Kalaan, home to the red-skinned Kalaanites who were a race of humanoids with large red eyes and square snouts. The Kalaanites once resided on a lush planet which could have been described by many as a paradise. The Kalaanites were staunch supporters of the Rebellion, and housed a large Rebel base on Kalaan.
Everything changed when the Galactic Empire launched an invasion on Kalaan, shortly before the Battle of Yavin. Kalaan City which housed the large Rebel base was reduced to dust. The planet, once teeming with life was now devoid of plant life entirely in many areas. The Kalaanites stood up to the oppressive Empire, but their efforts proved futile. All Kalaanites who were members of the Rebellion, or even suspected to be members of the Rebellion were killed without question.
A few years later, a prison was erected to house those who would not submit willingly to Imperial rule. At first, there were many. However, as time went on the will to fight was sapped from the Kalaanites. Knowing that any sign of resistance would get them thrown in prison, or worse; <i>killed</i>, the Kalaanites resigned to a life of reluctant obedience.
So it went for years under the rule of the tyrannical Empire. Then, the light of hope was cast upon the darkness, when news of Emperor Palpatine's death reached Kalaan. However, this hope was short-lived, the Kalaanites quickly found that they would much rather have an Emperor who ruled from across the Galaxy, than a tyrant who built his fortress in their backyard. News of Palpatine's demise ignited rebellion once again on Kalaan. Together, those who would see the Empire driven from their lands banded together and marched against the Palace of then-Planetary Governor Kovac.
The meager forces of the united Kalaanite were no match for the might of the Empire however, and once again their local rebellion proved useless. Instead of resigning his post on Kalaan and returning to his homeworld, Planetary Governor Kovac declared that the Galactic Empire would not leave Kalaan. Even without reinforcements, or support from the outside Galaxy, there was no one to stand in his way after numerous attempts at rebellion failed, the Kalaan were hardly in position to remove the Empire from power.
Over the years, Kovac's stranglehold on the planet tightened, ridiculous laws were enacted and it soon became apparent to the people of Kalaan that they were under the rule of a madman. Shortly thereafter, Kovac declared himself Emperor in a move that many Kalaanites saw coming long ago. The situation went from bad to worse as the human Emperor made life on Kalaan nearly unbearable. The Kalaanites had no choice, there was nothing they could do about it. The stormtroopers which walked the street in their decades-old armor carried out Kovac's will with iron fists. The spaceport was reserved for Imperial use, and no Kalaan were allowed to leave the planet under any circumstances. Those who walked the streets freely were prisoners, whether they admitted it or not.
Emperor Kovac drove the Kalaanites to despair, the situation was bleak.
<center>***</center>
<center><b>The Palace of Emepror Malfurion Kovac</b></center>
It is a cold, dark room. It has high vaulted ceilings with small windows on top which allow beams of light to penetrate the hollow throne room. A red carpet extends from the double doors far across the room to the seat of the self declared Emperor of Kalaan. There is an array of monitors near the throne, so the Emperor can closely watch the various situations on the planet without having to leave his throne.
He sits there, slouching back into the over-sized throne as he pets the stubble that has accumulated on his pale face after a week of not shaving. Bags have built under his beady eyes, which looked like dark circles outlining his recessed eyes. His once-black hair now turned white on the sides, and had traces of silver on top. He was not going bald, but his hair was beginning to thin on top. He looked more like a prisoner of war than royalty. He was an emaciated man, clothed in what once could have been described as a regal cloak.
He sits there in isolation most of the day, allowing his mind to recess further into dementia. He talks to himself quietly, as his head darts back and forth; left then right, as he questions then answers himself. Somewhere along the line, Emperor Kovac lost his marbles.
<center>***</center>
<center><b>Imperial Prison on Kalaan</b></center>
The "cell" which he had been subject to for the past 972 days was little more than a dank, lightless closet. No bed, not even a cot, but at least there were the rats to keep him company. His name was Jonasius "Jon" Rawsh, he was suspected of crimes against the Emperor, including treason; of which he was guilty. Though there was no proof, as he was never caught in an act of open rebellion, so instead of being put to death (like many of his comrades) he was resigned to spending the rest of his days in this prison based purely on the suspicion that he was a rebel sympathizer. Fed one meal a day, which could hardly be considered "food", Jon spent his days reliving the horrors of his past and the knowledge that his future was written in stone; the very stone that made the bricks that built this prison which was now his permanent home.
Jon did his best to keep his mind sharp and not delve into insanity like many of the other Kalaanite whose screams kept him up late into the night. Jon couldn't blame them, the horrors that the Kalaanite faced were enough to drive the sanity from anyone. The small resistance force that Jon fought with were all put to death, save for a handful of others which were not caught in the act much like Jon himself.
The situation on Kalaan had turned grim. Any hint of dissatisfcation with the lingering Empire or Emepror Kovac himself would be met with any number of cruel punishments ranging from imprisonment to a slow, painful death. There were those who still fought against the Emperor, but their forces were few and far between. For some reason, Jon never lost hope. In the back of his mind he always believed that the Kalaanites would rise up against Emperor Kovac and reclaim their freedom. There was no evidence to support this theory unfortunately, other than the resolve of the Kalaanite people which had been worn down through the decades.
Locked away in the recesses of an Imperial prison, all Jon Rawsh could do was cling to the last vestiges of hope in a hopeless world.
<center>***</center>
<center><b>Vissel District of Kalaan</b></center>
"Zeta Kilo Three Six Eight, what is your position?" The Stormtrooper Sargeant said through the frequency broadcast to all troopers within the district which ZK-368 heard through his earpeice.
"Alpha, this is Three Six Eight, I am patrolling courtyard district. Over." The Stormtrooper designated ZK-368 replied.
"Are you fuckin' kidding me? Zeta Kilo Three Six Eight? Seriously? You'd think this fuckin' guy reports to Emperor Palpatine himself." The other trooper who walked alongside ZK-368 remarked. "I mean we've been stuck on this fuckin' rock for decades, and he still acts like we're part of the Empire Proper, straight outta the Academy..."
"Yeah... the sargeant's old school. But, he's in charge what are you gonna do?" ZK-368 replied, shrugging behind his battered ivory armor, no longer pristine after decades of abuse.
"Fuck if I know." The other trooper said, as they both walked down the walk slowly, blasters in hand. "I wouldn't mind going AWOL and getting off this shitty rock. "Emperor" Kovac has lost his god damn mind, and it's not gonna be long before he gets us all killed." He said using his fingers to illustrate his quotation.
"Good luck with that, Owens. You remember what happened to Gimeno when he tried to leave the service of our fine majesty, don't you?" ZK replied.
"Shit, McNulty I almost forgot about that one. He skewered that fuckin' guy from ass hole to eyebrow, that was grossest fuckin' thing I ever saw. An' he left that poor bastard out there to rot for days, out in the open. Sent those Kalaanites a message though. We didn't hear so much as a peep outta 'em for months."
McNulty, otherwise known as ZK-368 nodded.
"You hear about the 'Slaughter at Solomon Square'?" Owens asked.
"Slaughter at Solomon Square...? What are you talkin' about Owens?"
"I can't believe you haven't heard about it. Apparently the "Emperor" went nutzo and had a bunch of civi's killed at Solomon Square. I guess he thought they were gathering for some type of rebel activity and had 'em all mowed down right there in the open."
"Civillians?" McNulty asked.
"Ya, men... women... shit there were <i>teenagers</i> in the square and Kovac had 'em all blasted to peices. Wouldn't even let contamination crews remove the bodies. Wanted to keep 'em there, as a <i>reminder</i>."
McNulty shook his head, as he looked down to the ground.
"Another day in paradise, Owens. In the service of our <i>glorious</i> Emperor Kovac." McNulty said, trying to remove the grotesque thoughts from his mind.
<center>***</center>
<center><b>The Office of Marin Faulker on Yavin 4</b></center>
"Marin." Admiral Matthias Woods said as he entered the room, quickly saluting him.
"Woods." Marin said, acknowledging his friend and fellow officer as he had a seat.
"Kalaan." Woods said, matter-of-factly.
Marin looked up, from the mass of paperwork he had piled on his desk and stared at Woods.
"Well? You gonna make me guess or what, Woods?" He said, after a moment of silence.
Admiral Woods' face indicated that the situation was serious.
"We've gotta do something. <i>Fast</i>."
"What's going on there?" Marin asked.
"You want the short version?"
"Please."
"Emperor Palpatine gets killed leaving thousands of star systems in turmoil, some systems join the New Republic, some the organized Remnant of the Empire, some... Well.. some just manage to sneak below the RADAR." Woods said, explaining the situation on Kalaan.
"Like, Kalaan?"
"Like Kalaan. The Planetary Governor, Malfurion Kovac refuses to relinquish control of the planet. After years of ruling Kalaan as unquestioned dictator, he declares himself Emperor. Anyone who stands in his way is sent to prison if they're lucky, tortured if they're not."
"So, add this to the long list of Imperial copycats." Marin said.
"No. We need to act, and we need to act <b>now</b>. Kovac's gone certifiably insane and it's only a matter of time before the genocide of the Kalaanite people becomes a reality." Woods said, tossing several dossiers onto Marin Faulker's desk.
Marin raised an eyebrow. "What are these?"
"These are the recent atrocities committed by "Emperor" Kovac. Thousands of Kalaanites killed in unrelated incidents. The Kalaanites are basically prisoners in their own homes. The Kalaanites have tried several times throughout the decades to rebel against the "Emperor", unsuccessfuly of course. Kovac has resigned to killing anyone he even halfway suspects of treason, which at this point into his dementia is more often than not. He spends his days locked inside his throne room, watching what goes on in the streets on various monitors setup right next to his throne."
"So, how did we come about this intel?" Marin asked.
"I've got an operative on-planet. I just received this information, it was sent who knows how long ago. I don't even know if my guy's still alive. He went dark, no way to contact him."
Marin Faulker sat there for a moment, his lip pursed, processing the information Woods had just recited.
"How long before we can put a plan of attack together?" Faulker asked.
"Already done, I've drawn up the plans and we'll be ready to assemble our forces tomorrow."
"Hmmm... Well, there's not much I can say to that. Clearly, we need to do something. Send General Ozymandi-" Marin began but was quickly cut off.
"No." Woods interrupted.
"No? What?" Marin said, surprised.
"I'm going myself, I'll lead the operation from the ground."
"Woah... slow down, champ. I know you want to get out of the office and all but..."
"This isn't about that, Marin. I'm the best man for the job and you know it. My man's behind enemy lines and who knows whether he's still among the living. I drew up the battle plans myself, and I need to be there on the ground calling plays."
"We need you here, Woods."
"With all due respect, sir. It wasn't a request. We need to liberate the Kalaanites, and we need to do it now. The Kalaanites supported the Rebellion, and in return they're being murdered in their own streets on a daily basis. As a grim reminder of their <i>loyalty</i> to the Rebellion decades ago, they're being forced to watch their families murdered in the streets." Woods said, passionately.
Marin Faulker let out a sigh. "Very well, but be careful out there Woods. Don't do anything rash. Get in, and get the job done. What am I saying..? I don't have to tell you any of this. Hurry home, soldier." Marin said, as he stood extending his hand to his best friend and fellow officer.
The situation on Kalaan had come to a head, perhaps for the first time in a generation there was hope for the future of the Kalaan.