Perseus had never been on Coruscant when it was raining. But as the Lambda shuttle ducked below the raging clouds, the cockpit was immediately covered in droplets as rain hammered on the outside of the ship.
The Imperial Capital Complex looked intimidating enough as it was, let alone with a raging thunderstorm overhead. The imperial dry docks cut a jagged line along the horizon, the command structures of docks imperial Star destroyers defined the skyline.
The shuttle banked to the right as it approached the imperial palace, what was once the famed Jedi temple. As they begun to slow, a landing platform emerged from the side of the temple.
As the wings folded up, Vader moved towards the ramp, ready to dismount. Force knew Jackson had no business at the Imperial Palace. As the dark lord descended the ramp, he stopped and turned to look back at Jackson.
"It is not often I meet someone with such skill as yourself admiral. Be assured I will watch your career with great interest." He spoke, turning and striding into the fortress before Jackson could answer.
The shuttle lifted off again, and turned towards the Imperial Navy Headquarters. The large, sprawling complex was connected to the dry docks, and was the centralised hub of all Imperial Naval activity.
As such, it was normally rather busy. However the current scale of movement and activity was off the charts. He could spy what looked to be an entire legion of stormtroopers deployed outside, with associated armour division. The skies were a flurry of both arriving and departing shuttles.
His pilot snuck into a free landing pad, beating out another two that had been circling. As he stepped down the ramp, he loathed the fact he would soak his uniform as he approached the main gate.
Setting his shoulders, he began his stride into the building, only to be halted by some guards. "Code cylinder please."
Jackson withheld a sigh, before reaching and placing the cylinder into the waiting, gloved palm of the storm trooper. They injected it into the computer, which took a moment to chime and grant entry, Jackson taking the cylinder back, returning it to his jacket.
The grand chamber was filled with navy officers, all congregated in different social circles. Quickly eyeing his academy peers in a group, he slid over to join them.
The conversation was dull, and completely uninteresting. But it was either stand and listen to them or look like an outcast. Eventually, they were called into the main auditorium, where a committee of grand admirals stood by the lectern.
As everyone settled the meeting was called into order. "Members of the imperial Admiralty, you have been called here to be informed of a new implementation of official naval operating protocols."
"Following the recent destruction of the Death Star, and the loss of Grand Moff Tarkin, the navy has seen it fit to develop a new doctrine in order to best combat the rebel threat."
The grand admiral paced up and down the stage as he spoke. "Our new key strategy, is tighter integration with the ISB." He announced which gathered a few dissenting murmurs. "Using their enhanced assets and powers, as decreed by his majesty the Emperor, the integrated ISB units within fleets will allow greater results, and newer methods of attaining information."
"Our main focus is now no longer bringing peace and order to those within the Empire. This is now a secondary objective. Our new primary objective is combatting the Alliance to restore the republic." That brought around conversation, many saw it was a weakness to officially acknowledge the rebellion, much less as an active threat.
"The rebellion continues to operate active fleets, posted in the outer rim, far from our current reach. They continue to rely on hit and run tactics, however have been getting increasingly bold in their raids, and have begun inflicting more damage. Aside from current active fleets, they also continue to operate in localised 'Cells', small groups performing guerilla operations." Images of rebel fleets and groups flashed on the holoprojector behind the speaker.
"Recently, We have begun to see a new type of rebel emerge. These groups, acting independently from rebel alliance high command, do not operate under the same ethical bonds that the wider movement does. These 'Insurgencies' typically hide within civilian crowds and ambush empire assets, seeking to cause maximum damage and upset within the localized city and garrison." More images showed up, of brutal urban insurgent warfare.
"In order to best deal with this threat, you have been given increased leeway in efforts to root out these infection that seeps into our empire. Efforts by the ISB will also enhance your efforts. Following the conclusion of this meeting, nearly all of you will have new orders." He stopped, and turned to face the hundreds of senior officers. "Admirals, you are dismissed."
The empire's admiralty filed out of the room, a bustle of conversation erupted as the ship commanders began discussing their thoughts of everything. Jackson was more inclined to return to his ship, still stationed in the Yavin system, and began making his way to the landing pads. His eyes were locked onto his datapad reading his new orders, before he slammed into the armoured chest of a stormtrooper.
He looked up and prepared to give a true admiral's tongue lashing to the trooper, before he noticed the squad of stormtroopers completely blocked him, all denoted in military police colours. "Admiral Jackson, you are under arrest for impersonating high command and deserting your post."
Jackson stopped, and looked at the lead trooper. "Very well then."
The squad surrounded him, one taking his data pad, another seizing his pistol as he was placed in binders. He was lead to a wing in the facility that held the military tribunals. He was escorted in, and stood in the dock before 5 other officers, his own rank plaque having been seized.
"Former admiral Jackson, you stand accused of impersonating high command and deserting your post. How do you plead."
"Not guilty." Came the clear response.
"Interesting. You feign innocence but the battle fleet under the command of Admiral Grace revived a transmission from you, right before you abandoned your post. You claimed to retransmitting it, correct?"
"Yes sir."
"And when did you receive these orders to retransmit?" The chief judge asked.
"I did not receive them sir." Jackson responded.
"Then what did you transmit? Fabricated orders?" The officer pressed.
"Yessir, I had the orders fabricated to bring the battle fleet into the Yavin system to engage the rebel fleet."
"How did you know the rebel fleet was there? Are you a rebel intelligence asset?" He leered.
"No sir, I was responding to an imperial class one distress call." Jackson explained.
"Lying to superior," the officer spoke aloud as he wrote another charge. "And who issued this class one distress call?"
"Lord Vader, sir."
The lead prosecutor stopped. "Lord Vader, does not issue distress calls."
As of being summoned by name, the door to the chamber flew open, and the dark lord stepped into the room.
"Uh, Lord Vader!" He stumbled over his words. "We are in the process of a court martial." He clumsily explained.
"That will not be necessary commander." The deep booming voice of Vader ground out.
"My lord?" The officer questioned.
"Fleet Admiral Jackson has been officially excused of any wrong doing, and is to be reassigned as per the Emperors orders." Vader explained, his patience was thinning rapidly, Jackson noted.
"But this is a mockery of the navy! I have ne-" The heated outburst was cut short as the tribunal officer gagged, before producing a horrible chocking sound.
In the centre of the room, Darth Vader towered, hand outstretched towards the now dying officer.
The room observed in tense silence until he keeled over dead, two of the troopers that entered with Vader hauled the body out.
Vader then turned to Jackson, who stood straighter than he could ever remember under the scrutiny of the dark lord.
"I believe I have something for you." He spoke, opening his palm flat towards him. In it, lay a new tank plaque, one of a Fleet Admiral, confirming his promotion.
"You have my thanks Lord Vader." Perseus spoke, fixing his new plaque to his black uniform. A stormtrooper removed the binders and placed new code cylinders in the jacket pockets, whilst handing him a new data pad.
Jackson stood at the dry docks as his ship lowered itself in. The damage from the battle had been minor, but there was a few parts of the ship that had suffered some carbon scoring, which he had to get rid of.
Eventually, the dock's clamps locked down onto the ship, and a boarding arm was extended out to allow the disembarking of personnel. They would be on coruscant for a couple days, as the ship was also refitted to house a new stormtrooper legion his fleet would be hosting.
All of the new ships he would be receiving would be fresh from his home world of Kuat, all with green crews. His current assignment would be the reformation of the 9th fleet, which had been destroyed over Mon Cala by the rebel home fleet.
The attack was unsanctioned, and had been filed as overconfidence by the previous fleet commander. The table on the office he had requisitioned was filled with different data pads, all holding different tidbits of information about everything his new fleet would be using.
One of the pads blinked with a message, sighing he placed down his current pad and fished out the blinking one.
The original pad was one provided by the dry docks, and the he opened the message. It was an inquiry from the docks quarter master as to whether he would like any visual customisation to his ship.
Such a thing want unheard of, a proponent of such was grand admiral Thrawn's flagship, The Chimera. Thinking for a moment, he replied to the message. He would have a decal, one that reflected the name of his own ship.
The bridge juddered for a moment as the newly refurbished Wolf's Head arose from the dry docks. The engines flared as the 1.6 kilometre long ship lifted out of the clear coruscant atmosphere. He could hear the bridge communications officer contacting navy control, before the all clear came through and they made them the jump to Kuat.
Entering his home system, he was greeted by the Forrest green planet he hadn't step foot on for many years since graduating. The planetary shipyards circling the planet were a bustle of activity, as were most planetary ring installations, although nothing compared to the activity that surrounded the planet.
Never in the eighteen years that he had lived in the planet had the shipyards ever stalled or stopped. At night, you could look up and see the sparks of the industrial welders used.
He could faintly make out the murmur of orbital traffic control, directing the ship towards their awaiting ships.
It was quite the fleet, four more star destroyers awaited in the docks, alongside some standard lighter support ships; which consisted of both Arquitens class and some retro fitted Gozanti corvettes.
Further in the distance, racks upon racks of SIENAR systems TIE variants sat, waiting to be loaded up into the ships.
As they waited for more and more time, an increasing amount of personnel transport craft arrived to crew the the ships, before long, the TIEs were beginning to be loaded too.
Growing bored, Jackson left the bridge for his office intent on studying more for his fleet and in preparation of the 9th fleet's new orders. Before long his commlink flashed, and he answered.
"Jackson here."
"Fleet Admiral, the fleet's captains have arrived, shall I direct them to the bridge?"
"No, my office."
"Yes sir."
The line went dead and Jackson was quick to check over his personnel file again, familiarising himself with his fleet captains who would be commanding the other Star destroyers in his fleet.
All of them were fresh out of the academy, though no two came from the same establishment. For the men there were Captains Nakamura, Solace and Zhang. There was one woman, Captain Chase had graduated from the Royal Imperial Academy on coruscant, and came from a deep rooted aristocratic family.
He sighed heavily, he had dealt with more than enough of that type during his own academy days, and had prayed to whatever force there was to never have to meet another.
The galaxy hated him, clearly.
It took only a moment before his new underlings were buzzed in, they marched in formally and stood at attention opposite his desk.
"At ease," was the first order he gave, watching as they relaxed and stood more comfortably. From first impressions, he could tell who would be the ones bringing in results.
None of them looked incompetent, however two stood out from their peers. Nakamura, had the face of a stone cold imperial. And Chase, if her file amounted to anything got things done.
"While we wait for our fleet to be fully equipped, I want you all familiarising yourself with your crews, your armament, and the attached storm trooper legions assigned to us." Jackson was pacing up and down in front of them, all of whom he was taller he noted, satisfied.
"You will find information on data pads waiting for you in your ships. Familiarise yourself, with it, I will not have fuckups under my command. You will be informed of new orders when I see fit. Dismissed." He barked, as all officers filed out.
Sighing, Jackson got up to return to the bridge. Entering the command deck, he again looked out the view port to see the arrival of the storm trooper legion and associated armour and air wing divisions arrive in large transports.
It took another couple of hours for the stormtrooper legion to unload all their assets on the fleet, but they finished eventually. Their final piece was arriving by shuttle, their ISB attaché.
Lieutenant Commander Zoë Nightshade of the Imperial Security Bureau looked out the viewport of the Lambda shuttle as she approached what was to be the second iteration of the ninth fleet.
The lead ship, The Wolf's Head was the only crew to have seen combat, and had been recently decorated along its bow with differing depictions of wolves to reflect their commander, Fleet Admiral Jackson's new promotion.
The other ISDs in the fleet were completely green, having not even left the shipyards yet. Not withholding, all of the Star destroyers had been named.
Captain Solace commanded the Sunray,
Captain Nakamura the Retribution,
Captain Zhang the Leviathan,
and Captain Chase the Promachos.
The unnamed ships of the fleet were smaller vessels, such as the Arquitens class cruiser or the Gozanti cruisers.
"We are cleared for final approach ma'am" The pilot informed her.
She returned to her seat and gave her data pad a once over as the ship descended into the hangar.
She did not quite know what to make of Jackson, his record had him as a celebrated tactician within his academy days, yet he was assigned to menial escort duties following graduation.
Most noticeable on the report was his performance at the battle of Yavin, and subsequent court martial, of which had been dismissed my Vader himself.
She continued to ponder as the lambda shuttle touched down in the main ventral hanger.
"Fleet Admiral, all assets are ready to move." His second in command told him.
"Set course for the Maynar system."
AN: Thanks for all the support on this story so far, it's been amazing. Please note that the Maynar system is completely made up by me and is not actual lore.
If you wish to discuss elements of this story I am a member of both CombatTombat's discord and the emerald library, however much more active on the former.
many thanks
-Dudu