Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Prologue:
“The Emperor is dead! The Fleet is dead! Summon the Generalissimo!” Cries ring out across the various stations, from planet to starship to orbital station. Systems are moved from standby to ready, to active. The entire system is a flurry of transmissions and messages as it comes to life. In the central suite, a stasis chamber hisses open. The man inside stumbles out, gathers himself, then looks up.

And his lightsabers fly to him, igniting electric black and void white in midair.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 1
Fleet Generalissimo Barig Dur watched as the Lambda-class shuttle approached from the fleet which had just landed in their lap. Even Purrgils, with their unique ability to jump into hyperspace, weren’t able to avoid the net of massive Interdictor cruisers which The General had established. And quite a fleet it was. The 7th Fleet of the Empire had been one of the mightiest, and all initial scans showed it at 78% resource replete. Too bad there were only two passengers.

The Lambda had entered the hanger, right in front of where Dur stood. The ramp lowered, and out came the pair. On the left stood a tall near-human, though his white uniform marked him as something far more: An Imperial Grand Admiral. On the right, a short young man with a thin scar on his left cheek. Unremarkable at first glance, but Dur could sense his connection to the Force; This was a Jedi.

“Grand Admiral Mitth'raw'nuruodo. Ezra Bridger. Ensign Barig Dur, at your service,” Dur greeted them with a handshake, then motioned for them to follow. “We appreciate your willingness to come. We could have tractored you in, but the ships are better where you left them, so you made it easier for all of us. Welcome to the Empire's Auxiliary Restoration of Tactics and Homeland. The General is waiting.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The trio walked through the halls silently, making their way past the troopers and droids that filled the halls, with the occasional officer, aide, or civilian brushing past them on some errand. Ezra was clearly suspicious; he had been part of the Rebellion, and Dur had done no favors by leading with Empire. But Thrawn, on the other hand, was tracking all the details he had time for. Hopefully, he’ll realize this is a different style from regular Imperial. Dur had heard the stories of Thrawn’s success, and hoped The General was right on him.
Finally, they arrived at the Alpha Command Suite, the center for all activity on EARTH. Dur pressed the comm, and announced into it, “Ensign Barig Dur here with the arrivals.” No sooner had he finished then the door slid open, and an aide showed them into the room.

“Seriously, Barig?” a voice rang out. The man in front of them was tall and lean, though his stance conveyed a hardness few beings had been forged into. “Ensign? It’s rude to introduce guests with a lie. Gentlebeings, I apologize for Fleet Generalissimo Dur’s misplaced humor, and beg your pardon. He has a poor habit of playing down his rank when dealing with those he is unknown to, apparently it is funny for him. Supreme Generalissimo William Cassius, at your service. It is an honor to have accomplished individuals such as yourselves aboard.”
The pair hesitated and looked at each other, before Thrawn spoke: “The honor is ours, I expect. It has been six years since we started on our journey, and we are thankful to be free of the Purrgils. What, may I ask, is this place, exactly? We appear to be on an orbital defense system of some kind, from what I observed on our journey here, but we are so far in the Deep Core that there is little to defend from.”

“Your observational skills are truly something, Admiral. Allow me to explain." Cassius gestured to the chairs, and the group settled in, while Dur took his leave. "Back in the days of the Republic, even before Palpatine was Chancellor, he had a pet interest: The origins of humanity. It's been many centuries since any species was bound to a single planet, and while most origins are known - The Wookiees and Kashyyyk, for instance - mankind’s origins are less clear.

“Fortunately, Palpatine was not the first to ask this question. There was a trail of inquiries into the matter that he was able to follow, which led to the discovery of the Sol System. From the sun were 4 terrestrial planets, then an asteroid belt, followed by 4 gas giants, ending with a dwarf planet and another asteroid belt. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, the Belt, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus - Ezra and Dur snicker at this - Neptune, Pluto, and Kuiper. Humans came from the third planet, our namesake - Earth.

“However, most maps place the Sol System somewhere in one of the far arms of the galactic spiral, far beyond the reach of the Republic. But in his search, Palpatine, now Chancellor, found this system, almost identical to the Sol System. Now all of us in this room are aware of Chancellor Palpatine’s true identity: Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith. And, in his quest for power, he wanted an auxiliary in case he ever were to be prevented from reaching ultimate power. In fact, he made multiple. One is located far in the Unknown Regions, where the followers of the Sith have been working for centuries. This is another. But unlike the First or Final orders, which were prepared during the Empire for the return of the Empire, EARTH holds a different purpose: The restoration of the Force-sensitive population.”

Chapter Text

Cassius watched the two. Bridger was surprised, and for good reason - the youth had encountered the Inquisitors multiple times, a group of dark-side Force-sensitives employed by the Emperor for the sole purpose of eradicating the surviving remnants of the Jedi Order. To learn that the Emperor had a plan for the restoration of the Force-sensitive population would come as a shock, with a considerable amount of doubt as well. The Jedi would take some convincing, but Cassius expected that he would become more appreciative when he was transported to the OCS Mortis . The Orbital Carrier Systems which filled the system served a variety of purposes, but the Mortis and Bendu were potentially the most important - they contained the legions of Grey Jedi which had been in training since EARTH ’s establishment. 

The Chiss’s reaction was more subdued, but his eyes narrowed sharply. Likely, he was thinking of the Ascendancy’s Skywalker program. It was a fair assumption, that an organization focused on the replenishment of Force-sensitive individuals in the galaxy would want as many places to draw from, but nevertheless incorrect. The techniques the Jedi Order had employed to find candidates were relatively successful, gathering a fair amount of the Force-sensitive individuals the galaxy produced. But they were still only marginally successful, being tied to the capabilities of the Republic, and missed some 80% of candidates, only getting as many as 200 a year. EARTH found as many as 1000 most years - There was no need to intrude upon the Chiss.

Cassius’ ruminations were interrupted by the young Jedi. “Okay, well. Why should we trust you? Thrawn and I were allies of necessity - if we were fighting for the past 6 years, we would have had a hard time of things - What’s stopping us from leaving?”

“Fair question. Simply put, nothing except difficulty.” Cassius replied. “The Purrgils which brought you here have been moved to one of our farms in the Belt - The order was sent to one of the Agricolas as soon as you landed. They excrete a very useful gas as they respirate, and while we are largely self-sustaining, more resources certainly are welcome where they come. Don’t worry, they will be well cared for by our Agrics. But I assure you, it is much more preferable for you to remain here. Mr. Bridger, while the Emperor may be dead, remnants of the Empire are fully active, and you would be one of the top targets. As for you, Admiral Thrawn, the New Republic would gladly want an Imperial Grand Admiral as prisoner for information. These are not threats - we do not deal in those idly - but warnings of what you will face upon your return to the Core and Outer Rim. It will not end well for either of you.”

At this, Cassius stood, and walked to the back, getting a scroll of some sort out of the closet. “Instead, I offer you a chance to be part of something greater. Something new. Not the Empire, not the New Republic. I offer you two a spot in the legions of the Grey Jedi, and our quest to balance the galaxy once and for all.” 

He handed the scroll to Ezra, who opened and examined it. “Those are the variations of the Grey Jedi code over the centuries. You are already aware of the Jedi code, I assume?”

“There is no emotion, there is Peace. There is no ignorance, there is Knowledge. There is no passion, there is Serenity. There is no chaos, there is Harmony. There is no death, there is the Force” Ezra recited, the maxim which his late Master had solidly imparted to him.

“Indeed. And the Sith code: Peace is a lie, there is only Passion. Through passion I gain Strength. Through strength I gain Power. Through power I gain Victory. Through victory my chains are broken. The Force shall set me free.” The two hung in the air, hostile opposites. Cassius continued calmly, even as he noted Bridger tensing. “The Grey Jedi code favors neither. We seek neither one end nor the other, we take the middle path. Balance among all things, peace even among chaos. If I may, I suggest you take particular heed to iteration VII, my personal favorite:

“There is only the Force. There is a Balance between Light and Dark. Passion, yet Restraint. Strength and Knowledge. There is Power in Serenity. Victory is only found in bringing the Force back into Harmony. Passion and Strength are exercised through Knowledge and Serenity. To bring back Balance, one must strike Hard and Fast. One must use Power to break the Opponent. Power requires Restraint to bring back Harmony. Strike too Hard, and Chaos is Born. Knowledge teaches the Restraint to keep the Balance.”

Cassius waited, feeling their reactions. Ezra was still hesitant, but Thrawn was curious, hooked on the idea of a balanced galaxy. “I will leave you time to decide. Lieutenant Colonel Sparin will show you to your quarters. If it’s any incentive, if you decide to join us you will come in as Rear Admiral Thrawn and Field Marshal Bridger.”

“And one more thing - You must either stay, or leave, together.”

Chapter Text

Upon being left in their room, Thrawn and Ezra found that they had been left with datapads, complete with maps of the system. “It appears we are in OCS - that stands for Orbital Carrier System - we are in the OCS Yularen . Named, I presume, for the late Colonel Yularen of the ISB, who also happened to be an admiral during the Clone Wars. The Yularen is the size of 4 Executor- class Super Star Destroyers laid side-by-side, matched by the OCS Mortis and the OCS Bendu . There are other platforms around the system, but none are the size of those three. I don’t recognize the name of the former, but the latter recalls the Dai Bendu creature we encountered on Atollon all those years ago - Those are likely the homes of the Grey Jedi that Cassius mentioned earlier.”

Ezra nodded. “Definitely. I think the Mortis could be one as well - Ahsoka told me a tale from the Clone Wars where she, Master Kenobi, and General Skywalker were stranded on a planet called that for a time. But that’s insane - how would they have enough Jedi to crew such a massive station, much less two?”

“It is highly probable that they have achieved far more than let on. This is clearly a long-term operation designed for sustainability - Observe the mining and reclamation facilities among the Asteroid and Kuiper Belts, as well as the numerous planetside operations on the 3rd and 4th terrestrial bodies. If all of these ships are fully crewed, they would require extensive farming operations, perhaps the aforementioned Agrics are responsible for that.”

Ezra nodded. The pair had grown close over the past six years, and he knew what Thrawn was suggesting. This was no simple organization; one Carrier was commensurate with an Imperial task force. If Cassius wanted to turn his operation outwards, not even the Ascendancy would be able to withstand it.

“Commendable job, by the way, on selling the idea we are still opponents.” Thrawn spoke up. “Any misunderstanding can be used to our advantage.” Having finished their examination of the datapads, they rose and went to their doors. “And it is certainly advantageous for us to stay.”

-----

It was 0605 when the pair met back in the main room of their quarters. Ezra knew how to be prompt from his time in Ghost Squadron, but Thrawn had instructed him in regulating sleep cycles, so that he could wake up and be ready as soon as he needed. By 0615, they had met Lieutenant Colonel Sparin again and were on their way to the office of The General. They were greeted in the Command Suite at 0630.

“We’ve decided to join your operation. When do we begin?”

“Excellent,” said Cassius. “General Bridger, a TIE Defender will be waiting for you in Hangar A-167-341-C, for your transport to the OCS Mortis over Jupiter, where you will begin your training in the Balance of the Force. Admiral Thrawn, you will be heading the other way, to the Restoration- class RSD Excelsior over Neptune, where you will report to Fleet Admiral Maken. Welcome to the Militaire of EARTH , gentlebeings. To the Balance.”

Chapter Text

The Phantom flew well, Ezra thought to himself, but this is awesome. The TIE Defender project had been Thrawn’s attempt to increase the versatility of the Imperial Navy, before he had lost the funding to that rat-bastard Director Krennic and his assistant, Ronan. Only giving him a week to solve the gralloc problem, which Haveland had been dealing with for years ? It was a load of krayt spit. Alright, calculating in-system jump… And he was off, the starlines blazing in front of the viewport for a few short seconds before he rejoined realspace. The gas giant loomed in front of him, shrouded by the massive Mortis on the east side, and the Bendu on the west. Ezra turned the controls east, and began his quick descent onto the platform.

------------------------

They improved the functionality quite well, Thrawn noticed. We shall see if that applies to the hyperdrive calculations as well. The loss of the Defender had shaken him, more than he cared to admit. He’d eliminated the gralloc problem, and more importantly, eliminated the dual threats of the Grysks and Grand Admiral Savit along with it. But because he had solved the root issue, rather than the named problem, he had lost the funding to Stardust. And everyone knew how well that turned out. It seems the hyperdrive has also been improved. Thrawn came out of the hyperspace spiral, and announced himself: “This is Rear Admiral Thrawn, reporting for duty on the RSD Excelsior. Please direct me to which ship this is, so that I may begin serving immediately.” A path was transmitted to his navicomputer, and he began the journey to his assignment. 

-------------------------

“You will take this saber, and use it to carve the kyber crystal from your previous weapon. A lightsaber is a Jedi’s life, and you are a Jedi no longer. You are a Grey Jedi, an Imperial Knight, a Jensaari - we are known by many names, but one thing is certain: We serve neither light nor dark, but the Balance of the two.”

Ezra took the ceremonial saber with the reverence Kanan had taught him to use when dealing with ancient relics. He turned it downwards over his old saber, suspended in midair, and ignited the blade.

The metal casings melted under the heat, burning away until the kyber crystal fell to the mat, but something in it had changed. “Interesting,” intoned the woman who had been overseeing the process so far. She was dressed in elaborate blue robes - ceremonial garb? Or just part of this woman’s office? - but the plaque on her left breast resembled Ezra’s, marking her as a fellow Field Marshal. “I’m surprised your crystal turned to full black, the signifier of one who brims naturally with emotion. I expected emotionless white from a former Jedi. Were you not instructed to forgo your emotions?”

“Well, you see, I kinda had some trouble with that for a while?” Ezra could hear his voice rising uncomfortably. Great. Not only was I a Jedi, which doesn't seem to be a good thing with these people, but they also know I was a bad one.  

“Excellent. So you are more inclined to make use of your emotions, they aren’t a dry resource.” The woman replied. Oh. How bout that, guess it’s not so bad after all. “Pick it up. It will be reforged into your new blade, and then we will begin your lessons.” Ezra obeyed, ready to take in as much information as he could retain. There was certainly much to discuss with Thrawn.

----------------------

“You were a Senior Captain of the Chiss Ascendancy. You were a Grand Admiral of the Empire. You are neither now. You are Mitth’raw’nuruodo, Thrawn, Rear Admiral of the Armada of EARTH . Do you swear, upon your honor as a warrior, to serve the office with full ability?”

“I, Mitth’raw’nuruodo, Thrawn, Rear Admiral of the Armada of EARTH , do swear that, upon my warrior’s honor, will serve this office in full ability.”

“Good. I entrust the Excelsior to your command; your deployment will arrive within the hour.” Fleet Admiral Maken began to turn, having finished with the ceremony.

“Deployment, sir?” Thrawn inquired, a hint of confusion in his voice. “I was under the impression that we were to stay within the system.”

“I can’t answer that in full, as you aren’t part of the High Command yet, but I can tell you that the Armada is turning outwards.” Interesting. Perhaps this has something to do with our arrival. Both the 7th Fleet and the Purrgils appear to be valuable resources to the Armada. I must take note of any connections I can find. “And,” Maken continued, “Even if you aren’t sent outwards, we have training drills regularly. I’m sure many would be able to learn from your eminently tactical mind.”

“Thank you, sir. I await my orders.” Thrawn deactivated the holoprojector, and turned to the model of the Excelsior . Restoration -class capital ships appeared to resemble Republic-era Venators, though they were slightly wider, and the bridge was closer down to the main body of the ship. It evoked a dual sense of beauty and safety, a pattern Thrawn had noticed with other aspects of design in his short time at EARTH . Turning away, Thrawn prepared himself to meet the bridge of his ship.

Chapter Text

It had been a year since the Purrgils had caught Ezra and Thrawn at the edge of EARTH , since they had made their decision to join this new power. In that time, the two friends had been able to maintain some contact with each other and discuss their findings, but Thrawn was often busy with the incursions into the Core, and Ezra’s training, while informative, took a lot of his attention.

“ AITS!” Master Lyna shouted, marking the beginning of sparring. Like usual, the technique was a variation of Vaapad, the creation of the late Master Windu. “Use your opponent’s power as your own; Balance the twin imposters of triumph and disaster to attain victory!”

Double Vision: Jasl’s left saber coming at his torso in a feint, while the saber on the right was getting ready to go to the head... Ezra swiped his saber up and left, knocking Jasl’s hand across, getting in the way of his plan. “C’mon Stabber, don’cha know there’s no artistry in attacking with the tip?”

“Artsy or not, Scarshine, dead is dead. And you” - Jasl spins, using the momentum Ezra gave him with the parry to bring both sabers down on him - “Are dead.” 

“Perhaps. Perhaps not.” Ezra states calmly, in his best impression of Thrawn’s confidence when he knew the enemy was defeated. “Check your backplate, Stabber.”

“Huh?” Jasl blinked a few commands to his Heads-Up Display, changing to the status display for his beskar-threaded tunic. Right there in flashing red: Fatal wound suffered. Armor and torso breached. “Dank ferrik. How’d you get me that fast, anyways? Your sword arm was off to the side when I began the spin. You’re not that fast.”

“You’re right. But why move one arm, when I can just drop my blade to the other?”

Jasl looked at him for a minute. Then he burst out laughing. “DUDE. That is so simple it’s genius.”

“Many a great traps are.”

“I bow to your superior tactical training, O Eminent Protege of Mr. Blueskin.” Jasl  dripped sarcastically, the over-exaggerated bow tempting Ezra with laughter, though Master Lyna would certainly have words for them if they interrupted class too much. “Alright, ready to go again?”

The pair settled into their respective ready stances; Ezra raised his saber to his left in both hands, illuminating his scar which had earned his nickname. Jasl brought his black saber forward, while the white saber stayed back. True to form, the tips of both were aimed directly at Ezra. They nodded, and began.

Ezra leapt forward to Jasl’s right, going for an opening where his arm was drawn back. The black and white sabers clashed, the hum of the lasers rising in pitch. Ezra pulled back, deflecting Jasl’s second saber coming at his side. Alright, alright. Balance. Vaapad. Make his strengths his weaknesses. Ezra kept dodging and blocking, waiting for the right moment. Dancing around the training area, he noticed that most of the other trainees had finished, having been stopped by Master Lyna and divided into two groups, well out of their way. 

This is it. Stabber grinned, his plan going perfectly. Scarshine was on the retreat, avoiding his attacks. But even he couldn’t block two separate attacks at once. He paused, drew back his blades, and pushed forward from both sides.

Here it comes . Ezra saw Jasl’s preparation, and readied himself. Double Vision: The black and white sabers, crossing in front of Jasl. Ezra flipped his saber in his hand directly in front of him, pushing forward, so that it intercepted the cross-section of Jasl’s blades and forced them inward. Flipping his blade back up, Ezra took advantage of the confusion and brought it down on Jasl. “Dead.”

“Damnit. Really thought I could get you with that,” Jasl grunted, regaining his composure.

“And you nearly did,” Master Lyna’s voice rang out. “Ezra, that was indeed clever. But you took too much time with those saber flips. Jasl, that was an innovative tactic. If you had spread your arms wider, Ezra wouldn’t have been able to block both at once. Both of you, join the group by the door.” 

“You in this group have proven yourselves apt in the ways of the Grey Jedi. There will be more for you to learn. There will be things you do not yet understand. But you have shown that you are prepared to take those things which you do not know, and balance them with those you do.” Master Lyna spoke, with the same formality that had greeted Ezra at his saber ceremony. “It is time for you to receive your assignments.”

“Kester, Grol, Mandaum, Logia, Nib: Rider Corp. Mandaum, promoted to Captain.

“Dersig, Tokna, Calop, Bandel, Karsh: Fighter Squadron Tango on the RSD Gladiator . 

“Wigger, Skyyv, Forund, Q’lan, Hulon: 239th Legion, with the RSD Voyager . Q’lan, promoted to Brigadier.

“Banul, Crossif, Genrad, Jasl, Ezra: 313th Legion, with the RSD Excelsior . Jasl, promoted to Field Marshal.”

Chapter Text

“This is Fleet Admiral Thrawn, of the RSD Excelsior . Surrender, and you will be permitted to leave with minimal losses. Insist on fighting, and you will be destroyed.”

“This is Fleet Admiral L’Toth of the New Republic Braha’tok . With all due respect, you can shove it. The Kuat System is Republic Space, and we don’t take kindly to strangers. So you Imps can do all the surrendering now.”

“You are mistaken. We are no Imperial remnant; We are part of the 13th Fleet of the Armada of EARTH . I repeat: Surrender or be destroyed.”

“Who cares. Imp or EARTH , whatever that is, you aren’t welcome here. Prepare to face the might of the New Republic Navy.” 

The comm channel closed, and Thrawn stepped away from the console. “Commander Allosar. Pitch down 15 degrees. Commander Bercour, deploy fighter squadrons Alpha through Delta. Lieutenant Irilom, send word to the Investigator and Petitioner to do the same. Hold on the Ulterior for now.” 

“Pitch confirmed, sir.”

“Squadrons launched, sir.”

“ Investigator and Petitioner acknowledged, sir.”

The Marg Sabl. A maneuver coined by the former Jedi Ahsoka Tano, in which the ship tilted towards the enemy so that fighters could accelerate to top speed without being in the enemy’s line of fire. In this case, the squadrons of TIE Defenders came around the Star Destroyers toward the trio of Republic Corvettes. 

“Captain Himzer, begin with a wide-spread ion cannon burst, followed by a tight focus on the bow. Target the lead Corvette.” The ion bursts flashed out from the Excelsior’ s nose, carrying pulses that, any surprise innovations in deflector shields notwithstanding, should begin to disable the Corvette’s systems. 

“Sir, we’re seeing three groups of X-wings being deployed.” One of the pit crew spoke up. “Instructions?”

“Commander Bercour, instruct the Excelsior’s TIEs to engage. I want the Investigator and Petitioner TIEs to maintain course to the flank Corvettes. Captain Himzer, begin turbolaser barrage. Target bow weapon emplacements.”

“Acknowledged.” The fiery green blasts arced out, igniting the sky in their familiar glow. Following suit, the Petitioner and Investigator engaged with the flank Corvettes, already weakened from the TIE attack earlier. Almost in unison, the Republic ships were destroyed, the bright orange explosions appearing as miniature suns. 

Thrawn made his way to the Hologram pod, meeting Commodore Faryn there. “We are finished. Signal the Petitioner, Investigator, and Ulterior. ”

The other three commodores’ images flickered into existence above the table. “That was accomplished well. Commodore Guland, send word to Grand Admiral Maken that the Kuat System is clear, and planetside operations will soon begin. Commodore Mol’Sic, you shall direct clean-up operations. And Commodore Biluf,”

Biluf tensed. He had only been recently promoted, and was still trying to prove himself as a worthy commander. Unfortunately, Thrawn still had him and the Ulterior hanging back, scanning for patterns and other data.

“I want a full report on what your team gathered from this battle, directly to my office. We were able to catch the Republic quickly this time, in spite of announcing ourselves. If we are able to replicate this, it will greatly minimize our losses. Dismissed.”

The table flickered off, each setting off to accomplish their tasks with all deliberate speed. If the past year had taught them anything, it was that Thrawn preferred good results over quick ones, but that didn’t mean one should meander through their tasks. 

Commodore Faryn spoke up. “Sir, we received a message from Fleet Command.  We are to proceed to Vulpter to pick up the new graduates once finished here.”

“Very well then. Let’s see what new skills EARTH has for us this time.”

Commodore Biluf paced around his Command Suite, anxious for word from the surface. The 4th Regiment of the 313th had been dispatched from the Ulterior to establish a sustained presence on Kuat, but first they had to clear out any New Republic hostiles. And it was unknowable just how many hostiles there were unless one was on the surface.

Why me? The 13th is replete with all its ships. Thrawn could’ve chosen any of the other 11 commodores to oversee this. It would’ve been simple enough. He was able to get the patrol craft here easily enough. They’re all more experienced than I am, anyway. Biluf was honored by his promotion, he truly was, but it was a responsibility he didn’t trust himself with. 

The ping of the comm system broke his concentration. “What is it?”

“Captain Laphif, sir. Sensors picked up an incoming ship. It appears to be a light freighter, but I suggest we be wary in case.”

“Very good. I’ll be on the bridge in 3 minutes.”

Laphif greeted him as he stepped down into the security foyer. “Freighter is holding position in outer orbit. Active sensors show weapon emplacements on the bow and stern.”

Biluf quieted for a moment, then made his way to the communications console. “Lieutenant Kyyvik, hail the freighter. Let’s see how they respond to an Armada Commodore.”

As Kyyvik opened the channel, Biluf steeled himself. You are a commodore of the Armada of EARTH . This freighter is probably no one but merchants, traders. Just don’t waver.

“This is Commodore Biluf of the Armada of EARTH . You are intruding on our territory. Identify yourself or be destroyed.” That went well, I think. I hope.

The unknown freighter pitched upwards slightly, then turned and made the jump to hyperspace.

“Sir?” Kyyvik was the first to speak. The Togruta was as confused as the rest of them. “What do you make of this?”

“I- I believe we can’t be certain. My first assumption is that they had something for the Republic force we dealt with earlier, but it may also be that they were simply surprised by an unknown organization. Captain Laphif, were there any markings on the craft?”

“Nothing we could identify, sir. Though, if I may, I thought the underside looked like a nest of vines or snakes.”

“Alright. Log it, and return to normal operations. Understand?”

“Yes sir.” The group dispersed, returning to the tedium of waiting. Bulif hesitated as he left, wondering. Just what was that ship doing here?

Chapter Text

“ EARTH , they call themselves? Very well then. I call the first meeting of the Galactic Conference to discuss the threat posed by the unknown organization called EARTH .”

The conference was composed of individuals who were of that unique caliber of someone who was experienced enough to be contributing much, with true negotiating power, and at the same time had enough wisdom to concede when necessary.

From the New Republic: There is Ambassador Leia Organa Solo, diplomatic expert and Jedi-in-training, and her brother, Master Luke Skywalker, the last Jedi.

From the Imperial Remnant: There is Admiral Pellaeon, former right-hand to Grand Admiral Thrawn and expert tactician, and Commander Kimmund, stormtrooper of Darth Vader’s First Legion.

And from the Sunrise Alliance: There is Mitth’Ali’Astov, former sky-walker and associate of Thrawn from his days in the Chiss Ascendancy, and Uingali foar Marocsaa, prime negotiator for the Paccosh following the Battle of Sunrise, and Guardian of the SA.

Uingali continued. “Needless to say, this force is stronger than any of us. Now, I am aware that there are hostilities between our factions. The New Republic and Imperial Remnant share the most open hostilities, but it is no secret that there are some residual doubts about working with us after the Chaos remained separate from the rest of the Galaxy for so long. Nevertheless, antagonism between us is useless when we face this greater threat.”

“You are truly wise, Uingali,” Leia spoke up, ever the optimistic diplomat. “While it may be difficult for the Republic to ally with the Empire, I believe it is possible that we can achieve it. Indeed, we may even be able to resolve some of our other differences in the meantime as well and usher in a new era of unity for the Galaxy.”

“Now just you-” Kimmund began, before Pellaeon halted him.

“What I believe my companion meant to say was that, with all due respect, this isn’t going to erase our longstanding differences. Fixing one problem can be done relatively simply. Solving all issues is much more difficult.”

“And with all due respect, Admiral , there aren’t that many issues to be solved anymore.” Luke spoke this time, surprising Thalias. He had seemed much more controlled, but his voice was tinged with a grim edge that suggested more. “The New Republic won. All there is left from the Empire is your remnant in the Slice, and the even smaller group on Jakku. It’s time to give up, and stop wasting people’s time. The battle is over.”

“Is it now, Master Jedi? And just how is the New Republic doing?” Kimmund growled, not to be stopped this time. “The New Republic has abandoned the Outer Rim in all but name. Piracy is on the rise. When are you going to admit that the Empire worked. The sector governance worked. Smaller systems had their problems addressed, and even more, addressed in meaningful ways. It may not have been that dEmOcRaCy you love so much, but it prevented self-serving politicians from gridlocking the entire system!”

“Will you two STOP?” Thalias shouted, surprised by her own action. “This is exactly what we’re trying to move past. Stop bickering when people are dying, to protect your systems. How kriffing hard is that for you to understand!?”

A stunned silence ensued. The tensions had been stretched like a polyfiber band; Thalias had broken it with a harsh snap . 

“Thalias is right,” Pellaeon began, trying to recoup the conversation. “It serves us nothing to rehash our grievances. I would be willing to commit Imperial resources, on one condition: That Thalias be appointed the leader of our conference.”

“I concur with the Admiral,” continued Leia. “While the issue is far from resolved, now is not the time to address it. I would advocate the commitment of the New Republic, on the same stipulation. Thalias, you have demonstrated remarkable leadership here. Would you accept this?”

Thalias, meanwhile, was absolutely flabbergasted by this. She hardly considered herself a leader; It felt more often that she was simply helping from the sidelines. True, she had helped with the Magys and other exploits of Thrawn, but she had always felt those were her commander’s adventures, not hers. But if it got support for the alliance, she would do it.

“I accept. Uingali and I will discuss this with the Sunrise Alliance, but we are optimistic.” And, in memory of her old commander, she added, “May the warrior’s fortune shine on our paths.”

The group got up to leave, but Luke was paused by an emergency light on his comm. “It’s Admiral L’Toth. Kuat is under attack.”

Chapter Text

A full fleet of the Armada is something to behold. There are 12 Restoration -class Star Destroyers, 20 Penumbra -class heavy cruisers, and 40 Kalipso -class light frigates. It becomes even more imposing when one knows what it contains. A single Restoration contains 400 fighters; 200 TIE Defenders in 20 squadrons, 100 Y-wing bombers in 10 squadrons, and 100 Actis interceptors  in 10 squadrons. Furthermore, each carries 40 LAAT gunships and 20 AT-TE walkers, as well as a prefabricated garrison to establish long-term presence. The cruisers and frigates each contain scaled-down versions of this complement. 

With Thrawn’s return, the entire might of the 13th Fleet was divided between Kattada, Serapin, Commenor, and now Kuat. The Triangle Approach is one of EARTH’ s proven strategies in expansion: Take three systems that are relatively close and enclose another, then move inward and take the center system. From there the triangle is developed, the systems merged under a local mayor. After a few triangles have been made within an area, they are made to establish a sector with its own governor. The entire process, excluding sector formation, takes about 3 months, depending on how much resistance is faced. 

And Thrawn gets it done in a month. Jasl thought, sitting at his station. Army General Mark’wen had appointed him to lead the landing garrison, a position which had been exciting at first, but got boring quick. Ezra really wasn’t exaggerating. Thrawn is something else.  

And then the impact alert system screamed.

The klaxon blared, a clarion call to all personnel to get moving. “Dammit!” Jasl swore, then called up the radar officer. “What’s going on?”

“It appears that a ship came out of hyperspace in the atmosphere.”

“That’s insane. What is that pilot thinking? If they don’t burn up, they’re gonna crash!”

“I don’t know, sir. But it appears that it’s going to land, er, crash about a kilometer east of base without burning up. We should be safe, there aren’t any facilities there.”

“Okay. Send a TK team there to investigate. Whoever that fool is, I want them.”

Jasl put in the command to silence the klaxons, and settled back into his chair. This is gonna be one helluva day.

TK-1781, Gemini, led her team through the woods to the crash site. It was easy to find; fires and craters usually are. As they reached the summit, Gemini held up her fist, telling the team to stop.

“That’s interesting, it looks like an escape pod,” said TK-8374, Celt. As he finished, the door of the pod opened with a hiss.

A female face darted out, noticed the troopers, and ducked back inside. A moment later, a man in a black uniform came out with his hands up, followed by a young woman in the same. 

“Greetings,” said the man in the Minnisat trade language. “I am Samakro, and this is Zicher. We come in peace, and if you request, will surrender our charrics.”

Gemini, and the rest of her team, was stunned.

“Holy hell,” whispered TK-2777, Lucky. “They’re like Thrawn.”

Well, this is interesting. Two Chiss, coming in from Sith knows where, who happened to come to the exact system where the only Chiss in the Militaire is. At least Ezra isn’t here. He’d probably be all for going straight to Thrawn with this. Jasl was fuming at this point, frustrated by how to work with the blueskin pair sitting in the waiting room outside his office. They had introduced themselves as Ufsa’mak’ro and Irizi’che’ri, better known as Samakro and Zicher, and had been fully cooperative with Gemini’s team and now him. 

But it still didn’t make any sense. It was like they were waiting for something, or to be taken somewhere. Could they know about Thrawn? It seemed impossible, and yet, so was a ship coming out of hyperspace in a planet’s atmosphere. Nevertheless, he might as well try something.

“Send them in.” Jasl called. The pair strode in, an air of confidence around them uncommon for most others who would be in their position.

“Tell me. What are a pair of Chiss doing on this side of the Core? We’re a long way from the Ascendancy.” At this, there was a flicker of concern. They obviously didn’t expect Jasl to know much about them, least of all the name of their home. The pair looked at each other, then Samakro spoke up. 

“We are looking for someone.” Jasl smiled internally; They were seeking Thrawn. “They were exiled 27 years ago, at their own request, but our government has decided to bring them back. When we went to their place of exile, however, they were gone.” Samakro finished, more calmly than he had started. 

“Ah, I see. I believe we can help with that. It may take some time, but we should be able to get you some answers. Sergeant Gemini and her squadron will look after you in the meantime. How does that sound?”

Zicher responded this time. “That sounds excellent, thank you. We appreciate your assistance in our quest. May the warrior's fortune shine on your path.” 

Chapter Text

There were times when Gemini hated being assigned as security detail. There was little to do other than stand around in the uncomfortable suits, with security in the Militaire already being good enough to prevent a detail from being necessary. She would take a tunic and armor over it any day.

This was not one of those times.  The Chiss, despite not doing anything outright wrong, were just weird. Zicher spent time intensely poring over anything architectural or design related, while Samakro was keeping an eye for all things military. This, at least, Gemini could understand. Unknown organization with unknown capabilities? If she were in Samakro’s position, she’d be looking for possible threats as well. 

“So,” Celt began, evidently trying to make conversation with the pair. “What do you two do? From the looks of it, you’re officers of some kind.” Right to the point, as usual. 

Zicher brightened, happy for the chance at conversation. “Well, I’m a pilot! It’s actually kinda funny, see, because-” She halts for a second, seeming to realize something about what she said or was going to say. “Because I started learning how to fly around the same time I met the person we’re looking for.”

“Interesting,” said Celt. “If you get the chance, I’d suggest taking a try with one of the Defenders. Guarantee, you’ve never flown anything like it. How about you, Samakro? What do you get up to?”

“I’m an officer of the Expansionary Defense Fleet, aboard the Steadfast .”

“Oh c’mon,” Zicher said. “He’s just being modest. He’s a Senior Captain, and the Steadfast is his ship.”

“Really now?” This got Lucky’s attention. “Careful, guys- We got ourselves a big dog.” The joking attitude helped break some ice, opening up the group a bit. 

Zicher piped up, continuing to lighten the air. “I’m hungry. Where do you guys get food?”

“Very well, Field Marshal. You’ve convinced me. You may send one of the assets to an airfield; A shuttle will be waiting there to take them to the Excelsior .” Army General Mark’wen spoke over Jasl’s Holotable.

“Only one, sir?” Jasl asked.

“Yes. I want to try something. Your old training mate, Bridger? I want to see what happens when he meets another Chiss. Call me cynical, but he and Thrawn have still only been here a year- I trust them some, but not fully. You understand me?”

Jasl swallowed. “Yes sir.” 

“Good. Send the senior one to Thrawn, Samakro. We’ll see how this turns out.” Mark’wen’s Zabrak features seemed to harden. “And we’ll be ready if anything goes wrong.”

Chapter Text

“That has to be a mistake. Thrawn’s gone.” Pellaeon broke the stunned silence. “Nobody’s seen or heard from him since Bridger took him and the 7th Fleet.”

“Well obviously it is. Who else could destroy a Republic task force in 30 minutes?” Leia spoke this time, eyes flashing. “I never dealt with Thrawn myself, but I’ve heard the horror stories from General Syndulla. Supposedly, Thrawn is more than your typical Grand Admiral- he’s practically a force of nature, destroying everything in his way.”

That made it Thalias' turn to be angry. “Please. You don’t know Thrawn. He’s a protector- why do you think he joined the Empire in the first place? It wasn’t because it was a good place.”

“Indeed,” contributed Uingali. “The Thrawn I met would only ever take life if it meant more lives were protected by that action. So either it isn’t him, or he believes EARTH to be for the greater good.”

“Suppose that is his reasoning.” Luke broke in, trying to diffuse the situation. “We should send a team to find out what the greater good is that EARTH serves. Any suggestions on people close to Thrawn that could work?”

At that moment, two things occured. 

Uingali and Thalias looked at each other, nodded, and said “Vanto.”

Pellaeon and Kimmund looked at each other, nodded, and said “Faro.”

Luke smiled. “Well, it seems we have our team. One thought: If this is Thrawn, that means Ezra is likely with him. I’ll ask Master Tano to join as well.”

“An excellent thought, Master Skywalker. They can use a Paccosh frigate.”

“Thank you, Uingali.” The plans were made, agreements granted. The team would be at Kuat within the day."

Chapter Text

Ezra stared, slack jawed. The only Chiss he’d ever met was Thrawn, and that was something else. But he was completely caught off guard when another Chiss walked into his office, let alone one who looked to be his age.

“Is it alright that I came in?” Zicher asked. “I didn’t mean to intrude on anything…”

“No, no, no. I’m sorry, I was just surprised. Please, have a seat.” Ezra stumbled. “Nice to meet you. I’m Field Marshal Ezra Bridger.”

“Nice to meet you too, Ezra. I’m Zicher.”

At this, Ezra paused, and took another look at her. “Zicher? If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your root name?”

“Irizi’che’ri,” she said, a look of puzzlement on her face. “But how do you know about Chiss root names?”

A smile came across Ezra’s face. “The same way I know that you used to be connected to the Force - though of course, you call it the Third Sight - Thrawn told me!”

If Ezra had been expecting a positive reaction from this, he would have been very surprised. Zicher’s glowing red eyes flashed, and she rushed up at him. With Ezra pinned by her forearm, she growled, “What do you know about Thrawn? What have you done to him?”

Ezra gasped for air, wheezing. “Thrawn… Friend… Chill… Allies… Safe.”

Zicher held him for a moment longer, than let him down. “Explain.”

“Thrawn and I-” Ezra pauses, catching his breath - “We’re allies. I mean, we had a few fights back in the day when he was part of the Empire, but 6 years alone together is good bonding.”

Zicher did nothing for a minute, then walked past Ezra and punched the wall. “THAT KRIFFIN ASSHOLE. He was only supposed to be gone for a few months! No one in the Ascendancy heard from him for years, we’d thought he’d died! But noooooo, over a kriffin decade later he runs into Ar’alani and Little Miss Vah’nya! Not the Navigator he mentored, he showed how to be more than she thought she could, he showed how to fly, just some lucky little rat-bastard who got to keep her Third Sight! And aside from that, no one has seen or heard from him since the Battle of Sunrise!”

Ezra, meanwhile, was watching all of this with utter confusement. Thrawn had told him all about his adventures- How he had, with the help of Ba’kif, had gotten himself exiled after his last stand against Jixtus and the Grysk Hegemony; How Sky-walker Che’ri had helped him voyage into the Republic during the Clone Wars to the planets of Batuu and Mokjyiv, returning with a powerful shield generator; And how, during his days in the Empire, he had stumbled across Ar’alani’s mission against the Grysks to try and determine their homeworld and met the Sky-walker Vah’nya, an anomaly among the Chiss for keeping her Force-sensitivity well into her twenties.

This was not a reaction he would have expected from any of Thrawn’s associates. “Okay… If you want, I could tell you about what he’s been doing here? If that’d help you understand?” Ezra hadn’t had much experience with Chiss, but Thrawn had always seemed calmer when he had more information, so it was worth a shot.

Zicher turned to him, and almost seemed relieved. “Yes. Yes, I think I’d like that very much. Thank you, Ezra Bridger.”

Samakro wondered at the fleet above the planet of Kuat. A force this mighty, to have gone unnoticed until they made the first move? Indeed, it was a formidable power. And likely would be able to help in his quest. His shuttle pilot had remained silent for the majority of the trip, only speaking now to the landing operators on the looming Star Destroyer in front of them. The Excelsior - Samakro couldn’t put his finger on it, but something felt important about it.

After docking in one of the bays, Samakro was escorted to what he could only assume was a command suite. Its appearance felt both unusual and familiar to Samakro; Unusual in that he had rarely seen an office this decorated, familiar in that ungodly amount of space dedicated to art.

He almost had it when a voice broke the silence. “Ufsa’mak’ro. It is good to see you again.”

“Thrawn.” He said, careful to keep his voice measured.  He turned around calmly, and sized up his old commander.

And he punched him.

Or, he tried to. Thrawn had already moved to the side by the time he struck. “Interesting.” He said, voice still in that cool, unagitated calm. “When they informed me that you were coming, I anticipated that violence might be part of the reaction. I did not expect it to be the immediate, however.”

“Yeah, well, 27 years without hearing from you will do that.” Samakro roared, turning to face Thrawn again. “What the hell, sir? What on Csilla’s frozen sun caused you to leave us?”

Thrawn paused at this, then sighed. “I see. Then perhaps I have some explaining to do.”

“You bet you do.” Samakro grumbled, following Thrawn as he sat.

“You remember the battle with Jixtus, correct?”

“Of course. They even named it after you- Senior Captain Thrawn’s Last Stand.”

“Interesting. Regardless, it came in the months after I was exiled. I was found by the Imperial Star Destroyer Strikefast , where I met a very promising and helpful individual; One cadet Eli Vanto, whose life would never again be what he expected…”

Chapter Text

Having finished, Ezra sat back, noting Zicher’s expression. Even by condensing it and only talking about some of Thrawn’s exploits, it had taken the better part of the afternoon to get through all of it.

Zicher sat, brow furrowed. When she looked up at Ezra, her eyes weren’t of the fierce glow- they seemed, almost, warm. “So all this time… He was trying to find the best way to help us? To protect the galaxy from threats like the Grysks?”

“Pretty much, yeah.” Ezra said, glad that she wasn’t raging anymore. It had, in all honesty, been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster for Zicher, and it was good to see her calm. “He joined the Empire because it, despite being horribly autocratic, was a bastion against worse things. And now we joined up with EARTH , because we see two major ways it goes: They really are the best option for the Galaxy, or they’re going to need stopping, in which case we should learn as much as we can about them.”

Zicher smiled. “That’s definitely Thrawn’s style. Always looking for the best, at whatever cost.”

“So do tell,” Ezra said. “If Thrawn isn’t who you’re here to find, who are you looking for?”

This sent Zicher laughing. “Remember the Nikardun? Well, Thrawn didn’t really beat Yiv by fighting him- he beat him by maneuvering him into a place where Yiv couldn’t join the fight. Apparently, Patriarchs Thurfian and Zistalmu believe he can be used as a fill-in for Thrawn- they didn’t know he was still alive, obviously, and they never liked him that much anyways- so they want to find Yiv to help fight the resurgence of the Grysks.”

It held in the air for a moment, then Ezra stood up. It was his turn to punch a wall. “Dank FERRIK!” 

“I see,” Samakro said, taking in the information Thrawn had imparted. This EARTH was, apparently, Thrawn's hope to unify the Galaxy. It made sense; legions of individuals with Third Sight and more ability - though in this section it was known as Force-sensitivity - with a dedication to staying away from all extremes and ensuring as much peace as possible, it certainly seemed optimistic. Especially since it hadn’t followed in the path of its creator, someone who used the Force for personal gain, Thrawn had plenty of reason to trust it. And, by extension, so did Samakro.

“Thank you for sharing with me. I understand now what your reasoning was, and apologize for my earlier outburst.”

“Apology accepted. Now if you would be so kind, would you care to enlighten me as to why you are here? You seemed to be surprised when seeing me; What other purpose serves the Ascendancy here?”

Samakro grimaced. “Sir, you’ll recall that you weren’t the only one exiled from the Ascendancy after the Battle of Sunrise - That reminds me, your alliance of necessity has managed to last, and most of the Chaos is united under the Alliance of Sunrise - But I digress. The Mitth and Irizi Patriarchs are looking for General Yiv. The Grysks are again on the rise, while the Nine are surprisingly united against them, the Forty are less so, and the Syndicure is getting desperate to prevent the Hegemony from gaining power again.”

The expression that passed over Thrawn’s face then was one Samakro knew all too well, an expression that would never end in a simple solution. It was Thrawn’s own darkness; his grim resolve to do whatever it took to obliterate all evil in the galaxy. The Grysks were doomed. 

“Then they will be defeated once again. I will dedicate some resources to your search; In the meantime, I believe I have a few calls to make.”

Chapter Text

Ahsoka Tano. Jedi Padawan of General Skywalker, until she had left the Order and struck out on her own. She had worked with Sabine Wren, a comrade and friend of Ezra’s, for the past few years to find him, to little success. 

Eli Vanto. Lieutenant Commander and aide de camp to Thrawn, before he had been ‘graduated’ and sent to the Chiss Ascendancy to help with analytical data concerning the Sky-walker program.

Karyn Faro. Commodore of the ISD Chimaera , before she and the rest of the 7th Fleet had been separated from their admiral by Ezra and the rebels.

It was an interesting ride.

“So,” Vanto started. “What’s the Force like?”

Ahsoka, who Karyn expected had fielded this question a number of times, answered with a remarkable deftness. “Master Kenobi - The Jedi who trained my master, that is - he had a way of putting it that I always loved. Imagine the feeling from when you were a kid, when you were scared of bugbears in the dark; The Force is the feeling you get when you turn on a light.”

Karyn smiled at this, the phrasing reminding her of something one of her favorite teachers at the Academy had told her. “The Clone Wars, the Republic- They were hard for people. There wasn’t much that the Senate could do, and what they could, they often wouldn't. The Empire - we’re here to be the feeling of a warm fire on a cold night, of marshmallows melting in your mouth: To make people feel safe, like nothing can go wrong in the world.”  

Vanto was speaking. “... Kenobi, I remember hearing something about him. Didn’t he manage to break someone out from the Inquisitors on Nur all by himself?”

Ahsoka paused, and almost imperceptibly tilted her head past Faro’s shoulder. “He had help, I’ve been told.”

“It’s still impressive.” Karyn said. “The Inquisitors were trained to be the equal of any Jedi. That he managed to take on the entire fortress is a worthy feat.”

“Thank you,” Ahsoka said graciously. “He app- He would appreciate that.”

The hyperspace swirl ended, and they were left looking at a large ship with a couple of patrol craft over Kuat. “That’s strange,” Vanto noted. “It sounded like L’Toth had encountered 4 star destroyers, not a single one and a complement of cruisers.”

Karyn nodded, she had thought the same thing.

“Let me see…” Ahsoka closed her eyes, straining. “I don’t sense Ezra anywhere, but there are a few boatloads of other Force-sensitives on the planet.”

Karyn was interrupted by the ping of their ship’s comm. They were being hailed by the star destroyer.

“This is Commodore Biluf of the Armada of EARTH . You are intruding on our territory. Identify yourself or be destroyed.”

The trio paused, staring at the comm like it was a sarlacc pit. 

“Commodore…” Vanto started. “What are the odds that that guy serves under Thrawn and is trying to imitate him?”

Karyn laughed. Eli was right, this Bulif character had to be one of Thrawn’s subordinates to repeat those words so exactly. “Eli, I try to not make bets when I know I’m gonna lose.”

“You guys can reminisce later- let’s get out of here before they follow through on that.” Ahsoka turned to the controls, pitching upwards to get out of the system. “Jump ready… There we are.” The comforting swirl of the hyperspace swirl surrounded their ship. 

Karyn smiled. This was a team she could get used to being in.

Chapter Text

Army General Mark’wen looked out at the gathered regiments assembled before him. Thrawn would be arriving soon to give the orders. All of this for two Chiss? Maken must trust Thrawn a ton . While Mark’wen was technically Thrawn’s superior by rank, Thrawn was the 13th’s Fleet Admiral, so he was everyone’s commander. And, using that authority, he had commissioned the Ulterior, and Petitioner to work with Samakro and Zicher in their quest. 

Regardless of what Mark’wen thought of it, he always appreciated the chance to look out at his legion. The soldiers’ tunics were derived from the Jedi warriors in the Clone Wars, though the armor was improved; Beskar threading in the weave, as well as augmented helmets and chest plates. Not the full gear of the era’s Clone Troopers, but certainly leaning toward that level of protection. 

Feeling out through the Force, Mark’wen worked through an exercise Master Lyna had taught him. Feel the emotions of those gathered around you. Feel the turmoil in the masses, the chaos of the variations. Then realize that each individual, when considered alone, is working to balance themselves. The chaos is not chaos, it is the different forms order has taken among your peers. Their balance is your balance. It always worked, and Mark’wen would always be grateful for her teaching.

As the shuttle came down behind him, Mark’wen turned to greet Thrawn. “Admiral. Everything is ready to be loaded and sent off. Anything else you wish to address?”

Thrawn looked out, then said, “I have received an update from Grand Admiral Maken. Given that the 12th, 14th, and 15th are still busy with their Triangles, the rest of the 13th have been given permission to take a shore leave for the duration. With that in mind, I have decided that I will accompany Commodore Bulif, and place you in charge in my absence.”

“Thank you, sir,” Mark’wen replied. “One thought. Balmorra Neimoidia and Gatalenta are within our purview. Permission to address them?”

Thrawn paused, then one of his rare smiles crossed his face. “That’s an excellent thought. I commend your initiative, and give you the full green light.”

“Again, my thanks.” With that, Mark’wen went off to the side while Thrawn made his announcements, entailing the details of the mission. As he listened, he realized something: Field Marshal’s Jasl and Ezra were both in the 4th Regiment, meaning they would be aboard Commodore Bulif’s ship. Meaning they would be aboard Thrawn’s ship.

Bulif wasn’t sure whether to be quietly excited or horrified by Thrawn’s decisions. On the one hand, he had been taken aback when Thrawn had designated him lead, rather than Commodore Mol’Sic and was relieved to have a senior commander in charge. On the other, it meant Thrawn would be seeing even more directly into his leadership, or in his opinion, lack thereof.

Too late. Bulif greeted Thrawn as he entered the bridge. “Where to, Admiral?”

“Signal your comms officer. General Yiv’s official place of exile is unknown to us, but we may assume two things. One, it is located in the Unknown Regions or Wild Space. Two, it is more likely on the Galactic North, closer to Naporar. The most likely candidate is a planet called Syca, beyond most hyperspace routes.”

Bulif signaled Lieutenant Kyyvik. The Pau’an acknowledged, signaling that all information had been relayed.

“Good. The first hyperspace jump will be to Namadil, but from there we may have to go jump-by-jump to arrive safely.”

“Yes sir.” Bulif watched as the hyperspace pit officer filled that in, and then turned to the viewport. The hyperspace tunnel of stars never ceased to amaze him.

Chapter Text

“You want me to do what now?” Ezra asked, incredulous. Thrawn had told him about Chiss navigators, how they used the Force to navigate hyperspace. He’d even gotten Vader to do it at times. But Ezra was neither trained for this, nor was he the Chosen One. And he wasn’t about to put the lives of 8,000 people at risk because of it.

“It’s simply a matter of focusing your Force precognition to navigation. It does warn you of those threats, yes?” Thrawn asked. 

“Yes, it does, but that–” Ezra broke off, realizing his arguing was pointless. Just because he’d  never done it before didn’t mean he couldn’t do it. “Fine. Let’s do it.”

At least Thrawn was a gracious victor. He never gloated or basked in winning an argument; he was simply satisfied that someone had seen his way, and let it be. As Ezra settled into the navigation chair and surrounded himself with the Force, he was truly glad to be Thrawn’s friend.

When they arrived at Syca, they knew something was wrong.

The trio of Grysk warships was a handy clue. 

Thrawn immediately rushed forwards, identifying the ships to both the bridge and the Petitioner . “All officers. We are facing three StoneCrusher -class WarMasters. These are Grysk warships, and their presence here signifies that Syca is indeed a planet of great significance, and we would be well to understand it. At my signal, launch TIE Defender Squadrons Alpha and Bravo, Actis Squadron Quake, and Y-Wing Squadron Faron. Be ready to engage.”

As soon as he finished his transmission, he whispered something to a lieutenant, who ran off. Bulif walked up then. “Incoming transmission, sir.”

Thrawn said nothing, he simply nodded. Bulif grew concerned, though he tried to hide it; Was Thrawn scared?

“This is Sijtux of the Grysk Hegemony. Surrender, and we will not prolong your destruction.” 

Thrawn calmed himself, then responded, “Sijtux of the Grysks. I am Mitth’raw’nuruodo of the Armada of EARTH . You may recognize me, I annihilated a Grysk fleet 27 years ago, over the planet Sunrise. As you will now find, the actions of our fleet will show you why I was able to defend that planet so well.” The keywords said, the squadrons began deployment.

The voice on the other line hissed. “Thrawn. How fortunate; I have an opportunity now to avenge my uncle. Your suffering will be long indeed.”

With that the comm channel closed, and the battle began in earnest. Bulif looked to Thrawn for orders, but he simply nodded back at him. It was his battle.

“Fighter Command, focus on the flanking WarMasters. Lieutenant Kyyvik, inform Commodore Guland that we will be engaging the lead warship, but to be prepared to field attacks from the other two.”

“ Petitioner acknowledged, sir.”

“Good. Begin with ion cannon spread, and get as many point-defense gunners active as possible. Those gunboats look nasty.” Bulif finished. He looked back towards Thrawn, but he was off to the side somewhere. He looked back at the battle, and realized something was off.

The ion bursts were heading on target, but they would be intercepted by what looked to be small, missile-like drones. 

“Fighter Command. New orders for Quake Squadrons: Take care of those interception missiles for us.”

The captain raised a hand to acknowledge. That made Bulif smile some; she was more focused on getting the job done well then she was on making superfluous noise. It made him proud.

Thrawn was back. “I see they are still using dibbers. Well planned, using the Actis ’s to handle them. Captain Laphif, what are their shields at?”

“Scanners show their shields down to 23% on the lead and 42% on the flanks, sir. They would be all but gone by now, but our ion bursts have been disrupted by those dibbers.”

“Very well. It is enough. Lieutenant Kyyvik, hail them again.”

The comm hissed, then Sijtux responded. “ What. What could you possibly have to discuss?”

Thrawn rose. When he spoke, it was a tone Bulif had never heard before; it was a voice with a terrifying darkness in it. “I will give you one last chance. I know the Grysks prefer to sacrifice themselves rather than surrender, so I will grant you that mercy. Or I can destroy you utterly, like I did your uncle.”

Then Bulif realized: This was personal for Thrawn. He didn’t know what, or why, but Thrawn’s history with these Grysks was more than just military.

Sijtux was laughing. “You are outnumbered. You are in no position to make threats.”

Bulif watched as Thrawn pulled something from his breast pocket. A commlink, or transmitter, of some sort. He pressed a combination of buttons- And all hell broke loose.

Chapter Text

Four Weeks from the Battle Over Syca

“A… Nest of snakes?” Thrawn asked.

“That is what Captain Laphif thought,” Bulif said. "Is there something about that?"

"I simply find it… interesting. Thank you for your time, Commodore.” Thrawn said. Interesting. He always says interesting. Bulif thought. As Thrawn walked away, he could have sworn that the Chiss was in a hurry.

Thrawn made his way to his office quickly, knowing what had truly happened. Bulif had encountered a Paccosh frigate. And there was little doubt in Thrawn’s mind that, given the subclan symbol, they were looking for him.

It was time for a protocol he and Supreme General Ba’kif had decided on, almost 30 years ago. Of course, the original plan had been that he would be gone for a few months, but that was quickly changed. But, in case they had ever come looking and missed him, Thrawn had been given a special comm directly to Ba’kif’s office to call them back. It was located just behind his jaw, in his chin. 

Thrawn reached up, putting his index finger beneath his tongue and his thumb on the other side, and squeezed.

A few moments later, he was greeted. “Who is this? What is your business? How do you have a direct line to the office of the Supreme General?” The voice was distorted, but clear enough.

“This is Senior Captain Mitth’raw’nuruodo. I wish to speak to General Ba’kif, if you please. He gave me this line, though it was supposed to go directly to him.”

“ Th- THRAWN? What on Csilla’s frozen sun- You and Ba’kif really did plan for everything. This is Ar’alani. It’s good to hear from you, you groundlion.”  

“Ah, Ar’alani. It is good to talk with you too. Where is Ba’kif?”

On the other end of the line, Ar’alani sighed. Thrawn was terrible at politics. “Thrawn, Ba’kif retired. He’s Ufsa’ba’kif, Sabak, now. He said he got too old for it, but truthfully, I think he just got bored without you here. I’m his replacement.”

“Congratulations. You certainly deserve it.”

“So. What are you calling for?”

“A few days ago, one of my subordinates noticed a Paccian frigate entering our airspace over Kuat. Our, meaning my new affiliation, known as EARTH. I can explain the organization later, but I would appreciate being put in contact with the shuttle’s controllers.”

“Easy. Your alliance over Sunrise- Liaoian, Garwians, Vaks, Patatuus, even the Magys’ species, all working together now with us. It’s called the Sunrise Alliance now, and the Chaos is pretty united. Politics is still politics, unfortunately, but the Alliance fleet is fully independent of that wild yubal.  And we’re allowed preemptive strikes.”

Thrawn knew that, on the other end of the line, Ar’alani was smiling. It was all the things they had ever wanted for the CEDF. Working with others. Competent leadership. And the freedom to act when necessary. “Thank you. That’s wonderful.”

“ Alright, I’ll put you in touch with some people.”

2 Weeks from the Battle Over Syca

“When Ar’alani said she would put me in contact with some people, I was hardly expecting this.” Thrawn said. He had queued his comm with the numbers she had given him, and was met by a plethora of familiar faces.

Mitth’ali’astov and Uingali foar Marocsaa, a faithful ally and tactical partner from the Ascendancy. Karyn Faro and Eli Vanto, his right hand and his first friend in the Empire. Though there were some faces that he didn’t recognize, a Togruta and two humans. The Togruta spoke first.

“Where is Ezra? Is he alright?”

“Be calm, ma’am. Ezra is doing quite well, he’s currently working at the east compound, overseeing affairs and operations. More than alright.”

The Togruta stared hardly for a moment more, than relaxed. “Good. By the way- I’m Ahsoka.” 

With that air clear, Thalias spoke. “It’s good to see you, Thrawn. These are representatives from the New Republic- Ahsoka, of course, as well as Leia Organa Solo and Luke Skywalker.”

“Your father was a great man. A shame he perished in the Clone Wars.” Luke and Leia glanced at each other, but stayed relaxed.

“We are well met then, indeed, Thrawn.” Luke said. “In fact, Ahsoka here was our father’s Padawan. It seems the galaxy can be quite small.”

“Indeed it can,” Thrawn agreed. “However, I must interrupt this pleasant conversation for the main purpose of why I contacted you. A few weeks ago, a Paccosh frigate was sighted in EARTH newly acquired airspace. I assume this came from you, Uingali?”

“I merely provided the ship, my friend. It was Vanto, Faro, and Tano who were aboard.”

Eli came in. “We were met by a commodore, and with no clue where you were, left.”

“I believe that I was at Vulpter, having been summoned to pick up the recent graduate class of warriors.”

“Hold on,” Said Leia, the diplomat in her growing concerned. “You talk of warriors. You took Kuat, a major supplier of ships and other vehicles for the New Republic. What is EARTH , and why should we not treat it exactly like any other hostile force?”

Thrawn noticed that, while Luke and Ahsoka nodded, the rest of the group was still more curious, rather than wary. “Well you see, EARTH has a very specific goal. Uniting the galaxy, replete with a large population of so-called Grey Jedi.”

The reactions varied, but Luke put it most potently: “I’m sorry, WHAT? ”

After explaining the situation in more detail, people relaxed and calmed down. Leia pragmatically asked, “So what do you want from us?”

“As I said, I wish to use EARTH to unite the galaxy. It would be preferable to do this with less loss of life, and, if another organization already exists, then I believe that the best way to accomplish this is to show EARTH that we can work together and coalesce, rather than conquer.”

“That is indeed admirable,” said Leia. “I agree with your goal. Let us move forward in peace.”

“May-” Thrawn started, “-The warrior’s fortune shine on our path.” The rest of the group finished with him.

2 Days from the Battle Over Syca

“I believe I have an opportunity. I will be traveling to Syca soon, and if a threat should make itself known there, it would be a worthy opportunity to begin laying the foundation for unity.”

“Sounds good,” Said Thalias. “I’ll see what the others can contribute, but the Chiss can definitely provide some warships to the fight. Good luck.”

4 Minutes in to the Battle Over Syca

“Go. I repeat: The plan is a go.”