"Your request is quite insignificant, but beneficial, nonetheless." The Admiral said, looking across the table at Verrak with his right prosthetic eye. It glowed ominously, an intimidating yellow, surrounded by scarring. "So long as you accept Zero Command as your sole loyalty, we will accept you into our fleet."
"Thank you, Warlord." Verrak assured him, getting up from the table, a hint of relief showing in his relaxed shoulders. "My ship and fighters are under your command, and we will not betray you."
"That is good to hear. I believe your services will prove useful in time, especially with the possession of rebel star fighters and craft." The Admiral stated, folding his hands together. "Dismissed."
Verrak continued towards the door, and out into the corridor. There was no hangar on the Shockwave, so it would be difficult to find the shuttle that would return him to his crew. Docking clamps were spaced at hundred meter intervals along the Tector-Class Star Destroyer's hull, all on standby for transports. Docking Clamp 1-Aurek was the one he was headed to, directly on the back of the command bridge structure. The airlock opened, and Verrak boarded the Lambda-Class shuttle.
With a hiss the airlock closed and depressurized, and the shuttle disconnected with a slight jolt. Verrak took a seat near the head of the shuttle, in range of the viewports. The Atravis defenses were amazing, no Golan Platforms but there were plenty of Star Destroyers. And they left the Shockwave behind setting back to the Resilient. Verrak clicked his comm cylinder and queued up Thelcar. "Lieutenant." He snapped. "You are being transferred to the Star Destroyer Defiant. Leave immediately."
"Yes sir." Crackled through the long range comm transmission. "At once."
Verrak cut the link, and sat back in his seat, observing the shipyards. Three Dreadnought-Class heavy cruisers dropped flickered into view, dropping out of hyperspace. Their hulls were battered with many breaches and carbon scoring. The third looked as if it were on the verge of falling apart, the midsection nearly skeletal. Several tugboats pulled up beside them, and towed them into one of the ribcage repair docks. The rebels must be pushing hard. "Pilot, where did those Dreadnoughts come from?" Verrak queried.
"There are several hundred dreadnoughts stationed on the border with Teradoc's 'Greater Maldrood'. He's been trying to take this sector for a several months." He grunted. "Seems he's been pushing further."
"Ah." Verrak answered. The Shockwave pulled out of the ribcage hangar and turned towards the defense perimeter. "Where's the Admiral going?"
"Tsoss Beacon." The pilot told him. "Some meeting with all the other warlords."
"Alright." Verrak acknowledged. "How much longer until we get back to the Resilient?"
"Two minutes." He explained. "We may have to change course with the Shockwave leaving the system. Even so, we should be there within five."
Verrak sat back and relaxed, waiting for the sound of docking clamps. The DP-20 was now his own ship, and deserved a name. Silent. That would do for now, she'd be called the Silent. His ship came into sight, and with a hiss and thud they docked.
"Master, how much longer must we wait?" An officer asked. His insignia showed he was a captain.
"Not much longer, Captain Zera. Indeed, we have waited some time, but patience will ultimately lead us to victory." Master Hallis assured his captain. "Have you stationed competent officers aboard this ship? It would be a shame if I had to execute another."
"Yes sir. I have my best men commanding the tactical systems currently. We only wait for your order to attack." Zera confirmed.
"Good." Hallis said, stroking his chin. "The moment Admiral Daala enters the station, notify me. I want to see her dead."
"Yes, Master." Zera mumbled. He relayed the orders across the Praetor's bridge. "Anything else, Master?"
"No, captain. You may return to your duties. I will be in my quarters, meditating." Hallis said, rising from the captain's chair and leaving the bridge.
Zera sighed with relief as Hallis disappeared. He could never be rid of that Jedi. He always acted as if he were the most powerful person aboard this ship. 'I am.' Whispered into his mind. That blasted Jedi could even read his thoughts. He would have to be more careful of even what he planned.
The Shockwave dropped out of hyperspace into the Tsoss Beacon asteroid base. The large outline of the relay station floated in the middle of it; the location of the meeting with all of the other warlords. A black Executor-Class Star Dreadnought waited, along with several Star Destroyers and Praetors. And a last ship dropped out of hyperspace, a Venator-Class Star Destroyer.
All of the other vessels began to deploy shuttles, all heading towards the Beacon. Following directions to arrive at the meeting point, Admiral Harrsk boarded his own shuttle. It disconnected and joined the rest, flying towards and landing in one of the Beacon's hangars.
The ramp lowered, and Harrsk descended. "Admiral Harrsk, welcome." A woman greeted him. "I am Admiral Daala. Are you prepared to engage in the peace talks?" She asked.
"Its Warlord Harrsk to you." Harrsk growled at her, walking over to her. "Where is the conference room?"
"Sorry, warlord." Daala stressed the word sarcastically. "Follow me." She guided herself and Harrsk through the hangar towards one of the corridors to a meeting room. Conference room one, at the center of the station. This could bring an end to the Imperial Civil War, if all went well.
The walk took only several minutes, the speed boosted by several speed-walk pathways. When they arrived, the doors slid open automatically, revealing twelve other high ranking ex-Imperial officers. They all broke their discussions with each other to spare glances at the new arrivals.
"Hello, Admiral Daala, Admiral Harrsk." A man with a thicker body greeted with a slight nod of the head. "I trust you two are well?"
"We-" Daala began, before being cut off abruptly by Harrsk.
"We are just fine, Teradoc. Thank you." Harrsk said, declining the use of nodding towards the others to acknowledge their equal positions. "I see I am late for these arrangements, do you intend to brief me on them?"
"Of course." Teradoc responded. "Sit down."
Blitzer Harrsk took a seat at the conference table, observing each of the other warlords. "So, Teradoc" He grumbled, quietly. "Are you ready to remove your forces from my border?"
"No, Harrsk. Not just yet." Teradoc sighed. "It would be much better for both of us if you would just surrender and hand control of your fleet to me."
Daala began talking to the others in the background, but the voice of Sander Delvardus rose up in protest. "We will not hand our fleets over to you." He bellowed. "That is a ridiculous request, and I believe most of us do not find that to be mutually beneficial."
Teradoc and Harrsk turned their attention back to Daala. "Was this your plan?" Harrsk demanded, rising from his seat and slamming his fists on the table. "To gather us all and claim control of our fleets after you have killed us?"
The captain beside Daala spoke up. "Her intent was to gather the warlord fleets and unite them for a blow against the rebellion. If we cannot stand united, we will surely fall."
"Captain Pellaeon, do you really believe you have any command in here?" Harrsk jeered, settling down into his seat. "I believe you are the lowest rank of us here, its amusing you think you can order us around. Have you forgotten you weren't even able to control the remaining fleet over Endor?"
"No, I have not forgotten." Pellaeon began, focusing his glare at Harrsk. "You and the other so-called warlords tore-" He was cut off by the door opening and a sudden dark presence. The presence stopped the bickering, turning all attention to it.
"Imperials." The robed man barked. "You were gathered here to die at Daala's hand. I have seen it for myself." He walked to Daala who had turned around, and grabbed her throat.
"Who do you think you are, walking in on us?" Delvardus demanded. "I don't believe anyone requested your presence here."
"My presence is of my own will." He claimed, tightening his grip on Daala's neck. "If you are to survive, you will pull out immediately. I do not tolerate betrayal, and you may resume these talks later. Unless, of course, you wish to face my wrath as Daala has." He dropped her limp body to the ground, kicking it over. "Leave!" He shouted.
Several of the admirals rose from their positions and began heading towards the door, the others remained. Pellaeon tried to maintain a straight face when the master sat down beside him. "And you are?" Teradoc challenged, remaining seated.
"I am Master Hallis, and I decree this conference over." He threw several bolts of lightning at the warlord, who collapsed out of his chair onto the ground. Now was time to make an exit.
Harrsk bolted up from his place, heading for the door. These force users couldn't be trusted, they always knew too much for their own good. He headed to the hangar, which contained his own vessel and another small shuttle. Harrsk boarded his own, and ordered the pilot to return to the Shockwave.
The Star Destroyers began swerving away from their original positions, turning towards the edge of the asteroid field. The black Executor Star Dreadnought was the first to break away to hyperspace, but the Venator remained motionless. "Destroy the Venator, we will not allow Daala to escape." Captain Zera ordered. "Call Hallis to the bridge."
The bridge crew began scrambling to their stations, relaying the orders throughout the ship. One of them turned to the captain and announced, "Master Hallis is no longer aboard the ship. He took a shuttle and went to the station ten minutes ago."
"Why didn't you notify my of this?" Zera demanded, coming to the officer.
"I thought you already knew," He began. "Did he not tell you where he was heading when he left?"
"No, he did not." Zera said, turning back to sit in the command chair. "Open fire, and if his designated shuttle exits, send a fighter squadron to intercept and escort." He commanded.
"Yes Captain." The officer said, sending the orders.
The Shockwave broke into hyperspace, fleeing the system. Half of the other warships had followed the same pattern several minutes earlier, having been farther out of the asteroid field. "Return us to Atravis." Harrsk ordered across the bridge. "I don't want to see these filth again unless they are facing my fleet in combat." The Shockwave dropped from hyperspace, making a change of course to direct itself to the Atravis sector, more specifically, the world Atravis. "I will be in my quarters if anyone of you require me." Harrsk exited the command bridge.
Walking through the corridor, he found his way to his quarters. They were the largest aboard the ship, and expanded by destroying several of the useless storage areas beside it. The door slid open as Harrsk approached to enter his spacious personal room. It was empty, except for holographic projections of warships that had fallen to his forces. He settled down in one of the imported sofas, letting himself relax in it, and doze off.
Relaxation and sleep were cut short by the announcement of their arrival in the Atravis system only eight hours later. Harrsk bolted up from his rest and returned to the bridge, where he would resume his command.
"Report?" Harrsk demanded, glancing at his captain.
"Nothing other than our return to Atravis." He announced, getting up from the command chair to let the Admiral take his place.
Harrsk took his seat, staring out of the viewport. The Atravis Sector Fleet was all gathered around the central world, hundreds of Star Destroyers and frigates. The entire fleet hadn't been assembled in one location before, even when they relocated from Kalist VI. He clicked his comm. "This is Warlord Harrsk to Atravis Sector Fleet. Who authorized for you to leave your designated patrol areas?"
The comm crackled. "We were told you had summoned us. Did you not?"
"No. Return to your previous designated stations immediately." Harrsk commanded. That was unusual, the fleet rallying under his unsaid order. There would be dire consequences for his impersonator as soon as he was discovered.
"Yes Warlord." The comm crackled and cut off. All of the ships that were not originally stationed on Atravis turned away from the world, and set courses to the perimeters of the sector. It was an amazing sight to see all the fleet at once.
"Captain, you will assume command for now. I am setting out to Hangar-Kesh. I have some business to deal with." Harrsk stated, rising and then leaving the command bridge. Back to the docking port and his personal shuttle. He arrived, entered and with a hiss and thud, the ship disconnected. It took a straight course through the now near empty shipyard towards one of the ribcage hangars.
Harrsk clicked the comm cylinder on his collar. "Major Verrak, will you be attending the conference in the hangar designated Kesh? It would be a shame if you didn't arrive. We will be discussing crew shifts, ship upgrades and repairs."
"I will arrive whenever you say I should be there. Will my ships be allowed to receive upgrades as well?" Verrak requested.
"We will discuss that at the conference. Be there in twenty minutes. Admiral out." Harrsk cut off the transmission, settling down in his seat. The Greater Maldrood will be attacking again soon, and he needed to figure out a way to destroy them or fight them off. It would be a difficult process, but not impossible. He tried to clear his mind as well as he could without Thoath kicking in. It was blasted hard.
