Chapter Twelve
As her fleet came to a halt in a high orbit over the planet Manaan, a familiar chiming sound broke the silence.
"Admiral, receiving a communique from Imperial Naval Command. Transmitting the orders directly to your ready-room," Aerla reported.
"Thank you, Aerla," she replied, standing and departing from the bridge as the fleet floated above the planet, returning to her ready-room to learn what the imperials' newest orders would be. As she sat down at her desk, N'Lola heard another chiming sound, coming from the top, right drawer of her admiralty desk, opening it and discovering that it was not the Black Sun communicator, but the one the Alliance had placed there when it provided her with the ship. She pulled it out, setting it on the desk and tapped it, and found the Alliance, too, had something they wanted of her, and so with two holo-screens of text in front of her, she read one communique, and then the other.
Admiral Vurkoth,
Recently, Admiral Riwwel has turned to engaging in acts of piracy, targeting not only nonhumans but human freighters and commercial vessels, as well. Thus far, Admiral Kemel Trowe of NAVCOR Command has overseen the task of convincing the public with great success that the attacks are coming from an unknown piratic element and that it could not be Admiral Riwwel. According to all official documents, Admiral Riwwel is engaging the rebel scum in a system in the far reaches of the Outer Rim, but we both know this story will not hold indefinitely. Riwwel will slip up, a survivor will get out, and it'll be all over the Holo-Net: imperial admiral turns pirate, Empire covers it up. There'll be bedlam throughout the Inner Rim, the likes of which we have already seen in the Outer Rim and even the Mid Rim.
You are ordered to locate Admiral Riwwel and eliminate both the admiral and his fleet of imperial soldiers turned cutthroat pirates. Success in this assignment will be rewarded highly.
His fleet was last reported in the Spirana system.
Imperial Naval Command
Admiral Michael Hennat
Confirmation Code: 1423-8750-968H
"Heh," said N'Lola to herself, a faint, smug smirk curving her lips, "Already the Empire begins to collapse. Still, the elimination of a bloodthirsty pirate is a worthy task." She then turned her eyes to the Alliance's communique.
Lady Selene,
We have lost contact with an Alliance admiral, last tracked entering the Inner Rim in the vicinity of the planet Bogden, where he launched an attack that killed all thirteen million humans on the planet. We have disavowed him as well as publicly condemning his genocide and calling for his execution, but the Inner Rim is too dangerously filled by imperial fleets, and the battlefront has yet to reach your region. We must ask that you track down this mass murderer, and eliminate him; the admiral is a Rodian, and he has developed strong anti-human sentiments during the course of the war. His actions, now, are as deplorable and as vile as the actions the Empire has taken in their genocides against nonhumans and dissenters. He must be stopped, and you are the only one we feel that we can trust in hunting him, as the Empire seems content, for some reason, to allow him to roam unchallenged.
Please know your contributions are appreciated, as you have permitted outstanding success to our operations in the Outer Rim, which is now almost wholly liberated from Imperial oppression. We are making excellent progress on the Mid Rim, but we wanted to let you know, your homeworld is protected and has been liberated from the Empire.
Senate Military Command
"Guess everyone has fires they need extinguished in the Inner Rim," she observed to herself, "That Rodian's the bigger threat, it seems like. Riwwel will need to wait." She immediately proceeded to the bridge, moving to take her seat in the admiral's chair.
"Helm, take us to the Bogden system, and open a channel with the planet's imperial command centre," she instructed, and waited the several hours it took to arrive. On their arrival, they learned from the planet that the Rodian admiral's fleet had decimated the entirety of every human sector on the planet, exterminating humankind from Bogden in the process. Less than ten thousand humans had survived the onslaught and those because they were children who were not at home but rather who were in the homes of nonhuman friends at the time. They learned, also, the Rodian's fleet had then proceeded galactic-south toward the extremely heavily human-populated world of Paqualis III, wherein there were nearly twelve billion human residents. As they travelled to Paqualis III, she discovered an imperial fleet in the system, which looked as if it had taken a moderate beating, but given the absence of additional debris, she deduced that the Rodian had fled the sight of an imperial expeditionary force.
The Admiral of the Fleet reported that the Rodian's fleet was impressive: two Lucrehulk-class battleships as well as a Viscount-class star defender at the core, supported by three Space ARC-class star cruisers. This was further enhanced by the support of three Home One-class Mon Calamari star cruisers, three Liberty-class Mon Calamari star cruisers, four Dauntless-class heavy cruisers, and ten Dreadnought-class heavy cruisers. A total twenty-six ships in all against the Admiral's own fleet, which consisted of fewer but stronger vessels, he reported the Rodian had launched a surprise attack on them as soon as they arrived, then fled before they could return fire. The Imperial Admiral reported that the Rodian's attack on the planet of Paqualis III had cost the lives of seven billion imperial citizens.
On the topic of the direction the Rodian had taken, he indicated galactic south, further down the Corsin Run of the Hydian Way. She proceeded immediately to Per Lupelo, where she found a massive debris field of cargo ships with imperial markings, and once again, humans had been all but exterminated from the planet, with sixty-two million human dead on the planet. The planet was now inhabited all but exclusively by Iktotchi and Quarren, whom the Rodian had no apparent ill will toward; humans were the ones he hated. This time, however, she was able to track the trail of the Rodian's fleet, and the fleet set an immediate course to pursue him further. The Rodian proved elusive and quick, hitting the planet Drearia and eliminating an additional one billion humans out of the planet's population of somewhere around twelve billion in all, then bypassing the planet of Champala, where no humans dwelled. He turned toward the galactic east thereafter, to the planet of Poderis, where he eradicated all seventeen million residents and left the planet a ghost world. She was finally able to catch up to him on the nineteenth day of the first month in what historians were calling 2 ABY, in the Joiol system, as his fleet began a bombardment of the planet.
"Order the fleet to lock onto the Rodian's Lucrehulk battleships and fire a full bombardment, then jump into hyperspace immediately, in the direction of the Chazwa system. If the Rodian likes to play hit and run, we will show him that we know how to play that game, as well."
"Affirmative, Admiral," replied the Bpfassh helmsman, with a faint hint of a smug smirk crossing his features in the process. Seconds later, missiles were launched and even before they reached their destinations, the fleet launched into hyperspace, whipping around to face the Joiol system as they came to a halt about two billion kilometres out from the Chazwa system.
"Admiral, the Rodian's fleet is incoming, it looks like he's taken the bait. Sensors indicate that the Lucrehulks are not presently with the fleet," reported the helmsman.
"Order all ships to reload and prepare to fire on the Rodian's Home One-class star cruisers, and to open fire immediately on his arrival. Then, enter hyperspace immediately, returning to the Joiol system."
"Affirmative, Admiral," replied Aerla, transmitting the orders. As the Rodian's fleet came sweeping out from hyperspace, N'Lola's fleet released a full-scale bombardment before leaping into hyperspace once more. As they were making the crossing, her navigations officer reported the signatures of the Home One star cruisers had vanished from the fleet, and as they arrived over Joiol, they found the Lucrehulks had been likewise destroyed by the bombardment. Twice more, the Rodian chased them, and twice more, the Rodian's fleet lost ships as N'Lola's fleet struck and then leapt into hyperspace immediately afterwards. His fleet diminished from twenty-six ships to fifteen, as her fleet took out the battleships, and all nine of the star cruisers, leaving only the star defender and the heavy cruisers. Finally, the Rodian's fleet arrived in the Chazwa system yet again, but this time, came out of hyperspace roughly eight hundred thousand kilometres outside of her fleet's weapons range.
"We are receiving a hail, Admiral," reported her chief communications officer, and she nodded to Aerla once in response to that statement.
"On-screen, Aerla," she replied, and the Rodian's features soon appeared on the screen. A man of unusually large antennae and yellow-green scale colouring, with iridescent black eyes, he stood at a height of one hundred and seventy centimetres and just under seventy-two and six-tenths kilograms in weight. Standing roughly three inches and thirty pounds slighter than her, he was no longer clothed in military raiment, but had taken to a more comfortable state of attire that only confirmed to her that he had gone rogue.
"If you want a battle, imperial swi- …" the Rodian began, then halted and blinked as he realized the diverse, nonhuman composition of the bridge crew, despite the imperial signatures of the fleet, "You are not humans."
"Aren't you a perceptive one?" she queried smugly, and his eyebrow ridge flattened in response, one side of it twitching faintly, "I am Admiral Selene of Republic Naval Intelligence. You have been engaged in the commission of war crimes against the human species, attacking civilian targets with no conceivable military value. You are as bad as those who destroyed the planet of Alderaan, you have been responsible for the deaths of several billion humans and your actions do nothing to aid the Republic you've abandoned. Your genocide stops here."
"And how do you intend to stop me? My fleet is now outside of the reach of yours," sneered the Rodian, and then blinked as she simply smirked in answer to his challenge. She lifted one hand, and he felt the Force on his throat. She seized him by the throat with the Force, she could see him and thus she could target him with her power, and she lifted him by the throat, though without choking him. Instead, she simply killed him outright, snapping his spine and crushing the windpipe simultaneously, while also severing both major arteries in the throat. There was no such thing as overkill when you wanted to make sure that your target died as quickly and as mercifully as possible, even if they had done nothing to merit such benevolence. A moment later, she dropped the Rodian's body on the floor of the bridge of his Viscount-class star defender. The monumental warship, seventeen thousand metres from the fore to the aft, had done little to protect the murderous admiral from her reach.
"Anyone else feel like continuing his genocide?" she asked, to which the bridge crew indicated a hurried and negative response, shaking their heads emphatically, "Good. Here are your new orders, rebels. You, you're the captain of this star defender, correct?" At her second question, she looked at the figure who seemed to be the greatest authority still alive, the one to whom the rest seemed to be deferring. A Zabrak woman of five feet eleven inches and about one hundred and ninety pounds, with tan-coloured complexion and dark blue tattooing on her face, she had a smooth scalp with hair only in a large circle at the back. This hair, dark brown like her eyes, was drawn into a ponytail of roughly elbow-length, and the thirty-nine-year-old stepped forward immediately when N'Lola singled her out.
"Enqua Xebac, Admiral," she replied, "Admiral Jolla's actions were not my own, but he was a frighteningly brutal commanding officer for those of us not graced in the Force."
"I am giving you a field promotion to, ah," she paused and looked sideward thoughtfully for a moment, then continued, "Lieutenant Commodore. There is an imperial fleet preparing to make an assault on the planet Rannon, in the Outer Rim. You are to proceed there immediately and inform Alliance command of the impending assault, instruct them to rendezvous with you. Defend the planet, ensure that the Empire does not secure a renewed foothold anywhere in the Outer Rim. Tell Alliance command that I have neutralized the Rodian butcher and that your fleet is returning to your duties in the naval forces of the New Republic." The newly promoted Lieutenant Commodore blinked at her for a moment in slack-jawed disbelief, but then quickly acclimated herself and nodded promptly.
"Understood, Admiral," she replied, turning her head, "Helm, set a course for the Rannon system, and prepare to engage hyperdrives."
"With respect, Captain, I do not see the wisdom in taking the word of an imperial…"
"Did you not hear her introduction?" replied the Lieutenant Commodore, whose rank N'Lola was certain she had probably just invented on the spot, for all it mattered.
"You will address her as Lieutenant Commodore, Ensign," N'Lola added, "Disrespecting a superior officer is a serious offense under military law." The Ensign looked as if he might have something to say in response to that, then thought better of it, and promptly proceeded with the orders provided.
"Course set, Lieutenant Commodore," he replied, though his voice carried the tone of a continued uncertainty.
"Get underway now, Lieutenant Commodore, before an imperial fleet arrives. I would not like to explain my reason for allowing an enemy fleet to casually sail away, it would make maintaining my cover rather difficult," N'Lola said, and the Lieutenant Commodore nodded immediately. She terminated the communications channel, and within a few scant seconds, the surviving fifteen-ship fleet vanished into hyperspace, while N'Lola's returned to Joiol to survey the damage. Admiral Jolla's attack on the planet had killed an additional six million humans in the first few volleys of his barrage, but unlike the situation on Poderis, the massive majority of the residents of Joiol had survived his attack due to the timeliness of her arrival.
Once assured that Joiol would be receiving proper military reinforcements from the Empire, she proceeded in her search for the imperial admiral who had gone rogue and begun engaging in piracy.
Over the next several months, the hunt for Admiral Riwwel proved to be far less simplistic than she had first thought it would be, a fact compounded by Admiral Banjeer's never-ending provocations. On the sixteenth day of the eighth month, the fleet swept out of hyperspace so that a stable long-range communications channel could be opened, only to discover as she sat at her desk, that it was yet again Admiral Banjeer.
"You still have not found the traitorous Admiral Riwwel? I have continued to tell Naval Command that it is pointless to assume that a mere… what are you, again? Well, whatever you are, I have continued to inform Imperial Naval Command that entrusting such an important mission to something like you, was a foolish waste of time and that if we truly wish to locate the treasonous worm, a real admiral should be dispatched," he began, and by now, N'Lola's patience had begun to wear thin.
"Admiral, do you realize how many times you have disrupted my search to berate me on my lack of success in tracking down an elusive pirate admiral?"
"I beg your pardon?" came the blank response, surprised by the fact she'd abruptly changed her tone from a voice of meek deference to one of respectful inquisition.
"It is now the first day of the fourth week of the eighth month of the year. In this time, since the beginning of my search for Admiral Riwwel, you have forced my fleet to come to a complete stop to receive a communication from you, on forty-three separate occasions. From this, I may deduce one of two things: you are either attempting to flirt with me in the best way you know how, with these repeated communications, or you are attempting to intentionally impede my progress in the completion of imperial orders to prevent Admiral Riwwel's apprehension," she said, then continued, "Neither of which is appreciated. I have filed a report regarding your ceaseless disruptions of my ability to complete my duties to our great and glorious Empire; someone must secure stability in the Empire's strongest regions, while older, more experienced, human admirals lead on the front lines."
"Why you little… you are very fortunate I do not come out there and put an end to you, myself!"
"Threatening an imperial officer occupied in the commission of her duties? That is a major criminal offense under Imperial Military Law, Admiral Banjeer," she said, before standing up, the monitor automatically rising further to maintain angle and perspective, "If you will excuse me, I have a piratical traitor to track down and execute per my orders from Imperial Naval Command. I will not tolerate any further interruptions to my work, and given the amount of evidence you have provided me with to validate the report I've made – thank you for that, by the way, Admiral – I strongly suspect Imperial Naval Command will be similarly unamused." She then tapped the touchscreen of her desk, terminating the channel immediately before walking out of her ready-room, rolling her eyes at the Admiral repeatedly disrupting her just to insult and demean her for her failure to be human. As if she had a choice in the matter.
"Helm, resume course," she said serenely, reclaiming the admiral's seat of the bridge.
For the rest of the month, N'Lola received no communications from Admiral Banjeer nor Naval Command. On the third day of the ninth month she received a response from Imperial Naval Command, informing her Admiral Banjeer had been permanently reassigned to the Fath sector. The Admiral's threat to try to murder her, combined with his repeated disruptive messages, had earned him severe censure, including the reassignment to the task of protecting one of the Empire's few holdouts in the Outer Rim, the resort world of Ord Cantrell. The communique also provided an update in the matter of her quarry, Admiral Riwwel, informing her that his most recent pirate attack had taken place in the Dalcretti system, just two days prior. On their arrival, she discovered the humans there had contracted a Black Sun operative for assistance on her behalf, paying handsomely for information that would allow her to track down the pirate admiral. When she arrived on the planet to meet with them, the Black Sun operative was quick to hand her the datacron as they convened in Dalcretti's main council-hall. The farmers and ranchers of Dalcretti were rather evidently tired of their efforts going toward providing food to a band of bloodthirsty, cutthroat pirates and their leader.
Following the instructions on the datacron, N'Lola was able to track the location of Riwwel and discovered he was presently in hyperspace, headed for the border-planet of Foless. It was a destination that would cost her time: Admiral Riwwel was unimpeded by the regulation that bound her to the Inner Rim, he could pass through the Colonies in a beeline. She, however, had officially been prohibited from entry into the Colonies region, and needed to circle it, making an arcing path to Foless, which allowed him to hit the planet and proceed on his way thereafter. Her own fleet was faster, but not by enough to compensate for the added thousand or more light years that it probably cost her in the distance to be travelled, being barred taking a straight path. However, she finally caught up with him in the star system of the planet Norah, which presently remained under the control of the Galactic Empire.
His fleet was small, but it was impressive: one Executor-class and two Assertor-class star dreadnoughts, and six Dragon-class heavy cruisers. Despite the fact he had a 'mere' nine warships, his fleet was a considerable threat for her to face, possessing what could be arguably regarded as far superior firepower. It would require cunning to defeat, leastwise to defeat it without losing most of her fleet in the process, and people she valued too much to sacrifice them on the Empire's altar.
"Open a channel, hail them," she instructed, her fleet more than two million kilometres out of firing range of Riwwel's small but lethal fleet. In addition to nine actual warships, it could field five hundred seventy-six starfighters, and she did not want to be near enough to the fleet before she knew what course of action she should take in advance of it potentially launching starfighters. Riwwel, however, had the disadvantage of that he had been using up munitions and power cells that he could not easily replace: military-grade hardware was found only in heavily defended supply depots on either side of the war. His piratical attacks had been primarily focused on targets that could provide little in the way of rearmament, whatever value in food and treasure had been acquired.
"Admiral Riwwel is responding," replied Aerla, and soon the human's countenance appeared on the screen. He was an older male, or at least older in comparison to herself: dark brown hair greying with age and matching eyes, and what looked to her as if he was in his latter fifties. Dressed comfortably, much the same as Admiral Jolla had been when she encountered him, he was about six foot four and two hundred thirty pounds. As he looked at her, he blinked in wide-eyed surprise as he realized that he had been hailed by a youthful, nonhuman admiral.
"Does the Empire regard the threat I pose as so little?" asked Riwwel.
"I do not follow your meaning, Admiral Riwwel."
"They sent a nonhuman girl to kill me," he clarified, "and not a human adult? I would have thought the threat I posed would be at least worth the investiture of that hack, Banjeer."
"Banjeer was too busy harassing and insulting me for being nonhuman, at least until he was reassigned for interrupting my search for you. I was pretty sure you and him were best friends," she replied coolly, and his eyebrows flattened into a line, unamused, "I'm guessing based on you calling him 'that hack,' you two don't see eye to eye on a great many things."
"No," he said icily, "we don't. However, there's little time for that, now, since I will have to obliterate your fleet to prove to the Empire I am more of a threat than they think. Men, order all weapons loaded and made re- …"
"There is another alternative, Admiral Riwwel," N'Lola interjected before he could terminate the channel.
"Oh, yes? Just come quietly, I suppose?"
"Actually," N'Lola replied with a smile that was equal parts warm and smug, "I could tell you where to find Llon Banjeer. He was reassigned from Imperial Naval Command for harassing me; he's in command of an actual fleet again, now." Riwwel blinked at the offer, completely blindsided by the offer.
"Wait, what?"
"You are highly disillusioned with the Empire, now, correct?"
"Yes…"
"…and might that translate to an interest in defection to the Republic?" she followed.
"The Republic is dead. The Empire crushed it."
"You are well-aware the Rebel Alliance intends to restore order to the galaxy through the formation of a new Republic," N'Lola countered, to which he nodded his assent, slowly, "You would like to, perhaps, join the Republic's forces, instead?"
"Yes. I suppose you could say that."
"Well, given the events on Acherin, including the destruction of an ancient city of inestimable archaeological significance, you would need to earn your own entrance into the naval forces of the new Republic. Your impeccable naval career and impressive fleet notwithstanding, you would need to demonstrate a commitment to the Republic and the goals thereof."
"For which I suppose you have a suggestion, young lady?"
"I do, indeed, and I think it's one you'll like."
"The suspense is killing me," Riwwel replied, crossing his arms impatiently.
"You have been making meaningless piratical attacks in the Inner Rim for several months. Everyone believes you are in the Inner Rim," she started.
"We are in the Inner Rim," he interjected.
"… for which reason no one will be expecting you to make an attack somewhere in the Outer Rim," N'Lola proceeded, unfazed by his utterance, "such as, just as one example, the star system to which Admiral Llon Banjeer's fleet was recently assigned. You should confirm this with a friend in the admiralty – I'm sure you have more friends in the Imperial Navy than I do, being human – and surely one of those friends shares your disdain for Banjeer."
"Yes, a few of whom have impressed upon me to adopt a more progressive attitude toward nonhumans, which you are strongly encouraging at the moment, young woman," Riwwel replied, "So I have two questions for you."
"By all means, feel free," she answered.
"First, where was Admiral Banjeer assigned?"
"Admiral Llon Banjeer was assigned to the defense of Ord Cantrell," she replied, looking toward Aerla for a moment, "Aerla, please inform Admiral Riwwel of the composition of Banjeer's fleet."
"Yes, Admiral; one moment, accessing," replied the Twi'lek, drawing her fingers across the touchscreen and plucking the information from the imperial databank, "Admiral Llon Banjeer has been assigned a fleet whose flagship is the Venator-class Star Destroyer Odium, supported by six Gladiator-class Star Destroyers, eight Dreadnought-class Heavy Cruisers, ten Dragon-class Heavy Cruisers, and twelve Lancer-class Frigates."
"Tsch," replied Riwwel, "A pittance befitting that fool. Thirty-seven ships my fighters could take out if I felt inclined to give them to the task. Now for my second question, what do you get out of this?"
"A finder's fee," she replied with a smug smirk.
"Excuse me?"
"The Alliance is always on the lookout for imperial admirals willing to defect, ones not averse to backing up their words with their actions. Men of action, such as yourself, are always welcome in the Republic's Navy, providing an ability to abide by military law; according to your file, which I took the liberty to peruse during my search for you, your military record was exemplary," she replied, "Well, until you abandoned the navy and engaged in piracy instead."
"You have a way about you, girl," he chuckled magnanimously, "Yes, I do have a tendency to abide military law, but the Empire is a sinking ship. I wasn't about to be associated with it so immediately that my neck would be in the way when the ax fell, particularly since the actions at Acherin had eaten at my spirit; it was not my choice, I was ordered to take that action."
"Then demonstrating your loyalties by decimating Banjeer's fleet out from under him should work well for us all. You may, of course, wish to confirm my information, which I would not hold against you," she continued, "So please, feel free to contact your own allies still within the admiralty, call in old favours. Ask them to tell you where to find Banjeer, and the composition of his currently fleet."
"I shall do that," he said coolly, "since as you say, trusting you might be a fool's errand for me, but if you're truthful in your words, none will hear of it from me or any of the men in my command. Particularly in light of the fact, I don't know your name, and under the circumstances, I'm not going to ask. Helm, set course for Ord Vaug, order the fleet to prepare to engage hyperdrives at maximum. Farewell, young lady; perhaps when the war is over, we may still be alive enough to see one another again." A few moments later, the nine warships went simultaneously to hyperspace, vanishing in the direction of a planet in the Expansion Region. Fortunately, thereafter, whatever happened, Riwwel at that point ceased to be her concern: she had only to report that he'd gone to hyperspace and she had lost track of him in the Norah system.
Naturally, Imperial Naval Command was unhappy when they heard that Admiral Riwwel had eluded her via the simple mechanism of leaving the Inner Rim for an alternate region of the galaxy. However, it was not yet enough to convince them to loosen the leash or for that matter to remove the tether that currently bound her to the Inner Rim, though it was sufficient that they felt it was unavoidable she had lost track of him. Either way, she had been ordered to resume typical patrol duties until further notice.
During the first month of the third year after the Battle of Yavin, news reached her of the decimation of the fleet under Admiral Banjeer in the Ord Cantrell system. The admiral, himself, had eluded death that day – but the full breadth of his fleet, had not: he'd received a suitable demotion for that fact, down to the lowest rank of the admiralty, but he'd been provided a renewed fleet. Naturally, he had attempted to place the blame on her for his misfortune, and in the process, had lost much of his credibility with Imperial Naval Command as a result.