There was a certain kind of mindset one got into in the preparation before a campaign.
Seeing the ammunition and supplies being loaded onto the ships, reading the reports of crews and personnel doing final checks and services, making sure all personnel were present, accounted for, and at their assigned stations, looking over the sergeants running drills with their men to make sure that they were ready for the battles ahead… this kind of hustle and bustle would have overwhelmed ordinary men, but Robb was far from an ordinary person by this point.
Unlike the dreaded waiting before an engagement, Robb found that he was calmer in the preparation phase of a campaign. He could more easily separate tasks and focus on what was at hand.
However, that does not mean that he was unafraid.
They would be striking deep into the heart of Imperial territory, way behind enemy lines, into a presumably well-defended and supplied shipyard world. Despite the advantage, the Katana Fleet gave them, even modified Dreadnaughts couldn't go toe-to-toe with Imperial-class Star Destroyers in a straight-up fight. This fight, then, would require to be as quick and devastating as a lightning strike – to get in, destroy, or damage as much of the target area as possible- and get out before the Imperials could bring up quick-reaction forces and heavier reinforcements.
He thought back to his days as King in the North, when he led that successful ambush of Stafford Lannister's reserve army during the Battle of Oxcross, within the very core of the Westerlands. That had required good scouting, excellent intelligence, and no small amount of stealth and deception. This current operation would be no different on that front.
He poured over the star map of the target system, and the layout of the shipyard they would be striking. This was not as large, complex, or as heavily defended as the manufacturing plants on and around worlds such as Kuat and Fondor, but this system was still a major build and repair center for all but the Empire's heaviest vessels – both military and commercial - and thus would aid the war effort immensely if it were to be knocked out of action, if not destroyed irrevocably.
More to the point: this planet was the very capital of the Imperial Outer Rim Territories and home to the Emperor's left hand, the Grand Moff of the Outer Rim Oversector, and the Butcher of Gorman himself.
Before Robb could continue that train of thought, the comms on his desk began to ring. Sighing to himself, he pushed the button to allow the other person on the end to speak.
"Sir, Captain Faro is here for her appointment. Shall I send her in?" his secretary asked him.
"Affirmative," he replied, groaning as this wasn't something he particularly wanted to go through, but damn it all, he needed men and women of experience, and he could not alert Mon Mothma or anyone else on the Council too heavily of what he planned to do.
The door swung open, and in stepped a human woman in her late twenties. Her tanned face spoke of years laboring in the harsh environment of somewhere in the Outer Rim or Wild Space. Her hair was a dark shade of brown, bordering on brown, reminding Robb of a rich dark chocolate. She carried herself with a stoic demeanor, yet even a stony face could not betray just how uncomfortable she looked in an Alliance officer's uniform. "Captain Faro, sir," she greeted, going sharply to the position of attention and saluting him, though Robb noted that there was a slight moment's hesitation on her part.
He returned the salute. "At ease, captain," he commanded, and she almost immediately put her hands behind her back and opened her stance up ever so slightly. "I've been reading over your files. A very impressive resume, I must say. From humble origins on Tahl to being second-in-command to the best fleet of the Imperial Navy. Quite a career track. And then you were captured in the Battle of Arcadia, made a prisoner of the Arcadian Royal Navy, and then transferred over to the Alliance Navy…"
"After you requested me," she finished for him.
Robb nodded. "Aye, that I did. I value those who fight well and fight competently. And from all records, you're the best the Imperial Navy had to offer in terms of executive officers. You must have been if you were picked by none other than Grand Admiral Thrawn to have been his second-in-command for all these years," he said, looking straight into her chocolate-brown eyes. "I want you to be my executive officer on my flagship."
Karyn Faro's neatly trimmed eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Excuse me, sir, but...permission to speak freely?"
"Aye," was Robb's simple reply.
"Why me? Why a career Imperial with no love or loyalty to the Alliance? Why not Admiral Greyjoy?" she asked.
"Theon is one of my best friends and confidants, and he will be second-in-command of this fleet. But I need someone former Imperials can trust when running the ship. You're it," Robb said, sighing. "Look, Karyn, I'm not asking you – a monarchist – to be loyal to a cause that's decidedly republican. I'm asking you to be loyal to your friends, to your subordinates, and ultimately to me," he asked, and then he turned grim, "but know this; I give second chances. I do not give thirds. If you or any other ex-Imperial in my fleet betrays me, I will not hesitate to execute you."
Karyn did her best to remain stoic, but Robb noticed the impeccable widening of her eyes and the downturn of her mouth. She must have known that a person like him did not issue empty threats. Robb, however, knew that it took more than just fear to ensure a person's loyalty – for fear alone was pure iron, hard yet brittle. He needed genuine trust and cooperation among all his men, and that required a multitude of things, one of which was fighting alongside them.
Something he was very good at.
"What made you join the Empire in the first place?" he asked, and he must have taken her by surprise, for her mouth opened ever so slightly. It was apparent to him that she was now at a loss for words. He indicated for her to sit in the chair opposite his desk, and she obliged, sitting ramrod straight and with her hands folded over her lap. Even when invited to relax, she never lost her discipline or organization.
She looked lost in thought for a brief moment, before deciding to open up, "As you know, I grew up on Tahl. It was a very poor world, with nothing but farms and villages. Poverty was rife there, as well as crime. That was before the Empire arrived when I was just a little girl. I remembered that they bought order, opportunity, prosperity, and most of all for us young kids, hope. Hope that by making the entire galaxy a safer place for everyone, we could finally heal from the damage the Clone Wars did to us."
Robb nodded, silent as a winter's morn. The crew and soldiers who had defected or were transferred from the prison camps had said as much.
"I made the decision when I was sixteen to apply for the Imperial Academy as an engineer. After my graduation…well, I'm sure you read the reports, sir," she continued.
"Aye, I did," Robb affirmed. "You were pretty insubordinate towards a lot of officers. Some called you rebellious, defiant, and stubborn. Others call you a maverick, insightful, and innovative. You were well on track towards command of the Eleventh Fleet before your capture by Arcadian forces." He then leaned closer towards her, his hands folded in front of him. "I need that kind of fire in my fleet, captain. The same drive and brilliance you showed Thrawn. If you prove your loyalty to me and my friends, I will repay that loyalty in kind. I cannot promise you your wildest dreams, but what I can offer you is this – I will not let this galaxy fall to chaos and discord. Not while the blood of my ancestors runs in my veins."
Karyn stared at Robb, a mix of emotions in her eyes before she cleared her throat. "Permission to leave and return to my duties, sir?" she asked.
Robb nodded sharply, yet softly. "Permission granted. You are dismissed, Captain."
Karyn stood up and saluted Robb, to which he returned, and she then sharply turned on her heel and walked out the door, which closed with a clang behind her.
Robb leaned back in his chair for a solid minute, thinking about what just happened. She was an exceptional officer, that much was clear… but there was something about her that seemed strange to him. Something familiar… it was as if she were a figure from his past… one he held a close, dear connection to.
Stop it, he chided himself internally, Karyn is not Talisa. She is a subordinate officer who will prove her loyalty or die a traitor. Nothing more, nothing less.
Still, however, a small part of him insisted that there was something that attracted him to her, and her to him. What it was he couldn't say… or mayhaps, deep down, wouldn't say.
He began to rub his face in his hands. He was getting tired, and he needed to be at his best, for tomorrow was the planned day to launch the campaign. He rose from his desk, stretching his arms high in the air, and went to his quarters to retire for the day.
He was standing before a building he had not seen before, on a planet he had never traveled to. The only shapes he could make out in the flat, dusty plain were large domes, the largest of which had starships of various shapes and sizes going to and fro. He refocused his attention on the building before him. It was small, in ruins, dilapidated, but something was calling him to it, something inside it.
He stepped inside the doorway, the floorboards creaking before him. It looked to be a simple home, with furnishings for the kitchen, living room, and beds, but something felt off…
Then he saw it…
There was a stairwell off to his right, leading down into darkened depths of which he did not know the extent of. A voice beckoned him into the yawning void, a voice that was at once both familiar and strange, ethereal in quality, yet somehow not.
"Know the past," said the voice, "and save the future."
Robb steeled his nerves and took his first steps, down into the yawning void, down the winding staircase, and into the depths of what felt like the underworld. As he descended, the light from the outside world became dimmer and dimmer until it ceased entirely, necessitating the use of his flashlight to see the downward path before him. Down and down he went, with each step echoing more loudly than the first, the wooden steps of the house giving way to stone.
It was some time before he saw a dim, orange glow near the bottom of the staircase. Reaching the last floor, he turned into the entryway where the light was coming from, and before him was a hall, covered in runes and stone reliefs, each telling a different story, all lit by torchlight.
He elected to walk over to one of the carvings and was struck by how detailed it was. Figures seemed to be leaving one circle with lines of fire around it – indicating an old planet that was burning – for a new one, which was carved on with an 'O' rune. Around this carving were both the runes of the First Men and the staves of the Mando'ade, speaking the same message, which Robb did his best to translate
"We flee our homes for better lands. To start anew on greener soil. Our people have survived. Our gods have endured. Cregan, son of Eddard, commissioned this in honor of the Old Country."
Confused by this, Robb's attention was then drawn to a relief further down the hall, towards the very end. It seemed to be the centerpiece of the work, given how large it was. There, he saw something that took his breath away.
A relief of a mythosaur and a direwolf stood facing one another, the former representing the future and the promise it held, and the latter symbolizing the past and the pride it cherished. Between them was the very symbol of all Mandalorians themselves – the elongated, diamond-shaped Iron Heart.
Robb's eyes shot open as his alarm blazed on relentlessly. He looked at the clock, which read 0515 in neon green lighting, and shut off the wake-up alarm. In a few hours, the operation that would change the fortunes of the Alliance in this war would commence, and he needed to be ready and alert for the battle to come.
Yet his mind could not sit still.
Yet again, it felt like the Force was pushing him in a certain direction, as if it wanted him to discover something on this planet he had not seen before – something that was related to both his people and the Mandalorians. There was a link between them, but what it was, Robb had scarcely a clue.
His thoughts drifted to Sabine, his fiery adopted sister who had reminded him so much of Arya. He wondered how successful her mission was to convince her family to throw off their chains of oppression and aid her in leading all Mandalorians into revolt against the Empire. He had not had contact with her or Ezra lately. He prayed to the gods they were ultimately successful.
Know the past, and save the future, the words repeated in his head.
He sighed, threw off the covers, and began his morning routine, trying to get the dream out of his head. He could not afford to focus on this right now. He needed to bring all his attention to the task at hand and bring about victory for the Rebellion.
Within fifteen minutes, he got ready and was making his way to the command bridge at the front of the ship. Compared to the eerie silence and the dark halls that he had encountered over half a year ago when he had found this vessel, it was now full of light and life, as personnel rushed to their stations – or discussed the upcoming operation- and droids attended about their tasks, whether it was maintenance, protocol, or manning the various weapons systems.
Soon enough, he arrived at the bridge, and the nearest ensign called out his presence. "Attention! General on deck!" he shouted out. Everyone on the bridge stopped what they were doing and saluted him, which Robb returned naturally.
"Carry on, everyone," he commanded, and as quick as lightning, they resumed their tasks, going hither and thither like ants in a colony, making sure everything was in good order for their journey. Robb looked about and found it well to do, before making his way to his command chair. Flanked on his right was Theon, who looked concerned about just who they made executive officer of this ship, and on his left was Karyn, who looked less uncomfortable than she had before, but still on edge.
"You think we can trust her?" Theon whispered to him.
"I trust she'll act in her self-interest," Robb answered, "and right now that self-interest includes cooperation for survival."
"I certainly hope so," Theon remarked, and Robb had to agree with the sentiment. He could only pray that she would choose the right path in the end, and frankly, he didn't relish the thought of having to use Longclaw to execute her if it came down to it.
He looked to his left and noticed that Karyn had an expression of sadness on her face. He looked away, knowing that he was ordering her and countless others to fight against their former friends and comrades. Even if it was for a good cause, it still didn't sit well with him.
Once he was sitting down, Robb stared out at the inky, starlit blackness of space before sighing and giving his first command for the day.
"Give me the final sitrep. I don't want any delays for our operation," he ordered his crew.
"All supplies and ammunition are accounted for, sir. We are green on everything," one officer said.
"All vessels and fighters fueled and primed," said another.
"All personnel present and accounted for, sir," gave one more.
Robb nodded and stared ahead, about to announce to give an order to go into hyperspace, when all of a sudden he was alerted by his comm officer to something important.
"Sir! Admiral Ackbar's vessel is trying to hail us!"
"Damn it…" Robb cursed under his breath before looking at the comm officer. "Put Home One through, lieutenant. I wanna hear what the old salmon will do to stop us from departing," he commanded. The lieutenant obeyed his superior's command, and before Robb materialized the shimmering blue hologram of a stern-looking Admiral Gial Ackbar, the Supreme Commander of the Alliance Military.
"General Stark," Ackbar greeted. "I hope you realize that you're not authorized by the High Council for this operation. Technically, I should bring my fleet around and imprison the lot of you for insubordination."
"Yes, I realize that Admiral," Robb retorted back, as calm as he could be given the situation, "and you also know that we need to deal a serious blow to the Empire in any way we can. The Arcadians cannot fight this war on their own."
"Indeed," Ackbar harrumphed, "which is why I signed emergency authorization for your operation this morning, General Stark, and had it approved by President Mothma."
Everyone on the bridge was dumbstruck. The two most powerful people on the Council had just approved their operation? Mon Mothma was secretly agreeing with them the entire time? Robb put his hand to his mouth. He had not given the woman nearly enough credit as she deserved – there was far more to her than met the eye.
"Thank you, sir," he replied, his voice coming out an octave lower.
Ackbar nodded, smiling. "General Syndulla sends her regards. Good luck, and may the Force be with you," he offered, giving Robb a Mon Cala salute.
Robb saluted him in return. "And with you, admiral," he replied.
With that, the hologram disappeared, and Robb found himself again staring out into the star-punctured void. He took a moment to get his bearings, still trying to process the fact that Mon Mothma and Ackbar had given the green light after all, and after a while motioned to Karyn, who nodded and gave the order.
"Vessel to heading 0-2-6. Set destination for Eriadau!" she barked out
"Aye aye, ma'am! Setting hyperspace coordinates for Eriadau system," the helmsman confirmed.
"Sir! All vessels are in formation. Waiting for your order to execute," the comms officer informed Robb.
He nodded and stared back out the viewports. "Punch it," he ordered. The helmsman nodded and pulled the lever on his console. The Katana lurched forward, and in mere seconds the stars became elongated, and stretched, and with a familiar bwrrrrrrrr-TWANG*, the vessel shot forward into the kaleidoscopic, swirling blues and whites of hyperspace, along with one-hundred-ninety-nine other cruisers, heading for a battle where the very fate of the galaxy could be decided.
Robb just prayed they were on the winning side of it.
A/N: WHELP. AFTER ALMOST A YEAR I'M DONE WITH THIS CHAPTER!
So...sorry about my not updating for over ten months. Due to unfortunate life circumstances (losing a job and going deep into debt along with having to deal with traffic court over lapsed insurance) as well as political bullshit affecting me as a trans gal, I fell into a very depressive funk where I was unmotivated to do quite a bit.
But now I'm back and I'm praying to Bragi that I won't lose motivation again.
As for where this story is going – well, with me having watched the entirety of Ahsoka and looking back on my fic, I realize that I had also been making Sabine Force-sensitive (just gotta tweak it a bit to line up with what we know now). I also realize that with Robb's warging and greensight he's also Force-sensitive. Now that I reflect upon it further, Sabine's Force-sensitivity will tie in with my Mandalorian Civil War arc.
As for characters from Ahsoka such as Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati? I don't know yet. I might make them agents of Bran (about the two wolves of Odin), but we'll see.
Peridea, however, is gonna figure into my endgame. Huyang will be making a very important appearance along with a certain fan-favorite character who will appear at the turn of the tide. ;)
For those who stuck with me so far, thank you! Till next we meet!