> Disclaimer: Star Wars and all of it's Intellectual Properties is owned by George Lucas and Walt Disney, This fictional work and all of it's original characters are however mine.
----------------------------------------
The Stellar Envoy shuddered as it maneuvered through the chaos of the debris field, Tarek’s steady hands guiding the ship through narrow gaps and erratic swirls of metal and stone. In the cockpit, Nick-03’s optics pulsed brightly as it processed the latest readings, its synthetic voice cutting through the tense atmosphere.
“Alert: Significant energy build-up detected from the station. Explosion imminent within 48 seconds. Debris velocity will increase exponentially upon detonation. Recommend extreme evasive maneuvers.”
Tarek’s calm demeanor wavered slightly, but his tone remained steady. “Thanks for the heads-up, Nick-03. Let’s keep us alive, shall we?” His fingers danced over the controls, tilting the ship’s angle to avoid a spinning panel from a shattered bulkhead.
Nick-03 chimed again, almost as if it were anxious. “Calculations indicate the explosion’s shockwave will further destabilize nearby wreckage. Debris field will become significantly more hazardous.”
Kado, seated at the support console, slammed a fist on the comm panel. His voice boomed through the ship’s internal speakers. “Davik, Arlos! It’s about to get bumpy. Strap in! You won’t be able to shoot down debris fast enough to make a difference.”
Davik’s reply was immediate, and though his voice was gruff, there was a note of reluctant acceptance. “Understood. Weapons are offline. I’m strapped in and ready for the rodeo.”
Arlos’s voice came a second later, laced with an edge of nervous energy. “Acknowledged, sir. Topside turret’s locked. Let’s hope sir Tarek knows what he’s doing up there!”
Back in the common area, the rest of the crew sat with white knuckles gripping their harnesses. Anakin clung to his mother as Shmi whispered calming reassurances, though her face betrayed her own rising anxiety. Rina, seated next to them, was silent for once, her hand instinctively brushing over her satchel as though confirming the key’s safety.
Jake, in his seat nearby, tried to project confidence despite the twisting knot in his stomach. “No one panic,” he said, though his voice cracked just slightly. “Tarek’s got this. Probably.” He glanced at Rina. “Right?”
Rina didn’t answer, her eyes fixed ahead, but her grip on the armrest tightened.
Mira, now at the cockpit door, braced herself against the frame. “Tarek, we’re running out of time! Just get us clear!”
Tarek nodded sharply but didn’t turn from the controls. “That’s the plan, Mira. Nick, plot me the clearest path out of here.”
“Path plotted,” Nick-03 replied efficiently. “Adjust heading by twelve degrees. Maintain current velocity.”
Tarek followed the instructions, the ship banking hard to avoid another large fragment spinning dangerously close. Behind him, Mira and Kado exchanged tense glances.
The seconds ticked down.
Then came the explosion.
The distant station erupted in a fiery bloom of energy, the shockwave ripping through the field with catastrophic force. Debris already adrift in space accelerated into chaotic, deadly patterns. The Stellar Envoy was rocked violently, shields flaring as small fragments pinged off its hull. The crew’s safety harnesses held firm as the ship swerved sharply to avoid a massive section of twisted metal hurtling toward them.
“Shields down to sixty percent!” Nick-03 reported, its tone unusually urgent. “Recommend immediate avoidance of sector C-12. Collision probability ninety-four percent.”
Tarek didn’t waste time responding. He pulled the ship into a sharp dive, the engines straining under the sudden maneuver. In the cargo bay, Skew-02 secured in its clamp, emitted a low, disapproving hum at the turbulence.
“Hang on!” Tarek called through the comms, his usually composed voice rising above the din.
In the common area, Rina gritted her teeth as the ship shook violently, glancing toward Jake. “Still think Gardulla’s little treasure hunt was a good idea?”
“Ask me again when we’re not about to be crushed into space dust!” he answered, gripping his seat to avoid getting thrown about..
The Stellar Envoy pressed on, weaving through the chaos. Tarek’s precise piloting and Nick-03’s rapid calculations kept the ship just ahead of the deadly wave of debris. As the glow of the explosion began to fade behind them, the worst of the immediate danger seemed to pass.
“Status report!” Tarek barked, his focus still on the controls.
Nick-03’s voice came quickly. “Shields at forty-five percent. Hull integrity stable. Distance from debris field increasing. No immediate threats detected.”
A collective sigh of relief rippled through the crew, though no one dared to fully relax just yet. The Stellar Envoy had escaped the destruction, but their journey to Malachor V was far from over.
----------------------------------------
The Stellar Envoy emerged from the chaos of the debris field, only for the ship’s scanners to confirm what Nick-03 had detected earlier: multiple ships engaged in a chaotic battle. The crew got their first glimpse through the cockpit viewport—a scene of pandemonium. Smaller ships darted erratically, some clearly damaged, attempting to evade relentless turbo laser fire from an organized formation of larger vessels.
Kado leaned toward Tarek, his tone conversational despite the tension in the air. “Think those are the pirates we heard about? Or maybe Gardulla’s mercenaries? Could even be the same lot.”
Tarek gave a dry chuckle, keeping his focus on the controls. “Let’s hope they’re too busy shooting each other to notice us.”
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Nick-03, ever vigilant, cut in. “Observation: Several smaller vessels have broken from the conflict and are on collision courses with no regard for standard flight patterns. Probability of unintentional impact: high.”
Tarek sighed. “So much for staying unnoticed.” He keyed the ship-wide comms. “Attention, everyone: the ride isn’t over. We’ve got stray ships ahead, and they’re moving like mynocks on spice. Strap in tighter if you value breathing.”
Before he could finish, the Stellar Envoy shuddered violently as Tarek pulled into a hard roll to avoid a spinning freighter missing a large chunk of its hull. A ripple of gasps and startled cries echoed through the ship, punctuated by the warning chirps of proximity alarms.
It got worse.
The organized ships shifted their fire, a deadly salvo of green turbo laser blasts suddenly streaking toward the Stellar Envoy.
“We’ve been spotted!” Kado shouted into the comms.
Tarek muttered a curse under his breath and pushed the throttle to maximum. The ship’s engines roared, straining as the Stellar Envoy surged forward. The chaos outside became a blur of streaking debris, darting ships, and incoming laser fire.
“This is fine,” Tarek said through gritted teeth. “Just another relaxing day in the Outer Rim.”
Kado’s voice crackled over the comms again, this time more urgent. “Man the turrets! Someone, get on the—”
“Already firing!” Davik interrupted, his voice calm but edged with focus as he fired back from the underside turret. “And stop yelling, Kado. You’re making me panic, and it’s contagious.”
The uncharacteristic humor in his tone caught everyone by surprise, and despite the tension, a ripple of laughter escaped the crew. Even Tarek cracked a grin.
“Focus!” Mira snapped from her station. “This is no time for banter.”
“Let them laugh,” Rina said from her seat in the common area, clutching her satchel protectively. “If we’re going down, at least we’ll do it smiling.”
In the cockpit, Tarek wove through the madness with increasing precision, his hands a blur over the controls. Nick-03 provided rapid-fire updates.
“Warning: Incoming fire on port side. Evasive action required.”
“Noted!” Tarek barked, banking hard to the right as a blast grazed the shields, sending sparks flying across the controls.
“Shields down to thirty-eight percent,” Nick-03 reported.
“Yeah, I noticed!”
The ship twisted and rolled through the chaos, narrowly avoiding another near-collision as a damaged fighter exploded in their path. Tarek pulled them into a steep dive to avoid the fiery debris, the crew holding on tightly to their restraints.
Back in the cargo bay, Skew-02’s clamp groaned under the strain as the droid emitted a long, low whistle of disapproval. Jake, gripping his harness, gave it a sideways glance. “Don’t blame me. Tarek's the one doing the piloting!.”
Arlos’s voice came over the comms from the topside turret. “Sir, ma’am—anyone—permission to say these fighters are too close for comfort?”
“No argument here!” Tarek shot back. “Keep them off us!”
Davik’s turret erupted with suppressive fire, the precise bursts forcing a pair of small, erratic ships to veer off course. “One of these jokers clips us, we’re toast!” Davik warned.
The organized ships pressed their attack, the turbo lasers carving fiery paths through the chaos. Tarek grimaced as another volley rocked the Stellar Envoy. “We need a plan. Fast.”
Kado’s voice came in again. “Forget the plan! We’re heading for the planet, right? Let’s use this chaos as cover and punch it planet-side!”
“Punching it sounds great!” Tarek snapped. “Just let me avoid dying on the way first!”
The Stellar Envoy angled toward the planet below, its battered shields holding just enough to deflect incoming fire. The crew braced for the final push, the promise of safety—or perhaps more danger—awaiting them on the surface of Malachor V.
----------------------------------------
The Stellar Envoy continued its frantic descent, dodging erratically flying ships and turbo laser fire from the organized fleet above. Tarek’s grip on the controls was firm, his focus absolute as he threaded the needle through what seemed like certain death.
“Captain,” Nick-03’s calm yet insistent voice broke through the tension, “scanners indicate an opportunity for planetary descent. Gap in turbo laser fire detected. Recommend immediate action.”
“Finally, some good news!” Tarek replied. He adjusted the ship’s trajectory, pushing the throttle forward as the Envoy dove toward the planet's atmosphere. “Let’s take it before they change their minds about missing us.”
Davik’s voice came over the comms, his usual dry tone carrying a hint of unease. “Heads up—we’re not the only ones making this run. Looks like some of these wrecks are caught by the planet’s gravity and heading planet-side with us.”
Jake, strapped in tightly in the common area, gave a wry laugh. “Gravity or not, there’s no way all of those are just debris. Some of those have to be ships trying the same trick we are.”
“That’s exactly what worries me,” Mira added sharply from her station in the cockpit. “If they’re ships, they could be just as desperate—and just as armed.”
Kado’s voice cut across the comms, authoritative but edged with tension. “Focus up, people. Once we hit atmosphere, we need a plan. Everyone on deck—find us a good hiding spot. We’ll worry about the rest after we’re out of this mess.”
Jake exchanged a look with Rina and Shmi, who nodded back. “We’re on it,” Jake said into the comms. The three began scanning for viable options using the ship’s systems.
A moment later, Jake’s voice came back. “Got something—a valley near some old wrecks. Looks like those have been here a long time. Pre-date whatever insanity is going on up there.”
Rina chimed in, adding to Jake’s assessment. “If we land there, we can blend in with the wreckage. Heat signatures won’t stand out as much.”
Shmi gave a quiet nod of agreement, her calm demeanor steadying Anakin, who clung to her arm.
“Good enough for me,” Tarek called back. “Sending coordinates to navigation. Everyone hold tight.”
The Stellar Envoy plunged through the planet’s atmosphere, the ship vibrating with the intensity of reentry. The shields flared as they strained to handle the heat and stress, but Tarek’s maneuvering kept them on course. Behind them, stray debris and ships entered the atmosphere as well, some breaking apart under the pressure while others descended in dangerous spirals.
Nick-03 provided updates in its usual measured tone. “Atmospheric entry successful. Shields at twenty-five percent. Course locked for designated valley.”
Tarek’s landing approach was careful but swift, his focus unyielding. The valley came into view, nestled amidst the husks of ancient wrecks. As they descended, the scale of the old battlefield became clear—ships scattered and rusting, many stripped bare by time and scavengers. These relics of a long-forgotten war made the ongoing battle in space feel eerily small in comparison.
With practiced precision, Tarek eased the Stellar Envoy into a concealed spot between two massive wrecks. The ship’s landing struts extended, touching down with only a faint groan of stressed metal.
Kado immediately spoke up once the ship had settled. “All non-essential systems off. I don’t want even a whisper of heat giving us away.”
“Understood,” Tarek replied, quickly powering down auxiliary systems. The interior lights dimmed as the crew worked to minimize the ship’s signature.
A tense silence settled over the ship as everyone waited, listening for any sign of approaching hostiles. Every minute felt like an eternity, but there was no sound save for the faint hum of the ship’s systems.
Finally, when it seemed their hiding spot had worked, the crew collectively exhaled, a wave of relief washing over them.
“Well,” Jake said, breaking the silence, “that was almost fun.”
Kado shot him a look but couldn’t suppress a smirk. “If that’s your idea of fun, I don’t want to know what you do for a good time.”
The moment of levity was brief. Mira leaned against a bulkhead, her gaze distant. “We might be safe for now, but if there are other ships down here, we’re not out of trouble yet.”
Rina, still clutching her satchel, nodded. “The key’s not going to unlock anything if we get found before we even start searching. We need to move carefully.”
Kado’s expression hardened. “Agreed. Let’s take stock of what we’ve got and figure out our next steps.”
The crew began their preparations, the weight of their mission settling over them once more. The valley might have hidden them for now, but on Malachor V, danger was never far away.
----------------------------------------
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
69 Chapters are available on my patreon
you can support me and become a patron
P A T R E O N . C O M / TofferPlays
(but only if you want to, okay?)
This fanfic is also on:
SpaceBattles
SufficientVelocity
RoyalRoad
ArchiveOfOurOwn