Happy Star Wars Month everyone! I hope everyone is watching or playing any Star Wars game they might have to celebrate one of the best series in the science fiction community of all time! I know I am I plan on watching every movie this month or at the very least try to watch every movie and show this month. Life can always throw an unexpected curveball at you.
Anyway, last time the Rebels had blown up the Death Star, thanks to Luke and celebrated their victory. Now it's time to move onto the evacuation of their current secret base. This will be the last time we see Luke, Han, Leia, Chewie and the others until around Volume 7 or 8. Probably earlier.
Glad to see that many people liked that I kept Biggs alive. I have plans for him, especially when it comes to Rogue Squadron and Remnant.
But before we return to Remnant, The Grimm, Salem and Maul, let's see how much of an impact Galen and his pals have an effect on the moral of the rebellion in their evacuation of Yavin 4. I promise you some action and some nostalgia for those who played the Rogue Squadron games.
Onto the reviews.
54godamora: Thanks.
42: Personal stuff? Like, hearing the voices of those on the planets he destroyed every time he sleeps? That could work.
SunPhoenix90: Legends was a hell of a lot better than the canon stuff Disney created. With the exception of the Mandalorian, Star Wars Visions and the Bad Batch. As for Obi-Wan's lightsaber, Jaune will be keeping it.
BlindFaunusGirl: Thank you for your condolences about my loss. Glad you liked the dogfight. But Ruby won't be a pilot, maybe the gunner on a Y-Wing, but not a pilot.
Spartan-626: Thanks, I figured I'd through in a surprise for the battle, but Volume 6 won't start until next chapter.
Bryguydud2: I have a good idea on that part, but that will happen, off screen or off page.
Silverfox3456: Thanks. I am glad you like my work. As for the Empire Strikes Back and Return of The Jedi, I still haven't thought that far ahead and considering Salem, Maul and their droid army is still in play back on Remnant and a certain someone is going to be making a deal with the devil in the future, things are going to be difficult for both the Rebellion, Ruby, her friends, Galen, Rex, his brothers, Ahsoka and the people of Remnant.
Mooncake: Thanks, and May the Forth Be With You as well.
Alright, onto the story.
Disclaimers are the same as always. Please enjoy.
Chapter 83: Revenge of the Empire
Though the Rebellion had succeeded in destroying the Death Star, the location of their secret base was compromised following the battle to destroy the massive space station. As a result, a massive evacuation of the base was ordered. There was a bright side, as much of the rebel fleet wasn't present during the battle and scattered across the galaxy and not present during the battle so the rebellion could still wage its war against the Empire, but the evacuation of Yavin would take time, time that the Rebellion didn't have.
For several days, transports loaded with supplies, personal and equipment left the fourth moon accompanied by fighter escort evacuated the planet as fast as they could before the Empire could arrive and destroy them. The cruisers of the 8th fleet played a vital role in transporting the rebel starfighters off planet, including Blue Squadron. Escort frigates and several Mon Calamari Cruisers also assisted in the evacuation of the planet, transporting more fighters and personal off planet.
It seemed to be an easy job, but the easiness soon ended when on the fifth day a massive imperial fleet arrived over the moon. The fleet consisted of dozens of Star Destroyers, several Interdictor cruisers, the sword-shaped Victory II-class frigates and the massive Dreadnought known as the Executor which prevented the final evacuation of the remaining Rebel personal.
For the next few days, orbital strikes from the massive ship rained down onto the planet's surface as transports deployed imperial forces onto the surface which moved towards the temple, crushing any resistance in their way towards the great temple.
Although the rebels were able to stall the imperial advance towards their base, the imperials were able to carve a path straight towards the temple, forcing the rebels to set up a defensive line three kilometers from base. The defensive line consisted of several AT-TE's, mortar teams, speeder tanks, anti-infantry batteries, fighter tanks, self-propelled heavy artillery and turbo tanks, the later of whom were left behind by the clones in an attempt to bolster the firepower of the rebellion.
Marksmen took up positions in the trees, Vanguards placed mines down and hid them with leaves and dirt while Commander Wolfe, Comet, Sinker, Boost, Thire, Stone, Jek, Rhys and the two platoons of the Wolf-Pack and dozens of anti-imperial troopers of the newly formed 101st and 82nd divisions kept a close eye on the forest clearing. Many rebels were still unsure about fighting with the clones, considering they played a part in the Empire's rise to power but after seeing them in action on several occasions proved to many that these troopers were on their side and not the Empire's.
Among the personal was Ruby, Galen, Jaune, Cody and Pyrrha who volunteered personally to guard the last line of defense to the temple while the Galm and Garuda Teams, along with the remains Red Squadron provided top cover. This new squadron consisted of Luke, Wedge, Biggs and a pilot by the name of Sarkli, a pilot that Galen sensed had a large ego. The Demon Lord watched as several Y-Wings climbed after taking off and headed up to space where Plo and Warthog took command and targeted the Interdictor cruisers, since the gravity wells on the ships were preventing the remaining rebel ships from making the jump to hyperspace.
"So, all we got to do is hold the line and give the rest of the command staff to evacuate?" Jaune asked Cody.
"We already lost three of Bothan Commanders when those 501st bucketheads managed to secure one of the outlaying outposts without us even knowing it. They've been using that outpost as a landing zone for their men ever since the battle started. The Empire wasn't going to take this lying down, we all knew it when Luke blew up that station. It's not his fault, it's how the Empire operates." The Clone Marshall answered.
"Let's not forget about that massive cruiser in orbit! That thing could level this entire planet into a wasteland, so why don't they do that?" Ruby questioned.
"It's because they want to be thorough." Galen said. "An orbital bombardment would eliminate their enemies, but in a scenario like this they can't risk losing any rebel intel they can get from the terminals in the base. If my hunch is right, the Executor's weapons are still being calibrated so they can't bombard us as much as they want."
"How do you know the name of that ship?" Pyrrha asked.
"I lived on that ship for most of my life when I was Vader's apprentice. It's the only home I ever knew. I didn't think it would be operational now, but that ship has more firepower than anything you've ever seen. You'd have to be crazy to take on that ship single handedly." Galen answered.
"Let's just be glad it'd not targeting us." Thorn said, joining the group as they continued their conversation. "I can think of only one way to take down that ship and it's a one-way trip. A trip no one wants to take."
Before anyone else could say anything, the roar of dozens of SFS P-s4 twin ion engines echoed through the air as a large formation of TIE bombers swooped in and dropped several proton bombs onto the temple as anti-aircraft fire from the speeder tanks launched rockets towards the imperial bombers, turning several into fireballs that slammed into the ground around them. TIE fighters then dived down in a strafing run, destroying several of the self-propelled artillery pieces but were knocked out when a squadron of Remnant F15's roared in and blew them out of the skies. "Looks like it's starting." Ruby observed as she readied her custom hybrid weapon.
Just seconds later, imperial ground forces smashed through the tree line and opened up on the defenders who had only just dived for cover after the air strikes. Igniting his lightsabers, Galen dashed towards several imperial troopers and cut them down with his blue blades. "Hold your ground!" he shouted, catching the missiles launched from an AT-MP before pushing them back with the Force.
A hail of blaster fire erupted from the rebels and clones as the firefight began. Rebel soldiers manning one of the E-Webs they had placed in the foxholes they dug out prior to the invasion opened up on the imperials cutting down multiple troopers with its high rate of fire while rebel marksmen picked off imperials from the trees. Rebel Vanguards fired off rockets at the AT-ST's and imperial tanks while the soldiers in the trenches fired their blaster rifles at the incoming imperial forces.
Several enemy walkers were blown to bits by the rebel rockets, but some were able to launch several dozen concussion grenades at the trenches and foxholes killing dozens of rebels and clones. "Back blast clear!" Jek shouted and fired his rocket launcher into one of the AT-ST's, blowing the head of the walker into bits of metal. "Those walkers are nothing but Poodoo!" he cheered.
"Jek! Get on that E-Web!" Thire shouted to the trooper. Jek was quick to run to the unmanned E-Web and opened up on a squad on incoming Shock Troopers ready to fire at the rebel tanks. The former Coruscant Guard trooper mowed down all the Shock Troopers, but one of the troopers he killed was able to fire a single rocket directly at the cockpit of an AT-TE, blowing it to pieces and catching a Mortar team in the explosion.
Imperial Mortar fire from behind the trees screamed overhead, forcing the defenders to take cover as more and more Imperial dropships dropped off more reinforcements behind them. "We need to take out that enemy artillery! We're not getting out of this if they keep bombarding us!" Cody shouted, ducking down as an artillery round slammed into the ground nearby.
"Leave that to me! Thire! Jek! Rhys! Stone! Thorn! Wolfe! Comet! Sinker! Boost! Back me up! We'll cut through the forest and hit them from the west!" Galen shouted as he slashed a pair of Imperial Engineers across the chest with his blades. The eight clones nodded and grabbed a few speeder bikes and sped towards the west with Galen and Ruby who wasn't going to let Galen have all the fun.
Ditching the speeder bikes, Galen, Ruby and the clones crept through the jungle and found the enemy artillery, four Self-Propelled Medium Artillery walkers or SPMA's, the 'successor' to the SPHA being used by the rebellion and 'New' Clone Army. "Great! We got walkers! We're going to need more firepower to take them down." Jek groaned.
"Who says we need firepower to take them down?" Galen questioned before he darted towards the imperials and stopped a short distance from one of the walkers. Reaching out with the Force, he concentrated hard and lifted one of the walkers up into the air, then lobbed it into one of the other walkers destroying both of them.
"We've been flanked! Take down the Jedi!" an imperial officer shouted before pulling out their sonic pistol and took aim at Galen. Only seconds before they could fire, a blaster bolt slammed right between the officers' eyes, courtesy of Thire who after all the years in stasis he spent, remembered the advice given to him by Yoda.
"Always have patience and wait for the right moment to attack. That's the key to surviving." Thire reminded himself before he shifted his focus to a heavy weapons trooper and fired a burst that put down the imperial soldier.
"Jek! Suppressing fire on those bucket heads!" Thorn shouted; his trusty personal Z-6 roaring as he pinned down several imperial soldiers behind several supply crates. Jek joined him and kept up the fire as Rhys, Stone and the rest of their brothers moved up towards a downed tree that was blown apart by an AT-ST. "Anyone bring any rockets with them?"
"Toss me a grenade!" Ruby shouted. Stone was quick to toss her a thermal detonator which she then tossed towards the AT-ST, using the force to guide into one of the 'eye's' where it exploded from inside. "Slam dunk!" she cheered.
"Nice one, Red!" Stone complimented, firing his pistols at the Imperials as another piece of enemy artillery was blown up by Galen, who slide underneath another one and dragged his sabers through the machine's armor and engine before it to exploded. "Damn. I wish he was with us during the war. Maybe he might have been able to stop the Chancellor from using us like slaves."
"Focus on the battle, brother." Wolfe reminded as he ran towards an unmanned E-Web and turned it against the Imperial soldiers. "Let me show you bucketheads how a real soldier fights!" he shouted, turning the massive heavy weapon and unloaded on the imperials as another artillery piece was destroyed, this one by Ruby who was able to slice a hole in the armor of the walker before throwing a grenade inside it. "Kids got some moves."
The last piece of artillery was destroyed in a massive explosion after the turbo laser overloaded due to a fully charged blast of Force Lighting. "That's all of them. If this is all the Empire can throw at us, we should have this battle won easy." Comet boasted.
No sooner had he spoke the ground began to shake. "Earthquake?" Ruby asked.
"No, something much worse! Everybody back to the speeders!" Galen shouted, much the confusion of the rest of the group who followed after him as the shaking grew closer and closer. Emerging from the forest was a literal beast of armor. Standing at a height of twenty-two point five meters with a length of twenty meters, armored with strong 9095-T8511 grade durasteel armor and carrying heavy cannons was the massive All Terrain Armored Transport, the AT-AT one of the empire's deadliest walkers, accompanied by a large group of ITX-130's and AT-ST's. "Not good." Galen said aloud as the massive walkers moved past the wreckage and towards the temple. He then pulled out his commlink. "Starkiller to all points! We've got Imperial Walkers approaching the temple! I say again, we have Imperial Walkers approaching the temple!"
"Thunder One to Starkiller. We copy you. We got eyes on the targets now. Time to show them why we fly the tank killer of Remnant!" the leader of Thunder Squadron, a squadron of Rattler pilots who faced against imperial armor before, during the Fall of Beacon called out as the eight-plane formation dived down towards the Walkers, firing their modified 30mm cannons, AGM's and rocket pods at the enemy armor. Their missiles and rockets destroyed the lighter armored vehicles, but the larger walkers didn't get so much as get a scratch on them. "Bastards are slow as a Goliath but heavily armored. Moving in for another attack run."
"No don't! Thunder Squad, get out of there! You can't take on those walkers!" Galen shouted into the commlink, but it was too late as the Rattlers screeched in for another attack run, directly head on. The AT-ATs opened up with their heavy cannons and downed the entire squadron, save for Thunder Four who banked hard to avoid getting shot down. Coming around, Thunder Four fired their 30mm cannon at the walker, but his weapon didn't pierce the walker's heavy armor. The last Rattler soon shared the same fate as the rest of their squadron as they were then shot down by a TIE fighter squadron. "Damn it!" Galen cursed.
"We got to get back to the defensive line! We won't stand a chance against those things!" Wolfe shouted as he powered up his speeder bike and sped back to the defensive line, followed by the others.
They made it back to the defensive line just before the walkers. "Fall back now! We got Imperial Walkers heading towards our location! We can't take them down from here! Fall back to the temple!" Galen shouted, much the confusion of the rebel soldiers. Just then the walkers crashed through the tree line and opened up with their heavy cannons, destroying several turrets and tanks.
"Fall back! Fall back!" a vanguard shouted as the walkers inched through the minefield, their durasteel footpads crushing anything that stood in their way as they fired at the retreating rebels.
Up in the air, Luke, Biggs, Wedge and Sarkli had finished destroying several imperial transports and were about to target the incoming Imperial Loader shuttles when they heard the call about the Imperial Walkers approaching Galen's position. The Loader Shuttles were modified Sentinel-Class landing craft, loaded with imperial walkers in the containers and would no doubt be targeting one of the last rebel transports that were readying for takeoff, but Luke knew he couldn't abandon Galen, Ruby and the others so he made a call. "Sarkli, Biggs, Wedge! Go after those loader shuttles! I'll go back up Galen and the others!" he shouted into the commlink.
"Commander Skywalker! You can't do it alone! Let me come with you!" Sarkli protested.
"Negative, Sarkli. Take out those shuttles! I'll go help Galen. That's an order." Luke countered.
"But… As you wish, Commander Skywalker." Sarkli said begrudgingly.
As his squad mates went after the shuttles, Luke checked to see how many torpedoes he had left. He still had six torpedoes left having used only his cannons on the transports. "Artoo, you think these torpedoes will be enough to take down those walkers?" he asked his faithful copilot. Artoo beeped in response to Luke's question as the Garuda Team formed up beside him, this time Ray was in his repaired S35, having the issue with his plasma cannons resolved. "Well, at least we won't be alone on this."
"You may be a commander, Luke. But a commander can't do things alone. It's like the boys back home say, 'stick with Trigger and you'll make it." Ray said, his plane loaded with a couple of air-to-ground missiles. "Red Leader, Garuda 2, Garuda 3, form up behind me and follow my lead. We'll dive in on those walkers and give them a pain in the neck."
"Garuda Two, copy." Neo replied.
"Garuda Three, acknowledge." Mickey answered.
Luke smirked as he formed up behind Ray's S35 while the last two members of Garuda Team formed up behind him. Spotting the targets below, Ray pushed his planes engines to full power and dived down towards the imperial walkers at top speed. "Garuda One, launching missiles!" he shouted and hit the fire button on his control stick. Four of his eight air-to-ground missiles left the rails and streaked towards the imperial walkers unaware of their presence. By the time the imperials noticed the missiles, four imperial ground units were destroyed as he roared overhead.
Luke followed in with a strafing run of his own, taking out multiple imperial targets including an AT-AT with his cannons. The headless walker slumped forward, crushing several imperials with its massive body. "I got one of the walkers!" Luke called out.
"Nice work, kid." Mickey praised as he streaked in with a gun run of his own, spewing out dozens of rounds from his planes cannons that tore through the imperial ground forces as if they were made of tissue paper. "That's how you get it done."
"Get real, Mickey." Neo teased and fired all of her XMAG's at the imperial tanks and scout walkers, before she turned her aircraft and fired at the exposed neck of an AT-AT with her cannons. "I've downed more targets than you did."
"Cut the chatter! Move in for another attack run. They know we're here now, so they'll be gunning for us." Ray scolded the two before diving in for another attack run. This time, he switched to his cannons and fired a burst that ripped through the neck of another AT-AT before switching back to his XMAG's and fired the last four at some tanks.
"Spoil sport." Neo teased.
"You're the one who used all their XMAG's in one pass, remember Neo?" He reminded his adoptive sister.
"HEY! Maybe you guys can focus on making sure we aren't blasted into smithereens down here instead of arguing!?" Jaune shouted over commlink.
"Roger that, Arc. Luke, give those walkers a proton treatment. I'll cover you!" Ray shouted as he switched from bullets to lasers just as a squadron of TIE fighters-streaked in. "And you better make it quick! We've got a lot of fight coming our way!"
Luke was quick to dive in and fired a torpedo at one of the walkers neck, destroying the target in a massive explosion. As he pulled up from his run, he turned a hundred and eighty degrees and fired another torpedo directly at the walker's main body. The warhead pierced the walker's armor and blew it in half. "That's the last of the Walkers. Galen, what's your status?"
"Bad! You may have taken down that armor, but the imperials have broken through the barricades! They've pushed into the temple, and we're pinned down in the Ceremonial Chamber with the General! It's just, Ruby, Jaune, Pyrrha, Cody, Wolfe, Thire, Jek, Rhys, Comet, Sinker, Boost, Thorn and a handful of soldiers plus myself! We can't make it to the evac ship!" Galen shouted.
"Copy that. Wedge, what's the status on that transport?" Luke asked.
"It's cleared the blockade! I'm coming down to assist you!" Wedge replied.
"Roger that. Galen, we're coming to help! Just hold out a little longer!" Luke told the Demon Lord.
"Copy that!" Galen replied as Luke and Wedge landed their X-Wings in front of the temple and proceeded inside.
Inside the ceremonial chamber of the temple, the surviving soldiers had taken cover behind the fallen pillars as Ruby, Galen, Jaune and Pyrrha slashed at the stormtroopers with their lightsabers. "Focus your fire on the imperials! Make every shot count!" Cody shouted as he hefted a chain gun from a rebel commando and opened up with the massive shoulder mounted weapon. Hundreds of small blaster bolts flew from the weapon at a high rate of fire, cutting down several Stormtroopers in one volley before the weapon finally ran out of power, forcing the clone marshal to ditch the weapon. He hunkered down behind a pillar where an injured Yularen clutched his shoulder. "Hang in there, Yularen! Help is on the way."
Tenn Graneet kept his head down as blaster fire slammed into the pillar. Still wracked with guilt, he couldn't find the courage to pull another trigger again, even if it meant defending himself from his former allies. "Graneet, stop hating yourself for what you did! You can't change the past, but you can at least make amends for the lives you took. Fight to avenge those who's lives were taken by the Empire!" Wolfe shouted as he fired his carbine at the troopers, narrowly missing Jaune's head. Hearing those words, the former Gunnery Officer picked up a fallen E-11 and fired at the imperial soldiers with a newfound resolve.
Several troopers were cut down by Tenn, something that made Ruby smile as the former imperial was finally overcoming his guilt and fighting for a true cause. "Keep them off the General!" she shouted, swinging her double-bladed saber around like it was her scythe and cut down several Stormtroopers.
"Ruby seems to have changed quite a bit since I last saw her." Pyrrha observed as she blocked blaster fire. Though she wasn't a Jedi, her training in lightsaber combat, combined with her training as a huntress gave the Stormtroopers the impression that she was a Jedi. She dashed towards four troopers, ducked down before they could shoot her and cut down them down with Qui-Gon's lightsaber as Obi-Wan's second lightsaber was clipped to her side.
"We've all gone through a lot since you left Remnant. But Nora is still the same as she always is." Jaune admitted, blocking blaster fire with his new lightsaber, the lightsaber that Obi-Wan used in his final battle against Vader. "I'll wield this weapon and honor the Jedi who sacrificed his life so we could escape. I'll prove myself worthy of it." Jaune said to himself.
Galen reached out with the force and blasted several troopers into the wall as if they were rag dolls before throwing his sabers towards several more troopers, killing them instantly. A couple of troopers rushed in and tried to hit them with their rifle butts, but they too were killed when Galen cut them down without any mercy. His mind was solely focused on protecting the survivors, but more imperials continued to enter the chamber and more allies were dying.
Things soon took a turn for the better when Luke and Wedge arrived behind the Imperial forces, firing their scavenged E-11's at the imperial soldiers while Thorn unleashed hell with his trusty Hammer. "FOR THE ALLIANCE!" he shouted as the last of the imperial troops were killed.
"What took you two so long?" Galen asked with a smirk.
"We ran into some old friends." Wedge answered.
"Alright, everyone to the hanger. Let's move it! Double time!" Wolfe shouted as another door opened up, this one leading towards the hanger. The large group ran through the door and reached the hanger, finding several X-Wing's destroyed and in flames, with more Stormtroopers guarding the hanger.
His lightsabers were already ignited and in his hands as Galen charged towards the Imperial troopers while everyone else hung back and provided him with covering fire. He slashed through the torso of one trooper, sliced off the arm of another and took the heads off three more imperials with his strength. He then reached out and slammed one of the wrecked X-Wings into several imperials, killing them as the X-Wing exploded. An arc of lighting flew from his fingers and electrocuted more enemy troopers.
Ruby was quick to sheath her lightsaber and whipped out her custom blaster so she could start sniping the Imperial soldiers and cover her boyfriend. Blaster fire from the surviving rebel forces cut down most of the imperial forces but those that were still alive were able to take out a few the remaining rebels, but they continued onwards, cutting down the remaining Imperial forces before finally reaching the exit of the hanger.
They were almost home free until a pair of AT-ST's arrived and blocked their path, but at the last second the Galm Team arrived and took out the walkers as a rebel transport, along with Luke and Wedge's X-Wings, plus the Rogue Shadow landed. "Everybody move! Onto the ships! Double time it!" Wolfe shouted as blaster fire from behind them streaked towards them.
They boarded the ships and were soon flying past the imperial blockade before entering hyperspace and heading for the rendezvous point several systems away. When they exited hyperspace, they were finally able to breath a sigh of relief after the long battle.
"Well, Luke I guess this is where we part ways. We're needed back on Remnant so it's going to be some time before we see each other again." Galen told Luke as they walked through the hanger of the Enterprise.
"You sure you'll be alright?" Luke asked.
"We've faced a lot worse on Remnant. Besides, we got an enemy on that planet we need to defeat, and she won't wait for us to finish one war. We'll call you if we need you." Galen assured the young Skywalker who smiled as Galen boarded the Rogue Shadow, along with Thorn, Thire, Jek, Rhys and Stone who decided to go with them.
But while the surviving rebels took stock of their current situation, the Empire was hatching a new plan. A plan that would make Remnant suffer for its defiance.
And finished. I really wished I posted this on May 4th, but no harm done. Anyway, it's time to return to Remnant, but what does the Empire have planned for our heroes? You'll have to wait and see, but now we can move onto Volume 6.
Until next time, please read, review and for those of you who like the railroads, happy National Train Day and too all my fellow Star Wars fans, a very late May the Forth Be With You.