[^] ISD-I PUNISHER [^]
Flagship of the 1st Imperial Expeditionary Force
Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum | If You Wish For Peace, Prepare For War
Commanding Officer: SUPREME EXECUTOR Lucidius Hale
The hull of the
Punisher rocked as the last of the Rebel small craft and corvettes swooped in for a last ditch attack run. This had unfortunately unsettled Admiral Hawkins and the bridge crew onboard the ship.
"Comm, patch me a line to the Supreme Executor."
The communications officer pushed a few buttons and gave the go ahead nod.
< Lord Hale, I'm afraid we must evacuate. Armor integrity has dropped to 14%. If we stay, we'll risk getting the ship disabled and potentially destroyed. Please advise. >
Meanwhile, on the surface in G-1... An Imperial Army Trooper sergeant wearing a communications pack reached for the phone attached to it. By now Hale and the 1st Regiment had broken into the Bakuran command center and had cornered General Drake - the leader of the Rebel Defense Force. The Sergeant urged Hale to answer.
"Dammit, can this wait Sergeant?"
"I'm afraid not my lord, it's from Admiral Hawkins..."
"Alright," Hale took the phone and began listening to Hawkins, nodding away. "I understand Admiral... proceed with our discussed contingency plan." Hale gave the phone back to the Sergeant.
"What's the news, Lucidius?" asked Jana.
"It looks like we're going to be here for a while. I'm sending the Punisher back to Hoth for a quick round trip so it can recharge shields in hyperspace and get back into the fight. Hopefully our support craft will be able to finish the job in space... not that General Drake knows that, since his comms are busted."
"Well, it looks like we're going to have to move forward with Plan A," replied Jana as she ignited her silver-beamed lightsaber, stepping up to the vaulted holdout command chamber General Drake remained in. A squad of Army Troopers of 1st Regiment's SWAT Team lined up across the door as Jana began smelting the door by letting the ultrahot plasma and sheer quantum energy of her lightsaber burn the door until a breach was made. Pulling her saber out, the SWAT team planted a large explosive in the breach and backed away.
Hale gave a two finger salute and the Team Leader blew the door. Immediately, a trio of flashbangs were fired into the chamber and in quick succession the 10-man team rushed in, blasting away whatever troops were guarding General Drake. Only three men. Hale and Jana then casually walked into the room. General Drake was still there sitting as his desk. The tactical displays and communications panels surrounding him were blacked out with grayscale fuzz. His entire command center was shot to hell.
"Supreme Executor Hale, it appears the Imperial Remnant has the strength to lead this great system."
"It's over General. This compound is falling apart. You troops have been killed, and already the 1st Regiment is moving to your southeastern defense compounds. My Star Destroyer is still holding orbit, my tweleve TIE Squadrons which your captains failed to deal with are still screaming, and you have no reinforcements coming from your new leader, Garm Bel Iblis..."
"What would you have me do Supreme Executor? Hand over the reigns right now?"
"Yes."
General Drake bursted out in laughter. "My, my... quite the pretentious one aren't we?" The General then lowered his head and paused for a long moment.
"General Drake, we can do this the easy way or the hard way..."
Suddenly Jana seemed very excited, twirling her lightsaber, "...and
I would just
love the hard way..."
"Found a Lady of the Sith have we, Supreme Executor?"
"Oh, she's no Sith Lady... not really a Jedi either. Somewhere in between by my estimates," replied Hale.
The General laughed again. "Well if you're going to kill me then do it already. I have no use for these games."
Hale gave the go ahead nod to Jana, who suddenly went from excited to dispassionate. Killing was always a mean business, but Jana's experience in the deed gave her an objective and rational understanding of its effectiveness. In a galaxy filled with gray morality, dealing out death and judgment was a very stark black and white affair. In the case of General Drake, his killing would not be an act of justice... it would be one of punishment. After Jana ignited her lightsaber once more, she held it ready to swing at the General's neck.
"No wait. I want Hale to do it. Man to man. Leader to leader. You pull the trigger."
Hale withdrew an archaic weapon from his holster he called the
Slugger. It was a crude, sawed-off, double-barreled shotgun that fired a dozen or so large bellets. After aiming
Slugger at the General's chest, Hale pulled the trigger without hesitation. Immediately the blast ripped the General apart and sent the remains of his body sprawled to the back end of the chamber.
Soon after Hale did the dirty deed. A secret door within the chamber slid open. Revealing the REAL General Drake, who walked out, slow-clapping his hands.
"Thank you Supreme Executor, for demonstrating your iron will in this conflict. You have my resignation as General of the Rebel Alliance, as well as orders to all defense units to stand down."
It would have seemed Hale's idea to go after the snake's head had paid off after all - as he knew any officers that were selected, trained, and indoctrinated by the nefarious Ramano would inevitably bow to a stronger power rather than needlessly drag out a conflict.
"Sergeant, I want confirmation immediately from Admiral Hawkins," ordered Hale. "And tell him to keep the
Punisher in orbit..."
The Sergeant responded and got on the line with Hawkins, who was verifying everything.
"Well then, General Drake, please allow my man to verify that your orders are going through. In the meantime, please understand that you're now under arrest. I never kill a man who didn't ask for it, didn't deserve it, or didn't have it coming. Besides, your more valuable to me alive than dead..."
The real General Drake nodded and was soon taken away by the 1st Regiment SWAT Team, leaving Hale and Jana alone in the secret hideaway where Drake was monitoring everything. Jana deactivated her lightsaber, holstered it, and began looking around.
"What have we got here? A bottle of Chandrilan Champagne," announced Jana. "A good vintage too..."
ACTION SUMMARY
1. All units ceased fire.
2. CONQUEST MILESTONES #1 & #2 cash bonuses forfeited due to forcing a surrender capitulation.
3. MILESTONE #3 requires 8 more days to reach.
<> ISD-I Punisher
Location: A-3 | UCR: 3 | Shields: 0000/1760 | Armor: 1420/1760 | Hull: 1320/1320 | Systems: 880/880
>> Imperial Officer: SUPREME EXECUTOR Lucidius Hale
Location: G-1 | UCR: 10 | Armor: 200/200 | Health: 200/200 | Attack: 200
>> TIE Advanced Squadron TX-01
Location: A-1 | Status: --- | UCR: 7 | Durability: 432/432
>> TIE Advanced Squadron TX-02
Location: A-1 | Status: --- | UCR: 7 | Durability: 432/432
>> TIE Advanced Squadron TX-03
Location: A-1 | Status: --- | UCR: 7 | Durability: 432/432
>> TIE Advanced Squadron TX-04
Location: A-1 | Status: --- | UCR: 7 | Durability: 432/432
>> TIE Advanced Squadron TX-05
Location: A-1 | Status: --- | UCR: 7 | Durability: 432/432
>> TIE Advanced Squadron TX-06
Location: A-1 | Status: --- | UCR: 7 | Durability: 432/432
>> Lambda Shuttle Group LS-G1
Location: A-3 | Status: --- | UCR: 5 | Shields: 20/20 | Armor: 20/20 | (12/12)
>> Lambda Shuttle Group LS-G2
Location: A-3 | Status: --- | UCR: 5 | Shields: 20/20 | Armor: 20/20 | (12/12)
>> Lambda Shuttle Group LS-G3
Location: A-3 | Status: --- | UCR: 5 | Shields: 20/20 | Armor: 20/20 | (12/12)
>> Elite Lambda Shuttle Aletheia
Location: G-4 | Status: --- | UCR: 16 | Shields: 100/100 | Armor: 100/100
>> Imperial Landing Barge Group LB-01~10
Location: G-4 | Status: --- | UCR: 2 | Shields: 100/100 | Armor: 100/100
>> Imperial Army Troopers 1st Regiment
Location: G-1 | Status: --- | UCR: 6(+1) | HP: 7(+1) | AR: 4(+1) | Units: 1000/1000
>> Imperial Speeder Bikes 1st Recon
Location: G-1 | Status: --- | UCR: 10 | HP: 10 | AR: 10 | Units: 60/60
>> Viper Probe Droids VX-PD-01~10
Location: Hangar | Status: --- | UCR: 10 | HP: 20
<> ESC Harpoon
Commanding Officer: Captain Juan Johannesburg
Location: B-7 | UCR: 4 | Shields: 550/550 | Armor: 550/550 | Hull: 137/137 | Systems: 250/250
>> TIE Interceptor Squadron TN-01
Location: A-3 | UCR: 10 | Armor: 204/240
>> TIE Interceptor Squadron TN-02
Location: A-3 | UCR: 10 | Armor: 204/240
>> TIE Interceptor Squadron TN-03
Location: A-3 | UCR: 10 | Armor: 204/240
>> TIE Interceptor Squadron TN-04
Location: A-3 | UCR: 10 | Armor: 204/240
>> TIE Interceptor Squadron TN-05
Location: A-3 | UCR: 10 | Armor: 168/240
>> TIE Interceptor Squadron TN-06
Location: A-3 | UCR: 10 | Armor: 168/240
>> Lambda Shuttle LS-32 & LS-33
Location: Hangar | Status: --- | UCR: 5 | Shields: 20/20 | Armor: 20/20