Dark Endgame

During the Galactic Civil War, Rebel Alliance Special Mission Operatives often undertook seemingly impossible missions and many times prevailed against insurmountable odds in order to free the galaxy from the oppressive yoke of Emperor Palpatine. One such team achieved widespread notoriety among the Empire's forces, but little is known publicly about their activities. This team often brazenly defied Imperial might in their quest to bring freedom to the galaxy. In Intelligence circles they were known by the code name of TEAM MAVERICK.

Now, six years after the Battle of Endor, the struggle to establish a New Republic continues. Coruscant, once the shining jewel of the galaxy, is now a war-torn battlefield as the disparate factions of the waning Empire vie for supremacy against one another. It is here where TEAM MAVERICK has just completed a daring mission in the depths beneath the Imperial Palace. A mission which took them into direct conflict with the DARK SIDE OF THE FORCE...

TEAM MAVERICK:

Dark Endgame

Written by: Brian M. Wilson

Based upon the characters and situations created by George Lucas.

First serial rights reserved. 1996

Prologue:

The Imperial Star Destroyer Death's Head fired another volley of emerald turbolaser fire into the listing, burning hulk of the Imperial Star Destroyer Adamant. In the debris-strewn space around the enormous warships, TIE fighters from the Death's Head scurried about seeking other targets of opportunity from the dying vessel; other TIE fighters, shuttles and the occasional escape pod. There was no mercy for traitors to the Empire.

Captain Erl Vellan stood before the bridge windows of the Death's Head and surveyed his ship's victory for this day. A smug smile was etched upon his hard features. "Complete victory with only minimal casualties" he thought. So preoccupied was he with his thoughts of glory and recognition, Vellan did not even notice the young bridge officer who rushed to his side until after he had spoken.

"Sir!" blurted the lieutenant. "Comm-scan has detected the ion emissions of two vessels; both transport class! It appears that the quarry which eluded us earlier may be preparing to make a run for space!"

Pivoting around to face the lieutenant, Captain Vellan began giving orders to his bridge crew. "Alert all sections that priority is to be given to stopping those ships!" he began. "I want those rebels destroyed!"

Aboard the highly modified customs frigate Bespin Skyline, Ostic Osiphe moved with precision as she brought her vessel up to maximum power and aimed for the stars. She looked away from her engine status boards only long enough to begin powering up offensive systems and speak over her right shoulder to the ship's only other occupant.

"Doc, I need you to raise shields. Full power to the front screens for now, but keep a sharp eye on those scanners and watch for anything coming at us from the flanks, above, below or behind us."

"Will do", replied the enigmatic young man as he toggled on the deflector arrays and studied the sensor readings. "Hey, what's up with Skully? He's lagging behind a bit" he stated to his companion.

Ostic glanced up at the aft visual sensors and saw what he was talking about. Hammerhead I, a specially designed craft was quickly falling behind the smaller Skyline. "I don't know. His engines should be leaving us dining on his exhaust trail", she replied. She toggled the comm mike on her headset.

"Ostic to Skully. Do you have a problem or are you just enjoying the view from up here?" she called to the other vessel.

"Maintain radio silence until we're past that Star Destroyer in orbit", replied Rip Skully curtly.

One of the Roxian's two companions, 5150, moved rapidly from station to station in the Hammerhead's spacious bridge making last minute adjustments to the ship's offensive and defensive systems. "We'll just have to punch our way out of that blockade. I suggest we go high while they go low and we'll both blast anything in our way until we're through", he said to Skully as he paused at the weapons station.

"That's the plan I just decided on too", Skully answered. "But for now, give me control of the aft missiles at this station."

5150 pushed a few switches on his board and a small targeting screen extended from the left side of Skully's command chair. "We're maintaining the course and speed you wanted, but we're sitting kevs if the Imps decide to fire on us from orbit", called Dastoga Kelrune, the Mon Calamari stationed at the auxiliary flight console to Skully's left.

"They've probably only just now picked us up on their sensors with all the battle debris in this system. We'll be kicking up to full throttle soon enough, but for now, I have to do something", Skully said as he peered into the targeter and selected two missiles from his aft magazine.

In the targeting box, Skully saw a visual of the Imperial Palace. He focused upon a sinkhole beside the mammoth pyramidial structure. One which he and his companions had just escaped through. A yellow light on the targeter flashed to red and a chime went off as the system achieved target lock. With a grim set to his face, Rip Skully depressed his firing trigger twice.

"Goodbye my friend" he whispered with immense sadness and regret.

An unsteady, gauntleted hand reached up though the tangle of twisted metal and found a grip. With effort, a figure clothed in tattered black robes pulled himself out of the sinkhole. Coppery blood oozed from a multitude of cuts about the humanoid's body. Finally free of his confines, the being straightened up to his full 2.2 meter height. The smoke filtered sunlight of Coruscant's dawn glinted off the lightsaber attached to his belt.

T'Kir Sur-Nori, student of the Force and former member of Team Maverick, gazed up into the sky to look after the two departing starships. A sigh escaped his thin-lipped mouth as he spoke aloud.

"Skully, I wish you could understand that everything has changed now. I have served the wrong side in this war for far too long. Now, you have helped me to retrieve the means by which I will end this war". As he said this, he raised his black gauntleted left fist and admired it. "With this Sith talisman", he continued, "I will have more power than you can ever imagine. Perhaps someday I will even eclipse the might of my new master!"

A flash of light followed by another from between the engine pods of the Hammerhead I caught his eye. The supersonic objects began to come into focus as the engines of the ship flared and it raced for the upper atmosphere.

"No!" Sur-nori breathed in stunned disbelief. "More treachery from you Skully?" he shouted in growing rage. "Traitor! I will destroy you!" he continued to yell as the gauntlet began to glow with a primal blue light. "I shall..."

The Sakaaran's tirade was stifled as an enormous fist of pure energy crushed him into nothingness. The second fist was just as thorough. T'Kir Sur-Nori, former Je-dee Lord of the Sakaaran people ceased to exist.

Aboard the Bespin Skyline, Ostic Osiphe was overwhelmed by an intense moment of dread which sprung from deep within the core of her being. A chill traveled up her spine and she knew that the friend and companion with whom she had worked for over eight years was dead. She stifled back a tear and refocused on the task at hand. Then, she felt it.

It started as a tingling at the back of her mind. An ambiguous sensation which resolved itself into a feeling of dread and immediate danger. She brought her ship up into a tight roll as she called into her communications mike.

"Skully! Pull up! More ships coming in on our flanks!"

"I repeat! Pull up!" came Ostic's voice over the intercom speakers in the bridge of the Hammerhead I. Rip Skully nodded to a perplexed Dastoga Kelrune to follow the evasive maneuvers of their counterpart. It was then that the Imperials' reinforcements arrived.

Two more Imperial Star Destroyers flashed in out of hyperspace on the flanks of the Death's Head. Both began firing long range shots at the rebel ships coming to meet them; bracketing them in emerald fire. Their launch bays began to disgorge TIE fighters. An already bleak situation turned apparently hopeless.

"We're dead! Shields are down by fifty percent! We haven't got a chance", Kelrune shouted from his bridge station.

"Then we shall just take some of them with us", 5150 stated with calm resignation.

Rip Skully said nothing. He just sat and stared at the forward viewport.

"Fourth Star Destroyer just arriving behind the first one! We're not going to make it out of this one!" Kelrune said as he turned his head to focus his bulbous eyes upon Skully.

Rip Skully said nothing. He just sat and stared at the forward viewport. And then he pointed ahead.

His two companions followed his signal and also looked just in time to see a volley of turbolaser fire from the fourth Star Destroyer rip through the aft third of the Death's Head. The Death's Head, racked by internal explosions began to pivot around in a slow flat spin as it's crew rushed to save it. With the Death's Head out of the way, the new arrival split it's attention between the two other Star Destroyers in the fight. They turned to face this new threat and forgot about the two escaping transports. A voice crackled over the speakers in the bridge of the Hammerhead I.

"General Skully, this is General Calrissian aboard the Alliance Star Destroyer Liberator. You and your people are cleared for a hasty retreat."

"Thanks for the assistance, Liberator. Skully out", Rip replied as he keyed off his mike.

"Coordinates are set", Ostic called over the com. "See you at the base."

With a flash of light, the Bespin Skyline disappeared into hyperspace. Skully looked over to Kelrune. "Our coordinates are ready", came the reply from Kelrune.

"Go", said Skully.

The Hammerhead I tranistioned to hyperspace, leaving the Liberator and its crew to their pitched battle over the debris-strewn planet of Coruscant.

Chapter1: Escape From Kuat

"Why does this all seem sooo familiar?" she asked with sarcasm.

"We�ve got a squadron of TIE Interceptors coming up on our starboard flank! They�re gaining on us!" Doc called from the shield station.

Chapter 2: Lianna

Chapter 3: