The trip back to Alpha Base on board the was blessedly peaceful. The mission to rescue Wedge, Hobbie, and Tycho might have only taken a few hours, but it had felt like days, and certainly exhausted my team and I like it was that long. So when the newly hired captain of the informed me that the slower ship would likely take more than two full days to arrive at the Rebel base, I was happy to have the extra time.

  Ahsoka and I spent the first day lounging together in one of the ship's luxury quarters, a vestige left over from the previous CIS owners. While not all of them were that bad, quite a few of the higher-ranked members of the CIS would have considered it absolutely unacceptable to slum it in standard captains quarters, no matter the circumstances.

  While I certainly disagreed with that level of self-importance and narcissism, leaving a few of the luxury quarters in place, just in case we were transporting someone important, was a smart move. And not just because somewhere along the way, people decided I counted as someone special.

  We lounged on the comfortable furniture, eating junk food and watching movies, something Ahsoka was especially excited about, as she was just as ignorant of popular media around the galaxy as I was.

  Of course, we both quickly realized that a lot of the "popular" movies were just Imperial propaganda. We ended up watching movies that were much older, from before the Clone Wars, to escape the heavy-handed pro-Imperial and pro-Republic messages.

  On the second day, Ashoka and I socialized a bit more, hanging out with the crew in a common area. We talked about the battle, about how our HALO jump went, all over food and drinks. Where those drinks came from, I don't know, but I wasn't about to complain.

  When we finally arrived at Alpha Base, we took a quick shuttle down to the surface, where the was still parked, as were the unsold ships we had left behind. The only difference was that the contents of the three L-2873s had been consolidated into two ships, allowing the to leave and head home. Apparently, 2nd Group had stumbled on a time-sensitive target and had rushed to get their ships ready, leaving the day before we arrived.

  I was fine with their proactive move, the captains in charge, as well as Lieutenant Rider, the clone in charge of the ground team, knew how I worked and what I prioritized. The group had had a few days off, and if they had felt the need to rush around like they did, their potential target would have to be something worth the work.

  After moving our stuff back into the and filling in Calima about how the trip had gone, the crew prepared to meet with the Rebellion hire-ups. Admiral Ackbar had mentioned that Mon Mothma was on base and wanted to meet me to pass on our reward herself, so I was expecting an invitation. We cleaned ourselves up and put on our best uniforms.

  Sure enough, not long after we had finished, we received a visit from General Syndulla, Twi'lek Rebel inviting us all to enjoy a meal in celebration of our completed mission. I accepted, with the caveat that everyone could come, which prompted her to assure me they had always been invited.

  The usual ride up to the base passed, and we were led to the same fancy dining hall that we had experienced during our negotiations over the latest CIS raid turned Imperial ambush several months ago. It was still filled with greenery and decorations, with several people already waiting for us. Mon Mothma sat at the vague "head" of the oval table they had set up, while Admiral Ackbar sat on her right. To her left was Princess Leia, an empty seat, followed by General Rieekan. To my surprise, Luke was there as well, sitting opposite his sister, beside Wedge and Hobbie.

  "Welcome, Admiral Deacon," Mon Mothma greeted. "And welcome to the members of the Skyforged Vanguard. Please, come and sit. This meal is as much of a thank you as it is a celebration for the safe return of our people and the lengths your people took to save them."

  "Thank you, Mon Mothma," I said with a shallow nod. "The food we enjoyed during our negotiations was wonderful, I am looking forward to trying more."

  We took seats around the table, with me sitting on the opposite "head" of the table. Before we even sat, I could feel that this meal was not just a simple celebration. I personally might consider Wedge and Hobbie extremely important, but during this time, they were still minor players. Sure, they were skilled and flew with Luke, but losing soldiers was part of a war. Getting two of them back was good, of course, but there was no reason for the leader of the entire Rebellion to host a celebration. No, this was a genuine political move, not just a business deal or a celebration of success. Something was going on here. I just didn't know what it was yet.

  Of course, I had mixed feelings about that. On one hand, political maneuvers meant they were taking us seriously. You didn't make grand political moves against the guy who restocks your vending machines, after all. There was no way someone like Mon Mothma would waste her time unless she considered it essential. But on the other hand?

  I hated politics.

  Not long after we sat, and General Syndulla took the empty set beside Leia, the first course was brought out. Several waiters brought out covered plates, putting them down in front of us, only to reveal a single half-shell of what reminded me of a massive oyster. It was set on some sort of bound sand while holding what looked like a creamy pale red soup.

  "They are Corellian lake ostrea, turned into some sort of soup," Tatnia whispered under her breath. "Fifty credits a plate at least."

  My eyes went wide for just a moment before I controlled myself. Now, I was starting to get worried. That sort of cost meant they were really trying to impress us or get on our good side, which likely meant there would be a punchline at some point.

  I watched for a moment, pretending to adjust my utensils, watching how Leia and Mon Mothma ate theirs. After they used a spoon to scoop out the thick soup-like liquid, I followed suit. It tasted like a strong clam chowder, with a snappy spicy bite at the back.

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  "I have tried several times to replicate this dish," Admiral Ackbar admitted once everyone had had a chance to try it. "Mostly using ingredients to make it less… indulgent. I have failed every time."

  "You cook?" I asked, genuinely surprised. I knew from the Thrawn trilogy that Ackbar dabbled in art, though in what form I wasn't sure.

  "I try," He responded, making the wet sound most attributed to a Mon Cal chuckle. "Most would question if it could be called cooking if the result is inedible."

  "Deacon can cook, rather well, actually," Luke said, catching me off guard. "He made Ahsoka and I a meal not too long ago, actually. Passa? Pazak?"

  "Pizza," I responded with a smirk. "I can hardly take credit for that. Pizza is one of those simple things that is hard to get wrong but can be mastered into something great."

  "And pizza is from your homeworld?" Mon Mothma asked, my mind melting a bit as I had a conversation about pizza with some of the more important characters in this universe.

  "Yes. I've been meaning to spread my traditional food around a bit more," I admitted with a frown. "Just been too busy leading the Skyforged."

  "A problem I know all too well," Mon Mothma responded with a slight frown. "What we are doing here is important, perhaps the most important thing I will ever do. But the lack of time… it is hard to get used to."

  We continued to chat lightly over the first course, discussing the progress of the base, how the Jedi were doing on our mystery planet, and other simple topics. As the now empty plates were taken away, Admiral Ackbar once again spoke up.

  "As you can imagine, while you were busy saving our pilots, our engineers had a chance to inspect the ships you were offering," He explained. "We are willing to pay three million credits for the DP20, as they hit well above their weight and make excellent escorts. We can offer you another four million for the remaining freighters, starfighters, and other ships."

  "The three million for the DP20 is acceptable," I said, mentally redirecting my thoughts to business. "I would need to review the prices for the remaining ships, I'm afraid it's been a bit too long for me to flat-out remember all of their prices. That said, assuming it's fair, I would accept."

  It took me a second to catch up, and I wondered for a moment if Mon Mothma knew he was planning on bringing up business during the meal. She remained calm, listening silently as we talked, but given that she was a career politician, there was really no way for me to tell what she was thinking.

  "Wonderful, the fleet will put the ships to good use," He assured me. "I am grateful you bring your business to us directly, you bring in a startling amount of equipment. Especially considering how young your company is."

  "I have found that, when certain criteria are met, gathering equipment like this becomes easier than you might expect," I explained, being purposely vague. It wasn't like we had discovered some grand secret, but I wasn't stupid enough to spoil an edge, not when it was supporting my people to such a degree. "Asset acquisition and high-risk ground operations are our specialty, after all."

  Ackbar nodded enthusiastically, one of his large aquatic eye focusing on me.

  "We have certainly learned our lesson for doubting or understating your capabilities," Princess Leia said, several others nodding in agreement. "Between this mission, the recording of your battle against the Imperial Super Star Destroyer, and our work requisition materials for beskar, you have thoroughly proven us wrong."

  "Yes, I saw that recording. Despite the disappointing loss of the ships, which lay firmly as the feet of the traitors Gadic and Loc, you put on an impressive display," Ackbar stated, putting down his fork. "While most of it is useless as a lesson, as it relies on disposable assets, I've used it to teach thinking outside the box several times to some of the Captains I am training. I can't imagine I would have done much better under the circumstances. The idea to sacrifice the ships would have certainly been the last thing on my mind, I have spent too long with capital ships being far too valuable to throw away."

  "You're too kind, Admiral Ackbar," I said with a smile. "I honestly think that the only reason I succeeded was my ability to anger Darth Vader. I have a feeling he gutted his command bridge in his hanger, leaving his ship's capabilities seriously stunted."

  "He would really cause such damage?"

  "Absolutely. The dark side of the Force is connected to the user's emotions, meaning when their emotions are out of control, so is their power," I explained. "I got under his skin, and from what we could hear, he was taking it out on the bridge."

  "What Deacon isn't mentioning is that Vader also attempted to Force choke him from a distance," Ahsoka added. "If I hadn't been there, or another Jedi with proper training at least, he would have likely succeeded."

  "It was a gamble," I said with a shrug. "Not to mention that I'm harder to choke out than you might think."

  Ahsoka rolled her eyes, but the Rebels seemed suitably impressed. Luke seemed conflicted, though he hid it well. We continued to talk about the ambush before shifting topics to the most recent mission. Wedge and Hobbie had already given their debriefing, but everyone was interested in hearing our side since the pilots hadn't been around during our initial attack.

  "A drop from that altitude… I knew there were small teams of commandos who used high-altitude jumps during the Clone Wars," General Rieekan responded, shaking his head. "I believe they utilized specialized escape pods, however, which meant their unassisted falls started considerably lower. Still, as... intense as it may be, clearly it is an effective strategy."

  "Only if you're willing to push yourself to the limit," I explained with a confident smirk. "If you slow down too high, you're a sitting target for any point defense weaponry. You have to really trust your gear, and even then, it takes practice to fight your instincts for that long. We trained for quite some time to get it down right. This just happened to be the first time we used it in the field."

  "Plus, you need the right kit to do it," Julus added, weathering the sudden catch of attention well. "Without the sealed inner suit and built-in life support, we would pass out the second we jumped."

  "It's possible to get around that, though," I pointed out. "Even a standard ejection kit for your starfighter pilots would work, as it seals in breathable air. That said, they are relying on their gear to survive, so unless "acceptable losses" is a word you don't mind throwing around to your ground troops, it's best to invest in quality, not quantity. Besides, this sort of insertion method is generally only reserved for behind enemy lines, which means the best defensive gear is a must."

  "We are with the sentiment," Mon Mothma said, an almost wistful look on her face. "Unfortunately, we don't usually have the luxury of top-of-the-line equipment."

  I kept my internal frown off of my face, not believing her for a second. We as a group were just as wanted as individual members of the Rebellion, and I knew what kind of money they were capable of through around. If they really wanted prime gear, they could get it.

  The polite conversation returned, and soon the main course arrived. A great big fish was brought out, and a waiter carefully carved great big steaks off of it, the meat behaving more like a large roast than fish. As we were served, Mon Mothma brought up our reward.

  "We believe that, for completing such a difficult and dangerous mission for us, an ample reward is necessary," She said. "Don't you agree, Admiral Ackbar?"

  "I certainly do. Jumping into such an Imperial base, literally, they put themselves at great risk for our men."

  "Precisely, which is why I believe a payment of one million credits will do," the older politician stated. "Do you agree, Admiral Deacon?"