This is quite a long chapter so I apologise for that. It's not the longest I've done but it's a good 9,000 words again while I've tended towards ~7,000 in recent chapters. A lot goes on though, so it needs the word count.
This time: Thrawn and the Imperials coordinate their activities, Luke asks Ahsoka about Malachor, Hammerly reports to Thrawn, and Ezra gathers his students.
"Seven crates of E-Web turrets, three hundred DLT-19 rifles, and seven hundred E-11 rifles."
The Fourth Sister wanted to slam her head onto the field HQ's map table. General Veers continued to drone on and on and on through his weekly inventory list, almost identical to the last time he'd done it. The faces around the table, Sarlis and Hux especially, looked as bored and dejected as she felt. Even Faro and Pellaeon, Thrawn's loyal acolytes, might have been drifting off.
Veers slid his finger along his datapad. "Oh, we under-counted our proton bombs too. We're actually at 25 spare crates, not 15."
"Ah", the Grand Admiral said passively, "Transfer the extra crates to the Chimaera, some of my bombers are in need of additional ammunition."
"As you wish, Grand Admiral", the General tapped away on his screen and then went to continue the list.
She couldn't take it any more. "Are we actually doing anything important here or are you just wasting my time?!", the Inquisitor's outburst caught everyone's attention.
Thrawn looked up at her from across the table with his cold, red eyes. "I would not expect you to appreciate the need for careful management in pursuit of success, Inquisitor."
She didn't have the words to describe how badly she wanted to jump over this table and thrust her lightsaber into his chest. Her tongue was almost ready with a scathing insult but a look around the table made her hold it. Sarlis and Hux might be coming around, but she was still outnumbered here.
Confident she had nothing more to say, Thrawn turned back to Veers, "Continue, General."
The Fourth Sister shut her eyes and grated her teeth slowly as the General continued his droning. How much more of this could she take? How much longer must they wait? She held her tongue for the next few minutes, not registering anything outside of her own thoughts. Master... give me something. Some guidance to bring me closer.
When she finally refocused on the meeting, they'd mercifully finished the inventory and were moving on.
"What of our progress?", Thrawn inquired.
"Slow", Canady answered grimly, "At this rate we'll get through this next door in about a week."
Captain Sarlis opened her mouth to offer one of her rare contributions, "Perhaps we could send more men down?"
Pellaeon shook his head, "Too crowded down there already. More men would only get in the way and slow us down."
Thrawn tapped some buttons on the terminal to the holographic table they were stood around and a 3D map of the dig site rendered itself before them. She could see the large open pit they'd cleared out in recent weeks, at the bottom of which was the podium and the doorway. The Chiss took his hand to his chin and stroked it, as he tended to do when scheming and plotting.
"Captain Pellaeon is right. We are working in a difficult area."
To Thrawn's right, Commodore Faro leaned over and pointed towards the door. "Would it be possible to dig around the door? It'd be slow but we might be able to start planning out a map of the structure while we still try to get inside."
Veers folded his arms, "It's possible, now that the area is opened up. Although we'd need more scanning teams to make sure we don't hit what we aren't meant to."
Without warning, a chill crawled up the Inquisitor's spine accompanied by a quiet voice: "Hammerly."
The Fourth Sister glanced around the room for the source but saw that everyone was still locked in conversation. Then, it dawned on her. Master?
"We might be able to throw together some extra squads from what we have", Canady continued, everyone oblivious to the voice whispering in her mind.
"Hammerly!", it came again and made her shiver, this time drawing a sideways glance from Thrawn.
Master? What's 'Hammerly'? What are you saying? The Inquisitor tried to focus her mind. Was He reaching out to her again? She shut her eyes tightly and dug deep, trying to find out what He was trying to tell her. Sure enough, she felt it coming again, but stronger than ever. It welled up in her, filling her mind, and dominating her thoughts.
Thrawn continued his asinine rambling, "If we can gather the resources yes."
It kept pushing at her. Her Master was reaching out stronger than ever before and straining her will. What was happening? She felt her heart start to race and without warning her mouth opened and spoke words that weren't her own.
"Hammerly!"
Everyone in the room ground to a halt. Faro's heart froze in her chest as everyone's eyes turned to the Inquisitor.
"Excuse me?", Thrawn's voice betrayed no surprise.
The Fourth Sister's eyes shot open and she breathed in shallowly a few times. "H-Hammerly."
Hearing the name again twisted a knot in Faro's stomach. How did she know about Hammerly? The Commodore cautioned a glance at Pellaeon, who looked just as perplexed and uncomfortable as her. Thrawn kept up his passive facade, while the other Imperials looked at the Inquisitor with confusion.
"Hammerly?", Thrawn repeated.
The Inquisitor swallowed hard and spoke shakily, "Yes... yes, Hammerly."
There was something in her body language and the trembling in her voice. Something isn't right. Something really isn't right.
Thrawn offered no response to her, but also gave nothing away. Faro's mind raced with questions. How could the Inquisitor have known about Hammerly? Was someone feeding her information? That wasn't possible, only her, Pellaeon, and Thrawn knew about the assignment... but every member of the Chimaera's bridge crew also knew Hammerly was indisposed. Though none of that explained the Fourth Sister's odd behaviour.
To her surprise, Captain Sarlis was the one who broke the silence. "Hammerly... Commander Hammerly. She's your sensor officer, isn't she? Wouldn't she be of use?" The Captain looked over to the Inquisitor, "I think that's what she meant."
"Yes, yes it is. Thank you, Captain", the woman replied quickly.
"Ah, yes", Canady continued, still apparently confused by the Inquisitor's outburst, "Your sensor officer could be really useful in organising those scans the Commodore suggested."
Faro felt tense all over as she looked to Thrawn. She wondered what he could tell them, he was bound to have planned for an emergency like this.
"Commander Hammerly is otherwise engaged at this time", he answered passively.
The young Captain's face twisted into an odd disbelieving look, "Otherwise engaged? What could be more important?"
"There was a minor disturbance in a neighbouring system. I sent the Commander out to investigate. I believed it to be pirates, nothing more."
The Commodore let out an inaudible sigh of relief. She knew Thrawn would have a cover story prepared if things went south, but she didn't expect that he would ever have to use it.
"Forgive me, sir, but why didn't you let us know? That was your usual procedure for pirates these last few years", Sarlis added innocuously.
The Grand Admiral was already on the ball. "Circumstances were different when we were on limited supplies and constantly on the move. Pirates are less of a concern here, although I didn't see the need to put the troopers on edge with news of a potential disturbance."
His explanations held water, as Faro knew they would, and seemed to satisfy everyone. That was far too close for comfort in her opinion. Faro had always feared what might happen is someone ever managed to poke a hole through Thrawn's plan, and thankfully it didn't look like she was about to find out.
Canady shrugged the odd episode off with a grumble, "Fair enough, though I think the troopers would have appreciated an actual fight to all this digging. I certainly would have."
"You prove my point, Captain", Thrawn replied, "We need to keep our efforts focused here. I'm sure we all want this expedition over sooner rather than later."
"Why Hammerly?" The Fourth Sister's unwelcome voice cut across the room. "Why your sensor officer for a pirate mission? Surely the Aeternus or the Invictus were a better choice, or maybe Captain Sarlis or Captain Canady." A sly grin came to her face, "Sounds to me like you're hiding something."
The Grand Admiral met her gaze and narrowed his eyes. "Dispense with the insinuations, Inquisitor. Commander Hammerly is a perfectly capable officer and one who I'm confident is worthy of her own command in the future. I like to cultivate talent when I see it, Inquisitor, hence why I see so little of you."
Faro bit her tongue, as much to stop from smiling as anything else, and watched the seething glare the Fourth Sister shot the Grand Admiral. Thrawn had made it clear that angering the Inquisitor was often the best choice since it made her act impulsively and irrationally. So far, that had proven to be a reliable strategy.
"However, I agree with Captain Sarlis that Commander Hammerly would be useful. I will contact her and have her return", Thrawn's conciliatory offer would hopefully be enough to placate the others. "Now then, we've many things to attend to."
"Of course, I'll pull together an extra squad or two from the Soliciutde", Canady assured him.
"And I'll get the equipment squared away", Veers added. "Oh, and I'll ensure those extra supplies are transferred to the Chimaera."
"Excellent, General." Thrawn powered down the holographic display table and nodded courteously, "Very well. Meeting dismissed."
Thrawn turned on his heel and made for the door of their field command centre. Faro and Pellaeon exchanged one of their usual frustrated-confused looks from across the table as the other Imperials dispersed. They moved in sync to follow in the direction Thrawn went, waiting until they left the pre-fab building before speaking in hushed tones.
"Any clue?", Faro asked him.
The thoroughly unamused expression on his face was the answer.
Faro sighed unhappily, "I knew you'd say that."
Thank you, Master. The Fourth Sister had to stop herself from grinning as she skulked out of the door on the opposite side of the building to the one Thrawn had used. She hadn't the faintest clue who Commander Hammerly was, or what Thrawn was actually doing, but it was exactly the thing she needed. She was no fool, she knew Thrawn had been hiding something, but her Master had given her the means to show the others how little the Chiss could be trusted.
Her Master's growing powers were proving to be very useful indeed. They were giving her everything she'd wanted and more. A way to take down Thrawn, the guidance to accrue her own allies, and soon enough they'd help her get rid of him all together.
The Inquisitor was surprised to her some footsteps on the rocky ground behind her a few metres down the path.
"Inquisitor", a voice called from behind her.
"Captain Canady", she answered without turning around, waiting for him to catch up with her.
A few seconds later, he caught up to her and kept to her pace. "I wanted to ask what happened in there", he said plainly.
She took a moment to think it over. Then, she clasped her hands behind her back and replied casually, "The force can be a burden at times. A small disturbance, nothing to concern yourself with."
The man's ignorance of the force left him happy to accept the answer. "Hmph, well, yes. However, I think I see what you meant about Thrawn being unusual."
I have you now. She smirked subtlety, "Do you now?"
"It seems odd not to have notified anyone about a pirate raid", Canady said grimly.
"Secrecy and half-truths are common with the Chiss. You can't trust their kind to be open about anything. The more time you spend with Thrawn, the more you'll realise that."
Canady came to a halt, perhaps expecting her to as well. Briefly, she obliged him, but didn't turn back to look him in the eye.
"Well, it doesn't sit well with me. I prefer a straight answer."
She kept looking ahead of her, over towards the dig site in the distance. Everything was falling into place. First Hux, Sarlis, and now Canady too. Her Master's plan to sow dissent was playing out exactly as He'd planned.
"Many people share your opinion, Captain", she told him at last, "Far more of them than you know."
Luke stretched his aching muscles out as he stood up from his meditative pose. There wasn't much else to do on this journey but talk, train, and think.
The small cabin he had on Ahsoka's shuttle was modest and had little room for anything other than a bed, a small table, and his small travel bag dumped in the corner. Luke went over and rummaged around inside for something. Not the comm, not the compass, not the water... ah, protein bar. He tore open the packet and bit into the dry, tasteless block of nutrients, grabbing the water to wash it all down. It wasn't quite the fancy food Leia had gotten him accustomed too in the last few months, but it kept him from starving out here.
"I need to get out of this room", he muttered to himself.
Luke loved flying, but loathed travelling. He didn't like not being at the controls of a ship, able to move and explore to his heart's content. He felt useless just sitting here doing nothing in this tiny room. Maybe it was the boredom, maybe it was the occasional whiffs of paint that he smelt in this room and nowhere else, maybe it was just cabin fever. Either way, he hoped they'd be making a stop soon to change fuel cells so he could stretch his legs a bit.
Deciding the cockpit was at least some change of scenery, Luke left his cabin and made his way through the small cargo hold. Opening the door, he was surprised to see Ahsoka sitting in the pilot's chair. She had her odd staff in her hands and was gently running a cloth over it.
"Am I interrupting your cleaning?", Luke asked from the doorway.
Ahsoka beckoned him with her hand, "Of course not, I'm almost done anyway."
He slid into the co-pilot's chair and watched as she put the cloth aside and looked over the tall white object.
"That's some staff", Luke had never really looked at it before, "Where'd you find it?"
The other woman's smile was hiding more than a few stories, "That's complicated. Maybe I'll explain another time."
Ahsoka stood up and went to place the staff in its usual place in the corner of the cockpit. He was reminded of some old stories he'd once heard about the force among the records in one of the Emperor's observatories. They could have strange powers that defied any explanation and could achieve all sorts of ridiculous and outlandish things.
"Say, I heard a story about a staff before. One powerful with the force."
"Oh really?" Ahsoka slumped back into chair and listened intently, "What story?"
"The Staff of Ragnos", Luke said, remembering the old tale he'd read months ago, "You know it?"
Ahsoka stifled a laugh, "The Staff of Ragnos. I do actually. I heard it at the Temple years ago. A powerful Sith Lord, vanquished by the Jedi for his crimes, but his followers used a magic staff to absorb the force energy to try and resurrect him, only to be stopped by the noble hero. If only things were that simple."
"Is is true?"
She shook her head, "No, it's just an old legend. A fun one, they really don't make them like that any more, but a legend nonetheless."
"I thought you said there's always a bit of truth in legends?"
"Did the Jedi fight the Sith millennia ago? Definitely. Did some Sith probably try to concoct some mad scheme to revive themselves? Probably." Ahsoka turned from him and watched the hyperspace corridor pass them by. "Sometimes, it's best not to look too far into legends. They can lead to some dark places. Places like Malachor."
There's that name again: Malachor. "What happened at Malachor? I've heard you and Ezra mention it before." He'd heard it first when they all met after Ezra returned, and both had mentioned it in passing a handful of times during their communications over the last year. "I know you faced my father there but there's gotta be more to it."
Ahsoka brooded for a while, something Luke couldn't blame her for. As Ahsoka had told him when they first met, Malachor was where she'd first learned his father's fate and had been forced to confront him blade to blade. It was also where she became involved in the mysterious World Between Worlds that both she and Ezra mentioned from time-to-time, but what that involvement was he, Ezra, and not even Rex fully understood.
"Back in my Fulcrum days", Ahsoka began, "Ezra wanted to find a way to destroy the Sith. We went to the Jedi Temple on Lothal where Master Yoda reached out and told us we'd find our answers at Malachor. I should have known it wasn't going to be that simple."
He listened in closely, "You'd heard of Malachor before?"
"Yes. Only in legends, but of course there's that bit of truth. There was a battle there thousands of years ago between the Jedi and the Sith, that much was true, but it was clear why the Jedi didn't want it remembered."
The implications drew his curiosity, even though he knew they shouldn't. "What happened there?"
Ahsoka finally turned away from the viewport, but instead looked down at her feet. "There was a weapon there, I'm assuming the Sith wanted to use it for their conquests. During the battle, it misfired and they lost the entirety of both the Jedi and the Sith forces there. It left charred bodies in its wake, killed thousands. All that pain focused in one place made the dark side like a giant shadow there, looming over everything."
"A weapon? Like the Death Star?" Luke used his only frame of reference for what he thought Ahsoka was talking about.
"Similar, but not the same", Ahsoka answered, "It didn't so much destroy everything as corrupt it, defile it even. Everything about the place was twisted and wrong."
Luke swivelled his chair towards the viewport, understanding why Ahsoka found the view more pleasant. "I didn't know the force could do something like that."
"The more you think you understand, the more you're aware of how little you know." Ahsoka paused for a long time, too lost in or too unsettled by her own thoughts. "The force can be made to do terrible things by those who have the power to do so. You can destroy whole armies with it, take down fleets, ravage planets, wipe away someone's mind and destroy their very identity."
"Power requires responsibility." Luke had learned as much the hard way.
"Yes", she concurred, "Which is why what we're doing is so important. Not only do we have the responsibility to use our own powers carefully, but also to use those powers to oppose those who would bring others harm."
Luke looked at her, "Isn't that what the Jedi at Malachor were doing? Using their power to protect those who would hurt others."
"There's a difference between protecting innocents and attacking the guilty."
"But they won the battle?"
She shook her head. "Nobody won."
Luke turned his seat back to her. "They defeated the Sith."
Ahsoka stared unflinching out at space. "Technically, the Sith defeated themselves and the Jedi with them."
He hung his head, frustrated. "Okay, but the galaxy was better off with their fighting over... right?"
She shook her head, "Hard to tell. Our records from that period are limited. Who's to say Malachor didn't make things much worse?"
"Okay, I get it. It's complicated", Luke sighed,
Ahsoka's lightened a bit, "It's not, actually. Acting out of impulse cost those Jedi everything and might have made things even worse."
"That's your lesson? Don't act out of anger? I think I had that one before", Luke laughed.
The Togruta laughed too, "It never hurts to remind yourself of the basics."
Their conversation was ended by the ship's console beeping with a noise telling them their destination was close.
Ahsoka finally looked back at the controls, "Oh, perfect timing. We'll be there in a few minutes."
"Where is 'there'?", it was a question he'd been meaning to ask for a while.
"The place in the Unknown Regions where Ezra ended up seven years ago. It's as good a place as any to start our search out here. Besides, there's a safe place to set down nearby to change over our fuel cells", Ahsoka explained.
"Great", the thought of getting out of this ship was the best thing Luke could hope for, "Anywhere to get some fresh air."
Commander Hammerly didn't look back fondly on the central structure of Site Two as the last of the crates were loaded back onto the freighter. They'd only had to spend a day here to get everything they needed, and Hammerly had already had enough of this place to last a lifetime.
The last of her troopers finally reached her as she checked the last thing on her datapad. The trooper smiled and saluted, Hammerly having let them ditch their helmets in the ridiculous heart.
"All set, Commander.", he told her.
"Good", she shut down the datapad and looked up, "You're sure the sensors are out of sight?"
The trooper looked back and nodded, "Aye, ma'am. Definitely. Two are slotted into cracks in the rock around the building, and then a circle of eight more are buried just beneath the surface in a perimeter around it."
"It'll have to do."
The trooper went to leave but stopped mid-stride. He seemed to puzzle over his words for a moment before speaking. "Any idea what Thrawn's trying to find with all these sensors?", he asked.
Hammerly had been wondering that herself. Surely Thrawn would know if the Fourth Sister slipped away to come here. She was starting to believe that more was going on here than she first thought. What that was, though, she had no idea.
She wrinkled her nose, "No, can't say I do know. However, if Thrawn wants it done, I trust it's for a good damn reason."
"Fair point, Commander."
The other man walked past her and climbed up the ramp into the freighter. Hammerly took one last lingering look at this odd world before ascending the ramp and escaping the heat. Inside, Layley and his team were triple-checking every box and piece of evidence they'd retrieved in the main hold, while the other troopers attended to the enclosed cargo section in which they'd put the bodies of their fallen comrades.
Hammerly's suspicions about the weapon damage were confirmed by the bodies of the dead stormtroopers. They were both absolutely the result of lightsaber wounds, and the only culprit for the blaster's damage was the Inquisitor. She'd been lying through her teeth to them this whole time. Not that the revelation surprised Hammerly all that much, but having some evidence to back that fact up only drove home the point that she couldn't be trusted.
Trusting that Sergeant Layley could square everything away, she made her way into the cockpit and took the spare seat next to the pilot.
"Ready to go?"
The pilot gave a thumbs up, "Whenever you're ready, Commander."
Hammerly set her datapad down on the console and began to press some buttons on the display before her. "We need to check in with the Grand Admiral before we leave, it won't take long."
She typed in the comm address she'd committed to memory into the communications terminal in front of her. The old freighter's terminal was slow and outdated, but it at least managed to start finding a connection.
As it took its time setting up the channel, Hammerly took a moment to look around the old freighter. It was unusual old thing, apparently taken by Thrawn during one of his earlier adventures. It was a civilian freighter so had no armaments nor slots to fix any, so was purely for cargo transport. That did at least give them plenty of space to use for their mission. The cockpit only needed room for one pilot, with the co-pilots seat being more for navigation than weapons as one would see on a military ship. The rear of the ship was split into three compartments. The large central one with the docking ramp and the cockpit access was mainly for storage or troop transport. Of the two attached compartments, one was another storage area currently being used for the fallen troopers, and the other admittedly cramped space was stuffed with fold-able bunks and sleeping bags for their small team. It was certainly no luxury liner, but Hammerly had found herself in far worse places over the years.
Finally, the terminal sputtered to life and a holographic image of Grand Admiral Thrawn's face appeared before her.
"Ah, Commander Hammerly. We've been eagerly awaiting your report."
She wondered if she needed to salute for a moment. Deciding to ditch the formality for the sake of time, she got straight down to business. "All the sensors are in place and we've left as little trace of our presence as possible, sir."
"Excellent. May I ask what you found there?"
"There's a large basin with a rugged rock structure in the middle of it", she explained, "Cut into that structure is an opening and some sort of small hideout or temple site. It's completely abandoned and there's no trace of anyone in there, but it does look ancient."
Thrawn took the information in with the same stone-faced resolve he did everything. Hammerly remembered his grim assessment of this planet when they first came here a year ago, and that sense of mystery still hung over it.
"A temple, you say?"
Hammerly sighed, "Just a guess, sir. An old dusty ruin, quiet planet, horrible heat - some sort of monastery maybe."
"Possibly, though I doubt we'd be able to determine that for certain now. Did you find anything else that might help us?"
She reached for the datapad she'd placed on the console and brought up the inventory of things they'd catalogued. "Yes, we've got full scans of the site and pictures too. We also managed a full recovery of the recon team."
"Good work, Commander." He stopped for a moment and looked at her more closely through the hologram, "You have something more?"
"Yes", she replied. Hammerly flicked through to the images they'd taken of the damaged rifle and pressed a button to send it through the connection. "We found a blaster", she explained as she waited for the image to reach Thrawn's end, "We thought it was interesting."
Hammerly saw his red eyes look away and absorb the new information he'd been sent. She knew he'd recognise the damage easily enough.
"Cut by a lightsaber", he correctly observed, "From one of the troopers?"
"No", she answered, "We ran the serial number through the database. It was reported missing from the Chimaera almost six years ago. It's the one Bridger shot his way off the ship with."
Thrawn was already two steps ahead of her. "Which confirms both Bridger's presence on the planet and that the Fourth Sister lied about encountering him there. Tell me, did you find anything to indicate how Bridger escaped the planet?"
"Negative, sir. Not a clue", she admitted.
That whole question was completely unanswered. If anything she'd become more confused by that the more she thought about it. They knew the Inquisitor encountered him here and yet he managed to escape without leaving any indication of a ship either here at Site Two or at Site Three. Thinking back to the main chamber of the ruin, the encounter between the force wielders had to have occurred there. Unless Bridger could disappear into a wall and end up several systems away, then she couldn't figure out how in the galaxy he'd slipped away. If she ever had the chance, she wouldn't mind asking him.
"Unfortunate. Perhaps we may find something on a second look at the evidence." Thrawn's curious attitude abated and his tone became more serious, "Now, Commander, I urge you to return as soon as possible."
The pilot beside her gave a worried look and the ominous nature of the warning wasn't lost on Hammerly either. "Is something wrong, sir?", she asked nervously.
"You're not in danger, I assure you, but recent developments have inspired caution that has only been reaffirmed by your discoveries."
Oh, karabast. It was her luck that this minor success was going to be immediately followed by some sort of bad news. Despite Thrawn's assurance that they weren't in any danger, Hammerly found herself wishing their civilian freighter wasn't so completely defenceless. Whatever he meant by those words, she knew they didn't mean anything good.
Hammerly took the warning with all the urgency it implied, "As you say, Grand Admiral. We'll depart immediately."
"I will look forward to your return. You and your team have done excellent work, Commander."
With that, the connection broke and the hologram disappeared.
"Excellent work, huh?", the pilot repeated, "It's nice to get some recognition for a change."
Hammerly sighed heavily as she stood up from the chair to go and prepare the others, "Let's just hope we're around to get some more of it."
As soon as their honeymoon was over, Ezra, Sabine, and the rest of them were back down to business.
Two important things needed to be sorted out before Ezra could start to rebuild the Order. Firstly, he needed space. Thankfully, Ryder Azadi had been more than happy to assist. With Lothal rebuilt from all of the Empire's destruction, the Governor had plenty of pre-fab buildings and construction materials to spare for their use, all free of charge on Ryder's own insistence. Sabine, Hera, and Kallus were overseeing the construction of a small training complex right next door to the Spectre Compound on Lothal, and by all accounts it was going well.
"How's it going with you guys?", Sabine's digitised voice asked.
Ezra leaned over the Gauntlet's hologram terminal in the main hold of the ship, talking to the miniaturised figures of Sabine and Hera.
Zeb's gruff voice answered, "Rex said we'll be there any minute."
"Wherever 'there' is", Ezra added.
"I'm sure Ahsoka sent them somewhere safe." Hera was, as usual, the voice of reason and optimism.
The ship's comm blared to life. "Hey, you two. Buckle up, we're just about there", Rex told them.
"You heard him", Sabine said, "Good luck. Oh, and Zeb, don't scare the kids. I know your face has a tendency to do that."
Zeb grinned, "Hehe, no promises."
Sabine looked back to Ezra, "Don't take too long."
"And be away from you? Never", Ezra said exaggeratedly.
Sabine and Hera both rolled their eyes before cutting the connection off.
"Blegh", Zeb gagged exaggeratedly.
Ezra jabbed the Lasat with his elbow, "Come on, nothing worse than you and Kallus."
He turned before Zeb could grab him and made his way back to the cockpit. Zeb grumbled for a moment and grudgingly plodded along behind him.
"Just because you're a Jedi Knight, doesn't mean I won't toss you out that airlock", the Lasat threatened.
Ezra shrugged happily, "Love you too, big guy."
They both entered back into the Gauntlet's cockpit to see Rex powering down the hyperdrive.
"I love this ship, Ezra", Rex happily pressed some buttons on the consoles, "Always wanted to fly a Mandalorian Gauntlet."
The Gauntlet - callsign Starbird - had belonged to Maul before Ezra had taken it after Tatooine. After all, Maul wasn't going to need it. It had taken a while for the ship to lose its... Mauliness, but not long after Atollon, the ship had started to feel like his own. While he'd been gone, Hera had given it to Sabine to keep on Lothal as she needed. Obviously, that meant it had been given a makeover. The dull red and black Maul had used were gone and she'd stripped it back to the base white. That white was broken up by patches of sapphire, arranged in a careful pattern across the ship, with two golden-brown starbirds on each wing - a little something for both him and Sabine, Ezra had noticed.
Ezra dropped himself into the co-pilot's seat while Zeb stood standing behind them. "Just where are we going anyway?"
Rex chuckled as he pulled a few switches. "Funny you should ask", he said as the hyperspace corridor before them melted away, giving way to a large white planet orbited by a small moon.
Ezra raised an eyebrow, "Uh, should I recognise it?"
Rex stared up at the two bodies for a few moments, lost in some memories Ezra could tell. "That big planet is Orto Plutonia; an ice planet, very cold, homeworld of the Talz."
"So, what? She hid the kits in the snow?", Ezra couldn't tell if Zeb was joking or not.
"Nah, not there", Rex took one hand and pointed it to the moon, "There. Pantora."
"Pantora?", the name was vaguely familiar to Ezra, though he couldn't recall any details about it. "Why there?"
"It was safe, under the radar, easy to hide in, and Ahsoka has powerful friends there - but you'll see all that soon enough."
Rex guided the Starbird towards the moon. Its dark red surface was covered by a thin covering of white clouds, and as they approached Ezra could see a moderate amount of traffic leaving and approaching the moon. The dark side of the planet was covered in clusters of lights, far more than Lothal or Garel had.
The comm suddenly blared to life, "Attention, Starbird. Your ship has entered Pantoran space, please confirm."
"We're here on urgent business", Rex explained. "We're expected. Code word: Soteria."
The Clone winked at him as the comm went silent. For about thirty seconds, there was nothing. Ezra was starting to worry before it suddenly came to life, a new voice on the other end.
"Acknowledged, Starbird. We're sending an escort to guide you in. Welcome back to Pantora, Captain Rex."
"Escort?", Ezra couldn't believe it. He'd never had an escort before, at least one that wasn't made up of TIE fighters.
Sure enough, two sleek blue fighters approached them from the direction the planet and took positions at the wings, guiding them down to the surface. A set of coordinates flashed up on the Starbird's screen which Rex followed.
Ezra got a good look at Pantora as they descended. The terrain was flat, covered in marshes or thin forests. It wasn't as bright or colourful as Lothal, but it had a rugged natural beauty that he still appreciated. Before long, Ezra saw a large towering city appear on the horizon. The buildings were tall and densely packed, making use of all of the available space. Many of the rooftops had small gardens, leisure areas, and balconies. Clearly, Pantora was wealthy, probably wealthier than any planet Ezra had visited before.
Rex kept flying towards a corner of the city and Ezra could start to see a landing area. To his surprise, a small crowd of people was already waiting on the platform. A few airspeeders were parked nearby and the whole pad seemed to have been cordoned off on a moment's notice just for them. As Rex set their ship down, Ezra could see the crowd were not just curious observes, but officials, politicians, and guards.
Rex powered down the engines and stood up, motioning Ezra to follow. "You look terrified", Rex observed as he led the way towards the exit ramp.
"I don't think I've ever had an official escort before, especially not for such a fancy planet."
The Clone chuckled, "Well get used to it, Ezra. You'll be getting a lot more of them."
The ramp opened up and the three of them stepped out onto the landing platform. A dozen Pantoran guards lined each side of the platform between them and the main welcoming pary. At the far end of the platform stood a well-dressed middle-aged Pantoran woman with short pink hair, in an expensive looking purple tunic and with a golden headdress set on her temples. Ezra didn't need to be a genius to figure out that she was important.
"Captain Rex", she greeted as the trio finally reached her, "It is good to see you again."
Rex bowed his head, "Senator, it's been too long." The older man turned back to his friends, "May I present Garazeb Orrellios of the New Republic and Lasan Honour Guard."
Zeb waved his hand awkwardly, "Uh, hehe, hi there."
Rex then reached a hand to Ezra, "And this is Jedi Knight Ezra Bridger. Ezra, meet Senator Riyo Chuchi. Senator for Pantora, and Ahsoka's trusted friend."
Ezra extended a hand to her, "It's a honour to meet you, ma'am."
The Pantoran clasped his hand and smiled honestly, "It is I who is honoured, Master Jedi."
"I'll be honest", he pulled his hand way, "The escort was one thing, but I can't say I expected a Senatorial welcome."
"The Jedi are the heroes of the Republic, are they not?", the woman looked almost amused at Ezra's comment.
He took another look around at the guards and the collection of officials watching him, whispering among themselves. "Yeah... I suppose they were."
"You still are, Master Jedi. The people of Pantora owe the Jedi an immense debt, as we do to Ahsoka personally. We're honoured to receive you." The Senator nodded to her aides, "Now, if you follow me. The speeders are already waiting."
Chuchi turned and led the way towards a trio of large land speeders. Ezra let Rex go first and walked side-by-side with Zeb.
Zeb leaned down with a mocking voice, "Oooh, Master Jedi."
"Don't cause an incident, Zeb", he sighed at his friend.
The crowd of onlookers parted and the whispering continued. Ezra didn't like having so many eyes on him, he wasn't used to it. They reached the front speeder and climbed in. Rex and the Senator facing back towards Zeb and Ezra in the rear. The other two speeders filled up with guards and aides before they pulled away from the platform.
They flew low through the city and Ezra was mesmerised by the scale of it all. Captial City back on Lothal was huge but it was nothing like this. Lothal, after all, was just a quiet mining colony, but Pantora was a major economic, cultural, and political powerhouse.
"So these children", Chuchi said as they headed towards the outskirts of the city, "They're to become Jedi?"
Ezra pulled his attention away from the dazzling view, "Yes, that's the plan."
"I thought as much. Ahsoka was never really clear about who they were, but I had my suspicions."
"How do you know Ahsoka?", Ezra asked curiously.
She looked off to the thinning towers of the city as they headed towards the outskirts. "We go back a long way. During the Clone Wars, the Trade Federation orchestrated a kidnapping attempt of then-Chairman Papanoida's daughters. Ahsoka took it upon herself to rescue them, revealing the Federation's deception and leading to the end of their blockade of our world. As I said, the people of Pantora owe her an immense debt."
Rex chuckled heartily, "The Senator's leaving out the part where she went along and helped bust 'em out too."
"I wasn't the one cutting up battle droids with a lightsaber", she told the Clone. "I thought she was dead after the Fall of the Jedi, so you can imagine my surprise when I returned to my office several years ago to find her waiting in the corner, coming to ask for my help in hiding some strangers."
Ezra relaxed a bit in the comfortable seat, "Forgive me, Senator, but why did she come to you?"
The speeder lurched downwards as they cleared the last of the city, now taking them low across the open plains and marshes.
"I asked myself the same question. That we were already friends was part of it, I suppose. More practically, I wasn't involved with the Rebellion. Senator Organa and Senator Mothma did approach me but the Imperial presence on Orto Plutonia made it too great a risk." Ezra sensed some reluctance and maybe guilt from her, maybe she had wanted to fight the Empire too. "Besides, the Empire was a lot less reserved about cracking down on non-human worlds like our own", she explained.
In the distance, Ezra could see a small town through the morning fog. That seemed to be where they were heading.
Chuchi noticed him looking at the town. "Pantora has always been fiercely independent, but we will help those in need. When Ahsoka approached me, I was already overseeing a refugee resettlement programme. With my influence, it was easy enough to slip a few extra families into the lists and keep them safe. We hoped the Empire wouldn't be able to find them, and we were right."
Ezra asked the obvious question that had been on his mind, "How many?"
"Eight children, although the families came too. All in all, it only amounted to thirty individuals; hardly a difficult thing to manage among the thousands we were already accommodating."
The woman's positivity and resolve were admirable. Ahsoka might have been a friend, but Chuchi risking herself and her people to help her and the Jedi was no small sacrifice. Kanan had always told him how much the Jedi meant to the galaxy back in the Republic, but growing up under the Empire meant that Ezra had never seen it first hand. Sure, everyone heard the stories, but they also heard the propaganda the Empire put out. Deciding fact from fiction had become difficult as the Empire's hand tightened. Fortunately, people like Chuchi remembered what the Jedi really were, and now they'd be able to show it again.
Their speeders slowed as they reached the small town square. It was nothing glamorous, just some sturdy houses and other buildings to provide a comfortable living for people. They went low over the rooftops, attracting many gawkers among the crowds below. The pilots brought them down in a small square in the town in which several figures were waiting in doorways and peering out of windows. Some Pantoran guards were already there to receive them.
As soon as they set down, the guards formed up on either side of the speeder. Ezra appreciated the display, but it felt a bit unnecessary.
The Senator surprised him by extending her arm, "After you, Master Jedi."
"Oh...", Ezra looked awkwardly at the line of guards, "Thank you, Senator."
He did his best not to make a fumbling mess of himself like the old days as he stepped out of the speeder, followed by Senator Chuchi, Rex, and a sniggering Zeb.
Ezra took a good look around the square they were in. About a dozen houses were centred around where they landed, and twice as many faces peered at them from doorways and rooftops. A few people moved to the doorways as they dismounted the speeders. As expected, almost every house had a child or two, while a few others must have been for other extended family that came. Ahsoka had clearly travelled far and wide to find many of these children. There were a few humans, Twi'leks, Quarren, even Zabraks, and a few more.
There was no mistaking what these children were. Their presence in the force was strong. Unfocused, but powerful. They could be Jedi, he could feel that potential in them. But that wasn't all he felt from them. There was... anxiety. Uncertainty. Fear.
Senator Chuchi stepped forward to address them. "Citizens of Qadesh. Thank you for being so accommodating to our sudden visit. However, I bring with me someone very important." With a smile, she presented him to them, "Master Jedi, over to you."
Every eye went to him as he stepped past the guards and into the centre of the square. He hadn't been ready to make any sort of speech, so here went nothing.
He took a deep breath, "Hello everyone. My name is Ezra Bridger. I'm sure you-"
"Har'ee oocha mou pouka!", a familiar feminine voice interrupted from a doorway across the square. "Ane'na Pipey!"
Ezra looked to the source. Even after all these years he never forgot a face, even that of an Ithorian. "Oora!", he waved a hand to her as a small Ithorian child ran from the house out to him, "Pipey?"
The Ithorian child seemed to remember him too and crashed into his legs for a hug.
"She says she's happy to see you", Chuchi said from behind. He was relieved someone here could speak Ithorese fluently, or this was going to be a difficult conversation.
Ezra could never forget Pipey or Oora. It was Pipey that he, Kanan, and Zeb had rescued on Takobo many years ago. It'd been nine years and the Ithorian had grown a lot, but somehow he could still recognise Ezra after all this time. The child let go and ran behind him, attacking Zeb's shins with the same ferocity.
"Oh, hehe, I remember you", Zeb said almost affectionately, "How ya' doing, kit?"
The child's mother, Oora, approached Ezra with open arms and clomped Ezra into a hug too. She spoke to him again in Ithorese, and even though he barely understood a word he could see that she was happy to see him.
"She's admiring how much you've grown." Once more, he appreciated Chuchi's translations.
Oora's obvious trust of him seemed to convince the others in the square to relax a bit. They started to come out of their homes and look curiously at the newcomers. The children were more interested and more willing to approach. The older relatives - the parents, the siblings, the grandparents - were more reserved, and whispered among themselves in basic, Ryl, Huttese, and more tongues. Only one other woman approached. An elderly human woman nervously came forward with a small blue-eyed brunette child beside her, no older than Pipey.
"You... you're a friend of Ahsoka's?", the woman stuttered nervously.
Ezra nodded respectfully, "Yes, I am. What's your name?"
"D-Darja. I don't believe we met, but your friend saved my life, and my Alora's."
The child's name clicked instantly. "Ah, I remember Alora", he knelt down to her level, "Hey Alora, do you remember me? We rescued you before, remember?"
"I think so...", she nodded sheepishly to him and then clutched closer to her grandmother.
Darja hugged her reassuringly with one arm. "It's okay, Alora, they're not going to hurt you. Everything's going to be alright."
Ezra got to his feet. Darja and Oora's friendliness had encouraged the other families to gather around closer and not hide in their homes at least. They must have known why they were taken here and that their children were unique. With his arrival, they might also know what he was here for.
"Do you know why we're here?", he asked Darja.
The old woman didn't look at him, but instead tearfully down at Alora. "Yes", she mumbled. "They're going to be Jedi."
Ezra addressed the whole crowd, "They'll be part of something greater. Once, thousands of Jedi protected the galaxy and shielded it from danger. Now, there's only a handful of us. Your children will start the process of rebuilding what was lost and putting in place something that can hopefully save lives for generations."
Rex cleared his throat and stood with his hands behind his back and chest puffed out, speaking with all the authority he could muster. "Many of you were around in the Clone Wars, so you know what the Jedi were. We know it won't be easy to give up your children, that's difficult for anyone, but take it from someone who fought side by side with dozens of Jedi when I say that every one of your children will change the galaxy for the better."
Ezra was grateful for Rex's support. He had more experience with the Jedi Order than any of them, and he was someone people could find a lot to trust in. It looked like the parents took Rex's words to heart. There were some whispers and movement, and then tears.
Among the crowd of parents, a Twi'lek woman stood up. She couldn't have been older than thirty or so, her green skin and brown eyes unburdened by age. "You're taking them now?", she questioned in her thick Rylothi accent.
Ezra faltered for a moment. The resemblance was uncanny. Hera...
Rex answered for him, "Yes, the time is now."
The Twi'lek mother sighed, "I... see." She looked back to her young child, a Twi'lek girl no older than ten. "W-we'll need some time. To pack.. .and prepare, and... you know."
Ezra watched as she quickly turned away and shakily took her daughter's hand. Oora was down on one knee whispering something to Pipey in Ithorese. It was easy to tell what it was when Pipey's eyes widened, his shoulders drooped, and then his arms grabbed his mother as tight as they could. Darja was already leading Alora away, but Ezra could see her wiping the tears from her face as she did.
These parents were proud, he could feel that, and they were grateful for being rescued from the Empire. Even so, their hearts were breaking. These were their children, their grandchildren, the things that meant most in the world to them. Of course they were hurting, who wouldn't?
Hera had hurt too. Even she couldn't bare to give Jacen up to Luke. Hera knew the Jedi better than almost anyone left in the galaxy, knew Luke could be trusted, and was always someone who would do the right thing - yet even she wasn't able to do it. Ezra remembered how she broke down into tears in Jacen's room when he first spoke to her alone since coming back. Hera couldn't do it, and Ezra didn't make her.
Why should this be any different?
"No." He said loudly, making every parent stop in their tracks, "No, this isn't right."
Once again, he felt every eye on him.
"What's not right?", Rex tilted his head and furrowed his brow.
"This", Ezra raised his hands to the families, "Taking them away."
Rex looked at them and then back to him, "Ezra, you know the Jedi take them from their families at a young age. It's just the way things are."
"No, it's not!", his voice was louder than he meant it to be. "It's the way things were. We saved them, Rex. The Inquisitors wanted to take these kids and make them into dark side servants, but we saved them. If we turn around and do the same thing - take them from their families to force them into becoming Jedi - then we're no better than the Empire."
His outburst had brought the whole square to a standstill.
Ezra steeled himself and took a step further into the middle of the square. "I won't make you give up your children. We're not the Empire. If you wish to keep your child here, that's your choice. However, if you choose to let them become Jedi, you won't have to give them up. You can come with us to Lothal. We'll give you a place to stay and you won't have to abandon your loved ones. You have my word."
There was a long silence. The families exchanged looks among themselves. It was Oora who stepped forward saying something in her native language.
"She says...", Chuchi stopped as she translated it, "She says that if you'll have her, she would like to go with her child."
"So would I", Darja shouted.
A Weequay man raised his hand, "Us too."
"Thank you, Jedi!", the Twi'lek mother cried out.
A chorus of shouting and cheering erupted. In the end, it seemed every family would let their child come to train so long as they too could go with them. Ezra was going to have his students, and he wasn't going to tear families apart to do it. The crowd dispersed back into their homes with smiles on their faces and excitement in their hearts.
Zeb lumbered up to his side. "Uh, I'm not sure we'll have enough space back on Lothal for all of the families."
Ezra hadn't been worried about that when he'd offered. "I'll talk to Ryder. I'm sure we can work something out."
"I'm not even sure we'll have enough room on the Starbird", Rex added.
Ezra shrugged, "Then we'll make multiple trips."
"Nonsense, Master Jedi." Ezra had almost forgot Senator Chuchi was here. "Any ships or supplies you need will be provided for you, courtesy of the Pantoran government."
"Uhhh...", Ezra didn't know what to say, "Thank you, Senator. There's very gracious of you."
He clearly hadn't done a good job of hiding his surprise.
Rex slapped him on the back with a hearty chuckle, "Welcome to a new era, Ezra. Get used to it."
Chuchi and Rex walked back to the speeders and started speaking with some of the aides and guards that had joined them. Ezra turned back to watch his future students and their families scramble about eagerly to start packing their things for their new life.
"You think you're doing the right thing?", Zeb asked.
There wasn't a doubt in Ezra's mind. "It's not about thinking that I'm doing the right thing. I feel like I'm doing the right thing, that's what matters."
"Yeah, well for what it's worth", Zeb lay a hand on his shoulder, "I feel like you're doing the right thing too."
Zeb disappeared behind him, leaving Ezra to watch quietly. Rex was right, this was a new era, and he'd have to get used to it. It'd take time, but the Jedi might one day reclaim their place in the galaxy as peacekeepers and trusted protectors. There numbers might be few now, but these were the first steps into a new galaxy. However, with that new galaxy, that new era, and the New Republic, there'd also have to be a new Jedi Order. Maybe for the first time, Ezra felt like that was truly becoming a reality.
As I said, a long chapter but they'll be back to normal after this.
I switched between a couple of perspectives in the first 'section' which I don't typically do. There's a few chapters coming up where I'll have to do this for story reasons, so I'm trying to get a bit of practice in now and it also worked better for the scene to do it this way. This scene was difficult to do with the shifting perspectives and the whole Hammerly thing. In case it wasn't clear, the Voice is telling the Fourth Sister about Hammerly. The Voice doesn't know what Hammerly is doing, but can sense that something is going on and that it's centred around her, and that Thrawn, Faro, and/or Pellaeon have her on their mind. It's a kind of ambiguous force thingy, the sort of plot-level force use that Star Wars has sometimes, so hopefully it's not too outlandish. Hammerly's short section is just covering her report and establishing that things are escalating after the meeting earlier in the chapter. It also helps with the Imperial characterisation I mentioned before, and confirms some other things I wanted to cover from Hammerly's excursion like confirming the weapon ownership. The Luke and Ahsoka section is short and, like last time, is primarily to engage with some ideas and concepts while they're travelling. They'll start actually doing stuff next chapter, but these last two Ahsoka and Luke sections cover some important conceptual, narrative, and thematic things. There's a few easter eggs in that conversation, such as the reference to the Staff of Ragnos which is a huge nod to the amazing Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, whose plot is pretty much what Ahsoka describes when discussing the legend. There's also a big Knights of the Old Republic reference in there too.
The really meaty part is the last Ezra section and there's a lot to talk about. I thought a lot about where Ahsoka might choose to send force-sensitives she came across and it was a while before I settled on Pantora. Other candidates were the Togruta colony on Kiros, the village where her and Lux meet Deathwatch on Carlac, or the jungle planet she is hunted by the Trandoshans on. In the end, Pantora worked best for several reasons. Riyo Chuchi is a familiar face from TCW and one of the most prominent Senators who, as far as we know, doesn't join the Rebel Alliance. I've explain some of the plot reasons Ahsoka chose her and Pantora - friendship, Papanoida's daughters, political influence, refugee resettlement, neutrality - so I won't overexplain it again here. Pantora and the Pantorans, as a relatively wealthy and important planet and people, were also the best candidate to give Ezra an impression of the importance of the Jedi to many people. Ezra has spent most of his Jedi life on the run or in exile, so isn't used to the Senatorial welcomes and outpouring of publicity and support that the Jedi received before the Empire. Using Pantora allowed me to expose Ezra to that side of being a Jedi. There's obviously many connections with the Rebels Season 2 episode Future of the Force, in which Oora, Pipey, Darja, and Alora all appear. Attaching familiar faces to this small group of children and families made it easier for Ezra to notice how much it was going to hurt to tear these families apart. It also reminds him of Hera and her reluctance to give up Jacen to be trained by Luke, and only accepting it when Ezra offers to do it for her. I've made it clear many times that I see family as probably the most important theme in Ezra's story, and Rebels as a whole. If there's only one thing that Ezra would change about the Jedi, it would in my opinion be them taking the children away, even before changing rules on romantic attachment. It's the first major break Ezra makes from established Jedi tradition, and it's one rooted in his own values and experiences.
Lastly, two more obscure references. Riyo Chuchi mentions the name of the village as Qadesh. As always there's a meaning behind it, as Qadesh was the main settlement of the Jews during their Exodus according to the Old Testament. Soteria, the codeword used by Rex, is the Greek goddess of safety, protection, and preservation from harm, which was quite appropriate as a codeword for this secret mission to protect the children.
Next time: Ezra welcomes his students, Thrawn and the others consolidate their knowledge, Ahsoka and Luke make a plan, and the Fourth Sister plays on ambition.