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Location: Bridge of the ISD Devastator.
Darth Evill stood beside Crafft, both of them watched the Jedi Frigate grow on the main monitor as the Imperial fleet dropped out of hyper-space practically on top of the small band of Jedi.
Crafft smiled, "Good... it looks like most of them are here in orbit, we shall crush them with one swift blow!" Crafft turned to one of the officers manning a tactical station. "Scan the planet surface at the coordinates provided by the probe droids. Is there anyone left down there?"
The tactical officer worked his controls. "Yes sir, I am reading multiple life forms in and around the region of the temple."
Crafft stroked his chin. "That's fine as well. Gunners! Begin an orbital bombardment of their facility as soon as you acquire target lock!"
Evill finally spoke, "I'm going down there. I believe Eth is there, and perhaps his former student Gib Slater. I will confront him. Prepare me a shuttle!"
Crafft despised the dark robed man and did not like taking orders from him of any kind. He would never have even considered pulling him off that desolate rock of a prison planet if he didn't need his mystical abilities to deal with these Jedi. "You may take a shuttle Evill, but I will not delay my bombardment of the facility. If you wish to put yourself in the middle of it, that's your choice."
Evill was already headed towards the elevator lift at the back of the bridge. "Your weapons will not stand in my way."
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Klin Ven Twel switched off the communications panel on the bridge of the Enduring Freedom. "Dar and Crazed Canuck have volunteered for the diversionary mission Gib, they are headed to the hangar bay now."
Gib surveyed the mixture of droids, Jedi and Padawan that made up the bridge crew of the Enduring Freedom. He wondered if they could even maneuver the enormous Nebulon B Frigate fast enough to make an escape before the Imperial fleet could cut them to shreds.
He knew their only hope was if the small handful of fighters the were deploying could stave off any torpedo attack that would certainly come long enough for them to make the jump to light speed and head towards their remote hidden facilities.
He was shaken from his reverie by the comm panel chirping for attention.
Klin flipped the switch again. "Bridge, Klin here."
A staticy voice came over the speaker, "Bridge, this is ObiWan, is Gib up there?"
Gib stepped closer to the comm panel. "I'm here Obi, what's up?"
"Gib, I just thought you should know that Eth is down here in the hangar. He's prepping his X-Wing. He won't say a word to me or anyone else on the flight deck. I think he's planning on launching against the Imperials."
Gib closed his eyes and tried to collect his thoughts. "Thank you Obi, proceed." Gib looked at Klin, "It seems we have our third volunteer."
Gib closed his eyes again and reached out through the Force to try to touch Eth's living being within the Force, to try to feel what he was feeling. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know.
He remembered what Eth had told him only a short while ago in his quarters. That soon he would be subjected to terrible feelings, memories, and might even be tempted by the Dark side again.
Eth had told him that if he felt it was necessary that he should relieve him immediately or even worse, destroy him.
Gib wasn't sure if he could bring himself to do that. He hoped that things wouldn't get bad enough where he would be faced with that decision.
Gib detected Eth's living Force and touched upon it. Gib nearly jerked back when he first felt the rush of torn and battered emotions flowing through his friend. He sensed a grim determination and a returning hatred. But what bothered Gib the most was sensing that Eth was most fearing the loss of someone he cared greatly about.
The comm panel beeped to life again, it was Dar Kre Twel calling from the hangar bay. "Hey Gib, it seems that my navi-computer is up to its little ways again, I won't be able to calculate coordinates for the jump to hyper space." Gib let out a sigh. He knew Dar really wanted to do his part to help out the NJX during this crisis. "Leave it in the hangar and man a gun turret. Provide cover fire for the fighters until the Frigate jumps to hyperspace."
"Yes sir." Dar Replied
Obi then came on the comm panel again. "Gib, RedIce reports that he can take an X-Wing and go in Dar's place. Shall I give him the green light?"
"Affirmative Obi, have RedIce suit up and go, but hurry, tactical reports that they're launching bombers and fighters now."
"Aye sir." Obiwan replied. The comm panel winked out again.
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On the Enduring Freedom's hangar deck Dar Kre Twel approached RedIce while he was suiting back up to join Eth and Crazed Canuck on the near suicide mission. "Hey Ice, that's two missions you've swiped from me now!" Dar said with a grin.
Obsidian "RedIce" Lore snapped his helmet into place and put one hand on the ladder to the cockpit of the X-Wing. "Yeah Dar, I enjoy risking my neck twice in one day just to irritate you!" He said with a smile and slapped Dar on the back of his shoulder. RedIce climbed the ladder and settled into the cockpit.
Dar looked up at his friend, and former student, "You be careful out there."
RedIce looked down at Dar as the canopy of the fighter craft was closing. "I'll bag a couple Ties for ya!" And the cockpit canopy sealed shut with a hiss.
Dar stepped away from the predatory ship and began to run for one of the Frigate's Turbolaser control rooms.
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On the bridge of the Enduring Freedom, Klin and Gib were going over the tactical display and the navi-computer when Hatchet strode onto the bridge. "Gib, I retrieved the Holocron and picked up the last couple members from the Temple. Yan and ObiWan had left well ahead of me."
"Good Hatchet, thank you." Gib replied. Obiwan was down on the hangar deck preping the fighters, "I believe Yan went to man a gun station. Is everyone else is safely aboard?" He asked.
"Yes, all members accounted for." Hatchet replied.
Gib grabbed a hand held comm link and opened a channel to the fighters preparing for lift off. "Greetings pilots. We are scrambling you and your fighters as a diversionary tactic to buy us enough time to jump to hyperspace. We are being attacked by an Imperial fleet made up of three Imperial Class Star Destroyers, a Modified Frigate and dozens of fighters including bombers. Your primary targets are the bombers, however the fighters and interceptors will reach you first. Tactical suggests you stay near the Enduring Freedom for support from her guns and only stray out to intercept the bombers when they arrive. The Enduring Freedom needs Six minutes to calculate the coordinates for hyperspace. You must hold off the attack for that length of time. After six minutes the Enduring Freedom will have jumped into hyperspace. You should immediately disengage after that and rendezvous with us at our hidden facility."
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