Hider dribbled his fingers on the throttle lever as he waited for direct orders from the Sunrider. His patience was running thin, however. Ever since the death of Red Leader, he hadn’t heard anything from both the admiral nor the other pilots from Red Squadron. The death of their leader had left them completely mute.
A sigh escaped his breath as he recalled Red Leader’s demise. A large blue beam came without warning, fired by the rampaging moon princess. Based on its trajectory, he can assume the princess had intended to target the Republic warships. Red Leader just happened to be in the way unfortunately.
With their leader down, the demoralized Red Squadron retreated back to the Sunrider to regroup. Hider followed them given that he was technically apart of the team; but unlike the other pilots, he shed no tears nor felt any grief for the fallen Captain. He barely knew the man, and their only interaction they had was on a silly bet they had made.
Letting out a sigh, Hider pulled his right arm back and began to tap his headset. “How is the status on our shields, tin can?” he asked onto the microphone. Although he wasn’t doing anything at the moment, he knew that Red Squadron would be ordered to move out sooner or later, so he might as well check the status with his ship with Geefour.
After hearing several beeping noises from his headset, the former criminal got his answer. The droid had performed a quick scan of the Omega shortly after their last encounter with the enemy. Its shields were grazed, no doubt caused by the Mandalorian starfighters he encountered in the skirmish; but for the most part, his baby was still in good condition.
“Thanks, tin can. Keep me posted if you notice anything wrong, okay,” Hider said as he proceeded to press a couple of buttons on the navigation computer. While he did this, he spotted Sweetie Drops sulking on the co-captain’s chair. “What’s with the long face, Private Candy?”
Sweetie grimaced. “Oh, come on, Hider. You of all people should know why I am upset!” she shouted as tears began to fall on her cheeks. “How in Equestria are you not upset about this? Does the death of an ally really mean nothing to you?”
“I just met the guy! You can’t expect me to grieve for someone who I just met! Heck, I didn’t even see the guy’s face!” Hider countered. “I mean, he seemed like someone I’d like to have a drink with, but this is war, Private Candy. Stuff like this happens all the time. Though I admit, being killed by a vengeful pony princess on the moon isn’t the way I’d like to go.”
Hider watched as the mare groaned in frustration. Clearly, she wasn’t happy with his response, though he cared little about her feelings. “So, what are we going to do now?” the mare asked.
“I don’t know. Red Squadron takes direct orders from the admiral. So until I hear from him, we’re not going to be doing anything anytime soon,” Hider replied. Suddenly, both he and Sweetie Drops heard a loud beeping noise from the nav-computer. “Looks like the old man is ready to give out orders. Let’s hear what he has to say.”
Sweetie rolled her eyes. “The admiral would berate you if he heard you talking like that.”
“Well, it’s good that your mic is muted, isn’t it?” Hider jokingly replied as he pressed a button on the nav-computer. Within seconds, he heard Admiral Karath on the other line.
“Captain Louhun are you there? I need a status report.”
“I’m here, Admiral, don’t worry. I was just checking the status on my ship. And before you ask, she’s in good condition. My baby may have taken a few hits, but she’s more durable than any piece of scrap metal that the Republic sends out nowadays.”
“Don’t waste my time with pointless banter, Captain. If your ship is good to go, then you and the rest of Red Squadron will be rejoining the fight.”
Hider smirked. “Well it’s about dang time! Sitting still for so long was starting to get annoying! So, we’re going to be targeting the other flagships I assume?”
“Correct. Despite the loss of Red Leader, our plan has not changed. Taking out the flagships is our top priority.”
“Are you sure Red Squadron is up for the task? Losing Red Leader dealt a big blow to our morale here. Not to mention we’re fighting two fronts. We got the Mandalorians on our front and Princess Moony firing death beams on our backs. To be frank, this whole operation just got a lot more complicated.”
“I agree. Despite my confidence in Red Squadron, I don’t think any one of us could prepare for a situation as dangerous as this one. We’ll have to be careful with our offensives from now on and watch our backs closely.
“Who will be leading Red Squadron now?
“Sergeant Dabrato will be leading the charge. The Twi’lek is an excellent pilot that rivals the late Red Leader; however, his leadership skills—while not bad—are not great in comparison. He’ll be needing some assistance as he transitions into his new role. That is why I need you, Captain. You will be assisting the Sergeant in co-leading Red Squadron.”
“Oh, you can’t be serious! Admiral, do you even understand what you are trying to do here? You are asking me, a former criminal, to co-lead a rag tag group of ace pilots?”
“But you are the best among them, Captain,” the Admiral replied, which caught the former smuggler off guard. “I do not mean to discount my own men, but I’ll be blunt. You are a very skilled pilot, Hider. As skilled as, if not better, than Red Leader himself. Which is why I need your help. Red Squadron is a great team of young pilots, but they are inexperienced. Losing any more of them would be detrimental to the future of the Republic.”
Hider sighed. The Admiral sure was persistent. Even so, this still did not convince him to become a co-leader of a squadron.
“I think you should accept your uncle’s officer,” said Sweetie out of nowhere, causing Hider to jump. The conversation between him and his uncle had caused him to forget that this mare was still here. And judging by the determined look in her eyes, she was keen on getting him to accept his uncle’s offer.
“Who do you think you are, Private Candy? My mom?” Hider rebuked. His response irked the mare, but he didn’t care. There was no way that this little pony was going to boss him around.
But Sweetie did not back down.
“I know you don’t like being bossed around by other people, Hider, but now isn’t the time to be pouting like a filly. These peoples’ lives are on the line, and so is my home! So, swallow that darn pride of yours and just follow your orders just this once!”
Hider sighed. She really wasn’t going to let this go, was she? He opened his mouth to reply but was soon interrupted by his uncle.
“Are you and that pony done talking, Captain?” the Admiral asked, surprising both passengers. “If you are done blabbering, then I need you and Red Squadron to rejoin the battlefield immediately. Our fighters need help out there and I need Red Squadron to go out until reinforcements arrive.”
“Admiral… what? I never said that I agreed to become a co-leader?” Hider replied. And how the kriff did he know I was talking to Private Candy?
“And I never said that you had a choice in the matter, nephew,” the Admiral rebuked as he suddenly dropped standard military formality. “Do what needs to be done. Once this battle is over, you can go off and do whatever you want to do, provided that you don’t break any Republic laws.”
Hider groaned. “Fine, I’ll do it. But I expect my pay to be doubled by the time this is over.”
“Wait, you can’t be serious? You’re asking for a bigger paycheck in the middle of a Celestia-forsaken battlefield!” shouted a flabbergasted Sweetie Drops.
“Very well. I will double your pay should you and Red Squadron get out of this battle alive,” replied the Admiral over the comm-link, surprising Private Drops. “Another thing before I let you go, Captain. I’m receiving reports that two of the three remaining Mandalorian flagships are moving into a defensive position. The other flagship is on the move, but we are uncertain of what the enemy is trying to do.
“Just observe for now and give me an update on it whenever the Mandalorians decide to make a move. For now, just hook me up with Red Squadron so that we can get started already,” Hider replied.
The sound of static could be heard on the headset briefly as Hider waited to be redirected to Red Squadron. He didn’t have to wait long; however, as he quickly heard Sergeant Dabrato’s voice on the other line. “Captain Louhun are you there?” asked the Twi’lek.
“Yes, I am here, Sergeant. Are you ready to take on the Mandalorian’s again?”
“Y-yes, I am. But if it’s okay with you, I’d like to run a quick sitrep to make sure everyone is ready,” the Sergeant replied.
“He sounds anxious,” commented Sweetie Drops.
“Anyone would be nervous if they were thrust into battle like this. I mean, nobody expected Red Leader to go out like that. And now he’s replacing the now dead leader at a moment’s notice. Yeah, I get what he’s going through,” Hider replied.
“You’re going through the same thing, you know.”
“Touché, little pony.”
“Red Squadron, this is Staff Sergeant Dabrato speaking,” said the Twi’lek over the comm-link. “Is everyone ready to engage the enemy?”
“Senior Airman Zeck Ne, reporting. All systems are green.”
“Airman First Class Heidi ready for action!”
“Airman First Class Ersha here. Can we kick some Mando and moon pony butt already?”
“Ooh looks like someone’s eager to get to fighting again,” Hider said jokingly onto the microphone. “Best you sit tight and relax, lady, or else that over eagerness will get you killed. Either by the Mandalorians or Princess Moony over there on the moon.”
“Zip it you, petty smuggler! You have no idea what I’m going through right now!” shouted a very riled up woman. “Maybe when we’re finished with the Mandalorians we can go over that moon princess and blast her with some auto cannons or something!”
Sweetie winced. “Unbelievable. Does that lady really want to pick a fight with the Princess of the Moon?”
“You can’t really blame her, Private Candy. Red Leader was someone that these people knew well. And given her current tone of her voice, I’d take it she knew the man personally,” Hider explained.
“But if the fleet starts firing on Nightmare Moon, she’s going to use her powers against us!” Sweetie warned.
“The last thing our fleet needs is to have a third-party start firing big chunky laser beams in every direction. More than likely, the Admirals onboard our ships are likely going to dissuade anybody from taking any action against your banished Princess, so we should be good there.”
“Okay, Red Squadron. Let’s move out,” ordered Staff Sergeant Dabrato over the comm-link.
Hider frowned at the tone of the Sergeant’s voice. It really did sound as if he wasn’t ready to lead a squadron out into a warzone. Regardless, there was no point in debating on something he could not change. Red Squadron was on the move, and he had a job to do.
Their formation was the same formation as before; only this time, Staff Sergeant Dabrato led the charge while Hider tailed them closely in case any enemies got too close. As they approached the warzone, Red Squadron immediately ignited their boosters. The blue fire that burned out of their ships’ exhaust pipes were a sight to behold as they flew off in the distance.
“Hang on tight, Private,” Hider warned as he pulled a larger lever to the right of his chair, causing the ship to accelerate at a very high pace.
Flying at such a fast rate was not something that Sweetie was used to. Panicked, she immediately grasped her seat’s armchairs and hung on for dear life. “Horseapples that was so fast!” shouted a very weary mare. Her odd slur made Hider gawk at her. “Sweet Celestia, I can never get used to this type of speed. Thank you for the warning, Hider.”
“Yeah… don’t mention it.” Deciding to ignore the strange slur, Hider returned his focus to Red Squadron. Aside from the explosions going off everywhere, everything was playing out fine. With his squadron within sight the massive Mandalorian flagship floating in the distance, Hider tapped his headset. “Staff Sergeant Dabrato, can you hear me?” he said onto the microphone. “We’re getting close to the enemy flagship. Have you notified our bombers about our approach?”
“Admiral Saul Karath has already informed the bomber unit. They’re hanging back until we destroy the flagship’s auto turrets,” explained the Sergeant. “Looks like the way to the enemy ship is clear. Red Squadron, form up and begin the… oh kriff!”
Hider and Sweetie watched as a rain of turbo lasers descended upon their position, causing Red Squadron to break their formation in half.
Hider scowled at the sight of his squad scattering. He knew he should’ve seen this coming! With a quick swipe of the throttle lever, he immediately followed the two pilots closest to him. As he got close, he cursed under his breath as he saw three enemy starfighters tailing his allies. If he didn’t do something soon, they’d be shot down almost immediately.
As the former criminal flew his way toward his intended targets, he could hear a plea for help over the comm-link. “This is Airman First Class Heidi. Me and First Class Ersha are in deep trouble. Staff Sergeant, anyone, we need your help!”
“Don’t you worry, lady, I’m coming,” Hider said as he reached for his ship’s flight controls. Immediately, he slammed his fist onto one big button, causing his ship to accelerate at an even greater speed than before. If it weren’t for their chairs, he and Private Drops would’ve flown backward, and the back of their heads would’ve slammed against the wall. The mare berated the former criminal for not being careful, but she was ignored as Hider set his eyes on the three enemy starships in front of him.
Steady now. I only got one shot at this. Hider thought. With his ship now directly behind the enemy starships, he steadied his grip on the nav-computer’s weapons panel. Pressing two buttons, he fired the Omega’s turbo cannons directly onto the enemy starships. While he could only manage to destroy one, it was enough for the remaining ships to flee.
Two members of Red Squadron were now safe.
Immediately, Hider radioed the two squad members. “Airman First Class Heidi, can you hear me? Are you and First Class Ersha okay?” he asked.
“We’re fine now, Captain. Thank you for the quick save,” Hedi replied over the comm-link. “If it weren’t for you, Ersha and I would’ve been goners.”
“Well, that’s what happens when you break formation like that. Seriously, you guys should know better. You’re freakin’ ace pilots of the Republic Navy!”
“It’s hard to be composed when you just watched your leader die in front of your eyes!” countered the distressed pilot. “At least thanks to you, we live to fight another day. Where’s Sergeant Dabrato? Did you manage to save him yet?”
Hider winced. “No, I didn’t. My focus was completely on you two, not the Sergeant,” he said just as he lined his ship up behind the two pilots. “Last I saw, he and the other pilot flew off in the other direction the moment we came under fire.”
“He’s in danger then! Hold on, let me try to get in contact with him!”
Hider bit his lip as his eyes drifted to the warzone. Finding the Staff Sergeant was a priority but locating him was going to be difficult. Especially with this large-scale space battle going on. The only way they could really locate the Twi’lek is by comm-link, but even that could prove difficult. What should they do?
“I’ll check to see if the Sergeant activated his homing beacon!” exclaimed the First-Class Airman on the other line. “He and Zack Ne should have activated them by now. Let me send them over to you, Captain.”
“Homing beacons?” Hider asked.
“Something that was built into our ships in case a pilot gets separated from their squad. The Navy’s been building these into our ships ever since the Mandalorians began conquering worlds in the outer rim.”
“Oh, so it’s for scouting purposes then. Well, I suppose it will help, but you better be quick about it. Finding the Sergeant in this hectic warzone ain’t gonna be easy.”
“You underestimate Republic technicians, Captain,” Heidi exclaimed. After a few moments of silence, a beeping noise was heard from Hider’s nav-computer. I got a read on the Sergeant’s location. He and Zack are still alive!”
“Good. Now all we have to do is save their butts,” said Hider as he fiddled with the ship’s flight controls. “Alright. It’s time to play the hero again.”
Pulling the throttle lever back, Hider followed both pilots of Red Squadron as they hurried to their leader. Again, he flew fast. So fast that Sweetie clung onto her seat for dear life again. A part of him felt a bit sorry for the mare, but he had little choice. If he didn’t hurry, the Staff Sergeant and the other pilot might perish. Still, he couldn’t ignore the mare’s plight
“You alright Private Candy?” he asked.
“I’m… okay,” Sweetie replied, though her response didn’t seem all that convincing. “Honestly, I think I’m starting to get used to this type of flying.”
“I find it hard to believe when you are holding onto your seat like that,” Hider replied as he glanced back and forth between the nav-computer and space. Despite all that was given to him, there appeared to be no sign of the Sergeant and his co-pilot. “These homing beacons aren’t as useful as I’d thought they’d be. Kriff, I can’t see a dang thing out here!”
“I don’t see anything either. How the heck are we going to find the Staff Sergeant and the other pilot with all this mess going on?”
Watch your left!
“Huh? Did you say something, Private?”
Sweetie shook her head. “No, I didn’t.”
“Then what the heck did I hear?” Hider questioned as he tried to make sense of what had happened. At first, he thought someone may have tried to contact him via comm-link, but the ship’s nav-computer recorded no such log. Strange. The voice he heard sounded oddly familiar.
Suddenly, a new transmission came from the comm-link. And with it, a familiar voice. “This is Staff Sergeant Dabrato speaking. Can anyone hear me! I need immediate assistance, pronto!”
“Got you,” Hider said with a smirk. Wanting to make immediate contact, he quickly pressed a button on the nav-computer. “Sergeant Dabrato, can you hear me? This is Captain Louhun speaking.”
“Louhun! Oh, thank the Force it’s you. I feared the worst after I lost contact with you and the others after we got separated. I assume First Airmen Heidi and Ersha are with you?”
“Yes, they are. I saved their sorry butts a short while ago.”
“Then can you please save mine? I’m currently being tailed right now!”
“Is the other pilot with you by any chance?”
“He’s been with me ever since we got separated, Louhun. Now, hurry up and get moving. We don’t have much time!”
“You don’t have to tell me, twice,” Hider said as he steered his ship toward the Sergeant’s location. Hider could not see the Twi’lek’s ship though, nor could he locate the other pilot given all the chaos happening around him. The saving grace he had was the map on his nav-computer, but even that didn’t help him much. Regardless, he pushed forward.
Pull up!
Hider blinked. There it was again! That voice!
Hider Louhun you need to pull up now!
Acting on instinct, Hider swiftly pulled the throttle lever back, causing his ship to immediately pull up. It was a dangerous maneuver, pulling up his baby like that. Not only is it bad for his ship, but it was also bad for the passengers as well. The sudden movement caused the back of his head to slam right into the hard metal headrest on his seat.
And boy did that hurt. He seriously needed new cushions on these seats. But he had to count himself lucky that he and Private Drops were wearing seatbelts; otherwise, they’d be flying off their seats.
T3-G4 may not be so fortunate though. The droid may have fallen down or rolled backward and hit the wall. He’ll probably have to apologize to the tin can later.
“Hider, what was that for?” Sweetie asked as she rubbed the back of her head. She too was also affected by his actions.
“Sorry, Private Candy, but instinct told me that I needed to pull up,” Hider replied, though what he said was a bit of a lie. How the heck was he supposed to explain to her that a voice in his head told him to do what he did? The look on Sweetie’s face, however, told him that she wasn’t buying it.
Before she could say something though, something immediately caught her attention as she stared out the cockpit window. “Hey, was the moon always that close?” she asked.
Confused, Hider looked out at the cockpit window as well, but was immediately greeted by a large blue beam firing in his direction. The beam had missed its mark, but seeing the dang thing made the former criminal panic and pull his ship up even higher.
“Holy kriff!” he shouted just as the blue beam began to slowly fade away. He looked in the general direction on where the beam came from and gasped as the moon was relatively close.
Seeing this, he quickly contacted Red Squadron. “This is Captain Hider Louhun speaking. Can anyone from Red Squadron hear me?”
Seeing this, he quickly contacted Red Squadron. “This is Captain Hider Louhun speaking. Can anyone from Red Squadron hear me?”
“This is Staff Sergeant Dabrato, speaking. I’m fine.”
“Senior Airman Zeck Ne, reporting in. Everything is a-okay.”
“Airman First Class Heidi is here. My ship is unharmed.”
“Airman First Class Ersha reporting. I'm fine but can somebody tell me why the moon is somehow closer to us than before?”
“That’s what I’d like to know!” Hider exclaimed. “But that’s not important right now. Staff Sergeant Dabrato, Senior Airman Zeck Ne, what happened to the starfighters who have been tailing you?”
“Destroyed, Captain. From what I can tell, they got caught in the blue beam’s crossfire. I’d count myself lucky, but it looks like that last attack from the moon princess affected both sides,” the Sergeant explained. “I just got a sit-rep from Admiral Karath too. It looks like the beam managed to hit one of our frigates.
“What? How badly was it damaged?”
“From what we know, the blast has caused the frigate’s shields to drop considerably. If it was hit with another one of those beams again or if the Mandalorians decide to attack it, it’ll be destroyed.”
Hider groaned. “Jeez, between the Mandalorians and the moon princess, I can’t tell which is worse. It doesn’t help that the moon is somehow closer than before.”
“Hey, uh… guys,” said First Airman Heidi on the other line. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but have you all noticed that one of the Mandalorian flagships is flying relatively close to the moon?”
“Excuse me?” replied the Staff Sergeant. “Heidi what in the Force are you talking about?”
“Just look at the moon, Sergeant and you will see! I don’t know how they managed, but the Mandalorians have gotten one of their flagships close to that deathtrap!”
Hider raised an eyebrow. Just what on earth is this woman blabbering about? Wanting to know the truth for himself, he glanced over to the moon and, to his shock, saw that one of the Mandalorian flagships had somehow managed to get close to it despite all the fighting going on.
Sweetie Drops saw this as well. “What in Equestria are they doing?” she asked.
“Nothing good from what I can tell,” Hider replied. His response drew a curious stare from the Private, forcing the former criminal to elaborate. “Given the way that they’re positioning their ship, it looks like they’re planning something big.”
“And what’s this big thing they are planning?”
“Well, I’m not an expert on Praetorian-class frigates, but I think that the Mandalorians have had just about enough of Princess Moony. Given who they are positioning their ship, it looks like they are going to bombard the moon.”
Sweetie’s jaw slacked. “They’re going to do what!” she shouted out loud, which caused Hider to cover his ears. Yeah, he should’ve expected her to react like that. But did she really have to shout though? He’s literally sitting right next to her. “Bombard the moon? What in Equestria do you mean when you say they’re bombarding the moon!”
“Keep your dang voice down, Private Candy. My cockpit isn’t exactly soundproof you know!” Hider rebuked. “And I meant what I said. The Mandalorians are planning to bombard the moon in hopes they can get rid of Princess Moony.”
“W-what? But… but they can’t do that!”
“It’s war, Private Candy! They can do whatever the heck they want!” Hider argued back. “Also, you’re getting too worked up over nothing. I mean, sure, I can get upset if the Mandalorians were blowing up my home planet’s moon, but what I don’t get is why are you so concerned about Princess Moony.”
“She is Princess Celestia’s sister! She can’t just die like this!”
“Um, okay. But why are you defending a pony that tried to violently take over your own nation several centuries ago? Unless your Princess is willing to let bygones be bygones, I don’t think it’s wise to throw a welcome home party to a dangerous pony. Especially one who has the ability to destroy a Praetorian-class frigate no less!”
Sweetie opened her mouth to reply, but no answer came as her mouth began to stutter. It looked like the mare wanted to say something, but she couldn’t. Either because she could not find a counter argument or there is something that she knows but isn’t sure she is permitted to say it. “It’s complicated, Hider,” she said, finally.
Hider raised an eyebrow. “Complicated how?”
“It’s just… you wouldn’t understand.”
“Understand what?” Hider questioned. Before he could get an answer, however, something had caught his attention out in space. A glint of light coming from the Mandalorian flagship. First there was one, then two, then three. And then suddenly, the enemy flagship began to glow a bright red and orange color. It was almost as if the ship was on fire, but Hider knew otherwise.
Then it happened. A volley of turbo lasers rained down on the moon’s surface, leaving Hider shocked. As an ace pilot, he had never seen so much firepower before, even when he was a cadet in the Republic Navy. This was different. The amount of firepower coming from that flagship would lay waste to a city planet. And the barrage seemed endless. It’s as if the Mandalorians were dead set on eliminating the thorn on their side.
Though to be fair, they’d be doing the Republic a favor as well.
“Princess Luna,” muttered Sweetie Drops as she stared at the spectacle front of her. Hider took a quick glimpse at her and noticed the look of horror on her face. Her expression turning even more grim as their enemies continued their assault.
Seeing her devastated expression made Hider frown. “I’m sorry, Private Candy. I don’t know what you or that Sun Princess were planning but I’m sorry for your loss. Danger to our Navy or not, nobody deserves to have that happen to them. All we can do now is hope that Princess Moony will have some peace in the afterlife, if there is one.”
“That’s… a surprisingly mature thing to say,” said Sweetie Drops as she wiped a tear from her eye.
Hider didn’t bother to reply, believing that there wasn’t anything else that needed to be said. Best not to linger about Princess Moony’s death for too long as they were still in a warzone.
As he reached for the ship’s control panel, something immediately caught the former criminal’s eye. It was small and difficult to see, but a glint of blue light stood out in the empty void of space.
“Hey, you saw that, right?” Sweetie asked him. It appeared that she too saw the faint glimmer of light. “That light. It looked like it came from the moon.”
“The moon?” Hider replied.
Suddenly, it appeared. A blue beam, almost as big as the warship itself, collided with the enemy flagship. The impact caused the ship to violently tilt backward. It’s saving grace being that of the ship’s energy shields. But even that didn’t last long as the beam eventually pierced through and damaged the ship’s exterior.
Hider’s jaw dropped. While the beam didn’t pierce the ship completely, the fact that Nightmare Moon somehow survived the bombardment was bewildering to say the least. No that was an understatement. More like impossible to begin with! Just who the heck is this Moon Princess? Aside from the Sun Princess, are there more ponies like her? Can Lyra become just as powerful too?
His thoughts, however, were interrupted as he overheard a panicked member of Red Squadron shouting over the comm-link. “Hey, uh, you all saw that right? You all saw that right? What the kriff happened just now!”
Immediately, Sergeant Dabrato could be heard over the line. He attempted to calm his squad member down, but judging by his voice, Hider could tell that he was also surprised by this sudden turn of events. “S-settle down, Ersha. N-now isn’t the time to be panicking right now!”
“But Sergeant, what are we going to do? How the heck are we supposed to fight against that raging moon princess? She’ll obliterate us in seconds!”
Hider sighed. Just a short while ago, this woman was eager to take the fight against the moon princess, but after seeing how powerful this Nightmare Moon was, it gave her second thoughts. How typical. Deciding that now would be a good time to talk, Hider spoke directly into his comm-link.
“Let’s forget about Princess Moony and just move on with our objective. We can’t do anything about her, but we can deal with the Mandalorians,” he said. “Escape pods are going to be flying out of that doomed flagship soon. If any of them reach the planet, we’ll risk endangering the local populace.”
“The Captain’s right. Focus on what we can now, and we’ll deal with Nightmare Moon later,” said Sergeant Dabrato on the other line. “Red Squadron, focus your attention on that doomed enemy flagship. Do not let any escape pod slip by us! I repeat, do not let them go through!”
Hider cracked a smile. His words seemed to have settled the Sergeant down. For just a moment, the former criminal actually did not mind being a leader. It felt good. “Alright, Red Squadron. Our target is that doomed flagship and any escape pod that flies out of it,” he barked. The smile never left his lips as he gave his team their orders. “Let’s move out!”