THE HIDDEN EMPIRE
Edited by Paul Robinson
THE HIDDEN EMPIRE
Reeling from their defeat at the Battle of Hoth, the REBEL ALLIANCE has scattered throughout the galaxy in a last ditch effort to elude the evil GALACTIC EMPIRE.
DARTH VADER, fresh from his victory at Hoth, has become obsessed with the Alliance's elimination.
Towards this end, his forces have scoured the Galaxy for a new weapon; one Vader hopes can catch the Alliance off guard and give the Emperor undisputed rule of the Galaxy...
The Executer Class Star Dreadnaught, Terror, gracefully slid through the Dreighton Nebula; her running lights bathing the swirling gasses in a pale glow as the seven kilometre ship headed towards its destination.
Exiting the turbolift near the command bridge, Admiral Sarn hurriedly made his way towards the blast doors; straightening his uniform and brushing himself down. When he'd been given his current assignment and command of the Terror, Sarn had been filled with pride. Now, the presence of the visitor waiting for him beyond the blast doors filled him with dread. Lord Vader's reputation was well known amongst the officers of the Imperial Fleet.
Sarn had only been introduced to Vader once before on Imperial Centre and recalled trembling as he gazed at his reflection in the fearsome mask that the Emperor's enforcer wore. Vader had gazed down on him before moving down the line of officers waiting to meet him.
Before Lord Vader had arrived aboard the Terror Sarn had received a message from Grand Admiral Batch with a friendly warning. According to Batch, Vader was in a particularly foul mood since his return from the pacification of Bespin and Sarn should extend him every courtesy if he wanted to survive the encounter. Sarn had heard about what had happened to Admiral Ozzel and Captain Needa during the Battle of Hoth and hoped that the same fate wouldn't befall him.
Straightening his officer's cap, Sarn looked up to see Captain Brex, his starfighter squadron coordinator, walking towards him from the nearby turbolift.
'You wanted to speak with me, Admiral?' Brex saluted as he came to a halt in front of Sarn.
'Ah, yes…' Sarn replied as he eyed the door to the bridge nervously. '…tell your men I want no slipups this time. The demonstration shall proceed flawlessly, am I understood?'
'Yes of course, Sir. They'll be ready.' Brex replied stiffly.
Sarn nodded. 'Good. Carry on.'
Snapping to attention, Brex saluted Sarn and made his way towards the turbolift that would take him to the flight operations room. Sarn walked briskly to the door of the command bridge, straightened his cap one last time, and stepped through as it hissed open.
His sensor officer saluted him from the crew pit as Sarn made his way down the walkway towards the viewport were the dark figure waited for him, staring out onto the starfield.
'Sir, sensors have detected a flight of three X-wing fighters approximately seventeen kilometres from our position.' There was no mistaking the excitement in the young man's voice as he delivered the report.
With a stiff nod, Sarn continued down the walkway; feeling as though every member of the bridge crew was watching him with a mixture of fear and pity.
Darth Vader turned to face him as Sarn snapped to attention. 'The Rebel fighters are in range, my lord. Sigma Squadron stands ready, awaiting your command.'
'Very well, Admiral. Engage the rebels.' Vader replied, before turning back to the viewport.
With a stiff nod, Sarn signalled his communications officer to issue the order. His throat felt dry and a single bead of sweat ran down his temple from beneath his cap.
The flight of X-wings cruised near the edge of the nebula in a tight vic-formation; their s-foils closed in cruise position. In the lead fighter, Commander Jenn glanced at the empty starfield before her and stifled a yawn. If there was one thing she hated more than Imperials, it was uneventful patrols.
'There's nothing on my scanners, Commander.' Red Three called out over the comm system.
'Copy that!' Jenn replied. 'Jenn to patrol, I think this sector's secure. Let's take one more pass and then head back to base.'
'I hear you…' Came the voice of Till over the comm system. '…and let's make it quick. I don't want to stay out here a second longer than necessary!'
Jenn chuckled to herself. 'What's the matter, Till? Don't tell me a hotshot pilot like you is afraid of the Dreighton Triangle?'
'No!' Till was quick to answer. 'Look, I'm not saying I believe in ghost ships or anything but you have to admit there have been a lot of unexplained happenings in these parts for the past twenty years since the Battle of Dreighton. I mean how so many different things…'
Jenn's fighter was rocked by a last blast from behind. Her astromech screamed as she glanced over her shoulder to see what had attacked her. The flight yoke went dead in her hand as the damage report scrolled across her monitor. 'I've been hit.' She called over the comm. 'I've lost my stabiliser!'
Till looked over to see his commander's x-wing veering towards him out of control. 'Jenn, what are you doing?' He yelled at her.
'I can't hold it!' Jenn screamed in reply.
Both pilots screamed over the comm channel as their fighters collided and detonated in a brilliant flash of light.
Red Three began evasive manoeuvres as he locked his s-foils in attack position. 'Rebel Control, emergency, we are under attack! Can you read us? Is anybody out there?'
Red Three's X-wing was hit by laser fire and exploded.
Admiral Sarn realised that he'd been holding his breath and slowly exhaled, silently congratulating himself on staying alive. Lord Vader continued to stare out of the viewport as Sarn's pride in the project got the better of his sense of self preservation. 'As you can see, Lord Vader, the units perform admirably. In fact, I think the whole project has proved quite impressive. Why, in a few years…'
'What I see, Admiral Sarn is another one of your endless tests.' Vader snapped abruptly as he turned from the viewport to face the Imperial Admiral. 'I will not be impressed until I have under my command the full power to crush the Rebel Alliance.'
Sarn gulped as Lord Vader turned away from his again to stare out of the viewport. He decide now would be a good time to review the data from the operation and left the brooding man to his thoughts as he hurried back down the command walkway.
Flying his B-wing, Commander Kirby checked his sensors for the seventh time since his arrival in the system as he led his wing mate towards the source of the transmission that brought them to this system.
This was his sixth mission with the pilot on his wing and he'd been impressed by the skills that the young man had demonstrated since joining his flight group. The pilot's file stated that he'd completed basic flight training on Tatooine before transferring to the planet Kolaador for advanced training; passing the Battle of Yavin simulation with ease. Impressively, the new recruit had already seen action over his home planet under the command of Merrick Simms and had several glowing commendations on his file to that effect.
Kirby smiled to himself as he glanced over at the B-Wing flying in formation next to him. 'Still…' He thought to himself. '…what kind of nickname is Rookie One?'
In the cockpit of his own B-Wing, Rookie One struggled to make out the transmission from the unknown vessel. '…destroy…mining…Corellia…' It was full of static, likely being jammed near the source. With a shake of his head, he keyed his comm unit. 'I can't make it out, Commander.'
'Hailing vessel, repeat your message. We hear you but we're breaking up!' Kirby called to the captain of the freighter.
'Repeat, this is the cargo vessel Corellia Star. We have uncovered…vital to the Alliance. The Empire has a hidden…ore…fuel some new weapon…Darth Vader intends… destroy the Alliance.' The exasperated reply came over the comm unit.
A shudder ran down Rookie One's spine. Enough of the transmission had come through in the clear to make him feel very uneasy. 'The sensor profile suggests that the freighter is a YT-1300, Sir.' He informed his commander as the ID of the ship came up on the monitor in front of him.
'Repeat your message, Corellia?' Kirby calmly stated to the cargo captain.
In the background of the transmission, came the sound of blaster fire as the voice over the comm unit became more urgent. 'Hurry, Rebel Patrol, we haven't much time! They're boarding us!' With an anguished scream, the transmission was abruptly cut off.
Kirby brought his fighter around towards the distant planet. 'Okay kid, stay sharp. Watch your scanners for Imperial vessels!'
'It's too late, they've already seen us!' Rookie One replied, the adrenaline evident in his voice as the red dots appeared on his sensors. 'I'm picking up a womp rats nest of TIE fighters at zero four two, mark three. They're headed our way!'
'Copy that!' Kirby replied. 'Switch to attack mode. Heading two, two, nine, mark four!'
Reaching forward, Rookie One pulled the lever to switch his s-foils into attack mode and felt the cockpit of the B-Wing rotate around him. He armed his laser cannons and waited for the enemy fighters to enter weapon range.
'Here they come!' Kirby called.
Rookie One grimaced as the TIE fighters sped towards them and linked his blaster cannons. The B-wing was an excellent fighter but her strengths lay with targeting capital ships rather than tangling with fighters. Still, at least his shields would keep him in one piece.
'There are two fighters coming right at you!' Commander Kirby called.
'Copy that!' Rookie One replied as he opened fire with his trio of laser cannons against the fighters. The bolts met no resistance as they ploughed through the viewport of the lead fighter and tore it apart. B-wings were designed to attack capital ships; attacking a fragile fighter was overkill in Rookie One's opinion.
'Good shot, kid.' Commander Kirby praised him as he fired on the second fighter and clipped the wing; sending the fighter into an uncontrollable spin. A second blast from the B-wing finished the stricken fighter off.
Rookie One glanced at his sensors and saw two ties drop into position behind them. 'There are two on our tail, boss!' He called.
'Copy, on my mark break left.' Kirby replied. 'Three… two… one… mark!'
Throwing the yoke to the left, the fighters turned to follow his fighter. He led them in a gentle arc towards the planet. A flash of light behind his cockpit told him that one of the fighters had been destroyed by Kirby as he'd dropped in behind them. Cutting his thrust, he brought the B-wing around and triggered a snap-shot at another trio of fighters as they sped past; catching the trailing ship and destroying it.
'They're moving around to… wait!' Kirby sounded stunned. 'They're headed away from us; back towards the planet.'
'I don't get it?' Rookie One asked. 'Why are they letting us go?'
'Maybe they're running low on fuel.' Kirby replied. 'It doesn't matter. Good job, kid. Let's go and find that freighter.'
Closing in on the planet, Rookie One checked his scanners as he followed Kirby's ship into orbit.
'Stay alert!' Kirby warned. 'We lost a patrol in this sector three days ago. I've also got a funny feeling about those TIE fighters we encountered.'
Rookie One nodded distractedly as he tried to locate the missing vessel. 'I know me too. There's no way they could have gotten to us from the freighter so quickly. Maybe it's true what they say…'
Kirby snorted down the comm. 'Now don't start telling me any phantom fighter tales. Jeese, you farm boys will believe anything you hear.'
With a bleep, the monitor in front of him displayed an unknown transmission from the planet below. Rookie One keyed the comm unit. 'I've got a fix on an emergency distress beacon. It's on a civilian channel; it might be the Corellia…'
Before he could finish, the flight control was torn out of his hand and the B-Wing shuddered violently as warning lights illuminated the cockpit. The crippled fighter began a steep ascent towards the planet below.
'Where did they come from?' Kirby yelled over the comm. 'Rookie One, do you copy? Are you alright? Rookie One, come in. Can you hear me?'
Rookie One slammed his fist down onto the control panel in desperation. 'I'm still here but I'm in bad shape. I can't hold it.' He gritted his teeth. 'I'm going down!'
'Eject, kid, eject!' Kirby called urgently.
Reaching forward, Rookie One pulled the ejection handle hard and was thrust back into his seat as the cockpit module separated from the doomed fighter. He braced himself for impact as the sound of Commander Kirby's anguished scream filled the comm system before the transmission was lost. The cockpit ploughed into the soft sand and rolled several times before coming to a rest.
He shook his head to clear it as he forced open the canopy and glanced around at his surroundings. There was rocky terrain to the west and endless desert all around him. 'This could almost be Tatooine.' He groaned to himself as he pulled himself out of the cockpit and retrieved a small sensor pack from the storage comportment under the control panel.
The small screen showed the location of the beacon approximately three kilometres to the west. Checking the charge on his blaster, Rookie One set off towards the beacon.
Two hours later, Rookie One crept up on what looked to be the entrance to some sort of Imperial outpost. Two stormtroopers stood guard outside and he pressed himself against the rocks to hear their conversation.
'Outpost Alpha, report?' A voice called over a comlink.
'All is clear, Sir.' One of the troopers replied. 'Nothing here but sand leeches and clawmice.'
'Good.' The officer replied. 'Stay alert! Sensors tracked a Rebel ship going down in this sector. They probably didn't survive, but you never know.'
'Yeah, right.' The trooper replied.
Gripping his blaster, Rookie One took a deep breath and sprung out of cover from behind the rocks. His first shot took the first trooper down before he could react. The second whizzed over the shoulder of second trooper as he brought his blaster rifle to bear on Rookie One before he was struck in the chest by the third shot.
Sprinting out of cover, Rookie One entered the facility and took cover behind the corner of a wall as two blaster bolts slammed into the wall next to him.
'I haven't got time for this!' He growled as he popped out of cover and fired several shots at the trooper ahead of him. The trooper went down with a yelp as Rookie One ducked around the corner and into what seemed to be a storage room full of shipping crates.
'There he is!' A trooper yelled as the crate behind Rookie One was peppered with laserfire.
He glanced down at the sleeve of his flight suit, seeing the singe mark from the bolt and gulped. 'That was too close!' He muttered, peeking out of cover and firing at the two troopers moving to flank him.
Sparks showered down from the glowing crate as he leaned out and caught the closest trooper with a fluke shot to the chest plate, sending the man tumbling backwards and tripping up the trooper following him. Racing from behind the crate, Rookie One fired several shots into the second trooper and ran to the nearby stairwell.
Emerging near some kind of track, he hurriedly gunned down an unsuspecting trooper and consulted the sensor pack to locate the beacon. He followed the signal down a corridor and emerged into a hanger where the carbon scored YT-1300 Freighter sat on its landing struts; smoke still rising from the damage she'd sustained during her capture.
The sensor pack helpfully bleeped to alert him that he'd reached his destination, alerting two troopers guarding the ship. Snapping off a hastily aimed shot the first trooper went down. A blaster bolt whizzed past his ear as he aimed and fired at the second trooper, catching the man in the helmet.
Adrenaline pumping, Rookie One ran to the boarding ramp of the Corellia Star and hurried into the ship. Klaxons and alarms began to sound behind him before being cut off as the boarding ramp closed. Entering the cockpit, he flicked the switches to fire up the engines.
'Huh, the Imps mustn't have bothered shutting her down properly.' He muttered to himself as the engines roared into life. He dropped into the pilot's seat and raised the ship on her repulsorlifts, spinning around to face the entrance to the hanger as the doors began to close; trapping him and the ship inside.
'Unauthorised vessel, disengage immediately!' The comm unit squawked at him. 'You are not cleared for lift off.'
On the gantry nearby, several troopers burst through a blast door and opened fire on the ship as Rookie One spun her around again to face in the opposite direction. It looked like the tunnel led deeper into the caverns that the base had been constructed in.
'Well… I can't go forward!' He grimaced as he pulled back on the throttle and launched the freighter into the tunnels; feeling the ship shudder as she rubbed the low frame of the loading door.
There was not much space to manoeuvre as Rookie One raced through the mining tunnels, dodging the ore loaders and cargo skiffs carrying startled miners into the mines.
'Sorry!' He called as he sent a skiff in a spin towards the ground. Laser fire erupted from within the tunnels as alerted troopers rushed from their guard positions to eliminate the intruder.
Skimming along the tunnel, Rookie One yelped as it came to an abrupt end. He reversed thrust and held his breath as the ship slowed down before it ploughed into a wall of rock. Above him, a vent was situated in the ceiling and he pulled back on the controls to raise the ship towards it. The repulsorlifts groaned as the freighter struggled to cope with the forces being placed on it as he increased the throttle and sped into the vent. Ahead of him, the Imperials had guessed what he was doing and had begun to shut off the vents to prevent his escape.
'Oh come on!' He yelled in exasperation as he boosted the throttle. The ship raced along the tube as he narrowly missed hitting the first blast door as it closed. He tipped the freighter up on its side and sped through the second before rising in a steep curve upwards. Ahead of him was blue sky at the end of the tunnel and he pushed the throttles well into the red line as the final door began to close.
Rookie one held his breath and closed his eyes and the freighter narrowly missed the door and sped into the clear skies above the mining outpost.
'Yeah!' He yelled as he raced away from the facility. His hands we shaking from the adrenaline pumping around his body, and his heart pounding in his chest as he plotted a course out of the sector. The battered freighter left the planets gravity well and he hauled back the hyperspace levers to make the jump to lightspeed.
Safe in the confines of hyperspace, he rubbed his eyes and leaned back heavily into the pilot's seat. 'I shouldn't be alive!' He muttered to himself, shaking from the adrenaline rush. 'What in the hell was I thinking?'
Admiral Sarn hesitated for the briefest of moments before entering Lord Vader's quarters aboard the Terror. At the centre of the dimly lit room sat a huge pod in which Lord Vader sat with his helmet removed and his back to the doorway. Sarn caught a glimpse of the heavily wounded man and forced himself not to react as Vader's helmet slid down to cover his head.
'Report, Admiral Sarn?' Vader asked as he turned around in his seat to face him. 'I trust the operation is proceeding as planned?'
'Yes, Lord Vader.' Sarn replied nervously. 'The field tests have been completed. In twelve hours a fleet will stand ready at Imdaar Alpha where they'll be poised to lay waste to the rebels.'
Vader regarded him steadily before replying. 'Then I'll look forward to witnessing our victory. Make way to Imdaar Alpha.'
'As you command, my lord.' Sarn replied as Vader's pod hissed closed. Turning on his heel he marched out of the quarters and towards the turbolift, happy to be away from Vader's presence.
In the depths of the Dreighton Sector, a small rebel taskforce led by the frigate Cruuz cruised at sub-light speed on patrol. In close formation the corvettes Diligent and Bixby, the medium transport Excess Baggage and several fighters provided security as a lone B-Wing fighter headed for the landing bay.
Captain Lira Suub watched the B-Wing touch down in the docking bay and signalled her officers to come to attention with a wave of her hand. The cockpit hissed open and a lone Mon Calamari climbed out and headed towards her.
'Admiral Ackbar, Sir.' She saluted the senior officer as Ackbar came to a stop in front of the small Sullustan and briefly returned the salute. 'We only received you signal an hour ago, Sir. To what do we owe the pleasure?'
Ackbar handed his flight helmet to a technician. 'I reviewed the transmission you managed to recover from the freighter.' He replied solemnly. 'The contents of the message convinced me that direct action against this threat must be taken to ensure the survival of the Alliance. My fleet can cope without me for a few days whilst I lead operations here.'
Lira nodded eagerly. 'It's an honour to have you on board, Sir. Can I show you to your quarters?'
Ackbar shook his head. 'There is no time to waste, Captain. Assemble your pilots in the briefing room.'
With a nod to one of her officers, Lira directed the Mon Calamari admiral to the nearest turbolift that would take them to the briefing room.
'I understand that you've suffered some losses?' Ackbar asked tentatively as the doors closed.
Lira shook her head. 'Four pilots lost in the last three days. Loosing Commander Jenn was affected morale amongst the pilots. She was very popular. It won't be easy to replace Commander Kirby either.'
Ackbar nodded solemnly. 'I intend to send a strike team against the target we've uncovered. Who is your best flight leader?'
Lira pondered for a moment as the doors hissed open. 'I've given command of Rascal Squadron to Captain Merrick. He's a veteran pilot with years of experience.'
'Have Captain Merrick select two more pilots to join him on the mission.' Ackbar stated as he headed for the front of the briefing room. 'I'll prepare the briefing for your officers, Captain.'
Lira saluted. 'Yes, Sir.'
Rookie One dropped into the chair next to his friend and fellow pilot Darnell Reggs and arched an eyebrow in the direction of the Mon Calamari officer standing before them with Captain Suub. The rest of the pilots muttered amongst themselves as they waited for the briefing to begin.
'It's Ackbar.' Reggs explained excitedly. 'Something big must be planned else he wouldn't be here.'
'I figured that out for myself.' Rookie One replied. 'Captain Merrick just tapped me for a strike mission. I'm assuming it's something to do with this.'
Reggs made a face. 'You always get all the fun assignments!'
Ackbar cleared his throat. 'We have recovered the mission recorders from the Corellian cargo vessel. We can now replay the full distress message sent from its pilot during the attack.' He gestured to the view screen. 'If you'll observe.'
The face of a young man dressed in civilian clothing filled the screen, hunched over the communication console in the cockpit of the Corellia Star.
'We've discovered information that's vital to the Alliance. The Empire has a hidden mining facility in the Belt of Arah. They're processing uridium ore to fuel some new weapon. Whatever it is, Darth Vader intends to use it to destroy the Alliance.' The sound of blaster fire was clearly audible in the background and Rookie One grit his teeth as he realised what was coming next. The pilot leaned closer to the screen urgently. 'Hurry Rebel patrol, we haven't much time! They're boarding us.' With a scream, the transmission ended.
Ackbar shook his head gravely. 'I'm placing the fleet on red alert and dispatching a strike team to the Dreighton Nebula. It's mission; investigate the Belt of Arah, find the Imperial complex and disable its production capacity.' With a nod to Captain Suub, Ackbar gestured to the pilots. 'Get to your fighters, and may the force be with you.'
Captain Ace Merrick waited for the pilots to leave the room and saluted Ackbar and Captain Suub. 'I've selected my strike team, Admiral. I'll be taking Ina Reece and Rookie One.'
'Rookie One?' Ackbar asked Lira quizzically.
'I'm sorry, Admiral.' Lira smiled. 'It's the nickname that he arrived with and it's proving very hard for him to shake it.'
'I see.' Ackbar laughed. 'I assume that he's up to the mission?'
Captain Merrick nodded eagerly. 'He has a glowing recommendation from Commander Farrell, Admiral. I've served with Jake and praise is not something that he dishes out easily.'
Ackbar nodded. 'Then that is good enough for me. Good luck, Captain.'
Ace saluted. 'Thank you, Sir.'
Three X-wing fighters sped towards the Belt of Arah; a vast asteroid field in which a secret Imperial facility was rumoured to be located.
In the lead fighter, Ace checked his sensors and activated his comm unit. 'Strike team, this is Rascal One. Check in?'
'Rascal Two; standing by.' Rookie One replied eagerly.
'Rascal Three; standing by.' Reece echoed; the excitement in her voice easily detectable over the comm.
Ace nodded. 'Good. Keep in formation. The perimeter is littered with derillium mines. We'll have to wind our way through the asteroids and blast any mines we encounter.' He reached up to open the s-foils into attack position. 'It might get a little rough. But, any easier and it just wouldn't be any fun.'
Reece chuckled down the comm. 'Copy that, Ace, we're with you.'
Rookie One dodged around the first asteroid and tucked his fighter in behind Ace's fighter as he led the flight into the rapidly spinning field. He kept his hand steady on the stick. This wasn't the first asteroid field that he'd flown through.
'Then again…' He muttered. '…I haven't got Commander Farrell ready to chew me up if I make a mistake this time.'
'Watch out for that mine, Rookie One.' Ace called.
Switching his lasers to dual-fire, Rookie One triggered a burst at the mine and watched it detonate spectacularly.
'It looks like they've deployed the mines in the clear spaces between the asteroids, Ace.' Reece called over the comm.
'I copy.' Ace replied. 'We'll have to hug the surface of the asteroids. Don't get too close to the smaller asteroids.'
The sweat poured from beneath Rookie One's helmet as he dodged and dived between the gigantic spinning rocks; firing salvo after salvo of laser fire at the mines hidden behind the rocks. The asteroid field seemed to go on forever before, racing over a large rock; he emerged in the relatively clear space at the centre of the asteroid field.
Two mines activated and sped for his fighter as he and Reece dodged out of the way. The mines they exploded where moments before their fighters had been.
'Rookie One, Reece; good shooting.' Ace called as they cleared the field. 'See, I told you it would be fun.'
Reece snorted. 'Yeah, thanks Merrick I had a ball. Can we go again?'
Ace chuckled as he led the fighters towards their destination. 'Okay, we've broken through the outer perimeter, but the party's not over yet.'
'Well don't look now, but here comes the entertainment.' Reece called as her R2 unit bleeped urgently at her. 'I'm reading a whole squad of TIE interceptors directly ahead.'
'Copy that.' Ace replied as he swung his fighter around to engage the Imperial fighters. 'Stay tight team. Here we go!'
As laser fire splashed over his front shield, Rookie One flipped his fighter up on its port s-foil and dived after the nearest interceptor as it roared past. Switching his lasers to quad-fire assured him a clean kill if he hit the target. The pilot of the Interceptor jinked and juked to break Rookie One's lock and get back on the x-wing's tail. Triggering a burst from his cannons, two of the bolts tore through the fighter's port wing and sent it into an uncontrollable spin before detonating. In front of his cockpit, Reece's X-wing blasted another Interceptor.
'Good shooting.' Ace called over the comm. 'Chalk another one up for Reece.'
Selecting another target, Rookie One decreased his throttle and brought the X-wing around in a tight turn. His target zoomed past him as he dropped his position behind it. At maximum range, the interceptor opened fire on Ace's fighter as Rookie One settled his crosshairs onto the fighter; pulling the trigger and watching the bolts shred the craft.
'Scratch one, squint.' He called excitedly. 'I don't think he even saw it coming.'
Two interceptors raced past his fighter and he turned to engage the closest. As he followed the target, the second interceptor peeled off the starboard to try and outflank him. Leading his target slightly, Rookie One switched his lasers back to dual-fire and fired three salvos into the path of the squint. The enemy fighter's starboard wing was torn off the pylon as the second and third salvos caught the fighter and detonated the fuel tank.
'Now, where's that other fighter?' Rookie One murmured as he checked his sensors. A splash of laser-fire on his aft shields told him all he needed to know.
'Watch out Rookie One, you've got one on you!' Ace called urgently.
Dodging the incoming fire, he gritted his teeth as the Imperial pilot mimicked his manoeuvres. 'There's one on my tail!' He called over the comm. 'He's got a lock!'
The Imperial pilot opened fire; sending green laser bolts either side of Rookie One's fighter as he tried his best to evade.
'Hang on, Rookie One!' Reece called as she dropped into position behind the enemy fighter. Her crosshairs went green and she opened fire, shredding the Imperial craft and sending the wreckage spinning out of the control.
Rookie One sagged in his seat. 'Thanks, Reece.' He called over the comm channel. 'You saved me from becoming space debris.'
'I'm just doing my job.' Reece replied cheerily. 'Besides… I try not to litter.'
Ace checked his scanners as the readings were displayed on the central monitor. 'I've got a reading on a large structure on of the asteroids ahead. It looks like some kind of ore processing plant, but it's bigger than anything I've ever seen before.' He led the fighters around in a gentle arc towards the asteroid. 'Arm your laser cannons and follow me!'
Rookie One whistled as he saw the mining facility. The large floating rock had an enormous ring constructed around the outer shell. He followed Ace's fighter towards one of the larger openings in the ring.
'What's your plan, Ace?' Reece called.
'We'll take out the cooling system!' Ace replied. 'Without it the reactor should go critical… hopefully after we've gotten out.'
Rookie One held his breath as he followed Ace's fighter into the tunnel, feeling a rush of adrenaline at the thought of flying in the narrow confines of the facility. Load lifted flashed beneath his fighter as he dodged between the craft operating inside the mining facility.
'We're in the main transport corridor.' Ace warned. 'Watch out for the load lifters emerging into the tunnel.'
Rookie One yelled as the nose of a load lifter appeared in front of his fighter. He dodged out of the way and shook his head. 'Thanks for the warning, Captain!'
'It's better late than never, Rookie One.' Ace chuckled. 'We're coming up on a heat exchange junction. Blast the shield generators either side of it and we can ride it all the way to the reactor.'
Rookie One targeted the small target and opened fire with his lasers. Beside him, Reece did the same and the generators exploded as Ace's fighter raced towards the vent and shot up inside.
'It's pretty tight in here!' Ace warned as Reece and Rookie One followed him into the vent.
Emerging from the tunnel, Rookie One gasped as he saw the enormous mining operation that the Empire had establish inside the rock. A blast across his nose brought him back to his senses as he dodged to avoid the second shot.
'Watch out for the sentry guns!' Ace warned. 'They take out any floating debris. Right now, that includes us!'
Rookie One dodged between the floating rocks and laser fire as Ace led the fighters towards the top of the facility where the reactor was located. It looked like an enormous spinning wheel with heat shields stretched across each spoke to prevent discharges.
'Take out the shields Rookie One!' Ace called. 'Without them, the reactor will go critical! We can pass through and ride the exhaust vents out of here!'
Rookie One gulped as he targeted the nearest shield generator and opened fire. The shields dropped around the spinning wheel as Ace and Reece opened fire on their own targets. Punching his throttle to full, Rookie One dived for the nearest part of the wheel and cringed as he fighter slipped through, followed by the other two X-wings.
The reactor began to destabilise and an orange glow appeared behind his X-wing as he raced through the exhaust vent. He didn't dare look back as he saw open space ahead.
'Yeah!' Ace yelled excitedly as he emerged back into the asteroid field. The shockwaves from the exploding facility shook Rookie One's fighter as it emerged from the vent, followed closely by Reece.
'Yeehaw!' Reece called, prompting Rookie One to smile.
Glancing over his shoulder he watched the gigantic explosion, tear the facility apart; sending pieces of rock scattering all over the asteroid field.
'Good shooting, team!' Ace called happily. 'Okay, let's go home.'
Heading back into open space, Rookie One checked his diagnostics and stretched the muscles on his neck as Ace calculated the jump coordinates.
'Prepare for hyperspace.' Ace called. 'I'm transmitting the jump coordinates to your navicomputers.'
Rookie One glanced down to confirm the receipt of the coordinates when a flash of green light startled him. With a scream, Ace was killed as his fighter was destroyed by an unseen attacker.
'Ace?' Reece called helplessly.
Rookie One dodged and juked for dear life as laser-fire flashed between his s-foils. 'Evasive manoeuvres, Reece!' He yelled.
'Blast!' Reece called as her fighter was clipped by a salvo. With a scream, her fighter was destroyed.
Rookie One sagged in his seat. He wanted nothing more than to turn and engage, but he had a duty to ensure that the pilots didn't die for nothing. He hauled back on the hyperspace lever and watched the stars stretch into lines as his fighter leapt into hyperspace.
Rookie One held his head in his hands as he waited for Admiral Ackbar and Captain Suub in the briefing room. In the past two days, three pilots he'd flown with had been killed. He hadn't known Commander Kirby too well, but counted Reece and Ace Merrick as good friends.
'Who's next?' He mumbled to himself. 'Is it going to me… or Reggs?'
The door to the room opened and Admiral Ackbar marched into the room followed by Captain Suub; prompting Rookie One to jump to his feet and salute. The Mon Calamari officer raised a hand for him to sit. 'I'm sorry we kept you waiting. We've been reviewing your flight recorder.'
'Do we know what attacked us, Sir?' Rookie One asked eagerly.
Ackbar nodded gravely. 'I'm afraid we have a better idea of what we're facing. The situation is far more critical than I originally thought.'
Rookie One nodded solemnly.
Ackbar regarded him steadily. 'You conducted yourself well in the engagement, Rookie One. I have a proposition for you, if you're willing to hear it?'
Rookie One nodded. 'Yes, Sir.'
'I want you to volunteer for a mission.' Ackbar stated. 'It's the best course of action available to us that will help us gather more information about this theat. Are you interested?'
Rookie One mulled it over for a moment and then nodded firmly. 'Yes, Sir. I believe that I owe it to Captain Merrick and Reece.'
Ackbar nodded. 'We'll tell you more about the mission during the briefing.'
Rookie One saluted. 'Yes, Sir.'
Captain Suub gestured to the door. 'You're dismissed, Rookie One.'
Ackbar watched the young pilot leave and turned to the Sullustan captain. 'Do you think that it is advisable for me to place the success of the mission on his shoulders?'
Lira nodded firmly. 'Yes I do, Admiral. Since being assigned to the Cruz, he's shown himself to be adept at adapting to various situations. Before he died, Commander Kirby was recommending him for promotion to Lieutenant.'
Ackbar nodded his agreement. 'My instincts tell me that he'll do his best to ensure that the mission will succeed, and that is all I can ask.' He cleared his throat. 'Now, Captain, let's discuss your situation.'
Lira looked confused. 'I wasn't aware of any situation, Admiral?'
'Given the scope of the threat we are facing, I believe it would be a prudent course of action to move this taskforce out of the Dreighton Sector for the time being.' Ackbar explained. 'I want you to take the Cruuz to the Bajic shipyards for resupply and repairs. The rest of your ships will join the frigate Endeavour whilst she patrols the Outer Rim.'
Lira nodded. 'A good overhaul of the systems is just what we need, Admiral. We've been making do with what we were able to steal or scrounge.'
Ackbar clapped his hands together. 'Excellent. Following the briefing I'll be returning to my fleet. I've apprised Admiral Krane of the situation and he'll be assuming command of the operation.'
Lira nodded. 'Let's hope we can eliminate this threat before any more lives are lost.' She saluted Ackbar. 'It's been a pleasure working with you, Sir.'
Rookie One rubbed his chin thoughtfully as the footage from his flight recorder played on the briefing room screen. It showed Reece's X-wing being destroyed, before zooming in on the trio of fighters that had destroyed it. A detailed schematic of the unknown fighter was displayed for the pilots to see.
'Analysis of these flight recordings has identified the attackers as modified V-38 assault fighters.' Ackbar explained. 'These particular craft have a capability previously unheard of for ships their size; the ability to evade sensors and scanners, rendering them effectively invisible.'
Reggs shook his head in disgust. 'The myths about the Dreighton Triangle made the perfect cover for their tests.'
Rookie One nodded his agreement.
'Obviously, with a fleet of such vessels, Darth Vader could devastate our forces with near impunity.' Ackbar continued. 'The only question is where he'll make his next move? For weeks our intelligence assets have reported unusually high levels of Imperial fleet activity here…' The schematic was replaced by the image of a swamp covered planet. '…in the vicinity of the planet Imdaar and its moon. The command ship Terror is reported to be en-route to Imdaar where it will likely deploy a full wing of the Phantom V-38's.' Ackbar looked around the assembled pilots gravely. 'We have, however, a plan to stop them. A pilot has volunteered to rendezvous with our agent on the planet's surface. The two of them will infiltrate the planetary supply base, board the Terror and retrieve one of the Phantom ships for study. Hopefully countermeasures can be found before it's too late.'
'I wonder who they found to pull that off.' Reggs muttered as he glanced around the room.
'Rookie One.' Ackbar addressed him directly. 'Are you ready?'
'Yes, Sir.' Rookie One replied as he looked down and smirked at Reggs who wore of expression of shock on his face.
'Good.' Ackbar nodded. 'Report to Admiral Krane on Ord Pardron for advanced training. The rest of you are dismissed.'
Emptying out his locker in the pilots changing room above the hanger, Rookie One glanced over as Reggs sauntered into the room after him and proceeded to empty his own locker.
'I'm coming with you!' Reggs explained as Rookie One raised a quizzical eyebrow in his direction. Captain Suub is taking the ship back to Bajic for repairs so I volunteered to fly escort for you.'
'It'll be nice to have a familiar face around me.' Rookie One replied.
'So…' Reggs asked. '…did you know what you were volunteering for?'
Rookie One shook his head. 'The first I heard about it was in the briefing room. Still, even knowing I'm still eager to go. I owe it to Ace and Reece to put these things out of commission before we loose any more pilots to them.'
Reggs nodded solemnly. 'Yeah… I hear you!'
Slamming the empty locker door, Rookie One grabbed his helmet. 'I'll see you down on the flight deck.'
Six hours later, Rookie One found himself in the cramped cockpit of an Imperial TIE fighter cruising in high orbit above Ord Pardron in formation with a second TIE fighter. He'd barely touched down in his X-wing before the technicians had dragged him into the hanger and stuffed him into the TIE; with orders to meet up with Admiral Krane in orbit.
'This is Rebel control…' The flight control called from the fighter base on the surface. '…begin when ready.'
Rookie One followed the lead TIE as it dived for the surface of the planet and dropped into a large, cloud-covered canyon threading its way through the rocky landscape. The g-forces pushed him back into the acceleration couch and he opened his eyes wide to make sure they were still working.
'Okay… pay attention, kid. This is Admiral Krane!' The gruff voice called over the comm unit. 'Due to the importance of this mission, I'm training you myself. Stay alert!'
'I copy!' Rookie One replied as he stayed in close formation with Krane's fighter. 'This will be just like back home.'
'Don't be getting cocky on me, kid.' Krane snapped. 'You're doing okay, but you're not in a fancy X-wing fighter anymore. These are standard Imperial TIE fighters and there's a reason why we haven't captured too many of these intact. They don't have shields, so they can't take much abuse. If you're going to make it through okay you're going to have to think like the Imperial bucket-heads!'
'I don't fancy throwing my life away.' Rookie One mumbled.
'Just follow my lead, and do as I say!' Krane finished as his fighter leapt forward ahead of Rookie One's.
Keeping a light hand on the flight yoke, Rookie One followed Krane as he headed towards an outcropping.
'Now, keep low up here!' Krane called.
Rookie One couldn't help but duck as the top of his fighter came mere inches away from the rocks above it.
'That's good!' Krane called. 'Now, just do as I do.'
Krane led them through the twisting canyon. Rookie One found himself marvelling at the steady hand with which Krane piloted his fighter. The canyon reminded him of his flight through the crystal formations of Kolaador during his flight training.
Without warning, Krane put his fighter into a spin and dropped below the cloud level. With a gulp, Rookie One followed him down and felt his heart rise into his mouth as he navigated the tight confines of the canyon below the clouds. Krane skimmed his fighter along the surface of the river flowing along the route of the canyon and Rookie One, after a number of attempts, managed to drop in behind him.
After several torturous minutes, Krane led them back through the clouds and out of the canyon. Rookie One let out the breath he'd been holding since the flight began.
'Splendid flying, Rookie One.' Krane chuckled over the comm. 'You'd do the Emperor proud.'
'Thank you, Sir.' Rookie One replied.
'Return to base.' Krane ordered. 'The Y-wings should be prepped and ready for our flight to Imdaar.'
Krane brought his fighter around in the direction of the Alliance fighter base and Rookie One followed him silently, lost in his thoughts for the mission ahead.
Dropping out of hyperspace in the outer edges of the Imdaar system, Admiral Krane checked the diagnostic displays for his Y-wing and glanced over to his left to see Reggs and Rookie One still in formation with him. He was a by-the-book pilot, and his meticulous approach to missions kept his pilots alive, which he wasn't going to apologise for no matter how many people he annoyed.
'Rebel control…' Krane called over the comm. '…this is escort leader on approach to Imdaar. Target range 1.90, all systems operational no contacts to report. Sensors…' The sensors bleeped as they detected a signature. 'Wait… sensors just picked up a flight group at seven, two, three, mark 4. Configuration looks to be Imperial!'
'Copy that!' Reggs called over the comm. 'I have confirmation of nine… ten… make that a dozen TIE interceptors. This might get a little rough.'
'Get into attack formation.' Krane ordered. 'Reggs, take the left. Rookie One, you take the right.'
'I copy, I'm in position.' Reggs called eagerly as he shifted his Y-wing into position. 'Here they come!'
For the second time in as many days, Rookie One found himself wishing that he was flying his X-wing. The Y-wing, though tough and rugged, was just too slow and cumbersome to battle the later generations of Imperial fighters.
The interceptors fired a salvo of laser fire at the Y-wings as they raced overhead, before trying to drop down onto the tails of the rebel fighters. Rookie One had already cut his thrust and was turning to engage as the first fighters came into range.
Reggs scored the first kill as he opened fire with his lasers and ion cannons linked together. The Imperial fighter was disabled then destroyed moments later before the pilot could even blink.
'Nice shooting, Reggs.' Rookie One called as he dual-linked his laser cannons. His targeting brackets went green and he pressed the trigger, sending three blasts into his target which exploded into a ball of flame.
Krane's Y-wing swooped into view as the Admiral blasted his target with ion fire, dodging around the helpless craft as he came around and destroyed it with a dual-linked laser blast.
Rookie One shuddered. Krane had wanted to make the Imperial pilot suffer for targeting him in the first place. He was glad the Admiral was on his side.
Dropping in behind a pair of interceptors, he opened fire at maximum range and managed to score a hit on the wing of the lead fighter. The Imperial pilot veered instinctively, only to cross the flight path of his wing mate. Both craft exploded in the collision and Rookie One blinked his eyes in surprise.
'That was pretty impressive, kid.' Krane called.
'I don't think I could do that again if I tried, Sir.' Rookie One replied honestly.
'This one's slippery.' Reggs called as he tried to get a lock on a rapidly manoeuvring interceptor. 'Watch my tail, Rookie One.'
Rolling his Y-wing, Rookie One opened fire at an interceptor that was trying to lock Reggs' Y-wing. The Imperial pilot broke off his attack and came around to engage Rookie One in a head-to-head pass.
'Imps…' He thought as he pressed the trigger and blasted the fighter to atoms. '…they're definitely suicidal.' Searching for more targets he moved his Y-wing around towards Reggs as the rebel pilot finally outwitted his opponent.
'You can't shake me this time, bucket head.' Reggs called. 'Take this!' Suiting words to actions, he fired two blasts into the interceptor and dodged the explosion.
'Well done, team.' Krane called. 'All targets have been destroyed. Rookie One; proceed to Ceti-597. This is as far as we go. A lone ship will have a better chance at getting through the defence shield.'
'Copy that, Sir.' Rookie One replied.
'I'll see you at the rendezvous point after the mission.' Krane called solemnly. 'May the force be with you.'
He watched the Y-wings peel off towards the exit vector, leaving him to proceed to the target alone. Plotting a micro jump into the heart of the system, he hauled back the hyperspace lever and jumped to lightspeed.
The jump lasted ten minutes and as he exited hyperspace, Rookie One found himself near the entrance of the Ceti-597 asteroid field. The floating mass of rocks was all that stood between him and the rendezvous at Imdaar.
His R2 unit tweeted urgently at him and he glanced down at the sensor display. 'Hmm, the Imp's have placed defence turrets on the larger asteroids. That'll complicate things.' Reaching forward he armed his laser cannons and brought up the closest turret, which moved to track his Y-wing and opened fire.
'I don't think so!' He growled as he fired a dual-burst into the turret, which melted the barrels and caused them to droop towards the surface of the rock.
The Y-wing shuddered as a blast caught the forward shields. Dropping the nose, he blasted the emplacement and resumed his original course through the field, dodging the defensive fire from the turrets and destroying the ones that stood in his path. Emerging from the field, the planet Imdaar spun before him; her small moon visible in orbit nearby.
Taking a deep breath, he brought his Y-wing into the gravity well and made his way to the coordinates where his contact would hopefully be waiting for him.
On the surface of Imdaar, Commander Ru Murleen scanned the sky with her macrobinoculars. She'd been assigned to the swamp world for almost six months now and keeping track of Imperial movements was beginning to annoy her. How she longed to be back in the cockpit of a fighter where she belonged.
'Right on time!' She muttered as a Y-wing dropped from the clouds and headed towards her position. Lowering the macrobinoculars, she waited for the Y-wing to get closer and waved to the pilot to get his attention. Looping around, he set the fighter down on the ground in front of her and popped the canopy.'I don't believe it!' She thought as she recognised the youthful features of the pilot as he unstrapped himself from his harness.
'Rookie One? Is that you?' She called out to him.
He glanced down in shock and blinked. 'Ru Murleen? Are you my contact?'
Ru smiled as she watched the young pilot she'd trained many months before dropped down from his fighter and remove his helmet. 'So it would seem.' She replied as she gestured to the speeder bikes behind her. 'Come on, we need to get moving. I'll brief you on the way to the rendezvous.'
'What about my fighter?' Rookie One asked. 'Won't the Imp's discover it?'
Ru shook her head. 'I've already got a pilot to take her back. Don't worry about it, just put this on and get on the speeder bike.' She handed him a helmet and jumped onto the bike.
Speeding through the Imdaar swamps, Rookie One glanced over at his former instructor and smiled. 'I didn't expect to find the likes of you here. How did you end up on Imdaar?'
Ru shrugged. 'After the Battle of Hoth I was assigned here to monitor Imperial activity. I knew the Imp's were up to something, but it was only recently that I got word of the Phantom fighters. Now I think I can get us transportation on a cargo shuttle. The landing platform is on the other side of this swamp.' She shook her head. 'We better hurry. The command ship will be here soon. We need to get up there before Vader can unleash those fighters!'
Ten minutes of torturous flying later, they emerged from the swamp within sight of the landing platform. Ru watched the Lambda Class shuttle drop down on the landing pad through her macrobinoculars. Rookie One tapped her on the shoulder and pulled her behind a cargo crate.
'How are we supposed to get past the guards near the shuttle?' He asked nervously.
Ru smirked as she stood. 'Just leave that to me.'
Safe in the cockpit of the shuttle, Rookie One finished strapping on his borrowed stormtrooper armour and dropped into the seat next to Ru. She guided the shuttle towards Imdaar Alpha.
'So, how long do you think until those guards come too?' Rookie One asked.
'They'll be out for at least a few hours.' Ru replied as she placed a headset on her head and checked the sensors; shaking her head as she glanced out of the viewport. 'That's odd. These are the right coordinates. Where is the Terror?'
'I don't see it.' Rookie One commented as he scanned the area. 'Is it possible that it hasn't arrived yet?'
Ru shrugged and keyed the comm. 'Docking control, this is supply shuttle Epsilon Four. Request clearance to come aboard?'
'Transmit security code, Epsilon.' The reply was unexpected and Rookie One jumped, prompting Ru to smirk.
'Transmitting…!' She called over the comm as she pressed the code button to send their ID to the command ship.
Rookie One held his breath for several torturous second until the console beeped and the stars ahead of the shuttle shimmered and warped to reveal the enormous bulk of the Terror sitting in orbit above Imdaar Alpha.
'Clearance granted, Epsilon…' The controller called. '…port side hanger three.'
'Copy that, control.' Ru replied. 'Epsilon out.'
Rookie One marvelled at the size of the Terror as Ru headed for the docking bay. 'You know, this is the closest I've been to a Star Destroyer that wasn't firing at me.' He joked.
Ru winked at him. 'Give it time!'
As the noise from the shuttle's engines died down, Rookie One heard an officer call over the address system. 'Cargo detail, report to hanger bay three.'
'Well, they didn't blow us away yet…' Ru joked. '…that's a good sign.'
'Yeah, so far so good.' Rookie One answered.
'Yep, here we are, two rebel spies in the heart of an Imperial command ships...' Ru said sarcastically. '…and surrounded by the Emperors finest. It sounds good to me.'
Rookie One pulled on his own helmet and took the blaster rifle that Ru held out to him.
'Are you ready?' She asked.
He nodded; prompting her to pull on her own helmet and pick up a blaster rifle. Reaching over, he pressed the door control and watched the boarding ramp lower from under the nose of the shuttle. Taking a deep breath, he made his way down towards the deck.
Five minutes after leaving the shuttle, Rookie One followed Ru through the maze of corridors; trying to find a way to the docking bay where the phantom fighters were being held. Ru stood a few inches smaller than him, and he couldn't resist poking fun at her.
'Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?' He joked.
'Shut up!' Ru snapped without even looking at him.
Rounding a corner, an Imperial officer made his way towards them. Rookie One forced himself to act as normal as possible as the officer walked past. He relaxed as he stepped through a blast door, until a voice boomed behind them.
'Hold it, you two!'
Ru stiffened beside him as they both stopped and turned to face the officer that had just passed them. He stood behind the pair, regarding them suspiciously.
'What are you doing here?' He snarled. 'This is a restricted area. Where are your clearances?'
'We, uh, have been ordered to search the area for any intruders.' Rookie One lied.
'I've heard no such order.' The officer snapped. 'Under whose authority?'
Feeling his heart sink, Rookie One nodded at Ru and shrugged at the officer. 'Uh… which way is the hanger?'
Ru pressed the panel to slam the blast door down in his face.
'Hey!' The officer yelled.
'Oh, now we're in trouble!' Ru called as she led Rookie One across a bridge towards the opposite side of the ship. His stomach lurched as he peered down into the cavernous interior of the ship.
Almost on cue, klaxons began to sound as the address system belted out at full volume. 'Intruder alert; deck four section fourteen.'
Reaching the opposite side of the bridge, Rookie One slapped the button to open the blast doors which refused to budge. 'The door's sealed!' He yelled. 'What do we do now?'
'Hold on…' Ru replied as she stooped in front of the panel and pulled it from the wall. 'I think I might be able to force the manual override.'
Rookie One turned to watch the opposite door nervously. Without warning a blaster bolt slammed into the crates in front of him. He looked up to see a trooper on the deck above aiming down at them. Leaning out of cover, he opened fire on the trooper as two more ran across the platform to join him.
'Just hold them off.' Ru yelled as she worked on the wires behind the panel.
'I'll do my best.' He yelled as he opened fire with the blaster rifle; hitting the guardrail in front of the first trooper with his first shots.
The troopers opened fire above him in unison, forcing him to drop behind the crates and take cover. With a growl, he peeked over the crate and snapped off a shot; catching a trooper in the chest sending him over the rail to fall into the bowls of the ship.
'Ru, hurry up!' He yelled as the crates were peppered with blaster fire by the enraged troopers.
'Okay… I think I've got it.' She shouted back as the door hissed open. 'Let's go!'
Rookie One sprinted from behind the crates and ran through the open door as laser blasts hit the ground behind him. Ru slapped the control to close the door and raced after him.
'Watch out!' She yelled as she grabbed his shoulder and pulled him into cover as a stormtrooper rounded the corner ahead of them and fired several hastily aimed shots.
'That was close!' Rookie One yelped as he peered out from behind the corner and fired at the trooper as the man tried to move to cover. He went down with a clatter of armour and Ru led them forward again.
Running to the blast doors, he came to a stop as he peered down into the artificial canyon between him and the next blast door. 'The bridge is out!' He called. 'What do we do?'
'Uh… I don't know.' Ru replied as she watched their backs. 'Improvise.'
Glancing up, Rookie One spotted the platform over head and the securing clamps beneath it. Taking aim, he fired several shots into the mounting and watched as the bridge fell down to his level with a clatter. Before he could turn around to gloat, several blaster bolts hit the floor next to him.
The troopers raced over the fallen bridge towards their position whilst a fourth stood on the platform above; firing down whenever Rookie One tried to get a clear shot at his comrades.
'Cover me!' Ru yelled as she slid into the open and gunned down the first trooper. Rookie One fired on the second as he tried to aim at Ru as she shifted her aim and blasted the third.
'Watch out for the one above you!' She yelled as she picked herself up and ran along the bridge with him trailing behind her. She stopped dead on the bridge and took aim at the trooper above them, knocking the man off the platform and sending him screaming into the depths of the ship.
'Ru…?' Rookie One called as he looked up to see a TIE Phantom moving along the transport rail above them. '…I think we're getting close.'
'Hurry up…' Ru called as she caught sight of the fighter. '…it must be this way.'
Sprinting through the corridor, they rounded the corner into a dead end.
'Blast.' Ru called. 'Why didn't I think to ask that officer for a map?'
Rookie One glanced down at the service duct on the floor. 'Wait! I have an idea.' He called as he hauled back the grate and dropped down into the service conduits running the length of the ship.
Ru dropped down after him and replaced the grate as the sound of marching troops echoed overhead. She held her finger to her helmet as the four stormtroopers halted nearby.
'They were headed this way.' The leader called. 'You two, go ahead. You, follow me.'
Rookie One held his breath as they walked over the grate and searched nearby.
'There's no sign of them.' One of the troopers called. 'They must have gone onto M-Level.'
Ru gave him the thumbs up as the troopers left and motioned for him to move forward down the narrow confines of the conduit.
Admiral Sarn marched along the walkway between the crew pits where Darth Vader waited near the forward viewports. He snapped to attention next to the dark lord.
'Lord Vader…' He began. '…docking manoeuvres are complete. Alpha control awaits your command.'
'I see.' Lord Vader turned to regard Sarn. 'What of our unwelcome guests?'
Sarn felt the fear rising in his chest. He'd hoped that Vader wouldn't have asked about that little detail. 'Ah… we've temporarily lost them.'
'Put all decks on red alert!' Vader snapped. 'Double the search patrols. They will be no one to stop us this time!'
'Yes, Lord Vader.' Sarn spluttered as he hurried to transmit the orders.
After five minutes of scrabbling around under the vents, Rookie One looked up to see a rack of TIE Phantom's overhead. A lone trooper stood guard near them with his back to the vent. Even from behind, Rookie One could tell the man looked bored by the way he slouched and held his rifle carelessly.
An officer walked through a gap in the launch rack and headed for the trooper, turning to stand facing in the same direction as him. 'Trooper!' He snapped; causing the man to snap to attention.
'Yes, Sir.' The trooper answered.
'Be on the lookout for anything unusual.' The officer ordered as he flicked lint of his tunic.
'Yes, Sir.' The trooper replied. 'It's been all clear here. There's nothing to report.'
'Good.' The officer replied as he folded his arms at the small of his back. 'Stay alert. If you screw up one more time I'll have you transferred to a refuse barge where you'll stay for the next twenty years.'
'Yes Sir.' Rookie One heard the trooper answer as he climbed out of the vent behind the men and quietly headed towards the nearest fighter. Ru closed the vent and followed closely behind.
'Not to worry.' The trooper continued. 'Absolutely nothing will go unnoticed on my shift.'
'Very well.' The officer sighed.
Arriving at the base of the Phantom, Ru stepped onto the small platform and motioned for Rookie One to jump on. Pressing the button next to her head, the platform moved into the ship and the hatch sealed behind it.
Ditching his helmet, Rookie One climbed into the gunner's seat near the front of the fighter as Ru dropped into the pilot's chair. 'So far, so good.' He called over his shoulder as he pulled on his headset. 'Do you think you can fly this thing?'
'I think so.' Ru replied as she punched in the engine start sequence. With a reassuring whine, the ion engines began to spool up as the systems and displays flickered on in the cockpit. A loading crane dropped down overhead and clasped the Phantom by the dorsal solar array and lifted it clear of the rack; moving out into the open space of the hanger; shaking Rookie One about in his seat.
'There…' Ru called. '…that ought to do it.' She grasped the pilots yoke. 'Now, let's see what this baby can do.'
The trooper and officer turned and looked at the fighter dumbstruck. Rookie One chuckled as Ru dropped the fighter from the loading arm and raced towards the exit of the hanger, prompting both men to dive for safety.
The blast doors began to close as Ru pushed the throttle forward and flipped the fighter on its starboard wing to squeeze through. Rookie One opened his eyes as they flew into another hanger similar to the one they had just left; filled with dozens of Phantom TIES waiting for deployment.
'Blast as many as you can.' Ru called. 'The more we take care of; the less they'll have available to come after us.'
Grabbing the blaster controls, Rookie One armed the laser cannons and linked them together. He pulled the triggers and sent five bolts into a fighter emerging from the rack; watching it detonate and drop down on the deck. Moving the crosshairs, he targeted the row of Phantoms and held down the trigger, sending salvo after salvo of laser fire into the vulnerable ships as Ru flew towards the hanger exit.
'Hang on.' Ru snapped as she pitched the Phantom around a tight right-hand turn and into another hanger. 'They're trying to close the blast doors to trap us in here.'
Blaster fire bounced off the fighter's shields from stormtroopers perched on the gantries above and below their flight path. Ignoring it, Rookie One blasted away at the fighters and left the flying to Ru.
'I think we're heading towards the main reactor.' Ru called. 'We might be able to fly out through the heat exchange vent. You'll have to blast a way through though.'
Rookie One gave her the thumbs up as Ru pushed the fighter into a downward spiral into the glowing confines of the power core. Lighting discharges flashed around them as the fighter sped towards the vents.
'Take out the containment field generator.' Ru yelled as the reactor loomed in the viewport. 'It's our only way out of here!'
Taking a deep breath, Rookie One dropped his crosshairs on the glowing generator and fired. The Phantom rocked from the explosion as Ru sped past and into the tunnel beyond.
'Hang on!' She called as she skilfully made a ninety degree turn and raced towards the end of the tube. Rookie One could see the surface of Imdaar Alpha racing towards them as they cleared the structure and raced out towards open space.
Rookie One whooped as small explosions blossomed from beneath the hull of the Terror and around the upper superstructure.
'That should keep them busy for a while.' Ru called back as she checked the status of the fighter.
'Great, it looks like we're clear.' He shouted.
'Yeah…' Ru answered. 'I'm plotting a course for the rendezvous point.'
The sensors bleeped and Ru glanced down. 'Hmm. The scanners are picking up something strange.' Her hands flew over the controls. 'I can't get a firm fix on anything.'
Rookie One blinked as three Phantoms appeared in their forward viewport and fired on their ship; causing it to rock heavily.
'Blast…' Ru yelled. '…how did they get out in front of us?' She brought the fighter around and headed back towards Imdaar Alpha. 'Rearm the laser cannons. We'll have to take care of them before we can make the jump to lightspeed.'
Rookie One brought up the targeting programme and kept his eyes peeled.
'Here they come!' Ru yelled as the sensors bleeped.
The enemy fighters decloaked long enough to open fire on their target before disappearing again. Rookie One fired at their flight path in the hopes he might score a fluke hit.
'They only become visible when they shoot.' Ru warned him.
Rookie One growled as the sensors beeped again and the fighters blasted their shields with a second salvo of fire. Ru dropped down towards the nearest fighter and he opened up with his lasers as the fighter disappeared. 'Oh come on!' He yelled in annoyance.
Ru flung the fighter to the left as a Phantom flashed past; it's lasers firing. The crosshairs dropped on the fighter's port wing and Rookie One blasted away, clipping the ship and causing it trail a shower of sparks as it disappeared again.
'Follow that trail, Ru.' He called back over his shoulder.
'I'm way ahead of you.' Ru snapped as she brought the fighter onto the tail of the invisible ship. 'Take the shot.'
Rookie on gripped the firing yoke. 'This one's for Captain Merrick!' He growled as he pulled the trigger and watched as the fighter reappeared with a blinding explosion.
'That's one down!' Ru yelled. 'There's still two more of them out there'
Rookie One nodded distractedly. The space in front of their fighter shimmered for a moment. He pulled the trigger as the enemy Phantom appeared and flew into the hail of laser fire in front of it; tumbling end over end before detonating in a brilliant flash.
'Nice shooting, Rookie One.' Ru called as she brought the fighter around. The bulk of the Terror filled the viewport as the final Phantom appeared ahead; firing its laser cannons furiously.
Calmly, Rookie One dropped his crosshairs onto the fighter and gripped the trigger; waiting for the right moment.
'What are you doing?' Ru yelled. 'Blast it!'
'The shields drop before it cloaks.' He snapped back at her. The laser fire splashed over his forward shields until the fighter was right on top of them. The hull started to shimmer and he pulled the trigger; sending five emerald bolts through the forward viewport and causing the fighter to detonate.
The wreckage rained against their shields as Ru flew though the explosion. Rookie One leaned back and sighed. 'That one was for you, Reece.' He said quietly.
The Terror opened fire with her defensive batteries and the Phantom rocked as salvos burst nearby.
'Ru…' Rookie One called nervously. 'We can't take much more of this.'
'Hold on… I'm activating the cloaking field.' Ru answered. 'Wait… I got it working.'
The viewport shimmered in front of Rookie One and Ru peeled away to starboard. The Terror's gunners continued to fire along their original flight path.
'They can't see us!' Rookie One called excitedly. 'You did it, Ru.'
'Yeah, we did.' Ru replied happily. 'Let's get out of here before they send more fighters after us.'
Admiral Sarn hurried along the command walkway and halted in front of Darth Vader as he marched towards him. 'We can not control the damage, Lord Vader.' He said urgently. 'Engineering reports that the reactor could go critical at any time.'
Vader loomed over him. 'Disengage from spacedock.' He snapped coldly.
Sarn gulped as the sweat poured down his face. 'We can not, my lord. Docking controls are inoperative.'
Vader nodded. 'Then I must leave here on my own!' He raised his hand and made a crushing motion with his fist.
Sarn felt his windpipe snap shut. He gasped and placed his hand to his throat to try and loosen his collar. His eyes bulged as he gulped to try and get air.
'You have failed me for the last time, Admiral.' Vader admonished him. 'You will not have an opportunity to do so again!'
Sarn felt something in his neck crack and he fell to the deck. Vader strode down the walkway as his vision began to fade and his life ebbed away.
'Ru?' Rookie One called out as she made the final calculations for the jump. 'The Terror has lost control of her reactor. Explosions are rippling all over the ship.'
Ru glanced up from her console as a lone TIE Advanced flew out of one of the doomed ships hangers and sped out into space. As the giant ship exploded spectacularly, something flickered beneath it. The cloaking field collapsed to reveal an enormous facility constructed around the moon; grasping the planetoid like a hand. Several Star Destroyers were docked underneath the docking port were the Terror had been berthed; doubtless receiving their complements of Phantoms to turn loose on the Alliance.
'That's where they're making the Phantom TIE'S.' Ru gasped. 'There must be thousands of them in there! If we don't do something about them it doesn't matter if we get this thing home or not.'
Rookie One glanced around nervously. 'Uh… what did you have in mind?'
Ru smiled at him gravely. 'Maybe it's better if you don't know. Just hold on and don't let go of those blaster controls!' She flew the Phantom to a large opening near the summit of the facility.
'I don't like the looks of this, Ru.' Rookie One called nervously.
'It's our only chance.' Ru replied bluntly as she dropped into a manufacturing facility where thousands of phantoms were undergoing various stages of construction on an assembly line. She dodged and weaved between the supporting struts of the assembly line and pushed the fighter into a steep dive towards the reactor core.
'I think that is it!' Rookie One yelled as the Phantom passed an enormous globe. Beneath it was a powerful energy beam heading into the depths of the moons core. Huge arcs of energy pulsed past the fighter as it dropped down towards the power core.
'Blast that thing to hell!' Ru ordered.
Gripping the blaster controls, Rookie One opened fire at maximum range; watching his lasers tear into the vulnerable focusing crystals at the base of the reactor. The beam became unstable and began to flicker as Ru brought them around and accelerated towards the top of the facility.
An explosion tore through the reactor and the energy beam shifted towards the roof; carving an enormous tear into the hull of the facility. Ru dodged around the beam as explosions flared behind the fighter and raced out into open space.
'Hang on!' She yelled as the facility exploded behind them; sending pieces of the moon spinning into space. The Phantom was rocked by the shockwave and spun like a leaf caught in a strong wind before Ru managed to get control.
'You cut that escape pretty fine!' Rookie One snapped. 'Next time, I'm flying!'
Ru grinned as she plotted the jump coordinates and hauled back the hyperspace lever. The stars stretched into lines and the Phantom jumped to lightspeed; leaving the trail of destruction behind it.
The Ord Pardron Command Centre was located beneath the crevasse of a large canyon; hidden from the prying eyes of the Empire by the rocky outcropping overhead. Admiral Krane walked out into the early morning sunshine and raised his hand to his eyes to look for the captured fighter that was heading to the landing platform. He was impressed that the kid had managed to make it this far and pull off the mission when the odds were so heavily stacked against him.
'There they are, Sir.' Reggs called out as he spotted the Phantom.
Ru brought the captured fighter into position over the landing platform and dropped the fighter gently to the deck.
Ru let out a deep breath and raised herself from the pilot's chair. 'Come on, kid. Let's go and meet the welcoming committee.' She joked as Rookie One joined her on the boarding ramp. He grinned as he pressed the button to lower the platform to the deck.
As the pilots disembarked the central monitor in the fighter flared to life and began to receive an unknown data transmission.
Rookie One felt the breeze on his face as he stepped out from behind the boarding platform. Reggs was the first to jump on him whilst the rest of the pilots and technicians gathered around the fighter to offer their congratulations to the pilots for their triumphant return. Admiral Krane threaded his way through the crowd and headed straight for Rookie One; pausing to stand in front of him.
'Well, kid, I didn't think that you had it in you.' Krane smiled as he shook the young pilot's hand. 'It looks like the Alliance owes you a debt of gratitude. Without the advantage of their Phantom fleet, the Empire will have to face us on equal ground. You've saved us all.' Krane reached into his pocket. 'You even faced a little competition. I guess this entitles you to this.'
The pilots clapped as Krane pinned an Alliance Medal of Valour onto Rookie One's armour. The Alliance Starbird appeared in red at the centre of the golden shield; suspended from a red and white ribbon.
Rookie One shook Admiral Krane's hand firmly and turned to scoop Ru into his arms. 'I've been waiting a long time to do this, Commander.' He smiled as he pulled her into a passionate kiss. The assembled pilots and technicians cheered as Ru broke the kiss and smiled at Rookie One.
'I've been waiting for you to do that since you arrived on Imdaar.' She smiled as she pulled him into another kiss.
In the blackness of space, Darth Vader's TIE Advanced dropped out of hyperspace and headed towards the nearest Imperial outpost.
The holoemitter on top of the control panel flickered into life to show the Emperor sitting on his throne in the Imperial Palace. Vader glowered beneath his helmet. The last thing he was in the mood for was a dressing down from his master.
'The rebels have eliminated your invincible fleet, Lord Vader.' The Emperor hissed smugly.
'Yes, my master.' Vader replied sullenly. 'The rebels have proven surprisingly clever.' Reaching forward, he tapped a sequence of commands into a control panel. 'But we are not defeated!'
'What do you think is going to happen to our little ghost ship?' Rookie One asked; gesturing to the Phantom as he removed his stormtrooper armour.
'Our engineers are coming to examine it.' Ru explained as she lifted the chest piece over her head. 'I assume they'll try to adapt its technology to our own fighters.'
Rookie One grinned. '…and we blew up all their phantom ships, so…'
'Right.' Ru smiled. 'So for a change we might have the advantage over the Empire. The next time we go into battle…'
Ru was cut off as an explosion tore across the landing pad. The Phantom exploded in a blinding flash; sending the flaming wreckage tumbling into the canyon below.
Speechless, Rookie One and Ru stared at the spot where the fighter had been sitting and looked back to each other in utter shock as a pillar of smoke billowed into the sky.