36 Burnt the Bridge (1/2)
To Randd it felt as if the corridors of the Inflictor were taking hours to transverse. Ree and her lover walked beside one another. They didn't hold each others hands, not for the others to see. Ree had her hands behind her back, as did Thane, their right hand grasping their left wrists.
They gave each other glances when they knew no one else except for Randd who was walking behind them was looking. A small smile was across Thane's lips as Ree smiled with her eyes.
Professionalism is what Imperials took their pride in showing. It was something that Ree would always carry with her as she had never left it behind. Thane was going to join her, he was going to be by her side throughout this ordeal.
They were closer to the Hangar bay within thirteen minutes of leaving the main bridge of the Star Destroyer known as the Inflictor. Her current charge. They were leaving to board the Guardian, the Flagship of the newborn government, the Galactic Imperium.
The alarms suddenly blared. A voice shouted over the intercom, just as the trio entered the hangar bay.
”Captain! Com-scan has picked up multiple New Republic Hyperspace Vectors opening up behind us! All hands, prepare for evasive maneuvers! You have to make sure to transfer –” Just then the voice was cut off and a trembling broke out across all decks.
A Nebulon B medical frigate crashed into the back of the Inflictor's command tower a mere second after exiting hyperspace. This sent countless Imperial Officers bracing themselves against the wall or fumbling to the ground. Very few were able to keep their footing due to the violent rocking of the interior of the vessel.
The Nebulon B frigate was cripple and all hands were lost, most of its decks were either ripped apart or exposed to vacuum. The Star Destroyer however became derelict as all officers began to abandon ship following the loss of the bridge.
Ree slowly raised to her feet with the help of Thane pulling her up by the shoulder and glancing over at Randd who was still standing as he braced himself against a crate. ”Lets get going...” Ree said with an urgent tone as the three rushed over towards the Lambda shuttle's open loading ramp as the pilot was getting ready to take off.
If they had waited just a moment later, they were sure they would have been left behind.
”Hangar Control, This is Corporal Ren Kel Shuttle Phi Delta, we're now leaving the Inflictor and setting course of the Guardian,” The pilot said over the communications system, glancing over at the three higher ranked officers and Thane who were now seated in the other seats within the cockpit, manning the other stations.
”Acknowledged Corporal, you're clear to leave the hangar!”
The shuttle would momentarily stall before lifting off the ground slowly, retracting its landing gear as it turned around. Just as it was aimed outward from the shuttle bay, the wings would extend to either side and it would rush forward and out of the hangar.
...
The former Monarch of Naboo, Empress Sosha Soruna, and Emperor Tobias stood within the star lounge on board the Guardian. They had been watching the whole thing, a single vessel having come out of hyperspace and collide with the Star Destroyer.
Sosha stood there with a hand over her mouth, she was dressed in a flamboyant colored Imperial uniform which had a red diagonal sash and gold embroidering.