The Assault on Hilari

[Park Kraken]

::Stars began to ripple above the world of Hilari, and then they were replaced by ships emerging from hyperspace. First, a Victory Star Destroyer reverted from hyperspace, followed by two Carrack light cruisers, then finally followed by yet another two Carrack light cruisers. The Imperial fleet moved to secure their orbit above the rebellious world. Dropships and starfighters launched from the bays of the Star Destroyer, and descended on the world below. Meanwhile, a pair of Carrack cruisers under the command of Captian Teleran moved to launch a planetery bombardement, as would the other ships as soon as they finished their duties.....::

"Sensors officer, report! Have any of those enemy fighters been spotted?" asked Commander Kraken.

"No Commander, my scopes are clean. The initital assault on the factory city is progressing well. Commander Tchort has deployed his troops, and they are moving to secure the city. He reports that his 20,000 troops, and 40 AT-AT walkers have taken minimal losses, and rebel losses are mounting. It looks like we took them by suprise."

"Well then, let's see if we can add to their losses. Guns, this is Commander Kraken, begin full planetery bombardment on target code-named Beta."

::With a discharge of glowing green energy, the Turbolaser Cannons unleashed their power on the enemy city below. As he watched out the viewport, Kraken stroked his jet-black goatee, and watched as explosions lit up the dusk sky of target complex Beta.::

[Jarek T'chort]

The ground shook slightly, enough for the Hilari sentry to notice there must have been an earth tremor or something.....looking out into the plains he gasped in astonishment as Imperial assualt shuttles plowed down, rapidly spewing white armoured stormtroopers, followed by walkers and suppourt vehicles...
The sentry was stunned, but before he could call into his comm, Jarek Tchort had sliced him in half with a burst of AT AT cannon fire.
The two walker drivers steadily moved the bemehoth into position, laser bolts flashed from the Imperials. Commander Tchort looked out from his viewscope onto the battlefield.
He turned to face the stormtrooper behind him. "We have utter suprise Colonel, looks like the fleet has the defenses tied up. Ready your troops."
The stormtrooper inclined his head and turned into the aft section of the walker. Around Tchorts walker, AT ST walkers stalked like some robotic avian, their head sections turning, surveying the ground ahead.
Hilari was a fairly green world, covered in grassy plains, not ideal for defense. Jarek smiled, 40 AT AT walkers were converging on the Dai Sul industrial production strip, a key target. 20 000 Imperial troops were storming this insolent world. Just like the old Empire Tchort thought. His scouts reported minimal resistance ahead, most of the rebels were engaged around the besieged cities that the remnants of the Imperial garrison still held. Jareks personal walker group of ten AT AT walkers, flanked by speeder bikes, AT AA, AT ST walkers plundered forward.....
"Inform the Admiral we are on target."
"Yes sir." The drivers transmitted the communication, as Tchort looked out of the viewscope he knew this would be....entertaining.

[Park Kraken]

"Sir, communications from Commander Tchort. The ground assault is proceeding as planned."

"Excellent. Dispatch the reserves, and let's start manufacturing the base needed for Captian Teleran's Starfighter base."

::As Kraken watched, more drive glows lit up from under his Star Destroyer, and were sent to the surface below. Soon, 20 XR-71 Tank Droids, and 50 Hover Tanks would join his ground commander's forces. Still no sign of the enemy fighters. Maybe his intelligence was mistaken?::

[Teleran Balades]

Catain Teleran watched from the bridge of the Obliterator as the starlines faded and his cruisers reverted to realspace just behind the Admiral's ships. He turned towards his helmsman.

"Lieutenant Corvik, bring bring us into low orbit above the city of Brendar, order the Crusader to do the same. Launch our three TIE Scouts and send them to gather intel. for Commander Tchort, he doesn't need any surprises."

A handful of "Yes, Sirs." respond from various stations as the Carraks turned away from the main assualt. When the ships reached geosynchrous orbit over the large, industrial city of Brendar, Balades spoke into his com unit."

"We're in position Admiral. Bombardment commencing." He looked to the gunnery officer. "You may fire when ready."

The Captain sat back and smiled as his cruisers started pulsing out salvo after salvo of green energy. Parts of the City below began to burn and crumble.

Things are going very nicley

[Jarek T'chort]

Three of Captain Balades TIE scouts flew over the advancing Imperial taskforce.
"Sir, hostiles at one decimal- oh- five."
Tchort acknowledged the AT AT pilots statement. Griping the viewscope in his hands he surveyed the ground ahead, a large town now was in view, with a hasty defense line drawn up by the rebels. The walkers ripped up the grassy plains before them,the dawn light glinting off the hulls of the walkers.
The squat pre fab buildings of the town were no obstacle.
"Advance, full forward fire power on the prefabs." Ordered Tchort.
Now, the AT AT cannons ripped apart the buildings, laying waste to the entire town in less then a few minutes. The huge walkers pressed forward, its attendant AT ST's now came to the fore. Rebel militia were cut down where they stood, bravely defending every last scrap of ground. The lithe and agile AT ST's stalked after the now fleeing militia, blaster cannons raging with intense energy, cutting the stragglers down.
Aboard the lead AT AT, Commander Tchort grimaced, as an AT ST fell victim to a concentrated concussion grenade attack from a burning building. Directing his pilots, the walker blasted the ruins into scrap.
Finally,the industrial area loomed into view, the huge factories and plants lay ahead of the force, swiveling his viewscope, he could see disant explosions marking the advance of the other groups.
Tchort signalled his pilot once more; "Inform Admiral Kracken we have reached our target, commencing to attack."

[Park Kraken]

"Excellent work, Commander Tchort. I see you have conquered an impressive area of land. Let's get to work building a Garrison base in the area you have conquered. Although the Industrial sector is our primary target, we should set our base apart from the sector, in case of sabotage, or ambushes. I am sending down 10 large packed buildings, plus 4 disassembled Quad Laser Cannons. I trust you know how to set up a base."

:: Kraken turned from the viewport, and rubbed his eyes. He glanced at his chrono, and his eyes widened. It had been nearly three whole days since the assault had been launched. Commander Tchort's troops would be getting very tired. Perhaps it was a good thing that he had decided to go ahead, and set up a barracks.::

[Park Kraken]

OOC: Commander Tchort, an enemy force is moving your way from a hidden military base somewhere nearby. Intel has them at 10 kilometers off your right flank. Force composition is made up of the following:
4 XR-71 Tank Droids
10 AT-ST Walkers
50 Assorted Tanks, Treads, and Hover.
15,000 Infantry
2,000 War Droids

Nearest to the invading force is a force I recently deployed to aid in your ground campaign, consisting of:
10 XR-71 Tank Droids
10 AT-AT Walkers
50 Hovertanks
19,000 Stormtroopers (The relief division)

See to it that this force is eliminated. I will dispatch a Defender squadron to soften up the force for you.

[Jarek T'chort]

It was an impressive sight, very impressive even to Jarek Tchort.
Hundreds of Imperial personnel were dotted around the industrial complex. The complex was largely intact, the first battalions of stormtroopers wiped out what resistance there was.
Jarek stood on a repulsorlift command platform with four officers. His AT AT loomed overhead. An officer spoke up
"Sir, transmission from Admiral Kraken."
Tchort nodded.

"Excellent work, Commander Tchort. I see you have conquered an impressive area of land. Let's get to work building a Garrison base in the area you have conquered. Although the Industrial sector is our primary target, we should set our base apart from the sector, in case of sabotage, or ambushes. I am sending down 10 large packed buildings, plus 4 disassembled Quad Laser Cannons. I trust you know how to set up a base."

"Understood Admiral, Tchort out." He motioned his aide. "Colonel Leset, make preperations for garrison drop."
Tchort looked over his men, they were tired, as was he. There could be no pause now however, the battle was joined.
Suddenly there it was, the pre fab garrison, lowering onto the ground, as suppourt craft circled and techs began the immediate work to secure the structure. The foundations were sunk in, it was in place in an hour. Jarek looked around him, the Imperial presence here was affirmed.
Breathlessly, Colonel Leset ran up to him. "Sir, intell reports a large mechanised force heading toward us."
"Secure defensive postions, use the garrison to shield our units, bring the walkers up into formation."
"Yes Commander."
Jarek chewed at his cheek, this may be the first test on Hilari.

[Teleran Balades]

The last three day had been almost non-stop fighting. It must have been much harder for the ground forces though. Captain Balades's carracks had bombarded several cities and military bases. Teleran keyed in the comm frequency for the Tyrrany.

"Admiral when will my fighter platform be ready?"

Suddenly one of his officers spoke up.

"Captain, Beta three reports that there is a large military force heading towards Commander Tchort's garrison."

The captain quickly got to work.

"Send sensory data from the scout to the Admiral and Commander, let them know what they're up against."

Speaking back into the comm.

"Commander Tchort, do you need air support?"

(ooc: I won't be able to post the third through the sixth, I'll be on vacation. Admiral Kracken can NPC me, or you can fiqure out something creative.)

[Park Kraken]

"Okay Teleran, two Fighter platforms have been sunk into the ground. I've transferred 18 TIE Defenders, and 6 Recon TIEs onto those platforms. Later, I will replace those with more suitable ships for a planetery assault, but for now, those are the ships you will start with as a fighter corps commander. In the meantime, I have manufactured some more help, but this kind is different. Refer to the R&D for stats on these. These are SASs.

[Jarek T'chort]

Colonel General Tchort was once again in the armoured confines of the Imperial AT AT. One of the white armoured AT AT pilots spoke up. "Sir, defense positions set up."
"Very good, are the Quad cannons assembled?"
"Yes sir."
"Excellent, have group 1 swing out across to the bluff."
"Sir."
The five AT AT, 12 AT ST and three AT AA walkers and set off to a mid distance bluff, it would be a useful defensive postion, unlike the flat plain they had just crossed. They would swing around to meet any pincer movement the enemy tried.
The Imperial forces were drawn up in the direction of the advancing enemy, Jarek looked out from his viewscope, scanning for....there they were 4 XR-71 Tank Droids, surrounded by massed infantry.
"Are our Infantry ready?"
"Yes sir, our troops are in position."
The two forces were drawn up for battle, the Hilari rebels had various captured millitary vehicles, and modified civilian craft, but cheifly of concern to Tchort were the Tank droids.
The first probing lances of cannon fire spewed toward the Imperial lines.
"Fire on my mark......" Jarek waited for the tank droids to come into his pilots targeting scope;"...Fire." The AT AT's blasted away at the rebel forces, as the enemy got closer the AT ST walkers and stormtroopers opened fire from their positions, raking the Hilari with lethal accuracy.
The battle had well and truly begun.

[Teleran Balades]

"Captain, Colonel General Tchort's army has engaged the Hilarian army."

Captain Teleran was in the command center of one of the 2 sunken fighter platforms. After giving control of the Obliterator and Crusader back to Admiral Kracken he had taken an assault shuttle to the planets surface. The captain was now in charge of the air support for the invasion. At the moment though he only had 18 TIE Defenders to use, but the Admiral had promised that adequate ships would arrive shortly.

"Very good, get the Defenders in the air and over there ASAP."

The Starfighters' engines roared to life as they took off from their landing racks. Though less than areodynamic in the atmosphere the defenders made up for it in the speed and weaponry. The ships let loose a volley of concussion missles at the enemy lines as they screamed overhead. Several of the rebel tanks were incenerated as the missles struck. A few return shots met the defenders; most missed, the rest sparked of the fighters' shields. The Starfighters looped back around and began their strafing runs.

[Park Kraken]

"Commander Kraken, our troops have engaged the enemy force." the communications officer reported.

::Kraken stroked his goatee thoughtfully, thinking of someway he could help. Then a thought occured to him, and he smiled, with his three golden molars shining brightly.::

"Guns, prepare your weapons, I want a 1 kilometer kill-zone burned out behind the enemy. Major Sadan, I am leaving you in charge of the fleet until I return. Order the Obliterator, and Crusader over to off our portside. When enemy troops exit the secret base, I want them to destroy it. Now, I will go to the launch bay. There are 8 freshly built AT-ATs in pods there. I want them dropped into the fresh kill-zone, and I will command them."

[Jarek T'chort]

Blaster bolts flew into the assembled infantry forces, cannon fire ripped over their heads from the walkers and tanks.
Tchort's viewport flashed as an enemy tank droid opened up on his walker. The AT AT stopped momentarily, its cannons blasted at the tank droid. The droid halted and shattered under the intense firepower from the walker.
The ground troops were heavily engaged with the Hilarian troops in an intense mele, burning wreckage was scattered across the swarming forces as a hover tank was blown sky high.
The Hilarian war droids pressed forward, firing intently into the stormtroopers, cutting them down. AT ST walkers covering the infantry despatched the droids in a flurry of concussion grenades. The stormtroopers and army troops now moved as if one forward, blaster rifles blazing.
The rebel forces fell back slowly under the Imperial firepower.
Commander Tchort flicked on the comlink.
"The rebels are falling back Admiral, you begin your landing."
The AT AT's now formed up, as the Hilarian forces fell back toward a narrow valley.
"Group 1 swing around and cover the valley."
The first group laid down a withering fire on the Hilarians. The enemy infantry broke and ran, the droids continued firing as the millitia began a wild escape toward the relative safety of the valley beyond.
1st group however, had swung around and blasted the fleeing militia. The few droids and tanks left were being mopped up by the Imperials now, but a large bulk of the force had gotten into the canyon and toward the kill zone.
Jarek hoped Admiral Kraken would get there in time.

[Park Kraken]

::With a sudden lurch, Commander Kraken knew that the shell had hit the planet. Wth a groan that sounded like his joints, the shell split, and cracked open. With clanking sounds of machinery, his walker awoke from it's slumber, and walked forwards. As they emerged from the shell, Commander Kraken watched as his 7 other walkers also emerged, and together they waited. It wasn't long before they saw movement, and suddenly the rebels were on them, in full fledged retreat. Commander Kraken smiled. Going somewhere? Maybe to the rich hell you SOBs deserve!. With red flashes, the AT-ATs unloaded their cannons on the enemy formations. Tanks exploded, their cannons melting, and their treads, and repulsor units exploding, flipping the tanks over and around. Cannon bursts went into the infantry formation, causing some infantry to simply explode, leaving burnt bone shrapnel and a bloody mist behind. Within 5 minutes of this suprise ambush, the Rebels were retreating back torwards Commander Tchort's force, with all of their vehicles destroyed, and only 700 of their infantry left. Suddenly, a huge fireball lit up the sky behind Kraken. Turning the walker, he saw where his cruisers had obliterated the hidden enemy base.::

[Park Kraken]

OOC: Here are the casualties so far in our war:
Enemy Killed: 80,000
Friendly Killed: 4,500
Right now, the total number of troops we have on the ground stands at 34,500. The number of vehicles we have stands at 20 AT-AT, 40 AT-ST, 20 XR-71 Tank Droids, 50 Hovertanks. I will manufacture 100 more vehicles after I produce stats for them.

[Jarek T'chort]

The open green plain was now a smouldering scrap heap, littered with wreakage and bodies. It was a desolation never visited on Hilari in memory. The sky was a sickly blue/gray color, fumes and smoke had caused the sun to be obscured. Parts of droids were mixed up with human remains and parts of hover tanks in a ghastly scenario.
Tchort watched as medical droids and personnel combed over the piles of bodies, searching for survivors. The battle had been an amazing victory, the rebel force had been wiped out.
Rows of prisoners were being led to shuttles for transport to secure locations, and a few ranking officers would be sent to the fleet for interrogation.

Admiral Krakens reinforcements now formed up the main defense line, as Tchorts troops rested. A figure strode up beside General Tchort.
"Sir, our forward scouts have sighted the enemy lines around Gaur Sha, where loyal forces are trapped."
"Very good, we will move at 07:00 hours against them,Colonel."
Jarek watched as the shuttles wings unfolded elegantly, and their drives roared into life, carrying the rebels to the fleet.
"Colonel, you are in charge of the main force. I am going forward with the probe attacks."
"Yes sir, will you be wanting your walker?"
"Yes, have Major Vrys bring his group as escort."
Colonel Leset was an able soldier, only young,around twenty five but very competent and hard working, Tchort trusted him and considered him one of his few friends. He was one of the few people he had any sort of friendship with. Leset was a nephew of Tchorts late wife, whom he had married after leaving Moff Suls remnant.
Tchort now had a plan, the capture of Gaur Sha was integral to the war, but it would take a lot of effort and firepower to disodge the rebels.
He would wait for Admiral Krakens advice.

[Park Kraken]

"Commander Tchort, I am going to return to the fleet now. For the assault on Gaur Sha, we will deploy fast moving hovertanks, artillery platforms, and Armoured Personnel Carriers to all sides of the city, then attack on all fronts. I will summon two squadrons of Scimitar Assault bombers to assist us, and I will send down two squadrons of TIE Defenders as well."

::Getting done with that, Commander Kraken turns to his cheif engineer, and orders another batch of hovertanks to be produced::

[Jarek T'chort]

Following the Admirals orders, Tchort now advanced into the Hilarian forest, high k'loom trees swayed in the breeze.
Forest animals scurried about, suddenly pausing, then breaking and running or flying away.
Seconds later six AT ST Imperial scout transports broke through the trees, followed by a single command transport and flanked by several scout trooper speeder bikes.
On board the armoured transport, Tchort glanced over the tactical displys, Major Vrys' assault group was now pressing on the outskirts of Gaur Sha. Meanwhile, the screech of TIE engines sounded overhead. TIE Interceptors escorting the low slung TIE scimictar bombers swooped toward the city. Tchort gazed out of his viewport, distant smoke rose in the distance. Good. The Hilarian rebels were finally experiencing the results of revolt.
The command transport pulled up on an bluff overlooking the city. From here Tchort would lead his troops into the city. Palls of smoke and bursts of flame sprouted from the city, its spires and towers crumbling in on themselves under the bombing. The defenders had little AA weaponry, a few AA missiles streaked upwards at time to time, but mostly the bombers were not bothered as they administered the Tarkin Doctrine upon the Hilari.
Now to his left, Jarek watched as his hand picked squad of troops assembled in the glade behind him. 15 hovertanks were waiting as well. This small force of around fifty stormtroopers and seventy army troopers, suppourted by the hovertanks, would attack the main Hilarian command complex, which an interrogation droid had pulled the location of from a rather reluctant prisoner....

[Park Kraken]

"We have spotted the main defensive line, Commander."

"Show me, Ensign."

"It is a line 1 kilometer out from the main district. Telementry indicates that they have dug in deep trenches, with about 1500 defenders strung out along the trench. In about 30 minutes, the number of defenders will have increased to 30,000. As far as armour, and artillery goes, they have a modified Turbolaser Cannon that is able to travese far enough downward to target our troops, and about 15-30 Hovertanks have been detected."

"Very well, send all of this down to Commander Tchort. We will delay our assault for 35 minutes. 30 minutes to give the rebels time to regroup, then 5 minutes for us to go in and level them with the assault bombers. As for right now, order the bombers to target that turbolaser."

"Yes, sir!"

[Park Kraken]

::As the planetery bombardement was coming to an end, Commander Kraken activated his comlink::

"Commander Tchort, you may begin your assault. The right flank was badly hurt, that should be the main focus of your assault. Capture the Ammunitions Depot, and the Armoury. The latter contains 6 of their TIE Defenders."

[Jarek T'chort]

"Understood Admiral, we will begin our attack." Tchort flipped off the comlink and turned to Colonel Leset's hologram inside the command vehicle.
"Colonel, attack following Admiral Krakens orders, my force will press the attack home, keep them occupied as long as possible, I want maximum suprise, plus the Admiral has leveled their heavy defensive positions."
"Yes sir, Leset out." The holo flashed and fell silent. Jarek rubbed his temples slowly, it had been four days since he had last sleep properly, of course lack of sleep was not a major problem to an Imperial soldier, but nonetheless Tchort felt tired. He stood and straightened his uniform, then turned and stepped out of the command vehicle. An aide rushed to his side.
"Sir we are ready for orders."
"Very well, we're moving now." Tchort ordered.

The force moved with speed through the light forest, crossing into yet more open plain. Ahead, narrow defense trenches and defense turrets opened up on the lead walkers, even as they did so the turrets were blown away by the hovertanks. The defense noted Jarek, was light, most of the defenders were on the other side of the city fighting Colonel Leset's forces. The strike force now pushed hard into the smaller outlying buildings of Gaur Sha, AT ST walkers ripping apart scattered enemy infantry. Stormtroopers swept along the narrow streets, picking their way over hastily constructed blockades...and the odd rebel body.

[Park Kraken]

"Sir, an ambush has been detected, multi-pule new contacts are swarming out of buildings and from hidden bunkers."

"Comm, get me Commander Tchort. Tchort, the Rebels are launching an ambush on your forward recon units. Two AT-STs are already down. My sensors chief has detected over 5,000 new contacts. Deal with them. Scimitar Assault bombers are waiting for your order to assist you."

::Sitting back into his chair, Commander Kraken wiped his head with his tunic. Although he was young, he was on the plump side, and he always gets nervous when things happen very suddenly::

[Jarek T'chort]

"Incoming fire sir, the rebels are all over us req....." The holo fizzed out, replaced by static, Captain Gurts stoic form was gone, as was he. The rebels had counter attacked, blunting the Imperial probes into the city.
Admiral Krakens warning had come just in time, for Tchort to order defensive postions.
In the streets, the Imperials were engaged in bitter street fighting. The rebels were using every available bit of cover to attack the troopers. Clouds of dust and debris were rising from the demolished houses now as the Imperial Scimictar bombers were pounding the rebel defenses on his orders.
Tchorts command transport suddenly lurched over and filled with sparks as a Hilarian missile struck the port side of the vehicle. Jarek was thrown against the bulkhead, his driver was a bloody mess. Tchort hauled himself from the wreckage and into the mele of the street fighting. Pulling his blaster out he shot a rebel armed with a slugthrower square in the eyes.
Seeing Tchort crawl from his speeder, several troopers rushed over.
"Corporal, we are bogged down here, we must smash them."
"Yes sir, the scimictars are not effective," the army corporal stated, "the rubble is creating more cover for the enemy."
"I know, very well we will do it the hard way, engage and destroy." Tchort nursed his bleeding bald head with his hand, and then. followed by his men, charged the few rebels ahead. It caught them by suprise, and in a few short, bloody moments their corpses littered the ground. Yet the Imperials had taken many casualties, and lost several walkers and hovertanks. Gathering his troops arouynd him, Jarek pushed onwards into the city, at a swift pace, dodging the posses of rebels rushing in the direction of Colonel Lesets force to the East.
Finaly emerging into a large open square, the troopers rushed the rebel sentries and forced open the door of the command bunker. Inside, four elderly men were sitting around a holopad and viewscreen watching intently at the images of Lesets walkers.
Tchort shoved his blaster into the first old mans face, and watched with utter pleasure as the man cowered in fear.
"I am Colonel General Jarek Tchort, I will accept your surrender now, if you please."
The old men and their aides looked at each other uncertainly, looking fearfully at the assembled stormtroopers. Sqeezing the firing stud, the old mans arm was turned into pulp as Jarek wounded him. "Now I will have your answer, or must you insist on dying?"
The rebels fearfully nodded and finaly one spoke up. "Y-yes general, you have our surrender...."
Jarek smiled, and watched as Colonel Lesets walkers finaly crushed the rebel defenses.

[Park Kraken]

"It's official? Gaur Sha has fallen to our forces?" Inquired Commander Kraken.

"Yes Sir, last transmission from Commander Tchort stated that the Command Bunker had fallen." Replied Ensign Gatter.

"Excellent. Order Commander Tchort to retire, and get some much needed rest. I will take over ground operations for a short while. Prepare a shuttle, make that several. I will lead the reserves into battle for the next target city, Toloo Sho."

"Yes, Commander, shuttles have been prepped."

::As he watched from the shuttle, Commander Kraken sighted several blips rising from the atmosphere. In mere seconds, the shapes had resolved themselves into TIE Defenders. The Defenders roared past the shuttles, lasers blazing away. One assault shuttle burst into flames, and spiraled off course. But, fortunatly for Kraken, his fleet was well trained, and was not caught completley off guard, for as the six TIE Defenders came around, one of them disappeared in a cascade of green energy. The other five broke, then fled back into the atmosphere. Then, suddenly, a huge shadow loomed over his shuttle, something moving very fast. It was the Crusader, here to help the Commander reach the ground safely. As he watched, another TIE disentegrated under the Heavy Turbolasers, and yet another was disabled by it's Ion Cannons. Soon afterwards, Commander Kraken had reached the ground safely, and proceeded to build the army necessary for the assault on Toloo Sho.::

[Jarek T'chort]

Jarek sat in the medical center of the Imperial garrison, waiting for the med droid to finish patching up his forehead. The metallic hands were removed and the squat droid rolled over to treat more wounded men.
Jarek nursed his head, he had taken a nasty blow to it, causing mild concussion, but now he felt fine. Running his hand over his smooth scap Tchort rose from the bunk and walked out of the med center.

Major Vyrs was standing haunched over a console when Jarek entered the operations room. Vyrs turned and nodded to Jarek.
"Sir, there is stil limited resistance in the suburbs of Gaur Sha sporadic fire," stated the middle aged major, "but our troops are dealing with it. Aside from that the city is secure."
"Excellent, I was informed Admiral Kraken will be launching his assault on Toloo Sho. I should keep an eye out Major, the Admiral is fond of launching suprises against his enemies."
"Yes sir. Unfortunately it seems that a communication was despatched from the Hilari central command, prior to the fleets jamming. It may have called for the assistance of the NR or a pirate fleet."
"Have you informed the Admiral?"
"Sir."
Jarek narrowed his eyes, it was unlikely, but just incase anyone did try to help out the Hilari it would place a new time frame on the operation.
The general turned and walked down to the vehicle bays, there was still work to do here, a lot more.

[Teleran Balades]

Captain Balades was in the command center of one of his two fighter platforms. He was pleased with the resources the Admiral had granted him. At his disposale there were 72 Scimitar bombers, 18 TIE Defenders, and one modified Scimitar modified to hold the Sovereignty's newest planetary bombardment weapon. During the invasion of Gaur Sha his forces had taken no casualties and only a handful of bombers were damaged. During the pause while the Kracken built up his forces, Teleran was determined to keep his pilots in peak preformance. The Simulators were packed for a large portion of the day, the bobmer pilots repeatedly practiced for the attack on Toloo Slo.

One of the controlers at the comm station flagged Teleran down.
"Sir, General Tchort has found out that a message went out from Hilari Command during the assault on Gaur Sha. He says that Rebel or Pirate forces could have been alerted."

"Thank you, Corpral. Keep the bombers in prime condition we don't want to be caught off gaurd. Get any spy satalites we have near key hyperspace exit points incase we have company."

[Park Kraken]

"Begin the bombardement" Ordered Commander Kraken. Then he watched from the viewport of his AT-AT as streams of turbolaser fire from orbit crushed the rebel garrison inside the city. As he watched, scores of Rebels emerged from their hidden bunker, and raced to the outer limits of the city, preparing for a likely Imperial assault. Kraken had to smile at this.Fools, all they are doing is running to their doom. I have planned this operation out and how you would react to it. All you have to do is do what you do best, and I will promise you all a quick death. "Okay, that is enough Tormentor. Colonel Bremen, give the order to the Artillery to open fire." "Aye sir, XR-71s are commencing firing.". Kraken watched as the Pulse Cannons on the Tank droids swiveled, and opened fire. Kraken watched as for thirty minutes human and alien bodies were vaporized, and tanks of various kinds, and even a few walkers were obliterated by the pulse cannons of the Tank Droids. After the thirty minutes were up, Kraken gave the order. "Commence Ground Assault."

[Jarek T'chort]

Jarek watched on the viewscreen of his command vehicle as Krakens droids obliterterated the rebels. It was an awe inspiring sight, a potent example of the full force the Imperial Sovereignty could unleash. Even now, holovids were being recorded of the battle. They would be circulated on the worlds of the Sovereignty, showing the might of the Grand Admiral Desaria's forces.
Now Tchort was headed for the field HQ, there was now planning to be done for the assault on Hilari's third city, Des Kul. Fighting would be difficult, imagined Tchort, but the Imperial forces trapped inside the city had held out for long enough, they were to weak now to put up much more resistance. The relief force had to reach them soon.
Captain Balades TIE's swooped overhead toward the enflamed city as Tchorts AT AT walkers hove into view.
A matter of time thought Jarek, a matter of time.

[Park Kraken]

::Kraken reached for his comlink, and clicked twice for the signal for Teleran to launch the special assault bomber with it's payload bound for the fourth city, Dreg'Nara. As far as he could tell, most of the Rebel commanders were stationed in that city. Soon, their atoms would litter the crater that used to be the city::

[Teleran Balades]

"Captain, priortiy 1 message form Admrial Kraken for you, it's encrypted."

Teleran uploaded the message to his datapad and punch in the decryption codes. The message was audio only, it was only a double click from a commlink. The captain, knew perfectly well what it meant though.

"Tell the maintnence crews to get the Scimitar Mod. fuelded and loaded. I'll fly this one myself."

"Yes,Sir."

The Captain turned on his heels and made his way to the hangar bay. Several workers were just finishing up the preparations for the modified bomber. Teleran climbed up the ladder to the landing rack were the bomber was and sat down in the cockpit.
After a quick preflight check he piloted the craft out of the, hangar, and flew at top speed toward the unexpecting rebel city. After half-an-hour the city limits crept into view. The captain had to dodge AA weapons discharging bolts at the lone Scimitar, as he ade his way toward the center of the city. When the ship nearly reached the center of Dreg'Nara he armed the weapon and droped it over the unsuspecting toops. He gunned his engines past the redlines to get out of range of the the holocaust.

[Park Kraken]

::The single bomb impacted on the Rebel command bunker. Suddenly, a bright flash enveloped the city. The glow expanded rapidly outwards, consuming the whole city in five seconds. A few minutes later, as the glow faded into a blazing inferno, there was nothing left of the city except for a vast crater, and tons of scorched duracrete.::

[Jarek T'chort]

Even from miles away on the outskirts of Des Kul, the massive explosion shook the ground, and an enourmous flash lit the sky, destroying the fragile evening light.
Tchort was impressed, it would be used as propaganda by the rebels but it was of no matter, the Soverignty woud not tolerate dissention.
Even senior officers and hardened soldiers gasped at the sight.
But Jareks mind was elsewhere now, intently focused on Des Kul.
"Com, get me a channel to the Hilari command."
"Yes sir, it may take a while,"reported the com officer "we have to break through."
"Very well."
After a few minutes an anixous, hagard face appeared. His face turned into utter suprise.
"W-what?" The young commander stuttered.
"I am Colonel General Tchort of the Imperial Soveriegnty. You will surrender now or face the same fate as Dreg'Nara. It is your choice." Jarek was bluffing, yet the young, scared rebel did not know that.
The mans face turned several shades of green, his face ruptured into a fierce sweat. It was working.
Fliping the channel, he signaled Captain Balades. "Captain, I would like you to do an overfly above Des Kul, I have a trick in mind."

[Teleran Balades]

A grin slowly krept over his face.

"No problem at all, general."

He angled the bomber away from the city he descimated. The ships fuel levels were getting low, but he should have enough for a flyby. He brought the bomber over the center of the second city. The captain didn't have another bomb, but he set his comm to an open frequency.

"Ready to drop the my second payload at your orders, general."

That should get the rebels' attention.

[Jarek T'chort]

On the viewscreen above Jarek, the young rebels face grew increasingly frantic.....
"I trust you know what that bomber above you is carrying. What is your name?" Inquired Jarek.
"I- I am Commander Hustel of the Hilari army.....and yes I know what that is........" The man gulped visibly.
"Commander Hustel, your superiors are dead, they are no more. The world is practicaly under Imperial control, our fighters patrol the skies and my ground forces have your city surrounded." Tchort paused, allowing his words to sink in.
The rebel was scared now, his visible effort to control his fear were fruitless.
"Commander I grow impatient. Surrender now or you die, what could be any more simpler to understand?"
Tchorts deep, husky voice was laced with menace.
"Very well, I must have a conference with my commanders....I will contact you when we are decided." The young mans brown hair slipped over his eye for a second, making Jarek realise how young the rebel was. But his defiance was not pleasing to Tchort.
"Commander you are in no position to make threats against me."
Hustel had mastered his outward fear at last and that defiant statement was proof of it.
Flicking off the comm, he turned to Colonel Leset. "Colonel prepare to move on the city with no.3 attack group on my mark."
"Captain Balades, keep up the flyover as long as possible, meanwhile signal your fighters to strafe the refugees coming out of the city."
Jarek now looked at an aide. "Is there no sign of outward interference after that transmission?"
"Uh...no sir, none at all"
"Good. Relay that information on an open channel to Colonel Lesets walker group, that should give the rebels something to think about."

[Teleran Balades]

"Sorry general, my fuels low i have to get back to base. My fighters will make their strafing runs. I guess they called the bluff."

Teleran doubled his bomber back toward the platform. The other fighters started lifting of. By the time he got back to the base his ship was running on fumes. The maintenece crews got to work on it as he steped off the ladder and headed toward the command center.

"Alright people we got lot of work to do. The rebels called Tchort's bluff, he's assaulting the city now. All fighters and bombers are to strafe rebels entering and exiting the city."

The captain rubbed his eyes. It had been a long day, and be the looks of it wern't ending anytime soon.

[Jarek T'chort]

"Do not worry Teleran, I still have another ploy..."
Tchort turned the com back on, there was no image this time, but the Hilari commander could hear him.
"Commander Hustel, have you decided yet?"Inquired Jarek.
There was a pause...then Hustel spoke quietly.
"General, why did you not drop that weapon?"
"Simple commander, mercy. That weapon will wipe out your city. It is a waste. The Imperial Sovereignty is harsh when we must be, but we are merciful on occasion. You have fought with bravery and though your cause is...misplaced...you are fine warriors." Jarek let his false compliments sink in. His mouth tightened into grim anticipation of the rebels response.
"Do not misunderstand me Commander Hustel, I easily call the bomber back if you so desire."
Hustel sighed down the comlink. "What are your terms General?"
"Unconditional surrender and the surrender of all weapons, armaments and personel you have seized in your....uprising." It was all Jarek could do not to let the contempt sneak into his voice. "Your leaders must be surrendered to us immediately and you will acknowledge your continuing service of the Sovereignty."
Hustel sighed again. "Very well General, as the highest ranking officer of Des Kul I offer a parley with you, I request a meeting at the grand hall of S'lesk."
Jarek smiled grimly. "Of course Commander Hustel, can we arrange this in say, one standard hour?"
"I don't think I have much choice..." Hustel quiped.
"No you do not. One hour Hustel, be ready for my arrival." Jarek signaled the com officer, the link was broken.
As was, mused Jarek, the rebellion of the Hilarians.

[Teleran Balades]

After getting the message from Tchort about meeting the with the remaining rebel leaders at S'lesk. Teleran first turned command over to his second in command, Colonel Wallace. Besides the standard issue blaster he wore in the holster at his hip, he slipped a hold-out blaster in a hidden holster in his sleeve. Teleran piloted his personel TIE Defener to where he was supposed to meet General Tchort before entering th city.

[Jarek T'chort]

The Imperial lambada class shuttle's wings gracefully elevated into their fixed landing position. The shuttle swooped onto the wide open landing platform of the great hall of S'lesk.
Two more shuttles were already landed, issuing two coloumns of stormtroopers.
Landed off to one side was Captain Balades personal TIE Defender.
General Tchort stepped out from the ramp of the shuttle, glancing around him.
The landing pad was the same as a thousand other pads he had seen, but elegant k'loom trees were mounted in large ornamental pots around the pad. They were high up. Jarek could see for miles around the surrounding city.
Jarek Tchort was wearing his service uniform now, his large frame filling the uniform. His pale face wore a stony expression.
In front of the Imperials, the rebels stood. Members of the Hilari goverment and various aides, along with millitary personnel.
Tchort threw a look at Teleran, the rebels looked downcast but in their eyes, anyone could see the fire of defiance.
Stepping forward, a tall human man with an elegant headress and wearing a flowing red cloak spoke.
"I am minister Bergal Ceru. I speak for the people of Des Kul, and those peoples still free of your yoke on Hilari."
His voice was mesured, soft, but with immense bitterness underlying it.
Tchort spoke. "I am Colonel General Jarek Tchort of the Imperial Sovereignty, this is Captain Teleran Balades of the Fleet. Admiral Kraken of the Fleet sends his regards, he has given Captain Balades authority to participate on behalf of the Fleet. Now to the matter at hand, we are here to accept your surrender." Tchort wasted no time on pleasantries, he was here for unconditional surrender, nothing less.
Ceru's face hardened and soured. "Very good General Tchort, if you will accompany us to the chambers of court below?" He swept his long, almost feminine hands, in a half bow, showing the way to the ornate turbolifts.
Tchort's honour guard of troopers followed him and Teleran as they were led to the turbolifts.
The negotiations were about to begin.

[Teleran Balades]

Teleran waited as Tchort's shuttles landed. Tchort exited the center shuttle and two columns of stormtroopers emerged from the flanking ones. He was impressed by the way the general made his silent point with the troops. Negotiation in general wasn't his strong suit, so he decided to let Tchort handle most of it. The captain fell in line with Tchort as they headed toward the Chambers of Court.

[Jarek T'chort]

High arches, made of translucent ore curved overhead in the high celing of the central chamber of the hall of S'lesk. Pale light streamed down from the high celing, reflecting off the polished
grey stone floors.
A long, low, white table stretched around the room, in a loose semi circle.
Seated around the table were assorted beings, mainly humans in long flowing robes. Aside from them sat more humans and aliens in milltary uniforms.
General Tchort strode into the chamber, led in by minister Cerul. Six stormtroopers flanked the wide double doors of the chamber, while opposite Hilari troops warily stood guard. Neither side trusted each other, the atmosphere in the room was tense to say the least...
Tchort and Teleran took their seats opposite the rebels. datapads were strewn across the table in front of them.
Cerul spoke first. "Elders of Hilari, Colonel General Tchort has come to recive our surrender to the Imperial Sovereignty."
Jarek snorted under his breath, well it as fairly obvious...
Looking around as the elders introduced themselves, he noticed a figure off to one side, it was the man he had spoken with on the comlink, Hustel. The young commander was seething, his face was filled with malice. He did not bother to conceal it.
Tchort rose.
"Elders, you have commited treason against the Imperial Sovereignty, you have allowed key members of the rebellion to leave the city despite my express command to detain them. You have instigated a war which has resulted in the deaths of thousands of Imperial troops."
Another minister rose violently, his finger jabbing at Jarek. "You filth, you exterminated thousands of our people and obliterated an entire city, so do not try to point the finger of blame at us!"
The Hilarians stirred and the mood in the room became even more tense. Beside him, Jarek noticed Teleran looking back at the troopers stationed at the door.
Hustel stood and leered at the Imperials. "You will die for your evil, long live the New Republic and a free Hilari!" Whipping out his blaster he fired into Jareks aide, felling him instantly. Jarek leapt over the table and grabbed Cerul, he snapped his neck in two with a swift movement of his hands, many of the assembled were now fleeing and the stormtroopers were engaging Hustels men.
The Imperials were outnumbered and pinned down now....

[Teleran Balades]

All hell broke loose as one of thew rebel commanders killed one of Tchort's people. As the General dove across the table at Cerul, Teleran rolled to his left, grabbing a chair as a makeshift shield. Most of the rebel Elders were fleeing the room. but guards were coming in as well. A few scattered shots followed in the captain's wake, one luckliy glanced off the chair he was holding. Whipping out his own blaster, he sychted red blaster-bolts across the room. Several people dove for cover. One of his shots hit the guard that was harrasing him right in the chest, dropping the man in the blink of an eye.

[Jarek T'chort]

Jareks mind was calm and mesured. He had killed Cerul in a fit of rage but it had subsided now, he was focused.
Around him, blaster bolts lanced out from both sides, two stormtroopers had been hit, and three of Jareks aides. Teleran was holding the rebels admirably, his marksmanship felling several hostiles within a few minutes. Tchort threw himself over the table and landed with a thud behind a pillar. Raising a his sidearm he blew away two rebels guards. He stood and hugged the wall, Teleran and his aides keeping a covering fire on the remaining rebels.
Threre was no way to contact the shuttles, their comlinks were jammed, but Tchort had the shuttles monitoring their comlinks, hopefully his men would be down soon, but he could'nt be sure if they had been engaged on the landing pad.
Then, Tchort stooped his charge. Standing in front of Tchort was Hustel. The young Hilarians eyes were fixed on Tchort. A female soldier kept her rifle trained on Jarek as Hustel raised his blaster and spoke.
"Tchort, your going to call off your attack and recognise the free government of Hilari, throw down your weapon."
Tchort did so, slowly. Two more rebels stepped forward and grabbed Tchort. But Tchort was not taken that easily. He swung his fist into the first mans solar plexus, dropping the rebel. He used the motion of the swing to yank the blaster from Hustel, but the woman fired into Tchort. Jarek was thrown backward onto the floor, she had shot his body armour and his chest was burnt but the bolt had not caused any serious damage.
Hustel looked down at Tchort, hatred in his eyes.
"General, that was very stupid. The only reason your not dead is beaca...."
Hustel turned sharply as the double doors of the hall swung open, and Imperial troops ran in, raising their blasters at the assembled rebels.
Hustel turned back to Tchort, just as Jarek snapped off the branch of a k'loom tree. Before Hustel even knew what had happened, the sharp branch was thrust into his stomach. Jarek forced the branch in, then let go. Hustel let out a faint cry, and collapsed into a pool of his own blood.
The remaining rebels whimpered and cowered under the Imperials. But an example had to be made.
"Major Vrys, " ordered Jarek Tchort coldly."Kill them."
The troopers opened fire and the remaining rebel troops and ministers died in a hail of blaster bolts.
Teleran and Jareks aides stood and the Imperials strode from the ruined hall, smoke still issuing from open blaster wounds on the bodies of the rebels.

[Teleran Balades]

Teleran and several stormtroopers filled one of the rebel guards' entry ways with energy. Most of the fools that stayed there long enough were cut down instantly. Of the little return fire, the rebels only managed to down two troopers. Teleran aimed at the door panel and fired. The console was reduced to nothing but some sparking circuitry, the door's emergency close activated, sealing the entrance. During a very brief pause in the fire the captain brought out his comlink to call for reinforcements; he was greeted by nothing but static.

Damn! They're jamming us.

On the oppoosite side of the room General Tchort seemed to be in a bit of trouble. Three or four rebels and one of the leaders had Tchort at gunpoint. There was a blur of movement as the large man knocked down one of the rebels and disarmed Hustle. Tchort got knocked backward by a blaster shot. A spray of laser fire form Teleran's own troopers distracted the enemy group for a second. In that time Tchort broke the branch from one of the low hanging tries and used it as a crude weapon to gore the rebel commander. The door to the rear burst open with imperial troops flooding in. Shortly after resistance ended rather quickly.

"That didn't turn out as planned. Why do these damn rebels make everything so difficult, oh well. What do we do now, general?

[Jarek T'chort]

Jarek stopped walking at Telerans question.
He laughed softly, then looked at his hands, they were splattered with the blood of Hustel. He sneered at the thought of the idealistic young rebel, now lying dead on the smooth floor.
"Captain, the cities are pacified. We must move our operation onto cleaning up our occupation and finding the escaped rebel ringleaders. However, unless Admiral Kraken orders otherwise, return to yur base and conduct patrols etc and air suppourt for any further ground action."
The Imperials now boarded their shuttles, and in a few moments, the shuttles were swooping out away from the great hall as Colonel Lesets troops entered the center of Des Kul...

[Telan Desaria]

Des Hul - Command and Control Center, Hilari Rebels

Fools. Idiots. How well they have placed themselves within my clutches.

An ominous laughter filled a massive war room, various monitors filling every face of every wall and terminals with their technicians every spare crevice on the floor. At the very center on a raised dais sat a grey cloaked man wearing the dark blue uniform of the Imperial Fighter Corps. On his collar and chest was the insignia of a Major General, dangling from his shoulders a cape of black and around his neck the Grand Cross of the Imperial Cross.

They dared to cast me out and now they shall not only know their folly but they shall taste the steel of my vengeance.

“ Sir, all detachments have reported full readiness. None have been detected and all preparation are complete. Execution awaits your final command.”

The caped man turned his iron glance from a two dimensional situation map of the Hilari city Des Hul to the officer who had given his report. He was barely two meters tall but seemed to filled with as much anxiety and excitement as his uniform was with muscle. On the khaki breast of his Army tunic sat the rank plaque for a Colonel.

“ Very good, Colonel. The order is given. Commence the mopping up.”

“ Aye sir.” The Colonel came smartly to attention and rigidly clicked his heels before disappearing into the fray of milling officers and engineers alike. Deep under the ferrocrete sub-layers and foundations of Des Hul above they were more than safe from roving fighters and bombers, and more so protected against a high-yield proton blast the likes of which had erased an entire metropolis from the face of the planet.

The Colonel dispatched his own adjutants and aides to complete his bidding which was a mere redistributing of his master’s. Within moments of the final relaying of operational orders, one hundred thousand of the best infantrymen the Hilari-rebels could field emerged from crawlspaces, rubble, and the masses of the civil populace. From under cloaks and business suits they came, eschewing their non-combatant clothing for the garb of battle hidden beneath. Wielding pistols and blaster rifles they formed quickly into light assaults squads which merged into platoons and then companies. Before the occupying Imperial forces could get any sort of realization across their neurons, the fire of battle had flared once more.

Mighty At-At walkers which were funneled down broad avenues by the skyscrapers of a city’s center found themselves set upon by ‘death squads’ – five man teams carrying high-velocity projectile launchers capable of piercing their duranium armor from close proximity. At’Sts, the small cousins of the towering walkers created for the sole purpose of reconnaissance were easier targets, dozens cooking up in minutes. What had been a surrendered and captive city had turned to a battleground once more. Fires emerged from amidst the steel corridors of the city’s streets converging into one giant pall of smoke above. The sun was ill-able to shine after a mere half hour.

And the Imperial fighters which had played so prominent a part in the earlier blitz of the campaign? They had finally found a match in the revitalized and hitherto undetected defenders of Des Hul. Major General Artemis Travess had once been the fighter command for an entire legion of the Corps: all sixteen-thousand TIEs that worked from ships of the old Thyferra Sector’s III Division were under his command for a time. That glorious and overwhelming post was soon lost when the General ordered and personally executed to a man every pilot of the 74th Assault Wing for failing to breach a defensive perimeter during battle. Tossed out of the service and sentenced to exile, Travess found a home on Hilari where he vowed revenge on the man who had signed his banishment: Grand Admiral Telan Desaria. He could think of no better way to take his anger to the forefront of all prying eyes than remove one of his hard-won planets from his command.

The past fueling his rage, the General had taken every precaution he could and ensured that no fighter would be the bane of his operation. From concealed positions in buildings and suburbs emerged rapid-fire quad-laser flak batteries. Automated aerial defense missile turrets shook free clandestine housing and let loose a salvo of death into the air eliminating any craft that dared stray near the city.

Fighting throughout was as savage as the soldiers of Admiral Kracken’s command had ever seen: they were after all fighting disgruntled Imperials that had formed the core of Hilari’s planetary defense force. It was these men of the 17th Army that roamed the streets killing their former comrades. Bayonets were attached to rifles and vibroblades distributed to every man in action. Blood spilled along streets curbs and pooled in vile crimson puddles at ditches and potholes. The carcass of many a disembowled stromtrooper littered the avenues. Casualties mounted on both sides, but by the end of the day when night had fallen over twenty thousand of Kracken’s boys lay slain, half of that number in those who had ‘betrayed’ the Imperial banner.

After twelve hours of fighting, the General bade his Colonel to give him access to the broadcast net still in place. When it was done, every soldier and officer with a comm – unit could listen in.

“ Imperials, you have made a grave error. Your attack was so fast and brilliant you neglected to realize that the men under my command are specially trained in urban warfare. Why do you think your open terrain dash was so easy? You have been blinded by your own success and your commanders have failed you. The Empire is righteous, oh that I do not deny. But the one which you serve was created under a man with no stomach. And now I will continue this battle and push you from Hilari itself. The galaxy will see Desaria falter for the first time and then, only then, can you have this precious rock back. It is a pity he did not come here himself. I so looked forward to killing in battle. I will have to do with what is arrayed before me.”

With that the communications net went down and the night fully wrapped Des Hul in its grasp. For those now-executed members of the Council of Elders, a just cause had been furthered against defiant opposition. For Major General Travess, a game had just been started he would either win or die trying.

[Jarek T'chort]

Imperial command center

Incredible. That was the only word for it.
Jarek Tchort stood, mouth agape over the viewscreen in the operations room. His hair was tustled and his eyes showed plain anger.
His troops had been slaughtered in Des Hul. Twenty thousand men were dead. Even more terrible for Jarek, his friend and nephew, Colonel Leset, had died inside a burning AT- AT.
Tchorts black gloves crumpled together as Jarek formed up his fists. Suddenly, he let his temper fly.
"What in the name of the Empire happened! ?" His clam face was shattered by a red, glowing face, seething with anger.
"Someone is to blame, I have read every last peice of intel there is for this attack, yet Intelligence told us nothing. Surely they must have noticed a rouge Imperial army here! We walked into a trap, I'm sorry but I find it hard to belive a force of that magnitude could have escaped our notice!"
The officer he was yelling at was an older man, but he knew of Tchorts reputation. The officer, Captain Fugel, also was a level headed man. He visibly gulped and stammered out an answer...
"Sir, um....perhaps you should calm down...."
Jarek's eyes lit up for a moment. Then he breathed out slowly...
"Yes Fugel, you are right. Withdraw the remainder of our troops from Des Hul but hold them within range of the city."
Defense was not an option, knew Tchort, It implied weakness. Whoever he was up against, he would kill them personally.
Above the base, TIE fighters were racing toward the city, not to engage, but to provide air suppourt...Jarek was taken aback, but by no means defeated.
When he got back to Thyferra, some people would have a lot of explaining to do..

[Teleran Balades]

"How the...what the..who the...Someone has got a lot of explaining to do."

In less than 4 hours Teleran had lost 80 percent of his forces in the surprise counter offensive. He knew ho got away lucky, Colonel General Tchort's troops stationed in Des Hul had beeen completly massacred. The captain was in rage and horrified confusion at the events that had unfolded. He had never seen this an agressive an assault, except for perhaps Tchorts own attack.

"How the hell did this large of an Army get hidden from intel? I want full sensor sweeps from taken of the city and the surounding area. Somebody is GOING to be executed for this."

People from around the room stared open-mouthed at the red-faced captain. Teleran took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down. The other officers in the commander center of the platform were still staring at him. Eighty percent losses, how wa he going to make up for those lost forces. He raised the comm frequency to Tchorts command post.

"General do you have any clue about how the hell this happened? I have lost nearly every bomber and fighter I was assigned. I assume your forces suffered much more than mine did though. Should I have the orbital forces bombard the city?"

Without waiting for a reply he quickly snapped an order to one of the intel officers that was literaly shaking in his boots.

"You can redeem yourself by finding out everything possible about these agressors, they deffinantly are not Hilari rebels."

[Jarek T'chort]

Tchort sighed, then answered Teleran. "Captain, we have lost a large force, but on the ground we still outnumber them and have Des Hul surrounded.
Your orders are to begin production immediately, we will use the captured TIE's and you have full use of the Industrial complex here. They have only momentary advantage Captain. Nothing more. Hold your nerve and concentrate on the task at hand. Tchort out."
The operations complex now absorbed Jareks full attention. "Captain Fugel, is our artillery in place?"
"Sir. All artillery units report full combat readiness." Fugel looked up expectantly at Tchort from his crew pit.
"Open fire, lay down continous bombardment on the city." Tchort ordered.
His eyes glittered as he looked at a datapad he had been handed. "Interesting, very interesting..." Tchort mumbled.
Fugel looked up again. "Sir?"
"Fugel, the citizens of Des Kul, the infirm, young etc, have been moved to a large millitary complex near the hall of S'lesk. Order our artillery to concentrate on that target. Major Vrys?"
Major Vrys' gaunt face appared on the viewscreen. "Sir?"
"I want all civilians captured leaving Des Hul excecuted on sight."
Vrys' eyes opened wide for a second, then he noddded. "Understood, Vrys out."
Tchort looked at Fugel. "What I am doing is to weaken these beings as much as I can. True, they may hate us more, but if their loved ones are bieng exterminated, thy will become irrational and emotional, not ideal qualities to display in battle." Jarek smiled t himself. The Hilari and these rouge Imperials would pay very dearly for their impertinance.

[Teleran Balades]

Captured Hilari Industrial Center

Captain Teleran Balades moved through the constuction site, inspecting the progress of the workers. After getting his orders from tchort he took a shuttle here immediatly, he didn't trust anyoe else to the job. The facility had been damaged during the initial assault and was now undergoing repair. Of the areas that were still functional the captain had most of the workers building fighters to compensate for the ones he had lost. Other parts of the Complex were building additional walkers and tanks for the groundforces.
Teleran had the work crews start constructing Scimitar Assault Bombers and TIE Defenders. Already there were 40 new craft, the Hilari had used very efficient and advanced machinery in the Industrial centers. The Captain was surprised at the technology available to them, it must have had something to do with the roque imperials.
As he Teleran stoped to moniter one of the assembly lines an intelingence officer ran up to him.

"Sir, we found something interesting on our scans. Regular sensor sweeps, infared scans, and radiation sensor show nothing unusual, but we somthing odd showed up on geological survey scans."

The man brought up an image on an oversied datapad.

"This map shows the subsurface contents of the area, we removed the ferrocrete and pipes from the city."

On the map were several color variations that represented different soil contents and minerals. A large area below Des Hul was color coded black. It had straight edges and perfect angles at the corners.

"What is this nothing natural could have made such a pattern."

"Captain, at first we thought the scanners were malfunctioning because of how deep this is. After bring in the probe closer we found it to be the same. It seems to be reinforced durasteel such as the kind used in bunkers, though this is too big to be any kind of a bunker."

A smile cept onto the captains face.

"Well done. Send this informtion to General Tchort. I think we have found were those troops came from.

[Jarek T'chort]

A lone figure was seated behind a smoth topped desk, his head was inclined, looking toward a datapad in his hands. The red light of the command room bathed Colonel General Tchort as he mused over the latest intel from Captain Balades, stroking his angled chin as his eyes soaked in the information on the datapad he held loosely in his hand.

Jarek's mind slowly worked over the ramifications of this information.

Rising from his high backed command chair, Jarek's mood soured. It was information, yes, but not good news. A large underground complex underneath Des Hul was not good news at all thought Jarek bitterly.

Now he had to think about his forces. The ground forces had taken significant losses in the savage, highly unconventional battle of Des Hul. Colonel Leset, one of the most able and promising officers of the army was lying somewhere in the rubble of Des Hul, alongside some of the best units of the Hilari assault force, their careers and lives over, extinguished in the heat of battle.

Now he could not count on the production facilities or on the Industrial complex. They presented too many problems. Teleran was doing the best he could, Jarek assured himself, but it would take weeks to get everything back online.

Jarek had to rely on the forces he had left. It was sufficent. He still had thousands of troops, walkers and wardroids. His nose had been bloodied, but he and the Soveriegnty were not defeated.

His deep thoughts were interupted by a ping of the com. Fliping it on he responded. "Tchort here."

Fugels drawling voice came back to Jarek. "Sir, new intel from Admiral Kraken. It appears the rouge Imperials are the 17th army, led by..."

"Artemis Travess...." Tchort cut him off...his mouth feeling dry as he spoke.

"Yes sir, I'm sending the rest of the report now." Fugel finished and the frequency fell silent.

Leaving Jarek alone with his thoughts once again.

[Telan Desaria]

Imperial Flagship, Super Star Destroyer Inquisitor
Office of Grand Admiral Desaria

In Orbit of Thyferra

The transmission was routed to the command vessel of Admiral Kracken where Imperial Intelligence began immediately its duty to the Empire. The message itself continued on to the operational commander unabated, but a copy was quickly made and presented to Senior Field Agent – Lieutenant Commander Allus Serinar. The content thereof disturbed the agent as did the continual references to the Armed Forces’ Supreme Commander, and he decided to forward it onto him personally.

“ You did well, Commander,” the Supreme Commander replied, comfortably leaned back in a flexible chair mounted behind his desk. The white uniform which covered his chest was the typical garb of a Grand Admiral replete with rank plaque and complimented by the Grand Cross of the Imperial Cross at his neck.

“ I assumed you would know this…General Travess.”

“ I did. I obviously made the mistake of assuming his death.”

The Intelligence chief at Hilari nodded then clicked as he came to attention. The three dimensional hologram standing azure-like atop the Grand Admiral’s desk then shimmered from existence. When it was gone, Lord Baron Desaria sat up and pressed several buttons in quick succession on a pad nearby.

“ Recording commenced,” a metallic, lifeless voice sounded.

Grand Admiral Desaria inhaled deeply and steepled his fingers atop his obsidian-faced desk. The spacious expanse of his office surrounded him, and he imperceptibly winced as he reviewed a turbulent period of history.

“ To Admiral Kracken and the senior field commanders, Task Force Epsilon. You received not too very long ago a message from a man claiming to be an officer of the Imperial Military. Allow me to explain. His name is in fact Travess and he was a Major General of the Fighter Corps. During the Liberation of Bespin during the third Sith War when their fleet abandoned them, a wing of Scimitars was unable to strafe a floating city because it was intercepted by rogue Sith fighters. The unit suffered fifty percent casualties and retreated. Those pilots who returned were met by Travess who executed every one of them for disobeying an order.

“ When this matter was reported to me by the divisional commander, I disciplined him. I planned to execute him, but in light of his hitherto valorous and efficient service, he was banished from the Empire. Intelligence was thereafter unable to determine his whereabouts and was dismissed as dead.

“ I can speak from experience: he has no care for the Hilari cause, however flawed it may be. He saw this disturbance as a vessel for his vengeance as can be assumed to be commanding all military forces now opposing us.

“ I am now issuing a direct general order. No prisoners are to be taken. I know this is extremely uncharacteristic of policy and my own doctrines of honour, but these men are traitors. Until a month ago, they wore the Imperial uniform loyally. They allowed themselves to be strayed from the proper path and will now pay the consequences. Any civilian who Intelligence or the Inquisitoriate field liaisons deem acceptable may be retained and spared. Any others will be eliminated.”

The Grand Admiral pressed another button and the message crossed the territory of the Sovereignty. When a red light flashed, acknowledging the message’s receipt, Desaria leaned back again and reached inside his desk for a flask of Centaurian ale.

[Teleran Balades]

Captain Teleran Balades was knocked to his knees as another explosion ripped through the complex. Everything had been going fine for the soveriegnty's work crews, but the rebels had not left the place for the taking. After the first day or two various booby-traps and equipment sabotage had been found. Most of the ships built had faulty components and inadequate parts, they whole lot had to be scraped. The roque Imperials had done a good job of rigging the place. Explosives had been wired to key systems and activated an hour or two after a system had been active, making it hard to find the detonators. Monofilament wire was strung up in maintanece corridors and cut people to bloody pieces as they walked. Various equipment was sabotaged as well. Teleran now had demolitions team carefully sweeping the complex. After a room was clean of explosive mechanics teams went in to repair the assembly lines. To make matters even worse maintnance droids had also been programmed to tamper with equipment. Clearing the Idustrial site was slow painstaking work that would need weeks to clear.

[Park Kraken]

"Sir, transmission from Thyferra, it is a pre-recorded message from Grand Admiral Telan Desaria" the young ensign sang out.

"Very well, I will take it in my private office."

Ten minutes later, after replaying the message several times to make sure he understood the orders subject to him, Admiral Kraken strode from the office, and sat down unto his chair, his mind ablaze with more though than that was possessed by the officers in the crew pit of the cramped bridge of the VSD. Finally, he turned to an aid of his, and began to rattle off orders.

"Okay, here is our plan. Have Commander Tchort withdraw his troops from the city, in a 10 kilometer radius from the city boundaries, once his troops are clear, divide the city into grids, and pass it out to our fleet as their targets. Once this has been accomplished, I will pass along further orders. Oh, and send down another wave of ten Scimitars, and ten TIE Interceptors. It may not be much, but it should help replace Teleran's losses."

"Yes Sir" the aide replied, then rushed off to his assigned duties.

With this being done, Kraken leanded back into his chair, and let a sigh of vexation. So much had to be done, but unlike many others in the Imperial Navy, Kraken did not take new challenges as an inconvience, but as a new challenge.

[Park Kraken]

"Sir, the ships are in position." The young sensor officer sings out.

"Very well, orders are as follows. If any Rebels sortie outside of the city, the ships are ordered to execute base Delta Zero upon the city. But this is a last resort only. For now, we will set up supply lines for our troops, and fortify our defensive line."

::Kraken moved to his assigned duties with a new brisk pace. Now that the last resort had been taken care of, the rebels should be contained. Now for the supplyline. As he glanced out the viewport, the first convoy of four Gallofree Heavy Transports left hyperspace with their escort of the Escort Carrier Traladon, and a full wing of 72 TIE Defenders. The Transports proceeded to the planet's surface with their loads of valuable ore, and scrap metal.::

[Jarek T'chort]

The initiative had been lost thought Jarek, as he stood alongside his command vehicle in the cool evening light of Hilari.

His face was unreadable, but beneath his sullen features, Jarek was not impressed. Kraken had ordered a withdrawl and establishment of a defensive perimeter, designed to hold the rebels. If there was anything Jarek had learned over fifteen years of brutal combat in situatuations like this, it was that the loss of initiative, in this case, the pausing of the offensive, was a mistake. Yes, they had taken heavy losses, but an offensive at this time with the full power of Task force Epsilon would not be expected by Travess.

He had sent his report to the Admiral, but Jarek knew the fleet types had far too much faith in the percived invincibilty of their starships. Base Delta Zero would eradicate the city, but the enourmous command bunker beneath woud not be heavily affected, plus the ruins of the city would be ideal for prolonged defense.

Ahead of Jarek, coloums of suppourt vehicles and troops were heading to their new positions. Clouds of dust rose in their wake, armourshod feet keeping up a steady pace alongside the vehicles and hovertanks.

Travess had so far made no move to gain on the losses he had inflicted, especialy while the troops were at their most vunerable, during this withdrawal. Jarek chewed the inside of his lip, eyes scanning the plain ahead of him, wondering what his opponent was thinking right now...

[Park Kraken]

"Are the Mole-Miners ready?" inquired Admiral Kraken, his face hidden behind his thick beard and moustachios.

"Yes Sir, thirty top line units ready" replied the aide.

"Good, dispatch them to the surface, along with those AT-AAs we produced earlier. When they arrive, tell Commmander Tchort that he may begin his ground assault. Meanwhile, what is the status of our supply system?"

"Two more freighters with an escort of one Carrack cruiser has arrived in system. Another task force is being readied at Thyferra, a Task Force codenamed 'Centurion'"

::Kraken beamed with pride at this last statement. At last, he would have a worthy Star Destroyer to command.::

[Teleran Balades]

Materials for consruction products had started coming in, but about half the building still hadn't been cleared. Never-the-less construction was ready to begin. The work crews were under-staffed and more laborers would have to be found. four assembly lines were up to full production, while various others were in different states of repair.

"Admiral, we can start manufacturing now, but until we get more workers and the rest of the complex cleared we will be slow on production."

[Telan Desaria]

Hilari Command and Control Bunker
Underneath Des Hul

Four days Since Re-envigorated Attack



It seemed as if every crevice in the cavernous war room had been filled with a mad-man's maniacal laughter, and every soldier, technician, and officer in the room quiverred with a very real sense of fear as it resounded. Not a one dared make a sound as their commander gleefully gloated over the day's casualty report.

" Perfect Colonel! Ha-hah!!! I knew they would not attack! I now they are paying the price for their ineptitude!"

Another burst of ominous gaity emanated from Major General Travess' dais, this time more of a low cackling. The gears in his mind ground together to machinate yet another innovative and brutal assault.

" What is the position of the 75th Fleet?"

Travess sat in his chair facing away from the giant two dminensional cityscape covering an entire wall, so his chief adjutant turned about to gaze thereon. A white grid interposed itself atop the map and then disappeared as an anonymous technician manipulated the screen. One formation's area of operations became enlarged, every unit white outlined in red.

" The 88th Fleet Infantry Division is holding the western approaches to the city along Route 94. The 76th Regiment is at the north-east end of the division's sector."

Major General Travess smiled wryly. " Dispatch orders they are to attack at once toward Madrid. That village is on some high ground, so send a company of Walkers from III Corps reserve to support them."

The Colonel acknowledged immediately, but could not ignore the sneaking curiosity. " Why the 76th, sir?"

" It's commander is a ruthless former Inquisitoriate officer. He will not give any quarter and inspire the men under him. If memory serves, they've deployed some stormtroopers on that front, and he will make sure his men go ahead and forget the enemy's reputation."

" As ordered, my General."

* * *

What had been a small industrial district sprouting around a raised ferrocrete repulsor-highway had become a veritable forest of twisted steel girders and broken chunks of what once been termed buildings. One single Imperial Scimitar squadron had bypassed the aerial defense net unmolested and let loose a full barrage against the sector, no doubt repaying its defenders for every comrade they had lost. The constant droning on of large-bore artillery did not aide to the area's aethetic state.

As was typical with urban combat, the rubble created a maze of caves and debris which the 17th Army had used to its utmost ability. A deep network of independent defensive positions had been created which made numerous problems for those hapless patrols whihc had wandered too far to the interior and been cut to ribbons.

It was from these self-contained fortresses that the black-uniformed, camouflage-smocked men of the 88th Fleet Division's 76 Regiment charged forth towards the Imperial lines not too far away. Through the ruins stomped fourteen AT-AT walkers in support, spread over the regiment's front to prevent the enemy from gaining an advantage. Their defenses were punctured with little effort and the first slopes of the rolling hills between Madrid and Des Hul were ascended. Fighters neared: the men armed with Stinger anti-fighter rockets moved forward.

The battle was joined before the outskirts of Madrid as a reactionary force of fifteen Stormer-light repulsor tanks moved to intercept.

[Park Kraken]

::The troops defending Madrid, some 10,000 in number, plus over 500 assorted vehicles, dug in, and awaited the Rebel Assault.::

[Jarek T'chort]

Jarek Tchort stood, feet apart, on top of one of the highest peaks of the hills surrounding Madrid. A harsh wind had sprung up, blowing dust and dirt into the faces of the gathered Imperials.

Tchort surveyed the battlefield from his high vantage point. Directly beneath his hill, lay the ruins of Madrid, a scene of desolation. Here and there tall plumes of smoke rose up, twisting into the sky together like some exotic alien dance. Down in those ruins, through his macrobinoculars, Tchort watched as enemy AT-AT walkers lumbered toward his lines. Tiny figures ran alongside the enemy forces.

"Major Vrys, have 2nd Artillery open up on those walkers." Ordered Jarek.

"Yes sir, uh, would it not be wiser to attack with our own walkers?" Inquired the tall, youthful looking officer.

"Wait and see Major. Have them lay down a bombardment directly onto the walkers." Jarek raised his macros' just as blue streaks of heavy artillery fell down into the path of the AT - AT's. The suedo lightning smashed into the walkers, crumpling the giant war machines metal backs. Below and around them, the swarming 17th army troops were raked by heavy blaster fire from concealed positions in the towns debris.

"Sir, my apologies for doubting you," exclaimed Major Vrys, "that is certainly effective against the walkers."

"Thank you Major." Turning to another officer beside him, Jarek put his second plan into action. "Order the 9th regiment to attack."

On a nearby hillside, from foxholes and bunkers, Imperial stormtroopers ran full pelt down the hillsides, rushing into the flank of the attackers. It soon degenerated into vicious hand to hand combat in the desolate landscape, strewn with ruined buildings, millitary wreakage and shattered bodies. XR-87 tank droids suppourted by AT-ST walkers now joined battle, sweeping into the massed infantry.
The whole scene was one of chaos. Here and there isolated pockets of the enemy resorted to using thermal detonators on themselves, taking numbers of Imperial troops with them.
Delta Class Dx-9s Transports now flew in over Jareks head, but enemy missiles streaked upward, blowing several from the skies, spewing body parts in their wake. Those transports that landed safely in the mele disgorged army troopers, who joined the battle alongside their white armoured comrades. The 17th army were falling back or killing themselves in final acts of bravery, such as one man who leapt from the ruin of an AT-AT onto an AT-ST, he released a thermal detonator into the hatch, ending his life and allowing the escape of some of his bretheren.

For all their bravery however, the tide had turned.

[Teleran Balades]

Teleran left the Industrial Sector of the capured city of Guar Sha, leaving Colonel Radick to over-see the demolitions crews and production lines. He view the battlefield once again from the confines of the primary fighter platform's control center. Out of the still limited amount of ships he had ordered three-quarters, some 32 fighters mixed between Defenders and Scimitars. The fighters set out toward the battlefield skimming the surface what little was still peaceful, green, rolling hills.

On the viewscreen shifted to a tactical few of where the fighting was. A twisted, burning mas a durasteel girders, ferrocrete slabs, and toppled buildings was what was left of the once beautiful city of Madrid. The wreckages made perfect ambush spots for both sides, though it seemed the enemy had already mastered the use of such tactics; but the imperials were learning fast. Travess's troops had caught Tchort's ground forces be surprise, and in an almost overwhelming number and fire power.
Now though they 76th Army Corp was out of the city both forces were on equal footing. The defense had easisly been punched through by the brutal assault. Jarek's troops knew what they were doing though; several of the long-ranged artillery units opened fire on the walkers, turning many of them to slag, but the relentless 76th Corp still pushed on.

The fighters that had been dispatched, flying barely 10 meters above the ground swarmed over a scorched hill on the eastern side of the battle. The enemy had been caught of guard, but not for long. The first flights passed over the infantry units, pouring laser fire into the crowds. Men on the ground burst into flame or were vaporized on the spot, any vehicles hit were crippled or deestroyed as heavy laser cannons punched through their armor and detonated amunition or fuel. The surprise, however, was short lived as stinger missles rocketed up from the ground to meet the encroacing air force. A few of the missles missed because the troopers carring the launchers panicked, but the bulk of them found their targets. The flaming hulls of the bombers dropped to the ground, just as deadly as concussion missles as the plowed deep furrows in the ground. Both the Imperial and Major General Travess's troops fell to the uncontrolable projectiles.

[Telan Desaria]

Forward Command Post, 88th Fleet Division

Hill 155, near the City Limits of Des Hul


" Are you sure?" a much stunned Brigadier General asked his communications liaison officer after glancing unbelievingly at a dispatch.


" I requested confirmation twice. It's authentic."


" Damn it all!" General Mauer clenched his teeth and then his fist around the flimsiplast nearby. His arm fell limply at his side as he looked out over the ruins of what was once Des Hul's most lavishly-decorated suburb. A crest of hills formed the city's southern border separating the metropolis from the villages and towns around it. Industry and commerce was based amongst its tall gleaming spires, but it was those small hamlets that held the bulk of the planet's population. Somewhere on the other side of the one General Mauer blankly stared at was Madrid.


Attack! They've moved up their Corps reserve against a localized attack! I've got shells coming down all over the place. I'm sure there's a reason for such madness, but I'll be a Sith's Son before I realize it.


Unclenching his teeth and mustering every bit of calm he could, the General turned to his chief operations officer.


" Bring forward all reserve units and redeploy 2nd Battalion, 64th Regiment along our current front. All othr units are to assemble for an attack."


There was disbelief in the earthen bunker dug into where a school's playground once stood. The sound of pounding artillery grew ever closer.


Rebel Command and Control Bunker
Under Des Hul


" Perfect!"


" Sir?" Major General Travess's chief adjutant seemed rather puzzeled by his charge's exclamation considering an assault he had personally orchestrated was now running afoul of an Imperial Corp' reserve brigades. Along the wall, Des Hul was displayed topographically with units from both sides overlayed in red or green.


" They've not only committed their only reserve in the sector but taken their armored units from every neighboring formation. IOn brunting our localized diversion they have left every other front they have open to attack."


Realization was slow to dawn on the Colonel, but when it did, the plan made perfect sense. The Imperials had anticipated an assault in the sector and deployed their forces accordingly. When it came, hoiwever, they pounced as expected although harder than was neccessary. In their zeal to contain the threat, they had exposed themselves to danger on a front five kilometers in length.


" I knew the Army had grown incompetent but I never expected victory handed to me on such a platter!"


- - - -


The Imperials had done a perfect job of containing the assault mounted by the 76th Fleet Regiment and demolishing its fanatcial as well as systematic attack. The armor committed to the attack's execution lay crippled and chared on the field, rotting in the midday sun with nine hundred smoldering corpses.


The Imperials seemed to have eyes only for the present and not the future. The Commanders in the field were so young and eager to impress their superiors they forgot to look around. While their artillery smashed apart the assault, elements of the 1st Heavy Storm Division, the elite unit of the 17th Army, crept by on their right. Twenty four thousand men and over a hundred heavy walkers supported by tanks and four battalions of AT-PT mounted grenadiers were to prove devastating to the Imperials.


On the left the Feuerbrigade, only in tact formation of the un-Imperial Hilarian Planetary Militia to survive the opening stages of the war moved forward as well. Repeating flak cannon mounted on abandoned hovercar chassis gave the otherwise immobile yet brave formation added punch. Four companies of Centurion-main battle tanks lent their weight to the attack and tore through the Imperial's all too late response. By the time any stock had been taken, those troops who repulsed the 76th found themselves surrounded and besieged, Madrid itself wiped from the map under the remsorseless treads of armored assault vehciles.

[Jarek T'chort]

Major Vrys stood on top of his command speeder, studying the distant pall of dust that was the ominous portent of the advancing 17th Army. His mouth dryed at the sight. Next to him, several other officers wearing distinctive olive officer body armour stood stifly to attention. All of them were young and fairly inexperienced, holo simulation was realistic, but nothing could replicate the true feeling of war and battle. Vrys had that feeling, as did they now.

He looked at the assembled HAP heavy bore artillery as they opened up on the distant attack, blue streaks coursed through the evening sky, lancing out to meet their targets. Across to his right, Stormer repulsor tanks hummed deeply as they edged forward, they were the workhorses of the Soveriegnty armed forces, now they were in their element alongside Imperial XR-85 tank droids. The forward armoureed elements of the force were pushing forward into another village out from Des Hul. As weary scouts of the 17th army advanced into the town, Xerrol Nightstingers rang out. Imperial snipers lay in wait in the ruins, making good their escape on Sniper Attack Vehicles, each time felling enemies, drawing them into the path of the waiting tanks. As the Hilari Feuerbrigade drove forward, Tchorts tanks blew the converted speeders into peices.

Imperial command center
Jarek Tchort looked at the holo display, his rapidly put together armoured force was represented by blue blips, the Hilari Feuerbrigade was in turn represented by red blips...and in the brightly lit control room, the blips on the wide desk bound display drew together.

[Park Kraken]

::The blue emptiness of hyperspace was impressive, thought Admiral Kraken, as the vortex swirled around his ship, the brand new, not quite fully worked up Star Destroyer Glorious. Then, the starlines faded, and the ship reverted back into realspace. Ahead, lay the world of Hilari. Admiral Kraken had seen this sight before, when he lead the initial assault fleet against the world. But now things were different. Since he had left, the Rebels had launched a major counterattack against Imperial forces that had thought they had conquered the whole planet. According to intel, the Rebel insurgance had begun on a border town called Madrid, and has since more than tripled in size.

Vice-Admiral Kraken turned to his gunnery officer, a young chap by the name of Zor. "Pfc. Zor, let's begin our shakedown cruise by seeing how effective our guns are on planterey bombardement. Select a pattern of grids near where the latest Rebel resistance is coming from, and work your way back torwards the city of Madrid. Let me know when you have fired 10,000 blasts. After that, we will move onto phase two of our renewed assault.

Kraken watched as the new diamond shaped destroyed swung it's massive bow about, then as many as seventy-five Turbolaser Batteries opened fire on the planet below. As they drew closer, Admiral Kraken could see the bolts lancing through the atmosphere to strike their targets. ::

[Telan Desaria]

City of Des Hul


Fire reigned. It may have been impossible for any outsider not trapped within the steelen walls of the Imperial blockade to understand the hellish conditions, but those brave few who survived without the comfort of uniform or weapon would forever remember the smell of charred flesh and immolated homes.


Where a city once stood, ash and rubble remained. An inferno set forth from the guided turbolaser batteries above had driven even rats and Tarkellian voles from the subsurfaces of the metropolis, the temperature rose with such alacrity. Skyscrapes once the center of planetary commerce and trade had fallen to the ground in heaps of twisted metal. Ferrocrete chunks had been blasted from solid structures, gravity bringing those pieces down into the streets below crushing man and machine alike.


What civilians were left quickly either died or ran. It was doubtless they would survive, however, as the Imperials outside the ring of growing earthworks surrounding the 17th Army had explicit orders to shoot without question.


The 17th Army, on the other hand, was faring no better. Surface units of infantry had been scattered by the barrage, none able to stage for an assault or withdrawal. In the course of four hours of a relentless hail, thirty thousand soldiers lay dying under a smoke-strewn sky. That number again was wounded beyond any combat capability, leaving barely a hundred thousand men physically able to resist.


The mental state of those brave few was called to question as eyes once filled with the will to fight lost their verve and had it replaced with dejection. Friends had been burned alive inside armored vehciles, crushed under debris or falling walkers, or worse yet, been killed in disheartening attacks the Imperials had
launched to take advanatage of the carnage.


Below the City


" An unexpected turn of events. That Destroyer, where did it come from? No matter. We will continue to resist."


Colonel Altman looked up, the General's new adjutant, and knew exactly what it felt like for his predecessor. The young officer had too much of his superior's blitheness and took the streets in a Lieutenant's uniform to be killed in a stray howizter shell.


" Are you mad? Those frigates they have up there can't hurt us, but a Destroyer? We'll be slaughetred like Wookies!" the Colonel exclaimed referencing to the first subjugation of Kashyyyk sixty years before.


The General shot the Colonel a glare of death, then had a spark of inspiration. Perhaps if he could quell such indignance, he might groom a successor and willing subordinate.


" No, Colonel. Simply becaus we cannot see the enemy does not we cannot hurt him. Prepare the starburst."

[Park Kraken]

"Rear-Admiral Kraken, the freighter Imperator has arrived from Thyferra. The codes of identification match what you wanted to see. The freighter is now transferring it's cargo to the Glorious." a young officer reported.

"Excellent, we will now execute Operation: Backlash. Deploy the fleet as described earlier in our planning sessions. The four Carrack cruisers will move to their prescribed orbits, and take up bombardement positions. Order the Tormentor to form up with us on our new orbital position as well. Order the seventy-two Scimitar Assault bombers ready, as well as all ground, and space side fighters for immediate scramble if necessary. Give Commander Tchort the go ahead to launch his assault. Let's begin the bombardement." Order the Admiral.

::As he watched from the viewport of his flagship, the fleet that was his to command moved to their various posts across the planet. Then, the ships loosed forth on the world below the weapons that made thunder and lightning seem like mere twinkies when compared to the weapons.::

[Jarek T'chort]

On the rolling plains of Hilari, night crept in, swallowing up the purple evening light.

Now, the natural cycle of night and day was broken as azure turbolaser blasts slashed down, carving their way through the darkening sky, finally smashing into the dug in 17th army.

Twisted ferrocrete and all manner of wreakage was welded into barricades and defensive positons, forming the ring of defenses around Des Hul. Beneath these positions were heavy bunkers, strong enough to withstand HAP firepower, but not the barrage now unleased by Krakens Imperial Star Destroyer and its fleet above the mottled green sphere of Hilari.

From the positions of the Sovereignty forces, macrobinoculars and scanners peered intently into the carnage ensuing across the churned up mud of no-mans land.

Captain Hetzer, a balding, grey officer of around forty shifted his plump body in his seat inside the dimly lit command Chariot LAV. He was part of the thrust to take Fuengarola, a large town, until now largely unscathed from the war. Army regulars in camo smocks dashed into the outskirts, spreading out with deadly intent, with Hetzers LAV's providing cover. Here and there, 17th army snipers took potshots at the Imperials, but leaving swiftly before the Imperials could get a fix on their positions.

On reaching the now charred and collapsed defenses, special teams of troops crept into bunkers armed with incinerators. Licks of flame scorched the metal bulkheads and human flesh as Operation Backlash moved forward.

Hetzer gave himself a tight smile as he ficked on the comm system.


Imperial command center

Jarek Tchort ran a bony hand through his flaxen hair and returned the tight smile of the holo of Captain Hetzer before him.

The command center was a hive of activity, comm officers, tactical officers, techs and the everpresent stormntrooper guard at the blast doors all ahd their minds bent on the same objective, the completion of Operation Backlash.

"Our clean up is proceding as per orders, sir, Fuengarola is hardly secure, but its on th' way to being in our hands if you catch my meaning." Reported the Captain, his faces worry lines occasionally were highlighted by green fashes of the continuing bombardment.

Tchort smiled inwardly at the Captains awkward speech. "Thank you Captain, report in every hour, I want continuous feedback. Reinforcements are the way."

Switching off the comm, Tchort locked his fingers in a pyramidal shape and mused on the flowing data screens around him.

[Teleran Balades]

As the emerald bolts of energy faded away, 72 Scimitar assault bombers soared over the smoking remains. Proton bombs drop by the ships, left the ruined city-scape pock-marked with craters. Rebels hiding in the colapsed scrapers and buildings were forced to flee, as their cover was vaporized. The constant explosions made it impossible for any one within ear shot to get a chance of rest.

Imperial Flight Control Center

Teleran watched the bombers pummel what was left of Des Hul. He didn't quite agree with the admiral's strategy, he thought the ammunition and fuel could be saved for a better cause. Perhaps, though, it would rork out. The rebels would be forced to stay up all night, depriving them of needed sleep. And the proton bombs would incinerate any ruins at which they could reqroup, though there would always be cover in the tangled mess of durasteel.
He might not agree, but Tel knew better than to question orders. Operation: Scorched Earth would be pulled off without a hitch.

[Telan Desaria]

Above the City of Des Hul


The Imperial Commander above, nestled safely within the durasteel walls that had been joined together to form a fiercesome warship, had blundered severely. What General Travess might have done was his position so dominating or his resources so numerous!


Below, the final Imperial reserves of ground attack craft made a series of attack runs on Hilarian rebel emplacements, pounding them to dust and engulfing any survivors in ahellish inferno. Silhouetted against the now omnipresent grey skies over Des Hul, the Scimitars were an awesome sight. Each pilot handled his vessel marvelously - as an Imperial pilot was expected to.


Something, however, was missing.


Run after run was made by the Imperial pilots until their entire compliment of proton bombs had been exhausted. The six squadrons congregated in an impressive formation and headed north to an Imperial field resupply depot. To the north-corner of Des Hul lay the Alterian suburbs, an area of well-to-do citizens each owning more land than they themselves could maintain.


It was amidst these towering trees, terraced buildings, and terraformed rock faces created for mere aesthetics that an entire company of anti air panzers waited for their prey. Each hovercraft mounted quad-laser cannon aligned itself with a series of targets and awaited the order as the well-drilled unit approached.


The Scimitars never stood a chance. From above, shot and shell had begun to rain down as the Imperials above tried again to pulverize the city's ruins. Whatever sensors the pilots may have had operable were blinded by the interference from turbolaser shot and missile piercing the stratosphere - so the rebels struck. The rapid fire bofors guns gave off a terrible bark as each barrel recoiled into its housing only to emerge with a new round energized and chambered.


Fighter after fighter crashed into the houses which had survived, adding their own deaths to those of their enemies.


Below Des Hul


" Launch Command reports ready."


Major General Travess smiled gleefully reminded his adjutant of a boy shown the secret entrance to a sweets store. Thousands of men were going to die in the span of mere moments and his commanding officer was acting like a maniacal warlord. He, however, was.


" Very good, Colonel. Commence firing sequence."


A solitary tear fell from the Colonel's eye and he watched its timeless descent. The polished steel surface below swallowed up the drop of water into its vastness: all hope disappeared with it. An officer was never to disobey a superior, and he did not intend to. No matter what, he hoped his brother would forgive him.


With one easy flick of his wrist, the General's code cylinder turned in its mount prompting a series of lights to ascend from red to yellow to green. Monitors came alive and tecnhicians plied their trade.


Kilometers away in scathed yet abandoned parts of the city were the starburst weapons themselves. Fourteen refitted and reprogrammed Arakyd XD998 heavy missiles lay in single, independent silos waiting for digitized launch orders. When the trinary code began to filter in and was decrypted, droids awoke from their human-imposed slumber. Aimlessly and unconsciously they attached fuel cables to the mammoth weapons which only slightly stirred in their nests. Fifty tons of propellant and explosive reactant lay waiting to combust.


Twenty minutes later, a large servo droid shuffled away debris atop the hatch which had so valiantly and successfully hidden it from the world around. Prying eyes above could now take in the ominous beauty of the ancient yet potent weapon. Their pictures and holovids would have to remain shortlived.


When the hatches were thrust open exposing the missiles to light for the first time in many months, their fuel ignited. Struggling against gravity with all available might, the missiles pushed themselves towards the atmopshere. With any fighters nearby being swatted away by the anti-air net, the missiles were safe from predators.


In unison the two plus one dozen projectiles ascended high and higher. Together they punched through the pall of smoke that had engulfed Des Hul for so many bloody weeks. Together they then separated.


Each missile went its own way almost as if creating a celestial flower. The intermixed ion wakes left behind was another mark of beauty, symbol of how pretty the face of death can be. No amount of pristine smoke could hide their ominous purpose, however. When the missiles were apart they accelerated to a speed no TIE could match. Each turned on its axis and moved to congregate off the ventral bow quarter of the Centurion-class Star Destroyer Glorious.


A rapidly erected but fiercesome wall of counter battery fire was thrown up before the shields. Flechette canisters exploded like chaff hoping to damage or veer away some of their attackers.


The shields of the Destroyer were more than enough to withstand the impacts, but that was not what the missiles had in mind. They came together and exploded in a brilliant ball of fire only meters from the ship's deflector perimeter.


A fireball expanded slowly which ate away at the deflector's strength. THe Destroyer began to list and systems began to fail. Directly and indepedently the missiles would have failed. Unified, their effort was not in vain.

[Park Kraken]

"Sir, enemy projectiles in acension!" The sensors officer aboard the Glorious reported.

"All Batteries, open fire on the approaching targets now!"

::As Kraken watched, the missiles came out of orbit, then accelerated to a very rapid speed::

"Re-route all avilable power to shields right NOW!" Kraken barked in desperation.

::Then the missiles were upon them, detonating just outside the shield boundary. Several intense explosions shuddered the ship. Kraken found himself floating in mid-air as the gravity systems failed. Then, as the KDY reserve grid came online, he hit the deck hard. He pulled himself up to his chair, then looked out the viewport, and gasped at what he saw. The entire bow section of his flagship was awash in flames, at least 13 different fires. He then leapt into action::

"Order the Tormentor to close and assist, close off the bow sections, evacuate the crew members from that section, activate the extinguishers. Restore power to the engines, what is the rest of the status?"

"Sir, most of the forward section of our vessel is off-line. Just about everywhere else is ok. Hangar Bay, Engines, and Bridge suffered little or no damage."

"Okay, now he has revealed himself. Launch Operation: Crusader."

::As he spoke this last, the entire Hangar Bay of the Glorious emptied, as did the Hangar Bay of the Tormentor. In minutes, many fighters assaulted the ruins of Des Hul, but these fighters were meant to draw the AA gunners away from the many dropships, and shuttles landing in the midst, and surronding area of the city. Within minutes, the shuttles, and dropships that had made it to the ground had disgorged 500 Hapalm Hovertanks, 250 AT-ST Walkers, and 2,500 Supreme Troopers, droid Stormtroopers who are in every aspect the same as Dark Troopers, except that the Brain imbued with the Dark Side has been replaced by a Droid Brain. These troops poured down the still open missile silos, and blasted their way into the Rebel command bunker while the AT-ST walkers tore apart the AA Hovertanks, and the Hapalm Hovertanks burned away the various rebels.::

::Meanwhile, Admiral Kraken had transferred his flag to the Tormentor.::

"Send a message to Thyferra requesting that the rest of our fleet jump in, including the Support Cruiser for the Glorious. We are going to need as many ships as possible to assist her. Open a line to Commander Tchort, and Captian Teleran Balades." Order Admiral Kraken.

"Commanders, first off I want to apologize for not telling you about Operation: Crusader, but I thought it was necessary. The previous Operations were all fakes to force Travess to play his hand. Now that he has done so I have launched the real attack on his command compound. I know you both have fought long and hard to achieve success in this war. If everything moves along splendidly, it will hopefully end soon. Now I move on to the second reason I contacted you. Travess's counter-attack was more than I expected, and so I need to attend to matters up here. Commander Tchort, continue your assault. The reason you haven't been recieving any tank reinforcements was because all resources were temporary derived to building up the army needed for Operation: Crusader. The forces assault the Rebel Command bunker have specific orders, and are not to be messed with. Once the walkers, and tanks have finished mopping up though, I will place them under your command. If things don't go according to plan, I will tell you about Operation: Worm. As for you, Teleran, I will place all ships in system except for The VSD, and CSD Taskforce under your command. Your goal is to assist Commander Tchort and his troops in any way possible. All manufacturing plants except the one on Tormentor will be turned over to your command again. My advice is to manufacture AT-PTs, and prefabricated Garrison buildings that you can shuttle around. This is all for now. I have high confidence that you can carry out your missions. For now, Commander Tchort is in overall command of the Operation. I will be back soon. Good Luck."

[Telan Desaria]

Transmission 63639210-9382-BB7

From - Imperial High Command
Office of the Political Kommissaariat

Moff Ardus Kaine III

To - Acting Commander and Military Prefect, Hilari

What is the status of my world? Has order been restored yet? Reply immediately with status and anaylsis. I would like to return to my capital.

Priority Authetication Attached

(signed)
Moff Ardus Kaine III

[Park Kraken]

To: Moff Ardus Kaine III. From: Rear-Admiral Kraken, Commander of Imperial Forces on Hilari:

Moff Kaine, due to unusually high resistance resonating from a previously secret Rebel Command bunker, and a army of Elite Rebel scum lead by one Warlord Travess, the subjugation of your world is taking long than expected. We have suffered heavy casualties, but now we have found their command bunker, and have launched a major assault to destroy it. Order should soon be restored.

Admiral Kraken out.

[Jarek T'chort]

A soft haze settled over Hill 547, morning dew lay glistening on the blades of grass that still waved in the morning air.

Craters pockmarked a once idealic landscape, the gardens of Alzar, a popular lesuire area lay in ruins. Hedgerows and flower beds of all shapes and sizes had been crushed under armoured feet or by tracked vehicles.

In this scene of desolation, a forward command center had been set up. Comm equipment and AA defenses were dotted around a mobile command LAV, techs scurried about, scanning with long range devices, into the ruins of Des Hul. It was here that Colonel General Jarek Tchort had arrived for his daily trip to the front line. An entourage of Army troops acompanied him as he listened to the latest news and status from the front line.

Jarek had been given overall command of the Hilari operation, no easy task, but Jarek belived himself to be capable of bringing order to Hilari.

After all, he thought, Discipline breeds order.

New battle reports came in as he was thinking. A platoon of the 25th army engineers had stumbled across something rather interesting further into the city. Jarek donned his grey/olive trench coat and raced to the scene in his speeder. Luckily, fighting had moved away from this area some time back, so he was in comparitively little danger, not that danger worried him. He stepped down from the speeder, black dust instantly covering his jack boots. The twisted remains of ornate houses lined the streets and making his way forward, Jarek was saluted by a young field officer, a nasty gash ran down his face, evidence of the 25th's close encounters earlier in the week. Around him, several other troops snapped to attention.

Understandably taken aback by the appearence of his commanding officer, the soldier gathered himself again, and led Jarek into one of the houses.

"Well sir, we came to set up a billet here, considering this house is relatively undamaged. We examined the house for booby traps and found an inordinate amount leading down into this sub basement." The officer jerked a thumb at a small stairwell.

"I see. So?" Asked Jarek impatiently.

"Well sir, look." The young officer pushed aside a sheet of cloth, revealing heavy, solid grey blast doors, at least two meters thick.

"Well, well, well. Those doors would be at home on a Star Destroyer!" Exclaimed the scowling General. " I do not belive it is Hilari custom to put blast doors in their homes, do you soldier?"

The officer shook his head. "No sir, I belive this may lead to their command bunker, we requested a scan from the fleet about thirty minutes ago. Hopefully they can tell us for sure."

"Good work Captain, continue your scans." Jarek flipped on his comlink. "This is Tchort, I want everything you can spare here, on the double. Tchort out."

Jarek smiled and rubbed his chin with his forefingers. Stubble had begun to push through onto his face. He needed a shave. But that could wait, right now, General Travess' command bunker may have been found.

[Park Kraken]

To: Commander Jarek Tchort, From: Rear-Admiral Kraken, currently on the Cruiser Tormentor

Commander Tchort, data our scans are revealing coupled with information taken from level 5 interrogations of enemy Rebel commanders that we managed to capture alive reveals that this is indeed Travess's command bunker. The bunker I send the Darktroopers to raid appears to be litte more than a control room for the silos, however, land lines that link this control room to the command bunker are shown to run torwards your area. I am reassigning the Dark Troopers to your command, use them on this assault. Do you need anything else?

[Jarek T'chort]

To:Rear-Admiral Kraken From: Colonel General Jarek Tchort, Imperial Command center, Hilari.

Thank you Admiral, I only need the Darktroopers for now. I would like to request the X7-B nerve agent also, I'd like to gas them like the cockroaches they are.

It is not yet over Admiral, but you have my assurance that Travess' bunker will fall.

Tchort out.

*message sent 16:47: Thyferra time*

[Park Kraken]

"The X7-B Nerve Agent has arrived at your position, Commander Tchort. Please secure Warlord Travesses body if possible. I want to parade it around to convince all the enemy army units remaining that there is no hope left at all. Upon capturing any remaining rebels, we will ship them off for trial on Thyferra, then sentence them to various prisons depending on the level of which they comitted their crimes. I will launch a major assault with our reserve corps on the last five major positions/strongholds. By our estimate, 250,000 Hilarian Rebels, and 4,500 of Travess's troops remain in these areas. I will set up the troops, and you command the assault while me, and my flagship withdraws to Thyferra for repairs. Kraken out."

::The Reserve Army division is called up into position. The remaining enemy strongholds consist of:
Madrid: 500 of Travesses troops remain here
Hernia: 100,000 Hilarian Rebels have been reported here.
Bolshevik Mountian Range: 100,000 Hilarian Rebels, and 2,000 of Travesses troops have been reported, recced, and spotted in this area.
Drear Sea: A Fleet of Watercraft anchored out in this sea is reported to have 25,000 Hilarian Rebels.
Des Hul: The rest of the enemy Rebels are reported in various pockets around this city.
To the Madrid area I commit 2,500 Stormtroopers, 150 AT-ST Walkers, and 12 Scimitar Assault Bombers.
To the Hernia area I commit 2,500 Stormtroopers, 100 AT-ST Walkers, 25 AT-AT Walkers, and 24 Scimitar Assault Bombers.
To the Mountian Range, I commit 100 recently manufactured MT-ATs, and 500 Stormtroopers.
To the Drear Sea I commit 36 Scimitar Assault Bombers, and 36 TIE Interceptors.
Finally, after Tchort finishes his assault on Travess's command bunker, all the forces in that area will finish mopping up the troops in Des Hul.::

[Park Kraken]

OOC: *Grabs Shovel, Digs Thread out of Mothballs, Resloves to make Resolution for Thread*

::It has been many, many days since the Imperials launched a truly massive counterattack to finish off the Rebel Forces. Hundreds of Thousands of Rebels, fighting poorly because of broken spirits after they learned of the death of Warlord Travess, were either slaughtered, or captured. Many brave Imperials also died in the fighting, with total personnel casualties approaching 11,000, along with the destruction of nearly 20,000 droids, and vehicles. The Rebels did not go down quietly, but down they did go. Now the dust has settled, and Hilari is a shadow of it's former self. An estimated three million civilians were killed in the harsh fighting, an always unfortunate side effect of urban combat. Yet even as the planet seeks to recover from this short but bloody war, it will not do so alone. Already, relief in the form of medicine, and supplies has arrived from Thyferra, and some troopers have replaced their rifles with shovels in an effort to help Hilari recover.

Admiral Kraken now seeks to meet with Commander Tchort, and Captian Balades to discuss the aftermath of the campaign.::

"Send a message to both of the commanders to meet me in my flagship, the now repaired and returned to service Battleship Glorious. I will send a shuttle for each of them." Ordered Admiral Kraken.

"Sir, the shuttles are away." Replied the Ensign.

[Jarek T'chort]

OOC: I was waiting for Telan to react in some way.

[Teleran Balades]

(ooc: So was I, but he's not here right now.)

[Park Kraken]

OOC: I was to, but eventually Travess would be crushed anyways. I was doing a post of the future.

[Telan Desaria]

OOC - I've been away. I am back now.



The subterranean bunker from which the Hilarian revolt as it would doubtless be forever known was falling down around Major General Travess, the mutiny's mastermind. Pieces of debris were dropping from the ceiling above. Smoke had slowly begun to build up around the room's expanse, much of it coming from broken displays and fires popping about the below ground command center.


Colonel Altman sat lsumped in a chair at the far rear of the command complex. The sprawling wall display from where so mcuh havoc had been wrought sat smuggly wrapped within a shroud of sparking luminiscence. No number of shapes were visible now, only sporadic fiber-optic flare ups.


Blood now covered one eye and bruises marked the Colonel's face. Where one arm had once moved in its glory rested limply a battered and torn stretch of flesh pierced repeatedly by shrapnel and steel. The life was draining from the officer's form, each breath more labored than the last.


There were no medics to be found - all had either fled or were fighting a quickly advancing Imperial incursion.


A twinge of pain went through the Colonel and he shut his eyes for the last time. Before he exhaled his final breath of the bunker's stale air, Altman saw Travess escaping in glee. The Imperials would never find him, no matter how hard they tried. Travess had had his moment in the sun. No matter how many died, it had been his victory. Desaria's name had been blackened by his little insurrection.


With that mounrful thoughgt, Altman drifted into death.

[Jarek T'chort]

A dull grey smoke filled the wide service corridor. Inside the heavy bunker of Warlord Travess, Imperial troops now forced their way toward the command center.

Snow white Imperial Stormtroopers stepped cautiously over prone bodies lying in the corridor. The armoured troops held their rifles high, wray for any hostiles left in the smouldering wreck of the bunker. Living quaters and armouries had been defended vigourously but the weary defenders had been no match for the freshly rested stormtroopers.

The lead stormtrooper held his raised hand in a fist, signalling the other men to halt. Through the helmets vision enhancers the Imperial peered intently at two heavy blast doors ahead. Two point men ran forward. The men behind laid down a heavy web of blaster fire, by now the twang of blasters could be heard all through the bunker and its sub bunkers. The control had been fused but a shaped explosive took care of the doors. Through the sparks and smoke the stormtroopers cautiously stepped into the command center. A high command chair was in the center of the room, surrounded by consoles and displays. Bodies lay sprawled over their desks, unmoving.

Imperial forward command, Des Hul

Jarek listened intently as the troopers filtered voice came over the comm.
"...And that sir, is all thats left, most of the data banks have been wiped clean."
Jarek shifted his weight as he stood behind the comm officer. "And Travess, do you have a positive ID on him among the bodies?"
The trooper paused. "Negative sir."
"Understood lieutenant, good work, make ready for the relief squad. Command out."
Jarek drew himself up to his full two meter height. His eyes narrowed as he thought of Travess escaping down some rat hole. As ever, the fleet types cared nothing for the men and women who fought their battles as long as they saved their own hides.

But for now, the battle was over. The rebels smashed and Hilari in ruins. But it was a phyrric victory in Jareks view, a campaign that had claimed many of his best officers and soldiers.
Turning his head, he spoke to the comm officer.
"Inform the Admiral that the bunker is secure."
The officer nodded quickly, allowing Jarek to settle back in his chair and brood over his losses.

[Park Kraken]

Aboard the Battleship Glorious, in orbit over the world of Hilari....

"Admiral, we are recieving a communications from Commander Tchort. He says that the Rebel Command bunker has been secured. No positive ID on Travess, but most of the Rebel Commanders have been executed."

"Excellent. Send down relief forces to relieve the troops, and let's land the garrison buildings. Now that the enemy is decimated, we need to install the occupation force, and get it settled before we begin the official cleanup. And send a message for both Commander Tchort, and Captian Balades to meet with me in my flagship."

::Kraken then sat back in his command chair, and thought of the so long, and yet so short war of attrition that was finally over. Many good men have died to achieve this objective. Kraken then turns on the comm unit to his side, and orders in his aide to discuss arrangements for a ceremony for the fallen officers, and troops of the campaign.::