Chapter 1: New Resources
January 6.
Being back home and finally embracing his family again had no price for Ezra. The young Knight and his sister had introduced Luke to the rest of the group, but it was Rex who welcomed the young man with the deepest respect. It didn't take long for the old clone to reveal that he served with Luke's father and with Obi-Wan during the Clone Wars, and the boy was interested in listening everything about them, which wasn't a problem given that he was set to sleep into the house shared by Wolffe and Rex, which had a few extra bunk beds.
This had posed the urgent matter to the siblings about telling the truth about Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader to Luke, since they didn't have had much time after the battle of Yavin. They wanted to explain it to both Luke and Leia, but since the latter was on her mission to gather the remaining Alderaanians scattered across the galaxy, this couldn't be done.
Now it was late afternoon. That morning, Jaral had left the tower to reach Camp Garibaldi with Jordan, where she was to meet with the General Staff of both the Federation and the Rebel Alliance and assess the current status of the war. Ezra had followed her to the city only to visit Hera and learn that she was expected to give birth in a week or so.
Now, he and Luke were meditating in an open space that was still in sight of the tower's complex, while everyone else was out attending to their duties.
Keeping his eyes closed, Ezra was connecting to the impressive presence of the Force in his homeworld, finding a peace of mind that was rare even for him.
At the same time, though, he could easily perceive that Luke seemed kinda lost. He was definitely making progress in his ability to communicate with the Force, but his heart was still gripped with doubts and fears.
"What's wrong?" Ezra finally asked with a calm tone, the same that Kanan so patiently used with him innumerable times.
Luke made a faint sigh. "It's just...I'm not sure what it is. Since I left Tatooine so much has changed…" he mumbled.
"You feel overwhelmed." Ezra understood.
"I guess...how did you feel when you found out you could be a Jedi?" Luke asked.
Luke opened his eyes and gazed at the endless prairie as he lost himself in remembrance.
"True, I wasn't exactly calm, but I had an objective at the time. I wanted to learn to use my powers to protect my sister, then the crew of the Ghost...eventually all the people who needed me. I think that having a clear direction in mind is a good starting point."
"So I should find a purpose in order to advance in my training?"
Ezra shook his head slightly. "I'm just telling you my experience, Luke, but everyone must find his own way. Sure, commitment is a great help to one's focus, but you must find your own method."
Luke seemed a bit confused by that statement. "Guess I'll try."
"Do, or do not." Ezra quickly replied, maintaining his tone. "There's no try."
Luke raised an eyebrow. "How can I do something if I don't try that first?"
Remembering that he used pretty much those same words with Kanan, Ezra couldn't hold back a chuckle and a bit of nostalgia in his eyes. But differently from his Master at the time, he knew how to answer to that question.
"If you 'try', a part of you is implicitly giving up already. The path of the Jedi requires you to clear your mind and simply do what is required.
"Take me, for example. I might fail and I know it, but I'm still doing my best to teach you what I know."
Luke nodded. It was difficult to say if he believed those words completely, but his aura now expressed a bit more confidence. He closed his eyes again and resumed meditating. Then he slowly raised a hand, keeping his eyes still closed. Ezra could feel that the Force was suddenly shifting around him.
Specifically it was flowing to one specific point on Ezra's right. The Knight quickly realized that Luke was slowly lifting a rock the size of a medium-sized animal. Differently from before, Luke's presence into the Force was much more focused and apparently with a clearer idea of where it was heading.
The Knight opened his eyes and looked in that direction. Luke had managed to lift it more or less a meter high, and was keeping it in balance, his face a clear picture of effortless concentration.
Ezra looked satisfied as Luke took a breather and then put the rock back down.
"Excellent." he complimented. "So, how did you find some balance?" he calmly asked.
Luke's face was a bit grim as he answered. "I thought about what happened last week. I mean...I saw so many people die. Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen. Obi-Wan...I want to learn how to protect those around me." he declared with a certain resolve.
Ezra made a slow nod. "Good. That's very important, for as a Jedi must always put others in front of his own needs."
Luke seemed satisfied as well that he made some progress in the right direction.
The sun was now starting to disappear on the horizon, so Ezra decided they had better go back home. He stood up and Luke quickly followed.
As they marched down the hill, Ezra commented. "You know, had we found you a bit earlier, I could've showed you the Jedi temple here on Lothal."
Luke barred his eyes. "There was a temple here?"
"Yes, until the Empire literally carved it out of the ground and destroyed it." then, after thinking for a second, Ezra realized something. "Well...technically...I destroyed it."
"What?" Luke asked in confusion.
"It's a long story. Let's discuss it after dinner, ok?"
As they finally reached the complex again, they were met by the arrival of Mira aboard her speeder. Ezra approached to greet her and Mira climbed out of the vehicle to hug her son.
"Had a good day, Mom?" Ezra asked gently as they finished hugging.
Mira sighed exhausted. "Can't actually say that. Today a transport full of wounded soldiers has arrived. When I left, we still weren't done with the triage."
That suddenly reminded Ezra that there was a war going on out there.
"Damn. Where did it come from?"
"From Jabiim. I heard the Empire is attacking all along the front. I'm afraid that was just the beginning."
"We'll hear what Jari has to say, later."
Mira then shifted her attention to Luke and talked with a friendly tone. "So, Luke, how's my son treating you?"
Luke chuckled. "Honestly, he's too patient with me. And I'm grateful for it."
"Patient?" Mira faked a surprised voice, then turned toward her son. "Who are you? What have you done with my Ezra?"
The Knight smirked and shook his head. "Very funny, Mom." he simply said, then the sound of an engine in the distance had him turned around.
This time it was a skycar, a model of the Milky Way, coming toward the complex. The three watched as the vehicle quickly approached and landed in the car park. The fuselage then opened, revealing Darvos and Jaral, coming back from their meeting with the Coalition Command.
Which had Ezra immediately realize something.
"Hey, where's Dad?" he asked.
"The situation has changed, and he decided he and his crew were needed at the front." Jaral calmly explained.
Ezra was preoccupied. "What's going on?"
Jaral seemed to hesitate and she looked at Darvos, who gave the news. "The Intelligence has been listening to imperial chatter and we got confirmation: Iulius has been named Warlord of the Mid Rim by the Emperor."
Ezra understood. "So the attack on Jabiim was his?"
"Partially." Jaral replied. "We believe he is simply sending forward a few fleets to harass us while he reorganizes his larger forces."
Mira turned toward Darvos and Luke. "Hey boys, would you like to help me making dinner, while our generals discuss?"
"Sure." Luke said eagerly, grateful that he could simply make himself useful to the people that had welcomed him so openly.
Darvos didn't object as well, so they all headed out toward the kitchen.
"How's Luke going?" Jaral asked.
"He's eager to learn and he does it quickly, despite me not being much qualified as a teacher."
"Don't be absurd. If you weren't qualified, he wouldn't learn so quickly." she reassured him. "Besides, the sooner he learns, the more our chances to win this war increase."
Ezra sighed. "You sure you want to put this burden on him? We're asking him to defeat the Sith."
"We'll be there with him. And perhaps we'll have Ahsoka as well."
Ezra's attention raise. "Did Nimbus find her?"
"Not yet, but she has sent me a message assuring that she found some fresh trail. It shouldn't be too long before she makes contact."
"I hope so. We need all the help possible. That said, what did you decide at the meeting?"
"Not much, actually. The Rebel Alliance is divided over how we should exploit the destruction of the Death Star. General Iblis insists that we go on the offensive and strike at the Mid Rim to prevent Iulius before he becomes too strong. Personally, I think that if we rush blindly, we simply do his game."
"You're not taking any chances, uh?"
"Iulius has turned the tide of the war in barely a month. So no, I believe we should wait for him to do the first move and respond accordingly."
"What does the Army say?"
"General Moot has declared that the Army will not move without my specific orders. The Militia, as you know, responds to many chiefs. I can only hope that they don't do anything stupid."
"I'm sure you'll sort this out. Like you always did." Ezra encouraged her in the end.
It might've been a cheesy line, but Jaral appreciated it nonetheless, when it came from her brother. She gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder and they headed to help with dinner as well, as they waited for the rest of the family to show up.
"Come in."
The door of the office slid open, letting Lieutenant-Commander Ree enter. The young woman walked in front of the desk and clacked her heel.
"Report, we have an unknown vessel asking permission to land on the Admonitor, sir."
"Did they send valid codes?" Iulius calmly asked.
"Yes, sir."
That was all he needed to hear.
"Very well." he then touched a button on his desk that sent the permission to the flight controller to let the vessel land.
At the same time, Iulius quickly read the data that appeared under the hologram of the incoming ship.
"Rogue Shadow." he huffed. "Really, who comes up with the names for the Sith?" then he turned toward Ciena again. "Anything else?"
"Yes, sir. The Dark Troopers you requested will arrive in around two hours."
"Marvelous. Thanks, Lieutenant-Commander. Now allow me to give you some good news." he added with a faint smirk.
Ciena retained her composure but surely looked confused.
"I found out that your friend, Lieutenant Kyrell, is alive and well."
The woman's eyes widened. "Wha...Seriously?"
"He was with the search team that was sent to Dantooine and didn't have time to rejoin the Death Star before it left for Yavin."
After a moment of silence, the officer in front of him could not hold back a sigh of relief.
"It's...wonderful...thanks, sir." she said with a relieved tone.
"And he's also coming here." Iulius added, honestly finding the reactions of the young woman entertaining.
Now Ciena's eyes almost popped out. "Sir?"
"Kyrell is an outstanding pilot, and we needed to replace the losses we suffered on Lianna. I had him and some of his comrades reassigned to the Admonitor, their shuttle should be here by the next rotation."
"I...I think it's a good thing...sir." she bumbled. "Thane...I mean...Lieutenant Kyrell will surely serve you well."
Iulius made a faint smile at her, then waved a hand gently. "Dismissed."
The Lieutenant-Commander made the salute with much more enthusiasm, then turned around and left.
"Didn't think you liked to see a girl squeal." Qathora joked from behind his shoulder.
"Don't ever say that again." he replied with a mildly annoyed voice. "Come on, let's go greet our new asset." and he stood up.
"Now that's just mean." she quipped.
He ignored the last comment and the two headed toward the main hangar, arriving just in time to witness the landing of the Rogue Shadow. He couldn't recognize the model, but it seemed a heavily modified transport, with a hyperdrive and some heavy laser cannons for protection. Perhaps they were trying to turn it into a gunship.
He stood in an orderly fashion as the ramp descended while the ship unloaded the vapor accumulated during the flight.
Then, from the ramp descended a figure clad in a black cape and a light armor on the chest.
The man walked in front of Iulius. Inside the faint shadow that the hood projected onto his face, the Grand Admiral could spot two crimson irises staring at him. Though they were a bit creepy, after seeing the Emperor and Vader, Iulius wasn't that much impressed.
Then the man removed his hood, showing the face of a young person, probably around the same age as Iulius, but his face was incredibly inexpressive, as if his emotions had been eradicated from him.
Despite that, Iulius could feel that the man was acting: beneath that apparently indifferent expression, there was something very much murky and difficult to decipher.
"Starkiller, I suppose?" he patiently asked.
The man focused his gaze on him. "I am."
"Do you know who I am?"
The man made a slow nod. "Grand Admiral Tanis. Lord Vader has commanded me to obey your orders."
"Good. So let me clarify…"
"Hey, you could have waited for me, you know." the voice of a young woman aimed at Starkiller interrupted him.
Iulius turned his head and he was left speechless.
That voice was that of a female Navy officer. She was wearing a black uniform, except that the zip was only halfway and the shirt beneath was clearly visible.
Something that really got on Iulius' nerves, but he kept his composure. Luckily, the woman noticed that she was now in front of a Grand Admiral and thus made the salute.
"Ten-hut!"
"At ease...and put your uniform in order, Captain." Iulius replied after taking a look at her rank plaque.
"Yes, sir." she mumbled as if that was only an annoyance, but at least she pulled her zip all the way up.
"You are his pilot?" he then asked.
"Yes, sir. Captain Eclipse." she dutifully reported. "We also have a droid on the ship, but he won't leave it unless Mr. Happiness over here orders it."
Starkiller gave her a pissed gaze while Iulius was trying to figure out what was going on. Working for a Sith didn't exactly look like a relaxing job, so how could that Captain be so carefree?
"Anyway…" he resumed toward Starkiller. "As I was saying...you are the personal Agent of Vader and the Emperor. If they ask you to go anywhere, fine, but until then you are part of my operation and of my fleet. Do your job, and everyone here will watch your back. Jeopardize the lives of my soldiers without my consent and I will kick you back all the way to Coruscant. Is that clear?"
Starkiller hummed. "Guess you aren't a Grand Admiral just for show…" he commented, making Iulius raise an eyebrow slightly. "I understand. I will do as you wish."
Satisfied, Iulius made a small nod. "Welcome to the One-O-First. The Admonitor is going to be your home for as long as you will be attached to my forces, so feel free to explore." he then pointed his thumb toward the Togruta standing a step behind him.
"This is Qathora. She is my right arm, so if you need anything you may ask her, when I'm not available."
"Aye aye, sir." Eclipse replied. The dark-sider simply made a nod.
"Very well. I look forward working with you. Dismissed." the Grand Admiral concluded before turning around and heading toward the bridge.
He couldn't help but notice all the new faces aboard his ship. The destruction of the Death Star and the consequent loss of so many officers had forced the High Command to go on a promotion spree. Ree was just an example, being promoted to substitute Krybos, who had instead been promoted to Captain and sent to another fleet to command his own ship.
He was only one of the many Iulius was forced to transfer, while taking in dozens of cadets fresh out of the academies to go fight against a battle-hardened enemy.
He had to keep that factor in mind once the battle against the Coalition would resume.
As he entered the bridge and passed in front of the holotable, Ciena stood up to report something.
"Sir, a message just came through from the messenger you sent to the Maw installation. Admiral Daala wishes to speak with you to confirm the truthfulness of the message."
"Understood, I'll receive the transmission in the comm room."
"Yes, Grand Admiral."
Iulius headed into the room and after it became darker to allow a better visual of the holograms, the figure of a woman with quite long, red hair and a braid going down on her right shoulder appeared. She was probably a few years older than Iulius.
"Admiral Daala reporting." she said calmly, then made a salute when she saw Iulius' rank plaque. "Am I talking with Grand Admiral Tanis?"
"You are. Greetings, Admiral." he replied with a neutral voice, then let the woman make the question.
"I received your messenger. Sir, is it true? Grand Moff Tarkin is...dead?"
"Affirmative. Him and three million people that were working on the Death Star. As Warlord of the Mid Rim appointed by the Emperor himself, your facility has come under my jurisdiction, Admiral."
The Admiral looked him up and down as if to evaluate him.
"Very well, Grand Admiral. What are your orders?"
"I've read the files of your installation and one of your projects caught my eye. Project 93. What's its status?"
"We have three prototypes that had been tested and are ready for deployment, sir."
"Good. I want you to send them to my fleet. In the meantime, your installation is too close to the front, I need you to relocate to another system, where the rebels or the Federation won't be able to reach you." Iulius tapped the coordinates for Carunoia to her terminal.
Daala looked at it and shook her head in surprise. "In Wild Space!?"
"Exactly. The path to reach the planet changes every month because of gravitational anomalies and the population is strongly loyal to the Empire, Admiral. And you'll have an industry to work faster on your projects. Particularly, there is one that I would like to commission to you."
The woman nodded. "Understood. I'll make arrangements right away."
"Thanks, Admiral. Long live the Empire."
"Long live the Empire." Daala replied with probably more emphasis than Iulius, which he considered genuine enough before turning away, letting the operator in the room close the transmission.
He went back to the bridge, taking a look outside of the viewport before heading for the Galaxy Map and starting his analysis of the strategic situation he found himself in.
January 9.
The Constantinople flew past the fleets battling in the orbit of Pasmin and neared the atmosphere.
Jordan prepared his marines for deployment. Even the vehicles were going to be deployed. They were heading for the outskirts of a big outpost that had fallen into imperial hands and the allied forces on the ground were trying to retake it, with little success.
It was necessary to retake that outpost, as it hosted a communication array that coordinated all the UACT fleets in the sector and gathered intel on the Empire, plus, Pasmin sat on an important hyperspace nexus that could open the Empire a way toward Mon Calamari and Lothal. It had to be held at all costs. Especially since at the meeting on Lothal, the Empress had announced that the Taus had just won their border war and the Ethereals had promised to send most of their fleet to Andromeda.
Until the reinforcements arrived, the Constantinople would have to help plugging holes in critical sectors and try to hit the Empire where it was weaker.
And right now, there was a pretty big hole to plug.
When the Constantinople was into the atmosphere of the planet, the hangar opened and the dropships slipped outside while the frigate regained altitude.
Jordan walked into the cockpit, where the two pilots, Hidalgo and Trepis, where bringing the shuttle toward the battle zone.
"Do we know what forces we have on the ground?" he asked.
"A joint battalion, sir." Trepis answered with his echoing voice. "The survivors have regrouped and have managed to reach the gate of the base, but the imperials have already dug in."
"See if you can contact them. In the meantime…" he put a finger on his helmet's side. "Rut, have you found a landing zone for the vehicles?"
"Affirmative. 800 meters South-West of your position, we're moving to disembark." the salarian replied.
"Copy that." he closed the channel. "You got them?"
"Yes, Captain. The commanding officer is Lieutenant Querny of the Rebel Army." Hidalgo reported.
"Patch him in."
After a few seconds, the voice of the other officer came in. "This is Lieutenant Querny of the 132nd Garrison Force."
"Lieutenant, this is Captain Jordan Bridger of the Constantinople. What's your status?"
"We're taking heavy casualties, Captain. We were trying to retake the outpost but the imps have pinned us down with heavy turrets."
"Just keep your heads down, I'm coming in with the artillery."
"Please, hurry!"
"Captain, I see the landing zone, it's really hot." Hidalgo reported.
"Just drop us and get out of here, Lieutenants." Jordan replied before going back into the cargo hold and took out his Mantis rifle from his back. "As soon as we drop, find yourself some cover. We will wait until Mau'kur arrives with the heavies."
The soldiers all stood up and loaded their weapons. On the dropship there was also Gutierrez, while Thabo and Michalina were on the other shuttle. The Marines had specialists for many roles, meaning that they were bringing down two machine-gunners, some grenade launchers and snipers.
Jordan positioned himself on the edge of the hold, ready to be the first to jump down. The door finally opened and the sound of blasters immediately filled the air.
A few dozens meters from the landing zone into the rocky surface, he spotted the allied forces. There were multiple bodies on the ground, while the survivors were taking cover behind some rocks and keeping their heads down. However, a platoon of imperial army troopers was advancing toward them with the clear intention of finishing them off.
The shuttles both lowered enough to let the troopers dismount and Jordan immediately jumped.
"Get a move on, people!" he ordered as he started to jog toward the battle. While the Marines and the Legionnaires followed him in just a couple seconds, Jordan took a moment to stop, aim his weapon and quickly place a bullet in the head of an imperial soldier, who dropped dead on the ground and attracted the attention of his comrades.
Using the momentum to take a look with his scope, Jordan noticed that they were facing mostly Army troopers, with only a small squad of stormtroopers manning a sandbag position in front of the main gate, though it was safe to assume that others would be inside the structure.
After assessing that, Jordan opened the lock of his rifle and let it cool down quickly.
"Karg, lead the way. We need to put them on the defensive."
The Krogan eagerly yelled from behind his helmet and ran forward, inspiring the others to do the same and the Marines reached the line of fire.
Jordan spotted Lieutenant Querny and ran behind the cover he was taking.
"When I asked for reinforcements I wasn't expecting a Bridger." the officer said with a relieved tone. "We need to get back there, but those turrets are tearing us apart."
Indeed, the fixed cannons were firing their heavy bolts and had already knocked out three of the Marines.
"Leave it to me." Jordan calmly said and he peeked out of the cover.
Quickly taking aim, Jordan aimed at the turret held by the stormtroopers and quickly took out the gunner with a clean shot. His comrades quickly spotted him, though, and fired in his direction, forcing him to duck again.
Despite that, the allied managed to hold firm for a few minutes, with Jordan and the snipers keeping the turrets at bay until Mau'kur arrived at the head of the armored convoy. The Elcor himself fired with the mortar installed on the back of his armor and wiped out one of the sandbag barricades.
With the arrival of the M-57 tank, the Atlas mech and the Mako of the Constantinople, the imperials suddenly had less firepower than their enemies. The machines quickly destroyed the fixed cannons for good and the imperials started to retreat inside the walls of the base. The gate was actually closing a small gorge between two rocky walls of a canyon, so the allied couldn't bring the vehicles in, but that mattered little, because they had a Krogan and four Legionnaires.
Jordan folded his sniper rifle and took out an Avenger assault rifle. "Push the attack!" he ordered into the comlink and the allies followed him as he sprinted toward the gate, daring the fire of the imperials.
A brutal fight followed. Inside the delimited spaces of the bases, the imperials used choke-points and other advantages to try and slow down their enemy, and while more allies fell on the ground, the superior skills of the Legionnaires made the battle overall pretty one-sided.
It was at that point that Jordan noticed that the imperials were cornering themselves into the main command building, instead of withdrawing toward the communication array, which would allow them to flee into another canal of the canyon.
"Gutierrez, you finish them off. Thabo, Micha, with me." he ordered before dashing toward the antenna.
Surpassing a group of corpses, the Legionnaires quickly spotted it, and they also found out four Death Troopers guarding a woman who was meddling with the computer of the array.
"Hold on…" Jordan mumbled, thinking that he had already seen that girl, but the Death Troopers opened fire and he was forced to look for cover, just like his comrades.
One of the Death Troopers even took out a rocket launcher and fired on them, forcing the Legionnaires to roll away and fire back while they tried to stay mobile. Their shields were taken down once or twice, but Thabo managed to use his powers to lift the rocket trooper in the air and making him an easy target for Michalina and Jordan, who quickly took him out.
However, the woman seemed to have finished whatever she was doing with the computer and started to run.
Set on not allowing that to happen, Jordan charged forward, throwing a frag grenade in the heat of the moment that forced the Death Troopers to scramble before it exploded. Using the dust lifted by the grenade, Jordan charged through it and quickly smashed into one of the troopers with his shoulder. Both of them fell down, though Jordan actually planned it so he simply knelt down. He activated the omni-blade on his right arm and quickly stabbed the soldier in the neck.
Another one took out a stun baton and quickly attacked Jordan from behind. The sharp senses of the Legionnaire allowed him to put his left forearm to intercept the baton, also using the omni-tool to create a small shield and deflect the attack.
Using the momentum of the hit, Jordan rolled away from the trooper and then ducked to dodge another swing. His rifle had fallen when he was killing the previous trooper, so he used his omni-tool to throw a stun shot that made the black-armored soldier stumble backward. Jordan quickly grabbed his rifle again and fired multiple shots at the chest of the man in front, making him drop dead a couple of seconds later.
A series of red bolts hit him in the shoulder and made his shield barrier light up. The last trooper was firing with an EE-3 carbine that shot bursts of 3 bolts per time. As Jordan aimed his rifle at the foe, Michalina suddenly arrived and blasted the man with her shotgun, killing him on the spot.
Jordan immediately turned around only to see that the woman with a yellow cape had just boarded a TIE Reaper that he had barely heard in the heat of the fight. The ramp was already closing and the ship was turning away quickly.
"Blimey!" exclaimed Jordan before trying to call the fleet in orbit. "Spirit to Navy. I need air support, come in."
But no answer came.
"The Imperials are jamming transmissions between us and the orbit, Jordan. We can't stop her." Jinx reported.
True, the Constantinople was still grounded and would never catch that Reaper in time.
Jordan had no choice left but grumble and try to salvage the situation as much as he could.
"Thabo, try to understand what she was looking for." he said while he went to inspect the bodies of the Death Troopers.
"Yes, boss." Thabo replied.
Meanwhile, the sounds of blasters in the distance was dying down.
"Are you certain?"
"I am." Mara replied from the holo-projector. "The Coalition seems divided over what to do, but it's certain that the Mandalorians and more autonomous rebel cells are preparing to launch attacks all over the Mid Rim."
Iulius turned toward the hologram. "Good job, Agent Jade. Return to the fleet."
"Yes, Grand Admiral." the woman said respectfully before disappearing.
Iulius left the room and returned to the holo-table.
"Something good happened...sir?" Ciena asked out of curiosity. It was only then that Iulius realized that he was making a faint smirk.
"Definitely, Lieutenant-Commander." but he didn't want to disclose everything, at that moment. "By the way, have Lieutenant Kyrell and his wingmen returned?"
Ciena nodded. "Yes, sir. I already summoned him here, as you asked."
Right at that moment, one of the turbolifters opened and the young Lieutenant came out of it, wearing his pilot suit and holding his helmet under the left arm. Thane walked at a due distance and made the salute.
"Lieutenant Kyrell reporting for duty, Grand Admiral."
"At ease. So, what's your opinion on the TIE Phantom?"
"It's a miracle of engineering, sir." the young man replied with a bit of excitement. "Well, it might not be well armed enough for a heated fight, but the cloaking system and the hyperdrive work just perfectly. We can scout an enemy system without them noticing."
Iulius made a nod. "Excellent news, Lieutenant. Go take a rest, because you and your men will have to prove that statement in the next days."
Thane clacked his heel. "Yes, sir."
After he and Ciena exchanged a fleeting smile, the Lieutenant turned around and went away.
Iulius looked at his now Second-In-Command with a knowing smirk, making her blush with embarrassment and return to work immediately. The Grand Admiral simply went back to the galaxy map and started to ponder on the news given by Mara.