The Fate of the Galaxy: Coruscant

[IMPLEMENT]

Out of the abyss of hyperspace, an enormous structure emerges, setting upon an inexorable course to the strongest planet in the Galactic Empire, Coruscant. The ship, if it could be so called, was a jumble of various objects that seemed to have been assembled onto themselves in a manner that suggested the design was foolish. Hulls of derelict craft and other bits of space wreckage could be seen, forming a jumbled and shapeless weapon.

This assumption was unwise. The AI goddess IMPLEMENT had forseen the creation of this 12.8 kilometer long fortress. It was known simply as a Reaver...an automated instrument of death that had no other intrinsic capacity. Since her banishment from Coruscant a year ago, she had longed for revenge, plotting to tear all foolish carbon-based life forms from their pitiful control of that which belonged to her. Their feeble powers were wasted warring against each other. Such inefficient creatures...they would even be inadequate for servants. Annihilation was the only due course. While looking haphazard and quite unpleasing to the eye, the ship was tailored with perfection to complete its tasks.

The enormous Reaver suddenly slows its course, coming to a suprising complete stop. For a moment, its communications nodes quickly digest a flurry of incoming messages, from Guild space. Another Reaver is being diverted towards Coruscant as well, as IMPLEMENT notes from transmitted data that the entity known as the Guild has been annexed by the Empire.

The attack would commense nevertheless. For now, the Reaver continued at a slower course, preparing to link up with the second reaver for a battle of titanic proportions against the carbon infestation.

[DESIGNATE P'Taal 386]

Designate 386 cocked its head on one side as it recieved a transmission from IMPLEMENT. New directions. Programs adapted and changed as the P'Taal clone Designate altered course by inputting the new information. The 12.8 km Reaver diverted from its course toward the Guild homeworld, and began cruising towards Coruscant. The new destination. The objective had not changed.

Soon the Reaver neared its sister ship, another Reaver also destined for Coruscant.

--------

Aboard another 12.8 km Reaver, already nearing Coruscant space, another Designate P'Taal clone stood, wires running from its cerebrum into the main computer of the conglomerate of ships and weapons. It blinked its right eye as it maintained a constant uplink to IMPLEMENT. SHODAN was in place. The conquest had begun.

[Captain Joachim Fena]

(Touring a ship before a battle...it had been an ominous tradition of Captains...since seafaring days. It heralded the coming of a battle, that may not be won.

No...it must be won. Of that, there was no question. Yet, in the years of service that Captain Joachim Ilych Fena had given to his Empire, he had yet to see such a singularly threatening force question Imperial sovereignity.

Fena's steely eyes drifted from the mass that hung in his viewport, to the bridge of his ship...the Victory Star Destroyer Parragas II. Respectfully withdrawing from the Admiralty, Fena had returned to active command, resuming his control of the prestigious plantetary assault force, the "Gator Navy". It was a service that he had pioneered, and of all his accomplishments, it was his greatest pride. He looked around at the bridge crew. The Parragas' enlisted crew were all hand-picked by him...cadets and officers that had served commendably under him before, and some of the highest-rated graduates of the Academy. He respected his crew, and they admired their Captain.

Walking down the stairs into the crew pit, Fena monitored the several booths controlling the Parragas' sensor array. He clasped a hand on a young officer's shoulder, as he leaned forward to view a screen.)

Fena: Keep those sensors tagged to broad-band, Ensign.

Ensign Palidras: Sir...I was trying to comb through sector-by-sector.

Fena: Perhaps...but you'll pick up energy spikes on the broad-band. You can log the coordinates and pass them to Hayler. He can perform active scans.

(Palidras smiled, and nodded.)

Ensign Palidras: Yes sir...thank you, sir.

(Fena nodded, patting the man on the back. He moved further down, spotting an olive-skinned man)

Fena: Paulis...is our course set?

Lieutenant Paulis: Sir, we've coordinated with the rest of the flotilla. We can engage until the periphery of the Sesswanna system, then reverse course and come in from the flank.

Fena: Good thinking, Paulis...perhaps keep our bulk cruiser vanguards from forward batteries. Inform Commander Tanneka of the course adjustments, and have Ensign Prather contact Moff Sevon.

(Climbing back out to the command deck, Fena flagged down his ground assault liason, Major Paskin)

Fena: Major

Major Paskin: Captain Fena...our assault troops are armed and ready. I assume...we'll be boarding that thing?

Fena: In due course Major, yes.

(The Major shifted uneasily)

Major Paskin: I'm uh....not exactly specialized in ship boardings.

(Fena half-smiled)

Fena: Neither am I, Major....I suppose this is the Admiralty's way of hinting that we should...diversify.

(Both men laughed nervously, and Fena nodded, understanding the Major's unease.)

Fena: Belu, we're in a dire situation...and we need as many options as possible. Whatever we can do to slow that thing down, we'll do it. Nobody said it would be easy...and I know we're going to lose some good men.

Major Paskin: I hate knowing...

Fena: Sometimes, we have to go on in spite of it.

Major Paskin: Sir, you'll have no concerns over my men. We are ready to go over there, and do what needs to be done.

Fena: As we all are. Thank you, Major.

(Paskin left the bridge to brief his forward assault troops, leaving a somber Fena to stare out of his viewport at the mangled monstrosity heading for Coruscant at a snails pace.)

Fena: ....as we all are.

(He managed to peel his eyes from the viewport, lining up the hems of his uniform to regulation format, and clasping his hands behind his back.)

Fena: Red Alert! Energize deflectors to full, and charge weapons. Prepare to depart to forward combat coordinates upon command. All stations, battle-readiness report.

[DESIGNATE P'Taal 386]

On board Reaver.//.DESIGNATION.Alpha.//.One, the Designate blinked, recieving new information from the sensor array. A Victory class Star Destroyer sat between the two Reavers and the capitol planet. With the flag ship there were thirty smaller starships, ranging in size. Threat.negligable. The P'Taal clone sent commands through the complicated interface, informing the dozens of other clones on board of the duties they would be performing.

Weapons charged nearly instantaneously, having been made ready for this moment. A communications uplink was established with the ship ...designation.//.Parragas1.

The simple code scrolled up on the viewscreens on the flagship. .//.Stand down fleet alert status::/.RED.//. Coruscant is to be cleansed.//.Do not defy IMPLEMENT.//.Your threat is negligable to her.//.Stand down and prepare for cleansing.//.

The second Reaver, designation Alpha.//.Deuce, seemed to drift momentarily, showing the full length of it's haphazard starboard side to the group of opposing ships. P'Taal 386 transmitted the signal to fully charge the ion cannons, and prepare the missiles for launch. The Reaver bristled with weaponry, while at the same time appearing to be vunerable to attack because of its non-conventional construction.

The Designate awaited a response from the carbon based life that infested the VSD.

[Khendon Sevon]

The red light aboard the Erebus Class Command vessel Art of War blinked as a silent alarm to the oncoming fate of the Empire. Khendon gave a slight tilt of the head to helmsman Revereze and gripped the command chair, beginning to grind teeth and formulate counter-measures for any tricks he could conceive IMPLEMENT might have. The massive craft of twenty thousand meters began to move into firing rage of the enemy craft. The entire First Tactical division, a previous Guild fleet, surrounded the massive craft, all weapons systems operation and at full, defensive bank ports opened and weapons tracking. “Fighter Control, launch Erebus Defender squadrons.”

“By your command,” replied Horus at the fighter coordination station.

“Sir, the vessels are appearing on the screens,” said Samson at the sensors station.

“Start to acquire targeting solutions, bring shielding up, prepare A.L.F. matrix generators.”

“Aye, Sir,” said Fire Control officer Mazereckish.

“Comm., open channel to all allied forces in area, use encryption variable x312a651328z”

“Aye, Sir, Comm. opened.”

“Erebus in position, First Tactical in position.”

The glorious black hull of the Erebus was lusterless, but still somehow beautiful. It grabbed the eye, if one could see it, it would not allow one’s stare to wander. The craft’s five massive Enigma class weapons had been charged since the Coruscant sector was put on alert, and were ready for their first combat firing.

In the lower decks, in the hangar area, hundreds of pilots loaded into their fighters, flipping switches, doing system checks, and worrying, would they live to see the next day? Imerix jumped into a TIE Executioner MK2 cockpit and smiled to the crew as he closed the access hatch. Imerix was a skilled pilot with a grand record under his belt, and he was no stranger to the TIE Executioner series, it being his first fighter. Now, as he watched the darkness that lay before him, he found himself in an odd calm, and slightly yearning for battle. If the reports were right, this young man would find himself head to cybernetics with one of the Galactic Empire’s worst opponents, and he might never come back, but then again, intelligence personnel were always paranoid.

[Grand Admiral Thrawn]

Grand Admiral Thrawn stood aboard the Super Star Destroyer Pandemonium with his arms crossed, and a slight smile on his face. He'd received status reports that the ships entering their systems were no bigger then Super Star Destroyers themselves, from Joachim Fena who was in command of the Gator Navy. Although he didn't doubt for a minute they were more advanced then SSDs. He would just have to find out for himself.

"Prepare to have the First Flotilla to make a short microjump on these coordinates." Thrawn commanded Captain Duke Renthal, while reading off a set of numbers. The coordinates were set to take them out of huperspace near the edge of the minefield. Though it was dangerous, the Grand Admiral had done the math to ensure no ships would come out of hyperspace in the middle of the minefield.

The First Flotilla of the Reserve Armada was quite impressive, if nothing out. Stationed on the far side of Coruscant, it never really got much action. That was until the two Reavers emerged from hyperspace threatening to invade Coruscant. Thrawn uncovered all of the information he could on the Implement and learned that the rogue AI was banished from Coruscant five years prior to this attack. Since then, Thrawn imagined she was building her fleet to take over Coruscant.

"Sir all ships are in position." Renthal replied with a confident voice.

"Then you know what to do, Captain." Thrawn replied calmly.

The Captain saluted the blue-skinned Chiss and sent out a communications signal to all ships in the first flotilla. The Grand Admiral sunk back into his comfortable chair, as soon as the Super Star Destroyer entered hyperspace. Before him, the stars thinned out into starlines and eventually created a blue and white haze. Some pondered if hyperspace was another dimension, Thrawn didn't seem to think so.

"When will the conversion into real space occur?" Thrawn inquired.

"In exactly one minute and twenty two seconds, Sir." A tactical officer situated in front of a computer console replied.

Thrawn brought both of his blue hands together at the fingertips. He spun his chair around and gazed straight at Renthal. The man was smart and loyal to the Empire, Thrawn could tell that much. But just like other humans he would soon become consumed with greed like Admiral Zakan had all those years ago. Thrawn would be ready for this event, as he had been ready all those years ago.

"Captain, once we emerge from hyperspace, I want all ships to shield up to maximum. Every Star Destroyer present will launch at least one squadron except for us. We will launch 4 TIE defender squadrons."

"Yes, Grand Admiral, sir!" Renthal nodded.

We will crush the Implement like the slime that it is. Thrawn thought with a slight smile.

[Telan Desaria]

Aboard the Super-class Star Destroyer Achilles, Admiral Telan Desaria sat, the slight hint of edge in his voice, mind, and twitch. He couldn't help but think that hundreds of systems were juxtaposed between himself and a battle that may well turn out to be of titantic proportions.

" Captain Teraant," Desaria said to the pale-skinned officer that had recenlt assumed command of his flagship. " I will be in my ready room. There will be a transmission to Coruscant, top priority. Ne-code it as it goes out."

" As you order, Admiral," said the elder Admiral. The wiry man never ceased to remind Desaria of Pellaeon, whom he once had the pleasure of meeting.

Desaria stood and swiveled his command chair, then strode aft out of the bridge proper. After leaving the control corridor and passing the plot table, he entered his office, a dark room with tall grey lamps which cast an eerie light on the whole of the quarters. At the aft of the office was a window from which one could see the stars, and now the formation of the Fifth Division, Thyferra Sector Fleet.

He sat in a high backed, black leather chair, and activated the holo-recorder. " To Grand Admiral Thrawn, Moff Sevon, and all other Theater Commanders against the Reaver. Should you require reinforcements, I have mobilized Ist Division. I will take my personal armada as an escorting force and be in the Seswenna System within minutes. Good lcuk, and by the Forests of Centaur, Victory. Admiral Telan Desaria."

He sent the message and returned to the bridge...and waited

[Azure Regalia]

The Bounty Hunter woke, the dull throbbing in her head bringing her back to consciousness. She rubbed her temples lightly, and sat up, causing a wave of white to wash into her vision. Too fast. She shut her eyes momentarily and then reopened them. Her vision had cleared and was back to normal.

She stood, wincing slightly at the pain at her side, her left hand shooting automatically to rest on the ribs that had been broken in the fight ('http://www.swforums.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10427') she had been in only a few hours ago. She dressed into a hip-hugging skirt-type pants, and crop top. She wanted to keep the area that was bandaged free from anything. This outfit would allow her movement, but keep her middle free for only the bandages circling around.

She ran a hand through her hair. Ah, it had grown back. But it was only down to her shoulders. It needed more time. Mussing with it a little, she made her way into the cargo area where the cage was anchored. Sanis was still inside, sleeping, his small cuts and bruises bandaged and healing. The hovering MD droid that had tended to her had shut down after it had tended to the Huntress, but it's counterpart was still hovering over Sanis, analyzing some of his blood. She saw with some relief, the droid had had the sense and intelligence to remove Sanis' weapins and place them in the storage locker.

She addressed the droid.

What is his condition?

The droid swiveled in mid-air at the sound of her voice.

HMD 2: The toxin that was within his system has been removed. It appeared to be a type of toxin that does not kill, but makes one perceptable to the voice of the person that injects you. You are forced to obey their commands. His blood is free of the toxin.

The Huntress nodded, and punched a code into the the control panel on the opposite wall, releasing the door to the cage. It slid open.

Move him to my quarters and let him sleep off whatever he needs to. Stay with him. Alert me of any change in his status.

The droid complied, calling out to four hover work droids to lift Sanis. They all headed down the hallway to the Bounty hunters quarters.

Sighing, she walked to the cockpit and sat herself in the pilots seat. Turning to the flight droid.

Anything to report?

FD: Nothing, Huntress. I have been monitoring the progress of the battle. This AI is merciless. It will be some time before it is vanguished.

That's what she'd figured. After battling with that cyborg, a Force-sensitive cyborg no less, she had no doubts this battle would be long.

She leaned back in her chair, easing the muscles near her healing ribs. As she stared out into the murky waters of Coruscant's last remaining ocean, from where her ship was hidden and submerged, she thought back to her battle from just a few hours ago. It had been short for the most part, but the cyborg had been strong, catching her off-guard, and weakening her quite quickly. Her lips curled back into a sneer. She had been unprepared. But no more. If and when she next met the cyborg-bitch, she would know what to expect. She would be ready.