After taking heavy losses, and numerous wounded on both Christophsis and Teth, the 501st, along with Vex, resupplied on Kamino. While there, Vex met with domino Squad, forming a quick bond with the newly graduated squad. They departed for their post the same day the Resolute arrived. Vex spent his time modifying the armour he had been given, getting it to fit nicer than it did before. They left Kamino three days later, making their way to the Bith System. Vex trained with the troopers while they travelled, not noticing when Anakin and Ahsoka departed until Rex brought it up. When they returned a few hours later with the last three survivors of the Wolf Pack, along with General Plo Koon, dread settled within him. The intercom called for Shadow Squadron to head down to Hanger Bay seven and Vex decided to make his way there. He finds the squadron seated, with Anakin standing, and Artoo showing a holographic figure of a massive ship.
"While our Capital ships are vulnerable to the enemy attack. I believe a squadron of bombers could maneuver along the hull and fire a volley of Proton Torpedoes at the bridge, eliminating General Grievous along with the ship." His words bring Vex a great concern. The plan was rough, made in haste, and without specs of the ship, they would be going in somewhat blind. The pilots were beginning to murmur, before Anakin continues. "Our bombers will attack at high speed to evade the enemy's ion weapon. We concentrate out fire on the bridge superstructure, here. We destroy Grievous, we can bring this war to a quicker end." His confidence radiated from him, and seemed to inspire the pilots of Shadow Squadron, while Vex was concerned. "Pilot's prepare your bombers. Broadside, you're with the kid on this one." He says, gesturing to the trooper call-signed Shadow-3. It surprises Vex that he would be flying this mission, though he doesn't show it.
"I have a name, Anakin." Vex retorts, hiding his concern with banter.
"Skywalker, this is an aggressive plan. Are you sure your pilots can complete this mission?" A robed Kel-Dor, known as Jedi Master and General Plo Koon asks. Ahsoka was standing close to his side, similar to how a child would stick by their parents.
"Let's ask them." Anakin states, before turning to a cluster of pilots. "Matchstick, you think our boys can pull it off?" He asks the pilot, call-signed Shadow-2.
"Yes, Sir. There hasn't been a mission Shadow Squadron couldn't complete." The pilot assures with confidence.
"That's right. Minimal casualties, maximum effectiveness." Broadside affirms.
"I admire your confidence." Vex admits. "But this isn't going to be as easy as you may think. The Separatists have the bridge heavily guarded on all their Capital ships. Take this one into account, along with its size, it really concerns me." His fingers glide over a datapad that he had stolen/borrowed from a tech officer moments ago, finding the Y-Wing he was assigned and its location.
"Don't worry. We'll destroy that bridge, and Grievous along with it." Anakin assures once more, before walking off to his bomber.
"Master Skywalker seems to inspire great confidence in his men." Plo Koon notes with some humour.
"He does lead by example." Ahsoka agrees with a smile, before jogging to catch up to Anakin.
"It's not his confidence that concerns me, rather the arrogance that it brings with it. I'm sure you can guess just how damn hard it's gonna be for us Force-Nulls to get close enough to fire at that superstructure. We're not invincible." Vex sighs, turning to the Jedi. "Ahsoka's already prepared your fighter, from how giddy she is, so you're all set to join."
"How could you tell?" Plo Koon asks.
"I tend to notice the smaller details. It's just something I do unconsciously." Vex explains with a smile, before he heads to the hanger bay which holds his Y-Wing, the yellow-gold and white paintjob giving an aura of strength to the Bomber.
But that isn't enough to ease the worry in Vex. This plan has been made in haste, without enough facts and done in some anger for what that weapon has done. Considering this ship could cripple the entire Republic Navy, the haste is understandable, but the way the mission is made out to be an easy task has Vex more on edge than normal. As he enters the turret pod, he takes note of all the controls, checking the munitions supply and energy supply, ensuring they are filled for the fight. Broadside jumps into the cockpit pod, doing the same for his primary systems.
"All set Broadside?" Vex asks.
"Green light from me." He responds.
"What about you, Arsix?" The Astromech's answer is put on a small display, as Vex had not yet learned the binary language, the answer somewhat reassuring Vex. Anakin's voice calls through the pilot frequency.
"Shadow Squadron, our destination will be the Kaliida Shoals Medical Base, Grievous will be targeting that next." He explains. "Begin take-off sequence." Broadside eases the Bomber up, following the ordered line out of the hanger with practiced ease. "Shadow Squadron, tighten formation. Call in." Each pilot calls in.
"This is Admiral Yularen. You are cleared for Hyperspace jump. Good Hunting." The Admiral informs.
"Alright boys. Lets go." Anakin's voice was full of anticipation.
"Broadside, if we succeed, you got a free drink from me." Vex offers.
"I can already taste it." Broadside chuckles. With the order given, the Bombers all jump, the transition to Hyperspace swift. Within, all that's left to do is wait.
The Bomber squad exits hyperspace, emerging before the massive Nebula that floats before them.
"Okay. If we can just manage to navigate through my shortcut, we'll be alright." Anakin explains, his words sending shivers down Vex's spine.
"A nebula can be very unpredictable. I advise caution." Plo Koon warns. As they pass through the edge of the nebula, the scanners immediately become useless, with the only lead being the thrusters of the ship in front. Keeping in formation isn't too difficult, but the Nebula certainly wasn't helping.
"This soup is thick. Can anyone see anything? Matchstick asks.
"Just keep your eyes on my thruster, Shadow 2." Anakin replies audibly smirking.
"They'll have to. The scanners are useless." Ahsoka complains.
"This is old-fashioned flying. You have to feel your way through to stay on course." Anakin says.
"Skywalker is right 'Soka." Plo Koon agrees. "Clear your mind, young one, and you will see the path."
"Right now, I can't see anything at all." She retorts, her stress visible from another galaxy.
"Uh, glad you guys can 'feel' your way through, but what about those of us without the mystical powers?" Vex asks rhetorically.
"I always know where I'm going." Broadside states.
"Where's that, O pilot of mine?" Vex asks dramatically.
"The battleship we're off to blow up." He states happily.
"A clear path if ever there was one." Plo Koon pipes in. After a few minutes of silence, Ahsoka decides to ask a question that everyone was likely wondering.
"So, Skyguy, how did you learn of this shortcut?" She asks.
"Pilots used to talk about it on Tatooine… They called it the Balmorra Run." He says proudly.
"BALMORRA RUN!?" Plo Koon asks incredulously, while a faint memory from research tugs at Vex's mind.
"I think I'm picking up a contact." Ahsoka notes, though seeming unsure with the state of the scanners.
"Skywalker listen to me. We need to turn around." Plo Koon calls, his voice no longer calm, but nearly frantic.
"We can't. Not if we're gonna catch Grievous." Anakin responds, his stubbornness showing.
"Another contact. This one's much larger." Ahsoka warns, her voice quivering slightly.
"Skywalker! Balmorra's the nesting ground of the giant Nebray Mantis!" Plo Koon clarifies.
"Another? Another!" Ahsoka says, gasping in fear as a giant creature then appears out of the gas cloud, it's mouth slightly open.
"Take evasive action!" Anakin orders quickly, moving his bomber out of the way. Broadside pivots the Y-Wing to the left, narrowly missing the Mantis.
"Those gas-gulpers are huge!" Ahsoka notes in both awe and terror, as another Mantis appears from the cloud.
"Don't shoot, or they'll panic!" Plo Koon warns.
"They'll panic? I'm in a panic!" Ahsoka snips back. One of the Mantis' move across the path, and the squadron ducks below, Matchstick scraping against one of the dangling appendages.
"I'm hit! My stabilizer's out." He warns.
"Pull it together Matchstick." Anakin urges the pilot.
"I'm okay. I got it." He replies, his voice shaken, but as he assures, his bomber levels back out, a faint trail of smoke emitting from his engine.
"All wings, line up behind me." Anakin orders.
"They will not follow us beyond the nebula." Plo Koon assures as the nebula begins to visibly thin.
"We're coming out of it." Ahsoka notes in relief. Each of the bombers makes their way through, coming out of the Nebula with the distant Medical Station standing amongst the stars and planets that scatter the galaxy. Numerous Medical Frigates are clustered around the station, evacuating the injured as quickly as possible.
"We're not far behind Grievous now." Anakin states in pride.
"Considering he isn't even here, I would say that Grievous is not far behind us." Vex corrects, looking to Matchstick's Y-Wing, noticing the damage of it's engine, seeing the compromised hull.
"Shadow 2." Plo Koon begins, noticing the scorch mark on the bomber's engine, the trail of smoke wafting out. "What is the damage to your ship?"
"It's just a scratch, sir." Matchstick replies.
"We must not take any more unnecessary risks. If we lose even a single ship, our mission is that much closer to failure." Plo Koon warns.
"We already have." Vex admits. "If Matchstick does anything strenuous, he's dead. That engine casing is compromised and will not hold in a fight against other ships."
"Matchstick?" Anakin asks.
"It's a possibility, General. I can't say for certain, however." Matchstick answers honestly.
"I've got another contact." Broadside interrupts.
"I thought those things wouldn't follow us." Ahsoka asks skeptically.
"Not following; coming out of hyperspace. It's a ship. The Malevolence." Broadside clarified. The ship returns to realspace, entering the vision of the pilots. The behemoth of an Ion Cannon could be seen on either side of the Capital ship from the angle the bombers are at. It begins to turn around, bearing it's Ion Cannon at the transports that were evacuating the station.
"Matchstick, get to the Medical Base. It's better to live to fight another day." Vex orders.
"General?" Matchstick asks, looking for an absolute.
"Better to head off, Matchstick." Anakin sighs. The scanners begin to blare in alarm, as the Malevolence fires it's Ion Cannon at the frigates. "Shadow Squadron, make your runs." He orders. The squadron bear their ships towards the ship, as swarms of Vulture Droids make their way towards them. "Gunners, do what you can, thin them out. Pilots, unless you have a clear shot, and the fighter is still on the path, don't make chase. Stay on course." Vex swivels the turret forward, preparing to fire on the swarm as Broadside leads them in. Broadside moves the shield focus to the front, as the squadron break into the swarm, swerving around the oncoming ships, and laser fire, before returning the shields back to equal coverage. Vex focuses on the Vultures on their tails, firing a few careful shots to assist others when free of any followers.
"Steady, come on. Hold it Steady." Anakin commands. "Get those fighters off of us, Ahsoka."
"Your fancy flying is making it difficult." She complains.
"Better than being shot down, Ahsoka." Vex admits. "You hanging in there, Broadside?"
"Just the usual Tuesday, sir." He replies, his helmet unable to hide his smile.
"Incoming!" Ahsoka warns, as the bombers find themselves in range of the massive Ion Cannon. Arcs of electricity spark along the cannon, growing before it fires, the purple energy flying towards them at an incredible speed.
"Make towards the edge of the ray NOW!" Anakin orders frantically. "Give it everything you've got!" The Squadron races to clear the projectile radius, their slightly slower speeds as bombers leaving them frantic. Broadside manages to clear the pulse and follows Anakin and multiple other bombers who managed to get clear.
"Shadow squadron… check in." Anakin calls in, his voice solemn.
"Shadows 6, 7 and 10 were caught in the ray." Ahsoka reports. "11 was gunned down before he could escape the pulse."
"Shadows 6, 7 and 10 will be fine if we finish this quick. We'll get a shuttle to pick them up when we are done." Vex assures. While an Ion Pule would knock out all systems, the oxygen left in the cockpit and gunner pod would keep the pilots alive for a limited time, not to mention the small oxygen packs each pilot is given with their suit and armour. Just over an hour before their oxygen levels are depleted, and then there's still the possibility of the CO2 emissions killing them before then.
"Stay on course." Anakin resolves, and before long, the formation is once more intact, as the bombers begin to strafe across the Hull of the Malevolence. Laser cannons open fire upon them, the large number of point defenses forcing some to roll away before reforming.
"This flak is heavy." Broadside notes as he banks left and right to dodge the point defenses.
"Stating it doesn't exactly help." Vex retorts, bringing the turret about and firing on the hull of the Malevolence where he can.
"All deflectors, double front!" Skywalker orders. Broadside follows the order but Vex notes he would have done differently. Shadow 4 takes a hit from behind, the bolt piercing into the electrical systems and causing a spark to ignite the fuel, sending the bomber into flames, the Malevolence's artificial gravity pulling the remains into the hull.
"Master, we need a new plan!" Ahsoka exclaims in concern.
"We can make it Ahsoka, hang in there." He assures her.
"Skywalker, do you plan to kill us all? You are the only one who can make it through! Not us! We are not Jedi!" Vex admonishes.
"We're too close. Loosen up!" Static follows, as Shadow 9 spirals into the hull of the Malevolence, shrapnel bouncing off the hull.
"If we can do enough damage, the Ion weapon may overload when Grievous tries to fire." Plo Koon points out. A moment passes before Anakin speaks again.
"Shadow Squadron, new target. We're taking out the starboard Ion Cannon." Anakin relinquishes. With a sigh of relief, and likely the same from every other pilot, they follow his lead as he alters his trajectory keeping the formation. The bombers squeeze between the hull and weapon disc, their target directly ahead.
"Torpedoes away!" Anakin orders. Each Y-Wing could hold 12 Proton Torpedoes, and every single one was fired against the weapon disc. 60 Torpedoes were fired in quick succession, with the remaining Squadron Members retreating from the Malevolence.
"Let's hope this works." Vex states. The Malevolence attempts to fire its Ion Cannon, and the weapon implodes on itself, the outer disc shattering, sending shrapnel into the Malevolence as it shudders. Numerous smaller explosions erupt around the same general area. "Good job Shadow Squadron." Vex congratulates over the comms, as Obi-Wan arrives with three Venator Class Star Destroyers, which immediately begin to open fire upon the Malevolence. Vex tunes out his voice, as Broadside guides the battered bomber towards the Resolute, landing in a free bay. Technicians and Mechanics rush to the ship and Vex calls to them. "Get a few shuttles out there. We've got at least three Y-Wings with survivors." Half of the crew take his word and prep some shuttles, while the rest begin to check the Y-Wing for damages. Broadside helps him out of the turret pod.
"It's an impressive ship. The shields help up to a real beating." Vex notes to the more experienced pilot.
"It's a damn good bomber. That's for sure." Broadside agrees.
"I was in the military back home. Part of the mandatory course was a flight simulation." Vex says all of a sudden. "My actions caught the eye of an ace pilot who took me under her wing. Taught me all I knew." Vex explains. "But, here's the funny thing. While the vehicles we had were not space worthy, they exceeded the speed of Mach 1, which is even faster than most strike craft I have seen here, when not in Hyperspace at least." Broadside laughs before speaking.
"Maybe I should have gotten you to fly, to see how good you were."
"If there are sims, I'll gladly show you in a safer environment." Vex chuckles, before handing the pilot a couple of credit chips. "For now though, I owe you a drink." He smirks. Broadside nods in thanks, as he heads off. Arsix rolls up to Vex's side, and he pets the Astromech's dome in appreciation. "You did good out there. You ensured the systems stayed in decent condition. Thank you." Vex thanks him. Vex moves to walk off, but the little Astromech bumps into him with purpose. Vex turns to the droid with curiosity. "Do you want to come with me?" He asks. Arsix chirps in affirmative. "Alright then. Come on, buddy." The two head off together. For now, this battle was won.
What happens next is the remaining members of Shadow Squadron catching up in the mess, with Vex explaining how he learned to fly over 3000 years ago, mentioning his memories, and how even more were showing up in dreams, like his padawan from the Old Republic calling out to him. A reference to Battlefield 4, the ending of the campaign, but instead of Hannah or Irish blowing up, it was Recker, or well, Vex in this case. A reference to an original story I'm making about Vex's first life, his daughter calling for him. A few more might come up in future dream sequences that will litter the story here and there. Shadow Squadron invite him to fly with them on their next mission, which he accepts. This will be a future chapter that will go right after this one, but for now, you get this summary that mentions he will fly.
One rescue done by Anakin and Obi-Wan later.
"Well." Vex looks to the moon that the Malevolence just impacted with. "At least we don't have to worry about that thing anymore." He then moves to leave the bridge.
"Where are you going?" Ahsoka asks.
"Well, I'm off to meet with Anakin and Obi-Wan. I want to hear how they pulled this off." Vex states with a smirk. "Oh, and I'd get someone down on that moon to see what scraps of info they can find on who built that battleship. For it to turn up now, so soon after this war began doesn't bode well." He then walks out of the bridge, off to hunt the two Jedi for a story.