"The Empire's second Death Star is nearing completion. According to the intelligence we collected, it is above the forest moon of Endor that the battle station is being constructed." Mon Mothma said.

"We can't just let them finish it! We must do something." Dodanna said, slamming his hand onto the desk. "I'm aware, General. That's why I called for a meeting with the joint chiefs of staff." Mothma said.

"A head on assault simply won't work." Ackbar said quietly. "They likely have a shield generator on Endor. Why else would they feel the need to put the station in geostationary orbit." Sigil picked up.

"We must preoccupy Imperial forces in the sector if we are to strike successfully, otherwise we will be locked in a pincer." Han stated as an eerie silence befell the room.

"But who will do it?" Mon Mothma said, breaking the uneasy tension. "I will!" Ackbar, Jan and Sigil declared at once, catching eachother off guard. All eyes in the room shifted from one of them to the other in anticipation.

"You can't go. You're the best we have against Vader." Ackbar pointed to Sigil. "He is right. Your presence is needed Admiral." Jan agreed. "For the very reasons that I am needed at Endor, I can tie up the sector's fleet, preventing them from reinforcing." He argued back.

The others, still stared at the three of them arguing amongst themselves until Mon Mothma put her fist down. "Enough!" She yelled, and the three of them quickly turned to look at her, now professional once more.

Seeing she had her attention, she said "You have until tomorrow morning to decide who goes." She declared, getting back to the second Death Star.

The meeting concluded and in the chambers, remained only Ackbar, Jan and Sigil. Once again free to discuss who was next to be a martyr of the rebellion on this suicide mission.

"Now how should we go about this gentlemen." Sigil began. "Certainly not by talk." Jan chuckled. "How about we settle this over a game of Sabacc?" Ackbar proposed, both men turned to look at him, impressed looks on their faces. "Sure, why not." Sigil shrugged.

Feeling happy with their conclusion, they headed outside the now empty meeting room. Spotting a trooper on patrol in the halls, Jan signaled him over.

"Sirs!" He saluted sharply. "Private, do you happen to have a Sabacc set?" Jan questioned. The man's complexion changed to that of a confused look. "Sure thing General. We have one." He said hesitantly.

"You wouldn't mind if we borrowed it for the night? Would you?" Sigil asked. "No sir." He said. "Well bring it to us at the high command mess haul." Ackbar ordered. "Yes sir!" He saluted, heading off. "Privates." Jan huffed, and the three proceeded to have a good laugh about it.

The Private brought the cards as requested and left it with them around fifteen minutes later. "Best two of three ?" Sigil asked, looking at the other two. "Best of three." Ackbar nodded. "I'll be the first to deal then." Sigil said, shuffling the deck.

Sitting at the table, Sigil placed the deck on his right and began to distribute the cards. In a cycle until all had two cards face down.

Placing the deck down, he was about to pick up his hand but was stopped by Jan. "Wait, how do we know you won't cheat?" He questioned. "He has a point." Ackbar said. "Gentlemen." Sigil began. "We've known each other for a long time. You both know that I'm a man of my word and here it is; I won't cheat." He defended. Jan wasn't fully convinced but kept to himself.

Now with that out of the way, they all took up their cards and looked and inspected the hand they've been dealt. Their faces were void of emotion as to not show the value of what they had been dealt.

Ackbar had the edge in disguise. His Mon Calamari complexion hid his expression well. The Admiral inspected his hand thoughtfully; he had been dealt an Endurance but that was countered by the fact that his other card was a Commander. His hand's total value now stood at just four.

Sigil felt mixed about his ability to win the first round when he saw his hand. In his hand, was a Sabre and Coin. His hand stood at just eleven in value. He had to either stay where he was or risk a bomb out. Human greed would be the deciding factor.

Jan was now surging with confidence. He had an Endurance and Demise; just two shy of a pure Sabacc.

Now that all players had seen their hands, it was the betting turn starting with Jan. "Let us go easy for now. Five credits." He began, throwing the chips forward. "I'll raise. Eleven." Ackbar declared, throwing his own chips. "Where is the flare?" Sigil gloated, throwing thirty credits worth of chips on the table.

"Playing risky I see. Call." Jan said. "Raise." Ackbar smirked, with thirty-five credits from his pocket now part of the pot. "Never knew you were one for taking risks. Call." Sigil said. "Call." Jen followed up.

"Well bets are locked in." Sigil began. "Card?" He said, picking up the deck and pointing it at Jan. "Pass." He said with a wave of his hand. "Ackbar?" Sigil said, now turning to Mon Calamari. "I'll take one." He said.

Sigil took the top card and placed it in front of him. Ackbar took up the card and looked at it; a Stave had now brought his total hand value to fifteen but will he risk more? He decided that he indeed will. "Card." He said again.

The other two had surprised faces that they didn't bother hiding. 'Ackbar's hand can't be that good.' They both thought. The next card was laid before him and he took it. A coin worth four points. "Well, my job here is done. Observe!" He declared, throwing his cards on the table.

They both looked on with concern, a value of nineteen yet for Jan it was all a facade meant to create a false sense of joy. "Quite the hand but now it's my turn and I will have a card." Sigil interrupted, taking out a card from the top of the deck.

Sigil placed the deck back down as he inspected his hand once more. Now he had drawn an Endurance. "Looks like I'm gonna need more. Third time's the charm." He huffed drawing another card, this one an ace yet it wasn't enough. "One last card." He drew the third card, a commander.

"Kriff!" He said, slamming his now bombed out hand on the table. "Tough luck." Ackbar joked. "You both are better off next round." Jan cut in, placing his hand on the table. "Son of a bantha." Ackbar murmured.

"Well you know what they say: You win some, you lose some." Jan said, reaching over the table for the pot and dragging it back to his side of the table.

Sigil huffed, taking the cards on the table. He placed them in the deck and moved it over to Jan since it was his turn to be the dealer.

"Don't be salty gentlemen." Jan said, shuffling the deck. "There are plenty of ships in space." He finished.

"Don't you mean fish in the sea?" Sigil corrected. "Thought it might not sit that well Ackbar." He said. "You two have pulled off worse stunts involving me. Calling me a fish is basic." Ackbar dismissed.

"Very well." Jan huffed, beginning to deal the cards starting with Ackbar. Once all had two cards, he placed the deck back down and looked at his hand.

He had dealt himself two Queens of Air and Darkness. A rare hand to be sure but a useless one nonetheless.

Ackbar's hand was more favorable than his last one. An ace and a Coin. So close yet so far. A flask would likely win him the game via pure Sabacc but one unlucky draw and it all goes to waste.

Sigil smiled on the inside. In his hand, he had an ace and a saber. A pure Sabacc. Now he just had to wait for a good enough pot to accumulate.

"Why wait for a good game?!" Ackbar said out loud, throwing fifty credits worth on the table. "I'll raise you." Sigil countered, throwing eighty three credits worth on the table. "Call." Jan said. "Where is the flare? Raise." Ackbar shoved a hundred forward.

"I'm starting to like it. Call." Sigil responded. "Call." Jan huffed. "Now time for cards. Cards, Ackbar?" Jen said, pointing the deck at him. Ackbar rubbed his chin. This pot would be too good to lose. "Pass." He finally said. Jan shifted so he was now facing Sigil. "Pass." He replied.

"I guess I'm the only one taking cards this time around." Jan chuckled to himself, taking the top card and placing it down in front of himself. Placing the deck also in front of himself before picking up his new hand to inspect it.

He had drawn a moderation bringing his total to negative eighteen. One which he was content with but would it suffice? He was about to find out shortly as they all dropped their hands down, revealing what they had.

"Would you look at that?" Ackbar gloated. "Damn it! It's a tie." Jan said. "Sorry to burst your bubble gentlemen but it looks like I win." Sigil announced, revealing his hand. "A pure Sabacc boys." He continued, reaching over and collecting his handsome bounty.

Jan silently collected their cards before handing the deck to Ackvar. Ackbar shuffled the deck and started to distribute the cards amongst the players until all had two.

Ackbar's own hand was just a coin shy of the legendary idiot's array, a hand he would need to lock in the preservation, else risk losing it.

Sigil's hand was that of a mistress and coin. A solid yet risky hand depending on whether its wielder decided to play aggressively in order to reach pure sabacc.

Jans hand consisted of a commander and stave. A pure sabacc. His confidence was severely bolstered and he couldn't wait to just drip it. But he had to wait for a large pot to be built up to be worth it.

Sigil was first to go and he threw in twenty five credits worth on the table without saying a word. "Quiet now aren't we?" Jen mocked, raising him by thirty.

"I'll raise you Jan." Ackbar called, raising his friend by fifty. "Call." Sigil replied simply, making his friends concerned as to what he really had. "Call." Jan spoke up, seeing a good enough pot in front of him. "Call." Ackbar said.

"Well." Ackbar began, reaching for the deck and placing it in front of himself. "Card?" He asked Sigil. "Give me one." Sigil said with a knock on the table. He looked it over and saw a stave meaning he busted. "God damn it! Again?!" He slammed his cards down. "Jan?" He asked, to which the General refused. So he dealt himself one card. Just the Coin he needed.

"Looks like it's me. Check this out." Jen said, revealing his hand for all to see that pure sabacc in all its glory.

"Think quick Jan." Ackbar said, placing his own hand down. Sigil and Jen stared slack jawed at the idiot's array in front of Ackbar. "Well we all won one game so far." Jan began. "We have one last game left." Sigil finished for him. This last game would be nothing short of intense.

It was back to Sigil to deal and as Ackbar handed him the deck with a shaky hand, he could feel sweat forming on his forehead as the weight of it all depended on his hand movements. And so began the round for the Rebellion.

Meticulously, Sigil distributed the cards amongst his comrades for this crucial game of sabacc.

Once he was done dealing, he picked up and inspected his cards. A coin and the Idiot. Now all he needed for a full Idiot's Array was a card worth two and with the state of his hand, another coin would do the job

Jan hadn't been given a better hand either. Having two flasks putting him at twelve.

Ackbar, just like his comrades, was also running an unfavorable hand. A stave and a Queen of Air and Darkness. Placing his hand's value at a nine positive.

"We've been going too fast. Why not slow it down." Jan chuckled nervously, only placing five credits worth on the table. Ackbar hummed to himself, raising Jan by only three credits. "I disagree." Sigil cut in. "If this is the last game, I'm not planning to go down quietly. I'm planning to go out with a bang! All in!" He said, trying to raise the morale of his fellows.

Jan and Ackbar exchanged looks before deciding that if this were to be their last game as a trio, they will have fun with it. As such they pushed it all forwards and onto the table.

"That's the spirit!" Sigil announced, grabbing the deck and pointing it at Jan. "My good man, may I interest you in a pure sabacc?" He said to Jan. "Why yes, my good man. Give me one" He replied, playing along with the joke.

He was dealt a stave worth eleven points, giving him a pure sabacc to go.

"Anymore?" Sigil asked. "No thanks." He said, laughing as his friend continued onwards with his antics. "Fishman, want some fresh water?" Sigil mocked. "I'll have a tank full!" Ackbar answered, continuing the joke. "Well you are in luck. I just have the thing you want." Sigil said, pushing forward a card.

Picking it up, Ackbar saw a master. Bringing him to pure sabacc. "Want a second tank?" Sigil asked, extending his deck hand. "Pass." He replied with a chuckle.

"Thankfully I left some for myself." Sigil joked, taking out a card for himself. Setting the deck aside, he looked at his hand, not believing his luck. He had dealt himself a second coin. Game over.

"I win!" Jan declared, putting his hand on display. "Nor so fast, it's a tie." Ackbar interrupted, showing his own pure sabacc. "Even better gentlemen, I win!" Sigil declared placing the Array for his friends to see. Just then, everything went black.