The World Eater
https://youtu.be/KGHA9oO1Ybg
The sight before Kyrel's very eyes was surreal... It was as if it was a dream that he had hoped would never come to pass. Avalonia the city that showed the very height of First Imperial Civilization across the Outer Rim, Western Reaches, and even stretching as far as the Unknown Regions was now burning. The very banners of the First Order that had adorned the Imperial Palace were burning, the HQ of the FOSB was burning. Ssi-Ruuvi Fighter's chased and were chased after by TIE Fighters of all designs, while Kyrel could have difficulty maneuvering the Silencer he was piloting, with only the Force to aid him as he strafed the hordes of Ssi-Ruuvi forces that had been flooding the very streets, Walkers were even sent out in a desperate hope as to withstand the onslaught, but the weaponry of the mysterious and elusive foe proved to overpower the best the First Imperials had to offer.
Kyrel held a small measure of hope, yet even that was fleeting with each passing minute that he watched the carnage, from everywhere he could see flames and smoke had gripped the beautiful blue skies. People were running, as if the system was collapsing, some of what he could see circling around providing cover was people getting on all types of craft, freighters, First Imperial transports, shuttles. Anything the lot could use in trying to escape, to survive. The Ren couldn't blame them, they were dying each second from the enemy, and so all he could do was make strafing runs, watching as he shot proton torpedos, laser blasts... See the Ssi-Ruuk lines break and give those that were fighting a chance to make a tactical retreat.
Commander Vaal a trooper who had served in both wars the First Order has gone through, even serving in the White Wolves unit of the Stormtrooper Corps, was now trying to escort civilians where she could launch a flair and catch the attention of air support. She had been running through the city streets, with the civilians she was protecting, nothing more than a couple of families that she and her men saved combing the residencies of said families. "Come we must hurry it's this way!" She shouted in urgency as the families slightly showed, keeping her blaster rifle close. She was paranoid now... She heard stories of the Lizards that came long ago and struck them, she wasn't enlisted than. Only a recruit in the Imperial Academy in the equally beautiful city of Victoria. Now she was fueled by paranoia and sheer adrenaline. She heard screams, blaster fire, and explosions all around. Cries of the people dying got to her most of all, there was nothing but death and destruction all around them, that even for a time she now doubted if she was gonna get out of it alive.
She saw it finally, after sneaking her way through the streets, going from cover to cover. The joy and the prosperity that had once resided within the confines of the city was all but gone at this point. It was a shame to see such beauty, such progress all but turn to ash, and she wondered what would even come from this. Then she saw them, the Ssi-Ruuk. Wielding their own weapons, some even carried sharp blades, they had an angry and yet pleased look in their eye as if they had finally managed to corner their prey. The families were afraid, cowering overwhelmed with fear. Vaal cursed under her breath as she fired off her flair hoping that someone would save them.
Vaal prepared for her very life to end in mere moments, what did surprise was the roar of a TIE Fighter, but one of unusual design strafing blasts of green laser fire upon the Ssi-Ruuk turning them into dust. Kyrel spoke into the Trooper's comlink. "Have no fear trooper, evacuate those that you can... I am afraid all is but lost here." The commander wanted to protest, but she knew it. As she looked around she saw nothing but what once was a thriving mecca of Imperialism was slowly being burned away, by the fires of old enemies that had come seeking revenge, and it would not be a loud bang that the First Order would go out in the pages of history, but like some civilizations was meant to go out silently into the night in the face of odds they could not change.
She tried to fight back tears as she spoke. "Thank you, this is Commander Vaal... Before I go... I wonder where do we even go? Who are you?" Kyrel spoke coldly as he tried to buy the group more time, banking his starfighter and evading enemy fire, only to retaliate in kind. "For now you may simply call me Ren.. Fall back to what remains of the Seventh Fleet, Admiral Cain of the Imperator shall cover any vessels that is trying to escape, but hurry while you still can.. She will give you the coordinates." The trooper nodded, even as everything was falling apart around her, she appreciated the help the Ren could provide at least, boarding the shuttle with the civilians, the craft slowly took off. Kyrel bought as much time as he could, preventing the craft from being destroyed. Watching as Avalonia, Victoria, Finnalizer City... All of it was being reduced to ashes... With the city lost Kyrel and Imperial forces were soon making a slow tactical retreat.
Meanwhile, Admiral Cain watched in horror, as she saw in front of her... The Concordia herself... The pride and joy that was the very foundations of the First Imperial Navy... Was destroyed... She shed a tear, as she asked in a shaky voice to one of the crewmen down below. "W-Who was aboard.." The crewman laid his head down in a silent mournful way, removing his headset. "Admiral Hersch and... and... Grand Moff Fortan herself..." He said trying to fight back the tears, Cain looked away squinting her eyes in anger as she watched what was once the Concordia and the ship that she took out separate into debris, allowing First Imperial forces to hold them back... She tried to come to grips with it, that perhaps not all was lost... But now there was no word from the Supreme Leader, the Grand Moff herself was dead... High Command in disarray... It seemed all was lost for the First Order... The end had come at last.
She finally came to grip with herself. She had no time to mourn the dead now... They had to leave, they had no choice and all Cain had was the Ren's coordinates to the Atravis Sector. "Keep firing all batteries, have the Fighters provide cover for the civilian transports and any other vessels making it off world. As soon as we have had everybody, we are leaving." They nodded and the Resurgent Battlecruiser kept firing, TIE Fighters roared as they now moved to the defensive guiding ships over to the defensive perimeter the shattered remains of once huge battlegroups now remain. It was no longer a battle but merely a fighting retreat, to survive was all that mattered now.
Kyrel soon came guiding the transport the Stormtrooper Commander was on, along with with a few more civilian ships and a wing of TIE Fighters, Even Kyrel couldn't believe what he had seen, the remnants of the Concordia adrift in space... He silently hoped that the Grand Moff was alive, but even he knew that she was for better or worse dead... There was nothing left. Anger gripped him, and he wanted nothing more than to lash out and destroy every one of the invaders... Even if it killed himself, but he had a job to do, to guide what was left of what forces on his end remained and try to survive.
"Admiral... We have run out of time, and we need to leave now!" He spoke in a ruthless tone that in of itself demanded urgency. Cain nodded, as they couldn't hold back and wait any longer, that the little flotilla they have gathered had to be enough. "Yes Ren, guide the Civilians to the Hanger, and we shall make our jump to Hyperspace." She started to relay the coordinates to every ship in the fleet they had. The fringe worlds of the First Order, perhaps the only safest place there could be to avoid the enemy... Even they wouldn't dare to go so far into the Outer Rim. "All hands prepare to Jump!" The countdown was set as the ships slowly went into position, the TIEs making a fighting retreat as some docked and the hyperspace capable ones protected the cruisers.
"Jump!" She said as soon the blue wormhole of hyperspace enveloped them, and soon Civilian and Military craft started to disappear into Hyperspace, and while anger filled Kyrel Ren, he couldn't stay to die. For he had to live to make something new rise, to rise from the ashes and start anew... What that is he didn't know. But he would not let the Grand Moff's sacrifice be in vain as he jumped into hyperspace. What was once a proud nation slowly fell, but would live to perhaps rise anew...