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Comments etc are to be posted at: Star Wars – Aftermath - Discussion
The start of this story takes place seven years before the battle of Yavin. There will be some minor PoD’s during this story, but the general Star Wars Expanded Universe timeline will continue (well sort off!) as a general framwork for this story.
STAR WARS – AFTERMATH
It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, are starting to cause problems striking from there hidden base they have won their first small victory against the Empire.
With the first of these victories the Rebellion has sown the first seeds that will allow the Rebellion to start to grown for the first time in ten years since the rise of the Empire.
The Empire, in response to this gowning Rebellion, has begun a rapid expansion of the Imperial military and young men and women from prestigious Imperial families come to join the Imperial military as officers to lead the fight against the Rebellion, one such young man is Zerik Hammond who will become a legend………
Prelude to Aftermath – Part 1 – Imperial Academy
At the age of 16 Zerik Hammond entered the prestigious Imperial Academy on Coruscant (mainly due to his families influence), his grades are easily high enough to enter the Imperial Academy on Coruscant, but there is a very long waiting list. His father used his not inconsiderable influence within the Imperial Military to gain access to the Imperial Academy for his son.
Over the next three years Cadet Hammond excelled at the Imperial Academy learning how to command, this would easily allow Cadet Hammond to pass out on his 20th birthday with distinction and honours and also be in the top ten of his class for that year.
Many powerful Imperial families favour the Imperial Academy on Coruscant as it allows the children to be at the very heart of the Imperial military machine and thus gives them access to contacts that other Imperial Academy’s do not have access too. This allows those with exceptional combat ability to have their own choice of placing after the graduate from the academy.
During his stay at the Imperial Academy Cadet Hammond along with the other cadets would get invited to social events on Coruscant, this would bring them into contact with the most senior Imperial Moff’s, Admirals and Advisors. Depending on the level of the Cadets social status they would be invited to the more prestigious events on Coruscant. Cadet Hammond’s family having the highest level of social status (Cadet Hammond’s father is an Admiral of Engineers and deputy head of all the Imperial fleets repair facilities) and his mother is the sister of Ardus Kaine, this gets Cadet Hammond invited to the most prestigious events on Coruscant.
The most senior Imperial officers such as Grand Vizier Sate Pestage, Grand Moff Tarkin, Rear Admiral Thrawn, Armand Isard (after Yavin, Ysanne Isard “takes over”) Director of Imperial Intelligence and occasionally the Sith Lord, Lord Tremayne and other high Imperial officials who attend these events. Attending these social events Zerik Hammond will make very useful contacts for the future and also some enemies as well, but during his three years he makes more allies than enemies.
Even without his family’s assistance Zerik Hammond would have passed out of the Imperial Academy with honours, with his family’s assistance and contacts, Zerik Hammond will be able to choose his own assignment and posting (something that the majority of Cadets would not be able to do).
Graduation and First Assignment
Just after his 20 birthday Lieutenant (junior grade) Hammond is asked by the personnel officer at the Imperial Academy what command would be his preferred choice, most graduating Imperial officers are trying to be assigned to Grand Moff Tarkins command (the Death Star project), but Lieutenant Hammond asks if he could be assigned to ISD Victorious as the ships third gunnery officer. This request takes the personnel officer a bit by surprised, but grants Lieutenant Hammonds request and within a week his orders have come and he will be assigned to Imperial class Star Destroyer Victorious.
Zerik Hammond’s ultimate goal over the next few years is to gain command of an Imperial Class Star Destroyer and making that Star Destroyer into an elite Imperial warship, his chosen warship is the Imperial class Star Destroyer Victorious.
The ISD Victorious is one of the first batches of Mark I Imperial Class Star Destroyers to be built and has so far see a lot of action, her current Captain, Captain Allerson has been in command of the Victorious for the past ten years (and is very eager for promotion to Rear Admiral).
Six month later
After serving for six months as the Victorious third gunnery officer Lieutenant (junior grade) Hammond is promoted to full Lieutenant even though he has only been serving onboard Victorious for six months and it would normally be at least a year before he would normally be promoted to full Lieutenant.
Captain Allerson knows that Lieutenant Hammond’s family connections will be able to help him get a promotion to Rear Admiral that he wants and promoting Zerik Hammond will go part of that way to his promotion with the Hammond family (which it will do).
The newly promoted Lieutenant Hammond also becomes the ships second gunnery officer, against the wishes of Lieutenant Commander Erikson the Victorious senior gunnery officer. Lieutenant Commander Erikson tries at every opportunity to undermine Lieutenant Hammond, but Captain Allerson will hear none of this against Lieutenant Hammond and each time Lieutenant Commander Erikson puts’ a black mark against Lieutenant Hammond’s record Captain Allerson refuses to endorse the black mark. This means that these “black marks” do not go on Lieutenant Hammond’s permanent record, thus not affecting his chances of promotion.
Twelve months later
After serving for twelve months as the Victorious second gunnery officer a series of events and promotions and some of those promoted leaving the star Victorious for new commands and this allows Captain Allerson to promote Lieutenant Hammond to the rank of Commander with the new position of first officer onboard the Victorious. With Victorious old first officer reassigned to another command and Lieutenant Commander Erikson to “other duties” elsewhere (some “nice” backwater command) within the Empire, with this “freeing” up of this first officers post, thus allowing Captain Allerson to promote Lieutenant Hammond to the rank of Commander and make him his first officer.
This swift level of promotion is only possible for Zerik Hammond, because of two factors, the first being his families influence within the Imperial Fleet and the second being Captain Allerson who is using Zerik Hammond to gain promotion.
On the second part, Captain Allerson gets promoted to Fleet Captain as part of his reward for helping Zerik Hammond up the promotions ladder. Though Fleet Captain Mark Allerson has not yet achieved the rank of Rear Admiral yet, but this is a first step for Fleet Captain Allerson to achieve a Rear Admiral’s rank.
Over the next two years Fleet Captain Allerson along with his first officer Commander Zerik Hammond leads the Victorious on countless missions against the growing rebellion and various pirates and criminal organisations. The Victorious area of operation is under Grand Moff Tarkin’s command Oversector Outer, an area that comprised most of the Outer Rim Territories. The Victorious (and her crew) continue to gain a formidable reputation as an elite crew with their various assignments within the Oversector Outer command. With the Victorious is being used as a roving Star Destroyed (one of many roving commands) rather than being assigned to a single command within one of the sectors of the Oversector Outer command.
A few weeks before that battle of the Yavin system, the Victorious under the temporary command of it first officer Commander Zerik Hammond while the Victorious Captain is at the Oversector Outer command headquarters for a quarterly briefing of various roving Star Destroyed commands with in the Oversector Outer command.
Over the next few weeks leading up to the battle of the Yavin system, the Victorious acting Captain, Commander Zerik Hammond, will be doing a series of random patrols of the systems in the same sector as the Yavin system.
Acting Captain’s log, Commander Zerik Hammond reporting, “So far their has been no sign of and unusual activity, criminal or rebel of any kind, also their has been no other traffic within this sector, the Victorious will be moving to its final system to check then will continue the random patrol pattern for the rest of the patrol, in the hope of encountering Pirates or even Rebels. Thus far the search has proved futile.” Log ends…
What happens next will ensure that Zerik Hammond will be promoted faster than even he could have ever imagined in his widest dreams.
To be continued.
Prelude to Aftermath – Part 2 – The Vader Incident!
An hour after the destruction of the Death Star, Lord Vader had managed to get his starfighters hyperdrive working and made a short hyperspace jump out of the Yavin system, but within a few minutes of leaving the Yavin system the TIE Advanced x1 (TIE/x1) hyperdrive failed, this time permanently.
Lord Vader, then decides to send out a call for help (something that Lord Vader has been trying to avoid doing), just after Lord Vader has sets his fighters transmitter to send an automated call for assistance from the nearest Imperial warship(s), a Rebel bulk cruiser appears out of hyperspace and begins to head towards Lord Vader’s TIE fighter.
With Lord Vader’s TIE Advanced x1 hyperdrive is now dead, but the sub light engines are working at ninety percent of full capacity, Lord Vader starts evasive manoeuvres against the Rebel bulk cruiser. This action causes the Rebel bulk cruiser to launch its own fighters (Z-95 Headhunters), after a few minutes a total of forty-eight fighters have been launch against Lord Vader’s TIE Advanced x1.
Lord Vader recognises the capital ship as a Neutron Star-class bulk cruiser, these aging capital ships that combine the attributes of both warship and cargo hauler, bulk cruisers see service in mainly the Rebel’s hands and also a demising number and still in the Imperial navies service. Most of the bulk cruisers in Rebel hands are used as starfighter carriers, as there armament is not heavy enough to go up against a modern warship.
Lord Vader now has a fight on his hands and turns his fighter to engage the Rebel fighters who outnumber him forty-eight to one. Within the first few minutes Lord Vader has destroyed nine of the forty-eight Rebel fighters, but the Rebel’s still have the advantage of numbers on their side. The battle is still going the Rebels way for the moment, but events area about to change that in a bad way for the Rebels.
ISD Victorious a short distance away…..
Meanwhile in a nearby system, the ISD Victorious has just completed a sweep of the system and is in the process of recovering the last four TIE/rc (a reconnaissance version of the standard TIE/In fighter).
On the bridge the communications officer says, “Commander Hammond, I am picking up an Imperial distress signal.”
Commander Hammond says, “Do you have a location on the distress signal?”
The communications officer replies, “Yes sir, I am getting a lock now.”
Commander Hammond says, “Good, once you have a firm position pass the information to the helm and navigation.”
The communications officer replies, “Aye sir, doing that now.”
Commander Hammond says, “Good, helm and navigation plot a course to the coordinates the communications officer is transferring to you now.” There is a simultaneous “aye sir’s” from the helm and navigation pits on the bridge.
Commander Hammond hits the ships internal communications button on his command console next to his chair and says, “This is Commander Hammond we have received a distress call from an Imperial ship, we are going to their aid. All hands to Battle Stations” with that he switches of the ship wide communications.
At the same time the call to battle stations sounds throughout the Star Destroyer. The crewman at the helm says, “Commander the coordinates are set, awaiting your order”
Commander Hammond says, “Engage hyperdrive at emergency flank speed.” The ISD Victorious leaps forward into hyperspace, fully prepared for battle, the Rebels are in for a very nasty shock.
Meanwhile not far away…..
Lord Vader is having trouble with the remaining thirty-nine Rebel fighters, as these Rebel fighters are trying (unsuccessfully) to herd Lord Vader’s starfighter towards the bulk cruiser, so that the cruiser can use it tractor beam to capture Lord Vader’s fighter.
Using the Dark Side of the Force Lord Vader is easily able to evade the Rebel fighters, but in doing so, Lord Vader is slowly moving towards the Rebel cruiser, when suddenly Lord Vader senses something through the force and without thinking evades out of the way, causing the Rebels perusing him to break off into several different directions.
A few seconds later the shape of a large white triangle of an Imperial class Star Destroyer appears out of hyperspace where Lord Vader’s starfighter had just been. Within a few seconds of appearing the Star Destroyer begins launching TIE fighters from the Star Destroyer’s hanger towards the Rebel fighters.
Lord Vader turns his damaged starfighter towards the Star Destroyer’s hanger, as he does so twelve of the TIE fighters close in around his own starfighter as escort back to the Star Destroyer, while the remaining thirty-six TIE fighters engaged the remaining Rebel fighters.
On the Victorious Bridge Commander Hammond is watching the opening phases of the battle, when one of his consoles bleeps with an identification of the Imperial fighter that was under attack, revelling that it is Lord Vader’s own personnel starfighter. On seeing this Commander Hammond orders the officer in charge of the fighter operation to allocate a squadron of fighters to escort Lord Vader’s fighter back to the Victorious.
At the same time the Victorious is starting to engage the Rebel Neutron Star-class bulk cruiser with its main armaments, but just as the Victorious start to engage with her turbolaser batteries Commander Hammond says, “Guns, engage with ion cannons only I want to capture that ship not destroy it, understood?”
The gunnery officer replies, “Aye sir, understood”
Commander Hammond then says, “Helm keep us between the cruiser and Lord Vader’s fighter until Lord Vader’s fighter has docked.”
The helmsman replies, “Aye sir” and the Victorious begin’s to move between the bulk cruiser and Lord Vader’s fighter to provide Lord Vader’s fighter with cover against the bulk cruiser’s weapons fire.
Commander Hammond then says to Major Brack “Prepare both Gamma class assault shuttles and also have additional shuttles with back-up storm troopers and Imperial Army troops in a support role, after the space troopers have captured that hanger bay.”
Major Brack replies, “Aye sir”.
In space the one sided battle between the ISD Victorious and the Neutron Star-class bulk cruiser, the bulk cruiser red laser cannons fire is impacting harmlessly against the ISD Victorious shields, the ISD Victorious responds with her Ion cannons from her Port batteries in a ripple of continuous fire from Victorious Ion cannon batteries causing systems on the bulk cruisers systems to start to shut down and within a few minutes the bulk cruiser is dead in space with only her emergency systems operational.
As the Lord Vader’s fighter enters Victorious hanger bay, the battle outside the Victorious is now going badly for the Rebels as they have lost all their starfighters and the Victorious ion cannons have disabled the bulk cruiser. Once Lord Vader’s fighter has docked the two gamma class assault shuttles each carrying forty space troopers is launched along with six shuttles each carrying sixty stormtroopers with the next wave will be carrying Imperial Army troopers.
Lord Vader makes his way to the bridge, once on the bridge Lord Vader says without the usual preamble, “How long until that cruiser is captured?”
Commander Hammond replies, “We should have the cruiser secured within the hour, Lord Vader” Lord Vader does not reply and just stands watching the assault shuttles move towards the disabled bulk cruiser.
Within an hour the bulk cruiser is secured and of the total crew complement of 2,050 with only 872 crewmembers remaining alive, including the ships Captain and First Officer. With the 872 Rebel prisoners being taken in small groups back to the Victorious holding cells, this process takes several hours to complete, while this is going on, temporary repairs are being made to the bulk cruiser to allow the ship to be taken to the nearest Imperial facility for a more detailed examination.
Several hours later…
Lord Vader speaking to Commander Hammond says, “You have done very well Fleet Admiral Hammond” all the newly promoted Fleet Admiral Hammond can say is, “Thank you Lord Vader.” With that Lord Vader leaves the bridge of the Victorious to report what has happened to the Emperor, leaving behind a very stunned and newly promoted Fleet Admiral Hammond left to continue with the cleanup operation.
This promotion at twenty-four years old makes Zerik Hammond the youngest Fleet Admiral in the Imperial Fleet and he knows that he has received promotion well in advance of other officers and only due to Lord Vader’s authority will he be able to keep his promotion and the ISD Victorious as his flagship (provided of course Lord Vader does not kill him!)
After and hour or so, once Lord Vader has spoken at length to the Emperor, Lord Vader informs Fleet Admiral Hammond (who has now changed into the proper uniform that now has the rank insignia of a Imperial Fleet Admiral), Lord Vader says, “The Emperor commands my presence at Coruscant along with that captured warship, I will be in my quarters inform me when we arrive at Coruscant.”
Fleet Admiral Hammond replies, “Yes sir, Lord Vader.” With that Lord Vader leaves the bridge, leaving Fleet Admiral Hammond to give the order to set course for Coruscant at maximum speed, on the bulk cruiser has been repaired.
Over the next few days travelling in hyperspace is uneventful as is their arrival at Coruscant (with the exception of the person in charge of space traffic control around Coruscant who gives the two warships priority clearance for Coruscant orbit). The next meeting for Fleet Admiral Hammond will be with the Emperor (though he does not know this yet, as Lord Vader has not told him).
The Emperor would also have a shock in store for the newly promoted Fleet Admiral Hammond and would grant Zerik Hammond a series of design and other ideas that he had kept to himself (so he thought).
To be continued.
The start of this story takes place seven years before the battle of Yavin. There will be some minor PoD’s during this story, but the general Star Wars Expanded Universe timeline will continue (well sort off!) as a general framwork for this story.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STAR WARS – AFTERMATH
It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, are starting to cause problems striking from there hidden base they have won their first small victory against the Empire.
With the first of these victories the Rebellion has sown the first seeds that will allow the Rebellion to start to grown for the first time in ten years since the rise of the Empire.
The Empire, in response to this gowning Rebellion, has begun a rapid expansion of the Imperial military and young men and women from prestigious Imperial families come to join the Imperial military as officers to lead the fight against the Rebellion, one such young man is Zerik Hammond who will become a legend………
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Prelude to Aftermath – Part 1 – Imperial Academy
At the age of 16 Zerik Hammond entered the prestigious Imperial Academy on Coruscant (mainly due to his families influence), his grades are easily high enough to enter the Imperial Academy on Coruscant, but there is a very long waiting list. His father used his not inconsiderable influence within the Imperial Military to gain access to the Imperial Academy for his son.
Over the next three years Cadet Hammond excelled at the Imperial Academy learning how to command, this would easily allow Cadet Hammond to pass out on his 20th birthday with distinction and honours and also be in the top ten of his class for that year.
Many powerful Imperial families favour the Imperial Academy on Coruscant as it allows the children to be at the very heart of the Imperial military machine and thus gives them access to contacts that other Imperial Academy’s do not have access too. This allows those with exceptional combat ability to have their own choice of placing after the graduate from the academy.
During his stay at the Imperial Academy Cadet Hammond along with the other cadets would get invited to social events on Coruscant, this would bring them into contact with the most senior Imperial Moff’s, Admirals and Advisors. Depending on the level of the Cadets social status they would be invited to the more prestigious events on Coruscant. Cadet Hammond’s family having the highest level of social status (Cadet Hammond’s father is an Admiral of Engineers and deputy head of all the Imperial fleets repair facilities) and his mother is the sister of Ardus Kaine, this gets Cadet Hammond invited to the most prestigious events on Coruscant.
The most senior Imperial officers such as Grand Vizier Sate Pestage, Grand Moff Tarkin, Rear Admiral Thrawn, Armand Isard (after Yavin, Ysanne Isard “takes over”) Director of Imperial Intelligence and occasionally the Sith Lord, Lord Tremayne and other high Imperial officials who attend these events. Attending these social events Zerik Hammond will make very useful contacts for the future and also some enemies as well, but during his three years he makes more allies than enemies.
Even without his family’s assistance Zerik Hammond would have passed out of the Imperial Academy with honours, with his family’s assistance and contacts, Zerik Hammond will be able to choose his own assignment and posting (something that the majority of Cadets would not be able to do).
Graduation and First Assignment
Just after his 20 birthday Lieutenant (junior grade) Hammond is asked by the personnel officer at the Imperial Academy what command would be his preferred choice, most graduating Imperial officers are trying to be assigned to Grand Moff Tarkins command (the Death Star project), but Lieutenant Hammond asks if he could be assigned to ISD Victorious as the ships third gunnery officer. This request takes the personnel officer a bit by surprised, but grants Lieutenant Hammonds request and within a week his orders have come and he will be assigned to Imperial class Star Destroyer Victorious.
Zerik Hammond’s ultimate goal over the next few years is to gain command of an Imperial Class Star Destroyer and making that Star Destroyer into an elite Imperial warship, his chosen warship is the Imperial class Star Destroyer Victorious.
The ISD Victorious is one of the first batches of Mark I Imperial Class Star Destroyers to be built and has so far see a lot of action, her current Captain, Captain Allerson has been in command of the Victorious for the past ten years (and is very eager for promotion to Rear Admiral).
Six month later
After serving for six months as the Victorious third gunnery officer Lieutenant (junior grade) Hammond is promoted to full Lieutenant even though he has only been serving onboard Victorious for six months and it would normally be at least a year before he would normally be promoted to full Lieutenant.
Captain Allerson knows that Lieutenant Hammond’s family connections will be able to help him get a promotion to Rear Admiral that he wants and promoting Zerik Hammond will go part of that way to his promotion with the Hammond family (which it will do).
The newly promoted Lieutenant Hammond also becomes the ships second gunnery officer, against the wishes of Lieutenant Commander Erikson the Victorious senior gunnery officer. Lieutenant Commander Erikson tries at every opportunity to undermine Lieutenant Hammond, but Captain Allerson will hear none of this against Lieutenant Hammond and each time Lieutenant Commander Erikson puts’ a black mark against Lieutenant Hammond’s record Captain Allerson refuses to endorse the black mark. This means that these “black marks” do not go on Lieutenant Hammond’s permanent record, thus not affecting his chances of promotion.
Twelve months later
After serving for twelve months as the Victorious second gunnery officer a series of events and promotions and some of those promoted leaving the star Victorious for new commands and this allows Captain Allerson to promote Lieutenant Hammond to the rank of Commander with the new position of first officer onboard the Victorious. With Victorious old first officer reassigned to another command and Lieutenant Commander Erikson to “other duties” elsewhere (some “nice” backwater command) within the Empire, with this “freeing” up of this first officers post, thus allowing Captain Allerson to promote Lieutenant Hammond to the rank of Commander and make him his first officer.
This swift level of promotion is only possible for Zerik Hammond, because of two factors, the first being his families influence within the Imperial Fleet and the second being Captain Allerson who is using Zerik Hammond to gain promotion.
On the second part, Captain Allerson gets promoted to Fleet Captain as part of his reward for helping Zerik Hammond up the promotions ladder. Though Fleet Captain Mark Allerson has not yet achieved the rank of Rear Admiral yet, but this is a first step for Fleet Captain Allerson to achieve a Rear Admiral’s rank.
Over the next two years Fleet Captain Allerson along with his first officer Commander Zerik Hammond leads the Victorious on countless missions against the growing rebellion and various pirates and criminal organisations. The Victorious area of operation is under Grand Moff Tarkin’s command Oversector Outer, an area that comprised most of the Outer Rim Territories. The Victorious (and her crew) continue to gain a formidable reputation as an elite crew with their various assignments within the Oversector Outer command. With the Victorious is being used as a roving Star Destroyed (one of many roving commands) rather than being assigned to a single command within one of the sectors of the Oversector Outer command.
A few weeks before that battle of the Yavin system, the Victorious under the temporary command of it first officer Commander Zerik Hammond while the Victorious Captain is at the Oversector Outer command headquarters for a quarterly briefing of various roving Star Destroyed commands with in the Oversector Outer command.
Over the next few weeks leading up to the battle of the Yavin system, the Victorious acting Captain, Commander Zerik Hammond, will be doing a series of random patrols of the systems in the same sector as the Yavin system.
Acting Captain’s log, Commander Zerik Hammond reporting, “So far their has been no sign of and unusual activity, criminal or rebel of any kind, also their has been no other traffic within this sector, the Victorious will be moving to its final system to check then will continue the random patrol pattern for the rest of the patrol, in the hope of encountering Pirates or even Rebels. Thus far the search has proved futile.” Log ends…
What happens next will ensure that Zerik Hammond will be promoted faster than even he could have ever imagined in his widest dreams.
To be continued.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Prelude to Aftermath – Part 2 – The Vader Incident!
An hour after the destruction of the Death Star, Lord Vader had managed to get his starfighters hyperdrive working and made a short hyperspace jump out of the Yavin system, but within a few minutes of leaving the Yavin system the TIE Advanced x1 (TIE/x1) hyperdrive failed, this time permanently.
Lord Vader, then decides to send out a call for help (something that Lord Vader has been trying to avoid doing), just after Lord Vader has sets his fighters transmitter to send an automated call for assistance from the nearest Imperial warship(s), a Rebel bulk cruiser appears out of hyperspace and begins to head towards Lord Vader’s TIE fighter.
With Lord Vader’s TIE Advanced x1 hyperdrive is now dead, but the sub light engines are working at ninety percent of full capacity, Lord Vader starts evasive manoeuvres against the Rebel bulk cruiser. This action causes the Rebel bulk cruiser to launch its own fighters (Z-95 Headhunters), after a few minutes a total of forty-eight fighters have been launch against Lord Vader’s TIE Advanced x1.
Lord Vader recognises the capital ship as a Neutron Star-class bulk cruiser, these aging capital ships that combine the attributes of both warship and cargo hauler, bulk cruisers see service in mainly the Rebel’s hands and also a demising number and still in the Imperial navies service. Most of the bulk cruisers in Rebel hands are used as starfighter carriers, as there armament is not heavy enough to go up against a modern warship.
Lord Vader now has a fight on his hands and turns his fighter to engage the Rebel fighters who outnumber him forty-eight to one. Within the first few minutes Lord Vader has destroyed nine of the forty-eight Rebel fighters, but the Rebel’s still have the advantage of numbers on their side. The battle is still going the Rebels way for the moment, but events area about to change that in a bad way for the Rebels.
ISD Victorious a short distance away…..
Meanwhile in a nearby system, the ISD Victorious has just completed a sweep of the system and is in the process of recovering the last four TIE/rc (a reconnaissance version of the standard TIE/In fighter).
On the bridge the communications officer says, “Commander Hammond, I am picking up an Imperial distress signal.”
Commander Hammond says, “Do you have a location on the distress signal?”
The communications officer replies, “Yes sir, I am getting a lock now.”
Commander Hammond says, “Good, once you have a firm position pass the information to the helm and navigation.”
The communications officer replies, “Aye sir, doing that now.”
Commander Hammond says, “Good, helm and navigation plot a course to the coordinates the communications officer is transferring to you now.” There is a simultaneous “aye sir’s” from the helm and navigation pits on the bridge.
Commander Hammond hits the ships internal communications button on his command console next to his chair and says, “This is Commander Hammond we have received a distress call from an Imperial ship, we are going to their aid. All hands to Battle Stations” with that he switches of the ship wide communications.
At the same time the call to battle stations sounds throughout the Star Destroyer. The crewman at the helm says, “Commander the coordinates are set, awaiting your order”
Commander Hammond says, “Engage hyperdrive at emergency flank speed.” The ISD Victorious leaps forward into hyperspace, fully prepared for battle, the Rebels are in for a very nasty shock.
Meanwhile not far away…..
Lord Vader is having trouble with the remaining thirty-nine Rebel fighters, as these Rebel fighters are trying (unsuccessfully) to herd Lord Vader’s starfighter towards the bulk cruiser, so that the cruiser can use it tractor beam to capture Lord Vader’s fighter.
Using the Dark Side of the Force Lord Vader is easily able to evade the Rebel fighters, but in doing so, Lord Vader is slowly moving towards the Rebel cruiser, when suddenly Lord Vader senses something through the force and without thinking evades out of the way, causing the Rebels perusing him to break off into several different directions.
A few seconds later the shape of a large white triangle of an Imperial class Star Destroyer appears out of hyperspace where Lord Vader’s starfighter had just been. Within a few seconds of appearing the Star Destroyer begins launching TIE fighters from the Star Destroyer’s hanger towards the Rebel fighters.
Lord Vader turns his damaged starfighter towards the Star Destroyer’s hanger, as he does so twelve of the TIE fighters close in around his own starfighter as escort back to the Star Destroyer, while the remaining thirty-six TIE fighters engaged the remaining Rebel fighters.
On the Victorious Bridge Commander Hammond is watching the opening phases of the battle, when one of his consoles bleeps with an identification of the Imperial fighter that was under attack, revelling that it is Lord Vader’s own personnel starfighter. On seeing this Commander Hammond orders the officer in charge of the fighter operation to allocate a squadron of fighters to escort Lord Vader’s fighter back to the Victorious.
At the same time the Victorious is starting to engage the Rebel Neutron Star-class bulk cruiser with its main armaments, but just as the Victorious start to engage with her turbolaser batteries Commander Hammond says, “Guns, engage with ion cannons only I want to capture that ship not destroy it, understood?”
The gunnery officer replies, “Aye sir, understood”
Commander Hammond then says, “Helm keep us between the cruiser and Lord Vader’s fighter until Lord Vader’s fighter has docked.”
The helmsman replies, “Aye sir” and the Victorious begin’s to move between the bulk cruiser and Lord Vader’s fighter to provide Lord Vader’s fighter with cover against the bulk cruiser’s weapons fire.
Commander Hammond then says to Major Brack “Prepare both Gamma class assault shuttles and also have additional shuttles with back-up storm troopers and Imperial Army troops in a support role, after the space troopers have captured that hanger bay.”
Major Brack replies, “Aye sir”.
In space the one sided battle between the ISD Victorious and the Neutron Star-class bulk cruiser, the bulk cruiser red laser cannons fire is impacting harmlessly against the ISD Victorious shields, the ISD Victorious responds with her Ion cannons from her Port batteries in a ripple of continuous fire from Victorious Ion cannon batteries causing systems on the bulk cruisers systems to start to shut down and within a few minutes the bulk cruiser is dead in space with only her emergency systems operational.
As the Lord Vader’s fighter enters Victorious hanger bay, the battle outside the Victorious is now going badly for the Rebels as they have lost all their starfighters and the Victorious ion cannons have disabled the bulk cruiser. Once Lord Vader’s fighter has docked the two gamma class assault shuttles each carrying forty space troopers is launched along with six shuttles each carrying sixty stormtroopers with the next wave will be carrying Imperial Army troopers.
Lord Vader makes his way to the bridge, once on the bridge Lord Vader says without the usual preamble, “How long until that cruiser is captured?”
Commander Hammond replies, “We should have the cruiser secured within the hour, Lord Vader” Lord Vader does not reply and just stands watching the assault shuttles move towards the disabled bulk cruiser.
Within an hour the bulk cruiser is secured and of the total crew complement of 2,050 with only 872 crewmembers remaining alive, including the ships Captain and First Officer. With the 872 Rebel prisoners being taken in small groups back to the Victorious holding cells, this process takes several hours to complete, while this is going on, temporary repairs are being made to the bulk cruiser to allow the ship to be taken to the nearest Imperial facility for a more detailed examination.
Several hours later…
Lord Vader speaking to Commander Hammond says, “You have done very well Fleet Admiral Hammond” all the newly promoted Fleet Admiral Hammond can say is, “Thank you Lord Vader.” With that Lord Vader leaves the bridge of the Victorious to report what has happened to the Emperor, leaving behind a very stunned and newly promoted Fleet Admiral Hammond left to continue with the cleanup operation.
This promotion at twenty-four years old makes Zerik Hammond the youngest Fleet Admiral in the Imperial Fleet and he knows that he has received promotion well in advance of other officers and only due to Lord Vader’s authority will he be able to keep his promotion and the ISD Victorious as his flagship (provided of course Lord Vader does not kill him!)
After and hour or so, once Lord Vader has spoken at length to the Emperor, Lord Vader informs Fleet Admiral Hammond (who has now changed into the proper uniform that now has the rank insignia of a Imperial Fleet Admiral), Lord Vader says, “The Emperor commands my presence at Coruscant along with that captured warship, I will be in my quarters inform me when we arrive at Coruscant.”
Fleet Admiral Hammond replies, “Yes sir, Lord Vader.” With that Lord Vader leaves the bridge, leaving Fleet Admiral Hammond to give the order to set course for Coruscant at maximum speed, on the bulk cruiser has been repaired.
Over the next few days travelling in hyperspace is uneventful as is their arrival at Coruscant (with the exception of the person in charge of space traffic control around Coruscant who gives the two warships priority clearance for Coruscant orbit). The next meeting for Fleet Admiral Hammond will be with the Emperor (though he does not know this yet, as Lord Vader has not told him).
The Emperor would also have a shock in store for the newly promoted Fleet Admiral Hammond and would grant Zerik Hammond a series of design and other ideas that he had kept to himself (so he thought).
To be continued.