The Rebel Faction

(OOC:Hehe, yup. Nice to see chadd adds to the stakes without adding any help! I wonder whats going to happen with those PeFauna! Maybe we can kill some! :evil )


<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> As the GDI ships still under his command swung around to assault the newly arrived Corellian ships, it appeared they were as surprised as he was. Lupercus sensed confusion in the minds of the captain and crew at once. Suddenly a thought came to him. He reached for the comm.<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->

"All Alpha detachment ships and fighters, fire all your torpedos at those new ships! They don't have their shields up!"

<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> Instantly the torpedos were launched, and just seconds later the Siths mind quivered with excitement as fear ran through the collective crews of Gallinore <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> reinforcements<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->. Panic surrounded the minds of most of the crews, but one mind, obviously the detachment commander, seemed calm.

Well, as calm as one could be when facing certain death.<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->

"Raise the Sheilds!!"

<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> A young ensign, perhaps on his first tour of duty screamed a reply, the panic evident in his voice.<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->

"Your Majesty, we have no time! We had no power after leaving Hyperspace!"

"Do it anyway! Its our only hope!"

<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> Lupercus watched with glee as he realised he was about to kill some former member of Hapan royalty. The sheild percentages clicked up slowly on his moniters as the missles approached rapidly. A bloodthirsty grin crossed his face as he watched the missles impact. One, perhaps two missles were destroyed by the sheilding, but the rest plowed on through, the 7 ships buckleing and exploding, not a single soul escaping. The Hapan Princes vision tinged red as the explosion reached his eyes, his bloodlust taking over.<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->

"Hurry up! Get to those Hapan @#%$!"

<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> The Siths ships pushed ever closer to the other ships, and thus to Gallinore, and all the booty that awaited them...<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->

(OOC:Chadd, thats bad. FIrstly, i doubt GDI is gonnna let you have this planet, second it means less for me to kill...)

<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> The personal ships of Lupercus Darksword charged forward at a frenetic rate, their hate driving them to push the ships to the limit. At the lead was the two Novas, <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Razor<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> and <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Blade<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, their faster ships surrounding the defending Hapans. The laser blasts ravaged the uncoordinated troops, their ships already in bad repair, as most likely was their training.

The Battle Dragons closed together off to one side, the Miy'Tils onboard the Siths craft making the conflagaration a foregone conclusion.<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->

(OOC:So breif... Gotta run...)

(OOC: Unless pre-determined payment is transfered immediatly, Gallinore will remain in our hands)

Galinore was a planet or earth and soil...more importantly, it was a planet that harvested gems in massive quantities.

And a planet the men of the New Empire had been paid to take.

The New Empire was some what of a misnomer, however. In actuality, it was several hundred men, all former Imperial soldiers and officers, who had become deluded with war and grew less sane than was typical. They were lead by a man of thirty, who, as a former Imperial Lieutenant Commander, had done things he should not have in the pursuit of victory.

Thus, he sought to remake the Empire in his own image.

The image of Vallus Arelius.

A man who demanded be addressed as Admiral.

* * *

The <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Merciless<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> reverted to realspace above and near Galinore, a battle raging around it. Seemingly over the din of battle could be heard the maniacal laughter of a genius gone mad, who had at his fingertips that could slaughter the defenseless, and cull the meek.

" Admiral" Arelius was perfectly content to have returned to the field. And the stage.

* * *

The recently-arrived Corellian Gunship could barely be recognized by the naked eye, for it had been painted in the same scheme as the glorious Super Star Destroyer <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Night Hammer<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, with its hull black and dotted with white blotches. It was dintinguishable, however, buy a same-schemed Sentinel-class Shuttle attached to the dorsal hull, to land soldiers where needed. It was a rigged modification, but one that had held true during very intense battle.

An Interdictor-class Cruiser, the only one on the field approached from its vantage point aft of the nimble craft.

Without any adieu, the shuttle detached and disappeared into the belly of the Imperial Star Destroyer-esque vessel.

It landed quietly, and out strode two quards donning Imperial Fleet trooper uniforms: coloured grey, with blue pipping. Their weapons were at ease, but their eyes were not. Their helmets did not obscure their faces, and several well-earned scars could be seen.

Behind them strode a man. Nay, marched a man, whose head was held high with the feigned arrogance bread by years of honourless battle. On his head was an Imperial officers cap, and on his legs Imperial Officer's breeches. Colliding with the deck were highly buffed, near new, Imperial-issue jackboots.

Not standard Imperial issue was the tunic donned by this man. It was standard colour, but was clasped at the center by five silver buttons, and cut in a third by a polished belt. The collar was high, and black. On them was white pipping, as was there along the central shirt end. On either side were no pockets, merely three medals, each raised badge-type, below the rank bar of an Imperial Admiral of the Fleet.

Such distinction worn by this man was never earned in the service to the Empire. Intimated deserved, but never brough to fruition, for reasons of clear and present insanity.

Waiting ahead of the small party of Imperial-looking 'gentlemen' were two officers of the Galactic Defense Initiatve: one commander of the vessel, the other its executive officer.

They looked on this out of place trio, and did nothing. No salutes were exchanged, but no hostilities either: these men had no allegiance to the Empire as it was now known.

" Captain, you are relieved."

The vessel's commander arched an eyebrow, aware that the 'group' he had been ordered to assist were in control of the situation, he did not expect his ship to be commandeered. After all, it was only an Interdictor.

" Mr. Arelius-"

The Captain got no futher before a gloved hand met his face with much force.

" You <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> will<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> address me as Admiral, or you will not address anyone every again."

The two GDI soldiers exchanged bemused glances, and the Captain spoke again. " Welcome to my ship, sir. The bridge is-"

There was no gloved hand this time. A blaster bolt caught him in the chest, downing him immediately. He did not die without pain.

" A refitted Imperial Blaster Pistol, using parts from an old ISB disruptor. Now, I was an officer of the Empire. I know these ships as you know your own body. If you doubt that again...or me, you will suffer his fate."

The "Admiral" walked off, his two guards flanking him, leaving the now-Commander of the Interdictor to stand over his dead ex-superior's body.

* * *

The bridge of an Interdictor was familiar: it resembled highly the Imperial Star Destroyers,' and could not be beaten for asthetics.

" Who is officer of the watch?"

" I am," replied a young, pasty faced ensign.

" Good. I will address the crew."

He nodded, having already heard word of their captain's demise.

" Attention, all personnnel. This ship is now under my command, and all orders will originate from me. If they do not, then do not follow them....or the next image you see will be this ship: from the outside. Bridge out."

Admiral Vallus Arelius, a man of high intellectual calibre, but emotional value or common good desires, took his seat in command.

" Order my ship to come around to course zer-three-six and commence attack on the enemy's rear. Bring us within range of the nearest enemy ship and commence full forward firing: saturation on enemy weapon emplacements."

His tactics were sound: the end result horrid.

The previous orders from his somewhat superior, Lupercus Darksword, were to destroy all escape pods jettisoned from the enemy ships.

His gunship would do so, for everyman aboard cared little enough to not.

Almost always found next to the Hapan aristocract was a human with only one real eye. The other was a synthetic implant, that had ceased to properly function many years before.

His name was Y'llner, an excellent soldier, who always made it a point to be on the same ship or mission as the Prince.

He was also an agent of the "Admiral's."

His eye was also a transmitter.

* * *

The orders came down twice, once through the agent with the Hapans and the other over the 'Net. The Prince knew of his existence, but allowed him to remain as he knew it gave the "Admiral" great joy to think he had gotten one over on a Sith Master.

" Eliminate the enemy shuttles. And Escape pods."

The "Admiral" grinned and murmured to himself. He placed the crystalsheet upon the arm of his chair and relayed the orders to his personal <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Merciless,<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> a ship that was soon to live up to its name.

From its vantage point behind the Hapan warships, it had been showering their aft drive engines with laser fire, preventing them from concetrating shields against the main threat ahead.

With their surrender, the ship had stopped.

The orders came, and it fired again.

* * *

Lieutenant Derryl commanded battery #six, a pair of twin laser cannon on the port side of the <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Merciless.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> Many years before, he had commanded a battery of heavy turbolasers from the gunwales of an Imperial II-class Star Destroyer. He had fired one shot too many after the cessation of hostilites against a captured convoy. The Empire walked away with four ships less than it wanted.

He had been unemployed several years after.

" Do your thing, Lieutenant," came the accetned and highly-arrogant vocal manerisms of the Admiral.

He began to laugh uncontrolably, issuing orders between outbursts. In a few moments, an escape pod shot from the nearest Nova-class cruiser. It was not there for many more moments.

Two neon lances shot out towards the shuttle, disappearng into the whitre hull of the small pod, the hull giving way to a small, yet brilliant explosion between the ships.

* * *

The laughter from the Interdictor's bridge resonated through its corridors. Another pod shot out from the Battle Dragon..

It's fate was identical.

" Fools."