[Closing Days of 2 BBY]
[CorSec Academy, Axial Park, Coronet City. Corellia, Corellian System, Corellian Sector, The Core, Corellian Autonomous Zone, New Republic]

Leia Skywalker placed down the blaster, giving a grin as the instructor gave her a thumbs up as the target illuminated a success for her shooting…

"Overachieving as ever I see" the familiar voice of her friend and fellow cadet, Corrin Horn, came to Leia, as he approached, looking at the indicated successful hits "Well, I think he's dead"

"Well, someone has to put in the effort" Leia answered back, folding her arms across her chest "We're you studying or something?"

"Yeah, I did and passed my third theoretical. Practicals are good, as you well know"

Which was true, as Corrin was a natural born pilot, just Leia's brother Luke, though she gave him a frown "Is that so?"

"What? You don't believe me?" he said back with mock shock "I can do things when I set my mind to it!"

"Yes, if only you could that more often Corrin" she murmured, shaking her head, securing her stuff safely as they talked, class ended "Now you are here for something?"

"Me, no…"

She gave him a hard look and he sighed "Fine! Fine! There's this girl…"

"Oh no, this is the smuggler, isn't it?" Leia answered with a groan, right hand to her head "This…again?"

"She's….reforming" came the idiotic answer, and Leia gave him a look "Really! Also, she has, ugh, contacts and stuff…"

"And she's very pretty, yes, Luke mentioned. I mentioned you're an idiot"

"Yeah, that was also mentioned" Corrin held up his hands, shrugging with a stupid smile "Come'on champ! You've got, ah, contacts to!"

"No. That's not winning me over Corrin" she answered, rolling her eyes "Corellia is awash with smugglers…"

"See! It's nothing that…"

"Stop being a stereotype!" she huffed at him annoyance as they walked "Oh, there are charming rogueish smuggler, I, as CoSec, just want to reform them!"

"I totally can! Mirax and her Uncle were forced into because…"

"…because of bad circumstances and the galaxy was against them" Leia put on the voice of the many, many, many, copycat answers of the exact same given in court for why someone 'had to' smuggle here on Corellia. In the middle of economic boom, where far more progressive earnings taxation policies were in place "She better be very pretty Corrin"

Corrin paused, huffed, then sighed "Fine….she's very pretty. It's true…"

"If you say it's true love or it's love at first sight, I will take you outside and make you spar till I beat sense into your head!" she muttered "You could have gone with the refugee angle"

"How did you know about…"

"Because Luke, and I know you, you idiot, so checking up on things" she told him, shaking her head "So, yes, okay, I'll meet her, for drinks, and then we can make decisions on this poor innocent little flower whose made bad decisions in life. You do know I am not the sensible twin. I set tents on fire while brawling with Sith wannabes…why am I having to be sensible with you?"

"My rogueish charm?"

"No, that's not it" Leia said, rolling her eyes as they walked "Really, they'll let anyone into CorSec these days!"

"Hey! I'm the best damned pilot in the class, probably the year!" he huffed "Anyway…CorSec are expanding, so they are letting anyone in these days, so, yeah, you are both right and wrong!"

'Yes, thank the Force. Not that we'll ever get to travel anywhere without a strong CorSec, and Order, to protect us from those sleemos on Coruscant' Leia thought, as while wealth was coming into Corellia, everyone knew where it came from, and the dangerous price that came with it. Yet here she was, doing what she could for her homeworld…


[Early days of 1 BBY]
[Private Conference Room, Command Deck, Imperial Navy M-series Heavy Battlecruiser (formerly Mandator II-class Star Dreadnought Indominable) Lightbringer, Imperial Navy Fifth Fleet (the Army of Light) in orbit Milagro, Milagro System, Chaykin Sector, Expansion Region, former Confederacy of Independent Systems, United Federal Empire Occupation Zone]

"So, from one fire to another?"

"Looks to be so" I agreed with my opposite from Fifth Fleet, Maarisa Zsinj, where she sat across from me with her aide-de-camp, her son, while mine, my apprentice Tionne, sat beside me. The room was empty beyond that, the data before me in writing, send by dispatch courier rather than even by tight beam Fleet hyper-comms. Identical orders to what Maarisa and her fleet had received "We succeeded, and no good deed goes unpunished as we both well know"

"Ah, yes, that is the price of duty" the human female answered, hands together on the desk, papers spread out before her, with the emperor's signature at the bottom, along with the chancellor's "I was hoping for reinforcements, not stripping away an entire fleet"

I sighed, tapping the hand hand-drawn star-charts "Nor I, nor am I enthused with the plan, as times have changed, but they are what they are. Strictly speaking Mar Tuuk's fleet is reinforcing the position, and should be able to stand on the defensive"

Maarisa shook her head "We both know his direct masters will strip off squadrons to reinforce the northern front at Trandosha, or towards the Neimodian Slice"

"Aye, unfortunately fighting is hard there" I sat back "Hence the need for aggression apparently"

"Is it viable?"

"Loathe as I am to say so…aye, it is" I admitted having considered my marching orders, and found no reason to reject them "Sixth Fleet is under severe pressure, and while Neimodia is holding firm….we can't not show ourselves to be aiding them as part of being Imperial citizens. Here, we have the advantage, unless the Confederates thrown in either their First or Second Fleet, or the Republicans throw in with them…"

Then let out an unhappy breath "It's dangerous as all hells though, but it would serve to draw off enemy reinforcements. I just have to work very hard not to die during it all"

Maarisa nodded, her own unhappy frown in place "And I'll have to act twice as aggressive, with half the forces in the meantime to delay knowledge of your departure. We'll need to swap a squadron or two, to sell the image"

"Aye…two probably, give a few hours to decide?" she nodded back at my words, as she'd have to do the same, and I'd have to be careful what units to bring when mobility was a focus "Honestly, I'll need refuelers and salvagers more than you…I'll need to take some of the seized Confed stocks as well, a few civvie confiscations too most likely"

Maarisa gave a slow nod "You aren't going to seek the Imperator?"

"The M-series will be tough enough to keep up, a true SSD….they'd never risk the Imperator, and I'd blow any chance of trying to hide my movements till attacking" I answered the obvious, as the new Super Star Destroyer was scheduled to arrive in Sector soon, one of the handful the Empire had, even beyond the M-series "There is also, well, the issue of linking up with the Nightwatch. Their mission has ended clearly"

"No, it just means it's no longer viable and escaping other ways is proving difficult" Maarisa stated with a shake of her head "The Far Outsiders are proving far more dangerous than expected, but, let us be honest, we lost the Northern War and that's that. I'm sure you'd prefer that vessel operating on the Frontier than in the midst of our enemies, after your encounter in Chiss territory, hmm?"

"Aye, yes, I would…though I'm less happy to know the listening posts and such weren't destroyed either. Something is coming, something very bad, and we can't see it bar when it strikes out of the shadows in the Unknown Regions" I said, tapping at the documents, as the orders here were beyond Top Secret, as the 'String of Jewels' as the listening stations had been called, along with the Nightwatch, were things not even to be spoken of over active comms. While some information had been leaked in regards the 'Far Outsiders', the truth was the Imperial response to the coming Vong Invasion, failed as it was, were deeply buried secrets "Still, we're gambling on the offensive with this. Largely on reputation"

"Yours, and the Confeds will react to it certainly, and that'll keep our new Feddie friends happy" she answered with a nod "And if you can break out…"

I nodded in agreement "Then I'll do a lot of damage. I do agree with the underlying package that the Galactic North is currently badly exposed and chaotic relative to what it was, and what it will become. I'll feint towards Iktotch, and if you could…"

Maarisa gave a nod and gesture on the charts as I trailed off "I'll follow up with raids using what squadrons you left behind. I'll press our current plans as if your fleet was still in the field. The weak link is the Bothans and the Feddies"

"Bothans will sell us out, they always do….it's just a matter of timing, and it's clear his majesty is relying on the knowledge spreading once I get a head start" I paused, gave a snort of amusement "Them of the Hutts. No matter, that is my problem to deal with, as well as the ISA, since they'll be losing any hidden systems and lanes I have to use"

Such were our orders.

Three days and three nights later, by local standards, reinforced by a dozen Imperial Knights and Imperial Jedi, the Army of Light broke orbit, the flaring engines of thousands of warships igniting in unison at the orders of their Emperor. The Emperor's Wrath was once more on the move, commanded to bring the wrath and ruin upon the foes of the Empire…