[^] SHOGUN SQUADRON [^]
1st Imperial Expeditionary Force
Primus Et Optimus | The First and the Finest
Commanding Officer: LORD GENERAL Lucidius Hale
CHANGING TIDES, Part I
Immediately, Shogun Squadron exited hyperspace in higher orbital regions of Corulag, and after raising shields and sending hailing messages, the crews were eager to be back in the "Imperial Core". The well-trafficked spaces above the system were once filled with civilian and Imperial traffic alike, but after the fall of the Galactic Empire, much of the citizens of Corulag departed to seek prosperity elsewhere. While some of the Empire's most prominent institutions still resided on Corulag, they began to backslide without any centralized leadership to direct the training and manufacturing capabilities. It was an strange fate for a Core World, but Corulag was no exception to the organizational fallout that occurred after the Battle of Endor, nor the intergalactic economic recession that followed.
As was the case for every enlisted sailor or solider and officers, everyone in the Galactic Empire attended an Imperial Academy to begin and complete their training. While Carida was certainly the most prestigious of all the Imperial Academies and home to the Stormtrooper Corps Basic Training Command, the Imperial Academy on Corulag was known to produce superb officers as well, as Hale was among them.
Lord General Hale and Captain Hawkins were discussing their prospective operations regarding Corulag in his stateroom onboard the Shogun, but as always among senior officers and especially with Hale, some small talk erupted. Hale was standing over a viewport, looking out at Corulag; Captain Hawkins was still sitting down at the stateroom's meeting table, analyzing the strategic Holo projections of the system and Shogun Squadron.
"It's been a long time since I've seen this system..." commented Hale.
"You completed your Academy training here m'lord?" asked Captain Hawkins. "My cousin attended this one as well."
"Indeed I have, captain, indeed," replied Hale. "I graduated with honors as well, it was enough to get me orders immediately to the Executor. Little did I know that after a few short years I'd be standing infront of Lord Vader himself getting hand-picked to command the 1st Imperial Expeditionary Force. Thinking back on it all, I often wonder if there was something more going on that day, like fate."
"Lord Vader clearly saw something in you, and his vision for the 1st IEF has clearly manifested in all of your accomplishments. Perhaps it wasn't fate and instead Vader's leadership."
"Only time will tell. I've often wondered what it would have been like had the Rebels not won that day, because I've heard the most incredible rumor about Lord Vader..."
"Do tell?"
Hale leaned in to speak softly and discreet, "they say he killed the Emperor with his bare hands."
"Preposterous! These are Rebel lies!" declared the Captain.
"I've heard it straight from the Old Man himself. It has been confirmed by Admiral Isaard as well, from what I've gathered. The High Council is keeping this rumor under wraps. Nobody really believes it, not perhaps because it isn't true, but because we don't want to believe it. How could Lord Vader betray the Emperor? What does that say about our cause? The Remnant?" asked Hale, somewhat rhetorically.
"Well, it's no rumor that Lord Vader was a Jedi once..."
"...And this Empire was a Republic," continued Hale, "the Old Man shared quite a few stories about the young days of the Empire, how the Clone Wars ended. It all seemed so strange. The way Pellaeon talks about it, you'd almost think his dream is to have the Galactic Republic restored."
"Oh come now m'lord, don't tell me Pellaeon's bought into the Clone Wars Truther Movement... that cause has been long forgotten."
"Who knows? All I can tell you is that he certainly preferred the Grand Army of the Republic to the Imperial Army we have now, and if you've ever met an old clonetrooper veteran, they'd tell you the same thing. We've traded quality for quantity... Let me ask you this, Captain: what happens on that glorious day when we show up at Coruscant's doorstep and demand reunification? Where will the lines be drawn? What Empire will we have after that?"
"To be honest m'lord I haven't given it much thought. I suppose we'd continue on as we have now," replied Hawkins.
"Imagine the Imperial Senate fully restored and a democracy in place to elect Senators. Certainly, Moffs we be appointed by the upper echelon, but is this no different than how the Republic once functioned? Pellaeon recalled to me how the Republic functioned during the Clone Wars. Then Supreme Chancellor Palpatine was able to build consensus and direct issues accordingly, and the Grand Army was the most impressive force ever assembled. I believe it is the Old Man's wish to restore that government."
"And where do you fit in, in all of this?" asked Hawkins, a little startled about all the talk of the future.
"There might come a day when peace can be obtained through strength, when a justice and order can be created by our own hands. I just hope that the Imperial Remnant will be on the right side of that conflict..."
"That brings us to Corulag, m'lord. What are your orders?"
"Maintain this orbital position, I will be taking my personal shuttle to the surface to open diplomatic negotiations."
"Will you need our Diplomacy Support Team with you?"
"No; I will be pushing for an Accession Treaty. Corulag is vital to the Imperial Remnant, just as the Remnant is vital to them. I'm sure with some strong motivation and brief dialogue I'll be able to convince them that an Accession Treaty is mutually beneficial, even if it means they won't be a member of the Imperial Network."
"Very good sir, I'll alert the launch bay to prepare your shuttle and protection detail," complied Hawkins.
After a short while, Hale made his way down to the launch bay where a number of Fleet Troopers could be seen loading crates into the Aletheia for an extended stay mission. What they didn't know was that Hale had a visitor in the cockpit, somebody who had managed to infiltrate the Imperial Remnant and reach his shuttle, and she was waiting there for him.
Walking into the cockpit, Hale's eyes widened... "Jana Sable." (See: Episode I Storylines)
The former Emperor's Shadow, who had been stuck on Nar Shaddaa pursuing a Rebel smuggling ring years ago somehow managed to work her way back into Hale's presence using her previous military clearances and knack for disguises and espionage. Although somewhat relieved that Jana was still alive, Hale noticed she looked pale and weak, for she was on the verge of collapsing.
"Lucidius..." was all she was able to mutter before passing out into Hale's awestruck arms. After the Emperor had been destroyed, her connection to him and the Force sent her psychological and physiological health into a spiral. While some Emperor's Hands were able to break free and become stronger in the Force, others were left with permanent damage. Regaining consciousness quickly, Jane continued to speak, "...I've felt him."
"Who, Jana? Who?"
"The one you call Algoz... his power drew me out, it woke me up."
Hale was slightly confused by Jana's cryptic language, although he remembered that she always spoke rather cryptically to begin with. "How? Why?"
"All of us share a link. The Hands, the Eyes, the Shadows... we were bound to each other through the Dark Side even when we did not know of each other's existance. We were also bound to the Emperor. The Dark Side sustained us and was the source of all the power..."
"The Dark Side... of what, The Force? I don't know what you're talking about."
"...yes, the Force. It is how Darth Algoz stirred something up inside of me. His power is..." Jana held her hand up to her temple to relieve the pressure of a massive headache, "...great. He has the Power of the Dark Side in him unlike I've felt from Lord Vader or even the Emperor..."
"More powerful?" asked Hale, somewhat concerned.
"No... different... and substantial enough to command an entire Empire if he so chose. He has the gift of Battle Meditation inside of him. He may not know it yet but I've felt it from across the galaxy. He could use it to command great forces..." Jana paused, feeling weaker.
"Jana, lay down in a rack on the lower level and get some rest. We can talk about all of this later."
After a moment, she did as Hale asked. Not knowing what to think about it all, Hale simply decided to proceed with his mission to Corulag and departed the Shogun...
ACTION SUMMARY
Movements:
1. Exited hyperspace in C-1.
2. Launched ELSHU Aletheia, which moved to A-1 to open dialogue with Corulag.
ACCESSION TREATY (Status: Beginning.)
<> VSD Shogun
Location: C-1 | Status: --- | UCR: 3 | Shields: 990/990 | Armor: 990/990 | Hull: 990/990 | Systems: 450/450
>> Imperial Officer: Admiral + LORD GENERAL Lucidius Hale
Location: Onboard ELSHU | Status: Mission | UCR: 10 | Armor: 200/200 | Health: 200/200 | Attack: 200
>> TIE Fighter Squadron Black 1
Location: Hangar | Status: --- | UCR: 8 | Armor: 144/144
>> TIE Fighter Squadron Black 2
Location: Hangar | Status: --- | UCR: 8 | Armor: 144/144
>> Lambda Shuttle Tornado Group I
Location: Hangar | Status: --- | UCR: 5 | Shields: 20/20 | Armor: 20/20 | (12/12)
>> Imperial Landing Barge Typhoon Group
Location: Hangar | Status: --- | UCR: 1 | Shields: 100/100 | Armor: 100/100 | (2/2)
--> Infantry: 200/200 Imperial Fleet Troopers | Status: Loaded
--> Vehicles: 12/12 Speeder Bikes | Status: Loaded
>> Elite Lambda Shuttle Aletheia
Location: A-1 | Status: En Route | UCR: 16 | Shields: 100/100 | Armor: 100/100
<> SGAF Espada
Commanding Officer: Commander Kyle Kraken
Location: C-1 | Status: --- | UCR: 4 | Shields: 300/300 | Armor: 300/300 | Hull: 150/150 | Systems: 150/150
Units: 240/240 Stormtrooper Squads | G-1 | UCR 6 / HP 7 / AR 4
>> Lambda Shuttle Tornado Group II
Location: Hangar | Status: --- | UCR: 5 | Shields: 20/20 | Armor: 20/20 | (12/12)
<> SGAF Sturmgewehr
Commanding Officer: Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg
Location: C-1 | Status: --- | UCR: 4 | Shields: 300/300 | Armor: 300/300 | Hull: 150/150 | Systems: 150/150
Units: 240/240 Stormtrooper Squads | Location: G-1 | UCR 6 / HP 7 / AR 4
>> Lambda Shuttle Tornado Group III
Location: Hangar | Status: --- | UCR: 5 | Shields: 20/20 | Armor: 20/20 | (12/12)
<> ESC Harpoon
Commanding Officer: Captain Johannesburg
Location: C-1 | Status: --- | UCR: 4 | Shields: 500/500 | Armor: 500/500 | Hull: 125/125 | Systems: 250/250
>> TIE Interceptor Squadron Red 1
Location: Hangar | Status: --- | UCR: 10 | Armor: 240/240
>> TIE Interceptor Squadron Red 2
Location: Hangar | Status: --- | UCR: 10 | Armor: 240/240
>> TIE Interceptor Squadron Red 3
Location: Hangar | Status: --- | UCR: 10 | Armor: 240/240
>> TIE Interceptor Squadron Red 4
Location: Hangar | Status: --- | UCR: 10 | Armor: 240/240
>> TIE Interceptor Squadron Red 5
Location: Hangar | Status: --- | UCR: 10 | Armor: 240/240
>> TIE Interceptor Squadron Red 6
Location: Hangar | Status: --- | UCR: 10 | Armor: 240/240
>> Lambda Shuttle Orange-I Group
Location: Hangar | Status: --- | UCR: 5 | Shields: 20/20 | Armor: 20/20 | Quantity: 2/2
<> ESC Trident
Commanding Officer: Captain Ishmael
Location: C-1 | Status: --- | UCR: 4 | Shields: 500/500 | Armor: 500/500 | Hull: 125/125 | Systems: 250/250
>> TIE Interceptor Squadron Green 1
Location: Hangar | Status: --- | UCR: 10 | Armor: 240/240
>> TIE Interceptor Squadron Green 2
Location: Hangar | Status: --- | UCR: 10 | Armor: 240/240
>> TIE Interceptor Squadron Green 3
Location: Hangar | Status: --- | UCR: 10 | Armor: 240/240
>> TIE Interceptor Squadron Green 4
Location: Hangar | Status: --- | UCR: 10 | Armor: 240/240
>> TIE Interceptor Squadron Green 5
Location: Hangar | Status: --- | UCR: 10 | Armor: 240/240
>> TIE Interceptor Squadron Green 6
Location: Hangar | Status: --- | UCR: 10 | Armor: 240/240
>> Lambda Shuttle Orange-II Group
Location: Hangar | Status: --- | UCR: 5 | Shields: 20/20 | Armor: 20/20 | Quantity: 2/2
[^] LEVIATHAN SQUADRON [^]
1st Imperial Expeditionary Force
Primus Et Optimus | The First and the Finest
Commanding Officer: LORD GENERAL Lucidius Hale
CHANGING TIDES, Part V - The Explosive and Exciting, Five Scene SL Series Finale!
With the transition of the planetary defenses officially carried over to the command of the 1st Imperial Expeditionary Force, Hale had no reservations about making the VSD Shogun the new flagship of the Imperial Defense Force (IMPDEF) of Corulag, as he wanted to give the citizens of Corulag the impression that the Imperial Remnant was heavily invested from the very beginning. But now, more important matters were at hand. While the defense accords had gone over smoothly, the challenge of getting the bureaucrats to hand over control was another matter. Just two days after the Peace Treaty Banquet, Jana - under the cover alias of Natalya - had unearthed some important information.
Jana knocked on Hale's door to his quarters, holding a datapad. Hale answered and let her in. There was another banquet scheduled for the evening, one in which Moff Rhenquist was expecting to grill Hale regarding his administrative capabilities and options for the potential successor to Corulag's governance. Jana was hoping to get in a few words before they had to leave...
"Good evening, General."
"What's the news, Jana?"
"Not good. It appears our friend Moff Rhenquist is not entirely clean..."
"Go on."
Handing him the datapad, Jana continued, "these are pictures of Rhenquist with a one Ms. Breiana Celeste, a covert operative."
The pictures were very compromising, "how did you come about these?"
Jana smiled.
"Right... I don't need to know. How do you know Ms. Celeste?"
"I was privvy to a great deal of Imperial Intelligence reports when I was working for the Empire, Ms. Celeste is - get this - an Imperial agent who was imbedded with the Rebel Alliance, who was then re-imbedded back into the Empire as a double-double agent."
"A double-double? What's the point?" asked Hale.
"Sometimes double-doubles are planted to root out other doubles in an organization, but that's not even the start of it General... it seems Ms. Celeste has been working Rhenquist for quite some time..."
"Shit."
"When I was working on uncovering the Rebel smuggling ring in Nar Shaddaa, my sources keep pointing a Tenloss Syndicated ring leader who was in the Empire, and so last night I searched Rhenquist's files, financials, and shipping statements in the last 90 days for Corulag. It was a lot to go through, but I filtered the imports and exports with known material the smuggling ring was using and found several matches. It seems Rhenquist has been supplying parts and supplies to the Tenloss Syndicate using the Empire's own logistics network and his authority as a Moff to cover it all up."
"But where's the overall connection here? You said Celeste was embedded in the Rebel Alliance right?"
"Was in the Rebel Alliance. After the Battle of Endor, Celeste was cut off and left stranded. That much I've discovered from hers and Rhenquist's electronic correspondences. She then did the only thing a double agent knows how to do... play a side to their advantage, and so she sold out to Tenloss and dragged Rhenquist along with her for the ride. This is common for men like Rhenquist. They get greedy, and with the Empire in shambles I'm sure the offer to sell-out to the Tenloss Syndicate was an attractive prospect, especially if it meant certain benefits came along with the ride."
"Benefits?"
"Celeste for starters. Rhenquist's wife died over a decade ago in an unrelated accident, so some part of him is probably lonely as well. The pictures I showed you all but gaurantee that. Rhenquist is probably also aiding and abetting smugglers on every front as a Moff, perhaps by getting a slice of the action himself. Plus... you know how restrictive the Imperial Law is when it comes to imports. Smuggling gives men like Rhenquist a backdoor to use in order to acquire contraband for themselves. He's living life up."
"This is good work, Jana. With the galaxy reconnecting on a lot of fronts, it's only a matter of time before government becomes more consolidated and networked on other systems as well - and that's typically when criminal organizations thrive. It's possible the Tenloss Syndicate could be working Rhenquist to get a foothold into the Core Worlds, and maybe even Coruscant itself," replied Hale, who was just hypothesizing.
"That's a good guess, especially since Black Sun is out of the picture. I'm sure the incident at Kessel right now is only a part of the picture..."
"Kessel? Don't tell me something's happened," replied Hale, rhetorically. "I've been swamped with this Accession Treaty."
"No worries, that's why I'm here, General," Jana paused to gloat a little. "A major battle has begun for starters. Only initial intelligence reports are available right now, but the analysis would suggest that the Tenloss and Hutt Syndicates, along with some other periphereal criminal entities, have made a move against Kessel and The Maw itself. A single Star Destroyer escaped prior to the battle, where to we don't know yet... unless..."
"What?"
"Hand me that data pad."
Hale handed Jana the pad as she asked. Jana then began searching Rhenquist's files again for other items: fleet movement requisitions. "Just as I feared. Rhenquist ordered the ISD Basilisk to report to Core Sector Inner Deep Space Station 19 for 'emergency diagnostics and power core replenishment' using Moff Emergency Protocol 319-66... a little convenient, don't you think?"
"This Rhenquist is nothing but dirt, and Tenloss scum," responded Hale. "I've never been a fan of Kessel or the Hutts either, but that's the least of our concerns now. We still have Phase III of the Remnant Expansion Plan to implement before I can consider allocating Expeditionary assets to the northeast region of Oversector Outer. The question is what do we do with Rhenquist now?"
"Going after him now might be premature. It would be best for me to arrest Celeste quietly, and then once the Accession Treaty begins we can publicly denounce Rhenquist. That should all but gaurantee reunification under your leadership."
"This is also why the Moffs need more checks and balances. I've been a quiet advocate of this for years now, ever since Moff Kolumus tried to get me killed at Chandrila. They get consumed by their power," responded Hale.
"Checks and balances? You're starting to sound like a Republican," teased Jana.
Hale gave her a friendly glare, "I need to get going."
Later that evening, during the Accession Treaty Banquet, Hale was properly schmoozing with Corulag's elitist bureaucrats to socially convince them that he was the right man for the job. Meanwhile Jana was busy hunting Breiana Celeste down, who was sleeping in Rhenquist's bed. Jana was wearing a customized special operations uniform, which was an all-black body glove that had a layer of reactive gel that was used to control body temperature and provide refractive defense against small arms blaster fire. Jana was also wearing tri-ocular goggles that allowed her to split her field of vision into three different spectrums: electromagnetic, infrared, and nightvision. Carrying only a small touchscreen computer interface on her wrist and a lightsaber, all other tools were left behind in favor of maintaining a stealthier profile. Jana's training and designation as the Emperor's Shadow also afforded her techniques to use the Force to minimize her own sound and create audible disturbances in order to distract others, but her connection to the Force had yet to be regained and so she was left only within the frame of her normal performance levels.
Stepping through the window located at Rhenquist's balcony, Jana quietly entered Rhenquist's quarters and discovered Celeste laying in the Moff's bed as expected. Walking up to the foot of the bed, Jana removed her tri-ocular goggles and ignited her orange-beamed lightsaber. The somewhat loud *BEWN* noise woke Celeste up.
"What... what is this... who are you!?" asked Celeste, who was feighning panic so she could quietly reach for the blaster pistol under her pillow.
"Breina Celeste, you're under arrest for crimes against the Empire. Please, step out of bed and dress yourself, then come with me," answered Jana. Holding the lightsaber and using it as a lethal tool was giving her an adrenaline rush, and she could feel whispers of the Dark Side compelling her to take Celeste's life. "Don't make me ask you again!"
"Hmph. Judging by that lightsaber you must be one of the Emperor's former whores. That'll make this difficult!"
Celeste then pulled the blaster and cracked off a quick 3-round burst against Jana. One of the blaster bolts missed completely, while the second was luckily deflected by her lightsaber, the third nailed in her the side and although was refracted into and off her bodysuit, the plasma still caused a major 2nd degree burn. The damage
was enough to give Celeste a quick advantage as she lept out of bed and wrestled Jana to the ground, which knocked her lightsaber out of her hand.
Kicking Celeste off her, Jana got to her feet as did Celeste and the two squared off. Although Jana was an expert in hand-to-hand combat, the last time she sparred with an opponent was too long for her skills to be sharp. Celeste on the other hand was a trained Imperial agent and knew martial arts almost intuitively.
Jana began by throwing a quick right jab, which was met with a quick snap block and an immediate left jab to her side where the blaster bolt hit her. Wincing in pain, Jana backed off slightly, but Celeste kept attacking by delivering a series of strikes to Jana's midsection.
Jana then started feeling the Dark Side returning to her, and so she gave into her anger and felt a surge of energy and speed, which she used to over
power Celeste with a series of kicks and an uppercut that sent Celeste to the ground.
Celeste crawled to her feet, "looks like the Emperor's whore isn't going to back down, is she? Hahahah.."
This angered Jana more, which only increased her connection to the Dark Side, but even with Force enhanced skills, the two were evenly matched. Celeste and Jana began landing a combination of punches, elbow strikes, blocks, grabs, and other holds in such a rapid manner that an onlooker would think they were rehearsing a staged fight. Indeed, their training was very similar and so all of their moves and techniques mirrored the other's beautifully. As the two began reaching for improvised weapons, the fight got even more deadly as each inflicted a number of flesh wounds.
Jana managed to land a powerful torso kick to Celeste, which knocked her back, but the 10 foot slide put her near the blaster she had dropped earlier. Struggling to reach the blaster, Celeste crawled for it, inching closer to it with her hand. Jana quickly snapped her head towards her lightsaber and reached out to it with the Force. Her temporary surge of Dark Side power gave her all the connection to the Force she needed as she slowly began feeling the lightsaber pull closer to her, all while Celeste was finally getting a grip on her blaster.
"Come on..." sighed Jana. Eventually the lightsaber started to rattle and then it immediately snapped to her hand. Just as she ignited the orange blade once more, Celeste snapped a shot off towards her head, which Jana responded by slashing her blade instinctively at the bolt - reflecting it back to Celeste's head.
Letting out an exhausted sigh, Jana deactivated her saber and holstered it. Although she was happy to have felt the Force return to her in a powerful way, she lamented internally that it was the Dark Side. Wether it was a manifestation of the Dark Side or just a psychological delusion, Jana began hearing the Emperor's joyous cackle and words of praise for Jana outside of her head...
"Goooood Jana... Gooood. See how the Dark Side has made you powerful? See how it has returned the Force to you? Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha... your anger has made you stronger."
"SILENCE! I'M NOT YOUR SLAVE! AND I DON'T NEED THE DARK SIDE!"
"You will always need the Dark Side... just as you will always be mine! Mwahahahaha!"
After the laugh faded to silence, Jana feel to her knees and began weeping.
Meanwhile at the Accession Banquet, Sergeant Rajput rushed in to meet with Hale.
"Lord General! Urgent news: the Venator has arrived!"
"Thank you Sergeant Rajput," replied Hale. This was good news ineed. Giving the Sergeant a salute, he dismissed him.
The powerful bureaucrats around Hale seemed delighted as well, "is this not a Venator-class Star Destroyer, Lord General?" replied the ederly Lady Elizabeth Grey, chairwoman of GreyCorp - one of the largest conglomerates in the Core Worlds. "I haven't seen one of those since I was a wee little girl. Quite a vessel!"
"Indeed, Lady Grey. The conflict raging across the galaxy has seen a return of a number of older designs come to the forefront again. Some classes of ship are just better suited for the right roles," replied Hale. "This one will be the new flagship of the Imperial First."
"Have you named the vessel yet?" interjected Moff Rhenquist.
"The official christening ceremony is scheduled for another time, but I'm naming it the LEVIATHAN, a mystical creature of lore from my home planet."
"Ahhh the Leviathan..." replied Lady Grey. "Isn't that from Alderaan?"
"Yes. Alderaan..."
Moff Rhenquist's eyes widened. "Excuse me Lord General, but in your Service Record your home planet is listed as Ralltiir. I'm confused."
"No need to be, Moff Rhenquist. I was born on Ralltiir, but grew up on Alderaan."
"I see," replied the Moff. "One might think being from Alderaan is a black mark... and one might also question your loyalty to the Empire."
"I joined the Empire because it was the Rebel Alliance who destroyed the planet - not the Death Star! Had Princess Organa given the location of the Rebellion's first base, then its destruction would've been prevented. Her betrayal cost the lives of billions. If there was no Rebellion, Alderaan would still be standing where it was!"
"Well said, young man!" replied Lady Grey.
"Well then, Lord General, it appears you have passed the test on all marks. Might I invite you to my private office to sign the Accession Treaty?"
Hale nodded, "Indeed," then turned to Lady Grey, taking her hand, "my lady it was a pleasure meeting with you. I'm looking forward to discussing future economic prospects with you for Corulag."
Lady Grey smiled, "you have my vote of confidence, Lord General, and as I follow, so do my peers. We haven't had such a youthful and charismatic leader among us in years, so I hope you can give us old people a good jolt!" after a short and pleasant laugh, Hale departed with Rhenquist.
[^] LEVIATHAN SQUADRON [^]
1st Imperial Expeditionary Force
Primus Et Optimus | The First and the Finest
Commanding Officer: SUPREME EXECUTOR Lucidius Hale
The VNSD Leviathan was nearing the end of its stay at Corulag,for the initial defense and development constructions had been completed. It was only a matter of time before Corulag would be restored to its former glory - all in the name of the Imperial Remnant. For Hale's staunch gallantry and leadership that he provided throughout the entire mission to Corulag, the Council of Moffs unanimously voted to promote the man to the rank and position of Supreme Executor. While certainly the Imperial Remnant was still host to many Grand Admirals and Grand Moffs, the rank of Supreme Executor was considered to be both in terms of the bureaucratic and military powers the position carried with it. Officially, Hale now presided over the Council of Moffs as he outranked Admiral Pellaeon, but Hale still recognized the Old Man's wisdom and cunning, and so Pellaeon was immediately promoted to Vice Admiral and was ordered to administrate the Remnant's Central Command - a position which he would serve well. All other operations of the Imperial Remnant were now under the sole command of the 1st Imperial Expeditionary Force... anything Hale needed for his fleet he would get, with no questions asked.
Hale of course didn't know what to think about the recent promotions he had received. On one end, he was proud and emboldened by his new found power - but on the other end he was struck with humility: why him? why now? Regardless of his thoughts and feeligns, Hale knew he had a bigger job to do. Yet the job came with new benefits and perks. For starters his personal quarters were renovated to reflect the highest aesthetics of comfort, luxury, and living, with no expense spared on behalf of the Imperial Remnant. While his previous quarters resembled a high-end studio apartment on Coruscant, these new quarters featured a private bath and bedroom, a full-service kitchen, an entertainment room, a micro-gym, and a personal office that had all the tactical displays he could ever want. While Hale did enjoy his new living standards, his mind was often on higher things in life. "What good are opulant personal quarters on a warship?" he thought to himself. Indeed, Hale did desire a luxurious estate, but not in the middle of a war...
After finally packing in all of his clothes and other personal effects and furniture, Hale decided it was time to put on his new uniform. While traditionally, the Empire featured very draconian colors such as dark gray, white, dark green, and black, Hale had decided that everybody serving in the 1st Expeditionary Force would be wearing a new uniform of his design that would be completely exclusive. Gone were the draconian colors. In their place, everyone was now wearing dark navy blue heavy duty synthetic fabrics, with comfortable pants, button-up long-sleeve field tunics, and black undershirts. Rank insignia was placed on the side of the arm and collar lappels instead of the chest, and featured chevrons for the enlisted ranks and stripes on the sleeve-ends for officers. Hale wanted to set the tone in the 1st Expeditionary Force as a means to foster greater camraderie and equality that everybody belonged in one uniform and one Empire.
Just as he finished buttoning up his tunic, Hale heard a warm bell ring at his quarter's door. Answering it with a push of a button, the door slid open with a soft whoosh sound.
"Jana!" exclaimed Hale, excited to see that she was out of the bacta tank. Jana immediately rushed close to Hale and embraced him, finding comfort in his arms. "How are you feeling?"
Jana withdrew from the embrace to speak, "much better. It's been years since I've been in a full bacta immersion tank, and no matter what I always come out feeling stronger and more alive than when I went in."
"That's great. I'm glad to hear you're doing better... but hey, I have an important meeting on the bridge with my new command staff before we mobilize into hyperspace. You're more than welcome to wait here in my new quarters, I shouldn't be too long. I'd love for you to join me for dinner tonight."
Jana peeked over Hale's shoulders and noticed a very plush leather couch with soft pillows and a big screen HoloTV set up. "Hmmm... maybe I can check up on the news, or catch up on the latest HoloDramas..."
"Please, be my guest. We can talk later," replied Hale.
Jana gave a soft smile and then layed down comfortably on the couch, and then used the Force to activate the HoloTV's power switch. "I'll see you later, Lucidius."
Hale nodded and then walked out of his quarters ande made his way to the bridge. There his new command staff was waiting for him, everyone was standing around a large HoloPlex display that was currently projecting an isolated sector of the galaxy the ship was located, centered on Corulag.
"Good morning, everyone," said Hale.
"Supreme Executor," nodded Hale's recently promoted executive officer, Commodore Hawkins. Everyone else nodded and shook hands with Hale as he went around the room to introduce himself and meet his new staff.
"Please everyone, call me Lord Hale. Supreme Executor sounds like I'm the best guillotine operator in the galaxy," joked Hale. Everyone shared a quick laugh. "Let's get down to business shall we. I wan't to welcome each and every one of you into the finest fleet the Empire has ever seen, the 1st Imperial Expeditionary Force. We are the first and the finest, and we will redefine what professional warfighting means in the Imperial Remnant. While this ship is the current flagship, know that there are plans to construct a new Imperial I-class Star Destroyer at our earliest convenience using the soon-to-be finished Corulag Shipyards. This doesn't mean the Leviathan is disposable by any means, but our defensive-oriented internal development has come to an end. We will now begin Phase III of my expansion plan, and this means war," Hale then paused to let the last word sink in, before turning to his executive, "Commodore. You may begin your presentation."
"Yes m'lord. As you all can see, our position at Corulag now gives the 1st Expeditionary Force an incredibly strategic position to utilize for aggressive operations in the southern sectors of the galaxy. I know Phase III of our plan will primarily be about domination, but we can make additional strategic gains by taking the ******* system. I have named this plan Operation Iceman, for obvious reasons. Again, while holding Corulag gives us a Core position, we cannot forget that our capitol of Bastion remains in the outer rim. It is my professional judgment that if this war is to be won, it is not to take Coruscant, but rather to take control of Oversector Outer - where the frontline has always been. If we control the front, we control the war. Questions?"
"Yes Commodore," opened up Lt. Karelia Jensen, a twenty-something female officer from the recently conquered Onderon. Her demeanor was hard, and she spoke with confidence and force. It was because of her strong leadership traits that she was given a direct commissioning from the Onderon Royal Navy into the Imperial Fleet. "Can we be sure about the ******* system? The Empire could have established a more permanent presence there years ago, but this option was not pursued, and likely for good reason."
"A valid point, but this war has evolved. Imagine if the Empire did have a full-scale military base on ******* ago? At the very least some orbital platforms and space stations to make it a logistics waypoint. Rebel and Republic activity would have been severely choked or at the very least checked."
Jensen withdrew further comments, but another officer spoke up, Commander Bruce Chaneuf, the Operations Officer. "Right Commodore. If I may speak for the majority here, I believe it's safe to say that we support Operation Iceman wholeheartedly, but why not begin the operation at ******, where we can eliminate some targets, and then return back to ******* to commence Iceman at that point?"
"That option was discussed between Lord Hale and I, and we both agreed that while it does give us a bold initiative in the short-term, the long-term benefits of setting up an expeditionary base on the **** system will give us tremendous flexibility for sustained attacks," replied the Commodore. "Simply put, our goal of dominating that region of Oversector Outer hinges on this one system."
Nobody had anything else to say.
Hale stepped forward, "Very well. I hope you all have found this brief refreshing. Gone are the days of the High Command giving orders without any discussion or strategic information. So long as I'm the Supreme Executor and commanding officer of the 1st Expeditionary Force, all of our operational briefs will be conducted in this manner. Your opinions and experiences are well valued, that I can assure you. Thank you for your service, you are dismissed."
As the officers walked out of the briefing room one by one, they eached stopped to shake hands with Hale again on their way out to congratulate him on his promotion and comment favorably to the new direction he was taking the Imperial Remnant.
Commodore Hawkins was the last man to leave, "It seems like we have some bright days ahead of us. Some tough days, but some bright ones. The Council was correct to promote you. We need somebody who can rally the Remnant and dispel the Imperial warlordism plaguing the galaxy, and I trust you are the man for the job. Unlike the other Grand Admirals and Grand Moffs that could have been selected for the job, I think you're the only one who has the humility to not let it go too far."
"Thank you for the vote of confidence Commodore. I can only trust that Darth Vader picked me to command the First to begin with, and so I think this is a fulfillment of his vision."
The Commodore placed a hand on Hale's shoulder, "my friend, you are no longer living in the wake of Vader's vision, but the light of a new one. You are the Supreme Executor now."
Hale nodded. "Thank you again, Commodore. Prepare the fleet for immediate mobilization."
"Prepare the fleet, aye aye m'lord."
Some of the other benefits of being Supreme Executor was the ability to delegate just about everything. While Hale normally liked preparing his fleet for mobilization, he had a dinner plans with Jana. Making his way back to his personal quarters, Hale found Jana sleeping on the couch and the HoloTV still on. Smiling warmly, Hale walked over to Jana and covered her with a blanket, and then turned off the HoloTV. Clearly she still needed to rest and recover, and so Hale didn't mind postponing their dinner plans...
ACTION SUMMARY
1. All ships entered hyperspace for **** (ETA 13 DEC 2012).