Eriadu – The Chimera
The blue-skinned Chiss adorning the white uniform of a grand admiral gazed out the viewport of his flagship. When the rebels first began their attack, Thrawn had spoked his orders softly as ever but still with authority in his voice. Since then, he had been quiet. He had no need to talk. He had already won.
His red eyes flicked over to the star destroyer to the right of his ship, the Royal Intruder. It was taking a beating from Captain Syndulla and would soon fall. Thrawn couldn't help but feel impressed by the Twi'lek. Even in the most hopeless of battles, she had a way to bring the fight back to her enemies.
The grand admiral was waiting for a call, once he received that call, he would in turn call the Royal Intruder to flee and allow the rebels to escape. Most Imperial commanders would press this attack until the enemy fleet was ash, but Thrawn knew better. He knew his fleet would take more loses than he would gain by finishing the rebels here and now. Better to destroy their spirit and let them escape with their fleet in ruins than allow them the chance for a destructive last stand. Besides, the call would be to inform him his objectives had been completed.
As if on cue, the commlink chimed in the control panel in front of him. He pressed it elegantly with his fingertips to accept the call, "Ruhk, report."
The distinctive voice of the Noghri assassin filled the air, "The cargo is secure. I eliminated one of the rebel squads when I landed in the main hanger then engaged the Jedi Padawan and the Mandalorian girl."
"And?"
"The girl ran and escaped before the stormtroopers could stop her, but I captured the boy."
Thrawn didn't show any physical reaction to the news of his success, "Very good, Ruhk. I will arrive after the battle to meet with him, until then, hold him." He ended the call. Then, Thrawn strode down the bridge walkway back till he was at the holo-projector at the rear of the bridge. He nodded to Commodore Faro, it was a preordained order to contact the Royal Intruder.
The commodore of Royal Intruder, Commodore Derrok, answered the call. "Yes, Grand Admiral?"
"My mission is complete. Move the Royal Intruder away behind the Chimera, away from the battle, we will cover you."
"What?? But sir, then the rebels will escape!" This is what Thrawn was afraid of. He didn't need a battle-crazed commander going rogue, certainly not given the Royal's condition.
"I know, Commodore, but it is better to let them escape with their fleet in tatters than allow them the chance to destroy your destroyer." He had an edge to his voice now, "Pull back, now."
Derrosk thought for a moment before he spoke, but the pulsing of his neck veins and tightening of the face's skin told Thrawn all he needed to know without any words being spoken. "I'm sorry, Grand Admiral, but you play it too conservatively. Maybe back wherever you came from, that's a good thing, but here? Real Imperials finish the job." He cut the transmission.
"He's going to get himself and all his crew killed." Commodore Karyn Faro said, disgust in her voice.
Thrawn turned to look at the commander of his Chimera, "Yes, he is." He had no disgust in his voice, only regret and sorrow.
Eriadu – Space Battle
Captain Hera Syndulla had just finished her third bombing run. The star destroyer was tough but the rebels were wearing it down. It wouldn't be long until the thing was too damaged to operate at all. Green turbolaser fire screamed past her windows as the destroyer pressed its attack, forcing her into a barrel roll.
"This is Admiral Raddus, all ships, prepare to jump to hyperspace when that star destroyer goes down. We need to get out of here!"
"Admiral, have we heard from the strike teams?" Hera yelled into her commlink.
"We haven't heard anything from them, but we have one of the U-wings on our scopes. It's attempting to return to the Profundity as we speak." Raddus reported.
"Hera? Admiral Raddus? We're being hammered by TIEs; at this rate we won't make it back to the ship." Kanan's voice echoed over the speakers.
Admiral Raddus beat Hera to it, "Bulwark Squadron, get over there and clear their path!"
"Bulwark Leader, copy." Several A-wings shot off to assist the U-wing. Mon Mothma decided now was a good time to ask the questions burning in her throat.
"Where is the other U-wing? Did you get the cargo? What happened?"
"The other team is down. We failed." Kanan said regretfully. "Ezra's been captured or killed but Sabine was able to get away and reached my team's position. We have her now but she's in shock."
The comms went silent. The only sound Hera heard moments later was a large 'boom', she felt a shockwave. She looked around and saw it, the fiery explosion of one of the rebel's largest capital ships. Mon Mothma was the first to speak, she sounded small, "We need to leave."
Hera mumbled her sarcastic agreement off the comms. She could have told Mothma that several minutes ago. "Phoenix Squad and any squadrons still with me, let's make sure this fourth bombing run is the last." Determined acknowledgements flooded her speakers. She turned her ship until she was facing the destroyer. The rebels formed up behind the Ghost. They accelerated towards the metal colossus.
While she was bearing down on the ship, she took a mental inventory. The enemy ship had no more shields or shield generators to soften the blow Hera was about to give it. Massive holes decorated the ship's exterior and its structural integrity was approaching zero. All they had to do was deliver the punch to the right spot and the ship would fall apart.
"Put away your ion shots if you still have them out, switch over to whatever you got that'll do the most damage to that monstrosity blocking our way home." For her, it was her proton bombs, but the rebellion never had had enough of those for everyone.
When the destroyer took up the entire view of her viewport, she knew she was in the right spot to fire. She pressed the launch button. The orbs of light and destruction sailed away, slamming into the neck of the destroyer that connected the bridge tower to the rest of the ship. The Ghost twisted and turned, avoiding turbolaser fire as it raced to fly away.
The other ship's missiles, bombs, and more hit around the same spot. With a metallic groan, the ship literally began to fall apart at the ship's neck. They had done it! The rebels could now escape.
"All ships! Jump immediately!" Raddus yelled into the comms. Phoenix Squadron, minus Hera, was the first to leap into hyperspace, followed by the other squadrons.
Hera couldn't leave until she knew Kanan was back on board the Profundity, "Kanan? Have you docked yet?"
"Yes, we have. Now get out of here!" Kanan yelled back to her. She smiled in some relief and made the jump.
Hyperspace – The Profundity
Kanan Jarrus, Jedi Knight, was walking down the serene white halls of Admiral Raddus's flagship. When his U-wing had touched down in the capital ship's landing hanger, he had leapt out, Sabine in arms, and raced to the medics. The only good news about taking such a loss in an only space battle was that few people needed medical treatment, Kanan grimly thought to himself.
The medical droids had promptly begun their work on the Mandalorian girl. They had inspected her for blaster burns, trauma, and the like but found nothing. She was in perfect health except for the shock. One thing that had relieved Kanan was she was talking, Sabine seemed distracted and confused, but she had spoken a couple of times.
Kanan had since left her to sleep. Now he was on his way to the ship's briefing room. It wasn't far from the bridge. He knocked on the door. "Enter," a deep, fishy voice called from inside. The door slid open and he entered.
Mon Mothma looked sullenly at him, "How is she?"
"She was talking, which is a good sign. Now, she's resting. The medics think it's just shock from the mission and that it'll pass, they just need to watch over her for a while to make sure her blood pressure doesn't get too low again." Kanan replied. Mothma nodded in appreciation. Silence commanded the room.
Kanan broke the tense silence several empty moments later. "She and Ezra got to the hanger they were keeping the cargo." Mon Mothma glanced over to him, Kanan went on, "She told me what the 'cargo' was."
Admiral Raddus cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable. When Mothma informed him of the cargo's contents, he argued their resident Jedi needed to know, but Mothma didn't know how Kanan would react, "Force sensitive children. Nine of them. On their way to presumably by 'utilized' by the Empire."
Kanan really didn't want to play the 'you should have told me' game, again. Instead, he went with something the Admiral and the Senator didn't expect until after the game. "We need to rescue Ezra and those kids."
"We have no idea where they are." Mon Mothma replied sadly. "The information said Telos to Corellia to Eriadu to an 'undisclosed destination'."
Kanan had to have some hope, needed to have some hope, "We don't know where they are right now, but one day we will. Someone will tell us what we need to know, eventually."