Chapter 4: The Empire

OOM2-001 day was perfect. If you didn't consider the small Imperial armada that just dropped out hyperspace.

"All the ships, shields up!"

"Roger Roger Admiral"

"Sir, the enemy launched fighters!"

"Retreat towards the base! The turrets in the asteroid belt will be able to damage the first wave at least! I want all our Vulture fighters defending the main ships! And contact General Grievous!"

"We have 40 IDT coming towards us!"

"Send Hyena bombers. Don't make that troopers arrive on our flagship!"

Bridge of the Star Destroyer class Executor

"Milord, the first wave of TIE fighters has been destroyed by the enemy barrage fire of hidden turrets- aghh" the ex-commander of Vader flagship was interrupted by the force-choking of the Sith Lord

"Failure isn't accepted" He turned his head to the underling of the now-dead commander "I hope you will do a better work, Admiral" It was true, under Vader command people made success quickly, but they met the wrong side of a lightsaber or Vader's powers even quicker, too.

"You've heard Lord Vader. Prepare for the second wave!"

"I'll lead it" Darth Vader said "Those Separatists are already dead"

"So sure about that?" a voice behind him asked. Vader turned to face whoever dared to challenge him

"Well, hello there" Grievous greeted the sith lord, extracting one of his lightsabers from the chest of a stormtrooper

"General Grievous" Vader answered, extracting and activating his lightsaber

"It all feels a bit of deja-vu to me, but..." Grievous left his sentence voluntarly unfinished and activated one other lightsaber

"Just two? I may get offended, General"

"Come here and fight, you filthy Sith scum"

"With pleasure"

Vader engaged Grievous, their lightsaber clashing. Vader used his weapon like a scythe, trying to fend off Grievous arms, while Grievous' lightsabers seemed to fly trough the air, faster and deadlier than blaster bolts. While they fought, trying to overwhelm each other, Grievous' Magnaguards massacred the ship's personnel. Vader noticed it and crushed one of them with the Force, but Grievous utilised that moment and landed a blow on Vader's leg, leaving a wound that revealed wires and circuits "Who's the droid now, General Skywalker?"

"What? How?"

"I recognize the fighting styles and yours is pretty… unique"

"That's no matter. You'll be dead at the end of this duel! Your fleet is completely overwhelmed!"

"About that… I may have called a few friends. Do you mind if they joins the party?" Grievous said as he protended one arm toward the window. A massive fleet, made of several Providence, Lucrehulk and Recusant class cruisers, plus various minor ships. Several holograms were projected by the communicator

"Admiral Trench, reporting for duty"

"General Kalani, ready for the battle"

"General Loathsom, ready to kick some Imperial asses"

This new fleet was absolutely superior to Vader's small flottila, both in numbers and in tactical ability.

Vader felt like the situation had slipped out of his hand. He felt frustrated, angered at the old separatist. And anger is a powerful ally of the Siths. Vader started an impressive series of blows. Grievous deflected the most of them, but the sith lord was too much even for him and he could see in a slow-motion-like vision the crimson lightsaber that aimed for his skull, too fast for him to deflect in time. He never thought it would end like this. And, in fact, it didn't. He opened his eyes slowly and he could see something strange. Vader's saber had been blocked by a pink shield

"What in..." Vader asked. A boy appeared out of nothing and managed to block his weapon? He was startled. Grievous lost no time. He jumped over the shield and shot lightings to the Sith Lord. Vader checked rapidly his conditions. By the computer of the suit, its sytems was going to fail, if another shot like that was shot.

"This isn't going to finish there!" He shoved with the force Grievous and the shielded boy. Then he punched with force the window and exited from the hole before the emergency anti-vacuum curtains could close. Once on the outside, he called with a remote his fighter, that rapidly arrived. He set course for Coruscant. His master wasn't going to be happy about that, he was sure.

Later, Indipendence's bridge

All the five remaining commanders of the Confederate Army and Navy sit at the table

Grievous opened the planning session "I am incredibly pleased of you being here. We're all that remain of the CIS. I studied some plan that might help us to survive the Empire overwhelming forces. Before I start, I need a briefing about your forces"

Trench started "I have two Lucrehulks, a Providence, four Recusants, numerous fighters and bombers, but no droids, if you not consider the pilots"

"My forces have the oppost problem" Kalani stated "I have exactly 8340 B1 droids and 160 droidekas, but only a Recusant class ship and a few Vultures"

"I have one Lucrehulk and five Tartan, but my troops have several Hailfire drois and AATs" Loathsome reported

"As you know, General" OOM2 finished "My fleet have a lucrehulk and five Recusants available. I'm currently using the Tartan class ships to retrieve materials for the droid factories

"Good, good. Trench, Kalani, you will leave your ships to me, except Trench's four Recusants, and you'll take the captured Star Destroyer that is able to fight. I want you to raid supplies routes and make contacts with possible rebels cells. Loathsome, you'll take two Lucrehulks, two Recusants and three Tartans and protect our base here. I want the two damaged Star Destroyer repaired. I and OOM2 will take the other ships and wait for a good target to hit. I'm thinking about-"

"Sir! A communication on all frequencies!" a B1 class droid run in

"Put it on"

A Kaleesh face appeared "To anyone listening, help! We are under Imperial attack!"

"Seems like the perfect battle had showed itself"

Kalee, a few hours before

Yellow Diamond had to admit it. This race had truly amazed her. They were a race of true warriors, like her and, for what she could learn from the tales the elder Kaleesh told her. At one point the two run into an enourmous tower

"What's that?" Yellow Diamond asked

The Kaleesh answered "That's the greatest temple we ever built. For the greastest warlord Kalee ever had, Qymaen Jai Sheelal. Sadly, he left us several years ago. So we were-"

"Elder Zekaloph! Elder Zekaloph!" a young warrior run towards the shaman and the gem matriarch

"What's the matter, young one?"

"L-look!" the warrior cried out pointing to the sky. The sky had been blue. Had been. In that moment an enormous grey triangular ship, surronded by another two littler ones and probably more in the space surrounding the planet

"The Empire… Young one, has the Elders of every tribe been informed?"

"Yes, Elder. We are preparing the warriors to fight off the stormtroopers"

"Excellent. Launch a distress signal before they jam our comunications!

"I'll go, Elder!" the warrior launched himself in the direction of a tower in the near village

"So, it appears that we'll go down fighting. What's your plans for the evening?"

"You have no real ways to beat this Empire, you know"

"Not a real reason to surrender"

"I'm liking your race more and more every second"