Skull and Bones (II)

Though the Crusader was decommissioned at the end of the Clone Wars, the Victory I-class Star Destroyer remained in superb condition.

Stretching 900 meters from its bow to the engine nozzles at the stern, the ship was equipped with a first-class hyperdrive, making it one of the fastest vessels in the entire Imperial Navy—even faster than the Imperial-class Star Destroyers, which were fitted with second-class models. Armed with quad turbolaser batteries and twin turbolaser cannons, it carried two squadrons of TIE fighters and nearly 5,000 crew members, including 402 artillerymen. Additionally, over 2,000 infantry were stationed aboard, along with a full complement of armored vehicles—walkers, drop pods, transport ships, and more. But perhaps most notably, this ship, a pinnacle of military engineering, was outfitted with launchers for 80 proton torpedoes—the ultimate weapon of destruction.

Should such a force descend directly upon an enemy, it would unleash catastrophic devastation.

There's a reason both versions of the Victory-class were never relegated to the reserves, even as the Imperial-class ships became widespread. Of course, officers and crews of the more powerful Star Destroyers might claim that the only reason the "small" Victory-class ships weren't scrapped was that someone had to patrol the remote sectors and hunt down pirates and outlaws.

Perhaps there's some truth to that. But in one respect, the crews of the Victory-class were markedly different from their counterparts on the Imperial-class ships.

Here, there were no mama's boys or aristocratic upstarts—those whose ranks were more a result of political connections than service to the Empire. Even though everyone who had the honor of serving aboard a Victory-class knew that their careers would most likely end on their first Star Destroyer, there was no one who shirked their duties.

"The reactor compartment reports readiness," announced I-Gor, the commander of the Crusader, as he walked along the central platform that divided the ship's command tower into two sections. Each section housed officers responsible for various ship operations. An elderly man, but still in his prime, I-Gor listened to the officers' reports. Although pleased with their clarity and the content, he kept his satisfaction to himself.

— "The engine room is fully operational!" reported another officer.

— "Artillery is combat-ready!"

— "Missile launchers are functioning normally!"

** Captain I-Gor, Commander of the Victory I-class Star Destroyer Crusader **

Reports streamed in from every combat unit aboard the starship, and without exception, they all confirmed their readiness.

This was promising.

The Crusader had not seen action in quite some time, and even longer since it had participated in a battle. Thus, the best the Star Destroyer's commander could do now was to ensure that his crew was prepared.

After all, they had an important mission ahead—not the routine patrols they had been carrying out in recent weeks while the Ubictorate fleet drifted lazily in Tangren's orbit before vanishing into the unknown.

No, this time, the Crusader had the honor of showing the rebels that they were not as invincible as they thought, comfortably ensconced in the Central Worlds.

Standing before the central transparisteel viewport of the control room, I-Gor clasped his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the blackness of space where an entire squadron of starships was approaching Tangren's orbit in a loose formation. As the Crusader moved away from geostationary orbit, preparing to jump to the designated coordinates, their sensors were operating proactively. Planetary controllers could only identify targets once they entered orbit—unless the system was equipped with sensor beacons, which in this case were absent. Given their exorbitant cost, the Ubiqtorate had been reluctant to invest in the fleet's needs in the past. Therefore, a little assistance to the controllers would not go amiss—especially since the ships were entering from the star's direction, indicating that their crews had no intention of directly entering Tangren's orbit. This could be a surprise for everyone.

"On watch," I-Gor addressed the officer responsible for the real-time surveillance. "Contact the control tower. Report that we have unidentified contacts on our scanners. Classified as 20 Tartan-class patrol cruisers, one DP-20-class frigate, two CR90-class corvettes. They do not appear to be hostile. Accompanying them are two nominally civilian vessels—modified and armed freighters. Alongside them is a Strike-class medium cruiser transmitting valid Imperial identification codes," I-Gor noted as he glanced at the tactical monitor. "Correction—three armed freighters now. The last one arrived via an unknown trajectory. We are within striking distance of the enemy. Awaiting orders to engage. Prepare the turbolasers, and have the pilots take their positions in the fighters. Set the alert to yellow!" The last two commands were directed specifically at the ship's crew.

"The message has been sent," the officer confirmed. A moment later, he reported back:

— "We received a response from the Chimera control center."

"Read it," I-Gor ordered.

— "The targets are friendly. Do not engage. Continue with your mission," the watch commander read aloud. Then, with a note of awe and almost superstitious reverence, he added:

— "Signed: Grand Admiral Thrawn."

I-Gor turned to the watch commander. "Lieutenant, end the yellow alert. Are our guests from Imperial Intelligence on board?"

"Yes, sir," the officer confirmed.

"Have the jump coordinates been calculated?" I-Gor inquired, receiving another affirmative report from the officer. "Crew! Attention! Prepare to breach the light barrier! Our raid behind enemy lines begins now."

A moment later, the gray hull of the Star Destroyer disappeared into the void, hurtling toward its target.