June 6.
Much like Ezra had hoped, the holocron revealed that there was a secret hyperspace route that would allow the Amerigo to cut right through the final trail of the Llanic Spice Run and head straight to Pantora. Or to be more precise, they were directed toward Orto Plutonia, the frozen moon of the Pantora system, where apparently the rebel faction of the homeworld had set up their main base with the help of the local species.
After being allowed to pass three different jump points controlled by the rebels, the crew of the Amerigo reached the frozen planet. A small fleet of pantoran ships was protecting it, mainly frigates and corvettes around a single line cruiser. After receiving permission to head for the surface, Ezra collected Luke, Leia and Rex. The latter two because they knew former Senator Chuchi and the Jedi wanted to approach her with familiar faces. On behalf of the Imperial Federation, Captain Riccardi asked Ezra to bring Saori, whose training in the Ordo Quaeris also included advanced diplomacy. Ezra gladly accepted the request.
After putting on some heavy clothes, or in Rex and Gozo's case some environmental regulators in their battle gear, the group mounted on a Pelican and headed for the surface.
"So, you two have already met Chuchi?" Ezra asked to Leia and Rex.
"First time was on this same frozen rock." the old clone said. "She prevented escalating a war between the Pantorans and the Talz."
"She's an ardent believer in democracy." Leia added after Rex. "I think she will do anything to restore the values of the old Republic to Pantora."
"A promising start. What do we know about the situation on Pantora?"
"Ever since the rise of the Empire, the planet has been divided into three factions. The Appeasers, the Republicans and the Expansionists. Now, the third one was a very small minority and has been rooted out for years by now. As for the rest, the Appeasers believe in an integration of Pantora inside the Empire, while the Republicans believe that the Empire stands for values incompatible with their people's culture. Chuchi has been a figurehead of the latter for a long time, but since the Emperor dissolved the Senate, she has returned to Pantora."
"But if I heard correctly, the Pantorans had managed to avoid touching their weapons until recently." Rex commented.
"Is that true?" Ezra asked.
"Yes. Despite disagreements, Pantorans would hardly go against each other, so the situation might be more complicated than what it seems."
"Things are always more complicated than they seem." Ezra quipped. "You should know this far better than me."
Leia chuckled. "You're right about that."
"And what about the Talz?" Luke asked.
"They are a fairly primitive species, but they're smart. It is actually quite surprising that they allowed the fugitive Pantorans on the planet."
"Your former Senator evidently commands a great deal of trust on their part." Gozo commented.
"You'll see for yourself soon enough." Rex reassured as the Pelican began its final approach at the Republicans' base, which was built mostly in caves and canyons. One of these caves hosted a hangar a few meters underground, where they were allowed to land.
Ezra motioned Leia and Rex to go forward to make introductions, then he dematerialized his helmet in order to show his face and made sure that his lightsaber could be seen hanging from his belt. Luke did the same next to him as he already shivered.
"I never imagined there could be a place so cold in the galaxy." the Padawan commented.
"Before this mission is over, you'll probably run out of habitats to explore." Ezra quipped, making Luke chuckle before the cargo doors opened up.
When they finally got visual on the inside of the hangar, they found a delegation of Pantorans waiting for them, with a female pantoran elegantly dressed and around 40 years old. Aside from the armed guards, she was surrounded by a male pantoran and other two females who looked a bit alike.
Leia and Rex walked down and they were immediately greeted cordially by the woman.
"Princess Organa. Words can't express how good it is to see you again."
"I feel the same, Senator Chuchi." Leia replied with a smile.
Chuchi then turned toward the old clone. "Captain Rex. Always eager to fight, I see."
"That's what I do best, Senator. And by the way, it's 'Commander' now."
"Oh, congratulations." Chuchi chuckled.
"Senator," Leia said a bit formally before stepping aside to show the Jedi. "Allow me to introduce Jedi Knight and General of the New Republic Ezra Bridger and his Padawan, Commander Luke Skywalker."
Chuchi's eyes blinked with a bit of surprise when she heard the surname. She stepped a bit closer to Luke. "So it's true..."
Luke waited for a following up, but Chuchi seemed lost in wondering, so he asked. "You...knew my father?"
The pantoran recomposed herself. "And, if I'm thinking correctly, your mother mostly." then turned toward Ezra and made a polite bow. "Master Bridger. It is an honor to finally meet you."
Ezra returned the bow. "The honor is mine, Senator Chuchi. I hope we can work to a peaceful resolution of your conflict."
"That puts me at ease. I thank you, Jedi."
"Before we go, this is Commander Saori Gozo of the Systems Alliance. She is also a powerful Force-user, as well."
The two women shook hands. "It's the first time a see someone from the Milky Way." Chuchi commented with admiration.
"I am honored to represent my people and my Empress." was Gozo's answer.
After that, Chuchi went to make her own presentations. "These are the children of former Chairman of the Pantoran Assembly Notluwiski Papanoida." she then pointed at the man first. "This is Ion, and these are his sisters Chi Eekway and Che Amanwe."
The three people, all around the same age of Chuchi, if not slightly older, looked at the Jedi with a mixture of curiosity, hope and disbelief. Much like billions of other people in the galaxy, it was hard to believe that there were still Jedi around fighting the oppression of the Empire.
"What happened to the Chairman?" Leia asked in doubt.
"Father was already old, and this planet is not exactly a merciful one." Che Amanwe said. "He passed away five cycles ago."
"I see. Sorry for your loss."
"We will honor his memory by restoring peace to Pantora." Ion said. "I suggest we start the reunion."
The group agreed and they all headed into the command room of the base, which was actually quite small, with a holotable in the center and two consoles attached to the ice walls, where two operators were ready to intercept transmissions or reading the long-range sensors.
Once everyone was gathered, Chuchi activated the holotable, showing the picture of a pantoran politician.
"I present you Meitsek Radunnari, at the moment Chairman of the Pantoran Assembly and staunch leader of the Appeaser faction." she explained. "As of now, he and his militia control all the major cities on the moon."
"Yeah, let's keep the military considerations for another moment." Ezra interrupted, stunning everybody else. "What can you tell me about these people?" he asked without concern.
Chuchi was clearly caught off-guard, like everybody else, but after taking a moment to reorganize her thoughts, she replied. "I'm not sure I follow, Master Bridger."
"I mean, isn't their name quite curious?" Ezra asked with a tone indicating he already knew where he wanted to go. "Appeasers. Not Loyalists or something the like."
"I think I see your point, Ezra." Gozo intervened with a calm tone. "The etymology of their name suggests that they didn't want to serve the Empire, but simply making sure that Pantora wouldn't suffer too much under it."
"Wait a second..." Ion said in an irk tone. "Are you perhaps suggesting that we can talk with these traitors?"
"Actually, Ion, their reasoning stands on solid ground." Riyo intervened to calm him.
"You want to go with the diplomatic approach?" Leia asked, actually baffled.
"If there is a chance to help the Pantorans resolve this issue without bloodshed, then it's the duty of a Jedi to always try diplomacy first." Ezra calmly answered.
"Ok, but how do we even get to talk with this guy and his friends?" Luke asked skeptically.
"The Imperial fleet has already left Pantora and we know they won't come back any time soon. If I can show the proofs of this to Radunnari, he might see the futility in keeping this schism going on. The Pantorans will have a chance to stay independent from the Empire only if they unite again." the Knight stated in a lucid tone.
"I agree." Che Amanwe said. "Our father wished for nothing more than our people to mend this division and regain our freedom. We must at least try diplomacy."
"I am with you, Master Bridger." Riyo said without hesitation. "If you think you can do this, I will give you my full cooperation."
"Thank you, Senator. For now, see if you can convince Radunnari to talk with me, then we will arrange a meeting on neutral ground."
"Right away."
While Chuchi got to work immediately, Ezra asked Rex to inform the Amerigo of the decision while he took Luke and Leia into a corner of the room.
"I must say, I'm quite surprised that we are not going to blow up everything on our path, for once." Leia commented a bit amused.
"Then I guess you'll be even more thrilled to this next question." Ezra quipped before assuming a more serious tone. "I will set up the meeting, and once in front of the Appeasers I will make introductions. However, I would like for you to lead the negotiations, Leia."
The twins were both taken by surprise and quickly looked at each other. "Are you sure?" Leia eventually asked.
"Didn't you become a Senator just before it was an available title? Besides, I saw you in action and you clearly have much more experience than me."
Leia pondered on it for a moment, so Luke used the opportunity to make his own question. "Then, what I'm supposed to do? I don't know how to speak with politicians."
Ezra replied by putting a hand on his shoulder in a reassuring way and quipped. "Don't worry, Luke. You'll learn by observing your sister doing the job. In any case, if things go terribly, we might need your help to get out of troubles."
Luke accepted the task and made a simple nod, allowing Ezra to focus back on Leia. "So?"
The former Princess of Alderaan finally opened her eyes again and declared resolutely. "I'll do it."
"Splendid. Then let's get prepared."
--------------------------------------------
June 7.
Once again, she felt as if her mind was cracked open and steel rods were entering from the bigger cracks, prying it open. The pain was excruciating. The voice of Barrioca commanding her to surrender.
It had been like this every day for the last week. As the invisible threads that the psionic was trying to put on her mind caught up with the most important areas of her brain, Jaral felt her will to resist become weaker and weaker. She pushed back, even cutting some of the threads, but in the end she was only able to prolong her suffering before her mind stopped answering to her.
"Ok, that's enough." Barrioca said, releasing the mental grip.
Jaral fell on one knee, letting out a breath of relief as the pain vanished, but frustration came in its place.
"Karabast." she grunted before standing up again.
The Master of the Ordo Quaeris stepped closer and tried to reassure her. "You have managed to push back in just a week of training, Admiral. Don't get discouraged."
"I thank you, Master. It's just...I'm not sure if I'm getting the gist of it or if this was pure luck."
"We Seekers do not believe in luck. If I'm correct, the Jedi don't either." the man quipped.
Jaral huffed amused. "The ones I met surely didn't."
"You can't push yourself too much. While it's true that a strong will can counter the Mind Control more easily, I spent a decade perfecting this ability. It's honestly impressive that you've been willing to subject yourself to this kind of training for an entire week."
"Don't you guys train to resist this kind of power?"
"Not with this much daily exposure. Your determination is honestly admirable."
"It's a necessity." Jaral replied calmly. "The more I delay this mission, the longer the war will last."
"But if you go in prematurely, you'll achieve nothing but your death." Barrioca noted patiently.
The young woman sighed, then Barrioca patted her shoulder in an encouraging way. "You probably know what they say about preparations, right?"
"That to be prepared is half the victory." she replied confidently, quoting one of the authors in Earth's history that she had been reading in the last few months.
Barrioca smiled at her. "And a rested mind, is a productive one. Tomorrow at the same time?"
"I don't have much else to do, anyway." she quipped. "See you tomorrow, and thank you for your time, Master." she concluded with a respectful bow, which the psionic returned before the woman left.
When she stepped outside of the door of the building, she was quite surprised to find not just Darvos with his skycar, but a T'au with an advanced suit of armor, escorted by a transport and a few Fire warriors.
"Who's your friend?" she asked nicely as she stepped closer to both of them.
"Jaral Bridger, meet Jis'Lum'Yir. Commander-in-Chief of the Tau Expeditionary Force in our galaxy."
After observing him for a while, Jaral thought she recognized him. "Did I met you in the company of Kor'Met'Zor, perhaps?"
"Indeed, Admiral. The day you proclaimed your New Republic, I was there to accompany the noble Ethereal."
"I see. Well, what can I do for you?"
"Actually, I was sent on behalf of the Geth and the Alliance Command. The machines have dispatched the fleet you requested, but they could only muster a fraction of the forces required. Since our fleet will be held in reserve in the next campaign, I am here to offer you additional help."
Jaral turned her head toward her husband, who calmly replied. "The problem came out a few hours ago. The Commander has just arrived here."
"I appreciate the offer, Commander, but there was I reason I asked for the Geth." she said politely.
"Yes, Colonel Tanis just explained it to me. However, I do insist. According to the Geth's own data, the fleet they sent might not be enough to face the one used by the fanatics holding Korriban." as he said that, he took out a small holo-projector and activated it. It was dusk, so it was dark enough for the hologram to be distinguishable.
The new data sent in by automated Geth drones indeed brought up that the Sith cultists around Korriban had much more ships than anticipated. Jaral wondered where they could possibly find the resources, since Korriban was nothing but a barren wasteland.
"How can they upkeep such a large force? Korriban itself has negligible ore deposits?" she asked.
"I had this question as well when I saw the map." Darvos said. "They're isolated from the Empire, so either they trade with the Corporate Sector, or they hold more territories than those we know of."
Jaral observed it carefully. A huge portion of space behind Korriban was vastly uncharted, but perhaps there were more ancient Sith worlds that she had no intel on.
"If Palpatine gave them so much resources while he could, they probably host something important. Darvos, see if you can arrange a call with Mon Mothma and the Coalition Command, we need to discuss this."
"Roger that. Oh, while we are at it, Ahsoka contacted me not long ago. She and Nimbus will be here by the next rotation. She says she has found some volunteers for the mission to Korriban."
"Volunteers?" Jaral asked confused.
"Don't ask me, I'm already busy trying to figure out what the mandos revealed to me."
"Right." Jaral said before turning toward the Tau. "Commander, I graciously appreciate your offer for help. When the time will come, we will start the journey from Lianna."
The alien put a hand on his chest and made a grateful nod with his head. "It will be our honor to fight at your side, Ji'Dai." then he turned around and motioned his men to mount on the transport again.
Jaral and Darvos went back into the skycar. While he drove the vehicle back toward home, Jaral asked. "So, what did you find from the forgers?"
"It wasn't easy to convince them, but they confirmed my theory: Bo-Katan had turned toward the Consortium to obtain and develop new weapons. Apparently, the project stolen by Fen was for a new heavy cruiser, codename 'Krayt'."
"What's its peculiarity?"
Darvos sighed. "I'm still working on making them spill that bean."
"They are resisting?"
"Technically, they made a solemn vow not to divulge their work at the Forge, that's why it took me a week to get out something, and I still needed Sabine to talk with them."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yes, today she reminded them of her own story with the Duchess. How her own weapon was used against the mandalorians, so they realized that it might happen with their own creation."
"That's my lil' sis for you." Jaral said with satisfaction as she looked at the world outside of the window. An idea was starting to form in her mind.
Darvos probably noticed that. "What's on your mind?"
"You remember I said that the mission to Korriban is to prompt the Emperor into making a rash move?"
"Uh...yes..."
"I'm thinking we can provoke him before the mission even starts."
-----------------------------------
"There it is." Leia indicated outside of the cockpit of the Silver Bullet when she spotted the small space colony where they were going to meet Radunnari and his collaborators.
Ezra opened up a channel and spoke into the comlink. "This is Ezra Bridger of the New Republic, requesting permission to land. Transmitting clearance codes now."
Luke sent the codes. After a few seconds, they received permission and headed at the designated docking bay. Letting Leia take the lead, the Jedi stood at her sides. All three wearing their usual clothing as the former Princess intended to go. They were welcomed by a civil servant who was still cordial, if just a little afraid that things could end up badly, but they were led into a room, with a table in the middle and the Appeaser delegation on the other side of it.
"Chairman Radunnari?" Leia asked politely.
The pantoran standing at the other side of the table replied. "Yes. And I suppose you are Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan."
"Indeed. Thank you for granting us this audience."
Radunnari then looked at Luke and Ezra, who were quietly standing behind Leia. "I never thought I would see a Jedi again. Much less two."
"The universe is full of surprises, Chairman." Ezra replied.
"I agree. And just like the Old Republic, the New one likes to mess with internal affairs of other planets all the same."
"Is helping you mend the fracture in your society such a bad thing?" Leia asked calmly.
Radunnari sighed in resignation. "I appreciate the concern for the well-being of my people. But I doubt you can offer me anything that will convince me to accept the Republicans back on Pantora." he said, walking a bit up and down in front of the table. Leia gently lifted a hand in a reassuring way.
"I understand your fears. You're only trying to do what you think it's necessary to spare your people the wrath of the Empire. But times have changed Chairman. The fact that we managed to create a dozen of independent nation beyond the New Republic is a testament to that. If only you find the courage to stand with your people, Pantora will be free again."
"For how long?" Radunnari contested. "The Empire might have pulled out for now, but who guarantees that they will not come back and we will not pay the price for treason?"
"They will not come back." Leia reassured. "With the help of our allies, the New Republic has already established a solid base territory and we're pushing back the Empire every day. They left Pantora because they're retreating toward a defense line. This might be the only opportunity you have to regain your independence."
Silence fell as Radunnari pondered heavily on those words. Eventually, he asked for the three envoys to give him some time with his councilors, and the Jedi agreed. They all left the room and waited outside. There were only two armed guards, which reassured Ezra as it was a sign that Radunnari wasn't double-crossing them. After around a quarter-hour of waiting, one of the guards was called in his comlink, as Ezra saw him touch his earpiece.
"The Chairman is ready to welcome you back." he said, touching the button to open the door.
"Thank you." said Leia before the three reentered the room, finding Radunnari waiting at the table.
"Princess Organa, I appreciate your offer and I am really inclined to agree, but before I can do that, I'm afraid I'll have to ask your help for one thing."
"We're listening."
"If we are to become independent, we need to secure the necessary pool of resources to feed our economy. Right now, the Empire still controls the planet Alzoc III and they give us just enough scraps to survive. If we are to side with the rebellion, we need insurance that we can retake the planet as quickly as possible."
Leia hummed positively and turned toward the General in the room. "Ezra, what do you think?"
The Jedi Knight stepped forward, hands behind his back and calmly asked. "Send us the coordinates of the planet and any intel you have on the imperial fleet. Maybe we can plan a coordinate strike to defeat it."
Radunnari nodded. "Do it. And all our assets will be yours."
"Thank you, Chairman. We'll deliver the good news."
Radunnari made a gentle nod with his head and the meeting finally ended.
"Great job, Leia." Luke complimented as they headed back to their ship.
"It's all about experience." she replied with a smirk.
"Still, it was impressive." Ezra reinforced. "Now let's go. We got another system to free."
-------------------------------------
June 9.
"Third battalion, move forward." the Colonel ordered as the mass of Army troopers, supported by ITTs and AT-STs attacked the fortified position held by the simulation droids on Enarc.
The other simulation droids were being pushed back on the right wing of the fortified line and the main thrust proved to be decisive. Not simply because the tactic in itself worked, but because these Army troopers, drilled by the new book dictated by Iulius since the battle of Yavin, were working incredibly well in coordination with the mechanized forces and the air support. The soldiers were also being more precise in general, used cover more frequently and their squad-level ability had made a huge leap forward. These guys had been training for five whole months instead of the usual four weeks and it was showing.
Once the position was taken the commanding officer decreed the end of the exercise and the division started to demobilize.
Iulius spoke up. "Your performance and that of your men has been really impressive, Colonel Veers."
"Thank you, Grand Admiral."
"Come here." he invited, bringing the officer in front of a galaxy map, where he indicated a system along the Perlimian Trade Route. "I want your division to join the Reserve Army that is gathering in the Roche system. We are expecting an enemy offensive and I want your troops to be ready to plug any hole in our defense and reconquer possible lost positions."
The Colonel made the salute. "We'll depart as soon as we can, sir."
"Dismissed."
The two split up, with Veers going to order his men to regroup and prepare for redeployment while Iulius and his escort headed toward his shuttle. He ordered the pilots to set the course back for Naboo and then headed into the cargo hold where he found Qathora focused on her datapad.
"Everything in order?" he asked.
"Apparently..." she said, still focused on the pad. "Hey, does the name 'Korriban' mean anything to you?"
Iulius thought for a moment while he sat down next to her. "Korriban?"
"I was going through some of the messages going through the Fulcrum network and it seems like Jaral Bridger is mustering some forces to attack this planet. At least I think it's a planet, but I've never heard of it." Qathora explained before passing the datapad to Iulius.
The Grand Admiral read the report, which confirmed Qathora's words. But he just slightly shook his head. "Rings no bell to me. Anyway, put it into my weekly report for the Emperor, you never know."
Qathora did just that while the shuttle, escorted by five TIE Defenders, reached the orbit of Enarc and entered hyperspace. It took only a few minutes to get back into the system of Naboo. The Defenders returned to their carriers in orbit while another squadron of TIE Fighters from the local Army Starfighter Corp took over the escort all the way to Theed. Just as the shuttle entered orbit Iulius received a call on his holo-projector, coming from his mother.
"Mother." he greeted.
"Hope you're doing well, Iulius. I wanted to inform you that Captain Fel is waiting for you in your office."
"Ah. Thank you, Mother. I'll be there shortly." he replied satisfied before closing the transmission.
After landing at the spaceport, the escort convoy brought him back to Imperial Command. Iulius and Qathora headed in his office, where they found a tall, robust man with very short black hair, a thinly defined beard and mustache, brown eyes enshrined in a strict frown. He was probably around 28 years old. But as soon as the officer with the rank of Captain on his uniform spotted Iulius, he stood up and made a stern salute.
The Grand Admiral arrived a meter away from him and said "At ease, Captain."
The man obeyed and relaxed his muscles a bit. Iulius then started. "Captain Soontir Fel, commander of the 181st Fighter Wing, winner of Ord Biniir, the best pilot of the Empire." and after saying that, he extended a hand. "It is a privilege to meet you." he added with a smirk.
The man returned the smirk and shook the hand gladly. "Believe me, Grand Admiral Tanis, the privilege is all mine."
"Come on, Captain, I'm being serious, here." Iulius quipped as they separated hands.
"Same as me, sir." Fel replied, keeping the smirk. His tone also became somewhat hesitant. "My son is a big fan of yours...well, me too, actually."
"Oh, right, you have a son. Jagged, if I'm correct?"
"Affirmative, sir. He is still five years old but he's got your poster in his room and searches for every news about you." Fel chuckled, making Iulius blush a bit. "Meanwhile, he asks why I'm just 28 and I'm not and Admiral yet."
"Let no one say we're a generation of slackers." Iulius quipped before turning toward the Togruta at his right. "This is Qathora, my personal agent. By all intents and purposes she's an extension of my authority."
Fel nodded respectfully. "Ma'am. I actually saw you at the parade on Coruscant."
"That would be a first." Qathora commented sarcastically, which made Captain Fel unsure whether he had offended her somehow or not.
"Don't mind her sharp tongue, Captain," Iulius intervened to ease the tension. "Qathora is a reliable asset." then showed gently the chair to Fel, who sat down again.
Iulius then walked around the desk and went on his own chair, while Qathora leaned against the wall behind him. "Let's get straight to the point, Captain. The war against the self-proclaimed 'New Republic' is about to enter a delicate stage. ISB has already confirmed that our enemies are preparing a massive offensive between the Perlimian Trade Route and the Hydian Way. In order to stop them, I need the best of the best. Which includes your 181st."
"Say no more, sir. I know for sure that many of my subordinates wish to fly for your fleet."
"Oh...that was easy." Iulius said a bit amused.
"Why would have that been hard?" Fel asked with a smile. "You might not be aware, sir, but it is thank to you if me and many other pilots in my squad still have the will to fight."
"What do you mean?" the Grand Admiral asked confused.
"I was assigned to the 181st just a few days before your first victory at Columex. At that time, I can tell you, the units in the rear were demoralized. Many thought, though they didn't say, that the Federation and the Rebels had become invincible, after taking over so much of the Outer Rim. In all honesty, I was worried about the future of the Empire myself. But then news came of your victory at Columex. How you crushed the enemies so easily. That day, we all understood that we have a chance. That we have you."
Iulius was honestly left dumbfounded by that shower of compliments. He had never heard anybody say such things. Most people complimented his performance, sure, but nobody seemed to ever doubt that the Empire would win the war.
"I...I don't know what to say, Captain."
"You don't have to, Grand Admiral. Let me assure you, I will fly for you wherever you may lead us."
Iulius made a slow nod. "I thank you, Captain. For the matter of flying, there are some new TIE Defender arriving from Fondor in a few days. I want your wing to take them."
"Absolutely, sir. Although, I have a request, if I may."
"Sure."
"If possible, I would like to arrange the transfer of my family here on Naboo."
"The air of Coruscant is not healthy anymore?" Iulius quipped, thought there was clearly a double-meaning to those words.
"That's...one way to put things." Fel said a bit casually, clearly understanding the allusion.
"Very well. Qathora, please tell my mother to arrange the necessary paperwork. I'm sure the people of Naboo will be glad to host a person the caliber of Wynssa Starflare."
While Qathora headed out, Fel chuckled. "Don't tell me I'll have to watch my wife from you, sir." he joked.
Iulius raised his hands and replied in tone. "Have no fear, Captain. I recognize her stunning beauty, but that's not enough for me to make a move on a married woman. You have my word."
The two shared a laugh, then the comlink on the table started to beep. Iulius turned his neck toward it and noticed that it was the Emperor himself. His face quickly turned into one of apprehension. Why was he calling?
"Sorry Captain, I need to take this. You are dismissed."
Fel understood that it was urgent, so he stood up, made a quick salute and headed out of the office. Once that was done, Iulius sealed the door with a command and accepted the call. The room turned dark as the hologram of the Emperor, wearing his usual cape, appeared in front of him.
"Your Majesty. How can I serve you?" Iulius asked calmly.
"Grand Admiral. Is your intel about Korriban correct?" Palpatine asked, a hiss was barely audible under his apparently composed tone.
"I checked the source, my Lord. It is a reliable one."
To Iulius' surprise, Palpatine grumbled, although faintly before giving the order. "You must prevent it!"
It was clear to the Grand Admiral that there was something big at work, there. Still, he obeyed. "Very well. Do you have the coordinates of Korriban?"
"That is not your prerogative, Grand Admiral. All you have to do is to attack the rebels. Destroy them before they can move."
Iulius' eyes widened. "M-My Lord?"
"What part of my instructions are not clear?" Palpatine added, starting to become impatient.
"I...I just don't understand. How am I suppose to defend a planet if I don't even know where it is?"
The Lord-Protector could swear that the next thing he heard was the Emperor growling, but then he seemed to calm down. "You do have a point, Grand Admiral. Save your forces, I will send someone else." and the hologram disappeared.
Iulius was left there. Completely confused and wondering why the Emperor so interested in Korriban. Perhaps, though, it was better not to know that, so he simply unlocked the door and sat back at his desk, going back to work. There was an emergency in the Pantora sector, and he had to give a new task to his father...with little to no hope that the man would be able to complete it.
--------------------------------
June 10.
"Is everything but Pantora a frozen rock in this sector?" one of the turians commented as the group was waiting into makeshift hiding holes in the ground.
"You don't like cold weather, Corporal?" Ezra quipped.
Their decanus replied. "Pretty much every turian dislikes cold, sir. Our biology doesn't help."
"I'm sorry to drag you here, decanus, but I needed the best for this."
"No need to apologize, General. It might be unpleasant, but we will not avoid our duty."
"Thanks." the Jedi Knight replied from behind his own helmet, before Luke commented from behind his new own armor.
"At least these suits are great at keeping warm. I can't believe we don't have something like this in our galaxy." he said pleased as he stretched his arm to look again at his special armor.
It was a battle suit 'Slayer' model. The name derived from the class of N7 soldiers with the same name. Extremely talented individuals specialized in close-range combat to the point that they usually wielded some kind of mono-molecular sword. The suit was mostly skin-tight, light and the small servomotors increased the agility of the operator. Ezra had managed to have the workshop on the Amerigo build one with materials gathered during the campaign, so Luke had an environmental protection against extreme weathers like the one on Alzoc III and also give him personal shields and various tools of the Milky Way that would certainly improve his chances of surviving.
"Yes, the Milky Way is ahead in many technological fields." Ezra commented. "Once this war is over, our galaxy will greatly benefit from a civilian exchange."
Just as he was done talking, his omni-tool beeped and he took the call. "Specter-7 here."
"Specter-7, this is Solo. Our team has recovered the package and we're in position near the imperial airfield."
"Good. Stay out of sight until I give the order."
"Copy that, but don't take too long: the snowstorm is dying down." Han warned, meaning that they wouldn't be so well hidden from the sentries at the base.
Such a base was necessary to take as part of the coordinated strike on the planet. After the conference with Radunnari, Ezra had infiltrated with a small company thanks to the stealth technology of the Federation, and had made contact with the Talz.
The small but combative aliens hated the Empire, who had predictably treated them like trash for many years and were ready to take their revenge. Ezra had promised them to neutralize the main airbase while they prepared a staged assault on the mining strongholds of the Empire. Luckily for the allies, the imperial presence had been severely reduced both on the surface of the planet and in orbit.
Ezra ordered Jinx to open the safe channel with the Amerigo.
"Specter-7 to Amerigo. The stage is set. You have green light."
"...Acknowledged, General. Leaving hyperspace now."
They couldn't see very well from there, but at the edge of the gravitational field of the planet appeared the Amerigo, at the head of the small fleet of the finally reunited Pantoran people.
The imperial fleet was composed of two Star Destroyers and several frigates, who turned around and opened fire. The small allied fleet did as well. The Amerigo fired with her spinal railgun, but their main contribution would have been with her fighter deck.
The Star Destroyers could be a big problem for the allies, but Ezra had grown to trust the acumen of Captain Riccardi, so while the fleet kept the imperial starships occupied, it was time to also start the attack on the ground. He gave green light to Han's group, who wasn't simply composed of infantry: they had just managed to smuggle a New Republic tank on the surface.
Just as the snowstorm passed, the frontal assault started, taking the imperials totally by surprise and quickly taking out the unfortunate sentries who were just outside the main defensive perimeter. The other stormtroopers, however, reacted quickly and took cover behind the barricades at the entrance.
The base was actually build among a natural system of passages carved into a glacier, which made a great defensive position as any attacker would be forced to channel its forces in choke-points. The rebels, however, had planned for this.
With the help of the Talz, Ezra had found a secret access that would allow him and a small team to attack the imperials from behind.
When it was clear that the garrison was focused on the main attack (and on the tank), Ezra led his team, composed by Luke and three Turian Armigers, out of hiding and straight into the passage, which brought them for a few dozen meters inside the glacier before they found themselves right in front of the only covered hangar of the base.
There they found mostly pilots and technicians who were preparing to launch the six fighters inside. Ezra intimated them to surrender, but they drew out their pistols and fired. The allies didn't take too long before killing them.
When news broke out that there were other enemies in the base, the stormtroopers were caught completely off-guard. Their commander almost panicked and ordered half of the men defending the entrance to go retake the hangar, but in doing so it gave Han an opening and he led a sudden charge, which combined with the cannon of the tank allowed the allies to breach the line of defense.
By the end of the hour, the airbase was in rebel hands. The battle in orbit was still undecided, but the prospects were promising. Ezra sent word to the Talz, who could then start their own insurrection, starting the liberation of Alzoc III and probably the hope to regain Pantora's economic independence.