Chapter 8

(Bestine System)

"We are entering the Bestine system now, sir." A captain by the name of 'Dritt,' informed as the swirls of hyperspace suddenly vanished and the endless stars of space came back into view. The admiral, a slightly elderly looking man with graying hair and a thin mustache across his face, nodded with an oh so proper and curt nod. "Very good captain. Order all vessels to spread out in wolf-pack formations throughout the system in squads of four." Admiral Teradoc ordered clasping his hands behind his back like any good Imperial would. "I want our 'pack' to form up and head for Bestine IV at once." On his order several officers began immediately relaying orders to the rest of the fleet of one-hundred-seventy fin Imperial warships.

"Admiral Teradoc, sir! We have Imperial vessels approaching the fleet from our right flank! They are not transmitting any of the new designated codes!" One officer stiffly called out, and Teradoc snapped his head out his vessels, the 'Impact's, viewport. He immediately caught sight of two Tartan-class patrol cruisers on either side of a singular Stardestroyer ominously approaching his fleet.

"Acknowledged. Order all TIE squadrons to launch from their hangers immediately. Engage hostile Moff forces at once! Have the 'Justification,' and 'Imperator III,' move into bombardment formations. Order all our Tartans to engage with rapid fire and cripple that Stardestroyer's shields, bombers hang back and move in after shield collapse for critical bombing runs!" Teradoc commanded wiping an unseen sheen of sweat from his brow, and listened to the loud clamoring of his officers relaying his orders.

"They're firing on us!" Just then the 'Impact,' shook with violence as the enemy Stardestroyer opened fire with its turbolaser batteries. "Shields are holding sir." Another officer declared, and Teradoc nearly snarled.

"Open fire you idiots! All ships open fire now!" The muted sound of turbolasers firing sounded and a mess of green masses flew from ship to ship while the Tartans under Teradoc practically flung themselves forward towards the enemy capital ship and began firing a rapid flurry of laser fire and marvelously crippled the ships shielding already.

"All TIE squads move into attack formations! Target their Tartans and keep all TIE interceptors on fleet defensive, and interdiction duties!" Teradoc ordered as the enemy tartans started approaching firing their own batteries upon Teradocs fleet. "Ships in bombardment range! They are opening fire now!" Teradoc watched as his two Stardestroyer's began firing down onto the enemy vessel from above and quickly reduced its shielding capacity. The TIE's moved in and a mass of bomb squads began dropping their payloads all across the top of the ship.

"Admiral, sir! Scanners count four Acclamator-II assault ships exiting hyperspace!" Teradoc scanned the viewport before settling on the four rather outdated vessels shooting into view and they immediately opened fire on his Tartans.

"Reroute several TIE squadrons at once! I want four Stardestroyer's, and five Victory-II's in wolf-pack formation around those ships now!" He declared pointing towards the newcomer ships unnecessarily. As the sneaking sensation of fear crept along his spine, and sweat continued to coat his forehead and brow line.

A massive quake ripped through the ship and Teradoc lurched forward but glimpsed the opposite Stardestroyer cracking in two with a massive explosion reverberating through the void of space. The bow of the ship started to begin free-floating, deadweight in space and drift from the main body of the Stardestroyer as fires that were spread across the vessel was exposed to his sight.

"All ships focus on the Acclamators, and wipe those damnable Tartans out now!" Teradoc brushed his suit of nonexistent debris and watched TIEs begin rapidly banking to engage the new vessels while three Victory class ships of his began raining down on the Tartans that had already sustained plenty of damage.

"Sir, a whole enemy fleet exiting hyperspace!" Another officer again cried and in a flash more than forty "Imperial" ships entered normal space. 'My word.' Teradoc thought with a moment of shock overtaking him but was soon replaced by arrogance, his pride, and a sense of clear vision.

"All ships enter into general forward attack position take them all out!" He further ordered and watched the whole fleet push forward and simultaneously unleash a mass volley of fire. Ranging from green turbolaser fire to a mess of rockets and torpedoes. "TIE fighters have engaged enemy fighters entering within range of the fleet! Interceptors are joining the engagement of enemy TIEs as well." One officer declared without stopping his work on his terminal.

"We've lost bomber squadron five-two-eight! TIE fighter squadron four-nine-three moving to engage…

The Resolute-Wrath is taking fire from enemy Victory-class vessel, Interceptors are being cut down fast!

We're taking hits Admiral, sir! Maintaining shield strength at sixty-seven percent! Three turbolaser batteries crippled!"

Teradoc felt swamped as information was being barraged at him from several officers all at once. All the while his Victory-class ships encircled the enemy Acclamators and began barraging them with fire.

"Two enemy Acclamators have lost shielding and their engines have been crippled as well sir!" Teradoc made a "humph," noise of righteousness. "Excellent, all ships continue on course, and destroy this rebel fleet! Teach the Moffs a lesson they will not soon forget!"

Teradoc didn't receive in cry from his men but he felt his own pride swell, and really that was enough for him. For outside his viewport he watched yet another enemy Stardestroyer loose an entire chuck of itself and explode due to the unrelenting pounding it was receiving from two Tartans and three Broadside-class ships.

Four Victory-class ships were going at it all out with an Imperial-I-class Stardestroyer while his own Stardestroyer gave rocketry support from afar. TIEs were freely shooting through space and engaging those they may have once called allies, and maybe even knew one another. TIE bombers were launching bombardment attacks along the massive Stardestroyers and even skimming along smaller vessels and ripping into the ships for either side of this conflict. A magnificent sight was where two Victory-class vessels began to fire on one another from their sides going in opposite direction and both received and sent blows that led to masses of metal flying out in sheer carnage.

Random explosions of green, red, and blue lit up the space around them and debris of now destroyed vessels began to float into clusters of trash. No doubt bodies were also beginning to freely fly through the void of space as well, but it was a worthy cost to Teradoc, and a sight to behold if the bodes were of the Moff allied variety. The Moff fleet was waning and Teradoc was pleasantly surprised at that fact.

'You would think Moffs would be able to at least put some effort into a fight.' He mused as stroked his miniscule facial hair and smirked at his fortunes in a near comical fashion if one were to see him.

"Sir! The enemy fleet is attempting to surround the entire armada!" One officer called out, and Teradoc gazed out the viewport looking from left to right several times looking for what his officer was reporting. He did at last see at least twenty Moff vessels beginning to move around his far more massive fleet in an attempt to fire on them from all sides, no doubt. They were being led by three Stardestroyers on either side with nothing but Victory and Acclamator class vessels following and firing on his fleet as they moved along his flanks.

"Order vice admiral, Kon to interdict our immediate portside encroachers at once! Do the same for vice admiral Lyint for our starboard! Do NOT, allow the Moffs to squeeze our fleet!" He ordered in a near growl as he paced up and down the bridge in ever so slight anxiety.

"Sub-fleets moving into formation now sir! Admiral Kon , is reporting heavy reprisal from three Stardestroyers attacking his last Tartan cruiser!"

"Admiral Lyint is reporting Moff forces breaking off from formation! He is ordering his forces to give chase sir." Two officers reported causing Teradoc to go straight for the viewport and look past the mass of destruction and chaos before him and look at the two secondary fleets engaging smaller break offs from the Moff fleet.

While on his opposite side, the forces under Kon were being heavily bombarded from four Victory class ships that had taken up stationary positions attempting to gain an encircling advantage around Teradocs forces.

The secondary force under Lyint in turn were continuing to go head to head with the breakaway Moff forces with mass green energy blasts of turbolasers flying from one ship to the next. Blasting hulls away from ships, and splintering entire sides of Stardestroyers away. A massive explosion rocked the space around the fleet as yet another enemy Stardestroyer blew in an almost beautiful shockwave of death.

Teradoc allowed a prideful smirk to cross his face upon gazing this spectacle.

"General order to the fleet. Push forward and annihilate all Moff forces you encounter within the system! Today we can't remember the definition of the words surrender or mercy!"

For all Teradoc could see was an enemy fleet in total disarray. It's destruction all but assured.

(Alderaan, Aldera palace)

Despite the fact that his head was still fading in and out of weary pain, and the fact he wanted really badly to catch up on his sleep Viathan knew he had better get this conversation with his "favorite" princess over with. He sighed to himself and rubbed his neck as annoyance overcame him. 'How damn hard is it to find ONE PERSON in ONE PALACE!' He mentally growled in anger. He had walked these halls for what felt like forever, and no matter where he went he couldn't find Leia.

Viathan began running both hands through his hair; which was still pulled back into a ponytail, and he again loudly sighed into the empty hall. He also too note that it was now indeed dark outside, and the moon of Alderaan was brightly shining in the sky above. 'By the force Leia you are making this far too hard on me.' Viathan thought, and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

'Uh...Viathan? Are….are you talking to me right now?' He slightly jumped and felt slightly more awake at what he just heard. It sounded like the 'voice,' but it was Leia…wasn't it? His features scrunched together in confusion, before he finally decided to answer back…mentally.

'Is that you Leia?' He asked tentatively in a thought. He swore he could almost 'feel' her going wide eyed.

'Ye…yes it's me. I uh, I don't get what's going on right now.' She responded with a clear stutter even in her thoughts.

'I don't quite understand it myself.' He replied in honesty. 'But, I have heard of force users being able to 'talk' through their thoughts. I, however, thought that such an ability was confined to those more, well more close.' Viathan grimaced at that statement but didn't dwell on it.

'Oh. Well I heard your little outburst, and didn't really know what to say.' She said in what felt like was meant to be a whisper.

He in turn frowned. 'Oh. Forgive me for that milady. It's just that I have been looking for you for quite some time. I had some information I wanted to speak with you about, and well, I have been to your room, and even spoke to Winter trying to find you all over the palace. From the basements to the high spires.' Viathan awaited a response intently as he realized he was now standing in a hall and might have looked strange to a passer by if one was to come across him.

'Ah see there's your problem.' She said with what sounded like a laugh and Viathan rolled his eyes despite not knowing if she had indeed laughed. 'I'm in the palace garden. Err, well the one that's private to my father.' Viathan slapped his forehead in annoyance. He hadn't thought to go there, mostly because he hadn't wanted to trouble the royals, or get troubled by them in return.

'Very well,' he responded with another audible sigh. 'If you don't mind may I come speak with you, or you meet me somewhere?' He asked.

'You can come here if you like it wont bother me I promise you.' She sounded happy, and felt like she was smiling and Viathan couldn't help but smirk at that.

'Excellent, I will be there in just a few moments, my dear princess.' She again felt as if she was laughing in her thoughts, or maybe Viathan was feeling her emotions. 'I told you Viathan, Leia. Call me Leia.'

Shaking his head he responded with, 'Forgive me, Leia. I am unaccustomed to such informalities if you remember. Nonetheless, I will endeavor to say your name more often, and I will be joining you shortly.' With the smallest of chuckles escaping from him he made for the nearest turbolift, as he realized he was several levels down from her position.

…

It took him about six minutes altogether, and he soon found himself outside the gardens room door that was personal to the royal family. He did get a laugh though at the looks the Alderaanian guards gave him as he entered without even acknowledging them.

She was sitting off to the side of the room on a visually well maintained wooden bench that was overlooking an artificial pond of some sorts, and he made his way over to her. The room otherwise was lined with trees of all sorts. Some green, others a stunning pink. Graveled pathways were all over the place leading all across the room. Along them were stretches of grass and flowers; all artificially grown there of course, and it made the room look stunningly beautiful even to Viathan. The ceiling was all glass and the moon of Alderaan was shining through brightly as ever and the snow capped mountain ranges in the distance made their commanding presence known to all.

She had her back to him but Viathan sensed that she knew he was there already. So instead of talking from behind her he took a seat right next to her and looked down to the water himself. Seeing that there were indeed several sea creatures in it. All fish, but what kind he didn't know for a fact. No doubt native fish of Alderaan. "Beautiful isn't it?" She asked first and Viathan nodded.

"Indeed it is. This has to be one of the best gardens I've seen. Although to be honest you should see the Imperial gardens in the palace. That will make you believe you're on some undiscovered world with its own strange life to it, full of wondrous variety." He added as he continued to watch the fish swim in unguided circles in the water.

She chuckled. "True I haven't seen those garden, but I haven't been to the palace before, and if I somehow have been I was too young to remember, but I seriously doubt it." Viathan nodded in return.

"I would have thought I would have seen you if you had been." She raised an inquisitive brow.

"You were in the palace a lot I take it then?" With a sigh he again nodded.

"Indeed. It…was my home for most of my life." He trailed off as he looked at the water. A distant look in his eyes that even Leia noted. "Bad memories?" She simply asked in a small voice, and he shrugged.

"They're not all that bad, I don't think so anyways." He looked at her face to face. "Nothing that needs speaking of here and now. Besides I have bigger things to talk about with you than my past." He said with a faint smile on his face, and she; much to his gratitude, smiled and nodded letting the subject be swiftly dropped.

"I do not know if you have heard yet Leia, but it seems that the Empire is now at war." Viathan said, deciding to just get to the heart of the conversation right off from the start. However, he saw her merely frown and nod slowly with a scowl across her brow.

"I heard, and I watched the whole grandiose speech with Winter earlier." Viathan raised his brow but didn't say anything. "I really don't know what to say, let alone think of it all. I don't love the Empire, you know that already though." She smiled a faint one and Viathan gave a nod.

"But, I find myself strangely concerned about the Empire." She said tentatively. "I think it has more to do with what you said about changing it all one day. Maybe the thought of making it into something better makes me apprehensive to see it possibly fall. Or," she then added with a rise in her voice and a bow of her head to punctuate herself. "It could be the fact that I don't want to see Moffs running things instead of the Emperor. Both equally bad, and both equally needing to go." She declared while returning to looking at the water.

"But I still don't get it, and it just…oh I don't know." She said in a defeated tone and Viathan nodded to himself understandingly.

"I get what you mean mil…I mean Leia." He caught himself.

"It's actually nice to hear that maybe you're not so bloodthirsty for Imperial blood today." He said in an attempt at teasing and was glad to see her send him a smirk.

"Ha, ha, very funny my Imperial friend." She returned with her smirk maintained.

Viathan continued on however. "Now here comes the hard part of what wish to tell you I think." He trailed off somewhat earning a look from the princess that seemed half amused and half curious.

"Oh? And do tell what is the 'hard' part my imperial friend?" She asked with a bit of a laugh upon her voice.

"Well…." he stopped for a moment and Viathan couldn't for the life of him understand why he couldn't just spit it out and be done with it. So with a sigh of tired frustration he relented to himself. "I have an offer for you to come with me to Coruscant." he said rather hastily, but still more then well enough for her to hear, and the look on her face showed that she heard loud and clear. Her eyes slightly wide, and mouth open just a little in surprise, she quickly, however, recomposed herself and cleared her throat of an imaginary blockage.

"Really?" She asked finally. "I…I don't know what to say…or even ask firstly…" She trailed off, making Viathan want to say something but he was quickly denied the ability to by the princess.

"Why in the name of the galaxy do you have an invitation for me to go to the imperial capital world? Secondly, an invitation from who, and furthermore….." She seemed like she was trying to think of a third question, and snapped here head back up when one finally came to her. "Thirdly, why now?" She asked with a lower toned voice now.

Idly rubbing the back of his neck from tiredness, Viathan decided to play his cards. "First off the invitation is of my and my masters Leia." She slightly grimaced at the mention of Kun but did not interject which Viathan thanked the force for. "Secondly, and the more important answer is, the now is perfect timing really." He said with a small shrug. "Think about it. The galaxy is at war, and as I have told you there are plans being made, and moves being taken to…better the Empire." He said in what was more subtle then perhaps called for but she nodded in return nonetheless. "events are now in motion across the stars my princess, and I now have the ability, to bring you to the heart of the problem; not only for me and my master but for you and your ideals as well. Now is the time to make your move, and no matter your age or strength things are about to be done that cannot be undone, and I would rather see you at our side then against the tide, or out of these proverbial waters altogether." Viathan saw she was taken slightly aback at one of his latest mini tirades, but Viathan smiled a little and made one last appeal. "Plus…I rather think the galaxy, even the Empire and what I hope to see it as one day, needs a person like you. Your ideals will….shall we say keep us on our toes." Viathan added, and saw her give a small smile and wave him off.

"Buttering me up is not going to help you my dear friend." She said in more of a joking tone before taking on another serious expression and looking down towards her feet in thought. Viathan decided to let her sit and think for a moment, and looked once more into the pool of water waiting patiently for a reply….despite the fact his stomach was in knots of nervousness.

She glanced up towards him after a moment. "What about Winter, and of Alderaan?" Viathan quickly made his reply. "Winter? She can come with us if you'd prefer, or if not then you would, of course be allowed to visit her, or have her visit you on occasion. As for you home milady I will be leaving a garrison to maintain peace….under my very clear and strict commands to not go beyond their limitations of power, and now that we are officially at war, Alderaan will of course be guarded." After a pause he added, "And of course you will be allowed to come back here whenever it so pleases you and doesn't conflict with training or battle." He said with what he hoped was his best genuine smile. Much to his delight she gave a small smile in return.

"Surely some would think you are giving way too much power and control to a mere thirteen year old." She said half jokingly. Viathan however shrugged. "I'm but two years older then you milady, and yet I command an army. Seems quite odd doesn't it?" She let out a small laugh then.

"Now that you mention it yes it is really…..odd." Afterwards though her features leveled once more in thought. It was a few painfully silent moments later that Viathan decided he would perhaps leave her to think, that she finally spoke again.

"If I decide to leave Alderaan, and go with you to the capital and be a part of you and your 'masters' scheming what would you have me do? I am still far too young to actually take part in anything that matters in how the Empire could be changed for the better." She argued and Viathan in turn waved her off.

"That is where you're wrong Leia, as a member of the new and fledgling order me and my master shall be working hard to form and empower, I can assure you that you will have more power in your pinky finger then all those babbling cronies in the senate have combined." At the mention of the senate she visibly darkened before Viathan's eyes. "Did…does my fath.." she huffed out a rather loud and obviously annoyed sigh before finishing. "Does Bail know I would be going or even have the opportunity to?" She inquired with a numb and unreadable expression upon her face.

"I can assure you that he has not one inkling of knowledge about your coming if you do, and will not. Should you chose to you will be granted full emancipation authority for yourself, and can decide when if ever you chose to speak with him once more." Viathan smirked ever so slightly before adding, "He may be a son of the Empire…but not of the one we desire correct?" She snapped herself to look him dead in the eyes once more, and found nothing but a small smile, and a assuring look on his face.

Viathan abruptly stood and waved his hand free from his cloak. "Now my dear princess I offer you my hand once more." He said extending it towards her much like he had after he beat her at her first training session.

"Except this time you can chose to accept it, and allow yourself to be taken down the path towards your destiny as I believe it is. Or you can decide against such and stay here on your home planet and remain down the path you currently wander. Either way there is no shame to be taken from either choice. One will simply be a tad more exciting; at least in my humble opinion." He added with another small smile of his, and she chuckled a bit in turn. Before she, much to Viathan's immense pleasure, took his hand.

"Okay you've convinced me my Imperial friend….I kinda look forward to making orders from time to time." She declared with another laugh that made Viathan all the more delighted with how this night had turned out.

"Wonderful!" He declared with a clap of his now two released hands. "Now I truly believe that with you on our side things can only go up for us all from here. Well save for those who are in our way of course." A giggle escaped the princess in response. "I said I'd go the flattery is no longer needed my dear Imperial friend." Viathan cocked his brow before bowing in a more over the top then usual manner. "Forgive me milady, I only wished to make your decision a little more enjoyable for you." He said rising with a renewed smile upon his face, and in return she lightly and playfully slapped him on his arm. In this moment Viathan felt only pure joy and excitement, and for the life of himself…he did not and will perhaps not know why.

Authors Comments: By the force I yet live and post a new chapter! :O Sorry it has taken sooooo long to get one up guys and girls but life has seemingly sought to take all free time away from me as of late, and while I cannot promise faster updates yet I promise to try my ever more hardest to get some writing done as much as possible. With that said review the chapter if you please, because I would enjoy feedback as well, even if it is a bout my grammar which can be off at times I admit, or a general review will work. Whatever the case I hope you all enjoy! :)