Pandora's Box Part 1
by Raven, Foxfire, and Storm
Written and originally posted in 1995
A small forward from the Loremaster:
This is the "modified" version of this story. Raven graciously provided his copies, and similarly was a good sport regarding my wish to make some small edits. Some of these edits were just to correct syntax errors, but a few of the edits were to ensure that this and other Gold stories would fit within our group's "canon", and therefore be able to exist as our "history" within our "reality", rather than being relegated to the "Legends" section of older tales that contain too many lore-breaking items that the stories would be completely different from their intended purposes if we made the changes required.
This is not to say the original writers were bad, as they weren't! It's just that many of these stories were written in serialized form on the old CompuServe forums, which can lead to some interesting contradictions or jarring transitions. Also, being written BEFORE the prequels were even discussed can lead to some interesting contradictions as the original writers did their best to predict what some nebulous mentions were in the history, to sometimes very humorous situations. I don't think anybody knew what the clone wars were, really, until the prequels explained them, but the writers of these stories did their best to make sense of it all.
Such a Legends page WILL be created to house the aforementioned tales AS WELL AS the completely unedited version of this (and other tales that were slightly modified to fit). A proto-version of this page can be found HERE (https://renegadewing.com/lounge/legends.html) and you may enjoy those and other stories that exist as, "fiction" shall we say, in our "real" version of the Star Wars universe. Imagine as if you are sitting in your favorite reading nook and reading some fiction during downtime between CAP shifts to decompress as you read the stories posted on the Legends page.
Thanks for reading, and enjoy this story!
Bearcat, Renegade Wing Lore Master since 2020
[Here's danger! Here's adventure! Don't touch that dial, stay tuned for another exciting episode of the X-wing Files, brought to you by REBL 90.5 FM - always good to the last drop!]
In her temporary quarters aboard the Alliance Nebulon-B class frigate, Regis, Avery "Foxfire" Schroeder stuffed her Strongbow Industries crowbar into an overcrowded flight bag and slung it over her shoulder. She had finished her rookie training and was due to join Shok'wave on the flight deck where they would then proceed to join up with the rest of Preying Mantis Squadron for field maneuvers. She was hoping for an uneventful flight out as lately her luck with B-wings hadn't been the best.
The comm light on the small desk signaled an incoming message for her. "Great timing... Foxfire here," she answered as the call came through.
"Avery, I greet you." The face on her comm-screen was familiar, dark-skinned, and looked more than a little worried, unless she missed her guess.
"Zack! Good to see you, my friend," she said, slipping automatically into the nomad's native language. "How have your travels been?"
"Eventful," he answered. "My tribe has been exploring out beyond the Breaks, looking for salvage to trade. I called you because we found some cargo that might interest you."
Avery watched her friend closely letting her flight bag sink to the deck. Zack was trying very hard to sound casual but she knew him well and something was definitely up. "Zack, I'm glad you thought of me," she answered, matching the casual tone in his voice. "But I really don't have time for the trading routes these days."
"Perhaps I should say ... something to the liking of your adopted tribe," the nomad said uneasily. "I understand that they're in need of ... supplies?"
Foxfire grinned. "So, you figured it out, huh?"
"It wasn't difficult, friend-of-my-tribe. Not after you came seeking the trail of those starfighters, though I can see why you don't want this to become general knowledge among the tribes. After all, they mistrust your Alliance only a little less than the Empire."
"I'm not sure they'll be able to stay neutral for much longer..." She shook her head. "But that's a journey for another time. What'd you find?"
Zack hesitated. "Avery, we've ... had some trouble lately. Communications from Sector Q aren't as secure as I'd like. Can you meet me to discuss this cargo?"
Foxfire was not sure she liked the way he said the word cargo, but she replied immediately. "Of course."
Zack looked relieved, something that startled Foxfire almost as much as the call had. Whatever he's found, it must be big, she thought. "Good. Meet me at Felix's as soon as you can," Zack said and with a quick smile, the nomad cut his end of the communication before Foxfire could answer. She sighed, picked up her flight bag, and made for the flight deck where she related the call to her squadron leader.
"Foxfire, I don't like the sound of this," Shok'wave said, her voice concerned. "He wants you to meet him and won't tell you why. It sounds like a trap to me."
"No, he told me why, he just doesn't want to give me the details over a comm-link, and I don't blame him," Foxfire rejoined. "There are a lot of people out in Sector Q that make a living selling information, and whatever this find of Zack's is, it's big enough that a lot of people are going to want it."
Shok'wave shook her head. "And what if he's trying to set you up?"
"He's not," she answered, frustrated. "Commander, Zack essentially considers himself my brother, and his people take family VERY seriously. He wouldn't get me in trouble ... in fact, I think this may be an attempt to get some help to the Alliance."
Shok'wave considered this for a moment. "I thought these nomads are neutral?" she asked.
"They have been. The Empire's pretty much ignored them, since it's hard to threaten what you can't find, but that's been changing. More patrols and random searches ... the tribes were getting pretty concerned about it when I last traveled with them."
"All right," Shok'wave said with a sigh. "You've got permission to investigate provided you take backup. Unfortunately PMS is presently committed, in fact I'm stretching us thin letting you go. Did you want to see if Commander De Vico can spare some Red pilots?"
She grinned. "No, Crazy needs all his experienced pilots to keep up with Red's training schedules. Red Squad has been getting a tremendous number of new recruits. I have someone else in mind. Yes, for this trip I think I know just who to contact..."
[Krunchy Kornflakes is proud to sponsor "You Bet Your Life?", the gameshow of gameshows! At the end of last week's episode we left our heroine, Avery de Foxfire, embarking on a journey. A journey of sight and of sound... there's the signpost up ahead...
>> Mon Calamari Cruiser Independence << You are here X ]
Foxfire had her orders stamped and was cleared through security. She had just touched down in the main landing bay of the flagship of the Alliance fleet. Glancing at her chronometer she made a logical deduction and headed for the bar closest to the operations deck. She stepped inside the canteen and paused for a moment while her eyes adjusted to the gloom.
Finally, over in the back corner she saw who she was looking for. She made her way to the table where three pilots were sitting. "Anyone know where a girl can get a decent cup of tea?" she asked.
The three figures looked and quickly came to their feet. "Foxfire!" exclaimed Storm. "Good to see you again." Turning slightly to his right he said, "Raven, get the lady a cup of tea!"
Raven looked disdainfully at his comrade and ignored him. "Avery, a pleasure as always. What brings you to the Independence, oh, pardon me for a fool, please let me introduce you to Michael "Smoke" Williams, Gold 4. Smoke, this is the amazing Avery "Foxfire" Schroeder, PM 7."
Extending his hand Smoke, the third figure at the table said, "Always a treat; meeting one of Preying Mantis Squadron's finest. These two jokers were just telling me about your adventures and the freighter you recovered. A nice piece of work."
As they all re-seated themselves, Foxfire spoke. "Nice to meet you as well, Smoke. Don't believe everything these guys tell you." She grinned at Raven and Storm. "As to why I'm here, well, I'm looking for you. I called Comstock and StarDuster said you were here on the Independence."
"Just briefing Admiral Ackbar on the progress we're making out in the Motherlode," said Raven. We were just about to head back. What's up?"
Foxfire ordered a drink from the service droid. "Well," she began, "you remember Zack out in Sector Q? I got a call from him not long ago. Seems that his people have found something that he thinks might be of interest to the Alliance. Shok'wave cleared me to check it out but only with some reliable backup. Naturally, I thought of Gold Squad."
Several rounds of drinks later Foxfire had brought the Gold pilots up to date on events surrounding Zack's call, including a retelling of the adventures she, Raven, and Storm, had had out in the Boreallian Breaks for Smoke's benefit. He listened intently as she told him of the stolen freighter full of Alliance B-wing starfighters that they recovered.
Smoke ordered another cup of hot chocolate, one of the more popular non-alcoholic drinks in the Outer Rim, and considered Foxfire's story. "The Breaks saw a lot of military action in the days of the old Republic. It could be that your friend Zack found something of real interest out there." He threw a grin at Raven, "Maybe he's found that 'temporal phaze shift rifter' of yours. But seriously," he said running back to Foxfire, "I agree that this should be checked out."
"Well, I sure wouldn't mind seeing Felix's again," said Raven. "What do you say, Storm? Feel like riding shotgun on Avery's hunch?"
"Without question," returned Storm. "Smoke, you want to come along?"
"If for no other reason than to keep you two out of trouble," he grinned.
Storm reported in to Comstock Base on the comm-net and made arrangements for the three of them to have their duties back in the Motherlode covered while they were escorting Foxfire. Smoke spoke with the Flight Commander on the Independence and made arrangements for Avery to swap her B-wing for a faster A-wing. In the interim Raven taught Foxfire the proper way to drink tequila.
"No, no, no!" Raven was saying. "First you wipe the fruit wedge on your hand, no, at the base of your thumb like this. Then sprinkle some of these crystals on the wet spot. Now, you lick the crystals, toss the shot down, then smash the wedge against your front teeth. Perfect!"
"Smooth," she said and was just about to punch up another round when Storm returned to the table with three packed Gold flight bags.
"All's in order," said Storm. "We have a fair ways to go, so let's head out."
Raven and Foxfire stood up. "Sounds good to me," said Raven. "Let's scrape Smoke off the ceiling and be on our way."
Raven and Storm began to laugh and Foxfire shook her head. Storm turned to her, "I'll explain on our way down. Seems Rory and Smoke have this little practical joke war going on."
"Yeah, I got them to declare a temporary truce while we're here on the Independence. Rory should still be sleeping off the effects of last night in my quarters back at base," said Raven.
Foxfire looked back and forth between Storm and Raven. "Sometimes you two worry me." Together they headed to the landing bay.
[This week we join our intrepid heroes as they travel through Sector Q en route to the planet Carillion, on their way to meet the nomad Zack and learn what secret he has found in the outlands beyond the Boreallian Breaks... let's listen in...]
Coming out of hyperspace, the four Alliance pilots made planetfall on Carillion, described by Foxfire as "the most law-abiding planet" in Sector Q. It hadn't helped Smoke's confidence when, a second later, she'd added, "... but that's not saying much." They had brought civilian clothes and after changing, made their way to the rendezvous.
Foxfire had contacted Zack's tribe from orbit, so he and another nomad were already waiting for them at Felix's bar, and had been waiting for some time, she surmised, judging from the dishes scattered over the table.
"Avery, I'm glad you came." Zack took her hand for a moment, then gestured to the second nomad, shorter and stockier than Zack but clearly related to him. "This is Quinn, one of my tribe. Things have gotten worse here lately, and it is better to have someone to watch one's back."
Foxfire smiled in greeting and introduced Smoke in turn, while Raven took a minute to catch up with the bar's owner, a strange black-furred alien with a domed head and pointed ears. She could hear them laughing from time to time over the din and racket in the bar. Occasionally, Felix would cackle "Righty O!" in his high squeaky voice and send Raven into another laughing fit.
"Smoke is also a member of my adopted tribe and kind of came along to help watch over me," Foxfire was explaining to Zack. "From what you said, I figured we'd probably need the extra help."
"You probably will," the nomad said soberly. "We still don't know the full, ah, status, of what we found out there. But I can tell you that it's a large complex of some sort, and it's still powered. It's been abandoned for decades at least, maybe much longer, but there are still energy readings. And a respectable set of automated defenses. Myself and my brother managed to get into the facility. Only he and I know the exact location."
"Where is your brother now?" asked Storm.
"Our tribe is leaving this sector ... many of the tribes are going. We think there is much trouble to come from this. My brother readies our people; again space shall be our home for awhile. But Quinn has the coordinates of the system where the base is located. He will give this to you now. Avery, I would like a word with you alone."
Foxfire and Zack withdrew to the bar and spoke in hushed tones as Quinn retrieved a datacard from his tunic and passed it to Storm. Zack and Foxfire returned a few minutes later.
Smoke's eyebrows went up as they sat down again and Zack said he had to leave. "Wait, Zack, can you tell me what this facility looked like?"
Zack looked very troubled. "Coffins," he said softly. "We found a facility overgrown with jungle. That there was an installation there at all was hard to tell except from low orbit. A radar scan shows some odd depressions, but there was little left above ground. Still we managed to get into the central core, which extends deep underground. There are many huge chemical tanks with elaborate filtration systems. Huge generators capable of tremendous power output. And coffins." The nomad looked Smoke straight in the eyes as he lowered his voice and continued. "Hundreds and hundreds of silver cylinders, they look like the capsules we use to space our dead. Connected to massive machinery. They all appeared to be empty. But before we could make a thorough search we must have activated some security system by chance. Suddenly we had big trouble with some oddly designed defense droids and we just barely made it out." Zack grasped Smoke's forearm in an iron grip. "Friend Smoke, you seem to feel the weight of what I am telling you ... we are an old people, if not sophisticated. We remember the old times, the tales are passed down to each generation. This place still has power. We saw functioning maintenance droids tending machinery. Think on that."
The nomad rose to leave. "Now I must go. Quinn will see you safely to your ships and will escort you out of the system." With that, Zack kissed Avery on the cheek and quickly left the bar.
Raven returned to the table from the bar where in addition to chatting with the bar's owner he was watching the doors and scanning the crowd for any eavesdropping electronics, or individuals that were taking any interest in the nomads and the Alliance pilots. He took one look at Smoke's face and sat down. He signed to Storm that everything was clear. "Smoke, buddy, what's on your mind?" Raven asked.
"I don't really want to say ... don't want to think that it could be ... but it sounds like Zack stumbled upon a clone facility from the Clone Wars. I studied the Clone Wars extensively when I was at the Imperial Academy, but the only facilities that were known to exist were on Kamino. That place was destroyed shortly after the Empire was declared, though. Geez, we need to check this out. My God..."
Foxfire folded her arms, a stubborn expression on her face. "I don't get it. The Empire has been rumored to still make the odd clone for some time so they already have the technology."
"That's right," joined in Raven. "I understand that the Empire has a bounty out on some Alliance pilots so that they can clone evil versions of them. It's been done too if you believe the rumors. So what's the big deal?"
"Just rumors," Storm interrupted, hoping to quell the wild tangents he could see the discussion derailing into. "The Empire still making clones, that is..."
Smoke shook his head. "The Empire has the theory but not the expertise of the Clone Masters from Kamino. All the sites and printouts were destroyed; the technology banned and effectively stamped out. Any clones that Vader has been rumored to create are poor copies of the originals at best, prone to massive instabilities and eventual insanity. That's why they are not a real problem for us now. But the Clone Masters were able to make perfect replicas. In almost limitless quantities. And they were programmable. By manipulating the genetic structure at key points they could make remorseless, vicious, living automatons." He paused, a trill of fear causing him to shiver.
"Think about it ... it took all the resources of the Old Republic, spearheaded by the power of the Jedi Knights, combined with most of the aligned systems to defeat a handful of renegade Separatists and their limitless droid armies. The Old Republic essentially sprouted an army out of nowhere to get this done. If the Empire gets this technology, well, you can see where it could lead."
Storm spoke up, "Well, we definitely need to have a look, but with a little more firepower than we've got at the moment. Quinn has given us the system coordinates. I suggest we leave this planet and call the Motherlode for some reinforcements."
The four Alliance pilots made their way to their ships, escorted by the nomad Quinn. He had a small one-man prospector's ship of the type used by rockjacks in the Cron Drift.
From space, Storm and Smoke spoke at length with Gold Leader on a scrambled channel. Pivot was in full agreement with Smoke's analysis and that this matter had to be investigated at once. He authorized the Gold CRV Slipstream and the deep space freighter Greyhound to rendezvous with them and then to proceed to the coordinates that they had received. The Greyhound would carry two flights of Gold X-wings along with crews and munitions, and would serve as a base of operations while the system was investigated. Meanwhile, Pivot would assemble all of Gold Squadron and prepare to join them once he had discussed the matter with Admiral Ackbar and perhaps the Alliance Council. Soon the four A-wings winked out into hyperspace. Quinn then turned back to Carillion.
Unknown to Quinn, his ship was heading towards an Imperial patrol.
[It's Sunday night and REBL 90.5 FM in conjunction with Burger Droid Restaurants, Home of the Super Nerf Burger, are proud to bring you this week's exciting episode from the X-wing Files. Last week, as you remember, we left Heidi trying to get to Grandfather's cabin, up on the mountain. But the evil Trout-King had blocked her path... oops wrong script ... rustling papers ... okay, last week we left the "nomad-in-a-red-shirt", Quinn, heading towards an Imperial patrol.]
Three TIE Interceptors banked 90 degrees as they reached the end of their patrol sweep. "Spur to Rippers 2 and 3, I'm getting ship contacts at max range. They look like ... damn, lost them. Must'a hypered out. Might have been Rebel ships. Still getting one contact ... let's go check it out."
"Roger," both wingmen replied, and the three craft headed for the solitary blip on their screens. In short order they overtook Quinn's ship, which veered sharply away in an attempt to reach open space. "Slasher to Spur, that looks like a Scavenger ship. Looks like he's seen us, too. He's making a run for it."
"Roger. Okay, let's go get him. But I want him alive, these Scavengers don't usually try to run. There may be something going on that we should know about."
Designed for close-quarter maneuvering, the rockjacker ship was agile, but no match for the Interceptors' speed. Quinn tried to evade the fighters but the Interceptors were too fast. The Imperial pilots had far more combat experience, and he was badly out-classed. He twisted to avoid a volley of lasers and managed to score through one Imperial fighter's canted solar panels with the mining laser on the rockjacker's nose, just before his own shields went down in a shower of sparks. The engines followed with a grating noise. Quinn had fallen into Imperial hands.
[Some time later and nearly a third of the way across the galaxy...]
In deep space, the Imperial I-class Star Destroyer Surtur moved between systems, the physical embodiment of the raw power of the Empire. Sixteen hundred meters of devastating destructive power. Flanking the space behemoth were the Surtur's three escorts, the Raider-class corvettes Sparhawk and Valiant, as well as the frigate Remulac.
At the command station on the Surtur sat Grand Admiral Jonathan Sachs, who had been called out of retirement to replace the traitorous Admiral Sanbor. He watched his bridge crew at their tasks, evaluating their performance constantly. He checked the ship positions on the 3-D holo display as they moved towards their next planetary stop. Very good, he thought, nodding his head. He hoped he would not have to perform any more object lessons for sloppy work. Sanbor had been a lax commander, and Sachs had to implement some extreme measures to whip the remaining senior officers into shape and restore a healthy discipline. His reverie was interrupted as his comm-link beeped.
The Grand Admiral acknowledged the comm signal with a wave of his hand. A miniature holo projection of one of his Intelligence Officers appeared. "Report, Lieutenant," the Admiral said.
"Sir, we have received a signal from the periphery regarding the discovery of a possible pre-Empire installation. An Imperial patrol happened upon a scavenger ship out in Sector Q where the Empire has recently increased its presence. Routine interrogation of the captured pilot provided the basis of the report. The report is admittedly sketchy and the facts have not been verified yet, but it does appear that word of this discovery has been passed to the Rebels, and that Alliance agents are investigating. I have uploaded to you an analysis of the information we have so far."
The Admiral flipped on his screen and studied the data for several minutes. "I want the source of this data brought to the Surtur immediately for further questioning," he said finally. "We have only a system name, not a planetary location for this discovery."
"I'm sorry, sir," said the Lieutenant. "The Imperial outpost where this scavenger, ah, Quinn, was questioned is not equipped with, er, the more sophisticated interrogation equipment, and I understand the man was extremely uncooperative. I'm afraid they were a bit heavy handed, and the source was terminated prematurely."
The Admiral scowled. Terminated prematurely, he thought. A soft way to state a very hard reality, as if dead was not dead. "I want the names of those responsible, Lieutenant. This matter could turn out to be very important, and prematurely terminating a 'source' as you put it is damn sloppy work bordering on a reckless disregard for the safety of the Empire. Do you understand me?" Sachs asked in a low, even tone.
The Lieutenant blanched at the Admiral's request. He surmised that there would be some more premature terminations once the Admiral had the names he requested. "Yes sir!" he said, snapping to attention.
Very good, thought Sachs. Word of his displeasure would spread through the Intelligence staff on the Surtur. He would have no premature termination of prisoners on board his ship. "Prepare a detailed report of the data you have and send it and the coordinates of the system to the Captain of the Remulac. Do it now; then signal Coruscant. I want an immediate audience with the Emperor."
He cut the connection before the Intel Officer could reply, and then pressed a button on his console that would summon his command staff for an immediate operations meeting. He rose and slowly walked to the main staff planning room on the battle bridge of the Star Destroyer. "Mr. Guntner, you have the con," he said in passing to his Executive Officer. The department heads on duty in the Surtur were already beginning to file into the huge conference room in response to the summons as the Admiral took his seat at the head of the table. The captains and first officers of the frigates attended the meeting via holographic projection. In a few minutes the room was filled with the duty staff.
"Gentlemen and ladies," he began, "there may be something of interest to the Empire in a remote backwater of the galaxy out beyond the Boreallian Breaks. I am dispatching the Remulac at once to investigate and to find the exact location of what may be a base dating back to the days of the Old Republic. There is no information in the Imperial archives that mention such a base, so its purpose is unknown at this time. It may very well be no more than an abandoned smuggler camp, but it has captured the attention of the Alliance so we will investigate."
The Admiral turned to a holo image. "Captain Yewer, how soon can you be ready to leave?"
"Sir," the ghost-like image said, "we are breaking out of formation now. We shall make our first hyperspace jump in 17 minutes."
"Very well. Wing Commander Morrissy," the Admiral continued turning to the man sitting at his right. "I want a contingency plan prepared for taking all of Alpha Wing into that system. All ships of the line and all Alpha Squadrons including Phoenix Wing if necessary. Alert the Star Destroyers Cerberus, Slayer, and the frigate Avenger. Put all your Squadron Commanders on full alert. If we move, we will do so quickly and under the orders of the Emperor himself. All section heads are to be alerted." As Morrissy began to jot notes onto his datapad the Admiral addressed the man sitting next to the Wing Commander.
"Next, General Amatta, I want a ground assault operation planned. You will prepare two scenarios: first should the installation be infested by the Alliance by the time we arrive, and second, if we find our taking possession is unopposed. Your commando teams can expect to encounter automated defenses on the ground in either case. Plan on putting at least half a division on the surface using the Landing Barges and all 18 of our operational AT-AT Walkers."
The Admiral rose from the head of the table. "That's all for now. Until I have conversed with the Emperor, the Surtur will remain on its present course. Dismissed."
The officers rose to leave the room and the holos winked out. Rick "Ricochet" Morrissy, Alpha 1, the Commander of Alpha Wing, returned to his own planning room on the operations deck of the Surtur. Once there he began issuing orders to his staff, bringing the might of Alpha Wing to full alert. Whatever has been found out there it has certainly stirred up our new Admiral, he thought. Ricochet knew that Sachs had been in the Republic Navy before the Emperor came to power and had a very long and distinguished military career. He set his computer to search the Imperial archives that were available on the Surtur for any historical military significance that the area in question might have.
Meanwhile, Admiral Sachs prepared himself for his conference with the Emperor Palpatine. He stood on the holo plate in his ready room and closed the contact. Suddenly, it seemed that he was standing before the Emperor in the Imperial Palace on Coruscant. "You have requested an audience, Grand Admiral. We have not spoken like this since before the battle of Yavin." The Emperor gazed at the Admiral for almost a full minute before continuing. "I know you are not a hasty man so I wonder what news you have that is so urgent? That requires my personal consultation?"
The Admiral met the eyes of the human embodiment of the Imperium. Even though he was not physically in his presence he could feel the Emperor's power surrounding him. "Sire, Intelligence has reported what may be an old military installation out beyond the Boreallian Breaks. From the information we have the base may very well be ... intact."
Sachs paused as he heard the dark figure before him inhale sharply. The Emperor then closed his eyes and seemed to tune out the Admiral as though listening to something that only he could hear. "Yesssss," he croaked softly. "Something from the old wars of the Republic's past perhaps." Palpatine's eyes focused once more on the Admiral. "I want a full report on what information you have so far. What steps are you taking regarding this 'base', my Admiral?" he hissed.
"The full coded report has already been forwarded to Coruscant, Sire. I have deployed a frigate to reconnoiter the system and to locate the exact site of the old installation. If it turns out to be what I, we, suspect, I will gather some, ah, experts in the related technological aspects of such a facility and proceed with Alpha Wing to secure the site."
The Emperor smiled. "Gather your experts now my dear Grand Admiral. Proceed to the system with your task force and personally survey this ancient 'base'. If it is what we suspect, you will capture and hold it for the Imperium. At all costs Admiral, at all costs."
[The Kukla, Fran, and Fractal Show will not be seen tonight as we bring you another special presentation of the X-wing Files. In last week's episode we left the Alliance and the Empire racing for a small G type star, a system called "Pandora", and for what they each suspect may lie hidden there. But who will get there first? Stand by Space Cadets! We now join our cast for tonight's episode of the space opera, As the Planet Turns...]
With the nomad Quinn's fate unknown to them, the Alliance team rendezvoused with Gold Squad's K-shielded corvette, the Slipstream. Their A-wings safely stowed aboard the corvette, Raven, Foxfire, Storm, and Smoke waited in the small conference room aboard the corvette. Soon the hatch opened and "Wraith" Jackson, Gold Squad's Executive Officer entered the room.
"Sorry for the delay," Wraith began, nodding at the waiting pilots. "We're waiting for the Greyhound to join up with us. She's running a bit behind us as Pivot wanted her loaded with every X-wing that Ash could shoe-horn into her plus extra munitions for this mission. StarDuster will be accompanying the Greyhound, he wanted to stay in the Motherlode until the last moment researching this system you spoke of."
"We already have a pretty good idea of what we'll find there," Smoke said. He still seemed shaken from Zack's description of the hidden base, and Foxfire gave him a concerned look. "From what we were told," he continued, "it can't be anything but a clone station left over from the Clone Wars ... a possibly renegade Clone Master base with equipment intact, and probably still powered. If the Empire got control of it, it'd be able to create entire armies. Within a year or two all resistance would be overwhelmed. The destruction would be unimaginable..."
"I agree with Smoke," Foxfire said. "According to Zack, the maintenance and security systems are still working, which argues that the rest of it is in good repair as well. While exploring the place, they were able to check out the stores and some of the records. If it's not fully operational, it's very close."
Wraith frowned in thought. "What do these nomads know about the system?"
She shrugged. "Well, it's called Pandora, and there's never been much to recommend it until now. No one to trade with, nothing of interest on any of the planets. Makes a good hiding place, and not much else. But it's out of the way and hasn't been explored in years; there could be literally anything out there."
"How long do you think it'll take us to find the base itself, once we enter the system?" Smoke asked Foxfire. "I've got a bad feeling about this and I think we have to get to it as soon as we can."
"Well, actually..." Foxfire blushed faintly. "It won't take us any time, once we get to the Pandora system itself. That was what Zack wanted to tell me privately back on Carillion. He says from the records he and his brother saw the name of the installation was Necron-99. They had the run of the place, limited by the unfamiliar equipment, until they tripped the security system. But Zack said he managed to plant a beacon near their entrance point as they were leaving, and he gave me the activation code. Once we get to Pandora, we'll be able to home right in on the installation."
"Necron-99?" Smoke shook his head. "A bit melodramatic, but who knows how the original cloners really named their facilities."
"True enough," StarDuster said from the doorway, just as the bridge comm-link announced that the Greyhound had arrived and joined formation.
"Glenn, glad you made it," Wraith said. "Is the Greyhound ready to go?"
"Yes, although Ash isn't sure how we're going to pry the extra X-wings out of her cargo bay."
Foxfire shrugged. "Well, if we need a crowbar..." she said with a grin.
"I'll keep that in mind," Wraith promised. "StarDuster, what did you get from the Motherlode computers?"
"Not as much as I'd like," he answered, taking a seat. "Almost every Old Republic file related to the region of space that contains the Pandora system has been classified and wiped. But the Breaks did see some heavy fighting in the Clone Wars. There are some shaky references to a mysterious Clone unit who staked out their territory there, in competition with two Separatist units. Apparently they controlled almost all of the Breaks, before a team of Jedi stepped in, and a Republic Task Force fought its way across that quadrant."
"So you think we've found the center of a new clone facility?" Foxfire asked.
"Hope so," Raven said. "I'd hate to think there were more of 'em out there."
"That's not likely, at least," StarDuster said in response. "All the files I read made it clear that the Breaks were pretty thoroughly cleaned out after the Clone Wars, though apparently there were Jedi Knights traveling in this area for some time after the Wars. They had to be still looking for something."
"The nomads have some tales that say about the same thing," Foxfire commented. "They have a very strong oral history, and I've heard stories of Jedi searching for 'something' out here, though if the nomads knew what it was they never said."
"I'll take that as confirmation, then," Wraith said. "Foxfire, I'll need that beacon code from you, and then I want the four of you to get some chow and some sleep. You'll go back on duty when we reach Pandora. Foxfire, Raven, Storm, and StarDuster will be the ground team. You'll go down and check out the site and recon for what it'll take to destroy it. Smoke will fly close-support while the X-wings will interdict the planet from high orbit. Dismissed."
After a meal of some reconstituted gruel and nerf burgers, the group broke up for some much needed rest. It seemed that she'd just drifted off to sleep in an unoccupied bunk aboard the Slipstream when Foxfire jerked awake at the blare of an alarm klaxon.
"Figures," she muttered, springing out of the top bunk, the cold deck on her bare feet driving the sleep dregs from her consciousness. She grabbed for her flight suit without bothering to call for the lights. She was pulling on her suit when suddenly the lights came on. Foxfire caught her breath as the tip of her nose was just a few centimeters from a huge set of gaping jaws. Gleaming double rows of curved fangs, unblinking black eyes, were all she could see. Hate to have his dental bills, she thought. "Boo!" she said laughing, and then smiling at the monstrous gundark said, "You must be Rory. I'm Foxfire." She hurriedly finished dressing, pulling on her boots as Gold's mascot watched her from the next bunk tilting his head quizzically. "Raven has told me a lot about you. Do you always try to surprise people like that?"
Raven bounded into the crew quarters, his hair still wet from the shower he was taking when the alarm sounded. "We've reached Pandora; scanners have picked up an Imperial frigate. We have to launch immediately. Wraith is going to fight straight through, relying on the K-Shields to give him an edge." He glanced at Gold's mascot. "I see you two have met."
The two pilots and the gundark ran to the small launch bay on the Corvette and soon were hurtling through space in their personal ships.
[The story so far... Space! The final frontier! These are the ...opps... wrong script. Well, let me recap, no, no, there is no time. Let me sum up. The Alliance has reached Pandora but have found an Imperial frigate barring their entry to the system. Outgunned but undeterred, the good guys are about to try to kick some Imperial booty. And away we gooooo!]
Foxfire strapped into the cockpit of her A-wing. Having spent many hours in the larger, slower, B-wing heavy assault ship she was delighted to have the speed and maneuverability of the Alliance interceptor for this engagement. Cleared by the deck crew, she hit the repulsor lifts and swung her ship out of the bay and into space. Once clear she noticed a brief flicker of light shimmering across the hull of the corvette as the Slipstream engaged its K-shields.
The four A-wings formed up as a vanguard to the corvette as they entered the Pandora system proper. Storm checked his screens, "Imperial frigate dead ahead, about 20 klicks. Accelerate to attack speed, Foxfire, take position on my wing. Raven, you form up on Smoke's wing. Keep your eyes peeled for TIEs. Let's go!"
The Gold pilots began to pull away from Foxfire's ship. She redirected some shield power to her engines and was able to match speed with Storm's fighter. The A-wing was very responsive and she was thrilled by the way it handled. She turned a tight corkscrew and looped under Storm's ship to take the wing position. "YEE-HAW!" she yelled as she pegged her ship into position.
Raven chuckled, "I think Avery likes the A-wing, guys. She may be serious Gold Squad material." This was followed by a loud hissing sound right in Foxfire's ear.
She whipped around, but the cramped cockpit was empty save for her. Just then, she caught a glimpse of a Lambda shuttle trailing their phalanx of A-wings. Relaxing slightly, she sighed. "Hi, Rory. I'm flattered ... I think." She chinned over to Raven's private frequency, "Um, Raven, Rory seems to have taken an interest in my A-wing ... anything I need to know about this?"
"It's okay. He just likes you," replied Raven. "Just don't accept any remote-control packets from him if he tries to send any. He likes to fire off entire magazines of missiles to watch them flare off and explode. Tell him you'll buy him some caviar when we get back. Whoa! Katie-bar-the-door! I'm picking up TIE Interceptors. The frigate has launched fighters."
"Okay people," Storm called. "Let's see what we can do on the first pass. Foxfire, remember you don't have the armor or the shields of your B-wing so watch your shield indicator. Everyone, top off your shields and dump power to engines. Switch to missiles ... let's go for a quick strike and then break and engage. Double team for quick kills."
"We're severely under-gunned to take on a frigate. Even with the K-shields the corvette's turbo lasers are no match for that monster," said Raven.
"Wraith knows what he's doing," replied Smoke. "If we can clear the fighters we ... here they come!"
The first wave of TIE Interceptors closed on the A-wings in a finger four formation. Raven counted the beeps and as soon as his heads-up targeting displayed flashed red he let two missiles go. Then there was a hail of green laser bolts flashing all around. He pulled up sharply and then turned. A TIE swung right in on his tail just as Raven had hoped he would. The Alliance pilot jinked just enough to spoil his adversary's aim but not so much as to lose the Imp. Smoke came in from above the TIE and took him out with linked lasers.
Foxfire was experiencing a fierce adrenaline rush as she flung her A-wing at the TIE Interceptor in front of her. Unlike her B-wing, the A-wing had speed to match the Imperial fighter and then some. Bolt after bolt of energy hit the Imperial fighter as the pilot tried desperately to escape Foxfire's guns. Finally the TIE exploded and the A-wing flashed through the expanding ball of burning gas that was all that remained of the enemy ship.
The Slipstream had closed to gun range and was firing on the frigate, but she was over matched and the frigate was giving more than she got in the exchange. The A-wings were being hard pressed by the more numerous Interceptors when the comm officer on the Slipstream called that three TIE bombers had just launched from the frigate.
"Foxfire, stay with me," called Storm as he disengaged and turned towards the frigate. "Dump everything to engines," he called as he accelerated to maximum speed. Avery matched his maneuver and watched her rear screens nervously as the Interceptors began pursuit. "Maintain speed and swing in behind the bombers," instructed Storm. "Line up on a bomber and fire one missile. Don't wait for a lock and don't tailgate him long enough to cause him to break off. Just zoom in, fire point blank, and jink. Don't wait to see if you hit him or you'll get caught in the explosion."
The familiar lesson made Foxfire smile as she remembered Raven's training lectures on board the Regis. "Roger, Gold 3, will comply," she responded. Within seconds they had destroyed the TIE bombers before they could fire a single torpedo at the Slipstream. They pulled away from the frigate in a Wotan Weave as they slowed their speed and recharged their ships' shields.
Smoke and Raven were being mobbed by the TIEs and were unable to break away to support the Slipstream. Smoke managed to line up on the oblique of two Interceptors and took them both out. As he jinked his A-wing was hit by a TIE solar panel and he spun away momentarily losing control of his craft. The frigate was launching another wave of bombers as her turbo lasers pounded the Slipstream. The K-shields were taking all the punishment the frigate could dish but could not do so indefinitely. The only thing holding the Imperials back from really turning up the pressure was the fact that their rack system was only sending a few bombers out at a time, likely due to their being slightly overloaded with two full squadrons onboard.
Raven was making a run for the bombers with three Interceptors on his six when he saw torpedo trails on his scope. Before he could shout a warning the TIEs behind him opened up and took out his rear shields forcing him to jink and loop. But the torpedoes did not target the corvette and instead hit the bombers that were just beginning their attack run. Suddenly, space was full of Gold "Flying Tiger" X-wings. The Greyhound had arrived and was launching the sortie force.
With the X-wing reinforcements the tide of the battle turned to favor the Alliance. Flying Tigers made several torpedo runs on the Imperial capital ship as the corvette continued to fire on it, pulling down its shields. The A-wings were able to pick off the Interceptors as they were forced on the defensive and tried to protect the frigate. The Imperials, however, made no move to disengage or to retreat into hyperspace. The combined fire power of the corvette and the X-wings soon overwhelmed the frigate and it began to break up in a series of explosions along its long neck. The remaining TIEs refused to surrender and fought to the last ship.
"The Empire badly wants whatever is here," said Raven as he pointed his ship towards the Greyhound for rearming. "They fought tooth and nail. Wonder if they've beat us to the prize?"
Wraith had put the Slipstream alongside the Greyhound as they made repairs to systems overloaded by the prolonged use of the K-shields. "Only one way to find out, Gold 7," Wraith replied. "As soon as you and the others are operational I'm going to activate that beacon and I want the team to get planetside as soon as possible. We've lost two ships so far but I count us real lucky, it could have been much worse, so let's not let any klon grow under us, okay?"
"Roger Gold 2," Raven replied. He saw a search and recovery team leave the Greyhound as he docked amidships with their deep space base. He hoped they were moving out to recover the X-wing pilots that had had their ships shot out from under them. And that they'd be found alive and unhurt.
[Welcome to another episode of draw by numbers... click ...here you can see that if you bisect each hypotenuse... click ... add one cup of diced parsley... click ...but Cynthia you can't be having an affair with my best... click ...following up on the information given them by the nomad Zack, the Rebels have defeated the first forces of the Empire as they prepare to search the Pandora system. Now the beautiful Foxfire is leading her team of brave pilots (and one pretty brave gundark) to the planet below...]
"Beacon signal clear and strong," called Foxfire as they approached the fourth planet of the Pandora system.
"Roger PM 7. Gold 5 to Gold 7, Raven, do you see any sign of energy readings or Imperial ships?" asked StarDuster.
Raven, who was on point, checked his instruments. "Negative Gold 5. Looks like no one is home. I don't think the frigate got this far. Without the beacon that Zack planted it'd take months to search this system."
"Okay, we're going in," called StarDuster. "We'll land on that grassy knoll that rises above the jungle to the south. Foxfire, did Zack mention any surface defenses?"
"No, they were actually inside the complex before they had any trouble. We should be okay until we enter the base proper," answered Foxfire.
Four A-wings and shuttle dropped through the cloud cover coming down vertically on repulsors. Raven was the first down and popped the canopy on his ship. Right behind him was Rory thumping down the gangway of the shuttle. The two made their way down towards a thick section of jungle growth following a hand scanner tuned to Zack's beacon. They approached what looked like a small mound or rise. Up close they could see that the edges were too symmetrical to be a natural formation. The vegetation had been hacked away from one side and a crack could be seen low to the ground. "Looks like the front door," Raven said.
The others soon joined him. Standing by the opening StarDuster took some readings. "Might be power emanations but they're so weak it's hard to say for certain. Could be that it's all shielded. There's fresh air coming up from the fissure though." Flicking on a torch he carefully surveyed the entrance the nomads had made. "Looks like Zack left his rappelling gear," he said as he tested the spider rig. "I'll go first, then Storm, Foxfire, and Raven you watch the rear. What are you looking at?" asked StarDuster.
Raven was shading his eyes and staring behind him. "Thought I saw something back where we landed. Rory, why don't you stay on the surface and keep an eye on the ships?" The gundark tilted his head and slipped into the jungle, the bells riveted on his tail jingling softly and disappeared.
One by one they each entered the shaft and slid down the climbing gear left by the nomads and made it to the first landing without incident. They negotiated an unsealed air lock and found the interior of the complex lit with what looked like some kind of subdued emergency lights. They passed several large caverns cut into the native bedrock filled with air processing machinery. In one section they could see some small droid-like mechanicals performing maintenance on an air filtration system.
Moving downward, and towards what they hoped was the center of the complex, they came upon larger corridors with odd grooves cut into the walls and ceilings. They had traveled for about half a klick when they came upon a junction with three massive air locks around the perimeter. One was standing ajar, signs of forced entry marking the previous passage of the nomads. They went through the open lock and stood in the next chamber, momentarily stuck speechless by what they saw. It was a gigantic cavern with massive chemical pressure tanks towering from floor to ceiling along one wall. The floor of the chamber was covered with row upon row of silver tanks the size of large coffins almost disappearing in the distance. Massive hoses and automated cable runs were strung above the clone tanks and disappeared up into the ceiling far over their heads.
"Hey, this monitor says this is Growing Room 6-B, systems optimal, looks like everything is on standby. If the other two locks outside lead to 6-A and 6-C, and this is only 1 facility in a total of 6..." began Raven.
"Then we are in big trouble," concluded StarDuster. "And you're assuming that six is the total. There may be more. I estimate about 300 clone tanks just in here. This does not look good."
Storm jumped down from one of the silver sarcophagi where he was standing. "More like 350. That one is empty as are the ones nearby. Let's see if we can't find the power core and get this place on a first name basis with runaway thermonuclear fusion." He sat down at the computer terminal Raven had found and began to study the controls. "Let's see if I can call up a schematic of this place." He began typing in commands, "Hmm, that was easy. Looks like the complex is only a kilometer deep at its lowest point and radiates out from a central hub. We came down an air shaft almost dead center. If we..." he trailed off looking intently at the screen.
"What's wrong?" asked Foxfire.
Storm looked up from the screen, "The system just asked for a clearance code. I'll see if I can bypass it." Storm pulled open the satchel he had slung over his left shoulder and pulled out his slicer kit. "Raven, help me pull the cover of this CPU." The two men struggled with the access plate and it suddenly pulled free with a snap and a few sparks. The display flashed and a beep was heard. "Uh oh. I think I just figured out how Zack triggered the defenses. Well, no need to wear out our welcome ... I think we should leave. Now!"
As they hurriedly retraced their steps they were suddenly attacked by several small robots mounted on treads and moving down the corridor on the ceiling, riding in one of the grooves they noticed earlier. Foxfire saw the movement and shouted a warning as a bright beam flashed across the corridor. Raven had his blaster out as he dove for the floor and fired several blasts at the droid. Suddenly, a brilliant blue arc flashed from the groove cut in the passageway wall, hitting Raven's blaster.
Storm grabbed his friend by the collar as they all tumbled around a corner taking them out of the line of sight of the attack droids for the moment. "Are you okay?" he asked Raven.
Raven transferred his blaster to his left hand and flexed his right. "Seem fine, what the heck was that?"
Just then one of the droids came down the corridor and opened fire again. Raven tried to fire his blaster again but the charge was drained. Foxfire unholstered her weapon and fired a blast taking out one robot, but her blaster was immediately hit by a blue bolt arcing from the wall rendering it useless. "Must be an ion field running down those grooves in the walls. We can't use our blasters," Raven yelled.
Storm pulled his sidearm from a shoulder rig. He fired three armor piercing rounds from the archaic chemical propulsion weapon into each remaining attack droids. He was rewarded by seeing each attacker explode. "Fancy blasters are no substitute for a good slug thrower at your side," he said smiling.
"At least you didn't call me 'kid'," said Raven as he picked himself up off the floor.
They made it back to the air shaft, managing to avoid any further contact with the defense droids and quickly returned to the surface. Climbing out of the shaft, they stood blinking in the bright sunlight. There was a low grinding noise nearby and a slim tower was seen rising from the growth about a hundred yards away. Blaster fire emanated from twin mounted anti-personnel lasers and struck the wall behind the group. Diving for cover, StarDuster fired his blaster at the tower hitting one of the guns. Instantly, the four Alliance pilots were knocked to the ground by a sharp piercing pain seeming to originate directly in their brains.
"Sonic weapon!" shouted StarDuster. He scrambled to his knees holding the side of his head as he fought the pain and tried to fire his weapon. His companions were nearly unconscious. Waves of nausea wracked him and he fell back to the ground. The pain was unbearable.
Suddenly there was a loud whump! followed by a resounding explosion as the tower fairly disintegrated. The pain stopped instantly and the four slowly got to their feet. Looking up they saw that one of their A-wings had been rotated towards the tower and had destroyed it with a concussion missile. It was Raven's ship and they could see Rory in the cockpit.
"Whew!" said Foxfire. "That was close. It's a good thing Rory was there for backup. Trying to break into the computer system must have tripped more extensive defenses than Zack encountered. The system must have tracked us to this exit point. Good thing the computer didn't know there was a second gunman on the grassy knoll."
Raven groaned while Storm said, "Lets get while the getting is good. This place is best tackled from orbit. Without a company of commandos I suggested we call in some heavy fire power and take the facility out from space."
[Our regularly scheduled program "Eight is Enough" has been canceled and we bring you this special feature ... In our last episode, the Gold investigative force fought a itched pattle, I mean a pitched battle, in which they destroyed the Empire's first probe into the Pandora system. Little did they know that even as they explored the underground facility on Pandora 4 events were taking place across the galaxy, events that would impact the very survival of the Alliance...]
Grand Admiral Sachs sat in his command chair on the battle bridge of the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Surtur. "Operations, what is the latest report from the Remulac?"
The Comms Officer leaned over a technician sitting at a comm station and scanned the screen. "Captain Yewer reported that he has entered the Pandora system," he reported straightening upright. "He has set up a picket screen and is deploying surveillance satellites to monitor the system. He has sent scanning teams to do flybys on the 6 planets in the system. So far he has found nothing. His next report is due in 8 hours."
"Very well," the Admiral responded. "Maintain course. Mr. Guntner you have the con. I will be in Fighter Command. Notify me if there is any change in status." The Surtur was moving towards its rendezvous with the Victory-class Star Destroyers Cerberus and Slayer as well as the Frigate Avenger.
Leaving the bridge, Sachs made his way to the operations deck and the war room of Alpha Wing. The men in the room snapped to attention as the Admiral entered the room. "You wanted a word with me, Alpha-1?" he asked of the ranking officer in the room.
Rick "Ricochet" Morrissy, the Commander of Alpha Wing, nodded. This Grand Admiral was very different than the former commander of the Surtur, the traitor Sanbor. Ricochet had expected to be summoned to an 'audience' with Sachs, not have him turn up in person in Fighter Command. "Yes sir. Perhaps my office..."
"By all means, Commander," agreed the Grand Admiral, stepping through the hatch to Ricochet's office. The two men took seats at a small conference table. "I trust the mobilization of Alpha is going smoothly?"
"Yes Admiral," replied Ricochet. "Alpha Wing will be ready when you give the word. I'd like to discuss our objective on this mission." The Admiral sat back and just raised his eyebrows so Ricochet continued. "I have researched your record, Grand Admiral. And this system that has so suddenly become the focal point of so much interest. You saw action in the Boreallian Breaks during the Clone Wars when you were a Lieutenant aboard the Republic Dreadnought Kerrock. The records show that this entire sector was dominated by a Clone Master named 'Lilthar' and the units she created. The Kerrock was part of the Republic Navy fleet that smashed her domain and destroyed her renegade clones..."
The Admiral interrupted, "Most impressive, Commander Morrissy, most impressive indeed. You have indeed done your homework although you may be overemphasizing my small part in the pacification of the quadrant in question. But you are on the correct path ... the suspected prize may very well be a Clone War era growing facility. As you are personally aware the Empire's knowledge of cloning is, ah, shall we say ... imperfect? A number of fully functioning Spaarti cylinders are what interests our Emperor."
Looking at his chronometer, the Admiral rose to leave. "We should be meeting up with Cerberus, and Slayer shortly. And I..." The Admiral's comm-link signaled just then. "Admiral, This is Captain Guntner, we have just had a report from the Remulac. Yewer reports that they have been engaged by a number of Alliance starfighters."
"I'll be right there," replied the Admiral. "Wing Commander, as soon as we rendezvous with the Cerberus and the others we are launching a full scale attack on the Pandora system. Have your squadron commanders ready for a briefing as soon as the squad leaders for Phoenix and the Night Stalkers are aboard."
Returning to the battle bridge, Sachs stood overlooking the various crew stations. "What word from the Remulac?"
The Comms Officer stepped to the Admiral's side. "Sir, the initial contact with the Alliance forces was proceeding in our favor. It appeared to be no more than a recon unit of A-wings. But it seems that Rebel reinforcements have arrived and the Remulac is being hard pressed."
"Order Captain Yewer to hold that system at all costs." The reversion alarm sounded as the Surtur prepared to drop back into normal space.
"Sir, navigation reports the Slayer, Cerberus, and Avenger off our port bow. They request orders."
The Admiral turned to his executive officer. "Mr. Guntner, I want all Alpha squad leaders and attack commanders in the main briefing room. All ships to general quarters, prepare for a coordinated jump to the Pandora system. Now put me through to Captain Yewer."
[Shortly, in the briefing room on the Imperial Star Destroyer, Surtur, the Grand Admiral outlined the battle plan for the upcoming engagement...]
"Commander Morrissy, I want the Devil's Recon launched from the Avenger immediately. They are to be followed by the Vampire and Grey Wolf units as soon as possible. The Night Stalkers will be the first flight into Pandora. They will reconnoiter and provide intelligence reports as our capital ships enter the system." The Admiral activated a holo tank display of the Pandora system. "The Surtur and Slayer will drop out of hyperspace and proceed to a position here within the orbits of planets 5 and 6. The Cerberus will arrive here," he indicated with a light wand, "90 degrees above the system elliptical and be ready to move to a support position or to cut off any Rebel forces that may be on the scene. Phoenix will launch and serve as a reserve force. Once we have a fix on the target planet I want the Valiant and Avenger to move to close orbit. The Valiant will launch the Black Knights who will interdict the planet. The Sparhawk shall move a support position near the Cerberus. Once a threat estimate has been calculated the Dark Riders will launch and engage any enemy capital ships in-system. Fighters from the Surtur and Slayer will engage any enemy fighter cover. Questions?"
"Sir, Icewolf, Dark Rider 2," said a pilot in the front row. "This deployment suggests we have no real intelligence on expected resistance. The Remulac is in-system, has she not reported on the Alliance forces we can expect to encounter?"
The Grand Admiral grimaced. "We have lost all contact with the Remulac. We must assume that the Rebels are moving into the system in force. The situation is fluid at the moment. Expect only what you find and deal with it accordingly. I want the Stalkers all launched within the next 30 minutes. The task force will enter hyperspace shortly thereafter."
"Sir, Vyper, Black Knight 2, we are to interdict a planet, but to what purpose? Are we attacking a Rebel installation or defending an Imperial base?"
"The planet houses something that the Empire wants. The Rebels may have beaten us to it but I mean to get it back. Just take the planet Colonel. If any Rebels show up, kill them. This system will be secured. Is that understood?"
The Admiral was met with a chorus of "Yes sir!"
"Very well, gentlemen, get to your ships!"
