The Hex Wing Series Chapter Four

 

“How long before we can make the jump to hyperspace?” demanded Karktiss.

“40 seconds Sir.”

The Imperial officer paled and glanced back at the Alliance cruisers, the Retaliators heavy turbolaser blasts still thumping out periodically to keep them at bay. “Launch all remaining fighters.” he ordered.

“We have nothing left Grand Admiral. You have already committed all our forces and the TIE Bombers that made it back are still rearming and fuelling.” Honsou, second in command to Karktiss answered the man bluntly before grabbing his arm and pulling him round to face one another. “I did advise you that splitting our forces and committing our fighter group too early would leave us open to attack but you decided differently.” His voice began to rise, the anger he felt inside at the losses inflicted on the Retaliators pilots took hold and he began to shout. “And then you decided to open fire THROUGH our own forces! Now you are trying to run from a battle without even pulling those men and women back on board.”

“Do not question my orders!” Hissed Karktiss, shaking off Honsou’s grip and narrowing his eyes. “You dare to address me in front of the crew in that tone Captain. It is unacceptable, it is INSUBORDINATION. Troopers, arrest Captain Honsou and take him to the cells.” Karktiss waved the bridge guards over, but the two Stormtroopers continued to stand motionless, ignoring his orders.

“Admiral, we have X-Wings bearing down on us.”

“Fire on them! Where is the fighter screen, why have they not intercepted them? Trooper, I said arrest Captain Honsou, NOW!”

The Retaliators anti Starfighter weapons began opening fire on the three X-Wings approaching and the three ships instantly broke formation and began weaving to throw off the gunners aim. The Stormtroopers continued to ignore Karktiss’s orders.

“Twenty seconds left before the hyperdrive is ready Sir, X-Wings now in torpedo range.”

Honsou clasped his hands behind his back and walked to the windows to view the X-Wings that were now lining up on their final attack run. “It’s over Karktiss. Those X-Wings are going to launch Ion weapons and take down our shields, and when that happens we can no longer safely jump to hyperspace. You will answer to the Rebel forces for your crimes.” He turned back to face Karktiss, the Admirals face flush with rage. “But before that happens, the crew of the Retaliator will have its justice. Troopers, if you would”

The two Stormtroopers guarding the bridge doors immediately strode forward towards Karktiss, their boots clicking sharply on the floor as they approached and their blank helmets eliciting the same fear response in him that many of the Empires citizens had felt.

“This is mutiny Honsou!” Karktiss screamed at him as the two troopers began pulling him away from the command deck, “You will pay for this! You will ALL PAY!” His screams faded from the bridge as the doors closed behind them. Nobody saw the humiliated Grand Admiral pull a small box from his pocket and press a button on its surface.

“Incoming Torpedos Captain.”

Honsou sighed. “Shut down the hyperdrive. And open a channel to the Rebels.”

“Aye Sir. Channel open.”

“Rebel forces, this is Captain Honsou of the Retaliator. I am now in command of this ship and I am recalling all forces.” He turned to the bridge crew sat around him in the pits lining the Star Destroyers command walkway. “Cease fire from turbolaser batteries and recall our fighters, they are not to engage any further rebel forces.”

“Aye Sir”

A brilliant blue flash from outside lit up the bridge and another klaxon added to the noise on the bridge. “Shields down Sir.”

Honsou let out another deep breath. “Rebel forces, I have ordered all batteries to cease fire and ordered our ships to return to the hangars without further engagement. Please acknowledge.”

“This is Fleet Admiral Scorer of the New Republic. From my point of view Captain, I would say you are now the rebels. I have also ordered my Squadrons to disengage, however they will maintain a defensive perimeter around our cruisers. I am sure you understand.”

“New Republic?” Honsou shook his head, “I’m not quite ready to accept that Admiral Scorer. I assure you, we will not be engaging in further hostilities. What is it you want?”

“The New Republic will be taking control of the Retaliator Captain Honsou, your crew will be detained and held until we have completed background checks. I must ask though, where is Grand Admiral Karktiss?”

Honsou shook his head, “He’s ours Admiral Scorer. There are things he has done on this ship, to this crew, and he will pay the price in accordance with Imperial justice.”

“I cannot allow that Captain, please confine Grand Admiral Karktiss to quarters until my arrival, we have a boarding party preparing to depart now.” Scorers voice rose in pitch and urgency, he knew what Imperial justice meant and he wanted to see Karktiss paraded through the Alliances courts. A visual demonstration of what the New Republic stood for.

A commotion on the bridge suddenly erupted and Honsou stepped back to see what was going on. “Report crewman, this is not the time!”

“Sir, someone reported weapon fire.”

Honsou swore, he had expected some on board to react badly to the surrender but he didn’t want further internal conflict. “Where is it, can we get some of our troopers down there?”

 “It started outside the detention centre, now approaching the hangar deck.”

“What the hell happened?! Get me the Stormtroopers commanding officer!”

“I can’t Sir, we already tried but he is not responding to our requests.”

“Get me SOMEONE!” Honsou snapped, “We need to close off that route to the hangar deck. Let me know when you have someone in command down there. What fighters do we still have outside?”

“Gamma Squadron are on approach now Sir.”

“Put me through, Tu’Rus? Tu’Rus? We have control of the bridge but Karktiss still has some followers. They are trying to make it to the hangar, I need you to intercept anything that attempts to leave.”

“Understood Sir. Gamma Squadron break off and form up on me.” Three TIE Interceptors making their approach to the Retaliator immediately peeled away from the Star Destroyers line up of returning ships and began flying a circular pattern around it.

“Honsou, this is Scorer, why have your ships regrouped? I will open fire if you do not respond.”

On the bridge Honsou removed his grey officers cap and ran a hand back across his head, squeezing his scalp as he did so to try and relieve some of the building tension. The internal communications system was now being relayed loudly enough for him to hear, E11 blasts punctuated the air as Stormtroopers relayed information between themselves and the bridge.

“Scorer, troops loyal to Karktiss have commandeered the prisoner and are attempting to liberate him. I have ordered the Interceptors to take a holding position and stop any ships leaving the Retaliator.” Honsou had of course expected some on board the Retaliator to protest against the mutiny, Karktiss had a way of convincing people to follow him without question, but he hadn’t expected a running gun battle through the Star Destroyers corridors.

“Understood Honsou, do you require assistance?” The question from the Rebels, Republic, sounded sincere enough and the Imperial officer considered it for a moment then shook his head.

“Thank you Scorer but no. Anyone loyal to Karktiss must see this situation controlled by Imperial forces for now. Please standby.”

“Captain, they’ve made it to the hangar.” A crewman waved Honsou over and turned up the volume on the internal communications system for him again, “Go ahead trooper, Captain Honsou is here.”

“Captain, TK15798. We tried to keep them pinned down but they managed to splice through the hangar deck doors. We’ve lost a couple troopers down here Sir, request permission to use deadly force.” As per Honsou’s orders, when the mutiny took place all of the Retalitators Stormtroopers loyal to him had set weapons to stun only. If anything occurred he didn’t want to lose any more lives. Honsous slammed a fist down on a nearby railing and steadied himself against it.

“Very well trooper, deadly force is authorised.” Honsou looked down on the crewman seated below him at the control station, whose face had paled at the order. “I tried. I really tried.”

“Sir! Unauthorised transmission detected!” Another crewman hailed him from the other side of the walkway spanning the Retailiators bridge and Honsou rushed over.

“What? Where from? To who, can we listen in?”

“It’s from the shuttle Protector on the hangar Sir, it’s powering up engines and sent a hyperspace communication. Can't tell from here who the intended recipient was, they’ve locked us out of their systems.”

Honsou swore again and spun round, “Does anyone have some good news? Ok people, think. If you were Karktiss what would you be doing and who would you be contacting?”

“The shuttle has hyperdrive capability, wouldn’t he just run?” asked someone.

“No, even he would anticipate us keeping fighters out to close him down once the escape started. That or the rebels chasing him down. Anyone else?” Honsou shook his head as he answered and paced along the walkway, looking down at the crew around him. “Come on people, Karktiss never asked for your input but I am, what is he planning?”

“Captain, the Admiral was planning to jump us to the Sienar shipyards above Castell to regroup with other Imperial forces. Perhaps he has called for an escort?” another crewman offered.

Honsou paused and his brow creased, would he really try to go to the same place? Of course he would, and be betting that the Rebels wouldn’t follow him once he had more allies. He turned and marched smartly back to the rear of the bridge and the command chair, barking orders as he went. “I think you’re right. Pull the Stromtroopers back from the hangar, that shuttle will tear them apart once its defence system comes on line. Put me back through to that Rebel Admiral, and tell Gamma Squadron to prepare to intercept and disable that shuttle.”

“Go ahead Retaliator, this is the Liberty. I am hoping you have some good news for me Captain.”

“I’m afraid they have reached the hangar and boarded a shuttle. A long range communication has already been detected, we believe he may be continuing to try to reach the Castell shipyards but will try to stop the shuttle before it can jump to hyperspace Admiral. We believe he may hae called for reinforcements.”

There was a pause as the Republic Admiral considered the news that had just been relayed to him. “You understand Captain Honsou, you are asking me to believe that you have led a mutiny on a Star Destroyer in the middle of a battle, taken the commanding officer prisoner and he has somehow now escaped and about to leave with a shuttle after contacting external forces? A man that is wanted to answer some serious allegations about his conduct on various planetary systems. This all seems a little... convenient.”

“I know Admiral, it doesn’t look good. But my priority is to my crew, not to Karktiss and not to you. I have no loyalty for that man and there are many on this ship that also want to see...”

“Ship exiting hyperspace Sir!” Honsou was interrupted by the news, followed quickly by a flash and wailing collision alerts as another Star Destroyer snapped in to normal space just a few kilometres from the Retaliator. Honsous ship now lay between the new arrival and the Rebel MC-75’s.

“All ships, this is Ria Tamak of the Royal Guard. Grand Admiral Karktiss is now under our protection. If you attempt to intervene with his transfer of command you will be fired upon. ISD Advocate OUT.”

“I need shields up now.” Honsou barked

“Captain,” Scorer was back on the comm system and didn’t sound happy.

“Not my call Admiral, I told you they got a message off.” Honsou cautioned, “Right now I have no shields, one battery of heavy turbolasers, two angry MC-75’s and a Star Destroyer filled with Royal Guard who don’t sound chatty. We are in no place to call the shots right now.”

“Sir, our shield generators are still overloaded from the Rebel attack.” A crewman interjected with the news Honsou didn’t want to hear right now.

“Very well Honsou, we will take care of this. Jarakin, our shields are now at 25% but for’ard only. Liberty and Defiance to maintain weapons range and try to grab Karktiss with tractor beams once he leaves the Retaliator. Honsou, I suggest you try and distance yourself from the Advocate.”

“Bring us about and get those shields up!” barked Honsou, the star field outside already starting to slowly crawl past the viewport as the crew moved to carry out his orders.

“Shuttle Protector has left the hangar sir,” Tu’Rus signalled the bridge, “Should we close it down?”

“Negative Gamma Squadron, RTB.” One of the bridge officers relayed the message after Honsou flagged her attention and shook his head, circling a finger to indicate the ships should return to the hangar deck.

As the Liberty and Defiance crawled towards the new arrival in the system, the Protector broke cover from the side of the Retaliator. “Admiral, target in range!” came a shout on the Liberty. Scorer nodded his head and gave his next order.

“Very well, target with tractor beams and bring it in.”

“Aye sir!”

The Liberty’s powerful tractor beams locked on to the shuttle and pulled it to a stop. Designed to hold frigates in position, the shuttle’s much smaller power plants presented no challenge for the tractor beams. As the Protector slowly started being pulled towards the Liberty, the ISD Advocate made good on its promise and opened fire.

The Retaliator rocked as the Advocates heavy turbolasers bore down on it, without the shields the blasts instantly tore through the already badly damaged hull, turning armour plating to burning holes and molten slag. “Get us out of here!” yelled Honsou, “Shields?!”

“Coming online now Sir, 2%,” another blast hit the crippled destroyer and the crewman paused before continuing “shields out again but rebuilding.”

“Scorer! Back off! We can’t take this!” Honsou had opened another channel to the Alliance fleet, the Retaliator slowly trying to claw some distance away from the Advocate and the closing MC-75’s.

On the Liberty’s bridge Scorer contacted Jarakin on the Defiance, “What do you suggest?”

Evilgrin considered the options. “Pull back and cover the Retaliator. I suspect Honsou may be willing to help us track Karktiss if we can cover his tail.”

“Very well, Alliance forces release the Imperial shuttle and provide assistance to the Retaliator.” Scorer sat back on his command chair, the bridge crew around him on the Liberty already bringing the large cruiser around. He pressed a button on the arm of the chair.

“Sticks, I have a mission for Remnant Squadron.”