Chapter 34
"General. Commander," Tenith says as Sabine and I approach him.
"Hello again, Tenith. Production seems to be going smoothly," I say.
"We've been very busy, sir," he replies with a tired smile. "And I've been designing my biggest ship to date. But that's not what we're here about. I hear you've brought me a new toy."
"Indeed we have," I tell him. "The Conglomerate battleship is docking as we speak. But we must warn you, the inside is... disturbing."
"It can't be that bad," Tenith says.
We find ourselves by the airlock where the battleship is docked at and the doors open. Commander Steele and his Delta Company are the first to step off the ship.
"General," Steele says with a crisp salute. "Ship is ready for inspection and research."
"Great work, commander," I say to him, returning the salute. "Get your men something to eat. I'm ordering a day of rest for your squad and crew."
"We don't need rest, sir," he says.
"That's an order, Commander," I say calmly, patting his shoulder.
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir," he says before leading his men down the hallway.
We walk down the airlock tunnel and enter the battleship once again. Though I've spent hours in it, it still grosses me out.
Tenith visibly recoils at the sight. "This is what we're working with?"
"I'm afraid so. And I would like to say you'll get used to it, but you won't," Sabine says.
"Right... first thing's first. The bridge," he says.
"Right this way," I say. I lead him through the ship, finding the turbolift to the bridge.
I see rebel damage control teams working with medical teams to clean up the mess we've made. They've got a lot of work to do, too. This whole ship needs to be cleaned up. Holes in the walls need to be patched and bodies need to be collected and properly disposed of. It's a gruesome sight that matches the ship interior.
As soon as we make it to the bridge, Tenith heads straight to the holotable and starts looking for ship schematics.
"Have you been able to collect intel?" he asks me as he digs through the files.
"We haven't pulled anything back yet, but we were able to secure all the files. Sabine?" I look to her.
"I'm on it," she says.
She walks to the other side of the holo table and plugs a data stick into the table.
"Can I get a datapad?" she asks.
One of the few other rebels still on the bridge picks one up and hands it to her.
"I found the ship schematics," Tenith says. The table glows and the holograph image of the ship appears.
"Mhmm... oh I see... Heavy durasteel armor plating, pretty standard... Here's something I haven't seen in a long time. Its main gun isn't energy based like most other warships," he explains. "It's a large mass driver cannon. Shields can only do so much against this."
I look up at Sabine and she's watching the hologram.
"This looks like the only mass driver this ship has. Everything else is turbolaser and laser cannons. Stable power levels, hypermatter reactor producing standard operating levels for a warship this size. Shields do exist but its effectiveness would need to be tested," he rambles. "The cannon looks to be intact which is good. Something I can study."
"Do you think you can reverse engineer it for our ships?" I ask.
"Well, there's not a lot of ships in our fleet that would be capable of utilizing a weapon such as that, but I'll see what I can do. It's possible the Avenger class could utilize it as part of its new main role as an artillery support ship," he replies. "However, that would call for a major redesign of its interior."
"May I throw in some input?" Sabine asks.
"Of course, Commander," he says.
"Since it's a mass driver, it wouldn't use so much energy to operate. Modifying an Avenger-class star destroyer isn't a bad idea. We just need to remove a lot of those power cells that normally power the BACs and use the space as ammo storage. Not to mention it would also make some room for more starfighters and bombers," she says.
"That is true. Perhaps Chancellor Syndulla would be willing to assign your services to me on this project?" Tenith asks.
"I'd hate to miss all the action with the Empire, but I'd love to help. I'll make a request," she says, smiling. "Besides, Ezra hasn't lost his fleet yet. I'm sure he can go on a little longer without me keeping everything together."
"Hey, I haven't had much of a fleet to command lately," I protest. "I still don't have my flagship."
"That's also true. That reminds me, Hera wanted me to tell you she needed to speak with you. She would've contacted you about this earlier but she's been too busy for comms."
"I'll go see her once we're done here. So what would the benefits of replacing the BACs with mass drivers be?"
"Well... just an educated guess, but one thing's for certain there's no risk of blowing up after a certain amount of shots. Damage capability would be decreased however. You wouldn't be able to one shot a super star destroyer with the mass drivers," Tenith explains. "Then there's limited ammo, but the size of the ships shouldn't make that a problem. I'm sure we can store a good years worth of munitions in it. They should theoretically still deal immense damage to ships and ground emplacements. Then, as Commander Wren stated, more space for fighters and bombers which would further its offensive and defensive capabilities. The main reactor won't have to be so powerful as well, which will speed up production and make maintenance much easier."
"It would also need to be crewed, but we can have those new droids Kristinal sent us do that," Sabine said.
"Or," Tenith interrupts, "We could keep it automated. Save the amount of crew needed."
He pulls out his own datapad and starts messing with it.
"What's that?" I ask.
"My personal datapad I use for ideas. When I'm thinking about designs it gets hard for me to talk about it in detail. I'm just making a note of it for now. Hera would want a full report of it once I'm finished."
"Alright then. So are we finished here?"
"No, I can still talk about ideas. It's just when I think about how to make these ideas work... you get the point," he says.
"Yeah. Anyway, is there anything else we need to cover?" I ask.
"Most of the main armaments would remain the same as they are. The only major chances would be replacing the BACS with the mass drivers. We could do the same for the LRACs. Save even more power for shields and engines," Tenith explains. "Keep those automated as well."
"But if those cannons were to be hit, what should we expect to happen?" Sabine asks.
"Well of course because it uses shells it'll most certainly explode," Tenith says. "However, that's why I'm thinking about keeping them automated so we don't risk the crew. Of course, they can be manned if the situation calls for it."
"The Empire doesn't have that much automation in their ships," I say, mostly thinking to myself. "Not that I want to be like them."
"They also have the manpower to spare so for us this is a good option," Sabine says. "I'll help however I can, Tenith."
"Your assistance will be much appreciated," he says.
"On that note, I'll be up in the command center filing reports," I say. "Call me if you need anything."
"Will do, General," Tenith says with a quick salute.
I turn to leave but I feel a hand grab my left arm. I turn to see Sabine.
"What's up?" I ask.
"Nothing," she says. She glances around the bridge quickly, then plants a kiss on my cheek. "Good luck on those reports, general."
She smirks at me before letting go of my arm and turning back to the holotable.
My face burns and I leave the bridge of the battleship.
...
"I'm going to give you temporary command of a Legacy class star destroyer in the 7th fleet. The Sentinel. It's an obvious choice until we can replace the Resolute."
I stare at Hera from across her desk. She has circles starting to form under her eyes, which Kanan insists she takes some time off to rest but... well, she's Hera Syndulla. She doesn't like taking breaks.
"Does my command start immediately?" I ask.
"Yes. There is a shuttle posted on the Sentinel awaiting your arrival in Hangar 2," she explains. "Further orders will be given once you arrive on the bridge."
"Understood," I say. "Also, Sabine is requesting she helps Tenith on a new project involving the Conglomerate battleship we brought back."
"I suspected she'd want to. That's something I'll talk to her about. Your fleet awaits you, Ezra."
I salute quickly and leave the command center, making my way to Hangar 2. As always, the corridors of Epsilon Station are full of activity. Whether is maintenance crews fixing a light, droids rolling up and down towards a variety of tasks, or recruits marching towards the station's vast variety of training facilities, each group led by a sergeant or other officer.
I finally reach the doors to hangar 2 and they slide open. As usual, the docks are busy with repairing or constructing new ships for the fleet. Not too far from the doors sat an old Republic attack shuttle, it's boarding ramp wide open as hangar crews load it with supplies. A soldier approaches me from the shuttle and stands at attention, giving me a crisp salute.
"General Bridger," he says. "The shuttle is almost ready for departure for the Sentinel."
"What's our cargo?" I ask.
"Restocking rations, munitions, medical supplies, pretty much everything, sir. The last crate is being brought up now and then we'll be on our way."
"Understood. At ease..." I read the rank on his chest. "Corporal."
He relaxes and follows me to the shuttle. I walk up the boarding ramp just as the last crate of supplies comes up.
"Hold it steady, lads," a deck worker says, guiding the other workers to where the crate is going to sit.
They carefully set the crate down next to the others before retreating from the shuttle. The lead worker speaks into a comlink in his ear and the doors start to close.
I sit in an empty seat near the front of the shuttle and we lift off. I close my eyes and out of habit start to meditate. All the sounds around me fade to silence.
...
I hear the pilot call out to me, but I don't hear what he's saying. Somehow, I knew what he was trying to tell me. We're almost to the Sentinel.
I feel the shuttle shake a little before the sounds of the landing gear touching the floor signal the end of the quick trip. I stand up as the doors open and the boarding ramp extends to meet the shining floors of the Sentinel's hangar.
"General on deck!" an officer calls. A small party of soldiers line up at the end of the shuttle and stand at attention.
"At ease..."
I'm starting to get bothered by all the formality again...
"Your XO is awaiting your arrival on the bridge, sir," the officer reports.
"My XO?"
"From the Resolute, sir."
"Right. Inform him I'll be there shortly," I say.
"Yes sir. Company! Let's get to work! Unload those crates! Move it!"
I can't help but shake my head with amusement as I leave the hangar. Rex told me he used to do that kind of stuff during the Clone War. That officer just might have been trained by him by how he acts.
...
"Attention! General on deck!"
"That's enough. Return to your duties," I say.
My old XO grins and holds a hand out to me. I reach out and take it in a firm handshake.
"Good to see you, General," he says. "It's a pleasure to be serving under your command again."
"Likewise," I say with a smile. I notice new rank pins on his uniform. Admiral.
"Admiral, eh? When did that happen?" I ask him.
"A little while after the Death Star's destruction. While you and General... excuse me, Commander Wren were MIA I took command of the fleet. Mopped up whatever resistance was left and got the rest of the fleet to safety."
"Well, congratulations on your promotion, Admiral," I say. "So what's the situation?"
"The shuttle you arrived on was the last one to bring supplies. This ship is set to go for a long deployment, though with the new flagship being almost completed I doubt we'd be sent on a long deployment. Which reminds me, we have to contact the Chancellor for further orders."
I nod and walk over to the holotable. Hera appears on the hologram.
"General. Admiral," she says.
"Chancellor," the XO says. "We're ready for new orders."
"There was a distress signal detected not far from the Terran homeworld. A supply fleet was ambushed by Conglomerate raiders and need assistance. I've already sent a squadron of X-wings to assist but I need your fleet to provide some extra support."
"Understood," I say.
"I've already sent the coordinates to your nav computer so you may jump when ready."
"Do we know what we're up against?" I ask.
"The Terrans reported several fighter craft and frigates. Their own freighters are heavily armed and armoured but they won't last long with the frigates. The Terran supply fleet is safe for now, but the raiders could return to finish the job at any moment."
"Copy that. We're on our way," I say. The communication ends. "Set a course and make the jump to lightspeed."
...
"General, it's good to see you well."
"I'm sorry, have we met before?" I ask.
"No, but we've heard of your victory near Mandalore. Everyone has."
"Naturally. What's your status?"
"Our hyperdrive is nearly finished with repairs. I estimate around ten minutes until we can jump back to safety."
"Understood. We'll keep you covered."
The hologram fades as the channel is disconnected. I turn to the admiral.
"I want our stealth fighters deployed and positioned at key areas of this system. I want advanced warning of what could be coming. Position the fleet in a defensive formation surrounding the supply ships. Capital ships closest to the supply ships and frigates and destroyers providing the first line of defense."
"Understood, general. May I suggest some of our frigates remain in escort position of the supply ships? That way we have rapid anti starfighter defense at close range in case any get through our point defense," my XO says.
"Smart idea. Set four of our frigates and two of our destroyers in escort. Their close proximity would provide adequate point blank defense."
"Yes sir," XO replies. He repeats the order to the rest of the fleet.
A few minutes of relative silence goes by until one of our recon pilots contacts us.
"Blackbird-01 to Sentinel."
"Go ahead Blackbird-01. What do you have?"
"There are multiple targets heading your way. Conglomerate light fleet. Frigates, destroyers, and fighters."
"Understood. Continue to monitor them and report any changes," I say.
"Yes sir."
"Admiral, set the fleet to condition 1."
"Yes sir!" He opens fleet wide comms and relays the order.
Alarms sound and an officer's voice is heard ordering general quarters.
"Sir, detecting the reported Conglomerate fleet on our scanners. They're closing fast."
"Launch alert fighters. All fighters already deployed are to defend the supply ships. Be mindful of friendly point defense grids."
"Enemy fighters closing, bearing 240!" the tactical officer calls out.
"This is Blue Leader. We're intercepting."
I look out the windows and see multiple squadrons of fighters, both ours and hostile, fighting each other. I notice a separate squadron break off from the fighting and fly towards our formation.
"Friendly fighters are safely out of our defense grid. Tear those fighters apart!" the admiral orders.
Immediately, our own laser cannons, plus those of our surrounding vessels, open up on the incoming conglomerate fighters. I watch as they don't pull away and even in death try to hit their target.
"They're just flying into our defense grid, sir," an officer reports.
"Keep your eyes open. These could be a diversion," I say.
"The enemy fleet is holding just outside our weapon's range, sir. Should we move in?"
"Negative, we hold our position. We must defend those transports," I say. "How much longer on their hyperdrive?"
"I'll contact them, sir," a lieutenant says before retreating to a comms panel.
"We could send our fighters to attack the enemy fleet," an officer suggests.
"They have frigates and destroyers there," I say. "They'll likely have some kind of point defense. They might also want us to divide our fighters to attack them."
"The general is right," my XO says. "They're not stupid and they won't waste their ships on a fight they know they can't win."
"They'll likely call for reinforcements if this shipment is important enough for them. If that happens we need to expect cruisers and battleships. Their battleships have a powerful mass driver cannon that will be devastating if we're hit directly so those will be primary targets," I say. "In that sense we'll need to position the fleet between them and the transports and close in on them. Until that happens we remain here on defense."
"Yes sir," the officer replies.
"Sir, you might want to see this," the admiral says to me.
I look over at him and he's looking at the hologram of the battle. The enemy ships have started pushing forward.
"That can't be right," he says. "They don't have the firepower to attack us directly."
"They could be up to something," I say. "Be ready for anything. As soon as they are within range, I want our main batteries to fire."
"They should be within range in two minutes," the tactical officer reports.
"Sir, the Terran transports have five minutes on their hyperdrive," the lieutenant reports.
"Understood. I don't want so much of a scratch on their hull until they're safe," I say.
"Yes sir!"
...