Saga of the Bridgers-Year 5

Chapter 20: Light and Darkness

Everyone on the bridge breathed a sigh of relief.

"Losses, Captain?" Ezra asked.

"We'll have to check in, sir, but I actually think we have been pretty good. We've managed to keep the cloaking device until the last very second and destroyed their launch bays when their ships still hadn't raised the shields. From there, our fighters were uncontested." Riccardi explained.

"Uh, impressive." Ezra said admired.

"What about your trip down on the planet? Was it worth it?"

Ezra took out the small memory crystal and showed it to those around the holo-table. "Guess we'll have to find out." he simply said. "For now let's gather our forces then make another jump to be sure the imperials are not on our tail. Me and Luke are going to use the holocron to see what this thing is hiding."

"Very well, sir." the officer concluded and got to work.

Ezra finally dematerialized his armor. Luke was about to go out and get his own removed when Leia stepped into the bridge and was relieved to see her brother alive and well.

"What happened down there?" she asked, probably sensing that Luke had been in great danger.

"We faced off what seemed to be an acolyte of the Sith. I honestly thought we were done with that kind of people after the Inquisitors." Ezra replied calmly.

"An acolyte?"

"Yes." Ezra turned toward Luke with a proud smile. "And Luke has proven that his training with the lightsaber has paid off."

"Really?" Leia asked pleasantly surprised.

"Ezra's teachings paid off." Luke said with humility.

"Don't downplay yourself, kid." Jordan said encouragingly. "I saw you swing that saber, that wasn't something you improvise."

"Right..." Luke said a bit embarrassed, then decided to change the topic. "Hey, where's Han?"

Leia rolled her eyes. "The Falcon took a couple hits during the fight."

"So he's freaking out?" Luke said a bit amused.

"Obviously." Leia chuckled.

"General Bridger." an operator on the bridge called out. "We're receiving a transmission from Lothal. It's your sister."

Ezra turned toward the twins and handed the crystal to Luke. "Keep it safe, we'll take a look once I'm done."

"Aye aye." Luke concluded, allowing Ezra to enter the room of the holo-projector.

He lightened up his omni-tool and accepted the call that was being relayed by the operator. A few moments later, the hologram of his sister, wearing her civilian outfit and with her lightsaber pending from the belt, appeared and instantly gave him a radiant smile that Ezra returned totally.

"Hi, sis." he said happily.

"How you doing, Ez?"

"Eh, you know. Sailing across the stars, liberating the oppressed...facing bozos with red lightsabers."

Jaral didn't seem all that surprised when she heard the last part. "I thought I felt something unusual through the bond...can you describe this guy?"

Ezra did just that, giving a quick recap of the mission, submitting her the recording of his fight against the dark-sider so she could study it and also telling her about the memory crystal.

"A memory crystal? Inside an ornament?" she asked baffled.

"If somebody deemed necessary to keep it out of a holocron...I almost don't want to look into it."