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...
News from the front were ever more encouraging. After the defeat at Rhen Var, Vader had completely abandoned the offensive, leaving the imperial front in a state of absolute chaos. The Imperial Navy was crumbling and the Coalition had started a counter-attack, with the Federation pushing down the Perlimian Trade Route and the New Republic doing the same along the Hydian Way.
Now it was the perfect time to strike at Korriban. Jaral had now returned on Lianna and was in the room of Darvos' new apartment in the capital, his private lodgings as Colonel of the ICO. The Ghost was now heading toward Lothal both to allow Sabine to join a convoy of supplies that the Federation was sending to Pantora and because Hera had just been assigned to oversee a new project, called 'Starhawk'. Jaral only knew that it was a ship, to be built with the many Star Destroyers they had captured in the last two months, because otherwise it would have needed the effort of every single dockyard and arms factory in the New Republic.
Also, over the skies of Lianna the fleet of volunteers that had arrived to help the Jedi General in her odyssey was waiting for the order.
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The departure was set for the next morning, when Cal, Nimbus and Ahsoka were supposed to arrive aboard the Stinger Mantis along with the Tau and Geth fleets.
Right now she was sitting on the far edge of the bed, fiddling and looking at Kanan's lightsaber when the door hissed open and Darvos walked in, coming directly from the HQ.
"Hey." he greeted gently.
Jaral turned her gaze toward him and smiled a bit. "How was at work?"
"Surprisingly refreshing." he simply quipped, leaving a couple seconds of pause before the next question. "What are you doing?" he asked as he saw her looking without a purpose at her Master's lightsaber.
Jaral held it with a hand and slowly moved outward, as if she prepared to dispose of it. "Just making sure all components were functional." she simply said before lifting it with the Force and directing the weapon on the drawer next to her side of the bed, where her real lightsaber was also laying.
"Better account for everything before start running." she concluded with a sigh as she leaned with her elbows on the mattress and turned her head toward the window in front of her. The apartment was quite high, and there was a nice scene of the night skies of the capital, with two skyscrapers sticking out from the sides as if to create a frame.
"Right." said Darvos. "And do you feel ready for this?" he asked frankly.
In that atmosphere, Jaral didn't feel like making it up just to reassure him. She knew that he would be able to see through her and that lying would just make him more worried.
"How am I supposed to be ready for something like this?" she said as she turned her eyes toward him.
Darvos quietly walked and went to sit next to her. "Through absolute dedication. Every day you take on everything scary so that the people around you can live safely."
