Chapter 33: Tied Destinies
October 7, 2227.
Another day had dawned on Lothal. Jaral had found herself waking on her own, getting breakfast ready for Darvos and Samira, and then walk out for a morning jog on the training ground, where she found Ezra and Luke already stretching.
"Can't sleep, boys?" she asked, halfway between a quip and an understanding tone.
Ezra pursed his lips and nodded, but didn't reply immediately. Luke instead only needed the time to find the courage to speak.
"I keep seeing...I keep seeing that fire. That incendiary bomb falling and engulfing thousands with its flame. I try to reach, but I can't do nothing."
"Would you like to tell us what happened?" Ezra kindly asked.
Luke had been silent since he had returned, but it wasn't surprising: even Jordan had little to no desire to speak about what happened during the battle of Sullust.
"The imperials were all around us. In the last moments of the fight, Jordan called in a Broken Arrow, but the operator at one point misspelled a number and that bomb fell on one of our positions." he took a pause to collect the strength that he clearly lacked at that moment, while the two Masters listened patiently and with the mixture of horror and comprehension of those who had already seen such scenes way more times that they wished for.
"I saw these bodies, dancing and screaming while covered in flames. There was this...young Private...Rennen Bermin from Raxus..." then tears started streaming down on his cheeks as he concluded with a broken voice. "Wife had a baby the day before...he died on the flight to the infirmary."
As Luke sniffed and rubbed his face with a hand, Ezra went and patted his shoulder to comfort him.
"It wasn't your fault, Luke." the Master said. "At least you don't have him on the conscience." he added grimly and then decided to share a story, too. "I...always think of an episode on Ringo Vinda, a month and a half ago. We were retreating, and the fight was chaotic. At one point I am fighting against a wave of imperials and even Morit Astarte. Then I feel a danger on the right and think it's the other twin, so I just thrust my lightsaber that way.
"Except it was just a trooper. I don't know why he was trying to charge me...but I stabbed him in the chest. I saw his face…I'm not even sure he was 18…"
He breathed and exhaled with his nose in a resigned way.
"You know...I didn't step down as Grand Marshall because I didn't feel fit for the job anymore." Jaral added, walking next to them. "I was also tired of ordering thousands of people to die every day."
After a brief silence, Luke eventually murmured "We need to end this war."
"We will." Ezra reassured. "We will make any effort to draw the Emperor out. And once we do, we'll make sure he stays dead."
"I'm pretty sure that's not the Jedi way...but I see no other way to effectively stop him forever." Jaral replied.
"How about we start training? I need to take my mind off that." Luke proposed.
"After you." his Master offered.
They started running, heading for a nearby hill as their usual. By the time they came back, lights at the residential complex of the Academy were lit and some of the newly promoted Knights were gathering in the courtyard. They met with Lissia, Jaden, Kubari and the others. Soon enough, them and the other Knights would have to take on new apprentices, as there were many younglings who were reaching the age of 13 or were already past it.
The morning was marked also by the sudden arrival of Jordan, who had left his home right after the trio started jogging. He arrived with his skycar and the siblings noticed that he was wearing his formal uniform.
"Hey, Dad. Where did you go that required your best jacket?" Jaral quipped.
"Oh, you know…" Jordan shrugged, then put his right shoulder well in sight.
The siblings looked there and after a moment they realized what was happening: Jordan had a golden bar more on both shoulders, meaning that he was a Major, now.
"Woah. Congratulations!" Ezra said very happily.
Jordan smiled, but he didn't sound all that positive. "Yeah. Got a promotion for not letting all of us die on Sullust."
Clearly, he didn't feel like he had earned that, but Jaral put a hand on his arm. "If they gave it to you, it means you earned it."
"I suppose so. Admiral Edrix apparently proposed it, alongside a medal but there will be a ceremony later down the line for that."
"Nobody deserves them more than you, Jordan." Luke said, intervening in the conversation. "We would be all dead on Sullust if you didn't stand up like you did."
"Thanks, mate."
Right after that, the shuttle with the mandalorian exchange students arrived. The usual batch of teens came out, accompanied by a warrior and a civilian teacher, but after them came out none other than Tristan accompanied by two bodyguards, the Darksaber hanging from his belt. He waved gently at the Jedi and reached the siblings.
"Tristan. We didn't know you would participate, today." Ezra greeted.
The Duke knew that his brother-in-law was joking and smiled. "Because I actually needed to talk with you two and Sabine. Is she awake?"
"She is. Hold on…" Ezra replied then turned around. "Master Kota, we need a minute."
"Don't worry. Everything's under control." the old Jedi replied.
Indeed, now there were at least twenty Knights, plus the crew of the Ghost and some instructors of the 501st to train the young Jedi to be all-encompassing warriors and their mandalorian friends to use their strength in a moderate way. There were definitely enough teachers for the siblings to focus on the major decisions for the Order.
With that settled, Ezra invited his sister and in-law inside his home, where they found Sabine reading a holo-novel in the living room, who then noticed them and greeted. "Tristan, hey. What's going on?"
"I wanted to update you on something but first, how are you?" Tristan asked jovially.
"Same all. My back is killing me." she quipped.
"Can I offer you something?" Ezra offered.
"Thanks, Ezra, but this won't take too long and I have a lot of work in front of me." the Duke declined gently.
"Then let's sit down, shall we?" the Jedi replied as he sat next to his wife on one couch, his sister sat on the chair on the side and the Duke went to sit on the opposite small couch.
"So, as you probably already heard, since I recovered the Darksaber, there are many among our people who started asking me to lead a reconquest of our old worlds." Tristan explained in a way that couldn't have been more direct. "And this morning, after hearing the other Counts and Chiefs, I decided that they are right."
The siblings and Sabine looked at each other. Indeed, they had heard it very clearly during the feast, especially from the Children of the Watch, who observed the traditions and believed that it was the duty of whoever had the Darksaber to rule Mandalore. However, most warriors of the other clans were also convinced of that and had pledged their allegiance to Tristan if he vowed to restore the glory of their people.
"Are you calling for a Crusade?" Sabine asked, still unsure if she wanted to believe it, but also very interested.
Tristan made a nod. "I already sent out emissaries to spread the word among every mandalorian scattered around the galaxy. I know that MandalMotors has opened a factory on Saleucami: even if it's a long shot, I hope they will accept to supply our army. Still, it will take months before we are ready. Enough for both you and Asha to be completely back in shape, so I was wondering…"
"Say no more." Sabine interrupted him firmly. "I wouldn't let you do this without me, anyway. We owe this to mother."
"Glad to hear that." the Duke said relieved.
"Hang on. We all saw Mandalore being turned into a tomb world. Excuse me, but how do you plan to bring millions of people on a planet that probably doesn't even have some oxygen left?" Jaral intervened.
"True, but most of our old worlds are still mostly intact. We can recover them and it would still be a huge win, but the problem at hand is another one: we spoke with UACT officers and bought intel from Crimson Dawn. Everything seems to indicate that the Zann Consortium has set a base of operations in our old space."
That news put the Jedi on alert and instead made Sabine furious. "They what?!"
"It makes sense: the Empire never occupied the region after the battle of Mandalore, and even the UACT was happy to just leave it as a buffer zone. Nobody knew what happened there."
"So it's likely that the Consortium set up a base of operations there. Makes sense." Ezra noticed coldly.
"Well, I hope they enjoy it while it lasts. Because we won't let them continue." Sabine proclaimed.
"Can we help you in any way?" Jaral asked to Tristan.
"It must be only our people who liberate our home. That said, I need your help to speak with someone."
The Tambaran civil war had been put to an end, with Atriox reasserting his authority and finally accepting a ceasefire with the Federation. What was left of Balak's fleet had been captured or had fled as the captains realized their fight was lost. Peace had finally returned to the Milky Way.
But as the dust settled, there was one last thing to do before moving on.
"We are gathered here today, to remember all the victims of this short, yet bloody war. A war caused by the machinations of one man, for sure. But this man wouldn't have been able to do so, if we hadn't created the conditions for him."
From a low pedestal in the grand plaza of the Presidium, Francesco was making his speech in the ceremony to remember all the soldiers and civilians who had died in this short, yet bloody war between the Tambaran and the Federation. Behind him, the real reason for which that pedestal had been created: a statue representing several soldiers of different species, battered and bruised as they were surrounded by a fire. That was the monument to remember the dead, the list of which was slowly rolling on two screens on the sides.
In front of him, the crowd was endless. In the first row there were not only his siblings, his father and the Council, but also Atriox and a Tambaran delegation, who had come to mark the end of the war and pay their respects. There were also diplomats and many visitors from the Commune, who were arguably the ones to grieve the most, because at the end of the day, everybody felt like this ceremony was mostly dedicated to Federico.
"And...to honor those who gave their lives in the pursuit of peace." he followed. "They walked with us into the poisonous haze of hate and never came out. Their sacrifice speaks of a courage beyond measure. May their unwavering sense of duty and their ultimate sacrifice always lead our actions as we strive to build the future. A future where hate and resentment will never be allowed to cause a tragedy like this, or even worse." he sighed lightly, barely holding in his tears, then he stood up and nodded to Atriox.
As programmed, the Tambaran chief stepped up and reached the microphone. He was way taller than Francesco, so an attendant rushed in to quickly reposition the microphone.
Atriox cleared his throat and spoke with his deep voice.
"We started this war because we didn't think like we had any other chance to fight the oppression of our people. At first, we blamed the Humans, and we made no distinction between the owners of the mines who used our people for their gain, and the rest of them.
"One day, a Human, not even that strong, comes to our planet all on his own. When my warriors tried to kill him, he just stopped them with the power of his mind. He could very easily kill me, instead he only asked to talk. Federico helped us realize that we had made our point and that there was no more need to kill, all we needed to do was to accept that fact.
"With his last actions, he proved us beyond any doubt that not every alien is an enemy by principle. He saved our people from destruction, and our planet from a catastrophe, without hesitating to give up his life. If anything, the Tambaran know what it means to have a debt. We will honor his heroic stand by following his wishes: the Tambaran are willing to negotiate an end to this struggle, and, provided we are treated with respect, we will make our best efforts to integrate into the galactic community."
Having said that, Atriox stepped down and returned to his seat. A delegate from the Commune also held a brief eulogy before the ceremony came to an end. Francesco took the opportunity to briefly speak with Atriox and invite him to set a place and a date for starting the peace talks, and the Tambaran replied that he would be sending them really soon.
Then the surviving imperial family gathered inside the Emperor's private office on the Citadel, where they opened a bottle of rum and gathered around.
"A Fede." Francesco said, raising his glass somberly.
His siblings and his father gently clang them together and repeated "A Fede."
They took the first sip and then they all sat around the small table in the waiting room, which had a large sofa and two sofa chairs looking toward the interior, with a big window behind them.
At first it was silent, then it was Howard who spoke first. "As Federico grew up, he always looked so...alone, and pensive...I always thought he would end up as an intellectual, or eventually he would pursue that acting career...not that he would die like this." he said abated.
"He always spoke about the fact that we were leaving half of the galaxy to fend for itself." Claudio remembered. "Looking back, there were plenty of signs that he might end up there, but that he would become some sort of Che Guevara...that was the real surprise."
"And in the end, he helped that part of the galaxy to get out of its misery and he became the bridge between all of us." Anastasia assessed in the end.
Silence fell again. The family was still processing the pain of having lost a son and brother that had restored ties with the family very recently, and now he was gone. Francesco was arguably the most invested emotionally: him and Federico had shared a lot of things since they were kids. Their relationship cooled a bit since Francesco had become the heir, and right at that time Federico had started to hate his privileged position, but the young Emperor still had a lot of respect for his younger brother.
Also, without Federico, Francesco wondered whether he would have been able to maintain cordial relations with the Commune. It had never occurred to him just how critical the presence of his relative had been to prevent the start of a major galactic war. It made the Emperor feel so...useless.
Perhaps the gods listened to him and sent something next to break that dark mood: his personal butler entered after the door hissed open and he stepped in, maintaining his dignified posture.
"Monty." Francesco said confused. "I didn't call you...I think?"
"My sincerest apologies, my Lord, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has received a letter bearing the signature of Lady T'Neri. Minister T'Lani deemed necessary to deliver it to you right after the ceremony."
Francesco pondered for a second. Raya knew exactly what that day was about. She wouldn't send a Priority-1 message if she didn't think it was very important.
"All right, let's see it." he said, extending his hand and Monty gave him the datapad. Francesco leaned back on the couch. Anastasia and Claudio tried to peek, but the letters were too small from their posts, so Francesco started reading loudly.
"Your Imperial Majesty,
We just learned about the recent events in the Milky Way from Lady T'Neri. First of all, we wish to extend you our condolences, from the Jedi Order and the colony of Atin. The reason we wanted to reach to you was to ask for an audience with Your Imperial Majesty. Tristan Wren, Count of Wren and Duke of Atin, has a proposition that would benefit the entire UACT.
We are sorry to press the matter at such a matter in your time of mourning. We will await your reply patiently.
Your humble guest, Duke Tristan Wren."
The family was left wondering for a moment, all except Anastasia, who huffed and said amused "He really knows his way with words."
"What could the Duke need you for?" Claudio asked.
"I'd say he is preparing to reconquer Mandalore and he wants our support in some way." the sister replied.
The men looked at her with confusion. "Why would he do that?"
"You might have forgotten, given we had more pressing matters," Anastasia patiently explained. "but a few weeks ago, the day the fights on Ringo Vinda came to an end, the Duke has challenged Grand Admiral Tanis to a duel and won the Darksaber. The video of the duel has become quite popular on YouNet."
Francesco looked into his memory, and eventually remembered something. "Gods, how did I miss that?"
"As I said, you had far more pressing matters. That's why me and the Foreign Affairs are around." she said benevolently. "Anyways, what gives it away is the way he signed himself: guest. The text might have been embellished by Raya, but she knows that the way of signing a letter is a major detail, so she wouldn't modify the word."
"And how did that help you reach that conclusion?" Howard asked.
"Because it underlines that he's not a citizen of the Federation, bound by our laws. In fact, most mandalorians on Lothal never applied for citizenship. They didn't cause trouble and they were helping training the local regiments, so we welcomed them, but if they want to go out on a military adventure, technically we have no obligation to stop them."
"Ok, so what does he need us for?" Claudio asked. "We certainly can't spare troops and ships, now that we can focus back on the Empire. Some funding, maybe?"
"We can spare a few credits." Francesco reasoned. "I think we can also afford to lease them a few factories and shipyards to build up their strength. But if you ask me, I'm pretty sure he will ask us to send the Guardians if they manage to retake Mandalore."
"Retake it from whom, though?" Claudio asked. "Wasn't that sector abandoned?"
Francesco hummed in thought. "Maybe that's the point. An abandoned sector, in the middle of a frontline that no major power is interested in? Sounds like a heaven for pirates."
Nobody added anything more. Now it was up to him to decide what to do. He pondered for a second, then extended the datapad to his butler. "Monty, tell the Minister to set up a meeting as soon as possible. Have Major Bridger escort them, so we can have his awarding ceremony, as well."
"Right away, my Lord." the man replied before bowing and leaving.
Left alone with his family again, Francesco leaned his back on the couch and sighed. "I don't even have time to mourn."
"That's what happens when two galaxies look at you for their problems." Anastasia joked. "But I mean, it's just two weeks from now. Let's just take this moment."
The family lifted their glasses again and finished their drink.
October 14, 2227.
After weeks of running around the galaxy, Darvos had at first embraced the chance of resting a little and doing some desk job. Now, however, staying at the listening post of Camp Garibaldi, he was starting to find it a little boring, especially because there wasn't much to listen about in the imperial network.
"Bront, any news about Sullust?" he asked to one of the operators at the many posts.
"Not much, General. The Mid Rim Forces are not preparing a counterattack, and Coruscant is ordering several fleets to reach the edge of the Trailing Sectors."
That had to be in order to protect the Death Star. Not that UACT Command had planned to strike right away, since they first needed to take at least the orbit of Eriadu and create a safe route between Sullust and the Commonwealth. However, Darvos still couldn't believe that the imperials would not exploit the precarious standing of Edrix's force to try and retake Sullust. It might have been costly, but the Empire still had an overwhelming advantage in numbers.
"Zeb, anything from the HoloNet?" he then asked.
The Lasat was at a table at the edge of the room, his legs on the table as he slumped tiredly on the chair. He wasn't an analyst, but keeping an eye on the imperial propaganda for clues was something he could handle.
Zeb yawned before replying. "Nothing. They are still boasting about Ringo Vinda any way they can." he said frustrated.
Darvos clicked his tongue.
"Face it, Darvos, we won't find any further clue about the Death Star staying here. You should use this time to rest." Hera said from behind him.
"I know...it's just...you saw that file. We need to find that kyber mine before it's too late."
In the latest raid on an imperial research facility, the 501st had discovered that the Empire had recently discovered a kyber crystal mine which location was still unknown to the Republic. Apparently, they were being used to power the laser of the new Death Star.
Of course, as soon as that had become clear, Ahsoka had mobilized his Fulcrum network and so did the Republic. With Ahsoka and Cal searching for clues with their Padawans, there wasn't much else to do until they came back with something. Ezra and Jaral were coordinating the humanitarian efforts of the Order while Luke had left to rejoin Leia, Lando and Chewie in the search for Han.
He knew that Rex was right: even if Mon Mothma herself had told him to lay off for a bit, he couldn't rest easy knowing that the Empire was building another super-weapon.
Though, he couldn't deny to himself that he felt like he was wasting time that he could instead spend with his year-old daughter, for once.
"Karabast! Hey, Darv, come here!"
Any further thought was blasted away by Zeb's sudden burst.
Darvos, Hera and Rex approached the Lasat, who was suddenly very much jumpy.
"What's the matter, big guy?" the clone asked.
"Look!" Zeb yelled, stepping aside and pointing at the hologram.
Darvos looked at it. There seemed to be some sort of ceremony, and it was incredibly large in audience. He looked down on the subtitles and saw what this was about.
His jaw fell, as did the ones of his two colleagues.
"What. The. F-"
Iulius tidied his uniform one last time before starting the walk on the red carpet. His heart was still pounding on his chest like he wouldn't believe, yet his face could not wipe a smile serene like he had never been able to express. Then he looked around and tried to find his mother, without whom the ceremony couldn't begin, as it was imperial protocol that even the groom was accompanied by a parent, possibly the mother.
"Is she okay?" he asked to Qathora.
"I'm sure she's fine." the Togruta reassured.
He took another look at the majestic scene: there were not only the officers and soldiers of the 101st Fleet, but also the major representatives of Fondor Shipyards, distant members of the Heike, and most importantly, an ocean of people. Local Naboos and even Gungans who had come to pay their respects to the Lord-Protector and to partake in the festivities. Iulius had made sure that there would be a large, public buffet in the main square of Theed, something that was bound to make him even more popular among the common folk.
"Is Pauly around here?" he asked furtively to his friend.
She nodded and smiled, signaling that she already had plans. After all, it shouldn't have been difficult for the two women to get some privacy while everybody would be occupied with the feast.
Finally, Sekta arrived running, her most elegant dress completely polished, yet she had been clearly running around.
"Sorry, problems with the cakes." she panted. "Are my hair okay?! Damn it, my skirt has wrinkled…"
Iulius put his hands on her shoulders and she immediately calmed down.
"Mother, you're perfect, just like this wedding that you organized."
"I just...I want everything to be in order for your big day."
"It's already perfect. Believe me, I couldn't be more grateful to be your son, right now." he said tenderly, with words coming straight out of his heart.
Sekta froze for a moment, then lowered her head. "Why are you trying to make me cry before you even reach the altar?" she said.
Iulius burst out in a restrained laugh, then he hugged his mother, who returned the gesture fondly.
"My little man is getting married…" she said with an almost broken voice.
"And I can't wait. So, shall we go?" he quipped.
"Of course." Sekta replied with the same happy tone. She grabbed Iulius' arm and they finally entered the walk of honor inside the garden of the Royal Palace of Theed, since the Queen had offered it as a sign of genuine respect and friendship for the man who had restored the autonomy and the prosperity of Naboo. In fact, Queen Dalné was waiting on the altar, as she had the authority to act as officiator as spiritual authority of the planet. It was kinda weird, considering that the Queen had just recently turned 16 and she was going to step down from her position sooner or later, as expected by Naboo tradition, but for now it worked.
Presiding the sides of the red carpet were instead many officers of the 101st and the stormtroopers of the 212th battalion, waiting to present their weapons or blades once the vows had been recited. Waiting at the altar there was also Octis, who had been selected as Best Man, while Nash was to be the ring-bearer.
Iulius walked to the end of the carpet, finding and smirking at Ciena and Thane, who were guarding that edge alongside Cody.
As they reached the base of the altar, Sekta gently dragged Iulius down and kissed him on the forehead, adding a pat on his cheeks with her hands. They both smiled happily as the camera droids were streaming the ceremony live: after all, what better way to forget about the disaster at Sullust than boasting the costly and marginal victory at Ringo Vinda and show a popular hero of the Empire showing off his adherence to tradition and family?
But at this point, he didn't care if the government was using his wedding as propaganda material: he just intended to savor this moment to its fullest.
Finally, the luxurious speeder of the Heike arrived, sported by the Venerable to show the prestige of his family, as expected. The Venerable was the first to step out from the passenger seats and then leaned in to help Namedra our.
As she walked out, Iulius felt his legs numbing. She thought that she had never seen a vision as beautiful as that. Namedra was wearing a pure white wedding dress that left the shoulders and the arms bare. The skirt was long on the back while the front was shorter, leaving everything below her knee and the shiny heels visible. The dark color of her hair, eyes and lipstick made a stark contrast with all that white, in the opinion of the Grand Admiral, exalting her beauty even more.
The wedding march started playing right when she, accompanied by her uncle, passed the arch at the beginning of the red carpet. For all the walk, neither Iulius nor Namedra stopped looking and smiling at each other. All until the two reached the front of the crowd and stopped.
They murmured, but Iulius could still hear it.
"I think it's safe to say that no one could equal you in beauty." the uncle said proudly.
"Stop it." she chuckled. "There way prettier girls, right here."
One could say that she might have some competition, given the fact that some officers had brought their families to the wedding, and thus Fel had brought his wife, a literal diva of the Empire, but Iulius could not be more in agreement with Heike than ever before.
After a brief moment, Namedra sighed and added with a little mourn "I wish dad would be here."
"I'm sure he is seeing it from the best spot." the Venerable said to console her. "And, even if I'm not him, let me tell you that he would be proud of you, as much I am."
Namedra renewed her smile and hugged him tightly at the neck. The Venerable returned the gesture fondly.
"Thank you, uncle Wert. For everything."
Iulius could see Heike running down some tears. He then took another look at his niece and patted her shoulders before turning her gently toward the altar. "Go, now." he said with a little swing from his free arm.
Namedra and Iulius locked again their eyes and she stepped on the altar, going right in front of him with her bouquet.
The music had already finished for a while, so Dalné rose her hand solemnly. "Please, be seated." she said.
All those who had a seating, did so. On the side of the groom the only relative was Sekta, then it was all officers and soldiers closest to the Grand Admiral, the companions that he considered part of the enlarged family of the 101st.
On the opposite side, it was mostly the various branches of the Heike family. Other uncles or cousins of Namedra. However, she too had invited many colleagues and friends. Her personal assistant, Remia, was her Maid of Honor.
"My fellow Naboo. Guests from other cities and distant worlds. Today is a day of rejoice. For even in these uncertain times, with our lives shaped by the destruction of war, we are reminded that love persists. Love is what allows life to flourish, it sustains us in the direst occasions and it will be love that will bring back the joy of living, once these hard times will be over us.
"Lord Tanis, Miss Heike, are you prepared to make your vows?" she added after a brief pause.
"Indeed." Iulius replied, then took a deep breath and started talking. "Namedra Heike. The first time we actually met, I was completely blind. I am ashamed to say that I wasn't considering you, or anyone for that matter, as persons. I was only worried about my career and how I felt stuck, so I ignored everyone else. Now, years have passed, I have met wonderful people who made me realize that there is more in life than my career. That if I am fighting to build a future of peace, I want someone to share that future with. I regret that I didn't take my time to know you before, but I'm not wasting any more time, because I know that you are the perfect woman for me. Whatever the future will be, I know that I can face anything as long as I am with you."
Namedra deepened the smile she had kept until then. After Iulius nodded to signal that he was over, she started speaking, timidly at first, then with increased confidence.
"When I first met you, I wasn't just attracted to your good looks." she said, making Iulius quickly chuckle. "It was clear to everyone that you didn't like your post, but all I could notice was how, despite that, you still did your job with an indomitable energy, even for the most menial task. I admired your dedication and I think I found a great push to better myself.
"The first time you left Fondor, I thought I would never see you. Instead, like everyone else, I saw you fighting for your dream with even more energy, and succeeding when nobody but you believed in victory. The last thing I would have thought, would be all of this. It really shows that life is unpredictable, but I'm not going to complain. I found you, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."
Iulius felt each of those words smashing and rebuilding his heart piece by piece. If there was any doubt in his mind that he had found his soulmate, they had all disappeared.
Since Namedra had clearly finished, Dalné resumed the ceremony. "Ring-bearer."
Nash stepped forward eagerly and handed the little and elegantly decorated box with the two rings. Iulius grabbed them, as he was to go first.
"Iulius Tanis. Do you accept to take Namedra Heike as your wife and to be at her side, no matter what?"
"I do." Iulius said firmly, and pushed the ring over Namedra's left finger, where she had just removed the glove.
The Queen then turned toward the bride. "Namedra Heike. Do you accept to take Iulius Tanis as your husband and to be at his side, no matter what?"
"I do." she said, and repeated the gesture on him.
"Then by the powers vested me by the Council and the people of Naboo, it is my utmost pleasure to pronounce you husband and wife." she declared with a little more emphasis.
As soon as Dalné lowered her hand, Iulius and Namedra closed the gap and shared a passionate kiss to consecrate their union.
A thunderous applause rose from both the garden and the nearby buildings, where dozens of people were looking from balconies and windows. The soldiers and the workers, more prone to enthusiasm, stood up and yelled in jubilation.
The new husband and wife finished kissing and then started walking back on the carpet.
"Present-arm!" Cody yelled with a martial tone.
Immediately, the officers formed several arches with their swords while the stormtroopers stood at attention, offering another show for the camera droids. The two grooms smiled and waved as the crowd never stopped clapping and also threw confetti on the couple before heading for the main square.
Iulius and Namedra reached a speeder that was to bring them to the party. In there, they found Qathora and Yagler, acting as bodyguards, smiling at them.
"Congratulations, Lord Tanis. Madame Heike." the ISB agent complimented.
"Thanks, Cordelia." Namedra replied.
"Before you get overwhelmed." Qathora said with a smirk. "You got a message, good sir."
She passed a datapad with a mail clearly open on the screen. Iulius for a moment hoped that it was who he believed. He started reading.
'Dear Iulius,
I asked Miss Qathora to deliver this message right after you would have become tied with your mate. For the first time in my life, I regret missing out on a social occasion, but the incumbencies of war do not allow me to leave my post for such a long leave.
When you asked me to be present at your wedding, I was genuinely touched that you would ask me during one of our calls, and not just through a written message. At the same time, I realized how little I know about human emotions: before you told me with that emphasis, I was under the impression that you and Madame Heike were only the target of an arranged marriage. I wasn't aware how deep your bond with her actually was.
I truly wish that I could be there to assist, but I assume I will have to look at the ceremony through the HoloNet. But whatever the case, I wish both of you will find happiness and fulfillment in this union. When the situation will allow me, I would be glad if you would allow me to visit.
Your loyal ally and friend,
Thrawn.'
Iulius smiled. He also remembered that, in said recent conversation, Thrawn had uncovered the fact that he had been reintegrated into the Chiss fleet with the same imperial rank. Thus, as it was customary on Csilla, his full name had been erased and replaced with the core name, to underline the fact that he served the Ascendancy, and not his family anymore. Something that, the Chiss had confessed, made him feel much more at ease.
Namedra leaned her head onto Iulius' arm. "I'm sure he meant every word."
Iulius huffed amused. "Definitely."
The group of officers was still reeling from the surprise. They just didn't expect this in any way.
"Who's that lady?" Zeb asked as the cameras captured the moment of the kiss.
"Namedra Heike. She's the Minister of Production for the Mid Rim."
It was Kallus who delivered that answer, as he had noticed the group staring speechless and instead he had opened the database on his pad to find some intel. He then passed the pad to Darvos.
The General looked carefully, and then he remembered who the Heike were.
"How is it possible that none of our agents even caught wind that this was going to happen?" he asked. "I mean, they must have made a public announcement, at some point."
"Sure, but I mean, it's not that big of an intel, if you think about it." Hera said after regaining her focus. "We already knew that Fondor Shipyards is the main procurer for Iulius."
"I…" Darvos was about to object, then he realized that it was, in fact, a minor concern for the UACT. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But still…"
"You would have liked to know." Hera said.
He had no reply to that. For real, there were many things that unsettled him in that scene. For once he had never seen such a sincerely happy face on his brother, nor he had never heard him speak like he did with the vows. It was clear that this wasn't just a political marriage: Iulius had found the love of his life.
And then there was their mother. The camera had indulged on the grooms' relatives for a few seconds and it was the first time in years since Darvos had seen his mother again. She was completely different from the apathetic parent he remembered: she was a solar person, now. A mother that was showing her complete support for her child and sharing the joy of his happiest day.
Hera stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe you should call it a day?" she suggested gently.
He thought for a moment, then he huffed "Yeah." His mind was now completely numbed, so he wouldn't be of much help anymore. "I need to see my family."
"Leave it to us, sir." Kallus reassured.
But just before he grabbed his bags, a guard entered the control room. "Excuse me, sirs. There is a pilot who insists to speak with Commander Rex, what should we do?"
"Me?" Rex groaned. "Don't tell me they caused another fistfight in the barracks. All right, let them in."
Out of curiosity, Darvos stuck around for a few seconds, until said pilot, a female Human, entered with a civilian clothing, a yellow jacket over a shirt and cargo pants with boots. She had blonde hair tied into a ponytail, but he immediately was drawn to her face, which was oddly familiar.
Rex, on the other hand, had his jaw hit the floor.
"Hi, Rex." the pilot said timidly, with a heavy accent that Darvos didn't recognize.
"Omega?!" the clone asked.
Then Darvos took a good look at the shaved face of his second and confronted it with the face of the pilot. It was at that point that he, like many others, started to realize.
"Wait, what the…?" he asked, but still couldn't believe enough to finish the question.
Rex noticed it and cleared his voice. "General Tanis, this is Omega. She is a clone like me, except that she was created without the accelerated aging."
"A female clone? Is that a thing?" Zeb asked flabbergasted.
"Omega, what are you doing here? And since when are you wearing that?"
"Three years." the young woman replied sincerely. "I joined right after the destruction of the Death Star under the name Alson Kerry."
"Hey, I remember you." Hera said all of a sudden. "When I was a kid, on Ryloth. You and your brothers helped my parents."
Even Chopper warbled amazed.
"Yes, they are the reason why I'm here." she said.
"What do you mean?" Rex asked alarmed.
"I received a message from Pabu: the Consortium has taken over the planet. I need your help, Rex!"