Combat launches were nothing new for Wedge. Z-95s weren't factory-equipped with a hyperdrive, though a few of the Bandit fighters had after-market drives installed. The typical combat launch was something that had been perfected thousands of years ago. The fighter controller would give them the signal to punch it when they dropped to realspace, and the squadron would come out of the hangar, hungry and ready to shoot the first thing that wasn't friendly.
As the streaks of hyperspace disappeared from the opening of the hangar, replaced with the dots of stars and the backdrop of Mustafar, Wedge shouted into his comm. "Bandits, Daggers, let's light them up!"
Eight Z-95 starfighters launched from the bay of the Firestorm, screaming ahead as they entered the fray. Wedge immediately brought up the scopes, checking in with the Fleet sensor network. Bandit Group was already assembled, the six freighter bombers and the Ghost flying in formation. They had made an improvised speartip formation, with the Ghost flying at the rear. "Form up, squadron, let's give them a clear path."
"Copy, Lead." Silda's voice came over the comm on the squadron channel. If it had been anything but a war zone they were about to enter into, Wedge would have felt a swell of pride at being recognized as the lead of the fighters. But there was a mission.
The Imperial forces were substantially more than the reported forces, but Wedge knew that was to be expected. There were the two Acclamator-class cruisers, Onderon and Vigilance. They were spaced out from the station, positioned closest to the fleet on the outskirts of the planet's gravity well. Closer to the station was a Raider-class corvette. Like the bastard child of a TIE and a Star Destroyer, it was the smallest capital ship Wedge knew of in the Imperial Starfleet. It was an anti-fighter platform that could tangle with most small ships, especially with its numerous concussion missile batteries. The last line of defense was the Indomitable, a Gladiator-class starship that was positioning to move outbound to join the two cruisers.
Wedge did some quick math. "That is…a lot of fighters that will be coming out for us." Wedge noted.
"Six squadrons from the ships, One from the station." Piggy provided, his tinny, more mechanical voice coming over the comm. "Eighty-plus fighters."
"That's a lot of TIEs. Thanks." Wedge watched the first fighters being deployed from the Acclamators, alert fighter groups, those closest to their craft. They quickly moved to engage the oncoming Bandit Group. Star Group was barreling ahead, positioned slightly above them to have a direct line at the cruisers. Phoenix Group's A-Wings streaked ahead, the speed demons juking left and right, like restless predators.
Wedge keyed in his comm, and he started to formulate a plan. "Bandits, break to bearing aught-mark-three-forty. We're going to avoid the main engagement. Leave that to the A-Wings. Our main goal is the station."
He pushed down on his stick, tilting his craft lower, throttling up. He brought up his targeting computer. They were forty clicks out from the station, and it was going to be a hell of a ride.
The Indomitable launched fighters, two squadrons. It held one in reserve, meeting with the station's fighter squadron and holding pattern. The other squadron moved to the Raider, moving as one to engage the Bandits.
"Sithspit," Silda hissed. "That Raider will chew us to pieces."
"Watch it, Hapes." Wedge flicked through his ship's computer, finding the tracer program he had in the ship's navicomputer. "Bombers, we're going to make a torpedo run on the Raider."
The leader of the freighter bomber group answered back. "On the Raider? We'd never get close enough for a lock."
"No, you're not going to lock on to the Raider. You'll lock on to my engine signature."
"Oh." The freighter captain paused for a moment. "Oh, I see." He said, with a slight bit more clarity. "Tell us when to lock."
Wedge hit a few keys on his console, activating the program. The Raider was still ten clicks away, but that distance was closing rapidly. "On my mark. Bandits, let's form up. We've got to blast our way through until I can get to two clicks."
"Copy," The chorus of pilots responded back.
Wedge throttled up, and hoped this wasn't a bad idea.
Emerald lasers streaked across his vision as the distance closed between them. He juked his Headhunter left and right, rolling the craft to present a constantly moving target. Even this far out, a stray blast from the cannons on the Raider could still do some serious damage to his fighter. Wedge let himself trust his instincts, juking and dodging as he activated the tracer programs.
The last half-hour of Luke's life was the most excruciating moments he had lived through. Even on the Ghost, its hefty shields were taking a beating. The turrets of the ship were manned by the Ghost's crew, while Luke, Ahsoka, and Winter sat in one of the cargo holds with the strike team. The ship rattled and rocked as he felt the hits rack upon them again and again.
"I know it's not easy," Ahsoka whispered, as the ship lurched, speed quickly reducing. They must have been getting within the station's guns, and slowing for their approach. The station's cannons peppered the shields, causing a small constant shudder as they got closer.
"You fought in the Clone Wars," He said, keeping his voice quiet. "How do you do this? Not having control over the situation."
"We've got the best pilot in the Outer Rim flying us in. We've got a great crew keeping the fighters off of us." Ahsoka said. "We've got a good strike team and the best slicer I've met as our diversion. We've just got to do our job."
"Thirty seconds!" Hera's voice came through the crackling comms. "Hold on!" The ship rocked with a heavy groan, another large explosion.
There was half a minute of hellish, scraping and blasts as Luke was very sure the Ghost's landing struts hadn't made it fully down. Luke knew that wasn't a good thing. He made a grunting noise as he pulled himself off from the hastily-constructed crash harness that had been set up. Ahsoka was out first, hitting the release for the landing ramp.
"Stay back," She said calmly. "I'll clear the hangar."
Luke watched as she descended down the ramp. He could feel Ahsoka drawing on the Force, making her faster, more in tune with her surroundings. The Ghost had come down at an angle, not quite straight into the hangar, but slightly tilted in one direction.
Stormtroopers and Imperial Army troopers had lined up outside the ship, blasters raised. There was even an E-Web emplacement that had been hastily set up.
Then Ahsoka reached the bottom of the ramp and activated her lightsaber. A beam of white light came to life with a snap-hiss, and the hangar bay came to life with blaster fire.
Ahsoka raised one hand, and a shock of Force energy rippled outwards, knocking down half a dozen troops, sending them flying back. She twisted her lightsaber's blade to block most of the shots, then moved unnaturally fast, her body being enhanced by the Force. The fifteen troops still standing were distracted by her lightning movements, and Luke took it as an opportunity.
He moved down the ramp, raising his blaster. He lined up his first shot, and a stormtrooper went lined up the second shot, and another went down. The second shot got the attention of some of the troops, and Luke dashed from the ramp towards cover, some shipping crates. He pulled on the Force, propelling him faster as he ran for his life.
Luke dove behind the crates, and the violent blaster bolts slammed into the other side of the crates. The Mandalorian, Sabine, rolled a pair of detonators down the ramp into the crowd, scattering the troopers.
Ahsoka used the chaos, basking in it. She moved from cover to cover, quickly dispatching troops before they could even respond. She was a blur of violence, efficiency.
The last one to fall was the E-Web, the portable heavy laster. She leapt into the air, and ended up slicing the barrel off the blaster. She took out the last stormtrooper, and checked the hangar. "Alright, we're clear." She said.
Luke came out from cover, and the group reconvened. Ahsoka took command of the situation. "Sabine, Winter, Ezra. Take the fireteam from Firestorm and take the Command Center. Luke and I will head to the prison levels. May the Force be with us all." She said, and she started to the door to the hangar.
Luke looked to Winter. "Keep your head down up there," Luke said, his voice soft.
Winter gave him a smile. "Don't get yourself killed, Luke. Or Ahsoka. I want both of you in one piece."
"Promise," He whispered to his sister as he headed off. Outside the station, the battle raged, and Luke got the sense that there was something further in the station, something waiting for them.