Chapter 5 – Part Two - Full on retreat
Unknown to the Prior vessels but before being vaporised the remaining Star Destroyer had gotten off a distress call. Most communications were done via the holonet which utilised hyperwave which was in essence a convoluted form of hyperspace communication. However this was a secret Imperial frequency utilising the medium of subspace, a technology that so very few employed was also the main reason it was chosen – very little chance of anyone stumbling across it.
Luckily it had been received by a group temporarily based at Alderaan, patrolling for any dissidents or Jedi. What the Venator class lacked in firepower it made up for in speed having the most advanced hyperdrive engine available, in essence a short range attack frigate. Although designed as a troop transport ship the Acclamator class had more firepower and was capable of traversing much greater distances than anything currently in service – it was in essence a trans-galactic ship.
This battle group was geared for war. Exiting hyperspace they appeared like a small swarm of angry insects whose nest had been invaded. Seven Acclamators vectored towards the invaders as inertial dampening fields preventing the occupants from being turned into paste. The enemy were obviously more than ready thinking that their smaller size would mean easier targets. The lead vessel split the targeting between two enemy vessels as twelve quad turbolasers opened up. Neither even had chance for distress signals as they exploded into nuclear fire. It went into history as the shortest battle ever recorded entering into a geo-stationary orbit afterward preparing to see off any reinforcements that might arrive.
They did have long to wait, not even half an hour passed.
Ten Prior vessels appeared from some kind of superluminal transition. Their scans of the phenomenon were fairly rudimentary on account of the battle conditions they were under but it did not stop them sending off the data to Byss though- just as a precaution. It was some kind of dimension very similar to hyperspace albeit somewhat slower.
Morin who was currently a bridge officer stared back in shock at how the enemy approached; a flat wedge formation. No tactics, flat plane attack, amateurs! "Admiral"
"I know, I see them," he remarked without turning around, watching the scene with a practiced eye on the monitors.
Before anyone could issue the order to fire….the Destroyer to their left exploded impressively.
Despite having been promoted to Field Captain by Vader, Clone Trooper ranks did equate well to bridge ranks per se so he'd been forced to take a sideways drop, to get out of the field while still maintaining the rank of Captain. "They've got longer weapons range than we have"
"Yes I got that too, Captain," the Admiral emphasized the last word, his rank, belittling the observation.
Some people get a little bit of power and it goes straight to their heads. "We need to fire missiles to give us some breathing room and time to manoeuvre"
"Good thinking. Fire concussion missiles, then break formation, then order each to form a group of two, vector an attack angle, here, here and here," he said pointing as various points on the display wondering just where his new bridge officer was getting such good ideas from.
Perhaps he won't be so bad, but somehow I doubt it. "Yes, sir"
Another Destroyer went up in a massive burst of flame, but so too did three Prior vessels, the result of combined fire from two Acclamators.
Morin could clearly see the enemy had one main weapon which they relied on extensively - in effect it had become a crutch as the remaining secondary ones were obviously more for backup or point defence resembling slightly weaker versions of their turbolasers – but still dangerous. He quickly calculated the odds of five Star Destroyers against twelve enemies, "Sir despite the initial numbers we outgun them quite considerably, although their shield systems are far more advanced than ours"
"What do you have in mind?" Inquired the Admiral, "Corporal, dip the nose twenty degrees down then take in a forty degree left turn and then fire," his intention was to come up behind two vessels effectively turning it into a womp rat shoot.
"Take out their main weapons, maybe get us some prisoners?"
"Can we do it?"
The only answer they received was enemy weapons fire causing consoles to explode showering debris across the bridge, many personnel being peppered with fragments – both large and small some fatally so as ten inches, or more, of glass and metal were seen protruding from various parts of the body. Those not severely injured carried on regardless pulling out the jagged pieces, tossing them aside in anger. Their own turbolasers and missile batteries shouted their own defiance by spitting nuclear fire in retaliation, destroying two more ships in the process.
It was becoming clear that even the Prior's secondary weapons were quite formidable though, but certainly preferable to the…….alternative. Enemy ships accelerated away and Morin did not like the look of this! "Captain they've figured out their weapon range is better than ours"
"Oh is that so?"
What a total incompetent bantha's ass! "What's so difficult to understand? They're able to move faster, better shields, and a biggest damn gun I ever did see that out powers a turbolaser by at least three times." Morin continued to scan the data from his monitor taken of the surrounding area, there was an extraordinary amount of space debris – it was beginning to give him an idea. "Corporal target a concussion missile at the debris field they're next to let's see what their shields can handle"
He was not about to put up with that. "I'm in command-"
Instead of speaking up dropped his tones adding an edge of threat to his voice as he did so - "Shut up," then he modulated it back normal for speaking to everyone else. "Do it corporal, now"
"Yes, sir"
"You better have a good reason for this"
"For kriffs sake! If we rain debris on them, they may or may not have particle shields." He could see realisation dawn on the Admiral.
"No effect sir"
"Thanks corporal," what the hell that should have worked! His face creased in deep concentration.
"Your little idea backfired. Guards have this man arrested," unwilling to have another gainsay his orders, on his ship.
No time to ponder we'll be dead any second now. The Admiral never saw the small holdout blaster Morin pulled, or heard the shot. Probably never knew he was dead as his brains blew out the back of his head. "Someone take the garbage out, now let's win this." On his orders two dozen tie fighters were launched who like or not were still outnumbered, but not outgunned.
"Sir, they're turning back to attack"
"Shit! Stand by ready on the hyperspace button, just in case. Launch a full attack wing and let's see whether a change of tactics might work."
All were waiting on the edge of their seats until the enemies' fighters flew to intercept.
"Damn!" He cursed, "Well at least we know they have fighters now too," before another order could be given everyone's world exploded into light.
Both vessels streaked towards their new coordinates dropping out of hyperspace after an hour then entering a new destination that none but Sidious knew. Anakin's sigh was one of relief. Another four hours later they exited superluminal transit outside the orbit of a strange blue planet.
"Master where are we?"
"Byss. My secret of many generations", he seemed almost convivial. The Chosen One appeared troubled, "What is it my apprentice?"
"How can a planet reek so much with the dark side?"
"Because I have made it so"
"If you are so powerful, why could you not stop…" he was unable to prevent blurting it out noticing that his Master's face flushed with anger; "I'm sorry, I did not mean anything," he stammered as they lapsed into silence once more.
Anakin stewed there, mind afire with possibilities. He felt the dark energies of the planet invigorating, empowering knowing that he had much studying to do to master the arcane secrets. Perhaps beating Sidious would not be as hard as first thought. It would be a new empire, his Empire, united under his rule. His visage showed grim determination externally but inside, he was smiling. He would then set a bounty to bring Padme in alive so that he would force her to understand the rightness of his quest. Trying hard not to smile concentrated on bringing the vessel in to land.
Upon touchdown Mara Jade was immediately rushed into a Bacta tank as the droid on Galen's ship had done everything it could with the present facilities.
Aboard his Star Destroyer Admital Tarkin was concerned that perhaps Endor was not the safest place to build the two super weapons considering the reports that were coming in about a fleet of alien ships sweeping across all known star systems. No ship or ships was powerful enough to stand in their way. But was anywhere really safe at the moment, perhaps it would be better to begin again elsewhere? He tugged at the sleeves of his uniform which had begun to crease horribly, the beginnings of a bad habit, one he would have to break before Emperor Palpatine visited again. Lack of sleep was taking its toll, nearly missing an obvious flaw in the construction plan. Why did droids not spot this first time around?
This would need solving immediately or everything would just take double the time. His communication console bleeped, expectantly, but before activating it he reached for some stimcaf. He spat it back into the cup, it was cold, had it been left that long? Settling for second best quickly rubbed his face trying to revive tired and sore eyes which only made everything seem more blurry, somehow as if such was possible.
Reluctantly he pressed the button opening the com-link.
The tones that greeted him were affable but C'Boath always was. "Wil"
"Jorus"
He brightened somewhat expecting it to be Vader or the Emperor, glad it was neither. For some reason he'd always got on with the cloned Jedi, something had just clicked from day one in which neither tried to impress the other or force their will on each other. Something they had both adopted was dropping any superfluous honorific. He looked angry. "I'd ask if there was a problem but that would be like asking do Jawa's stink"
The other smiled seemingly to visibly relax. "Thanks" he replied. "I needed cheering up"
Both knew they had jobs to do within the Empire and accepted their burden of responsibility; quite often bouncing ideas off each other seeking flaws in their own plans, helping both become more effective.
If he was speaking to Palpatine he'd be sat more upright, tried to look really attentive, instead he slouched some more resting a hand on his chin. "So where's he sent you now?" The tones were mocking.
Jorus beamed once more. "To find any technology relating to the Old Republic would you believe?" Pausing briefly to summon an aide who brought another cup of stimcaf of which he took a welcome drink. "This is your fault by the way," he indicated the drink, "you got me drinking this rot"
"Tastes nice though, don't it?" he quipped.
"Sometimes you can an unctuous bastard Tarkin", he said eyes glinting with mirth. So far he'd never got around to telling him that Palpatine was a Dark Lord of the Sith but fully intending to when they actually got chance to meet face to face, but certainly not over the holonet.
"Sometimes I wonder why the kriff do we obey the old fool?"
"Because we'd probably be dead otherwise" he remarked without rancour.
He clicked his fingers as though realising something all of a sudden, "Oh yeah, that. I knew there was a good reason. Hope there aren't any bugs", he smiled self depreciatingly. "Seriously though I've tried everywhere I can think of, many places I've never heard of."
The real reason they served Sidious and it was not down to any sense of fellowship or harmony with any of the other races, it was one sole reason – power. They had both been around enough to know that democratic power was no power at all being tied up in meetings and policy was just no way to get things done. The real power came through a dictatorship, which in essence Palpatine would make it in due course, thus those serving at the higher levels would in a sense, get a taste of the action.
"What about the obvious places?" Tarkin suggested helpfully.
This comment was greeted with a groan, brows furrowed in confusion. "Howd'ya mean?"
"The best place to hide anything is out in the open right?"
"Why do I get a feeling I'm gonna hate whatever you're about to say."
"'You always do when I state the damn obvious" answered Wilhuff smiling.
"Yeah, yeah, get on with it ya' kriffer." To any listening, he sounded irritable but there was a sparkle of mischievousness in his eyes. He took another sip.
"Think about all the legends the Jedi might have either vilified or suspected and never confirmed. I'm sure you'll find answers there," he suggested cryptically hoping his friend had understood. He heard the sound of something shattering and a wet sloshing sound on the floor.
"Ouch!" this was followed by a curse, "Poo doo!" then by more shouting.
"Are you okay?"
"Dropped my stim"
"I sorta figured that," he said in tones oozing pure sarcasm.
While trying to gather his equilibrium idly wondered if his friend was actually referring to….. "Are you by chance referring to our drunken discussions about a group of certain witches?"
He smiled without saying anything.
Sometimes he hated when he did that. He pulled a face, "Understood. How's Project Death Star?" He emphasised the last two words.
"Good, but……I'm concerned about that fleet of ships dropping out of hyperspace right on my doorstep"
"Me too. What are you going to do?"
"Thinking about starting up again near Byss but I understand he's already relocated there. Sorta want to keep my autonomy"
"What about Had Abaddon? Not too close but far enough way."
Tarkin clicked his fingers, "I like it!" he exclaimed. "Thanks" he said sincerely.
"Don't forget the next break we get it's your turn to bring the Wookie brandy and Twi'leks whores!" He said enthusiastically rubbing his hands together in glee.
He brightened at the thoughts of last time, good times indeed, "Better get started. Good luck"
"You too," as the connection to the holonet was cut, a lot to do he thought.
