<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> 1214<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->

The chaos of Dantooine's hangar was completely lost on the General, as he did not yet know about it. Soon enough, though, he would know what Julius had done for him, and for the Division.

Ming stood back in his position of the bridge of the <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Pandemonium<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, gazing gleefully at the wormhole of hyperspace that lay before him.

"...7...6...5...4...3...2...1, now!" an officer counted down behind him, and he suddenly felt a lurch in his stomach as the <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Pandemonium<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, accompanied by an Imperial Star Destroyer, <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Dark Nova<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, two Victory Star Destroyers: <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Intrepid<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->and <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Enmity<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, and a single Penetrator Assault Cruiser, <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Valiant<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, as well as numerous other ships from the New Order's First Division and some other ships being "borrowed" from other parts of the fleet.

"Helm, lay in a course for Dantooine, as fast as we can get there without leaving any of the smaller ships behind," Captain Tulok was attempting to issue orders to everyone at the same time. Strangely, he seemed to be succeeding.
"Tactical, tell me what ships they have in orbit." Obviously, to command a Super Star Destroyer, that detail could help on the job application.

"Sir, the Dantooine fleet at this time consists of three Dreadnaught Cruisers, seven Interdiction Pickets, and an Imperial-class Star Destroyer. I am also detecting small scatterings of starfighter squadrons, nothing formidable. A few Z95 Headhunter squadrons, a squadron of B-wing's, there other assorted starfighters out there, but I can't tell which of them are government controlled or not."

"Tactical," it was Ming's turn to issue orders , "hat is the situation of the on-planet communications station?"

"It appears to be destroyed, sir," the obedient officer answered."

"And the on-planet starfighter hangar?" Ming further inquired.

"Also destroyed, sir," came the officer's reply.

"Good. Open a channel to the Dantooine planetary government," the General turned his head to the comm officer as he spoke.

"Aye, sir," the comm officer opened the channel, and nodded to Ming, indicating that he could now speak to whomever was on the other end of the line.

"Dantooine, this is General Ming of the New Order Armed Forces. You are soon to be surrounded by a military force far superior to your own. My sources show me that your planet has already taken severe damage from our operatives, which should be evidence enough that we are serious in this matter. Surrender if your only option, respond," it was a demand to answer the transmission, not a request. Ming imagined that whoever had to answer him would be wetting himself right about now. After a few moments of silence, the reply came back from Dantooine's surface.

"General, this is Governor Dalfulga of Dantooine. We regret that despite the seriousness of your demand, we cannot succumb to you petty needs for galactic domination," the governor's voice was slightly shaky, but he managed to hold strong until the end of the transmission. "You will have to, ahh, kill us where we stand to take Dantooine from us. It is our home, and we will not abandon it to the likes of you. You know, your empire isn't all that great, really, if this is the way you treat your subordinates. No, you will not take us!" The governor was obviously becoming delirious, as he knew the end was drawing nearer.

"If that is the way of it..." Ming trailed off, signalling with his hand for the comm officer to end the transmission. "Captain, would you do the honours?"

With that, Captain Tulok ordered the Division to attack the Dantooine defence fleet.

----------

<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> 1236<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->

General Ming watched in awe as he always did at the sight of a ship exploding. The First Division for the purposes of this operation under the command of Captain Tulok, had engaged the enemy fleet head on. Right from the start, Tulok had displayed masterful control over all the ships under his command, and had proven his worth to Ming.

At the beginning of the battle, the <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Pandemonium<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> had engaged the closest Dantooinian ship, an Interdiction Picket. With a horrific beauty, turbolaser fire had shot out at tremendous speed from the <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Pandemonium<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> and <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Dark Nova<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, towards the Picket. Within moments, it had been destroyed, and the division was flying on through the wreckage to attack the next target. While this was happening, hoards of TIE Defenders and even more TIE Devils were swarming about the battlefield, easily gaining distance on the Imperial Capital ships and taking on enemy starfighter squadrons with surprisingly minimal losses. The odds were stacked ten to one against the Dantooine fleet. It was obvious in which direction this battle's outcome would lean.

Twelve minutes of carnage, two Dreadnaughts, fifty three starfighters and four Interdiction Pickets later, Ming received the transmission that he had been waiting for since the battle began.

"Sir, transmission for you from Governor Dalfulga," the comm reported.
All Ming had to do was nod in the officer's direction.

The heavily strained voice of Governor Dalfulga reigned over the bridge for all to hear, "Stop! Stop! We surrender! We-we surrender! Please, call off your forces!"

"Glad you see it our way, Governor," Ming allowed satisfaction to fill his voice as he talked to Dalfulga. "You understand, of course, that Dantooine is now in the service of the Empire?"

"Yes," Dalfulga sounded weary beyond his years.

"Good, then I'll see you in an hour, your office. Ming out." He signalled the comm officer to cut the transmission, and turned to Osakawa. "Captain, land your troops. Storm the capital and place it under martial law. I also want you to pick up our two on-planet agents, who made this mission so much easier for us. You know where they'll be waiting. Dismissed."

Osakawa saluted, which Ming returned, and left the bridge. Ming then turned and addressed Tulok. "Captain, take care of the fleet, and clean up this mess," Ming said, indicating outside the viewport.

"Yes, sir."

With his orders issued, Ming made for the hangar, and his private shuttle that was waiting to take him to an audience with Governor Dalfulga.

----------

<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> 1402<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->

The meeting had gone well enough, it seemed.

Ming's Lambda shuttle had arrived in the capital to many frightful shouts from it's inhabitants. But the Osakawa's stormtroopers had already secured the city, and it was easy for Ming to locate the Governor's office. After a shot exchange of signatures and thumbprints, Ming was off again, strolling down the streets of the newly captured city towards his shuttle. He wanted to get back, so that he might make a transmission to the Lord Regent, informing him of the Empire's new...<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> acquisition<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->.

When he was almost at the shuttle, however, his comlink bleeped. Answering it, he found the voice of Captain Osakawa, slightly out of breath and worried.

"Sir, I secured the city, as ordered, but when me and my squad went to pick up the two Intelligence Operatives, we found no trace of them," the Captain seemed braced to face Ming's wrath, but he needn't have been so, on this occasion, anyway.

"Are you <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> sure<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> that you're looking it the right place?" Ming pressed.

"Yes, sir. The abandoned Eol Sha village."

"Search the area. Also, search the communications station and the hangar wreckage. We need those people alive, Captain. Ming out."

<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> 1957<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->

Aboard the <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Pandemonium<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, floating in a tank full of rejuvenating bacta, was slept an unconscious man. He was cut on his face and hands, bruises all over, organs punctured and wounded, and had broken bones similar to those sustained from a seventy-story drop. It was really amazing, then, that he was alive. And even more amazing, that the doctor predicted he would be good as new in under a week, ready to return to doing whatever it was that he did.

As he slept, he dreamt. He dreamt of many things, great riches, fame, a beautiful wife. But one thing kept on coming up in his mind. It was a piece of text that he had read in a book, many years before, and had forgotten about, unilt now.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> They say that darkness is the mind killer. They say that there can be no substitute for the natural human dependence on light as a source of life. No synthetic substitute. Many feared darkness, and rightfully so. Many had devoted their lives to studying it, holding on feebly to the notion that fear is brewed simply from misunderstanding, that they could control it, if it were to be understood. That they could then harness it, in all it's fearful power, and somehow manage to extend their own humble lives, by taking away their personal mind killer. These people, were the ones that had no comprehension for the world around them, for what was happening to the galaxy while they studied. These were the casualties of life. Devoting themselves wholeheartedly to the darkness, they were the ones who would perish young, instead of fulfilling their dreams and becoming what they wished to be, their studies would lead them to the opposite.

Many people had been lead into the darkness this way, unable to control the free-fall that became dominant in their everyday lives. The fall into oblivion. The fall into death. The fall that had a blurry beginning and an even more indistinct end. Many kinds of people had fallen this way. "Sith" was the one word that instantly came to mind, but those were only the prominent ones. There were many others, unseen, hiding from the fear that plagued them, yet knowing that it must be faced to rid themselves of it. These were the others, the ones who would fall slower, yet still to as an admirable doom as the sith. These were the ones, with a chance...

<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> ...But there were others as well. Those who did not touch the darkness at all, but who simply trusted it to do what it must. These were the ones, who would survive forever.<!--EZCODE BOLD END--><!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

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