Chapter I - "A Narrow Escape"
STAR WARS
EMPIRE'S EDGE
Written by: Chadbane
Chapter I - "A Narrow Escape"
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...
A modified VCX-100 corellian light freighter jumped out of hyperspace along with a small fleet of rebel star ships. Dubbed the "Ghost" by its captain, Hera Syndulla, the VCX-100 moved into attack position and locked onto one of the three Imperial freighters in the convoy coming up on its scopes.
"This is Phoenix leader to Commando Sato," Hera said, her eyes fixed on the approaching targets. "We're in position now. Awaiting your signal."
"Copy that, Phoenix Leader," Commander Sato's voice crackled over the com channel. "Commence the attack."
Hera pushed the Ghost forward and dived between two of the Imperial freighters as a squadron of A-Wings followed suit. The Imperial convoy, although not defenseless, was completely caught off guard as the rebels initiated their attack. With the element of surprise on their side, the rebels needed to hit the convoy with everything they had before the Empire could retaliate. Unfortunately, the Imperial Officer in charge of overseeing the convoy was quick to respond to the threat.
"Launch all fighters!" cried the Officer, bracing himself against one of the chairs in the cockpit as a barrage of laser fire shook his transport. "I want an immediate counterattack! Inform the nearest outpost we're in need of reinforcements!"
Less than a minute later, several of the TIE fighters that had been docked below the freighters in the convoy deployed from their transports and began to engage the rebels in ship-to-ship combat. Soon the space surrounding the Imperial gozanti freighters was littered with TIE fighters chasing rebel star ships. Hera was impressed that the Empire's ability to retaliate had improved dramatically compared to their last raid. Initially, the main freighters in the convoy would have lost half their fighters by now. As Hera came around for another pass, Kanan, her longtime friend and co-pilot, chuckled to himself from behind the controls of the topside turret on the Ghost.
"This is where the fun begins." smirked the ex-Jedi.
"Fighters coming in at two-ten!” called Hera from the cockpit.
"I see 'em."
Kanan whipped his turret around and opened fire. A few moments later, a TIE Interceptor, one of the newer star fighter models being produced by the Empire, burst into flames as a second TIE fighter banked to the left in an attempt to avoid a similar fate. Although the pilot succeeded at first in his attempts to avoid Kanans laser fire, he had no such luck avoiding the rebel star ship that came up from behind. It quickly reduced him to space dust as Kanan watched on.
"Hey!" he cried as he watched a familiar VCX-series auxiliary star fighter zoomed past his turret dome. "That was mine!"
"Then try hitting him next time, will yah?" shot back the voice of Sabine, another member of the Ghost crew, over the com. "There's a targeting system on your console for a reason!"
"Hey, you try knocking off a few fighters when your pilot is going this speed."
"I heard that!" echoed Hera's voice from the cockpit.
Kanan chuckled.
"I know you did."
The Ghost made a complete one-eighty and started its third attack run. By now, most of the TIE Fighters had been deployed from the Imperial fighters, leaving the space surrounding the convoys littered with A-Wings engaging them in dogfights. As Hera dodged an incoming barrage of laser fire from a trio of Interceptors, she barrel-rolled the Ghost over an Imperial freighter and knocked out two of its turrets with the Ghost's nose cannon.
"Phoenix Leader to Commander Sato," said Hera, hailing the rebel command ship. "The center Imperial freighter is vulnerable. I'm starting my final attack run."
"Copy that, Captain Syndulla," Sato's voice replied over the intercom. "Finish your attack run then pull back to a safe distance. According the the information we intercepted, that freighter is carrying a large shipment of coaxium! You don't want to get caught in the blast radius of a volatile fuel like that!"
"Acknowledged, Commander. Phoenix leader, out."
Hera piloted the Ghost though the glowing particles of another recently-disintegrated TIE Fighter and whipped the ship around. After aligning the Ghost's nose cannon with the Imperial freighter she desired, Hera opened fire—but not before a trio of enemy TIE's came up on her flank and did the same. Green lasers splashed against the Ghost's shields, forcing Hera to bank her ship to the left and break off the attack. As she skimmed the top of the Imperial Gozanti freighter that was her target, she pulled back on the Ghost's controls and launched the ship into a steep climb.
Unfortunately, the pilots in the TIE fighters chasing her were not unfamiliar with this maneuver. As the Twi'lek reached the pivotal moment of her climb, each perusing fighter, one after the other, landed a direct hit on the Ghost within seconds. The result was a potent explosion that rocked the Ghost to its core. Kanan did his best to swat the fighters as they broke off their attack to avoid his laster fire, but the damage had already been done. The ship had lost something important.
"Karabast!" Zeb, the Ghost Crew's local Lasat, swore. "They just took out our internal com systems!"
Zeb was acting as Hera' co-pilot, even though he wasn't very good at it. To be fair, he had had some experience acting as a co-pilot thanks to previous engagements, but Hera doubted that he was the man (or in this case the Lasat) for the job of fixing the com systems. Wheeling around in her chair, Hera looked at the old C1 astromech droid they called Chopper and frowned.
"Chopper," she said, staring intensely into the droid's visual receptors. "I need you to fix the internal com systems so can I can coordinate our attack. How soon do you think you can have that up and running again?"
Chopper replied in the only language he was capable of speaking—binary.
"No, that won't do at all." Hera frowned to herself. "If you can't fix the internal com systems sooner then that, then I'll need you to go down stairs and tell Ezra that I'm coming around for another pass. The nose cannon isn't responding to my controls up here. Can you do that for me, Chopper?"
Chopper grunted and pointed an accusing metal claw at Hera's copilot, Zeb.
"No, Chopper," Hera growled at the old grumpy astromech. "I need Zeb up here in case anything else goes dead. Now go—before I pull your battery!"
Chopper muttered a curse beneath his metaphorical breath and reluctantly did as he was told. Although servitude to organics was the primary function of all astromechs, Chopper never found the task of being a messenger boy particularly appealing. As the rusty old astromech rolled into the cockpit of the nose cannon where Ezra Bridger was working the controls, he grumbled something in his binary language and approached the young man.
"What is it, Chopper?" asked Ezra without bothering to turn around. "I'm a little busy right now."
The droid scoffed and gave his reply.
"The com is down?" Ezra turned around and looked over his seat. "Then why haven't you fixed it yet?"
Chopper grumbled indignantly at the question then relayed the information he was asked to.
"What? The nose cannon is in position! What do you think I've been doing down here?"
Suddenly, the Ghost rattled as a flash of laser fire splashed against its shields. Ezra, who at this point was practically sitting backwards in his seat, fell rearwards against the controls as a TIE Fighter flew past the turret dome and out of sight.
"Karabast!" Ezra swore, using Zeb's signature word out of pure instinct. "See what happens when you distract me? Now get back up to the cockpit and fix that com!"
Chopper put his arms to his side and scolded the boy firmly.
"I am watching my language! Now go!"
The droid chuckled to himself and did as he was told. Rolling back into the cockpit a few moments later, Chopper plugged into a panel on the wall and begun to repair the com systems as quickly as he could. Hera, noticing his return, looked over her shoulder and smiled inwardly as she watched the droid reluctantly complete his tasks. She didn't usually say anything nice to Chopper--not even in private--but she reminded herself to thank him for his diligence after the mission was over.
"Ezra," said Hera, testing the coms. "Ezra, do you read?"
"Loud and clear." the boy replied after a moment of static. "What's the plan?"
"I'm going to shake some of these TIE Fighters off our back. With some luck, I may be able to line up a few shots for Kanan," Hera raised her voice so that Kanan could hear her down the hallway. "so that he can finally hit something!"
"Hey, I already told you you're going too fast!" the ex-Jedi's voice echoed back. "Besides, I just dusted three off our tail. You're welcome, by the way!"
Ezra chuckled to himself behind the controls of the Ghost's nose cannon as his two favorite grown-ups went back and forth. As usual, their voices were light and teasing—they knew how to keep their heads cool in the middle of a firefight.
"Maybe internal coms should have stayed offline." Ezra grinned, executing his own attempt at levity. "Then I wouldn't hear you two flirting so much."
"Not now, Ezra!" both Hera and Kanan cried in unison.
"Sorry."
"Hate to interrupt your little chat," Zeb interjected. "But we just picked up another group of signals."
Hera looked over her instruments and found that Zeb was reading them correctly. The scanners on the Ghost indicated that another five or six TIE Fighters had just deployed from the forward Imperial Freighter.
"More fighters?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "That's unusual. They're engaging us instead of protecting their convoy. They're leaving their freighters vulnerable."
"Maybe they know what the freighters are carrying." Zeb reasoned. "Coaxium isn't exactly something you want to be around when it goes off."
"Who cares?" Kanan remarked. "Makes things easier for us."
"I don't know about that," Hera replied with a smirk. "But I do know we'll be occupied with these fighters for a while. It’s almost like they're trying to stall us."
Hera paused as her mind registered the words she had just spoken.
"It's almost like they're trying to stall us..." she whispered to herself.
Her eyes went wide.
"They're trying to stall us!"
"...Come again?" came Kanan's voice over the intercom.
Hera ignored the question and turned to Zeb.
"Zeb, pick up the long range scanners. Focus past the incoming fighters and tell me what you find."
Zeb nodded and did as he was told.
"Hera, talk to me," came Kanan's voice over the intercom again. "What's going on?"
"I don't know yet," Hera admitted. "But I've got a bad feeling about this. Zeb, tell me you have good news."
"Uh..." the Lasat rubbed the back of his neck with his right hand. "Don't know yet. Still trying to focus past the fighters. Hang on." Zeb began to twist a nob to the left of the screen in front of him. "Yeah, I don't think I'm gettin' anywhere with this. The red light means they're jamming our signal, right?"
Hera's face went pale.
"Zeb, how long has that light been there?"
Zeb's ears went back.
"Uh... ten minutes, I think? That's not bad, is it?"
Hera's expression turned to that of sheer horror.
"They knew we were coming..." she whispered. "They knew we were coming!"
"What?" Zeb looked to Hera. "What are you saying?"
Hera pulled up on the Ghost and dodged the enemy TIE Fighters coming at her head on. She didn't have time to explain. Right now, she needed to save as many lives as possible.
"All ships, break off the attack!" cried Hera over the com channel. "Enemy reinforcement's inbound! I repeat, all ship's break off the attack!"
Instantly the com flooded with chatter.
"I get no reading," came Sabine's voice among a plethora of others. "You sure?"
"All ships, pull out!" Hera repeated. "I repeat, all ships pull out!"
"What? Hera!" Zeb turned in his seat. "What's going on?"
Hera looked at Zeb with worry in her eyes.
"It's—"
She was cut off by the sound of three Star Destroyers jumping out of hyperspace. The large vessels approaching the battle cast shadows over the the rebels ships like a shroud of darkness.
"Oh," muttered Zeb as he looked upon the Imperial reinforcements. "It's a trap."
Agent Kallus stood on the bridge of the Imperial Victory-Class Star Destroyer the Resurgence and gazed out its window. As the warship jumped out of hyperspace, he folded his hands and concentrated on the occupied space before him. The upcoming battle required his complete concentration. The new Inquisitor had made sure to communicate that much.
"Agent Kallus," one of the bridge officers working the controls of the Resurgence below him spoke up. "Star Destroyer's Maelstrom and Reclaimer have just jumped out of hyperspace and are in position to join us in the attack. Awaiting your orders, sir."
"Good,"Agent Kallus replied, turning around. "The trap has been sprung. Lieutenant, launch all fighters then target their command ship. Maximum Firepower!"
"Yes, sir."
Agent Kallus returned to staring out the window as the officers below him relayed their orders. A moment later, a flash of green lights compelled him to wince as a plethora of turbolaser's opened fire. In virtually no time at all, a rebel star ship, distinctly that of a blockade runner, went up in flames and succumbed to the Imperial firepower. As the star destroyers locked onto their next target, Agent Kallus frowned as yet another rebel star ship threw itself in the way of the their command ship and sacrificed itself for the leaders of its cause. Although a suicidal tactic, Agent Kallus found it to be quite noble.
'So eager to die for such a futile cause,' he thought to himself. 'Why? What sense of purpose drives these traitors to give up their own live so cavalierly? How many more must perish before they see the error of their ways?'
It was a question Agent Kallus found himself asking more and more. Though he would never admit it aloud, something about this small group of rebels made him question his own loyalty. Of course Agent Kallus was willing to give up his life for the Empire, but the more suffering he saw in the galaxy wrought about by the Empire, the more he questioned his place in it. For nearly his entire life, he had been told the Empire was established to maintain peace and justice in the galaxy; but if that were true, why did everything they do feel so... unjust? Agent Kallus gave a sigh. He didn’t know the answer to that. Or perhaps he did but it was hard to except the truth? In any case, he had to admit his confidence in the Empire had been shaken. It didn't help either when he found himself constantly under the supervision of Inquisitors—especially the inquisitor he found himself working beside on this assignment.
"You have done well, Agent Kallus," a demonic voice amplified through the speakers of a mask came from behind. "The rebels are trapped. They will not escape us this time."
Agent Kallus tried not to scoff. Typical Inquisitors. They always assumed too much.
"Thank you, Inquisitor," said Agent Kallus coolly, turning around. "But had it not been for you approving my tactics, none of this would have been possible. Your leadership style allows for more flexibility than my previous superiors."
Agent Kallus learned from his previous experiences with force users that most inquisitors had quite an ego. Whenever they got involved in imperial military affairs, there were bound to be aching toes in the ranks. To avoid this common outcome to the best of his ability, Agent Kallus had decided to exercise a new tactic he picked up called flattery.
Regrettably, it wasn't working as well as he had hoped it would.
"Yes...," the Inquisitor replied, folding his hands behind his back. "There is no doubt that our relationship thus far has been... beneficial. But do not presume by flattering me that you will achieve my favor. Although you will find that I value my resources much more profoundly than your previous superiors, I have no tolerance for those who fail me. You shall be treated as any other—regardless of rank."
The dark figure standing before Agent Kallus was a human, but not completely organic. Cybernetics and traditional Inquisitor armor melded together to take the place of natural flesh and bone. A durasteel mask, fitted with electronics and two glowing red eyes, covered the cyborgs face like the lid of a coffin resembling the skull of an alien Kaleesh. The Inquisitor's appearance, like Darth Vader's, was designed to instill fear. But Agent Kallus was not afraid of him. Fear was not what drove him to do his job. His loyalty to the Empire was.
"Of course, Inquisitor." Agent Kallus nodded, respectfully. "My apologies."
The Inquisitor 'humphed' and strode past Kallus to gaze out the window.
"Do not apologize, Agent," he replied, fixing his eyes on the battle taking place beyond the glass. "We've only just been acquainted two cycles ago. It would be a shame for you to get on my bad side so easily."
To this, Agent Kallus did not reply. Instead, he took a step forward and joined the Inquisitor in gazing out the window.
"They're a resilient little bunch, aren't they?" he commented, hoping to change the subject. "After the blows they've been dealt by Darth Vader and your fellow Inquisitors, their resolve to resist us is still as strong as ever. Impressive."
The Inquisitor lifted a brow.
"You admire them, Agent?" he asked, a hint of disgust in his voice. But the Inquisitor's tone quickly changed after he turned to Agent Kallus and studied his face. "...Interesting." commented the Inquisitor as he returned to staring out the viewport. "You have piqued my curiosity. Tell me, what do you admire about them?"
Agent Kallus frowned to himself and considered how to reply.
"There is only one thing, Inquisitor," he admitted after a moment of silence. "One thing I have never seen any other rebel possess so dearly."
The Inquisitor paused, then looked at Agent Kallus very hard.
"And what would that be, Agent Kallus?"
Agent Kallus met the Inquisitor's gaze with his own.
"Hope."
The Inquisitor stared into Agent Kallus' eyes for a long time before silently turning to leave.
"I'll have Admiral Konstantine join you on the bridge," he said. "Pay your rebel friends your final respects. Their crusade against the Empire ends today."
"Jory!" cried Sabine as an A-Wing flying ahead of the Phantom burst into flames. "Blast it!" She pulled up on the controls of the Phantom and dodged the debris just in time. A plethora of TIE Fighters had just joined the battle minuets earlier, and judging by the rate Phoenix squadron was being depleted, it wasn't going to last very much longer. The airspace around Sabine's VCX auxiliary star fighter was becoming more and more congested. She needed to find a way out—and fast.
"Phoenix Seven to Phoenix Two," Sabine's intercom crackled as she dodged a barrage of incoming laser fire. "These TIE's are all over me! I can't shake 'em!"
"Hang in there, Phoenix Seven!" cried Sabine as she picked up her visual scanners, searching for her friend. "I'm coming around to assist!"
"Hurry, Sabine! They just took out my starboard engine!"
Sabine spotted a lone A-wing some distance away from her position with a squadron of TIE Fighters in hot pursuit.
"I have you in my sights!" cried Sabine, pushing her vessel forwards. "I'm almost there!"
"It's too hot! I'm taking too much damage! My shields aren't—Aggh!"
Static came up on Sabine's intercom as a ball of orange flames erupted from the cockpit of the A-wing coming up on her scopes.
"Phoenix Seven?" Sabine tried her com as the fighter began to spin and plummet towards a rebel freighter below. "Rubyn, do you copy?"
There was no reply. Phoenix Seven was no more.
"Hera!" Sabine panicked, her body instinctively operating the controls of the star fighter. "Things aren't looking good out here! Tell me you have a plan to get us out of here!"
"Working on it, Sabine," Hera's voice came back over the com. "With all the TIE's I've got on my back, the only thing I think we can do is a thirty-two pick up. How are your shields doing up there?"
"A thirty-two pick up?" Sabine cried, ignoring the question. "Are you crazy?!"
"Now's not the time to argue, Sabine! Get the Phantom ready for evac!"
Sabine cried angrily as she banked her ship to the left and dodged an incoming fighter.
"Ugh! Fine! I'll rondevu with you on the other side of the center Imperial freighter. If it's transporting as much coaxium as our intel told us, I can't imagine these bucket-heads would risk wiping out the rest of their convoy by hitting it!"
"Good thinking, Sabine!" Hera replied. "I'll see you there. Phoenix leader, out!"
Sabine pushed the Phantom forward through the flames of a TIE Fighter and emerged on the other side. She still had a long way to go before she reached the central Imperial freighter on the other end of the airspace, but she knew she could make it; provided she didn't get blasted when she rerouted power from her shields to her engines.
"Karabast," whispered the girl, using Zeb's signature swear word. "Here we go again!"
The Ghost barrel-rolled through a trio of TIE Fighters as they strafed past the window of the cockpit and flipped around to join their comrades in pursuit of the Ghost.
"Ezra!" Hera cried into the internal communication systems of the Ghost. "Kanan's going to keep those fighters off our back for as long as he can. I need you to prep the auxiliary deck for a thirty-two pick up! We're getting Sabine aboard now!"
"A thirty-two pick up?" the boy's voice came over the intercom. "Oh! Right! You got it, Hera!"
"Good man!" Hera replied. "Kanan, how are you doing back there? The shields are holding, but we're still taking damage!"
"Not good!" the ex-Jedi responded. "There's more fighters back here than I can count! How soon before we reach the rondevu with Sabine?"
"Just a few minutes! Now keep those fighters busy as long as you can!"
"What do you think I've been doing?!"
Suddenly, the Ghost took a direct hit to the stern. An explosion rocked the ship with a surprising amount of potency.
"What the—" Hera frowned, looking to Zeb. "What did we lose?"
The Lasat growled at the control panel in front of him.
"I don't know! Can someone tell me what all these blinking lights mean?!"
Chopper chuckled to himself as he rolled up behind Zeb and plugged into the control panel.
"Agh!" Zeb snarled. "I hear one more word out of your rusty innards, and I'll shove that antenna spike right up your—"
Chopper interrupted Zeb with an update for Hera.
"Hyperdrive coolant? Are you kidding me?!" the Twi'lek cried. "Wheel on back to the engine room and see if you can't lock it down! We're going to need that hyperdrive operational if we want this escape plan to work!"
Chopper acknowledged the order and turned to leave.
"Ugh," Zeb face palmed. "I can't believe we have to rely on Chopper."
"Not now, Zeb!" Hera cried. "I need you to focus! What's the status on those rear deflector shields?"
"They're recharging," the Lasat replied. "At least, that's what this blinking yellow light means, right?"
Hera glanced at Zeb's control panel and narrowed her eyes.
"Right," she muttered, more to herself than her temporary co-pilot. "That's exactly what it means. Next time we're on a hit-and-run mission, remind me not to pick you as my co-pilot."
Zeb shook his head.
"Fine by me."
Hera pulled up on the Ghost and spun the ship around, losing a couple of the TIE Fighters in the process.
"Sabine," Hera tried the com-channel. "We're nearing the rondevu now. Is the Phantom ready for pick up?"
"Ready as she'll ever be!" came back the voice of Sabine.
"Good," Hera frowned, concentrating on the point of interest with narrowed eyes. "Then we'll see you there. Hera, out."
Hera flipped the Ghost upside down and dived over the top of the Imperial freighter in the center of the convoy. Pushing the nose of the Ghost upwards, Hera piloted the Ghost down the side of the ship to the underbelly of the freighter where the Phantom was waiting for her. The TIE Fighters pursuing Hera and her friends were distracted by this maneuver just long enough for the plan to work, but not before a couple of their green lasers splashed against the Ghost and reverberated throughout the vessel.
Hera grunted and pushed the Ghost forward before anymore Imperial lasers could make their mark. She would have to inspect the damage later. Hopefully they didn't lose anything too important..
"Ezra," Hera used the Ghost's internal communications system. "How's Sabine? Did she make it aboard yet?"
"Safe and sound," Ezra replied. "But I, uh... I don't know about the Phantom. There's a lot of smoke."
"Don't worry about the Phantom! Just make sure you and Sabine get to your stations! We're not out of this yet!"
"Roger!"
Hera looked out the cockpit window and scowled at the battle waging before her. Another swarm of TIE Fighters had just deployed from the Imperial star destroyer that was stopping the rebel fleet from escaping the ambush. At first, it looked like the rebels were trapped; but then Hera spotted an opportunity in the Empires defenses that she couldn't pass up.
"Commander Sato," Hera said over the com-channel. "I can see an opening in the Star Destroyer's defenses directly in front of you. If you divert all your remaining power to your engines, I think you can make a clean getaway through that gap!"
"Negative, Captain Syndulla!" Commander Sato's voice crackled over the com channel. "If we divert all power to the main engines, we'll be cut apart by the guns on those Star Destroyers! We need a new tactic!"
"No, Commander, listen to me! If you divert all power to the main engines and head for that gap, I can draw the Empire's fire until you're clear of the fight! This may be the only chance you have to escape! The alliance needs you, Commander!"
A brief silence followed.
"Very well, Captain Syndulla," came Commander Sato's voice at last. "We're diverting all remaining power to the engines now. May the force be with you!"
"You too, Commander! Phoenix leader, out!"
Hera adjusted the direction of the Ghost and pushed it towards the Star Destroyer obstructing the rebels path. To any regular spacer with half-a-mind for self-preservation, the action looked like suicide. To Hera, however, the maneuver would only prove to ensure an opportunity.
"Zeb," Hera frowned, gazing out the cockpit window in complete concentration. "I need you to go into the back and check on that hyperdrive. We're gonna need it!"
Agent Kallus watched from the bridge of the Resurgence as the battle intensified outside. Another rebel star ship went down in flames as he looked on.
"Sir," a deck officer below him spoke up. "Our scanners indicate that the forward rebel command ship has dropped its shields. We believe it may be attempting to flee."
Agent Kallus narrowed his eyes.
"A foolish tactic. Their desperation is going to be their undoing. Captain, target that vessel and open fire the moment they're in range!"
"Yes, sir."
Agent Kallus turned as the doors to the bridge whooshed open behind him. The Inquisitor stepped through along with Admiral Konstantine, who up until now had not overseen the battle from the bridge.
"What's the situation, Agent?" the Inquisitor asked as he and the Admiral slowly approached Kallus with their arms folded behind their backs. "I trust everything is going as planned?"
"The rebel fleet is nearly destroyed, Inquisitor." Agent Kallus replied. "We're dealing with the rebel's command ship now."
A deck officer below spoke up and interrupted before the Inquisitor could reply.
"Sir, we just picked up the signal of a VCX-100 corellian light freight heading this way. It may be trying to escape along with the rebel command ship."
Agent Kallus turned to the window as the Inquisitor came up behind him and did the same.
"It's the Ghost," Agent Kallus remarked. "The Jedi known as Kanan Jarrus is aboard that ship."
"Kanan Jarrus? Then we should waste no time," remarked Admiral Konstantine turning to the officers below him. "Lock onto that vessel and open fire! I don't want a single ship to escape!"
The Inquisitor frowned.
"Delay that order, Admiral." he said, turning to leave. "It is but one vessel. I'll deal with these rebels myself."
Agent Kallus and Admiral Konstantine watched as the Inquisitor exited the bridge. The doors closed behind him with a sudden hiss.
"Agent? Admiral?" one of the officers below Kallus and Konstantine spoke up after a moment of silence. "Orders?"
Agent Kallus frowned and returned to gazing out the window.
"...Shields up." he muttered. "Contain the Ghost with a minimal amount of laser fire. The Inquisitor wants wants to play hunter; so let him play."
Hera gazed through the window of the cockpit with narrowed eyes as the Ghost continued to absorb laser fire. Although the Ghost had already sustained a substantial amount of damage, Hera was determined to get the rebel command ship through the blockade even if it cost her her life. It was her reason to exist. Her purpose.
But some aboard her ship did not feel the same way.
"Remind me again why we're engaging an imperial star destroyer head on?" Kanan asked as he stumbled into the cockpit. "Usually we try to avoid these things!"
"Kanan!" Hera frowned, glancing over her shoulder. "What are you doing up here?! You're supposed be on that turret repelling those TIE fighters!"
"Zeb's handling it," the ex-Jedi replied, slipping into the seat next to her. "Thought you could use a co-pilot."
Hera was about to respond when all of a sudden the flashes of green in the corner of her eye vanished. The guns on the Imperial star destroyer had stopped firing.
"The guns," Hera whispered, unsettled by the immediate silence. "They've stopped."
Kanan looked over the instruments in front of him and glanced in Hera's direction with a frown.
"Fighters just broke off, too. Something's wrong."
Hera narrowed her eyes.
"Keep your eyes open. Watch out for any surprises."
Kanan nodded.
"Sure thing."
Suddenly, a rapid barrage of lasers hammered the top of the Ghost. The whole transport shook from the volley.
"What the—?" Kanan jumped up from his seat. "Zeb, what are you seeing up there?"
"I don't know!" came the Lasat's voice down the hallway. "It's coming in too fast! Agh! Karabast!"
Kanan began working a computer on the panel to his right.
"Scanners aren't picking up anything. Could be some kind of stealth fighter."
"They're trying to stall us," Hera muttered "They think we're trying to escape with Commander Sato."
"And we aren't?" Kanan asked. He turned to make eye-contact with Hera, but froze when he saw her eyes already fixed on a target in the distance.
"Uh, Hera... what are you planning?"
The Twi'lek didn't immediately respond. Instead, she pushed the Ghost forward and locked the nose cannon in position with the push of a button.
"You'll see," she answered.
Agent Kallus lifted a brow as he watched the Ghost deviate from its original course and charge the bridge of the Resurgence head-on. At first he wondered if the the Ghost actually intended on firing on the bridge, but then something in his stomach told him otherwise. It didn't make sense for them to attack the bridge. Their shields were still up and the Ghost didn't carry the ordinance necessary to penetrate their defenses. If this was at all a serious tactic, then it was most likely nothing more than an attempt to distract them from other important elements of the battle.
Unfortunately, Admiral Konstantine didn't seem to feel the same way—as evidenced by his immediate panic.
"They're moving into attack position!" cried the stupid middle-aged man, taking a step back from the view port. "Ensign, double our bridge deflector shields, now! Transfer all power from our forward batteries!"
Agent Kallus chuckled. He couldn't help it. Sometimes the stupidity of his superiors was beyond him.
"I told the Inquisitor they were resilient." he remarked. In actuality, he wanted to say something to the affect of 'I can't believe how stupid you are,' but he knew that the easily-offended admiral would only take that as insubordination. If he truly wanted to convey the message he wished to effectively, he would have to do so in a clever manner.
"We'll see how resiliant they are when they find themselves in my grasp!" Admiral Konstantine said with a frown. "You—officer!" The admiral pointed pointed to a Lieutenant in the control hub below him. "Warm up the tractor beam and lock onto the Ghost! We'll show those rebels imperial hospitality soon enough!"
"Yes, sir!" the Lieutenant acknowledge with a quick salute.
Agent Kallus chuckled again.
"The tractor beam, Admiral? I thought you had learned to do better than that."
Admiral Konstantine growled in reply. "And what would you have me do, Agent? Let them escape?"
"Yes," Agent Kallus replied, coolly. "That's precisely what I'd have you do."
Admiral Konstantine stopped in his tracks. He had not been expecting that answer at all.
"...Explain yourself."
"There are but five rebels aboard that ship. Six if you count the droid. If I were you, I'd disregard it altogether and target the command ship attempting to flee behind it. The Inquisitor can handle the Ghost."
Admiral Konstantine went back to gazing out the window as he considered the advice. After a moment of careful contemplation, he made a decision and turned to the officers in the control hub.
"Very well. We'll target the rebel command ship. Lieutenant, is the tractor beam online yet?"
"Yes, sir," the officer below him spoke up. "She's ready now."
"Good." said Admiral Konstantine, folding his hands behind his back. "Then all we have to do is wait."
Agent Kallus frowned.
"Your overconfidence in that device will be your undoing."
"The rebel leaders are worth far more to us alive than dead," Konstantine replied with a smirk. "Without their turrets to defend them, they'll be ours before they can retaliate. Make no mistake, Agent. My confidence is well founded."
Agent Kallus crossed his arms.
"We will see, Admiral. We will see..."
"Hang on!" Hera cried as another flurry of laser bolts flashed across the cockpit window. "That stealth fighter is causing a lot of a damage!"
"You're telling me!" said Kanan as he looked over the instruments in front of him. "Rear deflector shields are down to five percent!"
"We'll have to manage! Right now, we have more important things to worry about! Commander Sato, do you read?"
"Copy that, Captain Syndulla!" Commander Sato's voice crackled over the intercom. "Is everything ready? We've already calibrated our computers for the jump to light speed!"
"There'll be a brief window for you to escape as soon as I hit their tractor beam. You'll have to watch for it as I go in! Don't stop no matter what happens!"
"Very well, Captain Syndulla! May the force be with you!"
Hera narrowed eyes and pushed the Ghost forward. As she sailed over the Resurgence with the stealth fighter behind her in hot pursuit, she flipped the Ghost over and jerked it to the right. The Imperials didn't see what was coming until it was too late. The tractor beam exploded into a glorious ball of green and blue flames.
"Commander Sato, you're all clear!" Hera said, leveling the Ghost out. "We'll see you on the other side! Jump now before it's too late!"
"Copy that, Phoenix leader! Commander Sato, out!"
The rebel command ship disappeared in the blink of an eye. Commando Sato and the rest of the rebel figureheads were safe and sound.
"They made it!" Hera breathed a sigh of relief.
"Now it's our turn!" Kanan remarked. "You ready?"
Hera nodded.
"Hello, lightspeed!"
She pushed a lever to her right. Nothing happened.
"Uh, Hera?" Kanan glanced over at the Twi'lek after a moment of silence. "I think we're in trouble."
The Ghost rattled as the stealth fighter landed another barrage of lasers on their rear deflector shields.
"Yep," Hera agreed. "Big trouble!"
Admiral Konstantine watched as the rebel command ship jumped to lightspeed. The tractor beam had failed him once again. With Agent Kallus's accusing eyes watching his every move, Admiral Konstantine did his best to conceal his embarrassment from making its way onto his face.
He failed gloriously, of course.
"Perhaps," Agent Kallus muttered, breaking the silence. "There are things to be considered next time."
Admiral Konstantine turned away and fixed his collar.
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." he said. Then he walked away and left Kallus in control of the bridge.
"Try resetting the nav-computer!" Hera cried. "The computers can't calculate a jump without it!"
Kanan frantically worked the controls in front of him, but to no avail. .
"I did! It's completely offline!" Kanan replied. "I don't think I can reset it from here!"
"Try fixing it, then!" Hera snapped. "I can't lose that fighter—it's too small!"
Just then, Sabine stumbled into the cockpit and braced herself against one of the chairs.
"Uh, guys?" she asked as sweetly as possible. "Is there a reason we haven't jumped to light speed yet? Because we're being destroyed back there."
Kanan and Hera exchanged glances. Sabine's expression hardened.
"Nav-computer's out, isn't it?"
"Yup," Kanan replied, turning back to the controls in front of him. "And the motivator."
"Don't forget the shields," Hera added.
"Great..." Sabine carried the word to emphasize her sarcasm. "We're stuck, then."
"Pretty much." Kanan confirmed. "Unless..."
A pause followed as Hera and Sabine fixed their eyes on Kanan.
"...We jump without the computer."
"What?!" Sabine cried. "Are you crazy?! Kanan, that's suicide!"
"No, staying here is suicide!" the ex-Jedi exclaimed. "At least this way we have a chance!"
"A slim chance." Hera pointed out.
"But a chance." said Kanan "You have a better idea? "
The Ghost rocked from another barrage of laser fire. Hera inhaled sharply and let out a deep breath.
"No. Sabine, strap in."
Sabine took a seat and did as she was told.
"Ooh, boy!" she breathed. "Are all Jedi this reckless?"
Kanan smirked.
"Just the good ones."
He hit the lever. The Ghost jumped.
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Nice first chapter. Love Rebels!!
wish i had found this sooner, i only found 2 similar storires but they never got fiinished.
While i am more a legends guy, rebels definitely had its good moments, it even helped me indirectly with a star wars work of mine