Disclaimer: See Summary.

A/N: Hey, what's up everyone? (Dodges incoming projectiles) *Sigh* I get it. I haven't updated this story since last year. I apologize for this. I hope this can make up for it. I'd also like to point out that this chapter also would have been out sooner if the darn website hadn't decided to keep crashing on me, preventing me from navigating my account. This is going to be the longest chapter in the story, and possibly the longest single document I've written, ever.

This is it. The final chapter. I must say, when I posted the first chapter of Altered Destinies over a year ago, I didn't realize just how much positive feedback it would get. I'll go over this in more detail in the Author's note at the end. For now, know that I will not be going down the expected path with some of the events in this chapter. I'm also very sorry this took so damn long. School's been a pain in the ass, and then I had a full time job, and now I'm back in school. So yeah.

Also, for anyone wondering why I moved this story to the Movies: Star Wars section, I feel that it fit better there than in the Cartoons: Star Wars Rebels section, since it has expanded beyond Rebels and into the Movies at this point.

Also, there may be some swearing/cursing, violence, and possibly instances/mentions of alcohol consumption in this chapter.

Anyway, enjoy.

Mina snapped awake with a jolt. The first thing she was aware of was that she was in a cell. She looked around, confused about how she got there. That's when she noticed someone talking nearby.

"Make sure not to let anyone get to the Shield Generators, or this whole station is going to go down." Stalker snapped. He glanced over his shoulder at his prisoner and smirked. "Just make it happen, Commander. I have to go now, my prisoner has awakened." He deactivated his com link and turned to face her. "So, you've finally decided to wake up. Congratulations, I guess." He said, with a hint of sarcasm.

Mina growled as she pulled against her restraints. "Don't bother," Stalker said. "I've learned from our last little get together. You're a lot harder to contain than you look."

"Thanks," Mina grunted as she continued to pull. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Stalker scowled at her. "Regardless, you won't be getting out until I decide to let you out myself."

"You won't like it when I get out of here," Mina replied. "When I do, you're dead."

Stalker chuckled, which caught the Togruta woman off guard. "You don't get it, do you?" He asked. Then, he threw his arms out to the sides, as if to gesture to the area around him. "I'm already dead." Satisfied that he'd properly frightened her, he smiled and turned away with a swish of his cape. With the flick of his wrist, her restraints deactivated and she fell over.

"Meals are at six in the morning, twelve noon, and six in the evening, not a moment before, not a moment later." Stalker said as he walked away. "The chamber across from your bed is the restroom. There are books in the corner in case you get bored." At this, he stopped and turned to face her again.

"Oh, and by the way, I took the precaution of fitting you with a special collar while you were asleep. You know, to make sure you didn't get any ideas about escape. If you break free of the field, or if the collar were to be damaged or somehow removed..." He made a gesture with his hands to signify an explosion. "I'm sure you get the picture." With a chuckle, he turned around and left.

She didn't respond. Her stony expression remained unchanged, even as she reached up to touch the brace around her neck. She really was at his mercy now.

Ahsoka Tano was pissed. There was really no better way for Luke to describe how his aunt felt at the moment. She was pissed. And it honestly scared him to see his Aunt Ahsoka, who was normally one of the calmest people he knew, so utterly furious.

"So, let me get this straight." Ahsoka snapped. "My daughter went to face the Stalker, alone, and you didn't think to, oh I don't know, stop her?!"

The rebels had gathered, either in person or via holo, to discuss the plan of attack against the Death Star. No one had seen Mina since the night before, so her absence from the meeting didn't go unnoticed. Especially as far as her mother was concerned. When she'd learned that she'd been captured by the Stalker, she'd lost her mind. Which wasn't a good thing for anyone, especially Kuron, who found himself staring at the end of one of Ahsoka's white blades.

"Okay, uh..." Kuron began, his arms in the air in surrender. "To be fair, I didn't think it would be in anyone's interest if I got captured too, since the place was crawling with Stormtroopers, plus the Stalker and Inferno Squadron. And, uhh...I honestly thought it wouldn't go the way it did."

"Well, how the f-" Ahsoka started, only to stop herself when she remembered that Mercy was present "...Freak, did you think it was going to go?"

"I don't know, I thought she was going to beat him, like she did over Lothal."

"Lothal was just a warmup." Stalker interrupted, having materialized nearby. Immediately, everyone turned their attention to him, weapons at the ready. Even Mercy, who'd somehow been given a spear courtesy of the Ewoks, pointed it at the Dark-sider. Ahsoka ignited her blades and lashed out at him, only to fly through him. "I wouldn't recommend doing that, Tano." He regarded her calmly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Honestly, you haven't changed a bit since we met during the Clone Wars."

"What have you done with my daughter, Stalker?" Ahsoka seethed, aiming her weapons at him, even though she knew it was pointless.

"Oh, calm yourself, child." Stalker remarked. "I haven't done anything to your little brat..." He gave her his most evil smile. "...Yet. However, I must warn you that she is being kept secure aboard the Death Star. That should, in theory, keep you rebels from simply blowing it up. We wouldn't want to risk killing your precious little angel, would we?" He mocked her.

Ahsoka was having none of it. "When I get my hands on you, I'll-"

"You'll what?" Stalker snapped, all pretense of diplomacy melting away. "Strangle me? Slice me into a million pieces? You can't kill me, Tano. Not when I'm already dead. And as I said before, what happened between me and your daughter aboard the Chimaera six years ago was just a test of the waters. I can guarantee you, my dear, that if I'd truly wanted your daughter dead back then, she never would have left that ship alive."

Ahsoka tried to come up with a response, but the words died on her tongue as the gravity of Stalker's words sunk in. The Dark Warrior then turned to Anakin. "So, you've made your choice, I assume?"

"I have." Anakin replied calmly. "And I will not abandon the Jedi again. You're done, Nazo."

The Stalker sighed. "No surprise there, Skywalker. Predictable as always." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Fine then. When I'm done with you all, the Rebellion will be nothing but a layer of dust in the history books." He turned to face Anakin again. "If it means anything, Anakin Skywalker, I hope they remember you." With that, he snapped his fingers and disappeared.

The Stalker's abrupt vanishing act left the gathered rebels speechless. The silence was only interrupted by Han Solo. "Ohh-kay, that was...cheerful." He said. "Can we...uh, you know, get back to beating the Empire?"

Anakin and Leia exchanged exasperated looks. Then they both sighed and pressed their hands to their foreheads. This was going to be a long day.

"I agree, General Solo," Padmé chipped in, hoping to break the tension. "Anakin, didn't you say you had a plan?"

Anakin stepped forward. "I did," He said. "And then my niece got herself kidnapped. So, we'll have to try something else." He turned to gesture towards Kuron. "Commander Vos and Commander Joli will be accompanying me, Commander Wolffe, and Ahsoka to lead the ground assault against the primary Shield Generator." Kuron nodded in affirmation, one of his shotguns slung over his shoulder, and Shisuta cracked her knuckles. "At the same time, the twins will be leading the charge against the second Shield Generator. General Solo and Knight Collack will be accompanying them, as will Captain Rex."

Han turned to the old clone and nudged his shoulder. "Think you can keep up with us, Gramps?"

Rex chuckled. "You kids could learn a thing or two from this old soldier."

Anakin smirked at their banter, then immediately went back into serious mode. He turned to Hera and asked, "General Syndulla, do you think you can handle leading the attack on the Death Star until the Generators go down?"

The Twi'lek nodded solemnly. "The Ghost has handled worse than this. If she can survive against you, she can survive anything." Anakin didn't miss the subtle jab at his past experience with the Ghost, and he allowed another small smirk before turning to Lando Calrissian. "Mr. Calrissian...?

"Just Lando is fine, sir." Lando replied smoothly, to the annoyance of the Ghost crew.

"Lando," Anakin corrected himself calmly. "I trust you're familiar with the Millennium Falcon?"

"Familiar with her?" Lando asked incredulously. "I'd certainly hope so. She used to be mine, after all."

Han leaned toward Eris and muttered, "He's never going to let me hear the end of that."

Anakin hummed in thought. "Regardless, I think it would be fitting if you were to pilot for this assault. You will be accompanying General Syndulla in the assault on the Death Star. Understood?"

Lando's eyebrows raised as he turned to Hera and flashed his most charming smile. "Well, lucky you, Ms. Syndulla."

Hera rolled her eyes. "Don't flatter yourself, Calrissian."

Anakin sighed, then shook his head. "Anyway," he went on, turning to the hologram of Admiral Ackbar. "Your fleet will need to be ready to make the jump through hyperspace the second both shield generators go down."

The aging Mon Cala nodded. "We will be ready, General Skywalker."

Anakin nodded back, then turned to face the crowd. "As soon as the shield generators go down, we will need to hit the Death Star with everything we've got."

Ahsoka, who'd been silent since the Stalker's abrupt appearance, stepped forward. "But what about my daughter?" She asked. "We can't afford to lose her. I don't want to have to deal with losing my baby..." She cut herself off. "Well, I don't want to lose her." The way she'd cut herself off made Anakin feel that there was something she didn't want to add, but out of respect for his baby sister, he wouldn't push her for answers. Not until she was ready to talk about it.

"But didn't she already beat Stalker's...butt, over Lothal?" Ezra asked, remembering at the last second that a child was present.

Ahsoka turned to the Lothal native. "You heard what he said. If he'd wanted to kill her, she never would have escaped."

Ezra didn't seem convinced. "And you believe him?"

Ahsoka sighed. "If he's anything like the Jedi he was during the Clone Wars," She explained. "He was never one to make empty threats. I don't doubt that he has the power to back up his claims. Don't you remember the Lothal Campaign?"

Ezra shuddered. How could he forget the nightmare that was his solo battle with the strongest Dark Sider of the era, or the Stalker's unparalleled show of power during their fight. His hand went to his chest, where the gash the Stalker had given him, as "a souvenir of his power", still rested.

"My point exactly." Ahsoka said. Then she turned back to her brother. "So, what's the plan, Skyguy? How does your plan involve us saving my baby?"

Anakin cupped his chin, trying to come up with a response that would ease Ahsoka's nerves.

"I know you probably won't like hearing this, Snips." He replied. "But I don't think there's anything we can do for her at this point."

Ahsoka huffed. "You're right." She said. "I don't like hearing that. There has to be something we can do."

"Hear me out, sis." Anakin said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I feel that somehow, in spite of Stalker's claims, this is something that Mina has to face on her own. Maybe we need to just do what we can, and let her deal with this on her own."

Ahsoka looked at her feet, as she processed what her brother had said. Then she sighed in resignation. "I still don't like it," She said finally. "But I trust your judgement, Anakin."

Anakin smiled, then released her shoulders. "Good." He said, turning to address the crowd. "Our job is to get those shields down so that our allies can finish off the Death Star. Hopefully, Mina will have at least gotten out of there first." He took a deep breath. "I'm not the best at speeches, so I'll keep it brief. When I first renounced the Dark Side, I didn't think I'd be given any trust from anyone besides Ahsoka." He glanced in her direction briefly, sending her a thankful smile. "As things developed, and my family slowly put itself together again..." He turned to Padmé, then to the twins. "...And grew bigger..." He looked down at Myrcella, who giggled softly. "I learned that my part to play in the Galaxy wasn't done yet. It has been rough, I will admit, but if my experiences in the past few years are anything to go off of, it's that we can find light, even in the darkest times." He sighed. "I can't guarantee that everyone here will come out alive. But regardless of who lives, the future of the Galaxy will be changed by what happens here today. So," He clasped his hands together. "Who's ready to make history?" He was met with resounding cheers. "Great," He said, smiling. "Let's do this."

As everyone scrambled to their battle stations, Anakin caught Mercy running off to grab her spear from nearby. Anakin caught her by the shoulder. "Whoa, there, kiddo." He said, turning her around to face him, much to her chagrin. "Where are you going?"

She pouted at him. "I wanna help." She protested.

Anakin sighed. "You can help by staying out of danger, sweetie." When she huffed at him for suggesting she couldn't fight, he added, "Look, Mercy. You're my little angel, and I just got you back. I don't want to lose you again."

Without a word, she pulled herself in to hug him. "Daddy, I'll be fine." She said.

He set her down again. "Sorry, squirt. That's my final word."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "But I'm a Skywalker." She argued. It gave Anakin pause. He really couldn't find an argument with that. He was flying pod-racers and blowing up space stations when he was nine.

He quickly turned to make sure Padmé wasn't looking. Then he turned to face her with a sigh. "Fine, you win, kid." She brightened up right away. "But," Anakin added sharply, making her frown again. "You need to stay with your brother and sister. Don't let them out of your sight. And if your mother finds out about this and blames me, you're grounded for a month."

"Deal." She replied, tossing her arm out to shake his hand. He chuckled as he shook her hand. She ran to grab her weapon and join the fight.

Anakin stood up, and sighed. "May the Force be with us all." He said. He looked up into the sky, where the second Death Star hung ominously. Somewhere on that station, his niece was trapped with the most dangerous man in the Galaxy...

It was hours later when the Stalker returned, flanked by the Red Imperial Guards. Or at least, it felt like hours. There were no clocks in her cell, and she couldn't see any outside the cell, either. But that wasn't Mina's concern at the moment. She got to her feet as she fixed the Dark Ronin with her signature glare. Two of the guards readied their weapons, prepared to run her through with their pikes the minute Stalker gave them the order. But he merely smirked, and held up a hand, signaling that he didn't need their aid...yet.

He turned to face her again with that sinister grin. "Well, I take it your accommodations were...satisfactory."

She scoffed. "I'd give it a two out of five, at best."

His smile didn't falter as he flicked his wrist. The restraints from earlier flew out and clamped shut around her arms. With a wave of his hand, the containment field disappeared. He snapped his fingers and she rose into the air against her own will. "This way, please." He said, curtly. He turned away and made a "Follow me" gesture, and she floated forward. The two of them were flanked by the Red Guards, who loomed over the Togruta's curled form like phantoms. She was faintly aware of the sounds of ships roaring in the distance.

"Why are you doing this, Nazo?" Mina snapped, her head twitching and jerking as she tried to break free. Her captors didn't react. "What do you hope to gain from all this?"

Without even breaking stride, the Stalker held up a hand to shut her up. "Patience, my dear," He said, as if scolding an excessively noisy child. "All questions will be answered at the end of the tour."

He led them to what Mina could only assume was the Throne room. He marched up the steps leading to the Throne itself and collapsed into it, resting his hands behind his head. Mina noticed that her lightsabers were resting on one of the chair's arms. Smiling, he glanced down at the guards, who were still surrounding his captive.

"You all are dismissed." He said nonchalantly. "I'd like to speak to the prisoner alone, please." Wordlessly, the Red Guard turned around and left. Mina was still suspended in the air, unable to move. Once the Guards were gone, Stalker turned his attention back to her. She dropped to the ground, and noticed that she could move again.

"Well?" Stalker said. "Could you please come over here? I'd rather not have to shout across the chamber." When she refused to move, he sighed. "So that's how it's going to be, then? No matter." Mina's body went rigid and she floated through the air towards him, landing about five feet away.

"That's much better." Stalker said cheerfully, though Mina could tell he was most likely mocking her. The chair in which he sat spun around to face the large viewport behind them. Stalker cupped his chin in thought. "I'm thinking of cutting these out..." He waved his hand in the general area of the window, gesturing to the spokes of the window panes. "...and getting a clear transparisteel viewport put in. You know, so my view of the stars isn't obscured." He turned the chair to face Mina again. "What do you think?"

"I think it won't matter anyway," Mina spat. "This station is going to blow up by the end of the day."

Stalker leaned forward, lacing his fingers together and resting his chin on them. Then he rested his elbows on his knees. "I don't doubt that." He said, still smiling. His crimson eyes bore into her ocean blue ones. "The question is, will you still be on this station when that happens?"

Mina narrowed her eyes at him. "Hell no." She said defiantly, in spite of the fact that she was practically paralyzed from the shoulders down. "I'm going to kick your ass, again, then get the hell out of here. Death Star blows up. Boom, done, game over, we win, the end."

Stalker raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Is that so?" He asked. "And when that fails to end me for good, what will you do then?" Mina's brow markings furrowed. Could he really not be killed now? "I didn't think so." Stalker added. Mina's gaze went to the floor and she sighed.

"You know," Stalker said, catching her attention as he stood up. "Ever since our little scuffle aboard the Chimaera, I'd wondered how someone like you could be so optimistic, even when in the presence of the most dangerous man in the Galaxy." Mina scoffed at the title, but was ignored. "But as I dug deeper into your history, harassing the Empire since you could hold a lightsaber, I learned some...interesting things." He turned to face her.

Mina's gaze fell upon Stalker. "What are you talking about?" She asked, her voice sounding slightly deeper.

The Stalker smiled. "It's simple really." He explained. "I knew from the moment you lashed out at me aboard the Chimaera that you held something in your heart, that you couldn't let anyone find out about. I could sense it in you, even as you taunted me, that you were hiding something, deep down."

Mina's expression darkened. "You don't know shit about me, Stalker." She seethed.

Stalker exhaled softly. "Even as a Jedi, I made it my job to learn about others what they denied about themselves." He said. "And it held true even after I died. And I can sense those things within you now, just as I did six years ago. The regret, the anger, the grief. The kinds of emotions one feels following the loss of a loved one." His smile widened, even as her pupils turned to slits and her fangs bared.

"So you know about the one I speak." Stalker smirked. "Well, what if I were to tell you that your brother is still alive somewhere?"

Mina actually snarled like a rabid animal as her gaze locked with his. "You're full of shit." She roared. "I saw my brother die. I felt his Force signature go out." She was crying now, as the emotions she'd kept hidden from everyone came rushing out. "You can't just fucking stand there and tell me that the one person in this world I treasured most in this world did not die, when I clearly watched it happen!"

Her head jerked forward, and her body reacted. She felt herself fighting against the Stalker's restraints. Lightning crackled from within the restraints around her arms. Her eyes were completely dilated. She was in full feral mode. And the lying bastard just stood there with his arms crossed, and a smug smile on his face.

"You know, I suspected that you wouldn't believe me." Stalker chuckled as he shrugged. "And, to your credit, you've certainly fooled everyone else. Who else besides you actually knows you had a brother, anyway? Besides your parents, of course." She didn't respond, but continued to fight against his Force Bind with the ferocity of a demon.

Stalker's eyebrows went up, and he almost seemed genuinely surprised. "Are you serious?" He asked. "You've known them how long, and not once did you think to tell them you had a brother who died? Hm, I can imagine his death had to be extremely tragic for you to keep it from everyone. Except your parents, naturally."

Something crossed the Stalker's mind. "But what about the Twi'lek and the ghost boy?" He asked. "Aren't they supposed to be your best friends. How have they kept it a secret so well? Unless..." He smiled again. "Unless you wiped his existence from their memories."

"Shut. Up." She spat. "When I get out of this, you're fucking dead!"

"Now, now." Stalker chided. "I'm trying to make conversation. It's the polite thing to do, after all. So, tell me something. You can't keep your brother's death a secret forever. What will happen to you when your friends, who have trusted you with their lives, find out about this, hmm?"

She continued to snap at him like a caged animal, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a response, even though her mind was already fixated on the prospect of breaking that news to everyone.

"Hmm, it seems I've struck a nerve." Stalker taunted.

"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock." Mina growled.

"Nonetheless," Stalker continued. "You asked me earlier why I'm doing this. And my answer is simple. The way I see it, I can do whatever I want. I don't need to explain myself to anyone, and I answer to no one. And besides," He smiled. "I'm having fun."

Mina was breathing heavy, somewhat exhausted from trying to break Stalker's Force Bind. "Well, huff, if you really could, huff...kill me...that easily...why not just kill me now, and get it over with?"

Stalker let out a hearty, yet menacing laugh. "Now where's the fun in that?" He asked. "I do intend to kill you here and now, Mina Padmé Bonteri. But I'm what you could call an apex predator. I like to toy with my prey first. Besides," He collapsed into the throne again and spun it around once. "I want you to have a front row seat to watch the rebellion burn. Speaking of which..." He tapped a button on the console of one of the throne's arms. A holographic image of a young woman Mina recognized as Iden Versio popped up. She turned to face the Stalker.

"Yes, Sir?" She asked, snapping to attention.

Stalker smiled as he reclined into the throne. "I think we've given the Rebels ample time to prepare." He said. "Begin the attack."

"Sir, yes sir!" Iden replied, with a crisp salute. She put her helmet on as the transmission ended.

Stalker turned to his captive with that sickening grin. "And now, my dear," He said. "Let the games begin."

As he and his allies crept through the dense jungles of Endor's moon, all Anakin Skywalker could think about was how much trouble he would be in once Padmé got a hold of him again. Sure, she'd only slapped him across the face for betraying the Republic, massacring the Jedi Order, and nearly killing her, but he was confident that if Mercy didn't come back alive, he'd never come back alive.

"Nervous, chief?" Kuron asked from somewhere behind him.

It took a minute for the younger rebel's words to register in Anakin's head. "Hm? Oh, uh, no. Not about the mission anyway." He clarified. "But Padmé's going to kill me when we get back."

"What makes you say that, Skyguy?" Ahsoka asked.

"Yeah, man." Kuron added. "I doubt it could be that bad."

"It's because I let Mercy go off with Luke and Leia." Anakin replied. Both of his allies exchanged shocked glances.

"I take it back, it is that bad." Kuron replied.

"It's been nice knowing you, big brother." Ahsoka added.

Anakin frowned. "Wow. Thanks for the confidence, you two." He deadpanned. "That makes me feel so much better about this."

"To be fair," Shisuta chimed in, "Luke and Leia will probably keep her safe. Them and the Ewoks."

Anakin mulled it over as they kept going. "Well, I guess that's true." He said. "By the way, does anyone know if we're close to this damn complex?"

Ahsoka was about to say something, when blaster bolts shot past her head. Another round was fired at Kuron, who phased out of the way. "Does that answer your question, chief?" He asked, as he unholstered his shotguns.

"So much for stealth." Shisuta added, igniting her lightsaber.

Blaster bolts continued to rain down on the rebels, who had taken up defensive positions in the bushes. Anakin, Ahsoka, and Shisuta took up the vanguard, blocking the incoming fire.

From the bushes, Anakin heard Kuron muttering something. "Dammit, Versio." The younger man cursed. "Should've known she'd be here." Then, in a louder voice, he turned to Anakin. "Alright chief. Hold 'em off for me. I got a loose end to tie up." Without another word, the young man phased into ghost form and slipped away.

"Uh," Anakin said, as he continued to deflect enemy fire. "Who's Versio."

"Commander Iden Versio." Shisuta explained. "Leader of Inferno Squad. Kuron's ex." The disdain in her voice convinced Anakin that Shisuta didn't want to talk about it. So he dropped the topic and went back to defending the rebels.

Iden Versio had expected a fight. Hell, she'd even expected to face a Jedi or two. What she hadn't expected, however, was for Anakin fucking Skywalker to be leading the charge. Ironic, considering that she held his tactics, both as Darth Vader and as a Jedi, in high regard. Regardless, she had a job to do, and she was going to get it done.

"Commander," came the voice of her teammate, Del Meeko. "What do we do now?"

Iden, calm and collected as always, replied immediately. "Take up the south side." She commanded. "Don't give the rebels an inch."

"Yes, Commander." He replied. Then he ran to his position.

"So," Came a voice from behind her. "I've been replaced, eh? That's fine. I replaced you too." Iden swung around to face the source of the voice. Beneath her helmet, she scowled. Standing not ten feet away was the last person she wanted to deal with right now.

"Miss me?" Kuron taunted, raising an eyebrow. "Cause I sure as hell didn't miss you."

"Kuron Vos." Iden stated calmly.

"The one and only." Kuron bragged. Iden leveled her blaster on him and fired. He disappeared into green mist, reappearing farther away. "Getting straight to the point, I see." He teased. "You really haven't changed a bit, have you, doll?" She kept shooting, ordering the soldiers near her to take up her position. Kuron warped again, laughing as he didn't even bother shooting back.

"Hehe, I take it back." He joked. "You've gotten a lot worse." He ducked under another round of blaster fire.

"Shut up and fight back, rebel scum!" Iden shouted.

Kuron shrugged in resignation. "Alright." He shrugged in resignation. "Have it your way." He quickly pulled his shotguns out and opened fire on her. One blast glanced off her armor and her left side flared in pain. "Come on, Doll," Kuron teased. "Don't you know me at all? Armor buster shotguns, remember?"

Iden took cover behind a supply crate. "What's the matter?" Kuron called out. "Still stinging from the break-up?"

The Commander of Inferno Squadron scoffed. "You shouldn't have abandoned the Empire, Vos." She peeked out from her hiding place to fire a few rounds before ducking back, to wait for her blaster to cool down.

"What, and break my poor parents' hearts? Hell no." Kuron called out. "Besides, the whole 'subjugate the Galaxy and promote peace through terror' schtick didn't really appeal to me." He went silent, and when Iden peeked out to shoot, he was gone. She didn't see the trail of green mist creep around the other side of the crate. Then she turned around and found herself staring at the business end of one of Kuron's shotguns. "Peekaboo!" He shouted.

She ducked under the blast, which tore through the spot where her head had been, and tumbled backwards, hoping to put some distance between her and the Jedi Gunslinger.

"Aww, where are you going?" Kuron mocked. "I just wanted to catch up with you."

"You should have thought about that before you betrayed the Empire." Iden shouted back.

"The Empire?" Kuron asked, as he unloaded another round of green shotgun blasts at her. "The same Empire that has subjugated thousands of planets through force? The same Empire that treats non-humans like crap? The same Empire that built and used a freaking space laser that destroyed a planet and slaughtered billions?!" His anger had risen sharply, and any pretense of joy was gone. "I knew full damn well what I was doing when I ditched the Empire!

"I don't know what kind of bull they spoon-fed you as a kid, but the Empire is the villain here." He kept shooting at her until she'd taken cover behind a large tree stump. "That's why I took up that mission to invade the Imperial Academy in the first place. So I could help take the Empire down." He scoffed. "Like I'd ever legitimately support the Empire."

He crept closer. "Look, Iden." He said. "You're smart. You should know that what the Empire has done, and is still doing, to the Galaxy is wrong. Or are you too much of a Daddy's Girl to question the Empire's morals?"

Iden's grip on her blaster tightened. "Shut up!" She roared, as she burst from cover and opened fire on him. Unsurprisingly, he phased out of reach, but didn't shoot back. "I know where my loyalties lie, Vos. The rebellion ends today."

Kuron's scowl melted into resignation. "Alright, fine." He sighed, holstering his shotguns. "Suit yourself, Doll. But when the Empire finally does something so vile that it makes you question those loyalties, don't come crying to me." She paused, off put by his resignation.

Suddenly, from nearby, a distant shout of "Grenade!" caught their attention, followed by an explosion. Kuron abruptly doubled over, wincing. Then his eyes widened. "Oh, no." He gasped, his voice hollow. "Shisuta!" He ran off, leaving Iden behind.

"Lieutenant Meeko," She called through her com link. "Come in, Lieutenant."

"I read you, Commander." Del replied.

"Fall back." She ordered. "We need to rally with the rest of the Squadron."

"On my way," Del answered.

Iden cut the connection. She stared in the direction Kuron had run off. She refused to acknowledge what he'd said. Nothing could shake her resolve in what she did. After all, everything the Empire did was for the best of the Galaxy...right?

The strike team was still taking fire when Kuron showed up. He took in the scene in front of him. Ahsoka was still holding her own, but dirt had splattered her side. It was when he turned to Anakin that his heart skipped a beat. Anakin was standing over Shisuta's fallen form. The lilac-skinned Twi'lek had fallen over next to a small crater in the dirt, and lay prone in the foliage.

And her entire right leg had been blown off from the knee down.

Kuron rushed to her side. She seemed to be floating in and out of consciousness. She groaned. "K-Kuron." She mumbled. "Where...where is he?"

"I'm right here, Shisuta." Kuron sputtered, bending down. She looked up at him.

"Heh," She chuckled, despite the pain. "Guess I wasn't very good at...keeping it together, huh?"

Kuron brushed her cheek, then looked up to Anakin. "What happened?" He asked.

Anakin sighed. "They started throwing grenades at us." He explained. "We tried disarming them with the Force...and one got through." He looked down at her. "She saved my life."

"K-K-Kuron?" Shisuta muttered, squinting up at him. "I don't...feel so good."

"Hang in there, Shisuta." Kuron said, taking her hand tightly. "It's going to be alright." Anakin ignited his lightsaber and lowered it carefully to the fallen Twi'lek's leg. He looked at the two of them, Kuron and Shisuta. "Just look at me, beautiful." Kuron said, though his voice was shaking. As Anakin's blade cut through the flesh of her leg, she winced and gripped Kuron's arm tighter. "That's it," Kuron said, reassuring her despite the pain in his voice. "You're doing fine, just...just hold on a little longer."

As Anakin stood up and went back to shielding the others, Kuron moved his arm to keep the cauterized stump of his girlfriend's leg out of the dirt. "Hey!" He shouted over the noise. "We need a medic, now!" A pair of younger soldiers came rushing forward with bandages and gauze, to wrap up the open wound. "Don't worry, beautiful." He reassured her. "You're going to be alright." He then turned to the two medics, twin brothers. "Get her out of here." He ordered. The two nodded, and Shisuta slung an arm over each of their shoulders. As they helped carry her away, Kuron turned to Commander Wolffe. "Make sure they get back to base." The old commander saluted, and ushered the medics away.

Kuron could feel the anger in his soul burning, but he pushed it aside. He had a job to do. As he watched Shisuta get carried off back to base, he turned around and whipped his shotguns out. Without missing a beat, he shot a Stormtrooper through the head, and instantly followed up by shooting another through the heart. He wasn't sure about it, but he was almost certain he was screaming as he cut down stormtroopers. He didn't stop until there were none left in his way.

Anakin and Ahsoka exchanged worried looks, before giving the order to push forward. Kuron wasted no time running up to the door. "As soon as this door goes down, everyone rush in and get to the power source. Set the charges and get the hell out of there. If someone shoots at you, shoot back. If you die...walk it off." He cracked his neck and pointed his shotguns into the air.

"Blast it down," He ordered. The two Jedi nodded to one another before launching a dual Force push. The door gave, and Kuron knocked it down with a kick. He leveled his shotguns on the stormtroopers inside. "Knock Knock, assholes!" He yelled, as he opened fire. A blast to the head or the heart could down even the Death Troopers, and his shotgun blasts tore through imperial officers like claws through paper.

As they cut their way through the base, Ahsoka couldn't help but wonder if her daughter was faring any better than they were.

Mina most certainly was not faring any better. If anything, she arguably had it worse. At the moment she was in the worst possible position she could be in. The most dangerous man in the Galaxy was sitting not even ten feet away, observing the battle raging on outside, and she was suffering in the most unbearable way possible with no hope of relief.

She had an itch on her nose and was unable to scratch it.

She was confident that her nose had been twitching for the last twenty minutes. No matter how she tried, she couldn't fight against Stalker's Force Bind enough to reach up and scratch it.

"Uh, excuse me," Mina said, trying to get his attention. He spun the throne around and casually glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "Could you please let me move my arm. I...uh...have a really itchy nose."

Stalker's other eyebrow went up, and an amused grin graced his features. "Is that so?" He asked. "Why should I listen to you? How do I know you aren't lying to me as a part of your plan to escape?"

"Come on," Mina complained, her nose still twitching. "Read my mind, if you don't believe me."

"Done." Stalker replied immediately. "All right, your story checks out."

"Does that mean you'll let me scratch my nose?" Mina asked.

"No." Stalker replied, somewhat cheerfully.

Mina frowned. "Of course," She deadpanned. "Well, could you at least scratch it for me?"

"No." Stalker repeated, still sounding perfectly happy with himself. "Now please shut up so I can watch the battle." He spun the throne around to look out the viewport, just as a trio of TIE fighters roared past.

"Well, maybe I don't want to shut up." Mina retorted. "Maybe I wanna exercise my right to free speech. Maybe I need someone to scratch my darned nose. I'll make all the noise I want to. What are you gonna do about that, huh? Mmph!" The Stalker had made a pinching gesture with his thumb and index finger, and her lips clamped shut against her will.

"That." Stalker replied. "I'm going to do that." In the distance, the two could vaguely see the Ghost soaring by, tailed by two TIE Fighters. "You know, I always held Ms. Syndulla in high regard. I met her when she was just a child, you know. During the Clone Wars." He sighed, as if recounting a fond memory. "Heh, I remember telling her that she could achieve great things some day. Ironic, given our current situation."

She's engaged to Kanan, Mina thought.

"Is she now?" Stalker asked, sounding almost genuinely happy about that. "Well, that almost makes me regret what has to happen."

There was a sound outside, like something powering down. Stalker's singed brows furrowed in confusion. Then a transmission came through, from Iden Versio.

"Commander," Stalker acknowledged. "What's going on?"

"My apologies, sir." Iden said, bowing her head, in shame or in respect, Mina couldn't tell. The Commander of Inferno Squadron removed her helmet. "I tried, but the Rebels overwhelmed our forces. Both Shield Generators were destroyed."

Stalker sighed, looking to the ground. "Don't beat yourself up, Commander." He replied. "You did your best. That's all anyone could ask for." Mina's eye marks went up in surprise. For someone so ruthless, Stalker could really sound sincere. "Unfortunately," Stalker groaned. "Your father won't see it that way. Stubborn old fool." That last part, he muttered under his breath, though it earned a snicker from Mina. "Just cut your losses and get the hell off that moon." He ordered. The transmission cut out.

Something outside caught Stalker's attention. His eyes narrowed when he realized what it was. Ships were dropping out of hyperspace.

True to his word, Admiral Ackbar dropped in with incredible timing. As soon as General Syndulla had sent word that the Shield Generators were down, he had given the order to make the jump to Endor. Home One led the charge, accompanied by no less than three Clone Wars Era Venator-Class Star Destroyers, each carrying a handful of old LAAT/i gunships. Also joining the fight were a squadron of A-Wing and B-Wing star fighters, a slew of T-65 X-wings, and a small strike fleet of Y-Wing bombers.

In addition, they were accompanied by an ancient Separatist Dreadnought, commandeered by General Kalani, which provided them with several Vulture Droids. Alongside them were a Delta-Wing Jedi Starfighter piloted by Kaori Galium and a U-Wing transport fighter containing Jyn Erso and her husband, Cassian Andor.

"The Cavalry's 'ere!" Kaori chimed in.

"We're in position." The Mon Cala Admiral said. "Prepare to engage."

"Welcome to the fight, Admiral," Hera called out cheerfully. "Alright, Green Squadron, form up on me." A team of X-Wings fell into formation alongside the Ghost.

From the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon, Lando chuckled as he called out, "Alright, bombers. Form up with me. We're taking this thing down!" The Y-Wings lined up alongside the Falcon, as it sped towards the Death Star.

Stalker observed the Rebel Fleet drop into the fight with his signature unimpressed demeanor.

Haha, Mina taunted mentally. You're screwed now!

Stalker stood up. "Well," He said, clasping his hands behind his back. "This is certainly an interesting development." He turned towards her. She was surprised to see that he was still smiling. "But not unexpected."

To her confusion, he pulled a com link from his pocket. "Admiral Piett." He addressed.

"Yes, My Lord?" Piett replied.

Stalker grinned. "The shields are down. Move in." Without a word, he pocketed the com link again.

What are you up to now, Stalker, Mina asked.

Stalker grinned, like a dad about to give his kids the best Christmas present ever. "You'll see." He answered cryptically.

As if on cue, an absolutely massive ship dropped out of hyperspace, and Mina's eyes widened. Oh, gods help us. She thought.

Hera couldn't believe her eyes. just when she thought things couldn't get harder, a ship that had to be at least eleven miles long dropped out of hyperspace. "Oh, no." She gaped, unable to really process what was in front of her, even as TIE Fighters and Bombers came pouring out of the massive ship like swarms of furious bees.

Aboard Home One, various Mon Cala were panicking. "Sir," one shouted, as the swarm grew closer. "That's a Super Star Destroyer!"

Admiral Ackbar's eyes widened, somehow. "It's a trap!" He called out. "Defensive positions!"

"According to my calculations," General Kalani droned. "Our probability of defeating the Empire successfully have just dropped from 1% to a mere 0.1%."

From the Super Star Destroyer, several transports carrying two AT-AT walkers each started making their way to the moon of Endor. Hera snapped out of her stupor as she realized what was going on. "Someone stop those transports!" She shouted over the coms. "We can't let them reach the ground! Don't let a single one get through!"

"On it, General Syndulla." Kaori replied. Her star fighter surged forward, taking aim at the transport's engines, crippling them. She managed to repeat this three more times before a pack of TIE fighters forced her to retreat.

"Dammit!" She spat. "There's so many of 'em. 'm gonna need backup 'ere, luvs."

"Concentrate all fire on that Super Star Destroyer!" Admiral Ackbar ordered.

Stalker smirked as he watched the rebels scramble to regain control of the situation. Then he turned towards Mina. "What? Did you really think I wasn't prepared for something like this?" He chuckled. "A professional never reveals all his cards at once."

What the hell is that thing?, Mina thought.

"That, my dear," Stalker replied. "Is the Executor. A super Star Destroyer."

A Super Star Destroyer?, Mina asked. How many more are there?

"I don't know," Stalker answered. "And I don't care. All I can say for certain is that there are enough to keep the New Republic busy for a while."

He stood up and stretched. "Alright." He said. "Time for this to end." He snapped his fingers, and Mina slumped to the ground with a gasp. She had just enough time to scratch her nose and relieve herself of that blasted itch before being picked up by the Force and tossed aside like a rag doll.

"I am many things, but dishonorable is not one of them." Stalker said as Mina pulled herself to her feet. He summoned her lightsabers to his hands, before tossing them in her direction. "As such, we shall observe the customs of honorable combat."

He made a show of taking a bow. Mina scowled. When she didn't follow his lead, he looked up at her. "Well, that's rude." He said, as he extended his hand, forcing her body to bend at the waist. Standing back up, he ignited his crimson blade, bringing it up in a battle salute, before using the Force to make Mina follow suit.

"Good." He taunted her. "Now that customs have been exchanged, we can begin."

Mina was the first to strike, launching herself at him. Instead of trying to fight back, however, he simply stepped to the side, and she went flying. "You missed." He deadpanned. She got back up and threw herself at him again. And once more, he dodged, stepping backwards out of reach.

"Stop running away, you coward." She screamed.

"You'd think I'm running away." Stalker replied calmly, leaning to the side to dodge a strike to the head. "But I'm simply observing. I've learned quite a bit about you since Lothal, as I've said before." She lunged forward to stab him, and he pivoted out of the way, pushing into her back and sending her to the ground again. "You fight like a savage animal, not holding back." He shot a bolt of lightning at her, but she jumped out of the way at the last minute.

She ran at him and brought her blade down, only to be met with a block from his own saber. "You've allowed your repeated victories over the Empire to cloud your judgement." Stalker said. He pushed her away with the Force, then leapt forward to close the gap between them again. "Your strength has weakened you."

She kicked him in the stomach, pushing him backwards enough to get away. Hopefully, she could put enough distance between them to rethink her strategy. She ducked under the platform, goading him in, and he followed. Then, she deactivated her lightsaber and disappeared into the darkness.

"So, you decided to use the darkness as a means of escape." He taunted. "Clever girl." As he scanned the area, trying to find her, she had sunk to the ground, creeping around on all fours to stay out of his line of sight. It felt just like her Akul hunt, except she was on a planet breaking space station, and an Akul couldn't shoot lightning from its fingers, or crush space ships with its mind, or freaking fly.

"Unfortunately for you," Stalker continued, sounding bored of her attempts. Mina licked her fangs as she positioned herself behind him. "I have mastered the art of the Darkness. Deception and trickery are tools of the uninitiated, my dear. And I'd like to think we are both initiated, aren't we? You lack the skill to truly...disappear."

Several things happened at once. She pounced, launching herself at him, aiming at his throat. Suddenly, at the last possible moment, he spun around and caught her by the throat instead, squeezing it in his metal arm. "And I know all your tricks." He smirked. Then he threw her out from under the platform. She landed on all fours and glared at him.

"I was honestly expecting more from you." He continued. "You seemed so confident last time."

Mina flexed her fingers, clenching them into fists, and launching herself at him again. She landed a few hits, but nothing she did seemed to faze him. She went for a blow to his head, but he blocked it with his left arm. He immediately followed up with a right hook to the side of her face, and she went down like a bag of rocks. She hit the floor hard, but got right back up.

She rushed him again, screaming furiously. She took another swing at his face, but he dodged, capitalizing with jabs to her ribcage. She grunted in pain, but kept swinging. He grabbed her arm, and then smashed her chin with an uppercut. She staggered backwards, panting heavily. He push-kicked her in the stomach, and she went flying several feet.

"Is that the best you can do?" Stalker asked. "Because you haven't done much to impress me." She responded by getting back to her feet. She tried to hit him in the stomach, but he sidestepped her attack. As she spun around to face him again, he drove his metal fist against her nose, stunning her. He followed it up with a left jab to the throat, making her gag, before smashing her in the cheek with a closed fist. She hit the ground face first.

Mina tried to push herself up, but her arms were shaking too much. She tasted copper and realized she was coughing up blood. She could imagine that she looked about as bad as she felt. Stalker strode past her, climbing the steps leading to the throne again. "I will say this, though." He said. "You certainly lasted a bit longer than I would have thought."

Mina finally mustered up the strength to get to her feet, in spite of the fact that her body was practically screaming at her to stay down. "Well," She sputtered, still short of breath. "I pride myself on my resilience."

"So it would seem." Stalker replied. "Are you certain that you can keep going in your current state?"

"I won't go down that easily." Mina stated defiantly, adopting a defensive posture.

Stalker mysteriously smiled at that. "I beg to differ."

A searing pain shot through Mina's body and her eyes widened in shock. She looked down to see a red blade had burst through her back, straight through her heart.

Ahsoka suddenly felt her own heart stutter. She dropped to the ground, all the color drained from her face. Anakin felt her suddenly go cold, and he bent down to grip her shoulders, only to flinch when he discovered that she was ice cold.

"N-no..." She sobbed, still clutching herself. "M-m-my baby...Mina..."

"Snips!" Anakin shouted, trying to console her. "Ahsoka, what's wrong?"

"Mina...She's..." Ahsoka whimpered as she looked up at him. "She's...dying."

The blade retracted, and Mina's trembling body crumbled to the ground. Her breathing hitched as the pain started to sink in. The Stalker in front of her disappeared in a black vapor, and the real Stalker strode past her. He turned around and bent to her level, smiling. "Such a disappointment." He said, sadly. He shook his head. "But you've earned my respect, Bonteri. I'll be sure to grant your mother a merciful death. Stars know she's suffered enough."

Mina's eyes remained wide as she realized that she was dying. Darkness was already creeping in from the edges of her vision. She coughed again, though it hurt. She looked up to see the Stalker still looking down at her, with a triumphant smile. "So long, Mina Bonteri." He said. The darkness overtook her.

When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was white. White walls, white ceiling, white floor. It almost felt like the buildings on Kamino, where the colors were all in various ultraviolet hues that only the Kaminoans could see. She sat up, and realized that it was painfully bright. She also noticed that she had been sitting in a bed of some kind. Weird.

Then she noticed that someone else was there...wherever she was. She could smell something good. "Bacon..." She mumbled, enraptured by the scent. Fighting against the migraine inducing brightness of the room, she staggered towards the source of the smell.

When she found the kitchen, she could hear the sound of bacon sizzling in a pan. "Oh, good. You're awake." Came a voice, somewhat masculine sounding. It sounded vaguely familiar, but her eyes hadn't adjusted to the light yet, so she couldn't tell who exactly was there.

"You can just have a seat there." The stranger said, gesturing towards the table. "The eggs and bacon will be a minute."

"Thank you." Mina mumbled, still in a daze. She sat down, absentmindedly. She squinted towards the stranger, but all she could see was a dark orange blur.

"So, you were in a pretty bad spot back there." He said, as he continued to cook. "Hell of a fighter. You've certainly improved a lot."

"Uhh..." Mina muttered. "Thanks, I guess?"

"No problem." He replied. A minute later, he set her plate down in front of her. "There you go," He said cheerfully. "Two scrambled eggs, lightly cooked bacon, and a half glass of Nuvala Orange juice, no pulp. Oh, and a lightly toasted, lightly buttered cinnamon raisin bagel."

"Thanks." Mina said as she dug into her meal. Then it hit her that he knew exactly what her favorite breakfast was. She squinted at him, still not seeing him clearly. "Do I know you?"

"Well," the stranger chuckled. "I'd certainly hope so, sis."

Her eye marks furrowed. She took another look at him, and the finer details of his features started to come into view. When she took a closer look, her eyes widened.

"D-Danny?" She asked, dropping her fork.

Her brother smiled as he extended his arms. "You got it, Mi-Mi."

"Danny!" She shouted. She sprang out of her seat and tackled him in a tight hug. He felt so warm, so real. Her eyes stung as she started crying in his arms. He looked so different, as if he'd never...

"Wait a minute." She said, as she pulled away. "H-how are you...But, if you're here, than that means..." She gasped, then clutched at her chest as the memories of her fight with the Stalker came flooding back. "I'm dead."

Daniel Bonteri's face fell as he nodded solemnly. "Yeah." He confirmed. "Bit of a cheap shot, stickin' you in the back like that."

"But, what happened?" She asked. "Where are we?"

Daniel looked around. "Depends," He said. "Where do you think we are?"

Mina took a minute to look around. "If I had to guess," She said. "I'd say we're in our old home on Shili, when Mom had to keep us off of Uncle Anakin's radar."

Daniel cupped his chin in thought. "That makes sense." He said.

Mina turned to look at her twin brother. "Does this mean we're in the Afterlife?" She asked.

Daniel's face scrunched up. "You know, I actually don't think so."

Mina raised an eye mark. "What makes you say that?"

Daniel turned to face her again. "Remember those old Second Age movies we used to watch as kids?" He asked.

Mina perked up. "You mean the ones about the wizard kid?" She asked. "Yeah, why?"

Her brother rubbed his chin in thought. "Remember the scene where Harry is in the train station with Dumbledore?" She nodded. "I think this is something like that. Some kind of Limbo zone, or whatever."

Something crossed Mina's mind. "Something the Stalker said about you...well, it got me thinking." Daniel turned to look at her. "He told me that you could still be alive."

"I think I might be." Danny said, as if he was considering that possibility for the first time.

Mina gripped him by the shoulders. "You know," She said. "When the Stalker first told me that you might still be alive, I didn't believe him. Hell, I didn't have a reason to, given that I don't trust him. But, now that I think about it, I feel that it could be true."

Daniel smiled back at her. "I think it's time."

Mina seemed confused. "Time for what?"

"For you to go back." Daniel clarified. "You have people out there looking up to you, sis. You can't let them down now. And you have a Stalker's ass to kick."

As he said this, Mina could feel herself being pulled back. "What?" She replied. "B-But, what about you?" She pulled him into a tight embrace. "I don't want to let go yet. I don't think I'm ready to lose you again."

Daniel cupped her face. "Mina." He said calmly, looking her in the eyes. "It's okay. I'll always be with you." She sobbed as he hugged her tighter. "I love you, sis."

She sniffled. "I love you too, bro."

He chuckled as they pulled apart. "Say hi to Mom and Dad for me, okay?"

She wiped the tears from her eyes. "I will."

Daniel turned around to walk away, as the edges of reality began to warp around her. He suddenly remembered something, and he turned around to see her again, even as she drifted away. "Remember, Mina." He called out. "When you get back, come find me!"

As the world grew dark around her, she shouted, "I will. I promise."

The last thing she heard him say before the lights of the limbo zone completely disappeared was, "May the Force be with you, sis. Always."

An explosion rocked the Death Star as the Executor crashed into it, throwing Stalker off balance. He gripped the edge of the throne to try and get his bearings.

"Son of a-" He cursed as the throne spun around, and he completely fell on his face. He quickly got to his feet and brushed himself off. He hoped to hell that no one had seen his little blunder. He was so focused on what was going on outside that he didn't notice that Mina's body had started moving.

White lightning crackled across the Togruta's hands, and her eyelids twitched. Then they flew open and the whole of the throne room was engulfed in white light. Stalker felt the surge of energy and spun around in a daze, disbelief on his features.

Standing before him, with a hole still in her chest, was Mina Bonteri, reborn. She was quite literally radiating light, and her eyes looked different. The colors of her sclera and irises had been reversed, so that she now had blue Sclera, white irises, and no pupils. She stood at full height, baring her fangs in a feral grin.

"Come on, loser." She taunted him, igniting her lightsabers. "It's just you and me."

Stalker's eyes narrowed, and his own lightsaber exploded to life in his hands. "Fine," He growled. "Let's finish this."

He surged forward at the same time she did, and their blades locked. He swung at her head, but she ducked out of the way and kicked him in the stomach. This time, it seemed to knock the wind out of him for a second, before he pushed forward in his assault again.

Their blades clashed again and again, faster and faster with every hit. Soon, they were hitting each other with such speed and ferocity that it became a maelstrom of red, blue, and green, roaring through the air between them. So much adrenaline was pumping through Mina that she barely flinched when a stray slash caught her across her abdomen.

Stalker refused to break eye contact with his adversary, and their exchange of blinding strikes continued for another minute before he lost his patience. "I've had enough of this!" He roared. He threw out his free hand to catch her dominant arm. She tried to slash at him with her shoto, but he blocked it with his own saber. He twisted his blade, forcing hers to twist as well, and then he flicked his out to slice off her left hand.

She winced as the severed limb dropped to the ground, and the lightsaber in it deactivated. She didn't have much of a chance to register any pain before the Stalker gripped her in the Force and slammed her into the ceiling. Then he slammed her against the ground violently, again and again. Then she caught herself, breaking his hold.

She had just enough time to pick herself up before a torrent of black Force lightning struck her body. She groaned in pain as her body began to convulse. She could feel the sheer power behind the Stalker's attack, but now she had some of that power too. She extended her arm to catch the lightning, repelling it from her body. The Stalker seemed confused for a moment, before his eyes narrowed again and he launched another storm at her.

This time, she was ready for it. She met his lightning with her own, and the two conflicting attacks boomed as they collided. The Stalker's lightning absorbed the light around it, while her own lightning was radiant with light. The two sides continued to push against each other, and both Force Wielders could feel themselves being pushed backwards from the sheer power they were unleashing.

Stalker's lightning pushed against hers, and Mina's good arm was beginning to wear out. "Face it," Stalker seethed. "Even in your current state, you can't beat me."

Mina took a deep breath. Her arm was trembling, but she kept pouring her strength into her attack. She closed her eyes and took another deep breath. When she opened her eyes again, she felt her strength renewed, and she pushed harder. Her lightning pushed through, and the two attacks exploded in a flash of light.

When it cleared, Mina noticed that the Stalker was worn out, and dazed. She refused to let this opportunity slip out of her grasp. She rushed forward, igniting her lightsaber, and hacked away at the Stalker's chest. Then, to top it all off, she drove her lightsaber through where his heart would be. His eyes widened, his crimson irises shrinking to small dots as he gasped.

"I told you..." She panted. "I was going...to win."

He looked at her, a shocked expression on his face. He didn't say a word, only panted and gasped for breath, as she used the Force to throw him over the side. He screamed as he fell, and then it abruptly cut off. Mina rushed to the edge and looked down, but she couldn't see him. Had he vanished? Was it an illusion, meaning that the real Stalker had escaped during the fight? Where had he gone?

Mina didn't have much time to think it over before she was alerted to the sounds of sirens wailing through the chambers. "Well, it's time to go." She clipped her lightsaber to her belt, and then summoned her shoto to her belt. With out a second to waste, she took off towards the hangar.

Dozens of Stormtroopers were rushing to their TIE Fighters when she arrived. She quickly surveyed the hangar for a ship she could use, and her eyes fell on the Apophis, the Stalker's personal ship. "Guess he won't be needing it anymore." She quipped.

Apparently, she wasn't the only one to notice, as the Stormtroopers caught sight of her. "Hey!" one of them shouted. "Stop her!"

As they opened fire, she couldn't help but chuckle. Loyal to a fault, these clowns, she thought, as she ignited her lightsaber and deflected their attacks. She planned to book it to the Apophis and get the heck out of here. She scrambled into the ship and hoped to heck that the ship wouldn't refuse to move if it didn't recognize her, or something.

Thankfully, it started up, and before she knew it, the ship was pulling out of the hangar.

"General Syndulla." Kaori called out, as she kept shooting down TIE Fighters. "The Apophis just pulled outta one o' th' 'angars! It's headin' straight for ya!"

Hera looked over to see the Apophis heading straight at them. She was about to give the orders to shoot at it when a message came through.

"Don't shoot!" Mina shouted over the coms. "It's me, Mina!"

"Mina?" Hera repeated. "What happened? Where's the Stalker?"

"Gone." Mina answered. "Get everyone clear of the Death Star. It's going to blow!"

As the rebel forces pulled away, the Millennium Falcon and several Y-Wing bombers emerged from the Death Star.

"Mission accomplished, folks." Lando called. "Let's get outta here."

A minute later, the massive space station exploded.

From the ground, the three elite members of Inferno Squadron looked to the sky in shock and disbelief. Iden Versio removed her helmet in shock. "Impossible." She whispered. She couldn't believe what she had just witnessed.

"Uhh...Commander?" Del asked. "What do we do now?"

Iden clenched her fists as she put her helmet back on and looked up at the sky. "We get off this planet, and we avenge our Empire."

As the Ghost, Millennium Falcon, and the Apophis approached the base, ground crews were assembled. The Ghost was the first to land, and Hera immediately stepped forward to address the crowd. But a sharp voice that could only belong to Ahsoka Tano cut her off.

"Where is she?!" She yelled, shoving rebels aside as if they were nothing. "Where is my baby?!"

The doors to the Apophis opened, and Mina slowly made her way out, still holding her injured sides.

"Mina!" Ahsoka shrieked. She ran forward and nearly knocked both of them to the ground in a tight embrace. Mina did her best to hug her mother back. "Oh, my little baby." Ahsoka sobbed into her daughter's shoulder. From a distance, Anakin noticed that the two of them were nearly the same height. "I thought you were dead."

Mina sniffled. "Yeah," She began, as they pulled apart. "That's the thing. I did die. And I lost my arm on top of that." She waved the stump of her left arm to emphasize her point.

"Don't worry too much about it." Anakin chimed in. "You'll get used to having a metal arm after a while." Mina, and several others, laughed in response. Then Ahsoka turned towards her daughter again.

"So, you decided to hijack the Stalker's ship." She nodded to the Apophis, which was being checked for suspicious items by the ground crew.

"Well, it's mine now," Mina replied. "But yeah, he doesn't need it anymore."

"What happened to him?" Ezra asked.

"Do you want the ten minute version, or the ten hour version?" Mina asked rhetorically, before answering her own question. "Well, he kidnapped me, taunted me, paraded me around like a carnival prize, kicked my ass, and stabbed me through the heart. Then I died." She paused for a moment. "Then, I felt like someone injected coffee straight into my bloodstream, and I somehow came back to life. He and I fought a little more, then I cut him up, and threw him down a reactor shaft."

"So, that monster's finally dead, right?" Anakin asked, his features hardened.

"Well," Mina replied, brushing the back of her head with her good arm. "I hope so. He just sort of...disappeared." She shrugged, indicating that she wasn't really sure herself. "He did tell me that he was dead before we fought, which I assume was his way of saying that I couldn't kill him. I couldn't tell if he was bluffing or not, but whatever. At the time, I was too busy getting the heck off the Death Star before you guys blew it sky high."

"And you somehow literally managed to commandeer the Stalker's ship single-handedly." Ahsoka added.

Mina shrugged. "Pretty much, yeah." She looked towards the crowds of rebels surrounding them. A small figure with ruby red hair came rushing from the crowd.

"Mina!" Myrcella shouted, tackling the young Togruta woman. Mina crouched down and returned the kid's embrace.

"Hey there, kiddo." She said, as she scooped the little rascal up. "Nice war paint."

Mercy giggled as she pressed a small hand to her older cousin's face. "What happened to your eyes?" She asked.

"What about my eyes, kid?" Mina asked, genuinely confused.

"You'll see later." Kuron answered. He stepped forward, holding Shisuta upright. When Mina saw her friends again, her eyes widened.

"Oh my gods, what happened to you guys?!" She yelled, still carrying Mercy.

Shisuta briefly glanced down at what was left of her leg. "Grenade." Kuron said simply. "But trust me," He quipped, glancing up and down Mina's own form. "It's not like you got off any better. What happened to you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Mina deadpanned.

"Well," Ahsoka replied. "Given that I doubled over in pain during the fight, and the fact that you clearly have a big hole in your chest, I can tell you died up there. So, as grateful as I am to see my daughter is okay, I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like to know how you're still here."

Mina readjusted her grip on Mercy, before heaving a big sigh. "And I'd be happy to tell you all about it, but I think I'd do better after a good nap." That earned some laughter from those near her. "Besides," Mina continued. "I'm sure we can all exchange war stories at the party later."

And what a party it was. Sabine had brought fireworks, which thankfully hadn't frightened the primitive Ewoks. The rebels exchanged stories, and danced beneath the stars. Eventually, Luke Skywalker had grown tired of dancing and had gone off to enjoy the view of the stars on his own, relishing the quiet. So much had happened in the last few hours, so it felt nice to just sit back and relax. He wasn't alone for long, however.

"Thought I'd find you out here, love." Eris said, as she approached her fiancé with a glass of some sort of wine in each hand.

Luke turned to look at her, and smiled. "Hey." He said, as he accepted the drink. Eris took her spot next to him, and sighed.

"Well, we did it." She said, taking a sip of her drink.

"Heh," Luke chuckled. "I guess we did." He swished the wine around in its glass, before taking a sip himself and cringing at the taste.

Eris smiled. "Yeah, I figured you'd react like that." She chuckled. "Corellian Whiskey is an acquired taste."

"No, it's fine," Luke groaned, fighting down another sip. "Just caught me off guard."

His future wife smirked. "So," She said after a moment, looking up to the stars. "What happens now?"

Luke thought about that for a moment. "Well, there's still the remains of the Empire to deal with." He said. "Sure, without the Emperor, or the Stalker, or any kind of unified leadership, the remaining Imperials are going to scatter. Even so, we'll need to deal with them, eventually." Eris nodded in understanding. "Regardless, that can wait. We still have our wedding to plan."

"Hehe," Eris chuckled. "That's true." Then she raised her glass. "To that, I will drink."

"To that, I'll drink." Luke repeated, raising his own glass to toast with hers.

Their revelry was interrupted by a loud, and very inebriated sounding Togruta. "Heeeeyyy, Lukie~" Mina drawled as she staggered towards them. "Peeekabooo."

"Oh, hey Mina." Luke replied, as Mina slung her arm around their shoulders.

"I *hic* though I'd f-f-find you two *hic* lovebirds out here, heehee." Mina slurred. Her white and blue eyes were unfocused and droopy. Eris pressed her hand to her forehead.

"Mina," She groaned. "How did you manage to get so badly hammered so freaking fast? Freaking lightweight."

"Hey." Mina snapped, poking Eris in the nose to emphasize her point. "Give me...Give me a b-break *hic*. I died, so shhhhuch your mouth hole." She smirked absentmindedly.

"Sweet stars above," Eris muttered.

"Hey wait a minute," Luke piped up. "If you're dead, how can you still get drunk?"

Mina stared off into the distance, squinting as she cupped her chin in thought. "I, uh, don't know." She started giggling uncontrollably. Then she wrapped her arm around Luke and rubbed her face against his affectionately. "Hey, hey, can I...can I t-tell you something personal, Lukie?"

"Uh, sure?" Luke replied, albeit warily.

"I love you, cousin *hic*. You know that?" Mina replied.

"I, uh...love you too, Mina." Luke replied with a smile, reaching up to give her a hug. Then he noticed that Ahsoka was watching them.

"Alright," She said, as she approached the the trio. "I think Mina's had enough fun for one night. Come on, Mina." She reached out and took hold of her heavily inebriated daughter, who started giggling nonsensically.

"Moooom," She drawled. "Lemme go. I have rights too."

"Sorry, sweetie." Ahsoka replied. "But you've clearly had too much."

Mina sighed. "Ooookay, mom." Then she turned her head lazily to wave to Luke and Eris. "Byeee."

The two waved back, chuckling at the sight. Then they resumed stargazing.

As soon as Ahsoka was sure that no one was within earshot, she turned to her daughter. "You're not actually drunk, are you?" She asked.

At once, the inebriated look in Mina's eyes cleared up, but the goofy smile on her face remained. "What gave it away, Mom?"

Ahsoka chuckled. "Your acting skills are abysmal." She explained with a smile. "As usual."

"Hey!" Mina retorted, feigning offense. "I was trying to see if I could even get drunk in the first place anymore." She and her mother shared a laugh, before something crossed her mind. "Hey mom? Can I tell you something?"

"What is it, dear?" Ahsoka asked.

Mina sighed. "It's about Danny." She said. Ahsoka froze.

"What about him." She asked, sternly.

Mina took a deep breath. "When I was on board the Death Star, Stalker...Nazo, told me that Danny was still alive, and that he knew where my brother was."

Ahsoka's eye marks furrowed. "He was probably lying to you."

"That's what I thought too," Mina agreed. "But then, after I...died, I ended up in a sort of...I don't know, a purgatory? Something like that. But I ended up in a sort of limbo that looked like our old childhood home on Shili. Next thing I know, my own brother is serving me my favorite breakfast. He told me that he felt that he was still out there somewhere."

Ahsoka looked to the ground in thought. "So, what does that mean for us?" She asked.

Mina sighed. "I want to find him." She resolved. "Find him, and bring him home."

Ahsoka nodded. "So, that means we'll need to tell everyone."

Mina seemed taken aback by her mother's words. "What?"

"Don't look at me like that." Ahsoka replied, her features serious. "They're our friends. Our family. They deserve to know the truth."

"I know," Mina sighed. "It's just...I don't know if I'm ready to start talking about him yet." At the look Ahsoka gave her, she continued. "Look, Mom, I agree with you one hundred percent that the others ought to know about Danny, but I just...don't feel like now's the right time, Mom. Besides, what would I even say? 'Hey guys, just wanted to let you know that I have a twin brother who died, but know I think he might be alive somewhere'."

"What?" asked a small voice that made the two women jump. They turned around to see Mercy standing ten feet away, a confused look on her face. "You have a brother?" The ruby-haired youngster asked.

Mina felt a sense of dread well up in her stomach. She pulled away from her mother and walked over to Mercy. "Kid," She asked softly, kneeling down to look the kid in the eyes. "How much of what we said did you hear?"

"All of it." Mercy replied sheepishly, looking down at her feet.

Mina sighed, and placed a hand on Mercy's shoulder. "Mercy," She began. Mercy looked back up at Mina. "Are you okay?"

"Are you?" Mercy replied.

Mina didn't respond. She looked back at her mother, who nodded once. Then, Mina turned her attention back to the Skywalker child. "To tell you the truth, kiddo," She sighed. "I don't know." She took a deep breath. "Are you angry at me?"

Mercy's eyes widened. "No!" She insisted, knocking Mina over in a hug. The resurrected Jedi landed on her butt, as the little girl wrapped her arms around her. "I could never be mad at you." She sniffled. "I love you, Mina."

Mina smiled as she hugged Mercy back. "I love you too, cutie."

Mercy smiled back. "You miss your brother, but you don't feel ready to talk about him again. I don't blame you." She squeezed her arms around Mina tighter, before looking up at her cousin. "But you gotta stop blamin' yourself."

Mina sighed, and she stood up, still holding Mercy. "I think I understand, kid." She said. "Thanks." Mercy giggled as she buried her face in Mina's shoulder. Mina took a deep breath as she looked down at the little beam of sunshine in her arms. "But I want you to promise me something, kiddo."

"Anything." Mercy affirmed.

Mina's face grew deathly serious, and her white irises shrunk slightly against her sky blue sclera. "You must never mention this conversation, or my brother, to anyone other than Kuron and Shisuta." She ordered. "They're the only other people besides my parents who know about Danny. Promise to me that you won't say a word about him without my approval. I stand by what I said; I'm not ready to talk about him just yet. Can you manage that?"

Mercy was initially unsettled by Mina's tone, but she understood Mina's need for privacy. "Of course, Mina." She hugged Mina tighter again. "But I will always be there to talk with you about him."

Mina's expression softened and she chuckled. Ahsoka walked over to them. "You're so pure, you know that, sweetie?" She joked. Mercy giggled. Then she yawned. Ahsoka smirked. "Sounds like someone's bedtime."

Mercy pouted. "But I'm not...yawwn...tired." She protested sleepily, rubbing her eyes.

Mina grinned. "Yeah, right, squirt." Then she yawned as well. "Oh, darn it. Now look what you've done, you little goblin. Now I'm yawning." Mercy giggled innocently. "You know what," Mina continued. "I'm feeling kind of beat myself. Coming back from the dead is exhausting business. Plus, I've had the worst headache since I beat Nazo." She yawned again. "So, I'm going to put this little gremlin to bed, then hit the sack myself. Good night, mom."

"Good night, Auntie Soka." Mercy chirped.

Ahsoka smiled. "Good night, you two."

Mina turned around and headed off to send Mercy to bed.

Ahsoka was about to turn around to rejoin the party when she crashed into someone.

"Oh, sorry Snips." Anakin said, as he helped her to her feet.

"It's okay, Skyguy." Ahsoka replied. "I was just on my way to get back to the party."

Anakin chuckled. "That's funny." He said. "I was just looking for you."

"Really?" Ahsoka asked. "Why?"

Anakin put a hand on her shoulder. "I just wanted to thank you, Ahsoka."

"Thank me?" Ahsoka repeated, confused. "What for?"

Anakin smiled. "For making all of this possible." At her confused look, he sighed. "If you'd given up on me, all those years ago, I wouldn't be here today. Who knows what the galaxy would be like if that had happened."

"I don't know, Anakin." Ahsoka replied with a grin. "You were pretty strong, even in that clunky suit."

"Are you kidding," Anakin laughed. "Did you not see me get my ass handed to me on that station? I got my ass handed to me, by Maul of all people. He would have killed me if it weren't for you."

Ahsoka laughed as she pulled her brother into a tight hug. "I'd do anything to save you, you jerk." She joked. "I love you, Skyguy."

He hugged her back. "I love you too, Snips." He said.

They pulled apart, and looked at each other, smiling. "So," Anakin asked. "What happens now?"

"I don't know." Ahsoka replied with a shrug, as she looked up to the stars. "But we still have work to do. I can't say that things are going to be smooth sailing from here on out, but whatever happens, we'll be ready."

Anakin smiled as he wrapped his arm around his little sister. "And we'll do it together, Snips. Just like old times."

Ahsoka smiled back. "Yeah," She agreed. "Together."

A/N: And with that, Fates Rewritten has come to a close. Thank you all so much for following along with this. I appreciate all the support you guys can give me.

Now, there are a few things I want to go over. First, to StarwarsHobbitfics, I haven't been able to contact you lately, so I need to ask, is it alright if I use your head canon name for Mina's brother? If not, I'll change it. Second, you all may be wondering what I meant by "Second Age". I will go into more detail about that in the future. Third, I left Stalker's fate ambiguous because I may write more about him in the future, since he was honestly my favorite character to write so far. That seems to be a common thing where the villains are more fun to flesh out and write.

Anyway, I'm probably going to go back on vacation for a while. But thankfully, I already have a few ideas that I could work on alongside Mercytale and What We Could Have Been. But I will not divulge too much about them just yet.

I hope to properly set up a schedule to make it easier to expect when the next big project will be out. Once again, thank you all so much for your continued support. Keep an eye out for my next big story, which will be either Mercytale, something featuring the aftermath of this story, or perhaps some anthology stories taking place before Altered Destinies.

Until then, please remember to Read, Review, Favorite, and Follow, and I'll see you all next time. Peace out, and may the Force be with you. Always.

...

...

...

General Cornelius Avett was not a cowardly man. He'd admired the Stalker's dedication to results, and his desire to achieve them without sacrificing morality, unless he was particularly angry that day. Nonetheless, Avett had to stay focused. He had a mission to carry out, after all.

His com link buzzed, and he sighed. When he activated it, the contemptible face of his colleague, Admiral Versio's face came into view.

"What seems to be the problem, Admiral?" Avett asked.

"We were unable to find the Stalker's body, General." Versio replied, though Avett detected an undertone of relief in the older man's voice.

"I see," Avett replied calmly. "Well, what would you suggest we do now?"

"I have been given orders to carry out Operation: Cinder." Admiral Versio replied.

The General's brows furrowed. "You were also given orders to abandon that mission, if I recall correctly."

"The Stalker is no more, General." Admiral Versio answered, somewhat angrily. "And I have my orders to preserve the Empire."

"You forget, Admiral," Avett snapped back. "I outrank you."

"Not anymore, I'm afraid." Versio said with finality. "And you cannot stop me." Without another word, Versio cut the connection, leaving Avett to his own devices. A smug grin lit his features.

"Oh, I may not be able to do anything, old friend." He said, mostly to himself. He turned to the large suspension chamber behind him, smiling at the figure floating inside. "But perhaps my little friend here can." He put his hand to the container. "You've given me a lot of trouble in the past, my boy." He said, addressing his guest. "But perhaps you can be of some use now."

The figure in the tank seemed to be unaware of what the Imperial officer was saying. With a dark smile, General Avett left the room. Had he stayed, he would have noticed as the young man's hand reached out to touch the glass, as his eyes suddenly snapped open.