Epilogue: Upcoming Blood

December 23, 2226.

All the Marines and many other crew members had gathered into the hangar. The Constantinople had just passed the frontline, reentering allied space through the Northern Fringe, meaning that it was finally time to hold up a little funeral to honor their fallen comrade. With the lack of the body or any piece of his armor, the only thing that Jordan could come up with was to put a digital picture of Gutierrez on top of a crate, which arrived more or less at his hip, but at least the crowd could see and remember why they were there.

Jordan had put on his officer uniform, cleaned up and tidy, and as the Captain of the ship, the responsibility of leading the ceremony fell upon him. The two people in front of the crowd were Thabo and Michalina, who instead were wearing their armors entirely, as a funeral for a Legionnaire dictated.

"We're all gathered here to honor the memory of Lieutenant Pablo Gutierrez. To most of you he was your superior officer, and you will be free to express your judgment of him today. However, to me, it's always difficult to talk about how it feels. Just like me, Gutierrez was an Aquila. His entire life had been dedicated to be a Legionnaire of the Federation, to serve and protect its citizens. It's not an easy path, as there are many expectations of what you will accomplish. However, at the end of his journey, Pablo didn't hesitate to sacrifice his life to save the crew he had spent the last four years of his life with.

"If there's anything to say, is that he went out like a Legionnaire should: by hurting the enemy, and knowing that your death will ensure a better future for the next generations."

Jordan made a brief pause.

"He wasn't a man of many words, but every time he was at my side on the ground, I felt a little safer. Pablo never questioned whether a goal was achievable or not. One way or the other, he always seemed confident that there was always a way, even if that way implied putting your life on the line so that all your comrades got to live. He reminded all of us of what being soldier is all about. He ennobled all of us, and as long as I live, I will make sure he is not forgotten...

"That's all I have to say. If anyone wants to speak, feel free to do it."

The soldiers looked at each other, trying to find a silent consensus. Eventually it was Aun'Roi'Ka who stepped forward, he, too, wearing his armor except for his helmet, and spoke up.

"What always impressed me about Lieutenant Gutierrez, was his steadfastness. Every time he launched himself into the fires of battle, he never let emotions cloud his judgment. Even when his life was in immediate danger, he was always able to think of a way to win the fight. If there is anything of him that I will strive to emulate, it will be his confidence."

After another silence, Vetra took the word.

"After every mission, Pablo would take us aside and point out at all the errors we did. The first times I thought that he was just abusing his authority, but each time I realized that he was actually giving us hints on how to improve our chances of survival by doing our job better. As a team leader, I feel like there was still so much I could learn from him. That's what I will miss the most."

Michalina then gave her judgment.

"At times, Pablo drove me crazy. He was so bent on regulations, he would complain whenever I would modify my grenades to make them more powerful as if I was committing something worth of a court martial." she said in a tone that was nostalgic. "Sometimes I did it in plain sight just to piss him off, but aside from that, I respected him. Just like the others already said, for all his bitching, I know he had found his place and purpose in this crew. And…well...he went out with a bang and a cool one-liner...I hope the good Lord grants him a special place in Heaven."

Jordan knew that those words were not just for emotional delivery: Michalina and Pablo were both Catholics to a certain degree. Calling in their God was a way to express how much she was actually contrived over the loss of their brother-in-arms.

Thabo made a light chuckle over those words, but even his was a nostalgic tone that meant no disrespect. "You know...he called me 'wizard' because his priest used to tell him that psionics were actually spawn of the devil. But of course, Pablo never bought into that shit. He may have been a little of a prick, but I know it was his way to show that he cared about us, his team. He was like a grumpy old uncle. Sorry Micha, but I'm gonna hope that he's one with the Flux now."

"No offense taken." Michalina replied slightly amused and the rest of the crew also let out a huff.

Karg then took his turn, speaking with his croaking voice.

"I knew that Legionnaires are tough, which is why I love sparring with them. Well, Pablo just wiped the floor with me every time without flinching. He always reminded me that there is always somebody stronger than you, so you have to treat your enemy with respect, even if he seems weak."

Finally it was Mau'kur who gave his contribution.

"Reminiscent: once, the Lieutenant commented that, if he was allowed to get on my back, we could test the idea of 'renewing the armored cavalry'. Doubtful: to this day, I still wonder if he was telling a joke, or if he was serious. Melancholic: He was certainly a creative. He will be missed."

They concluded the ceremony with a minute of silence as they all stood at attention, then they dispersed. Jordan then stopped Vetra by walking next to her.

"Your words seemed very felt." he commented.

Vetra lowered her gaze on a sad tone. "Because they were. I meant everything."

Jordan hummed in positive. Those words meant that he had to thread what he was about to bring up with a certain care.

"Look, I know it's a bad moment, but since we're heading to Lothal, I need to organize things quickly: I need a new commander for the Marines, and you're the obvious candidate."

Vetra clearly expected that this request would arrive sooner or later, cause there was no surprise on her face, just a mere resignation as she spoke her answer. "I'm not sure I'm ready for this."

Jordan put a hand on her shoulder. "Vetra, I saw you in action. I wouldn't ask you if I didn't know you are ready."

"Can't we just leave Roi'Ka and Karg to deal with that responsibility?" she tried, knowing full well it was useless.

"Having only two officers would severely undermine the efficiency of this unit. Also, if you are thinking that nobody can replace Gutierrez, you're damn right: every one of us is unique, therefore I'm simply asking you to be yourself."

"Will that be enough?"

"I'm sure of it. And I'm sure the men will trust you without reserves."

Vetra took another moment to gather her courage, then calmly turned around and made the salute. She was still hesitant, and to Jordan that was a good thing: ambition usually makes a person arrogant, and a good squad leader must be humble.

Jordan returned the salute and let her go so she could communicate the decision to her new colleagues. With Gutierrez gone, the official leader of the platoon would be Aun'Roi'Ka; Karg was to be promoted to 1st Lieutenant to take the Tau's place and Vetra would become 2nd Lieutenant in place of Karg. Finally, Thabo would become the new Sergeant and Michalina the Gunnery Sergeant as the entire hierarchy slipped forward.

With that settled, Jordan returned to his cabin and checked his mail. He found an encrypted message from Emperor Francesco, likely in response to the report he had sent about the operation to destroy Exegol.

"Captain,

The first time I heard your idea of using a weapon of mass destruction I felt sick. I couldn't believe that we had been forced to stoopso low. When your last report reached me, I was ready to receive all the horrible consequences of such an action, but as I went through it relief washed my heart.

I want to forward my sincerest condolences for the loss of your brother-in-arms, and I want to thank you for avoiding a genocide that would've tarnished the reputation of the Imperial Federation forever. This plan was the last act of my mother as Empress, therefore you also saved her reputation.

While using a WMD might be controversial, even the Empire will have a hard time justifying why we would use it on a planet in the middle of the Unknown Regions, so far from the Andromedan civilization.

You mentioned that this plan mostly stemmed from your children. Please express my deepest gratitude to them, you must be very proud of their sense of justice.

I wish Lieutenant Gutierrez could receive a decoration for his bravery, but since this operation was secret, I'm afraid that will have to wait until after the war, possibly when the Empire is destroyed or when our relations with them will swing toward a more pacific stance.

This message is set to auto-delete 10 minutes after you read it. If you can, please erase it before then to avoid leaks.

Thank you for your service. With the utmost respect,

Francesco I dei Vignoli."

Jordan made a lopsided grin. Indeed, it had been Ezra and Jaral coming up with this crazy idea of attacking Byss just so that Project Necromancer would haste its escape on Exegol, where they could be destroyed with the ZV-70 without killing innocents.

Jordan wouldn't have hesitated to blow up Byss directly, and he would've made a huge mistake, since half of the resources for Necromancer were already in orbit and they would have a chance to rebuild.

Now, Necromancer had gone up in space dust. The Emperor had lost his pass to immortality and all it was left to do was to make him pay for all the evil he unleashed on the galaxy with his reign of terror.

Grinning at the idea of Palpatine fuming with anger in his throne room, Jordan deleted the message.

December 25, 2226.

The Commonwealth had turned out to be much more resilient than anticipated. Even if the victory at Vergesso had severely undermined the ability of the rebel fleet to contest the control of the Farstine-Svivren Route, they had been quick in reorganizing and establish a new defense around Pantora and the Spice Terminus. At the same time, they had repelled an imperial attack on Llanic and were now trying to exploit it to launch a counteroffensive along the Triellus Trade Route, forcing Iulius to send reinforcements there and suspend any major thrust toward Pantora. They also had partisan forces who were bringing on the old classic: disrupt imperial supply lines.

Vader had been quiet these days, and Iulius knew that it was a half-miracle that the Sith Lord hadn't already admonished him for being too slow, but he needed to move the situation.

He could send Captain Octis to raid the Commonwealth's major infrastructures, but after the success at Vergesso, Iulius had awarded the young officer with his own naval squadron: Task Force 89. And that Task Force was now on Fondor to be expanded with three Star Destroyers, an Immobilizer-class, a squad of TIE Phantoms and other ships aimed at making it a devastating force that was still able to move quickly enough to raid a rebel facility or an amassing fleet, deal a lot of damage and then disappear if the main imperial fleet wasn't in the vicinity.

Besides, Vergesso hadn't been the only battle they had taken part into: for the following fourteen rotations, Octis and his squad were continuously hunting down small rebel parties, preventing them from reassembling a major fleet for a counterattack in that sector. Octis and his men had been barely sleeping or eating for that period, meaning that they had earned some R&R on Naboo while Namedra made sure the new ships came out from Fondor in time.

Furthermore, there were constant reports from the Intelligence that the UACT was preparing another offensive, but it was still unclear whether it would arrive on the Hydian Way, the Perlimian Trade Route or on the entire front. Now Iulius had assigned his most trusted Admirals with the various fronts.

Sloane was to guard the region between the Northern Fringe, the Hydian Way and the former mandalorian core worlds.

Bolo was to guard the Perlimian Route and then all the massive region down to the borders of Hutt Space, which by now it was suspected to be under the influence of Tyber Zann.

Krybos was responsible for the Trailing Sectors and the front against the Commonwealth, meaning that he was to decide where the resources were to be concentrated, and even if he did his best to ensure that the Lord-Protector always had priority, if he said that there were no more ships or men to send, or if he valued that they needed to gather more reserves, then even Iulius had to accept his judgment.

The fact of the matter was that, even if now High Command was made up of professionals and people who granted the Mid Rim Forces everything they needed, these simply had had so many material and manpower shortages that the gap couldn't simply be bridged in a couple of months. Not to mention, even Sloane and Bolo were in desperate need of reinforcements if they were to prepare against a large-scale offensive.

The enlargement of the special forces was gaining traction, but the training centers had given out the data and Iulius had realized that he wouldn't have enough men ready before the start of the following year. Starkiller, Mara and Karashk were very efficient, but they just weren't enough.

It was really problem after problem for the Lord-Protector, to the point when Qathora announced that there were two strange people with high-clearance codes who wished to speak with him, Iulius agreed in the feeble hope that this might be an answer to his problems.

The door opened and entered a man and a woman. The color of the hair and the facial traits clearly indicated that they were twins, though Iulius was more interested in the high-tech suits and implants that blended with a certain elegance on their bodies.

They were followed strictly by DT-517 and 518 who clearly didn't trust them.

The twins stopped in front of the desk, behind the chairs and made a respectful bow dictated by standard etiquette.

"Greetings, Lord-Protector." the male said.

"Stand up, gentlemen." he invited cordially and the two obliged, putting their hands behind their backs in a military rest.

Iulius didn't know what to think, but his instinct was telling him that these two were sincere. Even if they put up a calm face, there was something about their body language. Something indicating that they had come there with a mixture of hope and confusion. He motioned his guards that they could leave them be and the guards, after hesitating a moment, decided to trust their Grand Admiral, leaving him alone with the twins.

"So, what are your names?" he asked.

The female answered. "I'm Aiolin Astarte. This is my twin brother Morit."

That put Iulius' mind at rest. "Ah, Mara mentioned you once. How may I help the servants of the Emperor?" he asked.

The twins looked at each other as if they were about to do something dangerous, then Morit spoke up hesitantly. "Actually...we would like to enter in your service."

Unexpected. Iulius for a moment was caught wrong-footed, but he managed to hide it and sound only vaguely interested. "Did the Emperor send you? No, I guess you wouldn't have used those words if he did. You would do it just like Lord Vader, no questions asked."

Morit gulped down. He seemed like he wanted to say something but he didn't want to. Eventually, it was Aiolin who stepped forward and spoke up with a certain hatred.

"The Emperor abandoned us! We fought loyally to defend his secrets, and then he left us to die against the Jedi. We were lucky that they are too fixated on their moral rules."

"You fought against the Jedi?" Iulius asked interested.

"Against the Bridger siblings. We were the ones who had captured Jaral Bridger some time ago."

That news was stunning, but also extremely interesting. "Well, you had my curiosity, now you have my attention." the Lord-Protector said as he put his elbows on the table and his intertwined hands in front of his mouth in a pensive expression. "If what you say really is true, then why come to me?"

"We could have just left, true." Morit said, still hurt but with a pride that started to manifest. "But the Empire is still our home. We came to you because we want to do our part in the Empire that you are building, Lord Tanis."

Iulius hummed in thought. Taking them on board might have been a risk. He would have to consult Lord Vader just to be sure that they weren't actually wanted by the Emperor. But if they were, why would they come to him?

"I appreciate your trust in me." he said calmly. "Then let's see if you can earn mine." he added as he stood up and took a more authoritative pose. "Go back to Qathora, the Togruta you met before, and ask her to bring you to Agent Yagler. She has a few tasks that people with your...assets...should have no problem with.

"Prove your loyalty to the Empire, and you will be more than welcome."

The twins had a small jolt in their necks that indicated clear happiness and an enthusiasm that was ready to explode.

"Thank you, Lord Tanis. We will not fail you." Aiolin concluded with a slightly thankful tone, then the twins turned around and left the office.

Iulius sat back on his chair and activated the holo-projector with the galaxy map and the situation at the various fronts. A grim feeling clutched his heart.

In a way or the other, he felt like the following months would see both sides attempting to earn a decisive victory. A decisive victory that would certainly require the blood of a dismally large number of men and women.

December 30, 2226.

When the Constantinople finally appeared over the skies of Lothal it made Jaral and Ezra feel much more at ease. Since the frigate was in radio silence for the whole trip back to the planet, the siblings didn't know if their father had survived. They knew for sure because both them, Cal and Kota had all heard a shift in the Force that they understood came from the destruction of a nexus of the Dark Side, then they felt like a scream, a scream of pure anger, and that was clear too: Palpatine knew what had happened and that his ticket to immortality had gone up in smoke.

It was clear that Jordan had completed his task, but now that the frigate was back, as she headed toward the capitol to dock, the siblings could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Nearly 40 minutes, Jordan reached the Academy and the apartments, welcomed by his family and friends.

He shared the death of Gutierrez, too.

"I'm so sorry, Dad." Jaral said after hearing the news.

"He went out knowing that he was preventing the Sith from ever returning once we kill them. I'm sure he had no regrets." Jordan simply replied.

The two nodded, but those words hardly removed the pain and slight sense of guilt that was already weighting on them: the attack on Byss had resulted in the death of 72 federal soldiers and 143 wounded. Nearly 32 were missing, most likely just evaporated by a heavy proton shell.

They had stopped Project Necromancer, but at a huge cost of lives on both sides, not to mention the civilian losses on Byss. By all accounts, this had been the toughest call the siblings ever had to do in their lives.

"So it's over." Luke commented. "The Emperor has no other life he can count on."

"It will be over only when we put a stop to him. Possibly by incinerating his body." Jaden said.

"Well put, pal." Kyle added. "But I'm afraid it will take a while before we will have a shot at him. Now the Emperor will just dig himself on Coruscant, and we can't get there without the allied armies."

"Who knows." Ezra said. "We put him in a corner. If he grows desperate enough, and thinks he came up with the greatest trap of all times, he might even leave his fortress. For now, we will just have to be patient. Even if this damn war will drag on for longer."

Yoda hummed, and when that happened, everyone always looked at him in search for wisdom.

"A solution you propose, Ezra, after the defeat of the Sith?"

"Yes, me and my sister have thought about it for a while, now."

Jaral thus stepped forward and took the lead. "The attack on Byss has put us in front of the consequences of war: the longer we drag this on, the longer innocent people will suffer. Therefore me and Ezra have taken a decision.

"That is: the Jedi Order will continue to fight the Empire only as long as Darth Vader, Darth Sidious or any other Sith influence is removed from it. After that, it will be up to the peoples of the galaxy to decide their future."

"Are you saying that, if the Empire got rid of the Sith and sued for peace, you would accept it?" Cal asked only partially surprised.

Jaral nodded firmly. "Absolutely. We need to create a fair peace, and then we will devote to maintain it for the generations to come. The Jedi Order will not align itself with one faction or the other anymore. We need to become mediators and protect the victims of injustice, not perpetrating the violence."

At that point, the siblings noticed Kota and Yoda exchange a quick look and the Human nodded in positive. Yoda took a moment more, then turned toward the siblings.

"Then doubts, there are no more."

The siblings looked confused, but a familiar feeling was making its way through their chests.

"About what?" Ezra asked.

Kota replied with a certain ceremony. "Ezra and Jaral Bridger. You have given us all the reasons to believe that you are, indeed, the guides that the new Jedi will need. You have shown bravery, but also empathy and a strong sense of justice toward all those who suffer because of war and other catastrophes.

"In my opinion, you two are ready to become full fledged Jedi Masters."

The siblings took a moment to look around and saw that the whole Jedi Order had gathered around and was in perfect agreement with Kota's statement. Jordan also stepped in and put his hands on their shoulders from behind, giving them a proud and confident smile.

Ezra and Jaral were not sure if they were ready, but if two old Masters and the entire Order wanted them to lead, then they had the obligation to do this. So they stepped a little closer to Kota and stood firm.

The old Master ignited his lightsaber and greeted them with it.

"Ezra and Jaral Bridger. With the Force as my witness, you have faced numerous trials. You always stood by to the teachings of the Light and provided guidance to your kin. By the will of the Force, may you guide the Order with wisdom and foresight."

He then lowered his lightsaber slowly and made a bow. Yoda also bowed his head and soon enough all the Jedi followed, showing them their respect.

The siblings felt a mixture of pride but also worry that they wouldn't be the wise guides that their comrades were looking for. In the end, however, they decided to turn into that uncertainty into a fiery determination to constantly improve themselves so they would be able to stand up to those expectations.

And with that, a new chapter began in the history of the Bridgers and for the whole Jedi Order.

December 31, 2226.

"...we will not accept to be subjected to the greed of a small oligarchy that expects to do anything they want in the Terminus just because we are not part of their Federation. From today on, we, the free people of the Terminus, are banding together to resist the oppression of greedy capitalists. We do not seek war against anyone, but we intend to be left free to decide our destiny and our path to a peaceful economical development. And we will fight against the exploitation of the workers by the corporations who reside in the Federation and think that we would just stand down and accept their rule forever.

"Oppressed peoples of the Terminus, we call to you to join the Commune of Free Territories. Let us band together so that we may build a better tomorrow."

A thunderous applause followed the speech of the representative of the Terminus Commune as the new state finally proclaimed to the whole galaxy that the new state had come into existence, to fight against the brutal exploitation of the Terminus from the mega-corporations that had their legal seat inside the Federation.

Abuses that, alas, as Francesco read into the archives of the secret services and old journal pieces were becoming ever more evident.

He had known for long that the corporations made some shady agreements in the Terminus. Hell, it was known that some of them even worked with slavers! But never had Francesco imagined that the rabbit hole went that deep.

With that in mind, it was no surprise that the peoples of the Terminus had had enough and decided to band together.

Another proof that they were absolutely right was that the private medias, all in the hands of the corporations, were already putting their propaganda machine at work to demonize the Commune, depicting them as part of a dictatorship and that they were only uncivilized brutes that aimed at destroying the Federation and plunder all the wealth of its citizens.

The public channels at least were trying to maintain calm, but in the Imperial Parliament debates had erupted among the right and left wings, with the former deeply connected with the corporations who asked to label the Commune as a terrorist-state and the latter who instead intended to finally restrain the corpos and seek peace with the Terminus, so they could focus on the real enemy: the Galactic Empire.

Francesco was more interested in knowing why and how did his brother end up working with the Commune. The report from Shepard had shocked the family to the core. True, Federico never liked being a prince. He felt that their privileged status was unfair, that was why he had never tried to compete for the throne and then he said that he was leaving to do some charity work.

Seeing Federico leave had been quite painful: being the two lesser brothers, Francesco had always had a good relationship with his brother, even if they didn't share the same ideas about the status of their family.

And while he was losing himself into thinking, he realized that it was 10pm. Inside the office left by his mother, quite shut from the rest of the world, it was difficult to tell. He was already planning to move into another room. Maybe the one with the large windows covering a side of the wall. He preferred to have a better view over the capital to put his mind at ease.

The door then opened, letting Marina in. Her belly was starting to swell visibly. She calmly walked toward and then behind the desk to go comfort her husband.

"Is Marco already asleep?" he asked with a low tone.

"Yes. And you should take a rest, too." she replied with a tender voice, though she actually meant that.

The Emperor sighed. "There is just so much to do…look, why don't you precede me? You shouldn't stay up too late with…"

"Hey, I can't drink or the likes, but staying up late is not against the rules." she replied immediately. "You have been up working since 4am, for goodness sake. You can't keep going like this for today."

"Yeah...yeah…" he said distractedly. But then he yawned and rubbed a hand on his face. Marina used the occasion to gently lean his head on her belly.

Even during her first pregnancy he loved to feel the small beats growing with time as the baby grew inside the mother. Partially because the thought of becoming a father made him extremely happy, but he also liked to be cuddled by the wife he loves so much.

But as they enjoyed the moment, it turned out to be brief: Francesco's holo-projector suddenly beeped with a call. He looked it up.

The display said 'Federico'.

He widened his eyes and turned away from Marina. He hesitate for a few seconds, but eventually pushed the button and the hologram of his brother really appeared in front of his desk.

The facial hair suddenly made him appear very different from what he remembered, but Francesco had no doubts that he was actually staring at the real person.

"Ciao, France." Federico greeted with a cordial and friendly voice, even if his face was serious.

"Fede…" the Emperor hesitated. "Is that really you?"

"I'm not dead, if that's what you were worried about."

"Good to know." Francesco replied as circumstances dictated.

"I heard about mother…" Federico said with a clear sadness. "I'm sorry I wasn't there."

"Too busy, I guess." the monarch returned. "What is happening, Fede?"

"I'm calling you on behalf of the Terminus Commune, brother. Given our relationship, they asked me to set a meeting."

"For what?"

"To establish peace so long as we have the chance."

Hello there.

Here comes the end of another year. It has been both challenging and fun to come up with two books where I had not specific canon event to look forward, but we're finally heading toward the final chapters of this Saga.

The next book will lead up to the events of Empire Strikes Back. I hope you're looking forward to see how they will influence the state of this timeline, because even I am not entirely sure. One thing that make this hobby funny is that many things come up as I progress with the writing. New possible scenarios present themselves only when I reach a certain point, and although I have a general idea over how the final arc of the next book will talk about, we'll see where the lore will bring me.

See you next time, and may the Force be with you all,

Ganel750.