CHAPTER 46
Posterity
Part I
Lambda-class Shuttle – 2 BBY
Eli's knee looked to be about double the size it was after Nerah finished tending to it. She'd done her best with healing stims and packs of ice, but she wasn't much of a medic. He'd survive…there was no doubt about that, but she feared if she wasted too much time, his knee could be damaged in a more permanent sense…and she had the feeling he didn't want a prosthetic leg.
The man had been asleep for a few hours now, practically through the duration of their hyperspace travel…and Nerah hadn't left the side of his cot since. She'd settled in to a folding chair usually used for emergencies in case of overflow, and had dozed off for a few moments at a time, only to be woken up by her own anxiety. After the third time her eyes opened back up, and Eli still had not stirred, she rose to her feet and paced to the cramped refresher.
Her reflection said it all. She looked, felt and certainly smelt like shit.
Piece by piece, she began to tear off her armor, tossing each ultra-light plate of composite cortosis and beskar aside until it was all in a pile, leaving her just with the jumpsuit underneath. She removed that as well, and once she shut the door, and the image of herself became too much of a disgust to stare at any longer, the rest of her garments joined the others.
The sanisteam felt good against her tired bones, her skin pouring waves of relief through her body as short groans escaped her. This was long overdue…hardly able to get a good sanisteam in since their operation had begun…always on edge, always waiting for the next grysk ship to reveal itself from is cloaking field.
Always thinking about the right words to say.
She'd failed Eli…she knew that. Thrawn had trusted her to protect him, and instead she'd let one man fire a blaster bolt straight through his knee. What if it had been just a bit higher…tearing through a major artery? What if the man had chosen to aim for his heart instead?
Those questions were answered when she lifted that man with two strong hands and bashed his head into oblivion, leaving nothing but chunks of cracked skull and shredded brain for whoever found him to scrounge up. All she had seen was red…and all she could hear was Eli's scream.
She rested her head against the sanisteam's wall, letting the warm water cascade over her back. It replayed in her mind over…and over…and over…all the different ways Eli Vanto could've been stolen from her.
No, she wasn't going to let herself cry. She'd done plenty of that already, and she was supposed the be the guardian…the strong one, forever vigilant, forever steadfast…forever…forever…
Nerah was whimpering before she even realized she had begun to cry. By then, it was too late to stop it, and she no longer had the will to.
Eli wasn't sure when he had opened his eyes, but all he could hear was the repeated clicking of a blaster's primer to the right of him. He tried to move, but immediately regretted it, feeling a sharp pain from his completely swollen left knee as it remained locked heavily in place, and was forced to merely turn his neck towards the sound.
Sitting there was…well, he was pretty sure it was Nerah, but this chiss woman looked almost nothing like the woman he was used to seeing. She was dressed in nothing more than a white 'modesty coat' as many in the military called it, a thin piece of clothing that was used to help soldiers recovering from exposure to extreme conditions. It was also used as a last resort for anyone who had forgotten to pack another set of clothes, and judging by Nerah's shaggy black hair and tear-stained, makeup-less face…she was certainly recovering from something.
The clicking stopped once her crimson eyes noticed he was awake, and she set the blaster aside.
"Hey," he greeted, keeping his voice easy.
She swallowed, the distant look in her eyes becoming more despair-driven and uncomfortable. "Hey," she bowed her head. "How are you…feeling?"
He tested his knee again. "Better now. Thanks for getting me out of there."
The smile he wanted to grant her didn't come, her head still angled towards the floor. "That's…good…and, well…it was my duty to protect you. I'm sorry I failed."
Eli frowned. "Failed?"
Nerah's head whipped up, her eyebrows slanting in frustration. "Your leg, Eli. I shouldn't have let that happen. I should've been more careful, or more attentive…or just never let you out of my sight, or just…anything."
"Nerah…" he eased.
"I let you get hurt," she sniveled, crossing her arms uncomfortably. "I-I've never let anyone under my watch get hurt…and when I'm protecting someone I actually care about…I muck it all up."
"Hey!" he called out, letting his voice rise so her eyes would finally peer upwards. The intended effect was met, and Nerah regarded him with an expression that was half shock, half dread. "You didn't muck anything up, Nerah. You had no way of knowing that man would be there, and you damn well risked your life just putting me in that position. I watched you take three blaster shots in stride, still pushing that crate along…no to mention the fact that once you finished dealing with all those men, you were there for me when it counted.
"Nerah…you saved my life," he implored. "No one else could've done what you did. Not some stormtrooper, not me, not your sister, and for damn sure not even Thrawn."
Her chin began to shiver, and her head fell again…but this time, he grasped her closest hand tightly.
"I mean it, Nerah," he promised, and raised his finger once she began to speak. "No, I'm not saying this to make you feel better. You're…" he felt himself shake, the heat of her hand warming his own, and he felt his throat run dry. "I've seen so many people take you for granted; so many of them look at you like you're just another asset, another expendable soldier…but you aren't to me. You're more than that…you always have been."
All of it was just flowing faster than he could vet it, all these words he'd kept buried away since he had left the Chimaera to join Ar'alani and the Steadfast. None of it was new, per se…but all of it had been restrained one way or another.
No longer.
He felt her tremble, but her grip tightened around his hand. "Eli…"
"Hey. Look at me," he pulled at her hand…and slowly he watched those bright, beautiful red eyes meet his own. "I thought about you every day when I left. It was hard, but I knew you were doing great things, and were fighting for what you believed in. That was enough for me, even if you were so far away."
Nerah stared at him for a few seconds, her expression losing bits of its despair at a time, before she reached across to where she had set her blaster aside and revealed a holodisk. She compressed her thumb, hand still wrapped in his, and projected the same image he remembered them posing for just before he had left.
"You…kept it with you?" he asked.
She nodded, wiping a tear from underneath her eye. "I tried to move on, but I couldn't. I'd become so lonely after you departed…that I needed it just to remind me. I always was afraid you were drifting in deep space, your body never to be found again…so I made sure I would never forget you," she said, before closing it down with a hint of embarrassment. "That's why I wanted you to stay safe…and I wished that I never shouted at you…but—"
"You were just looking out for me," Eli answered for her. "I know, Nerah, and I know you understand how we need to look out for each other as well. Watching you suffer is too much to bear at times, and sometimes I feel like it's my duty to ease your burden."
She smiled a little, arousing a bit of excitement at his progress. "I…felt the same way about my sister, so…I can understand where you're coming from. I'm sorry, Eli."
"There's nothing for you to be sorry about," he insisted. "You're here now, watching over me. That's more than I could ask for."
Her smile widened, and he made sure to give her one of his own. He watched the shiver of her chin dissipate…and there was now a new confidence in her stature, almost abandoning the perpetual imbalance she had been suffering thus far. Maybe this long overdue admittance was what she had been searching for.
Or…was it something more…something…deeper?
Nerah's eyes popped for a moment, seeming to remember something. "I need to administer another stim into your knee," she said, rising to her feet, but keeping her hand tightly secured around his. "Is there anything else you want? Are you hungry?"
Eli shook his head instinctively…but almost on cue, his stomach erupted in a growl. "Uh…maybe a ration stick would be nice," he replied bashfully.
Nerah giggled. "I'll get two."
It was a long, conversation-filled ride back to the Steadfast for Nerah and Eli, one she subtly wished would never end. It had been capped off with plenty of storytelling, laughs, and moments of caught eyes linking together. She hadn't been this happy in such a long time, especially with how the previous mission had transpired, and to open up to the man she had missed so dearly was exactly what she needed. Her doubts could wait, and whatever game Ronan was playing, Thrawn would be able to figure it out, if he didn't know already.
The scene at the grysk waystation, however, was not as promising as they hoped.
"My crew is getting restless, Lieutenant Eli'van'to," Senior Captain Khresh's voice came in over the comm. "Your return couldn't be more on time."
Nerah watched Eli frown for a moment. She was a bit rusty with the proceedings of chiss warships, but she figured this was just mostly family politics in the background. Soldiers of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet could say all they want that they had cut family ties with their assignments, but most of the time it was all bantha fodder. The Syndicure ruled the Ascendancy, and they always would, not matter how far its people left their borders behind.
It was one of the reasons Nerah had been initially more willing to travel with Thrawn to the Empire in the first place, especially after Nara murdered her father in cold blood. The man had been a monster, sure…but her brash action had virtually destroyed their house from the inside out, as well as any chance for House Vigan to replace one of the nine ruling families in the Ascendancy. Both of them had been House Bloods of one of the oldest families among their people, now they both served aliens in hopes of defeating an invisible enemy.
If Nara was still loyal to the Ascendancy, as Thrawn so claimed.
"Admiral Ar'alani has ordered us to meet them at their position as soon as possible. You must make haste, Lieutenant."
"She instructed you to wait for us?" Eli asked, his Cheunh a little shaky, but definitely acceptable enough to understand clearly. It was actually kind of cute to watch him try it, as well as pretend that he actually knew what he was saying in full. Maybe soon she could teach him all the curses she knew.
"She instructed us to wait for Commander Vigan'era'hrorra," Khresh corrected, a hint of pettiness in his voice. "And at this rate, she may be our only hope to convince Navigator Un'hee to guide the Steadfast to the grysk base."
Nerah blinked. This was the first she'd heard about a 'Navigator Un'hee'. Was she the girl that Nara had rescued from the grysks, as Ar'alani had explained?
"Why me?" Nerah asked. "I don't know her."
"She says she will only speak to you, Commander," Khresh reiterated, annoyance working into his tone. "Come aboard. We do not have time to discuss this further."
The comm shut off, and Nerah scoffed before she could say anything more. "Fucking smut-faced moof-milker."
Eli frowned. "What?"
Nerah cleared her throat, not realizing she had spat out her little tirade in Cheunh as she switched to Basic. "Oh…nothing. I'll tell you what that means later," she blushed, rubbing the back of her neck as she pressed forward on the throttle. "I'll get you to the medical bay before I head to speak with Un'hee."
Eli bowed his head. "But—"
"No buts, Lieutenant," Nerah cut him off with a smile. "Khresh may be a Senior Captain and in a hurry, but right now, I just don't give a damn."
That sentiment quickly evaporated once Khresh told her exactly what the current stakes were, not to mention the certain perilous danger Thrawn was in presently. Not giving a damn suddenly became a premium Nerah could no longer afford, and once Eli was being properly treated in the medical bay, she followed Khresh all the way to Ar'alani's personal office.
"Un'hee was rescued by your sister, Vigan'ara. Since the two of you are twins, I believe you could pass as a friendly enough face to win her over," Khresh reasoned. "How she knows your name is beyond me, however."
Nerah scratched her head, brushing strands of her hair back behind her ears as she huffed. "Alright, I'll give it a go."
"Be sure to give it your best," Khresh implored. "The lives of Admiral Ar'alani and your precious Grand Admiral depend on it."
She flashed a glare his way. "I understand what is at stake, Senior Captain," she spat, her own annoyance peeking through as his rudeness mounted. "If you'll excuse me."
Khresh turned his back, but she heard one last hiss as he stepped away. "Hell-spawned motherless cur."
Her teeth compressed, but by then he was already gone, and she knew there was no use in pursuing it. He could be bitter all he wanted. It hardly mattered.
Ar'alani's office was not as neat as Thrawn's was aboard the Chimaera, but it was certainly up to the standard she expected from the long-tenured Admiral of the Ascendancy. Nerah had the utmost respect for the woman, despite their at-odds past, and to peer at her memory wall for a moment did give her a little more perspective concerning the uptight hard-ass she was. Sitting just beneath that was a seven-year-old girl…her small red eyes looking up towards her as she shivered.
"Are you Nerah?" the girl asked, her voice shaky and measured.
Nerah did her best to wear her comforting face…although she admittedly didn't do the child thing very well. Ever since she had inadvertently kidnapped Katara all those years ago, it had been difficult for her to be around them, lest she feel the guilt once again as the memories resurfaced. Spending so much time speaking to adults had sharpened her tone and demeanor in ways that may be ill-suited for a child.
In this case, however, she imagined Un'hee had experienced things she herself couldn't even imagine.
"Yes…yes I am," she squatted in front of her, trying to smile. "Hello. Un'hee is your name, right?"
Un'hee nodded.
"That's a pretty name," Nerah smiled, but didn't earn so much as a shrug from the girl. "Who told you my name?"
She trembled slightly, but Nerah watched her unease fade somewhat. "Your sister told me. Vigan'ara rescued me from the grysks…helped take me back here…saved me."
Nerah swallowed, fighting the reflexive urge to scowl at her sister's name.
"She said she was a…Mandalorian," she sounded the word out. "They are warriors who fear nothing…fight everything…yield to no one. They are everything the grysks are afraid of…people with no fear to use against them."
"I've heard of them too," Nerah said, wincing a little. "But, I have not seen my sister in a long time."
Un'hee pulled her knees in. "Nara told me that you have a kind heart…that you are untouched by evil, and that you would never be able to be turned against the chiss. The grysks showed me all the bad things about our people…how I couldn't trust them…but Nara showed me that there is more good than bad. She said that you are the reason why I should have hope, why I should trust the chiss again."
Nerah's breath caught in her throat. Un'hee had no reason to lie, and at her age, wouldn't be able to come up with something this elaborate. That meant that Nara had actually said all of this about her…that she was genuinely still looking out for the Ascendancy and their people.
"She also said that leaving you was her biggest regret," Un'hee said, sneaking a look her way. "And that she misses you very much…and trusts you with her life. So…if I trust Nara, and Nara trusts you, then…I can too."
She was speechless. All this time, Nerah had thought that Nara had abandoned her, left her to clean up the mess she had left behind…but all of that was nothing more than a lie. Nara still loved her, just as Nerah admittedly did too, and she felt that hope swell into her heart once again, just as Un'hee had described.
Nerah smiled, and then moved to take a comforting seat beside the girl. "I trust her too," she said. "And right now, you and I need to help her defeat the grysks."
Un'hee's shivering returned, but Nerah's comforting arm held her close. "You…want me to guide the ship to the grysk base?"
Nerah nodded. "I know it may be hard, but we have to go back…we have to help our people…"
And I need to tell my sister I'm sorry.
Un'hee swallowed, but nodded, even pulling away from her embrace. "Okay…but, only if you stand with me."
"I'm not going anywhere," Nerah promised, patting her small shoulder. "Now, come on. You and I have people to save."
Chimaera – 2 BBY
Nara had never seen a pulsar up close, much less used as somewhat of a spotlight in the midst of a battlefield, and once again, she was bitterly impressed with Thrawn's ingenuity. Surely, Ar'alani could've come up with a strategy just as impressive, but Nara never beat around the bush when it came to assigning credit. The grysks could spew their common rhetoric about how superior and frightening they were…but the fact that Thrawn had managed to pinpoint, locate and attack their supposedly secret base had to have their higher-ups on edge.
Bow before the Hegemony…like hell.
She wasn't really concerned about the chances of them coming out on top. The grysks were obviously caught off guard and utterly outsmarted by Thrawn's flashing pulsar trick, not to mention the TIE Defenders that were now…doing something. Nara wasn't even sure Ar'alani was privy to the full details of that plan…and likely wouldn't until the trap was sprung.
What she was really concerned about was Vah'nya. Her eyes hadn't left the viewport since the two initial missile boats tried to advance upon them, and she could detect a hint of a smile forming from her lips. Was she…bathing in this destruction? Nara had killed a monster before…the man who had put her through so much suffering, as well as her sister…but she hadn't savored his demise. She hadn't mockingly spat on her father's corpse when she had shot them dead, and Vah'nya had given the order to fire.
Vah'nya wasn't a murderer…far from it, as far as Nara could tell. She wasn't even sure she knew how to hold a blaster or a sword properly…but Nara knew better than to think physical weapons were the only way to kill someone. Maybe the navigator was a quiet sadist…but even that didn't make any sense. Ar'alani hated sadists, and had made the point very clear that that kind of behavior was utterly wasteful and time-consuming. Battle, pain, combat…it wasn't done for pleasure, and only a monster would think so.
How well did she really know Vah'nya?
"You are concerned," Ar'alani's voice butted into her thoughts, and Nara's head jerked to the taller woman's gaze. "I am surprised. You have never shown hesitation at the eve of combat."
Nara scoffed. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
"It can be," Ar'alani countered sternly. "If one has more conviction than another, then they can do what they wish to their opponent. I chose you because your conviction was stronger than any other cadet's I had ever seen. You live and die by what you believe in…for your people, your comrades."
Nara huffed, crossing her arms uncomfortably. "Unfortunately, that makes me a traitor in the eyes of much of the galaxy…even my own people."
"The concerns of the masses are irrelevant. Those closest to you, and those that you call your enemies are all that matter. A farmer will not seek vengeance upon you merely because they think you are a traitor. There is no incentive. You do not interfere with their inner truth, and when they shout together with all their fellow peers against something they don't understand, they are only met with silence."
Nara winced. "That's rather dark."
"It's the reality," Ar'alani insisted, letting her gaze turn stern. "I did not ask you to join me all those years ago just for you to falter now."
"I won't," Nara snapped, letting her own gaze match her old mentor's intensity. "I'm ready to do what needs to be done…" she trailed off, and let her eyes point towards Vah'nya. "I'm worried about what it will cost us."
Ar'alani's expression hardened, almost warning her not to continue down this route, especially in front of so many alien officers. Nara suppressed a growl…of course Ar'alani knew exactly what was going on with the navigator…and of course she'd say 'the secrets of the Ascendancy must remain—
"She can be…touched by darker urges," Ar'alani revealed. "No one knows how or why…but it seems to be the cost the entwinement of minds between two chiss sky walkers."
Nara blinked, genuinely surprised.
"I know Vah'nya told you," she scowled slightly. "It seems I cannot find an effective way to negate your charm with others."
Nara shrugged. "It's a gift and a curse."
"Yes I'm sure," Ar'alani remarked dryly. "What do you know of Second Sight?"
Nara furrowed her brow. All she'd ever heard of was Third Sight, and even those details were shoddy at best. "Do I want to know?"
Ar'alani's facial muscles softened slightly. "Maybe not…but if Thrawn is about to risk your life so precariously, I feel…" she paused, her head bowing for a moment…which did not give her a good feeling. Sentimental Ar'alani was the worst kind.
"Don't start getting mushy on me," Nara pointed, although the concern in her voice placated her false annoyance. "I won't let these soulless bastards kill me."
"It has nothing to do with that," Ar'alani said, but Nara knew she was lying. The Admiral had a tell…a flinch of her right bicep that was difficult to see under her white uniform, but Nara knew where to look. She watched the sleeve twitch soon after she finished. "I just do not wish you to enter battle with any unanswered questions."
Translation: she didn't want Nara to die never knowing the whole truth.
Nara stepped forward, lowering her tone in their secluded area of the bridge. "I'm not going to die, Admiral. I promise."
Ar'alani paused, scowled momentarily, but it softened quickly. "I am the Admiral…so if I wish to be…mushy…I am entitled to be as such."
Nara actually chuckled at that. "Yes ma'am…but only if you let me join in."
Ar'alani let a small smile pierce her demeanor. "Deal."
So this was it…the two of them being honest with each other about their feelings…a topic they both had avoided since they met. It seemed like taboo to even consider it, but now, with the mental states the two of them were in, the obvious precariousness of the situation…it was as good a time as any.
"I am glad I found you on that training course…and it was the honor of my life to help train and raise you to the woman you are now. While I can't take all of the credit, I do wish that things could have been different…that perhaps you could have stayed under my wing," Ar'alani said, her tone unusually uneven, but entirely sincere. "But you did what was best for you and your family, and while the Syndicure will never admit it, you did the Ascendancy a favor when you killed your father. Know that your efforts have not, and never will be forgotten."
Nara smiled, crossing her arms. It had felt good to kill her father, but the shock had been evident, and hindsight perhaps told her that wasn't the best option…but Ar'alani's approval was the final vindication she needed.
The concerns of the masses are irrelevant.
"When my mother died…I worried I wouldn't ever have an example to live up to. I wasn't sure about you at first, but you…gave me a reason to persist, Admiral. I could've have asked for a better teacher…or a better friend."
The full smile Ar'alani gave her was the first she had ever seen her wear.
With a click of her boots, she offered her a full salute…and the Admiral returned it with her own. Both of them let it hang for as long as they wished, an exchange that filled Nara's heard with more joy than she could describe. For so long she'd wanted to assure the woman that everything she had done for her wasn't being taken for granted, and this assurance felt like an eternal promise that neither of them would break.
"Thank you, Admiral," she said, as they both relinquished the gesture…and Nara could no longer resist wrapping her in a tight hug. Ar'alani seized for a moment, but returned it, nonetheless.
"Okay, alright, that's plenty," she insisted, pushing off gently. "I said you could join in, not add your own parameters."
Nara smirked. "An Admiral must always adapt to the surroundings given to her."
Ar'alani rolled her eyes. "That she does."
"Um…excuse me," Vah'nya's voice pierced their moment, and they both turned towards the woman standing just outside their conversation. "The Steadfast has returned…and awaits our arrival."
It was rather comical watching Ar'alani reassert herself. "Very good. Prepare yourself to return aboard as soon as possible…including you, Commander."
"Yes ma'am," she stiffened.
The Steadfast's arrival was met with the incredible scene of a dancing pulsar and its sweeping rays racing across the space before them. Nerah intended to ask how they had ended up in this situation, but she imagined that Thrawn would fill her in once she gave her report…one that would reveal more bad news than good. Seeing Eli injured seemed to affect Thrawn's demeanor especially, but the scene of him already being able to walk with the help of a crutch was a good sign. The blaster shot hadn't made it all the way through his knee, as it turned out, and with a few heavier stims and some bacta infusions, his knee was virtually good as new. Apparently, it was still weak, hence the crutch, but he wouldn't require the nearly week-long treatment Nerah needed just to reconstruct her entire elbow. She remained close by to help him anyhow.
"The entire spaceport was compromised," Eli reported. "It was run by an officer calling himself Lieutenant Aldo Rain. He seemed to be from wild space, and as I've run his file through Imperial records, it says he died about five years ago, right around the time Admiral Vorchenko was thought to have been defeated. Through this spaceport, he had been hauling Venisium shipments to the Galactic Alliance Fleet after transferring them from Stardust cargo. Every official was in his pocket, right down to the sanitation workers, and I suspect all at the service of Admiral Reyna Vorchenko."
Thrawn studied the data Eli pulled from Faro's computer, before nodding his head. "It appears Director Krennic's project is just as compromised as we feared."
Nerah nodded after Eli had his chance to read off the data portion of their findings. "Ronan escaped with the ship we were after, so we weren't able to physically confirm the Venisium."
"Not to worry. I have that portion well in hand," Thrawn promised, and then immediately changed the subject before Nerah could inquire exactly how. "Were you able to detect any irregular tampering?"
Eli tapped a few keys to switch the presented data. "Yes sir. It appears the grysks were in fact able to use this network to hunt down shipments. That's why we ran into them in the first place. The Mahogany Vulpine's logs state that it was attacked when it passed by the grysk waystation, and suffered hull damage that blasted apart a few of the crates before it sealed itself. I think that's why we found that trail of the substance before, as it leaked from the hull breach before jumping off into hyperspace."
Then it was true…the grysks had found a way to tap into Fulcrum's network…and if they managed to defeat them here and steal that method…
They could win two battles for the price of one.
"I cleared out the base of most of the subversives after Ronan fled…but Rain was nowhere to be found. I suspect he fled in cowardice once I began tearing through his men," Nerah suggested. "That's when Lieutenant Vanto was…shot."
His scream reverberated in her mind, and her eyes drifted away from Thrawn's gaze.
"I'm sorry, Grand Admiral…I—"
"If it wasn't for Commander Nerah, we would've both died in that spaceport," Eli interrupted shamelessly, his response curt and utterly sure of himself.
"No doubt, Lieutenant," Thrawn agreed, and Nerah forced herself to look up, finding that Thrawn had not looked away. "And I'm afraid I must ask you once again to lend your services against this threat, Commander."
Nerah stiffened, silently thanking Eli for catching her before she admitted something self-destructive. "I'm at your command, Admiral."
Thrawn inclined his head towards Eli, and the man rose to his feet, waving off Nerah before she could swoop in to help him. "I must return to the Steadfast," he said. "Admiral Ar'alani wants me present on the bridge when the battle begins…I also requested as much."
Nerah blinked, her eyes moving from Thrawn to Eli multiple times, gaining zero information, before settling on Eli. "W-Wait," she raised her hand. "I'd like to…speak to you…before you go."
"Time is of the essence, Commander," Thrawn interjected. "The longer we wait, the more Imperial and chiss lives that will be lost."
Nerah felt her heart sink…but her hand tingled with a sensation of another, and she saw Eli grip it softly before turning away. "I'll see you again," he promised…and in his eyes, she found a similar regret, a longingness that was mutual, before he was forced to hide it away, stiffen a salute, and leave them be.
Nerah felt her chin shiver.
"Your heart is in the right place, as it always is," Thrawn said.
Her teeth bore as she continued to stare at that door. "That could be the last time I see him, Mitth'raw'nuruodo."
"Oh nonsense," Thrawn shrugged, beckoning her to follow him across the way to his own personal office. "I have already determined how to win this battle without any unnecessary loss of life from our forces."
As soon as the door shut, she felt herself implode into a tirade in the Cheunh language. "Do you feel nothing?" she accused, prompting him to stop abruptly in his stroll. "You've raised me since that day…why deny me this?"
"I've denied you nothing," Thrawn insisted with a sideways glance. "You will see Eli Vanto again, of that I am sure."
"You don't know that!" Nerah pointed, feeling her heart erupt within her own chest. "Everyone on this ship may think you're invincible, but I know better. Ar'alani knows better…hell even Nara knows better!"
Thrawn said nothing, merely listening with a continued sideways glance.
"Even you can miss something. We don't know anything about the grysks, and if your arrogance gets us all killed—"
"It won't," Thrawn assured her, now facing her fully. "Do not mistake my confidence for arrogance, Vigan'era'hrorra. I am fully aware of the dangers the grysks present, as well as our own unfamiliarity with them…but through my research of the artwork of the species they dominate, there is one, common theme…"
Nerah scowled, still halfway livid.
"…grysk clients believe their masters to be gods, hence why they are so willing to destroy themselves in their stead. A populace rarely parts with their core beliefs in deities, usually naming various functions of their everyday lives accordingly, even if the myths and legends fade into a scattered few. Grysk client species adopt this behavior over time, placing the grysks above all other existing religions and philosophies until the Hegemony is all they truly believe in."
Thrawn paced to a sculpture, while Nerah still struggled to contain her roiling emotions. "Deities can take centuries to manifest into a populace…but prophets of those deities can be made in mere moments. For example, there is always a constant state of balance when it comes to such things…a monitor must have an anti-monitor, the earth an anti-earth, matter antimatter and so forth."
"An angel and a demon," Nerah caught on. "A god and an anti-god."
Thrawn paced back to her, facing her fully. "The grysks are terrifying in the eyes of their servants…but you…you will be worse. A god that bleeds ceases to be a god from the vantage of the subjugated…and you will be the dagger."
Nerah blinked, looking down. "Thrawn…what are you saying?"
"You cannot show fear, Nerah, that is why you cannot speak to Lieutenant Vanto until this battle concludes. You must have an indomitable spirit, one willing to walk through the inferno in which none have traveled, and return. Your desire to see him once again will serve as that fuel…and should you succeed, you will have what you desire."
She almost shivered. So, all this time Thrawn knew how she felt about Eli, and did nothing…all to use it as some kind of hanging lure just out of reach?
How could he?
"You'd do that to me?" Nerah trembled. "You'd tie my heart to a string just to fulfill whatever sick plan you have? Is that all I am to you? A weapon?!"
"The grysks torture and corrupt. They did so to Navigator Un'hee, and I wish to take vengeance. Do you not?"
"Of course I do, but—"
"Then this is the only way we can truly defeat them," Thrawn implored, stepping forward. "You have become something more. You can carry a burden none of us can, and that is why it must be you…your actions could be the difference between victory and defeat."
The smallest detail.
"Posterity, Nerah," he said, and her eyes widened. "Do you remember?"
She trembled slightly, but felt herself reaching for the pouch around her belt, unclipped the button, and revealed the small sculpture he had given her when he had made that deal with her father. Nerah clenched it in her grip, shutting her eyes, before letting her arm sag to a hang.
"I remember," she said.
"You once told me you wished to return home one day," Thrawn recalled, taking her full hand and clasping it in his two. "This is the path that ensures such a future can be a reality."
She continued to clench that sculpture, feeling the embrace of Thrawn's larger hands around her own. He'd believed in her for this long, made her into who she was. She had no regrets…and now was the time for her to continue perpetuating that trust…to return the favor he had done for her.
"Tell me what must be done," she said.
"All hands, man battle stations."
Nerah's pace picked up once the deck officer's command sounded off within the hangar bay, pilots rushing to their fighters in a hurry, along with rolling transports hauling groups across the space. She'd swiped up as much equipment as she'd thought she'd need, as well as various mods for her custom E-11D rifle. Priming it for combat, she slung it over her shoulder, and then broke off into a full jog towards the single remaining TIE Defender fighter waiting for her. Jumping up the ladder and pushing it away to clear the hatch, she hopped in.
And found it was occupied.
"Hey…" her sister greeted her in Basic, locked in to the pilot's seat, and then chuckled bashfully. "All aboard."
Nerah almost said her name out loud, but remembered they were still aboard the Chimaera, and first sealed the hatch shut.
"Just…please listen to me before you snap my neck," Nara interjected, and then sucked in a deep breath. "Nerah…I just want you to know that I couldn't be more sorry abou—"
Nerah didn't want to hear her words. All she wanted was to feel her sister's body in her arms once again…so that's exactly what she did. The smell of Nara's hair was pleasant…freshly scrubbed, and she felt the strength of the beskar armor she had changed back into once Nara returned the embrace in full. Her lips pressed gently against her temple, and Nerah kissed her passionately, before pulling away, her arms resting on her shoulders.
"Nara…I missed you so much," she sniveled, trying not to cry as Nara rose to her feet in the tight compartment. "My big sister."
Nara was not as strong, her shock dissipating in the form of flowing tears and she clung desperately to Nerah once again. "I…I thought you would be angry with me…for leaving you. Nerah, I never meant to abandon you. I'm so…so sorry."
"I was angry with you," Nerah admitted. "What you did was brash…and stupid…but, also probably the right thing," she bowed her head. "You were…just trying to protect me, and didn't know how else to do it. Father's death saved me from his machinations, allowing me to serve the Ascendancy instead of himself…but I thought you had merely deserted, unwilling to face the consequences of your action. When I saw you on Azure…I was so heartbroken I thought killing you would help me get over it quicker…but I couldn't do it. I've…I've always loved you Nara, all this time."
Her throat clenched, and she felt her own tears bursting through.
"I spoke to Un'hee…and she told me about what you did for her, and what you said about me. It was enough to show me how much of a fool I was to let go of someone like you. Even after everything we'd been through, ending up on opposite sides of a war, you still were trying to look out for me."
"Of course," Nara implored, resting her forehead against Nerah's. "I didn't promise to protect you with the intention of it ever having an expiration date, silly. That kind of promise is forever."
Nerah giggled. "You're the one wearing the silly armor, darling."
Nara scoffed. "Listen to you…all posh and proper. I need to purge you of that infuriating corruption, little sister."
"Too late," she smiled, and then stooped in to kiss her on the forehead. "Now…time to tell me what you're doing in my TIE fighter."
Nara shrugged. "It's simple, really. My piloting was always better than yours. I'm here to make sure you get on that grysk base…and tear it to pieces while I take some holos for Un'hee."
Nerah pulled away, allowing the Mandalorian to settle in to the pilot's seat. "I might surprise you. I'm not such a bad pilot myself."
"I am not gonna sit here and listen to this," Nara rolled her eyes, and then paused as she looked over the controls. "Although…I have never flown a TIE fighter before, much less one of Thrawn's fancy-shmansy ones."
Nerah popped her brow. "Well the yoke is there, and the power balance—"
"I've already figured out how, Nerah," she waved her off, powering up the fighter, and Nerah heard the satisfying, strong whine of the engines coming to life. "But I've heard this thing is the best in the galaxy. It's almost like it's Life Day."
"Chiss don't celebrate Life Day, remember?"
"Yeah, yeah, I've spent a bunch of time with a lot of weird ass aliens," Nara shrugged, pulling at more levers and turning knobs.
"You and me both."
After a few more moments, Nara settled into her seat as if she were ready to go.
"You got to make the call though, hun," Nara said. "They'd probably try to shoot us down if they heard my voice."
Nerah was about to comply, but she blinked…having a double take, and then narrowed her eyes. "Thrawn doesn't know you're here, does he?"
Nara shook her head. "This was between myself and Ar'alani. No offense, but I don't trust Thrawn to bring you back in one piece, and I knew he'd never let me pilot one of these things."
Nerah felt a scowl forming. "There's a reason for that, Nara," she warned. "The rebels aren't supposed to know about this fighter, and if you go back and tell them—"
"Believe me, the rebels already know about the TIE Defender," she revealed, and Nerah felt herself flinch back. But…how? The secrecy of the project was made paramount, second only to Stardust…how did the rebels already know about it?
"Who? Who stole the plans?" Nerah asked, a certain edge to her tone.
Nara shrugged. "I don't know. It's a big galaxy. Could've been anyone."
Bullshit.
She knew alright, she just wasn't telling her…which, Nerah admitted, was understandable. As it turned out, Nara wasn't a terrorist, and only seemed to be interested in protecting her Mandalorian brethren. There wasn't anything wrong with that…but the rebels; the men and women who viciously attack Imperials without reason or warning, they were terrorists, and nothing would ever change that.
"You could join us, you know. Thrawn and I. We all want the same thing."
"No we don't," Nara shook her head. "I'm never serving the same Empire that thinks the stunt High Agent Gideon pulled on Botajef is acceptable conduct."
Nerah scoffed. "That's all rebel propaganda. The Empire isn't making a bioweapon, that's ridiculous."
"I saw it, Nerah," Nara insisted. "I was there. It was a red fog, swallowing everything in its path…killing everyone it touched. It almost killed—"
She paused, catching herself, but Nerah could tell Nara was in distinct distress. Was she telling the truth? Did the Empire have a bioweapon in the works? But…that was impossible…unless that was exactly what High Agent Gideon would be pushing forward should they succeed in this little bet Thrawn had taken with Director Krennic.
No…ridiculous…but Nara was many things, and a good liar was not one of them. She'd certainly seen something, and whether it was from the Empire was up for debate.
"I'll…look into it," Nerah promised. "For now, let's just focus on getting to that grysk base."
"Stand by for launch, Commander," Faro called in over the comm, and Nerah snapped back into focus.
"Copy that Commodore. Ready when you are."
Nara engaged the repulsorlifts. "He's cute by the way."
Nerah frowned. "Who?"
"The numbers guy. Vanto. You know, the one who is always making your cheeks flare purple every time he walks in the room," Nara winked.
Nerah grimaced. So…she did know after all. "Oh…thanks."
"You're a pretty girl, Nerah," she said. "Trust me, I'd know. All you have to do is realize it."
She let out a groan. "That old speech…really?"
"Usually works…but really, Nerah," Nara bowed her head with a small smile, before turning to her. "I'm happy for you."
Nerah smiled back, but the string around her heart tugged, and she felt that longingness to be with him…to tell him everything. Curse Thrawn for making her wait…no matter how much he sputtered about greater good, the least he could do was grant her some peace.
But no, that wasn't in the cards anymore. Now she had to jump into hell without ever saying goodbye to Eli Vanto.
She'd just have to fight like hell to make sure she saw him again.
TIE fighters began pouring out of the hangar bay, and Nerah saw her comm flash. "Commander, launch now!"
"Launching!" she replied, and then felt the entire ship roar forward, the speed behind the engines unlike anything she'd felt before.
Steadfast – 2 BBY
Eli could see the various concerned looks as he crutched his way onto the bridge. He only really needed it for stability, and the fact that he couldn't quite put his entire weight on his bad knee…but the image was enough. They weren't exactly concerned for him per se, but more concerned with the Admiral's decision making, either that or just their own safety with the prospect of someone along the pipeline that couldn't pull their own weight…literally.
For this plan to work, they needed all hands on deck, and that included his own. Besides, he didn't need legs to work a comm station.
"Lieutenant Eli'van'to," Ar'alani called from her command chair, just as he passed her by on his way to his station. "A word."
"Yes ma'am," he inclined his head, trying to find a suitable way to stiffen without falling over, before coming close enough for her to keep her voice down.
"I want your honest opinion," she said. "Is Vigan'era'hrorra prepared for what Thrawn is asking of her?"
Eli did his best to hide his own displeasure, but it was no use…he caught a glint in the Admiral's eye as she seemed to catch it anyhow. He'd served under her for long enough to know hiding anything from her was essentially pointless.
"I don't think anyone would be," Eli admitted, suppressing an urge to look out the viewport as the TIE fighters raced out into space and created a defensive perimeter around the Steadfast and Chimaera. "It's…by all accounts…a suicide mission."
Ar'alani studied him for a moment, and as unsettling as her gaze was, he didn't dare flinch. "You worry for her," she said, and then let out a small sigh. "As you should. Mitth'raw'nuruodo may have just very well sent her to her death…either that, or her ascendance. I cannot say for sure."
Eli never thought Nerah would actually die today, but as Ar'alani began to doubt the prospect of him ever seeing her again…it hit home. He truly may never get to see that woman smile at him ever again, never feel her strong, yet dainty fingers locking with his own…never get to tell her a truth the both of them had always known.
Nerah might die, and she would die with her heart tied to a string. Part of him wanted to lash out in anger, but that wouldn't improve her chances. What was done was done, and if he ever wanted to see her again, he had to do everything in his power to make sure they won this battle.
But even then, there was no guarantees.
He saw Ar'alani, watching her expression fade away, perhaps remembering a distant event where despite all of Thrawn's expertise, he had made a bad call, overestimated a variable, and was defeated. Eli knew Thrawn wasn't invincible, no matter how much he seemed that way, and he worried that today, he'd watch the man's impenetrable armor crack. He knew how much Nerah meant to him, no matter how stoic he looked, no matter how cold his tone seemed to be. Losing her might not destroy him, but it would certainly devastate him accordingly.
But…that was a good thing. It meant Thrawn was absolutely confident that Nerah would emerge from that grysk space station victorious and alive…and Eli just had to trust that.
Hope…the only thing stronger than fear, the very weapon the grysks wielded. Hope was all he had…and hope he would.
"She'll live, Admiral," Eli promised. "She'll succeed. I know it."
Ar'alani studied him further, but eventually nodded. "I do hope that you are right," she said, and then leaned back in her chair. "You will take your station beside Navigator Vah'nya, Lieutenant."
"Yes ma'am," he inclined his head once more, and then hobbled over to the seat, to which the Navigator spun around for him. "Thanks," he said.
"You're welcome," Vah'nya tipped her head, but turned away quickly, focusing back on the viewport. Usually she would beam ear to ear at the rare prospect of running into him aboard the Steadfast, but now it hardly seemed like she cared.
Probably just focused on the battle.
The pulsar had been left behind, but its beam of energy still swept just in front of their position, keeping the Steadfast out of the range of its problematic radiation against electrostatic technology. He had already heard about Thrawn's use of the beam to bombard grysk missile boats and reveal them out of their cloaking fields, and could see now that the three massive grysk warships that awaited them just in front of the mobile forward base were keeping their distance. There were certainly more, smaller grysk combat vessels out there, but most likely still cloaked, and with the combination of the pulsar emission beam and the growing wall of TIE fighters, Eli felt they would have ample time to adjust to any surprises.
Even so…the balance sheet, for all intents and purposes, was slanted heavily against them. The grysk warships were already larger than the Steadfast alone, and there were three of them, along with the fact that it would now be they who had to cross the bombardment of energized particles to reach the grysk forces. All their enemies had to do was sit back and wait for the Steadfast to advance, have their barriers overloaded, and then launch enough well-placed missiles to blow them all into oblivion. While the Chimaera had no such weaknesses, it could only do so much to protect the Steadfast without opening itself up to attack from the warships themselves.
Honestly, Eli thought they had a better chance sitting back while the Chimaera advanced alone. Pressing forward…it was basically suicide.
Just like Nerah.
He watched Vah'nya shiver slightly, her hands clasped tightly around the navigational sticks. "Eli…" she said his name, her voice low enough not to hear from the others. "Have you seen Nara?"
Eli blinked, thinking back. He could've sworn he'd seen Nerah's twin sister aboard the Steadfast earlier, and fully expected her to be beside Admiral Ar'alani when the battle began. Only now did he notice that the woman wasn't here. Maybe she was prepped with a boarding party…ready to hit the grysk base if something was left to take?
No…Ar'alani had been unwilling to leave her behind when she came aboard the Chimaera before, and she wouldn't reduce her to a mundane task that most likely wouldn't be needed. If Nara wasn't here…then…
"Grand Admiral Thrawn said he might need her to pilot one of his starfighters…but he said only as a last resort," Vah'nya revealed. "I am…worried…she did something brazen."
Brazen certainly seemed her style, based on what Nerah had told him, but Thrawn would never be unaware of anyone stealing one of his ships…or maybe he had a blind spot that only Nara knew about. Apparently, Nara had known Thrawn just as long as Nerah had, and while it was obvious the two of them weren't nearly as close, Nara certainly knew a lot more about him than most.
Of course, that only meant Thrawn would be able to predict her better…but perhaps that was his blind spot. Nerah, while strong and skilled, was rather predictable…Nara seemed to be the other side of that coin; utterly unfathomable and unable to pinpoint. Her actions had no pattern, no real meaning, and perhaps that was why Ar'alani had such a strong attachment to her. She was the perfect combatant, undaunted, indomitable and incorruptible.
All the major traits of a Mandalorian warrior…traits the Empire had sought out to destroy…traits the grysks feared most. Eli had never met one before her, and while he had never taken an interest in the details of the Empire's battle against their people, Bo Katan Kryze was a name he had skimmed over. It took a special kind of will to make the Empire uneasy, and names with such status were hardly plentiful. Saw Guerra, Xur Eon, Reyna Vorchenko, Bo Katan Kryze, Fulcrum…and perhaps soon, if the Empire learned of this, Vigan'ara and Grand Admiral Thrawn.
If Nara were in fact behind the yoke of a TIE Fighter, even if Thrawn didn't know it, he would be charged with treason, and he would be found guilty.
So what would that mean for Nerah? Would she go down with him, executed beside him as a firing squad unloaded their salvo? The thought made him sick to his stomach, and he just wanted it to go away.
However this ended, no one could know that Vigan'ara, a seemingly vital part of this plan, had been a part of it. Luckily for them…he imagined Thrawn would have it all figured out.
"She'll be alright," Eli assured her. "I've heard she's very hard to kill."
Vah'nya bowed her head. "That's what I'm afraid of."
Eli frowned. "What do you mean?"
She paused, watching the Chimaera advance into their viewport to their port side. "Un'hee showed me her memories of her grysk masters…how they took her hope, her desires, her joy…and twisted it into despair, fear and terror. They made her afraid to trust her own people, her own sisters. They made her so unwilling to even attempt escape, that servitude became her own salvation, lest she suffer more at their hands."
She turned back to him, and Eli did his best to hold his gaze. "Nara told me that Mandalorians assert their dominance through rites of combat and signals of honorable superiority. Your former Empire asserts their will upon their slaves with weapons, soldiers and warships…but the grysks, Eli…" she swallowed, bowing her head, and he witnessed that distinct fear in her gaze. "Three could command a nation. Twenty, an entire planet. No resistance…no will…no hope, an entire race willing to die in the stead of their masters."
"Vah'nya…" Eli tried to ease her, but it was no use. Whatever she was embroiled in, she was going to finish.
"Grand Admiral Mitth'raw'nuruodo told me that the grysks fear nothing…but once today is through, they will learn to fear. I worry what he means by such a thing. A species cannot resist without hope, and more fear will only entice them to struggle more against our efforts. Does he not understand this? Does he really think that one solider, Vigan'era'hrorra, can defeat them…all of them?"
Eli signed. "I don't know, Vah'nya. What I do know is that Nerah is very capable, and perhaps the best at what she does. Her abilities are extraordinary, and if anyone can defeat an evil such as the grysks, it's her."
Vah'nya frowned, but her gaze finally panned back up to him. "I do hope that you are right, Eli."
He wished he were truly as confident as he sounded…but it was all he had now. Still, Vah'nya was right…fear could never conquer fear no more than a black hole could defeat another. Nerah would have to become a monster to truly terrify the grysks in such a way.
Eli knew she wasn't one, but he remembered back when she had bashed the man's head in back on Fortuna…the ferocity…the savagery. Was there a part of Nerah he didn't know? Was there a monster longing to be unleashed underneath that beautiful exterior?
He sighed. There was no use wondering any further. Her course was inevitable, and all he could do was watch.
"Grysk warships advancing, Admiral!" someone called out.
"I see them," Ar'alani confirmed. "Maintain proximity to the Chimaera. Helm, press forward into pulsar range!"
Out of the shadows and into the light.
Eli braced himself.
TIE Defender – 2 BBY
"Yeeeeeeea! This thing really moves!" Nara exclaimed, pulling back on the throttle as her Defender reached the rest of the TIEs that had entered the pulsar's beam range. She felt Nerah jostle around before finally catching herself, forced to make do without another chair to strap herself in to. "Sorry hun."
"It's alright," she insisted. "Do what you have to. Don't worry about me."
"Sorry, it's a habit," she winked, breaking over the Chimaera's bow and pulling smoothly to starboard, keeping in formation with the wing of fighters beside her. It was a little surreal to be behind the yoke of an Imperial vessel, much less alongside a bunch of TIEs barreling towards their enemy. She'd been on the other side so many times that it was plenty informative to get a glimpse at their tactics. There was only so much she could learn, but it was enough.
The real jackpot, she figured, would be the fighter. If she were able discern a single weakness, she could possibly keep it in mind for later exploitation. She'd have to act on it quickly, of course…and also betray Thrawn and her sister. Which mattered more…taking intel that could supposedly help stop the Empire, or remain complicit just to keep Thrawn from seeking retribution?
He was trusting her…somewhat. It was Ar'alani who had told her to take the fighter and pilot Nerah to the base, not Thrawn. By now he'd probably figured it out…which meant he could already have a way to neutralize her.
As long as Nerah was on board, it wouldn't be lethal. When she wasn't, however…
No…Thrawn wouldn't do that, not with Ar'alani here to see it…right? That excuse was losing its traction the more times she used it, even if it had held up so far.
"You do know the plan, don't you?" Nerah asked as they cruised along, the flash of the pulsar brightening their canopy intermittently.
"All I know is I'm supposed to find an opening and get you on that base," Nara said. "That's what I'm going to do."
Nerah sighed. "Of course you don't know the plan. The Chimaera is going to shield the Steadfast from the radiation to keep it from interfering with their electrostatic barriers. Meanwhile, the TIE fighters goad out the enemy fighters until pulling back behind the Chimaera."
Nara scoffed. "The Chimaera is only so big. How is it supposed to hide the Steadfast?"
Nerah's fingers brushed against her shoulder, and she followed them to their port side. To her surprise, the Chimaera was slowly turning itself, so its belly faced the full brunt of the pulsar's radiation, and the Steadfast maintained steadily close enough to be kept completely safe from its harrowing assault. It looked utterly ridiculous, but as the Steadfast entered the range of the beam as it continued to sweep across every seven seconds, there was no power fluctuation…no sparking of the barriers.
"Pull back, now!" Nerah directed, and Nara just followed along without question, drilled to trust the machinations of Thrawn and Ar'alani for her most of her young life. The TIE fighters funneled back behind the Chimaera in a swarm, now hidden from the grysks' direct sight…just as the fighters entered the pulsar's range. Nara parked the Defender where assigned, but kept her fingers hot against the yoke.
"After what happened last time, I'd think the grysks would be a bit more wary about charging forward," Nara pointed out, narrowing her eyes. "He should've waited until the fighters were too far ahead to turn back."
"Thrawn didn't believe they would advance until we were out of its range if we remained in an orthodox formation," Nerah explained. "In this position, the Chimaera can't do much, and he's now banking on their tendency to attack quickly and decisively during a moment of weakness."
"But pulling the fighters back makes it too obvious," Nara said. "They'd never fall for it."
"That's the point. The grysk commander now has to make a choice, fulfill his natural instinct to attack a potentially vulnerable target, or sit back and let it pass, where their potential advantage disappears."
"Mental gymnastics then. Thrawn is testing his restraint."
Nerah nodded. "Right. Better now with room to maneuver…but of course that isn't the only reason."
Nara popped her brow. Of course…Thrawn and his multi-layered actions and plans, not to mention the fact that Ar'alani likely had something up her sleeve as well.
"Well, don't leave me hanging…" Nara protested.
Nerah smirked, then flicked her chin towards the viewport. "The longer they wait, the closer our TIE Fighters get, and we have cover, while they don't. Their best option would be to pull back to their warships, but the grysks know that the Chimaera and Steadfast already destroyed two of them on their own respectively, so they believe the odds better serve us."
Nara could see it now. It was no different from a phalanx formation in a sense. "So Thrawn and Ar'alani think that the grysks will attack when we reach the edge of the sweep, where their warships are closer, and they still might have their advantage."
Nerah nodded. "And that's where the other Defenders come in."
"The ones that jumped into hyperspace?"
She nodded again.
Nara looked back out the viewport. The grysk triad of warships had pressed forward from the base somewhat, leaving a gap between themselves. If she could take off from the Chimaera's cover right at the edge, she could theoretically race past them, and they'd be too distracted to fire on a shielded ship.
"So the Defenders jump in from behind and give us an opening to slip through, while also taking pock shots at the rear most warship," she smirked. "Clever…but if we beat them too quickly…"
"They'll blow everything," Nerah finished for her. "The idea is one ship breaking through and landing in their base just seems like a suicide run, so they'll still have confidence. Thrawn has a method of drawing out the battle long enough for me to complete my mission."
Nara shook her head, feeling her hands tremble against the yoke. "You'll be alone, Nerah."
She held the TIE at a steady pace to remain within the Chimaera's shadow, but managed to turn to watch her sister's throat contract and clench. "I know…but I'm ready."
Nara held her gaze, looking directly into identical eyes. "I'm going with you."
"No," Nerah stated flatly. "Nara, I have to do this alone."
"Why?" Nara lurched forward. "Because Thrawn said so?"
"There's more going on here than you think," Nerah insisted. "We have to consider the long term…the bigger picture. This is more than just me marching in and taking a base…it's sending a message."
Nara tried to hold back her dark laughter, but it escaped as her head shook. "And if you die? What kind of message does that send?"
"I won't," she promised, falling to one knee, and her expression filled with a confidence Nara could feel in her heart. "I'm prepared, Nara," she said, pulling one hand off the yoke and clasped it in her two. "This is what I was made to do. If we don't crack the grysks here, our next encounter may not be so lucky. We have to take this risk…for our people."
Nara sighed, clenching Nerah's digits. "Our posterity."
Nerah nodded, reaching up to brush her knuckles against Nara's cheek. She savored that touch, shutting her eyes softly as she leaned into it, and felt her sister continue to brush lightly. "It's time to let your little sister do the heavy lifting. I love you, Nara. Nothing will ever change that."
"I love you too," Nara promised. "But if you die in there, I'll kill you."
Nerah chuckled at that. "Now I have extra motivation."
Steadfast – 2 BBY
This part, Eli knew, would be the most agonizing one. With the Chimaera angled virtually sideways relative to the Steadfast, there was almost nothing it could do without its deck cannons pointed away from the grysks. The turbolasers on its hull could do their best, but those were made for planetary bombardment, and were much tougher to maneuver. He was sure Thrawn had requested adjustments to such weapons, but he didn't bring it up when they went over the plan.
That's because none of it mattered.
The agonizing part is that they were at the complete mercy of the grysk commander's next decision. They'd tried to consider every possible outlet, but with the lack of familiarity, there was a chance they would see something completely unheard of or considered.
Luckily for them, it seemed their wait was over. As soon as the Chimaera came into range of the forward two warships, the hail of weapons fire began. Eli watched as it crashed against the star destroyer's belly, deflected by the more powerful energy shields of Imperial make, completely shielding the Steadfast from any damage. On cue, the Chimaera angled more inward, and that's when Ar'alani raised her hand.
"Full stop!" she shouted, and Eli felt the shift of inertia that the dampeners couldn't compensate for as the Steadfast grinded to a halt. "Radiation?"
"Barriers struggling to—" the deck officer was cut off by the wave of flickering lights as the pulsar's harrowing beam swept over the ship, no longer protected by the star destroyer in its shifted position. "Barrier percentage unclear, Admiral!"
Eli caught Vah'nya tremble slightly in her seat, but remained calm as the flashing persisted every interval the beam swept past.
"Lieutenant Vanto, do we have a link to the Chimaera's targeting?" Ar'alani asked, just as he made the movement to confirm such a link.
"Yes ma'am!" he called out, punching in the keys to secure the connection. "Chimaera relaying targets!"
The weapons station raised a hand. "Confirmed!"
"Prepare topside missiles!" Ar'alani called out. "Secure targets and fire!"
Within moments, the tubes below them fired in a satisfying, powerful shift and Eli watched as the silver rockets shot upwards in a javelin motion, just barely slipping above the Chimaera's port side. At first it appeared as if they would just uselessly carry on in an upwards trajectory into space, but abruptly, Eli watched them curve downwards behind the star destroyer, and out of sight. He felt his teeth unclench as the missiles made it past, and then waited anxiously for the report.
Chimaera – 2 BBY
"Shields holding at eighty percent, Admiral!"
Faro felt her knuckles crack as she crushed her fingers anxiously in her grip, her eyes fixated on the underside's display. "Engage tractor beam sling!"
"Engaging!"
The Steadfast's missiles had barely missed their port side wing, but such closeness was necessary for this maneuver to work. She watched her secondary board as four lines were drawn to the four missiles as the tractor beams tried to snag them in their grip, pulling them downwards enough to point them directly at the two forward warships.
One line dissipated.
"Blast! Lost one ma'am!"
Faro grimaced…there was no doubt that the tractor beam system would struggle to snag such small objects, especially four at a time, but each missile they missed was just more time the shields would need to hold out…and they weren't unlimited.
Another line dissipated.
"Another lost!"
"Focus all power on the two," Thrawn directed, watching the same display. "All we need is one."
Faro blinked. "Sir…I thought this was intended to do enough preemptive damage while they were caught flatfooted. Two missiles will hardly be enough."
"Damage was the primary objective, yes," Thrawn nodded. "But the other will serve us perfectly fine."
She nodded. "As you say, Admiral."
Luckily, the two tractor beams managed to hang on to their missiles, and in a careful release, sent them barreling towards the two warships with their new trajectories. Faro watched as the fighters waiting outside the pulsar's range suddenly jerked, now frantically breaking off their formation to race towards the damaging warship killers in an attempt to intercept them.
"Signal the Steadfast to fire once more," Thrawn said.
Faro keyed the order, and within seconds, another four were clipping over the Chimaera's port wing, and another four tractor beam lines attempted to snag them. Only two lasted once more, and the original two had been destroyed by the fighter defense, all while the warships continued to pound away at the Chimaera's shields.
"Shields at sixty percent, Admiral!"
"Another salvo," he ordered.
Practice seemed to make perfect for the tractor beam operators, because this time, all four lines remained in time for the trajectories to be adjusted and launched. Now the fighters were frantic, completely disorganized as they were forced to adjust for the less than perfect aim of the tractor beams…enough for one missile to slip through. It collided into one of the warships, erupting in a ball of flame that rendered their electrostatic barriers useless and halved the enemy fire being sustained by the Chimaera.
With the grysk fighters out of position, Thrawn gave the order.
"All TIEs, make your run."
Steadfast – 2 BBY
The Chimaera had bought them all the time they needed, and once Eli watched the collection of TIEs in wait behind the star destroyer begin to file around the ship in a double inversion, Ar'alani's voice rang out.
"Angle starboard forty degrees! Thrusters at full! Get us out of pulsar range!"
The directional jets flashed as the Steadfast banked starboard enough to be pointed away from the Chimaera and charged ahead at full power, the flickering persisting as the beam kept sweeping through. Within seconds they were halfway past the star destroyer, and Eli was able to look out the port viewport to watch as the TIE fighters engaged the scattered grysk forces. It was a cascade of lime green laserfire and sickly yellow, some TIEs sputtering out of control as they were shot down, but the majority of the losses coming at the hands of the grysks. The confusion did not last, however, and soon the losses seemed to adjust back to even ground, just as the Steadfast managed to clear the pulsar's range.
"Rear-most warship adjusting towards our vector!"
Eli heard Ar'alani pause. "Sooner than expected," she growled slightly. "Barriers?"
"Still recharging! Will take time to scrub the ionization!"
There would be two moments in which each respective ship would be most vulnerable. The Chimaera's was on the back end as it began to twist itself back to being right-side up, but the Steadfast's had just begun. With the pulsar's range cleared, their systems would need time to divert power to purging their barriers of excess ionization to restore them, which pulled power from weapons systems…point defense. They had hoped the grysks wouldn't pick up on this chance…obviously they weren't going to be so lucky.
Ar'alani's intensity immediately seemed to reach its signature fever pitch. "Let's meet them face to face. Come about!"
"Yes ma'am!"
Eli lurched as they pulled hard to port, now with their bow pointing directly towards their grysk counterpart's as they broke off from their blocked position.
"Lieutenant Vanto, suggest to Grand Admiral Thrawn that he send Commander Nerah now," she ordered. "It appears we have caught their attention far enough."
Eli nodded. "Yes ma'am," and then turned to the board, and began to key in the message. There was a confidence in his typing, much more than he expected with sending the order that would push Nerah along the path towards her perilous mission. He expected dread…perhaps innate hesitation, but there was none.
The Steadfast was risking itself to give her that opening…he was risking himself. The guilt was gone, and with his life now just as precariously held by a string as their barriers continued to be non-functional, he could see through her eyes.
They all had their part to play…and he had his chance to improve her odds of success.
It was all he had ever wanted.
TIE Defender – 2 BBY
"Start your run, Commander. The rear-most warship is out of position," Faro's voice called in through the comms, just as Nara punched her thumbs into the fire controls and blew another grysk fighter into oblivion. "Now is your chance."
"Copy that Commodore," Nerah replied, clenching the upper rail tightly as Nara maneuvered. "Good luck."
"You as well. Stay safe," she said…and a hint of sincerity was evident in the Imperial's tone. Nara was actually surprised…as she had convinced that every Imperial was a heartless murderer, aside from Nerah, of course.
Not excluding Thrawn.
"Take us in, Nara," Nerah gave the prompt, holding steady.
She nodded, engaging reverse thrusters to drift the Defender towards the twin warships, and then pushed the throttle to full speed.
"Hang on…it's about to get bumpy," she warned, twisting the nimble fighter through the haze that was the starfighter battle. With the grysks now outnumbered as it turned in the Imperials' favor, there was none who could spare a chase of her craft as she breached the fight, now barreling at full speed towards the base. She could only imagine the surprise from the grysk bridges as a lone fighter moved into attack position on a lark.
It didn't last.
With the starfighter battle pulling their guns momentarily away from the Chimaera as it repositioned, Nara found her Defender suffering heavy resistance from their guns. Her shields held, strong ones at that, but as she measured the distance, they certainly wouldn't hold in a straight line. Rolling the fighter, she began skimming the edge of the rightmost warship, now hidden from the guns of the other as well as the starboard batteries. The port batteries, of course, now had a point-blank shot, but with her speed, it would be difficult to make such a target.
The point-defense systems however, had no issues hammering their smaller beams into her shields. She tried to roll away, but the target had been locked, and quickly she was under that same hail. Rolling over the top to the portside deck, she transferred as much power as she could spare to her engines, and cleared the stern engines, pressing onward towards the base. With herself now out of range, and the warship unwilling to spend resources chasing a lone fighter that could merely be destroyed by the base's cannons, they turned their attention away.
"Almost there," Nara called out, her eyes focused on the approaching base as she attempted to allow her barriers to recharge. "This fighter is really something."
Nerah didn't answer immediately, but she felt her hand on her shoulder again. "I know you said the Rebels already know about it…but you can't tell them anymore, Nara. Please. This could change the war."
"We'll worry about that later," Nara waved it off, balancing her power distribution once the shields were fully restored. With a couple of key presses, she began scanning the orbiting structure, pulling up the best readouts she could. This definitely seemed to be like grysk make, because she found almost nothing familiar about it, other than the fact that it had multiple hangar bays and a command deck.
Nerah was peering over her shoulder. "Hangar bays are locked down, probably to keep anyone from leaving," she mused. "Can we scan for airlocks perhaps?"
Nara keyed the command, and four pegs emerged on the schematic. "Pick your poison, hun."
A light shined bright enough to catch their attention from their starboard side, and Nara peered at the display…only to gasp. "The Steadfast just suffered a direct hit!"
Instinctually, she moved to grasp the yoke and join the battle, but Nerah's strong hands pulled her back. "No! They're doing their job. We need to do ours."
Nara frowned at her. "We can't just leave them! They have no fighter support!"
"I know, Nara," she insisted. "But Thrawn said—"
"To hell with Thrawn!" Nara exclaimed. "Ar'alani is on that ship, and if she dies just because he thought it was for the best—"
"You think I don't know that? You think I'm that heartless? You think I don't want to save the man I love, who will certainly go down with that ship should it be destroyed?!" Nerah raised her voice, bearing down on her. "You think you're the only one making sacrifices?!"
Nara stammered. "N-Nerah, I didn't—"
"The only way we help them is if you get me aboard that base," she pointed. "We don't have time for this!"
Nara had always hated it when her sister was right, and even with such a moment as this; Admiral Ar'alani's life hanging in the balance, it still made her bitter. Nerah was asking her to sit back and wait while the grysks pounded away at the Steadfast, something that went against her very nature…but so was Nerah. Eli Vanto was on that ship, and she had to know exactly what would happen should the grysks manage to succeed.
This had to be done.
"I'll take you to the nearest airlock," Nara prompted, heating up her thrusters once more. "Hang on."
To their surprise, no shots fired from the station as they approached. Nara had first surmised that they just hadn't been picked up yet, but based on he previous encounters, they were plenty close enough to be detected. The closer they got, the more sweat began to conjure from Nara's face, but no shots came, and they were allowed to safely dock to their determined airlock.
"I don't like this," Nara muttered, securing perfect contact with the seal. "It's not like the grysks to lay out a welcome mat."
Nerah didn't seem halfway fazed, and she was already pulling over her helmet to conceal and protect her face, as well as secure her suit's pressurization. "It was one of the possibilities we discerned from our research."
Nara groaned, reaching for her beskar helmet, and pulled it over, hearing it hiss shut. "Thrawn and his damn artwork. Don't tell me he's corrupted you too."
"It gleams useful information," Nerah argued, her voice now projected through the speaker, taking a knee beside the back-end escape hatch. "You should give it a try."
"Pass," Nara shrugged.
"For example, the 'eyes' that are meant to simulate those of an owl beside the mark of Clan Kryze are mirroring signets of House Vigan, which in turn suggest that you have not abandoned our family. Over your collarbone plate, you wear the symbol of the Ascendancy, noting your commitment to it," Nerah explained.
"Congratulations, you read a packaging label," Nara snorted. "Know how to defeat me yet?"
Nerah secured the lock, and punched open the fighter's seal, revealing the outer door of the grysk base. Pulling up her MAHI, she began to slice into its security, while also making a hidden-smirk remark. "You'll find out one day."
Within moments, her holographic gauntlet gave her a green indication, and she closed it out, retrieving her rifle.
"I'm in," Nerah announced, taking a breath. "It's time."
"Hey," Nara blurted, drawing her optics to face her. "If you don't come back…I wouldn't mind it if you haunted me."
Nerah chuckled. "I'm sure you'll be the first person my soul visits."
She opened the hatch, and Nara leaned forward to say something else, but she froze, instead remaining silent as Nerah rose to her feet and approached the edge. "Once I'm in, you'll be my only way out. I'll send you a ping when I'm ready for pickup."
Nara nodded, and in that moment, she felt her tongue free itself. "No mercy, please," she said. "They don't deserve it."
Nerah shook her head. "No. They don't."
With that, her sister disappeared into the base, and the hatch shut itself closed.