Hey, everybody. Back with another chapter. This may a bit shorter of a chapter.
So, this will cover a major battle of the war: the battle of the Mako Ta Space Docks. I'll be doing my own spin on it, so hope you like it.
Let's get to it.
RandomFanAuthor: Barriss was never a Sith, and I don't think she was ever really a Dark Jedi. As a matter of fact, in Legends continuity, Barriss was actually released and allowed to rejoin the Jedi Order right before Order 66. In this, she essentially rehabilitated while on Earth, although she never quite got over his disillusionment with the Order. That's why she didn't join the Terran Jedi Order.
Guest DCDGojira: At least one of them will fight Vader at some point.
Guest: No. The Terrans don't have the technology right now to continue cloning. All of the clones of the Terran Clone Legion are clones that were brought to Terra after Order 66 and had their inhibitor chips removed.
Guest221: The Terran Alliance doesn't normally have on singular leader. This was made so that they wouldn't ever have to deal with another Palpatine. However, in wartime, an Executive of the General Assembly is elected from the Council of Five. Currently, Obama is serving as the Executive. The Executive serves a similar role to that of the Supreme Chancellor, and leads the Alliance during time of war. It is a wartime only position.
Guest: Ben works as a computer programmer. And I don't play on either. The only game console I own is a Nintendo DS
Guest: The idea of the tractor beam isn't a bad one. The Alliance does use techniques similar to what you suggested.
CT7567Rules: No, the F-14 is still in service. The Navy decided not to retire the F-14 in 2006, as it proved itself a good fighter in the Terran campaign, especially due to the threat of Imperial fighters.
Chapter 22- Mako Ta Space Docks
(April 17, 2014)
Hall makes his way over to the viewport and looks out over the docks.
Recently, following the uprising on the world of Mon Cala, 32 cruisers of the Mon Calamari merchant fleet had been given over to the Rebellion for conversion into warships. These cruisers had been taken to the Mako Ta Space Docks for conversion into warships. Although they did not think that the Empire had any idea the Rebellion was there, The Terran Alliance had deployed two London class Star Destroyers, the TAS Vilnius and the TAS Salt Lake City, to protect the docks. One of the squadrons of the 352nd Fighter Wing, the 486th Fighter Squadron, had also been deployed to protect the docks.
Hall watches as workers at the Space Docks continue work on several cruisers, in the process of adding gun batteries to them. He knows the importance of this operation. If the Rebellion can get all those cruisers converted into warships, it will greatly improve their ability to fight the Empire.
He feels somebody walk up behind him. He turns around and sees that it's Commander Paul Moga, commander of the 486th.
"Commander, what is it?" Hall asks.
"Nothing, General. Just came to tell you that the fighters that were down for maintenance are combat ready again," Moga says.
"Thank you, Commander," he says.
"Do you think we're gonna be able to pull this off, General?" Moga asks.
"What do you mean, Commander?" Hall asks.
"Do you think we'll be able to finish this operation before the Empire figures out we're here?" Moga asks.
"If we don't, then the Alliance could be crippled," Hall says. Moga just nods in response.
The two officers look out of the viewport over the docks. Suddenly, an alarm begins to blare.
"What's that?" Moga asks.
Hall raises his commlink up to his mouth. "This is Lieutenant General Hall! What is going on?"
"Sir! Several Imperial ships just emerged from hyperspace!" a voice replies.
Without hesitating, Moga whips around and starts sprinting back down the way he came. As he goes, he raises his commlink to his mouth and shouts into it, "All pilots of the 486th! The Empire just showed up! All pilots, get your a**es to your fighters right now and scramble!"
Hall looks back out the docks, his mind racing. "How did they find us?" he mutters to himself. Then, a realization comes, and he scowls. "Queen Trios," he mutters to himself. Queen Trios had defected to the Rebellion some time ago, and had provided engineers to help with the conversion work on the cruisers. However, she had always seemed a little shifty to Hall.
He raises his commlink. "This is Lieutenant General Hall to all Terran and Rebel forces. I think Queen Trios betrayed us and led the Empire to us. Find her!" He then turns and hurries off.
Only minutes later, Commander Moga sprints into the hangar. The 20 SF-23s Black Widows of the 486th are scattered across the hangar. And across the hangar, other pilots of the squadron are sprinting towards their fighters and leaping into their cockpits. Moga sprints to his fighter, leaping up the ladder and into the cockpit in just two bounds. He immediately begins strapping in as he closes the canopy and begins powering up the fighter. As soon as the fighter is powered up, Moga lifts the SF-23 into the air and flies out of the hangar.
As Moga streaks out of the hangar and turns in the direction a Rebel officer, he sees a sight that slightly unnerves him. Four Imperial class Star Destroyers are engaging the Vilnius and Salt Lake City, but behind them is the Super Star Destroyer Executor. As Moga watches, a Mon Calamari cruiser disintegrates under the hammering of the Executor's turbolasers.
"All pilots of the 486th. We need to provide cover for our strike fighters and bombers so they can attack the Imperial ships. Keep all TIE fighters away from our strike fighters and bombers!" Moga orders.
The 20 pilots of the 486th streak towards the two Terran Star Destroyers as more fighters streak out of their hangar bays. As they go, Moga's radio suddenly crackles to life. "Commander Paul Moga, come in. This is Leia Organa."
"I hear you, ma'am," Moga says as he pulls the trigger and fires his laser cannons at an incoming TIE fighter, destroying it.
"We need certain codes to get our ships running and get them out of here. But those codes are on that Super Star Destroyer. I'm on a shuttle with General Draven and some commandos, and we're making our way there. We need you and your pilots to protect us," Leia says over the radio.
"We're on it," Moga responds.
Moga snaps his Black Widow into a hard right turn, his wingman following him. He quickly spots the shuttle Leia had mentioned, heading towards the Executor.
"All pilots of the 486th. Protect Commander Organa's shuttle. They need to reach that Super Star Destroyer. Let's keep the TIEs off of them!" Moga orders over the radio.
"Copy that, Commander," one of the squadron's pilots responds.
Moga accelerates towards a mass of TIE fighters moving his direction. He fires his laser cannons into the midst of the TIEs, destroying two.
The Black Widows of the 486th slash through the marauding TIEs, blasting fighter after fighter apart with their laser cannons, doing all they can to keep the TIEs off of the shuttle as it makes its way towards the Executor. Moga himself keeps beside the shuttle, trusting in his fighter's stealth technology to mask him from Imperial scanners to keep from drawing attention to the shuttle.
As Moga escorts the shuttle towards the Executor, Hall streaks out of the hangar bay in his personal Su-36. After the evacuation from Yavin 4, Hall had briefly returned to Terra before coming back to the Andromeda Galaxy. This time, he had brought his personal Su-36 with him.
Hall had sent out a call for help to any and all Terran forces nearby before he had sprinted for the hangar. He knew he had to buy time for Leia's force to get the codes that could allow the cruisers to escape the docks to safety.
As Hall streaks out towards where the Terran and Imperial Star Destroyers are engaging each other, he sees something that make him freeze momentarily. He sees a TIE fighter pursuing the Millenium Falcon, which he hadn't even realized had arrived. A moment later, he recognizes the TIE. A TIE Advanced X1. And it's easily keeping up with the Falcon.
"Vader," he mutters. He then throttles up and moves towards Vader's TIE, determined to get him off Han's tail.
As Hall gets close enough, he locks up Vader's TIE and fires a SIM-120 missile. To his surprise, Vader quickly breaks off from the Falcon.
"Hmm. That fighter must have a missile detection system," Hall says, knowing Vader must have detected the missile launch.
Hall pursues Vader as Vader continues to try and shake off the missile. Although the SIM-120 is more agile than an AIM-120,, Vader is managing to easily keep out of range. Soon enough, he pulls a sharp maneuver that sends the missile streaking right past his TIE.
Hall continues to pursue Vader, throwing his Su-36 around in every direction to try and keep on Vader's tail. However, Vader manages to evade him. He finds he's unable to shake Hall, but he is able to keep agile enough to prevent Hall from getting his laser cannons centered on him.
Hall growls angrily as he's unable to get his gunsight on Vader. He pulls the trigger anyway, sending a spray of laser fire out, keeping Vader on his toes to make sure he doesn't get hit.
Suddenly, three TIE fighters streak in towards Hall, firing their laser cannons at him. Hall breaks off his pursuit and banks hard right, snapping the stick into his gut, turning his fighter as hard as he can to avoid the TIEs on his tail.
The TIEs, though agile, are unable to match Hall's turn, although they try. Within half a minute, Hall has turned the tables on the TIEs, and is now on their tails. He quickly locks the trailer up and fires a Sidewinder, blowing the fighter to pieces. He then switches his armament control to his laser cannons, centers his gunsight on another TIE, and pulls the trigger, sending out a spray of laser fire that blows the TIE apart. He then centers his gunsight on the last TIEand fires, blowing the TIE apart.
Hall snaps his fighter around into a tight turn. He first looks towards the docks, and his face falls. Of the 32 cruisers the rebels had at the beginning of the attack, 6 have already been destroyed by turbolaser fire, and more have been damaged.
He then turns his head to look towards where the Imperial and Terran ships are, and his face falls even further. Although one of the Imperial ships has been badly damaged, the TAS Vilnius is heavily damaged and burning. Worst of all, Vader's TIE is heading back towards the Executor.
Hall quickly gets on his commlink and says, "Leia, come in! This is General Hall! Vader is heading back to the command ship. He's almost there! Get out of there as quick as you can."
He doesn't hear a response, but he knows Leia heard him.
Right then, his sensors begin beeping. He looks down at one of his scanners and sees from the readings that multiple ships are approaching the system through hyperspace.
Hall curses, thinking that Imperial reinforcements have arrived to see the rebel fleet destroyed. But, just a second later, four ships drop out of hyperspace, and Hall realizes they are two Repulse class battlecruisers and two London class Star Destroyers. From their markings, he recognizes the two battlecruisers as the TAS Hood and TAS Scharnhorst.
"Thank goodness," she says in relief as the Terran ships move to engage the Imperials, and begin launching their starfighters.
The two Star Destroyers open fire on the Imperial Star Destroyers currently engaging the Vilnius, while the Hood and the Scharnhorst move towards the Executor. Hall has to give the two battlecruisers credit. Even together, two of them don't have the firepower of the Executor. He knows they're doing it to buy time for the rebel ships to escape.
The two battlecruisers open fire on the Executor, unleashing every battery they have. The Executor, which had been firing on the rebel cruisers, quickly turns and begins shifting its batteries towards the two Terran battlecruisers. However, due to its position, it can't immediately aim all its weapons. Vital seconds are lost for the Imperials as the Executor tries to reorient so that its weapons can fire on the two battlecruisers.
However, soon enough, the Executor is facing the Hood and Scharnhorst, and opens fire on them. The two battlecruisers split up to divide the ship's fire, but thousands of turbolaser bolts begin to hammer away at their shields.
"Leia, whatever you're doing, you better hurry up!" Hall yells over his commlink.
"I've got the codes! I just need to get off the ship!" Leia replies.
"We'll cover you once you get off the ship. Just hurry!" Hall says.
Hall turns his fighter towards the Executor and throttles up, streaking towards the massive ship as he blasts TIE fighters out of his way, one after the other.
As he nears the Executor, he sees a single TIE fighter streak out of the one of the ship's hangars. He's about to start chasing the TIE when he stays himself, recognizing that this has to be Leia.
"Nice idea, Princess," he says as he streaks towards the TIE. He pulls up alongside the fighter, moving his Su-36 close enough that Leia can see him, and makes several hand signals to her, trying to tell her to follow him. She seems to get the message, because she nods.
Hall leads her towards the Salt Lake City. As they fly towards the Terran Star Destroyer, two Black Widows from the 486th form up around them to escort them.
The two of them quickly reach the Salt Lake City. Leia lands in the hangar bay, while Hall and the two Black Widows turn back to re-enter the fight.
As Hall streaks back into the fight, he looks over to where the Hood and the Scharnhorst are still engaging the Executor. They're holding their own for the moment, and are managing to do some damage, but are being damaged themselves.
Then, Hall watches as a squadron of SB-1B bombers takes off from each battlecruiser and starts heading towards the Executor. Hall smiles. Despite the size, armor, and power of the Executor, Hall knows those bombers can cause real damage.
Twenty bombers streak towards the Executor. TIE fighters swarm towards the bombers, firing their laser cannons as the Executor's turbolasers also fire at the bombers. Several bombers are shot down, and several are forced to break off their attack. However, twelve bombers make their attacks runs, ejecting their payloads down onto the Executor. The Executor's shields and armor withstand many of the bombs, but many succeed in damaging the ship's hull or destroying turbolaser batteries.
As Hall begins to engage TIE fighters again, he suddenly sees movement out of the corner of his eye. He looks towards the docks, and to his delight, he sees the cruisers left in the docks beginning to move out.
"Nice work, Leia," he says under his breath.
The Terran warships press their attack, keeping the Imperial ships occupied as one by one, the remaining Rebel cruisers begin to move out of the Space Docks and one by one make their jump to hyperspace.
As the last rebel cruiser makes its hyperspace jump, Hall gets on the radio and says, "This is Lieutenant General Tyler Hall to all Terran forces at the Mako Ta Space Docks. The rebels have fled. All Terran forces, retreat as soon as hyperspace coordinates can be locked in."
The Terran ships and fighters hurry to set their hyperspace vectors. One by one, the fighters and ships make the jump to hyperspace.
Finally, only Hall is left. He looks towards the Executor and says, "See you later, a**holes." He then shoves his hyperspace throttles forward, and his Su-36 makes the jump to hyperspace.
(Some time later)
Vader slowly walks into the room and kneels. A moment later, a hologram of the Emperor appears before him.
"The battle is over, my master. We destroyed ten Rebel cruisers and many of their fighters, as well as one Terran Star Destroyer. However, Terran reinforcements allowed the rest of the rebel ships to escape," Vader says.
"Hmm. Disappointing that you could not destroy more of their ships. However, this will be a great blow to the rebellion. All things considered, you have done well, Lord Vader. Continue your efforts. Crush the rebellion, and drive the Terrans back. They will regret having ever taken up arms against us," the Emperor says.
"Yes, my master," Vader says.
And, I'll end there.
I know, this wasn't the best chapter, but I hope it was still good. I wasn't feeling as much inspiration writing this as I usually do, so I tried to do the best I could. Next chapter will be better, I promise.
Next chapter will be up soon. Until then, leave a review, and stay tuned!