The Rebel Faction

The Emporer of Rachuk, Prime Minister Frodo Husk, stood as he addressed the New Order officials,

"I see you have come in force to my peaceful world, and have made demands that the world should surrender to the New Order. Come now, tell me, why should we surrender to the likes of you? What would we stand to gain by negotiating for terms of surrender before a single shot has even been fired?" asked the Prime Minister.

"What would you gain?" repeated Admiral Kraken, "why, for one thing, the lives of your soldiers, and ours, as well as your civilians, would be spared that would otherwise inevitably be lost in the conflict. For another example, your economy would also be spared the horrors full fledged combat would bring upon it. Finally, agreeing to surrender now would garauntee that you would remain the governer of this world, so long as you remain loyal to the New Order, and keep the peace." said Admiral Kraken.

"Hmmm. The lives of my soldiers, you say? There is the possibility they may be executed anyways as a security measure, as I have heard rumors of such happening on other worlds recently captured by the Empire. The lives of my civilians? I have also heard rumors of rape, torture, and maimings happening on other worlds. And having been to tryings and executions of Imperial officials who have done such heinous acts, I tend to agree with the rumors. The lives of your soldiers? I would say so, considering the obviously small size of your invasion force. Why, there could be no more than ten thousand stormtroopers in your force. We have more than fifty thousand stormtroopers protecting our world. So our economy would be spared? I think not, considering that a Imperial style tariff would wreck it anyways once your forces have conquered my planet. In addition, although illegial in any case, smugglers, and pirates, along with Galactic Coalition goods that we ship to the highest bidder would be outlawed, resulting in the loss of many credits, and jobs. Finally, keep my position eh? I think not, the moment I signed any such accord with the successor to the Empire, the people would literally hang my head from the town flag post, and there would be no way that I could remain governer. Unless you have something better to offer, or can change mine, and my people's mind on the matter, I'm afraid that no peace accord could be reached." the Prime Minister said.

Admiral Kraken sighed, then continued to speak, "I think that you are way off course, Prime Minister. Here I am trying to reach a peaceful accord, and here you are, rejecting it and leading us closer to war. You have my personal garauntee that none of your soldiers would be slaughtered. They would all be used to the best of their abilites, and will be rewarded for as much. Your civilians will be treated with due respect, and will not be bothered unless they are extremley unruly, in which case legal action of a minor nature, unless the civilian has comitted an act of treason, will be taken. And of course I want to preserve the lives of my soldiers. Your economy would reinforced by the factories I plan to construct on the surface of the planet. The food and durasteel processing factories, along with the new assembly plants I plan to construct, would provide hundreds, if not thousands, of new jobs, not only replacing those that were lost, but also adding more civilians who are homeless, penniless, and jobless to the mix, adding new hope for those people. The former smuggler, and pirates who once plundered and smuggled for your buisness and profit will find new meaning as they become freighter pilots, and work on Bulk Cruisers to deliver the goods were manufacture across the galaxy. Any Imperial Tariff imposed would be very small, for we do not need the money that badly, if at all. And we can take steps to garauntee your safety." stated Admiral Kraken.

Admiral Kraken recieved the request the next day to come down to the surface of the planet for a meeting with the diplomatic envoy after he had inquired into the peace proposal. Landing again in the shuttles with his full honor guard of two hundred stormtroopers, Admiral Kraken marched into the grand hall....to find no one waiting for him. He shouted for someone, but no one answered. Sensing treacherey, he turned to leave, when an explosion knocked him off his feet. He got up, and ran outside with fifty of his troops to discover what used to be their three Sentinel Assault Shuttles, now reduced to piles of glowing metal. Overhead soared a flight of three TIE Bombers, their bomb bays closing after the successful missile run on the shuttles. A quarter of his honor guard lay around him, dead, with the rest either rushing him to safety, or taking cover. Quickly the stormtroopers salvaged what equipment they could from the wreckage of the shutles, but most of the heavy weaponry had been destroyed. Only three E-Webs, and five light repeating laser cannons could be retrieved, in addition to the stormtrooper's own weaponry. Admiral Kraken attempted to reach the Black Prince, but he could not get through the thick atmosphere. So he singaled for his troops to follow him. They were going to take over the civilian communications array so he could contact his warships, and ask them for extraction from the surface. Together he and his honor guard of one hundred and fifty stormtroopers departed just as another wave of three TIE Bombers streaked in from the north, loosing a series of bombs that utterly destroyed the grand hall, and remaining Imperial ships, and equipment.

Knowing that that wave was meant to kill him, Kraken made it a priority to hurry up, and get to the communications array. When they reached the city, the forward troopers of his company exchanged fire from people around the building. When they told him they were civilians, he ordered them to switch their weapons to stunfire. Over the course of the next ten minutes, he lost fifteen stormtroopers in exchange for one civilian killed, and thirty stunned. They reached the communications array in short order, and he activated the comm to call for assistance......

"This is Admiral Kraken of the New Order, talking to New Order warship Spartan, do you copy, over?" asked Admiral Kraken into the comm.

The answer was immediate, and filled with concern. "This is the warship Spartan, Admiral Kraken, what the hell is going on down there? We've detected multipule large explosions in your vicinity, and laserfire. In addition, we have detected the launch of multipule small captial warships, and starfighters from the surface of the planet, most inbound for our position. What are you orders?" asked Commander William Harrier.

"It is obvious that our overtures for peace have been rejected. I want you to send down three more Sentinel Shuttles for me and my guard, and send back down the twelve fighters along with it. Then deploy the rest of your fighters to engage and hold the enemy fleet until I arrive. I will take over from there, understood?" asked Admiral Kraken.

"Yes sir, we are currently holding position. The fighters and their shuttles are on the way. The other eighteen fighters have been dispatch to hold the enemy fleet at bay while you return. About the enemy fleet, their numbers are now known to be one Corellian class Corvette, and thirty-six TIE Interceptors. The corvette is moving to screen their fighters from our fighters. I guess they figure they can eliminate our frigates with fighters alone. I guess we will be teaching them the error of their ways." said Command Harrier. Then, with the connection cut, Admiral Kraken sat back, and waited. Once more it was only a matter of waiting.........

Vice Admiral Kraken heard noises as he came conscience. He slowly stood up, and took a glance around him inside the warehouse. There were grey, and white stormtrooper bodies littering the floor of the warehouse, some two hundred total, it looked like. Most of them were Grey Stormtroopers, troops of the Rachuk Defense Fleet. But some fifty were solid white, color of his honor guard. Kraken now knew that at least one hundred of his troops, about half of the two hundred total stormtroopers in his honor guard, were now dead. Probaly more, as his troops had been caught for the most part offguard when the Juggernaught Assault Vehicles and the accompying troops had invaded his position. Slipping to the doorway, he carefully glanced outside, and saw Grey Stormtroopers everywhere, and no signs of his soldiers what so ever. Feeling hot anger rising in himself for the lost of his brave soldiers, Vice Admiral Park Kraken ran to the other side of the warehouse, and managed to slip back out into the alleyway as the Grey Troopers enetered the warehouse to search for the missing Admiral. Vice Admiral Park Kraken ran to a parked military speeder, and started to hotwire it. He had to get to a deserted field someplace so he could activate his emergency transmitter, so that a shuttle could be sent to pick him up. He had the blasted complicated thing almost hotwired when some of the Grey Troopers came out of the back of the warehouse, and spotted him trying to hijack the speeder. Cursing as blaster bolts splattered around him, he ducked under the parked speeder to the other side, and broke into the passenger side of the vehicle. He withdrew a light repeating blaster cannon and several powerpacks on a strap that he slung over his should, then took up the cannon, switched the safety off, and set it to KILL, then stepped back and fired three shots into the exposed circuitry, ruining the speeder. He then took off into the alleyways near him with ten of the Grey stormtroopers in hot pursuit.

Meanwhile, aboard the Imperial Fire class Light Frigate Spartan, Commander William Harrier grew increasingley worried as time went by without word of the Admiral. A pair of laser blasts on the shields around the bridge brought his attention back to the space battle raging around him. Most of his fighters had either been destroyed by ground defenses, or by the superior agility, firepower, and numbers of the Twin Ion Engine (TIE) Interceptors sent up by Rachuk to protect their only military vessel, a Corvette, while it attempted to destroy the Bulk Cruisers that had been refitted as Troop Ships. A flurry of Turbolaser Cannon and Ion Cannon bolts were shot out by his warship, and hit the corvette. While the Turbolaser bolts expended themselves on the Corvette's shields, the Ion Cannon shots broke through easily, skittering across the hull and disrupting the systems of the corvette, starting small fires, and disabling weapons, systems, and electic flow in general, causing other systems near the hits to wink out and die. Commander William Harrier wanted to disable the corvette before he turned his full attention to the remaining forty four TIE Interceptors that buzzed about his ships, or the Admiral's ships, if he was still alive, thought Commander William Harrier as he once again turned his thought's to his Admiral's condition.

The Admiral, in the meantime, had his hands full with the Gray Troopers. He stopped just after he rounded the corner of another building, and set up his blaster cannon on a small tripod, having to kneel on his knees in order to operate the weapon. The stormtroopers charged around the building, and Vice Admiral Park Kraken let loose on them with a flurry of laser bolts. The first three in line fell immediatlty with large gaping holes in their chest armour, and the next two took non-fatal hits, but they still feel. The last five wheeled about, and ran the way they came. Quickly taking up the tripod, Park Kraken moved on. He came to an old building on the outskirts of town. Walking into it cautiously, Park Kraken found a Chariot LAV in it. Not believing his luck, he quickly set to work hotwiring the speeder. Suddenly, a crisp voice came from behind him,

"Step away from the vehicle, drop your weapon, and put your hands high in the air." Commanded the voice.

Dropping his blaster cannon, Admiral Park Kraken turned around, and found himself staring at a group of about ten stormtroopers. Laughing in relief, Kraken slumped against the speeder. The lead stormtrooper did not seem amused.

"Who are you?" he asked with suspicion in his voice.

Turning all pro, Vice Admiral Park Kraken drew himself up to his full height, which made him tower slightly over the stormtroopers. Turning his smile into a sneer, he stated, "I am Vice Admiral Park Kraken of the New Order. And who may you be, Stormtrooper?"

The stormtrooper looked shocked, and the others either stiffened with suprise and embarrasement, or slumped with relief. The trooper stuttered, then started to speak again.

"Admiral, we thought you were dead. A shuttle is on it's way to pick us up. We are the only members left of your honor guard, sir." said the stormtrooper.

At that moment, the familiar whine of repulsorlifts sounded, the shuttle had landed.

Later, on board the Imperial Fire class Light Frigate Spartan, having been attended to by medics, changed into a clean uniform, Vice Admiral Park Kraken strode into the bridge, with revenge for his fallen Honor Guard the first order of buisness in his mind. He ordered his warships to form a line of battle, then to train their guns on the city below where he had just departed from. According to the latest reports, twenty military vehicles and ten thousand troopers were scouring the city for any remaining New Order troops. He order the city zoned, and divided into twenty squares. He then assigned four squares apiece to the targeting systems of his warships. After several minutes to configure the firing solutions, Vice Admiral Park Kraken gazed down at the planet as the guns on his warships traversed downwards. "This is for you, my brave troopers." Park Kraken said in a solemn voice. With his lips forming a sneer, he said, "Commence Bombardement

The rebuilding of the city of Rach began soon after the surrender. With New Order troops occupying the world, and with Imperial Fighters patrolling air space, and with the capital warships orbiting the world, on the alert either for rogue Rachuk forces, or space pirates who may try to take advantage of Rachuk's fall to the New Order, the rebuilding process began and progressed smoothley. The first thing to be reconstructed was the military base. Although it was left intact by the orbital bombardement that had destroyed Rach, the New Order Commanders wanted it expanded to include more extensive training programs for it's stormtroopers, and live fire exercises, as well as a large prison, and emplacements for future assembley factories, and planetery defenses. A large meeting was being held in the High Command section of the military base in order to discuss the recent campaign, and what it had cost Imperial Forces, as well as their plans for the future of Rachuk and it's citizens. The issue would be the overall progress of the campaign, what had happened and when, and what it's outcome was. Then there would be the casualties list. Kraken was expecting overall casualties to be somewhere near two hundred and fifty all together, counting the stormtrooper honor guard, Sentinel Assault Shuttle crews, and the TIE Fighter pilots who had given their lives in service to the Empire. The final part of the meeting would be based on how to treat the citizens of Rachuk, how to tax them, how to employ them in the war effort, and how they would play into the future plans of the Empire.

Reaching the base, and walking into the large room that seated about ten of the top military Commanders that were put into charge for this planetery takeover, Kraken exchanged salutes, and hand shakes with all of them, then seated himself, and began to speak;

"Another long and bloody campaign, another brutal victory for the Empire. At least this time we managed to conquer the planet with most of it's civilian population intact. And, we also managed to take the military base more or less intact as well, something we have not been able to do in past, what with the determination of the soldiers we faced in the last campaign against Vladet. I am to commend you all, and promotions will be forthcoming in a ceremony soon afterwards. But for now, let's hear of the overall progress of the campaign, and the events that lead to it's conclusion." said Admiral Kraken.