Rebels scavenge shields and power core
The Mon Calamari Star Cruiser Home One came out of light speed with the planet Wobani in distant view.
Captian Dodanna again referred to the screen in front of Captian Verrick.
"These are the coordinates to the prison colony from the bounty hunter," Lars said.
Admiral Ackbar rotated his floating captain's chair toward the two of them and interjected, "And you are sure that this information is accurate?"
"Well, no not really," said Lars. "But it's all we have at the moment."
"Damn bounty hunter scum," Ackbar mumbled as he spun back toward the panoramic window looking out into space. "This had better not be a trap."
"Set your flight controls to the far side of the planet to the prison colony," Ackbar said. "Captain Verrick, send the coordinates to flight control."
Verrick punched a few buttons at his console and did as he was told. It was no coincidence that the Mon Calamari captain had come along for this mission to retrieve the shield generators and the power core from the disabled Star Battlecrusier Colosses.
Verrack's expertise in power systems was greatly appreciated as well as needed by the Alliance to Restore the Republic's fleet. He would be of great value to this mission as technical skills as well as speed and stealth would be of utmost importance.
In addition to his knowledge of power systems, Verrack also had experience and had proved himself as a gunner. Hopefully those skills would not be needed today.
One of the flight control officers spoke up and said, "Admiral, the planet is in a good position currently. According to these coordinates we are approaching the far side of the planet to the prison colony."
"Good," said Ackbar. "Increase speed. Let's get in and out of here as soon as possible.
"Yes, Admiral," the officer said.
"Relay instructions to the Beecon and all fighter escorts," the admiral said.
Due to its importance the Alliance had assigned major firepower to support this mission. The Beecon was a CR90 Corvette, well known as a valuable blockade-runner for its firepower and its ability to withstand direct hits. Two-dozen X-wings, ten Y-wings, and even a couple of new A-wings were along for the ride as well. Even if the Rebels had to fight their way out they stood a great chance for success especially since the prison colony and all Empire presence on Wobani was small.
As the small fleet approached the planet soon a large, grey, A-shaped object came into view.
"There it is," Ackbar said. "Make for the top of the bridge and prepare for docking. Captian Verrack you are relieved of bridge duties. Suit up for power system and shield extraction."
Which meant: put your stuff on for outer space and get your gear to remove some really big Empire components from a Star Battlecrusier.
Home One slowed its speed as it approached the bridge of the Battlecrusier. The Mon Calimari Crusier was roughly three quarters the size of the Colosses, and its cargo hold had more then enough room to hold the shield generator and the reactor system.
The shield generator on the older ship did not resemble the double geodesic dome structures on a Victory-class Star Destroyer. Praetor-class Battlecrusiers carried their shield generators in a cylinder-shaped housing at the far rear of the ship—just before a set of smaller double engines that protruded past the rear.
The DSS-02 generators themselves were four circular-shaped discs that rotated rapidly in alternating directions. The housings that covered them were simi-circular as one-half of the generators were in an underneath compartment. (In Empire Strikes Back the generators as seen when installed in Echo base on Hoth show that half of their rotating discs are underground.)
Since the shield generators extended up above the bridge on the Colosses, Home One had to use its docking bay at the far rear under its engines.
Once docked Admiral Ackbar said, "Open the forward hanger and launch the light cargo drones. Let the engineering team going on board the Battlecrusier know it's safe to board."
The Alliance had brought along four modified light cargo drones for the mission. Normally the drones were used for moving around rectangular cargo containers, but these drones had been fitted with forks in the front complete with a hydraulic lift system.
The plan was for a team of six engineers and technicians, led by Captain Verrick to board the Colosess and detach the shield generators as well as the reactor core underneath. Since the internal team would be exposed to the vacuum of space once the cylinder-shaped shield cover was removed it was necessary for them to don space suits and clip on safety harnesses when the pressure inside the ship was released. Once the team was ready the cargo drones would do the heavy lifting by removing the shield cover, sending it safely floating away, then getting a good double grip on the shield generator and bringing it into the cargo hold of Home One.
After the generator was secured the team would return to the spot and retrieve the reactor power core housed underneath the shield generators. This was a more delicate maneuver, sort of a galactic version of the board game Operation.
That was the plan anyway.
The first problem the internal team encountered was the tight spaces inside the shield generator compartment. It soon became evident that the cover was going to have to be removed from the outside and due to time constraints the untrained drone pilots would have to do it. Luckily the technicians had come equipped with a video monitoring system that allowed the internal team to see what was going on outside and vice-versa. The four drone pilots would have to exit their craft and remove the shield cover on their own. Captain Verrick would have to walk them through it. It was also good that each drone came equipped with safety straps and a set of tools with them as well.
The first thing Verrick had them do was attach the safety straps to the cover and the outside of the ship to keep the cover from floating away on its own and possibly colliding with the Alliance cruiser. Then in his distinctive Mon Calimari dialect Captian Verrick walked the humans through the procedure of removing the cover. Verrick had them face the cameras toward the ship so he could see what he would have them do since most of the procedures were being done on the fly. Verrick's monitor showed all four pilots' video feeds, and he was able to coordinate each of their actions. With a little effort and some elbow grease on the part of the pilots the cover was ready to be released.
Captain Verrick addressed his crew inside the Colosses, "Alright, brace yourselves for cabin pressure release. Drone pilots remove the last of the bolts."
The final four bolts were removed and there was a loud hiss as the air inside the ship was released to the vacuum of space. The internal team was able to hang on to each of their holds on board the ship without relying on their safety harnesses.
The shield cover floated up away from the ship until the outside safety harnesses snapped as they grew taut.
"A pilot from each side needs to use their drone to secure the cover as the other two pilots release the harnesses," Verrick said.
The four pilots did as they were told and soon the drones took the shield cover a safe distance from the ships and sent it floating away.
Now Captain Verrick's team was able to maneuver around to disconnect the shield generator itself from the ship. At least now the teams were somewhat prepared for their jobs going forward as they had been briefed on the procedures.
With Verrick shouting out instructions he and his team made quick work of releasing the shields. Soon the four cargo drone pilots were back doing what they were familiar with by flying the generators into the cargo bay of Home One.
With the generators removed the engineers now had clear access to the reactor system that was underneath. If Captain Verrick had not been there with his expertise the team would have been hopelessly lost. Even though Verrick had never seen a system like this he was familiar enough with the workings of other systems to translate his knowledge into the procedures necessary to get the job done.
With safety straps attached the team removed the final bolts and in the weightlessness guided the reactor system clear of its housings. Now it seemed that the process would be easier than planned. They had thought it would be necessary to have the forks removed from the cargo drones, manually maneuvered underneath the power core then reattached to the hydraulic lift in order to remove the power core. This process proved unnecessary as the reactor freely floated up away from the ship so that the drones just guided their forks into place to grip the reactor.
Verrick's team now made their way through the depressurized ship and back into the cruiser. The drones reentered the cargo bay and the doors were closed, then the engineers arrived safely back into Home One.
As soon as Verrick was on board Admiral Ackbar's voice came over the COM in the rear-docking bay.
"Good work Captain Verrick. You have completed the operation with little time to spare. We are five minutes away from the Colosses being in range of the Empire's sensors at the prison colony."
He then addressed his bridge crew. "Disconnect from the ship and let's get out of here as quickly as possible."
Suddenly one of the sensor technicians on the bridge shouted out, "Admiral, enemy craft approaching! Several Star Destroyers have just come out of hyperspace!"
"That damn bounty hunter did sell us out!" Ackbar said spinning around in his captain's chair. "It is a trap!"
Dengar did indeed take the Rebel's money in exchange for good information. Then he spoke with an Empire contact and sold the information on the mission. He made a killing off a deal that just fell into his lap.
Six Star Destroyers led by Darth Vader's Dreadnaught-class Executor immediately launched hundreds of TIE Fighters and Interceptors. They came in like swarms of bees and engulfed the relatively small rebel fleet.
"All fighters, engage the enemy but stay close to our cruisers!" Ackbar shouted over the COM. "Commander lock on to the closest Star Destroyer and launch proton torpedos. Don't spare a one!"
"Admiral, three Y-wings and two X-wings destroyed," said the sensor officer.
"They had them in their sights before our boys saw what was coming," the Admiral said to no one in particular.
Ackbar engaged the COM to the rear docking bay where Verrick was getting out of his space suit, "Captain Verrick get to the closest gunner station and kill some TIEs!"
With his suit half on Verrick ran to the rear gunner station, climbed down the ladder and strapped himself in.
"What a day!" he said to himself.
In no time at all Verrick had shot down half a dozen TIEs, and he had plenty of targets to choose from.
The closest Star Destroyer recognized it was being targeted and turned to face its attackers. Specifically four proton torpedoes from Home One were sent to each of its domed shield generators, enough to knock out the shields. The torpedoes hit their marks!
Ackbar shouted into the COM, "That Star Destroyer's shields are down! All Home One and Beecon gunners switch to long-range Ion cannons and target that Destroyer!"
Several huge cannons on both ships let out blasts of blue Ion cannon fire. When they hit the destroyer ripples of blue lightning chased over its surface.
Soon after a barrage from both the ships the lights on the Star Destroyer went dark, its engines shut down and its cannons stopped firing. The ship floated lifelessly.
A cheer rang out from everyone on the bridge.
"Alright," said Ackbar. "All craft switch back to cannons and shoot straight forward. We need to clear a path for light speed."
"Hmm, that sounds familiar," Captain Dodonna said.
Dozens of cannons from each ship now facing forward as well as the guns from the thirty-one fighters made for a lot of red blaster fire. Explosions followed from several TIEs that were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"It's working," Ackbar said. "All crafts prepare for light speed!"
Suddenly an explosion that shook the bridge and a blaring fire alarm went off.
"Sir, rear deflector shields critical. Several blasts getting through. One starboard engine down."
"Divert engine power to those rear shields and put out that fire!" Ackbar shouted.
"Shields at 18 percent!"
Several hissing crackles could be heard over an open COM close to the rear.
"Fourteen percent!"
"Commander get us out of here!" said Ackbar.
"Path almost clear, sir. A few more TIEs to go!"
Ackbar swiveled over to the sensor screens and looked for himself.
"Almost there, commander!" he said. Three more dots blipped off the front screen as a sensor light turned green indicating light speed functional.
"All craft jump to light speed!" Ackbar shouted.
From the bridge of the Executor Lord Vader had been watching the battle when he saw the rebel fleet jump to light speed one by one.
All chatter stopped on the bridge as all eyes turned to watch the Syth Lord. Nothing but Vader's mechanical breathing could be heard. Slowly he turned, walked down the raised ramp and out of sight.