Chapter 2
570 days after the Battle of Endor. One of the first major issues faced by the New Republic was a lack of starships.
As Rebellion, the Alliance needed only to engage the Empire where and when it was strategically advantageous,
relying on guerrilla warfare and hit-and-run tactics.
Now as a full-fledged government, the New Republic needed to contest systems held by the Empire and fight a full-scale war on many fronts.
The New Republic had no shortage of recruits. Every
liberated planet offered hundreds of skilled or at least trainable pilots,
willing to help push back the Empire. The New Republic had also captured several Imperial training facilities and was seeing a staggering number of
Imperial deserters willing to fight for what the galaxy now saw as the good guys.
Ex-Imperials wouldn't be allowed into the New Republic's military, at least not until some sort of protocol was developed.
But, even without them for a while, it seemed like the New Republic would have to start turning away potential recruits.
Thankfully, there was a break fairly early on. About three weeks after the Battle of Endor an Imperial Logistics officer defected to the New Republic,
bringing with him information
which would provide invaluable to the war effort. After the Clone Wars, and after the formal formation of the Empire, Emperor Palpatine
oversaw a massive naval
modernization program. Venator Star Destroyers and Acclamator class assault ships
specifically, were replaced with ships better reflecting new Imperial military
doctrine. The Empire moved towards Imperator and later Imperial Class Star Destroyers,
bristling weapons platforms not balanced carriers the now outdated vessels were abandoned at scrap and repair yards throughout the galaxy.
Despite being over 20 years old, these vessels presented a great opportunity for the New Republic.
It wasn't until the defection of Officer Cars that the recovery of her public assets became possible. Upon learning the location of several
Republic repair yards, the new republic launched an assault on a particularly unguarded
but lucrative target in the dust egg sector, making off with hundreds of capital ships and fighters.
The New Republic had been working around the clock to make any necessary
retro fits or repairs needed to bring their new ships to fighting shape.
Further helping the war effort was the fact that, with the Empire now reeling, shipyards
which had during, the Galactic Civil War only been able to work covertly for the rebels were now able to work at full capacity.
For the New Republic. As he stepped off the troop transporter
which had ferried him to his starfighter, Commander Sanborn considered the irony of the situation.
The New Republic was using the Old Republic's weapons against their twisted
Imperial evolution. Adding to the strangeness of the situation was the fact that the rebellion had at times made use of
discarded separatist ships and technology. Although the Galactic Empire was formed by the Clone Wars,
it appears that the conflict would also play a major role in its downfall.
As a pilot for the rebellion, Sandorn had grown accustomed to being crammed into small makeshift
hangars within modified civilian ships.
And that was if he was lucky. He
thought back to a skirmish he had participated in over land where for he had been carried into battle
literally strapped onto the side of a modified Nebulon-B frigate.
Entering battle in such an unorthodox manner meant no pre-flight and maintenance checks, no meetings with other pilots and,
perhaps worst of all, he was stuck sitting his fighter while traveling through hyperspace.
Even during the Battle of Endor Sandorn wasn't carried into battle and launched from the deck of some grand warship.
He, along with the rest of Blades squadron, made the jump through hyperspace in their own starships.
While most star fighters follow the large capital ships through space time like flies to a corpse, other pilots
those of green squadron, for example launched from the hangars of home one or one of the other MC-80s
after arriving at Endor it was a weird thing to be jealous about, but Sanborn knew that other pilots thought about it as well.
Regardless, today was different. Today, he and
455 pilots like him, were being transported on a warship. a Clone Wars era
Venator-Class Star Destroyer still bearing the red stripes of the Republic. The commander approached his Starfighter;
An ASF-01 one model B-Wing. This was the exact same ship that he had flown during the Battle of Endor, and
it had the carbon scarring to prove it. New republic technicians and droids were performing final maintenance checks;
Scrutinizing the ship's fuel,
ordinance, and computer systems. He ignored them. Climbing the ladder connected to the ship's open canopy, taking a seat in the cockpit.
Within Sanborn sub hangar, he noticed two other B-Wings along with an A-Wing and a Y-Wing.
He had been hoping to see one of the recovered Republic starfighters up close,
but they must be elsewhere.
Sanborn started the ship's secondary reactor by pressing a button on the console. Lights around him flickered on in the ship's many advanced displays,
sensors, and readouts came to life.
He popped open a latch on the center console, and inserted a small disc.
Suddenly, from a hidden projector by his side, a hologram appeared above his lap. A Mon
Calamari military commander, not Admiral Ackbar,
but one of his officers on the Home One, began to speak a pre-recorded message. The officer, with some brevity, detailed the upcoming assignment,
explaining the mission objectives and squadron compositions. Above his head a timer counted down.
After a few minutes the Mon Calamari spaced disappeared, and the projection switched to a three-dimensional view of the space over Coruscant.
Various Imperial Remnant groups still controlled a few key systems in the galactic core.
But, with the exception of those protected fortress worlds, most of the Empire's forces had begun moving to the outer rim, and
Beyond there were rumors that the IRC (the Imperial Retributory Council)
represented the unification of warlords and holdouts like Zsinj, Thrawn(Mith'raw'nurodo), Daala,
and Isard(Iceheart), were leading this mass exodus of Imperial forces.
The change in military strategy had been precipitated by a
message coming from the world of Byss there had been in fact, two sets of messages first a
propaganda piece on the holonet, which of course, the New Republic had no trouble intercepting. However, there was also a coded message
which had only been sent to a few dozen Imperial holdout worlds; Coruscant Abregado-rae,
Wayland, and a few others. No one from the New Republic had been able to decipher the message.
None of their stolen Imperial encryption keys had offered a solution.
What was obvious was that the contents of the message were vital to winning the war.
An attack on Coruscant had already been planned for months. A strike at the heart of the Imperial Government.
The message, however, had moved that attack to today. The hologram of Coruscant flashed, and Sanborn saw the humanopolis'
orbital defense station light up with indicators. There were hundreds of Golan defense platforms,
Skyhooks and anti-starfighter stations. These he knew were keys to taking the planet.
The New Republic's iron fleet had been on standby for weeks, waiting for word from Rogue Squadron.
2 dozen Venator-Class Star Destroyers, a battle group of MC-80 Mon Calamari Cruiser variants, six of the New Republic's
brand-new MC-90 battleships,
And the usual smattering of Nebulon-Bs. CR-90s, braja talks
hammerheads, and of course, thousands of star fighters.
Just over 18 hours ago the message had been received; Rogue Squadron had secured control of the planet's orbital defenses.
Rogue squadron had also pinged the task force full readings of the orbiting Imperial fleet, sending jump coordinates and a countdown.
Six hours after receiving the transmission the iron fleet had jumped together to the waiting Imperial fleet.
The hologram of Coruscant now displayed in addition, to the orbital defense grid, a rough representation of the fleet. There were several dreadnoughts,
53 Star Destroyers, and a number of escort ships.
Next, the mission hologram simulated the sneak attack by the orbital grid. It indicated that, based on the planned attack pattern,
It was likely that 60% to 70% of the fleet
Would be destroyed by the time the new republic arrived. In the chaos, the Iron Fleet would arrive and mop up whatever was left.
Sanborn had a very special role in all of this;
everyone on the ship did. Every star fighter on board was responsible for escorting 25 LAAT gun ships past any
surviving orbital or ground-based defenses or debris, and into the heart of Coruscant's Imperial City.
Rogue Squadron had received Intel indicating that a copy of the coded message from this should be saved within the archives of the Imperial Palace.
With the Special Forces troops, and the air support that the Iron fleet was providing, the New Republic believed that Rogue Squadron
could lead a successful hit and run blitz on the Imperial Palace.
Sanborns B-wing shook, and the Venator seemed to flick forward before returning to a seemingly normal
orientation. The fleet had left hyperspace in Coruscant gravity well.
Sanborn studied his updated, now real time holo. the center of the Empire's battle group a massive Assertor-class star dreadnought had
clearly taken a brunt of the attack from its nearby defense structures.
It was floating stupidly without power,
oxygen escaping the ship through several hundred meter wide holes. Oher damaged ships were split open,
fully destroyed, or trapped in Coruscant gravity and falling towards the planet. Still, much of the fleet remained and was
neutralizing the orbital defences. the iron fleet spread out with the heavy tonnage cruisers taking the Vanguard in an Arrowhead formation,
while the Venators and other carriers launched fighters from relative safety. Corvettes, frigates, and other smaller cruisers stuck close to the larger ships,
benefiting from overlapping energy shields. as fighters launched from the rear, cruisers focused turrets and batteries on the
disorganized Imperial fleet which was now slowly turning to face its new threat. Red, blue, and
green turbolaser bolts and ion cannons slammed into Imperial ships, weakening energy shields and boiling away heavy armor.
The fleet advanced slowly towards Coruscant, now reinforced by thousands of starfighters
but, beginning to face the first signs of imperial resistance. The mighty dreadnoughts and ballot cruisers
which had survived the first strike were now returning fire. A Tie squadrons screamed towards the iron fleet, dipping through turbolasers
And strafing ships and starfighters. A-wings, X-wings and Z-95s and more responded as best
they could. The battle of Coruscant wass now fully underway
The rearguard of the New Republic fleet was now less than
1,000 kilometers away from the planet itself. A single Venator broke formation and headed towards the planet. The ship was
upside-down when compared to the rest of the New Republic's fleet. Though such terminology is generally meaningless in space combat.
Its large dorsal hangar was oriented towards the planet itself. The ship went largely unnoticed
among the greater melee and its sturdy underside and powerful shield protected it from any straight turbolasers sent in its direction.
The massive doors of the dorsal hangar bay opened and a stream of fighters and transports poured out, still shielded by the upside-down Venator.
Sanborn, the squadron he commanded, and a few hundred other fighters dove towards the planet. The Coruscant planetary shield was down
Another bit of work by Rogue Squadron and besides for the occasional corpse of a ship, or
wrecked skyhook the task force met little resistance as they pierced the planet's atmosphere.
The empire was abandoning Coruscant, it seemed fairly clear now besides for ground-based turbolasers and the occasional Imperial speeder,
There was almost no resistance from the Empire, and only one transport was lost during the approach
to the Imperial Center.
Commander Sanborn was so close to his objective that he could see the spires of the Imperial Palace in the distance. The spires of the
soon to be reborn Republic Senate. On the bridge of the adjudicator, a Bellator-Class Super Star Destroyer,
Admiral Aldion flicked off the control console in front of him, an unknown planet a
Frankenstein ship with six gigantic, but familiar engine blocks. A bearded man
and a council. These were the last bits of the transmission that he had received.
The transmission which would decide the fate of the galaxy. The transmission
which the New Republic could not find. The battle had been raging for just over two hours.
The defense fleet had managed to form a somewhat functional defensive posture,
mimicking the flying column formation favored by Admiral Thrawn. It was no use though.
Although the orbital defenses were now neutralized,
They had dealt too much damage to his fleet. The New Republic had struck perfectly and, from that point on the battle had been lost.
Not the war.
But then, troubling messages from the planet's surface started to reach his ears. The planetary shield was down. The New Republic had launched now
3 waves of transports and fighters touching down near Imperial Center
He had thought that there would be time. Aldion knew what he had to do. He told his communications officer to issue a full-scale retreat.
On the planet's surface, all but two of Sanborn's
transports had successfully landed, and the assault on the Imperial center was now fully underway. Commander Sanborn pushed forward on his starfighters
yoke, lining up the crosshairs on an imperial walker, which had been deployed several blocks away from the palace.
He fired a proton torpedo. It impacted on his target and the entire city block, all
1000 plus stories were vaporized.
What that's not right, his torpedoes were high-yield,
but not that high-yield.
Green bolts of destruction rained down from the heavens as starfighters and speeders floated through the air. The surface of Coruscant erupted in fireballs.
The Imperial Palace became a lone rock and a sea of fire until it too was consumed by a volley of turbo lasers.
Skyscrapers thousands of years old and thousands of kilometers high were being eaten alive by pure energy.
Sanborn twisted his ship away from the surface and
towards the sky his shield, his heat, his radiation indicators were all screaming for him to move then he saw it.
Dagger shaped, angry and unstoppable an imperial dreadnought had followed them to the surface. A model
He couldn't remember the name of. It was long and sharp. It was spitting all of the firepower
it could towards the world city the adjudicator was falling apart.
Burned by the descent into atmosphere that it was not designed for, and torn apart by hulks of other ships that it had collided with on
its journey towards the planet.
The Adjudicator was really now in three pieces. The ship's bow had broken in two with a kilometer long hunk of metal now being hurled
Towards the planet and a piece of the superstructure had cracked off. Despite this, the turbolasers continued to fire,
extinguishing millions of innocent lives each second scraping away at the city's people depict Iced revealing lower and lower levels of Coruscant.
Ironically, if anyone survived this it would be the most poor desperate and downtrodden; those who live closer to the planets true surface. However
even that was a monthly and full freefall and only seconds away from the planet's surface,
the Bellator-Class SSD could no longer fire.
It didn't need to; it had done its job.
The seven kilometer long vessel plunged with full force into the inferno, which had once been the Imperial Palace.