The fighters closed in on the experimental base quickly. Sixteen ships split into four squads and spread out, preparing to strike.
Level 101, at the mountain's core, held a broad hall—this was the command center of the entire facility. Every experimental report flowed through here, then the useful portions were extracted and forwarded up the chain.
Those reports, without a doubt, ultimately reached Gideon.
Only a small portion was forwarded, though. The tedious raw logs and massive data analyses, once used, were stored in the central computer at the hall's heart. That machine wasn't connected to any network—it existed purely for storage.
At this moment, the highest-ranking commander remaining here wasn't an Imperial officer.
It was an old man in a white robe.
"Professor, unidentified ships detected approaching the base. They intend to attack!" A technician in an Imperial uniform stood up and reported.
The old man—called "Professor"—turned to look at several red dots projected onto the main display. Those were the incoming fighters, closing fast.
"Launch interceptors! Activate all base security systems at full capacity! Some vermin are trying to take advantage of the chaos—make sure they don't leave alive!"
The Professor hurried to a console and began trying to contact the outside, intending to report the situation up the chain.
Not long ago, they'd lost their only cruiser and it was still under repair—meaning strong reinforcements were unlikely. Even though the base had ample garrison forces, facing an unknown intrusion still rattled him.
If the enemy could find the base at all, it wasn't some ordinary pirate band or scattered rabble. And if they dared to launch an assault, they had to be relying on something.
The Professor issued orders with a veneer of calm, but it was an act. This old man was a compliant puppet Gideon had elevated—someone to monitor the base and keep it in line. He had command authority, yes, but the facility itself didn't have many active missions—mostly it just filed reports now and then.
With little real work to do, he'd spent his days enjoying the power he'd been granted, drifting comfortably.
But today's sudden attack threw his mind into chaos. After ordering the base's security to respond automatically, he wanted only one thing: reach his superiors and beg for reinforcements—immediately.
If there were losses, he couldn't bear the responsibility.
"Report! Our communications system has been shut down! Control of base facilities is being gradually taken over—soon even the outer-wall security grid will be paralyzed!"
"What?!" The Professor froze mid-motion as the bad news slammed into him. "What did you say? Hurry! Take back control!"
"We're trying!" The technician dropped back into his seat and started working furiously.
The more he worked, the more shocked he became.
Who was hacking the base network?!
It was too fast—like the intruder had walked into their own home. The technique was absurdly fluent. The Empire's highest-grade firewall had been breached without a sound, at some point he couldn't even pinpoint—and he hadn't noticed a thing. He only realized when the takeover began.
Amir, meanwhile, smiled at the readout on his bracer.
The firewall was still as flimsy as ever.
They were running a similar architecture, so the program he'd prepared inside his bracer cracked it with ease.
From there, it was just simple operations to seize control of their communications.
The only real problem was that many systems weren't on the network—semi-independent combat droids, power distribution, valve controls—those were unreachable. Their "information network" tech tree was weak, but that also meant they depended less on it.
Otherwise, Amir could have controlled the entire base in a short window, turning every machine into an ally.
But cutting communications was already enough.
Amir had stayed hidden for a while, and the moment Ahsoka's assault began, he severed their comms first.
"And I can give you another surprise," Amir said with a grin as he shut down one more system.
Ahsoka locked onto the mountain and hit the attack control. From maximum range, she opened fire. Several TIE fighters parked on the landing platform at the base's summit were struck immediately—bursting into fire and scattering debris. In an instant, the platform was swept clean.
"Everyone, watch the laser emplacements on the cliff face!" Ahsoka shouted.
The greatest threat was the base's external security grid—dozens of heavy laser cannons spread across the entire mountain.
Once activated, the resulting fire density would be horrifying. This was their first hurdle. Only by avoiding those batteries could they land safely.
But as the laser cannons began extending outward and powering up, they suddenly lost power. The barrels sagged limply toward the ground.
Ahsoka's pulse surged with relief.
It had to be Amir's team.
"Cover my landing!" Seeing the opening, Ahsoka drove straight for the highest platform. With the obstacle removed, they needed to touch down fast.
Stormtroopers and combat droids were already pouring out from inside the base. A group of pilots stared silently at the wreckage of the destroyed TIEs, while others began firing up at the sky.
But with the Resistance already holding the airspace, they were easy targets.
Two squads of fighters swept over the base and rolled into position. In the next heartbeat, eight ships unleashed a dense barrage onto the platform. Red blaster fire fell like a storm. The stormtroopers and combat droids holding the line didn't last even two seconds before they dropped.
Ahsoka and the troop transport behind her used the moment to hover directly over the landing platform.
Ahsoka—dual lightsabers in hand—and Veronica, carrying a large pack, jumped down together. More than a dozen fully equipped comrades followed behind them.
Nearly twenty people hit the platform from the two ships. They immediately took cover and poured fire into the Imperial troops surging out in waves.
"Calling Pivot—two flights of TIEs just launched from the central port," Amir relayed over the comms.
"Squads One and Two, land. The remaining two squads, contain the enemy fighters!"
With the order issued, six fighters began seeking landing opportunities. Squads One and Two were the two groups that included the transports—their mission was to punch into the base itself.
Ahsoka found her opening and burst from cover. She dipped her body low, exploding into terrifying speed. Her slender silhouette shot forward and slammed into the space in front of a combat droid. Her lightsaber rose in an upward cut—slicing through an alloy shell that blaster fire couldn't penetrate as if it were butter.
In an instant, almost every gun swung to target Ahsoka.
But her feet never stopped.
She kept her blades moving, continuously intercepting incoming blaster bolts, then surged straight for another droid.
Seeing it, Veronica and the others leaned out from cover and unleashed a heavy curtain of fire to screen Ahsoka, advancing under that protection.
Only moments passed before five combat droids were destroyed by Ahsoka's hands—and the enemy's defensive formation was shattered by her alone.
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STAR WARS: RELICS OF THE PAST
🌌⚔️ STAR WARS: RELICS OF THE PAST ⚔️🌌
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📢 THE FORCE CALLS AGAIN! 📢
Star Wars: Relics of the Past has 100+ chapters ahead available on Patreon! 🌠🛰️
Ancient secrets, forgotten relics, Jedi echoes, and buried truths wait in the shadows of the galaxy.
✨ Some things were lost for a reason.⚔️ Some powers should never be awakened.🌌 And some stories begin long after history tried to erase them.
Follow the trail of ancient relics before the rest of the galaxy catches up.
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🛑 ALSO AVAILABLE ON PATREON:
🌃 Cyberpunk: Dogtown Legend🔥 Cyberpunk: The Relentless👩👦 Cyberpunk: Lucy Adopted Me and I Got a System🧠 My Cyberpunk 2077 Simulator🤖 My Girlfriend's a Cyberpsycho—Who Knew?🛡️ Star Wars: The Rise of Mandalore🏰 Game of Thrones: Secrets Beneath the Dreadfort⚡ The Rebirth of Harry Potter🌹 R18: Reincarnated in Her World
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