Chapter 12 - Outmatched (1/2)

The Millennium Falcon took off into space and started to fly around the Keil Garris Ship. Han was obviously making sure all of the pirates and bounty hunters look at him.

- ”So the plan?”- asked Finn starting to get nervous.

- ”Making them go after us”- answered Han with a ċȯċky voice- I suppose they'll start sending their greetings soon.”

- ”Greetings?”- asked Rey and then they saw multiple star fighters coming to them at high speed.

- ”You can start shooting when you want kids”- said Han to Rey and Finn who were stunned to the quantity of enemies they had to face- ”Lando, shields at maximum.”

- ”Worry about yourself, you crazy dog!”

- ”I always do”- said Han grinning at what was coming- ”let's show them, Chewee!”

- ”Graaaaaaw!”- said Chewee with an excited voice.

The Millennium Falcon started to fly faster and then the starfighters started to shoot at them but Chewee easily evaded them and started to fly to their blind spots. Bala-tik was very angry at the sight of this since he did not ordered to shoot at the Millennium Falcon.

- ”Stop you idiots!”- said Bala-tik shouting in anger- ”the droid could be inside the ship! Do you wanna blow up our bounty?”

- ”But... captain... ARGHH!”- the transmission was cut and the system showed the fighter had been destroyed- ”Damn it! Switch weapons to Hacking Blades and stop them!”

- ”Yes captain!”- said the pilots he had sent and then called to the other captains so they did the same since he did not want any idiot to make a mistake.

Hacking blades were the name people had given to a type of missile that had appeared in the Dark Net and that as the name suggested ivaded the systems of the ship it was attacked making it possible to control by the pirates operating them. It was perfect for stopping and raiding ship without destroying them and one of the favorites of any pirate and bounty hunter in the galaxy.

- ”We just need one good hit and those credits are ours!”- said Bala-Tik with a horrible grin that combined expectation and sadism- ”be ready to initiate the control of their systems as soon as one of our missiles hits.”

However, Bala-Tik's expectations did not occur at and insterad of the sound of hit and hack, he started to hear many of the sounds that indicated that his starfighters were being destroyed. And also, he started to feel that the tremors in his own ship were increasing.

- ”What's happening?!”- he asked after the 11th starfighter was destroyed.

- ”We are receving massive damage from the city ship and our starfighters are unable to cope with the Millennium Falcon.”

- ”How useless our pilots could be?”- shouted Bala-Tik in shock- ”how many other enemy starfighters are there?”

- ”The Falcon is the only one...”- said the pirate with a low voice.

- ”WHAT THE HELL...?”- shouted Bala-Tik when he heard this- ”HOW CAN ONE SHIP DESTROY 11 STARFIGHTERS?”

- ”The count is 13 now, Sir”- corrected the pirate- ”and the other crews inform that they have similar losses.”

- ”What... then... How....?”- this piece of information stunned Bala-Tik who could not understand how one ship could make such damage, he could only watch to the main panel in shock and utter disbelief.

The truth was that the pirate pilots were definitely not amateurs and they had had their fair share of fighting before and many could be considered experts and even veterans but who were Han and Chewee? Not only had they survived in the smuggling bussiness during the dangerous days of the Empire when the security and trading was tightly controlled with an iron grip but they had also escaped and even cheated the Hutts who were the uncontested overlords of the underworld. After that, they had jined the Rebel Alliance and they had played a key role in the weakening and final demise of the powerful Galactic Empire. After the Battle of Endor they had continued fighting on the side of the New Republic in multiple cruel and bloody battles that put their skills and resolve to the limit. And lately, they had returned to battle the First order who nt only had excellent pilots but who also had high-tech technology and weapons.

Experts? Veterans? They were only pitiful greenhorns in the eyes of these two battle-hardened space warlords that had flown side to side with the best pilot in the Rebel Alliance. Many of the pirates did not even know how they had been shot down and they did not even know where the Millennium Falcon was.

- ”Captain!”- said one of the pilots with a horrified voice- ”I think Solo had made a deal with the other pirates! I was shot by the starfighters of the other crews!”

- ”What did you say?”- Bala-Tik asked but the pilot had alrteady been killed.

- ”Captain, we intercepted a message from Solo to the Irvin Brothers and the Russens!”- informed the pirate in charge of the systems- ”The Jekkins Triads also confirmed this information.”

- ”Fuck!”- swore Bala-Tik starting to sweat and he wondered what had Solo offer to them to convince them to betray him- ”Open the communication with the other captains that are on our side and start maneuvers to attack the traitors!”

His subordinate nodded and started to comply. He had to act fast or soon the Garris would join the traitors and destroy him. Soon the holograms of the other captains showed in front of him sand their faces also showed intense rage.

- ”I suppose I don{t have to tell you what happened!”- said Bala-Tik- ”I just want to be sure that we are on this together!”

- ”Death to the traitors”- said other gang leader and the others also followed suite.

- ”CAPTAIN!”- cried the subordinate- ”THE IRVING BROTHERS, THE RUSSENS AND THREE OTHER GANGS ARE POINTING THEIR WEAPONS AT US!”

- ”FUCK!! SHOOT AT THEM NOW!”

Immediately after, chaos started and a massive space battle exploded and the former allies became bitter enemies who went all out to destroy each other while accusations were fired as much as torpedoes.

- ”You fuċkers intend to betray me?”- shouted Bala-Tik- ”What did Solo offer you?”

- ”I should be asking you that, you rotten backstabber!”

- ”Send the Russens to hell!

- ”Hahahah I can finally send you to your tomb, you pigs!”

Meanwhile, Han and Chewee looked at each other laughing and Finn and Rey looked in disbelief to the scene that was taking place in front of them.

- ”Lando...”- said Han using the intercom- ”keep the fire at the maximum”

- ”Haha! Doing it and enjoying it”- said the naughty voice by the radio.

- ”How did you do that?”- asked Finn who could not understand what had happened.

- ”Those kids believe that Hacking Blades are a novelty”- explained Han with a ċȯċky grin while he watch his enemies tearing apart each other- ”they don't know that we were already using it even before they had been in the wȯmbs of their mothers and obviously created counter measures.”

Truth was that the Millennium Falcon had been hit by the Hacking Blades of every crew, this had been done in purpose of course and Chewee had made sure to receive them in non-critical parts of the fuselage. At the moment of the impact, the hacking process automatically started but how could Han and Chewee fall for this trap? Han and Chewee were not the only ones to improve during war, but the Millennium Falcon. Years of hardcore improvements in high-tech illegal hardware and software had made the once Freighter used for trasportation into a Dragon-like existance that not many ships could compare to. Speed! Fire potency! Accuracy! Maneuvering! Defense systems! Detection! Stealth! Hacking! Interception! All of these stats were maximized and even the Republic engineers would sweat if they could see the capacities of this legendary ship.

- ”Once the Hacking Blades tried to hack our systems”- continued Han while maneuvering the Millennium Falcon to shoot down more starfighters- ”we hacked theirs instead.”

Han then explained what he had done after. Once the systems had been under their control, they had given false information to the starfighters and the systems started to show that the Millennium Falcon were in front of them. Not only that, but they also changed the weapon systems to normal torpedoes. Many of these pilots blindly followed the systems and did not notice they were attacking their allies with live shots and soon the confusion controlled them and made Chewee's work easier. It was true that they could have done the same using noral methods but their numbers were just too much. Han was sure that Luke could have destroyed them all completely alone, but Han had long accepted he was below Luke in flying skills.

- ”Let's thin their numbers more”- said Han and Chewee nodded- ”I'm sure they'll realize our little plan soon.”

Chewee and Han used this moment to maneuver around and give the Finn and Rey plenty of good targets that they did not miss. Meanwhile, Bala-Tik faction had already destroyed the majority of the traitor forces but he was not happy at all.

- ”Damage report!”- he asked in a furious tone.

- ”Defense systems at 40%”- said his subordinate- ”weapons systems at 70%. Energy levels at 56%. Fuselage presenting important damage and we have lost a 54% of our ships and crewmembers.”

- ”Fuck me!”- he punched his seat with fury. This mission would cost him a fortune and he doubted he could recover much after getting the bounty for the droid- ”What about our allies?”

- ”The Jekkins and the Guargs were completely annihilated”- replied the subordinate sweating profusely- ”The Roccos managed to survive but their losses are massive and they can't move or attack. Only the Guavian Death Gang is in conditions to continue attacking.”

- ”Tell them to attack the Garris and the Millennium Falcon!”- exploded Bala-Tik- ”I'll get that damned droid and skin Han solo alive or my name is not Bala-Tik!”

Many more starfighters exploded in the middle of the space after very good shots from Finn and Rey who did not waste Chewee's opportunities.

- ”Those two are good”- said Han after seeing their shooting accuracy.

- ”Grrrr”- said Chewee and Han saw how te pirate fleets were starting to cease their fire.

- ”Damn! That was faster than I expected!”- said Han who did not think the fight would end this fast.

- ”Well...”- said Lando who continued attacking them- ”the enemy forces had been reduced greatly and only two fleets remain so I would say it's an improvement.”

- ”I know... I know”- said Han and activate the communications with the Garris- ”let's go to phase two now that we have their attention... Lendra!”

- ”Yes, General”- the woman said

- ”Send me the coordinates to the 'Rat trap'”- said Han and Chewee started to shout in horror.

- ”Wait!”- said Lando in a grave tone- ”Do you want to destroy another ship? If that's so, please do it in a different one!”

- ”It's the only chance... now that they are focused in us, they will destroy our shields in no time...”- said Han but you could notice a little wavering in his voice- ”Lendra, did you hear?”

- ”Yes, general...” - she replied but her voice sounded doubting

- ”Don't worry...”- said Han this time with a confident tone- ”we have practiced many times, right?”

- ”And 60% we have failed and almost died”- said Lando

- ”Grrr...”

- ”It will be fine!... Lendra... do it!”- ordered Han with a firm tone

- ”Yes, General...”- the voice sounded resigned.

- ”Lando I need you to contact Leia as soon as they follow me”- said Han.

- ”You just want to avoid paperwork”- said Lando

- ”How could you think that after my sacrifice?- said Han with a hurt voice- ”tell Leia we'll use Maz' place to transmit the information.”