Chapter 3: Gathering Storm
Married. Both Ezra and Sabine found difficult to realize it, but they finally did it. Their destinies were inextricably bound for the rest of their lives and nothing was gonna break such a bond. As it was told them, they first spent a few minutes by turning the biggest cabin there was on the Gauntlet into their own. Sabine wasted no time in making a small graffito of her and Ezra. A simple design, just for starter.
Ezra decided then that the two of them waiting on Mandalore just made little sense, so he decided that they were going to leave before the Constantinople, so they could take also their place back at the main rebel base.
After getting permission from Jaral, she gave them the access codes and the coordinates for the base: Yavin IV.
Ezra lifted the ship and brought it in orbit. With Jinx disturbing the imperial scanners, it was easy to slip past the blockade and then jump into hyperspace.
Checking the maps, the AI calculated that it would take around five hours to reach the moon, so Ezra gave him complete control over the ship while he and his new wife decided to spend those hours enjoying the perks of marriage in their new shared cabin.
This was a new beginning in every sense of the word. True, they had lost a lot on Atollon, especially people they knew and were friendly with, but that was the past. While the losses had to be remembered, it was also important to enjoy what they had still left: each other, first, but also their family around them.
Finally it came the time to dress up and get back into the cockpit as the Gauntlet left hyperspace in front of the gas giant of Yavin with its red color.
"All right, we're coming up on Yavin IV." said Sabine as she inserted the coordinates to follow.
A few minutes later, they spotted the moon of the planet, which was covered mostly in forests, jungles, but also an ocean. And on the surface, among the ruins of the ancient Massassi civilization, now extinct, stood the main base of the Rebel Alliance.
The scanners indicated that around the planet there was the rest of TF Magellan, for a total of ten frigates the same class as the Constantinople, and also what was left of Phoenix Fleet, which was now a subgroup of the 'Central Fleet' created by Jaral. Phoenix Group was now under the command of Hera, while the Central Fleet was under the command of Admiral Raddus, who answered to Jaral.
Ezra hailed the command on the surface and quietly sent the codes. A few seconds later, the authorization to land arrived.
"I wonder how this rebel cell looks like, compared to Phoenix Group."
"According to Jaral, this is way bigger and more organized than what we were. Besides, she has worked hard to enlarge its numbers."
"Well, let's go take a look, shall we?" he quipped as he flew the fighter between the allied ships and headed for the base below them.
Passing through a few clouds, the two teens quickly spotted the Massassi temple, around which there was a small cemented area that had been converted in the main landing zone for dozens of starfighters. Ezra was granted a landing zone at the edge of the park, since the Gauntlet was way bigger than the other starfighters.
He touched down the ship with the face pointing toward the lush forests surrounding the temple, because the ramp to access the fighter was in the rear and he had to point that part of the ship toward the temple.
Then the young man stood up and exaggeratedly bowed, while tending a hand toward Sabine to invite her to walk with him in the way a gentleman would treat a princess, which Sabine was, in a certain sense.
The mandalorian girl shook her head and chuckled, but gracefully accepted her new husband's invite.
They could hardly stop laughing from the joy as they headed toward the ramp and opened it, only then they managed to hold back the chuckles and simply show wide smiles. When the ramp opened, the two stepped down. Aside from two engineers that came to secure the ship, Zeb and Hera were waiting for them with similar expressions.
"Welcome to Yavin IV, you lovebirds." Zeb greeted them with enthusiasm.
"Zeb!" replied Sabine, giving him a light punch between the ribs.
"Woah, easy there." he joked.
"What, you haven't gotten weak since I've been gone, have you, big guy?" insisted Sabine.
"Glad to see that the marriage hasn't changed your spirit." Hera intervened.
The teens hugged the woman who had been like a second mother for them.
"You heard anything from my sister, by chance?" asked Ezra once they broke the hug.
"Apparently, the Constantinople left Mandalore around two hours ago." replied Hera. "That means they will be here by the time we can give you a tour of the base."
"Come on, we'll show you around." invited Zeb, and they followed.
Ezra and Sabine were thus lead around the area of the temple, where they had the chance to notice the wide variety of starcrafts and people, coming from every corner of the galaxy to fight against the Empire. Among the staff they also met Hobbie and Wedge, working on their X-Wings that were parked right next to Jaral's. The ship of the Blue Nova was being guarded day and night by Raze, who took however the time to greet Ezra.
"Raze, how are you?" the young man asked with a smile.
The astromech beeped in a sad way.
"Don't worry, buddy. She misses you too, but she'll be back shortly." reassured Ezra and Raze seemed to reacquire a bit of vitality.
The astromech, though, also greeted Jinx.
"Nice to see you, too, Raze. It's been quite hard to work with Chopper alone." the AI said.
The tour then proceeded into the main magazine, where they found AP-5.
"AP, how you doing?" asked Sabine.
"Ah, Commander Bridger, Miss Wren. I actually never felt better. Working with people who know how to actually manage logistics makes me feel alive." the droid said, referring to the Alliance personnel working around there.
Indeed, one of the main problems of the Rebel Alliance was that the recruits in the rank and file had enthusiasm, but no military training. Imperial deserters, like Wedge and Hobbie, were too precious to be kept as simple grunts, meaning that the people working in a delicate sector like logistics usually made so many mistakes that the Systems Alliance had been forced to smuggle specialized workers from the Milky Way to teach the recruits how to keep everything in its place and basic security measures to limit the possibilities of accidents.
Besides, one of the warehouse workers sent by the Federation was a Geth unit, so AP-5 had another synthetic to relate with.
And finally, they were introduced into the main command center, situated at the highest floor of the temple, which also had a conference room for the leaders of the Council to convene and a large briefing room.
In the command center, Ezra found Kallus and Rex. The former had been made a Lieutenant and the latter a Commander.
"Congratulations, kids. For both winning the battle and...well, the rest." Rex said once he saw them.
"Thanks...Commander. About time you got a promotion." Ezra replied with a grin.
"Yeah, not sure if I would have ever got it without your sister giving it to me."
"Something tells me that she's gonna remove the 'Lieutenant' part from your rank very soon, Bridger." Kallus commented.
Ezra scoffed amused. "Yeah, I'd rather not."
"Why not?" Sabine asked. "You're quite good at leading, it's just that you don't want to admit it."
"He will have a lot of chances to prove that statement." the voice of Darvos came suddenly from the threshold of the room.
The man, now wearing a uniform of the newborn Rebel Alliance Navy, waltzed into the room with a relaxed walking and a friendly smile.
"Darvos!" Ezra greeted him before the Captain shook hands with both of them.
"Congratulations, again, guys. And thanks, because I won the bet with my own wife." he joked, which made the other raise an eyebrow.
"A bet on what?" asked Sabine.
He got closer to whisper in their ears. "Jaral believed that Kanan and Hera would go public about their relationship before you two got married, I bet the other way around."
The teens shook their heads. "And what did you win, precisely?" asked Sabine with a grin.
"20 credits and the satisfaction of being better than her in anticipating relationships, I guess." Darvos shrugged with a smile.
Then he turned on his right, noticed that a woman with short hair and a white dress was approaching and he turned around to make the salute.
"Senator Mothma." he said.
"At ease, Captain. It's good to see you take some time out of your office, for a change." she said jovially, then turned toward Ezra and Sabine. "Master Bridger, Miss Wren, I heard the news. Felicitations."
"Thanks, ma'am." Ezra replied.
"Now, Commander Rex, any news about the status of the Grand Marshall?" she then asked.
Rex took a look at the holotable, where, among other things, there was the signal that the Constantinople was sending to the base.
"It appears like she will arrive in around 40 minutes. I guess it's time to prepare the welcoming party." he concluded with a quip.
Jaral was in the strategic room, pondering and analyzing the data about the Empire that Nimbus' group had started sending her according to their deal. Mon Mothma had approved the cooperation between the redeemed Dark-sider and the Rebel Alliance, mostly because she trusted the judgment of the young Marshall.
The conference between Bo-Katan and Empress Benedetta had gone better than Jaral could ever hope for: despite their famous 'on our own' mentality, the Mandalorian clans had accepted an as-of-now informal alliance with the Rebellion and the Imperial Federation. Apparently, the latter had managed to build a variant of the Constantinople, a new class of frigates specialized in smuggling equipment in large quantities and even big guns. The Federation had agreed to send the components for a planetary shield around Mandalore, which had to be built quickly, but also special land-to-space magnetic cannons that could send a slug full of plasma at around 1.7% the speed of light. An entire battery of those would be a threat even for the Star Destroyers, and it would force the Empire to refrain from a total orbital bombardment.
The Federation was definitely ramping up its support for the factions that were fighting the Empire. Benedetta had promised that her forces could even smuggle heavy vehicles to the Rebellion and the Mandalorians, if they needed. For now, Jaral had refused such a gift for the Rebellion, because her strategy for the upcoming campaign relied on quick strikes against the Empire, mostly carried out by the Starfighter Corp with the help of agents that were able to infiltrate behind enemy lines and mark the target with precision, maybe even weaken the imperial defenses.
Jaral knew that, in order to assist the Federation properly in its invasion of Lothal, she had to make sure that the Rebel Armed Forces made some experience and were capable of take care of themselves, thus allowing the Federation to its part without dispersing its already limited resources (limited compared to the Empire).
As she examined the map of the galaxy, she couldn't help but notice how relatively close Yavin and the Mandalorian space were. They were on the same side of the Hydian Way, one of the most important hyperspace routes of the galaxy. If the two factions could somehow establish a safe route in there, it would go a long way in establishing a much safer territory controlled by the Rebel Alliance. Alas, the Navy was still far too weak for such a task, and the Mandalorians had no capital ships, though apparently Bo-Katan was hoping to change that by capturing some Star Destroyers over Mandalore, as some of those had many cadets from the planet who might be willing to desert back to their people.
Her thoughts were interrupted when a hand gently patted her arm. She turned around and saw her father, dressed in his captain's uniform, and her Master, with his mask on.
"We're about to leave hyperspace." Jordan notified her.
"Good, I really want to see what we got down there." she said with a hint of enthusiasm. She removed the data-drive from the holotable and the two started to walk toward the hangar.
"Just make sure to not overdo it." her father commented.
"This job is gonna be pretty much a full-time one, you know?" she retorted.
"Yes," said Kanan. "but to make the right decisions, you have to be patient, focused...in fact, I would say that you should keep up that part of your Jedi training."
Jaral chuckled. "I suppose you're right." she said as they took the elevator. "I'll just need some time to adjust to...well, all of this." she commented.
"Have confidence, Padawan." said Kanan, putting a hand on. "The Rebel leadership wouldn't have asked you to take this role, if they didn't believe you were fit for it."
The elevator's door opened, letting them into the hangar bay.
"I know I can do this, Kanan." she said confidently, then turned her head and smiled at both of them. "I have the best Father, the best Master, and the best family supporting me."
"And we are all very proud of what you've accomplished, Starlight." Jordan said as they walked toward the shuttle that would bring them down to rebel base. "But if you want a little help, maybe you would like to read this…" he said as the shuttle closed the doors and the engines started whirring.
Jordan lightened up his omni-tool and tapped a few buttons. A couple of minutes later, Jaral received a message on her own omni-tool. An holo-book was attached to it. The dimension was quite limited. The young woman opened it and read the title.
"The Art of War; Sun Tzu?" she asked. "What is it?"
"It's the most ancient treaty about warfare in the history of Earth. Despite being written in an age where humans still used swords and arrows, we still use it in the Alliance as a compulsory reading for the officers. Just give it a look when you have some time." Jordan explained confidently.
Jaral saved the file into her omni-tool. "Thanks, Dad, I'll do it."
The shuttle finally touched down and the three stood up. Jaral was about to leave from the right door, but Jordan stopped her and indicated the other one. The young woman mindlessly followed the instruction and went to open the door.
"Atten-tion!" a voice thundered when the sun of Yavin hit Jaral's eyes.
The woman almost had a heart attack, but then calmed down and noticed what that was.
On both her sides where two formations of soldiers, one of the Alliance Marines and even a Legionnaire, and the other was composed by an equal number of rebel troopers, each led by a junior officer. The soldiers all stood at attention, their rifles ready for inspection, while the officers made the salute.
The voice that gave the command, stood at the end of the small parade and it was Rex. Behind him there was everybody else who came to greet her, even Mon Mothma.
Rex stepped forward and went to stand in front of her. Only then did he make one of the sternest salutes he had ever made.
"Grand Marshall Bridger, the soldiers of the two Alliances salute you. Your bravery, leadership and devotion to your comrades have earned you our absolute respect, and we will be honored to follow you until the end of the universe." he proclaimed loudly.
Jaral took a quick look at the two men following her and they both had quite the guilty smirks.
"Did you two know about this?"
"They...might have asked us to keep you distracted." Kanan said with a grin.
Jordan chuckled. "To finally surprise you, for once, it was worth it." and then he immediately made the salute as well.
Kanan did it as well. He didn't stand at attention, but it was certainly heartfelt.
Jaral shook her head, but smiled. Then turned around and returned the salute to Rex.
"Thank you, Commander Rex. Thanks to all of you, for your support. A great struggle awaits us, and I cannot guarantee that all of you will see the end of it." she proclaimed with a solemn tone. "But I promise you, I will not rest until the Empire lays in tatters and us, our families and our friends will finally be able to live in a galaxy where peace and justice will always be pursued."
No one budged. Everyone listened at her words in a respectful silence. After she was done, Mon Mothma approached her.
"Your words put our minds at ease, Marshall. Welcome to Yavin IV." she said cordially.
"Thank you, Madam. Now, if you will show me the way to the Command Center, I would be very grateful."
"Right this way, Marshall." Mothma replied and showed her the direction.
Ezra and the others made way for her, though Jaral actually went to give a quick kiss to her husband first and he pretty much escorted her by the arm, followed by the rest of the group while the two formations of soldiers went back to their duties.
After reaching the center and the giant holotable in the middle, Jaral took a moment to notice her surroundings. Everybody, even the high-ranking officers of both the Rebellion and the Federation had saluted her without a second thought. She stood right next to Darvos, who was at the main panel of the table, ready to summon the maps, highlight points of interest at her discretion.
She was in charge, now. The politicians had assembled the first pieces of the Rebel war apparatus, but now it was up to her to improve it, lead it and use it against the Empire in any way she saw fit.
This was nothing like the challenges in the past. Up to this day, her long-term plans had included survival for her and Ezra on the streets of Lothal, then organizing the rescue of Kanan more than two years before, then becoming the second-in-command of Phoenix Fleet and plan the journey of the roaming fleet...and now, everything was under her. Every single man and woman that fought and hoped for a better galaxy was now counting on her to take the right decisions to slowly tear apart the Empire.
The weight of this quest weighted on her chest, but Jaral had her mind set on the goal, and she already knew how she wanted the Rebellion to move for the next few months.
She took a deep, silent breath as she leaned gently against the holotable. Then she opened her eyes again. Only then did she realize that the hologram of Admiral Raddus, who was the commander of the Navy, was connected and ready to participate in the strategic briefing.
"All right, let's get started." she said.
Sitting at his desk in an office of the Fleet Command of Fondor, Iulius couldn't have felt more miserable. Merely 10 days before he commanded a Star Destroyer, but now the ship was anchored at one of the many orbital docks around the planet, his crew condemned to languish there because he himself had to serve pretty much as the personal aide to his father, Admiral Chimbros Tanis.
Young Captain Tanis was able to withstand this only because Thrawn had remembered him that staying close to his father might help him reach the higher echelons of the Empire and notify them of the threat lurking behind the wormhole outside the Lothal sector. The Federation was a threat for the Empire, and the loyal Captain knew that his nation was not ready to face a galaxy-wide rebellion and another powerful empire that seemed very able to go toe-to-toe against the other, even projecting its power into another galaxy.
For now, though, he was trapped back into something that he really hated: doing his father's work.
Ever since Iulius graduated with full marks from the Royal Academy on Coruscant, Chimbros Tanis had held his son as close as he could. Not because of fatherly affection, not in the slightest, but to exploit his successes to improve his own image. Chimbros was no different than most of the Imperial officers: advancing his career only through political connections. It was only thanks to Iulius' work that the Tanis family had managed to up its social status and being transferred from their assignment on Lothal back into the center of the galaxy.
Almost a year before, Iulius had jumped on the opportunity to cooperate with Thrawn in the search for Darvos and his rebel friends. It was a chance to finally get away from the irritating presence of his inept, blow-hard father, but it also became perhaps one of the most exciting experiences of his life and he had learned so much. From his battles, yes, but mostly from the man he considered his mentor and role model: Thrawn.
Iulius would have accepted to be demoted to a simple ensign if it meant being assigned to the 7th Fleet again, to learn from the best strategist of the Empire and to discuss the intricacies of the art of war with that Chiss again.
But he had no idea where Thrawn was. Last time he heard anything, the Grand Admiral had been recalled to Coruscant, to account for his failure in destroying the rebel fleet on Atollon.
Captain Tanis still felt partially guilty for that, and he hated the fact that Chimbros had immediately jumped at that opportunity to discredit Thrawn and have Iulius reassigned immediately back to Fondor.
As he was reading the last reports of suspect activities in the sector, the door of the office hissed open.
From it came a man in his 50s, black hair and thin mustaches. A bit overweight, which made Darvos even more furious: how could a high-ranking officer of the Empire fall into such a decadent form?
Admiral Tanis entered the room, hands behind his back and a wily grin that made his eldest son grit his teeth behind his lips.
"How is my little Captain doing?" he said with a jovial tone that only sounded cringe and hypocritical to Iulius.
"I'm a bit busy, Admiral. Do you have any directive for me?" the Captain replied coldly without even turning his gaze from the reports on screen.
"Oh, come on, Iulius. Are you still upset because of that alien?" Chimbros said nonchalantly. The adjective didn't leave any doubt that the Admiral was one of those who didn't like to see a non-human in a position of power, no matter how skilled or loyal he was. "He may have been lucky for a while, but he was destined to fail."
Constantly reminding himself that he wasn't just his father, but his superior, Iulius had to fight the impulse to talk back, or worse, and managed to reply with composure.
"Admiral, discussing trivial matters unrelated to the operations during office hours and badmouthing a superior officer are major infractions. So, again, unless you have orders for me, I need to be allowed to work quietly."
"Ah, but that's the point, son. I do have an order for you: you're going to Coruscant, my boy."
Iulius couldn't hide the surprise. He turned his head toward his father.
"Coruscant? Why?"
"Why, because of your heroic behavior on Atollon, of course. The Emperor has sent you an invitation to his monthly gala at the Imperial Palace. Iulius, you're making progress. Just don't forget about your old man when you will become the next Grand Admiral!" Chimbros proclaimed loudly.
'I'll make sure the Emperor knows that.' the words that Thrawn had told him to reassure him came back to Iulius' mind.
To think that Thrawn would find the time to commend a single Captain when he had been recalled to Coruscant to be chastised...Iulius felt the respect for his superior reaching new heights as he wrapped up his head about the fact that he was about to go back to Coruscant since his graduation.
He knew the Palace. He had been Valedictorian of his course, meaning that he was invited at one of those galas already before the final ceremony at the Academy, but to think that the Emperor himself had asked for him...that was something else entirely.
But this was good. If he could convince the Emperor to pour more resources in the defense of Lothal, he would achieve his objective.
"When do I leave?" he asked quite eagerly.
"Your shuttle is already waiting, so pack your things and meet me at hangar bay 3."
Iulius nodded. "Yes, sir." he said while Chimbros left the room.
The young Captain eagerly took his luggage and put his spare uniform, the one he used for formal occasions like this, inside. It might have been temporary, but he would be away from that lap dog who was so clearly feigning to be the proud and loving father.
Where was that fatherly love before Iulius graduated with full marks, showing that he could be used as a tool to improve his father's reputation and political status? He had never cared for both his sons, not even when Darvos ran from home. At least their mother had sincerely changed attitude when one of her children had left her.
Right, her mother was on Coruscant right now. Apparently, Chimbros had managed to buy an apartment there and she got transferred to work at a local Register Office. He wondered if he could have the time to meet her, during this trip.
The thoughts only kept stacking as he reached the hangar that his father told him and he was surprised once again as he saw a person standing obediently behind his father.
"Not wasting any time. Just what I expected from you!" Chimbros said as if it was meant to be a compliment.
Iulius didn't even know what he was supposed to answer, so he simply went in front of his father and put down the luggage.
"Where's my aide?" he simply asked. An officer on duty that was invited to such a party was supposed to have an adjutant to keep his book in order.
"Oh, I've got something better." Chimbros said, moving an arm to show the woman standing behind him.
It was a Togruta, a deep blue skin and some white tattoos on the face. The colors matched the montrals, which too were white with blue stripes. Even factoring the slowly aging of her species, she couldn't be much older than Iulius.
And her dancer outfit left no doubt to the Captain about who she was, even before she made a gracious bow and talked with reverence.
"Greetings, Captain."
"Captain?!" Chimbros immediately thundered, surprising Iulius.
The man stood in front of the Togruta, snarling a few centimeters from her face. "He is your Master, now!"
Then in his right hand appeared what seemed to be a small remote, with only a button over it. Only at that point Iulius noticed what the woman was wearing, and before he could say anything to his father, the Togruta was electrocuted. Her body shook violently, but she still managed to stand up and only a slight moan left her mouth. The expression of terror, however, was genuine.
"You're not going to mistake that again, is that clear, slave?! You're not going to embarrass my son in public!"
The poor soul bowed again. "Yes, Master, I'm sorry." she said.
Chimbros then turned to Iulius with an innocent smile, as if nothing happened, and handed to a stunned Iulius the remote.
"She's a bit slow to adapt, but you'll see that she will serve you well." he said jovially.
Iulius, still looking a bit confused, took the remote, and Chimbros gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder.
"Make yourself a name, son. This your moment!" Chimbros exclaimed.
Not wanting to hear another word, and with a burning desire burning inside his head, Iulius lifted up his luggage and headed for the ramp of the Lambda-class shuttle that was waiting for him.
"Follow me." he simply ordered to the Togruta, who immediately compelled, following with her head lowered.
The two stepped up the ladder and entered the shuttle. Before heading for the passenger section, he turned toward the pilots, who were waiting on their chairs for his orders.
"You can depart when ready." he instructed.
"Yes, sir." replied the first pilot and the two men in uniform turned toward the commands.
As the ship started its engines, Iulius entered in the passenger bay, followed by the Togruta. Once the door behind them closed, he turned toward her.
"Stay still." he ordered.
The Togruta didn't move a muscle. With a couple of precise movements of his hands, Iulius deactivated her electric collar and unhooked it from her neck, then he angrily cracked it on his knee.
The Togruta had her eyes widened, staring into nothing as she passed a hand around her neck.
It took a minute for her to realize the truth and she made wide breaths that, Iulius presumed, she didn't have the chance to get for a while now.
"You...you removed...why?" she asked confused.
"No matter why, nobody should wear one of those abominations." Iulius calmly replied before seating her down.
The Togruta was still shaken. "I...I can't believe it...are you serious?"
Iulius knelt down. "Listen. That idiot won't hurt you anymore. You work for me, now, and if you help me to attend the party diligently, I promise you, I'll even give you back your freedom."
The woman looked at him, not sure if she wanted to believe him.
"How about we make some introductions?" Iulius politely offered. "What is your name?"
"I...don't have a name." she said, or, more likely, she repeated.
Iulius sighed. "How long have you been serving my father?"
"Six months, Master."
"And before that? Did you have a name?"
The Togruta hesitated. "Before I was captured by the slavers...I went by the name of Qathora."
Iulius made a half-grin. "Good, then Qathora it is." he said and went sitting opposite to the woman so he could look at her. "Now, Qathora, why don't you tell me what your skill set is?"