(Note: This fanfiction was started before the "New Sith Order" was revealed in the Legacy series of Star Wars Novels. The two are unrelated.)

The Alliance to Restore the Republic failed. Their leaders such as Mon Mothma, Ackbar and Fey'lya were killed before they could gain momentum. The Immortal Emperor Palpatine, sustained through clone bodies, reigns supreme in all but the most wayward parts of the galaxy. Young citizens of the Empire are taking on the mantle of protecting it having never faced a widespread Rebellion. Behind it all the New Order of the Sith flourishes kept in check only by The Emperor and his select few champions.

From beyond the farthest reaches of the Outer Rim an enemy is waiting, ready to conquer a galaxy long promised. Ready to free it of the technology of the Empire, and doom it's inhabitants to eternal pain or death...

"All Pilots to ready stations!" Blared the voice of the ship's flight controller over the intra-ship com system.

Admiral Dorja stood looking through the forward viewports of the Star Destroyer Ardent as hyperspace swirled past. Behind and below him the bridge officers and crew went through system checks and prepared command and control systems.

Out beyond the swirling lights were the six other destroyers that made up his taskforce. Two mark two Imperial class destroyers and four upgraded Victory II Destroyers. He had desperately wanted to wait an extra day for the droid fighter equipped escort carriers to arrive and join his fleet but that delay for this mission was too great.

Bastion, a well populated and loyal system in the outer rim territories had sent a general distress signal stating that the system had come under attack by an alien force of unknown origin. That was the only information that had reached a nearby patrol frigate before the signal cut off. The Frigate had dispatched it's two hyperspace capable Gunboats to jump to Bastion and determine the nature of the emergency further while the Frigate jumped core ward to report. Neither gunboats reported in at the assigned time.

Over the past month pirate and insurgent groups had been attacking Hypercom communication platforms through the outer rim and even into the colonies. Contact with several key positions was starting to become spotty at best. It had been more than two weeks now since the last report from Yaga Minor. Fearing that enough rebel cells had massed to attack the shipyard and had cut off communications, he had begun to assemble a group to perform a recon in force when the distress signal arrived.

The Twenty six squadrons of starfighters his fleet carried would be more than a match for any rebel force they encountered. Still, it paid to be cautious and he hadn't stayed alive this long by recklessly jumping into situations he wasn't prepared for. Dorja wondered who or what the alien attackers could be. Surely the Chiss would have sent some warning if there was something coming in from the unknown regions. If it was the Chiss themselves attacking then the Emperor would already have been screaming for the heads of every one of the blue skinned humanoids.

They emerged at the edge of the system and began scans directed toward the systems inhabited planet.
"Status report please. How many rebels are we dealing with?"

Commander Wintle looked up from the crew pit. "Sir it's odd. We've found debris in orbit with enough mass to match Bastion's defence forces but no active Ion signatures."
"Hmm... let me see a magnified view."
A small view screen built into the wall activated showing a grainy image of Bastion. Small flecks of debris could be seen where they passed across the face of the planet.
"You're sure there's no sign of rebel ships in the system? There must be an Ion wake or some remains from a fleet large enough to do this."

"Nothing sir. Only a few asteroids in a high orbit."

"I want a full load out on our TIE Gauntlets. Equip as many as possible with shield pods and arm all of them with missiles. The Gunboats and Skiprays will escort us as we make the jump in system. Same orders to all ships."

The fleet reverted with the ISD's in a wide delta formation and two Victory's above, the remaining two below.

"Sensors, find me something useful."

"Main population centers appear to have suffered orbital bombardment. Pattern is inconsistent with any in the databanks."

"Blast." Muttered Dorja to himself.

"Is it possible they suffered a directed asteroid bombardment?" Asked Wintle, directing his attention both to the Admiral and the sensors operator. "We did detect asteroids in orbit after all."

"Movement from the asteroid and debris field sir."

Wintle spun on his heel. "Weapons can you get a lock?"

"Negative sir no definitive contacts."

Dorja held up hand towards the Commander. "We'll hold our fire until we can get a good look at the intruders. Same order to all ships."

"Aye sir! Permission to have Interceptors form up into independent strike units."

"Very well, but include the strike units as part of our fighter screen for the moment, deploy our squadrons in a defensive formation. Only launch the strikes units if they try to run for it."

The Destroyers continued in closer to the gravity well for five minutes. "Sensors tell me you have a contact sorted out from those rocks." Whispered the Commander.

"I'm sorry sir but whenever I positively identify an object that appears to be moving under power, it just turns out to be an asteroid fragment. I've logged nearly two hundred of them."

"Admiral, it's no good. The asteroid fragments are interfering with sensor locks. It's like they're moving under their own power."

"Lieutenant, put some of the images of the asteroid fragments up on the main screen. Scroll through them, perhaps we'll find a thruster unit staring back at us."

Images began to blink up on the screen, one replacing another in rapid succession. Dorja began to frown. There was something wrong here, something he'd overlooked. The smaller asteroid fragments all looked very similar. All had the same basic shape, almost as if-

"Hyperspace reversions detected aft! Multiple contacts!"

001