A light in the dark. - Captain Tyberiuos Saye

[Moff Joran Greth]

Valc VII

Screams filled the air of Moff Joran Greths Office. The room adjacent to his office had thin walls intentionally for that purpose. He studied the screams of his enemy’s. Found them strangly relaxing most times. But not today. The security officer being interrogated seemed weak and his rush to give information and stop the interrogation angered Joran.

He hated weak officers and would not have them in his command. He stood and walked to the observation room to watch the man beg for mercy and his life. All while giving information on the others in his group who were in on the theft of a payroll transfer to the Valc shipyards.. Thieves were important part of his work. He used them often and respected them for what they were. However he could not allow anyone to steal from him or his command. The man sat naked on floor looking up at the intelligence officer questioning him. He had told all he knew and could not cry or beg anymore. He had given up and was ready for what ever was to come. This is where Joran wanted his enemy’s. Weakened, hopeless, and defeated.

He leaned over and spoke into a small microphone. "Have this man Cleaned up and prepare transfer orders for him."

Death was a tool to Joran. The fear of death was a weapon. He knew the man would never steal again. Not because he had been changed by his interrogation or the fear of death, but because he knew the mans new posting allowed him no chance to steal. He turned and walked out of the room and back to his desk. AN aide had handed him a data pad as he sat.

"Interesting."

Moff Greth sat looking over the scans of sector marker 1866. He had not remembered anything about the system described in the report. However he knew that nothing should be out there. For that reason the report of freighter Traffic in the area had raised his as well as his intelligence sections attention. Four freighters in the last month had been seen in the area, something was not right at all. He closed the screen detailing the report and opened a new screen which displayed a full roster of ships and commanders in the area. Scanning the list one commander caught his eye. The man had been top of his class and thus far his record was impressive. As his ship was sufficient and His skill seemed proficient for the task He highlighted the mans records and had them transferred to operations with a note and orders for him.

An hour later Operations had sent Joran the information on Saye's current location and orders. He pressed a highlighted display icon and a com. channel opened.

"Major Travers, I need to Get a message to a commander out near sub sector beta. Send a Hyper com Transmission to the Abolisher and transmit this data packet." Moff Greth sent the data to Travers then closed the channel.

[Captain Tyberius Saye]

Aboard the Victory-class Destroyer Abolisher.

"Sir, we just received a message from Moff Joran Greth. He says to investigate suspicious freighter traffic near sector marker 1866. He said there has been unusual activity near there, and to be wary." Captain Tyberius Saye slowly turned his chair to face the young man who had disturbed his thoughts.

"Tell him we are on our way," he said with a sigh. What a waste of a Victory Mk. II. Even a Carrack could probably handle this job. However, the Moff's instincts had been right before, and Saye wanted to take no chances. It could be freighter traffic, pirates, Rebels, or any number of things.

"Lieutenant, prepare our jump to hyperspace. Set it to sector 1866 and tell all pilots, gunners, and technicians to be on standby. I won't take any chances." Saye smiled and watched as the young man scurried off like a busy mouse, setting up the hyperspace jump. Looking at his digital display, he found the ETA. Only a day away.. Not bad, not bad at all.

He swiveled his chair towards the viewport and watched as the stars lengthened into lines as the Abolisher jumped to hyperspace. Even with the massive ship, Saye couldn't help worrying. Something had to be out there. Freighters didn't just start traveling to a new sector on a whim. Something had to be out there. And whether he like it or not, Saye was heading straight for it.

[Reshmar]

Marc Sat back in his chair watching the swirls and distorted lines of hyperspace. His YT-2000 Freighter Had just been serviced and he had finally saved enough to install a class.5 hyperdrive in the old girl. Running supplies for the rebels had paid well and he felt good for helping them save the galaxy as they had put it in the speech they gave him when they approached him to run food and supplies out to the middle of nowhere. A chirp sounded from the control panel indicating the Mary Lou had one minute untill she dropped out of hyperspace.

Marc sat up and took the controls and waited for the reversion. The ship buckled slightly then the sublight engines kicked in. Why he was required to drop out of hyperspace this far away from the base was a mystery to him. The long six hour sublight trip was agonizing. He engaged the autopilot and went to take a nap.

"Six hours to go. I hope they have a pot of Caf waiting when I get there."

Marc had slept well and now sat once again at the controls of the Mary Lou. He was ten minutes out and ready to get this mission done and over with. He had a hot date to get to He opened a com channel and transmitted using the frequency and codes given him by the alliance guy who set up this run.

"Freighter Mary Lou, you are clreare to land on hanger two. Welcome back Mr. Kinsin."

Mark took the controls and moved the freighter toward the side hanger of the small floating observation station. It was blacked out and hard to see even at two kilometers. Just as he neared the station a tractor beam took over and pulled the Mary Lou into the dark hanger. A small thud was all the indication Marc had that he had touched down. Darkness filled the hanger then a second crack came and Marc could fill the ships sinking into the station. He looked around in the darkness as he did every other time but like all the rest he saw nothing. Above him a large door began to slide shut. He could almost make out the door in the darkness but could not. He knew it was there. maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him.

A loud bang indicated the door had slid shut them like always the darkness exploded with light. He was aboard now and could relax. all the cloak and dagger was over now he just waited for the Alliance to empty his ship and let him go.

[Captain Tyberius Saye]

"Captain, we will be exiting hyperspace in approximately half an hour. Everyone is at there proper stations, but I don't see the need for all this caution, sir. After all, it's just a few freighters, right?" asked a nervous ensign, shifting his feet nervously as Tyberius Saye listened to his report.

"Ensign, if this was just a few freighters, Moff Greth wouldn't have ordered a Victory away from its post. There's obviously something going on out there. Otherwise, the freighters would have contacted the Empire. Whatever is out there, you better hope it isn't big."
What a bunch of incompetent recruits I have here, Saye thought. Looking at the display, he punched the intercom and contacted Lieutenant Filmor.

"Lieutenant, why are our shields down?" he asked angrily. "I thought I told you to have them up before we left for sector 1866. Even a freighter can do damage to an unshielded cruiser. When we exit hyperspace, I want those shields up pronto!" Saye's face turned red as he glared at the display. Even if he was a newly appointed captain, he deserved more than a bunch of new recruits on his ship. Did the Empire want to kill him?

Sighing, he sat down in his chair and waited for the star lines to solidify into dots. Slowly, he ran through the possible scenarios in his head. They ranged from as small as a freighter to as large as a Rebel army. He couldn't shake that quesy feeling that had been in his stomach since the jump to hyperspace. Even with a flawless battle record, he was still nervous as a cornered Nemoidian.
Blast. Why can't I relax. It's probably just I bunch of freighters anyway. At the worst it's smugglers. Oh well, I'll be able to take it anyways.

"Captain, we're approaching the sector now. Less than a minute until arrival. All men are standing by." A voice blared over the intercom.

"Lieutenant, order the pilots to enter their ships and have all gunners ready. As soon as we enter realspace, I want those shields up!"

"Arrival in 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3..2..1..." Saye watched as the starlines solidified and became stars again. His stomach sunk as he saw the Rebel fleet.

"Shields up and bring the port batteries to bear on the scum. Ensign, get me a reading on those ships now! And while your at it, give the Interceptors the signal to launch. Tell them to form a picket line and only engage if necessary." Saye sat back and watched as the prow of the ship rotated to give the port cannons the maximum range. As the prow of the ship slowly turned to the right, Saye waited nervously on the bridge. If he could fire before the Rebels' shields came up, he could destroy the ships.

"Sir, we are in position and the TIE Interceptors have formed a picket line. Shall I give the order to fire?" asked the lieutenant.

"Yes. All port batteries, open fire at the nearest target." Saye watched with a grim smile on his face as the first bolts lanced out towards the distant ships.

[Reshmar]

Marc Kicked back his feet and looked around the table for something to read. Propaganda briefs cluttered the table. A few pamphlets on how to be a better rebel, and an issue of Playpig. Gamorrean Porn, why not. he took the magazine and looked over a few pages before throwing the book across the room in disgust.

"Never again."

He had time to kill so maybe he could pick up a game in the pilots lounge. The cramped hallways were just wide enough to one person to walk down. When he meet someone in the hall both had to turn sideways to pass one another. He was almost to the lounge when the lights flashed and then everything turned red. a moment later a loud klaxon like sounded. then a booming voice replaced the annoying sound.

"Attention All personnel, Imperial forces have exited hyperspace. Please proceed to your predesignated emergency station."

"Predesignated what?!" Marc figured that ment the Mary Lou.

he ran down the cramped corridore and out into the hanger. everyone seemed to be heading for other vessels docked in the hanger. He took that as a good reason to make for his before the hanger opened. He ran past a small group of technicians who looked like they were in shock. he slowed and pointed at his ship.

"Come on lets get while the getting is good!"

He ran up the ramp and jumped into the pilots chair. Frantically he began rushing through the pre-flight and warmed the engines. A marine jumped into the seat next to him and the too wasted no time communicating they knew what was going on and they had little time for chit chat. He heard others yelling and behind him be he had no time to look to see what was going on. A man came in yelled in a loud out of air voice.

"Ramp is up we need to go now."

Marc wasted no time he engaged the repulsors and turned the ship for an exit from the hanger. The large blast door above had already been opened and other ships were making a hasty escape. He waited for a small transport to exit the hanger then engaged the sublight engines. A bright flash blinded him for a second as turbolaser bolts hit the shielding of the small base. As he cleared the outer hanger he saw a large Alliance ship moving to engage the larger Imperial ship. then a flight of X-wing fighters blew by him headed to the fight. He wasted no time he engaged the engines and moved to escape from the opposite direction of the explosions now behind him.

Aboard the Assault Frigate Crist Moor, Captain Mil Kanth stood watching the Destroyer on magnified display. Fighters where now pouring out and taking up
picket positions around the ship.

"Ensign do we have varification on the ship?" Mil already knew the worst was true. He only ask out of proceeduer.

"Yes Captain it is a duece." That was appearant when Ion bolts began hittin gthe shiped of the Crist Moor. He had already ordered his gunnery crews to routine fire but The weapons on the Star Destroyer were far more lethal than anything his ship could bring to bare.

On the tactical display a small group of X-wings now sped towards the destroyer. They would be on the ship in seconds. His two escort corvettes were attempting to shield the civilian vessels escaping on the far side of the base.

"All power to shields,move us in between the base and the vic." The Frigate turned and moved to shield the evacuating ships. Bolt after bolt slammed into her shielding.

twelve X-wings made contact with the imperial fighters. The fight was in full swing and even as good as Captain Kanath knew his men were he feared the worse. This may be his greatest battle. and his last.

[Captain Tyberius Saye]

"Sir, we have a reading on the enemy ships. An Alliance Assault Frigate designated Crist Moor seems to be the command vessel. Aside from that are a couple of CR90s, an X-wing squadron, and some civilian shuttles."

Looking over the tactical display, Saye said, "Enisgn, order all port batteries to fire on the Crist Moor. TIE Squadron's 1 and 2, engage the incoming X-wings and try to keep them away from the heavy guns." Saye curled his upper lip in contempt. Those puny rebels didn't even stand a chance against his Victory.

"Sir, what of the CR90s?" asked the Ensign.

"Leave them for now. Unless they try to make trouble, there aren't worth the firepower. Give me a shield update while your at it." Saye swiveled his chair around to glare at the Ensign before turning to Lieutenant Filmore.

"Lieutenant, order Turbolaser 4 to fire on the frigate's port wing, right where it meets the main body. I want it destroyed."

"Yes sir!" The lieutenant scrambled for his comlink and shouted into it as the TIE squadrons roared by the bridge, engaging the X-Wings. "Sir, we're running on 70% port shielding. There appears to be a slight fluctuation near the tractor beams. Should we try to stabilize it?"

"No, let the Rebels fire on it. Their scanners will pick it up soon enough. When they start firing, I want you to edge more power into it while they concentrate fire. And lieutenant, get me a reading on that frigate's shields."
Saye sat back, watching as the heavy batteries of the Abolisher lapped hungrily at the frigate's shielding. They wouldn't hold out for long.

[Reshmar]

"Captain, Shields at forty percent and dropping." Mil slammed his hand on the command station and cursed under his breathe. The station was near evacuated and his ship could not block for them any longer.

"Turn us into them and give them as small of a target as possible, and have the vettes move along side us." Just then the ship shook from prow to stern.

"Sir The shields are at twenty percent and are allowing hits between charging cycles. They have damaged our port stabilizer."

"Mil's Cursing got louder. He had little in the way of options. His ship would soon be falling apart. With the ship turning into the line of fire the gun crews would have less of a target to fire at but with the damage already sustained he had very little faith in the ship. It was his duty to protect and dye if need be for then people under his protection.

"All power to forward batteries Look for weak points in the shielding and hull, make every shot count." Captain Kanth watched as the bolts from his own ships weapons lashed out in stubborn defiance at the much more powerful ship.

On the wing channel Mil heard voice after voice comfirm kills as the X-wing pilots worked to take the destroyers protection out. Temper Squadron had been well trained and were among the best in his opinion. Out the forward view port he could see the flame out of fighters as a tie fighter or X-wing was destroyed. The battle in the distance seemed to be going better than with the Crist Moor. The X-wings were giving as good as they got and seemed to be doing well seeing as they were out numbered. It was in the end a game of numbers though. The shielding help but in the end the X-wing pilots would have to be better than the Imperials, twice as good.

[Captain Tyberius Saye]

"Sir, the Cist Moor is down to twenty percent shields and has lost the port stabilizer. The two CR90s appear to be trying to cover it, and the frigate is turning towards us to give a smaller target. TIE squadron 1 is down to half its men and TIE 2 still has eight, compared to the X-Wing's eight." As the lieutenant finished his report, Saye prompted him with the obvious follow up.

"What are our damages, Lieutenant?"

"We still have sixty percent port shielding, but turbolaser seventeen has been knocked out by the enemy. That fluctuation has gone down, but we had to use ten percent of the starboard shield power to boost the generator."

"Tilt the ship so we can bring the starboard guns to bear on the Cist Moor while port ions one through five and port turbolasers one through ten focus on the CR90s. The rest of the port guns can fire ranging shots on the space station, and if we are unable to target it, they can fire at the Cist Moor. TIE squadron one can do a Rellis maneuver and TIE 2 can pull up. Turbolasers eleven through twenty can fire on the X-wings."

Saye looked out over the battle, watching as the turbolasers acquired their new targets and felt the ship tilt as it brought more of its deadly guns to bear on the Assault Frigate. He smiled in satisfaction as two more X-wings were blown into dust and shrapnel, but frowned as the ship shook from the combined assault of the three Rebel ships. Glancing at his display, he watched as the shields dropped another three percent, but had to shield his eyes as the Abolsiher fired another salvo, which dissipated on the shields of the enmy ships.

"Sir, turbolasers report being able to hit the enemy space station." Saye's commlink beeped as the Lieutenant reported in.

"Good, very good. Give them the order to fire at will," Saye said, watching as more lances of energy slammed into the Rebel space station, splashing into the shields.

[Reshmar]

Mac Kinsin Maneuvered his freighter out of the orbit of the station and moved away just as turbolaser bolts struck the station just below the hanger. A small transport which was just exiting the hanger crashed into the station as fuel tank exploded ripping a twenty meter gash in the station. Another freighter shot past the Mary Lou as it went to hyperspace. Marc waited a bit longer to avoid any residual effect of the stations gravity then Hit the hyperdrive. Star lines stretched out as the freighter entered hyperspace. Marc sat back and relaxed He looked over at the man sitting in the co-pilot seat for the first time since he had jumped into the seat.

"That was close, what happened back there?"

The Alliance soldier shrugged his shoulders and relaxed himself.

"Some how the Imperials found the base."

The soldier stood and went back to check on the passengers. Marc looked over his controls and planned his next jump. Sullust was a long way to jump and he wanted to do it in as few jumps as possible.

The Crist Moor moved slowly away from the station towards the destroyer. Her shields were falling and a few turbolaser bolts had found her weak points. Mil looked at a display showing ship damage and shield status. a small display in the corner showed a representation of all the vessels and fighters engaged. He watched as tow X-wing fighters exploded almost simultaneously. Then at the readout listing the status of the corvettes. On was hit and venting fuel and atmosphere. the other had little to no damage.

"Lieutenant, tell the corvettes and fighters to bug out. Make for hyperspace at any possible vector and rendezvous at checkpoint Gamma."

He heard an ensign yell out just as he saw it on his display. The shields had failed. now the frigate only had its armor.

"Navigation, get us out of here!"

The station had taken the assault well. A small explosion had damaged one hanger but the other had managed to evacuate all of the vessels docked there. For the five hundred Alliance personnel left it was a matter of time. No way to escape and now that the fleet protection was leaving they were at the mercy of the Imperials.

[Captain Tyberius Saye]

"Sir, enemy shields are down. They appear to be trying to escape for hyperspace." The ensign stood near Saye's postion, nervously bouncing from foot to foot while he awaited instruction. As the Rebel ships tried to escape, Saye thought, where's an Interdictor when you need one? "Enemy CR90 1 is leaking fuel and atmosphere, but CR90 2 is relatively undamaged. We're down to two Interceptors in TIE 1 and four in TIE 2. We still have fifty-two percent port shielding, and ions one and three have been knocked out by enemy fire. Enemy X-wing squadron has only five ships, and are making for hyperspace. "

"You are dismissed, enisgn," Saye said. "Port turbolasers one through ten, focus on the near side of the Assault Frigate. Turbolasers eleven through twenty, focus all fire on the command section. Starboard turbolasers twenty one through thirty, fire on the stem below the ship. Turbolasers thirty one through forty, fire on the damaged CR90. Tractor beams, try to get a lock on the X-wings." Saye sat back and watched as the Abolisher's turbolasers switched to their new targets, firing salvo after salvo at the enemy ships.

Small fires erupted on the Assault Frigate as the turbolasers hit the unshielded ship. The viewport turned green from the mulititude of fire pouring generously from the Abolisher's turbolasers. Saye had to shield his eyes as the transparisteel adjusted to the light.

Reaching over, he sent a message to Moff Greth.

"Your Excellency, I have engaged the Rebels that were hiding in sector 1866. There appears to be a small fleet and a space station, and they are in full retreat. There have been minimal casualties on our side, and we have caused a very considerable amount of damage." As he shut off the message, Saye's back relaxed unconciously, releasing itself from the parade-ground stiffness it had obtained while he delivered the message.

The hammer had fallen on the Rebels, forging with a final ring a strong Imperial presence in this area. It wouldn't be long before the battle was won, not long at all. And Saye was going to enjoy every minute of it.

[Reshmar]

A large Ball of fire enveloped the CR90 Corvette flanking the port side of the Crist Moor. A small explosion in one of the engines had ignited the fuel leaking into space. The second Corvette was not sitting shielded behind the Crist Moor and moving along side preparing to make a dash for hyperspace.

""Sir we have hull breaches on levels three, four, seven ten and twelve."

Captain Kanth knew his ship was past saving now. She would hold together for awhile longer but she was not hyperspace capable now. She would fall apart as soon as she tried to jump. He now faced two options. Abandon ship and hope the imperials would give quarter, or fight to the death and hope to deal some damage to the Imperial destroyer. So many Crew had already died, good men and women. how many more would die was the question weighing on Mil's mind.

"Ensign, send an order for the Turbulence to jump without us. We will cover commander Frye so that he can get away." A discouraged look was on the face of each and every officer on the command deck. The ensign gave the order then turned to inform the captain that the Turbulence had received the order and was moving away to jump. Before he could speak green beams of energy crashed into the bridge burning through flesh and metal indiscriminately.

The ensign at the com station was struck by a turbolaser bolt and evaporated in a spray of liquified bone and flesh. The port side of the bridge disappeared as the heat of the turbolaser fire melted the hull armor imploding the bridge like a can under foot. Captain Kanth grabbed for the rail in front of him as the entire deck exploded from the compression loss. He gasp one last time for air and only found vacuum. His lungs collapsed and his last image was of the bulkhead folding in on him.

The forward most sections of the Crist Moor were now missing or twisted by explosive decompression The engines of the assault frigate continued to drive the ship forward towards the oncoming Imperial destroyer. A trail of shrapnel and bodies in its wake. Men and women trapped in the ships mid and aft sections now began the attempt of abandoning the vessel anyway they could. Escape pods shot off in all directions as the assault frigate began to list from decompressive thrust. The ship now began to slowly spin away from the destroyer and out into space.

Commander Frye watched as the vessel and her crew gave their lives to save him and his crew. The cover the frigate had provided had allowed the hyperdives to charge and a course to be plotted. He had turned the corvette back towards the station and mad for the escape point. He was not out of the woods yet. Turbolaser bolts still lanced out at his ship looking to make a clean sweep of the small fleet. If he was lucky he would have to tell Admiral Holt of what had happened here. If he wasn't then it really didn’t matter what had happened, he would be just another name on the casualty list.

[Captain Tyberius Saye]

Saye's face slowly contorted itself into a smile as the Cist Moor was torn apart by the Abolisher's turbolasers. His eyes were drawn to another part of the battle, where one of the CR90s exploded in a beautiful explosion. Apparently, the fuel had been hit by one of the turbolasers and had ignited the entire corvette, drowning the ship in flame. As the Assault Frigate listed to the side, he saw several escape pods launching from the ship.

"Port turbolasers one through fifteen, fire on the escape pods. All other batteries, I want a full salvo on that remaining CR90."

As Saye ended the message, more of the aptly named Victory's turbolaser batteries unleashed their deadly fire on the escaping ships. At that range, the gunners had little chance of hitting the escaping corvette, but lucky shots still connected. Saye knew there was no point in pursuing the enemy corvette, as it was much faster than his Victory. Still, it would be nice to be able to report to the Moff and to his superiors that he had eliminated all enemy combat ships. Instead, he turned his gaze to the Cist Moor, enjoying every explosion that rocked the ship and its doomed crew. Even as he watched, the entire ship split nearly in two from a catastrophic explosion, sending shrapnel flying at the Abolisher's shields.

Another explosion caught his eye as one of the escape pods was engulfed in a turbolaser blast. He sat back and enjoyed the fireworks as more explosion from the two downed ships lit up the normally dark space around the battle. The hammer fell all right, with all the strength of enraged Wampa.

[Reshmar]

Commander Frye Grabbed the rail for support as turbolaser bolts struck the aft shields. The distance between the destroyer and the corvette was opening, and the Turbulence was just passing the station when a large explosion knocked him to his feet.

The shields had taken the brunt of the station when it exploded but they were now at thirty percent and falling with every turbolaser hit.

"Lieutenant, Jump now!" The navigation officer finalized the jump plot and engaged the motivators. The ship shook as the stars stretched out and the battle behind disappeared.

Commander Frye relaxed and sat on the deck plate where he had been standing. How do you tell so many they have lost their loved ones. He knew the chore would fall to someone more superior than he. For this he was glad. He envied not the person who would be burdened this that. He knew men and women had died aboard his ship, they were his responsibility. He would write the letters and talk with each of their families when he could. For now the remaining men and women under his command were safe. For that he was grateful.

[Moff Joran Greth]

Commander Lane stood outside Moff Greth's office waiting on the debauchery to conclude. He had been watch commander when the message from Captain Saye came in. He knew Moff Greth would want to be notified as soon as possible. That was three hours ago. He had been sitting outside the Moff’s chambers waiting. he grew more and more concerned with what the moff's reaction would be with every minute that went by. he had personally seen the Greth's wraith many times for matters that were no fault of the officer who presented them. with Greth it seemed the messenger was killed more times then not.

The two Storm Troopers standing outside the door turned as the door slide open. Lane watched as a man drug a naked Twi’lek out of the room. The a second and a third female was drug out and placed on a medical sled. A dire pain began to form in his stomach. Why had he been the one on duty? He had been a decorated officer and a loyal servant of the empire. He only hoped that would be enough to sway the Moff's anger. The two Storm troopers turned to look at the commander.

"You may enter."

Lane walked past the two looming white armored figures into Moff Greth's Chamber. The lights were dim and in the distance he could see Greth sitting behind his desk out of uniform. That by itself was cause for alarm. the pain in his stomach nearly cramped him over. He now had little hope of leaving the moff's room alive.

"Commander Lane, I hear Captain Saye has contacted us. What news have you brought me?"

Commander Lane handed Greth the encrypted file then stood at attention awaiting the mans response. Greth read the report then place the Data Pad on his desk. He walked over to where his uniform was hanging and began dressing.

"Commander Lane. I applauded your vigilance and patients. Please send word to the Overlord that I will be wanting to depart within the hours. Oh and please send the Troopers in on your way out."

Commander Lane felt the pit in his stomach release. Had he been lucky enough to have escaped. He had seen many men and women punished for far better news. He had thought word of an Alliance base within the Perinn sector would enrage The Moff. He had seemed calm, maybe too calm. The pain in his stomach returned. He notified the Storm troopers of the Moff's request for them to come into the room. He walked past the Medical lift and the three women laying unconscious there and to the lift.

The two Storm troopers entered Greth's office and stood waiting for him to finish dressing. Once dressed he walked to his desk and sat down. he looked over the data once again.

"Rebel's in my back yard."

The thought intrigued him. Valc VII had been to remote for much attention from the Alliance. In fact it was the only Fortress world which had not been attacked or harassed by the rebels. This had let him operate as he wished without much attention from the emperor or Imperial Command. Now with the rebels finally looking towards his corner of the galaxy he could make his move.

[Captain Tyberius Saye]

“S
"Sir, the enemy corvette has escaped into hyperspace.” Saye’s smile tightened as the distant corvette flickered with pseudomotion as it entered hyperspace. There goes my clean sweep, Saye thought.

If he could figure out where those blasted scum were always escaping to. He had lost eighteen good men to those blasted Rebels, and Vader knew the Empire was stretched thin enough already. He sighed as he heard Lieutenant Filmor come up behind him.

“Damage report, Lieutenant?”

“Turbolasers one and seventeen were knocked out by enemy fire. Ions six and thirteen suffered the same fate. Tractor beams one, three, and six were damaged. We currently have men working on every one of them. Also, a rebel pilot crashed his X-Wing into the ship, and survived with critical injuries. We are currently stabilizing him for interrogation.”

Saye let a smile ease back into his face. Now they could torture the prisoner for information on the rendezvous points. And for those eighteen TIE pilots that had died in the firefight.

“Send out scavenge teams one through five to the enemy station. If they encounter survivors, kill them. Find the main computer and try to access any information on the Rebel rendezvous points.”

“Yes sir!”

Saye watched as the scavenge shuttles took off towards the enemy space station. On board was a squadron of stormtroopers and five technicians. As the drives shrunk into the blackness of space, he turned back to the stern and made his way to the prisoner containment unit.

“Sir, scavenge three has run into a squad of rebels. They have killed four so far. Scavenge four has also made contact with Rebels. Scavenge two has encountered light resistance. Scavenge five and one are at the main computer and pulling a data dump.” Saye’s commlink beeped as the lieutenant reported in. A good man, that lieutenant. He should be promoted someday.

Saye couldn’t help smiling as he thought of the Rebel rendezvous points in Imperial hands.

[Moff Joran Greth]

Moff Greth's quarters aboard the Overlord were modest by his standards. Most other moff’s would not have even called them quarters. He knew other moff's who would use a room like his quarters for a closet. He had more than enough room aboard Overlord, It was just more practical to have that room used for other purposes.

Commander Lane had been ask to accompany Greth. he was more at ease now but he still feared for his life. He had been monitoring the situation in combat information command. The command center deep in the core of the ship was the brain and heart of the Massive Star Battlecruiser. Engineering, weapons control, air wing operations, damage control, even sanitation was managed from the CIC. Only Navigation was conducted on the bridge.

Greth chose to spend his time there when conduction operations. More out of habit and tradition than strategy. He liked to see the battle first hand. The massive viewport on the forward Bridge section gave an impressive view of the ship and space beyond. It had been a long time since he had seen real battle. He had preformed live action fleet engagement before but it hade been isolated on Valc VII for a decade waiting and planning for the day his services were needed.

“Moff Greth, Command Lane has informed me that we will exiting hyperspace at the last transmitted Co-ordinates of the Abolisher in two minutes.”

Greth nodded and continued to star out the viewport at hyperspace. The time went by slowly and with a shutter the Massive four kilometer wedge reverted from hyperspace. The giant Praetor Star Battlecruiser now loomed down on the smaller destroyer.

“Open a channel captain.”

Greth waited for the officer’s affirmation then spoke.

“Captain Saye, How have you fared here today?”

[Captain Tyberius Saye]

Saye jumped as the giant battlecruiser exited hyperspace. He glanced at his display, only settling down after reading the familiar name.

“All batteries, hold your fire. We don’t want to be sending Moff Greth on his way to the unknown just yet.” Saye saw several of the crewmembers slump back as the tension left their bodies.

Suddenly, the hologram lit up as the Moff hailed the smaller Victory.

“Captain Saye, how have you fared here today?”

“Not bad, Your Excellency. I’ve destroyed a Rebel Assault Frigate and a CR90 as well as the space station. My scavenge teams are currently pulling a data dump on the main computer, searching for a Rebel rendezvous point. We also have a prisoner on board, an X-Wing pilot who has sustained massive injuries. He is currently being stabilized for interrogation. We lost eighteen TIE Interceptors, two turbolasers, three ion cannons, and three tractor beams in the attack, but my men are working on them.” Saye saluted the Moff, his back stiffer than durasteel in that old parade-ground reflex. Some habits never changed.

“I’m glad you got my message, Your Excellency. Several freighters escaped, as well as a CR90. They are probably going to report our position to their superiors. I just hope that means they won’t come after us.” Saye stood stiffly, his hands now at his sides. He waited for the Moff’s reply, hoping it was something good.

[Moff Joran Greth]

Greth listened as the young captain gave his report. He has been watching saye for two years now monitoring his missions and gauging him for his eligibility for advancement. He had been a good officer but so had many of Greths officer. Saye seemed to have the right attitude in his opinion, a like minded commander. So many of the new imperial commanders lacked that certain spark the old Imperial officers had.

"Interesting, Has your tactical officer determined where the rebels may be going?

[Captain Tyberius Saye]

“I tried the possible hyperspace vectors, but that’s only in one jump. No Rebels would be that careless. My scavenge team is working on the main computer of the space station. So far, we haven’t found anything. If we can’t find it on the main computer, we have a survivor we can interrogate. He might be able to tell us were the rendezvous point is. If we can’t get any information from him, we might try letting him go and attaching a homing beacon, though we would have to make it look like a lapse in security. With this bunch of incompetents, we might not even have to pretend.”

Saye chuckled to himself at the last statement. Despite spending two years on a Victory Star Destroyer, many of his crew seemed like they were fresh out of the naval academy. He could almost envision his security guards falling asleep on the controls, accidentally letting the Rebels loose, and then not waking up until an authorized TIE Interceptor left the hangar with a Rebel onboard. Meeting the Moff’s steely gaze again, he quickly rearranged his facial expression back into the stiff, formal face of a Victory Star Destroyer captain.

[Moff Joran Greth]

Greth weighed the mans response. The Rebels had been out here watching him. He knew many of the men and women who had defected to the alliance before Endor. They were not stupid, they were highly trained officers. Many of them knew of the buildup of arms at Valc VII. Many sector fleets have had much of their strength diminished by the war, Valc VII had been left untouched by the war to this point.

"Captain Saye. Leave your Salvaging teams here and report to the Shipyards. I will see the Abolisher is repaired and your poeple are seen to here. After you have reported to the dry dock and debriefed with Fleet command please take a day to take care of any business you may Have. Then report to me aboard the Overlord. I will be needing your services on a special Project."

Moff Greth did not await a response He cut the channel than ordered the Overlord to jump for Valc VII.

[Captain Tyberius Saye]

As the image of Moff Greth faded, Saye ordered, “Get this ship out of here and to the shipyards!”

As the Abolisher ponderously turned towards the shipyards, Saye mulled over the Moff’s message. His “day off” would probably involve patrolling the Abolisher and making sure the mechanics did their job well. As the stars stretched out into starlines, he went down to his quarters and shut off his commlink. If there was an emergency, Lieutenant Filmor knew the code for his private line. It would be a day and a half to the shipyards, and Saye needed rest after the battle. He shut the door with a whisper and turned on the shower, the only luxury in his otherwise bare room.

Despite his appointment of Captain, Saye’s quarters only contained a bed, a desk, and a few tactical books that made the bookshelf sag in the middle.

As he enjoyed his shower, Saye thought about the day’s events. It was disturbing that Rebel’s were in sector 1866, a normally quiet refuge for a few years. In fact, after Saye’s graduation from the Anaxes academy and his assignment with Moff Greth, he had never had to fight in Sector 1866. About eight months after his assignment, he was rotated out because he was needed elsewhere. After a year in sector 1495, he had fought in six battles, winning all of them. He had been awarded after his victory about four months in. His then new crew had defeated a Rebel force of a couple Assault Frigates and several X-Wing squadrons. He had single-handedly defeated the Rebel force, losing only a squadron of TIEs. After his victory, he had been awarded with a new home on Valc VII. It was eight months before he had returned.

When he was finished, Saye changed back into his uniform and lay down on the bed, resting his feet on one end. As the Victory cruised through hyperspace, he slowly fell asleep, exhausted from the day’s work.


Valc VII Shipyards, aboard the Abolisher

After Saye’s long trip back, the Abolisher had been admitted into the Valc VII Shipyards. While not Bilbringi, the Valc VII Shipyards were sill clean and efficient. As he expected, Saye wound up patrolling his Victory, making sure the mechanics did their job. After two years commanding the Abolisher, he didn’t like anybody touching it save his crew.

“Sir, the crew is requesting permission to take the day off.” Saye grimaced as Lieutenant Filmor ambushed him. Give them one day of relaxation, and they’re begging to leave. Saye thought about it, then remembered when he was a cadet on Anaxes.

“Permission granted Lieutenant.”

“Thank you, sir. I have a wife and three kids I haven’t seen for months.” Saye smiled a little as the lieutenant practically skipped off, telling everyone the good news. Saye knew that these things were good for morale, but could only be occasional. If the crew got too attached, they valued their life more. He remembered tales of TIE pilots ditching combat to save themselves, then being blasted by their own ship for cowardice. Compassion was the reason Saye wasn’t married. He preferred to say he was married to the serving the Empire, and left it at that.

When his day was up, Saye got in a small Lambda-class shuttle and flew down to Moff Greth’s building, wondering nervously what his next assignment would be.

[Moff Joran Greth]

Moff Greth sat looking over the latest fleet registry when the Door Chimed. He knew it was Captain Saye. The man was nothing if not punctual.

"Let him In Trooper."

The door slid open and a white armored storm trooper stepped in and motioned for Captain Saye to enter. Saye entered and walked to the desk and stood at attention awaiting Greth to acknowledge him. Greth waited for the storm trooper to exit the room and the door to slide shut then he stood and spoke.

"Captain Saye, We have much to discuss."