Chapter 14: A light on Lothal

May 19.

Jaral opened her eyes on another morning in her hospital room. She was still tired but her sleep had been filled only by the most beautiful dreams. Soon, the memories of the adventurous last day rushed to her mind.

It had all started when she started having the first contractions all of a sudden, as she hadn't noticed that her waters had already broken, one of the tricky side effects of her biology. At that moment she was preparing her lunch at home, and the first thing she did was unconsciously send a message down the bond, to the point that when she dialed Ezra's number in her comlink, her brother barged inside the house and rushed to her rescue with Sabine following him confused at first, then herself rushed to prepare the skycar. Mira was at the hospital, so Ezra warned her that they were arriving as they car sped through the prairie and into the capital. But there the car started emitting smoke from the engine and they had to pull over. Seemingly stranded, instead of calling the ambulance, Ezra did something so brash and yet so like him: he used the Force to summon a Loth-wolf in the middle of the city, who then galloped them in front of the hospital and disappeared quickly, to the disbelief of many testimonies.

Still, in the end everything went well: Jaral was brought urgently in the delivery room, where Mira was already waiting for her at the head of the medical team. The birth of the child had been very expensive in terms of energy, but with Ezra next to her and her mother leading the effort, she finally managed to push the baby out.

The cries of Samira were the proof that she was finally born. Jaral had only had a handful of minuted to hold her newborn daughter, so she could meet also her grandma and uncle, both happy beyond words as well.

The baby had briefly opened her eyes, revealing that she had the emerald eyes of her father, something that prompted in Jaral the need to make a picture and at least try to send it to Darvos, hoping that he would receive it. Though now she felt sure he did.

She felt her stomach rumble and realized she was very hungry. She turned and pushed the button to call the nurse, who arrived a few moments later and smiled at her.

"Good morning, Miss Bridger. How do you feel?" she asked as she started to take her blood pressure.

"Never felt better." she said with satisfaction.

After making sure that all parameters were green, the nurse went away to inform the doctor on guard and prepare the rations for Jaral's breakfast. Meanwhile, as she was instructed, the young woman cautiously slid her legs down on the side of the bed and sat up. Her head didn't start spinning, which was a good indication that she had recovered most of her strength. She looked at the clock and noticed that it was quite early. Mira would have started her shift in around an hour. So first she tried to send a small pull down the bond, since she could feel that Ezra was already up and running.

"Hey, there. How you doing?" Ezra answered joyfully.

"Just woke up. I wanted to hear your voice, uncle." she joked.

"Are you trying to melt me?" he replied in tone. "You feeling all right?"

"Pretty much. I'm just waiting for permission to see Samira."

"Of course. I'm running the younglings through the morning training, but I'll come visit shortly."

"Nice. See you soon."

She closed the bond and waited a couple minutes until the medical staff came back with her food and the last routine checks. After the doctor gave her the green light to leave the room in autonomy, Jaral ate the fruit and energy bar she was given and headed straight for the nursery where all the newborns were. There, among the various dozens of human and alien infants that had seen the light a few or the day before, she quickly spotted her daughter, sleeping peacefully while at least half of the babies were crying, though she couldn't hear them through the soundproof glass. Yet there was no better sight than the small bed with the tag 'Samira Bridger'.

Suddenly, a nurse spotted her and went to receive her.

"Miss Bridger. Please come in." she invited gently.

Jaral eagerly obliged and followed her inside the room. With the sudden cries of the babies now storming her ears, the Jedi still managed to find something good in those piercing sounds: they were, after all, the manifestation of new life coming into the universe and connected to the Force.

Finally, they walked up to Samira's bed.

"Your daughter is the embodiment of health, miss Bridger." the nurse said. "Her parameters are stable and she is also slightly bigger than the other human babies. Our tests proved that she has all your genetic enhancements, including the stronger immune system, strength, and so on. You know them better than me."

"I understand, thank you."

"Good. Then I guess it's time for you two to spend some quality time...and to giver her breakfast, too." the nurse concluded jokingly.

Jaral smiled, thanked her and started pushing the bed out of the incubation to return to her room. Passing through the corridor, she noticed that a few people looked at her with a mix of surprise and awe, probably recognizing her as one of the heroes of Lothal, and the image of her being a fearless warrior probably contrasted with the current image of her being a tender new parent.

She finally reached the room, and right at that moment Samira woke up and started crying, demanding her meal. Jaral whispered at her to be patient, then uncovered her left breast, sat on the chair in the room and brought Samira next to it, helping her mouth find the way. Then the baby started sucking with quite the hurry.

"You were hungry, eh?" Jaral commented as she felt a tickle first, then she relaxed as a comfortable warmth took her.

After a few minutes, Samira was fed and let the breast go, so Jaral pulled up the suit again and stood up, slowly walking around the room as she lulled her daughter, who by now had opened her eyes and was looking at her with a gaze of curiosity, perhaps a bit of confusion, but Jaral returned that confusion with a reassuring smile.

Then she felt a pull in the bond and already knew who was arriving. A moment later, Ezra and Sabine turned and entered the room, sporting wide smiles.

"Sis!" the young man started, then he pulled his face in a way that Jaral had never seen on him. She turned around to have Samira look his way and allowed him to approach her with an acute tone. "And how's my niece-y?" he said with a sneer.

Sabine was a bit soberer, but clearly being an aunt was having an effect on her as well.

They were allowed to enjoy a moment of peace, which was only interrupted by surprise when they saw who else entered in the room a couple minutes later.

"Yo. Congratulations."

"Mo?" the siblings asked surprised.

Indeed their old friend Moreena Krai, now part of the local planetary police, was standing there. In the last year they had only seen here sporadically, whenever she passed by to greet them on her way to the family's farm. Her time with a government agency had changed her appearance: she had visible muscles even if her body was still relatively slim. Her hair had grown a little and she had gathered them into a simple chignon.

"It's good to see you in good health, guys." she greeted, then went to also take a look at Samira. "And to meet you, little one."

"How nice of you to come around." Jaral quipped as she let Moreena take a good look at the baby.

Just right after that, Mira also arrived, having just arrived at the hospital and still wearing her civilian clothes: she had simply come over earlier and was dropping by before getting changed and starting her shift.

"Are you on duty, too?" Mira asked, pointing at the blaster that Moreena had into her holster.

"Yes, Mira. Actually I was about to go to the Temple, cause I needed to ask Ezra for help." Moreena said with a natural tone.

"Oh, then I'll give you the chance and get some private time." Mira conceded without a fuss. Only she turned to Jaral before leaving. "Remember, Jari: be careful and don't do anything taxing. If everything goes well, tomorrow you will be dismissed."

"I know, mom." Jaral sighed but with love.

"Good. See you later." Mira concluded merrily before leaving.

At that point, Moreena approached the door and shut it with a calm demeanor, but the other adults in the room could clearly perceive that something was off.

"Mo? What's going on?" Ezra asked.

The young woman walked back to them and started talking with a tone that was just slightly more than a whisper. "Guys, I really hate to ruin this moment, but I'm actually here to to warn you and to keep an eye on you, Jari."

The Jedi was stunned. "Me?"

"Two days ago we arrested an imperial spy. In his hiding place we found a few documents indicating what he was reporting back and...well...we found that he had learned about you being here in this hospital and we have reasons to believe he intended to assassinate you while you were still weak from the pregnancy."

Jaral had feared those words would come out, and the confirmation flooded her heart with terrible humors and a sudden apprehension for the baby she was holding in her arms.

But what was she being surprised for? The Empire was the reflection of the Sith, and they were certainly not above killing children if that furthered their agenda or damaged those opposing them.

"I'm sorry to put this burden on your mind, but I thought necessary that you all knew this. Of course, there is a squad of agents in the hospital operating undercover for your safety."

"If they sent one of their assassins, I'm not sure they might be enough." Ezra pondered. "Well, I'm staying here until you get dismissed." he then added to his sister.

Jaral was still wrapping her head around this whole story. Her heart was still immersed in a dark fear that made her finger tremble, holding firm the rest of the hand only because she didn't want to upset Samira.

Before she noticed, Ezra had sat next to her and put a hand gently on her wrist, something that she could both feel and see immediately. And with her brother firmly supporting her, she regained her grip and sighed.

"You okay?" Sabine asked.

"A part of me feared this possibility could become true, but now that is happening...it's harder than I thought."

"Nothing will happen to Samira, Jari. Trust me, she will be safe at the Academy." Ezra reassured her.

"And should you ever think there aren't enough Jedi around, we can always take her to Atin. I'm sure Tristan will help us." Sabine added.

Jaral nodded. Indeed, the future was uncertain, and Samira was going to be in danger so long as the Empire and the Sith were still powerful enough to reach them, but she wasn't along in protecting her, and she was going to do everything to defend her daughter. With that in mind, she put the matter to rest, for now.


"Make sure to seal the door." said Jordan in a happy and hurried tone to Darvos as he stepped inside the captain's cabin. "We're about to violate several military regulations."

Darvos widely smiled as he did just that. "All right." he added, unable to wipe the smile away. Even during the meeting they had just held with Iulius and the Angara he couldn't suppress a certain enthusiasm.

Not that Jordan felt like blaming him. He still remembered the overwhelming joy that had possessed him for days when his own first-born, Jaral, had come to life. And with that remembrance in mind, he pulled out the rare Scottish whiskey that he had hidden away in his cabin for months. After taking two glasses, the men sat on the couch and Jordan started pouring the liquor.

In the span of twenty minutes they had already halved the bottle, but where Jordan's metabolism prevented him from getting drunk, Darvos was already wasted. Wobbling a bit as he gulped down the last drops in his glass, his eyes half-closed and the face bright red.

"All right, champ, tone it down." Jordan concluded with a chuckle and patting Darvos' shoulder.

The Colonel lowered the glass, reaching for the short table in front to put it down, then slumped back on the couch.

"Ugh." he gurgled. "Jordan, please tell me this isn't just an alcohol-fueled dream."

"Unfortunately for you, it isn't. You're a father, young man."

Darvos groaned halfheartedly, making Jordan giggle and rub his son-in-law's hair. After the laughing died down, the new father spoke up.

"Yup. Father. I can't wait to hold Samira in my arms." he said as his gaze posed on the transparent part of the roof, as if he was looking for the star where his daughter and wife were waiting for him.

"Let's make sure it is as soon as possible." Jordan encouraged.

And just as they were about to resume drinking, Darvos' comlink beeped and came the voice of his adjutant, a severe male voice. "Colonel Tanis, your...brother, has requested a meeting at the Resistance Headquarters. He claims he has urgent news."

Thanking the technology that made the omni-tools possible, Darvos lifted his left arm and put it close enough to his head so he could speak inside the microphone. "Uh, copy that, Brenson. I'm on my way." and closed the call. "Oh, this is bad." he then murmured, holding his head with a hand.

"Fret not, Colonel, cause I have just the right thing for you." Jordan said calmly and headed to the same hidden drawer where he had taken the liquor. From there he pulled out a small, flat box containing one of the best remedies against the fumes of alcohol created in the Milky Way: a special pill capable of blocking the effects of a hangover for a couple hours. "Here, take this."

Darvos didn't object, trusting Jordan without a second guess. Then his eyes popped out and he started coughing.

"Hot! hot!"

"Breathe it in, Darv, it goes over quickly."

Indeed, after squirming for two seconds, Darvos calmed down as the burning sensation dissipated and he could sigh of relief. His face started going back to his natural color.

"Hey, I actually feel better."

"It won't last forever, though. Let's head to the HQ."

As quickly as they could they reached the lower deck and used the ramp to leave the Constantinople, which was sitting on one of Aya's major landing pads as was the Normandy, the capital ships Admonitor and Liberator were stationed in orbit.

They noticed that the crew of the Normandy was just hanging around, meaning that the Shepards had already left for the meeting, so they rushed to the HQ and reached Evfra's command room. Around the table of the Angara commander already stood Jane, her family and then Iulius. Jordan couldn't help but notice that, among all those officers, the imperial was the only one steadfastly wearing his white uniform, while all the others had their informal outfits. He was sure he saw some disdain on the Lord-Protector's face in seeing that.

"We're all here, let's start." the Lord-Protector said with a neutral voice. "I bring alarming news from Eos." he pulled out a datapad and put it on the table for everyone who wanted to take a look. "The Roekaar just attacked our outpost."

Jordan and the others were caught by surprise. The outpost had to be the token force that the New Republic and the Empire had left on Eos as representatives and to teach the Angara about the military tactics of the rest of the galaxy. Plus, so far the Roekaar had seemed to ignore them.

"Akksul apparently feels strong enough to escalate his personal conflict." Evfra said. "I wish to remind you that the Resistance condemns the actions of the Roekaar."

"We are aware, Leader Evfra." Jane reassured. "However, having to fight another enemy complicates our situation: our force is too small."

"Not for long." Iulius calmly interjected. "I received a report from Grand Admiral Thrawn: he will be here tomorrow with the reinforcements."

"What kind of reinforcements?" Evfra asked, not hiding a point of suspicion.

Iulius was silent for a moment, as if he wanted to give the others some time to prepare for the news, a gesture that made Jordan a bit afraid himself.

"40.000 men. With a battleship and 14 escort vessels of various size."

The news indeed staggered the others. Evfra first. "40.000…? Just like that?"

Jordan realized that the Angara was probably more stunned at the idea that the imperials could muster thousands of troops in a few days, when the Resistance was lucky if they got a few hundred new recruits every month. However, what concerned the Legionnaire was another thing.

"I thought you said your own forces had trouble passing through the Utegetu Nebula." he insinuated.

"These are not imperial forces. These are allies of the Empire that answered our call and have a personal reason to fight against the Kett." the Lord-Protector precised. "They had to take a newly charted route from their homeworld all the way to Haeleus, and even if they are new to space-faring, let me assure you that they are great soldiers. With their additional strength, we have a much better chance at taking Meridian and also hold the line against the Kett."

"Can't argue with that. We're already stretched thin." Sara commented.

"And do you intend to use them against the Roekaar, too?" Wilhelm asked.

"Only if they force us to. I'm positive that we can conclude the war against the Kett and take Meridian in less than two months, so I would like to convince Akksul to give us just enough breathing room to do what we need to do and then leave peacefully."

"An ambitious plan." Evfra said calmly. "But if you want to bring Akksul to even lend an ear to you, you will need the help of the Moshae: she's the only one who can convince him to talk."

"I'm sure she will be willing to cooperate. It would be futile to cause a war between our peoples as well."

"In the meantime, we really should prepare to head for the last vault." Darvos intervened. "The sooner we find the key to open Meridian, the sooner we end this war."

"But moving around with the Roekaar on our tail might be dangerous." Scott said. "We should first focus on appeasing them."

"From what we heard, it seems like Akksul will most likely turn down any offer of peace from us, so why waste our breaths?" the Colonel insisted, surprising everyone.

Iulius in particular seemed very suspicious. "This haste is unlikely of you, Darvos. What's the problem?"

The younger Tanis realized that he was indeed speaking way too unnatural. Jordan remembered the words he had just pronounced in the cabin about wanting to go back home, and that desire, probably combined with the fact that the pill was starting to run out its course, was the reason why Darvos spoke so brazenly. After he realized that, he sighed and apologized.

"I'm sorry. I let my personal problems influence me. What I meant to say is that I agree that we need to make a shot at keeping friendly relationships with all the Angara people, but halting our efforts while we wait for diplomacy to work might be counter-productive."

"So are you suggesting that we negotiate and carry on the operation at the same time?" Iulius asked.

"That seems the perfect way to throw out our chance at peace." said Sara.

"If that can help you take a decision, Akksul will show up only for respect to the Moshae." Evfra interjected. "But he won't listen to a thing you say."

With that statement in mind, the debate went on for a few more minutes, and eventually the officers decided to follow the plan of Darvos. After all, it was true that the sooner they defeated the Kett, the sooner they could go back home and leave the problem of the Roekaar behind.

As they were leaving the main building, Darvos was starting to feel a headache. The effect of the pill now gone. Jordan was about to accompany him to the shuttle that could bring him back to the Liberator, but then the voice of Iulius came from behind them.

"Captain Bridger. May I have a moment of your time?"

The Legionnaire was caught by surprise, and turned at first to Darvos, as he didn't want to leave him alone, but his son-in-law reassured him.

"Don't worry, I can reach the shuttle myself."

"You sure?"

"I am."

And as if proving a point of pride, Darvos walked away with a correct posture. He rubbed his eyes a little but kept going with no apparent problem.

Jordan looked at him go and eventually decided to trust him, so he turned his attention to the young officer in white uniform. "I suppose you want to know what happened to your brother?"

"At first, yes. Then I remembered that miss Bridger was supposed to deliver one of these days. I guess you two received the news and...celebrated the event?" Iulius replied with a tone that was slightly smug.

"Can't hide anything from you, uh?" Jordan replied in kind.

Iulius made a half smile, then returned serious and started moving slowly, inviting Jordan to follow him. "I have nothing against it. Darvos made his choice and I respect that, even if I don't share it. More than that, I wanted to thank you, Captain."

"Me?" the Legionnaire asked perplexed.

"For taking care of my brother."

Jordan stopped in his tracks and looked down at the young Admiral (who was shorter than him) with much surprise and a bit of concern. Why would the feared Lord-Protector of the Empire be this friendly with an enemy? As he wondered what he should say in return, Iulius kept walking forward, going past him.

Only after a few meters did Iulius notice that his conversation partner had stopped and so turned around. "Is there any issue?"

"No. It's just...you took me by surprise. Why are you telling me this?"

"Because when we are done in this sector, we will be back to be enemies, trying to kill each other on the battlefield. I hold no grudge against you, Captain, and I am glad that my brother has found a man that he can look up to. I just wanted to tell you this."

"You don't think Darvos can take care of himself?"

"Oh, I most certainly do. But Darvos had always been...a little fragile. He needs people around him in order to stay sane. Therefore I'm happy he found his own place."

The Legionnaire at first wasn't sure if he wanted to believe those words, and yet he felt like Iulius was being sincere. Even if he didn't show any emotion on his face, there was something in his body language and in his tone that convinced Jordan of the sincerity of those words. For better or for worse, it appeared like the Lord-Protector of the Empire was still able to feel glad that his brother was happy with his life, and that he had people looking for him out there.

"Maybe one day you will settle down, too." Jordan said with good intentions.

Iulius huffed amused. "Who knows." he simply concluded.

Then he walked away, leaving Jordan to digest what strange occurrence had just happened.


May 20.

"You sure you're okay?" Ezra asked his sister.

Jaral had just settled Samira into her box: a special capsule made of durasteel able of floating and also close into a protective shell whenever there was a danger around. This had been Moreena's gift for the baby after delivering the news that there might be imperial agents loitering around Lothal and seeking to kill Samira.

They both had been dismissed from the hospital a few hours before and sent back home. Outside were the younglings and the Padawans either training or waiting instructions, and now Jaral was determined to get back in shape so she could finally start taking on missions alongside her two apprentices, who had waited a long time for their Master to go with them.

"The war is not over yet, right?" his sister said with a smile and a voice that indicated she was ready to take on the universe. "Besides, Lissia and Sellion have been way too patient."

Ezra huffed in amusement. "I guess there never was a chance that being a mother would ever slow you down."

"Exactly."

Still, Jaral leaned down on the capsule to kiss Samira on the forehead before it was time to head out.

The siblings walked down the stairs and left from the main door of Jaral's house. Entering the main square of the complex they were met by Hera and Zeb, who had both come back to the planet to visit. Kallus was already with the younglings, holding a lesson about diplomacy and the risks of politics.

Meanwhile, in the parking lot two of the ships was preparing to take off: the Mantis and the Silver Bullet.

"Ezra, remember," warned Hera. "Agamar is out of range of the Coalition. If things go wrong, you and Cal will be on your own."

"Has that ever stopped us?" Ezra minimized with a lopsided grin.

Hera sighed. "I suppose not."

The group accompanied Ezra toward the Mantis, and on the road they stopped to pick up Luke, who was talking with Master Yoda and wearing his combat armor.

"Luke, is our guest on board?" asked the Jedi Knight.

The young farmer turned his head first and his body second to reply. "Yes. She's cuffed aboard the Mantis, Cal and the others are taking turns to guard her."

That seemed a standard response, but Ezra could perceive that his friend had something conflicting inside his conscience.

"What bothers you?" Ezra asked calmly.

Luke lowered his head, gazing down while he searched for the right phrasing, but he didn't hesitate to voice up his doubts: by now, he and Ezra had made a standard rule among the Jedi that everyone needed to share their secrets with at least one other person in the Order, because the problems of one could potentially damage the whole.

"It's just that I feel pity for Mara." he said.

"Pity?!" Zeb asked baffled.

Ezra, however, was unfazed, instead asked Luke to elaborate that thought.

"Her mind is so subjected to the Emperor, that is impossible to say if she's just a puppet or if her own free will is just sealed away in her soul. She just can't conceive anything without the input of her master. I wonder what will happen to her if we kill the Emperor and she will still be alive."

Those words seriously made the others think about it. Yoda also made one of his grunting sounds of approval.

"Compassion you're learning, young Skywalker. At heart keep it, for a Jedi always helps those in need."

"Thank you, Master." Luke replied a bit glad.

"If she will ever ask for help to regain her freedom, we'll be more than happy to lend her a hand." Ezra concluded. "But until that moment, she is an extension of the Emperor and we must treat her very carefully. Make sure your compassion doesn't blur your judgment."

"I'll do my best." Luke concluded.

Bidding Yoda goodbye, the group resumed the march and waved back at the younglings until they reached the two ships. There, Luke split up to go and pick his X-Wing, while from the Bullet came out Sabine, Tristan, Kyle and Jacen, who would lead the group of mandalorians volunteers.

"Is everyone aboard?" asked the Knight.

"Ready and eager to kick some buckets." Tristan replied.

"Of course they are. Then you are free to go."

"We'll make sure to draw as many imperials as we can to Vinsoth." Kyle reassured. "You make sure to find Moff Borret."

"We will." Ezra reassured. "May the Force be with you."

"You too, Master." Jaden added for her and Kyle.

The other Jedi and Tristan headed back to the Gauntlet while Sabine stood for a moment to talk with Ezra. Understanding the situation, even Jaral, Hera and Zeb decided to wish good luck to Ezra and leave them alone.

"You seem worried." he said calmly, even though his wife was wearing her helmet.

"More like lost in thoughts." Sabine conceded.

"You want to talk about it while we still can?"

"Actually...I think it's better if we wait until after this mission. It's quite the big deal."

Now that wasn't encouraging. When Sabine said something was a 'big deal' it usually meant some major changes in their lives.

"Fine. I was expecting you to complain that you couldn't come with me, anyway." he quipped as they took each other's hands.

"We both know you are the one who can't separate from me." she replied in tone. "But last time I met a malevolent ghost I got possessed and tried to kill you, so it's better if I leave you to your Jedi things and focus on the mandalorian ones."

"So you are starting to get some wisdom inside that bucket."

In answer, Sabine punched him lightly on the elbow. The two chuckled then decided it was time to leave and headed to their respective ships.

As Ezra stepped inside the Mantis he quickly spotted Mara, sitting on the couch with her hands tied by a pair of bind-cuffs and guarded by Cal and his Padawan Kubari.

"Take a break, people." Ezra invited. "It's time to move this old trap."

"I heard you!" Greez protested from the cockpit.

"Kubari, go check on the power changers." Cal instructed his young apprentice, who nodded and jogged in the back of the ship.

Cal then headed toward the cockpit, leaving Ezra alone with the Hand of the Emperor, who was patiently sitting on the couch.

"Comfortable?" he asked.

"Why do you care?" she replied coldly.

"Just because you're my enemy, doesn't mean that I have to make you suffer."

"You really think you stand a chance against the Sith by showing kindness?"

"No. Next time I meet Vader or your master I'll do everything I can to put an end to their reign, but only those two. All the others, there is a chance to turn them for good. Yourself included."

Mara scoffed in a defiant amusement, but didn't counter that statement. All the while, the engines of the Mantis started powering up and soon enough, the ship was on her way to the far edge of the galaxy, toward Agamar.