Rear Admiral Visaqar was standing erect on the bridge of his flagship, the Victory Star Destroyer Excoriator. He was a proud Admiral, was reserved about himself, and was sometimes a little less than lenient with incompetent crew.
He knew how to lead, he knew his basic and more advanced tactics, but very rarely used them. He just recognised his opponents using the tactic and acted accordingly, making his own counter.
Visaqar pondered his mission this time, he had received direct orders from the Emperor himself, Take Ghorman. Visaqar, not one to turn down a mission, accepted gladly.
Visaqar walked over to the Helmsman’s station, and looked at the rectangular screen displaying the time until they arrived at Ghorman.
‘Another half an hour……’ Visaqar thought to himself, and patted Lieutenant Jefferson, the Helmsman, on the shoulder. He stood straight again, and surveyed the bridge.
‘All of these new people, and a couple old. I must get to know them. If the crew knows you and trust in you, victory is almost ensured.’ Visaqar thought of the first rule his father had taught him about being a Starship Captain, before he was killed.
Visaqar walked over to the ready-room door, and turned back.
“Captain Davis, you have the bridge.” Visaqar said and entered the ready-room.
Visaqar entered the ready-room, and walked over to his desk. It was arrayed with the latest technology; Datapads, Hyperwave Transmitters, and of course, the latest Blasters. He smiled and walked behind his desk, and sat in his comfortable Nerf-Hide Chair. He picked up one of the Datapads on the desk, and opened up the file within. It was from his wife.
He pushed the start icon in the bottom left of the screen, and the message started playing.
“Hi Darling, how’s life? I’m currently sitting in the shipyards above Chandrilla, and it’s a beautiful view. I wish you were here to share it with me.
I have been informed by the Emperor himself that he will try to get you back to me after this assignment, but being his usual bleak self, he also clearly reminded me that he would try if you were still alive after this one. So, I just wanted to say that I love you, and to wish you luck. And come back to me. Love you.” The message cut off, and a tear ran from Visaqar’s left eye. He hadn’t seen his wife in over a year, and he wanted to get back for their anniversary. If it was true that he would be getting home after this mission, he would take a year off and spend it with his wife.
A small light to Visaqar’s left on his desk started flashing, and Visaqar knew what it meant. A minute until hyperspace cut out. He sighed and got out of the chair, heading for the bridge.
Visaqar walked proudly out of the ready-room, and saw that his ship had perfectly come out of hyperspace above the planet Ghorman. He looked over to the Sensors Manager, and yelled “Report!”
Ensign Gardena looked back at Visaqar, and back to his sensor screen.
“Ok, Sir, this is what I have. We have five squadrons of Z-95s incoming, with two small support craft, identified as CR-90 Corellian Corvettes. There is a planetary Ion Cannon, Three Hangars, and two Gencore Series II Shield Generators in the main city on the planet.” Gardena said, and looked back around at Visaqar, as if asking for more orders.
“What about the rest of the fleet?” Visaqar asked.
“Ah yes. The Gold Dragon, Shamus, Zeus, and Mystic have all reported in as battle ready. They’re just waiting for a signal.” Gardena replied.
“Ok. Sergeant Rhymer,” Visaqar said to his comms officer, ”Please inform the largest cities below that we will be taking over their planet, with their permission or not. We need this planet as a push to take the rest of the galaxy. If they want, I will land and begin negotiations with them. But remind them that they must withdraw the Z-95s coming at us now, and that they must power down the shields and Ion Cannon.”
Sergeant Rhymer turned and began the broadcast when he snapped around to Visaqar.
“Sir, they want to talk with you, now.” Rhymer said quickly.
“Fine, put it on the Tactical Viewscreen.” Visaqar replied.
A large man with a stubby beard and long sideburns appeared on the screen. He appeared to be in his mid-fifties, and it was obvious time had taken it’s toll on him.
“What is the meaning of this, Admiral?” The large man asked harshly.
“Let me introduce myself. I am Rear Admiral Visaqar of the Rogue Empire. I believe you have heard of us before. I am here to conduct talks with you about using your planet as a foreword base for our War Machine. I also have orders, if you don’t comply, to take you out and sieze the planet with force. I am a businessman, and I don’t want to use hostilities as much as you don’t want me to use them. So, please, call back your lackeys and let me land to begin negotiations.” Visaqar said, keeping a calm and diplomatic voice.
“Alright, I will prepare a landing pad for you to use. But, I want you to promise not to open fire when I let down the planetary shields.” The large man agreed.
“Deal done, Mr…?” Visaqar inquired.
“The name is Governor Hystair. There is a beacon where I have allotted you space to land.” Hystair replied.
Visaqar nodded, and the transmission was cut off.
“Gardena, are the Z-95s withdrawing?” Visaqar asked Gardena as he turned to face him.
“Yes, Sir. They are withdrawing to the other side of the planet.” Gardena replied.
“Good, Sergeant Rhymer, please contact my personal Guard and my Shuttle, and tell them to be prepared for a surface landing. Advise them that there may me hostilities, and to be prepared.” Visaqar said, then walked towards the bridge turbolift, the one that went direct to the Main Hangar Bay of the Victory Star Destroyer, with Captain Davis forming up on his left.
Visaqar walked out of the turbolift and onto the Hangar Bay floor, and before him was an artificial corridor, formed by the bodies of white armour-clad Stormtroopers. He smiled, and from his left, Captain Davis spoke up.
“Admiral on deck!” He shouted, and all of the Stormtroopers saluted.
Visaqar nodded, and walked down the corridor towards his Lambda Shuttle, the Ultimatum. He walked to the bottom of its ramp, where the two pilots and his personal bodyguards were standing. They all saluted, and Visaqar returned the salute. They all spun on their heels, and walked up into the shuttle. Visaqar spun around, and looked at Captain Davis.
“Captain, you have command of my ship. The Hellfire is a formidable starship, and if I call on you to do anything, don’t hesitate or question me. It may mean the difference between my life and my death. Do you understand?” Visaqar drilled him.
“Yes, Admiral, I understand.” Davis replied.
“Good, then I will see you when I return.” Visaqar said, then spun on his heel and walked into the interior of the Ultimatum.
The Ultimatum lifted off the deck of the Hangar Bay, and spun around to face the exit into open space. It’s two wings folded out, and its Sublight Drives kicked in. The shuttle rocketed out of the Hangar Bay, and two TIE Defenders pulled into escort position to it’s left and right.
The shuttle sped through the atmosphere above Ghorman, the friction visibly showing on the surface of the ship as it glowed a reddish yellow. With a large jolt, the shuttle was free of the atmosphere, and its sensors picked up the beacon. The shuttle altered it’s course, and the TIE Defenders did the same, staying in perfect escort formation.
The Ultimatum drew closer to the landing bay, and as it reached it, the two TIE Defenders broke off and headed back to the Shamus. The Ultimatum levelled off and with a burst of the repulsorlifts, the shuttle landed without a bump.
Visaqar walked down the ramp and onto the metallic surface of the Landing Pad, surveying his surroundings. There were a few skyscrapers, a large number of Office Buildings, and a few apartment buildings. Then, in the midst of all of it, he spotted the two Gencore Mk IIs and the Planetary Ion Cannon.
He spun his head back to the entrance of the Landing Pad, (which was connected to a Governmental Building), and saw Governor Hystair exiting the building with his procession of Politicians. Visaqar smirked to himself, and walked towards the procession, his bodyguards in tow.
“Governor Hystair, how wonderful to meet you in person. How are you? Where will we be discussing things today?” Visaqar inquired.
“Good, until your fleet arrived. We will be discussing your terms over a meal at my Royal Palace. Let me introduce my compatriots. This is Sir Daerid, my minister of Defense, Mister Kakkul, my minister of Finance, Mister Jameior, my Foreign Minister, and Sir Elliot, my minister for the People. Shall we lave for the palace now?” Hystair said.
“I believe now would be as good a ever. This needs to be quick, if we don’t resolve this soon, your planet might be in danger.” Visaqar said to Hystair as they began walking towards the building.
“How so, Admiral?” Hystair asked.
“When we are in the Palace, I will explain all to you.” Visaqar replied.
The procession walked through the building which the Landing Pad was attached to, and out onto the street, where a convoy of repulsorlift Limousines were awaiting them. Visaqar got into the same Limousine as Governor Hystair, and the convoy swiftly left the government building.
“So, Admiral, why might we be in danger?” Hystair asked Visaqar.
“There are certain factions that are opposed to mine, which if they have gained intelligence about my mission here, might be sending hostile ships to this planet to jeopardise my mission. You would be in the firing line, and if we don’t come to an agreement, you won’t be getting any extra ships to defend your planet.” Visaqar replied.
“Well then, why shouldn’t we join any of these other factions?” Hystair asked, with a hostile tone to his voice.
“Because, they are traitorous. If you joined them, when your back was turned, they would enslave your people and use them as slaves aboard their ships. And if anyone started rebelling against them, they would kill you and your fellow Politicians as an example.”
“How do I know you won’t do that to me then?”
“Look, Governor, one of the agreements to me coming and talking with you was that you drop your shields. You made me promise that I wouldn’t destroy your defences if you did bring them down. Did I fulfil that promise?”
“Yes, that you did.”
The convoy slowed to a standstill, and Hystair exclaimed, “Ah, very good, we’re here.”
The politicians exited the vehicles, and made their way up the stairs at the front of the Palace. Before them was a large Oak door, with Iron hinging that didn’t seem to have any rust on it whatsoever. As they neared the doors, they opened by themselves, and the procession entered.
Inside the palace was amazing. The floors were made of white Marble, with pillars of Black Granite reaching at least 100 feet to the roof, which was painted intricately with depictions of battles between gods of good and evil. The walls were lined with tapestries, large ones with more intricate designs on them, and small ones with plain and simplistic colouring systems.
Visaqar advanced in stunned awe, and was unaware of hystair approaching him from behind.
“Wonderful, isn’t it? I had this palace built for my family a few generations ago. The roof was the hardest part, being made of Pure Black Opal. It cost me Billions of Credits to get it cut to perfection. But now that I look upon it here, it was all worth it. Don’t you agree, Admiral?” Hystair asked.
“Indeed, it is the most beautiful thing I have seen all my life.” Visaqar replied.
“Well, there will be time for sightseeing later. Right now, we have a future to discuss.” Hystair said.
“Oh, yes, my most humble apologies Governor.” Visaqar replied, silently scolding himself for the lack of discipline he had just shown.
The procession walked down the red carpet situated down the centre of a row of Black Marble columns, and entered a large room at the end. In the middle of the room was a large Redwood table, and around it were 16 Redwood chairs, one of them somewhat resembling a throne. Visaqar knew that this must be Hystair’s seat. He followed Hystair around the table, and sat down beside Hystair, where he was told to. As Visaqar had thought, Hystair took the throne-like chair. He clicked his fingers, and a myriad of waiters came out of unseen doors, holding numerous trays of known and foreign beverages.
Visaqar took a drink off one of the trays, and sipped it, recognizing the taste instantly. It was from his homeworld, Alderaan, and was a vintage beverage. It was an Alderaanean Port, one of the rarest drinks in the Galaxy now that Alderaan was destroyed.
Visaqar looked over at Hystair; “You have a very exquisite collection of beverages, Governor. May I ask where you acquired this Alderaanean Port? It is one of, if not the rarest drink in the whole Galaxy.”
“I knew a few Alderaaneans, and when Alderaan was still around, I was given a whole stockpile by one of my closer Alderaanean friends. If you would like, when this is all over, you could take some onboard your ship with you.” Hystair replied.
“I would be most gracious, Governor. I am from Alderaan, and this has brought back fond memories. Thank you for your offer, I will oblige you.”
After getting to know the other politicians a little better, the entrees came. It was a small dish of lettuce rolls, with foreign meat, rice, and sauce inside the lettuce leaves. Visaqar enjoyed this immensely, and this is where the main discussions began.
“So, Admiral, please tell us about your history. How you came to serve the Rogue Empire, and why you are here now.” Sir Elliot asked him.
“Well, Sir Elliot, I began my life as a normal child of a normal family. I wanted to join the Imperial Academy, and wanted to destroy the Rebellion. When I was 17, I left Alderaan and went to the academy, and became a TIE/ln Pilot. I enjoyed that job, but I became experienced, and as you become experienced, they promote you. So, I was given command of a Carrack Cruiser, the Dominant. I served in the Kuat Defense Fleet, or KDF, for a year and a half, and at the end was reassigned to the Star Destroyer Devastator. Then, my homeworld was destroyed, and I went into self-exile for a while. When I came back into active service with the Empire, my Star Destroyer was taken into battle above the moon of Endor, and it was destroyed when rammed by a cowardly Rebellion Nebulon-B Frigate. I escaped, and was forced to hide on the moon of Endor for around two years, feeding off little furry creatures I still don’t know the name of. Anyway, the Rebel Alliance built a foreword base on Endor, and I Hijacked one of their shuttles, and escaped to the heart of the Empire, Coruscant. From there, an operative of the Rogue Empire contacted me, and defected with my current ship, the Hellfire, which is currently in orbit. What about you Sir Elliot?” Visaqar recounted.
“Admiral, my life has been a very plain one. I was born into the royal family, and I have been representing the people of Ghorman since I was born. I talked with the Empire, the Rebel Alliance, Mercenary Factions, anyone you could think of. This is why I am here today, to advise Governor Hystair on the people’s decision.” Sir Elliot replied.
“Speaking of that, what do you have to offer the people of Ghorman, if they joined your organization?” Mr. Jameior asked Visaqar.
“Well, we hold the most systems under our command than any other faction in the Galaxy. We rule not through fear, but through fairness and laws. We make and obey our own laws. Anyone trying to bend those laws, no matter how high, will get detained for a period of time. We don’t fight because we want to, we fight because we have to.” Visaqar answered.
“But what about your financial aspect, do you just spend all of your money on the War Machine?” Mr. Kakkul riposted.
“Well I will admit it, most of the money we make does go into the War Machine, because if we want to win this war, then we need to be well funded. I believe your main product here is…… Duracrete? That is all we would ask of you. In return for our protection and benefits, we would ask that you make Duracrete for our buildings. We would also ask that you pay us a fraction of your taxes that you receive, but the amount is negotiable.” Visaqar replied, happy at being able to address every single person’s area of expertise.
“Ok then, Admiral, answer this question for me. What do you offer the people of Ghorman?” Sir Elliot asked.
“Well, Sir Elliot, the Rogue Empire provides its citizens with Aid Packages during crisis’s, we pay for construction of your cities and buildings, and defend your planets from any threat that may come across. In a crisis situation, like a virus outbreak, or severe atmospheric storms, or anything hazardous to life, any Citizens who want to be evacuated, there will be shuttles provided, and we will do our best to defend the people staying on the planet.” Visaqar said, knowing that if he told these people what they wanted to hear, that the Rogue Empire would gain the planet. The thing was, that all he was telling them was the truth, which would make them an even more valuable asset to the Rogue Empire.
Visaqar sipped on his port, knowing the person who would be hardest to convince still hadn’t asked a question. Hystair, the Monarch, the ruler of the planet, was still to inquire about his wishes for the planet. But, before he could ask any questions, the waiters came back out and took the Entrée dishes, followed by waiters bringing out the Main Course.
It was a sort of Poultry that had a certain aroma to it that made Visaqar think that it had been spiced. Along the side of the dish were what looked like vegetables, and a brown syrup was poured over the top of the whole meal. Visaqar drew in the smell of the food, and smiled. This evening was going very well, considering the circumstances.
Sir Daerid looked over at Visaqar inquiringly, and after he finished his mouthful of the meal, he spoke to Visaqar.
“Admiral, you said that we would have a defence against any threat that may come along. How would you define the defence?” Sir Daerid asked Visaqar.
“Sir Daerid, the defence I spoke of consists of a Space Defense Fleet, which will consist of anywhere from 5 Vessels to 20 Vessels. These will patrol the planet day-in, day-out, and will only leave the system if it is of an utmost emergency. The ground defence will consist of an Imperial Garrison at every major system on the planet, which will quell any riots, defend the cities against ground assaults, which I doubt will happen, and help out during a crisis.
One thing though, you seem to already have a major defence system in place on the surface. Two Gencore Two Shield Generators and a Planetary Defense Ion Cannon… Where did they come from?” Visaqar answered.
“Well, Admiral, when the Galactic Empire took our planet by force early on in the struggle to destroy the Rebel Alliance, Ghorman was one of the primary targets of the Rebel Alliance. We were attacked a couple of times when the Alliance were making a push for Coruscant, so, to defend us against the Alliance’s attacks, they destroyed the Royal Parks and historical monuments to put in those defences. I guess the trade was worth it, but some people argue the other side.” Governor Hystair said, turning to Visaqar.
“And they have protected us against attacks before, but many people choose to deny it. The problem is, that with the two Gencore Shield Generators running, during an attack, if we fire the Ion Cannon, the whole of the city’s power is drained for a twenty second gap. This includes the Shield Generators. So if there are still operative warships in orbit above the planet, our city will be pummelled for those twenty seconds. The last time we were attacked, they nearly hit this Palace with their Missile barrages.” Sir Daerid put in.
Suddenly, Visaqar’s comm-link unit started beeping. Next to him, Hystair’s comm-link started beeping too.
Visaqar pulled his out, and knowing something was wrong, he talked quickly.
“Davis, what’s going on?” Visaqar inquired.
“Admiral, a fleet of vessels have dropped out of hyperspace on the edge of the system. Fleet manifest, Five Corellian Gunships, and two Marauder Corvettes. Orders?” Visaqar looked over to Hystair, who was looking equally as worried.
“Governor, is there somewhere we can go to review this situation?” Visaqar asked Hystair.
The Governor looked over to Visaqar and nodded.
“I’ll get back to you.” Hystair said into his comm-link.
He got out of his chair and motioned for all to follow him. Out of the whole group, only Hystair and Daerid looked like they knew where they were going.
They continued down the red carpet they had come in on, but the peeled off to the left when they had nearly reached the front Oak doors. They took a passage through the maze of Black Granite Pillars and came to a plain duracrete wall. Hystair reached out and pushed in a block of Duracrete, which was followed by part of the wall sliding away. The six people in the procession walked into the room, and the wall slid back into place behind them.
Visaqar was once again dumbstruck by the architectural prowess of this whole Palace. In this one room was more computer systems, tactical command personnel, and holo-displays crammed into one room than he had seen before. This first impression was short lived, because there was work to be done. Visaqar followed Hystair over to the Holo-display where the system was shown. His ships and Ghorman’s defence ships were shown in blue, and the enemy fleet in red.
Visaqar watched the screen intently.
“Could someone please keep an open channel between us and all the ships in the defence fleet please?” Visaqar asked no one in particular.
“Done, Sir.”
“Captain Davis and Ivenitam, Commanders Yorkas and Salimar, Commodore Retvinas, can you all hear me?” Visaqar said.
“Yes Admiral.” They all replied, and it echoed throughout the War Room.
“Good, ETA until the enemy ships are within Turbolaser range?”
“The fighters they have launched should be in range within 4 minutes, the Gunships in 5 minutes, and the Marauders in 10 minutes. Orders, Sir?”
“Ok, all ships, withdraw fighters back into the Launch Bays. Engage the incoming fighters with missiles only, and open fire on the Gunships with your turbolasers and Ion Cannons. When they are destroyed or disabled, launch all bombers to take out the Marauders and launch the Interceptors to take out any remaining Starfighters. Ghorman support craft and fighters, hang back until later. Got it?” Visaqar said.
“Yes, Admiral.” The myriad of voices echoed through the War Room again.
As Visaqar watched the holo-display, he thought he could feel the eyes of many on him. He turned around and each member of the procession was staring at him.
“The future of Ghorman and your Faction lie in your hands, Admiral. Without you here now, we would be helpless and would have been pillaged. Win, and Ghorman is all yours.” Hystair said to Visaqar.
Visaqar smiled inside and nodded to Hystair, because this was a win no matter what. He turned back to the holo-display.
The small blips that represented the enemy fighters were getting very close to the Star Destroyers, and Visaqar wondered why they weren’t firing yet.
“Missiles, people?” Visaqar said aloud.
“They’re away now, Sir.” The reply came back.
Several blue blips appeared on the display and began to go towards the incoming enemy fighters. The first wave of missiles were destroyed by the fighters, but then one after the other, the missiles began to impact with their targets. Several Blue Blips were beginning to disappear from the screen, and after the missiles were spent, there were few enemy fighters left.
“All Rogue Empire ships, as soon as the Gunships come within range, open fire!” Visaqar yelled aloud. He turned to the Techs behind him, and inquired, “Can your Corvettes give us a real-time visual feed?”
“Yes, look on that screen below the tactical display.” One of the Techs replied.
Visaqar turned back to the tactical screen, and asked, “What is the name of the ship that is giving us this feed?”
“The Invincible, Admiral.” One of the Techs replied.
“Invincible, please come around to the port side of the Gold Dragon, and give me a visual feed on the first Marauder.” Visaqar said aloud.
Visaqar watched as the camera swung around to the port side of the Gold Dragon, and centred in on the Marauder Corvette. It seemed to be somewhat modified, with large obtrusions on the outside of the Hull. Visaqar’s eyes widened as he realised what they were.
“All Imperial ships, steer clear of those Marauders. They are suicide ships, repeat, suicide ships! Disable them at all costs. If they get too close, destroy them!” Visaqar yelled.
“Uh, Admiral, they’re heading for the Gold Dragon and the Shamus. We won’t be able to stop them before they hit the Shamus. Should we abandon ship, Sir?” Commander Yorkas of the Shamus asked Visaqar.
Visaqar turned around to Hystair, who nodded, “No, that won’t be necessary. Just turn your ship on a 90 Degrees Axis, and hold position, concentrating fire on the other Marauder. I will take care of the rest. Please transmit the Marauders current position and speed to my location. I will do the rest. Visaqar, out.”
“The information you requested has been received, Admiral. Where would you like it sent to?” Another Tech asked.
“The Planetary Ion Cannon’s Targeting Control.” Visaqar replied.
Murmurs of disbelief resonated throughout the room, but Visaqar quickly silenced it, “NOW!” He yelled, the Techs confirmed that the transmission was complete.
Visaqar watched intently, waiting for the Ion Cannon to fire.
Suddenly, the power cut out, and every normally powered thing in the room was dark.
“What is going on?” Visaqar asked. From behind him, Daerid spoke up.
“When the Ion Cannon fires, the whole city is shut down for 20 seconds. When it comes online, we can see what damage we did. Lets hope we stopped the Marauder.”
With that word, the power came back on, and the room was fully lit again. Visaqar looked at the Video feed.
“Invincible, please centre camera on the Shamus.” Visaqar said.
The camera began to swing around, and when the Shamus came into view, the room began to cheer. They had done it. The Marauder was floating in front of the Victory Mk IIs bridge, with a large area covered in blue sparks of electricity. Visaqar smiled to himself, it was all over.
Visaqar stood at the bottom of the boarding ramp of the Ultimatum, looking straight at Hystair, who had seemed to have aged since they first met earlier that day.
“Admiral, your visit has saved my people. As a token of our appreciation, we will join the Faction, The Rogue Empire. As soon as you arrive back onboard your flagship, please contact your appropriate agencies, and have them visit my consulate and myself.” Hystair said.
Visaqar nodded, and turned on his heel, walking into the interior of the Shuttle. Before he reached the top, Hystair began talking again.
“And Admiral, a personal thanks from the bottom of my old heart. I can truly live in peace now that you have saved my people.”
Visaqar nodded, and walked into the Shuttle. As the ramp closed, he thought, ‘It was my pleasure, Governor.’
The Lambda Shuttle rocketed back out of the atmosphere, and the Ghorman Shuttle Craft were already storming the Marauder Corvette to add to their planetary Defence fleet.
Visaqar smiled, he had done a good deed today, for the Rogue Empire, and for the Galaxy. He hoped the Emperor would see it the same way.
He felt a jolt, and the pilot of the shuttle informed him that they were back onboard the Hellfire.
Visaqar took a deep breath, and stood at the top of the boarding ramp. It lowered, and before him was the corridor of Stormtroopers again. He was home.
He walked down the corridor, and at the end was Captain Davis, with his arm raised in salute. Visaqar returned the salute, and Davis began clapping. The whole corridor took Captain Davis’s lead, and started clapping too.
‘Yes, I am home.’ Visaqar thought.
He knew how to lead, he knew his basic and more advanced tactics, but very rarely used them. He just recognised his opponents using the tactic and acted accordingly, making his own counter.
Visaqar pondered his mission this time, he had received direct orders from the Emperor himself, Take Ghorman. Visaqar, not one to turn down a mission, accepted gladly.
Visaqar walked over to the Helmsman’s station, and looked at the rectangular screen displaying the time until they arrived at Ghorman.
‘Another half an hour……’ Visaqar thought to himself, and patted Lieutenant Jefferson, the Helmsman, on the shoulder. He stood straight again, and surveyed the bridge.
‘All of these new people, and a couple old. I must get to know them. If the crew knows you and trust in you, victory is almost ensured.’ Visaqar thought of the first rule his father had taught him about being a Starship Captain, before he was killed.
Visaqar walked over to the ready-room door, and turned back.
“Captain Davis, you have the bridge.” Visaqar said and entered the ready-room.
Visaqar entered the ready-room, and walked over to his desk. It was arrayed with the latest technology; Datapads, Hyperwave Transmitters, and of course, the latest Blasters. He smiled and walked behind his desk, and sat in his comfortable Nerf-Hide Chair. He picked up one of the Datapads on the desk, and opened up the file within. It was from his wife.
He pushed the start icon in the bottom left of the screen, and the message started playing.
“Hi Darling, how’s life? I’m currently sitting in the shipyards above Chandrilla, and it’s a beautiful view. I wish you were here to share it with me.
I have been informed by the Emperor himself that he will try to get you back to me after this assignment, but being his usual bleak self, he also clearly reminded me that he would try if you were still alive after this one. So, I just wanted to say that I love you, and to wish you luck. And come back to me. Love you.” The message cut off, and a tear ran from Visaqar’s left eye. He hadn’t seen his wife in over a year, and he wanted to get back for their anniversary. If it was true that he would be getting home after this mission, he would take a year off and spend it with his wife.
A small light to Visaqar’s left on his desk started flashing, and Visaqar knew what it meant. A minute until hyperspace cut out. He sighed and got out of the chair, heading for the bridge.
Visaqar walked proudly out of the ready-room, and saw that his ship had perfectly come out of hyperspace above the planet Ghorman. He looked over to the Sensors Manager, and yelled “Report!”
Ensign Gardena looked back at Visaqar, and back to his sensor screen.
“Ok, Sir, this is what I have. We have five squadrons of Z-95s incoming, with two small support craft, identified as CR-90 Corellian Corvettes. There is a planetary Ion Cannon, Three Hangars, and two Gencore Series II Shield Generators in the main city on the planet.” Gardena said, and looked back around at Visaqar, as if asking for more orders.
“What about the rest of the fleet?” Visaqar asked.
“Ah yes. The Gold Dragon, Shamus, Zeus, and Mystic have all reported in as battle ready. They’re just waiting for a signal.” Gardena replied.
“Ok. Sergeant Rhymer,” Visaqar said to his comms officer, ”Please inform the largest cities below that we will be taking over their planet, with their permission or not. We need this planet as a push to take the rest of the galaxy. If they want, I will land and begin negotiations with them. But remind them that they must withdraw the Z-95s coming at us now, and that they must power down the shields and Ion Cannon.”
Sergeant Rhymer turned and began the broadcast when he snapped around to Visaqar.
“Sir, they want to talk with you, now.” Rhymer said quickly.
“Fine, put it on the Tactical Viewscreen.” Visaqar replied.
A large man with a stubby beard and long sideburns appeared on the screen. He appeared to be in his mid-fifties, and it was obvious time had taken it’s toll on him.
“What is the meaning of this, Admiral?” The large man asked harshly.
“Let me introduce myself. I am Rear Admiral Visaqar of the Rogue Empire. I believe you have heard of us before. I am here to conduct talks with you about using your planet as a foreword base for our War Machine. I also have orders, if you don’t comply, to take you out and sieze the planet with force. I am a businessman, and I don’t want to use hostilities as much as you don’t want me to use them. So, please, call back your lackeys and let me land to begin negotiations.” Visaqar said, keeping a calm and diplomatic voice.
“Alright, I will prepare a landing pad for you to use. But, I want you to promise not to open fire when I let down the planetary shields.” The large man agreed.
“Deal done, Mr…?” Visaqar inquired.
“The name is Governor Hystair. There is a beacon where I have allotted you space to land.” Hystair replied.
Visaqar nodded, and the transmission was cut off.
“Gardena, are the Z-95s withdrawing?” Visaqar asked Gardena as he turned to face him.
“Yes, Sir. They are withdrawing to the other side of the planet.” Gardena replied.
“Good, Sergeant Rhymer, please contact my personal Guard and my Shuttle, and tell them to be prepared for a surface landing. Advise them that there may me hostilities, and to be prepared.” Visaqar said, then walked towards the bridge turbolift, the one that went direct to the Main Hangar Bay of the Victory Star Destroyer, with Captain Davis forming up on his left.
Visaqar walked out of the turbolift and onto the Hangar Bay floor, and before him was an artificial corridor, formed by the bodies of white armour-clad Stormtroopers. He smiled, and from his left, Captain Davis spoke up.
“Admiral on deck!” He shouted, and all of the Stormtroopers saluted.
Visaqar nodded, and walked down the corridor towards his Lambda Shuttle, the Ultimatum. He walked to the bottom of its ramp, where the two pilots and his personal bodyguards were standing. They all saluted, and Visaqar returned the salute. They all spun on their heels, and walked up into the shuttle. Visaqar spun around, and looked at Captain Davis.
“Captain, you have command of my ship. The Hellfire is a formidable starship, and if I call on you to do anything, don’t hesitate or question me. It may mean the difference between my life and my death. Do you understand?” Visaqar drilled him.
“Yes, Admiral, I understand.” Davis replied.
“Good, then I will see you when I return.” Visaqar said, then spun on his heel and walked into the interior of the Ultimatum.
The Ultimatum lifted off the deck of the Hangar Bay, and spun around to face the exit into open space. It’s two wings folded out, and its Sublight Drives kicked in. The shuttle rocketed out of the Hangar Bay, and two TIE Defenders pulled into escort position to it’s left and right.
The shuttle sped through the atmosphere above Ghorman, the friction visibly showing on the surface of the ship as it glowed a reddish yellow. With a large jolt, the shuttle was free of the atmosphere, and its sensors picked up the beacon. The shuttle altered it’s course, and the TIE Defenders did the same, staying in perfect escort formation.
The Ultimatum drew closer to the landing bay, and as it reached it, the two TIE Defenders broke off and headed back to the Shamus. The Ultimatum levelled off and with a burst of the repulsorlifts, the shuttle landed without a bump.
Visaqar walked down the ramp and onto the metallic surface of the Landing Pad, surveying his surroundings. There were a few skyscrapers, a large number of Office Buildings, and a few apartment buildings. Then, in the midst of all of it, he spotted the two Gencore Mk IIs and the Planetary Ion Cannon.
He spun his head back to the entrance of the Landing Pad, (which was connected to a Governmental Building), and saw Governor Hystair exiting the building with his procession of Politicians. Visaqar smirked to himself, and walked towards the procession, his bodyguards in tow.
“Governor Hystair, how wonderful to meet you in person. How are you? Where will we be discussing things today?” Visaqar inquired.
“Good, until your fleet arrived. We will be discussing your terms over a meal at my Royal Palace. Let me introduce my compatriots. This is Sir Daerid, my minister of Defense, Mister Kakkul, my minister of Finance, Mister Jameior, my Foreign Minister, and Sir Elliot, my minister for the People. Shall we lave for the palace now?” Hystair said.
“I believe now would be as good a ever. This needs to be quick, if we don’t resolve this soon, your planet might be in danger.” Visaqar said to Hystair as they began walking towards the building.
“How so, Admiral?” Hystair asked.
“When we are in the Palace, I will explain all to you.” Visaqar replied.
The procession walked through the building which the Landing Pad was attached to, and out onto the street, where a convoy of repulsorlift Limousines were awaiting them. Visaqar got into the same Limousine as Governor Hystair, and the convoy swiftly left the government building.
“So, Admiral, why might we be in danger?” Hystair asked Visaqar.
“There are certain factions that are opposed to mine, which if they have gained intelligence about my mission here, might be sending hostile ships to this planet to jeopardise my mission. You would be in the firing line, and if we don’t come to an agreement, you won’t be getting any extra ships to defend your planet.” Visaqar replied.
“Well then, why shouldn’t we join any of these other factions?” Hystair asked, with a hostile tone to his voice.
“Because, they are traitorous. If you joined them, when your back was turned, they would enslave your people and use them as slaves aboard their ships. And if anyone started rebelling against them, they would kill you and your fellow Politicians as an example.”
“How do I know you won’t do that to me then?”
“Look, Governor, one of the agreements to me coming and talking with you was that you drop your shields. You made me promise that I wouldn’t destroy your defences if you did bring them down. Did I fulfil that promise?”
“Yes, that you did.”
The convoy slowed to a standstill, and Hystair exclaimed, “Ah, very good, we’re here.”
The politicians exited the vehicles, and made their way up the stairs at the front of the Palace. Before them was a large Oak door, with Iron hinging that didn’t seem to have any rust on it whatsoever. As they neared the doors, they opened by themselves, and the procession entered.
Inside the palace was amazing. The floors were made of white Marble, with pillars of Black Granite reaching at least 100 feet to the roof, which was painted intricately with depictions of battles between gods of good and evil. The walls were lined with tapestries, large ones with more intricate designs on them, and small ones with plain and simplistic colouring systems.
Visaqar advanced in stunned awe, and was unaware of hystair approaching him from behind.
“Wonderful, isn’t it? I had this palace built for my family a few generations ago. The roof was the hardest part, being made of Pure Black Opal. It cost me Billions of Credits to get it cut to perfection. But now that I look upon it here, it was all worth it. Don’t you agree, Admiral?” Hystair asked.
“Indeed, it is the most beautiful thing I have seen all my life.” Visaqar replied.
“Well, there will be time for sightseeing later. Right now, we have a future to discuss.” Hystair said.
“Oh, yes, my most humble apologies Governor.” Visaqar replied, silently scolding himself for the lack of discipline he had just shown.
The procession walked down the red carpet situated down the centre of a row of Black Marble columns, and entered a large room at the end. In the middle of the room was a large Redwood table, and around it were 16 Redwood chairs, one of them somewhat resembling a throne. Visaqar knew that this must be Hystair’s seat. He followed Hystair around the table, and sat down beside Hystair, where he was told to. As Visaqar had thought, Hystair took the throne-like chair. He clicked his fingers, and a myriad of waiters came out of unseen doors, holding numerous trays of known and foreign beverages.
Visaqar took a drink off one of the trays, and sipped it, recognizing the taste instantly. It was from his homeworld, Alderaan, and was a vintage beverage. It was an Alderaanean Port, one of the rarest drinks in the Galaxy now that Alderaan was destroyed.
Visaqar looked over at Hystair; “You have a very exquisite collection of beverages, Governor. May I ask where you acquired this Alderaanean Port? It is one of, if not the rarest drink in the whole Galaxy.”
“I knew a few Alderaaneans, and when Alderaan was still around, I was given a whole stockpile by one of my closer Alderaanean friends. If you would like, when this is all over, you could take some onboard your ship with you.” Hystair replied.
“I would be most gracious, Governor. I am from Alderaan, and this has brought back fond memories. Thank you for your offer, I will oblige you.”
After getting to know the other politicians a little better, the entrees came. It was a small dish of lettuce rolls, with foreign meat, rice, and sauce inside the lettuce leaves. Visaqar enjoyed this immensely, and this is where the main discussions began.
“So, Admiral, please tell us about your history. How you came to serve the Rogue Empire, and why you are here now.” Sir Elliot asked him.
“Well, Sir Elliot, I began my life as a normal child of a normal family. I wanted to join the Imperial Academy, and wanted to destroy the Rebellion. When I was 17, I left Alderaan and went to the academy, and became a TIE/ln Pilot. I enjoyed that job, but I became experienced, and as you become experienced, they promote you. So, I was given command of a Carrack Cruiser, the Dominant. I served in the Kuat Defense Fleet, or KDF, for a year and a half, and at the end was reassigned to the Star Destroyer Devastator. Then, my homeworld was destroyed, and I went into self-exile for a while. When I came back into active service with the Empire, my Star Destroyer was taken into battle above the moon of Endor, and it was destroyed when rammed by a cowardly Rebellion Nebulon-B Frigate. I escaped, and was forced to hide on the moon of Endor for around two years, feeding off little furry creatures I still don’t know the name of. Anyway, the Rebel Alliance built a foreword base on Endor, and I Hijacked one of their shuttles, and escaped to the heart of the Empire, Coruscant. From there, an operative of the Rogue Empire contacted me, and defected with my current ship, the Hellfire, which is currently in orbit. What about you Sir Elliot?” Visaqar recounted.
“Admiral, my life has been a very plain one. I was born into the royal family, and I have been representing the people of Ghorman since I was born. I talked with the Empire, the Rebel Alliance, Mercenary Factions, anyone you could think of. This is why I am here today, to advise Governor Hystair on the people’s decision.” Sir Elliot replied.
“Speaking of that, what do you have to offer the people of Ghorman, if they joined your organization?” Mr. Jameior asked Visaqar.
“Well, we hold the most systems under our command than any other faction in the Galaxy. We rule not through fear, but through fairness and laws. We make and obey our own laws. Anyone trying to bend those laws, no matter how high, will get detained for a period of time. We don’t fight because we want to, we fight because we have to.” Visaqar answered.
“But what about your financial aspect, do you just spend all of your money on the War Machine?” Mr. Kakkul riposted.
“Well I will admit it, most of the money we make does go into the War Machine, because if we want to win this war, then we need to be well funded. I believe your main product here is…… Duracrete? That is all we would ask of you. In return for our protection and benefits, we would ask that you make Duracrete for our buildings. We would also ask that you pay us a fraction of your taxes that you receive, but the amount is negotiable.” Visaqar replied, happy at being able to address every single person’s area of expertise.
“Ok then, Admiral, answer this question for me. What do you offer the people of Ghorman?” Sir Elliot asked.
“Well, Sir Elliot, the Rogue Empire provides its citizens with Aid Packages during crisis’s, we pay for construction of your cities and buildings, and defend your planets from any threat that may come across. In a crisis situation, like a virus outbreak, or severe atmospheric storms, or anything hazardous to life, any Citizens who want to be evacuated, there will be shuttles provided, and we will do our best to defend the people staying on the planet.” Visaqar said, knowing that if he told these people what they wanted to hear, that the Rogue Empire would gain the planet. The thing was, that all he was telling them was the truth, which would make them an even more valuable asset to the Rogue Empire.
Visaqar sipped on his port, knowing the person who would be hardest to convince still hadn’t asked a question. Hystair, the Monarch, the ruler of the planet, was still to inquire about his wishes for the planet. But, before he could ask any questions, the waiters came back out and took the Entrée dishes, followed by waiters bringing out the Main Course.
It was a sort of Poultry that had a certain aroma to it that made Visaqar think that it had been spiced. Along the side of the dish were what looked like vegetables, and a brown syrup was poured over the top of the whole meal. Visaqar drew in the smell of the food, and smiled. This evening was going very well, considering the circumstances.
Sir Daerid looked over at Visaqar inquiringly, and after he finished his mouthful of the meal, he spoke to Visaqar.
“Admiral, you said that we would have a defence against any threat that may come along. How would you define the defence?” Sir Daerid asked Visaqar.
“Sir Daerid, the defence I spoke of consists of a Space Defense Fleet, which will consist of anywhere from 5 Vessels to 20 Vessels. These will patrol the planet day-in, day-out, and will only leave the system if it is of an utmost emergency. The ground defence will consist of an Imperial Garrison at every major system on the planet, which will quell any riots, defend the cities against ground assaults, which I doubt will happen, and help out during a crisis.
One thing though, you seem to already have a major defence system in place on the surface. Two Gencore Two Shield Generators and a Planetary Defense Ion Cannon… Where did they come from?” Visaqar answered.
“Well, Admiral, when the Galactic Empire took our planet by force early on in the struggle to destroy the Rebel Alliance, Ghorman was one of the primary targets of the Rebel Alliance. We were attacked a couple of times when the Alliance were making a push for Coruscant, so, to defend us against the Alliance’s attacks, they destroyed the Royal Parks and historical monuments to put in those defences. I guess the trade was worth it, but some people argue the other side.” Governor Hystair said, turning to Visaqar.
“And they have protected us against attacks before, but many people choose to deny it. The problem is, that with the two Gencore Shield Generators running, during an attack, if we fire the Ion Cannon, the whole of the city’s power is drained for a twenty second gap. This includes the Shield Generators. So if there are still operative warships in orbit above the planet, our city will be pummelled for those twenty seconds. The last time we were attacked, they nearly hit this Palace with their Missile barrages.” Sir Daerid put in.
Suddenly, Visaqar’s comm-link unit started beeping. Next to him, Hystair’s comm-link started beeping too.
Visaqar pulled his out, and knowing something was wrong, he talked quickly.
“Davis, what’s going on?” Visaqar inquired.
“Admiral, a fleet of vessels have dropped out of hyperspace on the edge of the system. Fleet manifest, Five Corellian Gunships, and two Marauder Corvettes. Orders?” Visaqar looked over to Hystair, who was looking equally as worried.
“Governor, is there somewhere we can go to review this situation?” Visaqar asked Hystair.
The Governor looked over to Visaqar and nodded.
“I’ll get back to you.” Hystair said into his comm-link.
He got out of his chair and motioned for all to follow him. Out of the whole group, only Hystair and Daerid looked like they knew where they were going.
They continued down the red carpet they had come in on, but the peeled off to the left when they had nearly reached the front Oak doors. They took a passage through the maze of Black Granite Pillars and came to a plain duracrete wall. Hystair reached out and pushed in a block of Duracrete, which was followed by part of the wall sliding away. The six people in the procession walked into the room, and the wall slid back into place behind them.
Visaqar was once again dumbstruck by the architectural prowess of this whole Palace. In this one room was more computer systems, tactical command personnel, and holo-displays crammed into one room than he had seen before. This first impression was short lived, because there was work to be done. Visaqar followed Hystair over to the Holo-display where the system was shown. His ships and Ghorman’s defence ships were shown in blue, and the enemy fleet in red.
Visaqar watched the screen intently.
“Could someone please keep an open channel between us and all the ships in the defence fleet please?” Visaqar asked no one in particular.
“Done, Sir.”
“Captain Davis and Ivenitam, Commanders Yorkas and Salimar, Commodore Retvinas, can you all hear me?” Visaqar said.
“Yes Admiral.” They all replied, and it echoed throughout the War Room.
“Good, ETA until the enemy ships are within Turbolaser range?”
“The fighters they have launched should be in range within 4 minutes, the Gunships in 5 minutes, and the Marauders in 10 minutes. Orders, Sir?”
“Ok, all ships, withdraw fighters back into the Launch Bays. Engage the incoming fighters with missiles only, and open fire on the Gunships with your turbolasers and Ion Cannons. When they are destroyed or disabled, launch all bombers to take out the Marauders and launch the Interceptors to take out any remaining Starfighters. Ghorman support craft and fighters, hang back until later. Got it?” Visaqar said.
“Yes, Admiral.” The myriad of voices echoed through the War Room again.
As Visaqar watched the holo-display, he thought he could feel the eyes of many on him. He turned around and each member of the procession was staring at him.
“The future of Ghorman and your Faction lie in your hands, Admiral. Without you here now, we would be helpless and would have been pillaged. Win, and Ghorman is all yours.” Hystair said to Visaqar.
Visaqar smiled inside and nodded to Hystair, because this was a win no matter what. He turned back to the holo-display.
The small blips that represented the enemy fighters were getting very close to the Star Destroyers, and Visaqar wondered why they weren’t firing yet.
“Missiles, people?” Visaqar said aloud.
“They’re away now, Sir.” The reply came back.
Several blue blips appeared on the display and began to go towards the incoming enemy fighters. The first wave of missiles were destroyed by the fighters, but then one after the other, the missiles began to impact with their targets. Several Blue Blips were beginning to disappear from the screen, and after the missiles were spent, there were few enemy fighters left.
“All Rogue Empire ships, as soon as the Gunships come within range, open fire!” Visaqar yelled aloud. He turned to the Techs behind him, and inquired, “Can your Corvettes give us a real-time visual feed?”
“Yes, look on that screen below the tactical display.” One of the Techs replied.
Visaqar turned back to the tactical screen, and asked, “What is the name of the ship that is giving us this feed?”
“The Invincible, Admiral.” One of the Techs replied.
“Invincible, please come around to the port side of the Gold Dragon, and give me a visual feed on the first Marauder.” Visaqar said aloud.
Visaqar watched as the camera swung around to the port side of the Gold Dragon, and centred in on the Marauder Corvette. It seemed to be somewhat modified, with large obtrusions on the outside of the Hull. Visaqar’s eyes widened as he realised what they were.
“All Imperial ships, steer clear of those Marauders. They are suicide ships, repeat, suicide ships! Disable them at all costs. If they get too close, destroy them!” Visaqar yelled.
“Uh, Admiral, they’re heading for the Gold Dragon and the Shamus. We won’t be able to stop them before they hit the Shamus. Should we abandon ship, Sir?” Commander Yorkas of the Shamus asked Visaqar.
Visaqar turned around to Hystair, who nodded, “No, that won’t be necessary. Just turn your ship on a 90 Degrees Axis, and hold position, concentrating fire on the other Marauder. I will take care of the rest. Please transmit the Marauders current position and speed to my location. I will do the rest. Visaqar, out.”
“The information you requested has been received, Admiral. Where would you like it sent to?” Another Tech asked.
“The Planetary Ion Cannon’s Targeting Control.” Visaqar replied.
Murmurs of disbelief resonated throughout the room, but Visaqar quickly silenced it, “NOW!” He yelled, the Techs confirmed that the transmission was complete.
Visaqar watched intently, waiting for the Ion Cannon to fire.
Suddenly, the power cut out, and every normally powered thing in the room was dark.
“What is going on?” Visaqar asked. From behind him, Daerid spoke up.
“When the Ion Cannon fires, the whole city is shut down for 20 seconds. When it comes online, we can see what damage we did. Lets hope we stopped the Marauder.”
With that word, the power came back on, and the room was fully lit again. Visaqar looked at the Video feed.
“Invincible, please centre camera on the Shamus.” Visaqar said.
The camera began to swing around, and when the Shamus came into view, the room began to cheer. They had done it. The Marauder was floating in front of the Victory Mk IIs bridge, with a large area covered in blue sparks of electricity. Visaqar smiled to himself, it was all over.
Visaqar stood at the bottom of the boarding ramp of the Ultimatum, looking straight at Hystair, who had seemed to have aged since they first met earlier that day.
“Admiral, your visit has saved my people. As a token of our appreciation, we will join the Faction, The Rogue Empire. As soon as you arrive back onboard your flagship, please contact your appropriate agencies, and have them visit my consulate and myself.” Hystair said.
Visaqar nodded, and turned on his heel, walking into the interior of the Shuttle. Before he reached the top, Hystair began talking again.
“And Admiral, a personal thanks from the bottom of my old heart. I can truly live in peace now that you have saved my people.”
Visaqar nodded, and walked into the Shuttle. As the ramp closed, he thought, ‘It was my pleasure, Governor.’
The Lambda Shuttle rocketed back out of the atmosphere, and the Ghorman Shuttle Craft were already storming the Marauder Corvette to add to their planetary Defence fleet.
Visaqar smiled, he had done a good deed today, for the Rogue Empire, and for the Galaxy. He hoped the Emperor would see it the same way.
He felt a jolt, and the pilot of the shuttle informed him that they were back onboard the Hellfire.
Visaqar took a deep breath, and stood at the top of the boarding ramp. It lowered, and before him was the corridor of Stormtroopers again. He was home.
He walked down the corridor, and at the end was Captain Davis, with his arm raised in salute. Visaqar returned the salute, and Davis began clapping. The whole corridor took Captain Davis’s lead, and started clapping too.
‘Yes, I am home.’ Visaqar thought.