Terran Alliance: A Jedi and the Hammer Squadron

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

(May 23, 2026)

In the sky over a relatively obscure volcanic planet, the day is anything but peaceful. The sky is being torn apart by ferocious fighting. A trio of TIE Interceptors streak low over a lava lake, trying desperately to escape. A second later, an SF-15 Space Eagle streaks low over the lava lake in hot pursuit.

In the cockpit, Captain Jonathan Page smirks as he watches the TIEs try to escape from him. He switches over to his Sidewinders and squeezes the trigger, launching one of them. THe missile shreds one of the TIEs. He then switches over to his laser cannons before squeezing off two quick bursts, shooting down both. Jonathan then snaps up into a climbing left turn. He glances around and sees the rest of the squadron streaking all over the sky, engaging dozens more TIE fighters.

In the 7 years since the end of the Galactic Civil War, the Hammer Squadron had been continuously deployed across the Andromeda Galaxy to hunt down Imperial remnants. Now, once again, they had been sent after another remnant. This was a relatively minor mission. A former colonel in the ISB had taken control of a small force and used it to build up a criminal enterprise on this planet. The Squadron had been sent to eliminate the facility and the remnant in one blow.

Jonathan sees a TIE passing in front of his nose and quickly turns to go after it. Jonathan quickly centers the TIE in his gunsight and squeezes the trigger, firing a burst from his laser cannons that blow the TIE to pieces.

However, a second later, laser bolts go flying past his canopy. Jonathan glances back and sees two TIE fighters directly on his tail. Jonathan quickly reverses his turn, throwing the TIE pilots off guard. They quickly get behind him again, but now they've lost the advantage and can't quite get their sights centered on Jonathan's fighter.

"I could use some help," Jonathan calls over the radio.

"Don't worry, boss." Jonathan looks behind him again just in time to see an SF-15 drop in behind the TIEs and blow both of them to pieces with its laser cannons.

"You owe me one, Johnny boy," comes the cocky voice over the radio.

"Don't think too highly of yourself, Rick," Jonathan chuckles in return.

Rick Saunders is a relatively new addition to the Hammer Squadron, and has been Jonathan's wingman for the last 6 months. After the war, Jonathan had continued flying with Abigail as his wingman, even after he became squadron commander in 2022. However, they had also kept up their romance, and had married in 2023. Abigail had left the squadron and retired from the military the following year after almost 14 years of service when she got pregnant with their first child, and now served as an advisor at Lockheed Martin. Jonathan had then flown with another one of his good buddies from the squadron before his friend transferred out to become a flight instructor six months ago, at which point Jonathan had selected Rick as his new wingman. Despite Rick being the newest member of the squadron, Jonathan saw some elements of his younger self in Rick and wanted to take Rick under his wing and see just how good Rick could get. So far, Rick hasn't disappointed his expectations.

Rick forms up on Jonathan's 5 o clock, about 800 yards behind him, and the two streak back into the furball. A TIE fighter flashes past Jonathan's nose, and without altering course, Jonathan fires his laser cannons, blowing it to smithereens. Jonathan then sees half a dozen TIE fighters flying after two of his squadronmates.

Jonathan noses down and banks right. The TIEs are not turning very tightly, and Jonathan is quickly on their tail. Two TIEs notice him and break off the chase, but Rick breaks away from Jonathan to pursue them.

Jonathan stays focused on his targets. He quickly centers his gunsights on the trailer and squeezes the trigger, blowing it into vapor. He then shifts to another and again blows it apart with a few bolts.