Ch7 - The Escapee

The Maw Installation, Maw Cluster, 9 BBY
"Exercise is to commence in five minutes," the voice of Grand Admiral Thrawn announced over the open communications channel to all troops. The Chiss man himself was sat within the Operations Room within the Maw's main facility, a holotable projecting a three-dimensional view of the battlespace for his own benefit.

On one side were the behemoths that formed the Imperial 5th Fleet, now commonly known as 'The Bloody Fifth' for their past deeds in the service of the Empire. The Task Force that Commodore Castellan had assembled was a standard one; a single I-Class Imperial Star Destroyer, the Backbiter, supported by his trusted Captains, Nakamura and Torrington in their own II-Class Vessels, Timekeeper and Death Mist.

The pride of his fleet, however, was hidden away, behind his main battle line of Star Destroyers, guarded closely by his Arquitens Command Cruisers. It was ISD Interdictor, first of its class. Manufactured at Rothana by Sienar Fleet Systems, the prototype was armed with four G7-X Gravity Well Projectors, and defended by Twenty Quad-Laser Turrets. It even provided its own air wing, its hangars holding up to twenty TIE assets of various variants.

"He's done well," Jason noted as he inspected the Behemoth from afar, "Well armoured, well defended, and if it works, it's going to change the way we fight."
"Well, at least we get to see if it works for Castellan before we get to go and play," Reyna remarked. "And don't pretend that you aren't happy about this just because you're going to win the bidding war that launches once it works."
"I'm wounded, Governor," Jason chuckled. "But yes, it is certainly convenient that the next galactic superweapon is being created by a friend of mine. If Kuat don't win the contract, Rothana will, and it's hardly a secret that it's a subsidiary of ours."
"As… enlightening, as your discussion is, Governor, Senator, would you not like to observe the exercise?" Thrawn asked, lips twitching as though he was concealing a smile though his expression remained impassive.
"So we know about Castellan's force," Jason said, "but what exactly has Percy brought?"
"Literally just his family," Reyna told him, a smirk on her face. "Tritonis Pilots, Wren Warriors. You can tell who's who, too. The Gauntlet Dropship with the Gold markings is the Count's one, Delphin's got silver on his, and Amphitrite and Libya have their own markings too."

"Where's Percy, then?" Jason asked, scanning the holotable for a distinguishing marker.
"You'll be able to tell which one is Grand Admiral Jackson, Senator Grace," Thrawn remarked, "His style of flight is, I must admit, second to none."
"Don't we know it," Jason scoffed. "Ten seconds to starting."
Thrawn checked his own watch, and upon his agreement, he counted down for the exercise's starting.

"Castellan's using standard drills for defending against light craft," Reyna noted, and Thrawn nodded. "He's sent the Cruisers after them."
"Note his use of the TIE Fighters as a screen," Thrawn pointed out, highlighting them in red on the holotable. "It certainly shows shades of Perseus' own strategy."
"Well, yeah," Jason agreed, "But it takes that entire task force to make the battles that Percy won."
"Indeed," Thrawn nodded. "He is truly a master of using the assets at his disposal."
"Nah," Reyna jibed back. "He told us to blow ships out of space, and we just kind of did it."

"Helped that the Clones were good at their jobs, too," Jason reminisced.
"Point is," Reyna interceded, "That it doesn't take fighters to win a fight, especially when you don't know how to use them."
"Kill number one," a young Ensign noted, "TIE Fighter from Interdictor."
"He's deployed the Interdictor's fighter escort?" Jason wondered aloud, "Surely not?"
"Suddenly I can see why the Fifth isn't given missions the calibre of which Perseus was given," Thrawn observed dryly, and Reyna couldn't help but scoff at his words.

Four more TIEs were removed from the scenario in quick succession, the pilots navigating out of the crowded fight towards the observation post when it was safe to do so.
"The main Mandalorian force hasn't moved yet," Jason informed his colleagues, "just a strike force."
"Percy, Triton and two unmarked fighters," Reyna observed, "they're trying to punch a hole through."
"To what end?" Jason asked her, curious.

"They are Mandalorian," Thrawn reasoned aloud. "If I am not mistaken, he will attempt to strike out at the Star Destroyers in parallel ground assaults."
"That's insane!" Jason exclaimed, leaning over the holotable and numbering off the vessels. "They're trying to take a Star Destroyer with sixty men each? No chance."
"Consider it this way," Reyna countered, "the Gauntlets can let them out while still in flight, and the soldiers don't need to be inserted in like the Clones did. They just use their jetpacks to get onto the hull, breach and then it's Mandalorians against Stormtroopers."

"Truly ingenious," Thrawn praised, "their Dropships are their most potent firepower in space combat, and their fighters outclass TIE variants by far."
"Kill, Arquitens out of the fight," the Ensign announced, and sure as day, one of Castellan's Command Cruisers, sent to provide covering fire against the initial assaulting team, had been countered by a pair of Kom'rk assault ships, which were now scorching a path towards Castellan's flagship.

"He's taking evasive action," Jason noted. "A good move, too."
Indeed, the Imperial Commodore had presented his broadside to the onrushing force, both bearing a far greater range of weaponry upon his foe, and presenting a more difficult surface to launch an assault.
What he hadn't accounted for, however, was the sheer manoeuvrability of the Mandalorian craft. In a single surge, Poseidon's own strike team advanced, scything through the fighter screen and doing away with the second Arquitens, before making a path straight for Luke's Star Destroyer, along the very axis that he had just attempted to block off. Once more, the Coruscanti man was forced to evade, this time by rolling.

Thrawn couldn't help but chuckle. "The most powerful ship on the field, forced into a roll by mere fighters. Castellan has been removed from the fight until he can right his ship, and both Nakamura and Torrington are painfully exposed. Perseus is playing with them."
He was right, too, as twin landing operations were launched upon the hulls of Timekeeper and Death Mist. Yellow and white-clad Wren Warriors stormed the deck, using breaching tools to enter the ships, and the Holotable displayed their forms in blue, fighting through the corridors and methodically working their way through the lower decks.

"And now, Jackson will go for the Interdictor, while Poseidon takes the Flagship," Thrawn predicted, "a bold move, yet no less that I'd expect from a force of commanders of their calibre."
"But the remaining fighters?" Jason asked, frowning.
"A non-issue," Thrawn dismissed with a wave of his hand, "The Mandalorians are far superior pilots to their Imperial counterparts, and the Gauntlet overpowers even a cruiser on the grounds of raw firepower. This fight is a non-contest."
"Well, I guess we've got a show to put on then, eh Rey?" Jason jibed, and Reyna smiled.
"Well, we'll have the old three back together, won't we?"
"Percy's fighting against his own people?" Jason asked, shocked.
"This was Percy embarrassing Castellan," Thrawn told Jason. "A lesson, if you will. After all, who would be better to test a craft than its designer?"

ISD Emperor's Fist, Maw Cluster, 9 BBY
"Gang's back together," Percy joked as Jason and Reyna came on the net. Castellan and his fleet had returned to their base on Anaxes for maintenance after their exercise, and so the thee of them had each brought their own flagships. Percy, of course, in the now dreaded ISD Emperor's Fist, Reyna in ISD Legion and Jason taking temporary control of Commodore Frank Zhang's ISD Warlord. The Commodore, head of a 6th Fleet Task Force, had taken control of ISD Interdictor for the duration of the exercise, the only ship being reused between the two tests.
"Exercise is to commence in five minutes," Thrawn announced for the second time that day, and Percy could see a gleam in Jason's eyes; one that he hadn't seen in quite some time.

"Go for Krayt?" Reyna suggested, bringing up a schematic of the plan on the holotable that they were each projected upon. "Jason and I are the wings, Percy the head, Frank and the Cruisers the Tail."
"I like it," Percy replied, "We're low on fighter support compared to the old days Jace, so it's a game of holding them until you know they'll win the fight."
"Acknowledged," Jason nodded, "Use them to funnel them into corridors?"

"I like your style," Reyna grinned. "Trap them with point defence weapons, and the cruisers swing around to the side they move towards to hold them."
"They'll try and escape," Percy predicted. "Use Tractor beams to keep them there, and move to capture. If they try to jump, Frank pulls them out, and we capture while their systems are down."
"It's a plan," Jason nodded. "Now to see if Triton's as aggressive as you seem to think he'll be."
"Full of your trademark tactical brilliance, Admiral, Governor, Senator," Thrawn praised. The Chiss Admiral had been silent as he observed their planning, and even now he had one hand stroking his clean shaven chin thoughtfully. He had taken up a position out of the fight, but close enough to observe in detail, on the bridge of his own flagship, ISD Chimaera. "I believe that this shall be a most enlightening test."
"The Mandalorian one's the most probable route for an Insurgent force to use," Percy replied with a nonchalant shrug, "just go straight through with smaller, faster ships. If they're going to attack, it's got to be by seizing the bridge with a strike team, or something ridiculous and sacrificial."
"Indeed," Thrawn nodded. "The exercise begins now."
"Enjoy the show," Reyna told him with a smirk.
"Oh, believe me, Governor, I will."

ISD Emperor's Fist, Maw Cluster, 9 BBY
"Thalia, prepare all fighter squadrons for launch," Percy instructed his trusted lieutenant, "Instruct Interceptor Squadrons to go highest readiness, you're leading out the first wings."
"Roger that Boss," Thalia replied, "Specific targets?"
"Whatever leaves itself exposed," he replied. "Their fighters are faster, more manoeuvrable, and can outfire you in a dogfight. Don't take them head on, wait for your moment and strike from the sides."
"Well, that's encouraging," Thalia deadpanned. "I'll see what I can do."
She left the room, leaving Percy gazing out at space from the viewing deck of his bridge.

"All elements, calibrate weapons to dispersed fire," he directed over comms, "rapid firing, low recharges and no need to aim."
"Roger that, Fist," came his replies, "all wings ready and waiting for strike."
"Eight fighters approaching, Perce," Jason announced, and sure as day, Percy could see the aforementioned fighters incoming.
"Cancel my previous order," Percy ordered sharply, "don't show our hand too early. Send one squadron to engage, do not pursue."
"Wampa Squadron are away," Hazel Levesque at the helm of an Arquitens Cruiser replied. Eight TIE Interceptors raced through the Imperial formation to confront the Mandalorian force, and a dogfight ensued.

"Engaging close range defence," Reyna announced as a pair of Fang-Class Mandalorian Starfighters encroached within range. "Firing now."
The computer chirped to announce one hit, while the second pilot, Triton as it appeared to be, was forced to evade masterfully.
"They're pulling back," the TIE Squadron Commander announced, "Permission to pursue, Admiral?"
"Negative, Percy commanded, "fall back and take up guarding positions."
The pilot did just that.

"First blood to you," Thrawn noted over the comm, and Reyna chuckled in response. "Sure, but let's be honest, that was just them seeing how we'd react."
"And what will Triton tell his father?" Jason asked.
"Nothing," Thrawn reasoned, the realisation dawning on his face, "your ploy was not revealed; they will attempt to take your ships instead of simply beating your blockade."
"I wouldn't bet money on it, Thrawn," Percy told his colleague, "we'll have to keep the facade up until they're well within range of us."

"We're getting multiple signatures coming up on us, Boss," Frank announced, "Two Gauntlets approaching on the right."
"Hold your position," Percy said, "Engage with fighters, move a Cruiser to head them off. Maintain different vertical levels so that Reyna's able to engage with heavier weaponry."
"Solace moving to head them off, Sir," came his reply over the net, "Governor I'm taking up a defensive position on point four-six. Elevation of minus two-three."
"Adjust that to a balanced one at four-zero and minus two-five," Reyna corrected, "Leave space for them to take a run at either of us; they'll find out just why that's a bad idea."
Percy watched on his holotable as Solace did so, and the Mandalorians engaged rapidly.

"Kill 1," Reyna announced victoriously, "Gauntlet."
Percy couldn't help but laugh. Reyna's ability to coordinate fire had been prodigious throughout the Clone war, and hostile Pilots and Commanders nearly always found themselves trapped among the heavy weapons' fire of at least three concurrent weapons at once, running into fire no matter what they tried.
"Second one's on the run," Solace announced, "Fang Fighters continuing to engage me."
"Hold firm, Will," Percy encouraged, "Hold them off."
"Adjusting weapons to support," Reyna told him, "strengthen your shields."

Percy watched, wide-eyed, as Reyna opened fire with her primary weapons, nearly exactly onto Solace's position."
"What the kriff," Jason breathed, and Percy found himself letting out a little hysterical laugh.
"What?" Reyna protested, amused. "I told him to divert power to shields. Solace, where does the computer say you'd be if I'd done this with live rounds?"
"Right here, Ma'am," came Solace's reply. "Shields would be at eighty-five, but I'm guessing the Admiral would have evacuated me so that the techs could fix 'em up."
"And that would take how long?" Reyna pressed, still holding back laughter.
"Five minutes, Ma'am."
"So, Jason?" she asked over the net. There was no response.
"You, Governor, are absolutely insane." Percy told her.
"It's my best quality," she shot back.
"Save that for later," Jason joked at them. "Fight now, whatever that is later."

"Head-on assault approaching," Frank announced, his tone not entirely betraying his emotions, though Percy could imagine that they were the same mixture of shock and awe that the rest of them currently felt.
"Switch to original plan," Percy ordered, "Engage from range with Fist and Interdictor, then swing the tail."
"Moving back to position," Solace announced, "Can I get some cover?"
"Fighters moving to hold the open side," Reyna announced. "Don't worry, I won't hit your shields anymore."
"Well thank the Manda for that," Percy joked.

The Maw Installation, Maw Cluster, 9 BBY
The Mandalorians drove a wedge into the Imperial formation, and immediately found themselves in a hail of fire. Imperial Green rounds filled the air, being fired at a stunning rate, and yet without targeting any of their fighters individually.
Triton heard Poseidon swearing loudly as he fought to evade fire, and he could sympathise. He winced as his shields were rocked by another bolt, his heads up display inside his helmet informing him that it was ISD Interdictor that had found him this time, as though that mattered when he was caught in a killzone between four of the damned vessels.
"All wings, away, away, away," he ordered, "Get out of the killzone!"

Flipping his craft around to evade another bolt of vivid green, he groaned when he saw exactly what Percy's final move had been. The two Arquitens-class Command Cruisers had swung around to block off their route of escape back the way they came. His radar blinked with swarms of fighters just beyond the six capital ships, ready to pester them as they made an attempt to reform.
"Cancel last," he corrected, "Form up on mark one point four, prepare to jump to evac coordinates."
All around him, he could see his comrades preparing to make the jump, and by the looks of things, the Imperial troops had noticed too.
Interestingly, they ceased their firing; almost as though they were curious as to what was about to happen.
"Kriff, father, they're about to-"
They made the jump.

Initially, they were confronted by the blurring of light, as though they were about to make the jump, and yet the fighter began to lose speed, engines whining and airframe groaning as the fighter was caught between two opposing forces. Blues and whites turned into blinding reds and oranges and Triton felt himself dragged forcefully back, reappearing exactly where he had been dropped, and caught in a tractor beam.
"It works, you smug bastard," Triton snarled over the open net to Percy, and his reply was a mix of laughs and groans from the victorious Imperials and disorientated Mandalorians.
"Don't you worry, Perseus," Poseidon jibed, still on the open net, "Next diplomatic mission is yours."
"You're a sore loser, Father," Percy joked, to more chuckles. "All wings to base. Sounds like you guys need some caf."
"Stronger," Triton groaned, "Not something you want to be on the receiving end of, Perseus."

ISD Chimaera, The Maw Installation, Maw Cluster, 9 BBY
"Truly, it is a beautiful ship," Thrawn commented, gazing appreciatively over the Fang's profile as Percy exited his fighter, stepping into the hangar of ISD Chimaera. "The design appears to match the motif that your Father wears upon his pauldron. What is it that you call this beast?"
"The Mythosaur," Percy answered, "A beast of city-like proportions, and once the inhabitant of Mandalore."
"Indeed," Thrawn hummed, "Slain by none other than your first ever leader. It is a recurring motif in your artwork, is it not? A cornerstone of your culture."
"It is," Percy confirmed with a nod. It was better to let the Chiss man speak, when he began to analyse like this. He formulated his thoughts in stunning detail, even if it was only ever recognisable to those who thought of it.

"Tell me, Perseus," Thrawn prompted, "what does it mean, for you to see a vision of this… Mythosaur?"
"It's a sign," Percy told him simply. "An omen; a prediction of fortune."
"It is truly incredible, how even the most brutal of cultures are so steeped in the most beautiful of artwork," Percy's companion mused. "My TIE Defender will be one such piece of art."
"An ode to your people?" Percy guessed, and Thrawn smiled.
"An ode to War, Perseus," came his reply, "an ode to War."
"Have I ever told you that you think like the Mando'ade?" Percy huffed, amused.

"Many times, old friend," Thrawn smiled back. "And yet, I feel as though I understand your people less, every detail I observe."
"That's probably for the best," Percy nodded. "Now, you were saying about the Defender?"
"Three wings, as opposed to the two that the Fighter, Bomber, Interceptor and Advanced use," Thrawn explained, bringing up a schematic on his holotable.
"Improved control in Atmospheric conditions?" Percy guessed, and Thrawn nodded.
"Wingtip-mounted weaponry, centred on the Pilot's sights. Far superior to what the current armament system is capable of achieving, and a great advantage in Dogfight situations."
"And I see you've shielded it, too," Percy observed. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you'd tried to recreate the Fang, just without the rotary wing design."
"And because you do?" his companion asked, lip curling in happiness.
"That's exactly what you've done," Percy answered. "The third wing makes up for your inability to copy our engineering, and the shielding gives you durability on par with Mandal Motors. Still nowhere near our own fighters, though," he boasted.

"That isn't an issue that I can solve, Perseus," Thrawn countered. "Your people, much as mine are, are raised on the principles of war, with Beskar covering their bodies, and in the air before their peers from other planets can read."
"And that's why you won't beat us," he shot back. "You're just lucky you aren't at war with us."
"Apparently so," Thrawn nodded. "Though you and I are yet to meet on a field of battle such as this one."

"Hey, I offered," Percy pointed out, "last I checked, you said that I was too tired for it."
"When I face you in battle, Perseus, it will be when I know that you will give me the battle of all battles; one that I shall study for aeons to come. Not in the test of an experimental system, however much you played with a strategist as good as the Count and Heir Tritonis."
"You say that about my Interdictor," Percy countered, "When we do have it mass-produced, you'll use it more than I will."
Only one of them knew just how true that would be.

Unknown Location, Expansion Region, 9 BBY
"What exactly are we doing, Delphin?" Sabine asked, nervous despite the presence of Poseidon's trusted lieutenant. "Why did mother expel me from the clan?"
"Ursa…" Delphin struggled for a moment, "Ursa made a decision in anger, and despite Perseus' attempts to change it, she persisted."
"And why are we here of all reasons?" the young girl asked.

"Perseus made some useful allies in the war," the man replied, "fortunately, he was able to find somewhere safe for you to go, before you tried to blow up as much as you possibly could as some sort of bounty hunter."
Sabine grinned sheepishly. "Ketsu had already got in touch when she heard that I'd been declared Dar'manda," she admitted. "So what friends does Uncle Percy have out in the Expansion Region?"
"I'd be lying if I claimed to know, little one," Delphin admitted to her. "I am not even permitted to gaze upon their faces, for fear that it would come to blasters."

Sabine sighed. "I messed up, Delphin, I know that. Is it really that bad, though?"
This time, it was the older warrior who was forced to take a breath.
"Think, Sabine," he began gently, "of the weapon that you have made."
"The Duchess," she supplied helpfully.
"The Duchess," Delphin nodded. "Capable of striking precisely at armour, capable of neutralising entire vehicles. Possibly even entire starships."
"We've got cannons that do that," Sabine argued, "What's so special about mine?"
"Picture this Duchess in the hands of our enemies, child, set to destroy Beskar. Our own greatest strength, turned against us as a weakness. The entire clan, Manda, the entire House, simply rendered to ash by the very weapons and armour that we forged as we came of age."
It was like the air left her lungs all at once. "What have I done?" she whispered to herself, "I'm a monster."

"You are a child, little Wren," Delphin corrected her. "A child who made a mistake. Ursa was remiss to act as she did."
"Thank Uncle Percy for me," she urged him, "For looking after me."
"He is distraught, little one," the General told her. "He wished to adopt you as his own, and yet when your mother insisted that you were Dar'Manda, he was forced to back down."
"Thank him," Sabine reiterated, fighting back a sob. "For me."
"I will do so, Lady Wren," the General told her solemnly.
"Don't think I'm a lady anymore," she joked back.
"And who will tell me otherwise, Sabine?" he offered gently. "You are a lady of our house, and you must hold your head high when you encounter those who will take you in in times to come. I must leave you now."
He was right, too, Sabine noticed, as the ship landed, the thud of it reverberating against her feet.

"It is time to meet your new boss, Lady Wren," Delphin told her. "Do not attempt to contact Clan Wren, nor Clan Tritonis. To do so may incite war among our people. Should you wish for any further messages to be relayed to Krownest, state them now."
"Thank Percy. Thank Reyna. Thank Triton, Amphitrite, Libya and Poseidon, Delphin. Clan Wren made their decision."
"So be it, Lady Wren. I leave you with your weaponry, and bid you farewell as a Mandalorian."
He passed her the pair of WESTAR-35s that she was so familiar with, and she placed them in the holsters at her hip. A press of a button lowered the ramp, and at that she exited the Kom'rk.

Unknown Location, Expansion Region, 9 BBY
The Kom'rk left in the blink of an eye, soaring away from her like a reminder of a life long gone by.
As it left, there appeared a new ship.
This one was unlike the Mandalorian ones that she had ever seen; a Freighter, armed to the teeth in the way only a smuggler's vessel could be, with its gun emplacements, rockets mounted on the front, and even what appeared to be an attack shuttle attached to the side as the Pilot conducted a quick sweep of the surrounding area. What exactly had she gotten herself into?
The ramp lowered, and a man strode down it. He had the beginnings of a beard, his hair tied up in a topknot and armour plates on his shooting arm.

His eyes scanned the surroundings as a warrior did, and Sabine was glad that she had placed her helmet on her head, obscuring her face. Aside from her evidently female form, there was no evidently distinguishing feature, the tame yellows and greys of her clan's colours adorning her armour. The only exception to that rule were the jetpack and vambraces that her back and wrists bore; those bore the blue and silver of Clan Tritonis.
Her own Imperial-issue gear had been stripped off her as she had departed Clan Wren's stronghold on Krownest, and it was only through Percy and Delphin's kindness that she had them at all.

"By the Light of Lothal's moons," she told him Delphin's password, ensuring that her helmet distorted her voice.
"A Mandalorian," he noted. "It's rare that we find your people joining our cause."
"Which is what, exactly?" she asked sceptically. "Smuggling? Bounty Hunting?"
"You'll have to come aboard if you want me to answer that," the man told her, folding his arms, "and by the way I understand it, you're not exactly in the position to say no."
"Are you the one that my Uncle spoke to?" she asked, not budging.
"You'll meet Orpheus and the Order later; a few weeks at most," came her answer.

She grimaced behind her helmet, hands twitching towards the handles of her pistols, the pair of them painted in Tritonis Blue, another parting gift from Delphin. "You won't disarm me?"
"You're not a prisoner," the man told her, holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender, "though I will ask that you don't kill me. Hera won't be best pleased."
Shrugging, she followed.

VCX Freighter Ghost, Hyperspace, 9 BBY
"So," Sabine opened as she took her seat in the VCX-100 Freighter that she now knew was named the Ghost. "Are you going to tell me what I've been signed up to do?"
"Are you going to show us your face?" the pilot, a Twi'lek who the young Mandalorian could only assume was the aforementioned 'Hera', replied.

Nodding, Sabine complied. Blinking to readjust to the warm lighting of the Freighter's cockpit, she shook her hair out of her face and met eyes with her apparent saviours. "Now, answers."
"We're officially recognised as the Spectre team, and you know you're aboard the Ghost," Hera replied. "I'm Hera Syndulla, pilot of this ship, and behind you is Kanan Jarrus, my friend and partner."
"Partner" Sabine asked, eyes flitting between the pair of them, and noting that they both refused to meet each other's eyes.

"We, ah, work together," the man, Kanan, replied. "Back to the important questions, please?"
"Alright…" Sabine remarked hesitantly, "Who's Orpheus?"
"The real important questions," Hera mused. "Kanan, take that one?"
"A Jedi," Kanan answered simply. "He'll refuse it if you suggest it, but he's the best remaining Jedi that I've heard of being alive. There could be others, but if they're alive, they're in hiding, and not doing much about the situation we're stuck in."
"Jetii?" Sabine asked, horrified.

Her only response was Kanan reaching behind his back and clipping two portions of a tube together. Pressing a button on the side, he ignited it, sending forth a pillar of blue light. It thrummed unlike anything that Sabine had ever seen.
"Yes, Jedi."
On instinct, a hand flew to one of her holstered blasters, and the now-revealed Jedi disengaged his blade.
"Relax, kid," he reassured her, "I'm not about to hurt you or anything."
"But the Jetii are our enemies," she countered. "Responsible for thousands of Mando'ade dead."
"I could say it just the other way around," Kanan countered, "But I also remember occasions where Mandalorians came to help me. Your own clan, if I'm not mistaken."
"Who?" Sabine asked, forgetting her surroundings and standing up to be level with the man. Or, indeed, as level as she could well get herself.

"He was an Admiral at the time, I think He's now a Grand Admiral with the Empire of some sort. Jackson, I think?"
"His name is Tritonis," Sabine snarled back. "The name that the Coruscanti Jetii gave him is false!"
"Hey, okay," Hera placated, "Let's cool it down a little, yeah? Jackson-" -she paused when Sabine gave her a deadly stare- "-Admiral Tritonis, helped me and my people, back in the war. Probably saved my life too."
"He was a good man," Kanan agreed. "Did some incredible things in the war. I remember listening to news from Coruscant as it came it; I was convinced, that day, that we'd lose the war. The Chancellor kidnapped, the Separatists bypassing all our defences despite Dodonna's win at Anaxes knocking out their main invasion fleet? Only he could have won it as convincingly as he did."
Sabine nodded, letting go of her blaster's handle again.

"There's been wars between our people, yes, but that isn't the important detail here," Kanan explained. "We fought together many times over the course of the war, and many times we won together."
"I guess you're going to have to deal with me not trusting you for a while," Sabine told them, "But if Percy said I should work with you, that's what I'll do."

VCX Freighter Ghost, Hyperspace, 8 BBY
"Incoming message," Sabine informed Hera, stepping onto the Ghost's Bridge. "From an Agent Orpheus." She had been with the Ghost's small crew for close to a month now, making use of her martial skill and proving herself to her new comrades in the Gorse System, their unplanned intervention there leading to the death of Count Vidian. Indeed, she had been kept aboard the Ghost as a precaution, but her proficiency in explosives and Imperial vessels had proven to be crucial to their escape from Vidian's ship, the Forager, under heavy fire.
"Patch it through," Hera encouraged. "We're making a rendezvous with the Order tonight."
Sabine did so, and she was faced with a hooded figure on the holodisk.
"Agent Syndulla," the man greeted, "And this must be the young Lady Wren?"

"Not much of a Lady anymore, am I?" Sabine snarked back. "You're Orpheus?"
"I am," the cloaked figure confirmed. "But we will speak in more detail later. Such conversations are not meant for this impersonal medium."
"What's the message, Orpheus?"
"Coordinates for our Rendezvous," the man announced. "We'll be there in three hours, and from there it's on to my base."
"Roger that," Hera replied, "We'll meet you there."

VCX Freighter Ghost, Hyperspace, 8 BBY
"We're about to make our Rendezvous," Hera informed Sabine as she entered the bridge. "I will warn you, the Jedi Fleet's certainly quite the sight."
"It's that big?" Sabine asked, curious.
"Not big, no," Kanan replied, "You'll have to see it to get what Hera means."
"If you say so," Sabine commented. "I thought they were all killed at the end of the war, though?"
"Your uncle must hate showing off, then," Kanan chuckled. "Considering how this entire group only exists because he helped them escape."

"Apparently," Sabine grumbled. "I'm going to have to hunt him down and have nico long talk with him."
Kanan only continued to chuckle.
"Dropping out now," Hera interrupted, flicking a pair of switches to mask the Ghost's signature as a mandatory precaution. "Let's hope they're still here."
Damn right they were still here.

Sabine found herself open-mouthed at the explosion of colour before her. Where all of the Mandalorian artwork depicting the Jedi seemed to depict them using drab colours, preferring their whites and russets, this fleet evidently hadn't got the memo.
"Are the Jetii normally this…"
"Extra?" Hera returned.
"Exciting?" Kanan offered.
"I was going to say colourful," Sabine replied, eyes still fixed on the grouping of five vessels.

The lead ship, she recognised from records of the Clone Wars as a Nu-Class Attack Shuttle, the type favoured by the Jedi Council and high-ranking Republic Officers. The Central vessel was interesting; a Stock Freighter of some sort. Its design was Corellian, much like the one that she was aboard, and it had been significantly up-armoured, 360 degree gun emplacements like the ones aboard the Ghost clearly visible.
The rear vessel, bizarrely enough, was an Imperial one; an instantly recognisable Lambda-Class Shuttle, with its topside fin and two wings hanging below the craft at angles.

The trio of personnel-carriers was flanked by a pair of fighters; Aethersprite 7-B Jedi Starfighters, to be precise. The fact that they were not bound by hyperspace rings suggested that they would have to dock with the central vessel to make any jump. Their legacy as fearsome vessels, however, made them no less impressive of a sight to cast her eyes on.

"What's with the colour scheme?" Sabine asked curiously, finally looking at the evidently amused Hera.
"Well, honestly?" the Twi-lek replied, "I never asked."
"It's a sunset, I think," Sabine hypothesised, "But I'm not sure which one, and why. What's the fancy symbol on their tails?"
"The symbol of the Jedi Order," Kanan replied, a hint of pride in his voice. "A winged Lightsabre."
"In the shape of a living sunrise," Sabine nodded. "It's cool, I'll give them that."
"You know you're, like, ninety percent of the reason I didn't join them, right?" Kanan whispered to Hera, to which the Twi'lek merely smiled and nodded.

"Welcome, Spectres, to our humble fleet," the now-familiar voice of Orpheus greeted, "I invite you to dock with the Mist before we make our way out of this location."
"Roger that Mist," Hera replied, "It's good to see the fleet again."
"Of course," came the reply. "Now, let us not dally for too long. We can talk once we've made the jump."

Light Freighter Mist, Hyperspace, 8 BBY
Sabine stepped through the Airlock and onto the Mist to be confronted by a view of just how much bigger it was than the Ghost.
While Hera's ship was small and manoeuvrable, the Mist was simply gargantuan, with space for three people to quite comfortably walk while holding conversation in the main gangways. Hera's droid, C1-10P, Chopper, trailed behind them. She hadn't interacted much with the droid, but it had certainly proved to have character, with a snarky attitude that she couldn't help but notice offset the Pilot's attitude quite dramatically.

"Yeah, I thought the same when I first looked around this place," Kanan commented. "They're able to sleep fifteen people in the old underfoot storage rooms individually, and if it's a tight situation, the number goes up to double that. They've got spare bunks in the storage rooms. The size is why they keep the others patrolling around the Mist. Too vulnerable otherwise."
"Damn," Sabine remarked. "Weapons?"
"Of course you'd ask that," Kanan remarked fondly. "I'm sure someone'll give the tour. First, though, the Briefing Room."
Following the gangway around, she found herself passing a large bridge, and wasn't surprised to see a Droid piloting the vessel as it moved through Hyperspace. They went further around, however, and she found herself looking into a large room, with seats for around ten, and a large holotable in the centre.

"Ah, welcome," they were greeted as they entered. "It's good to have you all aboard."
"Orpheus," Kanan greeted, to which the man shook his head, removing the hood of his cloak to reveal a pale man, a beard of black hair across his jaw and long, wavy hair tied back in a topknot.
"I think our new guest has the right to know our true names, Kanan," the man replied with a smile. "Lady Wren, I am Nico di Angelo, Knight of the Jedi Order."
"And Master of this one," another man cut in. "Djoser Phaeris, Lady Wren, though I am known by many as Achilles."
"Achilles is my second in command," Nico explained, "the others present are Bellerophon, Theseus, Menelaus, Orion and Atalanta."
The mentioned Jedi waved, smiling over at Sabine. Some were comparable to her in age, though most were at least a few years older. The oldest, quite evidently, were Orpheus and Achilles - Nico and Djoser, she reminded herself - with the rest of the small group seeming to drop off in age from there.

"We'll keep introductions brief," Nico said, "I'm sure you'll find yourselves better acquainted as the others show you around the ship. You may well end up meeting some youngsters your own age on Umbara too; the seven of us are here in order to ensure the proper armament and supply of the ships to keep the Mist safe."
"Isn't that unsustainable?" Sabine asked, brow furrowing.
"You'll see on your way around that the Mist is far from defenceless," Nico corrected her, "But firstly, it's good experience for the kids to get flying, and secondly it's better to be safe than sorry."
Sabine nodded her understanding. "My uncle said something similar about his family's ships."
"And how is Percy doing?"

"Good," Sabine nodded, noting a hint of amusement dance across the Jedi's face. "He and Aunt Rey said you fought really bravely. Told me that you were really good as a Commander."
"I made my fair share of blunders," Nico chuckled, before his own brow furrowed. "You called Reyna Aunt?"
"Yeah?" Sabine replied, though it came out more like a question.
"They got married?"
"When I was a little kid," Sabine confirmed.
"Kriff, Djoser, I was so going to crash their wedding."
"Well, you didn't have a spy network partially targeted on him at that point, now, did you?" The Onderonian deadpanned.
"You're spying on my Uncle?" Sabine folded her arms and fixed the Umbaran with a look.
"Well, I snuck up on him every now and then," he admitted. "Once over Ryloth I'm fairly sure he figured out that it was me - I got out of there all kinds of quick."
"You have weird hobbies," Sabine told him, utterly deadpan. "I was promised a tour?"

Light Freighter Mist, Hyperspace, 8 BBY
"So you've been in the Briefing room," Orion explained, "It doubles as a training room and a social space if there's a load of us. "Bridge, kitchen, bedrooms, kinda standard."
"Except for how huge the ship is, yeah," Sabine scoffed.
"Hey," Bellerophon protested, "it's a pretty big order."
"How big?" Sabine asked, curious. "I heard the Jetii were wiped out at the end of the war."
"Most of us were kids when Nico got us out," Atalanta told her solemnly. "A lot of Jedi gave their lives so that we could escape."
"Others," Theseus took over, "were rescued by acquaintances we made over the years, from Imperial facilities. There was an early drive of Bounty Hunters aiming to capture those with potential in the force; our allies, wherever they may be at the moment, did well to bring them to the safety of the order."

The group kept walking, a slight silence falling over them as they moved.
"Gun Emplacement number one," Orion said, gesturing over at an open door. "The rest are on the topside, the underbelly, under the Pilot, and there are two in the Storage room."
"Pretty heavily armed," Sabine nodded appreciatively. "Any rockets?"
"Concussion systems and Magnetic," the Togruta man confirmed. "One in the front of the Storage Room, and one controlled by the Pilot."

"And what's with the shuttles?" Sabine asked, leaning against a door. "The Nu-Class was good enough, Manoeuvrable and with pretty basic armament. The Lambda-Class, though? It's just a Personnel Carrier, isn't it?"
"You'd think so, huh?" Orion smirked. "I'll show you around them later. Maybe that violent Mandalorian mind of yours can help us figure out ways to make it even scarier."
"Ever scarier?" Sabine chuckled. "You'll have to tell me why it's scary in the first place."
"Master di Angelo has some kind of attachment to the Nu-Class," Bellerophon told her.

"It's the one we escaped in," Orion supplied helpfully. "It's been in service since the Clone War. We up-armoured it at a friendly facility - missiles, a rear gun, cloaking and identity scrambling on par with the Ghost."
"Impressive," Sabine admitted. "And the Lambda?"
"Well that was my personal project," a new voice admitted. Sabine had to hold back a gasp as she was confronted with a dramatically pale face, dramatically bright eyes lined with patterns in various colours. The person was gifted with dramatic height to match their other striking features, and incredibly, they carried a double-bladed sabre at their hip.
Sabine had heard of the Pau'ans, and yet she had never met one. Now she had finally met one in the flesh, she understood the ripple of unease that they were associated with.

"My apologies for shocking you, Lady Wren," the Jedi Knight told her, "I am Menelaus, former disciple of Master di Angelo. I was the one who captured that craft, and as such it fell upon me to justify its presence."
"Is your name a codename too?" Sabine asked him, and he chuckled humourlessly.
"I did not have the luxury of parents to name me, Lady Wren," Menelaus replied. "Nico found me, educated me in this weird and wonderful power that I possess, and here I am now, all the better for it."

"Tell her about the Lambda," Orion urged, an excited look in his eye. He turned to Sabine now. "It's incredible."
"It certainly fulfils its needs," Melanaus nodded. "Improved Hyperdrive and Shielding, heavy weaponry on all sides, and missiles at the front. I had to lose significant space at the back to put two automated point-defence systems on there, but it's certainly useful when you're trying to get retreating troops out of a tricky situation in a hurry."
"Because of-"
"-Yes," Menelaus interrupted Bellerophon, "Because of Florrum."
Sabine nodded. It felt like a question that didn't need asking, and losing allies in a hurry certainly didn't seem to be the best of ideas.
For now, though, she was safe, albeit among the unlikeliest of allies, and she was working towards the same goals as the rest of her family were, even if they didn't know it.
They were going to bring down the Empire.

A/N

So before I get into anything, there's a couple of 'Notes from the Historical Record' for want of a better way to put it. There's probably a bit of a time jump coming up next chapter, because honestly, I was going to jump straight to Lothal in about 5 BBY, but I saw a chance to write a cool space battle, so here we are.

Notes: 9 BBY might be a tiny bit early for Hera and Kanan to be meeting, but it's not significantly so. Sabine joining them in 9 (closer to 8) BBY is definitely early, but that's due to a couple of reasons - she isn't bounty hunting with Ketsu for a couple of years before she turns 16 and joins them canonically (about 6 BBY) and, of course, Percy has links to Organa, who sets this up. So far as I know, the Duchess Trial in 9 BBY isn't horribly far off, and it certainly works for my narrative.

Kanan and Hera's early history from 'A New Dawn' is getting changed in the story a little, because Nico's pulling strings. Rebellion-wise, a couple of things start moving early, but not to any huge extent. His organisation is just a spy network, remember, and nothing major happens until the Battle of Mustafar where the Phoenixes destroy Tarkin's Star Destroyer in 4 BBY.

So effectively what I'm skipping is more politics that I would have made up, and some of the really deep Rebels lore, going into how they met Zeb (Not documented so far as I know) - I've headcanoned it and will refer back to it in this story as they get him out of a Mercenary role of some sort. That means that when we pick up next, it's pretty much straight into some pretty canonical (but very much altered) action.

The usual thanks go out to Dudududhehe for his help here, betaing and lore litigating. He's back writing too, so go over and check his stuff out.
Until next time,
Sol
(I do not own PJO, Star Wars or any related media)