It is the early days of the Rebellion, and the final twilight of the Old Republic. The Jedi are few and shrinking, the empire is ever growing and conquering. On the remote, lush planet of Orepsorp, a young pilot named Donovan Addick is about to accept the most important mission of his young life...
The roar of X-wings is the only disturbance for the peaceful city of Sioul. The city sits calmly in its canyon, protected from the surface of the planet , from attack, from wind and from Imperial detection. The sun reflects brilliantly off the 1000-ft waterfall on the north face of the valley, illuminating the streets and plazas of the delicate metropolis. Civilians bustle back and forth across stone bridges which stand confidently over one of the countless underground rivers that help to make Orepsorp such a lush and vivacious planet. Vines and shrubs decorate the near-vertical walls of the valley providing and picturesque background for living and working. Sioul is a technological center of the galaxy. Researchers from far and wide come from the top universities to live in the peace and prosperity of this magical city. Needless to say the newly formed empire would love to get their hands on its resources and facilities.
Arbine Addick is the mayor of Sioul. Although relatively young for a politician, only in his 40s, he has charisma and charm as well as amazing planning and financial senses. Under his regime, the city has flourished amid the relative troubles which are engulfing the galaxy. Addick has been successful in continuing the tradition of the keeping this city hidden except to the great minds who live there. This tradition has become drastically more important due to the recent rise of the new Empire. They use a sophisticated system of magnetic interferences and plasma isolation to create shield which covers the opening to the city from above. All known scanners track this shield as simply grasslands, one spot amongst thousands of acres of rolling hills, lush grasslands and temperate forests. The shield is generated by machines, camouflaged as trees and stones, built into the cliffs by the ancients. In a thousand years, no uninvited vessels have ever landed in Sioul and no military presence has ever existed there. Times have changed.
Arbine Addick has become an active member of the Rebel Alliance and set up a top academy and flight school for young men and women seeking to restore order to the galaxy.
"...this is why you always have to stick into a 45 dash 2-0 turn when approaching at point 35. Too much speed can in this sharp of a turn will assure you a place in history, as a moron." Addick spoke clearly and with didactic tones, his pupils watched with urgency at the lesson their instructor has so precisely demonstrated with a holographic 3-dimensional active model. "You kids are lucky, we have outfitted all our X-wings with emergency evasive systems as well as a back up system programmed into your R2 unit. Its just about impossible for you to crash out there unless you are really trying hard. These days, pilots have enough to worry about. You never know where or when an attack will come."
A young man raises his hand from the center of the classroom. "Does the Empire outfit their TIEs with similar systems?"
"Of course not! The empire neither has the technology nor the time to implement it. Besides, they train their pilots to be expendable, they practice swarm tactics and one on one manhunts and dog fighting. The old ways are effective, but they cost a lot of pilots. They don't even seem to mind. You, however, are much more important to us, you are the ones who are going to bring the Empire to its knees....someday."
Addick glances at the clock on the wall and shakes his head with disappointment. At that moment, and aide enters the room and distracts the attention of the class. Addick turns.
"Sir, your city advisors are waiting outside."
"Thank you Lieutenant, I will be along shortly." He turns back to the class. "Ok, I have other matters to attend to. Get yourselves something to eat and I will meet you are the hangars at sunset. Dismissed"
The class files out with a moderate chatter as would be expected of young cadets, Addick exits through the back door where his advisors are waiting, ledgers in hand, ready to report."
"Good day Sir."
"Good day all, now, then lets get down to business." Addick walks with haste down the hallways of the academy building. His advisors follow in single file order allowing for cadets and personnel to pass down the opposite side. The relatively young advisors seem to be out of breath following the middle-aged mayor and veteran. He speaks without facing his precession. "Who is first? Financial?"
The financial advisor, called only by Yorin, is a short and clean cut young man raised in Sioul. Although he excelled in his studies at the Academy of Finances on Alderaan, he lacks real world experience and know-how. "Sir, the city has reported a gain of .5% in the last quarter markets. Our techs have recently received a grant from investors on Tel-Mah. We are prospering, but of late there has been talk of potential losses in intergalactic trading, they urge us to invest in short term tech. What do you think?"
"No way!! Short-term techs will expire as soon as the Empire decides to intervene. We are going to be at war for a generation, we need mining. Find out all the mining colonies which have no Imperial influences and schedule a meeting with their Administrators. You have to start thinking ahead, my boy. Next, um, recreational?"
The advisors briefly scramble to realign in the hallway as the recreational advisor appears. Her name is Ateena, she is a beautiful girl with short brown hair and wears white. Like the Yorin, has lived in Sioul all her short life, she is well-liked by the people and shares a compassion for her fellow citizens. Addick chose her because he knew the future would need a strong heart as well and careful planning. She spoke in a timid manner, but her words were confident. "Sir, despite the troubles elsewhere, we are flourishing. Arts and cultural activities are more popular than in the past 20 seasons and the schools are reporting a wave of scholastic excellence. You are rated almost 10 points higher than your predecessor and the people elected him for 8 terms."
Addick glances back while he continues down the long hallway to the back entrance where his small transport craft is waiting. Before opening the back door, he smiles at her and chuckles. "How is your mother anyway?"
"She's fine, sir"
"Arbine. You are too formal with me child. Transportation, your next."
Addick pauses and does not board his ship. He looks at his transportation advisor, and old Snetanian with pale green skin and large round eyes. A smart old fellow, he came to Sioul to work as an engineer and soon found his talent for designing systems for freighters and transports. Upon 'retirement' from the aerospace engineering dept. Addick picked him up for his cabinent. He spoke his native language since he lacked the vocal capacities to communicate with the native humans. "Zee toona estinune booga nana nana feretteneck."
"Excellent, tell the head engineering I want full details by morning. Anything else? No? Good." He looks around at the puzzled young faces of his committee. In case you were wondering, our old friend has informed me that the tunnel on the north ridge is coming ahead of schedule. You kids should learn to pay attention, maybe you would have a more universal sense of language."
Addick looks over the small crowd for his remaining advisors. He points silently at the chief of police and public safety. He smiles and shakes his head indicating nothing to report. The mayor flashes a questioning look toward his city planner and agricultural consultants. They shake their heads with amusement. All is well.
"I apologize for the brevity and informality of this meeting, but you have to see that I am busy man. You have all done well with your positions of power. Keep up the good work, I will see you again shortly. Lietenant."
Addick and the Lietenant jump into the transport craft and close the glass canopy and it rises from the ground and whistles down the avenue toward the airstrip on the outskirts on the city. The size and dept of the valley provide it will excellent training grounds for pilots of all classes. Addick himself was a fighter pilot for the republic before the Empire. After joining up with the alliance, he reached the rank of Major before he was shot down and nearly taken prisoner by Imperial forces. Since that time he has remained grounded, and has proven to be a tremendously effective strategist and planner of the Alliance as well as operating his own flight academy. Promoted to the rank of General, he grows dubious of the future of the alliance.
"How are things Lieutenant?"
"Fine sir, that is to say, nothing out of the ordinary."
"And how is my son?"
"Well, general, he is still shaken. As you know he's our best pilot, but I wonder the condition of his health."
"I will speak with him."
The roar of X-wings is the only disturbance for the peaceful city of Sioul. The city sits calmly in its canyon, protected from the surface of the planet , from attack, from wind and from Imperial detection. The sun reflects brilliantly off the 1000-ft waterfall on the north face of the valley, illuminating the streets and plazas of the delicate metropolis. Civilians bustle back and forth across stone bridges which stand confidently over one of the countless underground rivers that help to make Orepsorp such a lush and vivacious planet. Vines and shrubs decorate the near-vertical walls of the valley providing and picturesque background for living and working. Sioul is a technological center of the galaxy. Researchers from far and wide come from the top universities to live in the peace and prosperity of this magical city. Needless to say the newly formed empire would love to get their hands on its resources and facilities.
Arbine Addick is the mayor of Sioul. Although relatively young for a politician, only in his 40s, he has charisma and charm as well as amazing planning and financial senses. Under his regime, the city has flourished amid the relative troubles which are engulfing the galaxy. Addick has been successful in continuing the tradition of the keeping this city hidden except to the great minds who live there. This tradition has become drastically more important due to the recent rise of the new Empire. They use a sophisticated system of magnetic interferences and plasma isolation to create shield which covers the opening to the city from above. All known scanners track this shield as simply grasslands, one spot amongst thousands of acres of rolling hills, lush grasslands and temperate forests. The shield is generated by machines, camouflaged as trees and stones, built into the cliffs by the ancients. In a thousand years, no uninvited vessels have ever landed in Sioul and no military presence has ever existed there. Times have changed.
Arbine Addick has become an active member of the Rebel Alliance and set up a top academy and flight school for young men and women seeking to restore order to the galaxy.
"...this is why you always have to stick into a 45 dash 2-0 turn when approaching at point 35. Too much speed can in this sharp of a turn will assure you a place in history, as a moron." Addick spoke clearly and with didactic tones, his pupils watched with urgency at the lesson their instructor has so precisely demonstrated with a holographic 3-dimensional active model. "You kids are lucky, we have outfitted all our X-wings with emergency evasive systems as well as a back up system programmed into your R2 unit. Its just about impossible for you to crash out there unless you are really trying hard. These days, pilots have enough to worry about. You never know where or when an attack will come."
A young man raises his hand from the center of the classroom. "Does the Empire outfit their TIEs with similar systems?"
"Of course not! The empire neither has the technology nor the time to implement it. Besides, they train their pilots to be expendable, they practice swarm tactics and one on one manhunts and dog fighting. The old ways are effective, but they cost a lot of pilots. They don't even seem to mind. You, however, are much more important to us, you are the ones who are going to bring the Empire to its knees....someday."
Addick glances at the clock on the wall and shakes his head with disappointment. At that moment, and aide enters the room and distracts the attention of the class. Addick turns.
"Sir, your city advisors are waiting outside."
"Thank you Lieutenant, I will be along shortly." He turns back to the class. "Ok, I have other matters to attend to. Get yourselves something to eat and I will meet you are the hangars at sunset. Dismissed"
The class files out with a moderate chatter as would be expected of young cadets, Addick exits through the back door where his advisors are waiting, ledgers in hand, ready to report."
"Good day Sir."
"Good day all, now, then lets get down to business." Addick walks with haste down the hallways of the academy building. His advisors follow in single file order allowing for cadets and personnel to pass down the opposite side. The relatively young advisors seem to be out of breath following the middle-aged mayor and veteran. He speaks without facing his precession. "Who is first? Financial?"
The financial advisor, called only by Yorin, is a short and clean cut young man raised in Sioul. Although he excelled in his studies at the Academy of Finances on Alderaan, he lacks real world experience and know-how. "Sir, the city has reported a gain of .5% in the last quarter markets. Our techs have recently received a grant from investors on Tel-Mah. We are prospering, but of late there has been talk of potential losses in intergalactic trading, they urge us to invest in short term tech. What do you think?"
"No way!! Short-term techs will expire as soon as the Empire decides to intervene. We are going to be at war for a generation, we need mining. Find out all the mining colonies which have no Imperial influences and schedule a meeting with their Administrators. You have to start thinking ahead, my boy. Next, um, recreational?"
The advisors briefly scramble to realign in the hallway as the recreational advisor appears. Her name is Ateena, she is a beautiful girl with short brown hair and wears white. Like the Yorin, has lived in Sioul all her short life, she is well-liked by the people and shares a compassion for her fellow citizens. Addick chose her because he knew the future would need a strong heart as well and careful planning. She spoke in a timid manner, but her words were confident. "Sir, despite the troubles elsewhere, we are flourishing. Arts and cultural activities are more popular than in the past 20 seasons and the schools are reporting a wave of scholastic excellence. You are rated almost 10 points higher than your predecessor and the people elected him for 8 terms."
Addick glances back while he continues down the long hallway to the back entrance where his small transport craft is waiting. Before opening the back door, he smiles at her and chuckles. "How is your mother anyway?"
"She's fine, sir"
"Arbine. You are too formal with me child. Transportation, your next."
Addick pauses and does not board his ship. He looks at his transportation advisor, and old Snetanian with pale green skin and large round eyes. A smart old fellow, he came to Sioul to work as an engineer and soon found his talent for designing systems for freighters and transports. Upon 'retirement' from the aerospace engineering dept. Addick picked him up for his cabinent. He spoke his native language since he lacked the vocal capacities to communicate with the native humans. "Zee toona estinune booga nana nana feretteneck."
"Excellent, tell the head engineering I want full details by morning. Anything else? No? Good." He looks around at the puzzled young faces of his committee. In case you were wondering, our old friend has informed me that the tunnel on the north ridge is coming ahead of schedule. You kids should learn to pay attention, maybe you would have a more universal sense of language."
Addick looks over the small crowd for his remaining advisors. He points silently at the chief of police and public safety. He smiles and shakes his head indicating nothing to report. The mayor flashes a questioning look toward his city planner and agricultural consultants. They shake their heads with amusement. All is well.
"I apologize for the brevity and informality of this meeting, but you have to see that I am busy man. You have all done well with your positions of power. Keep up the good work, I will see you again shortly. Lietenant."
Addick and the Lietenant jump into the transport craft and close the glass canopy and it rises from the ground and whistles down the avenue toward the airstrip on the outskirts on the city. The size and dept of the valley provide it will excellent training grounds for pilots of all classes. Addick himself was a fighter pilot for the republic before the Empire. After joining up with the alliance, he reached the rank of Major before he was shot down and nearly taken prisoner by Imperial forces. Since that time he has remained grounded, and has proven to be a tremendously effective strategist and planner of the Alliance as well as operating his own flight academy. Promoted to the rank of General, he grows dubious of the future of the alliance.
"How are things Lieutenant?"
"Fine sir, that is to say, nothing out of the ordinary."
"And how is my son?"
"Well, general, he is still shaken. As you know he's our best pilot, but I wonder the condition of his health."
"I will speak with him."