I apologize for the one-day delay! I was a bit preoccupied with some family matters but this one is probably my favorite so far! Things are gonna get much more interesting after this one so be ready for that!
16 Hours ago - Star Destroyer's Command Bridge - Imperial Comm Officer - Dandoran planet orbit
Her hands were shaking; her legs were jittering… This wasn't the first time that her beloved went on an extremely dangerous operation but for some unknown reason… This felt different. Too many unknown variables… She was waiting on the comms for his report with bated breath. The last report was given as they were leaving for the extraction. It felt like the cold grasp of silence had a chokehold on her; Anxiety and stress had overwhelmed all her senses… Imperial Star Destroyers had a central system that provided heating for the staff but at that moment it felt like the cold of the vast empty space was seeping through. Commander Vikkin was the only one who had kept his composure. He never did care for the staff under his command.
Malea was on the verge of tears. Suddenly a sound shattered the silence. "IMPERIAL T-4A REQUESTING EMERGENCY LANDING…" Davin's deafening and petrified voice sent shivers down Malea's spine. "Sir! Lieutenant Jakkar is requesting an emergency landing!" She almost screamed. Darro Vikin slowly nodded after looking out of the viewport to witness a burning and battered Imperial T-4A approaching the docking bay of the Star Destroyer. Malea was forced to listen and watch as she saw the love of her life enter the docking bay in a half-destroyed ship. Everyone in close vicinity was put immediately on high alert. The TIE maintenance crew was running toward the walls to make way for the crashing ship. The T-4A crashed into the walls causing the interiors of the docking bay to shake. The sound of metal clashing against metal was distressing.
DN-464 wanted to leave her post and just run to the site but she knew that Commander Vikkin would not tolerate such actions. She would end up in the confidential list of Imperial staff "Missing in Action" faster than she could say dank farrik. The other operators at the command bridge weren't that different. Every single man and woman present was on edge. They hadn't experienced anything like this. This was supposed to be a simple rescue mission but the results had been catastrophic so far. "Put the entire personnel on alert! Nobody leaves their posts until I give the order!" Vikkin bellowed out. This had officially gotten out of hand. You could cut the tension in the room with a vibro blade. The commander had put his fist to his chin and assessed the situation in a cold-blooded fashion. The monster amongst men was famous for his disregard for others.
The emergency crew was contacted and deployed to the docking bay while a squad of stormtroopers was sent to provide backup. Malea had to announce the new orders with a shaking voice. She was in the command bridge… Safe… While her most beloved was in the docking bay in a burning mess of metal and wire. Her commanding officer was keeping her composure without a trace of struggle. "Approaching the shuttle now!" A member of the emergency crew reported while the sound of stormtroopers' running closer could be heard in the background. The crackling of the fire and the concerned sound of staff present in the docking bay were intertwined. Malea was trying her best to figure out more details about her husband's current predicament. Her attention was so laser-focused on the comm system that she hadn't realized Vikkin was standing behind her. "DN-464, inform the emergency crew and the stormtrooper squad that I require the extraction operation report ASAP!" His voice was cold and unfeeling.
Even in a dire situation like this, his emotionless mind was focused on his mission. It took all the power she had left to resist not standing up and slapping the taste out of her superior's mouth. She took a deep breath and slowly nodded, trying her best to not say what she was about to say through gritted teeth. "Sir, yes, sir…" She said as calm as she could. Seconds turned into minutes and not a word came through the comm system. After about half an hour, it finally happened. By the force, she wished that it hadn't. The words that were spoken were her greatest nightmare come to life. "THIS IS DN-24! WE HAVE A CODE RED… I REPEAT, WE HAVE A…" Before the trooper could finish his sentence, his communication had turned to static.
Meanwhile at the docking bay
The emergency crew had been torn to pieces. Body parts and limbs laid all across the docking bay. The shuttle's exit ramp had been ripped and thrown to the ground. Puddles of blood decorated the floor that once reflected the staff and TIE fighters. Scratch marks on the walls were all that the monstrosity had left behind. Some of the TIE fighters had fallen out of their clamps and crashed to the floor beneath. A black fluid could be traced to the corridors. A stormtrooper's helmet had been left on the ground. Upon further inspection, one would realize that the helmet wasn't empty… The head had been decapitated with it. The sounds of blasters firing and screams bellowing filled the hallways that were once quiet. "WE NEED REINFORCEMENT!" A stormtrooper screamed at the top of his lung before being ripped in half by a pair of claws. The sheer power of the creature was enough to make the other stormtroopers shriek in terror.
The monstrosities that had been brought on board by the T-4A shuttle had divided themselves into two groups of 25. Half of them had decided to attack the corridors connecting to the living quarters and the other half were on their way to the generators. Whatever these abominations were, they had intelligence. They weren't sentient, however. As the remains of the stormtrooper squad were making their escape towards the elevators, one of the troopers froze in place and took a closer look at one of the creatures attacking them. Before she could say anything about her findings, she had been decapitated with her head rolling on the floor. Their blasters were usually more effective but these things, these beasts could take bolt after bolt before finally dropping to the ground. The stormtrooper's helmet was connected to the Imperial archives but there were no data entries of the atrocities that were attacking them. The power readings were much higher than that of a normal human being.
One of them had grabbed DN-24 by the throat and was hunched over him. The sound of skin, flesh, and muscle being ripped off the bones echoed through the corridors. On the other side of the Star Destroyer, the generator operators had their hands full with the new threat on board. By the time they arrived behind the generator room's blast doors, their numbers had somehow tripled. As the blast doors opened, the operators could see the mass of blood and gore laying behind it. No one on board the Revenant was trained to deal with this. There were no protocols in the Imperial system for a situation such as this. Before she could pull out her blaster pistol, one of the operating officers was grabbed by the neck and thrown into the generator. The electricity and magnetic force were strong enough to turn her into a cloud of blood, spraying on the faces and bodies of the people standing below. One of the operators tried her best to escape but slipped on blood and fell into the generator core. The sounds of screams and body parts being ripped to shreds were all that could be heard. Another one of the operators got grabbed by the foot and thrown into the generator core, joining their colleague.
Two of the creatures grabbed hold of the last two officers and slammed them into the control consoles. The sound of bones and controls breaking under pressure could be heard. With the console destroyed, the shields went offline. One of the abominations threw the operator it was holding to the ground while the other ripped his from the waist. Blood and guts fell to the ground making a mess of intestines and red liquid that would drive any sane being insane. The near-eviscerated operator crawled and clawed at the ground uncontrollably before passing out from the immense pain he was experiencing. One of the creatures bellowed out a soul-shattering scream as some sort of sign. Its' noise would bust the eardrums of any being that would come to direct contact with it. In the few minutes they had arrived on board the Star Destroyer, they had led a merciless massacre against all and any who stood in their path. The scenery they left behind was sickening and demented.
New threats were popping up faster than they could be solved. Reports of the ongoing disaster were coming from all corners of the Star Destroyer. It made no sense… According to Imperial records, a T-4A Shuttle could only transport a crew of up to 25 people… 50 if they were packed in like Mon Calamarians but now… Those 50 people were posing a serious threat to a Star Destroyer that had the capacity to hold a staff of 50 thousand. By all accounts, that was impossible. They were somehow multiplying. The state of the command bridge was one of chaos and disarray. Of all the things that could end the Revenant's undefeated streak through the galaxy, this was one of them. Commander Vikkin was no longer in control, fear, and stress ruled supreme now.
Ooooo, things are getting messy aboard the Revenant. What will happen in the next chapter? A LOT! Trust me, a LOT will happen in the next chapter!
MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU
