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All characters appearing in the Star Wars saga and in Battlestar Galactica 1978 belong to their respective copyright holders. No infringement of these copyrights is intended and is not authorized by the copyright holder.
All original characters are the property of Celgress.
Battle Among The Stars – Chapter One
by
Celgress
Star Wars Galaxy 22 BBY
Somewhere in The Outer Rim. One month after the events of the last chapter.
Venator-class Star Destroyer Defiance
"AT 19:00 hours universal space-time yesterday a senatorial transport departed Landos en route to Nal Hutta. The purpose of this trip was a diplomatic mission to secure the use of Hutt Space hyperlanes for the war effort. At 22:12 a distress signal was received at a listening post in the Lannick System. The senatorial transport reported contact with a large alien vessel described as 'double-saucer-shaped'. The distress signal ended abruptly and the senatorial transport hasn't been heard from since." A grim-looking officer reported via holographic interface.
"How long will it take us to reach their last known coordinates if we take the most direct route?" Commander Wilhuff asked a clone trooper technician.
"Three hours twenty-seven minutes, sir." The clone trooper tech replied after checking the calculations.
"Set course and proceed immediately," Tarkin ordered.
"Aye, sir," The clone trooper tech said.
"We'll send every available battle-ready vessel to assist, commander. But due to present war commitments, the nearest help is at least two days away." The holographic officer said.
"I'll keep them occupied until then if need be." Tarkin dryly half-joked.
'Perhaps picking up that fool of a young Jedi who got his arm chopped off on Geonosis wasn't a mistake after all.' Tarkin mused.
Geonosis, day
"Report, Mephistopheles," Baltar said from his thrown atop its raised platform in the former hives.
"Production of centurions and fighters has exceeded our monthly target. However, transporting these newly acquired resources to our targets requires the construction of an estimated three additional basestars. Furthermore, using stellar maps based on available information, I estimate the subjugation of this sector of the galaxy alone will require at minimum thirty basestars." Said the opal-colored ruby-robed IL-Series Cyclon. Next to Mephistopheles stood the ever-present Lucifer.
Mephistopheles was the first Cyclone Scientist in this new galaxy granted the honor of elevation to the IL-Series. Along with upgraded programming, the conversion process came a new body with an extra electronic brain for a total of town brains. Mephistopheles proved his worth as a brilliant strategist not long after the conquest of Geonosis, His reorganization of the native population into a highly efficient slave labor force in record time was nothing short of remarkable. Only one other scientific unit had demonstrated such brilliance be it in a different area of expertise, engineering. That scientific unit had requested permission to craft his IL-Series body stating he wanted to make some stylistic changes a request Baltar granted.
Baltar felt that cut off from the wider Cylon Empire they must become fully self-sufficient or they would perish, this included a greater number of IL-Series Cylons for the delegation of important tasks. Lucifer had initially objected to the elevation of any units but he was outvoted. Specter naturally went along with Baltar's suggestion.
"We require shipyards if we are to produce more basestars. The dry docks here are not large enough nor advanced enough. We also will require massive amounts of minerals and fuel for their construction." Lucifer said stating the obvious.
"I'm well aware of these facts, Lucifer." Baltar snapped.
"Pardon my interruption, Lord Baltar." A feminine voice said. The voice belonged to a pale blue-colored female-shaped IL-Series Cylons wearing green robes. She was accompanied by a pair of golden command centurions one of whom held the end of a heavy chain. The chain was wrapped securely around the waist and arms of a clearly distressed Archduke Poggle the Lesser.
"Ah, I see you picked a body. A most pleasing one." Baltar said.
"Indeed, Lord Baltar. The physical portions are based on the female members of a species called Twi'leks who are renowned for their aesthetically pleasing forms, minus their head tentacles which I find most cumbersome and unnecessary. I do, however, find their other attributes most pleasing." She said mimicking Baltar's praise. She then added. "I've chosen the name Hecate, henceforth please address me as such, my lord." Hecate bowed her head demurely.
"Aside from your completed upgrade, do you have anything else to report, Hecate?" Baltar asked.
"Yes, my lord," Hecate said with another bow. "I found this on him. He attempted to destroy it and then to self-delete rather than answer my questions, but I was persistent." Hecate indicated Poggle while producing a small disc from her robes. Once activated the disc displayed detailed red holographic plans of what would perhaps one day become the Death Star. "These are the plans for a mobile battle station with enough firepower to destroy countless planet-sized targets comparable to most non-gas giants. Note the super laser shown here is its primary weapon." She pointed at a round spot on the sphere. "With such a battle station, in truth, it is merely an enormous portable weapons platform, at our disposal, we would not require additional basestars to conquer this galaxy".
"Most intriguing," Baltar said grinning malevolently.
"True, we could efficiently destroy key targets with the battle station's super laser demoralizing our opponents and thus shattering their resolve. I recommend targets of key political and/or military significance, if that doesn't work we should then destroy several large population centers." Mephistopheles chimed in.
"Need I remind any of you such a construction project will require ridiculously large amounts of minerals, fuel, and labor. We should concentrate on constructing more basestars at a steady pace." Lucifer said.
"Mephistopheles, conduct a feasibility study for this project. Consult closely with Hecate. Hecate assist him." Baltar commanded after a moment of consideration ignoring Lucifer's objections.
"By your command." Mephistopheles and Hecate said in unison they likewise bowed in unison.
Cylon Basestar in hyperspace
"You are in command of this vessel?" Senator Orn Free Taa demanded of Specter.
"I am, my name is Specter. I hear your party has caused my troops great agitation." Specter said from high atop his command chair.
"Release us and our vessel at once! We are on a mission from the Senate of the Galactic Republic and may not be interfered with! Our persons are inviolable!" Orn Free Taa raged despite the heavily armed six centurions who surrounded the group of three senators.
"What is the nature of your mission?" Specter asked.
"None of your business, pirate!" Orn Free Taa shouted while shaking his fist at Specter.
Specter waved his hand at the centurions one of which produced a charged electro staff. The electro-staff-wielding centurion jabbed the business end into Orn Free Taa's wide back. Orn Free Taa withered in pain dropping to his knees.
"Isn't it a lovely device? We picked it up on Geonosis." Specter said enjoying the show.
"Stop, you're killing him!" Senator Padme Amidala said glaring up at Specter. She noted Specter looked much different than every other Cylon type she had seen on this ship.
"Padme, no," Senator Bail Organa warned.
"Oh, very well," Specter said with another wave of his hand the centurion deactivated the electro staff. "He's learned his lesson I'm sure, right?"
"Y-Y-Yes," Orn Free Taa wheezed. Bail and Padme helped him to his feet.
"Splendid," Specter said. "Take them back to their cell. I'm busy." Specter's chair spun around signaling this audience was at an end. "Let me know if they decide to talk. If they don't talk by the time we reach our destination you may use whatever methods you deem necessary to extract information."
"By your command," One of the centurions said.
"You'll never get away with this! The Republic will rescue us!" Padme yelled as she and her companions were dragged away.
Serenno, night
"What is your bidding my master." Count Dooku said dropping to one knee before the flickering life-sized hologram of Darth Sidious the current Supreme Dark Lord of the Sith.
"Lord Tyranus there is a great disturbance in the Force. Archduke Poggle the Lesser is a vital part of my plan for the post-Clone Wars order. I want him back along with all the information he possesses." Darth Sidious said.
"I'll send my assassin Asajj Ventress to retrieve him at once, my lord." Count Dooku said.
"No, we cannot risk failure. Ventress was unable to eliminate Skywalker on Yavin IV (Clone Wars Micro-Series VolumeOne). We shall handle this matter personally you and I. Consider it part of your training, my apprentice." Darth Sidious said.
"Why not use General Grievous? He is ready." Dooku asked.
"General Grievous' programming may be susceptible to Cylon manipulation. Grievous is an important asset that must remain uncompromised." Darth Sidious said. "I will rendezvous with you in two days at the coordinates and time I am transmitting now."
"Thy will be done, my master." Count Dooku said with a bow of his head.
To Be Continued
Next – We catch up with our Colonial heroes and the Jedi!
Author's Note One – The monikers Mephistopheles and Hecate fit well into the IL-Series naming convention thus why I chose them.
Author's Note Two – While exceedingly rare, Darth Sidious will take matters into his own hands when there are no other viable options (such as when he fought Darth Maul and Maul's brother or when he fought their Mother later). In this instance, he has limited information about his foe so he is not willing to chance failure.