It has been sixty years since the defeat of the First Order at the hands of the GALACTIC ALLIANCE OF PLANETS, and the emergence of the New Jedi Order. Since then, the Alliance has prospered, as have the Jedi.
The decades of peace have now ended, with the rise of a rebellion calling itself the Sedition. The Alliance and the Jedi have been at war with these rebels for two years, with the war at a stalemate until recently.
With Jedi Knights now leading Alliance forces, their battle strategy has turned the tide of the war. Now, they have finally succeeded in pushing the Sedition back to their base of operations, the long lost planet of Had Abbadon...
Above the deep core world of Had Abbadon, starships of the Galactic Alliance of Planets engage in battle with starships of the Sedition. A large sedition cruiser, under attack by Alliance cruisers, explodes, leaving a gap in the Sedition defenses.
Aboard the Alliance cruiser Endurance, the bridge is busy, filled with people of various races dressed in red uniforms. At the center of the bridge, Admiral Jek Desaro, a rugged looking man in his early forties, stands at the holotable, looking at a projection of the current battle. A youthful, athletic woman in a white and gray outfit approaches from the front of the bridge. This is General Vala Skywalker, thirty year old Jedi Knight.
"Looks like we have our opening." Jek says.
"Good. Time to contact the command ship." Vala says. She presses a few buttons on her wrist comm, and a hologram appears in front of her. The image is of a man in gold and blue Mandalorian armor, with a dark hooded cloak. This is Arvon Cade, Jedi Master and Grand Admiral of Alliance forces.
"Vala…" Arvon says.
"We are ready for phase two." Vala says.
"Very good. You'll take a battalion and land on the north side of the capital city. Demarak… will be sent to the south side. You'll both make your way to the central plaza, and I'll meet you there once the rest of the Sedition Fleet is dealt with." Arvon says.
"What if I meet up with Demarak before you get there?" Vala asks.
"You're in charge until I get there. If Demarak has a problem with it, tell him to talk to me." Arvon says.
"Understood." Vala says.
"I'll see you on the surface. Good luck." Arvon says. Vala smiles.
"You too." Vala says. Arvon nods, and his hologram vanishes.
"So, this… is Had Abaddon. I thought it was a legend." Jek says.
"Me too. Yet… I'm about ready to set foot on it." Vala says.
"I wish I could go with you. I'd watch your back like the old days." Jek says.
"I'll be fine, Jek. I'll have Aja and U5." Vala says.
"I'll trust Aja any day. Now, that mechanical maniac… that's another story." Jek says.
"U5 does his job, and he does it well." Vala says.
"Let's see… he's sarcastic, annoying, he calls everybody meatbag, and… did I mention annoying?" Jek asks. Vala chuckles.
"Maybe once or twice." Vala answers. Jek shakes his head.
"Alright then. I know better than to argue with you." Jek says.
"Wise decision. Is the Eagle ready?" Vala asks.
"Yeah. Just waiting for you." Jek answers.
"Thanks, Jek." Vala says.
"May the force be with you." Jek says.
"May it be with us all." Vala says.
The fighting rages on. In addition to the hundreds of larger vessels, there are also numerous starfighters involved. One Alliance squadron in particular seems to stand out. A group of matching fighters with blue and white hull markings. These are C-wings, the standard starfighter for the Alliance. The C-wings match each other, move for move, and seem to have no trouble destroying enemies in their path.
The lead C-wing is being flown by Aja Pinal, a sixteen year old Jedi Apprentice. The girl is dressed in a blue and white flight suit.
"Falcon Leader to squadron! Double back to the Endurance! Pick off anything that gets in weapons range, but maintain course!" Aja says into her helmet comm.
"We're going back?" A male voice asks over the comm.
"That's right, three. We're meeting up with Master Skywalker to escort the landers to the surface." Aja says.
"Copy Falcon Leader!" The male voice says.
The starfighters turn around, a fly toward the Alliance fleet. Soon, a small, roughly saucer shaped vessel appears. This is the Centurion Eagle, a modified freighter owned by Vala.
Aboard the Centurion Eagle, Vala is at the controls. Seated next to her at co-pilot is U5, a tall, silver and blue droid of roughly human shape.
"It would appear that we are now in position, master." U5 says. Vala nods, then switches on the ship's comm.
"Eagle to Falcon Leader. Come in." Vala says.
"Falcon Leader here. Nice of you to join the fight. I made sure to leave a few Rebs so you wouldn't feel left out." Aja says over the ship's comm.
"How thoughtful of you. Now, let's get a move on, shall we?" Vala asks.
"Right with you, master." Aja says.
"Landing craft on the way. Aja, you and your squadron take up defensive formation. Protect those landers! I'll take point!" Vala says.
"I copy. Falcon Squadron, assume Antilles Six formation." Aja says over the comm.
The starfighters of Falcon Squadron surround the landing craft, and fly in formation with them. The Centurion Eagle takes position in front of the other ships as they fly toward the planet. Soon, the group enters the atmosphere, and immediately comes under fire from several surface towers.
On board Aja's fighter, the young Jedi is briefly alarmed. Then, she remembers her training and calms herself.
"We need to take out those towers, master!" Aja says.
"I know. Send four pilots. The rest need to stay with the landers. You included." Vala says over the comm.
"Understood. Falcon Two, take Four, Six, and Nine! Deal with those towers!" Aja says.
"Copy, Falcon Leader." A heavily accented male voice says over the comm.
Four starfighters break away to attack the Sedition towers. One of the landing craft is destroyed before the towers are taken out. The rest of the ships land safely. Soon, Vala and U5 exit the Eagle. Aja emerges from her fighter, and takes off her helmet. She then races to Vala's position.
"Your squadron did good. You lead them well." Vala says.
"We lost one of the landers. That's a third of your strike force. I'm sorry." Aja says.
"It wasn't your fault, Aja. You did everything you could. This is war. In war, we lose people." Vala says.
"I know. Still, we could have… " Aja says.
"You're focused on the negative. Let go." Vala says.
"Yes, master." Aja says. Vala puts a hand on her shoulder.
"That's my girl. Now, let's get moving." Vala says.
On the other side of the city, a large group of Alliance troops are in battle with Sedition soldiers. These forces are led by a bald, blue skinned chiss male dressed in red and black. This is Demarak, a Jedi Knight. Standing at his side is a middle aged, dark skinned woman in a red Alliance uniform. The Alliance troops are outnumbered, and appear to be losing.
"General, we're taking heavy losses here. I recommend we fall back and call General Skywalker for assistance." The woman says.
"No, major! We've just gotten started! Deploy the suicide droids!" Demarak says.
"Yes, general." The major says.
From one of the nearby Alliance ships, a group of twenty droids emerge. They are dark green, and generally humanoid in shape. These droids break into smaller groups, and advance toward the battle. As the droids get closer to the enemy, Demarak's troops begin to fall back to their general's position. Upon reaching the assembled enemy forces, the droids explode. The explosions not only take out the Sedition troops, they also destroy several nearby buildings.
"General! There… could have been civilians in those buildings!" The major says.
"This… is war, major. Collateral damage… is unavoidable." Demarak says.
"But, General Skywalker ordered…" the major says.
"I... am in charge here. Not Skywalker." Demarak says.
"Yes, sir." The major says.
"All forces advance toward the plaza!" Demarak says.
Meanwhile, Vala and her troops are engaging a small number of Sedition soldiers. Suddenly, the sound of explosions is heard in the distance.
"U5! Get me a reading! Where was that?" Vala asks. The droid uses his sensors to determine the source of the explosions.
"The sounds originate approximately two kilometers to the south. According to my scans, it was a series of several explosions caused by micro charges." U5 says.
"Micro charges? I thought you ordered no explosives. You were worried about civilian casualties." Aja says. Vala sighs in frustration.
"It's that damn Demarak and his suicide droids!" Vala says.
"Based on my analysis, I concur. Do I have your permission to terminate that insolent meatbag?" U5 asks.
"Very tempting, but… no." Vala answers.
"A shame. I have never liked that one." U5 says. Vala chuckles.
"You and me both, my friend." Vala says.
I have basically been working on this story on and off for over two years. Parts of it actually come from two now abandoned projects. Getting this story ready has been a long and painful process, but here it is at last. hope you enjoy.
