Chapter 17: The Cemetery of Anzat
June 9.
Jane still couldn't believe what had just happened on Kadara. Sitting in her cabin, she was trying to focus on the plan birthed by Thrawn's mind, which sounded completely bonkers, however that was only increasing her anxiety for what was left of her family.
Losing Scott had been a terrible blow to the morale of the entire crew of the Normandy. While there was still a chance to rescue him, it was hard to tell where he even was in the first place, since the expedition had so far been unable to locate where the missing colonists had gone.
The bell of the door buzzed. Shepard lit up the omni-tool to link with the outside camera and saw that it was Wilhelm. With not many reasons to send him away, she unlocked the door and allowed him to walk in.
Wilhelm walked down the stairs with a soft pace and went to stay at a respectful distance.
"How's Sara?" Jane asked undertone.
"She calmed down a bit, but she still feels responsible for what has happened."
"She shouldn't." Jane said to no one in particular, then put down the datapad and sighed as she leaned her forehead against her clasped fists.
"Scott is stubborn. We will find him, I'm sure of that." Wilhelm said.
"I wish I had your confidence."
"It's simple logic: the Kett and their masters want Meridian, and he only has a part of the coordinates. It's more likely they will use him as a hostage."
"Or they will try to exalt him." Jane almost snapped.
"The Moshae had been kept alive for months." Wilhelm simply rebuked.
She realized that that was a real possibility. While a part of her decided to hand on that thought, the realist part was saying that it was still quite a long shot.
"We all know this is the risk of the job." the Major added softly. "If we can take him back, I swear I'll tear through the entire Kett fleet to do that. If it's already too late...then we'll make sure the Archon will pay once and for all."
Jane sighed again. "Oh, he will pay, all right. But you're right: I can't let my emotions drive my actions, or we will head straight into a trap."
"Speaking of which...what do you think of Thrawn's idea?"
"Completely crazy. But after all, being a Specter taught me the value of unconventional solutions. Also, the fact that he will be there means our main objective is covered, so we can focus on our task."
"Our main objective?" Wilhelm asked, confused for a moment.
"Do you remember why we came here in the first place?"
That came back to the Major's mind almost immediately. "Right. To somehow make sure the Lord-Protector takes a throne that he doesn't want."
"You must admit, however, that he's worthy of our respect."
"I have no qualms in saying that." Wilhelm replied. "It's just that I really don't understand what the Empress saw that might turn him into an ally: he's clearly loyal to the Empire and doesn't want to involve himself into politics more than he needs to. If we want to cut the head of the snake, then we should be trying to assassinate Palpatine."
"Most likely that will be our next task, if we survive Meridian. But it's not something we can achieve on our own. We should ask the Jedi for help."
There was a brief silence. Now even Wilhelm seemed brooding, and it became clear once he delivered his answer to the last statement. "I hope so. I am ready to accept the possibility that my son...our son, may not survive this mission. But what I would really hate, is knowing that he died for nothing."
"I know what you mean. But I trust Benny on this matter." Jane replied calmly.
"I trust her too, it's just…" Wilhelm grunted but couldn't finish. He didn't know exactly what he was feeling, but certainly a staunch monarchist like him would never doubt Her Majesty.
Jane stood up and went to put a hand on his shoulder. There wasn't much else to put into words. For both of them, it was quite hard to balance their sense of duty with the life of their son. But still, for now there was little they could do to rescue Scott, so all they needed to do was be patient and hope to find an opportunity as soon as possible.
June 12.
The Ghost came out of hyperspace.
"Have they followed?" Zeb asked.
"Were it so easy to shake him off…" Hera commented with a quip before the sensors alerted that another ship was coming out of hyperspace next to them.
Soon enough, theMillennium Falcon appeared on the starboard side and Han's voice was soon transmitted by the speakers in the cabin.
"This is the Falcon to Ghost, are you still out there? Over."
"Reading you loud and clear, Falcon." answered Hera. "I'm surprised you managed to keep up."
"Easy to talk, when we started much behind from you."
Jaral smirked at the two bantering friendly, but they were there for a mission, so she butted in. "Okay, pod-racers, let's approach Anzat calmly and prepare your scanners. Jinx, link with them."
"Yes, Jaral." the AI replied while the two freighters headed inside the system.
A few minutes of light-speed later they were in the orbit of Anzat. The planet had not exactly the appearance of a friendly world: a strange mist covered most of its surface which, wherever it was visible, had a dark-reddish color. It was also a mixture of mountains and valleys, which made it a perfect hiding place.
"I hope Ketsu knows where we need to look. It's not healthy for us to be here." Ezra commented from his seat.
"Why not? We have been in worse places." Zeb asked.
"I think Ezra refers to the fact that the Anzati people are notorious for feeding on the Force inside the living beings." Kallus said from the co-pilot.
"Woah, what?!" Sabine exclaimed, expressing the surprise of the others in the room.
Unfortunately, Ezra and Jaral had read something about Anzat once they were told about the mission, and what they had discovered on the Anzati people they didn't like one bit.
"Yes. Ahsoka confirmed it: apparently the Anzati use their facial protuberances to drain the Force inside the living beings and feed themselves. Meaning that the Jedi make a very appetizing prospect for them." Ezra said.
"You know, I would've liked to know that earlier!" Zeb protested.
"Easy, Zeb. With us around, you would only be a snack compared to a full meal." Jaral quipped, but that did little to reassure the Lasat.
"And they also have some sort of power that hypnotizes people." Kallus added.
"Guys, are you sure it's a good idea to bring your Padawans along for this?" Hera asked worried.
"Don't worry, Hera. Sellion and Lissia have seen their share of hardships, while Jaden has proven already to be very resilient to mind games." Ezra reassured.
"Still, let's make sure to never let them alone. Especially when we will arrive on the surface." Jaral recommended.
"Sabine, did Ketsu give you a meeting point?" Hera then asked.
"Yes. It's on the surface of the planet, but we are gonna need to get past the controls on the main spaceport anyway." the mandalorian girl said before standing up and go take the comlink of the ship. "All right, Falcon. Get ahead of us and say if there's anyone we should be worried about on the spaceport."
"We got this, Sabine." Leia replied, then the Falcon made the in-system jump ahead of the Ghost.
The group waited around thirty minutes until R2 sent a coded message indicating that the Falcon had landed on the main floating spaceport in the orbit of Anzat and apparently found no indication that the Empire had a presence there.
That was expected: Anzat was right in the middle of the 'no man's zone' that had formed after the battle of Lantillies. Both sides had their forces concentrated on the near Perlimian Trade Route and the Bryx Sector was one of those areas of the galaxy that had been left to its own devices. The Anzati lacked a unitary government, but the various clans had declared their homeworld to be a 'free passage zone', where everyone was allowed to take refuge so long as they didn't give problems.
The Ghost made its own jump, arriving a few minutes late enough to not give the impression that they were following the Falcon. After getting clearance, Hera posed the ship inside one of the commercial hangars for passenger ships. The siblings got their Padawans, warned them about never leaving their side and then headed out with Sabine in front.
"Come on. Ketsu is waiting in a storage room near Hangar 9." the mandalorian said, pulling out a small map of the station.
Thus they headed into the corridors. The Jedi had decided eventually not to conceal their notorious weapons, mostly out of principle: after years forced to hide, they wanted the whole galaxy to know that the Order was back and that they were going to restore peace and justice.
For now, though, they were only there to recover something precious to their mandalorian allies. So while Luke and Han were trying to get the Falcon an authorization to reach the surface on its own, the siblings and their group reached the storage room and, hidden inside a maze of containers, they found their old acquaintance, still wearing her suit and light armor.
"It's so good to see you, sister." Sabine greeted as the two went to bump their armored wrists into each other.
"Likewise, Bine. You too, Bridgers." she replied.
"Glad to see you're still alive, Ketsu." Ezra quipped. "So, found anything about this mythical weapon?"
"No, but the Black Sun is about to lead me right to it." the woman replied confidently. "So listen carefully: I convinced the supervisor of the excavation team to bring me as bodyguard, and to help them understand if we find anything remotely mandalorian."
"Perfect. So when do we strike?" Sabine asked eagerly.
"Easy, silly. I wasn't authorized to receive the coordinates of the dig site, but I have a transmitter with me." Ketsu said as she took a hand in one of her belt pockets and took out a small tracer. As she handed it over to Sabine she kept explaining. "Once I light it up, It will mean I need help and a ride out."
Sabine took a short look at the device, then put it into one of her own pockets and said: "Got it. Make sure they don't suspect anything."
"Don't worry about me. Rather, get an authorization to go on the surface as quickly as possible and wait here on the spaceport. The Anzati on the planet would hunt your Jedi friends worse than the Death Watch would have."
"Are they really that dangerous?" Lissia asked a bit horrified.
"Oh they are, kid. That's why you'll have an easier time on this station: the Anzati try their hardest to avoid any killing on their most important trade hub, but on the planet it would be free hunting. Just stay low until you have to pick me up."
"If the Anzati feed on the Force, though," Jaral intervened. "it's safe to assume that they can also sense how much strong it is in each individual. I doubt we can lay low even if we stay aboard the Ghost all the time."
"Oh...I didn't know that." Ketsu said a bit surprised.
"You didn't?!" Sellion asked shocked.
"It's not her fault." Ezra calmly intervened. "Knowledge of the Force and its dynamics are very rare for those who don't study it."
"Well, if that makes you feel more at ease," said Ketsu. "I think it won't take long before the diggers find where we need to go: the weapon of the first Mandalore is probably resting into some sort of tomb."
"Yeah, but Mandalore the First has been dead for more than 20.000 years. Enough time to have an entire mountain grow around the sanctuary."
"Then good thing the Black Sun doesn't care much for the environment." Ketsu grimly joked. "They'll blow up the mountain, if necessary. Trust me: this is going to be quicker than we think."
"If you say so, then we will wait." Ezra concluded.
"Thank you. Then I better go." Ketsu said.
Before leaving, she landed a hand on Sabine's shoulder and whispered something, though the siblings easily caught that with their enhanced hearing.
"You got yourself a reliable riduur."
"When you come to Lothal, be sure to find one too." Sabine quipped back.
They both chuckled, then Ketsu walked past them, put her helmet on and left the room. The Jedi and Sabine waited for a couple minutes before leaving too.
June 13.
While Iulius was studying all the intel they had about Meridian with Yagler and Qathora, the terminal on his desk notified that a code cylinder had been authorized to access his door, which slid open and let Thrawn in. The Grand Admiral strode calmly toward the desk, at which point Yagler made the salute and Iulius spoke up.
"So...got any luck?" he asked in a serious tone.
"As a matter of facts, my messages have finally received an answer. Now I need to convince them that I am back."
"I see." Iulius said, then revolved his chair enough to turn his gaze toward Yagler.
"Yagler, what we're about to discuss, I want you to report it to Director Gideon as soon as you can."
"Yes, sir." she replied naturally, even though she clearly found the phrasing interesting. She reported all the progress to Gideon anyway, so why wouldn't she do it this time?
"Grand Admiral," Iulius resumed. "are you entirely sure that the ones who answered you are Chiss?"
"The messages were in Cheunh, the Chiss language. It's impossible for non-Chiss to master it to the point where I wouldn't be able to see an attempt at forgery."
Yagler seemed to realize all at once what was happening and couldn't hold herself back from barging into the conversation. "Woah, wait! Are you saying you are trying to contact an alien species on your own?!"
Such reaction was expected by the two men in white: imperial protocol dictated that contact with an alien species was not to be sought, and when it happened, it needed the approval from Coruscant. The measure had been strengthened after the incident of the wormhole that had led to immediate hostilities with the Federation and put the Empire in a precarious situation.
Still, Thrawn had the answer ready. "Your indignation is understandable, Agent Yagler. However, my reasons for seeking this contact are to go to the benefit of the Empire."
Yagler sighed. "I hope so, otherwise I don't know how I will be able to justify it. All right, I won't interrupt you anymore."
"I appreciate it." the Chiss answered before resuming his explanation. "First though, I feel like I need to reveal how I made my way into the ranks of the Imperial Navy. If you read my files, I assume you already know that I was exiled by my people?" he asked the women, as Iulius already knew the full story.
"I heard it was because you basically launched a preemptive strike on some aliens you thought were threatening your people?" Qathora asked.
"As a matter of fact, it was the Grysks. For three years, one of their agents, named Jixtus, tried to orchestrate the collapse of the Ascendancy by sparking a civil war and then use the situation for the Grysks to destroy us. In the end, I led a strike team against his fleet and destroyed him first. That's the reason why I was exiled."
"So you saved their collective skins and they exile you? Talk about ingratitude." the Togruta asked with a bit of a joke in his voice.
"If they exiled you, why are you still trying to contact them?" Yagler asked, clearly smelling something fishy.
"My exile was genuine, but there was also another side to it, that even most of my companions in the Ascendancy didn't know: I asked for it."
The two women were clearly puzzled.
"Allow me to make it short." Iulius finally intervened. "Basically, the Grand Admiral had a few contacts with the old Republic personnel during the times of the Clone Wars, so he knew about the old government. His exile happened after the establishment of the Empire, and he believed we could be a precious ally against the Grysks."
Yagler didn't need much more explanation to put two and two together. "So the fact that an imperial vessel found you on a wild planet at the edge of the known galaxy wasn't a case at all?"
"I meant to be found, if that's what you're asking." Thrawn said calmly. "But luck also had a role to play. If I didn't manage to make a 'casual' contact with the Empire after some months, a Chiss ship was ready to pick me up and make another attempt on another frontier world."
"So you mean that you were in touch with your people ever since you entered the Navy?" asked Qathora.
"Indeed. I stayed in contact with my superiors of the Expansionary Defense Fleet, sending them news and, sometimes, even talented individuals who I thought could contribute to the security of the Ascendancy."
Yagler needed a moment to take that in, but she quickly started to see the bigger picture. "But you basically cut all contacts after you were captured and sent to the Milky Way. That's why you're trying to reach them again."
The Chiss made a nod. "Very good. Since it was impossible for me to operate without the help of the Lord-Protector, I asked for his help and he was generous enough to turn a blind eye. However, I'm not trying to reach my people only because I feel nostalgic, but because the renewed threat of the Grysks clearly shows the necessity to keep guard on our northern flank. And, unfortunately, all the resources of the Empire are already focused on the war against the Federation and the rebels."
"Which means, we need allies to help us guard this region." Iulius concluded for Thrawn before expanding on that concept. "Carunoia has been an important starting point to set up a line of defense against whatever is hiding in the Unknown Regions, and I have been trying to cultivate a friendship with the Angara so that we may become part of this system of protection. But both civilizations are coming out of destructive wars, so they are most likely not enough."
"So...you are seeking the help of the Chiss?" Yagler asked half amazed and half baffled.
"Apparently, they are the main regional power in this quadrant of the galaxy, so their cooperation is imperative, but that's not all.
"A few weeks ago, the Grand Admiral has proposed me a plan to secure this portion of galaxy. I support it, but it will need the approval of the Emperor, which is why I need you to make sure Director Gideon gets the full picture."
Iulius made a gesture with the hand that invited Thrawn to lay out his grand strategy against the Grysks and the Chiss took the invite.
"After we finish this mission, and the Coalition will return to their controlled space, I intend to use Carunoia as a base for expanding imperial influence inside the Unknown Regions. I will only need a handful of ships to begin with. I will try to build an alliance between the various species who are threatened by the Grysks. That way, the Empire will be safe from more interference and we can avoid a third front that we can't cover at the moment."
Yagler mumbled in thought as she passed a hand in front of her mouth. "Yes...I see your point. And we can probably harvest more resources for the war effort that the rebels won't be able to touch."
"That certainly is a desirable prospect." Iulius said. "So, will you help me convince Moff Gideon?"
"Of course, sir. If you don't have anything else to add, I will start working on the report right away."
"Thank you, Cordelia. You may proceed."
Yagler made a quick salute and then headed out of the room.
"You know, I thought you wanted him on the frontline to help you." Qathora eventually commented to Iulius, referring to Thrawn.
"The Lord-Protector and the officers he chose are more than capable of handing this war, Qathora." Thrawn said.
"Not that I wouldn't appreciate you being there with us, Admiral." Iulius countered. "But you know this part of space better than anyone else in the Empire and it is a delicate project. You are the only one who can pull this through."
"Your faith in me is flattering." the Chiss said with a smirk before returning to serious mode. "But now we should focus on the battle in front of us. Has Captain Bridger reported in?"
"Yes." said Iulius. "His AI sent an encrypted message to Steve just before you entered." the Lord-Protector then tapped a button and a hologram came up. First it showed a holomap of Haeleus. There were many dots indicating the charted systems in the eastern region of the sector, but all of a sudden a new dot appeared and started shining in the north-western quadrant. "The Constantinople has followed the traces left in hyperspace by the Grysk ship on Kadara and found this."
Iulius pressed another button and now came up the picture of a multitude of ships, some Kett and some similar to the ship that attacked the Normandy on Kadara.
"Those ships in the center of the formation, are they Grysk?"
Thrawn made a nod. "Yes. Although they have a few differences, they are clearly designs that I saw last time at the battle of Sunrise."
"They also remind me of the Yavzakh fleet. There is no doubt that these are Grysk."
"And if they are sending their own warships, it means they are taking us seriously." Qathora commented.
"I agree." Iulius said with his voice muffled by the fingers intertwined in front of his mouth. "Thrawn, do you still think your plan will work with those things around?"
"I will make a few adjustments, but I still think it's solid."
"Good enough for me. Go back to the Chimaera, I'll inform Shepard that we're ready to go."
Thrawn made the salute and then headed out.
It took actually an entire rotation, but then Ketsu finally gave the green light. After getting permission to head for the surface, by signing a consent form where they recognized no responsibility to the Anzati government for any aggression that may occur on the planet, the Ghost and the Falcon sped toward the dig site. They both traversed the mist cloud and found the landing spot that their infiltrated ally had signaled.
Despite looking very insalubrious, the air of Anzat wasn't actually terrifying as it was breathable and there was no particularly strong stench.
In the cargo hold, Ezra materialized his armor, making Jaral comment. "I sure hope the Legion can provide me with another one soon."
"Until then, always keep an eye on your personal shields and avoid being hit." Ezra cautioned.
Jaral then turned toward her Padawans. Unlike Luke and Jaden, who were on the Falcon and were going to be the rearguard for this mission, Sellion and Lissia were going to be at the forefront.
"All right my friends, it's time to show me if my teachings were useful or not." she quipped.
"We won't fail you, Master!" Sellion replied proudly, gripping his fist in front of his shoulder. Clearly, Lissia also shared the excitement.
"The only people you don't have to fail are those you stare in the mirror every morning." the woman replied with a mature and gentle tone before hearing the door hissing open.
"Be ready," said Sabine, again in front of them. "The Black Sun might have sentinels covering the access to the dig site.
The ramp lowered and the group left and saw Luke and Jade coming out of the Falcon too, shortly followed by Han and Leia. As they walked to meet them and define the plan, Ezra took a moment to speak in the head of his sister.
"Sis, just watch out for Sellion and Lissia."
"Really? Why?" asked Jaral surprised.
"It seems to me like they're a bit too eager to prove themselves in front of you. I know you wanted to kick some scum butt alongside me, but just for this time leave the heavy lifting to me. You make sure they don't do anything too rash."
"If you say so, all right."
The group then met with the other two Padawans and their friends of the Falcon. Of that group, Han was taking a look at the path they needed to take: a path in the shape of a V that headed toward a short mountain.
"There is no way you can hide your approach on foot." he said.
"We already sneaked inside a dig site before. If you can't go past their lines, let your lines past you." commented Sabine. Then she lowered her rangefinder and took a better look at the road.
It didn't take long before she spotted a small convoy of covered trucks. It likely carried supplies for the excavation efforts as well as a few mercenaries sent there to protect the investment of the Black Sun.
The group of Jedi and the mandalorian didn't take long before coming up with a classic plan: find a point where the convoy would be forced to slow down and then sneak inside the last truck, loaded with crates, which then allowed them to enter inside the dig site and, luckily enough, because the truck was bringing supplies, they were brought inside the storage, closed and out of sight.
After knocking out the unlucky guard that came past them, Ezra used the omni-tool to scan said guard and take his place.
"Ok, Sabine, let's find Ketsu." said Jaral.
Sabine nodded and then used her omni-tool to send a written message to her old friend, just to make sure a call wouldn't be heard by other mercs if they happened to be around her. Shortly after, luckily, Ketsu replied by signaling them a point at the edge of the site where they could meet.
"Took your sweet time." Ketsu whispered once they were at the meeting.
"Did they find the weapon?" Sabine asked ignoring the comment.
"Not yet, for what I heard. But they found the sanctuary for sure. I saw it myself since they asked me to confirm if it was mandalorian art the one they saw on the walls."
"And is it?"
"Yes. Sculptures on the cave walls narrating the history of the first Mandalore and how our ancestors conquered our first planets."
"Then it's definitely a tomb." Sabine said confident. "But I wonder what's doing here. Mand'alor the First disappeared without leaving a trace."
"Seems like we found where he ended up. Still, the tunnel to the sanctuary is right over there." Ketsu pointed a big hole in the side of the mountain that resembled the entrance of a mine. "I'll distract the guards, you take the chance as soon as you can. I'll meet you again underground."
"Good luck, sister." Sabine concluded.
Said and done, Ketsu distracted the guards by bringing up some imaginary problem and that allowed the group of Jedi to sneak inside the tunnel, but not before Ezra gestured to his own two Padawans to climb the hill and take a higher ground to keep an eye on the camp as a whole, so they could warn the team in case there was any hint that the Black Sun had discovered the intrusion.
It didn't take long for the group to bump into the first guards of the Black Sun, whom the siblings quickly and efficiently knocked out with a synchronized maneuver reminiscent of the good old times. Then they quickly proceeded deeper into the cave, which luckily wasn't that deep. After just a few dozens meters they found a well-lit area with miners and workers digging out the austere but elegant tomb.
"That's ancient Mando'a." Sabine noted, seeing the writings that adorned the external wall of the sanctuary. "But we won't get past all these people unnoticed."
"Leave that to me." Ezra calmly said and activated the hologram on his armor to appear like the guard he had scanned before.
"Be quick, though. I'm not sure the guards are authorized to enter the relic." warned Jaral.
"I got this." Ezra replied boldly, then vaulted over the rocks and started walking toward the site.
Walking as if he was supposed to be there, the Jedi Knight calmly waltzed past the open threshold and also passed a group of three miners who were too busy digging something out of the ground to pay attention to him.
"Are we just going to stay here and do nothing?" Sellion whispered quite frustrated.
"Sellion," Jaral replied patiently and just a pinch of irony. "You will soon learn that me and my brother are a magnet for troubles."
"Meaning that the two of them guarantee explosions before the end of this mission." Sabine added to help her.
Sellion didn't know if he felt thrilled or confused by the nonchalance that his Master sported in saying such a thing, but he still quieted down and returned to keep his eyes toward the tomb, making sure the personnel of the Black Sun wasn't alerted by anything.
Unfortunately for them, the problems arrived all of a sudden and from the entrance of the cave. The two women were the first to notice the heavy sound of many steps marching decidedly toward the tomb and Jaral prompted the others to hide better into a dark corner of the cave.
Soon enough, they spotted a full squad of mercenaries in combat asset, led by a Falleen male wearing the same kind of armor as the soldiers and, also, dragging a cuffed Ketsu along.
"Karabast." Sabine hissed under her breath. "How did they rat her out?"
"We'll find out later." Jaral replied before closing her eyes to quickly contact Ezra down the bond.
"Ez. Ketsu has been captured. You need to get out of there."
"Calm down, I have an idea?"
"What do you mean? How can you possibly know?" asked Jaral partially confused and angry.
"Luke already warned me." was Ezra's calm reply.
Jaral's mind fumbled around in disarray, then she realized that the two of them had recently worked quite hard to establish a telepathic contact between them. And considering that deep inside the mountain the comlinks would never work, this ability now came in as a lifesaver.
"Ok, so what now?"
"Just lay low and wait for my signal."
"Jari, tell me you warned Ezra." Sabine asked out of the blue and Jaral snapped back into the real world.
"He knows. And he came up with an idea."
"Care to share it, Master?" Lissia asked quite worried about the developments in front of them.
"He only said to wait for his signal." was all Jaral could provide.
Meanwhile, the group of soldiers had stopped in front of the tomb and ordered the workers to get out of the way, something they gladly did when they understood that things were about to heat up.
The Falleen commander pulled out a voice amplifier and talked inside of it.
"Attention, thief inside the tomb. We got you friend and we know you are there. Get out with your hands up and maybe I will consider letting you go with only one less."
Just a few moments later, Ezra emerged from the threshold of the tomb, holding what looked like a pole covered with crusts of earth and dirt. He was making sure that it was for all to see, especially for the commander of the mercenaries. As he stepped out, he deactivated his hologram, revealing his true self.
Many mercs clearly gasped at the sight of a Legionnaire's armor, as they knew full well what they were capable off.
"Those colors…" said the Falleen only slightly surprised. "You are the Jedi. Ezra Bridger."
"Oh, I'm humbled that you recognize me. But do you also know what I'm holding up here?"
he There was a confused silence, after which Ezra kept going.
"It's the weapon of Mandalore the First, the thing you've been spending a lot of money to find. And I assure you, time hasn't been kind to it. Fire at me, and your blasters will never penetrate my shields before I have a chance to snap it in two. It won't be of much value to your boss after that, I imagine."
"I don't need to kill you, Jedi." the captain said and quickly extended a hand to drag Ketsu next to him and point his pistol at her head. "That artifact is property of Prince Xizor. Hand it over or she dies."
Another silence, but Jaral knew she and her group had to be ready.
"Jeez, no need to be so dramatic." Ezra said loudly, but raised a hand and carefully lowered to put down the lance. Then he rose back up, keeping his hands in the air. "I suppose it's too much to hope that you will release her.
The Falleen replied with a malicious chuckle. "Looks like you have some common sense. Too bad that won't help you anymore."
And immediately turned his pistol toward Ezra.
Of course, the Jedi immediately dashed sideways and avoided the bolt.
"Now!" said Jaral as she grabbed her lightsaber and vaulted over, igniting her weapon.
Her Padawans and Sabine promptly rushed outside, also taking their weapons out.
"Sabine, take Ketsu!" the Jedi ordered while she and her Padawans rammed into the formation of mercenaries who were taken completely by surprise.
Wren went straight toward the Black Sun captain and, the moment he turned around to see what was happening, Ketsu twisted her body to escape his grip and Sabine took the opportunity to shoot a blaster bolt directly between his eyes. He fell down like a sack of potatoes.
"Sis!" Ezra yelled into the bond.
Jaral promptly turned around, already knowing what Ezra was doing: he threw his lightsaber to her, so she could join them while he dashed to recover the lance and Sabine helped Ketsu up.
The Knight quickly put the lightsabers together and ignited the double-edge blade, and along with Sellion and Lissia they cut down half of the mercenaries while the other half tried to put some distance so they could fire their weapons.
"I got it! Let's get out of here." Ezra then yelled. The pole-arm had already disappeared, dematerialized into his omni-tool.
"Cover us." Sabine requested as she helped a wounded Ketsu to march upward on the trail. Ezra thus reached his sister and activated the directional shield of his omni-tool. And this one was the upgraded version, since his armor was of the latest design. The shield was basically bigger than him, allowing him to walk in a normal posture that didn't slow him down, while Jaral stood at his side and deviated back the bolts that came at them. All the while Sellion and Lissia were covering the backs of the mandalorians.
That was until Sellion, instead of proceeding, stopped halfway to draw the fire of the remaining mercs.
"Sellion!" Jaral recalled him.
"Just go, I'll keep them off you!" the boy urged.
Ezra shook his head to his sister, telling her that there was no time to argue. He let her go past him and climb up until she was out of the sight of the mercs, then he grabbed Sellion's shoulder with the free hand and dragged him away too with a degree of severity. Luckily, the Padawan got the message and ran away with the Knight.
As they sped back toward the surface, the cave was suddenly rocked by an explosion and a bit of dust fell from the roof.
"What's happening?" Sellion asked confused.
"Our reinforcements have arrived." Ezra replied in an encouraging tone.
When they finally saw the light of the sun of Anzati, the explanation became clear: the Silver Bullet had dropped Tristan and his warriors on the scene, while the Falcon and the Ghost were providing air cover.
However, it seemed like the fight was pretty much already over. Since most of the fighting force of the Black Sun was down into the cave, when the few guards left found themselves attacked by a group of mandalorians in full armor and armed to the teeth, not to mention the two freighters armed with heavy lasers, they had dropped their weapons almost instantly. Tristan and his warriors were already cuffing the guards while gathering the workers into the lodgings, to keep them at bay until they Jedi and their allies were done there.
The few mercs who eventually returned from the caves saw the hopeless situation and also surrendered.
"Seems like your training with mind-talking actually came up to something." Jaral said impressed.
"Yeah, I thought it was possible only with those who have a Force bond." Jaden added next to them.
"I think you forget that the Force binds all living beings." Luke surprised everyone with his calm wisdom. "All it takes for us is to know each other better and have some faith." he said while his 'Slayer' suit was still on and covering his face.
"Well said, my friend. So what do you say, Jaden? Are you going to join us in the training, too?"
The Twi'lek sighed. "I guess I have no reason to be skeptical anymore."
As Ezra commented the mission with his Padawans, Jaral decided to do the same and motioned Sellion and Lissia to follow her away from most ears.
"Master, I know I took a risk, before, but…" Sellion started, ready to justify his rather unnecessary exposure during the flight from the caves.
However, Jaral lifted a hand to stop him. "You have nothing to be ashamed of. On the contrary, considering this was your first heated fight, I have to praise your restraint."
The human boy was clearly caught off-guard. "Wha...really?"
Jaral made a nod and a reassuring smile. "Indeed. Both of you didn't expose yourself more than necessary, which is a virtue in itself, and something I am very proud of. You did well, today, but as your journey continues, remember to always listen to the Force when planning a move."
The Padawans nodded instinctively, probably not understanding the more complex concept that Jaral was trying to transmit.
However, the lesson would have to be postponed, because Jaral then spotted with corner of the eyes that Sabine and Tristan were walking toward Ezra.
"So...can we see the weapon you so casually threatened to break?" Sabine asked with a an annoyed tone.
"Relax, cyar'ika." Ezra replied confidently, then lightened up his omni-tool.
By the time the pole-arm materialized, the rest of the group had gathered around. Ezra grabbed it by keeping the hands fairly far and revealing a single point where the crusts had been removed.
"Take a good look."
The Wren siblings approached their heads and their eyes almost immediately barred. Sabine then gave a knuckle on the uncovered steel and the sound that reverberated had Tristan murmur.
"Pure beskar?"
"Yes." said Ezra. "Even my lightsaber wouldn't be able to break it. Oh...that reminds me."
Jaral thought the exact same thing, so she stepped forward, grabbed her brother's lightsaber and handed it back.
While he hanged the weapon at his belt again, Ezra said to the Wrens to take the lance, and the two immediately were ready to head back to Lothal and store it safely at Atin.
With that, the brief adventure on Anzat was over.
As they walked up the ramp of the Silver Bullet, Ezra noticed the absent expression of his sister.
"Something on your mind?"
"Oh...sorry. I was just wondering what Darvos and Dad are up to, right now. They've been gone for a lot, by now." she said with a certain difficulty.
Ezra knew that the idea of Darvos probably not living long enough to ever meet Samira was a constant in Jaral's mind, even if she did her best to hide it. To reassure her, Ezra put an arm around her arms and rubbed her shoulder gently.
"I'm sure they're totally fine."
