The New Adventures of Nomi Darklighter

Chapter 92 - The Convoy

It didn't take long and the small assault fleet was dropping out of hyperspace. The expected convoy wasn't there yet.
Nomi clicked three times which was the sign to keep comm silence until the convoy would fall back in real space. All pilots had their orders for the first part of the attack already.
The Jedi Master kept a close eye on the scanner readouts. She was sorry for not having an X-wing and Fuzzy at her disposal for the attack. But the Aquarius would do as well. She could feel her pilots' anxiety and determination in the Force. It was the well known mix of emotions before combat.

There was still nothing to be seen and Nomi was wondering if it might have been only a misinformation. But then there was a short flicker and the convoy dropped one by one back in real space.
"Here we go," Nomi muttered under her breath and smiled, while the ragtag fleet begun to move in position. It seemed that whoever was responsible for the First Order convoy wasn't aware of the imminent danger. The convoy moved slowly, while the few TIEs flew the usual escort pattern. Only some more klicks and they would be in firing range. She cast a glance at her eldest whose fingers were hovering over the fire button already. There it was. The targeting computer showed that they had a lock on the first TIE.
The TIE pilot had no time to realize what hit him, as Nomi deactivated the cloaking device and ordered her son to fire. The Aquarius' lasers were pummeling the TIE relentless until its shields gave way and it exploded in a fireball.
Nomi broke comm silence. "Now they know we're here."
Another TIE exploded nearby, hit by the Moldy Crow's laser fire. But these were the only ones fallen victim to the Resistance fighters this easily.
The escorting TIEs split formation and begun their counterattack.

"Stay sharp," the Jedi Master said. "And remember we need the freighters in working order."
"Copy that, Commander," Salla Zend's reply came while she was steering her ship toward one of the incoming enemy fighters. Her sturdy freighter wasn't this agile like the TIEs, but what it lacked in agility it made up with firepower. At full throttle she was engaging and starting to blaze away. Kyle Katarn followed her, giving cover as a self appointed wingman.
Nomi watched the TIE's shields flicker and then they were gone. Its pilot tried desperately to escape the incoming deadly laser fire, but it was in vain. The fighter exploded and everybody heard Salla cheer.
Nomi weaved her freighter through the aftermath of the explosion heading for one of the convoy's transports, followed by a few Uglies and Z-95 Headhunters, a fighter model which was more than outdated. But Shug had seen to it that those fighters were state of the art and a match to the TIEs they were fighting now. They were engaging the remaining TIEs at full throttle, matching every move the enemy pilots made. The Jedi Master felt the determination of her people and the beginning desperateness of the First Order pilots in the Force. She smiled. It would be over soon and the convoy would be theirs. Nomi heard the chatter over the comm.
"There's another one. Watch it, Bug 3 you're tailed."
"I can't see it," the response came. "Wait... Kark, I can't shake it."
"I'm on it... almost there. Gotcha!"
The commander breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed to her that this was a close call if it came to Bug 3. She had named her ragtag fleet Bug Squadron, since they wanted to bug the First Order wherever they could. Nomi was glad that everything went according to plan so far. There were no casualties if it came to her squad.
Finally there was only one TIE left with scorch marks at its wings already.
"Cease fire," the commander ordered. "Let him go and tell his superiors that the Resistance is still alive."
Her fighters did as ordered and the TIE pilot activated the hyperdrive and made the jump.

The Resistance fighters were swarming the transports already to hinder them to jump back in hyperspace, while the freighters were approaching them.
"Now let's see, if the cargo was really worth the effort," she said to her eldest, steering the Aquarius toward the lead transport to dock with it. "We must expect troopers onboard; the First Order won't rely only on the escorts if they are smart."
Her son chuckled while he was initiating the docking maneuver. "They are no match for two Jedi, Mama."
Nomi shook her head. "Don't get cocky, Junior it might get you killed."
She checked her blaster, took some gas grenades out of the locker and two breathing masks. One of the masks she tossed to her son. "You will need this."
Then she donned the mask and waited for the noise indicating that the Aquarius has docked.
"We're good to go, Commander," Dash Jr. said, as he rose from his seat giving his mother a sloppy salute. Then he checked his blaster again before donning his own breathing mask. After activating his lightsaber he went to the hatch and opened it. His mother followed him holding one of the gas grenades in one hand and the blaster in the other. Dash Jr. cursed silently: "Kark, they've sealed their hatch. It costs us precious time."
He didn't hesitate and begun to cut a hole in the hatch with the lightsaber while his mother prepared to give him cover. She felt defenders waiting for them right behind the sealed hatch.
The durasteel was slowly melting away and left a gap in the hatch. Nomi's eldest jumped aside and she threw the gas grenade. But instead of the expected coughing came blaster fire.
Dash Jr. pushed his mother out of the way and deflected the blaster bolts before they could hit.
"Sithspawn, they were prepared for this," he shouted as death screams were to be heard when the deflected bolts found its marks.
At the same time Nomi heard despite of the battle noise the reports by the other boarding parties who were also telling about heavy resistance. The whole raid seemed to go out of hand.

But then the fire ceased. The young Jedi reached out with the Force. There were no signs of life at the other side of the hatch.
"All clear, Commander," he said and entered carefully the transport followed by his mother.
Nomi looked at the corpses and frowned seeing them wearing breathing masks, but there was something else.
"Those aren't First Order uniforms, Dash look at this symbol at their caps. I've never seen this before."
The young Jedi shrugged, deactivated his lightsaber and moved on. "Let's see what they have onboard."
He opened one of the crates and gave a low whistle. "More than we've expected."
One by one the reports came in that the transports were all taken.
Nomi raised her comlink and hailed the boarding parties. "Toss the corpses out the airlock. We can't afford the luxury to bury them properly and then take the transports in tow."
Dash Jr. stared at his mother, but then he followed her order and carried the dead crew to the airlock. He pushed the button and the corpses drifted in the vacuum of space.
After this they headed back in the Aquarius, where they removed their breathing masks.
"Time to leave," the commander said, settled down in the pilot's seat and activated the comm.
"Jump when you are ready. See you back at base."
One by one the Resistance fighters made the jump; leaving behind the debris of the battle which took place recently.