Star Crossed Fanfic

[Col. Crackpot]

GAH!!!!!! Why must people bump this thread! what a letdown to come and find there is no new chapter, just people fucking with me.

[NecronLord]

Boba Fett might use TDs for flexibility. Rememeber the ones in TESB are the bounty hunters that the Imperial leadership use, the very best of the best, which means that A) He'll have had acess to imperial armouries B) He's filthy stinking rich

[Kelly Antilles]

Hey Crackpot... easiest way to see if there is a new chapter....

LOOK AT THE CLEANED UP THREAD FIRST!

[Stravo]

Since you folks are milling around for the next chapter (coming soon) Why don't you show me some love and go read Twilight War, it will be the fic I will be working on once this is gone (not so soon) and so it will be your only way of getting a fix in the future.

Also more to the point of Starcrossed can someone point me in the direction of a script for Endgame, more to the heart of the matter I need a script or dialogue of the final scene when Voyager is making her way to Earth and the Borg are hot on their tale. If it helps and adds incentive I need it for the upcoming death scene of a very much hated female captain.

Of course any comments good or bad are always welcome even if a new chapter has not posted.

[Col. Crackpot]

Since you folks are milling around for the next chapter (coming soon) Why don't you show me some love and go read Twilight War, it will be the fic I will be working on once this is gone (not so soon) and so it will be your only way of getting a fix in the future.

Also more to the point of Starcrossed can someone point me in the direction of a script for Endgame, more to the heart of the matter I need a script or dialogue of the final scene when Voyager is making her way to Earth and the Borg are hot on their tale. If it helps and adds incentive I need it for the upcoming death scene of a very much hated female captain.

Of course any comments good or bad are always welcome even if a new chapter has not posted.

I do know that she was confronted by Captain Harry Kim (groan) in command of the of the USS Rhode Island. He helped her fight off a trio of advanced (see: non-cannon lol) Klingon battlecruisers. that help from harry allowed her shuttle to fly through the temporal thingamajig

[NecronLord]

At great personal cost, I shall get out the tape and transcribe the last five minutes of it.

[Grand Admiral Thrawn]

A standard Imperial grenade has a lethal radius of at least 5 meters. Larger grenades are lethal to 20 or even 100 meters (you'd need a launcher though for the last one).

[Mitth`raw`nuruodo]

Whee, back I am... No new Starcrossed chapter I see... My computer died recently, and left me far form the world of SD.net forums... Anything interesting happen while I was gone?

[Captain Cyran]

Whee, back I am... No new Starcrossed chapter I see... My computer died recently, and left me far form the world of SD.net forums... Anything interesting happen while I was gone?

I had fun and blew up some stuff, nothing unusual.

[Kuja]

Boba Fett might use TDs for flexibility.

Except that TDs aren't a flexilbe grenade type. They explode and pretty much annihilate anything in their blast radius. A more efficient approach would be to use specialty grenades, such as the Glop or Cryo-ban.

Rememeber the ones in TESB are the bounty hunters that the Imperial leadership use, the very best of the best, which means that A) He'll have had acess to imperial armouries B) He's filthy stinking rich

But that doesn't really mkae the TD a better choice of grenade. It's good for when you want to cause a lot of collateral damage, but in a confined area, it would be equally dangerous to the hunter as the target.

[NecronLord]

Star Wars -> Novel -> Champions of the Force / Explosive Ordinance
Pg. 163 : The stormtroopers followed, making short work of the thick hatches by using focused thermal detonators that blasted the metal doors out of their seams.

Thermal detonators can have very low firepower. The fact that Borussh (SP) had them before SotE would indicate that bounty hunters do use them.

[Kuja]

Star Wars -> Novel -> Champions of the Force / Explosive Ordinance
Pg. 163 : The stormtroopers followed, making short work of the thick hatches by using focused thermal detonators that blasted the metal doors out of their seams.

Except that it says FOCUSED thremal detonators, which implies that they are different from the norm.

Thermal detonators can have very low firepower. The fact that Borussh (SP) had them before SotE would indicate that bounty hunters do use them.

NEGtC only says that Boussh had "a fondness for explosives" not TDs per se.

[Grand Admiral Thrawn]

FOCUSED GRENADES! As in shaped charges. Sound likes a special anti-armour TD.

[Mitth`raw`nuruodo]

I think thermal detonators have different yields, not a constant really big (or small) blast. You have the big building-blasting stuff, and the little anti-personnel ones, which probably are made to fragment in as many little pieces as possible for extra shrapnel, and everything in between.

[Grand Admiral Thrawn]

I think thermal detonators have different yields, not a constant really big (or small) blast. You have the big building-blasting stuff, and the little anti-personnel ones, which probably are made to fragment in as many little pieces as possible for extra shrapnel, and everything in between.

Frag grenades (C-22) would be FAR better (especially since Boba Fett would be immune).

[Mitth`raw`nuruodo]

Yes, they would, but maybe Fett just forgot to pack one in or something (he only has so many pockets and compartments ya know). I don't suppose it matters anyway, it's Stravo's fic, the 'nades will be how he wants them, and that's ok with me.

[Kuja]

I think thermal detonators have different yields, not a constant really big (or small) blast.

As stated above, TD's do have different yields, but all of them are much more dangerous than standard grenades.

from The Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology:

Thermal detonators are immensely powerful - and strictly regulated - explosive devices. The small metal ball looks like a common grenade, and the device's thermite casing contains the synthetic explosive known as baridium.
...
When a detonator explodes, the baridium's fusion reaction creates a particl field that quickly expands outward, releasing enough energy and heat to virtually disintigrate anything caught in the blast sphere.
...
Standard-issue Imperial detonators have a small baridium core and yield a blast radius of about five meters. The Class-A thermal detonator carried by Princess Leia would have resulted in a blast radius of twenty meters. Some criminals have custom-built detonators with enough baridium to create hundred-meter blast spheres.

You have the big building-blasting stuff, and the little anti-personnel ones, which probably are made to fragment in as many little pieces as possible for extra shrapnel, and everything in between.

While there is such a thing as anti-personnel grenades, there's no such type of TD.

[Mitth`raw`nuruodo]

While there is such a thing as anti-personnel grenades, there's no such type of TD.

Well, maybe there should be

[Darth Yoshi]

Doesn't the way thermal detonators work mean they'll never be fragmentation devices?

[Kuja]

Well, maybe there should be

Doesn't the way thermal detonators work mean they'll never be fragmentation devices?

Exactly. TDs utterly annihilate anything in their blast radius. From Shadows of the Empire:

Xizor thought about it. If the boy wasn't bluffing, and somebody shot him, a Class-A TD would take out several floors of this building in a hearbeat.

These are not grenades we are talking about. They are a clearly different weapon.

[Illuminatus Primus]

They appear to be extremely compact, focused nuclear weapons.

A 'enhanced radiation' or neutron version might be anti-personnel, assuming of course that standard SW building materials and armor at their stage of materials science do not block such radiation--which might be making too much of an assumption.

[Kuja]

A 'enhanced radiation' or neutron version might be anti-personnel, assuming of course that standard SW building materials and armor at their stage of materials science do not block such radiation--which might be making too much of an assumption.

It says in the SGtW&T that a single blast can disintigrate up to two meters of "permacrete."

[Raptor 597]

Also, for the largest grenade launches you'd need a speeder for optium performance.

[Illuminatus Primus]

A 'enhanced radiation' or neutron version might be anti-personnel, assuming of course that standard SW building materials and armor at their stage of materials science do not block such radiation--which might be making too much of an assumption.

It says in the SGtW&T that a single blast can disintigrate up to two meters of "permacrete."

I know--that's converting a lot of the energy into pure thermal. The superheating and blast affects from extreme heating of the air in the structure is what melts/vaporizes all the structure and then blows it away.

Enhanced radiation weapons in RL simply concentrate a lot of their energy into gamma rays and/or neutrons. I don't know if SW building materials would block that or not.

[Stravo]

Chapter 46: Flight of shadows


The Imperial fleet emerged from hyperspace in waves, massive Imperial stardestroyers were flanked by smaller Strike and Carrack cruisers. Wings of TIE fighters roared in perfect formations around the fleet as the mighty capital ships formed up for assault. The fleet was mobilized for one purpose only, the utter destruction of the Federation remnant that had dared steal Imperial property.

The probe droids had done their job. They had discovered the base of operations and now Thrawn moved his fleet in for the kill.

The Grapple, an interdictor began to emit a powerful gravity well from its four massive hyper matter gravity generators. Thrawn was well aware that the Interdictors were not completely able to stop warp capable ships from escaping but the massive grav shadows thrown up by the vessel did interfere with the formation of static warp shells around the ships, making warp drive difficult to establish and any advantage that he could draw would be used in this battle.

Thrawn watched his fleet in silence from the Executor’s bridge where Piett was quietly giving orders to his subordinates and making the adjustments to the orders of battle as they approached the Federation base. It was still not visible but Thrawn knew that a massive cloaking system was on line that was hiding the facility.

The Romulans were in awe of the ability of this remnant to essentially cloak a planet. It might even prove challenging to Thrawn.

“Piett.”

“Grand Admiral.”

“Have the Iron Fist and Colossus move into a spearhead to try and draw their fire. I want the Executor to begin long range bombardment on my signal.”

“The facility is still cloaked and our targeting sensors cannot penetrate, Grand Admiral. We’ll essentially be firing blind.” Piett cautioned.

Thrawn smiled softly.

“It won’t matter whether we can lock on or not, Admiral. Once this fleet unleashes its firepower it will be impossible to miss the target.”

“Ah, you mean to blanket fire, force them to drop their cloak.”

“Precisely.” Thrawn glanced down at the tactical display on his station. “Deploy the Bomber wings in crescent formation and have them use the Steel Talon as a screen against counter fire from the Federation remnant.”

“Yes, sir.”

Thrawn nodded as his fleet began to follow his orders. Piett watched him, cool and confident standing on the bridge watching the opening moves of the battle with a cold calculating gaze. Piett knew as soon as the opening salvoes were fired that this battle was already won.






“Watch them!” Durant barked.

“Incoming.” one of the androids warned.

Bright emerald death flashed around the massive facility and exploded into balls of fire and light. Many of these blasts ripped around the facility but some consumed a portion of a space dock, a gantry or a supply depot.

“Sir, the cloaking field is starting to fail.”

Durant nodded.

“OK, they think they have us right where they want us. It’s time to show them that you don’t come into the lion’s den and not expect to get hurt.” Durant turned to his android aide. “Commence mine detonation, swarming pattern and get the last of the evacuation ships in line, we’re going to have to make a break for it.”

“Yes sir.”

The Imperial fleet loomed closer, their massive arrow shaped hulls gleaming hungrily in the light of the systems primary, a steady stream of turbolaser fire poured away from them into the Shadowfleet base.

Suddenly small explosions began rippling along the lead elements of the fleet, the explosions growing more numerous and brighter the deeper the fleet penetrated until the lead elements were almost continuously engulfed in light.




“Repeat we have massive mine detonations all along all areas of approach. The Colossus reports over a thousand individual detonations every 5 seconds now on her forward shields.”

Thrawn did not react, he merely marked something on his tactical pad and continued to listen to reports.

Jerjerrod leaned in closely.

“Grand Admiral, if the rate of detonations does not decrease soon, the Colossus may lose her forward shields.”

“The mines are a distraction and they know that. They are going to try and escape. Unlike the other Federation remnants, this contingent seems to have a realistic assessment of their chances. Their leadership will not try to win a victory by any means necessary. These are military men, pure and simple and they know when they are in a lost cause and so they do the militarily prudent thing. They will run.”

“They sound more dangerous than Kirk’s contingent.” Jerjerrod noted with some concern. The Federation had always proven to be an odd dichotomy of scientists and warriors, neither side comfortable with the other. It had been one of their advantages against the Federation, at least from his readings of the Imperium fleet’s reports. He had also noted something else in the reports, an almost sneering condescension of the opposition they faced in this galaxy up until a point. The Battle of Vulcan where Kirk made his first appearance. Since then all reports dealing with his remnant seemed to almost have a grudging respect and admiration to the point where in one of Grand Admiral Kittaine (It was difficult to imagine that bureaucrat as a Grand Admiral) after action reports he actually wished he had a commander like Kirk.

“No. Actually that makes them easier to deal with and defeat.”

“How?” Jerjerrod asked incredulously.

“They are military men, Jerjerrod, we know precisely how they think and act. I can anticipate the actions of a field commander far better than I can of a fanatic on a crusade. This Kirk has an almost intuitive grasp of our weaknesses and strengths and a level of tactical creativity I have not seen in many commanders. He also has a charismatic edge that allows him to lead men willingly into a hopeless situation.” Thrawn replied and turned his glowing red eyes to Jerjerrod who looked slightly confused.

Thrawn nodded to himself.

“Kirk can get his men to do almost anything no matter how crazed. These men will only do what is militarily practical and sound and that is their weakness and one that I am about to exploit.”

“Admiral Piett, it is time to flush them out. Have the Bomber wings fire proton torpedoes with proximity fuses in waves. All our TIE Interceptor are to follow in the wake as those blasts will at least temporarily clear the mine field for our fighters. Have all squadrons begin immediately engaging all targets within our flak burst zones. Let us see how long they can maintain their discipline before they have to swat at the gnats I’ve sent them.”

“Yes, Grand Admiral.” Piett paused. “Sir, shall I order all gunnery crews to be on the watch for Federation fire. Perhaps we can lock on to their return fire signatures and engage in that manner.”

Thrawn regarded Piett for a moment and there was the barest shadow of a smile on his face.

“Those were my next orders, good anticipation, Piett. Carry on.”

“Yes sir.” Piett replied and hid his own smile.






“We’ve got movement in the perimeter. Looks like torpedoes inbound.”

“They’re trying to flush us out. We’ve run out of time. Status of evacuation?”

“Charges have been set, all data files have been erased. We’ve beamed up the last of our crews and equipment.”

Durant nodded.

“It’s time then. Load all torpedo bays with transphasic torpedoes. We’re going to give them a nice little surprise.”

“Roger that.”

Durant sat on the bridge of the Bunker Hill watching dispassionately as the Imperial fleet tried to pry apart defense of a base designed to take on an armada of warships from any empire in the galaxy. Fortunately for the Shadowfleet the base was also designed to be evacuated and abandoned at nearly a moment’s notice. The true strength of the shadowfleet lay in it not being found, in its ability to melt away out of sight. Their entire existence could be denied. They were not SUPPOSED to exist and they took this mandate to heart. It was one of the founding principles. Protect the Federation by any means necessary but never be known. They were the silent guardian angels and now they had to run.

“Sir, fleet is formed up. We’re as ready as we’re going to be.”

“Acknowledged—” the rest of Durant’s words were cut off by a storm of explosions that erupted silently on screen as waves of proton torpedoes detonated. The Bombers that launched the waves peeled away elegantly and a horde of TIE Interceptors roared in like a swarm of killer bees, swarming right through the gap in the minefield, barely waiting for the rapidly expanding clouds of plasma to disappear before rushing in.

The fighters were fast, faster than anything that the Shadowfleet had faced before and soon they had pierced the outer edge of the cloaking screen and were in among the fleet. The fighters could not see the individual ships of the shadowfleet for they were cloaked, but they could now see the individual vast structures that made up the base. Many of the fighters began attacking the docking platforms, base structures, orbital facilities. Some of the squadrons remained vigilant for any sign of the fleet that they had been sent to hunt.

Several of the fighters clipped or ran full bore into cloaked ships and exploded, the debris continuing on in flaming trails into the inky darkness. Surviving wingmen immediately began firing into the empty area of space where they suspected the ship may lie.

Durant watched as the fighters prowled around them firing in quick bursts of green death.

“We have contacts among the fleet.”

“Taking heavy fire.”

“Argo is losing stabilizers- our cloak is failing.”

An explosion illuminated the area around a squadron of fighters and a nacelle became clear as it vented plasma, all along the nacelle a cascade of hungry blue lightning lapped along the vague outline of a starship.

“Should we return fire?”

Durant slapped on his communicator switch.

“Negative, repeat negative, they’re looking for us to begin opening fire and track back to the point of origin. Full impulse and take us out of here.”

“Copy that fleet commander.”

The fleet moved, accelerating away from the base they called home for decades. Durant mused on the loss. The Shadowfleet’s headquarters had always moved as the Federation grew. Designed to always be on the absolute frontier of Federation space, the base allowed the Shadowfleet to aggressively patrol the borders and to be at the forefront of any threat to the Federation. Sometimes something slipped by, like the Doomsday machine of Kirk’s era but there were so many threats that the Shadowfleet had headed off, so many invasions. Entire civilizations bombed into oblivion because of their overall threat to the Federation. As the Federation grew beyond its first boundaries so did the Shadowfleet stretch forth its hand always protecting their charge with blood and iron.

Now, they were running from the one foe that they could not stop, could not anticipate.

This base which had served them well on the outer boundaries of Federation space was about to be destroyed and with it, perhaps the very last hope that the Federation could defeat this foe.

The fleet was quickly leaving the base behind and Durant watched as the starbase his office was located in was torn asunder by the TIE Interceptors. Their green energy blasters were ripping through tritanium and force fields stripping the facilities to their skeletal structures beneath, much like piranha back on earth.

“Begin detonations see if we can’t inflict some casualties on those bastards.”

“Aye sir.”

Squadrons of TIE Interceptors were coming around the shattered remains of a repair base when it exploded, sending debris and shrapnel out in a cloud of quickly expanding death. Many of the TIE fighters soon spun out of control exploding into small pearls of light in the distance.

“We’re starting to get some flack sir. The Imperial fleet is laying down flak in anticipation of our escape.”

“Hmm…looks to me like we need a divine wind to get us out of this mess.” Durant smiled coldly as a TIE Interceptor clipped the forward bow of his ship and spun like a mad top into his escort vessel, exploding harmlessly.

“Shall I initiate the operation?”

“By all means.”





“I want more fire in that sector.” Thrawn ordered tersely.

“They’re showing astounding fire discipline.” Piett noted with some admiration as he relayed the orders.

“Not altogether unexpected but one can hope for a break. Now we know what we are facing, true and utter professionals. All the more reason why this battle will be over quite soon.”

“Admiral?” Jerjerrod interrupted.

“What is it?”

Jerjerrod looked confused as he read a display on his datapad.

“We’re picking up odd readings on the fore port side. The Iron Fist and Decimator report picking up energy spikes like starship drive emissions heading straight for their position.”

“How is that possible? Their cloaks have proven to be infallible until now.” Piett countered.

Thrawn’s fist tightened slightly and his eyes narrowed to slits.

“Have the forward formations break immediately! Full evasive and I want flack and torpedoes in that space now.” Thrawn hissed.

“Yes si—” Piett began and on the view port a mighty explosion flared up ahead.

Alarms buzzed on several stations as another blast exploded to their starboard.

“I want the entire fleet in full evasive mode and all gunners are to lay down suppressing fire.”

“What are we suppressing?” Jerjerrod exclaimed in frustration as yet another explosion illuminated the darkness followed by an even larger explosion that accompanied it in the same location. This explosion was unmistakable for veterans of combat with rebel alliance forces. It was the death cry of a hypermatter reactor.

“Just do as he says!” Piett snarled and stalked over to the navigation bay. “All available power to the engines and get this hulk moving.”

“Yes sir!”

Another explosion to their extreme left actually flooded the bridge of the Executor with light.

“Admiral.”

“Report.”

“We’ve lost the Iron Fist. The Deceiver is crippled and has lost life support in half the ship.” Jerjerrod reported with a tone of disbelief.

Thrawn was a man in motion, stalking over to crew pits.

“I want a detailed status report right now or we are all dead.” His voice was like doom and his men quickly scattered to cull data.

“Piett.”

“Sir?”

“We are being attacked in a manner that I did not anticipate. We need to finish this battle quicker than expected, move the flagship out of this combat zone immediately. I will not risk damage to the Executor at this key point. Order the rest of the fleet to lay down heavy suppressing fire at these coordinates.” Thrawn handed Piett a datapad with several coordinates laid in.

“Can we be certain they are there?”

“It is where I have allowed them to think I do not expect them to be. They will now learn the folly of this notion.”

“I sense a disturbance in the Force. This fleet is in grave danger.” Vader intoned as he stepped on the bridge. Thrawn permitted himself a cordial nod.

“As always, Lord Vader your powers of perception are extraordinary.”

“Now is not the time for pleasantries, Grand Admiral, this vessel is in extreme danger.”

“And what does your force tell you?” Thrawn asked coldly.

“Merely that we are in danger.” Vader admitted just as coldly.

“I need to find out what is attacking us NOW.”

“Yes sir.”

“I think I have an idea.” Jerjerrod interrupted.

The trio of Piett, Thrawn and Vader turned their heads to look at Jerjerrod who was pointing to the view port.

A small starship was making its way straight to an escort ship. The starship looked ghostly, her outer edges seem to waver and wink in and out of view. The escort vessel undoubtedly saw her and brought a withering barrage of turbolaser fire to bear on the approaching starship.

The bright emerald lances passed through the ship with only the briefest sign of affecting the target. The starship seemed to ripple slightly as if a stone had been skipped across the surface of a still pond. The starship continued on in an intercept course with the Strike cruiser which was now desperately executing evasive maneuvers. Everyone watched transfixed by the sight, the silence only broken by Vader’s mechanical breathing. The starship kept pace with the Strike cruising moving unerringly closer.

“We’re not getting any life readings.” Jerjerrod whispered as he tore himself away long enough to look at a scanning report of the vessel.

“It is automated.” Thrawn concluded with a cold stare as he watched the exchange with all the interest of a surgeon at an operation. His cold calculating mind quickly drawing conclusions from the incredible sight he was seeing. Several more shots passed right through the starship’s saucer section as the ship closed the gap to almost pointblank range.

“She’s not slowing down.” Piett noted.

“I don’t think she intends to.” Jerjerrod added.

The starship executed one last turn as the Strike cruiser tried one last desperate gambit to elude her and failed. The starship passed into the cruiser like a ghost and suddenly as if a light switch had been thrown the ghostly image of the starship sharpened and it solidified, directly within the engine block of the Strike cruiser. The solidification process lasted a mere moment and suddenly both ships occupied the same space at the same time.

The starship erupted in a blaze of self destructing matter and antimatter. The Strike cruiser’s engine block disappeared in that same flash, consumed by the destruction of the starship and the forces of physics which would not allow such a paradox to occur. The Strike cruiser slowly drifted down and out of formation, her engines blasted into their component atoms.

Thrawn did not hesitate.

“I want the command ship out of this fight immediately and all weapons are to engage the target areas designated. It is time to bring in my own surprise forces.”

“Yes Admiral.” Piett replied still shaken by what he had just seen.




“We have eliminated one large cruiser and crippled several others.”

“Excellent. Have remaining divine wind units engage value targets, especially the command ship. If we can take her out of the fight, maybe kill their command staff we may force a retreat or at the very sow enough confusion to escape.” Durant replied as he held on to his command chair. The Bunker Hill was shaking badly, bucking like a wild bronco as the retreating Shadowfleet passed through a veritable storm of turbolaser fire. Some of his starships were caught in a point blank blast, not seen emerging from the other side, still others at the edge of the blasts were trying desperately to maintain their cloaks.

“Sir, we’re picking up more heavy fire, they’re concentrating all fire in this sector.”

Durant frowned. As if they knew the fleet was definitely here. How was that possible?

“Should we disperse the fleet?”

“No.” Durant replied. “If we have to fight our way out of this mess we’ll need to concentrate our fire and that’s going to be nearly impossible to do with our fleet dispersed throughout the retreat zone.” Durant rubbed his chin and slapped his communicator switch again.

“Subspace warfare vessels, begin immediate wild weasel operations. Set for position three.”

“Acknowledged.”

As the Shadowfleet continued its relentless march through the thick flak several double hulled Oberth class ships slowed down and opened their shuttle bays. A small flight of shuttles immediately emerged from the subspace warfare ships. Each shuttle was piloted by an android that took the shuttles away from the fleet. At a safe distance they activated their Wild Weasel units. These compact computer systems broadcasted false images into the subspace domain which confused sensors as to the true location of the target vessel.

A style of warfare made almost extinct by the advent of cloaking technology and the ability to hide vessels and fleets far better than any spoofing technology could ever hope to achieve. But the masters of the Shadowfleet were not ones to easily discard proven techniques and soon discovered that the combination of cloaking and spoofing was a devastating tool, particularly to a fleet that prided itself on not even existing.

The Wild Weasels were now broadcasting a carefully crafted image in the hopes that the Imperial fleet would take the bait and switch to the shuttles and their broadcasters instead of the fleet.




“I’m not convinced.” Thrawn said with a frown.

“The signatures are intermittent and only a handful. It is fully consistent to what would occur if their power grids or cloaks were damaged. A signature precisely like this one would be picked up by our sensor nets. The fact that we’re not picking up more of these signatures convinces me to their veracity, Grand Admiral.” Piett replied to Thrawn’s caution.

“It is precisely because they are what we should or would expect that has me concerned, Admiral. They are under heavy fire at this moment and now we start seeing some signatures that happen to be in areas farther away from the heart of the bombardment? I expect to see such signatures in the flak zone not here on the fringes. This act reeks of desperation and I will not take the bait.”

Piett frowned. He was convinced of the data, it was Thrawn who could not conceive that perhaps he was wrong that would not accept the scenario.

“Continue the bombardment and—”

“Grand Admiral!” Jerjerrod exclaimed and jabbed his finger at an object coming in low towards the Executor.

The starship was a Miranda class, shimmering ghostlike it approached like a specter from the midst of the battle, hurtling towards the Executor, unimpeded by the heavy fie from the Executor or her escorts.

“Increase forward firepower, I don’t want that thing to get through!” Piett exclaimed.

“It’s no use.” Thrawn hissed. “They have devised a way to make these ships invulnerable to our weapons fire. Once they phase through our shields and hull they will reintegrate into our molecular structure. Ingenious weapon really, but every weapon has a countermeasure.”

“I can’t see one.” Jerjerrod spat bitterly as the starship continued on, its course obviously locked onto the Executor’s bridge tower.

“Full evasive, all power to the engines.” Piett ordered grimly as the starship grew on the view port.

“I don’t want this distraction to stop the bombardment. Shift fire to the grid I set.”

“You want me to switch defensive fire from that ship?” Piett asked.

“Yes, Admiral. There is no stopping what is going to happen. But I will not allow that fleet to escape.”

“Yes sir.”

Thrawn stepped back and watched the small ship continue on its course unerringly as turbolaser fire stopped lancing through it and switched back to the space where Thrawn knew an entire Federation fleet was trying to escape.

“Perhaps the cause is not completely lost.” Vader said quietly to Thrawn alone.

Thrawn paused enough to smile coolly. “I thought you might have a way out of this for us, Lord Vader.”

“The power to make a ship invulnerable to fire is insignificant next to the power of the force.”

“So I’m told.” Thrawn replied.

Vader glanced down at the Grand Admiral but he remained impassive watching the battle unfold, no hint whatsoever of his jibe on his face. Vader looked back up at the suddenly looming starship. It was almost at the nose of the Executor as the massive ship did its best to avoid the starship. The sound of the massive engines at full power could be heard vibrating up the bulkheads.

Vader opened his mind and reached out to the starship.

Thrawn motioned to Piett who walked over quickly.

“Send the message.”

“What if they do not respond?” Piett asked seriously looking into the glowing red eyes.

Thrawn returned the gaze, impressed that Piett had not suggested that they evacuate the bridge. Perhaps there was more to this Admiral than met the eye.

“Then they will be solely responsible for the escape of this Federation remnant and I will make sure that this galaxy and their allies never forget that the Imperium failed in stopping the remnant responsible for the destruction of the Romulan homeworld of Remus.” Thrawn replied icily.

“Of course Admiral.” Piett replied with a curt nod and turned to relay the message.

Vader remained motionless behind them, the starship now passing the nose of the Executor.

Vader felt the insides of the vessel through the Force, he moved along its corridors like a wraith, his spectral eyes penetrating bulkhead and security doors. He followed the pulsing of the force, it called to him, wanting to show him what he required.

The object sat in the center of his vision, pulsing in the strange light of the starship, illuminate partially by the light of his own being. He reached out with his mind, angry at this device for causing the deaths of so many under his command, for defying his will and for putting himself in danger.

He reached out in his anger and took the object in his grip and squeezed. Squeezed in anger and rage, Squeezed as he thought of his son, as he thought of years of planning at risk because his whelp of a child could not control himself. Impetuous, brash, angry, he would ruin what he had sacrificed so much for. His humanity, his friends, and his future all for the chance at righting the wrongs he saw in the universe and for bringing order to the chaos. He alone had the power to right it all again, he alone could face Palpatine and slay the decrepit old monster in his lair.

But he learned form the vile leering old man, he learned that in patience and planning there was a strength unlike any other. Patience and planning had felled a Republic and instituted a New Order, and Vader was a quick study. Oh yes, he had learned very quickly and through careful planning and patience he had brought about the events that would bring him the reigns of control.

But now his son would ruin it all. He would dash all his plans and hopes because this child could not see the forest for the trees.

At the same time how could he hate his son? How could he hate the one thing that remained in his life that reminded him of her? Padme.

I truly deeply love you.

He closed his eyes for a moment as hot tears welled up in his eyes. He snapped the phase cloak in a reflexive crush of anger as he lashed out at it all, lashed out at the injustice, the loneliness, the guilt and the shame.

The entire engineering section collapsed in on itself at the rage of Lord Vader.

The bridge officers gasped as the Miranda cruiser suddenly veered sharply off course and crashed down into the lower portions of the Executor’s hull. Piett sighed deeply and shook his head. He did not allow his men to see the fear that had gripped his belly.

“Well done, Lord Vader.” Thrawn said casually and turned his attention back to the battle. Vader did not reply, instead he breathed rhythmically and stared outward at the battle but in his mind he knew that when the time came, Thrawn had to die.





“Alright, hold it together everyone, we’re almost clear of this mess. I want all power diverted to warp drive. We need to get out of this death trap immediately.” Durant ordered calmly.

“Kind of like a nice spring shower back home, right boss?” Durant’s second chimed in on the com in his thick Texan accent.

“I don’t want to go through that kind of shower again anytime soon old friend.” Durant replied with a grin.

An alarm buzzed at the science station. The android on duty glanced down and looked back up at Durant.

“Hyperspace emergence ahead.”

“Oh no.” Durant muttered.

The Imperium fleet emerged from hyperspace directly in the path of the fleeing shadowfleet vessels. The Emperor’s Will at the head and a sea of green warbirds spreading out like a net at the extreme flanks of the fleet, pouring fire almost immediately into the empty space before them.

“We’re receiving heavy fire.”

“Shields failing—“”

“Transfer all available power to the structural integrity fie—“

“Losing cloak.”

Durant slammed his fist down on the armrest of the command seat. This was not expected. How did they know precisely where he would be?

“Orders sir?”

Durant watched as several starships suddenly became visible, their cloaks destroyed or damaged damage clearly visible all along their hulls, one ship missing a nacelle and all lights out drifted away from the fleet trailing a glittering field of plasma and molten metal.

“All ships listen up. Our only avenue of escape has been cut off. We need to get out of this death trap, the power of their flak bursts will not allow us to form a static warp shell so we have only one choice.”

“We’re with you boss.”

Durant smoothed his onyx black uniform and ran a hand through his hair before sitting back in his command chair.

“Drop the cloaks, all power to the weapons systems, standby on transphasic torpedo volleys….” He leaned forward slightly. “Alright boys and girls, this is it, we’re in for a knife fight.”