"Admiral Therane," Lieutenant Oegmar called, addressing his leader. "The Star Destroyer Crusher has arrived, carrying with it three Imperial Interceptors, newly christened off the Kuat Drive Yards."
Therane smiled wickedly. "Very good lieutenant. Oegmar is it? Ah, yes. Your father was a general wasn't he?"
Oegmar straightened his stance, arms resting at his side. "Yes sir, he died aboard the Death Star during the Battle of Yavin."
"Most tragic. I knew him well and I see you now; 'tis like gazing into a mirror of the past. It is a pity his skills and confidence did not pass on to you," Therane said bitterly.
Oegmar felt hurt though tried not to show it. "Yes sir," he said monotonously. And without waiting for dismissal, he bout faced and headed back to his post.
Therane flipped a panel in his commander's chair and pulled a small lever to the right, swiveling his chair round. From there he gazed out at the Battle of Naboo. It was then that he saw it -.
"Sir," one of the ensigns called from their computers down in the small hatch below observation deck. "Nine Mon Calamari cruisers just exited out of hyperspace, carrying with them four refurbished Star Destroyers and eleven squadrons carrying New Republic signatures. Should I give the command to launch fighters?"
Therane scratched his chin and half-smiled. "So that is the way to play it? Very well then. Yes ensign, send all remaining fighters into battle. And contact Captain Lorniette of the Valiant and tell him to launch operation kamikaze. We will strike fear into their hearts. We will have vindication at last!"
Kyp shut down his lightsaber and re-attatched it to his utility belt. He was lost in some uncharted territory of Naboo. How he would get back was not the question to be thinking. How to survive was. With the Force surging through him, he jumped down the mile long canyon and landed with a thud and a pain in his feet.
There he saw a gathering of wild beasts, almost elephants but reddish orange and with an arched, spiked spine. He grabbed hold of one and rode it through the canyon, and later on through a darkened tunnel. It brought back memories of when he worked laboriously in the Spice Mines of Kessel. He felt the darkside closer than ever as he remembered shivering thoughts of the past. Then he remembered Master Skywalker's teachings: 'Focus your attention here and now, where it belongs."
And so he tried.
Just a few miles past the tunnel lay an old one man starcruiser covered in moss. It had a yellow and silver tail and a laser cannon battery on either side. He released the beast and opened the hatch to the Nubian Starfighter. He hit the power button and found the proper controls. The readout was barely legible as the computer was in a daze. He pulled hard on the throttle and rose up above the canyon. "Time to see if this baby can survive space," he said, fingers crossed. And with one last push on the throttle, he shot into the sky blue, seeing it turn colors until at last reached a pitch black with white specks like a blanket littered with holes.
X-J X-Wing prototypes poured out of the nine Mon Calamari Cruisers and the New Republic Star Destroyers. With a flip of a switch, Jors Terrenniell spoke to his wingman, Gareth Varn. "Gar - come in Gar."
"Gar here. Although you should probably call me Red Six."
"Right. Red Six this is Red Leader, follow me in attack run on the Chimaera."
"Roger that."
Jors flipped the switch again, turning it mute. With a large swerve, he avoided a collision with a TIE-Bomber. With Gareth at his side, they made a wide turn and came round to face the underbelly of the Chimaera. They both pulled hard on the triggers, sending green laser blasts hurtling towards the ship. A blue light resonated about fifty feet before the Star Destroyer, disintegrating the laser blasts.
"The shields are still up," Gareth called.
"I'm on it, you just worry about hitting inside that docking bay."
Jors swerved upwards, twirling as he did so, avoiding heavy fire from oncoming TIE-Fighters, all of which passed between him with ease. As he came round, he flew towards the bridge of the Star Destroyer. A small tremor shook his ship. He had been hit, but not badly. He continued to shoot at the two large spheres that sat upon the T-shaped bridge to the Star Destroyer. At last one of them blew, only so did he. His ship had been hit by a laser blast directly from the Star Destroyer itself. "Gar. I'm hit!"
"Hang on, I'm coming around," Gareth called urgently.
"No," Jors told him. "Continue firing. Dislodge the docking bay, preventing the fighters from retreating. I'll be fine."
Gareth had no choice but to oblige to his leader. With great prowess, Jors flew in between the many tentacled, tangled, machinations that made up the sides of the Star Destroyer, running on low fuel. With one final effort he swerved, at last, into the Star Destroyer's secondary docking bay, safe from death. At least death in space.
He aimed with his ship and fired four missiles each at the corners of the docking bay, dislodging it, as was the plan. With a final push he jumped out of the ship, taking grenades and three blasters with him. As he climbed the stairs hurriedly and entered the next room, he could hear and feel the explosion of his X-Wing in the shield-reinforced docking bay. As he turned around he cursed aloud. Waiting before him were at least thirty stormtroopers, blaster-rifles raised and ready to fire. "Okay," Gareth said, holding up his hands, "I give up. You caught me."
