Storm Hawks: Hand Of Thrawn

Chapter XIV

After escaping from the Chimera, the Storm Hawks gathered at the bridge while Stork piloted the Condor.

Aerrow: Anything on the scanners, Stork?

Stork: Surprisingly no.

Finn: So your plan worked without a hitch? Looks like this Thrawn guy wasn't so dangerous after all.

Piper felt something was wrong. The escape seemed too easy considering Thrawn's tactical brilliance.

Aerrow: We're not out of this yet, Finn. Thrawn's still out there and I doubt he'll let us go so easily.

Piper: Aerrow's right. Thrawn is extremely dangerous. More dangerous than anyone we've ever faced.

Hearing that troubled the Storm Hawks. Thrawn proved a more dangerous enemy than even the powerful Master Cyclonis. Despite this, Aerrow remained confident.

Aerrow: We just proved that he's not unbeatable. If we can escape him, then that means we can beat him.

Aerrow's words seemed to rally the Storm Hawks around him. The fact that they were able to escape Thrawn proved to them that Thrawn could in fact be beaten. Piper however had her own doubts.

Piper: Beating Thrawn won't be easy. He knows how we fight. He's studied us. He knows how we fight. 

Aerrow: So we'll change up our tactics. He can only apply those tactics if we continue to use our own. That's why we have to adapt. 

While the plan was sound, it was easier said than done. Trying to outfox Thrawn would be easier said than done. While Piper believed in Aerrow, she was weary of Thrawn. 

Finn: So what's the plan? Turn the Condor around and kick his ass?

Aerrow: No. The Condor wouldn't last two seconds against the Chimera's guns. What we need is some back up. Stork. Contact Starling. 

Stork then proceeds to contact Starling via the Condor's intercom. As the holoprojection of Starling appears, Aerrow talks to her. 

Aerrow: Starling, we had a run in with Grand Admiral Thrawn. 

Starling(Holoprojection): Are you okay?

Aerrow: We're fine. We managed to get away from him. You were right, Starling. Thrawn's no pushover. 

Starling(Holoprojection): Thrawn was very adamant about capturing you. He was convinced he would capture you. 

Aerrow: He tried to. He even tried to get us to join him. As you can see, we're still here fighting the good fight. 

Hearing that brought relief to Starling. This was the first good news she heard since the beginning of Thrawn's conquest. 

Aerrow: But we're going to need some backup. Thrawn's got some heavy firepower in his disposal. 

Starling(Holoprojection): That's an understatement. He's got a well oiled war machine at his disposal. The way he fights is like nothing I've ever seen. Not even Cyclonis could've done the amount of damage Thrawn has done. 

Aerrow: Who else is left?

Starling(Holoprojection): We managed to get the Sky Council out of Atmosia before Thrawn's forces could flood into the city. A few other Sky Knight squadrons managed to escape Thrawn's forces, but most of them were captured. We've got a base set up in Terra Nord. We've been able to avoid Thrawn's forces. 

Hearing that shocked the Storm Hawks. Up until this point, they had no idea about the extent of the damaged Thrawn had to Atmos. It was clear to them that Thrawn's military prowess was unlike anything they've faced before. 

Piper: How...how much of Atmos has he conquered?

Starling(Holoprojection): I'm not going to sugarcoat this. As far as I know, nearly all of Atmos is under his control. He's got dozens of warships stationed on the Terras he's conquered and he has the rest of them scouring Atmos for any Sky Knights who escaped the initial invasions. We're on our last legs. 

Aerrow: Don't worry, Starling. We'll stop Thrawn and end the Cyclonian Empire for good. 

Starling(Holoprojection): I hope you have a plan, Aerrow. We're low on troops and resources. At this point, all Thrawn has to do is starve us out. We're running out of options. 

Aerrow: We're on our way to Terra Nord. We'll find a way to stop Thrawn. He won't conquer Atmos. We didn't let Cyclonis do it. We won't let Thrawn do it. We'll stop them all. 

At that point, Starling began to feel a semblance of hope. She remembered how the Storm Hawks were able to defy the odds and defeat Master Cyclonis when she was on the verge of victory. She remembered how the Storm Hawks brought hope when there was none. 

Starling(Holoprojection): I have faith in you, Aerrow. You and the Storm Hawks haven't let us down yet. I don't have any doubt you'll come up with something. If you managed to escape from Thrawn, then there is hope. 

Aerrow: We'll find a way to beat Thrawn. He may have the upper hand, but we're still here. As long as we can fight, there's hope. Hold out for a little longer, Starling. We're on our way.

With that, the Storm Hawks charted a course to Terra Nord to meet up with the remnants of the Sky Knights to discuss a plan to take down Thrawn and the reformed Cyclonian. But little did they know was that they would unintentionally lead Thrawn to the Sky Knight remnants. They were unwitting pawns in Thrawn's plan. Thrawn would patiently wait until the Storm Hawks stopped. Once then, he would prepare the appropriate strategy to take on the Sky Knights. Despite his overwhelming advantage over the Sky Knights, Thrawn would not allow himself to underestimate either the Storm Hawks or the Sky Knight remnant.