The Rebel Faction

Frakutsk had just been summoned and led into the Asteroid once more. The passageways totally threw off Frakutsk's usually reliable sense of direction, and Frakutsk found himself marveling at the architechture until he was adressed by a Verpine dressed in formal robes.

"The Verpine have considered the Coalition's offer."

Frakutsk nodded, bowed slightly, and wished that he had had more training as a Diplomat before he said.

"Andsa what verdict have yousa gotten to?"

"We have decided that, in light of recent events, we are required to accept your generous offer."

"Thisa is good news!"

"Indeed, but the Verpine wonder, what of the Imperial ship stationed outside the belt?"

"Yesa, they are problemsa. But mesa doubts that thosesa onboard aresa permitted to start asa war."

The Verpine made an anamolous face that looked like it included disgust and apprehension.

The diplomatic meeting proceeded politely for a while, and then ended. Frakutsk returned to the Enforcer corvette of the Mon Calamaris.



"Sir, while you were gone, those filthy Imperials sent us a message."

Frakutsk was mildly suprised, he coulden't think of anything the Imperials would want to say.

"Whatsa was dat?"

Rakebaz sneered, "Something about them being fat bullies and us having six hours to leave."

"Asa threat?"

"Yeah."

"Well... no matter what theysa says. Thisa our system now."

Rakebaz nodded.

"Tellsa them that thisa system has already agreed to become part of the Coalition, that this is Coalition space."

Rakebaz looked mildly suprised, "Me?"

"Yesa, you. Butsa leave out de part about thems being 'filthysa bullies'."

"Yes, sir."

The flames shot up around the asteroid, engulfing it in a blazing inferno, so fiery and cataclysmic that it dazzled anyone looking directly at it.

Deep within the asteroid, a radio wave exploded from a small sphere and a bar on a holographic display lowered itself.

Then, the flames receded, like dust settling. Sections of space around the asteroid glowed strangely for a few moments, then everything was still.

Everything, including every one of the Vepine who froze in mid-task, the minds of millions springing into action. Telepathic communication rung through the entire system.

Hovering near the surface, the weapons of the Verpine suddenly raised themselves out of their asteroids, and they were a sight to behold. They bristled from every asteroid of significant size in the entire system, shining threateningly. If any two were exactly the same, it was sheer coincidence, for each weapon was a balance, or imbalance, between hundreds of aspects of technology.

Were the Imperials to fire, or charge up for firing, again, the Verpine would consider themselves forced to open fire. Any weapon that could would douse its enemy in its fire, which could be from classic lasers and Ion rays to tactical switches between exotic super-sonic pulses, which could tear through hulls, and electron streamrays, which were adept at disabling shields.




This time, Frakutsk wasn't summoned or escorted into the asteroid. His ship's communication had been cut off, and he needed to know what was going on.

He certainly didn't like the way it looked. The only reason that he could think of for such an abrupt jam was the Imperials, and if the Imperials had jammed communication, goodness knows what was next.

The first Verpine he saw greeted him politely and asked him if he needed anything.

"Mesa needs to know what'sa just happened!"

The Verpine visiably frowned, nodded, and motioned for Frakutsk to follow him. It was a short walk and Frakutsk knew that wherever he was going, the Verpine who he was with now was communicating with them as he walked.

Frakutsk was led to a small chamber, where another Verpine was waiting.

"Greetings, Frakutsk." Said the older-looking Verpine.

"Greetings," responded Frakutsk, and then promptly continued, "What'sa just happened?"

The Verpine shook his head sadly, "As you've probably guessed, my friend. It's the Imperials."

Frakutsk would not have know what to say, had he not been a Gungan. Instead he was startled and said, "But... yousa not dead yet..."

The wisened Verpine sighed, "Let me tell you a story," he began as he motioned for Frakutsk to sit down, "about Roche and the Vepine."

"A long time ago, as you know, the Verpine slowly began to recede from galactic society. We never made our reasons clear, and the process was slow enough that we never had to.

Of course, this was not for no reason. Our mechanic and computer specialists filled many important positions in the galaxy, and indeed their graceful resignations were very difficult things to coordinate for more reasons than one, but it was very neccisary.

Back here, at Roche, we needed every last Verpine we could get, because a terrible thing had stricken us. Apparently, we, and our position in the middle of a very imprtant trade route, had come to the attension of a vicious pirate clan called the 'Bomu'. These Bomu showed no mercy in destroying us and taking our asteroids as bases of operation.

We had been forced to adapt our technology and develop devises to conceal ourselves, or what was left of us, in a very few places. Slowly, from these places, we rebuilt.

It took all of our technological genius to create weapons, for we had very little time before the Bomu would have completely taken over. But, working tirelessly, we did it, and forced the Bomu out of the Asteroids.

At last, we were able to restore ourselves. We reproduced and spread throughout the entire asteroid belt. And, determained not to let millions of us be killed by those brainless pirates again, we created defences.

The Bomu and other pirates tried to destroy us again, but our defences held easily, and since then we have been left alone. We have been given time to improve our defences. We have been given time to fortify ourselves so that we would not be destroyed again, and might I say that our zealous engineers have truely proved themselves."

The corners of the old Verpine's mouth twisted upward, he was quite proud of his friends.

Frakutsk was stunned. An entire history! These Verpine had been through so much! And to think, the only mention of them on the galactic scale was the occasional mechanic who wished that whichever Verpine he knew was there to help with a particularly stumping problem.

All Frakutsk managed to say was, "So... thatsa being why yousa not dead yet."

The Verpine nodded deeply.

Not entirely sure exactly what to think, the one thing Frakutsk knew for sure was that this wasn't good.

[SIZE=1](OOC- Unfortunately, the ships that you're sending were not created at the time of this thread. I think that that means they're not allowed.)[/SIZE]

"Response?" Trinity asked, watching as the targeted asteroid blew apart under the fire of the Eternal.

"Nothing yet, Captain. But we're reading increased energy levels on some of the asteroids - suggesting weapons systems."

The Captain nodded - the Verpine would be expected to have some defences, though their species was far to small to have inhabited the entirity of the Roche system, and indeed the sensor reports showed only a small number of weapons coming active in the field.

Nothing the Empire could not handle, if the need arose.

[size=1](I've done you the courtesy of posting what form my fleet and reinforcements take - none of this "unspecified fleet" bullshit, please.)[/size]

It wasn't that far from the edge of the Coalition's Eastern Province to Roche, and already a fleet was moving from there. In the lead, the Claymore Battlecruiser Iron was commanded by none other then the foremost amongst White Knights, Ruuvan - recently returned from settling a racial dispute on Mon Calamari.

The calamarian stood over a tactical layout holographically emitted over a table. There, he could see maps of Roche, call-signs of his hastily assembled fleet, the lot. "We're flying blind." he said, with a sigh. "This isn't unlike the situation Regrad flew into over Kiyar - the one he's still marshalling a plan to deal with."

"Yes, sir." said a lieutenant quickly assigned to relaying the orders of the Knight "It is true that we do not know the circumstances of this sudden blackout, but for it to be another alien attack of unknown origin seems unlikely - Roche is considerably more centrally placed in the galaxy then Kiyar, it would not go unnoticed."

"True." said Ruuvan, circling the table "But then, Kiyar didn't go unnoticed, did it? That's why I think Regrad reacted how he did - didn't want to take any chances this time. Doesn't want to lose another world." Ruuvan sighed "It's our job to make sure that doesn't happen. No matter if it's alien, Imperial, or what-have-you out there, we're tearing it apart if it threatens Roche - I've read our dossier on the Verpine, I really doubt it's them who're trying to pick a fight."

Ruuvan wandered back to the center of the command bridge in thought. He had with him every ship the Eastern Province could spare, mostly in the hopes they'd be back intact within a day or two. A dozen battlecruisers, twice as many Longswords, and plenty of escorts and fighters - it was a veritable armada. Regrad really had gone all out this time, and Ruuvan could only wonder if that would be enough.

"Double check our course and make us ready for arrival. It might be rough."

Frakutsk was quite on edge. The imperials weren't attacking. This was good. The way Frakutsk saw it, if the Imperials woulden't attack, the Verpine certainly woulden't, and if no one was attacking, that gave him time to figure out a solution to this mess. Could he just leave, and consider Roche a full memeber of the Coalition? Maybe, he thought, but he didn't feel comfortable with it at all. He had a bad feeling about the near future.

Finding no course of immediate action that would be beneficial, Frakutsk's deep thought, not entirely through concious decision, turned into meditation.

He would think and wait.