[3 BBY]
[Secure Conference Room, Imperial Military High Command, Eriadu, Eriadu System, Sesweena Sector, Greater Seswenna Sector, Outer Rim Territories, United Federal Empire]
Admiral Maarisa Zsinj saluted her Emperor as she entered the secure meeting room, giving her fellow admiral, the Stormcrow, a nod before taking her own seat now she'd been recalled to Eriadu. Only the Emperor, the Stormcrow, Jedi Grand Master Kota, and herself were present; likely due to scheduling, as the Imperial Security Agency would have expected, along with possibly Military Intelligence. But, maintaining secrecy meant pressure on everyone's plans, especially she, and Daron Stormcrow, were supposed to be with their fleets on the Confederate border right now. It had been hard enough hiding his presence, without now adding her own to the situation.
So, she voiced the obvious to him as she took her seat "I hear you ran into trouble?"
"Unfortunately, and why we are here" the green-skinned male answered with a nod "It was a complete debacle"
Maarisa raised an eyebrow but said no more as Emperor Tarkin gave a hand gesture for them to remaining, silent, and then, clearly, for her fellow admiral to play secure data. Her eyes flicked to the standard fleet holo-display, showing what were the three Star Destroyers plus escorts the Stormcrow had used as his taskforce into the Unknown Regions. Their Emperor clarified that within moments, sitting before them judgingly, hands together as the display showed asteroids and truly enormous starship wreck "Admiral Stormcrow has returned with combat data from his failed engagement at the Outbound Flight. Observe, and we shall discuss"
She and the others merely nodded, watching the holo. In most ways it was a typical force deployed in enemy territory setup; with pre-deployed pods with anti-starfighter and even anti-starship missiles. Daron's were more Ion heavy than her own preference, but it made sense as her own recent deployment had far more than her usual desires as they faced the Confederacy, as well as the Droids at Fondor. Something that seemed to work against him as she watched an unknown enemy force emerge concerningly close to his formation considering deployment of interdiction fields and hyperspace mines.
Unusual too for the normally tricky Daron to be caught so, by a double envelopment at that, as she watched him cut and run with surprising speed. Understandable though as she watched several enemy starfighters walk through spread of ion torpedoes untouched, then…somehow took point blank turbolaser fire from a Star Destroyer without dying. Well, dying immediately as droid-fighters flanked the attackers, many being destroyed in the process, to take them out. Likely because they'd just tanked heavy turbolaser, and it wasn't likely that smallcraft could take much of that…
'At least we can hope not!' she thought considering that durability as the Stormcrow's taskforce, and allied Chiss Ascendency fleet, broke for hyperspace while also being boarded. Going full scorched planet even with the starship wreck they had been seeking to acquire a valuable source of intel, and then to deny it to the enemy, but also being boarded as they did so. Internal security camera footage showed the ferocity of that fighting, along with the shocking durability of the invaders armour, along with their strange weapons. Maarisa saw animals and even snake-staffs rather than blasters or anything easily recognisable as standard close combat weapons, and even resistance as she saw Daron arrive to a fight with his own personal guard…
'Which is concerning' she had to admit, watching the savagery of that fight 'For my personal guard are an elite, just as his is. Such behaviour would not be matched across the Fleet'
"Yes" she agreed with the Stormcrow as the holo-footage ended "That was a debacle. These are the Far Outsiders then?"
"Aye, most likely" said admiral in quesrion replied with a nod "I believe they are, all evidence points to this being them. Now that we have bodies, damaged as they are"
"No prisoners?"
He shook his head at the Jedi master's query "Negative. They all suicided, and I am not even sure they did so by choice fully either. They have these…implants, biological in nature like all their weapons, that are effectively suicide devices by my doctors' analysis"
"It is unlike you to be caught by surprise like this Daron" she asked calmly, frowning at thoughts of what she'd just seen "This was clearly a trap. Have we a data-breach in our security?"
"One hopes not" came back, Emperor Tarkin listening to their opinions for now "Because we know very little of them, it would very concerning should this mission have been leaked. Very few knew about. It was recorded on less…."
He sighed "Though I do believe that is not the case. Rather that this was a trap, yes, but likely it was trap for the Ascendency rather than ourselves. One not sprung because of cultural foibles on the part of the Chiss, but if it had occurred…."
"It would eliminated whatever fleet they brought to study the wreck properly" she answered as he trailed off, nodding "The wreck itself?"
"Was infested by the enemy" the green-skinned soldier from those frontier regions grimaced "And by that I mean the Outbound Flight was full of bio-engineered beasts, and we only penetrated partway into the inner hull proper. While I recovered bridge data, and combat data…I believe the Far Outsiders had access to, for some time, whatever was in the data-vaults of the Outbound Flight"
"That…that is problem. Very much so" Rahm Kota agreed frowning deeply, grey-white hair shifting as he did so, eyebrow raising "Especially as they know how we fight, despite never having clashed with us before. They are reacting to your fleet, and arrived in formation, designed to best engage an Imperial. We could expect this of a Confederate force, but not some aliens from the Unknown Regions or…beyond as they supposedly are"
'A good point' Maarisa observed, nodding in agreement, as the Jedi continued "You did not detect them at all Daron?"
"No. They were completely Force Blank" was the response, unhappy clearly "They were right in front of me, and the Force would not just, not see them, but could not hit them directly either. Throwing things at them worked I'll note, but they may as well be invisible to Force Users. Which is a problem is they hyperspace systems are sufficiently different that we had trouble detecting them till were right on top of my taskforce. We have the answer now, at the very least, for how none seem to have noticed these ghost fleets"
"You deem this sufficient proof that these Far Outsiders are as major threat as we had believed?" the Emperor spoke, demanding an answer "Failure in this operation is unwelcome, but war has setbacks. Your stated reasoning is accepted, as is the denial of the wreck to our foes once its loss was upon you"
"Yes, Your Majesty, or worse than originally projected. Their starships were, weight for weight, superior to my own, and with an entirely unknown design methodology. Creation too as everything was grown, rather than built as best I can understand the situation" the Stormcrow paused, sighed unhappily before continuing "They had nothing larger than a cruiser, and still forced my retreat. And, as Grandmaster Kota said, they knew how we fought, which indicates up to date monitoring of the Imperial Fleet. Combined with the Force Blank nature…I fear we have a hostile force moving against us in the shadows. Now we merely have proof of that fact"
"I would agree with Admiral Stormcrow Majesty" she stated after perusing the data, unhappy with what she was seeing, just as the others were "Considering what we knew before, and what we have now, it is likely that the Far Outsiders are scheming against us. Likely not because of original plans against the Empire, but because they were clearly preparing long-term plans against the Galactic Republic, and those plans have now moved to being prepared against us"
It was the most logical situation between the data they'd gotten over years, and now this engagement which was either a deliberate trap for an Imperial Taskforce led by a senior admiral, or one aimed at another species but with enough knowledge of the Imperial Fleet to fight a battle like this…
She let out an unhappy breath "You are going to withdraw Fifth Fleet back to the frontier aren't you, your Majesty?"
"I am afraid that is the case Maarisa" Emperor Tarkin said as if discussing the weather by his tone "Defences facing the Unknown Regions must be reinforced clearly. The events at Skye were problematic enough, but this has confirmed a constant presence will be needed. Not when we even struggle to detect this foe, one that will likely strike again after these events. They are not beyond the galaxy anymore, but here already, at least in part"
"That won't help relative to the Confederacy" she answered, shrugged "With the New Republic driving into the North…"
"We shall not be doing nothing Admiral" the Emperor corrected, firmly, and she nodded, falling silent "I shall approach the Senate with the intent to finalize the funding and expansion of the Fleet to have a Sixth Fleet that will form the border guard with yours. Drawing from elements of the First and Third Fleets for the here and now as Core cadres. We can expand its officer corps in the next few years from those serving in the North. Even if these Far Outsiders prove less dangerous than they appear…such an expansion is now necessary in the face of the New Republic growing aggression"
"That should easily get through the Senate, let alone the Lords" the old Jedi, and retired Moff, Rahm Kota agreed "And I can voice such support publicly as well, while making no mention of the, what should be impossible to exist…a species of Force Blanks. But inclined to think that we should have ISA and Fleet Intelligence check that we do not have such security breaches…..because we Force Users can be blinded to somethings by such as Force Blanks our secondary detection methods might not be as useful"
"Dangers in every corner of the galaxy" Maarisa murmured unhappily, nodded "I assume there is more in-depth data to go through?"
There was of course, and several more hours of a meeting as the delved into the growing threats in the Galactic North and now the Unknown Regions…
