The Rebel Faction

Revanche-class Star Defender Revanche, Genon

Across the Confederation, the industry continued its inexorable march to defensive power. The Abhean yards were putting the finishing touches on the new Star Defender Swiftguard. Genon and Saleucami were raising the first legions of the Confederation’s new Clone Army. The quartet of primary factory worlds built swarms of starfighters, throngs of armored vehicles, and vast armies of battle droids. Gears of industry rotating for a single purpose: ultimate defensive power within a galaxy of strife. Maintaining a calm in the eye of the storm. And nowhere was this uneasy build-up best exemplified then at the incognito capitol world of the Contegorian Confederation: Genon.

A mammoth warship hung suspended over the mottled green and white world. A variety of Confederation starships ranging from Nebula-class Star Destroyers to the ubiquitous Shadowcasters arrayed themselves around the Revanche, forming a formidable screen around the flagship. Several hundred kilometers for the mass of vessels, Genon’s primary space station kept its geosynchrous orbit around Brandenburg; its repair yards reserving several vessels, its massive electromagnetic gun powered up to fire at the blink of an eye. Expansive energy sheaths, generated by the planetary shield generators, coalesced around the planet, and on the jungle surface, Protector-class Flak Towers vigilantly trained their weapons to the sky. In the heart of the Confederation Proper, it was easy to feel secure among the amassed forces rallied and lead by the Confederation’s military elite.

“Atten-hut!” bellowed a sergeant.

A squad of black-clad Kirkanian marines snapped to attention around the entrance to the Rear-Admiral’s quarters. Corise snapped his hand in what could have been a sloppy salute or wave to an unseen acquaintance. The Kashan man pulled out a silver cylinder from his tunic’s breast pocket and inserted it into a socket built in the door. It mutedly pinged: the doors slid open. The younger Lucerne ripped the rank cylinder from the door, and stepped into his argent quarters.

“Back again?” asked the Supreme Commander, blinking in surprise, “Three visits in one week?”

The woman wryly smiled. “Corise, there is much to deal with. You should know this better than most.”

He shrugged, walking over to the cabin’s wet bar. “They say ignorance is bliss. And right about now, I wish I could be ignorant. But what is it that brings you here?”

“Several ships registered to Confederation planets have been disappearing within the Mytaranor Sector. They’re small and civilian, but it could dampen trade within that region if the situation continues to escalate.”

Corise pulled out a crystal glass and a bourbon-coloured bottle from the marble cabinet. Mytaranor Sector. So directly to our West, coreward towards Coruscant. Let’s see, the area is most known as being the home of the Wookiees and Trandoshans. And…the Mytaranorian Slave Council. Slavers and pirates have some reign within the area. A brutally effective pirate gang could explain their disappearance. And it would be the most likely explanation given the lack of Imperial presence within the area… He popped the cork of the bottle of Cambrian Wine. Pivoting to face the Pro-Consul, he raised an empty glass.

“Care for some wine, madam?”

Christina frowned. “No, not exactly. I believe you’ve ranted before about officers drinking. Speaking of which, why exactly are you drinking now?”

He glanced at his chrono. “Because roughly twenty minutes ago, I relinquished command of the Fleet to Commodore Anarion, the Army to Field Marshal Trutzig, CSIS and Special Forces to Director Howe, and so forth. I’m on a week’s leave of absence for personal reasons.”

“Personal reasons?” questioned the brunette, arching an eyebrow.

“A short vacation,” explained the officer quietly, “it has been awhile since I have taken one.”

“Where to?”

“Dorounna; Alma’s resort moon,” stated Lucerne, “but for the sake of time, what would you have me do about those ship’s disappearance? You must realize that the Mytandor Sector is out of our jurisdiction. Any intrusion there would have political ramifications.”

“If concern for our citizen’s welfare and property doesn’t motivate us, political practicality must. At the very least, we must appear to be doing something even if it internationally impossible to do anything.”

Corise finished pouring his drink. “We launch a small pirate-hunting expedition to hunt and catch the pirates. It would appease the public. Best case we eliminate the source of the ships’ disappearance, worse case we eliminate some unwanted criminals.”

She frowned. “Wouldn’t that operation be outside of our jurisdiction?”

“It would be,” admitted the younger Lucerne, “but if pirates are the source of our disappearances, they’re likely attacking other people within the area. So we team up with a local authority in the area that does have international jurisdiction to hunt them down. Do we have any connections within the area?”

“Maybe,” replied the woman, “when we were in the Coalition, there was a group called Serendivus that operated in the area. I thought about approaching the early on during our time because of their proximity to us, but I never got the chance to meet any of their people.”

“Well,” mused Corise, “It could not hurt to try and get a contact with them. Even if just for intelligence reasons.”

She nodded. “What do you want me to say to them if we do establish contact?”

He shrugged. “Explain our situation to them. And ask for their help and permission in dealing with this…quandary. If possible, a joint task force combining our might and their intimate knowledge of the area would be ideal. The pirates wouldn’t be able to hide, nor would they be able to outgun the fleet.”

“And do you know that?”

“How many ships can outgun the Revanche? We could probably eliminate their entire fleet with this ship. Besides, it couldn’t hurt to establish an impression on Serendivus.”

She nodded. “I’ll get to it first thing once I get back to surface.”

Revanche-class Star Defender Revanche, Kashyyyk System

Five lighter coloured starships emerged from the dark realm of hyperspace to flash into the Kashyyyk System. The lead ship was wedge-shaped, with a cluster of globous bulbs rising from the otherwise angular hull: the Interdictor Mk II Constellation. Several hundred meters directly behind was the Trojan, the Nebula-class Star Destroyer whose reputation continually rose within the fleet. Directly astern of that heavy cruiser was the battleship Revanche. Weapons blisters bulged across the organic-looking hull, all of them currently powered down, but clearly dangerous. On either side of the Confederation flagship drifted a Nebula-class Star Destroyer clad in the colours of the Confederation’s elite White Fleet. Around this squadron of vessels, flocks of Confederate stealth fighters fanned out about the ship, keeping vigilant watch about their home ships. They were in friendly territory, but one never knew what could occur, whether beneficial or detrimental.

Rear-Admiral stared out of the starry viewport, noting the celestial bodies of the Kashyyyk System. It was an unusual system to him, for there relatively few bodies within the system, but nearly all of them were inhabited. Towards the system’s sun, the younger Lucerne could make out a tiny prinprick of light: the lush, verdant world of Kashayyyk, known throughout the galaxy as the homeworld of the Wookiees. Closer to the Confederate squadron was Trandosha, homeworld of the Trandoshans. It was significantly closer, and with his naked eye, the Kashan man could peer through the planet’s atmosphere and pick out the continents from the cerulean sea. The Kashan man turned about to newly promoted Captain Fyre.

“We appear to have all arrived as planned,” stated Corise evenly.

An amused grin crept over Fyre’s face. “Really? I hadn’t noticed. But really, it all looks so pretty. So why are we here?”

Corise’s face wrinkled into a frown. “You didn’t read the briefing?”

“I did,” contended the younger man, “but usually we’re somewhere that’s less than paradise, say Jabiim or Valinor. That or we doing some boring talks…or too busy fighting to notice the beauty of the place.”

Lucerne blinked. “I have found that most places have their own type of beauty, their own type of feel. Even Jabiim has its high points. And you should be thankful that we’re not fighting…yet.”

“These means were negiogating with the natives? Wookiees right? That’s like going to arm-wrestling match. At least that will be entertaining…”

The Rear-Admiral remorsefully shook his head at the immature officer. “Try not to be too ignorant, captain. The Trandoshans also inhabit the system; a very tough and hardy species. I’m rather glad we’re not fighting against them, but joining them to fight against a common enemy.”

Fyre shrugged. “Suit yourself, but where exactly is this enemy?”

“Serendivius supposedly intercepted some of their ships which tried to raid the system. I doubt they’ll show up here again, but our best bet is to contact Serendivius themselves. They are in system. Communications, see if you can get me a holo-link with the Serendivus commanding officer in this system. I believe her name is Grand Admiral Lavality.”

“Yes sir.”

Cyan haze from the lights beat down on the bridge crew, suffusing their every action in shades of electric blue. A subdued chatter broke out across the room as lower-ranking crewmen quietly worked at their stations. Some picked up sensor information and comparing it to their computerized charts. Others analyzed it. Comm specialists tuned some of the Revanche’s subspace transceivers to listen in on local communications. In the eye of this dull storm of activity, one man sat, waiting.

"This is Grand Admiral Lavality of the Elite Temporal Guard assigned to temporary patrol of the Kashyyyk system. Please state your name and business."

Corise tilted his head slightly downward as he heard the response. Odd. Pro-Consul Thorn said she had sent a message through the holo-net to them about our arrival. Perhaps it got lost or is taking a while to bounce through the network. Or one of the transmitter satellites is down. He sighed. Well, this will be…interesting. He cleared his throat and leaned in towards the holo-camera.

“This is Rear-Admiral Corise Lucerne, Supreme Commanding Officer of the Contegorian Confederation Military,” stated the Kashan officer precisely, “Pro-Consul Christina Thorn had sent a message to your…people about our arrival. Perhaps you will be able to retrieve that in your communication’s log. Put succinctly, we are seeking a gang of criminals who have attacked civilian shipping registered to our member planets. According to our records, they have been disappearing in this sector of space. We request permission from your government to search the surrounding space to find and eliminate these criminals and to rescue our crew and ships.”

He leaned back in his seat, awaiting the inevitable Serendivus response.

"Could you give me a minute or so to confer with my officers? Thank you kindly."

Corise tapped a button on his command chair, muting the noise of the Revanche's bridge to the Serendivus officer.

"A criminal destroyer coming from our border?" questioned the Kashan man incredously, "do we have any reports of one?"

"Negative sir," replied his communication's officer gravely, "it could be appeared to have come from us. Our borders don't quite touch with those of Serendivus. There's a no-man's land...er...space between us. That's probably where it come from."

Corise nodded. "And neither of us has apparently been keeping tabs on that area very well. Next chance we get, I want the sensor net periphery extended to include some of that area."

"Yes sir."

"Inform Captain Valeska that her ship will shortly be jumping over to rendezvous with the Serendivus fleet. She is to find out all she can about that pirate ship and work in concert with their fleet if any threat presents itself. Inform her about anything else she might need to know about."

"Aye sir."

The younger Lucerne turned back to face the holo-camera. He tapped the button again, unmuting his voice to the distant leader. His sapphire blue eyes stared at the alien.

"One of my ships, the CCS Trojan under Captain Valeska will be arriving shortly at the coordinates you have presented to us. If you will, we would like to inspect the pirate destroyer to gather any clues about it. If there is any Confederation technology or personnel onboard, she will be able to identify them for you. If there is, it wasn't authorized by the Confederation. My fleet will currently stand at the coordinates I'm transmitting to you pending the results of our inquiry. As well, if the pirates do show up again, we can trap them here with our Interdictor. Does that seem agreeable, Admiral?"

Nebula-class Star Destroyer Trojan

"All right, everyone stay sharp," ordered the dark-haired woman, "for all we know this could be a test or a trap."

A series of acknowledgements reverberated throughout the bridge of the argent-clad star destroyer. While the Trojan was somewhat smaller than many ships of line fielded by the galactic powers, she was just as powerful in terms of weapons and defences. She even managed to cram in an Imperator's fighter wing into her slender hull despite being three-fourth's of the Imperial ship's size. Combined with a relatively cheap pricetag, the ships had all but supplanted the highly advanced Pegasus-class Star Destroyer as the main ships of line. She flashed into realspace, her white hull piercing into the dark space like a dagger.

"Report!"

"No-one is shooting at us. Everything looks clear. There is a cluster of ships where the coordinated indicate."

"Very good," stated the formery gunnery instructor, "Helm, take us to rendezvous with their ships, and particularly towards that captured destroyer."

"Aye ma'am."

"Sensors, record everything you can get here. And passive sensors only. We don't need them to know that we're somewhat snooping on them."

"Yes ma'am."

She paced towards the bridge viewport, eying the rapidly approaching pirate destroyer.

"See if you can arrange for one of our shuttles to land on that thing. I'll be going to meet them..."