Arduous Journey

[Lester Tourville]

A multitude of explosions erupted across the Fearless bow as a Yuuzhan Vong Destroyer analog rumbled into view. The great yorik coral vessel shuddered again as it ejected plasma, sending it screaming across space to impact the Star Destroyer’s shields.

“Damage?” Admiral Lester Tourville asked, standing aboard his ship’s bridge.

The lieutenant responded immediately, shaking off the state of complacency that had been present only minutes ago. “Minimal, sir. The port shields are holding.”

“Good,” Tourville replied, walking over to a nearby sensor screen. The icon representing Tourville’s own ship was solitary and, unfortunately, the Yuuzhan Vong Destroyer was not. The ship was surrounded with a trio of frigates, each disgorging coral skippers at the newly released Fearless.

The Fearless was fresh out of refit following it’s arduous battles in the Kashyyyk system and Lester had requested time to put the ship through its paces at the border that the Empire shared with the Chiss Ascendancy. Neither territory was deeply embroiled in the galactic conflict and, at least as far as the Empire was concerned, that had resulted in a vast complacency amongst the leadership as well as the military. Tourville hated to be held back from assisting the New Republic in its fight but there was little he could do except to ensure that his ship continued to fight at its full capability.

“Launch our screen but keep them close,” Tourville commanded. “I don’t expect this to be a long fight.”

The crew rushed to their task, likely mistaking the Admiral’s last comment for confidence and bravado. In truth, Tourville simply had no plans to hold this position. The Fearless was currently trapped in this system by a gas giant and a forward push would only get his ship pounded.

“Admiral!” The sensor officer called out once more. “Three contacts have just dropped out of hyperspace. They appear to be Chiss battle cruisers!”

This changed things, Touville knew. The Chiss Ascendancy had been a steady ally of the Empire for the past few years and, although they had adopted a “wait and see” attitude regarding the Vong, he knew that they would not be conquered easily. The Chiss battle cruiser was an interesting specimen of a vessel as well. The ship was approximately half the length of the Fearless and had a relatively weak hull but it packed almost eighty percent of the Star Destroyer’s firepower. These were ships that were designed from the ground up to take on smaller support vessels with ease, using overwhelming firepower in place of endurance.

“Sir,” the communications officer called out. “Commander Sharn of the lead Chiss battle cruiser wishes to speak with you.”

Tourville nodded, eager to thank the Commander for their help. A female Chiss with a clearly defined face appeared on Tourville’s viewscreen. “Commander-“
“Admiral Tourville,” the Chiss interrupted. “I would like to combine our forces in order to best defeat the enemy.”

Tourville made a mental note to save his complaint on Chiss social interactions for later. “Alright Commander. As I hold the higher rank, I will take command of our joint squadron.” It was a calculated risk, assuming command but Tourville hoped that the Chiss would act according to the strictest of procedures.

“Understood Admiral. Where would you like my ships?”

Admiral Tourville took a moment to reassess the situation. The Yuuzhan Vong destroyer was slightly more powerful when compared to the Fearless while the three frigates were only slightly less deadly than the Chiss battle cruisers.

“Commander,” Tourville spoke up finally. “Set course for the same side of the enemy flotilla as the Fearless. Make your way so that it seems you will interpose your ships between the Fearless and the enemy Destroyer. At the last possible moment, you will divert your ships for the opposite side of the flotilla and open fire as you pass.”

Sharn nodded. “Yes, Admiral.”

It was simply an endurance game now. The Fearless was already in position, her port side facing the Yuuzhan Vong formation to provide the maximum amount of firepower. Lasers and plasma filled the space between the ships; fighters pestered each other, losing their lives more often to the capital ships than to their relative opponents. Dovin basals swallowed whole salvos of energy yet plenty snaked through, casting plumes of yorik coral into space. Plasma skittered across energy shields, causing sparks to erupt within the Star Destroyer as capacitors winked in and out of operation.

Tourville watched with a grimace as a shield generator sputtered, letting a volley of plasma inside to strike the hull. Fire erupted as the hull was penetrated; equipment, atmosphere and bodies were vented into space as repair crews rushed to seal the breach. Jagged superstructure jetted from the hole, twisted and heated by the blast.

The clock timing the Chiss maneuver counted down slowly, and Tourville felt a bead of sweat collect on his forehead. The Fearless was taking the full brunt of the Vong’s fury and if they weren’t distracted soon, she would be nothing more than an empty hulk.

One of the Yuuzhan Vong frigates finally noted the approach of the battle cruisers and moved into position so that when the Chiss interposed themselves between the Destroyer and the Fearless, they would still have a clear shot.

Without warning, the Chiss maneuvering thrusters flared, sending the trio of ships skittering to the back side of the Vong formation. Tourville watched in satisfaction as the ship’s opened fire on the Vong’s undefended flank, raking their hulls with blue laser fire.
The frigate which had maneuvered to the bottom of the formation suddenly cracked in two as the Chiss ripped into it. Explosions lit the back of the Destroyer and, twenty seconds after they had disappeared behind the formation, the Chiss roared back out on the other side, aligning so as to regroup with the Fearless.

One of the Chiss battle cruisers had taken substantial hull damage and was limping badly but the other two seemed to be in perfect condition.

“Commander Sharn,” Tourville demanded. “Report.”

“Admiral. One Yuuzhan Vong frigate has been destroyed and another has taken significant damage. The Destroyer has taken heavy damage as well and we’re detecting a significant loss in their ability to shield and maneuver themselves.”

Tourville received a confirming nod from one of his analysts then responded. “Excellent work Commander. I see the Chiss reputation is well deserved. All ships, commence fire upon the Destroyer.”

Energy once more rained upon the Yuuzhan Vong formation but the return fire was significantly diminished. Tourville could feel the spirit of the crew begin to soar at the site of the burning Destroyer, even though the Fearless herself was hardly unscathed.

Finally, the remains of the Yuuzhan Vong formation twisted and set a course for the edge of the system.

“Can we pursue?” Tourville asked.

Commander Sharn answered the question. “Admiral, two of my battle cruisers can give chase but my third ship will be unable to keep pace.”

Tourville nodded. “Commander, the Fearless also lacks the capacity for any sort of chase at this time. Better to conserve our ships than throw them away in a useless battle.”

“Agreed-wait, Admiral Tourville. The Vong formation has just leapt into hyperspace. They appear to be skirting the boundary of the Chiss Ascendancy and the Empire. But they are not heading back to any known Yuuzhan Vong fleet bases.”

Tourville considered the information and nodded. “Commander, begin repairs on your ships and I will do the same. Once we are as fit as can be, we’ll give chase to this fleet.” Tourville gave a grin that promised only determination. “The Vong have yet to learn what the Chiss and Empire can do when provoked.”

[Lester Tourville]

Repairs aboard the Star Destroyer and battle cruisers proceeded quickly, much to Sharn and Tourville's delight. The third Chiss cruiser was going to have to limp back to the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet's nearest outpost due to the immense structural damage. One of the reactors had been breached and had been begun leaking radiation and if not for the brave actions of one of the engineers, the ship would have imploded.The other three ships would soon be back in the fight, even if they weren't at their maxiumum efficiency.

"Sir," the current communications officer gestured for Tourville's attention. "Commander Sharn wishes to speak with you. She says its urgent."

Tourville nodded. "Put her on."

"Admiral," Sharn said quickly. "We've just recieved word that the Vong have appeared at the edge of a small Imperial colony."

Tourville nodded, lips pursed. Obviously the Vong weren't finished but of more interest was how the Chiss already knew of this. Apparently the Empire would need to reassess the Chiss' ability. "Understood Commander. Thank you for notifying me."

"Of course Admiral. Shall I send you the coordinates?"

"Please. Ready your ship's for hyperspace Commander. Set a course for the colony."

"At once."

The two Chiss Battle Cruisers, Sarvchi and Crustai as Tourville had learned they were named, took positions alongside the Fearless in preparation for the leap to hyperspace. Finally, with all possible repairs completed, the ships elongated and slipped into hyperspace, enroute to what was surely an embattled colony.

[Lester Tourville]

The colony was doused in fire, at least, what was left of it. The rest of the colony had already been burnt to cinders, the ashes of its buildings, foodstuffs, supplies, and people scattered across the continent. The Yuuzhan Vong hadn't even touched down upon the planet’s surface, instead, choosing to simply rain plasma from the skies. Two thousand lives extinguished in the blink of an eye.

Silence reigned aboard the Fearless as the crew covered their mouths in horror at the sight below them. Tourville’s hand stroked his moustache; his eyes holding the pain, anger and even guilt that his crew now felt.

The Vong fleet they had been ambushed by had clearly been a scouting party of some sort, not a fleet of conquest. If not for the actions of Tourville and Sharn, perhaps the Vong would have simply turned around and gone home, leaving any colonies unharmed. Instead….Instead they had done the deed; the Vong had fled, choosing to do more damage before their lives were snuffed out. They wanted to go out in a blaze of glory and their gods demanded a sacrifice paid in blood.

That, Tourville decided, was what he gazed at on the surface below him. This hadn’t been an accident, or an attack; it was a sacrifice to the bloodthirsty beings that the Yuuzhan Vong called gods.

“Commander Sharn.” Tourville’s voice ran out over the silence on the bridge. “Do we know the Vong’s destination?”

The Chiss commander responded quickly, her typical arrogance smothered by a sense of solidarity. “My other battle crusier did, yes. They are heading to an uninhabited system at the edge of the Ascendancy. My surveys indicate that there is no sentient life in the system.”

“Is there anything else that might account for the Vong’s interest?”

“The system is noted for containing an asteroid belt that is rich in raw ores.” Sharn reported.

Tourville nodded, the final piece of the puzzle coming clear. “They’ve headed to this system to feed their ships Commander. They wish to destroy us at any cost but to do so, their ships need to be fed, so that they may heal. Yes,” he mused. “The final battle is yet upon us.”

“Foraker,” Tourville continued as he turned to his second in command. Her right arm was immobilized in a sling after she had broken it while serving on the auxiliary bridge in previous engagement. “Sent a message to the nearest fleet outpost and inform them of the situation. Have them send rescue crews immediately.”

“Sir,” Shannon replied. “We won’t be conducting any search-and-rescues on our own?”

“No. These Vong need to be hunted down now.” Tourville’s eyes turned to stone. “No other planets will fall at this’ Vong’s hands.”

“Yes, sir.” Foraker paused to consider her next words. “Might we leave a shuttle of supplies and rescue personnel until the nearest outpost can get here?”

Tourville closed his eyes, willing his anger to dissipate. When he opened his eyes once more, his anger was once more under control, his logic and determination to see things through back on top. “Of course Shannon. Please see to it. But we must see to the destruction of this fleet.”

“Commander Foraker, Sharn,” he said at last. “Once the rescue parties have been dispatched, we’ll be leaving for the Vong. When we emerge from hyperspace, make sure your ships are ready for a fight.”

[Lester Tourville]

An Imperial Star Destroyer flanked by two Chiss battle cruisers decanted from hyperspace, sending a wave of Cronau radiation expanding through the star system. Within in seconds, the ship's shields activated, erecting the protective barriers around the ship that were crucial to any space conflict. Moments later, weapons, engines and sensors came online.

"Sensors?" Admiral Tourville asked.

The rating looked up. "Two frigates and a destroyer are maintaining orbit around an ice planet insystem. The system's asteroid belt is located just outside the planet's orbit."

Tourville nodded, taking the information in and adding it to his mental picture of the battle. "Very good. Move us in-system at half-speed. Keep our ships in such a position that any advance by the Vong will be met by overlapping firepower. Launch one TIE Fighter squadron and direct Commander Sharn to do the same."

"Yes, sir," Foraker replied, appearing at Tourville's side. "How long do you think the Vong will wait?"

"Sir!" The sensor officer spoke up once more. "The Yuuzhan Vong are heading toward us. They're passing through the asteroid's now."

Tourville grinned. "I guess we know our answer. Tell all stations to prepare to enter combat. This is not a drill."

[Lester Tourville]

For the second time in the last week, Admiral Lester Tourville watched Yuuzhan Vong, Imperial and Chiss capital ships unleash the full power of their weaponry upon each other. Coralskipper chased TIE Fighters and Chiss Clawcraft killed coralskippers. But even the brief explosions of fighter craft were dwarfed by the flair of turbolasers and plasma crossing the rapidly closing difference between the two fleets. Plasma splashed across shields, creating a variety of flashes and sparks while turbolasers could only look forward to the blackness that dovin basals created.

Another burst of plasma flashed across the forward shields and Admiral Tourville blinked the brigh light away from his eyes. For the moment, the battle was procceeding at a fairly standard clip. The two fleets were exhanging heavy blows and, if they continued at this pace, they would annihlate each other, leaving few if no surviving members.

Fortunately, at least for the Chiss and the Imperial fleet, Admiral Tourville had no intention of letting such a thing happen.

"Alter our course by five degrees starboard," Tourville called out. Once we're past the Yuuzhan Vong ships, reduce our speed to a standstill and present our broadside to the enemy."

Shannon Foraker, standing at his side, nodded her understanding and quickly went set about ordering the ship. She was as much the captain of the Fearless as Tourville was, filling in the gaps he simply couldn't as the head of the fleet.

A crooked smile crept onto Tourville's face at the thought. Foraker would make a good Admiral one day, with enough experience under her belt.

Less than thirty seconds later, the two fleets came abreast of each other and, even with the extended range, both fleets were pounded. One of the Chiss battle cruisers took a hit amid ship, the plasma blasting through the shields to splash against the hull. The ship listed but the Chiss damage crews managed to seal off the damage quickly and the cruiser rejoined the formation. The Yuuzhan Vong flagship, for all it's shielding ability, took a battering itself, losing a chunk of hull to float in space behind the formation.

The two fleets held range on each other for only a minute before they had passed, leaving relatively few guns to bear on the other. Under the lead of Tourville's Fearless, the fleet moved through the asteroid field, slowing to a stop on the other side. All three ships had taken micro-damage from asteroids but they were far from out of the fight.

And, much to Tourville's glee, the Yuuzhan Vong were already making their own to turn to head back through the asteroid field to attack.

"All tractor beams," Tourville called out as soon as he judged the enemy fleet to be past the point of no return. "Activate all emitters and grab the biggest chunck of rock you can find. Interpose the rocks between ourselves and the Vong!"

Fearless reactor hummed at the increased power demands but within moments, over a dozen tractor beams emerged, each latching onto the largest asteroid chunks they could find. Slowly but surely, the asteroids were nudged into position, forming a solid wall of iron, nickel and other ores in-between the Imperial Fleet and the Yuuzhan Vong.

The Yuuzhan Vong, to their credit, realized the trap that Tourville had set in front of them and their dovin basal's strained to pull the fleet over the blockade.

It almost worked.

The Vong were about to crest the asteroid wall when they impacted the first asteroid. Rocks and yorik coral spewed outward from the point of impact and even before it cleared, Tourville was already shouting his next command.

"All batteries, open fire at the point of impact. Don't worry about individual targets, blanket the area in fire." Admiral Lester Tourville grinned savagely as the wall of asteroids and Yuuzhan Vong ships erupted in explosions.

[Lester Tourville]

Three Yuuzhan Vong ships-one the size of an Imperial Star Destroyer-charged into the asteroid field and the trap that Admiral Tourville had laid for them. From that trap emerged a battered and dying frigate, a listing and scarred Destroyer and the dying hulk of the final frigate.

The Yuuzhan Vong commander, seemingly ignoring the fact that his ships were hardly in a condition to fight, ordered his ships to open fire and plasma once more crashed against the Fearless shield.

"New orders?" Shannon asked.

Tourville shook his head. "Not for now. We've got the edge in firepower and it's not worthwhile to risk that advantage."

Shannon nodded. "Understood. I'll pass the order along to the Chiss as well."

"Very good Shannon, well done."

---

The battle took no more than five minutes to reach a conclusion as the final Yuuzhan Vong ship developed a fissure along her center line. A final barrage from one of the Chiss battlecruisers separated the two halves of the ship and within the hour, Commander Sharn of the Chiss found her way aboard the Fearless.

"Admiral Tourville," The Chiss said as she entered the briefing room. "I must say, your strategy performed beautifully."

Tourville gave a small smile and nodded. "That it did Commander. And you have my sympathies for your lost battle cruiser."

"Part of the job Admiral. And I believe it's time that my ships take our leave."

Tourville nodded. "Of course. Thank you for lending your assistance."

Sharn smiled and shook Tourville's outstretched hand. "Of course. It's been a pleasure working for you."


The Chiss left the briefing room and Commander Foraker entered. "Where shall we set course Admiral?"

"Takes us towards the edge of the system. Establish a comm to Bastion and put me through to Admiral Pellaeon. We need to have a chat."

[Lester Tourville]

"Admiral Tourville," Pellaeon said with a smile. "Lester, I'm glad to hear from you."

Tourville smiled and nodded. "It's good to talk to you too, sir. May I bring you up to speed?" Pellaeon nodded. "During the Fearless' shake-down cruise, we were intercepted by a small Yuuzhan Vong scounting force on the edge of Chiss space. We traded a few blows before the timely arrival of three Chiss battle cruisers arrived."

"CEDF?" Pellaeon asked.

Tourville nodded. "Yes, sir. A Commander Sharn. The Yuuzhan Vong, after taking mild losses, jumped into hyperspace. We effected repairs, then followed, eventually finding a small Imperial colony. Supreme Commander...the Vong wiped it out."

Pellaeon frowned and shook his head in disgust. "I had recieved reports on the colony's destruction, and your call for assistance. I wish we could have done more."

Tourville grimaced. "Indeed. With the Chiss, we pursued the Vong task force, eventually destroying it."

"Good work, Lester. I'll have the diplomatic corp contact the Chiss immediately, see what we can do. I assume the Fearless will need yard time again?"

Tourville nodded. "Yes, sir. Might I also ask what the Moff's reaction will be?"

It was Pellaeon's turn to grimace. "About what you're afraid of I'm sure. They'll argue that the colony was hardly worth fighting over and that you'll have already sent the vong the proper message. You've done all you could Admiral, come on home."

"Yes, sir."