"Sir, report is coming through."
Colonel Wesley Vos looked up from the report he had been working on. Even though he was a colonel now, and even though he had ten times the paperwork as he'd had before his promotion, there were times where the large staff got on every kriffing nerve he had. He should have been in a good mood; he'd just come off a long series of victories around Coruscant. But he wasn't, and all the staff officer got was a glare.
After a moment, Wes growled, "Lieutenant, don't you know how to kriffing
knock!"
The lieutenant, having been through this several times, simply saluted and replied, "Yes, Sir. Sir, an urgent report is coming through from the Astral Astoria. It's a call for an explanation. Apparently someone's hijacked Imperial ships and is assaulting the station."
Wes's fist slamed down on his desk. "Damn it!" he exclaimed. "Lieutenant, let me see that." Wes scanned the report, then said, "Send this off to High Command immediately. I want to know what Imperial operations, if any, are going on in that sector." The officer stood there. "
NOW, Lieutenant!"
The officer scampered off. Wes himself headed for the bridge. By the time he arrived, a second report was waiting for him. There was not a single TNO operation in that area. Whoever they belonged to, the ships attacking the Astoria were certainly not Imperial.
Wes made one of those split-second decisions that had already given him a reputation throughout the fleet. "Captain," he said to the commander of the
Vos, his current command ship,* "Comm the
Tyrant,
Daemon's Fury, and their escorts. Leave the
Reign of Fire here on patrol. Let's go fry some ships."
***
Wes's fleet dropped out of hyperspace behind the outdated ships of Imperial design. It seemed a corvette was being assaulted by the imposters. While Wes felt no sympathy for either the attackers or the crew of the corvette, he did wonder about one thing. Well, two actually.
Why the heck is a lone outdated corvette out here, and why the heck are all these ships so interested in it? Well time to find out.
"Lieutenant, open up a link with the commander of that fleet. I want to know who the heck they are."
"Sir, we can't establish a link. They won't talk to us."
"Alright then," Wes replied. "Tag those vessels as hostile. Let's do some damage."
Wes, with an Astrus and an Eternal Star Destroyer, as well as several cruisers, frigates, and gunships, far outgunned the outdated enemy fleet of cruisers and frigates. Nothing TNO's finest couldn't handle.
TNO's ships formed into stadard formation with the Star Destroyers at the center, covering each other's blind spots, and their escorts forming a wedge around them. Wes, on the
Vos, sat in place behind the Destroyers, coordinating the battle. As the capital ships moved into position, he ordered, "Launch half your fighters in a standard screening formation. Keep the other half in reserve. Captain Selere, launch all Phantoms. Standard drill - take out the shields, engines, and life support systems. Lieutenant, open a channel to the Astoria."
In less than a minute, a channel was open with the head of Astoria Security. "More Imperials. Why the hell do you need that many ships to take the station? Does the New Order no longer respect neutrality?"
"Captain, this is Colonel Wesley Vos of the New Order. The ships attacking your station are not Imperial. They are transmitting Imperial signatures in an attempt, a bad one, to convince you that TNO is assaulting the station. I give you my word that we will protect you and leave. The New Order has no interest in taking the Astoria."
"And I'm supposed to believe a kriffing Imperial? What do you take me for? A grundak?"
"No. But you have the word of Wesley Vos. That does not get broken. If you need further assurances, what would TNO gain that would not be lost in propaganda by the Coalition or any other power in the galaxy? It would be a PR disaster for us to attack the station. I promise, we will leave as soon as this fight is over. We simply wish to protect the station's neutrality."
The captain thought for a moment. "You're right. It would not benefit TNO to take the station. Fine. But I expect you gone as soon as the battle is over."
Wes nodded and cut the link. "Alright, Captain Typton, you may commence the attack." The
Tyrant and its fleet moved forward into battle.