Chapter 13: A Battle and Two Meetings
"YEEHOO!"
As an XS Stock light freighter's laser cannons destroyed another Imperial Interceptor, the Captain of the freighter, who'd recently received the callsign "Ace", couldn't contain himself as he let out a cheer. 'Man, this will never get old.'
Even in his earliest memories, the Captain had always loved the thought of flying and space travel. Stealing your first ship when you're only fourteen years old to become a smuggler might seem like the start of many bad choices for some, but for the Captain, it was easily the best decision he'd ever made. 'I still miss her.' The Captain thinks, remembering his first ship fondly before putting his hand on top of the console in front of him. 'But don't worry girl. From now on, you're the only one for me.'
He always knew he loved the old freighter since the day he first laid eyes on her, even if she did have a few issues from time to time, but the Captain hadn't really considered how much until that Hutt slime Skavak stole her back on Ord Mantell. It was the first time in years he'd actually felt truly lost. Yeah he'd worked with Viidu, Corso, and a few others to track her down, but it still wasn't something he wanted to go through ever again. 'But now you're back, Skavak Is probably stuck with some random piece of junk that isn't even half as good as you, and we're going after lost treasure. What more could such a handsome and talented guy ask for?'
As if answering his question, three more Imperial Interceptors showed up on his scanners flying towards him and opening fire. The Captain could see the incoming fighters from the cockpit's viewport and he wondered if the Imperials had something against colors since their ships were always either gray or black. 'Wouldn't surprise me. They hate pretty much everything else already, why not add color to the list?'
To be fair, the Captain wasn't exactly the biggest fan of the Republic either. Both sides were corrupt and had plenty of people in power who were willing to do just about anything to hang onto that power, but those in the Empire took it to a totally different level. He remembered hearing an old rumor at a cantina once that the people sent to Korriban were either eaten by the monsters that lived there or ate the monsters themselves only to become different kinds of monsters and, to this day, the Captain didn't know how serious the guy was when he said it or how true the rumor actually was.
So no, he didn't have any problems with giving the Empire a few thumps on the head from time to time. There was also the added bonus that the Republic was paying him for this and money was always nice.
Spinning to avoid the incoming lasers, the Captain grinned as he returned fire. By now, the Interceptors were too close to take any meaningful evasive maneuvers and the freighter's lasers tore into the enemy ships, causing all three to explode and be reduced to smoke and debris. The Captain and his companion both let out a cheer.
"That was some fine shooting, Captain!" Corso Riggs, the farm boy from Ord Mantell and now the Captain's unofficial co-pilot, shouted from one of the two co-pilot seats in the cockpit as he raised a fist into the air.
"Try not to celebrate too early, Corso. You too, Captain. The battle's just getting started." Risha said from the other co-pilot seat as she gave the farm boy a look that had his smile and his fist dropping.
Try as he might, the Captain still couldn't quite figure out what Risha's deal was. The beautiful lady seemed perfectly alright with remaining a complete mystery, even though she'd been an unofficial crew member ever since he found her in the cargo hold with all her weird junk a few months back.
Though he had been able to figure a few things out about her. The first and most obvious was that she had a tongue sharper than a vibroblade, as he'd found out multiple times during their time together. The second was that she was the most talented starship mechanic he'd ever met. The prototype engine from Nar Shaddaa should have taken at least a week to install but Risha had it ready to go in just two days!
The biggest thing he learned was that Risha definitely had something to hide and that it had something to do with Nok Drayen's lost treasure. She'd told him right in the beginning that she was after something personal and the money didn't mean anything to her and he believed her on that much since he'd offered to pay her more than once for her help and so far she'd always declined. But what was she after or why? Still no clue. 'And I get the funny feeling she won't feel like sharing any time soon.'
His ship told him this wasn't the time as her console started beeping, warning him that one of the smaller cruisers was closing in on him. Seeing the much larger ship moving towards him with so many more cannons and stronger forward shields made the Captain wonder why he'd accepted this job in the first place. 'Oh right, credits.'
Honestly, in most cases, the Captain probably would have passed on this job but they really did need the credits. They used up quite a bit of fuel after they'd gone out of their way to respond to a distress beacon. 'Or rather I did, as Risha will no doubt remind me again sometime soon.' The Captain thought, just barely resisting the urge to groan.
Because no, the distress beacon wasn't a distress beacon at all. Oh no, instead it turned out to be one of Skavak's crazy ex-girlfriends who tried to kill him in an effort to win back Skavak's non-existent heart. She failed and then it quickly got awkward when Skavak hung up on her and she started crying. So, just like any proper gentleman would, he chose that moment to excuse himself and got the heck out of there.
Risha had warned him beforehand not to respond to the beacon and she'd been relentless with her 'I told you so' reminders ever since. The Captain had hoped that taking this job would cause her to let up some, but his hopes had been in vain as Risha once again objected, calling it a waste of time and insisting they just continue on and head to Tatooine for their next delivery.
But… Being the Captain did have its perks. One of them was being able to ignore or overrule the suggestions of the crew and he'd done just that. 'Now all I need to do is take down that wounded beast and its payday.'
The 'wounded beast' in question was a damaged Imperial destroyer commanded by some bloodthirsty Imperial who decided to ignore borders and attack a Republic fleet only to run away with his tail between his legs when things didn't go his way. He probably would have gotten away if he hadn't destroyed two Republic ships before fleeing. Now the Republic were the bloodthirsty ones and they'd sent out a message for all nearby ships to assist in crippling the warship so it could be boarded and its commander captured or, if that wasn't an option, finish off the destroyer for good. With the promise of a generous amount of credits to any ships that answered the call.
So answer the call the Captain did.
Finding the warship after dropping out of hyperspace over the planet Makem Te had been easy. The ship had been attempting to hide in the planet's upper atmosphere but was unable to hide its energy signatures from scanners due to the damage it had sustained.
After that the Captain, along with the small Republic fleet that had been chasing the warship, closed in on their target. Unfortunately it seemed the Imperials had gotten a little help of their own as the warship was being protected by about a half dozen smaller Terminus-class destroyers and around a hundred or so fighters.
Now, the Captain's ship was the only one still closing in on the warship as the rest of the Republic's ships were busy with the scattered enemy fighters and four of the smaller destroyers with another one bearing down on his freighter and the last was staying close to the warship, likely to provide support. 'Not that it'll help much.' The Captain thought as he headed straight towards the incoming destroyer.
"Uh, Captain?" Corso said, sounding concerned.
"I got this." The captain replied with a grin on his face.
The destroyer was almost in range.
"Captain."
"I got this."
The destroyer entered firing range and its turbolasers took aim at the freighter.
"Captain!"
"I got this."
The turbolasers opened fire.
"CAPTAIN!"
At the last possible moment before the freighter would have been vaporized, the Captain killed the ship's engines and the freighter dropped out of the way of the incoming lasers. Before the enemy gunners could readjust, the engines were reengaged and the freighter shot straight up towards the destroyer when it was directly overhead and opened fire on the ship's engines. Since the enemy destroyer had routed power to the forward shields, there was nothing to stop the lasers from impacting the engines and they quickly caused the destroyer's engines to go up in a giant ball of flames.
Since the ship was in the planet's atmosphere and now without its engines, the only thing left to guide it was gravity. This time it was the destroyer that was beginning to drop but, unlike the freighter, the Captain knew the destroyer wouldn't be coming back any time soon and he looked over and gave Corso a smirk. "I told you, I got this." He said as the farm boy just sighed and muttered something under his breath that the Captain didn't catch while Risha just rolled her eyes. The Captain just chuckled before turning his attention back to the main prize, now dead ahead with nothing left to protect it but a single escort ship and a few fighters.
Then, without warning, the freighter quickly ascended. Before either Corso or Risha could ask, another enemy fighter blasted right where the ship had been just a moment before and it and the shots it fired flew past them harmlessly.
Bringing the ship back down, the Captain got the fighter in his sights and returned fire. His lasers hit the enemy fighter dead on and turned the Interceptor into a cloud of fire, smoke, and metal debris.
"Uh, Captain. I didn't see that fighter on the radar. How'd you know to dodge it?" Corso asked. He'd seen the Captain do similar maneuvers before but he never had the chance to ask about them before now.
"Good luck and fast reflexes, what else?" The Captain asked in turn with his usual cocky attitude and Corso just shook his head and turned his attention back to the battle. Risha hadn't said anything but the Captain could feel her eyes on him as he himself turned back to the battle. 'No question she thinks I'm lying, but I'm not. Not really. Well… not entirely.'
In truth, it wasn't really a lie. He'd always had good instincts when behind the helm of a ship, but deep down the Captain knew there was more to it. It was always faint but he always got a… feeling whenever something bad was about to happen and he always just seemed to know how to respond to said feeling whenever it came. He didn't know if there was any proper way to describe it and he'd never been curious enough to try and find out more about it and just counted himself lucky that it had saved his butt on so many occasions. 'Well, it is a butt worth saving after all.'
Before he could chuckle at his personal joke, the console before him started beeping and Risha spoke up. "Don't look now Captain, but it seems some big bad Republic Officer wants a word." She said in her usual mocking tone. Risha never made any effort to disguise her dislike of any and all authority figures, no matter what side they were on.
Accepting the incoming call revealed that Risha was correct. A young man in a Republic uniform stood at attention and only seemed to become more stiff when he started speaking. "Ace, these cruisers are giving us some trouble but we should be able to deal with them and reinforce you for an attack on the Imperial destroyer." The Officer stated.
The Captain gave another grin. "Thanks, but I'm pretty sure that the destroyer's on its last legs. I think I can take it down myself."
Normally, not even the Captain would have made such a boast when going up against an Imperial warship. However, this one did appear to be just barely holding on with multiple fires visible across its hull, several of its turbolasers destroyed, and scans indicating that its shields were minimal at best. 'This old girl should be more than a match for that oversize scrap pile.'
"Ace, you should not-"
"Sir!" Another voice shouted in the background, causing the Republic officer's holo to turn. "We have another ship dropping out of hyperspace!"
"Reinforcements?"
"No sir, Imperial signature." The voice corrected.
The Officer cursed. "Blast! We don't have the numbers to deal with another destroyer!" He shouted.
"It's not a destroyer, sir. It appears to be only a single fighter." The background voice declared and, even with his back to him, the Captain could see the Officer relax quickly.
"Just one fighter, huh?" The officer questioned before nodding. "Probably just some scout fighter that happened to be nearby and received the imps distress call. Shouldn't be a problem." The Officer said before returning his attention to the Captain. "Ace, we'll finish the remaining Imperial ships then assist you with the destroyer." The officer stated, his holo disappearing before the Captain could respond.
The Captain just hummed. "Well, I guess-"
He cut himself off as the feeling returned, worse this time and far worse than any time he'd ever felt it before. It was so bad it actually made the Captain's hands start shaking. When he realized it, his grip on the controls tightened.
"Captain?" Risha questioned, her sharp eyes quickly noticing his discomfort. "Something wrong?" He shook his head at her words but, try as he might, when he turned to look at Risha he couldn't even manage a slight smile and his worried expression immediately caused Risha's expression to become deadly serious. "What is it?" She demanded.
He opened his mouth but no words came out. Now Corso was looking back and forth between Risha and the Captain with a worried look of his own. After a few more seconds of silence, the Captain finally spoke.
"Risha, I think you might've been right. We probably shouldn't have taken this job." His words were joking, but there was no humor in his voice, on his face, or in his eyes as he turned his attention back to the flaming destroyer in the distance.
'I have a really bad feeling about this.'
Fury-class Imperial Interceptor…
Rhal was very pleased with his new ship which he'd named the Dark Nova.
As an Interceptor it was obviously built as a fighter, but since it was a Fury class it could be used and modified for many different purposes. Since he'd just received the ship, Rhal didn't have a chance to install any of his own enhancements yet, but he was pleased to discover that his instructions for how he wanted his ship to be built had been implemented.
Most Fury Interceptors were a dull black and gray. The Dark Nova was all black and its armor shined like the kind of starship that royals would use. However, unlike most royal starships, Rhal's ship was very much built for war with heavy laser cannons, missile pods, strong shields for protection, and light armor for greater speed.
The inside had also had some modifications made, mostly in the cargo bay. The area was wide open to have extra space for cargo and enough room for sparring and other forms of training during long space travel.
The rest of the ship had all the usual amenities. A standard holoterminal, an Imperial Holonet console, sleeping quarters, one for the Captain and one for any crew members, a conference room, a small medical facility, and an emergency escape pod. 'I'll still need to make quite a few adjustments before the Dark Nova's everything I need it to be.'
Despite his thoughts, Rhal was already very impressed with his new ship. It handled very well and it had been easy to adjust the controls to his preference. It also appeared to have been fast enough to reach the battle in time to assist. "Commander, give me the status of the battle." He said to Commander Jakker, who was sitting in one of the two co-pilot seats while Rhal himself had control of the ship.
The Commander was silent for a few moments as he looked over what information their scanners could provide. "It doesn't look good, my Lord. The Overlord is heavily damaged and appears to be just barely hanging on. Its escort is all but destroyed with three Terminus plummeting to the planet with the other two having sustained serious damage against the enemy fleet. The last one is undamaged and staying close to the Overlord." Jakker reported.
"Fighters?"
Another slight pause. "There appears to be about twenty to thirty left, but they're all scattered trying to deal with the Republic forces."
"And the status of the enemy forces?"
"Three Republic corvettes with only slight damage, about twenty fighters, and what appears to be an old freighter headed for the Overlord. The rest of the ships are currently occupied by Imperial forces but it's clear the Republic has the advantage." The Commander informed him, his tone making it clear that he wasn't pleased by what he was seeing.
This time it was Rhal who paused as he quickly considered his options. Nodding, he turned back to face an astromech droid on the console behind him. "X2, identify the two nearest friendly fighters to this ship then open a private communication channel with both." He ordered, to which the droid beeped an affirmative before doing as instructed.
Astromech droids were always useful, but the X2-C3 model was the best currently available in the Empire. So, naturally, Rhal had requested one be included aboard his ship. He'd also received a standard 2V-R8 factotum droid as well, but had quickly shut it down due to the irritating personality it had been programmed with and was already planning to adjust it once he returned to Dromund Kaas.
Seeing two fighters identify numbers appear in front of him as well as the opening of a communication line, Rhal spoke. "Imperial fighter 1977 and fighter 1138, this is Fury Interceptor Dark Nova. Form up on my wings, attack formation." Rhal ordered.
"We have our orders from Moff Jocend. What's your rank, pilot?" One of the pilots asked, though it was more out of confusion than irritation. Instead of responding, Rhal grabbed one of his lightsabers off his belt and activated it close enough to the comm so he was sure the pilots would hear it. There was a pause. "Understood, my Lord. Forming up now." The pilot from before said and, a few moments later, Rhal's ship had a fighter escort forming up on it. It might not be necessary, but three ships were better than just one.
Once the fighters were in formation, Rhal spoke again. "Prepare to focus fire on the enemy cruisers and leave any fighters to me. Target the ship's engines and turbolasers."
"Yes, my Lord." Was the response from both of his escorts. Then the three ships were moving towards the enemy ships.
Their first target didn't even seem to see them coming. The Republic corvette was locked in battle with one of the Terminus cruisers and Rhal could see that the Imperial ship likely wouldn't last much longer. 'Not without help anyway.' Rhal thought as he did one last quick check of his weapon systems and nodded when everything seemed to be in working order.
The enemy corvette was facing away from them so Rhal and his escorts were heading straight for the ship's engines. Rhal started locking onto each of the ship's individual engines and, when the lock was confirmed, launched several missiles towards the ship with his escorts doing the same barely a moment later.
The explosions were magnificent. The Republic corvette, which just a moment ago seemed to be on the verge of scoring a victory by destroying an Imperial ship, had had its engines turned into a massive fireball as what appeared to be the entire rear of the ship burst into flames from the multiple missiles. Rhal was also pleased to note that several of the ship's turbolasers had also stopped firing and he guessed that the ship's main reactor had been damaged. 'Excellent. But I'll take no chances.'
Rhal flew closer to the now flaming corvette and opened fire on its hull, focusing on any and all weapon emplacements he could see, causing several smaller explosions along the ship. He could also sense the confusion, fear, and death coming from the doomed ship and used it to fuel his own power and sharpen his senses.
As they flew away from the ship, Rhal didn't need Jakker to tell him that the corvette was finished. The Dark Nova and its escorts had clearly destroyed the engines along with several of the ship's other critical systems and Rhal knew that the doomed ship would either explode due to the damage or perish when it descended to the planet surface.
Now onto target number two.
Unlike the first one, this corvette is very much aware of the three incoming fighters and had already turned its attention away from the nearby Terminus and towards them. Its turbolasers opened fire on Rhal and his escorts as soon as they were in range.
"Spread out and take evasive action." Rhal said calmly, more calmly than most others would have in such a situation. However, Rhal had complete control of both his ship and the situation as he expertly avoided all the incoming fire and he sensed his two escorts were doing the same as they continued closing in on their target.
Since the corvette was facing them this time, Rhal couldn't target the engines so instead focused on the nearest turbolasers on his first pass. The Dark Nova's guns found their marks and a good portion of the enemy ship was consumed by flames and destruction.
As he spun around for another pass, Rhal saw that his escorts had done their fair share of damage as well. The corvette appeared to have lost almost all of its turbolasers and had pretty much been reduced to an unarmed transport ship. It certainly didn't pose any further threat.
But these were still Republic ships and, no matter their reasons, they were in Imperial controlled space now. Their presence would not be tolerated and Rhal was not going to allow them to escape. "Escorts, change of target. On the next pass focus fire on the enemy bridge." He commanded, already locking onto the badly damaged ship's bridge.
"Acknowledged." His two escorts replied as they closed in on the damaged ship.
"My Lord." Jakker said suddenly, turning to face him. "The enemy ship is hailing us." He informed him.
"Ignore them." Rhal said, never taking his eyes off the Republic ship. A moment later his lock was confirmed and he launched his missiles. Like with the previous ship's engines, his escorts launched their missiles at about the same time.
The explosion wasn't as big as the one that had destroyed the last ship's engines, but it was no less destructive as the corvette's bridge and its command crew went up in smoke. But it didn't stop there as a chain reaction started causing more explosions within the ship and after just a few seconds, the Republic corvette completely exploded in one of the biggest explosions Rhal had seen yet. 'But it's still not over.' Rhal thought as he turned his attention back to the last corvette. He was also pleased to see that the majority of the remaining Imperial forces were also heading for the last Republic cruiser, though he knew that he and his escorts would reach it first.
'And when we do, we'll finish this.'
Meanwhile, aboard the Captain's freighter…
"Ace! We need you back here now!" The Officer screamed, literally screamed at him as soon as the Captain answered the emergency holo.
This would usually be the part where the Captain would make some sort of witty reply, but the bad feeling from earlier was still present and just gave a simple answer. "I'm on my way." He said as he turned his freighter away from the destroyer and started making his way back towards the Republic ships.
A part of him didn't want to. A part of him was telling him to just finish the mission, take out the destroyer, and then get out and get paid before the Empire sent more ships after him. However, a greater part of him was telling him that he couldn't just leave those people to die, especially since he somehow knew they would die if he chose not to do anything. So he made his way back towards the fight. Or rather, what had once been a fight as he saw that the battle had taken a major turn in the Empire's favor since he last saw it.
Before, the Republic ships had the Empire's on the ropes with about half destroyed and the other half about to go down with them. But looking at the battle before him now, the Captain could tell that now the Republic were the ones on the ropes with one of the corvette's he'd seen had been reduced to falling debris another was just burning and falling and the last was struggling with Imperial fighters while the two remaining Imperial cruisers, despite being heavily damaged, were also closing in on the now lone corvette. 'I don't need to be a Jedi to see how this is gonna go.' The Captain thought as he considered his options.
The two Imperial cruisers were on their last legs and the Captain was confident he could take them out easily enough. The problem was that, even if he did, it wouldn't be enough to save the corvette from the Imperial fighters that were slowly chipping away at its defenses. 'Fighters it is.' He decided, swing the ship towards the nearest group.
Four enemy fighters were flying in a triangle formation and looked to be targeting one of the corvette's shield generators. The freighter's guns opened fire and destroyed two of the fighters quickly, but the other two broke off in separate directions.
Rather than choose, the Captain turned his attention towards another three fighters flying in a similar formation coming towards him, their green lasers already firing. The freighter spun wildly, avoiding the incoming attack and retaliating with lasers of its own, destroying the lead fighter and causing it to spin out of control into one of its escorts. The last fighter sped past the freighter, choosing to ignore it in favor of the damaged corvette. 'Big mistake there, pal.' The Captain thinks as he pursues the fighter, locking on and preparing to finish it off with a missile.
Right before the lock could be confirmed, the feeling returned again and, as hard as he could, he pulled the ship up to avoid the attack he knew was coming. He was able to avoid most of the incoming lasers, but not all as he felt several shots impact the ship.
As he spun, he got a glimpse of the ships that hit him as they flew past. Two appeared to be the same as all the other fighters he'd shot down today, but the third was different. The third had a different design from the other fighters but still appeared to be some sort of Interceptor and, while the other ships were colored a dull black and gray, this one was a shiny all black paint job and the Captain had no doubt that whoever was piloting it was definitely someone dangerous and likely the same someone who'd given him such a bad feeling earlier. The Captain spins the freighter back around, expecting the fighters to do the same and attack again.
But they don't and the Captain watches in horror as the three fighters launch a volley of missiles at the corvette, striking the bridge. An emergency Republic transmission comes through a moment later and it's the same Officer. "Retreat! All remaining Republic forces retreat! The battle is-" The Officer's words were interrupted as the entire holo filled with smoke and the corvette itself exploded in a blinding flash of light.
The Captain closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. He did all he could. He knew that but it didn't make his failure any easier to swallow. For a moment, he considers continuing the battle despite the Officer's final orders, then quickly dismisses the idea.
With the cruisers gone, the only Republic forces left were a handful of fighters and they were already flying away from the battle, hoping to escape before being destroyed by the Empire's forces. So, with a feeling of defeat and resignation in his stomach, the Captain begins flying his freighter away from the battle. He worries for a moment that the shiny fighter from before might come after him, but he gets one last look at it flying towards the damaged destroyer in the other direction and is able to breathe a sigh of relief.
"We're out of here." He says simply as the freighter disappears into hyperspace. As it does, another thought enters the Captain's mind and he can't help but groan. 'Risha's never going to let me live this one down.'
Back on the Dark Nova…
Even before intercepting the Republic retreat order, Rhal knew the battle was over the moment that last Republic corvette went up in smoke. He suspected that even without the force he would have been able to sense the Republic troops losing the will to fight when their final capital ship exploded.
"My Lord, the remaining republic ships are attempting to flee." One of his escorts informed him. "Should we pursue?"
"No." Rhal replied immediately. "Let them go. They're no longer a threat and not our top priority." Rhal said, dismissing the fleeing fighters. Other Sith would have jumped at the chance to finish them off, but Rhal knew that the Overlord and its VIP passenger were more important than killing a few already defeated Republic pilots. 'Even if one of those ships did have someone with some strength in the force.' Rhal thought, remembering the freighter he'd damaged before attacking the capital ship.
He had sensed that there were multiple lifeforms aboard and that one of them was touched by the force, even if it was relatively weak. Rhal suspected it had been the freighter's pilot since few others would have been able to evade so many of his and his escort's lasers.
Regardless, the freighter was fleeing with the rest and Rhal had more immediate concerns, like the heavily damaged Overlord in the distance as well as the remaining Imperial forces that had arrived to support it. "Commander Jakker, patch me into the comm channel. Open frequency to all nearby Imperial vessels."
"At once, my Lord." The Commander replied and, after a moment, looked back to him and gave him a nod.
"Attention Imperial ships, this is Darth Rhal of the Dark Council. The battle is over for now, but the enemy may still return. All fighters that remain undamaged, begin patrol patterns around the Overlord and our remaining capital ships. All damaged fighters return to the Overlord's hangars to begin repairs. Capital ships should also begin repairs if you have not. Additionally, recycle shields and reset turbolasers in case the Republic should return for another assault. Overlord, I will be landing in your main docking bay shortly and I want to speak to the ship's commanding officer as soon as I arrive. Darth Rhal, out." Rhal finished, ending the transmission after relaying his instructions and flying his ship towards the massive destroyer.
As he flew closer, the damage to the Overlord became more apparent and Rhal found himself frowning. The destroyer had taken a beating. He counted at least half a dozen fires along its hull with several of its turbolasers and shield generators either destroyed or heavily damaged. Fortunately, the ship's engines at least appeared to be relatively undamaged, but considering the extent of the damage, Rhal wouldn't be surprised to find out there were problems with either the ship's reactor or the hyperdrive.
After a few minutes, Rhal and his escorts were landing in the Overlord's main hangar. It was undamaged and Rhal could see through the viewport as he was landing that a squad had been assembled for his arrival. 'Now, let's see what Moff Jocend has to say for himself about putting a wounded Imperial VIP in unnecessary danger.' Rhal thought as his ship's ramp lowered and he descended along with Jakker and his guards.
However, as soon as he sets foot on the Overlord, Rhal immediately knows something's not right.
First is that the docking bay isn't empty. Considering the state of the warship and the battle that had just ended, the hangar shouldn't have any ships in it except for Rhal's and his two escorts that had just landed. Every fighter they had should have been launched into battle. Instead, there's a squadron of six bombers that look prepped, but clearly they were never launched.
The second indicator that something's wrong is the welcoming party, or more specifically, the figure leading them who is not Moff Jocend. Having never met the Moff before, Rhal has no idea what the man looks like but he does know that the Moff was already over fifty when he fought in the last war and the officer currently standing in front of him was in his mid thirties at most.
He was tall, almost a head taller than Rhal himself, and he possessed a powerful frame with obvious muscles under his uniform that spoke of many long hours of hard work and training. Slightly tanned skin with short brown hair and brown eyes, the officer immediately dropped to a knee when Rhal approached him. "Lord Rhal, it is an honor to have you aboard, my Lord. I am Vice Admiral Kalmic, second in command of this vessel, and I am at your service." The now named Vice Admiral greeted him with his head bowed low.
Rhal took a moment to examine the kneeling officer through the force. There was some slight fear in the man's heart from being in the presence of a Dark Council member, but it was tightly held in check by the two other emotions Rhal could sense coming from him. The first was relief, most likely relief that the battle was over and that his life was no longer in danger, but his relief paled in comparison to the other emotion Rhal could sense within him.
Vice Admiral Kalmic was angry. No, angry was far too soft a word to describe what Rhal was feeling. Enraged would probably be better. Reaching out further, Rhal could sense that more than a few of the other troops around the hangar felt very much the same, though all of them were doing an excellent job of hiding it and Rhal was certain that any non-force sensitive likely wouldn't even notice. 'But their anger isn't being directed at me. In fact, more than a few seem rather pleased that I'm here. Just what is going on here?'
"Rise, Vice Admiral Kalmic." Rhal said instead, deciding to keep his thoughts to himself for the moment. "What's the status of this ship?" He asked and the Vice Admiral looked displeased when he answered.
"We've suffered critical damage to many parts of the ship, my Lord. Hull breaches on at least four different levels, shield generators pretty much destroyed, about half of our weapon systems destroyed or disabled, long range communications are down, and the hyperdrive is also currently disabled." The Vice Admiral informed him and Rhal found himself frowning before gesturing for the officer to continue. "We started repairs on the hyperdrive before receiving your transmission. However, even our best estimates indicate that it will still be at least several hours before it's once again operational and it will take far longer for the rest of the ship to be repaired as well."
Rhal put a hand to his chin in thought. The ship was in bad shape but the situation itself was manageable. The Vice Admiral said nothing about the ship's reactor which meant it was only minimally damaged at worst so there was no need to worry about the Overlord itself going critical. Rhal also doubted the Republic would attempt another attack now that their pursuing ships had been defeated and the warship was back in Imperial space. 'If they do attack again it would break the Treaty of Coruscant and it would be a declaration of war.' Rhal shook his head. 'They won't go that far. Not for a single ship.'
Now knowing the Overlord was in no serious danger, Rhal decided to address a different issue. "Vice Admiral, why is Moff Jocend not present?" He asked. "I believe I was quite clear in my transmission that I wanted to speak to the ship's commanding officer as soon as I arrived."
The Vice Admiral's face twitched like he was about to scowl but stopped himself at the last moment and Rhal could sense his anger rising. "My Lord, Moff Jocend felt he should remain on the bridge to oversee the status of the ship's repairs. He didn't believe it was… necessary to greet you in person." Kalmic informed him, the anger in his tone telling Rhal exactly what he thought of the Moff's decision.
"He didn't believe it was necessary?" Rhal asked slowly, his voice quiet. His face was blank but his own anger was rapidly growing. When the Vice Admiral nodded at his words, Rhal turned and looked at the bombers in the hangar. "Did he also decide it wasn't necessary to launch those bombers as well?"
Kalmic again nodded and Rhal could see the fire burning in the man's eyes. "After the arrival of the Terminus destroyers, Moff Jocend decided the bombers should be kept in reserve. 'The fighters will be enough' he had said." The Vice Admiral informed him. Both the Sith and the officer were clenching their fists in anger now, though their faces remained emotionless.
"Show me to the Moff." Rhal ordered and the Vice Admiral immediately nodded and started marching towards the turbolift at the end of the hangar. Rhal, his guards, and several of the troopers followed silently. 'He better have the best explanation in the galaxy. Nothing less will save him.'
The group was quiet as they made their way through the warship with the only sounds being made coming from their boots echoing off the metal floor and from the few repair teams they passed working to restore the ship. A few members of the teams occasionally glanced at Rhal and his group as they passed, but all quickly went back to their tasks as, even without the force, they were able to almost sense the nearly overwhelming anger coming from their party. Rhal's anger only grew as they walked and, by the time they reached the turbolift up to the bridge, that anger was just barely being kept in check.
Considering the Overlord's status as a warship, the bridge was rather large. At least two dozen officers were sitting at terminals working to keep the ship in orbit as well as ensuring the rest of the ship's systems continued operating as they were supposed to. There were also about another dozen officers moving quickly back and forth between certain terminals and Rhal assumed they were the officers overseeing the ship's repairs.
However, there was only one officer who Rhal's eyes were focused on and, as he and his group approached him, the young Dark Council felt disgust and rage as he examined who could only be Moff Jocend.
The Moff was wearing a white and yellow uniform which helped him stand out. He also stood out as he was the only one on the bridge who didn't seem to be occupied with some sort of task as he simply stood at the front of the bridge looking out the viewport with his hands behind his back. His back, which was still to the approaching group that he surely must have noticed with how quiet the bridge had gotten once the other officers noticed the Dark Council member in their presence.
Rhal was still marching towards him with his rage all but begging to be released at this point, but he still fought to keep his voice and face emotionless as he spoke. "Moff Jocend." He called out.
The Moff finally turned to face them, revealing a small old man with a white beard and a face full of wrinkles that became even more pronounced than usual due to the fact that the man actually smiled when he saw who approached. "Lord Rhal! My Lord, your timing is impeccable. You arrived just in time to witness my great victory against the Republic!"
Rhal stopped dead in his tracks as the Moff's words reached him. "Excuse me?" He asked.
"Those Republic fools…" The Moff said, his smile replaced by a bitter frown. "They thought they could kill me? Chase me like some wild beast and put me down? Well, I'd say they've learned their lesson and now know better than to cross Moff Jocend!" He declared, his smile returning in full force.
'The man has lost all sense.' Rhal couldn't help but think as he stared at the man in disbelief. Looking back, he could see the Vice Admiral appeared to be just a moment away from drawing his blaster and even Commander Jakker and his men radiated disbelief, both on their faces and through the force. 'I can't believe this delusional creature is the one in command. And judging from the thoughts and anger of these other officers, he's been this way for some time.'
"They should have known better!" Moff Jocend continued, completely unaware of Rhal's current thoughts. "Although perhaps not. If they did, they would have surrendered immediately once my ship appeared before their pathetic fleet. But No! Instead they dare accuse me of trespassing in Republic space and demand MY surrender! Well my Lord, you'll be happy to know I didn't stand for it and responded by opening fire on their pathetic ships. The battle was a costly one but well worth the price now that they know not to-"
Unable to take it any longer, Rhal uses the force to teleport directly in front of the old Moff. Then, before the madman could utter another word, Rhal held up his lightsaber to the man's chest and activated it. The purple blade instantly burned through the old man's chest and appeared out his back, causing Jocend to let out a cry of pain that sounded more like a gasp.
Rhal leaned forward and whispered in the dying man's ear. "Even if you hadn't disobeyed orders and put a VIP in danger, I still would have killed you this day. People like you are a greater threat to the Empire than the Republic and the Jedi could ever hope to be." He said, deactivating his lightsaber as he finished and watched with satisfaction as the last traces of life left the Moff's eyes and the old man fell to the floor dead.
Rhal turned to his guards. "Commander Jakker, please dispose of the late Moff Jocend's body." He ordered, to which Jakker and his guards nodded and started dragging the body off the bridge. As they did, Rhal saw that none of the other officers on the bridge seemed unhappy or uneasy that their superior had just been killed. Many actually seemed relieved and a few were even smiling as the Moff's remains were dragged away.
However, Vice Admiral Kalmic simply stood at attention, not even glancing at the body as it was dragged past him. His focus only made Rhal feel more sure of his next decision and he gestured for the man to step forward, which he did.
"With the death of Moff Jocend, the Overlord lacks a commanding officer. On my authority as a member of the Dark Council I, Darth Rhal, hereby promote Vice Admiral Kalmic to the rank of Admiral and grant him command of the Overlord and all other forces that had previously been commanded by the deceased Moff." Rhal declared before giving the newly promoted officer a nod and a small smile. "Congratulations, Admiral Kalmic." Rhal kept his eyes on the Admiral but didn't fail to notice that many of the other officers also seemed quite pleased with his decision.
The Admiral gave a nod and even a small smile of his own. "Thank you very much, my Lord. You honor me."
"Serve myself and the Empire well and you'll honor yourself." Rhal said simply before he started walking off the bridge and gestured for the Admiral to follow. With Commander Jakker and his men throwing Moff Jocend's body out an airlock, Rhal and the Admiral were alone when the two of them left the bridge so the Dark Council member decided it was time he discovered just who Keeper had sent him to save. "Admiral, I am aware that the late Moff was not the highest ranking officer on this ship." He said, causing the Admiral's stone visage to crack and allowing a hint of surprise to be seen before it was quickly hidden and the officer nodded. "Show me to them." He commanded.
"At once, my Lord." The Admiral said before the two of them began marching through the ship. It didn't take long for Rhal to figure out that they were headed for the ship's medical bay. However, when the pair turned a final corner and the medical bay doors came into sight, Rhal's eyes widened slightly as he saw what, or rather who, guarded the door.
The two were Imperial soldiers with strong builds like the Admiral and they each carried massive assault cannons on their backs with black and dark purple armor instead of the standard black and gray, marking them as personal guardsmen. Only Sith and the highest ranking officers in the Empire had such men under their command and Rhal was certain that Keeper wouldn't have sent him here if it was a Sith that needed aid since Keeper tried very hard to avoid Sith politics. 'So the VIP is definitely a high ranking officer, but which one? I can only think of a handful of individuals in the whole Empire that have their own personal guards, especially ones like these.' Rhal thought as he examined the two guards with the force as he approached. The two clearly recognized him but there was no fear in them as he drew nearer, just focus and a strong determination to protect someone, likely whoever it was they followed.
The two guards didn't attempt to stop Rhal and the Admiral as they entered the ship's medical bay. When they entered, Rhal wasn't surprised to see that it was far from empty. All the bacta tanks were filled with crewmen that had been seriously injured during the attack while most of the medical beds had patients with less severe injuries.
At first, none of the patients stood out to Rhal until he noticed someone in an officer's uniform laying on a bed near the back. The medics and medical droids were quick to get out of his way as Rhal made his way over and finally laid eyes on who Keeper had sent him for.
Even after hearing Keeper's cryptic words about the importance of this individual and seeing the guards posted just outside, Rhal was not prepared for the sight before him and his eyes went wide as he finally got a good look at the man's face and instantly recognized him. The officer's eyes also went wide as he recognized him and, despite the movement clearly causing him great pain, he stood up from the bed and went down on a knee before him.
"Lord Rhal, this is a great honor. I am Grand Moff Resh of the Imperial Ministry of War. How may I serve?"
A.N.
We get not only a first look at our favorite smuggler, who I had a really fun time writing, but also the bigshot that Rhal was sent to rescue. Grand Moff Resh, a character who was only mentioned one single time in the whole game but one who will be much more important in this story. That's actually something else I'd like to make clear when it comes to all the named characters that show up. While I may change up some of their personalities a bit for story purposes, Darth Rhal is going to be the only OC in this entire story. All other named characters can be found in the game, though more than a few of their roles, actions, and fates will be changing this time around so don't be surprised if one or two characters you haven't heard of become major characters here. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this new chapter and my first attempt at writing a space battle. Please tell me what you thought of that battle and/or anything else that caught your interest this time around. Have a great day and I'll see you all next time!