Chapter 1 – Gathering Strength

Separatist Fleet, Currently Stationed at Taskeed

After being forced to retreat from the Republic at Jabiim to Taskeed, the Separatist admiral grew impatient with the repairs. Although the Separatist fleet was badly damaged, they had just received reinforcements and were nearly complete with their repairs. The Separatist admiral, Zuk Korrado was a Koorivar, and, despite the majority of his people remaining loyal to the Republic, had become an admiral in the Separatist navy. Despite his high status, Korrado had long suspected that his promotion had been a political move instead of a reflection of his actual combat skills. Although he was initially defeated by the Republic, he now had enough strength to obliterate the blockade at Jabiim and send reinforcements to the planet, ensuring a swift victory for the Confederacy and for his career. Suddenly, the scanners went off detecting a large ship had just appeared in the system opposite his fleet.

"What is it?" Korrado asked. "More reinforcements? I thought Dooku already sent the ships I requested."

"I'm not sure sir," one of the pilot droids responded. "I've never seen any ship like this in the Confederacy, it's so…"

"So what?" Korrado snapped. He had always hated how limited his droids were.

"So massive and heavily armored."

"Korrado was confused by the pathetic droid's response, so he got out of his command chair to see the scans for himself. Once he saw the ship, his eyes widened with fear, as he knew that there was no chance it was a Separatist craft. Suddenly, more ships started appearing in the system.

Imperial Battlefleet Concord, 4th Division-Admiral Maximus Jerger III Commanding

"Where is Tigrus?" Admiral Jerger inquired, still bloody from the demonic incursion.

"Not sure," the Chief Astropath responded. "I think the Warp Storm set us off course."

"Yes, that's possible. It was a nasty storm," Jerger replied. "I wonder where and when we are."

"Jerger had been a veteran to the anomalous behavior of the Warp and had experienced the time variations that could occur when exiting. However, he had never been in a Warp Storm as terrible as this one, and the amount of demons they had to fight off, it was on another scale compared to his previous experiences.

"Admiral!" Cried out the newly promoted Ship's Master over the comms. "The Principle Navigator is reporting they can't locate the Astronomican!"

"Impossible," Snapped the Fleet Commissar. "Perhaps the Navigator has gone insane and needs to be replaced."

"That is a possibility," Jerger responded. "But perhaps we are just at a different point in time, maybe before the Astronomican was created?" As there was no response from either the Chief Astropath or the Fleet Commissar, Jerger asked "Ship Master Parrington, will you check our location and confirm it with the other Ship Masters?"

"Of course Sire. It will be done," Parrington responded. "The Emperor Protects."

"The Emperor Protects."

Suddenly, the scanners began to indicate the presence of other ships in the area. Before Jerger had to ask, the scans of the unknown ships were displayed to him. As he began to study these odd ships, the Tech-Priest Majoris immediately gave her analysis of the situation.

"These ships are not of any design that the Imperium or Mechanicus uses. They are also not any known xeno design that we have encountered." Her mechanical augmentations still let out a sign of curiosity in her voice. "The Adeptus Mechanicus will require further study of such ships."

"Well we wouldn't want to disappoint the Omnissiah now would we?" mocked the Commissar. He had never been a fan of the Mechanicus or their cult-like obsession with technology.

"Would it be satisfactory if the ships were partially functional?" Jerger asked, not wanting yet another philosophical debate between the Emperor and Omnissiah to break out between the two.

"Negative. Boarding actions will be required for one of each type of ship," she responded. "The remaining ships are of no importance; you can destroy them however you deem necessary."

"Very well, inform the Master of Ordnance to prepare boarding torpedoes with the fighters, and spread the orders to the rest of the remaining fleet, we're going to war."

Separatists

As the mysterious fleet began to reposition itself, Korrado began to worry when the tactical droid announced, "These ships do not match any Republic craft. The markings throughout the craft are also not on any database or record."

"Perhaps they are a militia fleet?" Korrado inquired, desperately hoping there was some way the fleet was on his side.

"Negative. These designs have never been seen before, and the material needed to build such ships would have been noticed by our spies."

"So if they are not of the Confederacy, not Republic, nor a militia, then who are they?"

"I calculate they are not of our known galaxy," the tactical droid concluded. Without a response from Korrado, the droid advised, "We should contact Count Dooku of this development immediately."

"No!" Korrado snapped. "I will handle this myself. There are those who doubt my abilities as a leader, but with this development, nobody will question my command after I bring such a large fleet to the Separatist cause," Korrado pridefully remarked. "Open a transmission to these outsiders, I wish to speak to them. Use a sub space communication, open frequency."

"But sir, I must request we inform Count-"

"No!" Korrado interjected. "This is my command, and I will be given all the credit for what transpires here! Now, open the communication frequency."

"As you command." The tactical droid begrudgingly opened the communications for the outsiders to pick up.

"Greetings outsiders, I am Admiral Korrado of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. I bid you welcome and humbly request your…assistance with defeating the tyrannical Galactic Republic, as they are trying to prevent us from succeeding and being free from their bureaucratic corruption."

End Chapter 1