The New Adventures of Nomi Darklighter

Chapter 102 - The Skirmish

Dash Rendar cheered as he saw the well-known ship break free from the First Order dreadnought.
"Here we go," he said and activated his comm. "Uncloak and prepare to engage enemy fighters. Primary target is to clear an escape route for the commander."
"Copy that, Leader," the response came from all Resistance vessels.
Draco was shifting in his seat, unstrapped and stood up. Corran turned his head and looked at the pirate, still not trusting the man.
"It's better to man the laser cannon than to operate it from here," Draco said and moved toward the hatch leading to the freighter's midsection where there was the access to the laser cannon.
"But...," Corran wanted to object, but his father interrupted him.
"Let Draco be the gunner, he wants to make up for what he did," the former mercenary said while firing at an incoming TIE and dodging the laser beams. "If you betray us, I'll kill you myself, Draco."
"Understood," the pirate responded and squeezed past Corran who had blocked the way.
Meanwhile the First Order TIEs were swarming the Aquarius in order to prevent the commander from making the jump to hyperspace.
Draco headed for the gunner station, slumped in the seat and buckled up.
"Ok, let's show those guys that we mean business," he had been heard through the headset he just donned. The pirate took the controls in a firm grip knowing that it would be a rough ride.
"Stay sharp, Draco," came Dash Rendar's remark as he was steering the Outrider toward the battlefield. It didn't take long until Draco had the first lock on an enemy fighter. He pushed the fire button and the green laser beams were slicing through the TIE's cockpit exposing its pilot to the cold vacuum of space.
"Gotcha," he uttered under his breath and swiveled the gunner seat to compensate for the ship's movements and fired as he got the next lock.

Dash Rendar wasn't the only one who saw the battered freighter on its escape run. Tasherit had seen her mother's ship emerge from the enormous First Order ship as well and nodded to Jaden, who then rose from his seat to head for the Trader's Luck's gunner station. The young woman heard her comrades' comm chatter and the orders her father gave. She steered the freighter and flew a corkscrew maneuver to avoid to be hit by enemy laser fire. The same instant Jaden got a lock on one of the assailants and fired. The laser beam cut through the mounting of the TIE's right wing and the enemy fighter went in a spin tumbling helplessly away in the vastness of space.
"I wonder why the dreadnought isn't firing, Jaden," the young man heard his fiancée's voice in the headset, while he fired at the next enemy fighters.
"No idea," his response came after he had hit the TIE right in the cockpit. "Maybe they think their fighters will do the job." Jaden fired at the next TIE after getting a lock on it and the enemy vessel vanished in a fireball.

Meanwhile Nomi was weaving her way away from the First Order dreadnought, TIEs at her tail in hot pursuit. The Aquarius wasn't agile like an X-wing but the Jedi Master had an ace up her sleeve. Most of the enemy pilots if not all of them didn't know that they were after a Jedi. She reached out with the Force touching the minds of two pilots causing them to fire at each other. Both TIEs exploded in a ball of fire.
"Two less," the seasoned pilot said with satisfaction in her voice, steered her ship and fired at a TIE which was so unfortunate to cross her path. She was now heading at full throttle toward a jump point.
The vessels of the rescue fleet were on their way to intercept the TIEs which were after their commander. Most of the pilots were experienced Galactic Civil War veterans and knew their stuff. The commander was steering her freighter toward the Resistance fighters and firing at the TIEs which tried to block her way. She gritted her teeth and fired a proton torpedo.

Commodore Canady was observing the battle at the tactic display onboard his dreadnought and was cursing inwardly.
"Ready the turbo laser batteries!" He yelled in the intercom which caused his subordinates to hurry to obey the order.
Tash and her brothers were sensing the imminent danger, so did their mother.
"Kark, we must prevent the dreadnought to fire at our mother. Father..."
Dash Rendar nodded his head before his eldest was able to finish the sentence and turned the Outrider, heading for the First Order capital ship, followed by his daughter's freighter.
"Draco, we must take out the turbo lasers. Tash, take those at starboard we'll take care of those portside. The others take care of the TIEs. Keep them out of our necks."
The pilots affirmed the order one by one and took action, while Dash was steering his freighter toward the dreadnought already.
"We must take out the shield generators first," Draco heard Dash Jr.'s voice in his headset.
"Copy that," his response came and kept a close eye at the targeting device.
Dash Rendar was flying at full throttle, avoiding the laser batteries' defensive fire as Draco was taking out every TIE which dared to try to hinder them to reach their target.
"Almost there, father," Corran said, seeing at the readouts that they were closing in.
Draco's finger lingered over the fire button itching to take out the assigned target. There came the signal indicating that he had a lock. The same instant he pushed the button and the laser beams hit the first shield generator.
"Gotcha!" The pirate's cheering was to be heard and Dash steered the Outrider to the second shield generator. It didn't take long and it exploded under the freighter's shelling.

"Sir, the shields are down," a crew member informed Commodore Canady who paled. The TIE fighters he had deployed were taken out one by one as he saw at the tactic display and now his ship was under attack. Maybe he had underestimated both the Jedi and the rebel scum she was leading. He realized that he had lost and that he and all onboard the dreadnought would die if he would stay on the battle field any longer. Canady took a deep breath before he gave the order, while the first turbolaser battery exploded.
"Prepare for emergency jump to hyperspace."
It hurt to do this and to admit that he was defeated, but he was pretty sure that he hasn't met the commander for the last time.

"They prepare to make the jump, father," Dash Jr. said while Draco was firing at the next turbolaser battery.
"Canady tries to escape, Leader," Tash's voice was to be heard on the battle frequency. "The commander just made the jump and is on the way to base."
It took Dash Rendar only the fraction of a second to make his decision.
"Cease fire and let them go," he ordered and steered the Outrider away followed by the Trader's Luck.
The First Order dreadnought made the jump shortly after.
"It's time to go home. See you on base...and thank you for your help," Dash said while he was heading for the jump point. One by one the Resistance fighters made the jump leaving behind the debris of the recent battle.