Chapter 3: First Contract
5 years later
Coruscant
Coruscant was once a planetary ecumenopolis that stood proudly for centuries in the dark or golden ages now reduced into a landscape of living hell and war. All across Coruscant was a war zone. Entire sectors of the metropolis, habit blocks and districts reduced to ruin as the war raged on the surface on. This disaster is called the burning of Coruscant.
Massive MAWLRs (Mounted Artillery Walker/Long Range) marched across the ruin bring its large cannon of destruction spreading carnage and death across the battlefield. Screams of dying, terror and pleas ignored as the hordes of the Helghast armies and their allies stormed the paved streets in every sector killing everyone in their path with one goal let the Empire burn to the ground. Now they all burn for their crimes against the galaxy. Massive mushroom clouds decorated the battlefield in a heap of the inferno of hell.
Massive graves of imperials, burning military vehicles and civilians laid across the cities now reduced into a sea of raging flames. Helghast warships raining beams of green across the planet on the orbit or in the skies. Bombers dropping payloads of bombs. A burning star destroyer popped with explosions came falling down on the industrial sector and crashed into a mushroom cloud of flames
At the palace, Colonel Radec and Shadow Knight Alec both watched the scene of the battle raging on as the Imperial defenders succumbed to the unforgiving and relentless assault. They both turned away the window passing dead bodies of the red guards and the Emperor himself dead with a saber slash to the chest laying beside his throne.
Alec kicked the side of the Emperor still clinging to life as the Emperor laid there on his back choking out blood. Alec and Radec had their side arms ready and aimed right at the Emperor's face.
"You have any idea...What you and your... kind have done?" Choked Sidious as blood poured from his mouth.
"Yeah , embracing your madness and putting an end to it. You started the war and we are here finish it." Replied Alec " Yeah we don't give a dam. Don't worry we are going to wait for the next war to wouldn't live to see it." Pulling the trigger with a sound of a crack and smoke.
Present Day
Outer Rim Territories
A battlegroup of imperial ships exited hyperspace and speed toward a space station near a system of three backwater planets near the borders of Unknown Regions.
Captain Nasser of Star Destroyer Hellfire stood on the bridge along with another officer in grey. Crewmen in the trench pairs were working dead hard in their stations or on the consoles near the viewport. He watches as his battlegroup exit hyperspace.
Captain Nasser once was an ensign from the academy and rose to the ranks of the Imperial Navy years later. His small battlegroup conceded three-star destroyers, three frigates and a dozen gozanti class cruisers along with dozen stormtrooper companies. High Command had issued an assignment to him to investigate a missing star destroyer and a listening outpost along with an Imperial Radar station vital to the Outer Rim sector to pinpoint suspected rebel hideouts that failed to check in.
"Sir, we are approaching the Haan system with thin 5 minutes." Reported the officer staring at the viewport.
"Good, get me communication down to the Garrison. I would like to know why-"
"Sir, we are detecting wreckage." Called out an officer. "My god, it is the missing Victory-class Star destroyer Requiem."
Massive chunks of debris from the wreckage of a star destroyer corpse laid drifted in space and floating aimlessly. Decks ripped off violently and the tower had a nasty looking hole along with bodies of crewmen in froze poses.
"What just happen in there?" demanded the Captain."Get a team to the wreckage, secured what is left of the data and look for survivors."
"Captain, we got incoming anomalies Portside." Called another officer from his station.
"Captain!" Call out his second in command at the Portside. Emerging from the dark space was a dozen hammerhead or boxy like ships dressed in black and red. Last came out a massive U like warship with a reactor in the middle and an anti-gravity ring in the back as the tail borne the triad symbol on the front wedge-like step structure of the massive warship.
Another Fleet of ships emerged infront of the imperial fleet and surround the entire battlegroup with cannons ready to fire.
"What the hell is that?" Gasped Captain Nasser as fear slowly take a hold in him as he realized his battlegroup stumbled into a trap and a living nightmare was about to begin.
"Have the turbo laser batteries ready, turn this ship around and show these rebels the power of the imperial navy and empire." Barked the captain.
"Sir !" Calling out the other crewman." They are hailing us."
" Patch them through so I could give them a piece of my mind." Growled Nasser with arrogance in his tone as his gut screaming at him the danger infront of him. The communication officer typed on the console.
Before the imperial captain could say on the intercom, he and the entire crew heard breathing at the end of the line from the console if something knew it's breathing was enough to make a band of pirates fear something.
"Slaves of the false Empire." boomed out a voice as the crew even Captain Nasser paused with surprise.
"We returned to reclaim our rightful place in the galaxy and the Empire will burn to the ground. Your fleets and your armies will burn in the fires of true Helghan people of the galaxy." Continued a hard , deep and stoic voice "There will be no mercy or surrender. For Helghan." before the intercom was shut.
It was that moment Captain Nasser felt fear and the fear just spread like wildfire to the crew and the rest of the battlegroup. The word Helghan was an unpleasant term to introduce.
" Have our turbo batteries-"
"They are firing on us." Shouted an officer with fear in his toon.
The mysterious fleet firing a large barrage of missiles, and torpedoes at the battlegroup in a rapid precision before one ship fired an electrical lance of blue at the nearest star destroyer. Another ship raised a cannon before firing a flash of blue as a projectile of blue hammered one of the light cruiser, shuddering it armour exposing it's inside before destroyed by a wave of missiles.
Went through the shield like butter, the lance hit the star destroyer's structure tower and detonated in a flash of blue. The explosion tore opened the entire hull and the explosion erupted and ripped out the tower on top reducing it to a floating piece of debris. Next then happen was became a massacre.
First time the shocked imperials witness a single shot that took down a star destroyer but worse all of their escorts and light cruisers were ripped apart by the overwhelming missile barrage that fast and.
A three of their light cruisers were shredded like twigs as unknown surface missiles of unknown design exploded in a blast of thermal and green particles. Another imperial frigate was torn in half from the barrage of laser streams while the fleet returned fire barely.
One of the hammerhead ships were deploying drop ships and space boat like shuttles.
"Oh my god. Get the batteries firing now someone give me firing solutions." Shouted Nasser but an explosion shook the bridge nearly knocked Nasser as the chaos continued on the bridge. Serval of the crewmen flinches as sparks burst from the console and the ship ruptured again sending people to the ground.
"Sir, hyperdrive damaged and we just lost power. They hit us with some kind of Ion disruptor. The ship losing power."
"Captain, we have incoming. Boarding parties" Called out another officer. Nasser shallowed with horror and this can't get any worse.
A dozen atmosphere Helghast assault Ram landers flew towards the last surviving Stardestroyer continuing to fire their turbo lasers at the fleet. The assault landers firing their cluster rockets at the neck of the ships tower and weaken the armour, then their thermal blaster cannons before thrusting forward and lodged themselves into the ship.
A wide door opened step out Helghast Navy Marine in grey EVO suit with orange lining, webbing and armour with an StA Pestride blaster assault rifle in his head but his headgear had three red eyes and a bane mouth guard that covered his chin and face. The StA Pestricte energy rifle was base on the StA-assault rifle but convert the ammo cylinder into a pesticide battery design for space combat, marine troops and veteran soldiers.
"For Helghan."
Nasser stared at his service blaster pistol in his hand with his head staring at the ground as he stood helpless as he watches as his battlegroup already been wiped out as the bridge still in chaos just before he executed himself. Enemy troops just took the Main engineering and getting close to the bridge any minute now.
The blast doors exploded taking two of the stormtroopers guarding the bridge. Out from the smoke were three soldiers entering the bridge firing their rifles unleashing streams of green into the disoriented officers in the bridge.
Cut down like flies, officers dropped to the ground, limps blow off and blood stained the floor like a mess. Cries of pleas and pain ignored as the slaughter truly continued while the others attempt to reach for their sidearms in vain or attempted to surrender only to be gunned down.
Captain Nasser raised his pistol but a stream round hit his shoulder sending the captain down to the ground next to a deceased officer whose eyes widen in terror. Crying out in pain clutching his bleeding shoulder, the imperial froze to see a soldier with red glowing eyes like demons stood there with his squad walking calmly along the dead crewmen on the bridge.
The two Helghast marines grabbed the imperial captain by the arms with another behind with a rifle to the head
Then two soldiers in trench coats, armoured pads and vests stepped into the bridge. "Bridge secured. Colonel Radec." trooper reported.
The air shinned through the bridge way revealing a man in the helghast finest uniforms stewy in causally.
"Sir, data secured and transfer to the fleet, sir." Reported another officer trooper , the Colonel nodded before turned to face the captain on his knees scared and horrified by his captors. The Colonel drew his sidearm.
"Do you really think this galaxy is yours Imperial Slave." Mocked the Colonel Mael pacing around the captain.
"I am no slave." spattered out Nasser in defiance. " We are proudly serv-" His sentence was cut off when the Helghast marine smacks the captain in the face leaving him with a bloody nose.
"The Emperor." Chucked Radec
"Your glorious Empire will not rule the galaxy forever. The Imperial Flag will not protect you forever." Said Mael with venom in his tooth as he glazed at the imperial with hatred." We will march across the galaxy and we will lit the fire that will burn the Empire to the ground. Only remain is Helghan Dominance."
Captain Nasser recoiled with horror as he realized he stumbled upon an invasion force with power never seen. Power the force knows what of this new race. He was never this afraid in his entire life by those menacing vile gasmasked humanoids. What the hell do they think they are?
Everyone on the bridge watch as hundred thousands of ships emerging from FTL or hyperspace and a dozen largest ships emerged with the embalm of the Triad. Radec smiled at the sight of the fleets massing from the unknown space.
"We will not be fighting alone." Said Radec as another formation of new ships emerging from space. "You and all of the Empire will burn under the name of Helghan." The marine hand him the blaster pistol
"What...are...you?" Choked Nasser as the pistol was raised "I am Colonel Radec. We are the Helghast." Pulling the trigger with a blast.
" But don't you worry captain , your vessel will have other uses." Chucked Radec at the corpse of the captain. "I am glad we won with no causalities. Lucky day for you."
The Helghast had rise from the shadows during their isolation and now the new war is only the beginning.
Yavin System
Alliance to Restore the Republic
Rebel Headquarters
Yavin 4 was a jungle moon in orbit around the Yavin system and its landmass covered with continentals masses of dense jungles and rainforest. Five Thousand Years ago, the Sith build temples by the enslaved Massassi and today was the home of the Rebel Alliance and a haven for freedom fights, rebel cells and refugees fleeing the Empire. The alliance goal was to free the galaxy from the Empire and restore true justice, democracy and freedom to the people of the galaxy.
The Rebellion was growing every day with more ships, supplies stolen from the imperial shipping and fresh recruits or volunteers across the galaxy gathering. A storm was gathering at the edge of war ready to spill blood.
A massive meeting was taken place where a thousand rebels along with joint chiefs and the staff of High Command. Former Republican senators Bail Organa and Mon Mothma along with their advisors present at the meeting. Pilots, Spec-Ops troopers, officers and soldiers along with a few senators present
An Alliance team return to Yavin with critical intel savaged from a star destroyer hulk in the Outer Rim the delivered the intel to the Higher up in command with disturbing information of something else bigger
Intelligence Chief Airen Cracken along with Davits Draven stood beside the Holo platform. "There has been a recent development in the outer rim, several dozen star systems mysterious went dark along with the other sub-sectors in the wild space for an entire month. A few patrol fleets went missing as well."
A holoprojector shows a digital map of a small fleet of star destroyers exiting hyperspace
"An Imperial battlegroup over 16 ships went to investigate a sub-sector that gone dark only to encounter this."
The footage shows a mysterious fleet of 8 ships with an unknown design, these ships had hammerhead fins at the front not to mention with a long parabolic shallow angled body with a set of six massive engine blocks with armoured plating and weapons of unknown design stood in the centre of the ship or broadside.
The mysterious fleet opened fired at the same time with beams of particles and electricity. The beams tore through blaster resistant armour into molten , ship engines shut down rapidly as explosions peppered in and out of the hull with burning crewmen sucked into space.
The surviving imperial ships returned fire with turbo lasers , hordes of bolts smashed into the fleet only to be abolished by a growing energy shield dome. The shields were quickly fading with the next turbolaser barrage for the kill. Next thing happen when another wave of Four large ships entered out of hyperspace suddenly rammed the fleet head-on. The large ship smashed through the bridge of a star destroyer into bits of flames and debris. A massive laser cannon under the belly or centre of the ship both fired a beam of white light destroying two ships in one stone.
The four largest ships in a u design kind unleashed thousands of pods into the remaining star destroyers , one by one the star destroyers went silent with their engines shut down
In minutes, the battlegroup was reduced to hulks of debris or captured leaving the mysterious fleet victorious
Mothma placed her mouth on her head at the stunting battle and Bail looked surprised when there was another fraction that can take on the Empire with that kind of power
"Energy weapons of unknown design effective against star destroyers in long range."
The crowd watched with utter silence and horror as others whispered along theirpeers,, how could these ships take out an entire battlegroup from long range.
"Before the attack begun , they transmit a message." Said the Intelligence officer with a disturbed expression.
"The Banished had returned to the galaxy." Said a deep dark voice that sound like radio intercom."Forged from the fires of hell , the Helghast people rise from the shadows to take back our rightful place as our birthright. The Galactic Empire will all burn or we die. Death to all our enemies and let the galaxy burn. For Helghan."
"This new fraction we have learn are called the Helghast. But we had witnessed the understatement of their capabilities for war," said General Airen with a grim expression.
The transmission ended as the intelligence chief shut off the device as the crowd burst into chatter or voicing out their opinions about this new fraction, their power and their shocking introduction revealing themselves the Helghast even concerns.
" We must negotiate with this new fraction. Reach out to them" Call out one of the rebel senators "With their firepower and technology we can stand a chance against the can turn the tide of the rebellion."
"What happening if they turn on us?"
"They are waiting for this war all this time and why didn't reach out to us."
" Helghast maybe dangerous and they got a bigger agenda than the rest of us."
"We can let the Helghast do the heavy fighting then we can negotiate." Called out another officer."That would rough up the Empire."
"I don't think it would be a good idea, we must know this new fraction but only negotiate at the right time." Said Bail "We need more information about them."
"He is right senator, we have no idea what they are capable of and besides they were unpredictable than the Empire." Said Mothma to the crowd "But interfere with the Helghast would lead to dangerous misunderstandings. War is inevitable if we are not cautious."
"Meeting will be adjourned until we get a better sense of the Helghast." Called out Bail. "Back to your duties."
The crowd along with the rebel senators along with the command staff dispersed to their duties leaving Bail and Mothma alone in the chamber in deep thought.
"I believe it would be risk for a diplomatic approach unless we have more information about the Helghast. The word seems to be menacing than intimidation." Said Bail with concern on his face."I worried about them. You cannot be okay with this"
" No I am not but we will going to reach out to the Helghast unless the Rebellion is desperate if we are losing against the Empire. It is a risky discussion I wouldn't be proud of make the call." Said Mothma staring at the holo projector. "The Helghast maybe unpredictable and lets hope they could be diplomatic to us in the future."
"At least they are less warmongering," stated Bail"Let hope we can endure but this galaxy will blow."
"Sorry to bother the two of you. "said a rebel officer who walked in "You have an urgent contract waiting to speak to you."
"Who?" Asked Bail and Mothma's eye widen with curiously.
"A Helghast sir. Unknown"
Deep down in both of the rebel leaders knew in their hearts that there was something dangerous in the Helghast. A storm was gathering between the three fractions.
Coruscant
Coreworlds
Imperial Palace
Emperor Sidious sat on his throne alone reading reports from Director Krennic on the progress of the superlaser. His simile faded when the force was shaking. He could feel the force trembling again with a sense of fear of something return to the galaxy. He used his foresight to reach out to the force. He closed his yellow eyes and connected with the force. He scanned the millions of souls living in Coruscant and the trillions across the galaxy for this disturbance. Feeling their minds and their lives ahead.
Sidious tried to search for the rupture in the force, something was happening and something was consuming but the rupture wasn't from the light/the dark. Only to find nothing, he reaches out again and it felt nothing but shadows and the presence felt devoid of the force.
Then the mental bells of warning sound in full effect as Sidious went deeper into the force. All he could see was something coming from the Outer Rim and Wild Space, an embalm of a burning flamed triad stood proudly as it presents it's distortion in the middle of the force setting off changes and turmoil in the force. It was feeding on the force.
Sidious growled in annoyance as he came close to the symbol and the symbol distorted into a mist revealing a different agenda. A vision came infront of him to see the future. Only in hell. Sidious only watch as the vision of entire worlds burning in hell with demonic masked humanoids marching with burning eyes holding the flags of a flaming triad. The galaxy covered with blanket of shadows , consuming all life and the demon man turned to faced Sidious as a wave of black smoke slowly clouded his foresight.
"The Banished had returned." It says as the storm of darkness swept his essence away.
Sidious gasped as he opened his eyes in his throne and chambers. His fist squeezed tight and his eyes flared with anger. He will not stand for this , something was invading the outer rim believing their galaxy is there for the taking and he will not let this ancient race take their place in his galaxy. Not like this when he was in control of the trillions across the galaxy. The Empire must be ready to face the storm.
"Get me Lord Vader, Grand Admiral Thrawn and Grand Moff Takin immediately." The emperor ordered on com link on his throne arm to contact his servant.
"I sense a storm coming," Sidous muttered to himself.