The Rebel Faction

The circular command center of the facility buzzed with hectic activity of any installation trying to keep itself maintained. Standing at the center of it all was a tall, muscular chiss dressed in what could be considered a uniform. He wore a white long-sleeved tunic with red stripes on it along with red pants and black boots. The tunic did little to hide the chiss' physcial build as he stood there with his large arms across his chest as he listened to incoming reports from the teams helping to keep this base running.

"Admiral, team twelve reports trouble in tunnel seven. They apparently struck an ore pocket, what are your orders?" an officer asked as he turned toward the chiss.

Cynic Pariah looked calmly at the displays relaying the reports and sighed silently. He still couldn't grasp the concept of being called Admiral, especially when most of those around him were human. What would make them follow the orders of a blue skinned alien besides the fact that he was a very intimidating figure.

Simple, they aren't Imperials and thus aren't xenophobic

Cynic smiled at that thought, pleased that someone was acutally willing to employ him, even though he was now responsible for the actions of a resistance movement's currently meager naval forces. He heaved a large sigh and finally placed his full attention on the task at hand. He looked calmly at the man who had spoken.

"Have them scan for the area around them for ore concentration and report back," Cynic ordered calmly before turning his attention towards other reports.

The base's need for continual expansion, while not necessarily Cynic's chief duty was something he occupied himself with by helping to manage it. They needed a lot of space for their operations as well as to aid in the development of the Helion project. That project was something Cynic himself had some interest in due to its military applications if they could get the technology working correctly.

"Sir, should we report this delay to Kamon?" one of the other officers asked.

"Yes, also tell him we're trying to solve the sitatuion," Cynic replied.

The man nodded and turned back towards his station. As he went back to work, Cynic stepped down from the raised command dais and began to walk amongst the stations, reading over the shoulders of officers and base personnel. He preferred to do this, since it made the men and women under his command feel more like equals rather than his inferiors. It also gave Cynic a better look at what was going on then rather then simply relying on their word alone.

"Sir, team twelve reports that the ore is more or less concentrated in just that pocket. What are your orders?" the officer asked.

"Dig around it. We can just dig a chamber out from around it and then process it for resources," Cynic replied.

The office gave a nod and quickly relayed the orders to the team that had been forced to deal with the dilemma of of ore pocket, something no one would even want to try to drill through without the proper preparation. With that little situation dealt with, Cynic pulled a chrono out of his pocket and checked the time. He then drew his second in command's attention.

"Captain Platus, I'm going to be in my office. If something arrises, please inform me."

Captain Platus nodded which was all Cynic needed before stepping out of the command center and walking down the corridors towards his own office. He entered it calmly and pulled out a ration pack and began to eat his meal. He found it easier to eat simple meals because something could go wrong at any time and he might need to rush to the command center.

"An ore pocket you say? This is very good. Very good indeed. It is possible that this planet has large ore deposits that could become very valuable to our military enterprise. Tell them to do what the Admiral said and then send a mining team."

"Yes, sir. Team Alpha has reported the finishing of mining in sector five and has requested permission to pursue this pocket."

"That's fine. Tell them they have my approval to do so."

"Yes, sir."

Kamon pocketed his comlink and continued to walk down the hall. No destination was really apparent on his mind. It seemed he was content with just walking along and waiting for someone to bump into him that he wished to speak with. There was a lot to talk about with all the planning they had to do. The Black Dragon Empire had a price on their heads whether they knew it or not. For the destruction of their Protectorate, and for allowing the Empire to stick their noses into a private war. And that nose had killed an innocent child right in front of Kamon's face. Thing's like that could not be tolerated.

Anyone that had the guts, or the nerve, to kill an innocent little child who had done nothing, deserved to have his blood spilled upon the already bloody ground of the galaxy. Kamon would not sit aside and let heinous crimes like that be commited to blatantly. Revenge was a dangerous ally, but also a potent one. Sometime soon, the enemy, whoever it may be at the time, will feel the sting of the Confederacy's bite. The White Dragon will conquer all enemies. No matter the size difference, no matter how undermatched, they would find and fight a way to victory. It was their duty to do so.

As he rounded a corner, he nearly bowled over an old friend. The man responsible for the safe-keeping of his daughter, and one time leader of the elite Protectorate troops known as the Royal Phalanx Guard Corp, Kenshin Katarn. Kenshin was in charge of the Cortogen guard, the soldiers responsible for the well-being of all high-born Tholatinians like him and his daughter. Although kamon himself refused their guard, he forced Amarie to let them guard her.

"Sorry Kenshin. Lost track of where I was going."

Kamon nodded.

"For the most part. I have the distinct feeling that my escape has triggered the Black Dragons into hunting me. So, I'm going to turn over control of the Confederacy to the Admiral and my daughter. Those two, I believe, should be able to handle the leading of the group while I run Special Ops."

As they walked, Kamon noted everything he could about his underground surroundings. All of the medbays, all of the raid shelters, everything. The mess hall's, the training rooms, the troop areas. All of it had to be memorized by heart in the case of an emergency or an event similar to one. Even the smallest of errors could become very costly when they were under attack. Though their outpost was well hidden inside the unexplored territory, it was still close to the enemy. Word had reached them that Zonama Sekot had somehow been discovered and taken by the enemy as well.

"These are troubled times, Kenshin. Yesterday we received word that Zonama Sekot, the last true stronghold of the Protectorate had fallen to the Black Dragons as well. It seems that their strength is as of yet still growing. Soon they will be so like the Empire that there will be no stopping them from destroying us."

They passed through a set of durasteel blast doors and moved off towards the Dragon Den. The Admiral ran things from there, but according to one of his aides he was in his quarters. That was alright. Kamon didn't need to speak with the Chiss Admiral yet anyways. There was just a couple of things he needed to check up on. His daughter for instance. He needed to tell his daughter about the change in hands of the COnfederacy. She needed to know that she and Cynic were in charge.

"Let's head to the Dragon Den."

Kenshin raised an eyebrow as Kamon explained his plan to leave Amarie and this Admiral Cynic in charge of their fledgling resurrection of an existence, leaving him open to lead the newly formed Special Ops group on his plans of revenge. He couldn't help but wonder if this decision was wise. Though the people's trust was starting to strengthen for his daughter, she was still quite young and quite new to leadership.

To have Kamon lure the enemy away was a good tactic in its own, but he was their Prince, and to have him go off at a time when the people were just beginning to reforge their grasp on the leadership he provided was probably a harsh move. Kenshin wondered just how well he trusted the new Chiss Admiral.

He pushed aside his thoughts as he listened to the news Kamon brought him. It seemed that Zonama Sekot had fallen just yesterday. It seemed like it was only a matter of time, Kenshin thought with a heavy sigh. The Black Dragon Empire hunted them relentlessly. But for what? Was it truely only because of Kamon? Or was it because they wanted an excuse to eliminate their oppressors? Surely the hunt for one man didn't require the capture of planets. Perhaps this plan Kamon devised was for the best...

"Let's head to the Dragon Den."

Kenshin only managed a slight nod in response as he silently followed his friend in the direction of the Dragon's Den. His head swam. So many things were happening at once, how were a mere handful of people supposed to handle it all? Authority was such a burden.

His mind then suddenly wandered to the thought of how Amarie would take the plan. Not without some fuss, that was to be sure. It would seem that she would have to lose her father again only a few weeks after she had worked so hard to get him back. Truely she was the one that would feel the biggest impact. She would be pushed into the way of government and politics once more. And this time, perhaps for good.

A shriek of surprise escaped Amarie's lips, watching with an alarmed look upon her face as her own lightsaber flew through the air....and right into her father's hands.

Hearing her father's words, Amarie nodded, hanging her head as she realized it was thankfully just a test, and no more than that. Though, that didn't stop her from feeling bad.

Catching her blade once more, she gave her father a sheepish grin.

"I never said I was a good Jedi." she replied, shrugging her shoulders as she clipped her blade back onto her belt.