The hatch to the bridge of the Vengeance slowly opened and Serrin let his blaster lead the way. The bridge was littered with debris of all kinds, and five of the forward view ports were sealed with dark steel that had slid into place when they had been penetrated by weapons fire. The bridge was a mess, bodies lay strewn and twisted over burned out consoles. Serrin made his way across to the remaining view ports. The ship's damage on the sensors was bad enough, but to visually see the damage mocked the remaining moments of Serrin's life. It was a miracle he had survived.
The ship was only one piece of junk in a vast debris field. Large chunks of blasted star ships floated in orbit above a harsh looking planet, a gas giant. Serrin was troubled by the Rebel Alliance wrecks he could identify as well.
Another planetoid lay just off the ship's starboard bow. A large, lush green moon promised a better life for the stranded, freed prisoner. The sensors on that side of the ship must have not been operating correctly. Serrin might as well have been looking at the moon from the other side of the galaxy. If he could not find a way off of this tomb, he would be a part of its memorial to whatever battle had taken place.
Serrin contemplated the situation and headed toward the communication station. As he approached, he dragged a turned over deck chair with him and set it in front of the console. Fortunately, the console was still operational. His mind wandered as he attempted to pull up any type of information that survived. As he waited for the data to appear he remembered his capture.
* * * * *
Serrin was supposed to meet up with a contact, and then meet with some Rebel operatives. His small group of rebel pirates was working a mysterious Imperial supply line when Vice Admiral Sturdin and the traitorous Torlock had drawn them into a trap. His Aeridian battle cruiser had been completely disabled by Torlock's sabotage, a bounty hunter working for the Vice Admiral.
Torlock had spent a lot of time earning the Captain's trust. Captain Serrin Ziehn had called for full shields and weapons when the fleet of Star Destroyers led by the Vengeance had appeared out of hyperspace. Their Interdictor Star Destroyer immediately threw up its gravity wells to keep them from escaping. As the defense officer onboard Serrin's ship reached for his console, huge explosions ripped through the battle cruiser.
The damage reports rolled into the bridge like a wave. The officer on sensors reported a small-unauthorized ship leaving the docking bay. Captain Ziehn immediately recognized the ship as Torlock's. The bounty hunter had betrayed him and Serrin's people to the Imperial dogs.
Sturdin's smiling, sarcastic voice came over the comm system and demanded Captain Ziehn's complete surrender. His answer was a partial salvo of torpedoes that decimated one of Vice Admiral Sturdin's support ships that strayed within range. That was all Serrin's ship had power to do. The weapons systems went completely offline.
Then all the power went dead as another set of explosions sounded. Torlock must have wired the ship well with his intimate knowledge of the capital ship's systems. The emergency minimum power systems kicked in and Serrin's feet again touched the floor. He immediately slammed his hand down on the internal comm system. "All hands, this is the Captain, abandon ship, I repeat, abandon ship. There is a fleet of Star Destroyers closing on our position. Rendezvous at our designated coordinates."
Serrin leapt from his command chair, hit a few buttons on his console and ran for the rear blast doors along with the rest of his command crew. "Get to your ships and get out of here." As his crew headed out, he stopped at the weapons console. His fingers flew across the controls.
The computer's female voice spoke, "Auto destruct sequence armed, please enter authorization code."
"S. Ziehn, Captain, Code 0931FB1T32-421."
"Authorization code accepted," the computer said in response. "Please enter time until self-destruct."
Serrin paused a moment, and looked out the forward viewpoints. Three of the Imperial Victory class Star Destroyers were closing in for the kill. "Set time for 10 minutes."
The computer paused as the calculations locked in. "Auto destruct sequence set," it said, "ten minutes until final detonation."
Sirens sounded throughout the ship as the computer began counting down to the moment when the ship would explode. Serrin hoped the enemy ships would be in range of the blast. He looked again. The Star Destroyers were closing fast. Serrin dashed for the rear doors to the bridge and activated his comlink. "Tesh, this is Serrin, prep the ship for launch."
A metallic voice replied, "Yes, Captain, the ship will be ready at your arrival."
Serrin charged down the corridors of his beloved ship. The thought of never seeing his bridge again pierced him, but he had a job to do. The Rebellion must be kept alive, and his crew was part of the Rebellion. Ships can be replaced, people cannot.
Friends and coworkers headed for their ships, sending words of encouragement and loyalty to their Captain. As Serrin entered the landing bay, he watched as X-Wings and A-Wings began to launch. Shuttlecraft and personal craft lifted up and followed. Serrin bolted aboard the Aeridian Flame and closed the hatch behind him. He pushed a button on the comm display next to the hatch, "Tesh, get us out of here! Be ready for battle when we exit the bay, we will be fighting for our lives."
"Confirmed," the metallic voice said.
Serrin sprinted for his ship's cockpit. The blast doors opened and he quickly got to his chair. Tesh S5R, Serrin's droid swiveled his head to look at the Captain and then back to his console. He was bringing the ship up and prepared to launch from the co-pilot's station. Serrin took the controls and blasted out of the docking bay, he needed as much speed as he could get. "Tesh open a comlink to the cruiser's computer."
Tesh connected them to the cruiser. "Nine seconds to destruct, eight, seven, six..."
Serrin checked his distance and pushed the craft to its maximum sub-light speed. The ship was the newest Aeridian design and fast; the cockpit was central and forward, with the rest of the ship to each side and behind. The body was wide and sleek with powerful engines.
A cloud of TIE fighters was moving towards the pirate group as they raced away from the dieing cruiser. Serrin thought of the cruiser's final moments, she had been a good ship. The computer countdown was coming to a close, "three, two, one. Countdown complete."
Space lit up as the cruiser exploded. The explosion was not a regular explosion, but an exploding shock wave. Serrin's people designed their ship's self-destruct capabilities to send out a destructive wave just for that purpose. The wave erupted from the cruiser in a sphere of bright, angry red and blue energy. The lead Victory Star Destroyer could not react fast enough to avoid it. As it turned the blast broadsided the ship. Its port shields buckled under the weight of the energy. The ship was pursuing the fleeing rebels and had gotten under two units in distance to the disabled cruiser. The Victory erupted into flames and tore apart as the wave engulfed it. The wave continued on. The other two Victories closing stopped and met the wave head on. They were two and a half units in distance and sustained damage but were not disabled.
The blast quickly dissipated beyond three units of space, and it did not reach the main bulk of Sturdin's fleet. His Victory II, the Vengeance, sat in the rear of the attack group with a smug confidence. Serrin tried to imagine the look on Vice Admiral Sturdin's face when his prey exploded. He would be furious.
The wave approached the fleeing fighters and shuttle groups, but dissipated to harmless energy by the time it reached them. The ships rocked slightly, but nothing more. Serrin checked his sensors and found roughly a third of the tie fighters had been destroyed during the blast. He smiled and signaled his fighter groups, "This is Black leader, all ships prepare to attack that Interdictor. We have to destroy it before we can get out of here. Prepare to reverse course on my mark."
Serrin's remaining ships had been heading directly away from the coming fighters to draw them into the blast radius of the cruiser. The ploy had worked quite well. Thirty seconds later Serrin hit his comm switch. "All ships attack that fighter screen, reverse course."
The long line of shuttles, fighters, freighters, and personal craft came around and headed directly for the incoming, scorched TIE fighter group pursuing them. In a few moments Serrin spoke, "Tesh weapons!" The familiar sound of the Flame's weapon arrays began pounding TIE fighters. A storm of green and red energy bolts slashed through space.
X-wings danced in their flight avoiding the TIE's first round of shots. The groups broke into a vicious dogfight. The rest of the pirate group did their best to keep up and swat TIEs when they could. Serrin's craft roared in behind two TIEs going after an A-wing. "Lock on to the leader, fire." A gold beam shot out from the Flame and struck the support pylon between the TIE's cockpit and wing. The beam sliced through it easily. Red bolts of energy blasted the cockpit apart. Serrin smiled at the destruction caused by the Aeridian weapon systems. The ship's weapons chewed up the other tie in seconds.
"Thanks Black leader!" He heard the pilot of the A-wing say.
"Stay on my wing, seven, we have a job to do."
"Yes, Sir. On your wing."
The pounding of the Fire's weapons comforted Serrin as he flew, and the explosions caused by those weapons brought retribution each time against the Empire for his people. Remembering the nearly complete destruction of his home world by experimental weapons sickened him. They had destroyed the atmosphere of his home world in punishment for joining the Rebellion. The planet was barely habitable. Along with Alderaan, the little known world of Aeridia had been destroyed by the tyranny of the Empire's greed. Only a few battle cruisers remained of a once large, proud fleet, and they had finally destroyed one of those by treacherous betrayal.
As the pirate group finished off the last of the TIE fighters, Serrin was pleased Sturdin's obsession with his capture caused them to lose the majority of their fighter squadrons they had launched. A list of his lost pilots scrolled across his screen. Clenching his jaw for a few moments he clicked on the comm. "Black groups Gamma and Zeta, form up on my in line, we are going to hit that Interdictor with all we have, follow me."
The fighters and the rest of the pirate group followed the Flame forward, in a course through the rest of Sturdin's fleet. The enemy fleet was too slow and spread out to catch them as they moved at full throttle around and through them. The Victories ineffectively fired at the pirate group as they attempted to maneuver to intercept them. Serrin set a course directly for Sturdin's command ship.
Sturdin was really a coward, one who had gotten a command by immoral means. At the last moment, Serrin was going to dive underneath the Star Destroyer, just out of range, and go after the Interdictor that was off to the lower left by itself. Once it was destroyed, the pirates had a clear line of escape on the other side.
Just as Serrin guessed, Sturdin's ship began slowly inching upward. It started firing before the fighters even got in range. "What a fool," Serrin thought as he altered his course and directed it to the Interdictor. The pirate group curved downward and away from Sturdin's ship.
Tesh spoke, "Sir, the enemy fleet is turning our direction in pursuit. We will not have much time before they get us in range when we reach the Interdictor."
"We will have to take our chances," Serrin said, "keep an eye on them."
"Confirmed," Tesh replied.
As the pirates approached the Interdictor, Serrin addressed his battle group, "Team, we need to knock out that ship as soon as we can. Spread out and fire torpedoes at will. Concentrate your fire on the command tower. If we can knock it out, we may buy some time to finish her off." Black group confirmed the Captain's orders and began spreading out in an attack line.
The first set of pirate torpedoes launched in a dazzling display of blue fire. The second and third launches followed the first. "Sir," Tesh said, "we have four more squadrons of tie fighters in pursuit."
Serrin glanced as his radar and gritted his teeth seeing the readout. "Estimated time until range?"
"Twenty-three seconds," Tesh replied.
"Black Gamma," Serrin said, "we have fighters coming in. Keep at the Interdictor until the last possible moment."
Serrin noticed something else; the Star Destroyers were angling out to their flanks, in a hammer maneuver from each side. Coming up behind was the Vengeance and two other Victories. They had nine remaining ships, two of those lightly damaged. Serrin was mildly surprised that Vice Admiral Sturdin had gotten so much support.
As his pirate group engaged the Interdictor its shields were crumbling from the torpedo hits, but a cloud of tie fighters erupted from its opposite side. A trap was sprung. There were five squadrons of TIEs and their green fire drove the pirates apart. "Black group, keep at the Interdictor, we have to get out of here!" Serrin ordered.
When the other groups of TIEs arrived the Interdictor's shields were collapsing. Then the something happened that made Serrin's blood chill. A huge Star Destroyer, an Imperial II class appeared just opposite the pirates on the other side of the Interdictor. It flashed out of hyperspace in a blur. As soon as it was oriented it opened fire and TIE interceptors roared out of its bays.
"Black group, disable the Interdictor now!" Serrin ordered. "Tesh, hit that Interdictor with everything we have!" Blue ion energy from every angle struck at the Interdictor. Blue electrical discharges rippled over its hull and into its power systems. Its engines went down and its weapons ceased firing. The ship's gravity wells failed, and the sensors of the pirates confirmed they could escape.
"Retreat!" Serrin ordered. "All ships retreat!" The pirate battle group shot away in all directions.
Serrin became keenly aware of his situation when the TIE fighters did not follow the others, but as one they seemed to turn towards him and the Flame. "We have a problem," Tesh said.
"I can see that, evasive maneuvers!" Serrin barked as he slammed his throttle to full and angled straight down below the Interdictor. The space around the ship became a storm of green and blue blast of energy from the enemy. It looked like Sturdin was determined to capture him and only him. The Star Destroyers leveled their weapons on his ship, and the Fire's shields began to collapse under the brunt of the fire. He could not escape from the destroyers and the fighters.
The Flame's shields went down and blue ion energy enveloped the ship. All of the ship's systems immediately powered down. Tesh swiveled his head toward his master, "Shall I prepare for individual combat, sir?"
"No. If you fight them, you will be destroyed." Serrin paused for a few moments. "Today is not the day. They have beaten us. It looks like I will need your assistance in rescue. I want you to power down, and keep yourself hidden in the ship. The shielded hold will do."
"Confirmed," Tesh said. He stood from his co-pilot chair and left the cockpit.
Serrin watched as the destroyers and star fighters surrounded his ship on all sides. Vice Admiral Sturdin's ship moved the closest and locked on a tractor beam. His ship was pulled into the cavern like landing bays of the Vengeance. He went to the hatch of the ship, lowered its ramp, and walked out onto the deck of the Victory II. He had to keep them from damaging his only escape.
A hundred Stormtroopers leveled their weapons on him as he exited. Serrin opened the palms of his hands in surrender. Four of them moved to his side, bound his hands in restraints and held him steady as the door of the docking bay opened. The Vice Admiral and Torlock walked into the landing bay followed by several high-ranking officers. The Vice Admiral wore a gloating grin on his face as they stepped up to the prisoner.
"Ah, my friend, Captain Ziehn, corruptor of law and justice. How nice it is to see you again," Sturdin said. "I am here to personally deliver your arrest warrant. You have been very troublesome, but nothing we could not handle."
Serrin looked at the Vice Admiral with calm eyes.
Sturdin continued, "You will be imprisoned and will do hard labor until your death. Of course I will recommend your execution as an alternative. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"
Serrin waited a few moments and said, "Nothing that a vile man, such as you would be worthy to hear."
Sturdin's face flushed red as he looked around at his fellow officers. Serrin realized these men were captains, and more than likely brought from their bridges to watch as Sturdin captured his nemesis. Instead of cowering before the hunter, Serrin had insulted him deeply. The Vice Admiral appeared embarrassed, and he stepped a little closer to his prisoner. With a quick movement, Sturdin backhanded Serrin. The force of the blow knocked him off his feet. After a few moments Sturdin motioned for the guards. "Take him to the brig."
Two of the Stormtroopers nodded and dragged Serrin away into the depths of the Vengeance's hold.
* * * * *
Serrin sat at the communications display of the Vengeance and searched as he scrolled through the logs of the ship. From the time that had passed from his capture to the present, he estimated it had been nine months since he had been placed in cryogenic stasis. He had been in the cryocell for seven months after the battle that had virtually destroyed the Vengeance. He finally found the orders of the Vengeance dated seven months prior. Serrin began to read them.
"From the Imperial High Command to Vice Admiral Sturdin and Vengeance Task Force, you are ordered to rendezvous at included coordinates. The Emperor is preparing for an attack from the Rebel fleet at Endor. You have been ordered to take part in the defense initiative. Signed Admiral Piett, Death Star Task Force, the Executor."
Serrin looked out the forward viewpoint to the green moon of Endor, and he realized what the mysterious supply route led to. The supply route his group had been working led to this very place. He continued to read and figured out what had happened. The Death Star II had been destroyed, the Imperial fleet withdrawn or decimated as in the case of the Vengeance. The final entry by the Vice Admiral was to log his order to abandon ship. The news of another Death Star, the victory of the Rebellion, and the rush of emotion he felt at the overwhelming outcome made him rejoice. If only he could have been a part of that battle. He hoped some of his crew had tasted the victory the Rebellion had accomplished on that day.
The freed Captain pulled up the visual records of the battle and watched in amazement as the Rebel fleet arrived, turned, and fought. He watched as the Death Star unleashed its main weapon on the vulnerable Rebel ships, the Rebel fleet engage the Star Destroyers, the death of the Executor, and the Death Star's demise. With satisfaction he watched as Rebel ships pursued the fleeing Vengeance and blew it apart. He paused and took a deep breath, even if he never escaped this dead space junk, he was pleased Vice Admiral Sturdin had lost his beloved ship and fled. Hopefully, the Rebels captured him, but the recording was cut off when the ship's power systems shut down from damage.
Serrin sat in his chair looking out at the green moon, thinking when he felt a chill go up his spine. He spun around in his chair to find nothing on the bridge threatening. A very uneasy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. He stood up from his chair and backed toward the rear doors to the bridge. He raised his blaster and looked around. There was nothing but silence and shadows. The orbit of the dead star destroyer was beginning to take it behind the huge planet, out of line of the system's star.
Serrin put his Stormtrooper helmet back on, turned and carefully left the bridge. When he looked back, there was nothing. He had to get down to the hanger bays to ascertain if his ship was still stored there. As he climbed down an access ladder he felt better, but then he thought he heard whispering above him coming from the access hatch. He stopped and held very still listening, nothing. He quickened his descent and hoped he was just being paranoid.