My Own Empire

[Serena Laran]

Serena Laran stood in the ready room of the ISD Kelvin and stared out the transparisteel 'window.' After the dissolution of the Galactic Empire, she had been gifted with command over Carida, the traditional planet of the Imperial Academy.

The latest group of trained officers and pilots might be the last one Carida ever put out. Where would they go? Her ships were fully staffed, as she had gotten them from the Diktat. He had abandoned them to chase a threat in the Unknown Regions, and so she guarded Carida.

It would be not so much a strategic loss to the New Republic, but a blow to the heart of what the old Empire was. Serena stood, looking out on the planet, seeing her ships scattered about.

Invasion Group Seti included, in addition to the ISD Kelvin, the Interdictor Cruiser Resolute, Abolisher Cruiser Tempest, Quasar Fire Carrier Flurry, and the Star Galleons Drysso and Aetriix.

She would stay with Carida. And she would do her best by the graduates of this year's class. Duty demanded it. And when duty called, Vice Admiral Laran was not one to run in the other direction.

"Admiral?" It was the bridge officer. "We have incoming traffic."

"New Republic?" Laran was already walking through the doors onto the bridge.

"Negative, they appear to be Imperial. Perhaps from the Admiral Desaria's battlegroups. I'm having a little trouble getting the transponders to read."

Serena took her seat, and Captain Johanes stood to her right. She looked at him. "I need the names of those ships. Put the fleet on yellow alert."

He nodded, and barked a few orders to the crew behind her.

[Telan Desaria]

The Victory-class Star Destroyer Prominence departed the void of hyperspace, the magnificent view of Carida before it. Carida had perhaps half of the freightor and civilian traffic Thyferra had or Bespin was growing into; against the blue and green backdrop of the Imperial Academy world, it was a dozens times more splendid.

To be there brought back memories to the commander of the Prominence. Thirty years ago, he had madehis perilous march an stood at attention in front of the Commandant. He had returne for his twentieth class reunion. He would not make his thirtieth, unless he was as professional and urbane as he could be.

The commander had realized the reasoning for sending his Destroyer only after he had arrived. Vice Admirl Laran had to her name only one Imperial-class. The presence of a VSD bowed respect and flashiless grace, while still conveying the power of the Sovereignty for which it fought.

Commodore Errlis van Thoma, recently ennobled Thyerran Archduke of Tindarra, watched with care as the Vice Admiral's ships closed.

" Shields, sir?"

" Keep them down as well as all weapons. We arenot to seem hostile."

" As ordered, Sir."

The Bespin-based Destoryer crept forward, tentatively passing a small privateer. The small, hundred meter ship passed, dwarfed by the massive ship, her guns harnessed. Undoubtedly, all eyes on the smaller craft were on the gunwales of the larger.

" Send the greeting."

A nod acknowledged the order.

Vice Admiral Laran, I am Commodore Errlin van Thoma. I have been sent as official envoy on behalf of Grand Admiral Desaria. It is on his direct authority that I invite you aboard my vessel.

Standard escorts are allowed. You may bring an entire battalion, though I would be remiss in not saying we have no room for them.

As a symbol of my diplomatic and non-combatan intentions, my weapons are down and shields inactive. Do as you will.

[Serena Laran]

As a symbol of my diplomatic and non-combatan intentions, my weapons are down and shields inactive. Do as you will.

Serena stared at the static display of the holographic message for a moment longer.

"Shall we stand down yellow alert, Admiral?" Major Kol, the communications officer, looked up from her console.

"No." Laran rose to her full six-feet of height, and looked out the viewscreen as the privateer veered away from the VSD Prominence and accelerated into hyperspace. The traffic around the planet was a little skittish as well. It wasn't often that another Imperial Star Destroyer was in the area.

"Send a reply, text only. 'Commandant van Thoma, I will join you on the VSD Prominence.

" 'Do not advance on the planet Carida, or my people will take your actions as an affront to the security of the system. We will fire no warning shots. Forgive me, it is not often these days that I recieve visitors.

" 'My shuttle, the Shard will bring me over in one standard time part.

" 'The Empire Lives, Vice Admiral Laran.' "

Serena looked at the major. The woman nodded, "Message sent, sir."

"Very good." She folded her body back into the seat, and waited for a response.

[Telan Desaria]

The Commodore mulled over the transmission.

" Cease all forward momentum, and ready the bay tractors."

" Reply, sir?"

" Send this: We await your arrival."

The message was sent, and the Commodore departed his bridge for the conference room. His executive officer would meet the Vice Admiral in the launch bay, where a battalion of stormtroopers and fleet troopers awaited her entrance.

Younger and my superior. That seems to be more often the case these days...

[Serena Laran]

Serena departed the bridge, handing it over to her second, Captain Johanes. Once esconced in her cabin, she stripped off the grey wool uniform, and carefully dressed in the bright dress whites. She had an hour to kill, and she would spend it reading up on everything in the database on Commodore van Thoma.

Her stormtrooper escort was ready and waiting in the shuttle bay when she arrived, fifty minutes later.

She would carry a small bodyguard, only six troopers, all well trained in hand to hand, as well as expert marksmen. She was the same height as they were...or at least almost the same height. Most men found it intimidating to meet her for the first time, usually unprepared for a woman as tall, or taller than they were.

Serena was not afraid to bend that to her advantage, whatever this meeting's purpose was. Within the hour promised she was inside the shuttle Shard and clearing the main shuttle bay of the ISD Kelvin.

The Prominence loomed in the pilot's viewscreen, as he skillfully guided the Lambda class shuttle towards the Victory class Star Destroyer. Moments later the ship's tractors had caught the ship, and the Shard landed inside the Prominence with scarcely a bump.

Laran got to her feet, checked her hair for strays from the french twist she had it wrapped up in, and smoothed imaginary wrinkles from her uniform. She took a deep breath, and exited the shuttle, flanked by three troopers on each side.

[Telan Desaria]

There were a hundred stormtroopers and an equal number of Fleet troopers flanking them. On the other side of the open human corridor were three companies of Imperial Army soldiers.

Between them marched the Vice Admiral, Serena Laran, and he six man escort. She was indeed a tall woman, as the Commodore had said. The Prominence's commander was easily twelve centimeters shorter than her.

The Commander, however, was at least ten taller than she.

But that did not help his disposition. He could have beena Coruscanti Titan and she woud sill commad more respect than he. For that, the Republic could neve attone.

That was a thought for another time.

Vice Admiral Laran approached, her escort stopping and ceremonially moving their blaster rifles. With her closeness, he saluted rigidly.

She nodded, and he returned to attention.

" Vice Admiral Laran, welcome to the Sovereign Victory-class Star Destroyer Prominence. If you would come with me, please. The Commdore has arranged the conference room personally."

The Vice Admiral nodded, again, and the Commander spun on his heel, leading them to the port side of the vessel.

[Serena Laran]

Laran inhaled the scent of...of nothing. Clean, purified and recycled air. It definetely smelled Imperial enough. With a second nod of her head, her escort split apart, leaving her with only two.

She followed the nameless commander through the ship, the two troopers following. Their hands not far from their weapons, but she knew they would have no need for them here. Although there was always a chance something was amiss.

Something inside the ship shuddered under her feet, and she paused momentarily. It wasn't the hyperdrive powering up. Good. Serena continued to follow the Commander.

[Telan Desaria]

Vice Admiral Laran followed Commander Tinteen to the port conference room, and waited outside as the doors parted.

* * *

Commodore van Thoma was sitting at the head of a rectangular obsidian table. Upon it were arrangements of Terilii Roses from Kuat, the Vice Admiral's favorite. In crystal shielded dishes were Ruurian calamari, prepared in eight ways. Around them were silver dishes holding Type 72 potatoes, rumored to be the best, and mass produced on Ukio.

In a platinum dish at the center of the table was an amber bottle of Ichall, the most expensive white wine in the galaxy.

The favorites of Admiral Laran awiated her.

The Commodore stood, adjusting his dress tunic in a regal manner, and bowed. Gesturing to the seat opposite him on the table, he spoke.

" Welcome to the Prominence, Admiral. Will you join me for dinner?"

[Serena Laran]

Serena nodded politely as the older man rose to his feet. "Commodore van Thoma. I thank you for the invitation, although I must admit to sensing some...ulterior motives for this meeting." The Vice Admiral allowed the trace of a smile to cross her lips.

Laran settled herself into the chair, sitting with her back straight, and watching the Commodore carefully as the meal was served. "It looks lovely, but I was never much for small talk, Commodore. Why Carida? Why now?" She raised her wine flute to her lips, tasting the wine. A very good year indeed.

[Telan Desaria]

The Commodore sat as the Vice Admiral did and let a smile crease his face as Admiral Laran brought herself past the pleasantries of he evening.

" It merely goes to show why you carry a flag and I serve under one. Let us enjoy our meal however, whle the topic a hand is discussed."

" What would that be?" Lara asked, enjoying her wine and eyeing the calamari.

" Admiral, I serve under Grand Admrial Desaria, commander of the Imperial Sovereign Armed Forces. The Sovereignty itself commands Bespin, one a few tibanna producing planets in the known galaxy, and Thyferra, the only pure bacta world in the galaxy. This puts our Sovereignty in an excellent position to gain wealth and indispensibility. And, with bacta prices lower than ever, there are trillions of satisfied customers. We have made more money in that last month than the entire Thyferra Sector a year ago.

" Business if booming and our population has increased over twenty fold in the last seven months. The number of humanoids on Thyferra has skyrocketed,as have the number of all sentients. There are massive cities being built on Bespin, and i ppulation will reach a billion in a matter of months.

" With these obvious growths in size and capital, our defenisve capabilities shrink. We have no more than thirty sizeable warships at our disposal. While we do have a shipyard slated for completion tomorrow, this number will only increase slowly until all the ways are able to commence the Engineering Department's mass production programme.

" You see, with the most recongnized training facilities in the galaxy under the Sovereign banner, the crews for these ships would be better trained in less time than the acadamies completed on Thyferra itself.

" The addition of your Destroyer Squadron to te Sovereinty would increase our chances of withstanding an attack.

" Let me make one thing clear, however. The Sovereignty is not a faction of the Empire. It is a portion of the Empire holed off until the Unification comes. It ships tibanna gas and bacta to every command that still dons the Imperial uniform. Moffs Khendon and Schreiger, Admirals Lebron and Sokolov, Grand Admiral Millard, all receive an intended supply of needed resources. As have you.

" The Grand Admiral has every intention of being there when the Empire becomes one again and the pitiful feuding ends. He has made a pledge never to fire on another Imperial officer. And we will honor that oath until death stares us in the face.

" It is with these factors in mind, hat the Imperial Sovereignty officially extends an umailed and ungloved hand of friendship and alliance to Carida."

[Serena Laran]

Serena chewed thoughtfully, and put down her fork. "I would have to see something in writing. The Grand Admiral is wise, but I am not stupid." She dabbed at her lips with a napkin.

"Let me speak frankly. I have little to offer the Grand Admiral, but I accept the offer of friendship. The Empire, scattered or Unified, is still the Empire. Unless he fails to continue to follow the ideals I live for, I find no reason to refuse this offer.

"However, the offer and request of an alliance until such time as we are unified, I will have to review." She sipped the wine again. "If there is something in writing, I will do so tonight."

[Telan Desaria]

" There is," the Commodore coldly replied, taking a sip of his wine. He depressed a button on his end of the table, and a hole opened up near the main plate of Admiral Laran. From it rose a code cylinder.

" In that cylinder are official requests of the Grand Admiral, his offer in full, the military deployment plans forn your squadron should you accept, reinforcement timetables, and first mission parameters. The Grand Admiral's signature and personal authentication code are there as well. I assure, Admiral, this is genuine.

" The cylinder is coded. The decryption sequence can be found on your personal pad aboard your shuttle.

" The slice of the Empire dubbed the Sovereignty will remain as Imperial as possible. Victory will always come before surrender, and death always before dishonor.

" I wish you to join us, Admiral. My son served as chief gunnery officer aboard your flagship, a while back. He sinced died, but never said an ill word about you. That places you in high regard in my eyes, a view which I have shared with the Grand Admiral, and he holds as well."

Raising his glass, the Commodore stood to toast. " Long live the Empire, Admiral. In all its forms."

[Serena Laran]

Serena stood to her feet and returned the toast. "Long live the Empire." They both sat again, and she placed the code cyclinder inside a pocket of her uniform. "I remember your son. He was an excellent officer. I was saddened to hear of his passing."

She made it a point to know the names of all her officers, and even a few of the enlisted men. It knit her crews together, and increased their loyalty to their commander. Laran smiled wryly suddenly. "High regard in the Grand Admiral's eyes? Interesting."

Being a woman in the Galactic Empire was not exactly the easiest job. The fact that she had risen to Vice Admiral was, in and of itself, extraordinary. She smiled at the Commodore. "Thank you for dinner and your hospitality. The meal is quite delicious."

[Telan Desaria]

" All of the Grand Admiral's flag officers must be in that position, or they would no be in theirs. If you remember, your alst few monts in the Thfyerra Sector Fleet were under the indirect command of then Fleet Admiral Desaria.

" I thank you for remembering my son. Not many officers in our position would. I Look forward to working with you, Admiral. " I'll walk to your shuttle."

The two departed, he meal well eaten. As they moved from the room, the Commodore asked: " When may I tell the Grand Admiral to expect your reply?"

[Serena Laran]

"I will have my reply ready in the morning." Serena saluted to the Commodore as they returned to her escort. He returned the gesture smartly, and she nodded. "Thank you again for dinner. I will be in contact."

Vice Admiral Laran boarded the Shard and returned to the ISD Kelvin. The bridge crew had been replaced by the nightwatch, and she made her way up to check on things.

"Admiral on deck!" The fresh faced Ensign saluted smartly. Serena waved him down.

"At ease." He didn't visibly relax. She perused the viewport, watching the triangluar ship that was the Prominence. "No change in their position?"

"None at all, sir." He hesitated.

"What is it, Ensign Bleakwood?" She turned to look at him. He was slightly taller then she was.

"Nothing sir."

"Very well. Notify me if anything changes."

"Yes sir."

She turned on her heel and retired to her quarters. Stripping off her dress whites, Serena slipped into a cotton bathrobe, and sat at her desk to look over the written proposition. All in all, it seemed that joining with the Sovereignty would only be good for Carida.

And what was good for Carida was good for her. Serena rubbed her eyes, and looked at her chrono. Three am. Standard Caridian time, of course. She'd adjusted to the planet's days and nights, as it served her better to be awake during higher traffice times. Living on Coruscantian time was all well and good, but only when one was actually on Coruscant.

Weary, she typed up a neatly written reply to be given along with her verbal agreement. She would join the Sovereignty, and Carida would recieve more protection than she and her five ships could give it.

Two hours later she pulled on a clean grey uniform and delievered the news to the Prominence via a hololink. Yawning, Serena notifed Captian Johanes that he had the bridge today, and made her way back to her rooms and some much needed rest.

Serena closed her eyes and pulled the covers up, falling asleep with her light on. Having ones own empire was all well and good, but serving alongside others towards a common goal was also a worthy cause.