Chapter 1
The death of the emperor
"The emperor is dead." Was the blunt statement uttered from the mouth of Captain Gaul to the shocked ears yet unmoved face of Grand Moff Otto Martel. His face with worn wrinkles with scars that dated back to his days in the republic army during the clone wars simply nodded. He didn't need to know how the emperor had died. The fact was he was now dead, and the galactic alliance's offensive would most certainly increase with renewed motivation and aggression.
"What were our total losses Admiral?" He questioned referring to the battle of endor.
"Eighty percent of the forces present," Gaul replied, "Including the destruction of the five o first, the destruction of twenty super star destroyers, and we're still receiving estimates for loss of start destroyers which is currently up in the hundreds."
"Hmm," Martel said in a deep concerned sigh. Otto usually avoided frowning or smiling but in this case he most certainly fashioned a frown. He heard the plan and had to admit it was a terrible idea to pool so many forces into one area, "And dare I ask where we stand leadership wise."
"According to nav intel, Lord Vader was on the death star when it exploded, of course the emperor, Admiral Piet's star destroyer was destroyed. Commander Appo has been captured along with any remnants of the five o first. General Veers has also been detained by alliance forces. And commander Cody defected."
"Defected," Said Martel raising an eyebrow in protest. As if that would change what had been stated, "He gave nearly twenty years in service, why would he defect now?"
"Sir. I merely report what nav intel knows, I too am much confused on the topic, but perhaps he concluded it would be better to appear to have been forced into service against his will rather than persecuted for being a collaborator."
"Right," Otto huffed. They were in troubling times and Otto acknowledged soon he would be faced with the very same decision. The alliance was gaining ground quickly first corrielia fell during one of the bloodiest battles in galactic history. Every one saw it but still the war wasn't over. The mandalorian front became a thing. Mandalorian warrior clans started instructions across former territories apart of the defunct neutral systems. Of course no one thought much of it, even Otto figured that ISB would put it down. The various battles breaking out across the galaxy were all indecisive. Then endor, the order to pull a fairly large amount of the imperial military around an insignificant moon to protect another death star, certainly not the most strategically sound move, but never could Otto imagine it going that badly.
"It should also be noted, several worlds are switching sides all together, we just lost Pantora,kamino,Muunlist, and Mygeeto. Jabiim has also been conquered by the rebels." Gaul continued with the status report, "What shall we do."
"Yes, what shall we do?" Said Otto as a rhetorical question, "Thrawn and Palleon MIA,Vader and the Emperor turned to dust like Tarkin. Appo and Veers captured, it seems we are all out of heroes. Yet the alliance seems to have an endless supply."
"Should we surrender?"
"Have you no honor," Otto shot back enraged by the idea, or rather didn't want to acknowledge the idea as plausible, "No, there are still words that support the empire are there not."
"Yes, there are still worlds that are strongly pro imperial, but they are in the minority, is your intention to retreat to one of them."
It was then that Otto froze. It probably should have been obvious to him but it wasn't until that statement.
"You mean to tell me that we-"
"Unfortunately the world of Axum on which we happen to be standing on seems to be favoring the alliance according to ISB reports. There have been no attempts rout out a possible cell because the major leaders in ISB-"
"Were killed at the battle of Endor," Otto interrupted and then stared out the window into the courtyard of his estate. There he saw his stormtroopers still stood on guard. He half expected some kind of guerrilla attack as if his realization of the situation would trigger it, "Tell me what is the situation on Coruscant."
"Mixed, we have supporters and radicals living right next door to one each other. I would hardly call it safe."
Otto nodded as he pondered his next move. Everything was in utter disarray yet that's how the rebels wanted it. He also knew if they managed to conquer the core worlds the rebels would be in the most advantageous position to eradicate what remained of the empire.
"It will be imperative that we hold Coruscant if we are to turn things around, I want you to send for some old comrades of mine. I want a transmission written and sent to the Generals Aurlian and Trajan. Tell them they are to meet with me on Coruscant at once. Then send for Captain Octavian Wilder he's in storm trooper command special op-"
"Sir, have you not reviewed ISB reports, he was deemed a threat to the emperor and fled rather than face ISB."
"Where the hell is he?" Questioned Otto annoyed. He regarded ISB as a paranoid while necessary organization. And Wilder being Wilder most likely said something very stupid while very true, stupid, "Doesn't matter, find him, and I want a personal meeting with him at once." Then retracing where he was in his orders, "Get commander Bly and his men out of the quagmire on Felucia if possible, tell Bacara we're cutting his leave short if he took it. Then Juilus Alexander, I believe he's a commander in charge of a destroyer called the Glaive now I could be wrong. Then finally lord General Brandenburg he should be on Coruscant as of now. Make him aware of our plans to arrive planet side."
"Sir I just said Coruscant is dan-"
"Dangerous, yes I'm not stupid," Otto snapped with an angered look spread accross his face. Gual grew smaller afraid he was about to be killed, "The Galaxy is currently a dangerous place, and it will remain dangerous until we make it safe am I understood Captain."
Gaul shut his mouth and nodded his head. "Understood." The words crept out of his mouth. However Gaul was not effective at hiding his emotions. It was very obvious to tell from his distraught face and sweat slowly forming on his forehead that he was rather unsure of this move. Otto had an idea that while in his mind it was acknowledged that it could go very wrong he hadn't exactly chosen his line of career to avoid the possibility of death.
The hot boiling star bore down upon a small cantina on tatooine. Inside a man sat in a booth a boil of pungent soup in front of him. The cantine had about two other men present; business hadn't been good since Jabba went up in smoke. It was gang versus gang out here trying to establish the next crime family. The man didn't care, he did what he simply so he could survive.
He sat in the booth in his black chest plastoid chest armor. A shadow cast from the window seal above him casted a thin shadow over his body. As he raised the soup spoon from his boil he saw another man seated at the cantina with a blaster pistol kept in a holster on his right leg. The man in the black chest armor found it odd there after an hour that man hadn't ordered anything simply sat there waiting for something or some one.
He slowly slurped the soop from the spoon as he heard deep foot steps pound against the ground near the entrance of the cantina. The man in the black chest armor remained unchanged in posture as another figure, this one wore a grey ISB enforcer chest plate with blue and red medals pinned on the upper right peck. The armored man's eyes darted as the enforcer directed her eyes towards him.
"Octavian Wilder," She spoke her voice was rather soft for an enforcer.
"You come to kill me," Wilder spoke a grin forming under his keen blue eyes, "Have to say I'm rather disappointed. I figured the ISB would send at least four enforcers. Unless of course you're the best or simply all that's left, which I guess would make you the best."
"If I were going to kill you," The enforcer said, her voice changing to a lower colder tone, "I would have replaced the chef and poisoned your soop."
Octavian stopped right before putting the spoon back in his mouth. He leaned back and stared at the ISB enforcer. His grin turned into a bright smile as he let out a laugh. Then he took another slurp before placing the spoon back down.
"Things really have to be kriffed if ISB is no longer keeping grudges," Said Octavian, "So why have you come?"
"You're wanted on Coruscant by Grand Moff Otto Martel."
"Uh Huh," Wilder said nodding his head, "Figures." He then continued to sip his soup as the enforcer crossed her arms and waited.
"Are you-"
"First," Wilder said taking a moment to pause, eyeing the man at the cantina with the pistol, "I'm going to finish my soop. I paid good hard stolen money for it, so I'm going to savour every last sip and then I'll consider helping old man Martel out."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
Wilder then snapped up to his feet and drew his blaster pistol. The blaster pistol shouted, a loud echo coursed through the canina. The vibrant red blaster bolt jetted across the cantina smashing into the man's chest. The man with the pistol was shot three times in the chest. His right hand wrapped around the blaster pistol as it happened. He flew back the sheer impact crushing the bones in front of his heart and rupturing it. The bolt melted through the shirt right into his heart. The man crashed against the bar and the blaster pistol fell to the ground.
Octavian nodded to the tender which meant add that to my tab. The enforcer froze her hand forming around the holster of her blaster pistol. She gazed back wards briefly to see the dead man slumped against the bar. She then watched as Octavian slipped his pistol back in his holster.
"He was here to kill you?"
"Or you," Said Octavian, "The man was a member of the revolutionary sun, an extremist cell active on ten different worlds, Ms I'm going to walk into a bar dressed exactly like an ISB officer."
"Go krif yourself," the enforcer said rolling her eyes, "And finish your damn soop, you can shoot in a split second surely you can eat fast."
"I like to savoir food," Octavian said, his voice crisp, "I prefer to kill quick and clean so I can move on to the next. It's how they train commandos. Eating and killing are two different things. Besides I said I'd think about it."
"What's there to think about, it's an order from a Grand Moff."
"I'm not a soldier any more," Octavian said, "A little thing called money matters more than it used to."
"So you're a mercenary." The enforcer replied with great distaste all over her tone. As if mercenaries had done something to her.
"I prefer the term private contractor," Said Octavian, "And, it's nothing sinister we all need to be able to keep the lights on in our homes. Something I have to wonder I'll even have if I help Martel. If I get killed in this ordeal, then I get killed. Yet knowing me I'm probably not gonna get killed. Now life in a galactic alliance war criminal prison would be miserable and possible when we lose."
"And what makes you so certain that we will lose."
"Do you really have to ask that, I'm almost glad ISB ended my career as of now when this all blows over I can play the victim. If I get back into the game, I can't do that."
"Martel, suggested to consider Grey and Violet. After all what happens to them when the alliance takes coruscant."
"They're not on Coruscant, there on-"
"Otto was forced to abandon Axum due to heavy alliance sympathies, he isn't on Coruscant for simple business."
Octavian sighed. Old man Martel definitely told the enforcer to say that. He sipped the soop it had gone cold. He nodded his head slightly.
"You have me convinced," Octavian said, "I will finish my soop and then we will leave."
Fleet Admiral Juilus Alexander had a rough few days, really one rough day and two to contemplate that one day. And his new rank was also adding additional stress on his life. What would he do with this position? Better question how many people wanted to kill him due to his new rank.
But now he was home, and not just in pro imperial territory but actual home in the form of his birth world Invitus. Him and his men were taken in with a warm welcome and allocated housing for them to take leave and rest before returning to the war. He sat on a small table in a cafe with his sister who had entered middle school when he joined the imperial navy and left. Now she herself had graduated and done training with the local army garrison, Invitus's army garrison's were always well trained and drilled. Their history was one of dedicated service to a greater cause. Before the empire was a power they kept and maintained a professional army of famed Invictimecian legions. When the Galactic empire was declared they dedicated the whole thing to the imperial army as tribute to the Emperor. As such the world had always favored the empire and served whatever needs were requested of them. This led to high living standards, more funding, and lower taxes.
"So what was it like?" She asked.
"What was what like?"
"The battle of endor."
Julius frowned. He used to write letters to his sister about the various adventures he'd been on with the navy across the galaxy. However they grew less and less detailed as the years went by. His adventures started involving information that needed to be kept classified or became things he simply wished to not discuss. He hadn't said anything about Endor not only was he unsure if he could, but to write about hadn't occurred to him while he was fleeing for his life.
"I'd honestly rather not discuss Mave," He said shaking his head, "I've been gone for at least fifteen years. I'd much rather discuss how life's been here."
"Boring," Mave replied, " As it always is, the most exciting thing was some pirate got his hyper lanes mixed up and ended up here instead of Florum. It was a very short excursion, after all some modified cargo vessel was no match for a star destroyer.'
"That's actually interesting," Juilus replied, "And trust me, borings good, the rest of the galaxy's going to hell I'm glad to see Invictus is still Invictus."
Juilus shifted his attention as he saw the door swish by and a man in a grey chest plate and imperial army helmet enter. He was an older gentleman in his late forties ten years older than Julius. He had a rough look about him and carried a blaster rifle over his back. He formed a welcoming smile seeing Julius.
"Mr Alexander," He said extending his hands, "It's been too long."
"General Trajan," He replied standing up and shaking the man's hand, "It really has, how's Aurelian."
"You can ask him yourself, he's at the spaceport with Bly and Bacara." Trajan replied as he looked in the corner to see Mave, "So that's Mavia, it's nice to meet you as well."
"Mavia," Juilus said, "This is General Trajan, we used to work together hunting rebels in the outer rim."
"You wrote a lot about him," Mavia said standing and shaking the generals hand, "He's certainly more impressive in person."
"It's nice to meet you,I heard you choose the right branch, unlike your brother," Trajan said with a sharp grin.
"Julius always liked books, I enjoyed being out in the mud, we're different that way.' Mavia replied.
"I don't mean to be rude," Juilus said returning to the conversation, "But why have you come, I heard your men were stationed on Ord Mantell."
"Yes, we were," Trajan said, picking the conversation back up, "Our old friend Otto Martel sent out a calling. He wants us and our troops on Coruscant along with his own. As a General of the army, I don't have command over star destroyers. So I told him, I would travel here by shuttle and-"
"Inform me of his calling yourself, so that I could mobilize my forces and fly yours to Coruscant."
"That's about right."
Juilus nodded. It was obviously urgent and obviously due to the battle of Endor. He'd enjoyed maybe two days of leave as had his men. The galaxy didn't seem to want him to enjoy any form of peace, his curse for wanting to see the more of the galaxy before dying.
"Mavia, I'm sorry but I must go, the men need to be mobilized, tell mom and dad what happened and that I love them." He said part of him believing he wouldn't be returning. He didn't want to say those exact words to his sister. But she nodded her head acknowledging his meaning.
They left the shop both the Fleet Admiral and the General entering the back of a small speeder in front a driver and a storm trooper with a heavy repeater. It seemed unnecessary yet at the same time that was probably one of Bacara's marines, they were attached to their weapons more so than other stormtroopers.
"Take us to the space port, what I was able to save during Endor landed there," Juilus told the driver, "Trajan, it's going to take at least a day to mobilize everyone before flying off to pick up your guys. The survivors that regrouped here made me Fleet admiral, so now I must consult them about mobilization."
"I heard, do so I must call my troops on Ord Mantel anyhow."