Saga Diplomatic Mission - Fanfic Olympics Pentathlon, Captain Raymus Antilles

Title: Diplomatic Mission
Author: Thumper09
Characters: Captain Raymus Antilles
Timeframe: Early OT era-ish
Notes: This is my 2021 Fanfiction Summer Olympics Pentathlon featuring Captain Raymus Antilles.

Constructive criticism is welcome. Star Wars is owned by Disney, etc. etc.

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Links to specific event posts:

400 Word Cross Country
Prime Time Coverage
4x100 Relay
110 Word Hurdle
Single Sentence Shot Put

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400 Word Cross Country: 400 words about your character, couple, family, or friendship with any theme.


Tension filled the Tantive IV’s cockpit as the Imperial Customs Frigate approached. It blocked their most direct route out of the planet’s gravity well, and there was no mistaking that it had spotted them.

“CR-90 Corvette, halt and prepare to be boarded,” the Imperial commanded.

Captain Raymus Antilles took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes, though the Imperials wouldn’t see it. He pressed the comm button to transmit a reply. “Tantive Four to Imperial frigate, on what grounds?”

“By Imperial decree, all outbound traffic is being searched due to the unrest on the surface,” the Imperial replied. “Lower your shields.”

“Negative, Imperial frigate,” Raymus said. “We are a consular ship, returning from rendering humanitarian aid on the surface due to the... ‘unrest,’ as you put it. We are not bound by your decree.” He stopped the transmission and told his pilot, “Keep going.” The pilot obeyed.

The frigate turned to intercept. “Tantive Four, stand down. I must insist--”

Raymus interrupted and put some steel into his voice. “Imperial frigate, I repeat, we are a consular ship of Alderaan. You can check our encoded IFF against your database if you don’t believe me. You have no authority to stop or impede us. Or do you need me to cite the Imperial regulations to you?”

Raymus held his breath as his ship sped closer to the frigate. In his peripheral vision he could see his crew was vigilant, hands poised centimeters over controls, eyes glued to their displays but heads tilted to hear him better. They were ready to take defensive action at a moment’s notice, but not until he gave the word. This wasn’t the first time they’d been in this position.

As the distance between the two ships kept dwindling, he hurriedly ran through his options if the Imperials decided their local decree overrode diplomatic regulations.

At nearly the last possible moment, the Imperial frigate broke off. “Tantive Four, cleared to depart the system.”

“Thank you,” Captain Antilles said neutrally before closing the transmission and breathing again. He didn’t let himself relax or take his eyes off the displays of the frigate and surrounding area until the safety of hyperspace enveloped them.

The tension bled out from the cockpit like air through a hull breach. Raymus stood and headed aft to make sure the political leader the Organas had secretly tasked him with sneaking off-world was settled in.

*****

 

Ooh, I don't think I've ever seen fic about Raymus Antilles. But he'd really have to have a steady head and nerves of steel to handle running Rebellion missions for the Organas, wouldn't he? This is a very nice start, I look forward to reading more

 

great beginning. What more is coming for him?

 

I know I've never seen a fic starring Raymus Antilles. What a treat! I agree with @Gabri_Jade, he must have nerves of steel. Great beginning. Looking forward to more.

 

Well of course Captain Antilles had nerves of steel! How else do you think the man could look Darth Vader straight in the eye and lie through his teeth? (Whilst being held off the ground and choked, let's not forget.) Definitely an underappreciated character.

 

Add me to the list of those who are super happy to see a fic about Captain Antilles! I was so glad to see that when you signed up for the challenge. There's so much potential to this character and your first entry certainly does him justice. I love the balance you struck between his inner musings as a soldier/Rebel/pilot (of course he would use the metaphor of air through a hull breach!) and the display of Alderaanian officialdom and diplomacy he puts up for the Imperials. There's something really poignant about the fact that he has this well-rehearsed consular ship argument that will fail him in the end as we all know.

I'll be sitting over there waiting for more!

 

Excellent and understandable tension followed by relief as the Tantive gets away

 

Thank you, everyone! Glad to see other fans of Captain Antilles. The next post should be up tomorrow.

For those interested in more with this character, I'd recommend reading the short story "Raymus" by Gary Whitta in the ANH From a Certain Point of View book. It bridges the gap for Captain Antilles between the end of Rogue One and the beginning of ANH, and it's well done. I'm borrowing details introduced in that story.

Thanks! The world needs more fics about him, IMHO. Just keeping up with the Organas themselves would probably demand a lot of someone, not to mention getting thrown into their Rebellion missions too. Thank you for reading and commenting!

Probably some things that he wishes wouldn't come, heh. Thank you, and thanks for commenting!

Thanks! Yup, I think he's not one to back down. Glad he's on the side of the good guys and not against them. Thanks, and thank you for commenting!

For a character who was in three movies (ROTS, RO, ANH), it seems like he's not utilized much when there's so much that could be done with him and his personality. Thanks for commenting!

Thank you! I'm happy his portrayal is coming across well so far, and I hope that continues. (Writing established characters makes me a bit nervous.) He seems to be a character with a lot of aspects and facets playing into things, and I think that's helped him learn to adapt and think on his feet pretty well to act on his strongest motivations. I dunno if that made sense-- probably too many buzzwords. In any event, thank you, and thank you for commenting! He might have had a chance with the consular ship argument if it was anyone but Honey Badger Vader.

Thanks! I'm glad the emotions came across well. Thank you for commenting!

 

This was such a great beginning! The whole atmosphere was so well-done and really felt like Star Wars, if that makes sense. I loved it, anyway, and can't wait to read more!

 

Prime Time Coverage: 500+ words of action, adventure, or excitement with your chosen character, friendship, family or couple as the star.
(Note: This entry is fairly long, about 2300 words. I took that "+" sign to heart.)


The key to running a blockade was patience.

Too many people just threw themselves and their ships at the enemy’s weapons, thinking it was more about surprise and speed than strategy. Surprise and speed were certainly important, but they were useless when employed at the wrong moment.

Captain Raymus Antilles wished the situation would allow him to be patient. Unfortunately, it was an imperfect universe and things didn’t always go like he hoped.

“Status report,” he said briskly into his comlink.

“The last boxes are being loaded now, sir,” Merrill replied from the cargo hold. “We’ll have them secured in a few minutes.”

“Make it quick,” Raymus told him before closing the frequency.

“Captain,” spoke up his sensor operator, Helinna. Raymus turned to her, and she continued, “Another Imperial ship has entered orbit above. Initial readings indicate it’s a Bulk Cruiser. It’s right at the edge of our sensor range, but it looks like it plugged the largest hole in their orbital coverage.”

Raymus fought back the urge to swear. “Are they still stopping outgoing traffic?” he asked.

“Yes, sir,” Helinna said. “As best as I can tell, any ship leaving the surface is forced back down. There have been some brief exchanges of weapons fire. Comms are mostly static; the Imperials still aren’t broadcasting why they’re here or why they’re acting this way. The planetary transmissions are getting a little panicked.”

More than almost anything else, the Imperial silence made Raymus nervous. The Imperials were in a hurry to arrive and apparently initiate some sort of blockade of this planet with no explanation, not even a fake one to lend legitimacy to their actions. Even for the Imperials, planetary blockades didn’t just happen on a whim.

He rose from his captain’s chair and walked forward a few steps to get a better look out of the Tantive IV’s viewport. Outside he could see the walls of the craggy canyon where the CR-90 Corvette had been resting since it landed two days ago. Raymus turned his gaze up at the orange-hued sky as if he could see the ships ominously gathering in space above them. Two days ago, those ships had not been there.

He was itching to launch and get out of there, but he had to wait just a little bit longer and hope that more Imperial ships wouldn’t arrive in the meantime. Soon the cargo would be secure in the hold, and they could leave with their newly-acquired containers of life and death: vats of bacta and crates of blasters and power packs. All of them were bound for the fledgling Rebellion, courtesy of Princess Leia Organa.

Some of the more idealistic Alderaanians might have looked askance at the weapons as though their mere presence was a failing in the character of the wielder, but Raymus knew better. He and his crew had not had the luxury of living in that idealistic world for a long time. His world, the one he had willingly followed the Organas into, was one where war loomed on the horizon and even now blood was being spilled, whether the pacifists liked it or not.

When he could, he tried to use that stereotype to his advantage. Playing the part of the harmless, peace-loving Alderaanian had made more than one inconvenient question go unasked, even dismissed.

Today, though, it wouldn’t help.

The cockpit door behind him opened, and Raymus heard the slight footsteps of Princess Organa enter. How someone that young with that much weight already on her shoulders could walk that lightly, he didn’t know. When he turned, he saw that she was still wearing the generic spacer’s clothing from earlier. He walked up to her. “Your Highness.”

“Captain, what’s our status?” she asked.

“Imperial ships are continuing to arrive in orbit,” he replied. “We need to leave. Is everything secured in the hold to your satisfaction?”

“Yes, everything’s ready. As always, the crew did an excellent job,” Princess Organa said. Raymus felt a glow of pride at her praise of his crew. She continued, “And when I checked everything over, I confirmed that the seller had indeed given us everything we’d purchased. Otherwise I was about to give you a new set of targeting coordinates.”

Raymus couldn’t help but grin. Whenever he got fooled by the teenager’s petite appearance, her words would usually remind him of the forceful personality that had just bargained with an underworld dealer for weapons. Even he’d felt uncomfortable and vulnerable in that room, facing off against a dealer of death and his lackeys, but the princess had been the one doing the negotiating; Raymus had just been there to ensure her safety. Given her unflinching attitude toward the entire ordeal, though, he’d felt a bit superfluous by the end.

“Am I to assume, then, that my original targeting coordinates stand?” Raymus asked, still with a slight smile.

“Yes, Captain. If you would be so kind as to get us past those blasted Imperials, there are people out there who would benefit a lot more from our new supplies than whoever else those dealers were going to sell them to.” Princess Organa shook her head. “I was really hoping to have time to get more. I still can’t believe the Imperials got here so fast. Something big must have triggered such a response, and part of me wants to stay on-planet and find out what it is.”

Raymus turned serious. “Your Highness, it’s possible that the weapons dealer worked out who you are, and that’s why the Imperials have come. It’s too dangerous to stay and look around. It’s also the main reason we’re going to make a run for it instead of talking our way past them.”

She gave him a look that was part dry humor, part amusement. “I’m flattered that you think the Imperials would send a force like this out for me, but they didn’t. I’m not on their sensor scopes, and even if I was, nothing I’ve done would warrant a response like this.”

Raymus shifted his weight but didn’t verbally disagree with her; it would do him no good. Instead, all he said was, “In any event, Your Highness, with the cargo secured we’re ready to make our run. I’ll see to it that we get through safely.”

“I know you will, Captain.” She smiled and then stepped back, yielding the floor to him but not leaving the cockpit.

Raymus nodded to her, retook his seat in the captain’s chair, pulled at his uniform to straighten it, and ordered status reports from each station. They came in quickly as his crew indicated their readiness. He hastily read through them, though in the back of his mind he was still troubled by Princess Organa’s words. Maybe the Imperials really were here for some other, unknown reason. It would probably be useful intelligence to gather if they could figure out what that reason was, but he was absolutely not going to let them stick around to find it; that was not his priority. And besides, he couldn’t convince himself that she was correct. Maybe the Imperials truly didn’t suspect her or know about her clandestine missions for the Rebellion, but if they found out she was doing them, if she was caught in the act, the repercussions for her, her father, and even the rest of the Alliance leaders could be catastrophic. It would be the proof the Imperials needed to take even more drastic political action.

Yes, maybe he was wrong. Maybe he was overreacting. But he was not going to take that chance.

“Sensors, plot known Imperial ship locations in orbit and the limits of their sensor ranges,” Raymus ordered. “Transmit that plot to my display and the pilots’ consoles.”

A few seconds later, the graphical data appeared. Raymus studied it, looking for a path through gaps in their expected sensor coverage. There were parts of one; the blockade was still young and there weren’t enough ships to overlap the coverage yet. He set his resolve and made his decision of what route to take.

“Prepare for launch,” Captain Antilles ordered. “Initial heading: 078 mark 25. 70% throttle. Shields at 25%. Weapons to standby. On my mark.” He watched his display as the graphical representations of the orbiting ships moved relative to the Alderaanian ship’s position on the surface. “Three... two... one... mark!”

The Tantive IV’s engines went instantly from a ready, idling rumble to a powerful kick that pressed Raymus back in his seat momentarily. Under the pilot’s and co-pilot’s steady hands, the Tantive shot forward and up out of the canyon. The wind buffeted the craft as it rose, but the pilot deftly compensated for each gust, keeping the ship’s heading unchanged.

The Corvette sped upward as the atmosphere dragged at it. They left a trail of ionized air in their wake that would be visible to anyone looking, but all they could do was hope they were long gone by then.

“Shields to 50%,” Raymus commanded as they flew beyond the thickest part of the atmosphere. “Throttle to 85%. New heading: 120 mark 03.”

The sky above darkened to a deep orange and then the black of space. The subtle tugging of the atmosphere on the ship decreased to nothing.

Raymus studied their ever-changing position on his display relative to the Imperial ships and made some quick calculations. “Shields full. Throttle to half. Get ready for a hard course change on my command, new heading 173 mark 35. Throttle to full once we’re on the new heading. On my mark, three... two... one... mark!”

The Tantive slipped below the nearest Imperial ship’s sensor range and strained to turn before entering the sensor range of the next ship. Once the stars stopped slewing across the viewport, the engines gave another kick and powered them forward.

“Scan for any increase in Imperial transmissions that might indicate we’ve been spotted. Wingrove, get that hyperspace jump plotted.” The co-pilot nodded once, and her fingers flew over the navigational controls.

“Sir, there’s a pair of TIEs ahead to starboard,” Helinna said.

The two dots appeared on Raymus’s display. Immediately he said, “Swing us to port to avoid them.” The evasion would bring the Tantive into the outer sensor range of the closest Imperial capital ship, but at their current speed they could briefly deal with a surprised capital ship much better than they could with TIEs who would stick on their tail like glue.

They sped past the capital ship, a Carrack-class light cruiser, and Raymus gave the pilot their new heading. Just two more ships to get past and--

“Spike in Imperial transmissions,” Helinna said. “The two ships ahead are maneuvering.”

The Imperial ships before them, a Nebulon-B frigate and another Bulk Cruiser, were turning to intercept. The narrow path the Tantive had had between them disappeared.

“Hyperspace jump plotted, but at full throttle we’re still twenty seconds away from clearing the planet’s gravity well,” Wingrove reported.

There was nothing to be done for it now; all they could do was run and try to weather the shots the Imperials would take at them as they passed. Neither ship was one Raymus wanted to face, but he had to choose. “Avoid the Nebulon. Swing us to the opposite side of the Bulk Cruiser. Divert power from secondary systems to the engines. Damage control teams, stand by,” he said.

“The Nebulon-B is launching TIEs,” Helinna said. “Imperial weapons systems are powering up.”

The Tantive veered toward the Bulk Cruiser, aiming for the welcoming deep of space beyond it.

“Make the jump the instant we’re clear,” Raymus ordered.

“Yes, sir. Five more seconds.”

The Bulk Cruiser opened fire. Most of the shots went wide of the speeding CR-90, but two impacted solidly. The ship rocked and the interior lights briefly dimmed, then the cockpit lit up with the bright white of the hyperspace jump. A moment later, the Tantive was surrounded by the cool, swirling blue of hyperspace.

Raymus opened a comm channel to Operations. “Damage report.”

“Shields at 75%,” came the answer from his second officer, Toshma Jefkin. “Some damage to the hull and the cooling system. Damage control teams are responding. We should be okay to continue. We’re evacuating the sections around the hull damage until we can determine structural integrity.”

“Good. Keep me updated,” Raymus said. He closed the channel, then said to the cockpit crew, “Well done, everyone. Reconfigure systems to nominal hyperspace operations. Get the shields recharged ASAP, and watch the damage to the cooling system. We might need to reroute and power down some heavy heat-output systems if it’s not under control soon. Do what you need to.”

“Well done to you as well, Captain,” Princess Organa said in a low voice with a smile. Raymus hadn’t even noticed her come up to stand beside his chair.

He stood, feeling the adrenaline start to fade. “Thank you, Your Highness. This crew and ship are exceptional.”

“Yes, they are. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some planning to do for our delivery of these supplies to my father’s contact. Please let me know when we’ve reached our rendezvous point.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Leia nodded respectfully to him, then headed out of the cockpit.

Raymus watched her go, then he took a deep breath and sat back down. He would have to make sure Senator Organa received a full report on what had happened with the Imperials that day. But for now, he turned his attention to his ship and his crew. It wouldn’t be long before they were at the rendezvous point, with who-knew-what waiting for them there. It was one more unknown, one more potential source of danger for Princess Organa.

He would be ready.

*****

 

Great exchange about what the Imperials are or might be doing there. Raymus and his crew are indeed efficient.

 

Love Antilles' confidence even as it is tempered with a healthy dose of realistic expectation. Leia is written perfectly; her own confidence is genuine. Very well done!

 

Another fantastic entry! I adore how you built on Captain Antilles's thirty seconds of screentime in the movies to give him this aura of absolute commitment and competence. He's such a cool cucumber in the face of an Imperial blockade and, what is more, with Leia Organa on board. This entry definitely had a taste of not enough – who were they getting the stuff from, where are they taking it, why are the Imperials even there? It's such a neat narrative device that we the readers don't know because Captain Antilles himself doesn't know, but it did leave me wishing that you'd write the wider story in which this one-shot could belong.

 

great entry about the escape. And giving more insight in Antilles

 

Thank you! Sorry I didn't reply to this earlier. I'm really glad to hear it had a Star Wars feel to it. Thanks for reading and commenting!

Thank you! I think they had to learn to be efficient by necessity-- taking too long with anything gives the enemy more time to target you or uses additional resources you don't have enough of. Thanks for reading and commenting!

Thanks! I'm happy to hear Leia came across well. Raymus strikes me as a practical sort of person that has to counterbalance some bits of idealism in certain people he works with. Thank you for reading and commenting!

Thanks! In some ways I think Raymus shares some traits with Chewie, such as the commitment that you mentioned. He probably would have approached the blockade a little differently here if Leia hadn't been around, but, well, he's got me to blame for that. I'm sure there's more to this story out there in the ether somewhere, but I figured I was already pushing my word count as it was, LOL. Thank you for reading and commenting!

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the escape and the insight. Thanks for reading and commenting!

The next entry should be up on Sunday.

 

4x100 Relay: 4x100 words on the four types of love (affection, intimacy, friendship, and charity) as experienced by your character, family, friendship or couple in one post.
(Note: These are not in chronological order.)


(Affection)

Helfun Rumm, the security officer, grinned as he handed Raymus a box. “From your wife, before we left today.”

Raymus thanked him and took it into his quarters. The going-away boxes had turned from surprises into tradition.

Opening it, the first thing he saw was a piece of flimsi that had been colorfully scrawled on by his two young daughters. Arrows and misspelled labels identified certain incomprehensible shapes as himself, his family, the ship, and even the Organas.

Raymus smiled warmly and hung it above his bed. Hopefully soon that purple blob would be back with the three orange triangles.

***

(Intimacy)

Out the front viewport the blue swirl of hyperspace became pinpoint stars, and Tantive IV dropped out of lightspeed as expected. Captain Antilles frowned as he felt the tiniest hint of a shudder from the ship. He glanced around, but none of the other cockpit crew reacted to it.

He rubbed one hand on the worn armrest of the captain’s chair and contacted Operations. “Check the readouts on Engine Four. I think it’s out of alignment again.”

“Yes, sir.”

Raymus sat back and exhaled, silently promising his ship that they would get it all fixed up. Good as new. Again.

***

(Friendship)

Good spirits echoed in the Tantive’s small mess hall that evening after the mission, and around one table in particular.

“I still can’t believe we didn’t crash during that evasive maneuver,” said Toshma Jefkin, Raymus’s second officer.

“It wasn’t nearly as close as when we almost hit that thranta on landing approach that one time, remember?” Corla Metonae, the chief petty officer, said with a laugh.

The table erupted with his senior crew’s sudden recollections and reactions. Raymus laughed along with them, though he wished that particular story had stayed forgotten. They’d called him ‘Captain Thrantilles’ for a week afterward.

***

(Charity)

The mountain range bordering Aldera peeked through the Tantive’s viewport while it sat silent on the landing pad. Raymus was glad for that lack of power when the toddler in his lap squealed and smashed her hands down on the piloting control console they were sitting at.

“No, Leia, we have to be gentle with the ship, see?” He demonstrated by softly pressing a single, colorful button.

Leia watched, then curiously imitated his behavior.

“That’s right, Your Highness. Good job.”

Senator Organa walked up beside them, smiling. “There you are. Figures. Thanks for watching her for a bit.”

“My pleasure.”

******

 

Affection -- A purple blob and orange triangles ... love that bit of artistic realism

Charity -- I love seeing Raymus 'entertaining' young Leia. Sounds like Bail isn't surprised at all by what it took to keep Leia occupied.

 

Great writing. A drawing from his children. The love for his ship. The fun and banter. Leia and him

 

Loved the purple blob and orange triangles drawing from his children. Awesome connection Antilles has with his ship; being able to detect a misalignment like that-reminds me of Captain Picard! And, oh my gosh, how cute was little Leia. with the captain!! Adorable. Wonderful entries into these Olympics!

 

That's Leia, all right

This is the sort of realistic strategy I never think of The whole thing was so well done, just the right pacing and excellent details

Aw

Gotta love the captains/pilots who know their ships as well as this

How could anyone be expected to resist a pun that good

Aw, little Leia! So adorable

 

Thank you, everyone! The last two entries will be posted tomorrow.

Thanks! As you can see, his daughters have a highly developed artistic eye at a young age. And it was probably best that while he was babysitting Leia he showed her the piloting controls and not the weapons controls, heh. Thanks for reading and replying!

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the different varieties. Thanks for reading and replying!

Thank you! I think Raymus and Picard would get along pretty well. Part of me has a hard time imagining Leia as a toddler or even a young kid, LOL. Thanks very much for the compliments, and for reading and replying!

Thanks! I'm glad to hear Leia came across well, and that the pacing worked all right with the blockade run. Between the razor-edge scenarios I imagine he's gone through in blockade running and the length of time he's been on that ship, I figured he'd have to be pretty in tune with his ship. (And I have to admit I was proud of that pun, LOL.) Thanks so much, and thanks for reading and replying!

 

Here are the final two entries. Thanks to everyone for following along!

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110 Word Hurdle: 110 words in which the name or names of your character, couple, family, or friendship aren’t mentioned.


Senator Bail Organa smiled airily at Mon Mothma though his stomach churned. He was about to send his only child to the distant, lawless world of Tatooine on a mission of the utmost importance for the future of the fracturing Rebellion. He knew all too well how capable Leia was, but she was still young, and he was still her father. While he desperately wished he could go instead, or even go with her, his duties were elsewhere.

He immediately turned to the one person he could fully entrust his daughter’s safety to on this mission.

A quick discussion, an agreement, and then Bail knew he could sleep at night.


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Single Sentence Shot Put: A story told in a single sentence about your character, family, friendship or couple.


Captain Raymus Antilles was going down with his ship, but he wasn’t doing it for the ship; he was doing it for his princess.

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Congratulations on finishing and what a finish! Touching POV from Bail and the single sentence, a zinger!

 

Oh wow. That ending... that was... quite something.

The 4 types of love stories were super cute, especially the drawing from his kids and the babysitting of little Leia. However, the bit that will stick with me in terms of writing was your decision to focus the 'intimacy' entry on the relationship that Captain Antilles has with his ship. That was unexpected, perfectly written and simply brilliant.

Congrats on finishing the pentathlon! This is a set of ficlets I'll definitely be returning to.