The Rebel Faction

Commenor

UCSS Xaphania

The map glowed brightly in the centre of the room. A room built with a singular purpose. Along one wall stood droids, manning the complex net of computers, ready to input variables and probabilities and a thousand other things as the government he served once again took to galactic expansion.

Those planets currently held by the Union of Free Worlds - the government agency that had risen in the wake of the Great War to become an intregle part of LFX Industrial - glowed a bright red. Commenor... Thyferra... Bespin... Taloraan...

The loss of a half a dozen worlds irritated Trayden's mind. The massive loss of material and manpower was deafening, uncomprehendable. And nearly irrepairable, he mused.

Never having been a religious man, Trayden Locke had not taken much notice of old tales of the Great Storm that had destroyed nearly all the galaxy save for one man that certain scriptures said had heard the voice of the gods and acted. But, even having the responsibility of the future of the Union of Free Worlds only partially in his hands at that time, he had acted.

Righteous Destiny had been planned since the outset of the Great War, since the Empire took Coruscant back from the New Republic and cemented their leadership across the stars. The release of the Wrath Virus had only escelated that leadership, for a time, as the gaalaxy looked to Imperial Centre to save them.

But in the wake of that disaster, the final blow had come to Cryonics Industries, by that time a mere branch off of the Imperial government, a tiny Corporate franchise known as Arliss Towers. Thyferra declared her neutrality, and Taloraan and Bespin followed suite. The galaxy tore itself to bits.

And as that dust cloud cleared and the galaxy say peace again, the new Polemarch of the Fleet acted. Project: Righteous Destiny reached deep into the galaxy's interior and secured Thyferra, Bespin, and Taloraan, as member-states of the Union. Thus was the future solidity of LFX Industrial assured.

But that was only one piece of the puzzle, a puzzle that would stretch further than he knew when Righteous Destiny was planned. The contingincy plans that he had put into place, the operational plans to move on a dozen worlds if they should fall, we ignored. And yet, somehow, they managed to go off despite that. Eriadu and Sluis Van signed onto the Union of Free Worlds only weeks after Operation: Righteous Destiny ended.

There was little explaining it. But, that part of space was only that, a small part. A sliver, and the most influencial space was still uncovered, left open to all. Thus, the Polemarch staring at the map. Thus, Operation: Prime Factor.

The map also showed the major trade routes, and a half a dozen other, more minor, items. Commenor, outlined with the gold that designated the capital, was evident. During the times of crisis, the artificial storm brewed by the Wrath virus, the capital had stood firmly. Despite the falling of each of the Corporation's worlds in succession, Commenor had stood firm against the enemy.

And it now registered to Trayden Locke how vulnerable the capital really was, and indeed how lucky they had been to hold out as long as they did. Staggering vulnerable, really...

Well, it was time to change that. He glanced at the map one last time and smiled.

"...Kuat..."

He whispered to the empty room, his eyes lighting up.

The Folor Moon

UCSS Reckless Abandon

"Project status?" He asked bitterly, reading the sheet of flimsi over for the third time and sighing. The fleet officer shook his head, for the third time, and sighed.

"Behind schedule. Over budget. Behind in every possible aspect..."

"This isn't good, Watt. Not good at all." The fist man set the flimsi down and shrugged.

"What am I supposed to do about it?" He demanded. "I don't have the authority or the ability to requesition additional resources... I've got to go through the usual channels..."

"Just like the rest of us." The fleet officer replied.

"Yeah. The rest of you." The first man said, reading the flimsi for the fourth time, now. "But just like the rest of you, I've found the proper channels to be long and complicated."

"So ask the Polemarch. This is a high-level assignment, not some dinky mission. We're acting directly under the Department of Enviorment..."

"The Department of Enviorment! If that were the Defence Department, of the Intelligence Department, it might mean something. But the fleet isn't going to assign us additional resources when we tell them that the Department of Enviorment needs them..."

Any furhter conversation was forestalled by the door opening. Both men looked up, and immediatly leapt to their feet and hastened to salute.

"Polemarch, sir! This is an unexpected pleasure. We were not aware that you were-" Trayden returned the salutes and motioned for the men to sit down, then cut off the officer.

"Nor was anyone else, Mr. Ricard. This is an unofficial meeting, and if anyone asks, it never took place. Are we clear on that?"

Both men nodded, and he continued.

"Three hours ago, we held a Summit of the Military Council onboard the Xaphania. We have concured that immediate action is neccessary to reinforce Commenor's position here in the core. Are you following?"

Both of the men nodded.

"Comparing our requirements with Seti Ashar's list of possible and probaby targets, we have decided that a task group should make all possible speed to Red Star - that's a code name, by the way, your real destination is still classified - and secure a position there thought diplomatic means. The Reckless Abandon will be that task force."

The fleet officer nodded his approval, but the other man jumped up, indignation clear on his face.

"Sir! I must protest! Captain Ricard is under orders from the Department of Enviorment, and the Board has given us full reign over the Reckless Abandon to complete our projects here..."

The Polemarch gave him a cold smile.

"Operation: Venus has priority, I'm afraid. The Reckless Abandon will be leaving for Red Star in thirty-six hours. You have until then to get your equipment, and your staff, off this ship."

The door opened, and the Polemarch left.

"Great. Just great. Ruined a month's worth of research, they have..."

The Captain shrugged.

"Welcome to the Home Defence Corps. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

Hyperspace

UCSS Reckless Abandon

Captain Maxim paced the frigate's bridge restlessly, the only sound that of his footfalls as he passed and the steady hum of the vessel's hyperspace engines. The Reckless Abandon had been pulled of assignment at Commenor's Folor Moon - the former site of a New Republic starfighter training camp, only yesterday and sent to a location that the Captain still didn't know.

He had been told to expect reassignment from fleet elements stationed at their first rendevous, where their target and full mission would be revealed to them. Unfortunately, that first rendevous was still eighteen hours from Commenor, which had the officer wondering where, exactly, their target could be.

"Captain, sir. We're coming up on reversion in thrity seconds."

Maxim nodded, a smile hovering faintly on his lips.

"Begin the countdown on my mark." He paused. "Mark."

The console over the bridge viewport wiped clean to show the numbers as the navigator called them out.

"...ten..."

"...nine..."

"...eight..."

"Tactical, prepare for hyperspace revision. Weapons on standby, shields on standby."

"...six..."

"Aye, Captain."

"...five..."

"...four..."

"Helm, three quarters sublight thrust on my mark."

"Aye, aye, sir."

"...two..."

"...one..."

The clicking numbers above the viewport reached zero, and the blue vortex disappeared.

"Reversion successful, Captain." One of the ensign's sang out. "Destination reached."

"Sensors?" Maxim asked, searching the spacescape for signs of other vessels.

"The system is clear, Captain. Wait - I'm reading one hyperbouy with LFX Industrial Corporate Markings... it's broadcasting."

"Patch it through, please."

"Data stream only, Captain. Looks like our next destination. Shall I upload them?"

Maxim nodded, turning from the viewports.

"Please, ensign."

There was a pause as the man entered the codes into the computer, cross checked them, and swore under his breath.

"Something the matter, ensign?"

Maxim asked, walking across the bridge and looking over the man's shoulder.

"No. Well, yes, sir. We're going the wrong way."

"Meaning?"

"Our destination is back the way we came by about twelve hours. Kuat."

Maxim swore and looked at the name displayed on the ensign's screen.

"I'll be damned... All right, then. Helm, turn us about. Navigation, prepare for hyperspace as soon as nav is ready. Take us out."

There was a chorus of 'Yessirs', and the ship began the ponderous one-hundred-eighty degree turn and jumped to hyperspace.

Kuat

UCSS Xaphania

The dagger-shaped bow of the cruiser/carrier Xaphania punched a hole directly through the defensive screen of Kuat's meager fighter force. The outdated A9 Vigilance fighters and TIE Interceptors were quickly cut apart by the vastly superior machines, and pilots, of the Black Fleet's 21st Fighter Wing as the small attack force closed with Kuat's orbital drydock facilities.

Shuttles and other lighter vehicles, support ships for the carrier, were already streaming forward, landing across the stations and discourging sqaudrons of soldiers. The fight for Kuat's orbital supremacy, a one sided battle between the crack troops of the Holy Demosthesian Empire's First Combat Division and the ragtag defenders, was short and ended relitively bloodlessly for the attacking forces.

Within an hour of her arrival in the system, the Xaphania he accepted the surrenders of the last half a dozen scattered Kuati fighters and set about destroying those vessels in a flurry of laser fire as their pilots were marched in chains to the ship's brig.

All that was left now was the planet itself, where a team had already secured the main government complexes and was now working its way slowly outwards in an expanding sphere, encompossing now nearly all the capital city.

Kuat, Surface

"The problem is, sir, that the further our forces push outwards, the more stretched the become. We can hold a tight circle for days, weeks, even. But a perimiter the size of this one... if they get a good push, they could break through and assault us here before we could mount a response."

Trayden Locke nodded, his sharp mind analysing the situation. He was an officer of the fleet, not bred to think in the limited two dimensional enviorment that was part of a ground battle.

"How many of the Tank Droids do we have deployed, Marshall?" He asked, searching for the points on the holographic map denoting units supported by the XR-85 Imperial Tank Droids, weapons that were even more deadly and terrifying than the AT-AT walkers.

The Surface Marshall tapped a series of keys, and those locations lit up. Eight of them, in total, each with a pair of the massive droids as part of their fighting force. They were deployed along the major highways, one unit guarding each direction on the compass point and the other split in two, acting as middleman between the two other units.

A feint between the supported units and a stronger push elsewhere...

A young ensign with dirt marks on his face ran panting into the room, reaking of sweat and mud. He waved a piece of flimsi and called urgently, "Sir! We have a situation..."

There was a crash from outside as something exploded, and the holographic display went dark. At the same moments, the lights died and plunged the room into darkness. Only for a moment, however, as the emergency generators came up and the lights returned, in a muted shade of red. The display returned as well, and it showed Kuati army - paramilitary - forces surrounding the complex.

The President, still in the room Trayden realized, grinned broadly and began to laugh. One of the War Droids present aimed a blaster at his head, but the Polemarch waved the unit down.
"Just gag him," he ordered. The droid did so, wrapping a piece into a ball and shoving it into the man's mouth, then wrapping duct tape around his mouth to keep it in place.

"What is going on?" Trayden called to the Marshall, who was bent over the display and yelling into a comlink, his face showing the stress he was certainly feeling.

"We're being overrun!" He returned, not moving from his position. "Paramilitary forces, must have hidden within our perimiter... I've got troops returning from the front to support our position..."

Trayden stopped suddenly, his mind forming a plan quickly and efficently.
"Belay that!" He shouted. "Where is Xaphania now?" There was a pause, and one of the men, the Captain who had come down with him, answered.
"She's within the yard structure, sir."
"How long until she can get in position above us?" He asked. Another pause.
"Three minutes, sir!"
"Order two sqaudrons of her TIE fighters to break off and return to our position, and the rest to escort Xaphania. Further orders will be issued when they arrive."
The Captain nodded, relaying those ordes to the carrier and waiting.

The building shook with another explosion, this time much closer, and the screams of dying soldiers could be heard. The smell of smoke was becoming apparent, perhaps the fire sprinklers had been knocked out?

"Sir, TIE Defender sqaudrons Alpha and Omega are requesting orders!"
"Air support on our location, now! Order them to break off as soon as Xaphania is in position!"

He sensed realization dawning on the Captain's face, and gave him a sharp nod. The other shook his head.

"No... they're to close. It would never work..." The Polemarch simply shrugged and ordered the man to return to his work.

The next several minutes passed the same as before, with explosions beginning to get closer and closer to the central complex. Above the sound of continious bombing and laserfire, and blaring alarm klaxons, the Captain managed to convey that the Xaphania had taken up position above their location and was ready to begin operations.

"Target the area around the complex in a one-kilometre radius, beginning one kilometre from this building. Have them open fire on my mark. Also tell them to broadcast in the clear that they will stop firing when their military has completely surrenduered to us here."

He stopped a moment, his face a combination of grim determination and jubulation.

"Fire."