Star Wars Vanguard
The Empire has been defeated. After the climactic Battle of Jakku the once powerful galactic power is no more with its surviving members scattering to the stars. Grand Admiral Rae Sloane has escape Jakku with Brendol and Armitage Hux into the Unknown Regions of space. She journeys on a ship called the Imperialis there as she was given coordinates for a location in the Unknown Regions from one of the Emperor's closets agent. She is uncertain of what she'll find but she has the hope that she can rebuild the Empire from this secret location.
Rae Sloane POV
I was seized by stormtroopers immediately after the Imperialis landed and opened its doors. I had been traveling for months since the Battle of Jakku to a destination located in the Unknown Regions of space. When we finally reached our destination I was given the sight of a Super Star Destroyer and not just any Super Star Destroyer, this was the Eclipse, the Emperor's former personal Super Star Destroyer. It was reported destroyed in a battle against the Rebel Alliance but there it was. Then a tractor beam began pulling the Imperialis in, to one of the hangar bays the Eclipse had.
Then the doors were forced open and gas filled the ship. I held my breath for as long as I could but stormtroopers came onto the bridge and stunned me. This is how I found myself dazed on a turbo lift heading to who knows what. I have a bad feeling about this. The stormtroopers soon realized I was awake and helped me onto my feet as the door to the turbo lift opened. They placed cuffs on me and lead through a series of hallways and doors until we came to the last door. It opened and we walked inside.
I saw two more stormtroopers and a blue skinned red eyed man dressed in a white Imperial uniform staring down at a datapad.
"You're late Rae Sloane. We were expecting you days ago." The blue man said.
"Who the hell are you." I asked, more annoyed than anything.
"Forgive me, I forgot my manners. Unfortunately my name is unpronounceable in your language but my Emperor has taken to calling Vrist." The blue man said.
"I want to meet this Emperor of yours." I told him.
"Of course, and he wants to meet you as well. Follow me." Vrist replied. Vrist turned around and began walking up the staircase behind him, I soon followed him with two stormtroopers in front of me and two behind me. We soon reached a small platform in front of a door which slid open to reveal a vast room. At the very end sat a dark cloaked figure on a throne surrounded by red guards. On closer inspection these guards wore different armor than the ones worn by Palpatine's guards. I was escorted by Vrist and the stormtroopers to the figure on the throne.
I took note of the room along the way. The room had the throne and multiple consoles lined up in rows and circles. The floor was all gray and the space nothing but a metal walkway and railings connecting the entrance to the end of the room with the thrones and consoles. On either side of the walkway were two gigantic holes that looked bottomless. Behind the throne was a window that looked out onto a nebula.
I finally came to a stop a few feet from the throne. The cloaked figure made a motion with his hand, dismissing the stormtroopers but not Vrist. The figure slowly raised its head and I saw their face. Their skin was ash white, their eyes a hatred filled yellow and most of their face was covered by a mechanical mask. On closer inspection I realized most of their body was machine and metal.
"I am Malgus." The figure said.
"The Malgus. As in the Sith Lord Malgus. The Malgus who waged war on the Republic thousands of years ago. I learned about you in school then at the Imperial Academy. I studied your tactics and strategies. And you're supposed to be dead. Killed at the Battle of Ilum during the opening days of the Galactic War." I responded.
"I have immense power at my disposal. I have used my hatred to keep me alive for thousands of years. And now I have returned." Malgus said.
"So what do you want with me? If your so powerful why am I here?" I asked.
"If time has taught me anything it is that I need allies to conquer the galaxy. I will need people like you to build a stronger empire than the Sith ever could do. You will have your peace and security and I will have what I've always wanted, an empire. When the Sith Empire collapsed it left behind much of its former strength in the Unknown Regions. I took control of that strength and rebuilt it. I rebuilt the Sith Order and created the Praetorian Guards you see before you. I did what I could to rebuild the military but it was never the same. I reestablished our alliance with the Chiss Ascendancy as Vrist should exemplify. I am the dark side power your Emperor sensed. Now that your empire has fallen many from it will flock to the Unknown Regions and to me but you have a choice, join me and help rebuild an empire more suitable to your vision or be cast off and forgotten by the galaxy. I already have Brendol and Armitage Hux, shouldn't take much to convince them to join me. With you I will have a capable military commander at my side." Malgus stretched out his hand, offering me a place in his new empire.
Part of me wanted a quiet peaceful life, I had just fought a war and I felt tired. But another part of me felt a sense of renewed purpose. I knew that if I walked away from this I would any sense of direction, a wanderer among the stars. This time would be different, this time the empire would not be held back by the weaknesses of the previous one. No more corrupt officers out for themselves, no more backstabbing, no more incompetence and no more resistance. The old empire was arrogant and that was its downfall. And it was all mine to create.
I took Malgus's hand and shook it "When do we start?" I asked.
"Now, welcome to our First Order." Malgus looked over to Vrist " Set a course for Dromund Kaas." he ordered. Vrist began typing on his datapad. I looked into Malgus's eyes and we both this was the start of something much grander than either of us envisioned.