Aaron woke with a groan, feeling a weight pressing on his chest.
Looking down, he saw blonde hair and a familiar head resting there—and couldn't help but smile gently as he lifted it up and swung his legs out of bed.
Two weeks had passed since that eventful day, and Hannah and Aaron had grown closer, attending multiple social gatherings together. Their personal bond deepened alongside their expanding social circles.
Lieutenant Commander Aaron was no longer an outsider; he had become a well-connected figure by Kuat's social standards.
But today was the day Aaron and his fleet would set off. The 'Hound' had undergone several upgrades to enhance its capabilities.
The Arquitens-class light cruiser now featured advanced surveillance equipment, tracking devices, hyper-sensors, cyberwarfare systems, interceptors, long-range jammers, and a singular heavy ion cannon—each intended to improve its tracking and hunting abilities.
Its engines were heavily modified, boosting speed from 60 MGLT to 75 MGLT. The previous TIE fighter complement was replaced with three TIE boarding craft, each capable of carrying 30 stormtroopers.
The total stormtrooper complement was increased to 250 from 200.
To accommodate the engine upgrade and the forward ion cannon, the shields were reduced by about 30 percent, but Aaron considered the trade-off well worth it.
The ion cannon was exceptionally powerful. Though it required a 30-second charge, a single well-placed shot hitting a rebel ship's engines—anything smaller than a Nebulon frigate—would cause immediate engine failures, even with shields active.
The squadron also gained an Interdictor-class heavy cruiser, the Willbreaker, commanded by Captain Rush Dano.
Another surprise addition to the fleet was new intelligence personnel—Hannah Tyrren herself—assigned to the Hound to support its rebel-hunting operations.
"Wake up, Hannah. We're supposed to be ready for departure within the hour," Aaron said gently. She groaned but eventually got up and dressed—after they shared a quick communal shower.
Together they left Aaron's apartment, where Lux and the Sergeant waited in the same armored speeder. Once inside, the speeder sped toward the Hound.
Aaron kept most of his belongings on the ship, so there was no need to bring anything from the apartment; anything he'd need had been transported yesterday—same for Hannah.
Upon arriving, the pair began preparations. Hannah settled into her station while Aaron reviewed the ship's new features, weaknesses, and possible technical limitations.
One of Aaron's favorite upgrades was the speed boost—75 MGLT was a noticeable improvement over 60. His tactical approach often involved outmaneuvering opponents, which demanded speed.
About an hour later, the fleet was ready to depart. Aaron gathered his tactical officers—Luca, Catcher, and Hannah—around the holomap display.
"The rebels have split into three major fleets, according to Imperial Intelligence," Aaron began, pointing at the last known position of the main Rebel Fleet in the Outer South, beneath Eriadu.
"The first fleet includes many of the Rebel Alliance's best-known elements—Home One, General Ackbar, Princess Leia, etc. Death Squadron, led by Darth Vader, is hot on their tail."
He moved to the next sector on the map.
"The second fleet is led by Admiral Raddus. It's primarily the remnants of the Mon Cala Fleet, with almost all ships being Mon Cala designs. They have the heaviest concentration of firepower, though their numbers are smaller."
"And lastly, the third fleet, led by Admiral Hiram Drayson. This fleet is the prime target for the 13th Fleet."
Aaron turned toward Hannah. "What intel do we have on him?"
Hannah tapped her datapad, bringing up a dossier.
"Hiram Drayson dropped out of Chandrilla Military Academy, then took over his father's business and revolutionized it. He later gained control over the Chandrilla Fleet through political skill. Don't underestimate him—he has decades of experience."
"He's known for a brutal defensive style. He's studied every major tactical field throughout his career. He's a master of standard strategies, though lacking in creativity; he excels at maximizing conventional tactics," she explained as the man's image replaced the holomap.
"They appear to be hiding in the former separatist core region. Although most separatist influence and hardware have been cleared, remnants of separatist supporters and abandoned bases remain."
Catcher spoke from the side, hands crossed, helmet strapped on. "What's our role in all this?"
"We're tasked with assisting the hunt for the Rebel fleets. Imperial Intelligence and the ISB are working around the clock to locate them. The 13th Fleet has hundreds of Arquitens-class ships, all scouting and patrolling for the rebels," Aaron replied.
Catcher nodded, having received the message loud and clear.
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Sorry for a short chapter, but I didn't want to spend too much time on it. And wanted to jump right back into shit, so I focused less of my energy towards explaining and describing the timeskip.
patreon.com/pondsfyre - +20 chapters, alongside 4 other stories of mine. Each 50+ chapters.