Chapter 4
DWOO! DWOO! DWOO! A shuttle blasts the doorway, pinning the imperials at the main entrance of the primary docking bay. Hovering a dozen paces above the deck, its thrusters flare. Swaying side to side, it wisely remains a moving target. More pirates fire from behind crates, trapping the imperials in a bottleneck that neutralizes their numbers and skill.
The primary docking bay is a vast chamber with a multitude of hanger doors leading to armories, ships, and depots. Utterly utilitarian, neither wasteful nor aesthetically pleasing, the squared and grey room is brightly lit. The pirates stacked crates to create semi-circle barricades, barring access from the multiple entrances. As the primary deployment hanger, an enormous entrance is centered in the floor, where everything from infantry, walkers, and shuttles can arrive or depart. A blue light around the hanger door indicates the magnetic field is active.
The Grand Commander leans in, unleashing his rotary blaster. Whuuuah-to-to-to-to! The barrage scars the face of the shuttle causing the pilot to veer off before returning fire. Blasts scorch the wall he hides behind before many more bolts soar through the corridor. The commander jerks back, bumping into another imperial. The pirates counterattack, firing on the imperials in the hall, killing one and wounding another. Gary grabs the wounded trooper, dragging him out of the center, and Agent Windsor examines his wound.
"I can still fight," the trooper assures them.
"This is intolerable!" Captain Shilling complains.
"Get out of the center!" The commander snarls at the stormtroopers. "Take cover!"
"Should we charge, sir?"
"Absolutely not," the commander growls as blasts flood the hall. He presses deeper into the corner. "Even if we can bring down the shuttle, we'll lose too many in the rush."
He peeks, receiving more blaster fire before jerking back, over a dozen pirates throughout the main shuttle bay support the shuttle. Undisciplined but not inexperienced, they remain safe behind cover. The commander considers his options when an astromech arrives, beeping away.
Gary translates, "He says the control room has only one pirate."
"Who has experience with shuttle operations?" The commander demands.
Captain Shilling raises his hand before suggesting. "Should we vent the bay?"
"Not a bad idea," the commander admits, peeking again. "But that doesn't deal with the shuttle. Plus, we'll get locked out. Gary, have you ever piloted an AT-ST?"
"Uhh, no," he shakes his head.
"W-what can an AT-ST do in the shuttle bay?" Shilling demands.
"First time for everything," the commander insists. "Take the astromech, he'll pilot, you shoot. Captain Shilling, secure shuttle operation first, and keep the droid up front."
Boowwbeeep whaaa? The droid retreats before bumping into Gary.
"You want the droid to take point?" Gary asks skeptically. "He um, isn't enthused."
"I want him scanning side by side with the point man, working together." The Grand Commander replies, peeking at the pirates again as another round of blasts hits the doorway. "The Thalassians are nasty as they come, if there's only one, they may have left traps, an ambush, or they're stretched thin. His scanners may catch it before anyone sees it."
Gary rises, but Shilling presses, "But why the AT-ST? Can't we just flank them?"
The commander turns sharply, annoyed at the delay, before calming. "There's no guarantee the tractor beam will work, or they haven't sabotaged the controls, or another shuttle may attack. We can't lock ourselves to one plan, captain; we need to be flexible and have backups in place. But I'm glad you asked, Gary, go in set to stun."
"Stun!" Captain Shilling exclaims.
The commander ignores him, "…a stray shot could ruin everything. Captain, seize that shuttle with the tractor beam, turn it around, and force it to the deck. They may open a hatch and fire at you but don't get distracted. Don't forget to open the bay to the walkers."
"What if they retreat into the walker bay when I open the door?" Shilling asks.
The Grand Commander glares, letting his impatience show. He points at the astromech. "The AT-ST will step on them. Besides, I hope they flee. It's easier to shoot a retreating enemy than one returning fire from behind cover. You four, go too, set for stun."
The commander points at several idle troopers; they join the team instantly. The captain opens his mouth with another question but the commander roars, "Go!"
They salute before withdrawing; meanwhile, more survivors from Endor arrive in small groups. "You, you, and you peel off and join that squad. Reposition to the secondary entrance, distract them, but don't put yourselves at risk!"
"Yes sir!"
Mixed squads arrive full of technicians, troopers, and every imaginable imperial organization. Most are Endor survivors or their allies, while others fled or were swept up by the commander's troops. Those without helmets bear steely gazes, unshaken by the pirates. The Inevitable troops appear terrified, pale, and shaken. Shoulder to shoulder with veterans, the green soldiers steel themselves, doing their best to mimic the battle-hardened survivors.
Soon, his mixed squads spread to other entrances, forcing the pirate defenders to split their fire. The shuttle swings constantly, dividing its attention to hold the imperials in place.
When lighter squads arrive without armor or blaster carbines, the commander sends them to reinforce Shilling. The rest he shifts to other entrances, until the arrival of Swanson. The dungeoneer and his black-uniformed guards quickly switch positions for the assault.
"What's taking so long?" Someone demands.
"Hold!" the commander orders sternly. "Maintain discipline."
"I miss my armor," Swanson complains.
"I remember when you complained it's slow and cumbersome," the commander chuckles.
Crouched against the wall and guarded by a pair of stormtroopers, Agent Windsor admits, "I said, 'We only use it when necessary'. Sometimes I hate it when you're right."
Blaster fire bombards the hallway, forcing them all to push deeper behind cover. The sudden attack tenses everyone, forcing silence and anxiety as the pirates and their shuttle concentrate their fire. Swanson laughs suddenly, revealing his pitched giggle, completely out of place for him. It breaks the tension, even as the blasts flood the hallway. "I used to complain about how boring Endor was, 'I want some adventure'. Boy, I'd love to go back to that."
"Embrace the challenge. You won't always be guarding empty cells."
"Way to ruin a nice moment, sir," Iona replies quietly.
He looks at her, meeting her cold gaze, softening around her eyes with a look to the troops. Only now realizing Swanson was reliving tension. The Grand Commander examines his forces; his survivors are stern and ready. The Inevitable's troops aren't. They're wide-eyed and on the verge of breaking. His focus on the pirates blinded him to it. The commander yells, "Focus! Harden your hearts. It gets worse before it gets better but victory will be OURS!"
His communicator beeps, and the commander says, "Go ahead."
"We have the shuttle control station," Captain Shilling tells him. "Gary and the droid are at the walker. I'm seizing the shuttle now."
The commander hits his comm, yelling, "Stand by for suppression fire!"
The pirate shuttle suddenly freezes, seized by the tractor beam. Ever so slowly, with its thrusters flaring angrily, the shuttle turns. Shaking violently, spitefully, the cannons fire at anything it can hit. Finally, against its pilot's will, it turns away from their entrances.
"FIRE!" The commander roars, unleashing his rotary blaster into the pirates directly in front of the door. It spits bolts faster than anyone can react, forcing the pirates to huddle behind the crates. Before any other raiders can counterattack, the other teams pound their positions, not accurately but in volume. The commander yells, "Shilling! Open the walker door!"
"Are you sure-"
"NOW!" He shouts. A moment later the massive door rises, revealing a waiting AT-ST. A towering spindly-legged bipedal walker enters with its iconic jerky gait, its center cannon blasting pirate barricades. DO-do! DO-do! As panic grips them, the pirates retreat from the door, hiding by the shuttles. The commander rises from behind cover, motioning, "Push forward!"
His troops enter in static battle lines, steadily driving the pirates further back. Rapid cannon fire from the AT-ST obliterates their defensive positions. Imperials fall but so many more pirates die leading to a rout. Thalassians flee in every direction, and a few desperate souls rush the AT-ST, racing between its legs. Then the walker turns, its foot squishing one into a gruesome smear, breaking the pirates. Several throw down their weapons and surrender instantly. More still die but after the moment of fury, the troopers pause, looking at the Grand Commander.
He shakes his head, and his stormtroopers execute the Thalassians.
The shuttle's rear door opens and a pirate fires on the shuttle operations. The commander lowers his rotary blaster and switches to his carbine. Following his own orders, he switches to stun and nails the pirate. The raider falls out of the shuttle, straight through the docking bay doors just below. He passes through the magnetic barrier and the vacuum kills him instantly.
Against its will, the ship lowers, and with the rear door open the commander sees an opportunity. Sprinting across the distance he lunges, landing a little uncertainly, but grabbing the shuttle's hull. He steps inside, as the co-pilot charges from his seat. The hefty Thalassian slugs the commander, sending him reeling into the side. The pirate grabs him but the commander shoves off the wall, slamming the pirate into the opposite side. The Thalassian reaches for his pistol but the commander punches him, and then kicks his feet out. The Thalassian slams into the deck, and the commander notices the pilot drawing his pistol and aiming.
Lightning quick and smooth as a dancer, a stormtrooper rolls into the shuttle, wielding a pistol and stunstick. Simutaneously he stuns the fallen pirate the commander, and shoots the pilot. Without missing a beat, the trooper passes the commander and shuts down the shuttle. The tractor beam deposits them nearby, where more troopers wait.
"Serrano?" The commander calls the trooper, remembering the royal guardsman he fought beside on Endor. "We'll get you back in red soon, brother."
"I'll serve however or wherever needed, sir," he replies simply.
"That's what makes you the best of us."
Agent Windsor waits at the shuttle door and Captain Shilling joins them soon afterward.
"Let's do this," the captain urges nervously.
"No," the commander counters harshly, then moderates his tone. "We organize and form ranks first. All spacetroopers and those with heavy armor training follow them to the main armory! You too, Swanson and Serrano! Hustle! All certified pilots form a line here."
Over a dozen troopers run to the armory; meanwhile, he forcefully points along the side of the hanger nearest to the shuttle bay doors. After a moment's pause, Agent Windsor leads the pilot reserves to the line. Then the commander yells, "Everyone with any pilot training, form a line behind them. Next, those with gunnery training, form a third rank! MOVE IT!"
At first, it's chaos, Imperials of every rank and position rush to follow his orders. They collide, bumping and jostling each other sourly, jockeying for position. The initial mess evaporates as three solid lines form. Then the commander orders, "Pilots! Choose your co-pilot and gunners quickly, then take a ship with shields and guns. Move!"
"Shuttle control?" He calls.
Silence, then Captain Shilling admits, "There's no one up there."
The commander spins, glaring at the officer. "You left it unsecured?"
"Well, you needed us down here. We killed the Thalassians, why would we leave anyone up there?" The commander stares in disbelief at Captain Shilling, leaving the officer uncomfortable. "I mean, I c-can go back up there. It's not a big deal."
"Who has operations experience?" The commander roars. Two technicians among the piloting group raise their hands, while a third separates from the remaining imperials. He points at the third, then a stormtrooper nearby. "You, take command of shuttle operations, you go with her. From now on, no one moves alone until we secure the Inevitable. We took operations, we can lose it too! Nothing is secure until everything is secure, until the Inevitable is secure! Go!"
The pair sprint to the door, and moments later wave from the window. The Grand Commander orders, "Open everything! All doors and chambers, open them up!"
Magnetic fields cease humming, and loud mechanical locks clunk, as several titanic doors rise and reveal an arsenal of shuttles and assault craft. Three winged lambda shuttles are the most common, with a few sentinels, and even a single Zeta heavy transport waiting in a corner, half-forgotten. On the opposite side, both four-legged All-Terrain Assault Transports and the smaller All-Terrain Scout Transports. A handful of squat K79-S80s sit idle, the most common imperial hover transport. Against a wall, an enormous HAV A juggernaut waits for troopers.
The Grand Commander can't help but stare, fond memories flood through him at the sight of the war machine. Shaking it off, he yells, "You have your orders! Choose a shuttle with shields and cannons; launch, and support your brothers and sisters! For the Empire!"
"For the Empire!" They roar as they race for their vessels.
"The rest of you," the commander motions. "Follow me!"
Less than half of the troopers that entered the docking bay race to join him as he approaches the main armory. To his annoyance, Captain Shilling follows him after motioning for his crew to wait. Agent Windsor orders her crew into the Zeta, then follows as well. Gary climbs out of the AT-ST and lowers himself to the ground with an ascension cable.
"C-commander, I don't," Shilling huffs as he walks, struggling to keep up with the commander. "I don't know how you'll unlock the armory. Only, only the admiral has the code."
Several stormtroopers wait at the entrance to the armory alongside Swanson and Serrano. The distinction between them and the standard imperial troopers couldn't be more pronounced. Their weapons are primed and their armor immaculate, not a single one below the rank of sergeant. Each holds their blasters comfortably as if born to it, none of the jitters or uncertainty lies among them. They are spacetroopers, highly decorated, and by far one of the most elite units within the Empire. Even Swanson seems unnerved by them.
The commander pulls a code cylinder from his belt. Gary spots it, "You still have that?"
"What is it? Where'd you get that?" Captain Shilling's eyes narrow suspiciously.
"The code cylinder from the Emperor," Windsor notes. "Do you think it still works?"
He inserts it into the panel and punches a button, lights flicker before the locks release and the door hisses open. Surprised looks pass among the imperials.
"Mount up! Get your gear and your armor. Everyone wears a helmet! Move it!"
"What? How?" Shilling says breathlessly. Then he realizes, "With that…you. You could have left the cells at any time. You could have seized the ship. What…why stay confined?"
"Serrano. Gary," the commander calls. "Why'd I stay in the cells?"
In unison, they chant, "A good soldier follows orders, sir."
"Damn right," the commander replies. He pulls the captain closer to Agent Windsor, reminding them. "You have your orders. Save our fighters, we have preciously few left. The shuttles are sluggish compared to fighters, switch your deflectors to double front, and head straight at them. Pirates are vain, they'll flee or they'll accept the challenge."
Agent Windsor nods, then salutes. Captain Shilling absently echoes her before returning to the shuttles. Already engines roar as one rises, then another, exiting the star destroyer.
"Sir!" The spacetrooper lieutenant calls. "You can take my armor. Unfortunately, only twelve of us are left. We were twenty but some followed the traitor and others died ingloriously."
"Negative, I'll take another and assign a suit to Swanson and those with training."
"Sir?" The lietuenant flinches. "They haven't earned Zero-G assault trooper armor."
"I understand lieutenant, but we don't have the six to eight months for training and a probationary period. They're loyal and willing to serve, we're lucky to have them. Split your forces into two teams. Half will join the defense with Serrano, Captain Keel, and you. The other half will hunt pirates independently."
Serrano reappears, now wearing his ceremonial royal guard armor. Every last imperial stiffens in his presence, standing just a little taller. "What about the second half, sir?"
"They're coming with me to take the battlecruiser."