Chapter 17: Vader’s Fist Strikes Back

Galactic Empire Journal Entry 35 – Location: Yavin Orbit

“When the Death Star was destroyed, about half of the 501st Legion was still in the hangar getting into their ships. Of those who made it out, another third were caught in the explosion. I'd fought with some of those men for over twenty years. Afterwards, those of us that survived hooked up with a nearby Imperial fleet making a retaliatory strike on the Rebels' base on Yavin 4. It wasn't the best thought out plan, but we were cut off from our leaders, tired, and operating on instinct. If not for our training, we probably would've never gotten past their orbital defences.”

Pain. Loss. Suffering. Death. Those were all words the men of the 501st had gotten to know the meaning of better than any other living creature in the whole galaxy.

Through the fires of war, many soldiers had to make sacrifices in order to achieve their goals. The Republic didn’t really care much for sacrificing the lives of thousands of clones, and that same trait carried over to the Empire. Still viewing the clones as disposable to them.

The only ones who didn’t view the clones as disposable property, or a relic of an era that is long gone were the clones themselves, as well as a few higher ups in the Empire such as Sigan and even Vader (for some of them anyway)

However, just because a soldier knows they will lose allies in a war, doesn’t mean they can be at peace with it. Over the years, the 501st numbers have dropped significantly. Going from a couple hundred thousand to only a couple hundred during the first appearance of the Rebel Alliance.

The Rebels have been fighting them in ways the CIS Droids armies never could. They were dividing them not only in numbers, but also in fighting spirit. Many of the clones even going so far as to question their loyalty to the Empire. They were created to save worlds not slaughter or enslave them. And the Rebels have been using this to their advantage.

That was what Ghost always told himself the whole time he’s been fighting these Rebels. He kept vowing to himself that he wouldn’t let Quinlan Vos’s dying words get to him or his men. Unfortunately for Ghost…They did.

In his sleep chambers, Ghost was sitting on his bed, thinking back on all the things that happened after the little fight he had with Apex and X-Ray on Tatooine. Daxter reassured him that they’d come around in time, but that was not the case.

The moment they were transferred back to the Death Star, Apex had left Orion Squad to join the Shadow Scouts, and X-Ray joined the Death Stars elite hospital staff. Orion Squad was now down three members, leaving only Ghost, Daxter, Thunder and Boomstick.

Enraged by these thoughts, Ghost threw his helmet across the room, sending it crashing into a shelf of books and other knickknacks he collected as memento’s from every past mission he’s been on.

He then began to forcible push everything off of his desk and even over turn it in a fit of anger. He was tempted to pull out his lightsaber and start hacking away at the walls and even his bed over how emotionally distraught he was. But he managed to find the strength to hold back those urges. He’s not some child having a tantrum, destroying his own room would be reckless.

After taking a couple deep breaths he ended up falling backwards onto his bed again, and all his anger had suddenly been replaced by sadness as tears began forming in his eyes. He began to sob uncontrollably in his hands over thinking about the past. He hadn’t cried like this since the death of Commander Fang on Coruscant.

“Why?” He muttered to himself, barely forming proper words with the way he was crying. “Why didn’t I tell them how sorry I was when I had the chance?! Why’d I let them go like this when I could’ve stopped them?!” He shouted to himself in sorrow.

“I’ve- I’ve…failed as a Commander. And worse, I’ve failed as a brother.”

Flashback to what happened after leaving Tatooine and returning to the Death Star. Ghost was back to doing his boring duties of guarding the Death Stars vital systems alongside his brother Daxter.

Apparently a lot has happened when they returned. The Sand Troopers on Tatooine who were sent by Vader to find the droids in their place tracked them to Mos Eisley space port, where they, the Lars family nephew and an old man were being transferred off world by a smuggler who was accompanied by a Wookiee.

They somehow got past the two Star Destroyers stationed over the planet, jumped into hyperspace, and arrived on the Death Star undetected.

Ghost and his brothers were stationed on the opposite end of the station, so they weren’t present when the freighter ship landed on the station. Though they did hear that whoever these intruders were, they were trying to return the Death Star plans to Princess Leia who they had imprisoned in a different detention block since the one they were stationed in was still under repairs from the prison break.

They were trying to reach Alderaan, not knowing that it was destroyed by the full power of the Death Stars super laser. It was Grand Moff Tarken who gave the order after Leia gave them false information on the whereabouts of the Rebel base.

Ever since Leia had been aboard the Death Star she’d been interrogated, tortured and even starved to get the information they needed. But she somehow over came all of that and refused to talk. How exactly she was strong willed enough to do that was unknown to them.

What’s worse is that they let the intruders escape with the Princess and the plans no problem with the aid of the old man they had with them, who was revealed to be a Jedi. And not just any Jedi, it was Obi Wan Kenobi.

Ghost and his brothers were shocked by this revelation, believing him to be dead on Utapau. They remember watching the battle between him and Darth Vader take place in the hanger where the freighter ship was, and seeing the old man willingly surrendered his life to his former apprentice and take his lightsaber as a trophy.

Ghost and his brothers were later informed by Grand Moff Tarken and Vader that they let them escape on purpose, telling them that they placed a tracking device on the ship known as the Millennium Falcon which will lead them to the Rebels hidden base.

At last they can bring an end to this Rebellion and finally restore order to the galaxy.

During the battle of Yavin, the Empire had thrown everything they’ve got at the squadron of Rebel fighters that were sent to destroy the Death Star.

You’d think that Orion Squad would also be taking part in this battle, but you’d be wrong. Instead, each of the Orion Squad members were tasked with evacuating the troops off the Death Star, believing that the Rebels saw the plans and were able to find a weakness within the battle station.

Grand Moff Tarken however refused to evacuate, believing that there was a zero chance of the Rebels succeeding in their plan. But Vader and the 501st were smarter than that.

As Ghost and his men were running down the hallways to the hanger where their shuttle was, the sounds of alarms and yelling could be heard all around them. Many of the stations personal were either fighting hard against these Rebels, or just trying to flee in a panic.

Ghost, Daxter, Boomstick, Thunder and several 501st troopers all scrambled aboard the first shuttle they saw. Ghost however turned around and was shocked to see that Apex and X-Ray were no longer behind them, forcing the Purge Trooper to head back for them.

“Commander, where are you going?!” A random Stormtrooper yelled out.

“There’s still many of our men who haven’t made it, I’ve gotta go back for them!” He quickly yelled back, but was stopped once again this time by Thunder.

“Lord Vader wasn’t able to stop one of the Rebel fighters! It’s only a matter of time until they attack the exhaust port of the Death Star. We’ll all die if we stay here!” Thunder warned him.

“I need to find Apex and X-Ray! A good soldier never leaves a man behind!”

“Wait!” Daxter interrupted and pointed to the opposite end of the hanger. “There they are!”

Heading for the shuttle on their right side was X-Ray who was carrying Apex over his shoulders. By the looks of his cracked armour on his legs, he must’ve suffered some kind of leg injury during the frequent shakes the station received from the fighting.

Ghost approached X-Ray and asked him for an explanation on what happened to Apex. 

“My medical staff and I were moving patients to the shuttles when the fighting started. Apex was helping me until the station started shaking. The ceiling collapsed and fell down on top of him, the impact broke the pins in his legs, reopening the old wounds he received on Geonosis.”

As X-Ray was explaining this, Ghost noticed that those patients he mentioned are being loaded onto the right shuttle one by one.

Apex though in a lot of pain was able to speak his mind and address his brother who he hadn’t spoken to since Tatooine. “Hey Ghost. Didn’t think I’d be seeing you again.”

“Like I was just telling Daxter. No man gets left behind.” Ghost told Apex as he removed his helmet. “I imagine you must still hate me over what we talked about on Tatooine. I can’t ask you to stop hating me for the choices I’ve made. But know that my love and loyalty to my brothers has never changed. In fact, what you said to me reminded me of who I am. Orion Squad must always stick together, no matter what. You have a problem with that?”

Apex looked at Ghost and gave him a light chuckle. He certainly does still hold a grudge against him. But he knows deep down that Ghost is still his brother and he cares for the 501st. They may have their differences, but Apex will still be there for his brothers whenever they needed him.

“Rebel base is now within firing range.” A computer voice interrupted through an intercom.

The men of the 501st begin to panic. If they were gonna evacuate, now is definitely the time.

“Get him on board the medical shuttle. We’ll take off first and guide you to safety!” Ghost told X-Ray. Responding with a nod, X-Ray quickly carried Apex over to the medical shuttle

Ghost then ran back to his own shuttle and dived through the doors just as they were closing. As soon as he was in the shuttle wasted no time in taking off and exiting the hanger. Their shuttle was then followed by two others and a dozen TIE Fighters of all kinds.

Ghost and his men finally caught their breaths and sat down in their chairs, revealed that they’re flying away from the space battle that was happening on the other side of the Death Star.

Ghost and the others then began receiving a transmission from the Medical shuttle.

“Ghost, Dax, Boom, Thunder, do you copy?”

Boomstick was the first one to answer them. “We hear you, Apex. We knew you lot would make it.”

“It’s X-Ray speaking actually, but thanks… Hey Ghost.”

“I’m here X-Ray. Did you and the others make it out ok?” He asked.

“Yeah, we’re fine. Apex is still hurt from the attack, but I’m keeping his vitals stable with my bacta gun.” X-Ray replied.

There was a bit of a pause as X-Ray was working up the courage to speak his next words. “Hey Ghost… I know I said I was done with Orion Squad but-

“You don’t have to say anything, X-Ray.” Ghost interrupted. “You were right to be mad at me for my poor decisions. I didn’t want to admit it, but Apex was right about what he said on the Tantive IV. I did let Quinlan Vos get into my head, so much so that I let my fears and desperateness take over, which in turn tore my squad apart. You had every right to leave after that. When we get back to the Conqueror, you and Apex are free to do whatever you think is best, and I won’t stop you… I just hope that one day you and Apex can find it in your hearts to forgive me.”

There was a moment of silence as X-Ray and Apex took in Ghost’s words. Back on Tatooine they were sure that it was over for Orion Squad. But yet again their new commander has surprised them with his words of encouragement.

“We forgive you.”

Those words caused Ghost to look up from the floor and in the direction of the window by his side, looking out at the shuttle they were on behind them. Ghost then began to smile genuinely for the first time in what felt like forever. It looks like Orion Squad will stand strong once again.

“Apex, X-Ray.” He slowly spoke up as he continued to look out the window. “I-

Just as Ghost was about to express his gratitude to his two brothers, the shuttles windows all suddenly lit up with a blinding light, causing them to look away. The blinding light was then followed by a huge deafening sound of an explosion. After that came a blast of fire made up of a variety of different colours.

The men of the 501st immediately know where the explosion originated from. It came from the Death Star! Which means that the Rebels were somehow successful in destroying it. How did a bunch of tiny fighters manage to take out a moon sized space station?

They didn’t have time to answer that question as the fiery shockwave of the Rhydonium explosion – ten times bigger than the one they saw on Geonosis – began consuming various ships that were evacuating alongside them.

Panicked, the shuttle pilot picked up speed and blasted the ship forward at its top speed. Daxter however was horrified to see that the medical shuttle behind them wasn’t able to speed up at all. Noticing that one of its engines had been damaged by flying debris from what was left of the Death Star.

“The medical shuttles been damaged!” Daxter warned his men. “They’re not gonna make it!”

“They WILL make it!” Ghost shouted at him. He refuses to allow his brothers whom he’s lived, fought and served alongside to die like this. He then quickly makes contact with them again, trying to encourage them to fly as fast as they can.

“Apex, X-Ray! You’ve gotta get that shuttle out of there now! HURRY!”

“It’s no use, Ghost.” Apex replied. “Our shuttle won’t go any faster” He then starts to hear some of the clones sobbing in the background as he spoke. “It’s been an honour to have fought and lived at your side, my brothers.”

“We will never forget you.” X-Ray then started speaking up. “Live to fight another day, brothers… Live to see, true freedom.”

Before Ghost was about to reply, he was even more horrified to see that the medical shuttle and the majority of TIE Fighters behind it were consumed by the giant explosion, destroying them all in an instant. The Rhydonium blast so powerful, that there wasn’t even much trace of all those clones who perished, including Apex and X-Ray.

Ghost collapsed to the floor and broke down into tears as the blast began to subside and fade away after reaching its limited range. Daxter, Boomstick and Thunder soon joined him on the floor of the shuttle, also consumed with grief over the loss of their two brothers who they’ve known for twenty years.

The four remaining Orion Squad members wept together for some time. Until Ghost broke it off by unleashing his now transformed rage on the whole ship, shouting at the top of his lungs in anger. This was all the Rebellions doing. They killed Apex, X-Ray and many, MANY innocent Imperial lives by destroying the Death Star.

He was not alone in this, the rest of the 501st joined him in his rage fuelled outburst. On this day they vow that they will have their revenge on these Rebels. And they won’t until they butcher every last one of them.

The more Ghost reminisced on that day, the more his rage he felt burning up inside him. In the end his shuttle and only a couple of TIE Fighters survived the explosion and made it back to the Conqueror. Leaving them as the last of the 501st legion.

The great and powerful 501st legion has now been reduced to only 150 troopers. Half of them were killed on the Death Star as it exploded, and another third of them were wiped out in the explosion. The surviving clones are all going through the same pain he was going through.

Like himself, Daxter, Thunder and Boomstick were in their own separate rooms, mourning the deaths of their two fallen brothers. Unfortunately the Empire has forbidden the act of holding funerals for fallen Imperials, as Palpatine viewed them as completely unnecessary.

Ghost’s only regret was that he didn’t apologise to them sooner. The fact that they had forgiven him moments before their deaths only made this hurt more. He promised all of his brothers that they would all live to know what retirement feels like. Ghost had it all planed out. They would travel to a nice backwater planet, build themselves a house and start a business of making their own alcohol. May not be the best of plans, but it was still a fine idea they could’ve carried out… But in the end, some dreams were just too good to come true.

Suddenly there was a knock at his door, snapping him out of his thoughts on what could’ve been. “Please leave me alone!” He shouted at the door, not even caring to ask who it was.

Whoever was behind the door however didn’t listen and opened it anyway, revealing that it was Admiral Sigan. The one person Ghost didn’t expect to be here at this time.

“Hello Ghost.” He spoke up, surprising Ghost as he usually calls him by his rank. “May I sit down?”

Ghost fixed up his bed to make it more presentable to him before moving aside, giving him some room. Sigan careful stepped over all the destroyed knickknacks and the overturned desk and sat down on the desk next to the depressed clone.

“If you’ve come here to try and cheer me up don’t bother! Nothing you say or do will ever bring them back.”

“I know.” Sigan replied calmly. He paused for a moment, making sure his next words to him weren’t ones that could potentially trigger him.

“Honestly Ghost. I came here to encourage you to give in to what your feeling now rather then tell you to cheer up.”

That forced Ghost to look up from the floor and look directly at Sigan. He seriously wants him to continue giving into his hatred for the Rebels? Why would he-

Ghost then realised exactly what he was trying to do, and he can’t decide whether to be offended or grateful for it.

“Are you trying to get me to give in to my anger to channel the dark side into me? I may be force sensitive, but I don’t have the force. I can’t use force lightning like Vos or Palpatine can.” Ghost corrected him.

“No. But you can get physically and mentally stronger from it.” Sigan began explaining. “I don’t know much about the force. But I have heard from Darth Maul when I overheard him speaking to Ashoka, that the Dark Side is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural… This anger you feel towards the Rebels might be just what we all need to gain an advantage over them when we reach their base.”

“What are you talking about?” Ghost asked, confused.

“The Conqueror is joining up with a couple other Star Destroyers to launch as full scale assault on the Rebels base on Yavin 4. They may’ve destroyed the Death Star, but now we know where they are. We will go down to that planet and destroy them all, as you always intended, Ghost.”

Ghost didn’t like this plan. Under different circumstances he would’ve agreed to this plan without question. But he had just lost a huge majority of the 501st legion today. Neither he nor his men were fighting fit to go into battle again.

But since when was he ever in a position to refuse an order from the higher ups?

“This an order from you, or Lord Vader?” Ghost asked.

“Actually, this order came directly from the Emperor himself. He was very displeased with the Death Stars destruction and has given us special permission to use whatever methods necessary to wipe out those Rebels once and for all. As for Lord Vader. He did survive the battle, and has returned to his ship, the Executor. So unfortunately he won’t be leading this mission.”

Sigan then got up from the bed and turned to directly face Ghost. “I know it’s completely unfair of me to ask you to do this. But I can’t think of anyone else who is skilled and determined enough to lead us to victory.” He then extends his hand to him. “Please Ghost, will you help make them pay?”

As Sigan’s words ran through his mind, Ghost thought about the dishonour he’d bring to his fallen brothers of he refused. He was offering him a chance to avenge the majority of the 501st lost to the explosion and deliver justice to the Rebels he despised so much.

But he also knows that he and his men are tired and consumed with sorrow over the deaths they’ve witnessed. None of them were fighting fit to bring their entire A-game to the table. But if Ghost had to choose to between mourning his brothers and waiting for the Rebels to finish them off and bringing down Vader’s Fist on them, bringing about the end of the Rebel Alliance. Then there was no decision.

He took Sigan’s hand and stood up from his bed. “I’m in. And I’m sure my men will be too. Those Rebels have gone too far this time. We will not stop until we make them suffer for taking everything from us. Those Rebels are dead!”

The Conqueror alongside four other Star Destroyers come out of hyperspace and begin their assault on Yavin. The Rebels must’ve known they were coming, since they already have a fleet of star ships leaving the planet attempting to escape. But the Star Destroyers have their fleet surrounded, there was no escape.

Ghost, his three remaining brothers and what’s left of the 501st legion are all on the bridge of the ship awaiting their mission briefing from Sigan. A lot of these men didn’t really want to be a part of any mission after what they just went through.

They’ve lost a whole third of their brothers in the Death Stars explosion, they’re emotionally drained, tired, and almost completely lost the will to fight. 

That goes double for the now four members of Orion Squad. Daxter always thought to himself “why X-Ray?” He was always the heart of the team, always choosing to put others before himself. Even during the evacuation he delayed his own safety just to help the wounded onto the shuttle.

And Apex. He may’ve been a bit of a hothead and he and Ghost may not have parted on the best of terms, but he loved his brothers equally. Even if they do beat the Rebels in the end, it won’t make them feel better over the loss of their brothers.

Ghost then steps forwards and faces his remaining soldiers, removing his helmet to show them his expressions before making his speech.

“My brothers.” Ghost had no problem making speeches in the past, but this one was the hardest one he had to do. He had to find some way to motivate his men whose spirits had been shattered over the destruction of the Death Star. If he doesn’t revive their fighting spirit then they might as well dig their own graves and join their brothers in hell. And considering their recent actions, hell feels appropriate for where they’d end up.

“Today we have lost more brothers then we did throughout the twenty years of fighting we’ve endured. When we fought the CIS during the clone wars, we felt nothing towards the Droids, they were only machines following their programming… But these Rebels are not like the Droids. Ever since this Rebel Alliance first appeared we didn’t take it seriously, always comparing it to the other rebellions we’ve stopped in the past. The destruction of the Death Star is our punishment for underestimating them, and for the things we’ve done in the Empires name.”

The clones listened closely to their commander. He had brought up some valid points. The destruction of the Death Star was partly their fault for not taking these Rebels seriously. They’re arrogance caused the deaths of millions, both clones and non-clones, many of which had families they were hoping to reunite with one day.

“I know a lot of you are in a lot of pain over what happened, and trust me I am too. I honestly didn’t even want to be here right now.” Ghost continued, hoping he’s saying the right words to motivate the clones to fight back. “But the reason I am here is because Fang told me to be strong for my men, that we would experience a lot of loss. But we can’t let their deaths be in vain! We need to take the fight to the Rebels and avenge our comrades by destroying their hidden base on Yavin 4. Killing them all will never make up for the lives they’ve claimed when the Death Star was destroyed, but it’s a big step in crushing them once for all. But in order to pull this off we must all fight as one. No more holding back. We will throw everything we got at these Rebel scum and make them suffer for what they done. I ask you all to join me in battle one more time, for our brothers, for the galaxy, for our future… WHO’S WITH ME?!”

The men of the 501st all look amongst themselves, deciding on whether they should do it or not. Daxter, Boomstick and Thunder however step forward and salute their commander. “WE’RE WITH YOU SIR!” They all shouted in proud unison.

Ghost nodded and then looked at the rest of his men. One by one they all step forward and salute him as well. Ghost was glad to see that his improvised speech had actually left an impact on his men. Sigan was in the background smiling at this show of devotion. “Just when I thought these clones couldn’t surprise me any further, they just keep on surprising me… Well done Ghost, you’ve become the leader they’re willing to die for.”

Sigan was then called out by one of the Conquerors pilots. “Sir, the Rebels are attacking the Star Destroyers. They’re actually attempting to fight their way to freedom.”

“I see.” Sigan then turns back to Ghost. “Well Commander, do you know what to do?”

“Yes Admiral… Let’s go kill those Rebel scum!” Ghost replied.

“Just what I was hoping to hear.” Sigan said while lightly clapping his hands. “But first things first. If you and your men are gonna kill these Rebels, your gonna need better fighters.”

The members of Orion Squad were quite surprised at what they were looking at in the Conquerors hanger bay. Instead of their regular TIE Fighters, they got new advanced modified fighter. It looked similar in appearance to Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter, except it was as big as an Imperial shuttle. It had four wings, each one with a huge blaster cannon on its side. It’s engines were bigger than the standard TIE Fighter. On the top back part of it there were over a dozen missile launch silo’s. Underneath the ship was a minigun turret which also doubled as a bomb dispenser. On the wings sides were each of the Orion Squad members symbols signifying that this was their ship.

“Would you look at the size of that monster!” Boomstick expressed first as usual.

“What is this ship? Is it really ours?” Daxter asked.

“Yes it is.” Sigan answered him. “You remember that CIS Strike Bomber we asked you to get? Well we used it’s scymatics as well as its parts to put together the Empires most advanced TIE fighter yet. We call it… The TIE Demolisher. And I want you four to use it against the Rebels.”

Well, Ghost now understands why he had to risk his neck for a droid bomber. He actually forgotten that it was a thing he did. But he doesn’t care anymore now that he knows that it was put to good use.

“What does it do?” He asked.

“I’m glad you asked. The Demolisher can hold up to six people. Two pilot the ship, one mans the turret, and the others load the missile silos and bomb compartments. This ship is four times tougher and ten times faster than a regular TIE Fighter. It has rapid fire cannons, tracking missile, an auto turret if one of you is in a position to not operate it manually. It’s engines also contain a hyperdrive generator, and it even has its own forcefield generator. I assume this ship will help you get the job done easier?”

“It certainly will.” Thunder replied instinctively without thinking.

Sigan then receives a call from one of the other Star Destroyers admirals, warning him that the Rebels are attempting to send their heavy transport ships through hyperspace. Now’s the time to strike the Rebels while their still vulnerable. They can’t afford to let them escape and get away with the Death Stars destruction.

“It better be up to your standards, men. Because I have just received word from one of the Star Destroyers that the Alliance is evacuating is main force from Yavin. Use the Demolisher to destroy them before they can make the jump to hyperspace and rip right through us!”

With that said Ghost began yelling out orders to his men, telling them to get into their fighters and launch an attack on the fleeing rebel ships.

The members of Orion Squad board their new TIE Demolisher and take their places. Ghost and Daxter manning the pilot seats. Boomstick was on the missiles, and Thunder the turret. “Strap yourselves in boys. Let’s see what this girl can do.” Ghost told them.

As soon as they booted up the ships engines, it made a humming sound that was nothing like how a regular TIE Fighter sounded. It was like they’ve unleashed a Rancor. If what Sigan said about this ship was true, then the Rebels will wish they were facing a Rancor.

The TIE Demolisher takes off and blasts out into space faster than any other TIE Fighter. Sigan was definitely right about it being way faster than the them.

Ahead of them was the Rebels cruiser which was surrounded by five heavy support ships and two Corellian frigates. There were also a ton of Rebel fighters flying around.

This is technically the first space battle Orion Squad is having against the Rebels. They haven’t fought against them for that long compared to the two years of fighting Battle Droids they’ve been through. But at the moment they don’t care. They want to kill these Rebels and make them suffer. It was personal.

“Boomstick, launch the missiles at those support ships. See if you can destroy them all at once.” Ghost challenged him.

“I accept the challenge, sir!” Boomstick replied as he loaded the silos full of missiles.

Using the targeting computer, Boomstick locks onto the five support ships and fires five huge rockets out the top of the Demolisher. The five rockets target their own ship and begin to split into several smaller rockets. The smaller rockets then target the ships engines, causing them all to blow up simultaneously.

The members of Orion Squad were taken aback by the firepower their new ship had. It took out all five support ships no problem, something that would take a couple TIE Bombers a while to pull off.

They don’t question it though, just being grateful that the TIE Demolisher lives up to its name. With this powerful vessel on their side, there’s no escape for the Rebellion.

“Ok off to a good start. But those frigates are harassing our fighters. Let’s show them no mercy!”

“Mind if I have a go with the bombs, Ghost?” Thunder asked.

“Please, go nuts. Remember, no holding back!” He reminded him.

Thunder liked the sound of that and readied the bombs they were about to drop. The TIE Demolisher flew over one of the frigates and Thunder pressed the button faster than he could blink, dropping the bombs on top of the frigate destroying it.

The Demolishers bombs came out a blue orbs of energy like the TIE Bombers, except they were a lot bigger and caused greater damage than the bombers.

Ghost and Daxter then flew the Demolisher towards the other frigate on the other side of the Rebel Cruiser and repeated the process, destroying it like it was nothing.

The Rebels began to take notice of the new TIE Fighter ripping their ships apart and their fighters all began targeting them.

Daxter quickly brings up the TIE Demolishers forcefield to block the incoming fire. Ghost soon receives a call from Sigan, warning him about what the Rebels were planning next.

“Pilots! Despite their heavy losses, the Rebels are still attempting to escape to another part of our galaxy. If they succeed in jumping to lightspeed they’ll rip right through our Star Destroyers. We need to destroy their cruiser now before that happens.”

“Little problem sir.” Daxter answered back. “The cruisers shields are still up; the Star Destroyers won’t be able to attack until their down.”

“And to add insult to injury.” Boomstick added. “Their heavy turrets are tearing some of the Star Destroyers apart one by one. It’s only a matter of time till they target the Conqueror.”

“Then I suggest you lot clear those fighters out and be quick about it. We haven’t any time to spare.” Sigan ordered before signing off.

“Thunder, man the auto turret. Boomstick, fire more missiles at the cruiser to weaken their shields. Do not stop until they’re down.” Ghost instructed them. “Dax, you and I are gonna focus on taking out the Rebel fighters, clearing a path for the Star Destroyers to begin their bombardment.”

“You got it, brother.” Daxter replied with a salute.

The Demolisher and the many other TIE Fighters protecting them from the Rebels begin fighting back against the pesky Rebel fighters. Acting like a bunch of bees defending their hive from any predators, these Rebels really were such a nuisance.

The TIE Demolisher demonstrates its how deadly its blaster cannons are by bombarding the fighters with rapid heavy fire. Each time a Rebel ship blew up it gave Ghost a feeling of satisfaction. Never in his life had he actually taken pleasure over taking a life. But these Rebels took almost everything from him. This was justice to him and his men, even if the galaxy didn’t see it that way.

Boomstick fired off many more of the Demolishers missiles at the Rebel cruiser, weakening its shields until at last they came off line. The cruiser was now vulnerable to attack, and with the majority of the Rebel X and Y Wings cleared out, there was nothing stopping the Star Destroyers from attacking.

Except for the bombardment the Rebel cruiser is unleashing on them. Already one of the Star Destroyers had been destroyed by the heavy blaster fire on the Rebels end. If this kept up, it’s only a matter of time until they’ve annihilated the Conqueror.

“Attention pilots!” Sigan instructed once again over the intercom. “The Rebels are not holding back against us. Their heavy turrets are ripping apart our Star Destroyers. Take them out quickly before they target another Destroyer.”

He didn’t have to tell them twice. Ghost and his teammates were already on the case before Sigan even gave the order.

Thunder began dropping more bombs on the cruisers heavy turrets before they could open fire on the next Star Destroyer, while Thunder kept the fighters at bay with his turret gun.

With no time to lose, they bombed the hell out of those heavy turrets rendering the cruiser defenceless (apart from its minor turrets)

“Good job. Now let’s get after those engines, men. They can’t jump if they have no engines.” Ghost instructed his men over the radio.

The TIE Demolisher and a squadron of TIE Bombers then begin making their way towards the back of the cruiser. However, the Rebel cruiser started blasting its engines and began flying forwards in an attempt to escape.

“Don’t let them escape!” Ghost shouted. He will NOT let these Rebels get away with their actions. He will kill them all no matter what.

The bombers attempt to attack the engines, but they couldn’t get close enough without getting roasted by the huge blasts of plasma coming out of the exhausts.

Boomstick fires more missiles at the engines, managing to take out a couple of them. Though they weren’t able to stop the ship, they were able to slow it down a little.

“LOOK OUT!” Ghost warned over the intercom to one of the Star Destroyers.

But it was too late. The Rebel Cruiser charged through one of the Star Destroyers, ripping it in two halves, killing everyone aboard, as well as any fighters that were in the blast radius when it exploded.

But to Orion Squads surprise, the cruiser was still intact and it was now in the clear for lightspeed. Thankfully the destruction of a couple of their boosters have given them time to finish the job.

“They’ll pay for that!” Thunder yelled as he saw bits and pieces of the Star Destroyers pass by them.

“Focus all your fire on the remaining engines. Blow them all into orbit!” Ghost demanded at the top of his lungs.

The TIE Demolisher flew in fast towards the back of the rebel cruiser and fired all its blasters and missiles at the remaining engines, destroying them once and for all.

The Rebel cruiser began to slow down until it ended up trapped between the Conqueror and another Star Destroyer. With no time to react, the two Star Destroyers fired its cannons and attacked the cruiser from both sides, ripping it apart as it did to the other two Destroyers.

At last the Rebels fleet has been destroyed. There was no escape for any of the remaining rebels on the planet below. They will have their revenge, no matter what.

“Victory is ours, men. The time has come to dispatch the 501st to the planet’s surface. Yavin 4 will fall before the day is done.” Sigan reported to the remaining Stormtroopers still in their fighters.

“Attention all troops. Return to the Star Destroyers and gather as many weapons as you can before heading down to the planet. We’re not taking any more chances with these Rebels. They must be destroyed today or else this war will never end.”

“What are you doing, Commander?” Sigan asked.

“My squad and I are going down there to scout out their base and determine a proper well thought out plan of attack. Once we’re done we’ll signal you to join us, and then we attack!” Ghost explained.

“Are you sure that’s wise, Commander?” Sigan asked.

“These Rebels took Apex and X-Ray from us. I won’t let them claim anymore 501st lives!” Ghost began raising his voice to his superior, showing how serious he was about this. “Please Admiral, let us have this. For them.”

There was a pause on Sigan’s end as he determined the best approach to this. On one hand, having a small party of Stormtroopers would be great to scout out their defences before sending the whole army. One the other hand, if the Rebels anticipated Orion Squads arrival and kill them, then there’s no chance of the 501st pulling off this attack successfully. This was a tough decision indeed.

But over the years he’s gotten to know these clones, he’s felt a connection with them. Seeing each and every one of them as a different person rather than a clone of one person. He also wanted the Rebels to suffer as much as they did. Apex and X-Ray were valued members of Orion Squad and the entirety of the 501st legion. They mess with them, then they mess with him.

“I do think this plan is too risky for you. However, I trust you four to survive whatever the Rebels may have planned for you. Do what you must to help us wipe the Rebels out as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

“Thank you, Admiral. We won’t let you down.” Ghost then signs off and begins flying the TIE Demolisher down to Yavin 4’s surface. “Ok boys, lets finish this. For Apex, and for X-Ray!”

The rest of Orion Squad let out a battle cry and raise their arms in response as the TIE Demolisher entered Yavin’s atmosphere… They will have their revenge.

Galactic Empire Journal Entry 36 – Location: Yavin Orbit

"And so the battle over Yavin came to an end. I'm told we destroyed hundreds of Rebel ships that day. Even if it had been thousands, it wouldn't have made up for the Death Star."

To Be Continued