CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO


Dreadnought Pride of Corellia

Stationed near Centrepoint Station, Corellian system

When Thracken Sal-Solo had put his plan into motion, he knew that he would need some serious firepower to back it up. Sure, he may have had a large number of ships from the militaries across all five of the inhabited worlds backing him up, but even then, they still paled when compared to what others could bring to the party.

So, perhaps out of a sheer sense of pride, Thracken had made deals with scientists, engineers and shipbuilders, working mostly out of the Kiris shipyards, located at the fringe of the Corellian system. He had convinced them to start work on a new type of ship. A dreadnought with enough firepower to do battle with the likes of a Star Destroyer or Mon Calamari cruiser.

Perhaps vainly, he had christened it Pride of Corellia. And it was the flagship of the combined Five Worlds fleet. Consisting of a somewhat bulbous egg-shaped hull, with eight powerful engines at the back, and all along the exterior of the ship, deadly weapon emplacements dotted its otherwise smooth skin.

Situated towards the heart of the Five Worlds fleet, the massive dreadnought seemed to positively dominate the other ships. Of course, it still paled in comparison to the ancient and titanic bulk of Centrepoint Station.

Thracken Sal-Solo stood on the bridge of the Pride of Corellia, his hands clasped behind his back and his cold, piercing gaze looking out towards Centrepoint. He had been dedicated to his goal from the very beginning, but it never changed the fact that the very balance of power seemed to hinge upon Centrepoint Station. The enigmatic facility would determine whether his plan would meet with ultimate success, or if it would come crashing down around him.

He closed his eyes and let out a low grumble; one that nobody around him would be able to hear. The very thought of his plan failing was enough to make Thracken sick to his stomach. Throughout his life, he had made several plays for power, and no matter what he did, no matter how dedicated he was, they always seemed to fail. He had tried to secure independence for the Corellian system fifteen years earlier, but that had not panned out the way he wanted to. No, his damned cousin Han, and his family, had all managed to throw a massive wrench into his plans. Then, just a few years earlier, he had made a massive mistake of cooperating with the Yuuzhan Vong and their turncoat lackeys, the Peace Brigade. That had also turned out badly for him.

No, he had failed too many times in the past, and he would not let it happen again! His current plan had proceeded flawlessly so far, and he would rather die than see it fall apart. He would do everything he could to ensure that he succeeded. But it still all hinged on getting Centrepoint Station up and running again.

As if in direct response to his thinking, one of the communication officers on the dreadnought's bridge spoke up. "Sir, we are receiving a communication from the team on the station."

Thracken gritted his jaw, attempting to clamp down on the sudden fear and anger he felt. "Put it through," commanded tightly, using only his lips.

The screen before him crackled to life, and the visage of Doral, with his round face and thinning dark hair, appeared. He seemed noticeably less stressed than the last time, but Thracken swore to himself that if the man were to give him any more unsatisfactory news, he would take a shuttle over to the station, and personally choke the life out of the cowardly researcher.

"Mr Doral," Thracken began, "I hope for your sake that you have good news for me."

Visibly swallowing, Doral did his best to calm himself before beginning. Regardless of whether or not the news was good, a person would have to be blind not to see that individuals like Thracken Sal-Solo scared the hell out of him. To be honest, this was how Thracken preferred it. As he had said before: fear was an efficient motivator.

"Repairs on the station have been completed, sir," Doral began shakily. "We have also begun to restore power to certain parts of the facility, in particular to its offensive weapons system. The Starbuster mechanism is also being powered up again, and if our calculations are correct, then it should be ready in about an hour. Maybe two, at the most." He concluded his report, and waited for his leader to give his appraisal.

Thracken raised his eyebrow in thought. Doral's report was actually better than he originally anticipated. He had thought that it would be several days before he could use the weapon against his enemies. But if what Doral was saying was true, then it cold be done much sooner. He permitted himself a faint smile.

"I must say, Mr Doral, that you and your crew have certainly outdone yourselves in this little endeavour." On the screen Doral's face took on a look of complete surprise. "I will contact you again in a few hours for updates. I do not mean to be premature, but I have a feeling that every free citizen of the Corellian system will be thanking you for your hard work and ingenuity."

The look on Doral's face shifted from surprise to outright shock. He had done his best work to garner some favour from Thracken, but to get such a response was simply mind-blowing. He seemed to stammer to find a coherent response, but on Thracken's order, the video cut out before he could say anything.

Almost casually, Thracken made his way back to his command chair and sat down. Despite himself, he allowed a ghost of a smile to touch his face. It seemed that things were indeed starting to come together.

"You seem rather pleased," remarked a voice from Thracken's left. Turning his head, he saw the aged Corellian officer named Cavil.

"I have every reason to be," Thracken replied. "After all this time, it seems that things are finally starting to go my way; the way that they were always meant to. At long last, the Corellian system will be free from the tyranny of the Galactic Alliance, and achieve its true destiny."

Cavil nodded. "A noble cause, indeed. But remember not to let your ego get in the way of things. For all we know, things could turn against us at a moment's notice."

The new Corellian despot took a moment to glare at his officer. "Are you always this pessimistic, Cavil?"

"I am a realist," Cavil replied evenly. "I know far too well that pride comes before the fall. I have enough experiences in life to assure me of that. Remember that I used to serve the Empire; a force that was perceived by nearly everyone as being practically invincible. That view even helped to reinforce the Imperial view that they were indeed invincible, and yet, the Rebels defeated us." He fixed his leader with a firm look. "Just make sure that you do not fall into the same trap.

To his credit, Thracken did not seem the least bit cowed by Cavil. "As much as I appreciate your concern, not to mention your lessons on life, need I remind you that I have everything under control? I am well aware of all the potential faults, but at this moment we have Centrepoint firmly under our control, and it is just about to be restored to full power. Should any enemy choose to attack us, we possess enough firepower to deal with them." He pushed himself out of his chair, meeting Cavil's gaze. "It would be best for you to put such concerns out of your mind for time being, Captain. Right now, I would like you to see to our defence fleet. In all likelihood, an attack on us is inevitable, and I want our forces prepared."

Cavil stood up straight and snapped off a slaute. "Very well, sir." He spun on his heel and marched off of the bridge.

Heaving a quiet sigh, Thracken sat back down in the command chair, resting his chin on his fist and looking out the front screen. Before him, he saw part of the combined Five Worlds fleet, a section of the impressive bulk of Centrepoint Station, and the sweeping panorama of space.

Despite the reprimanding he had given Cavil, there was one thing that seemed obvious; an attack was imminent. The Galactic Alliance was not about to let an asset as valuable as Centrepoint be left in the hands of a rebellious world such as Corellia. Especially when an individual the likes of Thracken was the one with his finger on its trigger, and was inclined to point it in the direction of a valuable world such as Coruscant. No, they would do anything they could to get their hands back on it.

Not even the Alliance's current enemy could be counted out. Admittedly, Thracken knew very little about the Kilrathi, but what he had garnered seemed to indicate that they practically lived off destruction and bloodshed. In all likelihood, they too would have jumped at the opportunity to take the station and use it for their own purposes.

Thacken felt his lip curl in contempt. The Kilrathi outlook on battle seemed so typical of them. So… alien. A Human would never be so uncivilized.


Ralatha-class destroyer Tresk'Pahl

In hyperspace bound for Corellian system

This will be my finest hour.

That was the thought that repeated over and over in the mind of Gilkarg nar Kiranaka. Standing on the bridge of the Ralatha-class destroyer known as the Tresk'Pahl, he gazed out the front screen at the swirling aura of hyperspace. Though Kilrathi technology was not quite as advanced as that of the Galactic Alliance, or many of the other civilisations of the galaxy, they still possessed simple enough aspects like hyperspace, as well as a few others that allowed them to bring their conflict to the rest of the galaxy.

While he did wonder why the Kilrathi did not make a move on the rest of the galaxy at any point in the past, Gilkarg was not complaining. After all, this was his time, not that of anyone who lived centuries in the past.

The ability to travel the stars had come to the Kilrathi by the benevolent race called the Utara. And once that happened, the Kilrathi had wiped out the Utara with mere impunity. And then other races had met the same fate. But this collective of many different races, this Galactic Alliance, had by far been their greatest challenge. They had not been wiped out with such ease.

Of course, that would change today, once the Kilrathi managed to secure the massive and powerful space facility known as Centrepoint Station. With that weapon in their paws, every planet, every location, and every species across the galaxy could be wiped out in an instant. And he, Gilkarg nar Kiranka, supreme commander of the Kilrathi military, and heir to the throne of Kilrah, would go down in history as the one who had made it happen. He would show his father that he had more than what it took to lead their people to glory!

This will indeed be his finest hour.

A shuffling of feet behind Gilkarg drew his attention away from his musings and visions of power. "You summoned me, my Lord," came the gruff voice if the individual.

Turning around, the supreme commander saw that the speaker was one of the finest pilots in the fleet he currently commanded. Khajja nar Ja'targk, otherwise known as 'Fang', was one of the most efficient and calmest Kilrathi pilots ever. Many of their species got into a rage when they were killing their enemies, and more often than not, this would affect their piloting. Khajja was one of the few who did not get affected by this. Instead, he remained focused on his task no matter what. For this reason, Gilkarg had chosen him to lead his fighter squadrons into battle.

Another thing that set Khajja apart was the fact that his hrai, the Ja'targk, was not one of the Eight Noble Clans. Like the Hhallas, they were an offshoot of the Ragitagha line.

"Khajja," Gilkarg addressed the fighter commander, "our time draws close indeed. We will be dropping out of hyperspace momentarily, and it is essential that we spring our attack whilst we still have some form of surprise. These enemies are not of the Alliance, but from what we can tell, they will still fight savagely to defend the objective. I am counting on you to engage the fighters and keep them off the capital ships. I trust you can do this?"

Khajja inclined his head forward. "Of course, my Lord. I will not fail you."

Gilkarg gave a firm nod. "Very well. Get all of your pilots into their ships. Our time to make history grows near."

From the moment when he dismissed Khajja to the instant when the Kilrathi attack fleet dropped out of hyperspace, Kalralahr Gilkarg nar Kiranaka hardly moved from his spot on the bridge. When the blue aura of hyperspace disappeared and the impressive bulk of Centrepoint Station appeared before his eyes for the first time, he allowed himself to feel awed. The object was so massive, it made the scattering of Five Worlds vessels around it seem so insignificant by comparision. And he could only imagine the sheer power that lay beneath the metallic shell. Power that was enough to create entire systems, or destroy them! The very thought caused his mane to bristle with excitement.

With eagerness, Gilkarg issued his order to the forces under his command. "Begin the attack!"


Bridge of Five Worlds Dreadought Pride of Corellia

Thracken Sal-Solo was forced to bite back a curse as he saw the mass of ships suddenly pop out of hyperspace before his eyes. Running his gaze over them, he noticed that none of them possessed the relatively sleek profiles of ships that belonged to the Galactic Alliance; nor the Hapes Consortium, Imperial Remnant, Chiss Ascendancy, or any other faction that was aligned with them.

No, these vessels belonged to the Kilrathi themselves! Despite being occupied with their campaign of bloodshed, they seemed to have seen fit to attack the Corellian system directly. Specifically, they launched their attack at Centrepoint Station.

Thracken had anticipated this attack. To be perfectly honest, he had even feared it. But still, to see an enemy armada bearing down upon his own, their hostile intents as clear as could be, was no less unnerving.

And to make matters worse, Centrepoint Station was still not completely powered up yet. That scientist Doral had admitted that it would still take another hour or two before it would be ready, but the chances of an enemy attacking in that small time period had seemed so unlikely that to Thracken, it was not worth worrying about.

"Fortune pisses on me yet again," Thracken muttered angrily. Quickly shifting his demeanour into combat mode, he began ordering his forces into action.


Galactic Alliance attack fleet

When the Kilrathi and Five Worlds forces had engaged each other in the area of space near Centrepoint Station, it was easy to see that the battle would be a fierce one. With such a powerful weapon at stake, both sides would fight tooth and nail (and in the Kilrathi's case, claw) in order to keep it on their side.

But nobody on either side could have predicted that the battle would take on a much greater edge with the arrival of the Galactic Alliance fleet. Eager to keep Centrepoint out of the hands of both of their enemy groups, they would be forced to do battle with both of them at the same time, resulting in a massive three-way conflagration that would cost many, many lives.

At Naboo, they had made their final preparations, and then set out.

Wedge Antilles could not help but feel an intense thrill of excitement the instant he felt himself slide back into the padded seat of the X-wing. In recent years, he had been mainly relegated to serving on the bridge of a capital ship, commanding a fleet against the enemy. When asked why, many in the upper echelons of the GA military stated that his rank afforded him the right to do it. Wedge had responded by saying that he would prefer to be demoted just so that he could go back being a fighter pilot.

After rolling their eyes at this remark, his leaders also stated that, as a premier hero of the Galactic Alliance, as well as the New Republic and Rebel Alliance before that, having him in charge would be good at assuring people. Not to mention the added benefits of a political and publicity boost.

Wedge had simply waved this all off, but accepted the post anyway. Truth be told, he had actually enjoyed serving as the commanding officer of the Dragon's Claw, and it did feel good to be taking the fight to the enemy. Privately though, he still yearned for the good old days when he was behind the controls of an X-wing fighter.

Fortunately for him, however, one more of those good old days seemed to have found him again! The sudden assault at Centrepoint Station had allowed him the opportunity to climb back into an X-wing, and as a squadron leader no less!

As for the Dragon's Claw itself, it would still play a vital role in the battle as the flagship of the Galactic Alliance fleet, but control had been turned over to Leia Organa Solo. As one of the leading forces behind the initial rebellion against Palpatine, the personnel had responded greatly and eagerly to the prospect of being directed by her. Em-Teedee was with her.

As for Han, he would be flying in the battle alongside the fighters in his prized vessel: the Millennium Falcon. Even after nearly a century of existence, the battered Corellian frigate could still throw down with the best of them. It had proven this over and over again in battles against the Empire, Yuuzhan Vong, Kilrathi, and many other adversaries. Acting as the gunners in this particular battle would be Lumpwaroo and Tenel Ka.

Wedge Antilles set about getting his squadron into place. Christened Renegade Squadron, after a group of commandoes that had worked under Han during the Galactic Civil War, the fighter wing consisted of twenty X-wings as opposed to the usual twelve, and was comprised of a rather eclectic mix of veteran pilots, some of their upcoming younger ones, a few Jedi knights and masters, and even a couple of surprise additions. It would be their job to spearhead the Alliance's attack on Centrepoint Station.

Sparing quick glances around him, Wedge saw the other nineteen X-wings jockeying for position in the space behind them. Keying his mic, he started the sounding off. "This is Renegade Leader, all squadron members report in."

"This is Renegade Two, standing by," came the voice of Lensi. Though he had been one of the prime wing commanders on the Dragon's Claw, the Duro veteran of the Yuuzhan Vong War was more than willing to follow Wedge's lead for this one.

"Renegade Three, standing by," came the calm voice of Luke Skywalker.

"Renegade Four, standing by," said Jacen Solo, acting as Luke's wingman.

"Renegade Five, standing by," reported Mara Jade Skywalker.

"Renegade Six, standing by," echoed Jaina Solo. Each of the Solo twins had been paired with one of the Skywalkers as their wingman in this battle. Given the close bond between Mara and Jaina, it seemed natural to put them together.

"Renegade Seven, standing by," chimed in Zekk.

"Renegade Eight, standing by," came the voice of Tahiri Veila.

"(Renegade Nine, standing by.)" The growl was instantly recognized as belonging to that of the Jedi Wookiee Lowbacca. Fortunately, the rest of the squad easily understood him.

"Renegade Ten, standing by," uttered the determined and steely tone of Anja Gallandro.

"Renegade Eleven, standing by," said the calm voice of the Yuuzhan Vong warrior, Vua Rapuung.

"Renegade Twelve, standing by." This voice still came as something of a surprise to everyone else in the squadron, as it belonged to none other than the Kilrathi defector, Ralgha nar Hhallas! Despite trepidations from many people, he had eagerly volunteered to be in the squad. His main reasoning would be that it would help to prove his newfound loyalty to the Galactic Alliance, as well as ease some people's continuing doubts towards him.

Shortly before the battle at Naboo, Ralgha had taken it upon himself to learn the art of flying an X-wing. Despite some remarks that he might not fit in the cockpit, he managed to do so just fine, and certainly proved himself a natural at it. Because of these skills, it was determined that he would fly as part of Renegade Squadron. Since most of the other pilots still bristled at the prospect of having a former enemy on their wings, Vua Rapuung had offered to take Ralgha as his wingman. Having also been a defector who had been treated with suspicion, he was all too aware what the Kilrathi noble was currently going through.

The rest of the flight wing continued with its rounding off. "Renegade Thirteen, standing by," reported Valin Horn. His new Kilrathi retainer, Kirha, was still on board the Claw, in a cell. The reason for this was 'protection'; both his and the other personnel on the Star Destroyer. Try as they might, full acceptance was still not in the very near future. Kirha had no problems with it though; he continued obeying his master unquestioningly.

"Renegade Fouteen, standing by," said the sensuous voice of Alema Rar.

"Renegade Fifteen, standing by," chimed in Raynar Thul.

"Renegade Sixteen, standing by," uttered Danath in his usual deadpan tone. Many were still concerned about the Chiss male's mental state, as it was clear the death of Sesha at Naboo affected him more than he let on.

"Renegade Seventeen, standing by," came the voice of the Cerean woman Kari, the ever-present sneer in her voice toned down but still noticeable.

"Renegade Eighteen, standing by," warbled the Talz pilot called Dipper.

"Renegade Nineteen, standing by." Even in the face of death, the rotund Human known as Jolly still exuded his trademark eagerness and good nature.

"Renegade Twenty, standing by." Rounding of the list was the familiar warble of the Ithorian known to everyone as Hammer.

"Falcon here. I know I'm not part of your squadron, but I didn't want to feel left out." Wedge could not help but roll his eyes at Han's dry comment.

"I appreciate it Han," Wedge replied in an equally dry tone. Switching back to his 'no nonsense' tone, he addressed the bridge of his former command ship. "Dragon's Claw, this is Renegade Leader. I am pleased to announce that all Renegades, plus the Falcon, are all ready to get started."

"Copy that, Wedge," Leia replied, with a touch of amusement in her voice. "All other squadrons are reporting their readiness, and all frigates and capital ships are ready to go. The Hapans have got Naboo all secured, and they're going to hold it for us until we get back. I'd say it's time to head out."

"Copy that," Wedge responded before switching off the radio.

It was go time!


And the final battle begins!

I might have mentioned earlier that some of my OCs have their names taken from characters from Battlestar: Galactica. The two people serving Thracken are among them; they were Cylons in the re-imagined series.