Submission
By: Zenith
Chapter 1: Contact
Admiral Jacen Solo strode slowly down the command walkway of the Bothan Assult
Cruiser Victory, his hard military boots clicking dully on the durasteel deck plates of
the modern warship. His dark brown eyes, those of his father, shifted slightly as he
sensed SOMETHING.. a disturbance in the Force. He frowned. "Captain?", he addressed a
uniformed officer on the bridge.
Captain Zen Krath of Kuat straightened at his station. "Sir?", he said, with the
military precision his parents' generation had always associated with the Galactic Empire.
Jacen closed his eyes, sensing out towards the stars, trying to find something,
anything, life out among the stars that could be giving this unsettling feeling of danger
through the Force. His eyes flickered open. "Instruct communications to scan the space on
heading", his eyes closed again, and he paused, concentration furrowing his brow.
"Thirteen, mark two five four, mark oh six eight".
"Yes sir", Krath replied, as he turned his head to nod curtly towards a lieutenant
at the communications console. "Do as he said".
The lieutenant tapped the co-ordinates on the data terminal at his stations. Moments
later, his eyes widened. "Sir, ComScan detects the energy signature of", he paused, eyes
flickering over the terminal screen before proceeding. "Thirty-four warship, ranging in
side from corvette to cruiser at..", he read off a string of numbers, close to Solo's
estimation. "Range four-hundred and fifty thousand clicks and closing fast!"
Jacen swore aloud before he couls stop himself, his suspicions confirmed. "Sithspawn!
Captain, send a message to the remainder of the fleet! Instruct the Borleias to send a
message to Admiral Ackbar at Coruscant detailing the attack, and then to join us at full
speed with the rest of the fleet". He paused. "Lieutenant?", he addressed a young, nervous
looking lieutenant whose features harbored obvious fear. "Battle-stations. Instruct all
fighters to scramble. I want that flight deck clear in five minutes. "Uh.. um.. yes..",
he stuttered. "Yes sir", he spat. Emberresment became evident on his face as he began
calling into the comm.
Solo frowned. "Lieutenant, are you in any condition to be on duty?" He stopped
himself from asking if the lieutenant if he was okay, realizing that those words would
imply they had the time to take care of him if he wasn't. From the size of the attacking
fleet, if they used that much time he shuddered. Not something he wanted to think about.
"Uh, no sir. I'm ready." Solo nodded in acknowledgment. A siren began to permeate
the bridge in tandem with red lights from a thousand stations flashing the battle alert.
"Commodore, the ship is at your command", Captain Krath gave the formal concession
of command to Admiral Solo.
"Thank you Captain." He spoke into a comlink in his right hand, "General Darklighter?"
A burst of static crackled over the comm for a brief moment, the New Republic battle
encrypts showing up in the connection for a second, before it could be decoded. It left a
dull ringing in his ear. He shouldn't have held it so close to his ear. "Yes, Commodore?"
He shook himself, peering intently at the display before him. "Form up. We have two
wings, repeat, One hundred fourty-four starfighters incoming. Instruct Nova and Wraith
squadrons to intercept all bombers. All other squadrons are released for superiority."
A double click from the comm prompted him to smile. With an informal gesture
offered in friendship such as that, he remembered exactly what he was fighting for.
He buried the smile, and touched a starship's left flank on his display. "All
weapons, fire for the left flank of that cruiser." Jacen frowned; their opponents, whoever
they were, were leaving their sides open for a broadside. Jacen sighed and closed his
eyes. This was going to be a long, hard battle. "Fire."
Admiral Ackbar's bulbous eyes rotated until he was looking at both Admiral Traest
Kre'fey of Bothwui, and Admiral Xakeri Pro'tak of Corellia. "Let me be frank and
straightforward. Admiral Jacen Solo was attacked four standard hours ago outside the Bakura
system. More than half the ships in his task command were destroyed by a task force of
unknown origin. They made no attempt at communicating with him, but closed to weapons range
and began firing at his ships. Though it is not known for sure, it has been estimated that
there is a nintey-five percent chance that the ships originated in the Unknown Regions. They
used weapons and technology, though not of greater caliber than ours, of a different style,
and great enough to offer us a great challenge after our ongoing series of wars." The long
series of wars from the Clone Wars to the war with the Yuuzhan Vong had indeed decimated
the ability of any one military force in the galaxy to make war. The non-stop wars had also
taken it's toll on the moral of the citizens, giving some of them nothing in their lives
but war.
"Admiral, we are in fear of a force of unknown numbers who seem to have weaponry
less advanced than our own? Doesn't this seem rather weak?", Admiral Pro'tak said
haltingly. "Should we not run a reconnisaince mission", he broke off as he realized that
they did not know where their base of operations was. Admiral Ackbar rolled his large eyes,
privately wondering how this man had ever been promoted the rank of Admiral. He frowned,
in fact, he wasn't sure who had promoted him.
"The Kuat, Bilbringi, Corellian, and Sluis Van shipyards are working at top
efficency to build more Gunships, Corvettes, Star Destroyers, Cruisers, Frigates, and",
Ackbar leaned in closer, giving a sense of secrecy. "A Super Star Destroyer." Ackbar leaned
back again, reassuming the sense of command about him. Pro'tak was slightly pale, probably
remembering the tales of the Executor, and Kre'fey was smiling ferally beneath the facial
fur of the Bothan species.
Kre'fey cleared his throat. "Do we have the remains of any of these invaders?"
Ackbar frowned, a learned trait, the Mon Calamari did not communicate with facial gestures
such as those, and shifted uncomfortably, uncharacteristic for a charismatic Admiral with
years of experience. "We do."
"Well? What is the readout on their bodies, what are any unique characteristics?"
"They are of the Sith race, Admiral"
Kre'fey appeared astonished, though he hid it well. The Sith race had supposedly
become extinct after the attack on their planet by the Dark Lords. The Sith were a powerful
species, and, through Dark Side magic, had been mutated into the fierce Massassi warrior
race. A war with the original Sith race would unleash a terrible fate upon the galaxy.
Pro'tak looked sick, and Ackbar shook his head slightly, surpressing a frown. Such
a weak-minded Admiral.
"Admiral Ackbar", Pro'tak's voice quavered with something, fear, probably. "Are you
saying there is nothing we can do?"
Ackbar laughed slightly, then snapped, "I said no such thing! I merely stated that
they are a powerful species with fairly advanced technology whom we have little actual
knowledge of, outside rumor." Pro'tak nodded, reluctantly.
"That is all, Traest, Xakeri. Dismissed." At a wave from Ackbar's hand, the two
younger admirals stood up from the table, and walked towards the door. Ackbar sagged in
his chair and muttered, "Just when it seems as if we will have peace we are at war again."
By: Zenith
Chapter 1: Contact
Admiral Jacen Solo strode slowly down the command walkway of the Bothan Assult
Cruiser Victory, his hard military boots clicking dully on the durasteel deck plates of
the modern warship. His dark brown eyes, those of his father, shifted slightly as he
sensed SOMETHING.. a disturbance in the Force. He frowned. "Captain?", he addressed a
uniformed officer on the bridge.
Captain Zen Krath of Kuat straightened at his station. "Sir?", he said, with the
military precision his parents' generation had always associated with the Galactic Empire.
Jacen closed his eyes, sensing out towards the stars, trying to find something,
anything, life out among the stars that could be giving this unsettling feeling of danger
through the Force. His eyes flickered open. "Instruct communications to scan the space on
heading", his eyes closed again, and he paused, concentration furrowing his brow.
"Thirteen, mark two five four, mark oh six eight".
"Yes sir", Krath replied, as he turned his head to nod curtly towards a lieutenant
at the communications console. "Do as he said".
The lieutenant tapped the co-ordinates on the data terminal at his stations. Moments
later, his eyes widened. "Sir, ComScan detects the energy signature of", he paused, eyes
flickering over the terminal screen before proceeding. "Thirty-four warship, ranging in
side from corvette to cruiser at..", he read off a string of numbers, close to Solo's
estimation. "Range four-hundred and fifty thousand clicks and closing fast!"
Jacen swore aloud before he couls stop himself, his suspicions confirmed. "Sithspawn!
Captain, send a message to the remainder of the fleet! Instruct the Borleias to send a
message to Admiral Ackbar at Coruscant detailing the attack, and then to join us at full
speed with the rest of the fleet". He paused. "Lieutenant?", he addressed a young, nervous
looking lieutenant whose features harbored obvious fear. "Battle-stations. Instruct all
fighters to scramble. I want that flight deck clear in five minutes. "Uh.. um.. yes..",
he stuttered. "Yes sir", he spat. Emberresment became evident on his face as he began
calling into the comm.
Solo frowned. "Lieutenant, are you in any condition to be on duty?" He stopped
himself from asking if the lieutenant if he was okay, realizing that those words would
imply they had the time to take care of him if he wasn't. From the size of the attacking
fleet, if they used that much time he shuddered. Not something he wanted to think about.
"Uh, no sir. I'm ready." Solo nodded in acknowledgment. A siren began to permeate
the bridge in tandem with red lights from a thousand stations flashing the battle alert.
"Commodore, the ship is at your command", Captain Krath gave the formal concession
of command to Admiral Solo.
"Thank you Captain." He spoke into a comlink in his right hand, "General Darklighter?"
A burst of static crackled over the comm for a brief moment, the New Republic battle
encrypts showing up in the connection for a second, before it could be decoded. It left a
dull ringing in his ear. He shouldn't have held it so close to his ear. "Yes, Commodore?"
He shook himself, peering intently at the display before him. "Form up. We have two
wings, repeat, One hundred fourty-four starfighters incoming. Instruct Nova and Wraith
squadrons to intercept all bombers. All other squadrons are released for superiority."
A double click from the comm prompted him to smile. With an informal gesture
offered in friendship such as that, he remembered exactly what he was fighting for.
He buried the smile, and touched a starship's left flank on his display. "All
weapons, fire for the left flank of that cruiser." Jacen frowned; their opponents, whoever
they were, were leaving their sides open for a broadside. Jacen sighed and closed his
eyes. This was going to be a long, hard battle. "Fire."
Admiral Ackbar's bulbous eyes rotated until he was looking at both Admiral Traest
Kre'fey of Bothwui, and Admiral Xakeri Pro'tak of Corellia. "Let me be frank and
straightforward. Admiral Jacen Solo was attacked four standard hours ago outside the Bakura
system. More than half the ships in his task command were destroyed by a task force of
unknown origin. They made no attempt at communicating with him, but closed to weapons range
and began firing at his ships. Though it is not known for sure, it has been estimated that
there is a nintey-five percent chance that the ships originated in the Unknown Regions. They
used weapons and technology, though not of greater caliber than ours, of a different style,
and great enough to offer us a great challenge after our ongoing series of wars." The long
series of wars from the Clone Wars to the war with the Yuuzhan Vong had indeed decimated
the ability of any one military force in the galaxy to make war. The non-stop wars had also
taken it's toll on the moral of the citizens, giving some of them nothing in their lives
but war.
"Admiral, we are in fear of a force of unknown numbers who seem to have weaponry
less advanced than our own? Doesn't this seem rather weak?", Admiral Pro'tak said
haltingly. "Should we not run a reconnisaince mission", he broke off as he realized that
they did not know where their base of operations was. Admiral Ackbar rolled his large eyes,
privately wondering how this man had ever been promoted the rank of Admiral. He frowned,
in fact, he wasn't sure who had promoted him.
"The Kuat, Bilbringi, Corellian, and Sluis Van shipyards are working at top
efficency to build more Gunships, Corvettes, Star Destroyers, Cruisers, Frigates, and",
Ackbar leaned in closer, giving a sense of secrecy. "A Super Star Destroyer." Ackbar leaned
back again, reassuming the sense of command about him. Pro'tak was slightly pale, probably
remembering the tales of the Executor, and Kre'fey was smiling ferally beneath the facial
fur of the Bothan species.
Kre'fey cleared his throat. "Do we have the remains of any of these invaders?"
Ackbar frowned, a learned trait, the Mon Calamari did not communicate with facial gestures
such as those, and shifted uncomfortably, uncharacteristic for a charismatic Admiral with
years of experience. "We do."
"Well? What is the readout on their bodies, what are any unique characteristics?"
"They are of the Sith race, Admiral"
Kre'fey appeared astonished, though he hid it well. The Sith race had supposedly
become extinct after the attack on their planet by the Dark Lords. The Sith were a powerful
species, and, through Dark Side magic, had been mutated into the fierce Massassi warrior
race. A war with the original Sith race would unleash a terrible fate upon the galaxy.
Pro'tak looked sick, and Ackbar shook his head slightly, surpressing a frown. Such
a weak-minded Admiral.
"Admiral Ackbar", Pro'tak's voice quavered with something, fear, probably. "Are you
saying there is nothing we can do?"
Ackbar laughed slightly, then snapped, "I said no such thing! I merely stated that
they are a powerful species with fairly advanced technology whom we have little actual
knowledge of, outside rumor." Pro'tak nodded, reluctantly.
"That is all, Traest, Xakeri. Dismissed." At a wave from Ackbar's hand, the two
younger admirals stood up from the table, and walked towards the door. Ackbar sagged in
his chair and muttered, "Just when it seems as if we will have peace we are at war again."