From the bridge of the Apollyon, Prolov locked his gaze on the much larger Finalizer. It was an imposing sight and far more technologically advanced than what he was accustomed to in his experience. The only ships rivaling the dark First Order vessel were the Executor-class and Eclipse-class vessels in the former Galactic Empire.

Who is the First Order? What do they want from us? Prolov thought, keeping his eyes locked on the Finalizer. A smaller black shape emerged from the port side of the ship. As the form drew closer, Prolov recognized it as the same class of shuttle he had captured earlier at Endor. No fighter escort for that Ravage-class shuttle, he continued in his thoughts. They want me to think they trust us. But it's much more complicated than that. They know us. Their historical studies have instructed them how to initiate contact with us, and we will play along with their game until logic dictates otherwise.

Prolov gazed down at the communications station. "Ensign, is Colonel Veriss in the lair."

The ensign nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Good," Prolov replied. "Relay his holograph to the bridge."

Prolov turned to face the hologram of Colonel Veriss seated on a chair raised above the floor of his tactical room known to Prolov and the crew as "The Lair." Behind Veriss, a solar eclipse in all of its stages ardorned the bulkhead. Veriss held solar eclipses in high esteem and incorporated them into his figher wing insignia. It was one of the many common bonds he shared with Prolov. Eclipses had special meaning to both men as they had incorporated them into the operations of the fleet.

"Admiral, I have two squadrons of TIEs and TIE Interceptors on standby as ordered.", Veriss said with his usual blank features. In all the decades Prolov had known the man, he had never seen Veriss crack even the hint of a smile. His deceptively benevolent features offered nothing but blank stares during conversations with subordinates. And he occasionally threw in chilling sneers at any men who fell short of his expectations. "Sir, I have also placed Alpha, Bravo, and Gamma Squadrons on hyperspace deployment sleds in triangulated positions just beyond the boundaries of this sector. If the First Order tries anything, we will be ready."

"Good work, Colonel," Prolov replied with a grin. He had to fight to keep from calling Veriss by his first name, Tyaal, which was a custom between the two men when they were alone. He would have made Veriss his second in command of the fleet had it not been for the Colonel's aptitudes for leading and developing men and equipment for the aviation and intelligence divisions. "Tell me, what have you detected?"

Veriss glanced at a display. "They are testing us, sir. Sending a commander of their stormtrooper division to rendezvous with us without a fighter escort is meant to throw us off and entice us to act. If we were to launch escorts of our own, we would be easily viewed as the aggressor. They also know that it would be foolish for us to go against technology and equipment decades ahead of ours. Therefore, risking Captain Phasma's well-being is merely theatrical. They know there is an extremely low probability that we will be of any threat to her or her entourage."

"My thoughts, exactly," Prolov said while glancing at the approaching shuttle. "Do you have your agents in place, Colonel?"

"You know me better than that, sir," Veriss said with an expression that came close to a grin but yet maintained its hardness. "They are in place, along with a few extras added here and there to err on the side of caution."

"I would expect nothing less from you, Colonel," Prolov said. "Carry on."

Veriss nodded before his hologram vanished. Prolov stared through the viewport where Veriss's hologram had been a few seconds before. A few extras added here and there to err on the side of caution, Prolov pondered to himself. He sees the danger in this as well. A wise man allows caution to be his guide. Overconfidence and bravado would be devastating to this fleet.

"Now, that is an impressive starship, sir," Captain Jorr, Commander of the Imperial Star Destroyer Corrin, said, bringing Prolov out of his concentration. "We have truly traveled into the future."

Captain Aveen stepped up to the viewport and nodded. "I concur. That vessel is far removed from our time. Whatever occurred after the fall of the Empire, it's obvious that the First Order took advantage of the Imperial Research and Development programs."

Prolov turned to face the pair of Captains. "And that's exactly why we will proceed cautiously, gentlemen. They possess information they perceive to be our recorded history. It is wise to suspect they will attempt to use it to their advantage. I have taken extreme measures to keep every detail that can be used against us out of their sight."

Jorr turned his head towards Prolov. "I hope it is enough, sir."

Prolov's expression remained stern. "The feeling is mutual, Captain Jorr." He gestured towards Aveen. "Captain Aveen, were my instructions transmitted to the remainder of the fleet?"

"Yes, sir," Aveen replied, looking away from the viewport. "I made sure they were encrypted before their transmission. Captain Jensen assured me the transmission had been received as intended."

Prolov nodded before turning his eyes back to the approaching shuttle. "Good work, Captain.

"Sir, Captain Phasma's shuttle requests permission to land in our hangar bay," an ensign at the communications station called out.

Prolov glanced down at the young officer in the crew pit. "Permission, granted." He gestured towards Aveen and Jorr. "Gentlemen, let's greet our guests."

"No further communication from General Hux?" Aveen asked as the trio stepped away from the bridge. "Isn't that rather peculiar, sir?"

"Perhaps he is delegating communication responsibilities to Captain Phasma," Prolov replied without turning his attention away from their path down the corridor. "He is a flag officer, I'm certain he also has other responsibilities that need his attention."

"Sir, it's a perfect way to protect himself," Jorr said. "Sacrificing his stormtrooper captain instead of himself is ingenious, seeing that he has no idea of whether we are friend or foe."

"Excellent insight, Captain Jorr," Prolov said with a smile. "General Hux's studies of our history have inspired him to exercise caution. And we have wisely chosen to follow suit in this situation."

No, you don't know me at all, Hux," Prolov thought, following his men into a turbo lift. "To you, I am an unfathomable enigma concealed within a paradoxical puzzle. Carelessly dive into those depths and the abyss will consume you…

Captain Evin gazed out of the forward viewport of the Oppressor and grinned. His ship could handle the six outdated Imperial Star Destroyers Prolov ordered to remain at Endor. The additions of the First Order Star Destroyers Vicarious and Malice to aid in capturing Prolov's fleet brought Evin much relief. Such a mission would be considered insubordination under normal circumstances, but the occurrences of late in the galaxy were far removed from normalcy. He had learned those hard lessons under the tutor of time in the study hall of life experience.

"Battle Stations!" he snapped with a quick turn from the viewport. "Charge main cannons!"

His young first officer, Commander Arlyn Spaal, stepped up to him. "Sir, aren't you rushing to judgment? Prolov hasn't presented a threat to our fleet."

Evin's expression softened, visually examining the athletically built and beautiful young woman. Her jet-black hair was neatly pulled back and covered by her duty hat. Her dark brown eyes accentuated her sharp, gorgeous features. He sheepishly grinned as he entertained thoughts of embracing her intimately. One redeeming aspect of the First Order he greatly rejoiced in was their seemingly endless supply of female recruits.

Since he had joined the First Order as a Captain, he always requested young female officers as his trainees to become starship commanders potentially. Just before they were reassigned to their commands, he would seductively entice them to intimate encounters clandestinely with him in his quarters. He called such meetings his personal "christening" of new starship captains.

Spaal was like the rest in that she was beautiful and highly intelligent. However, her significant difference from them was that she had not yet given in to Evin's attempts at seducing her. Time was running out for him as she was due to be reassigned in two weeks as the new Captain of the Star Destroyer, Emperor's Scourge.

He smiled at her as she approached him, "My dear Commander Spaal, you don't have the luxury of knowing Prolov as I did when I served under him during my youth in the days of the Empire. He was a loyal officer and a man of exceptional character. But he was also a man who was extremely dangerous when threatened. He's in a new time now. Unfamiliar and foreboding. That alone is reason enough to be cautious in our endeavor."

"I concur, Captain," Spaal countered, narrowing her eyes. "However, it can be argued that our actions could be considered hostile. We have also undertaken independent action that will anger Supreme Leader Snoke."

Evin locked his gaze on the much younger woman, silently appreciating her beauty and sassiness. Such arguments from anyone else would have been rewarded with a stern verbal reprimand, if not corporal punishment.

He shrugged, continuing to study her. "If it fails, then you maybe be correct, Commander. However, we have a complement of ships and fighters far more advanced than anything Prolov has at his disposal. Once we surround the six remaining Star Destroyers in his fleet and train our cannons on them, they will have no choice but to surrender."

Spaal huffed and crossed her arms. "If they choose to do so, sir. From your experience during the Galactic Civil War, you should know that disciplined men and women can successfully utilize obsolete equipment to prevail in battle."

Evin waved a hand dismissively and turned to the viewports. "It is possible but also highly unlikely. Assuming all the associated risks, our rewards will be immeasurable. When we capture the main portion of Prolov's fleet and, in turn, force him into serving the First Order, we will be welcomed as heroes by Supreme Leader Snoke. General Hux said as much himself when he devised this plan. And if it fails, he will bear the responsibility."

Spaal nodded as she turned to gaze out of the viewport. "We all will, sir. Even with its advanced tactical systems, this ship still has its weak points. Prolov was once involved with Imperial Research and Development. How do we know that he didn't work on the prototype designs that led to the creation of our technology and vessels? With all due respect, sir, have you considered that?"

Evin rubbed his chin as he mentally analyzed Spaal's question. He cast a sideways glance at her. "Regardless of what our friend Admiral Prolov knows, it won't be enough against the firepower we bring to any potential skirmish. I am confident we will prevail regardless of the action undertaken by his Star Destroyers."

Spaal held her hands up in submission. "For your sake, I hope so, sir."

A chime rang out, drawing Evin's attention. "Helm, report."

"We are coming out of hyperspace in the Endor Sector, sir.", the helm officer replied.

Evin smiled and turned back to the viewport. "This is a day that will be long remembered-"

The forest moon of Endor raced into view, surrounded by a thick sea of debris. In the distance, Vicarious and Malice dropped out of hyperspace, forming a triangular perimeter around the orbiting debris field.

"What is the meaning of this?" Evin gasped. "Where is Prolov's fleet?"

"Sir, Vicarious and Malice commands report there are no other vessels in the sector," the communications officer called out. "Their TIE S/E scouts also reported no other vessels on their scanners."

"This is impossible!" Evin exclaimed before turning around to face the crew at their stations. "They have to be here somewhere! Six Imperial Star Destroyers don't just vanish into thin air! I demand an explanation!"

Commander Spaal stepped up to Evin. "Sir, the sensors are working properly. The data confirms that the Imperial fleet isn't in this sector. And according to historical data on Prolov's fleet, none of his ships have cloaking devices."

Another chime rang out. Evin charged up to the communications station. "Tell me someone has spotted them! Tell me we found them!"

The communications officer shook his head. "No, sir. It's Supreme Leader Snoke. He demands you contact him immediately to explain our actions."

Evin wiped the sweat from his forehead with his gloved hand. "Very well. Inform him I will contact him in my holochamber immediately." He glanced over to Spaal. "Commander, you will be in charge until I return."

"Yes, sir!" she replied as Evin stepped off the bridge.

She watched him exit and thought. I hope Snoke christens you for a change, you pervert…