Message-ID: <6208eli$9712081900@qz.little-neck.ny.us> X-Archived-At: From: pjurado@aol.com (PJurado) X-Good-Line-Length: yes Subject: RP: Mara Jade Chp. 6 by PJ Newsgroups: alt.sex.stories.moderated,alt.sex.stories Followup-To: alt.sex.stories.d Path: qz!not-for-mail Organization: The Committee To Thwart Spam Approved: X-Moderator-Contact: Eli the Bearded X-Story-Submission: X-Original-Message-Id: <19971207205200.PAA10265@ladder02.news.aol.com> Mara Jade by PJ Chapter 6 Prime Minister Diella Solo entered the War Room that sat deep within the bowels of the Imperial Palace. Three huge viewscreens dominated the walls of the dark chamber, and a row of consoles formed an arch around the central tactical area. At the middle of the room lay a large holotank where generals, admirals, and other high officers could observe Fleet actions from all across the galaxy. General Bannan stood before the holotank display as Diella walked up to him and smiled softly. "Hello, Minister," said Bannan tersely as he watched ship icons moved through the air. "Hello, General Bannan," returned Diella. "What's the latest ship activity report?" "Daala's been busy lately," replied Bannan. "Two small squadrons of Star Destroyers have attacked systems at the border of the Core region. The planetary governors have been screaming for reinforcements, but I don't think that I will send any." "Why not?" asked Diella with a frown. "We can't let the Imperium gain a foothold in the Core, it would threaten all of the Republic's major systems." "These flank attacks are merely diversions. I believe that Admiral Daala is preparing to attack Coruscant and seize control of the capital," said the general sternly. "Where will she come from?" inquired Diella. "There are very few travel lanes that can accept a large fleet, and from examining Daala's profile, I think that she will take the direct approach. I anticipate an attack through the Alpha-One Hyperspace Corridor. It's a straight approach into the Coruscant system and is wide enough to support a large fleet of cruisers," replied Bannan. "Where will you meet them?" "The Garash system," answered the general with a predatory grin. ********************************************* Mara Jade left the docking hatch and dropped her satchel on the floor of the Dark Hand. The red-haired girl sealed the door behind her, then followed her R2 droid, Buckethead, into the Rec area. Bucket rolled over to a diagnostic console and plugged into an interface socket as Mara walked quickly to the cockpit and went over the controls. "All systems are operating normally," reported the squat droid. "Contact the shipyard and get permission to leave," ordered Mara as she strapped herself into the pilot's chair and began powering up the engines. "Control has cleared us for departure," replied Bucket. Mara eased the modified freighter forward, sailing past hovering capital ships that were being serviced or repaired. The Dark Hand flew gracefully out of the yawning shipyard portals, then shot forward on a burst of thrust as Mara angled the ship away from Coruscant. Bucket rolled into the cockpit and entered its co-pilot socket, then it began to plot the ship's course into Hyperspace. The fiery-haired Jedi girl reclined in her high-backed chair and wondered if she should have told Diella about the dark plot of her sister, Serilda. Sighing faintly, Mara watched the flashing stars and the stately cruisers of the New Republic fleet as they assembled for their emminant battle with the Imperium. Mara smiled proudly as she remembered Diella's expression when she told the Prime Minister she would take part in the great battle. Mara had said she wanted to pay back Daala for damaging her ship, a more than adequate excuse to enter a war, in Mara's eyes. "Coordinates are set," informed Bucket. "Entering Hyperspace," replied Mara as she pulled back the control levers and shot back in her seat as the freighter leapt forward into an azure maelstrom. ************************************************** Garash System June 25, 136 IY (Imperial Year) The empty space at the edge of the Garash system was suddenly flooded with warships as the bulk of the New Republic Fleet left Hyperspace. Dozens of Nebula-class frigates sailed forward as they sounded battle stations and launched swarms of starfighters. Several Mon Calamari heavy cruisers entered Real Space around the frigates, then were themselves surrounded by four, large, Nova-class battlecruisers. Finally the Wavecrest, a Mon-Remonda-class Star Cruiser, emerged in Real Space at the back of the Fleet and began to organize the advancing ships. Hundreds of X-wing and Y-Wing fighters leapt from their hanger bays and formed up at the point of the fleet formation, probing for enemy vessels. General Bannan sat in the command chair of the Wavecrest as Admiral Ranok stood before the huge viewing window at the front of the bridge. "Everything seems to be going according to plan," said Bannan casually as he laced his gloved fingers together. "It's too early to get complacent, General," replied Ranok coolly as he watched the advancing cruisers and clenched his hands together behind his back. "Imperial ships entering system!" reported a tech officer in the console "well" beneath the two flag officers. "How many and what type?" asked the admiral tersely. "Five Imperial II-class Star Destroyers," answered the tech quickly. "They're launching several squadrons of TIE-D fighters." "That's hardly enough to engage the capital's defenses," muttered Ranok softly. The tall, grey-haired admiral looked up at the window as the outer perimeter of starfighters engaged the droid-piloted TIE fighters in a deadly dance of evasion and laser fire. The five Star Destroyers took the respite to spread out in a huge arc and advance upon the entire Republic line. When they reached extreme range, the Imperial ships began firing their turbolaser batteries, causing the Republic ships to break formation and evade the attack. "Admiral Ranok to all ship captains! Stay together and concentrate your fire!" ordered Ranok. The organic-looking Mon Calamari cruisers resumed their tight formations, then began to pour turbolaser fire into the nearest Star Destroyer. The Imperial ship's shields buckled and fell under the combined barrage of six heavy cruisers, then the vessel spun uncontrollably as lasers punched gaping holes into its hull. The Star Destroyer exploded and turned into a boiling cloud of escaping plasma and debris as the remaining four Imperial ships came under fire by the entire New Republic Fleet. The Republic starfighters enjoyed immediate success in their own attacks, easily evading the predicatable TIE-Ds and blowing them out of the sky. The Imperial screen fell apart, then all of the Republic fighters plunged down like hawks on the wallowing Star Destroyers, firing salvos of laser bolts and streams of proton torpedoes. "It looks like Daala screwed up bad this time," remarked Bannan with a smirk as he reclined smugly in the soft command chair. "Apparently you are right, for once," replied Ranok as he watched a third Star Destroyer blow apart. "Admiral, I'm getting some strange readings from the long-range sensors," replied a sensor tech. "What are they?" asked Ranok with a frown. "I don't know, I've never seen readings like this," answered the tech as he shook his head. Admiral Ranok raised his head from glaring at the sensor tech and watched as the Fleet sailed closer to Garash V, an huge planet composed of various gases. The boiling world filled the forward view of the window as ships began to appear along the flanks of the New Republic fleet. "A trap," whispered Ranok as dozens of Victory and Imperial II- class Star Destroyers appeared out of thin air and began firing on the surprised Republic ships. "Where the hell did they come from?!" shouted Bannan as he shot up from his chair and rushed to join Ranok near the observation window. "They were cloaked, and when we got close to Garash V, they sprung their trap. We don't have room to maneuver now," said Ranok coldly. Bannan glanced at the composed admiral, then turned his wide-eyed gaze to the glass as clouds of TIE Defenders launched from their bays and pounced on the milling Republic starfighters. The Republic fleet split in half as the large warships turned to meet their closest adversaries. Mon Calamari vessels exploded under the same combined fire tactics they had just used moments before on the small Imperial squadron. Ranok watched with growing frustration as dozens of medium and heavy cruisers were destroyed in minutes. "Ranok to all ships! Move into defensive position Beta-3! Stay together and coordinate your attacks!" ordered the admiral crisply. Two Star Destroyers broke past the defensive line and opened fire on the Wavecrest. The enormous Star Cruiser shook under the powerful turbolaser fire of the capital ships, then blossomed with tiny hull fires as three squadrons of TIE Defenders spread out around the behemoth and opened fire with lasers and torpedoes. "Shields down twenty-percent!" shouted a tactical officer from the well. "Order all laser batteries to open fire! Call back two squadrons of our X-Wings to take out the Defenders!" ordered Ranok. Green and orange laser bolts flashed across the observation window as TIE fighters and newly arrived X-Wings exchanged salvos. The bridge of the Wavecrest shook as the hull took numerous hits, but somehow the ship stayed intact. Three Nebulon-class frigates broke away from the main engagement to attack the assaulting Star Destroyers, which allowed the Wavecrest's batteries to concentrate on enemy fighters. A TIE Defender exploded in front of the bridge, followed closely by the recognizable bulk of the Dark Hand. Ranok smiled and raised his right hand in thanks as Mara shot away from the command ship and pursued two more Defenders. ********************************************** "Is the cannon ready yet?" asked Admiral Daala pensively. "No, two more minutes until it is fully charged," replied a female tech from the console well. "Navigation, bring us over the pole of Garash V," ordered Daala as she sat tensely in her command chair. "Aye, mistress," acknowledged the navigator before she manipulated her controls and piloted the huge Eclipse-class Super Star Destroyer over the top of the gaseous world until it hung over the pole like a vulture on a dead branch. Arrayed on her wall-length viewscreen was the unfolding space battle, with her Star Destroyers pressing the surviving Republic ships into a small sphere of desperate defenders. At the far end of the battle, engaged with a swarm of her TIE Defenders, was the listing bulk of the Wavecrest, directly in front of her warship's bow. "Time to charge," demanded Daala. "One minute," replied the weapons tech. "After today, the New Republic bows to me," whispered Daala with a cold smile. "Cannon is charged, we await your order," said the weapons officer. "Lock cannon on the Wavecrest," ordered Daala as she sat up in her chair. "Target is locked." "Fire!" shouted Daala before she licked her full, red lips. The Super Star Destroyer's bow glowed briefly with blue-tinged fire, then a gaping beam of pure destruction spat out of the warship's primary cannon and rushed to consume the dwindling formation of New Republic ships. The white-hot beam bathed the entire battle scene, disintegrating Mon Calamari cruisers like moths in a flame. A couple of Star Destroyers too close to the helpless Republic ships were caught in the blast and ripped apart as the point of the death ray impaled the Wavecrest and shattered it like a fragile egg. The assault beam winked out of existence, leaving only debris and a few crippled frigates in its wake. Mara stared in horror as Daala's Star Destroyers converged on the remaining Republic ships and blasted them apart with combined turbolaser barrages. The Dark Hand shook roughly as several TIE Defenders locked on to her and fired laser blasts into her vessel's shields. Mara shook her head quickly, then turned her ship hard to starboard in order to evade another salvo. The beautiful, young woman gritted her teeth as she acquired a lock on a retreating TIE and destroyed it with a burst from her forward laser cannons. Bucket bleeped loudly to attract Mara's attention, then indicated the sensor screen as over twenty spheroid vessels entered Real Space and began to advance on the Imperial Fleet. "Who the fuck are they?" muttered Mara as the strange vessels opened fire with streams of blue laser bolts, heavily damaging the shields of unaware Star Destroyers. Mara watched as even more sphere-shaped warships emerged from Hyperspace and began firing on Daala's Super Star Destroyer, provoking it to return fire and move away from Garash V. The Dark Hand shook violently, then Bucket squeeled in alarm. "One of the unknown ships has us in a tractor beam! I can't break out of it!" shouted the R2 droid in alarm. ********************************** -- +--------------' Story submission `-+-' Moderator contact `------------+ | story-submit@qz.little-neck.ny.us | story-admin@qz.little-neck.ny.us | | Archive site +--------------------+------------------+ Newsgroup FAQ | \ .../assm/faq.html> /