Then it happened. It really was just another quiet day until the shadow appeared over the asteroid. The psuadomotion flickered and became Commander Rhosse’s worst nightmare. A Super Star Destroyer class warship had hypered in less than two clicks away!

NO! That is simply impossible! Rhosse thought as he leapt from his chair, looking out of the view port. He checked his status reports. Red warning lights blazed on the readouts. Ninety percent of the mines were destroyed by the ship’s massive bulk. He punched the button to signal a red alert.

Aboard the Super Star Destroyer Avenger, Commodore Firefox sat calmly in his high backed command chair on the bridge.

“Damage report, Commander Veltan,” the Commodore asked plainly.

Turning sharply towards the Vice Admiral, Veltan could barely hide his disgust. “Sir, we have lost turbo laser batteries fourteen, nineteen, and twenty three due to the collisions with the mines. Although, minor damage as been reported in stations forty through fifty one, a near hull breach has been detected in station one thirty and…”

Commodore Firefox held up a hand and Veltan became silent, letting his gaze drift to the left to survey the bridge crew who know doubt had looked toward him as he relayed the damage assessment.

“Shield status?” Firefox asked with an icy tone.

Turning back to his display read outs, Veltan tried to calm himself.

“Shields operating at full capacity and are repelling their turbo laser battery cannons for the time being and…”

Commodore Firefox pressed a key on his command console, “Major Smitroc, launch all Tie Squadrons. Eliminate the asteroid turbo lasers and the fighters quickly.”

“Acknowledged Avenger,” the Major’s tinny voice replied.

The Commodore pressed another key, then paused, and let it go, swiveling his chair towards his commander.

“Commander, order ion batteries to open fire on the penal colony, at once.”

Veltan nodded gravely and hastily issued the command and waited, shuddering slightly with fear.

It had taken some time to get used to, but Firefox was truly understanding it now. His second of command on his bridge, not a Dark Jedi, as he preferred, was slow in his understanding. He needed to remedy the situation and he felt this was a perfect opportunity.

Major Smitroc rolled his TIE Defender through a barrel loop and brought his sights directly onto the back of an XJ class star fighter. An upgrade to the X-Wing class, he was surprised that this new craft was a part of the defense force for this prison. Nonetheless, two squadrons of these ships and two squadrons of the old Y-Wing class starfighters would be no match for his Wing of star fighter pilots. Launching two advanced concussion missles made quick work of the XJ’s shields and a bit of its hull, and as it began to spin wildly out of control, a fully recharged quad laser blast caused the craft to explode into a fine albeit fireball of debris.

Checking his heads-up-display he noted that his powerful wing of star fighters had eliminated all of the fighters except for a group of four Y-Wings and he turned his craft hard to the side to begin pursuit. Being four clicks away though, he never made it. Fury squadron had moved in, and the green laser blasts made quick work of them as did a salvo or two of missles. One missile boat from Trapper squadron even got close enough to make a proton torpedo shot. Taking a quick look at his H.U.D. again, he noted that the asteroid turbo laser batteries were obliterated as well. The prison itself had been disabled. He keyed his communications and as he spoke he surged with pride.

Aboard the Avenger, Commodore Firefox turned away from the battle addressed Veltan.

“You disagree with my bringing the ship out of hyperspace directly into the mine field Commander?”

“Respectfully, Admiral,” Veltan looked up from his tactical readouts frowning, “I truly feel it was…” he hesitated as he noticed the stares from the bridge crew and the sudden silence, quite out of place for a ship in the midst of battle. “It was just something that caught me off guard, Sir. It is not in any tactical manual I have ever read. I understand your reasoning now.”

“Do you indeed? You may one day command a ship of your own. I suggest you watch and learn, Commander,” the Commodore bit out the word “Commander” with an icy tone, barely noticeable but effective nonetheless.

A communication from Wing Commander Smitroc pulled him from the conversation. “Admiral, all fighter resistance has been eliminated.”

“Penal colony, Delstaire has been disabled Commodore,” Rhosse voiced quitely.

“Major Smitroc, well done. Have your wing patrol the perimeter around the prison. Be alert for escape pods and any shuttles. Commander Veltan, launch Assault Transports one through three.”

“Acknowledged, Admiral,” Veltan said with a slight shaking of his head. He did indeed have much to learn.

On the prison Delstaire, Rhosse looked out of the viewport with disgust. He defected from the Imperial Navy years ago, and had joined the Alliance. Yet today, on this “vacation station” the New Republic was getting beaten. He had tried to send a distress signal but the communications relays were knocked out too quickly. This was no ordinary prison however, and Rhosse knew even as he looked out of the viewport at the sparkling blue electricity rippling across the base, denoting their status of being disabled, that these Imperial scum had more of a chance at destroying the base than rescuing any of the prisoners. He reached down and keyed in the evacuation code signal. Next he keyed in the station’s last defense code and then began to head towards his escape pod. The timer countdown began at twenty five standard minutes, at the end of which, a poison gas would flood the entire station killing all those aboard, and the red glow of the warning lights cascaded throughout the whole station.

A distant explosion began to tear him from his bliss. Then a second, followed by a third. Slowly, his eyes began to open. Blinking against the flickering, dim overhead light source, he brought his eyes to focus against the cold, harsh reality of his existence. For six long years, sleep had become his greatest friend and companion. Only in this state, could this harsh reality of imprisonment be forgotten.

As the bliss began to leave a frown emerged upon his face as he thought of his dream. A pleasant landscape to gaze upon. Becoming a bounty hunter with no one to answer to but himself. Being awarded a medal by the Lord Darth Vader himself…Had that happened?

Another explosion sounded, just barely audible in the distance. His sensitive ears caught it though. Another asteroid collision? He thought to himself blinking himself to full alertness.

After the twenty second explosion he stopped thinking of his dream and started to hope. Holding his breath, he tried to fight the depression that ate at his very soul each day. This was not a rescue and was merely another training exercise. Or another trick they have come up with to torture us.

Then it rang out like an enraged Wookie screaming in one’s face. The sound of a red alert klaxon alarm. Not once had he ever heard that sound here. He leapt from his bed, lifting the small port to the hallway beyond near the floor and looking out. There was nothing but the red glow of the utility lights below the floor, but then…was that? Yes! Another explosion, then another! Suddenly, he became nauseated. Could this be it? After all these years, could Darth Vader and the Empire have come to rescue him??

The three Assault transports descended upon the disabled penal colony with top speed. TIE class star fighters of numerous types flew the classic defense formations. The problem occurred after the transports docked. This was not a makeshift prison. It had been designed to defend against intruders and it’s Commander given specific orders to enable the poisoning mechanism if the odds were against her. Besides that, the soldiers inside had the best weapons and training to repel attacks. And so it was as the three transports docked and began to cut through the entrance doors, New Republic soldiers, some kneeling, some using the protective shields set in the hallway entrance, and others manning the larger MK-40 laser cannons readied themselves for combat. As the outer man sized doors became burned through, the New Republic forces opened fire with a fury. Several stormtroopers died in that excursion and the blaster fire continued to rain upon the entrance like a sandstorm on Tatooine.

After three minutes and no other sightings of Imperials the blasting stopped. A few warning shots were fired sporadically during the next few minutes. And then at the fifth, sixth, seventh, and tenth minute marks. After that the Rebels began to approach the entranceway and peer through….

During the initial Assault transport docking, seven Zero G space troopers headed from the Avenger towards the penal colony. Nearing the colony, the leader of the space troopers held forth a small cylindrical device and pressed a button on its surface. A bright yellow-golden energy blade came forth. Using the lightsaber the space trooper cut through a section of the outer hull of the prison. The space troopers filed inside. The last trooper brought forth a piece of transparisteel and using a welding pack sealed the hull. Inside of the prison, standing in the hallway the sounds of blast doors closing secondary to the hull breach could be heard. Approaching the northernmost door, the yellow lightsaber blade was utilized again to cut through the blast door. Within seconds, a squad of New Republic guards wearing battle armor rounded a corner in the hallway. The troopers dispatched all six in a matter of moments. The silence afterwards, broken only by the humming sound of a lightsaber, became intense until the one leading the troop spoke in that anonymous tinny voice.

“Best route to the transport teams, Commander?” the leader ordered while narrowing his eyes and then gazed at the environment with a scowl.

“Bearing four point seven, Colonel.”

“Lead on.”

Travelling down several corridors within a maze of turns, the small group came to yet another sealed off section of blast doors. Beyond the doors the sounds of conversation could be heard by the leader of the space troopers. Without hesitating, he ignited his lightsaber and plunged it into the blast doors, cutting a large hole in the middle of the door. Beyond the Rebels began to flee down several corridors, fear taking control of them. But one remained. He stood behind the MK-40 laser canon with sure confidence that these Imperial scum would die here with him.

He was wrong.

Well before the slab of the blast door fell in, the MK-40 laser cannon was firing with a fury. However, the moment it dropped, a yellowish-gold blade began to deflect the blasts at first away from its user, then towards him. The Rebel died within twelve blasts after the door dropped. A trooper ran toward the end of the corridor and signaled for the stormtroopers to enter. Fifteen stormtroopers joined the group. The other two Assault transports groups were helped to gain access and suddenly over fifty Imperial troops had stormed the base. The Colonel addressed the group commanders.

“Remember to keep your helmets on. Who knows what manner of disease or poison could be in this place or infecting the prisoners. You have your orders from earlier. Move out,” he gestured with his hand toward his group. “Follow me.” Breaking into a light trot the group crowded into a turbolift and headed down towards cellblock C-73.

They stood in silence as the turbolift moved downwards, its inner lighting flickering wildly. A warning sensation flared up in each of their Dark Jedi minds. The Colonel keyed the turbolift to stop.

“Distance from the cellblock, Commander?”

Looking down at his datapad, Commander Tom pressed a few keys. “We are twenty meters from the entrance. There is no other way in except by turbolift and the ventilation shaft.”

“May I remind the Colonel that time is of the essence here? I feel the danger but we are ready,” one of them remarked.

The Colonel turned his head to look at the anonymous appearance of the trooper that spoke. “Time won’t make a bit of difference if we die here, Captain,” he offered pointing a gloved finger towards him.

“What lies directly beyond this wall here, Commander?” the Colonel asked as he opened the turbolift doors revealing a gray transparisteel wall.

Tom narrowed his eyes and let the datapad do its work. “The wall itself is point four five meters thick. Beyond that, I am reading a narrow corridor forty meters long and two meters wide. Readings indicate metallic masses of numerous kinds. No life form readings.”

With a familiar snap and hiss sound, the Colonel cut a hole into the wall large enough for them to squeeze through. Reaching out with the force, he lowered the cut piece of transparisteel slowly and silently to the floor. They stepped into the chamber one by one. Scattered down the corridor haphazardly stood dozens of transparent cubes containing a volatile green liquid. White hoses were attached to the top of each container and then disappeared into the ceiling and walls. The group proceeded down the corridor towards the end.

“Commander give me a reading on these chemicals,” the Colonel stated. Then stretching out with the force, he closed his eyes and searched for the presence of life forms in the cells below him. He detected nine. “Commander Enahropes, Jeff…” he motioned for them to come towards him near the back of the chamber. As they neared him he ordered and pointed, “Cut a hole in the floor here.”

The two ignited bright red lightsaber blades and made quick work of it. The Colonel again stretched out with the force and picked up the cut out piece of floor and directed it with an outstretched hand next to the open hole, setting it down silently.

Looking down at her blaster in disgust, Commander Shadowhawk rolled her bright green eyes. “I am so jealous. When am I going to get one of those?” she asked quietly to no one in particular.

Another trooper approached the Colonel as he was leaning down and gazing through the hole.

“Colonel, the liquid is coming up as unknown. Best guess that Enahropes and I can come up with, is it’s to be released in a gaseous form through the tubing,” Captain Ravnos explained.

Stepping up next to Shadowhawk, several meters away from the Colonel, Black Revenge whispered to her, “If you ask me the “old man” is getting to cautious. And I want one of those lightsabers too.”

The Colonel heard it and ignored the danger sense in his mind, only to prove a point, as he stood up. Whispering just loud enough for everyone to hear, his voice sounding doubly sharp through the tinny voice communicator of the helmet, “So be it. Jeff and Enahropes are with me. You four go down in the turbolift. Move.”

As the turbolift doors closed and the four of them brought their blasters up to point forward, Captain Ravnos shook his head and Shadowhawk said, “Nice work, B.R. Real nice. Why didn’t ya just add that he is getting lazy in his old age too?”

“What did I say?” Black Revenge asked holding his blaster a little tighter. If they felt the tingling premonition of danger fed to them through the force earlier, it was like being slapped in the face by a Wampa creature from the planet Hoth, as the turbolift doors opened in front of them.

“Want me to go first, Sir?” Major Jeff Loruss asked the Colonel as the three of them stood around the hole in the floor.

To answer it, the Colonel leapt through the hole and as he landed softly on the deck below he ignited his lightsaber. Enahropes and the Major landed next to him and raised their weapons as well, the three of them standing side by side, in Zero G armor, their lightsabers crackling. It was an impressive and fearsome site. But it was outdone by the site in front of them, down at the command center of the cellblock.

The turbolift doors opened and it happened in a heartbeat. Each of them noticed a slimy, oily substance coating the floor in front of them as they stepped out blasting. They noticed two New Republic guards in battle armor, standing on the steps leading down into the cellblock corridor, saw the Colonel drop from the ceiling followed by the other two Dark Jedi far behind, and then saw the two strange weapons the guards were holding, the weapon’s ends sporting a sputtering blue flame and as they fired the weapons, orange fire burst forward towards the floor. The coating on the floor was obviously an accelerant and the entire chamber erupted into one large billowing inferno. The guards turned and began to run down the corridor away from the flames only to meet their doom. The first caught the tip of a thrown lightsaber squarely in the chest, its red blade going through to the hilt and even as it pulled out and began to return to its wielder, the second guard had his life essence abruptly stop, the victim of a telekinetic kill. One guard fell face down, the other backwards, lifeless, and the only sound either had time to make was that of a dull thud.

The four Dark Jedi nearly became one with the force just then. If not for their training and the protective shells of the Zero G suits they would have traveled to the proverbial, “other side”. Shadowhawk and Ravnos made it into the corridor first, followed by Black Revenge, and finally Commander Tom. They each made it to a point where the heat from the inferno was reduced and collapsed to a knee or simply to a supine position, to survey the damage. Their packs were gone, incinerated. Their suits blackened and charred. Black Revenge cried out while looking at his hand, where his blaster had melted through his gloves and burned him severely. Pain shooting up and down his entire arm. The others lay thanking the Emperor’s black bones that they made it.

Emon Kaaren still gazed out of the tiny food port of his cell as the first set of armored boots landed not a meter away, and then skittered back into a corner after seeing two more sets join the first. An unfamiliar humming came from outside of his cell and then the sounds of an explosion that was very close echoed throughout his cell. Tears began to swell in his eyes and a flood of emotion ran through him as someone shouted an order to get back from the door. Amazement and exhilaration made his heart pound in his chest, almost audibly, as a yellow lightsaber beam cut through his cell door and when it fell outward, it was replaced by an ominous figure of one clad in Zero G space armor.

“I am Colonel Shups, Wing Commander stationed aboard the Super Star Destroyer Avenger. I am here to rescue you. Can you walk?” the figure asked.

Emon wailed and let his tears run freely. Let his hopes soar. Let his mind begin to dare to once again think of the future. He was handed a small self-contained breathing apparatus and he absentmindedly put it on, staring at his savior. A green gas began to encompass the cellblock and made everything slightly blurry. Stepping out into the corridor he caught a glimpse of some of the other captives and rescuers. There seemed to be no other ill effects from the gas. Each prisoner wore a breathing mask and was speechless.

Eventually the groups rejoined, entered the Assault transports and began their journey back to the Avenger. Onboard Assault transport three, the Colonel and his staff sat quietly as did the other Imperials. Each was sickened emotionally. The prisoners were emaciated, many sported open sores, and several could do nothing but mumble to themselves. The hatred for the evil Rebellion swelled in them all. Emon was the first to ask a question and numerous others followed suit. Is the Emperor truly dead? Did the Empire lose the war? Was Darth Vader aboard the ship they were headed towards? What year is it? Is such-and-such planet still a part of the Empire? Where are we going now? Is there any word on my family?

The Colonel stood up raising a hand. “You all have been rescued from the evil Rebels by the Emperor’s Hammer Strike Fleet. We are led by Grand Admiral Ronin. I know you have many questions and are sick. Be patient. We are about to board the Super Star Destroyer Avenger, commanded by Vice Admiral Firefox. It is here that you will begin your healing process, learn the answers to your questions, and help us to see the end of the accursed Rebellion.”

The ships eventually docked with the Avenger, and Emon Kaaren, like the rest of the former prisoners were about to embark on the rest of their lives as free men.

<<END>>