The hologram of the hooded figure spoke with words that slashed through the hearts of the Imperial officers like invisible lightsaber blades. He paused a second before continuing. "Admiral Prolov, as you can see, we need your assistance. General Jerek has scoured our world to force young, able-bodied individuals into serving his mercenary ranks. He selects the most promising from those ranks and sends them through some kind of dimensional gates. And it changes them physically. They come back empowered with whatever lies beyond the gates. The most outward sign of this conversion is the solid black eyes staring emotionlessly. We can't allow this to continue. Please, help us stop this, Admiral Prolov."

In the holochamber of the Imperial Star Destroyer, Apollyon, Admiral Garren Prolov paused the hologram and looked over to two officers standing behind him. "We know what this means, don't we?"

Fleet Captain Aveen straightened his uniform and nodded. "If Jerek has resurrected the gate project, then he has exposed this galaxy to a substantial threat." He motioned towards the hologram. "We have no choice but to act. However, we must also consider the possibility that this could be a trap set by the First Order."

Next to Aveen, the commander of the fleet's ground forces, General Orlind, stared blankly at Prolov. "I concur, Captain. That said, it is imperative we know what we are up against."

"Their focus is on obtaining ground forces," Captain Aveen said. He paused and glanced at Prolov. "And according to this report, the Facilitator has left the system. If there are only ground forces with little to no air support, we should be able to eliminate them swiftly."

Prolov exhaled. "That is what they want us to think. And they know we are at an impasse unless we act. Sitting idly by will be as much of an offense in their eyes."

Orlind looked up from the holographic image of Maruun III. "Sir, committing our fleet to this endeavor could very well be suicide."

Prolov shook his head. "I doubt that General. They need us to remain intact for their purposes. Or at least somewhat intact. You see, with that knowledge, we have a distinct advantage."

"An advantage?" Orlind asked, furrowing his brow. "They know our tactics from our action taken on Geneel. Would they not employ countermeasures to overcome our tactical advantages, sir?"

"General, it is a risk they cannot afford to take," Prolov replied blankly. "Things are not as they seem in the galaxy. The First Order does not have a hold on as many star systems as does the New Republic. They are hiding in the shadows like a predator waiting to ambush prey. Therefore, they cannot take major action against anyone without exposing themselves prematurely."

Captain Aveen nodded, "So, they allow us to do their dirty work for them, and with our known reputation of eliminating rouges, we will be doing what others expect of us. And we become the target of the New Republic while they go free to accomplish their objectives sight unseen."

"And that is a risk we must take, Captain," Prolov said. He quickly turned to General Orlind. Prepare your men for a surface attack. I will submit the battle plans to you shortly."

Orlind bowed and left the chamber. Aveen waited for the blast doors to close before focusing on Prolov.

"Admiral, you know this will require you to employ certain abilities you haven't used in some time, don't you?" Aveen inquired with a curious expression.

Prolov shrugged. "Of course, it will. I must accept the responsibility of laying too many of our cards down before the First Order."

Aveen raised an eyebrow. "And how will you handle this, sir?"

"As I always do," Prolov replied firmly. "By opting for the lesser of two evils."

Poe Dameron grimaced while watching his fellow pilots form up on his flanks. He remembered how challenging the previous missions were for his squadron in particular. They had suffered many casualties, but they had pulled through somehow. However, realizing the difficulty they faced today was not what made him nervous; it was the mission itself. Add that he was only allowed to take eight X-Wings with him into the Unknown Regions, and it was easy to see why he was so apprehensive about the mission ahead.

He pulled his fighter ahead of the group, adjusting his speed so the other pilots could easily keep up with him. Some were untested rookies, replacing those lost in a recent strike on a pirate hideout. Others like Colonel Veraan and Lieutenant Corteel were seasoned combatants and experienced fighter pilots. He silently hoped the younger pilots would watch and learn from the older ones. But he also knew that was a gamble, seeing that the First Order would likely have some of its top pilots stationed at the inter-dimensional gate, waiting to jump to its defense quickly.

And that was what Poe feared the most, especially for his rookie pilots. Even experienced ace pilots like him would still have their hands full with the First Order pilots. He quickly put that thought aside to concentrate on the mission that had severe ramifications for the galaxy if it failed.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, it's showtime. Remember, we are under the codename Shadow Squadron today. No Red, Blue, or Black callsigns," he said enthusiastically. "Let's take it into hyperspace!"

All eight fighters slipped into the swirling blue hyperspace vortex effortlessly. Sometimes, Poe wished it would take longer than it did to go from one point to another just to enjoy the peace before the heat of battle a little more. He reasoned that no matter how many times he went into battle, he never got used to it. He knew no one ever gets used to it; only a fool would believe they did. The vortex subsided quickly as they jumped out of hyperspace and into the Unknown Regions. It was quiet, too quiet for Poe's liking.

"Stay sharp, Shadow Squadron!" he said through his commlink. "Either we caught them off guard, or they are lying in wait for us. Sooner or later, we're going to have company!"

Colonel Veraan waited for Poe to finish before speaking up in his usually monotone voice. "Shadow Leader, when they attack, they will be coming from the sides and the rear. They won't dare to move in front of that gate."

Poe nodded as if Veraan were standing in front of him. "That's so they don't get pulled into the other side. Thanks for the info, Shadow Two. Ladies and gentlemen, keep his advice in mind. Lock s-foils into attack position! You know the plan and your positions! Let's blow this thing out of the galaxy!"

Poe pulled just ahead of the group and adjusted his flight path. "Shadow Two and Three form up on me. The rest of the squadron will look out for fighters. Keep 'em off of us!"

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Just up ahead, Poe noticed four rectangular objects sitting motionless in space. Two sat across from each other with enough room between them to allow a pair of large ships to pass through. Two more similar objects sat below them, the same distance apart, forming a square shape. At first glance, it appeared to be a straightforward design.

Poe's expression twisted into one of confusion. "That's it? There's nothing to this! We'll have this mission over within no time at all!"

"Shadow Leader, looks are deceiving. I'd proceed with caution." Veraan warned as he glared at the gate. "Snoke has a lot of confidence in this thing."

"Maybe so, Shadow Two," Poe replied with a smirk. "But I have all the confidence in you guys. Shadow Two and Three take the top two emitters. I'll take the bottom. Lock proton torpedoes on targets and fire when ready."

Poe pulled his X-wing into position, lining up the bottom left emitter in his targeting computer. He waited for the signal tone indicating a lock on the target. He smiled as it filled his ears. He launched a pair of torpedoes and slowed his ship to watch them strike their target. Shadow Two and Three followed suit above him, firing one pair of torpedoes each. The weapons streaked towards the gate emitters rapidly, impacting upon each one with a blaze that lit up the space surrounding it in a blinding glare.

Poe turned slightly to shield his eye from the bright flash of the weapon's detonation. As the blaze subsided, he took another look and was amazed and frightened. "No effect! And I thought these torpedoes were armed with higher-grade explosives!"

"Shadow Leader, do you want me to make another pass?" Veraan asked as he brought his fighter alongside Poe's.

"Affirmative, Shadow Two," Poe replied as he checked his scanner display. No damage was shown to the emitters. "Make another run; the rest of us will cover you. Shadow Three, fly wingman for him."

With Shadow Three watching intently, Veraan banked sharply and came in for another run on the emitters. He chose the upper one closest to him and fired another pair of proton torpedoes. An intense explosion erupted as the weapons found their mark. Veraan kept his eyes on the explosion. As it died down, he frowned upon seeing the emitter sitting in place undamaged. Something caught his eye before he turned away to return to his squadron. He looked closer and noticed the space between the emitters waver as a distortion rippled from side to side.

"Shadow Leader, we have activity. I don't know if we damaged it or not." Veraan reported as he moved closer to investigate. The wavering intensified greatly as he approached. "I'm returning to the squadron. I don't like what's happening."

"Good idea, Shadow Two. We'll try to make another run at the emitters simultaneously." Poe replied, keeping an eye on the gate and the wavering rolling from emitter to emitter even more rapidly. Veraan positioned his fighter next to Poe's and signaled that he was ready to run with the squadron.

Poe nodded with a smile. "Alright, Shadow Squadron, we'll hit them all at once. We'll start with the emitter in the lower left corner. Target that thing with everything you have. Let's go!"

The X-wings came in hard at the lower emitter in a tight group, leaving just enough space between each fighter for all pilots to get off a clean shot without jeopardizing the pilot next to them. As they closed in, the gates wavering continued to intensify significantly. The squadron lined up the lower left emitter and fired several proton torpedoes and blasters. Again, the explosions erupted and died down, revealing that the object suffered no damage. Poe turned his fighter in a sharp bank to pull away from the gate and gasped at the sight that suddenly filled his eyes.

Without warning, twenty First Order TIE fighters flew from the center of the gate like a swarm of angry hornets defending their nest. Poe shook his head as he knew ahead of time that a dogfight was inevitable. "We've got company, Shadow Squadron! Engage them!"

He performed his signature turn and headed straight for the first three fighters. Lining them up in his sights, he fired a volley from his ship's blasters. He smiled slightly as he expected to see his shots tear into the fighters. Instead, they dodged the blaster fire almost instantly and turned away from him. Poe pulled his fighter into a sharp bank, bringing it around on the tail of the TIE closest to him. He adjusted his speed to match his opponent's and lined him up in his targeting sensor.

The lock-on signal chimed, and he instantly squeezed the trigger. The targeted TIE twisted at the last second to avoid Poe's shots before pulling up in an almost impossible-to-believe tight climb that ended in another mind-blowing sharp turn back towards Poe. He pulled his X-wing to the right, increasing speed to keep up with the TIE. He closed in again on his target but was stunned to see the pilot execute an extremely sharp angled back to the right. Poe followed with a bank of his own, trying to get a lock on the fighter. The TIE pilot quickly cut to the left, and Poe followed. The TIE banked to the right again and then back to the left when Poe pulled in behind him. This went back and forth until Poe almost became dizzy from the movements. The TIE executed a tight roll to the right and escaped Poe's vision.

"Stay sharp, Shadow Squadron! These First Order pilots can fly!" he said, scanning space for another target. In the distance, he noticed the only female pilot in his group pulling up on the rear of a TIE. The smile on his face vanished when two TIEs came out of nowhere and engaged her from behind. "Shadow Eight, you have two on your tail. Pull up, Lieutenant Mettris. Pull up!"

Before she could react, the pair of TIEs launched one concussion missile each. Both weapons struck her X-Wing in the aft section. It barreled out of control before disintegrating into a fiery explosion, tossing debris in all directions. Poe shook his head in disgust before turning to engage another enemy fighter.

"Shadow Six, you have one on your tail!" Shadow Four's pilot screamed into his commlink. "Turn hard! Turn hard!"

"I can't get him off of me!" Shadow Six replied frantically. "Help me! Somebody help me-"

Green blaster fire ripped into the cockpit of Shadow Six, blasting the mid-section of the ship to pieces and sending the helpless pilot tumbling into space. The craft spun wildly before it exploded in a brilliant blast. Poe exhaled as he watched helplessly from a distance.

He turned his attention to another fighter in front of him. The TIE pilot was busy concentrating on Shadow Three just before him. It gave Poe the chance he needed. He pulled behind it, locked it in his targeting computer, and blasted it from the stars. A bit of jubilation rose within him, but just enough to raise his spirits somewhat as he realized the battle was far from over.

"Thanks, Shadow Leader!" Lieutenant Corteel, the pilot of Shadow Three, said in a relieved tone. He noticed Shadow Five under fire just off to the left. "I'm coming to assist you, Shadow Five!"

A warning chime from his instrument panel turned his attention away from his wingman. His navigation computer display revealed he was dangerously close to the gate. He reduced his speed and made a tight turn from the gate. His ship rocked violently as sparks filled the cockpit. He quickly looked over his shoulder to see a TIE pulling in on him with blasters firing rapid volleys. He turned to dodge but was too late to avoid the fire. His starboard engines exploded, sending him spinning wildly. Corteel yanked at the controls frantically, only to look up and watch as his fighter soared into the spirit realm beyond the gate.

Corteel cursed under his breath as his fighter continued to tumble into space. He worked on the instrument panel in an attempt to regain control of his craft. He suddenly felt a cold breeze filtering through the cockpit as he worked. Looking up, he noticed the canopy beginning to frost over. It started at the lower edges and slowly worked its way upward. Gradually, it advanced until it was at eye level with Corteel. It continued, eventually covering the entire canopy. Corteel turned his attention back to the control panel to work.

He noticed something moving against the canopy. He looked up, and at first, he didn't see anything as he stared, and then he saw movement again. To his eyes, it seemed like the frost on the canopy was moving like sand blown in the wind. He watched the movement as tiny slivers appeared in the frost, forming circles at first.

He smiled as he thought that the frost was melting. He turned back to the panel to work when he noticed the circles moved. He slowly turned his eyes back up to the canopy and gasped. A pair of eyes within the frost stared back at him. He shifted in his seat, and the eyes followed his movement. As he looked on, a face began to form in the frost. The eyes locked on him as the face became more distinguishable.

It was a soft, inviting face that glared at him with eyes full of longing. He smiled as the face became more apparent. It did not return the smile; it only looked blankly back at him. Quickly, its mouth turned downward in a frown before it emitted a hateful growl, twisting into a mask of anger. It lunged for Corteel, absorbing itself into his body before he could scream.