[h3]ISD-Blackstar (Hangar)[/h3] “Squads, Obsidian, and Eson are to remain on launch standby. The Blackstar has received an distress call from a civilian liner, possible battle ahead. No further details, sorry.” ‘No further details.’ The comms officer’s briefing had said before cutting off, simple, concise, and completely useless. He could only assume it was pirates again, except this skirmish was unplanned, unlike the last. Liam shook his head, under the helmet and inside the dark cockpit of his TIE-fighter nobody could tell he was getting nervous. After all, there wasn’t anybody alive who liked fighting the unknown only hours apart. Then the team radio crackled on. “Obsidian squad, prep engines and charge weapons, we’ll likely be coming out hot so keep your eyes open and your hands loose.” Obsidian-1, Ben Jenson, had said in a firm voice like always. “Hey, Captain, got any ideas what we’ll be shooting at?” Maran, Obisidan-6, had asked, fully knowing he knew as much as Ben did. “Hopefully it’s a fleet of rebels.” Obsidian-4, Blanche Krail, had said in a sinister, blood-thirsty voice. Often seen as cold and creepy by most people, he had even paler skin than Liam and silver hair, and red eyes; giving others the opinion that he was a ghost. “No way, the Blackstar would be torn apart if it was a whole fleet.” Maran had replied flippantly. “That’s fine isn’t it? Fiery rebel debris everywhere, laser bolts in all directions, a target rich environment means we don’t have to aim! Just imagine if there was atmosphere, ahhh, just imagine the smell, burnt rebel X-Wings so early in the morning!” Blanche had replied in half growl half galactic basic, gradually getting louder until he was yelling into his mic. The rest of the squad had simultaneously muted him around the middle. “Never mind, Blanche is way scarier.” Maran said sheepishly. Liam smiled under his helmet. [i]This is Obsidian squad, business as always. [/i] “Alright, like the Captain said, we go out hot and fast, weapons blazing!” Obsidian-2, Jarael shouted. If anybody was asleep before they were awake now. [h3]ISD-Blackstar (Bridge)[/h3] The bridge of the Blackstar was the standard layout for an Imperial-II class star destroyer. Two data pits submerged to the sides of a central walkway with wide windows at the front of the room. The Captain stood above them all, a purposeful symbol, occasionally staring out at the hyperspace around them, and then staring back down at her hands tapping away at her datapad. Despite their earlier misgivings, the entire bridge crew could tell she was dedicated, and she hadn’t been defeated yet. As it was, the Blackstar was as operational as the day it flew out of Kuat, and perhaps the younger officers were even slightly motivated by her mere presence; whatever that meant. “Captain, we’re receiving a distress call, a civilian frigate is under attack!” One of the officers below called out. “By whom, and where?” The Merril asked, as she walked closer to him. They were currently near the inner rim, could pirates really be this brazen? “Point two-five parsecs from Arbya, no further details. The message is interrupted almost immediately.” “A short detour, readjust course, for Arbya. Standby fighter squadrons Obsidian and Eson. Charge weapons.” “Aye, Ma’am.” The comms officer said and started speaking into his headset again. The wavy blue background of hyperspace relented, long enough to turn slightly, then the stars and space ‘melted’ before them as they jumped back into hyperspace. Captain Merril walked towards the sensor operators so she wouldn’t need to go far if she needed to borrow their screens. But the fact remains that she’d have to rely on how fast they talked. [i]I’d like to have this damn bridge remodeled, too exposed, and too uncomfortable. Only a person with cybernetic legs could find this satisfactory. [/i] Merril grumbled in her mind. A few moments later the stars snapped back into reality, and the entire bridge crew stood surprised. Another Star Destroyer had apparently arrived before them, responding to the ship in distress. [i]Looks like our work is finished.[/i] Merril thought, but she had an odd feeling. She’d like to call it ‘Captain’s instinct’, it felt like someone was scratching the back of her brain, and gripping her heart. The ship in question was as pristine as the Blackstar on the outside, and there didn’t seem to be any large debris floating around. The cruise liner was red, and significantly smaller; probably about 5 decks tall and maybe a few dozen meters across. It was slowly drifting towards the other ship. “Sensors, tell me what’s happening.” “Ma’am, it seems the ISD-Warhead is towing the ship in. The civilian ship has maximum engines on, probably trying to fight it.” A woman in the left datapit answered. “More! Any debris, signs of battle?” Merril shouted with suspicion, she had taken her ponytail in one hand and had begun fidgeting with it, an unconscious motion she made when thinking under stress. “None, ma’am..” The sensor operator seemed to understand what Merril was thinking. “Captain, incoming holotransmission from the Warhead.” The commsman on the other side said. Merril nodded and walked to the back of the bridge and pressed a series of buttons near the rear wall. A moment later a lanky man with a sharp and slender face appeared, it seemed like he was sizing her up, the way a predator would look at prey. A look she had seen many times conversing with older officers. The man’s head looked sideways, nodded, and looked back at her. “Blackstar, why have you arrived?” He said, raising an eyebrow, as if she was the suspicious one. “Warhead, we received a distress call, likely from that ship you’re towing, and came. What’s the situation?” Merril answered calmly, taking the time to size him up too. An artificial widow’s peak, clean shaven, and the way he stood; it seems this man was trying to copy the intimidating presence of the late Tarkin, obviously trying to intimidate her. [i]That wouldn’t work in a million years, not unless you had Vader and the Emperor with you.[/i] “No situation, Blackstar, as you can see, it has been handled.” The man answered with disdain, then his eyebrows raised and lowered as if remembering something. “Tell me, whom do you serve?” “Serve? The Grand Imperium on Coruscant, of course.” Merril said, and then regretted it. [i]Only one reason he’d ask that, he’s a warlord..[/i] “I understand-“ The man nodded, and then uttered some false words of regret before cancelling the call. But Merril had stopped listening and had already started moving. “Raise shields, combat alert!” She shouted as she ran back towards the datapits. The ship shook slightly as green lights flashed from across space. She had been quick, but her officers hadn’t, several blackened marks painted the sides of the Blackstar before a wavy blue aura intercepted the succeeding waves. [i]The defensive officer was slow, my fault, I’ll more run drills later.[/i] “Fighter control brief the fighters, then launch! Gunners target their engines and weapons systems respectively! Navigator, flank speed, get us around, I want their engines!” Merril started barking orders and the bridge got to work, talking through their stations and to each other to coordinate. It had been awhile since they even had simulated combat against another destroyer. The last time they had been ‘destroyed’, but last time was under old management. “Ma’am, not the bridge?” The weapons officer had meekly asked. “No.” She replied curtly. Self-defense was one thing, but she didn’t want to take so many Imperial lives, and she hoped she would never have to. [h3]ISD-Blackstar (Hangar)[/h3] “Repeat, the enemy is a rogue Imperial Star Destroyer, the Warhead. They’re launching as well, prepare to intercept fighters! Priority, disable the Warhead, but don’t forget to protect your mothership!” The bridge officer went silent as soon as he was done. Liam felt his eyes widen, and his body had started shaking at some point. [i]We’re fighting other Imperials? Can I do it? Are they hesitating like me, they have to be, right?[/i] Obsidian-1 didn't want the enemy to control the mood and activated the team comms a few moments later. “Alright, listen up squad, disable means we don’t have to kill. The Blackstar will likely be trying to get around, any damage we can do to the engines will help, but since we’ll be getting in their faces, we also have a shot of their turbo lasers. They aren’t accurate enough or fast enough to hit out fighters so don’t be afraid!” Ben Jenson started directing his own orders. “Captain, t-the fighters? What about the fighters!” Liam blurted out, half-panicked, half-confused. The simulations didn't really cover this eventuality, even simulated missions never felt like this. “Weren’t you listening?” Blanche hissed back at him. “Disable! Hit the solar wings, or graze the engines. You know your ship’s weaknesses, so use them, stupid!” “Hey Liam, you take so much pride in those custom engines of yours, now’s the time to show them off to another ship!” Maran added on. Liam breathed slowly and then nodded, a motion unnoticed by the rest of the squad. “Right, I’ll fly circles around them!” Liam shouted enthusiastically, built back up by his teammates. This was why and how they won so many battles together. “Ohh, that’s right, those silly engines of his. You should have just switched to an int like the rest of us. Hey if you get shot down, you gotta buy my next meal, got it?” Jareal taunted him. “Hah! No way, you eat way too much to be a woman, and I won’t be trading out any time soon!” The hangar doors opened a moment later, and Obsidian squad started flying out one by one simultaneously with Eson squad. They weren’t likely to be fighting too close together, but it was reassuring to know he had more friends out there.