April 22.
"Entering the Ryloth system. Thorsten, make sure the cloaking is operative." Ezra ordered to one N7.
"Yes, General." the man replied as he configured the console on the side of the cockpit.
The co-pilot seat was occupied by Master Gozo, who was instead sending a beacon to the Amerigo to keep a line of communication even with the predicted imperial jamming. Aside from them, the N7 team also counted a Turian 'Havoc' saboteur, Servius. In the cargo hold, a squad of 4 New Republic Rangers, named 'Squad G', was awaiting deployment.
"Message from the Amerigo." Gozo said the moment they left hyperspace and entered the Ryloth system. "They traced our route, but they're waiting for the Falcon to return."
"Oh. Were they successful?" Ezra asked.
"They didn't report any casualty, so I think we can stay positive."
"Let's make sure to keep the good news coming in. Engage the cloaking device. Hide our signature."
"Yes, sir." Thorsten replied and engaged the device as the Silver Bullet sped toward Ryloth, which wasn't actually that far, being the last planet of the system.
"Jinx, give me a scan. What are we dealing with?"
The AI connected to the ship's sensors and replied after a few seconds. "There is a total of 20 imperial warships orbiting the livable ring of Ryloth. A single Star Destroyer and minor escort ships."
"Just that?" Servius asked. "So it is true that the Empire is stretched thin."
"Let's not assume anything, Lieutenant." Ezra said calmly. "They might have reinforcements just waiting in the next system. For now, prepare for the descent."
The Gauntlet carefully flew through the imperial blockade, passing over the 'Bright Lands', the side of Ryloth stuck toward the local star, and headed for the habitable lands of the planet, following the coordinate they had been given by the Twi'leks and the local republican forces who had been assisting the local movement since Jaral became Grand Marshall. With the necessary degree of caution, Ezra managed to avoid a TIE patrol and eventually reached the canyon where they were supposed to meet up with their contacts.
"Jinx, take command of the ship. Be ready to bail out just in case. Everybody else, let's move."
"Right behind you, General." Thorsten dutifully replied.
Both squads gathered behind the Jedi, who materialized his armor and his lightsaber at the belt and walked out of the ramp. In front of them there was nothing but rocks and sand, but Ezra knew better even without looking at the sensors of his helmet. He raised a fist to order a halt, and shortly after, a group of Twi'leks and two soldiers of the former Rebel Militia. The former were wearing old clone armors and even clone weapons stolen after the rise of the Empire. The one who seemed their leader, though, came out unarmed and made a polite bow in front of Ezra.
"Master Bridger. Welcome to Ryloth. I am Sauchii, at your service."
"Greetings, Mister Sauchii." the Jedi replied in a cordial tone, then turned his head toward the two human soldiers. "And I suppose you two are from the rebel expedition on Ryloth."
The two made the salute with their right hand while still holding their rifles and the woman on Ezra's left replied. "Yes, sir. Corporal Emsia and Private Alser. 80th Infantry Company."
Ezra made a quick nod, then turned toward the Twi'lek. "Are you with General Syndulla?"
"Like everybody else on Ryloth, Master Jedi." the alien replied in a quipping tone. "And he's waiting for you."
From there, the Twi'leks led the group back toward their hidden base inside one of the mountains, where there was still room for the Gauntlet. Eventually, Ezra was led once again in front of Cham, who greeted him fondly with a handshake.
"Ezra Bridger, it's always a pleasure to meet you, even though it's always because of the Empire." the man quipped.
Ezra had his helmet dematerialized and returned the smile. "I'm glad to see the Empire still hasn't figured out how to catch you. I'm sorry I couldn't bring your daughter along, this time."
"Yes, Hera has contacted me a few days ago." Cham said with no weight on his heart. "But in all honesty, I prefer to know that she is taking care of my grandson."
Ezra chuckled. "Sounds like we share the same worries."
Cham chuckled back. "Well, all the more reason to win this war. I want to meet little Jacen as soon as possible."
"Then how about you give me a Sit-Rep?"
"Sure." Cham concluded, showing the holo-table around which were also two other acquaintances: Numa and Gobi. Ezra greeted them with a quick gesture of the hand while he gathered around the table and his two squad leaders joined the briefing.
A large hologram appeared, showing a series of imperial strongholds and key points that the resistance had in its sight. Those were the main objectives that they needed to take at first when the uprising would start: the main spaceport of the capital, Lessu, without which the imperials wouldn't be able to bring in enough supplies for their garrison. The imperial headquarters, situated in the Tann Province ever since Thrawn had taken it from Cham, meaning that this goal had also a personal relevance to him. Finally, the imperial fortress in the Masdar Region, which was the main surface strategic base. Destroying it would severely cripple the ability of the Empire to gather its forces for large scale counter-offensives.
"How's the status of your forces?" Ezra asked at the end of the briefing.
"We have many fighters living in the major cities, waiting for an order to take up arms, but they will need our support to make any significant damage, or to defend themselves against any imperial reprisal." Cham explained.
Ezra leaned on the table and stared at the statistics of the three objectives. It soon became clear to him that, if the Twi'leks needed help to take all of those objectives, then he could only afford to take one of them. Those places were too well-defended, and even the two battalions aboard the Amerigo would have to focus their efforts on a single one. He voiced this issue.
"We can only afford one target at a time. General, what do you think it would be best?"
Cham grunted in thought and replied. "My heart honestly would like to kill as many imperials as we can, thus the fortress. However, all three targets are equally important."
"I beg to disagree." Thorsten intervened. "The capital and the spaceport should clearly be our priority. Not only we would isolate the imperial forces on the planet, but the liberation of the capital would certainly inspire the rest of the population to rise up."
"It's not like the imperials would immediately crumble if we take the spaceport." countered Savand, the squad leader of the Rangers. "I think we should attack the Tann province and decapitate their command structure. Experience proves that they are very slow to adapt their hierarchy, so if we kill their commander, the other garrisons will be unable to coordinate a counter-attack."
"The final say is yours, Ezra." Cham eventually said. "Where do you want to commit your forces first?"
Silence followed. Everybody waited for the Knight's answer. His gaze kept wandering around the holograms of the three targets, also considering the distance between each other and calculating all the variables he could see. He closed his eyes, trying to see if there was a hint in the Force to help him decide. Then he finally reopened them and made up his mind.
"The capital is centrally situated and it's a more defensible bridgehead, we'll start from there." he finally declared.
Everyone else nodded. "I'll go prepare my people." Cham said before walking away with Numa and Gobi.
Ezra then turned toward Thorsten. "Tell Master Gozo to contact the Amerigo, we need to study a way to bring our forces in without angering the blockade."
The man nodded vigorously. "Yes, sir." and walked away.
Savand also walked away, leaving Ezra to contemplate his decision. He was fairly sure that this was the most efficient way to liberate the planet, but only time would tell him.
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April 28.
"This is a waste of time." Iulius grumbled under his breath.
"You can always try and tell that to the Emperor." Qathora said sarcastically, making her friend sigh.
The Grand Admiral decided that it was useless to complain, even if undergoing this parade was the last thing he wanted to do. For one, he thought that, since the war was far from over, him being recalled all the way to Coruscant was only serving the rebels, since they surely were using that truce in fighting to reinforce their flanks and cover the hole in their line left by the demise of the mandalorians. But the Emperor had insisted on celebrating such a monumental victory, and one couldn't simply say no to Palpatine.
So here he was. Standing in front of the line of troops that were expected to start the parade as soon as the gate of the base opened. Right behind him there was a company of his Army troopers, followed by an AT-AT and then by various other units of the 101st. Even the crew of the Admonitor would participate. It would all end at the base of the imperial palace, where the Emperor himself would award Iulius with a medal. A banquet would follow and, Iulius hoped, by the next morning he would be on his way back to the front.
Finally, the sentinel announced that the gates was opening. Iulius turned around and nodded to Cody, who yelled the command to start marching. He made sure that the Darksaber was well clipped to his belt and then waited.
Usually, a military commander celebrating a victory would be carried by some kind of chariot, but Iulius had declined the offer. Officially stating that he didn't want to stand out more than the soldiers who risked their lives to bring the victory against the mandalorians. In reality, he simply found those things embarrassing.
As the gate finished to slide open, Iulius walked forward, followed on the side by his loyal servant. Immediately behind him, the soldiers started to march in unison, and the AT-AT also started its march at the lowest pace possible.
The moment he left the perimeter of the base, Iulius was welcomed by a thunderous roar of cheers and shortly after by an endless cascade of confetti. From the roads of his level, above and below, from the terraces and even from the windows of the surrounding buildings, a swarm of imperial citizens gestured signs of victory, waved hands of little imperial flags at him. Many were clapping so hard that they could almost snap their own hands.
Iulius was taken aback for a second by the immense force of that crowd. He only needed a moment to understand that this was different than the usual parades he had witnessed in the past. On those occasion, the people usually clapped and cheered with much less enthusiasm, simply because attendance was mandatory. But this time, the tribunes were filled to the brim and the public was so lively, that it was impossible to even think that they were acting.
No, those time, the people were being genuine. The strength they put into chanting his name was simply too heartfelt to be circumstantial acting.
"Iulius! Iulius! Iulius!..."
Their facial expressions too were full of energy. Some young girls threw flowers at him and screamed his name with too much emphasis for the Grand Admiral's taste.
Still, a warm sensation washed Iulius' heart as he noticed the sincerity of those compliments. A half-serious smile appeared on his face, and as he walked down the road toward the Imperial Palace, he raised his right hand and started to waive back, even if with a very restrained attitude.
With Qathora walking at his side, her hands joined in front of her in a graceful way, the Grand Admiral kept marching at the head of his soldiers. With the military march resonating from the speakers and a dozen of camera droids floating around to transmit the Empire's victory all over the HoloNet. Then Titan Squadron flew the TIE Defenders in formation right above the street, prompting another loud round of cheers.
And so the parade went on as Iulius lead the march toward the Palace, which took an hour or so. When he arrived, he found the 212th battalion lined up on different square formations, with an AT-ST standing at every space out between the formations. The soldiers presented their weapons and defined the trail to the base of the stairs that led to the first terrace of the Palace. And on top of that first ramp stood the Emperor, with a few ministers standing at a distance and imperial banners behind them.
Keeping his composure, Iulius signaled Qathora to wait for him down there. She made a respectful bow and complied, letting the Grand Admiral start the climb. Following the rhythm given by the drums, Iulius took a step at a time until he walked over the last one. As he found himself in front of the Emperor, he bent the knee as protocol dictated, showing submission to his liege. The latter, on his part, raised his hands to quell the loud cheering, being transmitted all over the planet by the HoloNet, even though his image was being modified to appear like a normal human being instead of the horrid scarred face with glowing yellow eyes that Iulius was seeing right at that moment.
"Rise up, Grand Admiral." Palpatine eventually proclaimed, his voice resonating through the speakers.
Iulius obeyed and stood at attention in front of him, staring exactly in front, something that helped him ignore the uneasy feeling he felt around the Emperor.
"Iulius Tanis." the Emperor then started. "In one of the most difficult hours for the Empire, you stood as the champion of order and peace. We will all rest much more at ease, in the knowledge that that you and your men bravely stand against the invaders and their rebel puppets."
The ministers behind him started a round of clapping, quickly followed by more cheers from the crowd. When these faded, Palpatine proceeded with his speech.
"For your invaluable service, I hereby declare you Lord-Protector of the Mid Rim. And I award you with this." at those words, Mas Amedda stepped forward with a decorated case, inside of which, laying on a cushion, was a shining gray medal that Iulius saw by moving his irises.
It had a tower-like design at the top, which ended with three prongs, and the circular medal featured an engraving that resembled a TIE Advanced. It also had a black ribbon with purple linings, as well as three silver dots on each side near the medal.
Palpatine took it with his two hands, grabbing the ribbon on two extremes to put it around Iulius' neck. The Grand Admiral made a bow and the Emperor slipped the medal around his neck, after which he stood back up.
"The Medal of the Emperor's Fist." the sovereign of the Empire declared. "Wear it with pride. And may it always represent your loyalty to the Empire."
The Grand Admiral replied by clacking his heel and making the salute, then the Emperor turned around and walked away while the Ministers and officers stepped forward to shake hands with him while the crowd resumed cheering.
That jovial atmosphere was in stark contrast with the dull, almost lifeless procession that Iulius was seeing in front of him. Clearly, those upper echelons were bored, when not irritated, in having to deal with him. Most likely because of jealousy that he could easily spot in their expressions, or by a note in their voice as they said 'congratulations' as if they were pushing something down their throats.
At least that was the case, except for the last one: a woman around her 30s, with tan skin and reddish hair. She was wearing the uniform of an ISB officer. Differently from those who preceded her, she smiled cordially, which Iulius interpreted as a sign that she wasn't there just for a mere formality.
"Grand Admiral, it's a pleasure to meet you." she said as the other officials were already following the Emperor into the Palace.
"I feel at a disadvantage, here." Iulius quipped.
The woman smirked. "Agent Yagler, Imperial Security Bureau. I was sent here to extend the congratulations of my superior, the Director."
"I see." Iulius replied, with a tone that clearly specified that he knew something else was brewing. "In times like these, I suppose the ISB has its hands full with handling traitors."
"Like you would not believe. In fact, the Director is personally looking into some...whispers, regarding some of the people you just shook hands with."
"Should I get worried?"
"Just watch your back while you win the war, Grand Admiral. We'll take care of this." she concluded with a witty tone before turning around as well.
Iulius contemplated for a second what those words could mean. What could the highest Moffs and Chiefs of the Empire be plotting? Were they preparing a coup? Sell the Empire to the invaders? Those questions would have had to wait. Right then, he turned around and walked down the stairs, prompting his troops to start the return march toward the barracks as they made another pass among the jubilant crowd.
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May 1.
"Recon Alpha to Specter-7, come in, please."
Ezra touched the side of his helmet, answering the call. "I read you, Recon Alpha. Did you find the refinery?"
"Affirmative. Two clicks south-west from the capital. It's not even much defended."
"Civilians?"
"The Twi'leks are being used as slave labor, however it shouldn't be impossible to just sabotage the pipeline without causing a chain reaction to the whole plant. We will make sure to get them out anyway before the detonation."
"Copy that. Proceed."
"Yes, sir." and the transmission was closed.
Ezra didn't waste a second and reported the news to Cham. The two of them and the Ryloth Resistance had gathered in a hideout just outside Lessu, ready to attack the capital from the outside while three different Twi'lek cells were waiting underground inside the city, ready to strike at the police station, the local military headquarter and, most importantly, the controls for the energy bridge, the only path to access the city, which was surrounded by a deep and bottomless moat. Cham had narrated Ezra of that time during the Clone Wars when Jedi Master Windu managed to get over it in an insanely dangerous stunt. This time, Ezra wouldn't need to do anything crazy, because he had a jetpack. Now, though, they needed to coordinate with the Amerigo, so they gathered around the holo-communicator and called the ship, being answered by Riccardi and Belisarius. They detailed the last aspects of the plan, where the Amerigo would use her stealth mode to enter the atmosphere, position herself at a safe distance from the capital and allow for the transports and fighters to scramble in order to provide reinforcements to the insurrection. All while a small fleet of volunteer captains gathered from the region, which also included a Bothan assault cruiser, would engage the small imperial flotilla in orbit.
After the transmission ended, Ezra went to sit in a corner and opened his Force bond with his sister, reporting to her and explaining the plan to start the liberation of Ryloth.
"And that's it. It won't be easy, but we have gathered ships from the rebel cells from the nearby sectors, we should have a fighting chance. How are things there?"
"Could be worse. We have reorganized our line of defense, but the only thing that saved us is that Iulius was on Coruscant for a parade."
"Uh. I didn't figure him as a man seeking glory over duty."
"Darvos thinks that he had been ordered to do so. Nonetheless, the Admirals he has left behind have not tried to resume the attack. On the contrary, I ordered Ackbar and Dodonna to plan a new offensive to give you respite."
"You truly are the best big sis in the universe." he quipped.
Jaral chuckled into the bond. "Consider it my gift to you. Happy birthday, lil bro."
Right. Ezra had almost forgot that, at least for the calendar on Lothal, today he was turning 19. Certainly, leading a people to freedom was a unique way to celebrate.
"Thanks. Now I should go. Take care."
"Copy that. Good luck, Ezra." and they closed the bond.
Ezra opened his eyes and walked back toward the Twi'leks arming themselves. Squad G as a whole was taking care of the refinery, so for now Ezra only had Gozo and the N7s to support him in the main task.
After briefing the team, and parting with Cham, Ezra took a group of freedom fighters and headed out for his true mission: diversion. He was going to show up in front of a fortified outpost that guarded the access to Lessu, hoping that his presence alone would be enough to divert the imperial garrison of the city away and leave a path open for Cham and the allied forces. Such outpost had an important comm device that linked the capital with the rest of the planet, so the imperials would have to defend. It was so important that it was guarded by a company of stormtroopers.
The outpost was placed on a plateau. It wasn't difficult for the Twi'leks, who knew the region like the palm of their hand, to reach the perimeter unseen. Ezra already wore his armor. Now he took out the M-3 pistol in his left hand and his lightsaber in his right hand.
"We're ready on your mark, Ezra." Gobi whispered as they hid behind a group of rocks.
Ezra nodded, then used the integrated binoculars to take a look at the first defenses. There was a very small bunker with a machine-gunner, some sandbags with two sentries behind it, and they were covered by some very primitive barbed wire. Behind them there was the small complex of trenches and fortifications that hosted the relay.
After taking a peek, Ezra hid again and turned toward his ally. "Have your sniper take out that gunner. It will make our approach much easier." he ordered.
The Twi'lek nodded and gestured toward the sniper of the team to take out the bunker.
As the marksman took position and aimed, Ezra prepared to jump over the top, ready to draw the attention of the imperials as soon as the first shots were fired.
That shot didn't come much later. The crack of the Valken echoed trough the valley. A moment later, the gunner's helmet lit up and he fell on the floor lifeless.
The sentries immediately ducked behind their cover and alerted their comrades, only to see Ezra stand out and activating his green lightsaber while wielding a pistol in the other hand.
"This is RS-931. Contact with a Jedi. I repeat..." Ezra heard one of the troopers say with an alarmed tone in the comlink of his helmet.
"Forward!" Ezra yelled, pointing his saber before charging at the enemy himself, prompting the Twi'leks to yell a battle cry and start the attack.
The Jedi Knight dashed forward. The sentries fired at him, but he easily deflected a bolt back to the head of the shooter and then placed a bullet through the helmet of the second one, who just fell under his own weight. Ezra then easily jumped over the barbed wire and charged in, easily outpacing his allies.
While the Twi'leks tried to reach him, Ezra jumped into the camp, easily gaining the attention of the imperials, who all moved to fight him. The Jedi Knight jumped left and right, deflecting bolts, returning fire with his pistol whenever he could and still managing to use the Force to throw objects around. Sure enough, he caused enough confusion and cut down at least a dozen stormtroopers before the Twi'leks took the area by storm and a furious fight ensued. The rebels suffered some casualties, but they still took out most of the stormtroopers and their commanding officer, forcing the survivors to escape, making the Twi'leks gesturing for victory.
"Ezra, do you read me?" the voice of Cham broke into the comlink just in time.
"Copy you, General. We just took the outpost."
"Then your plan worked. The sentries just spotted a pretty big column of imperials coming out of Lessu. At least a battalion. I suggest you leave that place immediately."
"Say no more." Ezra concluded before turning toward his allies. "Gobi, let's get out of here."
"Just a second, sir." he replied, before turning toward the other guerrillas and order something in their language.
It didn't take long for Ezra to notice what they were doing, and he didn't like it. He walked next to Gobi and calmly asked. "Is this really necessary?" as the Twi'leks were booby-trapping the corpses.
"At least we're going to hit their soldiers." Gobi defended himself. "Our women and children didn't have much choice when the bombers destroyed our villages."
There was no point in discussing, so Ezra dropped the matter, only promising to himself that he had to put an end to this war as soon as possible.
After a few minutes, the group hastily left the outpost before the armored column arrived, and only after destroying the relay so the imperial combat reactivity would still suffer a major blow. Just in time to learn on the comlink that the Amerigo and the local rebel fleet has just come out of hyperspace and was quickly moving to engage the imperial flotilla. The insurrection at Lessu had taken what was left of the garrison totally by surprise and the N7s had already taken the control room for the energy bridge. In the distance, a rumble signaled that the Rangers had destroyed the pipeline of the refinery, cutting off the energy of the turbolaser turrets surrounding the capital.
The battle for the freedom of Ryloth had just begun.