Nota bene;

There are some more people I would like to thank. Without them, the coming chapters would be boring and unimaginative and unrealistic. Without these people, I would also be very bored.

The Team of Thrawn's Revenge SWFOC Modification; First off, you guys rock. I was somewhat hesitant to ask you guys for your permission to let me borrow some of your material, but after I went back through it and realized that anything I was going to do would be dwarfed by the years you guys put into making everything perfect. To those who don't know what Thrawn's Revenge is, it's an amazing modification for the game Star Wars: Empire at War and the Forces of Corruption expansion. I recommend looking them up and checking them out. For those who would like to know what some of the Chiss ships look like (I have yet to write a good description of them, blame Octavian, not me) mosey on down to their page and find the faction page about the Empire of the Hand. Then look at the bottom of the page. These guys really put a lot of effort into making this mod, and they deserve all the appreciation they get and more. Even more awesome, they're making another modification for another game at the same time. The other game is called Sins of a Solar Empire, and they're calling the mod "Star Wars: Ascendancy". i have no idea what the Sins of a Solar Empire game is like, but if I know the TR Team, it's going to be awesome.

MsLanna; First off, this is probably one of the most original writers I have ever read things by. Her characters are amazing and definitely realistic. Every move someone makes requires the reader to pick it apart with a scalpel to try to figure out why they did it. When you have Thrawn as a main character, that's necessary to even get through a conversation with him. She also has a great way of writing that keeps you itching for the next chapter, which, truth to be told, keeps you itching for awhile. The whole story is one big excuse about why she never updates. Hence the name; The Reason I didn't Update. She has also created and added so much Chiss Culture that it took at least 16000 characters (That's two private messages, folks) to even give me a summary. I'm told that somewhere there is a larger and more detailed version on her computer somewhere, and I'm terrified that I might get lost in Chiss land if I open that door. Her profile is here u/182116/ and the story she's making all the Chiss culture for it here s/4088285/1/The-Reason-I-didn-t-update . I recommend reading her stuff, it's all quite good. Also, if you want to send her chocolates, she'll love you for life.

And now, back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Sperate in Fata, mei amici.

PART ONE

Munus

Chapter III

"How would you describe the events that occurred on the day vigesimum quintum, month Nonus-"

"I know when it was. I was there, after all, isn't that why I'm here?"

"Praefectus, please answer the question."

"You first."

"If the Council approves, I declare the right to consider this witness hostile, and move to more extreme-"

"Kiss my asinus, Gnaeus. I'm hostile because you're declaring my amor to be unfit for command, broken the Dogmatta, the Code, and some things that you've made up."

"Can you please answer the question?"

"Ok. So, once we got there, there was a big party for him. There was cake and Iktha and-"

"Inquisitor, do you have any other witnesses?"

"No, Magister."

"Then this should be exciting."

"Exiting hyperspace, my Lords." A white uniformed S.I.N. officer came up to Octavian's command chair. The chair was essentially a swivel chair that one might find in an office space, except that the padding was replaced by hard metal. It wasn't designed to be sat in, Octavian mused. Maybe it was designed to be shot out of a projectile launcher. It would certainly hurt.

"Very good, Legate. Prepare all forward batteries, and make it obvious." The order came from Iulia, not Octavian. The Legate saluted, and hurried to relay the order.

Octavian looked at Iulia, who was sitting on an arm of the chair in her red robe. He took the purple border of the robe in between his thumb and forefinger, rubbing the soft material absentmindedly. "Aren't I supposed to be giving the orders, dear?"

"Sorry Oct, but as High Admiral, I outrank you on board Imperial Navy ships."

"Even my own personal flagship?"

"Yes sweetie."

"Well stercus."

By now, the passageway of stars that made up hyperspace were slowing visibly. A few seconds later, they reverted to realspace in the Csilla system.

Octavian's head was pummeled by the feeling of shock coming from everyone on the Grave Munus that had anyway to see the fleet orbiting the Chiss homeworld. He didn't even know the Chiss had that many ships.

Around the planet were at least two hundred Chiss Star Destroyers, sleek triangles without the trademark command tower of the Core-Folk Star Destroyers. Octavian did some calculations in his head, and realized that those Star Destroyers alone could hold over four hundred bomber squadrons and four hundred fighter squadrons, which would be more than enough to demolish the Grave Munus. Of course, Chiss being Chiss, that wasn't all they had brought to the party. Behind the Star Destroyers were smaller and sleek Au'riette carriers, which could hold up to seven squadrons of fighters each. Octavian estimated that there were at least fifty of them. And in the front, probably half the size of the Grave Munus, was a supersized Chiss Star Destroyer.

Octavian just sat back in his seat. Sanguinum inferno. He didn't think that whatever fleet Livia was sending to reinforce him would be enough to take out all the Chiss ships. From his senses, he could tell that Iulia was thinking the same thing.

The Plebius Legatus that had recorded him at one of the recent parties came up to Octavian and saluted. "The Super Chiss Destroyer is hailing us, my Lord."

Octavian noticed that the hand he was holding to his chest was trembling. He gave the Legate a stern look. Fear was only good when it belonged to the other side. "Put it through."

Octavian straighten his robes and stood in front of a large blue holodisplay. He gestured for Iulia to get out of the range of the transmitting holocam, and then held up his hand to stop the muffled whispers traveling around the command deck. He gave a nod to a Solnik in a crimson uniform, and then the holodisplay lit up.

"Greetings." A tall Chiss came to life over the holodisplay. Octavian did a quick check of his yellow robes, reading the complicated patterns. He immediately picked out the pale, which started from the right shoulder and sloped down to a belt-like pattern. Octavian remembered that since the palei started on the right and met with the nele, which was the name for the belt pattern, the wearer of the robe was born into whatever ruling house they were in. Octavian hated Chiss clothing.

"I am Aristocrata Chaf'inula'riuni. May I ask who I am speaking to?" The Chiss spoke in Basic, which was good. Octavian could pull off few Basic sentences from time to time. It was very similar to Solk, the language of the Solnik Empire.

"This is High Lord of the Governing Council and High General of the Solnik Imperial Army Octavius Augustus Antilho. We are here to discuss peace with the Chiss Ascendency."

"Why do you come to discuss peace in a battleship?" The Chiss clasped his hands behind his back, almost standing at parade rest. The Chiss, even though he was supposedly from the diplomatic Chaf family, almost looked military in his bearing.

"Why is your welcoming party an entire fleet of battleships?" Octavian wasn't good at diplomacy. He didn't care for it. It was either the Empire's way or the void in his opinion. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, and cast a glance at Iulia. She was running back and forth between the stations, and looked up and mouthed something at Octavian that he didn't understand.

"We were concerned about the size of your party, and wanted to be able to equal whatever forces you were bringing with you. It is a diplomatic strategy." The Chiss looked smug, even for a Chiss.

"I'm one thousand five hundred and fifty one years old. I damn well know what diplomatic strategies are." The knowledge about the lifespans of Solnik's wasn't well known, something Octavian probably just changed. Oh well. The time for secrecy was coming to an end.

"That's a high age for one who looks so... childlike." The Chiss tilted his head slightly, and gave a small smile.

Octavian's hand was up in a heartbeat, fingers grasping an imaginary neck. He exerted his will, and the smug look on the Chiss's face was replaced by one of fear as he was choked by the Force. He had just made his fatal error. Solniks hated being called children. "Aristocrata, there is something you need to know," Octavian smiled.

"I don't care how many ships you have to play with. I don't care what the repercussion are going to be if I snap your neck right now." The Chiss was clawing at his neck in a futile attempt to save himself. "But one thing I do know and care about is this; We will defeat the Ascendency. We will conquer you like we have conquered thousands of systems, in both your galaxy and our own. We are Solnik. Avete Imperio." And with that, Octavian clenched his hand into a fist, and the Aristocrata's hologram crumpled. The communication was cut.

The silence on the bridge was calming. Then the alarms began to blare. The crew began to speak all at once. It didn't matter how calm they sounded, Octavian could still only pick out every other word.

"Taking hits in Sector Alpha-Two-Two-One-"

"All forward batteries firing at Targets Beta through Mu-"

"All starfighters are being deployed, sir."

"Incoming missiles, deploying guidance jammers."

"That Super is throwing masers at us like no tomorrow, sir."

"Oct!" Iulia yelled from where she was in order to be heard over the clamor. "Livi's guys came just in time."

The holodisplay before Octavian came back to life, this time showing an overview of the battle. Csilla was represented by a big white sphere floating at the far edge of the display, and around it was a cloud of red designators. Octavian picked out the capitol ships, and realized they were all moving towards the Munus. Along with them came several smaller designators, which were a mixture of light pink and light green. Pink represented fighters, green was for bombers. The Grave Munus was a long two-pronged gold designator, and around it Octavian could see swarms of dark green and dark pink designators. The dark colors meant they were Solnik.

Suddenly, another two-pronged designator came into the view, bringing with it several other designators that were about the size of the Chiss's capitol ships designators. Octavian poked one of the newcomer's designators, and brought up it's information and visuals.

It was the Omicron fleet. Octavian poked the other ships, and saw that Omicron was made up of a mixture of Clustrum-class capitol ships which were about double the size of Chiss Star Destroyers and featured much more firepower, and several Adgressor-class frigates. The Adgressor was a newer design, made within the past hundred years. They had one special feature, which was probably going to be used against the Chiss with great effect.

The Imperious, however, was a quandary to Octavian. They were given only to members of the Solnik Governing Council, and Octavian thought that all of them except for the Grave Munus were in orbit above Sol. So why was this one here?

"The Laetus Carnifex is hailing us, my Lord." A crimson uniformed communications officer yelled from his station.

Iulia looked at Octavian, and gave him a questioning look. He returned it. The Laetus Carnifex belonged to the Alte Electissimus Constantius Xpianus Ronok. He was in charge of the Solnik Imperial Special Forces, and he was most certainly the best Solnik for the job. He had, a few hundred years ago, conquered an entire planet with just twenty troops.

"Patch them in to my personal comsphere." Octavian pulled his comsphere out of his pocket, and spoke into the small crystal orb. "Conner, what in the hell are you doing here?"

The orb glowed. "Saving your asinus, like usual."

Iulia came up and leaned over the orb. "Well then welcome to the party. We're going to need all the help we can get."