Star Wars VIII: Stand of the Republic

02: Costly Delay

"Where are those fighters going?" Hux demanded as he watched the tactical display over the shoulder of the officer stationed there.

"The X-wing has destroyed four of the dorsal mounted cannons," the officer nervously reported.

"I can see that," Hux growled. "We don't have to send all the fighters after one craft. Get the rest back into position!"

***

"It's working," Leia's voice said through Poe's console. "Fighters are moving to pursue. You've cleared the way for the bombers, now get out of there."

"Not a problem," Poe laughed. His enjoyment immediately ended when a hail of green laser fire streamed past his cockpit, several of them grazing his craft and buffeting it. He threw the controls over and spun his fighter in a series of high speed evasive maneuvers. So great was the number of pursing ships, his efforts did little to relieve the intensity of their relentless attacks. "Maybe a little problem."

Streaming out from behind the planet's closest moon, a fleet of Republic rail bombers emerged from hiding to begin their attack. Built around a series of eight launch tubes in two rows of four, the bombers were little more than a firing platform with engines and a cockpit. Taking aim at the vulnerable dreadnought, they launched their long ranged attack.

Each of the rail bombers fired in sequence, flashes of electrical energy ripping through a series of magnetic coils down the length of each launch tube to drag the metallic shells of the bombs with ever increasing velocity until they were released at tremendous speed toward their intended target. The bombs were fired at measured intervals to ensure the explosion on impact of the first bomb wouldn't destroy the second projectile before it reached the enemy vessel.

The bombs were black spheres, but glowing lines of blue wrapped around their vertical and horizontal axis. The lines blurred as the bombs spun on their flight through the darkness of space.

Watching from the command ship of the First Order fleet, Hux saw the incoming bombers and knew instantly where their target would be. He turned toward his tactical officer.

"Were the new defensive protocols installed on the dreadnought TIE fighters?" Hux questioned.

"Yes, but they haven't been tested yet," the officer replied swiftly.

"Then we will test it now," Hux declared. "Engage the protocols."

Throughout the fleet of TIE fighters surrounding the dreadnought, and currently in pursuit of Poe, countless First Order pilots worked their controls in growing distress as they realized none of the navigation systems were responding to their commands. The TIE fighters turned sharply of their own accord and banked around to intercept the incoming bombers.

"Excellent," Hux praised with satisfaction. He clasped his hands behind his back as he watched the fighters alter course. His voice dropped low as he spoke mostly to himself. "Never again will a traitor steal a TIE fighter and escape our reach."

"Shall I release the command override when the fighters reach the bombs?" the tactical officer inquired.

"No," Hux denied. "The pilots can fire on what's in front of them. If they cannot clear a path through the bombs, they shall atone for their failure with their lives."

The First Order pilots tried frantically to alter course as their fighters sped directly toward the incoming bombs, but when the navigation systems refused their inputs, they made use of the weapons, firing nearly nonstop into the approaching ordnance. Bombs exploded one after another in a chain of fireballs as the fighters cut their way through. A few pilots weren't fast enough on the trigger, and their fighters exploded when struck by the bombs.

"The fighters are through the first wave of bombs," the tactical officer reported to Admiral Hux.

"Very good," Hux accepted. "Release the navigational computers and order the fighters to engage the bombers."

***

"Poe!" Leia called through the communication system. "They didn't fall for it. The bombers are unprotected, get back to them now and provide cover."

"We won't get another shot at this dreadnought," Poe argued as he destroyed another of the heavy cruiser's large cannons.

"That's not important right now," Leia insisted. "The bombers will be cut to pieces without support. I'm giving you a direct order..."

Before she could finish, the comm line erupted in static.

"He switched on a jamming device," the Republic communication officer reported when Leia looked in his direction.

"What's the range?" she questioned.

"Wide enough we can't contact any of our fighters or bombers," the man informed her.

"Then, they're on their own," Leia concluded. She considered her options for a moment before releasing a heavy sigh. "Order the fleet to jump to light speed."

"What about our fighters?" the officer asked as color drained from his face.

"We can't help them, and we have to save what we can," Leia replied. "Do it."

***

First Order fighters broke loose from the computer control formation they'd been locked in and swarmed the Republic bombers like angry insects. Green lasers tore through engines, cockpits, and launch tubes, reducing the bombers to flaming scrap metal in seconds.

The dreadnought completed its powering up and fired on the Republic fleet. Multiple hits impacted across three of the large cruisers responsible for the evacuation. Too much for the deflector shields to effectively counter, the laser barrage broke through the shields and tore into the hulls. Engines and power cores ruptured in explosions of blue and red fire. The long bubble shaped cruisers shook as they were consumed by expanding fireballs until the large vessels and all the people on them simply ceased to exist.

Two cruisers managed to jump to light speed, and the barrage aimed at them missed and struck the space station. Support arms broke off and giant holes were blasted through, exposing the interior of the station to space. One of the lasers punctured an ammunition storage bay, and the resulting detonation tore the station apart.

Leia watched from her command ship, bright detonations flaring all around her vessel. Of the evacuation ships that hadn't yet gone to light speed, hers was the last one still intact, but she knew it would only remain so until the dreadnought's guns recharged.