Trooper

Complicating Stubbornness

Kuat: 11 BBY
"Survivor"
Jess

    Jess woke early the next morning. They had reached the fleet the night before and spent a few hours in a debriefing. Jess had agreed to meet with Admiral Raddus and Commander Sato later on to discuss the Admiral's newest plan. Jess rolled off the bunk quietly, trying not to wake Ryn. He pulled his armor and boots on swiftly. Jess kissed Ryn's forehead gently before ducking out of the cabin.

    Azie chirped as he neared the docking tube. Jess waved a hand and the droid chased after him. "Be quiet," he hissed. "Half of this ship is asleep." The droid whistled sheepishly and followed him into a lift within the Profunditiy's halls.

    In a few minutes, they stepped out in the command center. Admiral Raddus was already there. Another lift opened up, revealing Commander Sato and Lieutenant Reese. "So what exactly are you planning?" Jess asked as he joined the Admiral beside a holotable.

    "A statement," Raddus replied. "We may not be an organized Rebellion yet, but we can still show the Empire that we're here and we're not leaving."

    "Is a strike like that wise?" Reese interrupted. "We have the advantage right now. The Empire doesn't know how widespread we are or how quickly we're growing. If we step up our attacks, they'll start to take us more seriously and we'll lose that card."

    "I spoke with Senator Organa about it. He agrees that a military strike is necessary. There is unrest in the Senate. He thinks that if we show the Empire that we can make a difference, we'll gave more support from Senators and other systems."

    "What kind of strike are we making?" Jess asked. He crossed his arms, thinking.

    "We will attack the Imperial shipyard here on Kuat," Raddus answered. He pulled up a hologram of the yard. "Destroying this yard will set the Imperial fleets back for months. They won't have as many new ships or parts coming in."

    "We have people there, though. They supply a large number of Rebel ships" Reese argued. "They just gave us those A-wings for Phoenix Squadron."

"Precautions are being taken. None of our people will be there when we attack," Admiral Raddus said reassuringly. "General Dodonna's fleet will be here soon. When they arrive, we will coordinate the attack. Until then, we'll stay out of Imperial sights and do what we can."

Jess eyed the hologram of the facility. "That yard is huge. How are we attacking the entire thing? We're going to need more than our fleet, Dodonna's, and Phoenix Squadron."

    "What about Admiral Ackbar's fleet?" Reese asked.

    Raddus shook his head. "We can't bring everyone. This strike is a statement, not a call to war."

    "The Empire has been at war with you since the Rebellion started," Jess scoffed. "If we're doing this, there's going to be a lot of risks."

    "You sound like you have an idea," Sato said.

    "I do. It could get a lot of people killed but if we're not calling in more support, it'll give us a chance." Jess pulled up schematics of their combined fleets and planted them above the shipyard. "As soon as the yard knows it's under attack, it's going to send for help. There will be TIEs, bombers, and I wouldn't be surprised if an Imperial fleet shows up."

He tapped a few buttons, displaying a simulation of the Imperial forces. Sato eyed him curiously. Raddus and Reese simply watched.

"We'll need our most durable ships in space if a fleet does come. Profundity, Republic, the large flagships and command ships. They have the strongest shields and will be able to hold off the fleet."