The Legacy of House Ordo

by Sage1988

Five souls from Earth survive its end and find themselves in a different galaxy, Harry finds himself born into House Ordo one of the most powerful Mandalorian Houses. As the chaos of the Clone Wars spreads how will he and the others fair?

38. Chapter 38 Thrawn's Campaign Part 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Star Wars.

Thank you to everyone who read the last chapter, I hope you are all doing okay.

Thank you again to Tellemicus Sundance who had been a major help in finding good names in the Mandalorian language.

Now while I know for good or bad reasons Sabine now has force powers but since that wasn't a thing when I was planning the story, she will not have the force here. Just to make that very clear. Also, since Shin makes an appearance in this chapter, I have put her as only a couple of years younger than Luke and Leia. The reason is that we don't have a definite date for her or age so I have gone off how old the actress was when she filmed her scenes which was mid-twenties. At this point in the timeline, she is therefore a teenager.

Review Responses from the Later Chapter…

BlackWatcher1234 – Thrawn is definitely the most dangerous threat the New Republic faced until the Yuuzhan Vong; I don't think even the reborn Emperor was as dangerous as him. It is nerve racking to try and do him justice as he is a highly complex character. I will try to be more respectful than Disney though. Cal Kestis? He is still on Dathomir with Merrin, I will see about catching up with him soon. Ahsoka? She will be returning but she has been busy on her home world, need I say more.

HowlnMadHowie – I love the omakes you do, I can just imagine Deadpool trolling the Star Wars characters! Haron is keeping the Death Star a secret until he has a plan to deal with it as he knows that fear of something like that will make some turn on you to save themselves. Look how quickly the Rebel Leaders fell apart when confronted with its existence in Rogue One. That is another reason I dislike Mon Mothma as she should have brought that meeting under control and got them focused but Bail did more than she did. Orar is a word in the Mandalorian language, it means 'Thunder'. I don't think Meetra and Satele would be that concerned to be honest, Meetra never showed any real dislike with the Mandalorians especially with Canderous. If they were concerned it would be when Haron is replaced by someone else.

AnimeFan13579 – It is a lot but there is one thing that has always bothered me about Star Wars that was never really examined, it spans an entire galaxy and there is so much room for stories to be happening elsewhere they we never see. I am planning a potential other way for the Mandalorians to deal with the Death Star, using magic to provide opportunities that otherwise would be impossible.

Blaze1992 – Primary Weapon? I don't want to reveal too much but something else will happen.

Joe02 – Sabine's actions are revealed in this chapter, bear in mind she never went to the Imperial Academy in this story and was raised in a position of privilege due to not only being the heir to Clan Wren but also having her family be so close to the Ordos. That has had unintended consequences. Glad to hear you are enjoying the story, this chapter has them learning about each other and Thrawn has a plan that could prove deadly to the Mandalorians.

DarthEmrys – Thanks! You are an informative and good person to talk to so I have appreciated communicating with you.

M1stymix – That is a good point but, in this story, things will happen differently. Good point, I might have messed up there.

Sanders7201 – Darth Momin? I am aware of this but as I haven't read that comic not completely, thinking about it since his mask was in the Jedi Archives before the fall it is likely hidden with the rest of the dark side relics on Malachor 5 now.

raw666 – I know, depends on how it is hit, I guess. I am not sure if it would destroy the Death Star but disable most of the superlaser perhaps. True, I think Thrawn did join the Empire thinking it was it was one way but found it different. Perhaps he intended to try and take over or change it from the inside.

Nato – Thank you! This is a contest of who is the better planner and how well they understand each other. He will tell the other factions about the Death Star but only when he has a plan to beat it, in Rogue One just the mention of it was enough to almost fracture the Rebellion and he is aware that someone might betray them in an effort to save themselves.

Envy220 - I have thought about and I might do perhaps. Sabine's crimes will be revealed in this chapter.

Antex-The Legendary Zoroark – I really appreciate the compliment! Ara is Sabine's aunt and doesn't want her potentially killed but Haron the moment he learned what she had done knew it had to be dealt with. Although he does have a way for her to get out of trouble which you will see in this chapter. He cannot be seen to favour Sabine too much even if she is his niece. Galen has been described as a 'force wrecking ball' and I wanted to bring that back, but he was interested in Juno the moment they met in the canon so I didn't see why that should be any different. Pretty much, Bayland and this version of Anakin might actually be friends who knows?

LunaShadowWolf – Sabine cannot run forever and the irony is that she is in more trouble because she ran away rather than face what she had done. Bare in mind in this timeline she didn't have her time in the Imperial Academy to ground her and that had consequences.

End of Review Responses…More at the end of the Chapter…

4 BBY – 996 ARR

Chapter 38 – Thrawn's Campaign Part 1

Liberator, Separatist Alliance Lucrehulk, Deep Space…996 ARR…

An emergency meeting of the Rift Alliance had been called in the aftermath of the Imperial Invasion of the Salient Federation; the empty seat of their representative was a grim reminder that they had been caught unaware by the Empire.

The different members were shouting at each other and Haron sat there before using a high-pitched audio signal to make all of them stop talking so he could get this meeting back in order.

"We were all caught by surprise, none of us could have anticipated that the Empire would have such a card up with their sleeve." Haron said making it quite clear that no-one was to blame for this. "We cannot plan for the unexpected but from what I can gather, Thrawn took a single ship from other fleets around the galaxy to assemble his invasion force which is why none of our intelligence services picked up on it. I have spoken to my own people and they will be more vigilant in the future and hope you will all do the same." He added and they all would do just that to make sure they would not be caught off guard like this again.

"We will fortify our less protected worlds and learn all we can of him for now until we know him well enough." Haron said knowing that several of their members like Kashyyyk were less well defended than others so it would be best to make sure they were as fortified as possible just in case. They had already been doing this in the face of the Kalderans who were still continuing their raids but now it would need to be stepped up.

"Thrawn will target the Rift Alliance again soon." Alia Atriedes, sister to Paul Atriedes and their new representative from the Padishah Imperium. "If he hopes to spread fear then the last thing that we should do is let him."

Haron agreed with her statement but they had no way of being certain just where Thrawn would go, he had been doing his best to find out everything they could about the man but he was a great mystery. He had thought about trying to get a spy on his flagship but according to the limited intelligence Thrawn had gained the service of one of the Emperor's Dark Disciples and kept him around the crew all the time.

Immediately Haron realised that this was to catch any spy that they might plant and potentially even use them to feed false information to them which would aid in his campaigns.

Haron's own frustration at their lack of knowledge about him lasted all of the trip back to Reijar, wondering just how he was supposed to beat such an opponent when he knew nothing about him.

---

Salient System, Outer Rim Territories...

The Rift Alliance had moved swiftly to rectify the situation and liberate their ally, a taskforce from the various member worlds had moved into the system only a month later and struck back hard against the Empire. Thrawn had set up a formidable occupying force but after a hard battle, the Rift Alliance liberated the system which with its government in pieces joined the Separatist Alliance for its own safety. Thankfully its industrial facilities were still intact and it would recover but the system's population where deeply shaken by their defeat and month under Imperial Occupation.

---

Reijar, the Ordo System…

Despite the growing worries about the Empire there was a reason to celebrate on Reijar today, one of their newest Akaan was taking a wife. Weddings were important in Mandalorian society as the union of families and the beginning of a new one.

The fact the bride was an Imperial defector did raise some eyebrows but Galen Marek was sure of what he was doing. He loved Juno from the first moment he had seen her and a year together had only deepened that bond.

The ceremony was brief, as they liked it with only their closest family and friends from Galen's side attending, Juno had been forced to leave all of her own behind when she had defected which made her a bit sad that they could not be here on her wedding day but accepted it as a cost of the decision that she had made. After all the things she had seen the Empire do in the name of 'security' and 'peace' she could not stand among them anymore and had defected to the Mandalorians. It would be a while yet before she was fully trusted but they had noted she was an exceptionally talented naval officer and when she had proven she was not a spy, she might even be allowed to serve in their fleet.

But as the wedding reception was being held, both Haron and Ara excused themselves and went to the main office so they could speak in private. The tension between them had been so bad since the order had been given to go for Sabine to be brought back forcefully.

Both of them stood opposite each other across the room, neither able to speak at first but finally Ara said something.

"The team will be on Lothal soon." She told him sharply and he sighed before admitting.

"I know." He said with resignation.

"Call them off!" Ara demanded but Haron shook his head.

"We can't and you know it. The moment she chose to run away rather than face the consequences of what she'd done…this was set in stone. You know that." Haron said with bitterness, he hated having to give such an order but in this he had no choice.

"What is the point of being Mandalore if you can't bend the rules?" She shouted at him as they both started letting their anger at not only each other but the situation getting the better of them.

"Because I'm Mandalore is the only reason she is being brought back alive and not in coffin!" He told her fiercely, his powers flaring as he did so which made her take a step back away from him. "I have stretched the laws as far as I can to give her just one chance…one chance to save her skin. If I start breaking the rules then what is the point of everything that we have been working so hard to achieve? If we all break the rules every time something happens that we don't like then what is the point of the law? Chaos and then the ruthless arm of the Empire as they take advantage of it to grab us all in their steely grip! I hate having to do this to my own niece but what other choice do I have when she decided to run rather than face us with her mistake?" He pressed on.

There was a hard silence as she listened to that, knowing in her heart that he was right but hated it as much as he did. Sabine would not be in this position if she had come back and admitted what she had done rather than run away. They could have fixed this mess if she had but she had taken the easy way out and had made things so much worse for herself in the process.

They both felt exhausted and sat down on the couch next to each other, Haron gathering her up in his arms and holding her close to try and comfort her but it was an impossible task. They would both need to be on Mandalore soon for Sabine's trial and neither was relishing the journey.

---

The Ghost, Lothal…

The Ghost, a customised VCX-100 light freighter was parked in one of the large open plateaus of Lothal, far from anywhere which was by design as the rebel unit was keen not to be observed while their ship's hyperdrive was being overhauled.

Hera and Chopper were knee deep in engine oil as they worked on the extremely delicate and temperamental motivator. Zeb was enjoying the peace and quiet by just polishing his honour guard staff while Ezra and Kanan outside were taking some time to practice lightsaber sparring.

Sabine meanwhile was just doing some more of her art but an uneasy feeling came over her, she wasn't sure exactly but she was thought that someone had been showing up at various points around Lothal whenever she was there. She hadn't been certain at first but now she was becoming more confident that someone was following her. Not an Imperial she thought with a sneer, those idiots were far too dumb for that and then not to act on it. But she was being followed and had no idea by who or why.

Outside the ship the rebels were blissfully unaware of an approaching group, a group that was highly trained in stealth and covert observation. They stayed hidden as they identified the position and activities of each member of the Ghost's crew, Trilla Suduri told the squad their orders once each member of the rebels was located.

"Gundark 2 and 3, board the ship and take down the Twi'lek and the droid. Gundark 4, disarm and take down the boy. Gundark 5 take down the Lasat, three darts should do it. Gundark 6 stun and secure the target. I will deal with the Jedi. Remember we go non-lethal…assume positions." Trilla ordered, her own heart pumping fiercely as she prepared to go, she silently waited as the other members of the team to get in position. They were experts at moving quietly and did so without alerting the rebels to their presence.

"Right." He said taking a deep breath before they moved in. "On my mark, three…two…one…mark." Trilla said and the team sprang from their hiding spots.

The Lasat Zeb saw them first, he was surprised but quick to react reaching for his honour guard staff but Gundark 5 was quicker, shooting him with three sleep darts that took effect rapidly and he slumped unconsciously to the floor.

The Twi'lek and droid went next, the droid Chopper was hit with an ion blast that fried its circuits temporarily while a stun blast took down the Twi'lek Hera before she had a chance to react.

Sabine was coming down the ramp of the ship when she was dropped by a stun shot from Gundark 6. The Special Operations Soldier caught her as she fell and secure her hands with binders.

The boy Ezra and his master due to the force had a split second's warning before the attack came, looking up startled as Gundark 1 and 4 appeared seemingly from nowhere. Ezra raised his saber to fight but Gundark 4 was prepared for him and raised a tractor rifle, using it to rip the lightsaber right from the boy's hand before he could even think of using it, then dropped him with a stun shot.

The Jedi Kanan was quicker on the mark and used the force to pull the rifle from his grip but then Trilla ignited her lightsaber and the green blade simmered into existence. Kanan looked at it in shock before demanding.

"Who are you? What do you want with us?"

Trilla didn't bare him or any member of the crew any malice and had no issue with answering his questions at least a little.

"Who we are doesn't matter and we will not harm your crew any more than we have to. We just want the girl." Trilla told him and Kanan grimaced as he took up a ready position, Trilla saw it and it was far from steady, clearly, he hadn't finished his own training she realised but didn't begrudge him that, many Jedi had been left in a similar position after Order 66 and for his sake she hoped someone would finish it someday.

"Not going to happen." Kanan said with determination and Trilla sighed before raising her own saber.

"Have it your own way Jedi." She said with resignation.

Kanan lunged forward in an awkward Form 2 jab but Trilla easily parried the attack and hit him with a force blast which sent him flying back a few feet but just as he was recovering, falling into Form 3 as they crossed blades in a rapid flurry of movements but she was able to grab his wrist and then forced his arm with the saber aside and then elbowed him in the face hard enough to knock him out.

She looked down at him with a frown, he was decently powerful but he really needed some help to improve she thought and hoped he got it before the Empire finally got close enough to him.

Ensuring he and his crew were as safe as possible she called their jump ship, the modified U-Wing which came down at high speed and hovered just above the ground as the Gundark Team, Trilla and their prisoner climbed or were brought aboard. The hatch closed and then it raced upwards into the atmosphere and then the moment it was able, it leapt to hyperspace leaving Lothal far behind.

- x -

A Couple of Hours Later…

Ezra was groggy as he came round, not sure what was happening and sure of only one thing…that he was aching all over. He looked over and saw Hera and Zeb were struggling to regain their balance as they got to their feet, those stun blasts really hit you hard Ezra thought as he massaged his neck.

Then he properly remembered just what had happened and bolted upright, ignoring how much he was hurting all over and Kanan who had been the first to come around and was rebooting Chopper told him.

"Hey kid relax, you took a big hit. Give it a moment before trying to move that fast." Kanan told him with a grim look on his face. But Ezra was too unsettled and reassured for a moment by the familiar sight of the Ghost crew area before realising that someone was missing.

"Where's Sabine?" He asked quickly with worry setting in fast. Kanan frowned before looking to Hera and Zeb just as Chopper came back online. The droid was immediately upset as it realised that they had been attacked and spun its small arms around as if ready for a fight before Hera told him quickly to stop him from damaging himself.

"Chopper, it's okay." She said slowly calming the droid down before she along with everyone else turned to Kanan who admitted bitterly.

"They took her."

"Took her where?" Zeb asked in confusion as to why this was happening. "Those weren't imperials, who were they?"

"They wore armour like Sabine!" Ezra said trying to understand but Hera who was more level headed than the other two answered with worry.

"They're Mandalorian like she is. Clearly, they aren't in league with the Empire because we'd be in an Imperial cell by now if they were." Hera said and Kanan then told them some of what he had managed to learn while they were unconscious.

"I looked for information on that symbol on their armour, the dragon breathing fire mark. According the Rebel Intelligence that is the symbol of the 'Prudi Nynir' the Mandalorian Special Operations Unit, one of their spec ops teams. Meaning whoever sent them has a lot of influence on Mandalore. Chances are that is where they are taking her." Kanan said with bitterness as he was deeply concerned for Sabine and also about how powerful that 'Akaan' was as they were known had been.

He had heard rumours that the Mandalorians had force users now but he had never really believed it, well now he did as he felt the ache from where that woman had hit him. She had been an excellent fighter, better than the Grand Inquisitor he thought with reluctant admiration. Not only her but those warriors had been more professional and efficient than any soldiers he had ever seen, even the clones would have struggled to match that he thought.

"So, let's go get her." Ezra said eagerly, ready to dive in and get Sabine back whoever had taken her. The other three all looked at him and then each other with great unease.

"Kid, you want to go into Mandalorian Space…uninvited?!" Zeb said, looking at him like he was mad for even thinking it.

"They do not like outsiders in their territory Ezra." Hera told him reluctantly, wanting much like him to go but it was so dangerous that she hesitated. "No one goes there, not even the Empire."

"Come on guys! Its Sabine…she's one of us!" He pressed and a harsh silence fell on the room as they considered the danger of going after Sabine. It was highly dangerous but she was a member of the crew and they wouldn't give up anyone without a fight.

Kanan sighed before telling them.

"If we do this, then we do it right. Let's get started." He said which shocked Hera and Zeb while exciting Chopper and Ezra who were eager to go. Kanan really wasn't sure of this himself but it was what they did, stick up for one another…he couldn't leave Sabine to whatever fate her people had in mind.

The Ghost took off from Lothal and headed off into space, jumping to lightspeed the moment they were able.

- x -

Mandalorian Border, Hours Later…

Using the usual tricks they would to outsmart the Imperials, the Ghost slipped past the border sensor nets but they were unaware that the Mandalorians were far more vigilant than the regular Imperials they were used to dealing with. The ship was pegged as a suspect vessel immediate and would likely have been intercepted and destroyed but orders from the Mandalore himself allowed it to make its way to Mandalore under heavy observation.

- x -

Mandalore Orbit, Mandalore System…A Couple of Hours Later…

"There we are…Mandalore." Hera said as she sat in the cockpit with Kanan and the others looking out at the impressive scene in front of her.

A massive artificial ring encircled the planet where countless ships were docked, being serviced, repaired or constructed. Around the system many ships and satellites filled up the system and in the centre was Mandalore itself which was a lush and verdant world capable of competing with Alderaan and Naboo.

"Impressive." Zeb said in astonishment as he looked out at it all.

"I have never seen that much activity around a planet." Ezra said with awe. "Are those rings built? How did they do that?!" He exclaimed having never seen a structure that was so big.

"The Mandalorians are probably the best warriors in the galaxy, that's the reason they've managed to keep the Empire out. But they're also great engineers, they can build and maintain just about anything." Kanan said as he could feel the force strongly here. He knew the planet's long and violent history as well as anyone but felt the need to warn Ezra. "One thing you need to remember kid is that the Jedi and the Mandalorians have fought each other a lot over the centuries so if they catch us, we won't get a warm welcome."

"Don't get caught, understood." Ezra said as Hera with a bead of sweat on her forehead as she flew her ship towards the planet.

The fact they made it to the surface unchallenged was surprising to Kanan and Hera in particular, both of them wondering just why they hadn't been detected yet. Kanan could feel they were being watched but didn't know why no one had come at them yet.

Landing near the capital he felt Sabine's presence in the force there, it was difficult given his lack of training but he was familiar enough with him to find it.

Mounting the speeder bikes that they'd brought with them, the four and Chopper left the Ghost as hidden as possible and approached Sundari, the enormous domed city was another new thing to Ezra but a cargo ramp allowed them inside.

Now both Kanan and Hera were certain they were heading into a trap, a fact that was proven moments later when a group of Mandalorian warriors appeared from thin air all around them. Kanan was sure he felt the force as they appeared and a number of them activated lightsabers with cyan and viridian blades.

"Don't move, or you end up as a statistic." The lead warrior said, her voice was familiar and Kanan realised that this was the one that he had fought on Lothal. Her lightsaber he also noticed was different to the others, more like a Jedi weapon while the other Mandalorians used hilts that looked like regular sword hilts.

"We came for Sabine. Where is she?" Ezra demanded and the Mandalorian woman looked at him and they could easily hear the amusement in her voice as she replied.

"Your apprentice is impatient. Impatience is never a good trait for anyone to have…let alone a Jedi." She said to Kanan who frowned before putting a hand on Ezra's shoulder to calm him. Ezra looked at him with confusion before letting him take over.

"We only want Sabine Wren. Why did you take her and where is she now?" He asked calmly and the Mandalorians shared looks before the female one spoke.

"She is facing her trial, if you wish to know why then it would be best if we all attended. It begins soon. Come." She told them and realising that this was not a request but an order the Rebels reluctantly did as they were told and boarded the speeder to the court along with their 'escort'. All of them were plotting ways to escape but Kanan shook his head, knowing the best way to get to Sabine was to let them be taken to her and to get answers about whatever she had done that merited such a trial.

She had always been so tight-lipped about her past and why she wasn't with her people, he had sensed it was something that she felt great guilt about. He hadn't pried as it was her past, not his. He was hardly open with his own so he figured she would tell them when she felt comfortable doing so.

The ride through the city was an impressive one though, even if they were too worried about Sabine to enjoy it. The court building like the rest of the city was beautiful and interesting but they hardly paid it any attention as they were led to the court room. The stands were nearly filled by people in Mandalorian garb and the Rebels stood out like a sore thumb, so did the heavy Akaan presence around them.

A small group of four people sat in a private box nearby, two women, a boy and a man. They all looked tense but paid them no mind as a platform rose up and chained to it was Sabine. She had been stripped of her armour and wore a simple jumpsuit, her expression was full of fear as she looked around, the crowd in the stands all calling out various cries which in the mix were hard to identify in the moment but none were favourable to Sabine. The rebels tried to catch her eye and hers widened when she saw them but not in a hopeful way, instead they could almost hear her yelling at them asking why they had come, she also saw the other group in the private box and her head fell when she saw them, like she was ashamed they were here for her fall from grace.

A single figure in full Mandalorian metallic silvery-grey armour stepped out onto a raised dais, he had a large staff of sorts in his hands and banged it hard on the floor until the crowd grew quiet and he made his opening remarks.

"It is a sad day when someone who was once one of our brightest young warriors now stands before us as a criminal, condemned by her own hubris. Sabine Wren, of Clan Wren serving House Farr…you stand before this court on the following crimes." The apparent Judge said, a holographic list appearing before him.

"That you led an unauthorised mission into Imperial Space with fourteen other young warriors disobeying the orders of your clan and house leaders, that you stole a stealth ship for that illegal mission. That your actions caused the deaths of all fourteen warriors and the destruction of the stealth ship. That you dishonoured yourself and your family by not returning the bodies and armour of those warriors to their families and instead of returning to face the consequences of your actions, that you deserted your family and your people by running away to hide, leaving them to cover up your actions. On these crimes, what is your plea?" The judge, Din Djarin asked and hating this entire situation as he had met Sabine and knew her personally growing up from when she and her brother had visited Reijar.

Hearing just what Sabine was accused of shocked the Ghost crew, Sabine herself grimaced and stayed silent for a moment before she gave her answer.

"Guilty."

That caused an uproar in the stands as Sabine's family looked down in sadness while the Rebels were confused as Sabine was one of the most careful people in the crew, her art might be a little crazy but she herself was so level headed. How could she be responsible for this? They pondered.

"SILENCE!" Din called out again and banged his staff firmly till order was restored. Then he turned back to Sabine and continued. "Sabine Wren, you have pleaded guilty…however." Din said which made the Rebels look up in hope that maybe there was something that could get her out of this. "It seems that someone in a position of high authority still cares for your wellbeing. So, you will be offered, the Rite of Atonement. Do you accept this offer, for you will not get another?"

Sabine looked shocked and fearful but as she looked to her family and then her rebel friends who all looked at her encouragingly, she took a deep breath and gave her answer.

"I will take the Rite of Atonement. I will finish what I started." Sabine said as the stands all talked among themselves furiously. Sabine's family looked deeply worried as they knew just what she would have to do to atone for her actions while the rebels looked on unsure of just what Sabine would have to do.

- x -

The guards led Sabine to a side room where the crew were reunited with her and despite the fact at any other time, she would been glad to see them, this time she was exasperated.

"What are you doing here?" She asked them angrily the moment she was able and Ezra came forward and hugged her which surprised her a little.

"We wouldn't leave you when you needed help." Ezra said as he unlocked the cuffs she was still wearing and she massaged her wrists before telling him.

"This my fight Ezra, you guys shouldn't have come."

"Indeed, but if it gives you the motivation to complete this task then it is just as well that they did." A voice sounded for the side said Sabine's family entered. The woman that had spoken was a tall dark-haired woman who was older and had grey and yellow coloured armour. At her side where another woman who was around the same age although had paler skin and blonde hair instead of being tanned and dark wearing dark green and black armour. An older man with dark blond hair and robes rather than armour entered while the younger boy wore similar armour of his mother, the older dark-haired woman.

"Mom, Dad, Tristan…Aunt Ara." Sabine said with a voice that trembled with emotion having never expected to see any of them again. They all looked deeply unsettled but her father and mother came over and hugged her, she hugged them back just as eagerly and then Tristan came over and joined them, hugging her but not as enthusiastically as his parents which pained them both. For Ezra it was hard as he had forgotten what it was to have parents long ago, so watching Sabine with her family was painful for him as it reinforced just what he had lost. Kanan saw his pain and put a comforting hand on his shoulder and Hera did the same on the other, their touch was reassuring and eased his longing and grief for what he had lost.

"Sabine why did you do it?" Ursa asked with a genuine pleading on her face, she had never managed to understand just why Sabine would do something like that. The rest of them looked at her with the same question in their eyes and she sighed before admitting why she had done it.

"I wanted to prove myself." Sabine said with guilt at her arrogance and all the damage it had caused. "I was the best; I was sure I could handle leading people into battle. I was going to prove it to all of you when you said I wasn't ready. I was going to do it by stealing back the Axe of Mandalore the Ultimate from Moff Lillas Tyro." She said remembering just how eager she had been to lead that mission and found those who were daring enough to try it. Even taking the stealth ship that had been in the repair yard to get there.

But it had gone so wrong, she had been so wrong Sabine thought with misery as the memories of what had happened came back like it had been yesterday. The young warriors and her had made a mistake of recklessly charging in and allowed the Imperials to detect their presence, leading to their ship being shot down and as they were reeling from that she and the survivors of the crash had been set on by the local garrison. They had been so unprepared for this and surrounded by Stormtroopers and walkers, she had truly been more afraid than she had than at any point of her entire life. Seeing her friends, dying all around her she thought with haunted eyes before an explosion had buried her beneath some debris and knocked her out. When she had finally come to everyone else was dead, the bodies of her friends laying all around her stripped of their armour and abandoned in the rubble and she had been so ashamed of herself, so full of grief and remorse that she had not been able to face the condemnation of her family and the families of those that died, not been brave enough to try and reclaim the armour and return home to face the music.

So, she ran away, working as a bounty hunter with Ketsu Onyo, another former Mandalorian who had left to pursue her own path before joining the Ghost, not just to fight the Empire but also to try and make up for her mistakes and hoped dearly to have learned from them…she would certainly need to if she had a chance to complete her mission Sabine thought with dread at what she was going to have to do.

"Feel free to clue me in but just what is the 'Rite of Atonement'?" Zeb asked tired of the suspense. The non-Mandalorians in the room were all completely puzzled by it and Ara Ordo looked at them with suspicion, not sure of what to make of her niece's friends before answering the question.

"She must complete the mission that she failed to finish the first time. She must kill Moff Lillas Tyro, retrieve the axe but also now bring back the armour of the warriors that died with her the first time. And she must do this…alone. No one must help her and if she runs away again, her family will be held responsible." Ara told her with a grim tone, knowing that if Sabine gave in to her fear and ran away the Wrens could lose everything.

"That's suicide." Hera said knowing that such a mission was too much for one person alone to handle. The rough looking astromech spun its top indignantly and looked ready to attack them for a moment before Sabine surprising put her foot down.

"I'm doing this!" She told her friends and her family with strong conviction. "If I had just come back years ago this wouldn't be happening now! I started this and I need to end it. I turned my back on what it means to be Mandalorian…I need to do this so I can be one again." Sabine told them with determination.

They were stunned at her decision, Kanan felt it most of all as he himself had once turned his back on what it meant to be a Jedi. In the early days when he and Master Depa had been on the run it had seemed so hopeless and that message from Master Kenobi telling them the Order had fallen had been a harsh wake up to reality. She had tried to continue teaching him but he had just seen it as a new way to get themselves killed and what was the point…the Empire had won he remembered thinking with bitterness. The galaxy had decided it didn't want the Jedi anymore and it was time to just move on and forget that life, so he had walked away from her and abandoned the Jedi way…until Hera had reminded him of why it was so important and that there was still a need for the Jedi.

He frowned inwardly, cursing himself for hurting Master Depa like that. She had done her best to keep them alive and safe in the aftermath of Order 66 and even made alliances with smugglers like Kasmir to survive. He had never imagined how hard it must have been for her, to keep it all together for both of them when before she had been a Jedi her entire life. He wondered if she was still out there as he wasn't sure if he could sense her anymore, his own skills had become so weak he thought with regret on all the years he had wasted by abandoning the force. They barely caught snippets now but as time went on and he reconnected properly with the force, sometimes he could sense her still out there and wherever she was he just hoped she was okay.

"Let her." He said which made the others look at him in disbelief. "She needs to do this. Whatever happens, it's her path to walk."

"I am glad that someone understands." Ara said and could feel the Jedi's connection to the force was not what it should be at his age so clearly, he needed to work on that before she brandished a small case she had been carrying. "Ursa and I have one week to prepare you, and this might be helpful." She said, opening the case to show them what was inside.

A pile of metal bars but they had the same look of beskar in its purest form, it amazed the Mandalorians present as Ara told her.

"Your armour is about sixty percent beskar and forty percent durasteel. This is enough to replace the durasteel with pure beskar. If you are going to do this then you should have the best protection possible."

Ursa gave her sister a thankful nod for donating the beskar and then told her daughter firmly.

"And since you ran away before completing your training you have not gained certain pieces of equipment that you would have if you had stayed. So, you will learn to use them." Ursa said and turned to her husband and son who both had cases of their own, opening them Sabine's eyes widened as she saw a jetpack, vambraces and crush guard gauntlets.

"You will learn to use all of these before you go." Ursa said with great fear for her daughter and then with a grateful nod to her sister added. "And your Aunt has managed to gather intel on your target that will be useful. You will study it." Ursa told her and Sabine nodded with a small smile. It honestly was a deep comfort to her and it really did help her confidence.

She would do this mission she thought with determination and she would complete it.

- x -

In the depths of the forge that night, Sabine stood with her family as her armour was regretfully melted down and the durasteel extracted before more beskar was added as it was recreated. It would be far stronger she thought with pride as she saw the moulds break open and see the newly forged pieces inside. She would spend the rest of the night repainting them to the patterns they'd had before and then stumbled or rather been dragged out of bed the following morning by Ursa and Ara and being made to study tactical data on the Imperial Compound she was going too. She was made to memorise every guard tower, sensor platform, security system, guard patrol routes and more over and over again until she knew it all by heart.

Then she was practicing with her new equipment, the vambraces and jetpack were amazing she thought with a smile as it enabled her to do so much more, the crush guards were a little difficult but she soon got the hang of them as well.

She sparred heavily with her mother, aunt and brother, none of them taking it easy on her and sometimes she would need a bacta patch every now and again but she always got back up and tried again.

Time flew past too quickly and soon it was time…she swallowed as she tried to suppress her own nerves but as she hugged each of her friends and family, she couldn't help but wonder if she would see any of them again. Climbing onto the drop ship she smiled at them one last time before the hatch closed and it took off, she sat back in her seat and took a deep steadying breath and ran through all she had to do in her mind, step by step so it wasn't overwhelming. She knew it was highly dangerous but…she owed it to the people that had died Sabine thought with grief hardening her resolve to see this through.

- x -

Imperial Outpost, Several Hours Later…

The jump ship came down as low as it dared go, the pilot showing how to do this without straying into Imperial anti-air defences, something she had not realised last time she thought bitterly but did her best to quiet her nervousness as the hatch opened. The great drop below her was terrifying but she steadied herself before jumping!

The air rushed past her as she fell, cutting out any other sound and as she broke through the clouds, she saw the compound below. Seeing it again stirred more fear but she suppressed it with ruthless effort, focusing herself entirely on what she had to do. She aimed herself at the far right of the compound where there was a small concealed area for her to land in, activating her jetpack in time to slow her descent so she could land safely.

Bracing herself she caught her breath before moving on to carry out her mission, finding the junction terminal for the various sensor feeds that were built into the complex guarded by two Stormtroopers. She rarely killed since she had joined the Ghost or even before that but this time, she knew this was no distraction or smash and grab like she was used to. Gritting her teeth, she crept forward and then shot one of the Stormtroopers with a sleeping dart and the grabbing the other one and used her crush guard to snap his neck. Harsh snapping sound unsettled her but she had a job to do and they wouldn't hesitate if put in her position she reminded herself. She turned to the main junction and connected up the small slicer kit she'd been given and sliced into the network, implanting a computer virus that would jam communications and blind the sensors, leaving the enemy unable to call for help or detect anything.

She then went about moving as quickly and stealthily across the compound, shooting stormtroopers and officers as she went with her quick reflexes before coming to the main entrance, jumping in she grabbed one by the neck and snapped it before shooting a second and then spin kicking the remaining guard and finishing him off with a blaster bolt to the neck, she suddenly stumbled slightly as she felt a blaster bolt hit her back but the beskar held well and she turned to see that the garrison had been called out, probably for a drill or something she thought and as they charged her she hit them with a repulsor blast which knocked several off their feet and then she started shooting with her blasters, she had no cover and she could feel occasional impacts on her armour but she kept going, grateful for her aunt letting her have pure beskar armour because otherwise she would likely be dead from all this she thought with a grimace as she felt another hit her.

She kept shooting and avoiding blaster fire as much as possible by keeping on the move but it was hard and occasionally a bolt would hit.

By the time she was done, twenty Stormtroopers were dead and her art covered suit was covered in blaster burns, the beskar held but her paint work hadn't she thought with anger as she the blaster marks had ruined it! But with a slight limb from a bruising hit between the beskar plates she made her way over to the main door and opened it with her slicing kit, once inside she saw more Stormtroopers standing in her path. Sighing she pulled her blasters from their holsters and charged in firing, cutting them down as she moved from cover to cover without wasting a single movement, her jetpack making sure she got through a blast door just before it closed.

It seemed like an eternity before she finally managed to make it to the main office, she looked inside cautious in case it was an ambush but as she looked around the room, she saw no-one. Her heart sank as if he wasn't here but activating thermo scan she saw a lump cowering under his desk. She stiffened her resolve as she walked in and saw to her anger that all the suits of armour that he had taken from her dead friends on display like trophies around the room, even the great battle axe that Mandalore the Ultimate had created from the Republic flagship Courageous hanging on the wall.

She was seething as she passed the desk and turned to see the Imperial Moff shaking beneath his desk with tears running down his face.

"Please don't kill me!" Moff Lillas Tyro pleaded as he looked up at her.

Sabine was utterly stunned, not having expected such a coward when the man had been so hard on those he ruled. But then she thought with disgust, that was when he was in charge and in a position of power with no threat to his own life.

It was easy to be brave then, wasn't it? She thought to herself.

Not giving him the dignity of an answer and instead without any hesitation shot him with her blaster.

She sagged, feeling tired and a strange sense of relief as it was done, she slid into the nearby chair and sat back. Taking a moment to regain her strength before she went to collect the armour but then she saw a sight that made her blood cold as she turned the chair to face the nearby window. A Star Destroyer was flying towards the base and she looked down in despair, however good her armour or skills, she realised with resignation at her approaching death.

But then she saw a blue blast appear from above the Star Destroyer, hitting it and all lights and power cut out before a large and powerful red blast of plasma appeared, smashing the main tower to pieces as it crashed to the ground.

Kom'rk drop ships and fighter escorts began to appear and Sabine suddenly felt reenergised and smiled before shattering the cases with her blasters and shooting out the window too. A dropship appeared right in front of the window and the crew saw once the hatch was open that Sabine had been successful and got out to help move the armour and the axe, handling the last one with great reverence given its importance.

Sabine as she boarded the ship and sat on the jump seat with a sense of relief, feeling so much better now that she had confronted her fear and returned what had been lost.

Hours later as the fleet that had come to her rescue returned to Mandalore she was still smiling as she disembarked, seeing her family standing there with her friends was enough to make her run over to them, Ezra came to meet her and she pre-empted him this time with a hug which surprised him but he quickly returned.

That man Ursa and Alrich raise their eyebrows, wondering if the Jedi boy had designs on their daughter but put that aside as Din Djarin stepped forward, Sabine broke the hug and looked at Din who nodded at her before saying.

"You have succeeded, your atonement is complete. Sabine of Clan Wren…you are free to go." Din told her and she bowed slightly in respect which he returned before leaving her with her family.

"I suppose this means you'll be going home then." Zeb said sadly as he knew with Sabine would likely be staying with her people now that she had been forgiven. The rest of Ghost crew felt the same but Sabine shocked them and her family by saying.

"I should be where I can do the most good, that's with you guys." Sabine said before turning to her parents who looked unhappy at that. "I love you but I need to be out there."

Both sadly smiled before hugging her and Alrich nodded in acceptance.

"I know sweetheart, but where ever you go and whatever you do. Know that we love you." Alich said and hugged his daughter who hugged him back and then Ursa who was angry she wasn't staying since she had only just gotten her home but she thought with resignation it was her decision.

As the Ghost Crew and Clan Wren celebrated Sabine's achievement, Ara was watching quietly and while glad of her niece's survival and liberation was still wishing she could talk about things with Haron. The two of them were still unstable and needed time to find their own balance again. He was unfortunately out in the galaxy, launching some attacks against the Empire to see if they could provoke a reaction from Thrawn. To see how he would react.

---

Tarkin's Pride, Allegiance class Star Destroyer…Firrerre, Outer Rim Territories…

The Imperial Taskforce led by Hethrir; the newly appointed Procurator of Justice was attempting to prove his devotion to the Emperor so he might become his new apprentice. To do this he was going to wipe out his own people by unleashing not only a virus on their world but conventional attacks to wipe out those that survived that. The fact his mate Rillao had fled with their son did not even register in the face of his own ambition, especially as the boy they had created was force blind he thought with frustration at the indignity of being forced to have a son without his power in the force.

But finding that the Mandalorians had decided to get involved enraged him, in his rage he had charged straight in against the Mandalorian lines only for them to envelope him in a trap and now his forces were being picked apart!

Seeing the Starcrash Brigade be wiped out as his own flagship was surround and under heavy attack, the Tarkin's Pride was a large Heavy Star Destroyer, larger than any in the Imperial Fleet until the Super Star Destroyers came into service in a year or so's time. It should have guaranteed his victory Hethrir thought with his fury building as reports came of boarding actions against his ship!

He reached for his lightsaber and went to join the fighting only for the enemy to find him first. Droids that were far more deadly than those of the Separatists swarmed in and shot the bridge officers but accompanying them was a woman in full Mandalorian armour and in her hand was a lightsaber, its viridian beam glowing.

Hethrir was fuming and knew that if he managed to capture the woman and bring her back to the Emperor, he would forget all of today's failures. He ignited his own blade and went to charge at her but she raised her hand and he literally felt the deck plates beneath his feet turn into sand! He had never seen anything like it before and he felt himself sinking waist deep into it, but then with another wave of her hand the sand solidified. He was completely stuck and tried to swing his saber at her but suddenly she cast some kind of blinding beam of light in his eyes, he screamed in pain but only for a moment before Ara Ordo ended his life with a swing of her lightsaber.

Ara looked down at the genocidal narcissist with disgust, willing to exterminate his own species just to prove his loyalty to the Emperor who would never honour that devotion. It sickened her right to her core to see someone prepared to wipe out and entire species just to prove a point.

She sighed as she considered she had gotten a hell of a prize today, a fully intact Allegiance class Star Destroyer, nothing they didn't already know about it really but it would be a nice trophy for her people she thought with satisfaction. Moreso that it was called Tarkin's Pride, making her laugh at how his pride was crippling a fleet with its poor concept of warfare.

She had heard the Firrereo were a prideful species and she just hoped they were flexible enough to join the Rift Alliance and at the very least buy the necessary weapons, ships and satellites to defend their world with and allow a station to be built to let their ships dock here when needed.

Ara was used to tricky negotiations as she had to do it with other clans and companies to use her spaceport and shipyard so she just hoped her skills were up to it.

- x -

Valkyrie, Mirshko-class Heavy Cruiser…Ibaar, Outer Rim Territories…

The planet of Ibaar was fighting its own battle for liberation against the Empire but the Imperials were trying to starve them to death with a blockade, as part of their efforts to provoke a reaction from Thrawn the Mandalorians had decided to aid the rebels in this fight and had dispatched not just food supplies in the cargo ships but also weapons and ammunition, enough to break the Empire's hold over the planet.

The Imperial Blockade was relatively low scale by most standards, only three Arquitens-class light cruisers and a few Gozanti class escort ships. The Mandalorians had dispatched two of their Mirshko-class Heavy Cruisers; the Valkyrie and the Thunderer to break the blockade with Crusader class corvettes as escorts.

But in the Command Centre of the Valkyrie for this mission was Markus Ordo, on his first solo mission and command without his father or other members of his family looking over his shoulder.

He was nervous but only slightly as his fleet easily had the edge here, truly the Valkyrie alone would likely be able to break this blockade, especially with the brand-new ship it was carrying in its launch tubes he thought with eagerness to check them out.

"Launch Vipers and U-Wings." He commanded and the crew went to do as he said, eager to see the new Viper model for themselves.

The Type 3 was still the standard model of Viper across the fleet but after several models that had never left the testing phase, they had a new one, the Mark 7. Incredibly agile with a slim profile and faster than any Imperial or Rebel ship around. Well-armed with concussion missiles and three laser cannons it was finally time to deploy it in the field.

"Vipers are to engage enemy fighters, U-Wings bomb larger enemy vessels." Markus commanded and the crew relayed his orders to the pilots. "Gunners, take aim at escort vessels, all batteries execute."

"All batteries target escort ships, execute." The command went out.

In space the Mirshkos used their heavier turbolasers to attack the escort vessels, the Gozantis which were not built to withstand this kind of attack. The Vipers meanwhile began to harass the few Tie Fighters the Imperials had, the pilots loving the extreme speed and agility of the new model, not to mention its triple locked laser cannons and concussion missiles. They ran rings around the Tie Fighters and Bombers that were deployed against them which opened the way for the U-Wings to move in against the command cruisers, bombing them with proton torpedoes and bombs to rip them apart.

The Gozantis were in a similarly bad position as their shields collapsed under the heavy bombardment and the ships then were blasted to pieces as the Crusaders came forward and added their own laser cannons to the attack.

The Imperial line collapsed, allowing the transports through with the supplies the locals below so desperately needed. A cheer went up around the command centre of the Valkyrie as the crew celebrated their win but Markus only allowed himself a smile, his father had taught him to be humble in each victory and not let emotion take over, the next battle might not be so easy.

Markus had learned the art of war from his father and would now begin to show the universe that House Ordo had a new warrior, he thought with determination to make his own mark.

- x -

Solis, Outer Rim Territories…

Haron himself meanwhile was working on liberating another planet, Solis which had been conquered by the Empire not long after it had been rediscovered and now it was being invaded again.

Due to the primitive technology of the locals the Imperials had only a slight presence here and it was fairly easy for them to overcome but regardless of adding another planet to their territory or liberating/saving two more the intention of these attacks was to provoke a response from Thrawn, Haron thought with coldness. They knew so little about him, about the Chiss and if they were going to find a way to stop him, they had to know more Haron thought with concern.

So now as they attacked, it would be time to see how he reacted and what he would do.

---

The Eye of Ashlanae, Knossa, Ossus…

Yoda and Tuwan sat in meditation at the sacred site for the Jedi, enjoying the purity of the location as they looked out on the now restored and inhabited city beyond.

Knossa was a thriving city again, after years and years of work its streets were busy with Jedi and Ysanna working living together. A couple of other settlements had been established across the planet as they developed more and made what effectively amounted to a self-supporting Jedi Colony.

In the distance they saw Master Sinube was teaching a big class of younglings, many Jedi had now merged with the Ysanna and even had families of their own…younglings of their own Yoda thought with a warm smile.

Their numbers were growing and they had also completely restored the Great Library, it was again the centre of knowledge for the Jedi, learning from their ancient past and even now experimenting with new and unusual abilities.

Casting their minds out they could see the hidden temples across the galaxy, some of which regretfully had been destroyed by the Empire but many still thrived having blended with the local population if they had one. Auratera too was becoming a thriving Jedi Colony under Masters Tholme and T'ra Saa among others, new families beginning that might become dynasties in the times ahead with help from the force. Tanalorr under Master Kenobi's steady hand too was beginning to flourish as force sensitives were moved there by the underground network of the Hidden Path.

Altisian Jedi with their own special world hidden from the galaxy also had their own numbers growing while in the wider galaxy publicly Jedi led the fight against the Empire, Corellia becoming a hub for them and more survivors were coming out of hiding to join in battle against the dark side.

There was even a mobile Jedi Academy of sorts now, both masters thought with pride. Minisa Anari and Bene now ran a casino ship that moved around the galaxy and picked up force sensitives they found, signing them on as crew while training them in secret, moving even in the Core Worlds undetected.

Neither master had ever felt more secure that they had made the right decision and as more force sensitives in whatever order they served flourished the hold on the force that the Emperor had slackened. More and more each day they pushed the shroud of the dark side back and with it his influence. There was still great danger they both knew and sensed that but things were at last finally turning around.

But one sad spot remained they both knew, recent territory expansions by the Rift Alliance had forced the Empire from Ilum. While normally this would be a cause of celebration, they could not do so in sorrow for the great damage the Empire had done to the planet in their search for giant kyber crystals. They had torn out its heart and soul, leaving great misery where once there had been harmony and it could take centuries for the planet to heal from the hurt that had been inflicted on it. There were of course other places Jedi could go for Kyber Crystals even here on Ossus but it was a disheartening thing to see such a sacred and important world broken and twisted by the greed of the Empire.

Both got up reluctantly as they had to attend a council meeting regarding some ruins that had been found which contained a former Jedi temple under the water on this planet! A temple purely for Aquatic Jedi! It was a fantastic discovery and merited a great deal of investigation for who knows what might be found in there both of them considered.

---

Ye'trax, Inner Rim…

Ye'trax was a fairly industrialised world that bordered on the Core Worlds and as such was strategically important and well populated.

As the Rebellion spread across the galaxy it was now imperative that they establish more small cells to grow their network and spread their ideas as far as possible.

So, Meetra had dared venture to Ye'trax and set up a rebel cell here, the Foundry was allowing them to equip themselves but somethings needed a personal touch and with her ability to recruit others to her side it made her the best choice for such a mission.

Seeing the galaxy so changed made her feel depressed sometimes but the work that they were doing helped her find the hopeful spark to keep on going.

Meetra was glad to see that she had not lost her touch, smiling to herself as she gathered the small unit to develop a rebel presence here on Ye'trax. They were she admitted an odd bunch but then again, she had once led a crew of very different if extremely capable people just like Revan before her and they had saved the galaxy. While she wasn't expecting that much with this group, she knew they would help establish the rebellion here.

A brilliant if very eccentric Rodian data slicer who was a lone wolf who now had to adjust to working with a team, an angry Weequay former bounty hunter and mercenary who was a skilled fighter and expert at weaponry, an Ardennian whose four arms and quick reflexes made him an excellent if strange pilot and a human female who was a perfect spy and sniper.

They shouldn't work together but somehow, they did surprisingly and covered for all their own shortcomings. Meetra was sure they would do well here and help spread the rebellion across this world and be the leaders of a big cell when they started to gather more people with them.

She herself was returning to the Alliance with satisfaction as she wondered just what Satele had gotten up to in her absence given that she was busy training a new Jedi Order out of the rebel recruits.

---

Open Sky, YT-1300 Light Freighter…On Route to Gazian…

While the heavily customised freighter sped through hyperspace, Anakin was taking some time to train his apprentices.

"Now let the movement ease your mind and let go of your worries, concentrate on the stances as you let the force flow through you." Anakin said as he practiced moving meditation with the five children in the cargo bay. Luke and Leia, he noticed with pride were taking very well to it, moving perfectly in sync with each other, Mace was not far behind them as he lacked their practice but that would smooth out with time.

Tash and Zak were struggling a bit he saw with a knowing smile, recognising the difficulties they were having as the same sort that Ahsoka herself had once suffered from when trying to learn this technique so while the others were still moving, he stopped them both and told them gently.

"Don't force it. Just relax into the movements, let it come to you without worrying." He told them and while not completely understanding they both did as their master ordered. Anakin smiling again as he felt them both start to relax into it and let the force move through them naturally.

Anakin stood back with pride as his students all began to develop their connection to the force, each of them was different in their own special way he noted even the twins from each other which he found amusing. Each had their own talents and interests which would guide them in their path forward as Jedi.

After a couple of hours passed it was time, he thought with some of his old eagerness to start saber practice. Bringing them all back to the present he gave each of them their training sabers and began guiding them in their stances.

"Now once we have practiced Form 1 so you all have a firm base, I will be giving you all a talk on the other more advanced forms of lightsaber combat. Each has their own advantages and disadvantages so when it comes time for you to select a specialisation, think carefully on which suits you best." Anakin told them firmly as he ignited his own blue lightsaber, he still carried Mace Windu's one but that was more in honour of the man that had wielded it originally.

Luke and Leia both ignited their own sabers, having already gone through the gathering and retrieved their own crystals. Blue blades appeared just like his which did give him some pride, Mace on the other hand had yet to harvest his own crystal so would like the Arranda siblings be using the synthetic red ones until he could take them to get their own crystals.

"Now remember, footwork is extremely important as not having a firm base will leave you vulnerable especially to physical attacks like kicks and grapples. It will also let you give more power in each strike." Anakin said as he started leading them through the basic moves. Luke and Leia both were flawless as they had been doing this for years now and Mace was hardly any different. Tash and Zak still hadn't quite gotten the muscle memory of the others yet but to his satisfaction they were starting to become more fluid in their movements and sure of themselves.

This went on for another hour before Padme walked in to see her husband teaching their children to use a lightsaber, she smiled sadly as she leaned against the doorway and watched them. They were growing up so fast. It seemed like only yesterday they had been babies in her arms and yet now they were teenagers she thought, sad they weren't her little children any longer and would soon be spreading their wings on their own. But she smiled too as she had the experience of raising them herself, seeing them grow she thought with all the happy memories of the years gone by.

She eventually pulled herself back to the present and cleared her throat to get her husband's attention. He and the children turned to face her and she told him.

"We're coming up on Gazian Anakin."

He nodded and came up to kiss her which she returned, their sons and daughter all awkwardly looking away but it would only be a matter of time before they found romantic partners of their own Anakin and Padme thought to themselves. Then it would be them that was doing the kissing.

- x -

Separatist Jedi Training Facility, Gazian, Separatist Space…

The strong force aura of this planet was invigorating to all of the Skywalkers and Arrandas the moment they disembarked, even Padme could feel it if not consciously and their Noghri friends found it relaxing too. The aura of the living sea in front of them was comforting.

Their arrival had not gone unnoticed as a tall man approached them wearing robes different to Jedi robes with metal pauldrons and vambraces with a greying beard and he cut an intimidating figure as he moved towards them. The sight of him scared the children slightly along with C-3PO while the Noghri and Hk-47 prepared for a fight but Anakin fearlessly walked towards him and when the two men met in the middle the tension was broken as they smiled in greeting.

"Baylan Skoll." Anakin said knowing the man by name and face, the man had even gone through some of Tuwan's classes back at the temple and was quite a powerful force wielder and fighter in his own right. Baylan smiled back as he extended his hand which Anakin shook.

"Anakin Skywalker." Baylan said back with some warmth as he had not seen another from the order in many years now. They had not known each other well but had met in passing at the Temple.

"Setting up an order of your own now." Anakin noted as he saw the building which housed the academy but Baylan shook his head.

"I am merely opening them to the force and from here they will decide their own path. Some I know intend to serve the Separatist Alliance in whatever capacity they can which I might feel is a shame but it is their path…one we must choose for ourselves. Some intend to continue here and train others. I myself will not remain here forever, there is something I else I feel I must find." He said not sure of what exactly was calling to him but he knew in his bones that he must seek it out.

Anakin nodded with understand before offering some wisdom he had learned through his own journey.

"Then I will wish you well in your quest but be aware, sometimes the worst thing that can happen is that you find what you are looking for." Anakin told him and Baylan nodded, understanding his point but that would not dissuade him. Turning to look past him he smiled as he saw Padme and the children.

"I see I am not the only one that has parted ways with the Jedi." Baylan said with a knowing look in his eyes. Anakin then introduced his family.

"Baylan Skoll, my wife Padme Amidala who you will know." He said as he introduced the love of his life first. Baylan knew who she was immediately, as a famous senator she was hard to forget. He gave a gentlemanly bow to her which she smiled and nodded her head in return. Then Anakin moved on to the others. "Luke, Leia and Mace my children. Tash and Zak Arranda of Alderaan, our Noghri friends Ghazhak & Kohvrekhar. Then my droids C-3PO, R2 and HK-47."

"Indignant Statement: Master why do you feel you have to insult me by introducing me last? Surely the walking pile of neuroses that make up this ridiculous protocol droid make him a far less useful asset than myself." HK-47 said which made C-3PO exclaim in great distress.

"Excuse me, I was serving Master Anakin while you were rusting away in that lab." C-3PO said and Baylan could only raise an eyebrow before saying.

"I see you are still having weird droids follow you around." Baylan said with amusement at the argument that C-3PO and HK-47 were having. Anakin could only frown in embarrassment before mercifully one of Baylan's apprentices, a human girl maybe only a couple of years younger than Luke and Leia appeared.

"Master, it's time for saber practice." She reminded him and Baylan nodded before telling her.

"I remember Shin. But since you're here…Shin Hati…Anakin Skywalker." He said introducing his prized pupil to Anakin who gave her a smile while she looked very nervous. Bowing slightly to him and Baylan decided after looking at Anakin's children for a moment and especially the sabers at their waists and a smile appeared as he got an idea for how to teach his favourite pupil in humility. "Since we have some highly skilled visitors today, perhaps we can have a practical sparring match? Your eldest son against my student?" Baylan suggested carefully.

Anakin looked uncertain for a moment as did the rest of the family, Luke more than anyone but then a knowing smile appeared on Anakin's face as he understood just what Baylan intended and he nodded in agreement much to their astonishment.

"I think it would be good for them both. Luke, don't hold back. You do yourself and your opponent and injustice if you do." Anakin told his son who nodded despite not fully understanding just why his father was making him do this and Shin was being rather cocky as she was the best at lightsaber fighting among Baylan's students and had only been defeated by their master himself. This boy she thought with a touch of arrogance would be easy to beat.

They both took up ready positions and lit their sabers in training mode, Luke's blue blade a direct contrast to Shin's orange/red one. Baylan and Anakin looked on with a knowing smiles, they both already knew how this fight would end.

"Begin." Baylan called out.

Shin went on the offensive straight away which surprised Luke a little but he was learning to specialise in Form 5, both Shien and Djem So like his father so he had a powerful defence which he immediately employed against Shin's determined assault. She too used Form 5 but used Shien primarily and soon her confident smirk disappeared as Luke's defence did not falter under her assault as her previous opponents had. It held strong and then before she knew it, Luke launched a heavy and precise counterattack, powerful cleaves and strikes bashing hard against her lightsaber and then he caught her in a blade lock.

She tried to break his hold but he again wouldn't break, she was powerless as Luke used his greater strength and leverage to force her saber aside and then deliver a kick to her stomach, winded she reeled back but he wrenched her lightsaber from her hand before she could recover.

"Luke Skywalker is the winner." Baylan said with a smile before walking over to him and his sheer size scared Luke a little but he told him. "Well fought."

Baylan then took Shin's saber back and gave it to the still winded girl who grimaced as if expecting to be scolded from her loss but as Baylan handed her the saber back, he asked her.

"And what did you learn?" He asked her plainly and she looked at him annoyed.

"I don't understand master." Shin asked before Baylan smiled and explained to her.

"Impatience for victory…will only bring defeat." He told her knowing her rushing into it rather than using her head to figure out how to break through Luke's defence had cost her dearly. "But also, that you must have pride and humility. Pride in your abilities but also the humility to realise that your opponent might be better than you think. There is no shame in defeat, only in not learning from the experience." He told her imparting some wisdom that would hopefully help her in life as well as whatever she chose to do with it.

But he was also teaching it to Luke, Leia, Mace, Tash and Zak at the same time who all looked deeply into their selves to see what he was trying to teach them. Shin herself was nodding, understand what he was trying to teach her and she smiled before suddenly surprising them all by running up to kiss Luke on the cheek and then run off before they could react.

That surprised everyone and Luke went bright red before Leia started giggling, now enjoying her brother's embarrassment as was Mace and Padme who knew Luke had little exposure to girls that weren't a part of his family in some way wondered if she didn't have the beginning of a lady's man, vowing to teach her son to be more respectful than that.

- x -

While everyone else went to have a meal and relax Anakin and Baylan spoke about their own issues with the Jedi.

"Signing on with the Republic, looking back into history that was when the Jedi started to decline. It might have given us resources and more authority but it also tied us to its rules and as the Republic stagnated and grew corrupt so did the Jedi. Tying ourselves even closer to it after the New Sith Wars was easily a major error in judgement." Anakin said as he debated his own opinions with Baylan who surprisingly held many of the same views.

"Look at history and it's all…inevitable. Fall of the Jedi, the raise of the Empire. It repeats again and again and again." Baylan said as he agreed with him.

"When the Jedi can move freely around the galaxy again, when the Empire is beaten…we will not serve a Republic or any other government again." Anakin said with determination to return the Jedi to what they should be. "Odan-Urr and his code will be forgotten and we will follow not only the will of the force but go where we need to go and do the kind of work that the Jedi once prized making the most of what we have rather than be dependent on the Republic like before. No one temple this time, smaller ones scattered across the galaxy doing our best to help the people out there. That is the future I see for the Jedi." Anakin explained to Baylan who looked at him with considering eyes before nodding in agreement.

"I only wish you good luck with that. Change does not come easily." Baylan said which Anakin slowly nodded too. "You have the right idea Anakin and I agree with most of what you say. But everyone has their own path that we must follow."

The pair continued to debate, unaware of what was happening on the shore elsewhere.

- x -

Mace while his mother and siblings were all looking around the academy was staring at the living ocean, his mind drawing him towards it with a powerful compulsion that he didn't fully understand, Tash and Zak at his side felt it too and while no one was looking they slipped into the water and dived beneath the surface.

It was warm and pleasant as they dived down, not sure why but they were drawn to a cave that they saw surrounded by plant life. They all swam inside and found a cave that had air, they all clambered up into the strange cave that was illuminated by crystals that glowed in pale colours all around.

They were looking around in awe of the cave when they all felt a shiver run through them and then world turned black.

They each found themselves in a strange temple that they had never seen before, its corridors were large and made of marble in white and cream. But crucially they were separated from each other, Mace found himself in a sparring room of some kind as a tall robed figure stood before him with his back turned.

"Who dares think they deserve to be here?" The robed figure said, a male voice that Mace didn't know. Mace was so flustered as he didn't understand just what was happening.

"I don't know where here is!" Mace said quickly but the robed figure was having none of it. Instantly a purple bladed lightsaber appeared in his hand making him step back, he saw a lightsaber that looked like his father's, he pulled it to his hand and a red blade appeared to his shock. The robed figure bitterly chuckled.

"You show your ignorance and fear. There is no place for you in the Jedi or in your family." The robed figure said as he attacked him. Mace was immediately angered and did his best to fight back as their sabers crossed and he snapped back at the robed man.

"I am a Jedi; I have dreamt of being one all my life and my father is the greatest Jedi ever." Mace said with an almost snarl on his face, the robed figured chuckled and told him.

"No, you are not a Jedi. And you never will be until you know what it is you want." The robed man said as he continued to duel with Mace. Mace himself was stunned, not having ever really thought about what he might want in life. All his life he had always assumed he would be a Jedi like his father and he knew his older siblings would be too. He had never imagined that he might do something else with his life or even what that would be. He tried his best to retort but told the figure as they locked blades again.

"No, I don't know if I will be a Jedi. All I know is that I must live my life, find my own opportunities and then decide what I want. But this is my life, I choose what to do with it." He told the robed man who to his surprise deactivated his lightsaber and lowered his hood, revealing a dark-skinned human male with a stern face but a kind smile.

"Then you have learned something about yourself. Well done young Skywalker, do not let opportunities pass you by just because you want to be like your father or your siblings, Find your own life." The man told him before peering past him. "It seems you may have found something else too." He told him with a nod in that direction.

Mace turned around and saw to his surprise that a green light behind him hovering in the air. He smiled and reached out for it, touching it and the small green crystal fell into his hand.

- x -

Tash meanwhile was wandering around the corridors of the temple and saw to her horror that bodies were lying all around her, she checked them and to her sadness they were dead. People wearing Jedi robes and hearing sounds ahead she ran up to see a tall blonde-haired woman in dark armour with a red bladed lightsaber in hand was butchering a bunch of Jedi. She stared in shock as the figure turned around and her own face, older was staring back at her.

"What?! They deserved to die!" The older Tash told the younger but what really scared the younger Tash was that the older woman's eyes, they were a horrible shade of yellow with red around the rims. Tash was horrified, she fell to the dark side?! She thought fearing that this was a vision of her future, more so as with a horrified gasp she saw that her brother Zak was among the dead. She fell to her knees and held his body before turning to a lightsaber that was laying there on the floor.

But then a deep sense of fear stopped her from reaching for it, she couldn't fight! She thought with desperation to avoid what she was seeing in front of her. If she fought…she thought with fear then she would become her she thought looking at the adult version of her who was sneering at her with disgust.

But then a robed figure appeared at her side and whispered in her ear.

"Fear is the path to the dark side but only if we let it control us. Fighting for those we love is the way overcome our fear. It is not something to take lightly but to do the right thing, sometimes we must." The robed figure told her before vanishing.

Tash nodded slowly even though he wasn't there and gathered her courage, grabbing for the lightsaber and turning to face her older self but then found she was alone, she had disappeared as had all the bodies of the dead Jedi, even the lightsaber had vanished from her hand.

Completely confused she looked around and saw a dark-skinned human male in Jedi robes smiling at her and told her.

"The force does not control you. The choice to fight is yours and yours alone but avoiding conflict is allowing your fear to control you and that will draw you down a path that makes the worst of you come forth." The man told her and gestured with his hand towards a small purple light. Tash was confused but walked towards it, reaching out with her hand and touching it, it was a small purple kyber crystal and her face lit up with joy as she realised what this was and went to thank the man but he had disappeared.

- x -

Zak meanwhile was in a large open chamber of the temple, not sure exactly what he was expected to do when he saw that two men were arguing in the middle of the room. One was a tall dark skinned human man in jedi robes while the other was a noble man from Alderaan, they were talking fiercely with each other and he tried to get their attention but they both just ignored him.

That confused Zak who didn't understand why they didn't even react when he waved his hand in front of their faces. He whistled but again they didn't respond.

Zak was feeling annoyed, all his life he felt invisible when he was among the others, he didn't stand out like the Skywalkers or his sister did. That no-one even noticed if he was there half the time and he was getting incredibly frustrated before finally saying to both men.

"I have a voice!"

That to his surprise got their attention and the dark-skinned man in Jedi robes smiled and told him with a smile.

"Never forget that, you matter as much as your sister or anyone else. You are your own person and must discover what that means."

A yellow glow then appeared between them and Zak carefully reached out and touched it, a small yellow crystal in his hand. Knowing what it was he smiled and turned to the man but then to his surprise found himself out of the cave and back on the beach with Mace and Tash who were holding crystals of their own and looked as confused as he was. The dark-skinned man wearing Jedi robes stood there in front of them surrounded by a blue aura and told them with a smile.

"Well done young Jedi. Today you start a new leg of your journey, remember that as you move forward in the path you will walk." The Man said before disappearing before any of them could ask just who he was.

They were left standing on the beach with their new crystals, not sure exactly what had just happened but knew this was another step into a larger world.

---

Imperial Testing Ground, Classified Location…

General Rom Mohc was proudly watching his creations show just what they can do. The mechanical soldiers he had pioneered where lightyears ahead of the Separatist Droids and were mowing their way through the stormtroopers used in this test with ease.

The Rebel scum wouldn't know what hit them he thought with great pride, not when they got their first look at his Dark Troopers, he now just had to decide on where to attack first.

---

Gallordan Sigma, Separatist/Imperial Border...

The plan to trigger a response from Thrawn had not been successful, instead he had ignored all of their efforts to force him into a rash retaliation and bided his time before going after one of the more powerful factions in the Rift Alliance, the Separatist Alliance itself.

Thrawn was standing on the bridge of the Admonitor, his flagship for this assault which would smash the Separatist Fleet and leave them defenceless to an Imperial Invasion. He had studied their fleet commander closely and the Muun, Admiral Polz Harva who would be leading the enemy fleet favoured using long rang turbolasers and missile cruisers to shatter the enemy at range due to his previous career in banking where he was always far from the action.

He had therefore brought a dozen of the new Broadside Missile Cruisers with him; they were far superior the ships currently used by the Separatists and would devastate their lines so the Star Destroyers could come close and finish off any enemy ships that remained before being followed by the support ships.

Thrawn stood on the bridge watching everything but as the tactical displays of the different lines were generated, he saw something that didn't make sense to him. While the Missile Cruisers and ships with long range turbolasers were there, they were further back if they were there at all and instead coming straight towards them at extremely high speed were a massive swarm of Mark 4 Vulture Droid fighters accompanied by Mark 2 Droid Tri-fighters with Mark 3 Hyena Droid Bombers bringing up the rear.

This was confusing to Thrawn as he had studied his opponent carefully and this was not how they operated, heavy units always led the way while the fighters provided support he thought with confusion. Worse these improved droid fighters had been upgraded with better evasive programming, allowing them to weave their way through any missiles the cruisers launched and began attacking the poorly shielded cruisers, shredding their shields before using missiles to destroy them! All of them gone within minutes and then the droid fighters turned their attention to the Star Destroyers which were next in the Imperial line while larger Separatist warships now approached at as fast a speed as they could manage.

Thrawn turned to his captain and ordered the corvettes they had brought forward to deal with the droid fighters and for all Tie Fighters to be launched immediately, but the corvettes were too far back to arrive quickly and Tie Fighters were flimsy and poorly designed Thrawn thought with dismay as the Tri-fighters would run rings around them.

This he thought with anger was not what he had planned and he had no choice but to launch a general attack as he had no time to rearrange his ships and had not even brought all of them as he had been saving them for the invasion, so reluctantly ordering his forces forward.

The two fleets met in a furious fight of turbolasers, flack batteries and missiles. Raging for almost an hour before both fleets disengage with no clear winner, although they had lost more ships than the Empire in the battle, the Separatist Alliance had held its ground and kept Thrawn out.

Thrawn himself was furious, he was going to have some serious words with Imperial Intelligence over their failure to provide him with accurate information because clearly, what he had been told was false and they would pay dearly for his humiliation. He had intended to use this invasion to overstretch the Rift Alliance and continue to drive it further apart but with the invasion failing he would need to find a new target and soon. He wanted to isolate the Mandalorians as much as possible especially as while he had a good grasp of their culture, they would have no allies by the time he was done and then he would destroy them Thrawn thought coldly. An entire galaxy united was what was needed to stop the far outsiders and he would ensure the Empire did just that so that he would have the army he needed to destroy them, whoever he had to crush to achieve this was meaningless to him.

- x -

Reijar, Ordo System…A Couple of Days Later…

Haron looked at reports and frowned, glad that the Separatist Alliance had held its border but not happy that they had lost so many ships and suffered so much damage that it would be at least a year before they could even think of launching any offensive actions or aiding any other members of the Alliance in a meaningful way until they had repaired and rebuilt their forces. Worse yet the attack had convinced the Mon Calamari, Dornea and the Corellians to keep their ships close to home just in case they too would be attacked, leaving it extremely difficult for a united taskforce to be assembled effectively. The Than Hegemony were now holding back too although trade was thankfully still flowing between them.

But that wasn't really what was bothering him, Haron thought as he pondered on what had happened. Thrawn had completely overwhelmed the Salient Federation in less than a day and destroyed most of their armed forces with ease. All their tactics had been countered and swept aside but this time Thrawn had completely failed, he had not countered the enemy at all and in fact had arranged his forces poorly and that wasn't like him Haron thought with a pondering look.

There was only one thing that he had noticed that stood out, an unexpected case of Ascomycetous pneumoconiosis had forced Admiral Polz Harva to stand down and a Sullustan Admiral Tzzur Pilti had taken over command of that battle only a couple of hours before it had started.

That intrigued Haron who looked over the two admirals and realised that Polz Harva favoured using long range weapons to devastate enemies without getting close, Tzzur Pilti on the other hand was an aggressive commander who favoured the use of starfighters and frontal assault before the enemy could properly rally. If he had been fighting Harva Haron realised that the way Thrawn had arranged his fleet was exactly how he would have done it. Only bad luck or will of the force if you wanted to call it that had deprived Thrawn of victory Haron realised and that was when he realised just how Thrawn predicted his enemies so well.

He studied them in great detail but not just them personally, but their culture as Muun commanders would usually favour engaging at long range, Sullustans thought in a completely different way and that was why Thrawn failed. That last minute change in leadership was what had saved the Separatists Haron thought with a nod.

So now Haron understood what Thrawn's weakness was, the unpredictable. Odd chance that was so out of place that no one could have predicted it or was so out of character he would never imagine it.

With that in mind he now had to develop a strategy to beat him, Haron thought with worry as his people's culture was quite well known and he could only imagine the reason Thrawn hadn't come after them yet and instead gone after their allies was that he was trying to isolate them from help first. So, he would need to think quickly Haron thought as they were in danger already and intelligence indicated he was planning a strike at the Corellians to regain lost ground so he sent the order to Neville to use their long-range stealth missiles to stop them.

But his planning was interrupted by a message from Yal Takan, he had extremely good news which Haron sighed in relief at hearing.

Jyn Erso had been found and better yet, Yal had discovered a potential lead through the Underworld Alliance on Galen Erso.

---

Imperial Repair and Resupply Station RR-7455, Inner Rim...Hours Later…

Thrawn's fleet was docked having its battle damage repaired before he launched his attack on Corellia, it was a rather desperate act to regain lost ground but he had intended to go after them soon enough anyway. He had travelled down to the planet while his ship's life support was shut down for repairs. His defeat stuck into him like a blade in the side and it was infuriating that while he had won the battle in a sense that he had removed the Separatists from the war for the moment, he had failed to break their resolve.

When he was done with the Corellians he would need to correct that he thought with cold ruthlessness.

Meanwhile in orbit the Imperial Station where dozens of Imperial ships were docked a rebel cell had been planning a bombing of the fuel dump whenever a fleet had been docked here for maximum effect but Mon Mothma had forbidden the act as it would in her words 'incite too much violence'.

But the Mandalorians didn't care for her politics or reasons and were more focused on helping Corellia, so in an adjacent system nearby two Mandalorian Missile Ships stood ready with a small support fleet around them before firing their deadly cargo into hyperspace.

The Station while busy was calm at first but that all changed as the missiles struck the station, explosions ripping it all around as they kept on hitting, destroying support structures and docked ships with impunity. Regretfully the Mandalorians were forced to leave when they were nearly spotted by an Imperial Patrol and so while they had not completely destroyed the station or the fleet both were extremely damaged, it would take some time before Thrawn's fleet was replenished but having missed him…this campaign was not over yet.

---

Zantia...

The Zantian Prime Minister was nervous as she waited for her new ruler to arrive, it had been hard all these years maintaining the pretence that they had a well defended border and all their people ready to resist when they were still struggling to recover from the Imperial Invasion years ago.

A shuttle approached and she pondered if it had been wise to make the bargain that she had but it had been the only way to save her people she thought with desperation. The ornate shuttle landed and its ramp lowered, guards in ceremonial garb walked out and formed an honour guard before her new ruler disembarked. The Prime Minister knelt and held her head down as they approached and said as respectfully as she could.

"Queen Mother, we are honoured by your presence." The Prime Minister said and the woman with her thin wire veil looked down on her new subject with an air of smug superiority before telling her.

"Then I will enjoy touring the sixty fourth planet to have entered our union. I am sure that with time this planet will earn the Battle Dragon that is being constructed for it and the investment of our time and energy." Queen Mother Ta'a Chume said with a smirk knowing she had this resource rich planet in the palm of her hand. "The Hapes Consortium will graciously accept you into our loving embrace and I am sure you will serve well as one of our worlds."

---

There we are, hope you all enjoyed it. Please leave a review to let me know what you thought.

More Review Responses…

Guest – I have never really given a thought to them being called something else. They have always been the Mandalorians to me. I will give it some thought.

Silky Button – Indeed, there are a way to go with this story. Thrawn is a hard character to write, he is complex but I hope to do him justice and I am working on different ending for him. The Death Star? I am thinking of doing something a little different with it, I read someone else try it a while ago but they never finished.

KingDarby22 – Interesting idea but I don't think I can fit in this story, sorry.

WhiteElfElder- He is a villain we can admire for his intellect while hating him for his lack of compassion and mercy.

Astravega – I haven't exactly said yet but it will be mentioned in this chapter.

red demon161 – Indeed, people have been saying that they were weak, guess again. In the hands of someone who knows what they're doing the Imperial Military can be an extremely dangerous weapon but in the old canon there are precious few of those. The Ghost Crew, yes and I will shed some light on why Kanan is still there even though Depa survived Order 66 in this timeline.

mad thought – Don't know much about that fandom. I am working on two other Star Wars related ideas but neither feature that. I have had a look and it looks intriguing.

bored peasant – I am aiming more for Thrawn from the books but I have discovered he is really difficult to write for. Timothy Zahn should be commended for his work. As for Thrawn's intentions, complicated. He may realise that siding with the Empire was a mistake but who knows?

nazarenegodfrey11 – The Jedi Order if Anakin has his way will be much more like the Je'daii.

The Avenging Titan – Indeed, it was hard to do but I had to figure a reason for Sabine to be with the Ghost crew despite the changes in the timeline.

Guest (2) – Sorry but Thrawn won't be joining the heroes in this story although that is an interesting idea. Imagine what would have happened if he had joined the Rebels instead? With a commander like him they would have dominated and I can well see him rising to command it.

DeluxeHipster1945 – He is a major league villain and unlike any Imperial Commander that the heroes have faced before. No goblins or wizard from the past though sorry.

Eliazar Chandra – They won't come face to face with each other just yet but they are certainly aware of each other in anticipation of that. Can't say I am familiar with Code Geass but hope to do them justice.

mspears3175 – I should really have changed his surname I suppose as you say but it didn't occur to me at the time. I will think on it.

lord of the east, reaperofages, habba, cameron1812, EP, Bia1230, dan . lew . upg, frankieu, Jebest4781, billykid893, tf330129 - Thank you!

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Next Chapter – The Rebellion takes the fight to the Empire as an important world rises up against the Imperials. Haron and Thrawn meet over a Rift Alliance world and finally Boba Fett makes an appearance.