Destination Unknown

Member fiction submitted by COL TheBlackxRanger on 2023-09-25.

Description/Remarks: A story about the EHTC finding the navigators as part of the prompt for raise the flag 2023, bonus #2

Submitted for Competition: RtF 2023 - Fiction Bonus - Round Two

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[Insert Star Wars Crawl Music]

The EMPEROR'S HAMMER entered a dangerous part of the galaxy. Containing supernovae, black holes, gravity wells, and other stranger phenomena, this area is known by no other name than the Chaos. With the urgent need of finding THE NAVIGATORS, a group of Pathfinders who have an intuitive ability to plot jumps through the area. A squadron of fighters is deployed from the Imperial Star Destroyer II Hammer, a large triangular shaped behemoth fleet carrier followed by their fleet. One of the many elite squadrons of the Emperor's Hammer TIE Corps, LAMBDA SQUADRON launches from the hangar of the Hammer in search of the navigators.

A dozen dark gray H-shaped TIE Fighters descend from the Hammer's hangar in a tight formation. They head towards a nearby, seemingly deserted, outpost in the region.

The first flight of Lambda Squadron is led by their Squadron Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Gytheran, a Jawa, with his members of flight group 1 in tow. He is supported by his wing mates, LCM Swainteth Lortan, a slender muscular Hutt, LC Solohan, a small furry Ewok, and CM Calvin Phrick, small blue skinned Pantoran. Gytheran reaches for his communications link and announces to his squadron.

"Alright boys, we're here to continue the search for the navigators. We have some downtime while the ship's hyperspace calculations can be completed, it will take some time as there are multiple hazards in the area. The rest of the Hammer's squadrons are investigating the other quadrants of this system so we'll be covering this sector.

"There seems to be a lot of debris here." Solohan50 points out.

"Yeah there's a lot of asteroids too, watch yourself." warned Calvin Phrick.

"Better warn the other flights, Commander" advised Swainteth Lortan.

"Flight group 1 to flight groups 2 and 3, Commander Gytheran here, be on lookout for debris in this area. There must have been some recent activity here, head down to the wreckage area and scan it."

The squadron heads down to a large debris field of transport and freighter ships, twisted metal is scattered with a few ships intact. The fighters scan the debris for any clues as to what has happened here.

"Sir, MAJ TheBlackxRanger here. The scans are complete and the transponders belonging to the freighters seem to have unidentified code, there's no name, no registered owner at all!" the tan zabrak shouted out.

"Inconceivable! Every ship must be registered." DemWookieeCheeks grunted as he crossed his large furry wookiee arms.

"Easy now, it's not that bad. Look, there's a station beyond the debris field. But uh, I'm not sure if we want to head in that direction. My sensors are showing a strong gravitational field in sector 234." said Swainteth.

"Alright, let's be careful then. All fighters, head towards the station." ordered Gytheran.

The fighters pass the debris field and onwards towards the station. Landing pads line the station on the perimeter with enough space for not more than half a dozen freighters. A few transports are docked on the station with their engines running.

"Commander, there's ships on that station and it looks like they don't plan on sticking around." said Solohan50.

"Right, we better get an ID on them, maybe they'll lead us to the navigators. "said Gytheran.

"Wait, what if they are the navigators!" exclaimed TheBlackxRanger.

Lambda Squadron's fighters approach the transports at full throttle, closing the distance between ships. As the TIE Fighters enter the station's orbit, Gytheran attempts to communicate with the transports.

"This is Commander Gytheran of the Emperor's Hammer. You must submit to ship inspection, identify yourselves or we will open fire."

"..."

"Last warning"

".."

"Blast it"

Gytheran begins unleashing a hailstorm of green lasers from his TIE Fighter. Shooting at the transport's hyperdrives and destroying them. A large explosion erupts from the rear of the transport, damaging the nearby transport's engines in a fiery inferno.

"Okay okay we surrender, we are fleeing this area. Please don't shoot us!!" replied a frail sounding old man.

"Nonsense, how can you traverse this area? Even our own computers cannot calculate the jumps for safe passage. What technology do you possess that would allow you to journey from here?"

"For eons our race has traveled between galaxies, reaching deep into the force and allowing it to guide us. We listen to the sounds of space and it calls out to us. We are the navigators."

"You're telling me what? Just believe in a feeling? That doesn't sound safe to me, one wrong calculation and you can find yourselves inside a star or through a supernova. Oh well, either way Colonel Genie will be pleased with our discovery. Prepare for boarding."

Lambda Squadron disables the transports and board each one, restraining the navigators and taking them captive. Gytheran calls out to Genie via his communicator to report in.

"Colonel Genie, sir. Commander Gytheran reporting in. We have located the navigators aboard transports in a nearby station within the system. Requesting shuttles to transport prisoners."

"Great work! I will be sure to put a good word in to High Admiral Plif for your squadron effort. Now we will be able to traverse this area with ease, the navigators will be our guide through this forsaken place."

Genie calls out and dispatches a Lambda Shuttle to the area, meanwhile he calls back the other squadrons to return as the shuttle completes its docking of the transport and loading of prisoners.

"Squadrons, we will need a full escort for a group of transports, ensure nothing happens to them. We do not know if they have called for reinforcements yet." advised Genie

After much time has passed the transports enter the Hammer's hangar and the prisoners are unloaded and escorted to the bridge. Genie throws one of the navigators to the floor in front of Plif and chains him to the floor.

"Admiral, this being claims they are the navigators and are able to escape this area." said Genie.

"Is that so? Wonderful." Plif says as he kneels down to the navigator. "Now tell me, how do we get out of here?"

The scared looking Navigator lifts his head and looks up at Plif. "North…West…Twenty..Four…Sixty.." gasped the Navigator."

"What's that? I don't understand what you're mumbling. Northwest Twenty-Four-Sixty?"

"Sir, I've plugged in those coordinates into the hyperdrive system, it seems that is a valid path that we can take." responded an officer.

"How curious. Please proceed, prepare for hyperspace." ordered Plif.

The fleet of Star Destroyers begin charging their hyperdrives and their engines emit a bright blue glow. Within an instant, the ships disappear as they travel at light speed towards their destination. The ships travel through hyperspace, not knowing where they will end up.