Half shrouded in night from the Ethereal’s current perspective, the imperceptibly spinning planet below filled the starboard side of the viewport. Scattered in orbit around the world were a number of moons of various sizes and colors.

  After gazing thoughtfully at the planet for another moment, Laceeya walked back from her position before viewport, strolling over and taking a seat in her command chair. She absently inspected the status displays that depicted ship systems, but her mind was elsewhere. Things were unfolding, and not in a way she liked. It seemed the Grysks were executing plans across the region, with their manipulations of the Gruhjaffa and their presence in the Kwenast system.

  “Commodore,” Rikal spoke up, looking back at Laceeya. “We’re receiving a distress call from the Varquak. They’re reporting an attack.”

  Laceeya grimaced. The Varquak were a people that the Empire of the Hand was allied with. Their system was nearby, thankfully close enough to be in communication range.

  “Understood,” Laceeya acknowledged heavily. “Did they give any details?”

  Rikal shook her head. “No ma'am, they must have been cut off before they had the chance to do so,” She reported.

  “Got it,” Laceeya responded with a sigh, pressing her lips together in thought. “Get me the comm with the other commanders,” She ordered. “Send it to my chair.” She wondered about the timing of this attack, it seemed unlikely to be a simple coincidence. She considered the possibility of a Grysk trap. It would be such a simple way to lure her forces into an ambush, she considered suspiciously.

  Yet the Varquak were the Hand’s allies, and they needed her help. She wouldn’t be doing her duty if she didn’t go to their aid.

  “”I have them on the comm, ma’am.” Rikal said after a moment.

  Laceeya pressed the button on the arm of her chair to open the communications channel. “This is Commodore Laceeya,” She said. “We just received a distress call from the Varquak. I’m rather suspicious, given the timing, but there’s people in danger who need our help, so we still need to check it out.”

  “Yes ma’am, we received the message as well.” Senior Captain Farwick’s bass voice replied.

  “It sounded urgent, so we’ll head to Tryquata immediately,” Laceeya continued. “Load all fighters that are out on patrol and send confirmation when ready. We’ll send you hyperspace calculations once they’re completed.”

  The other commanders acknowledged the orders and signed off. Laceeya sat back in her chair, chewing her lower lip in contemplation. She was nervous at the idea of walking into a trap. It was certainly possible that it was a completely random and unrelated assault on the Varquak by some ambitious pirate gang. After all, there were countless threats prowling the Chaos. But the Grysk threat had her second guessing everything.

  There were so many unknowns that made her feel perturbed. They didn’t know how many warships the Grysks had available to them in the region, and the number of allied or subservient species or groups on their leash was not known either. It wasn’t known where most of the Grysk vessels were, aside from the few that were in the Kwenast system. All the uncertainty made Laceeya worried and caused her to overthink everything. The line between necessary caution and paranoia could be quite blurry at times.

  Doing her best to place her concerns aside, Laceeya stood up and walked over to the navigation station, in the rear section of the bridge. “Junior Lieutenant,” She greeted the woman sitting at the console. “Can you plot a course that brings us to Tryquata from the opposite side of the system? If there’s anyone waiting to ambush us, they likely wouldn’t expect us to arrive from that direction.”

  “Let me see, Commodore,” Junior Lieutenant Felayun replied slowly, working her console and glancing at the displays portraying maps and charts of the region. Felayun was a young woman with light brown skin, with relatively short hair beneath her gray officer's cap. “Lets see…Varquak is actually a relatively difficult system to navigate into…There’s only a couple ways to enter the system. But if we come around this way…” She paused, tapping buttons and pressing keys. Lines shifted on the displays, and Laceeya could see the dense cluster of stars that the Varquak system lay inside. A minute passed as Felayun continued working on the calculations. “Yes, I plotted a route that should work, as long as things haven’t shifted too much, to bring us around from the other side of the system, ma’am. It’ll add time to the journey, it’s about a four hour trip normally, and if we take this path it’ll likely be closer to five hours, Commodore.”

  Laceeya bit her lip, thinking it over as she peered at the display screen. She didn’t like taking additional time to get there, but it would at least reduce the risk of falling into a trap. That definitely made the added transit time worth it. “Yes, that works,” She said with a nod. “Thank you, Felayun. Great work as always.” Laceeya gave her a smile. She always tried to show her appreciation for the crew, and give praise for their excellent work. They deserved it. She was immensely proud to command the Ethereal’s crew, each one of them were top notch officers and crewmembers. They were smart, hardworking, loyal, and honorable people. “Go ahead and send that over to the other ships of the task force. We’ll take the Ethereal along with the Crux on the faster route.”

  “Yes ma’am, thank you.” Felayun responded, returning her smile.

  Laceeya gave her another curt nod, before making her way over to the front of the bridge. “Rikal, send the jump calculations over to the other ships of the task force,” She ordered. “Captain, notify the Renthassi and Gruhjaffa that we’re departing.” She said, turning to speak to Harax, who had joined her at the fore of the bridge.

  “Yes, Commodore.” Harax replied, and began conversing with Rikal to establish contact with the two groups.

  “There’s always some trouble going on out here, isn’t there?” Shyka said.

  “That’s for sure,” Laceeya agreed with a sigh. “I’m just nervous about the timing of this. Seems awfully convenient that the attack happened while we’re so close by.”

  “I was thinking the same thing.” Shyka said grimly. “But I guess it’s our job to check it out regardless.”

  “Yeah.” Laceeya murmured.

  Prior to their departure, Laceeya sent a message back to Nyar Three, giving a report on the current situation. There was the possibility the Ethereal may exit the boundary of communication range with the Nyar system, and it was imperative that they had at least some idea of what was going on.

  After a short time, the commanders of the other ships in the task force called in and confirmed that any patrolling fighters had been safely loaded and their ships were prepared to depart. Giving the order, the group of capital ships lined up on the necessary vector for the hyperspace jump.

  “Prepare to jump in three…two…one…now.” Laceeya ordered over the comm. Out the viewport, the bright stars were stretched into lines before melting into the shifting vortex of hyperspace. Laceeya gazed out as it happened, fascinated as always by the transformation from realspace to hyperspace.

  Laceeya chewed her lower lip. The possibility of another battle lurked around the corner. The Chaos was a dangerous place after all, filled to the brim with threats. Perhaps this attack on the Varquak was a completely random raid by pirates or marauders, and there was nothing deeper under the surface.

  But she doubted it.

  Positioned between the row of twin consoles, Laceeya’s glowing red eyes flicked around the bridge. She frowned slightly, her gaze resting on the weapons console. Peering over Shyka’s shoulder, her frown growing, she stepped forward for a closer look.

  “Shyka, will you join me at the viewport for a second?” Laceeya asked.

  “Yes ma’am.” Shyka answered, sliding from her seat to stand. Trailing behind Laceeya, she followed to stand beside her.

  Laceeya narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing her. “What happened to your hand?” She murmured.

  Averting her gaze, Bren shifted uncomfortably, holding up her injured hand. “Oh…” She said. “I didn’t get the chance to talk to you about it, but…” She trailed off, sighing.

  Waiting for her to finish, Laceeya suspiciously examined the split knuckles of Bren’s right fist. “What happened?” She whispered, her expression concerned. It looked as if she’d gotten into a fight.

  “Well…” Bren said, glancing over at her. “I went to interrogate the former High Priest last night. He tried to take my weapon and attack me.” She paused, swallowing. “Sort of.”

  Understanding settled upon Laceeya. “Are you okay?” She asked, her mouth set in a thin frown.

  Bren waved dismissively. “I’m fine, but…”

  “So is that what you were doing last night?” Laceeya questioned. “You snuck out while I was asleep? I told you it wasn’t a good idea to do that.”

  “Yeah,” Bren whispered with a nod. “I’m sorry. I was just so…upset.”

  Laceeya took a deep breath, meeting Bren’s gaze. “What did you do?” Though she was fairly certain she knew the answer.

  “Well…like I said, I went to interrogate him,” Bren said. “I was so scared during and after the ambush on your ship.” She continued, hesitating a moment. “I felt so helpless. And I was so…angry. Angry at the High Priest for ordering all those innocent Renthassi to be killed, and then such a cowardly attack against you. That was personal. I brought my blaster,” She lowered her eyes, swallowing again. “And I set it down on a chair in his cell. I wanted him to pay for what he did, to pay for trying to kill you. I let him think I wasn’t paying attention, leaving my blaster unattended. And when he went to grab it, I stopped him…” Her eyes burned with intensity, her voice low. “And I hit him. Again and again and again.” Bren looked up at Laceeya. “He tried to kill you, and I wanted to make him hurt for it.”

  Laceeya closed her eyes for a second, sighing heavily. “Bren…” She murmured.

  “I know.” Bren said softly, staring out into the swirl of hyperspace. “I knew you were going to be upset. And…I know it was wrong, too. But honestly, it felt so right. He ordered that ambush, and he deserved it.” She looked over, their eyes locking together. “I’m sorry.”

  Laceeya clamped down on her lip, unsure of what to say. She wasn’t entirely sure how she felt even. On the one hand, she couldn’t deny that she appreciated the lengths Bren would go for her. But still…Bren had gone with the intention of beating an unarmed prisoner, even if he had committed horrible acts.

  “I appreciate you looking out for me, Bren, I really do. But…” Laceeya said, staring into her beautiful brown eyes. “I don’t know.”

  “”What if it was the other way around?” Bren asked. “What if he’d ordered me killed?”

  Laceeya pursed her lips. She had a point there. “Good point.” She conceded, rubbing her eyes. Laceeya knew that she herself would do anything to protect Bren. Yet there was nothing to be gained in beating a captive, regardless of their actions. “But I told you to stay away from him.” She sighed.

  “I know, and I’m sorry. But he did reach for my blaster,” Bren said. She smiled faintly. “I hope you’re not too upset.”

  Laceeya scowled. “You’re going to be sleeping elsewhere for the next few nights,” She said, before letting a smile quirk her lips. “Kidding. You know I can’t stay mad at you.”

  Bren wiped a hand across her brow in exaggerated relief, before her expression turned sober. “I just wanted to get back at someone who tried to hurt you.” She murmured, her tone serious again.

  “I know,” Laceeya sighed. “I know.”

  With a loud crack, a bright blue bolt sprang across the room with a flash. Immediately, the first blast was joined by a steady stream of others, emerging from the barrel of the small charric pistol gripped firmly in Laceeya’s hands.

  After a moment she lowered the weapon, inhaling deeply and examining the results. She nodded to herself in satisfaction. Despite the fact that her main duties were on the bridge, she was sure to keep her other combat skills sharp. She exercised regularly, like she’d just done, still dressed in a tank top and shorts, and she also visited the firing range often. She even practiced hand to hand combat occasionally, though it wasn’t something she had an aptitude for.

  But she liked to be prepared, and she never knew when one of those skills might be crucial. If nothing else, it helped to blow off some steam and take her mind off things temporarily. She certainly had plenty of worries that she needed distraction from, Laceeya thought sourly.

  Raising her charric back up, Laceeya expelled the air from her lungs and fired. Swapping from target to target, she drilled each in the torso of the silhouette, each shot briefly casting a blue light across her face. If only it were as simple to defeat the Grysks as it was to shoot targets, Laceeya mused.

  Fiery streaks of red joined in, accompanied by the shrill noise of an E-11 blaster carbine. Laceeya threw a glance over at the white-armored stormtrooper who stood with his helmet off, systematically striking the targets with pinpoint accuracy in rapid succession.

  Laceeya worked her way between the targets yet again, clenching her jaw and imagining with each hit that she was dealing a blow to the Grysks. Lowering her weapon a few moments later, she stepped back and sat down on the bench positioned there, absently observing the stormtrooper practice his shooting for another minute. She found her mind drifting off, worrying about the dangers that awaited them at Tryquata, the home planet of the Varquak. Her task force would arrive in a couple hours to find the answer.

  It stressed her to imagine the possibilities of how the Varquak people may be suffering. They were the Hand’s allies, and she just hoped they were in time to help. Laceeya sighed. How quickly they arrived was out of her control, and accepting that some things were beyond her reach was often difficult to accept. She had a tendency to place responsibility on her own shoulders, such as the lives of the people she led.

  The steady stream of crimson bolts from the stormtrooper’s E-11 died down, leaving the room in silence and pulling her from her reflection. Striding over, the white-armored trooper gave Laceeya a brisk nod. “Commodore.” He greeted.

  “Trooper Uvoxi,” Laceeya replied with a faint smile. Even though she’d spoken with the man before, a brief flicker of surprise crossed the face of the stormtrooper over her recalling his name. She was diligent in knowing all the names and faces of those aboard the Ethereal, despite the fact that there were well over a hundred. They all risked their lives serving under her command, and Laceeya felt they deserved that respect.

  Lowering himself onto the bench, the trooper took a seat beside her, examining his weapon and swapping in a fresh cartridge of tibanna gas. “That was some good shooting, ma’am.” Uvoxi conversed as he fiddled with the blaster carbine.

  “Thank you,” Laceeya said, inclining her head in his direction. “Though I must seem like an amateur compared to you.” She put in with a smirk.

  He shook his head. “Not at all, ma’am,” Uvoxi countered. “And I’m not just saying that because you’re a superior officer.” He added with a little smile.

  A smile twitched the corners of Laceeya’s lips. “What motivates you to fight for the Empire of the Hand?” She asked.

  Furrowing his brow slightly, Uvoxi stared ahead of him. It was a moment before he finally spoke. “I grew up in the Outer Rim,” Uvoxi began. “The planet I lived on was infested with criminal activity, and I saw how it affected the people there. My older brother got tied up in gang activity and was killed because of it,” He took a deep breath and shrugged. “I joined the Empire to hopefully help put a stop to crime like that, but unfortunately too much of what I ended up doing was the opposite of what I’d joined to do. Eventually I served under Captain Niriz, and he told me about Thrawn’s work in the Unknown Regions. I saw how bad things are out here, how much evil there is. It reminded me of back home, but on a far larger scale. I knew that here in the Unknown Regions I’d actually be helping to make a difference, ridding the galaxy of dangerous threats.”

  Laceeya nodded. “Thank you for sharing.” She murmured. It was a similar story to many of those who were once a part of the Empire. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  Cradling his blaster in his lap, Uvoxi gave her a grim smile. “Glad to be here, ma’am,” He said. “Glad to be helping people.” Laceeya returned his smile, before standing.

  After another quick round of shooting the targets, Laceeya departed the firing range. Nervousness still lingered in her mind. It would still be a couple more hours until they reached Tryquata. She exercised a bit more, trying to eradicate the tension she felt through physical exertion.

  Wrapping her hands, she slammed her fists into a training dummy. Laceeya pelted the dummy, practicing her punches and kicks. Her skills were adequate in physical combat, but it certainly wasn’t her strong suit. She envisioned the face of a Grysk on the training dummy, punching her fist hard into its head. All the pain and stress they’d caused her, all the suffering they inflicted fueled her strikes. Indentations were left in the pliable material of the training dummy for a moment, before gradually returning to its normal state.

  Stepping away after a few minutes, she sucked in air. Her heart was pounding and chest heaving from the effort, a faint sheen of perspiration on her face and body. Laceeya felt her lip twist slightly, her eyes narrowed as she stared at the dummy. It almost seemed to be mocking her, the blows she dealt it affecting it only temporarily. It mirrored how things felt with the Grysks, she thought grimly, where she couldn’t seem to deal a large blow against them.

  Raking her fingers through her dark blue-black hair, Laceeya let out a long sigh. Perhaps her task force would have the opportunity to do so soon. Or perhaps it would be the Grysk dealing a large blow, she thought darkly.

  There was no way to truly know what the future held.

  “Breakout in three…two…one.” Apoyarp’s voice called out, as the tunnel of hyperspace faded into starlines and then coalesced into a dense array of stars, depositing the Ethereal and the Crux at the edge of the Varquak system. Three stars stood out larger and brighter than the countless others, two a bright white and one a fiery red. It was a multi star system, making it particularly difficult to navigate into and limiting the number of paths.

  Laceeya waited on the bridge for a while, biding her time until 45 minutes later she received word that the other ships of the task force had dropped out of hyperspace at the far side of the system.

  “Calculate the final jump,” Laceeya called out, inhaling deeply. “And Captain, bring the ship up to battle readiness.” She was nervous to soon discover what danger would be awaiting them.

  “Yes ma’am.” Harax acknowledged briskly. He began making his way around the bridge, stopping by officers and crewers at their consoles as various systems were prepared for battle.

  Laceeya notified the commanders of the other ships to likewise equip their vessels for combat, receiving a chorus of acknowledgements. “May warriors fortune smile on our efforts.” She said, voicing the old Chiss saying. She certainly hoped that it would.

  Laceeya strode over to the communications station. “Rikal, see if you can establish contact with the Varquak,” She said, drumming her fingers against her thigh. Given the fact that the distress call had been cut short, any response was improbable.

  “Will do, Commodore.” Rikal replied. Despite the dubious chance of a reply, Laceeya liked to be sure about things, so it was still worth a shot.

  Waiting a moment as Rikal carried out her orders, Laceeya confirmed with Harax that the pilots were in their fighters and the Ethereal was primed for the possibility of a fight.

  “I’m not receiving a response, ma’am,” Rikal reported, her brow furrowed. “Their communications must be jammed, or damaged.”

  Laceeya frowned slightly. “We’ll just have to go in blind,” She sighed, concerned about the safety of the Varquak people. A lot could happen in the five hours it took for them to arrive at the system. A lot could happen in ten minutes, or half an hour, for that matter. The attackers could have already launched a raid and left by now. The Varquak people had a very limited defense force, and a determined pirate gang of moderate size could likely overpower them. “Did you get the final hyperspace calculations sent over to the Crux?”

  “Yes ma’am, I did.” Rikal confirmed.

  “Good, thanks Rikal,” Laceeya said. “Get me the other commanders please.”

  “Yes ma’am.” Rikal repeated, tapping a button to reopen the communications channel. “You have the comm, ma’am.”

  “All ships, check in and stand by. The Ethereal and Crux will jump in alone first, and I’ll signal when it’s time for everyone else to join.” Laceeya stated into the microphone. One by one, each of the commanders verified that their vessels and crew were prepared.

  “Shadow’s Bane standing by.”

  “Paladin is ready.”

  “Crux is ready.”

  “First Light standing by.”

  “Blitz standing by.

  “Viper is ready.”

  “Firefly standing by.”

  “Sunbeam is ready.”

  “Nightstalker standing by.”

  “Elysium is ready.”

  Laceeya nodded to herself in silent acknowledgement after the ships of her task force had checked in. It was still a bit overwhelming to comprehend that all of those vessels, all the people on them, were under her command. “Commander Denau, prepare to jump in three…two…one…now.” She ordered. At the helm console, Apoyarp likewise pressed the corresponding buttons, and the stars once again were familiarly smudged into streaks before refocusing.

  “Sensors, full scan,” She called out, moving to stand a bit closer to the viewport, her eyes sweeping the void. Surrounded by blackness, the small disc of the Varquak’s home planet of Tryquata sat far out in the distance, the world encircled by a stunning ring of asteroids and other space debris.

  “I’m on it, Commodore.” Frenara replied from the sensor station.

  “Start taking us in, Apoyarp.” She said, rubbing her thumb and forefinger slowly together.

  “Will do, ma’am.” With its sublight engines flaring to life, the hum of the thrusters transmitted through the vessel increased as the Ethereal pushed forwards, time ticking by. “Picking up a number of ships near the planet,” Frenara reported. “On the far side, just visible on our sensors from this range.” Due to the complex structure of the system and the perils associated with its multiple stars, navigating into the system required departure from hyperspace farther out from the planet than usual, leaving a lot of space to cover.

  “What type of ships are we looking at?” Laceeya asked as the Ethereal approached, the extensive planetary rings circling the world coming into clearer view. It was a pretty sight, Laceeya thought, the rings surrounding the mottled yellow, green, blue, and red planet below. Along with the Varquak’s home planet of Tryquata, a lush jungle containing vast arrays of different colored trees, the system contained two other inhabited planets. “Is it the Varquak?”

  “Trying to get a better look…” Frenara said, his mouth set in a line and dark eyes narrowing as he focused on his console. “No, definitely not the Varquak. They look like warships, ma’am,” He stated grimly, glancing up at Laceeya. “Fairly large ones, too. A destroyer, a few cruisers, a frigate, and numerous smaller escort vessels.”

  Laceeya silently mouthed a curse. Ships of that classification and power were rarely available to simple pirate gangs. And, ships of that size could relatively easily pound the Varquak defenses into slag, and do the same to the entire planet if they so chose.

  “Understood,” She finally murmured with a sigh. “Can you tell if they’ve spotted us yet?”

  “No sign of them repositioning yet, ma’am.” Frenara reported. “Our sensors may have more range than theirs, or they might not be targeting active sensors in our direction.”

  “Got it.” Laceeya acknowledged, narrowing her glowing red eyes as she tried to decide the best way to handle the situation. ”Any identification on the vessels?” She queried.

  “No, but they don’t appear to be Grysk designs.” Frenara told her, shutting down that possibility. Of course, they could still be Grysk clients, Laceeya thought.

  Nodding in acknowledgment, Laceeya stepped closer to peer over his shoulder at the display screen. Based on their size and classification, those were formidable ships waiting above Tryquata. They wouldn’t be easily frightened off by the appearance of the Ethereal and the Crux. And even with her entire task force, she knew a battle against them wouldn’t be easy. “Try and establish contact with the Varquak one more time.”

  “Yes ma’am.” Rikal responded.

  Laceeya stepped back closer to the viewport, staring out at the striking rings enclosing the planet.

  “Keep taking us closer, Lieutenant,” Laceeya ordered.

  “Will do, Commodore.” Apoyarp confirmed. The ship continued driving forward towards Tryquata, accompanied by the smaller triangular form of the Crux alongside it, with the almost imperceptible hum of the Ethereal’s engines rising yet again.

  “Frenara, let me know the second any of those ships start to move.” She said decisively. “If it looks like trouble, we’ll turn tail and run, and call in the rest of the task force to jump in on top of them.”

  “Yes ma’am, I will.” Frenara acknowledged.

  “Good.” Laceeya turned her attention back to the space ahead of the ship, the planet steadily growing In size. She wondered how long it would take for the unknown ships to notice their approach, or if they already had and weren’t reacting for whatever reason.

  “Any idea whose ships those might be, ma’am?” Apoyarp queried.

  “No,” Laceeya admitted, shaking her head. “But my guess is they’re Grysk clients.”

  “Should we launch fighters, Commodore?” Harax asked from where he stood stiffly behind.

  Laceeya shook her head again. “Not yet. We’ll wait and get a better idea of what’s going on.”

  Harax nodded in acknowledgment.

  “Still no response from the Varquak, Commodore.” Rikal reported.

  “Understood,” Laceeya sighed. “Thanks, Rikal.” The bridge fell into silence, with only the background hum of the engines and the murmur of voices from the rear of the bridge.

  “Commodore,” Frenara suddenly called out. “Seems they’ve spotted us. The group of ships is turning to face our direction.”

  Lit up by the multiple suns of the system, the lush planet was now filling much of the view. The rings circling around it seemed to glow from the light catching them, and a pair of small moons lie in orbit. It would be a peaceful and serene sight, if not for the numerous large warships that were traversing to intercept the Ethereal. Out beyond the side viewport, the Crux tagged along, the two lone ships likely seeming like an easy target to the much larger enemy fleet.

  “Understood.” Laceeya said, running her fingers along the seam of her pants. She pursed her lips, aware of the fidgeting that her hands always seemed to do by their own accord in anticipation or when she was feeling nervous. Going into situations such as this with so little intel made her uncomfortable, and that discomfort came out in her hands.

  Unknown variables were dangerous, and she hated putting her people at extra risk. Laceeya liked to know what she was getting into beforehand. Unfortunately, the Chaos was very rarely predictable in such a manner.

  Consciously, Laceeya squared her shoulders and clasped her hands tightly behind her back. Yes, she was nervous, and yes, there were plenty of mysteries. But the Varquak were in trouble, and it was their job to come to the aid of those being oppressed. She did her best to nudge her fears and doubts into the corner of her mind, and divert her full attention to the task at hand.

  “Try and get in contact with those ships,” Laceeya ordered, narrowing her fiery red eyes as she surveyed the void for the far-off vessels. “I’m not sure talking to them will do much good, but maybe we can get some information out of it.” She returned to study the sensor console over Ensign Frenara’s shoulder, examining the details of the warships. They weren’t familiar to her, but there were a seemingly endless number of species and groups in the vast part of the galaxy that was the Chaos, so that wasn’t necessarily a surprise. Were they yet another servant of the Grysks? It wasn’t a pleasant idea, Laceeya thought, grimacing.

  “Yes ma’am.” Rikal replied. Laceeya continued to review the sensor screen as Rikal attempted to establish contact. With the dull gleam of a Nyix-alloy armored hull, the vessels appeared to be quite formidable, covered in weapons emplacements and electrostatic barrier nodes. They were a very alien design, with sharp and jagged edges, unlike most vessels Laceeya had seen.

  A voice suddenly boomed over the speaker, words flowing rapidly in an alien language. Laceeya quickly strode over to the communications console to reply. “This is Commodore Laceeya of the Empire of the Hand ship Ethereal. Do you speak this language?” She said in Minnisiat.

  The alien voice replied in its own language. Laceeya bit her lower lip. “How about this one?” She said, switching to Taarja, another language commonly used in the Chaos.

  The comm was silent a moment before the other spoke. “I speak this.” The words came out garbled and thickly accented, but intelligible.

  “I’m Commodore Laceeya of the Empire of the Hand ship Ethereal,” She repeated, this time in Taarja, forcing the difficult and uncomfortable to say words out. “Please state your identity and intentions here.”

  “I do not answer to you,” The other responded calmly. “Our business here does not concern your Empire of the Hand.”

  “Actually, it does,” Laceeya countered coolly “The Varquak are our allies, and they recently sent out a distress call saying that they were under siege. And arriving to find your fleet surrounding their planet…” She trailed off, leaving the obvious message unsaid.

  “We have claimed this world as our own,” The alien said, their voice remaining studiously calm and emotionless. “Fear not for the Varquak, they will soon be thankful to have the honor of serving the Audeenaxu Supremacy. Perhaps you will have that same honor one day, unless you interfere and I am forced to destroy you.” The Audeenaxu Supremacy wasn’t a group she’d ever heard of, Laceeya thought to herself with a slight frown. At least they had a name for this species, or group, now, for what little that was worth in this instance.

  “I’d rather avoid either of those options,” Laceeya said sourly. “How were the Varquak selected for such an honor?” She wasn’t quite sure how well her sarcasm was conveyed through the Taarja words.

  There were a few seconds of silence before the other answered. ”That is not your place to know. I will not have you interfere in our affairs. Now, surrender, or be destroyed.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “And I thought we were having such a nice conversation,” Laceeya replied sarcastically. The Audeenaxu ships were visible out the viewport now, the large destroyer looming menacingly against the background of the planet and its rings. “Let’s let them get a little closer, then turn off on the vector we discussed earlier.” She murmured to Apoyarp, switching back to speaking in Basic.

  He met her eyes and nodded in acknowledgment. “It is unwise for you to joke with us,” The Audeenax was saying, their voice as emotionless as ever.

  “Mute that please Rikal, and swap to a channel with the rest of the task force.” Laceeya said, deciding that her chat with the Audeenaxu commander wasn’t getting her anywhere.

  After Rikal carried out her order, she began reporting the situation to the other commanders. “We ran into a pretty sizable enemy fleet here, with a destroyer, a few cruisers, and numerous smaller escort and picket vessels. There’s been no response from the Varquak, but we spoke to the leader of the fleet, who essentially said they were taking over the planet.”

  Laceeya paused to put her thoughts together. “Commander Denau, you’ll take the Crux and break off at the vector I specify, running at a slower speed to help convince them to chase you. Once they start getting closer you’ll go full throttle, and be sure you stay comfortably out of range,” She said. “We’ll take the Ethereal in the opposite direction, heading towards the point where the rest of the task force will exit from hyperspace. Commander Denau, you’ll keep running at full speed, drawing the group that follows you further away, taking a long arc to bring you back to a position where you can escape to hyperspace if necessary. The Crux is quick enough to outrun their capital ships, and you’ll have time to escape before any fighters can catch you.” She took a deep breath. “With their fleet split, the rest of the task force will jump in when I give the signal once the Ethereal is near the hyperspace egress point, and we should have an easier fight on our hands than facing them all at once. I doubt they’ll be expecting any of our forces to be coming from that direction.”

  “Understood, Commodore,” Commander Denau said. “We won’t let you down.”

  “I know you won’t, Commander.” Laceeya said.

  The others confirmed her orders, and it was time to set the plan into motion. “Break off now, Commander. May warriors fortune watch over us.”

  Laceeya motioned to Apoyarp, indicating for him to bring the ship around. He worked his controls, and the hum of the engines rose, the view ahead rotating as the bow of the Ethereal swung around to port. The Crux split off to starboard, heading at a moderate speed on an opposite vector.

  Watching expectantly, Laceeya stared out the side viewport, waiting for the Audeenaxu to respond. Sure enough, the fleet began to split, with a group of ships aligning themselves to pursue the Ethereal and another smaller force turning to follow the Crux.

  “Keep the speed low. We don’t want them giving up the chase,” Laceeya commented. “But not so slow that they gain on us too quickly and blow us apart.” She added wryly.

  “Understood, ma’am. Will do.” Apoyarp glanced up to quickly flash her a tight smile before turning his attention back to his controls.

  “Shyka, stand by with turbolasers.”

  “Yes ma’am,” Shyka replied, sighing theatrically and shaking her head. “How come no one ever wants to just talk it out?”

  Laceeya shrugged. “Careful what you wish for. That might put you out of a job.” She said sardonically.

  “Good point,” Shyka conceded. “I guess that’s where the rations processing industry comes in. That’s my backup plan.”

  Laceeya snorted softly, smiling in spite of the looming danger.

  Peering over at the sensor display, Laceeya noted the positions of the Audeenaxu ships. The more powerful vessels of the fleet had seemingly deemed the Ethereal as the more valuable target, with the large destroyer, a cruiser, and a pair of corvettes and a few smaller gunships beginning their pursuit.

  Trailing behind the Crux along its vector, a smaller enemy force consisting of a frigate, a corvette, and a couple gunships was burning fuel in pursuit. That left behind a couple light cruisers and a frigate, as well as a few other smaller warships guarding the planet. Drumming her fingers on her thigh, Laceeya carefully surveyed the display as the enemy vessels continued to gain on the Ethereal. For the moment at least, everything was unfolding as expected.

  “Bring the shields up to full strength.” Harax ordered Asmaril, as Laceeya continued to monitor the sensors.

  As the ship neared the proper position, Laceeya stepped back over to the comm station. “Get ready to jump on my signal,” She said. “Bring your shields up immediately and get ready to exchange fire. Senior Captain Farwick, I want a full broadside missile salvo aimed at the destroyer. We’re sending you sensor data on the ships now.”

  “Understood, Commodore,” Farwick’s deep voice confirmed from the speaker. “We’ll be ready.”

  Laser bolts began flying by either side of the Ethereal as the Audeenaxu ships crept into range. A few hits splashed across the rear deflector shields.

  “Good. Stand by to jump…” Laceeya said, gritting her teeth as the flurry of laser fire from behind increased. “Now.” She turned her attention expectantly to look at the forward viewport.

  The rest of her task force certainly didn’t disappoint. Centered around the Victory Star Destroyer, the Hand’s ships flickered in from hyperspace, promptly unleashing a torrent of laser fire, shafts of light spearing towards the enemy fleet. Laceeya breathed a sigh of relief. The jump calculation had brought the ships precisely where she had hoped, the gravity well snagging the vessels from hyperspace, their vectors depositing them neatly spread out just ahead of the Ethereal’s current location.

  “Apoyarp, dive down and get us clear of their firing arcs,” Laceeya snapped. “Fast as you can.”

  “Will do, ma’am.” Apoyarp replied, his hands flying across the controls. The Ethereal’s bow tilted downward from its previous heading, and Laceeya heard the subtle pitch of the engines change as the ship accelerated.

  Abandoning its pursuit of the Ethereal, the Audeenaxu destroyer was banking into a turn, presenting its flanks to bring its devastating assortment of weapons to bear on the new arrivals. Shadow’s Bane had already completed a similar maneuver, and amidst the hail of green bolts of plasma, a fusillade of forty missiles leapt from its port side launch tubes, arrowing with thunderous force towards the destroyer.

  “Senior Captain,” Laceeya spoke into the comm. “After your next round of missiles, execute a Marg Sabl maneuver and launch your full complement of fighters.”

  “Yes ma’am.” Farwick’s voice responded from the speaker.

  “VT-49s Nightstalker and Firefly, support Shadow’s Bane and help shield it from fighters. If you have the chance, make attack runs on the destroyer and hit any weak spots with your concussion missiles.” Laceeya ordered. She received acknowledgement from the commanders of the gunships as they angled towards the destroyer.

  Tucked closely behind Shadow’s Bane like a yubal calf sticking close to its mother for warmth was the Lancer-Class frigate First Light. Its duty remained the same as always, guarding the larger Victory-Class, which focused its destructive potential on anti-capital ship weapons, from nimble starfighters with its twenty quad laser cannons. The two vessels were a perfect pairing, complementing the others strengths and weaknesses. However, the enemy destroyer was big and powerful, and Laceeya figured sending a couple of the VT-49s to assist it would be wise.

  As the other ships of the task force were engaging with the enemy, Laceeya could see starfighters beginning to flood from hangars on the large enemy destroyer. Missiles streamed through space from the launch tubes on the Victory Star Destroyer, sailing towards the huge Audeenaxu warship. To their credit, the Audeenaxu responded quickly and efficiently, with the point defense cannons of the destroyer firing to shoot down the incoming projectiles. Explosions flared in the void, marking where missiles were hit, but the suddenness of Shadow’s Bane arrival and its subsequent attack allowed many to slip through the point defense screen and slam against the electrostatic barrier.

  Fiery clouds billowed outwards where the numerous missiles hit. The destroyer’s sturdy barrier was able to soak up the majority of the attack, but a small part of the destruction seared the hull. A second salvo of missiles from Shadow’s Bane was on the way, and the Victory-Class had begun ponderously rotating along its center axis, pointing the top of the hull and superstructure towards the enemy forces.

  Fire licked around the destroyer as the numerous missiles struck home, battering the enemy ships defenses.

  “Lieutenant, start bringing us around,” Laceeya said, as the Ethereal began to come underneath the other Hand’s ships. Swiveling its bow around to face the enemy, the view of her task force was again replaced primarily by the Audeenaxu fleet. She chewed her lower lip as her eyes swept the space, intently studying the battlefield, carefully noting the positions of all the vessels.

  Shortly after their arrival, starfighters had quickly been disgorged from the multiple large hangars of the Paladin, the small craft weaving through their larger brethren, groups passing by the Ethereal’s bow as they moved to intercept the opposing fighters.

  With so many ships on the playing field, the battle was starting to devolve into a chaotic storm of death and destruction. Fear grew inside her. It was such a powerful emotion, Laceeya mused, one that could easily overpower all other emotions if you let it. Fear was something Laceeya was far too familiar with, and it coursed through her as she took in the size of the Audeenaxu fleet at close range. Not fear for herself as much as fear for those under her command. Laceeya’s heart rate had sped up, and she had an uneasy feeling in her stomach. The fear threatened to paralyze her as always, but she refused to allow it to. On the surface she remained cool and collected, only betrayed slightly by the fidgeting of her hands.

  She clenched and relaxed her jaw, feeling a brief flicker of shame. An officer of her rank couldn’t allow her emotions to get a hold of her in battle. But fear was always there somewhere, lurking inside of her, trying to sink its claws in.

  The thoughts swirled through her mind in just a couple brief seconds. Impacts from laser fire against the shields coursed through the Ethereal. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she shoved the worries and emotions down, bringing her undivided attention to the battle and trying to be the calm Commodore her crew needed her to be.

  Unleashing its fury in response to the assault, the Audeenaxu destroyer was firing its extensive array of weapons at the Hand’s vessels. Laceeya grimaced to herself. The destroyer was huge, at least 1300 meters long, making it half again the length of the Victory, and far greater in mass.

  “Shyka, open fire with all turbolasers on the nearest cruiser, keep it between us and the destroyer. What’s the status of the other Audeenaxu ships?” Laceeya asked, turning to Frenara.

  ”They’re on the move, Commodore,” Frenara answered, closely monitoring his sensor screen. “Headed in our direction. The ships pursuing the Crux broke off and are turning to join the others. Estimated arrival of the first group is around two minutes, and five minutes for the group following the Crux.”

  Laceeya nodded in acknowledgment as the Ethereal’s main weapons discharged rounds of deadly turbolaser bolts.“Got it. Thanks, Frenara.” Turning her attention back to the battle, she examined the enemy cruiser that the Ethereal, supported by two of the VT-49s, was now engaging. “Captain, open the forward hangar doors and prepare to launch fighters.”

  “Very good, ma’am.” Harax replied, relaying the order through his headset.

  Laceeya could feel the deck vibrating beneath her feet as laser fire was absorbed by the shields. Positioned forward and to port, the Audeenaxu cruiser, a roughly 550 meter warship with sharp and defined angles, was approaching with guns blazing for a broadside assault. Shyka and her gunners were diligently firing at the enemy ship, volleys of verdant green turbolaser blasts slicing through space to strike its electrostatic barrier. Energy from the enemy attack was absorbed by the Ethereal’s shields, and both ships continued firing fierce hails of light at each other.

  She took a deep breath, again focusing her thoughts as her ship rumbled slightly around her. She’d expected trouble after receiving the Varquak’s distress call, but she hadn’t realized the enemy would have such a significant fleet. Noticing the Blitz dueling with a nearby enemy corvette above and to the right, she bit her lip and considered the best way to assist.

  “Senior Captain Farwick,” Laceeya said, moving beside Rikal to talk into the microphone. “Have your fighters spread out and flank the destroyer from the opposite side.” She glanced back out the port side of the viewport where the enemy cruiser was approaching from. Its electrostatic barrier strained against the onslaught of firepower from the Ethereal’s cannons, dispersing the energy across it.

  “Understood, Commodore.” Farwick replied.

  “Load concussion missiles in the starboard launchers, Shyka,” Laceeya said. “Target the dorsal midsection of that corvette, two rounds, fire when ready.”

  “On it.” Shyka promptly responded.

  Laceeya had noted that the Blitz had managed to batter down the other corvette’s electrostatic barrier, and it had carefully positioned itself behind the corvette where the cruiser that the Ethereal was fighting wouldn’t have a line of sight on it. However the enemy corvette was dishing out damage to the Blitz as well, firing missiles from launch tubes at the center of the ship.

  A moment later, a pair of concussion missiles sped out of the Ethereal’s launchers, followed closely by a second pair. They shot towards the corvette, their thruster trails tracing a line through the darkness. Distracted by its duel with the Blitz, as well as a few Clawcraft that had come to help had left the corvette with its attention fully engrossed on the nearby enemies.

  Sailing towards the already occupied ship, the missiles slammed into the hull, detonating with sizable explosions. The first pair punched through the armor, vaporizing and shredding metal. The second pair delved deeper, tearing into the innards of the ship.

  A subsequent explosion billowed out of the hole in the corvette, red and yellow flames expanding the large chink in its hull as its own missile stores detonated. Laceeya nodded to herself. She’d seen the corvette firing its missiles and reasoned that if they could hit its ordnance stores, that it would cripple the ship.

  Quick to respond to the enemy corvette’s distress, the Blitz was pouring its own turbolaser and laser cannon fire into the gaping wound. The glow from the ship’s engines darkened as the reactor went offline, putting the vessel out of the fight.

  “Great work, Shyka,” Laceeya complimented, wincing as a jolt coursed through the deck as spectrum lasers from the Audeenaxu cruiser targeted the ship. “Asmaril, how are the shields holding up?” She asked, her eyes flicking out the viewport at the Audeenaxu cruiser as the two ships began to come alongside the other.

  “They’re starting to lose strength in sections 1, 2, 3 and 5, but they’re holding for now,” He answered tightly. Laceeya pursed her lips and swallowed. That made sense, those were the sections at the bow and front portside of the Ethereal, the part of the ship facing the enemy cruiser. “I’m balancing them out right now.” More vibrations rumbled through the Ethereal as the two warships skirted by one another, trading close range broadsides.

  Flurries of white and green blasts engulfed the void between the ships, joined by trails of missiles, each trying to batter down the opposing vessel’s defenses. Turbolaser turrets on the Ethereal rotated to keep their targets in line, explosions of green light weakening the cruiser’s electrostatic barrier. Explosions momentarily overwhelmed the enemy vessel’s defenses, chewing through the metal of the hull.

  Laceeya could hear the hum of the thrusters as her ship ran parallel to the Audeenaxu cruiser. Her heart thumped in her chest.

  “Watch that incoming fighter group, Senior Lieutenant.” Harax warned, as a cluster of enemy starfighters angled in towards the Ethereal.

  “Yes sir.” Shyka acknowledged. Curving around from the opposite side of the broadside exchange, the squadron of small craft swung around towards the ship. Swiveling quickly in response, the Ethereal’s point defense laser cannons shot green bolts of energy outward, catching one of the ships and sending it spiraling out of control. A second fighter flared in an expanding cloud of flame, and the rest of the small ships began to dodge and swerve, trying to avoid the incoming lasers.

  Meanwhile, with its ventral surface facing the destroyer, Shadow’s Bane’s complement of TIEs was fanning out, hidden behind the hull of the ship from the enemy destroyer's view. They arced around the hull of the Victory from all directions, groups of Clawcraft, and TIE Interceptors and bombers beginning attack runs on the destroyer. The nimble Interceptors and Clawcraft danced around laser bolts, spitting plasma bolts from their quad wingtip cannons into the electrostatic barrier of the destroyer.

  Laceeya felt an empty ache in her chest looking out at the TIEs. She knew they all wouldn’t survive, and that whatever she did there would still be deaths. Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, she clamped down on her lower lip, focusing herself and trying to set her worries aside. They wouldn’t do anything to help keep the pilots alive, she had to focus on commanding her forces to make sure as many of them as possible made it out.

  Swallowing and wetting her lips, Laceeya tried to work some moisture into her dry mouth as tremors ran through her vessel. Wisps of smoke rose from a few locations on the body of the enemy cruiser, where volleys of laser fire had broken through. The Audeenaxu vessel, adorned with its distinctive jagged edges and prominent command bridge, was now repositioning its bulk as it passed by, turning in an attempt to achieve a better firing arc on the Ethereal.

  “Apoyarp, yaw 120 degrees to port,” Laceeya said, narrowing her glowing red eyes slightly. “Captain Harax, prepare to launch fighters.”

  The two confirmed their orders, the Ethereal’s bow swinging to the left to point towards the enemy cruiser’s stern. Another barrage of missiles was launched from the cruiser, lancing out directly at the Ethereal’s front.

  “Watch those missiles, Shyka.” She warned.

  “On it.” Shyka replied promptly, the gunners of the point defense laser cannons adjusting their aim to the new targets, precisely firing at the projectiles.

  “Captain, launch fighters.” Laceeya ordered.

  “Right away ma’am,” Harax responded, speaking into his headset to relay the order. “Shall I have them attack the rear of the cruiser, Commodore?”

  Laceeya nodded. “Yes, we’ll keep it occupied from here while they hit it around back,” She paused for a moment. “And have a Clawcraft squadron from the Paladin sent here to screen against enemy fighters.” Currently, the Ethereal’s point defenses had its hands full dealing with both enemy fighter craft as well as incoming ordnance.

  “Very good, ma’am,” Harax said. ”Major Safiram, launch your squadron.” Harax finished filling in Safiram on his objective, and the advanced TIEs were propelled out of the bow hangar, accelerating between the mandibles of the Ethereal at a rapid pace thanks to the repulsor launch system. A short moment later all the TIEs had exited and were forming up. “Major Safiram confirms his orders and is beginning his attack run now, ma’am.” Harax reported, his back straight and voice as calm as ever.

  “Good, thank you Captain,” Laceeya said. The ship shuddered as a missile penetrated the defenses to impact the shields with a fiery explosion.

  “Shields are running low in section 3 and 5, Commodore.” Harax stated.

  Laceeya nodded silently. The enemy cruiser's hull was damaged in a few places where its barrier had been pierced, but it was mostly surface level damage. Laceeya’s eyes flicked over the body of the enemy vessel, scanning for any vulnerability to exploit.

  “Focus all turbolaser fire at the hangar doors in the midsection,” Laceeya pointed out.

  “Will do, ma’am.” Shyka confirmed. The bolts of vibrant green plasma converged on the specified area, the sturdy electrostatic barrier taking the brunt of the initial damage, but a portion managed to get through to char and score the hangar doors and hull.

  “Enemy gunship and fighters approaching on vector 261 by 103.” Frenara reported as more impacts jarred the 546B.

  Shadow’s Bane had rotated back to present its flank to the destroyer, and was unloading more concussion missiles and laser fire from its powerful turbolaser batteries, pounding away at the side of the enemy ship. Explosions saturated the destroyer, overwhelming shields and ripping into the thick armor.

  Rolling on its long axis, the Audeenaxu destroyer tried to hide its vulnerable side that the Victory had attacked when it arrived. The destroyer was retorting with missiles of its own, as well as sheets of laser blasts from its many weapons emplacements.

  “Rikal, give me the comm with the other commanders,” Laceeya said, stepping back from the viewport.

  “Yes ma’am.”

  “This is Commodore Laceeya,” She announced. “All ships report current statuses.”

  Speaking quickly, the other commanders briefed her on the state of their vessels and their current positions. The Lancer-Class frigate First Light was hovering behind Shadow’s Bane, continuing to serve its ideal role by helping to protect the larger ship from attacking fighters, picking them off with its twenty quad laser cannons while remaining out of the line of fire from the destroyer.

  Off to the starboard side, an enemy gunship that had been harassing the Ethereal, a quick and well armed 75 meter ship, exploded as the gunners finally managed to take it out. But the gunship had fought valiantly, managing to put a dent in the shield strength on that side.

  “Commodore,” Frenara called out, his face tense. “The second group of enemy ships is arriving.”

  Laceeya grimaced. Her task force already had a bloody and difficult fight on their hands, and the addition of more enemy vessels would only make things worse.

  “Shyka, load two rounds of concussion missiles in the port launchers, followed by two rounds of breachers,” Laceeya called, gears clicking in her head. “Same location you’ve been hitting with the turbolasers, fire on my command.”

  “I’m on it ma’am,” Shyka replied. “Loading missiles now…first round is loaded.”

  “Fire the first round now,” Laceeya commanded. The pair of missiles sped away, but were rapidly intercepted in the space between the two ships. “Captain, have Major Safiram’s squadron make a pass on the port side. Shyka, make sure your gunners are extra careful with their targeting to avoid hitting them. Second round…now.” Another pair of missiles followed, speeding their way towards the cruiser. But their fate was the same as the first, blown apart into a cloud of fire and shrapnel, only managing to reach slightly closer to the enemy cruiser.

  A sudden jolt shook the ship as a volley of concentrated laser fire pounded at the bow, breaking through the shields that the cruiser had been steadily grinding down. “Shields down in section 3, Commodore!” Asmaril exclaimed.

  “Understood. Try and shunt power to them if you can,” Laceeya said tightly, running her fingers repeatedly over the seam on the side of her pants. “Apoyarp, get ready to roll the ship when I signal.”

  “Yes ma’am.” Apoyarp confirmed with a nod.

  All around Safiram’s small starfighter, a fearsome skirmish raged between the Audeenaxu and the Hand. Streaks of deadly light filled the view beyond the round viewport that separated him from the void.

  “Form up, we’re headed in at that cruiser,” Safiram ordered, glancing at his sensor displays. “Target the weapons emplacements and stick close.”

  Squeezing down on the firing trigger, a concise hail of lasers were spat from the wingtip cannons of his TIE Defender. Spearing through the hull of the starfighter he’d been pursuing, Safiram smiled tightly with satisfaction beneath his helmet. Turning the craft up on its side, he pulled into a turn, headed for the Audeenaxu cruiser that was partaking in an intense brawl with the Ethereal.

  “Scythe squadron, keep those fighters off our backs while we make our run.” Safiram spoke over the comm, receiving confirmation from the squadron commander. “Everyone behind me, match my speed.”

  Throwing power to the drives, the twin ion engines that gave the TIEs their name rocketed his fighter forward. The TIE Defender was unmatched in speed, even the other advanced TIEs weren’t quite as fast.

  Speed was his friend here, weaving and dodging around spectrum laser blasts as the cruiser rapidly grew in size. He inhaled sharply through gritted teeth as he narrowly avoided a volley from a point defense cannon.

  “I’m hit!” One of the other pilots exclaimed over his helmet comlink. “Shields are down and my ship took some damage. I’ve got a fighter behind me.”

  “Swing to port, I’ll get him.” Kyst’s voice said. An explosion flared in Safiram’s peripheral vision as the enemy craft was eliminated.

  Lasers from a point defense cannon streaked by either side of his cockpit as Safiram drove forward.

  A dot on his sensor display behind him vanished as one of the fighters in his squadron detonated, a rainbow-tinged white bolt of spectrum laser fire smacking the center of the craft and sending shrapnel flying haphazardly. Safiram tightened his jaw, scowling in anger.

  “Werellis is gone!” A pilot shouted. Safiram grimaced, anger boiling inside him. One of the new pilots, a man he’d barely gotten to know, erased from existence.

  Locking his finger on the trigger, Safiram strafed the enemy cruiser, tearing into and neutralizing one of the point defense cannons. Splitting apart, the fighters each lined up weapons on their targets. Another of the weapon emplacements fell into his sights, and Safiram fired a concussion missile, immediately rolling his TIE to starboard around an attack from an enemy fighter that had dropped behind him.

  He was bucked in his seat as another volley was directed at him, striking the shields. “Katani, I’ve got one on my back.” He said, his jaw clenched tightly as he danced his Defender nimbly around, making himself a difficult target. His heavy breathing filled his helmet.

  “I’m on it.” Katani promptly replied, cutting back on thrust to drop behind his pursuer. “Get ready to break off…now.”

  Safiram immediately kicked the etheric rudder and turned the yoke, sliding his TIE into a sharp high-speed turn to port. Green laser bolts skewered his pursuer, the craft shattering in a ball of flame and shrapnel.

  “Thanks, Katani.” Safiram said.

  Captain Harax’s voice suddenly cut into his helmet. “Major, be certain your squadron avoids the area located around the hangar doors. We are concentrating our attack there.”

  “Understood, Captain.” Safiram briskly responded, relaying the order to his squad. He swerved away from the specified location on the cruiser, steering wide.

  The squadron of TIEs was coming around the cruiser now, drawing fire from the point defense cannons, weaving their way through the storm of laser bolts and returning blasts of their own. “Shyka, get ready with breachers. Both salvos…now.” Laceeya said, biting her lip as the twin pairs of breacher missiles successively sped out of their launch tubes.

  With the gunners of the Audeenaxu cruiser occupied by the incredibly fast and agile advanced TIEs and Clawcraft assaulting its flank, they didn’t pay attention to the two pairs of missiles until they were closer to the hull. But the gunners proved to be impressive shots and were up to the challenge, destroying the incoming ordnance shortly before it could impact the body of the warship. It would have been a perfectly adequate response if the projectiles were concussion missiles, as they must’ve expected based on the multiple previous salvos.

  However, they were not. Instead of exploding safely away from the hull, leaving only harmless debris to drift forward, the breacher missiles instead released their payloads of thick acid. Thanks to the TIEs drawing their attention, the breachers had made it close enough for momentum to carry the acid clouds forward into the ship.

  Globs of acid spread and enveloped the area around the hangar door, where the Ethereal’s turbolasers had been steadfastly pounding away at. Acid burned into the ships armor, blackening metal and eating away at the vessel’s surface.

  “Keep focusing all turbolaser fire on that area, and load ion torpedoes in the starboard launchers,” Laceeya said. “Apoyarp, roll the ship.”

  “Yes ma’am.” Shyka acknowledged.

  “Will do Commodore.” Apoyarp said, spinning the Ethereal on its center axis to conceal the section where the shields had fallen.

  The turbolaser bolts lanced out, breaking through the remnants of the electrostatic barrier and digging into the weakened and vulnerable hull. Slamming into the Audeenaxu warship, the shots of plasma blasted deeper, tearing into the body of the cruiser and venting atmosphere out into space. Laceeya grimaced as she saw the tiny shapes of bodies sucked outward, before vanishing in a growing inferno of flame, as more decks were exposed to vacuum and air rushed to escape.

  Lasers penetrated deeper and deeper as they cut through the hangar doors and punched through interior bulkheads, all the Ethereal’s weaponry converging precisely on a small area. The effect proved devastating, and a number of weapon emplacements on the cruiser ceased firing as power was cut to them.

  “Captain, order the fighters to get in close and take out more point defense cannons,” Laceeya said. “Lieutenant, take us forward a bit and try to get behind the cruiser.”

  “Yes, Commodore.” Harax replied.

  “Will do ma’am.” Apoyarp confirmed, putting the ship into motion. Looping around, the starfighters juked and swerved around spectrum laser fire from the point defense cannons and enemy fighters. A TIE Advanced V1 took a glancing blow, but its shields soaked up the majority of the hit. Laceeya winced at the sight of an expanding fireball of what had been a Clawcraft moments earlier.

  But the rest of the squadron drove onwards, managing to penetrate the limited point defense screen thanks to the damage the Ethereal had caused to the cruiser. The TIEs and Clawcraft skimmed low over the hull, systematically moving from one of the remaining active point defense cannons to the next, unleashing missiles or laser blasts into them to rip the emplacements apart, removing the cruiser’s ability to fight back.

  The cruiser was laboriously reacting to the Ethereal’s movement, slowly shifting to try and keep it in its line of fire. But the damage it had sustained made it sluggish and unable to fully keep up.

  “Shyka, fire two volleys of ion torpedoes, right at the cruiser’s main engines.” Laceeya said, tapping her forefinger against her thigh. She tried to shut the image of the pilot she’d just witnessed being vaporized from her mind.

  “I’m on it.” Shyka responded with a nod, throwing Laceeya a tight but confident smile. The torpedoes shot away, the damaged cruiser’s crippled point defenses unable to destroy them. Impacting with bursts of ionic energy, blue tendrils of electricity arced across the engines, frying and overloading electronics and key systems. The engines went dark, and the rest of the cruiser's weapons fell silent as power waned and the reactor shut down.

  “Great work, everyone,” Laceeya called out with a heavy sigh, the intense combat spurring her pulse quickly. Time often seemed to crawl at a leisurely pace during battle, the entire engagement with the Audeenaxu cruiser lasting only a couple minutes but feeling far longer. Beyond the viewport, the additional enemy ships that had previously remained behind were arriving with guns blazing. “Get ready for round two.”

  Shadow’s Bane was still engaging the large Audeenaxu destroyer, sporting a few fresh scorch marks where its shields had been knocked out. But the destroyer had taken a fair share of damage itself, with deep gouges in its armor where the overwhelming missile fusillades had broken through. Capitalizing on the destroyer’s wounds, the far smaller and nimbler Blitz was bravely maneuvering to stay behind the vast warship, blasting away at its stern with its turbolasers and ion cannon, while at the same time fighting off an enemy corvette that was trying to protect the destroyer.

  ”Rikal, give me the comm,” Laceeya said, stepping beside her, receiving a quick nod of confirmation. “Send Elysium to strike the rear of that corvette with missiles.” She ordered.

  Almost immediately, the small VT-49 was diving towards the corvette, the enemy ship diverting its full attention to the Blitz, trying to keep it off the destroyer’s back. Solely focused on the Raider-Class after battering down its shields and scoring its hull, the Audeenaxu corvette didn’t notice the multiple concussion missiles spearing directly into its thrusters until it was too late. As the projectiles impacted, the ship was transformed into a lifeless chunk of metal as its engines exploded spectacularly.

  Turning her gaze away from the duel between the two great warships, Laceeya peered closely at the fresh frigate and corvette that were moving in towards the Ethereal, intent on its destruction.

  “Ensign, get some strength back in those shields.” Harax’s clipped and precise voice ordered, speaking to Asmaril.

  A wave of fighters swept by, now pursued by the Ethereal’s fighter squadron after they’d finished neutralizing the cruiser. One of the Audeenaxu craft took a glancing blow from a TIE, dodging to escape, only to find itself in the sights of the VT-49 Decimator Viper that had moved to assist. The fighter was blown into a cloud of gas and flame by a burst from its powerful quad laser cannon turrets.

  Laceeya scanned the battlefield before her, her eyes falling on the nearby derelict corvette that had been mortally wounded by the earlier attack. She narrowed her eyes in thought, forming a plan. “Shyka, lock onto that dead corvette with the tractor beam,” Laceeya called, pointing it out to her. “I have an idea.”

  “Yes ma’am, I’m on it,” Shyka responded. “What’re you thinking?”

  “Pull it between us and that approaching frigate,” Laceeya told her. “Keep it where it's blocking as much as their fire as possible to give us a second to recharge our shields.”

  “I’m on it, ma’am.” Shyka replied, diligently working her controls to latch onto the wrecked body of the Audeenaxu corvette, dragging it in front of the Ethereal’s bow. Laser bolts from the frigate hit the corvette as it was tugged between the opposing ships, and the gunners of the Audeenaxu vessels slowed their fire to carefully try and aim around their fellow vessel.

  “Captain, order Major Safiram to form up behind the corvette,” Laceeya continued.

  “Yes, Commodore.” Harax replied with a brisk nod, turning away to speak quietly into his headset comlink.

  Despite the physical shield placed before it, the Audeenaxu were still able to scrupulously fire past it, the Ethereal shuddering as a few of the energy bolts impacted its naked hull.

  Laceeya inhaled deeply, filling her lungs. “Get ready to give the corvette a push in the direction of the frigate, full power as fast as possible towards it,” She said. “Got that?”

  “Yes ma’am, I got it.” Shyka confirmed confidently.

  “Good. Stand by,” Laceeya watched as the squadron of advanced TIEs moved into position beside the corvette. “Now.” Carefully working her controls for the tractor beam, Shyka sent the derelict ship sailing forward, adjusting the tractor beam to full power. The dead ship picked up speed, drifting toward the Audeenaxu frigate that was doing its best to fire around it and hit the Ethereal.

  “Captain, have the squadron move behind the corvette right when the tractor beam is released,” Laceeya ordered. “Shyka, drop the tractor lock…now.”

  Harax relayed the order and the TIEs rushed behind the corvette. It continued drifting lifelessly in the direction of the frigate, shielding the starfighters from incoming fire. Realizing what was happening, the frigate's engines pushed it forward to get clear. Clearly they were trying to avoid firing on their own ship. It had sustained crippling damage and the engines had been knocked out, but there were likely many survivors still onboard that they didn’t want to sacrifice.

  “Captain, have Major Safiram begin an attack run on the frigate once they’re inside its defenses.” Laceeya said.

  “Understood, Commodore,” Harax said. “I’ll notify him right away,” He paused for a moment as he connected to Safiram through his headset comlink. “Major, prepare for your attack run. Hit the far side of the frigate with missiles and torpedoes.” Laceeya heard him say into the comm.

  Repositioning its bulk to where it could again have a clear path to attack the Ethereal and where the drifting corvette wouldn’t collide with it, the frigate still wasn’t able to hit the TIEs that hid clustered behind the ship. It passed through the ideal range of the frigate’s point defenses, finally exposing the TIEs to its weapons.

  However, now the broken corvette was close enough to the frigate that the TIEs were inside its defenses. Roaring to full power, their ion engines accelerated the fighters hard towards the Audeenaxu frigate, its point defense cannons struggling to track the incredibly quick and agile fighters at such close range.

  “Incoming missiles from the frigate.” Frenara warned. Arcs of orange flame trailed behind the projectiles, speeding through space and rapidly shortening the gap between the Ethereal. Many of the gunners were occupied with a group of enemy fighters and a gunboat that were harassing their ship, but they promptly flipped targets to the new threat.

  However, the frigate had let off a copious number of missiles. A jolt ran through the deck as a missile slipped through and penetrated the Ethereal’s shields. Pursing her lips tightly, Laceeya steadied herself on the frame of the viewport from the impact, wincing.

  “Shields down in section 4 Commodore,” Asmaril reported, his voice tight. ”And they’re low in sections 3, 6, and 10. I’m trying to divert strength from the other sections but…there’s not much to work with.”

  Laceeya bit her lip. Laser blasts continued to shake the ship, scarring the hull in locations where the shields were down.

  “Understood,” Laceeya replied, her heart rate increasing. “Lieutenant, bring us around and angle the ship slightly to starboard to try and get the weak sections out of their line of fire.” She breathed deeply, trying to calm her mind and body.

  “Yes ma’am.” Apoyarp acknowledged.

  As the Ethereal yawed to starboard, Laceeya saw a TIE Interceptor beyond the viewport explode in a cloud of flame and gas as spectrum lasers from a pursuing enemy fighter skewered it. She grimaced. More death. Other fighters had been destroyed as well, the lives of brave pilots lost. Doubts and fears rushed through her mind at a rapid pace. Had she made a mistake bringing them here? How many under her command would die today?

  Clamping down on her lower lip and clasping her hands tightly behind her back, Laceeya forced the thoughts that had briefly dominated her mind for a couple seconds aside. Now wasn’t the time for such things.

  “Captain, send the Crux and the Viper to hit the frigate around its engines, and have the TIEs focus on assaulting the command tower,” Laceeya finally said, swallowing and exhaling heavily and turning back to the viewport. The advanced TIEs had broken through the frigate’s electrostatic barrier in a number of places on the opposite side, and were making another pass unleashing missiles and bursts of laser fire into the hull. Fighters that had been skirmishing with the Clawcraft that were screening the Ethereal had pulled back to assist the frigate, taking a couple losses as they turned away. “Focus turbolaser fire on the midsection of that corvette.”

  “Yes ma’am.” Harax’s voice came back from behind.

  A short distance away, the Grysk commander observed the fierce skirmish between the Empire of the Hand’s forces and the Audeenaxu. Despite being outnumbered, the Hand’s task force was seriously hurting the Audeenaxu fleet. He’d heard of Commodore Laceeya, and her reputation was proving to be well deserved. The Audeenaxu were capable fighters, with powerful ships, yet the smaller group of the Empire of the Hand’s vessels were putting up an impressive fight.

  He watched as an Audeenaxu corvette went up in a brilliant explosion, breaking in half as its spine was snapped by a volley of missiles from the Hand’s largest warship. Flashes of light covered the battlefield, and the golden-red flares of smaller explosions marked the destruction of starfighters. The Grysk could tell far less of the damage from those laser blasts and explosions was being inflicted to the Empire of the Hand. Commodore Laceeya was not easy to kill. He sneered in contempt at how most of the client species sent by the Grysks to combat the Hand had been defeated.

  Now, the Audeenaxu, who had proven to be powerful tools for the Grysks, were being defeated as well.

  The Grysk commander has been ordered by General Kazrus to watch and observe, and to direct the Audeenaxu and point them in the directions desired to serve their use for the Grysks’ purposes. Knowing that the Empire of the Hand was allied with the Varquak, they’d expected at some point for them to answer the distress call sent out. Many of the Grysks warships and fleets were still occupied in other regions or in transit, traversing the twisted hyperlanes of the Chaos.

  Scowling to himself, the Grysk looked back out the viewport at the battle that was raging. The Audeenaxu were sustaining heavy losses, but the Hand’s ships were taking a beating themselves against the larger fleet. Although he’d been instructed not to show his forces, perhaps the support of his ships could turn the tide to defeat the Hand, or at least put a large dent in their strength by taking out a few ships. That had been the hope with the Audeenaxu, to weaken the Hand without risking Grysk forces, but that wasn’t manifesting as near as well as hoped.

  Narrowing his eyes, the Grysk examined the sensor display before him. He saw that Commodore Laceeya’s flagship was weakened and taking damage, having fought and defeated a significantly larger cruiser and a number of smaller warships, and now was brawling with an Audeenaxu frigate. A surprise attack from the opposite side could prove devastating.

  It was true the commander had been ordered to remain hidden. Yet the General wouldn’t be pleased to know that a chance of destroying Commodore Laceeya was missed. Was it worth the risk? No, he couldn’t reveal their secret. But there was no other way to sneak up on them, and they’d likely flee if they saw the Grysks’ ships.

  A smirk twisted his face as an idea came to him. “Pilot, move the ship to these coordinates,” The Grysk said, his voice raspy and dry while also strangely melodic.

  “Understood, commander.”

  The view of the stars and the bloody battle happening among them shifted as the Grysk vessel put power into its engines. Skirting around the outside of the skirmish at a safe distance, the Grysk ship passed by, then turned to carefully position itself in a plausible location to exit from a hyperspace jump.

  “Prepare to attack.”

  “Rikal, open the task force comm channel.” Laceeya ordered.

  “You have the comm, ma’am.” Rikal responded a few seconds later.

  ”Senior Captain,” Laceeya said into the comm. “Move in close and launch a full broadside missile salvo at the rear of the destroyer.” Its attacks paying off, the Victory-Class had impaired the huge enemy vessel, the larger destroyer’s thrusters struggling to maneuver its bulk.

  Noting the destroyer’s wounds Laceeya watched as Shadow’s Bane moved in slowly but surely, both ships exchanging volleys of laser fire, bolts from the Victory-Class burning through space to strike at the weakened stern of the Audeenaxu destroyer from point blank range. Forty separate capital ship-grade assault concussion missiles cracked from their launch tubes with immense force. A number were picked off, but at such close range a large majority made it through. Hammering against the stern of the destroyer, explosions blossomed across the aft end of the ship, billowing around the thrusters.

  The Victory-Class immediately pulled back after releasing its devastating fusillade, its own hull scorched and scarred in many places. Though it had received damage, the enemy destroyer was faring far worse.

  “Commodore!” Frenara suddenly blurted out. “New marks on vector 284. They must have dropped out of hyperspace, but my sensor readings showed them just appear.”

  Laceeya frowned, immediately turning her attention out the viewport, looking along the specified vector. Sure enough, there were ships there, rapidly heading towards the battle. But as they approached, she could see they weren’t just any ships.

  Laceeya silently mouthed a curse. They were Grysk warships. And they were blocking the vector Laceeya’s task force would take to escape to hyperspace.