Chapter 25 - "Here comes the Cavalry"

Nebula-Class Star Destroyer Kenobi

Edge of New Republic Space

"And we're positive it's them, Commander?"

"Aye, Commodore," the XO of the Kenobi nodded, staring out at the assembled flotilla of scavenged Clone Wars era warships, "do you know any other ships that are painted completely red?"

"They're crimson, Commander, not red. There's a difference in the two."

"Of course, sir," she chuckled, "still, we've got a positive identification on the Providence class. It's definitely the Scarlet Night."

"Of course it is," Commodore Wedge Antilles sighed with his trademark scowl, rubbing his hand through his cropped silver mane as his hard eyes stared out at their prey. Naturally, they'd been hunting them for months after their little raid on Weyland a few months back. 'Pursuing a legitimate bounty,' they'd said. Wedge knew the truth. The wannabes had sent them to do their dirty work again, and now was no exception.

Only now they had a good friend on the other end of the blaster. 'Well,' he mused as a cold smirk crossed his lips, 'always have to pull the heroes out of the fire, so why is this any different?'

"Battle stations," he commanded, "signal the fleet. Omega formation. We'll take it right into their teeth."

"Aye, sir," she turned to the helmsman, "Battle stations! Omega formation!"

Already the red alert status lights were flashing. Acknowledgement signals were being received as the fleet began moving into formation towards the enemy fleet. Flanking the Kenobi on her left was the Rendili IV-Class Assault Frigate Torrent Star, its axeshape frame presenting a long spine of turbolasers ready to tear the enemy apart.

The Rendili was an old design that had served the Rebels during the war, and though Wedge had a healthy respect for it, he couldn't shake a feeling of old age catching up to him. Looking around at the crew of blue uniformed officers and crewmen all running about and performing their tasks, the feeling grew tighter in the pit of his stomach. The officers and some of the bridge crew were his since he'd traded his X-Wing for a captain's chair, but the rest were strangers.

'Boys,' he thought grumpily as he slumped into his commanding chair, 'too many boys.'

On either side of them were the three CR-95 Vergilla-Class Corvettes Avenger, Dauntless and Surprise. These were updated CR-90's, old blockade runners with stronger engines and a pair fuselage wings bristling with turbolasers and point-defense weapons attached to the head of the craft. Venerable craft updated, yet crewed by a generation that had never seen war. Oh sure, they'd seen their fair share of pirate actions, and the officers a few brushfires, but never actual war.

It was then he understood what was bothering him. Wedge knew what Han had been sent out to find, and apparently so did the enemy. This wasn't just a pirate group ahead of him. It was a foreshadowing of what was to come. War unlike anything the galaxy had seen. Not since the Rebellion… or even the Clone Wars for that matter, he admitted to himself.

Coming up behind him was the Endurance-Class Carrier Dodana, another of New Class ship. Like The Kenobi, it had been a repurposed, refitted and overhauled captured Imperial warship, trading out much of its space for massive hangers, of which it began to deposit its deadly cargo of T-70 X-Wings, RZ-3 A-Wings, E-Wings and a squadron of the BTL-S8 K-Wing bombers. They swarmed over the field like locust, covering the advance of the fleet but keeping in well dispersed formations, like they'd been trained to.

Good ships, all of them, but all were over a decade and a half old. Sure, they'd been updated with the changing times, but that was the general problem with New Republic Navy R&D. Nothing new was being built, not since the Black Fleet Crisis and how handedly they'd crushed the Duskhan League.

Instead, what was old was being modernized and passed off as something new. The New Republic had grown comfortable with its position of power and the assumption of its invincibility when in reality, it shouldn't. They were surrounded by enemies in all but name, and yet instead of rapid response and innovation to meet these threats head on, the New Republic government was content to sit on their laurels and play catch up.

The thought damn near made him puke. Instead, he channeled this into controlled rage hidden behind a cruel smile, "Open comms with the Scarlet Night. It's time to give our friends a warm welcome."

"Aye aye, sir."

In a moment, the comm light flashed from a blinking orange to green, and a Devaronian female appeared on a holographic display. Smiling, Wedge rose to his feet, his hands clasped behind his back as he addressed the Corsair in a militaristic tone, "This is Commodore Wedge Antilles of NRS Kenobi. You have violated New Republic law and have assaulted citizens of the New Republic. If you do not disengage immediately, I will order my fleet to engage you, where you will be destroyed. You have five minutes to comply before we start shooting."

The Devaronian however did not respond immediately, though the expression of absolute terror was perfectly present on her face. Instead, she was looking over her shoulder, bellowing orders he could not make out, and a moment later, his comm officer shouted, "Sir, they're redirecting our visual comm signal to the Ervana."

The Devaronian was then replaced by the Crimson Corsair himself, who cocked his head at him and crossed his arms, "Technically, Commodore, one is a deserter of the First Order. We are here on a perfectly legitimate bounty-"

"Helmsman, target their Interdictor Cruiser and disable their shields."

"Aye sir," and in record time, red and blue bolts of plasma blasted away from the Kenobi's weaponry and struck the Interdictor with precise hits, causing the ship to buckle and the shields to disperse upon the third volley. Under normal conditions, this would've taken longer, but with its gravity wells turned on, it wouldn't take much to destroy it at that point.

"Need I use my turbolasers, Sydow?" Wedge drawled with a vicious smile.

Sydow shook his head at him, "No Commodore, you've made your point perfectly clear. However, we will require more than the five minutes you've given us to pack up and leave."

"Oh, I understand," he held up his watch, "you have three minutes now."

"No, we don't-"

"I could always say you have none."

"Oh for pity's sake, Antilles!" Sydow suddenly snapped, "I have wounded on this bloody ship! I need twenty minutes at least to transfer them over!"

"Then you can take the ship," Wedge said coolly, "but you will leave in exactly three minutes. Oh, and if I even suspect you're trying to grab Han Solo and his compatriots on the way out, I will destroy you and the rest of your second rate ships. Do I make myself clear?"

"You did the first time, Antilles. Now I-" he turned his head to Corsair standing behind him, "what is it? WHAT!?" he suddenly exclaimed. He turned his head to the side, and Wedge could make out a second holographic call, probably from the Devaronian.

"Bonny, that blasted rancor is about to collide with the ship! Atomize it, now!"

"Cap'n, we can handle this ugly mook-swinker well 'nough-" there was a sudden clang on her end of the transmission, as their heads all spun around to where the sound had come from, "status report, where did it hit us? What? What do ya mean it's climbin' on the ship!? How the hell did it survive hitting us!?"

"Get me a visual on their ship, helmsman," Wedge ordered, "I want to see what's going on."

"Aye aye, sir. Pulling up the feed now."

When the enhanced imagery came into focus, Wedge's eyes went wide with a mixture of awe, fear and surprise. This was in turn somewhat shocking to the bridge crew; they'd never seen him scared before.

"Sir?" the XO asked, "Do you know what this is?"

"That's a Terentatek, a Jedi Killer," Wedge replied, his voice grave, "last time I ran into one of those, it damn near ate me and Luke."

As if to emphasize his point, the creature began literally climbing up the side of the cruiser, making its way to the command bridge like a wookie climbing a tree. It didn't even seem remotely affected by the vacuum or the extreme cold.

"I don't know how the hell it got here," Wedge's face hardened, "but it ain't leaving. Helmsman, the moment that thing gets spaced, blast it with everything we got."

"I don't think that'll be necessary, sir," the helmsman replied, "look."

From the ships hangar, a pair of maroon colored Clone Wars-era Vulture Droids zoomed upwards towards the creature, flying over it and then zipping back around to get its attention. When they did and the beast turned its head in their direction, one of them landed on its wings tips like a spider and began firing its fuselage mounted blaster cannons and an underbelly chaingun.

The beasts supernatural carapace absorbed the impacts with frightening efficiency. Shielding its face with its two massive arms, the beast began marching towards the pest, digging its clawed feet into the deckplatting one foot at a time.

"Okay, what the hell is this?" the Helmsmen asked, "Even a full grown bull rancor would go down to that onslaught."

"This creature is a Sith creation, helmsman," Wedge narrowed his eyes, "nothing short of a lightsaber to the head, or a blast from a ship grade turbolaser is going to kill it."

"What are they trying to do then?" the XO asked, "Piss it even more off?"

"No," Wedge smirked knowingly, "they're going to hogtie it."

The Terentatek was finally within striking distance after having its armor redecorated a fine black char. It dugs its feet and then lunged, the Vulture droid hopping back and just barely missing the Terentatek's reach. As it floated in midair, the second Vulture droid flew past it, dragging a long tow-cable. With an accuracy and timing only possible to droids, the cable hooked into the beasts' thorax and began to loop it around and around until it hooked onto a d-ring.

"They're gonna take that thing away from the ship and then blast it," the XO nodded with approval. Wedge however didn't relax for even a moment, his hands digging into the arms of the chair. Sure enough, his instincts were right. Before the Droid could get the beast out to an optimal firing distance, the Terentatek started to pull itself up the cable until it grabbed onto the Droid's fuselage itself. With an inaudible roar, it slammed its fists right into the Droid's 'head' and the Droid went haywire.

It flew this way and that, spiraling out of control and right back towards the ship, crashing along its spine in a blazing firestorm. Through the wreckage emerged the monster, still alive and somehow still kicking. The other Vulture remained in the standoff, firing and shooting and generally hopping over the monster every time it tried to make a lunge for the craft. The result was still the same, though. The Terentatek wasn't going anywhere.

"Alright, that's enough," Sydow cursed, "Bonny, take the ship and hyperdrive out. That should either snuff it out or strand it in the void. Either way works."

"Aye sir. What about you?"

Sydow turned his head back to Antilles, "We've got three minutes, right?"

"Starting now," Antilles nodded.

"Fair enough. Lads, get this junker flying."

The transmission then cut out and Wedge could only shake his head at the absurdity of the whole situation. He slumped into his command chair with a groan. He was getting too old for this.

"Sir," the comms officer interjected, "Black Squadron's requesting permission to bring them in and run escort."

A tired, knowing smile passed the former fighter jockey's lips. Pilots always protected their own, "Granted. But have Blue Squadron keep a close on things. Once the pirates are gone, tractor the Raptor to our hangar bays. Have medical crews stand by to pick up any wounded."

"Aye sir. Should we be expecting any wounded?"

"You kiddin'? This is Han Solo we're talking about. Folks always get hurt around him."

"Never thought I'd actually be happy to see the law actually show up for once," Han chuckled as he looked out the viewport at the New Republic fleet encircling them and the swarm of fighters coming their way.

"Well, you know what they say about irony gah!" Rey hissed as she pulled her hand back from an exposed wire, suckling on the burned fingers, "Honestly, I'm just more amazed that our baby hasn't gone out on us yet."

"That's because she was made by a Solo, little one," Han shook his head, "anything and everything made by us is indestructible."

She pulled her head out of the duck board and shot him a look, "Really?"

"Nah," Han chuckled, "any luck with getting our comms back?"

"Working on it," she sighed as she went back under, "she's gonna have to go into the shop after this. There's no way in the Kessel Maw she'll be flying well or… well, doing anything well for that fact, after getting zapped twice! And nearly getting pancaked how many times-"

"Rey, focus," Han interrupted, "you break things when you ramble."

"I do not!" she protested.

"Really?" Han shot her a fodder-eating grin, "Like that time you veered right into that comet because you were too busy arguing with Kali? Or that time you damn near crashed the Falcon because you were trying to impress my kid?"

"I was not trying to impress Cale! Why does everybody keep thinking I was?"

"Because you're terrible at flying and you won't admit it. The only reason why you tried to fly the Falcon was because Cale called you out on the fact that you crash every single thing ship you get into."

"I do not crash every ship I get into!"

"Oh really? Rey, you even crash parked ships! And you somehow manage to hit things that you realistically shouldn't! I mean, space is vast and three dimensional! Yet you somehow manage to do it anyway! It's almost impressive in a way."

"Let me guess? If there was a sport of crashing ships, I'd win a medal?"

"Yeah, pretty much. Hand me the socket."

"Oh come on, I'm not terrible," she sighed after a moment, handing him the tool, "fine, I am that terrible. I'm better at fixing ships than I am at flying them."

"And that's perfectly fine, dear," Han grinned as he turned the last nozzle over, "and… we have proper gravity."

Han and Rey then hit the ground, removing their harnesses in the process. Unfortunately, everything else that was floating came down the same way.

"Ow!" Rey screamed as a siphoner hit her in the back, "Couldn't you have warned me first?"

"Yeah, could've," Han smirked, "but I consider it motivational."

"Oh, har har har. You're hilarious."

"I know I am. Need anything?"

"Gimme the line-phaser," there was a sudden flash and power systems started sparking along the multiple exposed conduits. Rey emerged from the underdeck, wiping her brow with with an oily backhand, "okay, I think that should do it."

"Good girl," Han beamed, patting her shoulder as he bellowed up to the cockpit, "Dameron! Give it a try now!"

"Already on it, sir!" Poe called back as he began turning dials and working the frequency line, "This is Commander Dameron, code signal 507-Besh-Aurek! I have a high priority package aboard. Anybody care to fish us out of here, over?"

There was a voice on the other end, but it was badly distorted by the static, "Say again? You're coming in garbled! Frequency," he checked comm channel, "34.5, over."

"I said," a rather sultry and overwhelmingly sarcastic feminine voice on the other end replied, "why do you think we're here, hotshot?"

As if on cue, a squadron of six T-70 X-Wings flew right past them, orange and black in trim with rancor maw's painted on their noses. Poe smiled like a goon as he propped his legs onto the dashboard, "Oh y'know, Deliah," he shrugged his shoulders, "showing up late after I've done all the work? You guys might as well be janitors the way you clean up after me."

"Heh," a burly voice on the other end replied, "glad to see you still haven't lost your sense of humor, Poe. Seriously, our lives would be dull without you."

"Aw, thanks for that, Snap. Don't worry, I saved some for the rest of you."

"Really?" the baritoned voice of a Duros scoffed, "Is that you being generous or us having to save your hide again, you frickin' damsel in distress?"

"Pff, you kiddin', L'ulu? I was in complete control before y'all stormed in and stole my glory!"

"Ha!" Deliah laughed, "alright, Snap. Pay up!"

"What? Why? We still haven't seen him yet!"

"With that sense of humor? He's fine and you know it! Now pay up, stingy!"

"Not yet. We got to see if he's actually fine first."

"What's this?" Poe laughed, "You guy's betting I was dead or something?"

"No," L'ulu replied, "well, sort of. I was betting you were dead. Snap and the most of the others bet you were crippled. Hell, there was even sub betting on whether it would be missing hands or missing legs. You know, the sort of thing to take that insufferable smirk off your face."

"I love you too, L'ulu. Hold on, if Snap and the others were bettin' I was crippled… what was Deliah betting on?"

There was a loud pinging sound akin to a register that Poe recognized as a money transfer. He could practically feel the fodder-eating smirk in her voice as Deliah answered, "What can I say, Poe? I never lost faith in you. Who needs a pay raise when I have you?"

"Heh, happy to oblige."

"Oh my aching wallet," Snap moaned through the comm, "so, you guys need a lift?"

"Uh, yeah. We're basically dead in the water and operating on backup, backup emergency power."

"See, what I'd tell you?" Deliah laughed, "You're my reliable source of luck, Poe."

"Careful, Commander Blue. I might take that as an invitation."

"In your dreams, Dameron. I still hold the title as the only lady who hasn't end up with you, and I'm a Zeltron for crying out loud. I plan to keep that title."

"Yeah, it is surprising you haven't used your pheromones on yours truly."

"What makes you think I haven't?"

Poe stared at the comm for a moment, "Wait, that's why I keep losing time when we were off duty and I keep waking up in strange places?"

"Only when we hit the bottle, or when you get a little too charming."

"Y'know," L'ulu said on the line, "it's probably a good thing this is a secure, private channel? There is such a thing as too much information."

"What, you kidding?" Snap chuckled, "That's practically an open secret!"

"Open does not mean discussed or confirmed, Snap," the older veteran chided darkly, "you yuppies act like children half the time. In my day-"

"In your day, you blew up a Death Star and the Executor and yada yada yada," Deliah interjected sarcastically, "well, it's been thirty years since your day."

"When you get my age, pink-skin, time becomes rather irrelevant."

"Oh would you stop with that old talk-"

"Look, guys," Poe interrupted, "I'm enjoying this conversation and all, but I'm trying to contact the fleet commander so we can, y'know, not drift in the middle of space?"

"Oh I don't know," Deliah, replied, "I kinda like you like this. Helpless, needing a rescue? It's a nice change of pace. You contacting the Old Man takes away our position of power."

"Yes, the position of power is very important," Snap added, "not about to give it up, no sir."

"See what I mean, Dameron?" L'ulu asked, "Children."

Poe facepalmed at all of this, sighing, "Guys, I have had a terrible week. Mind cutting me some slack before I cut your pay-grades?"

"Ooh, scary!" Deliah laughed, "You can really only threaten us with that so many times before it loses its effectiveness."

There were footsteps coming up behind Poe, and he smirked at the dawning revelation, "Okay, well here's a new one. I happen to be caretaking a war hero, a wookie and a Jedi. I'm pretty sure the Old Man would like to talk to them and, y'know, not have his time wasted about positions of power and all that?"

"As you wish, Oh Baron and Count Flyboy of Lowly Degobah, Charming prince of the Mudsnakes. Seducer of men and women-" Deliah began with an overly polite and sarcastic announcers voice before Poe cut her off.

"Hey! I do not swing that way, and you know it! Now gimme the damn code or I swear I will free jump out of this ship, float to you and then hijack your X-Wing!"

"Hey, I'd pay to see that!" Snap laughed over the comm, "You just joyridin' her X-Wing-"

"Perhaps her being hogtied and dragged behind the ship's wake?" L'ulu cut in with a wry smile to his voice.

"Okay, who's side are you guys on anyway?" Deliah exclaimed.

"Well, we were on yours... right until you pinched our wallets," Snap replied, "but all seriousness, let's get Kenobi on the line."

"Sir," the comm officer asked as he pulled one of his ear muffs off, "Black Squadron reports Commander Dameron is alive and well and has the package in hand. He also reports that he has a Jedi and a defectee from the First Order on board. He and Solo are requesting pick up."

"See it done." Wedge ordered, "When they are aboard, have the medical personnel see to them, and then order the fleet to withdraw back to base."

"What about the supposed First Order defectee that is with them?"

Wedge shook his head with a groan, "Assuming this is true, we'll let Shrike and his boys handle that when we get back to base. Until then, have him under armed escort."

"Aye sir."

He then turned back to Sydow in the holocall, "So, you have thirty seconds to go, pirate. How's it looking over there?"

"Oh, ye of so little faith," Sydow shook his head, "I am a man of my word, and when you said three minutes, I took it seriously."

"I'll take your word when I see your engine block, pirate."

"I have a name, you know?"

"Do I look like I care?"

"No, you look like someone who should have stayed retired, Antilles."

"And miss chasing you across the Outer Rim?"

"Chase is a rather vague word, Antilles. More like you've been cleaning up after us, long behind in our wake."

"Yeah I suppose, more like you run like a Mouse Droid when he sees a Wookie."

"Well… it's not exactly a fair fight."

"The Crimson Corsair, bravely runs away as always."

"Hmm, sounds like you during the days of the Empire."

"Shoes on the other foot now, Pirate."

"For how long, I wonder... rebel?"

Wedge's eyes narrowed as his face remained unchanged, "10 seconds left."

"More like 5, Antilles. Coordinates locked, Mister Carson?"

"Aye sir. Preparing to jump now."

Wedge looked at his watch, "5, 4, 3, get a targeting lock, 2, 1."

The ships of the New Republic prepared to open fire on the fleet of pirate ships, but before they could, white knives tore into the materium and caused it to flatten like paper bending. The pirate ships stretched like rubber and with a flash, they were gone.

"And thus the chase continues," Wedge shook his head, "are they onboard yet?"

"Air sir," the helmsman replied, "and the rest of the wings are returning to ship."

"Plot a course for Takodana, then. Let's go home."

A minute later and after the last of the New Republic fighters were safely stored aboard the Dodona and Kenobi, the fleet entered hyperspace and was on its way to it destination. Unbeknownst to them however, was the old-Imperial Viper Droid, painted completely black as it floated in the vacuum of space. It's cam-eye had recorded the departure, and calculated the general direction the fleet had gone. Several minutes later, a single shuttle craft reappeared close to the former standoff.

"Cap'n, we got it," the Corsair pilot informed Sydow over the long comm line, "and looks like the droids got everything."

"Good," Sydow replied, "bring it home, lad. We'll soon find out where they went. As I always say, I never leave a job unfinished."