The Death Star has been destroyed. While the Coalition celebrates, Ezra and Jaral return to Lothal, to spend some time with their family and introduce Luke to the ways of the Jedi. But the Empire is far from broken, as Grand Admiral Tanis and his fl...
With the Federation still pushing down the Perlimian Trade Route, it was up to the New Republic to try and bring a relief force to defend Mandalore from the imminent imperial assault. The allied intelligence had already reported the ongoing invasion of mandalorian space. What little of their fleet had survived the disaster at Taris was trying to hinder the enemy advance with hit-and-run tactics, but they were barely making a dent in their supply lines and certainly enough, Iulius was not batting an eye in front of these small hindrances.
Reports were flooding from Mandalore to the UACT command, asking for immediate assistance in defending the systems of Kalevala, Ordo and Zanbar, as they were the only line of defense before the homeworld of the mandalorians, aside from Krownest and a few other worlds along the way that the Clans were using as airbases. Seeing the desperate situation, Alrich had already started requesting permission to the New Republic to set up refugee camps, as he had convinced Bo-Katan to at least let the non-combatants flee the system before it was too late. The first transports full of civilians had arrived just two days before. Lothal, already hosting a colony on its surface, had already offered to welcome some of these civilians.
That said, the fortresses on the three worlds would hardly resist much longer in front of such a relentless assault. Not to mention, the Empire didn't just destroy the fleet, but most of the mandalorian army over Taris.
As Jaral could do little but acknowledge the bleak situation, the door opened, letting the Ghost crew into the strategic room. The Grand Marshall walked up to meet them.
"It's good to see you again, guys. Despite everything going on."
Hera gave her a quick and heartfelt hug. "It's good to see you too, dear."
Then the Jedi turned to see Sabine, who had a very apprehensive face.
Words were superfluous at the moment. Jaral knew that her sister-in-law was coping with a double pain: the news of her homeworld about to be reconquered by the Empire, and having to leave the most important person of her life behind. So she didn't say anything as she embraced the mandalorian, who returned the hug, clenching her fists on her friend's jacket.
When they separated, Jaral accompanied them around the holo-table, where Darvos, Undir and Jordan were already waiting.
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"Let's be straight." Zeb started. "How bad is it?"
Undir pushed a button, making holograms of what little was left of the mandalorian ships appear on the table. "The Mandalorians lost the Keldabe, all the Kandosii battleships and pretty much all of their cruisers. The mercenary they hired had been almost entirely wiped out and the rest deserted. The leader of the Protectors is dead, and with him the best pilots of the Clans." he reported. "The imperial forces are amassing over Taris to finish the job."
"How did this happen?" Sabine asked, still unable to believe how such a powerful navy, in the hands of her own people, a warrior people, could be destroyed in a single day.
