'The Flames of War' is set a few months after the events of 'The Force Awakens'. An old childhood friend of Rey proves to be trouble for the Resistance. Admiral Char and his fleet threaten to crush the Resistance with their ingenious military tactics. Rey will appear in later chapters. This has been partly inspired by military science fiction, so military tactics and battles will be focused greatly in first few chapters of the story.


Star Wars

The Flames of War

War! The First Order has been waging a deadly war against the New Republic and the Resistance for months. Many ferocious battles have been fought, leaving tens of thousands of dead civilians and ruined cities behind them.

A stalemate has been reached as neither side can gain the decisive advantage needed to defeat its enemy. With Kylo Ren and Rey both training under their respective Masters, both sides have to rely on their military leaders alone and not on Force users.

In a remote region of the Outer Rim a Star Destroyer is on a scouting mission, searching for any presence of the Resistance. Until now, it has only seen minor action but this is soon going to change…

Chapter 1 – Taking the initiative

The thousands of bright stars and planets gleamed in the pitched black background of space. Suddenly, a menacing shadow overshadowed one of the smaller planets. It was the shadow of a Star Destroy traveling in space. The sound of its engines was the only sound that could be heard in the silent and empty coldness of the Outer Rim. Inside the Star Destroy, in an office, a man was signing some papers on his desk. The man was wearing a grey officers' uniform, which consisted of a double-breasted tunic with a round collar and matching trousers, a pair of black boots, a belt and a command cap. The officer was twenty-one years old, with shaggy hair, brown eyes, fine, manly physique and handsome, well-proportioned features.

Char Bright, as was his name, had trained in the Officers Academy of the First Order. When he was a cadet, he was expecting to fight epic battles and face dangerous and challenging enemies. But he never expected that his most terrifying enemy would be bureaucracy: paperwork and signing of orders. He had seen only minor action and so did not have much battle experience aside from simulations and reading books on military strategy. He had been assigned as "Logistics Officer", looking after food and fuel. That was an important office, but not a very exciting one. Not to mention all the paperwork he had to do.

'If only I had a chance to prove myself on the battlefield, I would show them what I am capable of.' That was his constant thought. Char was a very ambitious person, constantly seeking glory and recognition. But he still had neither of them.

As he was signing a document concerning the resupply of the ship with fuel, the door knocked.

"Who is it?", Char asked.

"Officer Max!", the man replied.

"Come in."

Max Kraen, a thin young officer with short blonde hair, blue eyes and a handsome face, walked into the office and saluted Char.

"What is it that you want, Max?"

"Sir, the Admiral wants to see you. He awaits you on his office."

Char remained silent for a moment, thinking as for what reason the Admiral would want him. "Do you know why he asks for me?"

"No, sir, but he seemed a bit nervous to me."

"Alright, I will be going right away."

Char signed two more papers before getting up from his chair and walking out of his office. He headed towards the Admiral's office. Admiral Maar was an experienced military officer who had seen lot of action. Although by himself not impressive, being short and somewhat fat, he had fought more battles than the vast majority of First Order officers. He was in his early sixties, and so much older than most other officers, but he more than made up with his long experience and daring tactics. He had taken command of the 'Conqueror', as was the Star Destroyer's name, only two months ago. He usually commanded whole fleets of Star Destroyers but he was given this minor command due to the machinations of his political enemies. But, as the war between the First Order and the New Republic was getting more and more costly, Snoke had ordered General Hux to bring Maar back to the main fleet.

Char entered the Admiral's office and saluted him. "Sir, what can I do for you?"

Maar smiled, although Char could see that he was a bit nervous. "General Hux has requested that I am to be brought back to the main fleet. That means that you will have to be temporary Admiral of this Star Destroyer."

"Me?!". Char was totally surprised by this, in a good way of course. At last, he had his own independent command. A smile appeared on his face.

"I know that you are not much experienced, but for a short amount of time you will be in command here. Of course, this is only temporary and soon the central command shall send a more experienced officer to take command here."

Hearing this, Char could not help but feel disappointed. He immediately ceased smiling but he did not dare express his disappointment and tried his best to hide it.

"Your mission will be to scout the area for any presence of the Resistance.", Maar continued. "Do not engage in combat under any circumstances. Your forces are meagre and cannot hope to battle the Resistance. If you find anything, report it immediately to the headquarters. Do you understand, soldier?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good." Maar sighed. "I cannot help but feel a bit nervous letting this Star Destroyer being commanded by a rookie like you, but I hope that you will not let me down."

"I will do my best not to disappoint you, sir! Rest assured that I will follow your instructions."

"I hope so….."

A few hours later, Maar left the Star Destroyer on his Tie Fighter and Char moved to the Bridge to assume command. From there, he could see the vast blackness of space and the thousands of gleaming stars. As he was gazing at them, Max asked him, "Sir, what are your orders?"

"Send out five Tie Fighters to scout the area. They will be able to scout far more territory and do it far faster that the 'Conqueror'."

"But…" Now it was Max who was feeling nervous. "Sir, sending Tie Fighters to scout can be risky. If they are spotted by the enemy, they will surely get shot down before transmitting us the enemy's location and this could give time to the enemy to prepare their defenses. On the other hand, while a Star Destroyer is slower, it cannot be shot down easily even if spotted by the enemy and thus can both transmit the enemy's location to the headquarters and defend itself until reinforcements arrive."

"In war, the one who is willing to take the more risks usually emerges victorious.", Char retorted. "The Tie Fighters are too small to be spotted by the enemy while a Star Destroyer cannot be possibly missed. So, if we are to maintain the element of surprise, sending out Tie Fighters is the best option."

Max sighed. He disapproved of taking risky decisions but since Char was now in command, he could not disobey his orders. "Send out five Tie Fighters for scouting!", he shouted.

"Yes, sir!", one of the officers replied and transmitted the order to the pilots. Although a bit surprised to hear this command, the pilots quickly rushed to the hangar, jumped into their Tie Fighters and soon launched from the hangar into space.

"The Tie Fighters should be send each in a different direction and be spread out to cover more territory.", Char said.

Max, although hesitant, obeyed the command and gave the order. He then said, "Excuse me Admiral, but since you do not have much battle experience, would it not be better if you followed less risky tactics? Simulations and books are one thing, living enemy is totally another."

"When you don't take risks, you cannot make the difference. And I want to make the difference. Do you understand that, officer?"

Char had grown tired of Max and his 'whining' and so the tone of his voice was strict and stern. Max knew that angering your superior was never a good idea, so he just smiled and said, "I understand."

Suddenly, one of the officers shouted, "Sir, James has spotted an X-Wing class fighter. He awaits your orders!"

James was one of the pilots Char had sent out to scout. He was an experienced pilot, having fought in many dogfights and having shot down countless X-Wings. So Char was confident of his abilities.

"No X-Wing can go this deep into space on its own. There must be a Resistance base nearby.", Char said. "Officer, tell James to follow the X-Wing, but maintain a long distance so that he is not spotted. If he is spotted, there goes the element of surprise. So make sure to tell him not to get too close to the X-Wing."

The officer repeated Char's commands to James. While he was doing that, a grinning Char turned to Max and said, "See, my tactics work."

James slowed down the speed of his Tie Fighter as soon as he got his orders and tried to maintain a distance to the X-Wing. If he was too fast, he would be spotted. If he was too slow, he would lose the enemy and then he could lose the only trail leading to the enemy base. So James was in a difficult spot, even for an experienced pilot like himself.

'I sure hope the enemy base is somewhere near for I do not believe I will be able to follow for much longer that X-Wing without getting spotted.', James thought.

James followed the X-Wing, only to see it approach a large asteroid and landing into an opening on its right side, where a hangar was constructed. This seemed to him like a major Resistance military base, but he could not tell much about its defenses for he feared that if he approached any further, he would be discovered by the enemy.

He transmitted this to the communications officer who informed Char. "Sir, James said that there is a Resistance base in an asteroid on coordinates 17:01 on AK-89 Region. It seems like a major military installation. Should we inform the headquarters?"

"No.", Char replied. He knew that if he told the headquarters about this, they would most likely send another commander along with other Star Destroyers to attack the base. This would be the easier way to take out the Resistance base, but it would strip him of a chance to gain military glory. If he could destroy this military base by himself, he would surely impress enough his superiors to persuade them to name him permanent Admiral of the Star Destroyer. "Tell James to maintain his distance from the base and not do anything to risk the operation. We will soon be attacking."

"What?!", Max shouted, not able to withhold his anger and frustration anymore. "This is a direct violation of Admiral Maar's orders! Not to say that our forces are meagre and any attack against such a well-fortified Resistance base is doomed to failure."

"I am in command now, not Maar. And as long as I am in command, you will follow my orders. Or I will have you court-marshalled for insubordination. Now, tell me, do you prefer to follow my orders or to be shot by me?"

Max struggled to maintain his composure, but he finally calmed down and gave up. Anyway, even if the attack was a disaster, it would be Char's fault, not his. He had done all he could to prevent this disastrous plan. "I understand, Admiral.", he said, resigning to his fate.

"Good.", Char replied. "Now, order the crew to prepare for combat and get the 'Conqueror' near James' position. But do not go near the base. Maintain a long distance to avoid being detected. We shall not attack immediately with the Star Destroyer."

"What strategy do you propose?"

"Well, the sensors of the Resistance and the New Republic are built to spot Star Destroyers and Tie Fighters. They shall not be able to detect a small group of people in space suits sneaking into the base. We will be too small for them to detect us."

Max sighed. "So, if I understand correct, you and a few men in space suits are going to float in space, reach the asteroid by yourselves and sneak into the base?"

"Yes. The space suits will provide us oxygen for long enough to reach the base."

"But as the Star Destroyer will maintain some distance so as to not be spotted, you might not have enough time to reach the base and run out of oxygen."

"Well, that's a risk I am willing to take."

Max could not tell if Char was a madman or simply an idiot. At the very least, if he died before reaching the base, Max could cancel this whole crazy operation.

"When I sneak into the base, I shall deactivate the sensors and the defenses and then I will give you the signal to launch the attack. They will not know what hit them!", Char said, unable to hide his excitement for this operation. He could at last prove his worth. "Once we reach our destination, call James to the Bridge."

"Yes, sir."

The Star Destroyer sped forward into space, soon reaching James' position. James' Tie Fighter flied back to the Conqueror's hangar and James rushed to the Bridge.

"I'm here, sir!", James said as soon as he reached the Bridge and saluted Char.

"You are an experienced soldier, so I want you to come with me on a dangerous mission. Gather four more men, the best we have. We are going into space with space suits."

James grinned. "I know what your plan is, sir. It is going to be dangerous, but I love challenges."

"Good to hear that. Get the men and we shall meet in the airlock."

When James left the Bridge, Char turned to Max and said, "Remember, under no condition are you to attack before getting a signal from me. Although you are not an experienced officer, I am sure you can handle the task of attacking the base once I give you the signal, right?"

"Right…". He tried to sound firm and confident, but even he himself doubted his ability to perform this task. But he had a duty and he would not prove himself inferior to the task at hand.

"Relax; I am sure you will do fine. Now, I've got to go!"

Char rushed to his room and equipped himself with a space suit. Most people rarely used space suits to float into space, as they could provide oxygen for only a limited period of time and so it was quite risky. As soon as he wore that suit, he rushed to the airlock. There, James and four other men, all wearing space suits, waited for him.

"James, open the airlock!", Char ordered. "We are going into space."

James pressed a few buttons on the right side of the airlock and it opened. One after the other, the brave group of men floated into the black pitched wilderness of space.

"We must reach the asteroid as fast as possible or this will be our last military operation.", Char said.

The men tried to move forward as fast as possible, but the space suits were slow and the oxygen was being depleted. Agony and fear took hold of the men, but they knew that it was too late to back down. Just when the oxygen was going to be completely depleted, they reached the opening of the asteroid where the hangar was build. And to their astonishment, they saw four huge cannons guarding the hangar.

"Why are they not firing?!", James shouted. "I am sure that they should have spotted us by now."

Char laughed. "If they were manned by soldiers, they would have already spotted us. But those are automated cannons and their sensors, as well as the perimeter sensors of the base, cannot spot small objects. They are built to locate Star Destroyers and Tie Fighters, not a few men in space suits. I guess their engineer never thought that someone would be crazy enough to approach an enemy base in a space suit without any ship backing him up."

So, the group made its way into the hangar. As soon as they touched the ground, they quickly run and hid behind an X-Wing. They saw six Resistance soldiers walking in the hangar and patrolling the area.

'That's fitting.' Char thought, smiling. 'We wanted six Resistance uniforms and now we got them.'

"Make a sound.", Char ordered and James hit the X-Wing with his fist.

"What's this?", one of the Resistance soldiers wondered.

"It came from behind that X-Wing.", another said. "Let's go check it."

As soon as they approached, Char and his men grabbed them and slit their throats with a laser knife. They then removed their space suits and wore the uniforms of the dead Resistance fighters. Now, dressed as Resistance fighters, they could make their way into the base.

As they were walking, they saw that tens of fighters were in the base. They were trying to avoid talking with anyone, in fear of being recognized. If they were discovered, it would mean certain death for them for it would be impossible to escape from a military base with so many troops.

'I wonder where the main computer is…', Char thought. 'If I can find it, I will be able to shut down the sensors and the cannons.'

Suddenly, a Resistance soldier shouted to Char, "Hey you! Wait a moment!"

Char's heart skipped a beat. 'Damn, we have been discovered!'

"What is it?", he said with a smile, trying to hide his fear.

"I want you to go to the main computer and upload this program.", the man said and gave to Char a disk. "It will enhance the sensors. The officer asked me to do it, but I have a date with Shelysa and … you know… anyway, it's a pretty simple task so it is not like you will have to do much. In two minutes it will be over. I would really appreciate if you could help me."

Char tried very hard to keep himself from laughing. 'Luck is on my side, it seems.'

"Very well, I'll do it but where the main computer is?"

"It's third room on the left on corridor A7. Here is the card to open the door."

The man gave the card to Char and left with a smile in his face.

"I will go on my own to the computer's room.", Char whispered to James. "You and your men just hang around and try not to look suspicious."

"I'll do my best, sir."

Char walked slowly to corridor A7 and got to the third room. He used the card to open the door and saw that there were two guards armed with rifles in the room.

"The commander has requested that you go meet him. Don't know what he wants, but it seems urgent.", Char said. "I will remain here and guard the computer for you."

The guards were surprised to hear this command but this guy had a card, which only the commander had, and so he could not be joking.

"Very well.", one of them said. "We will be going. Make sure no one gets in."

"Don't worry. Everything will be under control."

As soon as the guards left, Char inserted a computer spike into the computer. This allowed him to hack the computer and deactivate the sensors and the cannons. "All too easy!", he commented. He then activated a comlink and said, "Do you read me?"

The communications officer of the 'Conqueror' quickly replied, "Yes, sir!"

"Good. The mission was a success. Order Max to attack now!"

The officer quickly relayed Char's message to Max.

"Impossible!", he shouted, astonished by the success. "I cannot believe it! Set course for the asteroid. Inform all pilots to prepare for battle."

The Star Destroyer soon reached the asteroid base. Seeing the base before him, Max shouted, "Pilots, go on the Tie Fighters and launch an attack!"

Tens of Tie Fighters launched from the hangar and flew right into the hangar, firing with their laser beams at the X-Wings, decimating the entire Resistance air force even before it was able to take off. So, even though the X-Wings outnumbered by far the Tie Fighters, they were not able to pose a threat to them. The Resistance soldiers patrolling the hangar were also killed by the tens, as they did not had even a slight chance against the superior firepower of the Tie Fighters.

"Send ground troops!", Max ordered and from the Star Destroyer troop carrier ships launched and landed onto the enemy hangar. Stormtroopers moved out of the ships and rushed forward, shooting at anything that moved. Although the Resistance soldiers were far superior in numbers, they were surprised by the attack and without any preparation at all while the Stormtroopers were battle ready and had the element of surprise. So, despite intense fighting, the Stormtroopers began pushing back the enemy soldiers and taking over one corridor after the other

Char, James and the other men rushed to the hangar, shouting "We are First Order, don't shoot."

Despite this, some Stormtroopers began firing at them but thankfully they were able to dodge the fire and an officer who recognized them ordered the Stormtroopers to stop firing at them.

Char let out a breath of relief. "That was close!", he commented. He then said to the officer, "I will be going back to the 'Conqueror'. Prepare a Tie Fighter for me."

"Yes, sir!"

The officer soon found a Tie Fighter stationed in the hangar and Char jumped into its cockpit and flew to the Star Destroyer. He quickly rushed to his room, as soon as he got to the ship, and changed back to his officers' uniform. He then walked to the Bridge and asked Max, "How are things going?"

"Excellent, sir! Our troops have made much progress and have captured almost the entirety of the base. Only a few pockets of resistance remain."

"Tell them to place explosives into the base and get out of there."

Max was confused. "Sir, aren't we going to keep the base?"

"No, we don't have enough troops to occupy it and I cannot waste troops in occupying a stupid rock. Just explode the base so it cannot be used by the Resistance anymore. That was our mission in the first place, to destroy the base."

Max transmitted the order to the troops and the Stormtroopers placed explosives all over the station. They then rushed to the hangar and began evacuating the base. As soon as the last soldier fled the base, the bombs exploded and the entire asteroid shook. Fire engulfed everything and burned alive the remaining Resistance soldiers. When the fire reached the weapon caches and armory of the Resistance, a second even stronger explosion rocked the place.

"Magnificent!", Char said, looking at the amazing spectacle of fire engulfing the base. "Great fireworks, worthy of our triumph."

"I have to be honest, sir.", Max said. "At first, I believed that you were a madman but now I am totally persuaded that you are an excellent commander. I put my faith in you, Admiral!"

Char smiled. Maybe the greatest achievement of this day was not his victory over the Resistance but the fact that he had gained the trust of his officers and the adoration of his men. That was something much harder to achieve. He ordered Max to report the news to General Hux while he went to him room. He lied on his bed, closed his eyes and soon fell asleep. It was a tiring day for him.

Two hours later, Max knocked the door. "Sir, you are wanted by General Hux. Come to the Communications Room."

Hearing this, Char quickly got up and rushed to the Communications Room, hoping to hear good news. As soon as he entered the room, he activated the hologram projector and Hux appeared before him.

"Admiral Char, Officer Max informed me of the situation. You were only a temporary commander and with strict orders not to engage in combat. But you disobeyed that command, right?"

Char was taken a bit aback by the strict tone of Hux, but confidently replied, "Yes. When I located the enemy base, I knew that it was critical to take the initiative and take them out as soon as possible. I could not wait for further orders or reinforcements, lest the opportunity to destroy the enemy slipped from my hands."

"Good. I like military commanders with independent thought and bold strategies who can achieve victories for the First Order. You shall be permanent Admiral of the 'Conqueror' and the scouting mission is to be turned into a cleansing of the area from Resistance bases mission. Bring me more military victories and you shall get rapid promotions."

"Yes, sir!", Char said and saluted Hux. "I will not fail you!"

Char now had the chance to further prove himself. He was determined to get to the top of the First Order's military hierarchy. And he was going to achieve this goal, no matter what the cost or what tactics he needed to use to achieve it. No one was going to get in his way, and certainly not the Resistance.