Jelok knew there was no escape for his ship or crew. Nevertheless, the Rebel fleet had to know of what was happening out here. He reached over to his console and fired a messenger drone that sped away carrying all the logs and sensor data. Looking up, he saw his crew look at him with mixed emotions. A fear of death was evident on his sensor operator's face, a blind hope that his captain would somehow figure out a brilliant plan to get them out of this on Naron's. Seeing as though his entire crew had gathered here, he decided to address them.
(May the Force have pity on these 15 brave souls,) he prayed.
Deciding not to pull any punches, he took a deep breath and began,
" There is no way I can see of escape. The Imperials will have sent a boarding force over from one of their ships by know I should imagine. Arm yourselves and prepare to repel boarders. Long live the Rebellion!"
"Long live the Rebellion!" they chorused. (Even when facing overwhelming, hopeless odds we fight. This is why we shall win through, no matter the cost.)
Assault transport Sigma 1 began to dock onto the hull of the Rebel ship. The stormtrooper sergeant was briefing his soldiers. As the men were sitting on two facing benches that extended the length of the craft, it was fairly easy for them all to hear.
"We'll enter through the bridge. The transport will orientate so that both hatches are above it, and then we'll put the whole squad in there. It's the largest room in that sorry excuse of a ship, and it has multiple exits."
"Meaning we can fan out quickly and kill more Rebel scum." One of his troopers growled, filled with the zeal for killing Rebels pumped into him by the Academy at Caridia. A hint of a smile played on the sergeant's lips as he remembered how the lust for battle had filled him. (Then the ice of Hoth froze it out of me....)
"Sadly not trooper. Orders are weapons set for stun. The crew is to be taken alive." The disappointment on many of the troopers' faces was evident.
"However we are allowed to begin preliminary debriefing of detainees." That brought smiles back onto many faces. (Works both ways. My troops get to vent some rage on some stinking Rebels, and Interrogation get an easier time because their subjects will be weaker.) The sergeant then summarised his briefing.
"In through the bridge, weapons on stun. Secure the bridge and any detainees, then fan out as per my orders."
The transport shuddered slightly as it docked with the Rebel craft. Standing up and putting his helmet on, he watched his troops do the same. They all checked their weapons and made their way to the boarding hatch. Even now miniature cutters were weakening the hull, ready for the stormtroopers to drop through the ceiling.
"Fire team commanders, ready with flash grenades!" He called out.
"Ready!" Came the shout.
"Alright then men, who's ready to strike a blow for the Empire?" The sergeant yelled.
"SIGMA SQUAD!" Came the thundering reply.
(Prepare to meet your doom Rebels,) thought the sergeant as the boarding hatches on the floor lit up with a red aura, indicating they were ready to be blown.
The next few minutes were ones that Naron would never forget. He had taken position behind a doorway leading into the bridge with his blaster that he had scavenged from a long forgotten junked ship that had crashed near his town. The rest of the crew was in good positions, and they looked capable of defeating even the Third Imperial Heavy Armour, let alone a mere squad of stormtroopers.
(Who knows, we might even capture their transport and get out of here!) Nevertheless, he felt scared as he had never before in all his seventeen years. Suddenly the parts of the ceiling that had been glowing caved in, and two objects fell through each of them.
"Grenade!" Called out the few Rebels who had seen action as infantry. There was a thud and the whole world seemed white. Naron heard several thuds and the distinct sounds of blasters set on stun. The Imperials were capturing his friends, yet if he shot back he might hit them. Uttering a curse under his breath, he saw the white was fading into a normal view, albeit blurred. He peeked round the corner of his doorframe and saw a stormtrooper looking at him. Naron had no time to react as a blue stunblot washed over him, causing him to flop over. He tried to move his legs, arms, anything but his body was no longer obeying his commands.
"Team 1, take left. Team 2 take right. You, stay here with me and help gather up this filth." The voice through the stormtrooper helmet was so grave and deep that it filled him with dread. What made it worse was that he was face down on the deck and couldn't even see what was happening. Thuds of boots on the deck came closer and another voice called out
"Hey, sarge. You got another one here."
"Get moving Huttspit-for-brains! MOVE!" Yelled the first voice. The thuds moved away and he heard more blaster shots and bodies hitting the floor, but none with the clatter that would indicate that a stormtrooper had fallen. Naron was abruptly pulled up and slung over a shoulder, then unceremoniously dumped next to one of his crewmates. Out of the corner of his eye he could see it was his captain, Jelok Tarr. Captain Tarr was unconscious and had a bruise mark on his temple that fitted the size of the butt of a stormtrooper carbine. Then a stromtrooper leaned over him.
"Sergeant! This Rebel is conscious!" He called out.
"Then make sure he isn't by the time I get over there." Came the reply, in that deep voice that had so chilled Naron earlier.
Raising the butt of his weapon, the stormtrooper brought it down hard in the way he had been taught to induce unconsciousness.
Pieterson stood to attention as the Grand Admiral strode onto the bridge.
"Any word from Captain Phullik of the Binder?" Thrawn enquired, as if enquiring to a serving droid whether they still served a particular beverage at a cantina.
(Certainly not the level of calm I would have if I had to ask about a mission of this importance.)
"Yes sir. The stormtrooper squad has captured the ship. 16 captives, no fatalities on either side. Interrogations are being conducted now. We will learn what we need to know shortly."
"No captain, we know what we need to know now. We know there were Rebel spies here, therefore we can assume the Rebels knew something was happening here. Did they get any messages off?"
Pieterson searched his memory. "A message drone was launched before the ion cannon bombardment cut the ship's power. Its course suggests it was heading towards Sullust...."
"Where the Rebel fleet is gathering." Thrawn finished. "It appears that they were trying to warn their compatriots of our efforts."
"Sir, if the Rebels learn of the new starfighter deployment, they may cancel their attack." Pieterson warned.
"Ah, but Captain, this is a win - win situation for us. If the drone reaches the Rebels in time and they call off their assault, Death Star 2 will be completed and we will have a battle fleet with the most deadly starfighter in the galaxy. If it doesn't and the Rebels continue their attack, we will crush the core of the Rebellion and strike a decisive blow for the Empire." A smile played at the edge of Thrawn's mouth.
Pieterson remembered a quotation from his time at the Academy, from when he studied the journal of a commander during the Clone Wars whom was in a similar situation. "We stand between the sea and the mountain. The sea will crush us against the mountain, and the mountain will drive us into the sea." Thrawn then sat down in his command chair and asked
"Is my flagship ready, Captain?"
(That's only asked if he intends to take us into battle! At last, the end of the Rebellion.) Straightening his back in parade ground reflex, Pieterson gave the correct response.
"The Executor is fully at your command Admiral." He then became aware that the entire bridge had gone silent and was watching him and the Admiral. (Time for you to speak, Admiral.)
"I wish to address the fleet, Captain." Thrawn stated. A short scuffle followed in the crew pit, and an equally excited and fearful crewman handed Thrawn a commlink.
"Soldiers, crewers and pilots of the Empire. We now depart for the most crucial battle fought in this war so far. Trust in yourselves and your superiors and your faith in the Empire and we will win." Then, Thrawn added almost as an afterthought, "Hail to the Emperor!"
"Hail to the Emperor!" barked all speakers, commlinks and crewers on the bridge.
"Helm, set course for Endor. We have a war to win."
The cheers alone could have carried the Executor and its attending battlegroup into hyperspace.
On the bridge of the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser Home One, flagship of the Rebel fleet, Admiral Ackbar transmitted to his fleet,
"All ships prepare to enter hyperspace on my mark." (Han, Leia and Luke are on the ground, destroying the shield generator. The cream of the Rebellion is here to destroy the Death Star and end the Empire. This may not destroy it, but it will take a critical blow.)
"5 seconds to hyperspace," called out the helmsman.
Meanwhile the sensor operator, who was relatively inexperienced but showed great potential, was studying her monitor. (Has something come into the system? Its so small it could only be a message drone, and no one uses those anymore. Best not tell the Admiral or I'll get a demerit. The last thing I want is to be remembered as the woman who stopped the biggest operation the Alliance has ever seen.)
"Engage hyperdrive" Ackbar ordered.
The stars enlongated and the Rebellion Fleet sped off into hyperspace. The message pod had done its job. The data on the pod could have save the Rebel fleet from total destruction, but had not been opened because one person was afraid of a reprimand.
(May the Force have pity on these 15 brave souls,) he prayed.
Deciding not to pull any punches, he took a deep breath and began,
" There is no way I can see of escape. The Imperials will have sent a boarding force over from one of their ships by know I should imagine. Arm yourselves and prepare to repel boarders. Long live the Rebellion!"
"Long live the Rebellion!" they chorused. (Even when facing overwhelming, hopeless odds we fight. This is why we shall win through, no matter the cost.)
Assault transport Sigma 1 began to dock onto the hull of the Rebel ship. The stormtrooper sergeant was briefing his soldiers. As the men were sitting on two facing benches that extended the length of the craft, it was fairly easy for them all to hear.
"We'll enter through the bridge. The transport will orientate so that both hatches are above it, and then we'll put the whole squad in there. It's the largest room in that sorry excuse of a ship, and it has multiple exits."
"Meaning we can fan out quickly and kill more Rebel scum." One of his troopers growled, filled with the zeal for killing Rebels pumped into him by the Academy at Caridia. A hint of a smile played on the sergeant's lips as he remembered how the lust for battle had filled him. (Then the ice of Hoth froze it out of me....)
"Sadly not trooper. Orders are weapons set for stun. The crew is to be taken alive." The disappointment on many of the troopers' faces was evident.
"However we are allowed to begin preliminary debriefing of detainees." That brought smiles back onto many faces. (Works both ways. My troops get to vent some rage on some stinking Rebels, and Interrogation get an easier time because their subjects will be weaker.) The sergeant then summarised his briefing.
"In through the bridge, weapons on stun. Secure the bridge and any detainees, then fan out as per my orders."
The transport shuddered slightly as it docked with the Rebel craft. Standing up and putting his helmet on, he watched his troops do the same. They all checked their weapons and made their way to the boarding hatch. Even now miniature cutters were weakening the hull, ready for the stormtroopers to drop through the ceiling.
"Fire team commanders, ready with flash grenades!" He called out.
"Ready!" Came the shout.
"Alright then men, who's ready to strike a blow for the Empire?" The sergeant yelled.
"SIGMA SQUAD!" Came the thundering reply.
(Prepare to meet your doom Rebels,) thought the sergeant as the boarding hatches on the floor lit up with a red aura, indicating they were ready to be blown.
The next few minutes were ones that Naron would never forget. He had taken position behind a doorway leading into the bridge with his blaster that he had scavenged from a long forgotten junked ship that had crashed near his town. The rest of the crew was in good positions, and they looked capable of defeating even the Third Imperial Heavy Armour, let alone a mere squad of stormtroopers.
(Who knows, we might even capture their transport and get out of here!) Nevertheless, he felt scared as he had never before in all his seventeen years. Suddenly the parts of the ceiling that had been glowing caved in, and two objects fell through each of them.
"Grenade!" Called out the few Rebels who had seen action as infantry. There was a thud and the whole world seemed white. Naron heard several thuds and the distinct sounds of blasters set on stun. The Imperials were capturing his friends, yet if he shot back he might hit them. Uttering a curse under his breath, he saw the white was fading into a normal view, albeit blurred. He peeked round the corner of his doorframe and saw a stormtrooper looking at him. Naron had no time to react as a blue stunblot washed over him, causing him to flop over. He tried to move his legs, arms, anything but his body was no longer obeying his commands.
"Team 1, take left. Team 2 take right. You, stay here with me and help gather up this filth." The voice through the stormtrooper helmet was so grave and deep that it filled him with dread. What made it worse was that he was face down on the deck and couldn't even see what was happening. Thuds of boots on the deck came closer and another voice called out
"Hey, sarge. You got another one here."
"Get moving Huttspit-for-brains! MOVE!" Yelled the first voice. The thuds moved away and he heard more blaster shots and bodies hitting the floor, but none with the clatter that would indicate that a stormtrooper had fallen. Naron was abruptly pulled up and slung over a shoulder, then unceremoniously dumped next to one of his crewmates. Out of the corner of his eye he could see it was his captain, Jelok Tarr. Captain Tarr was unconscious and had a bruise mark on his temple that fitted the size of the butt of a stormtrooper carbine. Then a stromtrooper leaned over him.
"Sergeant! This Rebel is conscious!" He called out.
"Then make sure he isn't by the time I get over there." Came the reply, in that deep voice that had so chilled Naron earlier.
Raising the butt of his weapon, the stormtrooper brought it down hard in the way he had been taught to induce unconsciousness.
Pieterson stood to attention as the Grand Admiral strode onto the bridge.
"Any word from Captain Phullik of the Binder?" Thrawn enquired, as if enquiring to a serving droid whether they still served a particular beverage at a cantina.
(Certainly not the level of calm I would have if I had to ask about a mission of this importance.)
"Yes sir. The stormtrooper squad has captured the ship. 16 captives, no fatalities on either side. Interrogations are being conducted now. We will learn what we need to know shortly."
"No captain, we know what we need to know now. We know there were Rebel spies here, therefore we can assume the Rebels knew something was happening here. Did they get any messages off?"
Pieterson searched his memory. "A message drone was launched before the ion cannon bombardment cut the ship's power. Its course suggests it was heading towards Sullust...."
"Where the Rebel fleet is gathering." Thrawn finished. "It appears that they were trying to warn their compatriots of our efforts."
"Sir, if the Rebels learn of the new starfighter deployment, they may cancel their attack." Pieterson warned.
"Ah, but Captain, this is a win - win situation for us. If the drone reaches the Rebels in time and they call off their assault, Death Star 2 will be completed and we will have a battle fleet with the most deadly starfighter in the galaxy. If it doesn't and the Rebels continue their attack, we will crush the core of the Rebellion and strike a decisive blow for the Empire." A smile played at the edge of Thrawn's mouth.
Pieterson remembered a quotation from his time at the Academy, from when he studied the journal of a commander during the Clone Wars whom was in a similar situation. "We stand between the sea and the mountain. The sea will crush us against the mountain, and the mountain will drive us into the sea." Thrawn then sat down in his command chair and asked
"Is my flagship ready, Captain?"
(That's only asked if he intends to take us into battle! At last, the end of the Rebellion.) Straightening his back in parade ground reflex, Pieterson gave the correct response.
"The Executor is fully at your command Admiral." He then became aware that the entire bridge had gone silent and was watching him and the Admiral. (Time for you to speak, Admiral.)
"I wish to address the fleet, Captain." Thrawn stated. A short scuffle followed in the crew pit, and an equally excited and fearful crewman handed Thrawn a commlink.
"Soldiers, crewers and pilots of the Empire. We now depart for the most crucial battle fought in this war so far. Trust in yourselves and your superiors and your faith in the Empire and we will win." Then, Thrawn added almost as an afterthought, "Hail to the Emperor!"
"Hail to the Emperor!" barked all speakers, commlinks and crewers on the bridge.
"Helm, set course for Endor. We have a war to win."
The cheers alone could have carried the Executor and its attending battlegroup into hyperspace.
On the bridge of the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser Home One, flagship of the Rebel fleet, Admiral Ackbar transmitted to his fleet,
"All ships prepare to enter hyperspace on my mark." (Han, Leia and Luke are on the ground, destroying the shield generator. The cream of the Rebellion is here to destroy the Death Star and end the Empire. This may not destroy it, but it will take a critical blow.)
"5 seconds to hyperspace," called out the helmsman.
Meanwhile the sensor operator, who was relatively inexperienced but showed great potential, was studying her monitor. (Has something come into the system? Its so small it could only be a message drone, and no one uses those anymore. Best not tell the Admiral or I'll get a demerit. The last thing I want is to be remembered as the woman who stopped the biggest operation the Alliance has ever seen.)
"Engage hyperdrive" Ackbar ordered.
The stars enlongated and the Rebellion Fleet sped off into hyperspace. The message pod had done its job. The data on the pod could have save the Rebel fleet from total destruction, but had not been opened because one person was afraid of a reprimand.