8.322 ABY: Man The Bulwarks!

[Anne Phoenix]

8.322 ABY




Near Anaxes


The star lines shrank back to their normal form as the flotilla of Alliance ships exited hyperspace. A small Mon Calamari Star Cruiser, two Nebulon-B2 Escort Frigates recently captured and refitted from the Empire, and two Corellian Corvettes made up the warships present, but there was also a single Action IV Transport and a dozen modified Gallofree Medium Transports, their cargo bays replaced with grappling docks on a large scale.

"Sensors?" asked Commodore Phoenix, commander of the Expeditionary Force.

"Showing wreckage right where the plotters said it would be, Commander. No active vessels detected to be present, long range scans show similar results," Sensors replied.

"All right, move us forward cautiously. Go ahead and deploy all Star Fighters, have the Admiral Ackbar, Warlock, and Witch drift forward to support our Transports. Bring up the wreckage on visual," ordered Phoenix.

The stars were replaced on the view screens by the enhanced visual of the old wreckage, drifting forgotten and abandoned for nearly twenty five years. Several Bulwark class Battleships, destroyed by barrages from the old Victory-I class Star Destroyers. Some of them had been reduced to floating and scattered wreckage, but a few looked to be promisingly intact.

"That one, that one, and that one," indicating Anne, pointing to three ships in particular, "Have the tugs take those three back to Tempest Base. We'll look them over and decide what to do with them there. Ackbar, Witch, and Warlock will escort them back. We'll stay here to look for the flagship."

With the first fifteen vessels moving to carry out their assigned tasks, the remaining two vessels, accompanied by three squadrons of star fighters, picked through the remaining wreckage. X-wings and A-wings, flying in pairs, scoured the smaller pieces while the capital ships used their shields, low powered weapons, and tractor beams to move aside and turn around the larger pieces for inspection. It didn't take too long for them to find what they were looking for.

"Ma'am, we've located the Unrepentant," announced sensors.

"Show me," ordered Anne. A view feed came up from one of the X-wing type snub fighters, showing a Bulwark carved into three pieces that were held together by the ship's loose innards, cabling, wiring, and bulkheads. Barely visible among the scorch marks were the letters U---p---an-, the only vessel to be named with such spelling.

"All right, dispatch the engineers with their equipment. Primary target is the ship's mainframe core and bridge logs."

"Commodore, ships detected exiting hyperspace," spoke up the sensors officer.

"Show me," calmly asked Phoenix.

[Anne Phoenix]

The flotilla of ships that had exited hyperspace consisted of an Imperial Interdictor Cruiser and an Imperial Star Destroyer. The former was tagged as the Stellar Web, the latter as the Venerable, which records showed to be an Mk II Destroyer.

For the first time Anne allowed herself to feel fear, not for her safety, but for the safety of the Expeditionary Fleet. In both terms of capital ships and star fighters she was outnumbered, the former in terms of firepower, and the latter in numbers.

"What's the status of the recovery operation?" asked Phoenix, surprised to find her voice so calm.

"The engineers are inside of the ship now, Ma'am," reported comms.

"No, I mean the main recovery operation. Are the Bulwarks secure?" asked Commodore Phoenix with an edge in her voice.

"Yes, they're secure and the tugs are outbound. The Captain of the Admiral Ackbar requests instructions."

"Nothing has changed regarding his instructions. His three warships and two squadrons of star fighters are to escort the tugs all the way back to Tempest Base. Have him only plot a separate course out of here, opposite the direction of that Imperial Task Force. We'll take care of the rest," ordered Phoenix.

"Uhhh, yes Ma'am. Transmitting orders," said the comms officer in a nervous voice.

"Incoming TIEs from the enemy Destroyer group. Estimated strength seven squadrons. Telemetry indicates one squadron of Bombers, four squadrons of Fighters, and two squadrons of Interceptors," spoke up sensors.

"Excellent. Order High Diver squadron straight at the enemy group. Have the Mon Mothma send her first A-wing squadron to the port, her second to starboard. Full speed for the A-wings, half speed for the X-wings," said Anne, a wicked smile on her face.

Obeying her orders, the twelve X-wings zeroed in straight towards the enemy TIE group, which altered course to meet them heads on. They moved at 50% speed, while the A-wings moved at 100%, but on no course to meet with the X-wings or intercept the TIEs/Destroyers.

Anne watched the sensors screen anxiously, waiting for the moment to spring her trap.

"Now, have the A-wings alter course to intercept the TIE's. Order the X-wings to slow to 10% speed," ordered Anne.

The A-wings, still moving at 100% speed, turned about and headed for the TIE's from two different sides. Focusing on the X-wings ahead of them, the TIE's didn't notice the incoming A-wings until frantic signals from their mother ships reached them. By then it was far too late as the A-wings fired their concussion missiles and went in lasers blazing. Explosions lit up space as the two dozen speedy star fighters flashed through.

"Now then, have the X-wings accelerate to normal speed and engage as well," ordered Commodore Phoenix, a smile wide on her face.

Turning around to engage the A-wings, the TIE's again failed to notice the approach of the Rebel Star Fighters, whom locked on target and fired a volley of proton torpedoes before they engaged with laser cannons as well. The fragmented Imperial Fighter squadrons then engaged the Rebel Fighters in a furious dogfight to the death.

"Losses, on both sides?" inquired Anne.

"Hard to tell at this distance and with that fur ball, but we estimated close to four dozen Imperial Fighters destroyed or limping away with heavy damage. IFF indicates three A-wing and one X-wing losses so far for us," answered the sensors officer.

"Excellent. The Imperials call that maneuver the Marg Sabl I believe, I wonder how they like having it used against them?" asked Anne to no one in particular, but cheering answered it anyways.

[Anne Phoenix]

Losses among the Rebel star fighters had mounted after the initial shock had worn off, especially amongst the X-wings who were primarily dog fighting while the A-wings made more high speed passes through the TIE formation. But in the end a few enemy stragglers fled, and the Alliance forces were victorious. Scanners showed two TIE Bombers, three TIE Interceptors, and seven TIE Fighters fleeing back to the Star Destroyers, while six X-wings and eighteen A-wings remained active. In exchange for a squadron worth of fighters, they'd destroyed six squadrons worth of TIE's.

With the star fighter issue in doubt, the Imperial's had enough. Perhaps giving in to a case of TRD, the Captain of the Venerable ordered his ships to withdraw into hyperspace after recovering their stragglers.

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Anne ordered pilot recovery shuttles launched from the Liberty's Fire to recover the EV'ers. Nine beacons were counted, which would account for at least three dead from their squadrons, probably all A-wing pilots, for to live fast was to die fast. With that she turned her attention back to the salvage efforts on the old flagship.

"Status of the engineer's progress?" asked Anne.

"Good news Ma'am, they've recovered both the ship's bridge logs and mainframe core. They're enroute back to the Fire now with their equipment."

"Very good news indeed. Now then, we move on to other matters. Scanners, scan for low frequency transmissions within the area," she ordered.

"Scanning," came the slightly confused sounding reply, "Ma'am, we have one low frequency transmission coming in, broadcasting to all bands, unfamiliar codes used."

"Source?" Phoenix asked next.

"A small piece of wreckage nearby."

"Bring it up on scanners," she ordered as she leaned forward on the railing.

A picture appeared, showing a small, oddly shaped piece of debris.

"A disguised Imperial Viper Probot. But they did a poor job on the head, you can still tell it's oddly round up there. Turbolasers, destroy it," ordered Phoenix.

As red lances of fire pulsed out to destroy the Probot, various bridge crew shot her confused looks of admiration.

"Those Imperials didn't just happen upon us gentlemen, they had to have been warned before hand. That Probot probably signaled whoever was nearby to warn them that a salvage effort might be underway for these old hulks. Probably the Imps expected a medium sized salvage operation by pirates, certainly nothing like the Alliance Task Force they found waiting for them," explained Anne.

"Helm, plot us a course out of here and back to Tempest Base when the engineers have been recovered. Lieutenant, you have the bridge. Have the Task Force stand down from Red Alert, and let everyone get some sleep. I'll be doing the same," ordered Anne as she took her leave of the bridge and headed for the mess hall.

[Anne Phoenix]

Hydian Way, Near Atravis

Alarms and Klaxons began hooting and warbling as the Liberty's Fire was yanked from hyperspace well short of the turn off to Mustafar. Anne was summoned from her quarters and emerged on the bridge to find her crew well at work, although waiting for her direction. Giving the displays a glance, she looked up to confirm what they told her.

Out ahead of the Liberty's Fire was one of the Bulwark Mk I's that they had salved with their tugs, about to come under attack by a squadron of TIE Fighters. Beyond that were three capital ships. IFF tagged the first two immediately; the Imperial Star Destroyer Venerable, the Interdictor Cruiser Stellar Web, while the third was a Strike Cruiser, modified to have three hangar bays. IFF finally tagged it as the Stalker.

"Come back for more, have you?" asked Anne out loud, wondering how in the world the Imperial Commander knew where she was headed. For a minute she wondered if Tempest Base had been compromised, but then why had only one of the Bulwarks been intercepted?

"Ma'am, tug group reports their Bulwark had a tracking beacon activate while in transit. The beacon has now been disabled," spoke up their communication officer.

Aaah, well that answered that question. Anne ordered her ship's squadrons into action. The eighteen A-wings soared ahead to rescue the tugs, while the six X-wings lagged behind, all the star fighters having been refueled and rearmed while in transit.

"Ma'am, sensors indicate additional star fighters launching from the Venerable and Stalker. Venerable has launched three TIE Interceptors and seven TIE Fighters, while Stalker has launched twelve each of TIE Interceptors and TIE Fighters. In addition, TIE Fighters have ceased attacking the tugs and are now in retreat," the sensors officer updated her.

"Damage to the tugs?" asked Anne.

"Negligible, tugs are still fully operational."

"Bring up enhanced sensors feed from the star fighters," ordered Anne.

The twelve TIE Fighters looped around and were now spearheading the remaining squadrons. The enemy fighter force was coming in three waves; the first twelve TIE Fighters, followed at six kilometers by the remaining star fighters from Stalker, followed at three kilometers from those remaining from Venerable.

"Order the A-wings to dive straight through all three groups before pulling around to engage. The X-wings will follow the TIEs back to the A-wings and engage at will," ordered Phoenix.

The A-wings locked on and fired single missiles at the first group of twelve TIE Fighters. Eighteen missiles streaked out, seeking eleven targets. Ten targets were hit, leaving two active TIE Fighters. Both of these were destroyed in massed laser fire as the A-wings passed through, leaving the first group a shambles. They'd done well in their sacrifice though, as the A-wings didn't have time to lock on new targets before they hit the second wave. Twenty four TIEs exchanged laser fire with eighteen A-wings as the two formations passed through one another, the A-wings continuing on as the TIEs looped back up and around, expecting to engage in a dogfight with the slims.

Instead the now thirteen remaining A-wings drilled straight into the third group, killing the three Interceptors that survived the earlier engagement, along with five of the seven TIEs. As the groups mixed it up, the six X-wings locked onto TIEs engaged in the dogfight and fired their proton torpedoes, also set on single fire, before diving in with their lasers on dual linked fire.

Anne gripped the bridge railing tightly with her leather gloved hands, producing an unsettling squeaking noise. To distract her, she glanced at her displays, noting in surprise that only the Warlock was with them.

"Sensors, where are the Witch and the Mon Mothma?" asked Phoenix.

"Telemetry indicates that the mass shadow didn't extend far enough to affect them. They should be arriving at the cut-off point shortly," answered sensors.

"Hmm, lucky them," muttered Anne.

Like last time, the Alliance emerged victorious. However, it was a costly victory, with only three X-wings and nine A-wings remaining out of the entire force. Five TIE Interceptors and a single TIE Fighter were trying to regroup, although a couple seemed to be damaged.

It was the kind of victory that could cost a combatant the war, and such a case might be made now. Too few star fighters were left for TRD assaults, and the captain of the Venerable knew it too. With the Stalker and the Stellar Web remaining behind, the Imperial-II Star Destroyer surged forwards.

"Helm, bring us forward to shield the tugs. Have the Warlock form up on us and prepare to engage the enemy," ordered Anne with a grim finality. As much as she loved her ship and her crew, Anne knew that the Liberty's Fire and Warlock would be no match for an Imperial-II, but she wouldn't let the brave tug crews die while running from a fight.

As the MC40a Star Cruiser and CR90 Corvette passed the tugs and prepared to engage the Venerable however, something unforeseen occurred.

"Ma'am, sensors report a ship exiting hyperspace near the Interdictor. IFF coming up...it's the Admiral Ackbar, and she's deploying A-wings!" the sensors officer nearly shouted.

Apparently doubling back to see what happened to her lost charge once the convoy exited hyperspace, the Ackbar had exited hyperspace within five kilometers of the Stellar Web, with the Stalker on the wrong side of the Interdictor. Cheering broke out on the bridge of the Liberty's Fire as the two squadrons of A-wings commenced a missile attack on the Web. The first salvo of forty eight missiles collapsed her shields, allowing a second salvo through to impact her hull. Explosions broke out along her length, destroying or disabling all four of her gravity well projectors.

On the sensors screen, the yellow showing the interdiction field faded away into nothingness.

"That's it! Order the tugs into hyperspace. All remaining Alliance vessels in system, signal omega, I repeat, signal omega," ordered Anne. Wasting no time in obeying her order, the tugs entered hyperspace with their charge still in tow, along with the remaining star fighters, then the Warlock entered hyperspace too.

In the meantime, coursing over and under the Interdictor, the A-wings launched their remaining missiles in a salvo against the Stalker, which was moving past the Stellar Web to engage the Admiral Ackbar. The first several missiles impacted against and collapsed her shields. The remaining missiles peppered her hulls, causing explosions that tore the modular designed cruiser apart. The IFF re-registered the Stalker as threat level 0 as the Strike Cruiser was destroyed. The twenty four A-wings then entered hyperspace, with the Admiral Ackbar pouring several turbolaser broadsides into the stern of the Stellar Web as she turned about, crippling the Interdictor cruiser's sublight engines. Then the Ackbar entered hyperspace.

"Helm, take us out," ordered Anne. She watched as the stars elongated, along with the image of the Venerable. The Star Destroyer fired several ranging shots, and Anne smiled at the Destroyer as she imagined the explaining that her commander would have to do when he reported to his superiors.

[Anne Phoenix]

With a clang, the third Bulwark slid into the shipyard and was secured by docking clamps. Engineers and droids were already busy at work on the first two, cutting away unusable material, and slicing off edges and squaring away holes to be filled in with fresh hull armor. The three orbital shipyards that the Bulwarks now occupied had been previously filled with the three new Vindertan class Dreadnoughts. These three vessels, which had their hulls and engines completed, and only needed to be fitted with weapons and shields, would be sent to Tempest Base to finish their work.

Anne breathed a sigh of relief. Despite the efforts of a ruthless Star Destroyer Captain, she'd managed to bring home three Bulwark Mk1 Battleships that would be retrofitted into planetary assault capital ships, something the Alliance desperately needed plenty of. Along the way her forces had destroyed an Imperial Strike cruiser, heavily damaged an Interdictor cruiser, and destroyed roughly ten squadrons of TIE star fighters. In exchange though they'd lost a fair number of star fighters, with pilot casualties totaling roughly thirty killed, plus several more wounded.

Memorial services were scheduled to begin aboard the Liberty's Fire within the hour, with the captain from the Mon Mothma attending, while the Admiral Ackbar, Witch, and Warlock had been sent to escort the Vindertans to Tempest Base. A new production run of A-wings had been completed, with new pilots flown in from other areas to man them. They would be used to replace the losses from the Liberty's Fire and Mon Mothma, while the Ackbar's squadrons were more or less fully intact.

Anne went to her chambers to change and refresh herself. After a victory like this one, she didn't feel like mourning, but knew she would be shedding tears for those who paid with their lives to ensure the survival of her crew, ship, and self. Thus brings to a close how the Alliance, in a daring salvage operation, attained three old Bulwark Mk 1 Battleships, while foiling the relentless pursuit of a Star Destroyer Captain.


The End