Star Wars: Heir to the Sith (Part 1) (#Wattys2018 shortlist)

Chapter 17: "It is evident to me the pilot is either dead or unconscious."

"Sir?" Bauhaus queried.

"Now, if you please," Pina replied.

"Yes sir," Lieutenant Janus in the weapons pit below obeyed.

A single green line roared from the bow of the Star Destroyer and cut through the curve of the planet's atmosphere toward the spinning target.

"You'll destroy them," Bauhaus said tensely.

"I hope to. It is evident to me the pilot is either dead or unconscious. They can't eject. If they hit the atmosphere at that speed they will be killed for certain, escape capsule or not. But if we hit them successfully . . ."

On his command console Pina saw the green laser blast strike the Tie's port wing. The vessel rolled from the force and then fractured into two, the struck wing spinning away to burn up in the atmosphere. The hull of the craft rolled, out of control.

Pina gritted his teeth. "Come on," he seethed. "Come on . . ."

"Sensors are detecting an ejection, sir," a voice from the pit called out.

A second later Pina saw it on his screen. A tiny figure in a flight uniform hurtled away from the Tie on the thrust of the ejection.

"How long until the pilot hits the atmosphere?" Pina asked. "Is there enough time for the life buoy to reach them?"

"Affirmative Captain." Lieutenant Triem-mar's voice couldn't hide his joyful tone. Even as they watched, the empty hull of the Interceptor hit the atmosphere at an oblique angle. Within seconds it was glowing. Sparks flew from the spinning object. An instant later it was consumed entirely in a brilliant fireball, disintegrating.

Bauhaus exhaled. "Very clever, sir. Damaging the Tie so its automatic ejection would jettison the pilot. Not sure if I've ever read that in any manual."

Pina answered the compliment with only a modest nod.

Above the atmosphere, the cylindrical life buoy moved into position above the motionless figure and drew them quickly in side.

"Life reading?" Pina asked his crew.

"Human life signs detected, sir. Faint but stable."

"Order it back to the Reaver," Pina instructed. "Assign it a bay and have a medical droid on standby. Inform King Garrand that his planet and people are safe. Take the Reaver to the remains of the capital ship. I want to be sure there's no one else left on board there. Prepare a team to go over the wreckage. I will need to assign a leader for this." He examined the three officers who he knew hoped to be picked to lead the squad, though none dared to request it in front of the others.

There was the Navigation Officer, Lieutenant Cody, a forty year old man whose career had stalled. A rumour had it that a family relative had joined the alliance and this had put a black mark on his record. Pina saw how it was frustration that motivated Cody - he had been passed over for promotion and needed every opportunity he could get to prove himself. He was a competent officer, but not a confident one, and because of that he was despised by his fellow officers.

Behind him stood the Communications Officer, Lieutenant Ord. He was an ambitious man just a year younger than Pina who had recently failed the command course. The fact that Pina had passed it and taken control of the Reaver no doubt angered Ord more than he let on. It was obvious to Pina that to Ord, he had become a target, a benchmark to meet and surpass to prove to himself that he could be better than those who had completed the command course.

Then there was Janus. She was the youngest senior officer on board the Reaver. She stared at Pina from her position at the weapons console through unblinking emerald eyes. Pina had found her a bit of a riddle when he had been posted to the Reaver in the months before. She was attractive, but she was harder than any other officer on board. More fanatical to the empire. A woman who kept no friends and viewed everyone else as competition. She was highly efficient, brilliant at her job, completely ruthless, and genuinely feared by the crew.

Part of Pina wanted to see her make a mistake. You could tell a lot about a person when they erred and how they coped with setbacks. But Janus had yet to put a foot wrong. Perhaps this would be the time?

He pointed to her.

"Janus. You'll lead the team. Find out what you can. Bring back any survivors."

"Yes Captain."

She saluted and turned to leave the bridge, but Pina hailed her once more. "Janus, one more thing. Make sure you bring back all your team as well. No casualties."

The green eyes narrowed slightly. He could feel her coldness across the distance. "Very good, sir. I will take every precaution."

Janus left the bridge without another word.

Pina felt his arm twinge. "Now Bauhaus, let's go and meet our survivor."

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This is the first time we get to see Pina's immediate crew aboard the Reaver. Managing a ship of the Reaver's size (in Star Wars cannon a number nearing forty-fifty thousand), would be near impossible job without an extensive command structure in place. The problem Pina has is juggling the ambitions of his junior officers and ensuring their loyalty in an uncertain time. Pity poor Pina - it's never easy at the top!