The Rebel Faction

Above The decimated world of Callos

Admiral Reshmar stood silently looking out the forward viewpoint at the world below. A once vibrant world of peaceful dreamers. They quested for understanding and Knowledge, not wanting or understanding the power which was unleashed upon them. A proud people who paid the cost for their want for neutrality and peace. Reshmar had been young when Vader destroyed the world of Callos and destine its people to die of pride. The once green jungle world now sat frozen and baron. The lifeless ball now sat quietly in space lost to a galaxy who had little use for the past.

“Admiral, We have two hyperspace contacts entering the system. Shall I open a channel Sir?” Captain Kritor stood silently and awaited the admiral’s order.

“No captain, our guest will let us know when he is ready to see us.”

"Ten seconds until reversion, sir." Called out the helmsman...or helmswoman in this case.

Xandar Lo'Vas nodded as the human woman's voice reached his ears even though the report was not directed at him, but at Captain Maaras Banol, the commanding officer on the ship. It must have been a surprise to the crew when the acting CEO of Stellar Enterprises joined them for this assignment, since it is not everyday that such a busy man would drop everything to simply deliver a ship to its owner. This was not a routine delivery, however. This could be the start of something different for the whole company, for good or bad... times were a changing.

Xandar looked down at this green clawed hands and for a second the past two and a half years flashed by his dark Falleenian eyes.

The departure of Rob Stellar from the company had been a shock to everyone. Being Rob's CFO, Xandar had somewhat seen the move coming. In the months before the leave, Rob had started acting...weird, that was the only word for it. The man had become depressed, paranoid, and generally closed off. In fact, the last time he had seen the man leave his quarters, before, the forced vacation was for his meeting with Mr. Raymond Mosses. Even then the guy had been completely disheveled and not like his former self.

Xandar had actually been the person to suggest a prolonged vacation for Rob. As he remembered, the meeting had not gone too well. It had ended with thousands of credits worth of damage, a priceless artifact destroyed in a fit of rage, and a bloodied lip and nose for Xandar. It had also been the day, though, that Rob realized he was no longer fit to control the company he had created and appointed Xandar Lo'Vas was CEO.

There were no hard feeling between the two males, however. They had been friends far too long to let something like that come between them.

As Xandar looked up, he wondered, for the first time in a long time, if Rob was alright and if he would ever see his friend again. The man had pretty much disappeared from the galaxy his he left office. Not even the substantial resources of Stellar Enterprises had been able to locate the man.

"Three...Two..."

The sound of the human female brought him back to reality and the job at hand. This was not the place and time to think about the past. The galaxy was such a different place now. It was amazing how much can change in such a short amount of time. This time around, however, change, destruction, and death were analogous to each other. With the Reavers arrival, everything had turned upside down. Once more the innocents of the galaxy were paying for their existence with their very lives.

Was that the reason he was doing this? This exchange could alter the way galactic powers see Stellar Enterprises...if it was revealed publicly.

"All hands, prepare for hyperspace reversion." Sounded the voice of the Duro Captain as he stood in the middle of the bridge.

"One...Mark!"

Xandar felt a soft shudder run through the ship as it emerged from hyperspace and its sublight engines fired up. All around the bridge the blue and white light of hyperspace was instantly replaced by black of space. The blackness made Xandar realize just how dark the bridge was without all the lights on. Only ambient light around ceiling and guide lights along the deck light up the interior of the large room. The light from command consoles also contributed of course, lighting up the faces of the men and women commanding this large ship.

For its size, however, the ship could be commanded with a very small crew, about the same number found on your average frigate. That was all thanks to advanced automation and a sophisticated Ship Management System. The bridge itself only needed 6 crew members to man and monitor all the stations.

"We have contact with the Rattler." Called out the comms officer. "She's at twenty out and following"

The Rattler was a brand new Caster Class Heavy Cruiser and was tasked with providing protection for the refit Venator Class they were all on.

"Picking up a single ship...Recusant class?" The man at the sensor console look up at the Captain. "Is that right? Those aren't even around anymore, are they?"

The captain stepped closed towards the forward viewport. "Maybe as floating museums. Track and magnify."

On his order the whole forward section of the bridge shifted view. What used to be a view of the ships black and spotted gray superstructure changed to a forward view of just space and the spinning planet beyond. Xandar had almost forgotten that the bridge was no longer on one of the old Venator spires, as both of those had been removed in the upgrade, but inside the rear half of the ship, with the structure. Every viewport around it was in fact a holodisplay that could shift and show whatever the captain wanted. It was feed through hundreds of holocams along the hull of the vessel.

The dead planet of Callos continued to engulf the forward half of the bridge as optical sensors zoomed in on the destroyer using it for a backdrop. The image autofocused and revealed the crystal clear image of the aging CIS destroyer.

Of course they had already known the ship was in the area. A stealthed HawkEye drone had been sent into the area before Xandar's arrival, just to make sure everything was as it should be.

"Take a look at it ladies and gentlemen. A true antique of the Clone Wars. You may never see one like it again." Xandar exhaled as he stood up from his seat and moved towards the Captain.

The Captain turned towards the Comm Station. "Send the Confirmation Code."

"Yes, sir." The sailor said and went to work. Within a minute he looked up and nodded. "It's them sir, secure authentication confirmed. That's the Kirov."

"Very well. Open a channel." The Captain straightened as the comm channel connected to the other ship. "This is Captain Maaras Banol of the Hawkeye to the Kirov. The ship is ready to take onboard your personal crews. You may start ferrying them as soon as you like. Updated schematics of the ship are being transmitted with his message. Please note the fighter and shuttle hangers are on either side of the vessel and not along the centerline as they were."

He paused for a second and looked at Xandar. "Also Xandar Lo'Vas requests a meeting with the commanding officer to finalize the delivery."

Reshmar and mosses rode the lift in silence. Raymond looked over the list and price break down on the pad then handed it back to the admiral.

"So admiral, what do you think?"

Reshmar looked again at the data. it was amazing what Stellar Enterprises could do and in such a short time. He knew the rebel engineers and yards could not match Stellars facilities or personnel. It seemed the galaxy cared about credits and not power these days. The rich got rich and the freedom fighters, well they never would be rich.

"Your people have more than delivered on the contract Mister Mosses. If she is half the ship this data says she is it will have been credits well spent."

Raymond Smiled and waited for the lift to come to a stop and the door to open.

"After you admiral you chariot awaits."

The two men walked across the floor of the hanger deck at a swift pace. All around transports lifted off the deck and moved out of the hanger and on to the Hawkeye. A single shuttle sat in the middle of the hanger. To each side of the ramp stood a Specforce marine. Reshmar walked to the ramp and returned the salute the men gave as he and Mosses boarded the Shuttle.

The cramped shuttle was dimly lit and nearly full. Reshmar sat on the last seat in the row and began buckling in. As he had finished restraining himself for the short trip the two marines boarded the ship and closed the ramp. Raymond walked to the front of the shuttle and sat in one of the Command seat. A sullustian was sitting in the other running the prelaunch check.

"Are we ready to co Commander?"

The sullustian warbled something in his native tounge and then engaged the repulsor drive. The shuttle rose off the launch deck and began moving towards the invisible shield which kept the hanger pressurized. Mosses looked over the gauges then moved the shuttle out into space.

"Kirov this is tr-104 we are clear and inbound to Hawkeye."

Mosses engaged the thrusters and began the short trek to the Hawkeye. The trip only took five minutes but the view was something to be seen. No other ship in the galaxy looked like the Hawkeye now. She was one of a kind. sensors and weapons emplacements ran the length of the trench to the forward port hanger. As he neared the Hawkeye he cleared his landing pattern and slowly moved the shuttle into the hanger and sat her down close to the back near a large titan lander.

"Hawkeye we are home. Admiral Reshmar is aboard."

Mosses stood and began walking to the aft of the shuttle leaving the post flight procedures to the sullustian commander. As he neared the back he looked at Reshmar.

"Are you ready to board Admiral?"

Mosses pressed the open switch on the aft control panel and the hiss of pressurized air exploded into the quiet troop compartment of the shuttle. The ramp began to lower and bright light rushed into the shuttle. Reshmar unbuckled and stood. The smell of new ship overtook Reshmars senses. The paint and electrical smells mixed into a convoluted scent that only a new ship could have.

"Mister mosses I think I am ready. Let us join Administrator La'Vas and take control of my ship.

Reshmar motioned for Lo'Vas to lead. The four men fell into position around the Admiral and Lo'Vas.

The Admiral nodded and walked away with Lo'Vas, Mosses and Captain Banol. The men made there way to the turbolift and onto the Engineering deck. Lo'Vas guided Reshmar threw the main reactor room and to the Auxiliary Control room deep in the heart of the ship. Two massive reactor cores sat side by side in the cavernous expanse that was the Reactor room. After a brief talk with the ships chief engineer the men made their way to the next level of the ship.

"This is truly an extensive overhaul. I have never seen workmanship and detail like this. I thank you and Rob for the work. I think we should proceed to the meeting now and finish this tour. It is time we work out the details and we get on with other matters."

Lo'Vas nodded and motioned for Reshmar to board the Lift. The three men rode the lift another twelve levels. The door opened to a long hallway which was dimly lit and free of the new ship smell so persistent in the rest of the ship. moment later Reshmar noticed the air was moist and cooler than normal. he knew then this floor had its life support set to suit Calamari crew. He was surprised but not overly excited. Many ships in the fleet had levels such as this. It had not been on the plans but Reshmar appreciated the gesture by Stellar and his people. As the men neared the end of the hall Lo'Vas stopped at a door on the port side of the hallway. The door slide open and the group walked in. The room was large enough to house a table with twelve chairs around it. In the far corner was a desk and a doorway. Reshmar assumed it connected to his quarters. Lo'Vas motioned for Reshmar to sit in one of the seats at the head of the Table.

"This is smaller than the old conference room. I would imagine the space went to something more important than a dinning hall."

Reshmar sat quietly as Lo'Vas gave his presentation. The new systems and weapons on the ship made her a threat to any ship she engaged. Reshmar thought back to the first time he stepped onto the Hawkeye's deck and to the ship it was then.

Lo'Vas finished his presentation and offered a drink. Reshmar dismissed the offer and looked at the halo display for a few moments. He saw Raymond walk to the Bar and pour something green in a glass and return to his seat. The tension between Mosses and Lo'Vas was undeniable. He could see the two men were not enemies but were certainly not friends. After the me shared a drink and some banter Reshmar stood and walked to the door.

"Administrator Lo'Vos, I believe it is time to see the CIC."

The Fallen smiled and walked to the doorway to the bridge. As the door opened the Air returned to the dry normal air of any processed life support system. A small stairway spiraled down and under the bridge into a room twice the size of the Bridge. Reshmar looked around the room at the halo panel walls. It was hard to tell where in the belly of the ship they were but Reshmar knew he was at least a hundred meters from the outer hull.

Around the room sat twelve officers each watching one of the displays. Reshmar notice various displays had more than one feed. Some even had live feeds from one hundred cameras positions over the outer hull. The room would be the hub of the third fleet. A modern war room complete with any and every type of sensor, scanner, and weapons targeting system imaginable.

As the men finished in the CIC they walked back up the small spiral staircase and into the Bridge. Reshmar had never seen a bridge this small. at least not on a capitol ship. three central chairs sat in the center of the bridge. all with halo Huds. Four navigation stations sat forward of the Command Stations. Each capable of completely controlling the ship. The remainder of the stations were laid out along the aft wall from just behind the nav station to the stairway down to the CIC.

Just like the CIC Halo panel displays circled the Bridge. Each with independent feeds. Reshmar had never seen anything like this. He walked around the front of the bridge to the navigation stations then back to the stairway where Mosses, Lo'Vos and Banol Stood He turned to Lo'Vos and smiled.

"Administrator, On behalf of the rebel Alliance I accept delivery of the Hawkeye. I thank you and Stellar Enterprises for everything they have done. I know I speak for every man and woman of the Rebel Alliance when I say We are eternally grateful to you and Rob Stellar."