Lieutenant Commander Aaron Rysell stood at the forefront of the bridge, his hands behind his back, looking through the windows, which showed the green planet of Commenor.
'Commenor, huh?' Aaron thought as he brought up his DataPad, where the planet of Commenor appeared.
'Commenor seems to be a fairly hostile planet. Its citizens protested the New Order, but were put down fairly quickly. It's currently being constructed into a Fortress World, with 4 Star Destroyers protecting it,' Aaron thought, as his eyes turned back towards the planet, or more specifically, what guarded it.
'2 Star Destroyers could be found facing us, and according to our long-range scanners, an additional 2 signatures could be found on the other side. Commenor could be found at the intersection of 3 hyperlanes—luckily, they were only minor ones—but Commenor was still important to the Imperial Order,' Aaron thought, his eyes turning down to the DataPad.
'Commenor had the Quellor Run and the Trellan Trade Route from the west and southwest. We had just arrived from the Trellan Trade Route. The 2 Imperial Star Destroyers, "The Xindros" and "The Zaryuu," were positioned between the jump-point of both lanes,' Aaron thought, as the Hound slowed down, coming closer and closer to the ISD.
'They had formed the standard Delta-Charlie position, which was a modification of the "Wingman Strategy." Essentially, it was composed of the "Lead" and the "Support." ISD Xindros was the lead, with the Zaryuu behind, slightly elevated to give a full firing position,' he thought, but he was brought out of his thoughts by the flickering of the communications officer's station.
"Lieutenant, we are receiving a transmission, Imperial codes," the Petty Officer said.
"Patch it through to my station," Aaron said. The Lieutenant Commander stood behind the pilot and co-pilot, but between their controls was a large screen, which could show transmissions. The black screen flickered into life, and a man in a green uniform appeared.
He had gray hair, his hairline was retreating, and he had grown out his beard—but still within the Imperial Code of Uniform. He had 2 red and 2 blue blocks on his insignia patch, signifying the rank of a Lieutenant.
"Arquitens-Light Cruiser, please transmit your identification and mission codes," the voice came over the holo-communications.
Aaron turned around to face his communications officer and nodded. The man understood immediately and began transmitting the codes.
"They're being transmitted as we speak, Lieutenant," Aaron said, but suddenly the image shifted. Instead of the Lieutenant, another man appeared.
He looked as if he was in his mid-thirties, and upon seeing his insignia patch, Aaron immediately straightened and saluted the man.
"Lieutenant Commander Aaron, I am Vice Admiral Cor Killian, in charge of the 893rd Squadron, and my squadron has been tasked with the protection of Commenor," he said, taking a slight break before continuing, as one of his subordinates whispered something into his ear.
The man pondered for a bit, even as his subordinate left, before continuing.
"For the duration of your stay, I expect you to contribute to the defense of the planet in case of hostiles. Rebel vessels have been spotted in proximity to the planet, so keep your men in a battle-ready state. Understood?" he said, and Aaron nodded.
"Understood, Vice Admiral," Aaron responded simply, and he earned a smile from the Vice Admiral—a more relaxed smile.
"Very good. You may dock at the 74th space. For the Empire," Cor Killian said.
"For the Empire," Aaron managed to say, as the transmission cut off, and Aaron brought his hand back down, releasing a slight breath.
The entire bridge was frozen; nobody dared to utter a single word.
"What are you waiting for!? Get a move on!" Aaron shouted, and the recruits sprang into action. The pilots set course for the 74th docking space, and the communications officers informed the crew of their course.
It was standard procedure to inform all crewmembers whenever they entered or left atmospheric space.
That's when a man approached Lieutenant Commander Aaron, and it was none other than Captain Catcher.
"Rebel activity? This close to the Core?" the Captain asked Aaron, who pondered over the question himself before turning around and walking down to the holopad behind him.
He put his code cylinder into it, and a map appeared.
The recent update of rebel activity—there were unmistakable red dots all over the galaxy, the result of so-called "rebel cells."
"Hmmm, he was right. There's a surprisingly heavy amount of rebel activity close to Commenor," Aaron said.
"Mimban?" Captain Catcher said, and Aaron pondered over it.
"Hmm, I doubt it. Fighting in Mimban has begun dying down. They lack both the intent and strength to operate outside Mimban. The rebels never came to help them, so I can't see the reasoning behind them shipping out of Mimban to cause trouble," Aaron said, but his eyes turned towards the second-closest red dot.
"Onderon. Saw Gerrera and his unit originate from the planet, and they have been known to be active in this area. They're most likely the rebel cell responsible for the recent ambushes," Aaron told Captain Catcher, who looked lost in thought.
"What is it, Captain?" Aaron asked the clone, carefully reading the clone's expression. But the question served its purpose and brought the man out of his thoughts.
"I served in the 501st for a time, and I remember overhearing Commander Tano and Captain Rex discussing the mission to Onderon. Their mission parameters included teaching the rebels how to fight," Catcher said, and this initially surprised Aaron.
He served in the 501st? I heard the entire Legion was inducted into Vader's Fist.
"Hmmm, that is troublesome. If Saw and his men were trained by the infamous Anakin Skywalker and Captain Rex, then we can expect to be outmatched in terms of skill," Aaron said, his eyes slightly narrowing as he shifted the map toward recent activity by Saw's cell.
"With all due respect, Lieutenant. We'll be outmatched in skill for some time. These Stormtroopers have been taught nothing but loya—" Catcher said carefully, and he regretted saying it within seconds of it coming out of his mouth.
Aaron turned to the clone, his eyes locking onto the clone's.
"I'm sorry, sir. I misspok—" the clone said, but Aaron shut him off by lifting his hand.
"Captain, I understand your concern and I agree. But refrain from conversing about such topics while in public. Understood?" Aaron said, and the clone nodded.
"Good," Aaron said, before turning towards his DataPad and pondering over it for a bit, while Catcher stood awkwardly to the side.
Just as the clone was about to ask for permission to be dismissed, Aaron spoke up.
"I'm aware of the downsides of the Stormtrooper Corps, but we'll have time to fix up on it. I do not possess any unrealistic belief of you being able to turn them around within 2 weeks, so focus on formations. I'll help where I can," Aaron told Catcher, who nodded.
"Beginning landing sequence," the main pilot said from the cockpit.
"We've been given the 36th barracks, and the training ground that comes with it. I'll run simulations and tactics with the naval crewmen for the rest of the day, so you've got 30 minutes to get every Stormtrooper off the ship. Understood?" Aaron asked, and Catcher nodded, saluting Aaron.
"Good. Dismissed," Aaron said, before turning to the rest of the crewmen, just in time for the ship to hit the ground.
"Alright, ladies! We'll be running simulations and practices for the rest of the day! You've got a 30-minute break, then I expect you all back at your stations. Understood?" Aaron shouted, and this time the entire room responded in unison:
"YES, SIR!"
"Good, very good," Aaron said, before promptly turning around, placing his hands on his back, and beginning to walk out of the room.
This ship consists of 10 pilots, 20 bridge crew, 50 technicians, and 25 auxiliary personnel. Auxiliary includes positions such as cleaners, flight marshals, armory personnel, and medical personnel, Aaron thought as he walked down the corridors of The Hound. He then brought up his DataPad, which showed the names and affiliations of his crewmen.
The bridge is led by Chief Petty Officer Luca Vene, the technicians are led by Head Engineer Gavin Aloor, and the auxiliary aren't specifically led by anyone, but the different teams have different heads.
-----------------
A new story as I've said, the goal is 6-7 chapters every week. And I gratefully appreciate any support, just joining the patreon as a free member means a lot to me. Give me any suggestions or if I forget to add a picture or any of the sorts, just let me know and I'll fix it.
patreon.com/pondsfyre - 20 advance chapters, alongside access to 4 other books I've done in the past.