Beyond - Legends The Fragile Peace (Skywalker-Jade Revival Society Challenge)

Nyota's Heart, Briannakin, Jedi_Lover, NightWatcher91, Gemma, JadeLotus, I'm glad you're enjoying it!

Chapter 3

Jaina saw Fett beginning to slow, and she put on an extra burst of speed. The man turned and fired a shot at her from his blaster; she caught it on her saffron blade and deflected it to the ground. Fett stopped in his tracks and trained his blaster on her. Jaina leapt over his head, landed behind him, and pointed her blade at him. Then she caught the sound of several rocket packs.

More Mandalorians! One of them tossed Fett an electrosword. They landed around Jaina, four of them. Each of them trained a blaster on her.

"Give it up, Jedi," Fett said.

"What do you want, Fett?" Jaina asked. "Why'd you attack us?"

"My family's honor must be restored. Your father sent mine into the sarlacc pit. He must be avenged. I will take that vengeance out with your blood."

Jaina prepared herself to move in any direction, reaching out her Force senses so she could anticipate which Mandalorian would fire first. Maybe if she could keep Fett talking, then Damien or Ben could catch up and assist her. She had no doubt she could take Fett on her own, or even most of the Mandalorians, but all together, surrounding her, they had a definite advantage. Jaina wasn't as good a combatant as Uncle Luke or Aunt Mara, so she'd have to play this to her strengths.

"Is it honorable to ambush us?" Jaina asked. "A straight up fight, head-to-head, would've been more honorable."

Fett hesitated. "You use your Jedi powers to cheat your way out of a true fight. It is not dishonorable for me to ambush you, because you use advantages we do not have, as well."

Jaina shrugged. "That's never stopped Mandalorians before. Jango Fett, your grandfather, was willing to engage Obi-Wan Kenobi in a fair fight. Even Mace Windu."

"Windu killed my grandfather."

"At least he killed him in honorable combat. I'll tell you what. No Force powers, no reinforcements, just you and me, one-on-one. How's that?"

Fett's eyes darkened. "Step back," he said to his warriors. "I'll take her myself."

The Mandalorians obeyed immediately, lowering their blasters and holstering them. They spread out to make room for Fett and Jaina to fight. Jaina spun her lightsaber and held it in a two-handed grip, the hilt just in front of her belly, the blade pointing out at an upward angle. Fett took his sword in a two-handed grip as well, but he kept his guard high, the hilt next to his right shoulder, the blade pointed straight up.

"For Clan Fett!" the man said.

He charged. Jaina quickly blocked his blow and spun it aside. He came back at her, slashing low to cut her in half. Jaina spun aside, avoiding the crackling blade, and turned around to bring her lightsaber down toward his head. Fett brought his sword up high and blocked the blow, and then slashed at Jaina's legs. She leapt over the sword and snap-kicked him in the chest while she was still in the air. She landed on her feet and advanced on Fett. She slashed at him. Growling, Fett grabbed her arm and swung it aside, and jerked his head forward into hers. Jaina groaned as his forehead impacted with her nose.

She fell to the ground and winced as sand and blood filled her mouth. Spitting, she quickly rolled away just as the tip of Fett's sword stabbed into the ground where she'd been lying. Hopping nimbly to her feet, Jaina paused for a moment, heaving out several hard breaths. Fett was good, no doubts. Better than many Jedi that Jaina had sparred with. He was easily as good as Damien.

Fett redoubled his attack on her, stabbing at her with his blade. Jaina caught his blade from below and pushed upward, leaving his belly open. She slashed at him and her blade passed through his robes, but only singed the armor plates underneath. Fett growled and swung his sword again; Jaina dodged and punched him in the face. His lip split and he groaned.

"Now we're even," Jaina said with a falsely sweet smile, wiping blood from her nose.

Fett chuckled darkly. He was about to resume attacking...Jaina sensed someone else closing in. She groaned and shut her eyes, knowing what was about to happen. Fett whirled in time to see Damien leaping over the head of one of the Mandalorians, slashing downward. The Mandalorian turned in surprise, but too late; the blade cleanly decapitated him.

"You said no reinforcements!" Fett growled.

"I–I didn't know he was coming," Jaina said. "Really!"

Fett shook his head. "Kill them!"

The three remaining Mandalorians opened fire. Once again immersing herself in the Force, Jaina quickly reflected the bolts with her lightsaber, and she and Damien made short work of the attackers. When they were finished, there was no sign of Fett. Jaina gave Damien a longsuffering but slightly peeved look. He replied with a chagrined smile.

"Thought you needed help," he said sheepishly.

She shrugged. "I had it sorted."

* * *

Back on the Star Destroyer Retaliation, two hours later, Ben stood in the interrogation room with the Mandalorian prisoner, who now was dressed only in the tan jumpsuit he'd worn underneath his armor. The prisoner also had a bacta tourniquet over the stump where his right hand had once been. The prisoner was a human male with warm skin, blue eyes, and unruly brown hair. He seemed rather young; he couldn't have been more than a year older than Ben.

"How did you know the Retaliation would be passing into the system?" Ben asked.

The Mando, who'd identified himself as Farus Saxon, shrugged. "I don't know. Alor'ad Fett didn't tell us. He recruited us because he wanted to restore his family's honor, and we were the best warriors Mandalore had to offer. He didn't tell us how he got the information, only that he wanted us there and that we should be prepared to fight Jedi. Clearly, we weren't ready enough."

"So Fett didn't tell you anything except who you'd be fighting."

"Yes."

Ben sighed. "Well, do you know anything about the sabotage to the Retaliation?"

"I know only that Fett assured us that the ship would make an unexpected stop in the Tatoo system, and that was where we would engage the Jedi. I did not know how he knew this."

Ben sensed that Saxon wasn't lying. Reluctantly, he turned and opened the door, nodding to the guards outside. The New Republic troopers wore gray pants, red shirts, black vests, and white-and-black fleet trooper helmets. Each carried a DH-17 blaster. They entered, gestured to Saxon, and led him from the room. Sighing, Ben ran a hand through his red hair and considered what he knew.

The Mandalorians, except for Fett, had not known about the sabotage. They had not known of the Retaliation's mission. It was possible that Fett himself had been the one responsible for the sabotage, but that was unlikely. Sabotaging a Star Destroyer's engines could, hypothetically, be done by one person, but it would be very difficult to do, let alone to avoid detection while doing it. More likely, there had been multiple saboteurs, and they'd infiltrated the ship just before it'd departed from Coruscant. Which meant that Fett wasn't working alone.

"Any luck?"

Ben looked up. Mara stood in the doorway, smiling at her son. Ben returned the smile, walked up the short stairway to the door, and embraced her. Then, shutting the door, he led her down the hallway away from the empty interrogation room.

"No luck, I'm afraid," he replied. "All I know is that Fett didn't tell his men anymore than they needed to know, and apparently that wasn't much. Also that Fett knew where we'd be going and what route we'd be taking, which makes it unlikely that he is working alone."

Mara nodded. "Well, we'll figure it out. In the meantime, that funny little hunched creature got Kuat to ship us parts. They'll arrive later today; the ship should be ready to run before this time tomorrow."

Ben brightened. "Good. I wish we'd been able to catch Fett, though."

"Don't worry," Mara replied. "I doubt we've seen the last of him."

 

Great update! Glad to see Jaina as awesome in this universe as she is in "Legends".

 

The mystery deepens as to who Fett's collaborators are. Of course there'll be a second confrontation Jaina was doing wonderfully but I don't think Fett will agree to the one on one thing again.

 

I guess somebody told Fett the EU was no longer canon and therefore Boba Fett was once again dead. Nice update!

 

Loved the battle sequences - you write action really well.

I can see the looks are their faces --- reminds me a bit of Mara and Luke.

Enjoyed the little scene at the end with Mara and Ben; I like the family stuff.

 

Nyota's Heart, Briannakin, Jedi_Lover, NightWatcher91, Gemma, JadeLotus, Ewok_Slayer

Chapter 4

Han Solo was getting too old for this.

Changed out of his uniform, now once again wearing his preferred outfit–white shirt, brown pants with yellow Corellian Bloodstripes, black boots, black vest, and gunbelt–he knelt under the starboard hull of the Millennium Falcon and worked on his baby. Chewbacca, head stuck up inside one of the Falcon's opened exterior panels, growled out at Han.

"Right!" Han replied. He fixed the appropriate part. "That should do it."

Chewie growled a confirmation as power rerouted through the wires Han had fixed. Closing the panel, Han dusted his hands off and turned to look out at the rest of the hangar. He'd come down to work on the Falcon mostly because he had nothing to do until the engineers and technicians finished fixing the Retaliation's engines. As much as Han had grown used to command, he still liked to spend time down here with the pilots now and then. Chewie pulled his head out of the panel, closed it, and walked over to stand beside Han. His fur was now shot through with silver, much the same color as Han's hair. Han grinned and patted him on the chest.

"Like old times, eh, buddy?" he said with a grin.

Chewie growled an affirmative. Han put his hands on his hips and for a moment wished he were thirty years old again, shooting around the galaxy like a madman, killing stormtroopers and winning Leia's heart all at the same time. He shook his head. He missed his wife; she was back on Coruscant, running things there, and Han hated whenever he had to leave her. At least he had his daughter here with him, this time. Speaking of which...

"Hey, where's Jaina?" he asked.

Chewie growled a reply.

"Uh. Is Damien with her?"

Grrf.

"Of course he is. Ah, well. I could think of worse guys for her to be with."

Han picked up a rag from the top of a tool table nearby and wiped sweat and grime from his forehead, and then set off at a casual pace away from the Falcon, with Chewie close behind him. Han passed a squadron of X-wings and tossed a salute at the squadron commander, who returned the salute. Then, Han entered the turbolift at the hangar entrance and keyed in the floor for his quarters. He supposed he'd change back into uniform and find out just how long it would be before this mission could finally get underway again.

* * *

Etera Fett stumbled up to the massive door and brought his fist down on it once. It took several moments, but the door began to creak open. Fett waited until it was just below his height and then ducked underneath and entered. Jabba's Palace was in a state of ruin, having been abandoned after the Hutt's death thirty years ago. Womp rats and other desert creatures scrabbled around and chewed on tapestries long since destroyed.

Fett growled and pulled off the remains of his robes. Underneath, he wore a set of Mandalorian armor the same color as his father's. The green plates now had the black scoring of a lightsaber blow across the belly. Fett did not mind the sight; on the contrary, it was just another trophy to prove he'd survived a fight with a Jedi. But he hadn't beat her, either.

Fett entered the armory and looked around. Like the rest of the palace, the armory had long since been looted–blasters, rifles, and vibroaxes had all been taken by Jawas and Tusken Raiders years ago. However, several items did remain, items Fett had brought here with him when he'd set up the ambush for the Jedi. First was his helmet. He quickly picked it up, wiped away traces of dust that had begun to settle, and pulled it on. Next to it was his jetpack, which he pulled on over his shoulders. Lastly was his special comlink, which he now triggered.

The being at the other end took several moments to answer; when it finally did, it appeared dark-cloaked, its face hidden under a deep hood.

"How did it go?" the figure asked, its voice muffled by a scrambler. Fett didn't even know if it was male or female.

"I ambushed the Jedi but they defeated my men," he said. "I was forced to retreat."

"As I suspected," the figure replied with a careless shrug. "I knew your Mandalorians would be no match for the Jedi. I merely needed to test them. Well, now your job is done. Your payment was not contingent on the results."

Fett's eyes flashed underneath his helmet. "I'm not finished. I really do want to take down the Solo girl. Her family caused my father's death; I can avenge him best by killing her. Make Han Solo suffer the way I did."

"By all means, then," the figure said, "continue pursuing the Star Destroyer by yourself. I'm sure you can take on an entire strike force of Republic troopers and Jedi without any backup whatsoever."

Fett ignored the sarcasm. "I'm not stupid. I know you're planning something for when they arrive in your region. I want an honorable fight with the Jedi, a rematch. I didn't get the chance to prove who'd come out for the better, because her friend arrived before the fight was over. Just her and I, one-on-one, and I might've been able to beat her. She bloodied me, sure, but no truly worthy fight can be won without pain."

"So you're saying you want to come to my side, have another chance at this Jedi? Is that it?"

"I'm no one's servant," Fett growled. "Any assistance I render your forces would be merely until I get another shot at the Jedi. After that, we go our separate ways. And in anything I render service in other than fighting the Jedi, I'll still expect payment."

"Money is no object. You shall have what you desire."

"Good."

The figure reached to the side, touching a button out of the holo's view. "Come to these coordinates. Wait with me here, and together we shall restore honor to the Fett name...and destroy the Skywalkers and Solos in one fell strike."

 

Intriguing conversation with a mysterious collaborator.

 

Oh! The real villain now gets some 'screen time'. Great chapter.

 

Loved Han! And keeping some mystery with the villain, I like it.

 

Oh, you've continued! I need to catch up!!

 

Nyota's Heart, Briannakin, Jedi_Lover, NightWatcher91, Gemma, JadeLotus, Ewok_Slayer, ginchy

Chapter 5

A bar of yellow plasma extended from Jaina's right hand and she grinned at Damien. Damien gave a grin of his own and snapped his silver-blue lightsaber to life. Jaina spun her lightsaber in an arc and held it in a defensive grasp, holding it with one hand, near her waist, blade pointed outward, with her left hand held parallel to the ground, extended toward Damien. Damien took a more offensive stance, feet planted shoulder-width apart, both hands on his lightsaber, held by his right hip.

Damien leapt into combat, bringing his hands over his head and bringing it down toward Jaina. Jaina deftly rolled aside and slashed her lightsaber at his back. He spun mid-motion and blocked her strike before bringing down another blow toward Jaina's throat. Jaina bent backwards, letting the blade pass over her face, and then jerked back up and rammed her blade at his head. Damien brought his lightsaber up, knocking her blade high off course.

As quickly as the engagement had begun, the two of them spun away, now once again standing in their starting positions, barely breathing hard. Jaina exhaled and found herself grinning again. Slowly, she lowered her blade and deactivated it. Damien deactivated his own blade. Their training sessions were usually this short; they connected so strongly that they knew exactly what move the other was going to make, and so it was pointless to continue any longer.

"Ten seconds," Damien said. "I think that's the longest we've ever gone."

Jaina nodded. "We must be getting better."

Because of their connection, they spent time sparring with either Ben or Mara, so that they could practice moves that the other had not seen before. Then they'd come back and spar with each other again, seeing how off-guard they could catch the other with their new moves. Usually it didn't extend the sessions more than a few microseconds.

"You are," a voice said.

They turned. Luke stood behind them, now dressed in dark gray Jedi clothes with a black cloak. Jaina, Damien, and the other Jedi usually decided against wearing Jedi robes unless it was a formal occasion–the threadbare tunics and pants did not appeal to the younger generation. Luke, however, seemed to find the loose robes to be infinitely more comfortable than his black combat uniform.

"It's good," Luke continued. "Whatever we're going to face out here...it's something that none of us have ever seen before. I'm afraid that it'll take all our skills to defeat it. It'll be a threat unlike any since..." his voice caught, "since Kueller."

Jaina sobered. Kueller had been one of Luke's first Jedi students, who had fallen to the dark side. Kueller had launched an attack on Luke's Jedi, and though Kueller had been killed, one of the casualties of the battle had been Jaina's younger brother, Jacen. Jaina and Jacen had only been teenaged apprentices at the time, and Jacen, as one of the most talented lightsaber combatants in the Academy, had been a member of the Jedi strike team that attacked Kueller directly. Kueller had struck Jacen down in cold blood, dueling him on the bridge of his flagship, the Death's Head. Kueller had fallen shortly afterward, when Luke had fired a proton torpedo into the Death's Head's bridge, annihilating Kueller and cremating Jacen's body at the same time.

Jaina's jaw tightened. "If this threat is a fallen Jedi, or a Sith...we'll take care of him."

"You bet, Master Skywalker," Damien assured. "If he thinks he can take us on, he's got another thing coming."

Luke smiled. "Your confidence does you credit, Damien, but it could be used against you. Do not be so proud of your abilities that you fail to see the threat that could be posed by this...whatever it is."

Damien nodded. "I understand, Master."

Luke turned and exited the room. "If I were you, I'd rest. We'll be in the Unknown Regions before you know it."

 

Super sparring match and great back-story on Kueller, etc.

 

Why do I get the feeling that Jacen isn't really dead? Great update.

 

Ooh, what a cool twisty that would be. Then his family will wonder why he let them think so, unless he's the mysterious dude talking with Fett.

 

Nyota's Heart, Briannakin, Jedi_Lover, NightWatcher91, Gemma, JadeLotus, Ewok_Slayer, ginchy

Chapter 6

They gathered in the war room as the Retaliation finally got underway again. Han, once again in uniform, stood at the head of the room, with the members of Rogue Squadron on the left side of the room, the Jedi in the middle, and the Retaliation's compliment of New Republic soldiers on the right. Chewbacca stood with the soldiers, his bowcaster cradled in his arms. Han turned to the large projector in the middle of the room and switched it on.

An image appeared–an aging woman, dark-haired with gray beginning to streak through, wearing white robes with black piping on the hems at the shoulders and wrists. She wore a lightsaber, discreet but not hidden, at her left hip. She wore a pin of office that proclaimed her Chancellor of the New Republic. Han smiled as he saw her–so did Luke. They both loved her, and it would've been a tough fight to prove who loved her more.

"Greetings, gentlemen, ladies," said Leia Organa Solo. "It's a relief to hear that no one was harmed in this sabotage, and that you are once again prepared to resume your journey."

Han nodded. "We'll keep in constant contact once we exit hyperspace. If you lose contact, it may just be the unfamiliar nebulae and formations in the Unknown Regions. But if we're out of contact for more than forty-eight Coruscant hours, I'd recommend sending a rescue force."

"Understood," Leia replied. "I wish you all the best out there. Good luck. And may the Force be with you."

Han half-smiled. "Love you," he said softly.

"I know," Leia replied with a wink.

The image vanished. Han had a sudden, worrisome feeling. It was almost like the feeling he'd had before the Battle of Endor. A funny feeling, he'd said about the Falcon, like I'm never going to see her again. Han cleared his throat, composed himself, and allowed his half-smile to break into a full grin. He'd been wrong then, and he must be wrong now.

"Let's do this thing!" he said.

* * *

Rogue Squadron, currently led by Commander Kameron Antilles, son of Wedge Antilles, quickly prepped their X-wings for flight. Jaina, Damien, and Ben hopped into their own fighters, stubbornly refusing to be beaten by a bunch of fighter jockeys. Their checklists complete, they sat back in their seats, helmets in their laps, and waited. Ben nudged Jaina with the Force.

Did you notice something up with your dad?

Jaina perked up and glanced from her canopy to his. You saw it too?

Ben nodded. I think it worried Mom and Dad.

Ben saw Jaina sit back in her seat and stare straight ahead. She had that expression on her face that suggested that she was thinking things through very, very hard. Ben glanced to his left and saw Damien's fighter. The dark-skinned Knight seemed lost in concentration, too; he was probably doing a kind of pre-battle meditation. Ben knew him well enough to know that when he did that, it usually meant that a lot of enemies were going to go down hard.

I think everything's all right, Jaina said. He's probably just missing Mom.

I hope you're right, Ben replied.

"All fighters," said Commander Antilles, "prepare for launch. Hyperspace exit in five, four, three, two...mark."

The blurred blue lines outside the hangar transformed once again into stars–unfamiliar formations, but stars nonetheless–and Ben shot his X-wing from the hangar, followed by Jaina and Damien. The three of them pulled their helmets on, synchronized comms, and prepared for the worst.

* * *

Leia Organa Solo shook her head softly as she exited her office. She'd had a funny feeling when Han had ended the transmission. Something from the Force? Truth be told, she hadn't pursued her Jedi training to its full extent, only allowing Luke to teach her lightsaber techniques to defend herself from assassins, and Force techniques to read her political peers better. Other than that...not much.

She forced herself not to worry. Han was the best general in the New Republic, and that wasn't just wifely pride. She knew he was the best. Besides, Luke and Mara were there, and so were Chewbacca and Jaina. And Ben, and Damien. Even Kameron. They'd protect Han with their lives. Still...Leia's heart wrenched. She'd been so protective of her family since Jacen...and now she wasn't there to protect them.

It occurred to her that if this were a trap, she'd lose every single member of her family in one fell stroke. She'd be alone.

Well, not alone.

The small, hunched being that walked through the door was also family, though not in the blood sense. He had been with her for the past twenty years, protecting her and her family. When Jacen had died, the being had taken it very personally that he'd been unable to protect the Solo boy. He'd confided in Leia many times, and he'd given a life debt to her the same way Chewbacca had with Han.

"Are you all right, Chancellor?" rasped the being.

Leia smiled at him. "I think so, Vezragh."

The Noghri gave her a toothy smile and bowed at the waist. The alien never ceased to amaze Leia. He was so polite, so eager to serve, and yet at the flip of a switch he could become a murdering, killing machine to protect those he cared for. Once, when a Zabrak assassin had attempted to kill Luke and Mara, the Noghri had thrown himself in the path of the Zabrak's blaster shot, taken it full in the chest, and then risen and killed the assassin with his bare hands. Vezragh would always be with Leia, she knew. Until his death...or hers.

"The delegation from Ord Mantell is here," Vezragh said.

Leia nodded. "Show them in. I–"

And she knew. Throwing herself forward, she shoved Vezragh to the ground as a series of explosions tore her desk and office chair, and the window behind it, to shreds. Vezragh flipped Leia over onto her back, covering her with his small body. When the explosions stopped, Vezragh drew his vibroblade and held it in a combat-ready stance. Leia rolled to her feet and ignited her ruby lightsaber.

A trio of black-clad assassins rappelled through the window, unclipped themselves from their lines, and raised blasters. Leia reached out with the Force and shoved them, but it was a weak shove because of her lack of training. The middle assassin went flying, but the other two just stumbled and then retrained their blasters on her. By then, it was too late–for one of them, anyways. Vezragh had crossed the room in less than three seconds and now gutted the leftmost assassin with his vibroblade. The third assassin fired, and Leia deflected the shot into the floor. The assassin fired again–again–

And then Vezragh dropped to the ground and spun his leg out in an arc, tripping the assassin and sending him, too, out the window. At the last second, Vezragh reached out, grabbed the assassin by the collar, and hoisted him back in, headbutting him. The assassin slumped, and Vezragh threw him to the floor in the middle of the room. Leia deactivated her lightsaber and clipped it to her belt.

"Tell the delegation from Ord Mantell they'll have to wait," she said. "It looks like we're about to launch an assassination investigation."

 

Wow!

You managed to write Mara in. And Ben. And a certain old Toydarian. And Tatooine as location. And much fun banter. And somebody of Clan Fett. And a mysterious villain. And even the Noghri.

You know what? I want to be on the update list. Even though there is a danger that Disney might make things worse, you gave me a new hope. And a smile. And some excitement. And... and... and...

Please put me on your update list!

 

That so absolutely had the classic SW, now legendary, feel Splendiferous. Your H/L, and particularly Leia, in the final section, splendid. I hope that thwarted assassination attempt took care of everyone's antsy jittery 'bad feelings.'

 

Woot! Go Noghri and go Leia!

 

Sorry I haven't commented lately, but this is so much fun! And very much in the spirit of the OT. I love it!

 

Wow, sorry I've been out for a few days --- this is fantastic. Great on Leia having a ruby saber -- I agree with this alot and have battled with friends about what color she sported in the profics.

Awesome - new mystery villain. More great battle scenes and the great flavor of the OT on everything.

 

Nyota's Heart, Briannakin, Jedi_Lover, NightWatcher91, Gemma, JadeLotus, Ewok_Slayer, ginchy, aleja2, AzureAngel2

Chapter 7

Jaina had just exited the hangar when her danger senses–and early warning alarms on her X-wing–alerted her to danger. She threw her X-wing into a starboard spiral just as a blue-tailed proton torpedo shot by and detonated a short distance away. Gritting her teeth, Jaina reached out with the Force to join her mind with Ben and Damien's. She quickly flew back to Ben's wing and the three of them began evasive maneuvers.

Proton torpedoes were everywhere. Like a meteor shower, the wave of torpedoes shot through the squadron of X-wings launching from the hangar. Using the Force and their piloting skills, the three Jedi avoided every torpedo. Rogue Squadron wasn't so lucky. Kameron and his wingman, along with most of the others, managed to avoid most of the torpedoes, but three pilots took the torpedoes directly, killing them instantly. Two more were caught in the backwash of the missed torpedoes' explosions, and were forced to go extravehicular.

"Blast it!" Kameron snarled. "Rogues, form up!"

Now down to seven pilots in under three seconds, the Rogues quickly moved to join the Jedi. Jaina's jaw tightened. The torpedo barrage had stopped, giving them a moment's breather. She checked her scanners. There were at least two squadrons of some kind of starfighters out there, flying at a very rapid pace toward the Retaliation. They had the familiar TIE fighter ball cockpit, but they had three wings at even intervals about the cockpit. The top two wings were armed with blaster cannons, and the bottom wing had an ion blaster. The proton torpedoes had fired from two ports on the cockpit, underneath the viewport.

"What are those things?" asked Rogue Five.

"Quiet, Five," Kameron said. "They're hostile, that's what they are. Rogues, break by wings and prepare for combat."

"Jaina, Damien, we'll support them," Ben said. "These guys clearly want us dead."

Kameron's voice came in, cold and hard. "No mercy, Rogues. Take them out. Every last one."

* * *

Luke moved quickly down toward the hangar, pulling his flight suit on over his tunic. He'd felt a cold fear grip his gut as soon as they'd reverted from hyperspace. Moments later, showers of proton torpedoes had bombarded the Retaliation and its fighters. The Retaliation's forward shields were down now; they were sitting ducks for those fighters. Han had ordered the turbolasers to open fire, and Luke and Mara had instantly decided to join the space battle.

Luke hopped into his X-wing, pulled his helmet on, and closed the canopy. Artoo beeped to him that the X-wing's checklist was complete; they were ready for flight. Mara hopped into her own ship and Luke reached out for her in the Force. She reached back, her psychic embrace comforting. Luke realized suddenly how shaken both of them were at how easily they could've lost Ben just now.

Suddenly, Luke got a Force nudge from Leia. Was just attacked by assassins. I'm fine. Focus on the mission.

Luke shoved down a sudden feeling of worry for his sister. She'd obviously sent the message to let him know that she was okay. She didn't want him to be distracted if he'd felt her distress. He suppressed a shudder. He hadn't felt her distress. Why?

"Come on, Skywalker," Mara said. "Let's go!"

He nodded. "Right, Jade."

The two X-wings shot into space. Outside, the battle was in full swing. X-wings and those mysterious TIE fighters darted around the Star Destroyer's hull, torpedoes and lasers flashing. Luke reached out with the Force, found a target, and focused on it. The TIE fighter was chasing down an X-wing–Rogue Ten. Luke quickly locked on the TIE's flank and peppered it with quad-linked blaster bolts. To Luke's surprise, the TIE did not instantly detonate–its shields took the shots. TIEs usually didn't have shields. These ships were state-of-the-art.

Luke fired again and the shields wavered, but the TIE began taking evasive maneuvers, all while still harrying Rogue Ten. Then, another X-wing, marked Rogue Two, shot by and finished off Luke's target. Luke spun around and targeted another TIE. He fired a proton torpedo. The TIE began jinking to avoid the torpedo; Luke grabbed the torpedo with the Force and guided it to its target. The torpedo exploded and completely eradicated the TIE's shields. Mara quickly took advantage of the weakness, shredding the TIE with her blasters.

"Nice shooting," Luke said.

"Not bad yourself," Mara replied.

Luke checked his scanners. The TIEs, originally numbering 24, were now down to 19. Luke nodded to himself. So far, so good. He could see Ben, Jaina, and Damien's starfighters darting amongst their enemies, peppering them with fire, working together as only Force-linked Jedi could. He turned his attention back to the battle. Kameron Antilles destroyed another TIE as he watched, but then two more of the fighters formed up on Kameron's flank.

"Rogue Leader here," Kameron said. "I could use an assist."

Luke shot forward, blasters firing. The TIEs immediately went into evasive action, but Luke kept on them. He quickly demolished one fighter, and the second followed shortly as Mara swept past, firing a torpedo at short range. Luke could hear Kameron's breath of relief over the comlink.

"Thanks, Master Jedi."

"Any time, Commander," Luke said with smile. "I owe your father."

The battle continued to rage, and soon the TIEs were down to six–though at the cost of Rogues Eleven and Six. Six managed to go EV, but Eleven was killed by a torpedo. Luke grimaced. Rogue Squadron had just lost four pilots in one engagement, and three others had lost their ships. This was a bad start to a potentially even more dangerous mission. Luke focused on the TIE that appeared to be the squadron leader. He tucked himself in on the TIE's flank and began pursuing him. This pilot was good. Very good. He dodged every shot Luke took, some seemingly even before Luke fired. Luke's mouth became a grim line.

"The Force is strong with this one," he said softly.

The TIE spun around suddenly, heading away from the battle. The remaining TIEs–now only two–formed up on him, and they shot away from the New Republic forces and entered hyperspace. Luke sat back in his seat.

"What the kark was that?" Ben demanded.

"I don't know," Luke replied quietly. "I just don't know."

 

Great update.

 

Gripping action But their adversaries seem to have equivalent or superior strengths

 

You write jolly good battles!

 

AWESOME space battle! Loved it! Really nicely written.