Star Wars: Rebels: Obscured Ambition

Disclaimer: Star Wars Rebels and all Star Wars characters and Lore are not my property, as they are all owned by Lucasfilm and the Walt Disney Company.

A/N: Well, here it is my most appreciated readers, the final chapter of the sequel, the end, for now anyway. Enjoy!

Chapter 12: Into the Unknown

As the battle on the surface of Lehon below had been taking place, the Oblivion had maneuvered is a hard port turn in order to bring all her weaponry on that side to bear against the incoming Rebel strike force. On the bridge of the Imperial frigate, Captain Suradasa watched the approach of the enemy forces with undivided attention. The Rebels had chosen to move in as a single formation, square in shape with two of the Corellian blockade runners in front with the lead one, the Liberator, coming up behind them with the Hammerhead corvette to her port side.

"Captain, the enemy will be in range in twenty seconds!" one of the officers called out from his station. The sublight engines simmered down as the officer at the helm began to even out the rotation, the Oblivion coming to a halt with a perfect hard port turn to face the enemy, "Ten seconds!"

"Steady... hold…" Captain Suradasa raised his right arm, hand open, as he spoke. A full broadside had to be timed just right for maximum impact.

Over on the bridge of the Liberator, Fleet Commander Jun Sato relayed his own instructions to his crew as well as the personnel on the other ships.

"Fire as soon as we're in range!" he couldn't help but feel a twinge of unease at the reply his got from the deck officer.

"We won't be in range for thirty more seconds, sir!" the Rebel commander wasted no time with his own reply.

"All ships, transfer power to the forward deflector shields!" a smart move that came too late.

"Fire! Fire all!" the Imperial captain shouted as he brought his arm down in a swiping gesture to enunciate his point.

It was done within the next instant. All portside batteries, the laser cannon turrets, the proton torpedo launchers, and the concussion missile launchers blasted to life as they unleashed their firepower directly at the Rebel ships in front of them. The majority of the full broadside slammed directly into the two Corellian blockade runners leading the Rebel formation. The result was overwhelming as immediately the forward twin turrets on both ships were demolished. In addition, both their deflector shields and engines were disabled.

The blockade runner on the left, however, was more fortunate than the one on the right, which lay ahead of the Liberator. Sato and the rest of his crew on the bridge of the Rebel command ship watched in horror as the magazine on ship in front of them was penetrated, the ensuing explosion ripping the medium Corellian starship in half and effectively destroying it, sending both the bow and aft sections drifting off in opposite directions. The magazine on the blockade runner to the left was not breached, but she was still crippled with the loss of her shields and engines. At this point, finally, the Rebel strike force was in range of the Imperial frigate, and already down almost half of their present numbers.

"Return fire! Return fire, now!" Sato ordered through the chaos around him. Both the Liberator and the Hammerhead corvette to her left had been hit by the broadside as well, though their damage was minimal in comparison. All laser turrets and cannons on the remaining Rebel ships opened fire immediately, though they had little effect as the shields on the Oblivion held up with little strain.

The remaining TIE fighter squadrons on the Imperial frigate launched from her hangar bay, and were soon followed by the lone squadron of TIE bombers carried onboard as well. At the same time, the personal shuttle of the Grand Inquisitor was entering the area of battle as the ship approached through lower orbit. Captain Suradasa wasted no time giving the TIE fighters instructions to keep the attention of the Rebel starships while the shuttle closed in on the hangar bay inside the frigate. The protection of his superiors and what they carried with them was to take immediate priority.

The squadron of TIE bombers, meanwhile, made right for the Liberator and the Hammerhead corvette, as they were still the Rebel ships with the least amount of damage. Sato ordered the turrets moved to engage the bombers, but they couldn't match their speed in time. One by one, the incoming bombers flew over the two Rebel ships in the back of the formation, deploying their payloads of proton bombs as they did so. The bombs punctured right through the deflector shields and detonated in a series of chaotic explosions that rattled both the blockade runner and corvette. Emergency alert alarms sounded on the bridge of the Liberator. Sato and both pilots were nearly thrown from their seats as the technicians stumbled about the room, a couple left on their hands and knees before they got back up. One of them studied the console they'd been assigned to before relaying over his shoulder at an alarmed rate.

"Commander, half of our weapon systems were just knocked out! No readings from Turret A at all!"

"We can't fall back just yet! We need to give Captain Syndulla more time! Recall all starfighters! We won't survive another direct hit like that!" the Rebel officer ordered immediately and sharply.

"Yes, sir!"

It was only a couple of minutes later, when, over on the bridge of the Oblivion, both Grand Inquisitor Dunkel Nachtgeist and Inquisitor Starkiller walked in from outside, immediately making their way over to Captain Suradasa, who had been observing and directing the battle with focus. He turned to face his two superiors and immediately stood at attention as he saluted, and both Inquisitors returned the gesture.

"Stand at ease, Captain. I see you have things well in hand up here," the Evocii stated as he peered out at the Rebel ships being pummeled outside.

"Glad we could make it for the grand finale," Starkiller added in a droll voice as he did the same.

"This battle will be over momentarily, sirs. You can depend on it," Captain Suradasa replied without hesitation. Nachtgeist nodded as he gave his own reply.

"So to it immediately. Our way back to the hyperspace lanes must be cleared now that our business on the planet below is concluded. We mustn't keep his excellency, the Emperor, waiting."

"Of course not, sir! Everyone, I want the next broadside ready ASAP! Our task is almost complete!" the Imperial officer relayed to his crew, who continued scrambling to carry out their tasks.

By now the fighting on the surface had come to a halt. The Rebels on the Ghost were leaving the atmosphere and, just as the Imperial shuttle that had gone ahead of them, the moment they cleared the clouds obstructing their view, they could clearly see out from the cockpit windshield that the battle in orbit remained in full swing, though at this point the other Rebel ships that remained intact were struggling to hold out.

"Looks like the Commander could use some backup!" Zeb growled as he eyed the drifting wreckage of the Corellian blockade runner that had already been destroyed.

"Time to do some damage!" Ezra agreed as he narrowed his eyes at the Imperial frigate ahead of them. He had reluctantly left Rex in the medbay to apply his own bacta wraps, his attention needed on what remained of the fight ahead of them. Despite the resolution to jump into the fray displayed by Ezra and Zeb, the Twi'lek pilot immediately shook her head in dismissal.

"That's gonna be a negative. The longer we stay here the more we risk losing more ships, and Imperial reinforcements could already be on their way. I'm going to alert the Liberator that we're clear. Everyone, get to your battle stations!"

"We're on it!" Sabine replied and both the Padawan and the Lasat warrior quickly followed the Mandalorian out the doors. This would require a team effort, as per usual.

Back on the Liberator, the technician relayed an update to Sato just moments later. His voice was frantic yet controlled, showing discipline.

"Sir, Captain Syndulla and her crew just cleared the atmosphere! The evacuation is complete! Your orders?!"

"What about our fighter squadron?" the Rebel officer inquired immediately.

"All efforts to hail them have failed, sir. We can't reestablish communications with any of the pilots. With respect, sir, we may have to assume the worst!" the sense of urgency in his subordinate's voice was not lost on Sato, but he felt reluctant to order a retreat with the fate of an entire squadron uncertain. That delay would be brought to a halt not but a moment later when the Oblivion unleashed another full broadside.

"All power to forward shields!"

This time, the crippled Corellian blockade runner on the left in front ignited in a series of explosions as her main reactor was breached. Quickly, the entire starship was incinerated from within, culminating with her engines burning out and flames bursting through the windshield on the bridge. Her hull split into fragments just seconds later as the reactor imploded completely.

The Hammerhead corvette to the left of the Liberator was already on the verge of losing her shields, and this time the broadside knocked them out completely. Her crew had still been attempting to assess the damage from the bombers. A chunk of her starboard hull broke off, exposing the interior rooms and corridors on that side to the vacuum of space. Any unfortunate crew caught in that particular chaos were sucked out quickly, screaming as they did so. The staff on the bridge were able to contain the crippling blow by sealing off blast doors in the interior of the hull, but without any deflector shields active, it was merely a stalling measure from inevitable total destruction. The squadron of TIE bombers were closing in to deliver the final blow to both remaining Rebel ships.

"Pull back! All forces pull back! Get us out of here!" Sato ordered, his confidence waning at the disastrous events surrounding him and his crew. If those who weren't already dead stayed any longer, they were as good as dead anyway.

Almost immediately, the Liberator and the Hammerhead corvette began hard turns in a bid to escape the battle that had steadily been turning against them since the start. With Hera flying in at full throttle, the Ghost intercepted the squadron of TIE bombers just before they could begin their next run. The modified light stock freighter was quickly surrounded by TIE fighters coming to the aid of the bombers, but her holding shields and increased rate of speed over the larger Rebel ships gave her a greater chance against the odds.

"We'll keep the TIE's occupied as long as we can, Commander. Get into hyperspace as soon as you're able!" the leader of Phoenix Squadron relayed to her superior over the comm.

"You have our utmost gratitude, Captain Syndulla! The rest of you, divert all power to the engines and aft shields, and finish calculating our jump out of here!"

All the while, back on the bridge of the Imperial frigate, Captain Suradasa and his two superiors continued observing the carnage just outside. Starkiller mused aloud at the sight before them.

"Well, they definitely appear to understand they can't keep this up," as he finished, the younger Inquisitor shifted his glance over to the Imperial officer as the latter spoke up, determined.

"They won't escape! We must pursue!" Captain Suradasa was ready to give the order to chase down the fleeing Rebel strike force, but was halted the moment the Grand Inquisitor raised his gloved hand to halt him, "Sir?"

"Let them go, Captain. We simply needed them out of our way. Our objective here is already complete. We will only delay the next phase of the operation by giving chase. Rest assured, when my plans come to fruition, they won't be so fortunate a second time," Nachtgeist explained as he gave his new orders, his tone confident and reassuring under his usual unnerving scowl.

"Very well, sir," Captain Suradasa replied respectfully in affirmation.

"Recall all forces, and prepare to receive the excavation teams from the surface. We are to pull out and rendezvous with the rest of the fleet at Fondor as soon as all is accounted for," the menacing Dark Side master added. The final two phases of Operation: Infinite Horizon were within reach, at last.

After the last of the fighting up in orbit had come to an end, back down at the summit of the Temple of the Ancients, the mysterious, hooded, corporeal figure stepped out from the dissipating smoke and stooped as he gazed up at the clouds, as if seeing the ships that had ceased fighting only moments prior. His deep blue eyes then briefly peered over to his bronzium statue before resuming his previous focus. His eyes were surrounded by a tan-skinned face with a thin bearded and mustache stubble. He spoke softly and knowingly to himself as he mused aloud.

"They are strong, they are capable, but they still have much to learn."

And with that, the shade of Revan faded away as he lowered his head once more. His time may have come and gone, but his legacy continued to endure.

It wasn't long after the TIE squadrons broke off their pursuit that the remaining Rebel starships, the two in front on the verge of breaking down under the strain of their damage, quickly seized their chance and jumped straight into hyperspace the moment the coordinates back to safe haven were punched in. There was little room for doubt in the minds of anyone on the three ships that they were allowed the chance to escape. They also understood that a close call like that was not likely to occur again.

It took four days for the remains of the Rebel strike force to limp back to Atollon, having to make an emergency stopover on Dantooine for some spot repairs just to prevent the permanent loss of the Hammerhead corvette. The detour, while risky, also served to help hide the trail back to Chopper Base. It was apparent even after touching down back at said base that both the Liberator and her fellow survivor would be out of commission for some time.

The debriefing had been disappointing for everyone present, to say the least. Sato was visibly upset at the revelation that next to nothing was uncovered regarding the top secret Imperial operation that had cost nearly half of the base's naval forces. Ezra had briefly considered showing the holocron he'd retrieved once more, as some measure of success given the knowledge it held, but decided against it. He knew if it were out in the open, Kanan would likely sense it, and the Padawan knew his instructor would never approve of him keeping such a relic of the Dark Side. Hera, who had been present for the meeting, most likely would have objected at the sight of it as well.

He also decided against telling Sabine the truth regarding why he'd gone after the Grand Inquisitor, which was specifically to retrieve it. Alternatively, he had to be honest with himself however much he didn't like it on two counts; he likely wouldn't have been able to get it back at all if Nachtgeist hadn't thrown it for him to chase after, and he would need to keep his possession of it an even deeper secret than before. He was both surprised and relieved that Sabine hadn't gone to Kanan to inform him about it as of yet, even after their return from the less than successful mission.

It wasn't long after the debriefing when said Mandalorian found him sitting atop the roof of the Ghost, legs hanging over the side of the hull. He didn't need to turn around from where he was perched, looking out to the setting sun just above the horizon to sense her approach.

"May I join you?" hearing the uncertainty in her voice, he looked back at her over his shoulder with a light, reassuring smile.

"You're always welcome to join me, Sabine," after everything that had transpired over the last few days, he couldn't bring himself to be upset at her anymore. Life was much too short to waste like that. He was relieved that she felt the same. He didn't need to ask, it was apparent from her response. She returned his smile as she walked over and took a seat at his side, sighing with contentment as she eyed the view he'd been enjoying.

"It's definitely beautiful."

"Yeah, sure is," he smirked as she caught of where his eyes were as he replied, firmly fixated on her face. She rolled her eyes, but playfully grinned at his cheesy remark. In the old days, she may have scoffed at such an obvious flirt. Those days were long over, however.

"You're too much sometimes, but I think I've grown used to it," she replied in a like manner.

"I'm glad," his expression suddenly shifted to one of seriousness as she felt his hand reach over and slip into her own. She watched him with rapt attention as he signed solemnly, cleared his throat, and continued with utmost sincerity, "Sabine, I want you to know I'm sorry about what happened, a few days ago that is. I really am," he kept his eyes on hers even as he felt her tighten her grip around his fingers.

"So am I, Ezra. Mistakes were made, but please remember, you never have to doubt that you have people here who genuinely care about you, including me," her tone was like his once again. Her smile returned as she saw him nod instantly.

"I won't, and never doubt how much I care for everyone here, including you."

"Never."

His own smile returned as she shifted closer to him and leaned on his shoulder, giving another contented sigh as she closed her eyes, allowing the feeling of the moment to wash over her. She didn't object when he put an arm around her, pulling in snugly. He rested his head atop hers as his gaze returned to the setting sun. They both knew whatever happens, they would face it together, surrounded by friends, family, and loved ones.

All the while, over the refueling station that was positioned just inside the outer orbit of the Far Rim world of Darvrannis, the Imperial Fourth Fleet was assembled and prepped for another lengthy voyage. Just beyond the system, the infinite expanses of the Unknown Regions awaited beyond the edge of the known Galaxy. This was the next destination of Grand Inquisitor Dunkel Nachtgeist, who stood at the front of the bridge on his flagship as he studied the stars and cosmic rays that lay ahead. The menacing Dark Side master could sense Vice Admiral Paelleon approach him from further back inside, coming to stand at his side and share the view with him.

"The final preparations for your dispatch have been completed, sir. You are set to begin at your leisure," the older Imperial informed his superior respectfully without delay. Without even shifting his gaze, the Grand Inquisitor replied, his tone sincere and confident.

"Very good, Paelleon, then I shall depart immediately. I leave you in command of the fleet in my absence. I may be gone a few weeks, or even a few months, but know that I will return, and when I do, I will bring back with me a new beginning for the entire Galaxy, straight from the holobooks of legends."

"I have utmost confidence in you, sir. The Emperor will be pleased," Paelleon agreed with a nod.

"Indeed he will, as will I, and everyone back home..."

Even with the dozens upon dozens more of starships in the assembled Fourth Fleet, ranging from Marauder corvettes and Victory Frigates, to Interdictor cruisers and top of the line Resurgence Star Destroyers, this collective mass of Imperial military might would pale in comparison to what was to come, to what was about to return to the Galaxy…

A/N: Well, here it is my most valued readers. Once again, I cannot thank you all enough for your support and encouraging responses to my writing, here. You make this possible, you inspire me. I attribute the success of this ongoing series to each and every one of you as much as myself. Work on the third and currently the final installment in this trilogy, Star Wars: Rebels: The Promised Day, has already begun. I expect it to be out some time before New Year's Day or shortly over. Thank you again to each and every one who has read, followed, favored, and reviewed regarding this series thus far. Until next time, and remember, Happy Holidays to everyone! :)

Update: The first chapter of Star Wars: Rebels: The Promised Day is now up!