A New Republic battle fleet streaked through hyperspace. Vice Admiral Jesek Drayco stood hunched over tactical screen on the bridge of the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser Constellation. Around them squadrons of E-wing Star Fighters and A-wing Interceptors already deployed for battle. An Imperial Fleet had seized Allyuen, the site of a New Republic research installation, and captured the design team. "What is the ETA Ensign Strassen?" "1 minute until the fleet reaches Allyuen" replied the ensign. "Good". Drayco remembered the distress signal.

"We are under Imperial attack! Repeat we are under Imperial attack! They've broken through are shields…Major send squads Blue and Red to the hangar bay doors…there is a Imperial…in orbit"

And the transmission ended."Sir we are dropping out of hyperspace
in about ten seconds". Ensign Strassen broke his thought and Drayco replied, "Good. As soon as we drop out of hyperspace have A-wing squadrons, Black, and E-wing squadron Blue and Green form a defensive screen around the fleet and power-up the turbolasers". "Dropping out of hyperspace...now sir". The star lines streaked back into regular stars…and Drayco saw a sight he hoped he would never see… An Imperial Super-Star Destroyer. "Ensign order the gunships Hope and Redemption to flank the Medical Frigate Reprieve!" "Aye sir". "Commander, how many support vessels does that Destroyer have?" "Um, one Lancers, and two Carrack-Light Cruisers. It also has about 1 wing of TIE-Interceptors and 3 Squadrons of an unidentified class of TIE starfighters." "This is not good. Order the pocket carrier STG-44 to deploy its complement of space mines around the hangar of the Destroyer." The Pocket Carrier surged forward, laid 10 mines, and was rocked by a turbolaser blast. Another turbolaser blast hit it, and escape pods streamed away from it as it was vaporized from a reactor explosion. We haven't given them a single casualty and they've already destroyed a fighter carrier. Damn. A Carrack cruiser exchanged fire with an the Corellian Gunship Hope, and as the last turbolaser bout was exchanged, the Hope burst into flames and exploded. "Damn!" Admiral Drayco pounded his fist on the arm of his captains chair.  "This is turning into a slugging match and we're losing". A turbolaser blast rocked the Constellation. Drayso swore, and yelled "Re-route all power to the deflector shields!" In front of them a Nebulon-B Escort Frigate blew up in front of them under the onslaught of two Carrack cruisers. "What is the fighter casualties on their side and ours?" "They've lost two Interceptor squadrons, and one of the unknown type of fighter squadron. We've lost one E-wing squadron." "Ensign send two Bulk Transports, a Assault Frigate, and a pocket carrier to the other side of the planet and land six Army Regiments, and two Commando regiments." "As ordered." The two Bulk Transports and the Assault Frigate surged away, but the pocket carrier seemed anchored to its place. "Lieutenant, why is that pocket carrier not moving as ordered?" "I'm not sure sir". Just as the Lieutenant was speaking it was obliterated by a Carrack cruiser. But vengeance was had, because a Corellian Corvette swooped in and peppered the Carrack's hull and as torpedoes from an E-wing hit their target the cruiser blew up. "Yes!" yelled Ensign Strassen. Two Corvettes pounded the second Carrack and it exploded. The tide of the battle was turning for the rebels. A torpedo boat glided just above a Lancers hull launching torpedoes as turrets swiveled and took out various laser cannon turrets. Once the Lancer was rendered almost completely helpless, an A-wing squadron blew holes in the hull and escape pods ejected out as the engines exploded. Suddenly a Calamari cruiser exploded and the fleet was rendered to a Medical frigate, a Gunship, the Constellation, and the two bulk transports and the Assault Frigate speeding towards the other side of the planet. Next the Destroyer preyed on the Gunship. The Gunship, like its sister ship the Hope burst into flames but it didn't explode. Nor did any escape pods eject. It was just reeled into the destroyers hangar, and suddenly the Destroyer leaped into hyperspace. Drayco sighed, surveyed the remnants of his fleet, and sighed again. And they called this a test to decide whether to commission the Seventh Fleet or not. Easy they called it. Huh.  "Start bringing reeling the escape pods into the hangar. We're going to have a hard task in front of us."

Naval Command was not happy. They weren't mad either. Bad damage to a Super-Star Destroyer and two Carrack-Light Cruiser and one Lancer-Frigate destroyed was slightly good news. In the long run they were actually happy because it would be easier to hunt down the Super-Star Destroyer.  Drayco was called to a meeting on the Calamari Cruiser Home One in orbit over Corascaunt with Commander in Chief of New Republic Naval forces, Admiral Ackbar, to discuss what to do about this newfound threat. "It seems that you had, ahem, hefty losses." Ackbar was not really mad at Drayco. Just slightly amused that what was supposed to be a test turn out to be one of the most major conflicts since the return of the fake Grand Admiral Thrawn. "That is correct sir". "I see". "Did you get identification on the Super-Star Destroyer?" "Yes sir. It was identified as the Obliterator". "From the analysis of the battle recorder from a A-wing that flew over the Destroyer could you determine whether it was made by Fondor or Kuat?" "It seemed to be a mixture of both. My intelligence officer said it probably been made by Fondor but it was extensively modified once the Empire received it. It seemed to have reinforced shield domes, and a much larger fighter capacity." "I see". If Ackbar was alarmed by this news, he didn't show it. "Also a new fighter, one of the only Imperialerial fighters with shields and a hyperdrive besides the TIE-Defender and the TIE-Advanced, that looked like a counter for the E-wing showed up in this battle." "I know. Intelligence had unreliable information of a new type of fighter though Naval command dismissed it." "With all do respect, why was I not informed sir?" "As I said it was unreliable and Naval command dismissed it." Ackbar seemed slightly annoyed at this questioning of him. "If naval intelligence was correct its being manufactured by Seinar Fleet Systems as all of the TIE series were. At least as far as we know." Ackbar paused.  "In the name of the New Rebublic Naval Command I commission the New Republic Seventh Fleet. In addition I give you the brand new class MC90-Mon Calamari Cruiser that was just finished at the Calamari shipyards. Also you get a Pocket Carrier named the Swift and two Nebulon-B Frigates and two MC80 Mon Calamari cruisers. One Frigate is named the Redemption. The other is named the Revelation. The MC80 is named the Fierce. The other is named the Warrior. Please pick the name for the MC90." Drayco was absolutely speechless. He was passed over six different fleets to get the first MC90 cruiser. "The…the Salvation. The Salvation is what I want it to be." "Very well. Also the Commander of your new flagship is Captain Baduul Nuet." "Interesting. Wasn't he in command of a Mon Calamari cruiser at the battle of Sluis Van?" "That is correct. Your command staff and crew are being transferred to the Salvation and the Constellation will be refitted with a new crew. Also the Salvation will be the first ship to have a not often used class of fighter. It was early used in the time of the renegade Imperial, Admiral Zaarin. The T-wing starfighter." "The T-wing? Isn't that the fighter that got amazingly high scores in its initial tests?" "That is so." "Interesting". This is very interesting. "Your first task is to destroy the fleet around the planet Ghorman. It is the last Imperial held planet in the Sesswenna sector. It is heavily defended for if the Imperial ever try to re-take Coruscuant it will be through that planet. We need to clear away the last remnants of the Imperial rule on this sector if we are ever to defeat the Empire." "Sir, when will I receive the MC90 the two Nebulon-B Frigates, and the Pocket Carrier?" "Now. They are attached to Fleet One until you depart for the siege on Ghorman. Just temporarily eight bulk transports will be in your fleet complement. Also on loan a captured Imperial Lancer Frigate is at your disposal. Now we do know that there are multiple shipyards and dry-docks at Ghorman so there will be very many ships under construction and a large amount of ships under repair. We also know there are four Imperial II-Star Destroyers in orbit for defense. Any further defenses are completely unknown. To say the least this is a very difficult mission. Also the Super-Star Destroyer you encountered may even be in dry-dock. But as I said we don't really know. Also I have the privilege to
Promote you to the rank of Full Admiral." To think I, Jesek Drayco, just because of one battle, I am now an Admiral in the New Rebublic Navy, and in command of the most powerful warship in the New Republic arsenal. This is an unspeakable honor.

After Drayco was shuttled up to his new flagship Drayco nearly
gasped. The Salvation was huge. Though smaller than a Super-Star Destroyer, it was still very large. He sat down in his captain's chair and surveyed the whole of his fleet. "Take us out". "Aye sir" replied the recently promoted Lieutenant Strassen. The stars stretched into lines and with a lurch forward the fleet headed toward the Imperial held planet of Ghorman.

"What is the estimated time of arrival Lieutenant Strassen?" "ETA two minutes". He turned to Captain Nuet. "I see in your record that the last ship you commanded was a MC80. I would presume this is quite an  change?" Nuet shifted uncomfortably. "Yes sir it is." "Sir I would suggest you sat down. Ghorman has an unusually large gravity field. We'll be jerked out of hyperspace pretty roughly" interrupted Lieutenant Strassen. "Advice taken Lieutenant." "Exiting hyperspace now." The starlines turned into regular stars as the fleet dropped out of hyperspace. And Drayco almost laughed. Just as Ackbar had predicted there was the Super-Star Destroyer. He attracted very aghast stares from crew members. "Sorry. It's just so monotonous. Put the fleet in a defensive formation. Have the MC80 Constellation bombard the dry-docks. And the Warrior engage the Imperial Destroyer…what is the one in the middle of the formation tagged as?" Nuet answered. He went slightly pale as he said "The Judicator. Under command by Captain Brandei. It was last recorded attached to Grand Admiral Thrawn's fleet. He was at the battle for the Katana fleet." "If Brandei could get command of a Imperial Star Destroyer in Thrawn's fleet we shouldn't triffle with him." " I agree Admiral." Drayco stared out the view port at the approaching ships. He turned back to Nuet. "What in the way of planetary defense batteries does Ghorman have?" "Uh…" He hunched over the intelligence report. "Two Defender Ion Cannons. The same type used on Hoth." "I'm familiar with that, thank you" remarked Drayco dryly. The Judicator took a hit from the Warrior in one of its shield domes and as a result the dome exploded. E-wing squadron Avenger barraged the Judicator several times with proton torpedoes and another shield dome exploded. The Judicator was aflame now and the Warrior pounded it mercilessly. It finally started drifting and it drifted into a shipyard and completely destroyed it. Drayco was genuinely surprised. "A Imperial Star Destroyer takes more of a beating than that to destroy. Brandei, if he's the competent officer you say he is, I don't think he was on the Judicator." Maybe he got command of that Super Star Destroyer. He cant be THAT incompetent as to let the Judicator drift into a shipyard. "Have the TIE-Fighters on the ground scrambled yet?" "Yes sir" replied Lieutenant Strassen. "They are of the unknown type we encountered at Allyuen." "Have a T-wing do a flyby of one of those fighters and get it on his combat recorder. Also, order the Warrior to bombard the dry-docks." "Aye sir. T-wing Anvil Leader, get a flyby of one of those new TIE's." "As ordered Salvation." But before he could get close enough, a concussion missile slammed into his fighter, killing his shields, and making him go into a spiral which a enemy Star Destroyer relieved him from as a quad laser blast took his fighter in the canopy. The fighter exploded as the quad lasers drilled through his T-wing and into the gas storage tank. "This is Anvil Five, I'll start the recon run." Anvil Five fared better than Anvil Leader. He made the flyby, looped around and dropped into the aft position. He vaped it with a quick pump of a tri laser blast. He then headed toward the dry-dock, but he hit a piece of debris, and spun out of control. "Warrior this is Anvil Five! Can you grab me in your tractor beam so I can regain control?" "Anvil Five, this is Warrior, tractor beam powering up." The T-wing, once in the tractor beam, was vulnerable. A TIE Fighter swooped in and destroyed the T-wing. The T-wing exploded insignificantly against the backdrop of ships exploding, and turbo-laser blasts being exchanged. "Did we get the flyby information before the T-wing exploded?" "Uh, yes sir" replied Lieutenant Strassen. "Transmit It to New Republic Intelligence Director, General Cracken." "Aye sir." Another Star Destroyer exploded in a flurry flash of super heated metal. "What is the remnants of the Imperial Defense fleet consist of?" "One Imperial Class Star Destroyer, one Lorinar Strike Cruiser, and 1/3 of a squadron of TIE-Defenders. "Good. Have the Warrior disengage from attacking the dry-docks. Have it strafe the Star Destroyer. Take us in." The Salvation surged forward away from the twisted hull of its last victim, a Carrack-Cruiser, and towards the Imperial Star Destroyer. "This is the Warrior. There are enemy ships that just exited hyperspace and are on an intercept course for the Salvation! The Star Destroyer that seems to be the flagship is tagged as…" He heard the scanner officer gasp. "It's the…the Chimaera! It's accompanied by three Strike Cruisers, two Imperial Star Destroyers, three Lancer-Frigates, and on Victory Star Destroyer!" Drayco blanched, turned around, and started barking orders. "Tactical, scramble emergency fighter squadrons! Have A-wing group Blue hang close to home sector!" All the capitol ships lurched around, and headed towards the Salvation. Suddenly an ion cannon blast from the surface slammed into the Salvation, and another one came in quick succesion. "Sir, I'm afraid we've lost the Redemption and Revelation." Drayco sighed. "Sir! Look out the veiwport!" As Drayco followed his Lieutenants gaze, he saw as the Super Star Destroyer and the Chimaera strike force jumped into hyperspace. He immediately looked at the crew of his mighty, though damaged flagship, and perked up. "Ok. Launch the tugs to drag in any stray or disabled fighters. Contact the invasion fleet, and tell them the main force is gone." He returned his gaze out the veiwport and wondered what would be in his future…

What happened to...?

 Admiral Drayco proceeded to be the most successful tactical commander, second only to Admiral Ackbar, and General Solo. He went on to be in nineteen major naval engagements, and when the empire surrendered, eighteen years after the turning point in the Alliance cause (The battle of Endor, and the fall and disarray of the Imperial Military) he took over as commander-in-chief of the New Republic Naval Forces. He now holds the rank of Fifth Admiral.

Written By SWG_Wampa