Chapter 22: Encounters of Fate
July 14.
The liberation of Darvos took a little more than anticipated, mostly because after being reinstated to the command of the Liberator, the Colonel was called for a meeting with Mon Mothma and her cabinet, which, to the displease of Ezra and Jaral, included the man who put him behind bars, too.
Still, Darvos still hadn't had the time to make his report about his expedition in the Haleus Sector, and the testimony, the siblings were also invited to participate, so they could be made aware of the threats lurking in the Unknown Regions. Darvos was also sure that his brother was planning to extend the influence of the Empire, perhaps using the Carunoans and the Angara to create a buffer between the Core and the Grysks or the Kett, but he had no real proof to show for that theory.
At least the government understood the implied prospects: even if they managed to defeat the Empire and take the Core, the New Republic would have to deal with this new species that seemed eager to invade the civilized part of Andromeda, or at least a part of it.
The only good thing was that the Grysks had proven to be lagging far behind in terms of military tech, but there was no saying how long they would need to close that gap.
Finally, after 10 hours of making his report, Darvos was granted two weeks of shore leave for him and his crew. it was finally time to return to Lothal.
The trip this time was without other impediments and while the Constantinople made a stop at Capitol City, the Silver Bullet headed straight for the Bridger Complex and the Jedi academy. To their surprise, the group found not only all the Knights training Padawans and younglings alike, but also Hera and Zeb.
"Guys. We heard about the arrest on Lianna, but I didn't think you would be out so quickly, Darv." Hera joked, sounding like all of that was completely normal.
"It was all just a huge misunderstanding." Darvos decided to simplify. "But I'm glad to see you all again."
"And someone will be even happier." Zeb added, knowing the situation. He nodded toward Darvos and Jaral's home. "Go on."
"Thank you, Zeb." Jaral replied gratefully.
It might have sound a bit selfish on their part, but who could blame them?
The Jedi grabbed her husband's hand and led him back home, while Ezra stayed in the courtyard to speak with the rest of the Jedi and the crew about the recent developments. Jaral and Darvos headed inside the house instead. If she was happier than ever before, he was incredibly nervous and shaking in anticipation.
They arrived in front of the door and Jaral opened it. The room was illuminated only by the natural light outside, which revealed the simple decorations that so far decorated the room while the kid's cradle was located on the opposite end of the door. Inside the room a fateful droid beeped at seeing his owners again.
"Raze." Darvos greeted. "You been making guard?"
The R3 unit replied positively and then rolled toward the cradle, with Jaral following him shortly after. Darvos only had the strength to make a few steps into the room and preferred waiting for the baby to be shown to him.
Jaral looked inside the cradle and found Samira already waking up despite them having tried to be as quiet as possible. It seemed like the baby could already feel that this was a grand moment in her short life and intended to be present. Samira giggled at her mother and waved her tiny hands. Jaral smiled pretty much on reflex and gently leaned in to grab and lift her into her arms.
"Samira…" the Jedi said, then turned around with a quick swing, making sure the baby would look at the man in the room. "meet Dad."
As if she could understand, Samira gestured toward Darvos, clearly asking to go meet him.
At first, Darvos was paralyzed by the emotion. Warm tears started to slide down his cheeks, then he found the strength to move forward and tended his arms. Jaral let him take the baby in his arms, after which Darvos brought Samira close to his face, which was still processing the whirlwind happening inside the man's heart.
Jaral understood that the tears were only the climax of what must have been the worst fear of Darvos: that either he would die during his mission in the Unknown Regions or be actually sentenced to prison on Lianna and that he would have never seen this day, but here he was.
Giving in to a liberating cry and sulking, Darvos kissed his daughter on the head and then held her close, gently but as tight as if he would die if he ever got separated from her again.
Jaral smiled and reached the two of them. Words were now useless. Darvos smiled at her too as she brought her head forward and touched her forehead with his, before they made a tender hug that wrapped Samira between them.
Ezra felt a light tug into his bond and couldn't excuse himself from momentarily turning his head toward his sister's home, making a small happy smile before turning again toward the rest of the Knights.
"You were saying?" asked Cal. "Did you understand where the map leads to?"
"Actually, I was hoping you could help me, Cal." Ezra replied, lighting up his omni-tool.
He revealed the astronomical map that he and Kota had found inside Bast Castle, a map that indicated a star cluster deep into the Unknown Regions and that wasn't signaled on the charts available to the Jedi.
Yet, when they were put in front of it, Cal, Cere and Merrin seemed to find those coordinates familiar. They squeezed their eyes, trying to remember where they had seen that.
"Hold on." Cal mumbled, bringing up his own omni-tool and materializing one of the holocrons he had with him.
Under the amazed gazes of the Padawans, Cal didn't even close his eyes to open the device, such was the point he had mastered that technique. The cube's edges started turning on themselves and the form itself floated a bit from Cal's hand. Soon after, it revealed another map, of a design that Ezra had never seen before.
It certainly was an ancient artifact, but Ezra recognized a couple worlds and soon realized that it was a chart pinpointing several systems in the deepest parts of the Unknown Regions.
"This is a map of the Zeffo that we found some years ago hidden on Ilium." Cal explained. "Let's see if, by combining them, Jinx can get something out of it." he proposed.
"Jinx." Ezra called.
"Analysis…" the AI replied.
By getting access to the now defenseless holocron, Jinx quickly superimposed the two maps and made several adjustments at the speed of thought. The Jedi could see the graph change and deform until the secret systems in the Zeffo map finally made sense and finally coincided with a set of star coordinates.
"In the language of the Zeffo, this system is known as 'Gutek'." the AI said. But I have no data about it.
"And there are no names on the Sith map." Ezra added in resignation. "I doubt they use that of the Zeffo."
"Whatever they want there, we are sure we don't want them have it." Petro interjected. "We need to stop them no matter what."
"Don't worry, Petro, we are going to." Ezra reassured. "But first, me and Jaral have been asked a meeting with Empress Benedetta, so we're heading for Earth now. The rest of you keep in contact with Ahsoka and look for any hint over what the Sith are up to."
"As you wish, boss." Zatt said jokingly.
"All right, younglings, back to training." Katooni then said loudly, clapping her hands twice.
The kids obediently fell back into the ranks. Ezra used that moment to notice that the group of younglings had now grown even further. As the Republic and other nations consolidated their rule, there were more signals for Force-sensitives around the liberated territories. Likely, many were still hiding or kept in hiding by their families, but the numbers at the Academy were still steadily rising every month.
"Luke, may I have a moment of your time?" Ezra asked to his Padawan friend before he moved away.
Luke halted in his tracks, turned around and said "Sure." and walked back to Ezra.
The Knight searched for Master Yoda with his eyes and found him waiting for the younglings to get back into their training space. The green alien didn't even take part in the small reunion that just occurred, just as a reminder that he intended to stick with the duties of teaching and nothing else.
With a motion of his hands, Ezra made Luke follow him until they were in front of the former Grand Master of the old Order.
"Master Yoda. I have a proposal regarding Luke's training."
Yoda made his signature hum before replying kindly "All hears, I am." and laughed as he gestured at his pointy ears.
By the Force, Ezra could swear that Yoda was just becoming senile as the weeks passed. It was probably a miracle that he still had so much lucidity.
Ignoring the dad joke, Ezra proceeded with his proposal. "I think we should assign Luke to missions of his own."
Both Luke and Yoda jolted their heads, though the latter seemed more intrigued than baffled.
"What?!" asked Luke.
"For him to go alone, you think ready, he is?" Yoda asked lightheartedly.
Ezra made a firm nod. "I am." and turned his head toward Luke. "His potential is much greater than any of us here. Right now, the only teacher he needs, is experience."
"Ezra, I…" Luke asked, sounding both embarrassed and humbled, but in reality he didn't seem to know what he wanted to say.
"Indeed. Struggle, the best way to prepare yourself is." Yoda agreed. "Start making your own path, you need, Luke."
Luke seemed a bit more eager, but still slightly lost at the idea of start making his choice independently. Ezra thus added how he could start out.
"I already spoke with Han and Leia. They would be very happy to have you on the Falcon for their own missions. And of course, the Jedi Order will always be a family and a home you can count on."
Luke turned his head around, looking at the soothing background of the prairie. He clearly pondered that decision for a good dozen of seconds before giving his attention back to his teachers.
"Maybe you're right. I was thinking that training was starting to get a bit too repetitive." he conceded.
Ezra huffed amused. "I know that feeling."
Then he lit up his omni-tool and send a set of coordinates and access codes to Luke's. "Han and Leia are part of General Dodonna's 4th Fleet, right now. There are also Biggs, Wedge and most of the people you met since Yavin, I'm sure you'll fit right in."
Luke took a look at the current coordinates of the fleet, which was stationed over Taris and waiting for orders. By leaving immediately with his X-Wing, the young Skywalker would be there in four rotations.
"All right. I'll keep my eyes open for any move the Sith will make in the region, anyway."
"That's the spirit." Ezra replied, then extended his hand. "May the Force be with you, Luke."
Luke shook that hand. "Thanks for everything, Ezra. May the Force be with you, too."
Skywalker wished Yoda goodbye, promising to return when he would have matured a bit more, and while he went to also bid farewell to the rest of the Knights, Ezra and Yoda talked.
"I hope he doesn't run into Vader, yet."
"His fate, this is. Though strong he might look, I sense great fear in him. Dominate it by himself, Luke must."
"I guess so…"
A brief silence followed, until Ezra sighed to end the conversation. "Alright, it's a long way to Earth. I better go grab my sister."
July 20.
Just a week after turning 27, Iulius couldn't help but contemplate the position he was finding himself in.
Despite his young age, he had climbed the ranks through his sheer merit. Sure, he had the favor of a Grand Admiral first and then of the Emperor and his right-hand man, but he had earned that respect with his own skills in the first place.
So, if he had earned so much fame and respect, why was he denied even a fraction of all the ships he was seeing being built in front of his viewport? Maybe a better question would have been why had he been summoned to Fondor in the first place.
He hated that place, reminding him of the time he had to bear under the command of his father. He had already visited his old office, where Chimbros would have held him indefinitely had it not been for that call from Thrawn, three years before.
Qathora usually was always following him, but this time she asked to stay aboard the Admonitor. Whatever Chimbros did to her while she was his slave, she clearly didn't want to relive it, instead it was Yagler who was next to him along with the escort of Death Troopers.
He was a bit more glad to see again some of the staff that he had met during his time there and that he didn't openly despised, like the quartermaster, the cook and the chief engineer of Hangar 12. All of them greeted him fondly and joked how far he had gone since leaving the thumb of Chimbros.
Now he was waiting in one of the guest rooms of the Venerable of the Fondor Shipyards corporation, the head figure for this entire structure. Iulius had met him just once during his time there, as the Venerable sometime had business with Chimbros. He remembered him as the average high-class member of the imperial nobility: fat, with a well-trimmed beard and rich garments.
And that figure was exactly what appeared in front of him when the Venerable Heike entered the guest room with a benevolent attitude.
"Lord Tanis! By the stars it's so good to see you again!" he said loudly, as if he had seen a beloved nephew.
At least, Iulius thought, Heike had had the courtesy of bringing his own butt over to him instead of making the most important military commander of the Empire be the one to visit the office.
Iulius stood up and courteously shook hands with the man. "Glad to see you too, Venerable Heike. So, what was the reason for calling me here?"
"Oh oh. Straight to the point as always." Heike joked.
"I am quite busy with making sure the Empire doesn't collapse." Iulius replied with no emotions.
"And that is why I called you. I have something to show you and I'm sure you will appreciate. Please, come on." the manager continued with his jovial tone.
Iulius was thus escorted by the droid entourage to the private shuttle of Heike which was in the next hangar, while the Venerable embarked himself on a tirade over how his company was treated second-fiddle than Kuat Drive Yards, and that if they were given the due credit, they could contribute more to the war effort. The Lord-Protector missed half of it as it only sounded like self-promotion, all the while the shuttle was flying through the impressive shipyards of the planet. Until Heike finally looked outside the cockpit on his side.
"Oh, here we are."
Iulius turned his head, with Yagler sticking her own out of her passenger seat to take a look, and what he saw left him pleasantly surprised.
Taking the entirety of three assembly bays put together to work on her was his greatest prize of this war: the INS Protector, now a spoil of war for the Empire to study.
"I see you made some modifications." Iulius commented.
"Those are purely aesthetic," said Heike in a reassuring tone. "we're still studying some of her most powerful technology. Our chief engineer on the project will explain in better detail."
Yagler, on her part, was astounded. "I only saw it in the video feeds. Seeing it up close…"
"I know, right? Say what you want about the invaders, but we could learn a thing or two about power and psychology." Iulius said calmly.
"And yet you captured it."
"Only by using four of our biggest ships available, and that was still a close call." the Grand Admiral reminded.
"But by doing that, now we can build those ships, too." Heike intervened with his carefree voice.
"You just said you're still studying some of their technology." Iulius replied.
"It's just a matter of time. In the meantime, know that we're building a new Super Star Destroyer over that moon." the Venerable added indicating the main satellite of Fondor. "It will be ready for deployment in a few weeks.
Super Star Destroyer. So they had actually gone with the name Nash had said as a joke. But the news still caught Iulius' interest.
"And who is that ship destined to, if you can tell me?"
"Ah, unfortunately, the Executor is destined to the personal use of Lord Vader, which brings us to why I invited you to take a look."
"Is it, now?"
"Indeed. I'm sure that a positive opinion from you about the quality of the new ship might...persuade Imperial High Command to help us build more of them."
"Very interesting." Iulius conceded, but retaining his composure. Clearly, all Heike cared about was to get more finances and prestige to compete with Kuat, but if that competition went into increased shipbuilding, who was he to deny it?
A couple seconds later, the shuttle started docking with one of the docks. Heike led Iulius and his escort through the piers still loaded with shipbuilding materials of any kind and trafficked by workers and droids, until they entered the first door available inside the super-dreadnought.
"As you can see, we've refit the insides to match imperial standards, but we tried not to modify the internal structure in order to not destabilize it too much. Once you get familiar with it, however, you will notice that it's incredibly functional."
"And what is your appraisal?" Iulius asked.
"This ship manages to be disposed in a very practical way, while it doesn't sacrifice the well-being of the crew members. I honestly didn't know one could do it to this level."
Indeed, as they marched toward the command bridge Iulius saw that there were more refreshers and break rooms than average. It might have been an impression given by the huge size of the ship, which after all hosted tens of thousands, but by estimates they were probably more than what imperial doctrine would deem necessary.
"I have learned by now that is important to let the crew off the hook whenever possible. So, if it can be done without sacrificing the ship's power, why not?"
Commenting on various things, they eventually got to the lift for the command bridge, probably the last place where the works were still in full swing, because they found workers moving up and down feverishly, yells and sparks coming from fusion tools. People didn't even seem to notice that the Venerable himself had stepped aboard.
Still, Heike didn't seem to be bothered by that lack of attention, instead he conducted Iulius and Yagler into the command center, the last room available before the deck, which was still off-limits except for the workers.
At the center of the room, where the holo-table was being built a figure with the safety helmet on but a clearly female voice was sending instructions all around the room with a loud but composed voice.
As they approached, the figure seemed to recognize them and gave them her attention.
"Lord Tanis, perhaps you remember my niece from your time here?" Heike asked as the woman removed her helmet, revealing a girl a couple years younger than Iulius, with pitch black hair caught into a ponytail, light purple eyes and gentle lineaments.
Niece? Iulius squinted his eyes slightly, trying to remember if he could remember anyone with that face, and eventually it dawned on him.
"Namedra?" he asked sincerely surprised.
The young woman hinted a smile of courtesy and spoke up in a friendly tone. "Lord Tanis. It's an honor to see you again."
Iulius huffed amused. Indeed, he remembered her. She had been working as an apprentice engineer for Heike before Iulius even arrived at Fondor for his first months of service. "It's been a while. I see you stepped up." he said merrily.
"Said the guy who literally flew over the imperial hierarchy." the woman replied with a bit of an impertinent smile.
"I assure you, Lord-Protector, Namedra has been able to increase our productivity by 40% just last year. And once you sent us the super-dreadnought, I put her in charge of the refit team." Heike explained.
"I see. What is your opinion on this ship, Chief Engineer?" Iulius asked.
"It's the most beautiful thing I ever put my hands on, seriously." Namedra replied with no qualms. "If we don't step up the quality of our own ships, I think even you are just delaying the inevitable."
"Are you suggesting the Empire will lose?!" Yagler instinctively barked.
Iulius extended a hand in front of the ISB agent to restore order and Yagler stepped back obediently.
"The Chief is simply saying that we need to adapt, and quickly." Iulius explained.
"Speaking of which, Iulius…" Namedra started, then looked around her nonchalantly and finally whispered. "I have a few propositions, but I would prefer to talk them in private." nodding toward one of the doors in the hallway.
Iulius realized that she was serious, so he made a quiet nod. "Very well. But I need Yagler to come with us." he replied, quickly pointing a finger at the ISB agent. "Don't worry, she can be trusted."
"If you say so. Then come on over."
The engineer brought the two officers out of the command room, and they walked all the way to the door. Heike and the Death Troopers halted outside, with the two black-armored soldiers taking the sides of the door. Yagler instead put her hands behind her back and stood on the internal side of the door, overlooking the other two people.
Namedra started with an observation. "So, I caught wind that the Core people are not giving you everything you need."
Iulius made a faint sigh. "If you want to put it that way…"
"Well, I've come up with a few blueprints that you might find interesting." she said while handing a datapad.
Iulius grabbed it and found the design for a ship with a strangely thin and long shape. The form of the bow reminded him of a small squid.
He hummed as he studied the specifics. "Is it a carrier?"
"A stealth carrier. Based on the cloaking technology mounted on the Corvus-class. Except that this can mount an entire battalion of special forces and light vehicles."
Now that was intriguing. "Go on."
"Since the Core won't give you the Star Destroyers, and seeing what you did on Mandalore, I designed this for quick operations deep in enemy territory. You can attack the rebels or the pirates in their less defended hideouts before they even notice."
Indeed, given the lack of reinforcements, Iulius had been considering to invest less in quantity and more in quality by expanding the special forces of the Mid Rim. And he was planning a war against the Zann Consortium after all, they were even more elusive than the rebels ever were.
"But do you have the time to build them?" he asked, remembering what they had discussed up to this point.
"The Core asks for a certain quota from us. The extra productivity my uncle mentioned we can do what we want. And trust me, the workers here would very like build ships for you again."
"For me?" he asked.
"For the one who is actually fighting the war." Namedra said with a bit of pride and scorn in her voice. "Instead for those spunky lieutenants from Coruscant who only lament that they wanted a ship from Kuat."
Not sure if he wanted to investigate those allegations further, Iulius gave another look at the blueprints and briefly contemplated the possibilities opened by a new array of stealth ships. There was even a stealth cruiser with a good amount of firepower. If Namedra thought she could spare the time and materials to build them for him, this was a chance he definitely couldn't pass on.
"Then thanks, Namedra. And what can you tell me about this ship? When do you think it could be ready?"
Namedra seemed a little more nervous, or bummed, depending on the interpretation one could give to her body language. "I did my work as an engineer and put it back together. It can move, but the weapon specialists are breaking down how to use their ray guns. It's a tech we never saw before, even more complicated than the super-laser."
"And can't you just take them out? She still has an impressive firepower even without them."
"We tried, but apparently, those guns are one of the sources of energy for the ship. We don't know what might happen if we remove them. Or if we even can."
Iulius noticed that her voice was becoming increasingly frustrated. "Hey, I know you all are doing your best. No need to be on edge." he reassured.
Namedra seemed to snap out from an illusion and apologized. "Sorry. It's just...this ship has become something personal for me."
"Pride of the engineer?" Iulius asked in a lighthearted tone.
But Namedra lowered her head. "My father died on Lantillies."
Realizing he had just said something extremely insensible, Iulius froze up with the datapad in hand. He took a moment to regain his footing. "How did it happen?"
"He was a technician aboard the frigate Gazer. I doubt you probably remember it."
All right, now it was her turn to be insensible?
"Gazer. Nightbringer. Solus. Konder. Ascension. Do I need to go on?"
Now it was Namedra to be caught off-guard.
"Think what you want about me, Nam. But nobody insinuates that all the graves I created mean nothing to me." he said sternly.
Namedra regained her footing too and lowered her head respectfully. "Sorry. You're right."
Then she raised her head and gave him a smile. "After all, you've always been one of a kind…" she said before walking out of the room.
Had this been one of the holo-cartoons he saw as a kid, he would have a huge question mark over his head. What did she mean?
"Anyway, let me know if you could use those blueprints." said Namedra as she was about to get past the threshold.
"No need to wait. I would be very grateful if you could spare some time for me." he said.
Namedra nodded then walked away seemingly happier.
The door closed, leaving Iulius to wonder. He turned toward Yagler. "Why do I feel there is something strange?"
Yagler made a half grin and lightly shook her head. "Come on, sir. We should head back to Naboo, by now."
Iulius still felt like he had missed something, but she was right: if he wanted to change his strategy, he needed to go straight back to the drawing board. Forming a new team of special forces was not going to be easy, but he already had a few candidates in mind.
July 28.
Seeing the Citadel never ceased to amaze Jordan. The only thing he enjoyed more was to see his kids' jaws getting even lower, especially Ezra who was seeing the station for the first time. Not even seeing the Imperial Citadel in Rome had made such an effect on them, but right now he was very nervous in positive way.
The meeting with the Empress had started in an even more unexpected way when he found Jane Shepard waiting in the office alongside the monarch, and she revealed that she had scouted him to become a Spectre.
He didn't feel ready to bear such a burden, but Shepard had made a whole lot of valid points: the imminent war with the Tambaran required her to stay in the Milky Way, and her first assignment of instigating a coup inside the Empire was very difficult for her who didn't know the intricacies of Andromeda, while he had lived there for decades and actively fought with the Rebellion. Also, he was the father of the two leaders of the Jedi Order, whose objective to destroy the Sith aligned perfectly with the Empress' design.
And lastly, Shepard said, even if he had few reasons to stay with the Systems Alliance after the proclamation of the New Republic, Jordan never even thought of leaving the Federation. Whether he found it convenient or he didn't want to renege his origins, he was a perfect bridge between the two galaxies.
In the end, Jordan decided to accept the induction. Now they were on the Citadel for the official ceremony with the rest of the Council, who had already reviewed and agreed to the proposal way before Jordan was summoned all the way there.
The Council was going to declare publicly his objective, but the Empress also asked him to monitor one important thing that the public couldn't made aware of yet: whether the non-Humans in the Empire were starting to actually support the Empire.
On Lantillies, Wookiees were fighting with imperial forces, and MI6 confirmed that they were being allowed to arm and form militias on their home planet. But was this happening only in the Mid Rim, where Iulius Tanis had abolished slavery and granted them basic sentient rights, or was it happening all over the Empire? This was a question that needed to be answered as soon as possible before the Federation made any other move into Andromeda.
As he was pondering on all of this, standing dutifully at attention in the audience room, the voice of the Asari councilor called him.
"Captain Bridger, please step forward." she said in an already solemn tone.
All the members of the Council were standing up from their chairs around the half-circle table where they regularly met, ready to testimony. Jordan gave a look at his children, who smiled at him reassuringly as they were standing with their lightsabers hanging like they had always been part of the ritual.
Wearing his armor and only his helmet off, Jordan stepped mechanically at the center of the room. Straight in front of him were the Empress and her heir, Prince Francesco, as always following his mother to learn his future duties.
However, Spectres were tools of the Council, so she had no room to speak. Instead it was the Asari who kept talking.
"It is the decision of the Council, you should be granted all powers and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel."
Then the Salarian councilor went on with the rite. "Spectres are not trained, but chosen. Individuals forged in the fire of service and battle, those whose actions elevate them above the rank and file."
Following the new rites after the grand unification, it was time for the Krogan councilor, a female, to pronounce the next phrase. "Spectres are an ideal, a symbol. The embodiment of courage, determination and self-reliance. They are the right hand of the Council, instruments of our will."
Finally, the Turian councilor. "Spectres bear a great burden. They are protectors of galactic peace, both our first and last line of defense. The safety of the galaxy is theirs to uphold."
Only now could the Empress comment on the matter. "You are the first citizen of Andromeda to receive the title of Spectre, Captain Bridger. This is a huge achievement for you, and a milestone in the relations between our two galaxies."
If the rite words were still inspiring, Jordan couldn't help but feel even more pride swelling his throat as the Empress underlined those aspects of the induction that he had not considered. True, though he was born and trained in the Milky Way, Jordan considered himself a soldier of the Federation but a citizen of Lothal and of Andromeda in general.
Following protocol, he made a bow. "It is my honor, Councilors."
Now Francesco, who until now Jordan thought was a simple observer, spoke up. "Given your knowledge of Andromeda, you will be sent to assist the Jedi Order in their main task: to neutralize Emperor Palpatine and his second-in-command Vader. As a Spectre, you are free to act outside of the military hierarchy, stipulate alliances and take any action you deem necessary to sabotage our enemies."
"You have any hints where we can start?" Jordan asked.
"We will forward any intel MI6 has to your ship's database." the Salarian councilor reassured.
"I declare the conclusion of this Council meeting." Benedetta finally declared.
The councilors started to get away, but not before they at least complimented Jordan very quickly and wished him good luck. Only after that he could turn to his kids, who hugged him.
"Congrats, dad." said Ezra with a voice full of pride for him, which only made Jordan's heart melt even more.
There was no denying that entering the ranks of the Spectres was indeed a milestone for the Legionnaire. After everything he had passed, from his unexpected journey to Andromeda, ten years in an imperial labor camp to helping the Rebellion make contact with the Federation, his odyssey had brought hardships but also unfathomable happiness in the shape of his family. And now, as a soldier, he was being recognized for everything he had done to fight against the overwhelming cruelty of the universe.
"Thanks, kids." he replied.
They stayed like that for a few moments more, then they detached and Jordan decided that first things they needed to do before starting the journey back home was to stop at the Spectre department on the Citadel, where he could get all the permits and access codes necessary to do the job, and also to bolster the Constantinople's armory with the best weapons available in the Milky Way.
He had barely done that, that he and the kids were summoned again to the office of the Human councilor, where Benedetta and Francesco were apparently waiting for them.
"I'm starting to think she likes us." Ezra joked.
When they entered the office, however, they didn't just find the Councilor and the royals, but also Jane and Tali.
"Jordan." the red-haired woman greeted. "Congratulations for the induction."
"Thanks. But I wouldn't be here without you snitching on me." Jordan joked.
Jane chuckled. "Cry all you want, now you're neck into it."
"You also are the first person Jane ever recommended to become a Spectre, Captain." Tali commented.
"Admiral Tali'Zorah." Jordan greeted. "I didn't know you were still on the Citadel.
"I decided to represent my people by helping the Normandy on her next assignment. But before that, I am here to make you an offer for your ship."
"My ship?"
Tali lit up her omni-tool and brought up a small hologram of the Constantinople. "She already is equipped with a reactor that gives her complete autonomy, however, I was thinking that you could add a secondary fuel tank along with a probe."
Jordan took a look and was surprised by the idea. "You want to make my ship a tanker?"
"It wouldn't impact her combat role in any way. It's just that Jane said that the ships owned by the Jedi Order have all limited autonomy."
This time the siblings looked at each other and clearly grasped the situation.
"Indeed." said Ezra. "Our ships are all modified freighters. They are good for combat, but if we are to fight the Sith, we will have to get deep into imperial territory."
"And without a tanker, we would have to find the fuel somewhere along the way." Jaral added.
Now even the Legionnaire could not deny the reasoning of the Quarian. If they were to lead incursions to reach the fortress worlds of Palpatine, having the Ghost or the Bullet as support and dropships could come in handy. If the Constantinople could stock the proton fuel created by the core reactor between a hyperspace jump and the other, it would drastically increase their speed.
"Then I guess it's settled. When can you make the modifications?"
"If you are willing to wait a little, I can have it delivered and installed everything in at most seven days." Tali replied confidently.
Jordan looked at his kids: they were the one who needed to agree waiting a whole week.
The siblings briefly looked at each other, and by now even Jordan could tell when they were communicating through their Force bond. Then Ezra delivered their answer. "Patience is an essential virtue to us. We can wait that much."
"I'll do my best not to keep you here too long." Tali reassured.
"You don't have to rush, Tali." said Benedetta. "We want the Constantinople to work flawlessly, so no rush when we put our hands onto her."
"Got it."
Then the door's terminal beeped and it slid open. Jordan was giving his back to it, so only when Benedetta smiled and said "Ah, there you are, you two." he turned around and almost had a heart attack for the emotion.
John Shepard and Urdnot Wrex were walking in, both wearing their armors and barely aged a day since the Reaper War.
Jordan's face could not hide the surprise and a sudden panic when he found himself in front of one of his greatest heroes of his infancy.
John, on his part, simply gave him a courteous introduction. "You must be the new recruit. Welcome to the Spectres."
The Legionnaire stuttered for a moment before he finally had the brains to answer properly. "Admiral Shepard, sir. It's an honor to meet you."
"Come on, dad, you have made him tremble enough." Jane intervened with a quip as she stepped toward her father. Rather, she pointed at the siblings, who were trying to hold in a snicker from seeing their father in such a state. "These are Ezra and Jaral Bridger. The Jedi I talked you about."
The siblings made a respectful bow, John made a nod. "The heroes of Lothal. It is a pleasure to meet you."
Wrex instead made a step forward and analyzed them with an undertone grunt. "These puppies are the one who opened the path to the fleet?" he asked.
"I assure you, Wrex. We would still be sitting around the wormhole if it wasn't for these two." Benedetta defended them, though her tone indicated that she didn't fear the judgment of the old Krogan.
The siblings calmly returned the stare directed at them and didn't show any reaction at the seemingly menacing eyes of the Krogan. After a few seconds, the alien exploded into a laughter. "Damn, the Humans in Andromeda sound like a lot of fun."
"Unfortunately, you will have to satisfy yourself with the Tambaran." Jane said.
"I was wondering what the High Chief of the Krogan and a retired Admiral were doing here, I admit." Jordan said.
"An old member of my crew asked for help." John quipped. "How could I say no? Though I admit I remembered this armor to be less tight than this. He added while stretching a shoulder.
"Unfortunately," the Human councilor, a man in his 50s started explaining. "most of the Systems Alliance forces are engaged in Andromeda. The Council has found necessary to recall reservists and volunteers to secure the frontier against the Tambaran threat."
"Which is why your mission is now essential, Specter Bridger." Francesco said with his calm tone. "A quick collapse of the Empire is our best chance at convincing the Tambaran to scale down their aggression."
Jordan nodded. The implications couldn't be clearer.
Still, the Constantinople was to stay on the Citadel for a few days, so after receiving his orders, the Legionnaire decided it was time to bring his kids on a tour of his favorite localities on Earth.
