Bastion Sector: Pax Imperium

[Admiral Sokolov]

Sokolov dropped the datapad upon the table, and turned to the large glass window nearest his desk. He stood in the main study of the Imperial Castle, nestled in the peaks of Bastion's largest mountain range. The facility was one hundred and thirty-seven years old, dark grey, with slate colored roofs. The main study was a huge room, with large glass windows on the mountain-side and large paintings of great Imperial commanders adorning the opposite wall.

Ever since Admiral Lebron had left and relocated to Kamaar, Vice Admial Leonidas Sokolov had assumed the reigns of Bastion and Yaga Minor. With the absence of the tyrranical and senile Lebron, crime had resurged into both planets' societies. Sokolov's intense blue eyes narrowed out at the grey clouds and white mountain peaks as he analyzed the words of a former colleague he had just read.

My fellow Imperials,

By now we have all received the news of Lord Viscera's demise. I emplore you to please stick with the Empire. If we stay together we can continue our common goal in destroying the New Republic. But at this moment, I implore you to stay together. Remember where your loyalties are...Do not leave the Empire.

Grand Admiral Taylor Millard
Guild Sector

Out of all the now stranded Imperial Commanders, Grand Admiral Millard was perhaps the most dedicated to the Empire. Sokolov was as well, except he was more commited to the destruction of another cause, rather than the preservation of The Empire. Now that the glue that held the various Admirals together had been removed, Sokolov, along with the other Admirals, could act with impunity and without fear of reprimand from superiors. He had recieved reports of skirmishes already breaking out at Hoth and other areas.

Destruction of his former peers was not on Sokolov's agenda. Consolidation, and elimination of the cause he so hated, came first. To consolidate, one must have a secure foundation. The crime that now ran rampant throughout the two planets had to be secured. Operations had already begun.

Sokolov turned from his thoughts and came back to his large blood-wood desk, imported from Batorine. Activating a new datapad, he began to compile a response to Grand Admiral Millard. His thoughts began to flow like a river, and his fingers obliged.

Grand Admiral Millard,

We are in a time of crisis. One must act upon instinct to save oneself. I must admit I am tempted to remain with our great Empire, but one reason alone remains to defy me. The acts I must undertake to preserve those under my aegis would put the rest of my allies in danger. That is one consequence I can not face.

I regret to inform you of the birth of a new organization, The Imperial Military Federation. I regret it, my friend, because I know you would disapprove of my action, yet it is necessary for the continued survival of the Empire, as false as that may seem. The IMF, led by myself, will provide security and safety for those Imperial citizens caught in the warlordism and crime now running rampant throughout the planets under my supervision. Once I have established a secure foundation, I will move ahead with our great mission; hopefully along with other colleauges.

Mark my words, Grand Admiral... I am, and forever will be, an Imperial.

Vice Admiral Leonidas Sokolov
Bastion Sector

Sokolov sat back and read over it several times before giving it to an aid to be sent. He stood and strode to the window once more, clasping his hands at the small of his back. Of course, the letter was extremely vague in it's attempt to explain Sokolov's reasons. That was how he always wrote, only revealing what the reader needed to know. The rest was in Sokolov's mind, and there it would stay, until the time was right.

His thoughts were interrupted when an aide walked in the large room, snapping his heel down and saluting. The crimson band wrapped on the arm of his uniform marked him as one of the Internal Security Force, IMFs' secret police. They would recieve formal badges later.

"Sir! ISF teams have captured 274 more various criminals this week. Our current jail capacity can not sustain this additional amount."

Sokolov nodded and spoke without hesitation,"Line them up, and decimate them."

[Admiral Sokolov]

The builders of the Imperial fortress on Bastion did not take into account the location of the castle itself, just that it would be in the mountain. They built on the west side of the mountain, thus facing the coast. Storm systems coming in from the ocean had to pass through the mountains to get to the other side, where the wind was taking them. However, it took such a long time and was almost impossible, that the clouds burst open before they had crested the mountain range itself.

This resulted in a rain shadow, with little or no precipitation occuring east of the mountain range. The builders had, however, built the castle to withstand the most devestating storm, one of which was ravaging the castle as a meeting occured, deep within it's cold and grey confines...

"Sir, crime rates have dropped dramatically ever since you spoke and made that decree, and I am happy to announce that we are within standard Imperial rates, so martial law need not be enforced." The man speaking appeared to be nothing more than a weasly bookeeper with stereotypical glasses perched on his beak-like nose. Close cut, neatly plastered brown hair and sharp accusing green eyes made up the rest of what someone would automatically see, besides his formal business suit and suitcase.

"Excellent, Magistrate.. now we scale back from security, and concentrate on more important things.." Before Sokolov could continue, an orderly marched in and crossed the marble floor silently.

The young man, no more than 20, saluted ridiculously and almost shouted,"SAH! 5 UIT Vessels have exited hyperspace, now in orbit. Message to you sah, reads-"

"I'll take it, Leftenant, thank you. Have a convoy readied to ferry the UIT crews back to Omerose. Dismissed."

The man handed the small folded piece of paper to Sokolov, saluted, and goose-stepped out. Sokolov opened it up and read the one-lie message to himself as the weasly man tried to lean over and read,"Good hunting... -Khendon Sevon".

The Vice Admiral allowed himself a small grin and stood up,"Well, Magistrate, excellent work. You are dismissed for now."

The Magistrate nodded formaly and walked out of Sokolov's study chamber. Alone, Sokolov strode to the windows as he often did, staring out at the rain and lightning pounding the mountain. He thought to himself,"hmm.. Guild class.. never actually commanded one. I hope it's worth the price.. Sevon hasn't let me down before. Well...now we begin.."

Sokolov turned about and walked out of the chamber through the massive wooden doors and went to work.


Sometime later, the newly arrived Guild-class Star Destroyer Konig, with a new crew and fighter compliment, along with the four Schlacht frigates, joined the rest of the IMF fleet some distance away from Bastion. Other vessels came from planetside to take their places, with a different agenda.

[Admiral Sokolov]

From space, Bastion appeared a whitish green orb, like some gargantuan jewel carved out of the tunnel of the cosmos in an otherwise black chamber. In it's orbit, new objects were taking form.

A beetle-shaped Svelte-class armoured transport shuttle rose from the surface of the planet, with a flight of black-winged Assault Gunboats running escort. The shuttle cruised froward towards a cluster of freighters, haulers, zero-g workers, and orbital construction scaffolds. The shuttle went into a holding pattern on the rim of the site.

"Impressive work, Surface Marshal. Will your engineers have it done on schedule?"

"Most definetly, sir. The prefabricated parts coming in from planetside are greatly aiding our effort. I predict completion ahead of schedule."

"Indeed? Excellent. You will have paid leave to Yaga Minor after this, Hasek." Sokolov nodded and smiled out the viewport at the forming Golan III. This, along with several other platforms both civilian and military, were steadily and surely forming in orbit above Bastion. "What of the spaceports?"

"The one port we had before you came into power is under reconstruction to upgrade it's facilities.. we have also comissioned several private construction guilds to make two more."

"I see. I trust your budget is under cap?"

"Oh, ah.. yes of course. My financial aids are the most fiscal beings in the entire quadrant, you see. However, we will have to cut back on expenses domestically and increase trade to immediately recover as your plans dictate.."

"Hmm.. I understand. Do not worry, Marshal Hasek.. it is all in hand. Lieutenant, back to base."

"Yes, sir."