Author's note: The home stretch. Don't worry - this one is pretty short.
Epilogue: The Empire
On the bridge of the Antagonist, Darth Vader watched silently as the far-off Rebel ships escaped into hyperspace. He then turned to face Admiral Prax, who was white-faced and sweating.
"Lord Vader, I -" Prax began, but Vader cut him off. "Admiral, I am most displeased with your performance. Not only did you lose seventy-two fighters, but you also came out of lightspeed too far from the system and on the wrong side of the planet to engage the Rebel ships with our heavy weapons."
"My Lord, I -"
"Not only that, " Vader continued, "but your incessant maintenance checks before we left Imperial Centre Spacedock delayed us so that we missed our chance to destroy the main Rebel Fleet. Do you have anything to say about this, Admiral?"
Prax opened and closed his mouth, then said miserably, "No, Lord Vader."
Vader raised a clenched fist.
Admiral Prax staggered backwards, clutching at his throat.
Vader turned to the second-in-command, who had been standing behind Prax. "Captain Ozzel?"
Vader's voice carried over the horrible choking noises coming from Prax.
Ozzel stepped forward. "My Lord?"
"Set course for Imperial Centre. I shall be in my chambers. Notify me when we reach orbit, so I may make my report to the Emperor. This is your ship now, Admiral Ozzel."
Vader finished just as Prax collapsed dead on the deck like a puppet with its strings cut.
Vader stalked off the bridge, leaving a simultaneously pleased and disturbed Admiral Ozzel in his wake. Ozzel was pleased at his sudden promotion, but he swallowed as he signalled for two stormtroopers to carry Prax's body off the bridge.
Someday, he thought, if I'm not careful, that could be me.
"I think," he said quietly to himself, "I have a bad feeling about this."
END
Epilogue: The Empire
On the bridge of the Antagonist, Darth Vader watched silently as the far-off Rebel ships escaped into hyperspace. He then turned to face Admiral Prax, who was white-faced and sweating.
"Lord Vader, I -" Prax began, but Vader cut him off. "Admiral, I am most displeased with your performance. Not only did you lose seventy-two fighters, but you also came out of lightspeed too far from the system and on the wrong side of the planet to engage the Rebel ships with our heavy weapons."
"My Lord, I -"
"Not only that, " Vader continued, "but your incessant maintenance checks before we left Imperial Centre Spacedock delayed us so that we missed our chance to destroy the main Rebel Fleet. Do you have anything to say about this, Admiral?"
Prax opened and closed his mouth, then said miserably, "No, Lord Vader."
Vader raised a clenched fist.
Admiral Prax staggered backwards, clutching at his throat.
Vader turned to the second-in-command, who had been standing behind Prax. "Captain Ozzel?"
Vader's voice carried over the horrible choking noises coming from Prax.
Ozzel stepped forward. "My Lord?"
"Set course for Imperial Centre. I shall be in my chambers. Notify me when we reach orbit, so I may make my report to the Emperor. This is your ship now, Admiral Ozzel."
Vader finished just as Prax collapsed dead on the deck like a puppet with its strings cut.
Vader stalked off the bridge, leaving a simultaneously pleased and disturbed Admiral Ozzel in his wake. Ozzel was pleased at his sudden promotion, but he swallowed as he signalled for two stormtroopers to carry Prax's body off the bridge.
Someday, he thought, if I'm not careful, that could be me.
"I think," he said quietly to himself, "I have a bad feeling about this."
END
