Voice of the Past

Onboard the massive ship, the Dark Star, her captain was alone in his quarters contemplating the strange turn of events that had brought him here. He considered himself a loyal Imperial officer in all respects and he wasn’t used to these cloak-and-dagger shenanigans. He preferred a direct confrontation to all of this sneaking around. Normally he never would have considered leaving fleet HQ with the flimsy excuse he had given his superiors, but the last part of the cryptic message had made that a necessity.

Dolomar Daktren leaned back in his chair and looked over the strange message for the umpteenth time this hour, trying to glean any more meaning out of it.

It read, simply:

Captain Dolomar Daktren,

After an exhaustive search of the Imperial Fleet’s finest officers I have chosen you for a very special assignment. Bring your flagship ship to the coordinates attached to this message and tell no one else of it. I have also included a conformation code in the attachment in case you have any doubt how important this is.

-GARK

And that was it. No other information had been supplied. An understandably skeptical Daktren had run the conformation code and been very surprised when he learned that it (OOC: the code) was dated before the Battle of Yavin. It was also an extremely high-ranking code, no one save the Emperor and his most trusted people would have had access to it.

So it had been with some guilt that Daktren had lied to his superiors for the first time in his long career and brought his ship here. He certainly didn’t want to make a habit of it, but if this… this… thing, whatever it was, turned out to be important then he certainly wasn’t going to pass it up.

“Captain Daktren, sir?” the com said, breaking into his troubled thoughts. “This is Juoanti, we’ve got something incoming from hyperspace. It looks like a message drone, shall we intercept it?”

Daktren stood up and straightened his uniform before he thumbed the return button. “Yes, by all means. Bring it aboard and get our tech boys decrypting it. I’ll be down in the docking-bay presently.”

As Daktren traveled down the busy halls of his ship, he used the time to once again try and figure out who or what GARK was. Was it a person or an organization? How did it get access to such a high-level code? True it was an older code, but one that would still be very hard to obtain.

It read:

Captain, if you’re reading this then I assume you took me up on my initial offer. Now, I have one task for you to perform before I’ll fill you in on the details. Call it a test of loyalty if you like, but I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Sienar Fleet Systems has recently had a small faction of dissatisfied employees break away from their parent company. These disgruntled employees have arranged a meeting with some two-bit pirates for protection. They’ve also stolen something very valuable to SFS that I imagine you’ll be quite eager to recover.

Their convoy will make several stops to throw off potential trackers, I happen to have information on their entire route. A single ISD Mark II is more than a match for their pitiful forces.

Another conformation code and the flight path of the former SFS employee convoy have been included. Do not fail.

His crew, while loyal, were starting to question their captain’s judgment. Of course it was all behind his back, but Daktren could tell what was going on. Although he did not show it, Daktren was nervous. Any minute now he expected a squad of stormtroopers to appear on the bridge and drag him to the brig.

However, his fears were soon unrealized as alarms sounded throughout the bridge, signaling that the convoy had arrived. It was composed of a Nebulon-B Frigate, a Dreadnaught, two Corvettes, and a Gunship with a smattering of TIE Fighters and Cloakshape fighters. Hidden in the middle were two Bulk Freighters. A tough battle but still not a challenge for his forces.

“We’re getting a report from the Interceptors,” Juoanti reported. “It appears that there are a few TIE Defenders escorting the convoy. Not only that, the cargo of the Freighters is composed entirely of TIE Defenders. If we hadn’t been here…”

“I know,” Daktren said. “There’s no telling where they would have turned up, but it’s a good bet they would have been used against the Empire.”

The Dark Star’s TIE’s, already deployed and eager for a fight, were upon the unsuspecting convoy ships within seconds. A Corvette, bathed in the green laser fire of the TIE swarm, was the first capital ship to bite the dust.

The Dark Star itself moved in closer to engage the Dreadnaught and the Nebulon-B. Almost unnoticed in the fray, it also launched it’s assault gunboats and transports to disable the fleeing Bulk Freighters.

Once his forces were back on board, he ordered the Dark Star to be jumped back to the position where he had first received the message pod from GARK. Sure enough, a few hours after reaching the coordinates, another message pod arrived.

It read:

Congratulations, Captain Daktren. I trust the convoy ambush was worth your time? I’m also sure that you’re wondering who or what GARK is. After this next mission all your questions will be answered. This will be a precision assault and your newly acquired TIE Defenders will be quite useful.

The Corporate Sector Authority has a non-aggression pact with the Empire, as I’m sure you already know. What you may not know is that the Empire also has several shadow deals with the CSA to stow away high ranking prisoners that they don’t want anyone to find.

Recently one of the CSA’s prison facilities was compromised and the CSA has been forced to move its prisoners to a more secure location. Your mission is to prevent this at all costs. The prisoners at this facility are of the utmost importance to the Empire.

The prison is a converted Golan space platform. It is guarded by two Victory-Class Star Destroyers. Several Marauder Corvettes are en route to transfer the prisoners to other facilities. Once you arrive you must take all the prisoners alive and destroy whatever forces are guarding the prison. An Interdictor Cruiser, the Pali Gap, is on the way to help you and should arrive by the time you have had a chance to read this message.

No one must know of the Empire’s involvement and nothing can be allowed to escape. The coordinates for the Jorzan prison complex are attached to this message as well as another conformation code. Good luck.

-GARK

Daktren read the message, and reread it. Attacking allies, even if it was just the greedy organization of the CSA, seemed wrong to him. However, the code checked out and he didn’t have a lot of time to decide on the proper course of action.

By the time the Pali Gap arrived, Daktren had reluctantly made up his mind to go through with the prison raid on Jorzan. It wasn’t an easy decision, but his love for the Empire was too great from him to simply turn his back on such a high profile escapade as this.

“This is the Imperial Star Destroyer Dark Star,” Daktren announced, throwing all of his authority into the message. “Cease your activities at once or you will be fired upon.”

“Dark Star, this Captain Hasax Nibevet of the VSD Influence,” an angry voice pronounced. “Who gave you the authority to barge in?”

Daktren hesitated for a moment. “I’m under orders from the Empire.”

Hasax’s reply was brief. “So are we, and you’re interfering. Leave or be destroyed.”

Upon hearing the last statement, Juoanti cracked a grin. “Who does he think he’s fooling? There’s no way Nibevet has a chance of defeating the Dark Star.”

“Sir!” one of the scanner techs piped up. “We’ve got TIE’s and IRD’s heading straight for us. The Influence and the Power are moving to attack position. The Marauders are moving into a defensive position above the Golan.”

Daktren regarded the news calmly. “Apparently Hasax doesn’t share your views, Juoanti. Have the Pali Gap power up its gravity wells and release its fighters. Our first priority is to take out those VSD’s, target their shield generators first. Equip all able fighters with heavy rockets for bombing runs. The rest will engage the enemy fighters.”

The Power was already listing out of control, covered with gaping blast wounds and for all intents and purposes a dead ship. The bridge was smashed, the engines knocked out of commission, and nearly all of the primary weapon emplacements reduced to molten slag.

Captain Nibevet’s ship, the Influence, was faring better but the tide of battle was beginning to show on the smaller Destroyer’s surface as more and more turbolaser blasts hammered through the weakened shields.

The enemy fighters, likewise, were also in trouble. For though they had numbers, there was no way they could compete with the Dark Star’s newly acquired TIE Defenders. Not with the Dark Star’s top pilots flying them. Working together they had even managed to bring down one of the Marauder Corvettes.

The Dark Star itself was holding up well, all things considering. The mighty ship had lost one of its deflector shield generators thanks to a kamikaze pilot, but it was still holding its own. Daktren reminded himself that once they made it through this battle his crew deserved some R&R.

“Captain! A message from the Golan station!” his chief com officer, Mr. Niota announced. “It’s from someone calling himself Gark. Should I pipe it through? It’s audio only.”

Daktren nodded an affirmative. “Yes, I’m very interested in what Mr. Gark has to say.”

Niota fiddled with the controls for a moment before Gark began speaking. It was rich, cultured voice, extremely proud and confident. “My compliments to you and your fine crew, Captain Daktren. You’ve bought us the time we needed to secure the prison. Observe.”

Daktren looked just in time to see the prison open fire on the two Marauders that were still guarding it. He laughed with delight, a sound rarely heard from him while on the bridge. The battle had just gotten much easier.

Gark’s voice came back over the com. “I’ll handle the remaining Marauders, but the Influence is all yours. I look forward to meeting with you when this engagement is over. Gark out.”

Daktren was feeling so buoyant that he was actually standing. “You heard the man,” he said to his crew. “Double your efforts and let’s end this battle.”

“Get Nibevet back on!” Daktren ordered.

“We can’t, sir,” Niota informed. “Their com relay was just knocked out of commission.”

“And their reactor is going critical,” Jouanti added.

“Move the ship out of range,” Daktren said. “And get me Mr. Gark on the line, now.”

His orders were followed with a quick hail of ‘yes, sir’ and before long Gark was back, although there was still no picture. “You wanted to speak with me, Captain?” he asked even though he knew the answer.

“I just got some interesting information from Captain Nibevet,” Daktren said, keeping his voice calm. “He tells me that I just unwittingly freed a big threat to the Empire. You wouldn’t happen to be that threat, would you?”

Gark laughed easily. “Ah yes, poor Hasax Nibevet. He never could read between the lines. His loss will be helping the Empire more than hurting it. He was referring to me as the threat, although I assure you nothing could be further from the truth.”

Daktren was a little surprised that Gark had admitted it so freely, but he still kept his voice even. “Then what are you?” he asked. “I’ve never heard of anyone named Gark, let alone one person being such a threat to the Empire.”

“Gark is an acronym that I’ve been forced to use to cover-up my real identity,” he explained. “But the rest must really be said in person, perhaps once you’ve seen my face you’ll understand it all a little better.”

Daktren barely paid any attention to the alarms as the Influence’s reactor finally blew, taking out the dead hulk of the Power with it. “And just when will I get a chance to see you face to face?”

With a little irritation he quelled the almost boyish excitement he felt in his gut, Imperial officers were supposed to be calm and in control while in command, that was one of the first things they drilled into you when you entered the officer corps. Still, he had to admit to himself that he was very curious as to who Gark could be.

Finally a hiss of escaping steam heralded the drop of the lambda’s hatch and a gaunt, yet muscular figure emerged from the ship. Dolomar couldn’t keep himself from staring at the man, he seemed so oddly familiar, like something from a forgotten era. His posture was so straight-backed that the royal guard would have been jealous. His short brown hair was starting to gray, but it made him look more distinguished than old. And his eyes burned with blue fire, a silent testament that the years hadn’t dulled his senses at all.

His grin was one of confidence without a trace of any smugness as he extended his hand in greeting. “Captain Dolomar Daktren, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Dolomar clasped the hand in a firm handshake that other had no problem emulating. “I’m afraid I’m still at a loss as to who you really are.”

The man known as Gark gestured for them to start walking. “I’ll tell you everything in short order but we really must be going. Once the CSA realizes that they haven’t heard from their prison, they’ll send ships to investigate. We really shouldn’t be here by the time they arrive.”

“What about the other prisoners?” Dolomar asked.

Gark laughed easily as he pulled out a small remote and pressed a button. “Your compassion for other people is truly admirable, Daktren. Unfortunately, it is necessary for the others to stay behind.”

Moments later a dull boom could be heard in the docking-bay. “You killed them!” Daktren said accusingly, as he realized what had just happened. “Nibevet was right about you! You just destroyed the entire prison!”

Gark wasn’t fazed in the least. “Calm yourself. Many of those people were loyal to me and agreed to stay behind, the rest have just been saved from a lifetime of toil and interrogation at the hands of the CSA. In order for me to escape, they had to stay behind as a body count. If one prisoner goes missing the chances of an alarm are minimal, but evacuate the entire facility and even the CSA will suspect something.”

This story is jumping a little more than I like, but actually writing out the space battles would really just be cluttering up the story.

Now, on with the show…

IC: Gark was seated in a chair in Dolomar’s quarters, waiting for the question he knew Dolomar would eventually ask. Dolomar knew this as well, and it bugged him a bit that Gark didn’t just tell him without the games.

“Okay,” Dolomar finally relented. “Who are you, really?”

Gark smiled. “I’ll give you three hints and three guesses, because I know you recognize me but you can’t put a name to the face. Your first hint; as I said before my name is an acronym. The first two letters are a title and the last two are my real name.”

Dolomar put that information to use instantly and started to feel that he was making progress, but the answer still remained frustratingly out of reach.

“Hint number two,” Gark added. “You may have figured this out from the codes I included in my messages, but I’ll confirm it for you. I was with the Empire from the beginning and highly decorated as well.”

The answer suddenly snapped into Dolomar’s brain, but he didn’t believe it. He squinted disbelievingly. “No… it can’t be. You were reported dead a long time ago, there’s no way…”

Gark nodded. “Propaganda, nothing more. Hint number three, just to make sure you’re convinced, I was the first officer of high standing to express concern about the Rebellion.”

Dolomar couldn’t keep from staring, completely sure of the answer now. “Reneg Kasr? Grand Admiral Reneg Kasr! I… I… it’s an honor, but I don’t understand. Why were you incarcerated by the CSA? Why did Nibevet call you a threat to the Empire?”

Dolomar nodded, still not quite believing the strange turn of events. He hit a com button, “Juoanti, order the task force out of hyperspace. I have new orders for you.”

Moments later both ships were back in realspace and Kasr easily rattled off a long stream of numbers that Dolomar relayed back to Juoanti. “Did you get all that?” he asked.

“Yes, sir,” Juoanti confirmed. “If you don’t mind my asking, why are we headed to the outskirts of Wild Space?”

Dolomar tried not to let any of the surprise he felt make it into his answer, he had no idea they were going so far. “You’ll understand once we arrive,” he said, silently hoping that his answer would, in fact, be the truth.

Once he shut off the com he looked back to Kasr. “Sir, I think Juoanti’s question is valid. Why are we going to Wild Space?”

“All in due time,” Kasr assured him. “And for future reference, you can call me Kasr when the crew is not around. It’s the least I can grant you after your help back at the prison.”

Dolomar sat down, a little bewildered. “I have to admit, you aren’t anything like I expected. I have so many questions…”

“Then let me answer a few that I’m sure are on your mind,” Kasr said. “You want to know how I ended up where I did? Then let me tell you.”

Kasr narrowed his eyes as he thought back. “The last assignment the Emperor ever gave me was to find out ways to subvert the Jedi and their connection with the Force. I worked diligently on the project, delving deep into ancient Jedi lore, making several trips to Ossus, Onderon, Mykkr, and a few other planets of note. The only problem was that I was too successful in the project and Palpatine soon considered me a threat to his power.”

“But I was also too valuable to destroy and I had many friends in the Imperial Navy that could easily upset his fledging Empire if he destroyed me. So, I was setup, ‘killed’ by quote/unquote Rebels shortly before the battle of Yavin. In actuality I was shipped off to the CSA, for my face was too well known in those days for me to stay at an Imperial prison without news of my incarceration eventually leaking out.”

Once I finish this up, Dolomar is going to start some real missions. I'll probably need someone to RP the Rebels.

IC: Dolomar nodded at Kasr’s explanation, feeling that perhaps he had already heard more than enough. What he was talking about sounded like it bordered on treason, accusing the Emperor of doing such an unthinkable act.

Kasr stopped his story and watched him shrewdly for a minute. “You may be wondering why I’m telling you this.”

Dolomar blinked, surprised. “To be truthful, I am. What you’re saying to me sounds like you’re confirming everything Nibevet was talking about. How can you sit there and accuse our Emperor of such heinous acts?!”

Kasr’s grin was a bit weary. “I had forgotten how thoroughly loyal you are to the Empire. It’s the reason you progressed through the ranks so quickly and why you haven’t gone any further than being captain. What you’ve failed to realize is that Palpatine is as corrupt as the any of the senators in the Old Republic.”

Dolomar was up in a rage, restraining himself from belting Kasr with a well-deserved punch. “How dare you belittle the Emperor! He’s the one savior the galaxy has left!”

Kasr wasn’t moved. “Is that why the Empire only held power for such a short time? How come the New Republic is quickly becoming the dominant power? Come now, surely you must be starting to realize that as powerful as the Emperor was, he has failed.”

Dolomar took a deep breath to calm himself. “The Rebels were lucky, even now the Empire is regrouping to take back what is ours.”

“Perhaps you are referring to Bilbringi?” Kasr asked, even though he knew the answer.

Dolomar nodded. “That’s right. There have been some problems, but we are quickly taking care of the insurgent forces.”

“Bilbringi is no more,” Kasr said bluntly. “All Imperial forces have disbanded from that location shortly before your raid on the CSA. The orders were given from Admiral Arden himself, directly from the reborn Emperor.”

Dolomar sat down back down, his anger completely suspended now. He didn’t want to believe Kasr, but the look on the other man’s face convinced him “What? I…”

“Are you starting to see my point, Dolomar?” Kasr interrupted. “At this rate the Empire will continue to wilt and decay. I still believe in the concept of the Empire, but I no longer believe in the current leadership’s ability. The Emperor’s lust for power will eventually consume him as it did at Endor.”

Brownie points to anyone who knows where I got the name for the Pali Gap.

Hint: Miij Xhinder's name is a big clue...

IC: Kasr leaned forward, a gleam in his eyes. “It is precisely your devotion for the Empire that made me choose you. In time you’ll realize that the only way to save the Empire is to find someone who can sustain the burden of leadership effectively. As visionary as Palpatine was, it is not him.”

Dolomar arched an eyebrow skeptically. “Are you suggesting that you are that person?”

Kasr leaned back again, his expression unreadable. “Perhaps. I have no desire to take the position, but I won’t stand back and allow the Empire to crumble either. Someone may come along and lead us to a new golden age, however given the current run of power-hungry officers and corrupt bureaucrats that infest our government, I hold little hope.”

“You see, Dolomar, my time spent imprisoned by the CSA was not wasted. In my waning days before the Emperor finally ‘discharged’ me, I realized that my time was limited and started to make a back-up plan. I arranged for myself to be sent to the CSA, and the Jorzan complex in particular, through some clever manipulation of my own. From there I was able to contact my friends in the Navy and make plans in case the Empire ever fell.”

“So why me?” Dolomar repeated. “You’ve given me a general reason but no specifics. Why not have one of your buddies break you out?”

Kasr laughed gently. “Patience, I’m coming to that. Once I had secured the loyalty of my friends in the Navy, I pored through the Imperial records to find other individuals who I felt would help me without ruining all that I’m building. Many of them are like Captain Miij Xhinder on the Pali Gap, young and idealistic but with very little real combat experience under their belt. Since recruiting them I’ve had them attack enemy convoys and clean up pirate nests, but it’s still no substitute for experience against an enemy of any force.”

“I’m also restrained by the fact that I must keep all of my activities secret, the assault on the prison has probably been my most ambitious strike to date. I cannot risk the chance of having my unseen Empire discovered by those in power. I would without a doubt be perceived as a threat and slated for destruction.”

Kasr shifted a bit and Dolomar suddenly remembered an obscure fact about Kasr that he had forgotten before. It had been rumored that Kasr considered himself to be an expert in combat of any form, including hand-to-hand. He swallowed a bit as he also remembered that Kasr had been the only high-ranking officer to travel without an honor guard for that same reason. Fortunately for Dolomar, Kasr made no threatening moves, although the captain was suddenly aware that Kasr seemed to be in excellent shape.

The former Grand Admiral smiled knowingly. “Ah yes, I was wondering when you’d bring up that point. What is to stop you from arresting me?” Kasr let the question linger for a moment before staring Dolomar straight in the eye. “Nothing.”

“You seem very confident,” Dolomar said. “What makes you so sure I won’t turn you in?”

“Because I know everything about you,” Kasr answered. “I know that you and I share many of the same principles. You despise corruption, I despise Palpatine. You wish to save lives, I wish to avoid pointless bloodshed. You are fair and just, I seek to remove those who are mendacious and cruel from the Empire. Need I go on?”

“Yes,” Dolomar replied simply. “You’ve given me plenty of reasons, but still no specifics. I think I can trust that you genuinely want to help the Empire, but I still don’t know why you picked me. There must be several officers still serving in the Empire that would be a better pick.”

Kasr relaxed a bit, an almost imperceptible motion. “Don’t sell yourself short. There aren’t many men left in the Empire that have the combat experience that you do and still possess any morals. You destroyed those VSD’s back in Authority space because you were under my orders, I know that given the chance you would have offered to accept their surrender first.”

“That’s true,” Dolomar admitted, before he had burst of insight. “Attacking that SFS defector convoy was a test, wasn’t it? You wanted to see how well I commanded the Dark Star before you sent me to rescue you.”

“Partially,” Kasr relented. “But I also figured that those TIE Defenders would go to better use on your ship than in the hands of pirates. It was really your combat record that convinced me, even the unfortunate incident with Captain Kedrin convinced me that you were exactly the type of person I was looking for.”

Dolomar nodded but said nothing.

“Are you any closer to arriving at your decision?” Kasr asked.

“Not really,” Dolomar confessed. “I still have so many conflicting thoughts right now.”

A rocky, dead planet with an asteroid ring and several equally dead moons were the first objects that Dolomar spotted. They were impressive in themselves, the planet was very large in diameter, approaching the size of some smaller gas giants. The moons, while huge in their own right, were completely dwarfed in comparison.

“Incredible,” Dolomar whispered.

Kasr, who was standing next to him, still dressed in civilian clothes, nodded. “Yes, the planet, the moons and the field are all rich in ore and mineral deposits. Upon closer inspection you’ll find that there’s a battalion of mining vehicles hard at work at every location.”

Juoanti confirmed it. “He’s right, but we aren’t picking up any processing facilities or cargo ships. I don’t see how they all got here.”

“If you’ll allow me…” Kasr suggested.

Dolomar nodded to Juoanti to allow Kasr to proceed. Pending Dolomar’s decision, Kasr had requested that his identity remain secret to the rest of the crew, going by his acronym of Gark.

Kasr moved over to a nearby console and began to punch in a code of some sort. Immediately an enormous section of space by the planet began to ripple and fade only to be replaced by a series of repair yards, processing facilities, research stations, and construction facilities.

There were several ships under construction, including Star Destroyers. TIE’s buzzed around the whole area, mere specks at this distance, but growing closer as they rushed to met the new arrivals. Dolomar also noticed that the area was heavily protected by orbital mines and Golan space stations.

IC: “You mean…” Dolomar started, still at a loss for words.

“Yes,” Kasr confirmed the unanswered question. “This is the fruit of all my labor. You won’t find this planet on any starchart, upon discovery I’ve kept this place secret when I realized its value. Remember my friends in the Empire? They’re the ones who helped funnel the workforce needed to sustain my little project. Among those buildings you’ll find shipyards and construction facilities that would make Kuat Drive Yards and Sienar Fleet Systems envious at their craftsmanship. The only drawback is the slow pace of construction and the lack of a ready crew for each ship.”

“But how… they just appeared out of nowhere.” Dolomar continued, still baffled. “Could it be that you’ve managed to perfect the cloaking device?”

Kasr shook his head. “No, something much simpler. Every building you see out there has been equipped with a sophisticated jamming system that feeds false data to shipboard computers. There are also numerous holoprojectors set up everywhere to create an image of an empty starfield. In effect, fooling the odd passing ship into believing that there is nothing here. It’s easy enough to counter if you know what to look for but nobody ever does.”

“This is Oremin control,” a voice said over the com. “Welcome Dark Star, please follow the approaching TIE escorts to a repair dock.”

At another nod from Dolomar, Jouanti replied. “We confirm, Dark Star out.”

“This is incredible,” Dolomar said and meant every word of it. “I’m stunned that you could keep something this big so secret.”

Off in one of the side rooms was a suit of scuffed blue armor on display that looked vaguely like stormtrooper armor. Kasr gestured in its direction and Dolomar followed, curious. “This is a breakthrough that has been in development for many years, and I’m especially proud of it,” Kasr said. “Please, have one of your stormtroopers fire a shot at it.”

Dolomar signaled one of his bodyguards to comply with a hand gesture. The guard raised his blaster rifle and fired a shot directly into the midsection, the bolt merely scathed the surface and did no extensive damage.

“As you can see, it’s already much more advanced than standard stormtrooper armor,” Kasr said needlessly. “It employs a miniaturized cooling system to shunt away excess heat such as blaster bolts. The current model can only absorb shots from hand weapons, but it does have an added feature to it…” Kasr punched a code into a nearby lockbox and withdrew a metal cylinder, before catching Dolomar’s eye. “Observe.”

Immediately a long red energy blade sprang out of the cylinder, betraying it to actually be a lightsaber. With unsurpassed fluidity in his movements, Kasr swung the blade down onto the suit’s chest area. The blade dug into the armor for a moment before it flickered and died.

That got Dolomar’s attention. “You’re kidding right? That suit actually took a direct hit from a lightsaber?”

Kasr nodded as he put the lightsaber away. “Yes, that suit has also been laced with cortosis ore. It makes their production extremely costly and time consuming. Even though I have precious few suits completed, I feel it is well worth it.”

“Why?” Dolomar asked, honestly confused. “The odds of running into a Jedi of any skill is extremely rare these days. It seems like a waste to me.”

“I take it you’ve never come across an enemy Jedi,” Kasr deduced.

“That’s true,” Dolomar admitted. “But the Emperor and Lord Vader dealt with them easily enough, they can’t be that strong.”

“Where are you going to be?” Dolomar asked, starting to feel wary. He didn’t want to let Kasr out of his sight so soon after arriving.

“I have a lot to do,” Kasr said, not really answering the question. “Don’t worry, if I was planning something sinister I would be a lot more subtle than this.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Dolomar agreed as he reluctantly followed Kasr to the lounge.

After a little bit, they stopped at the door. “I am patient in many things, Dolomar, but I want your answer by the time we’ve completed repairs on the Dark Star tomorrow,” Kasr warned before leaving and disappearing around a bend in the hallway.

Dolomar watched him go, trying to sort out his conflicting thoughts before eventually giving up and walking into the officer’s lounge. It was relatively spartan, lacking a lot of the opulence that decorated similar places around the Empire. There was a small bar and a well-stocked salad bar off to the side. A smattering of officers were strewn about the numerous tables that dotted the room, talking quietly amongst themselves. Dolomar could faintly hear some kind of soothing music playing in the background.

He scanned the room, realizing for the first time that he had no idea what Xhinder or Roviditian looked like. However his dilemma was quickly allayed as a dark skinned man waved him over. Sitting across from him was a much older man who hadn’t aged nearly as well as Kasr, although his eyes quickly told Dolomar that he was no senile codger either.

“Thank you,” Dolomar said, a little taken aback by Xhinder. Kasr hadn’t mentioned how energetic Xhinder would be. “It’s all a matter of simple tactics, really.”

A labored laugh brought Dolomar’s attention to the elderly man. “Pay no heed to Xhinder. He’s full of promise, but he hasn’t quite gotten the idea of self-restraint down yet.”

“And you’re Roviditian, correct?” Dolomar guessed.

The old officer nodded. “That’s right. Grab a seat and tell us how Reneg has managed to ensnare you.”

Dolomar quickly grabbed a chair and sat down. “Actually, I don’t quite know what he’s doing. I can’t come to a decision that I like. I don’t even know if I can trust Kasr or if I want to join up at all.”

Roviditian eyed Dolomar suspiciously. “What? You mean you haven’t joined up yet and Kasr’s already led you to Oremin?”

Xhinder was wide-eyed. “Unbelievable, I had to follow his orders for a full two years before Kasr gave me the coordinates. This isn’t like him at all.”

“Indeed,” Roviditian agreed. “I’ve known Kasr since our days in the Academy, and never have I seen him trust an outsider so quickly. He must have something special in mind for you, Daktren.”

Dolomar was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable under Roviditian’s gaze. “Hey, I’ve just been following Kasr’s orders. He never told me anything about this place until we arrived.”

Roviditian narrowed his eyes. “Just see to it that word of this place never reaches the outside. If I find your intentions are anything but honorable, I will personally hunt you down and destroy you. Is that clear?”

Dolomar didn’t flinch. “Crystal,” he said simply before standing back up. “If you’ll excuse me, I have another matter to attend to.”

Dolomar nodded. “Yes, I haven’t been very forthright with any of you since this all began and I’m sorry for that. As you all know, I value honesty in my subordinates, but that doesn’t mean a damn if I don’t follow the policy myself.”

Dolomar took a deep breath before starting. In detail he explained to his command crew the particulars of all that had happened since he first received that mysterious message from Gark. The command crew listened intently, showing surprise at times and anger at others but waited calmly for Dolomar to finish.

“And that’s where we are now,” Dolomar concluded. “Some captains would be reluctant to share this with their crew, but not me. I know I can trust any of you with my life, in fact I’m betting on that as any of you could conceivably bring this up to Imperial Command without my knowing.”

Juoanti looked around before facing Dolomar. “I think I speak for all of us when I say you’ve got nothing to worry about, sir. If you want this kept secret, then it won’t get past this room.”

The other officers nodded in agreement, some voicing similar opinions.

Dolomar smiled. “Good, I’m glad, but I’m still no closer to coming to a decision. That’s why I assembled you all here. I want to hear from you first before I make my judgment.”

“If I may say so, sir,” Niota spoke up. “Admiral Kasr has shown a remarkable amount of trust in bringing us here. And at the risk of sounding treasonous, he has made several good points about the Empire falling into decline. I say we go through with this.”

Started off by Niota, Dolomar’s officers voiced their opinions one by one and by the time they were done they were almost dead even. Just about half wanted to stick it out with the Empire and the other half wanted to throw in with Kasr. However, all agreed that whatever decision Dolomar eventually came to they would follow it without complaint.

When Dolomar looked at him questioningly, Kasr explained. “Wessex designed the Imperial-class Star Destroyer. It’s a fact the Navy likes to keep quiet because of their discrimination against women. I’ve often wondered how new recruits would handle the news that the most powerful ships in the Empire have been designed by a woman.”

“You’re forgetting the Super-class,” Dolomar remarked dryly.

Kasr grinned. “Actually, she designed those too.”

Dolomar nodded. “I’ve learned so much these past few days, I doubt anything is going to surprise me anymore.”

Kasr was silent for a moment. “I trust you know why I’m here.”

Dolomar sighed. “Yes, my decision. I haven’t been able to think about anything else ever since your proposal. It hasn’t been easy coming up with an answer.”

“If it had been easy for you, I doubt I would have picked the right man.”

“My decision is that… I still think the Empire can work,” Dolomar answered. “You’ve made several strong arguments in your favor, but I don’t see the need to ‘defect’ just yet.”

Kasr nodded, he didn’t look surprised. “I suspected you’d say something like that. You’re an honest man, Dolomar. Honest to a fault, but honest nonetheless. I can’t condemn you for that. Many people who come here are intimidated by what I’ve done and cave in, very few have the courage to deny me. It’s those few that I keep a special eye on, not because I’m afraid of treachery, but because I know they’re the ones destined to make a difference.”

“You are free to leave anytime,” Kasr granted. “I won’t stop you, but I do have a counter offer I hope you’ll consider.”

Dolomar looked at Kasr warily. “What is it?”

“Go back to the Empire, but please don’t dismiss my initial offer so readily. There is still much to do out there. I would be grateful if you could lend your assistance from time to time for my benefit,” Kasr said. “It would be a privilege I would not abuse.”

“We’ll see,” Dolomar said noncommittally. “I won’t do anything that will jeopardize my crew.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less from a man of your caliber,” Kasr said agreeably. “As a sign of my goodwill, I’ll even transfer command of the Pali Gap over to you.”

Dolomar’s eyes widened. “What? An Interdictor? How am I going to explain that to Command? They’re rare enough as it is!”

“Leave that to me,” Kasr said dismissively. “And now, Captain, I bid you farewell. I hope you change your mind and come back to us eventually. I’ll be waiting.”

Admiral Roviditian walked up beside him. “You know I hardly every question you, Reneg, but I have to call you to task for this one. I think I can understand bringing Daktren here, but allowing him to leave with the Pali Gap under his command? I think your time in Jorzan affected your better judgment.”

Kasr didn’t bother to look over at Roviditian, instead concentrating on the two specks of light that were the Dark Star and the Pali Gap. “Who’s the one who set this all up again, Jer? Refresh my memory please.”

“You did, of course, but-”

“But nothing,” Kasr interrupted. “I’m as sharp as ever, more so even. I know exactly what I’m doing. The Pali Gap might be under Daktren’s command, but Captain Xhinder reports to me. We’ll know with ample time if Daktren plans to try anything against us”

“The Dark Star and the Pali Gap have just entered hyperspace,” an officer announced.

“Activate the deception cloak,” Kasr ordered before facing Roviditian. “I honestly don’t believe Daktren will betray us. But if for some reason I’m wrong, I already have some safeguards in place. Everything is under control.”

With an invisible ripple, the vast Oremin complex vanished from sight, leaving only the stars to peak through the black curtain of space.