DEEP SPACE- THE CORE
FEBRUARY YEAR 1053
Vanguard Leader, ready," Jag said, tuning to the squadron comm channel as he leaned back in his pilot couch.
"Vanguard Two, ready," Kyp's voice came over the signal. "Ready to hunt me some Vong."
"Vanguard Three, ready. Four lit and in the green." That was Jaina.
Jag listened as the other pilots checked in, the Chiss easily recognizable by the lack of quips or irrelevant remarks the Imperial pilots seemed to indulge in.
Jag clicked over to a private channel. "Jaina?"
"Jag?" Jaina's voice came back, light and teasing.
"Are you sure you're ready for this," Jag asked, trying to keep the concern from leaking into his voice.
And apparently not succeeding.
We'll be fine, I promise," Jaina answered patiently.
Jag wasn't sure if she meant the two of them or her and the baby.
"Right, just stay safe," Jag responded.
"I love you," Jaina said simply, knowing that staying safe in the heat of battle was not something she could promise.
"I love you, too, sweetheart," Jag answered, his voice husky. "You have no idea how much."
"Well then, you better make it back alive, flyboy. So you can show me how much," Jaina answered teasingly, though Jag thought he heard a slight tremor in her voice. "Clear skies, Lead."
"May the Force be with you, Princess," Jag said before he closed the private channel.
Jag took a deep breath and then released it. He compartmentalized his worries and doubts to the back of his mind so he could focus on the battle. A skill that served him well now, as he clicked back over to the squadron frequency.
"Alright, Vanguards. Sending yammosk coordinates for each flight now. All fighters prepare ion cannons. Clawcrafts prepare to deploy shielding on my mark. Mark."
Jag initiated his own cloaking device and suddenly the world around him went black as the stars disappeared. Jag looked to his right and left, confirming that his wingmates were in the shield with him. He flipped another switch and a holo map of the surrounding area appeared, allowing him to navigate without being blind. The system was dampened just enough to avoid detection by the Vong. Or at least it had been so far.
"All flight leaders confirm cloaking and shield navigations up and running," Jag said, studying the holo carefully as the flight leaders checked in.
"Proceed to your targets. Wait for my signal then launch ion bombs. Head to the vector location provided as soon as the ion bombs are launched before disabling cloaking," Jag reminded. "That way we can regroup without getting in the way of the second strike force. Comm silence and jump on my mark. Mark."
Jag jumped into hyperspace and then moments later entered into real space, a small jump from where the rest of their forces laid in wait. Two TIE defenders appeared next to him seconds later, the only things visible in the complete darkness that had enveloped them.
Jag took a moment to reorient himself using the navigation map, to ensure that they had come out at the correct vector point. He quickly confirmed that they had executed the jump perfectly. And that their Vong targets were indeed at the coordinates the Freed Ones had recently provided.
Jag smiled in satisfaction then clicked his comm unit before moving forward, navigating towards the target on his holo map. Kyp and Jaina followed closely behind him, the three fighters seeming to drift in the vacuum of space.
As they approached the target, Jag gave his comm one last click and all three fighters halted almost simultaneously. Jag noted the flawless execution, their movements so perfectly synchronized it was as if the TIEs were slaved to his fighter. Jag spared a moment to wonder if the strong connection he had with Jaina- and even to an extent with Kyp-had anything to do with it, before turning his mind back to the task at hand.
He mentally counted down from thirty and then double-clicked his comm, giving his squadron the signal. Locking into his designated target he shot off his ion bomb, knowing Kyp and Jaina were doing the same on either side of him, counting on at least 1 of their three shots to break through the dovin basal's shields and destroy the yammosk.
Jag's eyes were glued on his navigation screen as he led the two defenders back in an agile swoop that would get them clear from the expected debris, willing the red x indicating the target to blink out. He felt some frustration at having to rely on the screen but quickly tampered that down. And then seconds later, the target disappeared from his screen, indicating success.
Jag immediately clicked his comm again three times, the signal for his flight to jump to the pre-designated jump point. He and Wedge had made the decision to stay in cloaking until after the jump to keep up the illusion the cloaking devices had provided in the war thus far. If all went according to plan, they would not have to worry about using the tactic again, the enemy would be defeated after this battle. But they had decided it didn't make military sense to give away their secrets just yet, in case things didn't go the way they hoped.
As Jag and the two defenders completed the small jump that would put them just far enough away from the Vong ships to be out of sight but close enough to see the action, Jag turned off the cloaking device.
Looking around he saw the other flights from Vanguard squadron do the same and quickly flipped to the squadron channel.
"All flight leads, check-in," Jag said briskly, noting with approval that all flights had made it to the rendezvous point without any losses.
After all the flights checked in and confirmed their targets had been breached, Jag switched over to long-range communication to report to the bridge.
"Control, this is Vanguard Leader. All targets have been destroyed. Repeat all targets have been destroyed."
"Copy, Vanguard Leader. Attack force preparing to jump to hyperspace now. Arriving in five standard minutes from my mark."
"Vanguard Leader copies," Jag replied, plugging in a five-minute countdown on his chronometer.
"Mark."
Starting the countdown, he flipped to his flight channel.
"Two, sending countdown your way for when our forces should arrive. Instruct our sleeper cells to activate as soon as they come out of hyperspace," Jag said, his eyes still glued to the screen.
"Got it, Lead," Kyp replied. "Sending encrypted communication to our friends now."
"Copy. Three, report status. All systems go?"
"Confirmed, Lead," Jaina answered. "Just enjoying the fireworks down there."
Jag looked out his viewport towards the Vong forces for the first time since turning off the cloaking device, and his breath caught. Jaina was right, it was indeed quite the show.
While Jag had performed the same maneuver countless times, this was the first time they had done it at this scale. The Vanguard squadron had been expanded to be three times the size of a normal fighter squadron by mixing the Chiss and TIE defenders in each flight. Built-up for this very purpose.
With over ten yammosks destroyed, the Vong were in mass disarray, working to put out the explosions and regain some type of order without their battle coordinators. Jag knew from experience that it wouldn't take the Vong long to recoup, but with a bit of luck, their confusion would last just long enough for the other surprises they had in store to take their toll.
"Enjoy it while you can, Three. The party's about to start," Jag answered grimly, before allowing himself to switch from successful commander to concerned husband. "Remember, try to stay close to me and Kyp, okay?"
Jaina clicked her comm in response, and Jag knew that she was annoyed at him for- what she considered- coddling her. But this was her first real battle and Jag wasn't taking any chances. Far better she was annoyed with his over-protectiveness then dead.
Jag sighed, then flipped over to the squadron channel.
"Vanguards. The strike force will be dropping out of hyperspace in less than one minute. Prepare to break off by flight and attack as soon as they arrive. Just remember, the Vong ships marked green are friendlies. Clear skies."
And then the Imperial Armada- bolstered by the Hapan Navy and the hodgepodge fleet that belonged to the Smugglers- dropped out of hyperspace.
The final battle had begun.
DEEP SPACE- THE CORE- CHIMAERA
FEBRUARY YEAR 1053
Wedge watched from his position on the Chimaera as the explosions that lit up across the Vong lines started to die out and the massive war fleet slowly regrouped to face them. Wedge assumed they were already working on establishing a backup for the destroyed yammosks. He and Jag had discussed the likely results of the first attack, trying to anticipate the Vong reaction. Given the recent string of successes the Chiss force had seen with the tactic, Jag thought it was likely they would have something prepared this time around. Would be able to recover much more quickly than in past routs.
It didn't matter though, it was only meant to be a brief distraction, a way to disorient the much larger force and catch them by surprise.
Jag was always good at thinking two steps ahead of the enemy.
Wedge spotted a ripple of movement towards the rear of the Vong fleet, and then suddenly the Vong were fighting off an attack on their flank. The Vong sleeper cells had been activated. Wedge smiled.
"It looks like your nephew's opening sally was a success," Admiral Pellaeon observed, having joined Wedge on the bridge of the Star Destroyer.
Wedge noticed the hint of bemusement and turned with one eyebrow up.
"Surprised?" He asked.
"Impressed," the Admiral admitted. "The Vong turncoats on their flank will keep a good chunk of their forces otherwise occupied for a while. And timing their activation right after the yammosk destruction was clever."
Both men knew that their chances of victory were still slim, the Vong fleet still at least four times the size of their own army. Even accounting for the Freed Ones sleeper cells.
But Jag's success gave them a sliver of hope, the hope that they could beat back this overwhelming force and win. And that was better than nothing.
"And now it's our turn to do some damage," Wedge said. "We don't want the young kids to get all the glory, do we?"
Admiral Pellaeon gave Wedge a nod and Wedge turned to the ship's control, ordering the main strike force to attack.
DEEP SPACE- THE CORE
FEBRUARY YEAR 1053
Jag banked around for another pass, having just made a clean solo kill against one of the oncoming skips. He managed a quick glance at his sensor board and gritted his teeth at the number of enemy ships still in the fight. He hadn't wanted to bring in their last surprise, the reserve force, quite so soon. But they had lost their momentum from the initial attack and- through sheer numbers- the Vong were starting to turn the tide. Once that happened, Jag knew they were all dead and any ships held in reserve would be useless.
Angling towards one of the skippers coming his way, he fired, blowing through the pilot canopy then turned hard to the right to avoid incoming fire from another skip. Jag risked another look at his sensor board, analyzing the battleground before flipping his comm.
"Control, this is Vanguard Leader. Relay the hyperspace coordinates I am sending to General Antilles. Tell him it's now or never," Jag said grimly.
"Confirmed, Vanguard Leader. Coordinates being relayed now."
It was time to lay all their Sabacc cards on the table and hope that the fabled Solo luck panned out.
DEEP SPACE- THE CORE- MILLENNIUM FALCON
FEBRUARY YEAR 1053
"It's about time," Han grumbled, before giving the order for the Alderaanian forces to jump to the vector point Wedge had sent them. He had spent the past three hours trying to follow the status of the battle through communications with the Imperial flagship and he was starting to get antsy.
"Get the cannons ready, boys," Han called through the ship intercom. "I have a feeling we are going to be right in the thick of things. They couldn't keep us on the sidelines for long."
As eager as Han was to join the battle, he knew that the situation must be dire for Jag to call in his reserve force already. But the fact that he did call them in meant they still had a chance, even if the odds were stacked against them. And Han Solo was no stranger to beating long odds.
DEEP SPACE- THE CORE
FEBRUARY YEAR 1053
The Alderaanian force hit the middle of the Vong line like a hammer, helping to hold the swell of the Vong forces. But Jag knew it wouldn't be for long. Their ships and squadrons were holding their own for now. But most of the fleet had already been fighting for hours, and it was only a matter of time before they grew tired. And started making mistakes.
Jag needed something to decisively turn the tide before that happened if they were to have a chance, and he was out of reserve forces. Out of planned surprises. As Jag continued to weave through the battle, targeting incoming coralskippers on autopilot, he wracked his brain for some way to give their fleet the advantage. He noted, grimly, that the capital ships had regrouped and were concentrating on the bigger Imperial Star Destroyers while the coralskippers were left to deal with the fighter squadrons and smaller ships. The flagship where his uncle and Admiral Pellaeon were stationed was starting to take on a lot of damage, and if that ship was destroyed it would have a devastating impact on morale.
The Vong seemed to be specifically targeting the Chimaera, and Jag assumed the enemy had determined the full battle was being coordinated from the ship's bridge. And thus, assuming that the leaders of the resistance were located there. A smart strategy, focusing on cutting off the head to win the war.
And suddenly, Jag had an idea for the perfect distraction.
"Durron, do you still have a connection open with the Vong friendlies?"
"Sure," Kyp's voice came back over the comm. "But they seem to be pretty strapped on their side, I don't know if they can offer us any additional support."
"That's not where I'm tracking," Jag said, pointing the nose of his clawcraft and executing a gut-wrenching turn to avoid a shot from an incoming skip. "Ask them if their Supreme Overlord knows who I am. The claim to the Imperial throne, that I have been leading successful attacks on their army, all of it."
"I don't know if now's quite the right time to worry about your Galactic reputation, Fel," Kyp drawled.
"Just ask the question, Durron," Jag said impatiently.
As Jag waited, he noticed that Jaina seemed to have picked up three skips on her tail that she couldn't shake, despite her constant juking.
"Covering you, Three," he said as he swooped in from behind.
He quickly pulled up behind them, his clawcraft much faster and more maneuverable than the skips, getting rid of two of them with unerring precision. Jaina, completed a gravity-defying twirl that allowed her to lock the last skip in her target, shooting through its engines with laser precision and disabling the skip before it's pilot could react.
"Thanks, Lead," Jaina's voice came over the comm. "Is it just me or do two more pop up every time we kill one?"
"Yeah," Jag answered. "I'm working on that."
"Do I even want to know what that means?" Jaina asked, throwing her defender into a tight roll to blast another skip from behind.
"Probably not," Jag answered honestly.
"Fel, I just heard back from the Vong resistance. Don't let it go to your head, but they confirmed that the Supreme Overlord knows exactly who you are. My contacts said that's why the Vong are concentrating their attack on the Chimaera. They assume you are coordinating the battle from there. Apparently he's not a huge fan," Kyp's voice came over their private comm channel. "They think if they take you out, our fleet will collapse."
"Perfect," Jag said with a grim smile. He had counted on that. "Is there a way for our allies to hack into their communication with the coralskippers? Without the Supreme Overlord or his Warmasters finding out?"
"Yes," Kyp answered after a few minutes. "They have resistance members in place on the command ship, their cover still intact as per our instructions. We have someone who manages communicating the Supreme Commander's instructions to the coralskipper command yammosk."
Jag flipped his comm unit to the bridge of the Chimaera as he put more distance between his flight and the battle. The other flight leaders in his squadron followed his lead.
"Control, get me General Antilles and Grand Admiral Palleon. Now," Jag said.
"General Antilles, here," Wedge's strained voice came over the comm unit.
"General, have all fighter squadrons except Vanguard redirect the attack to the capital ships. That should free you up to go head to head with the lead Worldship. And have the smugglers' ships move to position behind the Worldship, but out of sight for now. As soon as they see Vanguard deactivate cloaking tell them to move in and open fire on the target," Jag said coolly.
"While we appreciate the support, Vanguard Lead, I don't see how we can do that with all the skippers out there," Wedge answered. "The squadrons are barely holding them off as it is."
"Trust me," Jag answered. "I have a plan that will get most of them off our backs."
At least he hoped it would.
"As soon as you see the skippers start to veer off, that's your signal to start moving," Jag said. "And if it looks like I might be in trouble, ignore it. It's part of the plan."
"Copy, Vanguard Lead," Wedge replied, after a slight pause. "Inputting orders now and waiting to initiate."
Jag clicked his comm in answer and then turned to his squadron frequency.
"All flights prepare to cloak and then jump to the coordinates I am transmitting now. Two, you're in the lead. As soon as you see the other squadrons start to fire at the capital ship, open fire on the Worldship. The mission is to take out the magma weapons as quickly and quietly as possible. That's it. Once that happens, turn off cloaking and pull out. You'll have backup coming to finish the job. Once you pull out, reinforce the other squadrons and make as much trouble for those capital ships as you can. Everyone copy?"
Jag listened to the comm clicks come in from the squadron. Except for Jaina.
"Lead," her voice answered. "Is there a reason we are following Two and not you?"
"Two," Jag continued, ignoring her question for the moment. "Relay my current position to our Vong allies. Have them communicate to all Vong fighter villips and yammosks that I am there alone and their new primary target. Make sure that all skippers are individually given the command and unique paths to the coordinates so that they come in from different vector points."
"Jag, are you sure-" Kyp's voice came over the comm hesitantly.
"Just do it," Jag snapped. "Initiate cloaking five minutes after the message has been transmitted."
"Copy, Lead," Kyp answered dutifully. "Transmitting message now. Vanguard squadron on me and prepare to cloak."
Jag watched as Kyp moved further away from Jag and Vanguard squadron lined up on his aft. One fighter did not move position.
"Jag," Jaina's voice came over their private frequency. "You're not doing what I think you're doing."
"Actually I am," Jag answered as he double-checked his shielding.
"You're space sick if you think I'm going to leave you here to play bait for a horde of Vong fighters-" Jaina started.
"Jaina, line up with the squadron behind Kyp," Jag interrupted. "That's an order, Three."
Jag hoped that reminding Jaina of the promise she had made to follow orders would be enough, and she wouldn't force him to pull rank.
"Jag, I have a bad feeling about this. Please let me stay with you," Jaina pleaded.
"Jaina, I need to do this," Jag answered steadily. "You asked me to trust your judgment, and I did. And now I need you to trust me. Please."
There was a long pause before Jaina sighed, "If you die on me, flyboy, I'll kill you."
"Duly noted," Jag responded lightly, watching with relief as Jaina fell into position behind Kyp.
"Durron," Jag said switching to a private channel with his second.
"I know, I know," Kyp replied, trying to keep his voice casually light. "I'll do my best to keep her out of trouble."
"Kyp, there's something you don't know," Jag said hesitantly. He paused for a split second, before bringing Kyp in on the secret they had been keeping. "Jaina's pregnant."
"What?" Kyp questioned dumbfounded, his shock palpable. "And you let her fly into this?"
"I wasn't given much choice in the matter," Jag answered dryly. "My point is, I'm counting on you to take care of them. In this battle, of course. And whatever comes after if needed."
Kyp recalled how Jag had made a similar request when he had left Jaina on Csilla all those months ago. Except now the stakes were higher. Much higher. And there was only one answer he could give.
"Copy, Lead," Kyp answered. "May the Force be with you, Jag."
Jag clicked his comm in response before turning off his squadron comm.
And suddenly, the Vanguard fighters disappeared as Kyp gave instructions to initiate cloaking and the squadron made the jump across the battlefield. Leaving Jag all alone, his position too far from their fleet for anyone to offer him assistance if needed.
Now he just had to wait and hope that the Vong were as eager to kill him as he had anticipated.