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Shadows Rising

Prologue

Alarms screamed across the Alliance-Resistance base as sensors detected Imperial ships jumping out of hyperspace in full combat formation. Aboard a Mon Calamari Star Cruiser in orbit, crew rushed to battle stations while pilots prepared to launch in their fighters.

"Reading one hundred and fifty Imperial warships on our scopes." One of the sensor personnel reported on the cruiser's bridge. "Looks like fifty Imperial II Class Star Destroyers, and another one hundred Lancer Class Frigates."

Vice Admiral Holdo nodded slowly while staring out from the command deck. "Confirm those are Imperial warships, and not First Order vessels." She ordered.

"Standby ma'am," the sensor personnel said before checking on their instrumentation. After several moments, one of them turned back to the admiral. "Confirmed, those are Imperial warships."

"We'll have to be careful then." Holdo said. "In addition to having superior numbers, the Imperial Navy will have superior organization and experience compared to the First Order. Status of the evacuation?"

"The last transports are taking off ma'am, and the base is set to self-destruct." One operations personnel reported. "Disassembly and relocation procedures were completed as planned."

"Good." Holdo said with a nod. Thankfully the rest of the High Command – General Organa and Admiral Ackbar in particular – had been evacuated along with most of the Resistance's personnel, escorted by the Alliance contingent. Holdo herself had stayed behind to command the rearguard, to oversee the disassembly of the base's portable components, and the destruction of what could not be taken along. She would then escort those who'd also stayed behind to the rendezvous point, and if necessary, hold off Imperial or First Order forces in case they arrived prior to the evacuation's completion.

And that's precisely what was happening here.

"Thank the Force we managed to discover that probe droid in time." Holdo thought in relief. "Who knows what would have happened if we hadn't."

"What should we do, admiral?" Holdo's aide asked.

"We cannot afford to engage in line battle." Holdo replied. "The enemy has too many ships arrayed against us here. The moment our transports are clear of the atmosphere, we're to break orbit at maximum speed and out of the planet's gravitational influence before making a jump to hyperspace. Status of the Imperial Fleet?"

"…admiral, we are receiving a transmission from the Imperial flagship!"

Holdo blinked in surprise, and then glanced at her aide. "Patch it through." She finally said.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Rebel forces," a strong voice filtered through the speakers. "This is Admiral Wilhelm Maybach of the Imperial Navy's Maybach Fleet. You are outnumbered and outgunned. Lower your shields, power down your weapons and engines, and prepare to be boarded. Any and all surrendering officers and men will be treated appropriately as per the Alderaan Conventions. You have five minutes to comply before the commencement of hostilities. That is all."

Holdo glanced at her aide as the transmission was cut. "What do you think?" she asked.

"We can't exactly surrender, can we ma'am?" the aide replied. "That said, this Admiral Maybach seems rather civilized for an Imperial, doesn't he?"

"He is, isn't he?" Holdo agreed. "Normally you'd expect them to go on about us being 'rebel scum' and how they'd be showing no mercy…this man though sounds like an officer of the old school from the Core…"

"Admiral, fighter and bomber launch detected!"

"What?" Holdo asked in surprise, and then her eyes widened as she saw the tactical display. "Open a channel to Commander Dameron, now!"

On the Iron Duke's bridge, Admiral Maybach stared out from the command deck at the distant visage of the rebel fleet. The entire fleet was waiting for the word to be given to press the attack, and given the small size of the rebel fleet, it wouldn't last long.

"It's too small, though." Maybach thought. "The rebel fleet is too small…we got here too late, damn it. Clyne was right, the evacuation is almost complete."

The admiral sighed. "Well," he thought. "Let's whittle them down a little further here and now regardless."

Maybach turned to Lieutenant Adelheid Clyne. "How long until our ultimatum expires, lieutenant?" he asked.

"Approximately two minutes left, sir." The sprightly young Alderaanian replied.

"Good, but considering how the rebels tend to think about things perhaps we…"

"Admiral, we are receiving a transmission for the rebel fleet."

The admiral and his aide looked at each other. "Patch it through." Maybach eventually ordered.

"Yes sir."

"This is Commander Poe Dameron of the Republic Fleet." A young man's voice echoed through the channel. "I have an urgent communique for Admiral Maybach."

"This is Admiral Maybach." Maybach responded. "Am I to understand commander, that you represent your fleet's commander?"

"Hi, I'm holding for Admiral Maybach."

The admiral and his aide looked at each other in confusion. "This is Maybach." The admiral said cautiously. "Commander, do you or do you not represent your fleet's commander?"

"Okay, I'll hold."

The admiral sighed and made a cutting gesture with his hand. "And to the void with niceties and courtesy." Clyne quoted.

"Well said, lieutenant." Maybach said. "If that is how they will respond to our offer for honorable surrender, then we will respond in kind. Signal the fleet, maintain the formation, and ahead one quarter. Launch the first attack wave."

"Understood, sir."

"Alright, boys and girls." Poe cheerfully said over the encrypted channel. "I hoped to mess with the enemy a bit more, but from the look of things, they don't seem to have much of a sense of humor. Let's do this."

"Commander Dameron," Holdo cut in over the encrypted channel. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Taking out the enemy flagship." Poe replied. "There's no way we can escape the planet's gravitational influence without the enemy taking potshots at us, but if we take out their flagship, we can throw their fleet into confusion and get away scot free."

"…negative, withdraw immediately. Repeat, withdraw immediately." Holdo ordered after a moment's pause. "There is no chance you'll even get near the enemy flagship, now fall back and proceed to the fleet's jump point at maximum speed."

"Sorry admiral," Poe said, narrowing his eyes at the approaching shapes of Imperial TIE Fighters. "But I can't do that. Engage!"

Flooring the afterburners, Poe accelerated to maximum battle speed, nimbly evading green lances of death fired at him from the Imperial fighter craft. "You can't hit me." He murmured, while homing in on a TIE. "Now, stay just like…that!"

Poe pulled the trigger, laser cannons spitting out crimson death and blowing the TIE out of the sky. A TIE Fighter closed in on Poe's rear, but he avoided its volley and corkscrewing to the side allowed the TIE to overshoot and enter Poe's kill zone. Lasers lashed out again, and the TIE exploded.

"No way you can shoot me down," Poe said with a grin, as three TIEs tried to gang up on him. "Even three on one, you're still a whole galaxy away from being able to fight me for the sky…good night!"

Lasers lashed out as Poe flew his X-Wing out of the TIE Fighters' kill zone, and getting behind them blew them apart in a matter of seconds. "And that's five in less than a minute!" Poe said over the line. "All squadrons, report in."

"Bravo Squadron, all clear."

"Charlie Squadron, all clear."

"Delta Squadron, two units down."

"Echo…squad…"

Poe blinked. "Echo Squadron," he said. "Captain Raynolds, report. What's your status?"

"Commander Dameron," a female pilot he recognized by voice as from Charlie Squadron quietly chimed in. "Echo Squadron's been wiped out."

Poe gasped in shock and surprise, and then glared up at the slowly advancing forms of the Imperial Fleet. "Damn it!" he swore.

"Lieutenant Clyne?"

"Yes sir?"

"What do you make of those units?"

Maybach pointed at several units hanging behind the rebel fighter screens, and the lieutenant blinked in surprise and confusion. Touching the tactical display's controls, she zoomed in on them before turning to the admiral with a perplexed expression on her face. "Those are gravity bombers." She said. "Are they actually…?"

Maybach shook his head. "I wasn't expecting General Bel Iblis or Admiral Ackbar but…" he said. "This is ridiculous."

"What should we do, sir?"

"Sent out the second attack wave." Maybach ordered. "Have them outflank the enemy fighter screen, and attack the enemy fleet. They are to concentrate their attacks on the enemy flagship: let's cut off the enemy's head, shall we?"

"Yes sir."

"And detail a squadron of TIE Bombers and their escorts to deal with those gravity bombers." Maybach added before shaking his head. "Let's teach these rebels which bombers are to be used in space combat, and how."

"Yes sir."

A TIE Fighter exploded as Poe and his wingman zoomed past, closing on a Lancer Class up ahead of them. Bright-red laser fire lashed out from its batteries, buffering the approaching X-Wings.

"Double power to forward deflectors." Poe ordered. "Let's take out their screens, and we'll have a clear shot at their flagship."

"There's too much fire coming from that frigate, Poe!"

"Maintain course, while evading as best you can." Poe snapped, activating his targeting computer. As the sensors locked on, Poe jinked from side to side, avoiding the Lancer's anti-aircraft fire, his squadron doing likewise. "Steady…steady…torpedoes away!"

Proton torpedoes flared away…four of them…Poe's eyes widening in shock as four X-Wings were blown apart by laser fire from the frigate just as they were about to launch their torpedoes. The torpedoes that were launched soared down to the frigate, exploding in powerful explosions that sent the ship reeling, but while wounded it wasn't dead yet.

"NO!" Poe shouted as his wingman screamed, a scream that was quickly cut off as her fighter was blown apart by laser fire from the wounded Lancer. "Damn it…damn it!"

He didn't have time to be angry or to mourn though, as another pilot cut in. "Poe, more enemy craft have launched!" the man said in alarm. "They're headed for the fleet…and the bombers!"

Poe gasped, and gritting his teeth glanced at the gleaming visage of the Imperial flagship in the distance. "Damn it," he snarled. "Fall back, and defend the bombers! Abort the attack, and return to the fleet, hurry!"

X-Wings hurriedly disengaged, or tried to, engaged as they were with Imperial TIE Fighters. Poe snarled in frustration as he saw signals disappear one after another across the board. "This isn't right…this isn't right!" he mentally roared. "The First Order isn't this good, so how the hell is the Empire being better? This doesn't make sense!"

"Poe, look!"

TIE Interceptors screamed towards the bombers, quad cannon turrets blazing as the rebels tried to fend off the Imperials. The Imperials launched repeated strafing runs, blowing turrets apart, and then abruptly peeled off as TIE Bombers entered firing range. Aboard the lead craft, Bomber Captain Katie Shaw licked her lips as the targeting computer locked onto the rebel gravity bombers, and grinning viciously pulled the trigger.

Concussion missiles launched en masse from the TIE Bombers, arcing through space as they soared towards their targets. The rebel bombers were hit, explosions sending debris and flame out into space, before the rebel bombers' payloads went up in massive secondary explosions.

"Mission accomplished." Shaw triumphantly said before alarms began going off through her cockpit.

"Rebel fighters inbound, captain." Her wingman reported.

"I see them." Shaw said, narrowing her eyes. "Standby on second volley of concussion missiles."

"Understood captain."

Shaw maintained course, her bombers falling into formation around her, flying on intercept course. Eyes narrowed further as the targeting computer locked on, and then Shaw pulled the trigger.

Concussion missiles soared out into space yet again, the rebel fighters breaking formation and commencing high-speed evasive maneuvers as they tried to throw the missiles off their tails. Four pilots were not so lucky, going down in balls of fire as the Imperial missiles found their mark. Others managed to throw the missiles off, including one particularly skilled pilot who somehow managed to get behind the missiles and shoot them down.

But the rebel formation had been torn apart, and the initiative belonged to the Empire. "It's all yours, Captain Leach." Shaw said. "Our squadron's heading back to rearm."

"Roger that, Captain Shaw." Captain Toby Leach responded. "Leave it to us."

TIE Interceptors pounced on the remaining rebel fighters, laser bolts and explosions lighting up the darkness of space as dogfights commenced. The lead rebel fighter shot down two interceptors in quick succession, shook off a third and then shot it down as well, before breaking off in the direction of their fleet, followed by the few other surviving X-Wings, the remaining TIE Interceptors in quick pursuit.

"The rebels are attempting to reinforce their fleet." Captain Leach said while recalibrating his target sights. "It's a pointless action, but there's no reason to let up. Maintain pursuit."

"Yes sir!"

TIEs swarmed over the rebel fleet, Corellian corvettes trying desperately to cover their transports and the flagship cruiser in their midst, but it was a losing battle. Most of their fighters had been destroyed attacking Starkiller Base, and what they had available were tied down fighting the pursuing Imperial Fleet…allowing other attack craft to outflank the contested airspace and attack the unsupported rebel ships.

"Watch out, it's going to blow!"

TIE Fighters and TIE Bombers flew away at maximum battle speed, narrowly avoiding getting caught in a rebel transport's explosion, gutted by multiple hits from proton torpedoes and concussion missiles. "The fleet's almost in range." The bomber captain said. "But the rebels have almost cleared the planet's gravitational influence. We need to take out that cruiser's shields so the fleet can take it out quickly, before they can escape."

"Roger!"

TIE Fighters and TIE Bombers soared through space, zipping past anti-aircraft fire from the rebel corvettes. "Enemy X-Wings, inbound." One pilot reported.

"Bombers, maintain course." The TIE Fighter commander said. "We'll take care of the rebel fighters."

"Roger that."

"Enemy cruiser, dead ahead!"

Anti-aircraft fire lashed out in crimson volleys from the rebel flagship, shooting down one TIE Bomber, but two others zipped past to enter firing range. "I have a lock." One pilot said. "Torpedoes away!"

"Torpedoes away!"

Volleys of torpedoes launched from the bombers as they peeled away, slamming into and destroying the shield generator for the rebel cruiser's bridge deflector shields. Anti-aircraft fire intensified as more TIE Fighters and TIE Bombers swooped in on attack runs, followed by pursuing X-Wings.

Explosions ripped open space in front of the bridge, an X-Wing shooting down fighter after fighter and bomber after bomber…and then one bomber fired, sending a volley of concussion missiles screaming towards the cruiser's bridge moments before it was shot down. The X-Wing maintained course, desperately shooting down each and every missile…

…all save for one, and one was enough. Smashing through the bridge windows, it detonated, destroying the bridge and adjacent areas, killing those present and sending injured screaming out into space.

And then the Imperial Fleet opened fire.

"NO!" Poe screamed as the flagship's bridge was destroyed, barely peeling away in time to avoid smashing into the ship's hull. Screaming in rage, he punched his fighter's panel as he saw corpses…no, not just corpses, people getting sucked out into space along with debris. And then the Imperial Fleet opened fire, turbolaser blasts burning through space into the fleet.

Corvettes and transports buckled, burned, and exploded under the onslaught, and to Poe's horror even the flagship – deprived of leadership as it was – was mercilessly and helplessly hammered by the Imperial ships. Explosions rippled across its starboard side and rear, the once mighty vessel shuddering and buckling under the Imperial onslaught.

Green laser beams lanced all around Poe, TIE Fighters getting to his rear. Swearing angrily, Poe avoided the Imperial fire, but before he could get around, two other X-Wings soared in, and shot the TIE Fighters down.

"Commander!"

"What do we do now?"

Poe grit his teeth, and then turned in horror as the flagship's reactors went critical and exploded, immolating the rest of the ship in nuclear fire. "…we've no choice." He ground out. "They…they win this round…let's get out of here."

"Roger, commander."

"Roger that."

The three surviving X-Wings went to maximum speed, locking onto their target coordinates, and then vanished as they jumped into hyperspace, leaving the Imperial Fleet victorious over the battlefield.

A/N

And so we begin with the sequel for Worlds Collide. And we start with…a variation, of the space battle at the beginning of Last Jedi. With a twist…as you can see above, and if you remember Worlds Collide. Specifically, the evacuation is almost complete, and it's just the rear guard fighting here, and the Resistance having already abandoned that planet they used as a base in Force Awakens.

Some of you might wonder, is the First Order really that qualitatively inferior to the Empire? Actually…yes, they are. Both in terms of inspiration and as shown in feats on the screen. In terms of inspiration…the First Order is based on what if the SS escaped Nazi Germany's downfall, and established their own free state. Setting aside why wouldn't they get nuked by the US…the SS were second-rate troops compared to the regular German Army, for all that they tended to get better equipment. Army officers tended to be more competent, and their soldiers better trained than the ideology-obsessed SS officers and men.

On the screen…contrast the reaction time of TIE crews between the Empire and the First Order. In Last Jedi, the battle had already begun when TIE crews just beginning to prepare to launch. But in Rogue One, Imperial fighters were ready to launch and in fact were already launching just as the rebels were beginning their attacks on the planetary shield generator.

More details will be given in-story in the future, but if you think about it, there's absolutely no reason why the Empire would be qualitatively inferior to the First Order.