Chapter XXXVII
Lieutenant Dalmer whispers into Captain Pellaeon's ear before Pellaeon approaches Thrawn to relay the message. Thrawn, stands before the bridge's viewport looking back and forth off the Chimaera's port and starboard bow, to see the planet surface bellow.
Thrawn turns his head slightly and lifts his blue-black eyebrows as Pellaeon steps beside him and comes to attention.
"Grand Admiral," Pellaeon says, "We are receiving an audio transmission from Lord Vader's TIE fighter."
"Then by all means, Captain, open the channel."
Pellaeon nods before opening the transmission feed as Thrawn ordered then stepping aside, out of earshot from the Grand Admiral and Lord Vader.
"Yes, my Lord?" Thrawn calmly asks into the open com channel.
"Grand Admiral, the Rebels leadership has been dismantled, and their meager forces have withdrawn into the jungle. I have ordered all Imperial forces to return to the Executor, and I am in route to your flagship."
"I shall order a search party to the planet surface and apprehend what little remains of these Rebels."
The com goes silent for a moment, all that can be heard is Darth Vader's chilling breaths.
"No." Vader breaks the silence, "I want the Seventh Fleet to commence a full planetary bombardment. The Rebels will be destroyed and what remains of this Rebellion against the Empire will be terminated."
Thrawn's teeth clench for a brief moment, he must calm himself before speaking again. He is well aware of Vader's reputation of being an aggressive and often hostile commander; Thrawn will have to chose his next words wisely.
"My Lord, this system is unknown to the Empire's databanks and uncharted on every Imperial starmap. It would be profound to destroy the temple as it may hold secrets of the Jedi and possibly the planet within its walls. If I may, I will send a salvation team to-"
Thrawn suddenly feels as if fingers are being wrapped around his throat, and they begin to squeeze. The pressure builds greater by the second as the Grand Admiral is choked. Thrawn tugs at the collar of his white uniform with one hand as he groans to his sudden inability to breath.
With his free hand, Thrawn braces himself on the control dash as he falls forward. He feels lightheaded, and he resists every urge to pass out.
Vader's voice comes back through the com, "For someone so reputable for their unquestionable loyalty to the Empire, I find your ability to follow my Master's orders, lacking. The Jedi are no more, relics such as this temple can spark delusions of hope throughout the galaxy for the rise of a new Jedi Order. Therefore, this temple must be destroyed."
Thrawn falls to one knee, the pressure highly unbearable.
He croaks, "I will….Comsense, the bombardment….Lord Vader."
The pressure releases on Thrawn's throat when the transmission dies.
Thrawn puts both hands on the control dash, further holding himself up as he catches his breath again. After a few seconds, he gets back on his feet, adjusting his collar while he regains his composure.
Captain Pellaeon steps up beside Thrawn again and awaits orders.
Thrawn's red eyes turn onto Pellaeon, "Ready all batteries for the whole fleet, prepare for planetary bombardment on my mark."
"Yes, Grand Admiral."
Thrawn stares out the viewport again, this time at the Admonitor and Judicator. The entire Seventh Fleet has their gun turrets aimed down on Panatha. All Thrawn has to do is give one command, and a barrage of laserfire will be brought down on the planet surface.
Captain Pellaeon looks over his shoulder at the artillery officer standing in the crew pit. The officer nods, signifying the Chimaera's batteries are on standby.
"The bridge is at your command, Grand Admiral." Pellaeon assures.
Thrawn sharply throws one hand into the air while clenching the other at his side.
"Fire."
All Star Destroyer's commence orbital bombardment on Panatha. The barrage of green rounds plummet to the planet surface, the damage on the ground invisible from the viewport of the Chimaera's bridge.
The first thing the Rebels notice, is the immense tremor in the ground, followed by the dust and small debris of rock falling from the hangar ceiling. When they look outside the shuttle door and past the hangar, they see the hail of lasers strike the mountain.
"The ceiling's going to come down any second!" Cassian panics.
Ahsoka speaks into the transmitters microphone one last time, "Prestor One, Bail, we need your help. I'm sending our coordinates now. Fulcrum out."
Ahsoka quickly transmits the message containing Panatha's coordinates in it. Bail warned her before to never send transmissions from Fulcrum to his office on Alderaan, to instead send them to Tantive III where his trusted aid will deliver it to him. Ahsoka can only hope his aid will get the message; if that aid is R2, she has no doubt Bail will see it.
Ahsoka turns her attention to Thrawn's bombardment, she sees Cassian and Ondar staring through the shuttle doorway at the air assault outside.
"Get away from the door." she orders.
Cassian and Ondar move away from the doorway as Ahsoka uses the Force to seal the damaged door as best it will allow.
"Now what?" Zallar grumbles.
"The chasey of this shuttle can withstand the mountains weight if the hangar ceiling collapses."
Creases form on Cassian's forehead as he questions Ahsoka, "How can you be sure?"
"The Separatists would tend to heavily armor their vehicles. I should know, in the Clone War I was in a Super Tank on Geonosis when a mountain collapsed on top of us-" Ahsoka stops abruptly as she remembers how it was her and Barriss Offee who were trapped in that tank, and how if Anakin and Master Luminara Unduli hadn't found them, she certainly wouldn't be here now.
Ahsoka recalls another thought from that experience, "If the hangar collapses, there won't be enough oxygen to keep us all alive. We need to find the shuttles life support and hope it can hold us off until help arrives."
"I'm on it." Zallar says before making way for the cockpit.
Ahsoka glances down at Shila, watching her as she cover's Callan's face with his jacket.
Everyone suddenly has to brace themselves on either the walls or the floor as the shuttle violently shakes, and loud booms are heard overhead. It's the sound of large rocks crashing down onto the shuttle. The faint beams of light coming through the cracks of the door go dark. Just as Ahsoka feared, they are trapped.
The shuttle is pitch dark for a moment before what remains of the emergency power is diverted from the long range transmitter to the luminescent red emergency lights.
Zallar emerges from the shuttle cockpit, with a grin on his long face, "We have life support. Apparently whoever crashed this bucket of bolts had no need for it."
"So we should be able to hold out for some time." Cassian says confidently.
Ondar steps forward, relieved by the news, but still troubled. "So then what do we do now?"
Ahsoka sits down on the tilted floor with her legs crossed and hands rested on her knees. She closes her eyes and clears her mind as she prepares to meditate.
She says calmly, "Now, we wait."
Thrawn turns around to face the crew pits, the artillery officer in particular.
He waves his hand in a cutting motion, "All ships, cease fire."
"Yes, Grand Admiral." the officer complies before directing all batteries to cease the barrage.
"Captain Pellaeon." Thrawn requests.
"Yes, Sir?" Pellaeon says turning to face Thrawn.
"Have a shuttle readied with a squad of Death Troopers. Lord Vader will want to inspect the damage of the bombardment, as will I."
"Yes, Grand Admiral."