Only few weeks have passed from the destruction of Starkiller, the First Order's offspring of the Death Star.
The First Order is in disarray. And still the Republic is not safe.
What happened when we cannot rely on the Jedi or our representatives to protect us?
...
"Black Leader, look out!" the warning literally flew out of Poe's communicator into his ear. Halmostly became deaf.
"I see it!" answered Poe and nearly crashed into the First Order Star Destroyer Bridge, but he masterly dodged it and continued to hunt down several TIE Fighters. When they came into Poe's X-Wing crosshair, the pilot pulled a trigger.
"Nice shot, Black Leader!" said Nien Nubb in Sullustian, congratulating Poe to his excellent fire. Junk of shot down TIEs still lingered around the Black Squadron.
And it was in the heat of battle. The First Order assaulted Mantooine, the Republic's centre of finance of the Outer Rim and Admiral Kral Drayson's Fleet HQ. Fortunately, Black and Rogue Squadron were present and most of the Republic Battleships were active when the First Order began their assault. Or the enemy would prevail.
Suddenly, Poe's communicator yelled again. "Black Leader, Rogue Leader, this is Heart of the Republic, Admiral Drayson." Poe recognized admiral Drayson's voice. His old friend. It was five years ago when they last met above Corellia aboard his Crusader-Class Battleship Charger. When he heard the name of his ship, he realized Drayson had to modernize his arsenal.
"Admiral Drayson, this is Black Leader. Changed the coat?" answered Poe Dameron to his superior with a smile on his face and a amused tone.
The communicator answered with a silent laugh: "Had to, Black Leader. The old one had fleas." Poe had to laugh a little, but he had to evade the crossfire from the Star Destroyers. And to destroy more TIE Fighters.
"Black Leader, Rogue Leader responding, Jaden Thanatos." came out to Poe's ear. "This isn't time for friendly chatter. Admiral's serious."
"Thanatos' right, Poe." Drayson agreed to Jaden's will. "The First Order is retreating. But the remaining forces still assault the planet. The ground forces of general Hayd already dealt with the Imperials on the surface, but those star destroyers are bombing the capital. Target the bridges and shield generators. When the Destroyers are crippled, the Fleet will take care of the rest."
"Understood, Admiral." agreed the Black Leader. "You pay the rounds when we return."
A sigh was heard in the speaker. "I admit, Dameron. It's kinda entertaining when you accompany the Republic Fleet." said Jaden through the communicator.
"Enough, both of you." Admiral silenced amusingly both the pilots. "Take care of those Star Destroyers."
When the Admiral finished the sentence and the communicator silenced, Black and Rogue Squadron emerged into one formation and targeted the Shield Generators of First Order's Star Destroyers. The crossfire was too easy to dodge and when the X-Wings were in range, the proton torpedoes were fired. The Energy and Shield Generators were hit and deactivated most of a Star Destroyer. And slightly before the Squadrons emerged on another Star Destroyer Bridge, Dameron saw how Drayson's capital ship was closing on a enemy ship.
"It's time. Target all blaster cannons on the fuel containers! Fire!" ordered Drayson to Heart of the Republic crew.
Poe could see from his cockpit how Heart of the Republic opened fire on a deactivated Star Destroyer. The lasers coming from its cannons nearly blinded him with its red lights. The Star Destroyer was turned into a pile of junk and fire in a matter of seconds
"Wow!" came from the communicator. It was Pole Xangar, a zabrak with a code-name Rogue 7. "What a blast."
"Stay calm, Rogue 7." ordered Jaden to his alien comrade. "This isn't over yet."
Poe concentrated to cripple the Star Destroyers. "Rogue Leader's right. Alright, Black Squadron. Form a group and engage the remaining ships."
Black and Rogue Squadron repeated the attack on another three of the remaining eight star destroyers. When the third one exploded under the Republic fire, the First Order Fleet fled into the hyperspace.
The communicator had been overloaded by a mix of victorious yelling and shouting. "We did it!" came from Black 2, Peter Gratham.
"They ran like dogs!" This was from Frank Darklighter, Rogue 3. But the loudest was Nien. "Congratulations, Rogue Squadron. It was a honor working with you." His alien tongue easily shouted over the rest of noise.
"Great work, Squadrons. This is a great day for the Republic." came from Admiral Drayson. "Come to my ship. Rounds're on me, lads."
"'Bout time, sir." said Poe with a mix of pleasure and fatigue in his voice. "We need to talk."
The X-Wings flew into Heart of the Republic hangar and were welcomed as heroes. Poe and Jaden were nearly drowned in a mass of crew and troops, but a crew captain drew them out and quickly took them to Ship Cantina. Their superior wants a full report...
...-...
But something was amiss that even Poe, Jaden or admiral Drayson didn't notice. That a small transport shuttle with Black Sun insignias was overseeing the battle and when the First Order retreated into hyperspace, this "craft" flew away to a strange place - an invisible Star Destroyer.
"Delta 6 to Shockwave. Requesting to pass the stealth field." asked the pilot of the shuttle through the communicator. Indeed, it is true. The Imperials somehow managed to create stealth field generators big enough to mask the entire fleet.
The answer to the pilot came quickly. The voice was old, but kinda fresh. "Shockwave to Delta 6. Send the transmit codes for the clearance."
"On it." answered the pilot and pressed some buttons on the navicomputer for clearance of his code. After a minute of silence, the communicator shouted.
"This is Admiral Harrsk to Delta 6. You may land in the hangar. Commence the landing sequence."
Pilot smiled and answered his superior: "I'm starting my approach."
The shuttle slowly approached the invisible star destroyer as it knew exactly where to go. Some officers on the battleship nearly paniced when the shuttle was closing, but it was false alarm. The hidden hangar on Shockwave suddenly opened its blast doors on Star Destroyer's Starboard Deck and safetly landed.
When the shuttle touched the steel, the pilot inside took off his space suit and left the ship. His superior, former warlord of the Zero Command, now an admiral in the Imperial Fleet. His look was scary: An old, but strong body with a grey-ordinary Imperial officer suit. Black shiny hair and half face. Half normal and half damaged. Harrsk was wounded fatally in battle for Endor when the bridge of his flagship was hit by a torpedo from Y-Wing, which erased the left side of his face and damaging his brain. It was replaced with a mixture of reserve skin and robotic implants, but his brain damage has been unhealable. Thanks to Bastion's kolto reserves, Harrsk's madness was lowered, but not erased.
"You are late, Lieutenant." said Blitzer Harrsk as soon as the pilot came out of the ship and came to admiral.
The officer saluted with his hand and replied: "I apologize, sir. I needed to assure the insurgents retreated. All of them. And it is hard to stay out of battle so intense."
"Do not talk like this, Reece." said the admiral and put his hand on Lieutenant Reece's shoulder. "You are not a Rebel Weakling, but a strong Imperial Officer."
Lieutenant Reece thanked silently by nodding his head to admiral Harrsk and answered: "Let it go, sir. We have a battle to win, do we not?"
"Right." said Admiral with a smile on his scarred face. "Come, my friend. Let's observe the end of the Republic on Mantooine!"
...-...
Reece and Harrsk returned to Shockwave's bridge through the Star Destroyer's difficult site of halls and turbolifts. It was a maze even for a veteran Imperial. A designer was no one else than Supreme Warlord Blitzer Harrsk himself. Despite it its a regular Star Destroyer, the Shockwave is a Tector-class, which hasn't got a hangar in exchange for bolstered shields and firepower.
When Harrsk and Lieutenant Ulrich Reece arrived to the bridge, all the officers saluted when admiral walked around them. Reece returned the salute, Harrsk did not. He always thought he is something better than the others, despite this fact, his ruthlessness and ferocity creates a large amount of order in his forces.
Admiral sat on his command chair on bridge, as one the Grand Admirals posses on their command ships and pushed the button on the communicator.
"Admiral Harrsk to 4th League Fleet. Approach the rebel fleet and deactivate the stealth field generators in close range. Then open fire." ordered the warlord to the fleet. And it wasn't a small one - 4 Star Destroyers, with Shockwave it were the Decimator, the Basilisk and the Hand of Death, 7 Strike Cruisers, 6 Broadside Rocket Cruisers and 12 Chiss spacecrafts, mostly starfighter carriers and anti-starfighter corvettes.
Harrsk's communicator shouted a quick and cold reply: "As you order, Admiral Harrsk." It came from Captain Tras'Gull, A chiss veteran officer and a commander of the Decimator. He was as ruthless as Harrsk, but his training helped him control his emotions. The cold emotions were Chiss' natural talent.
Reece admired the fleet. A cooperation of Chiss and Imperial Forces was never so close and effective. And now it is going to be tested in the battle against the New Republic over Mantooine. The rebel fleet is inactive, celebrating their victory over the traitorous First Order.
"And they are all going to die..." Reece sworn to himself. "One day, the Empire will be rebuilt...on these traitors' bones."
...-...
Heart of the Republic's cantina was posh for a warship. Admiral Drayson paid a high price for his own Bith Musicians, Rodian and Twi'lek bartenders, even jukebox from Tatooine. From Mos Eisley, to be precise. The crewmen not only of Drayson's flagship, but many more, even the Home One, admitted this cantina is one of the best in the galaxy. It was named "Warrior's rest". No doubt, after every battle the crew and admiral rested in the cantina and enjoyed their victory. Today was not the same.
Poe, Jaden and their co-pilots of Black and Rogue Squadrons arrived into Warrior's rest as soon as they landed in Heart of the Republic's main hangar. Through many halls and receptions, they finally found Drayson's famous oasis of alcohol and fun. When the pilots arrived, they stood in the door as nerfs, looking on the amazing architecture of a cantina - marble pillars from Naboo, Tatooine Bar with so needed distillery equipment, Mon Calamari decorations and paintings from the poshest art galleries. From Nal Hutta to Corellia, even from deceased Prince Xizor's vault on Ord Mantell.
"Wow. I have never seen such a masterpiece." Said Poe, both amazed and happy caused by the cantina and the battle won against the First Order.
Nien and Karth, just Karth, a Cathar, codenamed Black 5, just stood, saying absolutely nothing. Frank from Rogue Squadron didn't hold his feelings and started jumping all around as a small kid. He was quickly calmed down by a Duros companion, sat down to a table and given a free drink on Duros' account.
Jaden called off his teammates and leaned on Poe's shoulder. "Welcome to the Republic Fleet, Dameron." Then he clapped the shoulder three times and left to enjoy drinking and well-earned rest.
"Dameron, over here!" Some human waved on Poe. The Black Leader recognized the waving person and went to join the table. Rest of the Black Squadron dispersed to enjoy their own ways.
Poe reached the wanted table and spread his hands to hug someone. A man stood up and returned the gesture.
"Jangi, you mandalorian bastard! How did you manage to survive the onslaught on Ordo?!" said Poe loudly to his old mandalorian friend. Jangi survived countless battles, from the late Clone Wars to the revival of Emperor Palpatine, then he went rogue as a bounty hunter. It has clear on his face - his right eye was a cybernetic implant, scars started to live on his face in more numbers than wrinkles. A grey moustache with a freshly cutted beard with a bald head showed his age, around 55. For a retired bounty hunter he seemed he is still in action.
Mandalorian sligthly punched Poe's face as a gesture of friendship and replied: "It was easy, the First Order is a bunch of dumb blinders! My Virago had easy work fleeing-" Jangi coughed a little and continued "-evacuating the family out of battle. Those First Order turbolasers are worse shooters than Stormtroopers." Amused laugh finished Mandalorian's reply.
Peo, knowing what Jangi wanted to say, only smiled. "Don't play as a hero." Both the pilot and a mercenary sat to the table the Mandalorian invited the Black Leader. Now at the table sat 7 people: A gamorrean bruiser called "Pork", probably Jangi's bruiser. A twi'lek male, greenskinned Pole Farnuno, a Pazaak Dealer, then his personal "slave", a blue Twi'lek girl Rapponza. Another human Graham, a merchant of medical supplies on the ship and a Rodian Scoundrel Preendo, who worked closely with Pole Farnuno on Pazaak tricks.
"Greetings, hero. Want to join a game of friendly pazaak?" Pole offered Poe in his language to join to play Pazaak. Dameron nodded and asked a dealer for cards.
Pork laughed and whispered loudly to Jangi's left ear in his gamorrean: "How he can play pazaak without a basic deck?" Jangi pushed Pork back to his place and secretly gave Poe his reserve Pazaak deck from his right wrist undertable.
The game started friendly, as Pole said. The credits flew, as well the cards. For five rounds, when three were won by Preendo and Jangi and Poe shared two victories, it was a calm and truly harmonic game. But when the sixth game was a draw between the rodian and a twi'lek dealer...
"You cheater!" yelled Preendo all over the cantina, stood up quickly and drew his blaster on Pole Farnuno. "I saw you drawing cards from your shirt! And you drew 20 without using any! Twice!"
Pork took his steel axe and threathened rodian in gamorrean to stop complaining, but the rodian was faster - Pork's head was holed by Preendo's blaster.
"You slimy big-eyed bastard!" said angrily Jangi, drew his EE-3B blaster and the drama was over. Preendo's brain was split all over the next table, full of Quarren and Duros players.
But no one could reason it further, because suddenly cantina was hit by series of tremor and the ship sligthly turned on a Starboard deck.
"Look out!" shouted Poe and quickly pushed a Mandalorian away from the falling chandelier. Poe and Jangi dodged, but both Twi'leks and Graham weren't fast enough.
The cantina was conquered by panic and misery. All the non-soldiers ran away disorganized to reach their transports or, at least, the escape pods. Poe Dameron ran to the glassed window to look what is going on. When he reached the window and watched the scene, he warned the rest: "IMPERIALS!"
The rest of the crew went to prove Poe's warning. And he was right - four Star Destroyers and around 18 support crafts emerged from nowhere and started their attack on the Republic Fleet. They were caught off-guard, causing the panic and destruction. The Star of Dantooine, one of seven of Admiral Drayson's ships were already destroyed and Last Hope with Imperial Bane reported critical damage of hull and destroyed shield generators.
-...-