This takes place during the end of Timothy Zahn's The Last Command


"Phoenix three you've got one on your tail, watch it." Hera called out over the comm. It was supposed to have been a simple mission to find a crystal gravfield trap to locate the cloaked asteroids now orbiting Coruscant. They even had a plan, make the Empire think they were going to strike at Tangrene but actually hit Bilbringi. But with Thrawn involved nothing was ever simple and this was far to reminiscent of Atollon.

"Hera, are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Kanan asked warily, from the dorsal turret.

"The Imperial fleet they're . . . they're leaving." Hera gasped out in shock.

"But why? They had us, it was over, why just leave and give us the shipyards?" Kanan asked confused.

"I don't know, but let's make the most of it while we can." Hera said determinedly.


The Republic had succeeded, they had the crystal gravfield trap and now the Ghost was helping in the recovery.

"There's another one, Hera." Kanan said, pointing out the cockpit window at the drifting escape pod.

"Got it." Hera said, heading towards it and grabbing it with the mag-lock on the underside of the Ghost.

"I'll go welcome them on board." Kanan said getting to his feet and walking out the door.


As the hatch opened, a small steely gray figure appeared.

"Hera . . ." Kanan warned over the intercom, as he dropped into a defensive stance, an electro-staff rolled out and stopped at his feet, along with another cylindrical object, Kanan's old lightsaber.

"A peace offering, Master Jedi" Rukh said in his distinctive gravelly voice.

"Why should we believe you?" Kanan questioned, activating his old lightsaber with a reassuring snap-hiss and pointing it at Rukh.

"Thrawn is dead. He enslaved my people, we have been avenged." Rukh said with a voice the brooked no argument.