"The Confederate Navy consists of some of the best officers and pilots from throughout the Outer Rim. While the majority of their forces are made up of droids, they still use organics to lead them and come up with their maneuvers. Never underestimate them, they may be arrogant, but they have the experience to back it up."
-Royal Air Corp, Drill Instructor

Garett flicked the starter switch for the X-wing's engines, watching as various monitors flashed to life in the cockpit. "I'm getting green lights across the board, primary and secondary power is at full."

"Roger Hammer Four, you are clear to start your patrol." One of the flight coordinators said through his helmet's earpiece. He pulled back on the stick, easing the fighter off the platform and into the air. "Acknowledged Control, moving towards the target area now."

"Keep your wings tight out there Four. The pathfinders are reporting an increase in encrypted chatter, the CIS may be preparing for a push."

Garett chewed on his lip, if the Special Recon Regiment was already deployed, then something big must be about to happen. He glanced at his sensors, nothing was lighting up yet, but that didn't mean anything. There were plenty of ways to hide from radar, kriff he knew several. "Thanks for the heads up Control, keep the caf warm 'till I get back."

"Understood Four, report in if you spot anything."

o-O-o

Garett stared at the sensor readout, juking his fighter back and forth so the ticks wouldn't get a lock. They were only half a klick out, and it wouldn't take long for them to break the distance.

Sweat began to pool at the base of his neck, and the tremors rocking through his seat were an uncomfortable reminder that lasers were crashing against the shield.

"R4, prepare to cut the power to the engines and divert it to the blasters."

The little droid hooted and text scrolled across the primary display.

"Trust me," he eyed the sensor readout. Waiting for the right time… "Now!"

The little droid did as he was ordered and the ship suddenly jolted, it's momentum pushing it forward but at a fraction of what it was moments before. The three vulure droids shot past him before they could adjust, and they dipped slightly to turn back around.

Garett knew his timing had to be perfect. He angled the targeting reticule in front of them, where he expected they'd be in the time it took for them to come around. But the reticle angled sharply and he hissed, forgetting that gravity pulled him down and he was falling… He was too used to fighting in space. He quickly adjusted his aim and fired off a half dozen lasers before restarting the engines.

o-O-o

Garett bit his lip, tapping a string of commands into the console and praying they would work. Green lights flashed across the status-board and he heard the explosive pops of the emergency release jettison the canopy from it's hinges. He let out a slow breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, as fresh air blew into the cockpit.

With a practiced twist, he slipped a data cylinder into the central console, pulling any data he'd managed to pick up during his patrol. He took a smaller data-chip from his vest pocket while he waited, dumping all the topography scans and clearance codes onto it before slipping it into his helmet. At least he wasn't entirely blind now.

He grabbed his day-pack from behind the jumpseat and toggled one of the power cells into a standby mode. He sighed, knowing his droid was too far gone to lug back to base, he pulled it's memory vortex from the charred chassis and slipped it into his bag. After a quick once-over, he powered down the safety features overloaded the power cell. Jumping from the cockpit he ran a hundred meters and dove behind a nearby tree. He barely made it, and an explosion ripped through the fighter, sending charred pieces of metal flying in all directions.

He hated doing it, but he couldn't afford letting it fall into Separatist hands. A good slicer could pull info even from a wiped data-drive, and some of that equipment could be used to spoof friendly sensors. He side-stepped a metal shard that had embedded itself in the tree, dangerously close to his head, and started making his way North.

i {o,o}
i /) ')
i -"-"-

AN: For those that missed the implication in the last chapter, Imperators were the first iteration of Imperial Star Destoyers, the name was merely changed when the Empire was established (This is cannon to the SW Universe). Both R4 Droids and X-Wings were also utilized towards the end of the Clone Wars. As a side-note, I made the jargon for vulture droids, "ticks." I mean eyeballs was what the Alliance called tie fighters, so it seemed reasonable. This is the last of what I had for notes for this story, I hope you liked them. I thought the concept was fantastic, but all I could think of was, what would I do after Dantooine is secure? What's the end goal here?

Splinter group of the Republic? (The jedi were already beginning to split over the use of the Grand Army and in the Halo-verse, cloning is equated to child pornography and rape. To them, it is immoral and wrong- and that's not even touching upon the GAR's lack of rights and pay.) A possible resistance holdout for when the Empire is first established? And then what, an un-winnable war with the few nations bold enough to join them, forming an open rebellion a decade before it Alderaan was set to fall? It was just too massive a story with too huge a scope, I felt like I couldn't handle that. So, use what you like but mention me and I won't mind. I also wouldn't mind a PM, just so I can check out the story and see what this inspired.