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Flyboys - A Star Wars Story (Work In Progress)

Summary:

After the Battle of Crait, the Resistance is slowly but steadily recovering. With barely enough hands to keep their operation afloat, everyone must play their part if they are going to be an effective adversary to the First Order. Three of the Poe's most trusted pilots were lucky to survive the onslaught that claimed the lives of so many of their friends. Jaycob, Mac, and Jon'Kil now have to step up and become key players in this game of war, the fate and freedom of the galaxy now on the line. Taking place prior and during the events of The Rise of Skywalker, read how this intertwines with the events of the film as well as giving more of a twist in narrative in terms of what I think should’ve happened. Please enjoy!

(Highly recommended that you read my other pieces leading up to this story. Under my works, just find “The Flesio Series”.)

Chapter 1: Jaycob

Summary:

A year has passed since the dreadful Battle of Crait, the Resistance has been on the run, recruiting who they can and trying their best to rebuild. Now, the entirety of the Resistance is able to fit in a single CR90 corvette, the Tantive IV. Having re-established some sense of order and routine in their ranks, the Resistance force, now led by Poe Dameron, must keep fighting to survive. The threat of the mighty First Order is still prominent in the galaxy, but the mission is still the same as it was when Leia Organa was still alive: destroy the military superpower once and for all...

Chapter Text

The faint tapping at Jaycob's quarters door grew louder and louder, pulling him out of his deep sleep. A muffled voice could be heard from the other side. Rubbing his eyes, Jaycob reached for his wrist-gauntlet, rolling his eyes as he saw the time. The muffled voice behind the door was getting frustrated, the knocks also becoming more rapid. Strapping the device onto his wrist, Jaycob finally gathered the strength to plant his feet on the ground and walk to the door. He pressed the door release and slowly dragged himself into his bathroom, the voice of his friend, Mac, becoming clearer as he entered the room.

"Jaycob! You know General Dameron was calling for us, right?"

Turning on his faucet, Jaycob splashed cold water onto his face in an attempt to wake himself up. He heard everything his friend was saying, but zoned it out. He gargled a handful of more water and rinsed his mouth, spitting the excess back into the sink. Turning around, he reached for the towel hanging on its drying rack, only for it to not be there. Jaycob turned his dripping face to Mac, staring at the missing towel that was now in his hands. Mac smiled mischievously shaking the fabric in his hand. Jaycob replied with a simple "give-it" hand gesture, being obliged with the fabric being thrown onto his face. Jaycob wiped down and exited back into his bedroom, only to sit back bedside.

"You were saying?"

"Dameron has been pinging the three of us for like ten minutes! He needs us at the conference chamber."

Sarcastically looking around his room, Jaycob pointed out with his eyes that they were the only two people there. Mac caught onto the signal quickly and tried to clear himself.

"Jon'Kil, you moron. We gotta get the Chiss, Dameron wants him too."

"Riiight. Did Poe tell you exactly why we're needed?"

"Well...no. But-"

"Then there's nothing to worry about buddy. It's probably just another stupid cargo run that he doesn't trust the newbies to take care of. We'll just wait it out, and if it's that important, he'll find us himself."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

Jaycob shrugged.

"It works."

"Ok, but I think this might be different. He mentioned something about a new fighter, o-or something."

"Oh really? That's all the information you got? You're gonna have to do a better job at selling it before I'm conv-"

"Bombers. They're bombers, hotshot."

Jaycob raised his eyebrows, this peaked his interest.

"I'm listening."

"Well, like I said that's all I heard. I'm pretty sure if you get your lazy ass up he might actually tell us."

Jaycob stretched and stood back up again.

"Fine. But if it is another cargo run, I'm making you do it yourself."

"Deal."

(-)

Jaycob and Mac both left the officer's quarters and walked to one of the two docking bays in order to find their last piece of the puzzle. Jon'Kil. He was busy working on his new X-Wing, after his previous was blown to bits after evacuating D’Qar. Fusion cutter in his hand and blast shield over his face, it was too loud for him to hear either Jaycob or Mac's callouts. So instead, Mac resorted to knocking on his face mask. The Chiss was startled, practically jumping up and hitting the back of his head on his fighter's hull.

"Kriff!"

Jaycob and Mac both chuckled at his clumsiness.

"Dicks."

He said, rubbing the top of his head. Taking off his helmet and pulling off his gloves, Jon'Kil leaned against his fighter.

"What do you need?"

"We got a request from the general. We're needed at the conference chamber."

Mac answered.

"Cargo run?"

Jon'Kil asked, making Jaycob scoff.

"No! It's not a stupid cargo run!"

"Don't worry Jon'Kil, I thought the same thing. But I told him if it is, he's doing it alone."

"I like that idea."

Mac rolled his eyes and turned out into the main corridor, motioning for the other two to follow. They obliged, the group eventually entering the midship elevator that would take them directly to the conference chamber. Jaycob pressed the correct floor button and fiddled with his wrist-mounted device. Opening the cover flap, Tallie's picture was there to greet him.

"Crazy isn't it?"

Mac asked, catching a glimpse of the photo.

"What is?"

"It feels like it was just yesterday, you know, when she-"

"Yeah."

Jaycob gloomily closed the gauntlet.

"Anyways, Jon'Kil how are things with you and the mechanic?"

Mac shifted the conversation. Jon'Kil's eyes widened as he looked at the ground, heat flushing his face.

"W-who? Asha? What are you talking about? We're not a thi-"

"Drop it Chiss, Jaycob told me what happened on Dathomir. Hell of a mission, wouldn't wanna be a part of that mess."

Jon'Kil shot a look of betrayal toward Jaycob. He replied with a shrug.

"Look Chiss, it's cool that you're dating a mechanic."

"Yeah Jon'Kil, relax. I've heard mechanics are really good with their hands, is that true?"

Jaycob added, triggering Mac to snicker. Jon'Kil crossed his arms and shook his head.

"Screw you."

(-)

"There's my pilots!"

General Dameron exclaimed, greeting each one of them.

"Poe, good to see you again."

Jaycob responded.

"Likewise Jaycob. But anyways, you should know that I didn't call you three here just to catch up."

"Of course not sir."

Mac affirmed. Poe walked over to the center holotable and powered it on.

"I think I have a mission that would interest you guys."

Kaydel Ko Connix entered the room, throwing a datacard to the general.

"Thanks, Lieutenant."

He said, sliding the card into the designated slot. Schematics of some type of ship popped onto the blank field.

"This is your mission."

"Uhh, what is that exactly?"

Jaycob asked clearly confused. To him, it looked like a jumbled up pile of spare parts of both new and old, with the the ship's profile resembling a two-pronged fork.

"It looks like a piece of junk!"

Jon'Kil added, also baffled by what in the galaxy it was. But on the other hand, Mac stood staring at the blueprints with his jaw dropped, practically drooling.

"A Y-Wing."

General Dameron nodded his head, smirking.

"But...how?"

"Well, thanks to Jessika and Snap's recon flight to the old Koensayr Manufacturing facility, we now have access to the entire company's arsenal."

The group stood quietly for a moment, trying to process all the information.

"So, why do you need us?"

Jon'Kil asked.

"There's a prototype that the FO have been working on. You guys are gonna steal it."

Jaycob and Jon'Kil looked at each other skeptically.

“Cargo Run”

Jaycob mouthed to his wingman.

"Yes! I love it."

Mac exclaimed.

"So you guys are in?"

Jaycob crossed his arms.

"Like I told Mac, you're going to really have to sell it if you want to convince me. Because, stop me if I'm wrong, remember the last time you made me leader of a new experimental squad? That didn't end well."

"Well, I couldn't agree with you more, Jaycob."

"Good, so-"

"Which is why you're not leading this squad. Mac is."

The three pilots were taken aback.

"You've got to be kiddi-"

"When do we leave?"

Mac cut in.

"At your convenience. Connix here will be your flight officer, so just report to her when you're ready. Clear?"

"Crystal."

Mac left the conference center first, Jon'Kil following close behind. General Dameron continued talking to Connix, discussing something else on a datapad. Jaycob approached.

"Poe, you cannot be serious right now. Listen, I know I messed up with White Squad but you don't have t-"

"Enough Jaycob. This isn't some lesson I'm trying to teach you, death is part of war. But, Mac has really been demonstrating skills that prove he's worthy to lead a squad. And don’t worry, this doesn’t mean I trust you any less than before, you’re still a fine commander. It’s just that I think Mac is ready for that step up."

"So you're entrusting him with an experimental squad? Why don't you give him some random X-Wing group first if you want to test him?"

"Our navy is spread thin as it is. Pilots don't exactly grow on trees. You know that right?"

Jaycob had no counter. So instead of pursuing conflict, he established some common ground.

"I need Jessika. She just got back from the recon mission right?"

"Yeah, I'm sure she'll be exhausted though."

Jaycob shot him a sarcastic look.

"Don't you know who I am?"

General Dameron sighed.

"Yeah yeah, you're her brother, o-or something."

“Yup. Later, Poe.”

Jaycob concluded as he exited the room. He boarded the next available lift back down to the main corridor. Once he got to the correct floor, the elevator door opened, revealing a sweaty and tired Jessika, in her orange jumpsuit still holding her helmet. However, no matter how fatigued she was, she still flashed her same glowing smile at him. Jaycob quickly walked up to her and pulled her into a hug. She squeezed tightly, slumping into his arms.

"Hey hotshot."

"Skysis, you look terrible."

Letting each other go, Jessika punched him in the stomach. It hurt, but he didn't care. He was just glad to see her. Jaycob volunteered to hold her helmet for her, which she accepted, using her now-free hands to take off her gloves and chest-mounted life support system. They proceeded to walk back to the officer's quarters, where Jaycob assumed, she would clean herself up and sleep.

"Did you run into any FO out there? That system can be a pain in the ass."

"Nah, no FO. Just some low-life pirates, which Snap and I took out with ease."

"Well, I'm just glad you're back in one piece."

"Yeah, but now I gotta head back out there. We transmitted some random info for a new ship and no doubt Poe's going to send us to get the prototype."

"Funny you say that, because he's actually not."

"What do you mean?"

"Me and a couple others are going to take the prototype."

"Really?"

"Yup."

"Thank god, I need a break!"

She said, opening the door to her quarters.

"When you get back, drinks are on me."

Jaycob scoffed.

"Ok Jess, just focus on getting some rest alright? I'll see you soon."

Jessika nodded and dragged herself into her bathroom. Jaycob closed the door for her and turned back to the docking bay. He raised his wrist-computer to his mouth and pinged Jon'Kil and Mac.

"Alright guys, you ready to head out? I wanna get this over with."

"Sure thing Jaycob."

"What the Chiss said."

"Ok, I'll meet you guys in the ready-room."

Jaycob then made his way to the ready-room that was next door to the docking bay. It housed all the essentials that an on-duty pilot needed before they headed out into wild space, including: their individual life-supports, gloves, rations, small weapons, and most importantly, their uniforms. Jaycob, Jon'Kil, and Mac all suited up in silence, still reeling in from the news of the new squad leader. Thankfully, the awkward silence was broken up when another person entered the room.

"Asha?"

Jon'Kil asked, surprised. The Zeltron mechanic approached the pilot and whispered something into his ear, causing Jon'Kil to blush. Asha then followed up with a quick kiss and left through the same door from which she came, saying one last thing before the door closed.

"Good luck, flyboys."

Jaycob and Mac's eyes shifted from the door back to Jon'Kil, who was still smiling at his locker.

"Chiss, what the hell was that?"

Sliding his gloves on, Jon'Kil just shook his head.

"Nothing."

"Riiight."

Jaycob teased, grabbing his helmet from the rack.

"How about you Mac? The doctor gonna come in here too and give you a 'good luck' kiss?"

"I wish, Jaycob. But you know how busy she is."

"Wait, doctor? As in, Doctor Mads?"

"Yes, Chiss. Why is that such a surprise to everyone?"

"I don't know buddy. Maybe because she's hot and you're, well, you."

Mac threw a water bottle at Jaycob, which he dodged.

"I'll see you on the floor gentlemen."

Jon'Kil called back as he left the ready room. After Jaycob went through his final gear check, he approached Mac. He slung his arm over his shoulder and adopted a serious tone.

"Listen, Mac. I'm just letting you know right now, I'll tell Jon'Kil later, but you two are the only brothers I got left. I don't want you to end up on that board, you hear me?"

Jaycob pointed to a holographic board projected on one of the walls. It displayed an entire list of all Resistance personnel reported as killed-in-action. The expansive list scrolled through the names on a loop, becoming a painful reminder to anyone who came into the ready room. Coincidentally, Tallie's name scrolled past as he was talking, causing him to live through the flashback on D'Qar. But he shook out of it, looking at where Tallie's helmet would have been placed on the rack, continuing with his conversation.

"I understand, Jaycob. I've got your back out there, I promise."

Jaycob pulled back his arm and nodded, forcing a smile onto his face.

"I'll see you out there, squad leader."

Jaycob gave him one last pat on the shoulder before he exited. Now in the docking bay, he grabbed his belongings and boarded his RZ-1 A-Wing that he took from Tallie's farm on Pippip 3. With the help of Asha, Jaycob upgraded the old interceptor with new sublight engines, better laser cannons, and a reinforced hull plating, complimented with a powerful shield generator. He repainted it to match his former color scheme of the RZ-2 A-Wing he flew several months ago, inscribing the acronym DA, which meant "deadly-approach" on the right stabilizer; another allusion to his late-wife. His helmet complimented his new ride, sharing the same blue and white scheme with Tallie's initials written on it's left forehead.

Jaycob opened the canopy release and climbed inside. The seat was recently cleaned, the scent of Jogan fruit filling his nostrils with joy. One of the floor engineers rushed to his side and tossed a protein ration toward him for the road, saluting a farewell to the experienced pilot. Jaycob replied with a two-fingered salute and slid his helmet on with the visor down. He connected his gauntlet to an empty communication port on his ship's NavComputer, powering on the comms and transmission systems. Jaycob then pushed a master power button, sending energy to the engine, shield, and weapons systems. The sublight engines revved to life, sending an open flame out of the exhausts to warm up. All systems were greenlit and ready to go.

"Ok, we ready to move?"

Jaycob called in.

"You know it!"

"What Mac said."

"Sounds good. Mac, you wanna do the honors?"

"Sure thing. Mac to Lieutenant Connix, requesting authorization for mission, over."

"Copy that Mac, this is Connix, you have the greenlight. Oh, but one more thing."

"Go ahead."

"Callsign?"

"Ummm, standby-"

"Flyboys."

Jon'Kil suggested.

"What, really? Jaycob, what do you think?"

Jaycob grinned.

"I kinda like it."

"Solid copy. Connix, this is Flyboy 1, pulling away."

Chapter 2: Mac

Summary:

After learning the location of the schematics for a new fighter, General Dameron sends three of his most-trusted operatives to recover the plans in hopes to eventually manufacture the ships for their own use. Now under the name, “Flyboys”, the task force consisting of Jaycob Flesio, Mac, and Jon’Kil, make their way toward the Koensayr Manufacturing Facility. Little do they know of what the First Order has in store for them...

Notes:

- Poe gave Mac the privilege of leading the Y-Wing bomber squad once the schematics were recovered.

Chapter Text

Being tasked with an experimental squadron by Commander Dameron was the last thing Mac thought would happen during that briefing. Nonetheless, he would finish this task with pride and courage much like his other orders. He could tell Jaycob didn't take too kindly to, what Mac thought, the good news. Instead Jaycob acted offended, which in turn, made Mac offended. Surely, one of his best friends would be happy for this "promotion" right? Well, it didn't matter now. The Flyboys were already in their hyperspace lane headed for a, not-so-secret, First Order facility to steal an experimental Y-Wing. Mac still couldn't believe it. He's been dreaming of flying the notorious Clone Wars bomber ever since he was a child.

"Flyboy 1, do you copy?"

"Loud and clear Lieutenant Connix, go ahead."

"Perfect. According to your fighter tracking devices, you guys are almost at your destination. We highly recommend you disengage lightspeed and fly into the planet with your sublight engines."

"Well, I'm pretty sure we can spare just a couple more-"

"We're on it Lieutenant."

"Thanks Flyboy 2, let us know when you reach the surface. Flight control, out."

Mac shot a dirty look at Jaycob from his starfighter.

"Jaycob, what the hell?"

"What? It's just protocol. She always says that she 'recommends' it, but really she just wants you to do it. That's how it was when I was squad leader at least."

"Ok that's cool and all, but you're not squad leader. I am."

Jaycob shot back the glare from his cockpit.

"Oh, is that right? Well I don’t mean to burst your bubble, but I’m the most experienced pilot here."

Tensions were rising between the two pilots as Mac felt his face begin to warm up. But before Mac could fire back a rebuttal, Jon'Kil stepped in as the neutral mediator. Mac had almost forgot the Chiss was there too.

"Guys guys, chill out. We're coming into range. Save the bickering for later, this is getting in the way of the mission."

A long pause followed before Mac and Jaycob hastily agreed. As squad leader, Mac knew he shouldn't let his personal feelings get in the way of their mission; something Jaycob had trouble with when he led White and Blue Squad. The First Order had taken back control of the Koensayr Manufacturing Facility, formerly owned by the Galactic Empire. It was a shipbuilding factory, placed just outside the atmosphere, stretching around the entire planet like a ring. The Empire used it to upgrade and repair their starfighters and Star Destroyers, but being abandoned after the Battle of Endor.

The ship yards were now being poorly maintained by the First Order, only one-fourth of the factory at functioning capacity. The two X-Wings and one A-Wing all slowed pace, taking in everything in front of them. The facility was only run by a couple jet-trooper squads, as well as one Resurgent-class Star Destroyer. A couple of TIE fighter patrols were roaming the area, but still out of fighting distance.

"I got a visual on at least one Resurgent, but I'm not sure if there are any reinforcements on the other side of the planet."

"Good looks Jon'Kil. Mac, contact Connix and tell her we're here."

"Flyboy 1 to flight control, do you copy?"

"We copy. Are you at the facility?"

"Affirmative."

"Do you have eyes on the prototype?"

Mac glanced at his scanners. No sign of the bomber.

"Negative. It's not appearing on my NavComputer."

"Oh no."

That didn't sound reassuring. Kaydel's voice sounded worried, as if she knew something that they didn't.

"Flight control, please advise."

"Flyboy 1, stay sharp out there. We've heard rumors that the bomber is capable of-"

"Cloaked ship coming at us from behind! Mac, watch it!"

Jon'Kil called out. Banking wide left, Mac had to dodge an incoming proton torpedo launched from...the Y-Wing. Mac's eyebrows shot up as he realized that the prototype was actually finished. The bomber had a plain white color scheme with the only accent of black painted vertically on the cockpit. Everything Mac had studied about the bomber from it's original creation in the Clone Wars, and later the Galactic Civil War, looked almost identical. There were no noticeable cosmetic changes made to the ship. Although, Mac and company were too busy escaping the prototype's auto-locking ion turret to get a better look. Mac took no time to engage into a pursuit path behind the enemy, the FO pilot being too preoccupied with taking down Jon'Kil and Jaycob. Or so he thought.

Before he was able to fire his own X-Wing cannons, the Y-Wing jolted downward, opening it's underbelly compartment to reveal a fresh set of magnocharges primed and set for launch. Pulling back hard on his control yoke, Mac sent his fighter into a tight upward loop, in an attempt to evade the orb-shaped bombs. The charges were jettisoned out into space, spreading about the vicinity of the entire squad. It was too late, there was nothing Mac could do except brace and hope that his shields could protect him from the inevitable blast. However, instead of the fiery-orange inferno he was expecting from the magnocharges, a blue energy surge radiated and struck his ship. All of his core systems began to fail, Mac losing his engines, weapons, and shields all in a matter of seconds.

"Dammit! They were ion bombs, I've lost all power. Guys, can you read me?"

Mac tried to use what little power he had left to try his comms. But all he got in reply was static. Soon after his transmission though, all power was lost, his X-Wing left idle as it floated about in enemy space. Mac was absolutely astonished by how quickly the prototype was able to take down him and the squadmates.

This bomber is no joke.

If the First Order got their hands on the prototype, who knows what else they've gotten hidden up their sleeves? However, Mac's contemplation was disturbed as the sudden jolt forward from his ship startled him. He tried restoring power to his core systems, but nothing happened. The interior lights and displays were still all off. If it wasn't the power coming back, the sudden movement could only mean one thing.

He was stuck in a tractor beam. Nervously looking out of every angle in his canopy, he tried to find any sign of his companions. He promised Jaycob that he wasn't going to end up on the ready-room list, and he intended to keep it. A small injection of relief coursed through his veins as he saw his former leader's A-Wing also getting pulled in the same direction. But where were they going? And where was Jon'Kil?

The Chiss pilot must've gotten lost in the chaos somehow, but Mac was pretty sure he got hit with the ion magnocharges as well. However, the whereabouts of his wingman left his mind, as an even bigger problem reached the forefront of Mac's brain. The surface of a First Order Carrier emerged from the shipyard, seemingly increasing in size as it got closer to the Resistance pilots. The ship was basically just a rectangular landing platform with thrusters. With enough room to house six to ten TIE fighters along with a pair of troop transports, the carrier was used as more of a sign of power to threaten the people of neutral planets than an actual utility vehicle. So to Mac, it didn’t look like much.

The tractor beam reeled them in all the way until the X-Wing and A-Wing floated above one of the empty landing spaces, then dropped them, using the artificial gravity to keep them from going astray. Then, the carrier docked at one of the empty cruiser spots stationed at the shipyards, moving the pilots and their vehicles into a hangar with a breathable atmosphere. A stormtrooper squad rushed as soon as the Resistance ships crossed the magnetic shield, prying open the cockpits of the fighters and dragging the pilots out onto the floor.

"Get your damn hands off of me you piece of-"

Jaycob was punched in the face as he tried to resist the placement of hand restraints. On the other hand, Mac remained calm and let the troopers follow their protocol. He wouldn't waste his energy on trying to fight them like Jaycob. He'd use it to try and find a way to contact for help, maybe Jon'Kil. After all, he was nowhere to be found.

"Well well well. It seems we've stumbled across some Resistance scum trying to steal our prototype!"

A voice from the shadows of a dark spot in the hangar. The deteriorating lights barely flickered above the speaker, Mac not able to tell who it was.

"I think you've got a misunderstanding bud, we're not trying to steal anything."

Jaycob teased. Whoever was on the other side of the joke was not amused.

"Shut him up."

The masculine voice commanded. After a quick nod of the head from a stormtrooper, Jaycob was struck yet again in the face, this time with the butt of an F-11D blaster. He cursed in pain as he began writhing around on the floor, in an attempt to make the oncoming blows miss his weak points. Whoever was ordering these guys around, definitely was not someone they had seen before. It wasn't Phasma, nor Hux, nor Ren. So who could it be?

"How about you flyboy? You seem quiet. You don't have a snarky remark that you need to get off your chest?"

Mac wasn't deterred.

"I'd probably think of one if you showed your face, coward."

A slow menacing laugh followed, as the shadow inched forward. The face of a First Order officer came into sight, but still not someone who was familiar. Mac looked at him, unimpressed.

"And who exactly are you supposed to be?"

"Bantha shi-"

Jaycob's witty reply was cut off by another kick to his abdomen. Mac snickered while the officer snarled.

"You're lucky I'm not going to kill you right here right now."

"Well, what's stopping you?"

"Don't think I don't know who you are, Mac. You have quite the reputation in the Resistance."

Mac smirked.

"Well what can I say? I was born to be in the skies."

"How naive. But don't get too ahead of yourself. Your friend over here is where the money's at! Look alive gentlemen, we got ourselves a Resistance commander aboard!"

He announced to the stormtroopers.

"It seems like you both were born to be in the skies."

"Yeah, it's not like I hold the record for kills or anything. But you guys are just so easy to track down in dogfights. It's like all I gotta do is pull the trigger, and you magically explode."

"Jaycob, cut it. He's not a fan of our work."

Jaycob's smile faded, as he spit right onto the officer's left cheek. The same stormtrooper responded with another smack to Jaycob's head, this time knocking him unconscious. Wiping away the saliva with a handkerchief, he then turned back to Mac.

"Knock this one out too, let the game begin."

(-)

Mac awoke to a bag slung over his head, being dragged on his knees by a pair of stormtroopers. The holes in the fabric let in little light as he could barely make out his surroundings. The marching of stormtrooper boots flanked both sides of him. The random chatter from officers and their inferiors seemed happy, excited almost. Whatever was going on, wasn't formal protocol.

"Mac! Mac!? Do you hear me?"

Jaycob's muffled voice came from behind. Mac tried to turn his head around to catch even a glimpse of his friend, but to no avail. A blaster stock connected with his face every time he tried to turn his head. His hands were still bound by the restraints so there was no way to catch himself whenever he pushed onto the ground. He faceplanted onto the cold, hard floor on at least three different occasions, the last one busting his nose. The warm blood soaked the cloth around his face, until eventually the fabric was pulled. The sudden flash of spotlights stung Mac's eyes, to the point where he had to shut them in order to avoid being blinded.

"Wh-what the hell is this?"

He murmured. The officer from earlier simply laughed.

"A test."

"A test of what?"

"Strength. In both yourself and your friend here."

On queue, Jaycob was forced down to his knees in front of Mac. Mac had to give the Commander some credit, Jaycob showed no signs of fear. But Mac knew him long enough to tell that deep down he was afraid. Just like him.

Chapter 3: Jon’Kil

Summary:

After two of the three Flyboys were captured due to a skirmish from the much-superior Y-Wing bomber, Jon'Kil must figure out what happened to his teammates. With no sign of his friends, he assumes the worst. But the mission must go on. He was alone now, and the only way forward seemed to be through the Koensayr Manufacturing Facility...

Chapter Text

Jon'Kil could not believe his eyes. The debris from the Y-Wing, that he had just slaughtered, floated around him. Their mission was in front of him, destroyed. Unless there was some sort of physical blueprint that the Resistance could get their hands on, he had just failed the entire operation. But there was an even bigger problem, Jaycob and Mac were missing. Jon'Kil tried his comms.

"Flyboy 3 to Flyboy 1, do you read me? I repeat, Mac, can you hear me?"

The reply was complete silence. Jon'Kil was alone, in the deep dark of space. He needed time to think.

What do I do now?

Where could they be?

Where do I  go?

To Jon'Kil, there was only one thing he could do. He needed to get to those shipyards. Perhaps Jaycob and Mac were there, already with the ship schematics in hand and ready to go. That was the best scenario anyway. The worst, he didn't want to think about. The idea of his squadmates taken prisoner, beaten, or dead made him anxious. Pushing his control yoke forward, he accelerated to the first open hangar.

(-)

Upon descending, he had his astromech scan the hangar and immediate surroundings. There were First Order operatives around, but they seemed too busy to notice an unscheduled landing in one of their many shipyard hangars. The Resurgent-class Star Destroyer seemed to be all quiet as well, not taking notice of the Chiss pilot as he pulled in. After exiting his seat, Jon'Kil hopped down to ground level and accessed his cargo hold. He grabbed his A280 blaster rifle, that he kept from that fateful mission to Dathomir, and silently approached the blast door leading into the corridor. Hugging the wall, he slid his right ear over the barrier before trying to open it. The sounds on the other side were faint, but noticeable. There was some sort of applause, and rowdy yelling.

He figured that’s where his missing pilots were. Stepping back from the control panel, he dug into the console, splicing it. The door slid open as sparks flew, the inner mechanisms now fried. There was no turning back now. Slipping through the crevice, Jon'Kil simply followed the voices. The interior of the facility was a disaster. Loose wires hung from the ceiling, light panels remained burnt, and spare pieces of debris littered the ground. Sneakily inching closer, one foot over the other, he finally made his way to another hangar. Opening this door too, Jon'Kil was in awe as the missing X-Wing and A-Wing of his squadmates lay disabled.

"That can't be good."

Jon'Kil whispered to himself. He approached the two fighters and tried to find anything that could lead to the whereabouts of his team. He found it odd that Mac's astromech had also been disabled, and both cargo holds of the fighters remained closed. Surely, if Jaycob and Mac came here willingly, they would know to not go in without protection. Just as he suspected, Jon'Kil found both Jaycob's EL-16 rifle and Mac's NT-242 sniper rifle still in their respective storage containers. The only outcome Jon'Kil could think of, was that they were captured. However, he knew Jaycob still had his wrist-computer, so maybe he could use that to track them down. All he needed to do was get power back to their ships and use the NavComputer to trace the device's signal.

He tinkered around the A-Wing's controls, pushing several buttons and flipping several levers. But the systems were drained. He needed an external power source to jumpstart.

"If only Asha were here, she's way better with this crap then I am."

He scoured the hangar, knowing that there had to be some type of battery or power generator somewhere. The bay was dimly lit, so it was hard to see into the far crevices of the area. But luckily, Jon'Kil still had all five of his emergency suit-flares with him, so he sparked one and carried it with him to explore. There was an engineering bay, a separate room connected to the hangar that housed all of the mechanical knick knacks used for repairing and upgrading starfighters. The blast door leading inside lay open, letting Jon'Kil have free roam of the entire facility.

The external battery he was looking for was all the way in the back, behind racks and spare parts. A wave of relief came over him as he reached for the device. But suddenly, the sound of stormtrooper boots echoed in the distance. Using only audible queues, he tried to pinpoint their location. His heart sank as he realized they were in the hangar, the same room that had a discarded Resistance suit-flare Jon'Kil had dropped earlier. The only thing separating Jon'Kil from his utter demise was an open blast door, which the troopers were already approaching. He had to think of something fast, to either exterminate the soldiers quickly and quietly or an alternate exit to try and avoid them.

He scanned the room in the dark, not daring to spark another flare that would give away his position. Their menacing voices rambled as they raised the F-11D flashlights inside. Jon'Kil could have sworn that the spotlights passed by his face at least twice, but to his surprise, the stormtroopers were left clueless.

Must be those buckets.

He thought, alluding to their vision-blocking helmets. Thankfully there were only two of them, so taking them out or avoiding them altogether were both viable options. But thinking back to the sight of his friends' disabled ships, he knew that the First Order was probably torturing them at this very moment. He wanted something deep down that he almost never wished in his life, and that was revenge. For all of those pilots back on D'Qar and in the Raddus, the First Order deserved a few losses and few lives taken. But all Jon'Kil had was his blaster rifle. If he used that, surely more troopers were storm this block, and not stop until he became another name in their cruiser's ready-room. He needed something silent, yet deadly. A blade perhaps. The pair of stormtroopers split off and began to cover more ground, inching closer and closer to Jon'Kil. He was backed into a corner with just a shelf of spare tools and parts, nothing even close to a blade anywhere in sight.

Then there was a sudden click. Not in the room, not around him at all, but inside his head. A strange aura came over him, cooling his adrenaline-pumping veins and slowing down his rapid heart rate. The tools on the shelf began to inch closer together, shaking as though some invisible hand was pushing them. Jon'Kil opened his eyes. The sudden recipe for a makeshift weapon, using the tools, had suddenly popped into his head. He grabbed some duct tape and combined a screwdriver to an electric-shock prod and powered it on. The faint buzz of the new device caught the attention of one of the troopers, triggering him to investigate.

Just as the stormtrooper was about to raise his flashlight and inevitably glow Jon'Kil's blue skin for his partner to see, Jon'Kil pulled the barrel of the blaster toward him. The trooper was caught off guard and stumbled forward, unaware of the sharp pain in his abdomen. Jon'Kil managed to jab right into a chink in the white plastoid armor, and with the twist of a knob, electrocuted the wound. The scream of the First Order soldier was more of a vibrating whisper, as Jon'Kil clenched his other hand tight around the stormtrooper's windpipe. The lifeless body slouched against Jon'Kil, with which he gently let hit the floor. His partner was in the dark, physically and metaphorically, unaware that another FO dog had been put down. Jon'Kil crept behind him as well, forcing the driver into the back of his neck.

The buzzing gargle of the trooper choking on his own blood, echoed in Jon'Kil's head as he exited the room with the battery. That gruesome, bloody mess was for the Resistance. Or at least that's what Jon'Kil told himself. Inserting the plug into the A-Wing socket, the interceptor systems turned back on, one-by-one. The NavComputer was the only system working at full capacity, but that's all he needed. Accessing the tracker implanted in Jaycob's gauntlet, he was taken aback as he realized the signal was coming from another hangar right next door. Unholstering his rifle, Jon'Kil rushed to his friends' aid.

(-)

Ducking behind cover whenever needed, Jon'Kil steadily made his way to the next hangar. Numerous stormtrooper boots hitting the ground was all around him; the facility was crawling with FO. He trailed behind a squad of them as they unlocked the blast door with their code-cylinders and slipped through. They didn't notice the pursuer as the ambient noise of soldiers and officers talking echoed throughout the room. One voice towered above them all however, as a First Order officer with a voice-magnifier was standing atop a stack of cargo crates.

"Welcome one and all, to the Gauntlet! Test your strength, in a fight to death! Let's see how long these Resistance scum can last!"

Crouched behind a parked TIE fighter, Jon'Kil analyzed the situation. This was about to get real ugly, real fast. He couldn't quite see his friends as they were behind a man-made wall shaped into a makeshift ring. The hooting and hollering of the crowd rung even louder as the first volunteers entered the ring. Wanting to get a better look, Jon'Kil climbed one of the many scaffolds leading to the TIE fighter racks above. The maze of catwalks gave him a perfect birds-eye view without being seen. Looking down on the chaos, Jaycob and Mac could be seen back-to-back, with their fists readied. It was a simple two versus two matchup, with the stormtroopers equipped with nothing but their armor. Jaycob was the one to strike first, as he extended a lunging punch square into the nose of enemy. A loud crack followed as the fist chipped off a part of the visor. Mac ran up to his own target and launched a side-kick straight into the soldier’s abdomen. The stormtrooper flew backwards and landed on his back. It was a perfect opportunity for Mac to pin the dazed trooper to the ground and land several critical blows to the head.

The two stormtroopers were no match for the pilots, as they both lay unconscious. Jaycob and Mac were left exhausted, gasping for air. But they didn't get much of a break as two more troopers came from the circle, this time wielding stun batons. It was unfair advantage for the First Order, but Jon'Kil would expect nothing more from the scum.

"Alright you pricks, let's see how fair it is with two holes in your backs."

He whispered, looking down his scope. Now, he just had to wait for the right moment. He knew that after he pulled the trigger, his position would be known and hell would rain down upon him. But he hoped that it would be enough time for his squadmates to escape, or at least find a weapon. If they were going to go down, they should try to take some FO dogs with them. The stun baton troopers both swung at the pilots heads, Jaycob and Mac both ducking under the slow attack. They swiftly countered, Jaycob striking a soldier's pelvic region and Mac throwing a punch to the other's left knee. Jaycob's trooper dropped the baton and grasped at his now-tender crotch. Mac's trooper fell as the target knee buckled, opening another spot for a flurry of head shots. Jaycob picked up the dropped baton and went around his enemy's back. With all of his might, he lifted the club above his head and slammed it on top of the former-carrier's skull.

Jon'Kil cringed as an ear-splitting static crack, echoed above the rowdy audience. Mac retrieved his attacker's baton as well, readying it for the next wave. Jon'Kil was impressed by how much stamina the pair had. They were bloodied and sweating, but showed no signs of stopping. Three more stormtroopers approached from the ring, two armed with batons and one with an executioner's laser axe. The loud cackle of the energy powering on within the large weapon, sent goosebumps down Jon'Kil's spine. Unlike the batons, the axes had the ability to sever limbs, electrocute, and kill. Jon'Kil aimed at the head of the wielder and readied his trigger-finger.

Jaycob and Mac were taken aback by the axe as well, steadily backing up until they reached the edge of the ring. The crowd behind them yelled angrily and pushed them back in. Twirling his baton, Mac charged at an opposing Baton Trooper. They clashed bats and went into an endless cycle of attacking and blocking. Jaycob on the other hand, held his baton like a spear, and threw it into the other Baton Trooper's chest. The stormtrooper was launched back, dropping his own baton to the ground. But as Jaycob reached for it, a swing from the Axe Trooper grazed his arm.

Now left empty-handed, Jaycob had to jump, roll, and dive to dodge all of the incoming attacks. Mac struggled with his trooper, as he was met with a electrical strike to the abdomen. The pilot was launched into the crowd-wall, only to be pushed to the ground. The Baton Trooper was about to land a finishing blow, but not before Jaycob shifted focus and tackled him to the ground. The sudden attack from his friend gave Mac enough time to retake his baton and defend the Axe Trooper's strike aimed at Jaycob's back. Now with their enemies switched, the pilots had to recover fast. Jaycob was able to subdue his trooper with a slow, methodical choke of the electrical baton to the throat. Once he collapsed the trooper's windpipe, the number advantage was in their favor. The Axe Trooper swung wildly, trying to take out his competition fast, but it ended up just being sloppy.

With synchronized precision, Jaycob and Mac struck the Axe Trooper's knees, working their way up until they both swung at the neck. The stormtrooper faceplanted into the ground hard, triggering the crowd to respond with a wave of boo's.

"You'd think they'd be entertained."

Jaycob joked through strained huffs of air. Mac smiled.

"Yeah, still not fans of our work."

Chapter 4: Jaycob

Summary:

After discovering Major Elrik Vonreg is at the forefront of the First Order's experimental ship program, Jaycob and Mac must fight to stay alive. Now in the gauntlet, the two pilots must face waves of enemies to delay their demise, unaware of their ally waiting in the walkways above them for the perfect time to strike...

Chapter Text

Jaycob stood, anxiously glancing at his surroundings, trying to spot the next contestants before they got the jump on him. He was panting, totally drained from the fight that had just occurred. The crowd was booing at every turn, wishing their precious, well-trained stormtroopers won the battle. But Jaycob wouldn't let them win that easily. The attacks now came more frequently and out of nowhere. Audience members crept from behind the pair or pilots to plant a hit from behind, then they would scurry off back toward the crowd. Jaycob was growing more irritated by the moment.

What the hell am I doing here?

He thought, totally losing sight of the mission they were sent here for in the first place. The Y-Wing. That stupid bomber. He had to get to the prototype before Dameron sent a raiding party to the shipyards, risking more Resistance lives than needed. But one question arose in Jaycob's head that sent him into a long period of contemplation. Where was Jon'Kil? His Chiss wingman wasn't captured, and he surely wasn't dead. Or at least he hoped.

Another hit-and-run attacker charged at Jaycob again, but this time he saw it coming. Quickly turning around, he kicked the trooper's legs from underneath him causing him to trip. Then with all of his might, Jaycob raised the stun baton above his head and smashed the FO operative's ribs. A loud scream of agony came through the trooper's helmet, but was only met with another heavy strike. Jaycob was showing no remorse to his victims, with every trooper he killed being a life avenged for the Resistance. What sickened Jaycob the most though, was that he was almost enjoying it.

The long train of thought ended abruptly as another trooper landed a baton strike to Jaycob's back. His body smacked the ground right next to the disabled laser axe. Summoning every ounce of energy he had left, he grabbed it and recovered back to his feet. The familiar crackle of the electrical circuits powering on, gave Jaycob the last punch of adrenaline to charge at the Baton Trooper. He sliced at his enemy with unexpected speed, tearing off the soldier's right arm and left leg. Then with a final war cry, Jaycob shoved the hefty weapon blades into the trooper's chest, marking the final act of resistance Jaycob would show before he was killed. Now slouched onto his knees, the artificial gravity felt unbelievably powerful, as Jaycob could not even lift his head.

The only reason he did was because the officer from earlier had pulled it from behind, making Jaycob look at his friend, as he too was forced to his knees. Mac's busted nose still dripped fresh blood onto the hangar floor.

"Mac...stay with me buddy. The Resistance won't forget us."

He said weakly. But Mac looked like he couldn't hear a thing. Both pilots bruised and beaten, prepared for the end. The same crackle of the laser axe powered on behind Jaycob, the air around his neck becoming unbearably hot.

"We hope they won't, Commander Flesio. After all, we're going to broadcast your execution for all to see anyways, so they can rewind the tape as many times as they want."

Jaycob scoffed.

"I don't think they'll take too kindly to that."

"I don't give a kriff what they think. You and your little terrorist organization has caused more problems for the galaxy than you know. All those lives on Starkiller Base, and blood is on your hands."

"Technically, their on my interceptor's hands. I didn't really kill them, but my laser cannons surely did."

A slow sarcastic laugh from the officer sent goosebumps down Jaycob's spine.

"You mean that piece of junk you flew in while you were Blue Leader?"

Jaycob's eyes widened. How did he have all this information?

"Oh please, I know all about you Commander."

"I'm flattered, truly, but this doesn't prove anything. Anyone can find that information."

"Hmmmm, perhaps something a little more personal then."

The officer tapped away at a datapad.

"Perhaps, this little trip to Pippip 3 means something?"

Jaycob clenched his fists as he tried to show no sign of the planet meaning anything. But he couldn't help himself. The memories of Tallie flooded his brain, as glimpses of his wife flashed every time he blinked. D'Qar. The Raddus. The hangar. Her farm. All windows into a time that didn't feel distant, as if it all happened yesterday. He ached to hold her again, the way he did on the hospital bed right before the attack. He could faintly recall the way her skin felt, how warm her lips were when they met his, and the sound of her laugh that always made him smile.

The nostalgia almost made Jaycob forget his current situation. But the officer breathing down his neck made sure he didn't.

"Interesting...we have a file here for a Captain Lintra. Does that name ring a bell, Commander?"

Jaycob began to sweat, stuttering over his words.

"N-no. I-I've only s-seen her during, uh, Starkiller."

Mac's eyebrows furrowed as he silently told Jaycob to just shut up. The officer picked up the association quickly and dug in.

"Who was she, Commander? A colleague? Squadmate? Friend? Or...perhaps something more?"

Jaycob blankly stared down, speechless.

"Well that's a shame, it really is, because it also says here that she's 'KIA'. Wait what? She's-she's dead?"

Jaycob knew the officer was enjoying himself, but he wouldn't let it get to his head. Deep down, he knew that this was some sick strategy to get him to talk. But the sting in his heart still burned. He wished she were still here.

"Well, it doesn't look like you're letting up. Noble, but foolish. Looks like we'll have no choice but to execute you."

"Do what you must. Just know, the Resistance will have a target on your back after you send that transmission."

"Oh, I'm counting on it."

"Ok well before I go, I never caught your name. Mind if you give me that so I know who to haunt as a ghost?"

The officer snickered.

"Even if it is terribly annoying, I have to admire your attitude. Feeling the need to crack jokes in times of turmoil."

"It's a pilot thing."

"Oh is it? The Resistance standards for a pilot must not be high then."

"Your point?"

"I've got a new idea. Why don't we finish this like men. Pilot to pilot?"

Jaycob's glare seemed more hateful now. Nonetheless, he kept his gleeful composure.

"Still no name, bud."

"Right. Does Elrik Vonreg sound familiar?"

(-)

The Red Ace. One of the most notorious pilots in the First Order, it now made sense why he didn't look familiar as he was never seen without his helmet. Now, he stood triumphantly in front of Jaycob, with his signature red pilot gear exchanged for standard officer garments. Jaycob knew of him and his missions, but has never been able to see him or his fighter with his own eyes. The bright red TIE interceptor was said to have struck fear into every Resistance pilot, even Poe.

"The Red Ace. I'm starstruck."

Jaycob said sarcastically. The executioner raised him to his feet and untied his restraints. Left massaging his wrists, Jaycob began to walk in a clockwise circle, skimming the man-made wall with his left shoulder. He stared at the opposing pilot as he too walked the same direction. Cracking his knuckles, Vonreg flashed a devious grin at him.

"I've been waiting a long time for this, Commander."

"I can't say the same, Baron. If only our encounter was in the skies, I'd scatter you and your fighter across my windshield. Then I'd have some footage to show the Resistance on repeat."

"You are blinded by your ego yet again. Perhaps if the Resistance learned from this trait, Captain Lintra would still be alive."

The sound of her name set Jaycob's emotions on overdrive, anger and hatred totally engulfing his body. He ran at Vonreg, sending a powerful jump-punch in his direction. The baron dodged the expected attack quickly, countering with a jab and cross to Jaycob's face. The hits landed, and momentarily dazed him. Stumbling backward, Vonreg swung to more connecting abdomen shots and a kick to the head. Jaycob got back up fast, the anger for Tallie still in control. He fired off two more punches to the ace's abdomen, both blocked, and swung his back leg up for a strong round kick to the head. The last strike came as a surprise for Vonreg as he was the one to stumble back.

Jaycob saw the opening for another attack and went for it, elbow-striking the baron across the face. Saliva and blood shot into the air like a mist, hitting the white stormtrooper armor behind him. The ace did not take long to recover however, answering back with a hook to Jaycob's head and stomach. He fell backward gasping for the lost air from his lungs. Vonreg mounted his prey and began landing head shots. Jaycob was unable to block every jab, as his vision now began to turn red. Jaycob's nose was flooding, the fresh blood raining onto the floor beneath him. Every strike sent Jaycob's head into a loop, the sudden pressure in his skull becoming excruciatingly painful.

Right fist. Left fist. Right fist. Jaycob could barely take it anymore. Left fist. Right fist. He began to grow weak, his arms failing to block effectively. Left fist. Right fist. Left fist. Each hit sending a small bright spotlight into his retinas. Right fist. Left fist. Images of Jaycob's past began to replace the glow. Right fist. Tallie, laying on his shouler. Left fist. Jaysen, playing with the Sabacc cards. Right fist. D'Qar, the base and the Resistance. Left fist. The Raddus, the hangar catching fire. Right fist. A blaster bolt, fired from an A280.

With the faint red glow, it was over. The pounding in his brain ceased, and the constant punches stopped coming. He was left dizzy, his head spinning as he was suddenly sliding across the floor. The repeated sound of blaster fire now echoed in his ear drums, paired with yells from the stormtroopers. He managed to open his only eye that wasn't swollen, seeing white blurs hit the ground.

"Hey, Jaycob. Stay with me buddy, we're getting out of this. Jon'Kil's here."

His wingman. Jaycob's blurry vision began to focus, the sight of his friend on the catwalks above, firing random shots to the enemies below. However with every shot he fired, five to six more returned. He was heavily outnumbered. Mac finally let Jaycob go behind the cover of a cargo crate, retrieving an F-11D from the box. He began to fire at the crowd, pinching the group of FO in between two sources of blaster bolts. In a drastic attempt to save his teammates' skin, Jaycob raised his wrist-computer from his numb arm. He shakily twisted a knob and tapped a series of buttons. He established a connection to his A-Wing, signalling his exact location to his NavComputer. Supporting himself with his elbows, Jaycob peaked over the cargo crate to see the crowd of stormtroopers now gaining ground. Jaycob reached for one of his suit-flares and sparked it. The red smoky glow flew through the air as he chucked it in the middle of the group.

That's when the hangar ray-shield warped. Jaycob's A-Wing flew into the hangar and hovered above them, without a pilot. The empty interceptor opened a blanket of laser fire onto the flare and the surroundings around it. Stormtroopers and officers flailed across the room, the sudden air support catching them by surprise. Some brave soldiers try to fire back, but to no avail. It was a small arms versus an entire ship. Mac stopped firing himself and focused on dragging Jaycob out.

"Chiss, let's get the hell out of here!"

Mac yelled out.

"Right behind you!"

(-)

The next thing Jaycob knew, he was back in the cockpit of an X-Wing. He knew it wasn't his, so either Jon'Kil or Mac gave up their fighter so he could recover. Coincidentally, they were nowhere to be found. The only light in the hangar came from the dim NavComputer screen that displayed a message in aurebesh. It read:

Hunting for bomber.

Jaycob rolled his eyes to express his irritation in his teammates leaving him, but doing so caused his swollen left eye to hurt. His entire body was sore, his face stinging in different regions. There was dried blood trailing from his nose, across his mouth, and all over his jumpsuit. Reaching for inside his vest, Jaycob pulled out Tallie's scarf remnant to seek some kind of comfort in his current state. His friends were somewhere in this maze of a facility, on the search for the physical schematics of the Y-Wing, most likely with a whole platoon of stormtroopers on their tail.

He sat up in the seat, clenching his stomach, peaking over the flight controls and out onto the hangar floor. His A-Wing, along with the other X-Wing, lay on the metal floor with their landing gear fully extended. Jaycob was left confused seeing that even after the ion attack from the prototype, the ships still had power. But two cords connected to an external power generator quickly justified this conclusion. He was unaware of exactly how much time had passed since he fell unconscious, but he knew that he took a beating. The Red Ace was as much of threat with his fists as he was with his TIE interceptor.

Raising his wrist-computer, he opened the protective flap. Tallie's picture still lay there to greet him, and the battery percentage was still in a non-critical state. He was able to open the cockpit without much trouble, climbing down the ladder somewhat with ease. He slowly walked to his A-Wing and opened his cargo hold. Retrieving his EL-16, he had to find his brothers, even if it meant scouring the entire facility injured. The blast door leading out was suspiciously stuck open, the access panel left smoking.

"The boys really left a mess of things, huh?"

He told himself. He was grateful that Mac and Jon'Kil saved him from his brutal demise, but now it was time to return the favor. He passed the doorway and looked both directions down the left and right corridors. A plethora of blaster bolt holes littered the hallway on the latter, so he figured that's where they came from. He cautiously made his way down the left, raising his rifle into any corners before turning into them. The light panels were flickering and the floor was covered in dirt, dust, and grease. But as he went further and further down the corridors, he began to regret it, now realizing that he was wandering aimlessly without a true idea of where to go. Since his crew took off to find the schematics, the shipyards manufacturing archive would probably be the best bet.

He pulled up a crude map of the facility on his wrist and examined it. He was going the correct way so far, the archives lying just beyond the hallway he was already in. He eased up with every step he took, sensing no sign of any First Order around. Distant shouts from unfamiliar voices could be heard echoing behind him, but they weren't loud enough to warrant any true concern. At the quick pace he was going at, he would reach the archives before the people behind him did.

He kept his rifle raised in one hand as he opened the door with the other. Swiftly scanning the area for any threats, Jaycob relaxed as there were none. The lights automatically turned on as he entered, the shelves of datafiles and datapads were scattered messily. Cobwebs hung from the corners and stacks of written-on paper were sprawled across the floor. The one-generation-old computers let out a faint hum as they turned on. Jaycob tapped away at one of screens and opened the folder titled, Experimental. Numerous rows of files expanded across numerous screens. Jumbles of mechanical parts crowded Jaycob's vision as he tried to find the bomber. It was like finding a needle in a haystack; he was going to need some help. Fortunately, that's when Mac and Jon'Kil burst into the room.

"Where have you been?"

Jaycob exclaimed angrily. He found it completely unbelievable that he was able to reach the archives before they did. Mac was the one to justify their untimeliness.

"Well sorry we don't have a fancy gauntlet with the shipyards blueprints on it. We had to find this the old-fashioned way."

"And what does that mean, exactly?"

Jon'Kil twirled a weird-looking tool in his hand that sparked with every rotation. Blood dripped off the tip and onto his boots.

"You don't wanna know."

He reassured. Placing the makeshift weapon on his utility belt, Jon'Kil joined Jaycob at the console. Mac shut the blast door behind him and locked it. He anxiously walked back and forth as he glanced at each computer screen, trying to find even a glimpse of the prototype schematics. Numerous blueprints and datasheets flashed before his eyes, yet somehow he spotted it.

"Stop!"

He yelled, causing the other two to freeze. Mac squeezed himself in between and tapped at one of the tabs. The information of the Y-Wing exploded in size, pushing aside all other folders. The three-dimensional model of the bomber floated as the connected holoprojector displayed the image onto the blank space above them.

"There's our ship."

Jon'Kil added, beginning the file transfer sequence onto the external drive he brought. The download marker barely reached two-percent before a klaxon was triggered. The illuminated light panels began to flash red, and the voice of an automated narrator alerted the entire station of invaders. Jon'Kil cursed as he pulled his A280 out once again. Mac unstrapped his NT-242 sniper from his back and checked the wall behind them, Jaycob following. It was the only wall with a window, which overlooked one of the shipyard construction depots. A handful of TIE fighters, troop transports, and stormtroopers littered the region, all taking notice at the sudden announcement. Jaycob's jaw dropped at the sight of the miniature army.

"Of course they had a security firewall! Come on Jaycob, we gotta buy some time for that download. Mac can stay here and use this spot as a sniper's nest."

"Right behind you."

Jaycob replied as he followed the Chiss back out the door.

Chapter 5: Mac

Summary:

After barely managing to escape the gauntlet, Mac and the rest of the team now have an open window to complete their mission. Even though the prototype was destroyed, the schematics weren't. Now taking a defensive position in the archives, it's only a matter of time until the download finishes. But with First Order right outside, their odds are looking grim...

Chapter Text

Mac watched as his two teammates vanished back into the maze of corridors. Turning around, Mac peeked through the window again. The depot was covered in white, stormtroopers quickly flooding in. There were two staircases on opposite sides of each other, leading to the corresponding archive doors. Jaycob was seen taking cover by the left side while Jon’Kil on the right. Even with the higher ground, they were fighting an uphill battle. Mac took one last glance at the data transfer, only to see 5-percent displayed across the holotable field. Then, he rested the barrel of his sniper rifle on the window pane. A stormtrooper squad leader raised his right fist in the air in preparation for the open-fire order. But instead of triggering the exchange of blaster bolts, he spoke words of negotiation.

"Resistance terrorists! We have a proposal that would benefit you greatly."

Mac rolled his eyes. His whole team knew what was about to come. A polite request for their surrender as they gave up the schematics for the Y-Wing and the Resistance's goal with the stolen information. If they made it that far, the next step was being taken to a star destroyer where they would likely be tortured, killed, and jettisoned into space. With their experience, the trio was familiar with this common First Order practice and have even used it in their favor to some degree. Mac remembered back when he first joined, being sent on a low-clearance recon mission to some unknown planet in the Mid Rim. First Order got the jump on him and next thing he knew he was on his knees with his hands raised in the air. The only thing that kept him alive was time. As a stormtrooper approached to apprehend him, Mac used him as a human shield, covering him while he detonated his explosive counter-measures. He escaped without a scratch.

Now looking back at his current situation, he thought maybe the strategy would work again. He raised his comlink to his mouth and pressed the input button. A short click of static erupted from the speaker as he was now in contact with Jaycob and Jon'Kil.

"Flyboys, I think I've got an idea."

"Shoot."

Jaycob replied.

"You see those catwalks up there?"

Mac asked, alluding to the long catwalks that led to more TIE fighters; a shared similarity to the hangars. Just in case his team didn't see it, Mac switched on his barrel-mounted laser marker. A light-green dot flurried around, like a Rodian blood fly circling it's prey. Jaycob and Jon'Kil both traced the dot with their eyes, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah Mac, Jaycob and I see it. What's the plan?"

"If you buy me enough time, I think I can set up some sort of trap above these guys."

"And leave the data transfer unguarded? You're insane!"

"It's a risk, but you got a better idea?"

"I don't know, Jaycob is your A-Wing ready for another run?"

"No, the auto-pilot program crashed. It only has one in the tank."

"See, Chiss? No other choice."

A long silence followed as Jon'Kil and Jaycob were left speechless. Jon'Kil slightly shook his head as he knew Mac was right.

"Fine. What do you want us to do?"

Mac smirked as he left his sniper's nest. He backtracked to the nearest hangar and retrieved two fuel canisters. Dragging one with each hand, the heavy metallic tubes would be strategically placed on the supports of the catwalks, then detonated, causing the whole network of railing and panels to fall onto the enemies below. However, Mac would need way more than just two canisters to do the trick. He had to take multiple trips, and he had to do it alone or else the First Order would catch on. Through the comms, Jaycob was the first to reach out to the First Order.

"Benefit us? Are you sure about that?"

Jaycob still didn't lower his weapon, trying to stall. All he had to do was give Mac enough time to set the trap. Mac sprinted out of the archives and back into the hangar which housed their fighters. Jon'Kil had shown him the First Order ready-room where he had found the batteries, which also held the spare fuel canisters. Dragging two behind him, Mac had to peer around corners before turning, just in case any curious stragglers were around. He reached the catwalk in matter of five minutes, trying to lift each heavy tube over every step while trying to remain quiet at the same time. There was a total of eight supports that had to be destroyed in order for his plan to work, so this was going to take a while. He just had to hope Jaycob and Jon'Kil could keep the First Order talking and not shooting.

The first support was rigged with the explosives and Mac, rushed back to repeat the process yet again. He still peaked around certain corners for any enemies, but reached the hangar the second time undeterred. He grabbed two more canisters and lugged them back to the depot. The second support was successfully rigged, same with the third. On the way back from his third trip, he looked down at the depot floor where Jaycob and Jon'Kil were fortunately still holding their ground. Before exiting the archives again, he took a quick glance at the download process. 25-percent blinked blue on the holotable field.

"Just hang in there, fellas."

He called in to his team. Exiting the archives for a fourth time, Mac couldn't help but worry. About Jaycob. About Jon'Kil. About the Resistance. About Madelyn. He thought deeply about what she had said to him before he left. It was a risky plan. But it seemed like the best way for their relationship to continue. While he jogged down the hallways, he day-dreamed back to their time together.

"Let's run away, far from here."

He remembered her words exactly.

"We can find work on some backwater planet and just live together, knowing that we're not in a constant state of danger. Without a target on our backs. Without war and death. Without the responsibility that comes with the Resistance."

"I don't know, Doc. These people are our family, we can't just leave them."

"We can start our own...family."

Mac was shocked when she told him this, especially when he heard the slight reluctance in her tone. She had no idea what she was even saying. With being one of the most important roles in the Resistance, a doctor, he'd thought she'd take more thought into something like this. But it made sense nonetheless, since they were at a club. On a backwater planet that barely had any life, they drank their inner problems away and ranted to each other about their hardships. She was only three shots in when her words began to slur and she got touchy with Mac. She playfully, and drunkenly, danced on him, taking his hands into hers as he dragged him to the dance floor. Mac didn't oppose any of it, knowing that she wouldn't remember any of this in the morning.

She pulled him by his collar, their faces naturally gravitating toward each other. The faint scent of the hospital wing - a mix of rubbing alcohol, bacta, and hand sanitizer - still lingered in the air around her. But Mac didn't care, as his hands slowly made their way lower. From her back, he followed a vertical line down until he reached her bottom. Her breaths began to grow rapid, she replying by wrapping her arms loosely around his shoulders. They gazed into each other's eyes, suddenly losing awareness of everything around them. Pretty soon everything around them vanished, leaving Madelyn and Mac as the only people in the room. Without thinking twice, he lifted her off the ground and pulled her in closer. Mads wrapped her legs around his lower back as she turned her loose grip around his shoulders into a tight pull around his neck.

When Mac closed his eyes, the only feeling he had left in his body came from his lips. But when he had opened his eyes again, he was back in the hangar ready-room, two more fuel canisters behind him. He tried to shake the memory of her, instead focusing on the task at hand. He'll see her soon enough.

(-)

Before exiting the archives for the eighth and final trip, Mac took one more look at the data transfer. Ninety-five percent blinked triumphantly on the holotable, giving Mac a sudden jolt of hope. All he had to do was plant the last two explosive containers and spring the trap. But he knew it was easier said then done, and it was about to get a lot more complicated as Jon'Kil called over comms.

"Mac, we got a problem. We're getting surrounded from all sides, they're going to go the long way around."

"Blast, how many of them?"

"I don't know, maybe fifteen? At least."

"Copy, thanks for the heads-up. I'll be careful."

Cutting the transmission, Mac's light jog to the hangar turned into a full-on sprint as the sound of stormtrooper boots clapping down the corridors echoed behind him. He puffed heavily upon entering the ready-room, almost tripping over two First Order corpses that were leaking blood all over the floor. Retrieving the final two canisters, Mac's boots suddenly got a new paint job as he stepped in the puddles of the bodily fluid, leaving a red footprint behind him. On this trip, Mac was a little less cautious and turned corners without first looking for FO, focusing on just reaching the archives in time to save his teammates. But this was a mistake. One hallway away from the archives, a squad of seven stormtroopers stopped across the way. Mac was left standing in the middle of the hall, the archives now an equal distance away from the stormtroopers as to him.

He didn't dare make any sudden movements as several F-11D blasters were trained right on him. The trooper with a red pauldron spoke first.

"Freeze, rebel scum. Drop the canisters and put your hands in the air."

Mac rolled his eyes at the naive command. He ignored the order and tapped at his comlink.

"Guys, I've been compromised. Shoot the canisters."

"What do you mean? We told you to be careful!"

"I know, Jaycob. But just shoot the damn things. You'll still be able to take down the majority of them, just pick off the stragglers before-

The shower of blaster fire cut off Mac as he dodged back behind the corner. He dropped both fuel canisters, letting the fuel roll down the corridor toward the troopers. Unstrapping his NT-242, he rolled onto his belly and out of cover. He took aim at the cylinders and fired. The dark green laser bolt struck one of the tubes, sending a blueish light all around the troopers. A loud explosion followed, engulfing the First Order soldiers in flames and sending helmets, armor plating, and limbs all over the place. The ground shook violently right after, signalling that Jaycob had done the same. Propping himself back upright, Mac ran into the archives.

The first thing to greet him was a solid-green "download completed" prompt above the consoles. The window looking out onto the depot was a grim black, a thick cloud of smoke being all that was visible. A nervous sweat began to form on Mac's forehead as no sign of his squad was seen. He turned back toward the console and unplugged the datapad from the computer, nervously glancing around him for any friendly or enemy contact. He reached for his comlink once more.

"Guys, you still with me? Jaycob? Jon'Kil?"

A coughing fit came in response, followed by some much-needed assurance from Jon'Kil.

"Yeah, we-we're still here. Don't know if all of those containers were needed though."

"Yeah Mac, that was a bit overkill."

Mac let out a sigh of relief as the doors, connecting the archives to the depot, opened. The group all gathered around the console admirably. The Y-Wing schematics were now in their hands. All they needed to do now was bring it home.

Chapter 6: Jon'Kil

Summary:

Thanks to some quick thinking and luck, the Flyboys are back on track. The schematics were successfully downloaded, and now all they need to do is return safely. The mission was somewhat of a success, the Resistance now having everything they needed to replicate the build of the bomber. Now, the pilots earned a little bit of time to themselves, Jon'Kil using that time to visit his girlfriend, Asha Cerie...

Chapter Text

The blaring klaxon around the facility finally died out as the group rushed to the hangar. The two X-Wings and one A-Wing were still in their respective spots, representing a sense of security in an overwhelmingly hostile environment. The three pilots basically jumped into their starfighters, the datapad now safely in Mac's possession. Jon'Kil skipped all unnecessary warm-ups and practically blasted out of the hangar.

"Let's get home, please."

He called in, wanting Mac to relay the correct return-coordinates so they could just go home. Jon'Kil was shaking his leg anxiously, his hand hovering over the lightspeed lever. The few seconds it took for Mac to finally relay them felt like minutes, and the journey back to their cruiser which took minutes, felt like hours. Kaydel guided the trio safely to their respective docking bays and congratulated them on their decisive victory. Jon'Kil gracefully connected to the extension module, removing his helmet and gloves after opening his cockpit. He didn't wait for the engineers to open his alternate door, instead kicking open the hatch himself and sprinting to the ready-room.

Opening the door to an empty room, he was apparently the first to reach it. He steadily walked to his locker and opened it, tossing his gloves inside and sitting on the accompanying bench. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, completely exhausted from the events that had just occurred. His eyes were heavy and it took all of his energy to even unstrap his boots. He was on the verge of dozing off when two arms wrapped around him from behind. It was Asha.

"Hey, Flyboy."

Jon'Kil turned around and pulled the Zeltron into his lap. She giggled as she sat down, laying her head in the crevice between his shoulder and chin. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, just enjoying the warmth that radiated between their bodies. They both smelled terrible, both of them spending almost their entire day at a maintenance station of some sort. But they disregarded each others' foul stench in order to be together closely. Asha looked up at him, to which Jon'Kil caressed some stray locks of hair that were blocking her eyes. He had so much to tell her.

"I'm dying to hear about your mission. Tell me about it."

"Well what do you wanna know?"

"All of it, dummy. You guys look battered, especially Jaycob and Mac."

Jon'Kil thought back to himself on the catwalk, observing some type of fighting contest between endless waves of stormtroopers and the pilots. The gruesome sounds of bones breaking, blood splattering, and bodies hitting the floor were still fresh in his mind. Then he took a look at his hand. The dried blood on his palm and knuckles from when he had assassinated those two troopers in the ready-room. The makeshift device he had created still swung in his jumpsuit pocket, banging against the bench as he moved. Asha reached her hand into his pocket and pulled it out, the smell of burnt flesh following behind. Jon'Kil crinkled his nose and looked down, ashamed.

Asha turned it around in her hand, circling her fingers around the spike. She flicked the switch and was greeted with the static jolt of lightning moving up and down the prod. Her eyebrows rose, as she was clearly fascinated by the creation. Then, she looked back to Jon'Kil.

"You...made this?"

Jon'Kil didn't want to answer. Even when they first met on Dathomir, he's never displayed such violence and anger around her. The weapon she held now was in exact representation of just that. He was scared of what she'd think of him.

"Ummmm, n-no. What? Heh, um that was...Jaycob's."

"And what is it exactly?"

"I...have...no clue."

Asha smirked.

"You are a terrible liar."

"Look, it's nothing ok? Just some spare parts I found at the shipyards."

Asha rubbed some of the dried blood off.

"And this? I doubt you had time to give it a proper paint job."

"You know...just some...modifications."

"Mmhm, right. Why hide this? What did you think I would say?"

"I don't know...it's just bad. It was gruesome. I killed those troopers, with that...thing. Their blood is on my hands, literally!"

Asha scoffed and stood back up. She extended her hand to him, gesturing them to leave the room.

"Ok Flyboy, come on."

"Wh-where are we going? Aren't you disgusted?"

"Jon'Kil, this is war. Of course there's going to be death. I'm more disgusted about your body odor than your stories, you need a shower."

Jon'Kil felt a little relief knowing that Asha didn't feel the way he thought she would.

"Hey, you don't smell exactly perfect either."

"Which is why, we're going to the refreshers!"

"Wait wait, like...together?"

"Stop talking before I change my mind."

(-)

Jon'Kil was wrapping a towel around Asha as they got out of the shower. He looked at the door panel, which she had spliced locked. What they were doing was highly unprofessional and wouldn't end well if word got out. They each had to get back into their new clothes quickly and leave at separate times in order to lessen any suspicion by any bystanders that could possibly be outside. Jon'Kil zipped up jacket and observed affectionately as Asha was struggling to zip hers.

He smiled and approached. He slowly pulled the latch upward until ther Zeltron's back was covered once more, planting one more affectionate kiss on the back of her neck. Asha turned around and cupped her hands around Jon'Kil cheeks. Their lips came together again before a knock came from the refresher door. A quick shot of adrenaline surged up Jon'Kil's spine causing him to gasp.

"Hello? Why's this door jammed? Is anyone in there?"

"Uhh, in a second! The panel needs to be readjusted, it'll open soon."

He called back, trying to buy more time for Asha to grab all of her belongings. They were in the male refreshers after all. Asha had to stop herself from laughing at the entire situation, seeking out a place to hide. Jon'Kil was worriedly searching and searching until he found a locker. But it was a small compartment, and he didn't want to force Asha into a situation so similar to her time on Dathomir. But before he could find another hiding spot, his significant other brushed passed him and slid into the cabinet.

"W-wait, Asha no. You don't have to-"

"It's alright Jon'Kil, I'll be ok."

"B-but you're visions. I don't want you to go through those again."

Asha sighed, gloomily looking down in remembrance.

"I'll be alright Jon'Kil, just promise me something."

"Anything. Just tell me."

"Don't leave me in here."

Jon'Kil's insides felt cold. Just the thought of leaving her made him feel empty inside. That was the absolute last thing he ever wanted to do. He planted one last kiss on her forehead and shut the locker door. He quickly walked to the entrance and released the lock on the door. The door slid open only to reveal Poe waiting impatiently, tapping his foot on the ground and arms crossed. He raised his eyebrows and quickly greeted the Chiss.

Poe kept the conversation short, rushing to the closest stall to relieve himself. Jon'Kil just stood idly, watching his every move. The general was washing his hands when he realized that the observer. Jon'Kil met Poe's eyes in the mirror.

"Uhh, could I help you Jon'Kil?"

"Uhhh, n-no."

"Ok..."

Poe started, making his way toward the lockers.

"...then what're you doing?"

Dameron was getting closer and closer to the locker that Asha was in, and with every step he took, Jon'Kil's heart skip a beat. He grew worried as the general approached his locker. But luckily, Poe stopped right next to Asha's hiding spot and opened the cabinet next to her. An exhale of relief escaped Jon'Kil as he slouched on a bench.

"Sorry Poe, but that mission took a toll on me."

He lied. Poe nodded in reassurance.

"I know what you mean, believe me. It's not easy being a pilot."

"That's...an understatement."

The pair chuckled. Soon after, Poe gathered his belongings and left the refreshers. Jon'Kil rushed back to Asha's cabinet and yanked open the door. She was in a hugging her knees to her chest, keeping her head buried in her legs. But when she looked up, there were no tears in her eyes. Just a smile on her face. Jon'Kil smirked.

"Miss me?"

"Desperately."

She raised her hand for Jon'Kil to pull her to back upright. He obliged, keeping her hand in his. He looked thoughtfully into her eyes, wondering how he could get so fortunate. From former First Order traitor with a corrupted relationship with a teammate, to a Resistance pilot now standing in front of a girl whom he loved, and had just returned from yet another stressful mission.

He wasn't sure how long he could keep this up. This endless pattern of dodging death while simultaneously dishing out his own was tiresome to say the least. He couldn't catch a break. But fortunately, Asha was there to keep him from losing his mind. But now, he had to let her go. Before they got in trouble.

"Ok Asha, I'll check to see if the coast is clear."

"I think I can handle it, Flyboy. I'll talk to you soon."

Before Jon'Kil could peak his head out of the door, Asha brushed passed him and disappeared into the corridor.

(-)

Jon'Kil, Jaycob, and Mac were all recalled back to the conference chamber for a debrief of their mission. After some time to themselves, the trio were cleaned off and prepped for another mission. However, they still lacked sleep. The heavy eyes and dragging heads was evidence of this. General Dameron approached the group with a datapad in his hand, observing it critically.

"Alright guys, lay it on me. How'd it go? Judging by the lack of a Y-Wing in our possession, I can only assume it didn't go to well."

"That's an understatement."

Jaycob replied, still nursing his jaw. Poe's eyes widened.

"Holy hell, you guys look terrible. Well, Mac and Jaycob do at least. Jon'Kil, you care to explain?"

The Chiss' eyes darted from his squad to the general ferociously. He didn't know why, but he was nervous. Yes, they were assigned a mission and they failed miserably. But, Poe would show some signs of sympathy wouldn't he? Especially if he knew the trouble they had to go through to even download the schematics.

"Uhh...it's a long story."

"And? We've got time."

The three pilots discussed the events of earlier and brought Poe up to speed in about an hour and a half. The group made emphasis to talk about going into combat with the prototype itself, the First Order fighting ring, and the holdout against waves of stormtroopers while waiting for the data download. Mac took out the plans and waved the device in the air. Poe grabbed it and inserted it into the holotable. Pages and pages of the Y-Wing's schematics flashed across the field, displaying the new weapons systems, engine thrusters, and passenger turret capabilities. Once again, it made Mac practically drool while Jon'Kil and Jaycob remained unimpressed. To Jon'Kil, it just looked like another bomber that could prove useful at taking down Resurgents, but nothing more. If the First Order were to create another Starkiller Base, or anything even similar to the scale. these ships wouldn't stand a chance.

"Well? Can we work with this?"

Jaycob asked.

"Mmm, I think so..."

Poe answered unsure.

"That doesn't sound too convincing, Poe."

Mac cut in.

"You guys did good work, this is valuable. But, we needed that prototype."

Jaycob rolled his eyes, but Jon'Kil chimed in before he could spit out a sarcastic comment.

"Poe, you have to understand. We did the best we could, that facility was crawling with FO. If you really want that ship so bad, we're going to need a whole attack fleet to stand a chance against those guys."

Poe crossed his arms and bit his lip, thinking.

"Look, the whole reason I needed the ship intact is so we could have an easier time replicating it for our fleet. I'm not saying you guys didn't do well, we have the means to create it. But, it's just going to take some time since our mechanics will have to start from scratch."

"I don't see the problem, you just said yourself that we have time."

Jaycob inserted. Poe shook his head and switched holotable displays.

"Ok, maybe that was an overstatement."

Chapter 7: Jaycob

Summary:

After the Flyboys' mission to the Koensayr Manufacturing Facility, things started to turn for the better for the Resistance. But, just as morale was starting to rise, a new discovery from Poe made sure to shoot it right back down. Word of a new First Order ship had reached their hands, and it's never been seen before. Or has it?

Chapter Text

The holotable displayed a new set of blueprints, this time marked all over with First Order insignia. This jumble of ship components and pieces were way more organized than that of the Y-Wing, but still hard to decipher nonetheless. Jaycob rubbed his chin in thoughtfulness. He still had no clue where Poe was leading with all of this. It just seemed like a classic example of Poe being melodramatic. Jaycob then looked at his comrades to see if they too shared the same expression, only to find Mac left speechless and confused, while Jon'Kil was the one nearly drooling in admiration. Jaycob scoffed at their switched faces.

"Now that is rich. You guys are literally the opposite of before."

Mac stopped studying the schematics and glanced at Jaycob.

"Uhhh, what're you talking about?"

"You know, when Poe showed us the Y-Wing. You were the one that knew exactly what it was, while Jon'Kil and I had no idea. But now, we're shown whatever this is and it's you and me who are confused."

Mac and Poe were not amused, while Jon'Kil ignored everything. The Chiss was still staring at the blueprints. He walked around the table, trying to observe the different parts and systems from a better angle. Jaycob rolled his eyes.

"Ok, Jon'Kil! Soooo are you gonna tell us what exactly we're looking at here? Or are you just gonna walk in circles all day?"

"Wh-what? Oh, yeah, sorry. As you guys know, I was former First Order. During my time in the ranks, I've witnessed a wide variety of projects that the FO had under works. When you pulled this up, I had trouble recognizing what it was because it did look familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it."

"Buuuut, I'm guessing you've figured it out, right?"

Poe asked. Jon'Kil nodded his head excitedly.

"It's a TIE Echelon!"

"A what now?"

"A new TIE variant, a transport. Also known as the TIE/es assault shuttle, I remember seeing it way back in the day when it was still in the prototype stage."

"So you're saying it's not in the prototype stage anymore?"

"Nuh uh."

"It's been mass produced by the First Order? Then how come we haven't seen it before today? Surely we would've destroyed a couple of these already."

Mac chimed in with a confident grin.

"Well technically, we have seen these before."

"The name doesn't ring a bell, Jon'Kil."

Jaycob reassured.

"Which is fine, but you and Mac have definitely seen this ship."

Jaycob and Mac looked at each other even more perplexed than before.

"Yeah..."

Jon'Kil continued,

"...if I recall correctly, it was your mission to Batuu."

"Batuu...Batuu. The planet sounds familiar."

Poe agreed.

"As it should, since if you remember, you sent Jaycob and Mac there back when we were still scouting for a new planet for our base."

"Ohhhh! Black Spire Outpost, that's on there right?"

Mac remembered.

"Yup. A mess of a mission that was."

Batuu. Poe was right, the planet did sound familiar. But, Jaycob was still having trouble recollecting what had happened there.

"Yeah, I'm still drawing a blank. Mac, care to fill me in?"

"Really, Jaycob? How can you not remember that mission?"

Jaycob shrugged.

"Ok well, you might wanna sit down or something. It's a long story."

(-)

Jaycob was sitting in the cabin of a civilian transport, a StarSpeeder 1000 to be exact. Registered under the Star Tours travel agency, Poe thought it would be a good idea to arrive to the planet without Jaycob's starfighter since it was "too recognizable". Jaycob was dressed in his usual attire: orange jacket, brown pants, and black boots. He wore an additional cloak over it all, just to hide his holstered Glie-44 pistol and backpack. His wrist-mounted computer was still strapped to its usual spot as he raised his left forearm into view.

He tuned into the local Holonet channel and watched the program muted. Several images of First Order Resurgents hovering above the atmosphere appeared on the screen. Batuu was supposed to be a neutral planet, reliant on neither the Resistance or the First Order, but it looked as if the FO had already occupied the surface. The loud twin-ion engines could be heard even through the thick hull of the transport, and Jaycob let out a defeated sigh. He switched off the program and pinged Mac through his comms.

"Blast, Mac they're here."

He whispered, trying to avoid any passengers from overhearing. For all he knew, there could be undercover FO operatives in the transport. The method of eavesdropping was not uncommon for them. It took a while for Mac to respond, but once he finally did it was only to reassure Jaycob that he saw the strong FO presence as well.

"Yeah, I see them. I'll let Dameron know. Standby."

The shuttle finally touched down on one of the public landing platforms and the boarding ramp lowered. Jaycob's eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight fairly quickly as the rest of the passengers brushed past him. Right in front of him was the bustling marketplace of Black Spire Outpost. He followed the swarm of people walking toward the entrance, readying to trade their goods with the merchants. Numerous vendors called out to Jaycob as he approached their stands, only to be ignored. Screens were set up all around the marketplace, broadcasting the First Order occupation endlessly, sometimes interrupted by the standard FO propaganda and nonsense.

Some of the bystanders were afraid, the mere look on their faces giving it away. Those who couldn't care less just kept walking, paying no mind to the TIE fighters overhead or the squads of stormtroopers on patrol. Jaycob finally made it out of the marketplace only to be thrown into the center of the busy outpost, speeders and foot traffic alike made the streets cluttered. Jaycob had to push and sliver his way through the crowd if he were to get anywhere, and all he needed was a private place to re-establish communication with Mac. After a few more minutes of light-shoving and sliding through crowds, he arrived at a circular two-story building. A cantina.

He pressed the door release and entered the establishment. Few patrons looked up to see who the new visitor was, while the others didn't even realize someone had come in. Jaycob approached one of the open stand-in spots at the bar and called the attention of the bartender. It was an elderly lady and was, presumably, the owner of the place. She studied Jaycob as she walked up.

"I've never seen you in here before. You an off-worlder?"

Jaycob's eyes widened.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Only to me. I've been here for decades, yet I still remember all my customers. Whether one-timers or casuals, I remember them all."

"Good to know."

"Indeed. But these First Order fellows, I can't. They're always wearing those ridiculous white buckets, I can never tell them apart."

"Right, the First Order. What's your take on them anyway?"

"Personally?"

"Sure."

"I don't like them. But what can I do? I'm just a cantina owner."

"Do you know how everyone else feels about them?"

"Mmm, the public opinion is quite negative. After they wiped out our PDF, we've not been able to do much. Those pilots are the best fighters we had."

Jaycob was taken aback. Sure, the First Order had done occupations on unwanting planets just like this. But never has Jaycob heard of a time when an planet's entire defense force had been wiped. This was definitely a first. Jaycob ordered a drink and gulped it down fast, quickly ordering another right after.

"Well, I'm Jaycob. Good to meet you."

He extended his hand to the woman.

"Oga. Pleasure to meet you too, kid."

She took it.

"Say, you don't happen to know of anywhere I can make a call in private, do you?"

"Not too sure now, the First Order has planted bugs all over the damn place. But I'll tell you what, I have a storage room in the back where only I have access. If you promise to not steal anything and come right back out after you've made your call, you can use it."

"Deal. I won't be long."

Oga directed him to the storage room away from the main guest area and opened the door. Jaycob walked in and shut it behind him, once again raising his wrist to his mouth.

"Mac, it's Jaycob again. Any word from Poe?"

"Affirmative. He's sending a small squad to the planet to assist in the recon."

"How many we talking?"

"Four of us coming in, five with you."

"That's unnecessary don't you think? I can handle this myself, trust me."

"I know, Jaycob. But the general thinks it's best if you had backup."

"Alright fine, just you then."

"What?"

"Don't bring the whole party. I think we'd be able to get this done faster if it's just us. More people means more likely to be caught by FO."

"Alright, I'll try to convince him. Standby."

Around ten minutes or so passed until Mac returned.

"Well? What'd he say?"

"He was reluctant, but he approved. I'm on my way to my ship, I'll see you soon."

"Sounds good, Mac."

(-)

Jaycob left the storage room and tipped Oga for her help. She was unexpectedly trusting to lend her private space to a complete stranger, and Jaycob had to commend her for it. She was just another civilian in the galaxy trying to make a living, and he wasn't going to stand in her way, it was none of his business. But it wasn't the First Order's either. Whatever happened on this planet, he was going to make sure Oga and her cantina were left untouched. However right as he was about to leave, a squad of stormtroopers entered the building, shoving a patron out of their way.

It was their fault for standing there.

Jaycob re-entered his spot at the open bar and leaned forward against the table. He tried to avoid as much eye contact with the soldiers as possible, knowing that his face had probably been on their most-wanted list. He rested his head on his palm and tried to tilt his gaze away from the troopers as he ordered another drink. He caressed the side of his blaster pistol with his other hand, just to provide some sense of security for himself. Even if one of them recognized him, he'd have the drop on them and would be able to take down at least one before they even had a chance to draw their weapons.

Now, Jaycob just tried to run the situation through his head. He blasts one of the four stormtroopers dead, then what? The other three would pull their F-11D's from their holsters and open fire in his direction, probably striking several innocent civilians in the process. No, he couldn't have that. Trying to take cover in any part of the cantina was simply too dangerous for the people inside. He had to take the fight outside, if there was one. Jaycob still wanted to take the path of least violence if the situation even arose. Perhaps, he'd be taken prisoner. Wait in a cell until Mac came, realized he was missing, and be rescued. But with the reputation Jaycob had, the First Order would rather see him dead than alive. Also due to his seniority, the Resistance wouldn't send a small task force to rescue him either. The entire fleet would be here in minutes and start a full-on planetary battle, putting a lot more innocent lives at risk. Nonviolence was definitely the better option at the moment.

Jaycob ordered one more drink just to ease himself up a little bit. Oga graciously obliged, giving him another glass. He swallowed it quickly and ran through his metaphorical checklist of what to do when scouting for a new possible base location. Seeing as the First Order was already occupying the planet, one would think that establishing any base here would be beyond unreasonable. But at the same time, if done correctly, the Resistance would be able to operate right underneath the FO's nose. Nonetheless, Jaycob had several tasks to do before the planet would be deemed a viable option.

First - Establish direct communication with the Resistance, whether that be through personal comms or scrambled public comms. Being able to talk to the Resistance was an obvious but crucial step in a planetary scout. With this, you could easily report your findings, discuss strategies, or relay enemy command post locations. In order to do this, an operative on the surface must be able to speak to the Resistance clearly and without any interference. Jaycob would have to make sure the incoming and outgoing transmissions could be heard accurately.

Second - Place sensor beacons around places of activity, meaning cities, outposts, markets, and basically any place that had a lot of foot traffic. Jaycob brought eight of these beacons along with him, stored in his backpack. These weren't considered contraband in any way, hence why he was able to bring them aboard a public transport. But if the First Order even caught a whiff of the devices, unwanted suspicion would definitely arise. Jaycob had to put these sensors in populated areas, but have them hidden from plain sight.

Third - Spy on any enemy outposts in the area, if there were any. Luckily enough, Black Spire Outpost served as both a viable sensor placement and enemy scouting area. Stormtroopers were all over the place; in patrols, on speeder bikes, or even off-duty just roaming the streets without their helmets on. The First Order simply housed all of their equipment and vehicles in plain sight, and used the public landing pads to house their fighters and transports. It was a smart tactic, cutting off any supplies being delivered directly to the outpost, civilians resorted to landing on open patches of forest or smaller and distant landing pads miles away from the city center.

Fourth - Determine if the planet would be a good option for a new Resistance base. Seemingly the most boring task according to Jaycob, the choices were relatively simple. If there was FO presence that the Resistance couldn't work around, it's a no. But if the Resistance could undergo whatever they needed to, all with keeping themselves hidden from the FO, then yes. But this would take time. And now that it was only going to be Jaycob and Mac conducting the whole operation, they were going to need a lot of it.

"Mac to Jaycob, do you copy?"

"Loud and clear."

"I'm landing now."

"Copy, coordinates relayed."

"Received. Let's get to work." 

Chapter 8: Mac

Summary:

Now recalling back to a mission to the familiar planet of Batuu, Mac and Jaycob run through their memories of their attempt at establishing a base on the surface. Originally being sent a team of four to assist with the mission, Mac convinced Poe under Jaycob’s word that just himself would be enough. Mac has now reached Black Spire Outpost and was moving to rendezvous with his comrade…

Chapter Text

The wood chips crunched underneath Mac's feet as he made his way out of the forest. He flew down with his X-Wing, but made sure not to make the stupid decision of wearing his orange jumpsuit as it resided mainly with the Resistance. Instead, he wore normal garments with a large cloak that hid everything underneath. He had a Glie-44 strapped to his right thigh and a datapad clenched in his left hand. A small map of the immediate area was displayed, with a solid blue dot pinging at the edge of the screen. That blue dot was Jaycob. On the map, it showed that he was dead center in the middle of Batuu's outpost, in some kind of circular structure. Mac took his comlink from his belt and pinged his partner.

"Jaycob, there's a lot of movement around here. Where are you exactly?"

"Oga's cantina, you can't miss it. It's across the street from the docking bay."

"Copy."

Mac terminated the transmission and continued his trek. He ended up at the start of the outpost marketplace, and reached a sign that read,

Black Spire Outpost

He quickly avoided all of the solicitors and made his way to the docking bay, now used for the First Order, and looked across the pathway. Surely enough, the circular building stood there in all of its triumph. The cantina.

Of course he's here.

Mac walked through the sliding door and observed the layout of the place. The patrons didn't seem to sketchy, but the stormtroopers seated at the bar certainly did. Jaycob was a few spots away from them, and was waving for him to come over. Mac drew a long sigh and approached. A small glass slid right into his hand as Mac leaned on the counter. The sudden appearance of the drink startled him a bit, the bartender nodding her head as he looked up at her.

"Alright Jaycob, I'm here. It's just me. Have you started the process?"

"I mean, I contacted you. Doesn't that count as establishing communication with the Resis-"

Jaycob cut himself off as he remembered the stormtroopers nearby. Mac raised an eyebrow, amused that his friend showed some source of self-control.

"Doesn't that technically count as step one?"

Mac scoffed and gulped down the shot.

"Well, it depends. Do you want this mission to ride upon the success of technicalities? Or do you wanna do this right?"

Jaycob rolled his eyes.

"Yeah yeah, ok smartass. What's your proposal?"

"Having some sort of safehouse would be a good start."

"A safehouse? You're kidding me."

"No no, hear me out. We can just rent one of the rooms at the inn, i-if this outpost even has one."

"It does."

"We set up there, full-on comms center. We can stash all our goods in one place instead of lugging around our equipment everywhere we go. This way, we can execute each one of the necessary steps effectively and with minimum risk."

Jaycob bit his lip in contemplation.

"Ok, I like that idea but they’ve planted bugs all over the outpost. Surely the inn would be a prime target to catch any smack-talking civilians in the act."

"Don't trip. Asha whipped me up a little something for those pesky things. Well, for you I should say. "

Mac pulled around his backpack and took out a screen extension, about the same size as Jaycob's wrist-computer display. Mac slid it across the table like one of the shot glasses. Jaycob picked it up and raised his left arm. Snapping the extension onto the display, Jaycob rotated the device back and forth. Mac smirked as he saw Jaycob's eyes light up and ordered another drink. The elder, presumably Oga, complied.

"That, my friend, will exterminate those bugs. Or, at least show us where the bugs are so we can exterminate them ourselves."

"We'll do a test run once we get to the inn then."

(-)

The inn matched the theme of the outpost, meaning the building was old, rusting, and full of blaster holes. Rates for the rooms were still cheap nonetheless, and Mac purchased one for the both of them to last them the duration of the mission. After retrieving the door card from the front office, Mac and Jaycob entered one of the elevators and pressed the fifth floor. The building only went up to seven floors, but Mac made sure to keep themselves in the middle just in case any raid occurred.

"That was smart, I wouldn't have thought of that."

Jaycob praised.

"Yeah well, think about it. The First Order can either breach from one of two points. The roof or the ground floor."

"Assuming that they don't have any close air support, like higher-altitude speeders."

"Right."

"Well judging by how the FO is running this planet, I don't think that'll be a problem."

Mac and Jaycob were both aware that they were talking openly about the First Order. But none of it was really illegal to talk about, and it surely didn't tarnish their reputation. It was just two friends, talking about how the First Order would handle things. It wasn't the worst thing the pair had said when talking about the First Order, but it wasn’t suspicious regardless. The elevator door opened on the fifth floor and out they went. Their room was all the way at the end of the hall, furthest away from the stairs.

Mac swiped the card and the door unlocked. He was the first to enter the quaint room and set his stuff on the first bed. Jaycob followed behind, throwing his stuff on the second bed and pulling out his wrist again. Jaycob opened the protective cover and flipped open the screen extension, powering it on.

"You know how to use that thing?"

"Eh, I'll figure it out."

The screen extension glowed to life, a vertical line starting on the left slowly wiping its way to the right. On the line's small journey from one side to the other, several bright circles appeared along the way. Jaycob compared what showed on the screen to his real-life surroundings and determined what they were.

"Asha's a smart one, I'll give her that."

"Well, what's it do?"

Being the one to deliver the device to Jaycob, Mac still had no clue what it did. Asha just told him to give it to "that hard-headed hotshot".

"It highlights every electrical circuit in whatever you're looking at. Kind of like an X-Ray, but for electricity."

"I'll be damned. I never thought stuff like this would be possible."

"Right?"

Jaycob went along all four walls of the apartment, trying to find the sound bug. Mac knew he found it once his eyes widened and he de-activated the scanner. Jaycob then started faintly tapping on a piece of wall that seemed to be freshly painted over. He slit a small incision into the wall, and shoved his hand into the hole.

"Not a word."

Jaycob warned, flashing sarcasm. After a while of feeling around, Jaycob pulled out a small black microphone pinched in between his thumb and index finger. Handing it to Mac, Jaycob signaled for him to be quiet, placing his finger vertically across his lips. Mac tossed it to the floor and crushed it under the weight of his boot.

"Problem solved. You sure that's all of them?"

"Pretty sure."

Mac nodded and went back to his backpack. He fished out his datapad and walked over to the small holotable stationed in the corner of the room. He picked up a connecting wire from the table and inserted it to his datapad, starting the signal scrambling sequence. Step one complete.

"There Jaycob, see? Direct communication to the Resistance established."

Jaycob rolled his eyes.

"Ok, thanks Mac, I get it. Now, did you bring any sensor beacons?"

"Yeah, I brought eight."

"Eight!? I brought eight!"

"Well then we'll just have more accurate scans to send back to command."

"We don't need that many, seriously."

"Ok fine, let's just place ten."

"Deal, but no more."

The pair made their way back outside to the three setting suns. Their load was a bit lighter, nothing but the beacons now in their bags and their cloaks left behind. They brandished their blasters in their respective holsters, and went separate directions.

They figured that they could cover more ground if they split up, so that’s exactly what they did. Mac split the beacons evenly between themselves, five and five. Mac would get the docking bay and most of the marketplace while Jaycob covered the trading posts and speeder garages.

The docking bay was fairly empty of civilians, due to the heavy FO presence there. TIE fighters took most of the parking spots, with smaller run-down ships sprinkled here and there. Usually there was a constant flow of stormtrooper squads guarding the place, but for some reason this planet lacked that. There were only three squads, consisting of five soldiers each, making their rounds about the bay.

The FO had put signs all around the surrounding area, restricting anyone not affiliated with them from entering. But, it was only a sign after all. Mac didn’t give it a second glance as he made his way past.

Seeking cover behind the wing of a TIE, he crouched and pulled out the first beacon. All along the ground were surface lights, designating where the open spots were. Mac strategically placed the beacon behind one of these, thinking it would blend in as just a piece of equipment. He activated the device and confirmed its signal with his datapad.

One down, four to go.

The FO patrols were easy to avoid, especially since there were so few of them. Mac made his way to the cargo area, placing another one of the beacons behind a stack of crates. After finishing the activation process, he was curious on Jaycob’s progress.

He switched the third sensor beacon in his hand for his comlink and pinged his partner.

”Jaycob, how’re you doing?”

"Good, I've gotten three down. How about you?"

"Only two."

"Well, granted you are dodging more First Order then I am."

"Definitely. I'm starting to regret picking this path."

"I offered-"

"Yeah yeah, shut it."

The rest of the beacons were placed successfully and all without any unnecessary conflict. Mac placed his beacons all in logical spots: on top of lights, behind cargo crates, in food baskets, and underneath market tents. He was fairly confident that the beacons would stay hidden, as long as people weren't purposely looking for them.

The two pilots regrouped back at the inn, step two now finished. All was well, until there was a knock on the door.

"This is the First Order, open up at once!"

Chapter 9: Jon'Kil

Summary:

With Jaycob and Mac successfully placing ten beacons strategically around the mission area, they now regroup back at their hotel room. However, their fate is in the balance as a knock comes to their door, First Order warning them of their presence. Now, Jon’Kil is beginning to remember things clearer than before, him inputting his take on what happened…

Chapter Text

Jon'Kil listened to the retelling of the mission, intently. He already had the knowledge of what happened, but hearing it from Mac's perspective was much more amusing. The story began to gather an audience now, a small group of crew members coming closer to listen in. Mac had a way with storytelling, now everyone on the edge of their metaphorical seats.

"We had no idea what to do. The FO were literally on our doorstep."

"So what did you do?"

Jon'Kil asked.

"This is where it gets ugly. Jaycob and I had to open the door. We were planning on trying to negotiate our way out of it."

"Which never works."

Jaycob cut in.

"Nope. There was four of them, and they forced their way into our room. All armed with F-11D's, yet those idiots kept them lowered. We blasted two of them in the chest and got into a struggle with the last two. My guy tried to fire off his rifle, but it ended up shooting towards Jaycob."

"Ohhh, I remember! Then I used my guy as a body shield to absorb the bolt."

"Yes, exactly! Do you remember now?"

"It's starting to come back to me. The inn-keeper snitched on us! That mission didn't end well."

"That would be an understatement."

Poe agreed.

"You guys didn't even finish it, you had to be pulled out before the entire FO fleet arrived."

Jon'Kil remembered this part. After all, he was a part of the exfiltration squad that assisted in getting the two of them off-world.

(-)

The klaxon blaring woke up Jon'Kil from a peaceful rest in the equipment storage room. Asha, who was snuggled in his arms, jolted awake, kicking the cargo crates that made up their small wall of privacy in between two under-repair ion engines. Poe's voice boomed over the intercom in a worried, but serious tone.

"Pilots, report to your stations as soon as possible. We've got a rescue op on the planet Batuu, priority targets: Commander Flesio and Major Mac. Wheels up in five."

Jon'Kil sat up and took another gaze at the Zeltron. She smiled at him and poked his side with her finger.

"Go get 'em, flyboy."

"I'll be back soon."

After giving Asha one more kiss, he hopped over the cargo-crate wall and sprinted to his X-Wing. One of the engineers had already placed his gloves and helmet on his NavComputer so all Jon'Kil had to do was jump inside and strap in. The preflight checklist was second nature, and before he knew it Jon'Kil was pulling away from the docking bay.

"Jon'Kil, you're my wingman for this one. Follow my lead."

Poe commanded.

"Solid copy."

The rescue team's callsign was Indigo, flight officer Lieutenant Connix giving them the name before they launched into hyperspace. A few minutes later, they were in the Batuu system. The First Order Resurgent saw them coming and took aim with their cannons. But before firing, the First Order requested a transmission to Poe. He let them speak.

"Resistance dogs, it is of no use. We have your operatives in the palm of our hand, there's no escape for them."

"Sorry, you're cutting out. It's ok though, I'll talk to you guys after we've decimated your fleet."

Cutting off the transmission, Poe then switched channels back to his squad.

"Indigo Squad, one Destroyer, plenty of TIE's. They all go down. Just make sure our shuttle doesn't get touched."

The greenlight was given, meaning the squad would have free reign to take down any targets, however they wanted. This tactic was rarely used, and was primarily only called to wreak havoc and serve as a distraction for the Resistance transports. Jon'Kil deployed his S-Foils and accelerated to attack speed. The initial joust of X-Wings and TIE's went by with a blur, Jon'Kil quickly pursuing his attack angles.

Three TIE's fell victim to the Chiss' barrage of laser before he shifted his focus to the single Resurgent Star Destroyer. A pair of Indigo pilots seemed to take Jon'Kil's lead and form behind him. According to Jon'Kil's NavComputer roster, it was Indigo 3 and Indigo 6. Taking this as a sign that they awaited orders, Jon'Kil called out to them.

"3 and 6, you guys with me?"

"You know it!"

"We got your back, Jon'Kil!"

Now in a tight V-formation, the squad of X-Wings took aim at the cruiser's surface cannons. A flurry of laser cannon and ion torpedoes later, the only defenses the capital ship had now was their deployed fighters. Now called back to defend the cruiser, the TIE's began to form a loose perimeter around the Resurgent, only deterring the pilots of Indigo Squad from getting too close. The mission was going better than expected.

The Resistance transport successfully exfiltrated Jaycob and Mac from the surface of Batuu, and were on their way back to the fleet. But then the First Order pulled off something unexpected. Instead of utilizing the TIE's for cruiser defense, they began their attack run on the Resistance shuttle. Whoever commanded the Resurgent was willing to sacrifice their own safety to make sure two of the most dangerous pilots in the Resistance didn't survive. And for that, Jon'Kil had to give them some credit.

But credit wouldn't save them. Jon'Kil saw the TIE's getting into formation, and called out his findings to Dameron. The First Order hadn't even gotten to launch their attack before Poe and Jon'Kil coordinated the counter. Splitting Indigo Squad into two groups, half the X-Wings formed a tight perimeter around the shuttle, the other half making their methodical approach toward the helpless cruiser.

"Indigo 2, launching attack run."

Jon'Kil reported to Poe.

"Solid copy, give 'em hell."

"Gladly."

Jon'Kil, followed by a trail of two other X-Wings unleashed their payload of ion torpedoes into the Resurgent bridge, life support, and hangar bays. Jon'Kil ordered his followers to hit these targets specifically, knowing the importance of each of the sub-systems. The destroyed bridge means control failure of the entire cruiser. The life support means no oxygen or gravity flowing through the interior. And the hangar bays made sure the launched TIE's had nowhere to refuel, resupply, or land in general.

Soon enough the Resurgent was left crippled, the rest of Indigo Squad regrouping at their transport. The few straggling TIE's were dispatched of quickly, and the Resistance was out of the system and into a hyperspace lane in a matter of seconds. The journey back to their home cruiser was full of questions for Jaycob and Mac.

"What the hell happened?"

Poe demanded.

"Our mission went south. Everything was going according to plan, but before we knew it the First Order came knocking."

Jaycob tried to explain.

"What do you mean, 'they came knocking'? You two are supposed to be covertly scouting if a planet is fit for Resistance occupation, not starting a war in the outpost streets!"

"You don't think we know that?"

"Yeah, we had no control over the First Order's actions. It wasn't our fault."

Mac chimed in.

"Listen, Poe. Sometimes missions just don't go as planned. This is a textbook example. No matter the circumstances, the mission failed. Batuu is not a suitable planet for occupation."

Poe sighed through his comms.

"You know what? It's fine. As long as you guys are back in one piece, I guess we should be calling ourselves lucky."

Jon'Kil was relieved the argument didn't escalate as internal disputes was not what they need at the moment. The Chiss attached his fighter to the cruiser's docking bay with ease, removing his gloves and helmet and handing them to one of the engineers waiting at the hatch. Asha stood at the doorway leading to the main corridor with her arms on her waist, smiling as Jon'Kil made his way to her.

"How'd it go?"

She asked, pulling him into her embrace.

"Fine. No casualties. It was just a close call."

"Yeah, I bet. Jaycob is a walking recipe for disaster."

She joked.

"Batuu is a no-go."

He concluded, as he started walking toward the lifts.

"Have fun at your debrief."

She said, giving him one last kiss before the elevator doors closed.

(-)

"There. Does this ring a bell, Jaycob?"

Jaycob nodded his head.

"Yes, I remember. We barely made it off the planet."

"Yeah, you could say that."

Poe agreed.

"Ok now that we got that out of the way, we can get back on track."

Jon'Kil tried to regather everyone's attention. The audience of listeners dissipated, all crew members reporting back to their posts, leaving the original four pilots now at the center holotable.

"The Chiss is right. What's the point of showing us this, Poe?"

Mac cut in, pointing at the TIE Echelon schematics.

"Ahh, yes. Funny story actually, you guys will have a laugh at this one."

"Usually when you say that, nobody laughs and we're left dreading whatever it is you just said."

Jaycob remarked.

"Hmmm, when you put it like that...then yeah. That's pretty much what's happening."

That strange aura from the manufacturing facilities was back again. That same force that was all around Jon'Kil, was stronger than ever, and made him speak without thinking. The words escaped his mouth before he could register any of it.

"We're going back to Batuu."

He blurted in the middle of the conversation. Poe, Mac, and Jaycob all shared the same look of confusion after he had spoke, and for a second Jon'Kil thought he was wrong. But deep down, in his gut, he knew he wasn't. Poe only confirmed his theory when he looked down in defeat. Jaycob read the general's face and tried to protest.

"No no no, Poe you cannot be serious right now!"

"Look, I need pilots who are capable of pulling this off and I don't trust anyone more than you guys."

"Oh, bullsh-"

"What is it that you need us to do exactly?"

Mac cut off the commander before he could finish his formal complaint. Poe was relieved Jaycob couldn't be heard, and was happy to answer Mac's question.

"Well, we know that since these are transports, they go to and from the First Order main base. But now that they don't have Starkiller, we have no clue where they might be. I need you three to place a tracker on one of these TIE Echelons and find out where their new base is located."

"What if those shuttles are only used for planetary duties? What if they don't even go to the new FO base at all?"

Jon'Kil interjected. Jaycob nodded his head at his questions, as they did make sense.

"That's a risk we should be willing to take. Secondary objective is to download the ship's manufacturing data. If we can't find out exactly where the FO is, we can at least find out where they're building their ships, and that's a good start."

"That is assuming that the shuttle was built recently, before the Supremacy was destroyed. Since we know they had shipbuilding capabilities aboard that cruiser, it'll be no use when we find out the shuttle was built during that time."

Mac replied.

"If we find out the shuttle was built during that time."

Poe corrected. Jon'Kil didn't like basing a mission off what-ifs, but at this point the Resistance needed anything. And if this is what it took, so be it.

Chapter 10: Jaycob

Summary:

After the memory jog, Poe springs on the Flyboys that they must return to Batuu. A new mission has arisen in the shape of yet another ship. This time, it’s the TIE Echeleon. But for the time being, Jaycob needed some time to recover…

Chapter Text


Jaycob was left unsatisfied with Poe's briefing on the mission back to Batuu. Other than Dathomir, this was a planet Jaycob definitely did not want to return to. Luckily, Poe let the three pilots have some time to rest and relax after the mission prior. For Jaycob, it was time needed to heal from the beating he took from Elrik Vonreg. As soon as he was dismissed from the conference chamber, he rushed to the medical bay to take a good soak in the bacta tank.

Mac tagged along for the short trip, going to the medical bay just to visit Doctor Mads. They entered the elevator, Mac pushed the floor button, and they were off. The lift descended all the way down to the bottom floors and they exited.

"I'm sure she'll be glad to see you."

Jaycob said. Mac, surprised at the compliment, smiled.

"I hope so. She didn't even say bye before we left."

"You said it yourself, she's really busy. I'm sure she had a good reason to not be there at sendoff."

Jaycob reassured his friend. The “sendoff” was a small tradition the friends or loved ones of pilots did before they embarked on their next mission. For the pilots, it was their last goodbye and reassurance that people were waiting for them when they got back.

Nowadays there weren't many people left to partake in the common practice. After the Battle of Crait, all branches of the Resistance were left extremely understaffed. For Doctor Mads it must’ve been extremely hard, and having Mac served as a much-needed distraction at times like this.

In a time of utter chaos and war, Mac was that shining light in Mads’ life that made her remember she was still human, and had emotions. While it is true that her job is to save other people’s lives, she still had her own to take care of. Jaycob would know, Tallie was that for him. Except his duty was to take lives, not save them.

As if she were waiting for them, Mads opened the door when they were just a few steps away, her infamous smile beaming in the artificial lights. She really was one of the most attractive women on board, second to Tallie of course, and he was still so shocked when Mac told him they were a thing.

Not that Mac didn’t deserve her in any way, but the fact that someone so job-oriented and focused like him being able to still find that special someone was a nice change of pace.

”There’s my Flyboys!”

She exclaimed. Even she knew the name. Their squad callsign was definitely unique, but not enough to warrant the name carrying on post-mission, at least for Jaycob.

”You too, Mads?”

He asked, shaking his head.

”Of course, Commander. It’s catchy.”

She then turned to Mac.

”And there’s my pilot.”

She pulled Mac in closer by the back of his neck, and kissed him. Jaycob just stood there witnessing it all, disgusted. He didn’t even do that with Tallie. Except, when he gave her ownership of his A-Wing. If given the chance to do it again he would in a heartbeat.

”I hate to break this up, I really do-“

”Then don’t.”

 Mads interrupted. Jaycob rolled his eyes.

”The bacta tank better be filled when I get there.”

He said, walking past the smooching couple and into the medical bay. He walked to where the bacta tanks were stationed and sure enough, one was full.

She knows us too well.

(-)

Jaycob stripped out of his clothes and jumped into the bacta tank as quick as he could. After all, he didn’t know how long until Poe re-called him back and sent him away on yet another mission. He just wanted to make the most out of his time as he could.

He hooked the snorkel around his face and placed goggles over his eyes. Then, carefully, he lowered himself into the cylindrical tank. Dressed in only his underwear, the cool water-like liquid felt soothing on his face. He could feel the cuts and bruises being relieved of pain and the excess blood pushed to the surface.

The good thing about the tank was that there was a turbine at the bottom, keeping him elevated and floating above the ground. It was easy to fall asleep in these things, and that’s exactly what Jaycob did.

”Jaycob? Hey, Jaycob!”

A voice echoed in his ears. He already knew who it was.

”Tallie?”

Jaycob was back in his bed, Tallie leaning against the doorframe. He grinned, jumped out of his bed, pulled her in for a long kiss. It was another one of his visions. He’s had visions about her frequently these past few weeks, and they’ve only gotten more realistic.

When the first vision occurred, he couldn’t even feel her. When he kissed her, something felt really odd. It was too easy to tell that it was fake. But as the dreams continued, everything that happened felt physical and durable.

It felt less like a simulation and more of an actual experience. But he knew that his time with her was short, so he had to make the most of it.

He began to kiss her neck ferociously, like an animal hunting its prey and trying to find the victim’s most sensitive spot. Except, instead of digging in for pain, it was for pleasure.

Tallie’s heart rate and breathing accelerated, only motivating Jaycob to keep going. She was in her olive green jumpsuit, still connected to all the mission equipment as if she had just come back from flying. But Jaycob had been through this same scenario so many times before, taking off her clothes was second-nature.

She helped by removing the flight equipment and undoing her bun that kept her hair up. As soon as she removed the pin, her soft glowing locks of hair covered Jaycob’s face in a blanket of silk. The only thing in the way of her bare chest was her white tank top, which she began to remove.

But before she could, Jaycob picked her up and pushed her back against a wall. She yelped in surprise, but not in pain. He knew she liked this, since he’s pulled this stunt before in visions prior. He did it because she liked it, but also partially because he wasn’t strong enough to keep her held off the ground for a long sustained amount of time.

In response, Tallie pulled Jaycob’s head closer to hers with the back of her elbows, almost in a reverse chokehold. He found it funny because their faces physically could not be any closer, but also cute and reassuring knowing that she was excited.

After a little more neck play, Jaycob pulled her from off the wall and back into his bed. She began to unzip his flight suit now, his white tank top now firmly grasped in her hands. They’re jumpsuit sleeves dangled at their sides, sometimes tangling around each other in a rhythmic pattern with their body movements.

Things were getting heavy now, the couple almost completely naked. But before Jaycob could go all the way, Tallie stopped and put her hand on his chest.

”W-w-wait. Are we really doing this right now?”

”You sound just like me in the medical bay.”

Jaycob replied, alluding to the night they shared after the Evacuation of D’Qar. The only difference being Jaycob was the one who asked, not Tallie.

”Oh, shut up.”

She giggled, triggering Jaycob to plant another kiss.

”Seriously though, I’ve never done stuff like this before.”

She had a faint hint of worry in her voice. Jaycob scoffed.

”Neither have I, Tallie. We’ll do it together.”

She forced a small smirk into her face. She was glad he was gentle with her, he could tell. With all of the experience from past dreams under his belt, he knew exactly what to do and what to say.

Everything went off without a hitch, and the pair of pilots were left breathing heavily. When she told him to go faster, he turned into a beast, her loud moans feeding him with adrenaline. When she told him to slow down, he took a more romantic, playful approach until she couldn’t resist and the process restarted.

Tallie’s short giggles and nostalgic laughs were music to Jaycob’s ears. But her groans and squeals of sexual desire was a symphony. The room was musty now, a humid cloud of passion hovering over them. Their bodies just fit together perfectly, like a puzzle.

The next thing he knew, Jaycob was cuddling with the love of his life, the only thing covering her nudity being his bedsheets. The scratches on his bare back stung a little bit, but the feeling of pain incomparable to the happiness he felt right at this moment.

He could stay like this forever. Tallie snuggled in between his arms, his chest touching her back and their feet intertwined. This is what true peace feels like.

”I love you, Tallie Lintra.”

He whispered into her ear. He saw the smile creep onto her face just by the rising of her cheek.

”I love you more, Jaycob Flesio.”

”Pull him out!”

Another voice echoed in his head, blurring his vision. This was it, the end of the dream. He wasn’t ready to go yet.

”No no no! Stop! Just a few more minut-“

He awoke with a sudden jolt. He was being pulled out of the bacta tank. A mechanical arm pulled him by the waist and lowered him to the medical bay floor.

Jaycob was left breathing heavily on his knees, throwing his arms on top of his head to open up his lungs. Doctor Mads and Mac were standing above him, both looking like worried parents. Jaycob just shook his head and smirked.

”Why’d you pull me out?”

He asked. Mads and Mac both looked at each other like he spoke a different language.

”Your heart rate was rapidly increasing. We got worried something was happening to you.”

Mac answered. Jaycob’s smirk faded, leaving him looking downward and sorrowful. He had to face the ugly reality. Tallie was gone.

”What even happened?”

Mac asked. Jaycob debated telling them the truth, but he knew they wouldn’t understand. They’d also feel pretty weirded out by it all.

”I-I don’t know.”

The pair seemed unconvinced at his answer. But Mads decided to just change the subject.

”Well anyways, your wounds look to have healed substantially.”

”Perfect timing too, since Poe just re-called us to the conference chamber. We’re going back to Batuu. You ready, Jaycob?”

Jaycob exhaled loudly, dreading his return to the planet. He slowly got up and redressed in his jumpsuit, Mads and Mac watching him carefully as if he was about to drop dead in an instant.

”Guys, I’m fine. Seriously.”

He told them, stretching his arms. He then strapped on his boots and exited the medical bay, turning on his heel and into the main corridor. Mac and Mads followed behind, their hands together.

”You coming to send me off?”

Jaycob heard Mac ask.

”I’m all caught up on my patients for now, so I guess I am.”

Mads replied, making Jaycob smile once again. At least Mac was getting what he wanted.

Poe stood at the end of the hallway, his signature pose with his arms crossed. Jaycob knew he only did it to project authority, and for the most part it worked. But not on Jaycob.

”Flyboys, who’s ready to go back to Batuu?”

He asked excitedly, a wide grin on his face. None of the other pilots shared the same expression. Jaycob shook his head.

”I’m pretty sure we made it clear we did not want to go back to that planet.”

”I know I know, but that’s the only confirmed location of one of these shuttles. We have no idea how many were manufactured or where they are.”

”For all we know, this could be the only one in existence.”

Jon’Kil tried to reason with the group.

”Chiss, you said that the FO was past prototype stage.”

Mac argued.

”It is. Never said how many were exactly built though.”

”Ok regardless, it is the best chance we have of figuring out where the FO set up their base. We can all agree on that, right?”

Jaycob took the leadership position that was already so natural for him. Jon’Kil and Mac both nodded their heads slightly. Even though it wasn’t in Jaycob’s best interest to go back to Batuu, it was in the Resistance’s.

”So, let’s just go and get this over with. The sooner it’s finished the sooner we can come back here, where Poe will have drinks waiting for us at the bar. Ain’t that right, General?”

Jaycob turned to Poe and raised his eyebrows. Jaycob shrugged, silently urging him to agree. After the reluctant glare in Poe’s eyes, he finally gave in.

”Right. My treat.”

Jaycob clapped his hands and turned toward the ready-room.

”Perfect! Fellas, let’s get going.”

(-)

Jaycob initiated the hyperspace sequence and transferred the coordinates to Mac and Jon'Kil, his old habits of being the squad leader taking over. But he had to stop himself, since technically Mac was still active squad leader for the time being. Jaycob decelerated his thrusters to fall back behind Mac, nodding his head as they looked at each other through their cockpits.

He's already had his time in the spotlight, maybe it was time someone else did for a change. Besides, after the stunt Jaycob pulled last time on Batuu, there would definitely be a target on his back. However, this mission was different. It was a quick-in and quick-out type of operation, and Jaycob knew that he wanted to spend as little time as possible on the planet. The same could be said for his squadmates too. After all, they too had their history with Batuu.

"Alright Flyboys, w-we're still going with that nickname right?"

Mac asked.

"I don't see why not."

Jon'Kil replied.

"Copy. Kaydel, Flyboys are pulling away...again."

"Roger that, good luck fellas."

Chapter 11: Mac

Summary:

The return to Batuu was now underway. The Flyboys were now just outside of the planet's orbit and a new problem has already arisen. All along the ground are anti-air defense systems freshly installed after Jaycob and Mac's first chaotic escapade. Now they must adapt to the situation and find a way to get to the ground, but how?

Chapter Text

Batuu came into sight, the First Order armada now even bigger than before. They were resupplied with another Resurgent star destroyer coupled with a fleet of TIE's. However, this time it would be harder to land on the surface. Mac's SuperComputer executed a planet-wide scan and discovered that the First Order had set up anti-aircraft cannons all around Black Spire Outpost and its surrounding area.

"Those turrets are gonna be a real problem, Mac."

Jaycob called in.

"Indeed they are. We're gonna have to find a weak spot in their turret placements."

He replied. But looking to his right, Jaycob suddenly had an idea, as shown by his eyes widening.

"Jaycob, what's up. It looks like you've got something."

"I do, but it's risky."

"We'll take anything at this point."

"We can pull another Koensayr."

Mac instantly hated it. The last time the group tried to lure in the enemies and merely avoid capture, they barely managed to escape with their lives. Jon'Kil on the other hand was totally on board with the idea.

"Fine by me, as long as we agree to let Mac be the bait this time."

Jaycob and Jon'Kil chuckled, while Mac rolled his eyes.

"Haha, very funny. But in all seriousness, is that the best you've got?"

Jaycob shrugged through the black tint of his A-Wing cockpit. Mac was hesitant to say the least, but the group didn't have many choices. After a moment of contemplation, he gave in.

"Fine. What do you need me to do?"

"Haha, there's the Mac we know and love. Alright it's fairly simple. Set off their alarms and get them to chase you around a bit."

"Basically just draw the cannons, fighters, and cruiser off of us."

Jon'Kil added. Jaycob nodded in agreement.

"And what exactly will you two be doing?"

"I'll bring Jon'Kil back to our old safehouse, retrieve our hidden explosives, if they're still there, plant them on the cannons and clear the way. The FO will be defenseless on the surface before they even know what hit them."

"Ok, then once the cannons are down where do I go?"

"Just jump to hyperspace somewhere real quick and come back on a different side of the planet. I'm pretty sure the FO will shift their focus to the smoke plumes rising from the ground by then."

"Hm. Sure. I'll be trusting you two to take care of this in a timely manner, yes?"

"C'mon Mac, when have we ever let you down?"

Jaycob and Jon'Kil zoomed off before he could even answer. Mac sighed as he initiated a scan of the opposing fleet.

These two are going to be the death of me.

Mac, accelerated to attack speed head-on toward the Resurgent cruiser. The surface cannons swiveled in return, the fleet of TIE fighters getting into formation and shifting themselves to face him as well. Mac would be lying if he said that he did not feel bothered by the sudden turn of events. A huge fleet versus one measly starfighter. He didn't like those odds. Nonetheless, he had to do what he had to do. Unleashing his blaster cannons, Mac spiraled as he engaged in the deadly initial joust. Due to pure numbers, a handful of FO fighters landed some shots on his hull. His shields shuttered as they absorbed most of the damage, but a few bolts managed to make contact with his nose. Metal bits flew off from the hit with such speed that it pierced his cockpit front window. His NavComputer beeped relentlessly as cabin pressure was quickly deteriorating.

"Yeah yeah, I get it I get it!"

He said to himself as he voided the warning prompt. Still headed directly toward the cruiser, it shouldn't have come as a surprise when the cannons were next to fire. But before they could get a bead on him, Mac corkscrewed downward and ended up underneath the Resurgent. There weren't many turbolasers here, so it was a walk in the park for Mac trying to avoid them. His real worry was the gigantic wave of TIE's coming around for another run. He glanced behind him and saw that the group had already turned back toward him and were coming in for another barrage. But yet again, before they could initiate their target-lock, he evaded their sight-line by shooting back up to the surface of the cruiser.

But just as he avoided one threat, another one quickly followed. The several surface cannons traced Mac from the bottom and calculated his next position. Their accuracy was pinpoint as a pre-fired salvo shook the X-Wing, depleting his shields to nonexistent. One of his blaster cannons snapped at the joint and flew off his right-upper S-foil. Smoke trailed from the damaged area and sparked a new flame. Another system alert flashed on Mac's NavComputer, only to be swiped away and deleted.

One more hit like that and I'm toast.

But there was no other choice. He needed to buy his teammates time to take out those surface cannons. Meticulously dodging each flurry of TIE fighter blasts, he slowly made his way toward the planet. Jaycob nor Jon'Kil reported whether or not they touched down on the surface or not. Mac was in the dark. He knew that sooner or later his starfighter's subsystems were going to be damaged if he didn't get his S-Foil repaired. He was a fly, ready to get caught in a web.

He didn't want to risk contacting the other two in fear of his transmission being intercepted and their cover blown. All he could really do is fly and wait. The wave of TIE fighters didn't let up, the FO pilots practically breathing down his neck. Green streaks of laser fire flashed by his cockpit, threatening to hit some critical part of his ship and become the source of his demise. His shields were diminished, so any hit to his hull would be critical.

That would be it, he would die. The Resistance would lose yet another crucial asset to their Navy. Poe would lose a pilot. Jaycob and Jon'Kil would lose a friend. Mads would lose...a patient? No. He was definitely something more than that to her, right? He had to be. He had no clue. But he intended to find out.

(-)

Smoke trailed from almost every single crevice of Mac's X-Wing, sparks flying from torn wiring and broken machinery. He was one switch-flick away from breaking radio silence when Jaycob's excited voice came through his helmet.

"Sorry for the delay Major, but your landing pad awaits you. These surface cannons are toast!"

An exhale of relief exited Mac's nostrils as a big portion of the TIE fighters drew away from the chase and headed planet-bound. As agreed, Mac plugged in his hyperspace coordinates and escaped the system. During the jump, he took the time to look over his systems and asses the damage. His shields and weapons systems were in a critical state, the smoke filters were going to rot and start to flood the cockpit with the unbreathable black gas, and he was pretty sure that the only thing that wasn't damaged was his landing gear.

He turned on his long-distance communication and pinged his pilots on the ground.

"Mac, you’re headed back now right? Pretty sure those FO dogs are off your scent."

Jon'Kil asked.

"Yeah, about that, I think I'm gonna make a quick pit-stop at home base. My ship is shot to kriff, I'm lucky to even be alive. I'm gonna get someone to repair it but I'll be back."

"Damn, alright. We'll try to finish what we can over here then, good luck."

Mac executed the transmission and plugged in new coordinates to the Resistance cruiser. He wasn't going to leave his guys out there for long.

 (-)

"Fighter coming in hot, prepare a fire crew!"

Connix's voice echoed over the cruiser's intercom. Mac attached to his docking clamp as best as he could, but his ship was so damaged that he hit the access hatch harder than expected. The bottom-side hatch jammed inward, forcing Mac's legs upward into an uncomfortable squat-like position. An engineer had to pry open the hatch with a multi-tool, taking Mac's helmet and gloves and putting it on a cart nearby.

"You're back...early."

Asha stated, helping the pilot out of his seat.

"Yeah, well I mean you can see why. I'd do more harm than good if I stayed in there."

"Agreed, we'll have this thing back in top shape in no time. How's Jon'Kil?"

"Good, they're both good. They've destroyed the Batuu surface cannons, but I think they're gonna try and lay low until I get back."

"That'd be smart. But come on, it's Jaycob. Do you really think he's gonna be smart?"

"I'm hoping he will be, at least for this one time."

They both snickered.

"Yeah, this mission depends on it. Maybe even the fate of the Resistance."

"Mmm yeah, possibly. But what else is new? Anyways, where's Mads?"

"Where do you think? Drowning herself in her work like every other day, duh."

Mac rolled his eyes and lightheartedly punched the mechanic, then turned and walked toward the medical bay.

"Say hi to her for me! That is if you guys even talk before you-"

"Shut it!"

Mac laughed to himself at the comment as he walked the long hallway before her office. She was right though, he didn't really have talking in his mind whenever he thought of Mads. Just the thought of her body made him excited, causing him to turn his brisk walking pace into a jog. Passing by pilots and soldiers, he spent as little time as possible to greet them as he was determined to reach the doctor's office. But right as he was about to turn into the door, a familiar voice stopped him.

"Mac! Wait up!"

It was Jessika. He stopped in his tracks to talk to his dear friend since he hasn't seen her in months.

"Jess! How are you, I haven't-"

"Seen you in ages. Yes I know."

She giggled as they both gave each other a hug.

"You're here early, where's Jay and Jon'Kil? They're not in trouble are they?"

"Of course they are, you know them."

Jessika rolled her eyes.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Anyways, where ya headed?"

"Uhhh, Doctor Mads actually."

A suspicious smirk crept onto Jessika's face. He could've sworn she could read minds.

"Uh huh, you injured?"

She asked sarcastically.

"Not yet."

Mac replied with a sheepish grin. Jessika mimicked her throwing up on the floor and landed a punch on his shoulder. It stung a little, but he knew she was just joking around.

"Ouch! What am I, your punching bag?"

Jessika scoffed.

"Yup. Maybe after your little office visit I'll have the rest of your squad hang you in the gym for me."

"Yeah ok Jess, tough talk for someone who's literally in love with the general. And speaking of office visits, I kinda need to get going."

She raised her arms and backed away.

"Alright alright, don't let me stop you. Just make sure you're wheels up when you're finished. Dunno if Poe would approve of this little lunch break."

"I wonder how he'd find out."

Mac squinted and pointed two fingers from his eyes to hers. Jessika grinned and turned away toward the conference chamber.

She wouldn't actually snitch on me, would she?

Mac shook his head.

"Nah."

He said aloud. But what happened next made his heart sink.

Blaster fire.

He practically kicked the office door down, scanning the room for Mads. She was on the ground, slumped against her desk with a hand over her side. Across the room was a Resistance officer with a SE-44C blaster pointed at her. The confusion however, did not break Mac's reflexes. With a dash forward he smacked the blaster pistol away from the officer's hand and landed a jab straight to the jaw. The officer was left dazed and completely shocked. By the looks of it, the officer didn't look older than twenty, with a clean-shaven face, and blonde short hair. Some oddities were that the uniform looked a little too big for him, and the blaster he was carrying wasn’t standard issue for the Resistance.

No matter Mac's suspicions, his anger took a hold of him as he proceeded to pound his fist into the officer's face until he was unconscious. He then turned his attention to Mads who was struggling to pull herself onto her feet. He rushed to her side and threw her arm around his neck and over his shoulder.

"Ow ow, dammit that hurts."

She hissed. Slowly, Mac led the way to one of the empty beds and helped her onto it.

"Yeah, well it's not supposed to feel pleasant."

"If I wasn't in so much pain, I'd slap you right now."

She managed a small chuckle before she winced back in agony. Mac took a look at the damage and was surprised to see that the bolt had just grazed the side of her torso. A sigh of relief was exhaled as he forced a small grin to keep the doctor calm. She returned it with a faint smirk and pointed with her eyes toward one of the cabinets adjacent to the bed. Mac followed her gaze and pulled out some type of tri-circular device from its case.

"This?"

"Mmhm, hand it over."

He placed it into her hand and watched as she powered it on. The device buzzed to life and vibrated as she hovered over her wound.

"What exactly is that?"

"A healing field generator, Flyboy. You seriously don't know what this is? Are you sure they gave that SuperComputer to the right person?"

Mac laughed. Even after facing an almost-fatal injury, Mads still somehow kept her cool. That was one of the many things he admired about her.

"Mmhm. In my defense, I'm up in the sky for the most part, so blaster bolts from small arms aren't really much of a problem for me."

"Ooooh we got a badass pilot over here don't we?"

"Oh my-"

"BlAsTeRs ArEn'T a PrObLeM-"

"Shut up!"

The pair couldn't help but bust out laughing, until Mads cringed at her injury again.

"You're too much, Mads. Let's get you to a tank."

This time, Mac pulled her off the bed into his arms and carried her. With her legs slung over his left arm and her back resting against his right, it was like holding a baby. The walk to the bacta tank wasn't too far and he really didn't have to carry her, but he secretly did so just to impress her. And judging by the way she looked up at him, it was working. She reached up and caressed his cheek with her thumb thoughtfully.

"This war is no place for you, Flyboy."

"Oh really? Why is that?"

"You're much too nice."

She retracted her hand.

"You really think so?"

"I do."

"Hmm, well I think you're just delirious from that blaster hit."

He gently placed her into a seat next to him as he powered on and filled the tank with bacta.

"That's...not how blaster wounds work, silly."

"I know. But I'm trying to make up some type of excuse for why you're talking the way you are."

Her jaw dropped slightly as if she was offended.

"What are you talking about, Flyboy? This is just how I talk!"

"Hmm, so you flirt with all your patients then?"

Mac raised his eyebrows and grinned. Mads rolled her eyes and rested her cheek on her arm.

"Would you like me to stop then, Major?"

"Mmm, nope. I'd like you to take off your clothes."

Mads' cheeks glowed red as her eyes darted all around the room.

"Uhh-wha-what?"

"For the tank, Doc. You can't get in there fully-clothed, it'll interfere with the healing process."

She exhaled deeply.

"Oh-uh, right...right."

Mac knew what he said and how he said it. He just wanted to see how she'd react. Was he evil for doing that? Maybe.

"I'll step away if you want some privacy-"

"No, i-it's fine. I think I'll need help taking these off anyways."

This time, Mac's cheeks grew red. Was she doing the same thing?

"Oh-uh, of course of course."

He shut off the bacta pipe and checked to make sure all the systems and computers were ready for submersion. Then he approached Mads and knelt down to reach her eye level. The second he looked up however, he was stuck. Stuck staring into her deep brown eyes. He had to blink a couple times to shake himself out of it, but as he did so, Mads cupped his face into her hands to stop it.

"Hey. I just want to tell you something."

"Y-yeah?"

"Whatever it is that you're feeling, Mac, I'm feeling it too."

Mac was taken aback. Could she read his mind?

"Wha-uhh. Right. Heh, right."

Mads furrowed her eyebrows. That wasn't the response she was expecting.

"You...ok there, Flyboy?"

"No yeah, I am. Uhh, let's just get you to that tank now, yeah?"

"Yeah."

Mac pulled off her shoes and socks, then proceeded to work his way to her pants. But before he undid them, he wanted to make sure that Mads was comfortable with it.

"Umm, did you need help wi-"

"Yup, uh huh."

She replied, biting her lip. He nodded and proceeded to slide her white pants down from her waist. Both of their breathing began to grow more rapid, but Mac had to fight the urge to do what he so desperately wanted to. Her injury was still a factor and needed to be treated as soon as possible. There was no way that they could do anything of that nature in the current state she was in.

"Look Doc, we really need to get you inside this tank."

She looked at the pilot up and down.

"Well what if I wanted to get into...something else?"

Mac's eyes widened.

"You-uh, you sure you're not delirious?"

Mads inched her face closer to his.

"Nope."

Mac knew how bad he just wanted to grab her face and push his lips against hers, but he didn't have the guts to do it. He motioned his now-shaking hands to her top, to which she gave no Resistance. He opened the top button slowly, still looking back up at her just to make sure it was fine. She still stared into his eyes as affectionately as ever, only making it harder to try and stay professional. Slipping the top off, he got to see the blaster wound a little bit more clearly. He left both her underwear and bra on since it wasn't as restrictive as her full uniform. He picked her back up and climbed the stairs to get to the top of the tank. Her skin was incredibly soft and he couldn't help but observe her entire body.

He felt the liquid to make sure it was warm enough for her, which it was, before he placed her on the platform next to the hatch. But as he tried to walk back down the stairs, Mads grabbed him by the sleeve.

"Thank you, Mac. For this."

"Of course, Mads. I always look out for my friends."

Her smile faded.

"Friends. Right."

Mac instantly regretted what he said.

"Wait I-"

"Might wanna check to see if that guy you knocked out is still unconscious. He's definitely not one of us."

Mac quickly glanced in the direction at the culprit, who was starting to stir.

"Yeah, I got it. Did you want me to stay while-"

"It's fine. Just make sure that prick is out of my office."

"Deal. I'll-"

He was interrupted by the sound of the tank hatch closing, as Mads went under.

Chapter 12: Jon'Kil

Summary:

After pulling off their risky maneuver to get to Batuu's surface, Jaycob and Jon'Kil regrouped. And with their manpower down to just the two of them with Mac's flee from the battlefield, their mission must go on.

Chapter Text

Jon'Kil and Jaycob both made it back to the safehouse in one piece. Having to dodge troopers through the bustling market streets of Black Spire Outpost was a tiring task. But luckily, there were spare civilian clothes tucked away in the closet. The safehouse was merely a hotel room that looked like it'd been through a battle. The beds were flipped upside down, the lights flickered and sometimes exerted stray sparks onto the floor, and there were blaster bolt holes everywhere. Jon'Kil knew the story about what happened, but this was the first time he saw the damage with his own eyes.

"I'm surprised!"

Jaycob exclaimed from the closet.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. That's what surprises me."

Jaycob pulled two duffel bags out. He threw them on one of the beds and unzipped both. One had the clothing and the other was empty. The latter used to be the bag full of the explosive charges that were used on the surface cannons not too long ago.

"The troopers will definitely spot a neon-orange jumpsuit in a crowd. We'll change into these to blend in with the population. Put your uniform in the empty bag, and I'll hold onto them."

"Sounds good. Then what after that?"

"Well, my blue-skinned wingman, we're gonna find that TIE Echelon."

Jon'Kil shrugged as he exited the room, both to give Jaycob his privacy and to stand guard just in case any stormtroopers did eventually pick up their scent. He leaned against the wall next to the door and pulled off his life support kit from his chest and his pants pocket. He coiled up the hose and held it in his left hand as he pulled back out the makeshift device from the Koensayr facility. Asha had cleaned the "blade" for him and replaced the external battery. She also wrapped the handle several times with some type of leather to prevent him from getting electrocuted himself. He smiled as he rotated it in his hand.

Then he was tapped on the shoulder. It was Jaycob, now dressed in normal garments colored in tan, green, and brown, perfect for Batuu's forest environment. It was his turn to put on the disguise. He entered the room and approached the bag. Inside was a basic brown jacket, green pants, and a tan shemagh - an almost identical outfit to Jaycob's the only difference being the color scheme. He slipped out of his jumpsuit and into the tighter-fitting clothing. Then he folded his jumpsuit and placed it into the bag, putting all of it back into the closet.

Jaycob came back inside as Jon'Kil was checking himself in the mirror. He removed the mirror from the wall to reveal yet another hidden compartment. Inside were two utility belts with holsters and various pockets of different sizes. Stacked neatly on top of each other were two DT-15 blaster pistols.

"One for each of us?"

"Ha, nope. Two for you."

Jaycob replied, unhooking his holster and attaching it to Jon'Kil's belt. Jon'Kil looked at him, confused.

"You're going in empty-handed?"

"Of course not, Chiss."

Jaycob reassured as he placed the mirror back and walked over to one of the bed mattresses. He activated his gauntlet vibroblade and dug into the cushion. He cut a hole just big enough for his arm to slide through so he could blindly search inside. A few seconds later, Jaycob pulled out a DH-17 blaster rifle and a 4x magnification scope. He attached it to the top rail and dialed in his crosshairs.

"Very resourceful."

Jon'Kil complimented.

"Why thank you, Jon'Kil. Us Resistance pilots have to make do with what we have. A lesson you seem to know very well."

"Yeah. Well I hate repeating myself, but what exactly is the plan again?"

"We're gonna go scout out that First Order base stationed here, see if we can find that TIE Echelon."

"Right."

"Find the Echelon, plant the tracker, and go home. Simple as that."

Jon'Kil was convinced. Jaycob hadn't let him down leading up to this point, so why not trust him? He nodded in agreement.

"Alright fine. How about Mac?"

"What about him? He served his purpose and is already back at the cruiser, we don't need him."

"True, alright let's go."

The pair raised their scarves over mouths and noses and exited the room. The busy streets were still bustling with civilians and stormtroopers, but at least now they didn't stick out from the crowd. They pushed their way in and out of the crowds, weaving through the foot traffic, slowly making their approach on the FO base. The sound of speeders, low-altitude ships, and the constant buzz of talking drowned out anything that Jaycob tried to communicate via mouth. So instead, Jon'Kil tapped his ears and shook his head to signal that he was pretty much deaf. Jaycob nodded in understanding and pointed at one of the buildings.

Jon'Kil followed him inside and realized that it was just one of the enclosed public refreshers. Jaycob checked the stalls for any potential eavesdroppers before lowering his shemagh. He then powered on his wrist gauntlet and attached a screen extension onto it. He slowly scanned the room with it and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Your girlfriend's bright, Chiss. Don't lose her, she's definitely a keeper."

He joked. Jon'Kil snorted.

"I'm guessing that's another one of her contraptions?"

"Indeed."

"Well, you won't have to worry, because I'm not planning on losing her."

"Good. Well anyways, the FO base is right on the other side of this building. My plan is to split up; I'll provide overwatch with my rifle from the roof of a nearby building while you plant that tracker. Clear?"

"Crystal."

"Good, put this in. I'll tell you once I'm in position."

Jon'Kil nodded confidently as he grabbed an earpiece from Jaycob's hand. Jaycob then raised back his shemagh and disappeared into the wave of people. Jon'Kil took a deep breath to try and calm his nerves. He was about to infiltrate a heavily-defended First Order compound, by himself. He pinged Jaycob.

"This better be the best overwatch you have ever done in your entire life."

He could hear his friend's muffled laugh.

"Don't worry, it will be."

Jon'Kil raised his shemagh and walked around the refresher building. Just like Jaycob said, there it was. The gigantic gate that led into the First Order base. It was about as tall as a two-story building and had a red First Order banner draped from the top, guarded by two stormtroopers and BB-9 series astromech droid. To the right of the entrance was the First Order's cargo storage, and next to that was a singular landing pad big enough to dock one ship. There were two more stormtroopers on top of the pad and two more guarding the entrance to the storage building.

He slowly walked closer, still blending into the crowd as he tried to find any kind of potential entry point. There weren't many ventilation shafts since the base was outdoors, and it seemed as if the only entrance in or out was through the gate. As he made his way closer to the entrance, his head began to pulsate. It wasn't painful, but something was definitely happening with his mind. It felt like there was some sort of string attached to the back of his brain, lightly tugging for him to look upwards. He closed his eyes and massaged his temples. No matter how hard he tried, the pulling sensation persisted.

He suddenly remembered that this same feeling was present when he was at the Koensayr facility. This weird aura was how he was able to put spare pieces of scrap together into a lethal weapon. Taking it as some sort of sign, he gave in and looked upward into the sky.

And there it was. A TIE Echelon descending from orbit.

No way.

"Jon'Kil I know you got eyes on it, get ready to move."

Jaycob cut in through his earpiece. Instantly, Jon'Kil unholstered his two blaster pistols and began his approach to the two troopers and droid posted at the main gate. The transport landed gracefully onto the landing pad and drew the attention of the two troopers at the cargo storage. The two other stormtroopers that were standing on the pad now went inside the transport to confirm the shipment and its contents. Now was his time to strike.

"Hey! Stop right th-"

The stormtrooper was interrupted by a blaster bolt to the face, and his partner likewise. Jon'Kil then took aim at the droid and blasted the poor sphere into smithereens. The cargo storage guards took notice and raised their weapons to fire back, but were taken out by Jaycob's rifle before they could even get a shot off.

"Now's your chance buddy, get inside that transport. The base is gonna know something is up if the guards don't respond after that blaster fire."

Jon'Kil skipped over the bodies and hopped on top of the pad. He reached the boarding ramp and took a peak inside the main cabin, aiming down the sights of his dual-wielded pistols. The lights were on and there were several cargo crates ready for transfer, yet there was no crew. He slowly walked inward, keeping his eyes down range. But then, that same pulling feeling in his head came back. However, this time there were two strings, pulling him to look both left and right. Soon after, a weird tickle on his neck transformed into a shiver down his spine, and his eyes widened. Without thinking twice, he dropped to the floor and felt the air of a missed punch overhead. He turned around to see the two stormtroopers standing over him on both sides.

He tried to raise his pistols back up but they were kicked from his hands by the stormtrooper on his left, while the trooper on his right raised his F-11D up to strike. In response, Jon'Kil kicked the shin of the right side soldier with his left leg and used his momentum to spin himself back up with his right. The left side enemy raised his blaster to fire, but was unable to land a fatal shot as Jon'Kil dashed forward and shoved the gun's barrel upward. With his offhand, Jon'Kil reached to the side of his belt with his electric blade and powered it on. He jabbed it into the trooper's neck sending electrical currents throughout his entire body, killing him almost instantly.

Jon'Kil was surprised by just how powerful the little makeshift weapon was and was taken aback by what he had just done. But instead of having time to process his actions, the other stormtrooper wrapped his arm around Jon'Kil's neck and trapped him in a choke hold.

"You Resistance trash, you're going to pay for what you've done."

The trooper said menacingly. Jon'Kil tried to pull down the soldier's arm so that he could get some air into his lungs, but the pressure was too heavy. Jon'Kil tried to push both bodies backward into a cargo crate behind them, but the stormtrooper was not hindered. That strange aura that surrounded him before was no longer present, and the only thing he could feel was his struggle to be released from the hold. Jon'Kil flailed about trying to somehow tire the trooper, but he only ended up tiring himself. He tried to remain as calm as he could, but his vision was starting to blur as tears were beginning to form. Instead of trying to pull the soldier's arm down, he reached toward his earpiece and pinged Jaycob.

"Don't worry Jon'Kil, just...stand...still."

A bright blue flash, flew past Jon'Kil's face, loosening the pressure around his windpipe. Jon'Kil was left gasping for air while the stormtrooper lay next to him, motionless. Jaycob ran up the ramp and turned toward the cockpit and fired two shots, one through each pilot seat. The pilots were caught by surprise as they each had a bolt to the back before they could even realize what was happening. Only after confirming that they were dead did Jaycob come to help Jon'Kil. He reached his hand out, which Jon'Kil took and got back onto his feet, massaging his neck.

"You alright buddy?"

Jaycob asked worriedly, patting his wingman's back.

"Uh-ahem, y-yeah. Lemme plant the tracker."

He reassured, reaching into his belt. He pulled the circular tracking beacon out into the palm of his hand and activated it. But then something dawned on him.

"Wait, you just killed the pilots. How is this thing gonna fly now?"

"The pilots are out of commission, not the ship. The FO will just replace them."

"Wow really? Just like that?"

"Yup, they don't care about two random transport pilots. They're all just numbers, remember?"

Jon'Kil did remember. He was a victim of their childhood recruitment system after all. He answered with a stern nod.

"Now let's hurry this up and be on our way. That base is going to be on full-alert any sec-"

The klaxon of the First Order alarm blared over them. Quickly, Jon'Kil inserted the tracking beacon underneath one of the steering consoles and met Jaycob back at the bottom of the boarding ramp. The gigantic gate groaned loudly as it began to open, the chatter of more stormtroopers growing louder and clearer. The pair of pilots jumped off the landing pad and sprinted toward the middle of the city as fast they possibly could. Blaster fire echoed behind them, with some bolts hitting the crowd that they tried to hide in. The sudden blaster fire startled the population as the entire city erupted into chaos. Jaycob led the chase, weaving in and out of crowds, vaulting over tables and sliding under low-hanging market merchandise. Jon'Kil kept pace, frequently peaking behind to see if he could land a clear shot on one of the pursuers. But he couldn't as there were simply too many civilians in the way.

Jaycob eventually led them back to the main outpost center, past the cantina and antique shop, and into one of the docking bays. The main door opened to reveal that what was once was a docking bay was now converted into some kind of restaurant. Patrons of all species and sizes were sitting in open cargo containers as if they were booths, and cargo crates and boxes served as makeshift seats and tables.

"Get down! Get down!"

Jon'Kil tried to warn the customers, as the stormtroopers behind them unleashed another flurry of uncontrolled blaster fire. Neither Jaycob or Jon'Kil was hit, but the same couldn't be said for one of the cashiers behind their register, or one of the civilians that was just exiting the refresher. Jon'Kil knew Jaycob wanted to avoid as much civilian casualties as possible, as he turned toward the alternate exit and back outside. The scream of a TIE fighter disoriented them as one swooped in close to the ground before shooting upwards to pursue an attack angle.

"We gotta find cover!"

Jon'Kil yelled out.

"Yeah, I can see that!"

The pair of pilots darted back into another building, this time vacant of any potential civilian casualties. But instead of running further, Jaycob shut the blast door behind them and locked it. Jon'Kil caught on to what he was doing and looked around for anything heavy enough to push up against the entrance. Luckily, in the center of the room was a circular holotable, which seemed to still have power. Jon'Kil rushed over to the console and turned on the transport's anti-gravity thrusters and pushed it against the door. Then with the help of Jaycob, he raised the table onto it's side so that it covered the entire width of the doorframe, and ripped the power cord from its socket so that it stayed in place.

There makeshift barricade would have to hold for now, but they both knew that it was only a matter of time before the FO found a way to blow a hole through one of the walls, or breach the door, or even worse, level the entire building altogether. One way or another, if they didn't find another exit soon, they were as good as dead. Jon'Kil began scanning the room in hopes for another door, vent, or mantrap, but to no avail. That blocked off door was their only way in or out.

"Great! What the hell do we do now?"

Jon'Kil exclaimed.

"I'm working on it, I'm working on it."

Jaycob replied frantically, also surveying the room for another exit.

"If we don't find something soon, we're toast! Dammit, we should've waited for Mac!"

"What the hell would he have done? We'd be stuck here all the same!"

Maybe that were true, but Jon'Kil would still rather have three capable fighters instead of two. His mind was racing and the adrenaline in his veins were flowing, almost on the verge of having a panic attack. He tried to slow down his breathing and just focus, inhaling and exhaling deep, drawn-out breaths. He tried to summon that same feeling of the internal string pulling at his brain, but it was nowhere to be found. He was still too nervous. So instead of trying to walk around the room and prepare for the inevitable shootout that was about to occur, he stopped and sat on the ground with his legs crossed. After that, he closed his eyes and continued his pattern of deep breaths, placing his hands on the ground beside him. Even though he couldn't see him, Jon'Kil knew that Jaycob was still pacing around the room and observing every little crack in the wall.

Jon'Kil tried to replace his current surroundings with calmer memories, in an effort to focus. In his mind, flashed several pictures of his family. But oddly enough, it wasn't his blood relatives. It was the Resistance. The First Order had taken him when he was young, and he didn't even know what his mother or father looked like. He didn't know if he had a brother or a sister either, but the closest thing that came to mind was this group of freedom fighters. Interestingly enough, General Dameron was the most prominent member of the flashbacks that cycled through his mind. It made sense though, since Poe was the one to take Jon'Kil in, train him, and assimilate him with the rest of the Resistance pilots. If it weren't for him, Jon'Kil probably wouldn't be here right now. He would either be dead, or worse, still serving the First Order. He wouldn't have gotten to meet some of his best friends like Jaycob or Mac, or his girlfriend Asha.

In his current situation or not, Jon'Kil was glad to be a part of this. He finally found his purpose, and he wasn't treated as merely another number. He felt needed. The Resistance was the only true family he had left. And he wasn't going to let them down. Placing his hands in the sand, Jon'Kil was suddenly embraced by a tingly sensation that surged throughout his entire body. It was coursing through his veins, and it felt powerful. He was able to guide this weird surge of energy to his hands, and felt the sand beneath his fingertips begin to dissipate. He opened his eyes and his jaw dropped in awe. The sand was moving, repelling away from his body and revealing the rusty metal floor underneath. Jaycob had stopped pacing now, and observed intensely.

"Uhhh, when were you gonna tell me about that buddy?"

Jon'Kil just shrugged. He stood back up with his arm outstretched and walked around the entire area of the room, pushing layers of sand, dirt, and rocks to the edges. The little excavation proved useful as Jon'Kil uncovered a hidden grate that looked to lead into an underground tunnel system of some sort. Jon'Kil released his concentration and began to pry open the hatch, Jaycob coming in to assist next to him. With their combined strength, the cover was thrown to the side with ease, and the pair shimmied their way into the darkness.

"Just like Dathomir, eh Jaycob?"

"Ugh, don't remind me."

(-)

The pilots had been on-the-move for around half an hour, aimlessly, down a tunnel that was only big enough for them to crawl through. It was getting claustrophobic, and the only source of light came from the sun on the other end. Now all they could hope for was that there weren't any stormtroopers waiting for them on the other side. At the rate they were crawling, it would only be a matter of minutes before they reached the end.

"So Jon'Kil, you've got some explaining to do."

Jaycob said, slowing down his pace. Jon'Kil, being behind the commander, was forced to do the same.

"How am I going to explain something I don't even understand?"

Jaycob turned to face him with a suspicious expression.

"You mean to tell me that you've been force-sensitive this entire time, and you didn't know it?"

"Force-sensitive?! Ha, I wouldn't go that far!"

"Well repelling the ground with your hand isn't something one would call normal."

Jon'Kil had no rebuttal, Jaycob was right. What happened in that building was not something just anyone could do.

"I...I don't have an answer for you, seriously. I'm just as shocked as you are."

Jaycob took a pause and slowly began to nod his head.

"Right. Well, I'm just glad you're on our side. Maybe when we get back you can talk to Rey, maybe she has an answer for you."

Jon'Kil had almost forgot. Rey was the best fighter the Resistance had, and most importantly she was force-sensitive. She was stronger than him no doubt, but perhaps she could shed some light on the situation, maybe even teach him a thing or two.

"Good idea."

Jaycob smiled and placed his hand on Jon'Kil's shoulder.

"We'll get through this buddy, together."

Jon'Kil smiled back at the kind words. Jon'Kil knew Jaycob was on a cold streak in terms of being the reputable leader the Resistance needed him to be. But for a second or two, glimpses of Jaycob's old-and-confident self returned.

Jaycob popped his head out from the manhole to survey the area. As soon as he saw the area was clear, he motioned for his wingman to follow. After climbing out and establishing his bearings, Jaycob reached his hand for Jon'Kil to take. The Chiss did, also climbing out of the hole and looking around for any threats. They were in another storage room, but this time it was filled to the brim with crates and shelves of supplies.

"No way."

Jaycob said, shocked.

"I take it you know where we are?"

Jaycob nodded.

"The only question I have is why Oga has a secret tunnel leading all the way across the outpost."

"Oga?"

Jon'Kil questioned.

"Yeah, the cantina owner. Real nice lady. Come on, let me introduce you."

Jaycob replied, opening the storage room door, revealing a lively atmosphere of different species eating and drinking their credits away. The entire room was buzzing with noise, ranging from yelling and laughing to glasses coming together for a toast.

Chapter 13: Mac

Summary:

Reeling in from a surprise attack by a First Order spy in Resistance clothing, Mac and Mads have time for a lengthy conversation behind closed doors. The doctor is set to make a full recovery but this close call has placed their relationship in a new light...

Chapter Text

Mac stood at the edge of the hospital bed, crossing his arms and observing the Resistance officer who had just shot the ship's best medic. Both of his eyes were swollen and multiple cuts were visible all over his face as a result of Mac's recent interrogation techniques. He was both disgusted and impressed. A First Order spy had infiltrated their ranks and somehow made it on board the Resistance's main cruiser. Mac spoke as soon as he saw the officer return from unconsciousness.

"Well isn't this something?"

Mac hypothetically asked, walking to the beaten soldier's bedside. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the identification cylinder found on the loose-fitted uniform.

"I ran a check on the Resistance database with this cylinder, and what came up surprised me."

The spy tried to wriggle himself free, but the impromptu restraints made of hospital bedsheets and zip ties made it almost impossible. His bottom lip quivered, like he wanted to say something but couldn't.

"What's wrong? Lothcat got your tongue?"

The First Order operative replied with a silent glare. He wasn't going to budge.

"Long story short, you don't fit the description that this identification cylinder belongs to. I'll give you ten seconds to tell me who you are and how the hell you managed to get on board, or else it'll cost you a kneecap."

Mac threatened, poking the spy's right knee with the barrel of his recovered SE-44C. Mac thought it would be both cruel and amusing to be shot with your own weapon, as it showed irresponsibility and failure in his eyes. The spy, however, was still silent. Before long, Mac began the countdown.

"1...2..."

The spy broke his glare and stared blankly into a wall.

"3...4..."

He clenched his jaw, an obvious sign that he was scared to death. Mac read this and decided to have a little fun.

"6...7..."

The spy looked back at Mac with his eyes widened.

"You forgot 5, you imbecile."

Mac grinned.

"I know."

He responded, pulling the trigger and sending a bright red blaster bolt through the spy's leg. The victim let out a howling scream that Mac swore could be heard all the way to the hyperdrive generator. The cry of pain was soon followed by loud and strained groaning, as the heat from the bolt took its toll. The breathing of the spy accelerated as he couldn't hold his serious composure any longer. Mac, satisfied with what he's done so far, switched to the other side of the hospital bed and aimed the blaster pistol at it's new target. The spy struggled even more now, writhing around, trying to pull his arms out from the containment.

"You're a sick bastard! Taking pleasure out of this!"

The spy insulted. Mac was offended, to say the least.

"Oh, I'm the sick bastard? The First Order destroyed the entire Hosnian System! They've taken countless planets under hostage! You thrive on making people feel like they're alone, and you feed off of their fear. I hate to break it to you, but you're in no position to be calling anyone a monster but yourself."

Mac's words were heavy, as he could feel the heat draining from his face as he tried to calm down. The spy was at a loss for words, which was fine with Mac since he didn't want to hear him speak another word. But he needed to if he were going to get to the bottom of this. He regained control of his anger after exhaling deeply.

"I'm going to ask you one more time, and if you still don't give me the answer I want you're going to be living the rest of your life with prosthetic legs. That is if I let you live."

Mac tapped the other knee with the barrel again, this time causing the spy to flinch. He was on the verge of breaking. The lip quivering returned, Mac knew he was about to speak.

"I-"

The loud banging of knocking on the medical bay door interrupted him.

"Ugh, dammit!"

"Mac! Open up!"

It was Poe. Mac's eyes widened as he came to a realization.

Jaycob and Jon'Kil.

Mac turned back to the spy and pointed at him.

"We're not finished."

On his way to open the door, Mac tried to figure out exactly what he was going to say to the general. Hopefully he wasn't too pissed off, and would understand the events that had just transpired. Mac pressed the lock release and braced for the incoming scolding.

"Explain."

Poe calmly stated. Kaydel was behind him, followed by Jessika. Mac would be lying if he said he wasn't surprised.

"U-uh, well as you can see, we have a spy in our midst. I was just in the middle of...questioning him."

The group entered the room. Poe took a glance at Mads, who was still floating carelessly in the bacta tank.

"What happened to her?"

"She was shot by our friend over here."

Mac answered, handing Poe the blaster pistol. Poe took and observed the weapon, rotating it in his hands. Afterwards, he set it on the nightstand next to the hospital bed and approached the newly-acquired prisoner.

"Where'd he get the uniform?"

Kaydel asked now. Mac turned toward her and tossed the identification cylinder.

"One of our scouts. He failed to report back after being sent to the Outer Rim Territories for potential base locations."

"Kriff, we've had several reports of missing scouts these past few weeks."

Kaydel confirmed. Poe, who was still looking at the spy asked,

"How many more of you are there, huh? We can be reasonable here, really."

Poe received a fat wad of saliva to the face in reply.

"The First Order does not negotiate with terrorists."

Mac cursed to himself, knowing that the spy was on the verge of giving him the information he needed before Poe and company arrived. But now that he had a crowd, a newly-discovered confidence seemed to arise in the spirit of the First Order. It was going to be a difficult task to get him to become vulnerable again. Poe wiped the spit from his cheek and walked back to Mac.

"Look, you're one of my most trusted pilots, and I know that you wouldn't leave your boys on Batuu if it wasn't important. Hell, if you hadn't come back, Mads might not be alive right now..."

Poe patted Mac's shoulder.

"...You're fine, Mac. Just get us that information and meet us in the tactical planning room, we've got a breakthrough."

Mac wasn't shocked that the general was so understanding. He just nodded and watched the group leave back out the way they came. Mac returned to the lock release and pressed the button once again. Time to start back at square one. Mac turned back to the spy.

"Well it looks like it's just you and me once again."

"The First Order does not-"

"Oh shut up, I know you were on the verge of telling me before my friends walked in. Now, I recommend telling me what you were going to say before I blast your other knee cap off."

Mac retrieved the blaster pistol once again and tapped the same uninjured knee as before. The spy raised his eyebrows and took a deep gulp.

(-)

It had been roughly three hours before the First Order spy finally cracked. Mac had moved him out of the office and into the Resistance brig just like Mads had requested, and now Mac stood outside the bacta tank awaiting her ascent from the healing process. Through the clear observation glass, he could see that the nasty wound the blaster shot had created was now mended properly, merely leaving a scar in its wake. He had gathered the necessary equipment needed for recovering a patient from the bacta bath including various towels and bandages, and sat on a nearby chair.

The console started to beep, confirming that Mads was ready to be pulled out. Mac initiated the console's command and confirmed the prompt to pull the medic out from the chamber. The crane-like mechanical arm reached into the tank and gently lifted the doctor out by her waist. Once fully out of the liquid, the crane sat her down on a hospital bed in front of Mac. With care, Mac dried off the residue from her body with the towels, beginning with her face.

"How're you feeling, Mads?"

The doctor rubbed her eyes and yawned as if she was just waking up from a really long nap. She managed to flash a weak smile.

"I'm...alright, I guess."

"You guess? Is your side still hurting?"

She glanced down at her fresh scar and scoffed.

"Nope."

She replied, rolling her eyes. Mac had a hunch about what she could be talking about, but he didn't want to make any assumptions. Instead, he just handed her the roll of bandages that was on the cart next to them. He did the gesture as mainly a joke, but the stink eye that he received from Mads told him that she didn't think it was funny.

"You know, for the navy's smartest pilot, you're actually really stupid."

Mac shrugged.

"Yeah, I'm not gonna argue with you on that one."

Mads nodded and looked away. She got up from the bed and found her clothes that were folded neatly back on her desk. She got dressed back into her uniform and logged into her computer silently, as if nothing had happened. Mac couldn't take it anymore, the anticipation was eating him alive. He stood from his seat at the bacta tank and approached her desk.

"Mads, look, I'm sorry. You know I think of you as more than just-"

"A friend."

She cut in, her eyes still glued to her screen.

"Right. That. That just came out of my mouth, I wasn't even thinking."

"Hm, right. Well next time you should think before you speak, huh?"

Mac felt ashamed.

"Yeah, I guess I should. Well, I guess I'll just leave you to your work then-"

"Wait."

She closed her eyes and sighed. Turning off her computer, she left her desk and sat on top of it, so that she could face him.

"I'm sorry. If it weren't for you I probably wouldn't be here right now."

Her words were drifting. Nonetheless, Mac was following along without trouble, nodding his head.

"Mmhm...so where exactly is this going?"

"Ugh, ok. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I should be thanking you instead of being mad at you for something so miniscule."

"Right."

"So, thank you, Mac. I owe you my life, no pun intended."

The pair managed a snicker. Oddly enough, for a doctor, she had a dark sense of humor. Luckily, Mac had the same.

"Well for the record, I accept your apology or praise or whatever the hell that was."

Mads punched Mac in the arm playfully.

"Hey! I'm trying, ok? Usually I'm the one saving lives, not the other way around."

"Yeah yeah, alright. It's the thought that counts."

"Exactly."

After that, the amusement died down and the room was silent once again. But, Mac wasn't going to leave without telling her how he felt, truthfully this time. She motioned to return to her desk, but Mac grabbed her arm before she could slip out of reach.

"Mads, I meant what I said earlier."

Mads furrowed her eyebrows.

"You agree that you're stupid? That's good."

She joked, grinning. Mac bit his lip to prevent himself from laughing again.

"No, you smartass. After that."

Mads looked toward the ceiling as if searching through her archive of a brain.

"Mmm, nope. Doesn't ring a bell."

She teased. Mac shook his head, not appreciating the fact that she was making this a lot harder than it had to be.

"I...I think of you as more than just a...a friend. And I know I'm pretty crappy at stuff like this, but, you mean a lot to me, seriously. Ever since the day I returned from the Evacuation of D'Qar, and finally met you for the first time, uhhh I don't know, I just...wanted you, I guess."

Mads was the one to hold back her amusement now. But she nodded and smiled all the same.

"That sounded wrong, I mean-"

"I know what you mean, pilot."

Mads interrupted his poor attempt at a recovery.

"Right. Well, I think of you, like, all the damn time. So, yeah. Do what you want with that information, I think I'm just gonna g-"

Mads pulled her arm around the back of Mac's neck before he could turn around. With her other hand she caressed his cheek, and tilted her head a little.

"No no, go on. I wanna hear more."

Mac's heart rate increased for what felt like ten-fold. Goosebumps began to run down his arm, as he struggled to form the sentences of what he was going to say next.

"Uhhh, well. Heh-um, I think that I just...want to...be with you."

Mac looked downward, away from her eyes in embarrassment. But Mads forced his chin back up so that she could gaze into his eyes. Mac didn't resist.

"Is that so?"

She questioned sarcastically. Mac only nodded in response.

"Well that's good, at least you're communicating your feelings."

"Yeah...and what do you have to say about that?"

"It's a big step forward."

Well that was ambiguous as ever.

"What is? Me communicating my feelings, or us being together?"

"Both."

Mac rolled his eyes.

"So is that a yes or..."

"Yes pilot, I want to be with you too."

She finally dropped the facade and smiled. Mac did the same, reaching over her desk and cupping her face in his hands, bringing her in for one long kiss. For a moment, everything around him felt small in comparison to what he felt right now. Jaycob and Jon'Kil, the Resistance, the war, was all just temporarily erased from his mind. Right now, all he could focus on was Mads, and how relieved he was that he finally got what he needed to say off of his chest. But as soon as they pulled away, all the responsibilities and tasks that were expected of him came back. It was time to get to work.

"You know how many other guys would kill to be in your position right now?"

She asked. Mac nodded, knowing exactly how fortunate he was.

"I guess I should consider myself lucky."

Chapter 14: Jaycob

Summary:

With the destruction of Batuu's surface cannons, the planet is now on high alert. The First Order has no idea how such a disaster could have struck and there are no leads to the culprits. With Jaycob and Jon'Kil returning to a familiar cantina, they now have to return back home and report their success...

Chapter Text

Jaycob walked confidently up to the bar, hailing Oga as she made her rounds. Her eyes widened, as much as they could anyway, as she approached him, surprised.

"Jaycob? You've returned?"

"Indeed, but not by choice. Trust me, the last planet I want to be on right now is this one."

"Ha, I hear that!"

"But, we've run into a little bit of trouble."

Oga looked around to see if there were any spies or First Order sympathizers around before continuing. But from the looks of it, the patrons of the establishment were too preoccupied with their own conversations to mind any business. She leaned forward and whispered,

"What kind of trouble?"

Jaycob pointed at one of the television screens on the wall, which was currently tuned in to the Holonet news. The story that was playing now was breaking news, flashing quick pictures of the destroyed surface cannons that the pair of pilots were responsible for. Smoke plumes rose into the atmosphere and could almost be seen from orbit, where the First Order was currently residing two Resurgent-class star destroyers.

"Looks like you two have created quite the stir."

Oga admitted. Jaycob agreed, pulling Jon'Kil by the shoulder.

"But, I almost forgot. Oga, meet my wingman, Jon'Kil."

The Chiss smiled and nodded in greeting.

"Nice to meet you, kid. How'd you end up with this troublemaker?"

Oga joked, pointing at Jaycob with her eyes.

"Heheh, that's a long story-"

"Correct, and a story we don't really have time to dive into right at this moment."

Jaycob interjected.

"Listen Oga, I know that you've already done so much for me, even though I'm a complete stranger, but we really need your help now."

Oga raised her eyebrows.

"I'm listening."

"We just came out from that nifty little tunnel system you have in your storage room."

"Ahhh, right. Those were my smuggling tunnels from back in the day, you know, when I was still in my prime."

Jon'Kil chuckled.

"Yeah, well we ne-wait, did you say 'in my prime'. Do you still smuggle to this day?"

Oga winked and put a finger to her mouth, making the "shush" signal.

"Wow, I did not expect that. Ok well anyway, Black Spire Outpost is literally infested with FO."

"Yes, I know. I've had two squads of stormtroopers come in here and take some of my customers. Ones that didn't even pay!"

"Yeah, I guess we're pretty much responsible for that so, sorry."

"No biggy."

"But we're going to need safe passage back to our ships. We're parked just outside of the city, hidden in the forest. Our disguises are basically all over First Order scanners, so we cannot be seen."

"Let me guess, you're wondering if I have any more secret tunnels that lead you to your destination. Right? Am I close?"

"Spot on."

"Luckily for you, I do. However, a colleague of mine told me that the First Order have discovered several of my tunnel locations, and have started to fill them in. Sadly, I'm not too sure which ones they've found and which ones they haven't."

This was going to be a problem. Jaycob didn't want to crawl down a tunnel that could potentially lead to a dead-end, or worse, end up caving them in. But they were too exposed to just return to their starfighters on foot through the streets. Squads of TIE fighters must have already been deployed after the havoc they just wreaked. Jaycob couldn't help but wonder how their situation might be different had they taken a different approach to destroying the cannons, or planting the tracker on the TIE Echelon. But it was too late now, he had to think ahead.

"Well, this outpost is crawling with FO so it looks like we don't really have a choice. Where's the tunnel located?"

"Right here actually, in this very building. You're standing on the entrance."

Jaycob and Jon'Kil both looked downward at their feet, a metal grate the only thing keeping them from the deep dark abyss. Jaycob looked at Jon'Kil to see if he had any reaction, but the Chiss just nodded in approval.

"Oga, you're one of the only good things on this forsaken planet."

Jon'Kil said, reaching down and lifting the grate. Jaycob glanced around the room to see if they drew any eyes, but yet again, there were none. He turned back to the bartender.

"How do we thank you?"

Oga just laughed and stepped back.

"Win the war!"

She said triumphantly, gathering empty glasses around the table. Jaycob scoffed and replied,

"As you wish. Close the door behind us?"

"I got you boys, good luck."

(-)

With all the experience Jaycob has had with crawling around in tunnels, the one they were in would be paradise compared to the tunnel systems on Dathomir. Maybe it was due to the fact that these tunnels had more space to maneuver and work around, or maybe because there weren't gigantic arachnids with acidic shooting tails chasing them. Whatever the case was, Jon'Kil and Jaycob were both relatively calm while navigating their way through the underground maze. Jaycob still couldn't believe that such a sweet old lady like Oga could have a past with criminal activity and smuggling. It kind of reminded him of Poe and his spice-running gigs when he was younger.

"How much further, do you know?"

Jon'Kil asked, trailing behind Jaycob. Jaycob stopped and glanced down at his wrist-mounted gauntlet, where Oga had drawn them a makeshift map. According to the device, they were only a few feet away from the exit.

"We're close, just keep an eye out for a hatch or something above us."

"Copy."

The pair crawled and crawled until they finally reached a stop in the digging. Looking up, it didn't come as a surprise that there was another grate leading out into the open. Silently, Jaycob celebrated, knowing that it was pure luck that the tunnel wasn't compromised. He was tired, and he could tell that his wingman was too. All they wanted to do was return back to base.

Upon opening the hatch, Jaycob surveyed his surroundings just to make sure they were in the clear. They were, and fortunately, they were close to their ships as well. Jaycob helped Jon'Kil out of the tunnel and led the way back to their fighters. Jaycob reached his A-Wing first, opening the cockpit and sliding into his seat with urgency. He pushed the master power button and fired up all of his ship's subsystems. Next, he plugged his wrist device into its designated NavComputer port and tested out his sublight engines. Excess flames exerted out, signalling that they were primed and ready.

Looking across the plain, Jon'Kil was doing the same, preparing himself for takeoff. From Jaycob's point of view, his wingman's X-Wing seemed to be in perfect condition, so he decided to test his shortwave frequency radio. He tapped Jon'Kil's icon on his NavComputer and requested an open line of communication. Jon'Kil accepted, and spoke first.

"Flyboy 3 to Flyboy 2, are you receiving me?"

"Loud and clear, Flyboy 3. Let's kick this off."

"Copy that, I'm on your six."

With his wingman's confirmation, Jaycob slowly ascended off of the ground, retracting his landing gear as he elevated. Jaycob hadn't realized just how much time had passed since they first got to Batuu, but now it was the dead of night. The only lights visible being from Jaycob's interior ship functions, and the busy marketplace of Black Spire Outpost. Jaycob thought that they were in the clear, but as he was plugging in the coordinates to the Resistance cruiser, an incoming alert flashed on his NavComputer screen.

Warnings for incoming bogies made Jaycob accelerate to attack speed and try to get a bead on the TIE fighters. But before he could even see them, bright green flashes shook his ship. The NavComputer now emitted a loud annoying beep, meaning that his shields had been depleted, and the refresh rate process was about to begin. Jon'Kil zoomed past Jaycob, picking up an attack angle on the TIE fighter that had just dealt the damage.

Jaycob followed from a distance, just in case any other TIE's decided to jump into the dogfight. Just as he suspected, two more First Order fighters tailed Jon'Kil in an attempt to save their friend in peril. Jaycob smirked at their stupidity, taking aim at the back-most TIE. Jon'Kil successfully eliminated his target, now flying elusively to evade his pursuers. Jaycob fired his barrage next, landing his rapid succession of red plasma dead-center of the enemy's cockpit, exploding the entire ship instantly. Now it was two-to-one. Or so they thought.

Another alert, this time warning Jaycob of a new squad of TIEs coming into attack range. Four more enemies were added to the fight. Remaining as calm as he could, Jaycob took aim at the TIE still behind Jon'Kil.  Once the crosshairs of his targeting computer lined up, he fired again. He managed to shoot off the right-side wing panel, causing the TIE to spin uncontrollably as it plummeted toward the ground. Jon'Kil hit a tight, reverse-flip to take aim at the crowd of new TIEs that were approaching.

Jaycob on the other hand, took a wide turn to come in at the TIE formation from the side. Both Resistance fighters fired their blaster cannons, Jaycob hitting two enemies from their port side, Jon'Kil hitting one dead center. It was a nice little maneuver that the pair had practiced, three TIE fighters falling victim to their precision. Once again, one TIE was left. Jaycob wanted to make sure Jon'Kil knew what had to be done, calling in through his comms,

"Flyboy 3, we gotta take this straggler out. These new TIEs are fitted with hyperdrives now, we can't return to base with a trail."

"Don't worry Flyboy 2, I was thinking the same thing."

Jon'Kil concurred. Both behind the lonesome TIE fighter, the pair of pilots disengaged and took a wide-angle loop to gain some separation. Now, Jaycob and Jon'Kil both had a wider range of pursuit. If the TIE banked left, Jon'Kil had him. If it banked right, Jaycob had him. This last TIE's demise was inevitable, as the pilot had to choose a direction before he collided with the incoming spire that was straight ahead. The First Order pilot tried to fake a turn right, Jaycob not falling for the false move, then banked hard left, opening itself to attack from Jon'Kil.

The X-Wing pre-fired a salvo from his blaster cannons, making contact with the TIE's left-side wing panel and penetrating into the cockpit. The enemy fighter caught fire, smashing into the spire and causing the entire rock formation to topple. While their window of escape was open, Jaycob transmitted the complete coordinates of the Resistance cruiser to Jon'Kil, and flew to the closest open hyperspace lane. Jon'Kil pulled in right next to him, and together they were taken into the familiar blue and white tunnel of lightspeed.

"And that, Jon'Kil, is why you're my wingman. Our maneuvers were flawless!"

Jaycob celebrated, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Hahaha, hell yes. They don't teach you that in the First Order!"

(-)

"Glad to have you boys back."

Connix greeted Jaycob and Jon'Kil over comms as they attached to their docking bays. Softly coupling with the cruiser's connection modules, Jaycob opened his fighter's bottom hatch and handed the nearby engineer his helmet and gloves, thanking him as he marched off to put it away in the ready room. Mac waited at the entrance to the main corridor, slowly walking to his squad as they powered down their starfighters. The short burst of happiness that Jaycob had now that he was finally back home, was erased when he saw him come closer.

"Well? How'd the mission go."

Mac asked.

"Fine."

He simply answered, retrieving the duffel bag with both his and Jon'Kil's jumpsuits from his cargo compartment. Even with the obvious annoyed tone that Jaycob exerted, Mac kept pushing.

"The TIE Echelon? How'd that g-"

"Also fine. We've made it back in one piece didn't we?"

"Jaycob, I'm sorry, but it's not what it looks like."

Jon'Kil came into the conversation now, gesturing for Jaycob to give him the bag so that he could bring it to the ready room. Jaycob obliged, still looking at Mac with distaste.

"Hmm, is that so? Because judging by that hickey on your neck, it looks like you took a little trip to the doctor's office."

"Ok, now wait a sec-"

"What's wrong, Mac? Were you shot? Oh, wait a minute, it was Jon'Kil and I who were being shot at."

"Wow. Jaycob stop being so damn dramatic. You know I would've been out there with you two if I could."

"Then why weren't you?"

Jaycob poked Mac in the chest. Mac swatted Jaycob's arm as he pulled back. Jaycob's hands balled into fists, and for a second, he was about to throw a jab. But not before Mac answered,

"Mads was shot."

A wave of shock washed over Jaycob, as he forgot all about his anger. He pulled back.

"W-what? Is...is she ok?"

"Yes, thankfully. But if I had been there even a second later, she'd be dead."

Jaycob instantly regretted everything he had said. He felt guilty now, but he didn't let Mac see it.

"Well, who the hell shot her?"

Mac looked around to see if anyone was paying attention.

"You have to keep your voice down."

Jaycob looked around at his surroundings also and lowered his voice to a whisper.

"What happened?"

"We've been infiltrated. First Order spies are on board."

Jaycob's heart sank as Jon'Kil returned to the group.

"Well? Why are we standing here?"

The unaware pilot asked. Jaycob remained silent as he tried to process the information. Mac didn't feel like saying the grim news again, so instead he just motioned for the two to follow him to the lifts. Mac hit the button that would take them to the conference chamber, where Jaycob assumed the trio could speak without having to worry about any eavesdroppers. The door opened, and there to greet them was Poe and Jessika.

"Good, we were just about to come get you three."

Poe began. Jaycob pushed forward into the room and toward the holotable.

"We didn't interrupt anything did we?"

He teased. Jessika held back her smile and punched Jaycob in the shoulder.

"See! She did the same thing to me! Jessika has some anger issues she might need to address."

Mac added. Jessika turned her focus to him, slowly walking toward him, menacingly.

"Ahhh, don't hurt me!"

He said, running toward Jon'Kil's back and using him as a shield. Jon'Kil and Poe couldn't help but chuckle. Once the group finally huddled around the holotable, Snap entered the room next. Poe waited for him to come closer before he spoke again,

"Alright, I've gathered you all here because I trust you guys the most. Mac has just told me that we may have a real threat on our hands. Mac, you wanna tell them?"

The conversation took a serious turn.

"Sure. There was an incident in our medical bay. Doctor Madelyn Yvonili was injured, but she'll survive. The one who shot her was dressed in a Resistance uniform stolen from one of our missing planet scouts. I questioned him, and he told me that he's been on board for a while now, and that there's more of his guys aboard this cruiser."

Snap was the first to interject, needing to clear the situation.

"So there could be spies among our ranks right now?"

"Correct."

Mac affirmed.

"Wait, so how can we tell who's our guys from theirs?"

Jessika asked.

"We can't, that's the problem. If the spy I caught has been on board for this long, there's no telling how many spies we could've picked up."

"So what's the solution?"

Jon'Kil now budded in. Poe was the one to answer,

"We're going to need to do a full sweep of all personnel on board."

"How long will that take?"

"However long it'll take, Jess. We can't move forward with finding a new base if we got First Order among us."

Jaycob said.

"Jaycob's right, I'll send out a list of the people I trust and we'll work from there."

Poe stated. But before anyone could raise any reply, the entire cruiser shook violently, sending everyone in the room off of their feet. The ship klaxon blared and the bridge's lights started to strobe red. Poe got back onto his feet first and started tapping away at the holotable, trying to figure out what had just happened. A holographic model of the cruiser hovered over the empty field.

"Our engines have been hit!"

Chapter 15: Jon'Kil

Summary:

The First Order has infiltrated the Tantive IV. Spies are among the Resistance ranks running rampant about the ship, however, how many and who are still unknown. Now those who are loyal to the cause must remain vigilant and keep their heads on a swivel...

Chapter Text

"Our engines have been hit!"

Poe exclaimed as he helped Jessika back onto her feet. Jon'Kil scurried back over to the holotable nervously, only able to think about one thing: Asha. He prayed that she wasn't near that area of the cruiser, being one of the most talented mechanics on board. As if he could read his mind, Jaycob came behind and patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry buddy, I don't think she was near there. I could've sworn I saw her in one of the storage rooms."

Snap reached the holotable next, eyes widened with disbelief.

"We're under attack, I'll get the pilots ready."

He said. But before he was able to leave, Poe raised his hand.

"Wait. There's no enemy fighters on our scanners."

"Could the First Order have cloaking devices?"

Jessika asked, confused.

"Nah, the First Order is nowhere near getting that kind of tech yet."

Jon'Kil denied. When he was in the First Order at least, they were still struggling to even equip hyperdrive systems on all of their TIE fighters. There was no way they discovered the technology to hide ships from the Resistance scanners. But at the same time it wasn't entirely improbable, since the First Order did pioneer the ability to track through lightspeed.

"Wait a minute, look at the diagram. How in the hell did they manage to hit the ion accelerators? The only way they could do that is if-"

Jaycob began, but was silenced as Jon'Kil had a sudden realization. It was that weird gut feeling again that was present on Batuu. But instead of just a tingly feeling along his spine, some type of vision accompanied it. He closed his eyes to try and hone in his focus. A blurred hand, wearing a black glove, was planting a detonite charge on a console. The hand then rotated the timer on the device and ran off. Jon'Kil tried to plant a face along with the hand, but before he could, the vision deteriorated.

"They blew it up from the inside. The First Order spies, there are definitely more of them."

The rest of the group looked at him with varying confused expressions. Surely this wasn't the first time they've seen something unnatural like this before. They had Rey after all. Mac spoke up.

"How do you know this?"

Jon'Kil wanted to reveal his mystery powers to them, but there just wasn't enough time. People could be hurt. The First Order could be coming to attack at any moment. He'd rather focus on getting the engines back online or these spies caught, first and foremost. Once they figured that out, maybe he'd confess. But the only person he really wanted to talk to about this sort of stuff was Rey.

Thankfully Jaycob was too impatient to wait for an answer, instead stating,

"Does it matter? He's worked for the First Order, so he's the best lead we've got. Besides Finn, of course."

"Agreed. I'll send a fire crew to the scene and I'll contact all of you later regarding this 'spy situation'. You're all dismissed."

Poe concluded. While everyone went their separate ways, Jon'Kil wanted to rush to the engines just to make sure Asha was not there. He got inside the main lift first, spamming down the button that would lead him to the same floor that the ion accelerators were housed. But before the door could close, Jaycob and Mac pushed their way inside. Jon'Kil handed Mac his second blaster, silently thanking both of them for their support. Whoever was responsible for blowing the engines could still be down there, and the thought scared him. They could even be right outside of the door as it opens. There was no way to tell who was a spy and who wasn't, so whoever they came across were potential suspects. The trio raised their weapons in preparation for a fight.

The door slid open in an instant, filling Jon'Kil's nostrils with the smell of smoke. He and Jaycob raised their shemaghs over their face to try and filter out the smoke, while Mac resorted to putting his nose into his arm. The entire room was unrecognizable, burning metal and debris scattered all across the floor. Loose wires and hanging support beams threatened to fall on top of them at any moment, while equipment and computer consoles were either destroyed or smoking.

Jon'Kil led the pack further inside. The group had made it to the scene before the fire crew did, so they had an advantage.

"We should try to look for some evidence before the fire crews wash it all out."

"Agreed."

Jaycob and Mac replied in unison. After a quick look of amusement, Jaycob connected his scanner attachment to his gauntlet and started surveying the area. Mac went in the other direction, waving off stray smoke from his face.

"Make sure to keep an eye out for any survivors!"

Jon'Kil yelled to the other two. They were already too far into the wreckage to send a reply, but he had hoped they heard anyway. Right now, his only objective was Asha. He called out her name, repeatedly, silently praying to the Force that she was nowhere near here. There were burnt corpses of other Resistance members, Jon'Kil retrieving their identification cylinders so their names could be added to the list in the ready room. It was an unnerving task, picking up, even sometimes prying the metal cylinders from burnt fabric or skin. The Chiss had picked up two cylinders from a pair of mechanics that he couldn't even recognize anymore, their skin turned into black char. He could tell they weren't Asha though, their remains looking to be both more masculine and taller than she ever was.

Jon'Kil was about done with searching through his portion of the room, when the sudden opening of the entrance startled him. It was the fire crew, a squad of three lugging around a portable hose connected to a water tank. They greeted the trio of pilots quickly, then began spraying down the rest of the stray flames that were still burning bright. Mac and Jaycob regrouped back on Jon'Kil at the center of the room.

"I didn't find any sign of her."

Jaycob said, causing Jon'Kil's heart to drop. Mac, after elbowing Jaycob in the side followed up with,

"But that could be a good thing. She probably wasn't here when the bomb went off."

After seeing his mistake, Jaycob tried to come back positively,

"Y-yeah. Like I said, I could've sworn I saw that Zeltron in one of the storage rooms, away from the engines."

"Besides Chiss, it's a big ship. She could be anywhere."

Jon'Kil took a deep breath and tried to be optimistic. Both of them were right, she could've been anywhere on the cruiser. It was just a matter of finding these First Order saboteurs before they struck again. If their plan was to stop the Resistance dead in their tracks, they've accomplished it. They were sitting ducks in the middle of space until the accelerators could be repaired.

"Yeah, it's still a shame we had two casualties."

Jon'Kil said gloomily, pulling the two identification cylinders from his pocket. Mac and Jaycob both reached into their pockets and pulled out a few of their own, confirming that there were actually four others that were caught in the blast.

"Sadly, there's a little more."

Mac stated.

"We're going to get to the bottom of this, I swear it."

(-)

The three pilots sent in all of the evidence they found to the laboratory for further inspection. Rose Tico was the one to help them out, saying that she'd call them if she found any information deemed useful for their investigation. For now though, the trio were sitting in the cafeteria anxiously thinking of what the next move was. There were no others found in the engine room when they did their initial search, so whoever was responsible for the bombing was still at large. Nobody was safe, yet everyone was a suspect.

Jon'Kil forked at a reheated Endorian tip-yip, his appetite not nearly as strong as he thought it was, especially since he hadn't heard from Asha since he left for Batuu. Mac tried to comfort him by saying that she was present when he returned for his emergency repairs, but he hadn't seen her since. It also didn't help that the cruiser had stopped at Chandrila to refuel and repair right after the bombs went off, meaning she could be either somewhere on the planet's surface or somewhere in this relatively-crowded corvette. The main problem was that there was no way to contact her, since not all personnel carried their own communication devices with them at all times. This made no sense to Jon'Kil, because even with the newly-acquired corvette, it was terribly understaffed, meaning the Resistance should have enough resources to have, what limited crew they had, carry around some type of communication device. On top of that, Asha was one of the only surviving head technicians left, surely she'd deserve to have one.

"I'm just sick of all this waiting around."

Jaycob broke the silence, tossing his spoon onto his tray. He crossed his arms and put his feet on top of the table.

"Jaycob, chill. We have some droids conducting background checks on all of the cruiser's personnel. Waiting is really all we can do right now."

Mac replied.

"There has to be something more though, think about it. These..."

Jaycob checked to make sure nobody was listening in.

"...First Order spies could be anywhere on this ship, they can easily avoid the background checks. Plus, they might have already contacted their superiors, telling them where we are and coordinating an attack that can wipe us out for good!"

"Poe's got it handled. Our long distance scanners are still functional, plus, we've disabled our own communications array, which means-"

"Nothing is coming in or out of this ship, unless it's by word of mouth."

Jon'Kil couldn't help but add.

"Exactly."

Mac agreed. Jaycob just rolled his eyes in response.

"So, what do you guys think of the new location?"

Jon'Kil asked, wanting to change the subject as fast as he could.

"Pfft, Ajan Kloss? It's just another D'Qar in my opinion."

Jaycob answered first. Mac shook his head.

"You're never satisfied with anything, Jaycob."

He joked, causing Jaycob to stick out his tongue at him.

"Well, it's a better alternative than Yavin was. Establishing a base where the Rebellion did thirty something years ago was never a good idea."

Jon'Kil stated. The other two couldn't help but agree. After the engine bombing, Poe had told a small handful of Resistance members that he trusted about the new potential staging ground for a new base. Ajan Kloss was found in late-General Organa's files, the planet first being used as a force training ground to her and her brother. Personally, Jon'Kil was fond of the new planet. Other than having a neat little history with someone he had looked up to ever since he joined the Resistance, the planet was well hidden. The surface was full of lush forests and mountains, making it extremely easy to hide starfighters and equipment under the trees.

Mac rested his head on his hand, pushing around the cup of caf that he had gotten a while ago. On the other side of the table, Jaycob was fiddling with his device, no doubt looking at the picture of Captain Lintra that he had stored in the cover flap. If the pilots could be described in one word, it was "exhausted". The trio hadn't been able to sleep properly ever since their departure to Koensayr. Jon'Kil felt the worst for Mac and Jaycob however, being forced into a gruesome fighting ring that no doubt would have gotten them brutally killed if he hadn't jumped in. At the same time though, he admired the two. Having the strength, both physically and mentally, to push forward with the contest was commendable.

Thinking about that mission however, spawned so many questions in Jon'Kil's head, specifically dealing with this potential force sensitive business. Rey was nowhere to be found, probably off adventuring with the First Order deserter, Finn. Them, along with a handful of scouts were sent all across the galaxy to find out what happened to their allies on the Battle of Crait. He just hoped that someone, anyone, came back with answers. The fate of the Resistance was full of uncertainty, and it put the Chiss on the edge of his seat. Nonetheless, Jon'Kil wouldn't trade this for anything. If he had the chance to abandon the First Order again, he'd do it in a heartbeat.

"Ok fellas, well I'm going to check up on Mads..."

Mac stood up from his seat.

"...I'll catch you fellas later."

Jaycob nodded while Jon'Kil waved him goodbye.

"Send her our best wishes."

Jaycob called back, without actually turning around.

"Roger that."

Jon'Kil watched the blast door close behind Mac as he exited the galley. Now it was just Jaycob, sifting through whatever media he was looking at on his gauntlet. He had bags under his eyes, and his eyes were approaching a shade of red that would be called bloodshot.

"Jaycob, I can tell that you're tired. You should try to get some rest."

Jaycob bit his lip and shook his head.

"I've tried to force myself to sleep four times today. But every single time I do, I have these nightmares. I...I just can't."

"Nightmares? What kind of nightmares?"

Jaycob took one last look at Tallie's picture, then closed his device flap to look at Jon'Kil.

"They range from a variety of things. My brother. Tallie. Koensayr. Blasted Batuu. I've just...seen so many people die. I don't know, maybe it's just weighing on me."

Jon'Kil could see the distress in his friend's eyes. Everything about this war was ugly. Jon'Kil resonated with this feeling heavily, not even knowing the consequences of war before it was too late. Fortunately, with his background, knowing how to handle all of the stress that comes with war was instilled upon him ever since he was a child. But as for Jaycob, it seemed like it was really taking a toll on him. Jon'Kil wished he could do something to help, but he didn't know how.

"I understand, Jaycob. Really, I do. But we've made it this far, and that's partially thanks to you."

Jaycob managed a weak smile.

"I guess..."

He trailed. But Jon'Kil was determined to raise his friend's spirits right here and right now. He was sick of seeing Jaycob like this.

"Yeah yeah, save it hotshot. You were a crucial part of taking down that Dreadnought remember?"

"No no no, correction: White Squad was responsible for that, not me."

It was like Jaycob was purposely putting himself down.

"But you're White Leader! Or you were anyway. Nobody could've expected the attack from Kylo R-"

"Stop. Please. I don't want to talk about that."

Jon'Kil understood. Jaycob had lost so many friends and teammates that day, but most notably, he lost his wife. Tallie changed Jaycob, for the better. Everyone in the Resistance that knew Jaycob, saw that. It was a shame that their relationship didn't continue.

"You've saved lives, Jaycob. You've still managed to stay true to yourself through the thick and thin. You've been there when the Resistance needed you. Hell, you were there when I needed you."

Jaycob met Jon'Kil's eyes with a grin.

"Thanks, wingman."

"Of course. And I know that she's up there smiling down on you right now. She'd be proud."

Jon'Kil rested his hand on his friend's shoulder. He wanted to make sure Jaycob knew that they were more than just squadmates, they were brothers.

Chapter 16: Jaycob

Summary:

With the news of spies aboard, those truly loyal to the Resistance cause can do nothing but wait for the perpetrators' next move. The entire fate of the ship, thus the Resistance, hung in the balance. It was only a matter of time before they were exposed. But once they were, would it already be too late?

Chapter Text

Jaycob appreciated Jon'Kil's kind gesture. Maybe he was right. The Resistance, no matter how broken, was still standing, and Jaycob was a vital part of its survival. Even if all the remaining members were only able to fill a single CR90 corvette, they were still alive, and that's all Jaycob could ask for. Frequently he thought of his loved ones, both present and deceased, and wondered how they would feel if they saw him now. Proud? Ashamed? It was these constant thoughts that kept Jaycob grounded and in reality, but it also increased the amount of pressure he faced. Everyone was looking up to him now, a concept he never really got a grasp on until it was too late. The squadrons of Blue and White, unfortunately, had to pay for this irresponsible oversight, so many pilots dying in Jaycob's hands.

He had left Jon'Kil and the mess hall behind him as he started the boring trek toward the converted tech station that now served as a lab. Rose Tico had pinged the trio simultaneously, but Jaycob volunteered to go alone, feeling it'd attract too much attention if a large group went. After all, the spies could be anywhere or anyone, so it was paramount to the investigation that they were made to think that they committed their act without a trace.

"Jaycob, hey."

Rose greeted.

"Hey, Tico. What do you got for me?"

"Well firstly, I ran all the names on the identification cylinders you three gave me from the scene."

Jaycob nodded understandingly.

"Good, good. The list in the ready room, that's been updated then?"

"Yes. But I also finished the holographic replication of the bombing. Whoever planted the charge wanted to make it look like an accident."

"An accident? How can planting a bomb, setting the timer, and running away be seen as an accident?"

"Well, just judging by the placement of the bomb and the fact that there hasn't been another attack, just make it seem viable."

"So what are you telling me?"

"I think these First Order slimebags aren't trying to bring down the whole ship. They're trying to get us in a vulnerable spot so that we could be ambushed."

Rose's theory made sense. Why hadn't the spies targeted a more important system on the ship? Or why hadn't they gone after high-ranking Resistance members? The situation was still a mystery, but it was starting to get a little bit clearer. Rose pulled up the holographic replication of the attack on her desk, along with a datapad that had the camera feed footage from the time of the bombing.

"This model was supplemented by the camera feed. I just put one and one together, and this is the final product."

The model showed the entire engine room, Resistance mechanics and technicians tapping away on datapads or tinkering with their tools on one of the countless consoles and subsystems. Everything seemed normal for a few seconds, Jaycob carefully looking over every single face he saw present. But as soon as two Resistance scouts entered from the main corridor, he knew he found the culprits. Resistance scouts had no business being in the engine room, and the faces of the scouts themselves served no familiarity to Jaycob nor Rose.

"So those are our suspects."

Jaycob said, pointing to the small holographic figures that were now approaching the ion accelerator housing.

"Looks like it. I ran their facial scans on our database and nothing comes up."

These two were no doubt the other spies on board. Their lack in numbers meant they didn't have the manpower to overthrow an entire corvette full of loyal Resistance members, but it also meant that their movements could be easily masked. Rose sent the renderings of the two First Order operatives to Jaycob's wrist computer, now painting a clear picture of who he was looking for.

"Please catch them, Jaycob. A lot of good people, my friends, died in the bombing."

"I know, Rose. Don't worry, these two will either end up in the brig or dead. And if it were up to me, I'd have the latter."

Even though it was a gruesome statement, Rose still managed to find it somewhat comforting, a small smile creeping onto her face. Jaycob walked out of the lab and into the main corridor, pinging Poe as he went. The transmission was successfully patched through.

"Jaycob, what did you find?"

"I've got the pictures of the last two remaining spies on our ship. I'm sending the pictures to you and you can distribute it however you like, but let the Flyboys handle this."

"What do you mean by that? What do you mean let you handle it?"

"Mac, Jon'Kil, and I will sniff these two out. Just focus on getting our ship back into functional shape, I'll call you if I need anything."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Poe, do you trust me?"

"With my life."

"Then let us handle this."

(-)

Poe was reluctant to agree with Jaycob's terms of letting the Flyboys take control of the investigation, but seeing as the general had so many other tasks to attend to, this choice might help alleviate some of the pressure. At least, that's how Jaycob advertised it. In reality, Jaycob really just wanted to not have to go through the slow process of taking them up with the court. What he told Rose was the truth: if he had it his way, he'd kill the spies and be done with it. And now that Poe handed over the case to him, his idea might become a reality. Convincing Mac and Jon'Kil to take his side on the matter though, might be a different story.

The quick pit stop on Chandrila was turning into more of a vacation. The ion accelerators were going to have to be flown in from another system, and all the Resistance could do now was wait. The First Order spies' plan was all coming together, all they had to do was call in backup and the Resistance would be doomed. It was the Flyboys' mission to make sure they were caught before the comms array was restored. If they failed, the entire First Order army and navy would rain down upon them like hellfire. So much was at stake here, and the trio of pilots were working against the clock.

Now that the spies' identities were revealed, it would be easier to spot them out in a crowd. Almost all Resistance personnel were cleared thanks to the droid background checks as well, so it was only a matter of finding the two needles in the haystack. The plan was relatively simple: have Mac monitor all the security camera feeds and initiate a ship-wide identity scan, while Jaycob and Jon'Kil searched the ship on foot. It was going to be a test of teamwork, but thinking back to the missions at Koensayr and Batuu, that didn't seem like it would be a problem.

"Initiating ship-wide identity scan in three...two...one."

Mac counted down. Jaycob and Jon'Kil quickly walked through the halls with Glie-44's in hand. It was only a matter of seconds before the spies' location would be revealed. Jaycob's blood was boiling with both excitement and rage. He had no intention of keeping the targets alive for further questioning. To him they were too dangerous to be kept alive. All of the damage and death they had caused would be paid for with blood.

"Aaaaand got it! The spies are in the escape pod access tunnel, I think they're going to jump ship."

"Can you shut down the pods remotely?"

Jaycob asked, now sprinting in the direction of the escape pods.

"Not from where I am now. You two are just going to have to double-time it."

The pair slipped past the mechanics and technicians who were transporting goods from the surface of Chandrila. Ducking under carried crates and jumping over cargo that was set down, the shape of two people could be seen opening one of the escape pod doors. Whoever it was though was spooked by the pursuers, boarding and sealing themselves in. By the time Jon'Kil and Jaycob reached the door, they had already launched. They were headed toward the surface of the planet.

"Boys! They're getting away!"

Mac called in.

"Yeah, we can see that!"

Jaycob replied, turning on his heel and sprinting toward his currently-docked A-Wing. He ran past the ready room and entered into his cockpit through the starfighter's bottom hatch. He turned on all necessary systems and yanked himself from the docking station, now quickly approaching the jettisoned escape pod. Once it came into range, he blasted it into smithereens.

A blinking light on Jaycob's NavComputer signaled that an incoming communications connection was being requested...from Poe.

Jaycob flicked the switch and accepted the request, bracing for a scolding. But to his surprise, no yelling ensued. Instead, Poe had a calm but stern tone.

"Jaycob, why are we down an escape pod?"

Jaycob couldn't help but snicker at least a little.

"Just-uhh...taking out the trash."

"Hmmm, I see. I'm assuming our little mole problem has been taken care of?"

"Indeed."

"Great work. I'll expect a debrief later?"

"Gross, you know I don't do those. Mac will fill you in, ain't that right buddy?"

"Yup. Great. Sure."

Mac said, an obvious strain in his voice. Jaycob turned around and set himself up to re-dock. Mac and Jon'Kil were already waiting in the main corridor when Jaycob dismounted, still taking in what had just happened.

"Soooo...just like that?"

Jon'Kil asked.

"Yup, just like that."

Jaycob replied. Mac scoffed.

"You know, whenever you pull some impromptu crap like that I would give you some kriff for it. But, that was pretty good."

Jaycob shrugged and pointed at himself.

"Hotshot, baby."

Mac rolled his eyes and pushed Jaycob to start walking down the main corridor, Jon'Kil laughing as he followed behind. They met with Poe in the conference room once again and delivered the debrief of the short pursuit. As if it was a reward for their efforts, Poe slid them a datapad with a planet's coordinates displayed. Jaycob picked it up and showed it to the group, asking,

"How long will we be staying?"

"Hopefully, permanently. Our scouts' reports have been really positive, the FO has no clue about this place. It was hidden from the Imperial Senate during the Galactic Civil War and recovered from Leia's archives."

This was starting to sound eerily familiar. A virtual projection of the planet rotated out of the screen, the name displayed underneath.

"Ajara, eh?"

"No, it's moon: Ajan Kloss."

"I KNEW IT!"

Jon'Kil blurted out. Jaycob closed his eyes and buried his face in his hand. He was not going to hear the end of this one.

Chapter 17: Layne

Chapter Text

Word of a weapon malfunction injuring Doctor Madelyn swept through the ranks quickly. That's what all of the doctors, nurses, and field medics told Layne anyway. He didn't actually see the doctor or the extent to how bad her injury was, since he was just getting back from a messy mission back from Crait. He was tasked with transporting whatever equipment and goods that wasn't destroyed or taken by the First Order, back to base so it could be re-used or at least scavenged. Now, Layne was sitting upright in one of the sick bay bunks recovering from a nasty burn on his left forearm.

A bandage soaked in bacta was wrapped around the wound, chilling it to numbness. He was advised to stay within the confines of the medical bay until his arm was totally healed, and signed out by a nurse before heading back and reporting his mission to General Dameron. Layne was in no hurry though, since he knew Dameron would not be pleased with what happened. He was sent to Crait with a shuttle, and two other soldiers. But the only thing that came back was the Twi'lek pilot and the shuttle's detachable cockpit-escape pod. He was already reluctant enough to take the mission since he knew the First Order would have kept some tabs on the battle-hardened planet, and now telling Poe that it was a failure sent his anxiety into overdrive.

(-)

"The abandoned mine is in sight, prepare to land."

Layne called back to his other squadmates on bored. Odon Arkin, one of the two foot soldiers, was a human with dark skin and a buzzed haircut. During the flight the entire crew got to know each other better, Layne learning that Odon was actually a seasoned veteran in the Resistance who, like Layne, was spared from the Battle of Crait. The other soldier was part of the Caphex species, named Mayj Yovv. During the discussion she kept to herself for most of the time, cleaning her Glie-44 in silence as she looked out into space. She was a new addition to the Resistance, and this was her first mission she classified as "real".

"Copy that. Come on Mayj, let's check our gear."

She nodded in reply. The red tracks of the AT-M6 walkers were still fresh on the mineral floor, all of them leading to the abandoned mine shaft. There was debris of destroyed TIE fighters and speeders scattered on the ground that made it difficult to find anywhere to land except inside the facility. If the trio needed a quick escape, it was going to be messy. As Layne sent the ship into its automatic landing process, he was handed his Glie-44 from Odon, loaded and ready to go.

The side bay doors opened as soon as they touched down. Odon sweeping left with his TL-50 and Mayj sweeping right. Layne stayed back, letting the soldiers be soldiers, but kept up behind them at an appropriate distance. The U-55 transports that the Resistance had arrived with prior to the bloody battle, still lay in their landed spots, cargo crates still visible in their cargo holds.

"Here. These transports are our best bet."

Layne called to his team. He rummaged around leftover cargo crates, wiping off salt crystals as he fished out empty energy cells and loose extension cables. Mayj and Oden did the same with the other transports on the hangar floor, but came up empty-handed as well. Whatever spare supplies that were left behind was all gone now. Or so Layne thought.

"We got an armory over here!"

Oden called to the other two, motioning for them to follow. Some of the field computers were still plugged in and working, and compartments that were hidden inside the armory walls were open, stripped of whatever blasters were housed inside. This was the Resistance's last stand. Surprisingly though, contrary to the bloody trenches outside, there were no corpses from either faction anywhere.

Mayj ran her hands across the salt-covered tables, counting the smaller pistols that lay untouched. The windows that looked out onto the hangar floor were all shattered, probably a result of a crashed First Order shuttle that had slid under the shield door prior to it being shut. Whatever had happened here was a complete and utterly disorganized disaster.

"This is a good start, let's pack these up into our transport."

There was barely any equipment left, most of it being shot to bits by whoever was in here last. Most likely stormtroopers. Even if it was just a couple computers and weapons, it wouldn't hurt to take on board.

"Copy that. I guess that's all we got then, huh?"

Oden asked.

"I mean the Resistance barely had anything coming into this battle. It makes sense that there's not much-"

"Wait wait wait, be quiet!"

Mayj suddenly burst out. The distant sound of a TIE fighter engines screeched in the silence.

"Kriff! Get back to the ship, now!"

Oden yelled. The trio dragged what equipment they could and threw them into the cargo hold. Layne hopped into the cockpit and fired up the engines while Oden and Mayj opened fire at the incoming enemy forces. With the ship's power returning, the NavComputer immediately started beeping a warning of hostile crafts entering the airspace. According to the readings, a dropship paired with a couple of TIE fighters were fast-approaching. Layne double-checked all of the systems and motioned for his teammates to get inside.

"We're running! Let's get the hell out of h-"

A flurry of fire came into contact with the hold's shields, shuttering the invisible protection to bits. Layne started the shield refreshing sequence before exiting and firing a couple of his own shots at the TIEs that were now turning around to start their next gun-run. The troop carrier had just landed and the boarding ramp was already being stepped on as a fresh squad of snowtroopers entered the hangar. The trio of Resistance members were forced to fall back, using the old mine carts as cover.

Layne was able to quickly peak over his cart and fire several shots in the direction of the enemy, taking down two with precision. The squad separated in response, and quickly surrounded the running Resistance shuttle. A constant exchange of blaster fire was forcing the trio deeper into the mine, the distance between them and their only chance of escape, only increasing.

"We gotta get back to the shuttle!"

Layne called through the crossfire.

"Kinda hard to do that with an entire wave of troopers on our ass!"

Oden replied. Layne ignored the sarcasm and ran to a mine cart closer to the transport. One stormtrooper managed to push up and brace behind the same piece of cover, firing their F-11D right over Layne's head. The barrel of the snowtrooper's weapon was peeking over the top of the cart, the expelled tibana chemicals within smelling distance. Annoyed by the warm gas, Layne shoved the gun by the barrel with his left forearm and raised his Glie-44 with his right, the adrenaline making him ignorant to the fresh burn that had formed. With a straight facial shot, the snowtrooper slammed against the ground with a single yelp of agony.

Oden and Mayj slowly worked their way forward, falling behind Layne. The trio took shots at every single target that popped their head out from cover, the enemy now completely surrounding them and the transport. Oden and Mayj boarded the hull while Layne entered the cockpit and began to close the bay door. The snowtroopers steadily came closer, flooding the shields with blaster fire, and hitting the door hinge. The bay door short-circuited and fell to the ground lifelessly, leaving Mayj and Oden out in the open.

"Just get in the air!"

Mayj screamed, her voice shaking. Layne obliged with the command, slowly beginning to ascend off the ground. They were just about to exit the hangar when the two TIE fighters from before opened fire on the hull once again. The entire craft shook violently, causing Layne to jerk the control yoke forward and tilt. Oden slipped on one of the cargo straps and fell out of the hold.

"NO!"

Layne yelled, Oden being met with a wave of blaster fire once he landed. Mayj observed in shock and looked at Layne.

"We have to go now!"

"I KNOW!"

Layne tried to pull back on the stick, but it wouldn't budge. Looking through his right side window, the engine that was connected to the cargo hold was busted, sparking and sputtering out smoke.

"That engine is gone! I can't move without it, we're gonna have to land!"

Mayj shook her head gloomily.

"Tell the Resistance to not return here! This was a mistake!"

"Wait wait, what are you talking about?"

"Tell my brother that I love him!"

"What are you doing!"

She let her actions speak for themselves, as she ran across to the other side of the cargo hold adjacent Layne, and hit the cockpit-ejector. The entire cargo hold and side engine detached from from the pod with a mechanical hiss, sending the hold, equipment, and Mayj plummeting to an explosive fate. The new small craft shifted all of its power to it's dual engines and shields, signaling to Layne that he was ready to go.

Without a second thought, Layne plugged in the coordinates that General Dameron had sent him and accelerated past the TIEs, leaving Crait behind him.

(-)

He shook himself out of the memory as one of the nurses came to unwrap his forearm.

"You're all good to go, pilot. I'll sign you out and you'll be on your way to debrief with General Dameron."

She said, tapping away on a datapad.

"Oh...great."

An obvious sarcasm in his voice. He was not looking forward to this meeting. The nurse handed him the datapad so he could sign off with his signature, and waved a quick goodbye as he exited the medical bay. He was left looking down the corvette's long corridor, a straight pathway directly to where Poe awaited him. He had no reason to feel guilty, since none of what happened to Oden or Mayj was directly his fault, but he couldn't help but feel this pulling sensation that made him feel terrible about them.

The walk to the conference room arrived faster than he had expected, the sliding door opening without Layne having to press anything. Inside was General Dameron and a trio of pilots that Layne had never met before. They all turned to look at him as he entered the room.

"A long lost pilot has returned!"

Poe celebrated jokingly. Layne couldn't help but crack a small grin as the general stood up and shook his hand.

"Great to see you again, General."

"It really has been a while...eh-anyways, I'll introduce you to some of our guys here."

Poe pointed progressingly from left to right, highlighting the pilot with black hair and tan skin, about the same height as Layne.

"Commander Jaycob Flesio here, doesn't need too much of an introduction. One of the finest pilots I've ever fought alongside with. My right hand man."

Layne shook hands with Jaycob, the commander forcing a smile and a look of approval onto his face. Layne knew the stories about him, but that's about it. Next up was the other human next to him also with dark hair, except it was buzzed and tad lighter than Jaycob's black. He was about the same height as General Dameron, shorter than Layne, and he was introduced as Major Mac. The last one to be made known was the alien pilot.

"Last but not least, Lieutenant Jon'Kil."

Layne was now acquainted with everyone in the room which made the social atmosphere a lot more tolerable. But one thing that stuck out to him was that all three of these pilots were young; at least when compared to his own thirty-two years of age. And he wasn't even a Lieutenant.

"You came just at the right time. We've got our base."

Poe continued, sliding the datapad over to the Twi'lek. Layne picked it up with curiosity, breathing a sigh of relief that it wasn't Crait.

"Never heard of it."

"Hahaha, that's the point buddy."

Mac jabbed, followed with a group chuckle. Layne shook his head and slid back the datapad. The thoughts of the mission prior still haunted him and he desperately wanted to just let it all out. But he didn't dare say it unless he was asked, especially not in front of his new comrades.

Chapter 18: Jon'Kil

Chapter Text

Layne's debrief about Crait was one of sorrow. Jon'Kil didn't know of Mayj or Oden, since they too shared the same background as the new pilot. None of them had fought during the actual Battle of Crait, and were away on their own missions when the distress call had been sent. It was a shame to Jon'Kil, hearing the news about the deaths of Resistance operators he hadn't even met.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that. At least we know the First Order is keeping tabs on Crait, and we cannot return to any planet that we've already been to."

Poe said gloomily. Layne stayed quiet.

"Hey, at least we have a new base right?"

Jaycob tried to change the subject. He, along with Mac and Jon'Kil, was sick of mourning the deaths of so many.

"Right. We gotta look on the bright side and keep fighting, for them."

Jon'Kil added. The room nodded.

"For the time being, you can just stick with us, Layne."

Jaycob invited. Layne smiled.

"You'll be known as Flyboy 4, welcome to the squad."

"Thanks, commander, I appreciate the offer."

"Just call me, Jaycob or Jay, friend. Not really with all the formalities."

"Got it."

The debrief was dismissed and the pilots were released to have some free time for themselves. Jaycob and Layne wandered off toward the mess hall, complaining that they could eat an entire fathier. Mac went off to the medical bay, presumably to check up on Doctor Mads. Jon'Kil was left standing in the main corridor, not having any specific place or person he needed to see. Asha was somewhere on the surface of Chandrila, leading the effort to resupply whatever goods the planet could donate to the cause and repair the systems that the spies had destroyed. If anything, the person that would probably be the best to visit was Rey. Perhaps she could tell him the mysterious powers that Jon'Kil somehow possessed.

Since she was a highly-valued Resistance member, her quarters and workstation was closer to the bridge, adjacent to Finn, General Dameron, and others. On the walk there, he felt a little weird about suddenly going to her for guidance. He's never even talked to the girl, yet he knew quite a bit about her. Particularly, her powers. He knocked on Rey's door once he arrived.

"Yes? Come in!"

She was heard through the door. Jon'Kil pressed the door release, sending it upwards. She was sitting at her desk, tinkering with a lightsaber. She looked up from her work and raised her eyebrows.

"Hi."

She simply stated.

"Hello, uhhh-ma'am? Miss Rey?"

Jon'Kil stumbled over his words, the nerves getting to him. She snickered.

"It's just Rey, pilot. Could I help you with something?"

Jon'Kil took a deep breath before he began.

"Yes, actually. It's about..."

He bit his lip.

"Abouuut?"

"The Force."

Rey's face lit up. It was as if no-one had asked her about the subject in years. She gently placed the lightsaber on her desk and turned in her swivel chair to face him.

"Really? What about it?"

"Well...I know you have a lot of experience with it. I don't quite know what it's called when you can make things float but-"

"Ha. I thought the same thing. But I think the term you're looking for is, 'force-sensitive'."

"Right."

"Well...are you?"

"I-I have no idea."

Rey squinted.

"I sense reluctance in your voice."

"Ok well, on one of my missions I felt this feeling. Some sort of sensation."

With the flick of her hand, she pulled a chair out from the desk next to hers...without touching it. Jon'Kil was taken aback.

"It's nothing to be afraid of, really. Take a seat."

He did, and continued his story.

"And I was cornered by stormtroopers. There was no way around them, and I was hyping myself up for a fight. But...before I could engage, something inside me just..."

"Woke up?"

"Exactly. And now I don't know what to do."

Rey's tensed shoulders relaxed as she slumped on the back of her chair. She looked at Jon'Kil's eyes, but he could tell her mind was elsewhere. She bit her lip, trying to find out what to say next.

"What does it tell you to do?"

"Huh?"

"The Force, that feeling, that instinct that's inside of you. What's it telling you."

"I-I-I don't know, I didn't even know it could talk."

This caused Rey to laugh out loud, even managing Jon'Kil to crack a small grin although he was scared to death.

"The Force doesn't communicate with you orally. It metaphorically calls you. Even I don't really know how to fully describe it."

"Hmmm...well, I haven't had any instance of the Force calling me to do anything specifically. It's just helped me out whenever I was in trouble."

"I see. It sounds like you're just getting started. You need a teacher."

"What?"

"Someone that can guide you, like how Master Skywalker guided me."

"What are you saying exactly?"

"I'm barely able to control what I can do myself, and I'm in no way qualified to teach you but..."

"But? But what?"

"But it has to be me. I have to train you. It...it'll be a lot for me however-"

"No no, Rey. I-I can't make you do that. You are already the strongest fighter we've got, you need to be worried about yourself not me."

"It's fine Jon'Kil really, I'm just glad to have met someone else who's facing this other than me. Besides, it's what Master Skywalker would have wanted. It's the only way to do it."

"To do what?"

"Restore the Jedi Order. Finish what Luke had started."

(-)

Unfortunately, Jon'Kil's conversation with Rey was cut short, as she was hailed by Finn via comlink. She set the lightsaber down and walked with Jon'Kil out of her quarters, leaving him alone once again. He sat on one of the couches in the hallway and debated on what to do next. This was the problem with him. He always needed to be doing something to pass the time. He couldn't just sit still and relax, except when he slept of course.

Maybe Asha needs some help.

Jon'Kil found the first transport that was going to the surface and boarded. The crew had just finished dropping off their payload and was prepping the cabin for their next shipment. Jon'Kil kept to himself for entirety of the trip down, not wanting to socialize much. It didn't seem to bother any of the loading crew or the pilots as they took the small break in their duties to either talk amongst themselves or entertain their minds with the Holonet News on their personal datapads.

Once touched down, Asha could be seen commanding groups of workers and pointing in different directions as she stood on a cargo crate. Her concerned and exasperated expression lessened as she met Jon'Kil's eyes. They both smiled as he approached.

"Hey, flyboy. How's my pilot doing?"

She jumped from the crate and into Jon'Kil's arms. She planted a quick kiss on his cheek before he put her down.

"Oh you know, just saving the cruiser from utter destruction. Just the usual."

"Yeah, saving the Resistance's ass seems to part of your daily routine as of late."

"Sounds about right. Anyways, how's it going down here?"

"Solid. Just a couple more shipments of munitions, a crate of rations, and another water purifier and we should be ready to go...wherever it is."

"I was able to see the new location."

"Really? Where is it?"

Jon'Kil looked around, weary of telling.

"I won't disclose that information here, but once we get back up to the ship I'll tell you."

Asha flashed a suspicious look before easing up and grinning. She pinched his cheek.

"Awww, you're so adorable when you try to be professional."

"Ummm excuse me..."

Jon'Kil grabbed her hand and kissed it.

"...I can be professional."

That move seemed to impress her, as she got closer and wrapped her arms around his neck. They leaned in, their lips millimeters apart, when an alarm triggered. Jon'Kil and Asha looked around, eagerly trying to find what caused the sudden emergency. They didn't have to look far however, as both of their gazes landed on a computer screen. A Resurgent-class Star Destroyer had just emerged on the other side of the planet.

"Blast! How the hell did they find us?"

Asha cursed, releasing Jon'Kil and running back to the cargo crate.

"The spies must've been able to send a signal out before they died! We gotta move, now!"

Jon'Kil answered looking around, adrenaline pumping in his veins. He grabbed a box of rations and booked it back to his shuttle. Once he set the box down, he turned to look back at Asha who was still barking orders from her post.

"Asha! Let's go!"

He yelled from the boarding ramp. She quickly glanced at him and shook her head.

"I'm last to leave, flyboy! Don't worry about me, I'll see you back at the Tantive!"

Jon'Kil tried to raise an argument, but he knew how stubborn Asha could be. So instead, he walked back down the boarding ramp and sat right on the cargo crate she stood upon. She looked down from her commanding and raised an eyebrow. Jon'Kil looked back up at her and smiled sheepishly. Asha had to hold back her amusement as she patted the Chiss' head and continued speaking.

It was all working like clockwork, the shipments of supplies entering transports and being delivered back up to the cruiser in a matter of minutes. The enemy destroyer was getting closer and closer with every transport that docked at the Tantive, and Jon'Kil knew that they were going to have to leave in a hurry.

"We're not going to make it. We need to cut these shipments off early."

Asha said disappointed. Jon'Kil looked back and forth between the rushing workers, the transports, and the Resurgent. He had an idea. Without telling Asha, he rushed to the T-70 X-Wing that was docked at one of the landing pads nearby.

"Jon'Kil, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Don't cut off those supplies! I'll buy you some time!"

The rest of Asha's counter was muffled as the cockpit was sealed, and the mechanical workings of the craft powered on. He ascended off the ground, undeterred by the fact that taking on a whole Resurgent was a suicide mission. The only person able to even come close to engaging one successfully was General Dameron himself. But for some reason, Jon'Kil knew he could do it; whether it was the Force telling him so or it simply being overconfidence was unknown. The Tantive's comms array was reactivated after the spies were taken care of, so he hailed the cruiser.

"Flyboy 3 to the Tantive, are you receiving me?"

Kaydel's voice came in crisp and clear.

"We hear you, Flyboy 3. Are you doing what we think you're doing?"

"If what you think I'm doing is prepping to engage this star destroyer, then yes."

"Thought so, what do you need?"

"My squad would be nice. Make sure to bring that new guy too."

"Affirmative Flyboy 3, we're getting your squad now. It'll be some time until they're in the air, how copy?"

"Roger that Tantive, Flyboy 3 accelerating to attack speed. Flyboy 3 out."

Jon'Kil ended his transmission and headed directly to the other side of the planet where the Resurgent was emerging. The First Order requested a direct communication line to his X-Wing, likely to warn him to turn around or else he'd be destroyed. He ignored the prompt. He powered on his shields and weapon systems as he approached. The destroyer's cannons wasted no time firing on the snub fighter, as Jon'Kil dipped and weaved through the barrage. Lining himself up with the first shield generators, he sprayed a flurry of laser onto the systems and destroyed them.

He cut swiftly toward the bridge, knowing that the cannons would stop firing if any part of the cruiser was in its crosshairs. Jon'Kil buzzed the bridge, causing all of the officers and crew inside to flinch. It amused him seeing them cower, causing him to let out a little chuckle. Everything was going smoothly, the next shield generators already in the middle of being destroyed. With a combination of laser and torpedos, all rear deflector shields were gone in a matter of minutes.

After a short while, the TIEs were finally released from the hangars. The cannons still fired, but the barrages were less frequent. A few minutes later and Jon'Kil had accumulated quite the tail. Green laser zipped past his cockpit numerous times, but he dodged every single shot as if it were coming at him in slow motion. A tingling sensation flowed through his veins, and it wasn't just adrenaline.

With the turn of his hand he flipped himself backwards and accelerated straight into the crowd on TIEs, opening fire as he got closer. Three TIE fighters were hit and damaged in several places, travelling far into the atmosphere before exploding into bits. Meanwhile, Jon'Kil was left unscathed with the only damage to his ship being some fire burns from the fresh kills.

Come on, they're making this too easy.

He studied the TIE patterns and maneuvers and every single time he found a practice that was familiar, he swiftly hit the enemy with the counterattack. The TIEs were getting more disorganized with every fighter destroyed, thus making them even more easy to shoot down. Five more FO pilots fell victim to the attack before the rest of the Flyboys showed up.

"Flyboy 1 to Flyboy 3, I hope we're not late to the party."

Mac called in via comms.

"Nonsense, we're just getting started. I've even managed to save a couple of TIEs for you guys as well."

"That's what I like to hear! Spreading the joy!"

Jaycob celebrated.

"Flyboy 4, you're free to engage however you'd like."

Mac said as the two X-Wings and one A-Wing split off into their own pursuit angles. Jon'Kil terminated his transmission and pulled up the Flyboys roster on his NavComputer. After being on the run for so long, it was a common sight to see only three or four ships per squad. The Resistance's supply on snub fighters was scarce, but Jon'Kil hoped one day soon that the navy would get back to its original strength once again.

"Layne, you got one on your six."

Jaycob reported.

"Yeah, I see him. Buuuuut I'm pursuing a guy that's on Mac."

"Don't stress about it, consider him gone."

Jon'Kil witnessed the two TIEs explode in unison as both enemy pursuers were taken out. Even with the team's new addition, the squad worked flawlessly like clockwork. The first wave of TIEs from the hangar were nothing but dust, and now the squad was working on more of the surface cannons. Everyone was having too much fun with it, almost forgetting why they engaged the star destroyer in the first place.

Another request for transmission pinged at Jon'Kil's comms. It was coming from Asha. He allowed the prompt.

"Flyboy 3, here."

"Jon'Kil! We've loaded all the supplies aboard the Tantive. Now can you get your ass back here?"

"Roger that, I'm just going to have return this X-Wing back to its owner."

"Last shuttle leaves in five, don't be late!"

"Copy."

Jon'Kil switched his comms channel back to the group.

"Flyboys, let's wrap it up. We're ready to move!"

"Sounds good, Chiss. Thanks for inviting us, we'll see you back at the cruiser. Flyboys we're RTB."

The attack group finished whatever targets they had left and high-tailed it back home while Jon'Kil returned to the supply station. As he descended, Asha was seen waiting at the bottom of the landing pad. Jon'Kil released the cockpit and disembarked. The owner shot him a look of disapproval, but was quickly impressed as there was no visible damage on the craft.

Asha grabbed Jon'Kil by his arm and yanked him closer and closer to the transport. The chaos from the constant murmurs and ambience of the station drowned the sound of incoming TIE fighters. A swarm of the green laser made contact with the floor around the couple, sending them flying backwards. Chandrilan workers were taking up arms to try and wave off the attackers, but it was of no use. Jon'Kil recovered quickly, pulling Asha into his arms and carrying her into the transport.

"Punch it!"

The transport pilot accelerated toward the cruiser all while trying to dodge TIE fighter cannons. It was a valiant effort, but it wasn't good enough. Several shots landed on the transports hull, disabling its engines and gravity wells. The docking clamp was within reach, but before the hatch could successfully seal in, the entire shuttle fell back toward Chandrila's surface. Everything in the hold began free falling, including Jon'Kil and Asha. Jon'Kil had to protect himself from getting smacked in the face by the varying cargo, all the while trying to stop himself from flying headfirst into floor.

The engines began muttering, flames now erupting from the inside. Every now and then, sanity was restored as power to the gravity wells came back to life. It was endless cycle of falling and recovering, the hard ground getting closer with every second. Soon enough the steering controls short-circuited, emitting sparks and burning the transport pilot's face. He couldn't take the heat, screaming as he let go of the control yoke and fell out of his seat. The poor driver fell all the way toward the end of the cargo hold, only being silenced by a heavy duty crate smashing his face in.

The sharp crack of bones breaking was miniscule to the incredibly loud crashing of metal bending and glass shattering as the transport finally crashed. Jon'Kil wouldn't know how painful the landing would be as the last thing he saw was another cargo crate before everything turned black.

Chapter 19: Jaycob

Chapter Text

"No no no! We can't leave, Poe! Jon'Kil is still down there!"

Jaycob testified.

"If we don't get out of this system right now, we'll end up down there with him as well! Kaydel, pull us out."

The wreckage of Jon'Kil's transport shrunk until it was nothing but a speck on the planet's surface. The tip of the Resurgent was seen emerging just beyond the brink of Chandrila before it all faded as the Tantive went into hyperspace. Poe brushed by Jaycob as he headed into the navigation and tactical planning room. He rested his outstretched arms onto the rectangular holotable and looked down in defeat.

"Urghhh, damn it! How could he be so reckless?!"

He yelled, slamming his fist down. Jaycob slumped into the seat at the opposite end of the table and looked up at him.

"He could still be alive. We need to go back for him."

"Yeah yeah I know! But we can't now. We can't risk being tracked, we know they have that capability. It's a miracle we didn't get locked on just now!"

"So what're we gonna do? Leave him there?"

"We have no choice! It's Jon'Kil's life versus the lives of every single crew member aboard this cruiser. That risk is too heavy; we can execute a rescue operation once we get settled on Ajan Kloss."

As much as Jaycob hated the idea, it was the most responsible. He could tell Poe wasn't too fond of leaving a man behind, as a matter of fact he hated it. But as acting general of the Resistance, this was a sacrifice that needed to be done. And Jaycob couldn't help but agree. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Alright Poe, you're right. But as soon as we're established we're headed out to get him."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you, hotshot. You'll be leading the op."

Jaycob's worrying started to cease. He wouldn't let his friendship with Jon'Kil get in the way of the bigger picture, but he sure as hell won't forget him either. After being dismissed, Jaycob made his way back to the docking bay where Layne and Mac were changing out from their flight suits.

"We're not going back for him."

"What?! You're kidding me!"

Mac resisted.

"I'm afraid not. If we stayed even a second longer at Chandrila we'd be getting chased down as we speak."

"So what's our next move?"

Layne questioned.

"Establishing our base on Ajan Kloss. We have to think about everyone here on board, and as much as I hate to say it, we cannot let one life put a whole cruiser's worth of lives on the line."

Layne nodded as Mac was still unenthusiastic about the plan. Jaycob saw this and rested his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"We'll get him back, Mac. He'd do the same for any of us in this situation, we need to have faith in him."

Mac's tense shoulders eased.

"I'm just afraid of what those FO dogs are gonna do to the poor Chiss once they get their hands on him."

"Nothing that you and I have already been through. He'll make it Mac, he's a strong bastard."

"How're we going to locate him after we're all set up? Surely the First Order isn't going to keep him on Chandrila. That's New Republic territory."

Layne inputted.

"The New Republic is dead. But you're right, they're going to move him to a new location."

Jaycob answered.

"But it's not like they have a Starkiller Base to bring him to, if anything he'll be held in Kylo's cruiser."

Mac added.

"Boarding a Star Destroyer? Are you guys nuts?"

The two group veterans looked at each other, amused.

"We've done worse. Ain't that right, Mac?"

"Plenty worse."

"Ok well regardless of what you guys have done, that rescue mission is actually impossible."

Jaycob laughed and pointed to Mac.

"Didn't General Solo and Finn mount that rescue mission for Rey at Starkiller Base?"

"Yup. Look Layne, nothing is impossible per se. Some ideas are just better than others."

"That's actually the stupidest thing I've ever heard you two say."

"We're open to suggestions, Layne."

The two Flyboys stood up straight with their arms crossed, slight amusement creeping onto their face.

"You two are kidding."

"Nope. Guess you're not coming then?"

Jaycob said sarcastically.

"No no no, give me some credit. I'm part of this team now."

This put a smile on Jaycob's face.

"Damn right."

(-)

The Tantive was parked inside a gigantic cave opening, surrounded by the tall trees and low hanging vines of the moon's forest-covered surface. The small fleet of snub fighters were gathered around the same general area, tucking away underneath the the thick leaves and chunky branches. As soon as the Resistance had landed, everyone got to work on establishing comms, placing sensor beacons, and building makeshift workstations and sleeping quarters for all of their personnel.

They've moved around so many times already that setting everything up was of second nature, taking only a full day to get the base up and running. Jaycob's workstation was toward the rear of the Tantive's cave garage, using one of the tunnels to set up his cot, computing hub, and store away his gear and uniform. Layne and Mac were set up further down the tunnel, leaving empty space for when Jon'Kil finally returns. At the moment, Jaycob was tapping away on his datapad, now discovering that Asha was on the transport that went down as well.

Helluva date night huh, Chiss?

Poe approached the trio also holding his personal datapad, Finn following close behind.

"General?"

Jaycob acknowledged his presence without looking up.

"How are you guys doing?"

"We're alright. Tired, but fine. They're itching to go back out there and rescue Jon'Kil. And now I’m finding out that Asha was down there as well, so that’s two lives in danger."

"Blast! We’ll get them back, I promise. I already gave you my word that they won't be forgotten."

"Don't worry, I trust you. But my guys are tired, and I think that they just wanna rest."

"Understandable, they deserve it. You guys saved our skin with that distraction."

"Yeah, I'm proud of them."

"And how are you doing? I know everything has been weighing on you."

"I'm solid. Why do you ask?"

Poe turned to glance at Finn. The latter moved forward and handed Jaycob a datachip.

"We've got word of a spy in the First Order ranks."

"A spy on our side this time? About time luck has run our way."

Jaycob replied, plugging Finn's chip into his datapad. As the files downloaded, Finn continued.

"An Ovissian by the name of Boolio. A mine overseer at the Sinta Glacier Colony."

"Brrr."

Jaycob mocked a shiver. A picture of the alien projected into the air along with a miniature model of the Sinta Glacier itself. Poe and Finn stood and watched as Jaycob looked over the information. Boolio was a known associate of the Resistance and had aided their cause by giving them supplies. Apparently he had stumbled across a datafile that was left by the spy for the Resistance after a First Order inspection of his facility.

"Has he looked over this information?"

"Yes."

"Then why can't he just transmit it to us?"

"He's too scared."

This almost caused Jaycob to giggle, but judging by the worried expressions on Poe and Finn's faces, he decided against it.

"Let me guess, we're going to Sinta Glacier so we can physically retrieve the datafile?"

"Ding ding ding."

Poe agreed. Jaycob looked back at Layne and Mac, watching as they were already fast asleep on their cots.

"Who's our squad?"

"Poe, you, Chewie, R2, Klaud, and I."

Finn answered.

"We move out now. You in?"

Jaycob nodded confidently.

"Why not?"

Poe grinned, patting him on the back.

"We'll meet you on the Falcon."

He said, leading Finn back out of the tunnel. Jaycob stood up, strapped his belt around his waist and holstered his Glie-44. After securing his gauntlet to his left forearm, he stepped out of the tunnel and toward the forest clearing. The Falcon was already powered, the boarding ramp lowered. Poe and Chewie could be seen inside the cockpit pressing buttons and pulling levers. Finn was at the bottom of the ramp, waving as Jaycob came closer.

"Glad you could join us."

"Thanks for having me."

Finn led him to the cockpit, the pair sitting the seats behind the two pilots, waiting for liftoff.

"This is gonna be real quick fellas, get in and get out. Real smooth."

Poe announced, sending the Falcon upward steadily. Chewie hummed in agreement.

"Smooth...riiight."

Jaycob joked. Poe smirked and sent the ship out of Ajan Kloss' atmosphere. After plugging in the coordinates for Sinta Glacier, Poe set the ship into autopilot.

"Aaand you are now free to move about the cabin. But don't get too comfortable, we'll be there before you know it. Chewie, are you game for some Dejarik?"

Chewie roared happily, jumping out of his seat and eagerly walking to the Dejarik table in the hold.

"Oh, I need to see this."

Finn said as he followed Poe out of the cockpit.

"Jaycob you coming?"

"Maybe in a little, I'll watch over the controls."

Finn nodded before he disappeared down the hallway. Jaycob changed his seat, shifting to the pilot's chair to get a better look at the hyperspace lane. There was something about the blue and white slur of the tunnel. It was peaceful. Even though he's seen the sight so many times before, it never got old. He glanced down at his wrist computer and opened the flap. Tallie's portrait was still there, somehow untainted by all of the missions it's been through. He planted a quick kiss on the picture before closing the flap altogether and exiting the cockpit.

As he ducked under the low archway, Klaud was slithering in from the hold, mumbling something in his native alien tongue. The trodatome looked like he was in a hurry, as he stared at an electrical panel on the right side of the door. Jaycob was thankful that he moved out of the way, the panel catching fire and sparking flames as soon as he turned around. Poe seemed to have heard the commotion and rushed to see the problem.

"Klaud, what happened?"

The alien spoke back in the only language he knew, still foreign to Jaycob.

"A power surge? Oh, shouldn't be too difficult to repair then, right?"

Klaud shook his head. Poe patted the trodatome and went back to finishing his game. Jaycob followed Poe back to the main hold, but didn't sit down at the Dejarik table with the rest of the crew. Instead, he walked over to the adjacent hallway and ran his hand on the wall.

If only these could talk.

Chapter 20: Mac

Chapter Text

Mac awoke to some water dripping onto his cheek. The cave was dark and the only light that illuminated the tunnel was from a single electronic heater that kept the harsh night breeze of Ajan Kloss from freezing the pilots' toes off. He wiped away the liquid from his face and sat upright. He glanced at Layne whom was also awake, tapping away at a datapad.

"Morning."

The Twi'lek stated.

"What time is it?"

"About 5:30 in the morning."

"Damn, where's Jaycob?"

Mac asked, noticing that the commander's cot was empty and his gear missing.

"No clue, I just woke up too."

Layne turned off his datapad and stretched out his legs over the side of his bed. Letting out a long obnoxious yawn, he turned off the heater and walked toward the cave opening. He grabbed an empty cup from a small folding table nearby and turned it upside down, letting a few drops of brown liquid hit the floor. Layne held a look of disgust.

"I'm-uh, gonna get some caf. You want a cup?"

"Please."

Mac was left alone as Layne made the walk to the small rations tent. From where he sat, almost the entire base could be seen. Little pockets of light from campfires were sporadically placed about the forest, a plethora of crew either just waking up or just falling asleep. The night patrol crews were rotating out so they could get some rest, while the daytime patrol parties were gearing up for their turn. Mechanics and techs were busy at work setting up anti-aircraft turrets in spots where the trees spread out. The few pilots that remained, most still suited in their orange jumpsuits, were all over the place. Some were tinkering with their starfighters, conversing with other crew, or even helping with the transport of the smaller cargo deemed to be moved last.

It was both breathtaking and sorrowful. To Mac, it was great to see such a strong community coming together and make all of this possible. But at the same time, he couldn't help but think how small they were compared to the First Order and all of the lives that had been lost in this treacherous war. Thinking back on when he first joined the Resistance, nothing would have prepared him for what lay ahead. As a matter of fact, he still wasn't prepare for what struggles were still on the way. Every single day was full of uncertainty, and it ate Mac alive knowing that any of the people that he cared for could perish in a moment's notice.

Layne returned with a tray in his hands. The nostalgic aroma of caf filled Mac's nostrils with joy. There were two metallic mugs full of the dark brew and two plates with butter pastries on top. Mac couldn't help but salivate.

"Breakfast is served."

Layne said triumphantly. Mac grabbed a cup and a plate a dug in. He couldn't even remember the last time he ate something.

"It's not much but, we gotta work with what we have."

"Nah, Layne this is great. Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

"So wh-...what's your story anyways?"

Mac asked, gulping down a bite mid sentence. Layne's eyebrows raised as he sipped some caf.

"What do you mean?"

"You know, like, how you got here. Everyone's journey is different. Pilot, tech, mechanic, soldier, we've all come from different places. That's what separates us from those First Order scum. We weren't brainwashed into following their orders blindly, we have morals."

"I agree."

"Soooo? What's your story?

"Well to start off, my homeworld is Fondor."

"Wow, one of the Empire's shipbulding capitals."

"Yeah."

"Well it's no wonder you're good behind the stick. You've probably had plenty of experience with that kinda background."

"Heh yeah, I guess. I got my experience from doing space construction."

"I see. How'd you come about joining the Resistance?"

"My mother is actually a medic."

This took Mac by surprise. He leaned his back against his seat to emphasize his astonishment. He tried to think back to all of the medical staff he's ever worked with, seeing if Cilton rang any bells.

"Hmm...I don't think I know a medic by the name of Cilton."

"Yeah well, she's a field medic. She usually sticks to helping out the wounded soldiers of the army, not the navy. Plus, she uses her maiden name: Synda."

"Really...hm, interesting. Having family members in the Resistance is a rarity. Is she here now?"

"Unfortunately, no. Last time I heard from her, she was headed back to Fondor to do something, but that's all I know."

"Oh...well I'm sure she's fine. She's a field medic so she must be a tough woman."

"Haha, yeah you could say that. Anyways, I do have some experience in medical but, I've always just been more of a flyer."

"I get that. Us pilots weren't all destined to be in the skies. Some of us were soldiers, engineers, mechanics, or even analysts first. Don't take offense when I ask this, but where have you been all this time?"

"I was sent off to find missing allies after the Battle of Crait before my mother or I could get properly situated in the Resistance. After coming up empty-handed, I thought I was supposed to regroup with the rest of the Resistance buuuut nope. I met up with a Resistance splinter cell and was sent back to the planet for a supply run. It all went downhill after that."

"I see. Well good news is you're back now."

"Yeah, right back in the saddle. It's just a shame I couldn't help you guys out in the actual fight."

"It would've been a great help, but we can't think about that now. We gotta keep our eyes forward, for our own good. If we keep reminiscing about our past, it'll eat us alive and take us out of this fight before we've even finished it. That's how the First Order wins."

"Right."

"Anyways, let's get to work. We still have a lot to do."

Mac stood up and placed his plate on his desk. Layne seemed confused, still digging in to his food.

"Like what?"

"Training, duh. Grab your helmet and meet me at our ships."

Mac didn't wait for a reply before he turned on his heel and walked out of the tunnel and into the open. He passed several familiar faces, and plenty of unfamiliar ones, greeting them all the same. Regardless if they were here during the Battle of Crait or not, they were still Resistance, and that was enough for him. The training that Mac was alluding to was a simple maneuvers practice that the pilots of the navy had decided to put together once they were settled. Several orange jumpsuits could be seen in the forest clearing, mixed in with a couple of olive green and blue uniforms as well. The hum of different conversations became one noise as Mac got closer.

But before he could group up with them, a hand pulled him by the arm. It was Rose.

"Rose? What's up?"

"Just got an incoming transmission from Inferno Squad. You were the closest high-ranking pilot I could find so, I think you should take this call."

Mac obliged and approached her computer, putting on the headset.

"This is Major Mac of the Resistance navy, who am I speaking to?"

"Uhh...my name is Zay Meeko. I was sent off to find allies by General Organa. Is she available?"

Mac hung his head low before responding with the grim news.

"I'm afraid the General is no longer with us. Acting General is now Poe Dameron, but he's off on a mission right now."

"Oh...I see. Well regardless I bring good news."

"Really? God knows we need some of that right now."

"Right? Shriv and I have been able to commandeer some more starfighters for the cause."

This peaked Mac's interest.

"That's actually fantastic news, Zay! More X-Wings? A-Wings?"

"Yes...among other things."

"Like?"

"B-Wings."

Mac could hardly contain his excitement. He knew Jaycob was going to be ecstatic about this. But Zay wasn't finished.

"Oh yeah I almost forgot, we have a couple Y-Wing bombers as well."

Mac's jaw dropped. He should've been concerned on where they got these new ships from, but at the moment he didn't even care.

"Thank the Force! Zay, you are a miracle worker, but I have to ask. We actually were tracking the prototype for the Y-Wings ourselves, how'd you get your hands on these?"

"It was a whole ordeal. The Y-Wings were actually on deck to be the First Order's next mass-produced ship. Luckily, Inferno Squad was able to snatch some of these prototypes before burning the facility where these were being manufactured down to dust."

"You'll have to enlighten us about the mission when you arrive, I'm dying to learn more. Sending the coordinates now."

Mac inputted Ajan Kloss into the transmission and sent it.

"Received, Major. Be there soon."

"You'll have a whole parade of shipless pilots waiting for you. See you."

(-)

The wedge-shaped hull of a Quasar Fire-class cruiser-carrier covered the entire base under its shadow. With Inferno Squad at the helm, pilots were being sent up to one of the four fighter hangars to transport the ships down. Once the hangars were cleared out, the Resistance had increased their starfighter numbers by fivefold, an entire fleet finally being put together. Trees had to be chopped down to accommodate all of the new additions. Mac watched from atop a ridge looking down at the beautiful new ships. Layne approached and nodded his head.

"What a stroke of luck."

He said as he stood at Mac's shoulder.

"Indeed. I cannot wait to see what Poe and Jaycob have to say about this."

"It'll be a pleasant surprise for sure. It's a shame Inferno Squad couldn't stick around though."

"Yeahhh well, that cruiser wasn't part of the arsenal that was gifted to us. Not to worry, I'm sure they'll be back."

Even though the fleet being replenished was a morale boost, the thought of Jon'Kil still floated in the back of Mac's mind. He wanted to go out and rescue him now, but he was under strict order from the General himself to wait until they get back. Jaycob was to be leading that operation, contrary to Mac's wishes, but he accepted it nonetheless. On the bright side, the Resistance would have brand new weapons to use if they were to bring him back.

Now all Mac could do was wait, while Jon'Kil was probably being tortured at this very moment. He needed to distract himself. He snapped out of it, walking down the hill and placing his helmet on. Layne followed close behind, doing the same.

"We've got a whole new fleet of ships primed and ready to go. Why don't we use them?"

Mac asked.

"You're flying along my same vector."

Layne agreed. After a quick announcement to the pilots that were standing by, an ACM exercise was put together. Much like the entry-level test all the pilots had to go through in order to get into the navy, the practice was split into two teams: one to protect a target and another to destroy it. The two sides that were pitted against each other were under the codenames: Silver and Bronze. Mac was chosen as leader for the Silver Squad and tasked with defending, while Layne was selected as Bronze Leader tasked with doing the opposite. It was a lot of pressure for a pilot that seemed to have just gotten there, but Mac wanted to see what he was capable of.

All ships participating in the exercise were taken into space, where the area was open and clear of any debris. Among the mix were the newly acquired B-Wings and Y-Wings, Mac at the stick of one of the Y-Wings. It felt good to be in the cockpit of the bomber, him fitting in his seat like a glove. He was supposed to be inside the prototype during the Flyboys' mission to Koensayr, but seeing how that mission turned out, the opportunity eluded him. The highly-sought after target was one of the Resistance's last remaining U-55 Loadlifters, controlled remotely from the base. Mac's fleet was in position, ready to make their assault.

"Alright team, it's a simple ACM hop. Nothing you all haven't done already. A-Wings, you're strictly on intercepting duty. Use that speed and small frame to take off some of that heat. X-Wings, balance out and protect the Y-Wings and B-Wings. We'll be going straight for that transport."

Mac terminated the transmission and lowered his helmet visor.

Alright Cilton, let's see what you got.

Chapter 21: Layne

Chapter Text

 Being selected as Bronze Leader was a big deal for Layne. He's never had the chance to lead any sort of team into battle, but he's always ached for the opportunity. For him, this was his chance to show the Resistance what he was really capable of, and hopefully make up for the fact that he wasn't at the Battle of Crait. He lowered his helmet visor and switched on the comms toggle, opening a transmission to his half of the fleet.

"Alright Bronze, ears up. Stay focused out there, watch each other's backs, and call out if you need an assist. B-Wings stay back and protect the bomber. A-Wings, thin out their numbers. X-Wings, pair up with a Y-Wing. Those duos will make use of the bombers' ion turret, once those bigger ships are disabled, light them up! We're winning this damn thing!"

While he couldn't actually hear his fellow pilots, he could somehow feel that they were pumped up. If his gut feeling was correct, the enemy team would be coming at the objective with the slower ships while the faster counterparts would thin out the numbers. It was a pretty simple tactic, but effective nonetheless. Interestingly enough, it was his mother who had taught him the tactic, as well as the perfect counter to it.

Layne extended his X-Wing's S-foils into attack position, his fleet doing the same. He switched his cannon toggle to the stun setting, so as to not actually kill a fellow pilot. He looked down at his NavComputer and opened his roster to make sure his teammates' weapon systems were also set to the proper setting before accelerating to attack speed. The initial joust wasn't deadly at all, only a few ships being stunned and deactivated right out of the gate. Once a fighter was deactivated, the pilot would have to wait a certain amount of time before reactivating their systems and continuing the exercise. It was a lighter alternative to the dark fate that faced the pilots if they actually were ever shot down.

Starfighters of all shapes and sizes zoomed past each other, taking shots and dodging others. Layne was able to take down an X-Wing and an A-Wing before having to disengage and pursue a new angle. The roster on his NavComputer kept flashing different colors as some squadmates were disabled and others returned. The comms channel was relatively calm, Bronze team only calling in whenever they needed to assist or needed their tail taken care of.

The squad of Y-Wings and B-Wings were making their way closer to the target transport, none of them even touched. Layne saw this and called in to his squad.

"Bronze, those enemy bombers are gaining on us! I want all duos to disengage their intercepting duties and take down that party. A-Wings stick to it."

"Copy that."

Bronze 2, a pilot by the name of Temmin Wexley replied. Apparently he was a pretty well-known pilot and part of Poe's personal squad. The general and Snap had gone through so much together, and it was reassuring to have someone like that on the team. He flew his signature X-Wing that was also present during the Battle of Starkiller Base, and he was accompanied by a Y-Wing, just like Layne had planned. All of the XY duos were making a steady approach toward the Silver Squad bombing party, only being slightly deterred from the enemy A-Wings that tried to intercept. The Bronze B-Wings were the only ships left out of the fun as they hung back and served as the target transport's last line of defense.

A gigantic wave of laser erupted from Layne's attack squad, totally engulfing Mac and all of the heavy-hitting ships, shredding their systems and disabling them all. Any stragglers spared from the slaughter took a one-eighty degree turn and retreated back toward the safety of their A-Wings. Mac's first wave was repelled, but Layne knew that this exercise was far from over. He would return with a new plan, and knowing Mac for the for the short amount of time that he did, he knew that whatever came next wouldn't be so simple.

After the Silver team returned back to their starting points to restart, there was a small intermission for rest and prep. The communications channels were opened up so both sides could speak with each other if they wanted. Even with that ability though, it still came as a surprise that a transmission line was being requested from the Silver Leader himself.

"Mac?"

"Helluva counter there, newbie."

"Hahaha, newbie? I'm older than you by a decade."

"Besides the point...where'd you learn that strat?"

"My father, believe it or not."

"Oh really? What'd he do for a living?"

"Construction."

He lied. In reality, his father was a bounty hunter that was frequently hired by the Empire during the days of the Galactic Civil War, but he was too afraid to admit it. He was an abusive figure, and he only wanted to support the First Order once the family's homeworld of Fondor came under their control. Layne's mother thought it would be best to leave and fled to the Resistance, taking her son with her. To this day, Layne still had no idea where his dad was or if he was still alive. He just hoped that he'd never cross paths with him again.

(-)

He remembered the seizure of the shipyards fondly, as if the First Order invasion had just happened yesterday. After what seemed like an endless argument, Layne's father had chosen the wrong side. Seeing the First Order as nothing but the successor of the Galactic Empire, Kline saw this new takeover as a business opportunity. On the other hand, Layne's mother, Robin, wanted nothing to do with them and couldn't stand the idea of a force much crueler than the Empire running things. As soon as Kline had left that night to offer assistance to the First Order, Robin knew it was time to leave.

"What the hell does he think he's doing?"

Layne questioned.

"Choosing his work over his family, per usual. Come on Layne, we're leaving."

"Where to?"

"The Resistance. I'd rather fight those monsters outside than side with them. Besides, I was going to leave his ass anyways."

As Layne packed his belongings alongside his mother, his mind was pretty clear contrary to the situation he was just put in. All his life, Layne had only suffered from his father's constant abuse, both physical and emotional. It seemed like every single time something in his life went right, Kline was only there to shred it to pieces. Layne didn't even call him his father anymore, only addressing him via first name in what limited conversations they had. He knew his mother was sick of it also, since she was a victim of the abuse too. Sadly they couldn't just pack up and leave due to just how much wealth Kline had brought to support them. Them leaving brought nothing but joy to Layne's face.

Once the pair exited the apartment, they threw their bags in the back of their family speeder and skidded off toward the port. The city turned into a blur as the traffic lanes were now thrown to the wayside. Speeders crashed into each other due to the disorganization, some civilians more lucky than others when it came to damage. The raging battle was still far up in the shipyards but the explosions could still be heard down on the surface, and every now and then a few starfighters strayed too far from battle and ended up weaving through the city skyscrapers in an attempt to elude their pursuers.

Plumes of smoke rose all across the planet's surface as Fondor's planetary defense force engaged with the much better-equipped First Order navy. It's been a while since the Alliance to Restore the Republic had freed the planet from Imperial control, but ever since the demilitarization of their navy, Fondor's freedom was left to their own people. It was like they were left to fend for themselves.

"We're here, Layne grab your stuff."

"Ok."

It was hectic, since it seemed like the entire planet's population had the same idea in wanting to get off-world as soon as possible. The sheer foot traffic was too much for the spaceport's staff, as people forced their way in to get onto a ship. Instead of following the crowd, Robin pulled her son to one of the chain-link fences that bordered the lot and crouched out of sight from security. She pulled out a spray bottle from her medical bag and shook the contents. She then removed the cap and sprayed the liquid onto the fence, tracing an outline the size of her kneeling body. Once the hole was created, she reached into one of her cargo pant pockets and fished out a pack of matches. She lit a stick and set the liquid ablaze. A ring of fire quickly flashed then dissipated as the fence cutout fell. She pulled herself and Layne through the opening.

They're ship was parked all the way at the other side of the lot, and an army of guards seemed to be in the way. Sneakily ducking behind ships and dodging incoming spotlight strafing patterns, the pair slowly approached their ship. The task would have been a lot more difficult than it was, but due to the First Order dispatching thirteen Resurgent Star Destroyers into the atmosphere, not much attention was given to a mother and son trying to flee from the battle.

The scream of TIE fighters covered their footsteps up their ship's boarding ramp and eventually the ignition of the craft. Four security guards rushed to the ship ascending off the ground with their weapons raised. But it was already too late. Before any of them got a shot off, Layne pulled on the control yoke and accelerated out of range. A clutch of TIE fighters that had finished sweeping their share of planetary defense force pilots now aimed their crosshairs at them. An incoming transmission was forced into the cockpit, overwriting Layne's command to ignore it.

"Civilian vessel, you are being ordered to turn around and land back at the spaceport. If you do not comply, we will blast you out of the sky."

"Try me."

Layne whispered to himself, before completely disabling the communications array. The Cilton family ship was a D5-Mantis Patrol Craft, and Layne was well-experienced behind the stick. With the flicks of a few switches, he extended the three retractable weapon foils and rotated the two hinged-blaster cannons a full one-hundred and eighty degrees to face the First Order pursuers. The crosshairs of both cannons appeared on the passenger-side NavComputer screen in front of Robin.

"Take these guys off us, Mom!"

"Gladly."

The co-pilot steering controls shifted utility into the cannon triggers, Robin opening fire on the TIEs. She managed to hit one of the TIE's side wing-panel, spiraling the fighter into one of his squadmates.

"Two for one, I like it!"

Layne celebrated, as he dodged incoming fire.

"Alright Mom, where the hell are we going?"

Still concentrated on taking out the TIEs, Robin blindly fished out a datafile from her medical bag. The Resistance sent me this encrypted file, plug it into the ship's NavComputer once we get clear of these guys."

"Have you looked at it?"

"Yes."

"Well what's on it?"

"I didn't get a good look per se, but something about seeking out more Resistance allies. We have to get in touch with someone named, Poe Dameron."

"Wait so we're not even meeting up with these guys? That's so blasted stupid-"

"Not my choice Layne, just focus on flying the damn ship."

He took his mother's words to heart and rotated the cannons back to it's front-facing position.

"What are you doing?"

"These last three are mine."

With one fluid motion he decelerated to a stand still and swiveled to face the last three TIE fighters. He squeezed on the trigger, unleashing a flurry of red laser onto the enemy, destroying two of them with direct hits. The last straggler zoomed past their D5 and began to make a wide turn to come back around. But before the First Order pilot could complete the maneuver, Layne twisted the guns back to his rear and met the TIE mid-flight with cannon fire. The blaster bolts made contact with the right-most wing panel, snapping the entire hexagonal piece off from the rest of the craft. The remains of the ship spiraled until it finally exploded. After admiring his work, he retracted the ship's weapon pods back into their socket and accelerated into the nearest hyperspace lane. He wanted to make sure he was out of the system before plugging in the datafile.

Layne kicked his feet up as the tunnel of lightspeed took them away. He slid the datafile into an empty card slot next to him and relayed the data to his holoprojector. A hologram of a pilot hovered over the field, presumably, Poe Dameron. It was a pre-recorded message, and the way he spoke seemed like it wasn't addressed to Layne and his mother specifically.

"If you're receiving this, you were lucky enough to not be present during the Battle of Crait. We took massive losses and we need to rebuild. There is no way in hell that we stand a chance against the First Order with the numbers we have now, so please, if you get this and resonate with our cause, go out and find our allies. They are out there, I know it. Just remember, we are the spark. The whole galaxy is on the line."

Layne looked at his mother uneasily, only to have the same expression returned to him. The transmission was terminated and the datafile ejected itself from the port, fried.

"What do you think happened?"

Layne asked.

"No clue, but we're going to find out. For now, let's just head to these coordinates and begin our search."

(-)

Layne was back in his X-Wing cockpit, the dominant forces of Bronze Team behind him. The break was over.

"Bronze Team, stay alert. New plan. One ship from each class, form up in squads and spread out. B-Wings and Y-Wings, I want you to disable as many shields from the incoming team as you can. X-Wings, hit em' hard and A-Wings finish them off."

With the green light given, the exercise started again. Layne accelerated into attack speed again, an A-Wing, Y-Wing, and B-Wing forming on him. The joust began wasn't as hectic this time, the only side taking heavy losses being Silver Team. He could tell Mac didn't foresee Layne going on the offensive, their fighters abandoning their formations quickly and going on their own paths.

Everything was going to plan, but something felt wrong. Layne looked around the battlefield, observing the back-and-forth combat, one thing sticking out to him.

There were no enemy A-Wings.

Panic starting to settle in, he shifted all of his attention to finding out where the missing Silver Team interceptors were. Before he could even see it, an enemy Y-Wing swooped by his cockpit, the ion turret taking aim. Layne tried to pull the quickest evasive maneuver he could, but it was already too late. Three ion orbs made contact with his hull, shutting off all of his critical systems. Within seconds he was left floating in space idly, the timer signalling when he could return, popping up on his NavComputer.

The only he could do was watch in horror, as suddenly the Silver Squad pilots could be seen emerging from behind the target transport. He tried warning his team, only to realize that his comms were down also. A flurry of fast-paced cannon fire was shot in unison, shredding the transport's shields and eventually disabling the ship entirely. Game over. Layne cursed as he smacked his NavComputer screen.

How did I not see that coming?

Another transmission request came from Mac, Layne rolling his eyes before answering.

"I don't wanna hear it."

Layne said first. He was only met with a short chuckle.

"Hey, we're one to one now. You're quite the strategist, Layne. You'd make a great squad leader someday."

That wasn't what he was expecting.

"Really? Thanks."

"For sure. Let's wrap this thing up and grab some lunch."

"Copy."

Chapter 22: Jon'Kil

Chapter Text

Upon waking up, a sharp pain was felt in Jon'Kil's side. His face stung from all of the shattered glass pieces that had cut into his skin, and his left leg was numb underneath a stack of toppled cargo crates. Thankfully, Asha was right next to him and it didn't seem like she was hurt too bad. She had a coughing fit as she tried to pick herself up from the ground, shaking off all the small metal pieces and glass shards from her clothes. She crawled over to Jon'Kil and began to tear up.

"Are you ok?"

She said worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm good."

He lied. In reality, he was in deep agonizing pain, but he wouldn't show it. Especially not in front of her. He winced at every prick of glass that she peeled from his flesh, not yet worrying about what other injuries lay from the neck down. Tears were running down her face, as she desperately tried to keep herself together. There was a deep gash that ran from the side of her right eyebrow down her cheek and it bled profusely. But at this moment it seemed like she didn't even care.

The scream of TIE fighters swooping low to the ground was the only thing that Jon'Kil could clearly make out, aside from the crinkle of fire and the hiss of exposed electrical circuits. He tried to glance down at his body to assess the damage, ignoring the screeching pain that now resonated in his lower neck. He knew he at least had a broken rib, because that stinging feeling of when he broke his ankle on Dathomir had returned, except in his lower chest.

After Asha cleaned up Jon'Kil's face, she moved toward his legs. One by one, she picked up cargo crates, each time relieving Jon'Kil of the pressure that was keeping his leg stuck to the ground. After all the debris was removed, he tried to trigger any motion in his left leg only to come across a soreness that surged all the way down to his toes. He had been in terrible pain before, but this was unprecedented.

The only fully functional limbs being his arms and his right leg, he was in no condition to go anywhere let alone fight. But he still tried, picking up the dead transport pilot's Glie-44 from their holster and checking to make sure it was still working. Asha had an expression of reluctance at the action, snatching the pistol from his hand.

"You're a mess, Jon'Kil. You're not fighting."

"But they're on their way. The FO is going to send a search party to check for survivors."

"I don't care, flyboy. I'm getting you out of here. Come on, you're going to have to get up-"

She tried to pull him by his arm, but as soon as he winced she let go. As he fell back down, he sneakily pulled the blaster back out of her waist and hid it under his right leg. She was too terrified to even notice. The sound of a First Order landing craft was approaching, and the last thing Jon'Kil wanted was to have Asha captured by them as well.

"Asha, listen to me. You need to leave, they're coming. Just run, far from here, and wait for the Resistance to rescue you. I'll be fine."

"You know damn well I'm not doing that."

The transport lands, the boarding ramp falling onto the ground, the sound of several stormtrooper boots got closer.

"Asha, please! Just go! I can't have you go through this! Their interrogation techniques are atrocious, not to mention painful."

"It's like you forgot I was stuck on a desolate base with man-eating spiders. I'm staying here with you."

Her stern face made sure Jon'Kil knew she wasn't changing her mind, and he was simply too exhausted to argue. The footsteps were right outside the downed transport now, Jon'Kil aiming at the only available entry point. A white-gloved hand reached through the busted boarding ramp door and pried it open. The stormtrooper let out a surprised grunt as he was shot in the face by Jon'Kil's pistol. Asha picked up the dropped F-11D and shot through the new opening aimlessly. She ducked and rolled behind another large cargo crate, blind firing over her head while simultaneously shoving the rectangular box closer to the entrance in an attempt to create a barrier.

Jon'Kil was able to take cheap shots in between the gaps of the entrance and the makeshift wall, managing to hit another stormtrooper who was stupid enough to peak their head through. There was a loud thud as the body hit the floor.

"Guess there was no point in taking the pistol back from you."

"Oh, you think?"

With all the strength he could muster, Jon'Kil pulled himself further inside the transport and behind a crushed section of wall. Jon'Kil and Asha were hunkered down pretty well, but both of them knew it was just a matter of time before they set a charge on the makeshift barricade. They just wanted to take down as many stormtroopers down as they could before that happened. Blaster shot after blaster shot, the pair of Resistance survivors tried to ward off the seemingly endless waves of white, until the sound of an explosive charge timer ended their standoff.

"Get back!"

Jon'Kil yelled to his girlfriend, her diving toward the back of the transport in response. The downed spacecraft shook violently, raining dirt and smaller debris onto them and temporarily blinding them. Jon'Kil tried to raise his blaster pistol once again, but his arm was immediately stomped to the ground by a stormtrooper. Upon looking up at the oppressor he was met by another swift kick to the face, knocking him out cold. The last thing he heard was the muffled screams of Asha.

(-)

As soon as he woke up, Jon'Kil began to struggle in the confines of the interrogation chair. It was of no use. He was strapped into the device by his wrists and ankles by cold metal restraints. The entire machine was in no way comfortable, as it felt like metal prods and gadgets poked up at him whenever he tried to rest against the back. There was one singular spotlight pointed directly into the Chiss' eyes, blinding him to the point that he couldn't see any of his surroundings.

Whoever was in charge of the interrogation saw Jon'Kil stir, dimming the light to the point where he could see. Across the room was an interrogation chair identical to the one he was in, except the victim was an unconscious Asha. Jon'Kil tried to shake free of the cuffs but stopped himself as his ribcage still stung immensely.

"Asha! Hey, can you hear me?!"

He tried calling, only to be interrupted by a quick electric shock. He hissed as it struck him.

"She can't, so don't bother."

A voice from the intercom said.

"What the hell have you done to her?"

"Nothing...yet."

"I swear if you put a hand on her I'm going-"

"To what? Fool, you're our prisoner. You can't move, let alone fight."

Two dark silhouettes were standing in the interrogation control room behind a tinted window. Before the viewport was cleared up, Jon'Kil already knew who was behind it.

"General Hux."

"SF-1582. Welcome home."

He said, distastefully. Hux's piercing eyes were the first thing Jon'Kil noticed. His face was full of hatred, an expression the Chiss returned. Breaking eye contact, the general took up his datapad and tapped the screen.

"How's the Resistance treating you, traitor."

"Better than any of you scum could have ever. I stand by what I did, and I would do it again in a heartbeat."

"Noble."

Hux then turned to his stormtrooper bodyguard next to him and whispered something into their ear. After he said what he needed to say, he turned around and walked down the stairs to the interrogation room door. The entrance opened and the ginger-haired officer walked in, pressing a sequence of buttons on a wall console before approaching the pilot. Jon'Kil watched him every single step of the way. Hux got eerily close and slapped him. The only reaction he got out of the hit was a small wince. He then raised his hand in preparation for another. But before he swung, he looked behind him at the control room. The stormtrooper was gone. Hux lowered his hand and took a deep inhale.

"We don't have much time, and I don't need to explain myself to you."

Hux said in a lowered voice.

"What?"

Jon'Kil asked, astonished. Hux turned around again to see if the stormtrooper heard and silently cursed the Chiss for speaking so loud.

"Ren doesn't know you're here. And the way I see it, he doesn't need to know it either."

"What are you talking about? What are you doing?"

Jon'Kil made sure to match Hux's volume.

"If times were different, you and your friend would already be dead. But as of right now, I'm freeing you."

"Why?"

"I've got no word from the Resistance if they got the message or not."

"Message? What message?"

Hux just shook his head as he unlocked Jon'Kil's restraints.

"Just send someone to the Sinta Glacier. There is vital information there that you need to see."

Jon'Kil hopped down from the chair and grabbed his side. Hux then moved to Asha's chair and did the same. Everything was still so surprising to the pilot as he picked up the Zeltron into his arms. Hux reached for a cabinet on one of the walls and pressed in. A drawer full of medical supplies shot out from a hidden slot, presenting itself to the general. He grabbed a Bacta Stim Shot from the equipment and stabbed it into the Chiss, injecting the liquid into his side.

"Owww, dammit!"

"That should tie you over until you can get some medical attention. I can't get you out of here if you're both disabled."

"I still have no clue what is going on."

"And you don't need to. Not yet at least. All you need to focus on now is getting off this cruiser."

"Ok well...what's your plan, General?"

"The hangar is way too far to get there undetected. People will get suspicious of us walking together, especially without restraints."

"Why don't you just put restraints on?"

Hux looked at Jon'Kil dumbfounded.

"I would gladly oblige your request, but it looks like your hands are full."

"Right, duh. Where to then?"

"We'll get you into some stormtrooper armor instead, then it'll just look like an ordinary prisoner transfer."

"Hmmm, alright good plan. How'd you come up with that one?"

"It's been done before."

Finn.

Jon'Kil snickered at the story that he was told by General Dameron regarding Finn's botched rescue mission. Hux sighed and opened the entrance door, peeking down both sides of the corridor before waving him to follow. Jon'Kil quickly marched up the stairs and into the hallway, making sure to stick close to Hux step for step. Ahead was a corridor intersection, the sound of stormtrooper boots echoing closer. Hux waved at Jon'Kil to hide in one of the wall indents. Quickly, the Chiss squeezed into the indent, gripping Asha close to his body.

Glancing down at her expressionless face, Jon'Kil thought she looked at peace. He reached down and moved a piece of stray hair that lay across her eye to the back of her ear. He was determined to get her out of this mess, with or without him. If he had to sacrifice himself for her safety, he gladly would. She meant too much to him to have anything happen to her, and she wasn't just vital to him, but to the entire Resistance.

Not that he wasn't an asset to the Resistance himself, but he knew that mechanics were harder to come by in the recruiting process than pilots were. Hux stood at the start of the crossroads and waited as the squad of stormtroopers passed by before proceeding to check for others. Once the coast was clear, he waved to Jon'Kil to follow. Hoisting Asha back into his arms, he walked briskly to the general.

The unlikely trio made their way to the laundry hall, walking by several cleaning droids as they iron-pressed officer uniforms. Officers' garments required more of a fine technique when it came to their cleaning, while stacks of stormtrooper armor were all placed on a conveyor system and washed together in machines. Hux stopped the conveyor belt and pointed to one of the cushioned chairs that were in the room.

"Put your friend down and get into a suit that fits your size."

"On it."

"I'll be outside on lookout, come out when you're ready. But make it fast!"

Hux turned on his heel and exited the laundry room. Jon'Kil placed Asha on the chair and got to work picking armor that best fit him. He sorted through chest pieces, pants, and boots, putting together a variety of pieces from different armor sets until he was finally down to the helmet. The helmets were placed in another washing machine that resembled a dishwasher, Jon'Kil pulling one from its socket and placing it over his head. He looked at himself in one of the long mirrors that were attached to the wall and made sure that it didn't look suspicious.

Looks good.

Jon'Kil wasn't able to turn around fully before getting smacked in the face with an iron. He stumbled backward and into a robotic arm, sending an ironing board toppling over. As soon as he regained awareness, a flurry of punches connected with his stomach. He grabbed another iron from one of the cleaning droids and aimed to throw at his aggressor, only to find out that it was Asha, having regained consciousness.

He dropped the iron and raised his empty hands, blocking each of her incoming attacks. He nervously tried to talk her out of it.

"Asha Asha, stop! Wait!"

There was a moment of confusion on her face before she realized who she was fighting. She then raised her hands to cover her mouth as her jaw dropped.

"Jon'Kil! Oh my god, I'm so sorry!"

She took off the Chiss' helmet and cupped his face.

"Are you ok? I had no idea that it was you!"

"Yeah I'm fine, don't worry."

"I just smacked you upside the head with a metal iron, I have every right to be worried."

"Asha, I'm good. Seriously. But we're working against the clock right now and I have no time to explain. Just go pick out a suit of armor for yourself and meet me outside when you're finished."

"What? Why?"

"What did I just say? I'll explain once we're out of here. Just be quick about it!"

Whatever Asha replied was lost as Jon'Kil exited the room and closed the door behind him. Hux stood at the entrance trying to keep his calm, but Jon'Kil could tell he was fuming.

"Where's your friend?"

"She's getting suited into some armor."

"She's awake?"

"Look it wasn't my fault-"

"Don't mind that now, that'll make my job easier. But the amount of time we are wasting is valuable."

"I know I know, but she'll be done in no time."

An extension of ten minutes was used before Asha came out fully dressed in stormtrooper armor. She held two F-11Ds in her hands and extended one to Jon'Kil, supplying him with one of the most crucial parts of their uniforms. Hux nodded as the two disguised Resistance members formed up behind him, replicating an officer escort. They turned right at another hallway intersection and began their slow and methodical approach to the hangar. Stormtrooper squads, pilot duos, officer escorts, and a plethora of other First Order troops passed by the trio as they walked, paying no mind.

"Now once we get to the hangar we'll have to split up."

Hux quietly said, turning his head around slightly.

"How do we know that we can trust you?"

Asha asked, concerned.

"He's got us this far. If he wanted us dead, our corpses would be in the garbage compactor already."

Jon'Kil reassured. Asha nodded as she walked next to the Chiss.

"I'll head to the hangar control room and authorize the departure of a fighter. You two take it, and get out of here."

"Fine by me, General. The Resistance will be thankful for this."

Hux stopped, halting the entire group. Once the hallway they were in was clear, he turned around to face Jon'Kil.

"Nobody can know that I was the one to help you. The way you can repay me is by keeping my identity confidential."

Jon'Kil was reluctant, still trying to find some way that this could have been one big elaborate trick.

"Fine."

"Also, ask around if you received any information from the Sinta Glacier colony. Then, contact me and confirm if they have it. It is your top priority."

"Deal, just get us to the ship."

Hux turned back forward and the group resumed their walking path.

Chapter 23: Jaycob

Chapter Text

Jaycob had been inside the Falcon before, he's even flown it. But something about the ship spoke to him. Maybe it was because he knew the history behind it, and the many adventures that the craft had endured both in the time of the Rebellion and now. He knew that the ship had seen better days, or at least that was the impression that was made with the dried dirt and grime that leaked from the walls.

Jaycob didn't get too lost in his thoughts before the loud roar from Chewbacca startled him back to the present. He turned around and walked back down the hallway from which he came, toward the main hold where the Dejarik game was currently being played.

"I'm kidding! You're a hundred and fifty years old, of course you're better than us."

"Oh come on, you take your turn, and you're taking forever, that's cheati-that's why we think you're cheating."

The voices of Poe and Finn overlapped each other as they tried to defend their joke. But the repeated slow, two-tone beeping from the ship quieted them down. Chewie pronounced a few more inaudible grunts before standing up and began walking to the cockpit.

"Don't worry!"

"We're not gonna turn it off."

They said again, waiting for the wookiee to disappear into the hallway before Poe shut off the game.

"He's cheating."

Finn said again.

"Definitely."

Poe agreed. Jaycob shook his head in amusement at the encounter, letting out a small smile. The trio then followed in Chewie's footsteps, preparing for their final approach to the Sinta Glacier.

"Klaud, I hope you fixed that surge!"

Poe stated, patting the alien on the back. Klaud mumbled something that sounded like,

"Yeah, yeah."

Jaycob was the last to strap himself into his seat when the Falcon disengaged out of lightspeed. Once the tunnel dissipated, the cockpit viewport was staring at a gigantic space ice glacier. It was by no means as big as a planet, but it seemed to be the same size as half that.

"Gents, welcome to the Sinta Glacier."

Poe announced as he steered into one of the glacier's mined-out ship entrances.

"Finn. Jaycob. Can you guys wait at the top hatch for the file? It's gonna be a quick snatch-and-grab!"

"On it."

Finn replied, tapping Jaycob's shoulder as he exited the cockpit. Jaycob followed close behind, taking his Glie-44 from his holster just in case.

"Good thinking, we're in the dark out here. This is FO-controlled airspace."

Finn said. R2-D2 waited in the main cargo hold, preparing himself for the transferring of the important files.

"R2."

Finn and Jaycob gave an affectionate tap on the droid's dome. He beeped excitedly in reply. The ship swung underneath one of the mining facility's hatches opening a clear line of sight into the interior of the Falcon. Finn and Jaycob waited underneath the hatch, the latter pointing his blaster pistol above them. Instead of a stormtrooper like the pair had expected, an Ovissian with green skin greeted them.

"Boolio, it's good to see you! You got something for us?"

Finn exclaimed. Jaycob quickly re-holstered his gun back onto his belt.

"From a new ally! A spy in the First Order."

The alien spoke.

So it was true.

"Who?"

"I don't know. Transfer the message, get it to Dameron. Hurry!"

Boolio extended a long datacord from the facility above and dropped it into Finn's hands. Finn rushed to R2 and plugged the device into one of the astromech's sockets.

"This could be big R2."

The data transfer had begun and in a matter of minutes the vital information would be theirs. Everything was going smoothly and according to plan. But Jaycob knew better. An alert from the Falcon's radar systems rang to life throughout the entire ship.

"TIEs!"

Jaycob said aloud, also crouching next to R2 in hopes that somehow the download would finish faster.

"Guys, we're about to be cooked!"

Finn stood back up and walked to the end of the hallway, just before the main hold.

"We're almost there!"

Jaycob watched in anticipation as the download bar reached its end. R2 beeped hurriedly, signalling him to remove the plug and get moving. Jaycob did so, watching the long cord shimmy its way back out through the Falcon's top hatch and into Boolio's hands.

"How do we thank you?"

Finn asked.

"Win the war!"

Boolio answered.

"No problem!"

Jaycob added, already moving his body toward the ship's center column, where the turrets were controlled. He began climbing the ladder to get to the top cannon, the footwork of Finn going in the opposite direction, to the other cannon, behind him. The ship was already in motion when Jaycob strapped into his seat, the gunner now anxiously trying to put the one-eared commlink onto his head. There was an entire line of TIE fighters quickly gaining on them, the front-most ship dodging in between Finn's cannon bursts.

Meanwhile on Jaycob's end, a line of three TIE's lined behind each other, scattered. With a breath between each squeeze of the trigger, he was able to shoot down the first one within a couple tries. The second one in line returned fire, striking the top hull and shuttering the shields. Jaycob repeated his barrage and eliminated the second TIE, which then collided with the third, sending all TIEs pursuing from above the y-axis to be destroyed.

"Finn! You're supposed to be getting rid of those things!"

"You gotta forgive him, he's a little rusty!"

Jaycob joked. Right as he laughed, Finn finally managed to take down his TIE, causing the craft to spin out of control and into the walls of the icy tunnel.

"Yeah? How's that for rusty?"

Finn snapped back, lightheartedly.

"Took you long enough!"

"How many are left?"

Poe interjected.

"Too many."

The gunners said in unison. A few seconds went by without any more communications, the pair of turret-users opening fire on their pursuers. The path they were on was a straightaway, leaving the Falcon vulnerable to the incoming attack. Jaycob knew that it'd only be a matter of time before the TIEs picked apart their shields and turned them into scrap. A few more shots hit the Falcon's hull, shaking the entire ship, and almost sending Jaycob off of his chair.

One lucky burst actually managed to strike Jaycob's gun, forcing a wild stream of smoke into his canopy. He unbuckled himself from his seat and reached for the air filter on the console next to him, coughing uncontrollably. It took a while, but after a few minutes, the thick black cloud that began forming exited through a wall vent and back out into the open air.

"Guys, we can boulder these TIEs!"

"I was just thinking that."

Finn answered back.

"Well I'm without a gun, so whatever you're planning on doing is up to Finn."

Jaycob added, making sure they knew that he was now out of the fight. In response, Poe rotated the entire ship counter-clockwise, now effectively switching Finn and Jaycob's firing positions, and giving Finn the higher angle. With a one-hundred and eighty degree shift, Finn opened fire on a roof scaffolding. With a quick burst from his weapon, the metalwork lost its grip to the ceiling and began to slowly buckle with the pressure. The hinges were then both shot off, sending the entire chunk of debris falling toward the ground. It seemed like it was just about to hit the Falcon, and Jaycob braced for impact.

But nothing happened. Instead, the freighter flew right underneath the rubble, which now served as a mid-air wall that caused the demise of three TIE fighters and their pilots. With a quick break-maneuver, Poe turned the last corner of the ice tunnel and zoomed toward the exit.

"Ha! Get us back to base!"

Finn ordered. Jaycob made his way back down the center ladder, and back into the cockpit, taking his seat in the back row. Another swarm of TIEs were now coming from the front, a force much too massive to take on in a head-to-head fight. Jaycob once again braced himself.

"How thick do you think that ice wall is?"

Poe asked Chewie, suspiciously. Chewie was only able to let out a slight grunt before Poe pulled the hyperspace lever and sent the Falcon into lightspeed.

No he isn't.

Finn somehow managed to make it back to the cockpit as well, just as Poe disengaged and brought them into another planet. The sky was dark with a red tint, and the ground was littered with spiky clusters that Poe had to dodge, just to keep them alive. Meanwhile, the TIEs were not letting up, their constant waves of laser fire becoming more and more accurate.

"Poe!"

Finn screamed.

"I know, I know!"

One TIE actually nicked one of the spires, sending the ship into a ball of flames. One pursuer down with, what felt like, an entire platoon still on their tail. But right before the First Order pilots could get a bead on them, Poe pulled the hyperdrive lever once again, sending the craft into lightspeed for the second time.

"What are you doing?!"

Finn yelled, adrenaline pumping through his veins.

"Lightspeed skipping."

Poe answered back, calmly. Jaycob was aware of the tactic, but he didn't support it. It was highly dangerous, and was all based on chance. Jumping to lightspeed was incredibly treacherous, since one had no idea where they would end up next. Most of the time it was empty space, but there were a few instances that Jaycob knew of where the pilots crashed into asteroids, planets, and even other ships. Now, he just hoped they would make it out alive.

"How do you know how to do that?"

Finn asked. Poe didn't answer this time, instead disengaging the hyperdrive and regaining control of the ship. The first sight was this field of massive white cylindrical towers, with bridges connecting them all to each other. The ground, at first, didn't look like there was anything there. But upon further inspection, the ground was actually a reflection of what was above it. Another YT-1300 light freighter, identical to this one, copied every single move that Poe pulled. Luckily, another TIE pilot fell victim to crashing into one of the towers, shattering the entire fighter into pieces.

Some of the control panels on the NavComputer began to spark and sizzle, letting out small plumes of smoke every couple seconds. Whatever Poe had in mind with this, the Falcon was not a fan. Jaycob estimated that the old ship could hold together for only about two more jumps before it fell apart around them. Chewbacca seemed to share the rest of the crew's uneasiness, letting out a drawn-out groan.

"Yeah well, Rey's not here is she?"

Poe defended himself from the Wookiee's comment. Once more, Poe pulled the lever. Jaycob's head pushed against the seat headrest, the sheer force of the lightspeed jump more violent than the last. More system alerts began to trigger, an entire symphony of beeps filling the entire cockpit.

"You're insane, Poe!"

Jaycob yelled through the constant electrical warnings. Poe kept quiet as he disengaged from lightspeed for the third time. Now the atmosphere around them was a mossy green, thick clouds being the only barrier that seemed to keep them from seeing clearly. The First Order tails were down to only two TIEs, both of them trying to land their shots as Poe swayed back and forth through the sky. With another counter-clockwise barrel roll, Poe somehow managed to dodge a gigantic worm-like creature that had a triangular mouth, with three gigantic teeth on each prong. Once clear of the beast, Poe reached for the lever once more.

"Last jump, maybe forever! Hold on!"

Right as another TIE was eaten by the creature, the Falcon went back into hyperspace. Once in the lightspeed tunnel, the crew went straight to work on repairing and cooling down the hyperdrive. Klaud and R2 worked in unison at the base of the system, while Finn handed them tools and Chewie supervised. The only two left in the cockpit were Poe and Jaycob. Both of them let out a sigh of relief. Jaycob took a glance at the radar, only to see that their coast was clear.

"The last one bugged off."

Jaycob reported. Poe nodded and put his hands behind his head, leaning back in his seat.

"Well? Not so bad right?"

Poe tooted his own horn. Jaycob rolled his eyes and relaxed in his seat as well.

"You were lucky. Even a slight miscalculation and there would have been pieces of us in several different systems."

"Hey, it worked didn't it?"

"Yeah..."

"A simple thank you will do."

"Ha! Thanks buddy."

"No problem. Anyways, guide us in?"

Poe pointed to the co-pilot controls, before disengaging the hyperdrive for the last time. Jaycob took control of the yoke and flew the Falcon toward the undercover base, carefully setting it down in a forest clearing. The repairs that the crew managed to pull off were minimal, several different parts of the exterior now catching fire. Through the viewport, Jaycob could see Resistance fire crews already on their way with water hoses in their hands.

Rey was also seen coming out from the forest, with BB-8 close behind her. She had a face full of anguish and surprise, an expression that Poe now replicated at the sight of his astromech who seemed to be beaten up. Poe shot out of his seat and jogged to the boarding ramp, the rest of the crew following behind.

"It's on fire! Whole thing's on fire. All of it."

Poe admitted to the closest fire crew member. He then turned to Rey and walked toward her.

"Hey."

She quickly greeted.

"Hey!"

"There's a spy?"

"Really could've used your help out there."

"How'd it go?"

"Really bad, actually. Really bad."

Jaycob and Finn made their way closer to the confrontation.

"Han's ship!"

"What'd you do to the droid?"

Rey turned to look down at BB-8 and looked back up.

"What'd you do to the Falcon?"

"The Falcon's in a lot better shape than he is!"

"BB-8's not on fire-"

"What's left of him isn't on fire."

Tensions were rising.

"Tell me what happened."

"You tell me first."

There was a slight pause before Rey responded, flashing a small, irritated grin.

"You know what you are?"

"What?"

"You're difficult. Really difficult. You're a difficult man-"

"You, you are-"

Finn grew tired of watching, even though Jaycob was thoroughly amused.

"Rey!"

He interrupted, Poe biting his lip, trying to keep himself cool. Rey disregarded the pilot and walked to the pair while Poe went to take a closer look at his droid.

This isn't gonna be pretty.

"Finn, you made it back."

Rey pulled him into her embrace. Jaycob, feeling awkward at that moment, slipped away and approached Mac and Layne who were standing just outside of the clearing, watching the fire crews go to work.

"Welcome back, hotshot."

Mac greeted, reaching his arm out. Jaycob took it and quickly hugged him with his other arm.

"Yeah, definitely a lot more than I bargained for."

"Well, what's the news?"

Layne questioned.

"Yup, we gotta spy. We haven't taken a thorough look at the datafile yet. I'm pretty sure Poe wants to conduct a whole briefing for the big reveal."

"Talk about dramatic."

Mac joked.

"That's our general."

Jaycob answered, shrugging. The constant bickering between Rey and Poe persisted, but the trio of Flyboys walked back to the base using an alternate route, away from the drama.

"So when are we headed out to get our boy?"

"Soon. Very soon, I promise. I want Jon'Kil back more than anybody, but first we need to see what this spy said."

(-)

Poe called together the meeting as soon as he reached the underbelly of the Tantive. All high-ranking officials and other miscellaneous crew who wanted to listen in, were gathered in a tightly-packed circle surrounding Poe, Finn, Jaycob, and others.

"We've decoded the intel from the First Order spy and it confirms the worst."

Poe began. There was a dramatic pause before he continued, as if he silently warned his listeners to prepare themselves. He sighed and admitted,

"Somehow, Palpatine returned."

The crowd gasped and murmured. Jaycob turned to Mac and Layne behind him, wanting to see if they shared the same look of astonishment that he had. They did. Someone that Jaycob hadn't seen in, what felt like ages, Jessika, stood next to Snap and Connix. She caught Jaycob's glanced and raised her eyebrows. He walked to her, keeping his ears open for more information. She reached out and patted his arm.

"Hey, hotshot."

"Hey, skysis."

"This is insane. How in the hell could he have come back? I thought he was dead."

"So did everyone else. This is really bad."

Once the murmuring died down a bit, Rose asked aloud,

"Wait, do we really believe this?"

"It cannot be, the Emperor is dead!"

Aftab Ackbar, the late Admiral Ackbar's son, added.

"How do we know that his information is even reliable?"

Mac pointed out.

"Dark science. Cloning. Secrets only the Sith knew."

Beaumont Kin, the Resistance historian, countered.

"He's been planning his revenge. His followers have been building something for years. The largest fleet the galaxy has ever known. He calls it the Final Order."

Poe continued.

"In sixteen hours, attacks on all free worlds begin. The Emperor and his fleet have been hiding in the Unknown Regions, on a world called, Exegol."

R2-D2, shook and shimmied beeping loudly. C-3PO translated the astromech.

"Exegol does not appear on any star chart. But legend describes it as the hidden world of the Sith."

Chapter 24: Mac

Chapter Text

"There were always whispers of his hunger to cheat death."

Beaumont said.

"So, Palpatine's been out there all this time. Pulling the strings."

That thought alone was enough to make shivers go down Mac's spine. The dark Emperor himself, being alive all this time, causing war after war, killing millions and millions. He had the entire galaxy at his fingertips.

"If we want to stop him, we must find him. Must find Exegol."

A woman's voice came over the conversation. Mac glanced around to see who uttered the words, but he had to look down to finally see the ally from Takodana, Maz Kanata.

"Well how do you suppose we do that? We don't even have a lead, just the word of some untrustworthy FO spy."

Jaycob added, pessimistically. Poe was just about to refute, but Rey, who seemed to slip out of the meeting undetected, called out to him.

"General? Can I speak with you?"

Poe looked at her, then looked at the rest of the group. After a moment of contemplation he nodded and projected his voice once again,

"Alright, take a breather and gather yourselves. I'll let all of you know what the next steps are, please just standby."

The circle lightly dispersed, and Poe followed Rey back up to her work station. Layne was still next to Mac, looking shaken up from what he had just heard. Mac put his hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, are you good?"

"I don't know."

"What's wrong?"

"Did you not just hear the general? Palpatine is back. If it's true...we're doomed. The stories that my mother told me of that guy...it's all so horrifying. If the New Republic couldn't kill him back then, what makes you think we can kill him now?"

Layne brought up a valid point. Mac retracted his arm and folded it over his other. If Palpatine survived the destruction of the second Death Star, then just how much power did he possess? The fight hardly seemed fair. To make it even worse, he had a fleet so extraordinary in numbers that it was unprecedented in all galactic recorded history. Mac took a look around at the crew that stood before him and everyone that was busy at work around the base.

There's no way we can win.

He shoved that thought away and met Layne's eyes once again.

"Hope. Just like General Organa preached. We need to fight, even if it means our demise."

It was a grim, but truthful message. Even if the Resistance somehow managed to gather the strength to put up a good fight against the enemy, their odds of victory were slim to none. Jaycob finished his conversation with Jessika and came up to them. But before he could say a word, Poe and Rey returned.

"Gather 'round everybody, one more time!"

The audience that seemed to disband, suddenly came back and huddled close together.

"We do have a lead."

"Well I stand corrected."

Jaycob apologized.

"Rey knows how to find Exegol, but we need something called a Sith Wayfinder. It's a compass that can lead us straight to the belly of the beast. Rey, Finn, Chewie, and myself will retrieve this item and bring it back here so we can plot our attack. With that said, I leave Commander Flesio, Major Mac, and Major Snap in charge while we're gone, is that understood?"

Murmurs and mumbles of agreement came from the crew.

"Good, we leave now. 3PO you're coming too, come on!"

Poe's task force made their way to the Falcon, while the rest of the Resistance watched them leave, still in the circle from which they began. Mac, Jaycob, and Snap stepped forward into the center of the circle.

"We still have a lot of work to do guys. And while we wait for them, there is still a really important task that needs to be done. I've established an encrypted line of communication with our First Order spy, and we now know that we have guys under custody on the Steadfast."

Mac announced. Jaycob nodded and cleared his throat.

"We are mounting a rescue mission for one of our pilots and one of our mechanics. Lieutenant Jon'Kil and Engineer Asha Cerie. We will be leading a small task force to board Kylo Ren's cruiser, extract our guys, and get out."

The plan seemed to be straightforward, and the audience took it in easily. The engines of the Falcon roared to life, causing all heads to turn in the ship's general direction.

"Before we continue, let's sendoff our guys, alright?"

Snap followed up, now walking toward the Falcon to wish his friends good luck. The rest of the crowd followed behind him, some people faster than others in reaching the Falcon. Mac, Layne, Jaycob, and Rose took their time to reach the destination, the crew still prepping the ship for takeoff. The crowd separated and began helping load some equipment into the freighter, while others unplugged tubes and wires from different sections of the exterior. Finn met the group halfway with an excited grin.

"Guys, last chance. You can come if you want, it'd be great to have you."

Rose replied first,

"We actually have other plans in mind, a rescue mission. I think it'd be best if we stayed behind."

"Besides, looks like you'll have your hands full already."

Jaycob added on quickly, alluding to the argument that transpired between Rey and Poe just hours before.

"Plus, I need to stay back and study the specs of old Star Destroyers, so we can destroy the fleet if you find it."

Rose concluded.

"If?"

Finn asked, offended that there was any doubt. Rose chuckled softly.

"When."

Finn grabbed her shoulder and squeezed tightly, repeating,

"When."

He then approached the Flyboys and reached out his hand for Jaycob to take first. He did and they hugged it out. Finn repeated the same process for Mac, then for Layne.

"You guys stay safe alright?"

Finn asked.

"We should be saying that to you."

Mac smiled.

"Yeah, we promise not to burn the base down. Just get us the location of Exegol so we can finally end this."

Jaycob added.

"Will do."

(-)

Watching the Falcon fly away was always difficult to watch for the Resistance. The ship itself seemed to mean signs of strength, hope, and durability. Ideas that described the Resistance perfectly. It only took a matter of seconds before the ship vanished into the atmosphere and into lightspeed, leaving everyone on Ajan Kloss in wonder about when they would come back, what they would find, and what was next. But now, it was time to save their friends.

Mac, Layne, and Jacob were the last to walk away from the scene. The trio now walking and discussing the finer details of the plan. The group began to talk about their ships, and Jaycob brought up how desperately he wanted his B-Wing back. Layne and Mac exchanged a look of amusement. Amidst all the chaos and the news of Palpatine being alive, Jaycob still hadn't managed to see the fleet's new additions.

"It's funny you say that, Jaycob."

Layne said.

"Why?"

"Guess you managed to slip past these after you came back from the Sinta Glacier. Your wish has been granted, courtesy of Inferno Squad."

As if on some sort of stage, Mac pulled back an overhang of thick vines from a tall tree branch, to reveal the new landing zone for the B-Wing Mark II starfighters. Jaycob immediately raised his hands and placed them on his head. He was in awe.

"This...is...incredible!"

Jaycob slowly walked toward his fighter, as if it were a long-lost friend, and ran his hands across the cockpit exterior. The donation from Zay and Shriv contributed the Resistance navy seven BTA-NR2 Y-Wings, six Mark II B-Wings, nine RZ-2 A-Wings, and six T-70 X-Wings. This, accompanied with the starfighters that the pilots had before arriving on Ajan Kloss, gave the fleet a respectable size. It was nowhere near as powerful as the New Republic during the Galactic Civil War, but it would have to do.

"He loves his B-Wings, doesn't he?"

Layne asked, amused by Jaycob's excitement.

"He sure does."

"You think this'll be enough to take down the Final Order?"

"Definitely not, but it might make a dent."

(-)

After the pilots got acquainted with their new ships, they wasted no time in briefing the rest of the Resistance of the upcoming mission.

"Mac, Layne, and myself will board Kylo's cruiser, extract our guys, and get out. Snap will lead a diversion team to create a distraction for us to slip onto his cruiser with minimal interference."

Jaycob began. Mac nodded, then added on,

"By no means will we board undetected, but hopefully we won't encounter many FO that'll try to stop us. Wexley, pick your guys."

Snap stood up from the cargo crate he was sitting on and surveyed the room, picking the members for his team as he went. Once the group was finalized, everything was set.

"Alright! Mount up. Kaydel you'll guide?"

Mac concluded, beginning his jog to his Y-Wing.

"You got it."

The boarding ladder to Mac's Y-Wing cockpit was already placed, Mac only having to pick up his helmet and gloves from the nearby cart before climbing the steps. But as he reached for his gear, he realized that his helmet was missing. He looked around him, and under both the cart and his ship to see if it somehow managed to end up on the ground. It was nowhere to be found.

"Missing something?"

Mac swung around to see Mads standing behind him, his helmet in hand. He smiled, taking his helmet and throwing it into his cockpit. He pulled the doctor by the waist and brought her in close.

"Yeah, a kiss?"

Mads rolled her eyes, as she slung her arms over his shoulders.

"That's the best you got?"

"I mean, yeah. Is that a problem?"

"Nope."

The doctor pushed her lips against his, pulling him in tight. Mac wasn't anxious about the mission at all, but one thing in the back of his mind always bothered him whenever he left Mads. He now shared the same feelings that Jaycob had before Tallie's death; being horrified that something would happen to him and that she would end up having to live alone without him. However, he promised himself, while holding Mads in his embrace, that he wouldn't let anything like that overwhelm him or get in his way. It was a risk that he took, and he needed to face it.

Once they released each other, Mac turned and ran up his ladder, Mads removing it once he was in his seat. He powered on all of his main and subsystems, making sure that his new bomber was ready to fly. Before closing himself in, he made sure to look at his girlfriend and said, once and for all,

"I love you."

Mads' eyes widened. Mac couldn't hear her reply as the door lowered, securing him inside. Through his window though, she could see that she mouthed the words,

"I love you too."

A breath of relief escaped his lungs as he felt there was a chance that he was being too forward too soon. But seeing as this is the closest thing to a normal relationship during a time like this, he'd take all he could get. He ascended into the air first, Layne's X-Wing and Jaycob's B-Wing by his side. Snap and his squad rose up from the trees across the way, all ships and pilots now ready to go. The rest of the Resistance that was left at the base, all waved up at them as they made their way into the atmosphere.

"Ok ladies and gentlemen, let's get started. Ren's cruiser, the Steadfast, has been spotted in the Middian system. All wings, I'm relaying the coordinates, jump on my mark."

Jaycob called in.

"Roger that."

"Copy."

"Coordinates received."

A few pilots replied and confirmed.

"Let's bring them home."

Mac threw in.

"Three...two...one..mark!"

Mac pulled on his hyperspace lever, and sat back as the stars around him became horizontal lines, blurring into the familiar circular tunnel of blue and white. Jaycob proceeded to relay the three-dimensional model of the Steadfast onto all of the friendly pilot NavComputers. Mac studied it and made sure nothing too crazy stuck out to him. It was just an average Resurgent cruiser. Once he was in range he would activate his ship's SuperComputer, thankfully installed by Rose, and scan the entire capital ship down to it's last crew member.

His helmet smelled just like Mads' hair, which brought him to question how long she had actually had it. He took it off and got a better whiff by placing it closer to his nose. It was definitely her perfume. He observed the crevices and head-padding that surrounded the whole interior of the hat, finding it peculiar that a piece of the cushioning was loose. Mac peeled the circular protection back to find a white piece of paper, folded into fourths. He pinched it out with his fingers and replaced the padding.

While he was unfolding it, letters in aurebesh written in ink could be seen through the thin parchment. A letter. Once upright and free of creases he began reading.

"Hey Flyboy, I hope I didn't make this too hard to find. I took your helmet when you were sleeping...why? I have no clue. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I'm crazy about you. So crazy in fact that in my free time I wore it and pretended that my desk chair was a starfighter cockpit. Is this weird? I hope you don't think it's too absurd. Once I heard you guys were moving out, I had to make sure that I sprayed my perfume in it so it could at least mask that wretched sweat when you're flying. Anyways, I still have so much I want to tell you and do with you...so please come back in one piece. I'm going to miss you when you're gone. And just in case I don't have the strength to say it at sendoff...I love you."

Mac had a wide grin on his face the entire time he read the note, with a tear of happiness trying its damnedest to escape. He didn't let it though, instead re-folding the note and slipping it into one of his flight suit pockets. The journey through lightspeed was quick, as was Jaycob's signal that they had arrived. The squad deactivated their hyperdrives and Mac reactivated his SuperComputer. The holoprojection of the Resurgent floated and changed colors from its signature blue to a bright yellow, while a reference line swept over the different levels of the cruiser. While the scan was initiated, the Flyboys as well as Snap's squad awaited just outside of its radar range.

"Aaaand we're good."

Mac confirmed, relaying all of the new information to his fellow teammates. Eighty-two thousand crew members were on board, ranging from stormtroopers, officers, and enlisted. However for some odd reason, there were troop transports that were exiting one of the hangar bays, and descending down to the planet below, Pasaana.

"Intercept their comms, I wanna know what business they have down there."

Jaycob ordered. With a quick transmission-intercepting program, it was discovered that there were Resistance fugitives that were on the run.

"Resistance fugitives? Mac, you got another SuperComputer scan? Can you tell us who's down there?"

"On it."

Mac repeated the protocol and initiated an orbital scan for the planet. Within seconds, details of an infamous YT-1300f light freighter came up.

"The Falcon. It's the general and the Wayfinder team!"

"What the hell? Ok, let's move in now then. Snap, how about you lessen the load for our guys down below?"

"Copy."

"Wait, how does that make any sense?"

Layne questioned.

"The FO are already sending numbers to the surface, which means less security in the halls of the Steadfast. Flyboys let's move, prepare for a fight."

Mac's Y-Wing led the trio, his ion cannon disabling the ray shield projectors and allowing them to land. All three ships hovered over the hangar floor, blasting at the stormtroopers that came rushing in from the numerous entrances. White-armored bodies flew, and blaster bolts were sent in all directions. Once the floor was clear, the three starfighters extended their landing gear into place and gracefully touched down. Mac was the first to open his cockpit, instantly sprinting to his back-side cargo hold to retrieve his signature NT-242 sniper rifle. He covered his two teammates as Layne took a DL-44 and Jaycob took his EL-16HFE from their respective ships. Only a few enemy stragglers funneled through the doors, Mac eliminating a group of three as they tried to rush in.

The three pilots pushed forward from their landed ships and took cover by the debris of destroyed TIE fighters before discussing what to do next. Jaycob set his rifle down and pulled his left arm up for them to see. A holoprojection of Mac's ship-scan appeared in the air, with a pinpoint stabbed directly on the cruiser's holding cells.

"This is where they're most likely being held."

Jaycob stated.

"Makes sense. But there's going to be a lot of stormtroopers headed our way."

Mac warned.

"Oh I hope there are."

"Let's just do this quick, so we don't leave Snap and his squad out for too long."

"Agreed. I'll take point."

Jaycob led the group, while Mac and Layne lined up in a diamond formation behind him. The klaxon blared, but it didn't drown out the sound of the stormtrooper boots hitting the ground in unison. Running down a wide corridor, the Resistance fighters had to find cover quickly by hiding in the indents of the walls. The first group of enemies turned the corner, having no idea that the stowaways were right next to them. Mac took the first shot, busting a wide hole right in the center of one of the troopers, then hitting the one that was running behind him. This got their attention, as three F-11Ds fired in reply at the pilots. Layne darted from his cover, sliding perpendicular from the wall and sliding on the ground, quickly snapping between two stormtroopers and hitting each with a precise shot to the head. Jaycob finished the last one by shooting her in the leg, then running up to her and kicking her helmet in.

The Flyboys turned the corner from which the stormtroopers came, only to be met with another squad of stormtroopers. The three in the front of the formation had betaplast ballistic riot shields, while two more from behind had F-11Ds.

The trio opened a wave of blaster fire on the crowd, but only striking the shields and not doing much damage. Mac tried to take shots in between the gaps in the wall of shields, only being successful by hitting one of the rear stormtroopers. The First Order force was pushing them back, but not before Mac had an idea. In between shots from his sniper and his friends' blasters, he turned to Jaycob and said,

"Jaycob, you said you played Huttball back on Nar Shaddaa, right?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes, but wh-"

"Charge them."

"What?!"

"Charge them!"

Without another word, Jaycob broke from cover and sprinted toward the shield wall, screaming. Layne and Mac gave covering fire as their teammate ran, eventually hitting the last stormtrooper with a gun. Jaycob jumped and collided with the center-most shield, causing the holder to stumble backward. The two flanks then turned toward their fallen comrade, just like Mac had predicted. Before Jaycob could take any damage from his back, Mac sniped the left-side stormtrooper, sending his body deeper down the hallway. Layne fired two shots on the right-side trooper, hitting the side of their ribcage and their head. Jaycob recovered faster than his aggressor, and fired two shots at his stormtrooper's face, execution-style.

"Good plan."

Jaycob praised, in between strained breaths. Mac nodded in response. After a beat to catch their breaths, they kept moving. The cruiser was a maze of walkways and corridors, it was impossible to scour the entire ship in a timely fashion. If they moved quickly enough, all the stormtrooper patrols would be wandering around for hours. Down another hallway they went, Jaycob still at the front, holding the map projection in the air. At least from what Mac could see, they were getting closer to the holding cells. They were getting closer and closer to recovering their missing friends.

Chapter 25: Layne

Chapter Text

The trio had been running for a while, adrenaline pumping in their veins and giving them the energy to keep going. Layne already had a couple stormtroopers slain to his sidearm, and he was looking to add some more to his name. Luckily, the group approached a set of gigantic blast doors, guarded by four stormtroopers, two on each side. Before waiting for a signal, Layne aimed down his scope and fired off two bolts, taking out the closest targets. Mac followed quickly with his own two shots, sending the last two stormtroopers sliding across the floor. Jaycob jumped over the bodies, still focused on following the map to his wingman.

However, the sound of a massive wave of stormtroopers was undeniable, and could be heard approaching from the rear. Sooner or later, they would be overwhelmed by sheer numbers and inevitably killed.

"Jaycob, how much further we got?"

"Just past this intersection."

After clearing the crossroad, the entrance to the cell block was up ahead, guarded by a pair of troopers. Layne shot one while Jaycob took care of the other. Mac retrieved the identification cylinder from one of the bodies and inserted it into the door terminal, granting them access to the cruiser's prison. Once inside, the control station officer inside was the first to go. The trio went to work, shooting at every First Order member and piece of equipment that they could find. Cameras, sensors, even light panels fell victim to the laser flurry. Once it was clear, Mac ran to the console and accessed the databanks.

"Blast!"

He yelled in frustration. Jaycob moved from his defensive position toward the console.

"What? Where are they?"

"They’re not here. I checked all the cell cams and they’re nowhere to be found."

"So what now?"

Layne questioned.

"I don't know."

"Well we're not leaving here without them."

Mac stated confidently.

"Damn right. Mac, see if you can pull up any of the old camera footage, and use that to track them. Layne, you're with me."

Layne nodded and followed Jaycob out into the corridor, and toward the incoming wave of stormtroopers.

"You do know that there is a mass of enemy soldiers coming at us from this direction, right?"

Jaycob looked back, flashing an expression that made Layne know he was aware. They arrived at another four-way intersection, the group of stormtroopers now in the hall opposite them. Layne's eyes widened at the sheer amount of soldiers.

The whole damn crew is in front of us.

"Freeze stowaways!"

Without thinking, Layne raised his DL-44 and began blasting while sprinting right. He managed to hit one trooper in the face before the corner wall covered him, and he didn't think about anything else other than running. Without looking back he could tell that he was being chased, the bolts of several F-11Ds barely missing him. He blindly shot behind him, hoping to thin out his pursuers. He had no clue where Jaycob had gone, since he wasn't following, so he could only hope that he went down the opposite direction.

Once Layne had a good distance in front of his attackers, he hid himself in one of the wall indents and curled up into a ball, holding his knees to his chest. The clanking of stormtrooper boots came and went, in a gust of wind. He peeked his head out, only to see that his big wave of troopers had assumed he was still running down the corridor. After catching his breath, Layne made his way back to where he came.

Once at the intersection, he turned left and back into the holding cells. Mac was still tapping away at the console, reviewing the archived footage. Layne holstered his pistol and picked up one of the F-11Ds and approached his friend.

"Anything?"

"Not yet. Heard quite the ruckus outside though, you good?"

"Yeah. Bucketheads are dumber than a womprat."

"Well funny enough, I saw everything on the cams. They're coming back."

"What?"

"Yup. So if you want a shot at giving us a chance to rescue our friends, you should lure them away again. I'm on the verge of finding them, I can feel it."

The last thing Layne wanted to do was go back out on another suicide run. But he knew that if he didn't, all the respect that he had accumulated over these past few days would be overwritten if he was a coward. Seeing no other choice, he jogged back out of the cells and into the same corridor. Surely enough, the echoing of stormtrooper boots came from the right side this time. He took off down the hallway in front of him, where the stormtroopers had originally come, and made sure to fire a flurry of shots into the wave of incoming enemies before sprinting away. Three stormtroopers fell dead, leaving the wave to about fifteen.

As he ran, he made sure to take large steps from side to side, in an attempt to dodge all incoming fire. The tactic worked so far, the enemy blasters only hitting the wall in front of him. He was at another intersection, however this time it was only right or left. Without taking much time to think about it, and hoping to run back into Jaycob, he chose the left path. Seeing that he had a decent amount of room between him and his pursuers once again, he took cover at the corner and fired another burst of shots. This time, four stormtroopers fell flat on their faces before Layne fled. Eleven more to go.

Ahead of him was another four-way intersection, but the sound of even more stormtrooper boots down the hall in front of him sent chills up his spine. Suddenly, Layne saw Jaycob turn the corner and sprint right toward him. Layne didn't stop running though, instead raising his F-11D in one hand and unholstering his DL-44 with his other. He raised both weapons in Jaycob's direction while his teammate did the same with his EL-16. Layne could only pray that the commander was on the same page as him, pressing down on both of his weapons' triggers. In unison, the two pilots slid on their knees into the center of the intersection, opening fire on each others' pursuers.

Layne took down an impressive total of five stormtroopers, immediately rising back up to his feet and running down the left path. Fortunately, Jaycob was also able to dodge death, and was right behind Layne. Jaycob managed to catch up to the Twi'lek and turned his head to look at him.

"How many did you get?"

Jaycob joked through strained breaths. Layne found it ludacris that his friend was able to find some kind of amusement in the present situation. But nonetheless, he too gave in.

"Five. How about you?"

"Same."

"What exactly-"

A blaster bolt flew in between them.

"...is our plan?"

Layne questioned.

"Buy Mac enough time to track down Jon'Kil and Asha. Oh! Well would you look at that."

Jaycob exclaimed, gesturing toward his wrist computer. He pressed a button and raised the device up so they could both hear through all the blaster fire.

"Mac, go ahead."

The pair turned right down another corridor.

"I've got a trace on them, but you're not going to believe this."

"Believe what?"

"General Hux."

"What about him?"

Layne holstered his DL-44 and raised his F-11D to fire another flurry of shots at the combined stormtrooper crowd behind them. A pair of them collapsed after unsuccessfully dodging the incoming fire.

"He helped them-err-he's helping them."

Jaycob's dumbfounded expression was shared by Layne, as he looked to him for some sort of reaction.

"What do you mean? Helping them how?"

"He led them to the uniform room, and they came out in stormtrooper armor."

That was a red flag for Layne.

"They weren't part of the force that's chasing us right?"

He asked, worriedly.

"Thankfully not. Last time I saw them, they were headed toward the port-side hangar bay."

Jaycob facepalmed, and rubbed his temples.

"Where are they now?"

"Accessing the feed now."

While Layne and Jaycob waited for a response, they took part in the same pattern of running and gunning. Once they turned another corner, they hid behind a wall indent and watched as the wave of stormtroopers passed right by them again. Once it was clear, the pair walked back to the holding cells, keeping an eye out for more incoming patrols.

"Jon'Kil and Asha are currently boarding a TIE fighter."

This caused the two pilots to look at each other even more confused than before. Their walk turned into a light jog, eventually reaching Mac, who was already waiting outside the cell block door.

"What's the move?"

Layne asked either one of them.

"We're getting the hell out of here."

Mac answered.

"I thought this was a rescue op? Why are we leaving?"

"Damn, you ask a lot of questions. Turns out Jon'Kil and Asha might have some inside connections."

Jaycob chimed in. The trio re-tracked their steps until they reached the hangar where their starfighters were stored. They were just about to walk through the open blast door, but a squad of a dozen stormtroopers guarding their ships, stopped them dead in their tracks. The trio stacked up on different sides of the door, each of their heads peeking past the cover to get a clear look. There were four stormtroopers per ship, all armed with F-11Ds.

To them it wouldn't be a big problem, however the pair of FWMB-10 repeating blasters that were set up in fortified positions, made it one. If they walked out onto that floor guns-blazing, they would have five holes in each of them before they could reach their cockpits. They needed to treat those emplacements with the utmost importance.

"Any of you got any bright ideas for those guns?"

Jaycob asked the other two.

"I might."

Layne answered. Without saying another word, he sneakily ran to the TIE fighter dock next to the door and climbed the stairs. Once he reached the cockpit top hatch, a voice from the hangar floor below caused him to panic.

"Hey you! Stop!"

A stormtrooper screamed, followed by a swarm of red blaster bolts. Layne slipped into the hatch and powered on the enemy fighter's controls. Once activated, he undocked the ship and hovered over the crowd that began to form. He opened fire with the TIE's laser cannons onto the mass and cleared the path for Jaycob and Mac to make their way back to their ships. He scrapped the heavy blasters and opened fire on the other TIE fighters that were docked.

The pair of friendly pilots on the ground ran and fired, quickly storing their gear inside their fighter cargo holds and strapping into their seats. Mac's Y-Wing ascended first, rotating not toward the exit, but toward the hangar control room. He opened fire with his ion turret at the tower, terminating all communications and countermeasures that could be made from the hangar. Jaycob's B-Wing, s-foils closed and keeping its slim frame, finished the job by firing a single proton torpedo straight into the control center. Layne's jaw dropped as all crew that was inside were blown away into different places and some into different pieces.

After clearing the floor, Layne landed the TIE fighter back onto its dock and boarded his rightful X-Wing. It felt good to be back in his ship, his systems powering to life without much effort. All three pilots zoomed out of the hangar and away from the Resurgent, leaving a trail of bodies and ash in their wake. But to Layne their mission was far from successful, since the whole reason they came in the first place was already gone.

"All Resistance forces be advised, we have friendlies who have commandeered an enemy craft. Do not engage any more fighters coming out of the port-side hangar!"

Jaycob ordered.

"Copy that hotshot, I'm guessing you found them?"

Jessika responded.

"Not quite. It's a long story, I'll fill you in once we get back home."

"How do we know which TIE is our guys?"

Snap asked.

"Mac, give me some good news."

Jaycob hoped.

"I recovered the TIE's tracking number and am uploading to friendly NavComputers now. Jon'Kil and Asha will stand out on your radar, do not engage them."

"What would we do without you buddy?"

"Only the Force knows."

The fight between the Resistance and First Order forces was still raging around the Resurgent cruiser. Through the fighting, Layne kept an eye out for the friendly TIE fighter and was in the middle of engaging an FO pilot when he finally saw them. The enemy in his crosshairs turned into debris at the hands of his X-Wing cannons, his ship only turning toward the runaways after confirming the kill.

"This is Flyboy 4, I see them. I repeat I have visual confirmation on our friendlies."

Layne called in.

"Great work buddy, let's guide them home."

With the order, all of the Resistance pilots formed around the TIE toward the direction of the closest hyperspace lane. They were just about to engage lightspeed when a terrible, ear-ringing static came through the Resistance comms channel. Layne cursed at the loud noise, lowering his volume.

"G-guys? H-h-hello? Are y-you receiving m-me?"

Jon'Kil.

"Chiss! Is that you?"

Mac replied. After a couple more seconds of tweaking, the channel became clearer.

"Y-yeah, it's me. I have Asha with me, we're safe."

"Not yet you aren't."

Jaycob denied.

"Please tell me you disabled the tracker on that thing, I don't want the First Order knowing the location of our base."

"Yeah Jaycob, I did. They can't track us."

"Perfect."

All friendly ships from the battle aligned themselves with the hyperdrive lane and zoomed into lightspeed in unison. The blue and white tunnel was a sight for Layne's sore eyes, and the only thing he could think about was returning to their base on Ajan Kloss.

Chapter 26: Jon'Kil

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Once Jon'Kil and Asha touched down, they were swarmed with hugs and embraces from the rescue team. Although the team wasn't directly responsible for Jon'Kil and Asha's escape, the duo still appreciated the thought and effort that went into the mission. If anything, Jon'Kil felt bad that it wasn't the rescue team breaking them out of the holding cell. But at the same time, he was surprisingly grateful that Hux was the one to do it. Jon'Kil gave the enemy general his word that he would ask about some information regarding the Sinta Glacier, so that's what he did.

"Jaycob, I need to speak with you privately."

The commander nodded, guiding him toward a tunnel deeper into a cave that housed the Tantive IV. On the way, Jon'Kil was in awe of the base that the Resistance had been able to set up in his absence. There were anti-air cannons, tech stations, and even more ships than what the navy had in its arsenal before. And to his surprise, Y-Wings and B-Wings had also returned to the plethora of new Resistance starfighters.

"New ships."

Jon'Kil muttered to himself.

"Yep. We just got them, thanks to Inferno Squad."

Inferno Squad. He hadn't heard that name in forever. He remembered back on D'Qar when he was flying his patrol route when they arrived on a stolen TIE fighter. General Organa had sent them out to find allies that were in the Outer Rim, but when the Battle of Crait happened, they were nowhere to be found. But knowing that Inferno Squad was to thank for the much-needed starfighter replenishment eased his mind.

"That's a relief. This way we'll be able to have more pilots in the air."

"Yup."

Once deep enough into the tunnel, the pair of pilots sat on cots opposite one another.

"So what's up?"

"You're not going to believe what happened aboard that Resurgent."

Jon'Kil struggled to keep his voice down. Jaycob glanced to check if anyone was listening before continuing.

"Let me guess, Hux helped you two escape?"

This took Jon'Kil by surprise.

"How'd you know?"

"Mac accessed the camera feeds. Why did that happen anyways?"

"He has a grudge against Kylo Ren. He only saved us to ask the Resistance about something regarding the Sinta Glacier. Do you know what he's talking about?"

Jaycob held a grim face, slowly nodding.

"Unfortunately I do. We have received news from a First Order spy that Emperor Palpatine is still alive."

Jon'Kil sat back in his seat, leaning his back on the cave wall, astounded.

"What? How could that be? He died aboard the second Death Star! There's no way-"

"We know just as much as you do, Chiss."

"What's he been up to these days?"

"He's created a fleet. Something the galaxy's never seen before."

"A fleet? How many we talking?"

"Hundreds, if not thousands of cruisers. They've been hiding on a planet in the Unknown Regions called, Exegol. He's preparing for an attack on all Free Worlds, and he's going to do it by means of the Final Order."

This was a lot of information to take in, and Jaycob knew it, giving his friend some time to process it all. It was unbelievable, knowing Palpatine was the one responsible for everything that has happened. He was the puppet master all along. Jon'Kil didn't know whether to feel frightened, angered, or both. Looking back out of the tunnel and out into the clearing to the small fleet, he couldn't help but think that it wasn't enough.

"Surely we're not alone in this fight are we?"

He asked, hoping for a good answer.

"If you're talking allies, I don't have an answer for you. But we are doing what we can to stop this."

"How? Where's the general?"

"There's no way to Exegol without this device called the Sith Wayfinder. Poe, along with Finn, Rey, and others went to find it."

Jon'Kil hated the current situation, but he processed and accepted it. He has already come too far to back down from the fight now. Even if it meant his inevitable demise, he was much more willing to risk his life for the Resistance than the First Order. He looked back to Jaycob.

"So what do we do now?"

"Now...we plan."

(-)

The Resistance was recalled altogether around the big holotable in the center of the clearing, underneath the Tantive IV. Jon'Kil stayed back however, determined to establish a communications line straight to Armitage Hux. It took a bit of tinkering, and the decryption key given to him by Hux before they departed, but eventually he was able to contact him. Fortunately the call was answered, but there was no voice on the other end.

"Hux, can you hear me?"

A long silence followed. Jon'Kil checked his radio device again to make sure it was working. It was.

"Hello? General Hux?"

Still no answer. With every second Jon'Kil waited, was another second that could be used to help with the plan to take down Palpatine and the Final Order, so he was growing irritated. He figured that he would tell whoever picked up the call that the information from the First Order spy has been received.

"Fine, don't answer. But we have received your data, and we now know of Palpatine's return. We owe you a great debt for this information, the Resistance thanks you."

The message was concise and straightforward. Without waiting for a reply, he disconnected from the secure channel and placed his radio down, jogging to the meeting that was just about to start. He arrived at the circle of people that had gathered, now stuck on the outside. He flagged down Jaycob, who had motioned for him to come closer and toward the center, closer to the holotable. The field displayed a roster of all the ships that the Resistance had, paired with the team leaders that would be conducting the attack.

"Seven Y-Wings, six B-Wings, fifteen A-Wings, and twenty X-Wings."

Jon'Kil counted aloud.

"Plus the TIE!"

Asha added.

"Heheh, right. Plus the TIE."

"Well, four different classes of starfighters means four different squad leaders."

Jaycob stated.

"Unless we're thinking about splitting up the A-Wing and X-Wings into two squads. That could make it six team leaders."

Mac countered.

"I like that better."

Jaycob acknowledged.

"We'll have the Tantive standing by as well, Commander."

Jessika interjected.

"Ahhh, how could I forget?"

"Well, we're going to assume Poe has authority over everyone, but let's split this up."

Mac reminded.

"Of course. Mac, you'll be taking Y-Wings. I'll be taking B-Wings, and we'll have Snap get one of the X-Wing squads. That leaves one more X-Wing squad and two more empty slots for the A-Wing leaders. Jessika, you game?"

"Roger, chalk me down for that A-Wing team."

"Really?"

"I've been practicing, hotshot."

"Good stuff. Jon'Kil, how you feeling?"

"I can fly."

"Good, you sure you're not up for an upgrade?"

Jaycob questioned, trying to persuade Jon'Kil to switch to a B-Wing from his original X-Wing.

"I'm good."

"Suit yourself. If you're sticking with old reliable, I'm giving you the reins of leading the other X-Wing team."

This took Jon'Kil by surprise, primarily because he's never led a squad in his entire career with the Resistance. The only leadership experience he's had in a navy was when he was still with the First Order, leading with his Special Forces TIE fighter. Nonetheless, he was more than ready to receive the honor.

"Roger that."

"Perfect. Any takers for the last A-Wing group?"

Everyone was taken aback as Layne stepped forward. Jon'Kil read the room, seeing that not everyone was on board with a pilot that had just shown up a few days ago leading a squad.

"Layne?"

Jaycob asked, shocked.

"You can fly A-Wings?"

Jon'Kil added.

"I can fly anything."

He replied confidently, crossing his arms. Mac stepped forward as if to defend him.

"I can vouch for him. We ran an ACM hop when you were gone and he's more than capable."

Jaycob shrugged his shoulders.

"Then why the hell not?"

Mac changed the holotable's field from the ship roster to a variety of information regarding the secrets of the Sith.

"Beaumont, you're up. Can you tell us how in the hell he's managed to put together a fleet in such a short amount of time?'

The historian stepped forward.

"To be frank, I have no clue. However, I highly doubt he just made them appear out of thin air. He's had to have been building the Final Order ever since his loss at Endor. The Sith have quite the following, it's a bloody cult. The personnel of this force must be the descendants of these cultists, it only makes sense, they have the numbers."

"How many we talkin'?"

Layne asked.

"Hundreds. So whether it's on the ground or in the sky we will be outnumbered, there's no doubt about it."

If they weren't already frightened enough about overcoming the nearly-impossible odds, that comment definitely killed their hope. Now, Jon'Kil felt like it was his duty to raise their spirits. He knew firsthand what the First Order was capable of, and with the added numbers from the Sith fleet, the galaxy would suffer for eternity. The Resistance was the only thing standing in the way to prevent that.

"We got any idea what kind of weapons they're packing?"

He asked.

"Not a clue."

They were left in the dark, facing overwhelming odds blindly. They had no idea what they were facing or how many there would be. There was a silence in the meeting, everyone still at a loss for words. Nobody came forward with a viable plan, there just wasn't enough information. They needed the Wayfinder team in order to really get anything accomplished, so in essence the entire fate of the galaxy rested in Poe, Finn, and Rey's hands.

(-)

The Falcon finally arrived after a few hours, but they were missing Rey. Jon'Kil had tons of questions regarding her still, but Poe seemed to be preoccupied with what happened during his mission to answer any of them. Along with Chewie and Finn, they made their way back to the cave just in time to hear the numerous alarms and alerts of another planet destroyed. Everyone around the area scattered to get a better view of what happened, and on several holotables, the Mid Rim planet of Kijimi was seen being destroyed on replay.

Jon'Kil walked to the closest station and observed as the planet exploded, after receiving a huge amount of pulsating laser blasts to its core. It was a horrific sight, the Resistance now knowing that the Final Order had world-destroying capabilities.

"Kijimi? How?"

Poe questioned. Larma D'Acy, who was observing from the same tech station as him, answered,

"A blast from a Star Destroyer. A ship from the new Sith Fleet, out of the Unknowns."

Beaumont walked past the holotable and toward his work station.

"The Emperor sent a ship from Exegol. Does that mean every ship in the fleet has-"

"Planet-killing weapons. Of course they do. All of them. This is how he finishes it."

Poe confirmed. Rose, who was sitting right across from Beaumont turned up her communications channel.

"Listen."

She said, as a slur of indistinct chatter came through the speaker.

"It's on every frequency."

Beaumont tried to translate it,

"The Resistance is dead...the Sith flame will burn...all worlds, surrender or die. The Final Order begins."

A chill was sent up Jon'Kil's spine. He knew of Palpatine and his extremist ways ever since the Galactic Civil War, but knowing that you would die if you didn't obey his orders was even scarier in person. There was a silence as Poe was at a loss for words.

"You're acting general. What do we do now?"

Rose asked him. But instead of replying, he walked toward the makeshift graveyard at the other side of the base without saying a word. Rose looked at Beaumont, then to Jon'Kil as if hoping they would say something. But their mouths were shut. Everyone needed time to reflect and think about what to do next, so they gave the general as much space he needed to ensure that he could have a clear mind and pick the best plan moving forward. But for now, they had a lot of work to do to prepare for the fight ahead.

Jon'Kil sought out Finn, who was sitting at Rey's workstation, watching a tiny green and white droid ponder through her things.

"Hey don't touch that."

Finn warned.

"S-sorry. She is gone?"

The droid apologized in a high-pitched, nose-clogged stutter. Finn turned to look at Jon'Kil, who was patiently waiting for his turn to speak.

"Yeah, she's gone. I don't know where."

"I miss her."

"I miss her too, droid. What can I help you with Jon'Kil?"

The Chiss stepped forward.

"What happened?"

He asked gloomily.

"I don't know. She took off without us."

"O-oh. I'm sorry. I was hoping to ask her some things."

"Like what?"

Finn's curiosity peaked.

"The Force."

"The Force?"

"Yeah, I think I may be force-sensitive."

"Really? Li-like her, Rey?"

"Something like that. We talked briefly on the Tantive before we got to Ajan Kloss, but our conversation wasn't too productive."

"Oh...I see. Well, your guess about where she could be is as good as mine. We have no Rey, no Wayfinder, and no way to get to Exegol."

Jon'Kil sat on Rey's bed and thought of what to say next. Without her, this fight is going to be a lot more difficult."

"Exegol? I-I know of Exegol."

Both Jon'Kil and Finn turned to the droid.

"What's your name?"

Finn asked.

"I am D-O."

"What can you tell us about Exegol, D-O?"

Jon'Kil asked.

"Mission: Return to Exegol with the girl."

"Girl? You mean Rey?"

"H-he wants her al-live."

Finn turned to look at Jon'Kil, a surprised expression on his face. Without continuing, he darted out of the room and toward the clearing. D-O followed closely behind, leaving Jon'Kil alone at Rey's workstation. Feeling as he was intruding somehow, he left the room as well and toward the tunnel that housed the Flyboys. The whole group was there, doing a variety of different things, ranging from sleeping, eating, to tapping at datapads.

"Guys, we got more information regarding Exegol."

This caused everyone's ears to perk up, except Layne who had to be shaken awake.

"Like?"

Mac asked.

"D-O, this droid that the Wayfinder team recovered on their mission knows of the planet. He's been there."

"Really? And what can you tell us?"

"Well-"

"Flyboys! Come on, new briefing. Let's go."

All four pilots stood at attention and followed Poe out into the clearing.

Notes:

- Alpha Squad: Led by Jessika; 8 A-Wings
- Bravo Squad: Led by Jaycob; 6 B-Wings
- Capital Squad: Led by Snap; 10 X-Wings
- Delta Squad: Led by Mac; 7 Y-Wings
- Echo Squad: Led by Jon'Kil; 10 X-Wings
- Fynock Squad: Led by Layne; 7 A-Wings

Chapter 27: Jaycob

Notes:

Bravo 2 - Seftin Vanik
Bravo 3 - Aftab Ackbar
Bravo 4 - Honess Tenish
Bravo 5 - Retch
Bravo 6 - Nazio Corte

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"So, I heard you guys sorted out the team leaders."

Poe asked, glancing over at Jaycob.

"Y-yeah we did. Is that a problem?"

Poe closed the gap between them, and lowered his voice to a loud whisper.

"You gave Jess an A-Wing squad?"

He seemed a little worried. Also keeping the same volume, Jaycob replied,

"Yes! She said she's been practicing. Have some faith in my skysis."

"It's not that I don't have faith it's just..."

Poe's voice faltered.

"She'll be fine, buddy. I believe in her and so should you."

He nodded.

"Which reminds me, when was the last time you hung out with your girlfriend?"

Poe's eyes widened.

"I've been busy Jaycob, you know that."

"Of course of course, I'm guilty of it too. I haven't really spent time with her since we arrived on Ajan Kloss, there's just so much going on."

"Right, and speaking of that..."

Poe stopped in his tracks just before the holotable. The four other pilots followed, confused on why Poe stopped walking. He brought them close into a huddle.

"Listen, I can't do this alone. I need you guys in command with me."

The Flyboys all looked at each other, happily shocked. None of them said anything, still taken aback.

"Jaycob, I'm promoting you to General, congratulations. Mac, we all saw this coming, but you are now a Commander. Lieutenant Jon'Kil, you are now a Captain. And Layne I know it seems like everything is coming at you at lightspeed, but you've shown that you can handle it. You're being promoted to Lieutenant, congratulations. Kaydel filled me in on what happened when I was gone as it seems like you guys make quite the team."

Jaycob couldn't help but crack a proud smile, bro-hugging Poe and thanking him. Jon'Kil, Mac, and Layne all celebrated their new accolades, patting each other on the back and pumping their fists.

"Thank you, General. We won't let you down."

Jaycob spoke after the celebration died down.

"I know you guys won't. Now come on, we've got matters to attend to."

Poe continued his walking path toward Rose's tech station, where Finn and D-O were waiting alongside her. Poe reached down and plugged in an extension cord, connecting the back of D-O's small cone-shaped head to Rose's station, pulling up the atmospheric readings of Exegol.

"All the information you need for an airstrike on Exegol."

Finn began.

"Yeah, except how to get there. Are you seeing these atmo readings?"

Poe asked, hypothetically.

"It's a mess out there."

Finn followed.

"Magnetic fields, gravity wells, solar winds?"

Rose added. Poe then asked the most important question.

"How does a fleet even take off from there?"

Before anyone could give a proper guess, C-3PO waddled into the circle, apologizing for the interruption.

"I'm terribly sorry, but I'm afraid R2's memory bank must be crossed with his logic receptors. He says he is receiving a transmission from Master Luke."

Impossible. Luke was dead, Jaycob saw it happen right in front of his eyes during the Battle of Crait. The whole Skywalker bloodline for that matter, was dead. Nonetheless, R2-D2 rolled up to Rose's station and requested to be plugged in. Rose obliged, connecting another cord from R2's cylindrical body to one of her computer's empty slots. Immediately a map was drawn on the screen in red, with a singular green triangle leaving a trail of dotted lines behind it. Poe took a closer look and identified the ship.

"That's an old craft ID. That's Luke Skywalker's X-Wing!"

C-3PO nodded, adding,

"It's transmitting course marker signals on its way to the unknown regions."

Finn laughed out loud.

"It's Rey!"

BB-8, who was apparently there the whole time, beeped jubilantly. Finn continued,

"She's going to Exegol. She's showing us how to get there!"

Poe shared the same smile that Finn now had.

"Then we go together."

He said. Clapping his hands and calling the whole Resistance together, Poe leaned against the center holotable. Finn was by his side, and surprisingly General Lando Calrissian had also shown up. The Flyboys, now with their new promotions, stood at separate ends of the table all standing by and waiting to get the briefing underway. Snap and Jessika were also there, both crossing their arms and tapping their feet in anticipation.

As more and more Resistance members trickled into the meeting from their previous tasks, Finn was anxious to begin. The Resistance now had all the information they needed in order to execute an attack. Now all they needed was a strategy.

"As long as those Star Destroyers are on Exegol, we can hit them."

"Hit them how?"

Beaumont questioned.

"They can't activate their shields until they reach atmosphere."

Rose answered.

"Which isn't easy on Exegol. Ships that size need help taking off, Nav can't tell which way is up out there."

Poe assured.

"So, how do the ships take off?"

Wrobie Tyce, an X-Wing pilot who had been fairly silent and unknown to this point, had stated.

"They use a signal from a navigation tower like this one."

As if it was rehearsed, Poe clicked with a remote at the holotable and brought up a three-dimensional image of the tower.

"Too bad they won't get a chance. Air team's gonna find the tower, and ground team is gonna blast it."

"Ground team?"

Seftin Vanik, one of the new B-Wing pilots, asked.

"Yeah, we don't have any troop transports or speeders laying around."

Jaycob added reluctantly.

"I've got a plan for that."

Finn said, nodding confidently. That was enough for Jaycob. Finn was also promoted to general, and if he had it taken care of, it was a done deal. Poe continued,

"Once the tower's down the fleet will be stuck in atmosphere for just minutes, with no shields and no way out."

"We think hitting the cannons might ignite the main reactors."

Rose brought up.

"And we'll have enough time to guide the Tantive on an attack run for those underbelly targets."

Mac pitched in.

"That's our chance!"

Lando said excitedly.

"We need to pull some Holdo maneuvers. Do some real damage."

Some of the audience agreed with Beaumont, nodding their heads. Others shook theirs and held back their snickers.

"Come on, that move is one in a million. Fighters and our freighter can take out their cannons if there are enough of us."

Finn countered.

"So we can take out the cannons ourselves? We don't necessarily need to escort the Tantive then, right?"

Layne asked, lightly elbowing Mac for his suggestion earlier.

"Not necessarily. But once we're on world we can coordinate strike groups once we see what we're working with."

"There aren't enough of us."

Nien Nunb said in his native tongue. Kaydel Ko Connix translated and agreed.

"He's right. We'd be no more than bugs to them!"

"That's where Lando and Chewie come in. They'll take the Falcon to the Core Systems and send out a call for help for anybody listening."

Finn tried to calm the rising doubts among the audience.

"Yeah, and we saw firsthand who our volunteers were during Crait."

Snap hissed. Jessika playfully backhanded his arm.

"Oh don't be such a stick in the mud."

Poe nodded.

"We've got friends out there, they'll come if they know there's hope."

This caused the crowd to murmur, their own hope starting to dwindle.

"They will!"

Poe's voice rose above everyone else's.

"The First Order wins by making us think we're alone. We're not alone! Good people will fight if we lead them!"

The morale started to rise. Jaycob felt the need to say something himself as well, so he stepped forward.

"Think of why we do this. For our family and friends back home, alive or gone, we need to stop Palpatine. Our galaxy cannot be controlled like a puppet on a string, our freedom is on the line. Think of the horrific things all of us have gone through to end up here. Everything we've done, all this time, has led to this moment. We are the spark that will light the fire, that will burn the Final Order down to ashes. We're winning this, and we'll be on the right side of history!"

If anyone was still on the fence now, they weren't anymore as Jaycob's message did the trick. The crowd roared in applause and battle cries, pumping fists, gear, and whatever weapons they had in the air. The Resistance was fired up. Without hesitation or guidance, everyone got to work. The outer crowd around the holotable began to dissipate with more energy than ever before. Poe, Finn, the Flyboys, Jessika, and Snap all patted Jaycob on the back, sharing the same energy and passion that burned inside everyone's hearts.

"Quite the speech there, hotshot."

Jessika said first, hugging him before running off toward the A-Wings. Snap and Poe flanked his sides, their hands on both of his shoulders.

"You've turned into a real leader, Jaycob."

Snap said.

"I know you won't let me down, buddy."

Poe added, turning toward Jon'Kil, Mac, and Layne.

"Good luck."

Jaycob called out to Snap as he jogged to his group. The pilot waved at him in return.

"Gentlemen, the success of this mission are on our shoulders. You guys have been through so much and I'm just honored that I'm able to fight alongside every one of you. We are pilots. The deadliest force to be reckoned with in space. We are elite. Now, make me proud out there fellas."

Poe took the time to address every one of them with a short brotherly hug before he took off toward the control room. Now, it was Jaycob's turn.

"Alright Flyboys, this is it. We are about to embark on a mission that may just be our last. But mark my words, I trust all of you with my life, and I just hope that you trust me enough with yours. Let's go get this done. For the Resistance."

"For the Resistance."

They all chimed in at once. After that, the Flyboys ran and joined up with the other pilots who were gearing up in the ready room. The digital board that showed all of the Resistance casualties was transported from the Tantive IV, and was on display with an updated list of names. It seemed like the list had doubled since the last time Jaycob took a good look at it, and it took a while for his wife's name to come across the screen.

He suited up quickly into his orange jumpsuit, slipping on his boots and strapping on his belt and harness. The engineers had already grabbed all of the pilots' gloves and helmets, cleaning them and getting ready to hand the equipment to their owners once it was time for liftoff. The mechanics had already begun attaching hoses and pumps to the fleets' ships for fuel and other pressurized materials. Out loud on the base intercom, Finn continued with the morale boosting speech.

"Leia never gave up, and neither will we. We're gonna show them we're not afraid."

"What our mothers and fathers fought for...we will not let die. Not today. Today, we make our last stand. For the galaxy. For Leia. For everyone we've lost."

Poe added.

"They've taken enough of us. Now we take the war to them. May the Force be with us."

Finn ended. After gearing up, Jaycob made his way to the A-Wings, unsatisfied with the brief goodbye that Jessika had given him just a little while ago. She was the closest thing to family he had here after all. He sought out the pilot who was finishing up her diagnostics of her ship, and flanked her with a hug from behind. She yelped at the sudden sign of affection, laughing before being put down.

“You scared me there, Jay!”

“Almost like that was my plan, huh?”

“Ha. Ha.”

“After everything we’ve been through you were just gonna say how good of a speech I gave, and leave?”

“Well what were you expecting?”

“Anything! Especially from my ‘skysis’!”

Jessika snickered before nodding.

“Alright Jay, you’re right. You know I hate saying stuff like this but, yeah. I don’t like the idea but there’s a chance that this might be the last time we see each other.”

The conversation took a dismal turn.

“Yeah...”

Jaycob persisted.

“I just wanna say thank you. For everything. For being there.”

Jaycob could feel a tear start to form at the corner of his eye.

“Likewise, Jess. You supported me through some of my darkest times, and I can’t thank you enough for that.

Before the tear escaped, he pulled her into another embrace, to hide the fact that he was about to cry.

“Oh stop it, you big softie.”

She said, squeezing tighter. After a few sniffles, the pair let go of each other, sharing a moment of appreciation.

“I love you, Skysis.”

He said.

“I love you too, ‘Skybro’.”

This caused Jaycob to cringe, shaking his head jokingly.

“Oh shut it, that’s the best I could come up with on the spot!”

The pair laughed until Jaycob saw Poe approaching in the background. The General came in and swooped Jessika off of her feet, as if it was some sort of fairytale. She laughed even harder as she slung her arms over his shoulders. The couple kissed, queuing him to turn away. 

It brought a smile onto Jaycob’s face to see her so happy. He was just glad that she found someone that would love her as much as he did.

Yup, they make a fine couple.

“I’ll see you again soon, hotshot!”

Jessika said through an attack of cheek pecks.

“I’m counting on it!”

Now, it was time to visit his significant other. He walked to the graveyard to see just what this war cost. There were rows and rows of markers on the ground, and more than half of their bodies were never recovered. Knowing that every single man and woman in front of him had a family and had something to come back to was a depressing thought. He looked over all of the markers, some of them lucky enough to have a picture accompanying their names. Some were old and some were young. They were people. But to the First Order, they were just enemies.

He pulled out Tallie's scarf remnant from his flight suit and wrapped it around his hand. Then, he removed the wallet-sized photo of her from the flap of his wrist-computer.

“Be with me Tallie, please. I need you more than ever now.”

He whispered to himself. He looked around his immediate surroundings to see if anyone was nearby before closing his eyes.

“I miss you so much, my love. I hope you and Jaysen have finally gotten a chance to meet each other up there.”

He opened his eyes after his short prayer, now looking at his brother’s grave. The memorial had a picture of him accompanying the marker, generously donated by Jaycob.

But now, he removed the photo and held it in his hand, side by side with Tallie. He looked at them both, sorrowfully. He was on the brink of breaking down completely, but he knew better. Eyes were on him from afar, and he wouldn’t let his comrades think he wasn’t ready. After a drawn out sigh, he regained control of his emotions and placed both pictures back in his wrist computer flap. It was game time.

He arrived at the B-Wing landing spots to see two rows of three fighters each, the other five pilots huddled in a circle. The small crowd separated as Jaycob approached, all of them forming a line and saluting the new General. A couple of familiar faces were in the crowd like: Aftab Ackbar and Seftin Vanik. But the other three pilots, also male, were not familiar to Jaycob. So, he went up to them and shook each of their hands individually.

"Greetings General, I'm Honess Tenish."

An older man of the Thakwaash species announced, giving out his hand for Jaycob to shake. He did so and replied,

"Great to meet you, Honess. Thank you for doing this."

Up next was a Lasat. He towered over Jaycob in height.

"Name's Retch, good to meet ya sir."

He greeted, repeating the same hand gesture as the pilot before him. Jaycob shook Retch's hand, nodding his head.

"Retch, pleasure to be working with you today."

Lastly was another human, with a thin build. He had blonde hair with light skin, and judging by his greeting he had an accent.

"It's an honor, General. I'm Nazio Corte."

"You're too kind, Nazio. Let's get to work, shall we?"

Jaycob shook the last pilots hand confidently, and turned to face his squad as a whole.

"Alright pilots if you haven't already noticed, we are going to be the smallest squad out there today. We've only got six fighters. Keep this under wraps, but that means we are the most skilled pilots out of the bunch."

He joked, the squad chuckling.

"These are by far, the hardest ships I've ever had to fly. And if you're standing in front of me now, that means you do it well. Be proud of yourselves Bravo Squad, we're going to hurt the hell out of Palpatine."

Notes:

Promotions:
Jaycob Flesio - General
Mac - Commander
Jon'Kil - Captain
Layne Cilton - Lieutenant

Chapter 28: Mac

Notes:

Delta 2 - Enti Vasa
Delta 3 - Hazel Bright
Delta 4 - Grace Ledovsky
Delta 5 - Relin Fiin
Delta 6 - Lucius Corvus
Delta 7 - Gardo Lark

Chapter Text

After meeting with the Flyboys one more time and gearing up, Mac lightly jogged toward the Y-Wings, hoping Mads would be there to send him off. Instead, he was surprised to see the doctor no longer dressed in her scrubs, but in military fatigues. She hoisted an EL-16 in her hand, and was too preoccupied with loading a new transport with gear to see notice the pilot running toward her. Only after tapping her shoulder did Mac gain her attention.

"What's going on here?"

He asked, pointing to her rifle. 

"All hands are on deck for this one, Flyboy. I got chosen to be on the ground team."

Mac was both proud and terrified. Part of him wanted to congratulate her on being tasked with fighting in one of the most pivotal battles of the war, but the other part of him wanted her to stay back in the safety of her medical tent on Ajan Kloss. She was trained to save lives, not take them. She said that herself. Now seeing her with a blaster in hand, Mac was left feeling uneasy.

"Wow. I-I don't know what to say."

Mads smiled.

"A 'good luck' would be nice."

Mac scoffed.

"I'm so happy for you, but also so scared to lose you. Please don't go."

"Major, I-"

"Commander."

"O-oh, well then. Commander! Well, Commander you have nothing to worry about. This is it. This is what we've all been training for. Are you really going to keep this opportunity from me?"

A silence followed as Mac contemplated for a beat. After a moment, he gave in.

"You're right, you're right. You deserve to be out there as much as I do. Make me proud, Doc. I'll be watching over you from the skies."

"Don't get too distracted, Flyboy."

They both pulled each other into their embrace, and shared one last passionate kiss. Once they let go, Mac continued his path to his bomber while Mads continued loading the transport. Finn had filled the air team in on his plan for the ground. The navigation tower was simply too strong to be taken out from an airstrike, so a team had to go there and plant charges on the device manually.

The means to get there was bizarre, but at least the element of surprise would be on their side. Using Orbaks, Finn and Company 77 , would lead the team on a ground assault to destroy the tower and trap the Final Order on Exegol. The tower was going to be heavily defended by ground troops, so they needed all the help they could get. Even if that meant bringing Mads into the fight.

The row of seven Y-Wing bombers were lined up next to each other perfectly, with each of the other six pilots standing at attention in front of their ships. With gloves on and helmets in their arms, this batch of pilots were a fierce-looking group of individuals. He wanted to give each one of them a proper introduction, so he began from the front of the line and would work his way back until he reached his Y-Wing.

The first pilot was a human male, with long curly black hair and a beard.

"Enti Vasa, at your service Commander."

The second pilot was a female human, light skin coupled with curly blue hair cut off at her shoulders. She was on the shorter side, but she was no less eager to fight.

"Hazel Bright of Corellia, ready and able."

The third pilot was a female of the Balosar species, her antennapalps perking up as Mac looked her way.

"Grace Ledovsky, reporting."

Fourth was a female Iktotchi , around middle-aged. She had orange skin and her cranial horns rested just past the top of her shoulders facing vertically downward.

"I am Relin Finn, at your service Commander."

Fifth was another human male with dark skin and bald head.

"Lucius Corvus, sir."

And lastly was a Twi'lek male with green skin. He reminded Mac of Layne, with some of the same facial features. But something about him made him appear older.

"Gardo Lark sir, ready and able."

After he got all of the greetings out of the way, he walked to a spot in front of them where they could all see.

"Pilots, this mission will undoubtedly be the most important one in all of our careers. Everything has prepared us for this moment. Any internal strifes or problems that may hinder you in the skies, let go of all of it right now. Once we're up there, we are one. We fight as one. We fly as one. We kill as one. As long as we stick together and stay aware, I have no doubt that every one of you will make it back here to celebrate our victory. The mission is simple. Guide the ground team to their target, and wipe out some Star Destroyers. Questions?"

None of them raised their hands, instead all of them rearing to leave. Mac wouldn't be the one to keep them on the edge of their seats. After all, his trigger finger was itching too. With a single command, all of the pilots hoisted themselves into their seats and closed themselves in. Mac took his time preparing his ship, an engineer giving him his gear as soon as he sat down. He slipped the gloves on, but kept his helmet on his lap. He delayed closing the hatch, instead taking in the beautiful, sunny weather of Ajan Kloss before having to be engulfed in the darkness of space.

He inhaled and exhaled slowly, looking at the Resistance workers around him, scurrying to prepare for the fight. The mechanics unhooked all of the wires and hoses connected to the squad's bombers and quickly wished them luck. Looking across the clearing, he could still see Mads, who was now boarding a YC-123B transport hauler named, the Fortitude, with the rest of the ground team. She saw him looking at her and raised her hand, waving goodbye. Mac replied with a small wave himself before watching the transport doors close in front of her. It saddened him that she wouldn't be in front of him participating in the sendoff, but not many people would be participating in the ritual to begin with.

It seemed like what Mads said was true: all hands are on deck. Technicians, mechanics, and engineers alike were all given weapons if they were willing and ready to fight. Even flight controller Kaydel Connix was among the crowd of volunteer fighters that were going to assist with the assault. This only proved to Mac that the Resistance consisted of fighters. They were a family above all else, with certain skills that proved themselves useful in a military context. But if the time came to lay their lives on the line for victory, there was never a single doubt.

This was an inspiration to Mac, warranting another proud statement to make to his pilots over their comms channels. He placed his helmet onto his head and switched on the radio toggle, clearing his throat.

"Take a look around, squad. If you didn't know just how big this was, you sure as hell realize it now. We have members of the Resistance who aren't even fighters, going out and doing their damndest. This is exactly what separates us from those Final Order dogs, we are stronger mentally and we will damn sure show them we're stronger physically. This is exactly what we've been fighting for our whole lives. Today, we take the fight to them. Today, we avenge our fallen. Let's wipe these scum off the face of the galaxy!"

"Yeah!"

"Damn right!"

"We're with you, Commander!"

"We'll give it to 'em."

Mac fired up his engines and executed his routine systems check. Everything was in top shape and ready for combat. He switched his NavComputer screen to display his roster of Y-Wings, all seven of them shown in green, including his own. Once he felt ready, Mac ascended off of the ground and into the air, hovering just above the forest treeline. He retracted his landing gear and slowly pushed the throttle forward, distributing more power to his engines and thrusting himself forward. The white and red color scheme on the Y-Wings shined magnificently in the sunlight, the line of bombers now forming behind Mac and following all of his movements.

He awaited the signal to exit the atmosphere, observing as Jacyob's B-Wings, Jessika's A-Wings, and the Tantive IV rose into the air and turned to all face the same direction. He assumed that all other squads were behind him, waiting for Poe's go-ahead. Mac tested out the ion turret and cloaking abilities that were present in the prototype, but one major problem ensued. Nothing happened when he flicked the invisibility toggle. Thinking it was a glitch, he tried it over and over but still to no avail.

"Guys, your cloaks working?"

He asked his squad.

"Nope."

"Negative."

"No, sir."

"Should we land back down there?"

"Negative, negative. I guess that feature was still in the experimental phase then. Carry on squad."

It was a bummer for Mac, since having the cloaking systems was going to be a massive advantage in their fight. Now, it seemed that their odds of survivability took a bit of a downturn. Nonetheless, they would have to fight the old-fashioned way, with classic maneuvering being the key to dogfighting. After a couple minutes, a communications line was finally requested by Poe.

"All wings, this is General Dameron reporting in. We have the green light for fire mission to Exegol. Let's get this done. Team Leaders report in."

"Alpha Leader standing by."

Jessika called in.

"Bravo Leader standing by, let's do it."

Jaycob.

"Capital Leader standing by, we're with ya."

Snap. Mac was up next.

"Delta Leader, standing by."

"Echo Leader, standing by."

Jon'Kil.

"Fynock Leader, standin' by."

Layne finished off the headcount. Everyone was accounted for, now it was time to go. The fleet lined up in formation among the hyperspace lanes and plugged in the coordinates supplied by Rey. The blue and white tunnel of hyperspace gave Mac a feeling of familiarity and warmth. He never appreciated the ability of lightspeed or the abilities of the spacecraft he's flown, until now. Knowing that this might as well be the last time he's ever pulled that lever, he couldn't help but think back to all the events that's led to him being right where he needed to be.

However he wasn't given much time to daydream, as the fleet was forced out of hyperspace and accelerating at blazing speeds through an unknown slur of red. The fleet was engulfed with fog, and if he didn't know any better, Mac would've thought they were flying through a cave. Isotope and tunnels began to form, too fast for Mac to re-adjust his course and stop himself from colliding with it. What was supposed to result in a few nasty scrapes and dents, actually faded right through his Y-Wing left-side engine. Upon further observation, the tunnels were made of some type of jelly-like liquid that broke apart once flown through.

Mac turned on his Y-Wing's headlights to illuminate the path in front of him, as his surroundings began to become an eerie crimson. There was no way to know where you were going unless you knew a path, and thankfully, the Resistance did.

"I know it's a rough ride, but stayed locked on Rey's course."

Poe ordered. After a few more minutes of flying through the weird system, the flurry of red slowly began to disappear, the whole fleet eventually making it out. Mac looked down at his NavComputer roster and was relieved to see that no casualties had occurred during their flight. All wings were safe and still combat-ready. With another order given by Poe, the fleet launched into lightspeed once more, the final destination now just seconds away.

During those few seconds, Mac mentally prepared himself. Everyone already knew how many they were facing, and how difficult the oncoming fight was going to be. With the sheer amount of numbers, the Final Order would have around fifteen-to-one odds when it came to dogfighting. The Resistance's entire survival relied on the navigation tower being destroyed quickly, the whole mission only meant to delay the attack on the galaxy.

With Poe's last signal, Mac released his Y-Wing from hyperspace right outside of Exegol's atmosphere. What he saw when he got there was horrendous. Rows and rows of hundreds of Final Order Xyston -class Star Destroyers went on beyond view.

"Look at that fleet!"

Poe said, shocked. Before anyone could speak another word, the closest cruisers opened fire with their ion cannons, sending green shots into the Resistance fleet. Mac had to roll out to dodge an incoming shot, unfortunately not warning Delta 2 behind him. Enti's Y-Wing cockpit was splintered, sending a chain reaction of fire all the way to the craft's two engines, exploding the bomber to bits. Delta Squad was now down to six.

"Welcome to Exegol!"

Poe commented before handing over the command to the team leaders. Almost immediately Mac initiated free reign protocol, letting his pilots engage in any way they seemed fit.

"Get to their altitude. They can't fire on us without firing on each other."

Poe relayed to all Team Leaders. The majority of the warships were already above others, leaving an overlapping gap for the Resistance to operate. Flying at the lowest cruiser's altitude meant that the least amount of guns possible would be firing at them, making their jobs actually doable. The surface of Exegol was covered in blue ice, making the navigation tower stick out like a sore thumb.

"Don't give up! Help is coming!"

Poe said.

"I've got eyes on the navigation tower!"

Mac called out, watching the spire extending slowly upward. The only line of defense for the machine was a pair of turbolasers that were slow-firing and easy to work around. Mac released a flurry of cannon fire, followed by his squad, and wiped the laser defenses clean. The Resistance fleet was about halfway to their destination when incoming fire from their flanks caused a slight panic.

"TIEs!"

Jessika warned. A Star Destroyer had come from their right side, opening up their hangar bays and releasing their arsenal of TIE/dg starfighters , otherwise known as TIE Daggers. The new craft were sleek and nimble, their speed now being used to its full potential directly charging straight for the Fortitude . Seeing this, Mac could only think one thing: Mads.

"Delta Squad, engage those Daggers! We need to protect our transport!"

"Copy that!"

"Engaging..."

Mac took aim at the first closest TIE and opened fire with his cannons. He shredded the triangular-shaped wing panel on the left side, causing the ship to spin and burn as it fell toward the planet below. At the same time, he switched on his auto-locking ion turret as he flew straight into the wave of fighters. With quick precision, the turret aimed at all targets around Mac's bomber, firing a burst of three ion orbs straight into their cockpits. Instantly, three more TIEs were hit, their systems disabled. This left them open for attack, Mac's squadmates destroying them easily.

The initial wave of TIEs still proceeded through toward the troop transport, only to be stopped by Jaycob's B-Wing squad that now opened fire in unison. It was a deadly mass of laser as six TIEs were hit and destroyed, leaving the enemy squad's numbers miniscule. Mac turned his ship and began a small pursuit angle with the stragglers, only for his shields to be hit by something else. Looking behind him, two more squads of TIE Daggers were now in pursuit.

"More targets on your six!"

Jon'Kil warned Mac.

"Copy Chiss, I see them! Delta Squad, switch targets to the enemies behind!"

Mac ordered, as he pulled back hard on his control yoke. Sending his bomber one-hundred and eighty degrees, he faced the impending swarm upside down. To compensate, he rotated himself upright and squeezed his trigger, blasting a Dagger out of the sky. His squad did even more damage, a wave of red laser engulfing the TIEs and managing to destroy four more. The second squad of TIEs was still massive though, Jessika's A-Wing team now having to engage into pursuit angles.

The transport was still moving forward steadily, the target zone just within reach. Mere seconds before the transport would touch down, the tower was disabled. All pilots were struck with confusion, including Mac. Had they surrendered? Did someone else deactivate the tower? The constant barrage of fire coming from several cruiser turbolasers made it clear that waving the white flag was not an option.

They did it on purpose.

"Those ships need that signal. It's gotta be coming from somewhere."

Snap explained.

"They figured out what we're doing. Call off the ground invasion."

Poe ordered in defeat. Simultaneously, all pilots began to swerve different directions now splitting and going off to engage their own pursuit angles. It was over. Morale began to die down, their only plan now gone to the way-side.

"Wait! The nav signal's coming from that command ship! That's our drop zone!"

Finn reported, sparking hope. Mac looked out of his left-side window to see the Steadfast , which was raised high-above the other rows of capital ships. The idea of making a cruiser they're drop zone was even more absurd than the plan they had before.

"You wanna launch a ground invasion on a Star Destroyer?"

Wrobie Tyce spit out what everyone was thinking.

"I don't want to, but we can't take out that ship's nav system from the air. Give us cover. We gotta keep that fleet here until help arrives, we hope."

Finn ordered. It was a bad plan. But seeing as nobody had any alternatives, it was their only plan. All Wings after taking care of their assault paths formed up behind the transport, and sped on towards the flagship. The turbolaser fire became even more heavy, as more and more Star Destroyers found their way to take a strategic shooting angle aimed at the Resistance fleet. To add onto the trouble, two more cruisers released their armament of TIE Daggers, sending a pair of enemy squads right their way.

The airspace was getting crowded. Between having to dodge the cruiser's fire and the fast-moving TIEs, the fleet was taking a beating. Another Y-Wing at the rear of the group took a bad hit, sparking a fire inside their left-side engine. Mac could only see the pilot scream for help through their cockpit before the entire canopy ripped apart in fire. After Delta 6's destruction, the team was down to five.

"We lost Lucius!"

Delta 7 reported.

"Affirm, steady on pilots. Don't stop!"

Mac replied.

The Steadfast wasn't too far, but with everything coming at the Resistance fleet all at once, it was going to be a close call.

 

Chapter 29: Layne

Chapter Text

Coming out of the ready-room, Layne watched as the Flyboys dispersed and went to different sides of the base. Everything on Ajan Kloss was alive, with the Resistance rushing to do their duties and get set for the upcoming fight. Layne was still a little overwhelmed after volunteering to take over one of the A-Wing squads, but he was excited. He's had plenty of experience in combat and flying so he had all the tools needed to complete the task. Or that's what he told himself anyway.

Instead of running off like everyone else, he took his time at a slower walking pace. He took in his surroundings, breathing in the fresh air and admiring the beauty of the mountains and forest. Poe was right. Everything was coming at him extremely fast and it almost felt like he couldn't catch up. It felt as if he had just arrived on the Tantive IV for the first time, and now he was in charge of an entire squad of pilots, heading into what might as well be the final battle.

His journey was ending before it even started. It was unfair to him, but he took the responsibility given to him now and made the best of the situation. It's what his mom would have wanted, wherever she is in the galaxy. Jessika, the other A-Wing group leader, waved at him as he got closer to the forest clearing housing the interceptors. He had no clue who she was or what she's gone through, but he was glad to finally acquaint with someone else who was prominent in the Resistance.

"Hey Layne, I don't think we've properly met yet."

She said first, extending her hand out to him. He took it and smiled.

"Jessika, right? It's nice to finally meet you."

"You as well. You ready to bring the fight to the Final Order?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

Somehow, Jessika could see his hesitation.

"I've only led one squad prior to this."

"Really? How'd it go?"

"Not so well. Granted, we were equipped with ski speeders against walkers-"

"During the Battle of Crait?!"

Layne couldn't help himself.

"Yes, how'd you know?"

"Long story."

"Right, well it's not too difficult. Plus, I think you can handle anything if you've been around the Flyboys for this long. They are a walking disaster-magnet."

Layne snickered. The pair walked and talked all the way to the interceptors, getting to know each other better and their history in regards to the Resistance. He had to give her credit. Jessika didn't look like it at first glance, but the girl was a fighter. By the end of their conversation, he was more than happy to get the opportunity of fighting by her side. The A-Wings were lined up neatly in three rows of five each, different color schemes giving the ships some distinction.

Among the patterns was a new green and white, the common red and white, and the ever familiar blue and white. All of them were RZ-2 variants and looked pristine in condition. Layne couldn't wait to fly these things. He made his way to his classic red and white interceptor and vaulted into his seat. Standing by was an engineer who was holding Layne's gloves and helmet, handing the equipment to him as he sat down. He powered on his main systems before placing on his gloves, and made sure he was strapped in tight before closing the hatch on himself.

Placing the helmet onto his head and pulling his lekku out from the top. The fleet was already pressed for time, so he had to depart from Ajan Kloss without getting acquainted with his pilots on the surface. As he hovered above the treeline, he rotated himself toward the hyperspace lane. Jessika pushed her squad forward, waving to him as she passed by.

"Good luck, Layne. You'll do great as Fynock Leader."

Her voice came in quickly through his helmet. Layne gave a small salute in reply, finally powering on his communication systems. He took a glance at his NavComputer with a roster of seven A-Wings, including himself. Before the team leader roll call, Layne wanted to make sure he initiated a squadron roll call for his pilots first. He flipped the toggle and spoke into his mic,

"Now, we are headed into the belly of the beast for this one. Exegol is no joke. Prepare yourselves to see the biggest fleet you have ever encountered. Now, every single one of you has a job to do. You execute that well, and I swear you'll make it back here to celebrate our victory. Let's show these FO dogs who they're messing with!"

"Yes sir!"

"Let's do it!"

"We're with you, Lieutenant!"

Layne retracted his landing gear and accelerated him and his squad forward. A communications line was requested from the General, Layne accepting it and turning up the volume.

"All wings, this is General Dameron reporting in. We have the green light for fire mission to Exegol. Let's get this done. Team Leaders report in."

"Alpha Leader standing by."

"Bravo Leader standing by, let's do it."

"Capital Leader standing by, we're with ya."

"Delta Leader, standing by."

"Echo Leader, standing by."

It was Layne's turn.

"Fynock Leader, standin' by."

With all wings ready to go, the fleet lined up in formation to jump to lightspeed. The hyperspace tunnel surrounded them in the protection of it's blue and white slur. It didn't occur to him until now, but Layne realized that this might be the last time he'll ever be in hyperspace. Was he really about to give his life to a military force that was vastly outnumbered and had a slim to no chance of coming out of this alive? Hell yeah he was. No matter what happened next, Layne knew that it was infinitely better than dwelling away on Fondor waiting for the next opportunity to do something great. If he had the choice to join the Resistance again, he would pick the same exact choice he did so many months ago. He would be right where he needed to be: here, with his new family.

Altogether the fleet was suddenly pulled out of lightspeed and slowed to a, still extremely fast, pace. It all happened in a matter of seconds, but Layne's viewport was filled with dark red, some type of cave system coming up ahead. Layne managed to swerve through some openings and past some overhangs, but it was coming at him too quickly, an isotope headed straight for his ship's nose. He closed his eyes to brace for the impact, but it never came.

He opened his eyes and saw that the rock formations were actually moving and made of some squishy-type of substance. He flew through a couple more obstacles only for them to break apart and rub against the hull of his ship, softly. What would be a catastrophic barrier in their journey turned trivial, leaving the fleet easily coasting through the weird space environment. Another communications request from flared up, Layne accepting it.

"I know it's a rough ride, but stay locked on Rey's course."

Poe reassured the fleet. Layne still didn't have too much knowledge of the girl that they were following. But she got them this far safely, so he had no reason not to trust her. The path was only getting darker, him and his squad turning on their headlights to compensate. While dimly lit, the fleet still flew blind, the only thing guiding them being the trace of Rey's flight on their NavComputers.

"Fynock Squad, how you guys holding up?"

Layne checked up.

"I'm good."

"Yeah, we're all set here Lieutenant."

"Still with you, sir!"

This made the Twi'lek proud as the red skies were finally starting to fade away. They exited the nebula and assumed their hyperspace formations once more. After another short trip into hyperspace, the fleet arrived on Exegol. The first thing Layne saw was the lighting and clouds surrounding him. It was as if the planet was under an endless storm, but without the rain. However, he soon realized that the weather was going to be the least of his problems. He couldn't help himself from gasping out loud at the several hundred lines of Star Destroyers that were now hovering over the surface.

"Look at that fleet!"

Poe exclaimed. Before Layne could take it in, a flurry of ion cannon fire came straight for them from the closest cruiser. A B-Wing shattered in front of him, the cockpit snapping off of it's axle and sending the rest of the ship flying backwards. After barely dodging the debris, one of Mac's pilots was caught in the barrage and turned the bomber into an inferno. Layne had to swerve his interceptor wide right to avoid colliding with the debris.

"Welcome to Exegol! Get to their altitude. They can't fire on us without hitting each other."

Poe ordered via the team leader comms channel. Layne and his squad followed everyone else, and made their way to the overlapping weak point of Star Destroyers. Like the general said, the sources of incoming fire was reduced as less and less cruisers had a line of sight. Layne kept his head on a swivel, constantly glancing at his surroundings, his NavComputer, and his squad behind him. The storm that took place in the clouds was thick and dangerous, with several lightning bolts striking the skies every couple of seconds.

"Don't give up! Help is coming!"

The navigation tower protruded from the icy ground, with it's triangular panels rising in different directions as it prepared the fleet for takeoff. The turbolaser defenses that were stationed on the tower itself posed very little threat, as the Resistance weaved in and out of the bursts of fire. Mac's Y-Wing squad made quick work of the cannons, destroying all of them in a single strafing run. Layne was just about to congratulate him on the successful attack, but Jessika clogged the channel first.

"TIEs!"

Looking starboard, Layne recognized a Star Destroyer that had detoured from its column, with a swarm of enemy ships flooding out from its hangar bays. The TIEs were a variant that Layne's never seen before, their hexagonal wing panels now replaced with an isosceles triangle with it's shortest side facing the rear. The cockpit was different also, instead having a weird triangle and trapezoid outline. They were making their way toward the Fortitude at blazing-fast speeds, all escort squads engaging them before they could reach their target.

"Steady on, Fynock! Our guys got this."

Layne reported to his subordinates, as squads Delta and Bravo took out the majority of the first wave. Jaycob and Mac's teamwork was incredible, their experience together being obvious in the way they fought with each other. But right as one problem was taken care of, two more squads of TIEs emerged.

"I'm engaging!"

Jessika called out before sending her squad headfirst into the oncoming wave. There were numerous explosions, Layne not being able to tell who was killing who.

"Sir, should we assist?"

One of his pilots asked.

"Negative, we'll take the next wave. We need to make sure the Fortitude reaches its drop point."

He denied. The fleet was merely yards away when the unthinkable happened. The triangular panels of the tower began to wilt like a dying flower, all systems simultaneously disabling. The Fortitude along with it's escort fleet spread out and disengaged their assault path.

"The tower, they disabled it."

Layne reported to his squad.

"Take evasive action, we've got more TIEs coming at us!"

More and more cruisers began to descend, leaving their elegantly-formed line to get better lines of sight at the measly Resistance snub fighters. Another two squads of enemy fighters from a different Star Destroyer were released into the battle, and they had their crosshairs directly aimed at the troop transport. It was Fynock Squad's turn.

Quickly cutting into a pursuit angle behind a pair of TIEs, Layne opened fire with his A-Wing blaster cannons and destroyed them both.

"We've got a lot of people relying on us in that transport, squad. Let's take some of the pressure off them!"

He called out to his pilots.

"Rog'!"

"Copy that."

"Engaging!"

Fynock Squad was given full freedom to intercept and destroy all incoming fighters that posed a threat to the on-the-run Fortitude. Layne had no clue what the next course of action would be, now that the navigation tower was disabled. But at the moment, he didn't care. The only thing important to him right now was taking out the enemy fighters.

He pulled up on his control handles, sending his A-Wing into a tight loop to face three more TIE's that were coming at his rear. He let his cannons loose again, this time barrel-rolling to dodge his pursuers. He landed a chunk of shots right on one of the TIEs, sending its left wing panel across to another fighter next to it and destroying both. The last straggler flew right past Layne, both fighters now looping around to see which pilot could land a shot on the other first.

Layne came out victorious, as the high rate of fire from his A-Wing pumped laser directly into the enemy fighter's cockpit. In a matter of seconds, the trio of enemy pursuers were turned into nothing but space dust. After laying waste to his foe, Layne looked down at his squad roster to assess the damage. Luckily, no casualties had occurred.

Looking to his left, Layne could see a green and white A-Wing behind the tails of two TIEs, shooting and eventually destroying the pair before it turned around and buzzed right by to pursue another latch.

At the same time, a blue and white A-Wing, next to a red and white one pinched a group of four TIEs between their crosshairs and eliminated all of them in a massive explosion. Debris was sent in all directions, both big and small, some of the smaller pieces scraping Layne's viewport. Fortunately it left nothing but a few scratches, as the squad of TIEs were now taken care of. Now it was onto a much bigger problem: the navigation tower.

"Wait! The nav signal's coming from that command ship! That's our drop zone!"

Finn called out. The Fortitude turned toward the Steadfast, which was a lot higher than the rest of the Final Order fleet. If what General Finn said was true, their job was going to be a lot harder than anticipated. He still wasn't sure what the plan was exactly, but if they needed to escort the transport to the capital ship, that's what he would do.

"You wanna launch a ground invasion on a Star Destroyer?"

A pilot asked in disbelief.

"I don't want to, but we can't take out that ship's nav system from the air. Give us cover. We gotta keep that fleet here until help arrives, we hope."

There was a short silence that followed on the comms channel. Nobody came up with another plan, most of the pilots already too busy with trying not to get blasted out of the sky to think of one. Even though Layne was hesitant, he agreed, reporting it to his squad.

"Fynock, we got a new drop zone! Escort the Fortitude to the surface of that cruiser. Make sure it gets there untouched so we can trap this Final Order fleet here once and for all."

"Understood, but be advised team. We have two more Xyston-class Star Destroyers descending to our altitude."

A Fynock pilot warned.

"And it looks like they've got two more squads of TIEs coming out of their hangars!"

Another one added. Layne looked to his right, and surely enough what they said was right. Two more cruisers had appeared, with another gigantic wave of TIEs approaching closer. A swarm of green laser bolts washed over the fleet, shuddering shields and taking down some ships.

A blue and white A-Wing was caught in the fire, one shot going straight through the right side of the cockpit viewport and out the left, almost disintegrating the pilot altogether. The interceptor caught fire fast, nosediving straight down toward the surface, exploding before it could hit the ground.

At least it was fast.

Layne hoped the death was as painless and as quick as possible. It was a gruesome sight, but this was war after all. He was now down to six pilots. His goal of bringing everyone home had already failed. It was a dismal realization, but with the incoming mass of fighters that were practically breathing down the Resistance's neck, he didn't have time to mourn.

Without a second thought, Layne shifted aim from the Steadfast to the two TIE squads, a deadly dogfighting joust beginning to form. The squads of Alpha and Fynock flew side by side, a plethora of red laser colliding with the Final Order pilots. Half of the TIEs were shot down in the process.

The remaining twelve TIEs scattered in all sorts of directions, totally abandoning their original assault path toward the Fortitude. While Jaycob and his B-Wing squadron went to work on taking down the rest, Jessika and Layne returned their teams back to the escort party.

"How you holding up, Flyboy?"

Jessika asked as she flew alongside him.

"I'm alright. Already lost one from that wave though."

"Hey, it's alright. Don't beat yourself up about it, we still have a lot of fighting left to do."

"Understood. Thanks, Jessika."

"Look alive, three more squads coming at nine o'clock!"

Layne glanced at his radar dial to see thirty six more bogies, approaching from his left side. It seemed like they couldn't catch a break. The Final Order had no shortage of pilots or ships, the number reaching the thousands. Layne was just grateful that they weren't being thrown into the fight all at once. Whether it was overconfidence or stupidity, the fight was still under control as long as the sheer number of ships didn't overcrowd the airspace.

However, Layne knew it was just a matter of time before something like that happened. Palpatine would have no problem suffocating the Resistance until they were nothing more than ashes. But for the time being, they just needed to keep fighting and make the most of what the situation presented in front of them.

The lander touched down and skidded to a stop on the outer deck of the Steadfast. Their mission objective was completed. Now was the worst part: stalling until help arrived. The Final Order sent out four troop carriers of their own to stop the incoming ground forces, and countless more squads of TIEs were sent out from other random cruisers. The Resistance fleet was starting to get outnumbered, every pilot of every team now in charge of taking out their own squad. The odds were now twelve-to-one.

"Fynock, break off! We'll do more damage by ourselves than together! Good luck!"

Layne commanded via comms. His team which was originally behind him in formation, split off into different paths and pursuit angles, trying to engage as many enemies as possible. Layne was on his own now. He sped to the closest swarm of twelve TIEs, and began a loose pursuit angle. He gave himself as much space between him and his targets as possible, so that if any of them tried to separate from the pack, all he had to was tilt his ship slightly to get rid of them. The Final Order pilots were initially unaware of the pilot's presence, three TIE's falling at the hands of the Twi'lek. As if on queue, two fighters on opposite sides of the group tried to counter by straying off, immediately being shot down by an already-prepared Layne. The remnants of the TIE squadron were getting harder and harder to hit as they fell in numbers, the target spread now being more compact for his crosshairs. He kept on firing his short bursts from his cannons, taking each Final Order pilot down one by one until there were only two left.

He decided to have a little fun, watching the duo of enemy pilots fly too close to one another and side by side. He took aim at the right target's left wing panel, and fired. The joint that kept it together with the cockpit snapped as sparks flew, the TIE sent spiraling straight into its neighbor. Both TIEs collided, exploding on impact.

Twelve more down, onto the next.

Chapter 30: Jon'Kil

Notes:

Echo 2 - Gale Storen
Echo 3 - Hosa-Winn Kall
Echo 4 - Adilyn "Lynn" Delvidira
Echo 5 - Morgana Alisani
Echo 6 - Oah Katarn
Echo 7 - Paul Trythe
Echo 8 - Giyco
Echo 9 - Giyra
Echo 10 - Jerdane Richill

Chapter Text

Captain Jon'Kil. Who would've thought? From a lonesome, First Order TIE pilot who was nothing but a number, now a Resistance high-ranking official leading the only force against the galaxy's evil. It would've taken him years to reach this rank if he was still with the First Order, especially with his race. But now the Chiss was about to lead a squad into battle, against an enemy much stronger and massive than anything he's ever faced before. He was ready. As ready as he'd ever be anyway.

Watching the Flyboys disband was something he didn't take too seriously until after each of the members went their separate ways. It didn't come to his attention that it very well might be the last time he'd ever work with any of these pilots again. This was the Resistance's final stand, and there was no going back now. Regardless of the outcome, he was glad that he's gained the experience he had. He wouldn't trade this for anything.

While everyone left, Jon'Kil stayed back and took a good look at the base around him. For some odd reason, he wasn't scared or anxious. The average person, if put into his shoes, might be scared to death, but Jon'Kil just wasn't. There was no sense of cockiness or overconfidence, just acceptance of the task that lay ahead and the odds that were pinned against him. This Resistance is the closest thing to a family he's got, and he wasn't ready to let it go yet.

He was just about to start walking when the joyful voice of Asha came to greet him.

"There's my flyboy!"

She exclaimed, Jon'Kil cracking a smile. Ever since they returned from the Steadfast , they haven’t really been in each other’s presence, having to go to their respective duties. She pulled her into his arms and into a tight hug, her arms wrapping around the back of his neck. He closed his eyes, letting himself get lost in her embrace. He ran his hands up and down her back as a sign of reassurance but he was surprised to feel the bulkiness of a backpack at his fingertips. There was hard metal parts that poked through the fabric, and that only meant one thing.

"You're going out there?"

He guessed. She pulled away from his hug and looked up at him with a confused expression.

"How'd you know?"

"Uhhh...the bag?"

She bit her lip and nodded her head, cautiously. It was as if she was getting ready to be scolded at.

"I...g-good. We're gonna need you out there."

He stuttered.

"Why the hesitation?"

"Nothing you haven't already heard before. I'm just glad we'll be fighting side by side."

"Side by side?"

"You get my point, Ms. Ground Team. I'll be watching over you from above."

He smiled. She returned it, kissing him on the cheek one more time before running off toward the Fortitude . Jon'Kil turned back around toward the X-Wings, and jogged to his ship. Snap was already waiting at his X-Wing, getting acquainted with his squad on one side. Across from him was Jon'Kil's ship, with the pilots under his command standing at attention in front of their X-Wing noses. He walked into their sight lines and nodded his head.

"You guys can ease up, I don't bite."

He joked, a few pilots cracking a smile. He looked down the line, observing each and every one of them. He walked to the beginning and introduced himself to the first pilot.

"Gale Storen, sir. Pleasure to be flying with you, Captain."

The human male with light skin said. He had slicked back black hair that was accompanied with a thin mustache on his upper lip. Jon'Kil shook his hand, now looking to the next pilot, a Gungan.

"Meesa Hosa-Winn Kall. But yousa can call me Hosa."

"Pleasure to meet you, Hosa."

The gungan was an older male, some wrinkles being visual on his face. Jon'Kil shook his hand afterwards, and did so with every other pilot he became acquainted with.

"The name's Adilyn Delvidira, but I go by Lynn."

The third pilot in the line said. She was a female human, and very young just judging on her physique. She was short with light skin, blue eyes, and an interesting shade of white hair that was cut at her shoulders. She had a lengthy scar that ran from her right-side temple, downwards to her mouth. She also had a prosthetic left leg that seemed to be high-tech. Jon'Kil was impressed. Even if she was young, she'd been through hell and back.

"It's a pleasure, Lynn."

He greeted. The next pilot in line was another human female. She was young as well, but contrary to Lynn, she was tall and had thick auburn hair that flowed down past her shoulders. She had clear blue eyes, and if she didn't have her flightsuit on, she could be easily mistaken as some sort of royalty or senator.

"I am Morgana Alisani. Good to meet you, sir."

She announced in a formal tone, as she shook Jon'Kil's hand.

"You too, Morgana."

"Oah Katarn, Cap. Good to be flying with ya."

A shorter human male greeted. Oah had tan skin and short slicked back black hair. Jon'Kil took his hand without saying anything, but giving a nod of approval. The next pilot was another human male, with light skin. He had a bandage on his left cheek, covering what looks like a fresh injury. He had short brown hair, and a thick mustache.

"Paul Trythe, sir."

Up next were a pair of pilots that were related, twins to be exact. The human siblings stood close together, and had the exact same posture. The brother had loose brown hair that only went down to his ears, and brown eyes. The sister had longer hair that went all the way down to her shoulders, and shared the same color eyes as her brother.

"Giyco..."

"...and Giyra! Reporting for duty!"

They said enthusiastically. Jon'Kil was taken aback at the rehearsed greeting, but amused.

"Hahaha , I like it."

Lastly was a human male with dark skin. There wasn’t much that stuck out about him, but he looked confident and stern, as if he was born to fight.

"Jerdane Richill, ready to fight sir."

Jon’Kil smiled at the simplicity, stepping back to project his voice to his whole squad now.

"If this is the first time you are hearing of me, I don't blame you. And thanks to the position we were put in after the Battle of Crait, this will be the first squad I have ever led into battle."

Some of the pilots began getting uneasy, almost all of them sharing the same worried expression.

"That being said, I guarantee that you will all receive my utmost support in the coming fight and I promise you that your lives are my top priority. The Battle of Exegol will be remembered for eons, long after we're all gone. But I ask you this, are you willing to fight and die for this cause? Because if you're not willing to give all of yourself to this effort, then there's no chance of us winning. Look around you."

Jon'Kil pointed at various locations of the base, highlighting the many groups and roles that were all scurrying to prepare for the upcoming skirmish.

"Everyone you see here has given everything to be here and are willing to lay their lives down for the Resistance. All I ask from you now, is to do the same. If you feel like you can't do that, there will be no judgement. You can leave my squadron right now, any takers?"

The Chiss looked down the line of pilots. Not a single foot stepped out of place, which brought a bright smile onto Jon'Kil face.

"Good. As pilots, we are the most fearsome fighters there are. While we're up there let's act like it, yeah?"

"Yes sir."

"We've got you, Captain."

"Yes Captain."

"Good. Let's mount up, roll call to follow after pre-flight check."

Jon'Kil quickly saluted his team before turning back and boarding his X-Wing. He climbed the small step ladder to enter his cockpit and grabbed his gear out of the hands of the waiting engineer. He already knew Asha was much too busy to be there for him at sendoff, so once he placed on his gloves and helmet, he closed the lid. He ran through his pre-flight checklist, all core systems working at peak capacity. He lifted himself into the air and rotated toward the hyperspace lanes. Once his squad was in the air, Poe began the team leader roll call.

"Delta Leader, standing by."

Mac answered after Jessika, Jaycob, and Snap. Noticing his callsign on his NavComputer, he was up next.

"Echo Leader, standing by."

Layne quickly rounded it off with his callout of being Fynock Leader, all wings ready to go. Keeping their formation, Jon'Kil led Echo Squad into their hyperspace lane and pulled the lightspeed lever. All ten X-Wings shot forward at blazing fast speed, the blue and white tunnel surrounding the team as they plot their course for Exegol.

If it weren't for Rey, the Resistance would have no clue where to even begin their search for the Final Order. Deep down Jon'Kil hoped that she was alright, with whatever she was doing. He needed her to be his teacher, and help him control whatever Force he possessed. Otherwise he'd go on living through life not knowing exactly what he's capable of, if he made it out of this alive at least.

There wasn't much he could do about that now, the only focus now being the fight ahead. If the Resistance wasn't successful here, all of Jon'Kil's thoughts would be just that. Thoughts. Nothing would be explored, no hope left in the galaxy. This battle was going to determine the fate of something much bigger than him. But instead of letting that get to him, he rushed into his squad's roll call.

"Echo Squad, call it off."

He ordered.

"Echo 2, reporting."

Gale started.

"Echo 3, eesa standing by."

Hosa continued. Following after was Lynn and Morgana who were Echo 4 and 5. Oah was Echo 6 and Paul was 7. The twins reported after, with Giyco starting at Echo 8 and Giyra at Echo 9. And Jerdane followed up the back at Echo 10.

"Thank you kindly, Echo. Now, watch your quadrants out there. We'll be facing an enemy much bigger than ours, and the key to success will be our teamwork. Call your tails out, engage quickly, but do not stray too far from one another. They have strength in numbers, so a one-on-one won't be possible. Draw them in close and your teammates will assist, clear?"

"You got it."

"Crystal, Cap."

"We read you, boss."

Not even twenty seconds had passed before the Resistance fleet was suddenly pulled out of lightspeed and into a dark red nebula. It looked like one giant cave system, complete with tunnels, overhangs, and even isotopes. But instead of the ragged rocky material that would've tore their ships to shreds, it was a gelatin-like substance that fell apart to the touch. Other than giving a quick scare to the pilots who were still flying at incredibly-fast speed, the environment served no threat. They were in and out of the space system in a matter of minutes. There were no casualties due to the complication, and the fleet returned to lightspeed.

Jon'Kil looked at his NavComputer, rotating a knob to bring up his team's roster. All X-Wings were safe and accounted for. He took in the sight of the display, each of his members highlighted in bright green to signify their battle effectiveness. He knew that this would probably be the last time his NavComputer showed such good news.

Only a few more minutes passed by until Poe's signal to disengage out of hyperspace was given. They had arrived on Exegol. Rows and rows of hundreds of Star Destroyers were there to greet them, the atmosphere no less threatening. Lightning bolts struck every few hundred feet, some striking the icy planet surface and some striking even the enemy cruisers. Everything was so overwhelming, but the Resistance fleet had no time to process any of it as several of the closest Destroyer cannons opened fire on them.

"Watch out!"

Jon'Kil called out as quickly as he could. Sadly it was too late, as Paul took a hit directly to the cockpit, sending the entire fighter into flames.

"Echo 7 is down!"

Morgana, Echo 5, reported.

Echo was now down to nine combatants. The fleet dipped and dove into different directions in an attempt to dodge the cruiser cannons.

"Welcome to Exegol! Get to their altitude. They can't fire on us without hitting each other."

Poe ordered through the chaos. The fleet followed, taking a fast nosedive toward the capital ships.

"Don't give up! Help is coming!"

The navigation tower was hidden in plain sight. The darkness of the Star Destroyer overcast attempted to hide the spire, but with all of its flashing lights it was really hard to miss. The pilots of Delta Squad made quick work of the tower's defenses, however a group of new TIE Daggers came in to run interference. Alpha Squad broke off from the group and began to intercept the pursuers, and thankfully with much success. The Fortitude was covering much ground on its way to the tower, and it seemed like everything was going according to plan. But then, the unthinkable happened.

Within seconds, the navigation tower along with it's blooming spires began to deactivate, shrinking and wilting back toward the ground like an elevator. Jon'Kil's heart sank at the sight as it was looking like the mission was a failure.

"That tower's disabled, standby."

Jon'Kil reported to his team. The Resistance fleet disengaged from their flight path and began to turn back around, only to be greeted by another group of TIE Daggers. Layne and the rest of Fynock Squad went on to engage them, leaving the Fortitude with even less protection than before. Now, even more capital ships began to descend from their original altitude, opening up more firing lanes from their position and keeping the Resistance suppressed. Echo team did their best to dodge the swarm of enemy fire, as they were desperate for some orders on what to do now.

"Wait! The nav signal's coming from that command ship! That's our drop zone!"

General Finn called out.

He cannot be serious.

"You wanna launch a ground invasion on a Star Destroyer?"

An Alpha pilot asked.

"I don't want to, but we can't take out that ship's nav system from the air. Give us cover. We gotta keep that fleet here until help arrives, we hope."

We hope?

Jon'Kil desperately wanted to raise some sort of opposition to the plan, but he realized that there was no time for an alternative. The Fortitude was already headed toward the Steadfast . Jon'Kil turned toward Ren's capital ship, shivering at the sight. Asha and himself had just escaped from the dreaded cruiser, and now they were about to assault it. Two more Destroyers from the formation above descended to their altitude, and released two fresh squads of TIE Daggers straight toward the fleet.

Thankfully, the enemies were intercepted by the squads of Alpha and Fynock then swept up by Bravo. But as soon as half of that enemy force was taken care of, a callout from Jessika warned of more incoming.

"Look alive, three more squads coming at nine o'clock!"

Jon'Kil looked down at his radar dial to confirm Jessika's findings. Surely enough thirty six more TIE Daggers were coming into the fight from the flight path's left flank. With the Resistance already dealing with other enemy squads and Echo being seemingly quiet up to this point, Jon'Kil made the call. He switched on his comms toggle and changed to his team's channel.

"Echo, we're engaging! Let's go!"

Veering left, Jon'Kil turned his X-Wing to face the oncoming TIEs, with his squadmates doing the same behind him. A joust ensued of nine X-Wings versus thirty six TIE Daggers. Jon'Kil lined up the first cluster of TIEs into his crosshairs before letting his cannons loose, a rapid pattern of four evenly scattered blasts crowding the enemy. Jon'Kil alone was able to destroy three Daggers; one with a direct shot to the cockpit, and the other two with strategic hits to their wing panels. After the joust, only one more X-Wing met an explosive demise with a total of fourteen Final Order pilots killed in seconds.

Jon'Kil switched his NavComputer back to look at his roster, seeing that it was Gale who was just killed.

"Echo 2's down."

He called out, watching his squadmate's symbol turn dark red.

Twenty two more Daggers to go in the wave, all eight X-Wings now on their own pursuit angles. With less than two full TIE fighter teams to go, Echo Squad had to make quick work of their enemy if they wanted to make it back to the Fortitude . The next batch of TIEs that were caught in Jon'Kil's crosshairs consisted of three fighters, all of which were on a direct flight path toward the troop carrier. He opened fire with his main cannons, destroying the center ship, while the flanks separated and took off in different directions. He followed the left-most target, who was now veering wide left and away from the Fortitude . Jon'Kil fired controlled bursts as the enemy pilot weaved in and out of his targeting systems, making sure to corral the pilot in between the grouping.

The only thing on Jon'Kil's mind was protecting the troop carrier and keeping Asha safe. He figured that every TIE he led away from the main fleet was more time the Fortitude would have to land their personnel on the cruiser. Eventually Jon'Kil grew tired of playing with his target, lining up a perfect shot to the cockpit and destroying it before moving back toward the scattered Final Order main wave. As he made his way back toward the fleet, Lynn was seen swirling in the air and taking down two Daggers with a steady pattern of laser before they moved to pursue another attack angle.

"Nice flying, 4."

He couldn't help but praise.

"Thanks Captain!"

She replied. The three squads tasked with intercepting the lander had failed, the transport skidding to a halt on the left-side bow of the ship. Several AAL-1971/9.1 Troop Transports started to fly in from across the deck, the Orbaks and their riders barely starting their charge toward the bridge. Even more waves of TIE fighters were released from the cruisers now surrounding them, the Resistance fleet now, without a doubt, outnumbered. Each friendly pilot was now in charge of taking down a lot more TIEs than they bargained for and how skillful they were was about to come into play.

"Echo Team, we're breaking formation! We need to thin out their numbers, make me proud pilots!"

Jon'Kil ordered, breaking off from the pack and pursuing his own targets. It was now every pilot for themselves. He chased down a group of four TIEs, holding a tight angle on their backs. He shot out a rapid succession of laser, hitting two of the fighters dead center, watching as the pure force from the explosion had the other two Daggers trailing smoke. Both Final Order pilots stayed together, now lining up an attack run on the Resistance foot soldiers.

Not on my watch.

With another quick spray of cannon fire, both of the TIE's were hit, causing them to collide into each other and explode in a fiery ball of metal. Already on a path looking at the Steadfast , he opened fire on one of the many troop carriers that were beginning their landing of a batch of new red stormtroopers. He ripped the walls of the transport apart, obliterating all of the foot soldiers and crew that were housed inside. Bodies flew in all directions after the ship exploded, some of them even splattering against the top deck and smearing a new red line as they slid off and toward the icy surface so many miles below.

He turned right, lining up another transport within his crosshairs and squeezing his trigger. Blaster cannon holes were punched all along the topside of the carrier, eventually leading all the way up toward the enemy pilot's compartment and killing the inhabitant. The cockpit burst into flames as the transport suddenly tipped forward and crashed stern first into the cruiser's deck. Jon'Kil quickly celebrated before turning around and soaring to his next batch of targets. The only goal for the Resistance now was to survive. They needed to stall until help arrived, and as long as Jon'Kil's X-Wing was stable, that's exactly what he was determined to do.

Chapter 31: Jaycob

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Jaycob had stuck both pictures in the crevices of his controls, now having both of them to look at.

“Think you could give me some of the Flesio courage, big bro?”

He said to himself.

Don’t cry, not now.

Jaycob was a General now, and it was time to act like it. With the fleet managing to slip through some sort of nebula and back into hyperspace, he knew that the time to fight was coming. Upon arrival, Jaycob had to stop his own jaw from dropping. The Resistance fleet had been pulled from lightspeed mere miles away from the line of cruisers, hundreds of them in single-file formations floating idle above the icy surface.

"Look at that fleet!"

Poe exclaimed. Instantly, the closest cruisers opened fire in response, sending green ion bolts into the crowd. One of Delta Squad's Y-Wings was hit right in front of Jaycob, causing him to have to evade the debris. Then, a short low-toned prompt emitted from his NavComputer alerting him that Bravo 5 was also killed.

"Blast! Evasive action, squad! We just lost Retch!"

Jaycob called out. He rotated his B-Wing out of the enemy's line of sight, while diverting all power to his engines and shields. Retch's death took a heavy toll on the fleet, Bravo Squad now down to only five, making their job even harder.

"Welcome to Exegol! Get to their altitude. They can't fire on us without hitting each other. Don't give up! Help is coming!"

Poe ordered. Jaycob obeyed, now flying at a downward slope toward the closest cruiser's altitude. The navigation tower was spotted easily as the mechanical spires began to bloom from the base. There were several flashing lights covering the tower and smaller turbolasers were stationed on the ground next to it. Mac's squad took care of the defenses with ease, a clear path made for the ground team. Well, almost clear.

"TIEs!"

Jessika called, referencing the squad of TIE Daggers that were coming from the fleet's starboard side. In response, Delta Squad broke off from the rest of the fleet and went to engage. Mac made quick work of four of them, while the rest paid no mind and continued toward the Fortitude. The remaining eight were still fast approaching, triggering Jaycob to step in and take action.

"Bravo, let's mop up that mess!"

He ordered, banking right and head first toward the wave of TIEs. The rest of his pilots joined him in the joust, all B-Wings releasing their deadly weapons onto the wave. Within seconds six Daggers went down, the last two stragglers now fleeing the battle.

"That'll show 'em!"

Seftin celebrated.

"Damn right, Bravo 2. Let's get-"

"More targets on your six!"

Jon'Kil cut Jaycob off as they were going to rejoin the fleet.

"Copy Chiss, I see them! Delta Squad, switch targets to the enemies behind!"

Mac replied, his team now abandoning their path back to the fleet in exchange for another joust with the incoming TIE squad. Five Daggers were destroyed in the process, leaving nineteen more still headed for the Resistance carrier. Jessika's Alpha Team broke off to assist, while Bravo returned to the escort formation.

"Good luck, skysis."

"Thanks hotshot, but keep some of that luck for yourself, you're gonna need it!"

"We all do."

"I'm engaging!"

Jaycob watched as her A-Wing team sped off toward the skirmish, explosions quickly following. The Fortitude was at the target zone, the boarding ramp preparing to drop. What happened next made his heart sink. The navigation tower began to shut down, the spires now collapsing back into the base. The entire system powered off, not a single spec of light visible on the machine.

"No no no! They disabled it, Bravo break off!"

Jaycob ordered. The five B-Wings turned tail and led the fleet back out from their original assault path, and back toward open sky. Things were looking dim for the Resistance as everyone had no clue on what to do next. Thankfully, Finn discovered some much needed news.

"Wait! The nav signal's coming from that command ship! That's our drop zone!"

"You wanna launch a ground invasion on a Star Destroyer?"

Wrobie testified.

"I don't want to, but we can't take out that ship's nav system from the air. Give us cover. We gotta keep that fleet here until help arrives, we hope."

Jaycob raised no opposition, seeing that this was the only way forward. If Finn needed the Fortitude on the deck of the Steadfast, that's what he'd do.

"New drop zone gentlemen, the Steadfast! Try to keep up!"

He reported quickly to his team. The lines of Star Destroyers began to disassemble as more of the cruisers descended to the Resistance's altitude, opening up their hangar bays. Just when it couldn't get any worse, twenty-four more Daggers were dispatched to intercept. Layne and the rest of Fynock Squad went on to attack the enemy with Alpha, leaving the Fortitude protected by the squads of Bravo, Echo, and Fynock. The two incoming squads were reduced by half, Jaycob itching to attack the remaining twelve.

Bravo Squad broke off from escorting the Fortitude once again, and went to work on destroying the last squad of TIEs. Jaycob managed to take down five while the rest of his team took down seven. He looked down at his roster to see that all four of his pilots were still alive and well. He was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when Jessika called out another wave of enemies.

"Look alive, three more squads coming at nine o'clock!"

She said, a wave of thirty-six TIEs now emerging on the Fortitude. Echo broke off from the escort and went on to intercept, now leaving Capital as the only remaining squad defending the transport. Jaycob desperately wanted to return to the escort formation, but the ground team was already almost there and Snap's pilots were all still healthy. Thankfully only a couple of minutes passed before the troop carrier touched down on the deck. With General Finn at the front, the ground team charged from the boarding ramp and started their assault toward the bridge.

Their objective was complete, but now a whole new problem emerged from the small victory. Several Star Destroyers now began reaching the same altitude as the Resistance fleet, opening up firing lanes and giving their Dagger pilots enough room to deploy. There was no way to stop them, as countless squads of enemy pilots began their pursuit. Every squad began to separate, knowing that it would be easier to out-maneuver the enemy if they were alone.  Jaycob signaled for his team to do the same, taking a straight path toward the Final Order troop carriers that were making their way to the deck. After witnessing Jon'Kil take down two himself, Jaycob was determined to take down even more.

He took aim at the closest transport, and rotated himself so that he was now accelerating head first toward the nose of the ship. The top hatch behind the turret began to open, as the gunner was preparing to fire on the incoming B-Wing. The stormtrooper wasn't fast enough, Jaycob unleashing a deadly spread from his laser cannons. The gunner took a bolt straight to the helmet, the headless body flying out of their seat. The ramp dented in and eventually cracked open, a single bolt colliding with the closest stormtrooper and into the one behind them. The rest of the transport was history, exploding into bits right before Jaycob flew through it.

Luckily, the next target was right behind this one, as Jaycob kept his trigger finger pulled. The entire front of the enemy lander was unrecognizable by the time he was done with it, the entire craft crashing down into the deck. That was two down out of the seemingly endless line that kept following from neighboring cruisers. Jaycob grunted as he took a wide turn away to keep himself from crashing into the next transport which was too close for any sort of attack. Right as he was about to turn around for another strafing run, a latch of Daggers zoomed past his viewport, chasing down one of his pilots.

His squad was at the top of his priority list now, shifting target to the enemy pursuers. Quickly peeking at his roster, he was able to tell that it was Bravo 4 who was trying his best to evade the opposing fire.

"Honess, I gotcha!"

Jaycob called out, firing into the wave of twelve TIEs. Four of them were slain as they met Jaycob's cannons, their weak attempts at dodging proving to be useless. The remaining eight had more room to maneuver now, half of them shifting around and pursuing an angle on him. Jaycob did his best to destroy the four that were Honess, able to take down three before having to spin out of his pursuers' line of sight.

"Woooooo!"

He screamed, his surroundings going in circles. He pulled back hard on his yoke, the pure force keeping his head plastered to his seat. Only one of the four TIEs was able to keep up, the other three now scattering to try and get a bead on him. While they flew aimlessly, Jaycob was able to line up a perfect shot at two ships that were aligned one in front of the other. He squeezed on his trigger, obliterating the closest Dagger, letting the rest of his cannon shots collide with the TIE behind it, busting it's wing panel right off. The last Dagger now behind Jaycob tried to get a shot on him, but couldn't as a Y-Wing bomber came in from it's right flank and killed them.

"Mac, great timing as always."

"I try."

"How's your squad holding up?"

"Lost two before the blasted transport even landed. I don't know how long we'll be able to last out here."

"Doesn't matter, we fight til the end!"

"I'm with you, Jaycob! Cover me while I hit a strafing run on the deck?"

"You got it!"

Both team leaders now shifted direction toward the deck of the Steadfast, bracing for any outside hindrances that might disrupt their run. Looking at his radar dial, a small trio of Daggers were fast approaching from the left. In response, Jaycob turned toward them and initiated a joust. Two Daggers were destroyed, the last straggler landing a few good shots to his shields. The enemy flew right past the B-Wing and took aim at the Y-Wing. But before the pilot could get a shot off, Mac's ion turret sent two orbs in the cockpit, disabling it for good. The FO dog was now flying dead stick, Jaycob shooting them down with ease. 

Jaycob regrouped with Mac, watching as his friend dropped a deadly payload of proton torpedoes into the sea of stormtroopers. The ground team was able to move up, pushing the wave of Sith Troopers back. However, there wasn't much time for celebration as another group of enemy landers were coming in to reinforce.

"Helluva run, Mac!"

Jaycob cheered.

"Helluva escort, hotshot. I'll see you around!"

Mac returned, now splitting off from the path. Before Jaycob could take a breath, his wrist-computer buzzed, warning of another latch of TIE Daggers approaching from above. Jaycob glanced up through his viewport to see twelve fresh new units had just been deployed, a wave of green lasers coming down at him. He accelerated past the cannon fire and now accumulated a huge trail on his rear.

Kriff.

Using the Steadfast as cover, Jaycob flew past the top of the cruiser's deck and rotated himself upside down so he could get a sharp turn toward the underbelly of the ship. He executed the maneuver flawlessly, creating separation between himself and the Daggers, now looping horizontally around to get the jump on them. As soon as the first trio of TIEs emerged he opened fire, destroying all three, and sent a couple shots from his ion turret for the ones behind them. The two ion shots contacted the latter, sending them powerlessly toward the surface of the planet. He then quickly accelerated toward the other seven enemies, hitting a cheap shot on one of their wing panels before heading back out toward open space. The TIE that was hit began to trail smoke, Jaycob knowing that it was only a matter of time before he too perished.

Just like expected, the cocky FO pilot stayed on pursuit, the plating on their wing panel catching fire and snapping the entire thing off. Instead of retreating back to a nearby hangar for repairs and possibly returning to the fight, they proved to be a liability to their own team, colliding with another Dagger that was right next to them. Jaycob then used the sudden confusion to his advantage, pulling back on his thrust and spinning himself around to face his targets. The quad of fighters were now in his line of sight, Jaycob squeezing on his trigger and simultaneously destroying every single one.

The debris from the four Daggers were mere bits and pieces, as they collided and scraped Jaycob's hull, dealing no real damage. With his tail now out of the way, it was time to intercept more fighters. There was no shortage of them, a manageable wave of five now on the back of another Bravo Squad pilot. It was Aftab Ackbar who seemed to be needing assistance, Jaycob now accelerating to help. He dismantled three fighters with his blaster cannons alone, the remaining two now splitting off and fleeing different directions.

"Thanks for the assist, Bravo Leader."

"Not a problem, Bravo 3, keep it going!"

As soon as he was able to relieve one of his pilots, his name was called once again for help.

"Jaycob, I got a latch headed straight for ya!"

It was Layne. Judging by his radar dial, a whole new squad of twelve Daggers were now fast approaching from his right flank, with a single friendly symbol representing Fynock Leader on the chase. Jaycob shifted his shields to the front and rotated to face the incoming wave. He fired a rapid succession from his primary guns, tearing apart three, before accelerating and wrapping around to begin a tight angle. Layne managed to spray down three more himself, leaving the total to six.

"These TIEs are the real deal, it's difficult lining up a shot!"

Layne stated, in between squeezes of his trigger.

"Really? I feel like they're actually easier to hit!"

Jaycob replied, following his friend's firing cycle. The joint gunplay took down another trio of fighters, leaving the last three trying to evade. They led the pair of Resistance pilots back toward the Steadfast, in an attempt to gain cover. The combined total of five starfighters zoomed over the ground battle taking place on the deck and made their way toward the engines. Jaycob pushed his throttle to the maximum, knowing that once they dipped down toward the engines they would dodge his line of sight thus giving them time to reposition and counter. But just as they were about to nosedive, an X-Wing came in from above and wiped them out.

"Come on Flyboys, you thought I was gonna let you have all the fun?"

Snap's voice came in.

"Snap! Nice shooting!"

Jaycob praised, now splitting off from Layne and taking off toward a new cruiser that was now descending to their altitude. The starboard side hangar bay doors were about to be opened, but Jaycob was there just in time. As the clunky metal door slowly slid open, he sent a pair of proton torpedoes into the crowd of docked Daggers. The starfighters went up in flames, covering the rest of the squads, pilots, and interior control tower with fire. The sheer force of the explosion could be heard loudly through Jaycob's cockpit, even pushing his ship away with the blast.

Keeping the momentum, he repeated the same attack on the port side hangar, completely annihilating everyone and every ship that was inside. After watching both sides of the cruiser start to smoke, Jaycob pumped his fist as high as his cockpit would let him, celebrating aloud for his work.

"Let's go! Kylo's not the only one that can do that!"

He said to himself, bitterly. With seventy-two Daggers now out of the fight, he moved back toward the main battle. Sadly, all he could do was watch as an X-Wing was flanked by a Dagger squad in the process of chasing another, both left s-foils deteriorating into ash as the pilot exploded into nothingness. Jaycob chased the culprits, managing to shoot down three before shifting again into a more precise pursuit angle. He repeated the same process that he'd already done before, chasing and firing, keeping up with the enemy pilots until each one was gone.

At this point, Jaycob had already lost count of how many TIEs he had taken down, more worried about protecting his men than any kill accolade. In the distance, one of his squadmates could be seen trailing smoke as four Daggers were hot on their tail. Jaycob already began accelerating when another B-Wing zoomed past his viewport and downward, trying to evade a whole swarm of eight. Quickly he made the call to assist the pilot closest to him, now taking a downward spiral to get the angle on his teammates pursuers.

He fired a flurry of ion orbs into the crowd in front of him, making contact with four of the eight, then turning them into dust with his blaster cannons. The remaining four Daggers were the target for his next attack cycle, when an accented voice came in through his channel.

"I've got four on my tail, and I've been hit. I don't think I'll be able to shake them!"

It was Nazio, otherwise known as Bravo 6. He was the pilot in need that he saw before. Jaycob was just about to answer the call when he was suddenly cut off by Honess.

"This is Bravo 4, 6 I'm en route!"

Suddenly, the entire wave of TIE pursuers shifted upward as their target now changed direction. The B-Wing Jaycob was helping out was them. Knowing that Honess was going to attempt to save one of his squadmates' lives while he was still in danger, gave Jaycob a morale boost, pumping even more adrenaline and multiplying his concentration. He was not about to let two more pilots die under his command.

Quickly, Jaycob locked his cockpit orientation as the rest of his ship began spinning. He held down the trigger, creating a circular spread of laser fire that took down all TIEs in seconds. Afterwards, he accelerated to get into a paired formation with Honess, and went after Nazio. The pair of B-Wing pursuers, took down Bravo 6's tail with ease, all three pilots now temporarily free of any enemy fighters.

"Nazio, how're you holding up?"

Jaycob questioned.

"Alright sir, thank you."

"Is your ship still combat effective?"

Honess asked.

"I...I think so. All my core systems are reading fine on my NavComputer."

"Copy 6, if you need a new ship you can dock with the Tantive. We have a few reserve ships on standby, and you'll be back in the fight."

"Yes sir, I'll-"

The transmission was cut off by static as Nazio's B-Wing was met with a gigantic turbolaser bolt. The explosion shook both Jaycob and Honess, forcing them to split off.

"Damn it!"

Jaycob cursed, now going into a low pass over the ground battle. The fighting seemed to be going well so far, Finn and the rest of the team able to make their way to the halfway point of the deck. The red stormtroopers seemed to be wiped out, with only a few jet troopers running interference. Unfortunately their break from heavy fighting would be short-lived, as five more landers came in and began releasing troops onto the deck.

Jaycob was able to take out a whole transport in the middle of it's landing process, the destroyed ship collapsing to the deck. An A-Wing came in opposite of him and ran a strafing run on the enemy ground forces, but was immediately chased by two TIEs right after. Jaycob went to assist yet again, the two Final Order starfighters exploding into dust. Fatigue started kicking in as his fingers grew sore from gripping the control yoke too hard, the sweat that exuded from the beginning of the battle now dampened his flightsuit and made the back of his seat almost unbearable to sit against. He switched his comms toggle to the ground team's channel and tried to get some sort of update.

"Ground team, how much longer until that tower is gone?"

There were a few minutes of quiet, Jaycob already going into an attack angle on another squad of TIEs. About three TIEs in, the transmission was finally answered. It was Asha.

"We're working on it! The nav tower is actually right next to the ship's bridge, it's identical to the one that's on the surface. Charges are going hot...now!"

A chain reaction of explosions crept up the neck of the bridge, bolstering and shattering the armor plating until the fire finally reached the spire. The mechanical panels of the device began to wilt and all of the lights went dark as it was deactivated. The navigation signal was disrupted, now it was time to strike. The ground team was already retreating back to the Fortitude, the pilots of the fleet now waiting for a miracle to come in and take out the cruisers.

"Still no Falcon or backup."

Snap reminded, pessimistically.

"What do we do, General Dameron?"

Aftab asked.

"We gotta hit them ourselves."

Poe answered.

"What can we do against these things?"

Jessika questioned, a hint of worry in her voice.

"Just stay alive!"

Poe then ordered the remaining fleet to rally into one attack group and target the closest underbelly cannon. As everyone fired, the countless squadrons of TIE Daggers began to form behind, killing pilots in bunches. The cannon was damaged but not destroyed, the Resistance having to evade incoming enemies before they were able to do any real damage. A B-Wing was struck right in front of him, the cockpit now trailing flames. Looking down at his NavCompter, Jaycob was disappointed to see that it was Bravo 2.

"Seftin's gone!"

Aftab reported, leaving Bravo Squad down to a total of three. He had no clue how many casualties the fleet had endured exactly, but he knew that their numbers were far less than what they started with. Jaycob had to turn wide right to avoid the wave of green laser bolts, before heading back toward the Steadfast. The ground team was now being pushed back to the Fortitude unwillingly, as if they were trying to defend something that was in front of them. Whatever it was, the battle wasn't looking good, the tides of war now turning heavily in the wrong direction.

"Bravo, we need to stall until help arrives. Aftab, Honess...it's just us three now. Call out your tails and I'll try to take 'em off."

Jaycob stated before shifting comms channels.

"Poe, we're losing ground! We need to come together and hit those cruisers!"

"We can't! Not without drawing the entire FO Navy on our ass! I'm sorry, Jaycob."

Jaycob slammed a fist down on one of his side panels, cursing out loud. Looking out of his viewport in all directions, not a single Resistance fighter was uncovered, with squads ranging from five to twelve TIEs hot on their backs. Looking behind, even he had a tail of about six Daggers, closing in fast. He buzzed the bridge of the Steadfast, wrapping around it and flying underneath past the neck. He was only able to create separation from two enemy ships, him taking the opportunity and blowing them into smithereens. The leftover four landed a plethora of shots on his shields, shredding them to almost nonexistence.

In response, Jaycob tried to loop around the bridge once more before heading toward the engines and disappearing underneath the bottom. He momentarily lost the four chasers, giving him enough time to recharge his shields and turn to face the threat. They appeared from the engines all at once, Jaycob lighting them up with a spray of blaster fire until the cannons overheated. All four exploded into bits, not a single trace of them left. After letting his weapons cool down, he flew back out to open space where he witnessed another X-Wing get blown into pieces.

He gave chase to the squad of five that killed the friendly pilot, blasting two with his primary laser cannons and one with his ion launcher. He paid no mind to his victim that started spiraling down toward the planet's surface, too busy chasing one of the remaining two that split from their squadmate. Jaycob obliterated his target, aware that the latter had just witnessed the kill from behind.

"Hope you got a good view of your buddy, now it's time for you to join him!"

He whispered to himself, as he cut the engines and pulled back on his stick, sending his ship lifelessly falling backward toward the ground. The TIE came into his crosshairs for only a couple seconds, Jaycob having to pre-fire in order to get the shot. The shots landed, the pilot having several bolts hit at their feet and enter upward through their legs and into their upper torso. The entire Dagger took a dip downward and met an explosive fate as it crashed into the ice below. Jaycob was making quick work with the various situations put in front of him, but he knew that this battle was far from over.

Notes:

Deceased:
- Seftin Vanik
- Retch
- Nazio Corte

Chapter 32: Mac

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Mac had never been more relieved in his entire life than he was when the Fortitude finally touched down on the deck of the Steadfast. While still recovering from the initial assault, he could see the small little beings that made up the Resistance ground team charging toward the navigation tower, just next to the command bridge.

It was hard to believe that Mads was down there, fighting alongside soldiers, with a rifle in hand. He remembered her preach to him that she was the one saving lives, not taking. But now, she'd be responsible for shooting people and killing them. He could only wonder what was going on inside her head.

After destroying another TIE Dagger, he turned back toward the Steadfast, witnessing a group of Final Order troop carriers that were now beginning their landing sequence across from the Fortitude. After giving his team the order to split off and fly solo, Mac turned his attention to the incoming ground troops, which Jon'Kil and Jaycob already began thinning out. He pushed his throttle forward, speeding up to join his fellow Flyboys in their strafing runs. But right as another attack was being formed, Jaycob broke off to pursue a squad of TIEs that were hot on the tail of a Bravo Squad pilot.

Mac went on to assist the pair of B-Wings, not even thinking about following behind them. The new starfighters were much faster than his bomber, so instead he took a calculated route on the outskirts of the pursuit and waited for his time to strike. Apparently it didn't seem like Jaycob would need much help taking out the FO pilots, as after a couple seconds, there was only one left still trying to evade the General's wrath. Somehow the enemy pilot managed to make their way behind Jaycob, Mac seeing his opportunity arise. Just as the TIE was about to fire, Mac came in from the right side, melting through its wing panel and cockpit with his cannons.

"Mac, great timing as always."

Jaycob complimented.

"I try."

Mac replied.

"How's your squad holding up?"

"Lost two before the blasted transport even landed. I don't know how long we'll be able to last out here."

Mac hated to admit it, but it was true. It was only a matter of time before everyone was wiped out. Fortunately Jaycob's determination was undying, him replying with,

"Doesn't matter, we fight til the end!"

Mac rallied what courage he had left and hastily agreed.

"I'm with you, Jaycob! Cover me while I hit a strafing run on the deck?"

"You got it!"

Side by side, the pair of pilots flew back toward the capital ship. Three small blips popped on Mac's radar dial, signalling enemies from behind. Jaycob broke off to engage, leaving Mac protected on his way to drop his payload. After lining up the perfect route in his head, he proceeded to the drop zone, bomb bay doors now opening. Once he was sure that it was only enemy troops under him, he released a plethora of proton torpedoes onto the deck. His cockpit shook as the force of the bombs dropping pushed his ship away. He didn't get a good look at the damage until he turned around after, now seeing the Resistance wave push forward through a clear path.

"Helluva run, Mac!"

Jaycob yelled, triumphantly.

"Helluva escort, hotshot."

Mac replied, thanking him for his support. Now, it was time to go separate ways again.

"I'll see you around!"

Mac concluded, now headed toward more-open space. The first thing he saw that crossed his viewport was another one of his squad's bombers being chased down by a group of six TIEs. With the help of his SuperComputer, he was able to tell that it was Hazel who needed some assistance.

"Delta 3, I've got your back."

Mac alerted his teammate. After eliminating three of the fighters with blaster cannons alone, two of the remaining three broke off in an attempt to outflank Mac. He was too smart to let that happen, pursuing them and leaving Hazel with only one enemy at her rear.

"Thanks, Commander!"

She stated, gratefully. Mac was able to take down his two targets just in time to see his fellow pilot outmaneuver her aggressor and destroy them into pieces.

"Not a problem. Squad, this is Mac. Is anyone else in need of assistance?"

He calmly asked. An immediate static filled transmission clogged the channel, followed by Relin's frightened voice.

"I-I do! I've got an entire squad on my ass! I don't k-know if I can shake them!"

Mac tracked Delta 5's location, again with the help of his computer, and blasted off in her direction. At first he was surprised, seeing Hazel was following behind him also responding to the call. But seeing as there were no tails, he accepted the help.

Surely enough, an entire latch of twelve TIEs were breathing down Relin's back. Mac and Hazel flew side by side, releasing their laser cannons onto the pursuers. A total of five Daggers were destroyed with four now splitting into two pairs, attempting to pursue their own angles on the pilots behind them, the last three still closing in on Relin's ship.

"Get these guys off of Delta 5, I'll take care of our backs."

Mac ordered.

"Copy!"

Hazel answered, destroying another one of Relin's pursuers. Mac pulled his control stick back and to the left, turning his bomber to face the enemies now at their flanks. The duo that was in charge of killing him failed, as they met an explosive end. But the other two in charge of killing Hazel was honing in on her. Mac rotated into a pursuit angle behind the pilots, precisely firing off two direct shots into the back of their cockpits. The Final Order flyers were instantly turned into ash, but not before managing to land a critical hit on Hazel's right engine.

She began to trail smoke as she finished off the last two of Relin's pursuers, the fumes now getting darker.

"Thanks for the help, guys."

Relin praised, now flying into formation.

"Dammit, I'm hit."

Hazel admitted.

"Can you still fly?"

Mac asked.

"I'll try my best to, sir."

"Copy, Relin you're sticking with her. You two are inseparable now, understand?"

"You got it!"

She replied. Leaving the two girls flying together, he had to keep a mental note to check in on them every once in a while. He just hoped they would be able to survive this bloody battle. Mac now flew toward another latch of TIEs that had just disembarked from their cruiser, activating his ion turret and flying straight through them in the joust. A strategic combination of cannonfire and ion turret shots eliminated six of the twelve right off the bat, but overheated his weapons systems in the process. While the automatic cooling mechanisms went to work, Mac pushed all of his power to his engines, accelerating toward the closest Xyston cruiser.

He flew from underneath, and after aligning himself with the side of the starship, shot straight toward the deck to create separation. He made it about halfway across the ship's chest before his weapon systems came back online. He swerved to the left and brought his bomber to a halt, facing the aggressors that would come any second. The first three TIEs that appeared on the deck were shot out of the air, smashing into the cruiser's hard steel surface. Mac simultaneously gave himself covering fire while re-accelerating back toward the last three.

He diverted most of his power to the shields, taking in tons of shots from the enemy, but managing to fly past without being destroyed. Now, his defense systems were diminished. He diverted his power back to his weapons and engines and led his tails back toward the main fight. Ships of all classes from the Resistance's side were being chased down in all directions, multiple enemies outnumbering just one. Mac's plan was to lose his enemies in the crowd, as he flew elusively through groups of other TIEs and in inestimable directions.

He eventually lost the trail, as the fast ships weren't agile enough to make as precise of turns as he was. His enemies now somewhere else, he turned his attention to a Y-Wing who was trying to mop up an entire latch by themselves. It was Delta 7, Gardo. Mac followed closely behind his teammates, turning on his comms.

"7, it looks like you've got a lot on your plate!"

Mac joked, now flying side by side with Gardo, corralling the Daggers in between a constant stream of cannon blasts.

"You may be right, Commander. But it's only a matter of time before I-"

Gardo blasts one into pieces, bringing the total to eleven.

"-get a bead on them!"

Mac took down two more in response, the pair now activating their ion turrets at the same time. Countless orbs of ion was sent into the latch, striking eight fighters altogether, the pilots now celebrating as they watched their prey fall lifelessly toward the ice. Gardo dispatched the last TIE, now going off to get another helping of targets. Mac detached to do the same, only to see another Y-Wing in need of aid. With the process of elimination, Mac was able to deduct that it was Delta 4, who was chasing a latch while having another chasing from behind.

"Grace, you've got a squad on your six!"

He warned.

"Nothing...I can't...handle!"

She said through a burst of concentration. She took down four from the squad in front of her before Mac finally acquired an angle on her pursuers. He opened fire into the crowd in front of him, turning five of the Daggers into fireballs. Even with the impressive tally, the TIEs in front of him were not letting up.

The Dagger squad now broke off from their path, only to turn their attention towards Mac. His eyes widened as he now had the combined number of thirteen, scattering to get a shot on him. He darted downward, out of open space and made his way back to another enemy cruiser. He took several hits, his shields depleting once more. He paid no mind, now on a zig-zagging path straight to the cruiser's bridge. There was a small gap above the bridge that was just wide enough for his ship's small length to fit through, and he didn't hesitate as he flew right through it. He skimmed his right engine on the slit and tore off a piece of plating in the process, but seeing the light of explosions in his peripherals as he turned made him know that a couple more fighters were off his back.

He slowed down once again, facing whatever targets didn't fall for his trick and took them down with an enormous spread of cannon fire and ion turret shots. Instantly, the TIEs were nothing but specs of dust and burnt metal as Mac's rear was clear once again. He breathed a loud exhale of relief before pushing his throttle forward again, now thinking it was a good time to check in on the pair of pilots that he ordered to stay together from earlier. Thankfully, it didn't take much effort nor time to find them, as a Y-Wing with a black smoke trail seemed to draw a crowd.

Hazel's bomber was in terrible shape, and Mac knew that it was only a matter of time before something in her engine ruptured, sending the entire craft into flames. This was one of the many reasons why he hoped that Lando would be back with their allies soon, knowing that if he failed, there'd be nobody to help in the first place. Just when things seemed to be turning for the worst, a spark of hope was ignited in the sight of the navigation tower exploding. The ground team had done it.

"Still no Falcon or backup."

Wexley said.

"What do we do, General Dameron?"

Bravo 3 asked.

"We gotta hit them ourselves."

"What can we do against these things?"

Jessika questioned.

"Just stay alive!"

Poe then brought all of the remaining Resistance pilots together into one group, locking on a course straight for the first Axial superlaser. The combined fire from the starfighters was enough to damage the cannon, but not destroy it. And before any of the pilots could reposition for another run, several squads of TIEs entered the fight. Now that the Resistance was one large group, the Final Order had no trouble tracking their targets. A swarm of green bolts collided with different ships, Hazel's Y-Wing getting caught right in the middle of it.

"Delta 3's been hit-"

Relin's call was cut off as her bomber was also met with a crowd of enemy fire. Both of the girls' ships exploded into pieces, leaving Delta Squad down to three.

"Kriff!"

Mac yelled while dodging. He somehow managed to make it out of the massacre alive, now coming back to execute a counter-attack.

"Commander, where's our allies?"

Grace asked, anxiously.

"I have no clue. But we need to keep flying!"

Mac responded. The Resistance fleet was now spread thin, endless waves of TIEs absolutely overwhelming them. Mac managed to make it behind a latch of Daggers, already going back into his firing cycle. He took out a handful, completely unaware of the growing group behind him. His SuperComputer beeped annoyingly of the threat, driving him to the brink of frustration. Quickly, he dismissed the warning prompts and activated his ion turret. A couple of TIEs were hit with the weapon, but there was still a massive group still flying.

"Commander, you've got-"

"I know!"

Mac didn't let Gardo finish. He was well-aware of the enemies, and he didn't feel it was necessary for the callout. Nonetheless, he ignored it and kept flying. It was an understatement to say that Mac was overwhelmed, his viewport only filled with the fires of his friends as they were being picked off one by one. He had no clue how Mads or the rest of the ground team were doing, but by the quick looks he could sneak in between dodging cannon fire, they were retreating. There was only a slim hope that maybe the Resistance could come together and attack the superlasers, but every second lost brought more cruisers opening up their hangars to release even more TIEs. The opposing force was never-ending.

Being as elusive as he could, Mac made his way toward the Steadfast to get a clear look at the situation. Final Order troop carriers were still flooding in from neighboring cruisers, giving the ground team no shortage of targets. For some reason though, Finn and the remaining operatives of Company 77 weren't falling back to the Fortitude like the rest of the team, signaling something only the First Order traitors could understand. Mac didn't want to ping Finn seeing as he was preoccupied, instead triggering another ship-wide scan of the capital ship with his SuperComputer.

The three-dimensional model of the Resurgent came onto the screen, with a vertical line sweeping back and forth across different layers and levels of the picture. Multiple messages came up, including some key orders sent out by the Allegiant General himself, Enric Pryde. Mac only had a chance to skim through the orders, honing in on key words and points that he thought would be useful.

Regroup. Pods. Surface. Exegol.

"What the hell does this mean?"

Mac asked frantically, but then it clicked. The crew of the Steadfast needed to regroup. To regroup, meant abandoning ship using the escape pods. They'll land on the surface of Exegol. It all made sense now, the cowards were going to run. Mac tracked down the escape pod launchers, and made his way to destroy them. This capital ship was going down, and Mac was going to make sure that all of the crew came down with it. The circular hatches in which the pods jettisoned out of weren't hard to find, Mac placing several blaster cannon shots directly into each of the doors.

The first line of escape pods fell out lifelessly, blazing a trail of smoke as they exploded well before reaching the planet's surface. More explosions were triggered in all of the escape pod hatches, destroying any chances the crew had of falling back to Exegol. In the process, Mac somehow managed to take down two more TIEs that were on his back, giving him an even better chance at surviving. He led the rest of the group behind him back toward the center of the fight, pulling out the most sophisticated patterns from his bag of tricks.

His pursuers couldn't keep up with the pure skill that he showed, multiple Daggers crashing into other groups. Now having time to regroup, Mac cut his engines and rotated to face back toward the Steadfast. Now, none of the ground team was retreating, the foot soldiers falling by the dozens.

No no no! What are they doing?

He tried to ping Mads, only to be met with static followed by silence. Mac hoped that she was just too busy fighting and not sprawled out across the floor of the deck, dead. There was no time to think about it though as he was met with another swarm of Daggers that seemed to appear out of thin air. Right now, the entire Resistance was a mess. No clear-cut plan in sight.

"We're gonna hit the command deck."

Finn announced.

"What? How?"

Snap questioned, almost deniably.

"Company 77 is going to rewire a turbolaser to turn it on the bridge."

"What the hell is the point in that? The tower's done, just get back to the lander!"

Mac resisted.

"Negative. We just found out that they can lead the fleet with the cruiser itself. That's how they brought one out to destroy Kijimi."

After processing the information, it did make sense. The only way to actually make sure that this fleet stayed on Exegol was to destroy the capital ship.

"Alright Finn, what can we do?"

"Cover us from the skies! Our lander is loaded with injured, we need you to escort it out of here!"

"How're you getting off that ship?"

"We're former First Order, we'll find a way."

Mac didn't want to fill Finn's mind with more questions, now switching back to his squad's comms channel.

"Grace! Gardo! You still with me?

"Positive."

"Yup!"

"Ok guys, new objective: protect the Fortitude!"

Notes:

Deceased:
- Enti Vasa
- Hazel Bright
- Relin Fiin
- Lucius Corvus

Chapter 33: Echo Squad

Chapter Text

Paul Trythe

After successfully navigating through the nebula, Paul braced for what was to come. The briefing prior was already enough to send his stomach for a loop. Hundreds of Star Destroyers? That meant thousands of starfighters. And not just any starfighters, the new and improved TIE Dagger. There was a short informational meeting for those that wanted to know more about the enemy ships, and of course Paul attended.

They were a lot faster than their First Order or Imperial predecessors, but also a lot weaker and less maneuverable. It was a running theory in the Resistance navy that the enemy would be sticking in squads instead of taking them head-on, a theory that Paul hoped to exploit.

He offered a solution for this predicament to his Captain before roll call, and Jon'Kil promised to take the advice. Which he did. Echo Squad was ordered to stay away from one-on-one matchups, instead calling on their squadmates to assist with any troubles with fighting squads as a whole.

It was a risky tactic, and deeply relied on the pilot's flying expertise, but the rules were set. Now, it was time to execute. However, too caught up with his own thinking, Paul missed Poe's hyperspace disengaging order by seconds. By the time he returned to normal speed, it was already too late, he was way too far ahead of the fleet.

An overwhelming crowd of turbolaser fire surrounded Paul's X-Wing, a small green lightshow being displayed during the pilot's final moments. He barely had time to blink before, let alone open his s-foils. Fortunately it was a quick death, his ship exploding into unrecognizable scrap metal.


Gale Storen

With the new plan of escorting the Fortitude to the deck of the Steadfast, it would be an understatement to say that Gale didn't feel strong about their odds. Echo Squad had already lost one pilot before the fighting even started. What luck they had. They were nearly at the navigation tower on the ground only for it to be disabled, wasting more time that the Resistance barely had. And now the new plan was to destroy the navigation tower on the opposing fleet's capital ship. After General Finn's message, he had hoped that the Captain would think of something else like an alternate plan. But Jon'Kil raised not a smidge of opposition.

Now, the entire Resistance fleet was already changing directions from down to up, speeding vertically to the Steadfast. It was now or never. Not only was Naboo, his home planet, in danger, but the entire free galaxy. Palpatine was someone at the top of his hit-list, and he was determined to see his demise.

Gale, filled with a sudden burst of inspiration, accelerated toward the front of his squad's formation, catching eye of the three Dagger squads Alpha Leader called out.

"Look alive, three more squads coming at nine o'clock!"

She warned. Jon'Kil began to stray away from the troop carrier, his command coming in loud and clear.

"Echo, we're engaging! Let's go!"

In unison, the squad of X-Wings turned left and faced the oncoming aggressors. The joust was seconds away, Gale gripping his control yoke tightly and squeezing down on the trigger. His cannons let loose, bolts releasing into the space in front of him.

As the targets got closer and closer, the sweat that accumulated on Gale's forehead became more persistent, the droplets now starting to streak down his face. He had no clue how many Daggers he took out, everything in his viewport a blinding orange.

The last thing he remembered was screaming at the top of his lungs as if it was going to do something. His surroundings began to burn around him, his cockpit shattering and a rush of cold engulfing his face. For a split second he could tell that this was the end, that he was out of the fight. Now he just hoped that his friends would carry on the mission and restore peace to the galaxy after all of the turmoil Palpatine had put it through.

Naboo. His wife, Sana. His brother, Mikha. All of these things popped into his mind before his lifeless body was jettisoned out of his seat. He was supposed to be retired, living a happy life with the New Republic in control. But all of that was gone now. Despite his wife's resistance to him leaving, Gale did so anyways. He even invited his brother to come with him, but it fell through. He just hoped Mikha was still alive, somewhere out there in the universe, his younger sibling now the only remnant of the Storen family.


Hosa-Winn Kall

Seeing a fellow Nabooian fall in the fight did dwindle Hosa's confidence a bit, but he was determined to keep going. The initial joust took the lives of fourteen Final Order pilots, the remaining enemies now scattering to engage in pursuit angles. With quick maneuverability, the gungan followed closely behind a trio of TIEs, opening fire right as they lined up in his crosshairs. Eventually, two of the three fighters were taken down, the lone straggler left trying desperately to evade. But in all his years in the skies, Hosa practiced his patience and knew that it was only a matter of time before the Final Order pilot slipped up.

For the time being, the Dagger was weaving in and out from Hosa's crosshairs in a pattern that wasn't yet rhythmic. In response, the gungan let out a few bursts of corralling shots to keep the TIE trapped in front of him. The enemy swayed left and right, growing tired of the chase. In an attempt to mix things up, the Dagger pilot shot upward to try and escape. But Hosa saw this coming, firing a burst of laser dead center on the cockpit and corkscrewing downward to pursue another attacker.

He took them down with ease, now rejoining his fellow squadmates as they formed up back behind the Fortitude. The friendly lander descended onto the Steadfast's deck, a little less sophisticated than Hosa would've liked. The ground team flooded out, guns blazing.

In response, the Final Order released even more TIEs, too many to even count. The Resistance fleet was getting surrounded, and the airspace was getting claustrophobic.

"Echo Team, we're breaking formation! We need to thin out their numbers, make me proud pilots!"

Jon'Kil had ordered.

Yousa don't need to tell me twice.

Hosa strayed far from the pack, bringing a whole squadron of Daggers with him. He'd make his Captain proud, and he'd avenge Gale's death.

Hosa flew into as much open space as he could, giving him room to pull off large and intricate patterns. But even with the expert flying, it was difficult for him to even gain any separation. He was going to need some help. He pressed down on his comms switch and spoke into his helmet microphone.

"This eesa Echo 3, requesting assistance."

Thankfully, his call was answered right away.

"Copy 3, this is 5 en route."

Morgana's X-Wing swooped in from above the trailing pack, opening fire on the crowd behind Hosa and managing to take down four of them. This gave him some time to pull off another quick maneuver, creating separation from the group. He killed his engines and turned all the way around to face the enemies. Squeezing down on his trigger, four more Daggers were destroyed.

"Thank yousa, 5!"

Hosa stated, now behind his pursuers. Morgana's fighter peeled off from the pack, now engaging in her own battle. Hosa took out the remaining four in a matter of minutes, now shifting focus to a fellow X-Wing taking heavy fire visible from his viewport. After being lent a helping hand, it was time to return the favor.

The X-Wing that was in trouble belonged to Oah, Echo 6, a trail of five Daggers now honing in on his tail. Hosa made his way behind the pack, now distributing a fair share of blaster bolts toward each of the TIEs. Three fighters blew into bits, the last two now splitting off and leaving Oah clear.

"Thanks for the assist, 3! Say, join me in taking out some of these turbolasers?"

"Copy."

The pair of X-Wings then made their way toward the closest cruiser that wasn't the Steadfast. Not only were they houses for the endless waves of Daggers, but they also kept the Resistance under heavy fire with their powerful point-defense weaponry.

Oah took the lead, lining up a direct strafing run on the cruiser's left-side turbolasers. Together, the pair unleashed a wave of red cannon fire and destroyed the entire side's turrets. But just when they thought the coast was clear, another squadron of Daggers opened fire from their right flank.

The duo broke off from their formation and were just about to make their way back to the main fight when Hosa thought of something.

"6, follow meesa lead!"

Hosa then performed a one-eighty and accelerated back toward the Xyston cruiser that they had just attacked.

"Hosa, what're we doing?"

Oah asked, a hint of worry in his voice.

"Yousa see."

Hosa replied, confidently. He lowered himself to the altitude of the Xyston's hangar, and slowed himself inside through the hangar shield, Oah doing the same.

There eesa no way they shoot now.

For a bit, the pair of pilots hovered over the hangar floor, taking out any anti-aircraft weaponry they could see. Just like Hosa had predicted, the Daggers disengaged their pursuit angles, forced to turn around and back toward the main fight. Now was their shot. The X-Wings then pointed back toward the direction in which they came, their engines revving in anticipation.

"Now!"

Hosa yelled. The two starfighters shot out of the hangar with extreme quickness, opening fire with their cannons and executing the perfect counterattack. The twelve TIE Daggers had no clue what hit them, as all of the ships went down in a fiery masterpiece.


Adilyn "Lynn" Delvidira

The only thing going through Lynn's mind at the moment was the ten Daggers that she was attempting to corral in between her crosshairs. But every once and a while the thought of her lost love would come back to haunt her mid-fight. She was having a hell of a time taking the fight to these Imperial wannabes, but it was starting to drain on her, mentally. She wasn't anxious like she so frequently was during times like this, but something kept nagging at her from the back of her mind and it wouldn't go away.

She seemed to be too preoccupied with the sensation, firmly grasping her mother's necklace that she wore around her neck. A few of the TIEs managed to slip out of her sight and ended up behind her, shaking her out of her trance and causing her to have to engage into evasive maneuvers.

Dammit.

She cursed to herself, thinking it completely stupid that she had let herself get into this position. With a sudden urge, she jolted downward, spinning as she shot directly toward the surface of Exegol. She had no idea why she wanted to do that, but instead of resisting it, she embraced it.

Right before she made contact with the ground, she shot back upright, skimming across the ice like one of the speeders she saw on Tatooine during her late-teens. Unfortunately none of her pursuers collided with the ground, her secretly hoping it would be that easy. Instead, they kept up their chase at her altitude.

"It's about to get real cold for you guys!"

She exclaimed to no-one, as she extended her landing gear. Her astromech screeched in opposition, but there was no changing her mind. The landing feet dug into the planet's surface, expelling shards of sharp chunks of ice into the air behind her. The fragments pierced through closest-enemy's viewport, effectively stabbing both the pilot and their ship's computers, sending the entire abomination into the ground in an explosion. What came next was a domino effect as two more fighters that were dumb enough to be right behind one another, came into contact with the debris.

This gave Lynn just enough time to pull back on her throttle and glide as she rotated and positioned herself on her temporarily-blinded pursuers flanks. She took down three more fighters with her laser cannons, and one more with a single proton torpedo.

Now with only three TIEs on her back, she shot back up toward the sky. Upon arriving back to the battle, another fellow X-Wing could be seen trailing behind a pack of TIEs, but with a tail of their own behind them. Lynn discovered that it was the pilot below her number, Echo 5. Not wanting to lose another teammate, Lynn diverted a majority of her power to her engines, and shifting her shields to cover her rear.

She took a couple hits on her way to aid her friend, but the enemies never managed to break past her shields. She then distributed her power back to all systems, now taking aim at her counterpart's tail. She opened up with a quick burst from her cannons, destroying two of the four targets. The last two disengaged and began their own evasive action, leaving Morgana free of any threat from behind.

"Cheers, 4."

She thanked, destroying the rest of the squad in front of her.

"Don't mention it, let's keep it up!"


Giyco

The Fortitude had landed and the ground team was already making their way to the new navigation tower. Giyco was just thankful that the mission wasn't over. Him and his sister had gone through too much for it to end after the first tower was disabled. Speaking of his sibling, they flew side by side, inseparable. They had both flown together countless times, and mastered tricky tactics that would surely confuse any of their opponents in a dogfight. Currently, a trio of Daggers were gaining on Giyco's rear, Giyra, prepping to pull off one of these said tricks.

With the sudden push of her throttle, Giyra boosted a bit of ways ahead of her brother. A smirk came across Giyco's face as he knew exactly what she was going to do. Giyra then transferred all of her energy back across all of her systems, effectively drifting across the plain and turning to face her brother's tail. In response, Giyco braked himself, the Daggers getting ready to open fire.

But before they could land a shot, Giyra's X-Wing slayed all three. She then returned to Giyco's side to celebrate.

"Didn't even see what hit them!"

He cheered.

"These bucketheads really need to open their eyes."

She replied. Looking past the small victory, Giyco knew that their work was far from done. The only mission now was to stall until the navigation tower was destroyed, and it seemed that the ground team, mixed with a peppering of air cover, was making good time. A newly-sent squad of TIEs were seen entering the battlefield, from just another one of the many Xyston cruisers. This is where Giyco had an idea.

"Hey Giyra, what do you think about pulling the Saleucami Special?"

"What? We've only done that in the simulations!"

"Because we've never had a real capital ship to test it on. Look around sister, there's no shortage of them now."

There was a long silence that followed from Giyra.

"Alright, let's do it."

Giyco pumped his fist and led his sister to their closest Star Destroyer. Thankfully, the ship's arsenal of TIEs had yet to be unleashed into the fight, leaving a large number of targets ripe for the taking. The strategy wasn't to destroy all of the ships, but instead trap them inside their respective hangars. This would leave the cruiser basically defenseless against the smaller and much more agile X-Wings, aside from the few small turrets that could be easily dodged.

Giyco took the starboard side hangar while Giyra took the port side, the pilots focusing fire on the emergency blast door trigger placed next to the ray shield generators. These pieces of equipment didn't take too much to destroy, the pair able to execute their plan to perfection in a matter of seconds.

All seventy-two fighters were now stuck inside the hangar, the siblings having reason to celebrate over their comms.

"Woohoo!"

"Great work, Giyra! I told you it'd work!"

"Yeah alright bro, I'll give you that one!"

They returned to the main battle, satisfied with being able to effectively take an entire complement of starfighters from the fight. Hopefully it would pay off in the long run, giving the Resistance fleet less targets to have to deal with. If needed, the twins would repeat the same tactic again without hesitation. This battle was growing more massive with every minute, and the number of fighters in the air was definitely going to be a factor.


Morgana Alisani

Lightning was one of Morgana's biggest fears, and just to her luck the planet of Exegol was under a constant thunderstorm. Somehow she had managed to push that fear away temporarily, instead thinking of this mission as just another practice on Ajan Kloss. Besides, it beat the unbearable humid desert of her homeworld, Tatooine.

So far, the Resistance was doing surprisingly well for what she thought was going to be a quick battle. They were managing to stay in the fight, contrary to how she thought they would get shot out of the air immediately exiting hyperspace. Regardless, Morgana herself was also putting together an impressive performance. Countless kills under her belt and several instances in which she assisted teammates, she now roamed on the outside border of the battle, buzzing close to the decks of the surrounding Star Destroyers.

She was incredibly fast, thanks to her X-Wing's latest upgrade. Morgana's starfighter was retrofitted with a vented accelerator pod, made popular by Poe during Evacuation of D'Qar. This gave her the upper-hand at quickly boosting out of range from her pursuers and easily dodging the turbolasers of the capital ships.

Now she didn't need to worry about tails as often, instead executing hit-and-run attacks on groups of TIEs without them seeing her coming. She also ran assistance duty, helping out any squadmates that needed help shaking their pursuers. Now, it was Jerdane Richill who needed her services.

"Echo 10 to any free pilots, I'm in a tough spot!"

Morgana responded almost immediately, already recharging her accelerator pod.

"5, moving to assist."

She looked to her rear window, at her astromech eagerly awaiting for the boost. She then looked back at her turbo charge indicator just in time for the bar to reach its maximum.

"You ready, buddy?"

The astromech beeped excitedly.

"Let's do it!"

With the push of her throttle, her X-Wing jolted forward and her s-foils shut closed. Her surroundings became a bit blurrier, but nowhere near the extent of lightspeed. She weaved around lightning strikes, the thunder shaking her cockpit, as she made her way to Jerdane's aid.

He was being chased by six Daggers, and he showed no sign of losing them. Once her pod was used up, she re-extended her s-foils and opened fire on the unsuspecting Final Order pilots. She took down three with ease, the rest of them scattering to find better angles.

Jerdane's tail was abandoned, leaving him relatively free of any threat.

"Thanks Morgana, I owe you one."

She snickered.

"You owe me way more than one, sweetheart."

"Alright princess, this mission ain't over yet."

Chapter 34: Bravo Squad

Chapter Text

Honess Tenish

Honess dodged a bullet thanks to the help of Jaycob and Delta Leader. For the time being, his rear was clear of any enemies. The Thakwaash pilot used the open window to create some much-needed separation from the battle to gather his bearings. The ships of the Resistance and Final Order were zig-zagging across the sky, pure chaos being the only way to describe what Honess was seeing.

The only tight formations came from the TIEs, who easily outnumbered their enemy, ganging up for the easy kill. It was every pilot for themselves, the only mission being to protect the ground team on their way to the navigation tower. It was a daunting task already, but Honess had the bright idea of taking out as many of the turbolasers on the playing field as possible.

He zoomed off toward the closest cruiser, alone. He brought the first trio of port-side cannons into his crosshairs and unleashed a deadly combination of laser fire and ion cannon shots. The cannons were no match for the quick hybrid fighter, exploding magnificently and searing the hull of the B-Wing.

Honess repeated the same pattern for the other side, with the same amount of success. Once the cruiser's heavy  weapons were gone, he moved to the next. He was already on his third cruiser before a squadron of Daggers gave chase.

"I knew this was too damn easy."

He ended his attack run a little early, his hands now overwhelmingly full. He called into his comms,

"This is Bravo 4, I hate to do this but I need some help."

Honess' call was immediately answered.

"Not a problem. I'm on my way."

Nazio called out. Within seconds, Bravo 6's B-Wing fell behind the line of Daggers that were following Honess. Nazio pulled off a strategic attack, first disabling ten of the twelve TIEs before firing off his laser cannons. Honess was able to slip out of his pursuers' lines of sight, and help finish off the last two enemies.

"You're a lifesaver, Nazio."

"Don't mention it."

He replied, after leaving Honess alone to once again continue his methodical run of destroying the cruiser's turbolasers.


Nazio Corte

After helping out a fellow squadmate, Nazio went back to his job at thinning out the Final Order numbers. There were a lot of moving parts to the Resistance's plan, but his only concern was intercepting fighters and racking up a decent-sized kill count.

Nazio checked on his B-Wing systems with a flick of a switch, his ship's system status showing nothing but green.

Looking good.

His radar dial began to ping, signaling another squad of Daggers now being sent from a fresh cruiser. There were countless Destroyers in the sky, and that meant more-than-countless starfighters accompanying it. This constant cycle of attacking Daggers that came out of hangars, felt like it was never-ending.

Fatigue was already a big factor on the pilots of the Resistance, four hours already passed since they arrived. What was even worse was that nobody had any clue how long it would take for General Calrissian to arrive with backup, or if he even would at all. But the only direction to look was forward, and hope was the only thing they had to rely on.

The enemy squad was on route to the Steadfast, no doubt trying to interfere with the ground team's success. Nazio accelerated to the group's rear without asking for help, thinking he'd be able to handle the threat himself. He shot a steady burst of ion into his targets, striking five ships. He switched his weapons toggle to his blaster cannons and eliminated the disabled Daggers with relative ease.

But the remaining seven were already opening fire on the deck of the capital ship, beginning to hit really close to the ground soldiers of the Resistance. Nazio honed in his focus and held his breath, the Daggers slowly starting to escape his crosshairs. They were too fast, Nazio only able to take down two more before their attack run finished.

The last four unleashed a wide variety of shots into the wave of Resistance soldiers. Quietly, Nazio beat himself up for the result, completely unaware of the aggressors now taking a pursuit angle behind him. He swooped over the ground battle, observing their progress, when the sudden jolt of his ship frightened him.

Nazio's NavComputer started beeping wildly, diagrams of his top-right engine flashing red. He was trailing smoke, but he was still able to fly. He turned on his comms, now not afraid to call for help.

"I've got four on my tail, and I've been hit. I don't think I'll be able to shake them!"

Honess answered back quickly,

"This is Bravo 4, 6 I'm en route!"

A gigantic mixed crowd of starships now fell behind Nazio, the pilot unable to get a clear look of who was chasing who. He didn't worry too much about it though, only focusing on evading the constant green laser bolts whizzing passed his X-Wing.

Several explosions happened behind him, and with each one Nazio worried if it was his ship taking the hit. Luckily, as time progressed, the amount of shots being taken at him began to dwindle until it just stopped completely. He took another glance behind him and at his radar dial in awe, his rear miraculously clear except for Bravo Leader and Bravo 4.

"Nazio, how're you holding up?"

General Flesio asked him. To which he replied,

"Alright sir, thank you."

"Is your ship still combat effective?"

Honess asked. Nazio looked through all of his ship's systems, everything looking good except the blown out engine.

"I...I think so. All my core systems are reading fine on my NavComputer."

"Copy 6, if you need a new ship you can dock with the Tantive. We have a few reserve ships on standby, and you'll be back in the fight."

General Flesio reassured. Nazio hoped it didn't have to come to that point. The engine was busted, but he felt nothing different when piloting his starfighter. He thought about potentially docking at the Tantive IV, but the repairs would take too much time. And he didn't want to take another ship, rather saving it for someone who actually needed it.

He was at a mental crossroad. He had a decision on being safe rather than sorry, docking at the Tantive and waiting out the fight until either his X-Wing was repaired or he finally broke and took a new ship; or keep fighting with his brothers and sisters of the Resistance, thus giving them more strength in the skies. He had some time to think about it, but he still needed to tell the General that he understood.

"Yes sir, I'll-"

In the middle of his sentence, his ship shook violently, the world around him turning a mixture of orange and yellow. There was a small and quick sensation of heat that engulfed his body, but it was gone within a millisecond. With the blinding flash that forced him to close his eyes, Nazio disintegrated into oblivion.

(-)

He was back on a ship, belonging to the famous pirate of Hondo Ohnaka. Standing behind one of the viewports, his homeworld of Denon could be seen slowly getting smaller as the ship flew further away. There was a bitter taste in his mouth whenever he looked at the planet, always reminding him of his crooked days as a smuggler with a crew that sold him out.

Even his own brother betrayed him, Nazio slowly caressing the scar left on his cheek from the fight that led to his imprisonment in a New Republic cell. Nazio shook his head and glanced at one of the pictures Hondo had of himself posted on ship. This pirate was giving him a second chance. To turn his life around, for the better.

He was bringing the pilot to the Resistance, a noble cause that would fight off the evils of the First Order. Especially after he saw the destruction they were capable of with Starkiller Base, he wanted to fight back. This was his second chance, to fight for something much bigger than just himself or a handful to stupid credits. A way to redeem himself.

"You still have time to decide, my friend."

Hondo said, coming back from his ship's refresher. Nazio furrowed his eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

He asked.

"My jolly group of smugglers could always use more hands. Especially a talented scoundrel like you."

Nazio didn't give it a second thought.

"I'll pass Hondo, but thank you for the offer. I just need to do this, fight for the Resistance I mean."

"I won't judge my friend, but if you ever change your mind, give me a call."


Honess Tenish

"Damn it!"

He heard his General yell. Honess was taken aback at the sudden death of Nazio, stuck in shock for a few seconds. He watched his commanding officer break off from the pack and toward the Resurgent deck, Honess shaking out of it and trying to refocus. Within seconds, the charges that the ground team planted were detonated, the navigation tower now broken.

A morale boost triggered inside of the Thakwaash, a sudden realization kicking in. The Final Order fleet was trapped. Honess shifted his B-Wing back toward the growing formation of Resistance pilots now lining up an attack run with the first Xyston-class cruiser axial superlaser.

"Still no Falcon or backup."

Capital Leader reported.

"What do we do, General Dameron?"

Bravo 3 asked.

"We gotta hit them ourselves."

General Dameron answered.

"What can we do against these things?"

Alpha Leader now questioned.

"Just stay alive!"

He replied, calling together the formation of a singular attack group of whoever was left. A-Wings, B-Wings, X-Wings, and Y-Wings tried to gather together loosely, all now accelerating toward the first underbelly cannon. This plan proved to be futile, as the entire group of TIE Daggers now had one single target to take down altogether.

Honess' ship violently shook, as Seftin's B-Wing that was flying right next to him, exploded. In response, Honess rotated his ship on an axis, keeping his cockpit locked upright. Several green laser bolts barely missed the pilot, the maneuver seemingly working for now.

"Seftin's gone!"

Aftab called out. The Resistance attack group now totally abandoning their run and splitting up. Honess flew wildly, now attracting a new tail of six Daggers quickly approaching. Somehow in the midst of the chaos, General Flesio managed to reach his team via comms.

"Bravo, we need to stall until help arrives. Aftab, Honess...it's just us three now. Call out your tails and I'll try to take 'em off."

It was a grim realization. Bravo Squad barely had any numbers going into this fight, and now they were already down to a trio. The plan to attack the axial superlasers with just the firepower the Resistance possessed now, was thrown to the wayside.

"Copy that, Bravo Leader. Bravo 3, can you lend a hand?"

Aftab's voice came in strained and hurried.

"Negative 4, I-I'm in trouble myself!"

Scanning the battlefield in front of him, Honess tried to track down Aftab, finally spotting him soaring near the deck of the Steadfast with a group of seven on his rear. Up to this point, Honess was able to dodge his pursuers successfully without much of a challenge, so he decided to suck it up and help out his teammate.

Honess accelerated to Aftab's tail, dispatching two with a flurry from his cannons. He locked onto one more and expelled a proton torpedo, destroying it instantly. Then switching to his ion cannon, Honess locked onto two more and disabled them. Aftab was able to act quickly, immediately shifting himself to face Honess.

Honess guessed what was about to happen, responding with a hard push on his control yoke, nosediving downward. Aftab opened fire on some of Honess' unprepared attackers, destroying three before the rest continued to chase after him.

"Aftab I've got a plan. Head toward that Xyston's bridge!"

Bravo 3 didn't answer, but still followed Honess' plan. The bridge extended upward with the help of two support beams, a gap underneath just wide enough for the B-Wings to fit if they closed their s-foils. Honess executed the order first, retracting his wings inward and closed into the hull. He sped ahead of Aftab, rotating himself horizontally and slipping just through the crack.

A mixture of explosions came from behind Honess, him looking back to see a column of fire and smoke rising into the sky. Aftab's B-Wing triumphantly exited from the fire, barely escaping with a few scratches and heat marks.

"Wooohooo!"

Honess celebrated, re-opening his s-foils.

"Phew, it got a little warm in there!"

Aftab answered, nervously laughing.

Chapter 35: Layne

Chapter Text

It was getting difficult trying to track everything that was going on in the battle. From orders from his fellow high-ranking pilots to commanding his own subordinates to execute whatever was needed, it was easy to get flustered. Thankfully, Fynock Squad's main role this far was to intercept enemies and kill as many Final Order pilots as possible. Currently, he was free flying without any sort of tail on him, so he took the time to observe just how many pilots the Resistance had left.

Alpha and Echo Squad were relatively untouched, with seven of the original eight A-Wings and eight of the original ten X-Wings still at peak efficiency. Sadly, that was the only good news he had to see. Bravo's B-Wings were down to three, including Jaycob. Capital Squad was already down five X-Wings out of the ten, with Snap still at the helm. Mac's Y-Wings of Delta Squad were also down to three bombers, the leader thankfully also still alive.

Layne didn't even want to think about the numbers he lost, Fynock Squad only down four total. While their ships did pack a fast punch, they were falling victim to the constant barrage from enemy cruiser surface cannons that made their jobs a lot harder than it needed to be. They've been fighting for almost sixteen hours straight, no break, and no clue hope for backup.

Just as Layne received a tail, the unthinkable happened. Layne was already tuned into the Squad Leader's comms channel, so he witnessed the entire thing happen both visually and audibly. Capital Leader had an entire swarm of TIE Daggers on him, an unrelenting pursuit that gave him no chance of escape. Layne responded by pushing his engines to full-power, doing his best to provide some relief.

"Snap, they're on your tail!"

Poe warned.

"Yeah, I see 'em!"

The pilot replied. Capital Leader was already engaging evasive maneuvers near a close-by Xyston cruiser, Layne hot on his pursuer's tail. It was only a difference of milliseconds that changed the outcome.

"No, no, no, Snap, Snap!"

Poe came in, yelling. Layne squeezed down on his triggers to engage, but there was no possible way to take them all out. Four TIEs were quickly destroyed, but not before the rest opened fire on the Resistance leader. Snap's right-side s-foils snapped off, the engines combusting and sending sparks into the air. The fire quickly spread to the rest of the hull and eventually the cockpit, the pilot letting out a quick, painful yell before he took a direct nosedive into the cruiser's deck.

"Blast!"

Layne cursed, taking down two more Daggers. The group of enemies split up, the damage already done. Layne disengaged his pursuit, a dreadful feeling of misery coming over him. And just when it couldn't get any worse, another one of his pilots soared right past him, trailing smoke and stuck in a rotating spiral that only ceased when they too hit the hull of a nearby cruiser.

In a matter of minutes, his squad was picked off one by one. The roster that was displayed on his NavComputer flashed red, and only showed himself as the lone survivor of Fynock Squad.

"Fynock Leader, I can't-"

"Lieutenant, I've got a tail-"

"I'm in trouble!"

These were his pilots last callouts before they were lost to the battle. Layne hadn't noticed until now, but the airspace was filled to the brim. It seemed like every single starfighter from the Final Order fleet had been deployed, and they were taking Resistance starfighters out by the dozens.

Layne had no clue what to do now except outfly a newly-acquired tail. With no orders given from his superiors, Layne needed to ask,

"General, what's our next move?"

Silence. Then, Jessika asked again.

"Poe, what now?"

Thankfully, this was answered right away. However, it wasn't the reply Layne was expecting.

"My friends...I'm sorry. I thought we had a shot. But there's just too many of them."

The General said, despair and utter helplessness in his voice. Layne had to practically stop his jaw from falling, this being the only time he's seen the confident and collected leader beaten down to the point of no return. Layne didn't let up flying though, instead leading his tail of twelve toward some cover. He sped across the deck of a Xyston, steering himself toward the cruiser's bridge, knowing that the Daggers wouldn't fire on him. Then, he halted and quickly drifted to face them, unleashing a gigantic wave of rapid-fire lasers into their cockpits. Five FO fighters were downed, Layne now pushing his throttle back forward to prevent himself from being pinned down. He exited the airspace of the cruiser and instead made his way back to the Steadfast, waiting and hoping for some kind of miracle.

"But there are more of us, Poe. There are more of us!"

The General's X-Wing soared past his viewport, Layne following, his curiosity at an all-time high. The pair barely past the cruiser's horizon, being met with thousands of varying starfighters and starships. Goosebumps covered Layne's body as he took in the monumentous sight. There were ships that Layne's never even seen before, more and more constantly flooding in from hyperspace.

"Look at this. Look at this!"

Poe said in awe. Frigates, destroyers, transports, warships, and cruisers were among the bigger starships of the fleet. Layne couldn't help the tear that began to form at the corner of his eye. It was beautiful.

"Help has arrived! We're saved!"

He reported to the remaining squad leaders. The only regret now was that he wished they had come just a tad bit sooner. Maybe Snap wouldn't be dead, or his squad wouldn't be gone. Luckily, Jessika was there to pull him out of his dark thoughts.

"Fynock Leader, re-group with us. You're part of Alpha now."

"Coming."

Layne surveyed the battlefield, finding Jessika and attaching himself into Alpha Squad's formation. Now, all the TIE Daggers disengaged their pursuit angles, running scared back to their home ships as a much bigger force now threatened their very existence.

"Thank the Force!"

Jon'Kil said, a sigh of relief quickly following his transmission.

"Yeaaah!"

Jaycob screamed.

"General Calrissian, you're a lifesaver."

Mac added.

"Hit those underbelly cannons! Every one we knock out is a world saved."

The remaining pilots of the Resistance fleet were finally able to shift focus to their original targets, Alpha Squad taking aim at an axial superlaser. The combined fire from all eight interceptors' blaster cannons destroyed the superlaser in seconds, an explosion starting at the main barrel, and causing a chain reaction all the way to the Xyston inner core.

The life support system was the first to go, a plethora of explosions being triggered from the center of the starship, the fire working its way outwards.

"How the hell did we manage to hire all of these people?"

Layne asked no-one in particular.

"No credits required, Lieutenant. They volunteered."

General Calrissian answered. With one destroyer down, Alpha Squad was now lining up another attack run with the closest destroyer that wasn't being attacked. Layne couldn't help his excitement though, accelerating past his new squadmates and opening fire on the underbelly cannon by himself.

The cannon didn't take many shots from Layne's A-Wing before it shuttered and exploded, repeating the same pattern of destruction that the first cruiser had to go through. It was surprising to see how delicate the gun actually was, not being able to withstand much damage at all. Seeing this, Poe ordered all pilots under his command to split up and take the cannons separately.

"We'll do more damage alone! Our job is to destroy those cannons while we let our friends blow those cruisers into oblivion."

Layne separated from Alpha Squad, a wide grin now presenting itself on his face. The tide of the battle had just totally flipped in the Resistance's favor, and he couldn't be happier. Thinking back on it, he couldn't quite recollect a time where he had felt so much joy.

Another axial superlaser came into Layne's crosshairs, him easily dodging the turbolasers that tried so desperately to keep him away. The attempt didn't work, another cannon getting obliterated by a single barrage of Layne's blaster cannons.

Another capital ship scrapped.

The Final Order was growing frantic, now sending every single Dagger in their arsenal to run interference. Layne knew it wasn't much use, as the friendly fleet won in sheer numbers. The Resistance comms channel was now shared with the new arrivals, Layne making the first callout.

"Be advised Resistance fleet, and...what do we call the volunteers?"

"The Citizens' fleet."

General Finn answered. Layne's eyes widened, realizing that he almost completely forgot about the ground team.

"Copy. Be advised Resistance and Citizens' fleet, the FO is sending everything they've got. Stay sharp! General Finn, how's it going down there?"

"Bridge is about to be toast!"

The re-wired surface cannon opened fire with a trio of heavy shots directly into the bridge. The command deck exploded in a fiery chain reaction, sending glass, armor plating, and other debris skyrocketing into the air.

"Great work, ground team! You guys got a plan to get off that deathtrap?"

"Cover us at the port side hangar!"

"On it!"

Layne ended his transmission and made his way to the hangar. General Finn along with Company 77 were just above the entrance, securing rappel lines, and already sending members off the edge of the deck into the opening. Layne pulled his throttle back as far as he could, his interceptor now at a still hover. Then, rotating his A-Wing toward the hangar, he opened fire on the stormtroopers that were setting up defenses for the breach.

"Lieutenant, don't damage those TIEs. Those are our only rides off this thing."

General Finn warned.

"You got it."

Layne answered, carefully controlling his blaster cannon bursts as he only took aim at the Final Order defenses. But suddenly, defense turrets began jutting out from the crevices of the ceiling, overwhelming Layne with fire and shredding his shields. To prevent himself from taking any real damage, he rotated back out and away from the hangar, accelerating to his fullest.

"Kriff! Sorry Finn, I'm being lit up!"

"No worries, I think we got it from here-"

General Finn was cut off by an unknown pilot.

"This is Wampa Squad Leader, we got some T-47s coming to assist."

Immediately following, Layne watched as a team of four T-47 Airspeeders moved in on the Steadfast's hangar. They came from a MC95E Star Cruiser that had pulled itself right alongside the Resurgent at matching altitude. Once Layne's shields were regenerated, he followed right behind the speeders, keeping his head on a swivel for any Daggers that posed a threat. Luckily none showed up, the squad of T-47s entering the hangar with ease and destroying the top-side turrets.

"Wampa Squad, you couldn't have come at a better time."

General Finn said, him being the last member of the ground team to successfully rappel into the hangar. Company 77 scrambled to get to the TIE/sf fighters, the stragglers opting to hop in the back of the T-47s. Layne watched proudly as Finn himself hopped into a TIE and exited the hangar.

"Thanks, Wampa Squad. Hold onto those soldiers for us will you?"

Layne asked. Wampa Leader responded,

"Gladly."

The TIE/sf fighters had now joined the fight on the side of the Resistance, however instead of fighting, Finn began a descent toward the surface. Layne followed, a dozen questions ready to ask.

"General, where are you going? The fight's up here!"

Layne said, respectfully.

"For you guys. But my fight's on the ground. With Rey."

It took a couple of seconds, but Layne finally accepted the decision. He erased any questions he had for the General, instead turning away and back toward the fight.

"Good luck, sir."

He said.

"You too."

(-)

Layne returned to the fight as if nothing had happened, now lining up another run with a nearby axial superlaser. On his way up, a trail of two Daggers clamped onto his tail, opening fire at the Twi'lek and sending him into evasive maneuvers. A plan to create separation and destroy his pursuers was already being assembled in his mind, his hands getting ready to pull a tight upward spiral. But before he could do anything, the two fighters were destroyed in unison, their formation being replaced by three Naboo N-1 starfighters. Layne was astonished, switching his comms to match their channel.

"This is Royal 2, we got you pilot."

One of the allied pilots called in.

"I'm trying to line up a run with that underbelly cannon. Royal Squadron, you wanna join?"

Layne questioned.

"Gladly. Royal Squadron, attack that cannon!"

Once in range, the red bolts from Layne's A-Wing and the green bolts from the N-1 starfighters combined to create an incredible explosion at the base of the gun, another fiery fate already underway for the Final Order crew aboard. It was truly a wonderful experience for Layne, these squads seemingly popping out of thin air to help out the Resistance. Consisting of almost every class of ship in the galaxy, the Citizens' fleet was surely a reason to ease his tensions and worries.

"It's been fun, Fynock Leader. Royal Squadron buggin' out."

"Copy that Royals, give 'em hell."

The N-1s now abandoned the formation headed by Layne, leaving him alone once again to do basically whatever he wanted. Xyston Destroyers were dropping out of the sky like flies, the surface of Exegol getting increasingly more and more crowded with debris. Surprisingly enough, the original navigation tower on the ground was still somehow upright and undamaged, the lights on the spires blinking as they extended upward toward the sky. Layne had to do a doubletake to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. Rubbing his eyes clear, he was absolutely certain that what he was seeing was true. The tower was being reactivated.

"Uhhh, Poe. We got a situation."

"What is it Layne?"

"The first tower is coming back online, and it looks like the ground is...shaking?"

"What?"

Layne was just as perplexed as everyone hearing his transmission. He squinted his eyes to focus in on the cracks now forming around the base of the tower, the broken branches on the ground expanding and stretching over several miles.

What the hell?

"Come in Fynock Leader, what are you seeing?"

"Oh kriff."

Chapter 36: Jon'Kil

Chapter Text

Jon'Kil had to fly around the Citizens' fleet in order to see what exactly Layne was describing. Once clearing his line of sight of a Hynestian Star Cruiser, he was finally able to see the ground, chunks of ice and mangled metal from destroyed FO cruisers now shooting upward, as some type of pressure was finally expelled from underground. The navigation tower was now somehow being raised from the ground, a small hill growing steeper as the device was now increasing in altitude. The hill finally burst to reveal something truly disturbing.

The beginning of what looked like the upper deck of a bridge. As the decks protruded more out of the ground, Layne's discovery was becoming more and more recognizable. Jon'Kil being a former operative of the opposite side probably had a better idea of what exactly it was compared to his fellow pilots, but he didn't want to believe it.

"Impossible."

He quietly whispered, unaware that his comms were on. Jaycob was on the other end, curious to why Jon'Kil was so surprised.

"Jon'Kil, what is that thing?"

"I...I..."

The thoughts weren't forming fast enough in his head to translate into words. He was in complete and utter shock.

"Jon'Kil? Jon'Kil!"

The irritation was growing more apparent in General Flesio's tone, but Jon'Kil wasn't deterred.

"Dammit! Mac, execute a scan on what the hell that thing is."

"Negative Mac, don't do it. I know exactly what it is."

Jon'Kil interjected, gulping before continuing.

"It's the Eclipse."

"The Eclipse? What is that? A creature? A ship?"

"No no, it's worse than a ship. As a matter of fact, the Eclipse is worse than this entire Final Order fleet combined."

A silence followed, all of the pilots listening in now on the edge of their seats. Jon'Kil kept going,

"It's Palpatine's flagship."

"A dreadnought?"

Jessika joined the conversation.

"No, it's more like a damn space station. I need Beaumont now, where is he?"

"He's on the Colossus. We escorted him and the Fortitude there."

Mac answered. Without another word, Jon'Kil accelerated toward the Colossus, a mobile aircraft refueling station that was now used as a mobile operating base for the Resistance. He took one last glance at the Eclipse, which was now beginning to make the entire surface rise slowly.

He figured that it would take a couple hours for the entire ship to completely ascend from the ice, the systems most likely having to reboot from being submerged in the cold for so long. Jon'Kil landed at the closest landing pad, an engineering team already waiting for him, and practically jumped out of his cockpit.

He ran through the vastly open walkways, frantically looking around for any sign of the Fortitude or the team that accompanied it. But the station was so massive that it would take hours to scour the whole facility, Jon'Kil quickly getting overwhelmed at the situation. But instead of freaking out, he kept his calm and kneeled onto both knees, closing his eyes.

There had been glimpses of Jon'Kil's force sensitivity over the past few days, and he desperately needed Rey for training. But seeing as she wasn't here, most likely aboard the Eclipse, he had to do it on his own. He drowned out his surroundings, doing his best to cut out all of the sensations being planted onto his senses. Noise, light, even smells were starting to fade, as his mind became clear. Images began to flash around his head, like a projector, highlights of the people aboard.

The crew of the Fortitude began to get clearer, Beaumont Kin being singled out from the crowd in his head. Jon'Kil outstretched his arms and touched the ground with his fingertips. The first notable image that popped into his brain was a landing pad, with the Fortitude docked atop it. A flash of white would separate one image from the next, making the entire sequence a bit spotty. But nonetheless, Jon'Kil kept pushing.

The next image was the doors of the lander opening, wounded soldiers being carried out on stretchers and being handed to the Colossus' medical staff. There were so many soldiers, and Jon'Kil had to go through every single one in order to find who he was looking for.

After a few minutes, his face was depicted, on one side of the stretcher that was carrying Kaydel Connix. The images started to deteriorate as Jon'Kil was losing focus, instead thinking about how he hoped the Lieutenant was ok. This turned into thinking about Asha, who was on the other side of the stretcher, looking like she was struggling with an injury of her own.

But instead of worrying about her, he pushed her aside, trying to retain his vision on Beaumont. After handing off Kaydel to the closest free-hands of a nearby field medic, he stood observing the Colossus, no doubt intrigued by the sheer massiveness of the station. Another flash of white cut off his vision, the next image being Beaumont on an elevator.

Where was he going?

Jon'Kil couldn't really figure out anything else about Beaumont's surroundings, except for the fact that Rose was also standing beside him as they both waited for their floor. Jon'Kil tried to take a look at the elevator button, in an attempt to see just what level they could be going. But it was too late. Another flash of white made the image disappear completely, the last thing visible being the direction in which the lift was proceeding: up.

There was nothing more Jon'Kil could see, his mind now starting to overheat and tire, triggering him to have a slight headache. He forced himself out of his trance, standing back up and rubbing his temples with his fingers. He pulled aside one of the medical staff that was rushing to what seemed like another transport docking.

"Where are your lifts?"

The medic pointed him toward a hallway where the elevators were housed, Jon'Kil sprinting to the door and practically smashing the button in. Once inside, he pressed the button to the highest possible floor, only hoping that it was the right call. The doors opened to reveal a meeting room, with a holotable in the center, Rose and Beaumont at the sides. They were talking to someone dressed in a blue uniform, no doubt the Captain of this station.

All three of them turned to face the sudden visitor, Rose and Beaumont's expressions immediately easing. The Chiss approached the table, panting as his fatigue was finally catching up with him.

"The Eclipse...it's here."

He said through strained breaths. Beaumont grabbed Jon'Kil's shoulder, attempting to hold him from falling.

"Captain, breathe. What are you talking about?"

Jon'Kil's hands were on his knees now, his breath slowly returning to normal. Rose handed him a bottle of water; to which he took, uncapped, and drank. Once he was ready, Jon'Kil took a deep breath and continued.

"Palpatine's flagship. That's where the first navigation tower is. It wasn't the ground at all, the Eclipse is underground."

Rose still had her same face of confusion, while Beaumont looked shocked at the realization.

"A-are you sure? Like yo-you're certain?"

"I know what I saw, Kin."

A silence followed before the man in blue finally introduced himself.

"Captain, allow me to introduce myself before things get out of hand. I am Captain Imanuel Doza, and I'm the head of this refueling station, Colossus."

He said in a low, stern voice. Jon'Kil took Imanuel's outstretched hand and shook it, nodding in appreciation.

"Good to meet you, Captain Doza. I have to thank you for joining us in our cause."

Imanuel snickered and nodded.

"Yes well, my people here have definitely had their experiences with the First Order. Let's just say we'll gladly join the side that has the best chance to win against them."

"I hate to break this up, but we need to get back on track. Jon'Kil, what is the Eclipse?"

Before he could reply, Kin stepped in.

"It's this...destroyer, dreadnought, space station hybrid of sorts."

"Bigger than Snoke's ship?"

Rose asked.

"By a longshot."

Jon'Kil answered.

"Durasteel quadranium-plated, over a thousand laser weapons, a superlaser, and over seven-hundred thousand crew aboard. All encased in a ship with a length of about seventeen-thousand five-hundred meters."

Beaumont continued to spill out information.

"You think we'll stand a chance with the fleet we have now?"

Rose questioned.

"It's hard to tell. This thing's never been in combat before. We have no clue how effective it'll be."

Beaumont stated.

"Also, we still have those damn Xyston's to finish off."

Jon'Kil added.

"I might have something that'll help us."

Doza finally inserted. All three Resistance members turned to see the Colossus Captain, tapping on his side of the holotable's console. A transmission was being sent out, the call being answered within seconds. Another human male, dressed in blue, popped on the field. He wore a blue jacket similar to Doza's, but wore a cap on his head with the CIS insignia in the center.

Upon further observation, the man had light skin with dirty blonde hair cut fairly short. He had a mechanical left-arm which was placed under his good arm as he crossed them.

"Captain Doza, this is a surprise."

"General Joseph, I wouldn't be contacting you if it wasn't urgent, you know that."

"Good to see you too, old friend. What do you want?"

"I don't know if you're aware, but there is a battle going on right now, on Exegol."

"I think I might've heard a thing or two about the Resistance and First Order war."

General Joseph answered sarcastically. Doza rolled his eyes before continuing.

"We need your help, Joseph. Plus, I know you despise Palpatine. This is your chance to strike back."

Joseph furrowed his brow and uncrossed his arms. After some internal deliberation, the General finally agreed.

"Aleena and I will be there. Joseph, out."

The transmission ended, but it still left Jon'Kil unsatisfied.

"That's it? What does he possess in his fleet that we don't have here, Captain?"

Jon'Kil asked, almost irritated.

"A Starhawk and a Lucrehulk. Both of which we don't have here, Captain."

(-)

The Eclipse was about halfway out of the ground when the two requested combatants arrived. The Lucrehulk-class battleship, titled The Immortal, was the first to come out of hyperspace. With General Joseph at the helm, it was easily one of the biggest ships of the entire Citizens' fleet.

"This is General Joseph of the Immortal, coming in to assist. Hope you guys saved me some ships to destroy."

"General Dameron of the Resistance here, there's no shortage of targets here for ya, General! We appreciate the support."

Jon'Kil observed the wide-scale battle from the Colossus' highest level, alongside Rose, Beaumont, and Captain Doza. On one side of the holotable, they had a live feed of the ongoing battle, and on the other side, a dedicated section just for the schematics of the Eclipse.

The group had been debating the best strategy on how to take this monster-of-a-ship down for hours. During the meantime, more and more Xystons were being hunted down, the Final Order fleet being brought down to its knees. Jon'Kil really wanted to be out there with his team, but he knew he was needed here. After almost an hour of discussion, Jon'Kil figured out the best method to take down the Eclipse, and the sudden reinforcements that Doza summoned were going to be a pivotal part of it.

It was already assumed that Joseph's Worgen wife was going to be the one commanding the Starhawk, and she had yet to make her appearance in the meanwhile, The Immortal served as a staging ground for the inevitable ground invasion that would need to take place inside Palpatine's flagship. Jon'Kil called to attention everyone that was in the room and pulled up a simulation program onto the holotable. On one side of the spectrum was the Eclipse, gigantic with all of its might and firepower, while the other side had the Immortal and the Starhawk.

Triggering his pre-rendered simulation, Jon'Kil began talking as the artificial ships went into motion.

"First things first. We're going to need all hands on deck for this. Once the Eclipse rises, we'll need to pull all of our attention to that. In the meantime, the Citizens' Fleet can keep destroying those Xystons, but since they can't navigate their way out of here without that nav tower, they're not our top priority anymore. Hopefully by the time the Eclipse is out of the ice, the Starhawk will have arrived. My plan is to position the Starhawk right underneath the Eclipse, and use its powerful tractor beam to pull it straight into the ground."

Rose was the first to raise a counter.

"Wait a minute, that's suicide for the crew of the Starhawk. Once it arrives, it's going to be the first thing that the Eclipse brings into its sights. It won't make that journey to the bottom."

Kin also added his doubts.

"Rose is right. Plus, with the amount of weapons they have on the underbelly that Starhawk isn't going to last long."

Jon'Kil thought for a second, suggesting something that he thought might work.

"That's where the Citizens' Fleet comes in. We have our friends take out those cannons, and it'll open up a window for the Starhawk to attack."

"Captain, with all due respect, it seems that you're not getting it. The Eclipse literally has over a thousand surface cannons and it'll tear our fleet to shreds."

Rose rebutted again. Jon'Kil couldn't help but agree. There was simply no way to take down the Eclipse without a great sacrifice to the fleet. There was a silence as the Resistance members tried to think. But the static of General Joseph returning onto the holotable interrupted them.

"Hey, so it sounds like you're having a bit of trouble here. Let me take some of the pressure off of your shoulders for you. My wife has retrofitted the Starhawk's tractor beam weapon with a mega-ion cannon. If you're familiar with the Malevolence, you'll get what I'm talking about."

Immediately Rose and Beaumont perked up. They looked at each other, astonished. Jon'Kil however, was still in the dark.

"Mind filling me in?"

He asked his two counterparts.

"The Malevolence had these huge ion cannon on both of its sides. It had the ability to disable entire cruisers with a single blast."

Rose explained.

"Couple that with the Starhawk's tractor beam, and we have a recipe for destruction."

Beaumont added, now taking over Jon'Kil's simulation program. The whole simulation reset, the three ships back in their original starting positions.

"Look Jon'Kil, you're gonna love this."

Chapter 37: Jaycob

Chapter Text

The news of Snap's death hit Jaycob harder than it did for Aftab or Honess. Thankfully, the Citizens' Fleet arrived right in the nick of time to raise his spirits back up. Bravo Squad was now hard at work taking down Xystons with the utmost quickness, vowing their mission for the memory of their lost friend. The enemy warships were falling by the dozens, and by this rate, the battle would be over before the end of the day. At least that's what Jaycob hoped. However, the news of a brand new threat emerging from the depths of the icy ground made sure to keep Jaycob on the edge of his seat. Bravo Squad was tired and sore, yet the trio had been fighting for several hours like it was nothing. Countless Final Order lives were lost at the hands of Jaycob, an internal weight that he was gladly hoisting over his shoulder. They deserved every bit of this.

"Forget the Eclipse, Bravo. We've got plenty of targets in front of us that need destroying. We can't get sidetracked by something we don't even know about yet."

He called in, trying to keep his pilots' nerves under control.

"Yeah don't worry, General. We hear you loud and clear."

Honess replied back.

"Good, just because we have new friends doesn't mean we have the excuse to be lazy. Now, let's regroup with Alpha and take it from there."

Jaycob led the B-Wings across the lively battlefield, with relative ease. With the sheer numbers that the Resistance now possessed, there wasn't really a need to be afraid of any TIEs scurrying to attack them from all angles. Instead, the group periodically kept their heads on a swivel to observe all of their surroundings and take frequent glances at their radar dial. Their main problem had to be the countless surface cannons that fired randomly at corvettes, frigates, or squads of starfighters.

But this challenge proved to be nothing for Bravo Squad, as they eventually made their way to Jessika and her A-Wings. Alpha had been running the same routine as Bravo; lining up attack runs with the axial superlaser of a Xyston, destroying it, and moving on to the next. Jaycob accelerated past the main batch of Alpha pilots to fly alongside Jessika, slowing to match her speed.

"Hey Jay, nice of you to drop in."

She called out to him. The pair opened fire on their targeted underbelly cannon, the most damage being dealt to the base joint as the entire gun imploded within itself, starting the familiar chain reaction all the way to the core of the Star Destroyer. Only after watching the entire cruiser go down did Jaycob continue the conversation.

"I'm just glad you're still here, skysis. We lost Snap."

There was a long sigh on her end before she replied.

"Yeah...I saw. I can't imagine how Kare is feeling."

His wife. Jaycob frowned openly, the situation being so reminiscent to his own experience. Just another pilot pair torn apart by war.

"He will be missed."

A silence followed as the combined attack group of Alpha and Bravo lined up their crosshairs with another cruiser. The Resistance and Citizens' Fleet were making their way toward the end of the pack, Destroyers that hadn't even deployed their armament of TIEs yet, now being marked for termination. Not wanting to dwell too much on the loss, Jaycob was glad to see a gigantic swarm of fresh TIE Daggers now flooding from their respective hangars.

Good, more kills.

Jaycob angled his shields to the front, signaling for Bravo Squad to do the same. He diverted power to his shields and weapons, determined to bring down the heavy firepower on the upcoming joust. He focused himself, firmly grasping his control yoke, anxiously waiting for the wave to get into range. But before anything could happen, several TIEs exploded as they were hit from different angles with red X-Wing lasers. By the time the wave reached Alpha or Bravo, it was just a quick clean up.

Jaycob looked down at his NavComputer in hopes to see Jon'Kil back in the fight, but was surprised to see that it was a squad that was part of the Citizens' Fleet. The callsign read, "Havoc". Disappointed in the premature destruction of his anticipated kills, Jaycob decided to hail their new friends.

"Uhhh, Havoc. Those were ours."

"Haha, sorry about that Bravo Leader. I owed my crew some Final Order marks and these guys seemed so easy."

This comment made Jaycob laugh.

"That they were. What's your name, pilot?"

"Dash Riker, Commander of Havoc Squad."

"Mine's Jaycob, pleasure to meet you Dash. Quick word of advice though: don't take Bravo Squad's kills anymore."

Jaycob replied, obvious sarcasm leaking through in his dialogue. Thankfully, Dash caught on.

"Will do, Jaycob. I know about you General, your reputation impressively proceeds you."

He complimented.

"Ooooh a new bromance for my skybro?"

Jessika cut in. This caused both the newly acquainted pilots to chuckle.

"Funny, Jess. Well Havoc, if you don't need our assistance, which it looks like you don't, we'll see you around."

Jaycob stated, thinking this one the end of this conversation. But Dash replied before Jaycob could even switch channels.

"Actually General, we could use some assistance. Me and my buddies on the Disciple have actually devised a plan that might need your help. A-also the help from Alpha Squad would be much appreciated, if that's alright with you ma'am."

"You can call me Jessika, pilot. We'd gladly lend a hand. What's the mission?"

"We're sending a boarding party to that Xyston ahead of us. An additional escort team would be great."

"I like that plan. Bravo Squad's in."

Jaycob replied for him and his team.

"So is Alpha, we'll follow your lead."

"That's great to hear! Disciple Ground Team, stay behind us, we've got you covered."

Two U-Wings, Three LAATs, one StarSpeeder 1000, one YV-865 Aurore-class freighter, and four Intersystem Transport Ships all flooded out of the port-side hangar of a nearby MC95A Star cruiser, assumedly the Disciple. It was a ragtag group of troop carriers, but it looked like it was housing well-over the amount of soldiers needed for a full Star Destroyer takeover. Jaycob switched his comms to his team channel, and stated their new mission.

"Hey you two, we got a new mission. To speed up this process, allies at the Disciple have devised a plan to steal one of these cruisers to use against the Final Order. Our job is to escort the boarding party to their drop zone in one piece. Any questions?"

"Yeah, I've got one General."

"Go ahead, Honess."

"Why didn't we think of this earlier?"

"Fog of war?"

"On the bright side, we could probably use it to destroy whatever's coming out of the ground."

Aftab interjected.

"True, but let's take this one step at a time. Follow my lead, escort formation."

Jaycob cut back to his squad leaders channel and led the trio of B-Wings to the right flank of the boarding party. Havoc Squad led the escort, having X-Wings at the front and rear, while Jessika simply followed with Alpha Squad on the left flank. Two entire hangars of TIE Daggers had been deployed, and were speedily rushing to intercept. Jaycob's radar dial pinged with a huge crowd of red dots swarming in from the front.

"Engage those fighters!"

Dash called in, Jaycob following up with a squad-wide attack protocol. The B-Wings broke off from the main party, shifting their shields to the front and opened fire on the incoming enemy. Jaycob managed to destroy three TIEs before having to rotate out of the joust to pursue an angle on whichever fighters weren't hit. An easy pair was caught in his crosshairs, both easily dismantled with a single burst of laser cannons. Alpha Squad now also left to pursue Daggers, an incredible display of speed being shown from the interceptors. Jaycob surveyed the area, and found three TIEs now lining up a run on one of the U-Wings. He shifted focus to these targets, but before he could send off a shot, one of the LAATs side ball-turrets sliced through two of them. The last remaining TIE was then dispatched by Jessika.

Scoffing, Jaycob switched to the next closest targets and proceeded to attack. It was a group of four, now breaking off their line of sight on the transports to reset for another run. Jaycob fired off a burst from his ion cannon, disabling one, and topped off with a spray of cannon fire. Two of the TIEs exploded afterwards, the remaining two splitting up and heading in opposite directions. Only being able to chase one of them, Jaycob made quick work of the FO pilot before the other could flank from the rear. By the time the Dagger had reached his back, Jaycob had already rotated his B-Wing to face his aggressor, sending countless shots of laser into their cockpit and disintegrating the whole ship.

With around one hangar-full of Daggers down, the fighting became more hectic. The last half of enemy fighters were making sure that they drew off the allied pilots as far away from the escort party as they could, rendering the ground team defenseless at some times. Jaycob saw right through this, and wanted to make sure that his fellow teammates were on the same page. So, he devised a plan.

"Jess. Dash. We can't get led too far out of sight, we need to stay close to our transports. Alpha Squad, your ships are faster and much more maneuverable than anyone else. I need you to focus on chasing these scum while the rest of us hang back and eliminate those who get too close."

Jessika approved of the plan, following up with,

"Treya, Lola, and Silar, on me. Let's take the fight to them!"

"Yes ma'am!"

"On your six, Alpha Leader!"

"Let's do it."

Four A-Wings zoomed back out from the main force, splitting off and pursuing the enemies that were a bit further away. Layne was just about to leave, but Jaycob stopped him.

"Fynock Leader, you're with us. Aftab, cover the left flank with the Lieutenant. We're almost at the drop zone!"

"General, we've got another problem. We need to destroy those surface cannons, they'll tear us to shreds!"

"I'll handle it-"

Jaycob was cut off by another transmission from the Disciple.

"Consider them toast."

Before the Xyston turbolasers could get a line of sight on the ground team, a flood of ion cannon orbs made contact with the guns, coming from the MC95A itself. The Xyston defenses were temporarily disabled, and the path was now clear for the boarding party.

"Layne, you and me. Let's clear that hangar!"

"Yup."

Together, the A-Wing and B-Wing abandoned their formation and zoomed ahead of the pack. Shifting their shields toward the front, they entered through the magnetic field slowly, opening fire with their laser cannons onto the crowd of red stormtroopers that were setting up ground defenses. Soldiers, turret emplacements, and munition crates were lost in the attack, the Disciple Ground Team beginning their landing.

Jaycob and Layne backed up out of the hangar, and observed as the two U-Wings hovered above the rest of the troop carriers. The side doors opened on both of the ships, revealing swivel turrets that were now being used to cover the ground troops assault. Bravo Squad's job was done, the B-Wings now abandoning their escort formation and flying off toward the battle.

"Jaycob, your help is much-appreciated. The first kill with this cruiser will be in the name of Bravo Squad!"

"Hahaha, just make sure you save some for the rest of us."

"No promises, General."

Things were starting to look up now, Jaycob knowing that in a matter of time, the Resistance would have an entire planet-killing Star Destroyer on their side. With the new weaponry, taking out the rest of the Star Destroyers would be simple. But, there was still a huge problem on their plate. The Eclipse. As Bravo Squad returned to their attack pattern to destroy more Xystons, Jaycob could only hope that the ground team that they had just escorted would be able to hijack the ship in time, and use the superlaser against the humongous ship that was almost entirely out of the ground.

"Well that was fun."

Honess admitted.

"Definitely, but we've still got a job to do. This battle isn't over until every last Final Order member is in the ground."

Jaycob replied.

(-)

Jaycob and the rest of his squad had docked on the Colossus in order to refuel and rearm. While he waited for his ship to be ready, Jaycob sat on a nearby cargo crate while observing the schematics of the Eclipse on his wrist-computer. He was dumbfounded on how they were going to take it down. That is, until Jon'Kil came running across the platform calling his name.

"Jaycob! Jaycob!"

"Whoa, slow down, Chiss. What's up?"

"We need you upstairs, right now."

Jaycob took one last glance at his ship. He ran back to snag the photos on his control board, now transferring them to his gauntlet. He then followed his Jon'Kil toward a vacant elevator. Jon'Kil pressed the button that would lead to the top floor, while Jaycob pinged Aftab and Honess telling them to head back out into the fight whenever they were ready.

"You got it, General."

"Copy that sir, see you out there."

"May the Force be with you two."

Jaycob responded. He turned off his comms and faced his old wingman.

"Alright buddy, what do you got for me?"

"As you've probably already seen, the Eclipse is going to be a big problem. We've devised a plan that may potentially take it down, but Poe wanted to make sure you were here to hear it."

The elevator doors opened before either of them could say anything more. It was a big office-looking room with a huge holotable in the center. All of the squad leaders, except for Snap, were surrounding it. To Jaycob's surprise, it was now his wife who was taking his place as Capital Leader. He quickly acknowledged everyone with his eyes before he approached the table.

"Glad you could make it, Jaycob."

Poe greeted.

"Yeah well, it wasn't exactly a walk in the park out there."

Jaycob replied, jokingly.

"Definitely not, but we're almost out of this."

He answered. Mac stepped up and plugged in a tablet to the table.

"I scanned the ship with my Y-Wing so we could get some more recent information. And it confirms that Palpatine is on board."

"Finn or Rey?"

Jaycob wondered.

"Both are on board, along with Kylo Ren."

Jaycob's fists tensed as Mac said his name.

"So what's the plan?"

"A proper ground assault."

Poe answered. Jaycob's eyebrows raised at the announcement. Before he could respond Jon'Kil stepped forward.

"The only way to get this ship out of commission for good is to destroy it from the inside."

"That means getting to the core and blowing it the hell up."

Jessika interjected. Jaycob scoffed.

"And how do you suppose we get an assault started on that behemoth of a ship? Those defenses are nearly impenetrable."

Poe had a sly smirk on his face.

"That's where the Starhawk comes in."

"Our get-out-of-jail-free card."

Layne joked.

He turned on the strategy program on the holotable. A miniature version of a Starhawk cruiser appeared on the field, quickly accelerating within range of the Eclipse. Once it was in position, a gigantic circular blast was expelled from the front of the ship, striking the enemy dreadnought.

"An EMP blast from the Starhawk could give us just enough time to get a massive raiding party aboard."

Jon'Kil said, stepping up and adding a Lucrehulk-class battleship to the simulation.

"The Immortal is big enough to house thousands of soldiers. Not even Palpatine is going to be able to stop this."

The friendly carrier landed on the surface, alongside the downed dreadnought, with arrows representing the ground troops breaching their way in via the hangars.

"Full frontal assault. Speeders, walkers, and tanks. The whole nine yards."

Mac added in. All of Jaycob's questions were being answered before he even asked them. Everyone in the room seemed to be content with the plan, including himself, only one question left on his brain.

"So how are we dividing this up? Surely we still need leaders to coordinate the battle in the skies."

"You're exactly right, buddy. Which is why Mac, Jessika, and Layne will coordinate the air forces while you, I, Kare, and Jon'Kil will handle the ground assault. Questions?"

Poe replied, confident as ever. He broke his glance from Jaycob to the rest of the team leaders.

I guess I could stretch out my legs for a bit.

"Anyone?"

The room was dead quiet.

"Alright. Let's get this done. For the Resistance."

"For the Resistance!"

Everyone responded triumphantly.

Chapter 38: Mac

Chapter Text

Mac practically sprinted back to his freshly refueled and rearmed Y-Wing. Climbing the ladder, strapping in, and powering on his ship all took only a matter of seconds. He switched his comms channel to speak to his squadmates, wanting to brief them on what was about to happen.

"Grace? Gardo? You still with me?"

"We read you, sir."

Grace called back.

"Sorry for the delay. You know how it is though, Squad Leader stuff."

Mac joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"No worries, Commander. Re-grouping on you now."

Gardo answered. Mac was already headed back toward the main battle when his two squadmates fell right into formation at his side.

"Ok you two, we've got one job. Finish off these Xystons! With the help of Alpha and Fynock, we'll take command of the Citizens' Fleet. Understand?"

"Understood."

Gardo said.

"Solid copy, Commander. But with all due respect, I'm looking at the squad rosters, and it seems like Fynock is gone."

Grace pointed out. Mac already knew this, but Layne made sure that the problem would be sorted out soon.

"Those lost pilots won't be forgotten, but don't worry. He's getting some reinforcements."

"Roger that then, let's do this."

"That's what I like to hear."

The conversation had ended right as Delta Squad came into contact with a squad of three green-accented MG-100 StarFortress bombers. Once in comms range, Mac pinged the team's leader.

"You're through Commander, this is Jade Leader speaking."

A deep-female voice came in.

"Pleasure pilot. How's Jade Squad's payload looking?"

"All clips are filled to the brim, we haven't gotten a chance to drop any bombs yet."

"Perfect, we'll guide you in to your first target."

There were three Xystons directly ahead of them, perfectly lined up with the bomber's current heading.

"Sounds good, Commander. We'll await your signal."

Mac instantly switched comms channels to a nearby squadron of Fang-class starfighters that were passing by.

"Commander Mac, this is Sundari Squadron. What can we do for you?"

"Mind lending a hand with this bombing run?"

"Gladly Commander, we'll even ping our home ships to run support."

"Home ships? As in, plural?"

Mac asked, curiously. But before the pilot on the other side of the line could reply, another transmission request came in sharply on his NavComputer.

"This is the Sphinx, coming in overhead. Heard you guys needed some extra protection?"

Mac was left speechless with his jaw dropped as a Hynestian Star Cruiser cast a shadow over the top of his canopy. He could only observe with admiration as it passed over him, guns already opening fire at the Xystons that lay ahead. He had to physically shake his head to shake himself out of his trance, quickly responding to the hypothetical question.

"That would definitely help, yes, thank you."

"I brought some friends too if you don't mind."

Right on cue, seven more Hynestians pulled into the formation, creating a well-protected barrier around the MG-100s.

"We don't mind at all, Sphinx. Sundari Squadron, scan for TIEs and engage when you please."

"Gladly."

Just like Mac had anticipated, the three Xystons ahead had unleashed their Daggers into the fight, an overwhelming number of two-hundred and sixteen now swarming at blazing speeds directly for the bombers. The pilots of Sundari Squadron accelerated past the pack to engage, their swivel-mounted wings rotating to the pilots' liking.

To add to the chaos, the Sphinx and its counterparts also unleashed laser into the oncoming enemies, tearing several TIEs apart and thinning out the wave. Mac had let his other two Y-Wings join the fight freely, mopping up any FO starfighters that were lucky enough to survive the initial joust. He even let himself take part in the fun, now behind a pair of Daggers that were trying to line up an attack run on the MG-100s. They hadn't even made it within attack range before they were blasted out of the sky with precise shots to the back of the cockpit.

Mac flew right into the freshly-disintegrated debris, quickly shifting focus back to Jade Squadron. All three StarFortresses were unscathed, now right in position above the first Star Destroyer of the line. Mac pinged Jade Leader to let her know that they had reached the drop zone.

"Jade Leader, 3 is right at the sweet spot! Let them have it!"

"Copy, Delta Leader. Mavin, open your bomb-bay doors and launch!"

"Yes ma'am!"

The younger-sounding female pilot named Mavin, replied. Rows and rows of black spheres were dropped from the bombers, single-file lines quickly making their way down onto the deck of the Xyston. The explosion was massive, Mac having to shield his eyes from the blast with one of his hands. Celebratory hoots and hollers could be heard from his headset, as the first run was a success.

"Good hit! I repeat, good hit!"

Jade Leader reported. Mac pumped his fist.

YES!

"Hot damn, that's beautiful!"

One of the Sundari Squad's pilots admitted. The magnocharges had hit dead-center of the Star Destroyer, ripping apart armor plating, and essentially severing the entire ship in half. One down, two more to go. The TIE Daggers were now flying without any true goal, just trying to survive. But with every second that passed, more and more of the FO pilots were shot down and added to the thousands of casualties that had already occurred. At this point, Mac had no clue what his kill count exactly was anymore, something as measly as a number signifying how many pilots he had shot down, not even crossing his mind. Instead, the only thing he focused on now was escorting the StarFortresses to their destinations.

The second Star Destroyer was already almost in range, the Sphinx and company already opening fire with their vast amount of guns. The cruiser was quickly overwhelmed, all top-side surface cannons being blown into pieces. The crew in the bridge could do nothing but begin a late attempt at trying to evacuate the ship, Mac already sniffing their plan out and beginning his approach with Sundari Squadron on the escape pods. The pod doors were already open, with Mac, Grace, and Gardo shooting them where they lay, while Sundari Squadron took care of all the bottom-side defenses. After effectively jamming the pod launchers, the pilots of Delta and Sundari had to high-tail it away from the destroyer before the next MG-100 dropped its payload.

"This is Jade 2, releasing magnocharges!"

A young male voice came in.

"Copy 2, be advised: you've got Daggers incoming!"

Jade Leader called out. Quickly turning his bomber around, Mac sped off back to assist against the TIEs, his Y-Wings, and several Fang-class starfighters following right behind him. Another joust was going to ensue, with Jade 2 right at the epicenter.

"Jade 2, close your bomb bay doors! It's about to get heavy!"

Mac was able to take down three Daggers before barely skimming the side of the MG-100, and engaging into a pursuit angle. Thankfully, he was untouched as he went into his pursuit angle on a Dagger. Glancing at his SuperComputer, he was glad to see that Grace and Gardo were keeping up with him, and seemed to be unbothered by the fact that they'd been in the air for hours without end.

Jade 2 managed to escape the fight with nothing more than a few scratches, and Sundari Squadron only lost one pilot throughout the whole ordeal. With two Xystons destroyed, the lonesome Xyston in the line metaphorically shook as the overwhelming Resistance force approached. It was about to make Mac laugh a little, as the Hynestians were making quick work of the surface cannons, but for some odd reason, the cruiser began to ascend.

Mac was confused at first, the bombing runs not really having to adjust much as all they had to do was get higher. The Xyston then rotated as quickly as it could, pointing itself toward the Sphinx. By the time Mac knew what was going on, it was already too late. The axial superlaser that the Star Destroyer possessed opened fire on the friendly cruiser, blowing it into small particles, and disintegrating every living member aboard.

The rest of the Hynestian Star Cruisers began to panic as they shifted away from formation, knowing that they were no match for firepower that had just been unleashed. Sundari Squadron had abandoned the escort formation, accelerating to attack the underbelly cannon before it could do any more damage.

"Sundari Leader, get your squad back here!"

Mac demanded, knowing that without their numbers, the last bomber was going to be torn into shreds.

"Negative! They destroyed the Sphinx! There were a lot of good people on board!"

The pilot snapped back, obvious emotion in his voice. Mac could only watch in horror as the Fang-class fighters were destroyed one by one, either by the surface cannons that weren't completely gone or by the many swarms of Daggers that were flying about the area. Mac knew it was only a matter of time before they were all wiped out, the main problem now being Jade Leader without any support.

"Commander, what the hell are they doing?"

Gardo asked.

"Being reckless. Delta, we stay by the StarFortress!"

"Agreed, but we're outnumbered!"

Grace called back.

"Hey now, I wouldn't say all that."

A familiar voice said before Mac could reply.

"Fynock?!"

Gardo asked in astonishment. Without another word, fourteen A-Wings arrived from the rear, falling perfectly into formation.

"In the flesh!"

The voice came in again, Mac quickly recognizing it as Layne's.

"Alpha's here too, you know."

Jessika called out.

"Oh no disrespect ma'am, I was just-"

Gardo began, Jessika immediately giggling.

"Hahaha, I'm just pulling your leg Gardo. Mac, we've got you covered if you want to hit an ion run on that cruiser."

"You took the thought right out of my head!"

Mac responded, now shifting comms to his squad.

"Delta, ion run. V-formation on me, let's disable this cruiser!"

"Roger!"

"Let's do it!"

Together the trio accelerated, leaving Jade Leader behind, prepping their ion cannons for a strategic attack. Mac quickly scanned the enemy ship with his SuperComputer, highlighting all key weak points and relaying the locations to his squad. With speed and precision, the Y-Wings began their approach close to the top deck, speeding past the slow turning turrets, and lining their targeting crosshairs with the first target.

It was right on the center of the deck, adjacent to the life support systems that were housed on the bottom side. Two shots from each bomber hit the spot directly, a handful of surface cannons going offline. The next shots were to be placed right at the neck of the topmost deck that housed the bridge. The area of effect was relatively big, so the bombers had no problem hitting their targets dead-on yet again. With many core systems now offline, the last remaining target was the bridge, which was also met with a heavy barrage of ion shots.

Delta Squad's run was absolutely flawless, the Y-Wings returning to Jade Leader without a single blemish. Jade Leader couldn't help but be fired up at what she just witnessed.

"Hell yes, Delta! That was textbook!"

She said, impressively.

"Damn right! Grace and Gardo, you two are deadly."

Mac praised. But before he could get too comfortable, his radar alerted him of the mass of TIEs that were now making a last-ditch effort to attack.

"Targets are up, pilots! Let them have it!"

Jessika ordered, her squad of A-Wings blasting off to initiate the joust. Layne's squad of RZ-1 A-Wings quickly followed, opening fire on the Daggers as both sides clashed. Mac went on to engage with his squadmates, himself being able to take down three by himself. The joust wasn't as destructive as Mac expected, but the Resistance pilots still managed to take a few losses, specifically two A-Wings from Alpha. Delta Squad's formation was disassembled as Mac went on to pursue his own angles on a clump of three Daggers now aiming the StarFortress. He was able to take down two with direct hits to the cockpit, but the last remaining TIE was quickly speeding away from his attack range.

"Jade Leader, you've got one-"

He began but prematurely stopped himself as the FO pilot exploded into bits.

"Don't worry Commander, we've got guns too."

Jade Leader replied. This made Mac laugh.

"Hah, well Jade Leader the pathway is clear. You're free to make your run."

"Solid copy, Delta Leader."

Without another word, the rest of Alpha, Delta, and Fynock met together to watch as the last Jade bomber released its payload onto the deck of the Star Destroyer below. Huge columns and plumes of fire and smoke skyrocketed upward. Mac just sat and smiled as his comms were filled with calls of celebration. After relaxing for a moment, he shifted his focus to the next line of Star Destroyers.

"All teams, great work! We're saving countless lives today! Now, all on me. Let's keep our momentum."

Chapter 39: Layne

Chapter Text

Layne had himself feeling confident and reassured, especially with the overwhelmingly successful attack Mac had just led. He couldn't help but feel like it was his turn to step up. There was still so much fighting left to be done and so much ground to cover, so it only seemed smart to pull out his squad of A-Wings away from Delta Leader's next move.

"Of course Layne, you're in as much control as Jess or myself up here. There's definitely other civilian ships that could use some guidance, just keep us updated. Good luck."

Mac had stated before Layne switched his comms channel.

"Alright Fynock, as you all saw that was only a taste of what we can accomplish when we work together. Those Destroyers didn't stand a chance."

Even though he didn't know any of his fellow pilots personally like he did his last squad, they made sure to let him know that they'd follow his orders and respect his authority before they left the Colossus. Taking lead, Layne flew his A-Wing toward a relatively unbothered line of Star Destroyers. Scanning the surrounding area, he immediately saw a group of four Sphyrna-class Corvettes, a squad of 12 Z-95 Headhunters, and a singular Ghtroc 720 light freighter. He reached out to the civilian pilots right away.

"Headhunters, form up on us. We'll guide those Corvettes into position. And you, in the freighter, supercharge your shields. You'll be used as bait."

"Roger that, Helix Squad form up!"

"Understood, Fynock Leader. We'll draw their fire."

Layne led the team of starfighters in an escort formation around the corvettes, engaging in the several TIE squads that were now converging on their path.

"Fynock Squad, engage those fighters!"

He ordered. The A-Wings split from the formation and initiated a joust. Thanks to their efforts, the remaining escort party only had to deal with a minuscule amount of enemies, none of which posed a threat.

"Great work, Fynock! Corvettes split along the sides of that line, two to each side. Take precise shots at those cannons, protect that freighter!"

The pilots did exactly as he ordered, a column of two ships on either side of the Star Destroyer, evenly splitting each side's cannons. Plus with the freighter circling the center of the enemy cruisers, there simply weren't enough guns to handle everything. After a short while, the entire line of destroyers was rendered crippled, all of their weapons systems either disabled or destroyed.

"Way to go everyone, we'll have the Final Order reduced to dust in a few hours if we keep up this pace!"

Fynock regrouped back into formation behind Layne, without a single casualty. It was now time to get the real mission started. An entire smaller fleet of ships and transports specializing in personnel transportation now emerged from the Colossus, making their way toward the Immortal. Among them were U-Wings, a single Lancer-class pursuit craft, several LAATs, GX-1 short haulers, and a Baleen-class heavy freighter. This was all coupled with a plethora of escort parties from different planets consisting of different ship types.

Layne had to take a deep breath to make sure he still had control over his nerves. There were a lot of people in front of him now, which meant a lot of lives on the line. Included in that group were his friends and fellow Flyboys. He couldn't let them down.

"This is Fynock Leader to all air personnel. The ground team is now assembling on the Immortal. Protect them at all costs!"

Several pings and signals came from his NavComputer, letting him know that his orders were acknowledged. He pulled himself in closer to the line of troop-carrying ships and scanned the area for any TIE Daggers. At the moment the skies were clear, the enemies too occupied with the massive civilian capital ships to sacrifice their numbers. Or at least that's what Layne had thought.

"Lieutenant! Destroyer coming straight for us! It's dead stick!"

A female voice from Fynock called in. Immediately Layne's attention turned upward, where a burning Xyston was now coming at blazing fast speed. The weapon and shield systems were already gone, whoever commanding the cruiser trying to pull off some sort of suicide kill before they went down. Layne had to think fast.

Kriff. Think Layne, think!

A few seconds went by before he thought of something. He sped off toward the rear of the cruiser, his squad thankfully just following his lead without any orders. It's like they could read his mind.

"Sir, we going for the engines?"

That same pilot asked.

"Bingo!"

He replied.

"Fynock, focus on the left-side engines! We hit those, the cruiser will automatically steer itself right!"

It was a sketchy plan, but they had no other choice. If they didn't act quickly, the Xyston would barrel right into the Lucrehulk and might even kill off the entire ground team. The first engine came into sight and Layne didn't hesitate to open fire. The rest of Fynock's A-Wings did the same, all unbothered due to the accompanying fleet out of the picture. Hundreds of repeated bolts from interceptor cannons were making contact with the circular subsystems but weren't doing enough damage.

Layne's jaw was clenched as every second that went by blasting away at these engines, was one step closer to the utter destruction of the Eclipse boarding team. The comms were blowing up also from both Resistance and civilian channels, pilots from all over the place trying to come together with a plan to fix this situation. Some other parties of pilots also joined Fynock, more starfighters joining the endless stream of laser fire.

Within a few seconds, the huge block went down. With two more of these blocks as well as for smaller subengines, the timing was not in their favor. Layne fired until his cannons were overheated, diverting all power he had to his weapon systems to try and cool them off faster. However, their efforts were still in vain. There was no way that this Xyston wouldn't hit the Immortal.

Layne was beginning to lose hope, his finger was one second away from turning on his comms and calling off the boarding when another ship came in for support. A modified Raider II-class corvette, codenamed, The Corvus, now set itself behind the line of starfighters. Lining up its duo of dual heavy cannons at the next big engine block, the subsystem exploded magnificently. A boost of hope sparked inside of him now, the situation doable.

"Corvus, you're a godsend!"

Layne couldn't help but praise. The person on the other end was female and sent in a playful giggle before she replied.

"Fynock, we're just doing our job. But we'll take the compliments."

The third engine block shattered and even snapped off from its socket, the debris scattering and falling toward the ground. Before the pilots could even get off another successful barrage on the last block, the entire cruiser began to tilt clockwise just as planned, its trajectory now off course and headed away from the Immortal. Layne was able to breathe a sigh of relief as the cruiser barely grazed the side of the Lucrehulk, and plummeted to the ice below. A gigantic explosion shook the planet, fire reaching all the way back up toward the Immortal, giving it an underbelly sear.

"Great work everyone!"

Layne called in. Soon after Poe added on,

"That was a close one! Thanks, Fynock!"

Mac cheered before adding on his own congratulations.

"Layne that was all you! That's how you lead!"

It was nice to hear all of these congratulatory praises, however, he knew that their mission was just getting started. Jessika pinged in.

"This is Alpha Leader, Havoc Squad got back to us. They're alive and well."

Layne didn't want to sound ungrateful for friendly lives being safe, but he didn't quite understand why it was of importance.

"So what does that mean?"

"That Xyston is ours! We have commandeered an enemy vessel!"

(-)

Well, this changes things.

"We can use that axial cannon on the Eclipse can't we?"

Layne suggested. Before either Jessika or Mac could respond, Jon'Kil cut in from the hangar of the Immortal.

"Negative! We can't risk losing that ship! The Starhawk and boarding team will handle the Eclipse, use that superlaser to thin out the Final Order fleet."

Without a second thought, Layne redirected back away from the Immortal and toward Havoc's new toy. Mac signaled for a regroup.

Alpha, Delta, and Fynock along with The Corvus stuck together on the way back, now running defense for a new fleet of TIE Daggers that were engaging with Havoc. The Final Order was now repeating what the Resistance had done and focused on the underbelly cannon, but the surrounding pilots made sure to keep off any deadly attack runs.

"Alright everyone, we've got protect that cannon-"

Mac was cut off as the laser opened fire, ripping apart two other Xyston destroyers from the side. It tore the two ships in half, the weapon meant for blowing up planets making these cruisers look like Bantha butter.

"Yeeeehooooo!"

Jessika celebrated. With Havoc having control of a Xyston, the entire battle was now back in the Resistance's favor. While the Eclipse did still hold a huge threat to the battle, utilizing Havoc Squad could be the very thing that wins this war for them. And this excited Layne.

He thought back to the beginning of his time with the Resistance. Even though it was such a short period, there wasn’t anything in the galaxy that he wanted more than to finish this with his friends.

"Good hit Havoc, that was phenomenal!"

Mac continued with obvious excitement in his voice.

"How long until that gun charges up?"

"About 15 minutes!"

A Havoc pilot stated.

"Copy that! Mac, Jessika, we'll just have to focus on keeping this thing alive for the time being. At least until our ground forces can take down the Eclipse."

"Yeah, noted."

Mac answered, followed by Jessika,

"Copy!"

Chapter 40: Jon'Kil

Chapter Text

The Chiss pilot was currently in one of the many U-Wings sent over to the Immortal, filled to the brim with soldiers of all kinds of races and species. Their gear alone took up plenty of space in the passenger hold, rifles and pistols alike with a nice variety of launchers as well. However, if the Eclipse somehow got airborne, Jon'Kil didn't quite see how effective using those would be. The last thing they wanted when trying to fight to the flagship's core.

(-)

Thankfully Jon'Kil had enough time during the assembling of the foot soldiers to go back to his ship and retrieve his valuables, and a fresh change of clothes as he knew running down corridors with blasters shooting at him would be more difficult in a flight suit. After switching outfits, he was about to take his trusty A280 until Rose came running from the Fortitude, parked on the landing pad next to him. She was hauling a cart with two big crates on the bed, both of them closed. Jon'Kil raised his eyebrows in curiosity.

"What's this?"

He asked as he met her halfway, placing a palm on one of the crate lids. Rose stopped hauling, pressing a few buttons on the cart console to keep it still. She blew a tuft of her hair out from her face before continuing. She then put on a wide grin.

"These are just a few things I've been working on. Weapons to be exact. I was hoping to give them to you and the guys as gifts for accomplishing the mission, but seeing as it just got a lot more complicated, I think they'd serve their use more effectively now. She pressed a button on the side of the crate that Jon'Kil had his hand on, unlocking the lid with a quick mechanical wheeze and spritz of steam. She slid the cover off and placed it on the ground next to her, leaving Jon'Kil's jaw dropped in awe.

The first thing he saw was the makeshift dagger that he created during the Heist of Koensayr Manufacturing. It still haunted him to think about the blood that he had spilled with it, but after seeing just what the Final Order was capable of now, it bothered him much less than before. However, upon further inspection, it seemed to have a few more attachments on it than he remembered.

He reached down into the box and picked it up, noticing right off the bat that it had a sleek new titanium handle encasing the exposed wires and circuits that were obvious and uncomfortable before. The switches were now easily accessible and the curves of the base felt nice in his hand. He flicked on the switch that he had originally designed and flinched as the prods now exuded a brighter and more vibrant glow when it conducted electricity.

"Prods have been replaced with Beskar, so they're stronger and can fire up faster. Those volts are definitely going to pack a punch."

Rose explained enthusiastically. Jon'Kil smiled.

"Plus, blood's not going to stain it either."

His smile faded as quickly as it came. How did she know about the blood? For a quick minute, Jon'Kil had to remember the last time he even held this piece of equipment. He thought back to his time in the refreshers with Asha. He had left the blade in her possession.

"Asha?"

Jon'Kil asked. Rose nods, continuing with her presentation.

"The prods are also modular, meaning they can be replaced with other materials or stacked on top of each other telescopically to give it more range."

She grabbed the blade from his hand and demonstrated, removing the prods and connecting them together before putting it back in its socket. This significantly increased the weapon's reach, about the length of his forearm. This really excited Jon'Kil, however, there was still one lingering question in his mind.

"What about that other switch?"

Rose grinned as if she was waiting for him to ask. She tossed the blade to him, but not before removing the two prods. With just an empty handle it was now just a light cylindrical tube of metal. She fished out a square-shaped battery pack that could be attached to a belt and basically shoved it into his hands. He connected the pack to his waist and traced the connecting wire from the base to his fingertips. Lastly, she takes out a small pouch, tied at the opening with a piece of string. She pulls on it, opening the bag and pinching a crystal in between her thumb and pointer finger.

Jon'Kil had goosebumps throughout his body.

"Is that-"

Rose cuts him off.

"A Kyber crystal? Yup."

She twists off the section at the top of the handle that held the prods in place, dropping the rock into a neat little compartment that was housed in the center. After twisting it back tight, she took the cord from Jon'Kil's hand and plugged it into a port at the bottom of the hilt, unseen by Jon'Kil until now. After turning on the battery pack on Jon'Kil's waist, she took a step back and crossed her arms.

"Now, it's a work in progress. So by no means is it perfect."

Jon'Kil already knew what to do. He flicked on the switch that had remained a mystery until now and watched as a light blue blade extended from the handle seemingly out of thin air. Jon'Kil could hardly contain his excitement.

"A Protosaber."

He said, mesmerized. Rose half-nodded and half-shook her head.

"As close to one as I could get at least."

Jon'Kil's heard the stories about these weapons and had read about them during his time in the First Order. Laying forgotten and overshadowed by its successors, the protosaber was basically the same thing as the new lightsabers that were known around the galaxy now, the main difference being that the power all came from an external battery source that the wielder had to hold on to at all times. But at this point, this small inconvenience meant nothing to him. He was just happy to have the thing.

"Rose I...heh I don't know what to say!"

"A 'thank you' would be appreciated."

Jon'Kil switched off the protosaber and looked into Rose's eyes.

"Thank you, Rose, seriously. This is absolutely amazing."

She shrugs.

"I try."

"Wait didn't you say you also had something for the other guys as well?"

"I did. Wanna see 'em?"

(-)

"Ok ground team. For those of you who don't know me, my name is General Poe Dameron of the Resistance. I appreciate every single one of you for joining us and our cause. If it weren't for you and your planets' support, we wouldn't be where we are today."

Jon'Kil listened intently to the General's broadcast, playing on datapads, holotables, and radio channels throughout the battle. For those who didn't speak Basic, Poe's words were translated to fit their native tongue. In Jon'Kil's U-Wing, there were two radio stations at the front of the ship, right below the open cockpit staircase. The cargo hold was dead silent.

"So thank you, sincerely, from both myself and on behalf of the Resistance. I'm sure General Organa would say the same. Now, here's the situation. The battle in the air is being taken care of for now, but if we don't get this Dreadnought out of commission, it'll all be for nothing. We fail, the fate of every single planet in the galaxy will be at the mercy of the Final Order, so...no pressure."

There were a few snickers from the passengers aboard. There were also a few sniffles.

"Here's the plan."

From every device able to transmit holograms, the field opened up, the simulation that Jon'Kil had helped create now repeating on the plain. The Eclipse appeared, mere meters away from being completely unsubmerged from the ice. Then, the Starhawk came in. With a crude animation, the Starhawk strikes the Eclipse with a powerful EMP blast, disabling the magnetic shields and emergency airlocks at all hangar bays located at the front and sides of the ship.

"As of now, there are only three main points of entry for our attack, with the rest still stuck in the ice. We will be engaging from all three of these entrances. Their biggest launch bay at the front of the ship, with two more on the ship's flanks."

The simulation on the screen rotated the Eclipse and highlighted each of these points as Poe went on.

"Using the Immortal, we will be landing troops on the ground just outside of these regions and executing a trident push."

Three arrows appeared on the screen, all of which pointing to their respective hangar bays.

"At our disposal, we have several tanks and speeders, and walkers. But be warned, so will they."

Smaller animated vehicles popped into the plain at the mouth of the hangars, slowly fighting their way deeper into the ship.

"We need to push through to the ship's core. There, we'll plant charges all along the main reactor and finish it once and for all. Once they're set, we evacuate from the ship and get clear from the explosion."

The projection zoomed in on the center of the ship, several looping animations of exploding circles surrounding the reactor. The arrows that represented the ground force now inverted the other way, leaving through the same hangar bays in which they came.

"I'm afraid we're out of time for questions. But just like you have this entire battle, you'll have to trust us. I'll see you all on the ground soldiers, and once again, thank you."

The transmission ended and the battle simulation shrunk back into the projector until it was gone. The hull of the U-Wing was full of murmurs, only small fractions of sentences Jon'Kil was able to make out. But from what he heard, it was more inspiring rather than doubtful. Looking around him now, Jon'Kil was a lot more excited than he thought. This felt better than any First Order mission he was forced into because he knew that this was for an actual good cause, not some twisted totalitarian agenda that wanted to keep the galaxy on its knees tied to a tight leash.

One of the pilots called down to Jon'Kil from his seat.

"Captain, we're one-hundred meters out!"

Jon'Kil walked up the steps to look out of the front viewport himself, leaning on the back of the co-pilot's chair. The weather seemed to have picked up more violently than it did when they had first arrived. Lightning bolts were striking down harder now and at a much more rapid pace. Out in front of them, Jon'Kil could see two more U-Wings, their retractable s-foils collapsing back to their forward position. The co-pilot of theirs followed along, all landing transports now beginning to prep their landing gear for the final approach.

The NavComputer displayed a huge craft that was now just entering out of hyperspace. It shot out of lightspeed right above the landing force fleet, its front facing downward and aimed at the Eclipse. It was the Starhawk.

About time you showed up. Just in time.

"This is Captain Aleena of the Starhawk. Sorry we're late, ran into a bit of traffic on our way here. Executing EMP blast now."

Within seconds the front hole of the battleship began to glow, its gun charging up. The Eclipse was mere meters out of the ice now and Jon'Kil knew that the Eclipse would be able to begin firing within seconds. But thankfully this wasn't the case. The front runners in the pack needed to decelerate since judging by the timing, they would reach the landing point too early and risk being engulfed in the Starhawk's blast.

One of the U-Wings in front of Jon'Kil that he saw earlier was merely taken out, but he was able to dodge out of harm's way.

"Close call there!"

Jon'Kil's U-Wing pilot chirped.

"You got that right."

A female voice replied back, assumingly the pilot to whom the comment was directed towards. Instantaneously every light on the Eclipse shut off and the hangar fields were disabled, the path to boarding now clear.

"Ten seconds!"

Jon'Kil patted the pilot's shoulder appreciatively and returned to the hull. The soldiers around him were pumped up, the side doors now opening. The turbulent winds forced their way inside to the crew, making all loose articles of clothing and free-hanging headpieces flap wildly. Jon'Kil forced his way as close as he could to the left-side door, keeping himself steady by hooking one of his arms through the overhanging cargo straps. Bolts of light flickered occasionally as the U-Wing extended its landing gear, and made its final descent.

Some soldiers didn't even wait for the craft to make a complete stop before they charged out of the hold. Jon'Kil checked to make sure his protosaber was attached to his belt and the battery pack on his back. Then, he retrieved his rifle from its sling and followed in his comrades' footsteps.

The hangar lay ahead of them only hundreds of yards away, the overwhelming force of friendly soldiers already being greeted with heavy blaster fire. Across the plain Jon'Kil could see that the Final Order had hastily prepared impromptu defenses consisting of turret emplacements, speeder barricades, and even activating a trio of AT-M6 walkers. On top of that were dozens more of those AAL-1971/9.1 troop carriers rushing out to expand and establish a greater perimeter out on the ice.

On a normal basis, the sight of this force would have scared Jon'Kil half to death, knowing the sheer firepower his former alliance possessed. However, as he looked at his surroundings while dodging far-reaching blaster bolts, he felt reassured. He had comrades beside him in the numbers in which he's never seen before. A mixture of red, green, blue, and on rare occasions yellow and orange streaks painted the battlefield, making for an electric and charismatic night.

Right beside him, an LAAT/c dropped an antique AT-TE walker onto the ice. As soon as the transport cleared out, its topside heavy cannon began firing into the Final Order hangar. The distant explosions could be made out, with cargo and enemy combatants scattering across the air. Much to Jon'Kil's surprise, the ice wasn't slippery, his only focus being placing one foot in front of the other and trying not to get struck by enemy fire.

Asha was supposed to be landing somewhere on the same path as Jon'Kil, so every now and then he would look to the incoming transports in some hope to see her pink skin stick out of the crowd. He hadn't gotten to see her on the Colossus when she was evacuated with the rest of the Fortitude since the situation was too chaotic, and he wasn't quite sure how he'd react to seeing her on the field now.

Would I get distracted? Would her presence cloud my judgment?

He forced those thoughts out of his head as he thought back to when they were kidnapped together. Even after being separated in the detention level of Kylo Ren's Star Destroyer, she found a way to survive. Along with the knowledge he possessed about her experience with Base Ominous, he knew that she was more than capable to handle herself.

The Baleen-class heavy freighter had finally reached the front lines, after being loaded to the brim with speeders and tanks. The ship was able to house forty-five combined ground assault vehicles total in its main carrying grid system, with its frontward hangar comfortably holding a plethora of 74-Z speeder bikes and X-34 landspeeders. The cruiser descended gracefully to the ground, its wide mouth letting these fast-moving vehicles loose. It then released the bottom-most level of humongous cargo crates on the surface behind the cockpit, closing the hangar doors before taking off again.

Final Order LIUVs were now approaching, their front-and-center turret emplacements now adding to the chaos. One of these speeders managed to make it all the way past the initial first line, now skidding toward Jon'Kil as if he was the driver's primary target. The enemy had run over several soldiers in the process, sending their bodies sliding across the watery slick. Jon'Kil opened fire with his rifle, maintaining concentration even through the barrage of cannon fire.

He was able to hit the gunner right in the face, the stormtrooper's body flying out the backend of the speeder. Without thinking twice, Jon'Kil began to charge full sprint and close in the already-decreasing distance. Now firing rapidly at the driver with one hand, unhooking his protosaber with the other. He ignited his new weapon and sidestepped right before he was about to get run over, jabbing the experimental blade into the vehicle's left-side engine.

Jon'Kil felt a rush, both from the close call and the sheer wind force that went past his face. He looked behind him to see the speeder tilt sideways, the engine housing exploding entirely and sending the entire vehicle into flames. A magnificent plume of fire flew upwards, marking the final demise of just one of the many LIUVs now scattered on the battlefield. Jon'Kil had to stop to catch his breath, his eyes immediately going to his protosaber. It cut through the metal with such ease, the sheer power of what he held in his hand now finally being understood. He observed the hilt in a new light, collapsing the blade and admiring its intricate and messy design.

Before he could get too distracted, one of the AT-DTs footsteps crunched the ice behind him. He lit up as soon as he heard who was at the helm.

"Nice lightsaber, Flyboy!"

He turned around completely to get a better look at the love of his life. Asha was smiling at him, blindly firing her walker cannon downrange. Jon'Kil ran to her side as she sent it downward, him immediately taking her into his arms and planting his chin on her shoulder. She returned the embrace, their reunification being just what he needed at the moment.

"A gadget from Rose, I assume?"

She asked.

"Yeah."

They let go of each other.

"Well, you'll surely stick in the crowd wielding that thing, come on board. I can get you to the front in no time. "

Jon'Kil climbed on board, igniting his protosaber and thrusting it forward into the air.

"CHARGE!"

Chapter 41: Jaycob

Summary:

With the first wave of boots on the ground, the Eclipse ground assault was now underway. Thanks to the powerful Starhawk, the enemy capital ship now lay weaponless on the icy surface of Exegol, aside from the impromptu ground defenses that the Final Order had deployed.

Chapter Text

Poe's presence in the LAAT was demanding. And standing next to him, some of that attention also blanketed onto Jaycob. They were mere seconds away from touching down, the battlefield already looking tense. Every now and then the gunship would be peppered by stray blaster bolts, but it was nothing the armor couldn't handle. However, it did cause those in the cargo hold to be shaken up a bit.

"Final Order defenses are heavy, so watch yourselves out there!"

Poe stated, the blast shields sliding away from the side doors. This opened up the canopy to fresh air, the smaller vertical slits being the only windows the soldiers inside the transport could see out of. Even with such a limited perspective, the scale of the massive battle could not be overlooked.

Jaycob glanced down at his feet, the experimental rocket booster attachments providing a little more weight to his boots. But he didn't mind, since he was able to ditch his flight suit for his regular garments that would allow for better mobility on the ground. Rose was the one to gift him these new contraptions, and they were apparently able to work in sync with his wrist-mounted gauntlet.

He tapped on the screen, the boosters powering to life. They needed a few seconds to recharge so in the meantime, he looked over his signature rifle. His EL-16 was his trusty weapon of choice, while he also carried his Glie-44 on a leg-mounted holster. His belt had all the needed equipment for booster fuel charges, energy cells, and all the fixings he could attach to his wrist. He wanted to prepare himself for a long fight of attrition.

Overall, he wished that he could just remain in the air either providing close air support or continuing with the destruction of the Star Destroyers. But Poe needed the leadership on the ground, and for Jaycob, this could be his opportunity to finally come face to face with Kylo Ren. Jaycob reached up toward his jacket pocket that housed Tallie's scarf remnant and patted it from the outside.

In the few seconds it took for the LAAT to land, Jaycob could only think about how his fellow Flyboys were doing. He knew that each of them had their own battles to fight, but he just wished that they could all be here together now in this final battle. He also wished Jessika were down on the ground here too. After going through so much together, it only felt right that she'd be here beside him. But much like these past few weeks, that opportunity seemed to elude both of them.

It didn't matter now though, Jaycob's feet planting into the ice and charging forward. He ran alongside Poe, the pair sending suppressing fire into the crowd of enemies that were firing back. A flaming 74-Z with an unconscious driver came barreling into an explosion just in front of them, forcing them to take cover behind a downed AT-ST. The walker was already on its side, smoke coming out from the two eye sockets at the front of the canopy.

But that didn't stop Jaycob or Poe from prying open the access hatch and checking for survivors. None remained. Jaycob peeked around one of the legs at the ground in front of them. The Eclipse was still disabled, but the front-facing hangar looked to be the most heavily fortified. Nonetheless, after checking in with Poe, the two pushed forward.

"Eleven-o-clock!"

Jaycob warned. Poe picked up on the signal, opening fire at a stopped LIUV.

"I see it!"

Poe took out the gunner before they could swivel their gun around to hit them, Jaycob opening fire and blasting himself upward, taking out the driver. The last passenger struggled to react in time, being met with a buttstock to the jaw from Poe's blaster. Any chance of them getting up was quickly extinguished as Jaycob finished the job with a shot to the chest. Without having to say a word, Poe jumped into the driver's seat, throwing the lifeless occupant off the speeder. Jaycob did the same, taking a position on the gunner's turret.

Poe then turned the speeder around and began to pursue faster toward the hangar. Jaycob opened fire at all the targets he could, their bodies being difficult to hit at such incredible speed. Their momentum couldn't be stopped now, the path for the hangar looking wide open as the ground troops around them were successfully pushing the Final Order's perimeter back into the cruiser.

Jaycob looked back at Poe with a satisfied grin.

"That was clean."

He said, alluding to just how fast they were able to commandeer an enemy speeder.

"Textbook!"

Poe answered back with a smile. His expression soon changed when a shot from an AT-M6 cannon struck next to the speeder, causing it to skid and grind a portion of the underbelly.

"Kriff!"

Jaycob responded, shifting aim toward the walker. Even though he knew it wouldn't do much he opened fire at the head, hoping that there was a slim chance that maybe it would strike through the thin viewport and strike the drivers. But Poe had another plan.

"Jaycob! Call in some air support!"

Without hesitation, Jaycob tapped at his wrist and pinged the closest squad leader in the area. There was a slight beep as the transmission was picked up.

"Hey there, hotshot! Whatcha need?"

Jessika.

"Skysis, center-most hangar. We have an AT-M6 lighting us up!"

Jaycob looked to the skies in hopes of even catching a glimpse of her A-Wing, but the battle was too chaotic to hone in on any ship in particular. After all, the target was pretty hard to miss, it be the only massive walker deployed so far.

"Copy that, I see it! Alpha moving to engage."

Jaycob looked up to watch as a squad of A-Wings lined a gun-run with the walker. The first couple of bursts didn't do much other than hinder its stability but after the fourth interceptor took their shot, the turbolaser fuel cells ruptured and caused a chain reaction all the way to the cannon. Panels off the top flew in all directions, the walker legs collapsing from underneath it and sending the entire body crashing into the ice.

As Poe continued to speed on, cheers could be heard coming from the other soldiers they passed, celebrating the destruction. Even Poe himself pumped a fist into the air.

"YES! Great run, Jess!"

"No problem! Alpha, checking out."

Jaycob hung up the call and continued firing into the abyss that was the Final Order hangar. A U-Wing came in overhead, zipping past the two Generals, and came to a hovering halt after rotating itself counter-clockwise at the entrance. The right-side door slid open, a gunner on an M-45 repeating blaster opening fire at the closest targets. Poe manage to skid their speeder to a halt right underneath the gunship, the front line now established.

Waves of Resistance and Civilian soldiers began to overwhelm the Final Order stormtroopers, in a battle of open-field warfare. The U-Wing made sure to take out the several turret emplacements scattered on the hangar floor, keeping the fight equal. Meanwhile, a pair of AATs kept the struggling AAL-2100/9.5 atmospheric assault landers at bay. If the pilot was lucky enough to even take off, they didn't make it past the hangar's threshold before being shot down.

Three of these transports were shot down in an almost-perfect line to be used as cover, with any survivors in the cabin shot to death. After discovering that it was already too late to push forward, the Final Order halted sending their troops in the landers altogether. Ones that hadn't lifted from the ground were simply used as cover to assist in repelling the momentum-driven Resistance, but it was no use.

Jaycob and Poe took cover behind a large cargo container, both peaking from the sides to get some shots downrange. Currently, they were pinned by an FWMB-10 that was specifically targeting them and keeping them suppressed.

"Any bright ideas for this guy?"

Poe asked, blindly firing off his Glie-44.

"Think air support would be overkill?"

Jaycob joked, poking fun at the fact that the enemy soldier was too deep in the hangar to line up any sort of attack run with a starfighter. Jaycob peaked over the cargo crate, then immediately snapping back down to avoid getting his head blown off. However, his quick glance was just enough time to observe a few overhanging TIE fighters still docked in their places above the gunner.

"How's your aim?"

He then asked.

"Better than yours!"

Poe teased.

"We'll see. There, TIE still docked. Let's hit those latches."

Jaycob pointed at the starfighter, Poe following his finger and seeing what he was talking about.

"Yup, let's do it!"

After backing away from the container, while still keeping it between them and the FWMB-10, the pair fired their blaster upwards at catwalks, blasting away the metal that kept the TIE fighter suspended in the air. The enemy gunner yelled before the ship crashed downward and exploded.

Perfect.

"Nice one, hotshot. Let's keep moving!"

Poe stated, looking back toward a crowd of civilian fighters. He raised his blaster in the air and pointed at the only doorway leading into the interworkings of the cruiser that wasn't blocked. Stormtroopers and Sithtroopers were hastily falling back through this door, falling by the dozen. Jaycob quickly exited the cover he was behind and led the pack, blasting away at a duo of stormtroopers that were retreating.

"Come on! The shields will be back up in minutes!"

He added. With that, they charged the halls. Through the doorway, a path intersected perpendicularly to them. Down both sides were already stormtroopers bunkered in as well as possible, using smaller cargo crates and combat shields attached to their weapons. The enemy fire consisted mainly of more FWMB-10 blasters held by gunners who were in the prone or crouched position. In response, a wave of thermal detonators was thrown at them, forcing them to fall back and shift their positioning.

After the initial boom of explosions hit, a flood of soldiers rushed down both ends of the corridor. Jaycob led the force down the right, toward the hangar that was already being invaded by Jon'Kil's forces. Poe went the opposite direction, aiming to regroup with Kare's force and eventually storm the halls altogether. Stormtrooper resistance was scattered and therefore unorganized. Before they could gain a foothold on preventing the invaders from pushing further into the ship, they were getting wiped out.

They did everything in their power to try and slow the advance, deploying the interior smaller ceiling-mounted blastercannons. It was effective but avoidable. The turrets' frames were too small to get a clean blaster shot on while already being suppressed, so Jaycob ordered a new tactic. Taking cover behind one of the portable barriers, he called out to the soldiers behind him.

"Three to a barrier! Two carrying on each side and one gunner!"

The barriers were heavy enough to withstand plenty of gunfire and even flames but were too heavy to simply slide across the floor. Two soldiers ran to Jaycob's side and picked up the barrier he was hiding behind. Only needing to lift the object a few inches off the ground and the pacing of movement being slow, he had confidence in his plan. Jaycob made sure to steer his carriers to the center of the hallway and make enough room for them to shimmy behind for safety.

"Make a wall!"

He ordered. Almost instantly, an impromptu line of soldiers holding the portable barriers aligned themselves beside Jaycob. Now with a near-impenetrable protective shield, the line pushed forward. Shots were exchanged from both sides, but only bolts from the Resistance ever made contact with an opposing soldier. Slowly but surely, stormtroopers fell to the ground and the Resistance inched their way deeper into the capital ship's interior. Jaycob raised his wrist up to his mouth.

"Jon'Kil! We're making our way to your hangar now, did you need some help-"

Jaycob was cut off by a stormtrooper flying through one of the open doors on the right-side wall ahead of him. The enemy smacked back first into the adjacent wall and fell to the ground with such impact that there would have been no way they would have survived. But somehow, the groans of the female trooper could be heard being muttered through her helmet filters. The remainder of the hallway wasn't empty by any means, but the force that Jaycob had led pushed further in, leaving Jaycob crouching beside the soldier somewhat alone.

She was in no shape to put up any type of fight as Jaycob removed her helmet. Underneath it was a young woman with short black hair and pale skin. She had hazel eyes which were bloodshot now, and there was a single trail of blood that crept out from the corner of her bottom lip down her neck. Jaycob tossed her helmet off to the side, Jon'Kil now emerging from the chaos that occurred in his respective hangar to join him at his side. Before he continued though, he took a long look at Jon'Kil's experimental weapon that glowed brightly in his hand.

"A lightsaber?"

Jon'Kil softened his aggressive glare at the stormtrooper when he turned to answer Jaycob's question.

"I heard Rose made something for you too, right?"

Jaycob responded by tapping at his boots with the new devices on them. Jon'Kil gave a side smirk and an approving nod. They both turned in unison back toward the stormtrooper.

"General Armitage Hux. Where is he?"

The stormtrooper could barely meet Jaycob's eyes. Her face began to grow heavy, yet she managed a satisfied grin.

"You mean that traitor who thought he could stop the Supreme Leader? Dead."

"What about Elrik Vonreg? How about him?"

"I'm done...talking to you, scum."

Jon'Kil crouched to come face to face with the trooper.

"You were programmed from birth, ok? This doesn't have to be your legacy any longer. Stop carrying the Final Order's burden on your shoulders when they don't care!"

The words seemed to have hit the trooper harshly, as her calm demeanor now shifted to questionable. Jon'Kil stood back up.

"I've been where you are. And I've faced death as you do now. I can tell you that serving the Order and making my superiors happy wasn't a part of my dying thoughts."

Jon'Kil's eyes pierced her, Jaycob could tell she was about to break. After a strained gulp of saliva, she exhaled.

"He's...in the Ancient Armory."

Jon'Kil and Jaycob exchanged curious glances.

"The what? Where is that? What is that?"

Jaycob questioned rapidly.

"He's assembling a team...to protect the main reactor."

"Stormtroopers or Sith Troopers?"

Jon'Kil persisted.

The stormtrooper shook her head.

"Both. But there’s more. I don't know even know what they are."

"What else?"

Jon'Kil pushed.

"Those without authorization...know them by only one...letter."

The two Resistance pilots' eyes widened in anticipation.

"Z's."

Chapter 42: Mac

Chapter Text

"Havoc, you're doing incredible work! Just keep nailing these rows of Destroyers and I'll be serving you drinks on Ajan Kloss on the house!"

Mac called in, flying by the repossessed Xyston bridge. For a split second he could've sworn he could see the friendly faces of Havoc Squadron's boarding team waving at him as he flew by.

"Alright Commander, when we're out of this I'm holding you to that!"

Mac laughed to himself as another ping from another channel requested an open line. He accepted the prompt.

"Talk to me."

"Commander, it's General Joseph. The Second Wave is prepped and ready for assault. Think you can provide some air cover?"

"Music to my ears, General. It's only a matter of time before the rest of the Destroyers inevitably fall. Send in the calvary!"

Mac turned and led his squad toward the landed Lucrehulk. Whatever vehicle that carried troops, walkers or gunships and everything in between, were now making their second trip out onto the battlefield. The initial Final Order front line was already pushed back on all three fronts, this new wave of soldiers now serving no other purpose but to reinforce the current fighters already battling it out in the massive megaship's interior.

"You say that now, but what does that mean about the deployed starfighters?"

Mac's confident expression now shifted to confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Think of the Destroyers as anthills. You crush these little bugs' homes and what are you left with? A bunch of bloodthirsty pests who have nowhere to return."

The realization came. He quickly diverted from his original path toward the Immortal to away and toward the remaining enemy Xyston group. He changed to an open channel.

"All free pilots, listen up. Prepare for a massive counter-attack! They're going to send everything they've got left! Shift focus to starfighter squadrons!"

"Roger that!"

Layne confirmed, followed by Jessika.

"On it!"

The combined squads of Alpha, Delta, Fynock, and whatever ragtag starfighter groups that were still around joined together on Mac's flight path. On the other side, a joust was already beginning to form. The biggest mass of TIE Daggers was now a humongous cloud of red in the sky, contrasting in color from the primarily blue landscape.

"Alright pilots, stay mobile! This is going to hurt!"

Mac didn't want to sugarcoat it. With the sheer amount of starfighters heading directly into each other, it was bound to be a bloodbath. Before either side was within range, cannon fire erupted, once again painting the sky with streaks of colorful laserfire. Few stray shots were lucky enough to hit some ships, but none were able to actually penetrate through shields.

Few more seconds.

Then the front-most targets would be in range. Mac opened fire a second before, to catch any pre-mature evasive pilots off-guard. Explosions of ships actually sustaining meaningful damage happened all around him, and before he knew it both sides were now smashed together in one gigantic messy puddle of metal.

Mac pulled away toward the nearest edge of the circle, wanting to escape the kill zone as fast as possible. He activated his ion turret to cover his retreat, before tracking onto the nearest TIE Dagger.

He started the pursuit angle and dispatched the enemy before his turret even needed to cool down. He looked at the mass of fighters that were starting to finally separate into independent lanes of pursuit, debris from all types of starfighters now floating idly in the initial joust starting point. It was a massacre, Mac instinctively looking at his team's roster to assess how Grace and Gardo were doing.

They were still alive thankfully, Mac switching to his squad channel.

"Alright you two, how're you doing? I was scared for you guys, not going to lie."

"Appreciate the concern Commander, but we're doing just fine!"

Gardo answered. Grace remained silent.

"Grace, how about you? Everything ok on your end?"

Mac was able to still hold the conversation as a new pair of Daggers now came into his line of sight. He trailed behind, corralling them until they were inches apart from one another. He squeezed down on his trigger and killed both of them in a single burst.

"Grace, come in."

Gardo tried. But still nothing. Now Mac began to panic. He initiated another wide scan of the area, setting a parameter to highlight Grace's Y-Wing in the chaos. It took a minute, the SuperComputer needing some time to process every single model of starfighter within range and give them either a friendly or enemy designation. It wasn't until after Mac sniped down another Dagger that he was alerted of her location.

Her blip blinked brightly on his radar, Mac turning in her direction. He was able to spot her easily, especially with the new trail of black smoke now flowing from her rear. There were three Daggers on her tail, attempting to get a line of sight for the killing blow.

"Gardo! Grace is in trouble!"

"Yeah! I see it! Grace hang in there!"

Gardo's bomber reached their comrade first, taking one of the two TIEs out and sending the remaining pair in a frenzy to flee. Mac pulled up close to Grace's ship, matching her speed so that he could get a good look at her cockpit.

She was alive, but her bomber needed repairs. While the battle raged on, Grace and Gardo were now at the top of Mac's priorities. No matter what, he was bringing them home alive.

"Gardo, once you've mopped up those two join up with us. Grace needs repairs."

"Roger that, sir. I'll make it quick. Make sure she gets to safety."

Mac waved at Grace through his viewport, then signaled for her to follow his lead. She nodded in understanding. He charted a metaphorical course back toward the Colossus, which now towered over the disabled Eclipse. It looked like a clear path.

To be truthful, Mac was looking forward to returning to base. There he'd be able to take a breather and much-needed break from an environment that he needed to be alert to at all times. Plus it would be nice to see how the battle on the surface was doing, seeing as that was the final objective after all.

"Commander check your six!"

A TIE Dagger had managed to sneak up behind the pair of bombers, its crosshairs lining up with Grace. He tried to power on his ion turret once more to take it out quickly, but it was still recharging. And without Grace's communications working, there was no way he could warn her or tell her to activate her turret either. It was a split-second decision and one that might end up in a terrible misstep. But it was worth a shot.

He decelerated and pushed behind Grace's rear, using his own ship as cover. The Dagger was able to send out a wave of fire before Gardo dealt with it. The damage inflicted on Mac's ship was severe, and the connection to both of his engines was lost. The sheer force from the impact jettisoned his bomber into Grace's as they now both headed for the ice below.

Mac's surroundings were heating up as sparks were flying from every direction inside his cockpit. He tried everything he could to salvage what he could of his controls, but he knew that it was inevitable he was crashing. The ice came at the pair of pilots at an alarming rate, and all they could do before hitting the ground was close their eyes and brace.

Mac did his best to try and stay awake throughout the ordeal, but with the uneven terrain, the skid was bumpy. Before he knew it, he'd hit his head hard.

(-)

"Grace? Commander?! Do you guys read?"

Gardo's voice sounded distant, and he could barely make out what his squadmate was trying to say through the constant ringing now in his ears. Slowly but surely, Mac was regaining his hearing, the familiar high-pitched pings of fighter blaster cannons all around him. He opened his eyes to nothing but smoke and sparks.

Mac couldn't see anything through his viewport, at least through the panels that still had the transparisteel windows intact. There was crushed ice and cracks all over the surface, Mac coughing as he accidentally inhaled some of the smoke. He yanked on his emergency cockpit release, yet not to his surprise his canopy didn't budge. Ignoring any physical pain in his body, he lifted one of his legs from the ground and began kicking his front viewport.

He grunted with each kick, each strike getting more powerful than the last until the window began to break even more. The viewport eventually snapped and scattered, now giving Mac a way out of his totaled ship. He unbuckled himself out of his seat and crawled out toward the ice. As he managed to wriggle his entire body from the mangled mess, he turned to face the other destroyed Y-Wing that lay next to his.

No...no please.

"GRACE! GRAAAACE!"

He coughed up blood, red now blotching the ice he laid on. The entire cockpit had snapped off from the rest of the bomber's main chassis, yet the prior still looked relatively intact. Mac pushed himself up onto his feet, limping over to his downed teammate's ship and ignoring the cold climate that was making his body unwillingly shiver. A sharp pain erupted from Mac's chest as collapsed back down to his knees.

He was able to stop himself from completely faceplanting by propping himself up on one his arms, his other arm now covering the spot that was in pain. He glanced down at his flightsuit to see a new oval of blood now painting the inside fabric.

"Damn it!"

He says through gritted teeth as he hoists himself back upward and onto his feet once more. He's able to reach Grace's cockpit, which unlike Mac's, still had the transparisteel viewports intact and clear of any obstruction. Grace could be seen clearly from the outside, the pilot knocked unconscious from the impact. Mac pulled on the outside emergency release lever, and the cockpit opened up.

The canopy opened about only halfway before the hinges got stuck on a piece of debris. This was just enough room for Mac to undo Grace out of her seat, and pull her out onto the ice.

"Alright Grace, I know that moving you probably isn't the best option in your case, but you'll thank me later."

He said quietly, knowing that nobody could hear him. He winced as he got clearer look at Grace's face, her nose broken and blood dripping out from both nostrils. He reached for his helmet microphone and re-oriented it back to the front of his mouth.

"Gardo...Gardo, this is Mac. Do you read?"

Instantly, the only remaining Delta Squad starfighter left replied.

"Commander! Thank the Force, are you alright? Do you have eyes on Grace?"

"I do, we're trapped on the ice right now right at our crash site. It's only a matter of time before a Final Order patrol comes by and picks us off. Think you can secure us a ride?"

Gardo scoffs on the other side.

"Uhhh, sir? I don't think you'll have to worry about that patrol."

Mac squints and looks up toward the sky, and what he saw mesmerized him.

A single, lonesome Xyston-class Star Destroyer was the only capital ship, barring the Eclipse, that the Final Order had still standing. And it was right above Mac and Grace. He looked around him, surveying the distant surface of ice. Groups of hundreds of the same Star Destroyers were now on their way down, crashing gloriously on Exegol's crust. While there were still thousands of TIE Daggers still flying about, they truly had no place left to go.

In a last ditch attempt at doing damage, some enemy pilots used their own ships to crash into the Resistance fleet. Some landed on the surface of the Eclipse in an attempt to flee to the innards of their only functioning flagship left. Others simply flew around with no true directive, just soaring around aimlessly until someone shot them down.

"The skies...they're...clear. They're actually clear."

"But I went ahead and hailed a transport for you. They should be arriving now."

On cue, a familiar YC-123B transport hauler entered Mac's line of sight landing several yards away from the Y-Wings' wreckage.

"The Fortitude!"

The ship had finished getting repaired and now housed a fresh new batch of soldiers ready to be taken to the front lines. Mac hoisted Grace into his hands and waddled over toward the boarding ramp that was now open. A couple of other soldiers came to assist and gathered Grace into the cargo hold, Mac closing the ramp behind them. He instantly made his way to the cockpit to thank whoever was flying them out of their precarious situation.

"Pilot! Are we glad to see you! Thanks for the lift!"

The pilot was a female human, with dark hair that actually protruded from the back of her custom helmet rather than tied in a bun, like standard. She saluted Mac without looking up from her NavComputer. She wore the signature bright orange flight suit that was uniform for all Resistance pilots, but she looked unfamiliar.

"I'm Elayna. Commander, it's good to meet you, glad I could bail you out!"

"I definitely owe you one Elayna, where we headed?"

"Well, I was headed toward that port-side opening to reinforce our ground team there. But, it seems like your friend is pretty banged up! I can drop you off at the nearest field medic station and resume the route."

Mac smiled and nodded in agreement.

"If you don't mind, once I drop her off I'd like to join the remaining force on the ground. My bomber's toast. Think I could get a lift back to the Colossus?"

"Good copy, Commander."

Chapter 43: Layne

Summary:

With Mac now out of the air battle, Layne and Jessika were the only remaining commanding officers left in the sky skirmish. The Final Order Navy was left in shambles, the only true threat now completely trapped in the confines of the megaship that was the Eclipse.

Chapter Text

"Superb flying out there, Flyboy. You fit the name quick!"

Jessika approached from behind. Layne descended from his starfighter's cockpit and gave the counter to her already-waiting fistbump.

"I take it you're joining the Ground Team now too?"

"Of course I am! This fight is far from over. To be honest, I won't feel accomplished until every single Final Order soldier in that cruiser is dead or in chains."

Jessika's fiery spirit reminded him of Jaycob. It was no wonder they were such good friends.

"After everything Palpatine has done, I think I could get behind that idea."

Engineers quickly began the cooldown process for their ships, the pair of pilots hauling all of their equipment out from their storage compartments. There was a makeshift ready room for pilots to change in right by the landing pads, no wasted time needed to go off and find a private place to get situated on the behemoth that was the Colossus. The doors to the ready room slid open, the first person they saw being Mac.

"Cilton and Pava! I wasn't expecting this duo."

Jessika smiles as she quickly walked over to give Mac a hug. Layne followed closely behind to do the same.

"Heard your bomber was shot down, everything alright?"

Layne questioned. Mac nodded.

"Fortunately, I came out of it relatively unscathed. One of my pilots got pretty roughed up though, had to get her to medical."

"And let me guess, you're leaving with the Third Wave?"

"Your instincts. They're incredible."

Mac joked sarcastically, hoisting his flight suit over his shoulder.

"Find me when you're done getting situated, I heard Rose got something for the two of us."

Layne quickly glanced at where Jessika was standing, only for her to have disappeared already changing off somewhere in the ready room. Layne looked back to Mac and nodded.

"Sure thing."

(-)

Mac was sitting on top of a wide cargo crate sitting just outside of the ready room door. He confidently smiled, holding a weapon in his hand. As Layne got closer, he got a better look at it. It looked like a grenade launcher of sorts, a breaking barrel being evident that one would place a cylindrical ammunition into before it got expelled from the wide-mouthed tube of a barrel.

"That looks...experimental."

Layne said, not incredibly impressed with the device.

"Well looks can be deceiving. This...is a scan dart. Or, should I say a scan dart launcher."

"You can call it whatever you like, it still looks rough."

"Whoa whoa, you're lucky Rose isn't here or she'd taze you for being so rude."

Mac joked, giggling a little bit at his own joke. He takes a dart tube from his belt and places it into the housing.

"Ok so...what's this do exactly?"

"You remember that SuperComputer I had in my bomber?"

"Yes."

"Imagine that, but in a firearm form. Upon impact, the scan dart gives a visual indication of all warm-blooded beings around the blast radius. Goes through most materials."

"So, it can scan through things?"

"Pretty much. Rose isn't here to explain the science to me, so that's all I can really tell you."

"Can't wait to see it in action."

Layne tried to sound enthused, but judging by Mac's facial expressions he wasn't buying it.

"Alright alright, yes ok? Rose might've built a little something for you too. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Layne sheepishly grinned. Mac stood up from the crate and popped open the lid. Layne approached and peeked inside. There was only one single thing left inside the box, but he couldn't quite put a name to what he was seeing. It was rectangular in shape, with several protruding panels and gills on each side. He picked it up and rose it to his eyes for a closer look.

"What the hell is that?"

Mac questioned. Layne didn't reply, instead catching glimpse of a hastily-written note that was tossed aside. He picked it up and read aloud,

"Layne, I heard that you had a DL-44. I've always admired the pistol, an old classic. I was hoping to get my hands on one eventually but seeing as you had one now, I thought why not? This is a special modular modification that attaches to the blaster's body. Now it may look kinda funky, but this baby gives your blaster the ability to charge up your blaster bolts' kinetic energy, with the help of an override in tibana gas-"

Mac cuts him off. Grabbing Layne by the shoulder and ushering him to walk to one of the empty landing pads.

"Walk and talk, yeah? Our ride's here."

It was the Fortitude. Several soldiers armed to the teeth rushed to fit in the cargo hold, meanwhile Layne still took his time.

Overcharged Blaster Bolts. With the ability to be fired in rapid successionTh-

The rest of the note was smudged and unreadable, the pen ink wiped off the page.

"Rose turned my pistol into a rifle."

Layne muttered to himself. Mac who was already ahead of him and on the ship called out to him.

"Layne, move your ass!"

Layne shook out of his trance and ran up the ramp and positioned himself next to Mac. Jessika was the last to board, holding something else in her hand.

"You left this in the box, looks like a buttstock of some kind?"

She gave it to Layne, placing it on top of his arms. The boarding ramp started its closing sequence and the shuttle ascended. Layne shoved the note into one of his pockets and put both the stock and modification into one hand, unholstering his DL-44 with the other. He oriented the mod for easy access and shoved the front of his blaster into the contraption. A tiny green light on the side of the box flicked to life, most likely meaning that the connection was successful.

He then attached the buttstock onto the rear of his weapon and pressed it against his shoulder. Jessika looked over the weapon impressed.

"Rose knows her stuff, gotta give it to her."

There was a ping on the ship's intercom, a message from the pilot to the rest of the team waiting to be dropped off.

"This is your pilot speaking, we are about thirty seconds away from our destination. Make sure your weapons and gear is accounted for. Once you reach the surface, pay attention to Commander Mac. He's actually riding with the rest of you guys right now! Say 'hi' Commander!"

All eyes in the cabin shifted to Mac. Jessika had to hold back her laughter, with Layne hiding his amused expression behind the palm of his open hand. Mac's eyes were wide open.

"Um. Uhhh...hi. Th-thanks for the introduction, Elayna. Love that. So so much. No pressure at all!"

"You're so welcome!"

She chirped back jubilantly. There was a small silence that followed while Mac gathered his thoughts.

"Basically what she said. Once we hit the ground, follow my lead. Our first and second waves have already made incredible progress on the interior. Our job: mop up the stragglers and help push toward the reactor. It's a straightforward task. Destroy the Eclipse and avenge everything Palpatine has taken from us!"

The surrounding soldiers, raised their weapons in the air or clapped to show acknowledgement.

"Bravo, Commander. Truly inspiring! Now, get out."

The Fortitude had reached the landing zone and the boarding ramp lowered. For some reason, Layne was expecting to be introduced into the battle with a wave of enemy blaster fire. But instead what lay ahead of him was more eerily comforting.

A graveyard of machinery. Walkers, tanks, and speeders lay scattered on the icy surface around them and even inside the hangar. There was no shortage of corpses either, only bodies from the Final Order still left where they dropped. A mass cleanup of all friendly lives lost had already begun, with the main middle hangar now serving as an impromptu field hospital.

Also, instead of a running start right out of the gate, the soldiers that disembarked from the Fortitude were briskly jogging as the fight was within the layers of walls and floors that they were not on yet. The Fortitude wasn't the only craft dropping troopers off either, a variety of smaller shuttles and transports bringing in load after of load of manpower. Layne stepped off the boarding ramp and turned around slowly to take in everything.

It was calm chaos. The Xystons that were taken care of were all destroyed and crashed into Exegol's surface. There wasn't a single TIE Dagger left in sight that wasn't being chased down by four or more tails, racing to try and take it out. The odds in the air were now so flipped, that the Final Order was now the underdog in the war. Looking forward at the different doors that led deeper into the Eclipse, Layne knew that within hours the enemy was to be completely extinct.

Mac led the biggest group down the center-most hallway, talking into his comms and trying to find the best path to regroup with the rest of the First and Second Waves. Layne followed behind, at a walking pace, breathing deeply and even a slight smile coming across his face. This was the first time in months, where he's felt relaxed. Collected. He wasn't having a single anxiety-ridden thought come across his mind. It was only confidence that he was coming out of this whole ordeal alive.

"Layne! You coming?"

Mac yelled from the front of the pack. A few faces turned to look at him. Layne met his friend's eyes and nodded firmly, jogging to meet up and walk at Mac's side. Jessika caught up with them too, nudging Layne on his arm softly.

"This is it."

She said with a smile.

"This is the beginning of the end."

Layne returned the smile, a sudden surge of adrenaline now filling his entire body. He raised his new DL-44 experimental rifle in the air and pointed down the corridor they were walking through.

"LET'S GO!"

He screamed, sending his legs forward in an all-out sprint. Mac followed closely behind and barked out which corridors to go through whenever they reached a split in their path.

The sound of blaster fire and explosions were getting louder, which meant they were getting closer to the front line. Weapons of the soldiers Mac was leading began to purr to life as energy cells were being loaded and guns were being activated.

They ran and they ran until the ground began to shake. The explosive force of the battle in the corridor just ahead of them was enough to cause some uneven ground. Chatter from friendly forces were now filling the nearby soldier radio waves as squads of different compositions were finally regrouping. That's when a voice came in loud and clear into Layne's comms. He turned up the volume on his earpiece.

"Jon'Kil, it's right here! We need to break that door and the reactor is right there!"

Jaycob.

"Give me cover! I can carve out an opening with my saber!"

Jon'Kil.

The door right before this massive hallway opened instantly and Final Order blaster bolts flew past the threshold, striking a few of the frontrunners in the pack. The corridor that lay ahead of them had the width of four of the standard hallways that were accustomed to the Xystons, making for a decently wide battlefield.

Debris from destroyed walls and floors served as very tiny pieces of cover, with the majority of the friendly defenses being cargo crates stacked atop one another. FWMB-10 emplacements were dealing most of the damage, as fortified walls and bubble shields protected the gunners from blaster fire and grenade volleys.

Layne sprinted forward, spraying his weapon at the first stormtroopers that came into his line of sight. He ran, jumping over dead bodies and scattered weapons, dodging blaster fire, and slid to a halt once he reached Jaycob's side.

His friend seemed surprised to see him.

"LAYNE?"

Jaycob exclaimed, an astonished open-mouthed smile following.

"Thought I was gonna miss this?"

Layne responded, peeking from cover and opening another flurry of blaster fire from his rifle. Jaycob followed the weapon with his eyes as Layne shrunk behind cover again.

"Is that what I think it is?"

Layne simply nodded.

"Rose and her box of fun!"

Jessika's voice came in from behind, as she also slid into cover next to them.

"JESS!"

Jaycob said, immediately hugging her. Mac reached their position last, firing off a scan dart. There was a whole other squad of Sith Troopers now approaching from behind the turret emplacements that had yet to pass through the blast door.

"Fight now, hug later!"

He said as he transitioned to his main rifle.

"It's so great to see you guys!"

Jon'Kil called out through the loud thermal imploder that just exploded nearby, sending two Sith Troopers into the air and smacking against the ceiling above them.

"As you can see, we're kind of in a predicament. We can't get anything past those turret emplacements. We've spotted a weak point in between two of their bubble shields, but nobody's got a grenade in such a tight spot yet."

Jaycob relayed.

"The best we can do now is just keep hammering their shields with blaster fire until they bust."

Jon'Kil added.

"Actually! I think our solution just arrived!"

Another voice, not in the immediate vicinity all caused the group's ears to perk up. It was Rose, a hallway-worth amount of distance to their right. Layne got a visual on her first, seeing Rose fighting alongside Poe.

"What do you mean? Layne?"

Mac questioned.

"Yes! His weapon!"

Layne was confused by this statement. He shook his head with a furrowed brow.

"I don't think even overcharged blaster bolts can penetrate those!"

He answered back.

"No no! Hit the yellow button!"

"The what?"

"There's a yellow button on the right side of the mod! Press it and aim the laser at the gunner! When the green light blinks, fire!"

"Got it! Guys give me some suppressing fire!"

Layne and the rest of the group rose from their barrier and sprayed their weapons. Layne did as Rose told him to, lazing the gunner with a green beam that suddenly appeared from the box. After three seconds, the light began to blink and Layne pulled the trigger. The group then simultaneously shrunk back behind their cover once again, only raising their eyes over to see just what Layne's new weapon was capable of.

A smoke-trailing projectile had been expelled from the barrel, moving slower than an average blaster bolt, straight for the gunner's bubble shields. But right as it was about make contact with the barrier, it rose up and above, flipping and orienting itself above the gap in between the shields, and slammed inward. It guided itself to the unsuspecting gunner and collided with their belt-mounted grenade housed on their rear.

It exploded, destroying both shields in the process and making the turret emplacements no longer defensible.

"WHAT THE HELL!?"

Jessika yelled extraordinarily.

"IF YOU HAVE GRENADES, THROW THEM!"

Jaycob barked at the friendly soldiers all around them. In response a handful of thermal detonators were tossed at the enemy's position, causing an explosion big enough to cave in the blast doors and sending them into the room that housed the Main Reactor.

Chapter 44: Jon'Kil

Summary:

With our Resistance heroes regrouping once again, the door to the Main Reactor has finally been opened. The key to ending this bloody battle once and for all was finally within their reach. With weapon upgrades from Rose, it seems like the Resistance's momentum cannot be stopped. At least for now.

Chapter Text

"That also works!"

Jon'Kil confirmed as the path to the Main Reactor blast door was now clear. Sure there was still heavy fighting occurring on the field near and around the area, but there was a straight shot to the capital ship's power supply, and Jon'Kil was adamant about getting to it. Thanks to Layne's literal and metaphorical breakthrough, there was nothing but dead Final Order corpses that lay in their way.

"NOW'S OUR SHOT! PUSH!"

Poe screamed triumphantly. A wave of battle cries erupted in the halls of the Eclipse, so loud Jon'Kil could bet credits that it could be heard even outside. Jon'Kil vaulted over his piece of cover and raised his protosaber in the air, sprinting at full speed toward the blast door. He unslung his A280 and blasted the door controls once the threshold opened, cementing it in place. But right as Jon'Kil was about to cross the threshold, two laser axes intersected one another causing him to halt.

The two holders emerged from either side of the open doorway dressed in all silver stormtrooper armor complete with black capes and pauldrons. Behind them were the feared warriors known as the Knights of Ren, who up to this point were only known from stories to Jon'Kil. They all welded melee weapons of varying sizes that were primitive in nature resembling clubs and blades of sorts. There was an assortment of more troopers dressed in silver and black, also equipped with stun batons.

"Z's!"

Jaycob referenced back to the dying stormtrooper who had revealed these new soldiers' existence in what felt like hours ago. Layne fired off a shot from his DL-44 and it hit one of the enemies blocking the door, the body collapsing and the partner motioning to take a device from their belt. It looked like a more rectangular variant of brass knuckles except with a button at the top that the thumb could easily press.

The Zealot Trooper pressed down on it, a flurry of electrical bolts emerging from it and striking the group's blasters, deactivating them. With Jon'Kil's protosaber being the only weapon left unaffected, he stood as the immediate group's only line of defense as they tried to troubleshoot their guns.

The Zealot then tried taking a hard overhead strike at Jon'Kil, only to be parried and blocked with an aggressive quickness that caused the enemy to stumble backward. Jon'Kil used this opening to kick over the dead Zealot's laser axe toward the group. It slid across the floor between Layne and Mac, to which they exchanged unsure glances between themselves and the weapon.

"Don't all help out at once!"

Jon'Kil nudged one of them. Layne quietly cursed and tossed Rose his weapon, and activated the laser axe as he picked it up from the ground. He pointed to Rose.

"I want that back!"

Jon'Kil pushed forward to the now-recovered Zealot with the other laser axe and took a stabbing lunge. The Zealot deflected and closed the distance between the two, shoving Jon'Kil backward with their massive shoulder. Jon'Kil stumbled into Layne's side, misdirecting his attempted strike at another incoming Zealot. Layne's target side-stepped and raised a stun baton over their head and looked to lay a downward strike right in between the pair of pilots.

Jon'Kil saw this and shoved Layne out of harm's way, blocking the strike with his protosaber. The strike was strong, forcing Jon'Kil to collapse into a kneeling position. The Zealot that originally was fighting Jon'Kil came in to land a hit on the preoccupied Chiss, only to be met halfway by Layne with a downward block, forcing the enemy's laser axe to dig into the ground. Jon'Kil responded by balling his offhand into a fist and landing a punch directly into his suppressor's groin.

The Zealot loosened their grip on the stun baton, giving Jon'Kil enough time to shove it upward and suspend it in the air for a split-second, slicing horizontally across the soldier's chest, reorienting himself back to his feet in the process. As soon as the enemy fell, Jon'Kil kicked the stun baton toward the group in an effort for more to join the fight.

Mac stopped the sliding weapon with his foot and tossed aside his NT-242 in Rose’s direction. He picked up the baton and made his initial attack at the Zealot fighting Layne, a wide horizontal swing to the enemy's helmet, smashing the front and sending the soldier backward and onto the floor.

Jon'Kil shifted focus to one of the Knights now quickly coming to attack him. It was Vicrul, toting a helmet that was pretty similar to Kylo's except that instead of an extending lower apparatus, it was fixed and decorated in a lattice-type engraving. He came in swinging with his scythe with two strikes that blended into one, striking Jon'Kil's protosaber so hard he almost lost grip.

At the same time, Layne had retrieved the last dropped laser axe and tossed it to Jessika who was already waiting for the throw, catching it and activating it while charging at another Zealot with a stun baton that was at Jon'Kil's blind side.

Jon'Kil now relatively safe to focus on his main target, dodged another incoming side-swipe and quickly countered with a poke into Vicrul's left shoulder.

The Knight groaned in agony and stepped back to dislodge the saber from his body. As soon as it was clear, Jon’Kil took another upward strike down at the top of Vicrul’s head. The Knight immediately blocked the blade, using his other hand to grab onto Jon'Kil's wrist and take him down to the floor. Jon'Kil hit the ground hard with his back, the wind getting knocked out of his lungs.

Vicrul brought one of his legs up in response, taking a jab at Jon'Kil's chest with a hard stomp. The enemy's boot felt like it was made of metal as it made contact, the Chiss surprised that his chest cavity didn't just cave in. Vicrul kept his foot placed as he used his other leg to kick the protosaber hilt out of Jon'Kil's hand. Flipping his scythe to an inverted grip, he looked to come down slamming the blade right in between the red eyes of the pilot.

Right as the strike was initiated though, Vicrul was blasted backward in Jaycob's arms, his friend's booster attachments sparking by as the pair get sent to the ground. The pair tumble together on the ground, eventually separating when the force was too much to keep them interlinked. Vicrul recovered fast, already raising his scythe for an open hit on the grounded-Jaycob.

Jon'Kil pulled himself back onto his feet and charged Vicrul just as Jaycob rolled out of the scythe's path. With a powerful sidekick to Vicrul's ribcage, the Knight stumbled sideways giving Jaycob just enough time to also recover to his feet. He returned to Jon'Kil's side and together they faced down the now-ready enemy.

The pair of pilots charged at Vicrul, Jon'Kil landing a low round kick to the knee while Jaycob made contact with a destructive swinging left hook straight to the face. The Knight of Ren didn't know what hit him as he flew backward into a wall behind him. Jon'Kil yanked his protosaber hilt by the connector cable and back into his hand, powering it on.

He didn't give Vicrul a chance to rise back up again as Jon'Kil stabbed the protosaber blade through his chest. The Knight looked down at the blade for a second before falling limp, scythe clanging to the ground.

Jaycob picked it up and nodded to the Chiss.

"Fight's not over, let's go!"

He said, now charging at another Knight of Ren. This time, the enemy held a war club of some sort. But the most threatening factor in this Knight's arsenal were the three thermal detonators clinging to his bandolier.

Ushar.

Jon'Kil followed Jaycob's lead, his friend already clashing melee weapons with the enemy. With Jaycob's stolen scythe and Ushar's club currently locked in a clash, the opening for Jon'Kil's strike was almost too easy.

With a spinning slash, Jon'Kil made contact with Ushar's outstretched arms and sliced one clean off. The other limb was cut deeply, all strength keeping the club upright being lost. The Knight groaned loudly as he shrunk down to his knees, Jaycob hovering his boot over Ushar's face. With a flick from his foot, Jaycob caused Ushar to fly backward with the combined force from a sidekick and his booster attachments.

Ushar's body slid across the floor until it hit the foot of another waiting Knight. With a huge Vibrocleaver resting atop his shoulder, there was no doubt as to who this was.

Trudgen.

This time though, the Knight wasn't foolish enough to engage alone. Calling two Zealots over, the odds of this particular battle were now two-to-three. Trudgen led the pack as he charged over with his vibrocleaver already prepped for a strike.

"Oh, Kriff."

Jaycob muttered as he flipped the scythe inverted into a javelin grip. He flung the weapon at the Knight, only for him to deflect it and hit one of his Zealots. Now weaponless, Jaycob was now under Jon'Kil's protection.

The Zealot was equipped with a stun baton and took a jab at Jon'Kil's torso. The Chiss pilot dodged back, raising his protosaber up immediately to defend a heavy-handed strike by Trudgen. Jon'Kil was knocked off-balance, misstepping quickly his back now exposed to both aggressors. But before anything could happen, Jaycob stacked his foot on top of one of Trudgen's, activating his boosters once more.

The force from the jettison broke Trudgen's toes through his boot, the Knight now trying to land a sloppy slice at the one who inflicted such damage. This strike managed to miss Jaycob completely and instead hit the Zealot next to him.

An opening now present, Jon'Kil ran behind the Knight and pulled his head upward by the chin with his offhand. Jon'Kil's protosaber sliced cleanly through the front of Trudgen's neck. This Chiss let the body fall forward and hit the floor. Jaycob and Jon'Kil locked eyes after the kill and caught their breath.

"Watch out!"

Jessika warned, Jon'Kil following her pointed finger to Cardo, the Knight known for his triple-threat arm cannon. A plasma bolt missed by mere centimeters as it whizzed past Jon'Kil's face and hit a Resistance soldier.

"Better get a weapon!"

Jon'Kil told Jaycob before charging the Knight. Cardo shot off another plasma bolt at the pursuing Chiss, to which Jon'Kil juked and prepped for a protosaber slash. But before he could land a hit, Gardo stepped back and unleashed a flurry of fire from his arm cannon. The flamethrower scorched the air in front of Jon'Kil, forcing him to turn on his heel and halt his advances.

Cardo was keeping him at bay, Jon'Kil not able to get close enough to even touch him with his blade. It wasn't until another Zealot approached from behind Jon'Kil did this pattern of dodging flames get interrupted. The enemy soldier tried swiping at the Chiss' backside with a horizontal strike, Jon'Kil having to jump over the stun baton to avoid getting hit.

Quickly after, Cardo unleashed a flurry of blaster fire from his arm cannon. Jon'Kil responded by tumbling underneath the Zealot while swiping at the back of one of their knees, causing them to collapse to the ground in a knelt position. Cardo's fire only made contact with the Zealot, killing them. Jon'Kil, positioned behind the enemy, retrieved the corpse and charged at the Knight.

Cardo tried to delay Jon'Kil with another wave of flames, but it only made contact with the body shield. Once close enough, Jon'Kil stabbed his protosaber through the Zealot's body and into the stomach of Cardo. The Knight was only able to escape a quick yelp of agony before Jon'Kil spun and swiped the protosaber out from the torso and into a slice straight across Cardo's facemask.

The Knight fell to the side, his arm cannon sliding across the floor. Jaycob picked up the weapon and began to observe it.

"Ummm, how the hell do I use this thing?"

He asked, pressing random switches on the body. That's when a bright green blaster bolt struck another incoming Zealot square in the chest and sent them backward.

"Guns are up!"

Rose alerted. Poe immediately began firing off his Glie-44 as he tossed Layne back his DL-44. Rose tossed Mac his NT-242 which she had just used, Jaycob's EL-16 in her other hand. Jon'Kil silently celebrated as he pushed further into the room, engaging in another close melee battle with a laser axe-wielding Zealot.

"Let's get those charges set!"

Poe yelled to the crowd of Resistance soldiers behind him.

"Jon'Kil, you want your rifle?"

Jon'Kil between parries denied.

"Hell, I'll take it!"

It was Asha.

"Beats this thing."

She holstered her DH-17 and took his A280 from Poe's hand. She immediately started firing at Jon'Kil's targets. The pair of Zealots couldn't defend themselves as they too hit the floor. In their place, more friendly troopers pushed into the room with detonite charges already prepped. Placing these charges while simultaneously pushing back the Final Order sent the momentum in favor of the Resistance in full swing.

There wasn't much leadership on the opposing side, even with the presence of the last remaining Knights of Ren in Ap'Lek and Kuruk. The pair would've been taken out in a heartbeat from the wave of incoming blaster fire if it hadn't been for more Zealot reinforcements coming in and acting as body shields. They were able to fully retreat into the next room over, the blast doors opening to reveal a clash of blue, yellow, and red.

It was Kylo Ren. Fighting Rey and Finn. Poe immediately saw this and ordered,

"KEEP PUSHING!"

Some soldiers even concentrated their fire, on Ren himself, only for their bolts to be frozen in stasis and then sent back at them. Jon'Kil saw a group of five Resistance soldiers downed by this tactic alone. How Kylo was able to do that, on top of already engaging in a two versus-one lightsaber fight was beyond him. But Jon'Kil liked the odds that were stacked against the enemy leader if he'd joined the fight.

Without a second thought, the Chiss ignored the rest of the fight around him and charged straight for them. Finn, the prime example that inspired him to defect from the First Order in the first place, and Rey, the only other person in the galaxy that resonated with him and his force sensitivity, needed help. There was no way that Jon'Kil would let these two people fall in harm's way. Especially at the hands of someone he so direly hated.

As Kylo Ren got closer, Jon'Kil raised his protosaber up to strike. He took a swing at an opening, only for Kylo to dodge masterfully and disengage with his current blade clashing with Rey. Without a word spoken, Jon'Kil joined Finn and Rey in surrounding Ren equally. There wasn't more than a full second between the Resistance lightsaber-wielders' attacks at all different angles, yet Kylo Ren still managed to elude every single slash, stab, and swipe that came his way.

He was skillful with his spacing, carefully retreating in whichever direction there was even a slight misstep of unequal space among his three enemies. A cocktail of passionate hatred fueled both sides, none of them grown aware that they were just fighting deeper into the depths of the ship and away from the main reactor core.

Kylo Ren saw noticed this, jumping high upward and flipping to the back side of the last remaining Final Order defense point that was nothing more than a slim perimeter around a partial section of the reactor. This smaller section was free of any Resistance detonite charges, but with the overwhelming wave of friendly fighters pushing through the Eclipse halls, it was only a matter of time.

"You're only delaying the inevitable!"

Rey yelled through the gunfire. She methodically approached Ren, deflecting dozens of enemy blaster bolts back at their origin.

"There used to be a time when I would say the same to you! It must feel powerful to have the momentum swing."

The dark lord replied, ignoring all of the missing blaster fire that flew past his body. He pulled one of the dead Zealots with the Force and pushed the corpse at Rey. She sliced right through the body and charged. Finn and Jon'Kil were right behind her, all three blades raised at different heights and prepped for an opening strike. Rey threw an attempted misdirecting slash, Kylo parrying instantly. He responded with a swift sidekick to Rey's back, spinning and going in for a slice that should've taken her head right off. But Finn blocked the attack in the knick of time, following quickly with a trio of powerful downward overhead pounds to Kylo's deflecting saber. Before he could be placed into a vulnerable spot, he force-shoved Finn backward into Jon'Kil and sent them both onto the floor.

"Sloppy."

Kylo taunted, disgusted. Rey recovered back to her feet, readying her yellow blade to engage once more.

"Is this the new generation of Jedi?!"

Kylo asked.

"Luke would be disappointed."

At this, Rey gave a battle cry before coming in with a stabbing attack. Kylo Ren countered this easily, locking her blade into the crevice of his crossguard. Rey replied by twisting the other side of her saber's hilt and igniting a second blade. Even though Kylo had his apparatus on, Jon'Kil could tell he was shocked. Using this to his advantage, the Chiss coordinated a simultaneous attack with Finn.

Kylo Ren disengaged Rey and blocked Jon'Ki's side swipe first, kicking at one of Rey's knees in the process and throwing her off balance. He then rolled out of the way of Finn's downward strike, Kylo answering right back with a stabbing attack that should have pierced right through Finn's back. But it froze in place mere centimeters away from him. Jon'Kil was stuck in shock as he witnessed Rey freeze the blade herself, her arm extended and utter focus plastered to her face.

Jon'Kil reacted quickly, only thinking about saving Finn from getting a hole through the heart as he knocked Kylo's blade upward and away, coming back with another diagonal slice across his face. Kylo was able to recover first though, blocking the attempted swipe and dashing backward. There was another lull in the fight, as all four lightsaber-wielders now stood to catch their breath and ready their weapons once more.

This time, Kylo charged. He went directly toward Rey, only to be met with a sharp upward counter-attack that shifted his blade upward, exposing his torso. Jon'Kil and Finn lunged together at this opening, only for Ren to jump into the air and somersault away from danger, landing behind an already-readied Rey. She spun her saber with her palms before throwing it toward him.

In another surprise twist, Kylo didn't see this coming. He raised his saber upward to try and clumsily block the incoming projectile. Rey's yellow blade collided with his hilt, sending sparks outward as the crossguard function malfunctioned. Rey's hilt deflected into a nearby wall, the owner now making her way back to retrieve her weapon.

Kylo let out a frustrated groan as he tried to cut her path off, raising his hand up and freezing her into stasis.

"Rey!"

Finn warned, charging at the aggressor. However, Jon'Kil knew he wouldn't make it at the rate he was running, Ren already swinging for what should have been a killing blow. Without thinking and solely acting on instinct, the Chiss lunged both of his hands upward pointing his open palms toward Ren. Closing his eyes, a surge echoed through his entire body and then exploded from his hands like some type of shock wave.

Kylo was taken off of his feet and into a neighboring wall, dropping his lightsaber in the process. Kylo, while still on the ground, began to force-pull his hilt back to him. But Finn intercepted it mid-path and sliced at it in mid-air, splitting the lightsaber in half.

The reaction of kyber exploding was powerful enough to shake the entire room, knocking both Final Order and Resistance fighters off of their feet. Jon'Kil was sent flying toward the doorway which the Resistance entered, along with Finn and Rey. While still dazed, he could see the dark figure of Kylo Ren through the flames recover back to his feet, clutching at his abdomen.

"You want this ship destroyed?"

Kylo began. Jon'Kil shook out of it, reaching his feet first and helping Rey and Finn back up.

"Fine, YOUR FATE WILL BE SHARED!"

With the flick of his wrist, Kylo detonated one of the charges. The chain reaction sent the Chiss backward smacking his head into the top of the blast door opening.

Chapter 45: Jaycob

Chapter Text

Jaycob had no clue how he wasn't just killed. The blast rendered from the main reactor should've turned him into a pile of ashes. He checked his body to make sure he wasn't dead before looking up at why he and all his friends around him weren't. It was Rey.

"Holy-"

He began before Poe reached from behind him and pulled him up to his feet. He turned around to look the General in the eye, Poe's hands firmly grasped on Jaycob's shoulders.

"You hurt?"

He yelled, trying to make his words hearable through all of the fire and falling debris. Jaycob simply shook his head and began scanning for his friends.

"I...can't...hold this forever!"

Rey screamed in a strained voice. On the ground beside her was Finn, Jaycob rushing over to his aid and getting him back onto his feet after jumping over several corpses. Jon'Kil was back toward the entrance still knocked out cold, but being helped by Asha and Mac. Layne and Jessika were also fine, helping Rose up. The fighting outside the main reactor room had ceased, the Final Order forces not strong enough to withstand such overwhelming numbers.

But with that problem now vanquished, another one arose. Several Resistance soldiers were already high-tailing out of the room and making their way back down the halls they fought so direly to cross through. Rey's outstretched arms were growing weaker by the second, trying to hold in all the destructive energy in a contained forcefield of some kind. The fire was fluttering but the flames didn't extend past the invisible walls that Rey had conjured.

"ABANDON SHIP, GO!"

Poe yelled to everyone who hadn't already begun falling back. Boots hit the floor, sprinting at full speed to try and get off the Eclipse before Rey inevitably had to let go. Jaycob began pulling Finn's arm, but he was holding his ground.

"Finn, what're you doing? We gotta go!"

"I'm not leaving her!"

"Why?"

"She's the reason I'm here."

Jaycob had to double-take because he guessed he hadn't heard what Finn said correctly.

"Huh?"

Finn didn't try to argue further, pulling his arm away from Jaycob's grasp.

"Go Jaycob, please. Get everyone out of here!"

Jaycob tried to read Finn's eyes, a deep desperation and a plea to just let him stay with Rey for a little bit more, even if it meant his demise. A sentiment Jaycob could resonate with.

"I'll see you on the other side, Finn."

The last thing Jaycob heard before bailing was the ignition of Kylo's lightsaber clashing with Rey's. He looked back, taking a few seconds to bask in the sight of Finn holding the yellow blade and defending her as she held the reactor's damage in.

The blast door suddenly shut them out, Jaycob now turning around and joining up with the rest of the group who were already running. Jon'Kil was dazed, but at least back on his feet also now aware of the predicament they were now in. It was a scattered group: Jaycob, Poe, Jessika, Layne, Asha, Mac, Rose, and Jon'Kil dashing through the halls, dodging falling overhanging lights and jumping over bodies. The entire Destroyer shook violently in random increments, causing missteps from different people and almost causing them to stumble.

Jaycob was running next to Mac, now watching him try to hail somebody over his comms.

"Hello? Hey! Mads, do you read me?"

There was a muffled voice on the other end, no doubt from the doctor, but what she said couldn't be understood due to the sounds of metal clanging and explosions happening at random parts of the cruiser. With every second that Rey contained the outbreak, more damage was caused to different sections of the ship. Since all power throughout the Eclipse ran through the reactor, the external systems were the ones to suffer first.

Hallway after hallway collapsed as these systems went offline, trapping or killing those near it with the ship's automatic fire suppression system that closed any and all connecting blast doors. Just ahead of the pack was an intersection, another explosion being triggered down the right-side hallway and sending a couple of Resistance soldiers flying in the other direction.

Poe wanted to check on them but Jessika resisted saying,

"They're already gone, keep moving!"

Eventually, the group caught up to a squad of Sith Troopers who had somehow wandered into this hallway. The two opposing forces had made direct eye contact, and if things were different each side would have no problem raising their weapons and firing, but with the entire cruiser collapsing around them, they ignored each other. More explosions were triggered, this time coming from the floors beneath them. The ground became increasingly difficult to run through, cracks in the floor beginning to form consistently with even whole panels collapsing and falling deeper into the depths below.

Whole walls began to shift, the ship's foundation now bending at will. The group of enemies that were running in front of them was suddenly hit by a piece of roof plating, crushing the victims underneath several tons of metal. Shattered support beams from above flew through the hole, stabbing directly downward and ripping into the ground that Jaycob was walking on. The pilot stumbled, giving all his might into a diving jump forward before he fell into the sinkhole. He landed on his chest, Layne and Jon'Kil doubling back and hoisting him to his feet.

Mac was now at the lead of the pack, tapping on his comms and pinging someone else.

"ELAYNA!, ELAYNA CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

On the other end, a female voice Jaycob's never heard before answered.

"Loud and clear, Commander. What can I do for you?"

"THE ECLIPSE IS ABOUT TO BLOW, WE NEED A PICKUP RIGHT NOW!"

"Copy that, but it'll take a few minutes. I have a hold full of soldiers that need to return to base."

"WE DON'T HAVE A FEW MINUTES!"

Asha yelled.

"We need another ride out of here, quick!"

Layne said.

"We'll steal one!"

Jon'Kil offered, pointing to a blast door they were now approaching.

"Leads right to the starboard hangar!"

With immense chaos and destruction happening all around them, the group was basically forced to make their way in. All other pathways were either blocked by debris or too overcrowded with other fleeing soldiers. The door sensor picked Mac up and opened, but he stopped dead in his tracks. Between them and the hangar threshold was a man Jaycob thought he'd never see again.

"VONREG!"

He screamed, raising his rifle and immediately sending two shots at the pilot's chest. His adversary, along with his security detail, was caught off guard. But from out of nowhere, one of the Sith Troopers dove in front of the pilot as a shield, killing them instantly. The rest of the squad turned and raised their blasters, and began firing toward the group.

Vonreg sprinted deeper into the hangar while his henchmen engaged with the group. Jaycob saw this from behind his stack of cargo crates that he had ducked behind for cover, already scoping at Elrik's back as he ran like the coward he truly was.

I don't think so.

A single blue blaster bolt was expelled from his EL-16, striking the Baron's lower back and sending him tumbling forward. The rest of the group had dealt with the enemy troopers accordingly, Jaycob now leading them into the room. They all began to walk toward the hangar threshold, Mac relaying their position to Elayna. Meanwhile, Jaycob walked to Elrik who was struggling to turn himself around and face him.

Knowing the slippery Final Order operative, Jaycob easily countered the sudden pull of his adversary's sidearm and kicked it out of his hand. He blasted the arm that held it too for good measure. Elrik growled as he was hit and firmly squeezed his wound with his only good hand. Jaycob knelt beside the pilot, seeing nothing but red. His vision began to become strained and his jaw clenched. His breathing pace accelerated and he could've sworn that he could feel each beat of his heart pumping blood throughout his body. Without thinking Jaycob raised his rifle in the air and smashed downward at Elrik's neck region. He connected successfully with the windpipe, crushing it instantly.

He couldn't breathe normally now, struggling to even inhale an entire breath's worth of oxygen. His functioning arm was now covering his neck, the pain now probably indescribable. Jaycob wasn't finished yet though. He smacked his victim's arm away toward the ground, blasting it useless just like he did the other. With Elrik now unable to make any audible sound, no more screaming could be heard as Jaycob kept bashing in the front of his helmet with his blaster. Elrik's head kept rising from the sheer physical force of being pressed into the floor, only to be met with another rhythmic hit from Jaycob.

"JAYCOB! THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Poe yelled as he now approached worriedly. Jaycob looked up, fire still in his eyes, silently warning him from coming any closer. Mac cut Poe off, blocking him with his body and shaking his head. Jaycob looked back down and went back to work. He did this five more times before he grew tired, huffing as he finally got back to his feet. Elrik's legs stopped writhing about after the last strike, and an incredible amount of blood now began streaming from underneath Vonreg's helmet. As a final farewell and insurance, Jaycob placed the tip of his gun's barrel on the Baron's forehead and fired off another shot, solidifying his death and giving Jaycob his redemption.

Looking down at the now-dead pilot, Jaycob could feel his pulse returning to normal and his face growing cooler. Jon'Kil approached from the group, cupping his friend's shoulder.

"You feel better?"

He asked. Jaycob looked into his eyes and nodded.

"It's no Kylo Ren, but it'll do."

Jon'Kil nodded in agreement, ushering Jaycob back toward the group who now waited idly as they awaited their extraction.

"This isn't looking good guys. All the ships in here are either wrecked or won't fit everyone!"

Asha stated, the whole group now surveying their surroundings. She was right, every single functioning vehicle had already been used to escape and now they were stuck.

"There's no way we can make it out of the blast radius on foot in time."

Mac said.

"You don't think Elayna will make it back in time?"

Jaycob asked. But before he could get a response, Jon'Kil yelled,

"WAIT!"

The Chiss rushed over to Elrik's body and pointed at him.

"He was here. With his entire security detail. He knew there was a ship here!"

"But where?"

Asha asked. The group now spread out amongst the floor to cover as much ground as possible. But it was no use. There was nothing left.

"This might be a long shot but, do we still have tabs on that TIE Echelon?"

Mac questioned. Poe's ears perked up. He instantly tried contacting someone through his radio.

"Connix! Connix, please tell me you've made it back!"

There was a beat of stillness while everyone waited for a reply.

"General? You're alive! You need to get out of there now-"

"I know, we're trying! But I need you to access the database now!"

"Ok, ok! I'm at a holotable now, what am I looking for?"

"What is the location of the TIE Echelon we placed a tracker on? Origin: Batuu."

"Uhhh...it's..."

The seconds that flew by felt like minutes.

"It's here! Or-I mean, it's on-world! It's on the Eclipse!"

Poe's wide expression met Mac's. Before anyone could say a word, Rose darted over to the nearest computer terminal, fingers typing as soon as she got there. As quickly as she started, she paused. She pointed a finger at the dead Baron.

"Identification cylinder, gimme it!"

Jaycob reached down and fished out the device from Elrik's utility belt, tossing it into Rose's hands. She caught it, then jabbed it into the console. The screen lit up, a single orange light now flashing methodically. Rose slammed her hand down on one of the bigger buttons. Instantly, a panel from the ground beneath Jaycob started to open up. The body of Vonreg dropped lifelessly as a hidden compartment began to open up. The thud of the corpse sounded metallic, almost as if it had hit something on its way down.

"There's no damn way!"

Asha exclaimed, laughing at their luck. From the new hole in the ground, rising on a lift, was the ever-popular shuttle that Jaycob and Jon'Kil tracked all those months ago. The group came in from their dispersed locations to truly take in the sight. The massive shuttle was in its landed position, s-foils still stowed. The boarding ramp was already lowered, Jessika leading the way and hopping on board. Jaycob followed quickly, then the rest of them.

Poe entered the shuttle last, trying his comms to hail Finn and Rey.

"Guys? Can you hear me? Please tell me you're alright!"

He pleaded, worriedly looking back down the hallway in which they came, most likely hoping to see the pair running to join them. Jaycob leaned back against one of the cargo hold walls, also finding himself staring now at the hallway and wishing for the same thing.

(-)

Jessika was no doubt the loudest voice on the ship as the Eclipse finally gave in and exploded. It would've been Jaycob if he wasn't still reeling in from the revenge that he had just dished out mere moments before. After her celebration though, she was the first to come over and pull him into an embrace. Jaycob squeezed back tightly, burying his face into her shoulder for comfort.

"It's over, hotshot. We're done now!"

She said quietly but excitedly. Jaycob pulled back and met her eyes, a sudden smile now forming as he nodded, the sudden realization finally hitting him.

It's over.

Every single day since Jaycob joined the Resistance he thought about the end of the war and if it would even conclude in his lifetime. Even now, it still didn't feel real. He was elated, to say the least.

He went over to Jon'Kil and Mac who were just finishing up a hug of their own, slinging his arms around them. He pulled them in close, their faces beaming with joy. Jaycob could see Layne at the corner of his eye, motioning him to join them. He did so, causing the quartet to burst out laughing.

"WE DID IT!"

Rose yelled, raising her arms in the air and jumping up and down. The rest of the team hooted and hollered in response, yelling out noises of happiness. Except for Poe.

He still stood silently, and while he looked affectionately over the group Jaycob could still tell that Rey and Finn were at the forefront of his mind. Jaycob went over to him and placed his hand on his shoulder. Although he hated thinking about it too, Jaycob knew the odds of surviving the carnage that was unleashed once the main reactor finally blew was close to none.

Asha was at the controls of the Echelon, Jon'Kil quickly joining her in the dual-seated cockpit. He hugged her from behind, pinning her back against the seat. She responded by taking one of his hands into her own and kissing the Chiss' palm, placing her chin atop it. He guided her as well as he could with what little knowledge he had left from her First Order piloting experience, pointing at different dials and screens housed on the main NavComputer. Mac was discussing something with Rose, while Jessika now consoled a solemn Poe. Layne approached Jaycob and joined him on one of the side benches.

"I'm at a loss for words right now."

Layne admitted, looking down at the floor. Jaycob scoffed and nodded in agreement. There were few things he could say that could fully encapsulate this moment and all of the emotions that were caused because of it.

"It's insane to think that the Final Order both rose and died in one day. It's just ironically hilarious."

Jaycob joked.

"Haha right? All this tough talk from Palpatine, for nothing. His mighty Empire, crushed once again."

"You know what they say about history."

"Written by the victors?"

"It was doomed to repeat."