The War Rages On
Two years have passed since the death of Darth Skrill, apprentice to the Sith Lord who rules the galaxy, and while a major blow was struck on that day the Empire has since then renewed its efforts to wiping out the Rebel Alliance and its allies. The resistance has stood strong, and with the Jedi leading the charge they continue to be the light of hope for a future without the Empire. One where there is freedom for everyone.
The war is at a stalemate. With every victory for the rebels being counterbalanced by a loss. The Emperor has recruited allies. Mandalorians, a fierce warrior people who are merciless in battle, and from the shadows the dark side warriors of Dathomir are rooting out the rebel sympathizers hiding amongst the Imperial Senate. With its allies and benefactors dwindling, and their enemies growing, the alliance may soon find itself on the verge of defeat.
But lurking in the darkness, unseen by both Sith and Jedi, is another force.
One that has been slowly gaining strength in preparation to destroy both sides of the conflict and fill in the power gap left behind.
Hoth. An icy planet serving as the battleground for the rebel alliance and the Imperial forces. Stormtroopers and rebel soldiers ran around the frozen tundra, the stormtroopers pressing the attack on the rebel base while the rebel soldiers held the lines, running through the snowy trenches whilst firing at the enemy.
The rebels were holding out, for the moment. But with the Imperials' superior numbers and firepower provided by their massive Walkers slowly making their way toward the base, coupled with the TIE fighters providing air support and slowly dwindling their own fighters, they found themselves backed into a corner.
The rebel commanders inside the mountain base were desperately trying to call for reinforcements. For if they didn't; they'd surely lose.
In orbit above the planet monitoring the battle were two Star Destroyers. Both of which were filled to the brim with even more soldiers and ships ready to lend their support should the rebels somehow turn the battle around.
The commanding officer of one of the massive battleships smirked to himself in victory. The rebels on this planet were doomed. They were outmanned and outgunned and with nowhere to run.
He was certain that on this day, under his command the Empire would taste vic-
"Admiral! We're reading ships coming out of hyperspace!" one of his subordinates informed him.
The Admiral furrowed his brows and looked out into the void as with a loud crash two more Star Destroyers suddenly appeared.
"We didn't request backup. Establish a communication's line," he ordered.
His subordinates obeyed, but after several moments the approaching ships did not respond.
"Admiral, more ships!"
With another crash, more ships dropped out of hyperspace behind the Destroyers. These, however, were recognizable.
"Sir! Those are Mon Calamari ships!" one of the officers shouted in alarm.
Upon second glance the Admiral could see that the Destroyers were of the Venator-class, the predecessor to the Imperial-class destroyers more commonly used by the Empire's forces.
"It's the rebels!" the Admiral shouted. "All hands to battle stations! Prepare the forward cannons! Scramble all remaining fighters!" he commanded.
His orders were relayed, being passed along throughout the entire ship while alerting the other Destroyer.
The Admiral observed from the bay of the approaching ships, fighters were flying out and toward them. X-Wings, A-wings, and a handful of fighters reminiscent of birds began to swarm out.
And leading the line of fighters was a rare sight.
A Clone Wars era fighter; a black Interceptor that looked to have been heavily modified.
A Jedi fighter.
The rebel fighters all checked in. Their pilots were both brave and of many different species as they drew nearer to the enemy and prepared to engage the TIE fighters. Suddenly the bird-like fighters began to spread out and surge ahead to meet them.
The two sides began to exchange fire as the X and A-Wings continued on, leaving the bird-like ships to engage the enemy while other fighters began descending into orbit.
On the icy plains the battle raged on. The rebels were being decimated. Forced to fall back as the giant four legged AT-ATs pressed forward, their thick armor allowed them to march forward relentlessly while blasting away at the rebels' defenses.
A group of rebels ran through the trenches in retreat, occasionally pausing to turn around and fire at advancing troopers, passing TIE, or AT-AT. As they fled, the AT-AT turned its attention on them. It fired blasts, impacting and exploding right behind them and sending them flying.
With ringing heads and sore bodies the ones who survived crawled to their comrades and helped each other up. A Rodian male helped up his human comrade, putting an arm under his shoulder as he attempted to carry him to safety.
The Rodian looked around the battlefield, taking note of his comrades' bleak situation. They were doomed.
"Look," his comrade muttered hoarsely. He was smiling, his eyes shining with renewed hope.
The Rodian looked in the direction of his gaze. And that's when he saw them. A line of X and A-wings roaring over the tundra, leaving nothing but white in their wake.
And leading the line was a fighter everyone in the rebel alliance knew. A black Interceptor piloted by one of the best pilots the alliance had. Following him was Dragon Squadron. A squad composed of the best pilots the alliance had to offer.
The rebels across the tundra ceased their retreat and turned to meet their enemy.
The battle was far from over.
The fighters above the battlefield began to scatter, picking targets to engage. The TIE fighters were forced to turn their attention to the new aerial threat. This granted the forces on the ground some time to gather themselves for a counterattack.
Meanwhile the walkers also turned their cannon skyward to blast the enemy ships. Many of the A-wings began swarming around the walkers, firing and aiming for their legs and joints while their comrades piloting X-wings engaged the enemy fighters. Their blinding speeds proved troublesome for the walkers as they made quick passes while unleashing a volley of fire before veering away at high speeds to prepare for another strike.
The stormtrooper manning the cannons inside one walker growled in frustration as he shot at the enemy fighters. Their speed made them difficult targets as he fired shot after shot while the walker shook and rattled from the return fire.
"Attention all units," came an alert over communications. The gunner paid it little mind as he focused on the fighters swarming his vehicle. "All units, be on the lookout for a Clone Wars era fighter. I repeat, be on the lookout for a Delta 7 Interceptor."
The gunner paused before looking to his comrade in confusion. An old fighter from the days of the Clone Wars? How could such a thing be a threat to a walker and their comrades piloting TIE fighters.
Their silent confusion was cut short as a low whistling noise began to fill the air. They at first mistook for the tell-tale sound of their side's fighters, but they soon realized that wasn't where the sound was emanating from. It began to get higher and louder as they looked around to try and locate the source.
Above the walker a black streak began to descend on it like some kind of flying beast homing in on prey. Inside the pilot took aim, targeting the walker's weak spot before opening fire. A proton torpedo shot out, aim true as it struck the walker in the neck.
Inside the stormtroopers screamed as an explosion rocked the walker. The stormtroopers were deafened by the sound and blinded by the light as a wave of heat washed over them. The walker gave a lurch as its systems began to fail before it collapsed forward while giving off a smokey plume.
The fighter that had taken it out zoomed over its downed form before taking a sharp turn upward at blinding speeds. It fired its cannons as it went, picking off whatever hapless enemy fighter that happened to cross its path.
On the ground the rebels gave a cheer and threw their hands up as they watched the black fighter roar through the air, dominating the sky. Their spirits soared as they watched their savior fly with unparalleled skill.
"All fighters! Take out that Interceptor," came the command over the Imperials' communication. Command knew that fighter all too well. It was quickly becoming burdensome to the Imperials' schemes, scoring their enemies victory after victory and snatching it away nearly anytime it appeared on the scene.
Eliminating it was a top priority. For the fighter had no ordinary pilot.
"Eliminate the Jedi!" came the decisive command.
Immediately several TIE fighters set their sights on the Jedi fighter before breaking away from their previous skirmishes to give chase.
Six Imperial fighters soon began to pursue as it began to fly away from the immediate area. The rebel fighters took note before opening comms to relay the info to the Interceptor's pilot.
"General, you got three eyeballs and three squints on your six," came a voice over the pilot's comm system.
"I'm aware," came the pilot's calm response. He could hear the screaming of the twin ion engines in the background.
"Breaking away to assist sir."
"That won't be necessary," the pilot responded quickly. "I'll handle this myself."
"But sir-"
"Focus on providing support to our forces and taking out those walkers. You have your orders," he cut in firmly.
"Sir yes sir," came the response of one his squad.
With that the pilot gave a smile as he kept straight ahead. A series of beeps sounded inside his cockpit from his droid companion and co-pilot. "Nah, we got this," he said in response. Another series of beeps responded in question. "Yeah I'm sure. I mean there's only six of them."
As his fighter sailed over the icy landscape he spotted a mountain range to his left. He stared at the rare sight on the planet's surface as he began to form a plan. He could spy a dense mist hovering over the peaks and canyons and with a jerk of the controls he sped toward it with his pursuers in tow.
A few miles behind, the Imperial pilots maintained pursuit of their enemy. The faster TIE Interceptors led the chase, followed closely behind by their standard TIE predecessors.
"How is that relic so fast?" one of the Imperial pilots said aloud over their shared comm line.
"Looks heavily modified," another responded in reply.
Ahead the rebel pilot spoke up as he began to fly over the mountain range. "Sharpshot, reduce power to the engines," he said aloud. His droid beeped in response and complied. He felt his fighter slow whilst hearing the sound of the twin ion engines of the enemy ships getting louder as they closed the distance.
Just as he wanted.
As they gained they began to open fire. He watched as a few green laser bolts flashed over his head before directing his fighter into a dive. The TIEs dived after while the ones leading the pack waited for the right moment to fire.
The lead TIE found the air becoming thicker with mist and his sight on the enemy starting to obscure. Still he held the chase, managing to make out the black blur just ahead. He put on speed to get within firing distance and give himself a better visual while pulling ahead of his comrades.
He closed the gap between them as the Jedi fighter came into better view while the surroundings became more and more concealed by the mist. His hands clutched his controls tightly as his thumbs hovered over the triggers as he prepared to fire.
"So long Jedi," he muttered lowly as he smirked beneath his helmet. He could practically hear the praise he was sure to get for being the one to take out this fighter.
Suddenly the Jedi fighter took a sharp turn right. The TIE pilot made to follow, only to spy a pillar of ice coming up fast ahead of him.
Too fast!
With a scream and a desperate jerk of the controls he attempted to avoid the pillar but clipped his left wing. It was torn off, sending him into a wild spin as he screamed his last breath before colliding with a canyon wall.
His comrades only spared his fighter's remains a glance for a brief moment before they resumed focus on the chase.
Another of the TIE Interceptor pilots took the lead. This time maintaining a more wary distance lest he come upon an obstacle he couldn't avoid in time like his comrade.
The Jedi pilot smiled as he maneuvered through the canyon, dropping lower and swerving and weaving his way around hazards he couldn't see but knew to be there. He had the edge here. That's why he'd baited them into this canyon with low visibility. They were hampered by their need to see while he could see without his sight.
The TIE pilots did their best to follow, maneuvering their way around obstacles, albeit with more difficulty than their target. The lead TIE watched as the Jedi fighter made a sudden roll to the left a split second before a jet of water erupted from the ground.
They'd flown so low to the canyon floor that they were right above a series of active volcanic fissures. They began to swerve side to side as more jets of boiling water shot from the ground all around them.
A fissure erupted in front of the lead TIE's path and the boiling water covered his fighter's view port before immediately freezing over.
"I can't see anything!" he shouted in panic as he tried to peer through the layer of ice hampering his view. He began to pull up to leave the canyon that had become a death trap for him when his comrade radioed to him.
"LB-559 don't pull up!"
But the warning came too late as the impaired pilot crashed into an icy peak jutting out of the side of the canyon.
Ahead the Jedi pilot sped on. "Sharpshot, give more power to the engines," he said to his droid companion. The droid beeped in response as his fighter accelerated.
The mist began to lighten and ahead he could make out an icy cliff face. He began pulling up while firing a proton torpedo at the wall in front of him. The torpedo hit the wall and exploded, triggering a massive collapse of rock and ice.
As the TIE fighters made to follow, they were greeted by a rain of gigantic pieces of ice and stone coming at them. The pilot of the TIE Interceptor steered for his life and thanks to the improved performance his TIE model offered fare better than his comrades.
The three TIE behind him maneuvered madly around the rock slide but one wasn't so lucky. He jerked to the right of one piece of the cliff face, only to be met with one that dwarfed it. He screamed in panic before it collided with his fighter and exploded in a fiery flash.
The Jedi continued to climb straight up as he cleared the top of the cliff before pulling back to execute a quick turn to level out. His timing was perfect as the TIE Interceptor came into his cross-hairs, having just cleared the cliff face. He opened fire, blowing it up before barrel rolling to the side to avoid its smokey remains as they began to fall.
The remaining TIE finally came out of their climb before leveling out to pursue. They began to open fire as the Jedi weaved and rolled to avoid as much fire as he could. The green blaster bolts sizzled as they hit his fighter's deflector shields and his droid companion alerted him to their decreasing energy levels.
"Yeah I know," the Jedi said in acknowledgment. His fighter had shields but they were very light, meaning he couldn't afford to take anymore shots.
"On my mark kill the engine. Then when I give the word, turn them back on," he said. His droid beeped in response. He waited for a beat and took a breath. "Now!"
His fighter's engines switched off and the air hit his fighter's broad surface and flung it backward. It went hurtling toward the TIEs that swerved to avoid being hit as it flew right between them.
"Turn them on!" the Jedi shouted. His fighter's engines roared to life a moment later as he quickly resumed control and straightened out.
Now right behind his enemies he opened fire. The TIEs went up in flames as they went spinning to the icy planet in smoldering remains.
The Jedi let out a breath, taking a moment to bask in victory before making a quick rolling turn in the opposite direction to get back to the battlefield.
Back at the battlefield the rebels had managed to fell five of the eight walkers. The rebels' spirits were climbing as they pressed the attack. All defenses were devoted to taking out the remaining walkers as their aerial comrades harassed them from above.
But the walkers were tenacious. Fighting back with powerful weaponry and armor. One walker had its cannons aiming down at the many rebels running around the battlefield. One blast from its laser cannon left craters in the ground and blasted apart even the hardiest fortified defenses as it marched forward relentlessly.
Above, the Jedi fighter had returned. The pilot inside surveyed the situation and deemed it time to join the fight on the ground.
"Alright Sharpshot I'm getting out there," he said aloud as he flipped the fighter over. He looked up, which to him was in the direction of the planet's surface before ejecting. His cockpit opened as he went flying out and downward while his droid companion took full control of the fighter.
The Jedi fell at a dangerous speed, black robes flapping in the wind as he steered himself toward one walker. He set his sights on its head and continued to fall. When he was a few hundred feet above it his flattened himself out and spread his limbs to catch as much air as possible to slow him down. With the added assistance of his powers, he flipped to land on the walker feet first, landing on the walker in a crouch with barely a thump.
Inside the stormtroopers were unaware of their new passenger riding their vehicle aloft, focus on the battle and supporting their ground forces. Suddenly alarms went off as the pressurized cabin was breached and sparks went flying as they looked up to see something cutting through the top of their walker.
Meanwhile another walker was blasting a trail toward a group of fleeing rebels while a squad of snowtroopers followed behind to push the offensive. The rebels dived into a trench and stayed down to avoid the assault.
The walker kept its attack up before being blasted in the side with a sudden series of blasts that began rocking the entire vehicle. The driver turned his head to locate the source of the attack to find a different walker firing upon them.
He quickly surmised it had been commandeered by the enemy before making a turn so they could return fire. But the enemy walker's heavy cannons began to fire. The heavy blasts pierced the thick armor, damaging essential systems before striking the head.
The squad of snowtroopers ceased their rush as they turned to see the walker that had been supporting them going up in flames and toppling over, collapsing forward with a loud screech before hitting the ground with a rumble.
Explosions drew their attention as another walker began to go up in smoke, with blast coming from inside all over its form for falling forward like some enormous animal. But not before something leapt out the hole in its head.
As it hit the ground it kicked up a snowy white mist that blocked it from view. But as the wind blew, they could see the dark silhouette of a person standing before the walker like some ancient warrior of legend standing before a great slain beast, and faint green glow beside it.
Then a gust blew the mist away to reveal a man standing before them. Clad in black from his robes to his armor, and a spiked black helmet that concealed his eyes.
They knew immediately what stood before them. A survivor of the Jedi purge and the fall of the Republic, a general in the Rebel Alliance, known as the unholy offspring of lightning and death during his days in the Clone Wars, and one of the most wanted beings in the entire galaxy.
Before them stood the one known as Hiccup, Jedi Knight of the Republic, leader of Dragon Squadron, enemy of the Empire, and their doom.
chapter 1 finito