believe that Palpatine would have escaped had he not done so."

"So as Palpatine is gone," Iblis commented, "besides, don't the Jedi believe that General Skywalker was their 'Chosen One'?"

"Yes," Organa nodded, "destined to bring the Force back into balance, if Obi Wan is correct. And Anakin was a good candidate to do so. The strongest Jedi ever..."

"And thus the 'Force' would be balanced then," Iblis commented, "Palpatine being the most powerful Sith and General Skywalker the most powerful Jedi. It is a shame that he can not enjoy the victory though..."

Mothma and Organa nodded. Anakin and Garm Bel Iblis had had their battles over things the Rebellion did and Iblis's criticisms of the Jedi Order's failure to detect and defeat the Sith before it was too late, but the Corellian Senator had no hatred of the Jedi Order. The sense that this result was not fair did hit all of them.

"How is Padme?" Organa asked after a moment.

"Not good," Ackbar said slowly, "If you wont her present for the announcement of the Empire's defeat, we will need to postpone things by a full day, at least."

"I think we only need one person for that," Mothma commented...

"Go on ahead," Iblis sighed, "you are the Rebellion's 'face'..."

Mothma only sighed.

"Where is Padme?" Organa asked, "I would like to give her my condolences."

"She and the Jedi haven taken Anakin's body down to Endor for Jedi burial," Ackbar answered solemnly.

"If you don't mind, I will join them," Organa spoke.

Endor

The pyre had been constructed of small tree trunks, branches, and dried moss and held together by various sinews. Much of this was provided by the Ewoks, who while they were still eager to celebrate the destruction of the Death Star, they did recognize and sympathize with the grief that the Skywalker family had for Anakin's death. Han traversed the galaxy back to Mon Calamari in the Falcon with Lando to retrieve Padme's family and they had just returned.

Padme wasn't doing much better, and her eyes were red with tears. She hugged Sola and her parents firmly, and tried hard to avoid breaking down, but Anakin had been the love of her life. And now after everything, he was gone. Obi Wan wasn't much better off. Memories of Anakin saving him his various, and at times klutzy, mistakes. The two of them flying through the battles over Coruscant to confront Count Dooku for the last time. While Padme had lost a husband, to Obi Wan, he had lost both a son and a brother. But, because Padme was too grief stricken to say anything, it fell to Obi Wan to give Anakin's final farewell. It wasn't something common in the Jedi Order's history, as the Order had taught its members that individuals were unimportant in comparison to the pursuit of peace. But Anakin was different. He was the Chosen One. He deserved that much.

"Today we say goodbye to a great Jedi and a good man," Obi Wan spoke softly and slowly, "he had his mistakes, as we all do... but he overcame them. He has done what very few... even among the Jedi... have ever done. And ultimately he has brought about something that the Jedi has long hoped and prayed for... balance within the Force. The Sith threat is now gone and dead forever. The Dark Side may remain... but the Sith who have deliberately used it to pervert and destroy are no longer a threat. All thanks to the man we have come to say goodbye to, Anakin Skywalker."

Obi Wan paused for a moment and then continued.

"But he was more then that," Obi Wan said slowly, "he was a husband and father. Who loved his family dearly. And I can proudly say that he was my brother. And we will all miss him very much."

The others nodded as Obi Wan then touched the torch to the pyre and they all watched in silence as Anakin's body was ceremonially burned as all Jedi were when they died.

Coruscant

Bells began to ring throughout the planet wide city. People were shouting and cheering. Mon Mothma had announced that the Rebel Alliance had defeated the Empire at Endor and that Emperor Palpatine's rule was over. There was again a call to join the 'Rebellion' and for all Imperial garrisons to surrender and present all records on their activities under Palpatine's rule. From the windows of the Imperial palace, Sate Pestage watched as the people fired off fireworks, attacked stormtroopers of the First Legion and began pulling down the three million statues of Palpatine that had been erected during the Emperor's rule. Pestage knew the fighting would go on, but he suspected that this was a sign of further troubles for him and the Empire.

Naboo

An elderly black skinned human looked out at the brightly lit square outside what had once been the offices of the Naboo Queen. Panaka had been placed as the Moff for Naboo's sector and had remained loyal to Palpatine. The man had held the Old Republic together through the Clone Wars, and he could never understand why Padme Amidala had sided with the Rebellion. Had she forgotten all the horrors that the CIS had brought on Naboo? The invasion? The later plague that was unleashed... even if it was on Gungans? He couldn't justify the destruction of Alderaan, but he did excuse it. As, if the Rebels hadn't fought, there would have been no need for its destruction.

But now, things were rapidly changing. He had seen Mothma's announcement on the death of Palpatine and the Empire's defeat at Endor and new things were changing. The very people that were out to destroy EVERYTHING in war had won. And to his great surprise the people of Naboo were cheering it. He could hear their chants and saw several waiving flags from the rooftops.

Tatooine

Owen and Beru Lars managed to catch Mon Mothma's announcement and gave a soft smile. The creation of the Empire had once been a godsend to Owen. It created some semblance of order on a wild planet like Tatooine. But ultimately, even that order seemed hollow. Crime was still rampant in the cities and the Imperial garrison did little to protect the moisture farmers from the Tuskans.

Owen did get his farm running again after returning to Tatooine, though he found that Anakin had apparently worked something out to get him the various supplies and even skilled laborers to do so. He guessed some of them were Rebel operatives, but it did get his farm running and even gave him the ability to talk with his step-brother when there was the possibility. And Owen figured that with the Emperor now dead, things would begin to change for the better.

Bespin

The citizens of Bespin all cheered, and cloud cars flew around Cloud City further spreading the news of the Emperor's demise. The planet had joined the Rebellion formally after Vader's death at Luke and Mara's hands there, and had been supplying the Rebellion with some of the raw materials that they needed. Much of it due to Lando Calrissian's efforts, and news of the Empire's defeat at Endor gave them the hope that the Empire would be able to retaliate against them.

Endor

And on the surface of the forest moon, the celebration of the victory that the Ewoks had been waiting for finally began. The death of Anakin Skywalker was a hard blow for the Rebellion, but the victory was greater then that, and everyone knew that Palpatine would never threaten anyone again. There were battles ahead, but there was a great sense of confidence. The Empire would fall and democracy would be restored.

And it was in that mood that many members of the Rebel Alliance came down to the forest moon and joined the Ewoks in their celebration. A few starfighter pilots even flew flyovers and launched fireworks as they did so, which seemed to delight the Ewoks that saw them. Han, Leia, Chewie, and Lando all shared stories on what had gone on in the battle while Ahsoka, Kira, and Obi Wan sat with Threepio listening to the various celebratory words the Ewoks had for them.

Padme had recovered enough to stand by, talking with her family and with Bail Organa over the best times she had had with Anakin... and promised that it would be those things she would try to cling to.

"Things look pretty good," Mara commented to Luke as she approached him leaning against the trunk of one of the trees the Ewok village had been built in.

"And a bright future is on the horizon," Luke commented, "how do you think we'll manage to train all the former younglings?"

"Reasonably well, I'd suppose," Mara commented and then decided to tease him a little, "of course the real test for us will be parenthood when we get that far."

"Let's wait until we get that far," Luke commented and then looked out to see something that made him smile, "look..."

Mara looked and then gave a smile and motioned for Kira, Leia, Ahsoka, and Obi Wan to come over. There were a few puzzled looks but they came nonetheless. And they approached to see three Force spirits there. One was Master Yoda, the Grand Master of the Old Jedi Order, and Mara's mentor. Another was Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi Wan's teacher who opened all of them to the details of the Emperor's evil. The last was Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One. He had come, balanced the Force and then returned to it. And even while he wasn't physically there, Luke and Leia hoped his spirit would live on in the hearts and minds of all that heard his story.

The End...

Author's Note: I do have plans for a "sequel" of sorts, taking on the Alliance and the Empire's continued fight after Palpatine's death... but there are other projects I'm presently working on or have plans for and I do not know when I will get a sequel to this saga out.