Previously on The Jedi and the Mandalorian...

"I'm doing this for all of you! What Ozpin could never do!"

"Then we return to our base in the Yavin system. And show our case the Rebellion."

"You're gonna try and get their help?"

"What is a force bond?"

"It's a deep connection between two people through the force.

It can be with anyone or anything. As time goes on, the bond can become stronger, and powerful."

"I love you."

"It's why they aren't here with us. It's why Sabine is in Ironwood's hands and Ezra stayed behind."

"Ezra didn't agree with it though. Even though he wants it so badly."

"I understand his fear, that of the unknown. He's been so close to the darkness once that he doesn't want to go near it again."

"Show me the truth..."

"So there is a threat here…"

"The darkness is closer to you than it has ever been before. Tell me, apprentice, are you that afraid to give in? Are you truly conflicted on what to do?"

"It would be wise to surrender."

"You gave me your life to hold onto, and I promise you that I will protect you…"

"A temple this is, yes. Built by the Jedi, it was not."

"Gone the Jedi are...fear of the unknown they had. Changed the rules have...move on from the past, we must."

"By the right of the Council. The will of the Force. Ezra Bridger, rise you may."

"He's now a Jedi Knight."

"Send us back. Ezra, Hunter, Echo, they're all on Remnant gathering forces. No doubt they're also spying on Ironwood as well."

"It's settled then. Then return to your ship for preparation. And may the Force be with you all."


RWBY: The Jedi and the Mandalorian

Chapter 19: The Calm


Premise: Plans are drawn up as war looms over the horizon…


Zeb stared down at the holoboard in the Gauntlet's common room. He eyed each dejarak piece displayed before him, analyzing the best course of action to take. He played the game many times over against the likes of Ezra, Sabine, Rex, hell even Chopper. There was one problem though…

It was taking him five minutes to make his move.

Yang, who was sitting across from him then leaned in, "Are you gonna make a move or what?"

"Clearly you played with Ezra." Zeb snorted, "Amateur at best. Games like these take time."

"Or you just cheat…" Yang muttered

"Hey!"

"She's kidding!" Tristan butted in, sitting next to Yang while watching the match. The intercom then went off followed by Omega's voice.

"Guys, get to the cockpit." the clone announced

Zeb sighed as he stood up, "Well, looks like we're needed. Don't think about shutting the game off."

Just as the Lasat left the room, Tristan and Yang looked at one another.

"He's cheating." Tristan muttered

"Yeah, it's obvious." Yang laughed a bit as she shut off the holotable before the two got up and left the break. They were quickly joined by Ruby, Weiss, and Blake as they entered the cockpit. Rex and Omega were at the controls, while Kanan was waiting for the others.

"What's going on?" Ruby asked curiously

"We're coming up on Remnant." said Kanan, "Better get ready once we land."

While Ruby and her friends were well aware of the situation they were in. The Jedi's words only made such a situation sink deeper into their veins. Remnant, whether with Rebel support or not, was about to fall into war.

Rex then turned to his co-pilot, "Omega, cut the sunlight engines."

Omega flipped a few switches, resulting in the Gauntlet dropping out of hyperspace. The first thing the crew saw was the shattered moon of Remnant. Or specifically, the pieces of Remnant's moon floating in its orbit.

"Well, isn't this pleasant…" Rex muttered sarcastically

"What exactly happened to your moon?" Zeb then asked the natives

"We…don't exactly know." Weiss answered truthfully, "It's been like that since humans and faunus walked on Remnant."

"Yet humans exist throughout the galaxy." Rex chimed in

Kanan hummed loudly as he rubbed his chin. A chill ran down his spine as they continued rounding the moon's atmosphere. Ruby was right about Ezra's warnings. There was the feeling of a dark presence on the planet. As if something was lurking in the shadows ready to crawl out. Eventually they rounded the moon and bore witness to Remnant itself.

Ruby felt a wave of peace wash over her upon seeing her home. The lush green forests of Sanus, to the deserts of Vacuo. Just over the horizon, night had settled upon Anima and Menagerie. The lights from Mistral and Argus could easily be seen. While Kuo Kuana was a bit dim.

The ship's scanner then went off, which Omega quickly looked at, "We've got ships on our scope."

Sure enough, she was right. Three Munificent-class frigates were in orbit over Remnant. From the looks of them they were in standard formation, nothing out of the ordinary…well save for the fact there were three ships instead of two.

Rex took immediate notice of this and crooked his head in the direction of the huntsmen, "I thought you said you destroyed one of the frigates."

"We did." Yang muttered, "We saw it explode."

"Must've came from the base on the moon. Though I'm not picking up any scans." Omega stated as she looked back at the scanners, "It's possible they all but abandoned it while we were gone.

Blake then approached the viewport as the Gauntlet passed by the fleet. The frigates remained unfazed, with no droid fighter being deployed.

"Do you think they saw us?" she asked out loud

"It's possible." Kanan answered calmly, "But I have a feeling the General wants us back here. Overconfidence in his forces."

"Well, let's hope they don't try anything funny." Rex grunted as he sat up, "We're on the clock."

Ruby and the others quickly felt the ship shake as it began reentry into Remnant's atmosphere. Once through the clouds, they were greeted by a blue sky and the continent of Sanus overhead. It didn't take them that long to pass by Vale. They were quite a distance away, but the Separatist dreadnought could still be seen, along with the city. On top of that, the dreadnought was supported by what had to be at least a hundred Atlas warships.

Weiss approached the viewport, "Look at it. It's an occupation…"

"How many droids do you think are down there?" Tristan muttered as he looked out alongside her

"More than I can count." Weiss answered truthfully

Kanan, upon seeing the dreadnought, felt the Force tremor a bit. Closing his eyes, he reached out to sense if anything was out of place. GRanted, he knew it may or may not be futile as the dark side shrouded the planet, but it was worth a try.

He felt the darkness once he reached out, it was a no-brainer. But something was astray, as if the dark side had manifested around the city itself. The Jedi then recognized a familiar presence on the ship.

"Sabine is on that ship." he announced out loud, gaining everyone's attention

Yang gasped before speaking, "Are you sure? Where?"

"I'm sure, and I don't know where exactly." Kanan replied, "But there's something else. Something is circling the city."

"I think I just found it." Zeb muttered darkly as he gestured back towards the viewport. Everyone, save for Rex and Omega, went over to see. What they saw, was not pretty.

As if it were a thick black line in the ground, hordes of Grimm were pressed up just outside the city limits. From the city docks all the way to Beacon itself.

"That's a lot of Grimm…" Ruby stated

"Everyone in the city must be scared." said Blake, "More so than we thought."

Weiss then brought up something off about the situation, "But why aren't they attacking? Grim are always drawn to negative emotions."

"They're waiting." Omega said to them, "For the right time to strike."

While the Gauntlet had continued heading towards its destination, from within the observation tower of the dreadnought, a certain Mandalorian watched on with a smirk on her face.

"Its about time..."


Passing by Vale and dreadnought, the Gauntlet quickly arrived over Vytal. Omega had led them to where they first landed weeks ago. Rex wasted no time beginning the landing cycle, and the ship landed smoothly in the pine tree clearing.

Walking down the ramp, the entire group exited the ship and began venturing into the forest. Hoping to find where the Bad Batch had set up camp.

"You sure this was the way?" Weiss questioned the clone

"I'm sure." Omega replied, "We shouldn't be too far."

"If there was anyone here, they definitely saw the ship land." Tristan claimed, "Scans did show signs of life."

At that exact moment, a twig snapped on the ground. Tristan and Blake, out of instinct, quickly drew their weapons.

"What was that?" the Mandalorian muttered quietly

Weiss drew her rapier as well before speaking, "I don't know. Could be Grimm."

Kanan however remained calm, "I'm not sensing anything off around us."

"Well look who it is…" a gruff yet jovial voice called out. A large figure then emerged from the bushes, along with two smaller ones next to him

"It's been a while fellas." Echo muttered as he removed his helmet and approached the group. Hunter and Wrecker followed him, though the latter had other ideas. Wrecker ran up to Rex and grabbed him in a bearhug.

"Come here, Rex!" he chuckled as he squeezed the Gen one.

"Ugh…" Rex grunted as he was crushed, "Good to see you too Wrecker."

Rex was then put down before being approached by Hunter, who held out his hand for Rex to shake.

"Good to see you boys are still breathing." Rex greeted his old friends

"You too, Captain." Hunter replied with a smirk "Heard you've been fighting and looking a bit...older."

Rex chuckled as he rubbed his now blonde beard, "Well…you thank Omega for that."

Hunter then turned towards the huntsmen and their allies, "Kids, good to see you're still in one piece."

"You two Hunter." Ruby said with a smile

Hunter turned his attention to Kanan, "Been awhile since Kaller, isn't that right kid?"

"It has…" Kanan answered cautiously before relaxing a bit, "About what happened…"

"It wasn't your fault, none of us knew what was gonna happen." Hunter assured with a raised hand, "Regardless, it's good to see you're still alive…Kanan."

"You to Sergeant." Kanan replied, accepting Hunter's assurance before turning to Zeb and Tristan, "This my friend Zeb, and Tristan, Sabine Wren's brother."

Echo then spoke up, "So…any good news?"

"The Alliance knows what's going on." Weiss explained, "But they won't send any help until we have more intel. We need some plan of attack."

Hunter nodded in agreement, "That's where we come. We'll help you with your gear. Our base isn't that far.


Ironwood stood on the bridge of the Resolve, the now-christened flagship Separatist dreadnought of the Atlas Military. The command crew were currently at their posts, consisting primarily of B1 Battle Droids, while human Atlas soldiers were mainly on guard duty.

Ironwood looked down at the city that laid before him with a stoic face. He then turned his gaze in Beacon's direction. The now-modified CCT tower was ever present. New sensor pylons protruded up from the original tower. The ever-present hordes of Grimm surrounded the city, clearly waiting to the right time to strike.

While his stoic demeanor was present, internally his mind was racing like a Beowulf hunting its prey. By tomorrow, all of Remnant would be opened to the larger galaxy, a larger community. Spanning star systems and clusters, was an Empire of safety, one of security, one of order. Where Ozpin and the huntsmen had failed, Ironwood was sure that he would succeed in their place.

The one thing he was honestly impressed with, was that he played nearly all of his allies into his hands. Little to no one in the military, aside from a few, knew of his real intentions. This wasn't just the military, but even industrialists.

Some of which he now had to deal with. While Ironwood's figure was glancing out towards the city, a hologram of Jacques Schnee was displayed right behind him, clearing on a rant.

"The Council wants answers James! I want answers!" Jacques exclaimed in hysteria, "I've helped you extract these robotic creations for years! But I never knew you were using them to build giant warships and take over an entire kingdom!"

"Easy Jacques." Ironwood answered calmly as he turned to face his colleague, "The takeover was not my call. Beacon fell to a rebellion, we had no choice to intervene. Now with the Grimm closing in, the Council requested our presence to remain."

"And the ships!?" Jacques questioned

"That was something I intended to keep hidden, until the time was right." the general put it simply with a hint of a jab that didn't go over Jacques head.

"The more secrets you keep from James, the more my trust slips from your grasp." Jacques stated with a growl, "I helped you with all of this, so that my company, so that Atlas can prosper. You promised me a new age of power, and turned a blind eye to my business' extraction of dust and resources. You better uphold your end of our bargain."

Ironwood simply approached the hologram, his face not changing one bit, "I understand your concern Jacques, and I have not forgotten our agreement. Rest assured, by tomorrow a new age will come to Remnant. Only then, will you get what you deserve."

Jacques remained silent until he uttered, "You better…"

The hologram then disappeared ending the call. Ironwood then frowned, "Remind me to have him killed when this is all over."

RO-42, the battle droid in command of the Resolve, approached Ironwood with news, 'General, our fleet detected a ship exiting hyperspace. It matches the same craft that escaped our grasp from the droid factory.'

"So they returned, just with one ship?" Ironwood muttered, "Hmm, so much for help."

'Shall we send a ship to intercept them or track them down?' 42 asked

Ironwood waved a hand, "That will not be necessary. Judging by Bridger and Wren's tactics, they'll come to us. Anything else?"

'Your armor has been completed to your specifications as requested.' 42 answered

"Good, that'll be all for now."


The walk didn't take as long as they expected. Sure enough, Wrecker helped in moving what communication equipment the rebels brought with them on the Gauntlet. Now they were all making their way through the forest, with Hunter reading them.

Ruby looked up at the trees that surrounded the group, covering them from the sun and the eyes of any peculiar Grimm. While there were evergreen pines, which were heavily native to Vytal, others had normal leaves. But now they were showing signs of change, most were turning from green to either orange or red. Several were starting to fall off branches and onto the ground.

It was then that Ruby realized that the air was starting to feel a little cooler than she remembered as well.

"It's fall now, right?" she muttered

"Yeah, it is." said Blake before snorting a laugh, "So much for the Vytal Festival…"

"Like that's gonna be happening anytime soon." Yang added

"What are you guys talking about?" Zeb asked, not understanding anything they were saying

"The Vytal Festival, it's a celebration we have every two years, honoring the end of the Great War." Weiss explained, "Each kingdom coming together to honor and remember the peace we've had for 80 years. Vale was expected to host this year, but you already know why that won't be happening."

"Peace is something the galaxy hasn't seen in forever." Tristan muttered rather cynically, "The Empire, the Clone Wars…"

"Remnant…Ironwood…" Ruby added

Kanan then spoke up, his words were quite heavy as was his tone, "There something you kids should know. Whatever happens, should the Alliance go through with our plans. If we win this, it may not have the outcome you are anticipating."

"What are you implying Kanan?" Weiss asked

"I'm just saying that we might have to make a difficult choice." he explained, "One that could affect the rest of the world."

"Well, maybe it won't come to that." Ruby said with a hopeful smile

Tristan shrugged, "Perhaps…or perhaps not."

Eventually, the group finally arrived at the clones' hidden base. In retrospect, the place was actually the same clearing Ezra and company found them a while back. Only now there were several changes. Namely, the various huts and tents all crammed together around the Marauder. Ruby immediately recognized some of the folks. Most of them were from the village within the Forever Fall. While others were bound to be survivors of many of Ironwood's treachery.

"Everyone! They're back!" Team RWBY quickly recognized the voice of Doc calling out as many of the base's folk turned their heads towards the rebels. Some began cheering as they entered, clapping as well.

Eventually, Tech approached them all, with Eli not far behind him.

"Hunter picked up your scent the minute you entered the atmosphere." he stated, "Welcome back. Judging by the additional members you, I'd say your contact with Yavin was successful."

"Yes and no." Omega said to him, "Get a meeting set up, quickly."

"Very well." Tech replied before turning to Eli and nodding. Eli seemed to get the jist of what was going on, and ran off.

Kanan meanwhile was looking around the base. While blind, it was natural for him to do, as he could see everyone through the force. While there were many people within the sanctuary, there was one person the Jedi Knight was searching for.

"Where's Ezra?" he asked out loud

Hunter was the first to hear him, the clone veteran rubbed the back of his head nervously. An act that was odd for someone like himself, "He's…not here. In fact, he hasn't been back for almost two days."

Kanan's expression remained calm, his mask hiding his eyes, but his aura was one of concern, "He's at the temple."

"Yes." Hunter answered, "He told us that if he did not return within three days, then we are to go look for him. That was two days ago, tomorrow being the third."

Kanan nodded, while it wasn't the answer he wanted to hear, it was best to trust Ezra's request. He knew his apprentice was alright, but hearing that he hadn't left the Temple was alarming.


"...Alright…Should…Be…There!"

Tech had just finished setting up the communication equipment. Within a hut just outside the Marauder. Everyone had gathered to discuss the over strength the enemy had mustered up, which would dictate their overall strategy. TOnce finished, Tech then activated a holoprojector.

"We should now have a secure connection to Yavin." he said to Kanan

"Spectre 2, this is Spectre 1." Kanan said out loud, "Spectre 2 come in."

The sound of a distorted voice filled with static was heard before subsiding. A holoimage flickered to life before displaying the images of Hera, Kallus, and General Dodonna.

"We read you loud and clear Kanan." Hera answered from Yavin, "Good to see you all made it in one piece."

She noticed Kanan, Team RWBY, the members of the Bad Batch, Rex, Zeb, and Tristan. Along with them were Eli and Doc. But she quickly noticed the absence of Ezra.

"Where's Ezra?" she asked curiously

"It's…a long story." Kanan quickly responded "Jedi related. Don't worry he's fine."

Hera wanted to go on, but knew it was best to put it to the side for now, "Right…"

"Regardless." Dodonna spoke up, "Commander Bridger's absence is unfortunate."

"Rest assured General." Hunter said to him, "Ezra has had us scouting Atlas' defenses. We have all that we need to take it all down."

"Very well, Sergeant Hunter I presume?" Kallus uttered, "I've seen your record."

"And judging by your tone, I'm assuming you're ex-Imperial." Hunter retorted, with a hint of humor

"Quite so." Kallus replied with the same humor in his tone, "Tell us what you have found."

Hunter then turned to his companion, "Tech, if you'd please."

Tech then activated a second hologram that showed off Remnant and its moon. Three red spots were located just within the planet's orbit.

"Just after the Gauntlet fled the system, Ironwood began moving his forces." Hunter began, "Three Munificent-class frigates were placed in orbit just above the city of Vale. The third frigate was recovered from an orbital station hidden with the planet's moon. The Seppies destroyed it on Ironwood's order. Had little to no use I'm afraid. Standard formation, nothing to fancy. As for planetside…"

The image then changed to a rough layout of Vale, Beacon, and the droid factory. Hovering just above the city, was the dreadnought, with Atlas frigates supporting it.

"That is a different story." Echo spoke up, "Droid and Atlas units patrol the entire city, people living in fear. AATs, paladins, droids, AKs, footsoldiers, all at checkpoints. Several additional forces have been deployed to Mistral and Vacuo. While scouts have been reported near Menagerie, though nothing has yet happened."

Blake tensed up at the mention of her home. But remained composed for the most part. The holoimage then highlighted around the city.

"But the city has another major problem on its doorsteps. That being the Grimm, these creatures have been piling up around the city, waiting to strike." Echo continued, "That'll be a dent in any attempt to take on Atlas."

The holoimage then shifted over to Beacon, "Beacon itself has become a fortress. AATs, and droids galore. The staff and students are held up in the academy's huntsmen barracks, which have been converted into makeshift prisons."

The holoimage highlighted a section within Beacon's complex, revealing where the prisoners were being kept. Echo then continued, "Beacon's CCT tower has been converted into a massive com tower. Ironwood plans to use it to contact any Imperial system in the known galaxy. The tower also holds the head of Artemis, the tactical droid controlling the droids. Taking him down will shut down the entire completely."

"Hold on." Weiss spoke up, "If he's using the CCT, why don't we just attack one of the other comm towers in the other kingdoms?"

Crosshair shook his head as he removed the toothpick in his mouth, "If it were that simple, we would have done that by now."

"Atlas rendered the entire CCT useless after making modifications to Beacon Tower." Tech explained, "Once complete, Remnant will only require one communication tower."

"There's one other thing, Beacon is protected by the shield generator Ezra and Sabine recovered from Vacuo. It has been modified with hard-light dust, to act as a semi-ray shield. Meaning no physical object can enter. It protects the entire Academy from an orbital bombardment."

"Terrific." Blake muttered with sarcasm in her voice

"A sizable fleet should be able to engage the frigates in orbit." Dodonna stated, "But we cannot attack the dreadnought or its escort while it is over the city. If it were to be destroyed, its debris would cause significant damage."

"Ironwood's using it as a shield." Hera added, "On top of that the Grimm nearby."

"It's like Kanan said, they're waiting to strike." Blake muttered, "Those Grimm are old, but intelligent. They'll wait until the fight comes to them."

"We need some way to protect the city from the attack, while also keeping the Grimm out." Hunter stated, "Otherwise, casualties will be significantly high."

Ruby then got an idea, "The shield could help us! We get a team inside, free the prisoners, shut down the signal, and redirect the shield onto Vale."

Eli caught on with her idea, "Wait Ruby's right, the shield is essentially a prototype and is old. It requires a system recharge every five hours. The recharge only lasts thirty 15 seconds, but it should be enough to get a team through. Once we're in, we can free the students, and redirect the shield onto the city, saving the lives of the people."

"Add on the fact that there are few Grimm around Beacon." Yang added

Zeb lightly punched Ruby in the shoulder, "Good call kid."

Wrecker then brought up another topic, "What about the clanker factory?"

"A squadron of Y-Wings should be enough to deal with it." Hera stated, "Looks like we have a decent plan so far."

Rex then spoke up, "There's one more thing we need to tackle though. The dreadnought."

"It's gonna take a lot more than fighters to deal with that." said Kanan, "That and Sabine is on board it as we speak."

"Our intel says she's being held in the observation tower." Tech explained, "On top of that, the controls to the droid army are on board as well."

Kallus hummed quietly, "So we'll need a team to get in, sabotage the ship's reactor core, and rescue Wren."

"My team is up for the job General." Hunter replied, "We can get in, sabotage the reactor, and shut down the signal."

"I'm coming with you." Tristan spoke up, "I'll go and rescue Sabine."

"No…I'll rescue Sabine."

Kanan didn't even need to turn his head as a smile formed across his face. All heads turned to the entrance of the tent to see a figure standing in the door. They knew exactly who it was. For Kanan, he was proud. For Team RWBY, they saw an old friend. For Hera, happiness.

Ezra Bridger had returned. His attire now looked vastly different from before. What was once an orange jacket was replaced by burnt orange-color robes, the attire of a Jedi. HIs belt held it all together and allowed him to holster his blaster as well. Clipped to his belt was not one, but two lightsabers.

"Well…took you long enough kid." Hunter muttered in amusement

Ezra feigned a look of confusion before smirking, "And miss this reunion?"

"Ezra!" Ruby shouted before holding the Jedi in a bone crushing hug

"Hey guys…" he muttered, "I take it you all missed me?"

"Missed is an understatement." Blake answered as Ezra approached them all.

"Hera…" he muttered at the image of the Twi'lek, who was clearly trying to hold back her emotions, yet failing at the same time.

"Hey Ezra." she replied as the Jedi went over to Zeb

"You better not have taken the top bunk back." he warned the Lasat

"Well uh…I might've used it once…" Zeb muttered, "Maybe…twice."

Ezra just laughed, which Zeb caught onto before the two embraced with a pat on each other's backs. Ezra then approached Rex

"Good to have you back Commander." the clone addressed with a smile, "Or should I address you as General?"

"You got yourself a new look too Rex." Ezra said back amusingly, "Ready for one last fight."

"Always." Rex answered before Ezra noticed Tristan. He approached him with a smirk.

"I had a feeling you'd be here." he said to him, "You gonna shoot me?"

"Well that depends on whether or not you get my sister home." Tristan replied in a non-threatening tone.

"Well I can't get her on my own." the Jedi muttered, "I could use the help."

Tristan got the message and nodded in agreement, "I got your back Bridger. Besides, Sabine will probably shoot me if I don't help you."

"More like both of us." Ezra retorted which made them both chuckle. Lastly, the Jedi approached his master. His arms were folded as he smiled as his padawan.

"Kanan…" he said but before he could speak further, Kanan cut him off.

"We'll talk later, don't worry." he assured him, to which Ezra nodded.

"It's settled then." Dodonna addressed everyone, "Each of us have a job to do. Team One will infiltrate the academy, free the prisoners, shut down the droids, and redirect the shield onto Vale. Team Two will board the dreadnought and sabotage the reactor, while Commander Bridger and Wren will free Lady Wren."

"And the fleet will engage the fridge in orbit until the shield is up." Hera added, "May the Force be with us all."

And with that, the call ended.


"Attention all flight personnel. Please report to your commanders immediately. Attention all personnel. Please report to your commanders immediately."

The same message was replayed over and over again through Yavin, as ships were powered up, weapons put at the ready, and pilots ran to their starfighters.

"Pilots, you will be briefed by your squadron leader en route. May the Force be with you."

Jaune was among the pilots getting ready. He was clad in a blue rebel flight suit with a white and green helmet with orange starbirds on the top sides. Due to his time flying the Gauntlet, he was requested to take part in the fighter attack as part of Phoenix Squadron, under the callsign Phoenix Four.

"Are you sure you can handle this?" Wedge asked as he and Pyrrha watched Jaune as he climbed into the cockpit of his T-65 X-Wing.

"I'll be fine, I got your back up there I promise you that." he assured him as he sat down in the pilot seat.

"Just…be careful please." Pyrrha urged. Jaune then turned to face her as he leaned over the side, "I will, besides Chopper's flying with me."

The old C1 droid grumbled upon recognition as he was lowered into the astromech socket of Jaune's X-Wing, waving one of his arms in a saluting manner.

"That doesn't calm my nerves at all." Pyrrha sighed before smiling, "Just get back in one piece."

Jaune nodded with a smile back, "Alright."

Once Wedge and Pyrrha left him, Jaune took a deep breath to ease himself. He then looked behind him to see his little helper.

"You better get us out of this in one piece." he warned the droid, "Otherwise I'm scrapping you for parts."

Chopper just grumbled, but Jaune knew it was a hollow insult that meant nothing really. After getting himself familiarized with the layout of an X-Wing, he overheard the sound of engines firing up. A voice then came in through his comm frequency.

"Gold Squadron, begin takeoff procedures."

"Red Squadron, begin takeoff procedures."

"Blue Squadron, begin takeoff procedures."

"Green Squadron, begin takeoff procedures."

"Phoenix Squadron, begin takeoff procedures."

One by one, ships began powering up and taking off. Once it was his turn, Jaune lowered the hatch to his cockpit, brought his ship off the ground, retracted his landing gear and took off. Slowly and carefully, the X-Wing flew out of the temple and up into the air, passing by a recon tower holding a Rebel scout who watched as the fighter squadron made their way into the atmosphere.

Once clear of the base, Jaune pulled the throttle and the fighter picked up speed. He felt himself get pushed back a bit in his seat. He was used to flying the Gauntlet, which was more or less a troop transport. The X-Wing was an attack craft meant for a more multi-purpose role.

Once breaking through the clouds, the fighters exited the atmosphere and were now in space. Most of the fleet had been mobilized, the Profundity, the flagship of Admiral Raddus, was to lead the fleet. Along with it were two EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigates, four Sphyrna-class Hammerhead corvettes, and two CR90 corvettes.

Jaune then looked to see the Ghost fly overhead before Hera's voice came in through comms, "Phoenix Squadron, form up behind me."

Jaune proceeded to fly in formation alongside the other green and orange painted fighters. Phoenix Squadron had roughly 10 fighters, not including the Ghost. These included 7 X-Wings and 3 A-Wings. Blue and Red Squadrons were composed entirely of X-Wings, save for one U-Wing transport in the former. Gold Squadron consisted of just BTL Y-Wing bombers. While Green Squadron was the smallest, with only 6 A-Wings.

"Admiral, we're in position." Hera announced from within the Ghost, "All fighters are accounted for."

"Understood General." Raddus' voice responded from the command bridge on the Profundity, "All ships assume attack coordinates."

Jaune then proceeded to put in the coordinates to Remnant when Wedge chimed in through the squadron's private comms, "How's our new Phoenix Four holding up?"

"I'm managing." Jaune replied

"You know Pyrrha told me that you suffer from motion sickness." Wedge continued

Jaune rolled his eyes and went along with it, "Did she now?"

"Yeah, so is the color of your X-Wing gonna be green or something else entirely?"

Though he couldn't hear them, Jaune swore that the other pilots in the squadron were laughing from their ships. Sighing quietly he responded, "Very funny."

"Alright boys cut the chatter." Hera chimed in, though with a clearly amused tone

"Copy Phoenix Leader." Wedge replied

Raddus' voice then came in through comms, "All craft, prepare to make the jump to hyperspace!"

Jaune then pulled a lever on his controls and watched as the stars around him began to extend. Soon enough his ship jumped to hyperspace, along with the rest of the Rebel attack fleet.


It was now night, Remnant's moon hung in the sky overhead. The rebel encampment was lit up by campfires. People were either keeping to themselves, or preparing for the upcoming attack. While Team RWBY was off enjoying a little downtime, Tech and Zeb were preparing gear much needed for tomorrow. Rex and Hunter on the other hand, were simply catching up on lost time.

Ezra meanwhile stood overlooking RWBY as they conversed with one another. His arms were folded as he leaned on the side of a tree. He smiled as they laughed amongst each other.

"Of all the things I've trained you for. I never believed that I trained enough for what you faced."

Ezra turned to see Kanan approaching him. He snorted a laugh before replying with, "Was there any doubt?"

"Never." Kanan simply answered, his voice holding a sense of pride, "Though I am a little jealous."

Ezra got the message and unclipped his new lightsaber before handing it to Kanan. The older Jedi inspected the hilt carefully before igniting the blade. A high-pitch hum was heard as the pink blade emerged from the hilt. Kanan swung the blade around to get a fee for it.

"Impressive." he muttered

"Yeah…" Ezra replied as he scratched the back of his head, "There's something you should know…"

"I know," said Kanan as he deactivated the lightsaber. He didn't seem disappointed or upset whatsoever, "and I'm happy for you. For both of you. We all are. You've come a long way in a short amount of time. But remember, your emotions are a powerful tool. Don't give into them, but also don't lose them."

He then handed the lightsaber back to Ezra, who responded with, "I won't try, I'll do. The Order is gone, but the Jedi aren't. Time to let go, don't fear the future, just live in the moment."

Kanan smiled at the wisdom his padawan had earned, "Trust in the Force."

"Yes, Master."


Next on The Jedi and the Mandalorian...

Chapter 20 - The Storm