CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
--The Revenger--
"Decimator power at seventy percent," the Glorian officer reported. "Power has been cut off in sectors one, eight, and thirteen."
Captain Onyx shifted where he stood, giving General Benag a meaningful look. "Sector eight is where the prisoners are being held."
Benag made a noise, waving his clawed hand dismissively. "They are of no concern. I have faith that they will be easy to recapture."
Onyx opened his mouth to counter the general but was cut off by another officer. "General, five of six squadrons have been lost. Imperial fighters are closing in on us."
Benag snarled, baring his teeth. "Divert power to front lasers--"
"Negative, sir. All power is focused on preparing the Decimator."
"Then speed up the process! I want those wretched Imperials blasted to kingdom come!"
The officer looked at Benag in exasperation. "Sir, I can't speed up the process. I've done everything I could to do so. There's nothing else I can--"
"Then you have outlived your usefulness." Raising his massive claw, he fired a laser beam from it, which went straight through the Glorian's skull, executing the officer. Benag then pointed to another. "You! Report to me when the Decimator is ready!"
While the newly reappointed officer scrambled to his station, Onyx returned to Benag, slightly more apprehensive than before.
"General, I must insist that something be done about the prisoners. Regardless of likelihood, if they were to somehow storm the bridge or try to escape, it would jeopardize all of our plans."
Benag sneered at the captain. "You are a fool to give them as much credit."
Onyx narrowed his eyes. "And you're a fool not to."
The general's cybernetic eyes flashed as he stood from his command chair, coming face to face with Onyx. All eyes on the bridge were now on the two commanders as they stared each other down.
"Listen carefully, captain," Benag hissed, stressing the last word. "As long as my heart still beats, my word is final. You shall do well to remember that, for if you overstep your boundaries again...."
Onyx had already stopped listening however, when his gaze strayed to the bridge's entrance. Inexplicably, the door had been opened, although no one stood outside. Following the captain's line of sight, Benag saw it as well and his mouth fell slightly open.
"What in the...?" Shaking his head, the general turned to a nearby soldier. "Sergeant, go close the door."
The Glorian nodded curtly before striding over to the opened entrance. Just as they raised a hand to seal it, a plasma bolt shot from the corridor outside and seared right through the soldier's head, killing them. Alarmed, Benag beckoned to the other soldiers present.
"We're under attack! Stop the intruders!"
But by then it was too late. Charging onto the bridge came the Alliance pilot and ex-smuggler known as Han Solo, followed closely by his Wookiee companion Chewbacca, and the eight members of Wraith Squadron. Carrying weapons no doubt taken from the armory, the intruders aimed them at the bridge crew as Solo shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Drop your weapons and surrender! We're taking this ship!"
In response, this present soldiers aimed their weapons at the invaders. Benag eyed them with disdain as he came to stand before them, hands clasped behind his back.
"Well, I can't say I expected this. I did expect better from my security, particularly at the armory." Benag punctuated this with a gesture to the stolen weaponry in the Wraiths' hands.
"You can thank your little spy for that," said Trey Courser, jerking his head to a Glorian hiding behind Chewbacca and another Wookiee Wraith.
Benag tilted his head at the Glorian, frowning. "Giganis? You're with them now?"
Giganis sighed before pushing past the others and coming to the forefront, staring directly at his superior. "General, you must call off this attack. You are putting the lives of everyone on board -- including your own -- at risk."
Benag let out a harsh laugh. "Oh, here we go again. For once I'd like to get by the rest of the day without someone telling me how to do my job."
"Have you considered that there might be a reason for that?" Giganis snapped. "Perhaps it is because you're doing a poor job."
"I have yet to see any proof to back up that statement. But, since I still have time to spare before the Decimator is ready, please: enlighten me on what it is I'm doing wrong."
"It's the Decimator itself; it was not made for a warship of this size. If you use it, it'll destroy us all."
Benag tapped a metal finger on his jaw, arching an eyebrow. "And how do you know this?"
"Because I was one of the Decimator's lead designers. I made it specifically to equip the Doomsday with. It was never tested for any other model of warship. Magnificence knows what would happen if it was used here."
Benag was quiet for a moment. To much surprise, it seemed like he was actually considering Giganis' words. The general turned slightly to look at Onyx, who simply stared back.
If Benag had been about to come to a decision or speak at all, he was deprived of the opportunity when the Glorian officer monitoring the Decimator spoke.
"Decimator at hundred percent, General. Shall we fire?"
"Think of what's at stake here, Benag," Giganis implored. "If you fire the cannon and destroy us all, then the Glorian Empire is finished for good. Do you really want to throw everything away like that?"
"No," Benag murmured. "But nor do I wish to surrender or retreat. I can think of no greater punishment than humiliating myself before these Imperial pests."
"Humility is something you can get over," Han muttered. "Death, not so much."
Benag shook his head. "You are not a Glorian. To one such as I, failure is simply not an option." He then turned to the officer manning the weapon and opened his mouth to give the order to fire.
An order which never came, for Onyx's sword had suddenly found its way into Benag's chest.
As the Glorian captain pulled the blade out, green blood coating it, Benag moved his cybernetic eye to stare at Onyx. The bat-like captain merely shrugged as he wiped his weapon clean.
"You said you preferred death over failure. I've simply decided to let you enjoy the better option all for yourself."
Benag tried to speak but all that came out was a gurgle. Onyx put his hands around him as he gently pushed the general down to the deck. When Benag moved no more, Onyx covered the gaping wound with his former superior's mechanical hand before straightening up.
"Lieutenant Prax," he called to an officer. "Divert power from the Decimator to the hyperdrive and prepare for a jump. In the meantime, patch me through to Captain Unimar. I... feel that we owe the Imperials an apology and explanation."
He then turned to Han and others, who were all stunned by what had just happened. "What was your destination before we apprehended you? I'll have Prax put in the necessary coordinates."
"Uh, the Ileenium system," Han said skeptically. "But why are you--"
"If the Glorian Empire has any chance at recovering its lost glory, it must do so not through force but more... diplomatic means." Onyx folded his wings as he inclined his head to Solo. "If you require our aid for your endeavors, then I would be more than happy to provide it. After all, making amends is an important steps towards recuperation."
"Um, sure." Han scratched his head as he looked to the other Wraiths. "Although I'm not sure how my wife will react upon seeing a Glorian ship jump out of nowhere."
"We still have the Eravana in our hangar," Giganis said. "We could send that ahead and inform General Organa of the circumstances before bringing the Revenger in."
"A sound plan." Onyx then offered a hand to Solo. "I take it we have a truce?"
Han was hesitant only for a second before taking the hand and shaking it. "Yeah. Sure thing, Bats."
--The Resurgent--
"My lord, you've been gone for a while," said the Imperial officer as Darth Taral stepped off his ship, having just returned from Damosus. "Is everything all right? Captain Nadine had just been about to--"
"Tell the captain to return to Bastion," Taral snarled as he brushed past the officer. "I shall be in my quarters until then."
"Ah, about that, my lord...."
Taral stopped dead in his tracks and looked over his shoulder at the officer. "What? What is it?"
"We... were recently contacted by Bastion. They... the Moff Council is dead."
Taral whirled around fully to face him, a furious look in his eyes. "What?! How?!"
"They were executed by Kylo Ren. He... asked me to deliver a message to you."
Taral stepped up to the officer, yellow eyes boring into black. "What?" the Dark Lord hissed. "What did he say?"
"He... he said that you would be wise to keep your hands out of matters from here on out. That this was no longer your 'little game.' His words, not mine."
Taral sneered. "Did he say that? And just how does he expect to operate everything on his own?"
"He... he mentioned someone called the Supreme Leader. He said that they would--"
Taral raised a hand and the officer choked on whatever he had been about to say next. Snarling, the Sith Lord said to him, "Inform Kylo Ren that neither he nor his Supreme Leader have a say in any of this. I am the Dark Lord of the Sith. My word is final."
With that, Taral released his hold on the officer and the young man staggered back, coughing. Without another word, the Dark Lord turned on his heel and headed back for his quarters, intent on fixing things before they had a chance to fall apart.
--24 ABY, Damosus--
The young boy took in a shuddering breath as he stepped away from what had once been his home. A rain drenched hand gripped the gift Kalon had given him, which he could not stand to so much as glance at now.
Kalon himself stood there at the gate, arms over his chest as the rain molded his hood against his face, obscuring it. As Varon came to stand before him, the dark man inclined his head to the boy in question.
"Well?"
Varon sniffed as he wiped the tears from his eyes, although the rain made the gesture futile. "It's... it's done."
"Good. Was it difficult for you to do?"
Varon said nothing, instead holding out the lightsaber to the man.
"Oh no, keep it," Kalon said, chuckling. "Consider it a gift. After all, it is your birthday today, is it not?"
Varon looked up at him in surprise. "How--?"
"How do I know?" Kalon chuckled again as he patted the boy on the shoulder. "Come now. What sort of father would I be if I didn't know my own son's birthday?"
The boy's mouth fell agape as he stared wide-eyed at the man. "You... you're my father?"
"Indeed I am, my boy," Kalon said, the hood over his face creasing as he smiled. "And trust me: life for you is only going to get better from here on out."
END OF PART III
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