AFoC Ascendant Fleet RO

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: Defend the Termagant from Vizsla squadrons and potential boarders, and eliminate Vizsla’s offensive against the Ascendant Fleet.

Member Snapshots

• Scudi Ferria
• Khryso Mallus
• Zuser Whuloc
• Andrelious
• Julius Caesar

Rubric and Rules

The Clan-Wide Run On will be graded following a unique rubric, located here.

• For participation credit, members must make two qualifying posts. For posts to qualify, they should be at minimum 250 words and be no longer than 1000 words. Posts shorter than 250, or longer than 1000 words, are ‘disqualified’, but do not disqualify a run-on or a participant, or the run-on from placing. They may be edited as per the Edit Rules below, but not after.
• A member’s snapshot must be added to the first “starting” post in the Run-Once once they post, but we will not pay any attention to loadouts in grading and realism will focus on general Star Wars/Brotherhood versus specifics Force powers and skills. Snapshots may also be added on the first post a member makes to a run-on and may be removed from that post and placed in the first post through edits by the Consul at any point thereafter.
• Members may write their alternative characters and NPCs into the run-on in addition to their main characters. Snapshots must be provided, and the use of alts/NPCs must comply with all other rules of this competition, including the restrictions described below.
• Only qualifying posts will be considered in grading; others will be ignored. Subsequent writers may choose to ignore disqualified posts, but they will not be penalized if they pay attention to them. However, if a disqualified post includes resolution to a plot/subplot, it will NOT be considered in Story grading.
• Authors may reserve a post position with a post stating “Reserved”. There may only be one post position reserved, and Consuls may request the reservation request be deleted if it has been up for more than 6 hours.
• Posts may be edited by their author before additional posts with content are made (that is, a post may ONLY be edited while the post immediately following it is Reserved). If a post is edited after content has been added, it will be disqualified.
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• Any post may be deleted within 10 minutes of it being posted, regardless of what other posts have been made after it.
• Each clan’s run-on must focus on its specific objective. Clans do not need to belabor arriving at an objective point: members may address their arrival in their first post, but a member’s second (and later) posts must engage with events based on the objective, or they will not count as qualifying posts.
• Members may only participate in one of their clan’s two offered run-ons.

Strike-class Medium Cruiser Termagant
Zsoldos System
38 ABY

Scudi Ferria looked out from the bridge of the Termagant with some concern. Vizsla was sending its most elite naval units in her direction. Luckily, she wasn’t alone. She had some of Tyranus’ best pilots at her disposal along with Avenger and Cyclone Squadrons. They would need to keep Cyclone Squadron protected as the bombers were rather vulnerable.

“Get Whuloc, Mallus and Mimosa-Inahj on the line, I have urgent need of them.” Scudi half-barked at the comm officer. She wasn’t used to such situations and it was showing. She’d have to put on a stiff upper lip if she was to make it through this situation in good shape. The obedient comm officer tapped away at his screen and the faces of the gentlemen Scudi had requested sprung to life from the holoprojector. “Right, Vizsla are on their way and they’re not coming for tea. I’m going to need each of you to be on your best performance and show them that Plagueis is not to be messed with. We may be receiving more assistance, but act as if it’ll be you three and Avenger and Cyclone squadrons. Exemplary performances will be noted and the Dread Lord herself will appreciate your assistance in this trying time, you can be sure of that.”

“What makes you think you’re fit to lead us? If what you’re saying is true, there should be a Sith in charge of this mission, not some mundane thing like you.” Andrelious expressed his usual objection just about anytime Scudi tried to get him to do anything.

“If you never want to see your wife or children again, I suggest you carry on and defy the Dread Lord. She personally selected me for this task whether you like it or not. Now I won’t hear any more of this treasonous trash, go smash Vizsla and you can take it up with Tavisaen after we get back to Aliso.” Scudi signalled for the comm officer to cut the connection the millisecond she’d finished talking. Khryso and Zuser were loyal and if they needed to they could contact her. For now, Scudi would have to prepare herself for a potential clash with the forces of the Mandalorians. Scudi looked stoically out across the void, awaiting the assault of Vizsla. The outcome of this battle would mean a lot more than would be immediately evident.

“You know you can’t just hate them back if you expect to last very long here. What are we looking at?” Scudi’s deep contemplation was interrupted by her Aedile, Gaius Julius Caesar. The old man had spent more time serving the Ascendant Clan than most. He continued to make his way over to Scudi while expecting a response.

“Vizsla. They’re not going to just try and keep us from Zsoldos, they coming for us. This ship specifically. We have the two squadrons aboard to deploy and the rest of the fleet can be used should we need it. Mallus, Whuloc and Mimosa-Inahj have been brought in to help us with the defence due to their naval capabilities. That’s about everything.” Scudi hadn’t stopped looking out into the darkness of space, her tone cold and emotionless.

“Well, it’s going to be one hell of a battle, that’s for sure.” Caesar remarked as he arrived next to Scudi and similarly kept his eyes out watching for Vizsla to begin their assault. “Deploy the X-Wings, have them take up defensive positioning for now. Survival is our first priority, then we can deal with them as needed.” Julius ordered the ship’s normal commanding officer, uncontested by Scudi.

ARC-170 Starfighter Solidago
Zsoldos System
38 ABY

“Once you nullify the counter-offensive here, move to support the Termagant,” Sith Warrior Khryso Mallus said to the small hologram of Captain Yamret Ohli that hovered over his control panel. “I’ll be maintaining a defensive position there.”

“Of course, my Lord,” Ohli responded, prompting Khryso to close the call so he could turn his attention to the task at hand: navigating a battlefield. At the start of the Ascendant Fleet’s assault on Vizsla space, the Chiss had been at his station aboard the Silent Scream, acting as the vessel’s commander. The response from Vizsla had been a hard-hitting counter-offensive that caught Plagueis off guard. As such, the two fleets were now locked in naval warfare.

Which meant that when Khryso received new orders from Scudi Ferria, the Hand of Dread, he was forced to change tactics. Pulling the Silent Scream out of formation to reposition alongside the Termagant would leave a hole in Task Force Besh’s defenses, so Khryso had opted to take his personal fighter, Solidago, to reinforce the Termagant. He was leaving command of the Silent Scream in Captain Ohli’s capable hands until they had a window to reunite with him.

Which left the blue-skinned Sith flying his way through colored streaks of light and exploding ships as he navigated his way to the Termagant. Khryso still had yet to secure a full crew for Solidago since he wasn’t willing to let just anybody fly with him, but this battle would serve as a baptism in fire for R3-M7, the astromech currently docked in his ship.

“M7, get me up to speed on the current situation surrounding the Termagant,” Khryso’s lips were pressed tightly together as most of his concentration remained firmly fixed on keeping the ARC-170 from encountering any delays. Text began to scroll across his viewscreen as M7 scanned and analyzed the battlefield around them and their destination. The number of ships involved, the formations on both sides, the relative positions of the rest of the fleet, and more.

Khryso’s eyes flitted back and forth between the battle outside his viewscreen and the the closer display as he began to paint a mental picture of exactly what they were dealing with. The Vizsla assault force that was approaching would be more than a handful to deal with, but allowing them to come within close range of the Termagant’s weapons before launching any kind of counter-offensive was definitely in their best interests.

“M7, link up our comms with the Termagant, Cyclone Squadron, Avenger Squadron, Serpent’s Scythe, and Sharpshoot II. I’m going to need you to keep those lines tapped but only live on my discretion.” More text began to roll across Khryso’s display as M7 explained in detail how it was setting up the communications network. Thankfully, Khryso was able to ignore the minutiae of M7’s response as he neared the Termagant.

Turbolasers and laser cannons were already firing between the Termagant’s complement and the assaulting force as a starfighter screen was being formed by the former to intercept Vizsla’s ships. Khryso quickly dropped into a turn, angling towards the shifting starfighter screen. “Avenger Leader,” he said, using slight applications of the Force to open and close the comm channels as he required, “Warrior Khryso Mallus here to reinforce your formation. Where do you want me?”

As Khryso neared the fighter screen, Avenger Leader giving him a quick run-down of their formation, Vizsla’s own fighters drew near. Before Khryso could slide into place, the two fighter screens collided. “M7, keep me updated on enemy positions,” Khryso quickly ordered, his forward laser cannons lighting up green.

TIE/D Defender Sharpshoot II
Zsoldos System
38 ABY

Although it had been many years since Andrelious had first entered a cockpit, he had never quite found anything to match the surge of adrenaline that pumped through his body as he engaged an enemy in starfighter combat. Even though he was no longer in a fighter that would explode as soon as it was hit, the Sith still felt an extreme survival instinct. It was kill or be killed in the cold vacuum of space.

The immediate threat to the Termagant was an enemy Immobilizer 418-class Cruiser, a class of ship that Andrelious knew better as an ‘Interdictor’; an old Imperial design that prevented an enemy from using its hyperdrive to escape. It was escorted by a trio of Raider II-class Corvettes, a ship well known for its anti-starfighter capabilities.

“Mimosa-Inahj to all Plagueian forces. We’re going nowhere as long as that Interdictor’s still active,” Andrelious broadcast.

“We can deal with it, my Lord, but those TIEs will cut us to pieces. Not to mention those Raider Corvettes,” Cyclone Leader replied.

“Affirmative. Stay near the Termagant until we give you an all-clear. Avenger squadron, engage the TIE/sf fighters. And watch out how you approach. Those things have rear turrets,” Mimosa-Inahj warned, wondering briefly if he was on the wrong side.

Andrelious selected the nearest enemy TIE in his targeting system and began to bear down on his prey, twisting his flight yoke to perform a series of rolls that made it near impossible for all but the most gifted pilots able to even draw a bead on him.

“This is Avenger Seven. I’ve got this one in my sights…” a young male voice announced with an excitement that failed to conceal the pilot’s lack of experience.

“Seven, watch out for the rear turret!” Avenger Leader warned, but it was too late. A burst of fire from the rear of the Vizsla TIE slammed straight into the cockpit of Avenger Seven’s X-Wing, immediately turning the ship and its stricken pilot into molten space debris.

Incompetent fool! Andrelious thought to himself as he continued to jink around on approach to his target. He too came under fire from the TIE’s rear turret, but, unlike Avenger Seven, easily dodged every single shot.

The Sith’s finger squeezed his firing trigger almost as soon as his targeting computer confirmed the shot. Sharpshoot II’s power system groaned as the laser cannons, modified to pack an extra punch, let rip, easily tearing through the target.

As he allowed himself a smile as his handiwork, Andrelious noticed a new set of signals on his sensors. A cursory glance indicated that several Kom’rk-class Fighters had entered the area.

Looks like they’re going to try and board the Termagant. I wonder how Miss Ferria will cope with that! Mimosa-Inahj mused.

“Should we do something about those transports, my Lord?” Avenger Leader questioned, clearly having seen the new arrivals too.

“Stick on the TIEs until they get closer to the Termagant. With luck the Termagant’s gunners will blow them out of the sky. If not…we’d better hope that the crew can hold off a Mandalorian boarding party!” Andrelious answered.

Strike-class Medium Cruiser Termagant
Zsoldos System
38 ABY

“I don’t like the look of those transports, something tells me that they could be trouble if they are able to get close. See what we can do about them.” Scudi coldly told the captain of the Termagant. The Chiss wasn’t fond of this conflict but she had to appear as if she belonged alongside the seasoned personnel of the Ascendant Fleet.

“We could try to blast them out of existence, at this distance though it would be fairly difficult. Allowing them to get closer for a better shot risks them interfering with the fighters we have out there. If that were to happen we’d have to pull some of our forces away to deal with them. I would suggest Lords Whuloc and Mimosa-Inahj for that task as our two most capable pilots. How would you like to proceed?” The Termagant’s captain responded to the Hand of Dread.

“Do what you can to take them out before they become an issue. If we end up having to face a boarding party we don’t have too much to fight them off with, though being set up just in case wouldn’t hurt. Have our security primed to head to the hangar, it’ll still be a tough fight, Mandalorians are no slouches, though we may just have the numbers to pull it off. It would be best to have them ready and not be used, we have our hands full with their TIEs right now.” Scudi informed the captain of the ship of her plan.

“As you wish.” The captain responded as Scudi maintained an icy gaze out into the void of space. She was putting a lot of faith in the Ascendant Legion’s personnel as well as a trio of her Tyrants. It was the latter group she was the least confident in, having never seen any of the men fly. Only time would tell for sure if they were as good as Scudi had heard.

Scudi’s thought process was disturbed by seeing a distant explosion, the Termagant had managed to get a lucky shot on one of the transports, meaning that any potential fight aboard the ship had just become slightly easier. The rest of the transports diverted from their course, though they maintained their menacing advance towards the Termagant.

ARC-170 Starfighter Solidago
Zsoldos System
38 ABY

Khryso gritted his teeth as he braced himself against his seat. With a touch of his finger, green light spilled out of Solidago’s laser cannons, fanning out in front of him as the fighter spun 180 degrees horizontally. The TIE that had been on his tail had plenty of time to maneuver beneath the spray, but as it looped around to flank Solidago once again, it flew straight into Avenger Three’s line of fire.

Taking a moment to catch his breath after the minute long chase, Khryso’s eyes caught a diagnostic report scrolling on his viewscreen. “Just keep the shields up,” Khryso said, reflexively glancing back towards where M7 was docked above and behind him. Solidago had already taken a few glancing blows, but their shields were holding. Both sides were losing numbers, but not quickly enough to cause real concern. At least, as long as the enemy capital ships kept their distance.

Andrelious’ voice came over the comms once again, calling out orders. As soon as the human had arrived on the scene, he’d taken control of the battle. Khryso didn’t mind following the man’s directions provided they continued making sense, so he’d simply fallen in with Avenger Squadron, doing his best to provide support. Now, however, the battle was beginning to shift. The enemy had sent a boarding party towards the Termagant.

The defense of the Termagant was being left up to the ship’s own weaponry. That wasn’t ideal, but he could hardly fly in there himself and risk getting caught in the crossfire. In this case, he just would have to defer to the judgement of those more experienced in space command than he. Regardless, if they wanted to make any headway in this battle, larger strides needed to be taken.

Khryso glanced over the diagnostic M7 had sent him one more time before addressing the droid directly. “M7, keep us moving and try not to get shot.” With a quick shift of his eye, Khryso switched comm channels. “Avenger Leader, I would appreciate some extra cover. Now’s the time to start pushing back.”

Leaving the comms open, Khryso placed his hands on the console in front of him. Closing his eyes, he drew himself inward, focusing on the Force. He recalled all the enemy fighters that had shot at him, all the close calls and near misses. He thought about the glory that awaited Plagueis and himself upon their victory. As his emotions began to build, Khryso expanded his grasp, feeling the ebb and flow of the battle around him, the emotions of his fellow Plagueians and the resolve of their opponents.

Calling on his own will and determination, Khryso pulled everything inward. This was his battle and it would go the way he needed it to. The Chiss found his fellow Force sensitives among the chaos and linked their minds together, allowing them to coordinate with barely a thought.

With his concentration now completely focused on his meditation, M7 clumsily flew through the Solidago in unpredictable patterns, doing its best to avoid taking hits. It was clearly only a matter of time, however, before their luck ran out. Especially when one of Vizsla’s corvettes decided to begin their approach to the conflict to support their fighters and protect the boarding party.

TIE/D Defender Sharpshoot II
Zsoldos System
38 ABY

“Avenger group, I am going for that Corvette. I need you to cover me,” Andrelious ordered, noticing the Vizslan vessel breaking from its defensive position around the Interdictor.

“Lord Mimosa-Inahj, that is a Raider-II Corvette! Taking one on alone is not…” Avenger Leader responded, but the Sith cut the message short.

After finishing off the Vizsla TIE he had been pursuing, Andrelious turned his ship towards the approaching enemy Corvette. Almost immediately, it became clear that he had been spotted as several of its turbolaser turrets turned in the direction of Sharpshoot II.

Mimosa-Inahj remained completely unfazed, steering his starfighter expertly between incoming turbolaser blasts. Whenever he could, he fired his own lasers, aiming for the Corvette’s turrets and cannons. His modified laser cannons slammed into their targets, shearing half of the hardpoints clear of the Corvette’s fuselage and leaving others unable to rotate properly.

“Termagent to all forces. There’s too many incoming transports!” a voice belonging to the Cruiser’s captain announced. “We won’t be able to pick them all off!”

Andrelious cursed. He would have liked to have destroyed the Corvette to send a message to the rest of Vizsla’s forces. As it was, he couldn’t afford to allow too many enemy ships to board the Termagent. It didn’t matter much to the Sith if Scudi was to be killed, but his old Imperial training made the idea of losing a command ship an unacceptably bitter pill to swallow.

“Cyclone group, you’re clear to attack the nearest Corvette. Avenger will cover you! Whuloc, you and I need to thin out these Kom’rk class ships. Each of them could be carrying two dozen Mandalorian shocktroopers! That’s if you’re able to do much in that Corellian junk” Andrelious sneered.

Zuser didn’t respond to the barb, but nonetheless moved into formation with his compatriot. Each of them targeted a different transport and let rip. The Mandalorian ships immediately returned fire, but the two Plagueians were already manoeuvring their ships to easily evade the incoming lasers.

“Still think this is junk?” Zuser commented as he destroyed his first target.

“In your hands it’s almost effective,” Andrelious replied. “Time you got yourself a proper ship!”

Mimosa-Inahj and Whuloc picked off another two transports each, but, as the Termagent drew nearer, it dawned on Andrelious that they simply didn’t have the numbers to deal with the remaining enemies in time. He fired off the last of his concussion missiles, critically damaging another Vizslan transport, but with his warhead launchers empty, there was nothing he could do to stop the frontmost enemy vessel from beginning its docking operation.

“Termagent, you are about to be boarded. Keep the hangar locked down as long as you can. I will deal with them there,” Andrelious declared.

I believe we have reached the endgame.

Strike-class Medium Cruiser Termagant
Zsoldos System
38 ABY

The quick scurrying of boots clanked against the cold metal flooring could barely drown out the barking of the various squad leaders. The Termagant’s defenders rapidly began to make their way to various hangar bays as they were facing an imminent threat of a boarding. Gaius Julius Caesar had left the bridge as soon as it was clear that the Termagant was the focus of the mercenary clan. His time was better spent elsewhere aboard the vessel. The pale old man hobbled towards his destination gripping his cane tighter with each step. The explosions and constant rocking of the cruiser were making it difficult for the old man to keep steady.

“Lieutenant Colonel hurry, we need you!” yelled a young officer of the Willing. The med-bay was just a few short meters ahead.

The old man scowled as he made his way through the threshold into the crowded med-bay, and threw his backpack off his back onto the nearest table. The brightly lit room was already filled up with wounded. Half of those coming in were covered in blood, the remaining were burnt to a near black state. He had gotten used to the smell over the years, but it was clear that it was others’ first times. The first order of business was establishing triage.

“Those of you who can stand can fight. Pick up your weapon and protect this corridor!” barked Caesar as he pointed towards the door in which he entered. A few soldiers whimpered their way past him and out the door. “Good. Now those of you who-”, he was cut off by a clumsy 2-1B Surgical droid who promptly received a cane strike to it’s back. “Those with burns are going to be treated over here,” he said as he pointed towards the right side of the room. “Everyone else, stand over on this side to die in silence.’’ he said with a smirk.

The young officer turned to his superior in shock, “Sir?”.

Caesar smiled as he grabbed one of the grenades out of his pack. “Ensign, find the most able bodied patient and bring them to this operating table.”

Strike-class Medium Cruiser Termagant
Zsoldos System
38 ABY

Andrelious had already freed himself from his pilot seat before finishing his landing, and hadn’t even bothered to land with his usual finesse. The situation called for getting involved in the ongoing battle for control of the Termagant as quickly as possible.

The hangar was completely deserted, but the signs of a fight were everywhere. Dead bodies were strewn all over the floor, nearly all of them belonging to a member of the Plagueian crew. The blast door leading to the rest of the ship had been breached by some kind of explosive, so Andrelious’ first task was to find how far the enemy had got; and ensure that they went no further.

Mimosa-Inahj suspected that the Mandalorian boarders would try to remain as one group. They were far better fighters than the Plagueian crew, but they lacked enough numbers to secure multiple areas of the ship at once. Once he caught up with them, however, they would likely scatter to frustrate Andrelious’ efforts.

Andrelious moved towards the turbolift that provided access to the Termagant’s conning tower. He passed through another three breached blast doors, taking care not to step on the many corpses that littered his path. Barely any of the fallen wore Mandalorian armour. As he passed through a fourth blast door, the Sith could clearly hear blaster fire ahead of him. Sure enough, a group of Mandalorians were setting charges on yet another blast door. Andrelious passed the door leading to the sick bay, noticing that the Vizslan force had left it alone.

As he approached the enemy, an injured Zabrak charged past the Sith, throwing herself on the floor. The Mandalorians turned away from their charge setting for a moment, confused as to what the horned humanoid was doing.

Andrelious’ face recoiled in disgust as the Zabrak suddenly exploded, killing several of the boarders and showering others in blood and severed body parts.

There are some sick people in this Clan! MImosa-Inahj thought to himself as he activated his silver-hilted lightsaber.

“Looks like the cavalry has arrived! Split up!” one of the Mandalorians ordered. The assembled enemies, having just blown a hole in another blast door, sprinted through the newly created gap, running in different directions.

“Mimosa-Inahj to bridge. Get everyone armed. Block the turbolift access with whatever you can. They are going to try and come for you. I will stop what I can but you must be aware that these bastards are deadly,” Andrelious yelled into his comlink.

“If they get to us, consider yourself responsible.” Scudi replied coldly.

Andrelious couldn’t care less what his nominal superior had to say. He was under fire from a Vizslan who had stayed behind when their comrades fled. The Sith easily blocked the incoming blaster fire with his lightsaber, eventually reflecting a shot straight back towards the Mandalorian, who side-stepped to avoid being killed by discharge from their own weapon.

“Let’s see that fancy armour handle THIS!” Andrelious yelled, summoning a torrent of Force lightning. He could sense the Vizslan’s panic in the few moments before the lightning hit its target, easily electrocuting the unfortunate enemy.

Andrelious took a couple of moments to look through the transparisteel window at the battle outside. The Plagueian X-Wings and Vizslan TIEs were still locked in a deadly dance for superiority, but Cyclone Squadron’s bombers were now in formation to attack the enemy Interdictor. Things were fast coming to their resolution, but there were still over a dozen Mandalorian commandos aboard the Plagueian cruiser.

Time to deal with the rest of those armoured bastards.

ARC-170 Starfighter Solidago
Zsoldos System
38 ABY

The momentum of the battle was constantly shifting back and forth. With each additional pressure the Vizslan invaders put on the Plagueian fleet, they were able to regroup, adapt, and push back against the attack. As much as the squadrons were holding their own, however, they were outnumbered. They would eventually find themselves too outgunned to properly defend the Termagant. Which was why they had decided to make their move.

Cyclone Squadron was forming up to launch an attack on the enemy Interdictor after opening up an attack avenue between the Corvettes. While the Termagant was now able to support the fighter screen with turbolaser fire, splitting up their defenses to counter attack wasn’t the most ideal move. They needed to do something big, however, if they wanted to try to turn the tides.

A few different alarms were going off in Khryso’s cockpit as he came out of his meditative state. Lock alarms, damage warnings, shields flickering in and out of activity. Quickly clearing his head, the Sith quickly took the controls back from M7. Solidago wasn’t having the greatest time relying solely on the droid for its piloting. Khryso made yet another mental note to secure himself a co-pilot and a gunner after this campaign was over. Zuser Whuloc had just returned to the fighter screen, having failed to completely repel the invaders alongside Andrelious.

Fortunately, the Termagant’s forces were more than capable of repelling a boarding, not to mention Andrelious had decided to pursue the boarders personally. It shouldn’t be a problem for them. “M7, get on what repairs you can.” Khryso said through gritted teeth as he kept the Solidago in a series of evasive maneuvers.

“This is Cyclone Leader, we’re commencing the attack on the enemy Interdictor,” a voice came over the comms. Which meant what was left of Avenger Squadron along with the Termagant, Whuloc, and Khryso were all that was defending the Plagueian capital ship. The Chiss didn’t feel particularly useful in this situation since he now had to fly defensively while M7 tried to get the ship back in manageable shape.

“Lord Mallus, you’ve got a couple on your seven,” one of the members of Avenger Squadron alerted him. Khryso’s brow creased as he located the pair of fighters on his tail. He wasn’t about to ask for help, but pulling off another tight maneuver might strain Solidago more than he wanted.

As his mind bounced back and forth between his options, another voice came over the comms. “Termagant, this is Captain Ohli of the Silent Scream. We’ve brought reinforcements.” Green turbolaser fire suddenly sliced through the battlefield, pounding at one of the Vizslan corvettes. Khryso swung Solidago towards the source and got a nice view of the Silent Scream, the Brigand, and the Formidable flying in to aid the Termagant.

As the Formidable released clouds of fighters that streamed towards the Termagant to defend it, the Silent Scream and the Brigand went on the offensive against the Vizsla capital ships. Not only did the arrival of reinforcements provide a morale boost, but it turned the numbers game on its head. Things were much more even now. That is, until Cyclone Squadron reported that they were lighting up the Interdictor.

“Now’s the time, let’s hit them hard.” Ferria’s voice came over the comm, reporting to the entirety of the assembled ships. Series of affirmative responses rippled through the communication channels. A pair of newly arrived X-wings straddled Khryso, blasting away his tail.

Khryso opened a comm channel to the Termagant bridge. “Termagant, this is Warrior Khryso Mallus. With these reinforcements, I think I’d be more useful if I were to dock and assist in rooting out the boarders.”

“Negative,” Ferria replied, “the boarders aren’t a problem anymore. Join in the counter assault.”

Khryso pressed his lips together. He didn’t see himself being much use, especially now that the reinforcements were here. Then again, he realized, now that the Silent Scream was here, he had no need to further put Solidago in harm’s way. He opened a channel to the Scream. “Captain Ohli, this is Warrior Khryso Mallus, I’d like to dock and retake command.”

“Understood, Lord Mallus,” Captain Ohli responded. “We’re awaiting your arrival.”

Khryso signed off and pointed Solidago towards the Silent Scream. There wasn’t much Vizsla presence between here and there, as the enemy fleet was now on its back foot. It would likely only be a matter of minutes before they started trying to pull out.