Chapter 13: The Battle of Raxus Prime
No one on Raxus Prime heard the sound. At first, it was simply too distant to carry above the din of equipment and weaponry being moved into place. Besides, the Rebel troopers, fighting to maneuver their weaponry into place, were too busy to really listen.
In the junk trenches, Rebel officers screamed out their orders to make themselves heard above the din of footfalls and clanking metal. Troopers hurried to carry out those orders, running through the junk with heavy shoulder rockets on their backs, setting up heavy E-web blasters along the trench lines.
But above all this activity and noise a strange sound could be heard, an ominous thumping and crunching sound that was coming nearer and was beginning to shake the ground. When it was close enough to attract the attention of an officer, he turned to see what was happening, looking for the source of the strange noises. Other men looked up from their work and saw what looked like a number of moving specks. Through the fetid air, the small dos seemed to be advancing at a slow yet steady pace.
The officer raised his electrobinoculars and focused on the approaching objects. There must have been two dozen of them, of two different types, advancing through the junk fields. One pair looked like creatures out of some uncharted past, but machines, each of them stalking like enormous ungulates on four jointed legs, while the others looked like their legged counterparts, but rolled on gigantic wheels, crushing a flat path beneath their tremendous weight.
Walkers and Juggernauts!
With a shock of recognition, the officer identified the Empires All Terrain Armored Transports and Juggernaut heavy assault tanks. Each machine was formidably armed and armored. He finally identified that there were also small tanks floating alongside the huge vehicles. Suddenly the walkers emitted deadly fire from their turnstile guns and cannons.
The officer grabbed his comlink. "Rogue Leader… Incoming! Point ZeroThree!"
"Echo Station Fox-Seven, we're on our way."
Even as Leia Skywalker replied, an explosion sprayed wreckage around the officer and his terror-struck crew. The walkers already had them within range. The troopers knew their job was to divert attention while the transport ships were launched, but none of the Rebel soldiers was prepared to die under the feet and wheels or weapons of these horrible machines.
Brilliant billows of orange and yellow flames exploded from the walker guns, followed by brilliant blue bolts from the Juggernaut weaponry. Nervously the Rebel troopers aimed their weapons at the walkers, each soldier waiting for the order to fire from Captain Felth. "Stand by for Operation Surprise." Felth said through the comlink.
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Above in orbit, a black colored B-wing flew through the conn towers of the Star Destroyer Devastator. Explosions erupted behind it as it fired its heavy weaponry. On the fighter, several imperial gunners couldn't believe it when they saw the words "Abandon All Hope" printed on the cockpit.
Jareth Stryder was the first test pilot of the B-wing class fighter after it had been constructed by then Commander Ackbar. He had discovered that in the cockpit of the strange looking fighter, he was almost untouchable. Several of the Jedi he had spoken too had told him that he had Force potential, but geared towards a single ability… apparently that ability was his piloting skill. He would never wield a lightsaber, but in the controls of a fighter, he was nearly as good, if not better a pilot as the legendary Anakin Skywalker.
He spun the fighters' main wing around the cockpit, placing the guns where they would do the most damage to the Imperial Star Destroyer. At the moment, he was attempting to keep the huge ship from launching any more TIE fighters. Dark Squadron and Shadow Squadron were attempting the impossible… hold back an entire invasion force of twenty six Star Destroyers with only two squadrons.
But that was their job. They had to distract them from sending fighters after the precious escorts, and every one of Dark and Shadow Squadron were willing to die to make sure that happened.
Shadow Squadron consisted of twelve Y-wings, being led by Commander Blaine from Ryloth. The Twilek pilot was one of the premiere fighter pilots from that desert world, and best friend of Jareth. Even now he dropped energy bombs onto the upper shield of another Star Destroyer.
Tie fighters fired away with their primary weapons, but Jareth's B-wing simply wasn't there any longer. The B-wing had its turbolasers aimed where the Ties were, darting like a dragonfly. It whirled on one Tie and opened up.
Jareth was still dodging with blinding speed, his force perceptions opened to the battle around him, while the Tie he had fired upon turned into a brilliant ball of light.
At least that huge monster ship hadn't decided to move in closer, Jareth thought.
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Chi watched as Admiral Piett wisely kept the Executor out of range of the planetary Ion cannon. "Annoying thing." Chi said softly. She had wanted to see the sheer firepower of the Super Star Destroyer. She turned to face the screen showing the fighter battle. She suspected the enemy leader; the amazingly fast and deadly black-trimmed fighter was one of the returned Jedi. She was amused about the words printed on the fighters cockpit. "Abandon All hope, ye who enter here." She said softly. She wondered who this Jedi was. Could it be the legendary Anakin Skywalker? Impossible. He was killed by Darth Vader during the Clone Wars. She had no inclinations of leading any fighters against the lethal foe. It would be enough to dispose of the rest of his command by attrition and pull the fighter wizard to bits by sheer weight of numbers.
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"You want me to go where?" Han asked, looking at the assembled Jedi standing before the Falcon. Olee Starstone stepped forward and spoke for the Jedi. "We need you to go to Dagobah. Your ship is the fastest in the galaxy. The Empire would track any ship that left here with Jedi aboard. They would not be able to track yours. We would like you to take most of us to Master Yoda."
Han, pleased that his baby was being lauded for being the fastest ship in the galaxy, looked at Olee or a moment. "What about the mission to Corellia?"
Obi-wan looked concerned as they heard explosions from the battle outside. "Kyle Katarn and Davin Felth shall be going to Corellia to find Garm Bel Iblis."
"And Luke? Where's he going?" Han asked, clearly confused.
"Luke's father Bail received a transmission from one of our lookouts in the Eridos sector. It seems that a meeting has been called and Luke has to go." Qu Rahn said.
Han nodded, and looked at Olee. "You coming with me?"
Olee smiled her brilliant smile. "I would love too."
Jayden Vel Dar stiffened up next to her, as did A'sharad and Obi-wan. "Vader has made planetfall." Obi-wan said softly. Jayden looked to the assembled Jedi, and closed his eyes. "We better get going."
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From the first, Jareth had known that the chances of any of his squadron surviving were slim. Now he was resigned to the fact that there would be no help, though he didn't let on to the dwindling survivors of Dark Squadron.
The other pilots had flown well and bravely; their kill ratio was high, but still they went down to oblivion, one by one, in the silent globular explosions of a space rat race – a mass dogfight. Jareth Stryder flew like no pilot before him, a grim reaper, a deadly wraith, an undefeatable demon in the form of a B-wing.
"Abandon all hope" Indeed.
The black fighter changed vectors and zoomed out of a Tie's salvo, slipping between the blaster bolts in a masterful performance. Jareth turned his turbolasers on it and hosed it with bright energy beams, blowing it away.
But still the enemy came, and more were arriving. It looked like a day for dying.
He turned to get back with Elkins, his wingman, to stick together and protect yet another of the ascending Rebel transports to the last. But Elkin's ship vanished in an ugly blossom of fire and shrapnel. Dark Squadron had been whittled down to seven, Shadow Squadron to nine. Four times that number came in at them now.
He heard Blaine contact him in his comlink. "I think this is it, my old friend."
Jareth smiled a grim reapers smile. "Then let's make them work for it."
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Below on the planet, Lord Darth Vader stood on top of one of the Juggernaut assault vehicles, behind him, members of the 501st and the 122nd Legion of stormtroopers prepared to assault the Rebel Base.
Vader could feel the Jedi. He had left Chi'anna aboard the Executor so she could keep an eye on the battle overhead. Besides, he had slain Jedi in groups in the past.
He watched as the AT-ATS and Rebel ground forces traded blasts with each other, and then, suddenly one of the AT-ATs head exploded as a group of Rebel X-wings flew into their midsts, firing with heavy proton torpedoes that could easily penetrate the armor of the huge walkers. "Sword Squadron and Black Squadron, you are to defend the Walkers immediately." Vader heard General Veers speak over the comm.
Two squadrons of Tie fighters flew over Vader's command towards the X-wings of Rogue Squadron…
…and the battle was on.
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Aboard the Star Destroyer Glory, Grand Admiral Zaarin watched with glee. "Prepare to make the jump to hyperspace. Lets give the Rebellion an even bigger hole to jump through. Grand Admiral Batch, it is nearly time. Inform our forces to prepare to make our move."