Chapter 12

"I never thought Command would be willing to potentially lose so much," Lasky said.

"As long as we have some form of communication, that's good enough for them at the moment," the UNSC Eternity captain said.

"What about back home? What do we have to defend?"

"The Covenant understood the situation. They've already sent a small fleet as you already know. Their primary fleet is helping to defend and even some parts of the former Insurrectionists are donating their fleets for defense."

"That's something I never thought I would hear," Roland said.

"Indeed. We were just as surprised. Anyway, back to business. What's the status of the enemy fleet?"

"Disarray, sir. I don't think they were expecting such heavy reinforcements," Roland said.

"We've managed to disrupt their bombardment. We should regroup at these coordinates," Lasky said as he sent coordinates.

"Why there?"

"The remains of the rebel fleet is losing power. They're stuck in the open, easy targets for the Empire," Lasky said.

"I see them now. Not much of a fleet anymore, really."

"Yup."

A static-filled transmission filled the room.

"Ca-ain La-sky. Do y- ead..."

"This is Lasky, I hear you but you're breaking up. Repeat previous transmission."

"This is... Synd-a. We've lost - po-er."

"We're sending a recovery team to you now. Stand by, General," Lasky said.

"I assume that's one of the Rebel leaders?"

"You assumed correctly. Roland, contact the ground teams. Eternity, deploy all available ODST units to these coordinates on the surface," Lasky ordered.

"Copy Infinity. Deploying ground units!"

The UNSC Eternity maneuvered to a low orbit of Lothal and deployed as many drop pods and Pelicans as they could, also launching F-41 Broadsword interceptors and GA-TL1 Longswords to provide air support for the ground troops.

...

"How many walkers do these guys have?" a marine shouted.

"I don't know. I'm down to my last rocket," an ODST rookie said.

"Commander Bridger, where does the Empire get all these walkers?"

"You'd be surprised what they like to do," Ezra said, deflecting another blaster bolt back to an Imperial trooper.

Sabine landing not too far behind their line and ran up to him. "They have at least 4 more AT-ATs and 10 more AT-DPs."

"What happened to Chief's laser cannon?" Ezra asked.

"It ran out of power most likely. That thing only uses a couple shots before it dies."

"How are we on rockets?"

The ODST Rookie fired a rocket at the command pod of an approaching AT-DP, "That was my last one. I don't know about the others."

"I haven't seen this many walkers in one place since Atollon," Sabine said.

"Yeah and the Bendu knocked out a bunch of the AT-ATs with his lightning but he's not here!" Ezra shouted as a building collapsed nearby.

The AT-AT lines were closing on the pinned UNSC forces, occasionally an entire squad of Marines and even ODSTs were wiped out by the walkers. Even the Spartans were having a little trouble.

"Our air support was shot down an hour ago and that's key to virtually every mission!" the marine said.

An AT-AT's foot smashed into the ground just a mere 10 yards from the UNSC frontline, making everybody jump. Ezra leapt out of the trench they dug and sliced off the front leg of the AT-AT, which toppled over onto a half destroyed building.

"Sir, get back here!" the ODST called out.

Ezra expertly deflected several blaster shots and jumped back into the trench.

"Haar'chak Ezra you scared the life out of me!" Sabine shouted.

"It was either that or let the Empire break our line!" Ezra shot back.

"Hey you two now's not the time!" Kelly-087 shouted as she shot down a firing line of stormtroopers.

The Imperial line was just about to overrun the UNSC line when the ground lit up orange for a few quick seconds. Somebody called out "INCOMING" just a few moments before several dozen pods hit the ground at a time between the retreating UNSC soldiers and the advancing Imperials. The Stormtroopers looked confused just as the pod doors were blown off and fresh ODST soldiers and fresh gunfire filled the battlefield. The Imperial walkers were about to fire upon the new soldiers when they suddenly exploded, along with the Imperial front line.

"What is going on?" Ezra asked.

An ODST pulled off his helmet and grinned, "Reinforcements..."

Longsword strike fighters bombed the Imperials as the Broadswords shot down TIE fighters before they could shoot at the Longswords. The Imperial line shattered at the fresh might of the UNSC.

"Walker! Walker!" a soldier called out as an AT-AT appeared from around a large building.

Several large soldiers ran up to the massive walker and just knelt in front of it.

"What are they doi-"

BOOM

The ground shook as a large guided bomb struck the side of the tall walker, throwing it to the ground in several pieces.

The Imperial forces began a full retreat to the center of the city, expecting the UNSC troops to follow, but they didn't.

Soon, the gunfire was replaced by shouts for medics, status reports, squad after squad of marines and ODSTs reporting in to squad leaders. A separate, but very noticeable, group of soldiers stood around and looked at the remaining UNSC troops and back towards the Imperial line somewhere inside the remains of the city.

Ezra looked at the damage in and around the city and cringed. There were bodies everywhere belonging to both the UNSC and the Empire.

"This is war?" he asked Sabine, who stood a little behind him.

"Yes..." she said.

"This is what your people suffered for millenia?"

"Yes. I'm sorry this had to happen to Lothal, Ezra."

"No, don't apologize. I knew this was the only way. We have to evacuate the city while we have the chance," he said.

"I couldn't agree more," a rough voice said. Ezra turned around and found Master Chief standing behind him. "The calvary will be here soon. Best we evacuate the city immediately."

"What's coming?" Ezra asked.

"You'll see. If we have reinforcements here, then there's bound to have been reinforcements in orbit. However we seem to have lost contact with Infinity," Chief said before walking away.

"Where are you going?" Sabine asked.

"To take a look around," he simply replied.

"Chief it's too dangerous..." Sabine called out, but a firm hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"He'll be fine," an ODST said. "Hate Spartans but without them we wouldn't be here. Got to give them that."

"Are they really that strong?" Ezra asked.

"You wouldn't believe it."

...

Thrawn looked out of his star destroyer's viewscreen at the massive UNSC armada before him. They've held their fire for now but for how long nobody knows.

"Grand Admiral?"

He doesn't know what to do for the first time in his career. He doesn't know their military power, their tactics and strategies, or even their artwork. The only reason he was able to really hurt the Rebels was because he knows where they came from and what their art is like; especially Sabine Wren's work. This UNSC however has never shown any sign of their art, or their history for that matter. But that doesn't deter him either.

"Hold position. I'm curious what these people are up to."

"What was that they launched to the surface?" an officer asked.

"I don't know, but they have soldiers on the ground. It could have been some kind of supply drop," Thrawn said. "But why they would send so many pods down is beyond me."

"Should we send for more reinforcements?"

"No, bring the fleet above the city. They can't engage us while risking killing all their soldiers on the ground."

"What about any ground fire?"

"They plan to liberate this planet, not destroy it. Shooting down our ships will only bring us crashing down on them," Thrawn said.

"They'd be trapped!" Constantine exclaimed.

The remains of 7th fleet began a reentry burn and descended towards the planet.

...

"Captain, the enemy fleet is burning towards the planet! Should we open fire?" a tactical officer called out.

"Negative do not fire! We could hit our troops on the ground," Lasky said. This is not good.

"Notify the ground units!"

...

"~~inco~~ng~~~~"

The static in the radios overtook the comms, cutting communications between the soldiers and the ships in orbit once again.

"What was that about?" Ezra asked.

"Something about reentry burn and incoming?" Sabine suggested.

"Something's coming, we should be ready for it," Linda-058 said.

"Where's Chief?" Fred asked.

"He's still somewhere around the city," Ezra said.

"He has a habit of doing that, but we can't stop him," the ODSTs said.

"He's the best Spartan of us all. Nothing can stop him," Kelly said.

"Let's hope so," Ezra said. "Because I think I know what your guys up top were trying to tell us."

Everybody looked up just as the Chimaera and the rest of 7th fleet blocked out the sun.

"Everybody find cover!" Ezra shouted.

Everybody scrambled for any form of cover they could find, keeping their eyes on the Imperial front line and the warships.

"What's going on?" a marine asked.

"This is just like Mombasa all over again!" Buck shouted.

Anybody that doesn't have cover fall in on a Spartan," Chief called out as he crested a hill.

ODSTs and regular marines gathered in groups of 10 and surrounded one of the 12 Spartans deployed. As soon as everybody gathered, the Spartans pulled out a bubble shield generator and waited.

"Do not go far from your Spartan. If they open fire we'll deploy the shields."

"Wait a second," Ezra said, pointing to a different point in the sky. "I don't think those star destroyers will fire."

"Ezra's right. If they kill us they'd be destroyed. Infinity's right over there waiting."

"Along with half of our reinforcements," Buck said. "Which could still overpower this Imperial fleet."

"Yeah but this is Thrawn we're talking about. We're probably his bargaining chip right now. If the UNSC fires at them, we'd die. If they fire, we'd die from falling debris and maybe ship to ground bombardment. He's got us trapped," Sabine said.

"Nobody said anything about the Imperials on the ground. I think those are artillery shells incoming," a marine said pointing to streaks of arcing plasma.

The Spartans threw down the shield generators just in time as the Imperial artillery fell on their position. The energy shells however dissipated against the shield bubble.

"These shields can't hold for long. Everybody stay here," Chief said through the comms as he ran out of his shield and towards the Imperial position.

"What's he doing?" Ezra asked.

"Likely going to paint the targets for an airstrike," Buck said. He had Ezra and Sabine in his shield.

"Paint the targets?"

"Laser guided bombs," Buck simplified.

"That makes sense. We don't have anything that can knock out their artillery," Sabine said. The bombardment continued for another minute until the sound of jets were heard flying over their heads. In the distance, not too far from everything, massive explosions shook the ground and the shelling stopped. The last bolt of energy flew towards a group of marines and the shield dissipated just before it hit, killing everybody around. The Spartan jumped in front of the shell in a futile attempt to save the group.

Before anybody could do anything else, the air was filled with blaster fire once again as the stormtroopers advanced on the UNSC position. Marines and ODSTs and Spartans all lined up to their cover and returned fire. Several UNSC soldiers fell to the Imperial forces, but the Empire didn't fare any better.

"We need to get those star destroyers out of here!" Sabine shouted.

Ezra knelt behind cover and looked up at the warships. He knew what he has to do.

"I need to get up there," he said.

"What?" Sabine asked, not quite hearing what he said.

"Can you cover me?"

"What are you talking about?" Sabine asked.

"I'm going up there," Ezra said.

"No way. I'm not letting you."

"You said we needed to get those destroyers out of here and I know just how to do that!" Ezra shouted.

"Ezra those ships are packed with Imperials!"

"There's no other way!"

"Hey you two what's this about?" Buck asked as he ran over.

"Ezra wants to get to one of those star destroyers. He says he has a plan to get rid of them," Sabine said.

"What's stopping him?"

"There's Imperials on those ships! He wouldn't last!"

"Not unless I surrender myself to them," Ezra says suddenly. Sabine stared at him.

"What are you trying to do?"

"I'm trying to save our skins. War is never without sacrifice, right?"

Sabine couldn't think of anything to reason with him. She knew he was going to find his way aboard the Chimaera one way or another with or without help.

"Then I'm coming with you," Sabine said.

"Sabine no, I have to do this alone," Ezra said.

"I'm not changing my mind, Ezra. If you go I go."

There was some silence between the two for a moment.

"Fine," Ezra said. "But I can't guarantee getting off in time."

That won't matter, Sabine thought, As long as I'm with you.

"You have a way up there?" Buck asked.

"I have a jetpack," Sabine said as she pointed her thumb to her back. "We can try flying up."

"There scanners would pick us up," Ezra said.

"I have something that might work," Buck said, handing them something. "It's an active camouflage. It will make you invisible to eyes and scanners until the power runs out or momentarily when you fire a weapon."

"Invisible? Like a persona cloaking device?" Ezra asked.

"That's pretty much what he just said, Ezra," Sabine sighed.

A bunch of Pelicans approached the battlefield and dropped their loads. Warthogs and Scorpion tanks were deployed with their respective crews and they thundered past the UNSC line towards the Imperial line. Scorpions clashed with Imperial TX-130T fighter tanks in armored warfare while the Warthogs, armed with M343A1 chainguns, M555 Gauss cannons, and some even had mounted M80 missile launchers, swarmed Imperial infantry and took out any remaining AT-DP walkers.

"This is the calvary Chief promised us?" Sabine asked in awe.

"Yup. The military might of the UNSC. Unfortunately wasn't always successful against the Covenant during the early years of the war, but in the end we won," Buck said. "Don't you guys have a fleet to get rid of?"

"Oh sorry Ezra. I'm ready," Sabine said and they gripped each others wrists. "Hang on tight." She activated her jetpack and as they approached the ventral hangar of the Chimaera, Ezra activated the Active Camo. Immediately they seemed to disappear from thin air.

...

"Captain, the enemy fleet is still not moving. Our armored units made it to the ground safely and are currently engaged in armored warfare," Roland reported.

"Good. We should try not to destroy any more buildings. The surface was already a wreck when we arrived and I don't want to make it any worse," Lasky said. "What's the status of our orbital fleet?"

"They have recovered all Rebel personnel and are ready to jump to Yavin, sir."

"Captain," a female voice said as the bridge doors opened and closed.

"Sarah, I thought you would have been on the ground," Lasky said.

"I'm sitting out on this one. Those SSDs knocked me about pretty good," Palmer said showing her bandaged arm. "Stray metal; of all the things that could have defeated me it's an inanimate object."

"You the only Spartan here?"

"No, about two others have been injured enough plus much of the crew and soldiers. We've sent all that are able to fight to the surface."

"Do we have any Mantis on the ground?" Lasky asked.

"Negative, though we can deploy them after the battle for extra security," Roland said.

"We might need them for the assault on that TIE Defender factory as well, but the city is top priority. The sooner we liberate that, the easier it will be to take out that factory," Lasky said.

"Sir, liberating the city should automatically halt Defender production," Sarah said.

"If the Empire tries to take this planet back after we liberate it, then there shouldn't be anything they can produce," Lasky pointed out.

"I ran a scan on the city, sir," Roland said. "There's a fuel depot not too far from the factory itself. It keeps the production lines running and without it, they can't produce any more TIEs."

"That's exactly what we need to hit," Lasky said.

"You said liberate the city and then hit the factory. We should hit the factory first and then finish the liberation," Sarah said. "With that factory there with production lines running, the Empire would have a foothold and a potential fortress to hunker down in."

"I'm inclined to agree," the XO said. "But don't forget that massive dome in the center of the city. That's likely their real fortress right there."

"Captain, something's happening to the enemy ship!" an officer shouted.

...

"Ezra I got the override. How's everything on the Bridge?" Sabine asked through her helmet comms.

She heard nothing except static.

"Ezra, do you hear me?"

More static...

"Ezra, are you there?"

Once again there was no reply, so she ran out of the engine room and made her way to the bridge, shooting any stormtroopers that got in her way. When she finally made it, she found a squad of stormtroopers outside the bridge trying to get in.

"Hey you! Stay right where you are!" a soldier ordered Sabine.

"Not a chance, bucketheads," she replied as they got in a firefight.

She didn't want to, but she had to throw a detonator at the soldiers to clear the door. As the smoke cleared, she ran up to the control panel, which was already broken into, and tried to open the door but with no results. She pounded on the door and called for Ezra when her comms went off.

"Sabine, that ship looks like it's going to jump, you and Ezra need to get out of there!" Buck called through the comm.

"I don't know Ezra's condition," Sabine replied frantically. "He won't answer his comms."

"I hear you, Sabine," Ezra said through the static. "You should get off while you can."

"No!" Sabine yelled through the comms, "I won't leave you!"

"Sabine please. You need to finish this battle for me!" Ezra pleaded.

"Not a chance, Bridger. If you go I go, remember?"

"No Sabine. Don't do that to yourself."

"Ezra open the bridge doors right now!" Sabine ordered.

"Isn't there stormtroopers..."

"I cleared them out already, it's just me on the other side," Sabine answered.

A few moments later, the doors finally opened and Sabine ran inside to see a badly injured Ezra supporting himself against a control panel.

"Ezra!" Sabine cried out, running to him.

"I told you... to just go," he whispered.

"Sabine, this is Buck, what's Ezra's status?"

"He's injured," she replied.

"Buck," Ezra began, "we're not going to be able to get off the ship in time. Do me a favor and finish this fight for me, will you?"

"We never leave a man behind," Buck said.

"You're not leaving anybody behind. This is our sacrifice so you can finish this mission," Ezra said with some difficulty. Sabine could tell his consciousness was beginning to slip.

He had a blaster wound on his shoulder and a gash on his head. His arm looked like it was broken. Off in one of the pits, Thrawn was being held against a console.

"Ezra..." Sabine murmured.

"I... can't hold on for much longer. Sabine you need to... restrain him while I have him pinned," Ezra said, his voice beginning to fade.

"Alright," she replied. If Thrawn was freed he could very well regain control of his ship. She can't fight him alone and with Ezra in his current condition, he wouldn't be able to fight.

She grabbed a few restraining cuffs and quickly cuffed both of Thrawn's wrists to an armrest on the consoles. She then placed a few motion-sense Mandalorian shock charges at his feet so if he tried to get out of the cuffs he would get zapped until he fell unconscious.

Thrawn seemed to relax a bit and he tried to struggle, but the charges zapped him almost instantly.

Ezra, Sabine thought as she ran back to him.

"Sabine, Ezra's not responding to his comms. Is he out?" Buck asked.

Sabine felt for a pulse and sighed in relief when she found one, but he was not conscious.

"He passed out, but alive. I can try to get him off the ship before it jumps," Sabine said. But right as she said it, the ship lurched as it jumped to hyperspace.