Chapter 23 - Battle for Takodana - Sixth Part (1/2)

Takodana Orbit. Star Destroyer Dark Hammer.

Commander Sylus was receiving the information about the attack in Takodana every minute and he could not help but feel a great satisfaction to hear that the battle was tilting in their favor. He was trained to keep his calm at all times but he had to accept that Maz Kanata's words had made him angry so he felt a deep satisfaction at imagining the desperation that old hag should be feeling right now.

- ”Commander...”- informed an officer to his right- ”Takodana's headquarters sends a transmission.”

- ”it was time already”- he said while smiling as only someone who knows that victory was ȧssured- ”allow it!”

Immediately the face of Maz Kanata appeared on the screen but Sylus did not detect any sign of defeat or worry. He had to accept that her poker face was at a very good level.

- ”To what do I have the honor to talk to the Queen of Pirates again?”- said Sylus with a mocking tone- ”I suppose it is not to deliver your unconditional surrender to the First Order.”

- ”Hah! In your dreams!”- said Maz with a huge grin- ”I just wanted to offer you a last chance to turn around and abandon my territory before you are annihilated!”

The face of the commander changed and he thought Maz was just trying to waste his time by presenting a tough attitude in face of defeat. He adopted a solemn expression and looked at the proud pirate with pity.

- ”There is nothing wrong with accepting defeat to a better opponent, Captain”- said Sylus using a tone which a senior would use to lecture a junior- ”just surrender and stop wasting our time.”

- ”Humph! Looks like someone is getting ċȯċky!”- said Maz acting as if she was talking with a poor child who did not understand his situation- ”I was just trying to give you a chance but if you prefer to send yourself to death... so be it!”

- ”We are winning!”- said Sylus whose patience had ran out already since the thing he hated the most were bad losers- ”there's nothing you can do to change the situation.”

- ”You are right! I can't!”- said Maz grinning and Sylus' instinct which had been forged by years of experience and batte screamed in warning- ”but they do!”

- ”Commander! Multiple signals appearing from sector 871, 580!”

- ”What?!”

Immediately, various Mon Calamari Star Star Cruisers got out from Hyperspace and immediately started to shoot at the First Order fleet. At the same time many X-wing star fighters were deployed and while most of them attacked the fleet, another group of X-wing fighters and transport ships descended on Takodana.

- ”More power to the lateral shields! Send the reserve TIE fighters to engage the enemy!”- said Sylus reacting decisively- ”all Star destroyers target the Star Cruisers! Inform Lord Ren of the Resistance arrival!”

He then turned to see the ever grinning Maz Kanata who looked at him with naughty eyes. Sylus did not lose his temper.

- ”This will not change anything!”- said the commander with great confidence.

- ”Say that after you know who your opponent is, child”- said Maz and then the transmission was cut off.

Once again, Sylus felt that something was extremely wrong. Who was capable enough to give Maz Kanata such confidence?

- ”Send a transmission to the enemy fleet!”- he ordered and immediately started talking- ”this is Commander Sylus Wrot of the First order in charge of the flagship Dark Hammer. Your attack is an open declaration of war against the First Order. Retire now and there will be no consequences.”

After that, Commander Sylus waited for the response of the enemy and felt that every second was just too long. He hoped the enemy hurried up with his answer.

- ”Here Admiral Gial Akbar of the Resistance in charge of the Flagship Galactic Voyager!”- said a deep and rough voice and Sylus felt his legs going weak when he saw the face of his enemy- ”your attack on the Senate of the Republic had turned the First Order into a terrorist organization and was a declaration of war to all the systems that are part of the Republic. Surrender now or face annihilation!”

A lightning would not have had the same effect that Admiral Akbar's words on Sylus. He had faced many opponents during the last years but he knew that Admiral Akbar was just in another level. Akbar's response was filled with conviction and strength and had no trace of doubt or weakness. He could even detect a deep outrage. Sylus knew that Akbar was absolutely sure of his victory and for a moment Commander Sylus wondered if he was up to the challenge.

(...)

As soon as the Resistance fleet had arrived to the orbit of Takodana, a squadron of X-wing starfighters had descended at full speed on Takodana and were approaching the the battlefield after having enter the atmosphere successfully in order to clean the area in preparation for the ground forces to land. They flew down along the lake and their figures were like messengers of death coming to reap the lives of the First Order whose ground forces were already trying to take posiions against them. Some TIE fighters were also flying their way.

- ”Ok, Rogue Squadron! Everyone in formation!”- ordered the leader of the group and if Finn cold see him, he would be absolutely shocked to recognize Poe Dameron who he believed had died in Jakku- ”Go straight at them! Don't let these dogs scare you”

- ”Copy that”- said a female voice who was Rogue 14 through the intercom.

- ”We're with you, Poe.”- said Rogue 4 whose voice transmitted a confidence that could be only the result of years of battles.

- ”Teams 1 and 2 will divide and attack with a Fan formation”- ordered Poe calculaing the time he still had before they clashed with the enemy- ”teams 3 and 4, while we take their attention, clean the ground troops as much as you can.”

- ”Roger that!!!!”- all the pilots in the rogue squadron responded.

- ”Let's roll!”- said Poe aiming his lasers to the incoming enemies.

After some seconds they engaged the First Order fighters which seemed to outnumber them but the result was totally unexpected. In tyhe last second manny oif the X-wing fighters separated from the main group and started to flank the tght TIE fighters formation taking them by surprise. The Resistance fighters went in and out in waves while crossing each other which threw all the battlefield in chaos. After a while the TIE fighters could only separate to try and shoot down the seemingly wandering X-wing fighters.

- ”It always works with these newbies!”- commented a pilot of the Rogue Squadron while shooting down another TIE fighter

Even though it seemed they were just fighting in disarray, the reality was that they were still following a patron and covering each other's backs in a way that would make any other person dizzy. The pilots of the First Order which had only been trined in basic and typical battle formations had no chance at all. Meanwhile the two teams in charge of the ground forces had already arrived to their objective and started to clean out all the enemies they saw at such breaking speed that many of the stormtroopers had only seen shadows covering them before going to sleep forever.

- ”Here Maz Kanata!”- Poe received a transmission from headquarters- ”it's been a while, kid”

- ”I'm sure you had all under control”- replied Poe persuing his next prey- ”they said you had unwelcome guests.”

- ”Yes!”- said Maz with a sigh- ”there must be one around your position in the ground and another two are flying directly to your position and they will be at your location shortly.”

- ”Copy that!”-said Poe while gunning down his 11th TIE fighter - ”Team 3 and 4 eliminate a Shadow that must be lurking in the ground... Teams 1 and 2 prepare to engage two shadows on the sky.”

- ”Roger that!!!”

Poe felt no nervousness at all but instead a sense of impatience and he hoped that those knights of Ren got here faster. It was not the first time he fought them, actually, none of the Rogue squadron was new at engaging Sith Lords. The Rogue Squadron had been created in the middle of the war against the Empire 30 years before and it had always been a symbol of hope and power for the Rebel Alliance. Many talented and skillful pilots had been part of such squadron including his own parents which made Rogue Squadron something extremely personal and important to Poe. After the end of the war, the Rogue Squadron had been disolved and its story was placed in the books of history to take its place among the legends of the universe.

- ”Have you decided, Poe?”- Leia Organa had been the one introducing him to the Resistance and Poe had helped her but once he was there he noticed that the pilots and personnel were extremely limited and undertrained.

- ”I have... but If I have to be honest”- said Poe with a worried expression- ”even the cadets in the New Republic Academy would be in better conditions than here. No offense, General but I think we are not ready to fight the First Order”

- ”Non taken”- said Leia smiling and Poe could detect a decisive fire in her eyes- ”I know better than anyone that what yu say is true but... all things need time to grow and I'm certain that I'll be able to show you how this organization becomes a behemot.”

Now, however, he focused all his skills and talents at the service of the Resistance and the Republic and it seemed as if he had placed all his pain and anger as fuel in the fight against the First Order. One of the first things that he had done was to call for all the original members of the Rogue Squadron that were still alive and ready to once again defend the galaxy from the tyranny. Poe could still be considered a new member of the Resistance, but everyone had seen his talent and they all were in awe to see how he ascended rapidly in ranks until becoming the leader of the Rapier Squadron after accomplishing many important achievements. One day, he had been summoned to the main headquarters and his surprise had been enormous when he found Leia and Luke waiting for him.

- ”It's a pŀėȧsurė to see you, Poe”- greeted Leia when he entered to the room- ”I heard about your last mission... congratulations!”

- ”It was teamwork”- said Poe a little nervous- ”my team is always supporting me.”

- ”I want you to meet my brother, Luke Skywalker.”- said Leia and Luke advance with steady and decisive steps.