Prologue: A failed strategy

A long E-wing slowly moved through the cold and darkness of space. The countless stars illuminating the darkness in every direction. The black E-wing was caught in the shadow of a colossal Greartok carrier. The massive ship dwarfing the fighter like a whale to a small fish. However, inside the fighter, the pilot and astromech droid had no fear of the great ship, a smile on the pilot's face as he saw the carrier's front half slowly drifting away from the back.

Around the carrier were the remains of dozens of Greartok craft and as well as many E-wings, and Tie-defenders. However, the lone pilot was soon joined by dozens of functioning E-wings and tie defenders. The fighters forming up around him, five corvette class vessels and a massive resurgent class star destroyer.

"Commander Yultz this is commander Dameron. All Greartok craft eliminated."

"Let's get back to base before enemy reinforcements arrive." The commander of the star destroyer said.

Poe heard BB-8 beep.

"Don't worry BB-8 you heard him, we'll be long gone before more of them show up."

BB-8 chirped.

"Yes I'll have you cleaned when we get back." The ships jumped to hyperspace. An hour later they came out near a larger asteroid field.

They moved towards a massive asteroid nearly as large as a moon. A small fleet of ships orbited the asteroid. Two mediator class mon calimari cruisers, a resurgent class star destroyer, and some assorted support vessels from the Republic, First Order, and the galactic alliance. Built into the asteroid was a massive base, the base protected by a large shield and multiple turrets.

"Home sweet home." Poe said as he flew his E-wing at the base before setting down in one of the hangers.

Poe stepped out as BB-8 was lowered down and rolled beside Poe.

"Come on, I could use some food." Poe said as BB-8 chirped.

"I will clean you, sheez."

Elsewhere in the base, a group of young men and women of various species sat in an open chamber.

They wore the various uniforms of the galactic alliance while a mandalorian and three stormtroopers stood in front of them. The mandalorian wore tan and grey armor, while each stormtrooper wore more customized armor. One had a red pauldron over his right shoulder and a series of red attachments to the armor's legs, elbows, and side of the helmet, red stripes as well. The second wore a similar version but with black stripes and a cape like belt that went around his legs, the last also having black coloring with a golden cape that went over the side without the pauldron.

"This is what the alliance sends us?" The red stormtrooper said.

"Beggars can't be choosers captain." The mandalorian said as she came forward.

"Listen up recruits, I'm Tarma of clan Ordo with me are Captain Target, Lieutenant Finn, and Sergeant Nines. You may be qualified soldiers for your own pathetic planets , but you're fighting in the coalition now and you'll need to become real soldiers to fight the Greartok." Tarma said.

Target came forward.

"First we want to see what you're really capable of." He said before pressing a button on a small device.

The recruits saw a portion of the floor open up into a grid like training yard. Over a dozen black First Order dark trooper droids waiting.

A rack of stun weapons rose up as the recruits began to pick them up.

Among the recruits was a wookie who grabbed two.

They got into position as Target activated the droids.

"Take down the hostiles, secure the objective." Finn said as the droid's eyes lit up, the Mark I and IIs raising their weapons and opened fire not he recruits.

Finn and the others watched closely as they tried to fight through the droids.

"Don't just sit in cover! They're going to swamp you! Provide suppressing fire and advance!" Nines shouted.

Finn and Target noticing Nines gave some sharp criticism of the recruits as they tried to fight through the droids.

"Listen to him, reminds me of Phasma." Finn said smiling under his helmet.

"You two have taken well to the life of a MAC trooper commando."

"We do our best sir."

"Now a days we need as many elite soldiers as we can get." Target said as Nines continued to shout at the recruits.

"Are we ready to introduce them to the training Greartok?" Tarma asked.

"Go ahead." Target said as the mandalorian gave and excited look under her helmet, she put on a par of black gauntlets with buttons on the wrists.

Moments later another dark trooper emerged. This one was larger than the others, it stood eight feet tall with glowing red eyes and a face like a stormtrooper. The recruits looked terrified as the dark trooper slowly walked towards them.

Tarma walked in place and raised her arms before closing her fists. The dark trooper raised its arms before heavy stun rounds fired from its wrists. The blasts hit the recruits one by one, forcing them to the ground.

The wookie roared as he knocked two mark I's down before reaching the larger droid. Tarma swung one arm before performing an uppercut with the other. The droid knocked the wookie's arm back before hitting him to the ground with an uppercut.

"I love the mark III's." Finn said as Tarma kept moving the droid.

Elsewhere, onboard the resurgent class star destroyer that had taken part in the earlier battle, commander Yultz looked out at the fleet.

The commander was relatively young, in his early thirties with light skin, short black hair, and green eyes.

"Sir, we're picking up hyperspace activity."

"Hyperspace activity? Are we expecting anyone?"

"No sir."

Yultz now had a very concerned look on his face.

"Get the station on alert now!" Yultz shouted before his eyes widened. Three Greartok carriers jumping out of hyperspace before them.

"They found us."

Onboard the station, Poe was eating in a mess hall, a few of his pilots with him.

"I still don't like fighting beside First Order bucket heads." One said.

"Would you rather fight the Greartok alone?" Poe said.

"I'm just saying we-" Poe nearly jumped when he heard the alarm go off.

BB-8 violently beeped as he rolled to a window, Poe rushing over as he saw the Greartok fleet.

"We're under attack! Come on!" Poe shouted as he sprinted to the hanger.

Poe jumped into his E-wing with BB-8 being loaded inside.

BB-8 beeped as Poe buckled himself in.

"I know we already fought today buddy. We don't have a choice now." Poe's fighter lifted up before flying out of the hanger with the rest of his squadron. They were joined by dozens of other Republic, First Order, and allied fighters as they flew beside the coalition fleet.

Two of the carriers across from them began to deploy craft that moved towards the coalition forces.

"Incoming craft, take them down before they can link up!" Yultz shouted as the cruisers and corvettes began to fire , the fighters moving in fast.

Poe saw several of the greartok craft get blown apart by the barrage of fire from the fleet. Several of the craft began maneuvering , others trying to link up.

"Light em up!" Poe shouted as he opened up one one of the craft, destroying it. Several more were destroyed before the craft fired.

Yellow beams of energy soaring through space as they chased the coalition fighters.

Poe banked hard as three of them chased him.

"They're on my tail! I can't shake em!" One of Poe's men shouted before his fighter was enveloped by the fire and destroyed.

Three formations of the craft linked up into larger combined craft that fired at the coalitions corvettes, the smaller ships tried to maneuver, but the guided blasts caught up and enveloped them.

"Frigate three move in! Close that gap!" Commander Yultz shouted as a First Order frigate moved in fast with two republic light cruisers. The three spreading their fire in a close trap, enveloping the combined Greartok craft before destroying them.

Poe saw another of his pilots get killed before BB-8 beeped.

"I know, time for some payback. Form up behind me!" Poe shouted as two E-wings and a trio of Tie defenders joined him. The six fighters firing in synch at several Greartok craft, destroying several that tried to link up.

The capital ships and cruisers began to close the gap, getting closer to the Greartok carriers as they helped shoot down more of the Greartok craft.

"I think we can actually win this." One of Poe's men shouted.

Poe was similarly excited before he realized that the middle carrier hadn't launched any craft.

"What are they doing?" He asked.

BB-8 looked closer, the astromech droid beeped faster as Poe saw the top open up. Ten massive craft the side of combined craft rose up from the inside of the ship. Poe's eyes widened as the saw the ten craft link together into a serpent shape. Each craft was then covered in energy, the snake like craft glowing red as a hear formed in front.

"What the hell is that!?" Poe shouted as the new creature flew from the carrier and past the fighters, crashing into three and disintegrating them before it crashed into a republic light cruiser, shattering its shields and burning straight through it.

Yultz shook as he saw this.

"All ships , focus fire on that thing!"

Onboard the station, the alarm kept going off as Finn, Nines, Tarma, and Target sprinted through the halls with the recruits behind them.

Many of them looking afraid.

"Looks like they're going to get some real training." Tarma said.

"They're all going to die." Nines said.

"You sure can inspire nines."

"Captain Phasma taught me everything I know about inspirational speeches."

"Ahh yes the good captain. Is she still as charming as ever?" Target asked.

"You know it sir." Finn said before they reached one of the hangers.

A squad of republic soldiers was already inside the hanger, Finn and the others joining them as they felt something hit them.

Finn saw how nervous the recruits looked before hearing a drill like sound.

He looked up and saw several drill heads break through the ceiling before opening up.

A swarm of flying drones came out and began firing.

Finn took out his carbine and began firing , each of his blasts hitting its mark and shooting down a drone.

Nines held out a gatling gun and sprayed the air, shooting several down.

Tarma took out a large pistol while Target took out two, the two using jump packs to fly into the air as they met the drones.

The recruits and republic soldiers tried to help, but the drones swarmed fast, two republic soldiers and a recruit being shot and killed.

Finn saw this and hurled two grenade like objects into the air which bursted into small blasts of plasma that flew in every direction killing several drones while Nines fired a few mortar rounds into the air.

Tarma burning a few up with a flamethrower and Tarma using his sharpshooting skills to shoot more down.

A few of the recruits rushed forward while others provides suppressing fire. More of the drones were shot down before the remaining drones linked together into combined hornet like beasts.

Not only that, but five metallic exoskeleton droids came down, each holding a pair of blaster carbines and marched forward.

One of the hornets flew over the back of the hanger, blasting apart the last few republic soldiers and two recruits.

Nines fired two mortar rounds into the combined drone before it broke apart, three of them coming down as they slashed at the recruits.

Nines smashed his gatling gun into one , breaking it's neck before he ducked under another's claw strike, using his forearms to knock away their strikes before he caught one's arm and flipped it into the ground before snapping its neck. The third firing at Nines who dove out of the way , grabbing his gatling gun and tearing it in half.

Several of the recruits watched Nines in awe.

"Focus on the battle!" Nines screamed.

Tarma avoided blasts from one of the other combined drones while spraying it with fire. Eventually the drone broke apart while Target wore the other one down with consistent blaster fire.

Several of the recruits tried firing at the droids, but their blasters had no effect on them. The droids kept marching, their glowing red eyes bringing fear to the recruits as two more were gunned down.

Finn saw this and advanced, ducking and diving as he avoided fire from the Greartok before sliding under one, forcing a charge into it's abdomen.

As Finn got up he pressed the trigger as the droid was blown to pieces.

One of the other recruits took out a anti-vehicle rocket launcher and fired, tearing apart one of the droids before the wookie recruit roared. Rushing forward and picking up another before tearing its head off.

Just as the battle seemed to be going their way, Finn heard something else.

Two of the drill heads opened even wider before a Greartok leapt out of each. The ground shaking as the two eight foot aliens crashed into the floor.

The first had black and silver armor with a horned helmet mask on. The second had grey and yellow armor with a more serpent like helmet.

"…That's not good." Nines said as the two shouted in their language, two of the recruits dropping their guns and running for the door.

The second Greartok held his hand open as a ball of energy formed in it before hurling it through the air, the two retreating recruits being turned to ash.

Outside the station, Poe watched in horror as the energy dragon roared and crashed through a First Order frigate, splitting the ship in half.

The rest of the fleet fired at the craft, heavy plasma rounds from the capital ships crashing into it. However, their blasts had no effect on the craft, much to Yultz's horror.

"Sir nothing's working." One of the deck officers said.

Yultz then saw the three Greartok carriers, the center one's top still open.

"Wait a minute, you destroy a carrier, the craft launched from it shut down. Commander Dameron! Destroy that center carrier!"

"We'll need support from the capital ships." He said before Yultz saw one of the republic mon calamari cruisers get torn apart when the serpent flew through it.

"….Not available commander."

BB-8 beeped as Poe shook his head.

"Looks like we're doing this the hard way. Bombers follow me!" Poe shouted as three bomber squadrons formed up behind him with just as many fighters.

Poe and his men rushed at the carrier as fast as they could, doing their best to avoid incoming blasts from Greartok craft.

Poe saw two Tie defenders enveloped by the blasts but he and the other fighters managed to shoot down four Greartok craft while some bombers hit a combined craft.

As they got closer, the two supporting carriers began firing guided blasts at them.

"Evasive actions!"

Back inside the hanger , the two Greartok absorbed all of the fire from the Mac troopers and coalition recruits. One firing another rocket only for the first Greartok to punch the rocket. He then walked out of the explosion harmlessly.

The Greartok revealing spikes on his gauntlets before he punched the ground and came up with pieces of the floor. When the Greartok opened his hands, the debris blew like shrapnel into two of the recruits, tearing them apart before the second Greartok hurled another ball of energy into the cover two recruits were hiding behind. The cover turned to ash as the two stumbled backwards.

The wookie recruit roared as he ran at the first Greartok and tried to grab him. The Greartok grabbed the wookie by his throat and lifted him up. The other recruits horrified as they saw the massive wookie held up by the Greartok. The wookie squirmed as the Greartok grabbed his arms and pulled them tightly before they were ripped off.

"Now what?" Nines asked as Tarma saw the hanger's force field regulator and had an idea.

"Secure your masks. You lot, get out of here now!" Tarma shouted as the remaining recruits rushed out of the hanger as fast as they could.

"Get behind something, and hold on tight." Tarma said as she aimed a wrist rocket.

"What are you going to do?" Target asked before the mandalorian woman fired the rocket at the shield regulator.

The three Mac troopers' eyes widened as they saw this.

The explosion deactivated the hanger shield. All of the remaining drones and droids were quickly pulled out of the hanger as the pull of the vacuum nearly took Finn and Target. The two barely managing to get hind cover and holding on tight.

"Are you insane!" Nines shouted.

"Maybe just a little." Tarma laughed.

As Finn raised his head, he watched in horror as he saw the two Greartok still in the hanger.

While the two aliens struggled, they stayed on their feet and slowly walked forward. The two shouting in their language.

"How!?" Nines shouted.

Tarma fired another rocket while the other three fired as well. The blasts hit the Greartok and made it even more difficult for them, but despite this, the two Greartok kept coming closer.

Nines put a new power charge in his gatling gun before noticing something about them. A supply ship pocked to the ceiling by a pair of latches.

Nines fired a mortar round at one latch, tearing it apart before the ship crashed into the ground. One of the wings snapped off and flew at the Greartok who were unable to move swiftly. The wing crashed into the second Greartok sending him soaring out of the hanger and into space before one of the station's turrets blew him in half.

"Nice one Nines!" Finn shouted as the four gave the remaining Greartok everything they had.

The Greartok grunted as the rockets and heavy blaster fire hit him, one of his feet lifting up.

The Greartok roared as he slammed his foot down and grabbed the floor, pulling himself closer before the backup shields on the hanger activated.

The remaining Greartok leapt several feet into the air at Nines who tried to back up.

The Greartok smashed through the cover he was behind, grabbing Nines's legs before hurling the destroyed cover at Target and Tarma who narrowly avoided it.

"Nines!" Finn shouted in horror as the Greartok lifted his brother in arms up.

That was when Finn saw that the crashed cargo ship's doors were open, revealing what was inside.

Nines tried desperately to break free before something else hit the Greartok , making the alien stumble as Nines got up and away. The Greartok turning to see a dark trooper Mark III in front of him. Finn near the crashed ship wearing the control gauntlets.

The Greartok shouted as he tried to punch the dark trooper, only for Finn to moved fast, the dark trooper shadowing him as it avoided two of the punches before knocking away the Greartok's arms with his own. The Greartok was hit across the helmet by the dark trooper's fist.

The Greartok tried to grab the droid, but Finn snatched the alien's arm and bent down, flipping the Greartok over the dark trooper before kicking it back.

Nines, Tarma, and Target resumed firing at the Greartok who struggled to get to his feet as Finn used the dark trooper to punch him two more times.

"Come on!" Finn shouted before raising his hands and closing his fists.

The dark trooper did the same, large red blasts firing from the wrist guns. The Greartok was pounded by the heavy laser fire.

The Greartok backed up more and more before Finn thrusted his fists forward.

The Greartok's eyes widened as he saw the darktrooper's shoulder's open , revealing rockets.

The rockets poured into the Greartok, explosions filling the area so much that it became hard to see.

Finn heard the gauntlets beep as they indicated the droid was out of rockets.

As the smoke cleared, Finn raised the droid's arms to fire again. However, the Greartok lunged forward , grabbing both of the darktrooper's wrists.

Finn and the others watching in horror as they saw the Greartok's armor only looked scratched.

Finn tried to move the darktrooper's arms. The Greartok held on tight, shouting as he squeezed, the blasters getting crushed as Finn tried desperately to break free, eventually pulling back, but the guns disabled.

Finn tried to punch the Greartok again, but this time the Greartok knocked away the darktrooper's strike and punched it back. The Greartok now furiously striking the dark trooper as Finn tried to fight back. The droid getting torn apart slowly.

The Greartok roared as he caught the left arm of the droid and flipped it, tearing the arm clean off before stabbing it through the center of the droid's chest.

As the Greartok turned to face Finn he lowered his body , preparing to pounce. However, Nines fired another mortar round above the Greartok who heard something. A tie-defender crashed down from the ceiling into the Greartok.

"Is that your new technique?" Tarma said in a joking manner.

"Well it's effective isn't i-" Nines stopped as they heard grunting, the Greartok slowly getting up as he lifted the fighter off him.

"Will this thing just stay down!" Target shouted before he and Tarma flew forward with their jump packs. The Greartok's hands occupied by the tie defender.

Target flew into the Greartok's head, striking him twice before the alien head butted him, knocking him back.

However, as he did the Greartok saw Target holding his helmet.

The alien shrieked as he struggled to breath, the load of the tie defender getting worse before Tarma fired a wrist rocket at his head.

After one final explosion, the four saw the tie defender fall back down onto the Greartok's body, which now lacked a head.

Finn and Nines both tried to catch their breath.

"Station secure. Now it's up to the fleet." Target said.

Commander Yultz felt his fist tighten as he saw the serpent's head smash through the back end of the other resurgent class star destroyer.

"Commander Dameron he's destroyed most of the fleet!"

"We're moving as fast as we can!" Dameron shouted as he saw two more of his fighters get enveloped by fire from the carriers.

BB-8 beeped.

"All power stays with the engines buddy." Poe said as they got closer, the two supporting carriers turning slightly so more of their fire could reach the fighters.

Poe's E-wing shook as they were hit. BB-8 wailing in fear as he saw a fire break out on the back of his ship.

"Just a little closer."

"Poe it's too hot we need to break off before-"

Poe saw another five fighters and bombers get blown apart.

Poe closed his eyes for a moment.

Yultz saw this in the distance.

"All remaining power to long range weapons! Get those carrier's attention!"

The remaining cruisers fired everything they had left. Their fire hitting the carriers and the craft near them, destroying several and forcing the carriers to reposition themselves. Poe saw the fire from the carriers and craft lighten up.

Yultz saw the last mediator cruiser get destroyed by the serpent.

"Commander we're out of time!"

"Let's give you some then." Poe said as he saw they were in range.

"Fire!"

All of the bombers unleashed their payload , the proton torpedoes crashing into the inside of the carrier.

"Pull back now!"

The fighters and bombers made sharp turns away from the carrier as a series of explosions followed from the inside.

The serpent now flew at Yultz's ship , the commander's sweat staining his uniform before he saw the energy around the craft vanish, and the individual pieces falling apart.

The deck crew began to cheer as Yultz breathed.

"Contact the station, tell them to evacuate all personnel onto the remaining ships. We have to retreat."

"Retreat? No! We're not loosing this base too!"

"Dameron they wiped out most of the fleet, we can't beat two carriers with our remaining ships, and more Greartok are probably on the way."

BB-8 beeped in agreement as Poe tightened his fist.

"Rogue Squadron prepare to fall back." He said.

Inside the station , a bomb was placed in the main reactor. Finn and Nines sprinting inside a transport before the door shut.

"We're clear!" Finn shouted as Target signaled the pilot to take off.

The transport flew out of the station and onboard Yultz's resurgent class star destroyer.

"Sir they're all aboard."

"Jump to hyperspace now." The coalition fleet jumped to hyperspace moments before their base exploded from the inside, taking dozens of Greartok craft nearby with it.

The two remaining carriers slowly approaching the station.