Chapter 29
I watched from the Resolute as the entire fleet roared to life as ships undocked from Epsilon station and shuttles took personnel to ships that couldn't dock. The entire comm network was flooded with orders and vectors from the control tower as ships were directed into certain positions around the station. All around me, officers and other bridge crew got to their stations or walked around, checking to see if all the necessary systems are active.
I look over my right shoulder and see Sabine standing near the rear of the bridge by the holotable with the XO and another officer. She's talking to the XO and the other officer is reading a datapad. Sabine nods at the XO and starts walking towards me. I turn around fully and she hands me the data pad.
"All ships are reporting ready," she says. Her tone is serious. And she's right to be serious.
"Good," I reply, looking at the details on the datapad.
We're about to begin the biggest operation against the Empire since Yavin. The difference now is that we have allies assisting us in every way they can.
"General's we have a priority message from command at your terminal," the communication officer reports.
"Patch it through," I order as Sabine and I walk to the holo table. Just as we were approaching, Hera appears on it.
"Hera," I begin. "All ships are reporting ready for deployment. We're standing by."
"Good. The Terran's just reported that the interdiction trap is being set up as we speak. They are in normal space at the moment in the way of the hyperspace lanes but there's not a lot of traffic to and from Mandalore. We also got in contact with Kristinal. He's got more Legacy class star destroyers en route as well. Fully crewed with more droids."
"The Rebellion is more droid than lifeform," Sabine sighs. "But we'll just have to take it, won't we?"
"We will. But these droids are new. Tenith designed them and submitted the blueprints to him. They'll look more human in form."
"Like a protocol droid?" I ask.
"Not exactly, no."
The holo changes and schematics for the new droids appear.
"Interesting," Sabine says as she examines the schematics. "They really do look a bit human in form... And they're programmed for combat?"
Hera nods. "They are, and they do have the capability to learn and adapt to difficult situations; or so I am told. I was also told that accuracy is exceptional, but we'll have to see during our fight against the Empire."
"So these droids are running entire warships?" I ask. "Complete with security teams and ground troops?"
"They are. And they are completely under our control," Hera says.
"Good. That's exactly the thing we need in this conflict," Kanan says.
"You mentioned more Legacy star destroyers en route, earlier," Sabine says. "What's their ETA?"
"They'll be here around 1500."
"It's just passed 1200 so that's three more hours," my XO says.
"Indeed. As soon as the new vessels arrive I'll assign them to different fleets. Until then your orders are to remain in and outbound formation."
"Yes ma'am," I say.
"Has Admiral Narada been informed?" Sabine asks then.
"I just finished briefing him on the new ships right before contacting you. In hindsight it would've been more efficient to have all of us in a call, but that doesn't matter now. Anyways, you have your orders."
"Yes ma'am," I say again before the call ends.
I look over to Sabine.
"She forgot to tell us how many we're expecting," Sabine sighs.
"And you forgot to ask. I did, too," I say.
"Well I doubt that would matter," the XO speaks up. "The more the merrier."
"Agreed."
~Three Hours Later~
I'm looking at a fleet status report when Sabine calls out to me.
"Ezra, multiple hyperspace signatures detected bearing 2-8-0. Our Legacys have arrived!"
I look off to our port side and see almost two dozen battleships exit hyperspace.
"That's a lot more than I thought we'd be getting," I say in awe.
"Yeah... it seems Kristinal has been very busy," Sabine says in agreement.
The comms click to life and Hera's voice is heard.
"Attention all fleets, this is Epsilon Actual, our new ships have arrived and will be assigned accordingly in a few moments. Stand by to receive."
Bastian's voice is heard right after.
"Reclamation here. 3rd Epsilon standing by."
"Resolute here," I begin, "7th Epsilon standing by."
"Redemption here," another officer reports from another Avenger class. "8th Epsilon standing by."
"12th Epsilon standing by."
"22nd Epsilon standing by."
"Echo fleet standing by."
"Bravo fleet standing by."
"Gamma fleet standing by."
Epsilon fleets are our capital fleets consisting of our star destroyers, battleships, and heavy carriers while fleets Alpha through Zulu are subcapital fleets made up of light carriers, cruisers, logistics and other support craft. Of course Epsilon fleets have their own cruisers and support craft like the Artemis-class destroyers and the Intrepid- class assault ships, but they also help make up the support fleets. We can't have capital ships everywhere at once after all.
A few minutes go by before, every minute a few Legacy battleships move into formation with their designated fleets.
"7th Epsilon, you will be adding the Centurion, Constellation, and the Alderaan," Hera says.
"One of their ships is named after Leia's home..." I mutter.
"It's an honor to bear that name nowadays," Sabine says to me.
I nod in agreement.
"Resolute, this is Centurion waiting for tasking."
"Constellation, awaiting orders."
"Alderaan, standing by."
"I want a diamond formation around the Resolute. Centurion takes point. Alderaan I want you to cover the rear. Sit up high in case we need fire support on the front. Constellation, cover the starboard side. The Legacy will cover port," I say to all our Legacy captains.
They respond and get into formation around the Resolute. The rest of the fleet starts moving to their designated positions.
"Ezra, the fleet has adjusted to our new battleships," Sabine says to me. "We're ready to jump."
"We need confirmation, still," I reply, looking back at Epsilon Station.
"Attention all fleets, you are clear to jump into pre combat positions. Let's get this done!"
I order all ships to jump to their designated coordinates after Hera gave us the green light. The bright light of the galaxy quickly fades into the bright white and blue swirl of hyperspace.
...
A few hours later...
I'm standing on the bridge, watching the reports of Imperial star destroyers and cruisers jumping into the Mandalore system roll in. The entire system rings out distress for a brief moment before it goes completely silent.
That's our signal.
"Terran ships, spring the trap! Rebel defense fleets move into the system. Cut off Imperial access to the surface. Assist the Mandalorians!" I call out into the fleet comms.
Several fleets respond and two of our fleets jump to hyperspace to intercept the Imperials. Not long after, I get reports of Imperial reinforcements getting caught by the Terran interdiction trap. The Terrans have engaged the enemy fleet.
"Ghost, report!"
"Ghost here. The Imps know something's going on. They're tightening their formation around the Death Star. They're not going anywhere."
"They wouldn't run," Sabine says to me. "They have their superweapon. They'll think they're invincible."
"Comm, give me fleet wide comms!"
The officer looks at me. "You're on, sir."
"Attention all ships of the Rebellion this is General Ezra Bridger. As I speak to you, our friends and family are fighting the Empire on many fronts. Today we open yet another front of this engagement. The Empire will not retreat when we arrive. They have their Death Star. They have their numbers. They have their combat experience. But they do not have our spirit. In the past and even to this day they believe themselves to be invincible. That changes today. We will show them that we are not beaten. We will not go quietly. Today, we show the Empire what we are made of once and for all. For our friends and family back home. For the countless innocent planets and species suffering under Imperial rule. Today... we officially declare war on the Empire in memory of all those who have lost their lives to get us here. We will fight in the name of the planet Alderaan and her people. In the name of our friends and family. For the freedom of the galaxy! We will NOT retreat! This is where we stand! This is where we FIGHT! Today will mark the beginning of the end for the Empire!"
Hundreds to thousands of voices are heard through the comms, cheering.
"Resolute, target aquired and stationary. Imperial fleet perimeter established. Now's our chance!"
"All ships jump to your designated coordinates! Let's get this done!"
The viewscreen changes into the blue and white swirl of hyperspace once again as the entire fleet jumps.
A couple minutes pass before we finally arrive. When we exit hyperspace, we're immediately met with the intimidating sight of the Death Star.
"It's bigger than I thought!"
"Are we really able to do this?"
"All fleets hold together. Do not break formation. All destroyers, the Resolute will fire the first shot. All ships must protect any Avenger class destroyers that fire BACs. We're not going to hold back. Call out when you're firing," I say in fleet comms.
All ships respond ready.
"Charge BACs, full power!" Sabine shouts.
"BACs full power, aye general!" the tactical officer responds.
I could almost hear the power being completely diverted towards the primary cannons. The gravity lightens up a little, the room grows darker, the air gets slightly thinner, and before I know it the front of the ship is glowing. The viewscreen polarizes automatically.
"BACs fully charged, one hundred percent!" the officer reports.
"Target the Death Star's core!"
"Core targeted!"
"Fire!"
The ship shakes as two powerful beams of energy shoots out from the front of the Resolute and instantly connect with the surface of the Death Star. The beams remain stable for a few seconds before finally dissipating.
"XO, report!" I call out.
"Engines, shields, and weapons are knocked out, but all systems are recharging. The reactor is stable, power is charging. There is minor structural damage but we will be able to fire again in an hour," he reports.
"Good. Comms, how long until we can re-establish contact with the fleet?"
"Five minutes, sir!"
"Sabine, take it from here," I say, looking over at her.
The ship shakes and I look out as Imperial star destroyers form a defensive line between us and the Death Star. The space in front of us are filled with blue and green energy shells as every ship engages the Imperial fleet. Hundreds of fighters fly around and there's explosions all over the place.
"How fast can we regain shields?" Sabine asks.
"As soon as our engines come back online we can reactivate shields," the XO replies.
"How soon?"
"Eight minutes."
"Can we speed that up?" she asks.
"I'm afraid not, general," the XO replies.
"We have to rely on our fleet to protect us," I say.
I watch as a dispatch of Artemis class destroyers form a defensive flak and missle screen around us, destroying every TIE fighter or bomber that gets too close and all Imperial missiles. I can feel the gravity in the ship stabilizing as every system reboots and recahrges.
"General, comms are back online," the officer reports.
"Get me Admiral Narada!" I order.
I watch as the officer taps on his console and nods to me, signalling that we have a connection.
"Admiral Narada," I say as I look over to his ship.
"General Bridger. Status report," he replies.
"All systems are charging. Our engines are coming back online momentarily as will our shields. We're going to wait on primary batteries but as soon as we can I'll have point defense systems active. How's everything with the fleet?"
"Fleet is holding formation but the Imperials have increased their firepower. They're targeting all of the Avenger classes."
"Just as we expected. How much damage did we do to the surface of the Death Star?" I ask him.
"There's a decent size hole in their armor but I doubt it's anything it couldn't handle. Minor power fluctuations in the area of effect but everything else was stable. It has also started rotating to face us."
"They're going to use their superlaser on the fleet," Sabine says.
"We need to get close to the Imperial fleet. They won't risk friendly fire," I say.
"Ezra's right. The Empire is cruel but they don't kill their own needlessly," Bastian replies.
"Sabine, relay the order to the entire fleet. We need to be point blank with the enemy ships. It'll be risky for the Avengers when they fire but we don't have any other choice if we have any hope of winning," I tell her.
She nods at me and runs over to the holotable in the rear of the bridge to give the fleet their orders.
"All ships, this is Admiral Narada of the Reclamation. We are preparing to fire BACs. Stand by!"
The fleet gets moved into close proximity to the imperial ships and I see the lights flicker from the Reclamation.
"I want every available support ship around the Reclamation! Form a defensive screen, do not let anything get through!" I call to the fleet.
I watch as every support vessel around Reclamation formed a defensive screen in front of Bastian's ship. Next to me, Sabine orders our port side point defense systems to assist in its defense.
Moments later, the bow of the Reclamation starts to glow dimly before two beams of energy shoot out from their BACs towards the Death Star. An Imperial star destroyer attempted to defend the Death Star by maneuvering in the beam path, but instead of stopping it, the beam vaporizes a majority of the ship and continues to the Death Star's surface, connecting directly where I ordered Resolute's shot.
"All ships keep up the defensive screen. Capital ships focus fire on the star destroyers. Order targets by range and get to work!"
Once again, the space between our two fleets fill up with turbolaser fire, ion cannons, and missiles. Short lived explosions appear as point defense takes out fighters and missiles.
"General Narada here. Communications are back online and shields are charging. We have minor structural damage but we're good for another shot when we can."
"Acknowledged, Admiral. Focus on your shields and point defense. We'll take on the capital ships for you," I say.
"Phoenix Home this is Red Leader, we see an opening to the Death Star trench. Can we get some more intel on the exhaust port?"
"Sabine," I look to her and she nods at me before running to the rear of the bridge. She calls over the XO and an astromech droid and they start scanning the Death Star.
A few minutes go by before Sabine returns to me with a datapad and a headset.
"Phoenix Home to Red Leader, we have the scan data on that exhaust port. It's ray shielded and we're detecting hundreds more turbolaser emplacements around that area. It'll be impossible to get close with bombers or fighters," she says.
"What about an orbital strike?"
"We'll have to get a ship capable closer to the surface but that's too dangerous," Sabine replies. "And we have to reserve the Avenger's range for the attack on the Death Star's core."
"But... if we can focus our fire on the area surrounding the exhaust port, and on the port itself," I begin. "It's a weak point and the BACs are powerful enough to destroy the shield. It would even open the port a little more and give our torpedoes enough room to go in. I think it's worth a shot."
I retreat to the rear of the bridge, towards the holotable.
"Give me a probable simulation of my theory here," I tell the XO.
He starts programming a simulation and it comes up on the holotable.
"You see, right here," I say, pointing to the exhaust port. "We have the range and the firepower to destroy turbolaser emplacements and the ray shield protecting it. That would allow our fighters and bombers to get close enough to launch torpedoes and try destroying the Death Star from the inside, much like our original plan all those years ago."
"General, our LRACs are within effective striking range of the exhaust port's defenses. May I suggest using our BACs as intended as a diversion?" the XO tells me.
"That would be good but we're using them to fight off Imperial warships... that said we can't waste our shots and be random. We have to be pinpoint accurate so we can redirect our fire back to the enemy fleet," Sabine says.
"Do we have stealth fighters in the hangar?" I ask Sabine.
"They're prototypes but I believe they do have targeting systems. Orbital strikes are accurate on their own but not surgically. The stealth fighter should help with that," she replies.
I can see the wheels turning in her head as she formulates a plan.
She reaches for her headset and starts speaking to our fighter squadron.
"Red Squadron, return to the Resolute for retasking," she says.
"Copy Phoenix Home. We're on our way."
I see several X-wings disengage from combat and make their way to our ventral hangar bay. Within minutes the squad leader is in the bridge by the holotable.
"General," Wedge says with a salute. "What's the plan?"
"Sabine?" I look over to her.
She taps on the holotable and brings up that simulation the XO made.
"Okay so here's what we're going to do," she begins. "It's going to be a sort of repeat of Yavin but this time the exhaust port has a lot of defenses surrounding it. Normally we wouldn't attempt this retry of the old plan but this time we have firepower. Focus on the Exhaust port defenses."
The XO focuses the holo to the port defenses.
"We have a high risk mission for you Wedge and I believe you're the only one with the skills to see this through," Sabine continues.
"High risk? Let's hear it."
"We have a prototype stealth X-wing in our hangars behind closed doors. We need it to target defenses around the exhaust port for our LRACs. We need precision strikes on those defenses to save time. After defenses are down we'll target the ray shield protecting the exhaust port itself and fire three full power salvos from the LRACs to destroy the shield and make an opening in the port. After that's done, we'll need you to RTB and have Red squadron protect Gold for the bombing runs," Sabine explains.
"There's going to be a lot of TIE fighters after the bombardment," Wedge says.
"We can get Blue squadron to assist in bomber defense. This is the best chance we have to destroy the Death Star," I say.
The ship shakes and an officer reports one of our corvettes just exploded next to us.
"Are there any escape pods?" I ask.
"Yes sir. Rescue teams are already en route for retrieval," the officer replies.
"Get them to the medical frigate at the rear of the formation. If they have any injuries they'll need to be treated," I order.
"Yes, sir!"
Wedge looks towards me. "When should I get going?"
"Preferably right now. Let's get this done before we lose more of our guys. Good luck Red leader. May the Force be with you," I say before giving him a salute.
Wedge returns the salure and heads for the hangar.
"I want that stealth fighter prepped for flight by the time commander Antilles gets down there!" Sabine shouts.