The Rebel Faction

Mendrosia, two standard weeks ago

The Imperial fleet came out of hyperspace well within the gravity well of Mendrosia, and formed up into their respective attack squadrons. The task group, call sign Backlash, was commanded by Rear-Admiral Martin Wells, and consisted of three Imperial-class Star Destroyers, type IVs, not the newest or the best, but certainly up to the job at hand. Surronding each destroyer was a nominal escort force of two frigates and four gunships. Finally, a troopship, protected by a similar number of escorts, brought up the rear. This force had been undergoing manuevers and trials to practice some tatics when the distress call had come in, and the force had been diverted to this world instead.

On board the fleet flagship, the destroyer Obliterator, Admiral Martin looked over the planet that lay before him, and decided on a pre-emptive course of action. The destroyer released a group of one hundred viper probot droids into the atmosphere of the planet, upon which they descended to the surface and deployed, scouting around for signs of life and habitance. The viper probots did not know that they were being watched, but were left alone for a reason. The remaining inhabitants of this planet, while wishing to want to eliminate the presence of these vermin, did not do so, for they were metal and would not appease their appetits. Rather, they waited and watched, hoping that those who are of delicious flesh would descended from the triangle ships in orbit.

With the probots having located the wreck of the Fiona, and no other inhabitants on the surface of the planet, the Admiral decided to sent a landing party to investigate the wreck of the picket ship. He thought that whatever had destroyed the city had also taken out the ship, and that the Imperials aboard had just been at the wrong place at the wrong time. He was to be proven right, but for the wrong reasons, as he suspected it was pirates or mercenaries that had been involved. A line of Sentinel shuttles emerged from the belly of the destroyer and descended to the planet below. They landed within the city proper, a total of ten of them, and deployed their loads, about a battalion's worth of troops and inquisitors, and then went into shutdown mode. Surely nothing would happen to them with the Imperial fleet riding high overhead.

The investigators noticed first thing that the picket ship had been gutted, it's engines, weapons, and other vital systems had been removed, quite forcely, possibly by verpines, judging from the claw marks that were evident. The investigators came back out of the ship and headed into the buildings. It was while they were here, looking for additional clues, that a buzzing sound became evident to their ears. They walked outside the buildings, and were confronted by a swarm of....bugs? Those that were closest to the swarm were engulfed and eaten alive. The others, seeing what was happening to their comrades, startled as realization came to their eyes, and they departed for the safety of the shuttles, with the stormtroopers staying behind to protect them. The investigators and remaining inquisitors made it to the safety of the shuttles, which proceeded to liftoff and head for outer space, leaving the stormtroopers to their fates.

The Admiral, upon hearing the report of what was happening on the ground, was now cursing aloud. He ordered a squadron of TIE bombers to be dispatched, with an escort of TIE-2 fighters, for after all, you can never be too careful with a tactful enemy such as this that picked their moments to strike. The TIE bombers reached the city and proceeded to drop their loads of proton bombs and fragmentation devices. The city was leveled in a matter of moments, and millions of the enemy swarm bugs were killed. As far as the crews of the fighters could tell, no friendly forces were left alive down there. A few shuttles went down to take a look, but all they recovered were a few corpses, of friendly troops and enemy bugs, the latter to be dissected and studied to look for weakenesses and so forth.

The Imperial fleet descended into a holding pattern in the meantime, determined not to let a single bug off this planet until they had the means to exterminate them. The Admiral thought about using base delta zero, but a geography scan eliminated this as a viable option, as it was determined that there were countless mazes of labryinths and tunnels running through the crust of the planet. Short of using the Ebony Vigilance to crack the crust of the planet, there was no way they could exterminate the swarm by planetery bombardement. And so it was now up to the biologists and scientists to determine if and how they could kill off these bugs.

As the shuttle's hatch eased open and came to a rest against the polished metal plating of the hanger deck, a figure emerged from the space within. The figure stood at the entrance of the shuttle and slowly took a look around the hanger. It was mostly empty, being a secondary hanger, with only a small group of mechanics off to the side, working on one of the other shuttles inside the bay. The only other group of people within the hanger were two small rows of stormtroopers, which stood in a line on both sides of the hatch. Between these two rows was a man wearing the insignia of a Captain.

With all this taken in, the figure started his movement down the shuttle's ramp. His hands were behind his back and his mind was constantly in thought. The man had read all reports available to him about what had happened at this location and who he was replacing. He knew that these people had been with the Rear Admiral for some time and their loyalty was something that he could have to earn. The reason for this being that he was of lower rank and replacing a man of much higher rank. From past experiences he knew that crews resented having their commanding officers replaced by someone who in their minds was really competent, especially if it was someone they had never heard of before.

"Captain Zokolev, welcome aboard the Obliterator. I'm Captain Holyer. Please come this way, I'll accompany you to the bridge." Said the man who stood between the stormtrooper rows.

Vaseli looked at this man and knew he was not happy that his commander was getting replacing. He also knew that he was younger than this Captain Holyer and that would not help his cause either. Older men rarely like being commanded by younger officers who in their minds are less experienced and unworthy. Vaseli knew it was true that some young officers within the military had risen in rank do to luck or possible prominent family members. This was not the case with him, however, and he would have to prove that while yes he was young, he was not in the least stupid.

"I'm glad to be here on this fine ship Captain Holyer. You run a very tight operation here. I expected no less of a man with your credentials." Vaseli stated as he looked directly at the other Captain, who was slightly taller than himself.

As they turned and proceeded to walk towards the turbolift at the rear of the hanger Vaseli looked straight ahead and spoke out. "Tell me about all that has transpired since the fleet's arrival. Everything upto this point in time."

The other man reached out to summon the lift and turned towards Vaseli. "Did you not get the reports before your arrival Captain?"

"Is it not proper to address a superior officer by sir? Or perhaps you have forgotten military protocol and conduct?" Vaseli scolded the older Captain as he turned towards him and leaned closer, his face stern. "I did not ask you to do anything, Captain Holyer. That was an order and I do not tolerate having to repeat my order, is that understand?"

The other Captain looked upon Vaseli with a slight shock. He did not expect this type of response from a man that was possibly close to twice as young as he was himself. For a second he stood there silent, going over what had just taken place. The Captain reacted quickly, however, as any well trained officer would. He stood up straight and held his arms down his sides.

"Yes sir! Sorry sir!" He called out just as the turbolift door opened.

Vaseli nodded at the man and proceeded to take charge of the situation. He confidently stepped into the lift first and awaited the other to follow him. Captain Zokolev knew he needed to show and prove his dominance over the fleet as a whole so that they would respond to him without question. He also knew that while he couldn't immediately do so with the fleet as a whole, starting with the good Captain here would be the first step in that goal.

When they finally emerged at the rear of the Obliterator's bridge, Captain Zokolev was full of information on the fleet's actions within the system. Most of it he had already known from the reports he had read, but other things he was only know learning. That was the reason he had asked for the report from the Captain himself. It gave him a first person perspective that datapad reports could not.

Vaseli looked over the bridge slowly and studied every single face on it. He watched them stand to attention as Captain Holyer's and his arrival were called out by the XO of the Star Destroyer. Once this was complete, each of the personnel went back to work at their stations. He slightly nodded his approval and moved with the other Captain towards a side room that existed at the rear of the ship.

This room was one from which operations were planned and carried out. From this room Vaseli would make his plans known to the ship's commanding officers. As they entered, the others inside the room looked up from the plot table and promptly saluted both him and Captain Holyer. They proceeded to inform Vaseli of were ships were now located and what operations were taking place at the moment. Most of what they explained, Vaseli already knew and he just nodded towards them in acknowledgment.

If was only when the ground commanders started to discuss tactics that Captain Zokolev stepped forward and interfered. "This is the plan gentlemen. We place a fully manned prefab garrison... here. See these structures, those building remains, they provide a natural defense. These two streets, here and here, will funnel any bugs that want to attack towards defenses that we will set up."

Vaseli paused for a bit and pointed out positions on the map before them before continuing. "We'll set up another garrison right here. This elevated plateau will give it a perfect view of the other garrison and as such, it will be able to provide fire support if needed. It will function as our firebase in this area. I want the heaviest artillery we have to be placed in that garrison.

"These will be our forward operating bases. I want them protected at all times. Patrols will go out regularity in force and only in heavy vehicles, got that? I'm not loosing men if I don't have to. No troops go out without at least a medium armored vehicle and support units.

"Air patrols will be constant and assault teams will always be ready to go on a minutes notice, got that? We'll have shifts, but a battalion sized unit will always be ready in case the fighter spot enemy activity. When they do, we move in and exterminate them. Assault teams will consist of AT-ATs, STs, and other armor units. We fight as a team, is that understood? That means air cover will always be available."

Captain Zokolev turned to the army group commander, "I want your men to set up automated observation posts on these tallest buildings here and also on top of these surrounding mountains. I want to know every movement those bugs make. You men will also be required to set up beacons all around the garrisons at 100 meter intervals."

Vaseli smiled slightly as he say the man look back questioningly, puzzled as to why beacons will be required. "Those garrisons will have the full power of the Obliterator as their air cover. We will hold orbit over the city and if support should be requested, we will already have the ranges, since all your men will need is to report near which beacons is the enemy presence. We will handle it from there."

Standing up straight Vaseli looked at each of the men standing in the room. "We have taken some hits and there have been some setbacks on this planet. You have lost men and I'm sorry for that. Its time to each these bugs a lesson when it comes to dealing with The New Order. They will pay for their attacks with extermination. The men had fallen on this planet will be avenged many fold over, I assure you!"

With a "Yes Sir!" all the men in the room went to work at carrying out the orders that had just been issued to them. Vaseli knew it was easier said than done, but he also knew that the Empire would be victorious here.

Park stood in the lounge area, holding a wing glass of lomin-ale cupped in his left hand, as he looked out the viewport and admired the rows and rows of stormtroopers marching across the open fields in parade formation. This was not a display meant for him, or for his guest. This was merely the daily march, the class being in it's third year of grueling training. When it was completed, these men and women would be shipped off to their stations across the Empire, becoming some of the first of the new highly trained stormtrooper corps. This graduating class alone would have one hundred thousand graduates.

Behind him, the door opened, and a solider hurried in. He stopped, stood straight, and offered a saluate.

"Yes, Ensign?" asked Kraken. The engsign gulped for a few moments, then announced that he had conveyed Lord Jas here to the private lounge. Park smiled to himself, then turned to face the soldier.

"Very well then ensign, you are dismissed, return to your duties. Show him in on your way out." ordered Park.

Turning, he took another sip of his lomin-ale before setting the glass down, and straigtening his dress uniform. He wore on this occasion a simple olive green uniform befitting of Imperial navy officers, minus the hat. He preferred to let his orange hair flow freely. He had the rank bars of a Vice-Admiral attached to his uniform, his last promoted rank in the navy before he became an Imperial governer. He signed. Show time.

When the figure came into the room, shrouded in a cloak, Kraken almost wanted to take a step back. While the cloaked figure it's self wasn't menacing, there was a presence one could feel when you were next to a being that wielded extrordinary power. It made your hairs stand up on end, and a cold shudder run down your spine, leaving you stiff and shivering. He shrugged off these effects, and made his introductions. He started it off with a slight bow. Allow an appropriate amount of respect for the power being shown here, but don't over-do it, unless you want to sacrafice any effects your own power may hold.

"Master Jas. Welcome to Vladet. I'm sure your journey here was long and boring. May I offer you refreshment?" inquired Kraken. Although the Sith probably wanted to skip straight to the heart of the matter, pleasentries should still be offered. Besides, what was a Sith Master if he did not know patience? But they would skip straight to the point soon enough. After all, there was an important matter at hand, not just some social call.

They had gathered like a storm on the horizon. Emerging from countless opening that had appeared in the planet's surfaces. From these once concealed tunnel complexes they shot forth into the night sky. A never ending steam that was visible only barely from the light that reflected off the large moon that floated overhead.

Like a unified team the swarm collected high in the sky, growing in size with ever passing second. It seemed to hover in the same place until no more of the creatures emerged and even than it still waited. The wait was not long, however, for only after a moment or two, as if some signal had been sent, the swarm surged forth like a flash flood. It covered the distance between it and the city ruins with remarkable speed and descended down into the rumble that had once been a great and thriving city.

The streets were narrow and many blocked from the falling debris, causing the swarm to wash over them like a wave or split up before coming together once these obstacles had been breached. They acted as one because in reality they were all connected by an invisible force. Each one was simply a part of much larger living organism. A living organism that, as any other, was being controlled by a single brain entity. Unlike higher order species, the creatures of the swarm had not yet evolved to the point of thinking of themselves and until they did they would continue to carry out their orders without question or second thoughts.

Only one thought, if it could even be called that, existed inside their small nerve ganglions. This single impulse guided them and motived the mission they had be given. The mission that like the many others before it consisted of finding human flesh and devouring it. These humans had invaded their territory and this invasion called for their extermination. It was this extermination order that was now being carried out as the swarm quickly advanced through the city towards the Imperial garrison that had established within it.

No opposition greeted the swarm, however. Not a single shot had been let loose towards it. For all purposes and from anyones perspective the imperial base seemed to be completely oblivious to what was taking place.

As the swarm reached half a kilometer away from the garrison everything changed. Timed almost to the tee, massive green streaks of turbolaser fire rained from the sky above directly on top of the creatures, who were packed close together do to the their restrictive surroundings. What their controlling entity had not known was that from the moment they had started to gather, ground based sensor arrays had monitored them. These same systems had provided targeting data to the Star Destroyer orbiting overhead. Combined with range data from the preplaced beacons, incredibly precise targeting data was able to be extrapolated and then used against the swarm.

Thousands of these living killing machines were killed within the first seconds of the engagement. Whole groups were vaporized instantly and others nearby caught fire do to the immense heat of each turbolaser bolt. Underneath the swarm the ground turned into glass as the turbolasers proceeded through these animals.

This was not the end, however, for the garrison's shields came online at the same moment and its defenses batteries powered up, letting loose their destructive energies at any targets the turbolasers missed.

High over the planet, on the same star destroyer that had just unleashed the bombardment, stood Captain Zokolev. With his arms crossed over his chest, he wanted the display before him and felt the deck beneath his feet stop vibrating as the ship ceased fire. He watched in real time as what remained of their creature concentration launch itself against the garrison's heavy shields. Each one of those creatures perished instantly upon impact or from a direct laser shot. Just as quickly as the attack had begun, it had ended.

"Ground teams report all clear. No more bugs on the sensors sir." Reported the communitions officer.

"Very good. Casualty reports?" Inquired Vaseli.

"None sir. Commanders report all personal safe and accounted for."

"Looks like the plan worked, sir." Came the voice to his rear.

"It appears that way doesn't it Captain Holyer. I'm glad the bugs finally decided to come out and play, I was getting a little tired of waiting." Vaseli smiled and turned around to take a look at the other Captain.

He moved slowly towards his command seat before continuing. "Are those locations marked?"

Vaseli referred to the single spots from which the bugs head emerged. "Yes, sir. Locations marked and in the system. Commanders report ready for Phase two."

"Very well. Proceed with Phase Two. Tell them to use caution, however. No sense in loosing good men for nothing."

Kraken snapped his fingers, triggering the comlink when Master Jas accepted refreshments. A moment later, a porter came into the room, bringing a glass of fine imported water from freshest underground springs of some distant planet, and another round of lomin-ale for the admiral. Park smiled, and then feigned a look of ignorance and suprise when Vance seemed to suggest that he was afraid perhaps of visiting the Sith order.

"It's nothing like that, I can assure you of that, Lord Jas. I've simply been busy lately, that is all. The Galatic Coalition is up to their old tricks again, with a few new twists, and some other, more personal matters, have been occupying my attention as of late." reassured Park.

"As for visiting the Sith Order, this is one of the reasons that I have asked you to come here today. The main reason for this talk is that we have a problem on one of our outlier planets that we are trying to subjugate, a problem that could be more easily handled, from what we know, with people of your, err, talents." said Kraken, sounding slightly nervous when he mentioned the latter.

"You will be well rewarded for helping us to sieze the planet. Should you accept, we would offer full governership and control of the planet's neutral population." Kraken didn't add that the planet's population had been exterminated, but then again there were plans to re-colonize the planet in order to begin strip mining. The Sith Order wouldn't have much to begin with, but over time the planet would be bursting with populace as the mining industry took off again.

Stopping for a moment to take a sip of his lomin-ale, Park set down the glass before contiuning again.

"There is, another matter, for which I need your permission, as de facto head of the Sith Order, to approve. Tell me, have you ever heard of the Dark Trooper project?" Kraken asked. There was a gleam in his eye now, and was most anxiously awaiting Lord Jas's answer before continuing.