Star Wars: Fears of the New Republic

Prologue - The Remnant's Loss

Through the entire outpost, sirens screamed and alarms flashed in ordered frequencies alerting all personnel that a prisoner has escaped. Squads of Stormtroopers were dispatched, marching and marauding with their E-11 blastech rifles. The clatter of the white armor noisily filled the corridors of the outpost with sound, making their presence known.

'Subject 11573 has escaped. The specimen is needed alive. Set weapons to stun.' The orders from the automated voice rang loud and clear, and both officers and troopers alike ran about looking for the specimen, who was already making its way to the next departing docking bay. The insidious beast walked both upright and, also, would often spring forward on all fours in an unnatural gallop.

'All available personnel be on alert. This is not a drill. Subject 11573 has escaped. Specimen needed alive. Set weapons to stun.' Imperial officer Gregk Jynuar produced a small blaster from his gray uniform. He fitted the weapon with a charged, and twisted a knob setting the weapon to stun fire. His station sat nearby the docking bay for departure, and it was his duty to monitor the exports from the Iolon Outpost. Today was especially troubling due to the incident. The Imperial Remnants has been mysteriously harboring exotic alien species that Gregk never heard of before. And, if the rumors were true, the aliens were vicious and flesh hungry.

Moving out of his office, Gregk pulled around the corner of his door, aiming his gun down the exiting corridor. There was nothing there, and so he turned to face the opposite direction. He spotted a black, humanoid figure walking on both hands and feet toward an imperial shuttle. Gregk wasn't the best shot in the world, but nevertheless he aimed and fired. The blazing bolt shot from his blaster and dashed madly at the figure. It missed and blew sparks out of the hull of the Imperial shuttle. The figure swung around its head, spotted Gregk, made a hideous gurgling noise and lunged after him. The specimen was at least a good eight meters away, but the prowess of its jumping ability astounded Gregk. The beast came crashing down on him and began ripping and tearing at his chest in a vicious, animalistic rage. Gregk caught a slight glimpse of its dark face before he spouted blood from his throat and died. The face had an unmistakable reptilian look. Its mouth was shaped like a cross and its eyes were fierce yellow.

Before the figure stopped its onslaught, a squad of eight Stormtroopers burst in and began to fire without any thought of what the creature was. The specimen threw itself into the air and vanished above the ceiling. The troopers cautiously moved forward from out of the corridor. They aimed up... but saw nothing. Then, suddenly, a dark shape flashed by and grabbed one of their numbers. Guns blazed, shooting at nothing in general... just everything.

'Hold you fire!' yelled the commander. 'Pair up! Secure the area! No more aimless firing!'

The troopers obeyed and moved in pairs in all directions of the docking bay. There was nothing but silence... and then, suddenly, the piercing scream of the kidnaped Stormtroopers was heard. All of the troopers looked up to see their comrade falling from the ceiling at fifty feet or so. The clashes of his armor rang the ears first, and then the splat of his flesh came as well.

Stricken with panic, the Stormtroopers began retreating back to the corridor. The commander went in first, with his back and gun aimed toward the docking bay, the others followed. Then, the commander tripped over the shredded body of an Imperial officer and when his head hit the ground, he looked up to see a hideous face. It was the specimen, and before the commander could yelp, the beast had sliced off his head, helmet and all. It rolled menacingly toward the other Stormtroopers. They turned and fired... but it was too late. The creature was on them before the first bullet of their guns could spit out.

Blood went everywhere and some of the troopers fell backwards in a panic frenzy to flee. One by one they fell to the devilish creature who laughed almost like a human, but the voice gurgled as it spoke. Relishing its divine powers reclaimed, it dashed toward the Imperial shuttle and entered. It started up the engines, prepped for takeoff, set a course and launched out of the docking bay. Minutes later the nav. computer calculated a jump and the shuttle flashed out of sight.

Four months pass...