Star Wars: Tie Fighter | End of the War

Chapter V. Liberate

Onderon

Liberation

Shack stands in the bridge of the Liberation, viewing the Republic planet from orbit as a group of old LAAT shuttles fly toward his ship. He stares out of the window blankly, pondering.

"Captain... Is everything, alright?" Maize asks, entering.

"I'm fine, I just don't know why my brother would betray the order that we were both loyal to, I just can't imagine what was going on in his head when that 66 order came through..."

"He likely knew beforehand, I felt an off presence in him before everything went down, and the message coming from the temple has turned into one from General Kenobi, the temple is... gone..."

"I'm, sorry, General."

"No need, what's happened has happened."

"Let's just hope the Rebels we have in the medical bay can figure out what made those clones so willing as well, like droids..."

"I hope so too."

Coruscant

Victory-Class Star Destroyer, Victor

Admiral Cruz watches as the red markings across the fleet are slowly painted grey, signaling the end of an order. He replays the declaration of an empire dozens of times in his head, making sense of the past week of events from Order 66 to the declaration of a Galactic Empire.

"Admiral- we have a lead on Shack, we believe he is in the Onderon system, getting help from Separatists." A clone officer says.

"Of course he is. set course immediately, arm for combat." Cruz orders.

"The last of us are here, Captain, we're ready to get out of this place... Though I will fight for my home again soon." Saw Gerrera says, entering the Venators bridge.

"Good, tell your crew to make the jump to hyperspace. The... Empire will likely know where we are soon." Shack says, looking back into the bridge.

"Incoming cruisers in sector 2-3!" An officer yells in the bridge.

"Raise the shields! Arm cannons! Power to the hyperdrive, I don't want a fight." Shack orders, a Victory-Class Star Destroyer, and two Venators entering the system, painted a pristine grey paint.

The hologram aboard the Liberation shutters as the face of Admiral Cruz opens. "Shack, I'm going to have to ask you to surrender, you know you won't win this fight on time."

"Cut him off." Shack orders, trying to ignore him.

"Really want to cut communications with your brother? Doesn't oldest always know best?" Cruz mocks.

"You, YOU, tried to kill our general the moment you were told to, did you not have any remorse?"

"I was told by the Emperor the day before that the Jedi were plotting a Rebellion, and that Maize was part of it, and that was true." Cruz says.

"That, is a lie, Cruz. I had no clue the Jedi would ever think of planning a Rebellion, what exactly did he tell you?" Maize speaks up.

"He told me, exactly what happened the next day, the Jedi would send a group of masters to eliminate him and take over the Republic for themselves, and guess what happened?" Cruz says again.

"Cut. Him. Off." Shack orders, turning away from the hologram.

It closes, Cruz shutting it off himself.

"Arm assault concussion missiles and target their engines, launch fighters," Cruz orders to his command crew.

Turbolasers begin igniting and flying across space, impacting shields as rockets and missiles fly out of the Victory Class Star Destroyer, piercing the shields of the Liberation and disabling a primary engine.

"Get us the hell out of here! All power to engines and hyperdrive!" Shack orders, a missile blowing through the secondary bridge, collapsing the structure.

"Hyperdrive charge at 70%! We may need to blind jump!"

"If we blind jump we can end up in a star! Just get to the nearest safe system!" Shack orders, the ship almost immediately jumping into hyperspace, quickly dropping out in front of a devastating fleet of Seperatist cruisers. "This is safe to you?!"

"Calm down captain. The Separatists have been completely de-activated, all there are here are derelict ships and salvageable materials. We're safe here until the Empire comes to salvage themselves, it could be days, it could be years." Saw Gerrera says. "We can stay here."