6 The Lurking Shadow
Hanna City - Chandrila
The Chancellor of the New Republic, Mon Mothma, was concerned, deeply concerned.
The peace that they had enjoyed was being threatened, choked by an invisible hand. They had thought the Empire had gone down with the Death Star and the defeat of Emperor Palpatine at the hands of Luke Skywalker. But, now with the ominous tidings rising out of the dark recesses of the galaxy - were they wrong? Was the Empire truly destroyed? Or had they merely gone into hiding?
Over the past month, she had received multiple messages from the Outer Rim territories that were not only alarming but terrifying.
Hushed whispers of an Imperial presence emerging from the dark corners of the galaxy.
Sightings of Imperial star destroyers, massive ships that hadn't been seen in almost five years.
And, clones.
Not the old clones, like the ones that had fought alongside the Jedi during the Clone Wars. No, these clones were new. And the worst part was that no one knew where they came from. Where they had been engineered.
And, possibly even more disturbing was the possibility that there was a mole in their midst. It seemed as if someone was feeding information to this new Imperial presence - information that could only have come from someone in her inner circle. There had to be. How else would this lurking shadow always seem to be one step ahead of them? Fleeing right before their forces arrived?
Lately, it seemed that Mon did not know who to trust.
She thought of the Solos and Skywalker, and let out a small sigh of relief. At least she knew she could always count on Leia, Han, Chewie, and Luke.
She paced before the holoprojector that took up the middle of the circular room. Her aides stood nervously by, wanting to help but unsure of what advice to offer. She glanced worriedly at the flashing light that announced an incoming transmission. "Patch it through."
Alexsandr Kallus' image flickered into view, brightening the darkened room. "Chancellor, I have news."
She nodded for him to continue.
"Ezra Bridger has been found. He is recovering aboard the Ghost, which is currently en route to Lothal."
"That is great news, Kallus. Tell me, was the boy… Well, I suppose he's no longer a boy, is he now? Was he greatly injured?"
Kallus' holoimage flickered, flooding the room with blue light. "No, your Excellency, luckily he was not harmed during his ordeal. His health is better than we anticipated. He has displayed some signs of malnutrition and dehydration, both common after being held in stasis for such a long time, but is responding well to treatment."
"And, what of Thrawn? Were you successful in his apprehension?" Mothma asked, hoping for news of Thrawn's capture.
"Negative, your Excellency," Kallus frowned slightly. "We were able to locate Bridger at an ancient Chiss facility on Hoth called Zero Station. It was abandoned when we arrived, save for a few squads of assassin HK units and Bridger, who was being held in stasis. Thrawn was nowhere to be found, nor any record of his current whereabouts. The communications systems had all been wiped clean before we arrived."
Mothma's pacing ceased before Kallus' flickering image. "What about young Bridger? Did he have any information regarding what Thrawn has been up to?"
Kallus nodded. "Bridger's intel regarding Thrawn is worrisome, at best."
Mothma inhaled sharply. Were her worst fears about to come to life, she wondered as she listened to Kallus' report. Had Thrawn returned and was now in control of a large Imperial force? She forced herself to focus on the present and not get caught up in the 'what ifs.'
"...It seems that Thrawn had this planned all along, your Excellency. Bridger informed us that Thrawn surmised that the Rebellion would win and he has been moving pieces into place to take control of the scattered Imperial presence that has been hiding in the Outer Rim."
It was as she feared. She breathed in heavily as she concentrated on keeping her calm outward appearance. "Very good, Kallus. You have done well. Return with General Syndulla and her team at once. We will need all of you on Chandrila, I fear."
"What of Bridger, your Excellency? He is wanting to return to his home on Lothal."
Mothma frowned. "Given his circumstances that is understandable. A few days at most, Kallus, but given the dire nature of our situation - I need you all back here as soon as possible."
Kallus nodded as his image flickered out.
Her fingers flew over the control panel as she entered in a series of digits and then waited as the connection was made and General Leia Organa Solo's image flickered to life before her. "General, I know you have requested additional time off to be with your family, but unfortunately I must request your immediate return."
"What is it, Mon? What happened?" Leia asked, her features were schooled and controlled but Mon knew better. She had seen the sharpness in Leia's eyes, eyes that she had known since the woman was just a baby. Eyes that looked so much like her mother's, her biological mother. Again the nagging feeling rose within her to tell Leia the truth. That she had been one of her mother's closest friends and confidants, but she squashed it down. No, now was not the time for that conversation. Soon perhaps, but not right now. A moment of guilt flared inside of her. It seemed it was never the right time to have that conversation. She just hoped that when it came to light, that Leia would not judge her harshly.
She pushed the feelings aside. "It's Grand Admiral Thrawn. He has returned. I need you to contact Skywalker at once."
#
Ezra Dreams…
Thrawn stood loosely in parade rest, his hands clasped behind his back, as he stared out over the green craggy terrain. An older gray-haired man and a gray-skinned humanoid carrying a large crate approached him cautiously.
"Ah, Pellaeon. I heard you had survived the battle above Lothal. It is good that you have returned. I feared that you were lost, or worse, destroyed by the Purrgil." Thrawn's voice was silky smooth and even, giving no hint of his innermost thoughts or feelings. He turned, frowning at the gray-skinned humanoid. "And, who do we have here?"
Thrawn's eyes narrowed at the Noghri who stood silently at Pellaeon's side.
"This is Karukh, Rukh's son. He searched me out trying to find his father's remains." Pellaeon tugged his white uniform into place as he waited under Thrawn's intense red gaze.
Thrawn shifted his gaze to the Noghri in question. His crimson eyes narrowed as he studied the familiar features. "I see. And, what is this that you have brought me?"
He dropped his suspicious gaze to the large crate the Noghri held carefully.
Pellaeon cleared his throat. "Ahem. It is the specimen you had asked for before you and Bridger disappeared. I managed to safeguard it all the years awaiting your return."
One thin black eyebrow arched itself at the crate. Could it be? "You may open it, and bring it forth."
Pellaeon motioned for Karukh to set the crate down gently and open it. Karukh reached in and carefully pulled out a large creature with golden leather-like skin that was sparsely covered with small thin white hairs.
Thrawn took the proffered creature and cradled it gently in his arms before letting it crawl its way up to curl around his neck. "A ysalamiri. Excellent, Captain."
Karukh bowed before stalking off. Thrawn and Pellaeon watched the Noghri leave silently before Pellaeon gave the creature a curious glance. "What is so special about these creatures, sir, that you sent us to retrieve one so long ago?"
Thrawn scratched the ysalamir behind its ear. "They are magnificent creatures from the planet Myrkr, born with the natural ability to repel the Force."
"So, they negate the Force? Is that even possible? The Jedi always preached that the Force surrounded everyone and everything."
Thrawn chuckled. "No, it is not. The creatures do not negate the Force, rather they create a bubble around themselves that neutralizes the effects of the Force. They evolved this curious trait as a protective response after being hunted by Force-sensitive vornskrs, apex predators that used the Force as a means of hunting."
Pellaeon waited, still not fully seeing why Thrawn wanted such a beast.
Thrawn smiled grimly. "They are an ingenious way to neutralize a Jedi."
#
The Ghost
Ezra shot straight up in his bunk, narrowly missing hitting the top of his head on the ceiling above, Thrawn's voice still ringing in his ears. An ingenious way to neutralize a Jedi.
Sweating, he wiped his brow as he threw his long legs over the side of the bunk. He lowered himself down carefully, not wanting to wake the sleeping boy who occupied the bottom bunk.
His old bunk.
He sighed as he grabbed his tunic and slipped it on over his head. He tip-toed quietly out of the room and made his way to the galley.
It was in the middle of the sleeping cycle and everyone was still tucked into their bunks, and he had no desire to wake them. He still felt a little out of sorts around everyone, especially Sabine.
He made a cup of caffa and sat sipping the warm dark brew as he mulled the dream over in his mind.
Was it just a dream? Or was the Force giving him some insight into what Thrawn was holding up his sleeve?
The animal was curious.
Ezra certainly had never heard of one of those before. He wondered if perhaps Ahsoka had ever encountered one in her travels. Mentally, he made a note to ask her about it later when the sleep cycle had ended.
Hearing sounds coming from the cargo hold, he rose to investigate.
#
Sabine couldn't sleep. She breathed heavily, wiping the sweat from her brow as she leaning against the wall, taking a much-needed break from practicing her forms. Working through the forms always had helped her work through her troubled thoughts in the past, but tonight it seemed that nothing was helping. Her feelings were a jumbled mess and she was clueless on how to sort them out.
Ezra.
She frowned. Granted, she was happy he was here. Happy that they finally found him and the wait was finally over. However, she didn't know how to act around him anymore. Didn't know how to be around him anymore.
Ten years was a long time and they had both changed. He was reserved and withdrawn from his ordeal at the hands of Thrawn, and she - well, if she was honest with herself, she was angry. So very angry at him for leaving her behind.
How could he do that to her? They were friends!
"Grr," she ground out as she kicked an imaginary foe, then resumed her pacing.
At one point, she thought perhaps they might be more than friends, but then everything went crazy and there never seemed to be enough time to explore how they felt for one another.
"Sabine?"
She whirled around at the soft sound of her name to find him staring down at her with a cup of caffa held in loosely his large hands.
Another reminder of how much he'd changed.
He was taller than her now...much taller. She had to crane her head back just to look up at him. "What are you doing up at this hour? You should be resting."
He looked uneasy like he was searching for the right thing to say. She wanted to yell at him to 'just spit it out already!' when he spoke.
"I just wanted to say thank you," he murmured. "I knew I could count on you."
She looked away, guilt riding high that she almost yelled at him while he was feeling just as unsure as she was. "You don't have to thank me...that's what friends are for."
"Is that what we are? I kind of thought we were a bit more than just...friends."
Yeah, before...maybe...she thought, her anger trying to get the best of her. She swallowed hard as she tried to control her temper. "That was before, Ezra...before you left..."
"I did what I had to do to keep you safe."
All the waiting, all the years of not unknowing crashed into her. Heart racing madly, she pursed her lips together as she scowled at him. "You could have told me. You should have told me what you had planned, instead of…making me guess and puzzle it out!"
Ezra leaned against the wall of the hold, nestling his cup against his chest. "You would have tried to stop me. I did what I had to do for the best of everyone."
"How can you be so calm?" She leaned closer to him, glaring at him through razor-sharp eyes. "You're damn right I would have tried to stop you! Ezra, the fate of the galaxy didn't have to rest on your shoulders!"
"Sabine, I wasn't worried about the rest of the galaxy. Just a handful of people in it." He turned slowly on his heel and walked off.
She glared at his retreating back as he left her standing alone with her fists curled tightly along her sides.
Hera pulled her robe around herself as Ezra walked by. She stepped aside to let him pass. The look she gave Sabine was filled with reproach. "Don't you think you're being a bit hard on him?" Her voice was heavy with sleep, having been awoken by the sounds of their arguing.
"No." She retorted angrily but then softened. "Yes. Hera, I…"
Hera yawned sleepily, then sighed as she laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Sabine, you both just need time."
Sabine felt her shoulders relax. Hera was right. She was being too hard on both him and herself. "You're right. I'll…"
Hera wrapped her arm around Sabine's slim shoulders. "You need sleep. I need sleep. This will all be there come morning cycle. Get some rest."
#
Tython
Luke Skywalker sat in quiet meditation on a grassy mound. Nearby, his padawan practiced his forms with Mara, another Jedi Knight.
He breathed in slowly, feeling the Force eddy around him. Flowing through him and all the living beings, plants, and animals alike. The living Force was strong in this place. He felt it was right to bring his new padawan here to begin his lessons.
Having eighteen-year-old Mara Jade Kenobi, the daughter of his former teacher and mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi, here was the icing on the cake - as the old saying goes. He was lucky that she had sought him out after the war's end, even if it was at her mother's bidding.
Together, they were working to rebuild the Jedi order and, they already had their first student, his padawan, Grogu.
The circle is complete, he remembered thinking as he picked up the tiny green force-user on the bridge of the lightweight cruiser. A member of his species taught me how to use the Force, and now I am to pass on what I have learned to him. Yoda had lived for nearly nine hundred years. Grogu is the future of the Jedi. It is my task to teach him and prepare him for his journey, wherever that might take him.
He felt a slight tremor through the Force. Leia.
Through the Force, he could see her and she looked troubled. What is it, Leia? Is something wrong?
'Yes,' she said, her voice was loud and clear through the Force. 'You need to return to Chandrila at once.'
What has happened?
'The Empire has returned. Thrawn has returned.'
Luke's eyes shot open. Across the grassy field, his padawan turned his small green head in his direction. Mara paused, her arms frozen in the blocking maneuver of the Soresu form III.
"What is it, Luke?" she asked softly, as she lowered her arms. Beside her, Grogu cooed softly as he toddled over to Luke.
"The Empire," he said. "We leave at once."
#
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Feel free to check out my Obi-Wan Kenobi story, The Exile, for Mara Jade's backstory (if you haven't already read it)
May the Force be with you! Cheers, Nia :)