Operation Cinder- Part 1
A.N: Timeline setting: Several months after 'To Take Down an Emperor'.
General Hera Syndulla stood in the command centre of Home One, the flagship of the rebel fleet, and the location of what was about to be an incredibly important mission, one that could very well determine the fate of an entire planet.
Hera was no stranger to such meetings though. Her participation in what had been called the 'most suicidal mission in the galaxy' was proof of that. By the time she and the remaining crew of the Ghost had returned to Yavin Four with news about the assault on the Emperor's battle station, she had already become a legend. She and her crew.
And whilst at the time she had fully expected to be reprimanded for abandoning her post on what seemed like a foolhardy mission, instead she had found herself promoted.
General. No longer a Captain, but a General.
Suffice to say, her father had been proud.
And now here she stood, among the upper echelons of rebel command, ready for what seemed to be another suicidal mission.
It had taken some time to decrypt the information they had brought back from the battle station. Whatever 'Operation Cinder' was, it was clearly meant to be top secret. Luckily for them, they had an expert in decrypting imperial codes.
K-2 may have complained the entire time, but he had come through, revealed information detailing the Operation the rebels now sought to stop.
The basis of it was both simple, yet obscene to Hera. A series of orbital satellites equipped with weapons that were not intended to directly harm, but rather somehow disrupt and alter the atmosphere for the worst. From what Hera could figure out, it was essentially a weather machine.
How the empire possessed weather altering technology was a mystery, but its purpose was clear. Incite fear into the galaxy in hopes of maintaining control. It was a classic arms race.
And they had to stop it.
Glancing around the meeting room, Hera watched as several figures, some holograms and other not, assembled. Hera herself moved towards the central table.
As she approached the table, one figure turned to nod at her.
"General Syndulla, glad you could make it."
Hera allowed herself to smile at the hologram of Commander Sato. Without him, it was very possible that their mission would have failed. They all owed him.
But Sato did not seem to mind, nor did he want any thanks. As far as he was concerned, he was only doing the right thing.
Across from Sato was Admiral Ackbar, and next to him another of his kin, Admiral Raddus. Both Mon Calamari were spearheading this mission with their formidable capital ships. Hopefully that would be enough for whatever the empire had in store.
Glancing around the table further, Hera spotted the hologram of General Dodonna, who had also volunteered several ships to the mission. His experience would be welcome.
It occurred to her then that the only major rebel commander not present was General Draven, but then that didn't surprise her. Even after the whole fiasco that had been his attempted assassination of Ahsoka, Draven had continued to play a role in leading the rebellion. That was until one day he had mysteriously disappeared. Hera could only imagine what had happened to him, and so far all investigations had turned up nothing to trace the General.
Not that Hera minded all that much. Draven was in her opinion, one of the meanest Nerf-Herders she had ever encountered. She certainly wouldn't miss him.
It was then that Hera's eyes locked onto perhaps the most perplexing leader assembled for the mission. When they had been organising and assembling ships at the rendezvous point, Captain Rex had taken it upon himself to bring in more reinforcements.
However, the identity of said reinforcements was one that came at a complete surprise to everyone. After all, the appearance of a Providence class carrier was one that years ago sowed fear into the hearts of many.
As was the identity of it's general.
But now, here he stood, amongst the rebels, willing to help with this mission, one that would need all the firepower they could muster.
Suffice to say, Hera didn't care that General Kalani was a droid. All she cared about was that he was willing to help.
Yet even with the combined might of a Seperatist Capital Ship, two Mon Calamari Cruisers, one captured imperial carrier, and an assortment of other ships from General Dodonna, the rebel fleet was severely underpowered.
That was where Hera assumed she came in. The capital ships would be able to hold off any imperial forces for a time, but it would be the fighter squadrons that would win the rebels the day.
And it was Hera's job to command them it seemed.
It was then that the meeting began, and Hera's thoughts were dragged away from her analysis of her allies.
"Reports indicate an increased imperial presence around Naboo. We've obtained information that the Star Destroyer Eviscerator is in orbit above the planet, accompanied by its own personal escort, as well as several satellite's the imperials appear to be positioning above the capital." Ackbar spoke first, his hands traversing a holomap that appeared in the centre of the table, bringing up an image of Naboo, as well as approximate readouts of the positions of the Imperial's fleet positions.
"Do we know who is commanding Eviscerator?" Dodonna inquired, his own hand gesturing towards the image of the lead Star Destroyer.
"Reports from Captain Kallus suggest that Admiral Garrick Versio is in command of the destroyer. It should be of no coincidence that he be present to oversee his own project." Ackbar replied, his voice somewhat grim.
Hera understood why. Garrick Versio had escaped from the battle station before it had been destroyed, and he and his imperial remnant faction had been causing chaos and havoc for several months.
And now he had appeared above Naboo, with what Hera could only assume was Operation Cinder. If it was as dangerous as the files stated it was…
"So we have a chance to eliminate Versio, as well as shut down Operation Cinder? This is too good to be true!" Sato commented from beside Hera, his face full of trepidation.
Kalani then spoke up, his monotone voice surprisingly full of what appeared to be concern.
"I agree with the Commander. However, our primary target is heavily protected by multiple Imperial Class Star Destroyers. We cannot stand up to the combined might of them for long."
Hera then chose her moment to intervene. After all, this was why she was present at the meeting.
"I know this plan is risky, but all we need to do is destroy the satellites that control Operation Cinder. Without them the empire has no reason to stay, and will more than likely be pushed into retreat. As tempting as it might be to remove Versio from the situation, we cannot commit resources to his flagship, not yet. We must focus all our attention on the satellites."
Murmurs of agreement went round the table, the various leaders looking to one another in acceptance and understanding. Now was not the time to deal with Versio. They had a planet to save.
"Very well General Syndulla. You shall command the fighter wings to destroy the satellites whilst the rest of us fend off the capital ships as long as we can. You'll only have a short window of time, so make it count." Raddus gave his own input for the first time, his usual rogue tone of voice present, one that usually indicated mischief.
Hera allowed herself to smile before snapping into a salute.
"Consider it done Admirals."
Turning on her heel, Hera began to move towards the exit of the bridge, before beginning to make her way down to the hanger bay where her ship was waiting for her.
As she crossed the threshold of the doorway she heard one final comment from Kalani.
"I calculate a 24.6 percent chance of success on this mission."
As she left, Hera smirked.
That was more than enough for her.
Garrick Versio stood on the bridge of his ship, the Eviscerator. If all went to plan, and it would, today would be a glorious day for the empire.
The Emperor may have been dead, but his will lived on. And it was a will that Versio was more than willing to be the director of.
Even if it meant following the orders of someone like Gallius Rax.
'For now at least.' Versio thought to himself. In time he would take command for himself.
But today, he had his own victory in mind.
Looking out of the window of the bridge, Garrick stared down at the planet below.
Naboo. Homeworld of the Emperor, and now the first planet to be lucky enough to understand why the empire was supreme. The satellites were in place. It was just a matter of giving the order.
He had delayed however. Not for any real tactical or strategic reason, but rather a personal one. He wanted to share this victory.
"Admiral? You wanted to see me?" A feminine voice came from behind him, one that brought a smile to his face.
Turning around, Garrick greeted the new arrival, beckoning them towards him.
"Iden my dear, I'm glad you could make it. Today, you and I shall witness the fruits of my labour. Come come, watch with me."
The woman, his daughter, Iden Versio, nodded, before moving to stand beside her father, looking down at the planet below.
"Thank you for this opportunity Admiral. I would be honoured to join you."
Garrick smiled again. His daughter had learnt well. She followed every command, respected every superior, and in doing so she became one of the best. Her piloting skills were nearly unmatched.
He tried not to be biased, but even now he knew that his daughter was well on her way to yet another promotion.
And he couldn't be more proud of her.
Garrick turned his attention back to the planet below. The sky was clear over Naboo. No doubt it was a sunny day for the residents of the capital.
A shame then that he was about to ruin it, all in the name of control.
Not that he cared in the slightest.
Turning his head, Admiral Versio spoke to a nearby officer.
"Initiate Operation Cinder."
The officer nodded in reply, before moving his hand over a nearby terminal, keying in the activation code.
Shifting his gaze back out the window, Garrick spotted one of the orbital satellites powering up.
Moments later it reached fully charged, and a bright beam of light erupted from the tip of the mounted weapon, casting downwards towards the planet below.
Seconds later, a second beam was unleashed, and then a third, and a fourth.
In the span of several seconds, ten orange beams had emerged from the orbital satellites, and were now descending down upon the capital of Naboo. The skies began to change, dark clouds forming and blocking out the light. Lightning storms began to ravage the atmosphere.
Beside him, Garrick saw his daughter stiffen in surprise.
Yet that didn't stop the dark smile that came to his face.
Everything was going according to plan.
"Admiral, we are detecting several hyperspace signatures on approach."
The blue vortex of hyperspace would usually give Hera some peace. It was her chance to relax usually, to take in the marvels of space travel.
But now, now it was the calm before the storm.
It was times like these she was glad she was piloting the Ghost. The freighter had served her well, and she fully intended it to serve her and her family for many more moons.
After all, it was not just a ship. It was their home.
She was seated in the pilot seat as usual, Zeb of all people beside her, acting as co-pilot. The rest of her family was off on other missions, leaving her with the lumbering Lasat.
Not that she minded. Zeb was like an uncle to her, and she welcomed his assistance.
In the back of the cockpit, Chopper beeped aloud from his position plugged into a terminal, indicating that they were about to drop out of hyperspace.
Gripping the controls of her ship tightly in her hands, Hera braced as the blue of hyperspace evaporated just as quickly as it had appeared.
And in a blink of an eye, she found herself back in real space. Before her was Naboo, its atmosphere clearly in unrest. Storms ravaged across the planet, no doubt causing large scale damage on the surface.
But right now Naboo was not her true concern, but rather the imperial fleet above it, or rather what said fleet protected.
Hera spotted the satellites with ease. Ten orange beams of light descending onto the surface of Naboo gave away the position of her targets.
It was just a matter of getting through the Star Destroyer blockade.
Beside her, Zeb gasped in surprise.
"Karabast! Am I seeing seven Star Destroyers?"
Hera made a quick count, confirming what Zeb was seeing. One Destroyer was bad enough, but seven?
Kalani had been right. They stood no chance in a conventional fight against those Star Destroyers.
She and her squadron would have to move fast.
Reaching her hand across to her comm link, Hera keyed it on and spoke.
"Alright Phoenix Squadron, let's make this count. Form up and follow my lead."
"So the rebels come. At last." Garrick spoke aloud, ordering his crew into positions. He knew what they were here for, but it mattered little. He would stop them.
Approaching the holomap he had on the bridge, Garrick began to observe the situation. The rebels had come, and had a sizable force. Multiple cruisers and carriers, and even what looked like an old Separatist flag ship. Where had they gotten that from?
Still, it wouldn't be enough, Garrick knew that. The question was, did the rebels?
"Launch all fighters. Defend the satellites, no matter the cost."
Hera flew the Ghost straight towards the Star Destroyers. It was a bold move, one that might fail. But she had to lure Versio into a false sense of security.
Two more ships appeared by the side of the Ghost, visible out of the window of the cockpit. Rebel command had finally begun mass producing their latest design, the X-wing. Hopefully today, it would prove to be an advantage.
"Squadron leaders report in." Hera commanded into her comm link.
"Antilles here, Rogue squadron is following your lead General."
"Mattin here, Iron squadron ready and able."
"Vos here. Bomber squadron ready, just clear us a path."
"Vulture T-17-12 active. Commencing diversion tactics."
Hera allowed herself to take a deep breath, preparing herself for what lie ahead. Before her, she could make out the tell-tale shapes of imperial TIE Fighters preparing for combat.
Releasing the breath she was holding, Hera spoke once more.
"May the Force be with us."
And then she gave the command to attack.
"Admiral, we are detecting several wings of enemy fighters heading towards us. Interceptors are being deployed to stop them."
So that was their plan. Keep their capital ships back and allow the fighters to do the dirty work.
'Cowards!' Garrick thought.
"Order the Dauntless and Stalwart forward. Mobilize bomber squadrons to attack the rebel fleet." Garrick ordered allowed to his bridge officers, who in turn relayed the commands to the respective officers aboard the other Star Destroyers. Two of the empire's mighty capital ships would be sufficient.
Glancing out the window of the bridge, Garrick watched as the Dauntless and Stalwart began to advance towards the rebel fleet.
Two Destroyers would certainly be enough alone, but he knew what else he could do.
"Order all remaining Star Destroyers to commence long range bombardment. Force the rebel fleet closer to us."
Hera watched as two of the mighty behemoths that were Imperial Star Destroyers began to shift towards them. Ships of that size were almost indestructible.
Luckily, she had just the tool to deal with them.
"Phoenix Squadron, form up on me. Iron Squadron, clear a path for the bombers. All other wings, engage the fighters."
Affirmatives came through on the comm in quick succession, and beside her Zeb reported each wing moving into formation.
Turning her head behind her seat, Hera addressed Chopper.
"Chop, power up the heavy weapons. Let's clear out those Destroyers."
The ever loyal orange astromech seemed to chuckle in glee as he got to work, and seconds later Hera's consoles beeped in confirmation.
Tugging lightly on the piloting controls of the Ghost, Hera lined up towards one of the approaching Star Destroyers.
It was then that the destroyers in back opened fire. Blasts of green energy consumed the space around them, no doubt attempting to target the rebel ships in back.
Hera only hoped they could hold off long enough, as right now she had bigger concerns.
Powering up the integrated Defender and B-wing weapons, Hera opened fire.
A lance of bright red energy speared towards one of the Destroyers, scorching a long mark along the top of its hull. Small explosions followed in unison as areas of the ship decompressed and buckled, sending the Destroyer into disarray.
"Bomber squadron, make your attack run!" Hera called out.
"We're on our way General." The voice of Quinlan Vos replied. The Jedi Master had demanded to come along, bringing with him his old Jedi Starfighter. With his reputation, Hera knew that Vos would be more than a match for any imperial pilot.
It was then that a squadron of TIE fighters joined the fray, opening fire up the Ghost and its wing of fighters.
"Break off and engage." Hera called out, pulling the Ghost upwards in a sharp incline, firing at a pair of TIE fighters in the process.
A dogfight emerged briefly between the pilots, as red and green flashed covered space, a clear indication of the battle raging.
As she pulled the Ghost around, destroying one of the TIE's with a well-placed shot in the process, Hera witnessed her Y-wing bomber squadron make their move.
The Y-wings, led by Vos, flew directly towards the smoking holes she had created in the Star Destroyer, unleashing their payloads of proton warhead before pulling up to escape the blast radius.
Hera counted to three before the warheads hit their mark.
Large explosions raked the hull of the destroyer, causing further damage and ruptures. Yet that was not the true extent of the damage.
Several of the warheads impacted differently. Rather than hit the outer hull, they struck the inner hull, along the carefully cut line Hera had created with the mounted B-wing laser.
The Star Destroyer seemed to shake momentarily, before several large explosions began to travel the length of the ship.
Moments later, the entire destroyer seemed to stop moving, before a bright white light erupted from within.
In an instant, the Destroyer shattered into two separate pieces, both aflame, and now both useless.
Cheers erupted through the comm as one of the Destroyers went down.
Hopefully soon the others would follow suit.
"Admiral, the Dauntless has been destroyed!"
Now that was a surprise! Garrick had watched as a freighter, one that he had only ever heard of approached the Dauntless, only to scuttle it in seconds with some sort of weapon he had never seen before.
If the rumours were true, the same thing had happened to the Chimaera at the battle station months ago.
And there had been no word from Thrawn since.
Garrick really wished the Grand Admiral was present right now. He could use his tactical genius.
Still, it was no use dwelling of what Garrick assumed was the dead. The freighter posed a serious threat to his plans. It had to be destroyed.
"Order the Stalwart to hold position. All batteries, target the 'Ghost'!"
Hera's eyes widened in alarm as the full force of the lead Star Destroyer opened fire upon her. She was an expert pilot that much was certain. But even she couldn't escape such a maelstrom of fire without taking damage.
The Ghost shuddered dramatically as several shots landed their mark, the shields absorbing most of the damage from the turbolaser fire, but not enough.
"Hera, the B-Wing laser is offline!" Zeb called out in alarm, his face contorting in anger as he tried desperately to power it back up.
Grunting to herself Hera continued to evade the fire from the Eviscerator, pulling the Ghost through several different manoeuvres in the process.
"Just keep working on it Zeb!" Hera called back out, her focus primarily on the raging battle around her. Through the window of the cockpit, Hera could see her fighter wing engaging the mass of imperial TIEs. All the while the Star Destroyers continued their long range assault on the rebel fleet.
And as expected, the comm came alive with sporadic voices.
"Those Star Destroyers outrange us, we need to move closer."
"I calculate an 89.7 percent chance of complete destruction if we do not advance upon those Star Destroyers."
"How can our chance to survive be higher the closer we are?!"
"At least we'd be able to shoot back!"
"General Syndulla, we've got bombers on route to the rebel fleet!"
That caught Hera's attention. Bombers would be serious trouble, no matter the distance. It seemed that Versio had the same idea as she did.
"Iron Squadron, break off your attack and defend the capital ships. Those bombers are your primary target. Rogue Squadron, form up behind me." Hera ordered over the comm, listening and watching for her orders to be received.
Moments later, Hera witnessed her comrade's follow through with the order, breaking off into their various positions.
Hopefully Mart and his wing would be sufficient in defence.
"We still need to get past those Star Destroyers!" Zeb called out at the moment, addressing the blockade before them.
'Karabast!' Hera thought. The plan had been to use the B-wing laser, supplemented with the Y-wing bombers to break through the Star Destroyers. But now, without the laser active, they would need a new plan. The Y-wings wouldn't be enough.
Pulling the Ghost into a sharp turn, Hera angled the freighter for a gap between the closest Destroyer and another behind it.
And then the Ghost shuddered again, indicating another direct hit from the Eviscerator.
"General, we can't break through. Their firepower is too intense!" Wedge Antilles voice came through the comm link this time, steady yet concerned.
"Pull back, let's see if we can find another gap!" Hera replied, pulling her ship to one side and away from her original plan.
Around her, fire raged, green and red.
X-wings duelled TIE interceptors. A-wings danced with TIE fighters.
And the longer the battle went on, the worse the odds seemed to be for the rebels.
And greater for the empire.
Garrick smirked as he watched out the bridge window. The freighter known as the Ghost had pulled a sharp turn, leading what appeared to either be a retreat, or a repositioning.
Gesturing to a member of his bridge crew, Garrick ordered his own fighter wings to pursue. Defence was the goal here, not offense. Even the bombers were designed to be a distraction, to buy him more time and thin both the rebels' ranks and morale.
And so far it appeared to be working.
And then a voice spoke aloud to him, one that he was very familiar with.
"This is monstrous!"
Garrick turned, confusion on his face as his daughter eyeballed him, fury in her eyes.
"They are rebel scum. I thought you had experience in dealing with such threats Iden?"
Iden's face contorted some more, her arms gesturing not towards the ongoing space battle, but instead towards the planet below.
"Not this battle, the planet. This weapon is insane. There are loyal subjects of the empire down on Naboo, and you and torturing them! All in the name of control."
Garrick remained still, his features betraying no hint of emotion before replying.
"We must ensure loyalty to our Emperor, even with his passing. Fear will keep the galaxy in line. We must demonstrate our power and show the galaxy that this rebel threat are nothing but terrorists, and that we are the protectors of the galaxy."
Garrick hoped that she would understand. She was his daughter after all. His own flesh and blood. And he was proud of her and her accomplishments.
However, it appeared that on this, father and daughter were not going to reach an agreement.
"Ensure loyalty? By destroying peaceful cities? By murdering innocents? This is not us! This is not what the empire that I have fought so hard for represents! Not to me!"
Garrick had lost patience by now, and was barely able to stop himself from snapping and shouting. Instead, he took a deep breath and spoke, slowly and clearly.
"Get off my bridge."
Iden didn't even salute, rather she stormed off, anger left in her wake. Garrick would deal with her insubordination later. Right now, he had a battle to win.
And that was when some unexpected, yet welcome news reached him.
"Admiral, we are detecting incoming hyperspace signals. Their trackers identity them as Imperial Star Destroyers, three to be precise."
Garrick smiled in response. It seemed Rax had sent reinforcements.
"General Syndulla, Home One just took a direct hit from those Star Destroyers. I calculate you have mere moments before a decisive imperial victory. We must retreat." General Kalani's voice was the one to address Hera over the comm link this time, and frankly it looked as if the droid was right. The imperials were too well entrenched, the satellites too well protected.
The rebels simply didn't have enough strength to overpower them, nor enough time to break through.
And then things got worse. This time it was Zeb that cried out, his voice full of dread.
"Karabast! We've got incoming hyperspace signals. Three Star Destroyers!"
Hera's eyes widened in alarm. It had been a trap. Versio had lured them all in, and now it looked like he was ready to finish them off.
Glancing out of the cockpit window, explosions and laser fire flashing all around her, Hera held her breath.
Moments later, the Star Destroyers arrived.
The three gargantum ships dropped out of hyperspace, unmoving, yet within weapon range of the rebel fleet.
But what surprised Hera was not the ships themselves, but rather the direction they were facing.
They weren't facing towards the rebel fleet.
But rather Versio's blockade.
And then Hera spotted something that sent chills down her spine.
The lead Destroyer, the one that was now position right before her eyes had a very familiar marking on it.
The underside of the ship possessed what appeared to be a stylized depiction of a mythical creature, two serpents coiled around one another.
"No!" Hera whispered to herself. "It can't be, not now!"
But deny as she may, it didn't stop the truth from being reality.
That Star Destroyer had a name, one that was infamous amongst the rebels, and one that Hera presumed destroyed.
The Chimaera.
And it's Admiral was just as infamous as the ship itself.
Author's thoughts
So yeah, sorry it's been a while. I know a few of you will be upset with the lack of recent updates, and so I apologise. Between my hurt hand, real life, and writers block, I've not got much done. All I ask is patience. More will come. Still, I hope you like this first one shot in a three part mini series.
And yeah, cliffhanger as well, because why not?
So this mini arc essentially deals with what happens with Operation Cinder. Hopefully the space battle is ok, even if you don't really get to see much of it, yet. :)
And yes, I am aware in canon that Garrick Versio is not an Admiral until after Endor, but for this AU assumed he is promoted earlier.
Anyway, my hand is better now, so I can resume writing.
Next time round is part two of this mini arc, and it focuses on how our favourite blue dude gets to be in this fight and what he has been up to since the Death Star.
As usual, comment and speculate at will. Speaking of which:
WolveHulk: No such luck I'm afraid. Maul went back to Dathomir after the events of the suicide mission. Still, something appears to have happened to Draven in the meantime. I wonder what it was? ;)
Jaco2553alpha: Sorry, been busy. Hopefully you like this. :)
Travis Middleton: Thanks for you kind words. It's mostly better now. I can type again. :)
As for your idea, I have something in mind for Ahsoka and Bail. What I won't tell you, you'll have to wait. But rest assured I have an idea.
Cranky Paws: I agree that both shows were fantastic in their own rights. I can't stand the war that goes on over which is better to be honest. Why can't I like both?
So super secret that even I don't know what is going to happen yet. Not all of it at least.
And yeah, it was my dominant hand unfortunately. Just my luck!
SLE's fave guest: Prequel meme are fun. Glad you liked it.
I have sought of made it a thing so far in this AU that Obi-Wan always pulls a "hello there" whenever he introduces himself to someone. He's done it to Maul twice already!
jamese765: Old friends indeed. Might do a one shot with them both catching up.
: Very true. No body no dead is a rule I like to use a lot. Though to be fair, I think Kanan is gone. As much as no body no dead works, he was sort of incinerated.
But hey, his will lives on through the wolves, which is awesome.
FossilQueen1984: Yeah I felt bad for doing that to Mothma, but someone needed to tell her. I do like her, she just unfortunately had to play a bit of a villain role in this AU.
Mysterious Guest one: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. Bad stuff may have gone down between Ahsoka and Bail, but he still trusts her, even if she thinks he doesn't. Hope you like this one shot.