Resistance camp, Lothal - Outer Rim Territories
Mara POV...
I'm sitting on the hull of the Knight Hawk, on top of it, an imagecaster set up in front of me. I stare longingly at the holographic images being presented, remembering those moments with some amusement or exasperation. The images are from when I was younger, most of them taken by R5 whenever he was around. In one picture I was about five and inspecting one of Dad's lightsabers while he tried to make sure I didn't accidentally turn it on. In another I'm a little older, maybe eight or so, hanging out with both Mom and Dad while laughing about something.
The sound of footsteps behind me gets my attention and I quickly turn off the imagecaster and turn my head to see Rylla approaching me.
"You doing okay, Mara?" she asks.
"Yeah, I'm good. Just thinking," I respond reassuringly.
She stops next to me with a thoughtful look on her face and then sits down.
"About what?" she asks.
I glance at her for a second, unsure of how to respond, and then look out at the horizon. I fiddle with the imagecaster in my hand anxiously, thinking about what to say.
"I guess I just don't really know what I should do after this," I start off warily. "Should I keeping fighting with the Rebellion, or just go back to Ahch-To?"
I let out a tired sigh, absentmindedly watching the tall grass waving in the wind.
"I know how you feel," Rylla says, and I turn to look at her. "When the Jedi fell, I was left on my own, frightened, and with no idea of what the future had in store for me."
"So what did you do?" I ask her.
"I met Hayden, and found a calling I felt suited for," she replies. "It wasn't easy of course, but if I was alone I have no idea what would have happened."
I frown skeptically and try thinking about how that could help me.
"Then what should I do?" I ask, eager for guidance.
"Whatever you think is best," she tells me with a smile. "My advice for you is to not do it alone."
Hearing that I look down at the imagecaster in my hands, recalling the pictures stored on it.
Not doing it alone...
I feel like Dad's been able to do things on his own just fine... though now that I think about it, it's not that simple. When he learn about that weird prophecy or whatever about him, he seemed seriously stressed out, and I ended up giving him advice and support. Me giving him, Jarik Shan, comfort so that he didn't have to worry about being alone. He's always been at his best whenever he's with Mom, and the same goes for her as well. As for me... well, whenever Zenna's around we always complement each other quite well.
Feeling a little better now I acknowledge Rylla with a nod and a small smile.
"Ok. Thanks, Rylla," I tell her.
"Of course, Mara," she smiles back.
3rd person POV...
Cal and Hera walk beside each other on their way into the Ghost in search of Ezra. However, the Jedi Knight was a bit lost in his thoughts as they walked, gazing at nothing in particular, something that didn't go unnoticed by Hera.
"Is something on your mind?" she asks him.
Cal glances at her for a moment and sighs.
"You might say that," he admits. "I don't want to bring up any painful memories, but..."
He hesitates and Hera looks at him with an uneasy feeling, deducing what he might be thinking about but also afraid to even think about it.
"You... want to know how Kanan..." she slows to a halt, and Cal stops as well. "How he died?"
He grimaces and looks away with a pang of hurt in his chest, but shakes his head.
"No, not that..." he tells her. "It's just, I never got the chance to talk to him: like, really talk to him. We talked about what we've done generally over these last few years, but not much. We both changed a lot ever since the Empire took over."
Hera listens to Cal intently and ponders what he's saying, feeling a bit of empathy.
"I do know that you and Ezra both meant a lot to him though," Cal continues.
"And you as well," Hera points out in response.
He quietly nods his head in acknowledgement.
"Yes," he agrees.
She smiles sadly at him in understanding.
"Once this is all over, I'd be happy to tell you more about him," she promises.
"Thank you," he says gratefully in response.
They continue on through the Ghost and soon reach the middle of the ship, where a ladder led up to one of the turrets. Both of them could hear Ezra's voice coming from up there, and upon hearing what he was saying they refrained from calling him down and instead listened.
"...I'm afraid, not for me, but for my friends," Ezra was saying. "They've fought so hard and given so much and helped me to understand why you stood up to the Empire and made the sacrifices you did. I wish you could meet them, my new family."
Hera smiles softly, touched by his words.
"I guess, in some way, you will be with us today, when we finish what you started," Ezra adds. "I want you to know everything I've done and will do began with you."
Cal's thoughts fall back on his friendship with Kanan while listening to Ezra, and he feels a gentle form of comfort at the idea that Kanan was also still with him in some way, much like how Ezra was feeling about his parents. It only serves as a stronger fuel for him to help Kanan's family to free Lothal, if for nothing else than to honor the memory of his fallen friend.
"Ezra?" Hera calls up, startling the Jedi Padawan. "They're bringing her up."
Arihnda Pryce reluctantly marches forward with an intense scowl on her face, glaring angrily at the two men escorting her with disgust. Ryder gripped her right arm tightly, maintaining a stern gaze on her with his face contorted into a thin frown, but she could see the amusement and smug satisfaction in his eyes, and she sneers at him with contempt. Kallus, on the other hand, wasn't looking at her with any noticeable glee or mockery and was instead regarding her as nothing more than an enemy. It is infuriating to no end for her at how willingly he supports the rebels, and she hated him all the more for it.
"You disgust me, traitor," she snarls, but he merely smiles in response.
"The day I betrayed your Empire, Governor, was the day I finally stopped betraying myself," he declares proudly.
She rolls her eyes with a sneer.
"You've given up years of service, a promising career, prestige, for what?" she asks mockingly. "To join a band of failures who don't stand a chance?"
"I think we do," a voice chimes in.
Pryce looks forward to see Ezra, Hera, and Cal walking out of the Ghost.
"Especially with your help," Ezra continues.
Amused by the remark Pryce chuckles in response.
"I will never help you," she jeers.
"Uh, yes, you will. It will be your last act as Governor of Lothal!" Ezra says cheerfully, before narrowing his eyes at her. "You're finally gonna do the right thing and help free your homeworld."
"I will do no such thing," she says with a dismissive turn of her head.
"Okay, if that's your choice," he shrugs carelessly.
He gives a quick whistle and gestures to her with his head before walking off, while Ryder and Kallus both step away from her. Pryce frowns, confused, but whirls around in terror as a deep growl reaches her ears. The white and black loth-wolves were stalking toward her with their lips curled and teeth bared, snarling viciously. Mara was leaning against the nearby rock and watching as the wolves moved past her with a bright grin on her face.
Terrified, Pryce quickly backs away from the wolves as they approach but trips up on her feet, falling to the ground. The wolves bark at her, snapping their jaws inches from her head as she desperately tries to scramble away from them, hyperventilating in fear. Mara steps away from the wall and over to Cal while Pryce stops in front of Ezra's shoes, watching thoughtfully as Ezra restates his demand to the Imperial Governor.
"You know, he's really changed from being a street-rat," she remarks, and Cal glances at her. "He went from cocky and childish, to cocky and sarcastic."
"And how about you," he questions.
"My Dad says I have a mouth," Mara shrugs, glancing at him. "Is that accurate?"
"From what I've seen so far?" he says in reply. "Yes."
They refocus their attention on the scene in front of them once Pryce fearfully gives in to Ezra's demand.
"Fine! I'll do it! Just call off your dogs!" she exclaims.
Mara rolls her eyes with a quick nod of sarcastic amusement, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Who didn't see that coming?" she mutters.
Cere POV...
The current of the Force is always changing―always different based on where one is, the strength of one's connection to it, and their current state of mind. Right now on Lothal I can sense the energy of the planet coursing through the life all around me, including the loth-wolves as they fade in and out of view. I can barely understand what they are exactly but that only makes me more intrigued by them. Aside from the wolves, however, I can sense something else.
With enough concentration and focus, I can feel Trilla's presence drawing closer and closer every second. The bond I had with her―the standard training bond between a Master and Apprentice―has been dormant ever since she fell to the dark side. Cutting myself off from the Force didn't help either. But recently I've started to feel it resurface, if only slightly, enabling me to feel a hint of her rage and anguish. Her emotions are torn as she both does and doesn't hate me, and can't seem to figure it out either. But she is also afraid.
"Cere?" a voice says.
I fall out of my meditation at the sound of Greez's voice, and from where I'm kneeling I turn my head to acknowledge him.
"We're ready to head out," he informs me.
I look down at the ground with a small sigh, abandoning my thoughts of Trilla for now and nod to Greez in response.
"I'll be out in a moment," I tell him.
Mara POV...
Due to the large number of people in our strike team we split up into three separate gunships to fly to the Imperial Complex in Lothal's capital. The Spectres are in one with Kallus, Ryder, and Pryce, while the second consists of the Mantis crew and bounty hunters. I'm on the third gunship with Numa and the clones―R5 is flying. Rex, Boil, and Kix are decked up in stormtrooper armor, of which there was plenty to choose from, though Kix seems to be struggling with his.
"For the love of..." he mutters, pulling at his armor. "What kind of garbage is this?"
"Ugh, tell me about it," Boil scoffs, rolling his eyes.
"Is it really that bad?" I ask them with a raised eyebrow.
"'Is it that bad?'" Kix repeats incredulously. "You kidding me? This stuff is junk! Our armor is way better than this!"
"Shoddy, useless, junk," Boil says in agreement.
"Oh, nerra, do you want your armor back?" Numa sighs in response.
She teasingly gestures to her left arm, where she's wearing the clone armor that Boil gave her over a year ago.
"Don't be ridiculous," he scoffs, making her giggle.
"Well, it's not like it would do you any good to just have only the arm," Rex points out. "Besides, it's all part of the trick. Surely you boys are tough enough to handle wearing this junk."
"Says the old man," Kix retorts. "Don't worry captain. I'm still in my prime."
"I have to be honest, I don't know about this plan, Rex," Gregor says cautiously.
"In my experience, when it comes to Jedi... the worse the plan, the better the result," he reassures him.
"I'll say," I nod in agreement. "Thanks for breaking me out of jail."
"Any time kid," Boil says with a grin.
R5 then beeps through my comlink, signaling that we're close. I look out to see the capital city coming into view below us, the dome straight ahead. Our gunship follows the other two onto the landing platform at the top of the dome, where several storage crates are set up and neatly organized, a squad of stormtroopers standing guard. Rex, Boil, and Kix put their helmets on as we land while Gregor, Numa and I get ready to act like captives. The gunships land, and we start to disembark.
We step out with our hands behind our backs to feign having binders on, the others doing the same from their gunships. Ezra, Sabine, and Cal were dressed up as scout troopers, and Kallus as an officer, walking up front with Pryce, while the rest of us were all 'prisoners.'
"Nice and easy, Governor," I hear Kallus murmur to Pryce, holding a blaster behind her back.
A trio of stormtroopers walk out of the doorway to greet us, one of them ranked with a red pauldron.
"We'll take it from here," the captain states.
"They're all yours," Ezra says.
Zeb growls menacingly behind Ezra and takes a step forward, gaining the stormtroopers attention.
"Hey! Look out!" the captain warns.
With a loud roar, Zeb shoves Ezra forward into them and then easily jumps into the air and over their heads before sprinting for the open doorway.
"Stop him!" Ezra cries out.
They turn to fire at Zeb, as do the rest of the troopers on the platform, but the rest of us immediately jump into action ourselves. I whip out my lightsaber while everyone else starts shooting in all directions, the entire platform devolving into chaos. I deflect a few shots sent my way and provide cover for Numa and the clones. Ezra takes out the captain and two stormtroopers before rushing behind cover with Kallus and Pryce. Cal and Cere fire their own blasters while Merrin casts a few magic blasts. The blast doors were starting to close but Zeb jumps into their path and holds them open, allowing Sabine, Rylla, and Ketsu to get through before dropping inside himself.
"Well, so far so good!" I comment.
"Define good!" Kix responds, blasting a stormtrooper.
"Your aim," Boil says.
"Oh, well thank you," he replies.
I swing my lightsaber to block another shot, but the remaining stormtroopers are then quickly taken out by Hera and Greez running out of the gunships, firing their blasters, with R5 and Chopper rolling behind them.
"Go, go, go!" Hera shouts, running past us.
With the landing platform cleared we rush out of our cover and run to the doors as they reopen for us. Seeing Zeb just inside Hondo calls out to him loudly, waving his arm in the air.
"Hey, purple guy! Get in position!" he shouts.
I hold back my laughter at seeing Zeb look so irritated about it.
"Good luck big guy," Boil says as we move past him, clapping him on the shoulder.
"Yeah yeah..." he mutters in response.
While Zeb reluctantly heads back outside the rest of us make our way into the building and down the hall. A pair of stormtroopers pause when we round a corner, startled, but I lunge forward and cut their blasters apart before slamming them both into either wall with a Force push, knocking them out. We keep going, ascending a level and swiftly reach the door to the command center, which is sealed shut.
"R5, you're up!" I tell the astromech.
He beeps in acknowledge and rolls over to the astromech socket as the rest of the group reaches us.
"Can he get us in?" Hera asks me.
R5 responds with a quick insult, prompting Chopper to retort with his own in defense of Hera. I roll my eyes and kick both droids, looking at her with a sigh.
"Yes, he can," I answer.
"Still the same droid," Boil mutters, getting a giggle from Numa.
"Ezra, we are in position," Hondo's voice filters through the comlink.
"Mara?" Ezra asks me.
I look at R5 expectantly and after a second he lets out a cheerful beep.
"He's good," I inform them.
"Hondo, go!" Ezra says into the comlink. "Okay Merrin, your turn."
"Certainly," she replies.
Merrin starts to generate green mystical energy around her as she performs her magick. Moments later I hear the sound of blaster fire from inside, which is the signal we were all waiting for.
"That's our cue," Ezra says.
Merrin vanishes in a flash of green and R5 opens the door, allowing the rest of us to storm in. The scene inside is kind of funny in a way: Melch is outside with his face pressed against the glass, a few scorch marks around him from the officers trying to shoot him, while Merrin is standing at the very front of the room with green mist swirling around her. Merrin's appearance quite clearly shocked and frightened the Imperials, with the lieutenant scrambling away from her. With the Imperials all bewildered and lacking any focus it takes us less than five seconds to round them all up, Ezra slashing his lightsaber through the lieutenant's blaster, and they immediately surrender.
"Rex, lock them in the storage bin," Ezra orders.
"Yes, sir, commander," he responds in acknowledgement.
Rex and the clones work together to do just that while Kallus and Ryder walk inside with Pryce, the latter of which looks around in frustration and fear. I deactivate my lightsaber with a small grin and give R5 and congratulatory smack on his dome, much to his annoyance.
"You're always frightening somebody, it seems," Greez says to Merrin.
"Are you suggesting there's something wrong with that?" she replies with a calm, but dangerous look in her eyes.
Greez merely laughs in response.
"You don't scare me anymore, kid," he says in good humor.
Cal smiles at Merrin, who shrugs her shoulders in response, while Cere subtly shakes her head at Greez in amusement.
"I'm sure you scare her though," Cal comments, gesturing over at Pryce.
The Imperial governor sneers at them with contempt.
"Spoken like a true savage," she scowls angrily, looking around at us. "Your little display of witchcraft can't hope to defeat the might of my forces. It's only a matter of time before you're discovered."
"Defeat them? Hmm, not planning to," Sabine replies dismissively. "But we do want them all in the dome."
"We'll utilize protocol 13," Kallus states, working at one of the terminals.
"What's protocol 13?" Rylla questions.
"It's the Empire's new order," Cere answers. "According to Senator Iblis, it's the immediate recall of all personnel to the base for a full evacuation."
"Well that's convenient," I remark.
"Once they're all inside, we'll launch, and it'll be goodbye to the Empire," Ryder proudly tells Pryce, and she glares at him.
"Spectre-2 to base. We're in, and we've taken the dome," Hera says into her comlink. "Wait for me to signal for pickup."
Resistance camp - Lothal
3rd person POV...
Back at the rebel's base camp, Hayden was inspecting some of the supplies they had in their crates while Vizago and Matt carried a few of them over to the Ghost's cargo bay ramp. Wolffe had his comlink out, listening as Hera gave an update on their progress.
"Acknowledged, Spectre-2. Nice work. We're standing by," he replies, ending the call.
"I forgot to tell you guys, Ezra gave me a special mission," Matt says.
Hayden sets down a portable generator to listen to the conversation.
"What kind of mission exa―" he starts asking.
"Watch out!" Vizago shouts.
Vizago pushes Wolffe and Matt aside as Rukh suddenly lunges forward, tackling the Devaronian to the ground. Hayden takes a few speedy steps backward and reaches for his blaster while Wolffe runs at the Nogri, only to be viciously kicked down.
"Freaky little devil!" Hayden exclaims.
He fires a few shots but Rukh swiftly evades and lunges at him with a roar, kicking the blaster from his hand. Hayden throws out a punch but is easily side-stepped by Rukh, who kicks his feet out from under him. Matt then starts shooting at Rukh with his own blaster only to end up in a similar predicament, and is knocked out by a swift kick to the head. Hayden scrambles to his feet when Rukh refocuses on him, but before he could attack Wolffe grapples him from behind and lifts him off the ground in an attempt to restrain him.
Rukh growls furiously, swinging his feet out wildly to keep Hayden from approaching and then smacks the aging soldier with the back of his head. Wolffe grunts in pain, his grip slackening, and Rukh grabs his arms and throws him over his head. Hayden and Wolffe go sprawling against a heavy crate when the latter is thrown into the former, knocking them unconscious. Narrowing his eyes in contempt Rukh picks up Hayden's blaster and takes aim at Matt.
Before he can pull the trigger a loud bark breaks through the air and Rukh whips his gaze up in alarm. He widens his eyes, practically shaking in terror at the sight of the white loth-wolf charging at him with murderous intent. He backs away from Matt and drops the blaster when the wolf attempts to bite his hand, and scrambles away. The wolf gives chase but Rukh leaps onto a crate and jumps as far as he can while throwing a thermal detonator behind him. The wolf growls at it and leaps away before it explodes, sending him into a sprawled heap.
With the wolf momentarily down Rukh seizes the opportunity to make his escape and scrambles over to the open gunship. He clambers inside and furiously tackles the controls to power up the gunship, looking up at a fierce bark. He widens his eyes in fear when a black loth-wolf charges for him at full speed, and slams a hand down onto the control pad to shut the cockpit. Not a moment later the black loth-wolf rams into it head first, cracking the viewport. Shaken by the impact, Rukh yanks on the throttle to lift the ship into the air and flies away as fast as possible. The two wolves briefly give chase but stop once he's out of reach, growling at the gunship.
Rukh sits uneasily in the cockpit for a few moments, fearing that he might feel a sudden lurch in the gunship from a wolf jumping onto it, but he quickly regathers himself once he's high in the sky, far away from where anything could reach him. Remembering his current objective he sends a message request to Thrawn, which is soon answered rather quickly. The Chiss Grand Admiral observes his agent with a critical eye, and he waste no time in explaining the situation.
"The rebels have captured Pryce. I have no doubts they've used her codes to infiltrate the Imperial headquarters," Rukh informs him. "To what purpose, I do not know."
Thrawn ponders the news for a quick second and frowns.
"I expected Governor Pryce to fail, but not so completely," he remarks with contempt, and Rukh almost scoffs in amusement. "You must get inside and deactivate the shield generator before the rebels lock down the Imperial Dome."
"And then?" Rukh questions.
"Then, wait. I'm already en route," Thrawn says.
"Very well," he nods in reply. "I must warn you, Grand Admiral, that there are several more Jedi in their midst, Mara Jade included, though Jarik Shan does not seem to be among them."
Thrawn frowns, thinking for a moment before acknowledging him with a nod.
"Thank you, Rukh. I shall take that under advisement," he replies.
Chimaera, Hyperspace - Lothal sector
After ending the transmission with Rukh, Thrawn turns around and walks down the center walkway of the bridge, pondering the news he's just received. He dismisses any further notion of amnesty for Governor Pryce, with her most recent blunder in being captured making her more of a liability now than anything. He has a strong belief that the rebels will attempt to utilize Protocol 13 and then fly the Imperial Dome out of the city, and perhaps even cause it to self-destruct.
But what really has his attention most of all is the presence of Mara Jade.
Her being there is a very bold, almost reckless, move, one that Thrawn did not expect. Based on Rukh's report, her father is not with her, but she is still fully aware that she agreed to not interfere with his operations. However, he also recognizes that she can very well argue his absence, and the Defender being compromised, as an excuse that she is not breaking their agreement. A fair argument, but he does not care for it at the moment. While he would've preferred it to be Jarik Shan, having Mara Jade there gives him a great opportunity.
"If Jade is there, then Shan isn't far behind," the Second Sister hisses, her voice deepened and more robotic due to her mask.
Thrawn suppresses a sigh, knowing she was already on the bridge, and turns to acknowledge her.
"I agree, Inquisitor. However, we can never be too sure about our enemy's intentions," he points out.
"What else would he possibly be doing?" she asks skeptically.
"Perhaps we might find our answer with young Mara," he suggests. "She may be able to shed some useful information to us."
The Second Sister shakes her head in disagreement.
"That is not my mission, Grand Admiral," she states firmly. "The Jedi must all perish with no exceptions. Particularly Shan and his daughter."
"Maybe so. But the Emperor has requested that I bring Bridger to him. And if that holds true, then why not Jade as well?" he reasons.
"Her potential as an asset has expired!" she argues in frustration.
"I do no seek to impede you on your quest, Second Sister. Her fate will inevitably be yours to decide," Thrawn calmly reassures her. "All I ask is that I get the chance to interrogate her before that time comes. Surely there is no danger in keeping her imprisoned for just a few minutes?"
The Inquisitor approaches Thrawn with slow steps until she's only a few feet away, gazing at him coldly. Thrawn firmly stands his ground, refusing to let her intimidate him.
"Tread carefully, Thrawn. Should it be necessary, I will not hesitate to do what my Master commands," she says with a soft voice.
He understood the threat clearly: if he does something she doesn't like, then the Emperor has granted her permission to confront him then and there.
"I do not doubt that you will," he acknowledges, displaying his full understanding of her intent.
Imperial Complex, Capital City - Lothal
Mara POV...
While waiting for everyone to get the Imperial Dome ready for launch Ezra, Sabine, and Cal took off their scout trooper disguises and dressed back up in their normal outfits. I haven't had much to do in the meantime and have instead just wandered aimlessly around the command center to where I am now, leaning against a terminal that R5 is working on. It's not that I lack knowledge in how to work some of these computers―I'd be a lousy daughter for Jarik if I didn't know how―it's just the others are simply more suited for it, and I don't have to do anything.
Regardless, with nothing really to do at the moment I can't help but notice that Cere seems to be a bit distracted by something. I don't know her that well, but from what I do know it feels like her focus is a little bit elsewhere, and if nothing else she isn't comforted by it. It's weird, but I decide to ignore it. If Cal, Merrin, and Greez aren't saying anything than I imagine she's probably fine, since they would know her a lot better than I do.
"Ezra, we're ready," Sabine calls out.
He nods and heads up front to where Kallus is standing.
"Kallus, you're up," he says.
"Attention, all personnel. Protocol 13 is now in effect," he declares, his voice broadcasting across the Imperial communications network. "Report to your action stations immediately. Repeat. Protocol 13 is in effect."
"Hangar 2-7 to command. Please confirm lockdown order," a voice replies.
"Command center to all units. The order is confirmed," Kallus states firmly.
"This is highly irregular," the officer says cautiously. "Please repeat sector authorization."
I raise an eyebrow at hearing the officer's skepticism, slightly baffled by it. Apparently not every common grunt is as willing to believe anything without question.
"Ryder, get ready," Ezra says.
"Oh, this'll be good," I murmur.
"Repeat. The order is confirmed," Kallus says once more.
"This is ISB Colonel Yularen," Ryder says into the comlink, impersonating the Colonel. "I am executing override code Base Gamma Zero."
R5 swivels his dome around at Ryder's response.
::WHAT?! He sounds nothing like him!:: he beeps incredulously.
"Shut up," I mutter, kicking him lightly.
Nearby, Rex and Kix both share a skeptical look with each other.
"Imperial security?" the officer questions in surprise. "I was unaware ISB was involved."
"That is the point of this exercise," Ryder responds.
"Then, uh, this is a drill?" he asks hesitantly.
"Is it? And do you always question the orders of a superior officer?" he firmly retorts, though just as nervous.
I make a face at the response and Boil rubs his forward: everyone else is extremely tense. Thankfully, however, the officer seems to buy it, though I feel like part of it is just a result of fearing punishment should he disobey. The officer coughs nervously before responding.
"Proceeding with protocol 13 immediately!" he reports.
I let out a sigh I didn't realize I was holding.
"Thank the Force," I mutter.
"Sounds like they bought it, Colonel," Ezra congratulates with a smile. "Nice work."
"Hmph. Try doing that in the war..." Boil murmurs sarcastically.
"I would love to see that," Numa replies with a grin.
3rd person POV...
The wind whistles by, causing his light-brown cape to flutter in the breeze. He has only one intention for being here and, fortunately, his planning and patience has paid off.
He gazes at the VCX-350 light freighter in front of him, known because of who owns it.
Mara POV...
It took a few minutes for the Empire to get al of their forces into the Dome, after which we put it on lock down. Despite all their flaws, I can't help but admire the Empire's efficiency and coordination.
"All units have returned to their duty stations, and the dome is now secure," Kallus reports.
Ezra nods in acknowledgement.
"Hera, start the launch cycle. Sabine, set the self-destruct," he orders.
"We do have a way off this thing before, it explodes... right?" Hondo asks warily.
"Of course we do, Hondo," I tell him.
"Mara's right," Hera says in agreement. "The Ghost will come in to pick us up once we're done."
"And if not, I can probably manage our escape," Merrin adds.
"Probably?!" Hondo exclaims incredulously.
"Relax," Rylla sighs, shaking her head.
We all ignore him and Hera, Greez, and Kallus get to work on bringing the dome's thrusters online.
"Dang. These thrusters are gonna take a while to get working," Greez remarks.
"Why?" Cere asks.
"They haven't been fired in years, so they'll need to charge up first," Hera explains.
While they were talking, however, a shadow starts to drift over the dome. Confused, I look up and widen my eyes in alarm at the sight of a Star Destroyer hovering right overhead―I notice vaguely that Cere, Ezra, and Rylla had spotted the problem too, and I gasp in fear when I make out the unique markings on the ship's hull: it's the Chimaera.
"Uh... guys?" I say meekly. "We've got a problem."
Pryce also looks up at the sky with a smirk.
"You're too late," she declares triumphantly.
The rest of the group all look up to see the same thing and Hera, Greez, and Kallus stop working the controls. Thrawn's cruiser is the only one in the sky though, as there are two more flanking his as well.
"It's Thrawn," Kallus says grimly.
"Shutting down the launch cycle," Hera states.
"What? Why?" Cal asks in surprise.
"We can't just sit here!" Ketsu adds incredulously.
"Thrawn is holding position directly overhead. If we launch the dome, we'll crash into his ship and destroy the entire city!" Hera explains in frustration.
"And us with it," Rylla adds grimly.
"Karabast. We're trapped," Zeb growls.
"Chopper, put me through," Ezra says, moving forward, and the astromech beeps in acknowledgement.
"Uh, what're you doing?" I ask cautiously.
"I'm gonna get him to back off," he declares confidently, but also with fierce determination.
I look at him uneasily and move to say something, but before I can a hologram of Thrawn appears on the terminal and I reluctantly keep quiet, taking a step back to make sure that he can't see me. It doesn't seem like he's seen me, thankfully, and he's instead focused on Ezra with a calm, thoughtful gaze.
"Governor Pryce is our prisoner, and we have complete control of the Imperial Dome, with every trooper, pilot, and officer trapped inside," Ezra informs him. "You failed, Thrawn. Leave Lothal, and we might let your troops out before we blow the dome to pieces."
I cross my arms nervously at Ezra's declaration, dreading Thrawn's response. There's just no way that Thrawn of all people will back down so easily. I swallow the lump in my throat at the unimpressed look he gives Ezra.
"Are you quite finished?" he asks, his tone slightly mocking, much to Ezra's surprise. "If you truly wish to save Lothal, Commander Bridger, the only term I'll accept is the immediate and unconditional surrender of you and Mara Jade."
I let out a gasp and look at Thrawn with wide eyes, feeling myself trembling a little bit. He knows I'm here. Hesitantly, I move over next to Ezra.
"What do you want?" I ask anxiously.
"What I want has nothing to do with this," he replies, leveling me with a cold gaze. "Unfortunately for you, young Jedi, you may very well be on the verge of losing what you hold most dear."
I stare back at him with wide eyes, unable to look away as a crumbling sense of despair overwhelms me.
He's going to expose Ahch-To.
I'm such an idiot! I should've known better than to get involved in action against Lothal just because Thrawn wasn't here at the time, especially not by myself! Now that Thrawn's here, I've ruined any chance of keeping Ahch-To safe from the Empire.
Ezra glares defiantly at Thrawn, but I can't share his bravado. I guiltily avert my eyes while he responds.
"How could we possibly lose now, Thrawn?" Ezra challenges with a smug grin. "We hold your entire army prisoner. If anything, you're the one that should be surrendering when we have all the cards.
"Oh I disagree, Commander Bridger," Thrawn coolly replies, smiling at him. "All you've accomplished is moving my assets to a safe position... so that I can bombard the civilians of your home without incurring Imperial casualties."
Ezra's grin falls in a second, replaced with a look of shock. The rest of us have similar expressions of horror and realization.
The dread settling in my stomach only feels worse.
"Rex, raise the planetary shields!" Sabine exclaims.
"The generators just went offline," Rex replies in alarm.
"What? How!?" Numa disbelievingly asks.
Sabine furiously tries to figure out the problem, and the monitor in front of her beeps loudly.
"Someone's engaged the manual override at the power terminals!" she reveals.
"Your shield generator is under my control," Thrawn declares, and I look back at him. "Just so that you understand that my intentions are genuine, I shall demonstrate my power."
He then turns his head towards someone out of the hologram's view.
"Open fire," he orders.
The Chimaera starts to unleash a hail of green turbolaser bolts that strike down on top of the city. Displayed on the monitors in front of us, we can see live footage of the damage being done to the city. I bring a hand to my mouth and stifle a horrified gasp as entire buildings are demolished by a single laser each, while a sea of people runs through the streets in a futile attempt to escape the destruction.
All of a sudden I'm not seeing Lothal being destroyed before my eyes, rather its the village of Berk.
A Star Destroyer hovers in orbit with a masked figure, shrouded in darkness, standing on the bridge. Instead of modernized buildings being brought down, dozens of wooden houses are literally wiped from existence. Vikings and dragons alike don't have a chance of survival as they're vaporized by the bombardment... all until there's nothing left.
I can't take it anymore.
"Stop it, Thrawn! Please! I'll surrender!" I shout pleadingly, filled with fear. "Just... please stop..."
Thrawn regards me with a raised eyebrow and then nods at an officer, and the bombardment stops. I look down at the floor with a aching pain in my heart, struggling to hold myself together. I vaguely notice Ezra glance at me, slightly caught off guard by my outburst, but still feeling the same desperation that I am.
"Thank you, Mara. I await your arrival," Thrawn says, giving us both a stern look. "And make no mistake, come alone. Just the two of you. If either one of you attempts any heroics, I will resume the bombardment and destroy your city... and then your friends."
I look up at him helplessly and his gaze lingers on me for a moment before he ends the transmission. Furiously wiping a tear off my face I turn around and storm my way over to the exit, handing my lightsaber to R5 on the way. Ezra does the same, giving his to Chopper.
"Ezra, Mara, wait!" Hera calls out, following after us. "I understand that you think you need to do this, but―"
"But nothing, ok?" I interrupt bitterly. "I have to go."
"She's right, Hera," Ezra adds sadly. "I can't speak for Mara, but... I have to do this."
"Don't say that," Rylla says. "Mara, stop."
I ignore her and keep going for the door, but Rylla steps in front of me, grabbing my arm.
"Let go, Rylla," I growl at her.
"Not until you stop," she retorts. "Neither of you are thinking straight."
"Oh really?" I scoff at her and try to pull my arm away. "You don't get it."
"Yes we do," Hera says, pleading. "There's another way! There's always another way."
"Not for me!" I snap.
"Why not?" Rylla demands.
"Because Thrawn knows where I LIVE!" I scream angrily, wrenching my arm out of Rylla's grasp.
"What?" Ezra pauses in his steps, surprised.
I stand frozen in place for a few seconds, breathing heavily and feeling all my misery welling up.
"He found the planet my Dad and I have been hiding on..." I reveal with a quiet voice, crossing my arms anxiously. "...where the Vikings live."
I refrain from looking up to see everyone's shocked and worried faces.
"He knows that?" Rylla asks softly, appalled.
I nod my head.
"How'd he figure that out?" Ezra asks.
"I don't know!" I scoff helplessly, shutting my eyes. "But he warned us to never get in his way, or else he'd reveal our location to the Emperor. That's why I have to go."
"That may be... but Mara..." Rylla says gently, putting her hands on my shoulders. "You shouldn't put this burden on yourself. Like Hera's said, there's always another way. Don't give up hope."
I glance up at her eyes, seeing her kindness, reassurance, and compassion―behind her warmth, I can also see the inner fire, full of determination and refusal to let me go. I feel comfortable in her presence, almost as if she's my Mom in a way, but as much as I want to agree with her... I just can't. Not with everything that's at stake now.
I glance over at Ezra, and he's looking at me with a surprising amount of empathy: he knows exactly how I'm feeling. The people of Lothal are on the verge of being destroyed, people that he loves and cherishes more than anything. Likewise, I'm holding the people of Berk very dear to my heart, and every single member of their tribe sees my family and I as one of their own... I can't risk the chance of them being destroyed for my sake, and Ezra can't risk his people's safety for the same reason. He tilts his head just barely, but it's a gesture of acknowledgement, and I return it.
We know what we have to do.
"Okay," I sigh in defeat, and Rylla smiles at me.
"If this isn't the way then what is?" Ezra asks skeptically.
"Let's see what we have to work with," Hera replies.
She, Rylla, and the others head over to the holotable in the center of the room. Ezra and I exchange a look with each other, silently agreeing that we're still going to surrender to Thrawn, and slowly move in the direction of the holotable ourselves.
"Charge up the dome's cannon. We'll blow him out of the sky," Zeb suggests.
"Easy there big guy," Boil replies. "Our turbolasers aren't a match for that Star Destroyer."
"Even if we do 'blow him out of the sky,' we don't want him to crash down onto the city," Kallus adds in disapproval.
Ezra nudges me and points upward, and I look up at the ceiling to see a ventilation shaft right above us.
"Any possibilities with magic?" Kix asks Merrin.
"Aside from teleporting there, I can't do much with a Star Destroyer," Merrin shakes her head.
"The only answer is to find a way to get the shield up," Hera says.
Feeling eyes on me I glance over to see Cere by the corner of the room a few feet from Sabine, staring at me. I tense up slightly, but relax at the surprising sense of understand I can feel from her. She seems sad, but also accepting of my and Ezra's choice.
"Hera, over here," Sabine then starts to say.
She and Cere move over to a monitor away from us, and Ezra looks at me.
"You ready?" he asks.
"No," I admit. "But it's got to happen."
He nods in agreement and silently jumps up to the vent, pulling his way through. I look around at the assembled group in the room, people I've come to see as friends, even family in the case of some, all focused on planning. I catch sight of R5, seeing him gazing at me. Even though he's a droid, particularly one that lacks a face, I can still see the sadness in him. I give him a small, sad smile, and then make my way into the ventilation shaft myself, closing it behind me.
Our trip through the air vents is short, but quiet, the weight of our decision pressing heavily onto my shoulders. Once I step foot onto Thrawn's ship there's a very likely chance that I'll never get to see my family again. It hurts, but if it means keeping everyone on Ahch-To safe, if even for a little longer, then it's worth it.
Soon enough Ezra and I drop out of the ventilation shaft and in front of the entrance to the landing platform, where one of the gunships is sitting directly in front of us. We run over to it and Ezra gets inside the cockpit while I board the passenger section, gripping one of the handles tightly while we start lifting off into the air. The closer we get to the Chimaera, the more more I feel a pit of dread in my stomach. I try not to look back, as I know I'll start to seriously freak out and try stopping us from going if I do. And as short as the flight up to the ship actually is, it feels more like an eternity.
I take a deep breath and shove my feelings and emotions behind a hard mask while Ezra lands in the Chimaera's hangar, after which I step off of the ship and he gets out of the cockpit. I falter momentarily when a squad of purge troopers rushes forward to meet us, electrostaffs buzzing. I don't make any threatening moves, but apparently they don't care because one trooper hits the back of my knee with his rifle. I cry out in surprise and pain and fall to my knees, Ezra doing the same, and another trooper forcefully restrains my arms behind me with a pair of binders.
"Ok! Quit it you freaks!" I scowl, unable to help myself.
"Feisty, feisty Mara... annoying as ever," a familiar female voice says.
The purge troopers step aside to allow the Second Sister to walk forward and I look at her with wide eyes. She stops in front of me and then crouches down to one knee. I muster my courage and glare into her red visor, refusing to let her intimidate me.
"You've caused me quite a bit of grief, little one," she says gently.
I grit my teeth in pain when she forcefully grabs my chin, her nails pinching me.
"I can't wait to finally return the favor," she sneers.
"Back off!" Ezra snaps. "We're surrendering the Thrawn, not you."
"Oh of course you are, young Jedi," Second Sister retorts. "And once he's satisfied, you'll be turned over to me!"
"You better hope that doesn't happen," I growl, narrowing my eyes at her. "Last time didn't go so well for you."
"Right... what would you ever be without your daddy?" she hisses with contempt.
She releases my chin with a swift, but painful shove, and I let out a grunt when one of her nails scratches my face.
"Take the boy to Thrawn's office," she orders her troopers. "He'll visit her in a cell once he's done."
The purge troopers yank us up from our positions on the ground and start dragging us along after the Second Sister. I share an uneasy look with Ezra, nervous about what will happen to us. He's trying to maintain a fearless facade, but I can tell he's just as uncertain as I am.
3rd person POV...
She frowns when recognizing the dark presence of her fallen apprentice, sensing her sadistic glee shining for a few moments from on the Chimaera. The current of the Force shifts slightly, and Cere opens her eyes with a plan in mind.
"Merrin, Cal, I need to talk to you about something..."
Ezra POV...
Mara and I were split up by the purge troopers and shoved me along in the direction of Thrawn's office while the Second Sister dragged Mara to the detention level. I protested, worried about what that witch would do to her, but there wasn't much either of us could do. I resort to glaring at the troopers restraining me instead, and when we reach Thrawn's office they shove me inside. I throw them another frustrated glare but look forward when they exit the room, seeing Thrawn sitting being his desk.
"What are you going to do to Mara?" I demand before he can talk.
He pauses, raising an eyebrow at me.
"Why, talk to her of course," he replies calmly. "If you are concerned about the Inquisitor, I assure you she will not cause any harm without my approval."
"And how about her planet?" I retort, not buying the excuse. "You gonna give them up to your masters?"
Thrawn narrows his eyes at me, and I notice a faint glimmer of surprise.
"So you know too? Intriguing," he remarks thoughtfully. "However, I would advise you to keep your mouth shut over things you don't understand."
"Oh, I understand just fine," I angrily scoff, approaching his desk. "If you expose them, then you'll be very sorry."
"Which is why it was a wise decision for you to surrender," he replies with a smile.
"We didn't have much choice," I shoot back.
"Oh, nonsense. You could have chosen to let your people die," he suggests with a small shrug, getting to his feet. "However, you chose to be a Jedi. Predictable. You follow a long history written by the Jedi, where they choose what they believe to be morally correct, instead of what is strategically sound."
"And yet, the Jedi have survived," I point out.
"Hmm, the Jedi once numbered in the thousands," he hums in disagreement, walking around his desk. "What's left are a scattered, frightened lot, mostly beaten and in hiding, or poorly trained children, like yourself."
"Huh. Guess your intelligence must be lacking then if you think that's true," I say mockingly.
"Ah, yes, of course... Jarik Shan," he pauses, nodding his head in acknowledgement. "A symbol of resistance to many, and a reminder of what once was."
I furrow my brow at his tone. It almost sounds like he's speaking highly of him...? Seriously?
"Truthfully, I find him to be a most admirable and respectable warrior, as he represents what a Jedi should be," he continues to say. "Courageous, and willing to take action no matter the cost."
"If you think so highly of him, then why do you want him dead?" I demand.
"An interesting question, Commander Bridger. The answer to that may yet surprise you," he rebuffs me, and then picks up a Jedi Temple guard mask, studying it. "I must admit, the mysteries of the Force are an enigma to me. But for all those abilities, all the power, the Jedi lacked the vision for how to wield it. They would've been wise to follow the example of Revan during the days of the Old Republic. Jarik Shan, I am pleased, follows in his footsteps."
I shake my head and glare at him in frustration. Only a few years ago I had the same line of thought, but I'd since learn that is not even close to the truth. Kanan, Jarik, Ahsoka, even Mara, have all in some way helped me to understand different.
"You couldn't be more wrong. Jarik doesn't follow Revan's path, and he wouldn't want to!" I argue fiercely. "The Force isn't a weapon, but you'll never understand that."
"Oh, I don't have to," he says in dismissal, putting the mask down. "It was not my intention to utterly destroy Lothal, but that is inevitable now."
I gape at him in astonishment before mustering an intense glare. I surrendered to him, just like he asked, and yet he was going to destroy Lothal either way?!
"Why? What reason could you possibly have for this?" I exclaim angrily, storming up to him. "If you believe so strongly on choosing strategy, then what's the purpose of destroying a planet?"
"Surely you are aware of what the future has in store for us," he says coolly, gazing at me with a stern gaze. "You encountered those beasts on Atollon, did you not?"
I take a step back, surprised that he knows about that. Then I remember that he's been focused on those 'Hive' things for a while now, according to Jarik. And just by thinking about them I'm reminded of the darkness they brought... that terrible presence of pure evil.
Thrawn seems to notice the look on my face and slowly nods his head.
"Now you understand," he says. "If the galaxy is to be prepared for what is to come, then it is imperative that order is maintained."
I watch him move over to a mural of Sabine's artwork, all the while appalled by his reasoning.
"These are a few of the artifacts I've gathered from your homeworld. I saved what I could," he tells me, gesturing to the art. "I have even taken some of Sabine Wren's work. She's quite talented. Or was quite talented."
He turns around to look at me with a sorrowful expression, his tone full of sympathy, but I glare back at him with simmering anger. He doesn't feel sorrow. He's mocking me.
"You think you can take whatever you want, things you didn't make, didn't earn, things you don't even understand!" I exclaim, marching up to him with a fierce glare. "If you think the best defense is to rule a galaxy through fear, then you don't deserve to be a leader."
"Who deserves what is irrelevant. What matters is who has power!" he declares fiercely, making a fist for emphasis. "But that is something the Jedi won't teach you, so I'll take you to someone who will."
I narrow my eyes at him suspiciously.
Thrawn led me down from his office a large chamber, and I widen my eyes at what's inside. The chamber is big, empty, and dark with relatively dim lighting, but set up in the middle is a section of the Lothal Jedi Temple―the doorway that we noticed was missing earlier!
Standing in front of the doorway is a hologram of an old man with white hair, dressed in elegant robes colored a brilliant white. A feeling of dread sinks its way into my mind.
"My Emperor. I have brought you Ezra Bridger," Thrawn says.
I stare at the hologram in astonishment and a little bit of fear as he turns around in response to Thrawn. He looks to be in his late seventies, maybe early eighties, with a light skin tone, hooked nose, and twinkling blue eyes. The Emperor, in all his majesty, meets my gaze with a kind and gentle smile.
"My dear boy, I've so wanted to meet you, and here you are at last," he greets pleasantly.
I don't answer, too caught up in disbelief to respond. I can recognize the features of his face quite clearly, but at the same time he just looks too... nice. He looks so friendly, kind, gentle, with a bit of grandfatherly wisdom shining out from his eyes. Even his voice sounds different, yet at the same time it's the same too! I... I can't believe it's the same guy, there's just no way! How?!
The Emperor doesn't seem offended by my lack of response and glances at Thrawn with a firm gaze, though there isn't any malice behind it.
"That will be all, Grand Admiral," he says.
Thrawn nods his head to him respectfully before turning around. I watch him walk away with some bewilderment, but the Emperor addresses me once more.
"I apologize for not being there in person, but governing the galaxy takes up much of my time," he says with a small, easy-going laugh.
The humility and gentle demeanor he's exuded is so convincing I might've believed it regardless of what Jarik revealed in his message exposing him. Seeing him now, like this, I finally understand just how he managed to hide from the Jedi Council for so long. There's just no way a man like this could possibly be the most evil, twisted being in the galaxy.
Unfortunately for him, however, I've already seen his true persona for myself. I can't let him beat me like this.
"You think your friendly disguise can fool me, but I know what you are," I declare fiercely. "And who you are, Darth Sidious."
He sighs in response, looking at me with a saddened gaze.
"You misjudge me, child. Whatever nonsense you have been told by Jarik Shan I can assure you that it is not the case," he replies, shaking his head. "But I cannot blame you for falling for his lies, as he is very good at telling them. Before you, Ezra, stands the opportunity to learn the truth."
I grimace at his response, still unable to get over how genuine Palpatine seems. No way am I going to fall for it!
"The only thing I see is a part of the Jedi Temple, which you stole from Lothal!" I point out with a glare.
"I had this portion of the Temple moved here stone by stone for you. Forgive me, but I would have thought you would thank me for this effort!" he says incredulously.
He's nothing but a snake!
"Thank you?" I repeat, scoffing in anger. "Thank you for destroying the Temple? For imprisoning my people? For killing my parents?!"
"My dear boy, it's you who chose to destroy the Temple," he gently rebukes me. "The actions of your Rebel friends―Shan, in particular―require a firm hand to ensure that there is order on Lothal, and around the galaxy."
He frowns a bit deeper when saying Jarik's name, and a faint glimmer of his malice breaks through his mask. Before I can focus on it, however, it's gone as if it was never there, and he continues to address me with a kind, optimistic tone.
"As for your parents, allow me to offer what might have been, and what yet may be," he tells me.
I narrow my eyes at him in uncertainty.
Mara POV...
The Second Sister threw me into my cell with a fierce shove, making me stumble to the floor in a painful heap. She then left with the promise that she would kill me in the most painful way possible when she returned.
Typical bad guy stuff, great.
Eventually the door opens and I tense up in preparation for her arrival, but I relax slightly in some surprise when Thrawn is the one to enter. He calmly steps inside with his arms behind his back, shutting the door behind him. I sit up on my bench and watch him anxiously, ready to burst out with my pleas for Ahch-To's safety. He doesn't waste any time before talking, thankfully.
"I've found myself rather surprised by you being here young Mara," he starts off, giving me a stern look. "As I recall, you, Shan, and your droid, agreed to stay away from my operations."
"You haven't been on Lothal and your little 'project' was destroyed, by your own Governor, no less!" I shoot back at him. "Therefore, I never broke our agreement."
"Until now, one might argue," he retorts, and he cuts me off before I can respond. "Regardless, the details of our shared agreement is not why I am speaking to you."
I pause for a second, surprised.
"Tell me, where is your father?" he questions, and I narrow my eyes at him.
"I'm not telling you that," I respond.
"A shame," he sighs in apparent disappointment, and I raise an eyebrow at him. "I was hoping to speak to him, but I suppose you can deliver my request to him yourself."
I hesitate before responding, thinking over what he just said. Thrawn wants to talk to him... in person? What does he want to tell him that he can't just call him? I shake my head with a scowl, however, and look away with a glare. If he doesn't want to talk about guaranteeing Ahch-To's safety, then I have nothing to say to him.
"If you think I'm doing something for you, then you can forget it," I say coldly.
"Given the gravity of my situation, I'm afraid I can't," he shakes his head. "In a few moments, the capital city will faced orbital bombardment. Ezra Bridger will fulfill the Emperor's desires. And this 'resistance' you have formed for Lothal will be destroyed."
"Don't be so sure!" I snap at him.
"Please be aware that it is nothing personal. Your idealism and determination has warranted my respect, despite your naivety," he replies calmly, and I glower at him. "However, as the Rebellion grows, the galaxy becomes more unstable and therefore vulnerable. If we are to survive the coming conflict, then there must be order. I would've preferred to avoid this, but the actions your friends have taken are what led to Lothal's destruction."
Does he even want me to help him? I'm surprised at how poor of a job he's doing with all this talk about destroying Lothal and the rebels.
"You better get to the point before I lose my mind," I growl in frustration.
Thrawn regards me with a stern, albeit cautious, look before continuing.
"My success here will enable me to maintain my stature in the Empire, which is something I need," he explains coolly. "But in the event that I should fail... I will have lost the Emperor's faith."
I withhold a retort, confused.
"His faith?" I ask him.
"The Emperor doubts my loyalty," he states simply.
I let out a scoff and shake my head in amusement. Thrawn is going behind the Emperor's back by forming this 'alliance' with me and my Dad, and he's concerned about the Emperor getting suspicious? Who'd have thought of that happening?
"Can't imagine why," I deadpan.
"Despite what you may think, Mara Jade, I have no desire to disrupt the Empire's reign," he tells me, and I roll my eyes. "But I'm afraid he may not see it that way, and if he discovers our shared arrangement, then all that I have worked for will be destroyed, as will I. Should that happen, then I will require your assistance."
I focus on him, trying to get a read of his intentions. Annoyingly, his mask is too good to see through, especially without access to the Force thanks to my binders.
"My assistance?" I ask cautiously.
"You and Shan," he states. "You will help me to evade the Emperor's grasp, and then you will take me to the Chiss Ascendancy."
I raise an eyebrow, surprised. So if I'm getting this right, if things go wrong for Thrawn then he wants me and Dad to help him escape from the Empire? Seriously?
"Let me think about that," I say, putting on a show of looking at the ceiling in thought. "Uhh... no!"
Thrawn regards me with a frown and then shrugs his shoulders carelessly in response.
"Then you will no longer have any secrets to protect," he says calmly.
I look up at him in alarm and fear, immediately reminded of that fact. I grit my teeth in frustration at the realization that he still has a lot of leverage over me and Dad no matter what his current predicament might be.
Taking note of my bitter acknowledgement of this he smiles in satisfaction.
"Now..." he says slowly, holding his hand out to me.
I look down at his hand and gasp in shock―sitting in his palm is my lightsaber! My purple-bladed lightsaber!
"Are we in agreement, Mara Jade?" he asks.