Imperium Invictus

[Darth Viscera]

“Of the dark side is he who for the greater good commits evil, or suffers it.”

-Jedi Master Myn Do Nyas, RY21536



Byss

A hooded figure made his way through the starport, glancing this way and that at the holoscreens which displayed the various arrivals and departures. Picking one, he headed in the direction of Landing Pad 1138. Before long, the figure had made his way to the landing pad, and found himself confronting a squad of stormtroopers guarding a Lambda-class shuttle as a droid unloaded its cargo.

"Halt. Let me see your identification," the lead stormtrooper said as he approached.

The lightsaber sizzled to life, and in an instant the stormtrooper who had spoken was impaled. The figure pushed the now-dead stormtrooper off of his lightsaber, the trooper slumping limply to the ground. Blaster bolts flew by now, the rest of the squad alert to the danger, firing towards him. He used his weapon masterfully, and those bolts which didn't miss ricocheted off the blade and returned to strike the troopers who had fired them. With a wave of a hand, three stormtroopers were flung across the landing pad and impacted high against the far wall. The two remaining stormtroopers continued firing, and the figure leapt towards them, his palm held outwards and deflecting the blasts as he did. He landed, and with a single swipe of his lightsaber, the stormtroopers' newly-severed blaster arms fell to the ground.

He continued towards the shuttle, and as he boarded and stood just within the craft waiting for the ramp to finish retracting, he called out, "You don't need to see my identification."

[Darth Viscera]

“Command station, this is ST 961. Code clearance black, authorization omega-9 762-red. I'm starting my approach. Deactivate the security shield,” He spoke into the comm system, angling his shuttle towards the orbiting star destroyer which his sensors had identified as the Invictus.

“Stand by, we are confirming your code transmission...you are clear to proceed,” came the voice on the other end.

He cut the comm and guided his shuttle into the docking bay of the star destroyer. With a hiss of hydraulics, the exit ramp of the shuttle opened, revealing a platoon of stormtroopers standing in formation and at attention. An Imperial captain strode through the assembled troops, and the hooded figure descended the ramp, looking over the assemblage as he did so.

“I am Captain Tamburlaine, commander of the Invictus.”
“So you are, Captain. We'll need to speak somewhere private.”

Captain Tamburlaine blinked, arched an eyebrow.

“Very well. If you'll follow me.”

They took the turbolift, descended through the massive ship in silence, his arms folded underneath his cloak. They arrived at the conference room, and he took a seat, Tamburlaine following.

“Captain, the Emperor is dead.”

Captain Tamburlaine's expression remained unchanged, and he sat thinking for a few moments.

“How do you know?”

He closed his eyes, rubbed his hand across his forehead, remembered now the familiar feeling, as if he were about to faint.

“There was a great disturbance in the force. As if he cried out in outrage and was suddenly silenced. I fear that Lord Vader is dead as well, and I suspect that the Rebellion has befallen a similar fate.”
“Yes, we received a confused communique to that effect earlier today. We requested verification from Imperial Center, and have yet to receive it. If what you say is true, it would corroborate the preliminary reports we've been getting from the Outer Rim.”

He thought a moment, lifted his head up, looked at Tamburlaine.

“Captain, up until today, what were your orders?”
“We were instructed to hold station in orbit of Byss for 2 weeks, until the Warspite arrived to relieve us.”
“On my authority, your orders are rescinded. Take us to Coruscant, and quickly, Captain. If the Rebellion's situation is as dire as I suspect it is, then one swift stroke could end this destructive conflict, once and for all.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And Tamburlaine, call me Espaa. Espaa Museveni.”

[Darth Viscera]

It had been a long day of exhaustive physical training. Young Espaa had at last been released for the day, and he sat now in the refectory, a forkful of food halfway between his plate and his mouth, staring out the transparisteel window at Byss' star. His friends had often teased him before on account of this. 'What do you think you're looking at, laserbrain? It's not even dark! You won't be able to see home until the sun sets.' He had ignored them, fixated on the star, thought, anywhere but here.

He had often fantasized about Delteon, and in all his fantasies, he imagined himself returning at last to his parents' home outside Dukara. His shuttle would land just outside, and he would stride towards the door and march inside, embrace his mother and tearfully say, “It's alright, mother, we're free. We can all be together again. I've brought us a ship. We won't have to fear the Empire any longer.”





“My Lord?” the intercom chirped, waking him, a voice he found familiar.

“Good morning, Tamburlaine.”

“Good morning, my Lord. You asked to be notified the moment we arrived in orbit of Coruscant.”

“Espaa.”

Captain Tamburlaine audibly sighed.

“You asked to be notified the moment we arrived in orbit of Coruscant. Espaa.”

“So I did. Thank you, Tamburlaine.”

“Yes, sir. Pardon me, sir, but were you asleep?”

“Yes...no. Old daydreams.”

Espaa cut the comm, dressed, and as he did so he noticed a new light flash on the comm panel. He peered at the monitor, ah, an intelligence update, and read through it, before finishing dressing and heading to the bridge.

“My Lord,” Tamburlaine nodded to him as he exited the turbolift, and Espaa moved to the viewscreen, counted the number of Star Destroyers in orbit of the megalopolis-planet.

“Two star destroyers,” Espaa said.

“And many more recently deployed. Intelligence reports all point to riots on close to a quarter of the worlds in the empire. Marshal law has been declared. We're spread pretty thin, Espaa.”

“So it would seem. ComScan, hail the lead ship. I want to speak to their captain.”

[Tal Kellison]

The Termagent's comm officer looked up from his station

"Captain Kellison, the Invictus just emerged from hyperspace. She's hailing us, Sir."

Captain Kellison, lost in thought, didn't immediately respond.

"Sir? Are we going to reply.?"

"What? Oh yes, yes, put them through."

[Darth Viscera]

“Captain,” Espaa looked at the shimmering blue holograph of the Termagent's captain, who had appeared now on his bridge. “The time has come for us to strike a critical blow against the Rebellion. Ten days ago, our spies in the Mon Calamari system uncovered this.”

Espaa held up a datapad and pressed a button on it, activating a small holo-generator. The image of a shipyard, nestled deep within an asteroid belt, appeared in the air above the datapad.

“The Mon Calamari shipyards, their location revealed to us at last. Captain, I am leading a mission to Mon Calamari to destroy these shipyards and punish the Mon Calamari for their treason, and I would like you and your ship to join us. I am transmitting my clearance code now. Feel free to verify it.”

[Tal Kellison]

Kellison's brow furrowed in confusion. The plan this man was proposing seemed to be a good one; Tal welcomed any chance to strike back at the rebellion that had wounded his empire, and in turn him, to the very core. His clearance code also checked out, but who was he? Recent promotion or not, Kellison was still a rather small minded person; codes meant little unless they came from a recognized superior, and Kellison did not recognize the man represented by the holograph before him. He wasn't even wearing an officer's uniform.

"On whose orders are these commands given?. What is your designation and rank?"

[Darth Viscera]

Espaa's eyes narrowed. He tapped the button on the comm panel which engaged privacy mode, and ensured that no one apart from himself or Captain Kellison would hear his words.

“I am Espaa Museveni of the inner circle of the secret order of the Emperor, master instructor of the Emperor's disciples. These orders are given on my authority.”

[Tal Kellison]

Kellison gritted his teeth. The name meant nothing to him, but the position brought to mind whispered conversation he had heard of the shadowy group of men that answered to no one but the Emperor.

But with the him gone, who controlled them?

He didn't like it. Deep down his gut told him he couldn't trust a man like this, someone that existed outside the established chain of command. But, he was an Imperial officer and the plans the man had sent seemed to be in the best interest of the Empire, making it Kellison's duty to help in any way he could.

"I will have to confer with my commanding officers on this, Sir. I received orders direct from Admiral Orald that we were to be redeployed to the Dubrillion sector. We arrived here just yesterday."

[Darth Viscera]

Espaa sighed inwardly. It's never easy. Summoning the force, he reached out to the bridge of the Termagent, to Tal Kellison himself. Ah, but there are yet ways to persuade you, Captain. He waved his hand slowly in front of the holograph of Captain Kellison.

“You needn't confer with Admiral Orald. You will proceed alongside the Invictus to the raid on Mon Calamari.”

[Tal Kellison]

The more Kellison thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. This Espaa fellow was an important man whose orders clearly superseded those he had received from Admiral Orald.

"Yes Sir, the Termagant will accompany you to Mon Calimari. I will contact you as soon as my crew is recalled from <a href=http://www.sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=38909>shore leave</a>."

As soon as the shimmering holograph faded from the console, Kellison began issuing the orders to recall those that were on the surface of the planet. It clearly wouldn't make him any more popular, but that was not the point. He was their Captain and by the Empire they would obey his commands. After all, they should feel honored; they would be given a chance to dole out some justice for the rebellion's actions at Endor.

[Darth Viscera]

One down, one to go. Espaa grinned internally, then turned to face the men in the pit.

"ComScan, hail the other Star Destroyer. Get me their Captain."

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon leaned over a tactical display of Coruscant and observed an artificial battle occur as the final elements of his strategy were carried out on a digital field. “Check mate,” he mumbled as the final resistance forces fell to his holographic troopers.

“Sir,” interrupted a crewman, “we’re being hailed by the Invictus.”

“Very well,” Khendon shared a stiff salute with the man. The silver-eyed soldier switched over the projector to the communication frequency and clasped his hands at the small of his back.

Khendon’s words were a dark rumble, “This is Executor Sevon, what is it?!”

[Darth Viscera]

"Ah, Executor Sevon," Espaa said, allowing himself a grin. "It seems that Imperial Intelligence has recently uncovered the location of the secret rebel shipyard on Mon Calamari."

He pushed a button on his datapad, and the image of the shipyard nestled in the asteroid field again appeared.

"Would you be opposed to helping vaporize it, along with some rebel traitors?"

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon nodded his head slowly, “I’m not adverse to exacting some revenge. However, I would like to know the name of the man who has planned such a bold move. You are?” He narrowed his eyes and stretched out with the Force—it told him all he needed to know.

[Darth Viscera]

Ah, indeed you are powerful, Executor Sevon.

He tapped the privacy button on his panel again, then replied.

"I am Espaa Museveni of the inner circle of the secret order of the Emperor, master instructor of the Emperor's disciples," he replied. "I am transmitting my code clearance."

[Khendon Sevon]

“Code clearances speak nothing of a man. However, Museveni, I am a believer in certain definitions of power. We will speak more of this later, I am sure.

“You have my standard to add to this endeavor. It will remain strong though the winds of every hell try to rip it from its post.”

[Darth Viscera]

With that, the transmission ended. Espaa turned to the Captain of the Invictus, motioned for him to come closer.

"Tamburlaine, go into the central fleet roster. Find out all you can about the battle ratings of those ships. If we're going to cripple the Rebels in the coming battle, we'll need to know our own strength."

"Of course, Espaa."

He nodded, and returned to his quarters.

Some time later, the Termagent signaled that its crew had returned from shore leave, and Captain Tamburlaine sent out a hail to the two star destroyers.

"Our staging area shall be the Delmon system. Stand by to jump on my mark."

He counted down from ten.

"Mark."

The three star destroyers shot off into hyperspace.

[Tiberius Anar]

"I beg your pardon, Admiral. Termagant did what?"

"She broke orbit and jumped to hyperspace in company with two other vessels, sir," the image of the admiral projected before him was clad in a ghastly shirt of green and purple. Clearly the Admiral had been enjoying his stretch of shore leave in one Coruscant’s tropical hab-dome resorts.

"On whose orders?" demanded the Chancellor.

"I don't know, sir," came the lame reply.

"Well, find out," barked Anar.

"Yes, sir I..."

With a flick of his wrist Anar deactivated the line. Yelling at Orald was not going to get him answers, however much it helped his anger. Ships of the Imperial Navy did not up and leave without orders and without even an explanation, yet Termagant had done just that. Not only that but it had done so with two other ships. If one ship did not up and leave in the normal course of things, then three ships should certainly not. He reached for his desk comn.

"I want Termagant found and brought back. If there is anyone from Intelligence on board get hold of them." He keyed off the comm, then keyed it on again to add, "And find out whether she sent or received any signals. Especially from those other ships."

Anar was not going to let any of the Empire's ships go "awol", not when they were so badly needed.