Chap. 86 - From Hunter to Prey

Imperial Battleship Command Room:

Officer 1: - Admiral, enemy ships are closing the distance at an alarming rate. -

Admiral: - Do we have information about the unknown ship? -

Officer 2: - Yes, sir. This is a Kandosii battleship. They were believed to be inactive since the Mandalorian Wars. -

Admiral: - How is that thing still operational? -

Officer 2: -According to records, the Kandosii is not fast, but her shields are far superior to anything we have seen. -

Officer 3: - Sir, the enemy ships are not opening fire. -

Admiral: - It seems we have no options.-

Officer 1: - Admiral? -

Admiral: - Our ship is faster... but we can't leave the inquisitor and retreat... I guess there is no other way. Commander... -

The admiral turned around, fixing his worried gaze on an old war dog. A human who in five years of imperial rule had known more battles than any other in this universe. One who, under the orders of Inquisitor Howlhell, crossed the entire galaxy hunting Jedi, subduing insurgents and blinding the lives of innocents. One who... despite everything he had experienced... still wore his clone armor. Although now he weighed much more on her than before.

Admiral: - Commander Snake, prepare the defenses... We must expect the worst from these insurgents. -

Once, a great and fervent defender of justice. Now, a hunter of the innocent. Known as CT-2015, Snake was part of the 182nd Legion under the command of Commander Lennox, assigned to the defense of Coruscant during the days of the Clone War.

After the events that changed the fate of the galaxy, that fateful day when Order 66 was given, Snake lost many things. Things that would consume what little humanity he had left.

He lost his commander, his friends, and had to shoulder the guilt and weight of leading the 182nd on an exhaustive hunt across the galaxy under the command of Inquisitor Howlhell.

His eyes had seen so many injustices. His ears had heard so many cries. His hands had perpetuated so many atrocities. And yet... There he was. Under the command of the tyrant he ruined his dream of peace when he protected justice in the slums of Coruscant. The question was... Why?

Duty? He couldn't find any other answer to his question. Those he had once called brothers no longer existed. Not a single clone of the 182nd remained under his command. They had all been replaced by the new stoormtropers. The only reason he was there was because of his ability to command him and his ability to instruct new recruits, but he knew that sooner or later he would be replaced like the others. Even so...

Snake: - Yes, sir... -

And he left without saying a word. It was his duty after all. And duty is fulfilled without questioning why. TRUE? He is a soldier after all.

Officer 1: - Are the insurgents planning to attack us? -

Admiral: - There is no doubt. They are using the Kandosii as a battering ram. His shields are strong enough to withstand our shots. And the fact that they are not returning fire indicates that they are using all their power to defend and advance. -

Officer 2: - Bastards... They want to capture the ship. We can't allow it. -

Officer 1: - Bastards. Let's give him a taste of the fury of the empire. -

Admiral: - I would like to be as enthusiastic as you are... -

Meanwhile, inside the Kandosii the final adjustments for the operation were being made.

Doom: - Attention to all units. Five minutes to reach critical distance. Boarding units, status report. -

TR-1: - Steel battalion ready. Waiting instructions. -

Li Mu: - Tango special force ready. -

Howser: - Primus task force ready. -

Doom: - Noticed. Proceed with the second phase of the general's plan. -

The imperial admiral was right. The insurgents' plan was to take control of the imperial battleship. A ship this powerful would be a good acquisition for their cause, and now they had the means to capture it.

The Kandosii advanced straight ahead. She was much slower than the Munificient or the Imperial Destroyer, but she made up for it with front ends strong enough to withstand all enemy fire. The Munificent advanced slowly behind the battleship, sheltered from the Imperial shots, which could penetrate her shields without much effort, but once she was at close range the tables would turn, giving her the advantage.

And the moment finally arrived. The Rebel capital ships tore through the swarm of fighters separating them from the Imperial Dreadnought. Mirana and the rest of the Vultures fighters and droids were in a pitched battle against the hundreds of TIE fighters, in a space battle that made a fool of their trial by fire on Ryloth. Even Typhoon and Lance with their advanced programming were having problems with so many numbers.

The mooring hooks were released. The Kandosii clung to the Imperial Desteuctor like a predator closing its jaws on its prey. The imperial battleship's cannons were still firing, and the ancient ship's shields were at maximum capacity. But they couldn't return fire. Imperial technology was state-of-the-art, and they did not know if they would be able to repair any severe damage. They may have had numerical superiority, but they were still at a disadvantage. Time was something they had against them, and everything depended on the boarding units.

The Munificent wasted no time, and with the speed that characterizes agile frigates she left the security that the Kandosii's shields gave her to approach her prey. Capotan Haindal, the one who was in charge of the ship, was not stupid, and he knew that she could not approach the top of the battleship, or her main guns would destroy it in minutes. The bottom was a much better option, and the lower hangar was the perfect place to enter the ship.

The Imperial Destroyers had a more economical design than the old Venators, changing their upper hangas for greater defense. After all, the Imperial era wasn't supposed to have to worry about fighting other capital ships. Serious mistake that the Imperial high command did not keep in mind, and that Icarus's strategies would take full advantage of.

Li Mu: - Very good, gentlemen. It's time. -

And the doors of the Munificient hangar opened, and a space of lethal emptiness separated the two armies, which awaited the moment with a mixture of nervousness, fear, and determination. Each one defending what he believed was right.

Li Mu: - Attack! -

Gossan's voice was the starting signal. Four C-9979 Landing Craft took off from inside the interior of the Munificent. Colossi equipped with little weapons, only the minimum to defend themselves, but with almost impenetrable armor. Even the Imperial Battleship's anti-fighter laser turrets were unable to destroy them as they watched them get closer and closer to the Imperial cruiser's hangars.

They were so large that it was impossible for all four transports to enter at the same time, so two had to take the lead, knowing that inside the hangar there could be legions of Imperials waiting for them. And so it was.

As soon as the transports' bow entered the hangars' force shield, millions of blasters rained down on its fuselage like a swarm, but the C-9979's armor was tough enough not to give way to the Imperial hand-held blasters. . Not even the AT-ST walkers' heavy lasers and missiles could do them the slightest damage.

The stoormtroper battalions had to flee as the massive transports rose above the colossal hangars and prepared to land. The pilot droids showed no mercy, and those Imperials who had no chance to escape were crushed by the immensity of the steel titans. Hundreds died instantly, and the battle had not even begun.

And then the moment arrived. The hatches of the transports opened, while the turbolaser support turrets of the C-9979 opened fire in all directions. Imperial blasters zeroed in on the endless ranks of disembarking B1 droids, but no matter how many hundreds they destroyed, thousands more poured out from within.

It was only a matter of time before droids occupied most of the Imperial battleship's main hangars. Of the five thousand droids that occupied both transports, about two thousand were destroyed, but it was a necessary sacrifice for victory. Now it was time for the second phase.

Now that the main hangar was secured, it was time to begin the real fight. The first two transports took off and left the hangar back to the Munificient, while the other two deployed the rest of the troops inside the Imperial Destroyer.

On the one hand, the bulk of the army made up of a huge number of B1 and B2 droids. Accompanied by numerous droidek units, among which were several droidek units, including Paladin and Fifi themselves. All under the command of the TR-1 tactical unit. Its objective: Secure both the main and secondary hangars, as well as all the areas surrounding them.

The group led by Howser was intended to secure the engine bay and hyperdrive. That way they could control the mobility of the battleship, avoid a premature jump or any unforeseen event. A unit of more than five hundred militiamen who were to be opened passed through the corridors of the battleship through the endless defensive barriers.

Meanwhile, the second group led by Li Mu would assault the command post. This was the main reason for the attack, and the entire operation depended on the unit of more than a thousand militiamen under the command of Gossan. For this reason, they had the best equipment, as well as several personal energy shields that would allow them to reach their destination.

On the defenders' side, under the command of Commander Snake, the 182nd was deployed throughout the entire battleship. Eleven thousand eight hundred of the twelve thousand five hundred stoormtrooper of the legion. Those who did not perished trying to defend the main hangar in vain.

A legion that, although it had never experienced the heat of a large-scale battle, which is why they lost so easily in the space outside the hangar, had a lot of knowledge fighting insurgents in narrow passages. This was not going to be an easy battle, and all the rebel high command knew it.

Commander Snake was in a secondary command room, located between the main hangar and the command post. Very close to the prisoner cells.

Years ago he would not hesitate to command his troops in the front row, but after his brothers from Kamino were replaced by those young imperials indoctrinated to the core, that feeling of camaraderie had simply... disappeared. In fact... What happened to the Stoormtropers under his command did not matter to him at all... Much less what happened to the ruthless Inquisitor Howlhell.

But his hands were stained. His duty was to continue to govern his life. The last clone commander could not give up in a battle, so the last one is out. He had to do it. Although... Why?

Pride? Duty? The same questions repeated themselves in his mind over and over again. If only Commander Cody of the 212th was still around to give him some advice. But this one also defected a long time ago. What should he do?

Stoormtropers: - Commander, the insurgents have entered the main corridor. -

Snake: - Deploy more containment units. You know what to do... No survivors. -